[The tombstone itself is like so many others, its warning cryptic while the dreamer in question lies in repose.
"Do Not Disturb. Monsters come in all shapes and sizes."
The dreamscape beyond lacks any of the bright color or joyous chaos of the festivities left behind. It's bleak, gray, as though all the color and life has been drawn out of this place— a village surrounded by steep cliffs, dwellings and walkways suspended high above the ground across a seemingly bottomless ravine. The sky is beyond overcast, and rain has begun to fall, though that doesn't seem to bother the pale figure seated at the very center at one of the suspended platforms, her knees drawn up to her chest as she hugs them to herself.
Voices begin to echo, ringing out with no discernible source, and yet they seem to be everywhere.
"Get out! Nobody wants you here!"
"You're a freak. Why are you pretending to be normal? We all know the truth!"
"Maybe you're not cursed. Maybe your parents just couldn't stand to be around you anymore and offed themselves, ever think of that?"
In the middle of it all, Kainé screws her eyes shut and hugs her knees just a little bit tighter.]
[After seeing one—and one too many—nightmare so far, Tifa is sure of her decision to keep herself busy with the tombstones and dreams of others. If she keeps her mind busy, then maybe she won't spiral into one herself. She isn't ready to face whatever might be waiting for her on the other side, but she was never one to turn away from helping others face theirs, fearful or not.
Her gut makes an easy turn when she sees the owner of this tombstone. She'd only really met Kaine once, minus the occasional passing in town, but she quickly became someone that Tifa would consider a friend, and someone that she would like to know more about. Nightmares aren't her first choice in doing that, but if she needs help, then she's willing to give it.
Tifa appears in the nightmare not far from where Kaine's perched, and she takes a moment to take in the sights... and sounds. The gray skies and the rain don't bother her, but the cruel things that she hears do. Even if this isn't her nightmare, it's still hurtful to hear that this is what Kaine thinks of herself, or of other people around her...
Slowly, she comes up next to her, catching her just as she hugs herself tight, and a gentle hand finds her shoulder, just barely a brush so as not to startle her.]
[Beneath Tifa's touch, Kainé's muscles pull tight, her shoulders suddenly rigid. She doesn't look up, her chin practically tucked against her chest as she remains drawn in on herself.
She hates this place. She hates it. Some part of her had hoped that current circumstances meant she wouldn't have to see it again— but it could always return in dreams, couldn't it?
You can never really leave home, even when they don't want you there.]
... I should be.
[Her voice is barely above a whisper, the rest of her unmoving.]
I deserve it. I deserve to be alone.
[There's a clatter somewhere to their left— a stone skitters across the planks of the platform. The voices begin again, only now there are figures to accompany them— no less than four, scattered around the edges of the platform and facing inward from all angles. When the voices start up again, they're clearer than they were before, and each and every one of them sounds like it belongs to a child.
"You won't be happy until everyone here is dead, will you?"
"Leave our mommies and daddies alone! Just because you don't have yours anymore, that doesn't mean you have to put ours in danger!"
"My dad said they're gonna run you out of the village. What if we saved the grown-ups the trouble? Just jump and do us all a favor!"
Her grip tightens until it goes white-knuckled, and she looks up to meet the gaze of one of the childlike figures as it becomes more solid.]
You say this shit to a little girl, and you all call me a monster?
[There's only so much Tifa can do to mask her unease for Kaine's sake, even less so when a figure appears before them, the voice manifesting into what appears to be a child. Still, even as Kaine recoils under her touch, her hand doesn't budge, and it only tightens at her shoulder to at least remind her that there's still someone here... Someone who isn't shouting these obscene things at her.
Swallowing past whatever lump of fear that's grown in her throat, Tifa steps forward, putting herself in between Kaine and the figure as she shakes off that sense of dread that turns the pit of her stomach.]
This is just a dream.
[It's hard to tell whether she's speaking to the figure, to Kaine, or reminding herself. All three, perhaps?]
Whatever you say here has nothing to do with her.
[This time, she is speaking to the child, her stance turning on the defensive. Will talking to these voices even help? Who knows.]
[Tifa's voice does draw her gaze upwards, just long enough for Kainé to recognize her as a friendly face. It grants her a moment of lucidity— Tifa wasn't supposed to be here. She'd never been to Kainé's hometown, never heard the things that were shouted and jeered so frequently that Kainé heard them echoing in her own head even when she was alone. It was incessant, unending. Monster, freak, cursed.]
Tifa...
[The edge of her voice is hoarse, but before she can say anything more, the figure Tifa had addressed steps forward, becoming clearer. A husky, broad-shouldered boy of about eleven, another rock forming in his hand as though it had been drawn out of thin air.
"It's not a dream, though, is it?"
Kainé says nothing for a moment, but her chin drops.]
... it's a memory.
[Or a scene composed of hundreds of such memories, thousands, so numerous that they had all begun to bleed together, an everlasting reminder of how hateful people could be. How cruel they were, and how fearful of what they didn't understand.
"That's right. And you remember what happens next, don't you?"]
[Stepping more firmly into place in front of Kaine, Tifa continues to stare down the boy, as if daring him to come closer. Meanwhile, a hand reaches back to grab one of Kaine's, lacing her fingers beneath to hold it in hers.]
That's all dreams are, yeah? Just memories.
[She's had her fair share of nightmares too, and every single one of them was some twisted version of her worst memories and worst fears coming together. This is all these are—just cruel retellings of everyone's worst moments.]
Bet I wasn't here in whatever memory you're from.
[Whatever is going to happen next, Tifa wasn't there to fight it the last time, was she?]
[The touch itself is startling— how many people ever reached out to her willingly? Before she'd met Nier and Emil, she couldn't think of any. Not since her grandmother. Weiss may have counted, too, if only he'd had hands.
For a long moment, she stares at where their hands are now entwined, speechless. Before them, the boy moves forward, raising the hand with the rock in it— he takes that dare, stepping forward, and the other figures surrounding them begin to do the same. It's a slow creep, steady movement, and each figure becomes more defined in the process— children, every single one of them.
"You're new, but adults never care. They all hate her, too. So should you."
It's then that Kainé summons forth the strength to get to her feet, and while every instinct in her tells her to pull away, she forces herself to ignore them, to allow her hand to remain in Tifa's. Maybe she needs that— the courage it offers.]
Don't you asshole kids ever get tired of the sound of your own voices? Fuck off. I'm bigger than all of you now.
[Maybe if she defies them loudly enough, she'll remember the truth of it. She still dreamed about these days far too often, the days when she had been too small and too timid to protect herself— but she's not anymore. She's all grown up, and she's strong.]
Throwing rocks? That the best you can do? Little shits ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
[She gives Tifa a sidelong glance, her body language tense.]
Think they can get away with anything, just because the adults all look the other way.
["They all knew, you know. They just didn't care! It would have been doing everyone in town a favor, if we actually killed you."]
[Tifa would be lying if she said she wasn't a little scared of the way they all move towards them. Shadowy children taking shape, their voices echoing in her head as if this were her own dream... but she holds her ground, shifting on her feet and digging her heels more firmly on the ground.
Quietly, she utters to Kaine.]
Well then, they were terrible adults.
[Had she been the victim of all this merciless bullying by kids? This can only be a glimpse into her childhood, or that's the impression Tifa's getting from this all, and it makes her sick to her stomach. So sick that there's a small shake between their feet that may or may not knock these kids a little off balance? Tifa, meanwhile, holds Kaine's hand a little tighter when she feels it to keep them both anchored in place.]
I'm not above hitting a dream kid when I have to, you know.
[Nightmares. That's all they are. They aren't real. It's just a dream.]
[Normally, Kainé is quick to look to violence as a solution— it's simple, it makes sense to her, and dream or otherwise, it would be so easy to reach for her sword with her free hand and make a show of it, to menace these nightmare children and yell at the top of her lungs until she's convinced everyone involved that she's not afraid.
Instead, she shakes her head, her brow furrowed as she looks to Tifa beside her, letting that tightened grip remain. It's a comfort to the both of them, an anchor, a reminder that there's a little bit of warmth hidden away here despite the biting cold wind that blows through the ravine beneath the Aerie.]
If we hit them... then we're no better. It makes us as bad as they are.
[Her voice is halting; it's not an admission she wants to make, and she's never been good at turning the other cheek. When she'd been small, she would let them come, let them do whatever they wanted— once her grandmother intervened, the kids had started to keep their distance, but she wasn't here to step in and save the day now.
Even so, Kainé knows she's not alone, the dream becoming more lucid, and her lips pull into a thin line bordering on a frown.]
I've had this dream before, or dreams like it. They always end the same way, but I think this time is different.
[Tifa had made that point herself not so long ago.]
Never had a friend here before.
[It's a difficult word to say, "friend," but it comes a bit easier in the context of a dream, speaking with her heart rather than her lips.]
[Every day in this place just makes him more and more exhausted. The weariness has overtaken him completely, seeping into his bones and every fiber of his being. That damn Ferris. Just where has she gone to now?
But he's not looking for her out of concern, he's keeping an eye out so that he can avoid her wrath.
Yes. Once again he's looking for a spot to nap, a neverending journey with him. But with the whole town being transformed into some weird festive holiday, this has made things more difficult than usual. Which was already impossible to begin with. Not to mention these clothes he's found himself stuck in- a long, black cloak with a popped collar, a velvet vest, and black shirt and pants. Cumbersome as the attire is, it doesn't seem to faze him. But nothing much does.
It's eerily quiet out, and he's somewhere between the town and a creepy graveyard when he notices these viscous black pools covering the ground. He doesn't care enough to investigate and thinks nothing of them, though, quietly shuffling through the area, tired eyes peering ahead in the darkness in the hopes of finding respite. And before long he manages to step in one those black pools, which now cause him to stop as the gunk is rather heavy on his shoe.]
Ugh, seriously--
[He doesn't care so much about the shoes as he does the feeling of this crap weighing on them, and he reaches down to remove the shoe when his hand stops midway. A voice filters in all around him, he hears it before he senses any presence. It's a familiar voice- his voice, only deeper and more menacing.]
D͚͍̼e̞̟̦s̪̞͜t̢͕͎r̟͕̝o͚͕̠y̞̘̘.̘͔̟.̘͚̞.͇̦̞
[The hair on the back of his neck rises, his tired posture suddenly straightening itself out. Those equally tired eyes snap awake all too quick at the sound of his voice.
And he knows immediately what it is. That tired expression on his face is replaced with pure terror, and he turns slowly to face the presence that has now made itself known, his heart feeling as if it sinks straight into his gut.]
[Standing before him is... himself, wearing a demented look upon his face, and in his eyes are two crimson coloured pentagrams.]
How- How is this possible?!
[Fear floods through him. This shouldn't be possible, his Alpha Stigma hasn't been triggered, he feels fine, he feels in control. And yet, he's looking at something that shouldn't be there, taunting him. Though he is standing in front of him, the voice that speaks doesn't come from the figure, instead it surrounds him, goading him. Begging him for release, for him to lose control.]
[His chest tightens, constricting his breathing as panic sets in. Whether his powers are being roused or not, this thing before him certainly feels formidable enough to act on its own. And knowing what he does, knowing the extent of the destruction he's capable of, he can't just ignore this.]
SHUT UP!!! You're wrong--!! You shouldn't even be here, I'm not-
[A twisted grin forms on his face, as if he's heard it all before. All the begging, the pleading, the crying. The pain.
All of it pointless. None of it matters, he knows better.]
Ryner stumbles backwards, gasping for breath. Then something truly troubling happens, his own eyes begin to glow, and he can feel a pain rush through his skull, feel his blood coarsing through his veins, but he continues stumbling back farther, determined to fight it off.
He knows he can't argue, he's going to have to fight. There's no choice. It might be in vain, and he struggles, drawing a glowing magic circle before him, aiming it at the figure of himself.]
What... I seek is thunder>>> Izuchi!
[The magic is aimed right at it, but the figure quickly summons its own magic circle and disperses it in the blink of an eye.]
Before all of this, Kainé had found herself wishing something more exciting would happen, that all of the revelry might be interrupted by some problem she could actually solve by slicing through it— always her preferred method for blowing off steam.
When she'd thought that, this wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind.
It's entirely by chance that she comes across Ryner, but even from a distance, it's clear the situation is a tense one— up close, she makes a snap assessment, her gaze narrowing as it falls on the Ryner that manages to dissolve a magical attack without even trying.
Great.]
Seriously, there's two of you?! For fuck's sake—
[But even as she complains, she's reaching for both of her blades, gaze quickly moving to the figure she's certain is the real Ryner for confirmation.
They might not be friends, but the severity of the situation is clear.]
Anything I should know?
[Like, trying to slice through this asshole won't make him stronger, right?]
I like how I marked this for Kaine in Kaine's log like who tf else gonna tag this lol
[At the sound of her voice, he turns and does a double take. Great. What is she doing here? Of all the people to stumble upon him out here, it had to be her.
She eagerly- actually, way too eagerly, unsheathes her weapons. It's really kind of unsettling just how eager she appears? But he knows himself, he knows she's outmatched. That he's outmatched. Though he's not really sure if the figure before him has the same power he does, but he doesn't intend to find out, and he doesn't need Kaine getting hurt in the process.
He turns away from her, quickly drawing another magic circle in front of him.]
Just that you need to get the hell out of here! Run! I'll take care of this.
[His voice suddenly filled with concern probably doesn't sound like what she'd expect.
And, right, they're not friends. It's not like he has to worry about her figuring out what he is and hating him for it. Really, the situation could be confusing without context, this figure could be... anything to her and not necessarily what he is.
The more important thing is that... he just doesn't want to risk the situation turning bad and her getting killed.]
you never know, someone could have come in here and decided they wanted to get in on this!
Yeah, you don't know this about me, so I'll give you a fuckin' pass for this one, but I don't run.
[Not for a long, long time. When she'd been young, it may have seemed like the easier thing to do— but not now. It's better to push back, to fight, and she feels even more strongly about doing so when there's a good chance someone could get badly hurt if she doesn't.
Even if, maybe, that someone is a person she'd previously been convinced was a lazy, selfish piece of shit. That could still be true— nothing about this situation refutes it, as far as she can tell, but she digs in her heels as her grip on her blades goes white-knuckled.]
I'm fucking helping, so if laying into this guy is gonna somehow do him a favor, I need to know now!
[Magic seemed dicey, but swords were pretty straightforward, right?]
[Great. She's insane. This probably shouldn't surprise him one bit even if he barely knows her, but insanity doesn't mean she's capable of handling... this. Assuming this is even the Alpha Stigma at full strength. Half strength would still be formidable. But already he gets a clear sense that she's going to be impossible to talk out of this and they don't exactly have time to debate and get into the logistics of this situation.
Ugh. Ferris... where's Ferris? Not that he doubts Kaine is strong, on the contrary, he can tell that she is, but Ferris has dealt with this before and while he doesn't relish endangering her either, he at least knows that Ferris can handle this, and at the very least know when to make a strategical retreat.
Shit.
The way the figure stands there, eerily grinning its wide, sadistic grin, listening to them is unsettling. That the figure is even corpereal should be impossible. It's only ever existed in some mental prison of his mind, endlessly tormenting him.
Ryner maintains that magic circle before him, but it's to buy them a moment to speak and potentially deflect an attack, should it decide to do so.]
Ugh, DAMNIT! Fine. But if I say to pull back, you've got to listen. Then we could regroup and come up with something else. Think you can at least agree to that much?
[His gaze is intensely focused on the figure currently standing some distance before them.
He needs this bit of reassurance though. Needs to know they can at least, even temporarily, fight as a team.]
[It's probably as agreeable as he's ever going to see her, and even then, the word itself is terse and shot in his direction through clenched teeth. She's not one for taking orders, especially not in combat, but the situation is clearly grave in its own right, and he's the one familiar with their enemy. She'd have done the same if it were a Shade. It's fair enough.
She continues to stay her attack, though he might notice a brief faltering in her stance as anticipation threatens to get the better of her.]
You call the shots, let's just kill this shithead!
[Good. Least he can (possibly) count on her to listen. He's not sure he buys it, but what choice does he have?
As for the figure, it's still grinning, watching them as if it doesn't see them as a threat. And Ryner can feel that it's about to attack, when he hears Kaine gleefully (?) exclaim what they should do next. He sees her practically tremble with excitement, and he takes a moment to address a very unsettling concern that he has.
Because somehow this is important enough to take precedent over the current situation.]
Ah, hold on. You know, you seem awfully enthusiastic about beating up someone with my face. It's actually kind of disturbing. You're not looking forward to this, are you?
[Why does he bother asking when he already knows the answer? Seriously, she's scary! How does someone become this twisted? There's not an ounce of concern about being unable to hit the figure because they have the same face. Instead, he swears this is something that she's been looking forward to doing since the first time they met.]
[Is this really the time to be asking more questions? Ryner does manage to draw her attention back with that, and she raises an eyebrow.]
Why, you worried?
[Look, it doesn't hurt, probably, but it's not about whose face it's wearing.]
I'm always looking forward to a fight— but I don't use my blades on people. Far as I'm concerned? This ain't a goddamn person.
[It's something far more sinister than that, that much is clear. It's not the first nightmare she's seen in this place, and she doubts it will be the last.]
[ Where's there's a mystery to be had, Akechi can't help but stick his nose. There's been something strange brewing here since they arrived, but it's only amplified since the moon seemingly took a bite out of the land. He may no longer be a detective by trade, but that doesn't mean he still doesn't love the chance to make deductions and investigate, especially when he'd rather stay away from nightmare creatures and wraiths after...well, suffice it to say he hardly is looking for any encounters with them.
So investigating the witch's house it is, then. He's heard a bit of the legend of Baba Yaga from back in his own world, but he's no folklorist. She certainly has a home on chicken legs, at least, and that lines up with what he knows, but unfortunately he doesn't have much else to go off of. Is she one to lay traps? To lull them into a false sense of security by leaving the door open? He's more than a little suspicious.
Still in his full plague doctor raiment, Akechi turns to Kainé, arms crossed, as they make their plan of attack at the edge of the clearing where the witch's house stands. ]
[Kainé's own vampire regalia has seen better days, at this point. Thanks to a sudden need for ease of movement while fighting goblins, her skirt has been sliced or torn unevenly in a number of places, and somewhere along the way she'd lost some of the lace from the bodice— not that she's noticed, or even really cares. It's more cumbersome than her usual attire, so really, the less of it there is, the better.
The house ahead of them certainly is... something. She inclines her head to one side, frowning, brow furrowed.]
Considering there's magic involved, I wouldn't take anything at face value. Does seem like there's probably something real nasty waiting to spring on us when we get closer.
[But what she's really stuck on at the moment is:]
I can't believe this place actually has goddamn legs.
[She exhales, pushing herself to her feet and heading into the clearing, trusting Akechi to follow.]
[ He doesn't need to be told, and he follows right at her side, watchful of their surroundings. The open door might be the most suspicious thing so far, but that doesn't mean he would be surprised by an ambush on their way in. ]
Perhaps it will get up and walk away with us inside, but as you said: only one way to find out.
[ Given the way their last encounter went... ]
Have you ever done battle with a house before?
[ His tone is wry as they ascend the stairs. There's a first time for everything. ]
[Battle in a house full of some shady-ass shit? Sure, been there, done that, but if the house somehow weaponizes itself against them... yeah, that'll be new.
It's probably fine. She's seen what he and his little friend on the inside can do, and he's seen her tear a bunch of giant termites apart in real-time. Whatever happens in here, they can handle themselves.]
Shades the size of houses, sure.
[She heads up the stairs alongside him, two at a time, until they reach the top and she can give the door a swift kick, sending it flying open.]
[ So far, so good, and that makes him just as suspicious as she is. He's quick to follow her and peer inside when the door is open, ready to strike at the first sight of movement, but...there's nothing that draws his attention. At least, not in that regard.
It's certainly an odd scene to break into, though, because at first blush, the inside of the home seems almost welcoming. There's a fire lit in the fireplace, lending them some warm light, and there's a pleasant aroma in the air of something freshly baked. This is a place that has been lived in and not abandoned.
After a moment, when he's sure they're not about to be ambushed, he glances at Kaine and nods. ]
Let's see what we can find. We should be quick, in case the witch makes a return.
[ Perhaps she has some kind of magic ward that alerted her to their presence already. ]
[Not only is this a place that's been lived in, it's a place that's waiting for its owner to return at any given moment— if the witch had even left in the first place.]
I'm not entirely convinced she isn't here.
[How would they even be able to tell? And if she'd left with a fire burning, she was either really confident or really stupid. Probably both. Kainé figures you'd have to be the latter to leave a burning fire behind.
She frowns as she heads into the house without further hesitation, the floorboards creaking slightly beneath her heels.]
Sure has a lot of crap she's collected, whoever she is.
[ Perhaps that's just what it means to be a witch in this world - to have a lot of materials close at hand to experiment with. There's certainly a lot to take in here, and while that means there's plenty to investigate, it's almost overwhelming. What if she returns and they haven't found anything useful yet? Or is Kainé correct, and the witch is still here, watching them as they speak?
He's not the superstitious type, but the thought makes his skin crawl just a bit.
After a moment of surveying the room, he starts towards what looks to be some sort of apothecary, a corner filled with shelves upon shelves of miscellany that could take him a full day to sort through, if he had the time to do so. ]
Would it have killed her to organize a bit before we arrived?
[Not that Kainé herself would know much about that. She wanders towards another set of shelves to investigate their contents, pausing when something vaguely familiar catches her eye.
Are those— no, not quite, but close enough. Not Lunar Tears, but the handwritten label on the shelf below does mark them as moon flowers. She frowns, leaning in to get a better look: each of the flowers are suspended in liquid inside a glass jar, and as her gaze moves across the shelf, she spots a pile of handwritten notes on a nearby table, including a pot of ink that's been knocked over.
She reaches out to touch it lightly, cautious, and her fingers come away stained with black. Still fresh.]
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➝ tifa | nightmare graves
"Do Not Disturb.
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes."
The dreamscape beyond lacks any of the bright color or joyous chaos of the festivities left behind. It's bleak, gray, as though all the color and life has been drawn out of this place— a village surrounded by steep cliffs, dwellings and walkways suspended high above the ground across a seemingly bottomless ravine. The sky is beyond overcast, and rain has begun to fall, though that doesn't seem to bother the pale figure seated at the very center at one of the suspended platforms, her knees drawn up to her chest as she hugs them to herself.
Voices begin to echo, ringing out with no discernible source, and yet they seem to be everywhere.
"Get out! Nobody wants you here!"
"You're a freak. Why are you pretending to be normal? We all know the truth!"
"Maybe you're not cursed. Maybe your parents just couldn't stand to be around you anymore and offed themselves, ever think of that?"
In the middle of it all, Kainé screws her eyes shut and hugs her knees just a little bit tighter.]
Shut up. Shut up!
no subject
Her gut makes an easy turn when she sees the owner of this tombstone. She'd only really met Kaine once, minus the occasional passing in town, but she quickly became someone that Tifa would consider a friend, and someone that she would like to know more about. Nightmares aren't her first choice in doing that, but if she needs help, then she's willing to give it.
Tifa appears in the nightmare not far from where Kaine's perched, and she takes a moment to take in the sights... and sounds. The gray skies and the rain don't bother her, but the cruel things that she hears do. Even if this isn't her nightmare, it's still hurtful to hear that this is what Kaine thinks of herself, or of other people around her...
Slowly, she comes up next to her, catching her just as she hugs herself tight, and a gentle hand finds her shoulder, just barely a brush so as not to startle her.]
Hey. It's okay. You're not alone.
no subject
She hates this place. She hates it. Some part of her had hoped that current circumstances meant she wouldn't have to see it again— but it could always return in dreams, couldn't it?
You can never really leave home, even when they don't want you there.]
... I should be.
[Her voice is barely above a whisper, the rest of her unmoving.]
I deserve it. I deserve to be alone.
[There's a clatter somewhere to their left— a stone skitters across the planks of the platform. The voices begin again, only now there are figures to accompany them— no less than four, scattered around the edges of the platform and facing inward from all angles. When the voices start up again, they're clearer than they were before, and each and every one of them sounds like it belongs to a child.
"You won't be happy until everyone here is dead, will you?"
"Leave our mommies and daddies alone! Just because you don't have yours anymore, that doesn't mean you have to put ours in danger!"
"My dad said they're gonna run you out of the village. What if we saved the grown-ups the trouble? Just jump and do us all a favor!"
Her grip tightens until it goes white-knuckled, and she looks up to meet the gaze of one of the childlike figures as it becomes more solid.]
You say this shit to a little girl, and you all call me a monster?
no subject
[There's only so much Tifa can do to mask her unease for Kaine's sake, even less so when a figure appears before them, the voice manifesting into what appears to be a child. Still, even as Kaine recoils under her touch, her hand doesn't budge, and it only tightens at her shoulder to at least remind her that there's still someone here... Someone who isn't shouting these obscene things at her.
Swallowing past whatever lump of fear that's grown in her throat, Tifa steps forward, putting herself in between Kaine and the figure as she shakes off that sense of dread that turns the pit of her stomach.]
This is just a dream.
[It's hard to tell whether she's speaking to the figure, to Kaine, or reminding herself. All three, perhaps?]
Whatever you say here has nothing to do with her.
[This time, she is speaking to the child, her stance turning on the defensive. Will talking to these voices even help? Who knows.]
no subject
Tifa...
[The edge of her voice is hoarse, but before she can say anything more, the figure Tifa had addressed steps forward, becoming clearer. A husky, broad-shouldered boy of about eleven, another rock forming in his hand as though it had been drawn out of thin air.
"It's not a dream, though, is it?"
Kainé says nothing for a moment, but her chin drops.]
... it's a memory.
[Or a scene composed of hundreds of such memories, thousands, so numerous that they had all begun to bleed together, an everlasting reminder of how hateful people could be. How cruel they were, and how fearful of what they didn't understand.
"That's right. And you remember what happens next, don't you?"]
no subject
That's all dreams are, yeah? Just memories.
[She's had her fair share of nightmares too, and every single one of them was some twisted version of her worst memories and worst fears coming together. This is all these are—just cruel retellings of everyone's worst moments.]
Bet I wasn't here in whatever memory you're from.
[Whatever is going to happen next, Tifa wasn't there to fight it the last time, was she?]
cw: more talk of child violence, bullying
For a long moment, she stares at where their hands are now entwined, speechless. Before them, the boy moves forward, raising the hand with the rock in it— he takes that dare, stepping forward, and the other figures surrounding them begin to do the same. It's a slow creep, steady movement, and each figure becomes more defined in the process— children, every single one of them.
"You're new, but adults never care. They all hate her, too. So should you."
It's then that Kainé summons forth the strength to get to her feet, and while every instinct in her tells her to pull away, she forces herself to ignore them, to allow her hand to remain in Tifa's. Maybe she needs that— the courage it offers.]
Don't you asshole kids ever get tired of the sound of your own voices? Fuck off. I'm bigger than all of you now.
[Maybe if she defies them loudly enough, she'll remember the truth of it. She still dreamed about these days far too often, the days when she had been too small and too timid to protect herself— but she's not anymore. She's all grown up, and she's strong.]
Throwing rocks? That the best you can do? Little shits ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
[She gives Tifa a sidelong glance, her body language tense.]
Think they can get away with anything, just because the adults all look the other way.
["They all knew, you know. They just didn't care! It would have been doing everyone in town a favor, if we actually killed you."]
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Quietly, she utters to Kaine.]
Well then, they were terrible adults.
[Had she been the victim of all this merciless bullying by kids? This can only be a glimpse into her childhood, or that's the impression Tifa's getting from this all, and it makes her sick to her stomach. So sick that there's a small shake between their feet that may or may not knock these kids a little off balance? Tifa, meanwhile, holds Kaine's hand a little tighter when she feels it to keep them both anchored in place.]
I'm not above hitting a dream kid when I have to, you know.
[Nightmares. That's all they are. They aren't real. It's just a dream.]
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Instead, she shakes her head, her brow furrowed as she looks to Tifa beside her, letting that tightened grip remain. It's a comfort to the both of them, an anchor, a reminder that there's a little bit of warmth hidden away here despite the biting cold wind that blows through the ravine beneath the Aerie.]
If we hit them... then we're no better. It makes us as bad as they are.
[Her voice is halting; it's not an admission she wants to make, and she's never been good at turning the other cheek. When she'd been small, she would let them come, let them do whatever they wanted— once her grandmother intervened, the kids had started to keep their distance, but she wasn't here to step in and save the day now.
Even so, Kainé knows she's not alone, the dream becoming more lucid, and her lips pull into a thin line bordering on a frown.]
I've had this dream before, or dreams like it. They always end the same way, but I think this time is different.
[Tifa had made that point herself not so long ago.]
Never had a friend here before.
[It's a difficult word to say, "friend," but it comes a bit easier in the context of a dream, speaking with her heart rather than her lips.]
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Kaine; nightmare manifestations
But he's not looking for her out of concern, he's keeping an eye out so that he can avoid her wrath.
Yes. Once again he's looking for a spot to nap, a neverending journey with him. But with the whole town being transformed into some weird festive holiday, this has made things more difficult than usual. Which was already impossible to begin with. Not to mention these clothes he's found himself stuck in- a long, black cloak with a popped collar, a velvet vest, and black shirt and pants. Cumbersome as the attire is, it doesn't seem to faze him. But nothing much does.
It's eerily quiet out, and he's somewhere between the town and a creepy graveyard when he notices these viscous black pools covering the ground. He doesn't care enough to investigate and thinks nothing of them, though, quietly shuffling through the area, tired eyes peering ahead in the darkness in the hopes of finding respite. And before long he manages to step in one those black pools, which now cause him to stop as the gunk is rather heavy on his shoe.]
Ugh, seriously--
[He doesn't care so much about the shoes as he does the feeling of this crap weighing on them, and he reaches down to remove the shoe when his hand stops midway. A voice filters in all around him, he hears it before he senses any presence. It's a familiar voice- his voice, only deeper and more menacing.]
D͚͍̼e̞̟̦s̪̞͜t̢͕͎r̟͕̝o͚͕̠y̞̘̘.̘͔̟.̘͚̞.͇̦̞
[The hair on the back of his neck rises, his tired posture suddenly straightening itself out. Those equally tired eyes snap awake all too quick at the sound of his voice.
And he knows immediately what it is. That tired expression on his face is replaced with pure terror, and he turns slowly to face the presence that has now made itself known, his heart feeling as if it sinks straight into his gut.]
I͖͚̺t̠͓'̡̡͖s͚̟̟ a͚͙͜l̻̞̫l̞̪̺ m͕̼e͓͖͇a͖͕͓n̻̙͔i͚͚n̫͚̺g̢̪̝l͎̦͜e͎̦̘s̢̝͚s̡̠̪.̼̪ S͇̪͍t͔͉͎o̦͙͎p̫͖̙ d͉̼͍e̝̻̠n̢͙̙y̪̟̻i̼͕͎n͓̼͎g͎͖ y͚͖̙o̞̦͜u̪͖̦r͉̪̦ e̘͖͓x͙̞̟i̫͎̦s̟͜͜t̘̞̘e̞̙̫n̘͎c̡͇̦e͚̻͓,̢͓͓ d͎͜e͇͕̝n͎̫͎y͚̟͜i̡̻̞n̡͓̫g̺̫͔ w͉̼̘h̡͇a̫͔͎t̢͕͍ y̙̙̫o͉͚̻u̝̻̦ d̺͔̺e̙͕s̡͙͕i̺͎͖r̙͇͜e̙͚ s͖̞͚o̦̼͎ b͍̻̺a̙̘̺d͚̠͚l͉̫͎y͖̝̟.̡͙̞.̢̼͚.̻̟͓
[Standing before him is... himself, wearing a demented look upon his face, and in his eyes are two crimson coloured pentagrams.]
How- How is this possible?!
[Fear floods through him. This shouldn't be possible, his Alpha Stigma hasn't been triggered, he feels fine, he feels in control. And yet, he's looking at something that shouldn't be there, taunting him. Though he is standing in front of him, the voice that speaks doesn't come from the figure, instead it surrounds him, goading him. Begging him for release, for him to lose control.]
Y̻͖͙o̫̙u̠͇̫ w̠̟͓a̢̼͎n̡̼̘t͚͎͉ t̡͇h̫̘͓i̪̘͔s̺̼,͚͕̙ y̢̺͓o̢͖̝u͙̺̻ w̞͙͇a̘͎͇n͕̠t͚͔̘ t̠͙̟h͔̝͔e͖͇͉m̡͎̞ a͉̻͇l͉͚l̙̘ t̺̪͚o̟͇ l͖͕̼e̻̘̻a̙̺͔v̪͖e͚̝͓ y̺̦o͖̺u͎̪̟ a͔̫̺l͓̦͔o͔̟̝n͕͙͇e̺̝͜.̻͙͕ G͕̫̫i̡͓͚v̻̘͜e̡͇̪ i̘͇͚n̺̝̺,̙̼ a͙͍n͙̼d̻͜͜ t͎̺͜h̼͍͓e͕̦͓y̞͖ c͔̙̟a̡͎͜n̼͜͜ a̢͓̫l̫͚͙l̝͎͜ b͍̺̝e̢̙̘ r͍̪͔e͍̫̞d̞̟u̺̦̻c̝̘͔e̝̠͓d̞̪̘ t̢͖̦o̻͔̦ a̡͍s̢̟̙h͎͓̝.͓̺͜
[His chest tightens, constricting his breathing as panic sets in. Whether his powers are being roused or not, this thing before him certainly feels formidable enough to act on its own. And knowing what he does, knowing the extent of the destruction he's capable of, he can't just ignore this.]
SHUT UP!!! You're wrong--!! You shouldn't even be here, I'm not-
[A twisted grin forms on his face, as if he's heard it all before. All the begging, the pleading, the crying. The pain.
All of it pointless. None of it matters, he knows better.]
B͉̙͇u̡͕̙t̡͇͇ I̘͎̻ a̼̙͜m͉̼̦.͖͓͇ W̟̘e̪͇̠ a͔̻͖r͕̻̺e̦͕͚.̡̫̙ R̘͖͚e͉̙͜l͚͕͙e͎̟͎a̢͙s̺͎͜e̻̠ y̫̘͔o̻͍͙u̠̼̫r̡̝s̠̺̺e̘̟̪l̡͕f͔̠͜ f̪͓͙r͚̙͖o̡̘̼m̫͍̙ t͚̙̞h̼̠͇e͉̘ s̘̪͓h̢͖̻a̪̦c͖͙̺k̢̞̙l̝̙͕e͙̦͔s̞̼͇ t̢͓h͚̺͖a̫͕͜t͎̠ b̢̼̝i̪͔͚n̡͔d͍̘̻ y̫͉̻o̢̟̺u̙̫̦.͙̦͙ I̞͕͜ț̺'̢͚̟l̡̻̝l̟̫̟ b͖̘͔e̢̺̺ f̢̡̘u̟͇͇n͍̺͚.̡͎͜
[It taunts, maliciously.
Ryner stumbles backwards, gasping for breath. Then something truly troubling happens, his own eyes begin to glow, and he can feel a pain rush through his skull, feel his blood coarsing through his veins, but he continues stumbling back farther, determined to fight it off.
He knows he can't argue, he's going to have to fight. There's no choice. It might be in vain, and he struggles, drawing a glowing magic circle before him, aiming it at the figure of himself.]
What... I seek is thunder>>> Izuchi!
[The magic is aimed right at it, but the figure quickly summons its own magic circle and disperses it in the blink of an eye.]
T͍̞͍h͎̠̦e̪̦̻r͇͉̘e͚̝̠'͎̼͔s͍͎͕ n͕̘o̢͔̺ p͕͎͜o͙͓̻i͚̦͉n̼̙͉t̙̼͙ i̼͓n̻̘͓ r͉̻͖e͓͍͍s̙͚͍i͔̝͍s̼̝t͇̼͎i͖͎̪n̞̠̟g͍̠.̺̘͖
[And now, more than ever, he wishes that he had found Ferris.]
rubs hands together
Before all of this, Kainé had found herself wishing something more exciting would happen, that all of the revelry might be interrupted by some problem she could actually solve by slicing through it— always her preferred method for blowing off steam.
When she'd thought that, this wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind.
It's entirely by chance that she comes across Ryner, but even from a distance, it's clear the situation is a tense one— up close, she makes a snap assessment, her gaze narrowing as it falls on the Ryner that manages to dissolve a magical attack without even trying.
Great.]
Seriously, there's two of you?! For fuck's sake—
[But even as she complains, she's reaching for both of her blades, gaze quickly moving to the figure she's certain is the real Ryner for confirmation.
They might not be friends, but the severity of the situation is clear.]
Anything I should know?
[Like, trying to slice through this asshole won't make him stronger, right?]
I like how I marked this for Kaine in Kaine's log like who tf else gonna tag this lol
She eagerly- actually, way too eagerly, unsheathes her weapons. It's really kind of unsettling just how eager she appears? But he knows himself, he knows she's outmatched. That he's outmatched. Though he's not really sure if the figure before him has the same power he does, but he doesn't intend to find out, and he doesn't need Kaine getting hurt in the process.
He turns away from her, quickly drawing another magic circle in front of him.]
Just that you need to get the hell out of here! Run! I'll take care of this.
[His voice suddenly filled with concern probably doesn't sound like what she'd expect.
And, right, they're not friends. It's not like he has to worry about her figuring out what he is and hating him for it. Really, the situation could be confusing without context, this figure could be... anything to her and not necessarily what he is.
The more important thing is that... he just doesn't want to risk the situation turning bad and her getting killed.]
you never know, someone could have come in here and decided they wanted to get in on this!
[Not for a long, long time. When she'd been young, it may have seemed like the easier thing to do— but not now. It's better to push back, to fight, and she feels even more strongly about doing so when there's a good chance someone could get badly hurt if she doesn't.
Even if, maybe, that someone is a person she'd previously been convinced was a lazy, selfish piece of shit. That could still be true— nothing about this situation refutes it, as far as she can tell, but she digs in her heels as her grip on her blades goes white-knuckled.]
I'm fucking helping, so if laying into this guy is gonna somehow do him a favor, I need to know now!
[Magic seemed dicey, but swords were pretty straightforward, right?]
what a poor fool they'd be!
Ugh. Ferris... where's Ferris? Not that he doubts Kaine is strong, on the contrary, he can tell that she is, but Ferris has dealt with this before and while he doesn't relish endangering her either, he at least knows that Ferris can handle this, and at the very least know when to make a strategical retreat.
Shit.
The way the figure stands there, eerily grinning its wide, sadistic grin, listening to them is unsettling. That the figure is even corpereal should be impossible. It's only ever existed in some mental prison of his mind, endlessly tormenting him.
Ryner maintains that magic circle before him, but it's to buy them a moment to speak and potentially deflect an attack, should it decide to do so.]
Ugh, DAMNIT! Fine. But if I say to pull back, you've got to listen. Then we could regroup and come up with something else. Think you can at least agree to that much?
[His gaze is intensely focused on the figure currently standing some distance before them.
He needs this bit of reassurance though. Needs to know they can at least, even temporarily, fight as a team.]
RIP to the hypothetical them!
[It's probably as agreeable as he's ever going to see her, and even then, the word itself is terse and shot in his direction through clenched teeth. She's not one for taking orders, especially not in combat, but the situation is clearly grave in its own right, and he's the one familiar with their enemy. She'd have done the same if it were a Shade. It's fair enough.
She continues to stay her attack, though he might notice a brief faltering in her stance as anticipation threatens to get the better of her.]
You call the shots, let's just kill this shithead!
[Yeah.
She probably is insane.]
pours one out
As for the figure, it's still grinning, watching them as if it doesn't see them as a threat. And Ryner can feel that it's about to attack, when he hears Kaine gleefully (?) exclaim what they should do next. He sees her practically tremble with excitement, and he takes a moment to address a very unsettling concern that he has.
Because somehow this is important enough to take precedent over the current situation.]
Ah, hold on. You know, you seem awfully enthusiastic about beating up someone with my face. It's actually kind of disturbing. You're not looking forward to this, are you?
[Why does he bother asking when he already knows the answer? Seriously, she's scary! How does someone become this twisted? There's not an ounce of concern about being unable to hit the figure because they have the same face. Instead, he swears this is something that she's been looking forward to doing since the first time they met.]
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Why, you worried?
[Look, it doesn't hurt, probably, but it's not about whose face it's wearing.]
I'm always looking forward to a fight— but I don't use my blades on people. Far as I'm concerned? This ain't a goddamn person.
[It's something far more sinister than that, that much is clear. It's not the first nightmare she's seen in this place, and she doubts it will be the last.]
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"uncalled for" is her brand, I'm so sorry
he's used to it, never give him a break please
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investigation time!!
So investigating the witch's house it is, then. He's heard a bit of the legend of Baba Yaga from back in his own world, but he's no folklorist. She certainly has a home on chicken legs, at least, and that lines up with what he knows, but unfortunately he doesn't have much else to go off of. Is she one to lay traps? To lull them into a false sense of security by leaving the door open? He's more than a little suspicious.
Still in his full plague doctor raiment, Akechi turns to Kainé, arms crossed, as they make their plan of attack at the edge of the clearing where the witch's house stands. ]
It seems a little too easy, doesn't it?
[ He doesn't trust it for a moment. ]
yesss
The house ahead of them certainly is... something. She inclines her head to one side, frowning, brow furrowed.]
Considering there's magic involved, I wouldn't take anything at face value. Does seem like there's probably something real nasty waiting to spring on us when we get closer.
[But what she's really stuck on at the moment is:]
I can't believe this place actually has goddamn legs.
[She exhales, pushing herself to her feet and heading into the clearing, trusting Akechi to follow.]
Only one way to find out what's waiting for us.
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Perhaps it will get up and walk away with us inside, but as you said: only one way to find out.
[ Given the way their last encounter went... ]
Have you ever done battle with a house before?
[ His tone is wry as they ascend the stairs. There's a first time for everything. ]
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[Battle in a house full of some shady-ass shit? Sure, been there, done that, but if the house somehow weaponizes itself against them... yeah, that'll be new.
It's probably fine. She's seen what he and his little friend on the inside can do, and he's seen her tear a bunch of giant termites apart in real-time. Whatever happens in here, they can handle themselves.]
Shades the size of houses, sure.
[She heads up the stairs alongside him, two at a time, until they reach the top and she can give the door a swift kick, sending it flying open.]
So far, so good.
[Which only makes her more suspicious.]
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It's certainly an odd scene to break into, though, because at first blush, the inside of the home seems almost welcoming. There's a fire lit in the fireplace, lending them some warm light, and there's a pleasant aroma in the air of something freshly baked. This is a place that has been lived in and not abandoned.
After a moment, when he's sure they're not about to be ambushed, he glances at Kaine and nods. ]
Let's see what we can find. We should be quick, in case the witch makes a return.
[ Perhaps she has some kind of magic ward that alerted her to their presence already. ]
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I'm not entirely convinced she isn't here.
[How would they even be able to tell? And if she'd left with a fire burning, she was either really confident or really stupid. Probably both. Kainé figures you'd have to be the latter to leave a burning fire behind.
She frowns as she heads into the house without further hesitation, the floorboards creaking slightly beneath her heels.]
Sure has a lot of crap she's collected, whoever she is.
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[ Perhaps that's just what it means to be a witch in this world - to have a lot of materials close at hand to experiment with. There's certainly a lot to take in here, and while that means there's plenty to investigate, it's almost overwhelming. What if she returns and they haven't found anything useful yet? Or is Kainé correct, and the witch is still here, watching them as they speak?
He's not the superstitious type, but the thought makes his skin crawl just a bit.
After a moment of surveying the room, he starts towards what looks to be some sort of apothecary, a corner filled with shelves upon shelves of miscellany that could take him a full day to sort through, if he had the time to do so. ]
Would it have killed her to organize a bit before we arrived?
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[Not that Kainé herself would know much about that. She wanders towards another set of shelves to investigate their contents, pausing when something vaguely familiar catches her eye.
Are those— no, not quite, but close enough. Not Lunar Tears, but the handwritten label on the shelf below does mark them as moon flowers. She frowns, leaning in to get a better look: each of the flowers are suspended in liquid inside a glass jar, and as her gaze moves across the shelf, she spots a pile of handwritten notes on a nearby table, including a pot of ink that's been knocked over.
She reaches out to touch it lightly, cautious, and her fingers come away stained with black. Still fresh.]
Hey. Come look at this.
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