I can feel the madness slowly creeping in...

[cityship]

It is that time again, meatship.

Once again, the King of Nightmares has deigned to spread his touch to all of your dreams.

This time, however, he has decided to give them a much more personal touch, sending his very own children to visit each and every one of you, slowly sowing the seeds of madness within all of you.

Such a kind and loving king he is, isn't he?

[ooc: Alright folks, Nightmare King is ramping things up a bit. These nightmares are a good bit more dangerous now, and he's sending in his minions to make things a little more real. The nightmares will be of a much more serious nature this time, designed to start driving the crew slowly insane. Characters are more likely to run into nightmare minions in the guise of someone or something that will tug at the edges of their sanity. Also, this time, the characters can have joint dreams, as these nightmares are of a more mystical nature this time. Once again, tagging in isn't mandatory, but if you want to, go crazy (literally)!]

[Additional Note: Any injuries won't be carrying over to real life at this point in the plot but don't worry, we'll get there eventually!]

Comments

[cabbage-butt.livejournal.com]

He's an adult again. The vent fades around them, his mother's body disappears. He still stares a the smear of green on the ground where it was.

It takes him a moment, but he answers her.

"I--I'm fine," he says coldly, a bold-faced lie. "I simply need a moment to--to--"

He tries to think of an excuse, and he can't think of anything. This happens so rarely.

"I need--I just need a moment to--"

Something snaps inside his chest, and he buries his face in his hand, shoulders shaking. A few drops dribble through his fingers and plop to the ground.

[feelnothinatall.livejournal.com]

She stares at him for a heartbeat, processing the fact that he's crying right in front of her, that no matter how much he tries to keep it down and hidden he can't. It's too much for any child to have to see and just ignore.

Then she's beside him, not moving fast - she wants him to realise that she's not trying to startle him or push him to anything he doesn't want - but just slowly settling down and wordlessly putting her arms around his shoulders.

[cabbage-butt.livejournal.com]

All he can do is cry. He's overwhelmed by emotion, he always has been, and this is so strong. This thought is so strong, and raw, and so painful, and every time it bubbles up to the surface, from where he shoved it down and locked it away in the dark, he wonders if it will ever truly go away.

It's a thought he's had ever since he was a child and he spent idle moments imagining she'd come back for him someday. It's a thought that only worsened those miserable days in the UP hospital when they'd grafted new skin to most of his body after she'd nearly burned him alive. She said she'd had him to try to feel--and felt nothing.

It's a thought he hasn't been able to shake for his entire life.

[feelnothinatall.livejournal.com]

Ahava's still silent, just holding him as he cries in her arms and trembles with emotion. It's obvious that this is something that's been eating at him for an extremely long time, powerful enough that the Nightmare King could latch onto it and twist it easily into what they just saw first hand.

"You're enough for me," she says automatically, then nods slightly to herself. "And to those that care about you. Lyle, Sensor... There are people who love you for who you are, Querl, and even if there are times when you wonder why that is, that doesn't make it any less true."

Her hold on him tightens just enough it could be considered a hug. "It was a nightmare, designed to target your weaknesses. She can't hurt you again. Not without getting through me first, I promise."

[cabbage-butt.livejournal.com]

She holds him for a long, long time.

More significantly, he actually lets her.