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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[It feels like they're falling forever. Or at least it does to Tifa.

By the time Ventus catches up to her, it will be too late. Unconscious, her small body feels heavy and limp as he holds her, and when he breaks their landing, he'll see that while she's still breathing, she seems unaware of everything that happens around her. Of the fact that he's now standing in the center of a small town he's likely unfamiliar with, with everything looking as normal as it should.

Those boys he had run into earlier are all huddled in a corner nearby, whispering amongst themselves, but it's as if their secrets are echoing through the entire dream for all to hear.

"I don't know what Tifa was thinking..."
"She probably got hurt. Shouldn't we help her?"
"No. It was stupid of her to go up there."

But when they spot Ventus and Tifa, they hush each other.]

[...You know what, at least she's breathing.

And they seem relatively safe.

Ventus holds Tifa close, almost cradling her protectively while he looks over at the boys.

He frowns a bit.]

If you're supposed to be her friends, you're supposed to help her and not leave her alone in dangerous situations.

[They stare at him for a few seconds, silent, before one of them huffs.

"We did try to help her, but she didn't listen."
"She's crazy if she thinks her mom is up there."
"Yeah. Her mom died this morning. Stupid of her to think that she'd find her somewhere."

Meanwhile, Tifa continues to lay unconscious, cradled near Ventus, and while she can feel a warmth enveloping her, and hear an echo of their voices in her head, she doesn't stir. No matter how badly she wants to scream or cry out for help, she's stuck in the dark while her mind continues to fill in the blanks of everything that happened...

And it's all wrong.

One of the boys stares down at her, then eyes Ventus with a frown.

"Why didn't you help her?"]

There are different ways of helping someone.

[He looks at the boy before looking at Tifa.

His eyes softens a bit. Ventus wishes he can do more for her. All he can really do is provide warmth. He doesn't know what happened, not exactly, but he does move so she can rest more comfortably.

Then Ventus looks back at the boys.]

Help me wake her up.

["You should take her back home first."

He points to the large house just across the way.

"We can help you, but her dad will be wondering where she is."

And at the warmth, Tifa does stir a little with her breath catching in her throat mid-breath, and her face wrinkling into a deep frown as she tries to stop tears from falling. She wants to open her mouth and scream at them—tell them that they shouldn't have left her back there, but no matter how hard she tries to push herself, she can't.]

[A blink and Ventus looks down at Tifa when he feels her begin to stir.

His eyes softens.]

Her dad is going to know, anyway.

[Still, Ventus does hold her close as he begins to walk toward Tifa's house.]

[The door to her house is left wide open, and although there is some light outside from the sun behind the clouds, the inside of it is darker than it should be. And if Ventus continues onward, the moment he passes over the threshold of the front door, something might feel off. The entire world goes so silent that he'll be able to hear the ring of it in his ears, and there's an eerie feel to it, as if everything within it has been untouched for years.

Cobwebs hang from the ceilings, dust coats every inch of the home, and there's not a single sign of her father anywhere...

And from in his arms, there's a tiny sob.]

[Stepping into the house, it's...eerie.

Almost as if he's not really supposed to be here. But he's a bit startled when he hears sobbing and looks down at Tifa.]

Tifa?

[Her lips move, but nothing besides a strangled noise comes out, as if she's trying to reach out to him and say something—anything. In her head, she's screaming for him to leave. There's nothing here for either of them anymore! There never was. Her memories past her climb up the mountain... they never existed, or they did, and she could never quite get a hold on them, and so this was all she was left with.

Something small skitters across the floor—a mouse or a rat or something, but besides that, there's no sign of life, and whatever noises there were outside have also been muffled, like the house is inside a bubble.

And he'll hear whispers and cries, a voice that should be familiar to him.

"I'm sick of this!"

It's Tifa's voice, although it's slightly older, somewhere in her teenage years. And then—]

"Ventus! Can you hear me!? You need to—"

[Her voice is cut off by the sound of a crash from upstairs.]

[He looks confused.

What's going on? His eyes dart to some kind of movement on the floor and--

Something just feels wrong. Tifa's voice sounds older. The girl in his arms is still young and then...is that...Tifa's voice? The one he's most familiar with?

His arms tightens around the body in his hold protectively, eyes darting upstairs.

Ventus hesitates. He wants to investigate, that part of him wanting to help Tifa out with whatever's going on, but he also remembers one important thing.

Tifa needs to wake up.]

Tifa?! Tifa, are you there?!

[Her voice doesn't answer, and Ventus is met with more silence, although now, it's fallen so quiet that he'd be able to hear it ringing in his own head if he listened.

And from upstairs, there's a thump. And then another. Like heavy boots walking across the creaky wooden floor, as Tifa begins to stir again in his arms, her smaller frame curling up closer to him. She's starting to feel colder, and her skin grows paler, the colour in her cheeks fading away.

Closer, the footsteps become, coming to the stairs now, and Tifa's breathing starts to quicken.]

[...None of these are good signs.

Ventus can't help but keep her close, trying some way to warm her up--keep her alive. His eyes flicks upstairs again at the heavy thumping.

Frowning, he thinks about his choices before finally beginning to ascend the stairs while keeping an eye on Tifa's condition.]

[He won't find much upstairs. All of the doorways are covered in cobwebs—all except one at the end of the hall, and if he wanders to it, he'll find what is clearly Tifa's room. There is a dusty vanity in the corner with makeup scattered across it, and a green dress laid out across her bed with dustier ones hanging up on a nearby stand.

But that isn't what will likely grab his attention first.

Standing at the window, staring out to the empty, dark town below is a tall, raven-haired woman. She doesn't turn around at the sound of footsteps, but Tifa's mouth opens, as if she's trying to say something...]

[Part of him wonders if this place is abandoned--or just how Tifa remembers it to be.

Though he stops when he sees the woman.]

...Tifa--?

[The back makes him think of Tifa, but is it really her or someone else? ~~Her mother?~~]

[When she turns around, the woman is noticeably older than Tifa. Years have tired out her eyes, but they're gentle, glistening red the same shade as her daughter's when she looks right at Ventus and shakes her head, and Tifa stiffens in his arms.]

You should not be here.

[Except when she speaks, it's with Tifa's voice—the one from outside the dreamscape.]

This is all wrong.

[He blinks at her.

It's Tifa's mom? But her voice is Tifa's. He's confused.]

How is it wrong? What's going on?

[The woman's eyes begin to glow red in the dark, and they flick down to Tifa in his arms.]

You need to run.

[There's a hint of desperation in that voice, and it's starting to mix with another—that of a much older woman along with Tifa's, and the young girl stirs in his arms again, but this time...

The silence is broken by a scream from her and she jolts awake, and the moment that she does, the atmosphere in the dreamscape begins to shift again. It swirls in black shadows, the only visible thing through it are the deep, glowing red eyes at the window, and the moon that shines through it.

And when it all clears, it isn't a woman standing on the other side anymore, but a monster. One with long nails, its black hair turned to wisps that hang over its face, and longer limbs.

... Not again.

Tifa's hand wraps around Ventus' and she pulls.]

We need to run!

[Ventus can't keep heads or tails of what's happening in the dream anymore.

But he stares wide-eyed at the monster that appears before them before he feels his hand being grabbed and pulled.

A brief stumble before he nods.]

Let's go!

[When she had woken up, when the dream had shifted so much, she has no idea, but she isn't going to waste any time wondering why or how. Not when that monster is standing there with her claws dripping black ooze that could melt through the floor. So she takes Ventus by the hand and rushes with him to the door, but she slips and stumbles to the floor, her sandal falling loose from her foot.

From the other end of the room, there's an ungodly shriek, and the woman's hair grows bigger, with spikes for hair rather than long, flowing locks, that shoot across to strike at Ventus if he doesn't move...]

[Why is this his life??

Ventus jerks back when Tifa stumbles, quick to catch her even if her sandal comes loose. When he hears the shriek, he tries to come up with Dreamotion energy. Trying to tap inside of him to access it--

Then a burst of light appears, like gentle winds, before it forms into a tornado of light between him and Tifa, and the monster. It has him staring, but he's quick to help Tifa steady herself and start moving again.]

[~~Because this is what happens when you are either A) a Kingdom Hearts; or B) a Final Fantasy character.~~

Tifa cries out when Ventus helps her back up, and it's either fix her sandal or kick it off completely so that she can run, and it's the latter. She quickly shakes them both off until she's barefoot, and hardly gets a look at the dreamotion wind and light before he's pulling her along.]

Down here—!

[She motions to the stairs when they get to them, and she runs very carefully down them and to the front door... but her stomach turns when she doesn't hear the monster thumping behind them... Is it still caught, or...?

Tifa guides him to the front door, but when she opens it...]

No!

[On the other side is the creature, screeching with its red eyes flaring up again, and she slams the door back in its face.]

[~~In other words, it sucks being a Square Enix character.~~

Ventus jerks back when Tifa opens the door and the monster is there. Just what exactly is going on again? But he does grip her.]

Tifa--we might need to fight it.

[He's trying to be comforting, but having a scary monster after them isn't comforting. But he's trying to connect the pieces here, trying to find some way for them to get out of this. Dreamotion works in dreams. This is Tifa's dream. This monster, too--maybe Tifa has to be the one to defeat it so they can escape?]

No. No, we can't.

[Not in the state that she's in right now. The young girl in front of him has no idea how, and she isn't going to make him do the fighting for her. Instead, her eyes scramble around the house for another way out.]

We need to get out of here and wake up. If we try to fight that thing, it'll—

[It must have slammed its long hands against the door, because there's a thud as it tries to break it open.

She pulls on his sleeve, and points to the window at the end of the hall, in the dining room. It should be large enough that they'd be able to squeeze through it?]

It'll--?

[But the thud catches his attention.

He frowns and nods, gesturing for Tifa to go first. Hopefully she'll be able to slip through? He doesn't mind playing defense in the meantime until they can get to safety.]

[It's a small window, but she should be able to make it through... If she can get it open. It takes a moment, and she shrieks when there's another thud, and then another on the front door as the beast tries to break its way through, and just as she throws open the window—

BANG!

The front door crashes against the floor, and her red eyes pierce the darkness of the hall. Tifa leaps up and stumbles through, and calls for Ventus to follow when she hears the footsteps crawling towards him at incredible speed, like a spider finally having caught its prey in her web.]

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brokenlight - 2022-04-26 01:03 (UTC) - Expand

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open 🌠 you see the shadows

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omg I think I got confused with another thread in my last tag, WELP guess tifa's awake now LOL

ssdfsd omg Sheila....

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