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

[halloflamer]

Oh, Ann-chan called it that, too, [He comments, distracted once again and immediately by the flickering tongue. Stop doing that!!!] Mementos, I mean.... I don't really get that other stuff. But what you mean is that it's a copy and not the real place, right?

[The same went for Mt. Silver... and for Hammerlocke, too, he'd assured Raihan. So it would only make sense that this place- for whatever reason they had a weird meat dungeon in their world- wasn't the real one, either.]

[He finally takes note of Loki's interest in Eevee, and Eevee's hackles raise further, growling lowly.] Hah?? What's up, 'vee....? --Um, I think we'll pass on that one. Breaking through a flesh prison sounds super gross, I am not cleaning his fur up after that.

[Blue reaches up to the top of his head, where Eevee is draped and smooshing his spiked hair, still glaring at Loki. Bitch, come and see his power for your damn self!! ...Blue, mystified by Eevee's indignant behavior, suddenly remembers something.]

--Oh! But, you and Ren-chan have familiars too, right? I saw them, those weird dudes that were fighting..... [He brings a hand to his chin.] Kind of like Pokémon, but a little too human-shaped. Well, I thought it was too freaky to ask about at the time, but I guess since I saw Ann-chan with a Fire-type one, is that what you mean? Eevee actually specializes in teammate buffs himself, so really, it'd be him powering you guys up in a real battle!

[Blue gives a prideful grin as he ruffles his partner's fur, soothing his hackles.] Heheh. Don't underestimate him just cuz he's small!

[simulatio]

[Loki's gaze drifts from Eevee, an animal clearly smart enough to recognize danger incarnate when it sees it, to Blue, a human evidently too stupid to be able to tell that he isn't addressing Goro Akechi.]

Persona, [he corrects in a low, rumbling growl tinged with amusement.] Your ignorant bluster amuses me, human, you who are trapped within the definitions of your own experiences. I can see why my boy would lose patience with you.

[He gestures, almost imperiously, with one red-clawed hand.] Tell me more of your familiar's ability to... "power up."

[halloflamer]

[NOT an animal, thank you very much!! Eevee is not calmed one bit by Blue's insistence to blatantly ignore the very obvious danger inherent in the being in front of them, and hops down from his shoulder to be the one tiny figure bravely standing between them.] Eevui!

[Blue makes a face at him, somewhere between a pout and consternation, and glances back up to Loki. Hey, he's choosing to be trapped in the definitions of his own experiences, thank you very much! ...Which he isn't going to say, because he's avoiding talking about exactly this kind of thing, so- better to let this weird Akechi-not-Akechi think he's just stupid, probably. Like most people.]

[Survival tactics.] "Persona" or whatever, it must be similar to Pokémon, right? I think I recognized some of the stuff I saw. You askin' for a battle?

[He's grinning, but Eevee is not. The critter shoots him an exasperated look over-hind, and Blue gives him a ragged sigh.] Okay, okay, don't tear me up! Sheesh....

[Blue raises a hand to his chin as he thinks. How to explain it....] Eevee store a lot of energy in their bodies that's intended to trigger extreme cellular change when they undergo evolution. You see, it's because they have a lot of different data in their cells... What they'll evolve into depends on the circumstances of their surroundings, so basically, they excel at adapting to their environments!

....I really don't wanna think about what Eevee would turn into inside of a Wailord stomach, though, so let's not. Eevee doesn't need changing, anyway- he's perfect just how he is! So we use that excessive energy to pass power onto our teammates, instead. It's called "Baton Pass"!

[simulatio]

[Loki's tongue licks another pointed tooth as he studies Eevee, evidently finding him a much more worthy subject than Blue himself. Even for something incapable of speech, it's clearly more aware of the danger before it. Which one is the master, here?

"Baton pass" is an interesting term, though. Loki's felt the power of Baton Pass when coming from the other Thieves, the exhilaration of a chain of enemy knockdowns lending him greater strength, letting him destroy more easily. His boy would be loathe to admit how much he likes the feeling of that kind of teamwork, and thus, Loki doesn't mention it, either.]

Such a wise and talented creature, [he says, more to Eevee than to Blue as he bears his teeth in another grin.] How does it adapt to surroundings such as these, I wonder? What kind of power could a nightmare grant?

[His grin turns on Blue.] Do you truly wish to battle a god?

[halloflamer]

Eh? A god...?

[Blue looks sort of-- well, dubious about that claim for a moment, and hums to himself. He sure didn't look like a Legendary to him. But then, he'd heard before, in this place, that in other worlds, Legendaries took human appearances.... Why shouldn't they? Apparently, there were no Pokémon there.]

[Troublesome is what that question is. He thinks about it for a moment.]

You know, I've never been the sort who wants to go chasing after the mysteries of Legendary Pokémon, [Blue admits with a shrug, hands sliding into his pockets.] That's what we call it, back home, by the way. I think it could be fun to battle a Legendary someday, buuuut... [He gives Loki another look-over.] Something tells me you're the type to take it way too seriously... I think Eevee'll be mad at me if I accept.

[The thing is, the way he's being looked at, he wonders if he'll have a choice. Eevee's glare doesn't waver; rather, protectively, he inches backwards to remain in front of Blue.] If you're talking the power of Nightmares or whatever, though, there's a legend about that. I think they call it the New Moon Pokémon.