Dreaming Wide Awake [Fourth Wall/Open]

[revenancemods]

Who: Everyone! Current characters, fourth wall characters, whoever wants to show up.
What: The portals are closed. Everyone's in Traverse Town, including a whole bunch of new people. This should be interesting.
Where: Traverse Town
When: Throughout the day
Warnings: Depends on the characters. Expect language at least.

You didn't expect to be here. You really didn't. The technicolor buildings are a surprise, as is the little white flying bear telling you you're in the dream world. He gives you a bag full of what looks to be currency, enough shiny things to create a creature of your own (or so he says), and sends you on your way.

Good luck.

Comments

[guerriera]

It's okay, maybe she's just shy? Lela had seen shy persons before, and she danced eagerly over to snuffle at South, smiling brightly. All fruit, pink fur and a aqua ribbon. And clearly accompanying Carolina.

Did she stutter? "That's what I said," the former number one two Freelancer said, voice cool. "You've made a spirit, did you give the moogles time to tell you about the Nightmares as well?"

She was aware that South seemed especially jumpy; her armor seemed worn in places, worn in ways that only someone who'd experienced hard living in the field would have earned.

...Probably further along than North, then. Weren't they all? Reaching up, Carolina popped the seals on her helmet, before easing it offer her head, tossing it slightly to flip bangs out of her eyes. Older, not as thin or tired as when she first arrived, but certainly older than the woman the Meta had tossed off a cliff years ago.

[petitions]

South immediately steps away from Lela as she tries to get close.

"Don't you guys have leashes for these things?"

She's almost too distracted by the spirit to notice what Carolina's doing at first, but when she notices she stops and stars a little. "So what the hell happened to you?"

[guerriera]

Lela paused, nonplussed, offering a friendly mrew? in confusion at South's reaction. No one had ever reacted that way to her before. Maybe the bat was right, and the purplelady freelancer was broken.

"Lela," Carolina said firmly, and the cat looked from human to human, dismayed, before trotting back to her Person's side, curling about her ankle. She didn't mean it! She didn't mean to upset the not-North-purple Person!

"Some need them more than others. She was just being friendly." Her voice was definitely cooler now, green eyes unchanged, holding South's. What the Hell happened to her? Well, that's a good question. "I find it hard to believe you care what happened."

[petitions]

"I don't. Call it morbid curiosity." She glared at Carolina, the Komory Bat trying to squeeze itself into a crevice in her armor. It loved her, it really did, but she was kind of scaring it right now. "I do have one question I want to ask."

She took a step forward, pointing a finger at Carolina accusingly. For the moment she struggles with the words, or the idea; it was bringing up a lot of bad blood and old wounds that had only festered with time. "Why? Why did he let you have my AI? What gave you the right?"

[guerriera]

There's an odd sound, neither a rasp or a laugh, but it still flutters in Carolina's throat. "Even now, that's your first question." That singular step forward is all the invitation Carolina needed, the sudden roll of her stride bringing her directly into South's personal space. Defying death hadn't slowed her in the ways that counted, at least.

South may have had inches on her, but Carolina had never needed height to add weight to the threat of her movements, to the power behind words and deeds. The fact green eyes are flat, almost dead of colour, don't help with the staredown. "No consideration for anything or anyone else, just how unfair the world has been to you, what you've been supposedly denied. You never change, do you, South."

Lela mewed and hung back, uneasy. This wasn't an attack, not the sort of strike she was used to her Person making, but something was happening that she didn't understand and she didn't like it.

[petitions]

South staggers back and throws up a defensive position. With a squeak her Komory Bat dislodges itself and flutters nearby, watching sadly.

"No consideration? What about you and all your bullshit? You controlling little bitch, you think you're all high and mighty, but you're not any better."

[guerriera]

"I was better." Flat, blunt statement, Carolina allowing South to retreat but a few defensive steps away, staying Right There ahead of her. "Better than you. I'd wager I still am." Why else would you be running away, South, running your fool mouth like you know anything about what happened.

..Of course she doesn't know. It's why South resents, why South asked. Why she cringes away from Carolina, whether she recognises that or not.

The redhead stops. "I did what I thought was necessary, and made a call when the options were presented to me."

[petitions]

"Yeah, what was necessary for you, so don't you even fucking dare start to lecture me." Yes, argue about this. Don't ask about North. Don't go there. Keep this the focus.

South's continuing to step back. She doesn't want to fight Carolina; she knows she's no match, but she's starting to feel cornered.

Her Komory Bat flutters down and alights on the ground next to Lela, looking up with a sorrowful chirp. How do I help my person?

[guerriera]

And South would know how being cornered feels better than anyone. Wouldn't she.

Bat and cat crouched together, Lela reaching with one of her paws in a companionable manner. i don't know. you can only do your best. That was all any spirit could do. She was sure her new friend would win South around. Eventually.

The ex-Freelancer followed her former subordinate unerringly, The fact Carolina hadn't blinked once was probably the most unnerving part of this entire conversation. But she wasn't done with dropping more surprises into this conversation.

"I never said it was the right call."

[petitions]

The Komory Bat nuzzles Lela's paw. He'd wait to approach his person when she wasn't acting so ... volatile. He hoped Lela was right.

South is thoroughly intimidated and freaked the fuck out at this point, increased when she finally hits her back against the wall with nowhere else to go. She presses against it, as if trying to meld into it and disappear.

"You're certainly acting like it, now."

[guerriera]

"I'm answering your question."

She didn't step any closer, not when South could no longer run away, allowing that small expanse of space between them. "I made the wrong call. And I paid for it. But you better believe the Director didn't care either way who did or didn't get an AI even before I took those two."

She folded her arms over her chest. "If you want to believe otherwise, that you're so hard done by, go right ahead. You always have."