70. [DREAM/DREAM/DREAM/DREAM]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[So while the rest of Johto alternately panics, cries, or rushes around trying to capture as many of the soulstealing insects as possible, there are dozens of souls floating around in that dream limbo, drifting in and out of each other's slumbering thoughts and visions. Whether it's nightmarish flashbacks or just those dreams where you're at school taking a really hard test, and then Dracula shows up, and then everybody's naked ... anything is possible when it comes to what people see in their sleep.]

[But what appears in the darkness in this particular spot in the spaceless, shifting mass of dreaming souls... is a door.]

[It's old, and covered with boards and bolts, rusted near-through in some places. The lock is broken-- mangled and half-melted and wrenched out of the keyhole. The only thing on it that doesn't look ancient is a scrap of torn notebook-paper that's taped up on it at roughly eye-level. It reads only a single phrase:]</sub>

Fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh.

<sub>[More importantly, though... the door is ajar. Through the gap come the scents of rust and metal-- and something organic, fleshy-- and a low, deep hum of industrial machinery. It's not a door that anyone in their right mind would want to go through. ... But for anyone who may have stumbled this far into the dreams of their fellow lost souls, either in flight from some other nightmare or just pure, wandering curiosity... there's just no other place to go but through the door.]




[Go on. Open it. After all.... it's only a dream.]</sub>

[ooc: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, GUYS. Thanks for being patient! If you commented on that planning post, there's something spooky planned for your character to do here so please feel free to tag or not tag as it pleases you!]

~*~

[ooc: This is the IC post for what was announced over here! Even if you didn't comment there, feel free to participate! I'm still happy to whip up Silent Hill scenarios for folks!]

Comments

[foolishwren]

_{[She rubs the back of her neck, squinting at him in the dim light for a second. ... Maybe...]}

... Are you from Johto?

_{[He wouldn't be the first familiar face to show up in her dreams on this strange, long night...]}

[skillspanner]

Oh! [That makes sense... he'd probably heard her voice over the network then. He'd kind of forgotten about Johto in the midst of all the craziness.] Ye-yeah, that's gotta be it.

[foolishwren]

_{[Given the amount of time Heather spends talking with Rise, it's probably a given they've at least heard each other's voices in the background once or twice.]}

You wouldn't be the first one who's showed up in this place... _{[Then she frowns, squinting at him.]} ... How'd you get in?

[skillspanner]

Others have too? [Cocks his head to the side, looking around again now that he's a bit more calm.] I don't remember.

I opened my eyes, and here I was... well. Up at the top, or outside or wherever it was... this place.

[foolishwren]

A few.

Anyway, I should try and get you out of here. That thing was just an appetizer in the Banquet of Oh God, What the Shit.

[skillspanner]

Oh, geez. [Pause.] Hey, but uh... what about you?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She's already turned around to start heading back towards the spindly ladder. She's grateful it hasn't COLLAPSED yet...]

[But she looks back over her shoulder anyway.]</sub>

This is my dream.

M'used to it.

[skillspanner]

Still... [This whole place makes him unsure forever.] Be careful anyways. This place...

[foolishwren]

_{[Perhaps surprisingly, her response is to snicker.]}

I know my way around Hell, don't worry.

[skillspanner]

[It could've been surprising, but just like he knew his way around the dungeons in the TV world -- it made sense.]

G-gotcha. Now I just gotta get the hell out of here without getting my ass kicked again.

[foolishwren]

Hopefully. C'mon, you go up first.

_{[She stands at the base of the ladder and gestures up it.]}

[skillspanner]

Oh, uh-- right.

[He nods, taking a cautious step towards the ladder. The sooner he's out of here, the better, though. At least as far as he's concerned.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[There's a far-off rumble and Heather tenses automatically, hand flying to her pocket and head snapping around to look warily at the lines of vents.]

[Then she turns back to Yosuke, jerking her head towards the ladder again.]</sub>

C'mon, whatcha waitin' for?