【EVENT】 New Year's Wishful Dreaming

[starrystorytellers]

Premise FAQ Shrines Starnet Info NPC Contact Claims List Investigations Full Navigation

❤

.

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.

!

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!

code

Comments

[spacialeyes]

I see, well… I don’t know if I’ll ever want to visit them myself. But having someone care about you is… nice, I guess?

[…]

Do you know what would happen if they let you go?

[dereban]

"Would you be able to? They're... in a higher dimension that can't be reached."

...

"I don't know.

I'd die, probably."

[spacialeyes]

... I see. [he won't talk about that.

he doesn't really want to talk about his ex to his other ex either.]

Then we won't try anything to change it now... But it's hard, isn't it? I can't imagine what it's like, but I don't think I'd like it very much.

[dereban]

"It's fine if I put it in the back of my mind.

They're... I don't know. I don't think they're a bad person."

Maybe that's just what they want me to say, though.

"However, I do recognize that they've put me through a lot of suffering. But I'm not going to say that everything they've done was all bad."

[spacialeyes]

There's really no other way to deal with it, huh? In which case... If ever gets hard, you can... or, well. If you wanted. I'd be here, you know? To listen, or distract you. I can't solve your hardships, but I can be here for you..?

[... is he really going to do this?

Yuuto laughs weakly;] You remind me of my ex.

My other ex. My first one. They were more like your narration friend, though. So while I can't say I understand fully, I um... I really can listen.

[dereban]

"There's really not much to say, Yuuto. I don't know anything. I can't see them or even talk to them. I don't know their name or what they're like. They're basically invisible.

But they're on a plane of existence, different from us.

Maybe they see my suffering differently. They were referred to as a 'narrator' before, so I always thought that maybe that's all they saw me as. Just some fictional girl - nothing more, nothing less. Maybe they were using me to vent or get some stress relief... a sadist, honestly."

And even this narration here -

It isn't the real them.

I knew that all along. This is just how I perceived how they wrote.

[spacialeyes]

[And so, he closes that can of ex worms. It does sound familiar, but he knows that story will only hurt Inaba in the end. Yuuto stops himself from saying more. Besides, the way that she described the current narrator makes some things line up: His power hasn’t been working and now he understands why.]

I see. So that’s how it is. [They’re dreaming, aren’t they?

Yuuto is a bit disappointed that this world isn’t real, but he keeps that to himself too.]

If you could be free of them, would you want to?

[dereban]

"If that were remotely possible, I would have tried already. I've already accepted that I can't. They're my life support."

They're my strings.

[spacialeyes]

But if you could, then would you?

[dereban]

"Probably."

[spacialeyes]

Okay.

Then I'll find a way to cut your strings. I promise.

[dereban]

Huh?

[ That's... actually audible. ]

Wait, how are you going to...?

[spacialeyes]

[He's not 100% sure yet. Yuuto probably has more avenues that he can try than she has yet, but that isn't the point here:]

Just trust me. Whenever you lose faith, just trust that I'll find a way to help you. And when you graduate from high school, I'll be there waiting for you.

[And because this is how promises become official, he holds out his pinky finger.

She's flat, sure. Maybe it'll be hard to link fingers. But he's still offering.]

[dereban]

[ I swear if he comes out of the dream and uses his ability to read the meta text I stg ]

...sap... don't say something like that.

[ She's crying??? But also going to link pinkies. ]

[spacialeyes]

[don't worry about it.]

I've told you before: I'll say what I want. I'll do what I want too.

And right now, what I want is to help you.

[So he links fingers, even when she's paper-thin like this.]

It's a promise now. So you have to look for me at your graduation ceremony, okay? I'll be looking for you too. And we'll cut the strings together.

[dereban]

... Thank you.

[ Static and cracks form around the dream and for a moment her eyes turn gray before speaking up again: ]

For at least letting me pretend that [she] has any sort of hope. But all good things come to an end.

This short time, too.

I'll see you on the other side.

[spacialeyes]

It's not pretend. Because just now, you've proven to me that Inaba's story doesn't have an ending set in stone.

And anytime you both forget that, I'll remind you. I'll protect your hope, Inaba!