[They wake up... into a haze; not quite dream, not quite sleep. They can recall the nightmares they just witnessed as clearly as if they were looking back on their own memories, but they recall their lives here in Arpechele clearly, too. Perhaps the nightmares seem a bit more real, but the soft and peaceful lives they currently lead are surely much more tempting. The ultimate determining point lies within their own hearts.
Can they bear to let this opportunity go? Are they willing to sacrifice everything they could ever want - peace, love, family, history - to return to a reality that hurts so badly, where the mistakes they've made will come right back to haunt them? Do they think they deserve to stay here, to enjoy this perfection that may not even be earned?
Now, they have a clearer choice to make.
Do they choose to give up the true lives they led, filled with pain and suffering, to live a perfect life where all of their needs and wants are met, but they will never have the chance to fix their mistakes?
Or do they choose to give up the soft dream, returning to that agony and pain they know awaits, but creating an opening to forge ahead and perhaps do better, be better, even if the way ahead is difficult?
[ That part almost comes too easily. Do they think they deserve to stay here? To enjoy a perfection that may not even be earned? No. Of course not. If it wasn't reached by their own hands, but given to them, then clearly they don't deserve it. Why should they think otherwise?
It's tempting. Wishful thinking. Having everything there, ready to grip and hold onto.. but it'll ultimately slip from their hands one day, won't it? What's real? And what isn't? (ARE YOU EVEN REAL??)
They.. have to do better, don't they? They have to. They.. should. Give up that wishful dreaming. ]
There's no fixing what happened, no rewind button that would ever make life return to how it was; merely working with a miracle of a second chance she's been giving, but with an uncertain a future as ever.
Koharu would never call herself strong or brave. She second guesses herself at almost every turn. How could she return to something that feels so cruel and harsh when she could easily retreat into tranquility?
She doesn't give up this dream—not right now. She doesn't believe she has the courage to do so. ]
[It's tempting, isn't it? Siffrin's already done so much hard work. Would it really be that bad if they allowed themself this? If they took the "easy" out? Their actions may have harmed others, and may have harmed himself, but should that really, truly bar them from reaching out for something good? Even if it comes easily, does that really mean it wasn't earned?
But if they're staunch in their decision, they can leave it all behind. If the guilt weighs on them that heavily, they can sever the ties to this comfortable but false life and awaken to reality.
Koharu chooses to remain within the dream, and who could blame her, really? When tranquility is what awaits her, and the harshness of reality beckons so cozily, who would choose to return to it?
She can enjoy this beautiful dream for some time, then. She can wake up again and go to the market. She can see Aki and have a cute date, sharing a parfait from the new cafe and enjoying one another's company and time without anyone else interrupting them or Koharu feeling as though she has to place her attention anywhere else. She can worry about simple things, easy things, like what new apples to bake her desserts with or whether or not she has enough rock sugar leftover from her last market run. She can talk to Uruha, to Marcoh, to Richie, to Siffrin, to all of her friends and her loving parents however much she wishes.
She can enjoy a peaceful life in the daytime, and sometimes her nights are peaceful, too. But every so often, she'll have those nightmares again. They always ask the same question.
Will you stay within this dream, or will you awaken to reality?
She will be asked this question three more times, days and then weeks apart. In between, she can enjoy her sweet and lovely life. There are only occasional blips of discomfort - the ghostly image of a person she loves, dead. The sound of a metal beam crashing to the ground. Blood on her palms when she goes to fix her hair, there and then gone. They do ramp up a bit the longer she chooses to remain within the dream, but not overly much. It is still ultimately a beautiful, lovely life.]
[ Comments so it's here but no, sever those ties. A sinking feeling that.. allowing themselves this, it feels almost wrong. (Why? Why can't something good for them happen for once?)
Something about the Universe. It... leads. The guilt is a lot. Heavy. Heavy heavy. Everything is suffocating. But they will still aim to sever.
Since when has suffering been more familiar than anything else? ]
[ She keeps having the dreams and the blips in reality where something looks horribly wrong. Perhaps it isn't constant, but it's enough that over time it leaves her questioning even in the moments of peace.
[Siffrin can sever their ties sooner, and Koharu later. The end result is the same, really. Siffrin awakens from the nightmare into their bed, and the other three in their room are there sitting with them. Each member of their precious family, all here to see them off.]
You're really gonna head out, huh? [From Isabeau, who looks sad in a kind of tired way, but offers little else by way of resistance. Mirabelle reaches for their hands to hold, her expression one of familiar concern.]
Oh, Sif... It's going to be really hard out there. I don't know how you do it—how you're going to do it.
[Odile reaches out last, setting a hand atop their head briefly.]
The decision's set, though, so there's no coming back. Try not to have any more regrets.
[With Koharu, she gets to enjoy a bit more time within the dream. She gets to live this peaceful lie, and the ghosts that inhabit this false world with her don't at all condemn her for choosing to do so. But when she finally decides that enough is enough and it's time to break the ties, Aki turns to face her, sighing, dropping whatever conversation they'd been in the middle of having like an actor breaking through the fourth wall.]
So. I guess this is goodbye, then. Even if it was just for a little while, was it a good dream, at least? I think you deserve that much. ...Love you, Koharu. Don't forget it, okay?
[Maybe they do deserve a little rest, a little peace. Maybe they don't. Maybe the guilt from the mistakes they've made and can't undo outweighs their desire to keep living a life unearned, or maybe it's just the discomfort of holding onto a sweet lie even as the bitter, painful truth continues trying to break in.
With the choice made, the world fades around the two of them, taking their ideal homes, their peaceful lives, and their friends, family, and loved ones along with it. In the blackness that follows, they smell smoke, fire. Looking down, they're standing in the field of burning lycoris noirges. The flames rise up, engulfing them quickly and sending them to where they need to be.
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holyspirits) wrote2025-03-23 07:03 pm
no subject
Can they bear to let this opportunity go? Are they willing to sacrifice everything they could ever want - peace, love, family, history - to return to a reality that hurts so badly, where the mistakes they've made will come right back to haunt them? Do they think they deserve to stay here, to enjoy this perfection that may not even be earned?
Now, they have a clearer choice to make.
Do they choose to give up the true lives they led, filled with pain and suffering, to live a perfect life where all of their needs and wants are met, but they will never have the chance to fix their mistakes?
Or do they choose to give up the soft dream, returning to that agony and pain they know awaits, but creating an opening to forge ahead and perhaps do better, be better, even if the way ahead is difficult?
It seems neither answer is right nor wrong.]
no subject
It's tempting. Wishful thinking. Having everything there, ready to grip and hold onto.. but it'll ultimately slip from their hands one day, won't it? What's real? And what isn't? (ARE YOU EVEN REAL??)
They.. have to do better, don't they? They have to. They.. should. Give up that wishful dreaming. ]
no subject
There's no fixing what happened, no rewind button that would ever make life return to how it was; merely working with a miracle of a second chance she's been giving, but with an uncertain a future as ever.
Koharu would never call herself strong or brave. She second guesses herself at almost every turn. How could she return to something that feels so cruel and harsh when she could easily retreat into tranquility?
She doesn't give up this dream—not right now. She doesn't believe she has the courage to do so. ]
no subject
But if they're staunch in their decision, they can leave it all behind. If the guilt weighs on them that heavily, they can sever the ties to this comfortable but false life and awaken to reality.
Koharu chooses to remain within the dream, and who could blame her, really? When tranquility is what awaits her, and the harshness of reality beckons so cozily, who would choose to return to it?
She can enjoy this beautiful dream for some time, then. She can wake up again and go to the market. She can see Aki and have a cute date, sharing a parfait from the new cafe and enjoying one another's company and time without anyone else interrupting them or Koharu feeling as though she has to place her attention anywhere else. She can worry about simple things, easy things, like what new apples to bake her desserts with or whether or not she has enough rock sugar leftover from her last market run. She can talk to Uruha, to Marcoh, to Richie, to Siffrin, to all of her friends and her loving parents however much she wishes.
She can enjoy a peaceful life in the daytime, and sometimes her nights are peaceful, too. But every so often, she'll have those nightmares again. They always ask the same question.
Will you stay within this dream, or will you awaken to reality?
She will be asked this question three more times, days and then weeks apart. In between, she can enjoy her sweet and lovely life. There are only occasional blips of discomfort - the ghostly image of a person she loves, dead. The sound of a metal beam crashing to the ground. Blood on her palms when she goes to fix her hair, there and then gone. They do ramp up a bit the longer she chooses to remain within the dream, but not overly much. It is still ultimately a beautiful, lovely life.]
no subject
Something about the Universe. It... leads. The guilt is a lot. Heavy. Heavy heavy. Everything is suffocating. But they will still aim to sever.
Since when has suffering been more familiar than anything else? ]
no subject
Still... Is this what reality is supposed to be?
That can't be right. No thank you. ]
no subject
You're really gonna head out, huh? [From Isabeau, who looks sad in a kind of tired way, but offers little else by way of resistance. Mirabelle reaches for their hands to hold, her expression one of familiar concern.]
Oh, Sif... It's going to be really hard out there. I don't know how you do it—how you're going to do it.
[Odile reaches out last, setting a hand atop their head briefly.]
The decision's set, though, so there's no coming back. Try not to have any more regrets.
[With Koharu, she gets to enjoy a bit more time within the dream. She gets to live this peaceful lie, and the ghosts that inhabit this false world with her don't at all condemn her for choosing to do so. But when she finally decides that enough is enough and it's time to break the ties, Aki turns to face her, sighing, dropping whatever conversation they'd been in the middle of having like an actor breaking through the fourth wall.]
So. I guess this is goodbye, then. Even if it was just for a little while, was it a good dream, at least? I think you deserve that much. ...Love you, Koharu. Don't forget it, okay?
[Maybe they do deserve a little rest, a little peace. Maybe they don't. Maybe the guilt from the mistakes they've made and can't undo outweighs their desire to keep living a life unearned, or maybe it's just the discomfort of holding onto a sweet lie even as the bitter, painful truth continues trying to break in.
With the choice made, the world fades around the two of them, taking their ideal homes, their peaceful lives, and their friends, family, and loved ones along with it. In the blackness that follows, they smell smoke, fire. Looking down, they're standing in the field of burning lycoris noirges. The flames rise up, engulfing them quickly and sending them to where they need to be.
Back to Hades with you, sinners.]