YU+ME: dream

YU+ME: dream is a webcomic by Megan Rose Gedris and can be found here. It concluded in 2010.

The fact that nobody wants to give away the plot means that you might prefer to start from Strip 1 just to be on the safe side. The normal text/hidden text ratio on this whole article really says everything; it may start slow, but then WHAM! Spoilers that nobody dares give away.

Things just aren't going well for Fiona. She has a dead mom, a father who is always on business, a Wicked Stepmother, no friends at the Catholic high school, and none of the nuns believe that she's being picked on by Sarah and Cass. So she begins to not pay any attention to anything around her, instead living in her own head in vivid, lucid dreams.

But then Lia moves in next door and real life seems more interesting with her around. Fiona gains another friend in Jake, a green haired boy she saves from a bunch of bullies who attack him for being gay. Fiona is drawn to him, intrigued by this thing known as "gay". She begins to look at Lia in a whole new light. But what will Lia think of it?

Up until the end of issue 9, readers thought this was a case of Schoolgirl Lesbians living in Teen Drama. Issue 9 dropped a TON of drama bombs.

Sarah kisses Fiona/Cass walks in and gets jealous
Fiona gets grounded for admitting to being a lesbian and can't go to the prom.
Fiona meets her gay godfather, Richard who her parents have been keeping from her.
Richard tells Fiona some pretty major things about her family that she didn't know/had amnesia about, such as the fact that her mother committed suicide by getting into a car accident with little Fiona in the car because her father was cheating, with the Wickedstepmother
Fiona decides to go prom and her parental units do not stop her due to #4.
Fiona faints.
James has an announcement to make: Sadako is his new girlfriend.
Fiona faints again and wakes to Sadako and Lia fighting.
The Big One. At Fiona's questioning of what's going on, Sadako, Lia, and Don tell her that everything up until this point was All Just a Dream and Lia, Jake, Don, etc have all been actors, though Lia gets in that her feelings for Fiona were real.
Fiona wakes up from a coma, that we find out she caused by trying to commit suicide upon learning that her own mother tried to kill her.

Part Two begins with more of an explanation and then Fiona finds a way back to Dream Land to search for Lia.

Tropes used in YU+ME: dream include:

Age-Appropriate Angst - Young Fiona
All Just a Dream: Mercilessly deconstructed, and then reconstructed. The end of the dream is when the real story begins, and the reader follows Fiona while dealing with the very real psychological effects it had on her. Fiona then decides to try, and succeeds, at getting back to the Dream World to pursue the only happiness she knew, even while being aware that what she will find will be different from the fantasy she lived...
Alpha Bitch - Sarah and Cass
Exclusively Evil - Us. Hence the need for consciences.
Always Save the Girl - Fiona's decision to attempt to go back into the Dream World to find Lia
- Or not. Fiona was completely miserable in her life, anyway - no friends, nobody to talk to, dead mom, awful father and step mom, very dark family secret... so miserable, in fact, that prior to the start of the story, she'd attempted suicide. Lia and her dream friends were all she had. She wasn't really choosing the girl over other important options as much as pursuing the only happiness she knew.
  - Except her step mom wasn't evil. She may have been frustrated, but deep down, she loved Fiona. Word of God says she was the first to run into the room, crying, the first time Fiona regained consciousness. So it's not all crap.
Animesque - Used for the real-world portions of Sadako's story, and for the most part of the early chapters. By the end, Megan has all but completely removed any anime/manga influences.
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking - When Fiona states Lia is not worth pursuing anymore... because she is a murderer, 900 years old and *le gasp* had other lovers - MEN!.
Art Shift: Constantly. After The Reveal far more so, but even before then there were quite a few different styles on display.
Ascended Extra - Lia was one of these, so that she could get closer to Fiona. However, it's implied that there are serious consequences to her actions. (Read: Imprisonment.) Don is also one of these, but it seems more like a last-minute shoo-in than anything else.
- Actually, Lia was planned all along.
- A more IRL example: Clandy. Originally, she was just someone that Megan drew in the background and that was it. Clandy was not planned to have a role, much less a role as big as she has had.
The Beard: Fiona, Lia, Jake and Don. Exactly who is whose beard, and who is in the closet at all, gets too complicated for Jake to keep track of.
Big Bad - Sadako, who turns out to be the queen of dreams. Originally, it seemed that she was NOT happy at Lia for ruining her endeavor. The end of Part 2: Issue 11 revealed that Sadako was planning on using Lia as a trap to lure Fiona into the Dream World for quite some time.
Bilingual Bonus - "yume" is Japanese for "dream"
Bi the Way - Lia, as we find out later on, has been in love with a man before. Don is also bi, though this is only revealed in a bonus comic in Volume Two of the print version.
Bloody Handprint
Bury Your Gays - Several gay characters are killed or commit suicide, including the main character. She gets better, though.
Cast Full of Gay - similar to Magnetic Girlfriend, Sarah is implied to be not straight as well, since they kiss towards the end of act 1. In act 2, the actor that played Sarah in her dream, Lucy, had an early script even said that "Sarah" harbored a secret crush on Fiona in the script. Cass also appears to be involved or have a crush on Sarah, and have a total flip out towards Fi after she catches them kissing. On top of those spoilers, Jake, Don and Richard are all gay as well.
- Somewhat justified in that the Cast Full of Gay is literally just that - a cast following a script...
  - Actually, that's both true and false. While they were following a script, Don is bi and Word of God says that Lucy simply doesn't care. She also states that sexuality in the Dream World is a lot more fluid, and it can be assumed that LGBT matters are far more accepted. Probably also thanks to Sadako.
- Sadako is also gay/bi.
Cloudcuckoolander - Clandestine Jones. This is later revealed to be because she used to be Sadako's conscience. But Sadako banished her for, basically, not letting her have her "fun" with Ellie.
Coming Out Story - A theme in Part 1
- Subverted by the end of Part 1. See the Drama Bomb.
Death Seeker - Sadako. Justified because Nod won't let her die without a suitable replacement.
The Dragon - No-Face.
Drama Bomb - Many of these are in Part 1: Issues 1 - 8, but Part 1: Issue 9 definitely takes the cake on this. The ending of this issue is a total drama bomb, which was a Wham! Episode to all, but to some it was ridiculous, to some it was Fridge Brilliance after a few months, Your Mileage May Vary indeed.
- Lampshaded here (WARNING: Mega Spoiler!)
- They continue in part 2 after a while. Lia's history, like the fact that she's bisexual, as well as the evil deeds when she committed as "Mara" when Sadako locked up her conscience, being a prime example.
Dream Land - where Part 1 takes place. Fiona returns in Part 2 to look for Lia.
- It's actually an alternate dimension called Nod that used to be tenuously connected to the space of human dreams, until Sadako merged the two together.
Driven to Suicide - Fiona's mom, Fiona, Ellie, the King of Nod, Sadako and Lia, although she wasn't really so much "driven" as semi-murdered (it's complicated). And then Fiona and Lia again, but in a happier tone. This story seems to love this trope.
Double Standard Rape (Female on Female) - Also subverted. Sadako believes she is justified in what she does to Ellie, but the consequences for both Ellie and Sadako are fairly unforgiving.
Dropped a Bridge on Him - No Face. Even the author herself comments on how anticlimactic that death was. Done to avoid What Happened to the Mouse?.
Dying Dream: Fiona questions whether everything is a dying dream to her during part 2. Candy asks her if it would make a difference or make it any less real.
Easy Road to Hell: Sister Mary routinely informs the students of things that will send them to hell. These include jumping on the bed, wearing striped socks to school, and running red lights.
Everything's Worse with Bears
Executive Meddling - an in-universe example revealed in flashback wherein conscience management have concluded Fiona will react better to her conscience if she acts like an ethnic stereotype. Cue hilarious scenes where said conscience struggles to understand Ebonics and complains about her outfit.
Eye Scream - The story behind Sadako's eye.
Fantastic Romance - One of the best kept versions of this trope, what with Lia being long dead in the real world.
Framing Device - Part 2 is the story being told by Don after Fiona and Lia left Nod and he became its new king.
Freudian Excuse - Subverted. Sadako gets set up for this the second her story/issue starts, since we know that humans go all Chaotic Evil when separated from their consciences. Then it turns out she shunned her conscience because the poor girl was trying to keep her from having "fun" (read: random acts of manipulation and jerkassery).
Gayngst - The first part runs semi-literally off of gayngst!
Genre Shift - Between Part 1 and Part 2
Genius Loci - Nod, which won't let its current ruler be killed and replaced if the replacement isn't suitable.
Girls Love - Fiona and Lia, arguably Sarah and Cass given their behaviors.
Good Angel, Bad Angel - Conscience
Have a Gay Old Time - Fiona doesn't understand what Jake means when he says he's "gay" at first.
Homoerotic Dream - Fiona has one in Part 1: Issue 3, causing her to fear that she might be gay, as well as worrying how Lia will feel about the dream. Ellie not so much has them as she has Sadako inflict them on her.
Innocent Innuendo --"Do you want my cherry?"
I Never Got Any Letters
I Never Told You My Name - Fake George inadvertantly calls Lia by her full name (Celia) here.
It Has Been an Honor - Clandestine quite literally says this to Fiona, before dying along with Sadako.
Jerkass - Sebastian, the guy who played Jake.
Jive Turkey - Oddly enough, Fiona's conscience, in the Part 1: Issue 1. By Issue 2, she still speaks in ebonics, but noticeably toned down.
- Later explained and subverted because her conscious was being told to act that way by her boss.
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope - Lia when she lost her conscience, especially compared to Sadako's relatively benign reaction to losing her conscience. Granted, Sadako wasn't exactly a paragon to begin with, but she never fell near as far as The Terrible Mara.
Klingon Promotion - A new king or queen of Nod must kill the old one. However, Nod seems to have a will of it's own, and if it doesn't want the killer to be the new ruler, then it simply won't let the old ruler die.
Lampshade Hanging/Leaning on the Fourth Wall - "Oh, I thought you were trying to look like some comic book character."
Late Arrival Spoiler - One of the early top banners (it has since changed). Description: Not only does it state that Fiona and Lia are in love with each other, it also implies that they both like girls, sort of ruining the whole Coming Out Story part for new readers.
Lipstick Lesbian - both Fiona and Lia
Love Hurts - see Drama Bomb list above
Love Makes You Evil - it is hinted that Sadako impersonated Lia's dead lover and tricked her into staying forever in the Dream World, at least partly because she couldn't stand to see her so upset at his death.
- Sadako could count when she first became Queen of Dreams and started abusing her power to have Ellie "make things up" to her for causing her death.See what I mean?
Magnetic Girlfriend - Once everyone knows Fiona is a lesbian, they kiss her or threaten her to stay away from "their girl". Justified since it was All Just a Dream, scripted by Sadako and catered to Fiona's perception of the world.
Manipulative Bitch - Sadako
Meaningful Name - Fiona's mom, who is already dead at the start of the comic, was named Angel.
Mind Screw - We can see the writing on the wall in the ending of Part 1: Issue 9, but from Part 2: Issue 1 onward, Yu+Me is absolutely insane.
- Lampshaded in this (somewhat spoilery) intermission.
Missing Mom - Fiona's mom committed vehicular suicide with Fiona in the car.
The Mole - Sadako and Lucy, who was made sympathetic by having been coerced into it and by trying to act as a Double Agent in favor of the protagonists.
No Bisexuals - Averted. Don was confirmed as bisexual via a bonus strip in the back of the 2nd book and Lia was confirmed as bisexual in Part 2.
Overly Long Name - While we knew him as Jake, it is later revealed that his name is a lot longer than we thought (spoiler warning). Briefly parodied here as well.
Out-of-Clothes Experience - Fiona naked when she first returns to the dream world. This could be a CMOF since she didn't realize until some guy pointed out much to her embarrassment. And that her conscience told her she didn't have to be naked.

Fiona: "Geez! I'm naked?! Stupid symbolic nudity!"

Photo Comic - Only for a little bit and only to artistically separate Dream Land and Real Life.
The Power of Love - Fiona's decision to attempt to go back into the Dream World to find Lia, especially considering Sadako had banned Fiona from the Dream Land.
- Subverted, as that was part of Sadako's plan all along.
Psycho Lesbian - Sadako. However, unlike usual uses of this trope, it's obviously not to make lesbians look bad. Just this one in particular who has... issues.
Pungeon Master - Just look at that title! Painful on so many levels, especially following the Drama Bomb. And then there's one of the old taglines "Fiona has found the girl of her dreams..."
Reality Warper - Dreamers.
Reincarnation Romance When Fiona and Lia decide to leave Nod, they realize that both of them are dead in the real world, so Don finds a loop hole that technically "kills" them in Nod, but sends their souls back to Earth, where they can reincarnate and find each other.
- The second to last page shows that though they haven't met up in the real world in their new lives yet, they can still see each in Nod until they do.
  - As of the last page, They Do
Retraux - Let's just say that Megan's affinity for the 40s and 50s is not limited to her other comic.
The Reveal - consider the Drama Bomb list, especially the last one.
Romantic Two-Girl Friendship - Hinted at several times in later issues of Part 1 with Sarah and Cass.
Sadist Teacher - Nuns, technically.
Sassy Black Woman - Fiona's conscience, who is basically a Palette Swap of her with an afro.
Schoolgirl Lesbians - Fiona and Lia
Secret Relationship - Fiona and Lia, mostly because of Lia not wanting Sadako to know, for good reason, but also because they go to a Catholic high school.
Shaggy Dog Story - The end of part one arguably turns the comic into this, for some
Shout-Out - tons, see the webcomics page of this trope for a list
- In one page (spoiler warning!), to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer character, known as the Cheese Man
Soft Glass - Completely averted. Sadako died being tossed through a glass window.
So Happy Together - Fiona goes to prom and is very happy because she gets to be with Lia when a Drama Bomb goes off...
Teen Drama - given the list of 10 drama bombs above and that the story's main characters are teens or at least play teens in dreams...oh 400 year old Lia...it's rather obvious that Part 1 is a total Teen Drama
- Lampshaded by Don on page 283.
Thanatos Gambit - Basically, the entire plot is Sadako trying to commit suicide.
Tomato Surprise - Part One is All Just a Dream
- Oh, but dreams are real and what we think of as a "dream world" is actually another dimension, known as Nod, so it's not just a dream.
Trauma-Induced Amnesia - not entirely trauma induced, but Fiona doesn't remember certain things about her past until Richard starts telling her how her mother died.
- Somewhat justified, due to the fact that She's in a coma during the entirety of Part 1, due to her finding the suicide note left by her mother and deciding to finish the job by ramming herself into a tree.
Unsound Effect - "Anger" and "Flee", among others.
Victim Falls For Rapist - Subverted. Sadako seems to think this is the case with Ellie, but being tormented by Sadako in her dreams eventually drove Ellie to suicide.
Was It All a Lie? - I hate to keep referring to it, but see #9 of the Drama Bomb list.
Wham Chapter - Part 1: Issue 9, natch.
- Also, Part 2: Issue 11, with several reveals, such as Lia was (as most of the fandom had figured out) once a real-world person. In her sleep, she befriended Sadako. In the real world, she fell in love with a man named George. George died, Lia told Sadako, and then basically Sadako impersonated George and lived with Lia like that for decades. Lia found out, shit hit the fan, her conscience got kidnapped, and Lia became a sociopathic monster named Mara the Terrible.
  - Actually, make that everything from 2-11 onwards. With the ending coming soon, there's bound to be more.
Wicked Stepmother - Fiona has one According to the author, she's actually not that bad; Fiona just perceives her as "wicked".
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: "*puts gum in her hair* Sister Mary! Fiona spit gum into my hair! *whine*"
Yandere - Sadako, to a T. She looks innocent enough, but man that girl has some issues.
You Gotta Have Blue Hair - Jake has green hair, Sadako's hair is purple-ish, Fiona's hair is naturally two-toned, Don's hair is just... funky because he's of a humanoid race who's hair changes every day, Lucy can change heads so it's inevitable for her, Clandestine/Himitsu was brunette but losing Sadako drove her insane and made it turn blue, and Fiona's disguises consisted of brown-green hair and pink-purple hair. This series likes this trope a lot.
You're Just Jealous - literally.
Yuri Fan - Mr. Bun, at least in one of Fiona's dreams.