tushanshu_logs | ( closed )

He picks two of his less secure safehouses, sparsely furnished. Kyle’s made certain he’s prepared, and that he can at least trust the people here to keep this between themselves until the mission’s conclusion; the safehouse itself... that can be compromised without issue even if it is password-protected. Both are fairly nondescript buildings, easily passed over, save for the interior: a setup to the left side containing most of the scientific equipment Tony’s provided, three towering stone archways with the Dreaming runes elegantly carved onto them, and backpacks in the corner for everyone going in: containing food and water for half a week, short-wave radios, and flares. Kyle has no doubt everyone can control the surroundings of the Dream plane, but Damian had his suspicions, and he was inclined to trust the little bat.

Upon arrival, he gives people time to check out the area, pick a pack, and check that all their necessary equipment is working, before directing them towards an archway, which shimmer slightly in various colours out of the corner of one’s eye. 'The objective is explore and report back,' he says, to one team in person, to the other as a hologram. 'How long it takes you to find each other in there - if you can find each other - or find the exit, or use the radios... Any bizarre emotions you feel, if you can or can't manipulate the landscape, et cetera. We know very little about this and there’s no reason to suggest it’s dangerous, but tread carefully. Last time it was a hellhole.' A beat. 'Good luck.'

The Dream plane itself is, very briefly, grey and undefined, until one enters. It changes according to the individual explorer’s thoughts: from cities to mountain ranges, drab skies to brilliant hues, it’s all malleable. Powers do not work but injuries sustained remain that way even after exiting. Tools only give the appearance of working, shorted out by magic, and the voices on that radio may not even belong to the other team members at all.

Nightmares are dreams too. Now and then there are are dark corners, remnants of those who’ve passed through this realm, tucked away in unseen pockets.

[ooc: action or prose all good! feel free to start your own threads under this header. you aren’t limited to those in the same warehouse; the Dream plane connects them both.]

Edited 2014-03-10 14:42 (UTC)

How long's it been? Three days? Four? Stumbling out of the archway could be a welcome relief or a sharp kick in the face after the comforts of the Dreaming. Kyle's waiting there with a bottle of fresh, clean water and a change of clothes, and hands over the equipment to Chekov for some data crunching.

There's a new installation, a small couch, for R&R before one is allowed to leave, but not before a certain GL is all up in your business. 'So, how'd it go?'

Edited 2014-03-10 14:54 (UTC)

Now this is more like it. When Kyle tapped him for this job he was more than happy to volunteer. Exploring new and dangerous places is what he did. Albeit this 'Dreaming' sounded a lot like the Fade so he may have some familiarity with it already. Not only that, this plan actually sounds like it could prove useful, much more so than sitting around waiting for something else to happen.

After a brief check of his gear, quickly familiarizing himself with the radios, Hawke is ready to go yet one thing still remains. Notch sits patiently at his side wagging his tail, ready to follow his master into whatever waits for them in there. This time though, his constant companion won't be joining him. After the scare he got when they fought that magic flinging creature, Hawke doesn't want to chance Notch getting lost in a land of dreams and fantasy. The dog is smart, smarter than most people he knows, but he doubts the mabari could handle this.

Hawke smiles and pets the dog gently, kneeling in front of him. "You're staying here this time boy," Hawke tells Notch softly. Instantly Notch's ears droop, his tail stops, and he whines. Hawke shakes his head. "No none of that. Your job will be to stay here and guard the archway until we get back. I don't want to hear any arguments." Another whine and Notch nuzzles against Hawke's chin. He doesn't like what he's hearing, but he'll do as he's told. The mabari gets a scratch behind the ears in return.

"Guard this place until I get back. Do a good job and we'll convince Jack to give you some extra fish as a treat," Hawke offers with a smile. That gets Notch's attention. He barks excitedly and his tail begins to wag again. Hawke nods with approval. "That's the spirit. We'll be leaving everything in your care." Notch rises to his feet, giving a confident bark.

Again he smiles at the hound. He stands, then nods at the others before stepping through the archway. For a moment it seems that he's stepped into a thick fog, then the landscape forms around him. The cold hits him instantly and he finds himself standing in a bog up to his knees. Though he hasn't seen it in years, Hawke recognizes the swampy Kocari Wilds almost instantly. Which means he's back in Ferelden. He's home. "Just as brown and drab as I remember," Hawke remarks as he examines his surroundings.

In fact it's exactly as he remember, because he's the one creating it. It's just a landscape created by his thoughts. He needs to remember that. His hands drop down to his axes just in case he finds himself in need of them, and trudges out of the water towards drier land.

[Hal may no longer trust himself with a power ring, but like hell was he going to let Kyle go into this without backup. Kyle could take care of himself, but Hal was still a Green Lantern at heart. It wouldn't have been right to have stayed out of it when other non Corps members were joining in. They didn't even need to be on the same team, just knowing he was doing his bit was enough. Besides, from what he'd heard of the place, willpower would come in handy and he still had one of the strongest wills in the world.

He goes through his checks quickly and efficiently. Not unlike the easy way he used to go through the safety checks before he took out a new plane to test. Once he's done, he doesn't hesitate before stepping boldly through the portal. The Dream plane morphs in response to Hal's presence and he finds himself standing in the ruins of city that's very familiar to him with hints of the environment in the bottle here and there. It's a clear indicator of the thoughts that have been weighing on him lately, but at least it's not his nightmares.

Hal grits his teeth and starts walking. Maybe when he finds someone they could change this, but right now he was still trying to find his footing.]

Tony doesn't admit it, but he isn't a huge fan of the Dream realm after it showed him some of his own nightmares. It doesn't stop him from wanting to explore the place, though. Self-preservation riding shotgun to needing answers. He doesn't like the place, but that won't keep him from going into it. And when Kyle makes his suggestion, Tony is right there to join him.

"Well, this is nice."

After entering the glowing archway, the Dreaming seems dark. He can see the hints of a long hallway with reflecting walls and something that looks like a mansion in the distance, but at the moment he's standing in a shadowy street that looks normal enough aside from the lack of lighting.

"Not homey, but it could be worse."

[Tony wanders alone a few minutes once he enters the Dreaming. For a while, he wonders if he's actually going to find the other team members on their little exploration--and then the world seems to shift and he's walking through a ruined city, one that is unfamiliar and lonely.

He's even relieved when he sees the familiar face. They haven't exactly been friendly before, but encountering Hal is better than nothing. Tony approaches, hand raised in a greeting as he walks toward him.]

Enjoying the walk?

[Alright, honestly. How hard could this be? He's been told he won't be able to use his Persona in this Dream place, but it doesn't sound that bad. Maybe like the TV world, but without the Shadows. While that doesn't mean it's harmless, it does mean that there shouldn't be anything in there that a normal person wouldn't technically be capable of handling. Right? A world that changes with a person's thoughts... he's already been through that. Nearly ten times. Piece of cake.

Not to mention, he's eager to do something already. He's somehow been managing away from his friends and family, but like always, it's boredom he can't stand. So when he steps through the archways with his backpack and watches the world around him turn grey and misty, he can't help but feel relieved.

And then, he's home. Around him are the familiar streets of Inaba, on a sunny and beautiful day. There aren't any people in sight, but it doesn't matter. Just this setting is enough to make him feel very lonely all of a sudden. It's been more than a month since he's seen this place... and it's horribly tempting to just sit down on a curb and enjoy it in silence.

But no. This isn't real, what he's seeing isn't true. It's just a product of his head. The fact that he's seeing it at all makes him feel a bit sad and burdened, but he has to walk and explore like he's supposed to. With a deep breath, he grasps the straps of his pack and begins to walk down the street. Judging from where he is, the shopping district shouldn't be far off, but there's still no people here...]

[Alright, Yosuke has no idea how he got here, but he definitely wants out. This is about as creepy of a forest as you can get. Dark, wet, cold, and not a sign of human civilization anywhere so far. Plenty of wolves apparently, from the howling he periodically hears from not so far off, but no humans.

He's resting defensively with his back against a tree when he suddenly hears the crunch of footsteps. The noise is coming from the direction of a swampy area he'd just walked around, so naturally Yosuke's first thought is oh boy, it's going to be some kind of B-movie monster, isn't it.

But for now, instead of flipping out, he'll peek around the tree cautiously.]

Um, is somebody there?

[The wolves, Hawke remembers them. Of course if they're here, even nastier beasts could be lurking around. Hawke wonders if this dream version of the Wilds is exactly like the one he remembers so many years ago. If so, wolves are going to be the least of his worries.

Hawke hears the voice and realizes it's one that he recognizes. Out here it sticks out like a sore thumb. He knows it doesn't belong in a place like this. Seems like someone found their way into his own little dream world.

He trudges out from behind a nearby tree, finally reaching solid ground when he spots Yosuke. Yep, he definitely sticks out in this place.]

No one here but us heroes.

[He shoots Yosuke a grin.]

Though you might want to keep it down. I'm still not sure how much like the real thing this place is.

[There's another person and everything around them is distinctly the same. Maybe there really was drawbacks to being stubborn.

(No, no there wasn't.)

Hal responds with a half-hearted wave of his own. He remembers Tony as a guy that needs a push to get going and possibly prone to moping about losses which means on his list of people that might be useful here, is quite low. He's assuming Kyle invited him because he was smart.]

The scenery leaves a little to be desired. [He kicks at a bit of loose rubble.] I guess willing something into existence is harder than I remember.

[Tony also thinks that he's probably not the best choice to venture into the dream realm, but he's pretty sure it's not that bad. He's faced off in dreams before, and he can control his own subconscious, right? Sure.

Hal seems to be taking the whole thing in stride. Tony's defense for the moment is to try to block out anything that might be dangerous to manifest. So far, only a hint of that is in the distance--a mechanical hum that seems to come from nowhere in particular. No visuals yet.]

No luck? What were you trying to form?

[Tony sounds mildly curious, not particularly moved by the Dreaming as he looks around.]

This isn't my town, so I'm guessing it's yours. This isn't really what you wanted to see?

[Yosuke is grimacing as he hears something heavy trudging closer, but when a man comes out from the darkness, he feels the tension leave his shoulders. Oh... it's this guy. He recognizes this guy - he talked to him on the computer when he first got here, and he's one of the ones here to explore.

With a sigh, he pushes away from the tree and turns to face him.]

I thought you were gonna be a bear or something ready to eat my face off. Where the hell are we? Is this your dream?

[Hawke smirks at Yosuke.]

You're worried about bears? Here I thought you were used to slaying monsters.

[Alright, so at least they're able to find one another in this place, even if it's completely by accident. Hawke briefly wonders if getting out will work the same way. It's a thought for another time though. Right now there's more exploration to be had. He's not so eager to leave this place yet.]

Unless you've been to Ferelden recently then I'd say yes, this is my dream. We're in the Korcari Wilds.

[Hal stills.]

Seeing your hometown destroyed isn't what anyone wants to see. [Worse still was the fact that it was his last clear memory before the blurred years of Parallax and the Spectre.] Anything would be better than this.

[Tony pauses at that one, and he doesn't exactly hide his surprise.]

Nightmare? Can you think of something else? Maybe we can change it.

[He's trying to purposely ignore any familiar memories himself. It might be a simple approach to take, but Tony is hoping that if he just ignores those little familiar memories then they'll disappear. Especially since he doesn't have the armor to fall back on.]

Yeah, well, two words for you with this place: no powers.

[He looks a little sour about having to be reminded of that fact. Without his Persona, he's just a teenage kid with a couple daggers hidden in his jacket. Not exactly the kind of person who can take on a 500 pound bear.]

Well, is it dangerous? Can you dream us someplace without any wolves? [is that how it works...]

Neither do I but that's what these are for.

[He pats the axes at his side. There's very little that worry him in this swamp, except one thing, or many things depending if this is a perfect memory. One Darkspawn Hawke knows he can fight, even a small group, but a horde of them would be a bad thing.]

It's not wolves that I'm worried about.

[Hawke looks around at the dreamscape then back at Yosuke.]

Maybe? Possibly? This is a little outside my normal range of weirdness.

A nightmare I can handle, overcoming fear's the easy part. This is a reminder that I let history repeat itself, left myself open to weakness again.

[He makes a hollow attempt at a smirk.]

If you know Aquaman and have seen him recently, that was my handiwork. [He's not quite ready to admit that he also murdered his counterpart.

But he really wants to change the setting so he's going to think long and hard about his space sector. Space didn't hold any sort of baggage for him so it should be safe.]

Overcoming fear is easy? [Tony raises an eyebrow at Hal.] I don't know about that. Fear's pretty stubborn. And sometimes it's necessary. Wouldn't ignoring it completely be a weakness?

[He might have had a rough time with Hal in the past, but he's trying to take this seriously and be productive.] He told me. Not in detail, but I get the idea.

[Tony pauses as the area around them seems to shift a bit at Hal's concentration. It still doesn't get rid of that mechanical hum. It sounds something like a capacitor building up energy in the distance. Tony is distracted by the whole space thing, however, and shifts his weight uneasily.]

Hey, watch it. Some of us are just human, you know.

Overcoming is different to ignoring. 'Hal Jordan of Earth, you have the ability to overcome great fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps' with an induction message like that you'd have thought one yellow ring wouldn't make me throw all that away and attack a team-mate.

[He allows himself a small smile when he sees that he's at least partially successful. It's space, but not the region he was thinking of.]

Well so am I and this is a nicer view. But if it helps-- [He concentrates and a green translucent bubble envelops them to look like it's protecting them from the vacuum. It's a lot harder to maintain this than a construct, but he thinks he's starting to get the hang of it.]

Nice welcome speech. That's not something that'll give you a big head.

[He says that dryly, looking around at the space view that's spreading out around them. Tony doesn't often get a view like this, true, but at the same time he's very aware that they are still in the dream realm. And that makes him uneasy.

Thanks, Ty. Thanks.]

You're really doing that, huh? You can control your dreams that easily? Sounds like a nice break-

[Tony's cut off as the hum of energy stops abruptly, replaced by a shot of energy fired from somewhere in the spread of stars and aimed straight at them. Speaking of nightmares.]

Oh, great. That makes me feel a lot better.

[As your punishment for dreaming up someplace with something worse than wolves, you're officially stuck with Yosuke for the time being, Hawke. He stomps over the rocks and roots in his way to go to your side and cross his arms.]

Well, lead the way, dream man. [pause.] What was your name again?

Wonderful, glad I could help.

[Hawke doesn't plan on leaving him behind anyway. The kid seems a little worried about this whole ordeal. Just one reason Hawke appreciates not having to rely on magic and the like. He doesn't have to worry about losing such things either.]

It's Hawke. You're Yosuke right?

[He's good with names, even the weirder ones. Without waiting for an answer Hawke presses forward. Time to see if they can get out of here, or change the scenery somehow.]

[Hal automatically raises an arm as if he's still got the ring on and despite the lack of ring he still manages to just conjure up a shield. It's not strong enough to protect them, but it takes the edge off of the blast so it's only bruising he has to worry about when he gets knocked over.

But more significantly, that breaks his concentration and the bubble disappears completely while their environment starts to blur.]

Yours or mine? [His mind immediately goes to the Manhunters.]

[The world around them blurs, and Tony makes a face as it shifts into something more familiar. A normal street in the middle of a city, and he recognizes the blast for what it is.]

Not yours.

[He looks grim and turns toward the direction of the blast as the armor appears, flying toward them to attack. Hal made the idea of overcoming fear sound easy, but Tony has never been on good terms with his subconscious.]

( closed )

DREAMING;

POST-MISSION MINGLE; earth warehouse

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