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

[iracorn]

[Ira catches on, holding his keyblade out in front of him to summon a Blizzaga spell. He's still working his way up to the stronger elements, but as long as things don't get too out of control, he's confident he can maintain it at least.

It takes some concentration, but he works on moving chunks of ice to the edges to keep the flames contained.]

[starshower]

[They're able to work together to make... something in the ground, at least. It isn't perfect by any means, and ends up being more of a weird, crooked square with slightly rounded corners with each side not matching the next, but...]

Well, it's a start... [she says with a laugh once she opens her eyes, and the flames start to die down.] It's... workable, I guess.

[She sounds like she only half believes that as she steps up to the hole to examine it, but the reindeer is already climbing in...]

[iracorn]

For an initial go, it could honestly be worse. And our friend doesn't seem to mind.

[Though granted, any hole in the ground is going to look awkward.]

We'll make it work.

[starshower]

[Even more awkward with a reindeer trying to climb in and examine it...

But it's endearing that it's trying to help them that she can't even be upset about it potentially getting in the way. She does pick up a few planks of wood and starts by laying one along the edge.]

So first things first, we wanna line the entire thing with a base so we can build up. Best we can, anyway... You wanna start on that side?

[iracorn]

Sure.

[He'll take a few planks over, and while it takes some looking at Tifa's example, he eventually starts placing the planks.]

I'm guessing as close together as possible?

[starshower]

Yeah. Close together and then pack it in as tight as it'll go.

[She demonstrates with her own slamming it into the dirt with her foot before she kneels to start pouring it all back in around it, but not on top so that it doesn't move from side to side.]

As long as the reindeer don't start slamming their antlers into the building, this should hold.

[It's simple enough, although the corners might give them a harder time, but she gets to work alongside Ira, with the reindeer watching intently, moving around as they make their way through.]

This the first time you've ever built something like this?

[iracorn]

Yes, it is. I've had to make the odd repair but never really had to build something from scratch.

[Sometimes you have a leaky roof or an old door. Things happened in the clocktower or the town. But rarely anything major.]

Our friend seems calm enough not to do that.

[Though he smiles a bit at laying down ground rules.]

[starshower]

[With most of the foundation laid down, Tifa pauses for a breather and a look around, perching herself up on the edge of the hole to sit, not minding the snow.]

Back home, sometimes everyone in town would come together to build something. A new booth, a new shop... This kind of reminds me of that.

[iracorn]

It sounds like you have quite a community, where you're from. If you're all working together like that.

[Usually, when keyblade wielders came together, it was more to defend the town from heartless than to build anything.]

[starshower]

Honestly? It was nice.

[Tifa considers herself lucky in that regard. It took a while to become a part of that community, but when she did, she was welcomed with open arms and open hearts.]

When you've all got a common goal, or have the same hardships, it becomes easier to find something like that. I think that's why we're at least lucky to have each other here, you know?

[The reindeer looks at them, grunting a little as it kicks some more snow over the foundation.]

Even some of the animals don't mind it.

[iracorn]

I agree. It would be more difficult if we were so divided.

[And he's seen what that division can do, unfortunately. And perhaps a chill wind blows through, responding to Ira's thoughts.]

It's good to know that we have many allies to call upon.

this feels like a nice place to wrap 💖

[starshower]

Even if it is for something like building a reindeer shelter. Can't say this is what I was expecting when I got here.

[Though it isn't that she minds. The reindeer has been very amicable so far, and when it catches her looking at it, it rears its head a little as if to show off.]

Anyway. Should we get back to it? Looks like he's getting a little impatient. And it's starting to get a little cold.

[Time to get moving again!]

Sounds good

[iracorn]

Yes, let's. We'll want to get something up before the temperature drops any further.

[And even if it's just a basic shelter, they can come back and add details.]