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

Apocalypsemi (now with extra Fragment Seasoning & sake)

[anonnomnomnom]

[The cherry tree is now in full bloom thanks to some judicious work on seals and pictures and whatnot, and there's probably a zillion petals flying around all over the place. In the koi pond beneath it, their counterparts on the side of the living -- not the literal ones, since those have apparently dissolved into the ether now -- are still scrambling and flailing their way through the Sea, and then the Labrynth.

Anon is sitting near the very top of the tree, apparently unfazed by the distance from what they're actually supposed to be watching -- he's in another appropriate outfit for the occasion (see: right) because he's just apparently adopted this style for now, his hair in a long braid and sprinkled here and there with stray petals because you can't escape those, really.]

Ahaha, I really thought some of them would fall into the Sea! I really, really want to go swimming in it right now.

[Honestly, he just really, really wishes he was there instead of here. It looks exciting, okay?? He likes apocalypses, in their own way, because of course he does. There's some sake with him since the branch is wide enough, and probably sake at the base of the tree, too.]

But I guess we're looking at Nirrti's diary? She and Watanuki really do like to do things the long way around...

[youkaiwatch]

[ And Emi's in the left variation one branch down. (I'm not sure how she got up there in this kimono and I am not going to dwell on it.)

She's still a little annoyed that she's stuck here having to rely on everyone on the other side, and is a little bitter about the fact that she would have actually been pretty useful there this past week, contrary to some people's evaluations of her.

But she can't do much about that, and she's at least got some good company in this tree, so she'll just watch. ]

They do seem to make things needlessly complicated.

[ She holds a cup up to the branch above. Hook her up with some of that sake, buddy. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[(It's a foxy superpower, is what it is.)

And they are absolutely in the same straits when it comes to having to rely on those on the other side, though Anon's had a little longer to try and come to terms with it (he has not come to terms with it, but that's a topic for another day or more sake), and the company really is quite an improvement in some ways.

He gives her a bright little grin in their nice matching outfits and reaches out to pour for her. He's gotten way better at this in the space of a week.]

Complicated and high-maintenance and then he has to go and be all dramatic, too! No wonder all of his Pieces are like this.

[He is absolutely including himself in that, all things considered. He really has no room to talk about being dramatic.]

[foundfate]

I am right here, you know.

[Said from his perch on the ground at the base of the tree. He's not denying the accusations btw, because they are true. ]

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow is sitting next to Watanuki and he laughs a bit]

There's nothing wrong with a little harmless drama every once in a while. Otherwise things would get pretty boring.

[anonnomnomnom]

I mean, I don't know how harmless it is to be all dramatic after you were in a coma and dragged everyone through a Sea that tries to eat you and then run away before throwing them into a bunch of hay, but it's definitely interesting.

[All said in one breath and with a perfectly pleasant grin down at Watanuki.]

Besides, I know you're there.

[chaoscontrol]

No one got hurt.

Ergo, harmless.

[sssssiiiiiiipppp]

[anonnomnomnom]

Dignities totally count!

[He's just being a shit.]

[foundfate]

I have to conserve the energy I have. Even with Moriarty and Kurama's added, it will run out fast if I use my Dimension magic too much. And if everyone is to get out of here, then I need at least some.

[A pause, and then he sighs.]

We may need to stop by the shop for like a week to recover before I take all of you where you need to go, depending on how today goes. I would rather not have that delay, they're waiting for all of you, but it is what it is.

[cryosurgeon]

[Another week? The thought hurts, but Erhard's pretty sure he has nothing to offer that would help Watanuki. He's grateful they have any sort of chance to return, anyway.]

If it can't be helped, there's no point in complaining. You're saving all of us, whether we really deserve it or not, so... thank you, Watanuki.

[anonnomnomnom]

I still have Ichigo, you know.

[He's just saiyan. ☆]

[chaoscontrol]

We will not be using Ichigo like some sort of battery.

[anonnomnomnom]

Well, I mean, if you really want I can spit him out so you can ask him yourself. I'm sure he'll want to get everyone back sooner because he's that sort of idiot.

[Like, even from a cursory knowledge of Ichigo this is easy to suss out, especially for someone like Anon.]

That might be a little more trouble than just waiting, though.

[foundfate]

I really don't want that idiot anywhere in my soul, there's no telling what he might do to it. But once we're done...we'll see.

[anonnomnomnom]

Heheh. The offer stands, so just let me know!

[Let's make Eski NPC Ichigo again!]

[sotoshini]

[ Natsuno could comment on things that actually matter, but if he did that he'd be missing a golden opportunity. ]

Hmn I guess I wouldn't mind going swimming either. Maybe not in this, though. [ Tilting his head towards Anon with a mischievous smile and leaning into him with his shoulder because of course he's on the same branch. As for his yukata, today he has on this fashion statement, which manages to be on brand so many ways. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[A picture is worth a thousand words and boy howdy are they getting some great picture resolution of the end of the Game right now. Anon is only glancing at it occasionally, though, more content to pay attention to the company and their newly restored perch.]

There's something exciting about it though, right? Everyone keeps saying you'd get lost in the Sea of Fragments forever, but that's probably just a way of saying you could end up anywhere.

[If you don't get swallowed, that is. But he doesn't seem especially worried about that right now; leaning back into Natsuno and soaking in his expression, returning it in kind with a bright one of his own, of course.]

If you're just swimming no matter what, though, you totally can't get lost.

[sotoshini]

[ Natsuno's not too interested in the Game either. He'll pay attention whenever Nirrti starts really screaming, or whenever it looks like something is actually happening. ]

Yeah. If it's a sea you'd drift ashore somewhere eventually. [ That only makes sense??? Who cares if its this mythological sea or whatever. They're totally sharing smiles here until Natsuno's expression turns curious. ]

...hey, why do you like the ocean so much anyway?

[ It's been seven weeks and he's somehow only coming around to asking this now. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[They'll absolutely know something is happening when Nirrti starts screaming. Considering the motley crew on the other side, though, there might be more than just Nirrti screaming. Either way, they have a reliable alarm for their terrible people o'clock.

He does glance back down at the koi pond, though, once Natsuno asks his question. There's something both amused and carefree playing in his smile now, though the amusement could be directed at just about anything.]

It's not really any special reason. I just never got to see it much, and... it's really, really big. [there's a soft echo of something he's said before, washed in the sound of waves] It's like being at the edge of the world, right? And there's not much of anything in your way if you can just look at the ocean. And it feels like you can go anywhere, and do anything.

[His voice has gotten quieter as he keeps talking, but it lilts back up in a moment.]

Also, it's really fun to yell into.

[sotoshini]

[ Don't mind him if he just leans into Anon a bit more, just cause. It's instinctual at this point, but there may be something more to it right now. ]

Before I used to think things like that were daunting, just a reminder of how far I needed to go. But now...I think I get it. It's not how far I have to go, but how many things I have left to see. [ One is oppressive, and the other is freeing. Funny how having someone to walk beside you can change your viewpoint.

He's still not the best at expressing this in words, but his wings (they're absolutely monopolizing a portion of the tree once he's summoned them) can do the talking for him. No cocooning this time, but he's still wrapping one wing around Anon snugly. In some way they're just another teenage couple at the movies, completely ignoring the picture in front of them for each other.

Natsuno's too close to head tilt properly, but he can gesture with his free wing instead. ]

You've yelled into it?

[anonnomnomnom]

[He was already pretty relaxed, leaning most of his weight against Natsuno to the point where they'd both probably lose their balance if one of them shifted wrong; but Anon melts a little further into the embrace, and with them being who they are, they aren't going to shift wrong. That's the saving grace somewhere in the clumsiness of shoulders and elbows that still exists when they get close like this.

He closes his eyes for a few moments and his hand comes up automatically, softly running over the feathers of the wing around him. It's easy to get lost in it, with Natsuno all around him and the wings blotting out the scenery even when they aren't trying to.

They are definitely missing most of this movie.]

... Sometimes it's just hard to see things like that at first. Before I could leave the Underworld, I just really wanted to get out of the mountains. I didn't realize that I never climbed high enough to get a proper view.

Sometimes, you could see the water from there, too.

[He opens one eye just in time to catch Natsuno's funny wing emoting and the smile that results is more than a little silly.]

I've definitely yelled into the ocean a couple of times. You should try it.

[sotoshini]

[ It's impossible to hide the sharp intake of breath when fingers meet feathers, or the bristling of plume as he settles into the touch. His wings are still pretty new, but he may just be really partial to the whole experience all the same. There really wasn't a chance to put up any physical barriers when it came to them, and even though they've ran through his normal ones (kissing, touching, handholding, cuddling), there's something to be said about embracing a feeling from the start. ]

...we should do that too. The tallest mountain we can find, where we can see the stars and the sea. [ That's soft, but his lips quirk upward to meet Anon's smile. ]

I'd probably need to try yelling first. [ He could probably count on his hands the number of times he's yelled. And most of those were because trying to tell someone they're stupid while fighting with them on the highway in traffic requires you to raise your voice. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[For his part, he's just relishing each new sensation -- the expected ones, like the warmth and solidity of Natsuno against him and the tickle of his messy hair and the now-familiar way he smiles when Anon is looking at him; and then the more unusual ones, like the feathers sneaking under his collar and the strange sensation of motion rippling along the wing cradling him in place.

Anon likes all of it, and he's always liked exploring and pushing limits -- with hands and feet and mouth and everything else, even if Natsuno has the advantage of more limbs. He's always been good at reversing advantages, after all.

He reaches up a little to explore more of the feather structure, lengthening his caresses but smoothing down the plumage as he goes.]

Mmhm, I really want to see that. Climb all the way up, and then fly all the way down. I bet the drafts are real nice up there.

[It's really debatable at this point what they'd be looking at, but that's fine. There's an amused noise as he tries to picture Natsuno yelling. It's true, he hasn't heard that yet, has he?]

I can show you, though. Yelling in the mountains is even more fun.

[What if they just Tarzan hollered the whole way. That works too.]

[sotoshini]

[ There's a more visible reaction this time—his other wing which is out of reach flares to it's complete span before he tucks it tightly in and he leans back and then forward on the branch. It's like he can't decide what position feels best, and he greedily wants them both. ]

Mmhmm... 'm sure they feel good too. [ Drawn out cause someone's doing a real good job of distracting him right now, and his word choice is entirely not by coincidence. ]

I know how. Unless it's different that high up. [ Altitude is a thing, but mostly he's just doing a bad job at hiding up his 5% indignation with 95% fluster at Anon's reaction (the stimulation isn't a nonfactor either). This is why he doesn't sing, ok. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[There's a soft little laugh from Anon as he feels the echoed motions of Natsuno fidgeting around -- and of course he caught the other wing flapping outward out of the corner of his eye, showy and honest, and he curls a little closer into the one still draped over his shoulders like the big soft cape they were discussing once upon a time. The last time he had a braid, in fact.

His hand never stops its motion, moving methodically along the wing to tuck up against each line of feathers and the delicate joints, firm and gentle and rhythmic. There's definitely a shade of mischief in the smile Natsuno is getting, though.]

I bet you'll like them just as much as the ones here.

[Nobody here is choosing their words by accident, but also nobody here is watching their word choice. RIP everyone else in and around the tree.]

It's definitely different 'cause of the echoes up there. I can get to hear you yell like five times for the price of one.

[One of these days he's definitely going to get Natsuno to accompany some music, by any means at his disposal! Right now, though, they can sing a different tune. Anon leans back a little bit to tuck his face up against the feathers behind him and then hums a little bit; one of those not-quite-kisses that he's starting to get good at teasing with.]