hadriel_logs | Event Log: Dreamwalker the Second

Entry tags:

Event Log: Dreamwalker the Second

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the Dreamwalker part 2 event
Where: In your dreams
When: October 14th-20th (the second log will go up on Oct 23rd, please keep the two weeks of the event separate!)
Warnings: All different kinds of dreams falling under the umbrella of Delight, Rage, Sorrow, and Hope.

This time, the weird stuff doesn't happen when you're awake- as a matter of fact, your waking hours are the normal ones. That's because you're forced to sleep by some unknown entity, getting more and more exhausted by the moment as night falls. Better make sure you're always around a soft pillow.

Once asleep, it doesn't get any less weird- your dreams will be influenced by one of the four gods that make up the first week. Something to make you smile, something to make you angry- or something that reminds you of your deepest regret or most vulnerable hope, they're all things that you're dreaming about now for some reason, no matter how hard you may try to pull away from them.

To make matters more complicated, there are others intruding on your dreams who definitely don't belong there, and while they may seem like manifestations at first, it becomes clear that these others are actually the consciousness of other members of Hadriel, getting some top quality exposure to your angriest, happiest, most sorrowful moments. Hope it doesn't get awkward when you see them tomorrow...

► This log covers October 14th-20th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you die in dreams you don't die in real life, but if you somehow die in real life anyway, please let us know here.

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[Let your actions be your apology.

She thinks back to the beginning of the year, Chara standing in front of her, intent in their eyes and knife in hand. How all she could think as the blade came down was that this was penance. This would make it better. This sacrifice would fix everything. She could stop begging for forgiveness from everyone who knew her, from everyone who knew this, from the world.

Really, all she had to do was forgive herself. But how else could she have ever made it up to them?

She sniffles again, takes her glasses off her face. Tries to get some of the dust and water off enough so they're not such a mess.]

I've... I've tried to do better, in Hadriel. To try and live when they couldn't. I just don't know if I'll ever be good enough to make up for it.

[She pauses, but doesn't rise from the floor.]

What if I make another mistake? When do I stop getting second chances? When d-do I stop deserving them?

[The longer she stands there, dust coating her, water rolling down her cheeks and building the dirt in tracks on her face, the longer she feels like she's going to fall apart. She can't keep her hands steady, and the one outstretched drops to her side. Alphys tries to reach up to clean her glasses, do anything, do something, but she just ends up balling her hands into fists in front of her eyes, pressing them there to try and stop the crying.

She swears, she can feel her soul trembling with them. As if it will shake like theirs did, once, twice, and shatter.]

I never should have gotten this far. I l-lied to get this job, I never knew anything about souls or how this worked but I wanted to save everyone. I wanted to help them. They were all dead and I brought them back and then I just killed them again but worse. I didn't answer anything. I never helped anyone.

[Her hands move up towards the side of her head, like things are getting impossibly loud, because she can hear the rushing of water drawing closer. While Lup can't hear it, she will notice that she can feel it- water is flowing in from behind them, the space back there now nothing but stone. It's just enough to cover the floor, and it's not enough to be dangerous. But there is a current, and it's pushing towards something.]

It doesn't matter what I meant to happen. I hurt them, and I killed them, and no one ever found out what happened.

The spell dissipates too quickly, and he doesn't have the strength or ability to lift his head or even figure out if it worked. His hand is clenched tightly at his neck, but he can't figure out if that's what's stopping his ability to breathe or the fact that the blood is still coming through too strongly. He can't even feel it, a few moments later. He can't feel most of him, and he coughs once before it's over.

This isn't the first time, thankfully so, that Taako's died. He remembers the more recent ones more vividly; the sensation of being crushed in a cave-in, fire consuming his entire body and the pain lasting only seconds, the ground giving out from under him and falling, falling, unsure of if he hits anything below before it's over. But it's the slow ones like this, that do it. The ones where he can feel it.

He wakes up coughing, gripping his own neck so hard he can see the imprint of his thumb the next morning. But it doesn't matter. He's died plenty.

Just another day.

[The best kind of dream, to be honest. To be fair, Lup hasn't had a dream in well over a decade, but she can still appreciate the goodness of this one!]

Then he's mine for sure, Luce doesn't stand a chance! What's Mavis into?

Now that sounds delightful. We normally have parties - I certainly get nicer ones than the common folk, but this is special.

[He gestures around them, at the truly extravagant party.]

I am coming of age, after all.

Your teacher is an elf?

[?????? Holy shit.]

It's cool that your mom does magic too, I guess. [He wishes his mom did magic. Maybe? She could probably use it to heal people or whatever.

Michael waits patiently while Harlan demonstrates his amazing powers except oh. That is not what he expected. He squints, takes his glasses off and holds them out far enough that he can make out what the shape is. Then he laughs.]

You're gonna get in trouble. [He tries to wipe it off but it's stuck. Rude??] You're not supposed to draw those on stuff. [He's still giggling though.]

Not a bad strategy.

[Avoidance is also valid.]

And honestly? Oblivious is just as bad sometimes.

[There's not much of a difference in Jo's eyes, except Hunters don't have orders. They go where they're needed and where they can get to.]

Fine. Why them? They turned one person and you kill everyone?

[When the knife fall Jo relaxes just a little bit.]

We're done, right?

[She considers that for a moment, glancing fearfully back toward the shadows before reluctantly nodding, reaching her arms up for Adam to be picked up. She's still a child, and has some weight to her, but she's lighter than she should be, as if she's packed with fluff instead of flesh and bone. The girl sniffles, but presses closer toward Adam anyway, hiding her face in his shoulder so that they can move.

It's scary. Something rustles in the shadows, there's a low scuffle in the distance, but they push on. Ronan is back here somewhere, she's sure of it.

When they finally reach the back end of the barn, there's seemingly nothing there, save for an object on the ground, lying there unceremoniously, as if dropped carelessly by someone else. Adam could trip over it if he's not careful, but when he does notice it it's almost impossible to believe that it was so unassuming at first.

A tire iron lays at Adam's feet, weighty and thick, the end of it drenched in blood. Blood is spattered along the ground nearby, trailing off further into the shadows. It's significant though, there's a sudden heaviness to the air now that Adam is at ground zero, as if the very object itself is a black hole, taking all the spare breath and joy in the room and crushing it into nothingness.

The orphan girl squirms in Adam's arms, whimpering miserably as they stay there. The blood trail spatters back along the ground, black where it's dried, leading ultimately to a huddled dark mass, obscured by shadow and laying against the wall as if it had been dragged there. There's clothing that can be made out from here, the denim of jeans, and boots that fit a teenager more than they would a grown man.]

[He doesn't respond for a moment- he's listening outside, trying to ensure that they're actually alone, that it would be safe to leave soon. He thinks that most of the danger has passed, but it's impossible to be sure, just like it's impossible to know how long this goes for, if it will end as usual, or if it's different now that Tucker is here. Rome frowns, reaching for his weapon again, compulsively ensuring that it's loaded.]

Yes.

[It's a simple answer to a simple question. The gun is loaded, like he remembers. He rearms it.]

Normally I'm- not an onlooker. When I dream about it.

[He's the one doing the killing, just like he remembers. He's the one doubting the necessity of it, just like he remembers. He's the one who doesn't let his softer side get in the way of the slaughter- just like he remembers. There's a certain visceral misery to replaying the same steps over and over again, unable to change it, unable to know if it could have been different in the first place. He followed orders. He did what he was told. Questioning whether or not he should have changed things is the precipice to a very frightening sort of cliff that Rome is nowhere close to being able to scale, so he accepts it, like he always does. Moves forward, like he always does.

Dreams about it, like he always does.

Rome's jaw is tense and he peers out onto the street again from behind the curtain.]

It usually ends when I find the girl. I don't think it will be long now.

Well. Fair enough, Rosen has to give him that one.

"I think the DoD would have preferred it if I had been black bagged in your version of the term."

It certainly would have been an easier cleanup for them. No loose ends, all their crimes get wrapped away and buried with him.

"However in my case, it is something more insidious and politically motivated. I didn't get a trial because the courts are run by the same people who wanted me locked away. The crime I supposedly committed was against the United States Government, not a fellow citizen. So 'black bagged' means I was packed away and all evidence of my existence was erased from public knowledge."

It was. I miss Highgarden very much. And it certainly seems special. The champagne alone makes it exciting.

[she looks around them. it truly is an exceptional party]

You are? Well, may I offer you my congratulations?

"Yes."

He doesn't hesitate anymore. He's been in this cell for so long his patience has not only run thin, its run out altogether. He moves first to rip a long shred of fabric from his bedsheets, a task that should have been a lot more difficult than it is now due to the effects of the dream. Then he lifts a lanky leg and stomps outward at the mirror, slamming against it with the hard heel of his shoe. Once. Twice. Then the pieces of glass fall away in shards, of which he picks the largest to be his weapon.

And just as Firo had predicted, the breaking of the glass also summons the heavy footsteps of hospital security.

"Get ready, Firo."

[Delmar nods for a silent emphasis of what he had previously said, now taking a tentative grip on Michael's arm]

Now let's get you out of here, hm?

[Surely Michael's mind must have some spaces devoid of human-devouring beasts. Delmar gently tries to urge him away from the room where they are currently standing]

It's no good for you to stay here.

[There can be no positive outcome to a dream like this, where the city is quickly consumed in flames, the people they've both come to know all falling to their deaths, but Lup will remember that Alphys stayed with her until the end. Dream or not, the other woman's courage and the depth of their bond in this moment will stick with the elf for the rest of her stay in Hadriel.

Alphys refuses to leave her side and Lup hates that the other woman isn't seeking safety, but she accepts that decision with a firm nod of her head. Maybe Lup deserves to be alone after how many thousands of lives have been lost to the gauntlet she'd created, but she's selfish enough to take the company offered. She's spent so much time alone that she can't possibly find the strength to tell Alphys to leave a second time.

If she has to die again, at least it won't feel as cold and lonely as it had back in Wave Echo Cave.]

Just stay behind me-- [Lup's trying to cycle through spells that may have an advantage over fire, but there's not very many in her repertoire. Not that it matters, because everything happens far too fast for her to even decide what she's going to cast.

The shadowed figure contorts in front of them before an agonized scream rips from their throat, fire quickly consuming what was left, leaving a blackened husk of a person behind, arm still outstretched, the gauntlet untouched and shining. The wielder may be dead but the gauntlet's flame continues expanding and growing, fire pouring off to burn quickly through the city. The flame stretches upwards into a blazing column of brightness before it just reaches the point of inevitability and explodes. Lup barely has a chance to throw a skinny arm in front of Alphys before the two of them are completely consumed in the blaze. There's just enough time for the two to feel the heat and searing pain of the flames before the dream just ends, both women waking up in different locations in the city.]

( You don't have to tell this girl twice, and she's darting out supernaturally quick, her hand clasped tight around Taako's as the three rocket towards the trees, into the thicket. )

... Dickhead.

( The guy, obviously. That's the right thing to gasp out when you finally think it's safe, right? )

( Kate's hand hovers just shy of Marc's skin until he eventually says- )

Aye.

( And then she taps the back of his neck, letting his powers flow freely again. Around them, the Colosseum seems to wobble, as if distorting, drifting from their visions.

But it feels alright. Like anywhere they'll go will be better.

It's a nice feeling to wake up to. Like anything's possible. )

Ahhh, you know, books 'n stuff. Puzzles. She's a real smart one!

[ He's pretty sure Lucretia and Dav are more her speed. They'll all get on great, though. Family's not about similarities or always getting along or liking everyone the same for the same stuff.

It's about love.

He'd trust these six people to love his kids if his life depended on it. ]

[ Mister bullshit mcgee over here. What an Elf. ]

A responsible disaster. [ no ] Honestly? I wasn't thinkin' that far ahead. I mean, you bring your kids up on the moon, ya gotta explain a buncha stuff, deal with everyone wanting to meet 'em, askin' about 'em...

[ He starts to laugh. ]

The look on her face woulda been great, though!

Right... I shouldn't be ungrateful for that, and I'm not. I was fortunate that he was willing to take me in like a second son.

[A second, less praised son, but still, he did have all of the privileges that came with such a position. He wishes he'd appreciated certain aspects of it more, but he'd gotten carried away by his own jealousy.]

He favored Cecil over me... but he was a good king, regardless. It was as good a life as I could have had, for the most part. I wish... some things had been different. That my father had lived, for one thing...

"No. They didn't kick them out. It's not often they care to venture to the surface, though they don't seem to have any rules about it. It's just a difficult journey to make, past all of that lava. You need a ship coated in specialized materials to even make it." It certainly might be strange to see dwarves wandering around on the surface, but probably less unheard of since they'd ended up down there. The king had seemed interested in the surface anyway.

He nods agreement about that mosswine. "It's for the best in the short term. I'd say... worry about the long run later." Besides, this... may not be real at all, right? He's not completely sure, and has a hard time even trying to speculate. Hadriel can be so weird.

[Taako feels so much smaller in his arms than usual. He holds him carefully, but Kravitz's fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, as though he doesn't want to cling too tightly but can't help himself. He tucks his head down against Taako's, and he thinks he might be shaking. He hopes Taako can't feel it.]

I... I have no idea, as to what I may have lost. And so I won't pretend that anything I feel about- [he nods to their surroundings as well] all of this, could even compare to what you must have felt. But, I. I'm very sorry.

And I'm- angry. I feel angry, for you.

Michael squints over at Rosen. This sounds maybe more serious than his own situation; at least he doesn't have the entire government after him. Not that it feels any better.

"So what did you actually do? They wouldn't frame you for something and erase your existence for no reason, right?"

The idea is terrifying in a very primal way. Being trapped and having no way out, and no one on the outside even knows you're missing. No one back home even knows what's going on in this place, and the people in charge won't let you use the phone, so you have no way of telling them.

Wait. What? That's not what's happening here. Well, it is, but- God, this is confusing. He feels like he's in two places at once.

[They can do that? They can just leave? He's never thought to just leave before.]

Yeah, you're probably right. No good for either of us.

[Technically there is no space in his mind devoid of the Visitor, they're too closely intermingled. But the least he can do is take Delmar's lead and get out of that room.]

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Event Log: Dreamwalker the Second

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YEAH LMAO

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