(no subject)
COMM: shifted_prompts - peppermint
VERSE: realityshifted
WORD COUNT: 805
That wasn't the last he saw of her, not by a long shot. It didn't matter who the dream belonged to. Rita seemed to show up regardless, lurking in the dark corners and abandoned places. She never showed when the rest of the band was around - save for Toki - but just when he seemed to get separated from the rest of them. That was happening more often. Normally they would have stayed close, they'd be near each other. But something... seemed to drag him away.
And then there she was.
Pointed heels, a short dress, the neck of her top cut low. Fuck, he had to have been getting horny at night to keep dreaming her up (he was certain she was from him, after all, she only showed up to him, or so he believed). It was the only way to explain it.
Rita slunk around him, a delicate hand walking across his shoulders. "You remind me a bit of Jacob. He's built like you. Shorter hair... blond... but there are similarities. So much that could be worked on, so much that could be improved. It's a real shame."
He recoiled. "Hey, lady, I don't give a fuck about whoever that is. And seriously, I am- I am getting tired of seeing you."
"Oh, shut up, Nathan." She chuckled. "You want me to leave? I can go. But you know, I'm the only thing keeping you from getting thrown out right now."
"What?"
"You really do remind me of him. You're about as smart as he is. Don't tell me you haven't noticed that you aren't tossed out of here until I leave." Rita stepped away, smoothing out her dress. "I could stop showing up, if you like. Though it may get unpleasant. I heard insomnia is a terrible thing."
Nathan snatched her wrist and pulled her close, his nostrils filling with the smell of her perfume. "What the fuck do you want, then? Or are you here to just fucking dick around?"
She hissed between her teeth and glared up at him. "You interest me, that's all. Aside from the similarities to Jake, there's something... alike. I can't quite pinpoint it, but I can sense it. I have a... knack for these sorts of things, Nathan."
"Ugh, fuck, I'm not going to bother," he said, releasing her. "I've had it up to fucking here with cryptic bullshit and mysterious notes and that kind of crap. Yeah, let's totally follow what the letter says, go find some fucking books. Here's your reward! Don't get any good sleep after that. That's totally what you wanted, right? Not sleeping?"
"He sent you a letter? But I thought he-" She cut herself short. "Nevermind. I wasn't involved in that, but I have to admit," she smiled, "it does make it much easier to get in here. It's like an open door."
He cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to elaborate.
"Shared dreams are such a pain to get into." Rita brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Shared with one is hard enough, but four? That's so messy. I wouldn't have touched it if there wasn't a welcoming mat. So to speak."
"Soooo... what. You're some bizarro dream lady or something?"
"Not quite," she replied. "But let's not get into that. It's all a lot of things I've put behind me. It isn't who I am anymore."
"Except for the fact you like going into dude's dreams, oh, okay."
"Don't give me that tone! I said I was interested. I meant it. But fine. I'll leave. Have fun, Nathan." A pause. "By the way. It's three in the morning."
With that, she disappeared completely. And the dream reared it's ugly head, turning it's venomous stare right on him. Like every other time, the sound of clockwork and gears roared to a murderous cacophony. The sound echoed in his skull, forcing him to snap awake. At least he was still in bed. Thank god for small miracles like that.
Nathan shoved himself into a sitting position with a heavy sigh. He wasn't sick either, so that was... good. But he had a sinking feeling that Rita's three am thing was right; it felt early, it felt too fucking early to be awake. Not even Charles would be up now - only those on the Graveyard shift would be up, and anyone in the band who for whatever reason hadn't gone to sleep at all. He was pretty sure they were all asleep though, he thought he had seen them.
He slipped his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He had made a split second decision to take a shower, but immediately stopped in his tracks. His room smelled like perfume. Expensive, heavy perfume.
It smelled just like what Rita was wearing.
"Oh my fucking GOD, I'm going crazy, aren't I? This is bullshit." He groaned. "...Great. Yeah. Just what I need."
VERSE: realityshifted
WORD COUNT: 805
That wasn't the last he saw of her, not by a long shot. It didn't matter who the dream belonged to. Rita seemed to show up regardless, lurking in the dark corners and abandoned places. She never showed when the rest of the band was around - save for Toki - but just when he seemed to get separated from the rest of them. That was happening more often. Normally they would have stayed close, they'd be near each other. But something... seemed to drag him away.
And then there she was.
Pointed heels, a short dress, the neck of her top cut low. Fuck, he had to have been getting horny at night to keep dreaming her up (he was certain she was from him, after all, she only showed up to him, or so he believed). It was the only way to explain it.
Rita slunk around him, a delicate hand walking across his shoulders. "You remind me a bit of Jacob. He's built like you. Shorter hair... blond... but there are similarities. So much that could be worked on, so much that could be improved. It's a real shame."
He recoiled. "Hey, lady, I don't give a fuck about whoever that is. And seriously, I am- I am getting tired of seeing you."
"Oh, shut up, Nathan." She chuckled. "You want me to leave? I can go. But you know, I'm the only thing keeping you from getting thrown out right now."
"What?"
"You really do remind me of him. You're about as smart as he is. Don't tell me you haven't noticed that you aren't tossed out of here until I leave." Rita stepped away, smoothing out her dress. "I could stop showing up, if you like. Though it may get unpleasant. I heard insomnia is a terrible thing."
Nathan snatched her wrist and pulled her close, his nostrils filling with the smell of her perfume. "What the fuck do you want, then? Or are you here to just fucking dick around?"
She hissed between her teeth and glared up at him. "You interest me, that's all. Aside from the similarities to Jake, there's something... alike. I can't quite pinpoint it, but I can sense it. I have a... knack for these sorts of things, Nathan."
"Ugh, fuck, I'm not going to bother," he said, releasing her. "I've had it up to fucking here with cryptic bullshit and mysterious notes and that kind of crap. Yeah, let's totally follow what the letter says, go find some fucking books. Here's your reward! Don't get any good sleep after that. That's totally what you wanted, right? Not sleeping?"
"He sent you a letter? But I thought he-" She cut herself short. "Nevermind. I wasn't involved in that, but I have to admit," she smiled, "it does make it much easier to get in here. It's like an open door."
He cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to elaborate.
"Shared dreams are such a pain to get into." Rita brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Shared with one is hard enough, but four? That's so messy. I wouldn't have touched it if there wasn't a welcoming mat. So to speak."
"Soooo... what. You're some bizarro dream lady or something?"
"Not quite," she replied. "But let's not get into that. It's all a lot of things I've put behind me. It isn't who I am anymore."
"Except for the fact you like going into dude's dreams, oh, okay."
"Don't give me that tone! I said I was interested. I meant it. But fine. I'll leave. Have fun, Nathan." A pause. "By the way. It's three in the morning."
With that, she disappeared completely. And the dream reared it's ugly head, turning it's venomous stare right on him. Like every other time, the sound of clockwork and gears roared to a murderous cacophony. The sound echoed in his skull, forcing him to snap awake. At least he was still in bed. Thank god for small miracles like that.
Nathan shoved himself into a sitting position with a heavy sigh. He wasn't sick either, so that was... good. But he had a sinking feeling that Rita's three am thing was right; it felt early, it felt too fucking early to be awake. Not even Charles would be up now - only those on the Graveyard shift would be up, and anyone in the band who for whatever reason hadn't gone to sleep at all. He was pretty sure they were all asleep though, he thought he had seen them.
He slipped his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He had made a split second decision to take a shower, but immediately stopped in his tracks. His room smelled like perfume. Expensive, heavy perfume.
It smelled just like what Rita was wearing.
"Oh my fucking GOD, I'm going crazy, aren't I? This is bullshit." He groaned. "...Great. Yeah. Just what I need."