melodiesofeternity | Event || Once Upon A Dream

Event || Once Upon A Dream

Who: All characters who signed-up!
When: May 31st - June 04th
Where: The Dream Width (+ Curti Center & Airships)
What: Event log for the Once Upon A Dream Event! Should your character have their own memory, start your own top-level with said memory. If not, then tag around in other characters's memories! Furthermore, feel free to use the Mingle threads at the Curti Center and in the Airships for non-memory related CR. Please refer to the OOC Post for details and plotting. Plot Memories and the second Airship Mingle will be unlocked on May 25th.
Warnings/Notes: Memories with specific warnings will be marked as such by their players.

Please use the following form for your memory's title line:
CHARACTER'S NAME | MEMORY TITLE | WARNINGS (IF ANY)
We will add links to your memories here as the event progresses!

Mingle: Curti Center | Airships #1 | Airships #2
Plot Memories: The Dream | The Nightmare | The Premonition
Holographic Messages

Adrien Agreste | Then and Now
Aqua | Thorny Pathway | cw: spoiler for kh 0.2
Castor | Lord of the Inferno | cw: fire, mind control
Ena | Zera Hamlet, Reprise | cw: mutilated corpses
Futaba Sakura | Early Days | cw: references to verbal abuse/neglect and auditory hallucinations
Ignis Scientia | For The Life of the Chosen | cw: spoilers, violence, death
Irhya Pendhula | The Parting Glass | cw: violence, amputation
Johnny D'Amico | United Earth Prisoner
Kanji Tatsumi | You're a BOY, you know! | cw: bullying, mild homophobia
Lelouch vi Britannia | Julius Kingsley
Monika | Just Monika | cw: spoilers, possible horror, possible deletion
Nanamo Ul Namo | A Good Memory
Noctis Lucis Caelum | Light of the Crystal | cw: chapter 13 spoilers
Okuyasu Nijimura | Lending a Hand | cw: blood/injuries
Prompto Argentum | I'm not one of your experiments! | cw: episode prompto spoilers
Selphie | The Answer | cw: gore/death
Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane | The end of the beginning | cw: end of season 2 spoilers
Tidus | A Broken Dream | cw: death, bullying

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And staring in after her meet-up with Futaba, Naoto watched the scene with a scowl. She previously had known that Kanji hadn't had the best time in school. From a few issues after his father's passing to more concerning attitudes that must've effected his overall academic career, she could only imagine.

... Even then, it was still worse than what she would've anticipated. And so went marching on toxic traditional views enough that Naoto scowled and... didn't have anything to say about basically witnessing what might be Kanji's first assault on a fellow classmate. Watching, she remembered being around his age, and so many times she had gotten frustrated with kids her age... and then adults, but it wasn't time for those thoughts.

He was coming towards them. "... Ready, Futaba-san?"

This was everything she’d been afraid of, and way, way too familiar. Even the words - weird, freak. It was hard not to think about her own times at elementary school. At hiding her tests so others couldn’t see her results, not talking to anybody so they couldn’t say her interests were weird, of recesses spent sobbing in a locked bathroom stall. By the time Kanji actually slugs his tormentor, Futaba’s own hands are curled into fists, shaking very slightly.

Naoto’s words jerk her out of her thoughts, and all the better, because she doesn’t want to be too caught up in them to help the person in front of her. She doesn’t trust her composure enough to say anything, but she does nod her head, a little jerkily.

He was small, but he was on a roll. After pushing past his classmates, some of which expressing their disgust over being brushed against or one girl in particular beginning to scream in the hopes an adult would show, he pushed between Naoto and Futaba.

"H-he started it!" Little Kanji wailed, taking a right and... not paying attention, tumbling over his own shoes and hitting the hardwood floor. With a growl of frustration, he began to push himself upright, eyes on the prize: The two-way fork at the end of the hall. He needed to get outside. He wanted to go home... or anywhere but here.

Though Naoto moved back at Kanji's hurried exit, she soon quietly followed without looking back. When he tripped, she would've helped him back up, but he was faster at righting himself.

"We know he started it. Though, we were too late to intervene and correct his behavior."

A kid like the one Kanji just left beaten up on the ground required more than some verbal correction; someone needed to speak to his parents about that poor attitude. A teacher, perhaps? But there didn't appear to be any around. What was with this school?

"Y-yeah, that kid was- ah!"

Yeah no, saving the conciliatory remarks until she's sure he can hear them, because right now he's making a beeline away from them as fast as she can. She doesn't even hesitate, turning to run after him.

"W-wait! We're not mad!"

He couldn't hear them. He didn't want to hear them. Of course they were mad, adults always got mad when something happened and didn't ever want to listen. That's why his teacher was terrible, turning a blind eye to everything happening. She wanted an easy job... that was something he wouldn't realize until he was older and angrier.

Once outside, Kanji stopped in the grass. He could run home like he wanted, tell Mom and Dad what happened and... and... they'll get mad at him for hitting. He hit that jerk so many times. He was in so much trouble. So he couldn't go home, could he? Where could he go?

With a frustrated sob Kanji gave up, hands in bruised, shaking fists at his sides. So he'll cry like a girl, he guessed, but he didn't really care right now. Everything was terrible.

He was in so much trouble.

Naoto still followed, not really paying attention to anything they might pass, but just making sure there wouldn't be a sudden interference. However, so far, it was just the two of them following Kanji outside... watching him start crying.

Reaching into her pocket, she had her handkerchief there. Whether Kanji knew or thought she might have one pocketed was the next question to ask him once they left. Stepping before Kanji, she held it out to him.

"Here, use this to blow your nose."

Hoo boy. She's glad Naoto takes the initiative to approach Kanji first because she. She doesn't know how to handle this kind of thing at all. With littler kids even moreso.

She shoots Naoto an faintly pleading look that she hopes communicates 'I have no idea what I'm doing, please bail me out if I screw this up' before bending her knees, kneeling down a bit until she can be on the same eye level. It... doesn't take as much as it could probably.

She hesitates, before smiling a bit sadly, "Bullies are the worst, huh?"

The people he'd seen in the hall had followed him. That figured... they probably told someone, too. But he didn't want to keep a messy face, so he was grateful for the handkerchief. Rather than blow, he just covered his nose and mouth.

Futaba hunkered down and his eyes turned to her. In response, he could only give a miserable sniffle and nod at first.

"Everybody hates me..."

"Hm... hate is a strong word, but they certainly aren't making an effort to understand or get to know you." If anything, he'd now struck fear into them. If they were going to attempt to bully him again in the future, tactics would change to say... someone he wouldn't strike.

"Honestly, you don't need to befriend people like that."

Taking another deep breath. So far so good.

"Y'know I'm pretty weird too. I mean, pretty sure I still am. I know I was back in elementary school. Nobody wanted to be my friend." Well, there was one exception, but that's not a story for right now.

"The thing is, it sucks a lot right now, but you'll find people who don't care. Or who even think that being weird makes you pretty cool."

And there is 100% certainty in her voice. Not just that he will find those people but that he will. He's got one in her, and she's pretty damn sure she's standing next to another one too.

He didn't need to make friends. That was true. He realized now that he never needed to make any at all, because people were stupid. Girls were mean and liked to stare and laugh, while the boys - easier, sure - were still just as rotten at the very worst of times.

"So where are they? The people who don't care, who thinks being weird is cool? 'Cause it's not like I can go back in there... o-or home..."

But he growled in frustration, clutching his hair and gritting his teeth.

"They won't get it! Mom and Dad, they're gonna yell at me for hitting! I..." He lowered his hands and looked desperate.

"...I-I can't go home..."

"It might take a while... it also might require you to seek them out. The people who find 'weird' 'cool', they're in the same position you are, where others don't understand them and rather push them out. You'll have to remain strong until then."

No definitive time, no definitive location meant giving him something to do. That was only if they could pull it together.

"... If you want us to accompany you, we can. I'm sure they'll be happy to know the teacher was absent during this incident and that the school has allowed it to reach this point."

"Yeah, you don't have to do this alone," That at least, absolutely feels like the right thing to say here. He's not going to have to do any of this alone, not while they're here.

"I... could tell you about one of the times I got yelled at too, while we go if you want," she adds. Not the easiest of topics, and there's a part of her that realizes he'll probably remember this when they figure out how to snap him out of it. Even if he didn't, Naoto certainly would. But. Well... they'd already both known about bits of it anyway. Oh well.

He sniffled miserably, but nodded. He handed the handkerchief back to the detective, but he paused. After a thought, he began to fold it up and tuck it into a pocket.

"'m gonna wash it before I give it back... 'cause it's polite. But I'm ready to go."

Yet he squinted at the both of them. They'd come out of nowhere and had been so nice.

"Who... who're you guys?" Why did they seem familiar? Had he seen them around town before while he played Spy while in the trees around the river? As he scratched his head, the vague silvering of his skin bloomed above his left eye, revealing the scar.

"I thought high school kids were too cool for this place."

"Sure..."

He really didn't have to, but... it's Kanji. She couldn't say no; especially not to that face.

A hand on her hip, she glanced towards Futaba, but then looked back at the young boy. Blinking, she realized his scar was back. Was he remembering then?

"... My name's Naoto Shirogane. And honestly, I don't regularly attend high school unless it's convenient."

Huh, Futaba noticed that too. Was that... a good sign? She hopes it is. She folds her arms behind her, a very characteristic posture for her.

"And Iiii am actually from nowhere near here. Near Shibuya, actually. Don't let the outfit fool you. I'm actually not in high school yet, and I hate school uniforms anyway." Maybe she should. Stop and answer the question, "Sorry. Rambling. Futaba Sakura."

"Kanji Tatsumi." He briefly fidgeted with his hair, still not used to really introducing himself like everyone else could. He still wasn't sure he liked the way his name sounded. But their names... they sounded like words he knew.

"Were you on TV or something? I dunno, I've heard your names before. Futaba, and N-nuh-nao-noot..."

But he paused, fumbled with another syllable, and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt as his face turned bright red. He focused on the ground.

"Nice to meet you, Kanji-kun." Again... she wanted to say that, but she needed to let him progress this slowly. Otherwise, well, who could say what the memory might do...

"I'm not certain about Futaba-san... however, you may have heard of my Grampa. The Shiroganes try to minimize their media exposure, but sometimes their assistance ends up reported depending on the case." She didn't mind him fumbling with her name; though... strange it was her name.

Futaba shakes her head, "I've pretty much been around Tokyo most of my life. And I'm not exactly famous or anything."

(H e h.)

That being said, inspiration, in its own way, strikes. Maybe a way to keep this... apparently progress towards snapping him out of it. "Can you think of anywhere else you might know us from?"

Shirogane... he remembered hearing the name on TV a couple of times, but Mom and Dad turned off the TV when he entered the room. They seemed scared to have him learn that- that-

"I lost both my parents in an accident. I was still young, so my grandfather took me in." Right. That happened. And he was worried SICK as he heard all this, because she was so dumb and went into the TV world by herself, the freakin'...!

Kanji stared at Futaba. Where he might have heard of her...?

"You happen to be talking to a master hacker, here." After he'd tripped over her, and they woke up on that weird ship. She was curled in a ball and-

The now-blond clutched his head. "No, this is wrong! I think I know you guys. I got... I got mad at you, Naoto, 'cause I was worried about you... and Futaba's like a wizard, and she likes curry..."

The bird song stopped, and the cicadas quieted as well. Any breeze that could be felt, any smell of grass and dirt had disappeared as well.

Pausing when Kanji clutched his head, Naoto stepped closer. Seemed like it was enough for him to notice something wrong in time. Good... though, did he have to bring that up?

"... Yes, because I made myself a target."

Around them, all sounds and general ambiance along with scents had gone. The memory was recognized for what it was: a memory.

There's definitely some sympathy when he grabs at his head. She's... been through this. Maybe not this exact scenario, but close enough that she knows the feeling, knows this part honestly sucks. But they're getting there.

"That'd be a tech wizard, specifically," she says with a soft grin, "And hey, either way we're still here. We're still... your friends."

It's said with the gravity of someone who knows how important that kind of admission can be. Something it's sounded like they can all understand. Remember that?

He definitely remembers that. There was the sound of glass breaking from both behind and ahead of them, shattering the dead silence of the paused memory. His hands were shaky when he lowered them, gaze unfocused.

"You're... you're both my friends! But I didn't get to meet you guys yet. Not for years. I'm... this isn't home. I'm not home right now." Inaba... no, he hadn't been waking up in Inaba for a while.

But as he shook his head to clear it, he looked between the two of them. His first thought, strangely, was 'wow, they're both pretty damn tall today.'

"This ain't right. Where am I? I-I feel like..." His hands passed over his body, patting himself. The color drained from him.

"Like that time she dragged me under."

His eyes focused on Naoto. "When she dragged us all under, as a last resort."

God, he still had nightmares about that sometimes. Maybe they needed to talk about it? But nobody had really...

Edited 2018-06-09 17:04 (UTC)

Her eyes narrowed at the thought of her. If being in this place felt that oppressive, it was all the more reason why they needed to get him out of here... now.

"There was some turbulence while we were exploring the Dream Width. Right now, we're all in a memory nebula you created..."

Futaba didn't need to know about her... but, Naoto would speak to Kanji about it later likely. Had that been bothering him for some time? Why didn't he say anything?

Event || Once Upon A Dream

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