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

[dethroned_prince]

"They way he looks up to you, I'm surprised he doesn't wear half a dozen belts himself." Taking the opportunity to seize upon common ground. They both had people they wanted to reunite with, but the bond between the two brothers was undeniably strong.

After Atem slammed into the lake, he just knew that even though Kaiba wasn't openly expressing it, he was enjoying every embarrassing second of this. "I heard that." Could he really get all that irritated when if the roles had been reversed he would have had to stifle a laugh too?

Admittedly, Atem hadn't expected Kaiba to plunk down beside him. Wasn't lying in that position far too undignified? He stared at the other for a few extended seconds before looking down below the surface.

"Oh... uh... it's fine.. " He replied offhandedly before he really started taking it all in. "It... really is a remarkable difference compared to the shallows." There were far more fish out here, and in all sizes, swimming around unhindered and without concern, as if they had never been threatened a day in their lives. What would that be like....?

"They're kind of like 7-colored fish.." There it was. Card games.

[blue_ice]

With an Atem with misaligned memories along...this clearly was some bizarre dream. Honestly, he was prepared to roll with it for now and save his energy for real emergencies. So he slumped onto the glass, watching the fish swim closer. Somehow the view was perfect, the light piercing the glass and water with ease.

"They really do resemble the card...why couldn't it have been dragons?"

Kaiba shook his head as he watched. They were fascinating creatures.

"But I suppose there's a fish in the sea for everyone."

[dethroned_prince]

If Atem had his way he wouldn't be in this dreamscape for long anyway. Heishin should not be allowed to do as he pleased without consequence, and Egypt deserved a ruler that didn't resort to cold-blooded treachery and murder to ascend to power. Somehow, however the atmosphere was making him forget some of that urgency, a fact that would alarm him later.

".... because dragons would be less likely to float about peaceable and more likely to set everyone on fire."

It was always dragons with this guy. With a shake of his head, Atem hid a smile as he recalled the tournament posters with Kaiba's face on them complete with a companion Blue-Eyes.

"Is.. that a common saying?" This version hadn't spent near as much time in the present as his other dimensional counterpart. Some idioms were lost on him. There was another delayed pause before his head turned to look rather sternly at Kaiba. "What is what even supposed to mean?"

"The ocean is vast, so fish probably well outnumber us... but.. why would everyone want a fish?" Go on Kaiba, try and explain that.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba slowly sat up, having had enough of the up-close view of the colorful fish for now.

"A little fire might spice this place up," he groused, and then...right. He had to explain modern slang, because of course he did. How did he even explain that to himself, why had he said such a thing? He took a breath and pressed his palms together.

"That's not exactly what it means. It means...don't lock yourself into any one path, you always have more choices than you think you do. Though I'm not sure what that looks like while we're trapped in this dream."

[dethroned_prince]

Following Kaiba's lead, Atem sat up as well. There was only so much time you could spend staring at fish no matter how mystical they may be.

"Ha, strangely- I feel like we'd both prefer that." Peace was nice but Atem had always craved the next challenge. There was a reason he frequently snuck out of the palace in commoner's clothes. Though he supposed, as king he wouldn't be able to continue the practice, and his people would need stability. There was much that he was going to have to sacrifice but it was his duty. As these thoughts swirled though his mind, imagine his surprised when Kaiba's explanation seemed to be related.

".. Don't lock yourself into one path.." He repeated thoughtfully for no one's benefit but himself. Not that he really had that luxury of choice. He was the crown prince, and always had been. Destiny already had chosen his path for him.

"Oh.. uh.. right. The dreamscape." This place wasn't as defined, no. With a swift push off the glass Atem stood up and smoothed out the creases in his shendyt. "I'm not sure if anything we do here will have any effects on the waking world."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba had thought about that more than once. His own path...what was it? Run the company, make money. But that wasn't enough to sustain him. He needed a challenge, something to capture his interest.

And now, this dream....he wondered if it was an opportunity. He stood up and stretched, starting back toward land with careful steps.

"So if it doesn't...then that gives you freedom within the parameters of this mess, doesn't it? I'm not sure how much this space has to offer us, but...if this doesn't affect the waking world, then we're free to find our own entertainment here. I'm still not sure what the Outsider's motives are, but they claim they want us to explore and enjoy."

Kaiba's voice was still laced with doubt, but...he was definitely considering the possibility.

[dethroned_prince]

They weren't so dissimilar these two, despite the conflicts they might have.

"What are you angling at?" Atem questioned a touch of suspicion creeping back into his tone but he listened as the other talked picking his own way back across the lake. The last thing he wanted was to take another undignified tumble to the surface below. ".. If you're looking for a rematch, I don't think my cards came with me." A hiss escaped his lips as he checked just that. If his cards weren't here.. then the sealed Millennium Items from the future wouldn't be either.

"For Ra's sake.." When he reached the grass he stamped his foot just once like a petulant child. Now the most powerful items in Egypt were apparently left in the waking world unprotected and up for grabs. After sucking in a sharp breath, he tried to focus on what Kaiba had actually said. "... so tell me. Just what has been going on in the great Seto Kaiba's life that even he is considering taking a vacation?" It just didn't sound like the person that was usually so driven. Something must have changed drastically for him to entertain the notion of indulging in what this world could offer. What better way to try to take your mind off your troubles than by teasing your rival?

[blue_ice]

"My life...?"

Kaiba stopped to consider the question, looking Atem up and down once more. There had been a real connection between them back then, the road of battle. And then it had all ended abruptly, and he'd been forced to watch him depart. But this Atem had different memories of their time together, so some things weren't lining up.

"I don't know what all you know about me, but in my reality we had to join forces more than once. You kept up with me like no one else could. Even when we were opponents, I never felt more alive than when we were dueling. I've never faced anyone who intrigued me or pushed me as much as you. I looked forward to the day I would face you again. But obviously that didn't happen, and we can't now."

He seemed to falter then, shocked at himself. Why would he admit to that? He swallowed and clenched a fist at his side, trying to regain control. "I've resumed my projects, and Mokuba's doing well, but there's been something missing from my life. It's all running together into a mundane routine. Maybe that's what I'm trying to break away from, even if 'making friends' is possibly my least favorite challenge that I've ever been issued."

His nose scrunched up. Yeah, definitely not looking forward to that, and he wasn't about to make this easy on the Outsider. Or so he thought.

[dethroned_prince]

Atem wasn't sure what he had been expecting but when the silence ensued he knew that this wasn't going to be a joking matter. Sobering up, he waited patiently for whatever the other wanted to reveal.

Then when Kaiba laid his cards on the table, so to speak, the prince wasn't sure how to respond. "... We would have made powerful allies." For a moment he also thought back to Priest Seto and how the same could have been said about him, but he'd thrown his lot in with the wrong side. Was there any hope that he might still be swayed? ".. But that's not something I have experienced with you. I didn't even think it would ever be possible, until now. What I know about you Kaiba, is that you possess the most determination and cunning out of any opponent I've ever faced. Sometimes that drive is horribly misplaced.. but things would have been considerably more boring without your presence." It's as close as he could come to a compliment and he hoped it sufficed.

His thoughts lingered on the fact that he had already passed on in Kaiba's time, and just how much more weight it added to the conversation. He hoped, that somehow.. this dream might help the other duelist find some closure, despite the cruel decision to draw the wrong version of himself here.

"I'm sorry, that I didn't take this more seriously at first. I didn't know that you'd formed such a close connection to..." Me? Him?. Atem raised a fist to his mouth and gave a light cough to act as a transition. "I have missed so much...."

Then a terrible thought dawned on him that he hadn't considered before. "Yugi is still alive isn't he?!" This wasn't a package deal death was it? They were sharing a body in that era, it wasn't an insane leap to consider this potential conclusion.

[blue_ice]

"No, it's...I wouldn't trust me either."

Kaiba found it a little more difficult to keep eye contact. Did he have to go and run his mouth like that? Atem was right, they weren't aligned, this wasn't exactly the person he missed...and the prince didn't have the context of their past journey. Ugh. He was really tempted to go back and yell at the Outsider, consequences be damned.

But then Atem's worries shifted entirely to Yugi, and at least that much was comfortingly predictable. The two of them had worked so well together. Not that he knew all that much about their relationship, but it had been strong.

"Yugi's fine," Kaiba was quick to say. "He graduated at the top of his class, and I'm keeping an eye on his game design work from afar. Might have to make him an offer soon."

But if they were still discussing emotions... "But I'm sure he still misses you."

[dethroned_prince]

"You ... keep saying that but it doesn't make it any less bizarre to hear." Kaiba was so self aware now about everything he had done and where he was now. There was no attempted denial, no flippant dismissive attitude, just calm acceptance. "I'm sure it was difficult to tell me all this so I believe what you said earlier about not being my enemy." He threw in for reassurance. The way it had been described however made him wonder if it was only friendship that Kaiba was seeking? He shook his head and pressed his lips tightly together. No, he must have been reading too much into it.

Then all of that was thrown out the proverbial window when he thought back to Yugi. When he heard the good news, muscles he didn't even know he'd tensed, relaxed and his features softened. "That inadvertently gives me a pretty good idea of just how long it's been.." That would have been plenty of time for Kaiba to have changed.

"Oh, no.. I wasn't asking that." He waved a hand through the air. "Just about his wellbeing. We were never meant to occupy the same time period. I was there long enough to help him get past a few of his troubles, save his grandpa a couple of times and he in turn helped me retrieve the Millennium Items. I think he understood the importance of my departure."

"You know.... there's still something that puzzles me. I'm not sure why you invited Pegasus to your tournament after what happened on Duelist Kingdom." This tournament definitely wasn't the battle city variety that Kaiba likely might have surmised it was.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba still had his questions about just how many divergences there had been in their lives. It sounded like this Atem hadn't spent as long in the modern world as the one he knew, so he would've had less time to learn about their world...or about the people in Yugi's life. There was still a gulf between them...

...that was only exemplified by Atem's next comment. Kaiba's eyes widened, and he sounded shocked.

"...Pegasus?! Absolutely not. I left his calls unanswered where they belonged. I'd set up the tournament to gather the God cards, that I knew he no longer had in his possession. Naturally, you won and ended up holding them all." That still stung a little.

"But if I was to duel him again, it would be to prove that he only won by cheating. And to wipe that smug grin off his face," Kaiba added, with no self-awareness whatsoever. Seemed he hadn't completely changed.

[dethroned_prince]

That was an accurate assumption. Atem had been there for two tournaments where he mostly stayed in the background until he was needed, Duelist Kingdom and The World Championship. Even Yugi hadn't been completely aware of his presence until just recently when the two met face to face via the Millennium Key. So the dynamics between the spirit and host were not entirely the same as in Kaiba's dimension. Atem supposed that he felt a stronger connection to his future counterpart than was true in the reverse.

"The God Cards?..." It wouldn't have surprised him if Pegasus had invited himself, but there was yet another disparity. "I almost wish I knew what those were, they sound powerful.. and I could use them right now." Then he thought he owed further explanation. "The tournament I mentioned, was just to determine the "Master Gamer".. as you put it. There were no God cards."

"You're talking about the World Championship Tournament, right?"

Kaiba has been doing so well on that whole self awareness thing, a pity. Pegasus had been cheating though.. so.... At least Kaiba's ego wasn't in any sort of jeopardy.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba's bafflement only grew. "No, I met Isis right before I launched the Battle City tournament. She told me a bunch of stories about my supposed past life and pushed me to collect the God Cards. I found out later about her wayward brother recruiting a cult to sabotage things."

He reached up to rub at his temples. "It's almost like we're from different realities---that were similar at one point in time. Maybe the common point was Duelist Kingdom, but some major event diverged. Maybe another one of this Outsider's 'amusing' experiments."

But how far did they diverge...? "I suspect you stuck around longer in my reality than in yours. As far as I knew, you were with Yugi for about two years. Through multiple tournaments and bits of world-ending chaos. Somehow, I kept getting dragged into your latest drama of the week."

[dethroned_prince]

"The Battle City Tournament?" The confusion was clearly written on his features. It wasn't really surprising that Kaiba had sponsored multiple tournaments but he didn't seem to recognize the World Championship Tournament at all. Atem was going to have to start accepting just how much their timelines differed, and the prospect of his own failure later in life against... Zorc, apparently. Unless there was still time to change this. "I feel like the Isis I know, would be more likely to gather the God cards for herself.."

Looking over his shoulder Atem wondered just how far it was from the Torn Oak. He would like an audience with the Outsider for himself. "I.. wouldn't know about all that..." Casually admitting that interdimensional theory was more in Kaiba's wheelhouse than his own. ".. but there may be someone who does."

"It definitely wasn't that long, Yugi wasn't near graduating when I knew him." Throwing out that reference point. ".. Technically, you still were pulled into my latest 'drama' the last time I saw you, but only in as much as you possessed something I needed and the tournament you sponsored managed to draw all the Millennium Item wielders together." Emitting an amused hum he added, "I guess you played more of a role than I originally appreciated. I don't know how I would have find all those items without your help." The Millennium puzzle itself always felt a sort of pulling sensation when it neared another item, but it was all about proximity. If you weren't situated close enough then you wouldn't get that almost magnetic sensation.

"... and the only way I paid you back was by kicking your butt." Shrugging flippantly, he turned to continue on through the forest, knowing he'd said something potentially inflammatory but he just couldn't help himself. He needed the levity to break up the more serious nature of all those implications.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba's flustered expression said it all. He clenched his hands into fists as he hurried his stride to follow, taking a sharp breath to gather himself.

"I'll get you back for that one of these days. It might not be with my deck, but...I will prove myself. Expect it."

But he was still following Atem into the forest, almost like he craved familiarity, as strange as that was. "...which way do you think this is?"

He was definitely not admitting that he was lost, but all of these winding paths and shifting landscapes were confusing.

[dethroned_prince]

Atem should have known better than to needle Kaiba over such a sensitive subject, especially if he wanted to foster a new relationship build on goodwill but if roles were reversed he doubted that Kaiba would have been able to restrain his gloating either.

"I would be disappointed if you didn't try." Though he didn't really see why Kaiba needed to prove himself to anyone. He was still a challenging and worthwhile opponent no matter who won the game.

"I haven't a clue," He answered almost sheepishly. "All I know is that I won't find any answers if I stand here sightseeing." It wasn't as if there was a starscape to consult and even if there was the constellations would likely differ from the ones he knew. He also didn't have a compass or sundial handy. "You met with the Outsider already, didn't you? So.. you should have an idea of the general direction of where he can be found?"

They certainly were. The pair were just as likely to spontaneously find the escalator or the barren freeway as they were to actually locate the desired destination.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba fell into silence for a little while as they walked together. It was...not the worst way to spend time in this twisted dream. There was still so much more they needed to know, but as far as they'd been told, they had plenty of time.

As for where to find the Outsider...? "It's the Torn Oak. An enormous tree with a giant hole in it, in the middle of a white field. You can't miss it, it's the biggest one."

So he craned his neck up to try to find that tree again...with no luck. "Maybe we need to be at a higher elevation. I could try to climb one of these?"

He gestured at one of the trees as he eyed it dubiously.

[dethroned_prince]

When all discussion hit a lull, Atem made no effort to fill it. He was fine traveling this way as he considered just what he intended to say when he got to his destination.

At the mention of the tree, he pulled out the black slip of paper holding it just high enough to be seen over his shoulder. "So that's what this meant." The tree literally was damaged in some fashion. They just needed to find a clearing where a field could be.

"As amusing as that would be... you don't need to try and break your neck on my account." He did stop briefly to look up at the tree. This Kaiba was so cooperative, it was going to take getting used to.

Expelling a sigh, "I'll find it when I'm meant to."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba gave Atem a Look. Really, doubting him now?

"I'd handle it perfectly," he groused, but he relented anyway. No need to rush him into a meeting that would probably be fruitless.

"But they've put a lot of effort into making this place a paradise, with promises we can make it better if we play along and make friends," he frowned. "But...it has to be facade, right? It'll turn into a nightmare any moment."

[dethroned_prince]

Don't act as if he didn't just see you almost fall and slip on glass, Kaiba. Cough. Granted, Kaiba had managed to regain his balance in that instance.

"Don't take that as an insult, we just don't know what else could be up there." Climbing the tree itself probably wouldn't pose as much of a problem, but if there was some unseen obstacle that could be a different story.

"It's not yet time for my journey to Aaru, so paradise or no.. I need to insist that I be allowed to leave." Atem swiftly replied dismissively to the notion. A dream couldn't bring back everything he had lost. With a sigh. "I'm not really sure what to think. I don't see how this charade would benefit our host in any way. Why... such an emphasis on friendship?" It might have been a little laughable to hear such a question for someone that was usually all about unity.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba closed his eyes for just a moment as he walked. The voice and presence were familiar, even if other things about him were not. He then turned his head toward the strangely colored sky, opening his eyes as he pondered what it would be---still a headache-inducing mess. Nope.

"To torment me? But. Seriously. Maybe their favorite soap opera got cancelled and they decided to make their own."

Beat.

"Yugi probably didn't have time to watch one of those with you, so a soap opera's a TV show that's usually about people in a small town. They're extremely dramatic stories---someone's making up, breaking up, starting a fight, getting married, or betraying someone else every week."

[dethroned_prince]

Although he hadn't intended on it, Atem chuckled at the sarcastic response. " He couldn't have found a more effective way to do so." He could only imagine just how bizarre this was from Kaiba's perspective; to be walking with someone who looks and sounds like someone you knew but who doesn't have the same memories and experiences as you. Just how close had they gotten in the other timeline? From the earlier description.. it sounded... pretty close. It must have been a disappointment when he realized this was not the exact person he remembered.

Atem didn't add any commentary for a few moments which Kaiba interpreted correctly.

"So it's like real life..." He replied with a sigh, when he thought about everything he'd been through. Then more seriously, ".. Yugi didn't really watch one of those with me, no.. but I think his mother sometimes had them on."