Half My Life's In Books, Written Pages

[steadypulse]

Who: Soldier: 76 &anyone
Which: Open Interactive Dream; Quest #0901(Baby Tapirs) || Open Log
Where: Dream || Edge of forest and fields
What: The task of feeding baby tapirs within a dream || Recovering after a run in with some red caps, but also there's a fairy cow covered in blackberries.
Warnings: Weirdness that dreams can take on, especially ones edging bad. || Injury.

A.Tapirs

A rich orange sky with yellow clouds and streaks of blue as if it couldn't decide if it was daylight or sunset, fields and corn stalks well over six feet high. Went on for miles, stretched out as far as the eye could see. An old barn, farmhouse- all too far apart to be normal. Smoke rising in the distance but whatever fires they had to be coming from out of sight.

Quiet, with a man standing near some fencing just beside what looked like the start of a corn maze. A scowl on his face, one that didn't fit the young face just by the look of him- "Of course it's one of these," muttered, aware of what was happening to some extent. These were the types that could pull him in, but something had interrupted that.

There was a baby tapir by his foot, gnawing on an ear of corn that looked as if it was glitching between yellow and multicolored. Another wandering a little.

Sounds of groaning machinery was keeping it's distance, at least.

"How many of you got in here?" Little punks.

notice; replies for this prompt will be coming from statued

B. Blackberry Bramble

Had it been the smartest idea to take up the redcap iron hunt from the board alone? Possibly not, but he'd needed to do something, and why not take up one that would have had him fighting? Didn't imagine it would have been like stepping on a fire ant nest the moment he'd gone in to the ruins and brushed against some vines within. Gotten out, gotten some of the farm tools back along with some scrap he'd stashed away.

Currently? 76 was seated on a fallen over log, jacket set aside and already patched up, instead checking over bandaging on his arms. Not alone, however.

Grazing just beside him was one of those Fairy Cows, green leaves and ripe blackberries adoring it. He'd found it on his trip back-

"The moment this is re-wrapped?" A grunt, winding a bit of fabric around his forearm, talking to the cow, "You're going back. Probably safer for you back in your field with your friends." Hell of a day, really.

(ooc: feel free to tag in brackets, I'll match! Want something different? Just shoot me a PM or something and we'll discuss it.)

Comments

[chippedsoul]

Familiar faces, but not all of them remember their time in the Index. [Unfortunate or fortunate they don't? For him, it's troublesome to figure out who knows and who doesn't. He lifts his leg, frowning at the tapir trying to make a meal out of him.]

Aren't they suppose to be dealing with the dream...? [The tapirs like dreams, good and bad ones, right?]

Well, I didn't see one before coming in, so it looks like it's the same case as sharing a recording.

[statued]

Noticed that, too. Some even talking about different worlds entirely. [Not just where they came from but- taken to. This not their first bump. With how relatively 'fresh' this Realm of Dreams was, it probably was still piecing together in a way.

Again, why the hell not. Entire thing sounded absurd, even after the Realm of Stories.]

Might be because you've got some Hyde clinging to you in here- maybe he's delicious.

[Disconnected from Essences, maybe he was more of a bad dream? Oof, rough thought with knowing that side.]

This is real time and you've waltzed in to my dream. [Falling silent at a scream of- metal. He was going to keep it firmly in 'metal', eyes watching the baby tapir. Focusing, even as parts of the scenery rippled for a moment.]

[chippedsoul]

[He tenses. Laughter echoes in the sudden gust of wind that passes.] ...He's not here. Just a memory now.

[Gray clouds are starting to gather. He kneels down, shooing the tapirs away. Go deal with the actual dream, not him. The clouds and that metallic sound is concerning, especially when it sounded closer.]

What is that sound suppose to be?

[statued]

[A memory that clung like a nightmare, but 76 wasn't going to say that. It might've crossed in a brief look, but that was Kazuma's business. He wasn't the one that had to live with that in his head, just worked with and for him; technically.

There was still a tenseness to his posture, and no missing the frown. Knowing what it was, and that it was still coming was- well. Didn't make it any more pleasant.]

War, and what comes with living through it.

[nicest, and vaguest way he could put it-] I'm hoping this ends before it hits.

[chippedsoul]

...You're technically "asleep" right now, aren't you? I could just wake you up. [He doesn't know if that would actually work, but it's the first thing he thought.]

[statued]

Going by some bit of logic in this mess, yeah. [Sounded like thunder rolling in the distance.

There wasn't a single storm cloud in the oddly colored sky. Just an increase of that foreboding black smoke, slowly taking over blood red and making the horizon all the more eerie.]

It'll either get us out of here, or make it worse. Betting man?

[chippedsoul]

Hah. I've already lost at the party, but it's better than doing nothing. [The corn nearest to them have started to wilt slightly. Some dark wisp was coming out of them. The tapirs are still eating away, but some have started to get a little wary, possibly full.]

So was this around the time you became a soldier? [Things are still relatively calm for now. Might as well stay calm too.]

[statued]

Most lucid I've been during a dream in years, too. [Could help.

Changes that weren't missed, and of course 76 couldn't help the fact he was going don and sort of gathered the ones getting a bit wary closer to his boots. Let them take whatever they might be nibbling on with them. No getting hurt on his 'watch' here, kids.

Glanced up at Kazuma, shaking his head.]

I joined up when I was around 18. [Most of his life was spent as a soldier.]

[chippedsoul]

Huh. And still going at your age? [Not, this age, his actual age.]

...I suppose fights inevitably occur, no matter when. [He glances to his left. He thought he heard someone whisper to him, but he sees no one.]

[statued]

Could say that. [Vigilante on a mission.

There was a grinding noise that sounded like a scream and a roar all in one. Still far enough away a source couldn't be seen, but 76 was scooping up all the baby tapirs in sight in an arm. Could fit all three of them in the crook of his arm comfortably at least. Standing and glancing towards the farmhouse.

A straight path up a dirt and gravel walkway.]

Think we need to move. Last thing I want is something like a bunch of corn demons or war machine omnics leaping out of the corn at us.

[Only one of those might've been a joke.]

CW: blood, body horror

[chippedsoul]

[He has no idea what an omnic is, but either way, none of those sound funny. He nods, deciding to help herd the tapirs. Easy when they are attracted to him.]

Where- [He freezes. Just beyond the fence, he could see him. With that unsettling toothy grin on his damn face again. Hyde. He had something in his clawed hand, something dripping with what appeared to be blood.]

...[Why isn't he going away? 76 may or may not even see Hyde standing there, but he could maybe faintly hear the sound of a heartbeat.]

The Ride Begins cw: blood, hints of gore and body horror

[statued]

[See it or not, the sound was enough.

Enough for him to get out a quick 'This is faster.' with the edge bleeding in more, scooping Kazuma up and over a shoulder and more or les hoping the rest of the Tapir follow their delightful snack rather than stay put.]

Speak up if something follows.

[Not the tapirs.

The grass was dying behind them, blood and ash smearing, places even looking completely burned. Metal breaking upwards, smeared with blood as well as oil. Those shadowed forms flickering in and out; some whole, some obviously missing body parts. Those roars in the distance easily turning to screams.

76 was heading straight for the farm house.]

[chippedsoul]

!! [To be suddenly lifted up and carried, it jumbles his head enough to snap him out of the shock he was in. If something follows...? He blinks, trying to focus on their surroundings, but it's proving to be difficult. Faces, disembodied forms flash in and out of existence in the shadows. It's hard to tell if they're victims of the war or from his own doing. His grip on 76 tightens, shutting his eyes.

Get out of my head!

That heartbeat is getting louder as Hyde's laughter can be heard through a sea of screams.] They're everywhere. [No one can be seen following them, only those shadowy figures constantly blinking in out of existence. Although, they were starting to become more vivid each time.]

[statued]

[Victims of a war, civilians and soldiers alike that came under claw and gun of the omnics manufactured from Omniums to kill every person they came across; men, women, child, elderly. None were safe when they were sent marching upon populated cities. The soldiers that gave their lives to save others, and just weren't able to stand-up against machines.

Bullet riddled, crushed, burned- all were horrific deaths. Those that he'd been too late to get to, had tried to get to. Screams and bloody faces that raced through his memories in even the mildest of nightmares. Appeared in random places, still going about their every day lives as if they still existed.

Or here, in the lucid nightmare that had Kazuma and himself in it. That laughter was echoed with screams and nonsense chatter, as if it was all feeding in to one another.]

Hold on tight.

[The tapirs following? Were quickly scooped up with the rest, never letting go of Kazuma, practically kicking down the door once up on the porch. Kazuma dropped in to an arm chair in the wrong place and tapirs on the couch as 76 slammed the door shut.]

Close the curtains is you can!

[chippedsoul]

[This was definitely a lot, for a civilian who has not been exposed to war and has only known what it was like to kill not too long ago. He doesn't care how he even landed in the armchair, he just wanted everything to stop.]

I'm still here~ [A voice was speaking directly to him.] I'll always be with you. Hehe~

Curtains. [Curtains, curtains, close the curtains. Just focus on doing that, ignore everything else. He drags himself off the arm chair, staggering to the curtains and shuts them. As the interior of the farm house dims, his form shifted more and more into Hyde.

The tapirs were all huddled somewhere in the middle. This was getting a little too intense for them now. ]

[statued]

[A blanket thrown over the back of the couch was pulled up and draped around the tapir, tucked around like a nest. As if that simple thing could act as some protection, and maybe it would considering the warmth it was suddenly generating. Some little golden sheen to the fabric.

A little dream of a shield that 76 hadn't even noticed he'd made.

Keeping his head together, pulling a more wooden chair to prop up under the door handle to further lock it along with a few deadbolts. Screams and even cries louder, pulling the curtains nearest to him-]

Still with me?

[chippedsoul]

[He pulls the last set of curtains. It's then he notices his hands, clawed hands.]

...Yea. [The screams and laughter are still heard outside, but the heartbeat sound seems to have gone faint.] I'm still here. [He might appear to be glaring at 76, but it's not him he's mad at. He's gone full Hyde in appearance, but inside, he's still himself. He glances toward the curtains, hearing something exploding, or crashing outside, whatever that is.] Any plans of waking up soon?

[statued]

[Shadows could be seen through flashes of bright light, making them all the darker from inside, even with how thick the curtains looked. Sounds muffled, and half ringing clear. There wasn't a whole lot of sense about it, colors bleeding down the curtains, dripping in to a pool that muddied.

Slow, deep breaths, even as he got a good look at Kazuma.]

Never been great at that- and usually I'm not asleep for long but it sure isn't helping right now.

[Dreams could feel like hours, even if only lasting a few seconds. Still, gaze was darting around, trying to think of something as he leaned back against the closed and locked door.]

[chippedsoul]

[He takes a few steps, images of blood splatter bombarding his mind no matter where he looks. There's even blood on 76 now.]

I only see, two ways out of this. [There's a bit of a growl to his voice, but that's because it's getting difficult for him to focus when he's being slammed with horrid imagery that's not actually there.] You wake up, or we fight back whatever is out there. [They can only run for so long.]

[statued]

Shock can do it. [He honestly had no idea why he wasn't waking up now- then again he usually went through the entirety of a nightmare even if he was asleep for five minutes.

Hands rested back against the door. Could feel rumbling through it and the floorboards of the house itself. Wasn't sure if it was just him or not, looking up towards the ceiling briefly before looking back towards Kazuma.

There were two deep diagonal slashes that went through his face, exactly where his scars were. Blood dripping, but he didn't feel it.]

Not backing down from a fight if it's what we've gotta do to get out of here. for all either of us know this place has fucked up how to wake up from dreams people can walk in on.

[chippedsoul]

[His eyes widen when the wounds suddenly appear on 76. He presses his hands against his eyes. Stop...! He shakes his head.]

This just needs to stop...! [He starts staggering toward 76.] Make it stop! [Does coming in to try and punch 76 count as shock?]

[steadypulse]

[Enough to at least knock 76 enough out of the dream for- well.

Those would be some familiar fuzzy ears as he caught Kazuma by the wrist, another hand set against his chest to keep a distance, and easier to go for the other arm if needed. Scars solidly in place and- not bloody.

Dreamwalker form awakened, at least.]

Breathe.

[A firm command more than anything and- well. Sounds outside of the house were muffled. Far away.]

[chippedsoul]

[He may look like Hyde, but he doesn't have his strength. Not yet. He growls in frustration when he's held back. Even as the bloody look has gone, Kazuma still wanted to strike this man. Let all this pent up anger and anxious energy out on something.

The tapirs were watching from beneath the shield blanket, shivering from the raising tension from the scene unfolding before them.]

[Breathe] Aaaagh!! [He backs away, then proceeds to swipe with his claws at the wall. He's breathing, heavily. His hands pressed against his ears as if he's hearing voices still.]

[steadypulse]

[He let go, wrist slipping from his hand and eyes arrowed. Not out of anger, but more adjusting his sight, catching the shadows gathering from within the house. Okay.

76 glanced back at the tapirs before he was moving again, pulling a pillow casing off one of the throw pillows within reach. Fully expecting a bad reaction as he caught Kazuma by the back of his shirt and hauled him backwards, other hand pulling the fabric over his head. Some buffer for sound while still letting his breathe but-

Well. Make it dark, unable to see anything from beyond the pillow case. Crude, but 76 had an idea of what was wrong once things had started to pick up. Still held Kazuma against his chest.]

Keep your ears covered. Breathe. Kick if you have to. Keep screaming, whatever you feel you gotta do.

[... Well, there was a bit of that golden sheen and warmth to the pillowcase fabric, too. The hell even was that? He really wanted out of this nightmare.]

[chippedsoul]

[Catching Kazuma like that was like grabbing a wild animal. He tries to resists initially, not knowing what was happening. His claws grip and dig into the arm holding onto him, kicking to free himself. The familiar old man's voice reaches him and the struggling lessens.

He can't see anything, the voices are still screaming in his head. He grits his teeth, shutting his eyes. 76 said do whatever he felt he needed to do. Biting his arm through the pillow case is what he's going to do.]