Sixth.

[azumods]

NIGHTMARE. Riley has been largely absent for the past day; he's needed the time, he's said, to try to sort out what should be done about Darkrai and Cresselia. Whether they can be contacted from a safe distance; whether there's something he can do to ensure that there's no risk to the rest of you. You fall asleep on Friday night. You don't remember deciding to fall asleep on Friday night; perhaps you were in the middle of doing something. Perhaps you were keeping watch over the rest of the group, perhaps you were talking to someone, perhaps you were unable to drift off and sitting up poring over notes or books by flashlight. Perhaps you were already well asleep by the time it happens. Either way, Friday night begins to slip into what's technically Saturday, and that's when you drop off. And you are, quite literally, falling. The sensation is a strong one, somehing that disorients you almost immediately, the sort of thing that happens in dreams only to be accompanied by a hypnic jerk that wakes you up safely in your bed, only that moment of awakening never comes. The landing isn't a hard one, however, wherever you've ended up; it's one you're aware of, but not one that hurts you in any way, there's no physical pain. There's only you, and the ground, and the absolute darkness surrounding you. You should get up. Get your bearings. The darkness won't last long, but what it reveals to you when it breaks might not be as welcome as you might think it is...

Comments

[gekkaju]

I...I was back home too, but it-

[He starts, but he's cut off when Michael exclaims.]

Darkrai? Do you think this is its doing?

[Because hey, he don't like it.]

[eudaimonikos]

There's only one reason I've ever experienced dreaming. So either that, or this is actually a simulation, with computers and reality warping and all that.

...probably.

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi grits his teeth, shucking a hand through the longer side of his hair.]

I...I saw my friends. The Agency. But they were with someone I didn't recognize, and when I tried to get their attention, everything just started...turning to darkness. Disappearing. I think I fell off the bridge...

[...]

Is that like what you saw?

[eudaimonikos]

Same exact thing, except for the falling.

[And his involved a lot more, uh, deliberate dream murder? It's fine, it doesn't count if the person isn't real.]

Boy, couldn't even take the time to personalize things.

[gekkaju]

So it's...probably an illusion. But why...? How are we supposed to get out of here?

[Where is here, also. It's mostly just a dark void, which- while scary- is at least better than having to watch his friends ignore him.]

[eudaimonikos]

Last time, it ended when I woke up.

[What he doesn't add, because it seems obvious and troubling, is that it's ended now and they haven't woken up. Unless Iron Island has genuinely become a black void, which is not actually a better scenario.]

[gekkaju]

...oh no.

[Oh n o]

Well...you, me, and Aya-chan are here...and I can see Sena-kun and Keith-kun, but I don't think they can see us yet. Do you think the rest are around somewhere?

[Surely it's not just us few left.]

[eudaimonikos]

They must be, right?

[He sounds a little doubtful, but he is not ready to face that.]

Before, Ignis and I had separate nightmares on the same night. So we know it can maintain more than one at a time. The shared ones are probably more work, but they could still just be trapped in a separate thing.

[gekkaju]

No, they...they have to be. We were just with them.

[Camilla promised...they wouldn't break apart.]

This nightmare scape, or whatever it is, is probably separate like you're saying. Maybe we're just spread out.

[eudaimonikos]

We could try walking around, once Keith and Sena snap out of it. Probably should anyway...I don't think standing here's going to help.

[gekkaju]

No yeah, I agree...once we're all together we need to see if there's some way to get out of here.