fortiscor | TDM #1

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TDM #1

"Well, good morning, Sleepy Head,"

The voice was sweet and pleasant on the ears. You open your eyes to find a smiling face looking down at you. A face that looks human enough. Two eyes, a nose and a mouth, all in the right places. But something feels off about it... "We've been waiting for you to wake. It's about time!" The nurse, for now that she's moved away you realise that she is indeed dressed how you would imagine a nurse would be dressed, continues to talk and fuss about the room. In doing this, she explains:

❝You've been asleep for such a long time! Several years ago there was an Event that caused many people to fall into deep, deep sleeps. Some woke within days or weeks of their fall, but there were some, like yourself, who have been asleep for so much longer. It's hard to tell just how long you have slept, and I fear the world you remember is very different now, but we are here to help you through your transition from Dream World to the Waking World.❞

The nurse leaves and you are left alone. You will find that even though you have been in a coma for years, you are as physically fit as you remember. Any injuries you believed you had are gone now, as if they were never there. At the foot of the bed are clothes and any items you own. Take them. Go. The urge will take you. Once you leave, you will find you can not enter the hospital again, nor can you quite remember how you got out in the first place. All you can remember is the strangely haunting nurse and her words...

Welcome to Williamsburg!

The town before you is a hodgepodge of colour and style. No two houses are exactly the same. Some made of wood, or brick or even strange metals. Some are no more than holes in the ground. But all are warm and welcoming inside and not many are inhabited. In fact you'll find that the town itself isn't that populated at all. The busiest place is Main Street. Here you will find all the shops you need.

From food to beauty and fashion and furnishings for home and garden, there is a café selling the most delicious of sweets and a pub that never closes. The Main Street is the place to be, if there is something you are lacking. And it is only a hop, skip and a jump from the Hospital and around the corner from everywhere else.

● [The Nowhere Inn] is the local watering hole where you can come and share a drink with a friend. Or, if just passing through, spend the night. Here you will be greeted by Bert, the owner and bartender. A seven foot tall bear of a man with a magnificent beard and a loud, booming voice! And a desire to one day create a cocktail that will take the world by storm. It's just a shame that not all of his little experiments hit the mark... Newcomers to the town will be offered a drink on the house. Choose wisely, as some of these drinks can often come with side effects, both good and bad.
✦ Apricot Smash: A refreshing glass of fruit squash. Made from the concentrated juice of a sour and sweet type of apricot, this is a simple and thirst quenching kind of drink. If asked nicely, this can also be made into a slushie! Anyone who tries this deliciously fruity drink will find themselves enjoying a chance to dance and/or sing at any given opportunity. (Side effect: It can cause insomnia.)
✦ Lemongrass Twilight: Made from spicy and sour lemongrass syrup, this mildly alcoholic drink is served in a tall glass with round, purple coloured balls of ice. The drink is a swirling green, yellow and purple colour. Those who try this drink will find themselves feeling very mellow and warm and more inclined to feelings of affection. (Side effect: It can cause headaches.)
✦ Mint Blast: Pale blue-green with light swirls and served in a wine glass. The drink is heavy on the mint and light on the alcohol, with even a little sprig of it resting on the rim of the glass. Drinking this will leave you feeling a chilled and shivery. A nice cuddle should soothe those chills away. (Side effect: It causes sleepiness in the drinker.)
✦ Blue Smooch: This drink is a deep blue with white, creamy foam atop. The drink smells like chocolate and tastes wonderful. It leaves the drinker feeling happy and optimistic, almost childlike. (Side effect: It is rumoured to cause truthfulness in the drinker.)
✦ Burning Wine: Pale gold with yellow-orange swirls, this mulled wine is served in a clear glass mug and tastes like cinnamon and oranges, with a hint of chili. It has a nice, warming burn as it goes down. This drink will put a fire in your belly and keep you toasty and warm through the cold nights. It may also make drinkers a little more amorous than usual. (Side effect: It can sometimes cause tingling and numbness in the extremities.)
✦ Frosted Starlight: Sapphire with silver flecks and glittering sugar around the rim of the glass. This is an intoxicating alcoholic drink that is only served in the evening and at night. The drink itself smells like coconut yet there is no coconut within the drink. The taste is almost floral, with a slight hint of grape. Those who have tried this drink often find themselves with the brief ability to touch another and see their surface thoughts. (Side effect: It can cause blackouts.)

● [Sugar ‘n Spice Café] is a peculiar place. From the outside it looks like any other store front, but as you enter and the little bell tinkles, you will find the interior to be bright and open. Warm colours and bright lighting, and from somewhere soft music is always playing. A very modern sort of café selling a wide selection of handmade sweets and pastries as well as an espresso machine.
For the next month, if you come in for a hot drink you can have your choice of their specially made, homemade cheesecake free of charge. Subject to availability, of course.
✦ Roasted strawberries and cream cheesecake: Made with a chocolate biscuit base, sumptuous strawberries and homemade cream.
✦ Coconut cheesecake with lime and passionfruit sauce: This zesty citrus cheesecake has a buttery base, creamy coconut filling and fruity lime and passionfruit sauce.
✦ Triple choc upside-down cheesecake: The name may say upside-down, but this cake looks right side up to us! Juicy raspberries give it a fresh bite and for the chocoholics - oozing sauce.
✦ Gingernut cheesecake tart with sticky maple pears: A creamy cheesecake with high visual impact for that special dessert finale to your dinner party.

● For those looking to add a little something extra to their wardrobe, they'd be best heading to [Dreams Come True Boutique]. For the month of April the clothing store will be offering all new arrivals free vouchers for up to three new outfits of their choosing. Within reason, of course. But most all of the clothes here are decently priced with an odd array of fashions from the very old fashioned to near futuristic.

● [Linlae Botanical Gardens] resides not far from Main Street. Part of the gardens are covered, housed within a large green house, but most of the gardens are outside and easily accessed. There is much to see here, from the [Hedgemaze] with the secret gazebo at it's centre, [Hanging Gardens] and the weeping willows reaching into the waters of a large koi pond. If you're lucky you might see a large white carp, said to be 2,000 years old by the name of Etherus. Who knows how long he'd lived in that pond, but they say if you catch sight of him it's a sign of good luck. And if you manage to see him during a full moon, he may grant you a wish.
There are benches all over, places to sit and take in the peace. But don't expect much quiet, the twittering of birds is a near constant companion within these gardens.

● [A Home]. As you explore you will realise that you're going to need somewhere to stay the night. Of course you could always go to The Nowhere Inn and wait until morning, or you could just... open a door.
87% of the houses within the town of Williamsburg is vacant, and well maintained, for many years. These houses wait for someone to come and bring life into them. Inside your pocket you will find a key. If your key doesn't fit the lock, that house is occupied, so find another. When you finally open a door, you'll notice that the key has changed subtly. That key is now unique and can be used only for this house. It is yours.
Some houses come fully furnished, some might need some work. You might even be surprised to find that the house is one that looks vaguely familiar...

A Familiar View

It may have been immediate or it may take days for you to notice, but when you do...

The memories of your Dream World are coming back to you. It doesn't feel much like a dream at all. Those things that happened, those feelings you had, all seemed so real!

And then you find it.

It could be something as simple as a book, or as large as a building. You know this thing. This thing has been pulled directly from your memories, whether those memories are good or bad is entirely up to you. But there it is, as large as life, right in front of your eyes. What does this mean? Which world is real and which isn't? How did these things from that other world make it into this?
This is your chance to explore this new addition to Williamsburg. Maybe you will find the answers you seek? Or maybe you will be left with more questions. Just know that you aren't alone. It seems that almost everything in this world was pulled from another, brought here by 'others', and left here.

Maybe this new landmark, or item, leaves you with a warm feeling and questions are the last thing on your mind? Perhaps you would like to share with your friends, or even a perfect stranger, the joy that this thing brings you? Tell them your story. Share with them it's the history. Or maybe the feelings attached are feelings of anger, of horror and fear? Misery does love company, so don't go through with this trip down memory lane alone.

Down the Rabbit Hole

It starts with something small shifting around you. Maybe it’s a door or window, but as you walk down the street things take a turn for the bizarre. It’s far too late to escape by the time you notice the buildings themselves bleeding into the sky or folding back onto themselves.

You are stuck in The Corridor now.

And you appear to be alone. Or are you? As the buildings creak in protest you seem to hear footsteps. Is that a fellow waylaid traveler?

Before you can determine the direction of the sounds, one thing becomes clear to you: these homes and businesses, all that brick and mortar, seem to be closing in on you…

It is a gradual squeeze but you can tell that if you don’t get out of there you’ll eventually be crushed. As you explore this place where time and gravity seem to have lost all meaning and your senses may even betray you, you search for a way out or an end to this madness and that is when you finally realize that the buildings are taking shape according to your will. The more you panic, the more claustrophobic and chaotic things become. But if you remain calm and focus your attention you find you can tame the buildings back into their original shapes and places. Of course, it helps if you have a partner.

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Wufei hums quietly. "I doubt I would feel such strong emotions about a dream," he agrees. "I would also expect to remember some sort of life here, have my dream memories fade quickly, but neither of those things are true."

He's not so sure they're being controlled, but he also can't rule it out, so he just hums again, leaning towards Sephiroth a little, until their shoulders touch just a little. "Good luck with that, you don't seem particularly easy to control, and neither am I."

It takes Sephiroth a second but when it registers that this is a thing that friends do he smiles, though it turns a little bitter as he thinks about his past.

"Maybe not now." Sephiroth thinks about all the times he was and his seemingly never-ending regrets because of them. "I used to be nothing but someone else's weapon."

Wufei looks up at Sephiroth with a tight frown. "Not now," he repeats firmly. "Just because you were made to be a weapon doesn't mean you have to stay a weapon. You hear me?" He's had a variation of this conversation before, and he knows where to hold his line. "You are plenty capable of being kind, and gentle, and human. You get to decide if and when to fight now. You." And he prods Sephiroth in the chest with a finger.

He doesn't know why he's so sure that's all true, but he is.

Sephiroth freezes and then slowly relaxes. He didn't expect to open up like this and he certainly didn't expect to be told that. Aerith is the only one who's ever told him that.

"I..."

Sephiroth tries but it's no good. He doesn't know how to express himself. There is one thing he is certain of though and for some reason he says it.

"You're a good friend, Wufei."

Wufei nods seriously. "I may not be very nice, or very good at," he gestures at the rest of the bar, "socializing, but I am a very good friend to those who can put up with me."

He's not sure what has put Sephiroth in that category, but he's not going to question it. This guy seems like he needs friends. Or maybe Wufei needs them. He is, far as he knows so far, all alone here.

Hence the drinking at the bar.

"You remind me of Heero." It sure sounds like he thinks that's a nice thing to say. Especially with the way he smiles at Sephiroth as he does. "He used to be a weapon, too, but he got to stop. To decide his own future. He made the peace strong enough for that."

He's had precisely one too many of these drinks, apparently.

Sephiroth makes an amused noise. "You sound like you're describing me." His hand tightens a little around the glass he's holding. It's good to have a change of topic from that. "I've been told things like that more often than I can count. They still used me in their PR though."

Sephiroth takes another sip.

"How did he do that?" There is a pause while Sephiroth considers his words. "Decide his future?" Because while there are some things he is certain of, other choices remain nebulous to him.

Wufei snorts at the idea of Sephiroth being used for PR and nods along. "Well, you're very pretty. I can see why they'd want to."

He continued on like that was a perfectly normal thing to say to someone, let alone another man. Another warrior. "Well, if you ask him he'd say he just followed his emotions, but I think that's bullshit. I think he just stopped doing the things he hated, like fighting and killing. There're other things you can do, y'know. Just... just have to find them. I wish I were that lucky, but I need a babysitter or I might go start another war again," he downs the rest of his drink and shoves the empty glass across the bar. "I would like another please!" He yells it, even though he doesn't need to. Bert is right there.

Sephiroth closes his eyes in a slow blink, trying to block out the memory of all his fans from back home. There had been so many and a lot of them liked to touch if they could. He always had to be on his best behavior, and that included no maiming of those individuals who chose to do just that. It was always a trying time.

"I see." Sephiroth pauses, then the rest comes tumbling out. "I...do enjoy those things. Fighting. Killing. That's all I'm good at." He almost says for and stops himself at the last second. Aerith taught him otherwise and didn't Wufei just echo that? He tries to believe her on this.

"That's my problem. I'm not very good at anything else." Sephiroth doesn't know why he keeps talking about it but there he is. After a little while it dawns on him that maybe he just feels comfortable talking to Wufei and that this is probably because they are friends.

Wufei hums softly, smiling as the next glass is set down in front of him. He pulls it close and takes a drink before nodding. "Well, that's not really true. It's the only things you know you're good at. You must try new things, and see what makes you feel something. That's what you do, and then you know. Because it's in your soul, not in the things they stuffed in your head. You can do other things. You can break weapons instead of using them."

He nods again, and takes a long swig. "I think I am very a little bit drunk."

Sephiroth swirls the drink in his glass and considers it as if it has all the answers. "I see. That makes sense." It does and it doesn't. Sephiroth understands it in concept but. "How do I know what to try?"

He gets that question out at about the same time as Wufei speaks again and glances over at him. In one swift move, Sephiroth takes Wufei's drink away and downs it. He places the glass down on the bar in front of the other man. Problem solved and in the most expedient way possible.

"No more for you, then."

Wufei lets out a squeak when his drink vanishes. "That was mine!" he protests, trying to stand but only knocking himself back into his seat.

"Excuse me!" he calls, trying to get Bert's attention. "He stole my drink, and I want another." And then he glared over at Sephiroth.

"You're drunk," Sephiroth says, by way of explanation. As if that makes everything obvious. He waves Bert off when he comes over and the good-natured man thankfully appears to understand as he nods and walks away.

He did Wufei a favor so he really isn't sure why he's reacting this way. Still, to prevent any further access to alcohol he downs the rest of his own drink. Even for Sephiroth this might be a little bit much. Not that he realizes it.

"That is not any bit of business of yours," Wufei huffs, and glowers at Sephiroth as Bert walks away.

He has half a mind to steal someone else's drink, just to spite his so-called friend, but he's too polite to do that even when drunk. Instead, he gets up, sways a bit, then turns and starts marching towards the door.

Sephiroth has no idea what to say to that, nor does he immediately follow Wufei out. Instead he sits there for a good minute trying to process what just happened. He had been trying to be helpful and yet it blew up in his face. This is a regular occurrence for him--social interactions not going well--and he usually doesn't care. Except. This is a friend and he Cares about this person.

Which means--

Oh.

This isn't important and he needs to make sure Wufei is okay. Just like that, Sephiroth snaps back into the familiar military mindset of protecting those under him. He stands and pays Bert, who waves off his money, and makes to go after Wufei. It isn't until Sephiroth tries walking that he realizes that he's a little unsteady himself. He doesn't let this deter him though and hurries to catch up. Wufei is already outside, of course, but Sephiroth soon overtakes him stride for stride.

"Wufei." He pauses. What is he supposed to say in this situation? Unbidden, the truth comes out. "Let me take care of you."

It's not what he meant to say but there it is and Sephiroth stands there...awkwardly and somewhat drunk himself.

Normally, once Wufei was angry there was no convincing him not to be. You just had to wait for his anger to burn itself out so he could come back and make amends, but today was not a normal day and that drink hadn't been a normal one.

He staggers to a stop when Sephiroth speaks, turning to face him with nothing but confusion on his face. "I am not a child," he points out, but there's something about the way it was said that warms him, just a little. "How about we go back, and you can replace my drink with anything else they have in stock, and I will stay," he offers. That's as close to being taken care of that he can accept, even as drunk as he is.

"Besides, you look like you're on a boat. You're as drunk as I am, you idiot," but he says it warmly, and grabs onto Sephiroth's arm to start heading back to the bar.

"I'm not..." Sephiroth trails off because at that very moment he attempts to take a step forward and now that he doesn't have the obvious goal of catching up to Wufei to focus on he stumbles. It's not very dignified, but then again he doesn't care about things like that so all he does is straighten up and nod his head. Which is also a bad idea. He stops that immediately.

"Alright." Sephiroth walks more carefully this time and makes it inside the bar without further incident. "I'm glad you have my arm."

He did not mean to say that. "Why did I say that out loud?" He looks at Wufei as if his friend has all the answers.

"I do not think that I know anything," he replies, trying to guide Sephiroth back to the bar. What a sight they must be, because as much as he's leading, he's also leaning against the other man for stability.

Make it back to the bar they do, and Wufei even gets them back to their original seats before he turns to look at Sephiroth seriously. "What else do you feel, besides drunk? I think I want to hug you." It was weird and concerning and what the hell had been in that drink?

Sephiroth considers that and nods, once. "I want to hug you too, and I can't seem to stop telling you what I'm thinking." Is it the alcohol making him so honest and talkative?

Sephiroth stares at Wufei and he really can't think of any good reason why they shouldn't hug. It seems like a perfectly good idea to him since they both want to. Except how does one hug, really? This isn't Aerith, and... "I don't know how to hug a friend." He'd only done it once or twice in his whole entire life, after all.

"I cannot shut my mouth either. Perhaps we were drugged. We are both very attractive men, you know," he replies, and when Sephiroth says he doesn't know how, Wufei shifts around until he's kneeling on his chair, wobbling a bit as he straightens up.

"It is simple. You open your arms, and when I am close enough, you close them around me. Gently, like... like I am an egg you do not wish to break," he nods seriously, and then leans in to hug Sephiroth.

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TDM #1

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These two drunken idiots...