[ quest ] Dream a Little Dream (October & Jordan)

[kuropeco]

He sat up.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but he did remember - all too well - being eaten, and it took him a long moment to actually stop dry heaving enough to move properly. October dragged himself to his feet, wincing, and heard a rustle of branches, catching sight of reddish hair.

"Jordan? Is that you? Are we still here?"

Prolixity

 

[prolixity]

"That was up there on the list of bad ways to die," Jordan said, and shook his head, trying to shake off the memory of being eaten alive. "I mean, I've had worse, but that was nasty. You all right?" he asked sympathetically.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

October rubbed his forehead with a half gloved hand. "I really don't want to die like that," he said plaintively, then added, "I'm okay. Mostly. I don't think I'm ever gonna eat clams again, but..."

He took a breath, trying to steady himself, then glanced around.

"Where are we going? Where are we?"

A pause. "And you're okay too, right?" October asked, somewhat belatedly.

Prolixity

 

[prolixity]

"Probably fairly unlikely," Jordan said, and didn't make any comments about giant creatures or titans.

He picked himself up and offered a hand to help October off the ground also. "I think we're almost through the forest," he said, pointing ahead to where the path seemed to open up and grow lighter. "But if we find a beach out there I vote we turn around."

He nodded to the question. "I'm all right. I've had worse."

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

October grasped ahold of Jordan's hand and levied himself up off of the ground, feeling vaguely ill as he brushed strands of grass from his clothing. "Please, no beaches," he said, wincing, as he fell into step beside the other man. "I'm glad neither of us are actually dead, but I know what I'll be dreaming about for the rest of forever..."

October pushed aside a bundle of branches and heard -

"Are those voices? Is someone else here?"

Prolixity

 

[prolixity]

"Someone friendly, I hope," Jordan said dryly. He ventured cautiously into the formal garden, because going back was pretty much out of the question and going forward into whatever kind of dream logic awaited them was likely the way out.

The scene that greeted them was directly out of a certain book, with a small group of playing cards with arms and legs and heads trying desperately to paint the roses red. "Oh good," one of them said, spotting the hunters. "Quickly, you have to help us, she'll chop off our heads!" It shoves paintbrushes into their hands and gestured towards the rosebush.

A little bemused, Jordan brushed red paint onto white roses, letting the paint drip into the blossoms liberally to cover them. Around him, the cards frantically worked away. Somewhat to his surprise, the rosebush was finished without outside interference; the cards shuffled about and ushered him towards the castle, looking around nervously, still apparently terrified for their necks.

kuropeco