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Corinthian needed a fucking break. If it wasn’t Jessamy nagging at him, it was Lucienne and if it wasn’t her, it was the not so subtle glares and strange looks from the other dreams. Favouritism came with a cost and normally the attention didn’t bother him but with that and Dream being busy with creation and other important matters, it was getting to him quicker than normal and the urge to simply run away and disappear for a while was getting stronger and harder to ignore.
He knew he shouldn't. Dreams and nightmares were not permitted to leave the Dreaming but he had done it many times before with no side effects so what was one, slightly longer trip? It’s not like it would be forever and if Dream really had a problem with it, he could be recalled without too much hassle so why was he so hesitant? Was it the fear of disappointing Dream or the fear of rejection due to defiance? He didn’t know. Dream would never hurt him. Despite their differences, their relationship was great. He knew this. Everything was just
too much
. It was worth the risks. He sighs and walks towards the shores of the Dreaming, adjusting his blazer and smoothing out his coat. The softer beiges and greys helped him go pretty much unnoticed plus, the aesthetic of it all was rather pleasing, making his job so much easier. That’s what he was going to do. Claim to be working. Go to bars, find someone at least half different and hope that Dream doesn’t show up halfway like he did that one time he was away for a little longer than expected. In his defence, it was a little harder to get the guy into the cab than it normally was, plus, he didn't even get the eyes that time round. That’s what this trip was about. Getting the eyes that he missed last time round.
The wind blew around him, swirling and picking up sand as he left the Dreaming, not even turning around as he got dragged into the waking world. The meaningless rush hour meant he could go around without people not even giving him a second glance as he made his way around the busy streets of London. It was surprisingly refreshing. The grey skies and cool breeze was a nice change to the always shining Dreaming. There was no eye strain, no need to stay inside where it was dimmer. Just the sound of people, mindlessly living their lives. Seeing and experiencing things that they always took for granted. Corinthian wanted to see it all. Experience things he couldn't typically experience as a nightmare. The mundane lifestyle, the fallouts, the drama, the pain and heartbreak, the euphoria and the dysphoria of mankind. It was infatuating. It drove him to do what he does, the craving of always wanting more often consumed him like hunger. When it consumed him, Dream would normally provide him with more dreams to haunt. More people to terrorise in their sleep but not this time. It had slipped under Dream’s radar due to work needing to be done. He was hyper focused on tasks and projects which wasn't uncommon for him. Like Corinthian, Dream felt rather incomplete without something to do. It worked weirdly well, they both had time to do what they needed to do which made their time alone together even better but sometimes, Corinthian wished he paid more attention. Maybe then, he wouldn't have to hunt in the waking world to shake off whatever these feelings were.
He had some time to spare before the night hussle began. There was no point waiting around a near empty bar for hours, waiting for a potential meal to unsuspectedly walk into the trap of fake charm and interest. Instead, he decided to pick up a coffee and find some type of hotel to spend the night or two in. Depends on how long it takes Dream to realise he's gone and come after him. By how busy Dream was, he probably had at least two nights to himself, maybe more if he got lucky and Jessamy didn’t report his lack of presence.
The coffee in London was expensive if you were human with limited money and cared about that kind of thing but not for Corinthian. He wasn’t exactly too sure how he always had enough money to comfortably be in the waking world and didn’t particularly care, even if it most likely meant Dream was at least somewhat aware of Corinthian’s shenanigans and providing him with enough money to enjoy his time there. He much preferred the idea he was above humanity and their obsession and need for monetary gain. He ducks into the nearest decent looking coffee shop. The small businesses always made better coffee in his opinion and it meant he would most likely be able to take some time to sit down and enjoy his drink without loud and obnoxious people shouting at the 16 year old barista for giving them a paper straw instead of a plastic one. He looks around, sighing in relief at the sight of an empty place, minus the staff and one presumably university student, feverishly typing on their laptop, headphones plugged in. The barista smiles at the sight of him, he smiles back out of courtesy, walking over to the counter and staring up at the menu for a second before picking out the caramel frappe, pulling out a 10 and smiles, nodding at the barista’s pins on their lanyard in appreciation. He didn’t feel like being overly talkative at that current time, silently appreciating the lack of questions and strange looks. He takes the coffee graciously, picking out a table in the far corner facing the window to people watch.
Corinthian was in fact right. The coffee was so much better than any large corporate business, plus, he gets the time to unwind. He takes his time drinking, every so often stirring it with the straw in which he was now understanding why people hated them so much. Like everyone else, he much preferred his straw not disintegrating but it wasn't for him to complain about. At least humanity was somewhat trying to unfuck up their mistakes. He hums in appreciation, thankful for the lack of people trying to make small talk. He really wasn't in the mood to talk, it was tiring enough without someone in his ear trying to be friendly when in actual fact, the only thing they were doing was being invasive. Once done, he sighs softly, standing up and straightening his coat before getting rid of his cup and walking out, giving a half-hearted wave to the barista before bracing for the busy streets in an attempt to find a half decent hotel nearby. He much preferred the ones that asked no questions as long as you had the money for the room and caused no trouble. Of course, causing no trouble wasn't possible for him but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them unless they became a witness of course. It only took walking around a few blocks and dodgy looking alleyways to come across a decent looking place to stay that didn't look formal enough to give a damn about who he was and what he was doing. The little that’s known, the better really. He couldn’t exactly give his name and he didn't have anything like a phone number to give. Although that would probably be useful when he thought about it, he doubted Dream would allow him to keep something like that when he returned home. He wasn't even sure if he
could
take it home with him.
The reception was pretty standard for this type of hotel. A mild dusty smell, off coloured carpet and a receptionist that looked like he really didn't want to be there. Corinthian didn’t blame him, a 9 to 5 job alone sounded like torture in his mind. The receptionist looked up and sighs at the sight of him. God forbid a hotel have guests but he didn't really care at this point. The lights were at a jarring level and making noises that hurt him to his very core. He just wanted to get to his room without getting his hands dirty. Yet.
The receptionist sighs again as he turns to the rather dated looking computer on the desk, obnoxiously tapping at the keys in a way that made Corinthian want to hop over and drive his knife right in his neck just to shut him up “How many nights?” he asks, not even looking up from the screen as he continues to tap away. Corinthian wasn't even sure he needed to tap that many times and was in fact, solely doing it to piss him off and it was working rather well. He at this point, decided that getting his hands dirty this early on in his trip wasn't that bad of an idea. He clears his throat before flashing an almost inhuman smile.
“Just two. Don’t plan on sticking around for long” Corinthian’s hand was already on the handle of his blade, just in case things didn't go the way he wanted. Luckily though, the man was far too uninterested to either notice the knife or the fact he certainly seemed out of place in what could possibly be used as a hideout for criminals. Not that he minded, that was exactly what he was there for afterall. The man nods, tossing a pair of keys on the side. Corinthian fights back the urge to throw the knife at him at this point. Instead, he smiles thinly, picking up the keys and slapping down 200 before walking off to find his room, making a mental note to get rid of him at some point in his stay