04 - week four

[afflictionmods]

WEEK FOUR

Saturday comes to a close, and it’s time for some rest and recovery. Perhaps the TLC you deserve will come this week, or perhaps the nightmare will continue. It’s hard to say with things being so strange around you, from Wei Wuxian’s disappearance to the sudden addition of objects and places and creatures from your homes. Who knows what this week will bring? Nothing ordinary, that’s for sure.

You wake up on Sunday to an increase in those little glimpses you saw yesterday. What were snippets of songs, locations that might’ve seemed familiar, and creatures that were dormant, are now all alive and whole. When you go to the karaoke bar, the songs you once knew are there. Monsters and animals are alive and sentient. New business are abound. Vehicles are operable, and perhaps some of your old belongings are back, too.

However, some of these things aren’t even things that should exist outside of your dreams. They may be far too strange and unusual to be real, or just things you don't remember ever seeing. The only thing you remember about these things in particular is that they were, quite literally, in your dreams this week.

That being said, every few hours, all of these things from your homes and dreams fade out and get replaced by new sounds, places, beasts….only to maybe come back again at another time.

Well. At least there's one constant here: You’ve got a handful of new locations to look at, with the fog having spread once more, and they aren't going anywhere. There aren’t as many new places that are native to Estelline this time around, but that may be for the best, considering everything going on.


SETTING TRACKER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

NEWSPAPER SUBMISSIONS + EDITION #1

SAGE / FLORENCE / LORELEI

MEM SHARE DETAILS

OOC NOTE

OOC: Details on this week can be found here!

Also, we have a lot of participants for the news activity from last week. Neat! Everyone who participated in some capacity will have a small polaroid camera delivered to their doorstep. There's limited film, though - 10 photos per camera. It doesn't seem like there's any extra film at this time, either.

Finally, there will not be any weekly tasks this week. You guys are going to be busy with memshare and dreamscape stuff; instead, enjoy the Estelline University Newspaper!

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

cw injury mention

[accursedtwin]

...Yuui.

[ He looks down at the ground, like he hates introducing himself. It's weird that someone doesn't know his name, but maybe it's a blessing.

He stares down at his hands, his fingertips all bloody and torn up. ]

How did you get here? Only the dead ever come here.

[cloudalike]

I'm afraid I don't exactly know the how of it, but as to why... Well, I saw a vision of you - of a version of you, maybe - through a portal and thought I had to come see you.

[ Scrupulous honesty, though it may invite more questions he can't answer. ]

Yuui... [ He approaches the boy cautiously, stopping a respectful distance away as to not startle him. Only the dead, Yuui (Fai?) says. Chongyun's stomach turns even more. ] If that's the case, then why are you here?

[accursedtwin]

[ A portal... huh. He supposes that's not impossible, though. ]

It's a punishment. Twins are an omen, and Fai and I... we're twins. So, we were sent here to be punished and reverse the bad luck we brought upon Valeria.

[cloudalike]

That’s - !!

[ Twins… The dots are starting to connect. ]

Children are always a blessing, never a curse. We strive to make the world a better place for those who come after us.

[accursedtwin]

But... we've caused a lot of trouble. Everyone is dying because of us.

[ That's certainly what he thinks, even if it's not true. ]

[cloudalike]

[ He reaches for Yuui's hands. The invisible wounds on this child - on his heart - are as obvious as the ones on his hands. This is not something that can be erased with words. ]

No, Yuui. Death comes for everyone eventually, but no one child is responsible for all those lives and all those deaths. That's just - insane. Unfair. Unreasonable. You haven't even had a chance to truly live, and truly grow, so how can you be responsible for everyone else?

[accursedtwin]

[ Yuui almost pulls them back out of fear, but he manages to reign that in at the last second. He stares down at their hands. ]

I... I don't know. I just know that we are. It feels like we are.

[cloudalike]

I'm sorry...

[ Their hands glow, and a mild frost touches the tips of Yuui's fingers, numbing the pain. Chongyun wishes... wishes he could have been there to do this and more back then. ]

I'm sorry everyone here failed you and made you feel that way. All of this - it's not your fault. You don't deserve any of this, Yuui.

[accursedtwin]

[ His eyes widen ever so slightly when he feels the coldness, but it's nice. It eases the pain on his fingers, making them feel less sore. ]

You're so... kind. Why?

[cloudalike]

[ His heart hurts so much for Yuui, and underneath it all is a biting and icy anger. How could the adults of this world let this happen? How could they do this to children? How could they do this to Fai and Yuui. ]

Because I like you and I care about you a lot. [ He tries for a smile. ] But even if I didn't, kindness is something that should be freely given.

[accursedtwin]

I... I don't understand.

[ Why would this stranger like him? Everyone hates him.

But... he wants to be liked. He needs it. It takes effort, but Yuui just barely manages to hold back his tears. ]

...Do other places like twins? Are they hated everywhere else?

[cloudalike]

It's the opposite. Where I'm from, twins are celebrated. They represent good luck and fortune; harmony and joy.

[ He squeezes Yuui's small hands gently. If only he could steal these twins away to some place safe. He understands now why Fai chose to travel to far off lands, rather than return to this hell. ]

The land I'm from is called Liyue, and my name is Chongyun.

[accursedtwin]

Liyue...

[ A place where twins are celebrated. He years for it. ]

What kind of place is Liyue?

[cloudalike]

It's a vibrant land, full of good people. Of course, it has its fair share of bad people, too. But no child is born cursed, and no one is without the right to live.

[ And one day, I hope you will get to see it.

He's always believe that, however his life goes, whatever path he takes, he would live with no regrets. Through disappointment, through pain, through loss - no regrets. But now he wonders if that conceited and simplistic naivety could hold up to a childhood like this. ]

Would you and Fai like to go there?

[accursedtwin]

[ He nods quickly, his eyes brimming with tears that don't fall. ]

We would. We would like that a lot...

[cloudalike]

[ He smiles gently at Yuui, letting go of one hand, but keeping the other in his grip. He can't change what has already happened, he knows. He knows. Even so... ]

Then first, let's try to get out of here. Can you show me the way? It looks like you were trying to move the bodies...

[accursedtwin]

I was trying to use them to help me get high enough where I can start climbing the walls...

[ He frowns. ]

I don't know of any other way out.