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MARCH EVENT LOG
At midnight on March 1st, a rolling lightning storm hits Yogen. Thunder crackles, and strikes of Anvil Crawler lighting can be seen lighting up the sky; anyone paying attention to the courtyard may see the explosive strike of lightning hitting the wisteria tree. Petals scatter throughout the air and are carried off in every direction by the wind...
As the month goes on the school will start to look even more barren. As the month goes on, several students start to disappear, with rumors spreading here and there about students disappearing after entering the forest. Those rumors twist and warp, and within just a few days there are rumors of a witch in the forest. But it's not a witch, nor a ghost, or anything else, but a dream, and those who enter will find themselves reminded of such by a soothing voice, the voice of a person they're familiar with, speaking gently in their ears:
"You are dreaming... They have always led and will always lead you here... Remind yourself, this is a dream..."
The world shifts subtly. There are gravestones marking the pathway now, and before long the forest is replaced by a completely new scene. A voice reminds you once more that this is a dream, and that you have always been here. You have always been led to this place. But where is this place? It's the world of a player character. It's nothing more than a snapshot in time. It might be one that they wish to escape, or perhaps a warm memory of a time that they wish to return to, but it is always an important memory to the character.
Whichever it is, the only way is to move forward. As characters move through the memory, characters will soon notice a snake and holly tattoo that spreads over their body will be. It starts small, a clump on one's back, but will spread across all parts of a character's body. It will reach the neck and face last, killing them upon reaching the eyes. As the curse spreads, they will notice changes in the dream including hallucinations, hearing lullabies, and shades that pursue them. They will also notice increased exhaustion and lethargy.
Upon reaching the end of the memory, they will find a glowing ball of light representative of a lost student's soul. Finding the soul will lead to both characters awakening at the edge of the forest, and the character who had been dreaming will be covered with the tattoo for a brief moment before it disappears.
Those who entered the dream may hear that same voice from before that tugs at their mind as the dream fades away:
"Remind yourself, this is a dream, and soon you will awaken. But you are here, as you always have been, and as you always will be... Soon, you will wonder where you were, and each moment after, will bring you here..."
The world shifts subtly. There are gravestones marking the pathway now, and before long the forest is replaced by a completely new scene. A voice reminds you once more that this is a dream, and that you have always been here. You have always been led to this place. But where is this place? It's the world of a player character. It's nothing more than a snapshot in time. It might be one that they wish to escape, or perhaps a warm memory of a time that they wish to return to, but it is always an important memory to the character.
Whichever it is, the only way is to move forward. As characters move through the memory, characters will soon notice a snake and holly tattoo that spreads over their body will be. It starts small, a clump on one's back, but will spread across all parts of a character's body. It will reach the neck and face last, killing them upon reaching the eyes. As the curse spreads, they will notice changes in the dream including hallucinations, hearing lullabies, and shades that pursue them. They will also notice increased exhaustion and lethargy.
Upon reaching the end of the memory, they will find a glowing ball of light representative of a lost student's soul. Finding the soul will lead to both characters awakening at the edge of the forest, and the character who had been dreaming will be covered with the tattoo for a brief moment before it disappears.
Those who entered the dream may hear that same voice from before that tugs at their mind as the dream fades away:
✽ Dreams may be whoelsale memories, or they may be more akin to dreamscapes based on a person's memories or mental state.
✽ The holly pattern represents the pain of love and aches of the heart, while the snake represents the yearning for the dead that consume a person.
✽ The tattoos will be blue or red.
✽ Characters may be drawn into the forest more than once, or require multiple memories to be gone through before reappearing. In those cases, the character who had gone through the initial memory will simply wake up in the forest alone.
✽ Characters who hear the voice upon leaving the dream will be more susceptible to entering and being lost in the forest.
✽ Anyone who is not rescued by the end of the month will be found at the edge of the forest. The tattoo will cover their body and stop just short of their eyes. It will disappear within an hour, but they will be exhausted for the rest of the day.
✽ The holly pattern represents the pain of love and aches of the heart, while the snake represents the yearning for the dead that consume a person.
✽ The tattoos will be blue or red.
✽ Characters may be drawn into the forest more than once, or require multiple memories to be gone through before reappearing. In those cases, the character who had gone through the initial memory will simply wake up in the forest alone.
✽ Characters who hear the voice upon leaving the dream will be more susceptible to entering and being lost in the forest.
✽ Anyone who is not rescued by the end of the month will be found at the edge of the forest. The tattoo will cover their body and stop just short of their eyes. It will disappear within an hour, but they will be exhausted for the rest of the day.
no subject
One does catch his interest, call out to him in particular. It's fuzzy and shapeless like the rest, a space of idea that slowly comes into focus - red and orange and yellow, lambency in brightness, the sense of radiating out from a point and shimmering mirage-like warmth, scattering sparks and the sort of loud sound that moves the chest with what is heard by the ears being an afterthought. It tries to be star - fire - firework, but when Shin picks it up it sullenly resolves into sunlight.
It's Subaru speaking that has him turning from turning it over in his hand, head lifting. Right, this is a projection room... he tries to ignore the tiny voice in his head wondering if he's even supposed to be here, and comes over next to him, handing the canister to him.]
Ahaha, I've got some time...
[He was... doing something before this, wasn't he? But he can't remember. That should bother him more than it currently is... but maybe it just wasn't important. Besides, he said he was going to watch a movie with someone, didn't he? That much is coming to mind. He looks around for somewhere to sit or at least lean.]
Err... should we get snacks for this?
[That's what's done, after all... he's not desperate enough to eat anything off the floor and hopes he never hits that point (again). Especially in front of someone else.]
no subject
[or days, maybe. subaru takes the canister and gently frees the film, working it into the projector's wheel.]
I won't start without you, so go ahead~. Get the largest popcorn you can, okay? Triple butter.
[and, with those instructions, shin is compelled on his way.
...
except when he exits the booth, he's in a dully colored neighborhood, cicadas trilling in the heat of summer as sunlight pours down on him. he's still got long-sleeves on, for his own comfort, but he's lacking his scarf... the beanie is chic enough it stays. there's the sounds of kids playing in a park down the street, and a gang of casually dressed teens hang outside a convenience store.
one of them is subaru, squinting at the sky as he chews on a popsicle stick. the gang of boys don't notice shin, not even when subaru catches his eye and his gaze widens with his grin, looping over. closer now, shin can see the remains of a bruise on his cheek and knuckles bandaged tight.]
Yo~, Kiki! You ready to go diving? The guys picked out some killer spots, they're perfect for some B'n'E T-L-C~.
[it seems you're taking part in crime today, shin.]
no subject
[Shin's not sure about stealing it, but he'll see when he gets to the counter... only he doesn't. The dreams shifts, changes, once more sinks him deep into it's depths, sends him into summer, and speaking of theft...]
Hang on, we're really breaking into someone's house...!?
[Multiple people's houses? Why did he agree to this again?? It hasn't escaped his attention, the signs that Subaru's been fighting, either.]
W-what if someone catches us?
no subject
["let's hang out" "sure" "we're breaking and entering into houses" "i didn't sign up for this" that's the conversation that brought us here, don't worry about it, subaru doesn't care shin didn't sign up for this he's here now so he's part of it now!!!
how else are you gonna get initiated into a boy group, shin. you have to commit a crime.]
Besi~des, it's just for a little fun~. Mm, that's what they say, anyway. [with a head tilt back at the other guys, who seem like they're waiting.] I don't really have anything better to do, so I figured why not. We don't hafta take anything if you don't wanna, it's not like we're starved for cash.
[him and shin, apparently. the others? who knows. but from subaru's tone, him and shin are in no need for it.]
no subject
T-that doesn't help if we're recognized!
[He's got teal hair! Do you know how many people have teal hair?? He's already having visions of being picked out of a lineup. He's already automatically tugging down his beanie a little.]
...
[He does catch the implication in Subaru's words, butting up against the description of it being for fun... could it be both?]
This is a really bad idea...
[But he's already shifting his weight in the resignedly apprehensive way that says he's in, he's coming with... this is for 'I told you so' purposes and a little more sense of control over the idea. He doesn't have to take anything... he can just. Follow and it'll be another summer afternoon with a friend...?]
As long as we're careful... right?
no subject
[... as long as they're careful, probably.
the rest of the guys split once targets are settled and a re-meeting spot is made, and subaru waves them goodbye with all the pep he usually shows off; after they're gone his arm drops and he sticks his hands in his pockets, starting off down the road and cutting into a side path towards the more residential area. the sort of part of town that's got some rundown, older buildings.]
... We don't have to take anything, [he repeats, even though the guys had pressed on the two to bring something cool or valuable this time, akehoshi's always slacking when it comes to show and tell,] so let's just stop somewhere once we're done and buy snacks to make up for it. That's what I usually do.
[get out of trouble card with food or drinks.]
So, about the test in a few days...
[... ... ...
it's very normal.
it's very normal, and there's a certain lucidity that's starting to move into shin's mind about it. was subaru always this relaxed? non-excitable? there's a low wall, wouldn't he usually climb it and walk on top rather than beside?
another voice pipes up just over the dulling one beside shin, but it's still the same boy:]
"It's the same thing, day after day... Can't those guys ever think of something new to do?"
[...
> answer it?]
>pick up the phone
[Something about that is making something kick at the back of his brain, as insistent as a bee bumping against a windowpane and about as able to get through, black and yellow warning colours hard to track the motion of. He falls quiet in his curve as the negotiations are made, thumbs sunk into pants pockets, fading to silent background at Subaru's side, following in the shadow of him and his thoughts as they walk away down the street. In a world like this, this wouldn't be unusual for him; he's always been the sort to follow the lead of others. Such is how time passes by here, day after day after day of endless summer he's sinking into moment after moment after moment, feet knowing where they're going, the sound of heat haze and chirping crickets and the sun like an eye that never ever blinks.
Subaru says, something, and Shin blinks, tuning in.]
H-huh? Oh, yeah... Ahaha, food really does smooth things over, doesn't it?
[For Shin, a snack is worth a thousand words, ones a lot easier to say and harder to go wrong with than trying to stumble through sentiment and end up upsetting people. Nobody doesn't appreciate the offer of food or drink and just... at his heart, it's how you connect. Friends share it and chat, after all, right?
Maybe they'll stop by that one corner store that's on the way back... but he really should be listening to what Subaru's saying. His thoughts are going everywhere today even more than usual... something's wrong.
It's a small, sudden certainty, seeping in like a needle of ice. Something's wrong... something's not quite right. Suddenly everything feels like an ill-fitting skin; Shin, the summer streets, and Subaru himself. He can't help but shiver a little as the sound and sunlight around them seems to fade out and dull, fighting his first reaction to stop and swivel his head in surprise at the one clear voice, damping it to a more normal turn, as if Subaru had piped up from silence... because that's Subaru's voice, isn't it? Is he supposed to be hearing this? Shin isn't sure how to feel about possibly suddenly becoming telepathic... is he in a light novel or something? It'd be a secretly exciting thought, if something didn't feel so, so wrong... besides, can't he already do magic? When did he forget that?]
Umm...? Can you hear me?
[Is he beaming this into Subaru's brain... he sure hopes that outside of this he's not just speaking out loud and looking stupid because of it.]
...
...We could... always do something else, and say we did it. [He laughs, a little nervously. If Subaru doesn't really want to do it... it feels like to even suggest this is pushing against layers of inertia, a worn groove ground into the sky, something not-allowed and dangerous because of such.] As long as we get those snacks, right?
[Is that really the problem, though?]
no subject
"... You can hear me?" [a pause. then, another reply:] "Huh. That's new."
[but again, again, the subaru beside him doesn't miss a beat in the muffled conversation, as one-sided as it seems from shin's perspective. the sun feels too hot for how dim it seems, for how low it seems, like the peak of afternoon despite the time not matching up anymore.]
"Sure. As long as we get those snacks, we can do whatever we want."
[but it's nonchalant, it's not excited. it's dull and off a normal shin should be familiar with; subdued, but not hidden by a shining brightness.]
"What do you like to do for fun? When you're not being dragged into trouble, I mean~. That's the only thing that's really exciting for me these days."
[...
that's not true though, is it?]
no subject
[It's like they're talking on a different level of reality, one turn up on the microscope slide. Or, he's a little too complete for this, not fitting well here either, when this should be a conversation between two alike kinds. Maybe what should be here has swapped places, is what the Subaru he was talking to is talking to now. He doesn't know.
He can feel sweat slide down between his shoulderblades, uncomfortably sticky. The once-pleasant warmth has become something oppressive, omnipresent, making his breath come short and quick.
I run marathons, he wants to say, his mouth shaping the words. I run, I bike, I leave the house for reasons other than work... the heat eats it. He gets dragged into trouble, for someone's amusement. He tries to seem interesting. Like the kind of person people actually like instead of pity.]
I... read. At home...
[Is what drips out of his jaw as molten wax instead, running down a chin swiped with a sleeve as if that could make it not said, shutting it with a click like it's been pulled out like a long hair. He's not looking at Subaru, either Subaru... he's looking at the ground like he'd be kicking a can if there was one. He reads, constantly online. More time on his computer than off it.]
Ahaha, it's... pretty pathetic, isn't it...?
[Everything feels like a jumble, he can't tell who he's supposed to be or where he should be right now anymore, his hand going to his head, hair, beanie. Only excited by toying with others... shouldn't he be more chipper about that? The airy subduedness is throwing him off and wigging him out. The dull shine of lead under crumpled gold leaf.]
Doubt you'd find it that interesting... even if you're sounding kind of gloomy yourself.
[This heat... it's hard to think.]
no subject
I think you're way more interesting than me though, Yori-chan."
[the world clicks out, like an extended blink, and shin finds himself alone in a dusk-tinted house.
it isn't a particularly interesting house. there's a dog bowl by the kitchen door. photos of family sat upon a side table, faces blurred. it's a relatively well-off house, not rich but it has two stories and room for a family of four. a soft light pours from an open door upstairs, drawing shin's eye—
> what will you do?
...
the heat remains the same, as if the inside was out.]
i am now deeply afraid the dog bowl is subaru's
When it comes back, some part of Shin's soul once more tries to adapt, chameleonic, reflexively reflective, sent drowsy by the heat. Oh... he must have gone to visit a friend's house tries to settle in, only this time, some other part of him rejects it, grabs onto the continuity of memory tightly. Something very strange is going on here. He can't afford to forget that...
Even if he's not sure what, exactly, that is yet. But he needs to stay awake.
Huh, this place has a dog? He's a little nervous about meeting it... His gaze drifts to the photos, but looking more closely than that... feels a little too much like snooping. Even if he knows they're there to be seen... he lifts his head towards the shine of light above, padding up the steps and placing his hand on the doorknob. He listens a little before speaking up, the other hand in his scarf.]
Hello?
[He's internally wincing at how horror movie this move is but... if the light's on there must be someone in there, right?]
NOT MY JOKES ABOUT ENSTARS CANON PETPLAY COMING BACK TO BITE ME
Oh, hey! Didn't think you'd make it~. Come on in, make yourself at home. We've got some time before the shower starts.
[what shower is anyone's guess, though shin (the one from yogen, the one from.... whatever this is) can guess it's astral; he can be proven right as the glow is not from any sort of overhead light, but various lavalamps with star coverings over them, the walls dancing with constellations.
it's comforting, isn't it? one comforting thing among the rest. subaru himself is chilling in a shirt and sweatpants, set for a sleepover, though it's clear it was only set for two.
despite his tone sounding as if others were to arrive.
shin can feel words bubbling up in his throat:
> "of course i came, i wouldn't miss it for the world!"
> "of course i came, it's not like i had anything better to do."
> "of course i came, no one else is gonna for your sorry ass."
...
the heat persists. subaru doesn't seem to notice, grinning widely as he sits up.]
IT'S TOO LATE PEACE
He comes in when Subaru speaks, without really thinking about it, legs moving in easily almost without him because he's supposed to be here, isn't he? There's his satchel turned overnight bag he's letting slide off his shoulder and guiding to the floor near the door.
He's going to internally say it: the lamps are extremely cool. He kind of wants one now... it really is comforting, despite or maybe with the lingering, unabating heat. He's loosening and relaxing into it despite himself, words coming up easily.
> "of course i came, it's not like i had anything better to do."
The words are his but the tone is also his and he can give it a light, easygoing lilt. The one from here is pretty excited by a possible star shower and the one from Yogen has some mixed feelings about Subaru but on the whole doesn't want to be cruel to him. There's nothing stopping him from going on...]
It's good weather for it, isn't it?
[Subaru doesn't seem to be noticing, but surely he can tell how hot it is for this time of night, if Shin points it out?]
BEGGING YOU TO FORGET
and at the rest, well, it seems like something slides into place when shin notes the good weather, the redhead rubbing his dampening neck with a hand as he hums.]
Oh, yeah... I guess. Like, it's really nice when it's warm like this, but the colder the air is the better you can see the stars.
[something something the air is clearer, something something less humidity or clouds... something like that. hot weather dims them, makes them less visible, for some reason subaru doesn't really know. atmosphere maybe.]
So I sorta wish it'd turn down already~. What if clouds roll in and we miss it, huh? Then it really won't matter how high we get on the roof!
[because apparently when it's closer to time, they're moving up. as per usual. the room seems to expand, in a way, easier to breathe, as if exhaling. a weight off the shoulder. lava lamps dancing colorfully. a perfectly normal, ordinary night over at a friend's, who is perfectly normal in every way.
...]
BUY MY SILENCE
[Shin knows even less about astronomy, so this is mostly a surmise, but it makes sense to him as a guess. He stands there and looks at the bean bag before heading over to sit and with a small noise immediately getting eaten by it as feral beanbags are wont to do, having to lever himself back to the surface with his elbows and adjust his knocked-askew beanie.]
These things repeat, right? T-there's always next time...
[This isn't the last star shower in the world, probably. Shin wouldn't be too upset if there were clouds, because even though it'd be a bit disappointing the whole point is spending time with a (perfectly normal) friend. He also wouldn't be too upset because... it isn't real... probably. He's not completely certain what it is, but some of the tension and urgency of the idea has seeped out, the room relaxing with him, or maybe the other way around. There's a pause where he lies there in the beanbag and thinks, like someone lying on their back in water.]
Hey, Subaru... how did we become friends?
I CAN'T ALL MY MONEY GOES BACK INTO SUBARU'S DUMB GAME
...
how did we become friends.]
Ah... Same class, sorta thing... I guess.
[but that's not quite right; they're not in the same class, here or outside of here, and the room feels uneasy again. as if it's tightening up, the more confident subaru sounds as he sits up with a bright smile. like he's just remembered the real reason, and not some vague thing--]
Our houses go the same way, so we just started walkin' together after school! Jeez~, you're really goin' senile at this age, Kiki? Maybe you should get your head checked by ○○○'s Dad~.
[...
there's movement in his mouth, at the blanks, but no sound. it's not anyone important, that's the feeling shin gets. the room feels tight, it feels airless, what did he do before that solved it? it's unbearable, like there's something covering his face, something that's keeping him from getting the air he needs without fully suffocating him. it's uncomfortable.]