[mingle] what's the dream and what's the reality?

[lovetheme]

Lately the castle's nights have been very clear and almost warm, even up so high among the clouds as they are. But regardless of the weather, they are generally peaceful nights, and few things seem to stir during them...apart from the castle's inhabitants, be it with late-night roving or with sleep. The dreams, by extension, are at least undisturbed...if maybe not always pleasant. That sort of thing tends to vary by the person, of course.

But now--and for several nights, consecutively--the castle residents may find their dreams starting to take on stranger shapes: memories they've never had, friends that don't usually arrive, strangers they've never seen. These odd impressions might cling and continue to confuse even upon waking, vivid as they were; was it really just a dream, or maybe something more...? Does that newcomer in your dream remember you there too, in the daytime?

Either way, there seems to be an strange energy in the air during these nights. And it's bringing dreams together.

((ooc: And here's the catch-all post for the dream-sharing event! Feel free to top-level with your character's dreams here, or thread around in others! The event should only last about a week, but backtagging is eternal c: The ooc planning post can be found here!))

Comments

[dr_awesome]

He keeps hurrying along, but even if he eventually goes out of sight, Grune will catch up to him fast, standing on the edge of a little drop, just above a stone outcropping of steps. At the foot of the stairs stands a dark-haired woman.

"Neil..."

Her tone is already warning, already worried, as she holds out a hand with a bottle clenched in it.

"These painkillers... I think they are yours."

[systematicsupport]

At her suggestion, he nods eagerly.

"Yes! And then I'll be able to always be happy. No matter what. Even when Dr. Gaster goes away without a trace."

[lostinmyway]

Grune takes her place beside him and looks between him and the woman below. "Oh, did you drop them?"

[systematicsupport]

"He wants to find his fellow experiment. This is ridiculous. We should never have developed his empathy command."

He watches her struggle with the binds, and then eventually snaps his fingers.

"Enough of this. Apatia."

S-4 immediately stops struggling, freezing completely. One of the restraints snaps, but S-4 still doesn't move.

[lostinmyway]

...Suddenly, S-4 doesn't seem happy at all. It's a little surprising, how fast it happens; for a moment, she needs to catch her breath.

She reaches out to set a hand on his shoulder. "...Would you like to talk, dear? Why don't we sit down together?"

[lostinmyway]

Grune goes very still. For a moment, she only looks at her dear friend.

Then, in a low, very different voice, she asks--she very nearly demands, "What did you do to him?"

[notsogrimreaper]

Person is hardly the word for him, and she should know that, but he isn't about to comment on the matter if she doesn't ask. It's become a normal thought for him. He's not someone. He shouldn't pretend that he is.

"I understand entirely. I could sleep if I wanted to, but it's unsettling. I feel better just staying awake."

[lightofthestars]

She frowns. "Yet do you not need rest? Surely you must weary sometime."

It is strange to think that he might not sleep at all.

[systematicsupport]

"Are you completely dense? He is supposed to be here for his conditioning session. Read the schedule. Where else would you even suggest we take him?"

S-4 continues pulling on the straps, his breath coming out in short gasps. "Please, I just want to go... I want to... I don't... this is wrong..."

[dustless]

Frisk bristles. "What? No. I'm not. And he's not." The writing on the clipboard squirms across the page when they try to read it, but they're not sure if they care.

Their eyes dart between S-4 and the scientist. One foot scrapes across the floor, barely an inch. It sounds like stone scraping against stone.

"We need to go...back." Wherever 'back' is.

[dustless]

A firm nod. Of course they've used computers before.

"Something's coming," they say unnecessarily, planting one foot on a bundle of thick wires sticking out from...somewhere. It hums angrily, but doesn't dislodge, which is probably still alright.

[dr_awesome]

Neil is obviously pretty pleased to share the hillside with another family, especially ones with kids that seem like pretty cool friends. This is setting up to be one of his favourite camping trips, especially with Sans taking such an interest in the telescope.

At the tugging, Neil tries to nudge Sans away.

"Naw, he won't eat all of them. He's too small. Where would he fit them all?"

That said, he's not completely oblivious, and he can tell Sans wants a turn before supper, so he moves away and gestures to the lens with a grin.

"Check it out! You can see Orion now! I'll go save us some hot dogs, okay?"

[systematicsupport]

The picture has a single person, a short, skeletal figure with green scribbled over top of it that must represent Sans-Serif. He's smiling, as he's surrounded by a variety of colourful hearts.

...It's probably pretty easy to discern what S-4 was trying to draw, but he still eagerly explains.

"See? That's my brother, with the human souls! He'll use them to get us up to the surface!"

[buttercup_eater]

Chara flinches at the sudden movement, even if it's just of Frisk's head. When nothing happens they exhale, very quietly, and then reach over to touch Frisk's arm. Once they have the other child's attention they lean over and whisper some advice:

"Pretend you're a doll."

Chara then lowers their arm and leans back in their chair, mumbling, "It goes easier if you do."

A clacking noise, like shoes stepping over a hard surface, can suddenly be heard from behind the door, as if someone's puttering about.

A

[andthebat]

The gloom isn't really something that bothers the Batman, although it puzzles him that he can't seem to make out corners he normally would be able to. What really bothers him is the smell in the alleyway, which disgusts him enough to make his face scrunch up with displeasure.

Gross as it is, curiosity compels him to take cautious sniffs of the air and tread lightly through the alley, seeking out any particular source for the smell.

A

[andthebat]

Disorientation grabs hold of the Batman, the first thing he's aware of. He recognizes Chara but they're too big and they reek of stale blood and are grinning in a way he finds distressingly reminiscent of another adversary he's faced. They say- something about a friendship necklace, and it's pretty obviously intended as a threat. And then there's Frisk's voice and Batman turns and he sees them, but they're badly hurt, and he realizes that Sophie's also beside him.

"Do you even know what that means?" he snaps.

And then Batman doesn't even run- in fact he steps forward, moving to get between Chara and the other two children, although even with his advancing he has to struggle with the paralysis. (Very, very reminiscent.)

"Chara," he says, "Stand down."

[andthebat]

It's hard to say. The difference between a mask and flesh seems somehow blurred in here.

The guards exchange a glance, and the second one says, with more than a hint of condescension to it, "This is a dangerous animal, ma'am. You'd better stand aside if you care for your own safety." He taps his weapon- a warped looking black baton- against his palm.

[andthebat]

"And how was I supposed to know that?" Batman asks. He makes an exasperated face at Frisk, though it might be hard for Frisk to notice while the two of them are wheeling their way through the air.

They're definitely going to have their work cut out for them, because Batman very determinedly clutches them towards him. "You've picked a bad night for it," he says. "I have business to attend to."

[dustless]

"A doll?" Frisk's voice is soft. It has to be, their neck's encased in stitches all the way around. In contrast, their expression is anything but.

They're not a doll. They don't want to be a doll. Or a puppet, hisses Chara's voice in the back of their mind. A different Chara, a less-dusty Chara, a still-angry Chara.

The chair oozes beneath them, and they shudder. * Feels like an Amalgamate.

They keep their eyes on the door.

[dustless]

"...I don't know," they concede after a moment of reflection. "But you know now. So let go anyway."

They spread their arms like they're going to fly out of his arms, though they don't manage to. "What business? Bat-business?"

[dr_awesome]

Neil inhales sharply, glaring between the two of them, before he snatches the bottle up.

"Uh, thanks. We should get back to work-"

"Neil."

Her voice is gentler now.

"Why are you on them?"

[dr_awesome]

"Yeah! Grandpa makes the best hot dogs. Especially with a bunch of ketchup!"

He starts dousing his with a larger serving before taking a big bite.

"D'you wanna stargaze after supper?"

[systematicsupport]

"Huh? I'm okay. Why are you worried?"

He fidgets in his seat, looking confused. It's like he doesn't remember saying anything disturbing.

[systematicsupport]

The scientist is already busy taking notes, and doesn't bother looking up from his clipboard.

"I gave him the codewords, since you were so insistent on wasting time amusing his foolishness. Now that that's over with, we can begin the conditioning properly."

[systematicsupport]

"Yes, he is. While Sans-Serif is preoccupied with his temporal interference training, we're supposed to handle S-4's behavior modifications. He's not going back to his pod. All he'll do is whine about his fellow experiment's absence."

That seems to grab S-4's attention.

"Where is my brother? What's he doing? Can't I go see him? I-I'll be good this time, I promise..."