tornheart | APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

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APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

Who: Open Log (All)
Where: Around the city (one prompt at the Green Valley school
Summary: Welcome Ceremonies, Dreams, Stirring a shadow hornet's nest. No big deal.
Warnings: N/A

"Are you ready my black lambs? Let's get to work..."

Apple Picking (General Prompt)

As September begins, the apple orchards of Greenfield Valley school are bursting with thousands of apples of various flavors and colors. There's even an experimental breed that's blue!

Those who have been attending the school know that this means a few important things. The first (and most important of course) is that it means that fall vacation is coming in just a few weeks (despite school having started just a few weeks ago), the second is that the school's menu is going to have a high number of apple-themed dishes until winter, and finally, the opening ceremonies.

The opening ceremonies are - well - one would consider them mostly boring for typical schools. And truth be told, Green Valley is not an exception. A single camera posed at the school's main gymnasium, a large podium in the center. For those who can't be physically there, the school's televisions all synchronized to a live broadcast as does the audio feeds. You can't quite escape it. Yet most people don't - after all it's one of the rare times of the year where the principal appears to wish students good fortune.

The person who stands in the front, Ms Michelle Andersen, is the very definition of an ice queen. Her face is perhaps locked forever into an emotionless stare. Bright blonde hair with blue eyes, both contract to her orange and black outfit.

Behind her, three men, the vice principals, who tend to play the good cops to her bad cop routine and insist that most students call them by their first names unless something really bad has happened; Norman (the most average man on campus that no one would know who he was if it wasn't for his name tag), Jeremy (the tallest staff member standing at over 195cm, thin, a bit of a lisp but he always means well), and Felix (possibly the hairiest man on campus as far as the rumors go, muscular, and a black beard that matches his scowling face when he isn't laughing - which is usually all the time. In fact, he's holding back himself from doing so when Ms. Andersen speaks.)

The presentation is short, as the Principal wishes all the students a great year, gives a bit of data on the number of students (they are up 300 new students from last year), the number of important guests that have passed, then as quickly as she was there, she leaves, explaining that there are additional meetings and events she will explain in greatest detail in the upcoming months.

Afterwards the students are treated to the vice principals singing a welcome song (it goes as well as one would expect it to go), telling the students that they are free to pick as many apples as they want as long as they all get eaten, but everyone is limited to two of the new apples and report to the hospital wards if any of them feel anything unusual after eating them. Just in case.

When the ceremonies are done, students and staff can return to their day...although some of the staff can be heard commenting that the Principal seemed even more...cold this year. Of course asking them for details would just cause them to shoo anyone away and pretend they didn't say anything.

[OOC: Players are welcome to speak to themselves or go have some apples. It's a general school mingling prompt! Additionally, it will be possible to email the vice principals during that week should the characters want to talk with them or ask school questions. Typical school stuff.]

Sound the Rebellion

(Special Prompt for the Unawakened, Monday the 4th)
The school's opening ceremonies aside, the Unawakened’s Monday was rather...strange. The night was plagued with restlessness as they heard the voice of someone laughing. Waking up feeling 'odd', although that differed between all of then - some would feel sick, others have a headache, or some just deciding that wearing a piece of clothing they haven't wanted to worn would look great right now. Perhaps they got a few comments from their relatives about how strange they were acting that day, or a worried glance if they felt sick. It might get dismissed with a wave of a hand.

After all, how can you explain that when they sometimes look upwards, they hear the sound of a child laughing and briefly see a symbol above their heads? Or that this somehow feels...fine?

Maybe in their new state of mind, they might not even notice the people that keep following them around...

Better than a GPS

(Awakened prompt, Monday 4th, day and night.)
"Alright Lambs, time to get to work."

Luci's voice echoed in their phone, laughing. Was he doing a peace sign?

"There's only a few but they'll be useful. I want you to find them and see what you can do. Who knows! Maybe you might be better at this than me, although I doubt it heh heh heh…Now remember what I said! You have to get them to fall asleep...but there's no real rules for that!"

For the Awakened, the symbols above the Unawakeneds’ heads will be as clear as day - Luci will even go so far as play little musical tunes when the characters are close by or distract them using electronics. "Come on! Stop wasting time and do something!"

For the Unawakened who have a relative, it will be somewhat easy. It is the others that will be a pain. Maybe that's why Luci asked for help. Or maybe he just wanted to see his 'lambs' struggle. "Get them to bed! It's not that hard! If you have trouble, just show them the program I've put into your phone and toaster! Or knock them with your toaster first if you want, I don't care! Just go in teams when you go after them, got it?"

It's obvious that 'sleeping' as far as Luci is concerned, is when someone is unconscious - he seems to almost want someone to knock an Unawakened out and then drag him into a room and let themselves go to sleep.

Once the task is done, and the place is secure, the characters will have to do the same. While the hypnotic wheel from the program is the easiest way, there's no hard rule about knocking oneself out either.

MINDJACK
Once the characters get inside, they'll be in the person's mind and dreams. Eddan's memories are predominant, and the unawakened will be standing there wandering around. It will be up to the Awakened to peel back the fabric of reality, much like curtains and show them the true memories of their past...

But beware. Shadows lurk here, and transforming will be necessarily. And if a character dies in someone else's dream...they might never wake up. So be careful...

The main mission is to showcase the person a few memories. Give them an idea that something might be amiss...it can be a little or a lot. Just be careful that the more memories, the stronger the shadows become... When both are done and awaken, ten minutes will have passed. Perhaps it will be time for question afterwards.

[OOC:The Unawakened characters need to be isolated for the program to run, and so do the players, so half the 'fun' will be setting up the traps so that the characters will be alone.

Awakened might decide to have someone stand on guard while the others go to sleep with the Unawakened, or just all stupidly go together, or find an area where they won't be disturbed - everything is up to you.

The dreamscape can be anything the Unawakened desires! It could be good memories of their time in Eddan or bad memories, a mixture of both, or just silly dreams. Whatever it is, the Awakened will need to 'peel' those memories away - for example showing them that their mother was someone else in their other life, or even directing the person to a mirror so that they can see their true selves. But for each memory - both good or bad, shadows will start to attack both the Unawakened and Awakened. Be careful and let the mods know if a mission goes REALLY bad.]

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Christina closes her eyes for a moment, then smiles. Her brows are still knit with confusion though.

"I suppose I was mistaken then. My apologies. I could have sworn..."

She rests a finger on her lip, still deep in thought. Absentmindedly, Christina starts to walk towards the vanity. It feels like she's drawn towards it. However, the two cloaked heroes are in her path.

She pauses once she's a foot away. "Excuse me," Christina says as polite as can be. Despite her puzzled state, her manners are warm as ever. "May I?"

As she approaches, Shinichi takes a step back, bringing himself closer to Ran. It was just enough to stay out of arm reach from Vermouth.

"Perhaps you're mistaking me for someone else."

They've dismissed that moment of familiarity, both of them, but Ran can't help the strange sense that there's something there.

It's only when Shinichi steps back closer to her, still between her and Vermouth, that it clicks: This movement, the fact that he placed himself between them in the first place, is protective.

Ran knows full well that all that Christina has done so far can't be classified as dangerous. (Even though she doesn't trust that it will continue.) The significant thing here is how Shinichi knows. Why he's come there in the first place in a situation that by its setup can't be casual, why he's placing himself between them now. It's like in New York, when he placed himself between her and the gunman, like in the shiragami case where he slid between her and the killer who ultimately had a gun. He can only know something about Christina and why she bears warding against. He wouldn't do this otherwise.

She stares at his back for a moment, eyebrows knitting slightly. There's something here, and it's important that she learns what it is.

For the moment, though, there are other things at stake. She reaches out to touch his forearm to draw his attention, catching it beneath his cloak. Waiting for him to turn, she dips her head quickly towards the blood on the carpet.

Also, it doesn't seem like a great idea for Vermouth to head towards anything with drawers. Slipping around Shinichi, hoping to draw the woman's attention, to distract her and give him time to look: "Do . . . you know me?"

The dark visor hides her eyes, but not completely. They're the wrong color, but the lines of her face are unmistakable to someone who knows them well.

Christina stops suddenly as Shinichi steps back, her eyes widening in surprise. She has no idea what she did, particularly, but it would seem she has overstepped their boundaries.

"Possibly. Either way, I mean you no harm."

Her attention is drawn towards the other knight as she addresses Christina. The older woman stares, considering. The outfit seems completely unfamiliar, but that voice...

"...Ran?" Christina steps towards her slowly as if in a trance. "Ran, darling, is that you?"

Shinichi casts a glance back as Ran touches his arm. His gaze follows hers to the blood stain, and he nods slightly. He'd noticed it already.

He stiffens as Vermouth addresses Ran, but chooses not to say anything for now.

"E-Enn." Ran retreats back a step, back brushing against Shinichi's shoulder. She's meant to draw Christina's attention, but that doesn't mean it's any easier.

"But . . . we don't know each other. Not really."

Christina's eyes widen, her expression hurt and confused. She steps forward again.

"What do you mean, Ran? I've known you for your whole life!"

Right. That was enough of that. He'd put this off long enough.

And if it had the effect of taking attention of Ran, all the better.

"Are sure of that that? How do you know that your memories are real?"

But how does anyone know their memories are real? Didn't they think the same thing as Christina does now not so long ago? And wouldn't they have fought for them just the same as Christina is?

She's not so sure how well this strategy will work -- beyond to make Christina more upset. Ran's eyes dart to Shinichi and away again, the small tightness at the corners of her mouth betraying her hesitation for this plan -- though they'll both see in a moment.

In the meantime, though, Christina has advanced . . . and Ran no longer has anywhere to move, back against Shinichi. Her teeth knife briefly into her cheek. That expression . . . she can't help a twinge of pity for the woman, in spite of what her own memories hold.

It can't be helped. This has to be done.

"We don't know each other," she repeats, trying to force steadiness into her voice. "I know it feels like we do . . . I know that's what you remember. This place . . . it twists our memories and our minds, making us think things that aren't true. We've seen each other before. But only once."

"Of course I know! I lived the-"

Her voice cuts off as Ran begins again. What she's saying makes no sense, but it cuts deep. Her heart twists in her chest as the words turn in her head. Not knowing Ran, her sweet niece? Christina can feel her eyes well up with tears. Her voice grows more desperate as she whispers.

"No, that can't be right. It can't be..."

It feels so wrong. In so many way. Yet as she speaks, Christina can feel something stir inside her. Something that both denies and confirms her claims.

Something Ran said wasn't true.

Christina has no idea how she is so certain of that. She barely registers what she's doing, relying mainly on instinct. Reaching out, she grabs onto Ran's shoulder with one hand, in part for emphasis but also to support herself.

"How... If we don't know each other... Then how do you explain that?"

With the other hand, she points to the messy vanity and the dartboard above it.

Startled, nerves already on edge, Ran barely bites back a yelp at the sudden touch. Though there's only a note of sound in her throat, she can't help the flinch; on instinct, her body twitches sharply as Christina's hand lands, trying to pull back.

"W-What?" Her eyes flick towards the vanity -- towards the pictures and the dartboard. From this distance, it's too hard to see. Twisting away from the touch, she pulls around Christina, stepping in that direction.

The vanity is piled with articles. Photographs. It doesn't take long for Ran to learn that there's a pattern to them -- the articles are Shinichi, predominantly, and of his cases. There's one short announcement of Ran winning the regional karate championship. And the photographs . . . they're of Shinichi, of herself, of Conan, and a couple of Yukiko.

The pictures above on the wall . . . they're ones she's seen before, in the hands of Jodie. Pictures of herself, of Shinichi, labeled with "Angel" and "Cool Guy."

She feels fingers close around her stomach, squeeze hard.

"I don't-- How do you have these?"

Why does she have these?

Shinichi tenses as Vermouth reaches out for Ran. He was only a moment away from moving to interfere when Ran breaks the contact on her own.

He follows after Ran, instantly recognizing the cases in the clippings. He regards them with concealed alarm. It was one thing to know that Vermouth knew his identity. To see just how in depth her knowledge of his cases was? That was something else altogether.

And now Ran was seeing this. Already she was learning more about his case than he had ever intended. (And how had she met Vermouth before, How? Why hadn't he known about this? Was Ran already in some danger he hadn't known about?)

"As I thought," he says at last. "Have you looked at these? Truly looked at these?"

Edited 2017-09-23 18:21 (UTC)

Christina lets them both break away without much fuss. Her hands are clasped together in worry, fidgeting restlessly as she watches them examine the vanity.

"I was hoping you knew."

She shuffles forward as they address her. "They were here when I checked in. I noticed them not long before you showed up."

Shinichi's question baffles her though. Christina glances down at the photographs before looking back at him, her expression furrowed.

"Well, I looked at them briefly. I can see now that some are of you. But I still don't get what it means."

"Some?" Ran can't help echoing. Not "some." What's here would constitute more than an interest -- maybe even an obsession. Her eyes can't quite move from the photographs on the wall. "These . . . they belonged to Jodie-sensei." Not so sure now: ". . . Didn't they? How did you--"

"We've only met once." She repeats this, though she's not so sure now, looking at this. "Only once. Why would you--"

She shakes her head quickly, as though trying to clear it. A question bubbles to the surface, unable to be held back: ". . . Would you have have tried to hurt them too?"

"Maybe you should try thinking on why a little more." With Ran here listening, he didn't want to go into detail if he could avoid it.

He turns to look at Ran. "Ran, when did you meet before?"

He was very concerned on that topic.

Christina had meant 'some' less in the quantity of photos, which were a little excessive, and more that there were other subjects. Namely the young boy and woman. She can see why the two would be distressed. Someone was clearly prying into their lives. But Christina still doesn't see how she fits into the picture, other than renting this room.

Her confusion is only heightened as Ran starts shooting off questions. Jodie-sensei...? She has no idea who or what that means, with no Japanese language skills. Everything getting thrown at her is too much.

The last question definitely gets her attention. She shakes her hands in front of her defensively, eyes open and honest despite being clouded with confusion. "Wha... I haven't hurt anyone!"

Shinichi's suggestion quiets her down for the moment, if only because she has no idea what to do with all this information. Thinking over it couldn't hurt. She stares down at the messy surface, trying to look more closely this time.

Ran presses her lips together, answering Shinichi's question -- which will in turn touch on Christina's statement. "I followed Jodie-sensei when she took Ai-chan. The car stopped, and then I heard shots, breaking glass . . . I called the police. When it had been quiet for a while, I thought it might have been safe to come out and check and make sure that everyone was okay . . . but when I opened the trunk, she was there. Pointing a gun at Ai-chan, ready to shoot."

She lifts a hand to rub at her temple with the back of one hand, as though the memory somehow aches in her mind. "I went over the car to get to Ai-chan. I guess there was someone shooting from the rooftop, too, but I made it to her. I tackled her. She--" Her eyes flick back to indicate Christina, shoulders tightening inward. "She screamed at me to move and get away. So she could shoot Ai-chan."

Shinichi turns his head quickly and stares at Ran with alarm.

"You were there that night? You were shot at?"

He knew exactly which night she was talking about. And how had he not known about this? Why hadn't anyone mentioned to him? Ran could have died, and he hadn't known. Had slept through it all until he'd woken up from his own sedative.

Christina glances towards them as she catches their conversation. Her eyes are filled with alarm. Since when was Ran involved in something so dangerous?! Even if the rest makes no sense, it tenses her shoulders to hear such a story. Someone shooting at her darling niece... How dare they endanger Ran like that... Who would do such a thing?

Her fingers grip the edge of the vanity tightly. Her head is pounding, whether from anger or confusion she can't quite tell. As she squeezes her eyes shut, a single word crosses her lips, a name barely whispered.

"Calvados..."

The rustle of wings can be heard from outside the hotel walls. Most likely a bird taking flight nearby. Christina scarcely notices, her head spinning. Was that... an answer? How did she know?

What on earth was happening?

He knows about it? . . . Had Conan told him?

There's no time for full attention to this thought, though; the panic in his face and voice sends a dart of guilt through her brain. She wouldn't have done any differently, but . . . she'd gotten too caught up, could have told him better.

Probably could have told Christina better, too. She's just managed a bare nod back to Shinichi, guilty, when the name from Christina catches her attention. Outside, the sudden rustle of wings, too loud, punctuates.

Not even thinking, she pulls back closer to Shinichi -- this time with herself in front. Something feels wrong.

Much as Shinichi wanted to get the full story out of Ran, there was no time for this at the moment.

Calvados. An Organization member. She'd remembered something.

He fights back a moment of frustration as Ran stands in front of him. Something was going to happen soon. He was sure of it. And she picked this moment to stand there? He readies himself to move.

Christina spares one hand to clutch her forehead as faces begin to match to names she can barely recall. Jodie... she looked an awful look like her. Ai was young... right? Did she have an older relative that Christina knew? No... that wasn't it.

The other hand steadies her, the only thing grounding her at this moment. As her mind is being swarmed though, things are changing. The light within the room begins to shift, casing new shadows. From one of the corners, something shuffles.

Rising onto its feet is a Shadow in the shape of a man. However, he has no defining features outside his face, which is twisted in a nasty scowl. In his hands is a metal pipe.

When it notices them, the Shadow lunges forward, swinging the pipe in their direction.

As the shadows shift, Ran tenses, her own heartbeat loud in her ears. For a few moments, that's all she hears.

When the Shadow peels from the corner, pipe in hand, she doesn't hesitate. With a breath, she's on the move, the pipe swinging downward onto her forearm, blocked without a flinch. Fist gathered back, she plunges it towards the Shadow's stomach.

Shinichi's feelings or not, this is right where she should be.

As the light shifts, Shinichi does not remove his focus from Vermouth. Her expression had changed. Had she remembered something?

When the shadow appears he breaks off his attention to observe it, making a motion to step toward it, only to quickly abort the motion as Ran charges toward it.

As much as he would like to protect her from things like this, he knew perfectly well how strong Ran's karate was. Was there really anything he could do at the moment?

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