004 - Lucid Dreaming

[tabularasa_mods]

Lucid Dreaming Event Info Pt.1 ▲ Event Info Pt.2 ▼ Comments Please see the two info posts linked above for details on the nature of the event, the nightmares within, and the setting it takes place in. You may ask any unanswered questions in either post. If your character dies at any point during the dream event, please leave a comment in the death report thread to notify the mods.

As a final reminder, all characters will fall asleep for the full duration of this event whether you decide to take part or not. You may continue tagging threads that take place before the event, but everyone will fall asleep simultaneously.

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Falling Asleep, Waking Up
The shift happens without warning, much like the first time people appeared in the world. Perhaps you remember what you were doing in the last moments before a strange feeling of exhaustion overwhelmed you - or perhaps you remember nothing at all. Whatever it may be, you've appeared somewhere new. A seemingly ordinary train station, if not for the bizarre walls of flesh blocking the only exits. The only path forward is down into the pulsating depths, a humid breeze pushing at your back.

There may be others here with you, or you may be alone. Could there be more people trapped in this strange place? You won't find them just by standing around.

Nightmares
The screeching of a distant train will echo through the tunnels on occasion, shadows flicking through the translucent flesh of the walls. Sometimes, however, instead of fading away the noise will only grow louder, closer, until it sounds like the train should be upon you. It never appears, but something else always will.

The train is a siren call for nightmares, and you're unfortunate enough to be their victim. The shadows turn alive, twisting and growing as they rise up from the ground and begin to transform. What form they take varies, but the shadows of the mind know the true fears of those who walk among them. Are you prepared to face the darkness?

Volcanic Panic

The shadows congeal at the edges of the floor, and soon after a hot orange glow begins to fill the room - molten lava is pooling in from the other end of the tunnel. It rolls slowly forward, devouring everything it touches with an unquenchable searing hunger, leaving behind only the charred bones of its victims... although, strangely, the tunnels themselves appear to be completely unharmed.

Outrunning the flow of lava shouldn't be a problem, but there seems to be no end to it. How long can you run from something that never stops? Or worse, what happens if you find yourself surrounded? You'll need to find a way to higher ground before that happens.

A Radiant Plague

The shadows rise up into familiar shapes, and at first glance it'd be easy to mistake them for people. They may even share the faces and voices of people you know, stumbling towards you with wide, open arms... and empty, glowing eyes filled with an orange light. Something smells sickly sweet, and it's only once they're close enough to grab you that they begin to attack.

These are not your friends, and they'll do whatever it takes to make you one of them instead. Unfortunately, it's not an experience you'll be able to survive. Your only hope is to fight back before the plague can take hold, lest you become another mindless husk that knows only to further spread the infection.

Trust No One, Not Even Yourself

The shadows stretch and fill the air, choking everything in a thick blanket of darkness... before dispersing just as quickly as they'd appeared. A few moments pass and nothing else seems to be happening. You must've gotten lucky this time!

... Or did you?

Surely it can't be that simple. Nothing else here has been, so something must have happened just now. It's only you and the person you're currently traveling with... but are you sure that's really them right now? How do you know they haven't been possessed by another nightmare, waiting until you let your guard down to stab you in the back? Should you interrogate them to be sure, or start with restraining them and ask questions later? Wouldn't it be better to just kill them before things get out of hand? The sooner you strike, the safer you'll be when their true form emerges.

Yes, that must be the real explanation. It has to be them that's been possessed by a nightmare. What else could it be?

Joker’s Wild

There’s no limit to what form the shadows can take. The world may have its own perception of fear, but your nightmares are something only you could understand. What darkness lurks in the depths of your heart?

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code bases by tricklet

Comments

b yes

[forethinking]

(He's not walking freely in the mazes. Much to the contrary, it's a much like a Palace to him and it should be treated as such - considered there to be a danger at every corner.

Joker first catches sight of several Shadows from where he's standing, against a wall as he peeks into the scene. It is only when he hears the fighting grunts that he realizes those are not waiting, but surrounding instead. Joker has seen enough things horrors and of course the death in the scene can bother, but never to the point it would stop him from acting.

Without hesitation, he draws his pistol, shooting the Shadow that blocked immediate vision from whoever is behind them -- Sena? Leo?)

[obsessiveness]

[ there's no end to them, it seems. but somehow it doesn't bother izumi as much, so long as leo's here. it's sappy, but it's true. they may look like they're completely swamped with shadows here, but their teamwork is impeccable and almost impenetrable at first glance, with how they're cutting down randos coating in shadow left and right.

which is why the resounding sound of a fired bullet seems to take izumi out of it, and he whirls around to face ren angrily. uh oh. ]

Oi, what are you doing here? I don't remembering permitting you to attend this Live. That's against the rules.

[ what is he even saying. then again, he doesn't recognize who this mfer is anyway. who does this showoff think he is? ]

[bachagain]

[ --ah?

this is the only pause leo's taken in a while. sword swing after sword swing stops only after the sound of a gun, something about the sound of it triggering a thought in his mind.

but, maybe he shouldn't think about it too much. there's that small moment of hesitation until he strikes again, blade cutting through shadow at the same time as izumi's voice cuts through the silence, and finally leo turns around in interest. ]

Mmm? If you didn't invite him, maybe he's here to challenge us too?

[ which is, you know, fine. just another one. a gun might beat the refined edge of a sword, but there's the two of them here, so--

leo adjusts the sword in his hands, the point of it waved in the air towards ren's direction. ]

You gotta wait your turn! Sena and I are unbeatable, though, so maybe it doesn't make a difference when you join in? It'll be the same either way!

[ what the hell is happening

that being said, leo'll just go back to cutting down his Known Opponents until ren's place in this entire thing is confirmed by izumi. ]

[forethinking]

(... No, you are not unbeatable. Ren can just see how the number of foes increases, and he has combat experience enough to know that when enemies just keep coming, you start lacking in resources.

Of course, the resources here are not exactly like his own. In their case, it would solely be their energy that should not last long.

That is, if they're not overwhelmed by the Shadows first. Sorry to you two, you got a friend who cares about your wellbeing much more than he cares about your feelings on his help. In a quick movement, the mask is ripped from his face and the towering vision of Satanael emerges from electric fire behind him.

It's quick - a command and the curse emerges from the ground, flashes of black and white obliterating the Shadows that are quickly replaced by others, like a never-ending loop.)

[obsessiveness]

[ izumi was prepared for any kind of attack, but certainly not that one. he looks completely flummoxed as that big thing that emerged behind the phantom thief wiped the floor with the rest of their shadowed comrades. and like, normally this is a good thing because izumi and leo would stop going berserk but-- ]

What the fuck?!

[ yeah that's all he can say to this

oh wait there's more ]

So we got ourselves a showoff, huh? Bullshit! This isn't how this is supposed to go! Have you even participated in a Live before or not?!

[ to be completely overshadowed by some shitty ruffian -- of course he has the right to be pissed as all hell. just who the hell does this guy think he is?! ]

[bachagain]

[ oh! that's pretty impressive, actually? the effects of the nightmare lessens when the mass of shadows gets destroyed, but given they're not all gone... it just kinda confuses leo a little more, the fact that he's aware there's something like a weird haze in his mind is just... odd.

plus, he's not sure how he feels about someone coming in and destroying people he used to know? it's-- complicated. does he have a right to think about that kind of thing, considering that's what he's doing himself?

whatever! either way ren is both an intruder and a participant. sooooo, you know. ]

Wow, interesting! Rules can be boring, so I don't mind breaking 'em sometimes, but having someone trample in like this kinda pisses me off too, wahaha! [ to izumi, with a smile: ] Relax, Sena. It's suuuuper off-script, but we're good at adapting on the fly, right? Here, let's go -- you and me, easy, easy! ♪

[ and without waiting for much more than that, he's just. gonna rush at ren with his sword.

enjoy this noodle, ren! but, like, can you hurt a friend?

right now, leo only recognizes one, and it sure isn't a phantom thief-- ]