[Game 18] The Waking World

[arsgoetia]

After successfully talking Zan into waking up—the world around you starts to dissolve and break apart. There's a lurch, like the sensation of abruptly falling into sleep, but backwards; and all around you, the glass begins to crack apart, splintering and sending ocean water splashing everywhere, gushing forward, a cascade of blue and black, alternating between starfish and actual stars, suspended in liquid sky.

. . . reality seems to bleed in overtop of it and, sluggishly, you find yourselves waking up all over a suburban basement in New Jersey. There is a lamp on near the bed, where someone is still asleep, though fitfully beginning to wake up.

More noticeably, there is a woman sitting up in bed with him, arms wrapped around her bare knees as she watches them with amusement, extremely beautiful and . . . extremely familiar.

"Wow." One hand drops to Zan's hair. "I don't even know where to start with you guys."

Comments

[the_straight_man]

[Kieran's got holy water at the ready but just...stops short]

AH.

[arsgoetia]

"Hey, babe," Tristan sighs and rests his chin on one hand.

[the_straight_man]

[splashes him in the face]

[arsgoetia]

Tristan actually lets out a shriek, that finally being enough to send him scrambling out of the bed. "Ow!"

[the_straight_man]

Hey babe.

[arsgoetia]

Tristan gives him the finger, scrubbing his face on a pillow with the other hand.

[the_straight_man]

Walk it off. Is the kid okay?

[arsgoetia]

"I fucked him, I didn't murder him," Tristan mutters.

[the_straight_man]

Nobody's accusing you of murder, not what I asked.

[loveinvein]

Ah?

[the_straight_man]

I'm dating that. Usually more manly but that, yeah.

[splashes him with holy water]

[loveinvein]

You might want to rethink your dating choices.

[the_straight_man]

He's great, he's just also a demon.

[loveinvein]

... let me guess from what I've been told. Demon politics where he was given a job and had to be watched for it? But got us involved so he wouldn't actually have to do the thing because he's really on our side?

[the_straight_man]

Your guess is my guess. Or, at least, saw his chance when people showed up.

[loveinvein]

Nice to know we're on the same page. What now?

[the_straight_man]

Take advantage of it.

[loveinvein]

... well, while everyone is preoccupied...

[ what if actually going to the bed to pick Zan up in a princess carry as people argue ]

[the_straight_man]

...

[shifts to try to block people's view of that, but...]

[liarliarliar]

[oh good someone else had this idea

my arms were too skinny to do it tho]

[telepathetically]

MICHAELA! Drop him!

[with the exact tone of someone yelling at a dog picking up litter]

[adropintheocean]

[shifts himself naturally between Tristan and. that. sure. okay.]

[gavehimhead]

You've captures the essence of our feelings entirely.

[the_straight_man]

I'm not even mad.

[gavehimhead]

Your composure is heartwarming.