foundationmods | Dreamland (round 3)

[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?]

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[ Nodding Natsuno takes longer than you would expect to grab a glass from the cabinet, but that's at some point he just stares off into space for a while.

At some point a glass is acquired—a regular sized glass and not a sake cup (that's on purpose at least) and he sits down opposite shadow. Like he did a few weeks ago he nudges the glass towards the hedgehog without verbally asking.

Yeah, he specifically meant drink with Shadow. There's a whole lot going on in his head, even more than he expected and it's just a lot. He could be angry, he could just try to snap back to stoicism but right now? He just wants to be sad. ]

[Shadow obliges and pours him a serving]

Watch it -- I find that sake sneaks up on you because it's easier to drink than whiskey or scotch.

[He doesn't press, content to just let Natsuno take his time]

Mn? I thought you couldn't get drunk anymore. [ Following Shadow's advice perfectly he throws back almost half of it in a single gulp. He shakes his head letting the burn hit him, but there's no clear blanching like the other times. It is smoother, or maybe it's because the situation is different. Probably both. ]

Well, that was advice for you. Actually, I'm not sure if you can get drunk here, either. Dream stuff, you know.

Guess I'll find out. [ Finishing off the rest in the cup. He's not really rushing it, but he's basically treating it like it's blood. Close enough in this situation, because all he wants is to just get lost in something.

At least for tonight. ]

But...I wouldn't be surprised if I can't. It can get added to the list of ironic reversals.

You have a list now, huh?

[Shadow pours him some more. He's taking his time with his own serving]

I think I need one. [ Taking an almost normal sized drink this time, he sets the glass down and looks off to the side with a huff. ]

You know about me and death already, but it's not only that. Those flowers? [ He's not sure how much they explained at trial, but after realizing he trusts Anon to have not elaborated more than he needed, he continues. ] I wanted to put my past behind me. Instead I left my future behind.

Yes. Anon mentioned you had been taking some flowers to the chapel. White ones. [sip] Which Sora mentioned you hate. [Shadow frowns] Your future isn't set in stone yet.

I do hate them. The person who killed me the first time...he was my best friend. It didn't matter what we were, because he made that choice.

After...he felt guilty. He left a white flower under my window every night, some type of penance to make himself feel better. If he was sorry then it didnt matter that he betrayed me.

I never settled things properly with him and I won't get the chance. But I decided I finally wanted to put him behind me. Saying goodbye in the same way felt fitting—it's all he deserved. [ Putting down the sake was a mistake and short lived. ]

Hmph. Of all the ways I can think of to make up for killing someone, leaving flowers seems to be the bare minimum. Just saying "sorry" doesn't change anything... [Shadow frowns into his sake. Just look at him and Watanuki] And then Syaoran jumped you. He probably knew he couldn't beat you fairly so he put you at a disadvantage.

Ha, it's my fault. [ Rubbing his cheek. ]

I shouldn't have been near the chapel in the first place. I probably could have taken him anywhere else but not there. Tohru killed me twice, but at least the first time I was okay with it.

Before I just wanted him to be happy...but now I just wanted to be happy myself.

[ For his typical angst and brooding, Natsuno is still only sixteen. And clearly the universe doesnt entirely hate him after all because he does feel the liquor. Staring down into his sake, he doesn't let even bother to move his bangs from his eyes. ]

I'll tell you a secret, Koide. You can't focus on making anyone else happy if you aren't happy yourself. Taking care of others, being kind and generous... it's all well and good, but you can't let yourself fall through the cracks in the meantime.

Kind and generous...I don't think anyone's ever called me that. [ Surely he wants to protest, but he can't find the energy for it right now. And somewhere, as strange at it is, he knows it's not entirely wrong either. ]

I want to be me, that's all.

Then be you. Find yourself. Forget the rest for a bit and focus on you. There's nothing wrong with that.

[ Natsuno's silent for a while, staring at the little bit of sake left in his cup. That's what he had committed to a few weeks ago, but somehow things had gotten clearer and yet more complicated at the same time. For better or worse, he would have both the time and solitude to think this all through in his third afterlife.

No distractions. ]

...yeah. [ He gets up from the table just a touch unsteady—he's somewhere neatly in the realm of drunk, but not so much so that he's stumbling. Perks(?) of being kind of a lightweight with an empty stomach. ]

I wanna sleep. [ Quietly, after some internal debate. ] There free beds?

[Shadow nods, but doesn't stand to help Natsuno with his stumbling -- he doesn't think the young man would appreciate it anyway.]

Of course. Upstairs. Watanuki's room is locked, so don't go in there. There are futon mattresses in the others.

[ Nodding, he stops in the doorway of the kitchen. ]

Thanks. For everything. [ Yeah, even that awkward talk before. He has a lot to think about. ]

...

You're welcome, Koide.

[Shadow doesn't say it aloud, but his expression seems to say And I'll be here if you need me again.]

Dreamland (round 3)

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