【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

[spacialeyes]

Maybe it's because I'm an idiot, but um... Asakura-san, you talk a lot like you being around gets in the way of peoples' lives. Isn't that kind of backwards? There are a bunch of Yuuto, who can perform the same skills and jobs as I do, but I'm the only one who gets to be friends with you.

[well. sorta.]

I think that meeting people and having friends makes life more worthwhile than university. You should visit!

[loveedition]

--It's not that simple. The thing is, we all have our own lives. I still have to focus on my own school work, and my own graduation. After that, would be moving...

[ She's cut off by the sight of another pair coming down the stairs. A striking image as the person in front, a girl with long brown hair, calls back up the stairs for someone to follow her. She's got yellow ribbons and determination.

The other is a somewhat handsome looking young man, standing out of the way as the girl shouts something past him. He's got a smile on his face, one that seems completely plastered on as he allows the girl to have this conversation-- before she immediately starts to make her way back down the stairs. Again, passing Ryoko with a wave. The girl waves for Ryoko to hurry as well before disappearing. ]

...Suzumiya-san. And Koizumi-kun. They actually go to a different school nearby. Suzumiya-san made it a point to come here after her classes were over, and even decided to apply to the same university as our senpai so she could hang out with them. She still gave me grief for thinking of moving to Canada as a means to find myself instead of going there to study abroad.

Hahah... honestly, I think you two think alike. After all, she planned to come and visit me herself after I moved. I can leave for a while, but when I come back, everything'll be the same. In the meantime, still wanting to hang out and see what's out there.

[spacialeyes]

[Yuuto watches as these two walk on by too. Ryoko had so many friends, he's realizing. There were so many people that she could have returned home to, but instead she decided to stay.

He reaches for her hand, tugging her to a gentle stop.]

... What about Aisaka-san?

[loveedition]

[ She's quiet, at the question.

And has to think. ]

...With all of the talk about "worlds" and "universes" and "timelines"... I wouldn't know if Taiga Aisaka was in Japan when I was.

If I hadn't gotten so lucky... I would have never seen her again.

[ She sighs, voice shaking slightly. ]

I think... if I had the chance, she would be near the top of my list to visit, as long as she was okay with it. I would have really loved to meet her friends too.

[spacialeyes]

Ryoko...

[She knows about the other worlds, so he wonders if she knows that he isn't 'her' Yuuto either. He averts his gaze, withholding a sigh. Because she isn't wrong. If it was that easy to find each other again, then he wouldn't be so lonely himself.]

I'm sure she would be. She would be waiting for you too, you know. Or at least, wanting to reach you too.

[loveedition]

I'd have to meet her first. Plus... she wasn't exactly friendly to me the first time we met. Even so, it's hard to not get along with her, isn't it?

[ She chuckles, glancing back up the stairs. ]

Maybe I just have a thing for strong personalities like that.

[spacialeyes]

... What exactly is this world, Ryoko? Something's not right?

[He's starting to get confused. How can she know Taiga but not be known back??]

[loveedition]

...it's not real, is it, Yuuto?

I'm dreaming all of this. I don't know what my actual graduation was like for sure, because I'm not sure if I was there for it or not.

Taiga, my senpai, my other friends... we didn't all go to the same school. This is just the last thing I wanted to do before I left them all for good.

[spacialeyes]

A dream? Ah…

[He takes a sweeping look around the school again. Part of him is relieved that he didn’t replace ‘her’ Yuuto, but at the same time…]

That’s right… You are going to Canada. You won’t get to come back here.

[loveedition]

Mm. If it would've been Canada, I would've been back at some point. Either to visit, or to stay once I was done with university. Now...

[ She takes a couple more steps up, and one figure appears this time. A plain looking young man, walking down the stairs normally. As he walks past, he pats Ryoko's shoulder, nodding with a smile on his face before he descends down. ]

...I gave that up for him. Kyon-kun. I figured that Nagato-san would be in good hands as long as they were together, and that I could leave her with him. They could take care of each other, and I would feel comfortable leaving for a little while.

I was stupid, and I decided to leave them for good.

[ She takes a deep breath, and finally just... takes one step back. ]

I don't think I can make it the rest of the way.

[spacialeyes]

[Yuuto nods politely as the young man passes. Kyon, he’s guessing. So there’s one person left that Yuuto hasn’t met yet. One last goodbye that Ryoko probably needs if she’s going to find peace.

So he reaches for her hand, smiling as he offers to help her up the last stairs.]

I think you can. Let’s go.

We can greet her together.

[loveedition]

[ Ryoko glances over at Yuuto, and walks with him with a nod. She's not at the top... however, once they're up there, there's a door waiting for them. Up above it is the sign that says "Lit. Club"... and once closer to the door, she freezes. ]

Wait--

[ --It had just dawned on her. How long it had actually been. The things she's done since the last time she's seen her. Would she even recognize her? ]

I can't. I really can't--

[ She's not pulling away, not trying to run... but, she's frozen. She can't will herself to move. Her friend's definitely on the other side of that door, but when she sees her...

When she sees her, what's going to happen? ]

[spacialeyes]

[Yuuto turns his body so that he can take both of her hands now and give them a gentle squeeze of encouragement.]

It’s okay. Deep breaths, right?

We’re not in a rush. What’s on your mind, Ryoko?

[loveedition]

...It's been three years. I'm not the same person I was when I left her, I don't know if she'd be the same person that I remember either... even if this is a dream, what if... what if I can't remember her face?

[ Questions coming from her head, typical thinking of the impossible. Worrying about what she thinks could happen. ]

[spacialeyes]

[He squeezes her hands again to draw her attention back to the present;]

Ryoko, you still care about Nagato-san a whole lot, right? It's a type of love?

[loveedition]

Yeah. Yeah, of course it is.

[ This is stupid. Why is she tearing up? ]

If I see her, I'll... I don't know what I'll do. I don't know what she'll do, and it's scary.

[spacialeyes]

But you want to see her, right?

[With that, he goes from squeezing her hands to gently grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around.]

It's love. Even if it's scary, or you cry, or burst out laughing. It'll be a good thing. Let's go together, 'kay?

1/2

[loveedition]

[ Deep breath. He's right. Ryoko... would love to see her again. A day doesn't pass where she doesn't wonder what she's up to, and whether or not Kyon is actually treating her right.

She knows it's a dream. The real Yuki Nagato won't be on the other side of this door. It'll be a memory. ]

Okay.

[ Her hand clutches onto the doorknob. ]

Let's go.

[ She opens the door. ]

It's a dream.

[loveedition]

[ And right at the door, with a just as surprised look on her face is a smaller girl with shoulder length purple hair, eyes obscured behind thick glasses.

Her face is already red and she stumbles back a bit, and she soon rights herself when she sees who she's looking at.

"Asakura...san?"

Ryoko can already feel her eyes getting watery. It's not real--

But it's her, in front of her. ]

Y...Yuuto, it's her. It's... it's actually Nagato-san.

[ "Yuki" doesn't really regard Yuuto at all, instead mainly focusing on Ryoko herself. She seems nervous, as is the usual state of things. ]

[spacialeyes]

[Yuuto follows after and is surprised to see a girl whose timidness is not unlike Tau’s. He can hear the emotion in Ryoko’s voice and relaxes; She’s holding herself together okay and he doesn’t feel the need to intervene. He even removes his hands from her shoulders and hides them behind his back.

Nagato doesn’t seem to notice him, but he’s not surprised. No one else in the hallway seemed to acknowledge him either. So he keeps his voice quiet when replying,]

Mm. She looks really relieved to see you.

You should go say hi.

[loveedition]

[ She's holding herself together to a slight extent, anyway. Ryoko steps forward, and before she can even say anything, the meek bespectacled girl speaks again. Saying one word.

"Congratulations."

She smiles, and Ryoko just... can't help but laugh. She's definitely crying, but she's laughing. ]

Yeah. Congratulations, Nagato-san. We're both doing okay, aren't we?

[ With a nod, "Yuki" presses forward to wrap her arms around Ryoko in a hug. It's... a weird feeling for her, but Ryoko just slowly... closes her eyes and tries to return it to the best of her ability. ]

I miss you. I miss you so much. I want you to know that I'm okay. I'm alive. I've got really good friends. I'm... I'm even seeing someone now. I'm okay.

[ There are so many rotten stories she had, so much that she's went through, but... what the hell does that really matter right now? Who wants to hear any of that? Instead, she focuses on her friend. So much so that slowly, the furniture and decorations around the room start to fade. ]

[spacialeyes]

[Oh. So this is what it's like to miss someone.

His heart aches with sympathy. Seeing Ryoko so happy to hug her friend and yet simultaneously knowing that this isn't real, it won't happen, and that Ryoko is aware of that-- It hurts. He's never had anyone to miss in this way, has he?

Yuuto stays back, watching on with a sad smile. As the dream begins to fade, he bows politely towards the two and whispers, still keeping his presence minimal;]

It was nice meeting you, Nagato-san. We'll take good care of Ryoko.

[loveedition]

[ Oh. She's waking up, isn't she? Ryoko steps back... and, from in front of her, "Yuki" tilts her head. Speaking directly to Yuuto.

"Thank you. Asakura-san doesn't know how to share her worries that well... please help her stay safe. Let her know that we still miss her--"

And as if on cue, the dream fades. Ryoko wakes up in a panic, and she's back. ]