--just smack the alarm clock--
--welcome to Deus--
It was like when you had a dream multiple times, each one a little different. It was so many times for Concetta that she didn't know if it was real. The hiss of the pod, the door sliding up. The last time she'd stuck out a foot and made a crack about being hung over.
Was she hung over? It was ingrained in her just to assume so and go with the flow.
Her lashes fluttered against the the light but she kept her eyes closed. She didn't leave the pod. She didn't reach for a helping hand. She just sat there.
--a silver gypsy joined a blue kingdom--
--you are not supposed to be awake -- vulnerable -- weak --
There were footsteps, rustling. Her eyes remained closed, struggling against a muddle of a thousand mixing dreams and memories and visions.
--island battle. The ones who live are the ones who win--
--friends--enemies--
"Boooooooo.......!!!!"
Fresh on visions of violence, gasmasks and fighting the woman sprung from the pod like a predatory cat. Her dark eyes burst open, her manicured nails clawing wildly at the sheet clad person in front of her. She didn't say anything at all as she knocked the surprised figure to the ground. Her fingers had found what must have been a neck under the cloth and she was smiling as she choked them.
"I'll win.." She hissed. "I'll ******** win!"
The figure under her, at first caught with a yelp of surprise, seemed to catch on and pale arms came up under the shoddy 'sheet ghost' disguise. They gripped her wrists and easily, too easily, pulled them away from their neck.
"It's over." A masculine voice, coughing. He bent her arms like an adult handling a child, moving the woman back even as she struggled, and eventually a strong shove sent her back onto her own behind. She'd been released and Concetta sneered and rubbed her wrists, unhappy to be so easily pushed aside.
The man pulled off the sheet ghost disguise, his idea of a joke on some pod person, to reveal a placid apologetic face with red eyes and white hair. "Hey hey.. you are safe it's-"
He was interrupted by a punch to the jaw. She'd launched forward for one last strike before her head swam once more and she flopped back to the floor.
"OW! Even with my shield that stung.." The white haired man with the sun on his coat rubbed his face where a pink mark was blossoming on his cheek. "I said you were safe!"
"I know.." Her eyes were closed again. She now methodically retraced her steps.
A dream of kingdoms.
A dream of waking in this place. Faces in the crowd she remembered.
Then more sleep. Long sleep.
And then again a trial, faceless figures in fog battling to the death. How many times had she done that before she came out on top? Had she ever been a 'winner'?
"You know?!" He gaped like a cartoon character.
"You deserved it for ********' wit me." Finally, finally, the dark haired woman sat up. "Is this ferreal this time? I'm like on an island and I'm super vulnerable and weak and totally nothin' till I pair up or whatever right?" Where was the smoking hot silver fox that she'd called Daddy?
"Uh-um yeah actually. I'm Bix!" He thrust out a hand. "Never been socked by a hatchling before. First time for everything right?" He helped her up when she reached for him. "Whooooah those are some cool shoes."
Cee glanced through her fringe at her feet, black heels (in her dream they'd been blue) lifted her several inches from her natural height. "They're Louboutins.. not 'cool shoes'." The woman even finger quoted at the man. "What's Bix like yer street name or whatever?"
"Uh heh.. no just a nickname. Sorry about the ghost thing I always forget what it's like in there." Bix was blushing and she would have found it adorable, fun to mess with, if she hadn't been more worried about getting through this new dream iteration and onto the next one.
"Whatevs." She adjusted her loose top and smoothed her leggings. "Whats the next step?"
"Oh!" Bix picked up her clipboard and was amazed momentarily to see it a bit more full than the others. Records of mental blips, her brainwaves tied into some of the mass dreaming events. "Umm Concetta?"
"Cee." She boredly corrected and noted that her mouth tasted awful.
"Ok Cee. Well.." he flipped pages, "You are good to go just follow the arrows down to the weapons cove and you'll meet your partner. Then just.. you'll head to your room and get your coat and phone and all that jazz."
Her brows rose gently, "I'm getting one this time?"
"This time?"
"Nothing." She smirked and flipper hair before clacking down the hall. "I'll see ya around, Casper."
