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

[blue_eyed_obsession]

"Trust me the feeling is mutual." Although he had no major qualms with the large reptile, he also held no great love for him either. It had been some time since they had last crossed paths.

".. I feel like I'm repeating this, but if I did I wouldn't still be here- now would I?" It was only a mild case of deja vu. "I think the first indication that something was off should be what's blocking the exits.." Nodding in the distance at some odd fleshy mass.

"Last I checked that wasn't an approved material for providing structural integrity."

[koopacrusher]

"Huh. This is pretty familiar." Bowser says, before walking off in the direction of the fleshy mass. Once he arrives, he takes his pipe weapon out of his shell, winding back to swing it at the membrane. However, he suddenly stops and looks at the weapon. He swings it in the air and studies it, as if something is wrong with it.

Then, he throws the weapon aside. He inhales, then breathes a blast of fire at the barrier. Though the flame attack has no effect on the barrier, Bowser laughs.

"GWAHAHA! I was right!"

[blue_eyed_obsession]

Kaiba decided to observe the proceedings to see if anything of worth came of it. While he's not sure what was deemed substandard about the blunt weapon, he is surprised when the other is literally breathing fire. He'd never done that before, but his abilities like others had likely been restricted. Like technology had also been negated. Did that mean it would be functional now as well?

Surely the fire breathing was more of a biological trait, however.. Kaiba looked thoughtfully to his duel disk.

Starting with something small he pressed the communication device on his collar, and was met with static. Since it was out of range that was normal, but the static had been absent previously. "What do you know- you've figured out something unique about this place."

[koopacrusher]

Seeing that his fire breath is functional, but not enough to destroy the wall, Bowser attempts to cast a spell that will simply transform the membrane into something he can get past. The spell causes the flaming wall to bizarrely contort, but it does not break or transform. Still, the fact that the spell works at all causes Bowser to once again laugh.

"Unique?" he asks, "We just showed out of nowhere with no explanation in a place with a new set of rules. I don't even think this is the same world. You said it yourself, we're repeating the same thing." Not that Bowser's complaining, this time.

[blue_eyed_obsession]

Whatever Bowser attempted was ineffectual, but it was obvious that something was happening. Although Kaiba wasn't really sure what the gestures were meant to accomplish post fire breath, it didn't really matter. He'd let the other waste his energy on the seemingly impossible task. They were still being funneled to wherever the person behind this intended them to be, like rats in an elaborate maze.

"You're right. I take it back." If Bowser didn't want to accept the modicum of praise then so be it. "It was inevitable that it would become common knowledge anyway."

With that he looked for an alternative route, but it would likely be one that led them into more danger rather than less. "That's assuming a lot, without much to back it up. The void has always been able to alter the rules over time... I need something more substantial to be sure."

[koopacrusher]

"I said this wasn't unique. I didn't say I don't deserve any credit for figuring it out."

Bowser snaps his fingers repeatedly, trying to see if time is stable. "Well then we'd better look for something more substantial."

[blue_eyed_obsession]

Shaking his head, and rolling his eyes Kaiba didn't think that warranted a response. Essentially it was too late, the credit was revoked he wasn't granting it a second time.

"Mm," Humming in agreement. Spotting a staircase he aimed for it, halting a few paces before it when the distinctive sounds of a train clacking along the tracks met his ears. Although he looked for the source, it remained concealed from view but a breeze wafted down the corridor as if the locomotive was somewhere nearby.

"Something isn't right here..."

[koopacrusher]

Bowser stops shortly after Kaiba stops. As he hears the train, his fists clench in preperation for danger. "No kidding. How well can you fight?" He's not sure if they'll need to, but if they do he decides he should know before a fight actually happens.

[blue_eyed_obsession]

Fighting. Yeah. About that. It's not as if it's his primary go to but Kaiba is relatively confident in his abilities to take on normal opponents. He was capable of flipping henchman taller and bulkier than him, and he was usually able to assess situations quickly enough to react to them. He's not worried. "Well enough." It wasn't overly descriptive and likely left a lot to be desired.

".. Besides, I might have a few other tricks up my sleeve".