Private Lyrwick Dreamy Guest

Magnolia · Apr 29, 2023

Magnolia patiently watched Yume setting up for everything, standing ready for Yume's requests at any moment. When told it was only necessary to wait now, Magnolia nodded. "Understood, madam." She said, with her own eyes following Yume's, so she could have a nice view of the books and the wide window that exposed the starry night.

The first question that slipped to Magnolia caught her off guard, but what followed next made her heart tighten.

She looked at Yume for a long couple of seconds, while her mind already tinkered about several types of lies she could use to tell how she had her fateful meeting with Trevor... but her throat closed, and looking at Yume's eyes... it felt painful to think about lying to someone like her.

Averting her face, Magnolia said:

"For that, madam... I can only answer you if you promise to keep a secret." Magnolia said as her gaze fell, and an expression remotely echoed on her face.

A sorrowful one.

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 1, 2023

Himitsu? The thought caught Yume off guard, and for a few seconds she watched her friend silently, trying to figure out what exactly could be so importantly. She tilted her head to the left, her expression thoughtful as she tried to figure out if there was any harm in keeping such a request. Finally, having realised that she would be required to come to a decision or stalled forever within indecisiveness, Yume smiled and nodded.

Hai...I can keep it a secret, if that is what you desire. Although, I must admit it feels weird, to need to keep such secretive things...but I shall do as you desire.

She realised she was talking in circles a bit - a bad habit she had, and one that her father had tried to iron out of her. It rarely occurred - or so she thought - but she had noticed it now, brought on by the uncertainty of the situation. She hadn't meant to sound so unsure, but the request had caught her off guard.

I do not know what it is that could be so...important, to you. But if it is important to you, then it is important to me. I swear that I shall keep it within my own heart, until the end of days. Kore o yakusoku shimasu.

@Magnolia

Magnolia · May 1, 2023

Magnolia had no reason to ever doubt on Yume's words. Or perhaps she had, but to Yume, in specific, she could manage to feel like she could take the risk. Probably because she had taken a liking to the woman and her soothing and gentle nature, kindhearted to the core, helpful even for those that didn't deserve...

Just like Magnolia didn't.

"Alright, madam. As you wish, I will tell you." She said, taking a couple chairs, tugging one for Yume to sit while Magnolia took a sit herself.

She remained silent for about ten seconds, recollecting her memories, her words, and what was most important: Her emotions.

"... It all started during the Disappearance." Magnolia said.

"The world felt like it had become hell when every traveler had simply disappeared, with the exceptions of those that are stuck in Arcia." She explained. "Everything suddenly became dangerous. Astorea and its Kingdom didn't felt as safe as it felt before..." Magnolia's gaze fell for a moment.

"It felt hopeless, so I've tried to venture to Falderen... And it was here where I met Trevor. My master." Her gaze slowly shifted to the windows, looking at the town.

"I would never be truly accepted by the people of the land, though. After all..." Magnolia turned to look at Yume, pursing her lips.

"The Landers never truly believed in the players, madam Yume. Even the players that are stuck in this game."

The reveal made it clear, at least part of Magnolia's secret.

"... It was when my master told me to not care about them, and if that was so much trouble, that I could just be like one of them... And that he would teach me how to be a Lander, so I would never need to worry about being seen about anything else... And so I could be safe..." Magnolia rested a hand over her chest.

"... And since then... I've been with him..."

Her breath halted, with a flutter in her chest making her cheeks rosy.

"... He has been like a family. Far more than the family that I left behind when I was alive." Magnolia admitted, intrigued by her own words, and pensive as she realized how much truth it held.

"It feels strange, madam. To actually have feelings when I can't really show them anymore, and to feel like I have a family, when I'm not even a living thing, or someone anymore." Her hands fidgeted, even if her face remained unmoved.

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 2, 2023

Yume sat in silence for a few moments, her eyes lingering on the maid as she tried to piece together exactly what she wanted to say. Perhaps for the first time since arriving in this world, her face was expressionless, devoid of any real emotional response or appearance as she had listened to what the maid had to say. Her eyes had hardened slightly, maintaining a strong glare upon the other as they explained everything that had occurred.

As Magnolia finished speaking, hands fidgeting as she clearly released what little she would to the world, Yume leaned forward ever so slight.y. When she spoke, her voice was low, soft and controlled. Her expression remained blank, even as the words escaped her lips, her tone as empty as the appearance of her face.

I can not say what your life...in the real world would have been like...I can not even imagine...what it must have felt like, to be trapped here. Kono sekai de.

Her hands shifted, opening up ever so slightly as she flipped the palms upwards. In them, shined a smooth purple light that seemed to hover over the skin of the entire palm, covering it as if a thin layer or shifting colour.

What I can say...is that you are not unloved here. You do not need to...Kanjō o kakusu, or who you are...with me. Anatagasuki. I do not care what the...landers...may think about you. You are special, and I appreciate that.

She leaned back in her chair, looking up towards the ceiling as she did so. The sunlight had begun to filter in slightly, showing a lowering sun in the distance. Yume's face was still expressionless as she glanced at the light, a light dancing across her eyes that showed she was in thought.

You do not need to be afraid...to be who you are here. People will understand, or they won't. Sorera o rikai suru hitsuyō wa arimasen, really...they either will, or they won't. That doesn't matter. Anata o shiawaseni suru koto o shite kudasai.

@Magnolia

Magnolia · May 4, 2023

Magnolia listened to Yume's words, some of comfort, other of reassurement, all along with the reminder she couldn't truly know her feelings, but if anything, some empathy was being offered. The mentions of not being afraid to be who she was in that world made her feel a lump growing in her throat, and her gaze to avert.

"It is too scary, madam. I can't afford to ruin my disguise..." Magnolia said. "Right now may be alright, players are here and there, but what... what if everyone disappears again? Even with Master Trevor, I..." She sighed.

"I like you as well, madam..." Magnolia returned, with a prickling running over her skin, both when told, but when reciprocated. "... But I am not hiding emotions." She said.

"I am happy right now, truly, for having you here, for seeing you. But my smile, my joy. It just doesn't show." Magnolia explained, gesturing at her face.

"But it is as expected madam, perhaps very fitting." Her face averted, looking out of the window, and tears forming in her eyes as they rolled down, even if her face didn't budge any expression.

"How someone who is dead... No... How a virtual thing can have true emotions?" She said.

"This is all but an illusion, madam."

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 9, 2023

Yume remained silent for a few seconds, considering the implications of what Magnolia had stated. She wasn't entirely sure what to think about the harshness that Magnolia was trying to perceive, but as she considered her words, Yume found herself speaking aloud, before she'd even truly thought about what to say.

I don't think...it matters. If you are alive or dead, in the real world. You are here, and that is enough for me, hai? I do not care if you are simply a...memory, because memories are good. No matter how good or bad, memory is good, hai?

She stopped for a breath, realising that she had been rambling a bit. Cocking her head to the left, she glanced at the study around them, trying to organise her thoughts and what she was trying to say to her friend. It felt feeble, at best. But Yume was determined to make the other girl understand, knowing how important it was.

Think of it like this...if you were given the choice, would you prefer going every day with your friend gone from your life...or living only with a recording of their voice, their thoughts...something that you could talk to, every day, as if they were still there.

She waved a hand at Magnolia, as if trying to bring attention to the girl before her. Her smile never faltered as she continued to try to explain her thoughts, to press the importance of it all to the maid. Something about the entire discussion felt both mundane, and somehow world changing - and Yume wasn't ready to let it go quite yet.

This world...gives us the chance to do that. Anata ga inaku natta kamo shiremasenga, anata ga inaku natta wakede wa arimasen. Here, in this world, you can still...be. And I can be with you. Watashi o shiawaseni suru.

@Magnolia

Magnolia · May 14, 2023

Yume's words were kind.

One could even say they were reassuring, warm, gentle, just as many qualities that could apply to the person herself.... But even then, Magnolia felt her heart closing to it. To be just a memory, to be reduced to something like that. Not even a true memory, but rather, a memento of whatever she was.

"It doesn't matter. Memories are only good for those that want to remember them..." Magnolia rubbed a hand on the top of the other, as if comforting herself.

Still, Yume's following words made Magnolia's heart quiver.

She glanced at her for a moment, a conflict stinging in her mind and feelings, with her lips pursing before she averted her face. "Madam, I..." She felt an undying itch, her breath becoming erratic as she pressed her eyes shut. "There isn't anyone to remember this memory fondly of, madam... I don't even know what had happened to my real body... I'm only certain someone probably already found it because it has been over four years already."

She shook her head.

"... I'm not a memory that anyone wishes to remember, madam."

Her hand clutched on her chest, and her eyes opened, looking at Yume with tears rolling down her cheeks, even if her expressions didn't switch.

It almost looked unsettling, like a doll that cried with an unchanging face.

"Yet... Y-You want to make memories with a memory that nobody cares for..."

Her mouth half opened, seeming to want to say something else, but all that escaped from it was-

"... Wh-Why..?"

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 16, 2023

Yume seemed to stare off into the distance as Magnolia spoke, her face expressionless, and yet her eyes filled with a clear, concise movement that would signify her awareness. She tilted her head after Magnolia had finished speaking, remaining silent for a mere second before answering the unspoken question that the maid had left hanging in the air.

Hai. Why wouldn't I want to be your friend? Isn't everyone a memory, eventually?

She straightened her head, not stopping in her words even as she readjusted herself, the normal smile spreading across her face. She had leaned forward slightly as she continued, bringing her head closer to Magnolia and letting her voice lower a bit.

We are all just memories...Saishū-teki. But isn't that what people hold on to? The memories, of the days gone...Sore ga watashitachi ga ikite iru kotode wanaideshou ka?

She reached forward and placed her left hand on Magnolia's cheek, her smile filled with a mixture of compassion, a tinge of sadness and an overwhelming relief at the maid's tears. She had known that they were there, underneath it all, but seeing it was more than Yume could have asked for.

Memories do not shed tears...Tsumari, anata wa tan'naru omoidede wa arimasen. You have tears, you have a soul, you have life. You are Magnolia-san, a dear friend of Yume, and someone who is cherished in this world - and beyond. Nothing else matters, hai?

She leaned back suddenly, opening her hands outwards and upwards as her smile only broadened. There was a glint to her eyes, and a compassionate look on her face.

And anyone who tells you otherwise may come speak to me...Watashi ga karera ni oshiemasu.

A glimmer beyond Magnolia's head caught her attention, a change in the light coming in through the window. Distracted, she spoke before she could consider the change in topic - her excitement getting the best of her.

Sugoine! It's starting!

@Magnolia

Magnolia · May 16, 2023

Magnolia's attention remained on Yume through all her words.

The touch on her cheek, the kindness of the words, the care, the gentleness.

But more importantly... The desire. To be called a dear friend. To be told she had a soul and a life.

And the realization of tears, that made her eyes grow wide as she reached with a hand to her right cheek, touching the rolling tear. When it was the last time she had shed them? A feeling that had become so foreign she hadn't even noticed when it occured.

"Y-Yume..."

This woman, Yume. Her... Friend. The one person she had any remote feeling of longing and feeling eager to see her.

To hear all of that from one of the few persons she had learned to slightly care about ever since she died was something that made the tears pour even more, though, at some point, her attention was averted at the topic change.

Magnolia turned, breathless, looking at where Yume had pointed at.

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 18, 2023

Yume watched as the small rays of light seemed to dance on the window, barely reaching the area that they had seated themselves in. For a few moments, she had forgotten why they had come here at all - the entire purpose of their presence. So taken in by the dancing light, she sat motionless for a few moments, before realisation struck her almost suddenly.

Ah! We need to begin...Hajimenakereba narimasen!

She pushed herself to her feet, striding to an open area of the room. Reaching out towards the window, her palms open and outwards as if pushing against something in the air, Yume closed her eyes. She could feel something inside of her, reaching out towards the light - as if calling towards it, or it towards her. Ato wa shūchū suru dakedesu…

She felt her hands twist slightly, shifting in the air as she tried to pull on the force that she could feel. Had her eyes been open, she would have seen the soft purple glow that had begun to envelop her entire form, the light seemingly shifting as it pushed through the window towards her, changing from an orange glow to a soft violet as it approached, before encompassing her entire form, appearing as if it both radiated from her, and around her.

Almost...I almost...

She shifted her hands again, moving them in an almost waving motion towards the small orb that she had been given by Trevor earlier. In response, the light seemed to drift down to it, swirling around it like smoke, before being drawn into the orb itself. Yume held the motion for a few moments, letting her arms swirl back and forth, letting the light shift between herself and the object, trying to solidify the connection she was beginning to feel.

Almost...I think...hai! I think that's...oh, I feel...dizzy...

She swayed slightly as she opened her eyes, a sudden wash of exhaustion causing her to reach out for a nearby table to steady herself. The room seemed to dance before her, her head moving as if she was dancing. She wavered, ever so slightly, before smiling at Magnolia.

Seikō!

With her exclamation, she suddenly collapsed to the ground, the room going dark.

@Magnolia

Magnolia · May 23, 2023

When the stars began dancing in the night, Yume's exclamations made Magnolia avert her face, turning to look at outside of the window and seeing the blonde nearing it, stretching her hands out to the air. It didn't take a genius to understand what she was trying to do, and the maid wiped her tears quickly, approaching her sheepishly while containing her emotions.

There was a hint of sadness in Magnolia's eyes, for things she had lost, and for those things to never really truly cared for her loss either. But there was also a hint of happiness, of hope, of having someone she truly cared for. Someone that having around brought a warmth to her chest, and a prickling itch that ran through all her body, and yet, it didn't feel all that bad.

The former feeling was very much worth it.

Magnolia's eyes traced from the skies to the orb, brimming with power, before then going up to Yume, noticing her faltering at first and taking a couple steps closer. "Madam..? Are you feeling alright?" She muttered, resting a hand on her arm.

The swaying body and head, the unstable movements, everything hinted for the worst, and when Yume showed her last smile before losing her feet, Magnolia's eyes opened widely, reaching to wrap her arms around the falling blonde, falling along with her, but managing to cushion the fall.

A brief groan escaped her lips, but Magnolia quickly recovered. "Madam.. What is happening?! Madam!" Her voice sparkled, with concern being clear in it. Her face grew some expression as well, a faint one, a worried one that soon faded.

"Are you listening to me?! Speak to me, please-" She pleaded. "YUME!"

After the panic had settled down, Magnolia swallowed all her worries and took Yume to the estate's infirmary. At least at first glance, it seemed to be a cause of exhaustion rather than anything more serious... Though, it was still concerning enough for the maid to never leave Yume's side.

At some point, even the healer had left, leaving the room empty and dark, with the only company for the two girls being a source of dimlight, that was a few lanterns that brightened the place up.

Out of the three beds of the infirmary, Yume laid on the one that was next to the window, which was what Magnolia considered that would be her preference.

By a side, the 'nightstand' had the orb rested. By the other side, Magnolia sat on a chair, with her eyes unmoving from Yume, and her hands fidgeting on her lap in anxiety.

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 24, 2023

She had heard her name called, as if from a distance. The voice was familiar, but in her dreary state Yume couldn't quite place it. She had felt herself floating, an ocean of blinking lights surrounding her as she seemed to sway slightly. She could tell that she was standing - for what little that was worth - in an area that could be considered as dark as the night sky, surrounded by the blinking lights which seemed to call to her. She could feel their radiance, their pull. Yume had no way to describe it other than a pull, a necessity of closeness - as if the lights wanted to join with her.

She raised her hands, reaching out towards them as if to pull them in towards herself. She wasn't sure why, but somehow she knew that it was important that she grasp them, that she pull them in towards herself - to join with them. That would solve all her problems, would make everything right again. Kō yatte naoshite ikimasu. Dōshitara mata umaku iku ka.

She wasn't sure what needed to be made right, nor what needed to be fixed. All she knew was that it needed be done - needed to be completed. Sawaru dake de aite shimau nodesu. Sore wa jūyōna koto no subetedesu.

She felt her left hand pass through the first one, as if it had drifted closer. Immediately, she felt a burning sensation in her hands - warmth which somehow didn't hurt, but felt as if it was numbing her. The others around her suddenly rushed forwards, as if anxious to join the original in becoming one with her. Yume felt a single moment of fear - hesitation against the coming onslaught - before she gave in and welcomed the lights. They would become one with her, would make everything right again. That was all that mattered. Kore o shūsei shimasu. Kore o akete mimasu.

Unconscious, a single word slipped from Yume's mouth as her body began to glow with the purple light once more - a single whispered word that seemed to cut against the quiet of the air around her. Her body twitched as she seemed to raise her arms, her hands open even as her eyes remained closed, as if grasping for something.

Magnolia-san...

@Magnolia

Magnolia · May 24, 2023

As soon as Yume showed any sign of movement, Magnolia nearly leaped from her chair, though managing to contain herself and simply dragging it closer so she could approach the blonde. Her eyes locked on the hands that rose with her arms, and the quiet call being reciprocated with a warm hold on her hands, firm due to the concerns of the maid, but soon softening to a caring gentleness.

"Yume, I'm here..." She said, pursing her lips and releasing a slightly relaxed sigh through her nostrils, that seemed to be what she needed to relax most of her body.

"How are you feeling? Can you hear me?" The maid asked, leaning in to take a closer look at Yume's face, seeing her closed eyes with a bit of concern. She could only pray that she wasn't feeling any pain, but her gaze also shifted to the flickering orb, that seemed to lit up into life upon the woman's awakening.

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 25, 2023

The maid was there, sitting by her side. Yume could hear her voice, the sound of something being brought closer to her as the maid responded. She forced open her eyes, slightly at first, before getting a glance at the maid sitting beside her. Even in her dreary state, Yume could see the worry on the maid's face - an expression that was barely visible behind the mask, a mask that Yume was slowly coming to understand and read.

Magnolia-san...why am I in a bed? Ōbu wa doko ni arimasu ka?

There was no fear or anxiety in her voice, in fact Yume was feeling relatively calm and controlled as she laid her head back against the pillow. Tired, but otherwise fine. She glanced over at Magnolia again, a questioning look on her face as she tried to figure out exactly what was going on.

Have I...been asleep long? Last thing I remember is being in the Tenmondai, and the sky was glowing...what happened?

She tried to think back to that event, to what would possibly have led here. There were images in her mind, of lights reaching out to her - grasping her and pulling themselves in. Sore wa imi ga arimasen... The memories were clear though, as if she was watching them in video format. Whatever had happened, she had connected with something.

Did it...did it work?

@Magnolia

Magnolia · May 25, 2023

The hold on her friend's hand tightened slightly, in a soft squeeze that told her: "It is fine"

"You've suddenly collapsed... After doing something with the orb that I didn't quite understand, but..." Her words slipped a bit too quickly, but soon she swallowed and tried to recover her calm voice and expressions, hoping to not worry Yume any further.

Her gaze turned to the nightstand, looking at the glowing orb. "I think what you did worked, Yume... At the very least, it seems like it is active." She revealed, then taking another glance at Yume, with her eyes narrowing in a more neutral expression.

"After you collapsed, I brought you here... And you've stayed asleep all this time. But... I'm glad you are awake once again, Yume. I'm..." Magnolia took a deep breath.

"Truly happy... I thought something terrible could've happened. That you had overdone or.. I'm not sure... Only Master Trevor would be able to give a concrete diagnosis."

@MayoYume

MayoYume · May 28, 2023

Yume relaxed against the bed as Magnolia began explaining what had happened. Yume couldn't remember any of it, not truly. Some things sounded familiar; she remembered trying to activate the orb, reaching out towards a collection of stars that seemed to be calling out towards her. None of it was complete, none of it made any reason sense; her memories were broken at best of the event.

It was...Seikōdesu ka? Did it do anything? Did it...did it work? What happened when I...when I Hōkai shita? Did the orb do anything special?

Yume had sat up in bed suddenly, feeling a wave crash over her as her head spun from the excitement and the exhaustion that she was feeling. Slowly, carefully, she lowered herself back down onto the pillow, sighing softly even as she did so.

Ooohh...Mada sukoshi tsukare o kanjite imasu...

She had considered trying to force herself up again, to try to get up out of bed. The wave of exhaustion that had hit her convinced her otherwise. Imanotokoro wa... Beddo de sugosu koto ni naru to omoimasu.

@Magnolia

Magnolia · Jun 3, 2023

Magnolia was mildly startled when Yume fell back to the bed, scooting closer and resting a free hand over her forehead, praying that it wasn't a fever or anything worrying. "Yume, you must be careful... You're still exhausted, please, rest and let me know if you need anything." She said reassuringly as she leaned her hand away from the blonde's forehead to wrap over her hands instead.

"... The orb..?" Magnolia asked, looking at the glowing astranamantic sphere, reaching for it with a hand and moving it closer for Yume to take.

"I'm not sure what happened, or if it worked, Yume... But as soon as you seemed to lose strength, this orb started glowing and... Feel warm." Magnolia explained. "I would say it activated, somehow... But... I'm not well-versed in magic. I cannot tell what had truly happened... I..."

She held her breath.

"... I was more worried about you. My apologies, I didn't pay full attention to it."

@MayoYume