【EVENT】 New Year's Wishful Dreaming

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Wishful Dreaming Event

On the Eve of the New Year, the city of Starsand is surprisingly quiet. For a place so eager to throw parties, you might think that the streets would be full of life. But instead, Starsand’s streets are quiet and it’s citizens shutting down shops early. In this city, the last night of the year is contemplative and quiet. Citizens might make their last shrine visits, but it’s uncommon to see them out past 11.

They say that it’s important to fall asleep before the New Year, because you want to treasure your first dream of the New Year. Supposedly it’s lucky and prophetic. If you write it down and remember it, that dream can even guide you to your greatest desire. And rumors are always good ideas in Starsand.

Sleep comes easy on this night. Characters will find themselves getting drowsy by 4am at the latest. When they do fall asleep, they fall into a deep and elaborate dream.

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OOC NOTES

The first dream of the New Year will show characters their wishes come true. They will get to enjoy the life they long for. But strangely, they may find other Fallen Stars wandering into their dreams. These encounters may shake them out of their dreamlike state and make them aware that the dream is just that: A dream. If the dreamer denies their dream or has doubts, then the dreamscape will fall apart into a nightmare before both dreamer and visitor wake up.

It is possible to have multiple dreams: Characters must wake between dreams, even if just briefly, then fall back asleep in order to change their dream. There can be multiple visitors before the dream ends for good.

On the morning of January 1st, all characters who had a dream will find a prismatic crystal clenched in the palm of their hands. The crystal will reflect the contents of their dream, so long as they hold the same wish. If they change wishes or lose faith, then the crystal will turn black and melt into Rumor goo.

NPC characters may reply to dreams with clues. Please indicate which characters you want to receive clues by putting a “*” in their toplevel title. You may request clues for up to 3 characters. Thank you for your help!

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Comments

[dereban]

Is protecting others truly about just keeping them alive?

[stavros]

What would you have me do? I can't protect anyone's feelings or happiness in any other way.

[dereban]

There's no point in "protecting" if you don't understand them. Besides -

[ There's a pause, and then: ]

M̸͚͚̈̃̕y̸͚͍̖̟͆̂ ̴̨̗̯́̃f̷̤̜̰̏̿̉e̶̙̠͛̐̚̕e̴͉͌͛l̷̪̙̗̟͊́̈́ị̷̜̏n̸̹̎͊̔̕g̵̛͉̞̹͉̋̀̏s̸̡͚͚̓̓ ̸̙̗͍̄͂͌̓ą̶̮̌n̵̰͙͔͆̂̊d̴̲͑͌̚͜͝ ̶̜̋̈́̎h̷̢̳̏̅͘ą̶̪̿̌p̵͔̥͂̓̅̓ͅp̵̠̍̀i̵̦͍̤̇͆̃͘n̸͖̆̾̎͗ė̶̮͙͙̺̑͝͝s̴̹̠̾̀͐s̶̫͓͊͂ͅ ̸̯͈͚̦͝ŵ̷̺ę̴̮͗́̉̆r̶̛̮̿͑è̵͚̤̣̓ ̵̜͐g̵͚̬͍̅̈̂͌ò̴̞͙̔̏ṅ̴̤ę̷̲̞͋̎̚ ̴̨̱̖͙͌a̶͔͎̿͑̈́́ ̵̛̪̼̀̿ḷ̸̤͚͆̚o̴̢̨͖͔͋͊͊͝n̷̢̥̗̎͂g̵̱̔͂̑ ̵̻̬͙̘͑̄t̴̫̹̃ì̴̝̫̖̏m̴̮͉̳̎͒ē̴͚̝ͅ ̷̲̽ͅą̴̛̬́̈́ğ̶͇͉̫̍͠ơ̴̲̥̖͒͗͝.̴̛̻͉͎̞̈́

[stavros]

It sounds like you're only trying to convince yourself that no one can love you and that you must needs push them away. That's no different from those children from the Facility, isn't it?

[dereban]

That's wrong. I know I have people that can love me. But that doesn't change the fact that you can't protect someone who isn't happy to begin with.

[stavros]

[She wants to say something, but she'll get it wrong. It's not like she's ever been good at talking people through things. The only thing she can do -- well, she's no good at what she's trained her whole life for, either. Or at least not good enough.

But someone's got to.]

I understand being unhappy with Starsand. But your feelings... It's more than wishing to return home or to destroy the Facility, if your wish is to change the entire system.

[dereban]

I already know that destroying the Facility isn't going to entirely fix things. While it's true that Rumors have been incited by them, that doesn't mean that they can't be created by people outside of those members.

And... I already know that until the story ends, or until that person is satisfied, I won't be able to return home.

[stavros]

...A person? Who isn't the Facility... So a kami?

[She's trying.]

[dereban]

No.

They are... someone else, as far as I am aware.

[stavros]

I may not understand in full. But if you fear that we will not return even once we defeat the Facility, I will admit you aren't the only one with that fear. I know not what will change things, but making this place safer and ending their evil is the most obvious.

[dereban]

But they're-

[ More cracks appear in the dream, breaking. ]

... I see. That's how it is. It is true that stopping them is one thing, but doing that, I think, will only be a temporary stopgap.

[stavros]

..."As long as there is a need for you, you will be here." Something like that, you suspect?

[dereban]

Something like that.

[stavros]

[Kokoro thinks this over, standing there in the breaking-down dream. Breathing. Thinking.]

If that is what fate delivers, then so be it. But this story, as you put it, will end. And even if some believe staying is better, those who are trapped will be no longer.

[dereban]

... And what will happen afterwards?

[stavros]

What do you mean? We've got to return to where we belong. Or even if you don't want to, some people do!

[dereban]

[ Inaba sighs. ]

You don't understand. I want to go home. But 'what happens after'-- I'll experience the rest of my story. And then it ends. I know the ending. What happens after?

[stavros]

Does anyone know that?

[Okay, breathe. Think through this.]

What you're telling me is that... we're trapped in Starsand City until "the story ends." And then when you return home, another story awaits. And you know not if "happily ever after," for you, means a true normal life going on into the future. Is that it?

[dereban]

You're close, but that's wrong. My story eventually hits a stopping point. After my third year in high school, there's nothing left. No story. It ends. A true, finite, ending.

[stavros]

Wait, what? You just cease to exist. That's certain?

[dereban]

When you aren't real... that's all you have left. The journey of what's already written.

[stavros]

...Not real. That's why you've got this setup -- all of this, here in whatever dream or Rumour this is. And you fear you'll face oblivion -- or you've been told it's a fact.

[dereban]

I know that I'm just fiction. I've seen it all for myself completely.

[stavros]

[It sounds like the weird stuff Tita says out of nowhere, except with actual explanations. Explanations that make her wish she hadn't seen them.]

So, if that's true... then you know where you came from. But even then, this isn't part of your prescribed story, either, is it? You claimed it to be its own story. And thus, who is to say you will cease to exist?

[dereban]

Because... going back home will release these.

[ As she says those words, she raises her hands to reveal strings. Ones that are bind her wrists and ankles. ]