open log | dreams and a prompt

[brokenlight]

Who: Ventus and anyone
Which: Open | 1 Passive Dream, 1 Interactive Dream, 1 Quest Prompt
Where: Dreams | Quest: ...somewhere with trees idk
What: Ventus is trying to chop wood. Also has some unpleasant dreams that's been waiting to creep up on him.
Warnings: possible repeated mentions of Darkness


[A. Passive Dream: Life Movie]

It starts in a long, dark hallway–never-ending. Not a light can be seen. Not a sound can be heard. It’s as if everything is trapped in a bubble with an eerie feeling in the air, a strange kind of weight being pressed down on shoulders like a heavy burden that cannot be lifted.

“What do you see when you look in your reflection?”

Someone’s talking, but there’s no one in sight. There are words that can be heard, but there is no voice speaking.

“Do you fear your reflection? Or do you fear what is reflected behind you?”

Slowly, the halls begin to light up like screens one by one. Dim light. Static.

“How far can you run?”

Finally, a sound is heard. The sound of someone running, panting. That someone is Ventus, who seems to be pointedly ignoring the screens as they light up whenever he passes them. Each screen shows a different scene: a young boy with blond hair curled up in a raggedy blanket while sleeping in an alleyway, another scene with what seems to be a floating cloud of darkness. Yet, Ventus doesn’t pay attention to any of that.

No, he is much more worried about the Darkness that seems to be chasing after him.

“Look, Ventus, and see.”

Ventus ignores it, gasping.

The darkness behind him grows larger as it begins to cover the halls, devouring the screens and taking out the faint light one by one. Despite how fast Ventus is running, the hall never seems to end. To tease him, a light finally does appear at the very end, beckoning to him.

The closer he seems to get, there’s someone standing in his way: a man dressed in a black robe.

Lifting a hand, the stranger points at Ventus.

“You don’t belong in the light. It’s time you return to where you truly come from–”

The hallway abruptly falls apart, shattering like glass and Ventus finds himself falling into darkness.


[B. Interactive Dream: Sands of Darkness]

This dream takes place in a barren wasteland, with thousands of Keyblades struck to the ground. There is no light, just an unending sea of night with darkened storm clouds above. The air gives off the sense of something eerie–fitting for a graveyard where thousands of Chosen once resided.

In the middle of the crossroads, there’s Ven who seems a bit lost as to where he should go.

To his right, there’s an black armor with a strange symbol on its helmet standing there. In its hand, it holds a Keyblade pressed against the ground.

To his left, there’s the faint shadow of a clocktower, looming almost ominously.

Ahead of him, there doesn’t seem to be anything but darkness. But if one takes a closer look, they’d see multiple glowing yellow eyes peeking from the shadows. Nothing moves, nothing blinks. Almost as if they’re patiently waiting for Ventus to make his move.

And Ven–he isn’t sure where he should go. He frowns, leaning back and forth as if trying to make up his mind. Then, a cloud of darkness rises up from his shadow and looms over his shoulder.

”No matter what path you take, you’ll only bring devastation. A fake light was never meant to be truly part of it.”

A step forward. Then two steps.

Ventus begins to move regardless of which path he takes while the Darkness latches onto him like a leech.

”It’s time for you to sleep again, Ventus.”

[ooc; Feel free to stop Ven from going down a path or follow him! Each path will play out a different nightmare-ish scenario.]

[C. Wooden Gumdrop Toys

[After the whole Christmas debacle, Ventus wasn’t so sure if he wanted to do anything with toys in a while. Not that he particularly has anything against them. But it sure does leave a mark after having to fight giant teddy bears and machines while trying to help Santa and whatnot.

Though, Ventus can safely say that he might’ve taken up more than he thought.

Ventus squints a bit at a few trees, head tilted to the side.]

…What makes something ‘high-quality’ wood?

[He muses to himself aloud.]

Comments

B

[iracorn]

[Ira knows this place.

He knows it well, having been visiting a version of it in his own nightmares. The dark clouds hang low, and he pulls his cloak tighter around him. He cannot take his eyes off of the keys, knowing that each one once belonged to a bright and vibrant wielder, a union member, some of them his own.

He presses on the road, looking for some way out of the dream, some way he can wake up until he sees movement ahead. He's coming to a crossroads and the figure is becoming clearer.]

Ventus?

[brokenlight]

[Each key almost seems to resonate as the Master passes by. If he listens closely, he might even heard the voices of the dead trying to call out to him. To Ventus. To anyone who can hear their cries. A sad excuse to be acknowledged once again even in a dream.

But Ventus doesn't seem to notice Ira. Not yet.

Once Ira approaches the crossroads, the scene suddenly changes and they're suddenly standing on a cliff overlooking Daybreak Town with the clocktower looming in the background. Then there's the sound of crying as a young Ventus is crouched down by a few bushes.]

[iracorn]

[If he could, he would. He wants to acknowledge these keys. Do something to help, change what happened, he doesn't know, but he feels compelled to follow after Ventus.

The shift in scene is disorienting that for a minute, Ira is stunned. But it is Ventus's cries that draw him back to himself and he hurries over. He's not sure what to say, but he feels he has to say something. That he has to be brave for the both of them.]

It's all right. You're not alone anymore.

[brokenlight]

[The tiny child sniffles, curling up more.

When Ira comes close, he peeks up.]

R-Really?

[He sounds a mix of disbelief and hopeful.]

C

[multidisciplinary]

[ Don't ask a question you don't want an answer to, Ven. Zelda, aspiring scientist with a penchant for botany, actually knows how to answer that question. ]

It depends on the intended purpose, really, but it tends to depend on factors like age, density, uniformity of the rings, presence of decay, knottiness. Things of that nature.

[ She ticks them off on the fingers of one hand as she recites them matter-of-factly. ]

[brokenlight]

[....That's quite a lot.

Ven just stares at her, a bit impressed and a little overwhelmed.]

....What about fragrance? The board said the person is looking for wood with high fragrance?

[Or maybe he misread it?]

[multidisciplinary]

[ She likes plants :) ]

Fragrance? [ Zelda glances back at Ven with a momentary look of confusion. ] Oh, I forgot about that part.

[ She puzzles over that for a minute, wracking the botanical encyclopedia of her mind for information about wood odors. ]

I'm not too sure which kinds of wood are ... odorous.

[ She looks dubiously at the wooded grove the pair are standing before. Are they gonna have to sniff trees? ]

[brokenlight]

[Ven tilts his head as he looks at the trees.]

....Maybe we should find trees that has...the best smelling leaves? [MAYBE??] I don't know if the wood gives off smell or its the leaves that does it.

a

[oathkeeper]

[Watching dreams seems to be something Sora is doing often lately. Watching them and feeling this stone of dread in his throat slowly falling down to the pit of his stomach. First it was Vanitas and now it is Ventus and Sora is really wishing he could do something like wave his hands around and wash away these passive dreams and nightmares and tell them to leave his friends alone.

The dream is dark as it is somehow familiar. It's almost like Sora could have had the exact same one himself. Feeling like he has to run from something or he'll be swallowed up... He knows that feeling.

And that man in the black cloak... Who is he?

Sora will reach out carefully through the crystal lantern, replying with a frown as he tries to reach the other boy through the spots of his dream.]

Ven? Are you there? Can you hear me? It's Sora.

[brokenlight]

[Ventus is quiet for a moment.

He can still feel his heart hammering against his chest. Can still feel his breathing somewhat labored as if he has been running--and he has. Part of him still feels that cold touch against his skin from where the darkness had pricked at him in his dream. Feels as if parts of what made him him is gone, drifted away into the darkness threatening to consume him.

When he finally registers Sora's voice, he stills.

"You don't belong in the light."

Sora's light. The brightest light he knows. He can't sully that light with his nonexistent one. But then he feels bad, guilt settling in the pit of his stomach that Sora had to see witness this, too.

On the other hand, part of him feels guiltily selfish, desiring that comfort after that nightmare.]

....I'm okay.

[Even if he isn't, he'll try to be.]

[oathkeeper]

[Those two simple words seem so far away. Like a little speck of a star in a night sky that no matter how much he reaches out to it he'll never be able to hold. Sora is not sure if it is the reflections of the dream that make it feel that way or something so much more genuine.]

Are you sure? You can talk to me, you know.

[Sora's voice will echo in the fragments of the dream like a scattered memory. But Sora is there holding to the crystal lantern carefully. Reaching out... Searching.]

Does it feel like... You're falling?

[brokenlight]

[He feels distant. There's a part of him that doesn't quite feel like he's completely there. The throes of his nightmare is still clear, wrapping him in its claws until all he wants to do is choke and cry for some sort of relief.

But he feels dangerously numb, cold. Like a spark of a star struggling to survive.]

...Yeah.

[He doesn't know how else to describe it.]

B

[darkcharge]

[ Most of the scenery is familiar to Vanitas. How could it not be, with the amount of time that he has spent in at least one of these places? Yet at the same time he should feel somewhat removed from it, right? It's not as if he ever has to return to this place again outside of these dreams and dreamcscapes.

At least Vanitas so thinks.

Now he doesn't approach Ventus when he catches sight of him - though does he ever not feel the pull of Ventus regardless of the distance between them? Instead he follows, wondering what his other half will do.

Fake light...

Now isn't that interesting. ]

[brokenlight]

[Even if one never wants to return to this place again, there is always that draw back to it. It's a place where their beginning started. Where some of it ended.

It doesn't affect Ventus the same way it does Vanitas, but it's still left an impression on him.

Ventus doesn't notice Vanitas, but the darkness does. A cloud of it rises up from Ventus, tilting itself in Vanitas' direction as if contemplating. Then the scene begins to change, slowly. One by one, the Keyblades blink out of existence and in its place, Darklings appear.]

[darkcharge]

[ Dreamscape or not, Vanitas doesn't really care. Because Vanitas is not going to be threatened. That's what it feels like when this cloud turns in his direction. Then it's definitely how Vanitas interprets it when the Keyblades fade and creatures of Darkness fade. ]

Ventus.

[ Better turn around, as he's not having any of this. Instead Vani summons his own Keyblade, thinking that there might be an incomming attack. ]

[brokenlight]

[Ventus doesn't turn, doesn't even react.

The Darklings, to some surprise, isn't moving to attack Vanitas. They all seem to be dancing in place, heads tilted to the side.

Finally, one of them speaks:]

You smell like one of Us.

A

[twilightskey]

[Watching these dreams is a strange feeling for Roxas. Seeing people's innermost thoughts and internal emotions feels like a breach of privacy, in a way. But watching Ven's dream hits him in ways that make uncomfortable feelings roil in his chest. Some of the words said in the nightmare... they stick with Roxas, make his hairs stand on end. How often was he reminded of his own resemblance to Sora, and now Ventus? How many times had he been told to return to where he came, that he had no right to exist?]

[It sends a shiver down his spine. And it makes him want to reach out.]

Ven? It's Roxas. Are you okay?

[brokenlight]

[Who in their world doesn't have some sort of identity issue, really?

Ventus takes a moment before:]

Yeah.

[Maybe. But he's dealing with it.]

[twilightskey]

[Clearly. Which is why, in a weird way, there's a sort of solidarity among them all.]

[Roxas's mouth twists into a frown when he sees that, before he replies back.]

Do you want to talk about it?

B

[spirialink]

[What in the world was this place? It almost looked like some kind of graveyard... But instead of tombstones, there were... Keys? Were they keyblades? So this must be one of his friend's dreams...

He walks along the path, until he comes across what appears to be Ventus.]

Huh? Ven? Hey, Ven! What's going on here?

[He spots all that darkness in front of Ventus. That's not good...]

[brokenlight]

[Ventus doesn't hear Kor. Not yet.

The darkness swirls around him.]

Choose, Ventus.

[As if finally being prompted, Ventus begins to walk down a path where that nightmarish armor is waiting for him.]

[spirialink]

[What's he doing? That darkness is just... swirling around him, is he being controlled somehow? Kor chases after him, towards that nightmarish armor.]

Ven, wait! Stop!

[He reaches after him, trying to grab his shoulder.]

B

[fleetinglight]

[Regardless of which way Ventus is heading, there's a shimmer of light as a keyblade appears in Ephemer's hand]

Ven!

[He practically drops down in front of Ventus, slashing away at the darkness trying to leech itself to the blond. He cuts him free of it before grabbing onto Ventus' fore arm with his free hand and tugging him back a step or two]

Ven, what's going on? Are you alright?

[Worry is clear on Ephemer's face but he's also partly looking around to make sure nothing else is going to come for the boy of light]

[brokenlight]

[Ventus doesn't seem to react to Ephemer even as he's tugged back.

His eyes hold a glazed look in them, distant as if seeing something that isn't there.

But the darkness slithers, moving as the scenery around them steadily begins to change to a computer room, a broken table to the side with scattered books.]

[fleetinglight]

[Ephemer tenses at that. His fingers absently tighten around Ventu's arm, nails digging into his skin a bit.

He remembers this room alright. He's just taken back by it all. He didnt expect to see it again, even in Ventus' dreams. The blond doesnt seem to remember much of that time...if anything of it at all so appearing here is something else.

Ephemer doesn't like this at all. He tugs on Ventus again]

Ven, snap out of it.