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

[king_in_dreams]

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

[His voice is a little desperate, now.]

You lured us there. You used Prompto. You killed Luna. You... you...

[Noct sucks in a breath and adjusts his grip on the sword, preparing to swing.]

[abeautifulgame]

[Damien sucks in a breath, fingers tightening on his phone as he mirrors Noct, tensing to strike, too -- to parry, improbable as that should be with just a phone at his disposal, to counter. a heartbeat passes, and when Noct comes at him, he thumbs a button on his phone without actually looking at him, and something twists nauseatingly]

[and when that seasick feeling passes, he and Noct have switched positions. Noct is about to stab a wall and Damien's standing where he started, facing him, frowning]

I don't know who you think I am ... [but it's not whoever]

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct spins back around.]

How did you...

[That's not something Ardyn did before, but it also wouldn't surprise him if it's something he could do, considering all the other reality warping shit he pulled.]

[The fact that Ardyn hasn't made a move toward him brings him up short, though, and he frowns back at him. Now he's remembering what else happened, how Ardyn made him think Prompto was Ardyn and... Now, his expression is more hesitant, less full of rage and a little more worried.]

You... who are you if you're not him?

[abeautifulgame]

Damien. [has he given Noct his name? he can't remember, and if he didn't, it wouldn't even be the first time. he and Kaiba went months before they actually exchanged names, after all -- or, well, what felt like months. the point stands, though, and so, after a beat, he clarifies:] The man who gave you the grand tour?

[when he first got here and all]

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct reaches up to press his hand to the side of his head as he closes his eyes, shaking his head. When he opens his eyes again, he blinks a few times - and then he drops the sword abruptly, the weapon dissipating in a shower of blue light.] Shit. I'm sorry.

[abeautifulgame]

Who did you think I was?

[or think he is. he's not sure Noct can really see him any more than he could a second ago, even with the clarification. which probably explains why he's not about to lower his phone, just yet]

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct huffs out a breath, rubbing at his eye before he drops his hand. Now his head hurts.]

His name is... or, well, he called himself Ardyn Izunia. He was posing as the chancellor of Niflheim. They're, uh... I don't remember if I told you they're who we're at war with.

[abeautifulgame]

I'm not sure it came up. [he's not sure he knew Noct and his -- country, probably, was at war with anyone, but] 'Posing as' implies that he was actually someone else, though. [but he's much more interested in that, now. if you're going to try and stab him, you owe him information in recompense, bud]

[king_in_dreams]

Yeah. He was actually Ardyn Lucis Caelum. I... don't really know how we're related, Ignis would probably know, but I guess he's my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-something or other, and he... went crazy, and I guess he was still alive because of the same stuff that made him go crazy.

[There is no simple way to explain all this.]

[abeautifulgame]

And he was playing at being Niflheim's chancellor to -- what, exactly?

[there are a lot of ways that could play out, after all. maybe Ardyn just wanted to see Noct -- he doubts it, but it's a possibility. maybe he wanted to kill him for whatever reason -- seems more likely. maybe something else, if the guy was crazy. he's a little curious, now, though, if only because what is your world even, Noct?]

[king_in_dreams]

Uh... [The hand goes back to his hair.] We hadn't really... finished things before I ended up here, but... I'm supposed to be some kind of Chosen One, and he was... destined to be killed by me or kill me or... something, I don't know. But he needed to get the Crystal that I get my magic from to get me to come after it, and...

[He gestures vaguely, hopelessly. He has no idea what Ardyn's intentions were, considering the guy is literally insane - and when he was laying out his whole plan, Noct was a little distracted by the fact that he was getting sucked into the Crystal.]

I don't know. He's seriously crazy.

[abeautifulgame]

Sounds like it. [a beat] How terribly convoluted. [coming from him, that's probably saying something, too. at least his Evil Plan was fairly straightforward. convince Aiden to unwittingly bring him the Bellweather from Iraq's little data goldmine, kill Aiden, profit!]

Also probably not a conversation we should be having here, of all places, even if it wasn't. [maybe they should move on? even if it's together, for the time being?]

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct huffs out a humorless laugh.] Yeah.

[He pauses, then, looking around them.] Yeah, probably not. You have any idea where... anything is, in here?

[abeautifulgame]

I know there's supposedly a train, somewhere.

[supposedly. he keeps hearing it, and there are platforms and tracks, but he can find the damn thing. it just -- doesn''t register on his phone, and it should, considering he should be able to access it] Otherwise? [he exhales a heavy breath, a no on the heel of it]

I imagine you're in the same boat? [just as lost as he is]

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct nods.] Yeah. It'd be nice if I didn't just feel like I was wandering around.

[He can't figure out the rhyme or reason of this place or which way they should even be trying to go.]

Too bad there's no "you are here" sign.