[02] three lies, one truth

[judicialassistant]

Sender: Susato Mikotoba
To: Everyone
Subject: Passive dream recording
Warning: Descriptions of death (specifically: falling/burning, stabbing, freezing, drowning) and the crippling fear that comes with that.

---

When Susato is first seen, she is nigh unrecognizable. There's only a glimpse of her. Her hair is frazzled, long well past her shoulders, and the white dress she wears, accented by pinks, does not match the grim darkness of the cage she is in. Seconds later, there's a loud metallic clang as the cage is shut.

There's movement like a shaky camera, and you... no, Susato is looking into the eyes of one man who looks almost surprised to see her. As if he hadn't been the one to put her there.

"Mr Vigil?"

The voice is small and cracks like glass over the flames below.

Before he can respond, there's the sound of a lever and a deafening scream as a feeling of terrifying weightlessness takes over your body.

You're falling, and you don't know when you'll stop.

* * * * *
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

When the dream spits you out, you can taste a mixture of blood and dirt as you blink your eyes open. They sting like you've been crying, and when you bring your filthy hands up to look at them, you can see the pink of your kimono sleeves. The loops in your air feel looser and messier than usual as you can feel the terrifying glare of a man before you, bleeding and in chains, and yet no less threatening.

All around you are corpses. You just barely manage to struggle to your feet when he moves to strike you down with alarming quickness, his blade and scythe at his call. Something hard and sharp pierces your stomach as his voice booms:

"You will not tarnish... my brother's memory...!"

You were so close. You can see some of the broken chains you worked so hard at; he was almost free.

But it's too late.

A laughter seems to be coming from the noble in the portrait behind the Reaper, and an eerie red glow bleeds out from the canvas as your consciousness fades.

* * * * *
The laughter transforms into something else, another voice. It is almost pleasant; and the scene is entirely different now. A gorgeous ballroom surrounds you with an air of celebration, you are humbled, taking the man before you in a dance. Here is the face that everyone says you can trust, and yet you can hear suspicious whispers coming from the walls.

Something is wrong.

You feel cold in a way that is inexplicable. Your very core is frozen, and it feels like you will never get warm. suddenly it's a struggle just to move with the music; but eventually you stop listening to that, too.

"Don't struggle." The king pulls you close in what is most certainly a threatening manner. Beneath your gloves, your fingers have already become ice. "Your death is inevitable now. Accept it with grace, and don't scream."

But even if you wanted to, you can't.

Pathetic gurgles escape your throat as ice travels up your chest and your neck. A piece of your white hair falls across your face, but when you go to brush it away, your hands won't move. Nothing will.

There is stillness. For a moment, you have hope, because you can still move your terrified, wide eyes, but soon that too is gone.

* * * * *
In that moment, you're not able to look at anything else.

Your neck is craned upwards and suddenly, the dream has shifted one final time. You're staring at the surface of the freezing cold water from below, unable to breathe, but the Gods above have mercy on you, and it doesn't last long. A glaring white starts to creep into the corners of your vision, filling everything in haze, and the dream ends as suddenly as it began.

* * * * *

[ Back in the comparative comforts of her home, Susato awakes with a start. She gasps for breath like she's just been held underwater, sitting up and gripping at her blankets. For all she knows, they are her lifeline. She is shaking, the faded memories of dreamscapes past rushing back to her, and she feels her arm knock something off the bed she's on.

......All she can do is breathe. ]

---

(( ooc: tl;dr, just a fun throwback to the fun deaths i've been able to put her through this past year. <3 please assume delayed responses where appropriate/etc. ))

Comments

sender: Ferran

[noblegarnet]

[Boy if that isn't a familiar set of emotions. Hopefully Susato is doing better after waking than he was at that time...]

You too, huh.

[judicialassistant]

[ Oh, how the tables turnabout.

Susato isn't really thinking about when the roles were reversed, though. She is hardly thinking at all, but she is vaguely aware enough to eventually check her journal by the light of the lily glowing faintly in the room.

Of course, of all the dreams she has had, it would be this one that would be recorded. She has no concept of time, so she has no idea how much time has passed. ]

My apologies

[ ...Is that even the right thing to say? She doesn't know anymore. She probably drops her pen at some point while trying to write. Either way, her handwriting is a far cry from the prim and proper strokes it usually contains. ]

It was just a dream.

sender: percy jackson

[judoflipped]

[oh, that was...a lot to unpack.

he's had his fair share of terrifying dreams himself, but he doesn't really know how to...react...

but he almost feels like he should say something.]

are you ok

[well that was obviously a no.]

is there anything i can do?

[judicialassistant]

[ At the very least, she is more OK by the time she responds than she had been at the start. Susato has an amazing support system here, and even Percy going out of his way to reach out is a part of that.

She still cried though, because she is a weepy girl. ]

Thank you. There is nothing to be done.

[ It's all in the past now. ]

I'm sorry you had to see that.

Sender: Kainé

[shithogs]

[Kainé may not have had them broadcast, at least not to her knowledge, but she's all too familiar with dreams like these. For awhile, she considers not saying anything at all— but she knows what kind of a toll these kinds of things can take, regardless of whether they're based on memory or not.

Finally, she scribbles a quick message to Susato in her own journal.]

Hey.

You doing okay?

[It's a stupid question. She's probably not— but that's what people ask in situations like these, right? Kainé is still new when it comes to the 'comforting' part of friendship.]

[judicialassistant]

Hello Kainé

[ Susato's strokes are still pretty shaky, but at least she's stopped crying. That said, she really doesn't know how to answer the question. She should be doing okay, she supposes, but should doesn't count.

... ]

Thank you for asking.

sender: Eustace

[flamekthunder]

[It's not often he looks at anyone's dreams, but an inadvertent glance and recognizing—or rather, barely recognizing Susato makes him stop and watch it all. With each scene his frown deepens, but it's not until the very last one, the view of being submerged under freezing cold water that his heart stills and his body stiffens.

It's not as obvious, but he knows. He knows. Knows that he's the reason for that last vision.

He's not certain...if she went through the other three. But if she dreamed of that then perhaps she did. And he'll push away that terrible night away from his mind and focus on what's more important.]

Susato

[Except here his words fail him for a moment. The obvious thing to ask is if she's all right, but he knows countless others will ask and he knows the answer: obviously not. There is also...

...

There is also...the question if she would even want to hear something from him.

His hand tightens over the quill as the sounds of that night slowly creep in once more, and the ink will appear a bit dryer on her name before he manages to push it aside and continue with more force.]

Would you like to see Rhonwhen? I'll send her over.

[judicialassistant]

[ ......Ah.

Somehow, Susato is a little sad when she first sees the message. Does he not want to see her...? Yet the more she thinks about it, the more it makes sense, and she can find no fault in it. She shouldn't want anyone to see her like this, but it is still a kind offer coming from the heart—even if it does take an extra moment for her to respond.

In that moment, she manages to convince herself to be just a little bit selfish. ]

Will you come with her?

sender: Rob

[nulland]

[On the one hand, he's Rob and he's pretty sure there's nothing helpful he can do so why bother. On the other hand, Susato has always been oddly willing to try helping him and totally ignoring this just seems too evil for someone who's not his nemesis.]

Well that sucked.

[judicialassistant]

[ She's still not convinced Rob is evil. Still, she was hardly expecting a response from him when it would probably be easier to just pretend he never saw it.

She will see the simple message after calming down some, and he actually manages to get a smile out of him. Even if the phrase feels odd in a way that most modern phrases do, she can certainly figure out what he means. ]

Rather unpleasant, yes.

[ ......a beat. ]

Sorry

Sender: Ira

[iracorn]

Are you alright, Susato?

You, had a very intense dream.

[judicialassistant]

Ira

[ Susato frowns as she writes his name. With the easy part done, she's left to struggle with the actual message. ]

Yes. Thankfully it was only that, but I apologise that you had to see it nonetheless.

[Action]

[chippedsoul]

[Kazuma isn't much a heavy sleeper, so he'll notice something's not right before Susato wakes. In fact, his sleep is being interrupted by odd dreams, sometimes in focus and suddenly not. But he could see the subject is Susato in these dreams. And she was being put through a number of painful and torturous moments. He felt himself gasp and writhe each time she fell,

she was struck.

she drowns.

He's the first to wake from this nightmare, to be met by a freezing room. He's slow to make sense of what's happening, turning to see the state of Susato. She was shaking, and mumbling in her sleep, a feeling of dread sweeping over him.

He quickly moves to sit up, putting a hand on her shoulder. She was also cold to the touch.] Susato...?! [Was this how it was when he had his nightmares...? Whether she wakes or not, he starts to pull her into his arms, thinking only to warm her back up.]

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato's breaths are shaky. She is shaking her head, silently protesting the way his arms close around her at first, that feeling of being trapped. It takes a moment longer for her brain to catch up and realize that's not the case; and his natural warmth certainly helps, too.

She eases. Her breathing slows...

And her eyes blink open with a flash of fear, uncertain whether she can feel relieved yet.

All she can hear is her own beating heart. ]

Sender: Hans Westergaard

[sleightofhans]

[Well, that's slightly awkward.

While he's not worried about being outed as a terrible person or anything like that, as it's clear that he's not the only person involved in her death reel, maybe it's best to check on her well-being. Concern is not something he feels entirely and he's not sure if she even wants to hear from him, but Hans decides to write a message anyway.]

I apologize for causing such distress to you, Lady Susato. It seems redundant to ask how you're doing, so is there anything I can do?

[judicialassistant]

[ Uggggghhhh. Susato sees the name first, and she's almost afraid to read whatever he wrote. Why couldn't he just pretend he never saw it? If this was broadcasted, there's a certain someone else she expects to be hearing from, too, and if possible, she's looking forward to that even less.

Many, many, many layers of embarrassing here!

But no matter how she tries to ignore it, she can't find it in her to be rude. It takes her a while to compose her thoughts. ]

I don't know.

[ Her pen lingers. What can he do? It feels like she could write more. She should have a lot to say, but she's too tired. She needs some damn tea. ]

Sender: Wendy Carter

[ectoherbology]

[Many people are already discussing with this stranger whether or not she's okay. Wendy's aware that it would probably be more polite to offer that pleasantry first, but decides to sidestep it nonetheless.]

A selection of deaths unpleasant, filled with betrayal and cruelty. Are these memories, or your mind imagining its demise?

[judicialassistant]

[ What's this...? A name she doesn't recognize?

Susato stares for a moment, taking a deep breath as she considers how she might respond. There is some delay before Susato finally commits pen to paper. Maybe discussing it objectively could be a good thing. ]

Perhaps they are a bit of both. At the time, I was dreamwalking... [ Except for the one time when she wasn't. ]

I suppose that makes it someone else's imagining, in a way.

sender: Barok van Zieks

[discourtesies]

[A part of that dream is as much his nightmare as it is hers; after the white haze of Susato's dream fades, his own psyche is all too quick to grasp the memory and throw him back into it. Having now experienced both sides in some sense, it creates a new intensity he hasn't yet had the misfortune of feeling. It's an unpleasant night.

But he doesn't like to dwell on dreams, if he can help it. Once he wakes, however, he eventually comes to realize the source, and what those other fragments must mean. Shortly after dawn the next day, he convinces himself to write to her.]

Are you available this morning, Miss Mikotoba?

[judicialassistant]

[ When she wakes up and realizes that the night has passed with no word from Barok, a part of her is relieved. He is likely to have missed it, and perhaps he would not think to turn back the pages. She quickly realizes how foolish it is to hope that, however, and is not at all surprised when his words eventually come.

It's so innocuous, but she knows what it's about. Barok is not the type to discuss such matters through letters. ]

I've been banned from working this morning, so yes.

[ Please, Susato, banned is such a strong word. Though it was quite the Strongly Worded Suggestion that she take some extra time to sleep in. ]

sender: leo valdez

[morsecodes]

[The dream is definitely a Lot, and it's Leo's first time seeing first hand how dreams work here. When he found out he could see and interact with other people's dreams, he thought, wow! neato! But this was not neato at all.

And now he witnessed it, and damn that was traumatizing. The last thing she'd probably want to do is talk to the guy that accidentally burnt her arm off, but....he felt bad and wanted to check on her.]

u ok?

[judicialassistant]

[ Things she now knows: Leo's last name is Valdez.

The next morning, Susato has been "banned" (affectionately) from her work from the Wild Harvest, so she has spent the morning feeling very strange about sleeping in, and using the extra time to make herself some tea and catch up on her reading.

Every once and a while she'll go out to get something or keep herself busy upstairs, away from the restaurant; and occasionally she'll check her journal. ]

Good morning, Leo.

I'm faring better. My apologies that you had to see that. I have pleasant dreams too, honest.

action... ish

[removal]

[ It's not Phantom who comes this time, but Miss Christine. The madam jumps down from a windowsill and pads quietly to Susato's bedside. A bell is attached to her scarf this time, announcing her presence.

Meowing gently, she jumps up to the bed and curls up next to the girl, a warm and fluffy presence. ]

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato awakens, tense. Miss Christine will find that she is not the only one in this bed tonight, and honestly, it is a miracle Kazuma did not awaken from the sound of the bell. At first, she does not react well, having half a mind to throw off her covers, but then she catches sight of the two tails as Miss Christine makes herself comfortable.

Following the meow, she can hear a quiet purring, and of course reaches a tentative, shaking hand to pet her. ]

. . . Miss Christine? How did you— [ Susato calms down considerably upon recognizing her. She glances up at the window sill from here she must have came... It's not open. ] Phantom?

sender: Tifa

[starshower]

[With Eustace able to check up on her, she had wanted to give Susato some time to recover, and to absorb what she had dreamt, so it will be a couple days after the dream had been broadcast across the town that she'll receive a message from Tifa in her journal.]

Hey. I hope you got the cookies I sent for you.

1/2

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato is doing better in the following days. Life doesn't stop when you have a bad dream, so it is more or less business as usual, and the message comes when she is making her rounds through the garden, picking up trash and feeding the animals. ]

Hello, Tifa!

Hehe, I did. I noticed they were peanut butter, so I hope you don't mind that I shared with Rhonnie.

[ It's no surprise that they were doggy-safe. ]

sender: Naruhodo

[locumstudentesquire]

[At first, Ryunosuke isn't sure if he should acknowledge that he's seen this.

Had she even meant to share this in the first place?

Seems doubtful.

Would she even want to talk about it with him?

He's not so sure.

There are also plenty of other people chiming in to check on her already, asking how she's doing. Perhaps inserting himself into the situation would just bring additional stress, make her feel pressured to explain...

On the other hand. Not saying anything at all feels... Callous. And deeply dishonest.

In the end, he keeps it simple, his notoriously messy handwriting appearing on the page with a brief and simple message:]

You're more brave than I ever realized, Susato-san.

[judicialassistant]

[ 'I think you've mistaken bravery for...'

What? Misfortune? It doesn't take long for a stroke to appear on the page, because despite her insistence on keeping "maiden's secrets," Susato has always felt comfortable talking to him. Even now, through all the changes she has undergone in this longstanding dream.

In the end, however, she stops. Her eye catches on the light from the little daruma at the end of the bookmark she is using—a gift from Naruhodo himself, though he wouldn't remember it. Then she'll start again. ]

If that's true, I must have learned it from somewhere. A famous detective, perhaps...or a certain lawyer who's found his back against the wall one too many times.

sender: beat | VERY LATE WITH STARBUCKS

[stillarhino]

[After seeing the dream, Beat isn't sure what to say at first. Had those even been real? Or just odd things that happen because of dreams and how they are. It's hard to tell and he doesn't want to ask, at least not right away.

One thing he does know is real is the cold, icy water from when Eustace had his episode with the nightmares. That wasn't something he could forget. Whether it really was the cranes from her charm or something else, he was still glad that he was able to make it to her and help her out of there. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he lost someone he cared for.

Not again.]

you sure been though helluva lot
aint you loops

dreambucks* ftfy

[judicialassistant]

[ It's actually a bit of a relief to see Beat's name pop up, however after the fact it may have been. Not that Susato wanted him to see any of that, mind you; but at the very least, she feels like one of the few who has seen her at her worst, or pretty close to it.

No need for any secrets or anything. ]

Even so, they were not my proudest moments.
Sometimes I wonder if they were even real.

[ She'd convinced herself that they were just dreams, someone's creation that she simply walked into. And yet... ]

I wish they weren't.