♥ April (Lasai) Fourth Wall Log

[hugtopiamods]

April (Lasai) Fourth Wall Log

❥ PROMPT: Fourth Dimension

The usual peculiarities of Havenwell have in recent months tended towards the particularly odd; between the contrived coincidences and shifting stars of the prior month, one might begin to wonder if something was a little off about spacetime itself. But so far, it hasn't resulted in anything world-shattering, so maybe it's all reasonably harmless.

Until the rifts start opening. Small breaks in reality that glow around the edges, and though on average they seem about the size of a person, they're impossible to pass through…from this side. Because while they only tend to open briefly, they do so long enough to deposit someone from another place and time entirely before swiftly closing again. Perhaps someone from your own world, from someone else's, from somewhere unknown, maybe even yourself from another time entirely.

That's right, tell your friends because it's fourth wall time, Havenwell.

Timeline-wise, this shift will occur ONLY during the weekend of April 30th to May 2nd, after which point characters will either disappear or become permanent residents via the application process. This also means that the rest of the event effects will have worn off, and characters will be their normal selves through the duration of this prompt.

On this post, we've created a Toplevel thread (see below) for visiting players, so that anyone can track and see who's posted! When you've made a toplevel, feel free to comment HERE to let everyone know.

Some ground rules for the 4th Wall event:

For characters/accounts not in-game:

• a character does not have to meet application qualifications to post to the 4th Wall Event, except in cases where there is an intent to apply when applications open. Duplicates, CRAU, AU, etc. are permitted for the event.
  
• we do ask that crack shenanigans are reasonably limited, game rules are followed, and that the event involve characters only, not players or real people.
  
• anyone can toplevel! It'll be a free for all. Go wild, have fun.
  
• characters will be given a temporary, low-tech communicator for the duration of the event with limited network access, due to limited availability of the real deal.
  
• you will not arrive with any items/companions beyond the clothes that you wear
  
• check out the Setting or FAQ pages for location details!
  
• Our World Status page gives extra information about the going-ons of the current month.
  
• Feel free to use any of the prompts from the current event page!

For characters/accounts currently in-game:

• players can decide for themselves at the event's conclusion whether or not memories of certain visitors remain, and to what extent; memories could become fuzzy, faces or communication obscured, they could disappear entirely, or they can remain fully intact whether the person apps into the game or not.
  
• network communications with 4th Wall visitors that don't (or can't) app in will be wiped, with the locals citing a data error related to the older communicators being used. Technology can be unpredictable, huh!
  
• any communication exchanges that you WANT to keep can remain with some discretion; for example, if a spouse visits and you happen to take a selfie with them, and they do not (or cannot) app but having that photo of them would give you comfort, feel free to keep it.
  

Comments

[awooligan]

Couple of hours?

[EXCUSE HIM???

Insides churning with worry from both that and -- all those emotions rushing back, Cliff shifts his weight on his paws before giving up and starting to pace a bit. His voice starts quieter, shoved aside and hopefully out of sight, even though he knows it won't be.]

It's fine. It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it.

[It was complicated.]

What happened? Where did you go? Back to Hell, or...?

[unpocoloco]

[He smiles thinly, knowing full well that sounds crazy. Well, it is.

It's gone in a moment. He stares at Cliff, as if he'll never see him again. It might be. It nearly wasn't. That makes him want to reach out wolf or not. The lies don't help.]

Cliff... you were right.

[It's overdue. He should apologize. At least he's said it.]

You were right. I thought it was over. But it wasn't. We got out. Out of the cenote. We found Imelda. And that boy, that wonderful kid, oh he tried, we tried, we almost did it...

[His throat tightens.]

I went back. I went back, Cliff. To the land of the dead. He tried to help me before I faded away. We failed but- but he's okay. My grandson, Miguel, he's okay.

[He fights tears. Cliff doesn't need that.]

I got to see them. Imelda, the others... Miguel's going to tell her. He's going to tell Coco for me.

[He won't get to see it. He won't get to see her. But that's okay. He smiles at Cliff.]

I'm glad... I'm glad I get to see you again too. I'm glad you were right. I just needed a little more time.

[awooligan]

[That's a lot. He still feels the need to pace, but he can't help coming to a stop as more is piled on and starts to settle over him. It's...a good thing. It's a bad thing. ...It's a complicated thing, because it always is. But it's a hopeful thing, even though it doesn't sound like Coco will be able to see her father again, and he won't see her after so long, impatience doing nothing to help win that unwinnable battle. The family wouldn't lose Miguel, along with everything already lost.]

She'll know...

[Coco was the priority for both of them. It's too bad that neither of them would probably ever get to see her. She would die too late for Héctor, and much, much too early for Cliff. Well, he wouldn't have known what to do with that, anyway. He...also doesn't know what to do with the man in front of him now.]

Was it...okay?

[unpocoloco]

[She'll know. He nods his head. She'll know. Whether by Miguel or when she crosses over herself.

Cliff asks if it was okay and he laughs faintly.]

I could've done without facing Ernesto in the middle of his concert, but... [He smiles down at the ground.]

I got to hear her sing. Imelda. She called me the love of her life, in a roundabout way. She held my hand while I faded. Miguel, he stood up for me, stood by me. He called me Papá. I got to die surrounded by my family...

[Almost. Almost all of them. Just missing key pieces. So not perfect. Not good. But still...]

Yes. It was okay.

[He takes a breath real slow, steadying. He holds onto those good parts as best he can to keep his head above the bad.]

But I am... very tired.

[awooligan]

[His arm comes up to rub at the other, making him realize that he'd switched over at some point. He glances off to the side, fingers tightening, but forces himself to slowly exhale and come back to the conversation. It was hard to say whether this Ernesto concert went better or worse than the one Cliff had attended... No stabbed Coco is definitely the biggest plus there ever could be. Fading away... Not the best. But family had been there. He got to know he was part of his family again.

And now none of them were here, not even the family he'd had the last time. Cliff's the closest that he's got, and what a sorry thing that is.]

Can you... Do you want to get out of here? Rest at my place, or... Wherever. I don't know what to do.

[unpocoloco]

[He feels for Cliff. He really does. He's sure this is one of the last things he'd want to deal. He's always been something difficult for Cliff to deal with in general.

It was selfish want, to call Cliff here. It does Cliff no service. He'd just wanted to see the closest thing he's got to family here. He'd wanted to lean on that.

He glances back at that empty house, pain flickering across his face. He breathes in slow and lets it shudder out.]

Yes. Please.

[He pushes himself to his feet, just as slow and unsteady. He braces heavy on that cane and starts forward. Hopefully Cliff can bear going at a snail's pace.]

Have you been alright here? I know you'll want to say it's fine, but...

[awooligan]

[Clifford holds his breath while watching Héctor's gaze, trying not to dwell too much on what his expression was saying and just...on the words. He moves closer, reaching out in case the man needs to steady himself, but not touching. He would. He will if it's necessary... He trusts Héctor and wants to get him to safety, whatever that means for him right now. His continued hovering probably makes that abundantly clear.]

It is fine... [But for real! As much as...it can be. He opens his mouth to explain, then closes it again and glances off in thought. What...does he say? There's not all that much that's happened since Héctor left, except...] ...More people know. I think...something happened. It made me want to tell people stuff.

[He really can't explain it otherwise.]

[unpocoloco]

[He almost manages a smile at Cliff's silent offer. He really might need that. He doesn't feel as bad as he did while in the middle of literally dying, of course, but he's not sure how much he trusts his legs to hold them when they've dropped out so many times. He leans heavy on the can and he listens and a brow shoots up]

You got drugged?

[It occurs, after saying it, that Cliff won't much like that particular phrasing, especially with talks they've had before. He frowns and reconsiders.]

Magic influence.

[Though in his heart it's still the same. He looks cliff over.]

And no one's upset.

[That last one isn't so much a question.]

[awooligan]

[In this place especially, it really did seem like the same thing. Cliff gives a small nod. He didn't really want to think about any part of this for long, but he at least wants to defend himself, not that Héctor sounds like he's blaming him at all for what happened.]

I didn't take anything from anyone this time, though. I had some restaurant food, but I'd had it before. It was fine. [Ehh, well...] Some strange guy did give me something, but that was after.

[A bad idea, but he did his best to test it first!!!

And then there's the part he liked even less. He looks away. There's no sense of relief despite his words.]

No. [It had been fine. Of course.] Uh, Farrah was upset I didn't tell her sooner, but that was it.

[It could have been so, so much worse, and he knows that, but that didn't do as much to comfort him as it should.]

[unpocoloco]

[His paranoia whispers, hisses, pointing out the ways even that food could have been tricked, nothing was safe, even offerings from friends... But Cliff shouldn't have to live like that. It's not fair that he has to be afraid like that. And even so, being chewed for getting drugged is hardly something Cliff or anyone wants. He'd probably snap if the same thing were turned on him.

Cliff isn't looking to be scolded. Cliff is looking to be heard.]

But it still bothers you. That they know or... that you didn't get to tell them at your own pace. Do you think you might be in danger at all?

[awooligan]

No.

[That much he's sure of, even if he looks just as tired as if he did have a series of turbulent trials ahead of him. He doesn't add that he thinks even if there were a danger of some sort, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. He can run away from danger. He can fight if he needs to. He's used to that.

His stomach turns, and even though there's a grimace on his face and a slight edge to his tone, Cliff almost seems at a loss.]

I'm just sick of not having control of...anything! Even though it's my life...

[He thought he knew what he was doing, or at least what he was supposed to do. Here he is now with no choice in the matter.]

[unpocoloco]

[He nods. He's relieved to hear that. At that, he trusts Cliff to actually know if he were in danger.

That just leaves the actual core of the problem. He looks to Cliff with weary understanding. Of course, he gets it. And when Cliff puts it like that, keeping the wolf of him a secret makes a whole lot of sense. His eyes close, only in part due to his own exhaustion.]

It's not fair. I won't tell you that is. There's no undoing it but... [He sighs, opening his eyes again.] as best you can, you have to remember, no matter what's taken from you, you can still choose what you do with it.

You don't have to show any of them again. You don't have to tell them more or anything of the sort. Even if they know, this truth is still yours. Your life is still yours.