tifa lockhart. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
starshower) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
songerein2022-10-03 06:12 pm
starshower) wrote in songerein2022-10-03 06:12 pm
Entry tags:
closed 🌠the day midgar stood still
Who: Tifa Lockhart & close CR
Which: Closed interactive dream
Where: Atop the Sector Seven pillar
What: Tifa has a nightmare of the night of the Sector Seven plate drop.
Warnings: N/A for now.
[For whoever happens upon the dream, they'll immediately be greeted with the stench of fire and burning metal. Debris is falling, the grates beneath them are groaning, helicopters circle about, and the lights hanging from the underside of the colossal plate shine down on the city of Midgar below. The air is thick with smoke and flames, but even thicker with something else...
Dread. The fear for a thousand lives below... The fear of losing after fighting for so long...
If they look behind them, they'll see that world below—the winding, narrow streets of the Sector Seven, and the little lights within the run-down buildings that line them. Where they stand is on a portion of the pillar that helps to hold the city above the slums, the platform ablaze with flames and everything looking like it's almost ready to crumble apart. And all the way across the platform is a computer, its screen red and flashing with "WARNING", and a small, familiar figure darting towards it.
"Plate separation authorized. Awaiting confirmation."
To their right is a red-haired man crawling across the ground, his arm stretching to reach for the silver rod a few feet in front of him. On the left is another, taller man kneeling over himself, both of them looking worse for wear, injured, and clearly having just lost a hard-fought battle.
Tifa's hair flutters in the hot wind as she stands in front of the computer, out of breath as her fingers hover over the many buttons while the voice repeats itself over the speakers.
"Awaiting confirmation..."
She's at a complete loss. She can feel the panic gripping her chest and squeezing her heart. If she could just figure out how to stop it... how to turn it off... If she hits the wrong one, it could all end in disaster. But for some reason, besides her hands trembling, she's frozen. Haunted.
...
It's just like... that day... all of those days when she failed...
......
"Plate separation authorized. Awaiting confirmation."
The moment anyone dares to take a step in her direction, phantom-like creatures—Whispers—will create a barrier between her and this newcomer, swirling around and around to keep them in place. Fight against them, try to run... Weapons will phase right through them and they will beat you back, but anyone who tries to do anything but choose between the two men at either side will be stopped...
Even should they try to call out to Tifa, she's far too distracted by the computer to notice everything else going on around her.]
Which: Closed interactive dream
Where: Atop the Sector Seven pillar
What: Tifa has a nightmare of the night of the Sector Seven plate drop.
Warnings: N/A for now.
[For whoever happens upon the dream, they'll immediately be greeted with the stench of fire and burning metal. Debris is falling, the grates beneath them are groaning, helicopters circle about, and the lights hanging from the underside of the colossal plate shine down on the city of Midgar below. The air is thick with smoke and flames, but even thicker with something else...
Dread. The fear for a thousand lives below... The fear of losing after fighting for so long...
If they look behind them, they'll see that world below—the winding, narrow streets of the Sector Seven, and the little lights within the run-down buildings that line them. Where they stand is on a portion of the pillar that helps to hold the city above the slums, the platform ablaze with flames and everything looking like it's almost ready to crumble apart. And all the way across the platform is a computer, its screen red and flashing with "WARNING", and a small, familiar figure darting towards it.
"Plate separation authorized. Awaiting confirmation."
To their right is a red-haired man crawling across the ground, his arm stretching to reach for the silver rod a few feet in front of him. On the left is another, taller man kneeling over himself, both of them looking worse for wear, injured, and clearly having just lost a hard-fought battle.
Tifa's hair flutters in the hot wind as she stands in front of the computer, out of breath as her fingers hover over the many buttons while the voice repeats itself over the speakers.
"Awaiting confirmation..."
She's at a complete loss. She can feel the panic gripping her chest and squeezing her heart. If she could just figure out how to stop it... how to turn it off... If she hits the wrong one, it could all end in disaster. But for some reason, besides her hands trembling, she's frozen. Haunted.
...
It's just like... that day... all of those days when she failed...
......
"Plate separation authorized. Awaiting confirmation."
The moment anyone dares to take a step in her direction, phantom-like creatures—Whispers—will create a barrier between her and this newcomer, swirling around and around to keep them in place. Fight against them, try to run... Weapons will phase right through them and they will beat you back, but anyone who tries to do anything but choose between the two men at either side will be stopped...
Even should they try to call out to Tifa, she's far too distracted by the computer to notice everything else going on around her.]
for eustace.
She's tried hard to put all of those memories away for now. Her life in Reverein is different, so far removed from the one on Gaia that Tifa never thought it mattered much... until it finally did. She can't quite puzzle out why it's haunting her so suddenly. Perhaps it's a shift in the month, or maybe she's been thinking more about home and her friends more recently, what with the wedding and all. Or maybe that day up in the Cliffside is affected her still... more than she's willing to admit.
Maybe it's a combination of all of those things, or none of them at all.
Either way, she doesn't like the way that this memory has resurfaced... but if it's going to be a problem...
No, that shouldn't be why she tells him.
He had made sure to reassure her that no matter what she had done in her past, his feelings for her would never change. She knew that her fears of him leaving her after hearing about it were unprecedented, formed in her imagination... but even now, with their wedding quickly approaching, she can't help but feel that prickle of anxiety whenever she thinks about telling him anything more than what he already knows.
But maybe it's better that she does. Maybe it's better this way... that she tells him before he stumbles into the dream himself. Tonight, the next night, or in months from now.
So, after she's finished in the shower and dressed in a simple matching pair of shorts and a top, she crawls back into bed, her hair still damp, and wraps her arms around him tight... She doesn't say anything at first. She only holds onto him, like she's afraid he might get up and leave the moment that she lets go...]
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But he keeps his distance still, knowing he's not ready. And strangely, the other self doesn't taunt or goad him, either. Perhaps because it also knows what Eustace is thinking these days...and there's no need to rush it. If both can mutually benefit... Then there's no need to fight. Not right now, anyway.
However that night is not one of those nights. It had been a mostly dreamless sleep, which is probably why he more quickly notices when Tifa suddenly jolts awake. His senses already on high alert, he sits up to ask her what's wrong, the telltale signs of a nightmare evident. But instead he's made to wait, and he can't help but feel a bit pensive as he stares after her as she disappears into the bathroom.
What was it? He knows they still have their down moments, but he thought they had been doing well... Was it another nightmare of before? Of the lindwurms? ...Something else?
Eria, who had been sleeping in her own bed near his side, lifts her hand and hops up to him, bumping her head against his back as if to try and comfort him. Clover also mewls and scratches at the bathroom door before sitting down to wait, tail slowly curling in and out. He can only give the wolf a small smile before rubbing her ears and feel the warmth of her fur. And the two remain there, staring at the door. He could get up, but he feels he should wait where he is, and eventually Eria gives him one last headbutt before hopping down to first grab Clover trot out, perhaps to get her own breakfast or to be considerate to leave them alone. It's times like these he's grateful Eria is able to understand everything.
And after a few more moments, his ears perk up at the sound of the water stopping and eventually her opening the door. Immediately his arms encircle her as she crawls to him, holding her just as tightly as she holds onto him. He wants to ask her what's wrong... But he decides to just be patient and let her have all the comfort and security he can offer, let her take her time to speak for herself.]
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She'll have to remind herself to thank him later for giving her that time... brief as it was.
For now, she just breathes. She doesn't cry, doesn't make a sound, besides her steady breathing. She takes in his scent, uses it to reground herself in the moment, remembers that she's safe and sound, secure in their bed, in their home, in his arms. That all of it—even the parts where she'd forgotten that she was asleep—was just a dream.
She stays that way for a while, before he'll feel her heave in a great big sigh...]
A nightmare...
[And then let it out.
He's probably figured that out on his own, but that just feels like the easiest place to finally broach the subject.]
... of home.
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But something feels different about this. The rest of the dream forms around him and relief comes to him as he realizes this isn't his--he's been drawn into someone else's. And as the dread sits in, his relief vanishes. Whatever's going on here isn't good. His head whirls around, eyes searching for the dreamer. ]
Tifa!
[ He shouts, and without a second thought moves to rush to her, but the Whispers block him before he can get too far. Fine. If he can't help her directly, he'll find something else to do.
As he whirls around, he immediately catches notice of the two men on the floor. Without a second's thought he strides towards the redheaded man, reaching for the silver rod. Trahearne stoops down and pushes it towards him, a look of mild confusion and even greater panic on his face. ]
Are you all right? Are you hurt?
[ What is going on? is the bigger question here, but they'll get to that. ]
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Except what Reno sees isn't the sylvari, but the blond first-class SOLDIER, which would explain his initial confusion, and he takes advantage of Trahearne's kindness to get to his feet.
"I'm good," he says, masking the snideness of his voice while he tries to push himself up. His eyes cast a glance over Trahearne's shoulder to the bald man behind him. "Thanks for the help, but I'm afraid it ain't enough—"
There's a snap as the rod extends and the crackling of electricity as he plunges it forward in Trahearne's direction, fully intending to paralyze him with the lightning.
Rude, meanwhile, uses this opening to bolt across the platform to Tifa, and from behind the wall of Whispers, he'll hear her scream followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor.]
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No good deed goes unpunished, it seems.
He looks at Reno hurt, betrayed. Was this man, in fact, an enemy? Someone he wasn't supposed to help? Had he accidentally doomed Tifa without taking the time to assess the situation first?
Jaw set and teeth gritted, Trahearne bears through the electric shock and reaches up to grab the man's arm. With what strength he has he pushes the rod away and collapses to the floor, confused and upset. He hisses, the shock aggravating the sting of a much newer injury, but the sound of a body on the floor steals his attention away before he can dwell too long on it. ]
Tifa?!
[ He doesn't even notice that he might look different to the other people in the dream. He's much too bewildered to properly take anything in. All he can think of is help Tifa. ]
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do not perceive me i accidentally replied
And even if she wasn’t familiar with the magic of dreams… The surroundings would have been enough to tell her. It’s so wholly different and foreign from anything she’s ever seen of her own world that she likely would have come to the immediate assumption that she is in somebody else’s dream, regardless.
The questions, however, are whose dream it is, and what can she do to help them wake up from these rather dire circumstances?
The two men she sees first are entirely unknown to her; she’s never seen them around, though it wouldn’t be so farfetched of an idea to think that she’s simply not met them in this dream world. But soon enough a familiar flash of long, dark hair catches her eye, and she recognizes Tifa… And her fear. It perpetuates in the air around them, filling the dreamscape with the sense of desperation and fear that the woman must be feeling in this moment.
She’s got to help. The tiefling moves towards the console where Tifa stands, despite her total loss at everything around her, but a wall of Whispers soon prevents her from reaching her friend. They swirl around her and obscure her vision, and she waves her arms in a desperate attempt to clear them away like smoke - but to no avail. Instead, she calls out to Tifa. ]
Tifa— it’s me, Ori! I’m here for you!
[ Nothing. Desperation hangs still in the air.
Ori looks back, turning away from the shades, and instead makes her way to the taller man kneeling over himself. At first glance, she’s still not sure if this is another dreamwalker or a product of Tifa’s mind, but she sees that he’s hurt. And so out of an abundance of caution, she asks: ]
Are you going to be okay? We need to help Tifa.
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Rude, however, does register Ori's presence, and he makes a confused grunt when he looks up at her because what he doesn't see is a tiefling, but the large man with a gun for a hand that's been aimed right at him. So why is he suddenly asking whether or not he's alright? Something isn't right here, and it shows in how he frowns and his eyes squint behind the fire reflected in his glasses.
On the other side, Reno finally reaches the silver rod he'd been crawling to on the ground and there's a clattering sound... and then a crackle as lightning surges around it...
"I got this one, partner," Reno calls out through gritting teeth and a strained voice.
But Ori won't have the opportunity to look, because Rude is grabbing her by the arm and yanking to pull her towards him so that she can't move while Reno takes the lead. Arcs of blue zip by and break through the wall of Whispers, and there's a bright flash on the other side, and Tifa screams in pain.]
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No—! Tifa!
[ as the redheaired man sends lightning arcing through the wall of Whispers and towards Tifa. The tiefling wails when she hears her friend’s scream, trying to yank her arm back and struggling against Rude’s grip all the while. ]
You— You’re the bad guys!? Let go of me, asshole!
[ She’s confused and doesn’t know what to do… But what she does know is how to get out of a grapple like this. Out of pure frustration, Ori swings her leg and kicks the rude Rude right in his groin. And at the first opportunity to, she breaks free of his grasp and starts running towards Reno.
Her eyes have gone pitch black, and when she next speaks, it’s as if her fangs have grown sharper, more prominent. ]
What did you do to my friend!?
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Tifa!
[ She cries out, though it's barely heard over the chaos. It's not long before she is surrounded by the Whispers. She struggles against them. Her head is swiveling, looking for a way forward, when her attention is called to the men on either side of her. The red hair stands out, but what is he reaching for?
...What happened to them?
With one eye still on Tifa, she pushes past the Whispers with annoyance. She doesn't have time to be surprised when they let her.
What's going on? ]
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But it's because Rude is coming up behind her, and Susato will hear his footsteps heavy on the grates before a hand grips her by the arm so that he can pull her to him and hold her firmly in place. The Whispers have already started to thin in number, and she'll be able to see Tifa again still at the computer as it shouts the warnings at her.
"Reno. Get up."]
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[ Susato had been so focused on Reno... Rude's grip on her is strong. She looks alarmed when she turns to meet his eyes with indignation. Who is this, and why is he keeping her from Tifa?
Tifa...
Her voice still hasn't reached her. Susato's voice shakes, though she tries to speak calmly. ]
Let go of me.
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sorry for the delay ;;
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There might be more people in the city below than there were left in her whole world.
Even so, there's no time to think about that. Tifa's figure has her immediate attention, enough so that she calls out without fully taking in the rest of the scene, proceeding to lunge forward with a hand outreached.]
Tifa!
[She's cut off by one of the Whispers, followed by two more; they curl around her and press inward as if to constrict her, and she sputters and swings a fist at one of them on reflex, only to have it pass right through.
Great. Fucking great.
She scoffs and swats at them again for good measure, taking in the rest of the scene as quickly as possible. Two men, both almost definitely threats when at full strength, and she looks between them before stomping towards the one crawling on the ground, slamming her foot down on the silver rod before he can reach it. That, apparently, the hooded ghosts allow.]
I don't fucking think so.
[If all she can do is keep them from coming up behind Tifa, then she will.]
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...
But for a man who's just been beaten to a pulp...
He's grinning? Laughing, even.
"Heh... and what're you gonna do about it?"]
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Whatever the hell I can, that's for damn sure. Same thing she'd do for me.
[She remembers when Tifa had helped her through her own dream, a nightmare that had been born of too many very real memories. She grits her teeth, narrowing her eyes at the redhead on the ground as he laughs up at her from his place on his back.]
You cracked, or something?
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...What... what exactly is happening here?
To her sides, a man each. Both look like they've seen better days. Ahead of her distantly is a familiar head of dark hair. Beatrix would know it anywhere, she's confident.]
Tifa—
[She gets exactly one step in, hand atop her sword where it remains sheathed and the Whispers, beings cloaked in black and shades of grey, bar her from any progress. Effectively, they create a barrier and setting her jaw in irritation, she turns to the only things she can. The two men from before.
Dropping down to one knee, she looks betwixt them both and eventually her gaze settles on the red-head's counterpart.]
I do not have time for pleasantries. Get yourselves up and help me get to Tifa.
[Or fix whatever the hell is going on. That's an option, as well. Probably. Maybe.]
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Reno speaks up from her right, his face screwing with confusion and irritation when she speaks to him, clearly not expecting those words to come out of her mouth. Or is it hers? He doesn't seem to recognize that she isn't supposed to be here, or that she was never part of this. His eyes dart to Rude on the other side of her, subtly, before they fix on Beatrix again.
"Why would I help her? Sounds like that mako's gone straight to your head."
And he stumbles onto his back and lays there, arms spread out on either side of him.
Rude, however, takes the opportunity to rush at Beatrix in an attempt to take her down and get her out of the way. He skids along the grates and winds up a fist to punch her—]
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ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
(ugly crying inserted here)
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Finally acclimating, he surveys his surroundings, immediately noticing the playback of "awaiting confirmation" repeating from the closeby speakers and monitors. The large warning sign flashes and a pit begins to grow in his stomach.]
Yo, that can't be good, right—?
[He then catches a glimpse of Tifa running to the panels beneath the screen and his first instinct is to run towards her. But as he does, a line of Whispers block his way. He clicks his tongue and tries to barrel through the figures, but the Whispers mirror him, blocking the path towards Tifa even after he uses soundsurf in an attempt to break the line. He punches at them, only for them to scatter before impct, reforming once he pulls his fist back.]
I don't got time for this shit, yo! Lemme through!
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"No, you don't!"
While he'd distracted by the Whispers, however, the red head is able to grab hold of his rod and there's a loud CRACK! of electricity from Beat's ride before an arc of lightning is sent his way, zapping the ground at his feet in an attempt to trap him where he stands. It's as weak as Reno looks right now, but it's clear he's trying to buy some time for... something.]
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[Sora knows that this has to me a dream of a memory. And even yet the smoke is still burning his lungs and his eyes sting from the flames and dirt whipping around in the air. Everything feels incredibly real that it's hard to differentiate between dream and reality. This memory is so strong.]
We have to stop this! Stop!!
[Maybe his screaming is useless. But the panic in his voice is real as he tries to persuade the memory to do something, anything, to stop this plate from dropping on all those people below. His weapon is in his hand and he tries to swipe uselessly at a mirage of a shadow that whips around him frantically. It doesn't let him get closer to Tifa at all instead whirling around Sora like an angry poltergeist.]
Ugh! Get off me! I don't have time for you weird shadow things!
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Instead, he'll have to face Reno who, by now, has reached the rod on the ground and has it in his hands, and from where he's lying, he flings it through the air in a last-ditch attempt to take down Sora. The weapon crackles as lightning surges around it, and he's aimed it right for his gut—
But does he make it out of the way in time?]
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This isn't like anything he's ever seen before, not in person, not in any reality he's experienced. The cloaked phantoms that block his way when he takes a single step towards her almost knock him off his feet, but he doesn't offer much resistance and lets himself be pushed back, if just to remain upright. Voice trembling, he mutters:]
I have to follow your rules, huh.
[He's never been one to face a barrier head-on. He goes around—goes with the flow, finds the crack and slips through. He takes another step, in another direction, and tests his options.
Summoning his sword to his hand, Ferran dashes towards the beaten-down Rude, letting out an aggressive battle cry. He'll help Tifa after he takes care of these obstacles—there may still be time.]
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The commotion is enough to have Tifa whipping her head around for a moment, just in time to see Reno grabbing hold of his rod to shoot arcs of lightning at Ferran, and she shouts from over the sound of the Whispers.]
Get down—!
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god I'm so sorry, this is about to get so much worse for ferran too... ðŸ˜
8) oh yes.
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back after november threw me in a ditch hurgh
welcome back 💗
thank u ðŸ˜
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sorry this took so long
Plate separation? What's a plate?
What he does understand is the fear. The terror. Vanitas soaks it all up, the negativity sponge that he is. This is a memory that causes distress. It breeds guilt and pain. Sorrow and loss. Vanitas can sense all of those things even with the phantoms flying around in front of him. ]
Get out of my way.
[ Vanitas couldn't care less about the two injured guys. Doesn't care about the things that are trying to keep him away from approaching Tifa. So either they will get out of his way? Or he'll force the issue. ]
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Reno clicks his tongue under his breath and scoffs. "The hell're you sayin'?"
Rude, however, doesn't acknowledge him past a strange look and an arched brow. Why isn't he attacking? He doesn't see the Whispers—to him, it looks like Vanitas, no... Cloud is simply standing there shouting his warning at nothing and no one.
It all happens so fast after that. The Whispers disappear like sand being blown away, and Rude is charging across the platform toward Tifa. There's the sound of a charge on his other side when Reno reaches the rod on the ground and tries to trap Vanitas in place.]
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