tabularasa_rp | 004 - Lucid Dreaming

004 - Lucid Dreaming

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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[ They couldn't manage to greet Raihan properly, let alone look him in the eye, though at least part of that was because they were distracted by poor Goodra having to try so much harder to protect them from the lava. Even now, they were always the one being protected. If they didn't move now, maybe it would lead to even more people (and Pokemon) being hurt, and that would end up being their fault too.

With that in mind they could finally address Raihan properly. ]

I... I'm not ready to talk about it. Either way, that should wait until we're no longer in danger, yes?

[ Their voice was quiet and lacked much of its usual energy, but they still couldn't bring themselves to lie about what they were feeling. ]

[ as much as Turing may need protection, Raihan hardly minds - it's his job to be a protector. though he may not have a Vault and its treasures to stand guard for in this world, that instinct doesn't just go away. when you're strong, it's your responsibility to use that strength to keep the peace and make sure those that may not have that strength are kept safe.

with Goodra taking care of the imminent danger, Raihan has the peace of mind to kneel down to Turing's level to look them in the eye. he's not looking for answers; he just wants them to know that he's here to help. ]

No worries. [ he smiles understandingly; that's the last he'll ask about it until Turing is ready. ] My friend's doing her best to buy us some time. As for me, if you don't feel like picking up your feet..

[ he turns his back towards them, giving them ample footing to climb up his back and on his shoulders, if they'd like. he turns his neck to look at them with a bright grin. ] I'll pick 'em up for you!

[ Raihan was...so nice. A little kindness and understanding went a long way, especially when it felt like anything and everything was going wrong. To be honest, if Turing could cry, they probably would have started right then and there. Instead they allowed themselves to smile just a little in response to Raihan's grin, though it by no means erased the emotional pain they were experiencing. ]

Thank you...

[ They still didn't have a whole lot of life experience, but even from their own point of view 'thank you' sounded better than 'sorry' in this particular case, even if the words had come out a bit shyly in practice.

It was also not the first time someone had offered their shoulders to Turing, so it seemed only natural to do the same here. ]

[ in a place where literally no one has any idea of what's going on, something as simple as kindness can mean a lot! that goes no only for the void at large, but this strange underground area, too. if Raihan can be the difference made in helping someone, he'll gladly step up. ]

Don't mention it. [ he gives them a thumbs up, hoping to ease their worries before hoisting them up onto his shoulders. from here, Turing can see the waves of Goodra's Surf ebbing away, cooling the approaching lava. she turns to the new friend that her Trainer seems to have made, walking over to give them a gooey pat on the leg to reassure them. ]

Nice job, Goodra! That should hold for a little while, at least. [ he nods to her, ushering the way for the three of them to take the nearest detour to another tunnel. he tilts his head up to address Turing: ] You didn't see anyone else back there, right?

[ Like with Raihan, they couldn't muster a particularly jovial response when Goodra came over to comfort them, but that didn't mean their feelings were the same. The gooey part was immaterial; it was the gesture itself that counted. Of course, a proper expression of gratitude would have to come later, but for now a little smile for her would have to do for now. ]

No...but it's possible I didn't see them.

[ What if someone was back there and needed help? Would it be their fault for not noticing?

No, no more! ]

It's difficult with all the residual heat from the lava, but I'll try to search for anyone nearby with my thermal sensors.

If we haven't seen them, we'd probably hear them by this point...

[ unless they were as disoriented as Turing, which would definitely be bad... but he keeps that worry to himself. sending Flygon on a scout would definitely be a good idea; for now, though, he trusts Turing to lend a hand. ]

Give it a shot! If there's anyone else, we'll swoop in for a daring rescue!

Okay! Here goes...!

[ Having something else to focus on was certainly welcomed at this point. Their scan didn't reveal any human shaped figures in the immediate vicinity, but it was at that moment that Turing realized something critical. Synthetic lifeforms, like Legion, wouldn't show up on their scans at all. They sent a ping to Legion through the machine network in a panic, and let out the sound of a sigh when their fears were proven wrong. ]

I can't find anyone else. I hope they have all fled to a safer position...

[ he stops walking for a moment to give Turing the focus they might need to do a scan, and Goodra watches on in interest. Raihan is enthused himself - leave it to a robot to have cool heat-seeking sensors!

what he doesn't like is Turing still sounding anxious. though he's likely not going to be able to quell it on his own, he's not going to stop trying. ]

If you're still worried, I can get another friend of mine to do a sweep from the air. We're not leaving anyone behind!

[ The anxiety that came from wondering if someone was still there was still a much easier issue to handle, so how could they pass that up? It was to the point where they even got a bit fidgety, though it wasn't to the point where they might be in danger of falling from Raihan's shoulders. ]

Yes, you're absolutely right! We can't leave anyone behind!

[ They settled down as they realized something else. ] But...will your friend be alright?

[ he can feel some of that fidgeting from where Turing is behind his head; it makes him want to ease their worries even more, which means there's no time to lose. he reaches into his hoodie pocket, taking out what appears to be a small yellow and black capsule. he presses a button on its front, making it grow larger so that it goes from resting in the palm of his hand to his fingers curling over it in a grip. ]

He'll be fine. I trained him to keep cool when things get heated!

[ making sure not to put too much of his body into it in awareness of the friend on his shoulders, he throws the ball into the air. it cracks open with a flash of energy, materializing into a green dragon with hexagonal wings that immediately begin to beat to keep it airborne. ]

Flygon, we need you to do a scout over this area. If you see someone, make sure you grab them and bring 'em here!

[ the dragon nods, letting out a coo of understanding as he immediately takes off to begin his search. ]

[ Turing leaned over to see what Raihan was doing. He was holding...a ball? Perhaps it was some kind of device that Raihan was going to use to call their friend? Whatever other hypotheses they came up with, Flygon emerging from said ball was definitely not one of them, and they let out a startled yelp before eventually ducking their head. They had learned their lesson from before and knew not to stare! Still...

That was a dragon-like creature, right? A dragon!! How cool! They were still in awe even after Flygon left on his assigned mission. This was a distraction they really needed to be quite honest. ]

Is Flygon a Pokemon as well? Like Duraludon?

[ technically, Turing isn't wrong! it's certainly used to call out Flygon, though it clearly appears that it was housing him. he chuckles when he hears the robot's surprise, making sure that they have a good view of the dragon before he flies off. ]

You got it! They look pretty different from each other, but they're both Dragon-type Pokémon - my specialty.

[ They were very different from each other, and Dragon-types were Raihan's specialty? ...Ah. They turned their head to look at Goodra. She didn't have wings, so it hadn't immediately clicked the first time. Of course, being able to stop so much lava at once single-handedly was cool too! Plus, she had tried to comfort them, even if they hadn't been quite ready to accept it at the time. ]

This is perhaps not the right time for this line of questioning, but what other types are there?

[ They were in a fleshy hellscape with lava in abundance, but Turing's desire to learn about the things that caught their interest was still more powerful. ]

[ as Turing turns to Goodra, she notices their gaze and returns it with a bright smile and a wave. they haven't been properly introduced, but it certainly seems like they're a friend of Raihan's, which means they're a friend of her's! ]

It's not like we have anything else to do while we wait for Flygon to come back. [ he hums, taking out his phone and typing in a few things before turning it to its landscape position. he lets go of it afterwards, allowing Rotom to take over and levitate up to Turing's line of sight. ]

There's a chart of them - I'd probably miss a few if I tried to list them off by memory. [ he smiles, glancing up at the chart before he begins to recite. ] There's Bug, Dark, Dragon, Electric...

Whoa! [ Turing jumped, though thankfully it wasn't bad enough for them to topple over backwards or anything similarly catastrophic. They had not been expecting Raihan's phone to just start floating like that! Was it also a drone? There were no propellers, though...?

Either way, that chart was going straight into their personal memory. If it came in handy, great! If not, they could always delete it later to save the limited space they had left. ]

There are Steel-types! There are machines that are also Pokemon?

Good question! Rotom, what's your take?

[ once Turing has gotten a good look at the chart, the phone will spin around to grin at the ROM in greeting. ]

That'zzzz an excellent question! Many steel-type Pokémon have mechanical qualitiezzz, but most are still organic at their core. And then there'zzzz me!

[ that's about as good of a self-introduction as Raihan can ask for, so he'll chime in. it'd be best to keep things simple with the time that they have, anyway. ]

Rotom here's a Ghost-type - he's got a fondness for possessing electronics, like my phone.

A ghost?!

[ Oh no, this was like Mega Phobetor all over again. Turing did technically fall under the umbrella of "electronics," so hearing his news was somewhat concerning, to say the least! They definitely weren't hiding (read: attempting to hide) behind Raihan's head as a result. Nope. Never. ]

Um, what kinds of electronics...?

Non-sentient ones, for starters. [ he grins, admittedly a little amused by Turing's skittishness. not quite understanding, Rotom follows them as they hide to try and see what the matter is. ] Don't worry - Rotom's a trickster, but he knows his boundaries.

[ Rotom snickers as well, but doesn't pursue any further when Raihan glances at him. teasing is fine, but the little AI has been through enough today. ]

I like my current vessel too much to move, anyway!

[ Whew. They were still shrinking away from Rotom a tiny bit when he followed, because...well, the whole ghost thing. ]

Hello... Nice to meet you.

[ They were skittish, but that didn't mean they were going to be rude to Rotom, gosh. If Raihan was going to vouch for him, that was more than enough for Turing. ]

Rotom, are you able to access the machine network?

It is a pleazzzure to meet you, too! Let's get along!

[ Raihan is smiling amicably until Turing asks their question, which gives him pause. honestly, he had just taken the "no service" error at the top of his screen as gospel that he shouldn't even bother, but maybe this...? ]

That's... actually not a bad question. We haven't actually looked.

[ he glances up at Rotom, giving it a nod. understanding, it begins the process of searching the only way it knows how - looking for any sorts of mobile data networks. ]

Searching... [ ... ] Bzzt! No available networks found!

[ Drat. Maybe it didn't work because Rotom was a ghost inhabiting a machine? Hmm. Plus it would have been nice to have more company on the network, and they were sure Legion wouldn't mind. ]

Oh... That's too bad.

[ Turing had a lot of the same functions as a phone though--they could make and receive calls, texts, and emails too. So what if... ]

I will try to make myself into a hotspot for Rotom to connect to!

[ 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. ]

[ 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.

[ 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.

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.

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004 - Lucid Dreaming

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