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

Hornet | Hollow Knight | OTA

[gitgudprincess]

1. don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep—
[Hornet is accustomed to sitting vigil in the City of Tears, crouched with her hands on her needle for ages on end. Days, weeks, months— the lack of clear time is a blessing, and so too is the lack of sleep. She does not need to rest to see intruders approach.]

[And then, as if her non-stop vigilence has finally caught up with her, she dozes off.]

[For a moment she stands still, feeling the weight of her blade in her hands. She stares into the depths, feels the warm air rush past like the breath of a monster swallowing her whole. She smells sweet rot.]

[She's not panicking. She's not panicking, she's not going to panic, she's fine! She's fine. It's fine. She is a calm and collected warrior, the child of a god, sole protector of Hallownest. It's fine. Any moment now, she'll wake up and perform a thorough sweep of the city for any sign of the infection, and then maybe she'll get more of that coffee stuff and never sleep again. This is a one-off occurrence. Just a regular, meaningless dream.]

[...She's not waking up.]

[Hornet takes a very deep breath, grip tightening until her hands shake around the hilt of her needle. With a wordless scream, she whirls and throws her blade at the nearest wall. It embeds itself a foot deep and stays there.]

"NO!"

2. it's like riding a bicycle in hell
[On the bright side, at least Hornet has her thread back.]

[It seems she can barely take ten steps without another husk rising from the darkness, eyes glinting with the Old Light's power. A pillbug stumbles before breaking into a sprint, arms flailing before it. Hornet drives her needle into it's head and throws it aside without breaking stride. Another leaps at her, has its head sliced off.]

[They're relentless, following her every step of the way. Just like home.]

[The horn sounds again, and this time a horde springs up all around her. Instantly she throws her needle, not to attack but to dig it into the ceiling like a grappling hook and launch herself out of the fray, give herself a moment to think. More threads spring up between the floor and ceiling, tangling a few husks and slowing others, but more keep rising until the tunnel is choked with bugs all swollen with glowing pus.]

[Hornet takes a deep breath and throws her needle into the nearest husk. It explodes, and three more take its place. She swears. Some help would be appreciated.]

3. this is about as restful as it gets.
[Hornet paces rapid circles between the seats of the rest area, muttering furious theories to herself. Well, not really theories. That implies a degree of uncertainty, and Hornet is quite sure of what's going on.]

"...Old Light... blasted dreams... I'll stab it myself if I have to. Giving us a false sense of security. I knew it. I knew it."

[She comes to an abrupt stop, turning on whoever else is in this station who she's ignored up to this point. There's a frantic edge to her voice.]

"If we don't all die in this accursed fever dream, I believe I may weave a nice large banner that reads 'I told you so' and hang it where everyone can see it. It shall be exquisite."

4. Wild Card
[Any other horrible dreams you want to share with Hornet? Go ahead! I'd be especially happy to play out the Trust No One nightmare, I just can't think of how to write a generic prompt for that.]

[If you wanna plot something first, feel free to PM me here or on Discord (BrushApocalypse#7677)!]

1

[halloflamer]

YIKES!

[There's an abrupt scream as Hornet's needle goes whizzing into the wall, Blue stopped mid-step barely a foot away from that spot in the dark, dank tunnel they've both found themselves in. Hands raised protectively (however futile that may be), he lets out the sharp breath he'd taken and boggles at Hornet, a little irritated. He recognizes seeing her, he thinks, in the Heavenly Blanc....]

Sheesh, would it kill you to watch where you throw that thing!? [He grouses, and shortly after his grumpy shout, a strange beast teleports into sight next to him- much calmer than him, certainly, it grasps its spoons in hand before glancing to Hornet with wary, but mostly cautious eyes.] Kazaam. [It wouldn't have hit him anyway.]

[gitgudprincess]

[Hornet growls a little, then with a sharp tug at the air her needle retreats to her hand.]

"I did not hit you. Be glad."

[She jumps a little at the appearance of the beast. Her needle lashes out again, this time in a more defensive position. A figment of the dream? She thinks she's seen the boy somewhere before, but that does not mean much.]

[She hisses.]

"Do not— do not think to sneak up on me. My aim may not be so prudent next time."

[halloflamer]

[Oh great, the needle floats, too! Blue's expression grows more annoyed at her reply, although considering her seeming jab-happiness with her weapon, he's a little wary of provoking her again.]

[Alakazam continues to eye her with a calm seriousness, making no aggressive movements in her direction, but instead turns to Blue with a conversational mumbling.]

Kazam, alakazam.

Yeah, well, she started it!! [Blue groans, and takes a step backwards. The creature raises its hands with its spoons gripped, but continues only to watch her; instead, it tries talking. Or, "talking", with an attempt to send telepathic images of the void as they know it to her mind; specifically, a memory of the front of Heavenly Blanc.]

What, like, remember her? I don't know, maybe....? [Looking back up at Hornet, Blue squints. He feels like he'd remember someone like this- more Pokémon-looking than human, but she can talk, right? So....] You're not one of the things that's wandering around attacking people here, are you?

[gitgudprincess]

[Hornet huffs.]

"I do not 'wander'. I patrol. And I've been positively merciful as of late."

[Case in point, she turns her needle back behind her back. There is no need to fight right now.]

"You are one of those... pohk-ee-mon trainers? I believe I have spoken to some of your ilk before."

[halloflamer]

Somehow, I don't feel like that answers my question.... [Blue grumbles, eyes lidding at her. But she seems a lot more talkative than a lot of the weird creatures he's seen here, so maybe she's not one of them? Especially if she's attacking other ones.]

[Not that he knows if the weird Pokémon or ghosts or whatever in this place were all on the same side, either...]

[But he hesitates at least when she mentions Pokémon directly. Alakazam nods, as if answering the question himself.] Alakazam. Zam alakazam.

I guess if you know about us, maybe you're not some weird stomach-monster, [Blue considers, even though he ...doesn't really have basis for that at all. He's paranoid, but he'll err on the side of hopefulness, this time.] You musta talked to Red or Lance or dragon boy-- er, Raihan, I guess? You seem them around here, recently? [Speaking of hopefulness, the look on his face as he asks suggests just that.]

[gitgudprincess]

[Hornet considers the question at length, tilting her head back and forth in thought. She... doesn't remember most of their names, actually, though she's encountered several of them.]

"I'm not too good with names. The only one I can likely identify would be that Professor."

[He tried to lecture her like some hatchling over a broken dart board. Hard to forget that.]

"And I've not seen anyone here. Have you been wandering long? I'm afraid I've only just now entered this dream."

[Her grip tightens on her needle. Right, she almost forgot. This is a dream. She's in danger.]

[halloflamer]

--Gramps!

[Blue sputters, face suddenly going sickly pale. He somehow, naively, hadn't even considered the horror that Oak would be stuck in here.... But now that Hornet brings it to mind, he seems to be in a sudden panic.]

[He doesn't mean to startle her, but he takes a sudden step forward, crying out.] You didn't see him here, yet!? [Oh no--] I have to find him right away, [He says, turning to the creature beside him. His hands clutch in front of him.] What if he gets hurt!!?

[The creature raises its 3 claws, as if trying to calm him.] Alakazam... [A slight glow emanates, and by whatever power it holds, Blue draws a deep breath-- and then looks back to Hornet. She seems capable of holding her own... If she knew Gramps, then maybe...]

[Someone needs to be looking out for him- and if Blue doesn't find him first...]

I don't know... I don't know how long I've been here. But I need to find him-- if you see him, please-- he's just a researcher, I don't even know if he has Pokémon to protect him...

[gitgudprincess]

[Hornet tilts her head, considering the request. Clearly, there is quite a bit of attachment there— assuming, of course, that this figment is real. She'll assume it is. At the very least, better not to agitate it.]

"You should be glad, if he is nowhere to be found. This is not a place one wants to exist in. But if it brings you comfort, then yes, I would lend him my aid should our paths happen to cross."

[She turns to look at the blocked exit.]

"...Of course, my first priority would be escape."

[halloflamer]

[Blue doesn't realize it, but he's holding a breath as he watches Hornet consider his request, and lets it out when she finally agrees.]

You can say that again..... This weird place has been pretty peaceful until now- I mean, unpredictable, sure, but not like... this. [He glances uneasily at their surroundings, the convulsing, body-like walls and the humidity.] I'm glad my Pokémon can come out again to help me, but I don't know if Gramps has any with him. Until I can find him, I just... wanna make sure there's someone who's looking out for him.

[To say nothing of the figments he's seen in the meantime, but-- those... those weren't the real thing. Blue shudders.]

You haven't found a way out, right?

2.

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct comes upon Hornet as the daemons explode and reform, and he immediately calls a dagger to hand and throws it, warping through the mass. On the other side, he draws a two-handed sword from nowhere and swings it in a wide arc, scattering beetles and giving himself more space to draw the engine blade.]

Hey! You okay up there?!

[gitgudprincess]

[Hornet narrows her eyes at the newcomer, gauging the odds of him being some kind of fake versus the danger of the horde. The horde wins out.]

[She drops, landing on a barely-visible thread of silk and leaping as if from mid-air to land next to Noct. Her needle trails behind her, slicing into one of the husks before returning to her hand, and she winces when it blows up a little too close and catches her with a couple droplets of white-hot acid. A swift wrapping of silk covers that up quickly, though.]

"I have a great deal of experience with these things, but this is rather troublesome. Ranged combat is not my specialty, with this many opponents."

[king_in_dreams]

[Nope, he's real. He also watches her drop back down, stepping back away from the explosion.]

I'm better with up close, too. What are these things?

[gitgudprincess]

"Husks. People infected by the Old Light."

[That probably isn't a satisfactory answer, but it's all she's willing to give.]

"Though I have my doubts whether they're real, or just figments drawn from my memory."

[king_in_dreams]

[Considering how hard it is for Noct to explain daemons and everything they were up against at home, he's willing to accept it, at least in the moment.]

Considering what the walls look like and some of the other stuff I've seen? Who knows.

You need more help dealing with them?