the proverbial "pinch me"

[judoflipped]

Who: percy and YOU
Which: open interactive dream and text post!
What: demigod trauma and a lot of teen complaining
Warnings: uhhhhhh... idk



interactive dream - tartarus a

[ooc: description of tartarus is here. I just... forgot to mention it]

[the air is stifling. Percy's legs buckle as he falls to his knees. he's here. he's here again, even if his mind says there's no possible way. the air is stifling and hot, and the wind is poisonous. he looks around in a panic for a moment.]

Annabeth? Annabeth!!

[his voice comes out raspy and hoarse, and tears track down his face as he feels the hot river Phlegethon flowing next to him. he looks at it, almost as if he's considering jumping right into it. maybe he should, because there's no way he's going to survive here a second time without her.

it'll be quicker than whatever this place will conjure up for him to die by... and if he's not actually alone, he doesn't know it.

he's in shock.]

tartarus b

[Percy's at some elevator doors now, bleeding and beaten. he's holding on to the door as Tartarus stands in front of him with a hoard of monsters at his back.]

Little demigod... back here again, without anyone to save you...

[the doors ping open, and Percy moves backwards, and the monsters and the god Tartarus cackles at him.

Percy's holding on to Riptide tight, with all the strength he has left. it's most definitely insanity, and he's probably cracked in the head in more ways than anyone can count. but there's nothing else he can do, and he's not going to die here cowering against some elevator doors that he can't use to leave.

for once, he's got nothing sarcastic to say, instead charging towards the monsters with Riptide raised.]

text:

[gods above, that dream...]

well my last year sucked
and it doesnt look like i was gone here long

so i went home and no one has to act like theyre gonna spoil me or whatever
i got a lot of new nightmare fuel
whats up with you guys

Comments

[judoflipped]

[yeah, he's exaggerating a little. but it really had been a long-feeling year to him.]

I'll have to get my bearings for another minute or two, I think. [he says, letting out a slow breath.] Hopefully my subconscious didn't decide to spawn a bunch of random monsters here too.

[skyglider]

[Percy isn't the only one who has to get his bearings; this is the first time in ages Link has shared a dream, and it is...disorienting, to say the least. The whole concept feels strangely intrusive, a fact he feels keenly all over again. And just when he'd gotten used to things.]

We'll be alright.

[He feels confident about that much, at least. They've both been through quite a lot; if anyone can improvise in this situation, it'll be them.]

[judoflipped]

[Link and Percy are both out of their elements... again.]

I know.

[he smiles a little over at Link.]

Having someone like you at my back always makes things easier.

[skyglider]

[He tries to reflect the smile. It works...a bit. Nonetheless, he appreciates the vote of confidence; in turn, he feels fairly certain that he can't go wrong for following Percy, and does so.

After a while:]

You've been here before?

[You know...the real-world version of this place.]

[judoflipped]

Yeah.

[even though the dreamscape is changing somewhat -- instead of looking like skin, it's starting to look like there's some grass poking through the ground. his change of mood is starting to affect it.]

It's basically the pit where all the monsters in my world are reborn.

[skyglider]

[Grass underfoot. Link cannot help but see that as a good thing. Still, he catches that word--]

Reborn. They return in your world as well?

[Link does now what he does best: lacking a proper weapon, much less the unhinged arsenal he's used to carrying, he begins to look for ways out. A low ceiling would be ideal, of course, but this area is enough like the Depths that he doesn't dare to hope for that. Still...some cover would be nice. Just in case.]

[judoflipped]

Yep.

[Percy's always keeping his eyes peeled too, hoping that he doesn't come across anything. but by now, the dreamscape keeps shifting to where there's more actual light coming from above...]

They remember me, too. Or... well, they remember who killed them the last go around. Makes for some awkward reunions.

[skyglider]

Oh. Fun.

[Well that's a horrifying prospect. If ever moblin and hinox remembered him when they were revived...well, they try to attack on sight anyway, but they might at that point not be absolute idiots over it. Does he sound a little scared by the idea? Because it is scary. Just a bit.

That said-- his eyes naturally go up, witnessing that change.]

Is that...light?

[... Is it too high up for him to ascend? But-- hm. He's not sure how that would help Percy. Perhaps naturally moving to the light will help the dream progress.]

[judoflipped]

Oh, it's incredibly fun. Especially since I keep running into the same fake cheerleader named Kelli that I killed when I was like, eleven.

[he looks up, and squints. it sure is light, and he grins.]

I guess the dreams aren't going to make me relieve everything, huh?

[skyglider]

Sounds scary. Definitely a monster to watch out for.

[Note to self...cheerleader means monster. Got it. He reflects Percy's grin with a small smile of his own.]

It seems not. How should we follow it?

[judoflipped]

Yep. Cheerleaders are the worst kinds of monsters.

[stop Percy...]

Just keep going and see where it ends, I guess. Or... until we wake up.