Darkness Overspreading

[wizard_redfive]

Who: Dairine, you… and an uninvited guest
What: Nightmare sharing
When: Throughout the Nightmare Plot
Where: Dairine’s dreamscape
Rating: Umm… Teen for now. Might change it later.

Three true things await discovery,
Darkness overspreading,
A commorancy underground:
And the Moon is no dream—

Those who enter Dairine’s dream will find themselves on the dark side of the moon. Of course, unless they are well-versed in lunar surfaces, it’ll just look like grey, rocky terrain. Surprisingly, you can breathe just fine despite not having any protective suits. The air is chilly, but not the freezing cold that was normal in outer space.

Above you is a night sky unaltered by smog or atmosphere, the deep velvety darkness of space. Beautiful, isn’t it? However, those that look closely will begin to notice a patch of sky far darker than the rest. As you continue to watch, the darkness will spread out, blocking out stars and galaxies. Before long, whole sections of space appear to be swallowed up by a void of nothingness. Yet make no mistake, this darkness is not nothing. It stirs and heaves as if it were a living thing… or a bunch of little ones, like a giant mass of insects.

That darkness is alive. And somehow, you know it's not friendly.

((Sections: Dark Matter Aliens The Lone Power Other

Her dreams start out fairly tame, but then again so many nightmares do. Don't worry. Things will pick up soon enough.))

Comments

Alien Attack at the Crossings

[wizard_redfive]

[You step through the worldgate onto a platform in the middle of what looks like a giant, sci-fi airline terminal. The stalls and kiosks are recognizable enough, even though the people working them are definitely not human. Luggage can be seen floating about or even walking on its own. Machines whiz through the air high above your head, towing various containers. But most impressive is the ceiling… or rather “ceilings.” Towering above everything else, thousands of different panels are layered on top of each other. Glassy ones, hard steel ones, wispy ones, multicolored metal ones… more materials than you can ever imagine, continuously moving and rearranging themselves. Sunlight filters through the terminal’s light green air and onto its shining white floor.

One of the personnel shoos you off the landing platform before another traveler suddenly appears where you were standing. Moving away from the platform gives you a better view of your location. The room is HUGE. (Or at least you think it’s one room… kind of hard to tell when it’s the size of a small state.) It is also filled with life-forms of every shape and size. You might even spot some alien species that you know. The Crossings is a popular spot after all.

As strange as the place may seem, it's certainly not unpleasant. Shall you explore?]

Re: Alien Attack at the Crossings

[the_effect_she_has]

[All right, first the sky looked like it was eating itself on that desolate place, so Katniss started to move towards what she thought would be safety ...

And found herself in a ...a train station? But a train station filled with the strangest people she'd ever seen. This was body sculpting gone to the grotesque.

Still ... it didn't seem dangerous. Maybe she could finally find a damned weapon. So she started to walk through the crowds, looking for something to use, trying not to stare all around her with slack-jawed wonder.]

[wizard_redfive]

[But Katniss, there's so much to see! Walking holly trees, reptilian humanoids, anamorphous blobs covered in fur... all speaking in different alien languages. You might overheard a few words now and then, but you cannot understand any of them.

There seem to be a line of shops off to one side. It's a fair distance away, but you could probably walk it. Maybe they sell weapons there?]

[the_effect_she_has]

[It really was wondrous... no, focus. Focus. She had to keep going. Had to find a way out of here, or around here, or a weapon of some kind. She couldn't understand any of what they were saying, but she did see the line of shops.]

[She started with a speedy walk over to them, cutting through the crowd as quickly as she could.]

[wizard_redfive]

[By dream logic, you begin walking and suddenly you're there.

The shops include all the types you'd expect to find in a terminal and then some. Clothing stores, restaurants, tech shops, souvenirs, odds and ends (with more odds than ends)... the works. Nothing that really screams "weaponry," but feel free to look around. You never know what you might find.]

[the_effect_she_has]

[Damn. Well, let's check out the electronics store, shall we? Might be a taser or something else. She wandered through - looking through the items there as she tried to find something she could use. Even temporarily.]

[Swords. Bows. She'd be happy with a pocket knife if it meant she wouldn't be forced to fight hand to hand.]

[wizard_redfive]

[If there is a taser, it'll probably be unidentifiable by Earth's standards. Finding it will also be tricky in the midst of all the strange gadgets. Floating metal orbs, blenders that change the color of smoke, and other high-tech answers to your everyday needs are spread about the store. The Capital's citizens would probably have a field day in here.

On one of the back shelves is something that looks like a cross between a glue-gun and an egg beater. That... might be a weapon of sorts, right? You could try asking about it.

Or maybe you'd have better luck in a kitchen-ware store.]

[the_effect_she_has]

[Good grief. this was a world of useless.

She snorted her head at the thing that was probably an egg beater -- and made her way to the kitchen wares department. Someone had to have a flipping knife. Or at least a rolling pin. Something that could be used to defend herself if this peaceful scene descended into hell.

... yes. Katniss is that paranoid.]

[wizard_redfive]

[Actually that was a laser dissociator... oh, nevermind.

Onward to the kitchen supplies! A few shops over is a large store dedicated to food-preparation wares. It's divided into sections, with large signs displaying different food-types over each one. They show silhouettes of vegetables, animals, grain, weird images that you've never seen before... Best choose one and work from there. In a store this big, there has to be some kind of blade.

Just for the love of all things holy, AVOID THE HUMANOID SIGN. There are things... best left unseen.]

[the_effect_she_has]

[Like she knows what that is... ]

[She avoids the weird food kinds, and goes for animal. Anything that would do the business of properly gutting an animal should do just fine for her. She started browsing, specifically avoiding the one played with Humanoid Sign. She did not want to know. Ever.]

[wizard_redfive]

[The utensils here are more identifiable. In fact, it looks like a regular kitchen store now. Katniss should be able to find a good section of knives, spoons, pots and pans, arrows... Waitaminute, what?

No, you heard that right. In the midst of all the food preparation supplies, some of Katniss's arrows are sitting on the shelf. Isn't that convenient?]

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss blinked; what the hell were her arrows doing here? No, wait, nevermind. She didn't want to know. Better that she was baffled by this marvel of technology - she just grabbed them off the shelf and started looking for her bow.]

[A little too convenient ....]

[wizard_redfive]

[Better find it quick. Because all of a sudden there seems to be a commotion outside the store. A mix of shouts, squawks, babbling, and an eerie high-pitched synthesizer-like cry can be heard. The shopkeeper (a burly 6 tentacle-armed guy) moves towards the front to investigate, but shortly hoots in alarm and scampers into the back room.]

[the_effect_she_has]

[That was not a good sign. In fact, she would consider that a downright horrible sign. She started scrambling amongst the shelves until she found her own bow, and crept through the shelving to the front door of the store. That way she could peek out.]

[squartatore]

[the pulsating darkness reminded Sayaka of many things, none which she cares to dwell on at the moment. Unconsciously running the fingers of her right hand over the ring on her left, she leaves, hoping the light marks an exit.

...this is definitely something different. A barrier? The..."people" don't appear to be hostile. Her guard remains up, but she considers the possibility that she may have arrived at a different world where such appearances are commonplace.

She notes how the staff member looks like, and goes off to find another for directions (or an explanation, an explanation would be good)]

[wizard_redfive]

[There are a number of different beings scattered around the terminal wearing similar outfits to that staff personnel. Seems this place employs a variety of species. Other creatures are walking around in silvery green clothing with small blue rods strapped to their sides… the alien equivalent to security guards. Maybe you could ask one of them for directions.

Or you could try the giant silvery-blue centipede typing behind the central desk. It-- he… looks official.]

[squartatore]

[it might be a bad idea to approach somebody carrying a weapon. The centipede...is intimidating, the way oversized bugs are, but seems like a safer choice]

Uh, 'scuse me.

[wizard_redfive]

[Aww... the security wouldn't shoot harmless travelers! It's bad for business.

The centipede looks up from what it was doing with several stalky eyes. It stares at her for a good long moment before speaking in a skritchy irritated voice.]

Yes?

[squartatore]

[must not...be freaked out by that stare...gonna take a breath before speaking again...

okay]

I came from over there. [pointing in the platform's direction (which would work better if it weren't blocked by other travellers milling about)] Where is this place, and how do I get out?

[wizard_redfive]

[Some of his eyes follow the direction where she points. The rest stay fixed on her.]

Oh, you're one of those. [He says crossly, muttering something about non-typical transits clogging up the works. But his grumpy mood won't stop him from answering a customer's questions.] This is the Crossings Hypergate Facility. Do you have your departure data?

[squartatore]

My what? [the name made zero sense either; she makes a mental note to ask in depth afterwards]

[wizard_redfive]

That would be a no, then. What are they teaching in these backwater solar systems?

[More annoyed grumbling, then he's back to forced politeness.] Departure data may be picked up at Stall 42. Now if you'll excuse me...

[Then the giant centipede pours itself out of the rack he was sitting in and scurries out of sight.]

[squartatore]

[wow. That was much less informative than expected.

She watches the centipede go until he disappears into the crowd, grunts in mild annoyance, then starts walking again. Stall 42, eh. Maybe she'll notice it along the way, or find a directory of the place]

[wizard_redfive]

[There are many stalls scattered along the room. Too many. Who's great idea was it to make a building the approximate size of New Jersey?! Still, they're in numerical order, so finding the right one shouldn't be too hard.

As Sayaka walks through the terminal, she might notice a group of aliens off to one side. They're an ugly bunch – brownish bipedal amphibians with big bug-eyes. A large group of them stand outside the main crowd, carrying big guns. They appear to be scanning the room for something.

Wait... didn't you already see the security guards? So who are these guys?]

[squartatore]

[at first, the group doesn't catch her attention, as all aliens (and their weird physiology, ugly or otherwise) are about the same to her. Top priority is still figuring out how she'll move on from here.

But they're not hard to miss, staying apart from the rest, so eventually she sends an extra glance or two their way, wondering what's up. Soldiers? Or are they waiting for someone? Are guns even allowed in this place?]