open 🌠 you see the shadows

[starshower]

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!]

Comments

[indolentaxe]

[Hilda can, in fact, see the shadow children as they make their way into the forest. She recognizes the way they're skulking around, speaking in hushed tones and laughing and looking their way. It's the same way many of the students act around Marianne, and seeing it here makes her want to step in and tell them to buzz off and leave them alone.

But Tifa asks her not to, and since it's her dream it's probably best to respect that request. So Hilda settles for shooting them the occasional dark look instead. They don't seem to notice.

She's still not sure what she's doing, to be honest. Maybe, since this is a dream, they can actually meet Tifa's mom and her mom can be all 'I love you but I'm dead please understand'? Hilda might be able to do something along those lines. And then she can talk to Tifa after they're both awake and make it up to her somehow.

But for that to work...]

So, what kind of person is your mother? What does she look like?

[starshower]

Mm...

[There's a flash of sadness across Tifa's face, and when one of the shadowy kids rushes past them, Tifa visibly flinches back, seeking refuge at Hilda's side as she stands closer to the woman. But as they walk, she tries to recall her mother's face and... it's somehow becoming harder to do so with each passing second. Like she's fading from Tifa's memory the further they go into the forest, and the thicker the trees become...

But she tries anyway, her eyes screwing shut.]

Everyone says that I look like her. She has brown eyes, dark hair, and... a nice smile. She always wears her hair up, too... [A beat.] I think.

[indolentaxe]

[Hilda instinctually pulls Tifa in closer when she flinches, a protective measure not unlike how Holst always treated her when she was younger and spooked by something. She honestly had no idea Tifa's childhood had been like this. Sure, it's probably made worse by the fact that it's a nightmare, but... there has to be some truth in it, right?

In any case, Hilda can work with that description, uncertain as it is. She knows what Tifa looks like as an adult, and can just kind of... tweak it so they aren't totally identical, right?]

She sounds really pretty. I can't wait to meet her.

[As they continue walking, she notices the forest starting to really close in on them.]

Uh... wow, there sure are a lot of trees, huh? I'm sure it's fine.

[starshower]

I think she'll really like you.

[Tifa sounds so sure of it, but that confidence wavers when her attention is brought back to the trees, and her brows knit together in a deep, confused frown.]

You know... [Somehow, her voice sounds... different. Still appropriately young, but the tone, its cadence, it's all more reminiscent of the Tifa that Hilda does know.]I can't remember there being trees up here... They always said it was too cold for them to grow, and the mako reactor—

[The mako reactor? ... Was that always a thing?

She shakes it off and returns to normal.]

Never mind. Maybe mom put them here...?

[indolentaxe]

Y-yeah, maybe she did. To, um. Hide the mako reactor.

[Whatever a mako reactor even is.

Hilda doesn't quite know how to react to the brief interjection of a much more familiar Tifa. Some part of her realizes that this isn't accurate, that there's something wrong here. Subconsciously, Tifa's pushing back on her. And she's not skilled enough in dream manipulation (or emotionally strong enough, if she has to be honest) to know what to do next.

Spurred on by her anxiety, Hilda's mind creates one last anomaly in Tifa's dream. From the cover of trees steps out a demonic beast which looks down at them and roars.]

Uh... we should run.

[Hilda is not about to 1-v-1 one of these things. They're hard enough to fight with her classmates!]

[starshower]

[There's a shriek from Hilda's side, and she wastes no time in sparing the beast a second thought.]

I know where we can hide!

[And she takes Hilda by the hand and leads her—past the beast, dangerously close to its claws as it swipes at the trees nearby, sending some falling to the ground to block their path back, but they have to keep running. No matter how fast the trees seem to be closing in on them, or how the smell of burning and fire gets more potent with every step... It's an uphill battle, and—]

Ow!

[Tifa trips forward and slides several feet, one of her sandals falling from her foot.]

[indolentaxe]

[Thankfully, Tifa is right there with her in the urgency to get the hells out of there. She would have preferred not to go past the demonic beast in doing so, but at least it misses when it swings in their direction. As they run, she tries not to think too much about what demonic beasts usually are. The last thing either of them need is to have to deal with something like 'oh no that's actually Tifa's mom.'

The thought is immediately pushed out of her head when Tifa trips and falls.]

Tifa!

[Hilda doubles back to collect her, and in those moments her hold on the dreamscape snaps. The trees disappear, as does the large plateau at the top of the mountain that she had created for them to explore upon reaching the mountain's peak. Instead, they're back on the rickety bridge, now seemingly impossibly longer and less stable than before.

No sooner does Hilda reach Tifa, scooping her up in her arms, than the planks beneath them snap.]

[starshower]

[Despite Hilda's fading hold on the dream, the monster still remains, standing at the end of the of the bridge that they stand on, and it sways violently in the gales of wind that blast through the valley. One by one, each wooden plank snaps, and yet somehow, the beast can still crawl towards them, holding onto the ropes as if it was built sturdy enough just to carry it across.

And then—CRACK!

The plank underneath Hilda's feet gives way and Tifa's shriek echoes through the air, so loud that it shakes the very dream itself, the images around them flickering with black. The rope should be enough to hold them both, but there's something gaining on them quickly, and Tifa is clinging to Hilda for dear life. And that's when she realizes...

They have no choice...]

We need to let go...

[Her voice shifts, and there's an echo of her older self in there beneath the scared nine-year-old, this one calmer and more reassuring underneath the fear that laces her physical form.]

[indolentaxe]

What? Are you insane?!

[The words are out before Hilda even has a chance to think about them. This is a dream, and not even her own, but her self-preservation instinct is strong. Especially since she'd rather not die in two nightmares in fairly rapid succession.

But after a few moments... she realizes she's talking to Tifa and not a scared childhood version thereof. And it's not like they have any better options. The dream is correcting itself, even using Hilda's own contributions to the dreamscape in the form of the approaching demonic beast in order to make it happen . Tifa was always meant to fall, it seems. Hilda was only delaying the inevitable.

Well, it was a good effort.]

Okay. But I'm still going to hold onto you as we fall.

[At least her friend doesn't have to plummet to the cold, hard ground alone.

Fighting against every nerve in her body telling her not to, Hilda lets go of the rope and pulls Tifa in close. She squeezes her eyes shut as they fall, biting back the urge to scream.]

[starshower]

Just trust me!

[There's a low, scared noise in the back of Tifa's throat, and her arms wrap around Hilda before they let go of the rope and begin their long fall to the ground. The beast, whatever it is, has started to climb and claw its way down the side of the mountain, scaling it with frightening ease as it follows them to whatever awaits them below, beneath the clouds and the cold mist.

How long they fall, Tifa has no idea, but the only sound she hears is the creature's feet scrambling as it tries to keep a hold on the mountain above them. It's gaining on them quickly, and so is the ground...

The landing is surprisingly light given how far and how long they have fallen. Hilda may need to break her landing somehow, but she'll survive it. Tifa, on the other hand...

She's gone still in Hilda's arms. She's warm, almost feverishly so, and her breathing has quickened to an alarming pace, but her eyes are closed, as if she's caught somewhere between this dream and another, paralyzed and unable to awaken.

And when Hilda takes a look around, she'll find herself in the center of a small, empty town. It doesn't look abandoned, but it's eerily quiet. And up above, the scraping noises and roars of that monster can still be heard echoing over it.]

wrapping here! ♥

[indolentaxe]

[Hilda's bones somehow don't all disintegrate to dust when they finally hit the ground, her fall cushioned by dream logic or something along those lines. Unfortunately, Tifa isn't so lucky. While her body is just as intact as Hildas, she's still and feverish and clearly unwell.

This small town that they're in reminds her of villages she's visited as part of her training in Garreg Mach, except for the lack of foliage and people. That last bit is by far the greater concern.]

Hello? A little help here?!

[There's no response. If this is dream is based on a memory like Hilda has more or less figured out, the silence must be because Tifa has no memory of what happens after the fall. Great. Just great.

To make matters worse, the demonic beast continues to approach. With a heavy sigh, Hilda gently sets Tifa down on the ground and gets to her feet. No one else is around to fight the creature back. It has to be her.

The beast reaches the bottom of the canyon and faces Hilda down, as if daring her to make the first move. Hilda takes a deep breath to steady herself, plants her feet firmly in the dirt, and draws an axe that up until now didn't even exist.]

It's just you and me now. And you're going down.

[She charges and swings her axe wide--

--and in doing so, knocks herself out of her bed and onto the floor, where she finds herself suddenly awake and very, very confused at what's just happened.]