[Catch-All]

[heseesonlyher]

Who: Old Man Nier and YOU
Which: Open Log + Interactive Dream
Where: Reverein fields, the town itself, Nier's home village
What: Catch-All for March 2022. Old Man tends fields and mends fences. Old Man picks up orange hate feathers. Old Man picks herbs for Jude and co clinic. Old Man dreams of his home town where no one there seems to know him at all.
Warnings: Probably nothing worth mentioning. Will update as necessary


01. 'Spring'ing into Action

[Just the thought of working in the fields makes him think of older, more simpler days. Although he supposes in retrospect, there was nothing simple about them. Yonah had once asked him to grow her watermelons and somehow, he'd managed to accomplish it. Never does he consider himself an accomplished man of gardens and growing, but when he thinks about the amount of time he spent trying to cultivate a Lunar Tear, then he supposes he might be underestimating himself.

It's provided him a great reason to busy himself. To busy his thoughts. To think less about what happens when he leaves. If he leaves. If the others leave. He wants none of this. Instead, he's focused on the situation at hand. Or at least, he pretends he is. Honestly, he's more caught up in his thoughts than he'd like to be.

Fences are where he's chosen to begin. A decent number of them were damaged and before any planting can begin, they'll need to be tended to. He's in the process of covering some breaks, knelt down, pensive and probably up until the next few moments, has likely been a little quiet. Whether it's approaching footsteps or those being led elsewhere, he's not shy about speaking up.]

Get me that hammer, would you? I left it back there somewhere.

[He jerks his right hand over his shoulder indicatively. Help an old man out?]

02. I'm Not Angry; You're Angry!

[There's no shortage of things to be done in Reverein and Nier is usually more than happy to keep himself occupied by taking on any number of requests from the locals, which seem to be growing in number as the days go by. Gathering feathers seems like a relatively monotonous and unexciting task, which means it ought to be something he can get done in short order.

He's wandering around the town and along its outskirts to gather them, looking high and low. By this point, he's already managed to collect a few, which he has tucked into his somewhat barbaric-looking garb. Nier's a man with a lot of heart, though more than once he's lost his cool in the face of the circumstance. Where he'd normally be a rather patient man, it seems said patience is in absent supply today.]

Hey. You just gonna stand there, or do you feel like moving?

[He's had days where he was nicer.]

03. Go Green or Go Home

[When Jude announced the opening of the clinic, Nier was very quick to jump onto the idea of being able to supply him regularly with useful herbs, plants, and other like things in the forest. It reminds him of the times he's done something of the same for Popola. The names might change, but the situation always seems to be the same. In that respect, it's kind of nice. Something familiar. Just the thought leaves him comforted.

Whatever reason you might have for being out there, it won't be hard to spot him. Nier doesn't blend in well with the surroundings. On the contrary, he kind of stands out. And if he finds you, there's a very good chance he'll be nosy and want to figure out what you're up to. Why not lend him a temporary travelling partner?

Don't mind him as he's huddled down close to the ground, trying to get up a plant without destroying it completely.]

04. Home is Where the Heart Is (Unless You're Nier) - Interactive Dream

[...What is this place? It's a seemingly quiet and laid-back village, many of the structures appearing rundown and touched by the elements of time. There are people by the fountain not far from a dilapidated house.

Up the hill, along a variety of wooden steps that are in slight disrepair, there's a library with no shortage of books and a room that doesn't seem to make much sense.

Gates exist in different cardinal directions that lead outside of the village, each guarded for the safety of the village inhabitants.

Down in the market plaza, there's no shortage of item shops, and a plethora of relatively friendly villagers, who are ever willing to ask for assistance with their daily errands. A tavern, where a pretty girl named Devola plays music and sings a song. And on the docks behind, a little boat willing to take you to places called Seafront and some other main settlements that exist outside of the village.

It's a nice place, if not a little bit sparse. But it's the place that he calls home. He can easily be found wandering through the town, into the library, but spends the most amount of his time at his house, perhaps with his face in a very particular diary. His daughter, Yonah, is also here, and she may seem a little perplexed about what you're doing in her house, but she'll be very polite.

It's no real big surprise to him personally, but it seems like no one in this town knows a Nier. Not even Yonah. Who could this mysterious man be?]


[OOC: Please feel free to wander around the village by yourself, with a friend, or visit Nier. Character thoughts and feelings may affect the surroundings and the things witnessed, or experienced in this place.
Please also forgive how small these images seemed to be. Evidently larger images from Gestalt are difficult to come by. I may update these at a later point.
There is no restricted access to the town and its inhabitants. Do note that given this is also Brother Nier's home village, he has the same influences that Old Man Nier has here.]

05. Wildcard

[If the above don't strike your fancy, please select this option for whatever something special we might be doing. You can plot with me via PMs, discord (available upon request), and by contacting me via ofthesky.]

Comments

[longsilence]

[Now it's Kiki's turn to be caught off-guard. Sure, he seems strong enough, but how stable would that be? Or comfortable for him. She eyes his shoulder before tentatively putting her hand is his. So much for finding her own way out.]

I've never done something like that before...

[Not that she had much interaction with her parents the moment her power began to ruin her life.]

And you're not scary.

[Maybe at first when he could have been her newest killer, but she's learned quickly of the big heart under his rough exterior. Which is why Kiki doesn't question the motive of his assistance. She made it perfectly clear she is not his daughter, so there could be a sense of general obligation that it's his dream. Nevertheless, his willingness to help is given easily; she can trust him.]

[heseesonlyher]

[The moment she sets her hand in his, Nier lifts her with ease right onto his shoulder, keeping a hand atop her to keep her steady. That's evidently what he's meant. There are other ways for him to hold her, but this way, he can keep a hand free to make use of his sword strapped to his back. He doesn't expect to need it, but he has it in case he needs to.

He looks up at her to make sure she's good. Kaeru, maybe. But he still sees Yonah. He doesn't doubt that part of his assistance is because of that, however... It's always more than that. In Reverein, Yonah's not even there. It's important that he use his strength to protect and help others who need it. There's no longer any benefit to being obsessed with saving his daughter, after all.

At her assessment of him, he barks out a laugh. It's a surprisingly genuine sound, considering the circumstances.]

I'm not scary to you. Beasts and Shades here? I'm not sure they'd agree.

[Wearing a small little turn of the mouth, he scouts around them. Although he's sure he's cleared the way upon his way in, it's better not to become complacent.]

How'd you find your way in here? I have a hell of a lot more questions, but I doubt you'd have the answers to them and I'm not sure I even want them. But maybe figuring out how you got here will help me figure out how to get us both out.

[longsilence]

[Despite being quick about situating her, Kiki still has to grit her teeth from the jostling. Not that she holds it against him. The pain is somehow easier to ignore when she's taking on a new perspective and wondering how this man can be so strong. (Then again, she never weighed much.) Wide-eyed and taking in the new height, the psychic takes care to hold as still as possible while holding on. She's so preoccupied, he can probably feel her startle a little at the laugh.]

Shades are monsters? [Kiki's tone has lightened a tad as curiosity pushes back the gloom. Slighty.] Nonhuman monsters aren't real in my world.

[She pauses to ponder his question a moment. Aside from being drawn in, her memory feels fuzzy--]

All I remember is noticing the lantern and trying to get away. I did't want to turn anyone's dream into a nightmare...but it felt like someone yanked on my arm and I woke up here. I tried hiding...

[And then he found her in that terrible predicament.]

[heseesonlyher]

[His footing pauses at any particular moments of tension. She's already in a precarious position. He doesn't want to hurt her any further if he can help it and he doubts that anywhere he takes her is going to be a perfect misadventure. She deserves better, he's almost certain of it. But he's still stuck on the things she's said before. The need to die in a dream, a nightmare before she can be released from said state...

It's all hard to take in.]

Don't hold yourself responsible for it. You don't really know what my home world was like before you, but I can promise it really wasn't the best place. Nightmarish? Definitely sometimes. You aren't responsible for that.

[She's noticed a lantern, however... Maybe he can find it? He doesn't even know where to begin looking and it doesn't sound like she's particularly familiar enough with the landmarks. It sounds almost like she got drawn in against her will. Maybe the village will be able to help?

Unlikely, honestly.]

You doing okay up there? We'll figure this out. I came in from my home village, so I'm thinking we'll go back there.

[longsilence]

Is that so... [The tree may have been her fault unintentionally, but if he seems to recognize the rest of the dreamscape as (relatively) normal, then maybe she shouldn't worry. Maybe. It's hard not to be cautious even when she wants to believe in Nier. As for him checking up on her, Kiki nods:]

Yes, this is fine. [Practically a luxury since she's never been treated so kindly in a dream.] If we get to you village, we could try finding a regular lantern. If we applied dreamotion energy to it, it could transform. Although I'm not very good at using it...

[More like she doesn't trust that energy from her would screw things up somehow. Which is why she goes quiet for awhile before speaking up again.]

Do you normally carry your daughter like this?

[heseesonlyher]

That's a good idea.

[Regular lanterns they can definitely hunt down. Shouldn't have too much difficulty tracking one either. He offers her a reassuring smile. Or as close to reassuring as he can manage. Nier always tries his best to be exactly that, but admittedly he's certain he's not particularly good at it. At least the intentions are there. If they mean anything at all.]

I've carried her in many different ways. Sometimes on my back. Sometimes in my arms. Sometimes on my shoulder. Usually however she wanted to be carried.

[But it's been a while since he has. Over five years, he's sure. Would she even have let him hold her? He's unsure.]

I know you said you're not her. I believe that. Don't get it, but I do believe you. I'll try not to treat you like her too much.

[longsilence]

Mn, as long as you understand. [It's good to get confirmation.] I don't know why I become like this. It's happened before, but I never wanted to ruin a memory of someone important. Maybe deep down I wanted to be someone else, but I wouldn't want to steal an identity either.

[The words sound like a confession, yet they roll off her tongue so easily. Like talking about the weather. Kiki's inability to lie has made her as such: honest to a fault. It's not an easy life when all your secrets are laid bare on the daily, and it's made keeping friends even harder.]

...Sorry. Sitting up here makes me wonder if my father held me this way when I was young. I can't say it's nostalgic, but it's...nice in a way.

[It takes her mind off her wounds at least.]

[heseesonlyher]

[But does he really understand? He can't be certain. He knows if he even bothers to ask, there's likely no amount of answers that would adequately provide him with a comprehensive explanation. It sounds like just another situation that's potentially complicated beyond what he feels is even a necessity.

What he does feel is a certain empathetic input. The desire to be someone else. He's certain he's had it from time to time. Of course, he wouldn't change anything. Things have happened the way they have for a reason. But maybe once upon a time he would have been more inclined to desire a different life. A different identity.

She shares of herself freely and he admires that. He's so accustomed to secrecy and quiet. Modesty. Shame. Not from himself. There aren't many things for him to hide, after all.]

You don't remember much of your father?

[It leads to a slew of new, additional questions. Maybe she was young when she lost him. Maybe she's... thousands of years old and the memories have faded with time. He'd love to claim he's exaggerating on the latter, but he fully expects to discover more things that seem impossible.]

[longsilence]

It's not so much an issue of remembering as it is a lack of interaction. He should still be alive along with my mother.

[Kiki's tone remains neutral for the most part. In fact, a part of her wonders why she isn't more upset about it. The illusion of being loved isn't there, so maybe there's nothing to miss. It's not as if many people remember their early childhood, right? Still, she shouldn't say nasty things about family even if she has been estranged from them.]

...I don't blame them. Where I live, people expect a certain norm. To fit in. I couldn't even if I wanted to. [And just because she expects a retort about society or her parents being better, the psychic continues quickly after a pause:]

It's more complicated than that. Imagine how powerless it feels to have your daughter unable to lie because of a power that shouldn't exist. There's no room to hide the littlest things in the house, and she can't be with others without being called a freak or taken away. Then she starts having endless nightmares that feel too real. They won't stop no matter how much you try to help her, so all that's left is to watch her suffer.

[Kiki's grip on the hand keeping her in place tightens. Not enough to hurt, but it's something of a reaction towards her family history.]

[heseesonlyher]

[...Lack of interaction. She phrases it so delicately, but Nier gets the point rather easily. He's simply not a part of her life. He doesn't know the story and he doesn't feel inclined to ask, but it's nothing good. That's obvious. As a result, he simply nods along.

At least until she starts sounding resigned. He isn't sure what she's done, but it can't be worthy of a parent's lack of... presence.]

No matter how complicated this might be, you're making it sound like you deserved this and I don't buy that for a minute.

[He huffs out a breath and when she grips his hand, he turns his attention up to her, offering her the same in return. Is it reassurance? He doesn't know how to give someone in her situation that. She's got a lot brewing under the surface. He never would have guessed it from the initial meeting. He almost doesn't believe in the present, but she wouldn't have anything to gain from speaking false.]

You don't deserve it. Sounds to me like they didn't know how to handle things. And because they didn't know, they were either too afraid to figure it out or they just didn't care enough to try.