(open dreamshare log) (muffled twilight zone playing in the distance)

[hackitude]

WHO: EVERYBOOOODYYYY (yeaaah) (rock your booodyyy) (yeaaah)
WHERE: DREAMSPACE
WHEN: The night of November 1st (slightly forward-dated to give people more time to play out threads mmk)
WHAT: DREAM SHENANIGANS (event info here!)
WARNINGS: None up here, but players please tag the subject lines of your dreams if they have NSFW or triggering content in them.

It's Saturday evening. What are you dreaming about, imPorts?

Some of you might find strangers intruding on your regular dreams. Others might find themselves suddenly in the dream of someone they've never met before. Or perhaps someone they're close to...? Either way. Seems like you're in for a bumpy night.

Comments

B!

[earnedmystripes]

[Floating in darkness is probably one of the most surreal and unnerving sensations he's felt.

Kotetsu just keeps muddling through, because he's convinced there's something important at the end. Wherever the 'end' could be, when he's not sure where the beginning was. But then he hears the rattling, and he tries to follow it as best he can.

Then all at once the man in chains appears, and Kotetsu knows he's familiar, but he can't put a name to the face. Still, it's not particularly important--he needs to help the man in the chains.

He glows blue, illuminating a small fragment of the darkness, and starts pulling on the chains, trying to ignore the creepy eyes on them.]

[corviform]

[ The eyes seem to lean in, as if to tell Kotetsu in their own silent and eerie way we are watching, but otherwise do nothing. Their pupils focus on the two men, never blinking, waiting to see what will unfold.

Gil groans quietly when the chains are pulled, like something hot and sharp has cut into his wrists. He can barely keep himself up any longer, unable to feel his legs either. One more tug from Kotetsu and one of the chains falls away, sinking back into the dark and Gil's body takes a slight tumble forward. The rest of him is hoisted up by the chains, but he can't seem to straight his posture, hanging there defeated. ]

What... are you doing?

[earnedmystripes]

[He flinches as Gil groans, worried that he might be hurting him. The first chain falls away, and instead of getting right to work on the others, he tries to help prop Gil up, searching for where his injuries are so he can avoid them.]

I'm gonna get you down from there. Just hang on a bit longer, okay?

[corviform]

[ There's only the graze along his cheek and despite how little blood has been drawn from it, the amount that's stained his clothes nearly disputes the fact. As Kotetsu moves him, the blood, with no origin, spreads further down his clothes. ]

No, stop...

[ He slurs quietly, trying to gently shove Kotetsu off him with great difficulty. ]

Failed, [ the voice in the dark whispers again. ]

[earnedmystripes]

Oi, shut up!

[He shouts at the voice, because he makes great decisions. Even if the guy was a criminal or something, it was cruel to hang him up like this. He tugs the chains on the other arm, despite Gil's efforts to get him away, keeping him upright as best he can.]

[corviform]

[ He tilts his head to peek up at Kotetsu from beneath damp, thick bangs. ]

What are you doing? Stop, you're going to...

[ Snap goes a bone in the other wrist still enchained. The crackling is loud and sharp, though Gil doesn't scream or let out anything other than a low groan again. The chain falls away and his arm goes limp at his side before the rest of him takes a tumble. ]

[earnedmystripes]

[He goes completely rigid at the sound of that snap for just a moment, before he's moving to catch the younger man. God, it's been a long time since he misjudged his strength badly enough to actually injure someone, and something knots in his stomach from the thought of hurting someone he was trying to help.]

Shit, sorry about that. Don't worry, though, you're gonna be outta here soon.

[All that's left are the chains on his legs, and Kotetsu takes a different approach this time--bends down, Gil still half-draped over his shoulder--grips one of the last chain a good distance from where it's cuffed at his ankle, and crushes it in his hand instead of tugging.]

[corviform]

[ The chains are undone and vanish as if they had never been there in the first place. Unable to support himself at all, Gil has to lean against Kotetsu, but he can bring himself to budge a finger, let along his whole arm. His entire body feels weighted down. ]

Why are you doing this?

[earnedmystripes]

I couldn't just leave you stuck up there!

[He's moving toward doing the same with the last chain on Gil's other leg.]

[corviform]

Just go. Forget about me.

[ The eyes swivel on Gil now. He's unable to meet their gaze, wanting to burrow deep somewhere in the dark where they can't find him and make him feel small and useless. ]

I'll only slow you down.

[earnedmystripes]

[He crushes the last chain under his foot, pulling Gil's uninjured arm over his shoulder.]

Like hell. C'mon, let's get outta here. Those eyes are creepin' me out.

[corviform]

I told you already to get going!

[ The only energy he's able to muster is to snap at Kotetsu. ]

I can't go! I'm not...

[ He bites down on his lip and breaks his gaze, lowering his head in shame. ]

[earnedmystripes]

Not without you! I'm not gonna just leave you here!

[And he's gonna be making an attempt to drag Gil out with him right about now.]

[corviform]

Why not?! Why should I burden others?

[ But he's unable to pull away from Kotetsu, settling for the feelings riling up inside him that are now bursting out.

The eyes merely watch, but there's a faint echo that follows the two wherever they go. Whispers of failure and weakness. ]

... I'm not good enough.

[earnedmystripes]

Shut up!

[He pulls Gil along, tries to ignore the mumblings of the eyes, shoves back the nagging voice at the back of his own head that tries to tell him he's not good enough either, not strong enough to save Gil.]

Everybody deserves to be saved--everybody.

[corviform]

[ He bites his lip, uncertainty seeping into his voice. ]

Everyone...? No... someone like me doesn't deserve this.

[ The largest eye falls on the two, narrowing. Feathers rustle somewhere in the dark. ]

... I was supposed to be strong.

[earnedmystripes]

Dammit, listen to me! There is nobody in any world who deserves to die. I dunno what you think you did or didn't do, but it doesn't change anything.

[corviform]

I never said anything about dying!

[ He didn't, but there's this old, deep-seated feeling somewhere within him that ached for some kind of release. ]

Why would you burden yourself?

[earnedmystripes]

[Because it's a dream, he doesn't think too much about having assumed wrong or why he did.]

Helping people isn't a burden.

[corviform]

[ The darkness around them seems to ripple suddenly. Like they're standing in the middle of a vast, black ocean. ]

If I can't help myself... what good am I to anyone? How can I protect Oz?

[earnedmystripes]

[That manages to shake him. He doesn't stop or slow down or loosen his grip, but Gil can probably feel a mild shudder run through the shoulder he's being carried on, an exhale that comes out just a little too sharp. It's something that's embedded so deep in his own thought process he rarely even gives it a second glance, but Gil's comment throws it into sharp relief. What good are you if you can't save people.]

Everyone needs help sometimes. Doesn't make 'em weak or useless.

[Despite the intense hypocrisy of those words, his voice holds steady, and he presses on. He said he'd get Gil out of here, and he will.]