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

[psychokinesia]

Oh? I thought you wanted a ride on my Dynamos, kekekeke.

[He's still cruising along, though it's a bit difficult to steer precisely while he's upsidedown like this and being clung to for dear life... but goddamnit, he's spiteful enough to keep going, so there's no way he's flipping back up again. not until Izumi admits defeat.]

Still hanging on? I could show off a few more of my tricks... for example, Dynamo and I can do quite a lot with electricity! Perhaps you'd like to see what happens when I electrify my entire body? Ah, we could also try Nasod short-range teleportation, but I'll admit I've never attempted such a feat with a passenger before...

[he's like, at least half-kidding. it's fine. probably.]

[obsessiveness]

[ it's fine?????? ]

I don't have time for your chuuni bullshit! How am I going to be impressed with the shit you can do if you're going to electrify me to submission anyway?! So annoying! Just fly normally, will you? Or maybe you're just stalling for time 'cause you actually have no idea where we're at!

[ LEO-KUN, TASUKETE......... ]

[psychokinesia]

Fly normally? Hmm, well I would normally use the Armor configuration, but that might be a bit difficult for you... So? Do you want me to electrocute you or not? You really need to make up your mind, kekekekekekeke! [he still has no idea what a chuuni is but damn, does he sure know how to sound like one]

Stalling! As if I'd have no idea where—

[wait

... he has no idea where they are.

Add slows, not quite stopping yet (and also still upsidedown), as it has just come to his attention that uh. his map is somehow wrong now, apparently?? there should be a turn here but there... isn't...

Someone should really just tell him this is a dream and maps aren't going to be all that reliable, but he's kinda upset about this. He had a flawless plan and an equally-flawless map! Did he take a wrong turn at some point? Did he somehow fuck this up and now there's no way he'll be able to backtrack and reunite Izumi with Leo before the idiot gets killed by something? ah shit ah fuck keep it cool Add]

... ahem, anyway, as I was saying. Dynamo is capable of sensing the energy signatures of lifeforms as well as automatically mapping out their surroundings, so of course I know where we are. It would be impossible for me to get lost in this place! Especially since it is somewhat familiar, so it's not like Behemoth's tricks will be leading us off course. [p...robably]

[obsessiveness]

[ for a while, izumi is silent as they zoom their way through this superhell upside down. maybe the blood getting to his head has finally gotten to him. as always, add's infodump goes in one ear and out the other, and while it only reminded izumi that he and leo are truly one of the most ordinary people in this world right now, only one thing is certain. ]

...We're lost, aren't we.

[ just come the fuck out and say it already you nitwit ]

[psychokinesia]

Pshh, whaaat? Of course not! I know exactly where we are! Who do you take me for, some kind of amateur?! [he's totally lost, they're fucked, they're gonna be lost in this hell forever and Leo is gonna get eaten by tentacles or demons or something...] See, this tunnel is familiar, right? We're backtracking a bit, so it's definitely familiar! We definitely can't be lost!

[this is fine. he just has to stay cool and confident until he can get back on track... maybe Izumi somehow hasn't realized all these damn tunnels look identical anyway.]

[obsessiveness]

[ yeah, no, izumi's not buying that one bit. ]

I'm getting nauseated in this position alone, but even I can tell that we're just going around in circles! Get me down here right now so that I can find my bearings for the both of us! Goddammit!!

[ don't make him steer your hair like in fuckin ratatouille!!! ]

[psychokinesia]

If you want off, get down yourself! You're the one who decided you could just hop on like I'm some kind of pack-phoru.

[also, he can't really... flip back up again, at least not with Izumi still dragging him down. gravity doesn't work that way. maybe if he built up some speed first...?

anyway,] We're not lost, so stop saying we're lost!

[obsessiveness]

Pach-what? Fine, just put me down first! Fuck!

[ don't make him throw up all over you from being in this position for too long ]

[psychokinesia]

Fine!

[and... he stops! which is great, because wow trying to fly like this is starting to make him feel sick too. no vomiting on the driver, please...

but they're still upsidedown. figure out that part on your own, Izumi, they're only like a foot above the ground so just fall onto the weird flesh floor if you have to...!]