a moment to live

it's a brave, new world from the last to the first (indie au reala rp blog)

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

It was easy to say not to give up but what was he to do?  If he did tell Reala he ran the chance of possibly having his soul replaced and if he didn’t… he would end up completely alone.  It was-

NiGHTS’ eyes widened at the sudden and unexpected embrace.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want it- quite the contrary, it was nice to feel connected to someone at the moment- but it was surprising.  

NiGHTS wrapped his arms around Reala, clinging to him tightly.  

"You know… out of all the other NiGHTSes and Realas I know… not once.  Not once has rebelling ended well for either of us.  I don’t… I don’t know what to do…” 

[realisticrebellion]

NiGHTS's clinging to him only made Reala strengthen his own embrace, holding onto the other Nightmaren without any inclination to let him go. When the both of them were going through trying times, when the both of them had looked a negative situation in its face several times over, this would not be the right time in order to separate. Reala was tired of facing everything alone.

And it probably didn't help that this particular NiGHTS reminded him of his own the most.

"It's difficult," he murmured, "because despite being the most logical and tactical of the two of us -- I can have a tendency to blind myself, can't I?" He chuckled bitterly, before letting it stop as it set in how facetious it was. "But there has to be something. Wizeman doesn't deserve to have either of us at his disposal."

Especially not NiGHTS, he believed. NiGHTS deserved to be free and happy where he wanted to be.

[realisticrebellion]

rebelliousreverie replied to your post: (( everyone should bully RebelReala that is my...

((But that sounds really mean why would you want to bully him he’s already so emotional </3 ))

(( LAUGH BECAUSE REBELREALA IS EASY TO PICK ON ))

[realisticrebellion]

+rebelliousreverie

[rebelliousreverie]

Tiffu hadn’t meant to sound repetitive or even remotely annoying; it was just an abstract thought process that he never thought would be a reality. It was a hard thought to swallow. Sure, he knew a loyal NiGHTS, but… That was different. Very different.

"I… Guess then it’s not so silly. I once had to worry about you coming to drag me back… So, I understand." Tiffu’s cheeks flustered up softly before he answered the other’s question. "I… Well, I guess you can say I’m a dimension hopper. My universe exists on a separate.. Plane than this grand universe does. However, it also has a sort of one-way connection to it." Tiffu briefly wondered if that made any sense. "I can come here for a while, and while I’m here, my universe freezes in time. This universe also makes a mock-verse of my world, and that mock-verse is… Well, void of life. So, I just, wander around all the time. And here I am!" Tiffu giggled. 

"I guess I’m a sort of nomad or something. Regardless, I’m just here for exploring. Or, maybe to play?" Tiffu’s eyes sparked with mischief. "I don’t suppose you like to race, do you~?"

[realisticrebellion]

Reala may've been long since separated from Wizeman, but it didn't mean he was unintelligent. He quickly picked up on what NiGHTS was trying to tell him, slightly tilting his head to the side. Obviously he came from a separate dimension; that had only been explained to him about fifty times by now. The rest of it was unnecessary information, but he decided to keep it anyway in case someone ever asked him what would happen if he left his own dimension. It'd probably act the same way.

At the offer to play, the tension within Reala's body from irritation seeped out of it, and he began to float up himself as he met the challenge with a bit of a smirk. "I don't just like to race," he boasted, the red and black Nightmaren holding up two fingers close to his head, "I tend to win." And with that, he took right off, glancing back behind him to see if Tiffu would follow. Yes, he did just get a head start.

[realisticrebellion]

(( everyone should bully RebelReala that is my thing for Tumblrverse ))

[lordreala]

Tumblrverse Headcanon

((Not all Realas and NiGHTSs have exactly the same voice. They’re similar, but not exactly the same.

Redideyanightmare, for example, is generally louder than rebelliousreverie; nightsthenightmaren is more deadpan than either of them.

Realisticrebellion is slightly higher-pitched with a more medium-tone voice than my Reala.

Those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head.

There are too goddamn many of all y’all.))

[realisticrebellion]

(( Why am I laughing at the thought of RebelReala sounding slightly higher-pitched omfg

I always imagined that dualdreamer would be the loudest of them all, and rebelliousreverie always struck me as being a bit demure for a NiGHTS. Then you've got my ChibiReala who probably doesn't have a fully matured voice yet because he's younger than most of them here not to mention he's a Second Level as opposed to a First Level.

I try to write solonightmares to sound like he would in canon but honestly I write him talking quietly a lot more often than canon Reala does so perhaps he's just generally quieter? IDEK. /shurUG ))

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

"Thanks for the warning," NiGHTS smiled weakly at him.  As much as he didn’t want to hear that, it had been informative.  It was something he would have to take into account when planning his rebellion.

If he was still planning it at all.  

"… It’s not your fault, you know," he said after a pause, getting the feeling that the other was feeling a bit guilty.  "You couldn’t have known that’s what Wizeman was going to do.  It’s Wizeman’s fault." 

NiGHTS wrapped his arms around himself and looked off to the side.  ”He’s horrible.  He does horrible, horrible things and has no compassion for anyone or anything.”

"And it seems I may end up being his puppet forever." 

[realisticrebellion]

If Reala had a heart, it'd be sinking at the moment. That last statement was horrifying, especially considering his own NiGHTS was a puppet for Wizeman indefinitely. He would never be free, no matter how hard he tried. He would pursue him and try to capture him and all the time he would be bitterly reminded of how things could be different if he hadn't been so foolish.

His guilt would not be assuaged until he found some way to atone for this. He brushed off what NiGHTS had said, instead setting his lips into a thin line.

"No, you don't have to be. You're better than that, NiGHTS. You can't just give it all up."

His hands lifted, but then hesitated. Would NiGHTS even want him touching him right now? Because of the fact he'd left early enough, he had nothing against physical contact, but after he'd just hurt him that badly with what he'd said, he wouldn't blame him if he wanted to be far away from him at the moment, no matter how much it made him hate himself.

A second later, then, "I'm sorry," again. But he wasn't apologizing for his words this time. He was apologizing for what he was about to do.

And with that, he brought the other Nightmaren into an embrace.

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

NiGHTS wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, trying to dry them.  Crying wouldn’t do any good in this situation.  

"… and you left because of it?" NiGHTS asked quietly, avoiding eye contact.  He did believe what Reala was saying but it didn’t make it any less difficult to hear.  Reala sounded sincere and he had asked for his trust so he would have it.  

[realisticrebellion]

Reala's panic began to dim as NiGHTS started to become a bit more receptive to what he was saying, but it didn't make it hurt any less. That initial response was already enough to knock him completely off of that high pedestal, and he was struggling to get back up.

"Exactly," he sighed out, his arms dangling limply. It was funny. Before, he was a little irritated that NiGHTS had been holding onto his hands, mostly because it made it difficult to concentrate. Now, he couldn't want anything more than for that to happen again. "And I don't want that to happen for any of these other dimensions. Now that I know that there are others, there has to be a way to prevent it for them."

He took a long pause, then finally said quietly the one thing that had been circulating through his mind the most, "I'm sorry."

[redideyanightmare-blog-deactiva]

"I did so~" NiGHTS laughed with an impish wink. "Also, I meant figuring out my fear, unless you’re into that sort of thing." He teased again, running a hand down his own hip. 

However, he giggled a bit more childishly. “It’s strange to hear a Reala say he’s Dualized with Visitors before. I’ve never met one that is alright with them. It’s rather interesting,” NiGHTS smiled brightly, finding this Reala curiouser and curiouser. He was like himself, but was still like Reala. It was something definitely new. The grey Nightmaren was pleased to have made a new friend out of this Reala.

[realisticrebellion]

Dammit, why was he watching!? Reala realized he had been staring after his eyes had been on NiGHTS's hip for an unnecessarily long amount of time, and the Nightmaren quickly snapped his gaze back to his fellow Nightmaren's face, trying to swallow back a severe wave of embarrassment for having fallen for that at all. NiGHTS had gotten the upper hand, and the both of them knew it. Not that Reala was going to admit it.

Yeah, he was just going to cross his arms and pretend he wasn't affected by that at all. That would do the trick.

The childish giggle did help to remove that association, and Reala gladly leaped for the change of topic, even if it was in something he wasn't all that interested in to begin with. "Well, of course. They've helped to free me from cages through Dualizing. I'd have to grow comfortable with the idea eventually." He shrugged. "I still don't believe Visitors are miracle-workers by any form, and obviously they need my help in order to overcome other Nightmarens -- especially NiGHTS -- but they're all right, I guess. I've gotten used to it, even if the idea had repulsed me at first. I can't imagine becoming completely comfortable with it, though; it's a partial loss of control, after all.

"But..." He sighed, his mood sobering completely, "when my world has been out of my control for years now, I only have two choices: to accept it, or to continue fooling myself into thinking that I can bring it back to that happy medium I had it in before. The former seems to be the better one."

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

"You… You what?"  NiGHTS looked at him with disbelief and he seemed almost pained at the idea that he would do such a thing.  He slowly drew back, floating ever slightly away from the other Nightmaren.

"Why would you do that?" he finally asked, "Wizeman is cruel and horrible and-and-and……. your partner…. he……," NiGHTS stammered unable to form complete sentences.  His large blue eyes started to water as he came to a realization.

There was no hope.

Reala would never leave Wizeman with NiGHTS. 

[realisticrebellion]

This was exactly the reaction that Reala was fearing from NiGHTS, and the reason why he'd begged him to trust in him. The trust wasn't just for whether or not he was telling the truth; obviously he wasn't lying. He wanted NiGHTS to trust in him for more than that -- and that was what he was going to plead for now. Self-loathing twisted in his gut as he saw the other Nightmaren begin to cry, and all of the blame that he'd been trying to hold back was bubbling to surface in his mind as he imagined how his NiGHTS would've reacted if he knew he'd sold him out like that--

You knew I wanted freedom, and then you went and did that?

Now I can't have anything and it's all your fault! 

He balled his hands up into fists and swallowed. No, no, he wouldn't let this situation happen in the same way. He couldn't.

"I didn't realize that then," he insisted, his voice a smidgen higher pitched than it was earlier as panic started to seize him. What if NiGHTS didn't believe him? "I didn't want him to lose his consciousness! Honestly, I didn't! If I'd have known that was what Wizeman was going to do, I would've never said anything at all!"

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so so sorry 

"I just wanted to keep my partner..."

You're so selfish. You should've let him go. He clearly wasn't happy there -- with you, or with Wizeman. And now you're living in his place.

But I can't let them live the same way...

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

NiGHTS stared at Reala for a moment, looking a bit more serious.  Reala had mentioned trust now twice and while he didn’t really know this other Reala, it did not mean that he had a reason to distrust him, either.  It seemed unlikely that he would lie to him so for the time being, he could agree.  

He finally let go of Reala’s hands and gave a firm nod.  ”All right.  I can do that,” he replied.   

[realisticrebellion]

Reala sucked in a breath. At least he didn't have the distraction of NiGHTS's hands anymore, but was he willing to do this? Just because one NiGHTS was accepting of what he said, didn't mean this one would be -- especially when this one was in that delicate balance of being under Wizeman's control and likely wanting to break free of it. Oh, well. Here goes.

"I left because I felt as though Wizeman betrayed me," he started to explain. It was going to be difficult to keep self blame out of this, and he visibly steeled himself against it. "You asked me before about 'my' NiGHTS. At the moment...he is a loyal inhabitant of Nightmare. This is not of his doing. He had his consciousness wiped--" my fault my fault my fault-- "and as a result, I left because of how his free will was stripped from him."

He paused for a while. That wasn't the full truth, and he knew it. He had to muster up all the strength he could to admit, practically through gritted teeth, "NiGHTS had been talking for a while about leaving. I didn't want him to leave... So I told Wizeman about it. And that was the result."

Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry...

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

"Oh… well………….. yes," NiGHTS replied quietly, looking up at Reala like a kid who had been caught lying about eating all the cookies in the cookie jar.  Reala’s stern voice reminded him of his own and he hated lying to his own Reala.  

Despite the sternness, he did not let go of the other’s hands.  He wanted - no, needed - him to tell him how he did it.  

[realisticrebellion]

Reala struggled to ignore the fact that NiGHTS was still holding onto his hands. He knew it was going to distract him from this, and he needed to be focused in his goal: to get the Nightmaren to trust him. If he trusted him completely, then he'd have that second chance that he hadn't had with his own NiGHTS.

That also meant he had to be worthy of trust. Thinking about it made some of the fuzziness that the contact brought him dissipate, if only because he didn't know how this NiGHTS would react when he knew the truth. Not even he had come to terms with it.

"If I tell you, then you're going to have to promise to trust me. All right?"

The trust was especially important in NiGHTS's acceptance of the information, which was the bit that Reala was the most worried about. He was silently pleading with NiGHTS not to get upset with him about it, not that the other Nightmaren really knew about it. He would, though. Reala had full intention on telling him. He'd gotten this far, after all.

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

NiGHTS rushed closer to him, grabbing both of his hands and holding on to them.  

"Really?!?  You really, really did?  Tell me what happened!  You have to tell me all about it, Reala!” NiGHTS exclaimed with excitement, a gleam in his eyes.  

So there really was a Reala that had rebelled!  Perhaps his own desires were not so unrealistic after all.  Surely this Reala could provide some insight into how to get his own to rebel with him one day! 

[realisticrebellion]

Reala's eyes immediately widened as NiGHTS grasped onto his hands, his shoulders rising as a knee-jerk reaction. Well. He certainly wasn't expecting that to receive such warm reception...

"Y-you're going to have to trust me first," he stammered, trying to calm his metaphorical heart. It had, of course, jump-started -- not even he was sure why -- and he had to keep his focus. Damn, if this NiGHTS wasn't making it difficult for him, though... "You lied to me, didn't you?"

He internally applauded at his ability to make his voice stern there.

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

"You… left?  You actually left Nightmare?  And Master Wizeman?" NiGHTS asked for verification, suddenly perking up at this possibility.  He abandoned his lackadaisical stance and floated up right, watching the other intently for his response.

[realisticrebellion]

...NiGHTS looked kind of adorable giving him his rapt attention.

Focus, Reala. 

The poor Nightmaren found that his mind wandered an awful lot as of late. Perhaps it was because he was overwhelmed with all these duplicates. Yes, that was it. Had nothing to do with the fact that now he was given the opportunity to consider just how he felt for them in the first place instead of ignoring the fact he'd felt anything at all.

"Yes. I did. Years ago."

He gave him a look in response, observing NiGHTS's reactions just as carefully as NiGHTS was his. Did he gain some of his trust now?

[dualdreamer]

-Oh… So he had been crying? Why? She didn’t mean to seem so nosy, but… Gee, she didn’t half worry for this alternate of Reala. Everything was backwards for him and… She knew it hurt to be in his position. To have the one you cared the most for against you.-

Why were you crying?

-She leant in, tilting her head slight. The poor guy.-

[realisticrebellion]

Reala didn't want to talk about this. He pulled his lips up with a discontent sigh, before crossing his arms and darting his gaze away from NiGHTS entirely. It didn't help that every NiGHTS seemed to remind him of how he used to be.

"Speaking of a subject that hurts can stir that kind of emotional reaction," he said, trying to sound as callous as possible as he shrugged. He wanted to discourage NiGHTS from prying if possible. "Either way, I'm fine now."

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

NiGHTS blinked at him, slightly taken aback by the unexpected response.  Had Reala- any Reala- called Wizeman a tyrant?!?

Naturally NiGHTS agreed with this statement but he had never expected to hear the words come out of Reala’s mouth; alternate or not.  

"… Is that something one of my alternates told you as to why they left?  Or perhaps your own NiGHTS?" he asked, finding that the most likely explanation.  

Every Reala he had met so far ranged from disinterested to outright enraged about the idea of rebelling.  It was unlikely this one was any different. 

[realisticrebellion]

NiGHTS had told him plenty of times how much of a tyrant he was, but this version of him didn't need to know that. Besides, it wasn't going to help him get his trust. Instead, he decided to answer -- still honestly, but hiding facts that would be irrelevant.

"That's why I left," he said simply, carefully observing NiGHTS's reaction to that. It was clear from how the other Nightmaren had reacted to what he'd said earlier that he wasn't expecting him to say anything remotely bad about Wizeman, and so it was likely he didn't expect him to say that, either.

...He wondered if NiGHTS had before now noticed he hadn't used that 'Master' title with him. Whether or not he did then, he probably was going to now.

[redideyanightmare-blog-deactiva]

NiGHTS smiled more widely, laughing a little to himself. “Mmhmm… Riiiiiight, and making you blush like mad isn’t anything at all~” he hummed, looking to his ebony claws and then at the other. 

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t do anything with him, it was just more fun to get a reaction. After all, NiGHTS dealt with all sorts of dreams. Sexual tenancies were everywhere in the subconscious. He had dreams and fears to help with; it didn’t really mean anything to him, as the only one who it did mean anything with was not present. His Reala was the only one to actually get his full and undivided attention. And his love with whatever they did.

"So, what do you think I am, then? I’m no chiraptophobic like you,” he snickered. “I get touched all the time.” NiGHTS looked at the other challengingly. “Go on. Try me.”

[realisticrebellion]

Reala might've not been oblivious to that subject, but that didn't mean he was willing to dive into it. Especially with a NiGHTS he remembered crying over the shoulder of the day previous.

"You didn't make me blush," he insisted again, keeping to his silly story. He knew very well how and why he'd been flustered, but did he want to admit that to this Nightmaren? Hell no. That would be exactly what he wanted, and he was going to insist denial until it was impossible to do so. Despite that, though, he didn't offer any alternative explanation for the fact that his cheeks had been colored, instead changing the subject. "Also, for Nightmare's sake, I'm not afraid of touch, either. I've Dualized with Visitors before." Huff huff. Huff huff.

And then what NiGHTS asked him to do fully registered in his head, and he stared at him for what felt like the billionth time this evening. "... Wait, what?"

[realisticrebellion]

+nightsthenightmaren

[nightsthenightmaren]

Truthfully, he had planned on it but… just like with the other Reala he had met recently, he wasn’t about to blab his plans to an unknown factor.  This Reala could just as easily mess things up for him by telling his own Reala or even worse- his Wizeman.  

Better to play the loyal little puppet than to have his plans come crashing down. 

"Haha!"  NiGHTS laughed, "Why would I do something like that?  Nightmare is where all my family is and my partner.  Plus I’m a First Level so all and all I have it pretty well," he lied. 

He desperately wanted to leave but…. Reala…. 

[realisticrebellion]

Reala's expression softened at that, but not because he actually believed anything NiGHTS just told him. It was because it reminded him of something else he'd heard recently.

'I cared a lot for my own Reala, and back in Nightmare, I only wanted to leave. I was going madder than a hatter. But I never told him. I was scared he would tell, or worse, get in trouble for knowing. [...] I'm just glad the other me felt safe in telling you about his plans.' 

He would not fault that trust again if he earned it. But of course, that would be assuming he did earn it -- and he understood just why NiGHTS was lying to him now. If their roles were to be reversed, he probably would. It hurt a little bit, but it wasn't as if he experienced any lack of empathy. Far from it.

He folded his arms, lowering his gaze a little. "This perhaps will sound a touch presumptuous," he offered in a voice that spelled inquiry, "but maybe...Wizeman is a tyrant?" He shrugged. "That is what I assume would be why. Maybe it doesn't look like that to you."

He was trying to coax him to tell the truth, while at the same time giving him the option to cover for himself should he still need to.