middaeg | semi-closed / aereur catch-all

Entry tags:

semi-closed / aereur catch-all

Who: Sylvia Kawano + others
When: Aereuer
Where: Throughout Aefenglom
What: Closed top levels for quests/memory sharing, and two open prompts for Full Moon things.
Warnings: Death in some of the mem share prompts.

a. 4/8, before the full moon

[ ever since hearing about the full moon, sylvia had been anxious about what sort of changes would come about. what parts of her behavior or physicality would shift -- the harm she could potentially cause. she'd spent the past few days wondering if it would be safe to stay around her roommates, considering all of them were monsters.

ultimately, on the evening of the full moon, she decides it's safest to be away from them. even bailey. she doesn't trust herself enough with handling any of the changes that may come her way. so...she leaves the house. she leaves to keep them safe, and she plans on spending it alone.

that doesn't mean she can't be found, however. her timing is too close to the moon for her to stray far from the haven. in fact, anyone who might be walking around the haven may see the girl with rabbit ears looking around frantically for whatever reason, like she's lost or confused. seems like she might need a little help here. ]

b. 4/8, during the full moon

[ when the full moon finally rises... despite any advice sylvia might have gotten about finding a quiet place to settle in when it happens, she's back on the streets, wandering around. unlike earlier, where she seemed nervous and unsettled, she actually just seems like she's looking for something -- someone now. she keeps her eyes peeled for anyone who might be around, and the moment she spots someone alone, whether they've got their nose in a book or look like they're heading somewhere, she'll approach. ]

Hey, you. Got a moment?

[ for those who know her, she doesn't look as chipper as she usually is. she seems...a little tired, a little restless. her voice sounds like she kind of means business, too. ]

[ ooc: feel free to plot with me here or via

amplitude if you'd like to do anything with sylvia! ]

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Alright! Let's do this thing!

[ .......sylvia says that now, but she is piss poor at baking anything that isn't chocolate chip cookies. surely this will go well, especially since the owner is rumored to be very picky. money, though, is important, and decorating is something she might be able to do. she's okay at plating when it comes to cooking, surely putting a few berries on some frosting isn't too bad.

right....right.

they're outside of piece of cake, and she puts a hand on bailey's shoulder. ]

Are you ready? I'm sure this quest is gonna be...a piece of cake! Get it? Eh?

[ stop. just. stop. ]

[ while looking at all the mirrors, sylvain may be drawn to one with a black frame that has a handful of little white specks on it. from a distance, it'll look almost completely black; at a closer glance, however, he'll be able to see those specks which are painted in the shapes of stars. there are only a few of them on the frame, so it looks a little peculiar...

still, though, the memory sylvain sees is a pleasant one. he should consider himself rather lucky in that regard, because this particular memory happens outdoors in a grassy, green field. the sun is shining brightly; the sky is blue. there are a bunch of little kids running around, too. some of them appear to be hopping on the sidewalk playing a game of hopscotch, others are playing jumprope -- though he may not be familiar with those particular activities, it at least looks like they're having fun. the children appear to be between the ages of 5-7 years old. the buildings surrounding him are made of concrete and brick with glass windows. some adults and children are going in and out of the building.

directly in front of him, however, is a girl with wavy black hair, put up into pigtails. and unlike the other kids, she's being scolded by an adult. a teacher, to be exact. "You really need to stop pretend-fighting, Sylvia," the woman says, "because you might accidentally hurt one of your friends. Do you understand?"

sylvia folds her arms across her chest and nods before plopping herself onto the grass in disappointment. the woman then leaves... and once she's gone, another girl approaches. her hair is also black but curled. she's wearing a dainty little dress.

"I liked your moves," the newcomer says. "They were really cool, but did they get you in trouble?"

sylvia looks at the girl in surprise, but she nods and perks up a little. "Yeah...so I can't do them again. The teacher says I'll be put in time-out if I do."

the other girl smiles. "Well, I really liked them! I liked your kicks a lot. I'm learning how to do them too! It's part of my training!"

"Whoa, really? I'm training too! That's so cool!" sylvia gives the other girl a broad smile.

"Yeah, really!" the other girl pauses before sitting next to her. "My name is Melanie. What's your name? We should be friends!"

"I'm Sylvia, and we can be friends...and train together!"

the memory ends on them laughing happily together. friendship established. maybe that was a little too easy. ]

[ the memory that akira sees starts off in some sort of living room area. it's clean, but it still looks lived in. shoes are by the front door, peculiarly next to a red suitcase; dishes are in the dish rack and a few assorted belongings are on top of the coffee table. it's a nice living space, well-lit by fluorescent lighting while the sun sets in the background.

the situation at hand, though, doesn't seem very pleasant. akira will see sylvia, hair freed from her pigtails, facing two other individuals around her age: a woman, giving her a look of anger and betrayal -- and a man who seems resigned. he's quiet and clearly not very happy. sylvia's the only one with tears in her eyes. the other woman's red in the face.

"I'm sorry," sylvia chokes out between sniffles, "but this...this is what I need to do. I can't..."

"Can't what, Sylvia? Can't keep this team together like Cai would've wanted? Because you're sure doing a great job at that," the other woman says.

sylvia looks at her with hurt in her eyes. "You know I don't want this, Melanie, but --"

"But what?!" melanie retaliates. "For all your talk about wanting to make things up to her, the only thing you're doing is letting her down. You think Cai would've wanted to see you quit?! You think she would've wanted you to shoulder all of this on your own and shut the rest of us out?!"

at that..sylvia has nothing to say. there are no more words exchanged between anyone in the room. the only thing filling the silence is the sound of quiet sobbing and the clock ticking. there's a long pause before sylvia rises to her feet. her breathing is shaky and uneven.

"I'm going," she says quietly and rises to her feet. she walks towards the red suitcase by the door, slips on her sneakers and opens the door. it seems as though she's going to leave quietly, and she does -- but not without melanie getting the last word in, just before the memory ends.

"Don't even think about coming back." ]

[ ... Oh.

Watching all of this has his stomach sinking a lot, though the look he's giving the person saying those... pretty harsh things to Sylvia - well, it's probably clear he's not happy with her.

His friend doesn't deserve to be talked to that way, no matter who this woman is to Sylvia - or was? Naturally, he doesn't know which applies.

There's a soft breath out as he holds a blink, the word whispered under his breath. ]

... Damn.

[ He doesn't know what to say beyond that. Or even if the Sylvia he knows is here, too. He kind of... hopes she isn't. He assumes being reminded of this event wouldn't feel so great. ]

[ sylvia, fortunately, isn't in this memory with akira. she doesn't get to relive this moment all over again. she's actually going to be right outside of her mirror, peeking at it curiously, wondering if anyone's inside and seeing parts of her past she was hoping to keep hidden.

will akira step out of the mirror? ]

[ Yep, he will step out, his expression just that of tiredness. ]

... Oh.

[ He suppresses the wince... ]

[ she looks surprised to see him step out of her mirror. her eyes widen, and she stares at him for a moment...before her expression falls. she looks solemn, a little concerned. ]

So...how was it? Did you see anything bad?

[ His mouth feels a little dry and not in the 'needs blood' kind of way. He breathes out slowly and glances back to the mirror. ]

... You were crying.

[ when akechi goes into sylvia's mirror, the scene that unfolds in front of him is rather mundane. he's inside of a dark bedroom. it's got a lot of little trinkets and adornments, and it's definitely a room with muted colors that seem to contrast sylvia's personality. ...not that it's easy to see, because all the lights are off save for a desk lamp.

hunched over is a girl with shoulder-length black hair but familiar pink eyes. she's got her nose in some kind of book, and if akechi looks closer he'll see that it's a book on...vampires. or, at least, that's the section she's on. the girl is reading it intently, eyes glued to the book as her right hand frantically writes down notes in a separate notebook. she looks tired, though; the bags under her eyes are heavy and her eyes are slightly red. she looks like she hasn't gotten a good night's rest in some time, now.

while akechi lingers in the memory, though, he'll hear someone call out to him from behind. a familiar voice and an even more familiar face, once he turns around. ]

Akechi...?

[ Wow, this room is so... personalized. Once he realizes whose room he's in (and it does take a moment thanks to the difference in hair color) it starts to make sense. What he can see of her choice of colors isn't what he would have guessed, but the decor is still rather cute and girlish.

The intense study session is a little unexpected, however, and thus that's what draws his interest the most. He's already aware of the fact that he's in a dream (this isn't his first one of the night) so he doesn't see anything out of sorts with walking right up to the girl and leaning down to glance at her reading material. A glance is all he's intending, but then he sees the word 'vampire', and once that reminds him of a certain someone there's no looking away.

Not until someone calls his name, that is. Akechi straightens up and glances over his shoulder, not looking the least bit surprised or guilty about being caught. ]

Sylvia. Sorry to intrude.

[ Not really, honestly, but it's the polite thing to say. ]

You mentioned that supernatural entities exist in your world, but I didn't think they would be the sort of thing you would study.

I-It's okay, really. I think it'll be fine.

[ i think it'll be fine. what a weird thing to say...

she walks up so she's standing next to him, and she lingers for a moment, not really knowing what to say when met with her younger self. then, she plops herself down on her bed, propping her elbows on her thighs, chin resting on her palms. ]

I had to study them pretty extensively as part of my training for these entrance exams I had to take.

[ she pointedly doesn't mention what the entrance exams are for, exactly, but she knows that he'll probably ask. there's no point in keeping him hanging. ]

...The exams are for what's known as an Agency. If I pass the entrance exams, then I'll become an Agent. [ she clears her throat. ] It's...pretty much like being a police officer in a way, except we deal with supernatural cases exclusively.

[ that might explain why she didn't seem too fazed about the whole "monster" thing upon arrival. younger sylvia's still studying intensely, though she also seems to be hunching over her desk more with her nose in her book, like she's trying to read something very, very carefully. ]

[ She thinks it'll be fine...? What an odd way of wording that statement.

Akechi doesn't comment on that, however. In fact, he doesn't say anything at all as Sylvia sorts out her thoughts.

It ends up being a good thing he waited because he learns a few interesting things about Sylvia as a result. Not only is she apparently a hard worker, she's also some sort of (aspiring?) supernatural cop. ]

I hadn't realized you worked in law enforcement. That explains the intense study.

[ He glances aside at the younger Sylvia for a moment. She sure is focused. ]

... Especially with the specialized subject matter. Studying even mundane law enforcement methodology took me considerable time.

Yeah. It was pretty intense, haha. I did end up passing in the end, but getting there wasn't easy --

[ she's about to say something about whatever it was she studied, but then suddenly, memory sylvia lets out a loud groan -- it's close to a growl actually. then, her head plops down onto her book, face buried in the pages. she looks completely exasperated with how she doesn't lift her head, and her shoulders seem to be shaking. is she...crying -- yeah, she is now, because here comes the sniffles.

present sylvia lets out a gasp and stands in front of akechi, waving her hands to try and draw his attention away. ]

O-Okay, so maybe this memory wasn't fine after all!

[ Oh.

Akechi's not the best at handling emotional displays, particularly not this sort of emotional display, and especially not when he's invested enough in a person to put at least a little effort into not being a jerk. So even though Akechi glances over when memory Sylvia lets out a growl, he's already started to glance away by the time real Sylvia jumps between the two. ]

Ah--

[ At least he's already not interested in commenting on what he sees. That makes it much easier to find something else to talk about. ]

... It's good that your hard work paid off. Though I must admit, I would have never guessed you would choose that sort of profession.

Hah? What's that supposed to mean --

[ memory sylvia starts audibly groaning in between her sniffles, indicating that things are probably getting worse, and present sylvia looks mortified. ]

Okay, that's it, we're leaving!

[ they aren't staying here, and she's pretty sure there isn't much else to see, anyway. she grabs akechi's wrist and starts leading him towards the door. she reaches out and touches her hand to the doorknob, and suddenly...everything fades to white.

then, both akechi and sylvia will find themselves standing in front of her mirror. she lets go of his wrist promptly before she reaches up to scrub at her face. ]

I am so sorry. That's totally not what I wanted you to see, obviously!

[ Akechi is about to try to explain his statement, but then Sylvia is grabnbing him and dragging him off and all he can do is go along with it. He's not exactly in the mood to stick around and watch Sylvia cry, after all.

It's a little disorienting to suddenly end up on the other side of the mirror, but Akechi is at least expecting it. Once Sylvia releases him he takes a moment to straighten out his coat sleeve, though she gets an odd look for her apology. ]

It's fine, but shouldn't I be the one apologizing to you? I'm the one that was intruding on your memories.

Nah, that's not a big deal.

[ it does bother her a little, but she also likes akechi, so it really isn't something she's concerned about. and it's not like he saw anything exceptionally bad either, so she just shrugs. ]

What made you wanna go into my mirror, anyway? Did you know it was mine?

I had an idea, but I wasn't sure.

[ Said in a calm, casual tone, like there's nothing weird about that. ]

I still wasn't entirely sure what exactly the mirrors were leading to when I entered. I was trying to figure them out.

Well, now we both know. They're a complete invasion of privacy, whoo-hoo.

[ she's just gonna deadeye her mirror before turning back to face akechi. ]

So...are you gonna let me see yours?

[ Absolutely not.

Is how Akechi wants to respond, but being that vehement... probably isn't the best idea right now. Granted, letting her see him murder someone is probably worse... but he did do all of those in the Metaverse. He can probably just lie.

Still, he'd like to deflect if he can, so he flashes her a smile, like it's no big deal. ]

Hoping you can catch me crying as payback?

Haha, how did you know!

[ she lets out a lighthearted laugh before waving her hand dismissively. really, it's not a big deal to her. even if some part of her would like to get even with him. ]

I'm kidding. You don't have to do that! I mean, if you did wanna let me in I wouldn't say no, but it's up to you!

[ when narancia or yona enter sylvia's dream, they'll be met with a rather interesting sight. there's barely anything to see when you're looking upwards while climbing up the side of a building, after all.

the building itself isn't a skyscraper, and it's short enough to where a long grappling hook (shot with a gun) can reach the top. still, though, it's a dangerous task. if they weren't feeling nervous earlier, well, maybe they are once they realize how high up they are. they're about halfway up the building -- though narancia and yona won't be using grappling hooks. they just seem to be walking up the building in between two girls.

the girl on the left is recognizable with her long platinum hair tied up in a ponytail, pink eyes narrowed as she looks on at what appears to be a person with giant spread wings looming over them at the top of the building. looking down. taunting them. to their right is another girl with jet black hair tied up in a bun. her eyes are sky blue and also focused at the person at the very top. bot of them are climbing this side of the building side by side.

there's a sudden gasp that comes from the right. a peek over at the girl with the black hair and you'll find that she suddenly looks nervous, like something's going to go wrong. the rope starts to shake slightly. after a moment, though, she appears to gather her bearings again. she persists, climbing upwards.

but from behind narancia and yona comes a loud gasp. should they turn to see who it's coming from, they'll find another sylvia, this one with rabbit ears -- one who's apparently aware of what's going on -- walking behind them without a rope, too. she looks...mortified, to say the least. her eyes are wide. her skin is pale. ]

No... You -- [ she brings her hands up to cover her mouth. ] You shouldn't be seeing this.

[It's a little strange to step through a mirror and suddenly find oneself oriented completely differently, walking up the side of a building rather than walking on solid ground with your own two feet. He spots the version of Sylvia without the ears first, but she ignores any attempt to interact with her until it occurs to him that she can't see him. So she just follows her up the building to see what happens next, until the version of her with the ears speaks up from behind.]

I don't know how to leave. What's going to happen, Sylvia?

[You seem upset, which is. Concerning, a bit.]

You -- just don't look. Please. Close your eyes --

[ she's talking hurriedly, and her gaze is notably on the girl with the black hair rather than narancia himself. it looks like she's watching, waiting for something to happen. her hands are shaking, arms wrapped around her stomach. she's anticipating something. ]

The rope's going to snap any minute now. You...you shouldn't see what happens after that.

I've seen people die before, Sylvia. If you don't wanna see, that's okay. But I'm not scared.

[Turning his face away from this feels a little cowardly, even. After all, it's something that's already happened to Sylvia. It's not like it will go away if he closes his eyes. She'll just keep bearing it on her own.]

[ She's never experienced anything like this before, and the building and surroundings had been disorienting enough, even if she hadn't been walking up the side of it in midair.

But it's that gasp behind her that draws her attention away from this strange dream, meeting the girl's gaze from behind her. It has her stopping her progress upwards as she turns back towards the girl with rabbit ears, holding out a hand to her. ]

I don't know what this is. Are you alright?

[ sylvia only briefly glances at yona's hand before her gaze moves back to the girl with black hair. she seems on-edge. tense. she doesn't even take yona up on her offer for support. ]

I'm... I'm going to be fine, but you can't see this. [ she gestures towards where she's looking. ] Her rope's going to break. Just...spare yourself from seeing what happens after that.

Her rope...?

[ Yona's head whips back around, following the direction of Sylvia's gaze. Eyes widening in understanding, she jolts, her expression turning horrified. ]

But... she'll fall...? Is there nothing we can do?

No.

[ sylvia winces. her eyes squeeze shut, and she turns away from the scene, hands clenched into fists at her sides. ]

This -- this happened a while ago. There's...nothing...we can do.

[ she's seen this scene one too many times. it's replayed over and over in her head, in her dreams -- it's a moment she'll never forget. ]

[ There's something in her voice that has Yona turning towards her again, recognizing the pain in her voice. She understands what Sylvia means all too well - she has more than her fair share of painful memories and fears that she's had to replay far too many times, even if only in her own mind.

It's what has her leaving the pair climbing the wall and going to where Sylvia stands instead, placing herself between the girl and the scene that's about to play out, as if she could protect her from seeing it again, just from her very presence.

She reaches out, resting her hands on Sylvia's arms, searching her face. ]

Don't look.

[ sylvia's a little surprised when yona places her hands on her arms, but she doesn't make an effort to move away. no, this is what she needs: someone to keep her grounded. someone to just...be here while this plays out.

she looks at yona with deep sadness before she nods and closes her eyes. ]

You too --

[ and before she knows it, she hears the sound of someone letting out a scream that gets softer and softer as it descends towards the ground. this is followed by a loud cry -- "CAI!" -- from another voice that mirror's the current sylvia's.

current sylvia winces, hands grabbing onto yona's forearms as she shakes. ]

[ Yona doesn't move away. In fact, the moment that scream splits the air, she lifts her hands, quickly clapping them over Sylvia's ears, as if that will be enough to block out the horrible sound.

She stays right where she is, solid and steady, letting the other girl grip onto her as long as she needs to. ]

I'm here. You're not alone.

[ it helps, but it still doesn't drown out the screams -- though sylvia can't tell if it's because she's actually hearing it or because she remembers them all too vividly. she can't help but duck her head, eyes welling with tears, shoulders hitching as she tries to keep it together and fails. ]

Sorry...

There's nothing to be sorry for.

[ Hearing those tears in her voice, she reaches out and draws her into a hug instead, holding her close. As if maybe her presence will be enough of a barrier to protect her from at least a little of the pain. ]

There's no shame in grief.

[ sylvia's not going to resist the hug -- actually, she'll cling to yona tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks. they stay like this for a little while, up until there's a flash of light from behind yona. sylvia lifts her head, and there's what appears to be a looking glass that leads to the outside world again. sylvia tugs on yona's arm. ]

There. Our way out.

[ Spotting the exit as Sylvia points it out, she can only nod. Keeping one arm wrapped around Sylvia she starts guiding her towards that light. ]

Come on, let's go.

[ sylvia, being a puca, has her freeze or flight instincts kicking in. right now, they're saying to flee -- to run as fast as she can away from this so she doesn't have to experience it again. she runs, keeping an arm on yona as they head towards the exit. she's moving extremely quickly thanks to being a puca, too.

as soon as they step into the looking glass, they're back in that mysterious hallway again. she pauses, catching her breath, then lets out a weak laugh. ]

I'm sorry you had to see that. Guess that wasn't exactly the best first impression, huh?

[ She's so fast. It takes Yona by surprise, and then requires all her focus just to try and keep up, until they're out into the House of Mirrors again and she takes a moment to catch her breath.

Straightening up when the other young woman speaks, she just reaches out and gives her arm an understanding squeeze. ]

You don't need to apologize. Feeling grief over such a thing... there is no shame in that.

[ Yuma's own changes have been a little on the stressful side. Having a bond makes things a bit easier, sure, but he still isn't on board with the idea of turning into an avian beast. Not having a choice in the matter just makes things worse. When are these feathers going to stop spreading? At least they're hidden under his clothes so he won't get too many stares...

He's been spending more and more time on the rooftops, not just to practice flying but because he's more at home the higher up he is. Still, it's getting late, and he needs to head back home eventually. He has good vision, sure, but he doesn't have night vision. Still, it's not too dark out that he doesn't notice a familiar face down below - albeit with a different set of ears than last time - looking more than a bit lost.

Maybe she needs some help...? Well, only one way to find out. ]

Sylvia?

[ He isn't sure if she can hear him from the roof, so after a few moments he jumps off, gliding towards the ground. ]

[ that voice sounds familiar. she does take a moment to match it up to his face, and then his face with a name as he swoops down from above her. it's hard not to remember someone with those wings, after all. ]

Yuma!

[ she approaches him frantically. ]

Do you know this area? I -- I need your help.

[ a beat, then: ] I need to get away from people, just -- you know, full moon and stuff. I don't know what's going to happen to me. You know what I'm saying, right?

Huh? Yeah, I know it pretty well.

[ He hasn't been here long enough to memorize everything, but being able to get a bird's...well, harpy's eye view of the streets works wonders.

Hearing her explanation... That does shift things a bit, his expression becoming much softer. ]

Oh, yeah... The full moon. [ Yeah, he...knows quite a bit about that by now. ] Actually, I heard from somewhere that it's better to be with someone when it happens. Well... Someone you know, at least.

[ Yuma remembers how frightening it was for him, every time it occurred. It was particularly bad before he got a Bond, not just in terms of physical pain but from a huge lack of emotional comfort.

She's got the right idea, though. If any time's a bad time to go clothes shopping, it's definitely the full moon. ]

Is it really, though?

[ she doesn't sound accusatory, but it's definitely a dry remark. ]

And what happens if I, I dunno, lose my mind and hurt them or something? If not now, then maybe the next one, you know?

[ that's what she's worried about. she doesn't want anyone getting hurt because of her inability to control her urges. whatever those may be. she's not entirely sure; she's guessing that tonight, she'll find out. ]

[ Ah, right... Fear of hurting others is one that Yuma knows particularly well. Not just in this world, but his home as well. Given how close Yuma came to attacking Kor not long ago, he knows that Sylvia has every reason to be scared. And yet... ]

That's true, I guess... But, you're alone, you won't have anyone to help you in case you need help.

[ It's a lot easier to give this advice to other people, than to take it himself. One of these days, he'll actually listen to himself for a change...

Still, it's not like he can ignore her concerns, either. It wouldn't be right to force her to do something she doesn't want to, even as worried as he is. Besides, given the nature of these things, doing such a thing would likely make things worse. When it comes down to it, Sylvia is asking for his help, and he can't let her down. ]

But I guess... If that's really what you want, I think I can find a spot for you.

[ it's not that yuma's wrong, but that's the thing. she doesn't want to burden her roommates in the instance where she does need help. ]

That's the point. I don't want anyone around if I go, I don't know, berserk or something.

[ if she lost anyone else...it'd be her worst nightmare come true. she doesn't want to lose anyone else like she lost her friends. like she lost cai. she frowns for a bit, eyes downcast towards the ground before she looks at him, determined. ]

I'd appreciate it a lot if you could.

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semi-closed / aereur catch-all

piece of cake: bailey

mem share: sylvain

mem share: akira

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mem share: akechi

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mem share: narancia and yona (TW DEATH)

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