[HC Event] Nightmare

Inner Senshi Admin Activities Director

Xtal-Diamante didn't bother finding a comfortable position, merely a secure one. Nothing here was terribly comfortable, anyway—this place was too soft, with no structure to find support in. Thankfully she was not one to formalize any complaints. She did her best to follow the prompts from Sailor Somnus.

Clouds. She imagined the bright sky of her home, the golden hue that stretched far above her, but it lacked much that could be described as clouds. Xtal-Diamante thought instead of a sky from one of the other planets they had visited, a tint on the cooler side of the spectrum streaked with wisps of white or gray.

Waterfall. The oil rivers of Xtal-Diamante sometimes flowed across the mountainous regions, but she had never given it a name. Hadn't this been encountered during one of her missions? A cascade of moisture that plummeted down to a pool somewhere far below.

Rainbow. This the young woman took literally. Rain—those strange droplets of water. In an arc, like the weapons carried by some of the flying indigenous creatures they had worked with before. Perhaps one day, she would see this on some distant world.

Normally her dreams were filled with warmth and dust, and the waking knowledge of a job to be done. She only knew that this time it would be different.

Senior Member Small Lady Emeritus

Sailor Roshar

Clouds, waterfall, rainbow? Well that sure was pleasant. Roshar almost had it in mind for her to complain that thoughts of food were the only thing that could truly relax her but she kept her mouth shut. Noticing the others getting comfortable on the floor, she figured it might not be a bad idea for herself, even though she was already sitting on a chair. Involuntarily falling out of the chair while in a deep sleep didn't sound too great to Roshar.

Getting herself as comfortable as possible, she closed her eyes, repeating the mantra in her head. Clouds made her think of the highstorms of home. Fierce and terrifying, full of lightning and strength. Both waterfall and rainbow reminded her of the calm after the storm. The rain running off rocks and cracks in the ground, causing small waterfalls. The planets opening their buds after hiding from the storm, to feed on the rain while little kremlings came out of their shells to feed on the plants, a whole ecosystem springing to life for only a few hours until closing back up again. Rainbows were a rarity, but she had seen one once and it had quite possibly been the most beautiful thing she had seen in her life on Roshar.

Recalling Somnus's words, Roshar did her best to chase out any other thoughts or memories, just recalling the scenes and repeating the mantra, waiting to be put in the dream that unfortunately would not be of her home.

Lotus Crystal

That dream had ended? Shadow stared blankly at Somnus's dismissal, groaning inwardly at the attention given to the vision itself. Why not the fact that this had been something many (if not all) of the dreamers had experienced? Did he set his expectations of Somnus too high?

Well, whatever; It was too late to get any further answers to his satisfaction. If an undesirable presence attempted to strike at them in the dream, then it fell on Shadow's shoulders to be the first one to strike back. Meanwhile, the dream guide instructed them to clear their thoughts, then focus on a single phrase - clouds, waterfall, rainbow. Based on her description, it was a method intended to simplify her task of drawing them together into one unified trance.

Settling down near Sailor Valdis, Shadow put his back to the wall and closed his eyes. Schwarzpferd was also at rest near his side, within its own scabbard. He didn't need to hold onto the weapon to be assured of its presence; it would always be with him.

Clouds. Waterfall. Rainbow.

Once upon a time, Jasper remembered watching a formation of clouds while the landscape beneath whizzed by in a frantic blur of motion. The puffy bodies of vapor were undisturbed, continuing to coalesce from small white puffballs into expansive sheets of light gray fabric. Though high and majestic, the clouds were full of ambition. They continued to swell, taking upon progressively darker shades of color until the charged air began to crack and roar with brief pulses of energy.

Large sparks soon erupted from the clouds, and with it came a thick downpour of rain. The storm was initially distant, but the falling torrents would not be kept apart from him for long. Heavy sheets of water soon beseiged the rooftops of buildings and cars alike, sending countless quantities of fluid cascading down the surfaces of city streets and car windows. In those moments, he could observe the same squall hurling itself through rooftop gutters and spilling out into the street.

The intense shower continued for a short while longer, but it could not sustain itself indefinitely. Having cast off the bulk of their water content, the clouds began to shrink until they had regained their formerly white color. They gave way to the bright afternoon sun, which hurled dazzling beams of light in every direction imaginable. Some of these golden rays struck against the retreating cloud, fracturing away into a breathtaking rainbow.

Jasper had observed all these things from a bus, but the fact that he was on a long ride was barely a distraction at all. He had chosen to occupy his attention by exploiting his position at the window seat, projecting his conscious thoughts outside of the commercial passenger vehicle. As far as he was concerned, there was no bus anymore; only Jasper, the clouds, and the distant rural countryside.

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

Crysdal caught Inara's smile just as Hadley squeezed and released her hands to follow Somnus's instructions; she forced a smile in return, wanting to show how much she appreciated the attempt to make things feel normal, but as everyone started settling in she quickly side-stepped to Elysande's side, looked around, and found a place for them that wasn't in the doorway. She motioned to it and tried to be as small as possible as she crossed over to it, gracefully stepping over and around any obstacles until she had to her back to the wall and easily slid down along it, looking up for Elysande to join her and get comfortable as had been their usual during Phase 1 for some of the planets they had visited. Typically it was Elysande to her right and Gabriel to her left when they had to sleep sitting up; Elysande'd grumble about safety and circumstances for a minute but drop off quickly, if lightly, and Crysdal would often wake up to find her slumped over onto her shoulder (and then wake up quickly, deny everything, and start her morning stretches); Gabriel would just set his shield on his other side of himself, cross his arms, close his eyes, and be out, as calming and dependable a presence then as he was with her in fights. She was glad Elysande was here, but she wished he was, too.

She positioned herself so she wouldn't fall to the left, and when Elysande sat down beside her she took her friend's hand in her right hand and slowed her breathing.

It was going to be fine.

They'd make it.

...They'd wake up again.

Clouds, waterfall, rainbow. Clouds, waterfall, rainbow. Her heart thudded in her chest despite her controlled breathing. She reassured herself a second time: they'd wake up again. She just had to believe it. That'd make the difference. She bit her lip. Clouds, waterfall, rainbow. A rainbow, coming off of a waterfall, up in the clouds. Peaceful, right? Right. Fluffy cloud floors and a fluffy cloud cliff with a waterfall falling off its side and a rainbow hanging in the mists. They'd wake up. Her hand reflexively squeezed Elysande's, fighting to keep the mental image of the cloud and rainbow and waterfall. This wasn't the last thing. They'd wake up.

Clouds, waterfall, rainbow.

Lotus Crystal

Alshain moved without thought allowing herself to be led by Aegle. She understand the desire to remain close, even if she would (most likely) never admit it out loud. Aegle had been one of three people total she could rely on in her life outside of her family. And right now, she was the only person she had been relying on for months since their conscription.

The dark haired woman lowered herself down next to Aegle, instinctively taking the side she always took somehow. She didn't deny the hand she felt slip into hers, only squeezed back reassuringly before positioning herself as comfortably as possible. She tried not to let the adrenaline threaten to tighten her lungs as she it so often did when she had to sleep in stressful circumstances. It was just the mix of energy, fear, readiness, and stress all before the world goes dark that was too familiar. She couldn't handle that right now though. So she breathed, she focused on meditating, on slowing down. On promising that if it had to be someone, it would still be her.

Everything slowed as she listened to the pounding of her heart in her chest, the blackness on the edge of her vision threatening to force her to view what she so often saw in her dreams, a gaping void ready to consume her...

She used their requested mantra to keep the vision out of her focus. Clouds, shapes filled her vision as did the feeling of grass beneath her, she was spending time with her younger brother, trying to make arbitrary shapes out of clouds. Waterfall, she could feel the cold pounding water flowing over her head and down the rest of her body, it was so cold, no not the same kind of chill. Rainbow, she had been full of despair and doubt when she passed by a fountain and happened to glance at it. The colors reminded her of the beauty still found in the world and maybe even in herself.

She felt the grip on her hand tighten again as she began to drift off, fearing what she would be shown the next time her eyes opened.

Roleplaying Moderator

Well, that was settled then. She still was not convinced either way - while she did find it more likely for this Aegle to be the real one, could she attack the allegedly fake one with no questions asked? Before she -- no, it -- had the chance to strike first? She was not that confident.

But it was time to jump into action either way. They'd just have to hope for the best.

She proceeded to sit next to her sister. Waterfall? It was not hard to imagine which place her sister would picture.

Clouds, waterfall, rainbow... She closed her eyes, attempting to concentrate on such scenery. The waterfall by the palace... Soft white clouds up in the sky... A rainbow visible in the distance... A picnic with her sister. Perhaps the friends they have made in this adventure too? Would they want to visit? Maybe when peace has finally been achieved. If they make it...

No. When they make it.

Clouds... Waterfall... Rainbow...

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

Somnus
As soon as they settled themselves in, Somnus began. With a easy manner about her, she aimed her finger and pointed at Valdis, whispered, "Hypnos Beam" so quietly it was but air leaving her lips, and a visible laser of purple surrounded by sparkling bubbles shot out, hit the senshi on her forehead, and Valdis slumped over in sleep. She adjusted her aim and fired another shot at Shadow, and then another, and another, ending last on the two sets of girls that leaned on each other for support so one would not startle so much when the other fell unconscious. She looked around the room, checking one last time to see that the task had been completed, and stepped over stray limbs to lock the door to the room - a purely symbolic gesture considering the conference attendees, but it would at least serve as a reminder not to disturb them.

If you don't trust yourself not to Metagame, don't read this. Plot-critical information that characters should not definitively find out until the end contained within - characters WILL NOT KNOW about any of this.:

From her "bed" atop the conference table, she let go of her train of thought and fell asleep immediately. She stepped into the nearest dream, oriented herself, and, smiling, reaching out to Sailor Hemera. "Let's find the others," she said, and in a way that might have seemed odd to the dreamers, she went from dream to dream, instructing them to hold hands as they left one mental world for the next. Once all of their consciousnesses had been gathered together, standing in a beautiful little secret garden, she instructed them all to hold hands. "I'm going to create a mental link," she explained, closing her eyes and glowing faintly, "that way we won't be thrown in different directions if the dreamscape changes."

At once, strings formed between her pinky finger and the pinky fingers on the hands to either side of her, and then from those fingers to the next, and the next, the purple strings almost iridescent in the soft light of Valdis's dream, and nearly constantly changing the moment they dropped their hands, connecting pinkies to the person nearest them. "Don't worry about having them physically affect you," she stated with authority, "They can't. Believe that, and they won't. We're all in a waking dream now - in here, it's all about what you believe. Doubt yourself and you can't do it. Believe you can, and anything is possible. It takes a while to get used to, but you'll get the hang of it. Do you want to practice that a bit before we head out?" she asked.

Senior Member Small Lady Emeritus

Sailor Roshar

The trip into the dream world certainly had to be the strangest thing Roshar had experience. Now she found herself connected to two of the senshi with them but as she moved around the ground, taking in the scene of the garden, she found the strings attachment changing between who she was near.

Roshar had paused her meandering to examing a flower. She hadn't seen one like it before. It was stunningly bright in color. As Somnus explained the string further, she paused and looked towards the girl, raising an eye brow. Anything is possible if you believe? Interesting. She lifted her hands, looking at the strings attached to her pinkies, now leading to the quiet Xtal-Diamante on one side and Shadow on the other.

"Are you saying that I could just jump into the sky and go as high as I wanted, without wings?" Roshar then attempted to do just as she asked, attempting to jump as high as she wanted.

Lotus Crystal

Great instructions for someone with self doubt and second guessing issues... She sighed slightly whether in frustration or disappointment, she wasn't exactly sure. She couldn't just pretend they weren't in a dream world either, they may need to adapt and think about the laws of physics and their powers differently. Then a helpful thought actually crossed her mind,

"If this is a dreamscape, shouldn't we have endless energy or increased strength and ability? Can we not just place ourselves in the area of whoever even started all this? How can we win in a fight that's not based on reality or physics?" Once her mind started going so did the questions. Hopefully Somnus would be able to answer them.

Lotus Crystal

Colorful dreams were not the kind of thing Jasper experienced on a regular basis, though they did happen. Recalling the prior instructions given by Sailor Somnus, Shadow proceeded to follow her into a secret garden where the volunteering senshi had gathered together. On their chaperone's insistence, he joined hands with the two guardians closest to his person.

Now there were some odd purple strings running from the pinky fingers of his hands to the closest individuals, which appeared to be Roshar and Xtal-Diamante. This thread was a mental tether. His first impression was to consider it strange, but why? It wasn't as if he gained any formal education on the type of magicks or supernatural abilities that dealt with the realm of the mind, or any thorough kind of training for that matter. Things just kind of fell into place for him, and there was no shortage of unpleasant memories associated with the distant past. Perhaps it was time he started to treat his powers as a valuable asset rather than some accursed liability.

He shared a glance with the rust-red woman, then shrugged and looked at Roshar while the energetic senshi posed her question. Was she actually going to act on that idea? ... Yes. Yes she was. More power to you, Shadow spoke under his breath while his latest acquaintance put her vertical jumping skills to the test.

Meanwhile, Alshain raised her own concerns about the dream world and how it would affect their powers and abilities. Rather than speak out of turn, the man in the dark uniform kept his silence. He had his own theories, but he _also_ didn't have a Sailor Crystal; rather, he had once been a Chaos vassal. There wasn't any assurance that his own theories would be useful, so they would just have to remain in his back pocket.

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

Somnus
Somnus considered Roshar, folding her arms and putting a finger to her chin as she replied, "If you believe it, but there are always limits to dreamscapes -"

DM wrote:: Roshar would jump easily and make it rather high... until stopped - gently but resolutely - by an unseen barrier. She did not fall, she was just unable to go higher.

"Like that one. We're in Valdis's dream - it only extends as far as she imagined it."

Purple eyes were torn from Roshar's midair feat to address Alshain's line of questions, the pale girl waiting until she finished to address her queries, delicate brows furrowing to remember them all as she ticked them off one by one, "Not necessarily; no; and it's all about leverage." She took a breath before trying to explain. "Technically, beyond the barriers that the dreamer subconsciously put in place, everything should be limitless as you are still in control of your consciousness; however," she stressed heavily, "You'd have to fight against every experience you have ever had as a senshi and in life to overcome your own subconscious knowledge of how you work, and that takes time and energy and practice that we simply do not have. Using your imagination flawlessly is one thing, using your abilities is completely another. Your abilities will tax you as they normally do, your strength and dexterity will be in here as they are in the outside world. If we had more time we could practice letting go of those suppositions, but it took even me a few weeks to get really comfortable in here, and we've got hours or less, to not only get through this but fight something and win. Facing crises of self simply isn't within the time constraints."

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

In here, it's all about what you believe. Something tugged at her as Crysdal watched as the other-sector senshi jumped high, listening to Somnus's response as the words that had tagged themselves as meaningful kept returning to the forefront of her thoughts. Doubt yourself and you can't do it. She glanced at their guide as she answered Elys's questions ((Elys, as the girl herself had actually recognized the name when she was trying to catch her as being a stranger and thereby, to Crysdal's mind, a-ok'ing the use of the nickname once and for all)), glad that those inquiries had come to her friend's mind and finding the subsequent mini-lesson a little counter to what she had originally claimed when she said Believe you can, and anything is possible, but then she figured it was something like dancing or singing. Being told what to do was one thing, but it could take ages to get everything right. Practice makes perfect and all, and until then you just gotta...

She snickered, covering her mouth as the realization came crashing down.

Fake it 'til you make it.

Believe you can and anything is possible; Fake it 'til you make it - they were practically the same thing. Well, one a little more honest about pretending to be something you're not, but honestly on the same level just different outlooks, right? She felt more confident, dancing over Somnus's line about crises of self and deciding that she'd just do what she normally did. Maybe stretch it just a little if special circumstances arise, but with any luck her abilites wouldn't be necessary in here.

Outer Senshi Admin Events & Storyline Admin

Seeing her secret alcove filled with a bunch of people was definitely a strange sensation. She'd never shared this place with anyone before, not even Grandmother. Now there were more people within its magical embrace than she could have ever imagined.

It was just a dream, she reminded herself. And she trusted these people, too.

As Hadley listened to Somnus's statements, she couldn't help but to feel a little apprehensive. The sense of bravado she'd worn like a shield ever since Ari fell ill suddenly felt stilted. A chink in the armor.

From what Somnus was saying, it felt like the most important thing in this dreamworld was to have confidence. Specifically, confidence in yourself. Hadley frowned a little, staring down at the intertwining iridescent strings connecting herself to the others. Confidence wasn't exactly her strongest suit. She'd hoped - she'd wished - that the specific leadership panels she'd attended would help with that. And at the time, it almost seemed like it had.

But now, coming face-to-face with it, with everything on the line and no Ari by her side, she suddenly wasn't so certain.

Believe you can, and anything is possible.

Hadley focused in on these words, repeating them in her head. She had to get this right. She had to do well.

A memory of a bright smile and kind eyes the color of spring flashed before her and Hadley forced herself to push aside all of her doubt. She could do this. She would do this.

And she would succeed. There simply was no other option.

Outer Senshi Admin RP Graphics & Canon Admin

Believe you can and anything is possible? Hemera liked that thought. She was a good believer. Too good, maybe, sometimes, but believing was her thing. The idea of trying it sounded exciting, too, and when Roshar bolted to the sky without wings, she laughed in amazement and surprise. "That is amazing!"

She also liked Alshain's questions, but deflated when Somnus told them they couldn't really do things out of the ordinary. Well... not much out of the ordinary, she supposed, since the jumping thing was out of the ordinary and it worked. It was still pretty exciting, though. Maybe she'd make herself a cooler, upgraded senshi outfit or something?

"So how do we find the source of this problem then?" she asked, tapping her foot impatiently, eager to find something to punch or hit with her staff.

Lotus Crystal

So there was a catch to the seemingly unlimited opportunities of the dream expanse! He didn't believe that taking the dream world at face value was necessarily wise, but there was truth in Sailor Somnus's words. Were he to guess, the mind's natural resting state reflected the link it shared with its body in reality.

He still wasn't informed as to the name of Roshar's lively and impatient friend, but introductions could be handled when they got down to business. The wayward Earth soldier took an appraising interest in the surface emotions of his companions by looking around their circle. He gazed at each of the senshi in turn, spending about a second or two to searching for outward tells in their expression. Shadow (of course) was reserved and mildly distant from the senshi, but it wasn't too late to fix that.

A man could hope, at least.

Rather than allow the young girl's question to hang in the air by itself, Shadow spoke up to offer a partial answer and call attention to their purpose for being in the dreamscape. "Before we entered the dream, Somnus suggested that there was a web or conduit that could lead back to our target."

Inner Senshi Admin Activities Director

The dream they stood in surrounded the group with a lush, verdant garden. Xtal-Diamante did not feel terribly surprised to see it, considering that this proliferation of greenery appeared to be preferred by the majority of her comrades. What had once seemed strange, due to the degree of difference from her home planet, now reached a level of commonness that gradually lost interest. She listened to the commentary from Sailor Somnus, but didn't dwell on the words or the unusual tying of pinkies. Instead, her attention turned to Hemera's question and Shadow's reply, waiting to see what their guide would recommend. If only they had remained in her dream world, at least she might have been able to move some rocks about while the others (inevitably) spent more time talking.

Lotus Crystal

Well that was more or less helpful, not confusing but a boundary that would have to be crossed occasionally. She heard the familiar sound of Aegle thinking something ridiculous, alright then. Well at least no one seems to be panicking, yet. Things could get dark with no warning, things could go astray. She glanced down at the string that supposedly connected her to everyone else. I wonder... Glancing back to Aegle, she focused on the other senshi and attempted to physically and mentally tug on the string, wondering if Aegle would be able to feel it.

OOC:

Roleplaying Moderator

The experience was rather surreal - everything felt real, but they knew that they were dreaming, yet the knowledge of a fake reality somehow did not make the dream feel any less real...

She shook her head - no need to give herself a headache thinking over this. She noticed some strange strings that connected her with the others. Can they be cut? What would happen if they were cut? Hopefully they wouldn't have to worry about them.

She listened on as Somnus explained the laws and physics of this bizarre world. Everything they do, their speed, their strength, it would feel the same. It could be unlimited if they had more time to practice. But if that's the case...

"That source...," she added to her sister's question. "If our powers were unlimited with enough practice, then... wouldn't it be likely that whatever we have to face has had enough practice to reach that point?"

That thing, whatever it was, it has managed to throw so many girls in a deep sleep, entered one of those common dreams and even took on the form of a trusted ally to top it. It did not seem to be a rookie to this territory...

Did they even have a chance? They essentially jumped straight into the realm where it likely holds the most power.

Senior Member Small Lady Emeritus

Sailor Roshar

The speed of which she jumped up almost surprised her, she almost felt weightless, much different than her normal abilities. She was stopped from going any higher by an invisible barrier. Sommnus continued the conversation with the others but Roshar found she was a bit out of earshot. Grinning, she spun herself around and found that she could propel herself forward and cause herself to descend at will. How amazing!

Roshar indulged herself in her flight experience a little longer before finally coming down to the ground, albeit reluctantly and slowly.

"So this is what your world is like, Koru?" she mused to her companion as her feet touched the ground. The little spren did not appear before her, not even a disembodied voice, as he often would do, came.

"...Koru?" she looked around her immediate area. Where could he have gotten off to? How annoying! He could've been a great help to this situation, considering they were in his home world, supposedly. The little spren never could explain it properly to her. She frowned, a feeling of guilt bubbling in her gut. Hopefully he wasn't still mad about her comments from earlier. He should know she wasn't serious!

Brushing it off for now, she focused back on the group catching the end of Nyx's question.

"Even if that's the case, there's no turning back now. We're just going to have to face it and over come it. Believe in yourself and all that, right?"

They were going to enter it's world anyway, what good is there in worrying about the what ifs? The sooner they get to it, the sooner they could stop it before it grows even more powerful and takes other victims.

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

DM wrote:: Alshain focuses on Aegle and attempts to mentally/physically tug the string and see if Aegle notices.
Aegle's arm is sharply pulled towards Alshain.

Somnus
She turned, watching Hemera's question bounce off of Shadow before she could answer, and nodded to affirm his recollection was correct, heard Nyx's comment and Roshar's response, and tried to answer them in order as best she could. "We'll step out of the dream and see if there are any other strands like the ones I just -- Watch out!" she admonished, not in anger or surprised but more as a teacher whose students just did something stupid as Aegle was yanked forward by Alshain's tug on the string between them. Somnus rounded to face them, hands on her hips, "What part about believing that they can't physically affect you don't you get? I'm serious about this - you can't just - arrggggg," she groaned, her explanation ending in a long-suffering groan as she cut herself off, looked down, and pinched the bridge of her nose in thought, her foot slightly tapping with impatience.

[HC Event] Nightmare - Page 2 WW2Unhw

Amaya's comment spooked her, sounding completely reasonable and so completely scary but she kept a brave face, agreeing with the other senshi - Roshar? -'s comment, though she would've stated it another way if she were trying to make people feel bett---- ?!

She jerked forward, her pinky yanking her towards Elysande, and she gasped in surprise and took a few steps forward to keep her balance. She looked up and was starting to smile at the mischievous behavior when Somnus turned on them and called them out on it. She frowned - more at Somnus than at Elysande - and crossed her arms. She wasn't one to talk back to a teacher, but this teacher looked around her own age and was being rude. "I did believe it couldn't affect me," she stated firmly, "I accepted that the moment you suggested it. It pulled me down anyway and surprised me - I couldn't help that."

Somnus
She sighed "I'm not saying that you can, I just wish Alshain hadn't tried in the first place." She looked up, eyeing them all as she seemed to decide on something inevitable, and continued. "No matter what I say now, most of you will remember that the threads can become solid. This means that at any point in time, the threads going to or from a person may turn solid because they remembered they could be, resulting in anything from mild annoyances, like we just witnessed, to full blown disasters if we end up in a fight in here." She left the statement hanging, allowing their imaginations to fill in the blanks for what that may look like should it happen.

"Look, that's another side of things in here. At that moment, Alshain's focus, curiosity and belief were stronger than Aegle's passive acceptance, so Alshain's will won. I'd rather we not fight each other's wills when Nyx is right - the thing we may face could be stronger and more powerful than even I am in here; I doubt it, as I've had years of experience in this place, but let's not help it out by inadvertently hurting an ally. Just..." she breathed out through her nose, then straightened, her voice calm and firm with a hint of persuasiveness. "The strings are immaterial. They cannot affect your conscious form. They will pass right through you. They cannot affect your conscious form. The strings cannot hurt you. They cannot pull you. You cannot pull with them. You cannot hurt someone with them. The strings are immaterial."

She took another breath, then turned back to Valdis and Shadow, "As I was saying, we'll leave this dream and enter the space between; with the right outlook, we may see these other connected dreams and follow the strings back to their source. With luck, whatever is running this may not even know we are here before we face it." She looked around, ready to ask if they were ready to leave, but wanting to give them a moment to chew through what she had just said about the strings and comparative wills; if they had questions about it, she'd rather they ask now before it could potentially be too late to make sure they got it right.

Inner Senshi Admin Activities Director

The rust-skinned teenager turned her head, scanning the dream they currently stood in with no real purpose. She wasn't particularly listening to the kerfuffle with Sailor Somnus and the strings. Xtal-Diamante accepted them as "something else the other people wanted", which was a category that rapidly increased with an assortment of topics and concepts. She looked forward to what was just mentioned—moving—and readied herself to follow whoever might lead. It sounded as though Somnus was the one who knew what they ought to be doing, so that was who she expected to see take charge, but she wouldn't have been concerned if another started them on their way. This rock-less place seemed increasingly low in use to the assembled group.

Lotus Crystal

Alshain watched in both amazement and amusement as Aegle was pulled towards her rather strongly, and she had only just tugged on the cord... Not one to take rebuke from a stranger, her sharp features only took on a stubborn look as her hand continued to fidget with the string "attached" to her pinkie. Well if she could make the string material and immaterial on a whim, then that would just be another weapon in her arsenal if she needed it.

The rules in this place didn't quite seem to make sense, if you believe it, you can make it happen; but you can't actually overcome your known physical boundaries because history... she put a pin in that thought for in a moment. And apparently it doesn't matter what you believe if the other person has a stronger will and belief than yours, then it's their world. This sounded a bit complicated and not really dream like but oh well. Back to that pin though, why should history and imaginative power matter? They had dreams all the time where they existed outside the realm of physics, that's what dreams do and were for. It shouldn't take huge amounts of time to overcome your ideas about yourself and your abilities, if you can accept the fact that you're in control in a dream, lucid dreaming, then you don't have to rewrite anything. Dream fighting would exist in a separate schema than fighting in reality. This at least is what Alshain thought to herself.

Then a small sharp grin graced her features as she turned to Aegle once more, "pinch me please." This is a dream, and in this dream, she will feel no pain. She had absolute faith in her ability to not feel pain, she'd been under the affect of numbing potions before, for training purposes, so she knew what the sensation of no pain would feel like. She didn't have to push all of her willpower to this idea though, this was a dreamscape, as such, she was in control here, so no pain.

OOC Test 2:

Lotus Crystal

Attempting to ignore whatever shenanigans had transpired between Alshain and Aegle would have proven fruitless for Shadow. His attention had been originally focused upon their guide, but Somnus was either interrupted or distracted by Alshain's choice to tug on the string that was connected to her close friend.

In the realm of his own private thoughts, Shadow found Somnus's demeanor to be rather interesting. She spoke like a teacher whose patience was being tested, deliberately reinforcing her prior statement with repetition in points concerning their mental tethers - the purple strings that connected him and the senshi to one another. They were immaterial, but even then, because one of them tested the strings with their force of will against the other, it was discovered that they could turn solid and form an actual impediment.

What would he call this phenomenon? Schrödinger's string? Whatever it was, Jasper could recognize the importance of Somnus's statement. The people gathered together here had different personalities; variances existed in their respective measures of willpower. If they inadvertently put their beliefs against one another, chaos would ensue as the stronger egos would overpower those who were weak or not fully engaged. It was especially important for him to believe the strings would not hamper himself or anyone else.

Shadow took a passing glance at Xtal-Diamante, who seemed to be watching and waiting with nary a change in her expression. The best footnote to attach to her present demeanor, or perhaps her personality on the whole, was that she was dedicated to observation. He turned to address the other senshi, hiding his concerns behind a mask of curiosity and a milder streak of impatience.

"Is everyone ready? The next dream we encounter won't be this peaceful, if at all."

Outer Senshi Admin RP Graphics & Canon Admin

Oh, Nyx. Always pointing out the challenges right off the bat. That wasn't what they needed for morale when they just arrived, right? Let's not talk about how impossible it was to vanquish their foe. She completely agreed with what Roshar said and had to suppress the urge to cheer for her. They totally could be best friends, she expect.

Jumping when Somnus yelled for them to watch out, she turned toward Aegle and Alshain, the latter apparently having done something and proceeded to be lectured on by Somnus. All of it sounded kind of complicated to Hemera - she was beginning to like this boundless yet restraining realm of dreams full of contradictory things less and less - and she just wished they would get moving already.

The strings don't matter. Check. They aren't physical. Check. She stored that in her mind and moved on.

She opened her mouth to ask what they were waiting for, but then glanced at her sister and closed it again, choosing a long-suffering sigh instead.

Roleplaying Moderator

The strings can turn solid, based on whether they believe they can? Well that's just great. How was she supposed to convince herself that they are not? They are right there! Nyx was not used to defying logic especially when it's in plain sight. This will take some getting used to...

She tried to clear her head of thoughts of the girls (and gentleman) all piled together like a ball of yarn after a mishap, and focused. The strings are not real... They are immaterial... Not real... Definitely not real...

Nope, that was not working. The more she was thinking of it, the more her mind believed it to be real... That's it! All she had to do was stop thinking of it. Just like blinking. Once you stop thinking about it, it's like it's not even happening as far as your mind is concerned.

...Great. Now she couldn't stop thinking about blinking either. How annoying.

Outer Senshi Admin Events & Storyline Admin

Hadley had given the strings no mind at all until she saw Crysdal suddenly dragged forward by them. She frowned down at the iridescent lines connecting herself to the others.

She repeated to herself what Somnus had said about them. They cannot pull you. You cannot pull with them. The strings are immaterial.

She frowned down at them. Instead of thinking of them as strings, she decided she would think of them as beams of light. They were iridescent and reminded her of a magical kind of light, at least. And light didn't have a real physical presence. Or maybe it was better to not think of them at all?

Hadley resolutely pushed the thoughts away. She was determined not to mess up anything to do with this mission and if Somnus said that the connections were nothing, then so be it.

Hearing the towering man speak of how the next encounter wouldn't be nearly as peaceful, Hadley turned her attention to the details of her own dream. She soaked in every blade of grass, every soft petal, the splashes of water, and the humid warmth of the air.

It was almost like being home for the first time in many months.

A small smile came to her lips, sad though it may have been. If only she could have seen Grandma in this dream too. But perhaps that reunion was better saved for a real visit home. One day maybe.

With that, Hadley turned her attention back to the current situation. With a small mental goodbye to the dream version of her secret place, she was ready to move forward.

Senior Member Small Lady Emeritus

Sailor Roshar

Roshar almost laughed loudly at Alshain and Aegle's but covered it with a yawn once Somnus started lecturing. Ugh, lectures. Why was it so important that she repeat herself? All you had to do was believe, right? Was it really that hard for these girls to understand? Roshar pondered and attempted to hide another yawn as Somnus's tirade went on for some time.

Shadow was ready to go, made obvious by his question trying to urge the others. Yes, please. At least someone was on her wavelength! And Hemera, as she took note of an exasperated sigh from her. Roshar looked forward to the challenges they might face ahead. She was charged and ready to punch whatever caused this mess straight in the nose.

"I'm ready. Somnus, just show us the way,"

Bouncing on the balls of her feet while toying with a small charge of lightning between her hands, she smirked, "This chaos being is in for a shock."

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

Willpower, cans and can't's and now don't think about it's after giving her a particularly gruesome teaser about what suddenly remembering the strings can physically affect them? Crysdal did well to keep the overwhelming trepidation at bay, rubbing absently at the pinky Elys had pulled, practically ignoring Somnus's attempt at a chant to focus on not focusing on the strings. ...and what they could do. ... if suddenly solid. ... while her friends were travelling at high speeds. ... with weapons. ... or summoning magic. ...

That they were going to leave Hadley's dream and enter 'the space between' wasn't entirely welcome, either; Somnus was talking about everything that could happen in a dream, but did that also account for outside dreams? If they could exist outside dreams, would whatever was in charge have defenses outside dreams that they would have to face? And, if so, was everything they had just learned as valid out there as it was in here? She kept a neutral composure, hoping that Somnus's "luck" would hold true and there was nothing to worry about out there. Somnus looked around pointedly and Crysdal considered asking her questions about the place they were immediately heading towards - easily falling back into the role she had held at school - but Elys whispered a request to be pinched - what?? - and then Shadow asked if everyone was ready and warned about dreams being not as peaceful, which mounted her confusion as Somnus had not mentioned entering any other dreams - they were going to look for other strings in 'the space between' and follow them back, right? ... But then why would she have spent all that time talking about how consciousness within dreams worked?

Had she missed something?

Uncomfortable and feeling lost now but not wanting to admit it, she just nodded her head towards Somnus, seconding Roshar's willingness to go. A glance towards Elysande sent a clear message:

Aegle Eye Contact - Upset, worry: wrote:: I'm not in the mood to play right now.

Her hand moved to take her friend's, but she hesitated and let it fall back, afraid the rejection for what she thought was another attempt at play - which was unlike Elys but was all she could understand the request as at the moment - would not warrant a willingness to hold her hand.

She just had to roll with whatever happened and do it confidently.

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

Somnus
Right then: no questions, but an assumption stated as fact and a punny livewire. She grimaced. Snowball's chance in a fiery pit - Should she...? But then talking hadn't gotten it any clearer apparently so what the hell. "Okay, let's go."

Without further pomp, Somnus raised her hand and a portal appeared in front of the fountain and she casually, confidently strode through, disappearing into the darkness within the purple-ringed hole in the dream, the twin strings from her pinkies keeping her connected to the two closest to the portal's entrance.

DM wrote:: Upon following Somnus out of Valdis's dream, your character will find themselves surrounded by a void. Somnus, Sailor Wings outstretched, would be high above, the lines connecting your character to each other and to her. Looking back at Valdis's dream, you would see the peaceful scene through the portal, but surrounding the portal, on the "outside" of the dream, would be the walls of a fluffy cloud, as though the cloud were hollow and holding the entirety of the dreamscape within it.

As soon as the last character leaves it, the cloud will silently poof out of existence.

There is no other sign of clouds around them - their own dreams, then, were already gone.

Somnus was looking for something; upon joining her, at first glance the void would appear completely empty in all directions...

Perception Check:
Nyx and Shadow see a faint glimmering dot and would be able to direct the party's attention to it. As there are no points of reference or compass headings in a void, just... point if you want to point it out.

Inner Senshi Admin Activities Director

The creation of the portal and the motion of Sailor Somnus finally gave Xtal-Diamante a direction, and she followed immediately. When she strode through the portal she found herself in a place without ground or sky, similar to the vast reaches of space but without the familiar glow of distant stars. Sailor Xtal-Diamante used her Sailor Wings as she had grown accustomed to doing in space, continuing to move towards the figure of their guide but without approaching too closely. Her clear eyes tracked around her form, but other than the glow of the portal, showing hints of the garden from Valdis's dream, there was nothing.

» Relaxed Antagonist Senshi: Sailor Nightmare
» Antagonist: Nightmare Moon//Senshi: Sailor Luna
» [Event/News] Usagi&Chibi-Usa birthday event on June 30th
» [RP Challenge Event] February CRACK-SHIPS EVENT - SEASON TWO!
» Anniversary Event Reports!!! [All Event Hosts Please Read!!!]

[HC Event] Nightmare

[HC Event] Nightmare

Similar topics

Similar topics