foundationmods | Dreamland (round 3)

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round 3

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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Ah, I totally didn't mean to do that.

[He didn't mean for a lot of the fallout from Saturday, honestly. Some things you just can't see coming no matter how much you strategize or ask around.]

But, Robert, huh...

[He gives a thoughtful hum, seemingly not put off by having suddenly changed hair or eye colors but like. Well. Anon is Anon.]

[Shadow glares at Anon]

You. Thanks to you, now everyone has the bright idea in their heads that they can save people. Idiot.

[He has the grace to look kind of embarrassed about the whole fiasco, though he doesn't seem particularly fazed by the glare otherwise.]

There's no point in saying sorry when I don't regret anything, right?

[Shadow just shakes his head and grumbles. He looks back toward the others]

Now we get to deal with the potential fallout from that. .... Ah, but if... if Nirrti summoned Koide's soul back.... [oh dear...]

Of course she'd be able to grant this wish, too.

[He does look like he's thinking it over, at least.]

We've already learned that the win conditions probably don't depend so much on the number of Pieces anymore, but on the willingness of the Witches to yield. So as long as they can figure out the whole name thing...

That's not what I'm talking about you buffoon. Do you know why I could only send you a vague poem?

Hrrrnnnggggh. They'll all be safe in the end if we can just.... this will just be more senseless bloodshed!!

There’s no way to stop this Game from going on, Shadow. That’s not how living things work.

If I hadn’t thought of it, sooner or later someone else would have. It’s not so different from what Nirrti was offering before. [he pauses and then shakes his head] It’s more dangerous now, but I’m sure there are some cooler heads in there.

[He definitely just also dragged himself but he seems fine with that.]

Rrrrghhhhh.

[but he doesn't have anything to say.....]

Robert?

[ Coming over to sit next to. ]

[It might take a while before he stops lighting up a little every time Natsuno appears. It's also possible that he was already doing this for ages now. He might also never stop? It's a mystery. Anon shuffles over a little and bumps their shoulders just because he can.]

Mmm, Robert Haydn. That's what my shell over there looks like right now.

[He sounds more intrigued than anything.]

He was the first Celestial I took for Father's plan. Really, really strong and really, really unlucky.

[The memory makes a predatory grin curl across his mouth.]

It's actually weird -- I lost him somewhere on the way to the Foundation, I think. So I wasn't expecting to see him again at all.

[ Returning that shoulder bump just because he can too. And honestly it's mutual, like most things are between them. ]

I didn't know they could change appearances like that, but mine was still a jinrou so I guess that makes sense. If you hadn't lost him, I mean. [ He sounds like he wants to ask how you lose someone that you "eat", but that's a question better saved for later when there are more interesting things to talk about. ]

That sounds like a fun combination. [ He grins back, curious. Tell him more? ]

Aha, none of that explains why Wheatley is a goat.

[He dissolves into snickers for a moment because like, what the hell is that??]

I bet Nirrti is just having some fun shuffling through what she can do with us. I guess most people don't like the way she's playing with them, but we are all Pieces either way.

[So like, he's taking it philosophically?? Or maybe he even approves. He's weird like that.]

But yeah, Robert. He was a ten-star Celestial at a pretty young age, and he also had some pretty nifty extra powers, so he was pretty key to Father's plans for a while. His strongest weapon was supposed to be his hatred of all humans. Father really was convinced he'd made sure of that.

He has the intellect of one. [ Natsuno really doesn't understand what he was thinking in attacking Anon but, sure. ]

Probably. I think she just wanted to remind me what it would have been like if I got stuck in Sotoba after all. [ He shifts a bit, cause it did bother him but it's over now. Looking upward at the sky of Watanuki's soul, which likely contains no celestial bodies. ]

Seems like a lot of stars. [ It would be an annoying amount to have on a badge or something, which is how he's envisioning it for lack of a better comparison. ] Parents are good at thinking they know everything. How'd it actually turn out?

Edited 2019-04-30 21:26 (UTC)

[He gives a further snicker of agreement on Wheatley, because that's really all there is to say. The guy can build some fun traps and come up with some truly off-the-wall ideas but at the end of the day he's just a truly dumb bot.]

She can be like that sometimes. [said like Nirrti's some eccentric auntie or whatever but y'know] I don't think it would have been like that, though, no matter what -- because you're you.

[And really there's no Nirrti fanfiction-style Natsuno or headcanon Natsuno that can stand up to the real thing. He emphasizes this with more contact, shoulder-to-shoulder that turns into just leaning there for a moment.]

Every star represents a different weapon for Celestials, so ten stars means ten Sacred Weapons. And actually, Gulliver -- that's the seven-star Sacred Weapon. It's a big box that appears out of the ground and captures your opponent. Not a bad name for a hunting dog.

[He seems a bit bemused when talking about his counterpart and dogs. I mean, Natsuno can probably guess why. It's kind of funny, really.]

Ah, I forgot to say. Father was pretending to be Robert's father, and then I was pretending to be Robert. Because he met Ueki, and lost all of his ambition to wipe out humanity. I didn't get it at all, and I don't think Father did, either.

I didn't know it was possible to change like that just because of meeting one person.

[His gaze definitely wandered over to Natsuno when he said that, brief but instinctive somehow.]

[ Ah—he definitely appreciates the contact and reassurance, its evident by the way he relaxes into it and the small exhale that follows. ]

With my four names and counting. [ Natsuno manages to sound amused at that, because he has accepted who he is now. Finally, even if it still feels pretty new.

He laughs a bit at the hunting box dog, the image is ridiculous in his mind but he tries to imagine it anyway. ]

Mm it's too bad there's not a cat. They like boxes too. [ There's some head tilting as he thinks the rest over, glancing at the infernal as he does so. Less instinctive in his case, and just a touch shy. ]

Yeah but it's more about gaining something, I think. At least for me.

[Anon, for his part, ends up settling into it and neglecting to move away. So that's just the way they are now, with Natsuno's laugh in his ear; he tilts his head into it a little.]

Right, because Watanuki gave you a demon name, too... I almost forgot. Are you a cat demon too, or something...

[Why else would he suddenly bring up cats, this is just how Anon's twisty and bouncy thought process goes sometimes. They have plenty of dog demons sniffing around the place already, so they're probably overdue for some other animals. That aren't birds, that is.

Maybe he'll do a bit more reading up on demons as well as gods, at that.

The proximity makes it easy to catch the glance Natsuno slides his way, and there's a little curl in his smile at it. He's not entirely sure where the shyness came from, but catching it feels a little bit like an achievement.]

Gaining something?

Why would I be a cat demon? [ ??? No self awareness here. ] No, a wolf. It makes sense with jinrou and all. Marchosias.

[ At that he wills a pair of vast dark brown wings into being, proving his names will continue to be nonsensical because since when did wolves have wings? When they're demonic chimera wolves who are also part griffin and serpent that's when. There's no flying here because he's comfortable like this, but he does wrap his wings around them both. They're pretty soft and can make a decent privacy screen too. ]

Mn. Robert lost the will for genocide, right? But I gained the desire to see and do a lot of things. Watching you catch a cheetah, showing you how boring school is, seeing all different kinds of cities... [ There's a lot more, but there's a slight tinge of pink in his cheeks as is. ]

Well, you seemed like you liked cats, so I totally wanted to guess. But actually, everyone was talking about how a jinrou was a werewolf rather than a vampire, or something like that.

[But more importantly! The demon part itself is so extra that it takes even Anon by surprise, it seems -- there's a startled noise when the wings suddenly appear, and then he laughs as they come down around him and reaches up to meet them, carefully stroking the feathers now tickling his face. He's learned to be careful with birds, after all.]

How is this a wolf? I think Marchosias is a pretty good fourth name, though.

[And now he can lean into Natsuno in two directions at once, with him at his side and the wings at his back, and he looks just about happy enough to nap in here. There are definitely things worth staying awake for right now, though.

He watches Natsuno out of the corner of his eye and there's something bright and very soft in his smile.]

Getting melon ice cream in the crazy human summers, and catching dragons and old hags and making them fight, and seeing how strong you can get if we keep stacking things...

[They probably shouldn't do that last one?? But still.]

[ Oh. The stroking feels really good and is something entirely unexpected. Give him a moment because he's turning an even more rosier shade of red, and losing his entire train of thought.

...dragons? wolf? There were questions here, what were they? Fluffing his feathers a little, he curls his wings closer around them. ]

Mmnn, the wolf has wings. I'm still getting used to them and... [ Ahh it's way too easy to get distracted right now. Wait. ] More things? They're not going to fit on a business card at this rate...

[He looks like he kind of wants to laugh again already; there's a tinge of delight to his expression as he takes in Natsuno's response, before he even bothers to pin down what the response is for. And that one is easy, for someone like Anon who knows how to watch people's movements and reactions. It's just new, and strangely wonderful, like the wings he wants to keep touching, but--

But for someone like him, it's also real hard to resist an opening when he's given one, particularly here in this smaller and darker space with just the two of them where it feels like they could do just about anything. He's bad at figuring out how relationships work, but he's extremely good at going with his gut and instinct, and they dictate that it's a good time to steal a kiss.

So he does -- leans in with a single movement to press his mischievous grin and bubbling laughter against the confused curve of Natsuno's mouth, and pulls away to answer -- somehow steadily.]

I don't think I've ever even had a business card. But you should definitely add the wings to it. I like them.

[ So much for even trying to sort through his thoughts because at the kiss his mind goes completely blank. In that moment, it's just the two of them, and nowhere and no one else matters.

But then his mind catches up to instinct and while he can't blush anymore, the down on his feathers can certainly poof out so now he's the fluffy pompom for once. The only sound he could really hear was the blood in his veins and his heart in his chest, but he did manage to catch the last words which were- ]

You like... [ This isn't fair his mind supplies and now it's his turn to press forward to take a kiss or two of his own. ]

Well I like this.

[Ah, he should absolutely have expected retaliation from Natsuno -- and he did, he did, it's just that despite all his foresight and his ability to pick up just about anything physically possible on the fly this is still his first time ever doing anything like this. Actually, it's probably the first time Anon's even imagined doing anything like this.

There hadn't been much time, or occasion, or anything like that.

So Natsuno can probably feel the way his breath hitches a little between kisses, and then the little huff that feels suspiciously like breathless laughter because all those downy feathers are definitely tickling him on top of everything else. He really shouldn't be trying to laugh and kiss at the same time but them's the breaks with this guy.]

Mmm, I can -- tell--

[Also should probably stop trying to talk at the same time but, y'know what. Once he's done with that he's leaning in a little more. Were we done with kisses? No we weren't.]

[ This whole affair is all kinds of ridiculous, but he wouldn't want it any other way. There's breathlessness from him too, from all the kisses and from the laughter that is part contagious, part nervousness.

Finally Natsuno pulls back just a little bit—he has to catch his breath unfortunately because jinrou need to breathe—and he's all stupid grin and fangs. He probably needs to think on what to do about the last part, but right now he can really only focus on one thing at a time. There's always next time, because there will be a next time, many more of them. ]

Good. [ Making some semblance of composing himself here. ] ...I'll keep them.

[ Yeah, he totally got the last sentence after all. ]

[It is completely ridiculous, especially since Anon also needs to breathe because Infernals also have lungs, yes, but he still follows instinctively for a split-second when Natsuno pulls back. He's no good at letting go of a new thing once he has it, sensations and sights and all kinds of things to dig into and explore, and he ends up blinking a couple of times as though to reorient himself in their new positions.

Then he just leans his head up against Natsuno's, a soft nudge against his hair and the feathers close by. He's just about as flushed now and his eyes are so bright; there's a flash of something sly in them when words happen again.]

Aha, I was wondering if you could. Maybe I'll have to find some of my own once this is over.

[It's mock-thoughtful.

Because his next move is just to turn and press a little kiss to the feathers, quick and absolutely an ambush.]

I'm glad.

[ For a second, it's possible Natsuno thought he was spared. Even with the renewed contact he can try to focus on the topic at hand because there's some thought he's put into keeping them. It's possible then that he might have missed that look, except he always makes his best effort to catch everything that happens between. Maybe it's some equalization for how he seems to mostly ignore the rest of the world and everyone else. So he gets about a half second warning before the ambush, which is a bit too late to really do anything (if he had even wanted to do something in the first place).

He lets out a short cry of pure surprise, his wings fluttering once or twice in response . It's comical really, as he's not about to take off from this position—more just an avian version of a cat batting with its paws in a futile effort. He is however, about to just let himself fall backwards to the floor, curled wings around them both and all. ]

Mmnph. You better cause this isn't fair. [ Absolutely half-complaining here even if he could just will his wings away. ] I'm going to turn into a hummingbird if this keeps up.

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