entrancelogs | what about all the broken happy ever afters

Entry tags:

what about all the broken happy ever afters

Who: Garrett Hawke / Josuke Higashikata & You
Where: --LLAND
When: Throughout the event
Rating: PG-ish
Summary: When you get everything you could ever want, sometimes that just means getting your family back
The Story:

GARRETT HAWKE »

A »

[It wouldn't be an "everything you've ever wanted" event for Garrett 'Proud Fereldan' Hawke without a frankly absurd amount of mabari puppies. There's so many, in all shapes, sizes and colours. Somewhere under the tidal wave of puppies is Hawke, so... good luck finding him.]

B »

[Some part of him knows that this is too good to be true. That it's all the event, and that there's no doubt a cruel twist waiting at the end. The much larger part of him doesn't care because it's been such a long time since he's seen his mother, even longer since he's seen Carver and as for his father and Bethany, well... It doesn't matter, they're here now. Wonderland has given him this gift and he can't bring himself to spurn it.

So whether you're a friend of Hawke or not, you can expect to be pulled towards a family picnic if you happen to come by.]

Hey! Come meet -- There's food, too!

[Seated on the incredibly bright, incredibly gaudy blanket are Hawke's mother, Leandra,brother, Carver, sister, Bethany, and the one person who had shattered Hawke's resistance towards the event: his father, Malcolm, a man who looks like he could pass for Garrett's twin if not for the grey in his hair and beard, and the more wiry frame compared to Garrett's muscular bulk.

If you'd happened to meet Carver or Bethany when they were actually in Wonderland, the change in personalities might be noticeable in Carver's case. Carver actually seems happy to spending time with Garrett, with little of their 'friendly' rivalry present.]

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA »

A »

[He's a teenage boy who never really left Morioh for more than day trips at most, it's only natural he'd up feeling homesick from time to time, right? So while the announcement from the resident about the upcoming event had him on edge, he wasn't expecting to wake up to find his mother kicking him awake.

...Or his grandpa to be getting ready for his --LLAND PATROL shift. That was quite a shock, and one he wasn't sure how to process at all.

Which results in the landscape flickering between nightmares and neon as he wanders around, torn between accepting Wonderland's "gift" or refusing it outright.]

B »

[He saw the broadcast about a three party harmony, but after what Wonderland did to him with this event, he's in the mood to smash some zombies to pieces. Which in Josuke's case, is a lot less... physical than you might expect? As Josuke stomps towards the zombies, the ones that get too close are quickly sent flying by... nothing at all. Though, those with Stands, the potential to see them, or even a Persona will see a pink and blue humanoid figure punching them out of the way with incredibly speed and strength.

It's not gonna kill them, but it's making him feel better.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Mondo's just minding his own business at his corner of nightmare by the street when he spots someone followed by ever-changing landscapes. Shit, will ya look at that! A sick pompadour! ...that honestly, reminds him of his brother's-- haha fuck, he needs to get over it already.

He looks away to punch and stomp on the bugs a plant's barfing at him, not intending to say a thing to the person. After all, he seems to be deep in thought, and Mondo... isn't one to meddle.

Usually. ]

Uh... You ok, dude?

[ Even he's aware how uncharacteristic this is for him, but... it's been rougher than he expected. He honestly thought he could get over it easily ー he'd gone through the dreamscape event and the room memory event, he should get used to it already.

But he can't.

This particular one is rather cruel, in which he's allowed to actually interact and form a deeper, emotional connection. At one point, he really believed that Wonderland had brought Daiya back alive. But as always, it was just a cheap illusion to mess with his feelings.

He's well aware this guy is no Daiya. He doesn't even look remotely like him. It's just, the pompadour, it gives him a strange sense of affinity. Selfish as it may be, he just wants to get things off his mind. ]

[He isn't so lost in thought that he isn't aware of people around him but most of them had been chalked up to --LLAND 'residents' and ignored. But since Mondo is actually talking to him, instead of just kind of... at him, loudly, colourfully and trying to get him to return to the illusion, he stops.]

Uh. Yeah. I think. Maybe.

[Said as he turns to Mondo, only to stop and stare at his hair. Wait, Sayaka had mentioned something like this didn't she...]

What about you?

...... Yeah, 'm good.

[ A weird pause there, but he's not about to unleash crap on someone he doesn't even know yet. ]

Some intense switchin' goin' there. Saw some shit, didja?

[ Sounds casual, but is hardly so if you notice the intense look in his eyes. He feels you, man. The similar transformation, probably 30:70 between the happy land and nightmare keeps happening behind Mondo, too. ]

[He noticed that. Both of those.]

...Yeah.

[He looks behind him for the first time -- really looks. That's... quite a sight. Somehow, the neon is worse. He turns back to Mondo, expression stony.]

Family, y'know?

[ Well.

That thunder in the backdrop is pretty much the situation within Mondo's heart, mind, and soul. ]

...You too?

[ He blurted it out faster than he could hold his horses, but... it can't be helped.

It's not as if Mondo's never had anyone to share the same feelings with in regards to the past. It's... more of that none of them had been so closely similar to him in appearance ー in identity. Their hairstyles, the way they dress, the way they carry themselves are embodiment of their self image: what they wanted to portray to others. At least, that's the way Mondo sees it. So finding someone of a relatively similar vein easily hits the spot within him, that lets him loosen up more than usual on a first encounter. ]

Rough, eh. Been here a while?

[ Mondo fishes a pack of cigarette out of his back pocket, opening it and holding it out to the other guy.

He notes though, that the guy doesn't seem to be a part of the zokus, which... well, retracts a lot of points in terms of their similarity. However, he might still be a part of some organisation. Judging from those emblems (???) on his uniform, anyway. ]

[Well.

It makes sense, really, that so many of them were subject to seeing their families again but it doesn't mean it's any less awful. Josuke nods.]

Yeah. Me too

[He does actually want to admit it to someone, but he stops himself. Both because he's still trying to remember what Sayaka had said and because he doesn't want to just unload on a stranger out of nowhere.]

Over a year. [He thinks for a moment.] Getting closer to two.

[Which likely explains a lot of his reaction, honestly.

Josuke shakes his head at the offered packet, a quiet 'no thanks' given without judgment. Instead, he takes out his comb and starts to fix any stray hairs that have fallen out of place.]

You'd think events like this would get easier.

[ Mondo gives the guy a look, but doesn't press further. Family isn't exactly his favourite topic to talk about either, and he knows better than to run his mouth too fast. ]

Two years? Shit, that's long.

[ He acknowledges the polite rejection with a nod, slipping the pack back to the pocket. This guy sure's taking a good care of his pompadour, Mondo notes, a smirk poking at one edge of his lips. ]

Heh. Sure ain't very encouraging to hear that. [ It isn't at all surprising, if his experiences so far are any indication. You feel numb sometimes, but yeah, doesn't make it any better. ] Got anyone you know from back home down here?

[Josuke tries not to think about two things, honestly: his mother, but he fails that one a lot and how long he's been here. The second one is easier when all the days kind of blur together when there's nothing life threatening.]

Feels kinda weird to say it, but it hasn't been all bad. How long've you been here?

[There's been a few good events, and he's met people he never would in Morioh. Josuke continues to fix his pompadour, idly wishing he had a mirror to check it. He's about to commiserate with Mondo when the question is asked and honestly, that's probably a better topic.]

Yeah! My niece! [Which he's sure sounds weird.] Jolyne. We showed up on the same day.

[And proceeded to attack each other on the roof...]

[ That's... pretty much what he's been hearing from people who've been here in a while ー 'it's not all bad'. Maybe he could trust that, even if the past few events kind of really sucked. At least, the Christmas one wasn't that bad in comparison. He surely hopes for a better one, though. ]

Five months goin' six. Not all that long yet.

[ Mondo nods idly. It's good when you have someone you know, at least. It really helps, at least for his case. ...Wait, did he say Jolyne? ]

Jolyne? You mean Jolyne Kujo, right? She's your niece?

[ Huh. He can see the resemblance, somewhat. ]

You look real young, though.

[ Some case of different timeline and shit? ]

[Is that - Is that a squirming, enormous pile of puppies? Caleb considers walking past, but...

Would it really hurt to just. Stop and pet one or two of them? It wouldn't. It damn right wouldn't! So he does just that, and then -]

Hawke?

[Hawke's laughter at being tickled, licked and swept away by the puppies is pretty loud, but not loud enough to hear over the sounds of the dogs until you get really close.

His head pokes up out of the puppies eventually, looking around for the source of his name.]

...Caleb! Hey!

Hey. [Oh, no. Caleb's definitely smiling. Hawke looks so happy with all those dogs, and who could really blame him?]

Enjoyin' yourself?

[Join him, Caleb. Join him.]

More than I usually do during events!

[He reaches down and pets one of the dogs, still smiling.]

It certainly isn't a bad one so far, as it?

[The tidal wave threatens to sweep Caleb off his feet, but for now, it's stable.]

I got to see my family again, [And there's definitely an obvious undercurrent of "this is not normally possible because they're dead."] and now this? One of the best we've had.

[He's briefly buried under puppies, before popping back up.]

What about you?

So did I! I never thought... But I'm long dead for many people here, so it's not out of the realm of possibility, is it? Obviously not. [He looks so happy just talking about it, even fighting to stay stable amongst all the joyous little dogs.]

It's a welcome change from the usual, I'll tell you that.

Edited (i'm bad at html apparently) 2018-01-23 04:36 (UTC)

Oh, that can't be fun for you. [He frowns, momentarily, but it vanishes quickly when a dog licks his face.] But that's one of the few good things about Wonderland. There's a lot of second chances I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else.

I don't mind, they're all far, far in the future for the most part. Two centuries, usually. It's good to hear - I don't know how much Ben has told you, but he and I were fighting a war at home. We've learned since being here that it went better than we could have hoped.

[Caleb's been resisting, but they're just so damn cute, and so he finally scoops one of the pups up into his arms and gives it a good scritch behind the ears.]

There's been a few people from my future, but only a few years. Nothing that long. I can't even imagine... [What would Medieval Hell look like in two centuries? We just don't know.] He mentioned it when we first met. We traded stories about the horrible things happening at home.

[Things are probably never going to improve in Thedas, but.]

I'm glad to hear things get better.

It's a strange feeling, I'll admit... But yeah, it's - It's good to know everything's not been a waste. [All the lives lost... Thank God.]

And hey, at least your wars are between men. You don't have to worry about dragons and giant spiders.

[He'd elaborate but the tidal wave got him again.]

Wh - Dragons and giant spiders?

[You know, dragons, he feels like he might be able to handle.

Giant spiders, on the other hand...]

And that's just the start of it!

[He is definitely amused by Caleb's reaction.]

Killed a dragon once, but those spiders are everywhere.

[ The event turned from ridiculous to cruel very fast. It would be dangerous soon enough, if Cullen's brief encounter was any indication. The fight did not strain him. What came before-- Cullen, I forgive you.

--Cullen frowns, when he hears Garrett's voice again. Younger again, he quickly notices. Does not have time to free himself from the embrace. Does not have time to gauge whether he is real this time, because this- this fantasy is not his own. ]

--Maker.

[ He knows them all, too. Some a little better than others. None well enough, he is sorry to note. Would be, if there was any truth to them. His eyes linger on the older man. He nearly knows them all, too. The missing link is not hard to guess. ]

[In his joy, he hadn't realised he'd grabbed Cullen. But when he does, his hand slips down to twine their fingers together and squeeze Cullen's hand appreciatively.

The Hawke Family Collective is watching the two of them, but Garrett ignores them to grin at Cullen.]

I know you met most of them but you can finally meet my father.

Garrett...

[ He remembers the time Wonderland showed Garrett images of his sister. His pained look of longing for something that wasn't truly there. He doesn't like that there is no trace of that look now. ]

Is that what he looked like?

[ Cullen squeezes back, and holds Garrett. Looked, he says when he glances towards the thing, and hopes that it catches on. ]

[It does not catch on.]

That's him, yeah!

[He starts to drag Cullen towards them now, using his brute strength for something so simple and innocent.]

Come say hello.

[ Cullen holds Garrett's hand firmly, and doesn't take a single step of his own volition. A step or two he stumbles, then his feet are dug into the ground. ]

Wait. Think about this for a moment. Remember where we are.

[His brows knit together in confusion, both from Cullen's lack of enthusiasm about getting to meet his father and his question.]

What -- I thought -- What? Cullen, you're being rude.

[ He swallows. His dreams turned dangerous. He can't risk it. Maker, he's sorry he can't risk it. ]

You're not thinking clearly. Your parents are dead.

[His hand slips free of Cullen's and curls into a fist at his side.]

...Yeah, I can't be since I thought you'd be happy to meet him. Maybe you should go.

[ His palm feels cold. Cullen clenches it into a fist, and steps between Garrett and his family. ]

I would be. You know that I would be, if I'd had the chance. This isn't one. We should both go. Without them.

[His brows knit together further, confusion plain as day across his face.]

What are you talking about? I know my family, Cullen. They're right there.

[ He glances back. How openly can he deny those things, before they object? Cullen keeps them in his field of vision as best he can, but it is Garrett he wants to look at most. ]

Your father passed away even before the Blight. Your sister died with it, when you fled to Kirkwall. Your mother was killed by a blood mage there. Your brother still lives, with the Grey Wardens. None of them are here.

[It's Malcolm that speaks up first, while Garrett tries to make sense of the information he's been given. He knows all of that, distantly, but --LLAND has been kind enough to give him more time with them. Aren't you going to introduce us, son? Malcolm asks, the illusion still firmly in place. ]

I...

--I'm sorry.

[ Cullen turns and glares, from Malcolm to all the others. He tries to take Garrett's hand again. They can hear it now, too. ]

They are illusions. They are trying to keep you here, with them, and Maker knows what will happen if you let them. They are not your family, they are not even real. Not one of them is.

Edited 2018-01-29 21:55 (UTC)

[He lets Cullen take his hand, but he doesn't twine their fingers together. All he does is look between Cullen and his family, his expression getting more and more upset.]

No... No. They have to be real. They have to be.

[Malcolm approaches, friendly expression only betrayed by the stern tone of his voice. Perhaps you should leave. You're upsetting my son.]

Garrett--

[ One of them approaches. A cold shiver runs down his spine. Too close. He tries to find the right words to make his love see, but his throat closes up dry. Remember last time? Too little, too late.

Cullen squeezes Garrett's hand once, then lets go. ]

Forgive me.

[ He draws his sword in the blink of an eye, and runs it straight through the creature's chest. ]

[Garrett's mouth opens to ask what he could possibly mean by that and it doesn't close. His father is run through, by Cullen of all people and everything goes to hell. He finally had his Father back, finally got to see him and talk to him again and now it's all been taken away.

Garrett rushes forward to catch his father, even as the illusion begins to melt and 'Malcolm Hawke' slowly becomes a human-shaped pile of worms.]

No... No -- Cullen, how could -- [His despair is quickly replaced with disgust and outrage as his father loses his shape and collapses into a still moving pile of worms.] Maker's bloody taint --

[The rest of the illusory world around them fades and the Hawke family are replaced by similar creations.]

We're going to get out of here and then you're going to help me get worms out of my robes.

[ He braces himself for a fight. Instead they melt into grotesque shapes, and wither and writhe until they are gone. Their surroundings twist, not into danger, but into darkness that punishes the paradise they wouldn't have. Cullen takes Garrett's hand, and pulls him away,

Further away, and the worms disappear from their sight. Further away, and all seems bright and cheerful again, overly so. Only stray worms on Garrett's robes-- Gone already, as Cullen reaches for them. He squeezes Garrett's hand tight, and doesn't dare look up. ]

I had to. I knew what they were, and I didn't- I couldn't risk finding out what they would have done to you if I'd let them.

[Despite his shock at the worms and the fact they're in his robes, it's remarkably easy for Cullen to pull him away. His grip is slack and he lets himself be taken away from the sight, and his breathing is ragged.]

I. [It's all he says at first. Between the shock of Cullen murdering his 'father' and the fact he fell for another of Wonderland's lies. He should be smarter than this. He is smarter than this.] I know you did.

[Does he?]

I should've known they weren't real. Carver could actually tolerate being around me.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

what about all the broken happy ever afters

a ( hi pompadour, meet corncob )

same hair... same hair!! almost shh it counts

SAME HAIR or more like hi senpai also sorry for the late cries

shhhh ur fine

s c reams

now it's my turn to apologise for late... sob

never be sorry!!

bless

my turn to be sorry again cries

[A]

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