get your shit together

With his arm around her shoulder, Alice relaxed into the comfort he provided, leaning her head against him. She never knew quite what it meant, that she and Morty easily treated one another with such familiarity when really they’d only met so many times throughout the years—neither did she know what it would be like when they were both together in her home dimension for a change. But she did know that the moment she realized they were in the same universe, she had no intention of opening shop today. She was thankful, despite all the challenges that went along with being a small business owner, to be as free as a bird when it came to living on her own schedule.

As Alice leaned her head against him, Morty wished they were already awake and could see each other in person now. Really, there was no rush, no time constraints now that he was making his own choices on where he stayed and went between dimensions, but still … knowing they were in her home dimension made it much more exciting. He wanted to learn more about her, more than he ever could before in their past meetings. Had things been flipped and she was in his home dimension (well maybe not his original one — he and Rick had to escape that one years ago after a failed love potion turned everyone to Cronenberg's… he never wanted her to see that), he would be eager to show her everything he knew too, even if his home life wasn’t all that great. He was already much more content to be in her world though. 

After leading him toward the tree, Alice sat with her back against the trunk, motioning Morty to sit with her. If this were her own dream he would lay his head in her lap and she would run her fingers through his hair, but this was his dream and she was simply a visitor, so he was free to do as he wished here. That included going about saying things she wouldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams, like that he was in Destiny Isle too. She hadn’t even dared hope that he would be this close by. Learning that he was not only in the same world as her, but on the very same island, Alice almost began to question whether this Morty was a figment of her own subconscious, but she knew he wasn’t; she had already tested it and this was a shared dream. He was the real deal, and he was so near in the waking world that they could see each other when they woke up, no great travel necessary but by car. The Mystery Shack wasn’t too far from town, sort of out in the woods a bit itself, but the motel should be right off the highway.

Sitting beside Alice, Morty was comfortable enough to put his arm around her, feeling warmth radiate from her presence even though this was only a dream. It was easier to be more confident in a dream though, even as he could feel his heart racing in excitement at the thought of seeing Alice in real life again soon. Very soon. His eyes widened again, still trying to comprehend how this was real. An hour was so soon — would he have enough time to get something nice for her and get ready too? Morty considered getting her some flowers, wondering if he should use the portal gun to quickly get her some before her arrival... He just didn’t want to be empty-handed when she came to see him! 

Hearing him say that she was his favorite thing to dream about so easily and casually brought a blush to her face and a giggle she could only barely contain. She didn’t think he was trying to flirt, but he could say such romantic things without trying to. Maybe because he wasn’t trying to—Alice knew Morty had a tendency to stumble over his words when he got too into his head, but he said she was his favorite so naturally, like he hadn’t had to think about it at all. It was just true.

Morty's smile only grew as Alice's cheeks reddened and she attempted to contain a giggle. He'd almost forgotten how much he missed being around her, having been so long since they were both together. For a split second, he even forgot he was in a dream at all, just appreciating this moment with her while he could. It wasn't until she began to describe where they currently were that Morty refocused, still trying to decipher what exactly was real and what wasn't. Any normal person would see where they were and assume it was a dream, but both Morty and Alice had faced adventures in different dimensions with lots of wild and colorful scenery — the forest they currently stood in was rather tame in comparison.

There were three kinds of dreams Alice was familiar with. The first were the regular kind, the uncontrollable ones her mind or some god of sleep cooked up which carried her along at its whim. The second were the ones where she became aware of her situation and could therefore take full control of what was happening around her—the lucid dreams. And the third was the most peculiar: the shared dream, where she crossed from her own subconscious mind into someone else’s. In those, she could often still control the environment around, but not the other dreamer…if they were a real person and not a figment of her imagination, they still had autonomy. Alice tested this by quietly prompting Morty to do a little jig when she saw him through the trees, but he didn’t obey her urging the way a character in her own lucid dream might. He was real—which meant he was in the same world as her right now, asleep at the same time she was. She could only ever walk into the dreams of those in the same realm as her (unless this was the first example of a new reach of her abilities. She hoped not...) Watching her favorite person from across universes shift and become happier at the sight of her, her own heart lifted.

Anytime Morty saw Alice, whether it was a dream or reality, he felt lighter — like all the baggage he held suddenly faded away, or if it did still linger, the weight of it just didn't matter anymore. Just a few moments ago, Morty had felt riddled with anxiety as he wandered this unfamiliar, colorful forest, but as he realized Alice was there, it was as if a cloud of clarity suddenly formed above him.