1920's.

[JennyDK]

The time of the roaring 20's. Lots of fashion, the birth of jazz clubs, new cultural and economic boom. Basically, a decade with plenty of good times and optimism.

[JennyDK]

Adventure tite: The Dream Demon
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon - population of 7354
Year: 1923
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START:
Each investigator starts off the adventure being asleep whereever they are at.
Once deep in slumber they are all suddenly feeling fully aware in a very unexpected and weird place.
None of the humans are able to see each other when they come to their senses here.

The entire sky is free of clouds and in fact is completely sepia toned rather than being blue and normal, as if a filter is covering everything here.
Beyond being weirdly coloured, two huge bright sun shine on the sky, with them being at two different positions as well.

All around them, every piece of land is rising up like individual plateaus of varying size. Huge pillars rise up from below to support these mostly round shaped plateaus.
The sort of rock that these plateus is made of, looks sort of strange to all of them and upon touch, it feels pleasantly warm.
The only ways between these plateaus are rickety-looking step bridges. Most are still up and intact, while others are broken and have collapsed.
Way down below, a sea of tar-like substance makes out the bottom of this place, like a vast and endless sea.

The only other "company" the humans seems to have are odd creatures fluttering around in the sky. Their bodies are like bats, but much bigger and with a giant eye showing up to fill most of their torsos.
They have wings just like bats as well and it feels like they are constantly watching these humans, but does not appear aggressive in any way.

This landscape stretches as far as their eyes can see and nothing indicates that to not be the case endlessly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

[AraAraOneesan Banned]

June Milton, a flapper girl if there ever was one. June was pretty indeed. Blonde, blue-eyed, stylish, lithe, with a pretty bob...

But descriptions are unimportant. What is important, is the sight in June's blue eyes. She looked up. 'Two suns. There are two suns...and the sky...it looks pretty, but it's nowhere near an ordinary sky.' June thought. The scenery was beautiful, but unfamiliar. Was she in a dream? She only remembered going to sleep before she woke up here. The bats weren't helping her unease at all. She wanted to explore, on the bridges. 'No, absolutely not. I'll fall..' thought the woman, still bewildered by this sight.

[Jholdono]

Francis Clarke jolted awake by the sounds of the new environment he found himself in. At first, the reddish-brown hue of the sky entering his eyes caused him to think that someone had put a bag over his head. Thrashing upright, he realizes he is not bound, and that his vision is not obscured - quite the opposite, in fact, as he is greeted with the binary stars illuminating an alien landscape and notices the bat-like creatures soaring overhead. At first drawing his pistol from its holster and cocking the hammer, he keeps his guard up, just in case there is anything here that would take the opportunity to attack him, but realizes that the only creatures he sees are simply... looking at him...

Easing up ever so slightly, he de-cocks the hammer on his Colt, but keeps it in-hand just in case. Looking over the horizon, he sees the plateaus and the bridges connecting them to the land he stood on, and at the thick black sea which surrounded him. Seeing the bridge as the only way forward, Francis cautiously looks around for a rock to test out for any traps and the structural rigidity of the bridge. Hopefully, he would find rocks as he knew them and not... well, whatever the Hell else this place could contain...

"One thing's for damn sure - I ain't in Kansas anymore...", he muttered to himself, thinking back to a fantastical story he read once as a young adult...

Edited May 13, 2022 by Jholdono

[DrMender]

A raspy voice groans out as a pair of cobalt blue blink away the haze of the deep sleep that he had once been in as a fair skinned white hand shields the person's eyes from the bright light filtering down from the twin binary suns hanging in the reddish-brown sky as Eric Whitmore or the person whom prefers to be called the "Professor" glares up at the disturbance in his sleep muttering to himself, "What in the bloody hell is all that light shining into my room?!" After giving himself a moment to adjust to the newly glaring sunlight baring down on him before he bolts start up in a seated position at the strange alien surrounding that reside around him and angrily mutters out, "Alright whose the wise guy responsible for this damn prank!" as his keen eyes scan the surrounding island that he finds himself in taking note of the black lake of strange liquid with the strange hill-shaped plateaus that make up the surrounding land masses continued by old worn-out rickety bridges. Once his cursory glance of the landmasses around him is finished, he would turn his attention to the cloudless reddish-brown sky with twin suns and he would raise a thin delicate black eyebrow having spotted the numerous bat-like creatures in the sky before he blinks his eyes a couple of times followed by rubbing both eyelids with his hands in astonishment at the strange creatures. After a moment of contemplation, he would sigh seeing that besides the strange bats, he appears to be the only one on the plateau that he woke up on as he cautiously stands up and dusts himself off in the process revealing an old worn black suit with a blue tie that he quickly adjusts with a slight cough before he runs his left hand through his slicked back raven black hair as he mutters, "No where but forward until I find the one response for this situation..." He would cautiously proceed forward with hi black buffed leather dress shoes carrying him towards the only bridge in front of himself, while keeping an eye out for anything strange or possible writing to identify where he is currently at.

[AraAraOneesan Banned]

"What the hell..." the woman said. "IS ANYONE THERE!" She screamed, looking around. She adjusted her skirt as she wondered what happened to her. "Wake up, June, wake up!" she thought to herself, trying to piece things together. "Why am I here?" She said, out loud, cause it seemed there was no one there.

[Nan-Yo]

After an over forty hour long journey by automobile Randall finally arrived in the small town of Hillsboro where the medical convention he was supposed to participate in would be held. A proud owner of a Stutz Bearcat a few of his co-workers had jokingly said he would be insane to go all the way from Ridge Cliff, Idaho to Hillsboro, Oregon...  but Randall had been adamant that it was not a fools mans dream. Working with the unfortunate insane he did not think it proper to make jokes about madness and had taken quite the umbrage with what they had been saying. Now looking back at the whole endeavor he could say for sure that he had been right, but he couldn't say that his co-worker had been wrong either... going by automobile had been more troublesome that he had ever foreseen and if he had to make the trip again he would have gone by train like any sane man would. Or maybe not, while he was not looking forward to the trip back, having his automobile at his disposal in a place where he had never been before gave him an advantage that those lacking the fortitude and foresight had not.

It was late evening and he still had two days before the meet up would happen so he drove up to the large hotel where the gathering would be held and walked inside. In such a small town like this, not even half the size of his own wonderful Ridge Cliff, this large hotel was no doubt its pride and joy. Large and spacious the foyer was lavishly decorated but not badly enough that it looked decadent. Dark oak wood floor covered by large red mats, brown wood panel and green almost garish wallpaper. The receptionist was a young man, no a kid rather... maybe in his mid twenties he had the look of a person that would never be able to contribute with anything to a conversation. An imbecile for sure, but such was the case for almost all, especially those lacking in age and what came with it. Experience? No... insight.

Whether the young man had any insight or not he provided had provided Randall with a key to his room and then left him to carry his own luggage up to his room. Yes, not surprisingly the service at this hotel was like the rest of the town, lacking.

Bringing up his luggage and hanging his spare clothes in the cupboard Randall could feel the stress from the trip already catching up with him. Doctors hailing from Idaho, Washington and even Oregon itself would all be gathering here in this tiny little town for a three day long convention. Just one out of multiple medical conventions held all across the country at around the same time, the one here in Hillsboro seemed to have been chosen more for it's location than anything else. It was a bad choice though and only made sense geographically and on paper. Connected by train and by roads it was what could only be referred to as a backwater town, a place that had no future. Holding the convention in his own hometown of Ridge Cliff would have been a far more rational choice, but rational was something that seemed to be increasingly rare in the world.

With such thoughts sleep still came surprisingly easy... but there would be no rest for Randall.

 

                                                                                                ¤           ¤           ¤           ¤           ¤

 

Gazing out over the rather bland landscape Randall pulled out his pipe and started stuffing it with tobacco. The sight surprised him far less than the poor service of the Hotel he was staying at which would probably have shocked more than a few people. In his line of work where he dealt with those that had to be locked away from the rest of society, proper treatment was key in making breakthroughs. Simply administering and testing new medicine on those that were already to far gone to give proper feedback Randall had opted to use use animals and other people to. It had given him some insight of course but none of it had been able to come close to being as effective as testing it on himself.

The sepia sky was new and so were those large birds and the funny looking plateau that he was standing on but Randall found some comfort that he still control of his emotions at least. Experience had taught him that the last thing a man wanted to do when caught having a psychosis like this was to react badly to it. Was he asleep? Maybe he had consumed alcohol or something else before going to bed? He could not recall but that only made it even more crucial that he did not act rashly.

Finished stuffing his pipe he patted his coat and vest and found a packet of matches that he lit the tobacco with and took a couple of light puffs from. The taste was the same at least and didn't seem to be affected by this delusion he was experiencing.

 

 

OOC: I'll remove the part where he is awake if it is not approved.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[JennyDK]

On 11/05/2022 at 16:43, Jholdono said:

Francis Clarke jolted awake by the sounds of the new environment he found himself in. At first, the reddish-brown hue of the sky entering his eyes caused him to think that someone had put a bag over his head. Thrashing upright, he realizes he is not bound, and that his vision is not obscured - quite the opposite, in fact, as he is greeted with the binary stars illuminating an alien landscape and notices the bat-like creatures soaring overhead. At first drawing his pistol from its holster and cocking the hammer, he keeps his guard up, just in case there is anything here that would take the opportunity to attack him, but realizes that the only creatures he sees are simply... looking at him...

Easing up ever so slightly, he de-cocks the hammer on his Colt, but keeps it in-hand just in case. Looking over the horizon, he sees the plateaus and the bridges connecting them to the land he stood on, and at the thick black sea which surrounded him. Seeing the bridge as the only way forward, Francis cautiously looks around for a rock to test out for any traps and the structural rigidity of the bridge. Hopefully, he would find rocks as he knew them and not... well, whatever the Hell else this place could contain...

"One thing's for damn sure - I ain't in Kansas anymore...", he muttered to himself, thinking back to a fantastical story he read once as a young adult...

As he throws a rock or two, there are nothing indicating any rocks. The rocks feel warm to the touch, just like the more solid ground below him and any rocks tossed at the bridge doesn't really affect it in any way. Either the distance is so far that he cannot hear a rock hit the tar-like sea below or it simply did not generate any noise.

12 hours ago, Nan-Yo said:

Gazing out over the rather bland landscape Randall pulled out his pipe and started stuffing it with tobacco. The sight surprised him far less than the poor service of the Hotel he was staying at which would probably have shocked more than a few people. In his line of work where he dealt with those that had to be locked away from the rest of society, proper treatment was key in making breakthroughs. Simply administering and testing new medicine on those that were already to far gone to give proper feedback Randall had opted to use use animals and other people to. It had given him some insight of course but none of it had been able to come close to being as effective as testing it on himself.

The sepia sky was new and so were those large birds and the funny looking plateau that he was standing on but Randall found some comfort that he still control of his emotions at least. Experience had taught him that the last thing a man wanted to do when caught having a psychosis like this was to react badly to it. Was he asleep? Maybe he had consumed alcohol or something else before going to bed? He could not recall but that only made it even more crucial that he did not act rashly.

Finished stuffing his pipe he patted his coat and vest and found a packet of matches that he lit the tobacco with and took a couple of light puffs from. The taste was the same at least and didn't seem to be affected by this delusion he was experiencing.

As Randall nonchalantly carries on like normal, there is no real reaction or response from the surroundings on his simple actions of smoking his pipe.

Quote

A raspy voice groans out as a pair of cobalt blue blink away the haze of the deep sleep that he had once been in as a fair skinned white hand shields the person's eyes from the bright light filtering down from the twin binary suns hanging in the reddish-brown sky as Eric Whitmore or the person whom prefers to be called the "Professor" glares up at the disturbance in his sleep muttering to himself, "What in the bloody hell is all that light shining into my room?!" After giving himself a moment to adjust to the newly glaring sunlight baring down on him before he bolts start up in a seated position at the strange alien surrounding that reside around him and angrily mutters out, "Alright whose the wise guy responsible for this damn prank!" as his keen eyes scan the surrounding island that he finds himself in taking note of the black lake of strange liquid with the strange hill-shaped plateaus that make up the surrounding land masses continued by old worn-out rickety bridges. Once his cursory glance of the landmasses around him is finished, he would turn his attention to the cloudless reddish-brown sky with twin suns and he would raise a thin delicate black eyebrow having spotted the numerous bat-like creatures in the sky before he blinks his eyes a couple of times followed by rubbing both eyelids with his hands in astonishment at the strange creatures. After a moment of contemplation, he would sigh seeing that besides the strange bats, he appears to be the only one on the plateau that he woke up on as he cautiously stands up and dusts himself off in the process revealing an old worn black suit with a blue tie that he quickly adjusts with a slight cough before he runs his left hand through his slicked back raven black hair as he mutters, "No where but forward until I find the one response for this situation..." He would cautiously proceed forward with hi black buffed leather dress shoes carrying him towards the only bridge in front of himself, while keeping an eye out for anything strange or possible writing to identify where he is currently at.

Just like the rest of the people who are present in this otherworldly realm or dream, he too finds nothing but rock, these odd creatures and the thoughts of how this must some stupid hoax meant to make a fool out of him. Luckily, the bridge he soon makes his way across, is fairly sturdy still.

Quote

"What the hell..." the woman said. "IS ANYONE THERE!" She screamed, looking around. She adjusted her skirt as she wondered what happened to her. "Wake up, June, wake up!" she thought to herself, trying to piece things together. "Why am I here?" She said, out loud, cause it seemed there was no one there.

Whilst June hears no response, both from the other people trapped here or the environment, it still has serves some sort of purpose as she calls out loudly into the what seems more like an endless landscape of otherworldly beings and nature(?). Her lungs cry out for someone to hear her and indeed, there is a faint sound reaching the ears of both Francis @Jholdono as well as the more calm and collected Randall @Nan-Yo. These two are able to discern what does appear to be a voice in the distance. The same goes for the older man, Eric @DrMender

Edited May 13, 2022 by JennyDK

[JennyDK]

Quick addition:
As a way to enchance the mood I will be putting up various music for ambience. I recommend putting these on whenever you read or write posts

For this scene:

Spoiler

 

 

[Nan-Yo]

Randall continued to remain calm, the tobacco helping him a lot as he allowed his sense of taste to focus on the addictive plant. In what he guessed was the far off distance, he could briefly make out what almost sounded like a person screaming, the fear in the voice more discernible than the possible meaning of what was being yelled. He took another puff from his pipe as he stomped down the gut instinct to move from his position in a vain attempt to locate where the sound was coming from. Had that really been yelling? If he was just having a dream then it didn't matter, but if he was having a psychosis right now then any action he took could have some unforeseen actual consequences for him.

His surroundings suggested that he was high up on a ridge, maybe a mountain? But if he was awake, what did this represent in reality? Was he standing outside in the streets? Or was he perhaps on a rooftop? The plateau he was on and the ones spreading as far as the eye could see also disturbed him... his first impression that they were mountain-tops slowly eroding away and being replaced with this feeling of wrongness. The plateaus reminded him of something... but what? He couldn't quite put his finger on it but the longer he looked the more convinced he became that he was on to something. What was it though? Where had he seen this before? What was it reminding him of?

Pondering these questions, he kept his eyes and ears open. That sound he thought he had heard... if it was somebody screaming, what did that mean? Was somebody in trouble, or were they trying to get his attention? Randall took another long puff from his pipe....

Edited May 17, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[Jholdono]

Although fruitless in testing the bridge with rocks, Francis was able to take comfort in knowing that at least something in this place was (for the most part) normal. Holstering his Colt pistol, he picks up a handful of small rocks and puts them in one of his trench coat pockets with the thought that perhaps they could be used elsewhere. Although warm to the touch, at least they didn't seem to be warm enough to burn a hole through his coat pocket. He then looked to his only way forward - the bridge extending from his plateau to the next. Deciding to take it slow, Francis tests each step taken on the bridge before fully applying his body weight.

Everything seems to be going well as he progresses across the bridge, when he faintly hears a noise off in the distance. He stopped dead in his tracks to hone in with his ears. After a moment, he is able to determine that it sounds like a woman crying for help somewhere up ahead. He contemplates his options...

'Am I not the only one here? Or perhaps it's the trick of some strange beast? What else could be here besides myself and those strange bat-creatures...?'

After such contemplations, he decides to pick up his pace ever so slightly - this bridge could still be weak in some areas, and he really didn't want to take the long fall down if a section of it broke on him. However, if it truly was another person, he had to go see who it was and probe them for any further information. And if it wasn't another person and just some monster imitating human speech?... 'Well, hopefully my .38 Special can deal with it...', he thought to himself. If anywhere was a place to let the imagination run wild - this would be the place, after all...

Francis steels himself and pushes forward across the bridge - now with a stronger sense of purpose...

Edited May 14, 2022 by Jholdono

[DrMender]

At the sound of a young woman's screaming about wondering if anyone is there, which the professor would pause momentarily on his adventure across the old rickety bridge over the bubbling black tar-like liquid and begins a cursory look around for the feminine voice calling out. He quietly pursue his lips and rub his smooth pale chin as he mutters quietly to himself, "This is certainly an elaborate prank, but whom is the student that is screaming out" as he tries to puzzle out on who the voice belongs to from his class of high school students. He shakes his head softly as he glances up at the strange black bats flying around in the air as he decides to get more information from the mysterious voice by yelling out in a stern gruff elderly voice," Alright Young Lady this prank has gone on long enough! Have you and your friends all come out now!" 

After a brief moment, he would continue to hobble across the old bridge towards the other end as he watches around the area and continues on with his yell, "If you and your Friends come out now, I won't give you detention cleaning the chalkboard if you fess up on to how you pulled this hoax off!" As his mind continues to try to puzzle together how they had rigged this strange scene together and more importantly how they had managed to get into his house without waking Brutis the Saint Bernard up, whom should have been sleeping at the foot of his bed or more importantly his wife that should have been sleeping next to him since she was always a light sleep.

[AraAraOneesan Banned]

June heard the professor. "WHO ARE YOU! This isn't a joke! And what chalkboard!" She screamed. Her voice was grating and high pitched. "I want to go home... Do you know me? IT'S ME, JUNE MILTON!" Of course, June wasn't his student, but she thought he may have known her.

[JennyDK]

On 14/05/2022 at 17:02, Jholdono said:

Although fruitless in testing the bridge with rocks, Francis was able to take comfort in knowing that at least something in this place was (for the most part) normal. Holstering his Colt pistol, he picks up a handful of small rocks and puts them in one of his trench coat pockets with the thought that perhaps they could be used elsewhere. Although warm to the touch, at least they didn't seem to be warm enough to burn a hole through his coat pocket. He then looked to his only way forward - the bridge extending from his plateau to the next. Deciding to take it slow, Francis tests each step taken on the bridge before fully applying his body weight.

Everything seems to be going well as he progresses across the bridge, when he faintly hears a noise off in the distance. He stopped dead in his tracks to hone in with his ears. After a moment, he is able to determine that it sounds like a woman crying for help somewhere up ahead. He contemplates his options...

'Am I not the only one here? Or perhaps it's the trick of some strange beast? What else could be here besides myself and those strange bat-creatures...?'

After such contemplations, he decides to pick up his pace ever so slightly - this bridge could still be weak in some areas, and he really didn't want to take the long fall down if a section of it broke on him. However, if it truly was another person, he had to go see who it was and probe them for any further information. And if it wasn't another person and just some monster imitating human speech?... 'Well, hopefully my .38 Special can deal with it...', he thought to himself. If anywhere was a place to let the imagination run wild - this would be the place, after all...

Francis steels himself and pushes forward across the bridge - now with a stronger sense of purpose...

The young detective pushes himself to move on, despite the very possibility of this being some sort of trap or an illusion of some sort. The voice from before seems to be a light guiding tool in an otherwise endless landscape of sameness. As he moves onto the nearby rope bridge it does creak a little bit, but seems able to hold his weight just fine. Moving slow, but steadily seems to be the way forward on this on, at least on the parts that are a tiny bit rickety and noisy below his feet.

14 hours ago, DrMender said:

At the sound of a young woman's screaming about wondering if anyone is there, which the professor would pause momentarily on his adventure across the old rickety bridge over the bubbling black tar-like liquid and begins a cursory look around for the feminine voice calling out. He quietly pursue his lips and rub his smooth pale chin as he mutters quietly to himself, "This is certainly an elaborate prank, but whom is the student that is screaming out" as he tries to puzzle out on who the voice belongs to from his class of high school students. He shakes his head softly as he glances up at the strange black bats flying around in the air as he decides to get more information from the mysterious voice by yelling out in a stern gruff elderly voice," Alright Young Lady this prank has gone on long enough! Have you and your friends all come out now!" 

After a brief moment, he would continue to hobble across the old bridge towards the other end as he watches around the area and continues on with his yell, "If you and your Friends come out now, I won't give you detention cleaning the chalkboard if you fess up on to how you pulled this hoax off!" As his mind continues to try to puzzle together how they had rigged this strange scene together and more importantly how they had managed to get into his house without waking Brutis the Saint Bernard up, whom should have been sleeping at the foot of his bed or more importantly his wife that should have been sleeping next to him since she was always a light sleep.

The professor of the group stuck here calls out, still intent on believing this to be some elaborate hoax and all smoke and mirrors. However, every step he takes, every sight and sound all feel completely real. If someone is indeed making a prank here, it is very well done, executed and thought out. Also moving closer to this voice, he makes his own presence known in return, giving the otherwise silent land some sort of noise in the air. Luckily, none of this yelling causes any change in the behaviour of the odd creatures above.

3 hours ago, AraAraOneesan said:

June heard the professor. "WHO ARE YOU! This isn't a joke! And what chalkboard!" She screamed. Her voice was grating and high pitched. "I want to go home... Do you know me? IT'S ME, JUNE MILTON!" Of course, June wasn't his student, but she thought he may have known her.

Just like the others have heard June, so does she hear the older man call out, making it easier for the people here to be able to divert their travel and attention towards each other. Of course, she has uttered her own name, but it is highly unlikely that any of the others are able to recognize it. Still, if any bad entitites would be out here, they were more likely to trick people with a familiar name and thus June does something clever, albeit maybe not on purpose, as she cries out even more.

On 14/05/2022 at 03:18, Nan-Yo said:

Randall continued to remain calm, the tobacco helping him a lot as he allowed his sense of taste to focus on the addictive plant. In what he guessed was the far off distance he could briefly make out what almost sounded like a person screaming, the fear in the voice more discernible than the possible meaning of what was being yelled. He took another puff from his pipe as he stomped down the gut instinct to move from his position in a vain attempt to locate where the sound was coming from. Had that really been yelling? If he was just having a dream then it didn't matter, but if he was having a psychosis right now then any action he took could have some unforeseen actual consequences for him.

His surroundings suggested that he was high up on a ridge, maybe a mountain? But if he was awake what did this represent in reality? Was he standing outside in the streets? Or was he perhaps on a rooftop? The plateau he was on and the ones spreading as far as the eye could see also disturbed him... his first impression that they were mountain-tops slowly eroding away and being replaced with this feeling of wrongness. The plateaus reminded him of something... but what? He couldn't quite put his finger on it but the longer he looked the more convinced he became that he was on to something. What was it though? Where had he seen this before? What was it reminding him of?

Pondering these questions he kept his eyes and ears open. That sound he though he had heard... if it was somebody screaming, what did that mean? Was somebody in trouble, or were they trying to get his attention? Randall took another long puff from his pipe....

As he sits there and smokes his pipe in all peace and quiet, the voice from before, June @AraAraOneesan , and another one coming from professor Eric @DrMender chiming in as well, both of them heard somewhere in the distance.

-----------------------
After some travelling, the three people, June, Eric and Francis get close enough to each other that they are able to spot each other from a short distance away and even able to get a look at each others faces in order to memorize them. Finally, they are all able to see another person in this godforsaken landscape of alien origin.

However, just as they have seen and scanned the faces of the other people there, all four people in here wake up with a shock in whatever bed they fell asleep in and in whatever room that was in, everything seemingly back to reality from the looks and feel of things. However, the memory of their short time in this other place is imprinted firmly in their minds. It is still in the middle of the night and the sun has yet to rise outside. If they try to go back to sleep, they are able to calm down eventually and rest until morning time.

One thing that suddenly dawn to each of them all, is that the small town has a local person, a lady who happens to have a strong reputation around interpreting dreams and what they might mean for each person having them.
Randall @Nan-Yo - Remembers reading a local news story about her in the paper from yesterday, which was about a sudden rise in the number of new clients the last week.
Francis @Jholdono - Suddenly recalls overhearing someone discussing her somewhere in public, very likely one of the new clients she has had lately. The gossip was troubled, yet still positive about her abilities.
Eric @DrMender - despite working in a place of higher education, not everyone working there has abandoned alternative methods. He has been talking to a colleague who recently made use of her services
June @AraAraOneesan - Lives near her small house and recalls seeing much more traffic towards her place lately. He knows her somewhat since the neighbourhood is not that big and many people know each other here to either bigger or smaller extent.

Name of NPC: Jessica Whitford.

Edited May 15, 2022 by JennyDK

[Nan-Yo]

Randall sat up in a cold sweat, staring at the clock he had brought with him to the hotel. It was still dark outside, except fpr the faint moonlight casting shadows through the trees. Everything had just been a dream... thankfully not a psychosis, and certainly not reality. But he could still recall the shrill yelling of what he had surmised to be from a female, followed by something that had been closer to a baritone. The sounds had been coming closer to where he had been at, and then... what?

One moment he had just stood there smoking his pipe as he had taken in the landscape all around him, the next moment he had found himself back here in bed. That was a given of course, if you went to sleep in a bed then you would wake up in one... so what was this unsettling feeling he was having? Was the anxiety he had been feeling over the scheduled conference finally getting to him?

The mind of man was still mostly uncharted territory, but with what knowledge science had managed to glean it had pretty much been settled that a healthy body helped keep a healthy mind. Stress and long hours of working without sleep would take a toll on you. Finding time to relax was important, but so was keeping the mind entertained.

When he had arrived at the hotel yesterday, he had seen that desk-clerk reading a newspaper about a local woman who was making a lot of money interpreting dreams.
Tomorrow he was going to have a day to rest up before the seminar; maybe he should spend some of that time checking out this small rat-hole of a town? See what all the hubbub was all about? Laughing at the local side-show should definitely help him take his mind off of work.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[Jholdono]

Francis wakes with a startled jump - a sensation of falling which shook him awake. He looks around and finds himself in the same hotel room that he had rented for the night upon arriving in Hillsboro. Turning on the small light near his bed, he looks as the clock - still the middle of the night. Unable to shake a disturbing disconnect with reality, he double-checks himself and his gear, patting his coat pockets and checking the holster for his revolver to find it still very much locked and his coat pockets empty... he sighs and draws a cigarette from the pack of Lucky Strikes he bought from the receptionist, lighting it, inhaling, and rubbing his eyes from the dream which made him so weary.

With his current investigation, Francis would have figured his dreams to be filled with thoughts about the serial murderer case, and be some wildly active dream revolving around that... not whatever in the Hell he just experienced. The people's faces are those he had never seen before. Not any murder accomplices, not any faces he's seen in his travels - they were merely figments of his imagination.

Finishing his cigarette, he considers going back to sleep, but after such a strange dream, he can't bring himself to go back to bed. 'Wait... dreams... that dream interpreter...', he thought to himself, thinking back to the townsfolk he overheard the other day. He promptly decides to gather his things and go for a drive around town. With any luck and further recollection of the conversations of passers-by, he'll be able to find this interpreter's place and ask her about what he saw before any other customers show up. He really didn't want to get too sidetracked and lose his suspect's trail, or take too long to catch up to him, but this desire to meet the dream interpreter was, for some odd reason, so compelling to Francis...

Doing one last check of the hotel room and his personal belongings, Francis disembarks to find this mysterious woman...

Edited May 16, 2022 by Jholdono

[DrMender]

After the long weary trek across the old worn rickety bridge that crossed the expansive distance of the black-tar like sea onto a central plateau that was connected by a couple other bridges, which he would blink in surprise and mild shock at seeing June and Francis on their ends of the bridges. His mouth would be parted slightly ajar with one of his slender fingers raised slightly before he blinks his eyes a couple of times shaking his head as though trying to dispel an illusion created by a mirage. As he begins to call out to the two in front of him having taken long enough to study their features and being able to pick them out if his mind can comprehend this strange realm was realm instead of a hoax, he is suddenly woke up by a soft voice filled with panic calling his name and his right shoulder being shaken, "Honey wake up!"

Eric would groggily rub his sleep crusted eyes with his left hand as he slurs out from being abruptly woken up out of a deep sleep, "Huh what" as he looks around in shock at having spotted himself not in his bed and feeling a strange chill from the crisp fall air due to standing outside in the middle of his front yard in nothing but his thin cotton red cotton pajamas. The same feminine soft voice filled with concern calls out to him gentle resting her hand on his shoulder asks again, "Eric... Honey are you ok?" as a small whimpering whine can be head on his right side followed by a soft pattering of something furry pawing at his side. He would glance around in confusion as the dim lighting from the residential street lights illuminate the dead of night causing his confused eyes to settle on the loving form of his wife Sarah and his faithful companion, Brutis prompting him to ask, "What happened Sarah and why am I outside?" His wife would look at him with her tear-filled shimmering eyes full of concern as she exclaims softly, "I... I don't know honey... you just start moving around in your sleep, while muttering or mumbling about something I couldn't make out" as she is quietly pulled into a loving embrace by Eric and she continues, "Next thing I know your walking downstairs through the house ending outside and just standing at the end of our sidewalk right next to the street...."

Eric would confusingly scratch the side of his head at the strange happenstance of his night escapades as he reaches down scratching Brutis behind the right ear saying, "I am ok boy don't worry" before he turns to his wife and loving kisses her forehead replying, "Its ok honey lets go back inside before you freeze to death from the cold" as he spots her slender petite form rapid in a simple pink cotton robe with her disheveled chestnut brown hair framing her face and her hazel eyes watch him with concern. He would quietly wrap his arm around his wife as he quietly says to her in a loving tone, "Come on sweetie, lets go back to bed..... I just had a strange dream was all" as they both head back to bed with their dog quickly following beside the pair. Once the loving couple are back in their room and settled into bed, Eric would find himself unable to fall back asleep constantly going back to the strange world and the two strangers that he had seen on the other side of the bridge. After a couple of hours of fruitlessly trying to sleep without any success due to his anxious mind running in overdrive, he would wordlessly get out of bed and quickly complete his morning routine before returning to the bedroom placing a loving kiss on his wife's forehead smiling warmly at her as he gentle sets a note on her nightstand that reads, "Went out to see Miss Whitford" and would head outside with intentions of seeing Jessica Whitford about the strange dream he had due to his discussion with his colleague even though he didn't really believe in her work.

[AraAraOneesan Banned]

June woke up in shock, catapulting up. 'What was that dream...' she thought to herself. The blonde was never one to suffer nightmares, unless she had drank a little too much of her beloved Mary Pickford rum cocktail. And she hadn't been to a speakeasy lately... 'Ugh...just a dream, don't be stupid, June!* She changed out of her nightgown into a blue dress with black gloves, heels, and stockings, plus her little black hat. She put on some light eye makeup and a lot of red lipstick, and then something came to her. 'Hey....My neighbor Jessica Whitford is a dream interpreter. I gotta get to her!' June rushed to her neighbor's house and knocked on the door. "Hey! Jessica!" she said.

[JennyDK]

On 16/05/2022 at 01:05, Nan-Yo said:

Randall sat up in a cold sweat, staring at the clock he had brought with him to the hotel. It was still dark outside, except fpr the faint moonlight casting shadows through the trees. Everything had just been a dream... thankfully not a psychosis, and certainly not reality. But he could still recall the shrill yelling of what he had surmised to be from a female, followed by something that had been closer to a baritone. The sounds had been coming closer to where he had been at, and then... what?

One moment he had just stood there smoking his pipe as he had taken in the landscape all around him, the next moment he had found himself back here in bed. That was a given of course, if you went to sleep in a bed then you would wake up in one... so what was this unsettling feeling he was having? Was the anxiety he had been feeling over the scheduled conference finally getting to him?

The mind of man was still mostly uncharted territory, but with what knowledge science had managed to glean it had pretty much been settled that a healthy body helped keep a healthy mind. Stress and long hours of working without sleep would take a toll on you. Finding time to relax was important, but so was keeping the mind entertained.

When he had arrived at the hotel yesterday, he had seen that desk-clerk reading a newspaper about a local woman who was making a lot of money interpreting dreams.
Tomorrow he was going to have a day to rest up before the seminar; maybe he should spend some of that time checking out this small rat-hole of a town? See what all the hubbub was all about? Laughing at the local side-show should definitely help him take his mind off of work.

 

On 17/05/2022 at 01:13, Jholdono said:

Francis wakes with a startled jump - a sensation of falling which shook him awake. He looks around and finds himself in the same hotel room that he had rented for the night upon arriving in Hillsboro. Turning on the small light near his bed, he looks as the clock - still the middle of the night. Unable to shake a disturbing disconnect with reality, he double-checks himself and his gear, patting his coat pockets and checking the holster for his revolver to find it still very much locked and his coat pockets empty... he sighs and draws a cigarette from the pack of Lucky Strikes he bought from the receptionist, lighting it, inhaling, and rubbing his eyes from the dream which made him so weary.

With his current investigation, Francis would have figured his dreams to be filled with thoughts about the serial murderer case, and be some wildly active dream revolving around that... not whatever in the Hell he just experienced. The people's faces are those he had never seen before. Not any murder accomplices, not any faces he's seen in his travels - they were merely figments of his imagination.

Finishing his cigarette, he considers going back to sleep, but after such a strange dream, he can't bring himself to go back to bed. 'Wait... dreams... that dream interpreter...', he thought to himself, thinking back to the townsfolk he overheard the other day. He promptly decides to gather his things and go for a drive around town. With any luck and further recollection of the conversations of passers-by, he'll be able to find this interpreter's place and ask her about what he saw before any other customers show up. He really didn't want to get too sidetracked and lose his suspect's trail, or take too long to catch up to him, but this desire to meet the dream interpreter was, for some odd reason, so compelling to Francis...

Doing one last check of the hotel room and his personal belongings, Francis disembarks to find this mysterious woman...

 

On 17/05/2022 at 08:53, DrMender said:

After the long weary trek across the old worn rickety bridge that crossed the expansive distance of the black-tar like sea onto a central plateau that was connected by a couple other bridges, which he would blink in surprise and mild shock at seeing June and Francis on their ends of the bridges. His mouth would be parted slightly ajar with one of his slender fingers raised slightly before he blinks his eyes a couple of times shaking his head as though trying to dispel an illusion created by a mirage. As he begins to call out to the two in front of him having taken long enough to study their features and being able to pick them out if his mind can comprehend this strange realm was realm instead of a hoax, he is suddenly woke up by a soft voice filled with panic calling his name and his right shoulder being shaken, "Honey wake up!"

Eric would groggily rub his sleep crusted eyes with his left hand as he slurs out from being abruptly woken up out of a deep sleep, "Huh what" as he looks around in shock at having spotted himself not in his bed and feeling a strange chill from the crisp fall air due to standing outside in the middle of his front yard in nothing but his thin cotton red cotton pajamas. The same feminine soft voice filled with concern calls out to him gentle resting her hand on his shoulder asks again, "Eric... Honey are you ok?" as a small whimpering whine can be head on his right side followed by a soft pattering of something furry pawing at his side. He would glance around in confusion as the dim lighting from the residential street lights illuminate the dead of night causing his confused eyes to settle on the loving form of his wife Sarah and his faithful companion, Brutis prompting him to ask, "What happened Sarah and why am I outside?" His wife would look at him with her tear-filled shimmering eyes full of concern as she exclaims softly, "I... I don't know honey... you just start moving around in your sleep, while muttering or mumbling about something I couldn't make out" as she is quietly pulled into a loving embrace by Eric and she continues, "Next thing I know your walking downstairs through the house ending outside and just standing at the end of our sidewalk right next to the street...."

Eric would confusingly scratch the side of his head at the strange happenstance of his night escapades as he reaches down scratching Brutis behind the right ear saying, "I am ok boy don't worry" before he turns to his wife and loving kisses her forehead replying, "Its ok honey lets go back inside before you freeze to death from the cold" as he spots her slender petite form rapid in a simple pink cotton robe with her disheveled chestnut brown hair framing her face and her hazel eyes watch him with concern. He would quietly wrap his arm around his wife as he quietly says to her in a loving tone, "Come on sweetie, lets go back to bed..... I just had a strange dream was all" as they both head back to bed with their dog quickly following beside the pair. Once the loving couple are back in their room and settled into bed, Eric would find himself unable to fall back asleep constantly going back to the strange world and the two strangers that he had seen on the other side of the bridge. After a couple of hours of fruitlessly trying to sleep without any success due to his anxious mind running in overdrive, he would wordlessly get out of bed and quickly complete his morning routine before returning to the bedroom placing a loving kiss on his wife's forehead smiling warmly at her as he gentle sets a note on her nightstand that reads, "Went out to see Miss Whitford" and would head outside with intentions of seeing Jessica Whitford about the strange dream he had due to his discussion with his colleague even though he didn't really believe in her work.

 

3 hours ago, AraAraOneesan said:

June woke up in shock, catapulting up. 'What was that dream...' she thought to herself. The blonde was never one to suffer nightmares, unless she had drank a little too much of her beloved Mary Pickford rum cocktail. And she hadn't been to a speakeasy lately... 'Ugh...just a dream, don't be stupid, June!* She changed out of her nightgown into a blue dress with black gloves, heels, and stockings, plus her little black hat. She put on some light eye makeup and a lot of red lipstick, and then something came to her. 'Hey....My neighbor Jessica Whitford is a dream interpreter. I gotta get to her!' June rushed to her neighbor's house and knocked on the door. "Hey! Jessica!" she said.

-----------------------------
The four people who have all had the weirdest and most surreal dream of their lives, decide to venture towards one person in town who might be able to give them some answers about this strange and alien occurence and landscape they have found themselves within. No matter what, the sensation of how real this whole thing felt runs deep and is unshakable, even to the most steely minded person in this group.

They all arrive at the same time near what is a small and old, but very well kept house in one of the residental areas of Hillsboro. The house looks very idyllic and serene with a beautiful front and back yard, with a white picket fence surrounded all of it. An aura of tranquility seems to inhabit this place and the four people can have a rare few seconds of mental relief as they behold this and take in the sight and feeling that this emmits.

Luckily it is still so early that nearly every other client would be arriving much later than this. This does mean that everyone, from June to Francis sees three other strangers get there simultaneously, just as June @AraAraOneesan is knocking on the door to the small house. As there is no immediate response, the people are all able to have a moment to grasp the situation and perhaps interact with one another before Jessica is likely to get to the door.

[Jholdono]

As Francis drove around the town trying to find the location of the dream interpreter, early morning had started to illuminate the night sky. It had taken him several passes through and around the town of Hillsboro before he finally stopped at one house where a woman was fervently knocking at the door. He pulled his car over, turned the engine off and stepped out towards the woman. As he got closer, though, he began to recognize certain bodily features - mainly her short blonde hair, slim figure, and...

'Her voice... but... it couldn't be...', Francis thought to himself.

It was the very same voice he heard in his dream... as he approached her from behind, he cleared his throat before announcing his presence to her, "Excuse me, miss?", he said as she turned around to face him. Upon seeing her face, his blood went cold - she was the very same person he saw before he woke up.

Stunned, he doesn't know what else to say just yet, before he notices two other men approaching the same building as them...

Edited May 19, 2022 by Jholdono

[Nan-Yo]

His face freshly shaven, Randall had washed his face and put his clothes on before leaving his room. Yesterday's newspaper had given him an address and a name, so he had enjoyed the hotel breakfast and then taken his car for a spin around town as he mulled over the sense of dread he had felt and was still experiencing to some extent. It hadn't subsided yet as much as he had hoped, which irritated him slightly. The conference should never have been held here! If the people making the decision had not been blithering idiots, then they would have booked the Lumine Hotel and had the meeting at Ridge Cliff instead!

                                                                                                ¤           ¤           ¤           ¤           ¤

His lousy mood if anything actually worse now, Randall parked his car against the sidewalk and noted some lollygagger trying to hit it up with a young flapper outside of the house he had planned to visit. He had only come here so that he could laugh at the local rabble, but instead he was forced to watch a Brush Ape during its mating season. Jumping out of his car, Randall started walking towards the two of them. The girl was of no importance of course, most likely a boob tickler, but the man was a different story. His eyes were cold and full of confusion and his face looked almost ashen. That was not the look of a man who was trying to woo a woman. So, did that mean he was here for the local attraction then?

Edited May 26, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[AraAraOneesan Banned]

@Jholdono June said "Hey! I'm June! Oh my god, you're the guy I saw in my dream!" She was surprised. "I was going to Jessica's house to find out what that whole dream was about. Anyway, your name is?" she said, adjusting her skirt. June thought 'Who is this guy anyway...' She said "Listen, if you want something, say it!"

Edited May 21, 2022 by AraAraOneesan

[DrMender]

Once Eric had left his humble abode with the stereo-typical white picket fence, he quickly strode across his front yard to a cream colored Nash Touring that was sitting in his driveway. He would sigh in annoyance at the strange dream that he kept thinking about that had plagued him last night as he climbs into the vehicle heading across town, which he would mulled over the strange appearance of the others that he had seen across the way on the other bridges. He would quietly turn down the road leading to Jessica's house as he blinks in surprise at seeing a gathering of people outside her home, which he would slowly down and pulled over to the side of the road a few paces away. His left hand hovered momentarily over the driver side door handle after shutting his vehicle off before he shakes his head intent on meeting the illustrious Jessica with his car door creaking quietly in the early morning air. Before closing the door, the professor would grab his old worn leather brown briefcase incase he needed to occupy his time with work since he did have papers and texts to review from his students along with the occasional peers in cryptography.

At the boisterous and exuberant introduction from June to Francis causes him to scoff slightly at the upbeat attitude mentally comparing June to the numerous other students that he deals with at the academy with a mental sigh and thinks, "Oh joyous days listen to the harpy and vagrant..." He would mutter softly under his breathe, "Back in my day younglings wouldn't been seen in such embarrassing states of attire" as he spends a moment straightening his suit jacket and calls out politely, "Excuse me you two might I pass to the front door your blocking to enter the establishment your blocking?", while his curious old gaze would scan the area before turning back to the pair waiting for them to move. After  a moment having been lost in his thoughts, he would stop a couple steps away from the white picket fence gate seemingly lost in thought about the strange hoax of a dream that had shown him the two strangers in front of him being June and Francis, while he fails to have spotted Randall do to his lack of attention to his surroundings.

Edited May 26, 2022 by DrMender

[AraAraOneesan Banned]

June moves out of the way. "Come in!" She said, smiling. She was excited about this possible adventure, but was still unnerved by her dream. Wondering what was going on, and hoping to ask Jessica. "So...your names are..."

[Jholdono]

On 19/05/2022 at 12:21, Nan-Yo said:

His lousy mood if anything actually worse now, Randall parked his car against the sidewalk and noted some lollygagger trying to hit it up with a young flapper outside of the house he had planned to visit. He had only come here so that he could laugh at the local rabble, but instead he was forced to watch a Brush Ape during its mating season. Jumping out of his car, Randall started walking towards the two of them. The girl was of no importance of course, most likely a boob tickler, but the man was a different story. His eyes were cold and full of confusion and his face looked almost ashen. That was not the look of a man who was trying to woo a woman. So, did that mean he was here for the local attraction then?

On 21/05/2022 at 13:03, AraAraOneesan said:

@Jholdono June said "Hey! I'm June! Oh my god, you're the guy I saw in my dream!" She was surprised. "I was going to Jessica's house to find out what that whole dream was about. Anyway, your name is?" she said, adjusting her skirt. June thought 'Who is this guy anyway...' She said "Listen, if you want something, say it!"

On 23/05/2022 at 01:02, DrMender said:

"Excuse me you two might I pass to the front door your blocking to enter the establishment your blocking?", while his curious old gaze would scan the area before turning back to the pair waiting for them to move. After  a moment having been lost in his thoughts, he would stop a couple steps away from the white picket fence gate seemingly lost in thought about the strange hoax of a dream that had shown him the two strangers in front of him being June and Francis, while he fails to have spotted Randall do to his lack of attention to his surroundings.

With his moment of shock quickly subsiding, Francis takes out his pack of cigarettes, offering one to June @AraAraOneesan while he introduces himself, "The name's Francis Clarke. You'll have to excuse me, I didn't think anyone else in that dream I had last night would be another living person. It's just that all this is a surprise to me, you see...", he says, lighting a cigarette for himself, whether or not June takes him up on his offer (although offering to light her cigarette with a match if she does). Still unsure of what kind of people June, Eric @DrMender, and Randall @Nan-Yo were, Francis decided to leave any mention of his profession and current investigation out of the picture when conversing with these three individuals. Turning to face Eric and Randall, Francis remembers Eric's face from the dream, and immediately knows why this man is here, too. Greeting Eric, this time with less awe than when he first saw June, Francis does the same in kind by offering Eric a smoke and a light. However, Randall was still a peculiarity - a face Francis did not remember from the dream. For now, he could only give Randall the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was another regular customer to this dream interpreter, but he had a slight gut-feeling that this was not the case. Looking to Randall, Francis finally asks, "What exactly brings you here, friend?", again, offering the comfortingly smooth taste of toasted tobacco.

On 24/05/2022 at 18:31, AraAraOneesan said:

June moves out of the way. "Come in!" She said, smiling. She was excited about this possible adventure, but was still unnerved by her dream. Wondering what was going on, and hoping to ask Jessica. "So...your names are..."

As strange as the situation presented itself, something was afoot, and he took it as a sign of something being intertwined with the series of strange, gruesome, ritualistic murders he was investigating since he took the case back in Chicago... for now, Francis would simply better acquaint himself with the group while they waited to see the dream interpreter, passing introductions and trying to steer the conversation deeper into discussing any peculiarities they had noticed while inside of their dream world. Any information Francis could gather into this strange occurrence would at the very least set his mind at ease, if not bring about some answers for himself and the group at large...

Edited May 26, 2022 by Jholdono