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

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UNLOCKED BONUS DLC: Loki

[simulatio]

A. (closed to Ren, Ann, and Yoshizawa)

[One moment, the corpse of Goro Akechi lies still and peaceful on the fleshy, bloody floor. The next, dark red flames wreathe his body like a second Awakening, though they don't burn anyone foolish enough to stay close.

When the flames clear, the boy sits up, cracks his neck and stretches.]

Well, [he says in a voice like Akechi's, though his voice is deeper than usual, a low, buttery purr.] Isn't this interesting?

[He smiles, revealing jagged, pointed teeth and licks the point of one with a too-long tongue as he appraises those around him.]

B. open

[The boy was once human. The body, that is, not the being currently inhabiting it. Goro Akechi had once been conventionally handsome and reasonably intelligent, but in spite of his powers, he was weak in the way that all mortals are. Weak to death.

His Persona, on the other hand, suffered no such weakness. When Akechi had died and left his body vacant, somehow, Loki had remained behind instead of returning to the sea of the human collective unconscious.

Still, Loki likes the boy well enough. He keeps Akechi's face intact, though long, curved horns curl back from his forehead, and he smiles with pointed teeth. His skin is dizzying to behold, black and white stripes blending together across his skin like an optical illusion.

He is actively seeking trouble. Shadowy figures and zombie-like wanderers are no match for the red-hot blade he grips with a pair of pliers in lieu of a hilt, a blade as long as his slender human boy is tall. If cutting his way out of the maze is impossible, then at the very least he can try to have some fun while he's here. Unbound and unchained, save to this human body, Loki can create whatever chaos and destruction he likes, sow the seeds of dissent wherever he can. Just for fun.

A too-long tongue licks pointed teeth as he grins. Oh yes. It will be fun to play this game, indeed.]

A

[forethinking]

(Ren is no longer Joker as for now. Instead of the elegance and glamour of the thief, one can see the boy in his v-neck outfit, drenched in blood that, by now, seems to have dried out.

Well, honestly, he looks like shit. All injuries have already been healed, but the evidence of sadness can still be seen - his nose is still red, and his expression won't soften even behind the glasses he wears.

In front of him, there are two girls - Ann and Yoshizawa, and he's listening to their takes on what to do with the body, what could possibly happen, does this mean death has returned, what implications this might have - it's a dream, after all, isn't it?

Their strategy meeting breaks when Ren hears the familiar voice and his eyes nearly triple in size when he turns around to catch a glimpse of the teeth.

What?)

[feale]

[ Unlike Ren, Violet remains in full costume. With the continually-changing nature of the Void-twisted Mementos, she feels more comfortable remaining like this; plus, with her senpai tangled in his own emotions as he is, he's probably not in fighting form if something does go wrong for them.

But even like this, she doesn't find she has much to contribute to the conversation. She doesn't know the Void like they do, didn't even realize until one of them said something that until now, no one has died in this place. Plus, there's still a strange echo of images in her head: Akechi, with his glowing eyes and his pile of cognitive Ren corpses. The gentle way he held the cognition before snapping its neck. And now the pain written all over Senpai's face, the way he was holding the body of their comrade in his lap so gently...

He told her he was seeing someone.

In any other circumstance, she'd probably be able to muster up the energy to at least pretend to be surprised. (When really, she's not. There's something about the whole thing that makes a twisted sort of sense.) But as it is, she can only watch the situation from eyes rimmed red with tears and tiredness. Ren's pain...

...is replaced by shock at the sound of the familiar voice, and Violet turns too, her eyes widening. ]

A-Akechi-san?

[ No. ]

Loki?

MY BAD

[menaretrash]

[ Ann is sad, because this is not how she anticipated things working out. A dream it may be, but how is this going to carry over into the waking world? She's got a million thoughts racing through her mind about it all -- but right now, Ren's focus seems to be on Akechi's body. She's not sure what to do about this either, but she does know that it would be wrong to just leave him. She's not about to do that, and so, she's already volunteered to help carry him around to... wherever they go. Whatever Ren needs, she'll be there, and she knows that Yoshizawa will be, too.

She's got a gentle hand on Ren's left shoulder, keeping an eye on his expression more than anything, when something catches the corner of her vision: flames. That's concerning.

Even more concerning is what happens next: Goro Akechi sits up. But it's not Akechi, is it? The voice is there, but doesn't quite match. ]

...How?

[simulatio]

[He regards the three of them with the same kind of dangerous curiosity as a wild animal trying to decide in which direction he wants to pounce first.

Eventually, his gaze settles on Yoshizawa, and his eyes glitter with the acknowledgement.]

Cinders Ella, [he purrs, rising to his feet in a supernaturally-smooth motion.] What, exactly, gave it away?

[He grins again -- sarcasm, of course -- and brings a hand up as if to push his hair away from his face. The blood from the gunshot wound recedes and vanishes, replaced by two long, curved, black-and-white horns.]

b

[forethinking]

(After the shock, comes a whole new batch of questions - why Loki? Where's Akechi? What does Loki intent to do now that he is unchained in chaos itself?

Maybe Ren can be forgiven if he follows the other. It is, after all, the God of trickery and chaos that inhabits Akechi's very soul. If Akechi returns to himself, whatever the God decides to do will easily be blamed on him entirely and it would take much explaining to undo whatever damage inflicted upon him, if that explaining amounts to anything. Akechi's worked hard to conceal Loki from the general eye, after all.

So, here he is. The dark outfit helps him blend with the shadows, soundless steps allowing him to move when Loki leaves his sight.)

[simulatio]

[Loki knows he's being followed. Of course he is. Who wouldn't want to follow behind him, bask in his greatness? He rounds a fleshy corner, and vanishes with a blaze of red light.

He reappears behind Ren, gently draping his arms around the other boy's shoulders.]

Trickster, [he purrs, his long tongue caressing the shell of Ren's ear.]

[forethinking]

(Straight out the list of things he wasn't expecting, even if it were Akechi. Loki was unprovoked, and yet, the action came and Joker feels every hair in his body stand up.

Asshole.)

Loki. (It's a stern voice that somehow, he musters.)

What are your plans? (Leave it to him to cut straight to the point as he turns around to face the God.) Where is he? (And even so, he's sure he's not getting a straight answer. It doesn't hurt to try, though.)

[simulatio]

[Loki's eyes glimmer with a strange light when Ren pulls away, but he doesn't pursue. His tongue flicks the air briefly as if he could taste it like a snake, then he just laughs, low and rumbling.]

And why, pray tell, should I tell you? [He gestures expansively with both hands, lips curving into a grin that's just slightly too wide for Akechi's face.] What will be given to me in exchange?

B is for blue is unmitigated disaster part 3

[halloflamer]

Uhhhhhhhh

[A voice comes from behind Loki, eyes half-squinted as if trying to discern.... something.]

[Mercifully, Blue Oak has found Loki at a moment where he is not actively ripping anything to shreds. Apparently, that's not needed. Blue looks him up, and down, taking in the horns, the stripes.... and then his mouth likewise does a twist to the left, and to the right. And, against all odds, even with that moment to reconsider his words, they still come slowly tumbled out, like he's unsure of his eyes, but never his mouth.]

I know I was encouraging you to like, embrace your inner bossy bottom and everything, but this is a lot.

[simulatio]

[Loki turns, and his eyes glimmer with a hungry light that Akechi's never have. His gaze sweeps him up and down, and when he opens his mouth, a too-long tongue grazes pointed teeth.]

Blue Oak, [he greets, his voice lower than Akechi's, deeper, yet still unmistakably his. He approaches, intending to circle around him for a better look.] So full of helpful advice for my boy. Perhaps I should thank you.

[halloflamer]

[Okay, so the eyebrow that lifts when Blue catches sight of that weird tongue is not entirely a sort of look that Akechi has seen before- not ...directed at him, anyway, but Blue somehow manages to tear it away with a rare single moment of self-awareness and a grimacing grin at his own easy distraction.]

You should thank me! [He huffs, arms crossed; perched on his head, Eevee, meanwhile, has his ears pinned back as he sternly stares down Loki with the sort of preternatural awareness that Akechi is Not Right (if, you know, the weird horns and tongue and everything wasn't enough, but he knows his son is an idiot). Don't pull anything weird, he got his strength back!!] I've been giving you all this invaluable wisdom from my years of experience, I'm looking out for both your well-being, you know!!

[That was kind of a weird thing to say, actually, now that Blue reflects on it. He squints and his head tilts again, scrutinizing him closer. Hmmmm. Horns, too. That's weird. That's definitely not normal. But he's seen all kinds of 'weird, not normal' things he can't explain in the memories he'd seen from them.... So maybe he should have asked about those after all.]

Um, by the way, I was looking for you or Ren-chan, anyway. Isn't this kinda the same place where you guys were having that battle that I got stuck in my head? I guess it's not odd to stumble into it here, Mt. Silver is in this place after all, but I don't really know how I'm supposed to get out again...

[simulatio]

[Loki stares back at Eevee, eyes still glimmering as if deciding how fun it might be to cast a spell on it. Cole had ordered Akechi never to use Call of Chaos on another person, but, well. Eevee is not a person, and Loki is not Akechi.

Tempting, to see if the animal would bite its own master. But after a beat, he simply refocuses his attention on Blue as he completes his circuit, smiling just slightly too widely for Akechi's face.]

An island in the sea of the collective unconscious... Mementos. [His tongue flicks the air as if tasting it like a snake, and he shakes his head.] This is not that place. Similar, but not inhabited by those lost souls.

[His eyes glitter once again with a strange light as he looks back to Eevee.]

Shall I give your familiar the power to break through? Surely such a noble creature, aided by my strength, could tear through this flesh-covered prison.

B. Side-quest; Goddess Summon Obtained.

[obscurus_phantasma]

Melinoë has not felt this exhilarated since October of last year, when she was beginning to see herself less as Dulcinea, the human shell, and more as the powerful deity she’d been since Time Began. In this nightmarescape, she’s been indulging in having that power restored, from constructing havens to drawing forth armies to fend off the creatures that wish ill on the others. And she’s relished having her body back, a form not seen in years. Merlin was gracious enough to pepper her gown with real flowers, their species both known and strange, their fragrance whatever the company prefers.

There comes a moment wherein something seems to pull at the Goddess, singing in a way that differs from the elusive train, and it draws her up, a halt so severe that the ghost she’s been keeping company with drifts through Mel. When it phases itself to face her, curiosity plain, her features adopt a smile that most would consider feral and she explains, "There is yet another, my darling."

With nothing more than a fluttering of fingers, Mel beckons the ethereal companion forward while she seeks out the source of the deliciousness. It feels as familiar as Viridi, as Set, but not so much as someone from her own pantheon would.

"Come out, come out wherever you aarree," she murmurs, sing-song tone haunting.

[simulatio]

It's the smell Loki notices, more than anything. The smell of flowers, some humans had ascribed to him, centuries ago. Mistletoe and mullein, among others, drawing him closer out of curiosity. And he senses something, a presence not unlike his own, a presence somehow familiar.

Ah, and then he's being summoned. He steps around the corner of a flesh-covered corridor on gold-hooved feet, a wide smile revealing long, pointed teeth and a longer tongue.

"You called?" he purrs, and while he might have kept Akechi's face, his tone is deeper and lower than any teenager's has any right to be. He bows expansively, red-clawed hands extended at either side. His sword is nowhere to be seen, for the moment.

[obscurus_phantasma]

"Hello, gorgeous," the Goddess coos, unabashedly raking the oily depths of her gaze over every curve and point of him, drawing ever nearer with her ghoul in tow. The spirit itself hovers contently, staring with polite curiosity.

"Please, do tell me why I have yet had the pleasure of knowing you?" The manner in which Melinoë says knowing clearly indicates it to be a layered usage.

B

[menaretrash]

[ It's not really that Ann wants to stalk Loki around. More or less, she's concerned -- that's Akechi's body he's in, and she does not want him tampering with it more than he already has. It's not so much Loki screwing with it than... other people, honestly. She doesn't know what's going to happen here -- will injuries carry over when they all awaken? Will it be Loki waking up instead of Akechi? There's a whole lot of uncertainty right now, and Ann's not taking any chances.

It's not just Akechi's body she doesn't want taking on damage, either -- she doesn't want other people getting onto scuffles with him. She's not stupid, she's seen Loki in battle before, and that was with Akechi still around to sort of control him. Without Akechi there to say yay or nay, things are a little different.

She knows that he probably knows that she's following him, yes. At least she's being smart and trying to keep her distance, not wanting to provoke the Trickster God and have his ire directed at her.

That's still not going to stop her from keeping tabs on him, though. Sorry, not sorry, Lokechi. Please don't do anything too destructive... ]

[simulatio]

[The Phantom Thieves really are all about doing things for others, aren't they? The false version of Loki's ward had accused them of such, and with every interaction he has with them, it only proves the fake's words truer than his self.

A single sweep of Lævateinn disintegrates an onslaught of zombies, and then there's silence. Far too much silence, actually, because if Ann ventures forward, she'll find that the Trickster God has seemingly vanished into thin air.

Only to rematerialize behind her and rest a single, clawed finger between her shoulder blades, flicking her once in an attempt to both startle her, and push her forward.]

[menaretrash]

[ Jeez-- Loki's no joke. He's strong when Akechi's in control, and now that he's got full control of his own actions, she's got no idea what he's capable of. What she does know, though, is that he literally just took out all of those Shadow creatures with barely a flick of his wrist. It's impressive, honestly.

And then, he's gone. She blinks and squints, only to let out a rather undignified squeak when she feels a flick that does, indeed, cause her to stagger forward. She visibly pouts, whirling around. ]

Hey! Not fair...

B

[theforgottenboy]

[Cole isn't trying to go follow his senses right now. He's just moving, aimlessly, anywhere. At some point he sheathed his dagger to hold his blood soaked shoulder instead, the ache of the stab wound a loud distraction.]

[He doesn't completely register what he's sensing until he's almost on top of- is that... Akechi?]

[No. He remembers this feeling, from a different perspective. But it wasn't like this before. Something is missing.]

...Where is Akechi?

[simulatio]

Ah...

[It's almost a purr as Loki faces Cole, eyes glimmering with curiosity as he appraises the spirit. This, then, is the being that so unnerves his ward. Perhaps it's because he's roaming freely, or because the same power that had let his boy manifest him had also seen fit to restore Cole to his true form, but Loki can sense something about him that's not unlike the other beings swimming around the sea of souls.]

The helpful spirit, [he continues, moving forward effortlessly on hooved feet with the intent to circle around the spirit in the guise of a young man.] Have you come to offer me aid?

[theforgottenboy]

[He doesn't let Loki circle him fully, turning to follow his movements. It's not a surprise that he unnerves Akechi, even if he doesn't think Akechi needs to be afraid of him- so long as he doesn't give him a reason to be frightening.]

[Loki is something different, though. He's not entirely sure how different, his understanding of Personas mostly limited to the memories he experienced and what parallels he can draw from his own experiences. It's like they're possessed by spirits, but it seems like a more beneficial arrangement than most abominations tend to be.]

[Whatever Loki is, based on what he can do, Cole doesn't like him very much. Right now, he looks more like what people would call an abomination. Is it normal for him to act on his own without Akechi?]

If Akechi needs help, I want to help him. Where is he?

[He repeats the question. He'd like to assume that Loki would want to help Akechi too, regardless of his own feelings.]

b

[abeautifulgame]

[most of the nightmares Damien has experienced in being here, the ones that belong to him, have revolved around the notion of being stalked with lethal intent by people he once cared about. it started with Aiden, and ends, or so he thinks, with Akechi, now. that's the only way the way he looks, now, more monster than boy, makes any sense to him]

[so very tired, emotionally, he closes his eyes briefly, mutters -- ] Fuck. [ -- before he brings up his gun, the gun Akechi let him borrow. he never wins these fights, not without help and there's not to be found here, but that doesn't mean he won't defend himself. little does he know, maybe he won't have to. or maybe he will. it's hard to tell]

[either way, hopefully this isn't too late]

[simulatio]

[Damien draws the gun his boy had lent him, and Loki laughs. How could such a pointless act of defiance be anything but amusing? Humans are so willing to lay down their lives for the pettiest reasons.

Loki simply grins at him, a flick of his wrist materializing the sword of Lævateinn. In this form, he's only a few inches taller than Akechi had been, and his clawed hands should be much too small to easily grip the pliers needed to safely carry the red-hot blade, but somehow, it works just fine.]

Do you miss my boy so badly that you desire to meet him yourself? [he purrs, flicking his long tongue through pointed teeth as if scenting the air. His eyes glimmer with amusement as he locks his gaze on the hacker. His phone would be infinitely more useful than the child's toy his ward had lent him, but either way: this man doesn't stand a chance against him. How could he, facing the manifestation of chaos itself?] You, the man who thinks you can claim ownership of my master.

[abeautifulgame]

[he's practically a manifestation of chaos, himself. Akechi may know a little of his dirty little secrets, and Loki, too, through him, but oh, the fun he had with Chicago at the end there, and never mind the fact that that was an act of desperation. he was the city; he destroyed the city. Loki would be proud]

[but that's a moot point, at the moment. at the moment, he falters a little, shaking his head. it's not that he's afraid of Loki -- or not anymore afraid than he was a minute ago, thinking he was his nightmare. it's more that there's a lot there to unpack, and he doesn't follow -- doesn't want to. he's certainly smart enough to follow the implication there, but no]

What?