caughtinanetwork | [♥] dream.

Entry tags:

[♥] dream.

(( OOC: video version here ♥ ))

November 5th, 2009.

It's an ordinary scene, even though the room probably won't look familiar. Pink sheets on the bed, with matching pink pillows all thrown about the floor. A pink lamp, sitting lonely in the corner. It is a room that belongs to one Yukari Takeba, who now sits on the aforementioned bed with her laptop resting on her lap where it belongs. She looks contemplative, staring at the CD in her right hand, but it isn't long before slips it in.

Suddenly, the viewpoint shifts to what can only be described as a first-person view. The room is shown exactly as Yukari sees it; no more, no less, with primary focus being on the laptop's screen.

Her thoughts can even be heard as well, echoing like narration.

I told Fuuka I'd take a look at it. Things are only gonna get crazier, with Mitsuru-senpai being so busy, so I should just do it now . . .

Something about the tone in her thoughts suggests uncertainty. But nevertheless, the video plays, and it takes less than a second for her to recognize it.

I pray that this recording reaches safe hands...

She gasps. Her father -- her father is on the screen. It's this video again . . . and without waiting for her to recover from her reaction, it continues to play.

My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea. This experiment should have never even been conceived... That's why I had to interrupt it. However, in doing so, I set free a number of Shadows that are certain to torment future generations. But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price... Please, listen carefully... I cannot stress this enough... You must not hunt the Shadows that have dispersed!

Eiichiro Takeba goes on to describe how the Shadows are all trying to eat one another, with continued stress on not pursuing them -- and Yukari quickly realizes this is the version of the video Ikutsuki never wanted them to see. The original video. Tears begin to form in her eyes, out of anger, out of longing.

At the mention of her name, her eyes widen, hanging on his every word.

There's not much hope for me now. I have just one favor to ask... Whoever finds this... Please... Give my daughter Yukari this message. I know I promised I'd be home soon... and I'm sorry to break that promise... But, I want you to know... Daddy was the happiest man on earth when he was with you. ...I love you, Yukari.

Please take care of yourself...

"Dad?"

At this point, she can't help herself: her voice is unsteady as she calls out to him, as if he were really there. The tears start to fall, and She brings up a hand to wipe them away so she can see the screen better.

" . . . Dad? Daddy!!"

. . . But it's too late. The sound of an explosion, glass breaking, and the screen dissolving into static are all that's left. Her heart sinks and she is left sobbing -- comforted only by the fact that she was right to trust and believe in her dad . . .

[Yukari awakens gradually. Despite her dream, it isn't unpleasant, so she doesn't even feel the need to open her eyes. In fact, she'd rather not, knowing that the dream was just broadcast to absolutely everybody. Her eyes are probably still wet too -- maybe even a little red. So instead, she reaches over to her SFC to switch off the video feed; violently, much in the way one would hit snooze on an alarm clock.

Now that it's over with, she wants to just curl up and get some sleep that is actually restful. But instead, she finds herself lying awake.

Thinking . . .]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

It seems to me like if that fuckin stuff still does all get its recollect on in your dreams to harsh your chill maybe it don't really fuckin' matter how long ago it was. Like, if it is something what ills you, it's worth dealing with, right?

[That's as close to a "yes, I would like company" as he's going to get from Yukari, and that's good enough for Serph.]

I'll meet you outside your dorm.

[Just like that time Yukari had to eat someone--]

[Before Bianca can continue, she suddenly feels guilty. Her dad was back home but Yukari didn't.]

Can I ask you something? What about your mom? She's still back home right?

[While she might not have her dad, she still has one of her parents around! If Yukari is feeling the impact of his death, surly her mom was feeling the same! She wasn't alone in that regard!

And little did Bianca know that she walked right into a trap regarding her issues with her mother]

[Heh.]

Indeed, it's hardly as if the dead can tell you that themselves.

[He can't quite empathize with wanting someone to be proud of him, but he wouldn't deny that there are some things he would care to know from the deceased.

Still... it's strange, talking about someone's parents. Tiir's silent for a while, before he speaks again, in a quieter voice.]

... Truth be told, I don't think much of the relationship between a parent and their child, but I suppose there are some exceptions.

[. . . But she is dealing with it. Or at least that's what she always thought. That's why Io evolved, that's why her reason for fighting is so strong now. All because of her father.

Of course, when she lost Minato, too, it felt like those wounds were opening up again. Hah -- Yukari laughs in a way that almost sounds a bit forced. But maybe she realized that -- because it doesn't last very long.]

Are you offering?

[To help deal with it? To basically be her therapist?

Pffthaha . . .]

[N o p e nope we're not going to think about that at all. Luckily, it's an innocent enough suggestion, so she doesn't make that connection right away. She simply nods.

After all, if he's going to put in the effort to come see her anyway, she isn't going to stop him.]

. . . Yeah. Okay.

[. . . Except that means she has to put in the effort of getting dressed and making herself presentable too. Faaantastic.]

[The silence is comfortable, so she allows it as she thinks about what he's said. The dead can't talk, sure, but . . . death means nothing in Vatheon, right? Minato had come back once; he could come back again, and so could her father.

But she's really tired of getting her hopes up, so she doesn't even start down that path.

She glances at him with a suspicious eye -- but it's not as if there are a shortage of people who take parents for granted. There's no surprise here.]

There are plenty.

[So much so that you might not even call them exceptions. But she digresses, continuing on quickly:]

Why do you say you don't think much of them?

[Obviously he'd been implying that she was one of the exceptions; but she can't stifle her curiosity and resist asking.]

[Gamzee honestly wouldn't know what a therapist is. Sounds like some kinda moirail-for-hire. Humans sure are... something.

That said, he doesn't need to know what a therapist is to know that Yukari is his friend, and he'll always so anything for a friend. Especially listen.]

We're bros, right? If it'll up and fuckin' help you some, I ain't got to having no problem with listening and helping a sister find her righteous chill.

[Yeah, he will probably not be helpful at all, but maybe just the act of talking about it will help on its own? Maybe. Possibly.]

[. . . . . . If this were a video feed, Yukari would be staring in disbelief. Not because she dared ask -- because asking about Yukari's mother is a logical next step to take -- but because she's just so unprepared to talk about her.

And she doesn't want to.

It could be worse though -- at the very least, she'd actually been trying to patch things up with her. She never really got the chance to, though, and she has no idea if she ever will.

After a somewhat long pause, she speaks with bitterness in her voice:]

Yeah, sure. She was around. If you wanna call it that.

[She rolls her eyes, too. She doesn't even bother to hold back, since no one can see her.]

[Yukari, you could be naked and Serph wouldn't care.

Either way, Serph takes his usually leisurely pace as he walks to the dorms.]

...What do you mean?

[Somehow, there was a feeling in the back of Bianca's mind that she shouldn't talk about this. While the girl didn't have as good of a relationship with her mom as she did with her dad, she still cared about her. So to hear Yukari say something like that made her think that something might have been wrong.

Should she be worried? Did she...accidentally walk into something she shouldn't have?]

[It might. In theory, it's supposed to -- part of a therapist's job is to listen, after all. Yukari doesn't seem too enthusiastic about it, though, even if she does appreciate his offer.]

Thanks. For tonight though, I think I'd rather just go back to sleep.

[At first, she felt rested, thankful that she got any sleep at all; but it's beginning to catch up with her a little. The dark doesn't help.

One thing's for sure though, at least she didn't dismiss him completely.]

[Yes, but it's Yukari, and she definitely does care. So by the time Serph arrives, she's tossed on another layer of clothing that is a bit more appropriate for a walk, and she's also lazily combed her hair. She makes her way downstairs, and with a deep breath, she opens the door.

She stretches, taking in the night air as she steps out, and is already there waiting when Serph walks up.]

[Well, she kind of did -- but it's not really her fault. The topic of Yukari's parents had never come up before, and it's not something she's open about, so obviously Bianca wouldn't have known. Yukari just keeps telling herself that.]

Well, she and I didn't exactly get along, that's all. It's not like it's a big deal, though -- plenty of girls my age don't get along with their parents.

[Which is why it's totally not a big deal for Yukari to be talking about this.]

[All things considered, Yukari probably doesn't really want to know the truth, but Tiir's never been one to sugarcoat things.

There's a certain hardness in his voice as he speaks that Yukari's likely familiar with by now, given how often he's talked about this sort of thing.]

I've seen enough parents try to sell or murder their children to know that blood is no connection on its own.

[And then there was a slight pause.]

Really? I didn't know that. I know my mom and I don't always get along ...and I don't with my dad either but...I didn't know it was common.

[So when she was fighting between her dad, she thought it was bit strange. Was it just like everyone else? Who knows, Hilbert's dad was never around and Cheren got along with his dad just fine...]

[That's fine. The one thing that Gamzee can boast about having is patience. When it feels right to talk about this kinda stuff, she knows she can come to him. You can't force this kind of thing anyway. It goes against what it is meant to do!]

No problem, dude. You gotta be listening at your pump biscuit over this stuff. When that motherfucker tells you it be right, it be right. You can't up and fuckin' force it to be, that ain't good at all.

You need a bro, you know where you can be like finding me, okay?

[. . . Whatever she'd been expecting, it wasn't that. There's a shudder that shakes her whole body that she can't quite hold back, and it feels like the first time she actually had to eat someone all over again. Even thinking about her own mom, despite the fact that they've had a lot of issues in the past --

She just can't picture her doing anything of the sort. Let alone her father. Why would they?]

I guess it's not totally unheard of where I come from either. But no one likes to think about it.

[Or talk about it.]

[. . . Hmm. Yukari actually looks a bit thoughtful at that. She hadn't intended to give off the idea that it was common, but that's basically exactly what she said, wasn't it?

Either way, she's just glad the focus is off her.]

Well . . . it could be different in Unova. Who knows? I've never actually been there -- and I could probably count the people I've met from Unova on one hand.

[At least one of whom is no longer around. And the others? Well, it's not like she makes a habit out of asking about peoples' parents.]

[She gives him a firm nod. Somehow she knew he'd understand, though she has no idea what a heart biscuit has to do with anything. She kind of gives a snort at the mental image, before replying:]

Yeah, I do. And you'd better not go anywhere either.

[Though that's something she'd have to take up with Lamufao . . . she supposes.]

[As always, Serph gives Yukari a nod in greeting. But this time, he adds--]

How do you feel?

[At least he didn't take her by surprise. She heard his footsteps first, and when he greets her, he nods in return.

Dryly:]

Like I just crawled out of bed.

[Spoilers: it's because she did. But she supposes that's not exactly what Serph meant.]

[Bianca will find someway to avoid talking about herself somehow. She doesn't mind talking to people but when it came to talking about her problems, it was another matter. She knew that she had to be more open to people but...it was difficult wasn't it?]

Hm? Who else do you know?

I know that there were a few before but um....

[Yup, it still hurts knowing that she's alone here]

Of course. Regardless of how commonplace it may or may not be, it's still a loathsome thing to do.

[To say the least.]

I imagine, though, that it's a less likely occurrence when one's child is... normal.

[... The way he says the last word would suggest that he doesn't very much agree with the definition of normal.]

[No, it's not. He stares for a brief moment, before he turns in the direction of the forest.]

Let's go.

[He expects her to follow, but he'll also let the silence stretch between them until either Yukari or himself decides to break it.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 3 of 6

[♥] dream.

video;

no subject

[Voice]

video;

video;

no subject

video;

video;

[Voice]

action

[Voice]

video;

action

[Voice]

video;

[Voice]

video;

video;

[Voice]

video;

no subject

no subject

[Voice]

video;

no subject