It's the time of new beginnings. The veteran magi of Nyoi-cho may find themselves inundated with gifts from the townsfolk, a celebration of the arrival of all their friends. Early risers on most days will see some hustle and bustle in an empty storefront, though the only outward change is a sign that says 'COMING SOON' and a sweet, almost nostalgic scent rolling from an open window.
The night of the 6th the nights take a turn. As weary magi return to their beds and lay their heads to rest, it's not familiar comforts they see behind closed eyes.
You are running through a corridor, your heart pounding loudly in your chest. Another pounding sound, arrhythmic, sounds in your ears and you find yourself looking back towards its source.
A man is pressed against the door there, sweat glistening on his brow as he throws the entire weight of his body against it, trying to keep it shut. He spares a brief glance towards you, the corner of his lips upturning in a small but comforting smile.
You are overwhelmed by the desire to stop running. To turn towards him, to embrace him, to not let him out of your sight; but there's a hand tugging on yours, propelling you forward and away from the scene.
"Don't worry," the voice of a woman is saying. "Your dad is strong." But there's a tremor in that voice, and it pleads of someone trying to comfort themselves. In the wake of that ever-intensifying pounding, it sounds so weak, so frail.
You make a turn, and a door is being shut behind you. You focus on that sound, on the click of a lock and the creak of hinges; you try to let it engulf the unmistakable sound of a cry ringing out, of wood being splintered.
You run and you run and you run, and before you know it, you're being ushered into a closet. The hand that had been guiding you all this time - the fingers entwined so closely around your own - retracts, and before you can plead for it to stay, you're left all alone in the darkness.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
For the second time, you hear the sound of something giving away, of wood splintering to pieces. Then you hear a woman's voice, frantic and pleading.
"No, no, please--"
A thud, a floor vibrating as some great weight is dropped onto it, and a gasp that manages to escape your throat before you can slap your hands over your mouth to try to silence it. Footsteps approach your hiding spot, and you resist the urge to squeeze your eyes shut and recede into your mind, into someplace far away where no one can hurt you.
The creaking of a door being opened snaps you out of your thoughts, and a ray of light breaks through the darkness. A man leers cruelly down at you, giving you time to take in the sights as your eyes readjust to the light.
You see a knife glistening threateningly in his left hand, and you see the blood dripping from it. You see the slack, motionless body of a man who had tried his best to protect you, being held up by the scalp in his murderer's right hand. You look farther behind it all, and you see a woman who's been knocked cruelly to the ground - a woman who still has a single hand outstretched towards you.
Your eyes flick back and forth between these faces, and suddenly they're changing before you, morphing into the faces of others that you know all too well.
"Kleine, kleine stouterik, zoudt ge moeder tergen?"
A girl with a bat is charging towards some terrible force, trying to hold it at bay, trying to buy you time.
Another - her flower brooch glistens as it hits the sunlight - puts her hands on your shoulders. "Listen, you have to get out of here," her voice is saying, always evoking strength and confidence.
"Wacht ik zal hem roepen, ik, uit de zwarte bergen."
"B-But..." You hesitate.
"Now!" Her voice is harsh, leaving no room for argument, and she pushes you roughly back - away from this scene.
You stumble backwards, and before you know it, your feet are moving, gliding across the dirt as they try to carry you to safety.
You can still hear her voice ringing out from behind you, calling to you. "Sachiko will know what to do!"
"Grijp, grap, grimmeland, zonder lip of zonder tand..."
You purse your lips, and something inside of you begins to come to a boil. When you crane your head back, you see that the girl with the bat has fallen. The girl who'd told you to flee is barking out orders, and...
Sachiko. Always Sachiko. Why, even though you were the one who fought alongside them on the battlefield? Why, even though you were the one who always shielded them from harm, who tried to protect them?
Something hot stings the corners of your eyes, and you're running towards the girl with the flower brooch again. If you leave her now, there might not be anything left to do by the time you manage to get ahold of Sachiko. You can't leave her. You won't.
You throw a barrier out past her, a defiant smile tugging at the corner of your lips.
"Grijp, grap, grauw! De bietebauw!"
She's shouting something at you, you think, but you can't make out any of it. Everything seems so far away all of a sudden, and you blink, trying to keep your heavy eyelids from succumbing to unconsciousness.
When you do, you find that you're back in that closet again, two cold corpses at your feet. The man leers down at you, his lips curling into a predatory grin, and then suddenly his face isn't that of a human anymore - suddenly it's grotesque, ursine in appearance.
You scream.
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
Come morning, they recall the vivid imagery as if it were many memories viewed through many different eyes. They may even feel as though they did not experience it alone. But a dream just is a dream, isn't it? It's certainly no Nightmare; there is no damage to be found on their body and they have not left their homes. Dawn has come and it's time to start the day. Setting the dream aside, they go on throughout their day.
Yet, should they feel inclined to speak of it, they may be surprised to hear that the dream was not theirs alone.
I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours
As the month wears on, they may find that feeling pressing at the back of their mind every time they sleep. As happy memories turn more sour, they may find themselves wishing that they could weather this with another.
That's all it takes. Magi find themselves in dreamscapes - not a Nightmare, but a dream. The space is mutable, reacting to emotion, thought, and memory. The dreamer may not be able to control their subconscious, but it's easier to face the unknown with a friend at your side.
And in the early light of dawn...
But the mind is not the only thing the magi will have to battle. When they wake on the early hours of the 21st, they find an enemy has been drawn to the sweet scent of their dreams. The month has been hard, the magi are sluggish - will this challenge prove to be too much for them?
THIS PORTION OF THE EVENT IS TIME-SENSITIVE. IT WILL GO UP ON THE 21ST AT 12:00 PM EST AND WILL END, AT THE EARLIEST, ON THE 23RD AT 11:59 PM EST.
In Summation...
» This month, the magi will find themselves sleepier than usual and will feel compelled to sleep at night.
» On the 6th the magi will have a strange dream that feels more real than most.
» A new shop will also appear in a previously empty space, though it is not open for business.
» On the 13th, the magi will fall asleep and be plagued with odd dreams - or nightmares. They will find themselves able to travel to or summon other magi into their dreams.
» The dreams themselves can be benign or dangerous. Damage taken will be to the subconscious and will drain on the soul gem, but it will not transfer to their physical body.
» There will be a boss battle on the 21st.
If you have any further questions about this event, please leave them here.
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