songerein | [open] 🔶 more nightmares? that's just life

Who: Ferran, his dreamscape & you!
Which: interactive dream
What: Ferran dreams of his last moments before arriving in Reverein.
Warnings: blood, unhealthy relationships?? (I'll match format!)

A penthouse balcony looks over a lit city late at night, the roar of the freezing wind almost drowning out the distant sound of traffic. But any observers would only have a brief moment to appreciate it before the sudden appearance of two figures in a flash of glittering light: a dark man in a cape, and a teenager in a torn costume with apparent shackles, bleeding heavily from injuries to his shoulder and side. The former, already holding the latter in a tight grip, places a clawed gauntlet over one of the wounds where a faint light begins to glow.

After a few moments, the young man's expression seems to relax from his grimacing, orange eyes staring dully at the night sky as the bleeding slows and eventually stops.

"Why," the man hisses at his ward, his expression tight and brow furrowed deeply behind his eye mask as he continues his healing. Ferran lets out a weak chuckle, apparently unmoved by the sharp tone and look.

"It's funny," he responds with hardly more than a whisper. "I should hate you. I even fantasized about... taking you with me, once."

There's a faint smile on his face, despite the lingering pain and the gravity of his words. The dark markings on his jaw spread further out onto his face, as if to mirror some underlying fracture as he speaks.

"I can't anymore. The thought of you being hurt... I can't stand it..."

He turns his gaze to Onyx, whose expression has changed in an almost unreadible way—but behind the intensity of the clear displeasure, there's shock in the slight widening of his golden eyes.

"I guess you're upset, though. Sorr—"

With a loud crack, Ferran suddenly slumps in his guardian's arms with his eyes open, and his fantastical costume disappears, returning him to his normal appearance in a pair of bloodstained pajamas anyone who met him when he first came to Reverein might recognize.

Still carrying the young man, Onyx gets to his feet, apparently unbothered by any dreamwalkers who may have appeared nearby. When his glowing gaze turns to them, it's barely an acknowledgement.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

How did you-

[The tone of the man's voice cuts through the air like a knife and with it weaves this heavy tension that makes Sora's shoulders tight. His hands flex and he almost wishes he could conjure a keyblade right now just for the comfort of having a weapon in his hand. His eyes narrow and he throws up his guard while trying to swallow the taste of bitter confusion from the back of this throat.

He has no idea what is going on. If he should attack this man and swoop in and get Ferran out of this section of this heavy dream or... keep listening. Is he saying that this man is the one that hurt Ferran's family in the first place? And now Ferran had protected him? There must have been a reason for it.]

Just who are you!?

If you prefer a name, you may call me Onyx.

[The nuances of who the man standing in front of Sora is are a little more complicated than just that, however. He allows his hand to return to his side, an unpleasant smirk still on his face.]

But if you're wondering how I know of you—this is just a reflection of his memories, after all. Why wouldn't I know, after I spent so long learning about him and all of his friends in our own world? It's only natural, isn't it.

Geeze, you're some kinda weirdo.

[Sora's gaze doesn't leave the man. Still looking at him warily and like he still might just throw a weapon at his head in a second or two.]

Why are you so interested in Ferran, then?! Huh?

[What's going on here!?]

[Onyx holds up the necklace he'd taken off of Ferran, letting the silver and garnet pendant dangle on its thin chain.]

He had the misfortune of receiving a gift that grants a power otherwise impossible in this world. He, and his friends... though luckily for me, I already had connections to his family when I discovered this one.

[He tucks the gem away now, its purpose apparently fulfilled.]

Those connections made him particularly useful in acquiring what I needed for the others, and it would have been a waste not to take advantage of the opportunity. He's already succeeded twice, so I would say it was worth the effort.

[Sora still can't say he understands all of this. Ferran's motivations in wanting to save or help this guy... Maybe he needs to find a way to ask Ferran instead. But all that sounds ominous.]

So you were trying to use him?

[His brows furrow. He steps forward like he is about to throw hands or at least get this guy to leave Ferran alone.]

Why don't I ask him a few questions about all this, huh? Leave him alone!

Oh, I hardly have to try anymore.

[With another laugh, the man gestures towards the unconscious Ferran, pale and still, covered in his own blood and black marks jagged across his face.]

Does he look capable of speaking to you? [He lets the statement sink in for a moment.] Even if I wanted to wake him, I'm afraid it's impossible at the moment. Any answers you get here will be from me, boy. You'll have to be content with that for now.

[Geeze- this jerk is smug.

He knows this is a dream and he can't control the flow of it. The memories belong to Ferran and not him. But he can't help shouting out,]

For all I know it's all your fault why he's like that in the first place! You've got a lot of secrets and stories! And not a lot of answers!

[And smug he will remain. Very little has seemed to perturb the man, in Ferran's experience.]

Don't mistake me. I don't deny I'm responsible for corrupting his magic and reducing him to barely more than a weapon.

[And with what little free will he had remaining, Ferran has apparently made some terrible decisions.]

Lying, however, isn't a part of my approach. It's hardly my fault if those around me fail to ask the right questions. So, tell me—what do you really want to know?

[Sora's eyebrows furrow. Ferran...]

Will you ever let him go?

[His question is simple but he hopes... There has to be some sort of hope to the end of this history.]

[Ah, such an innocent question. The answer is just as simple, and delivered with no hesitation:]

He shall be free of me once he's dead.

[Allowing Ferran to escape his control would be a mistake for the man's plans. It's an easy conclusion to come to, and one the young man has virtually accepted at this point.]

I knew it! I knew you were bad news!

[There seem to be sparks of dream-like magic that appear at Sora's fingertips. A flourish of sparking firework crackles.]

I don't understand what's going on with the two of you but I know no one should hold onto someone's life like that!

[Does Ferran still deal with this man's memory of him...?]

[Onyx nearly snorts his laugh at the absurd claim.]

Was the admission of murder and manipulation not enough for you?

[The man doesn't seem at all intimidated by Sora's anger, nor those indications of magic. He tilts his head at a slight angle as he observes the intruder to the dream.]

Well, you've gotten your answer. What will you do with it, I wonder.

Tch! Serves me right for giving you the benefit of the doubt, huh?!

[Sora can't hold himself back as he suddenly leaps at the man. Dream-like magic sparks as it explodes and shatters into fire and ice. In his attempt to get the man away from his friend.

He might not understand all of this or even where Ferran sits with it all but he has to do something! He has to talk to Ferran and get this figment away from him! But this is all a dream...]

[And unfortunately, it's a dream that Ferran's memory controls. The imaginary Onyx is capable of a great many things, several dangerous things among them, but apparently fighting doesn't interest him at the moment:

When Sora charges forward, he'll only see Onyx's smirk for a second before there's a snap, and he's obscured by a sudden sparking void—the space between them twisted and broken into something that serves as a portal right out of the dream. He'll barely have the chance to realize what's just happened before he goes through, returned to his own solitary consciousness.]

[There is a snap and just like that a whoosh of space and darkness. Sora flails his arms almost like he's trying to grab at Ferran or whatever it is that remains of the dream. But as everything fades away Sora can only jolt and grasp onto nothing. And almost fall backwards on his butt.

He looks around concerned and frustrated. And he thinks he has a lot to ask Ferran about. And that he's really got to get used to these dreams... What a ride.]

[open] 🔶 more nightmares? that's just life

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wrapping! 🎀