Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 13:10:34 GMT -6
Blinking, the rays of sun met her eyes and the brunette could only squint her eyes. She looked around - it looked like one of those military bases you saw in movies, although it was somewhat obscured. Which was the biggest pin point of where, exactly, she had found her way: inside someone's dreams. Things rarely matched up with reality. There was always something, indicating that it wasn't somewhere real. Well, that and the fact that she'd been in her bed only a few minutes prior.
Holding her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun, she looked around. The air felt dusty and warm, yet she couldn't quite pinpoint her location nor the owner of the dream. Heck, she didn't even know if she was a direct part of it or just watching everything from the outside. That was the tricky part.
Then she saw him. The annoyingly familiar figure of her roommate - which she was sure he was behind, by the way. But regardless of how much she wanted to, her silver tongue lay completely still in her mouth. No insult was thrown his way as their eyes met and she realized he could see her. She was a part of his dream and not in the pleasant kind of way.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 11, 2016 13:33:10 GMT -6
Trevor hated the dreams that took him back to his youth. It wasn't that he'd experienced some great tragedy or neglect in his earlier years and, in fact, actually considered his family's constant relocation as a boon more than anything. What it did, more than anything, was remind Trevor just how much he would never be like the family that came before him. Generations of Paiges had built a legacy of military service that he had been expected from the beginning to follow. This, to anyone who knew the sarcastic, flippant teen, was a career path he had no intention of following.
And yet, here he was, floating about in a hazy dream world. The base around him was pieced together from abstract memories of various places he'd lived. The airstrip itself seemed to have been from the base in Germany while the tower closely resembled the one from the base in California. It was a strange miasma of locales that combined to draw Trevor back into the anxiety of expectations he had no desire to meet.
The voice cut through the fog and Trevor slowly turned. It was rare (if at all) to find his mind drifting to anyone other than his close cluster of family members and inserting them into his dreams. His evasive and guarded demeanor wasn't a defense mechanism so much as it was the manifestation of his simple desire to remain unbound by the usual conventions of relationships and social interactions. Even then, there was something about the presence of the slender brunette standing in the middle of the airstrip that simply felt... natural.
"Hey." Trevor said as if he expected Penny to be there. He moved toward her, then past as if there was no question she should be following along. "Where are we going for lunch?" It was a painfully casual question that was asked in the manner of someone who was very much at home with the life the dream had placed in front of him. Trevor moved forward, a hand coming up to pluck the comoflague cap from his head and wiped his brow. A sliver of gold on his hand shimmered in the sunlight and he glanced to Penny and offered her a faint smile. Trevor had never been one for jewelry but given the simple, gold band that was on his left ring finger matched the one that Penelope wore, an exception had been made.
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 13:40:20 GMT -6
The brunette's usual stoic face fell by the boy's casual demeanor. Not once had anyone ever reacted that way to her intruding their dreams. A few got mad, sure, but most people usually just seemed confused. Trevor on the other hand seemed as if it was expected or even natural. It was bizarre. The brunette's brows furrowed as she started at him, passing her.
"Lunch?" she asked, obviously confused. The ring held no meaning to her - she didn't study him enough to know why he wore what he wore. It wasn't as if the brunette took much time out of her day to check him out, after all. If anything, she avoided him as often as she could. Something about him put her off and for someone who constantly pushed people away, he was at the top of her list.
"This is where I throw some kind of sarcastic rema--" she stopped herself then. Did he even know that he was dreaming? Did her presence in his dream really strike him that natural that he could believe what he was seeing? Then again, she hadn't exactly studied dreams and how much it'd take for someone to realize it wasn't real.
That, if nothing else, had the brunette studying him closely for the very first time. Trying to use this moment, where his guard was down to really see him. "Huh."
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 11, 2016 13:48:47 GMT -6
The simple fact that Trevor was walking through a dream-construct of an airbase clad in the familiar uniform of a service member of the United States Air Force and didn't seem to be acting as though it was the most horrific thing he could imagine was a telling sign that his subconscious mind hadn't quite clued him in that this was a dream. There was nothing on God's green Earth that could ever convince him to get anywhere near a military recruiter's office, let alone join and seemingly make a career out of it. And yet, there in his dream-fog addled mind, it was perfectly natural.
"Yes, lunch." The surprised reply was met with a light chuckle. It wasn't as if Trevor's mind hadn't pieced together this little dream and latched onto Penny's unforeseen presence as a catalyst, of sort, to further drive home the latent fears and anxieties Trevor was clinging onto. "We got out a little late so we can't go far." He said, frowning a bit. "As long as we stay on post we'll be fine, though."
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 13:55:17 GMT -6
There were so many questions milling about in the brunette's mind, but she had two choices, as far as she saw it. One, she could tell him that he was dreaming and get nothing out of this or she could play along with it and perhaps, learn all of his dark little secrets. Because Penelope didn't consider herself one of the good people (How could she be? She was a reporter), it was easy picking.
"Mmhm," she replied, the frown being replaced with a light, but uncertain smile - as if she didn't quite know how to actually smile. She didn't do it very often, after all. It felt awkward and probably looked even more so. "I think the sun is making me a little groggy," she excused herself as she turned, taking in the almost comical sight around her. She rubbed her hands together, feeling the cool surface of the ring against her fingertips and immediately looked down.
Her other hand went to her mouth, silencing the gasp that escaped through her lips. He thought they were married?!
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 11, 2016 14:17:07 GMT -6
Trevor paused, his brow furrowing in wonder. Again he did a slow turn to look back at his wife who was lingering behind. His head tilted slightly as he watched her. She was surprised about something, it seemed and that bothered him. It wasn't as though he'd ever thought anyone could have made him want to take such a big leap as marriage before he'd met Penny. He'd long considered himself to be the type who would be perfectly content living life on his own when she came along and completely shattered his entire outlook. "Babe." He cautiously approached her, watching with a look of concern. "You alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
Both of Trevor's hands came out and took hold of Penny's as the world around them began to blur and distort. Within moments the base was gone, the uniform Trevor had been wearing along with in. In a flash the two were standing, facing each other, Penny's hands still held in his. The nerves were showing plainly on his face even as he lost himself in the soft gaze of his bride to be. The chapel, filled with friends and family from both of them, sat in rapt attention as Trevor's lips parted and he began to speak.
"I... loved the motorcycle I had in college." He said abruptly, bringing out a few scattered chuckles from the small crowd. " I loved the freedom it gave me. No one could ask me for a ride, or to help them move. I didn't get stuck in traffic, I could park it anywhere. I really loved what it meant. I was never one to send birthday cards or make amends for something wrong I said to anyone. I always thought I'd get through life on my own and I was okay with that." He paused long enough to take a deep breath before the words continued. "My entire life was built around that thought. The concept of freedom, of never having to answer to anyone. And then I met you." Another pause came as he almost sheepishly dropped his gaze to the floor for just a moment. Quickly, though, his eyes lifted again and he continued. "And I'm sure someone a lot more poetic than me could say this in a better way but you..." Trevor paused again and gathered his thoughts for a moment. "You made me want to get a car."
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 14:25:59 GMT -6
She had no response. No witty retort and before she could do either, Trevor had already stepped up to her, their hands intertwined as the scenery around them changed. Naturally, the same unpleasant feeling dreamers didn't get, but she did, made her entire body feel as if it was sucked out of one 'reality' to another. And then the brunette's face went pure white.
She looked around, confused at first before she realized where she was and what was going on. Her eyes widened, the sounds coming from the boy standing opposite of her dulled out, as her head was under water. She could see his lips move, even catch a few of the words. And then, as if someone snapped their fingers, sound exploded through the room. The image became clear and vivid. She caught every word, every face and every smell. It almost overloaded her senses, but that was nothing compared to what Trevor was dreaming.
She felt the nausea hit her like a crashing car, ironic given the speech he was holding. Instinctively, she pulled her hands away, her lips parting, but no sound came out. It was easy to tell her that this was only a dream, but the surreal setting she found herself in did nothing if not make her feel completely out of place. She would have been fine watching this from a third person view, but here she was, having to experience all of this first hand.
She felt uncomfortable.
Flicking the space between his eyebrows with her fingers, the brunette said in a hushed, almost desperate whisper, "Wakeupwakeupwakeup."
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 11, 2016 14:41:14 GMT -6
The world didn't stay solid for long. Even as Trevor's speech was drawing to a close the faces of friends and family began to twist and distort again. Trevor's subconscious had latched onto Penelope's presence and was using her as a catalyst to draw out his deepest fears and anxieties. Gone was the chapel, gone was the group of loved ones and friends. The edges of everything blurred and shifted, softening under the glow of a brilliant, white light.
When the light faded and the new world began to appear around them started to come into focus it became immediately apparent the situation had changed dramatically. The room the two of them were in was nearly featureless, a by product of the dreamscape, no doubt, but the bed where Trevor and Penelope lay was as sharp and vivid as either of them could imagine. From the softness of the sheets, the comforting down of the pillows to the subtle warmth of the bodies pressed against each other beneath the blankets, it was all clear as could be.
It was a calm, quiet morning that began with the gentle rays of the morning sun filtering in through the blinds and slowly stirring Trevor awake. Even though it was his dream, it took a few moments for his mind to catch up with the sudden shift. When it did, a soft smile touched his lips as he caught sight of the swath of brunette hair spread out across the clean, white pillow in front of him. Gently his fingers shifted to playfully toy with the dark tendrils. "Morning." He whispered.
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 14:48:43 GMT -6
Once again, the world around them shifted. It happened so abruptly, Penelope couldn't quite get her head into the new situation until she heard the voice. Confused, she furrowed her brows before her surroundings came into focus, causing her entire body to stiffen. She felt Trevor's warm body against hers and she didn't even want to check or think about whether or not the two of them were clothed.
In a moment of panic, she couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. She just laid there, completely stiff, feeling every hair on her body stand on edge.
In an abrupt movement, the brunette sat up, making sure she kept the sheets firmly pressed to her body as she edged away, one hand going up to rub her temples. She didn't have nearly good enough control of her power to throw herself out of his dream. Whenever that happened, the subject was either the cause or she magically managed to shift herself out. Now, however, she couldn't and the more she tried, the more she could feel the throbbing pain shoot through her head.
"Wakeupwakeupwakeup," she chanted, panic reaching her voice as she threw her feet out of the bed and onto the surprisingly warm floor beneath. "This is not happening!" Turning her head then, she snapped at the body next to her. "Don't touch me." This wasn't turning out to be nearly as fun as she'd hoped. She'd hoped this would be some kind of journey through his mind and not a nightmare for her. But it was. She was stuck.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 11, 2016 14:56:50 GMT -6
For a fleeting moment the world felt perfect. The feel of the soft hair on his fingertips brought about a sense of peace and comfort that Trevor had rarely experienced before. There was hardly any time to analyze what it was about the picturesque scene that caused these feelings to emerge or to even discern that it wasn't reality. The only thing Trevor did was close his eyes and lose himself in the overwhelming sense of contentment.
Then, in a flash, the entire world ceased to exist.
Trevor's eyes darted open and he peered aimlessly out into the darkness of his room. He swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and coughed. His mind swam with the distorted images of a dream that he couldn't recall, yet found himself incapable of fully forgetting. There were no details in his memory, a fact that drove him crazy, but the strange miasma of emotions remained in his chest. Slowly he rolled over and pushed himself up to a sitting position, a hand raising to run through his hair. After mumbling a low curse under his breath he shifted and got to his feet.
It was still far too early to get up for the day, but Trevor didn't feel like getting right back to sleep. The after affects of the dream he couldn't quite hold onto were rapidly fading, more so as he quietly opened the door to his bedroom and moved out into the common area of the dorm and started for the kitchen.
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 15:04:23 GMT -6
Another abrupt shift had the brunette believing that maybe the scenery had changed yet again and she was afraid to open her eyes. There was no sound save for her ragged breathing. The shift had been violent, as if being teared away from something and feeling hollow afterwards. She could feel the softness of a bed and for a fleeting moment, panic rose in her chest, but she felt no body next to her, just her own clammy skin and her beating heart.
She slowly allowed herself to open her eyes, spending a moment to let her eyes adjust to the darkness and relief settled upon her as she realized she was back in her room, having been kicked out of the bizarre dream she'd been having. Her emotions were still reeling, making it difficult for her to look at this rationally, which was uncommon. She could always take a step back from these dreams, but then again, none had ever felt quite that personal. It felt as if Trevor's dreams had poked at the sleeping bear, constantly attacking the wall she'd put up.
Taking a deep breath, she realized she wouldn't get much more sleep that night. And it wasn't as if she really wanted to. Sleeping was troublesome enough as it was. Rising, she walked over to the wardrobe and pulled a large tee over her head. She quickly brushed her hair over her shoulder and issued a sigh. Her mouth felt dryer than a desert. She needed something to drink.
And that was exactly what she was going to do. She was going to take advantage of the early morning where no one else would be awake. Opening the door to the common room, she stepped out of her room, wincing as the cold floor reached her toes. "Fuck," she hissed.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 11, 2016 15:13:38 GMT -6
Trevor was standing, his back leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, a glass of water held in one hand. He'd been staring listlessly at the floor in front of him, seemingly unphased by the fact that he couldn't make much out in the dark of the room. Within moments the lingering emotions of his dream were gone and he was left with the not so simple task of shrugging aside the curious rush that had came with his sudden awakening in order to get back to sleep and salvage the rest of the night.
The sound of another door opening caught his attention. Trevor glanced up and quirked a brow curiously. Even in the dark he could pair the soft curse word with the late hour to deduce Penelope wasn't in the best of moods. Of course, he could have figured that out easily enough. Who was in a good mood when awake at this ungodly hour, anyway?
"Hey." He said quietly, not wanting to alarm the young woman. "Bad night?"
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 15:17:33 GMT -6
It was in moments like these that Penelope was thankful the kitchen was completely dark, save for the soft light coming from whatever light came from the outside. Street lamps, maybe. No matter, it was too dark for her to see much more than the contours of her roommate. Still, the voice had her stopping, her body freezing. He didn't remember, did he? God, she hoped not. That was one unpleasant conversation she'd rather not have.
"I guess you could say that," she croaked uncomfortably. He didn't seem affected, which, she hoped, was a good sign. Still, she couldn't shake the awkwardness away. Her emotions were still reeling and her heart beating quickly in her chest. Dream walking had always been unpleasant, but this had been the worst. The absolute worst.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 11, 2016 15:22:45 GMT -6
Trevor gave a short nod and brought the glass of water up to take a drink. His gaze didn't linger upon Penelope for long and even now, just the mere presence of someone else sent the last remnants of his dream fading into the ether of his mind. A deep breath and another drink of water and it now just became a matter of settling back into bed in hopes that he'd be able to get to sleep before it was time to start the day.
"You alright?" Trevor glanced back to the girl. He wasn't overly concerned but having someone else to focus on was a boon to help him get out of his own head. "You sound like you've just seen a ghost."
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 11, 2016 15:26:18 GMT -6
"Yeah," she replied quickly as she stepped forward, doing her best to regain her usual stoic composure, despite what was going on on the inside. No, it didn't seem as if he remembered. Unless he was pulling her leg, of course, which she wouldn't put above him. Then again, she believed the worst of everyone. Trevor was no exception to the rule. "Ghosts don't exist," she said dryly as she brushed past him, cringing as she felt her arm brush against his and quickly pulled it away as she moved to the sink.
Grabbing herself a glass from the shelf, the brunette busied herself with filling the glass. Or rather, letting the faucet stay on full power, drowning any nearby sound out. She could always excuse herself with wanting the water to be as cold as it could get, but really, she needed something else to focus her throbbing mind on.