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

[bridge_princess]

She almost said something about the fact that if it was just passing the time, Melinoe probably wouldn't have looked at her with a jealous edge, but she figured that was already hanging in the air of the room like a pink elephant nobody wanted to admit. She'd just let said elephant linger there and eat all the peanuts while they pretended it wasn't there, because deep down she knew it was and it amused her.

"I am a vengeful spirit, a shade raised up in death to avenge itself on a cheating bastard who had it coming," she said with a little smirk. "But like any spirit born of a deep, abiding emotion, I am a reflection of it. So, I see people's envy, see my own. It increases naturally around me unless I go out of my way to stop it, and I can manipulate the jealousy in my heart and others' naturally."

She winked, grinning. "So... the bitterness you're clearly feeling right now? Probably my fault. But as a goddess of the dead, I'm sure you know we're not always safe to be around. Especially the really old ones."

[obscurus_phantasma]

There's relief in hearing this, that it's merely a manipulation (though of what requires further pondering and the like, however she suspects it's jealousy driven by relationships, period, and nothing at all to do with a concern of whom is fucking the men she's sleeping with), and there's also an underlying rage; that such a thing could occur at all.

"Seeing as how I've been enjoying having my gifts back, I suppose I can hardly fault you for doing the same." And it made sense, considering Mel had been fine until the spirit arrived.

Turning the focus somewhat elsewhere, Melinoë returns to her chair, asking, "You brought the shrine, correct? May I ask it's purpose?"

[bridge_princess]

"Nice of you to forgive me. Just so you know, it's not all conscious. I kind of do it without intending, to an extent." And then she grinned at her mischievously. "But. That's not to say I haven't been teasing yours."

She settled down and shrugged. "The shrine and bridge came with, yeah. The bridge is my second. A shrine to a Hashihime is one people would come to when they'd ask me to ... well, for lack of a better word, give them an encore. I'm the queen of breakups and divorces." She snorted and smirked. "like a river separates two places, they'd come when they felt they needed a thing to separate but couldn't do it themselves. But... Tifa's been convincing me to take other prayers lately."

[obscurus_phantasma]

Melinoë takes this in stride, focusing on keeping features neutral, because the sentence has opposite affects; it is reassuring to hear things could be indirectly forced, but then uncomfortable to learn that Parsee had still played. Again she remembers that Merlin had warned her...

The revelation does, however, have the Goddess perking up. "The Lady of the Bridge, yes. She's an oni in my universe. Ryūō told me about her. I have yet to meet this Tifa, though I'm certain Damien will make it happen."

He meant to introduce her to his friends, seeing as she was severely lacking.

[bridge_princess]

"Oh... so you've heard the tale. Technically, there were people who called me an oni when it happened, though... oni are Oni. they're something different than youkai, who can vary a lot. still, when something's killing you, screaming 'demon!' is pretty natural, even if you had it coming." All that said with the deadpan delivery of someone talking about the weather. "There used to be more than one, but I don't think... the others got behind the barrier before the people stopped believing entirely. So I'm just about it. The maiden of the bridge into hell."

She grunted a little sourly at that, but shrugged afterwards. She didn't say whether or not she was actually the Hashihime of Uji, the one upon whom the original tale was based, or another. She liked to keep people guessing about it. "The story really missed a lot of notes in the end but that's how old myths are."

[obscurus_phantasma]

A tinge of sympathy is exhibited as Mel nods. "I've heard of that happening; us disappearing if there is no one to remember or worship." The Goddess visibly shudders at the thought. That was a fucking nightmare, the worst sort she'd concoct.

With a soft huff, the deity murmurs, "At least you have a somewhat distinct story. My world has only yet found one piece of literature about myself, otherwise I tend to be coupled with Hecate. It's equal parts maddening and gratifying, because I worry that without the offensive merge, well..." She drops her gaze and takes to picking at the bits of her gown. "I may turn into one of those disappearing acts."

[bridge_princess]

"Nice to see someone understands the concept. It confuses most of them." She snorted. "Our solution was when the mistress of boundaries put one up between our world and the mortal world. We all went behind the barrier, and went on with our lives apart."

It was... a solution. "Heh... don't you hate when someone takes the limelight in your story? They keep focusing on this saint who supposedly purged the hashihime, but I never ever even remember it. Like that old bastard could ever get a saint to protect them from me, heh."