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

[rotomphone]

[ who knows! all of this networking stuff is news to Raihan in the first place - Turing's knowledge of it is definitely more robust than his own. ]

You think you could? [ that's an interesting thought! both he and Rotom look interested, but their thoughts are interrupted by Flygon returning from his scout. ] Hold that thought... Flygon! Anything to report?

[ the dragon shakes his head, affirming that the area is clear. Raihan lets out an audible exhale, relieved. ]

[begetblue]

[ Turing couldn't literally sigh, but their relief was just as palpable when Flygon gave his answer. None of this was pleasant or going well, but if everyone could get out of this without getting melted by lava that would be nice. ]

Thank you very much, Flygon. I hope the heat didn't make your search too uncomfortable...

[ The very least they could do was try and prevent Flygon from needing to go off on another search, so they put their thermal sensors to use once again. It still wasn't foolproof, but it was something. If someone needed help in the corridors that they hadn't yet seen, it was better to spot them sooner rather than later. ]

Mr. Raihan, I'm not detecting anyone ahead of us either.

[rotomphone]

[ death by lava is probably one of the less pleasant ways to go, so knowing that no one is in danger of it (including themselves) is relieving, to say the least. Flygon simply smiles at Turing, looking quite pleased with himself as Raihan chimes in-- ]

That guy's no stranger to high temperatures. We've been burned a few times, but we always come out a little stronger.

[ the number of times that his team has been hit by an ill-timed Fire Blast, courtesy of Leon's Charizard - or worse yet, a G-Max Wildfire... needless to say, they can take a little heat. still, he thanks Goodra and Flygon a final time and returns them to their Poké Balls without fanfare. ]

What do you say we get out of here, then? Preferably to a tunnel with less running lava.

[begetblue]

Ah... Yes, of course.

[ The lava was dangerous, but it was also a distraction from what they had been through. Flashes of kind faces that had been twisted into frightening shadows kept threatening to come to the surface, and they couldn't deny that they were hoping Raihan had forgotten how they had been acting before he came to the rescue.

Turing's posture slumped. Raihan had already done so much to help them, and it felt wrong to burden him with even more of their problems. ]

I hope the lava hasn't blocked the exit to this place.