001st Secret ☽ Born to be free

[secret_of_the_moon]

[The road is wide and long, losing itself in the horizon where land merges with the sky. The landscape keeps changing at a sickening speed, while the motor roars like a hungry lion. With the empty road ahead and behind, the car trunk filled with suitcases, a flaring sun above and the wind blowing strongly as the speed increases. It's a road trip, there's no doubt of it, though the goal of the trip may be something foggy in the mind, probably as that doesn't matter, the fun here is the trip itself after all.

Tsukuyomi smiles widely as he sits in the driver's seat. It's a dream, he knows it, only in a dream he would be able to drive and feel so well with himself, but he doesn't care. For once it's a dream where there's not even one trace of those nightmares he usually has, so he welcomes it happily. The car is a white colored two seats, enough space for just him and a companion, with the roof open to allow the wind and the sun to hit them directly, speeding through the road at a bit more than 120mph.

It's a cry for freedom. One of those moments of "feeling alive" for him. If only dreams could be real.]

Comments

[waterfell]

['In a car with a guy she doesn't know' is not precisely the place Ami would expect to find herself in normal circumstances. Still, the sun is high, the road is long, and...

Something about him is familiar. She's not sure it's a good thing, but it's enough to make her want answers. Besides, the car is going too fast to stop now, and walking back to the nearest town would be inconvenient. Her dark hair whips in the wind.]

Just where are we going?

[secret_of_the_moon]

[Someone he doesn't know, someone familiar but who he really can't recognize at the same time. That's nothing new for him to dream with, though it's the first time this particular figure appears in his dreams.

Vaguely, he looks at her and wonders if being part of his dream she shouldn't know where they are going already.]

Uhm, I wonder about that! I just wanted to go on a road trip, the destiny doesn't matter to me, but how about the beach? Or anywhere else you want to go, it will be fine either way.

[waterfell]

[She seems to dream of beaches a lot. That's not exactly strange, though, and Ami accepts this as just one more. The sand and the shore have always called to her.]

It's fine if it's the beach.

[Her answer is brief. There are a few sneaked glances at the boy in the driver's seat (normally a place she'd put herself) while he focuses on the road. He's familiar...]

[secret_of_the_moon]

Then the beach it is! This will be great.

[Maybe her subconscious is trying to tell her to take a vacation. Tsukuyomi smiles at her and continues driving without problems, looking at the signals and following them as they indicate the way to the beach. However, no matter how far they go, it feels as if the beach is at the other side of the world.]

[waterfell]

[It wouldn't be surprising. They say longing for water is a sign of built-up stress. This is also very often true in the case of Mizuno Ami, who hasn't stopped overworking herself.

It takes awhile before she frowns.]

Shouldn't we be closer? We've driven for awhile now.

[secret_of_the_moon]

[He doesn't notice it until she points it out, happy with just driving down the road, following the indications to get to the beach.]

Eh? Hmm, you're right, we should be there already... But I've been following the indications, how strange.

[Tsukuyomi starts to reduce the speed, coming to a complete halt at the next indicator that appears with the word "beach" written on it and an arrow pointing the direction.]

What the- Shouldn't those things point out how far is it to get to that place?!

[waterfell]

[They should. Ami frowns.]

Something is strange here.

[And in her suspicious mind, that means the beginnings of wondering whether this whole place is some form of trap. Various enemies had been able to create that sort of thing before now.

If it's a trap, they shouldn't be able to get out the way they came, either. But it's a long way off, and not a practical test.]

[secret_of_the_moon]

[He keeps staring at the sign, still confused. He had assumed this was a dream due several things but could dreams be this strange? Could it not be a dream after all but an illusion or something? He looks at the girl again, there's something familiar about her but maybe that's just an illusion again, just as the feeling of his own body fitting properly with him for once.]

I thought this was a dream, but not even a dream can be this strange.

[Besides, if it was his dream, shouldn't they be at the beach already? He wanted to go there, right? Or rather he was willing to go there since the girl agreed with the idea. He looks up.]

Even the sun hasn't moved now that I think of it...

[waterfell]

[A trap... even so far as making time stop?

No; no, few people had that sort of power. An illusion, however... Ironic, that their thoughts are running into the same patterns.]

A dream? Why do you say that?

[secret_of_the_moon]

Because the last thing I remember was going to sleep. I am pretty sure I don't know how to drive yet, but here I can. And...

[He can feel his body being different than normal, the lack of pressure of bandages against his chest and parts that he knows he doesn't have but he can feel now.]

It just generally has this dream-like atmosphere, you know?

I wonder if it can be both a dream and a trap...

[Like a youma that attacks people on their sleep or something? The problem is he can't really fight or do anything to try to shatter the illusion. He could try to transform but... He doesn't want to and it may not work anyway.]

[waterfell]

[She's not transforming in front of a stranger. Not if it can be avoided at all. She's alert now, though, some of the pleasure of the beach outing dimmed by the murky taint of uncertainty.]

Let's investigate this before we let ourselves get carried away.

[secret_of_the_moon]

[He eyes her, for him as well, the pleasure of the road trip has vanished and this is slowly heading into a type of dream he won't want to remember once he wakes up... If he does.]

There's not much to investigate, though.

[waterfell]

We'll see what there is. [Her voice is clipped as she quickly becomes wrapped up in the need to know, the push to find out just what's really happening.]

[findmyownreason]

[Cloud's dealt with a lot of his motion sickness. He's had to over the past few years. He still considers it a good thing that the roof is down and he's got enough fresh air to keep him from feeling stifled. His goggles keep the wind from his eyes and the sound of the engine is reassuring but - turning his head, he realizes he has no idea who the driver is.

That's new.

He's also not wearing any of his swords. That's new too.

A glance at the sun reassures him that at least he's not going to be late for dinner at home anytime soon. It lets him relax a little and he asks:]

Who're you?

[secret_of_the_moon]

[He was so much into it that he hadn't really noticed someone besides him, even if it only made sense that the road trip would be done with a companion, even if he had been alone he would have enjoyed it the same way. It was just about the trip, not the destiny after all. The feeling of almost flying over the pavement, with the wind blowing at his face, a feeling of freedom he doesn't enjoy often.

Because of all that, he hadn't really even looked at the seat besides him, not until someone speaks. A blonde man with goggles... That doesn't help with recognizing him but he already has the feeling he wouldn't know the other. That doesn't stop a smile from spreading over his lips.]

Tsukuyomi! My name's Tsukuyomi, what's yours?

[findmyownreason]

[there's a twitch to his own lips at the answer. Something about the kid in the driver's seat is almost too energetic not to feel the effects of, like the sun reflecting off water.]

Cloud.

[his voice is soft and low but it carries easily over the wind in the dream. He swears he's seen that smile before but he can't place it. And he's fairly sure he'd remember the driver if he'd met him before. His eyes shift back to the landscape ahead of them. It's starting to trickle through that this must be a dream and not one of his.]

Where are we going?

[secret_of_the_moon]

[Tsukuyomi hums loudly, obviously thinking. Where are they going? Are they even going somewhere at all? He knows there are suitcases at the car trunk and they are definitively driving to get somewhere... But where was it again? Even if it's his dream he can't think of anything, probably because all he wanted was just to drive and have a road trip. At the end he laughs happily.]

I wonder! I can't really remember where we're headed, but this is nice too, isn't it? To drive like this, free and fast. I'm sure we will get somewhere, all roads do, but I don't think I really care about the destiny!

Uhm, but if you want to go somewhere in particular I'm sure we could get there too! There must be signals along the way.

[findmyownreason]

[there's a certain draw to being destinationless, Cloud will freely admit. The feel of the wind through his hair and the sun on his face. For the first time in a long time, he lets himself tip his head back to enjoy it for a long moment. Freedom.

Except he's already found his freedom. It was right in front of him all along. He just has to figure out how to make it work.]

No. Nowhere if fine. Just as long as I'm back home in time for dinner.

[secret_of_the_moon]

[He laughs loudly at that, happily and carefree.]

Yeah! I should get back home before dinner as well or mom will get angry at me and leave me out!

[He would eventually be allowed back in, of course, but he would still have to spend a while out. And probably end not getting any dinner. Oh well, maybe he could go and mooch on one of his friends dinner or something, but he still would prefer if that didn't happen.

Tsukuyomi looks up at the sky with the sun shining up there.]

It's still early though, we can enjoy this road trip for a good while yet, right?

[findmyownreason]

[Cloud's eyes lift to the sky and that sun, bright and encouraging in it, and his face relaxes a little more, edges of his lips curving upward. No motion sickness and an open road ahead of him?]

Yeah.

[yeah. He thinks that's fine and so he shifts back into the seat, relaxing as he folds both arms behind his head and looks up.]

Yeah, that sounds fine.

[secret_of_the_moon]

[Tsukuyomi agrees with a smile and the road keeps spreading in front of them, longer and longer. Slowly the landscape starts to change, through the mountains, through a forest, through flower fields... The roar of the car is rivaled by nothing around them and it feels comforting, at least for the boy driving the car.

It's amusing, how easily he just knows how to drive the engine, how to make it roar more or take a curve smoothly and with only minimal reduction of the speed. How easy it's to drive even though the car goes at a speed that it should give him little time to react to anything. It's so clear it's a dream, but he doesn't mind it, he likes it even with a man he doesn't know sitting besides him. It feels comfortable, nice, a road trip with another guy, just two guys and the long and open road. Both of them will have to return home before it's late, but for now they are just here together.

The landscape changes once more and soon they are driving down a country road surrounded by huge cherry trees among other trees. The few and scattered pink and white blossoms of the cherry trees mix with the dark green leaves of the others easily and naturally. Running along the side of the road is a dirt road even at the high speed and the distance the marks of carriages can be spotted easily on it. Tsukuyomi takes a deep breath, the scene of the flowers and the trees mixing nicely and making the whole trip even more delicious.]

[findmyownreason]

[Cloud doesn't mind the travel but his eyes take in the scenery as it shifts. This isn't his world, it's easy to tell, and he suspects it belongs to the boy next to him instead. When it shifts to country and cherry trees, Cloud inhales as well, letting the new scent mix into his lungs. There's no hurry in his words as he says:]

Stop the car for a minute.

[secret_of_the_moon]

[Tsukuyomi only looks at him briefly even as he starts to slow down until the car stops, making sure to move it to a side of the road even if they have yet to see anyone else driving along. Cloud didn't seem in a hurry or annoyed when he asked to stop, neither seemed sick, so the boy doesn't worry. Instead he takes the chance to look at the road and take in the scenery.]

Mmm, so pretty. I love the aroma of cherry trees.

[findmyownreason]

[more used to trucks and bikes than cars, Cloud hops over the side of the car instead of messing with the door, ambling down loosely to one of the lower hanging branches. His eyebrows are down as he carefully inspects it, finding the best thin strand with the most just opened blossoms on it. Very careful not to jar it too much, he breaks off the thin branch, careful to keep it a clean break. It's only a dream but sometimes things carry over from dream to dream and just in case they do, he'll keep this. Walking back to the car, he hefts himself easily back in.]

Thanks.

[secret_of_the_moon]

[Tsukuyomi observes the other curiously as he returns.]

Wanted to keep a memory of the trip? Or is it a gift for someone?