Dreamland (round 3)

[foundationmods]

[A strange house of some sort sits in the pitch black nothingness that exists around it. For those just now wandering in, they will be drawn to the building, finding it lit up in a way that it should not be. It's as if the whole area- house, yard, fence, and giant sakura tree- all give off their own light, and the newly-arrived are drawn to it like a moth to the flame.

Inside the boundary of the yard, the familiar faces of those who have passed on already will greet them. Depending on who is asked, they might give an accurate explanation. But even if they don't, one thing is clear: you don't want to leave this place. The area outside feels Dangerous, and it is probably best to stay put.

Fortunately, the house is built in an old style, and there are many rooms to explore. One room on the second floor seems locked, but the rest are open to explore as desired. The standard rooms are easy to find: kitchen, a W.C. and a bathroom, a sitting room of some sort, and a couple bedrooms (with plenty of futons for the dead to use). There are also several tatami mat rooms with nothing in them currently, but it seems like there might be some use for those rooms.

Around the house, perches for birds can be found. No birds are on them currently, though.

Sometimes Watanuki can be found in the house, but most of the time the dead will be left to their own devices. The question is, what will they do here?]

Comments

[foundfate]

[Watanuki had been distant this whole time, looking off in another direction and not really focusing on Shadow. But when he feels that hand, he jumps a little and looks to Shadow, as if startled by the contact.

But a second later he relaxes into a sad look, and he nods.]

I was upset with him, but now I'm just angry with myself. I...I said some really hurtful things to him, and not just out of anger in the heat of the moment either. I was angry, and I wanted him to hurt too. That's the worst part of it, that I really did mean to hurt him. It's...a Witch thing, I think. I definitely never did things like that when I was fully Human.

Syaoran is all I have left of my days as a human. Doumeki, Himawari, Kohane, Yuuko-san, they're all gone now. The time that left me untouched eventually claimed them all. Syaoran's the only one left now, and I just pushed him away because of my own damn temper-

[His breath catches there, and he covers part of his face with his free hand. No, no more crying tonight. He doesn't need that.]

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow now grabs Watanuki's hand, glaring at him. But it's not meant to hurt -- it's meant to anchor]

Stop that. A "witch" thing? Kimihiro. Those are thoughts that everyone has, sometimes. When you really really hurt, everyone wants other people to hurt like they do, to know your pain as you lived it. That darkness dwells in every single living thing. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Whether you act on it, or if it's just a fleeting and intrusive thought that worms its way into you mind... it doesn't matter. It doesn't make you less of a person. And it doesn't mean you've totally severed your bond with him.

1/2

[foundfate]

[...]

2/2

[foundfate]

[A darkness that dwells inside every living thing, huh?]

So that kind of despicable thought isn't reserved for just Witches...

...

[It doesn't fix everything, and there's still a long ways to go. But Shadow definitely helped right there, more than he could possibly know.]

I...should probably apologize to him. It won't even begin to make up for it all, but it's the right thing to do.

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow nods, letting go of his hand. There are, after all, stories of mothers, fathers, who, upon seeing their newborn children, immediately have thoughts.... thoughts like wouldn't it be so easy to smother her? I could just snap his neck. The bathtub is deep enough to drown in...

If even that kind of bond could be affected, what chance did anyone else have?]

I have some... thoughts about Witches. But we can talk about those another time. For right now, I agree you should apologize. And he may not forgive you right away. But what has past has past, and you must keep looking forward. [Shadow looks down at his hand, flexing it into a fist and out again] Everyone makes mistakes, Kimihiro. But you can't let your mistakes define you.

[foundfate]

[That is some morbid but valid reasoning right there.

When Shadow lets go, he lifts up that hand to look at it for a moment, like he's studying the skin that Shadow just touched. What does he see there, exactly? Hm.]

I'd like to be defined by something besides my mistakes. And...wallowing in failures of the past wouldn't change my future, I don't think.

[chaoscontrol]

[there might be some hedgehog hair there??? maybe?? Shadow takes a moment to sip his tea]

No. It won't. Mistakes are just a part of who you are. How you react to those mistakes and the changes you make... well, I think those are way more important.

[foundfate]

[Honestly, most of his friends have fur. He doesn't mind.]

That's surprisingly poetic and motivational. I never expected something like that from you.

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow scoffs, folding his arms and pouting a bit]

What? You don't think I can be deep? Is it because I'm a "cartoon animal"? You haven't been listening to Erika, have you? People are complicated, Kimihiro! Even hedgehog people.

[foundfate]

I thought any deepness coming from you would be more on the pragmatic side.

[chaoscontrol]

That is pragmatic. Wallowing is not a productive use of anyone's time.

[foundfate]

Still, you're being very nice about it.

...thank you.

[This is like some rank 7 social link bullshit right here.]

[chaoscontrol]

Hmph. Even I know when some tact is warranted. Kicking a man when he's down doesn't help, either. [he pushes Watanuki's tea toward him] Drink your tea.

[foundfate]

It's nice to see that you think that now.

[He's forgiven Shadow for brutally murdering him, but he hasn't forgotten it.

And fine, he'll drink his tea. What kind did Shadow make?]

[chaoscontrol]

Like I said. I know a thing or two about mistakes. And tempers.

[siiiiippppp.

For Watanuki? Another strong black tea. Not quite the same kick in the ass as black coffee, but no herbal bullshit, either]

[foundfate]

[It's a good thing dreamland-tea doesn't have the caffeine, or else Watanuki might actually wake up.]

I guess there's worse people I could be taking that kind of a lesson from.

[chaoscontrol]

Hmph. You're welcome. [Shadow sips his tea again] By the way. I think I figured out what the orange means.

[foundfate]

[Oh hey, conversation time and it's not about how much of a disaster Watanuki is!

...maybe.]

Yeah? What do you think it means?

[chaoscontrol]

[SO YOU THINK...]

I think you were right when you said it wasn't about wrong or right. I think the blue represents your human side... and I think the orange represents your witch side.

[foundfate]

[Well, if they weren't 'right' or 'wrong', then witch or human makes sense. So he's not surprised, really, but still a bit confused.]

Why would there even be witch and human options, though? The ones you were reading, I was fully human then.

[chaoscontrol]

Maybe just to give some insight into how a "witch" thinks versus how a "human" thinks. [Shadow shakes his head] But the more I learn, the more I'm starting to think that distinction is pointless.

[foundfate]

...the line does get blurred a lot. But it still feels like an important distinction to make. Because being a Witch invites a lot of bad habits that I hadn't expected, and if I don't make a conscious effort to not do those things, then I find myself slipping into those habits.

[After a second, he thinks to give an example, if only to make it not a morality thing.]

It's so, so tempting to use magic for everything. Laying in bed, but want a book? Just levitate it over. Break a cup? Just magic it back together. Stuff like that.

I keep finding myself doing little things like that, but I really need to not be doing it, because I'm being careless with costs when I do that. I've already gotten minor injuries from it too.

[chaoscontrol]

I suppose that's true. It's hard not to be lazy. But just like having cruel thoughts, that's not really a "witch" thing, either. I mean, any person who had those sort of abilities would grow to rely on them. [Shadow adds an example of his own;] I can use my powers to warp around easily, but I don't think of myself as a "witch" if I choose to do that instead of walk... or a "normal hedgehog" if I walk instead of warp. [he hums thoughtfully] All these "witch" things... aren't they really just a way to categorize bad behavior?

[foundfate]

I...I never thought about it like that. I figured they were just 'witch' things because I never did things like that before I gained my powers. But if it's just that I never had the opportunity before, and now that I do...

[...]

Then...'it's just how witches are' really is just an excuse.

[chaoscontrol]

You see? It's not "witch" things. It's just power things. [Shadow gestures] Before I came in contact with a Chaos Emerald, I wasn't able to warp on my own. Now I can do it whenever I like. Would I have ever thought about it before that? Probably not.

[Shadow nods, giving Watanuki probably one of the most sincere smiles he's probably seen from him]

I don't think you have a "human side" and a "witch side", Kimihiro. It's all just... you. Everyone has good and bad inside them -- nothing is pure black or pure white. Or, in your case, pure blue or pure orange.