The Last Test [closed to: Adam M., Cale, Inara, Miku, Robin, Shadow, Sheik/Zelda, and Tony Stark]

[cityship]

There is a traitor in your midst, meatship. A crew member working for the Nightmare King, enacting his will subtly on the crew.

This person has access to all the Nightmare King knows about their crewmates, and there's plenty the horrible being can glean from their dreams.

Today, it's time to act, to try to cripple all they can, to bring the fears of their crewmates to the forefront to make them easier prey. Today they revel in their cruelty, their soul twisting and writhing in the grips of their cruel master.

[ooc: This is your cue! Each of you, tag in making a new subthread, and set up the setting of where your character is, like you'd do for an post to the comm in general. In the OOC post please lay out the fears and insecurities you plan to exploit in your character's final nightmare to help with the messin'--they'd be bringing those fears to the forefront with their comments, to make it easier for the Nightmare King to act on them]

Comments

[redeyes_andblue]

The sleep deprivation is starting to get to them. Sheik is barely focused, wandering the halls in a slight daze - he was heading to the Sensoriums to have something to eat and hopefully a nightmare-free nap, but at some point, he's managed to get sidetracked.

Pausing, he winces as his ribs twinge - in Hyrule, he would still be bedridden for something like this. Here, that isn't the case, but there's still an ache - whether it's residual injury or phantom pain, he's not entirely positive, but he really does wish it'd go away.

Maybe if he takes the next left...


((OOC: At uni, I'll respond to the OOC post and any tags when I get home!))

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"Lost?" asks a helpful voice off to the side. There's a dark-skinned girl standing there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

[redeyes_andblue]

Sheik jumps - he hadn't noticed the girl there. He really must be exhausted, then... normally he would have spotted her easily.

"A little," he says somewhat sheepishly, "I was going to the Sensoriums, but I..." He shrugs. "Got lost, yes."

[mapquest-titan.livejournal.com]

Cale is in his room, laying on his back with his hands tucked underneath his head. His gaze is fixed on a spot on the ceiling. The dreams and the ghost of his father had bugged him more than he wanted to admit. Unlike the rest of the crew, Cale had felt a sense of relief when he found out that his universe was gone.

He wasn't the only one without a planet any more. Even if the rest of the crew was set on defeating the Ohm and undoing all the destruction they had wrought, he was--for once--not the only homeless person he knew. Yeah, there were plenty of human refugees left back in his universe. But he didn't know them. They were just drifter-colony bums. Strangers. Strangers that, according to Korso and Akima, Cale was supposed to save. Why? Just because dad designed some ship that was supposed to lead them to salvation? Some ship that was supposed to save the human race from extinction? That made it Cale's responsibility? Even if he didn't want it?

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

There's a knock at the door.

[mapquest-titan.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, what?" Cale called out grumpily.

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"What nothing," she says, and peeks in the room. "You naked?"

[mapquest-titan.livejournal.com]

"Leela?" Cale said aloud. How to answer that question? Was she wanting a 'yes' or a 'no?' Looking down at himself, Cale decided the truth was probably a safe option.

"Not quite, why?" he asked as he climbed out of bed and, shirtless, went to the door, pushing the button that would open it. "And since when do you knock?"

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"Aw, why not?" she says, making a face at the lack of naked. "And usually I don't, but everyone's all jumpy lately, on account of the nightmares. Best to tread quietly, y'know?"

She comes into the room and plops on his bed like she owns it, not at all unusual for her.

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

She couldn't fix everything, and she knew that. For now, Miku was keeping out of Medical until they told her that it would be safe to stay with Steve. She'd checked on Yuri, made sure Tess was alright and now, as she reclined uncomfortably on the observation deck, Miku was left with her worrying thoughts.

Her eyes ached with the need to sleep, but knowing that she'd just dream badly, again, wasn't making it easier. Miku laid her head back against the couch and sighed heavily. Hopefully, this whole thing would be over, and soon.

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"Girl, you look like you need some shut-eye," says a friendly voice. "I know the nightmares are rotten, but sleep is still sleep."

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Miku lifted her head and rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes, "Ah? I suppose so, but..." She shrugged. The girl didn't look familiar, though she seemed friendly enough. Shame on Miku for not going out and meeting more of the people of the ship.

"I'm just waiting to hear if my friend will be fine. If I missed the message, I'd be really upset." The little medium smiled gently, polite.

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"What happened to him?" Leela asks, looking concerned and plopping down to sit next to her.

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Miku shrugged again, "Some psychopath attacked him, and it was..." She shuddered. There was the fact that Steve had been bleeding fire, but, that wasn't what worried her, and it wasn't something Steve would appreciate letting all and sundry know. What had worried Miku was the fact that crazy person just stood there and looked at him. "Messy." Putting it lightly.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, but, I want to have confirmation before I even think about sleeping."

[is-the-ultimate.livejournal.com]

(http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/SoaringHeadache/Cape%20and%20Cowl/Shadow%20The%20Hedgehog/?action=view&current=thShadow014.png)

This was getting ridiculous. This was the third time Shadow had been attacked by some sort of stupid dream and he was on the losing end. He needed something to up the ante a bit. Wandering into the weapons and storage, he decided to do a bit of possession diving.

His target? Any of the seven Chaos Emeralds. Next time a dream attacked him, he was going to be ready. His own abilities were good. Add in a Chaos Emerald and he was going to be delivering a world of hurt.

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"Whatcha looking for?" asks a voice at the door.

[is-the-ultimate.livejournal.com]

(http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/SoaringHeadache/Cape%20and%20Cowl/Shadow%20The%20Hedgehog/?action=view&current=thShadow009.png)

"Something from my world." Shadow called back. He stopped and looked back, seeing Leela there. He remembered her - she was the one who refused to free him from the mistletoe. "...want to help?"

[starktech.livejournal.com]

The nightmares had left Tony tired beyond the endurance of even his enhanced physiology. Burning himself one too many times while working on the suit he gave up in frustration and got up, pacing the room he'd converted into a makeshift workshop for a few minutes before rubbing his eyes and slipping out into the streets of the City.

True he'd decided to hole up here to avoid conflict, but- right now, he found himself hoping he'd bump into someone-- anything as a distraction from the recurring dreams and just how bone-deep his tiredness was.

[almostluver.livejournal.com]

Rubbing her eyes warily, Inara's legs dangled over the edge of grating of the walkway overlooking the empty cargo bay of Serenity. Dropping her hand onto her lap, she looked out the cargo doors into the vehicle bay and sighed. She was tired, bone tired to be perfectly honest.

The fact that she hadn't slept in days because she was afraid of what she'd dream about was more than starting to take effect on her. So was this new development, the waking dreams. She wasn't even sure what was real and what wasn't anymore. Dark smudges and pale skin spoke volumes of how tired she actually was.

She was worried about Mal and Kaylee, worried about how they were being effected. Worried that one of them would end up getting seriously hurt. She wasn't so worried about herself, but them? They were the only family she had on board, and she didn't want to lose them.

[mrsarcastic003]

Tim is... honestly, pretty wiped. He hasn't really been sleeping, unless he works himself to complete exhaustion first, and even then, the nightmares--or the fear of them--keep him from sleeping very well.

So he finds himself doing what he's been doing on all the other nights that he's found himself unable or unwilling to sleep. He's heading toward the city to patrol, just like he would do if he were home.

If he's very lucky, he can tire himself out enough to sleep without dreams.

Yeah. Right.

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"What exactly are you looking for, Birdboy?" asks a voice from a roof as he's passing by.

[mrsarcastic003]

Tim glances up and gives her a quick grin. "Trouble."

[daaayum.livejournal.com]

"Do I even need to tell you the part about how you don't have to look any further?"

[mrsarcastic003]

He laughs a little, shaking his head. "I guess not. What are you up to?"

[historyisme.livejournal.com]

He didn't need sleep, but he did need entertainment from time to time. Walking nightmares and phantoms provided little more than irritation and frustration. Now when he walked the halls, he had to take care not to allow any phantoms to do him damage where others could see, without giving away his skill and agility.

It was a challenge, but not one with any worth to it. Thus, rather than entertainment, it provided only exhaustion -- on a mental level, rather than a physical one. There was very little his regeneration could do for wounds to the psyche, however, so he had little choice but to forge onward until the situation resolved itself.

Christian scowled, plucking out a splinter of something nonexistent from his palm. Perhaps he'd gotten it in his last brush with a phantom.