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!]

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[There are a few moments where Tifa does falter, the boat knocking her a little too hard one way and into the wall, but she bites her tongue to keep from crying out. She's going to feel that later for sure, but for now, she needs to regain control of not just the dream, but herself. So, along with him, Tifa tries to focus on her breathing, listening closely to the sound of her heartbeat until it drowns out the waves and rolling thunder outside. Focusing in on something else—something brighter and happier... Memories of home, and of friends...

With one last lurch, the rocking slows. Not enough that it's come to a complete stop, but enough that they can at least stand on both feet without running the risk of teetering over. The waves are still kicking the boat around, and there are still clouds that shroud them in darkness, but—]

This is a good start.

[She hops across the cabin to Toge, where she extends her hand out for his.]

Let's hold on, okay? In case things get bad again... but at least we should be able to make it back up top.

[It's hard to keep one's calm under a tense situation. It's something that even with all of his jujutsu training, Toge sometimes can find himself struggling with. With the boat being tossed to and fro and footing being difficult to keep, it's hard to focus on keeping calm and steadying his breathing. But he keeps up his efforts anyway, trying to time his breathing with the rocking of the ship. Rock to the left, breathe in. Rock to the right, breathe out.]

[And slowly, slowly, the ship's lurching begins to slow to a level that's more manageable to them. He slowly opens his eyes when Tifa speaks, looking up to her and nodding.]

Salmon.

[This was already a lot better than it was five minutes ago. It's like Tifa said, it's a good start. He blinks at her hand for a moment, before reaching forward to grab it. This should help them keep their footing, or at least keep them from being tossed apart from each other. He squeezes her hand a little and nods.]

[However, he doesn't get moving right away. He pauses, biting at his lower lip for a moment as his gaze drops. Nervous about what he's about to do, but it was fine before. It should be fine now. So after a moment, he takes a breath and looks up at her, before hesitantly speaking.]

We can get through this, together.

[He feels the pulse of power go through him, both like and unlike his Cursed Speech normally would. It's still so strange and a little frightening, but his Dreamotion energy doesn't burn in his throat like his Cursed Speech does. Instead, it tingles through his skin and settle in his chest, warm and strangely pleasant. Tifa will feel the effects of his Dreamotion energy as well; a warm, bolstering pulse of calm and stability, to help ground and soothe any turbulent emotions within her heart. It's not eliminating the fear, but it should help bolster whatever calming emotion she already has within her.]

[Hearing his voice like this makes Tifa pause again, but this time, it's less jarring and more... she can feel that warm pulse of energy rushing through her, and she gives his hand a squeeze in return. Focusing in on it, she can feel her heartbeat slow, and the tense, coiling feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach slowly unwind. It's still there, and it keeps her alert, but rather than have to deal with that cold fear that seems to have found its way into her bones, it instead pumps more blood into her muscles—she'll be ready should anything leap out at them.

And then she's leading them both to the door back up to the decks of the ship to start their search for the noctaere. It's easier now to navigate with both their feet remaining firm and steady on the ground, and when they find their way back up to the surface, they can see the water clearly now.

To the edges of the ship they go, so that they can peer over it.]

Two hundred gil says that it's down there somewhere. We just need a way to draw it out without causing another storm... You think some food will be enough?

[Do noctaere even eat real food or just feed off negative emotions!? There's got to be some fish on board that might work, if that were true...]

[It’s still surprising to be able to speak normally, even if it is by using Dreamotion energy. It’s a strangely exciting and nerve-wracking feeling, but being able to speak and instill positive emotions in another without cursing them? It feels great, and if Toge has a little warm aura around him from his happiness, that’s something he can’t really control.]

[He follows Tifa back outside and towards the deck, letting out a hum as he peers over the edge of the ship. He doesn’t know what Gil is, but he’s willing to believe Tifa is right. But drawing it out… hmm. He looks over at her, tilting his head and shrugging one shoulder.]

Salmon..?

[Food could work, but… what kind of food would draw out a nightmare? He pauses for a moment, trying to think of a good idea, before he turns to Tifa and motions for her to wait. Doing his best to keep his balance, he pulls out his notebook and writes a couple quick words.]

Emotions? Good/bad dreams?

[Tifa's lips press into a very obvious thin line at his suggestion.

She had suggested food because the thought of trying to play with emotions in an already unstable world didn't sit well with her. She has Toge with her, and she shouldn't have anything to be worried about... She isn't even worried for herself, but for him. She'd never forgive herself if anything happened to him, and he got hurt on her account.

But he's right. The noctaere feed off of emotions, unlike other creatures. Bad emotions.]

Emotions will work.

[Her voice is steady as she stares off over the edge of the ship again.]

I'll do it. But I'm going to need you to help balance it out.

[Honestly, Toge is a little hesitant on the idea himself. Ironically, he's just as worried about her as she is for him. He's fought cursed spirits before, risked his life on more than one occasion. He doesn't doubt Tifa's ability, but not knowing what skills or abilities she has makes him want to make sure she's not risking herself needlessly when he could just as easily jump into the fray. Jujutsu sorcerers are supposed to protect civilians, after all.]

[But when she speaks with conviction the way she does, he stares at her for a few seconds before nodding once, resolutely. If she's certain... then he will support her how he can.]

Salmon.

[He gives her hand one more squeeze to try and convey some of that to her.]

Mustard leaf. Tuna mayo.

[He gives her a thumbs up. They can do this. He's ready when she is.]

[The boat groans underneath them already, as Tifa gives him a nod, her lips pressing together in a thin, nervous line. She holds on tight to the edge of the boat, keeping herself steady on her feet, and with a deep breath, closes her eyes.

She tries to focus in on very specific memories. Ones that she knows might draw out the noctaere, but none that will shake her resolve or the boat should she let them take over. Feelings that make her chest hurt but not enough to break her down—how she misses her friends back home, and how she still has so much left to fight for there. But when nothing around them changes, she's forced to dig a little deeper.

Somehow, another memory slips in—one filled with fire and ash, and a searing pain across her chest that makes Tifa gasp out loud for air as embers start to form around her body, floating up to disappear into the rain that has begun to fall. And when she blinks an eye open to check on Toge, she gives his hand another squeeze, to remind herself that he's there with her.

But just as she's about to close her eyes again, shaking the feeling off—]

Whoa!

[There's something that smashes against the bottom of the boat, and a low roar.

Looks like they've found their guy.]

[While Tifa focuses on her memories, Toge will do what he can to get stable. He finds a nearby rope and reaches for it, wrapping it around his free arm to add an extra bit of anchorage for the two of them. He then grips onto the railing with his free arm, so that if something were to happen, they wouldn't be knocked to and fro.]

[When he hears the gasp, Toge turns to look at her, and his eyes dart to the embers around her. Whatever she was thinking, it must have definitely been a powerful, painful memory.]

Mustard le--!!

[He's not able to finish his question, as the bottom of the boat suddenly lurches with the smash. He tightens his grip on both the railing and her hand, looking up at the roar.]

[Oh yeah, definitely found their guy. And it's thanks to a flash of lightning that he's able to see a dark, shadowy tentacle rise up from the waters to swipe at them.]

Tuna, tuna!!

[Sorry, Tifa, but he has to pull her arm to get her out of the way of being struck.]

[He won't need to pull her much, because Tifa is right behind him, making herself as big as possible to shield Toge from the onslaught of water that comes with the giant arm. It disappears back into the water as quickly as it had emerged, which gives them both a moment to find their bearings again.

The storm begins to worsen once more, which was to be expected when the noctaere showed up, so at least they're more prepared for it than they were when they stumbled onto the ship. Tifa grabs hold of a towering post to keep them both in place and looks out the water.

Another arm, this one longer than the last reaches over and tries to grab hold of one of them, but she forces it back with a blast of fire. It won't do much to scare it away, but it's better than being lifted by whatever this thing is, and it withdraws with another low roar.]

We need to get rid of those things first.

Mentaiko.

[Toge agrees; this thing really needs to be dealt with. So, when the arm reaches up again to grab at them, he tugs his collar down further and yells out at it.]

Don't move!

[His voice rings out with Cursed Energy, echoing around him. And that long arm freezes, stuttering in place as if held still by some supernatural force. But just like before, his Cursed Speech's power is limited here, and it's only a few seconds later that the arm shakes free of the curse and begins to move again.]

[But perhaps Tifa can make use of that temporary distraction with her own abilities!]

[She doesn't react fast enough to get the arm before it starts to move again, but she does attempt to take it down anyway, trying to land a somersault kick to at least break it—if one can even break kraken arms!?—before it can do much else, but she falls back to the ship's deck without it landing.]

Crap.

[And now the arm has withdrawn back into the water, hidden beneath the ship where it starts to tip it in the direction of its two massive eyes that stare at them from over the edge.]

If I draw them out, think you can do something about them?

[With or without his cursed speech, but at least there are two of them.]

[He coughs a bit into his elbow, feeling the pins-and-needles prickle of his Cursed Energy rebound, but it's not super serious right now. He watches as Tifa leaps up to kick at the kraken arm, dealing some impressive damage before it sinks back into the water. He glares down at the beast beneath them, before turning to Tifa. He nods to her.]

Salmon!

[He can definitely do something about them. It might hurt a bit, but he can definitely make it hurt!]

[She would have it the other way around, but risking him being snatched up by the arms? No thank you... But before she gets to work in calling them out of the water, she looks back at Toge with a smile, her voice loud enough that he'll be able to hear her over the sound of the water.]

You got this.

[Now, she wonders how she's going to do it. It was one of those do first, ask questions later kinds of things where she came up with a plan but not a way to execute it... She was always good at thinking on her feet and improvising, so it shouldn't be hard, right? Maybe a little reckless too, as she climbs up onto the railings of the boat with nothing but a single rope in her hands to anchor her in place.

A light appears in her hands—fire that withstands the onslaught of rain, held together by her pure determination to keep Toge from harm, and she waits for the right moment, watching the water carefully for an opening... And when she sees its eye resurface just above it—]

Hey you! Up here!

[She throws the flame and kicks it as if it were a ball, knocking it with... okay... precision so that it hits it right above its eye. It turns to look at her, and just as she'd hoped, seven long arms erupt from the water on all sides of the boat.

... Ah. This thing is bigger than she thought.]

[Toge blinks in surprise at the address, but nods to her, a determined look on his face.]

Salmon.

[He can do this... they can both do this. Working together, they can take this monster out.]

[He watches her as she conjures the fire, and then hurls it at the giant kraken-noctrae. He watches those arms burst up around them, his eyes widening a bit. Holy shit... Wait, no, he can do this. They can both do this. He takes a breath, watching... waiting... and then, when those arms begin to descend down, he yells out, channeling as much Dreamotion and Cursed Energy as he can.]

Get twisted!!

[The arms freeze in place, twitching in place, before suddenly, violently, twisting and contorting like they were made of rubber. They wave in the air, as if the noctrae is trying to figure out how to un-twist its mangled limbs, but Toge doesn't give it a chance to try.]

Burst apart!!

[The arms tremble again, and from underneath its flesh, Tifa could probably see ripples begin to form. Suddenly, loud, bursting blasts erupt from within the arms, explosions rocking through those kraken arms in a way that would cause them to burst into pieces. The noctrae howls from under the water as its limbs take the damage.]

[Toge, meanwhile, has to fall to a knee, coughing and covering his mouth. Egh... that's going to burn, and not in a pleasant way.]

[Shiva's... tits...

Is the only thought that passes through Tifa's head when each of the arms stop and then burst, pieces of the giant kraken's arms flying every which way, raining down onto the deck of the ship as its shrill screams fill the air, drowning out the thunder that roars and claps above. Without its hold on the boat, it violently rocks back, crashing against the water with a force that has Tifa teetering to keep her balance, but she can feel the shockwaves of the impact spreading up her legs.

But with the arms of it taken care of, all that's left is the rest of it, and she can get a cleaner shot now that she doesn't have to worry about being swiped or slapped by them. Tifa casts a glance back at Toge when she hears him coughing...]

I've got this.

[Said more to herself than to him, but loud enough that he'll hear her before she's on the move. With the rope in her hands, she's climbing back up onto the railing again as it pushes itself up out of the water with the half arms that it has left, giving her just enough room to work with. With enough focus, she's able to summon fire again, but this time, it rises up out of the water as if it were never water to begin with and consumes the kraken's body in a wild burst, the explosion knocking her back away from it and shattering the wooden rails that line the edge of the ship.

Surely that did it, but before she checks, she rushes back to Toge.]

You okay?

[The fire engulfs the noctrae kraken whole, consuming it in a ball of flame as it explodes quite violently under Tifa's assault. The boat rocks as the blast displaces the ocean water around them, but they soon begin to even out as the monstrous noctrae sinks beneath the ocean's waves. It definitely looks like Tifa's last hit was the killing blow.]

[Toge, for his part, isn't knocked to and fro by the explosion's shockwave and resulting waves crashing into the boat, but that's because he's currently on one knee, coughing through the pain of his throat. Agh, he overdid it... mixing Dreamotion Energy and Cursed Energy like that really was a bad idea, even if it did get good results. By the time he's finished coughing, he's trembling a bit and there's a small crimson puddle beneath him. As Tifa comes to check on him, he looks up at her, small trails of blood streaking from his lips and down his chin.]

Mustard leaf.

[His voice sounds awful, like he's got severe laryngitis or something. But he still offers a weak thumbs up. He's good, really.]

Edited 2022-02-23 04:01 (UTC)

[Tifa returns the thumbs up with one of her own, her hand slapping gently on his shoulder as she kneels down beside him to wait for the boat to even out. And no sooner than that does the world begin to shift around them. As the noctaere sinks into the ocean, or what remains of it, there's a single ray of sun that shines through the clouds, and Tifa has to raise a hand to block her eyes.

Slowly, they begin to part to reveal a deep blue sky behind it, and the water slaps gently against the hull of the ship, rocking it in gentler motions compared to before.]

Well, would you look at that...

[There's a splash and a dolphin rises up from the ocean below, chirping at them before it dives away, and for a moment, she feels a small pang of fondness, thinking back to her days in Camelot, and to her familiar. It makes her wonder, as she stares out at how they're suddenly surrounded by sparkling water all around.]

Looks like that did it.

[While they wait for the ship to settle, Toge reaches into his pocket to pull out a potion bottle, one likely from the apothecary in town. He takes a moment to wipe the blood from his chin and drink down its contents, feeling the magic potion soothe his sore vocal cords. And as the noctrae sinks to the bottom of the ocean, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the waves jostle the boat a little less, and the pounding rain abates.]

[As the sun peeks through the clouds, Toge blinks and peers over the ruined railing, out at the beautiful waters below.]

Ikura...

[He says it kind of softly, since it still hurts like a bitch to talk. But looking up at the brightening sky and the calming ocean, he can't help but be in awe at it all. They really did do it, huh?]

[Turning to Tifa, he nods to her and smiles silently. Putting his empty potion bottle down, he lifts up a hand for her. Hi-five?]

[He's met with an enthusiastic hi-five back, but that hand is immediately going to his other shoulder to keep him steady.

She's going to conveniently ignore the remains of the kraken scattered all over the deck of the ship—whoever is in charge of the boat in this dreamscape can take care of that once they're long gone, but for now, she'll guide him to the edge of the boat to look over into the water, sparkling and blue.]

It's really tempting to just jump in.

[She isn't going to, but it looks so refreshing, as if nothing had even happened in here.]

But we should probably get out of here. I could use a bite to eat.

[Hi-five! She's got a hard smack, but he's familiar with his friend Maki's strength, so he's not tossed around too much by it.]

[Toge's fine to ignore the kraken bits lying around as well, in favour of looking out at the beautiful ocean. He's reminded of beach trips back in Tokyo, and he lets out a small sigh. It really does look perfect enough to go swimming, doesn't it?]

[At the mention of food, Toge realizes that he could also use something to eat. He glances down briefly, resting a hand on his stomach, before turning to Tifa and nodding.]

Salmon.

[Food sounds great, as well as some nice hot tea for his throat.]

[With a firm, agreeable nod, Tifa glances around.]

Now, how do we get out of here?

[Her gaze moves up to the sky, and she takes a deep breath in before she shouts—]

Hello!? We're done in here, if you wanna let us out now!

[This may or may not be Tifa's first time trying to willfully force her way out of a dream, and there is no exit sign to be found. And just like that, as if right on cue, she feels that familiar pull from reality, or rather, the dream world that is their reality, and she peers back at Toge.]

There we go. See you on the other side!

[Oh, it looks like there's that familiar pull to tug them back to Reverein. Toge looks over at Tifa as they're being pulled, nodding and holding up a peace sign to her.]

Kombu!

[See you on the other side! Maybe they could celebrate a job well done back home or something.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

open 🌠 you see the shadows

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Sorrt about the delay! Things got a little busy on my end.

no worries! take your time 💕

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omg I lost the notif for this 😣

No worries, it's all good!

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feels like a good wrapping point! :3

Works for me!