and then they fell. [rakuen revolution opening post]

[utopiamods]

You're falling, and you can't remember why. It's a sickening feeling that makes your insides lurch; the darkness and the vertigo combine, and all you can think of is a story you heard once, somewhere.

Ah, I remember now. It's... a simple story that everyone knows. A legend of a Princess, the Demon Lord who kidnapped her, and the Knight who fought to save her. The Demon Lord had kidnapped the Princess countless times, but every time the Knight bested his challenges and rescued the Princess. No matter what tricks and ploys the Demon Lord used, the Knight would always triumph in the end. This was because--

The world tilts on its axis one last time, and the dream slips from your mind as easily as it arrived. A new voice intrudes on your sleep. Mechanical, monotonous.

"Next stop: Rakuen City. This train terminates here. The next stop is Rakuen. All change." The train rocks steadily as it winds its way through white drifts of now. Sunlight streams through the window, heating the air and making the seats almost uncomfortably warm. A puff of steam from the train winds its way lazily past the windows when the wind is right.

It's strangely difficult to shake off the sleep; the rhythm of the train seems to lull you back into slumber and the air is warm and heavy, making it hard to keep hold of a thought. Finally, though, the nausea settles, the last of the dream fades and you can take in your surroundings. And, perhaps more importantly, those around you in a similar state.

"We have arrived at Rakuen City. All passengers must leave the train. This train is terminating here. This is Rakuen."

Comments

[duchy]

[Not that Sollux can see it, but Lithuania is gaping at the boy in open-mouthed confusion. Not only does he have no eyes, he's got horns and grey skin and there's something yellow stained on his shirt and--Lithuania just does not know what to do with this except blurt out the first thing that comes to mind:]

Are you a monster?

[sciioniic]

[Sollux turns his head towards the voice, blinking pointlessly.]

Uhh. Are you talking to me?

[he's pretty sure he doesn't look particularly monstrous. But ... oh man, there is totally blood all down his front, isn't there. He can feel it where his shirt clings wet and cooling to his skin. Ew.]

[duchy]

[Lithuania backs up a bit.]

W-what are you?

[sciioniic]

What do you – 

[oh geez, right, if this is a dream bubble then there is literally zero reason to assume he's speaking to a troll. Perhaps it's one of the humans? It sort of sounds like whoever he's talking to is younger than the humans looked, but he didn't pay much attention to any of them, really, and he only ever spoke to one of them. He sighs, a little impatiently.]

I'm not a monster, I'm a troll, totally normal example of my species, okay. [He seems a little distracted, as if he's waiting to hear something or other, but whatever it is it isn't coming.] Who are you?

[duchy]

[Lithuania isn't sure troll sounds any less scary than monster, but he does recognize he hasn't yet been killed or eaten, so that's a plus.]

I'm Lithuania.

[He hesitates, uncertain.]

D-do you know where we are?

[sciioniic]

[well, that doesn't sound like any name Sollux recognises. He frowns.] I haven't got a glubbing clue. It sounds like a rail guided transport cubicle ...

[he looks around again, out of habit, but obviously this does not help.] Look, dude, can you give me a grasp prong here because I'm kind of visually boned right now, what does it look like?

[duchy]

[Oh, apparently trolls aren't just naturally blind. He looks around.]

There's a lot of chairs in rows, with some of them next to each other, and there's windows, it's a really big--train?

[He hesitates on that because Sollux called it something different.]

[sciioniic]

Train, whatever. [highblood vernacular, w/e.] Okay.

[He thinks, how big? and where's it going, and, as he finds the window pane with his hand and splays his fingers across it, what's out there?]

[Then he decides it probably doesn't matter. Whatever's going on here, it's not his responsibility, is it? Knowing what the inside of this transport cubicle looks like isn't going to help him any if he can't see anything at all. It's obviously a dream bubble, so here he might as well just go along with it until either he wakes up or someone explains what's going on.]

[There's not much else to do, after all. It's kind of a relief.]

[duchy]

I didn't know what it was until someone told me...

[Lithuania looks out the window. He's not sure if he should be describing more things for the other boy, so he's quiet, unsure, before he asks what he's been asking everyone.]

Do you know why we're here?

[sciioniic]

No? I think it's a dream bubble or something, so we're probably inside someone's memory or whatever, but last time I was in one of these someone actually showed up to explain what the fuck was going on, so ...

[he shrugs ...]

[duchy]

What's a dream bubble? We're just dreaming?

[Actually, for all this is very vivid, dreaming would make sense.]

[sciioniic]

Yeah, probably. [Sollux rests his chin on his hand, frowning.] I don't know that much about them, but it's like going inside someone's memory when you're asleep or something... fuck, I don't know.

[duchy]

[That sounds really strange to him, but if it is a dream, it's not as if one would have to conform to any sort of logic.]

Usually when you realize you're dreaming you wake up, don't you?