tabularasa_rp | 004 - Lucid Dreaming

004 - Lucid Dreaming

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

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What the-

[ Raihan is a little too focused (and thrilled, thanks to seeing Duraludon able to Gigantamax again) to process what Viridi says, let alone be offended by it, but the sound of her voice makes him turn. this might be a dream, but getting hit by a G-Max attack without something protecting you is bound to be shocking either way. before he can call out to her to retreat back into the cavern she came from, both the Alcremie and Lapras take notice of the intruder. with respective roars, they call forth gargantuan pieces of hail and a heavy rain of... frosting? it sure looks like both are ready to crush both Raihan and Viridi, in any case. ]

Max Guard, now!

[ as Duraludon roars and conjures a shield of energy to block the oncoming attacks, Raihan takes the opportunity to look over to Viridi. mouthy or not, she looks like a little kid... ]

I'll handle this - you need to go!

Oh, what?! I'm not part of this!

[rude!]

I'm with you ladies! Us gals gotta stick together! Women supporting women - it's a whole thing.

[The two monsters do not seem very impressed by this declaration as they rear back, seemingly on the verge of prepping another attack.]

Fine. Make some room, Shark Boy.

[There is a rumble from the earth before it cracks open and some sort of... enormous fossilized fish tears its way out of the ground. It's not quite as big as a Dynamax'd Pokemon - but it's no slouch, size-wise. The creature maneuvers slowly, ponderously - but it seems intelligent enough as it awaits an order from its mistress.]

You take turns, right? I missed one, so I'm going first. Lurchthorn - use Heat Seeking Death Ray of Destruction!

[Fanciful and super fake name aside, the fish begins to shoot a hail of lasers at the enemies.]

[ even if the attack doesn't connect, it does send a chill through the cave that makes Raihan's teeth clench. he's always hated the cold... but now isn't the time to complain about it. ]

Not to offend, but I don't think they're too keen on the whole female solidarity thing right now!

[ considering that the nightmares had quickly changed from Opal and Melony into their Pokémon, he's pretty sure they aren't going to listen to reason. he's taken off-guard when she asks him to move, but quickly does so when he hears the ground rumble. it's enough warning to know that something is coming, but not a giant bony Barraskewda! it definitely isn't Dynamax (and probably isn't a Pokémon at all, after another moment of thought), but that doesn't make his smile any less enthused. ]

Hah! That's brilliant! [ it might not be a G-Max move, but those lasers look SICK. this girl might be small, but she packs a punch - not unlike Allister, but with a heck of a lot more attitude. the lasers seem to do some damage, but irritating their opponents into launching another attack. Raihan intends to intercept it before they can. with his curled fist, he punches the air in front of him in command. ]

Time to show what we can do, then! Max Steelspike!

[ Duraludon mounts himself on all fours with a mighty thud, summoning a barrage of sharp, steel spikes that extend towards the Lapras and Alcremie. it seems to affect the latter more, as it lets out a wail. ]

Isn't it? My children are organically farmed, sustainably grown, and packed with enough firepower to utterly pulverize my enemies!

[This highly concerning statement aside, Lurchthorn lazily circles through the air as it spends some time recharging its firepower. It's not entirely clear on the rules of Pokemon battles - but common sense indicates that it should probably be aiming for the head regions, so it begins to climb upwards.]

Looks like we're going to have our cake and eat it, too! Take out that oversized confec -- oh, wait, it's their turn.

[what a waste of a good line]

Alright, look lively, Lurchthorn!

[The next frosting hailstorm is somewhat predictable, but without any form of protection, the lanky, multi-linked fish can hardly hope to avoid damage. Though it ducks and weaves as best it can, it isn't long until a hailstone the size of a truck smashes through its midsection, literally detaching it from the rest of the fish and sending it hurtling to the ground, whereupon it disintegrates into fossil dust.

...Somehow, the rest of it stays intact and the two disconnected portions join back together.]

Aaaaaaghhh!! My baby!

[ he has no idea what any of that means! but if she's got monster-summoning powers of her own, that makes her pretty darn cool in Raihan's book. it may not be a Pokemon, but the way the creature shambles around after such a powerful attack is familiar - like a dragon after letting out a vicious Hyper Beam, he's sure it's on the recharge.

Duraludon takes a hefty hit as well, but his firm footing and heavy Steel defenses help him to tank them as they come. luckily he's avoiding any supereffective damage, but who knows if this nightmare will wise up to that?

in any case, having his impromptu partner down isn't great. two-on-one isn't the best matchup even on on a good day, especially when Alcremie is immune to his ace attack. at least the other creature looks like it's putting itself together... somehow... ]

We're not through yet! Try to focus on the pink one, if you can!

[ which means that his focus is on Lapras. Raihan grits his teeth, determined. ] I'm not gonna let this opportunity slip away... if this is a dream, there's no way I can lose! [ he's certainly in his head now, and it's as if Viridi is no longer there - this is Raihan at his wildest, going all-out. with a hand curled like a dragon's claw, he swipes down in command. ] Roar, Duraludon! G-Max Depletion!

[ and roar Duraludon does. his screech shrills through the tunnels, conjuring a swirl deep red, draconic energy. it seems to swallow up the Lapras, dealing continuous damage until it ceases in an explosion, disintegrating the nightmare away. ]

[Under normal circumstances, Raihan's bombastic lines and overwhelming sincerity would be prime fodder for mockery. But the Goddess has been Angered. In the blink of an eye, the little girl vanishes, and in her place stands a hundred-foot giant easily matching the size of Gigantamax Alcremie - though if anyone looks closely, they'll find that her image is vaguely translucent and her words echo as if from a great distance.

It's just an illusory projection. Suitable for this particular nightmare.]

Oh, I'll take care of the pink one. Pull yourself together, Lurchthorn - full speed ahead!

[Lurchthorn rallies beautifully despite the fact that it lost a fifth of its body and each of its separate segments begin to gently rotate in place. As it launches itself forward, its mouth opens up as if for a big bite... and with a great chomp, it plunges through the center of the Alcremie as each of its rapidly revolving segments lets loose with a barrage of laser blasts.

Riddled with bullets from within, the cake shrieks and explodes in a torrent of fondant and cream.]

...Piece of cake.

[ she's absolutely free to mock him when this is over - the wild way he battles is endearing to his fans and equally wild audience members, but it is a little silly when there's only one other person in the room. still, he's not about to let that stop him! he's pumped to see Duraludon wrecking shop after so long without battling, and to be honest, even if this is a dream, it feels good to finally take that Lapras down.

he's done his part - now he and Duraludon can look on as Viridi finishes the job, and what a spectacle it is! Duraludon gets a bit splattered with cream, his Gigantamax wearing off once the Alcremie has been taken care of. Raihan is grinning ear to ear, looking between his partner and the giants standing in front of them. ]

Atta boy, Duraludon! We showed 'em, didn't we? [ he laughs, swiping a finger of cream off of the top of his head to taste it. oof, it's way too sweet... but the victory makes it palatable. he looks up to Viridi and her beast, still towering. ] And you two weren't so bad, yourselves! Thanks for pitching in.

Ahahaha! Freudian nightmare monsters've got nothing on me. Good work, Lurchthorn!

[The giant takes a short hop, shrinkingly rapidly as she does so until she's just a small girl again. She lands on the head of her fish fossil beast and gives it an affection hug.]

Who's a good child? It's you; yes, you are! Oh, yes, it's you!

[Lurchthorn lazily swoops back over until it's floating about level with Raihan's head - Viridi leans forward so she's leaning on both elbows.]

Now what... was that about?

[ good thing he has no idea what "Freudian" means! Raihan is much more enthused at the cool creature that she's summoned (and the fact that she clearly cares for it, not unlike a Trainer would), along with what appeared to be her own Dynamax transformation. sure, it's probably something totally different, but that doesn't make it any less interesting!

he doesn't flinch when she and Lurchthorn get close, standing tall with Duraludon. clearly this little girl shouldn't be underestimated, but he's seasoned at keeping a cool composure while also maintaining his guard. ]

I could ask the same for you, but alright - which part? [ the women? the giant beasts? Duraludon's transformation? there's a lot to unpack here! ]

What do you mean, which part? The whole part!

[She rolls her eyes a little bit.]

What's with this whole Godzilla death match thing? What's the thing you had and why did it come out of a tiny little ball? Why is your nightmare represented by two senior women and why do I get the feeling you have Godzilla death matches pretty frequently?

[There were more questions, but he probably gets the general idea.]

Dunno what a "Godzilla" is, but would you believe me if I said that part was what was normal? [ he grins. ] That's the Dynamax phenomenon! Where I come from, professional Pokémon battles like that are common - not to the death, mind you.

[ so she was right about that last part! and he'll gladly explain Pokémon to her if that's a follow-up: creatures that live side-by-side with humans and can be caught in Poké Balls, like the yellow and black one that he had retreated Duraludon to in battle before Gigantimaxing him. ]

[ as for that other part of her questioning, however... he looks a bit bashful, but does his best to brush it off with something more confident. ]

Well... Those two ladies are colleagues - Gym Leaders, like me. The Pokémon they use tend to have an advantage over my dragons, so they can be a real pain when I face off against them! I guess my brain got them all mixed up with their Pokémon or something.

[ they are also very unsettling to be around, which he neglects to mention - Opal is a trickster in her own right, and Melony, warm-hearted as she is outside of battle, was cold as ice when it came time for a match. she's yet to lose against Raihan in an official tournament, and doesn't hesitate to flex her upper hand before their battles to try and psyche him out. clearly, it works. ]

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.

Uhhhhhhhh... huh.

[Viridi's expression is that of someone who's being shown a square egg.]

OK, so my takeaway is you keep animals in little balls and make them fight each other. Tell me I'm misunderstanding this.

I did meet one earlier - a dragon. That one wasn't in a ball.

[ he talks about Pokémon battling as casually as he would about the weather, so it being construed as something to be skeptical of. more than that, the assumption that he's forcing Duraludon into it is laughable - so much so that he actually laughs. ]

Of course you are! You really think I could make this guy do something he didn't want to do?

[ he points his thumb at Duraludon, who seems to be trying to read the situation from the general vibe of the conversation. Raihan seems more puzzled that she'd even assume that in the first place than offended or angry, but it's not as if it's an odd thing to assume if you didn't come from a world where such a thing was considered normal.

he raises a brow, wondering if the dragon she saw was one belonging to one of the other Trainers. even if it wasn't, he wants to know about it! ]

Oh yeah? What'd it look like?

Uh... Like a dragon. But goofy. Kinda cuddly? Orange.

[Wait she has her powers.]

Like this.

[A topiary sprouts up nearby and Viridi manifests a pair of hedge clippers that she uses to shape into the form of a Dragonite.]

Alright, so your animals want to live in little balls? ...You! ...Thing that's not really animal-esque. Why would you want to live in that thing?

[ the sudden appearance of a topiary and hedge clippers out of thin air is momentarily surprising, but he does his best to not pay it much mind. he hardly has the time when what she's doing with the hedge is more important, and freaking out over every weird thing that happens in these tunnels would be, frankly, exhausting.

but thankfully, it's just as he thought! there's only one other dragon tamer that he knows about in this place, and Raihan is certain he'd back him up if need be. validation, here we come. ]

Hate to break it to you, but he lives in a Poké Ball, too. That's Lance's Dragonite - he's a Dragon-type Pokémon, just like Duraludon here. Whatever you know about animals probably doesn't apply, since they're not animals in the first place...

[ it might be strange to hear that Duraludon is supposedly a dragon, considering that nothing about him looks very draconic in nature. but the Pokémon is listening intently, and looks to Viridi when he's addressed. there's not an easy way he can communicate to her, but the intensity in his eyes at least shows that there's no fear towards her or Raihan. ]

Poké Balls aren't harmful - they're about as safe of an environment as you can get.

...This is a dragon?

[is clearly the most pressing question right now as Viridi stares doubtfully at the... metal steel... creature thing standing before her.]

These new generations, I swear. Alright, your opinion's great, human, but I was really asking Duraludon. [Weirdly she pronounces this extremely well.] You understand me, don't you? You are much smarter than the average thing I made.

[And it seems obvious that Viridi is expecting some kind of grunt, perhaps, in response.]

...I mean, they're exactly the right intelligence for what they need to be, but your world seems different.

You're happy with all this?

And Steel-type, but yeah. Dragon, too.

[ and one of the fiercest around, at that! Duraludon might not have wings, but he's a force to be reckoned with if you cross him. Raihan is proud of that fact and even prouder to be his partner, which is why he looks a little cross when Viridi seems to dismiss him. sure, he can maybe understand some skepticism behind battling, but their bond is as real as they come!

that said, he says nothing to let Duraludon "speak" for himself. the dragon watches Viridi with intense eyes, nodding with a low rumble of a growl when she asks if he understands her. he is very smart, thank you very much!

there's a moment of hesitation as the Pokemon thinks about how to answer this without words. he blinks at Viridi one more time before turning to Raihan, shuffling over to him and putting his arms around him in a hug - that is, it's about as much of a hug as he can muster without having proper hands or elbows, but he's certainly burying his face into the man's chest. ]

Aw, you big baby... [ Raihan, of course, hugs him back, along with pecking an affectionate little smooch on the top of his head. ] Love you too, buddy.

[ he looks to Viridi, giving her his best, most innocent pout. ]

Am I in the clear yet?

Awwwwwwww!

[Viridi half-moves as if to join in the hug herself, because who wouldn't want a hug from a steel monstrosity??? but she restrains herself.]

OK, I give. I don't understand a thing about your world, but I know a satisfied customer when I see one.

...Unless this is some form of advanced brainwashing!

[...]

Probably not. Anyway, your human has a lot of weird issues, so maybe give him some more hugs or something. As for you...

I had fun! Blowing things up is a passion. Summon more brain demons sometime, huh?

Otherwise, I'm out of here.

[ as weird as this kid(?) is, if she can recognize Duraludon's cuteness, she can't be all bad. he peeks out from Duraludon's embrace, letting her ramble until he's addressed. ]

Yeah - I did, too. You've got some cool tricks. [ that giant creature she summoned was impressive, to say the least. ] I'd rather keep 'em to a minimum, but I'll give you a ring if we're in a pinch. Sound good?

It's called 'divine power,' thanks.

But sure, say hi sometime. Especially you, cutie.

[That's to Duraludon, obviously. With a tap on Lurchthorn, the little girl and her giant floating monster lazily wind their way down the passage.]

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004 - Lucid Dreaming

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