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

[obscurus_phantasma]

Lips gather to one side thoughtfully. "I suppose it's better to say that I was not expecting so much power. You saw and felt the last time I was in my element, however it's just so much more here. I practically feel drunk from it all and I am unwilling to wake up.

"I am, of course, aware that we will have no more choice in that than we did falling asleep or feeling hungry or arriving in the Void, but that doesn't change my trepidation."

Melinoë is comfortable expressing her distress to the mage, knowing he'll likely feel similarly. Because what if, when they awaken, they're right back to their de-powered selves?

[gardenerofavalon]

"Dreams do at times have that effect."

He'd probably know that better than anyone... especially given that some of his powers have always been specific to dreams in the first place.

"Until and unless we can learn to shape the rules of this world to our liking, that will be the case, yes. But for now, why not live in the moment? And then cherish the memories of it later."

Oh Merlin does hate the idea of being so limited again, though possibly for slightly different reasons. But he also didn't live through more than a millennium and a half without learning some degree of patience.

[obscurus_phantasma]

She reaches out to finger the fabric of Merlin's robes, tugging on them once in a tender, familiar manner. "Have you been confining yourself to your utopia? I would be interested in hearing what any visitors thought. Unless you didn't play nice with them. . .?"

The way Mel teases, it's clear she would approve of mischief. She certainly has gotten up to her own with the 'enemies' lurking about.

[gardenerofavalon]

Merlin shrugs a bit.

"I've moved about a little, but really, there's not much point in doing so more than necessary when I can observe so much from here, now is there?"

Did he mention his Clairvoyance before? If not, oh well. Because he's definitely been making use of it now.

"And that would depend on how the visitor behaves."

[obscurus_phantasma]

"I had but three visitors, two pleasant, one...well, it was Parsee and her little trick had a rather fond time with my emotions." A light shrug, then, "It started off roughly, but ended less so. All three found the theatre I created, heard the songs I performed with a cello."

[gardenerofavalon]

"Ah, she'd mentioned something about that."

And then promptly turned to questioning Merlin on his own nature, after finding that her powers weren't exactly effective on him. The halfbreed largely lacks strong desires of his own, after all.

"Of course, if you're regretting not getting up to more mischief now, there's still time to change that, after all."

He's been too caught up in playing with his newly returned abilities, but he does enjoy some good harmless troublemaking.

[obscurus_phantasma]

Eyes sparkling and lips curling into a devilish grin, Mel totes, "I've no regrets, but I wouldn't object to adding more memories from this delightful experience. I'm especially interested in seeing what sort of damage the two of us might cause; what did you have in mind, Merlin?"

[gardenerofavalon]

"Damage? Now, why would you say something like that?" Merlin makes an effort to look surprised by the suggestion, but it's probably pretty obvious he doesn't really take offense.

"Besides, giving a few people some rather... confounding dreams is still an improvement under the circumstances, isn't it?"

You know, those hilariously embarrassing or such dreams. Although part of him--the inhuman part--definitely finds the notion of inciting some nightmares of his own appealing.

[obscurus_phantasma]

"You know, for having incubus blood, you're not always prone to playing into stereotypes," she teases, crossing her arms delicately to mind the talons on her fingers.

"Are you leaning more towards naked scenarios or having them lose their way?"

[gardenerofavalon]

"Is that so?"

He doesn't bother asking which stereotypes those are. He's well aware of his own nature as something of an anomaly.

"And I suppose that depends on just who I happen across, doesn't it?"

[obscurus_phantasma]

"Very much so. You've yet to even comment on how I look." Not that she's seeking approval or fretting over whether or not the mage is attracted or otherwise. Melinoë hasn't seen herself in quite some time and as such is relishing her (mostly) true form for as long as she is able.

Brows creep upwards. "Who you happen across?" Not we? Mel is still giving Merlin a hard time, of course, and fully enjoying it. Even the ghost looks somewhat offended, because Tiki just assumes it'll be tagging along.

[gardenerofavalon]

"Well, I would think you're already well aware of it, aren't you?"

Of course he's going to give a troll response. But then again, can one really blame him for focusing on the things he hasn't been able to do in some months now instead?

"Exactly! For example...." He smirks a little. "What should I do about the latest visitor to my dream?"

[obscurus_phantasma]

To which she rolls her eyes, though there's a tiny smile present as a hand is waved dismissively.

Carefully folding arms about herself, Mel looks on Merlin suspiciously. "Are Tiki and I your latest visitors?"

[gardenerofavalon]

The dreamscape itself doesn't change, not yet, but Merlin's definitely beginning to assert a certain... control over it. Slowly and carefully to avoid detection as long as possible. In his element though he may be, a mind that's aware--lucid--with consciousness near the surface, can still resist his efforts. Especially when the target is particularly powerful.

"Ah, you know, now that you mention it..." His tone is surprised, as though he'd only just realized, but the mischievous look in his eyes belies it. "Though unfortunately, it may be a little late to notice!"

And with that, Merlin makes his move. Not a physical one in any way, but a mental 'attack', so to speak, intending to wrap his target in a new dream of his devising. Assuming he'd been subtle enough to catch her off guard and unable to put up much of a fight, that is.

[obscurus_phantasma]

It works, for all that she's somewhat confused by his elusive behavior, and whatever desire to resist afterwards is dismissed out of curiosity. How many times had Melinoë declared a wish to see Merlin in action, or to have a more 'proper' fuck?

With an air of deviousness herself, she clasps hands before her while Tiki floats closely by, at times phasing through his Goddess. She simply says, "I'm waiting."

[gardenerofavalon]

Merlin doesn't reply, instead the dream just abruptly shifts, the flowery scenery being replaced with something else entirely. At first, it's just dark. Or perhaps more accurately, it seems that way, compared to the well-lit meadows before. In truth, it seems to be somewhere deep in a forest on a moonless night. The air is chilly, and the occasional breeze sets leaves to rustling and limbs to creaking. Not to mention the occasional call from an owl or sound of some unseen animal.

Or other, decidedly less natural and much more ominous sounds.

But, just when one might think all this is leading up to some terrifying nightmare, an... interface, of sorts? appears. Nearby objects that can be interacted with or examined a subtly highlighted, and investigating will quickly reveal various puzzles and clues that need to be solved to continue.

Yep, it's a dream of some sort of immersive puzzle game, with a horror theme. Have fun!

[obscurus_phantasma]

Purple eyes drink it all in, enthralled and relaxed, despite the alteration in environment, as she's not expecting Merlin to attack (and feels secure enough in her abilities to defend, deflect, so on and so forth). She's ready to bring about lighting of some sort when the games appear, and Mel can't help but bark a quick laugh, head shaking and hands resting on hips.

"Fine. I'll play along for now. Tiki, float closer to that one...yes, that one." At which point, ghost and Goddess begin to sort the puzzle out.

[gardenerofavalon]

Don't worry, there's plenty of puzzles to solve! And even if it is a game, there's still that creepy ambience, and even those mini event cutscene type things with monster attacks or other 'dangers'.

None of which ever pose any real threat, but it's still fun to keep the mood, right? Or at least so Merlin thinks, as he continues to weave the dream's scenarios.

Clearly the dork has had far too much time on his hands at some point, to be able to come up with all this.

[obscurus_phantasma]

For every enemy that crops up, Melinoë summons wraiths and ghouls to demolish them, only ever taking damage when one of Merlin's goons manages a hit on the ethereal army. Still doesn't remove the smile from her face, though. After the third time it occurs, she resorts to just keeping the ghosts present so that they may deal with the dangers whilst Tiki and she tend to the puzzles.

At some point, the Goddess asks, "I assume that you can hear me; do you intend on remaining hidden, little mage?"

The 'little' is meant to be affectionate, not demeaning.

[gardenerofavalon]

Any damage is superficial, anyway, and generally gone by the next 'scene' unless somehow relevant to the dream's overall plot, such as it is. In some things, videogame and dream logic align quite well, as it happens.

Her query goes unanswered, though. Merlin's not about to spoil his little game, after all!

Which is to say, as she continues on, the puzzles and events seem to be building toward some sort of climax, the mystery of these haunted woods coming closer to being solved. Perhaps there'll be something special for the big reveal?

[obscurus_phantasma]

When Merlin doesn't respond, doesn't reveal himself, Melinoë purses lips and crosses her arms as the ghost continues to move parts about on their current puzzle. She addresses Tiki in Ancient Greek, ordering him to stop, and then gives a cursory glance up and about the dreamscape.

"What happens, then, if we simply refuse to solve anymore?" It's a challenge, but one peppered with playfulness.

[gardenerofavalon]

Now that's an interesting question. Or 'interesting' in that it comes close to potentially spoiling all the fun in things. Still, Merlin doesn't reply... Or at least, not in a direct, appearing himself sense.

No, the answer comes in the form of a feeling, one of those moments in a dream where one simply knows that a thing is so for no particular reason nor explanation.

The only way out is to solve the mystery.

But for now, that's all it is. Doubtless Merlin could potentially do more, tighten his control of both the dream itself and the one currently within it, but he's in a good mood from being able to play with his powers again. At least at the moment.

[obscurus_phantasma]

Not yet quite ready to simply resume the game, Melinoë presses with, "You'll remember that I am also fully restored here? That I could see how well my power goes up against yours and free myself?"

How would an ancient deity fair against something half-ancient and all magical? She has no intentions of fighting Merlin, but she remains curious and finds this all so very entertaining. Mel's also perhaps making the wrong assumption that he's enjoying this, as it means the mage is still playing.

[gardenerofavalon]

Merlin has two noteworthy options, here. And while attempting to strip the goddesses of her awareness that this is a dream is most certainly tempting indeed, he admittedly is kind of having fun with his videogame theme here.

Which is to say, the dream quite literally pauses. Even her ghostly servant is frozen in place, leaving only the dreamer herself aware of the suddenly dimmed and stilled surroundings. Well, the dreamer, and the one in charge of the dream, that is.

"But then you might not get to see how this ends, you know," he points, from where he'd been sitting all along.

-= FIN =-

[obscurus_phantasma]

In which puzzles end in a timed puzzle and the Good Ending is achieved, dawn finally breaks over the spoopyness. And fully powered sex happens at last.