[Week 18, Day 4] Dream
Silence.
At first, that was all that she was aware of. Silence, and an acute awareness of the fact that is should not be silent.
Everything was dark-- her eyes were closed. But there was a reason for that, even if she couldn't quite remember it. She was sitting on a sloped, hard surface, knees drawn in against her chest; the ends of long side-ponytails tickled her thighs. It was mildly uncomfortable, enough to make her shift. There was a moment of panic as she nearly slipped, opening her eyes instinctively. The red world stung against them, making them prickle, but she did not wince.
It was a familiar scene. Sitting atop the dilapidated remains of ancient ruins, staring out at endless dark water with a stark, black crescent moon hanging behind her against a curiously red sky. She couldn’t see it all, but this world was familiar. She had been here enough times to know that it was there.
Lenalee stood, hesitating slightly before glancing around as a strong sense of foreboding filled her. There were things ahead that she didn’t want to see, but at the same time she knew that the sooner she saw them, the sooner she could get out. It was tempting to keep sitting anyway, in only minor discomfort, and put off the horrors that lay ahead indefinitely. But she couldn’t. There were things that she had to do, though Lenalee was not sure what they were. Only that she could not remain here. So she looked.
"Brother?"
Abruptly the ruins were no longer the remnants of some long-dead ancient civilization, but pieces of her home. The once solid stone of the Black Order was strewn about the water in too many pieces to count. She was reminded of something, impenetrable walls crumbling before and around her. Lenalee squeezed her eyes shut against it, and when she opened them again she was no longer on the ruins, but surrounded by them, standing on the discomfortingly black water.
"Everyone?"
Somehow, as apprehension bubbled up through her chest, Lenalee knew that whatever came next was worse. Worse than the destruction of what had been her home for as long as she could remember. She took one step forward, and then another. There was something floating in the water. Another step. She didn’t want to see it, but a force made her continue forward-- an invisible hand, or perhaps simply morbid curiosity.
She was close enough to make out the unmistakable lines of an Exorcist uniform now. The hood was drawn up, obscuring the wearer’s face, but his arm was impossible not to recognize. The skin was a deeper shade of red than the sky, with ridges sprawling out from a glowing green cross set in the back of the hand.
Lenalee realized that she was crying, though she wasn’t sure if it had started with the ruins of the Order or the boy before her. Impossibly, her feet were still moving, rebelling against her mind that begged not to have to see it any more. She wanted to scream, but couldn’t; nothing could break the silence here. Her legs continued forward until she was practically on top of what could only be a corpse, close enough to make out wisps of white bangs peeking out from his hood even through her blurring vision. The tears fell, sending small ripples through the water over his chest, and now she could see the curve of his jaw line and the scar over his left eye.
Now she did scream.
[ooc: 4th walling is fine, just don't tell her she's fictional. For characters that have been in game nearly as long as she has, this dream might look familiar; it's been broadcast over the network once before.]
At first, that was all that she was aware of. Silence, and an acute awareness of the fact that is should not be silent.
Everything was dark-- her eyes were closed. But there was a reason for that, even if she couldn't quite remember it. She was sitting on a sloped, hard surface, knees drawn in against her chest; the ends of long side-ponytails tickled her thighs. It was mildly uncomfortable, enough to make her shift. There was a moment of panic as she nearly slipped, opening her eyes instinctively. The red world stung against them, making them prickle, but she did not wince.
It was a familiar scene. Sitting atop the dilapidated remains of ancient ruins, staring out at endless dark water with a stark, black crescent moon hanging behind her against a curiously red sky. She couldn’t see it all, but this world was familiar. She had been here enough times to know that it was there.
Lenalee stood, hesitating slightly before glancing around as a strong sense of foreboding filled her. There were things ahead that she didn’t want to see, but at the same time she knew that the sooner she saw them, the sooner she could get out. It was tempting to keep sitting anyway, in only minor discomfort, and put off the horrors that lay ahead indefinitely. But she couldn’t. There were things that she had to do, though Lenalee was not sure what they were. Only that she could not remain here. So she looked.
"Brother?"
Abruptly the ruins were no longer the remnants of some long-dead ancient civilization, but pieces of her home. The once solid stone of the Black Order was strewn about the water in too many pieces to count. She was reminded of something, impenetrable walls crumbling before and around her. Lenalee squeezed her eyes shut against it, and when she opened them again she was no longer on the ruins, but surrounded by them, standing on the discomfortingly black water.
"Everyone?"
Somehow, as apprehension bubbled up through her chest, Lenalee knew that whatever came next was worse. Worse than the destruction of what had been her home for as long as she could remember. She took one step forward, and then another. There was something floating in the water. Another step. She didn’t want to see it, but a force made her continue forward-- an invisible hand, or perhaps simply morbid curiosity.
She was close enough to make out the unmistakable lines of an Exorcist uniform now. The hood was drawn up, obscuring the wearer’s face, but his arm was impossible not to recognize. The skin was a deeper shade of red than the sky, with ridges sprawling out from a glowing green cross set in the back of the hand.
Lenalee realized that she was crying, though she wasn’t sure if it had started with the ruins of the Order or the boy before her. Impossibly, her feet were still moving, rebelling against her mind that begged not to have to see it any more. She wanted to scream, but couldn’t; nothing could break the silence here. Her legs continued forward until she was practically on top of what could only be a corpse, close enough to make out wisps of white bangs peeking out from his hood even through her blurring vision. The tears fell, sending small ripples through the water over his chest, and now she could see the curve of his jaw line and the scar over his left eye.
Now she did scream.
[ooc: 4th walling is fine, just don't tell her she's fictional. For characters that have been in game nearly as long as she has, this dream might look familiar; it's been broadcast over the network once before.]