[Open] Price is simple, Rather sparing. Time is slipping.

[ghflskhu_ph]

Who: Bill Cipher + Arya Stark + and YOU!
Where: IN YOUR D R E A M S-- no, literally.
When: During Sleep Curse event
Rating: PG at worst, will follow up.
Summary: A catch all for the Sleep event! Bill has a deal to make and dreams to visit! Need a companion in your comatose slumber? Want someone to laugh at you while drinking a martini while you angst about your regrets in the nightmare fire room? LOOK NO FURTHER!
The Story:

[Catch all OTA:]

Bill watched the communicator with rapt attention.
It's a crying shame it had already been announced the Sleep spell would last a mere 24 hours. Having a surplus of hostages he alone could communicate with would have made for a great bargaining chip! Still, not a total loss. He has more than a few people he has been intending to visit, and now makes for the perfect time.
In fact, with this amount of people falling prey to Henry's curse and unexpected dreamscapes cropping up left and right, it's getting a little harder than usual to navigate them. Bill wouldn't be surprised if he wound up in an entirely different dream than the one he intended. Those new rooms of pure misery and hellfire certainly looked entertaining!
Who knows, maybe you might even walk in on him.

[Closed to Arya]:
From the moment she first answered his call it seemed this was destined to happen. So ready to ask questions, to curious for answers-- so vulnerable a state. Bill barely needed to impose any will at all in tugging Arya Stark's conversation in his needed direction. She was ready to make a deal.

Peering into the girl's memories, Bill reached for something familiar and comforting. A large room with thick fabric-laden chairs, with wooden floors and a roaring fire. That was just the tip of the triangle, of course! As a bonus he kept the atmosphere loose enough for the girl to bend the room's make-up however she pleased. A bit of trust to help ease her in. Didn't want to scare off his first customer in Wonderland, after all!

Both parties had a bit too much of something to gain.

Comments

[needlebearer]

Arya didn't remember falling asleep, it had been so sudden, but she figured either she must be dreaming or an event had begun -- and since there had been no cryptic hints over the network, an event seemed unlikely. She'd huddled in the corner of the burning room, remembering the Hound and his face melted and mangled from flames, fearful of them even in her sleep.

She relaxes immediately as the flames die away, only a roaring fire in the hearth remaining. As she looks around now, she sees the high backed chairs draped with fur pelts, the wolf banner hanging over the fireplace, she knows she's home. And yet she knows she's not home, too, that this tiny corner of Winterfell would cease to exist the moment she opened her eyes, or if she strayed too far from it.

Still, for the moment she was content to enjoy it.

[ghflskhu_ph]

And contented she would stay, Bill needed it be as such, after all. Ghosts of pleasant smells of favorite meals from home drift through the air, the ground creeks just the right way beneath her feet, everything speaking of familiarity and comfort.

"WELL, WELL, WELL, IF IT ISN'T MISS STARK- I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU MIGHT DROP BY!"

Bill doesn't speak to Arya as much as he speaks at her, the ethereal quality of his voice echoing off the very foundations of the ill defined space itself, until the furthest pelt covered chair swivels-- yes, swivels-- defying the constraints of physics to reveal the triangle, idly lounging by the flames.

"WHAT CAN I DO YA FOR, KIDDO?"

[needlebearer]

Bill's voice is unmistakable as it cuts through the air, disorienting Arya and making her jump a little. He didn't belong in her Winterfell, and she's not sure why her subconsciousness would choose him of all people to appear here.

"You're that triangle man. What are you doing here?"

[ghflskhu_ph]

"If anyone should be asking that it should be ME, asking YOU! We're in my side of town, baby! Welcome to the Mindscape-- or Dreamscape, in this case."

He scoots the chair casually closer; again, breaking the already temperate physics. He snaps his fingers and his eye swivels into a screen showing Arya's currently passed out position.

"Looks like SOMEONE got a little POWERCRAZY in Wonderland and YOU took the FALL. I COULD just let you WALLOW AWAY IN MISERY AS THE AGONY OF A THOUSAND MISTAKES PAST OVERWHELM YOU WITH THE SWELTERING HEAT OF REGRETS LEFT UNMENDED-- but THIS is more FUN! :) "

[needlebearer]

Arya's quick on the uptake when it comes to many things, but trying to understand the mechanics of dreams is beyond her. She decides it's easier to just go along with it for now, but there are a hundred questions she wants to ask about what's going on.

She runs her hand over the arm of a chair, then sinks her fingers into the thick pelt hanging over the back of it.

"This is my home. Everything's just as it was."

[ghflskhu_ph]

"You got THAT right. Or at least, you THINK you do! Maybe THAT CUPBOARD is a few INCHES shorter than the real thing, maybe there's a SHADOW that belongs to a PERSON that you werent AWARE was IN THE ROOM at the TIME; Whats important is that it matches YOUR MINDS EYE, kid!"

Bill mimics her motion, getting a feel for what she might be experiencing. His eye pinches upward in delight.

"Thought a little NOSTALGIA might HELP refesh that NOGGIN of yours. MEMORIES in these IN-BETWEEN REALMS don't always have to flow in a CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, y'know. Ever experience something you SWEAR you DREAMT once? DEJA VU, you humans call it!

..You DO still want to find out what's missing, don't you?"

[needlebearer]

There's part of her that wants to scream that everything is missing - just because the sight and smell and feel of Winterfell was here, it was nothing without the people, her family, and most of them were gone forever. Still, the comfort and nostalgia she'd felt on finding herself here is now giving away to pure curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

[ghflskhu_ph]

"I've THOUGHT about our LITTLE chat before. And I can DO IT. Your MEMORIES. I can't RETURN ALL of em. You need to PINPOINT a bit of that ACCURACY, but NEXT TIME you're LITTLE FRIENDS pop around this SIDE of the MULTIVERSE, you won't be CAUGHT UNAWARE. "

Think of how you can help them, the room itself seems to whisper. Think of the awkward, unpleasant situations you can avoid if you already know the truth, it says.

"Learn ALL the HARDSHIP, without ANY of the ACTUAL EXPERIENCE. That's what you WANT right? A little STEP AHEAD to help MEND some of the BROKEN MINDS you might ENCOUNTER down the road!"

Even if your friends don't want to tell you, what's wrong, you'll know, the walls urge. Bill rotates his wrist idly.

"My powers require a LITTLE something to make it OFFICIAL, of COURSE. The MULTIVERSE isn't FOND of just letting this STUFF slip through WILLY NILLY."

[needlebearer]

Amazingly, with how enamoured she's been of its recreation around her, Winterfell is almost forgotten for the moment. Bill has Arya's undivided attention as her mind reels with the enormity of what he's offering. There was so much that lay uncertain in her own world, so much at stake. It would quiet her mind, knowing how far she'd come and how many of the names on her list she'd extinguished.

It would also make her complacent, she reflects. There was much to be said for the raw pain inside her and the need for vengeance to keep her motivated and sharp, even if it stung like all seven hells.

Then there was Sansa. Arya knew that a return to Westeros would be far worse for her sister than it would be for herself. And if they never reunited, if she never found out Sansa's fate in her own future, perhaps this could stave off some of the worries.

"Can you let me see other people's futures instead? My family."

[mourning_ghost]

Usually, Nageki can't remember his dreams.

He can't tell whether this is a dream or not. He's a ghost; dreams and reality feel identical to him. Maybe Wonderland had an unplanned event. It would be strange but it has happened before.

Even with his wings, he can't leave. There isn't a ceiling, but something keeps him firmly on the ground. It's unsettling, but there's nothing he can do about this situation. Hopefully, he won't have to stay here long. Nageki doesn't like Wonderland but he still greatly prefers it to this. He might not have chosen to be in the mansion but at least it provided him with books to read. The only entertainment here is the roaring flames that surround him.

It's immediately apparent that Nageki is far larger than the average non-sentient mourning dove, as is normal for doves in Nageki's version of Earth.

[ghflskhu_ph]

Indeed, Nageki had nothing but solitude, it would seem. Surrounded in a desolate space with no borders yet generating a sense of claustrophobia all the same, the flames are his only company in this lonely world.

Or.. so it would appear. If Nageki dares to gaze into said flames, he just might see something. What almost looks like a figure and--

“Good MORNING!!! Or is it MOURNING? Hehe! You know, its hard to tell sometimes-- what with all this INESCAPABLE HELL FIRE of INNER ANGUISH? ANYWAY!”

-- A glowing, one-eyed triangle comes soaring out. Bill wastes no time in hovering over the stranger, giving the room a once over. He gestures emphatically at the Pidgeon with his cane.

“Well, well, welly-well! WHAT HAVE WE HERE? Not HUMAN that's for sure. Not often I deal with the avian variety. I LIKE IT. Where does the Universe get off assuming everyone's a HAIRY- TWO-EYED- BIPED anyway? Good to have a CHANGE of SHAPE for once!”

I'm sorry for taking so long to reply.

[mourning_ghost]

"...!" Nageki freezes. To see anyone would be surprising. The fact that the creature is a one-eyed triangle only adds to the strangeness of this situation. No, a one-eyed triangle carrying a cane.

Bill's chatter gives Nageki some extra time to assess the situation. He mumbles softly: "...mourning dove."

At this point, the response is almost automatic. Hardly anyone in Wonderland knows what to make of him and it's rare to find someone who knows his species here. He often explains what he is when he meets someone new. Even, it would seem, when he meets someone in a place that no one should have been in.

Hey, I'm the one whose been keeping you waiting! No worries

[ghflskhu_ph]

"RIGHT RIGHT, Zenaida macroura; Columbidae! I mean, some say, columbidnae but I'm leaning more towards yae! Aye?! hehahaaha!"

Let's... start this again. Bill's eye moves to follow wherever Nageki's gaze has fallen.

"SO! Often like to STARE DEEPLY into EYE SEERING FLAMES where you're from, Mourning?"

:)

[mourning_ghost]

Nageki gives Bill a cold glare at the pun, which melts into a puzzled look at the way Bill phrases his question. Eye searing?

"No." He likes to read and would choose to do that over almost anything else. "There was nothing else to look at here."

He's looking intently at Bill now, though.

^__^

[ghflskhu_ph]

"NO?" Bill is staring intently back, a trace of smugness and just sheer knowing permeating from his gaze.

"Well, HEY. It's YOUR dream, feathers. You can look at WHATEVER you want! GO ON, THINK of SOMETHING; a little CREATIVITY AIN'T GONNA KILL YA!"

Though the flames might; given that Bill they aren't part of Bill's power. Heck, there's a chance they just might swallow up, whatever this guy conjures; but hey! that's half the fun!

[mourning_ghost]

Nageki isn't worried about the flames killing him or whatever object he might dream up. He considers before settling on the memory of a planisphere with gems for stars that are carefully placed in black material that feels like polished marble. Golden letters are inscribed around the entire rim, though Nageki cannot remember what they say.

In his memory, the placement of the gems shift around depending on the star he's on and map out the paths from one star to another, though one gem is missing. The king of a place called the Holiday Star had requested it as a gift after Nageki had refused to hand over the planisphere itself. And though Nageki now knows why the King had been so persistent in asking about the planisphere, at the time he'd simply believed the King had liked it. Only later had it been revealed that the Holiday Star was a fake. A trap. And the only way to escape had been to replace the missing star with another gem.

Since this dream isn't on a star, the planisphere doesn't have any gems or any paths to travel on.

[ghflskhu_ph]

"Whoa LOOKIT YOU, really- really went all out on this one. Most people start with like, a balloon or a sad excuse of potato salad-"

The pigeons choice is a random one to be sure; but something tells Bill this grid is more than what meets his eye. He narrows his gaze a moment, taking it in, before gesturing to the missing piece.

"Hey hot shot, you missed a spot."

All the same, Bill can feel the intense connection this person feels to this imagery. A mortal has to feel pretty significantly about a memory for it to appear so clearly-- or this guy is somehow good at dream manipulation which... Bill glances at Nageki in a momentarily suspicious manner for.

"GOTTA be PRETTY IMPORTANT to remember THIS level of DETAIL, MOURN. We about to take a LITERAL trip down MEMORY LANE?"

[punful]

Honestly, a room on fire is such a weirdly random location for Sans's nightmares that he can't help but be mildly impressed. Like, wow, this is a really new one. Obviously the location has nothing to do with Sans--he's seen other people in here the past few nights, and Regina had mentioned nightmares after that whole sleeping thing. It really sucks, because sleeping is one of his favorite activities. Lately he hasn't been sleeping nearly enough, and the one time he gets an entire day to sleep, it's plagued with nightmares. Because of course.

Anyway.

He lies on his back in the middle of the flaming room, arms behind his head, lying well away from the walls. If the small scorch mark on his tibia is any indication, it seems that these flames actually can hurt you. Though on the bright side, losing HP in a dream doesn't carry over into the real world, otherwise he'd be royally screwed. What a stupid way to die.

Funny thing, though. There's one small part of the wall that isn't on fire. In fact, it isn't anything. It's dark, but not normal dark, not like char or night or void. It just doesn't seem to exist. Like a hole in the dream.

Sans is ignoring it like usual. It's always there in some form, but it hasn't bothered him the entire time he's been in Wonderland, so it's not worth paying it any mind.

[ghflskhu_ph]

Well, isn't THIS interesting~? Not since they're punny chat has Bill had a run-in with Sans. When the fiery dreamscape first appeared, the dream demon hadn't been certain who he might find. Given the skeleton's penchant for being lazy, however, Bill supposes it's not a total surprise-- nor is the fact that the guy is apparently...'sleeping.'

"YOU KNOW, PAL, the objective is to CLOSE your EYES to GET to this part. There's no NEED to actually STAY ASLEEP once you're HERE!"

But, you know, props for trying and all that! The demon's gaze flickers over to the strange dark projection Sans has apparently generated, eyeing it with interest.

"NICE PATH TO ETERNAL NOTHINGNESS, BY THE BY."

Or.. at least he assumes that is what it is. Bill hovers before it, twirling his cane. What happens if he pokes it?...

[punful]

There's a voice. That's, uh...different. There were all kinds of people popping in and out the first time, barely visible through the flames and heat, but this voice comes very clearly. He looks up.

Ah. This guy.

Well that's mildly annoying. Sans isn't the biggest fan of having an audience for his nightmares, but then again he has literally never had a choice in the matter.

He sits up slowly, making a show of yawning.

"yeah, but i'm a big fan of sleeping. if i can't get some good sleep cause of dumb fire rooms in the real world, i might as well try to get some sleep in the actual fire room."

Bill hovers over in the direction of the darkness and Sans's grin turns wry.

"heh. you have no idea. i'd leave it alone if i were you."

Sans's head is supposed to be his playground, after all. He might not take kindly to an intruder. And even if he hasn't made an appearance in Wonderland thus far, Sans knows he's there, inasmuch as that guy can actually be anywhere.

He and Bill probably wouldn't get along. But for now, the dark is dormant. The path is shut. Even if Bill tries to break it open, nothing will happen.

"so i guess ford and dipper weren't kidding about this whole, uh...wandering through people's dreams thing."

[ghflskhu_ph]

Indeed, similar to Alex's SLENDER friend, Bill can't help but feel the ghost of another presence in the general vicinity. Frankly, Bill would love to entice the OTHER out to prove who is really top Triangle in these parts-- but after a couple minutes of jabbing, glancing through, and a small spark of fire he shrugs and leaves well enough alone.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA, BONE JANGLES. THE DREAMSCAPE is MY REALM. I ALONE am CAPABLE of NAVIGATING its TREACHEROUS NONSENSICAL WAVELENGTHS, TRAVERSING ITS EVER CHANGING INCORPOREAL WHIMS. THE COSMOS OF INBETWEEN SPACE is MINE to COMMAND!"

The ill defined walls about them suddenly appear ten times greater. Even without borders a sense of more just encompasses everything. Equations paint along the floor as if the room could be broken down into a more basic code. Though there is no sky, what appear to be stars twinkle down through the void ceiling that should not be visible yet somehow is. The technicolor color that somehow isn't color, almost hurts to behold as it fills the room with indescribable awe.

Bill snaps his fingers and it all disappears.

"IF you want to get TECHNICAL, you all are UNINVITED GUESTS right now."

A small chair conjures out of nothing. Bill doesn't even care he's lounging atop the flames.

"BUUUUT since I'm feeling CHATTY; I'll THROW you a BONE."

[punful]

Bill of course doesn't listen. Sans watches with unguarded amusement as he tries to poke open the void. It's not going to work like that. He never does anything unless he wants to. And it's not easy to make the nonexistent exist, even in a dream. A dream is just about the only place it ever can happen.

"wow. sounds real--"

The dream changes and Sans goes silent. The world expands, the flames shrink away to distant flickers like stars, everything cracks apart into code and unreality. He can't help but be reminded of how easily he could tear a dream apart and shape it into something new and horrible, back when he was still trying to bang down doors. Back when he was angry.

It occurs to Sans that Bill could probably hurt him pretty badly if he wanted.

He folds his hands in his lap and remains neutral as the dream snaps back and the fire surges back in. He peers up at Bill, watching him float in his chair.

"should i be flattered?"

[ghflskhu_ph]

"COULDN'T HURT!"

It's not everyday a lord of nightmares lets you chill in his turf! A little respect goes a long way. Sans already seems to have gotten the message at least. Yes buddy, chum, pal, he can hurt you. Very. Very badly. So let's not tempt fate, eh? Bill glances over to his guest, a spark of amusement in his already glowing colossal eye.

"They say these flames encompass all the regrets of a lifetime lived- sometimes ALL LIFETIMES LIVED, for a CERTAIN FEW! No wonder its so HOT in HERE, huh? Haha!"

Between two beings living outside the laws of timestreams, there's got to be enough fire here for its own planet.

"Either way, they're GREAT for SMORES! PULL UP A CHAIR."

It appears behind the skeleton, or perhaps it was already there; a well worn bar stool, complete with a familiar stain of ketchup, and the scent of fries and burg. If Sans should sit down, he'll find himself no longer looking at JUST the flame room, but one that has touches emulating a certain BAR...

[punful]

Sans doesn't feel particularly flattered. He settles for just being cautious. He's been through enough bad dreams with bad people in them to know when he's outmatched. You learn when to just sort of roll with the punches.

He surveys the flames with a bored expression.

"yeah? surprised we don't have a couple suns in here, then."

Seems that Sans's entire life is an open book to this guy while they're here, so why even bother trying to hide and dodge like usual? Pretty hard to hide in a room this well-lit, anyway.

The scene changes now again, though it's more subtle this time. There's a stool and of course he knows exactly which stool that is. How appropriate. A room full of flames. You can't use the fire exit because you're not made of fire.

He sits. It's like if Grillby decided to say fuck it and collect on the insurance money.

"cute. just like home."

If Grillby shows up he's going to just sigh.

[ghflskhu_ph]

"ACTUALLY WE DO!" Bill pipes up gleefully, snatching two glowing orbs from a corner and popping them in a jar on the countertop. "HEHE! They'll combust in a millenia." He pokes them.

Well, size was all about perception anyway.

Sadly, no Grillby would be gracing the two of them with his presence. Many of the regulars were present, but only when one attempted not to focus on them too hard; echoes of repeated memories that occurred so many, many times before. Their conversations familiar, yet indistinct. One minute Bill is sitting beside Sans, the next he is glancing across the counter at the bartender-- who is also Bill.

"You KNOW IT! Or, rather- Your KNOWING it WELL ENOUGH is part of why it looks so SNAZZY! Spent a LOOONG time here, haven't ya, Bones?"

The triangle stands polishing a dirty glass with a clothe.. also made of glass, neither seem to be getting any cleaner.

"Hmm; Looks like JUST YESTERDAY- how LONG'S it REALLY been?"

Despite the change of scenery, it would appear the flames of the fire room were just as numerous before; roaring merrily behind the counter. The room remained windowless, the red door, ever foreboding in its infinance. It seems not even Bill Cipher could rid the realm of its qualities entirely; instead, he merely... refurbished them.