TDM #1 - What Dreams May Come

[perchancetodreammods]

What Dreams May Come

Dream On

Welcome to the Dreamscape. A beautiful, endless dream where you and a bunch of other unique and interesting minds from across the multiverse have been gathered to connect, commiserate, and make the impossible... possible! There are many fantastical realms to explore and even more to come, and you are given your very own Nimbus Cloud to serve as your home. This puffy pink cloud will host a pocket dimension just for you where the only limit to what you can create is your own imagination. Missing personal items or locations from the waking world? No problem--- the only thing you have to do in order to earn feathers, the local currency, is make meaningful connections with others. In fact, making these meaningful connections seems to be the only task assigned to you by your mysterious host, the Outsider.

The only catch? You can't wake up until the Outsider wakes you. And it's not clear when that will be--- if ever.

Make your way in this ever-changing dream realm, find friends and allies to earn Feathers, and navigate strange and fantastical Dreamscape-wide events as you and your new neighbors try to unravel the mystery of what exactly the Outsider wants, and what it will take to escape the never-ending dream. The Outsider isn't just an NPC, either--- they're joining you on your adventures!

WHAT

The grand opening of Perchance to Dream!

WHEN

9/13/2022

QUICK NAV

Locations

Feather Info

The Outsider

I'm Only Sleeping

♫♪♩♬

When you go to sleep that night, it is like any other night. After a long day of living your life in the waking world, you dress down for the night, lie your weary head down, close your eyes, and begin to drift off, as you normally do. However, just as you are about to fall asleep, there is a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that something has changed.

But you drift off nonetheless.

When you rise, you find yourself still in the same bed you went to sleep in, but that bed has been… transported, somehow, to a broad and otherwise empty room. Your feet hit the black marble floor, but even if they are bare, they don’t feel cold. Around you are tall arches, beyond which is a rich, pink, sunset sky, and fluffy clouds drifting lazily by, sometimes close enough that parts of them intrude on the room.

On one side of the room, there is a door. Tall and austere, it looms overhead, bearing a carving of a strange blue eye. You feel awake, yet you know you are dreaming. Never in your life have you had a dream like this, so breathtakingly lucid. You feel foreign here, but welcome, like a guest. It’s an odd feeling, but perhaps it is familiar.

At the foot of your bed, there is a note on a small black slip of paper, written in lavender ink. It’s addressed to you by name.

“If you want answers, come find me at the Torn Oak. Otherwise, make yourself at home. Welcome to the Dreamscape.

-The Outsider”

The only way out is through the door. When you exit it, it slams behind you, and is gone if you turn around. You begin to get the sense that you’re going to be here for a while.

The Dreaming Tree

♫♪♩♬

The first area that you come into contact with is a sprawling field of stark white vegetation under a deep purple sky. At the base of the hill upon which you stand, you can see a tree that is particularly large, that seems to be standing perfectly upright despite being torn completely in half just above the stump. A blue wooden door with a silver handle stands in the gap between the body of the three and the stump below. It seems this place has an interesting penchant for disembodied doors. Still, this is probably the “Torn Oak” referenced in the note from the room before.

Should you go in, you’ll find before you a fantastical structure that looks almost like a shrine--- four shimmering crystal pillars, a glass chandelier, and a pedestal with a glowing sphere swirling with light. And beside that, there stands a strange figure. A person with periwinkle skin and a long, slender body, draped in a cloak with golden eyes that moved and blinked. On their head, a pair of horns and a golden halo, and a pointed tail flicked around their ankles. They had three eyes, one seated up on their brow, all of which were that strange, eerie blue that the one carved into that large black door had been.

“Hello there!” They greet you cheerfully. “I’ve been expecting you. I’m sure you have questions!”

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

♫♪♩♬

The Outsider, your host, is more than happy to explain the purpose of this place. You are in the Dreamscape, a special pocket of the collective unconscious of the entire omniverse, and they’ve plucked the dreaming minds of a hand-picked selection of people out of their own dreams, to be here in this mystical place. They cannot tell you why, exactly, but they want you to make meaningful emotional, mental, and physical connections with other dreamers, particularly those who you do not know, and they’re willing to reward you for doing so.

Perhaps you want to get started on collecting right away. The Outsider has kindly informed you that the best way to do this is to go and make some new friends. The likelihood that you’ll find another dreamer or two walking around the grassy knoll outside the Torn Oak or heading up or down the colossal escalator leading up into the sky itself is pretty high. Perhaps you’ll even find someone who wants to walk with you over to the Glass Lake, where the water’s surface can be walked on to get a better view of the Rainbow Koi. For some reason, no matter how many people go there or how inviting it seems, no one else besides you and the person or people you went with ever seems to be anywhere around, making it surprisingly private.

Sleepwalking

♫♪♩♬

If the immediate area doesn’t strike your fancy and you’re looking for some other options, you might consider heading to the Barren Freeway. The long stretch of paved road is oppressively isolating and terribly eerie, but it can lead to so many other places, be they strange, temporary locations from the corners of your mind that disappear when you leave, or the Twisted City itself.

Bustling and full of life, there is always something to do or see in the Twisted City. Restaurants, shops, night life, libraries, parks--- and it almost looks like a normal town, if you can ignore the bubbles in the sky, uncanny structures in the street, and the fact that nothing ever seems to stay in the same spot. Though if you get lost and need to get back to the Freeway, the Submarineway has a stop right by there. Maybe in the process of finding your way, you can find a friend.

Comments

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS

[perchancetodreammods]

Post 'em here!

The Outsider | The Dreaming Tree [OTA]

[fromtheoutside]

[ The Outsider could not deny their anticipation. They had spent so long, sculpting this world out of energy and emotion, weaving the perfect dream. And now, at long last, it was time to begin. They paced the floor, both excited and anxious, among their crystal pillars, almost startling as the door opened. At last! A new arrival!

Turning to the open door, they smiled a practiced grin. ]

Hello there! I've been expecting you. I'm sure you've got questions!

Re: The Outsider | The Dreaming Tree [OTA]

[crystalmaster]

Radley is more than a little bewildered and baffled by his weird dream. "Uh yeah, I sure do. I've never had a dream like this before. What is this place? And who are you?" None of this seems like something he would dream up. But then ... whose dream is he in?

[OTA] Byleth Eisner | Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Crimson Flower)

[allowmetodemonstrate]

I. ARRIVAL / SWEET DREAMS

Do you ever have one of those moments where you think, "well, this might as well happen"?

Byleth had no idea how long she'd been asleep. By all accounts it must have been a terribly long time, though she wouldn't find out it was years until far later. And in her unconscious state, she'd had many strange, passing dreams, but never one so real as this. And this "Outsider," whoever they were, was at the very least pretty forthcoming about what their intentions were, as far as she could tell. Byleth figured that if she was going to be asleep, she may as well be doing something interesting.

Others, she hoped, would feel the same, and it would certainly be interesting to speak to someone from another reality. So, leaving the Torn Oak, she headed back to the top of the hill, taking a good look around. In the distance, she could see a white willow tree overlooking a large pond or lake. Idly, she wondered if this would be a good spot for fishing. Perhaps she could spot another newcomer who might like to come along?


II. SLEEPWALKING

The walk to the city wasn't terrible. It was eerily quiet, sure, but Byleth had walked longer distances on rougher terrain in her time. The city, on the other hand, was fascinating. The shifting buildings nearly made her head spin, and it was challenging to stay oriented with them changing while she wasn't looking, but eventually she spotted a restaurant that she was interested in--- and someone walking past it.

"You there!" she called out to the stranger. "Would you be so kind as to put your hand on the side of that building? I'd like to go in there, but I worry it might disappear on me again if no one is paying attention to it."

Sleepwalking

[crystalmaster]

Radley is still pretty confused by everything. He wants to believe he's somehow come up with all of this in his mind and he'll wake up soon, so right now he's his normal calm self.

"Oh, you want me to touch it?" He puts his hand on the building. "Will I need to do that the whole time you're in there?"

[OTA] Jonathan Sims | The Magnus Archives (Season 3)

[apocryphalarchivist]

SWEET (?) DREAMS

[ There was no single part of Jon that was at peace with any of this. Not a single bit.

His meeting with "The Outsider", as the entity titled themself, didn't go what he would call swimmingly. How could it, really? There was no part of this situation that he cared for, and he was feeling profoundly trapped. He wasn't even sure that he could trust that any of these other people were real, or that there wasn't some sort of conspiracy behind all of this that was looming just out of view.

Since it seemed as though he had little way to get out, though, there wasn't much to do beyond play nice, watch, and wait.

And wait he did, finding a vantage on the grassy knoll, and just... watching. He took in the strange sights, the bizarre creatures, and the astral bodies that didn't seem to move.

He was so caught up in trying to take mental notes of every single thing in the sprawling landscape, he didn't even notice anyone approach until footsteps were very close, leaving him jolting with a start, and tossing a bewildered look that he desperately tried to shift into something a bit more amicable. The smile he wore just turned out kind of strained and awkward. Great job. ]

Oh--- hello. You're new here, too, I take it?

SLEEPWALKING

[ With seemingly endless possibilities, and the entire world teeming with unfamiliarity to him, he sought after one thing that looked more familiar than anything else.

The freeway, leading up to the strange, distorted city.

Despite it's bizarre formations littering the streets, it looked... ultimately, enough like a normal city to soothe his nerves! He almost felt back in his own element. Except for, of course, until he wandered into a shop, browsed idly through a few books on their shelves and other assorted trinkets, before seeing himself out.

This came with only one very small problem.

He did not exit even remotely where he'd gone in.

Wandering a few streets didn't help, either, as he couldn't find any of the shops or buildings he'd taken note of on his way in. He was, unfortunately, profoundly lost. He could barely even remember which direction he came in from, as the strange sights in the sky ebbed in flowed, offering no guidance, either. He hadn't yet spotted the subway system, either, so as far as he was concerned? It was going to be quite a hike either way.

Fortunately for him, he managed to spot at least one face he was able to look away from and recall what they looked like. That must be a start, right?

Raising a hand, he crossed the empty street (with care, of course), calling over once he'd shortened the distance considerably. Not trying to make a public ass of himself, after all. ]

Excuse me! I'm sorry to be a bother, but I've gotten myself... a bit lost. Do you happen to know where the entrance of the city is? Where the freeway starts?

sweet (?) dreams

[justfourseconds]

[He'd just been walking, but he hadn't meant to startle the guy. Ekko gave him an upnod, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his olive coat. A bit--a lot awkward, maybe, but was anyone here just jiving with what...all this business was? Sure, he'd gotten the run-down too, but trust was a high expectation out of him.]

Yeah, man. Me too. What's up?

[Not that Ekko didn't understand awkward, after all.]

John J. Rambo | RAMBO Franchise (circa FIRST BLOOD PART II) | OTA

[theydrewfirstblood]

Sweet Dreams

John didn't know how to do this.

That was why he was just sort of...standing in the middle of the lake made to be walked on, staring at the dazzling fish that swam below him. He was alone, and he wasn't supposed to be. Friends, connections--that's what the Outsider said, right?

All of his were dead, except for Colonel Trautman. Making new ones, forging new ties...doing that put him where he was now. Not this place, but the cell he was still locked up in, fast asleep. This place, too, was confusing. Frightening.

It was so...quiet. And he liked it, there was something comforting about the nature of this silence after so much noise...yet it left him feeling afraid.

When there was noise, he could figure things out. Where he stood, what was out there. In the quiet, the stillness, there was uncertainty. That was where he faltered.

So he stood, alone, unsure and afraid in the middle of the Glass Lake watching fish by himself...and could not find it in him to do much else.

Sleepwalking

John liked the Twisted City--well, he liked getting to the Twisted City.

The Barren Freeway was lonesome, bleak, and strange--and it kind of felt like home. He went into the City and explored other places a lot, walking with a measured stride that drew it out. No worry about cars or the cold, no cops to hassle him...and at the end, he could get something to eat and rest a while.

He met people, of course, strangers. Strangers still made him nervous, never sure what was in them or about them. Never certain if they'd lash out at him, if he'd have to fight again. John knew he didn't, not here, but he couldn't turn it off even in his dreams. Especially in his dreams.

He was still fighting a war. This time, it was just one on the inside...and not even Colonel Trautman could steer him to safe harbor.

This war was his to fight alone.

sweet dreams;

[lygophobic]

Sun Spear hated this. She hated that she was here, she hated that she couldn't leave whenever she wanted, and she especially hated that she had to make 'meaningful connections' with people. What the fuck was the point - better yet, why had The Outsider been stupid enough to pick her for such a task? Unless said people were giving her money for a job, she didn't want to deal with them.

Nothing she could do about it now but seethe and bitch and moan and...stare at fish? She guessed? And she had thought she was alone. Until she wasn't. She glanced up when she realized someone was nearby, also staring at the fish. "Hey." She called out, her voice carrying more than she would have liked. "The fuck are you doing?" Obvious question, but what the hell else was there to say?

Ekko | Arcane | OTA

[justfourseconds]

sweet dreams

Ekko didn't really see what was wrong with his old friends. Save for one small but glaring problem.

Those friends? They weren't here. Yeah, small problem.

He's not sure how 'grateful' he is for this prospective adventure, isn't sure how rewarding it'll be. Sure, Silco had offered that sort of thing, too. Offer the handout, but have a dagger or some other weapon hidden behind his back. The old man liked having power over Downside. Did everything in his power to keep it.

All Ekko--all the Firelights, all of them--had wanted to do was live in peace. But that was too much.

Trust was hard. But at least he didn't look like all that much. And his first instinct wasn't to throw a punch or worse. 

He might manage, after all. A miracle, after where he'd grown up.

Still, Ekko approaches with both hands up, indicating he means no harm.

"Got a moment? Just want to talk."

sleepwalking

It reminded him way too much out of the bridge out of Piltover. The cause of...a lot of chaos, clashes between the Enforcers and the people of the Lanes. Zaunites? The great unwashed; it didn't really matter what they were called, other than the truth; that the eyes of the Pilties slid over them. Like they were nobody.

Walking down this long lane felt a lot like that. Other than the fact that the air was cleaner. Sweeter. Not choking like it was down below.

There are plenty of sights to see in the Twisted City--which reminds Ekko more of Zaun than he wanted to think about, but down there, you couldn't see the sky. And here, the sky was different, but it was at least interesting to watch the bubbles. Not for too long, though. Somehow, it made Ekko's head feel fuzzy if he did that too long.

So he didn't.

One of the odder structures catches his eye, and Ekko upnods to one of the others who are passing about.

"You ever seen somethin' this crazy?"

He certainly hadn't...

sweet dreams

[allowmetodemonstrate]

When approached by the newcomer, Byleth didn't seem fazed, despite noting that his body language seemed to imply that she should be. She looked back at him, expression blank and unreadable, but her posture relaxed.

"Of course," she agreed easily. "Did you just arrive as well?

Joe Smith | SAMARITAN

[im_a_troglodyte]

(SPOILER WARNING: avoid Joe and his threads if you plan to watch SAMARITAN on Amazon. <3)

Sleepwalking

This was bullshit.

Joe could buy a lot of things—fuck’s sake, he was walking proof of unnatural shit. He could absolutely buy that this was a dream, but this ‘connections’ thing?

Bull. Shit. He preferred his apartment and his garbage route. Hell, he even preferred his own personal stalker in that damn kid…

Trudging down the Barren Freeway, Joe was kinda hoping that in Dreamland, he could find something to get drunk on that wouldn’t risk overheating him.

For one irrational moment, one split second…he hoped his brother was somewhere in this messed up dreamscape.

Neil Blair | OC

[hellorhighwater]

~sweet dreams

Neil knew what to expect from traveling across worlds, but dreams? Wasn’t in his wheelhouse…and this business about forming connections?

He’d rather go walking on the lake in front of him.

Nervous, and hiding it, Neil summoned a small orb of dragon fire in one hand, idly running his fingers through the white hot flames so dense they looked like fabric waiting to be touched, red sparks crackling merrily at their edges.

Fire mage, walking on water. Yeah, the water snakes back in the Five Realms would get a kick out of that shit.

With a sigh, Neil snuffed the flame with a flex of his fingers and crouched low to rub his fingers over the bank, murmuring a prayer to the Sky Maker under his breath in the dragon tongue, considering his next moves.

Grant me your clarity of cruelty, Sky Maker, that I may find my way back to waking, and to my king. Let me serve you with honor—this I pledge, this I pray.

[killerwail]

Unfortunately, Neil's prayer was about to be discovered by what was probably the least sensitive person there.

At the sight of a man not only standing (crouching?) on the water, but also making fire with his hands, Pearl dashed over to the edge of the lake. "WOAH THAT'S SO COOL! Hey homie! How are you doing that?!"

Percy De Rolo | Critical Role | ota

[baron_badass]

Sleepwalking

Percy didn't seem all that bothered by the whole situation. He'd grown up around magic all of his life, gods regularly spoke to his friends and death didn't always stick depending on what day it was. So once he'd had the place explained to him, Percy set off to explore.

He walked along with a confident stride, a tall white haired man who looked like he'd stepped out of a adventure novel. He looks like he belongs and seems ready for a fight even here in this dreamlike place.

[flippantwizard]

"Where ya headed, partner?" Came a voice off to Percy's right, an elven man sitting at one of the weird cafe's along the strange streets of the even stranger city, legs crossed, an umbrella resting beside him, drinking some beverage that seemed to be sparkling. "Walking these mean streets like a man on a mission. Got somewhere to be in this wacky dream land?"

Cinna | THE HUNGER GAMES Trilogy

[channelmyemotions]

~sweet dreams (ARE MADE OF THIS)~

After his arrival, and his initial conversation with the strange creature that greeted him, Cinna did a lot of walking.

Part of it was nerves--the eve of the Reaping for the Quarter Quell, knowing what and who was coming back to him...what was in the future. Yeah, he was nervous...but unafraid. Fear had a place, and it wasn't in the work. Fear was private, sacred.

The work was reserved for the rage, and the fear was its fuel.

So he walked the grassy expanses outside the large Torn Oak, up the stairs into the sky--across the lake full of colorful fish that could have easily been in any Capitol park. He walked, he drank it in, and he fed the beautiful images of the dreamscape to the fear and rage so he'd have something to take with him back into waking. The clouds could fringe a skirt on an interview dress, the fins of those fish could glitter on the lapels of a victory blazer for Peeta...

However long he had to dream, he planned to make the most of it.

~Sleepwalking~

The highway? Not Cinna's cup of tea...but the Twisted City? Now that was interesting.

Walking its streets, taking in its bustle of life, Cinna felt a strange but pleasant connection to it. It felt like a warped version of the Capitol, and he enjoyed that. Something darker, more surreal, even troubling--but never unpleasant. It was unpredictable, just a little messy, and lovely but not always nice.

That little streak of grit, not unlike the dark corners that lived in every human mind...it made him feel truly at home.

He had a feeling he was going to spend a lot of time here.

sleepwalking;

[flippantwizard]

Taako was loving the city with all his stupid little wizard heart, and since he had nothing else to do but dick around and 'make friends', he figured the place with actual people or whatever in it would work fine. He could bullshit his way through a conversation for a few feathers.

"Hey tall, dark, and fashionable." Taako called from his perch atop a wall, popping a passing bubble with the end of his umbrella. "Looking to make some friends? Because have I got news for you - your new bestie is sitting right before your eyes." He kicked his leggy into the air for emphasis.

Anne Forsythe | OC

[adreamtorise]

1. Sweet Dreams

This...well, it was strange.

Anne wasn't used to having dreams like this. Dreams that were--well, dreams. It was either nightmares about those days she couldn't remember as a teenager, traumatized and half wild before Paw Paw found her, or...the other dreams.

The ones she very quietly and very vehemently pretended she didn't have.

So it was odd, but not unpleasant to be wandering this strange but beautiful dreamscape full of trees, clouds, bubbles--although she really couldn't spend too much time on that pretty Glass Lake. It was at least three weeks since her last hunt, and those fish were just too pretty to hurt.

The beauty of things like the grassy stretches and endless escalator stairs going upwards? Plenty of room to run.

So, if one happens to be out and about, one might catch sight of a tanned, golden, human shaped blur of movement trailing peals of delighted laughter behind her as she let the animal within run free.

Quite literally.

2. Sleepwalking

The freeway is good for running, but Anne is far more fond of the city. Oddly, it appeals to the hunter in her when things move seemingly of their own accord. Sometimes, she can track a scent, others she just wanders aimlessly but always ends up discovering something interesting.

A new shop, a new acquaintance with a story to tell...wolves are social animals, and Anne is nothing if not social.

This whole bonding thing is going to be easy--and as far as she's concerned? Tons of fun.

Re: Anne Forsythe | OC

[pinandcove]

Milo had barely stepped back out onto the grassy hillside of the main area, the door to the Torn Oak disappearing behind him, when a streak of yellow fly by him. "Woah---" It took every ounce of balance in his body not to fall on his ass. "What the hell...?"

Despite his near miss, he seemed more curious than annoyed, and trailed behind, trying to see if he could sort out just who this mysterious laughing sprinter could be. At the very least, she looked to be having a good time.

Tali’Zorah | Mass Effect [OTA] | Sleepwalking

[fleetandflotila]

The Twisted City reminded Tali of what she thought the Citadel might have looked like when she was younger. She’d always pictured it the same way; idyllic structures, inviting scenery, an air of wonder around the place.
She made her way up the walkway, enjoying the feeling of the air on her face as she took in the scenery around her. It wasn’t every day that she got to feel the breeze on her skin, but this was a dream, right? Getting sick wasn’t a thing here.
The gears in her head turned wildly as she pondered that; getting sick wasn’t a thing here. By that logic, food allergies weren’t a thing here, either.
“Keelah,” she breathed, tapping her fingertips together as she walked up the way with renewed vigor in her step. She was going to eat so much human food.
She hurried towards a cafe a few doors down, unable to get the giddy grin off of her face as she hurriedly opened the door.
Just as it had almost shut, she caught sight of someone walking towards the door, and she grinned sheepishly as she tried to hold the door.
“Oh— sorry, I didn’t see you there. Are you coming in?”

[blue_ice]

...Food? Do they really need food if they're allegedly dreams? It's something Kaiba hadn't thought about, and yet he found himself approaching the café. And nearly smacking into the door! Well. That was embarrassing. Nearly. Better push past it.

He straightened himself when a voice sounded in front of him. Oh, there's the person he nearly smacked into. Oops.

"...I guess I am, now," he decided. "Food's usually not my first destination in a dream, but it's here. Might as well look at it sooner or later."

Seto Kaiba | Yu-Gi-Oh DM

[blue_ice]

(not so) sweet dreams?

Vivid colors, clouds, flowers? This is all ridiculous. Kaiba's finally been convinced that it's best he accept the reality of the dream, or at least pretend to. Making waves too obviously when he's being watched is a bad idea, and as much as he's a very busy young executive with a Life of Being Important to get back to...he should find ways to make his stay here bearable.

Make friends, the Outsider had said. Play nice, and you'll be rewarded. Friendship is absolutely the last thing he wants, now or ever, so...he instead seats himself on the hill, arms folded as he grumbles about his predicament.

"This is one of the worst-designed experiments I've ever seen, if that's really what that person wants," he grouses. "No clear purpose, unpredictable variables everywhere...and, oh. Right. How could I forget the lack of consent form?"

He snorts derisively and briefly glowers at the sky. It's far too cheery looking.

sleepwalking (in the twisted city)

It's the strangest city he's ever seen, and it's thoroughly frustrating his attempts at making a mental map. Wasn't the library that way? Now it's the other direction? He'll have to find his way back eventually. For now, he's window shopping. It's the only option, really. He's flat broke, and this dream world's economic engine is specifically built to give him nightmares.

He looks at an intriguing dragon book in one of the windows, glares at the price listed in feathers, and turns away with a shake of his head. "The business model desperately needs an overhaul. Guess I'm...off to the library?"

If he can find it. It's changed direction again. He sighs and just picks a direction, hoping for the best.

[flippantwizard]

"Good luck overhauling the economy of a dream, brochacho." Taako said, bent over and staring into the window of a particularly extravagant accessory shop filled with the gaudiest jewelry the world had ever seen. "No, seriously, good luck. I'd love to be able to make some actual cash here."

Pearl | Splatoon [OTA!] SLEEPWALKING

[killerwail]

Now this, a squid could get used to!

Pearl loved the Twisted City. It was just like Inkopolis, only full of just... pure chaos. Buildings shifting and changing, funky and impossible furniture, so much to see and do! She eagerly spent the whole day running around.

However, nothing, and I mean nothing could compare to the Submarineway. It looked so much like the subway system hidden below Inkopolis, where Agent 8 had come from, except that outside the window of the train, there was beautiful, sprawling ocean life. For all her energy and enthusiasm and go-getter attitude, the sight of the sea literally at her window stilled her completely.

She rode around on the subway for hours. Eventually, someone would join her and snap her out of it. Probably.

[theydrewfirstblood]

“It’s beautiful.”

The deep voice was so quiet and unobtrusive, it wouldn’t be surprising if it took a moment to register, if at all.

When it did, she would find a soldier standing at parade rest, riding the motion of the train to keep balance. He was about a foot away from her seat, seemingly as transfixed by the view as she was.

“Never gotten to see the water like this. Or ride a subway before…it’s good when you have the ocean right beside you.”

Otherwise, it would be far too claustrophobic—remind him too much of the POW camp during the war.

Atem | Yugioh FM | OTA

[dethroned_prince]

I'm Only Sleeping
cw: murder related to a Coup D'etat, character death, self-doubt

When the prince lost consciousness it was against his wishes, sheer exhaustion the cause. There was so much riding on his actions that he often felt as if he was completely alone even though he still had his friends to rely on for support but his family, mentor, and advisors were all gone. Dead presumably, and he hadn't been able to do anything to prevent it. The treachery of Heishin was enacted without warning, his strength immeasurable bolstered by the power of the sacred items. If there was ever a time to push one's self to the limit, to forgo rest it was now. And yet... sleep he did.

When he regained consciousness the strange sights that met his eyes were startling, it was such a sharp contrast to the dueling grounds where he had been that he almost expected to see Fizdis standing in the doorway, there to wake him to start the day. That was a ludicrous thought, ever since he returned to find the palace in ruins he had no way of knowing what had become of the loyal servant. The thought pained him, as he remembered the last time he'd seen her as she tried to warn him to flee.

Would he always be consumed by guilt for leaving them all behind?

Scrubbing a hand along his face, he forced those thoughts to the back of his mind as he'd had to do several times now to keep going. As long as his people were in danger, he needed to remain strong. After taking a steadying breath, he stepped onto the marble floor with his sandaled feet and headed out that door. The strange eyeball didn't escape his notice, but was it any more ominous than the eye in the center of his millennium puzzle?

As the door slammed shut behind him, he didn't even flinch. "I will find this Outsider, and determine just what he has to do with all this..."

The Glass Lake

On the way to the torn Oak, Atem travelled to the forest and found himself having to stop and stare in awe.

"This is... Incredible!"

There was nothing like this in Egypt, not even near the oases or the bountiful life-giving Nile. He wondered briefly what gave the fauna it's luminescent quality- was this the work of a powerful sorcerer? Was there any connection to this "Outsider" and the Mages guarding the locations of the Millennium Items? It didn't seem likely, but who else would want to hinder his progress?

Coming to the lake, he puzzled over it, before kneeling down to examine it more closely. The colorful fish darted all around in such hues that were usually reserved for paintings. He reached out to dip his fingers into the water only to discover that the surface was solid.

"By the Gods..."

Righting himself, he looked skeptically downward, totally wanting to attempt crossing the lake.

".. There certainly are some mysterious forces at work here."

Twisted City

Unsure how long he would have to remain here, Atem soon found his way to the Twisted City. This arrangement of it wasn't entirely dissimilar to what he was used to but the architecture and construction of said structures was. In some ways it reminded him more of what could be found in Yugi's time, but that place felt ages away. What differed from both Egypt and Domino City was the constant flux of where things were located. It was more like the dark labyrinthian reaches of his mind.

That seemed to further confirm the stories about this all being a dream- or a collective dream. Not entirely ready to immerse himself in the environment, he kept trying to ask if anyone here had seen his friends in hopes that any of them had made this journey with him. Maybe he shouldn't hope for that- but being here was surely safer than being left to that rogue High Priest's whims.

"Excuse me," He reached out to touch someone's arm to get their attention. "I.. don't suppose you've met anyone names Teana or Jono, have you? They'd both be dressed.. well.. more like me." Directing his free hand over his egyptian attire which seemed to be in short supply here.

[blue_ice]

How dare the Outsider ask Seto Kaiba to do such a ridiculous thing as make friends. It was an indignity, an outrage...but it'd been a while, and that white-hot flame had mostly given way to sulking at this point. He drifted through the annoyingly colorful landscapes with a fixed frown, giving people a wide berth as a rule. Until a familiar spark of memory appeared in the corner of his eye.

He was fully awake in this dream for the first time, staring at the familiar profile of someone he'd convinced himself he'd never see again. Could this be the Outsider summoning a familiar mirage to trick him into dropping his guard? Possibly. But he still felt the need to investigate.

Kaiba crouched at the lakeside, reaching out to...tap it. Huh.

"It's a glass sheet. Not that impressive if you've ever been to an aquarium," was what he chose as a hello. Sorry, Atem.

Hermes ☿ Hades ☿ OTA

[messageforyou]

Glass Lake

Those familiar with the myth of Hermes may recognize him. Wings sprout from his head and ankles, glowing orange and yellow with flecks of pink. His divine presence is brilliant enough to be hard to look at directly, and it wraps people nearby up with the vaguest sense of adventure, like a brisk breeze at the start of a journey is blowing in their face.

And right now, he surveys the lake with an impressed smile, hands on hips as his wings flutter and keep him a couple feet off the ground like a hummingbird.

He doesn't even look up from the water when someone approaches before saying, "You want to go swimming in there?"

Twisted City

The bubbles are so much fun.

"What will people dream up next?" Hermes says as he zips through another bubble, popping it and raining iridescent drops on the people below. He shakes out his wings, droplets clinging to the feathers, but he still stays in the air with a grin. "These make flying so much more fun."

[allowmetodemonstrate]

Byleth had been observing the lake, looking down at the fish and debating if they were too pretty to eat, when the stranger flying a short distance above the surface of the water spoke to her. She looked up, and chuckled softly. "Is it possible?" she asked genuinely. "I saw others walking on the surface earlier."

lioriley | original | ota unless labeled otherwise

[invigorates]

i'm only sleeping (closed to Astarion)

Lioriley, unsurprisingly, awoke with a start, her hands instinctively grasping for - and, mercifully, finding - the cool body that should have rested beside her. She barely had to even glance out of her peripheral vision to know that something was very, very wrong, and she was not in the room she had been in prior. Thankfully, whatever had happened and wherever she was now, this time Astarion had come with her.

It was hard to check for life when the person you were checking on was technically a corpse, but given that Astarion didn't need to sleep to begin with, he was probably already well aware of the Lunari clinging harder to him than she usually did. "Astarion? Are you all right, darling?" Best to check that first before she, uh, dealt with the fucking pink clouds in their... room???

the dreaming tree (closed to the outsider obviously??)

Lioriley had plenty of questions, so when the chance for them to be answered was presented, she eagerly took it, heading to the mentioned tree and politely knocking before she pushed the door open, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the lavish interior. Her eyes eventually settled on the Outsider, the corners of her mouth twitching into a reflexive smile. She bowed her head politely.

"I do." She confirmed. So many questions. "My name is Lioriley - and you call yourself The Outsider, correct?" Outside of what? Reality? "I cannot say I have heard of such an entity before."

sweet dreams

Considering the various other worlds she had been unceremoniously thrust into, the request of 'make friends and form meaningful connections' was one easy enough for her to fulfill. One of her favorite things was meeting new people and learning about them and the places they had come from, so naturally she had left the Torn Oak in a fairly decent mood, glad that the demand wasn't, once again, to just have sex with everyone or whatever.

Lioriley headed toward the lake as if on instinct; moving toward the closest body of water to try and feel some semblance of normalcy. And while walking atop it like it was made of glass was not exactly normal, it was certainly better than nothing. She knelt down, fingertips running gently over the lilies before focusing on a koi that had swam closer to the surface, her hand tracing patterns on the glass to watch as the fish followed it around. She chuckled. "What a delightful place." She said to no one in particular.

sleepwalking

She didn't like the freeway. It was too quiet, too unsettling, too lonely even if she could see a city skyline twisting up through the odd array of colored clouds in the distance. There were probably — hopefully — people there. In the meantime, anyone else walking that stretch of barren road would find themselves not so alone after Lioriley spotted them, trotting up and politely introducing herself.

"Hello — My apologies if I am bothering you. My name is Lioriley." She smiled, "Might I ask where you are headed?"

[fromtheoutside]

"It's nice to meet you, Lioriley. Properly, anyway." The Outsider took a sweeping bow. "And yes! Most call me the Outsider. In truth, my name is Ghra'tia Lux Somnium. But I've not been friendly enough with another being to ask them to call me that in millennia. And the reason you have never heard of anything like me is because there is nothing else similar enough to me to be categorized with, if that makes sense."

Marina Ida | Splatoon 2 [OTA]

[ebb_n_flow]

{ Sweet Dreams, Octogirl }

[ Now, Marina had seen a lot of weird things, but this took the cake.

She’d barely know where to begin, if you asked. The Outsider, the dream itself, all of it - it was all new and strange! It wasn’t as though she wasn’t new to culture shock, but this was next level, and she almost didn’t even know where to start with her exploration.

Once she got a look at the lake, though, she couldn’t help herself. That, she needed to see up close.

She made her way to the lake, and, as opposed to the wandering she expected to do, she found herself just… getting lost in it. It shimmered, reflecting the lovely haze that the entirety of the dream seemed to have over it. Before she realized it, she’d moved to sit by the edge of the lake, staring off in a peaceful sort of absence.

Even as she was approached, she didn’t budge - if she didn’t stick out like a sore thumb, one could even almost assume she was part of the scenery itself. ]



{ Sleepwalking and Other Strange Ventures }

[ A city! Now this was more like it.

The freeway was a bit strange and unsettling, but once she’d passed into the skyscrapers, she finally felt like she was back in her own element. With a dozen shops to visit, this seemed like the place to be, at that! She’d visited about a dozen different varieties, and found a million things she didn’t even recognize. (Of course, she was toting around as many as she could bring, in a teal bag that she’d gotten from one of the aforementioned shops.)

Now that she’d reached a record store, though, it was going to be hard to get her out of it. She rifled through the boxes, ooo’ing and ahh’ing at anything that sounded good, and pausing several times to stop by the sample stations with headphones.

It was on one of those headphones visits that she’d turned around, quick and excited, to get back to her searching, when she’d nearly run headlong into someone she didn’t recognize, leaving her looking very embarrassed. ]

Oh— I’m so sorry! I wasn’t even looking where I was going, are you okay?

Sleepwalking

[bigbadrose]

Yeah, sorry! I probably wasn't either! I'm Rose Tyler, are you okay?

Rose Tyler | Doctor Who | OTA

[bigbadrose]

Sweet Dreams:

[Rose is singing the song. You know the SONG.]

Who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas, everybody's looking for something.... [Is it a warning? To herself? She seems really relaxed about this though.]

[She even dances about very cheerfully.]

[She's... probably the only one who had no questions for the Outsider at all. This is the first world she's been in that came with it's own instructor and she didn't have to hunt down a different version of Clyde or herself or the rest.]


Sleepwalking:

[Old habits die hard. Even in her dreams she's trying to find the Doctor. Of course she is. But when that fails, like it always does, she just sits down on a swing in the park.]

[It's not that she won't seek people out, she will. But just once she'd like someone to find her instead.]

'Ello. Come here often?

Sleepwalking

[theydrewfirstblood]

No.

[John does a lot of walking. It helps to clear his head, keep him grounded. It's meditative.

He also gets curious, more than he used to. So far, those he's met here are...good. They're safe, kind people, the type he didn't think existed anymore.

So, when he sees the blonde on the swing, he wanders over to watch her from afar, and gets spotted. He's not hiding, he doesn't have to, but his pulse still quickens briefly at being seen, singled out--

--hungry and tired and hollow with grief, the police cruiser pulling in front of him in threatening friendliness--

Walking closer, John continues to watch the newcomer too closely, too intently, but his expression is as soft as it is guarded. It turns more questioning after a moment as he tilts his head, considering the accent...]

...London?

Ray Breslin | ESCAPE PLAN

[resident_houdini]

Sweet Dreams

Ray still wasn't sure this didn't count as one giant hallucination. Sleep deprivation will do that.

Still, if he was dreaming, that means he fell asleep. With no idea how time works, and a lack of resources in the waking world? He was focused on taking advantage of his time in this place to put together something that maybe, just maybe, might linger in his subconscious and help him when he woke the fuck up.

It's just an exercise to get his head in the right place, but once Ray had the lowdown on...whatever the fuck was going on, he was visible popping up everywhere and behaving oddly, but not strangely. He could be found walking everywhere with very deliberate, measured strides. Just as easily, he could be found standing in one spot, looking.

Just...looking. At everyone, and everything.

Sleepwalking

Once Ray was done with trying to give this strange and otherworldly place a layout, he started focusing on a routine.

Whether he was walking the Freeway to try and learn how it shifted about, or visiting the Twisted City to get a feel for its rhythms--or even riding the Sumbarineway to wrap his head around its schedule, Ray was never idle. He didn't do much--didn't even take notes--but he had a habit of being seemingly everywhere, walking that measured stride or seemingly lost in thought, or just looking.

Though, now and again, he could also be found approaching someone to talk, because in this little exercise of trying to see if this place had a way out, there was one more thing he needed.

Help on the inside.

"Excuse me--would you mind if I asked you a question?"

[bigbadrose]

"Sup?" Rose shrugs. "No promise I can help, but I can try. I'm Rose Tyler. Nice to meet you."

Barney Ross | THE EXPENDABLES

[draculaslifecoach]

::SWEET DREAMS::

If Barney didn't know full well what kind of fucking headache he was gonna have, he'd be wishing harder to wake up.

He knew this was a hell of a dream--incredible. Beautiful. Walking around, getting an eyefull of the giant escalator, the enormous lake, Barney was awestruck in the parts of himself that held what little remained of his humanity.

Those parts, however, were small and withered. They were barely big enough to send him back to Vilena for Sandra, embers fanned to life by the cold hearth that Tool showed to him. They burned bright enough to send him up that escalator exactly once, take a few steps out onto the water of the Glass Lake...

This place was ethereal, beautiful, peaceful--and Barney was tense as hell 'cause he couldn't let himself trust any of it.

::SLEEPWALKING::

The Barren Freeway makes Barney less nervous. The solitude and the odd chill it sends up his spine? That he trusts. The unsettled feeling, the constancy of isolation. The places he discovers along the way now and again, dingy corners of the world from old jobs or relics of his better left forgotten past...

He's comfortable walking that road.

However, when he makes it to places like the Twisted City? There's a hominess to be found in its vibrancy as well. It reminds him a lot of New Orleans, all the noise and the bustle of the crowd. Not quite dark enough or worn enough, still just the wrong side of odd...but if he closes his eyes and leans against the right wall, he can almost pretend he hears the distant strains of zydeco and Gunnar screaming about Schroedinger's Cat again.

He took the Submarineway once--exactly once, and that was it. Vilena was still too recent, and he'd been in those fucking catacombs having the life choked from him for too long.

Maybe later, when it didn't feel quite so...restricting.

sleepwalking

[rhythmofdrums]

Ruthren hides his discomfort well, pupils wide as his eyes are narrowed in the lights of the Twisted City. With measured step and the gait of one used to treading new grounds, his careful confidence belies his trepidation. Curiosity was oft the only drive strong enough to will him into the unknown, and today was no outlier once he notices another. In a river of motion, the stillness is markedly noticeable.

The dark haired man finds himself near the same wall, unable to resist stopping a safe distance before the other. Two stones against a stream, they have that much in common already. Ruthren's gaze is unreadable as it flickers over the other man; dissecting his worth with feigned disinterest. The crowd parts in advance of them, thinner here on the edges.

Hood up and body cloaked to his shins, a tunic visible beneath the parted front of heavy fabric, Ruthren is as out of place as any warrior on such a peaceful street. Until now, he'd avoided others in his fruitless pursuit of the way out. It's hard to find the words, but he lends himself the excuse of gauging the other's alertness before opening his mouth. Purposefully, audibly, he scuffs the ground as he too leans against the wall with crossed arms. His attention appears to shift away, as if their proximity is purely incidental.

Shiranui Kyo | Hakuoki

[walkinggunshow]

Sweet Dreams:
What fresh hell was this? Shiranui wanted to know and rubbed his forehead feeling an oncoming headache. This was not his world and not his problem. He didn't care what his purpose was for here and certainly didn't stay long enough to hear what their host had to say. He simply made a rude gesture and waved him off before stalking away. He then made sure to see that he still had his trusty jacket, scarf, and his gun on him. All were secured. He gave a wary sigh and decided to go investigate this strange world. Maybe he can get a better picture of things.

Sure what the host had to say was important, but it was just information they wanted you to hear. Shiranui wasn't new this, he knew how things worked. If he wanted to real information he had to ask others or just watch things unfold. Maybe even stir up some trouble. For now he was content to hide in the shadows and watch.

Dreaming Tree:
Part of his exploration took Shiranui into a sprawling field that had a very large tree? Everything about this place was purple. So he made his way to this tree and finding the blue door stepped in side. His curiousity attention turned toward the glowing sphere and knew then it had to be some sort of key. It had some kind of importance juding by the way it was kept and there seemed to be some kind of guardian as well. He raised an eyebrow at it. Why was everyone here so cheerful?

"Fine, I'll ask. What's the big deal about that sphere behind you?" he questioned in a bored tone.

Wildcard: Feel free to write your own prompt or pm me if you have questions.

Sweet Dreams

[crystalmaster]

Radley quirks an eyebrow at the guy just stalking off.

"I know this is aggravating at best, but wouldn't it be a good idea to find out all you can about this place?"

annette hallowedhelm | oc

[lighten]

sweet dreams;

Just outside of the Torn Oak, a young woman stood with her eyes shut, and her chest rising and falling in practiced intervals — deep breaths taken when one was clearly trying to calm themselves. And she was trying her hardest to do just that. But the more she thought about the conversation, the more stressed she seemed to become; her pale skin flushed red along her cheeks and down her neck, hands over her heart like that would help to keep it from bursting out of her chest.

It's fine. She's dealt with worse. Everything is fine!

Annette opened her eyes once she realized someone was nearby, and hurriedly moved to look like she was just adjusting her corset; cleared her throat. "My apologies. I was just -" She looked at the torn oak, grimaced. "Leaving."

sleepwalking

In hindsight, maybe she shouldn't have left. At least the area around the oak had been nice - this road; the city, it was almost too strange and overwhelming for her mind to fully comprehend while she was still trying to work out how to leave. She wanted to go home. She had so many things she needed to do — and she just didn't want to be alone in this weird dreamland anymore.

"What is the point to all of this?" She asked, knowing the answer she had gotten from the Outsider and still not wanting to believe it. The Outsider reminded her too much of the witch — perhaps not in the same malicious sense, but in the way that they demanded and did not truly ask before they thrust this all upon her and the other people here. "Do they truly think this will make us content?"

wildcard;

you know how we do.

sweet dreams

[thereturnpolicy]

"Bullshit."

He knew the look, had lived the look the first time a Frenzy had gripped him--the bloodlust of hellfire and brimstone. Scared the ever loving shit out of him. Panic attack was a bit of an understatement that day...

...ah, hell.

Shuffling forward a few steps, dark eyes stayed fixed on her intently with a stern, unreadable expression.

"Here, try this one: look around, tell me five things you can see." He hesitated, the tiniest smile trying to tug up at one corner of his mouth.

"If it helps, I count." he deadpanned.

The Shade | Original Character

[deaths_head]

1. Sweet Dreams

The Shade didn’t like this.

He didn’t like the earnest and genuine Outsider. He didn’t like the glittering Glass Lake, he damn sure didn’t like those multicolored goldfish, and he liked least of all that he was trapped in his rest.

Dreaming was for the living. The Shade had passed over that bridge a long damn time ago.

To that end, don’t worry if you happen to see a near-seven foot tall man with red hair, a black hat, and a long black coat wandering about with murder in his eyes, or appearing in various locations in a column of jet black vapor that vanishes as quickly as it appears.

He looks fit to kill, but he ain’t mad at you. Just the situation.

…and maybe the Outsider.

2. Sleepwalking

In the Twisted City, the Shade forewent his coat and hat—the mantle of his godhood. Dressed in the formal black suit of his trade, he remained an imposing figure as he walked the streets, albeit more casual in his dominant presence.

Couldn’t help his size in life, and death ain’t much better.

Truth is, he doesn’t mind the city all that much. Reminds him a little of the Vale, his domain in Limbo. Others remind him of Silverstone, where he grew up, others of where he apprenticed as an undertaker ‘round about Houston at the turn of the century.

The living make him damn uncomfortable—too close to remembering the parts of life that can drive the dead half insane. Still, he can’t deny their pull, and here in dreams it’s somehow stronger.

The march of the Reaper, the distant steady footfall a soothing metronome in the back of his head. Sometimes, Death even came to call in dreams. When he still answered to the name Josiah, he’d had a few himself.

The Shade might be troubled by the living…but if Death showed his face, the Shade was going to fucking strangle him before he let the sonufabitch lay a finger on one soul here.

Sweet dreams

[konpeito_aji]

"Damn, I never thought I'd meet someone taller than Yasuke."

That is not a hello. But Nobunaga Oda in his comparatively quite short 5'8" is also wearing jet black Japanese plate mail -- extremely archaic 16th century stuff, matching the katana and antique rifle -- is not accustomed to using manners.

"You look angry." An understatement. But he's curious if the tall man always is this way or if it's the circumstances specifically that has him on edge.

Frank Martin | THE TRANSPORTER

[seatbelts_on]

;;sweet dreams;;

Frank can't figure out just how to process this. Any of this.

He likes precision. Facts, figures, statistics--sizes, weights, things that can be measured. It made him a good soldier, it made him the absolute best at his chosen profession...and it led to his undoing at the same, when he could no longer measure, justify, and quantify his military career.

So after his conversation with the Outsider, Frank spends a great deal of time standing outside the Torn Oak, simply looking his fill and trying to do just that: quantify it. Find the route, calculate the weight and dimension, come up with a sum that he could digest, process, and accept as reality.

And when that doesn't work? He finally makes his way to the endless stairs upwards, to walk the edges of the lake, trying to fit this impossible, incredible landscape and situation into his viciously analytical mind.

;;sleepwalking;;

The more time he spends in this place, the more ardently Frank wishes he knew more about...this. Dreams, the workings of the mind, anything that would give him a greater grasp of his environment and its mechanics. The nuts and bolts of the engine, the rhyme and the reason for even the most outlandish of aspects. The impossible architecture, the ridiculous features of the landscape...

Greater comprehension--control--never comes, but gradually Frank finds a rhythm. The bustle of the Twisted City, the endless stretch of the Barren Freeway (which he actually enjoys a great deal, bleak as it is), even the unusual feature that is the Submarineway...in all of it, he finds a routine. Places to visit, ways to travel, things to do.

And, whether he likes it or not...people to meet.

Sweet dreams

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga is also a soldier. Born into it, actually. But unique for his time for demanding constant physical explanations that match logic, and reason, and defying religion, magic, and superstition. Oh, and what a time he's from. 16th century Japan. So he's wearing jet black full plate mail, two katana, an ancient matchlock rifle, and looking about as out of place as he feels.

But he can recognize someone else trying to take measurements, and he's relieved.

"Find anything useful yet?" Maybe he should be polite and introduce himself, but that's been unnecessary most of his life, so he literally doesn't think of it.