Recharge?

[animusmods]

Characters: anyone who signed up to be hooked into the machine for the Recharge? event
Setting: a void
Format: party style
Summary: Those who chose to hook themselves up to the machine find themselves wandering around a void...
Warnings: standard Animus warnings; please put anything specific in subject lines of threads

Comments

[fionnuisce]

[Waver's arms were crossed tightly over his chest, a desperate attempt to stop himself from shaking. Nightmares were something he was accustomed to and even expected going into this, but that didn't mean the lecturer liked them at all. He failed to repress a shudder as he tried to push away the lingering thoughts of blood, fire, and catastrophe.]

Where- [Realizing his voice sounded weak and shaken, Waver cleared his throat and tried again.] This...isn't another dream, is it?

[megazero_to_superhero]

[Have one sourpuss-looking superhero making his way over to you, Waver.]

Nope. Unless I'm havin' dreams about dis place now.

[David's had his own share of nightmares, but they've mostly just made him cranky. Whatever is causing them has had a wealth of bad experiences to draw on. Sort of like that calendar he received in the mail months ago ...]

[fionnuisce]

So we've escalated the level of insanity? Fantastic.

[Shrugging off the lingering unease the best that he could, Waver frowned and looked around at the lack of scenery.]

[megazero_to_superhero]

'Least it's just nightmares an' nothin' more serious.

[David's paying more attention to the other assembled volunteers, himself. Seeing who all signed up for Riki's power donation drive.]

Imagine if dey didn't let us hang out together, eh? Dat can get creepy.

[fionnuisce]

I'm sure we'd be inclined to think we were dead, were that the case. And I mean properly dead, not the usual one-day revival.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Maybe—I dunno, I woulda expected to see da pearly gates if dat were true.

[David idly chomps on the cigar, looking thoughtful for a moment.]

Den again ... I got no clue how life after death's s'posed to work in wherever dis tower is.

[fionnuisce]

If there's a heaven, I'd place this as 'a location it could not possibly be further from', myself.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Well, I've met angels an' demons, so dere's gotta be a Hell worse dan dis.

[David grins humorlessly.]

Maybe punks like Jason're paddin' deir resumes for when dey get dere.

[fionnuisce]

I'd imagine Jason's got a reserved seat, if he doesn't just up and tip Satan out of his fucking throne.

[megazero_to_superhero]

[That gets a bitter chuckle out of David.]

Man, I hope not. Or—hey, actually, I hope he does, 'cause I don't imagine da devil'd take that guff lightly.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick has already started to wander--the pull is strong compared to his attention span, particularly since that gives him something else to focus on rather than the dreams he's just woken up from. If they are awake...which he doubts they are. Mind-walking is a little weird to think about.]

[Still, Waver's voice is enough to keep him focused long enough to reply.]

...I th--think...no. Um--the p-plane. I m-mean-- [Rick pauses and brings a hand up to his faintly glowing temples.] --the, uh--a-a-astral p-plane...m-maybe? I d-don't...i-it c-c-could be...

[Nope, distracted again. Rick's feet start unconsciously dragging him forward once more.]

[fionnuisce]

Might I advise complete sentences, perhaps?

[Not that Waver was any less distracted, looking around in confusion and trying to comprehend this.]

[bashfulshifter]

[Oops. Rick blushes fierce red and tries again--embarrassment is apparently enough to bring him back to reality.]

...S-Sorry. The, um...a-a-astral p-plane. It's... [...how on earth is he supposed to describe this.] ...b-between, uh...m-minds? I think?

[fionnuisce]

Oh...that's an idea. [One that Waver started to consider carefully before speaking again.]

Some kind of 'collective unconscious' sort of thing, then? I can't say I find it likely, but it does seem like a possibility.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick shrugs, then decides that Waver's answer is better than any he could come up with and nods in agreement.]

I-It, uh...w-was s-s-something f-from my w-w-world. I d-d-didn't know i-if it w-would...um...c-carry over? [Can planes of reality even do that? Are they not ubiquitous? That makes Rick's brain hurt a lot more than he's comfortable with.]

[glassceiling]

...I would have no reason to dream of you, would I?

[Assassin is no less confused and scared than anyone else here, though she is trying hard to stay calm. The only hint at how nervous she actually is is the fact that she has pulled her cloak tight around herself and is stepping away from anyone who comes too close.]

[fionnuisce]

At the moment I can't recall ever having met you, so I can say the answer is a sound 'no' on both sides.

[glassceiling]

Then whatever this is, it is no nightmare.

...Perhaps it would be better if it was.

[fionnuisce]

I think I prefer this to the persistent nightmares, myself.

[glassceiling]

You can wake up from a nightmare. But...is there a way out of this place?

[warriorscribe]

Not unless we're all dreaming it at once.

*Given psychoradiation, it's possible, but he feels awake enough.*

[fionnuisce]

At this point, I might believe that a valid possibility. That said--our environment aside, I feel more or less lucid at the moment. The real question, then, would be less 'are we dreaming' and more 'where the fuck are we'?

[warriorscribe]

That's something I doubt anyone here can answer.

*Enoch glances around at the lights in the darkness that are their fellow volunteers.*

My question is, are we meant to be here?