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

[selfconcept]

[ Hien is fine with letting Ren talk, because he hasn't talked to other people much. This is a good time for him, Hien thinks.

"Yeah. Hien is the best. I didn't like him at first, but he was really bent on taking care of me and nursed me back to health. He also protects me from everyone else in town." ]

[exofractured]

You didn't? Even though he saved you?

[That has some shadings that... well, he won't jump to conclusions. Hmm.]

If this town isn't safe for you, why not leave? You could study anywhere.

[Not another one-town world, he hopes.]

cw suicidal ideation, attempted suicide

[selfconcept]

[ It's Hien's turn to cut Ren off. ]

Despite its people, it holds a very important place in Ren's heart.

[ His eyes suggest that if Phantom really wants to know, it'll have to be when they're alone. It's not something he'll say in front of Ren.

Despite Hien trying to be careful, Ren pipes up:

"I didn't like Hien at first because he kept trying to take care of me when I wanted to die. I don't feel that way anymore though." ]

cw suicidal ideation

[exofractured]

[Phantom catches that look, and he nods very slightly. He won't press just at this moment, then.]

...That's good. It's just like you said. Sometimes our brains make us feel bad about things, but we know it isn't as bad as it feels. Especially with him here for you.

[He really, really hopes this isn't how Hien lost his kid.]

[selfconcept]

[ Ren nods and smiles a little.

"He saved my life, so I want to repay him by living it well. With Hien here, I think I'll live a good life." ]

[exofractured]

I'm sure you will. You have a lot of big dreams to accomplish.

[Knowing nothing here can really be changed is kind of the worst, but Phantom smiles back anyway.]

[selfconcept]

[ "Yeah! Oh, Philip. If it's okay... can you stay tomorrow? Tomorrow is my birthday and I wanna spend it with more people I like."

Ren already likes Phantom. Good job. Hien doesn't seem opposed to it either, since that's what Ren wants.

"Besides, Hien is being mean and not telling me what my present is." ]

You'll get to know tomorrow, like any other birthdays.

[exofractured]

...Well, if Hien doesn't object. I'm glad to spend time with the two of you as well.

[A little carefully, he reaches over to ruffle Ren's hair too. That should be fine, right?]

A surprise is half the fun, isn't it?

[selfconcept]

[ Ren pouts a little. He likes the affectionate gesture of people ruffling his hair, so he doesn't mind.

"I guess. It better be a really good surprise then!"

if phantom wants to ask hien or ren anything, this is his chance before the memory starts being weird ]

[exofractured]

He doesn't seem the type to disappoint.

[Phantom does want to ask about the town, but not with Ren right there. Maybe if he gets a change after Ren falls asleep. Otherwise, braced for weird.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien ushers Ren that it's about time for his nap, so Ren goes to curl up next to Goldie and they sleep together with a blanket over them.

Hien pulls out a jacket and hands it to Phantom. ]

You wanna talk outside?

[exofractured]

[Phantom nods and takes the jacket. Unfortunately he hasn't yet realized he can just magic things into existence again.]

Thank you.

[And once they're safely outside:]

So why do you stay? It's clear you don't think much of this place.

[selfconcept]

You're right. I don't like this town.

[ When they're out of the tent, Hien gestures to the scorched townhouse. The tent is right on its driveway. ]

That was his home. Ren accidentally caused a fire that burned it down. His parents died in the fire. His older brother traumatized him before leaving. The townspeople think Ren is a murderer and ostracize him. They're trying to get him to leave the neighborhood, but Ren doesn't want to leave.

[ Therefore, tent right in the driveway. ]

I have to protect him from the townspeople. He was already getting bullied for his eyes at school before this happened, so I'm not letting him go there either.

[exofractured]

[That explanation just makes Phantom's frown deepen. He looks at the remains of the house, tilting his head a little.]

I can understand why it's too important to him to leave. But living right next to a reminder of this... do you really think he'll be able to heal when he sees that every day?

[But then, running away is just Phantom's preferred solution to things. Hmmm.]

Are his eyes so unusual here?

cw hallucination mention

[selfconcept]

He actually... finds comfort in being next to it.

[ Ren's weird, but also. ]

He's also really scared of his brother, and sometimes hallucinates seeing him instead of other people--especially if they have anything in common with their appearances. Luckily, you don't. His eyes are rare here and that only adds to people calling him a monster.

[exofractured]

[Phantom grimaces a little at that. Which part? All of that, honestly.]

I suppose... by the time he finishes his studies, he'll be ready to move on.

[Every part of this is worrying, honestly.]

When you said he traumatized him... so his brother blames him for the accident?

[selfconcept]

... That too, I guess. Trauma is trauma. Let's leave it at that. Either way, his mind is... very delicate. He's basically been a shut-in for several years with me, which... I know it isn't for the best, but he doesn't want to leave. All he has is me here.

[ And Goldie. ]

[exofractured]

[Even Phantom knows that much isn't good, although he doesn't have much basis to judge. But it's hard to argue with that.]

I see. I'm sure... he's made progress. He has plans and hopes for the future, after all.

[It's a memory, so all of this is pointless. But Phantom can't help asking:]

I could try to look at him with my magic, if he wanted. If there's something broken in his heart, I could treat... some things.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien looks at Phantom for a while, before there's a look of resignation. ]

I appreciate the suggestion very much. However, Ren denied all sorts of magical treatment from me before, so I assume he wouldn't want yours either. He said that he wants to get better by himself, because he wants to believe in the humans' ability to recover.

[exofractured]

[Ah, of course Hien would have that kind of magic here. It's a little hard to imagine, after so long in Estelline. But Phantom nods and tries to look less grim about it.]

He's come this far. Perhaps he's right, and he's not as delicate as you fear.

1/2

[selfconcept]

[ Hien quietly sighs. ]

I hope so... I just want to see him grow up and live happily.

cw gore, blood, death

[selfconcept]

[ Unfortunately, that won't happen. When Hien finishes that sentence, the memory grows distorted and then eventually, into television static. When it clears, the first thing Phantom will witness is the splotch of blood in the back of the tent. There's a blood trail on the snowy ground that leads to the exit of the driveway, in which there is a man who looks very similar to Ren, but only older. But perhaps it's a feeling he gets... that's not the older brother Ren was so afraid of. Phantom would know this best, after all. The man looks like an older Ren.

Off to the side is Hien, who is currently staked onto the ground through the center of the torso. He screams, but it's not because of the pain--it's because he's forced to see the other man tear Ren's heart out of his chest. Perhaps it's one of the most emotional moments that Phantom has ever seen Hien in, because there's an endless stream of tears streaming down his face along with the pitiful way he begged the other person not to kill Ren, only for him to brutally murder him on the spot. ]

Ren...

[exofractured]

[The distorting of the memory is unpleasantly familiar to him. And when it comes clear again...

This isn't what he'd expected for what happened to Ren at all. It's wrenching to see, and all the more so to see Hien in so much pain. This is perhaps even worse than the hollowness he glimpsed in him that once weeks ago. Phantom isn't brave, and it's only a memory. But he hurries to try to put himself between Hien and the sight of Ren, even though he blanches too.]

Hien!

[He lifts his hand, prepared to cast towards the duplicate Ren. He can sense that similarity very clearly, but more than anyone, that wouldn't stop him from fighting.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien is a wreck. All he can do is quietly sob while still being staked to the ground, but he eventually gathers himself and lowly growls out: ]

Renatus...

[ The older Ren, or Renatus, as Hien calls him, starts walking towards the two with a smile on his face. There's malice hidden behind it.

"Oh, Hien~ you even brought a friend. Did you want to set a memorial day together? I understand, since you might have been lonely, doing this over and over again. How many times has it been... maybe over several thousands? But you keep insisting and I'll come here every. Single. Time. It's no wonder your heart's a wreck—you try this every time after you force yourself to forget." ]

[exofractured]

[Phantom has about a million questions to ask Hien later, but now isn't the time. Thousands of times, living through this? In his own world the kind of damage that would have done to a mental landscape would be very literal and very tangible. He doesn't want to think about that yet.]

What are you? Stay back-

[Not that the damage isn't clearly already done. Phantom conjures a quick wave of light to try to shove Renatus back in his approach. If this is something like what Hien had said he was - and Hien used to be human, hadn't he? Was that what happened? Phantom is trying not to panic, one thought chasing another.]