[ open ]

[thisloveisjustice]

WHO: Tatsuo, Li-Na, and YOU
WHERE: in their dreams
WHEN: throughout july
WHAT: Dreamsharing!
WARNINGS: violence, human experimentation, will add others as needed

TATSUO AU1 : apartment fire [OPEN]

You ever have one of those dreams where you dream you wake up and go about your day as usual? Yeah, this is one of those. Only, this isn't going to be a 'usual' day.

It's the noise that wakes Tatsuo and the vibration. An explosion loud enough and violent enough to cause the whole building to shudder. In an instant, Tatsuo snaps awake, only to feel disoriented. This isn't his apartment... though it's filled with his things. Still, that sound and the way the building had shuddered, that didn't seem right. So he quickly rolls out of bed and starts pulling on his clothes.

He notices the smoke as he reaches for his shoes. Addias Superstars, his favorite pair of sneakers. He swears under his breath as he quickly puts them on. Smoke means fire and fire means get the hell out now.

Logically he knows he should drop everything and run. But all his brain can think about is the things he needs to take with him. He stuffs his cellphone and wallet into his pockets and grabs a sports bag from the closet. As much as it pains him, he leaves his beloved sneaker collection. Instead, he grabs his laptop and external harddrive... and then his hand reaches for a photograph of himself as a child with his mother.

Odd. He doesn't remember this photo of the two of them. The background looks like Peach Beach... but he didn't move to Recolle until university. Tatsuo shakes his head and stuffs the photo into the sports bag anyway... then turns to find the room so filled with smoke he can barely see the doorway.

Coughing, Tatsuo slings the sports bag across his back and drops to the floor. Alarmingly, he can to feel heat as he quickly crawls over to the window where the fire escape is. But to his absolute horror, the window won't open. Muttering choice words about inconvenient laws of physics, he crawls his way toward his front door. Around the center of his living room the smoke starts getting to him and he stops to cough, trying to catch his breath.

TATSUO AU1 : warehouse raid (cw: torture) [closed to Togusa]

Tatsuo paces anxiously outside a large warehouse. The area is swarming with police and first responders, and for some reason he and Derek are there. He's not quite sure what he's waiting for, but when someone shouts 'All clear!' Tatsuo and Derek both grab large bags and hurry inside the building, a cluster of EMTs right on their heels. Tatsuo can feel his head's not in the game, but he can also tell he's not about to sit on the sidelines either.

"Tatsuo, they're going to be alright. I'm sure Cleo is...she's a fighter, alright?"

Derek is trying to be comforting. It's not a very successful attempt.

"I know, I know she's tough."

His right shoulder twinges slightly at the mention of Cleo. (Wait, who is Cleo again?)

"But just because she's tough and can fight doesn't mean--"

Whatever he was going to say is lost as his nose suddenly starts picking up the odors of the warehouse. The scents of dirt and rust, but also sweat... and worse, blood. The sharp coppery smell fills his nose and his mouth until he starts to gag. He quickly clamps a hand over his mouth as he tries to get the dry heaving under control.

Dude... are you ok?

Tatsuo almost doesn't hear Derek. The odors assaulting his nose take up most of his attention, and his efforts to control his gag reflect take up most of the rest. He gives his head a small shake, no, and forces himself to breathe through his mouth. It doesn't lessen how much he's smelling, but it helps a bit with the gagging. Once he finally has it under control, he asks Derek a question in return.

"Don't you smell that?"

Derek gives him a concerned look.

You don't mean the blood do you? Cause, the chances of it getting worse are high.

Tatsuo returns Derek's look with an annoyed one of his own.

"Yes, I do mean the blood. I can practically taste it."

Derek frowns slightly, then reaches into his pocket for a handkerchief.

Take this and suck it up. We've got work to do. Now come on, they're waiting for us.

"I know, I know..."

Tatsuo is reaching for the handkerchief when he overhears someone saying Cleo's name. The scrap of fabric is quickly forgotten as he jumps over another CSI collecting some broken Christmas lights toward some EMTs preparing a young woman for transport. A young woman with a set of large black cat ears... and a gouged out eye. Tatsuo feels himself start to go numb.

"Take care of her. She's my little sister, okay?"

Little sister? What the? He doesn't have a little sister.

LI-NA OU : nightmare [closed to Noah]

It's not the first time she's had this dream. It starts off the same each time. The first thing she notices is the silence. It's not an absolute silence, but just about. She can hear the lap of the water against the ruins and the occasional tumble of stone. But there's no sounds from anything living, just inanimate objects.

If you look up, there is a black crescent moon hanging ominously in a pink tinged sky. And all around her are the broken walls and collumns of a building, slowly crumbling to a sea of black water. And for some reason, she sits perched on top of the ruins, her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Brother?"

Her voice rings out, but is swallowed by the silence.

"Guys?"

It sounds wrong to speak. Her voice seems hollow and empty the moment the words leave her mouth.

She covers her ears with her hands, trying to stop that feeling of wrongness. But the sounds of the ruins continue, here and there, until a loud PLOP catches her attention.

She looks down, and feels her hands go numb with shock. There's a body in the water below. A black coat with a silver cross. A red hand with a cross on the back. The body of someone she knows and cares about. A scream starts to build in her chest, because she knows if she looks at the black water too closely, she'll see even more people she loves.

LI-NA OU : fallen ones (cw: death) [OPEN]

She's a child in this dream. A frightened child hiding behind a door while she watches the adults talk about another child. She has a terrible feeling about what is happening (it is the middle of the night), but no one she can run to for help. Instead, she just huddles behind the door, watching and listening.

The boy sees her, sees her watching them, and gives her a small wave, as he's taken away. Taken away so a large white figure the adults call Hevlaska can try to put a little green glowing piece of Innocence inside the boy. It doesn't go well.

"Stop," she pleads, her voice barely a whisper. "Stop. Stop!"

But no one can hear her voice over the howling wind and the adults own shouting as the experiment goes terribly wrong. A large torso-shaped mass appears from the mist, the boy now sticking out of its chest.

It is hopeless. Innocence will only synchronize with accomodators chosen by God.

Hevlaska's voice rings out hollowly, as the adults look upon the monstrosity they've created.

WILDCARD

See here for other possible dreams, or if there is anything on either Tatsuo and Li-Na's regain posts, LMK @ anacrusis

Comments

Nightmare

[redarm]

[ When Noah becomes aware in this dream, he found himself on a chunk of ruin. He groans softly to himself as he sits up, taking in this sight around him. This place...it was such a surreal and disturbing landscape. He didn't recognize it, but it felt so painfully sad and too silent here. Just where was he....?

He moves to stand up, trying to get his bearings straight. It's then in the distance, he spots Li-Na-- maybe? She looked a little different, but it was hard to tell from so far away.

He tries to call out to her, but the silencing is deafening in this place. For some reason, his voice doesn't carry very far. ]

Re: Nightmare

[invocate]

[Li-Na presses her hands against her ears, her breathing rapid and ragged with panic. This isn't right. Why is she here? What has happened to this place?

That form laying in the water down below keeps drawing her attention though. She can't just leave him like that. She can't just leave him there.

With a strangled sob, she starts picking her way down the slant of the ruin.]

[redarm]

[What is she...?

Okay that's really dangerous. He has to figure out how to reach her. He watches to his own bit of ruin, trying to figure out how get over to her. Maybe if he swims...

He stops short though, when he notices that there's bodies floating in the water. He can't help but stare in horror]

The hell is this place...?

[invocate]

[Hell is a very appropriate word. And the space decides to echo it softly. Hell... hell... hell...

Li-Na skitters and stumbles her way down the ruins until she reaches the surface of the water. Heedless of the fact she doesn't know a thing about those dark waters, what caused the ruins, or what killed all these people, she drops directly into the water, reaching for the familiar figure.]

No... Allen... why... why did this happen?

[redarm]

[Hell is an appropriate way to describe this place. The more he stares at the bodies, the more he recognizes things. That uniform...he remembers them from the memories. Were these Exorcists-?!

No...Allen...

He catches Li-Na saying that name. The name that wasn't his but still felt oh so familiar. His head jerks up as he sees her reaching out for something in the water. Was that...?

No. No this was a dream. That's all it was. He just needed to reach Li-Na]

Li-Na!!

[He tries calling out again]

CRUISE- I mean warehouse raid

[standalonehuman]

For Togusa, the dream starts as it always does, with a twisted effigy of Dante hanging from the rafters, the focal point of his guilt about the whole incident. Get him down, just get him down! The strangled cries of pain, that Dante is trying to hold back, as if he has any reason to be embarrassed about this. It only stabs another dagger into him. All he can do is quietly reassure Dante that he'll be okay.

As Dante is wheeled out, and Togusa is trying to collect his thoughts, the scene changes. And it's something Togusa hasn't seen before. What the hell is Tatsuo doing here? He hesitates, half-hides, like he's looking in on something private.

Officer Ritter. Before she was an officer quite yet. Another personal moment of guilt for Togusa, but then what's happening here? Tatsuo reaches down, and he is touching her just as gently as Togusa was towards Dante.

She's my little sister, okay?

That can't be right. Togusa's brow furrows as he steps out, still keeping a respectful distance, but making his presence known.

Re: CRUISE- I mean warehouse raid

[thisloveisjustice]

And here's where the dream takes a nasty turn.

Uh, I kind of doubt that, man. Unless you've got one of these too.

One of the paramedics twitches back the blanket covering Cleo just enough so Tatsuo can see the mangled broken mess of Cleo's tail. It's not what actually happened that night, but since Tatsuo later learned the extent of Cleo's injuries, his brain is happy to fill in the details for dream purposes.

Tatsuo lunges at the paramedic, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Who did this."

His voice is low and ice cold, void of any emotion. Because that's how Tatsuo feels right now. Void of everything, emptied and hollowed out. The paramedic yelps and points past Togusa, the figure of Malik appearing in a completely different location than where he'd actually been that night. Tatsuo releases the paramedic and turns to stalk toward Malik.

He doesn't even notice that Togusa is there. And if Togusa looks at Tatsuo's eyes, they've gone dead. The sense of detachment he started feeling has gotten worse, to the point Tatsuo doesn't exactly feel connected to his body anymore. Like he's watching everything from an arm's length away. (Pretty common feeling in dreams really.)

Re: CRUISE- I mean warehouse raid

[standalonehuman]

"Tatsuo!" Togusa cries out when Tatsuo turns on the paramedic, but he doesn't get very far. It's only a step, before Tatsuo changes targets, and there is the disturbing sensation of Tatsuo looking right at him with that same expression.

Togusa gives only the briefest look away, a glance behind him to where Malik is laying in his own laid up state. He looks back, and Tatsuo is right there, all he can do is hold out a hand and try to stop him. "Tatsuo- Tatsuo!"

"You want him to actually pay for this, we do this right," low, hissed, and insistent. "Tatsuo!" And then the hand finally makes contact with Tatsuo, a grip on the side of his arm, while Togusa tries to position himself between Tatsuo and Malik.

Re: CRUISE- I mean warehouse raid

[thisloveisjustice]

Tatsuo barely even notices Togusa is there, until the other man touches his arm. He doesn't say anything in reply; he goes moves to remove the obstacle (Togusa) from his path. Reaching up to grip Togusa's arm in return, Tatsuo steps across so he can hook his other arm under Togusa's shoulder. Togusa is about 0.5 seconds from being tossed.

Re: CRUISE- I mean warehouse raid

[standalonehuman]

Ten years since high school, and any Judo, but even Togusa recognizes ippon seoi nage coming. He recognizes the attack, but doesn't remember a finesse counter. So, he has to improvise.

He has to take a step, keep his hip in front of Tatsuo's, and use his free arm to grab at Tatsuo's, and push as he pulls back with his right arm, stripping it out of Tatsuo's grip. Once he's free, both hands plant on Tatsuo's torso and he shoves sharply, more of a playground bully move, but something to try to shake him out of this. "Tatsuo!"

fallen ones

[crudest]

[Accommodators chosen by God.

Baren faltered in surprise, and then horror, over the whispers of experiments being conducted on people. He hears Li-na's voice, infinitely younger than the young woman he knows, and the blood in his veins runs ice cold. Even as the monster(?) appears in front of them, he feels only worry as he rushes forward with the intention of trying to -

What, save her?

He's not sure, but he knows he can't stand still.]

Li-na...!

Re: fallen ones

[invocate]

Damnit. Another Fallen One.

[Li-Na clutches the handle of the door she's hiding behind, tears of fright and sorrow streaming down her cheeks. She wants to run, run back to the safety of her room, but her legs won't move. She can't tear her eyes away from what has become of the boy. A boy that hadn't been much older than her really.]

Why...

[Her voice comes out as a whisper, barely audible over the noise in the adjacent room.]

[crudest]

[She's upset - he can't blame her. But the first thing he thinks to do is reach out, he calls out to her again - ]

Li-na - I'm here.

[A friend, hopefully, when it looks like she needs one. He reaches out to place a hand over hers on the door handle and he speaks softly, like approaching a frightened, cornered animal. He brings up his free hand to his lips in case she's startled - ]

It doesn't seem safe here.

[invocate]

[And she is startled. But after a moment she grasps his hand with her smaller one. Though she doesn't recognize him at the moment, he's much less threatening than the adults on the other side of the door.]

I don't like it here.

[crudest]

I don't either. So let's go somewhere else, okay?

[He speaks softly - he has nothing against children, never has.]

Is it okay if I pick you up?

Apartment fire

[flametheif40]

[As soon as Al enters into his dream, he feels the hot flames burning around him, he smells the smoke and coughs suddenly, and lifts his shirt and cups a hand around his nose and mouth to try to reduce the smoke he inhales, then he sees Tatsuo on the floor, he quickly goes to him and pulls him up and tries to charge the door]

Tatsuo! Come on buddy! Don't you DARE die on me! We have to make sure Derek doesn't turn into an evil warlock and take over the world!

[Al keeping a serious face, despite how he just tried to crack a joke ]

Re: Apartment fire

[thisloveisjustice]

[Tatsuo is coughing too hard to talk and too light headed from lack of oxygen to do anything other than get man handled by Al.

If Al manages to bust down the front door of the apartment (which really isn't necessary considering he could just unlock it), he'll find the hallway filled with smoke, and the stairwell at the end of the hallway full of fire. No escape that way.]

Re: Apartment fire

[flametheif40]

[He slams into the door when he sees the stairwell and hallway full of fire...]

FUCK!

[He looks around, and then sees the window, and immediately tries to break the window, getting angier by the second, I won't lose another!]

Re: Apartment fire

[thisloveisjustice]

[The window won't give way under Al's fists... but maybe if he hits it with something a little harder... Behind him, Tatsuo coughs out a few words.]

Here. Hit it with this.

[He's holding out one of his revolvers (unloaded). Smith and Wesson Model 37. Unlike Al's fists, it's mostly metal with a wooden handle.]

Re: Apartment fire

[flametheif40]

[Al's jaw clenches as the window doesn't give way, when he looks at Tatsuo and sees the gun, takes it and smashes the window, climbs to the fire escape, trying his hardest to drag Tatuso if he has too...He starts to cough hard as the smoke thickens around them, it doesn't take long until he himself feels lightheaded]

Can't...stop...

Fallen ones

[flametheif40]

[Al is just behind child Li-Na and witnesses what is going on, in sheer horror and shock he speaks just barley able to keep himself in check, his voice is shaky with terror, anger and disbelief]

No....No...they couldn't have....They experimented ON A CHILD!?

Re: Fallen ones

[invocate]

[Multiple children if the conversation between the adults is to be believed.]

Damnit. Another Fallen One.

[Child!Li-Na turns at the sound of Al's voice. She gives the (seemingly) older boy a wary look.]

You... you shouldn't be here.

Re: Fallen ones

[flametheif40]

I have no idea how I got here...

But lets get out of here! We can't stay with...whatever that thing is...

[He looks around trying to see a way out]

Re: Fallen ones

[invocate]

Are you an Exorcist?

[There are no obvious exits, but Li-Na grabs Al's hand and tugs him down the corridor. The floor and walls are stone and there are doors on either side. And whether they look ahead or behind... there doesn't seem to be an end. The corridor just keeps going and going...
Maybe they should try one of those doors...]

Re: Fallen ones

[flametheif40]

[He shakes his head]

Nope, never even gave demons a serious thought in my life, well okay once but doesn't apply here.

[He opens one of the random doors...and suddenly they are in the middle of a courtyard, and a man stands before them]

Oh speak of the freaking devil...

[The man's face and body go through a transformation, grotesque, and bubbling from underneath his skin, expanding and exploding while changing color. Until he looks like a giant three trunked elephant, one of it's legs alone looks to be about three Al's high. The elephant roars loudly and swings it's central trunk, Al pushes Li-Na out of harms way before he is sent flying like a rag doll, Al's body is consumed in flames for a brief moment, just before he makes a large indent in a stone wall, after a few seconds, Al staggers to his feet]

Ouuucccchhh...That hurt...You okay?