one passing night

Second Kekkai

2012-05-22T20:26:35Z

[Those familiar with Japan will likely recognize the setting to this dream. It's the Ebisu mall. It's rather innocent for the moment, with people going about their business in the place or just mingling among themselves visiting with each other.

There's one thing off though if a person decides to have a closer look at that crowd. They have no faces really to speak of, just a suggestion of one, eyes, nose and an opening that serves for a mouth. It's an almost literal living representation of the term "nameless, faceless crowds"... though there is one person in this place who looks to all appearances completely normal and human. Perhaps he looks like someone you hold dear, or maybe he just feels like someone you cherish. Or perhaps he's just a nameless young man caught napping on the bench in this busy mail.

Either way, he seems to be stirring now, as if your presence has alerted him to someone else being with him now, having entered within this dream of his. Fuuma opens his eyes and a friendly smile graces his face, making him look harmless and much like the normal young man he appears to be.]

Hello.

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○ 02 ○ A Day on the Islands

2012-05-20T06:32:06Z

[This dream starts in what appears to be a cave, though a very small one, much taller than it is long or wide. It doesn't seem all that cramped or scary, though - light filters in from the outside, thanks to a hole in the stone at the top, and the walls are easy to see.

Actually, for a tiny cave, this place is fairly inviting. Moss grows on some of the rocks, and the area feels safe rather than closed-in, like a little hiding spot that you can go in and out of at any point. In fact, that's exactly what it is. Should you go to the opening, which is a very short walk, you'll find that it opens to the outside; a small, peaceful tropical island.

But good luck getting outside before a certain someone notices that you're there. A little boy, who some may recognize as Sora, is sitting comfortably near one of the walls of the cave. He picks up a piece of chalk and starts drawing what...looks like an attempt that drawing some kind of animal. In fact, the walls are covered in these drawings; childish scribbles of animals and adventures and stars.

There's also something else strange about this cave; a door, built right into the very back. No, not built - it looks like it belongs there, or has always been there. But what could it be for?

Well, whatever it is, it's not opening anytime soon. Besides, Sora has put down his chalk, already standing up and looking right at your before you have much of a chance to investigate anything.

Talk to the small, slightly confused looking child?]

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oo1 ♪ ❝ i first met her in a dream... or something ❞

2012-05-19T00:25:38Z

It's a fairly normal day, really. It's nice out -- the sun is shining bright in the park-esque meeting place. There are a few scattered students about, all on their way to school. Near one of the fountains there's a girl with blue hair in her uniform, looking at the watch on her wrist. "Guess I'm early today... " Her shoulders heave with a sigh as she takes a seat, ready to wait.

There's a loud yawn that overtakes her as she stretches her arms out, her school bag resting near her feet. "Ahhh, I didn't realize I was so tired! Maybe I'll be able to catch a nap through English..." she closes her eyes briefly, resting her chin on her hands.

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Eversong

2012-05-18T08:31:33Z

[The landscape of this dream starts out with an idyllic setting locked into an endless late spring, early summer. Massive trees crowned in shades of golds, reds and greens dominate the landscape. Vermilion furred lynx hunted the grounds beneath the trees and occasionally what looked to be significantly smaller trees possessing faces and small if long arms could be seen. Tiny Treants tending to the massive woods around them.

Moving through this idyllic setting with apparent purpose is what first appears to be your typical man, though a closer observation of the head area will quickly disabuse anyone of the idea that the man is human, long tapering ears move in a slight bobbing motion with each quick step he takes down the cobbled path through the woods. His pale hair is currently down out of its usual top-knot, flowing down his back and largely covering the cloak he wears over his tunic and armor, their colors similar to the leaves above him.

Why he's in such hurry is not readily apparent, especially when to the casual glance, the landscape around him seems peaceful and almost serene. However, in the distance ahead the glow of the land seems to darken, radiating an ill-at-ease feeling, sick, twisted..dying. As if some cancer threatens to move in on the golden and scarlet lands beyond it and destroy them. And if he does not want to see that poison seep any further into his kingdom, then he has to think of a way to halt it without falling into the trap which has already robbed them of one ruler of their people already.

It's unfortunately all too easy to start believing that the ends justify the means though in these dark and trying times.]

[ooc: For those who don't know the woods of Eversong forest, the woods look like this]

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What colorful butterfly will fly next?

2012-05-15T23:51:15Z

Cold fog swirls, and makes the darkness even deeper, shrouding everything in a damp, cloying mist. There's a smell of ash in the air. To the side, a single golden pin impales a blue butterfly with black markings, just above the thorax. It struggles with a vain flurry of its tired wings, but for all the writhing desperation, there is little life left in the spasming body. It rests weakly between fits of frantic activity.

Beneath the butterfly, a picture of a blue-haired girl in a tiara and sailor-style collar has been clearly marked 'Mercury'. Nearby, similar displays bear the names of other planets. In some, the butterfly's wings have been pulled off or its body has been singed and scorched or bent to sickening angles; others are fresh and empty, but labeled in anticipation. They stretch into the distance as far as the eye can see in all directions.

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no. i

2012-05-10T10:42:00Z

[It's heavy, threatening, loud. The sound of waves chaotically sloshing around the open sea and rebelliously assaulting the tiny, wooden boat. The waves bend the small vessel to their will, and it joins the disarray of the waves as it is tossed and thrown into a directionless whirl. This goes on, the same pattern of waves with all the same sounds and sights.

The captain of this ship, however, stays glued to center of the deck. Despite the chaotic, unruly voyage, the invisible physics of this realm keep her held tightly down with her legs folded up like pretzels. She's cradling a small looking glass that extends to be much longer. Hesitantly, the girls lifts it to her eye, looking out on the thin layer of blue that covers the briny deep. Her examination doesn't last long, but she continues to do it in pendulum with the waves. Everything is a cycle, and it goes on for a long, long time before she breaks out.

Long, baggy white pantlegs scream as they transition into strips of black leather held tightly together by the metal zipper between them. It happens on her entire body, like a snake that shed its skin growing a new coat of ebony.]

There was something...[Her voice is soft and careful. Unsure and worrisome. Like hitting the wrong frequency might cause this whole ship to capsize. She speaks only to herself, vocalizing heavy thoughts and emotion.]

Something that I was doing. And I can't...I was supposed to go back...
That's right. Sora...[Becoming aware of her surroundings, the seas seem to shift at her subconscious whim. The waves settle into a gentle, rhythmic lap against the wooden exterior.]

He wanted to build a raft...Explore the sea and all the worlds. [It was a good wish. One the tide loving Xion could easily share herself. But in the wake of the end of her life, it's a bittersweet sensation to watch these tides glisten in the sun.]

Is this his wish? What's become of me now...? Now that...

[A heavy sigh of realization. Although the presence of anything to realize eludes her. Shde doesn't know where she is, why, or what to do.]

I don't understand.

[The girl is lost at sea.]

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Trick 003 | Kuroba Kaito |

2012-05-08T05:14:02Z

[ This is a nightmare. No really, this is a nightmare. It is a very... bizarre nightmare but a nightmare nonetheless. The dreamer is tied to the center of what is probably a pirate ship. Except that these pirates are quite strange as they are undoubtedly fish! Fish pirates with classic pirate features, including one with a tattoo of a heart bearing the word 'Mom.' ]

[ Kaito is physically shaking and trying to make himself as small as possible. He's sweating and paler than he's ever been in his life as he watches the fishy pirates roam about potentially harmlessly about the ship, stopping every now and again to move terrifying fishy lips in some form of communication. ]

I've never eaten fish in my life!

[ The sudden out burst has the attention of all the pirates for about two seconds before they go back to what they were doing. ]

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onepassingnight @ 2012-05-07T21:19:00

2012-05-08T01:36:12Z

"Captain Holmes!" Conan knocked politely on the door. "I have news. You are in need of some new crew members. The cook took objection to the cadaver in the larder and quit. Several of the more squeamish crewmembers left with him."

He sounded rather cheerful about the entire issue. "But at least the state of putrefaction is proceeding nicely."

It had taken Conan a lot of effort to get taken on as a cabin boy by Captain Holmes. Months of effort to track down the only pirate captain known to have had encounters with the leader of the Black Pirates. The same pirates, Conan suspected, who had been responsble for his own poisoning and shrinking. Weeks more of effort planning on how best to catch the captain's interest. Conan knew quite well that the only reason he'd been hired and kept on the crew was because Sherlock Holmes found him to be interesting.

And... at least it was not boring aboard this ship. He'd found quite a few shared interests with the captain. Until the day that he could destroy the Black Pirates and regain his life as Shinichi Kudo, this was not a bad life. Exploration. Treasure hunting and riddles. Plenty of scientific inquiry.

Now if only they had an easier time keeping the other crew members around.

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onepassingnight @ 2012-05-06T10:24:00

2012-05-06T14:49:35Z

[Dreams are funny things, sometimes. Often they reflect the dreamer's day, important people or things. Sometimes it's more convoluted, things feeling familiar that aren't, people with the right faces by wrong names, or just complete nonsense. Joshua has purposefully changed his Frequency to enter the land of dreams more than once, to learn, to satisfy curiosity. There is one thing he's noticed through most if not all of them- more often than not, the events aren't important. It's the emotions attached to them.

Which he why he wants no one in his dream tonight.

Those who enter may find themselves among a blurred crowded, the dreamers being only solid things while the misty figures move around or even through them. The buildings are more defined, but still a little wispy and insubstantial. There is only one thing that is clear and unmovable- a statue of a dog.

There's a clamor in the background of noise from the crowd, but even though it's obviously very busy there's something about this place. It's not calming, exactly, but there is a feeling of contentedness. But even that isn't quite right. Get nearer to the statue, and you might feel a slight ache in your very soul, or hear a melody that's just out of reach...]

[ooc: Hope I did this right. For those who know canon, this is riiight after the secret ending, so.]

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Report I

2012-05-05T08:41:23Z

[As the dream begins, there is a simple stretch of land shown. It looks like a stretch of land one might find in the western part of her world. There's no city or town within sight of it, though there are some mountains off in the distance, their peaks cloaked in the white of snow and ice.

At first, all one sees is the healthy grasses and wildflowers gently swaying in the small breezes which blow through this apparent valley. There's no person within immediate sight, but if one observes some of those flowers and grasses, they would note that some of the petals of the flowers have an unnatural reddish hue and the the same can be said for some of the blades of grass, their green turned into a wet rusty color as if someone bleeding and injured had passed through them.

If one were to follow that grim trail, they'd eventually the woman responsible for it seated in a area where the grasses have been cut down close to the grown. Unlike within her previous dream, she's only within part of her usual attire, the coat being the most obvious thing missing. The next most obvious thing is the blood which graces the front of her chest from the shoulder down. Beneath the mess is the wound responsible for it and even though it has already healed in waking... it has had such impact and importance to her, she's kept it from vanishing so simply here.

It doesn't seem to bother her much however, and thus her mind is currently elsewhere forming plans for the time to come ahead.]

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onepassingnight @ 2012-05-04T04:37:00

2012-05-04T11:50:12Z

The beach was pristine when the young pirate stepped out on the shore, giving a slight hop to avoid the surf. He grabbed the rope attached to it and pulled it up on the sand to avoid it being swept out to sea. Yes, the beach was pristine, but would not remain for long, though. He was here looking for the stash of the infamous pirate, Old Gunner Longshanks, the most notorious pirate ever to live during the Adventure Era. The island was a fairly typical one of the greater Mideel islands. Full of monsters and dangerous plants, yet beautiful at the same time with the rich jungle and warm weather. The sky, however, was a completely different story.

A dark, blood colored orb hung in the clear blue, staining the blue and marring an otherwise beautiful day. Time was short, and he was determined to make his dream come true before that!

So that was all the more reason to hurry and find the treasure. Captain Reno would be the first to find it after so many years, and the prestige would be his. They would sing his praises in the taverns and cheer whenever he showed up, for he would be generous and order a round of drinks on him! That was definitely the life, and it would all be made possible if only he could find out where the marlboro shaped rock was. Searching all of these little islands was getting tiresome. His loyal crew was on board his ship in the little cove they had anchored in, ready to come ashore at his signal, but this was one thing he wanted to do alone.

So, with map at the ready, a compass and a telescope, Captain Reno set out to find that treasure.

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001 ◘ Void

2012-05-03T02:29:35Z

[There's nothing here.

Nothing. No sound, no shapes, no movement. A void. Were it not for how frighteningly aware you are of a lack of substance is in this place, it would be easy to believe that you weren't dreaming at all.

Until enough time passes, and the darkness begins to close in.

It's not the sort of darkness associated with emptiness - it's a real thing, where before there had been nothing at all. The kind of darkness that grows and expands, covering, choking all that stands in it's way. Except nothing is there. Nothing but you, of course. No matter how much you run, or try to push it aside, there is no end to it. No light.

But the darkness does recede, eventually. There is no more feeling of being covered, or surrounded, though there is still nothing to illuminate the world around you. Instead the darkness is a force that lingers, surrounds this place, but those who are wise will realize that it's far from benign. It holds back power that can only spell destruction.

It, or him.

Because there is a boy there, among other things. A boy with glowing yellow eyes, who seems to belong in this darkness. Who may even be part of it, or at least know what it hides.

The are sounds, now, too, to fill the void, somewhere off in the distance. The sound of blades, clashing during a fight. The sound of the wind blowing over a vast wasteland.

The even fainter sound of waves.

And the sound of a voice as the boy finally speaks, because he knows that he isn't alone.]

You should leave.

[It's a threat, one that he sounds all too happy to back up.]

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onepassingnight @ 2012-05-02T07:59:00

2012-05-02T13:56:47Z

[Dreams can be bright and cheerful, sometimes. Full of candy and soda and other happy objects and playful scenarios. But some times, they're barren and empty, desolate landscapes with nowhere to go in any direction, no oases in sight no matter how far you walk and no relief from the oppressive atmosphere. And it's this the atmosphere that makes up Sora's dream.

Hard, cracked earth stretches for miles and miles in all directions, a singular, barren tree the only landmark in sight. Beneath it, a single bush of belladonna in full bloom, and next to it, choked by its roots, a single, wilting lily. And there, standing beneath the tree, curled in on himself is Sora. Except, perhaps, to everyone else, he doesn't seem to exactly be there. His shape to others is indistinct, almost like he's half-formed illusion.

But he's there, and the oppressiveness of the atmosphere seems to be taking its toll on him.]

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In Memoriam

2012-05-01T07:16:07Z

[The dream's setting is dark, bleak, and overall is one of a depressing nature. The sky overhead is black with dark heavy clouds blocking out a great deal of light from reaching the ruins beneath them. A once proud city brought down to its metaphorical knees, ripped asunder for its crimes and torn even further apart due to more than one fight between inhuman forces within its wreckage.

It's largely deserted and abandoned, anyone who enters does so at their own risk. Those specified dangers not fabricated to keep people out of it, can kill a person if they're not careful. Yet there is one person moving among the twisted mass of metal, concrete and broken glass. For this brief time, he's discarded his white suits as well the remainder of his companions. He's in a black turtleneck, black jeans, black boots and fingerless gloves complete the ensemble.

His movements are cautious, but more because he's seeking something rather than trying to avoid endangering himself amid the wreckage. Occasionally he pauses to pull against some of the wreckage to look beneath it, or to create a space through which he can proceed through. Finally he seems to reach the largest mass of wreckage within the city, and considers the large opening, resting before him like some massive maw of a beast waiting to be fed.

It takes him a moment to visibly gather up the courage to plunge into that hole, blue eyes briefly glancing up to a half hidden moon before he turns and enters the hole, determination written upon his face and in the set of his black clad shoulders. Before he vanishes entirely into the dark, the moonlight glints off the metal of a shotgun strapped to the young man's back, along with the sight of another smaller gun resting against his side. He's ready for nearly anything he might encounter in the dark and he's bound and determined not to leave it until he's found what he's come there for.]

[ooc: guess who finally exhausted himself waiting for news? Yep, Rufus is sound asleep and currently dreaming of heading into Midgar to rescue Tseng.]

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( slightly backdated to april's theme! ) oo2 ☾ ❝ sleeping beauty... ❞

2012-05-01T06:41:52Z

Deep within the silent woods the princess has laid since she was young. Her finger pricked by a cursed needle, she was doomed to sleep. The kingdom had long sinced mourned her eternal slumber, believing she would never wake from her fate, her body now set up as some sort of memorial.

She looked at peace, her hair spread out neatly framing her face, and flowing outwards alongside her still body. Flower petals were scattered around her, seeming like they were almost frozen in place, just like the princess they rested near.

It seemed as though there were nothing more than rumours on how to wake her, and nothing so far had worked...

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☄ let down your hair

2012-04-30T00:05:55Z

You find yourself standing beneath a dark, clouded sky, with a great tower rising before you. A forbidding sight, so at first it's easy to overlook one aspect of the scene that seems somehow out of place.

Yet if one is observant, one may notice that there's a long, unbound skein of silver hanging down one side of the building, from an open window that's quite high up (the 67th Floor, to be precise). In that high chamber, Sephiroth sits waiting, thoughtful and even a little wistful. He isn't supposed to let his hair down without being ordered to do so, but he tires of his seclusion here, and of following orders.

The doors and lower windows of the tower cannot be entered, sealed by some force, and guarded. There appears to be no viable way to enter, other than that strange, pale, silver fall of hair.

So, do you climb it?

[[OOC: The tale of Sephpunzel. Relevant image. If you'd like to be already in the story or play some character other than the rope-climber, be my guest!

You can also request child Sephiroth (pinnaculum) instead of adult Sephiroth, but I'll default to adult if not specified otherwise.]]

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First Kekkai

2012-04-28T23:00:11Z

[The dreamscape for this dream is strange in that there is no sky, nor ground to it. Just endless space filled mirror-like squares of metal, a few of these floating about one large square show places and people within Tokyo, Japan.

In the center of the square stands a black-clad young man casually watching the images shown in the surfaces of the squares, as if they were nothing more than massive television screens.

Despite the lack of action, he seems to be waiting for something or perhaps someone to join him.]

[ooc: Starting off simple, the dream looks akin to the linked image, only there's no Kakyou, nor any bed w/ wires in the center of that large piece where Fuuma is standing. It'll just be Fuuma. Feel free to appear beside, above or below, I doubt gravity exists within this dream as it does on earth.

edit: fixed the link, should work again.]

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Report VI: Broken People Get Recycled

2012-04-26T04:25:35Z

The world of this dream is different from those Tseng has previously been found in, though it's eerily similar to the frozen library. Pillars and archways of ice form meandering pathways across the vast frozen landscape, everything crafted of ice and snow aside from the clusters of lillies that grow impossibly from the at times transparent ground. Ribbons of light twist beneath the ground and in the air, forming rivers and flowing endlessly back and forth.

All paths, however, eventually will lead to what could be seen as some sort of receiving area or strange bedroom. Frozen constructs shed cool light in the area, illuminating carved seats draped in heavy fabrics to keep the chill off of skin. Whites, blues and pale greens dominate with the occasional glint of gold bringing the only visual warmth to the scene.

Despite the frigid scene there's a pervading deep sense of safety and home that seems to come from a rather scantily clad blue skinned woman who's mass of dark blue hair falls in braids and twists bedecked with gold and ribbons. Seated on one of the larger 'chairs', she seems more than content to let the dark haired man rest with his head in her lap as she gently runs her fingers through his hair in soothing affection a soft hum of a long lost song floating in the air.

The tialk on Tseng's forehead is blue, instead of it's usual black and he's dressed in a draping blue and silver cloth that leaves his arms and one shoulder completely bare. What can be seen of his skin is littered with scars, alluding to those that aren't visible. Despite being obviously more relaxed than anyone has likely ever seen him, he doesn't look younger. If anything the loss of the tension revealed how very tired he'd been, how thirty years of being a Turk wore at him.

Despite the somewhat obvious implications of the dream, there's no sense of sadness. Tseng has long been at peace with his own demise, and in some ways it's a bit of a relief to finally have it done with.

When approached, she gives whomever it is a look that speaks volumes. Violence of any sort will not be tolerated in her domain, and while she's incredibly tolerant and understands there may be a good deal of anger she will stop anyone from harming her charge. He is hers to protect, at least until he's good and ready to defend himself again.

She touches Tseng's shoulder, head bowing as she speaks to him briefly and shifting as he sits up to greet whomever it is with a tired though open smile.

[OOC: Holy tl:dr batman!

So, basically Tseng's dead now, timeline wise for the ff7 people who're in line with him this dream happens the night after the wails of thousands of dying souls is heard coming from the abandoned Midgar sometime just before Dirge begins after Deepground's attack on Junon where said thousands of people were taken from.

And yes, the woman is Shiva!]

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Prelude

2012-04-26T01:43:03Z

[The dream starts innocently enough, a simple stretch of land. It looks like a stretch of land one might find in the western part of the world, or even within Wutai. There's no city or town within sight of it, though there are some mountains off in the distance, their peaks cloaked in the white of snow and ice.

There's a lone figure moving through the area, the healthy grasses and wildflowers brushing lightly against the black leather boots and coat she's wearing. The wind lightly toying with her long silver-white hair. It seems a relaxed and innocent dream, until one notices small tale-tales within the woman's body language. She's seeking something important, but as of yet hasn't found it. Then a rather large black bird appears within the sky and she purposely moves to follow it carefully, watching and waiting until it lands before she moves closer to it, one gloved hand reaching out in such a way it suggests a familiarity with the bird.

What comes as an apparent unexpected shock to her is when the bird turns and attempts to peck at the hand she's extended. She manages to get it out of the way before the blow lands, but the fact that the bird has attempted to hurt her seems to have startled her somewhat. Before she can recover to try reaching for it once again, the black bird spreads its wings and takes off to the skies, leaving her sight within short order.]

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❀ diamond in the rough, a flower blossoming in the slums

2012-04-25T02:05:16Z

Perhaps getting thrown down here was part of the plan. The great quest. The attempt to woo sweet Agrabah princess, or just fetch what that weird rug merchant asked you to get.

More likely this particular stop wasn't on the itinerary. Boy is that Saucer of Wonders picky! The moment you--or a faithful but not always reliable animal companion--got distracted by something shiny, it was down the hatch to a natural desert prison, surrounded on all sides by quicksand. There's evidence that people have been here...and evidence they died here. You're not about to find anyone alive and kicking in the rundown shacks anytime soon.

Look long enough, though, and you'll find a dusty watering can lying on its side. The weathered metal has certainly seen better days, but maybe it could be cleaned up with a little polish?

Or maybe you're more interested in the "water" part of "watering can". This is a desert, after all.

Pick it up?

[ No? But thou must! Not much is going to happen until that can's picked up, and Aerith might get a bit impatient if your character ignores her. Oh yes, indeed, she's in there as the Genie.

In a little spin on the theme, I'm using the Disney take rather than the classic version itself. Also, if you want to find the watering can in a completely different place to better fit your own character's quest, that's fine! (And I do mean completely different, never underestimate the power of cosmic ...powers.) The Gold Saucer/Corel Prison just happened to suit the Cave of Wonders sequence nicely. ]

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oo2 ❄ I've got friends locked in boxes, that's no way to live

2012-04-24T07:03:29Z

[ They were five-and-twenty artificial soldiers. One through twenty-four a perfect set, prized by their creator and the ruler they served, and he the last, the one built of spare and scrap left over from the rest.

Many a time, he had considered this an utterly unconscionable cruelty - that he should have been made, at all, of inferior metal and unfinished, as he was. With one whole leg missing, he would never be able to match his brethren in prowess or efficiency as a weapon, but somehow not even such a glaring deficiency had spared him this fate of inadequacy. So much as his inferiority had isolated and internally embittered him, though, over the years, it had also made him determined.

As all living things, even machines, were given to the will to survive, he had developed a fearsome dedication to proving himself useful to spite his innate failings. While the other soldiers marched off to fight, to pursue the grandest quests at the behest of their leader, he would stay behind - standing guard vigilantly at the gate of the great tower wherein their ruler resided, until the inevitable return of those (fewer and fewer than) twenty-four. It was from here that he would watch over what that he could, ever diligent, still close enough that should he be needed for any menial task, it would be no trouble at all to call on him, but neatly tucked out of the way, in the meantime, leaning on the long rifle at his side as a crutch only in the instances when his precarious balance failed him.

Ordinarily, that was. He would stand still and stalwart as a statue through rain and wind and drifting snow, unflinching (lest one look closely enough to discern the slightest shift), but on this perfectly pleasant Spring day, his post stood curiously vacant.

They wouldn't miss him, he'd thought, for one evening of absence. He would hurry back just as quick as he could, once he'd had done with his business in the city. (And on this point, he was very gravely serious with himself, for he'd heard the infrequent gossip among the passersby who oft visited his grand benefactor, always talk of putting him to better use by melting him down for spare parts. A fate anyone should wish to avoid.) But the draw of this particular sight had been impossible to resist.

Not three days had passed since the parade procession had marched past his well-worn divot in the stone of the tower courtyard, the traveling band of circus performers still every bit as bright and vividly colorful in his memory, now. On the whole, such a distraction would not usually have been enough drawn him away from his sworn duty - but among the rabble he had glimpsed one most elegant performer. A dancer, of some sort, he'd imagined, not so worldly as to know the proper term. A dancer who swept and spun so gracefully on tiptoe, one foot on the ground, it was almost like floating.

Since then, he'd become fixated on the brief memory, certain that if only he could learn to be so capable, as he was, then surely he'd be allowed to prove himself on the battlefield just like the others. And it was with this in mind that he set out on the city streets, moving as inconspicuously as a one-legged, mechanical soldier could. ]

[ ooc: All aboard the tl;dr express for a very special rendition of The Steadfast Tin Soldier (summary in case you're already tired of those deer), starring Mini Cloud as the eponymous soldier and... everybody else, as either the ballerina or the goblin or one of the other soldiers or literally anything else you can possibly imagine.

Of course, it's up to individual discretion whether or not this version ends up as horribly as the original. :3c ]

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001 || I am the ghost of Christmas present--

2012-04-24T02:14:51Z

[All in all, it's a fairly simple dream. Nothing odd or off about it. The abode itself is nothing if not unusual, but he's found comfort here before. The real oddity lies in the three mirrors, carefully positioned to lean against the wall. Not particularly ornate, there doesn't seem to be anything out of place about them-- until you take a look at the reflection.]

Past, present, future...

[He can figure that much out on his own. There's a smile, for himself, for Roxas, for Sora-- returning to the living and being surrounded by the warm embraces of their friends, reuniting after death. Some of those people aren't in Promenade anymore, but watching their faces--]

[Zaheer, and Lior. People he misses dearly. The past isn't much to be afraid of, though his smile drops when he seeks out the present. It's not his immediate present, he knows that-- it's not even him. Just a boy without a mask, standing within a desolate graveyard. Hands covering his face. They share the same future, the one mirror Ventus so carefully avoids.]

[A boy, in a room. Sleeping through the years with no end in sight.]

[Future.]

[Sitting on the bed, Ventus' mind is rather occupied. Within this safe bastion, no one would seek him out, aside from Roxas-- no one else knew where it was.]

[Right?]

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Glass Mountain

2012-04-23T20:07:47Z

There once was a king whom possessed a beautiful and talented daughter of whom he was very proud and more than a little possessive of, but as things go, he knew he had at least make a show of trying to marry her off. So he found a large mountain made entirely of glass and installed his daughter at the top of it within a golden castle. Outside the castle, upon the summit of the mountain was planted a tree which produced golden apples. To gain admittance into the castle, one had to pick one of the apples from the tree.

The task sounded deceptively simple when the king spoke of it, saying whomever managed to gain the summit and then gain admittance to the castle would gain not only his daughter but his kingdom once he passed away. Thus a great many attempted to scale the mountain and unfortunately they soon found out the task was no where near as easy or simple as it seemed. The continued painful (and sometimes fatal) failures pleased the king and he sat content on his throne. One day the king's adviser came to him and told him of a knight whom had made it easily over half way up the mountain before turning away to go back down. He advised that if the king truly desired to keep his daughter for himself that there should be put a guardian to watch over the summit of the mountain and the tree.

The king agreed and tasked the man to produced him such a guardian, thus the adviser produced a massive winged beast akin to an eagle and set it to keep watch over the tree and the mountain's summit. When the golden knight arrived again, he made it so close, so close to the mountain's top, but before he could take it and thus make it to the tree, the beast was upon him, causing his horse to rear and the two, man and horse fell all the way down the mountain to perish at its base along with all those whom had tried before.

And so the princess remained trapped within the golden castle still.

[ooc: Decided to intro the lady in with a theme post, Seph's the princess, the king is the President and the adviser is Hojo. Feel free to join in as one of the staff serving the princess, or even the king, or as one of those seeking to win/free the princess from the mountain. The story, twisted to serve my ends is right here ]

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Tinderbox

2012-04-23T03:28:47Z

On his way home from a foreign land, a young man with a retinue of three meets an old witch. The witch asks the young man to climb down into a hollow tree. Inside, she says, he'll find three rooms: one filled with copper, one with silver, and one with gold. Each room will be guarded by a dog. In the first room, the dog will have eyes the size of teacups. In the second, it will have eyes the size of mill wheels. The third dog will have eyes each the size of the Round Tower.

She gives him an apron and instructs him to pick up each dog and lay it on the apron and then help himself to as many coins as he wishes. In exchange, she merely wants a tinderbox, which her sister left last time she was down there.

The young man agrees, leaves his retinue to keep company with the witch and climbs down into the tree.

Inside he finds the three rooms with the three dogs with enormous eyes, exactly as the witch said, and he fills his pockets with coins. He leaves the tree and asks the witch what she wants with the tinderbox. She says it's none of his business. He says, "Tell me, or I'll have your head chopped off."

She says, "No." And he orders one of his retinue to chop her head off.

He takes the best room at the best inn in the nearest city -- a city which is home to a beautiful princess who lives in a copper palace and is never allowed to see anyone but the king because it has been foretold that she will marry a foreign man -- and he spends every coin he has on food and entertainment.

One night, he uses the witch's tinderbox to light a candle, and the dog with eyes as big as teacups appears and says, "What is my master's command?" He promptly asks for more money, and the dog fetches him a sack of coins. After some experimentation, he learns that if he strikes the tinderbox once, the dog with copper coins comes. If he strikes twice, the dog with silver comes. And if he strikes three times, the dog with gold coins comes.

One night, the young man decides he wants to see the princess who no one ever sees, so he summons the dog with eyes as big as teacups and commands him to bring him the princess. In seconds, he returns with the princess on his back, asleep.

ooc: This is the tale the above is from, feel free to be the princess or one of the trio traveling with the young man (Rufus).

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☄ The First Day || No Strings Attached (Er, Pinocchio)

2012-04-21T16:05:52Z

[ Once upon a time... or something to that extent. Seriously, why do we always gotta start with that?

( Anyway, cutting to the chase, there once this magician, people liked to call him. )

( ooc: Because I'm horrible, here's a spin on Pinocchio. With Roxas having come just at the start of Day One of his simulation days, these are the last of his ties to the Organization come to life in a dream. Not that he'll realize it. Feel free to hop in as one of the other puppets. Will they try to stop him or will they be gun ho to go with? Or maybe you want to hop in as the puppeteer catching him dead in the act. Or even a nosy fan or someone who got lost trying to find the bathroom- or something. Yep.

P.S. Ah-hahaha;;; Don't mind the tl;dr.

P.P.S. Mods, if you'd put in a Roxas tag, I'd really appreciate it. |D;;; )

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