[OPEN] These dreams go on when I close my eyes

[givesalittlewhistle]

Who: Hikari Yagami & OPEN
When: IC: (late July) /OOC: (early June)
Where: Gardens
What: As a Child of Light Water, Hikari's been having some...interesting Dreams the last few days. The kind that are keeping her up at night, leaving her exhausted during the day.
Rating/Warning: Some potentially Dark themes involving children. Mentioning of Death. Basically, if you've ever seen the season 02 episode, His Master's Voice, it's a little like that.

---

"Hikari? ...Hikari?"

The eight year old girl in question's eyelashes fluttered softly, face scrunching up as she was lightly shaken, before slowly opening. It took a few seconds for her vision to readjust before she sat up. Glancing around at her surroundings and...trying to remember where she was.

"Tailmon?" Voice heavy with sleep, she glanced down at her digimon companion, who was looking up at her in concern. "What...?"

"You fell asleep. Again."

There was little surprise at the news. Because she knew it was true. And why.

Straightening, Hikari glanced around at the park they were currently in. The ground was soft, a pleasant breeze blowing across her cheeks from beneath the shade of a large tree. Any other time, and it would have been no wonder she'd fallen asleep. The little sketchbook she'd purchased some time back was still in her lap. The camera she'd been using to take pictures for inspiration, at her side.

Except...the dark shadows beneath her eyes told of a slightly more troubling story.

"I'm sorry," she offered in the middle of stiffening a deep yawn. Rubbing at one eye that stung a little in the morning light.

Tailmon's ears dropped at the apology. Worried not only for Hikari's health, but saddened that she felt she needed to apologize at all. "...you had that dream again last night, didn't you?"

Not knowing what else to say, Hikari nodded. Her gaze drifted over to where there was a small pond. The waters still, save for the occasional little ripple. An increasingly familiar sight to her these days, though not for the reasons one might think.

Comments

[encourageous]

It's not long before Taichi and Agumon spot Hikari, and they approach her.

"Hey, Hikari! I should have known you'd be here..." He smiles, while Agumon also greets her.

[givesalittlewhistle]

"Oniichan!"

Hikari's head immediately darted towards the sound of her older brother's voice, smile appearing even though her exhaustion. She then looked downward at his ever faithful companion and offered a light wave.

"And Agumon. Were you looking for me?"

[encourageous]

Taichi was troubled by something he saw earlier, and he wondered if Hikari saw her too. But he doesn't want to bring it up if not... it would only worry her.

So he smiles and nods at her question. "Yep! It felt like it was time to check up on my favorite sister!" But his smile does falter a little, as he gets a better look at her sister. "You look sleepy."

[givesalittlewhistle]

Hikari was...seeing a lot of things lately. Moreso in the last few days, but there were times when, out of the corner of her eye--

"A little," she admitted. Not wanting to let him know just how tired she really was, or the reason why, but unable to lie. "I must've stayed up too late last night."

[encourageous]

Something had seemed odd. But Taichi was willing to accept that at face value, and he crosses his arms as he thinks.

"Sorry. I should have made sure you were in bed at a good time. Wanna go take a nap?"

[givesalittlewhistle]

"Maybe in a little bit." She yawned again, but at least the small amount of sleep she'd gotten in the park compensated for a fraction of what she'd lost at night. And, when she'd napped, there had been no dreams. Probably because she hadn't been out long enough to dream. "What time is it?"

[encourageous]

"It's almost four."

And Agumon chimed in. "There's still time to sleep before dinner!"

[givesalittlewhistle]

She shook her head a little too quickly, and immediately there were two things wrong with that situation: one, the fact that she was arguing with him (albeit in a more Hikari-like, less evil-robot-twin-like manner)...and the slight widening of her eyes at the suggestion. Almost like she were...afraid.

"N-no, that's alright. I...don't want to sleep right now."

[encourageous]

Those factors both do stand out to Taichi, and the surprise shows on his face, before he tries to ask more calmly. "...Why? Hikari, what's wrong?"

[givesalittlewhistle]

When she didn't answer in due time, Tailmon spoke for her:

"She's been having nightmares. She didn't want anyone to know, because she knew you would worry."

[encourageous]

Taichi glances attentively at Tailmon as she speaks, and then he turns his attention towards his sister with a frown.

"Hikari..." He doesn't ask her to confirm that, because he knows Tailmon wouldn't lie. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? ...I want to help you."

[givesalittlewhistle]

Hikari, meanwhile, spared her partner a glance before turning back to Taichi. Her eyes spoke of nervousness. Worry. Upset less about the dreams themselves, and more about how her brother would react to them.

"I..." Her shoulder slumped. Too tired to argue, and too unwilling to lie now that the--for lack of a better term--cat was out of the bag. "...how? It's the same. Everytime I close my eyes. I don't know how to make them stop."

[encourageous]

Taichi tries to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"If you tell me more about them, maybe that can help. Maybe we can figure something out!"

[givesalittlewhistle]

She nodded. Taking a long time to collect her thoughts. Not just how or what to say...but trying to remember.

"It's in the Digital World. I remember that much. But...not any part I ever remember before. I think...it was underground."

[encourageous]

"Underground?" He frowns thoughtfully as he takes in her account, ready to try to if it's any place that he remembers. "What was it like there?"

[givesalittlewhistle]

Scary.

"There were these creatures...I'd never seen them before...but they were attacking some sort of...giant teddy bear. Until they disappeared. Like...like how digimon disappear when they..."

[encourageous]

"...I get what you mean." He won't make her say that last word. But her story sounds kind of familiar.

"You mean like... with WaruMonzaemon, and the Numemon?" But if she didn't recognize them, could it have been a different occurrence?

[givesalittlewhistle]

She gave him a...strange look. Hikari was not one to joke--not about things like this--and yet her eyes told him of complete unfamiliarity with either of those names:

"WaruMonzaemon?"

Was this another of those timeline things? Did...would something happen to those digimon because of her too?

[encourageous]

Now that was an odd look. It felt like just yesterday that he had to revise a tall tale because of the Numemon. But now she looks like she's hearing a foreign word...

"Yeah! That big bad teddy bear guy. You remember, right?"

[givesalittlewhistle]

She thought about it. Long and hard. Then shook her head. Not yet worried because she had one theory already in mind:

"That's...is this another digimon I'll meet in the future?"

[encourageous]

"...In the future? I thought you were past that, Hikari. You know, with the Numemon..." He hates to remind his sister of something that's saddened her so much, but he doesn't see any other way.

[givesalittlewhistle]

"What about Numemon?"

There were no signs of sadness this time, though. Not even a hint of guilt. Her face was as blank as if he were speaking an entirely different language.

[encourageous]

"You have to remember. That... that time when they helped you..."

[givesalittlewhistle]

She shook her head.

"Not really. Was this when I got sick again?" Because that would explain why she didn't remember; a lot of her memories of that time were...a bit fuzzy. Most likely from the fever.

[encourageous]

"What? you don't remember...?" Taichi stares blankly. "It was after you got the medicine... Maybe you might have still been a little sick, but... I know you remembered them."