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( hao's hyperfocused, beating the damn thing with his bat over and over again, even a few times after the change happens and — he visibly snaps out of it, the end of his bat resting against the ground, brow furrowed as he tries to understand ... what the fuck is going on here. that was definitely a demon a second ago, and it was definitely wigging the fuck out. and now ...?

he wipes his cheek with the back of his hand, even more baffled when there's just a smear of rainbow glitter when he looks back down at it, taking a few cautious steps back from the creature —

suddenly, there's a voice.

hao flinches (which will piss him off later, thinking about how someone was able to actually catch him off guard — he's supposed to have good instincts for this kind of shit!!) and turns around to face gideon, both hands gripping the neck of his bat, looking ready to swing at any moment. ) Who the —

What the fuck just happened?

[Gideon blinks slowly, glancing from Hao to the demon glitter doll, the very image of guileless bemusement, as though he didn't just have a hand in causing the scene to change.]

It died?

[Very helpful response. And kind of true. In a way. The demon is no longer a living thing. That basically means it died, right? Inasmuch as things can die in dreams, anyway. Gideon feels like it should count.]

( hao just fucking. stares at the boy before him for a long moment, not sure if he's more pissed off about how cute he is or how nonchalant he's acting about the whole thing, like an ugly godforsaken screeching demon turning into some weird little doll and covering him in glitter is normal.

this dream is getting weirder by the second. )

Yeah, no. That's not — ( how a demon dies!! it's annoying, stumbling over his words a little, because he's supposed to be confident in this one thing above all else. maybe this is actually some kind of weird upside-down nightmare, actually. brow furrowed, he eases up, lets the tip of his bat rest back against the ground. )

Was that magic?

[Gideon continues to be calm and nonchalant about the whole ordeal. After all, in dreams nothing is really strange. Anything is possible.

He waits patiently for Hao to collect his thoughts, tilting his head slightly at the question.]

Oh, well, yes. Probably. Demons…or is it a monster? [If he’s honest, Gideon isn’t sure how to classify the creature.] Either way, they’re usually magical somehow, right?

No, I mean — I know how demons — ugh.

( okay, this is definitely a nightmare, because hao's starting to doubt himself, which is not something he does. had there ever been a monster at all? had he ever even felt the hot spurt of its blood on his face? it's unsettling.

instead, it's time to change the subject, quickly deflecting: )

Who the hell are you, anyway? Aren't you only supposed to see people you've seen before in your dreams?

[Oh. Well. This is a little unexpected.]

You know this is a dream?

[This makes things...well...interesting. And perhaps easier. But also somewhat awkward, all things considered. Gideon usually isn't quite so careless. Maybe this place has made him a little complacent.]

Well, duh.

( hao frowns, leaning his weight down on his bat, looking around at the scenery around them. )

It's like the town my school is in, but, like — not? I dunno. ( he points at the restaurant across the street. ) That place isn't even there in real life, it's in, like, Disneyland. And that's not a dead end. There's lots of weird little ... differences. Kinda fuckin' uncanny. But I've been to this place before a bunch of times while dreaming.

You haven't been here, though. ( ahem! )

[Yeah, that sounds about right for dreaming. Gideon knows because he's been wandering through dreams his entire life. He doesn't say that, though.]

Well, I did just get here.

[It explains why he hasn't been here before the most cryptic dream-like way possible.]

I can leave if you like.

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