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

[bachagain]

[ ........ fuck it he's touching satan, he can't resist. maybe it's half a check to see that this is reality, because surely if this was some kind of dream leo's hand would phase right through satan-san, right?

just kidding, ghosts exist too.

regardless, satan is indeed very solid, and leo draws his hand back like he didn't immediately succumb to temptation like a two year old. not that he's ashamed of that or anything. ]

I see, I see!

[ the way he says this implies he very much doesn't see ]

Or, mm, actually... I don't see! [ there we go. ] But he kinda matches with your codename, huh? Very wild, Re-- uuuh, oops! I mean, Joker! Wahaha!

[forethinking]

(Had it been Arsène, the touch would probably be received with a tip of the hat, some flamboyant gun trick or anything along those lines.

But it wasn't. Satanael just nods politely, and in turn, Joker laughs a little with how fast the hand is taken back.)

He won't bite you. (At least he tries to be reassuring?)

It's a long story. (Trust him, Leo, you don't know the half of it.)

Shall we look for the others?

[bachagain]

[ wow…. imagine getting a polite nod from a big demon looking guy…… it’s exciting and surreal in a way that can only get leo nodding back in reflex, as if there’s some kind of silent solidarity between ren’s giant satan and leo tsukinaga.

….. and then leo snaps right back into focus when ren speaks again. he didn’t actually think giant satan man was going to bite him….. anyway, he’d bite back-- ]

I’d say I got loooots of your long stories so what’s one more, but even I know it’s not the time right now.

[ right? ren??

at least leo seems to be making his thought on what direction they should take easily enough, as he’s going on ahead. looking for other people is definitely on his priority list, given this place’s… weirdness. seeing ren has settled some of his anxiety, and seeking out sena will settle the other half of it...

he’ll just give a little glance over his shoulder to make sure ren’s following as he points further into meatmentos. keep up, buddy!! or else leo’s gonna fcking die. haha just kidding-- ]

This way?

[forethinking]

(It's both parts funny and endearing to watch Leo interact with his soul - literally.

While he's not against telling the story, surprisingly, nobody that wasn't there or associated with the Phantom Thieves has heard about the one time they fought God and Ren shot it in the face. Some part of him initially thought the Void could have been a consequence of that, but after he met more people, that theory debunked itself.)

I'll tell you later. (If you ask, that is!

Ren blinks, allowing the vision reveal some footsteps, but even so, there's no way of knowing which belongs to whom. Either way, he just decides to follow Leo - it is where most of the footprints are going.)

Have you found Sena-san yet? (Safety in numbers!!)