songerein | open 🌠 you see the shadows

Entry tags:

open 🌠 you see the shadows

Who: Tifa Lockhart & you!
Which: Open log + interactive dream
Where: Around Reverein, Mount Nibel
What: Mount Nibel Incident dream, and a couple of dream board postings.
Warnings: N/A for now

✨ i. "the day mom died..." — interactive dream

[There's a winding, rocky path overlooking the town of Nibelheim below, but where it should be clear, the mountain the path leads up is shrouded in a fog that only grows thicker with each passing moment, with what the eyes can see morphing and twisting in and out of view, almost as if the entire landscape isn't sure what it should be. There's an unshakable sound of static in the air, and a rumbling underfoot that isn't too threatening, but it's noticeable enough that it makes itself known.

On one ledge of the path up the mountain are four children. Three boys, whose faces fade in and out of clarity, and a girl with long, dark-brown hair, all looking up at the mountain as they talk, but their words are cut out by the static.]

"Mt. Nibel is scary. Many people have—there."

"—one crosses that—alive."

[The girl turns to face them all, revealing a much younger Tifa, not a day older than nine-years.]

"How about—died? Did—pass through—?" [Tifa wanders past the boys watching her, up the path.] "I'm—"

[Two boys follow while one runs the other way, threatening to bump into any dreamwalkers as he rushes back in the direction of the town. If Tifa is followed, they'll reach a bridge that she crosses fearlessly and without a word, but like the rest of the mountain, it fades in and out of view as well. There, the two boys who remain rush off, leaving Tifa to venture up the rest of the mountain alone.

...

But they stop upon seeing someone new. Someone who might be able to help?]

"Please, you have to stop her! It's dangerous up there! We're going to go back down and get Mister Lockhart."

[And off they go together without another word.]

** ( ooc: Because Tifa doesn't remember this event in full, I fully encourage anyone to have your character influence the setting as much or as little as you'd like! )

✨ ii. freeloading reindeer

[Having done some work on the communal gardens already, Tifa's grown handy with a hammer and nails. Not that she wasn't already proficient enough, but there's a difference between fixer-uppers around a bar that she knew like the back of her hand and building wooden flowerbeds and fences, and the latter has allowed her to at least learn some proper techniques in woodworking. Hell, she's even started learning how to sand and polish, so something like this should be a piece of cake.]

There. I think that's the last of it.

[She'd been hauling wood around all morning, the large planks thrown over her shoulder before she sets them down out in the middle of the farm where there's plenty of room to build out. It's nothing but a pile of wood and a bag of tools, and whoever else has come all the way out here with her, and around them, the reindeer will be grazing and curiously watching from afar, still not sure if it's safe to approach.]

So, it was a new stable for them and a fence, right? Gotta say, biggest thing I've ever built was a flowerbed so this'll be new to me.

✨ iii. new year's noctaere

[It is a little terrifying going up against the Noctaere, especially when she knows little of what to expect upon entering the dreamscape, but Tifa was never one to sit back or sit still for very long. Not when there were threats that needed to be taken care of. She might not be the most experienced partner in the dreamscapes, with her skills in dreamotion magic leaving plenty to be desired, but she can pack a punch when needed, and it has come in helpful in a lot of cases.

That isn't to say she's completely useless at magic, but she'd prefer to let her fists and feet do the talking if it came down to it. Which it will.

And just before stumbling into the dreamscape, she looks over to whoever has volunteered for the job with her, and gives a firm nod.]

You ready?

** ( ooc: if you have a preference for the dreamscape, then please let me know in the subject line! Otherwise, I'll randomize which one we end up getting! )

✨ iv. wildcard

[None of these prompts work? You know the wildcard drill! Feel free to leave something else below, or contact me via PM or @ crystariums if you'd like to plot out something! Tifa can be frequently found at the communal gardens, at the edges of the forest training, and just in general wandering around Reverein, so she's easy to bump into. Also okay with any of the dream board postings!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Tortuous as the path of the mountain is, he finds at the weathered bridge too late, for she stands upon its edge. Within the next moment, she's slipped.

She will find a armor-clad hand grasping around her forearm, and for all of its cold exterior, there is a mindfulness to the way the fingers grasp about her skinny arm, then another hand lifting to cradle her beneath her legs. Like this, she's lifted up with ease, as if she weighs no more than a poodle.

His helm turns, inclining towards her. The mist of the mountain precipitates upon the metal of armor, giving it a glossier sheen, and against all fierce winds of the mountain, he stands undeterred, secure. His silence is, maybe, some allowance for the child to collect herself. ]

The mountain howls, but it shall not cry for the lost. [ Then: ] To where do you wish to explore?

[ Dreams are often nonsensical, but some have a purpose. The youth from before had warned of this range, but Tifa had sprinted off with some intention in mind. Somnus is new to dreamwalking; he knows not but to follow for now. ]

[There's no recognition when she sees the suit of armour, or when he takes her by the hand to lift her back up to the cliff's edge, or even when his voice rings from inside the helm. There's only fear and trepidation, but she can at the very least recognize someone trying to help when she sees it. In his hold, he'll feel her entire body shaking with sobs as she buries her face in her hands.]

The other side of the mountain...

[Her tiny voice answers him in a murmur through sniffles.]

Mom, she's... She should be there, right?

[ For so small a child she is, she fits easily, seated upon his forearm and nested securely against his armor. Like this, she will not fall.

His helm tilts upward, as if through the visor someone looks to the knife-edge peaks. They jut across the sky like a serpent's back, cutting through the fog. ] Very well. The windward side awaits.

Hold fast, Child.

[ The rickety bridge will not deter, for it takes only a small sprint and a well-timed leap to clear it. Somnus lands on the far bank of the chasm, cracking the ground beneath heavy sabatons, and straightens with her still safe upon an arm.

Oddly, it is quieter on this side of the valley. Mistier, too. ]

[She holds on tight to whatever her hands can grab onto, gasping out loud when she feels them leave the ground, and the other end of the mountain behind. Her eyes screw shut, not wanting to look down at the foggy abyss below, but even with them closed tight, she can see it. The way the town's lights disappear behind the mists, and how it feels so far, far away...

The fog on this side immediately grows thick as they move forward into more unknown territory. The smell of mako is heavy and stifling with the reactor being so close, and through the mist, he'll be able to make out the faint blue-green glow of it. But besides that, there is nothing but more mountains in the distance, and... whatever else he somehow conjures up.

Tifa points into the thick of it all, towards the lights, and then peers at the helm, her fingers tightening over the steel.]

Over there...?

[ With the mist blanketing the environment, what effects he may have on the mountaintop remain obscured— or perhaps, he too is contributing to the tendrils of cloud that cling heavily to the peaks and valleys of the range. Somnus continues on their path towards the ethereal light that shimmers through the veil, and his march echoes across the rocky terrain.

The closer they approach to the source, the taller the shadows grow behind him.

His helm inclines, as if within the metal hull he casts a glance at her small form. ]

Does thy mother belong to the Light?

[Her arms wrap around what it can of his neck, her eyes going wide as they approach the dulled light. A terror manifests in the air around them, the mist starting to clear, only to make way for the shadows, but if Somnus has had any impact on their surroundings, they'd start to grow a little clearer.

As Tifa's fear of what awaits them at their destination grows, the dreamscape itself tries to fill in the empty spaces of her memory once more. As if she doesn't want to see or know what could lie ahead, it leaves it a blank slate for them to shape into... something.

Shaking her head, she hides her face against his armour.]

No. Everyone says people return to the Planet when they...

[When they die.

But her mom isn't dead!]

[ His arm, supporting her, lifts her somewhat so she may better grasp whatever part of his armor she may hold. His gait remains stable and even upon the terrain, marching forward towards the light, but his pace slows when, once more, the mist shifts in its density.

Behind them remains only darkness; before them, the dim, emerald light sifts through, casting them both in a ethereal green. The nervousness is obvious in her voice, and the terror of the green power around them buzzes ominously. This dream is a twisted version of her past. Either it has regressed her to a time when she has not yet overcome her grief, it it taps into an insecurity that reveals it is still unresolved. Having interacted with her before, the conviction and calm in her words at the time suggest that this vision it is likely the former.

And so he stops before they reach the light, proper, and he kneels to set her down. Somnus keeps her two small hands cupped between his gauntlet-covered own. They have time, in this realm. ]

Do you feel her presence, Child?

[There's a brief pause, a sigh of relief, when she feels her feet on solid ground again. She hadn't realized just how badly the wobbly bridge had thrown off her balance, and it still feels like her legs might give way from underneath her, but his hand holding hers is what keeps her standing.

At his question, she squints through the fog—or tries to—towards the light.]

No...

[The disappointment is palpable, and it manifests in small embers looming around her, and a stifling heat that she only barely seems to notice, but pays no mind to. She's made it this far, and she isn't going to back down now!]

But we should keep going, right? Maybe we're not close enough.

[ The girl remains determined to move forward, not matter what trepidation she feels.

Somnus straightens, and instead of offering to carry her once more, he gestures with his free hand towards the path before them. ]

The future awaits, O Valorous Child.

[ He’s brought her this far, but it is her turn to lead. Somnus cannot face the fears of another in their dreams, but he can function as constant undeterred by horror and strife. She can lead him by the hand, for what awaits is hers to take. ]

Hm? The future?

[Those words seem enough to do something to the dream... The fog lightens, and from it emerges an unexpected sight. Bits and pieces of a city, or a part of it, have formed. Places that this Tifa doesn't yet recognize as sections of the Sector Seven slums—namely, a bar named Seventh Heaven, a couple of shops, and an apartment building in the back. All of them are misplaced and don't look like they belong there at all, and Tifa stares at them in awe.]

Do you know any of these places, mister?

[If Somnus looks closely, he might recognize, off in the distance, pieces of his own memory as well, the dream reaching into his and plucking out anything that it can to fill in the blanks...]

[ His focus lifts to watch as the veil of mist partially recedes from the realm before them, revealing structures that undoubtedly belong to her world. They are modern in appearance, and he seems to note them one by one, helm tilting in the direction of the sign that reads 'Seventh Heaven'. Further along, just as the child indicates, is more to the dream:

There is blue beyond the alleys of the building she produces. From this distance, the scene beyond the street appears to be like an ocean, but there is no sound of waves crashing upon shores. Instead, a gentle wind carries the scent of flowers to them.

However, they are not here for him, but to find her mother. ]

Your mother would not be in any vision of our Star. [ Saying so, his attention returns to the set of buildings. ] What of these buildings?

[She doesn't quite grasp what it is he's saying about another Star, but she does look around at the buildings that surround them, and as more begin to crop up to fill the void, it startles her that she clings onto him tighter.]

I don't know...

[There is a small pang of familiarity when she sees some... particularly the bar, but she can't place it. Like a word stuck at the tip of her tongue.

A path begins to wind itself between the buildings, and a couple of dogs and cats appear out of nowhere, as if the world is starting to fill itself up right before their eyes. There shouldn't be the remains of a town here... the reactor should be up here...]

I think it's that way.

[After a moment of looking around, she points up ahead, past the bar and into the dark fog... towards the ocean. She can feel a pull, like something is calling to her...]

I can walk now, though.

[ As surreal as they are with the amalgam of buildings and landscapes manifesting by their imaginations, they are both lucid in terms of where they walk. They may choose to march forward or to remain still, to approach the unknown or not.

A hand raises, then gestures towards the street before them as if she may lead them. A wind stirs the signage and awnings of some of the buildings, and once more the misty, gentle scent of flowers wafts through the air. From the direction of the “ocean”, a few petals of blue dance in the wind towards them, but nothing more reveals itself. The unknown remains ever-present in this dream, both a promise and an ominous tension, and it builds like frost before daybreak. ]

The future awaits.

[ Whether that is her mother, the eerie green from before, or something else entirely, Tifa has faced her mother’s passing once. She can do so again. Somnus remains ready to catch her should she fall. The ocean is not real but instead a metaphor, that which is comprised of sylleblossoms… of a heart that does not give up. ]

[Tifa shuffles down to the ground, but before she walks on, she lifts a hand to his armoured one, taking it as if she were as big as he was. It's so small that it slides through, and she has to take two of his fingers rather than them all, but she'll pull him along with her until they've found a stride to match one another's, her little legs carrying her as fast as they'll go without breaking into a run.

They pass more buildings that form on either side of them as they walk, their windows lit up in a warm glow, with the sounds of laughter from inside. There are voices singing near a food cart, but no people these voices belong to... A white cat rushes by, and a barking dog chases after it before they disappear into a narrow alley.

But all of these structures leave their way forward unobstructed, and from above it blinks that green light again. Among the smell of flowers, the metallic scent of mako begins to filter through, trying to choke it all out.

Tifa screws her eyes shut a moment before pressing on.

They'll arrive at the sea of blue soon enough, leaving the buildings behind, and she can't help but stand there in awe of the sight before them. She was sure this was just a nightmare, but this feels so far from one...]

It's all flowers...

Edited 2022-01-28 02:14 (UTC)

[ The ocean of flowers extends far into the vision of the dream, cerulean as the clearest of skies and melting seamlessly into the misty horizon. The flowers undulate gently in the breeze, and the ripple of their facets from lighter blues to deeper indigos create a mesmerizing, shifting blend colors, as if the entire plain is breathing with the wind.

It is beautiful.

And it is silent. Like falling snow at night, the flowers seem to mitigate most sounds.

So. This is the dream taking part of his history.

Somnus turns from the field. ]

It is doubtful your mother is here.

Why do you think that?

[To Tifa, it seems like exactly the kind of place her mom would come, and she gives Somnus' hand another gentle, almost pleading tug towards them.]

My mom liked flowers. She would grow them all the time in the garden out front. I'd help her water the ones on the window... and...

[Tears start to form in the corners of her eyes, and her voice sounds... different. As if her older self is beginning to bleed in.]

Maru would try to eat them, but she'd say... No Maru! They'll give you a belly ache.

[ The sylleblossoms sway in the soft breeze, silent like the tears that form at the corners of her eyes. The maturation of her voice does not counter the hurt she so obviously feels. It is clever of the dream that, in a reversion to one’s childhood, it symbolize that this is a pain she has carried onto adulthood; but, so too does it give an opportunity for resolution.

It is with this that realization manifests: they were never meant to find her mother, for she is gone, and any illusion would be a false hope. The true conflict of the realm— and the one more difficult to resolve by accepting mourning— had been this child’s heart all along.

Hollow, heavy metal shifts as he kneels down, causing a blunted, earthen sound as his knee makes contact with the ground. Now more level with her, he speaks, his voice gentler, slower, and— perhaps— encouraging. ]

What else did your mother like?

Edited 2022-02-14 04:44 (UTC)

[A sob bubbles up in her chest when he asks—when she's forced to think back about her mother, and when she realizes that she hardly remembers what her face looks like, or what her voice sounds like anymore. But it had only just been yesterday that she had seen her... So why is it becoming so difficult for Tifa to remember even the most obvious details? The feel of her hair, or the goodnight kiss when she tucked her into bed at night...]

She... liked...

[Tifa fumbles with the words that are on the tip of her tongue, but they can't find a way out.]

She liked cooking, and... she liked...

[There's a pause, and Tifa makes a strained noise.]

Why can't I remember...

[ The field of flowers stirs around them, gently swaying by way of the realm's misty air. At the edge of the sea of blue petals, tinged by mourning, nothing else disturbs this moment. The flowers seem to be made for such sorrowful moments. They are weathered but lovely; solemn but remaining strong.

In this realm the child has time to think, and she is not rushed. Somnus offers a quiet, respectful patience.

Only after some time passes does his gilded hand lift, and with grace that suggests practiced nobility, his palm rests atop her head, as if to give her some comfort. With that single pat accomplished, his hand withdraws. ]

You needn't fret, if you do not recall.

But I want to.

[Her older voice echoes within again, drowning out the younger one.]

If I can't remember, then how am I supposed to find her?

[She casts a glance around at the flowers, her fingers grazing the tip of one, its petals like silk, and the dew droplets fall from it into her palm. It feels so serene and yet... there's something wrong about all of this. She feels it in her chest, tightening and suffocating and so sudden that she feels the air leave her lungs. And with a gasp...

The blossoms begin to burn, starting with the one at her fingertips and the fire beginning to slowly spread outward...]

[ As the flowers catch fire, the field turns to twilight in its blaze. Blazing oranges and crimson reds overtake the scenery, wild and alight, giving out the last glory of their existence within the dream.

It is golden and warm. Whoever these flowers symbolize, their flames at they perish do not harm, at the very least. It is a sight to behold, though, as stems slowly fall to ash, then glint into the frailest of flakes of a glassy white, which wink out of existence. If the inferno ends, they will be left surrounded by crystalline ash. If the blaze continues as she fights, smoke continues to rise as the field deteriorates.

His voice is calm, cutting above the crackle and wisps of hellish flame. ]

...This is not all of your mettle.

[They are left standing in the flames, smoke and ash filling the air until it's so thick that it becomes suffocating. It fills her lungs, and blackens the sky, and sticks to her clothes and skin but in spite of the fire, Tifa feels cold, and she hugs her arms around herself to hold onto what little warmth she still has.

But then she's rushing to Somnus, her small frame crashing into his armour, her sobs still echoing the Tifa that he knows. She's terrified of what will happen next, but she thinks she knows... The fire was never part of it, but this feeling of losing herself is all too familiar. She is no stranger to the darkness that creeps in and starts to push away the memories of her mother, but Somnus still anchors her to this reality.]

What does that mean?

[ The fire's blight, dark and smoldering and overtaking the air, blots out the dream-realm's sky above. The flowers of his star are lost. They should never have manifested to begin with, only to be destroyed by anguish reflecting upon them. As the girl rushes to him to hold onto his armor, there is, unfortunately, no living being's physical warmth in return.

However, she will find herself being picked up once more, supported easily by a single arm, as he rises and begins to walk away from the inferno. With each footfall, the ash beneath compresses to glass, chiming as metal picks up and steps further away from the fire. His walk is set, unhurried, as they leave the pyre of flowers-- now dust-- behind.

A graveyard is no place for a child, and she is cold.

Quietness settles over the realm. ]

Recall your strength.

My strength...?

[She feels so weak. She feels stupid for even coming out here in the first place. The boys were right about her—she should have listened to them when they said it was a dumb idea. Should have turned around and went back rather than cross the bridge, and not put anyone else in danger. If she had, she might not have fallen and...

Wait...

Tifa's nose crinkles as she stares at the face of the armour that carries her, the flames in the steel's reflection shimmering and glinting against her eyes, and she frowns.]

This isn't what's supposed to happen.

[Rather than an echo of it, her voice has now shifted to normal. Her twenty-year-old self forcing its way through her, and memories begin to fall into place. Memories of another city and the steel that hung over it like a canopy. Of a meteor piercing through the sky. The scrapes of metal, and the burn of something hot slicing through her chest that makes her gasp out loud for air.

All these new memories, except one. This one.]

This isn't right...

[Among the flames, visions of these new memories begin to flicker all around them, coming in and out of view as she tries to reconcile what it all means.]

[ As flashes of the memories reflect in the flames, he continues to march. A meteor, a city, a something piercing through her chest-- too fast they come and go; for one who has only interacted with her scarcely before, it is impossible to make sense of them. It is not in his business of further question something so private, when this dream has been intrusive and distressing her already, lest her grief and focus upon them exacerbate the inferno.

With her voice growing stronger and maturing, and tone seeking clarity, his helm dips to look down at her. ]

Indeed. [ He answers her, and the hollowness to his voice is naturally even and cool. ]

No longer a child, your strength has undoubtedly grown. Remember.

[ The woman decorating the wreathes with him had spoken with such conviction and calm, sure in the stars that touched her, and secure with those lights she keeps closest. While it had been a brief interaction, it was impressionable, and it is with this that he basis his assessment. For her sake, he hopes he is not overestimating her. ]

open 🌠 you see the shadows

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wrapping!! 🎀