The Radical Dreamer (IC)

[GranspearZX]

GM

February 18, 2010

Rumor had it that when you get pulled into another dimension, even by accident, part of you becomes 'attuned' with it. Being mentally projected into it wasn't enough; one had to physically be there, and it just happened that Marcus Irons had actually been in someone's dreams before, pulled into a Nightmare Realm entirely by accident. Of course, he had no idea what it was until weeks after the encounter. Since then, he'd become exceptionally well read on the subject.

Marcus had been in the middle of class when he heard it. He was in the middle of history class, stuck in his bear form, and falling asleep during the lecture. He had been trying to stay awake, but the moment he closed his eyes, he heard a voice calling out to him. He jolted himself awake, but it didn't last long; the bear's head sank as he drifted off to sleep mid-lecture again. The second time was easily the worst--a piercing scream and the brief flash of a swarm of bats shocked him enough that he stood straight up, knocking over his desk in the process.

After the giggling from his classmates and the butt-chewing from his history teacher were over, Arcturus stood out in the hall, trying to piece together what he'd seen. This wasn't like when he'd had that vision at the museum, however; this time, he had help--Julia Wilson.

He'd met her on his first day at Claremont. In fact, she'd been waiting at the gate for him, like she knew he was coming. It turned out, of course, that she did--she'd seen it in a dream. 'Dream Girl', as she'd been called around campus, had a knack for seeing and interpreting things like that, so she was the first person he thought of asking. Unfortunately, when he went by her room, she wasn't there--and hadn't been for at least two days. Her roommate answered their door, and she didn't look all that well.

"Didn't you hear? She's in the hospital."

"Since when?"

"Since two days ago."

"...where is she now?"

"Freedom Medical Center... I think her parents are there, too."

"...mm. Okay. Thanks." Marcus went straight back to his room--finally able to shift back to his human form--and grabbed his keys. It was the middle of the day and he'd had a study session planned, but this somehow seemed for more important.

[Aoiroo]

Marcus had been acting strangely, it wasn't hard to see. She was two desks over from him in the History class when he suddenly stood up (she would of sat behind him, but no one ever did because his bear form made it impossible to see the board). Contacting him during class was problematic since the teacher required quiet during his lectures, and texting was out since it was probably incredibly difficult for Marcus to handle his phone in his alternate form. Etain didn't talk to Marcus directly after class because she had tutoring, but when lessons were completely over she managed to catch him was leaving his dorm.

"Marcus, what is the matter?"

[Azuth65]

Wisp gathered her books for an afternoon of studying and sketching. She was heading down to the cafeteria for a light snack, well by her metabolism's standards anyway, when she all but ran headlong into Marcus and Etain.

"Hey Marcus, Etain. What's up?"

[GranspearZX]

GM

"Ah... Long story. Feel like taking a ride?"

Marcus rubbed at his temples, still a bit hazy from the lack of restful sleep. It probably wasn't the most ideal condition for him to drive across town, either, but he'd made worse decisions. As he started walking, he nearly ran Wisp right over, and he stopped long enough to register who she was.

"Oh. Victoria, right?" Marcus paused. "...ah, you should probably come too."

He dialed a number on his phone as he led the way to his car. Rene de Saens might've been a relentlessly frustrating old man, but he'd had experience with this sort of thing before. As he led Etain and Wisp to his beaten-up old vehicle, he had a brief conversation before hanging up. Marcus sent one text message as well, short and to the point:

Merc: Garage, 5 mins. -Arc

"I don't know if you guys know Julia... She's a sophomore here; I met her my first day after I transferred. I think... I think she just tried to pull me into a dream just now. She sounded like she needed help, and not of the medical kind. I mean, she's got narcolepsy, but it's never been this serious." He opened the passenger side doors for them both to get in. "I don't think she's ever actually screamed to get someone's attention in a dream."

[Griffalo]

Mercury had been asleep when the text from Arcturus had come through - he'd taken to napping in his room every chance he got, which usually meant between classes. Learning at this pace, the strain of moving halfway across the country... it was wearing for him. Like a groundhog, he poked his head from out of his duvet cave.

Merc: Garage, 5 mins. -Arc

Five minutes? Didn't give him much time. Fortunately as a teenager, he was a master of going from lazing in bed to dressed in no time at all. His tunic and cloak were already close to hand. On they went, belt, keys, talaria. He was ready to go. He ran down the stairs, secretly hoping he was cutting an impressive figure with his cloak trailing behind him. Maybe even a few hot girls saw him. He reached the car just before they were about to depart.

He gave Arcturus a smile as he neared. The guy had seemed pretty cool when they'd met in Lantern Hill. Not, in Mercury's mind, strictly a practicioner of the Art, but he was sort of a friend. Wouldn't hold that against the man.

"Hey, sorry if I'm late. What's up?" He listened along to the (presumed) repeated explanation before nodding.

"I think I've heard one or two people mention her. What can I do to help?"

[Azuth65]

Vicky scooted into the back seat, yanking her mask out before Etain and Mercury could get in, making sure to keep her head low as she entered. "I haven't had a chance to meet her but I got the impression for the handful of people who've talked about she's nice."

Pulling out of her bag a pair of protein bars and a bottle of Gatorade she started consuming the snacks, having an unsettling feeling she was going to be getting in a teleportation based workout in the very near future.

[GranspearZX]

GM

Marcus wasn't speeding on the way across town, but it was pretty clear that the shapeshifter was tired and irritable. "Being stuck in a nightmare sucks. Being stuck in someone else's nightmare is even worse. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'd rather have backup this time. ...you do know how this whole Nightmare Realm thing works, right?"

He glanced over his shoulder; he meant the question more for Mercury than either of the girls--Etain probably knew more than he did, and he just assumed Wisp wasn't as magically-inclined as the rest of them were.

Freedom Memorial Center wasn't difficult to find at all; taking Marcus's car seemed like a pretty good and lazy option when one realized how far it was from the nearest subway station at Freedom City University and the monorail. The parking lot wasn't any more crowded than normal and he managed to find a vacant spot relatively close to the emergency room, easily identified when an ambulance came screeching past, sirens blaring.

"God, I hate hospitals," Marcus muttered, climbing out of the car. He looked again at his phone and then looked around; he wasn't entirely sure where Rene was, but knowing him, he was already inside. The receptionist was especially helpful when they walked in; it seemed that they weren't the first group of Claremont students to come and check on Julia's status. "Room 219", she said; it didn't take long for Marcus to start heading in that direction.

[Griffalo]

Mercury nodded carefully. "I... think so. I've been to the Oneiros before, the Dream-realm. I imagine it's much the same, only... worse."

He walked through the hospital with the others, pulling his cloak tight around him. He felt a little self-conscious in his costume; he still wasn't used to having his bare legs on display in public. He seemed to be drawing a few glances from other patients and visitors. Some of them were wondering if this was some sort of fancy dress, while the others were wondering if this was a hero they should recognise.

"So... will I need to get us in there, or is she going to pull us in?" He shivered a little, hugging himself under his cloak. "I don't think I'm gonna enjoy being in a Nightmare Realm inside a hospital..."

[Aoiroo]

Though not the usual one she attended, her frequent trips made Etain rather accustomed to the hospital, even though among the group she got some stray glances because of her style of dress the atmosphere wasn't troubling at all. The situation however was very troubling.

"Most dreamscapes are of a personal variety and only change conciously by those who are know they are dreaming because they have almost complete control. I think the problem is that an outside source has made its way to the dreamscape if someone so frequently attuned to the dream realm cannot find her way out on her own."

[GranspearZX]

GM

Marcus shook his head. "I've been there twice. The first time was by accident; nightmare creature was trying to possess a little girl so it could roam free in the real world. Believe it or not, usually they're not a BAD thing. Dreams are how we cope with reality. They're really doing people a favor by feeding on fear and nightmares. However, some get a little greedy, and... yeah."

The second floor was surprisingly quiet; Marcus paused in the hallway long enough to try and dial Rene again, letting the others get ahead. There wasn't another soul on the floor save the three women at the nurse's station, and they seemed too busy to take a whole lot of notice to four teenagers. Room 216's door was already cracked slightly open...

[Supercape]

"Ah oui bonjour!" replied Marcus

"Ah, Marcus, oui, oui, I am sorry my friend, I was just resting my eyes..." he coughed with a little shame. He had taken to daytime napping in the last decade or two, and today he had rather taken it to extremes. On the flip side, he had been up painting what he was sure would be a masterpiece till four in the morning last night.

As Marcus explained the problem, Rene tutted and nodded.

"Hmmm, and interesting problem, and another young woman eh? this is getting to be a habit..." he chuckled, not without seriousness. "Freedom Memorual you say? I shall come over..."

He called a taxi. As an afterthought, he pocketed the Boogeyman's Red pedant in his coat. You never knew...

[Azuth65]

Vicky listened intently to Marcus and Etain discussing dreams and nightmares. "I'm just hoping that if we're going where I think we're going, we don't run into Robert Englund and his Christmas sweater."

Upon reaching the second floor she couldn't help but feel a little disquieted by the almost silence of the area as they made their way to Julia's room. She stepped forward and grasping the handle, knocked twice on the door.

[GranspearZX]

GM

There was no answer at the door immediately, but it was clear there was someone inside the room, humming--a young nurse, on her way out of the room.

"Oh, excuse me..." Hugging her clipboard to her chest, the nurse turned to leave, moving past Wisp and the others on the way to the nurse's station.

Inside the room, there were two beds; Julia was lying on the bed on the far side of the room, the lone occupant. There were flowers and balloons from Claremont students and faculty alike on the table near the window, midday light filtering in through the half-closed curtains. There was a small radio beside the hospital bed, along with a brown, leather-bound book and notepad. Outside that, there seemed to be very little else to look at.

[Griffalo]

Evander walked into the room, looking around. Everything seems normal, he thought. There were certainly no telltale traces of magic, though that wasn't conclusive of anything. He moved towards the book and the notepad, cautiously opening the book to see what was written inside.

"So, does anyone have a plan on how to do this?"

[GranspearZX]

GM

The book didn't seem dangerous; though nothing was written on the cover, it became apparent what its function was when it was opened. The journal was half-full with dates stretching back to June of last year, each with an entry of varying length--dreams that Julia had over the course of the last six months. They started to get repetitive, however, around late-January.

Monday, 1/24/2010

*Dreamed of a strange room tonight. I think this was one of my own dreams and not someone else's. It was round, with stained glass windows along the wall. Seven in all, with weird symbols I didn't recognized. It seemed like some sort of temple, long abandoned. Creepy vibe. Think I forced myself awake.

Thursday, 1/28/2010

*Dreamed of that room again. Might have actually projected into this one; I could smell something burning, and there was something on fire up the stairs leading up to this large carpeted platform. Kept hearing this weird operatic singing, too. Tried to climb the stairs but the closer I got, the hazier everything became, until I woke up.

Sunday, 2/5/2010

*Woke up screaming. Don't remember seeing anything, but I heard something terrifying... The most feral roar I've ever heard. Heard glass shattering and--

Tuesday, 2/15/2010

*Dreamed of a few new faces at Claremont! I'd go say hi, but I'm exhausted. No weird temple dreams lately, but I tried to research the symbols I saw on those windows. Nothing. Seven is a meaningful number, though, and what I heard sounded really bad. No new dreams of my own, either, but I think I'll try to search the dreamscape for that place again.

The entries end there--about three days ago. Etched in the margins of that last page were a bunch of random scribbles: '7 chakras, 7 deadly sins, 7 seas?' It seemed like she was really reaching to figure it out before she ended up in the state she was in...

[Aoiroo]

Etain paid less attention to the book, and instead focused on the girl. She did not look well at all, frowning she moved her her side.

"We should act quickly since she may not last in this state."

Glancing around,

"I am usually just give sensation but I do not do invasive magic like entering a dreamscape normally. I can try, but I would like to know if any of you may have any other means?"

[Griffalo]

Evander takes a bunch of keys from his belt. There's a staggering variety, and there seems to be one of each type of key for every type of lock. They're hanging from the key fob of what looks to be a Mercury car.

"I might be able to get us in with these. That is, if the realm of dreams and wherever she is are the same place..."

He looks over at the girl in the bed, his brow slightly furrowed.

"I think she was on to something. Maybe she got too close and whoever is causing these nightmares..." He shivered, the thought of being permanently trapped in a nightmare something he obviously didn't relish.

[Supercape]

Rene arrived at the hospital and had some time arguing with hospital staff about the case in question. He had a tendency to get irritable at red tape (the plague of the modern world, in his opinion), and a tendency to get irritable full stop if one was honest about it.

After cursing in French and making a few phone calls, he managed to barge his way into the room still muttering under his breath.

"'Allo, 'Allo" he said with a wave of his hand, still red faced. "Rene de Saens at your service" he said by way of introduction giving a slightly too extravagant and slightly too quick bow with a doff of his beret.

He took a look at the slumbering girl and the assorted hero's. "What is ze situation?"

[GranspearZX]

GM

"Actually," Marcus began, slipping his phone back into his pants pocket, "the last time I ended up in a nightmare realm, a friend of mine took an amulet off of the Boogeyman-thing's last would-be victim... I figured it it was trying to get out through that amulet, we could get in the same way."

He stood at the window, shaking his head; for several moments, he didn't say anything--and then Rene walked in.

"Ah, speaking of. Guys, this is that friend I was talking about... Did you bring it?"

He moved back towards the door and poked his head outside for a minute. The halls were quiet and desolate; he shut the door completely and rejoined Etain and the others, cracking his knuckles.

[Griffalo]

He gave Rene a smile of greeting, speaking to him in perfect and accentless French.

"Ah, welcome Monsieur De Saens. It's good to see you again."

He looked back to Arcturus, switching back to his natural English. "Well, whatever you think best, man. I guess you're taking point on this one. I'm kind of worried that I'm talking to someone with prior experience of walking around in another person's nightmares. You don't have a striped jumper and a fedora hidden about your person, do you?"

He looked over Rene again at Arcturus' comment, wondering what interesting item he might have brought.

[Supercape]

"Aha, you mean this?" answered Rene, bringing out the Ruby pennant of the Boogieman.

"I did... although I confess I am still unsure as to what ze lovely thing actually does. But if it can help..." he shrugged. "This young lady, she is another walker of dreams is she? and has become trapped? is it our friend? or something else?"

[GranspearZX]

GM

Marcus looked at Evander, confused by the reference. Rather than dwell on it and look silly by asking what that meant, he looked over at Rene, backtracking a bit to the incident at Claremont.

"I'm pretty sure this isn't normal. Like I told the others, I think she tried to pull me in to help her. Which isn't all that different from what happened last time..." He coughed. "Try putting the necklace on her. We'll just have to sort of wing it from there."

[Supercape]

Rene fondled the artifact for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure this was wise, but it had worked in the past. Not strictly in a beneficial way, of course, but then, it had come under the foul influence of a malign denizen of the nightmare world. Hopefully this time no such corruption would be present.

"Lets see what happens..." he said. It could hardly make the situation worse.

He slowly placed the ruby pendant around the girls neck, brushing her hair away gently. "Sweet Dreams, little girl..." he whispered.

[GranspearZX]

GM

It didn't take more than a few moments of Julia wearing the amulet before the entire room seemed to darken. The lights flickered and the color seemed to drain from the entire room, painting everything in varying shades of blue. The room shook and rattled violently, and when it was over, it seemed like very little had changed. Outside the window, however, Freedom City had vanished. There was very little out there aside from vast, empty space filled with clouds. In fact, it was the only place where the colors seemed normal: the stars were a vast array of pinks and greens and blues--definitely nothing terrestrial about it.

"...ugh." Marcus grunted; it was the only sound he could make, physically and mentally disoriented by the dimensional shifting. He looked around the hospital room; it was completely in tact, identical in every possible way. Julia, however, had an unusual distortion about her form. She was lying on the bed but she seemed transparent. The only solid thing on her was the amulet.

[Griffalo]

Mercury was the first to look out of the window after a moment's recovery; he didn't seem nearly as disoriented as Arcturus. Clearly he'd been somewhere like this before.

"Well, here we are..." He turned back to look at the girl, fascinated by her translucent form. He reached out hesitatingly to touch her, wondering if his hand would pass right through.

"So, I guess we... go out there and explore? Did we come up with a plan?"