tornheart | APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

Entry tags:

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Vincent gets about half a second of delicious victory because the tools of his triumph are smeared all over his face. letting out a loud cry of disgust, he reaches up to violently bat the other boy's hand away -

only, because he's intoxicated, he completely forgets that said hand was the only thing keeping him upright on the table. before he can even realize his mistake he's tumbling over, right into Kit. really, they both had something like this coming.]

[Kit started to laugh, but before more than a loud hah could escape, the sound became startled as Vincent was suddenly close...closer...

Much too close!

...and crashing into him. Food skid across the table top and stopped precariously near the edge, but by then the legs of Kit's chair had already skit backwards. Skipped across the floor. Caught and tipped.

In an unceremonious mess of limbs, the two of them went fumbling over backwards with the furniture and crashed onto the floor, the wood rattling beneath Kit's back but otherwise breaking most of his fall, but Vincent's awkward weight atop him leaving him a bit dizzy and wanting for air.]

[this was possibly the worst thing to do after nearly inhaling fifty pounds of food in a single sitting. the world tips and spins around Vincent, his stomach somersaulting violently as if he wished to join in on the festivities. he can't help but groan softly when they slam onto the ground, the jolt to his system entirely unwelcome.

rather than attempt to extricate himself from the current situation, he shows off his stellar priorities by reaching for the closest hem of Kit's shirt and beginning to wipe his face off with it. might as well while he's waiting for things to stop imitating a carousel.]

[Kit was still for a moment, staring expectantly at the other boy, but when he didn't get off on his own and instead proceeded to be even more of a brat, Kit gave him a shove. Dumping Vincent next to him so he could push himself up on his elbows, he tried to get a look at the table and make certain too big of a mess hadn't been made.

He really didn't feel like sweeping and mopping...and it seemed, for now at least, he wouldn't have to. He was spared a disaster zone by the merciful hand of fate. Or coincidence.

A hand he did not spare Vincent which was thwacked across his head when his attention turned sharply back to the other boy.]

[Vincent grumbles at being so rudely unseated, but seems content to take the trade...right up until he gets a heavy smack across the head. that was super uncalled for, considering this was entirely the other boy's fault.

he growls lowly and then kicks out with a foot, looking to simply shove one of Kit's elbows out from underneath him rather than do any actual damage. he wasn't quite petty enough to start a full-fledged brawl over something so stupid. yet.]

[Vincent could tell himself that as much as he liked, but that wouldn't make it true. He knew his companion by now. Or he should have. Kicking Kit's arm out from under him and causing him to collapse onto his side was a surefire way to start something.

And start something it did.

Puffing up, Kit rolled over and grabbed onto the offending leg, giving Vincent a sharp tug toward him. He wasn't sure yet what he was going to do, but he assumed sitting on them and pinning them down would be a good start and would at least prevent Vincent from kicking him anymore!]

[the start of his unkind laughter is cut off sharply as he suddenly finds himself sliding across the floor. squirming and thrashing as he might, Vincent continues to slip closer and closer to his doom. unable to process any other way out of this mess, he latched onto Kit's shoulders and roughly pulled the other boy toward him.

what this was supposed to accomplish was sort of unclear. most likely it was another way to meet the challenge head on, throwing his opponent off-guard by the unexpected victory. unfortunately he didn't really have a follow up plan for that moment of vulnerability, but it was fine. he'd just improvise.]

[Alright. That had not gone as planned.

Kit hadn't braced himself to avoid being pulled forward in retaliation, but to prevent being knocked over backwards instead. Vincent was prone to lunging at his opponents, after all. That had seemed like the most likely scenario.

But he was wrong.

And that meant that when both of his shoulders were seized instead, Kit wasn't able to prevent his weight from being pulled down on top of Vincent. In fact, there was nothing he could do at all as he crashed into the other boy and they tumbled to the floor together again, nothing except throw both hands against the floor to keep their foreheads from crashing into each other.]

[well, that went well. he, uh, thinks. even with Kit's preventative measures they're awfully close now, something he can't help but note for a moment or two.

as soon as he recovers his breath from the sudden impact of another body slamming into him, Vincent continues to behave like a child and decides that if the other boy doesn't want to completely collapse then that is exactly what he's going to try and make him do. his hands move from shoulders to around his neck as he pulls down, frowning mightily the entire time.]

[What...what was he doing!?

Kit's eyes practically bulged out of his skull when he felt Vincent's hands lock behind his neck to pull him down, a position that might have been a lot easier to slip out of if it weren't for his long and, at the moment, cumbersome hair.

Their faces were close. Very, very close, and getting closer still. If they got any closer they might...but Vincent didn't want to do that, did he? Admittedly, Kit had wanted that himself a little earlier, and the prospect now wasn't so terrible the more that he thought about it, but he was definitely thinking more clearly than he had before he went down to the barbecue, too. This wasn't a good idea, it was...

...too late.

Whoever gave permission for someone so small to be so strong needed a good beating themselves, though that was the furthest thing from Kit's mind as his arms gave out and his mouth crashed into Vincent's. In fact, all forms of coherent thought failed to exist in that moment. He froze. Utterly and completely. Staring wide-eyed down at the other boy whose mouth tasted faintly of charcoal and salt...]

[if he was sober, this outcome would have obviously been the only one which could result from his actions. unfortunately he isn't and the sudden press of warm lips against his own throws Vincent completely off guard.

he doesn't know what to think, let alone do. this certainly hadn't been his intention, and yet...it was nice, wasn't it? the way their mouths seemed to fit so snugly against one another. without thinking his arms loop a little more comfortably around Kit's neck now, less pull and more rest.

there's no push to deepen this unintentional liplock, but neither does Vincent attempt to pull himself away. he just...lays there, taking in the comfortable feeling as his brain shuts down and reboots with agonizing slowness.]

[When no pain followed the meeting of their lips, no sharp teeth or fiercely delivered elbows or knees, Kit's mind shuddered back to life again.

There were dots. He drew a line between them — between Vincent and himself. And the resulting picture was clear. He wasn't sure he understood it, but for a moment, no part was hidden from view. Like a puzzle, their pieces fit perfectly together. This felt right. It felt warm.

...but Vincent didn't even know Kit knew his name, and he still wasn't sober, besides.

That alone stopped Kit's hand as it came to rest at the hemline of Vincent's shirt, fingers just barely tucked under and against his flesh, rising and falling with every breath he took.]

We can't...

Scared?

[he whispers the question with a breathy laugh, the puffs of warm air drifting across the other boy's skin. it was impossible to tell what was happening here, but Vincent could at least be certain that he wasn't particularly interested in stopped it. the other boy's fingers were pleasingly cool against his bare skin, almost tickling at it.

as far as he could tell, there was nothing holding them back. who was there to stop them?]

[He was scared, wasn't he? But not for the reasons he knew Vincent had in mind. In their current states it was easy to want, but it wasn't wise. If they acted now on impulse, if they gave in to their desires, there would be nothing but violent regret later on. Kit didn't want that for himself, and he didn't want that for Vincent. Whatever problems they had with each other, that seemed like an awfully cruel way to repay him for having his back before.

And besides, once all of the intoxicants were out of their system, it was very likely that neither of them would want this. Whatever attraction they felt for one another, this was just a perverted form. It wasn't real.

His correction was quiet as he slipped his hand back out from under Vincent's shirt, his flesh already missing the warmth of the other boy's as it planted again on the cool floor beneath them.]

Not scared. Just smart.

[he laughs quietly, lubricated just enough not to take offense at being turned turned for some undefined act even he couldn't quite grasp. still, it didn't stop Vincent from offering up his opinion on the whole thing.]

You're going to overthink yourself to death one day.

[as if sensing the regret in the other boy's mind, one of his hand slips down from around his neck and covers Kit's on the floor. his mind is too turned around to push the bigger issue, but he can at least continue laying here. it was more comfortable than any kitchen floor had the right to be.]

Then at least I will have known I did all I could.

[His smile was fleeting, and when it had gone, he entwined their fingers, slipped off the other boy, and pulled him into a sitting position with him. It was much more difficult a thing to accomplish than he was willing to admit. But doing the right thing usually was.]

Are you tired? You didn't get to sleep for very long before I came back with the food.

[And perhaps if he slept more whatever this was would be a long forgotten episode and they could move on when they woke up next as if nothing had ever happened. Or nearly happened, as it were.]

Why the hell would I be tired?

[he grumbles defensively, as if he hadn't just been in a knockdown drag-out brawl and downed half of a twelve pack of beer an hour or so afterwards. that was nothing. any run of the mill asshole could handle something like that without a problem, let alone someone as dogged as him.

so he insists, even as his head bounces gently off of Kit's chest for a moment or two after he's been pulled up. the handholding seems to please him, at least, as even when he levels a dour look the other teen's way he's careful not to disturb the connection.]

[That was how he was going to be, was it?

Very well...he could work with that and still not break his honor code.

Kit slid his free hand around back of Vincent's neck and pulled him against his chest, fingers fanning out in the short ends of his hair. The rhythm of his heartbeat was slow and steady betraying none of his earlier indecision or alarm.]

And if I said I was tired? Would you lay with me?

[He brought their clasped hands between them, gaze falling upon their laced fingers. He had to force himself to think about other things, not the way they fit so perfectly together, or the unremitting heat that radiated off Vincent, but all the work that would be left for when he could finally get the other boy to sleep. The kitchen was a mess, food would need to be put away or disposed of, and there was the matter of the beer that was still left out...]

[that's really rich considering what you're going to do to him in a couple weeks, Kit.

for a brief moment he thinks the hand at his neck is the prelude to another scuffle, but is swiftly (and pleasantly) proven wrong. Vincent shifts the rest of his body so that he can rest against the other boy's chest more comfortably, enjoying the soothing beat of his companion's heart. it was as steadying as its master seemed to be in daily life.]

You'd have to ask nicely.

[even with his body screaming for release after all the exertion he'd foolishly put it through, Vincent can still find the presence of mind to be a brat about the things he sincerely wanted. some things never changed.]

[Wordlessly, Kit tugged his fingers free of Vincent's and pushed him gently away. And just as it seemed he'd been getting comfortable there, too.]

I'm not asking. I'm inviting.

[He was careful as he pushed himself to his feet, taking the chair with him but not the other boy. Or so it seemed at first. After pushing the piece of furniture back in to the edge of the table, he turned and held his hand out to Vincent, an offer to help him up off the floor.]

Are you coming or not?

[Kit receives a long, flat stare from the other boy over having his comfortable position stripped from him. it's offensive enough that he even considers having a sulk about it and turning down the invitation, but eventually thinks better of it.

he doesn't take the outstretched hand to get up, however, even though in his state it would doubtlessly have been faster. once he's upright and his head has recovered, he reaches out to gently take the other teen by the wrist.]

If you're that lonely, I guess.

You're just that warm.

[It wasn't a flawless victory, but in the end Vincent's cooperation meant things were going according to plan. Kit allowed his wrist to be held and, with a nod and a teasing smile, he led the way to his bedroom. There was a fresh breeze filtering in from the open window near the bed, but the world outside seemed fairly quiet otherwise. It would be the perfect setting to lull someone to sleep.

In theory, anyway.

As he crawled onto the bed and tugged Vincent with him, Kit was careful to push the other boy closer to the wall, leaving himself the edge of the bed for when he would inevitably slip away undetected after. He wouldn't be drifting to sleep himself, after all. Even if the idea did sound faintly tempting.]

Or you're just cold.

[ha ha, you know, like the analytical way he approached the world. you are so funny when half of your brain is unconscious, Vincent. your friend here is definitely rolling internally at your wit.

truth be told, he was completely exhausted by now. much as the remnants of his pride wanted to make things more difficult for Kit just on principle, he simply didn't possess the energy for it. he drops down onto the bed obligingly, therefore, pulling the arm in his hand up so that it's now draped over his back.

with a soft exhale he shifts in close enough to be able to hear that heartbeat again and then falls still, staring quietly at the other boy through half-lidded eyes.]

Maybe I am.

[In fact, Kit knew he could be, and that was why whatever humor he found in the other boy's words was short-lived and subdued. Not that it seemed to matter. Not long after they settled onto the bed, it seemed Vincent wasn't interested in telling jokes.

His closeness momentarily caused Kit's heart to skip a beat, but with a breath or maybe two, its rhythm became controlled again, much like his every thought. He was still focusing on routine rather than the pleasantness at hand, things that kept him from lingering on the comfortable way Vincent's head pressed against him or the way the other boy's gaze made him feel. There was only homework assignments he had coming up, extra shifts at work to see about picking up, and a routine check-in with his foster parents in the future.

Such things allowed him to pull Vincent closer, to even hook his ankles around the other boy's and hold him against him without dwelling upon the implications...]

[for Vincent's part, the pleasantness of the current situation was all he was thinking of, any other subject simply too weighty for his beleaguered brain to handle right now. with a proper bed beneath them this was even more comfortable than the nap they'd taken together on the couch earlier, a fact that doesn't escape him when their ankles gently tangle together.

he slings an arm across Kit's waist, allowing his hand to rest on the small of his back. everything about this felt exactly right, as if he were where he ought to be for the most blissful sleep possible. through it all his gaze never wavers, completely at peace with its present objective.]

Try not to melt.

[it's the continuation of teasing, but something about it rings strangely sincere. as if Vincent really were afraid that his companion would disappear, taking this tranquil moment along with him. perhaps that's why his free hand latches onto a handful of the other boy's shirt, clinging to prevent such a grim future.]

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