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

[no_longer_a_king]

[Never in her life: mortal, Servant, or as a Counter Guardian, has Arturia ever felt like this, floating in a void able to move how she pleases. Is this what it would be like if she could ever have achieved a spirit form? She does not know, does not care.

She allows herself a moment of childishness to do a spin in the air before facing the others.]

Is everyone all right? [For whatever level of all right they are.]

[sageprincess]

I... believe so?

[Zelda is more concerned with the light that's shining from within her (decidedly not wireframe) body. Why can she see her soul now...?

She clutches her hands protectively over her chest, despite the sinking feeling that it won't help should this odd void prove to be dangerous.]

Is this... supposed to happen, do you think?

[justabignobody]

[Riku's known this feeling already; he knows that this - a soul, a heart ripped from their shell - is what they have been all along, and it hadn't worried him all that much up to this point...

But until now there had only been the knowledge of being bodyless, and never the feeling that reminds him a little too much of- It doesn't matter right now. Are they all right? Only, if there aren't any megalomaniac Heartless rampaging the tower using their wire bodies (and that's really unlikely, isn't it).]

...For now, probably.

[He presses his lips together, wondering if he should bring up the pull; how to bring it up even...]

Does anyone else feel...?

[He gestures into the direction of the pull.]

H-Hi-- /Shy wave

[falseidentity]

I'm as fine as I'm going to be.

[Kachessa is a bit unnerved by the glowing, but, perhaps, it could be much worse.]

[keybearer]

I think so...

[Though Riku turns around briefly, in the vain hope that there's something besides all this emptiness. No dice.]

I just don't get what's going on. The last time something like this happened, it wasn't this empty...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Who knew being hooked up to some kind of strange machine designed to suck the power from your body would lead to something this bad?

Veronica knew, that's who. It wasn't like she didn't know there would be consequences. The good of everyone else was enough to bring her to do it though, give them enough power to keep going.

She'd been plagued by horrible nightmares all the while hooked up to the machine. Even worse, if she was asked about them, there would be confusion and a blank reply of "I can't remember" that somehow made it even worse.

And this was.... something for sure. A void. And empty, black void. Veronica was almost invisible in it, if not for her sister's jacket that she had decided to wear instead of her usual cloak. The soft glow emanating from her chest got less than a moments recognition before Veronica started off into the emptiness, looking around at the others that were in the murky depths.]

...W-where are w-we?

[wegotlucky]

[Neal had been well aware of the consequences of what he had decided to do. The nightmares were a constant reminder of that, even if the only thing that he could clearly remember was the feeling of fear and dread.

This place was new, though. Not a part of a nightmare, at least he didn't think. When he heard the question, he hesitated only for a moment.]

Doesn't seem to be a shared nightmare. Maybe this is one of the side effects Riki was talking about.

[bashfulshifter]

...I-I think...

[Rick trails off almost immediately--that pull he feels, dragging him somewhere off in the imperceptible distance, is really quite distracting! It takes him a moment to realize that he's left Veronica in the dark ha ha.]

...I've...s-s-seen this b-before...

[falseidentity]

[Nightmares take their toll. Kachessa is, at first, not wanting to respond. But eventually, she does stir in that void. She isn't so much tired as she is plagued with guilt. The nightmares had torn her heart asunder, and only with a bit of time had she managed to stand, drawn like the others.]

...How strange...

[undroppedeaves]

Very strange indeed. [Sam had began to move towards where he felt like he should be going but he swayed across towards the other lights he could see. Other people, the others who had volunteered.] Something's tellin' me to go this way miss, but I'm not sure I should be trusting it.

[justabignobody]

[In the very first second Riku thinks he might be stuck in another nightmare - the way this place is lit by the glow of his own heart, the darkness around him, the draw to some point in the distance... it all reminds him far too much of the Realm of Darkness, even if there isn't even any ground for them to stand on.

But no, if it was then he'd dream of Mickey (if he's lucky) or Ansem (unfortunately much more likely), of their voices at least, and since neither of them is present, but all those that have signed up with him for this are... It stands to question if this is even a dream. Or if it's only just a dream, if it isn't more...

They'll find out soon enough, he supposes, especially if he isn't the only one feeling that pull. Still, he can't help the feeling of-]

Déjà vu, all over again.

[warriorscribe]

This is familiar to you?

*Being somewhere dark with a destination in mind is familiar to him, but this is more than just "dark"... Enoch is drifting to people at random, just to confirm they're there and not dreamed.*

[swordofzero]

[The nightmares had been almost painful but this was just strange. This emptiness... He was glowing, that was strange as well and he began moving in the direction that seemed to be pulling him.

There were others, he noticed after a while, other glowing figures, the only thing to break up the vast blackness.] Hello? Does anyone require assistance? [Perhaps not, the almost pain of the day before was gone, now there was just the pull.]

[warriorscribe]

*The nightmares were becoming overwhelming combinations of all the fears he'd ever realized or gained. Right as his heart feels like it's going to pound itself apart and he's about to scream, there's nothing, and what would have been that scream becomes a choked sound in his throat.

His breathing still unsteady as his mind winds down, he reaches for the nearest person's hand; after being alone and afraid he's looking for another presence.*

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya hears a sudden sound, and he heads towards it. As soon as he sees Enoch, he dives down, reaching out for him as he wakes.]

Shh...

[He grabs the other's hand, holding it tightly, and reaches up to stroke his hair.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Servants don't dream. If they see anything during the times they choose to sleep, it's memories, and Diarmuid's become quite used to the twisted versions of his memories that often plague him when he shuts his eyes.

These are no memories. These nightmares are the first true dreams he's had in thousands of years, and while they start off mildly enough, like everyone else he is nearly screaming in pain by the time they finally fade.

Though, the fears they show him--fears he never even knew he had--linger even after the pain has vanished.

Diarmuid wraps his arms around himself, almost as if he is fighting off a chill, and then lets his gaze begin to search out familiar faces. Of course, he is looking for one in particular, but at this point, he would be glad to find anyone.

For a man standing in a group of others, he's feeling very alone. Though, that fear is at least familiar. It's the others he's been shown that he is trying very hard not to think about right now.]

I don't know if this counts as a total disaster, but it's certainly close...

[notagiraffe]

The dreams had been awful, even though nightmares were something Taiki was very used to. Still the dreams and the pain was enough for him to curl up the moment he could, and when he realised he had... that he no longer felt strapped down he opened his eyes and looked into the blackness.

He was floating... it was weird, there didn't seem to be any ground or sky, and the only light came from himself. He blinked and heard a voice, looking towards another person, another light] Was... sorry was this supposed to happen?

[attheclocktower]

[This hasn't been a fun experience so far. She'd had to fight down panic while strapped to the chair, reminding herself that she had to do this. She had to. They couldn't let the Tower run out of power, not with so much at stake. Sleep had been a relief at first, even with the nightmares.

She's used to those, at least.

When she slips out into the darkness with a jolt, she stumbles, then falls completely when she misjudges where the ground is. It's dark - all dark - and she can't see the ground. Can't see walls or objects or anything besides herself.

And the others. Thankfully she's not alone, it seems. She starts to try to push herself to her feet, though it's equally difficult for the same reason that she fell.]

What's going on? [with a slight grunt she pushes herself upright] We're not [wobble] back in the Tower, are we?

[savedbyasong]

We might be... at least I guess part of us must still be [Have a floating brother, he's not used to this either. The nightmares had been bad, but he was used to those. This not so much, the blackness, the emptiness. It terrified him, and he was just glad that he wasn't alone.] Since our souls can't exist outside of it...

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya is used to dreams. His dreams are usually either memories or twisted horrors, almost never pleasant. So the nightmares that had come were expected, almost welcomed, like a parent herding unruly children.]

[The pain hadn't been a surprise either. Pain he was used to. Pain he could deal with, so he'd dived into it, pushing past it headfirst as if he had somewhere more important to be.]

[The sudden silence, the absence of pain and dreams and the arrival in some sort of void was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He had no idea how long he'd hovered there, curled up with only the glow from inside himself lighting the area around him.. Eventually he'd heard voices, and floated towards them.]

[The others that had been hooked up - they were here, too. There would be no reason for them to be here in a dream... so he must be awake. At least in some fashion. He pushes himself through the void, before speaking.]

I don't imagine this was expected...

[notagiraffe]

I don't think it was... [A voice he recognised, Taiki moved towards his side, floating was easier than he would have thought. He was still shaken from the nightmares but at least he wasn't alone, that made it a lot less scary]

[ambassadorasshat]

[In hindsight, this volunteering thing was a terrible idea. Choosing to go through with it, anyway. Luke almost backed out, was tempted to when he got into the machine, but managed to (almost) swallow his panic (though he was visibly distressed before falling asleep).

And nightmares weren't something unused to. Not frequently, but regularly enough that it impacted his ability to sleep some nights. They weren't usually piled together like this, one after the other without the ability to wake up and go do something to take his mind off of whatever the nightmare was about. He can't even recall most of them, just that they're terrifying and painful and won't go away.

He doesn't notice when they do stop, curled into as tight a ball as he can manage in his area of the void.

He'll uncurl eventually, but he's not getting up for a while.]

[attheclocktower]

[The flash of red hair catches Xion's attention. Even if she's always been more familiar with Asch than Luke, she still feels like she should say or do something.

She walks over, slowly easing herself down on one knee as she reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder.]

Luke?

[fragileprophet]

[Much like the others who have found themselves within this strange, dark void, Ion is shaken and puzzled. The only thing that seems to be present in this plane of existence (if it can even be called that much) are the other residents that had volunteered to power the Tower just as he had.

Still recovering from the almost too-real onslaught of nightmares and not sure how to react to the softly glowing light coming from each and every one of them, it takes him, it takes Ion a moment to even say anything. But finally, blinking at his hands, he says the first thing that comes to mind.]

I'm assuming this isn't just another dream.

[attheclocktower]

I don't think so.

[Xion sounds unsure herself, though it's more due to not being sure what's going on than the state of reality versus dreams.]

We're all here, right?

[keybearer]

[Nightmares... Days worth of nightmares plagued him. Flickers of imagery of shadows shrouding an island, palm trees splitting down the trunks, planks of wood flying through the air, and the swirling sensation of getting dragged down a whirlpool kicking and screaming.

He caught flashes of his friends shredded by Heartless. Saw bright flashes of light rushing towards him while darkness coiled, constricted his torso. And that wasn't even the end of it...

With his Dream Eater devouring his nightmares up until this point, the onslaught of images hit him like a tsunami, and when he wakes up in the void, he stands with a slight slump, arms wrapped tightly around himself and eyes on the ground. Weary is one way of putting it, and he traverses the void at a snail's pace, squinting and scouring the empty surroundings for something, anything more than the darkness all around.]

There's gotta be a reason for this... Something that's dragged us here.

[glassceiling]

[Assassin takes a step away from the newest arrival in the void.]

But what? And why?

[bashfulshifter]

[This is...strangely familiar. Almost uncomfortably so.]

[The astral plane isn't a place Rick has explored often, but he does understand that his abilities tie him to it on an intimate level that he is only partially aware of. On the rare occasions where his training with Clayton allowed him to fully experience walking within his own mind, he became thankful that he didn't have that kind of mental mobility. The vastness of the void, the peculiar warping of thoughts and memories, if they appeared at all, were far too unusual for him to understand. Best leave the astral plane to those who were designed to walk it, in his opinion.]

[...Though...this is different than what he remembers. No matter how hard he concentrates, there are no features around him--and yet he feels drawn to move forward, towards something. Every once in a while he squeeze his eyes shut in the hopes that the darkness will resolve into some shadow he can focus on, some indication of what is waiting for him--but it never does.]

[The blonde man wanders, aimlessly, determined to make some kind of progress. It feels nice to have a realizable goal again, he thinks. Oddly satisfying...]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch is wandering too, for now ignoring the pull of the thing in the distance to touch base with everyone. His nightmares had no trouble preying on the awful loneliness of being utterly isolated.*

Rick? Are you going after whatever that is?

[stop_calling_me_zelda]

[The nightmares had been the worst, her crew being killed over and over again, failing to protect Aryll, cursed storms on the sea sinking her ship, being the one who killed her own mother, islands burning and Link-

Link! And Zelda! They should be here too!]

'Hoy, Zelda? Liiiiiink?

[In a group with forty other people, yelling first seems like a good idea before wandering around and looking. Which she does shortly after, stopping to stare in the distance once and turning around in a circle once or twice otherwise in the hopes of something else appearing in...]

Where are we?

[sageprincess]

Tetra!

[Hello, first priority. The strange tugging sensation can wait. Zelda rushes towards the sound of Tetra's voice, pushing through the crowd as necessary. Tetra's grown up a lot, she knows, but she still cannot help being a little fussy as she checks over the younger princess.]

Are you all right?

[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 ...]

[regenleif]

The nightmares had been relentless and the pain had been growing worse, adding to the fear and making Capell fully regret volunteering. How he wished to be his old self, the one who would have ran a mile at the idea of being strapped to a machine in order to help power a tower and give people more time to live.

He still wished to run a mile, he just knew now that he couldn't. And now he was... wherever this place was. It was strange, floating in nothing and knowing nothing except that way was where he wanted to go.

"I guess this is part of the extra affects Riki couldn't tell us about..."

[sarcasmancer]

"So it would seem," remarks a long-haired man, floating nearby. His demeanor seems calm; at least, he's even-faced and even-voiced. "On the upside, if our consciousnesses are able to communicate with each other, that means we probably aren't dead."

Probably. It would be rather ironic to Jade if volunteering to help try to preserve the lives of those in the Tower led to their permanent deaths.

[notsogrimreaper]

[The nightmares were nothing. They were familiar to him, so much so that they hardly phased him. His only difficulty was being unable to wake up from them, being unable to see the morning come.

...When he does awaken, however, it's almost more concerning. He doesn't know where he is, donesn't know how far he is from everyone else... all he knows is he's glowing, and everyone else out there is glowing too. One of them has to be...]

Yukiko!

[He had promised to protect her, after all. She was powerless, and it wasn't safe for her to be alone. Hastily, he starts stumbling through the darkness, calling out as loud as he can.]

Yukiko, where are you? Answer me!

[Though he's calling for her right now, he'd be happy to know that everyone else is safe too, and also have some assistance in finding his girlfriend.]

[slightlyoblivious]

Ryoji? It's me!

[Yukiko tries waving, but it's a little too dark. Instead, she follows the sound of his voice. When she sees him, she hugs him.]

I'm all right, not hurt or anything. I didn't mean to worry you.

Addressing everyone in general

[no_longer_a_king]

Listen! Everyone! [She tries to move to the front of the group, but considering that pull is the only way they can even figure out a direction to move in, it's a hard to thing to do. So Arturia raises her voice in a commanding tone.]

Everyone!

[Once she is sure she has as much attention as she is going to get, she continues, standing as proud and tall as she can in these circumstances.]

Some of us are going to follow the pull we all feel. No one here is foolish to think it will be safe, so I advise everyone, whether you are coming with us or staying, to stay together. There's no telling what is out there, nor if it will be safe, so I advise everyone find a group to stay with, even if you are strangers, and no matter what do not let them go. Even if it's hell itself, do not let them go and do not play hero.

Now, who is coming with us?

[warriorscribe]

I am.

*Spoken without hesitation. He's all for figuring this out and now that he's gotten his bearings and calmed down, he wants to continue to help out.*