#crossover-ish?

[julymarte]

I've been wanting to  do this since i saw this post ( https://twitter.com/mojamojakundesu/status/1392090717476974594)  but always  procrastinated but finally i did it!.

[amyvalikie]

We've been through many things together, haven't we?

Another year, another journey.

When would this end, I wonder?

[tomokahiroshi]

Mysteries Don't Surprise Me

A wanderer within humans' dreams, a vacant of paradise.

That's who he is.

Soft breezes caress her cheeks, her body bathed in warm light.

The girl opens her eyes to have her gaze land on a crystal clear sky, light blue reflecting in her own similarly colored orbs.

"... Where?"

She immediately sits up, looking around.

Vast field, grass and flowers.

Her brain works a lot quicker due to finding the scene somewhat familiar, a place...

A place one catches a glimpse of before their death.

"... The Forever Sealed Utopia."

Smiling, she stands up and takes in a deep breath.

To dream of this right before her birthday is quite something, but the girl doesn't mind.

Besides, she has a hunch on what's about to happen.

"Oh? Already up?"

A man's soft, dreamy voice.

"Of course, don't underestimate children just because they're decades younger than you."

She turns to the man's direction, a smirk on her lips.

"Good to see you, Court Mage of Britain."

Then she grins a little.

"Or should I call you... the Dream Walker, O Great Wizard Merlin?"

The man's surprise is visible on his face, despite having his hood covering most of it.

After a short moment, he smiles back at her.

"What a perceptive girl you are, D-ne."

She giggles.

"I'm not called sharp for nothing, old man."

Walking towards him, she says confidently.

"What brings you here?"

"Ah, if you already figured out about me, why not find that out as yourself?"

"Oh, you know, because you're such an enigma."

She hums, stopping before him.

"Reminds me of one in our group."

"Right, definitely."

He chuckles, moving to pull his hood down to conceal his face further.

"Well, just went by to say happy birthday!"

She blinks, then laughs quietly.

"I'm honored, to have such a great man wish me so."

Looking up, she grins a bit as she quickly jumps to lift his hood off.

"And to finally see what form you usually use, good Sir."

Even if what she did wasn't able to remove the hood entirely, she manages to take in his features within that brief moment of exposure.

Purple eyes, white hair and pink petal-like earrings.

His eyes widen a bit, though he smiles again and waves his staff.

Flower petals swirl around her and block her vision as the man says his final words to her, an individual he couldn't reach.

"Your story had been tragic, but it's nonetheless beautiful."

She opens her eyes and stares at the familiar ceiling of her home, smiling as she processes what happened.

"So you've been watching all this time, eh?"

Well, not like she's unfamiliar with those kinds of things.

"How ironic."

Sitting up, she muses to herself and gets dressed.

All that said, it does feel somewhat warm when she knows that even such a stranger - a man known as a mere legend - took his time to tell her happy birthday.

Humming a happy tune, she walks out of her house and locks the door, putting her phone up to her ear.

"I'm on my way, B-ko."

When she tells her friends of the dream she had, they all seem fairly interested.

Obviously, the unknown has always been the topic for them.

"We've had our fair share of odd events already, haven't we?"

She grins a bit and the rest grin back at her, agreeing.

Of course, it's what they've gone through more than anyone else.

Smiling from his place in the Tower, the mage hums.

"What incredible children, truly...

Humanity had such a resilient mind."

[togomi-toybox]

tfw the death anxiety hits

I love final space and I also love doctor who (though I don’t exactly consider myself a whovian ^ ^;) so after learning that LC was voiced by David Tennant I felt I had to make something based off of that

[tomokahiroshi]

Our Souls always dream

It's... warm.

I don't know why, but I feel as if I'm floating.

I'm only dreaming, aren't I?

I try opening my eyes, however...

It's like someone's covering them.

Puzzled, I reach my hands up and-

"Now, now. Don't move, young boy."

A soft voice whispers above me.

"It's a surprise."

Somehow, the stranger makes me feel at ease.

What he said though, makes me question.

"Wh- What do you mean... surprise?"

Despite not being able to look, I can tell that he's smiling.

"A pleasant surprise for your special day, of course."

At this, I'm taken aback.

"Y- You... know it?"

How? I'm sure I've never met this person before, this voice...

... is too dreamy to be true.

"No doubt about it.", he responds casually. "But no need to worry, I'm only here to say happy birthday~"

"H- Happy... birthday?"

I...

"I don't... know you, d- do I?"

A chuckle is what I get in response.

"That's something I can't answer."

Eh?

"Wh- What...?"

"You may know me, or you may not."

Even though his voice is gentle, it...

"However, that doesn't matter now."

Wha-

"It's time to wake up, B-ka."

At this, my eyes open as I sit upright in my bed.

Clutching my covers, I swallow as the mysterious man's words echo in my mind.

Who could he... be?

I've never seen a dream that strange, not to mention the-

The constant feeling of peace and the fragrance of flowers.

"B-ka? Hey, you in there?"

I blink, suddenly coming back to reality as I recognize the voice.

"Y- Yes, I'll... be there in a bit!"

Right, today... we agreed to hang out to celebrate my birthday.

The entire club is here, the one who's standing at the door is undoubtedly our Leader: E-ki.

Hurrying out of bed, I change quickly and tidy up the room a little before opening the door to meet his bright grin.

"Yo, good morning!"

"G- Good morning, E-ki-kun."

Smiling shyly, I respond and he laughs.

"Let's go, the others are waiting!"

"Y- Yes!"

Maybe, maybe I can...

As we arrive at the living room, the rest of the club greet cheerfully.

"Good morning, B-ka!"

A-no waves, grinning.

"... Good morning, B-ka-chan."

C-na looks up from her book and smiles.

"Good morning~"

D-suke turns to us as he stops munching on his chips, smiling a bit as well.

"G- Good morning, everyone."

I respond with a smile of my own, walking over so all of us sit in a circle around the coffee table.

"Oh- right, um..."

Contemplating my decision, I fidget nervously as I listen to them chat among each other.

"Th- There's... something I'd like to ask you about."

Immediately, their attention shift to me entirely.

"It's... about a dream, I mean- the dream... I just had before waking up."

"Eh? Is there anything strange about it?"

A-no asks, blinking.

"W- Well..."

The conversation I had with the man inside the dream plays through my mind.

"There was... um... someone, I- I didn't know who it was..."

They all listen intently.

"But... he- he said... he came to say 'Happy birthday'."

At this, C-na's eyes widen a little and I can see the spark of interest in them.

"Is this a new legend I haven't heard of?", she asks and moves closer. "B-ka-chan, do you know what he looks like?"

I shake my head in response.

"N- No, I... He was covering my eyes, I believe..."

She nods, silently urging for me to continue.

"I felt like... floating, it- it was... warm too.", I recall the experience as I speak. "A feeling of... calmness, a- and...

... the comfortable smell of flowers."

"Eh? Flowers?", A-no taps her chin in thought. "Weird, to even feel a dream to that extent..."

"It's not impossible, though.", E-ki comments. "If that dream feels real, it may be implying something."

"Yeah, I agree~", D-suke says as he starts munching on his snack again. "Dreams are a bit like the reflection of one's awareness within unconsciousness~"

"Wh- What...?"

I blink rapidly, confused by what he just said.

The reflection of one's awareness... within unconsciousness?

"... What he's saying is that even when we're asleep, our brains can be very...", C-na hums. "... Awake, in a sense. Like the Dream's Conclusion for example, it could be some kind of precognition."

"Oh- that... makes sense, I think...", it does seem easier to understand. "Th- Thank you, C-na..."

"You're welcome, B-ka-chan.", she smiles in response. "Urban legends give me a certain amount of knowledge, after all."

"C-na's amazing when it comes to those things, no?", E-ki laughs a bit. "That aside, if that's the case then you don't have to worry much about your dream."

"Yes, I've heard of a worse legend on dreams with one specific person.", C-na adds. "A man with a face thousands of people remember, who made an appearence in all of their dreams. It's rather creepy, so to have your description makes me scrap that possibility immediately."

"Yeah~ Your dream was rather pleasant, if only a bit mysterious~", D-suke chuckles. "Now that I think about it, how was the man's voice~?"

"It- It was... very soothing, a- and soft.", I reply as those words once again echo inside my head. "He- He even... knew my name."

"W- Wait, he does?!", A-no stands up abruptly. "Don't you think that's creepy now?!"

Her action shocked everyone including myself, making us stare at her with slightly wide eyes.

I can't guarantee D-suke, though.

"I mean- look, while it isn't like any other urban legends out there... it clearly freaks me out!", she exclaims. "A shady, soft dude?! That's like a game's antagonist!"

"A-no, not everything's on games!", E-ki holds her shoulders. "Calm down, will you?!"

"But like- It's someone he didn't know, E-ki! Some stranger in his dream who knew his name!", she shook his shoulders in return. "I swear to God- if someone like that appeared in my dream, I would've punched him regardless of being able to see or not!"

"A-no-chan, p- please calm down...", I try to help E-ki. "It's okay, I- I'm not afraid..."

Because...

"A- As long as... we're together, I don't have a reason to... be afraid of a dream."

At this, they stop and turn to me, then E-ki grins as he swings his arm over my shoulder.

"Right, we're together!", he cheers. "Happy birthday, B-ka!"

"Happy birthday!"

Everyone else cheers along, and I giggle in joy.

"Thank you... everyone."

In a realm of darkness stands a blonde young woman, in her arms a cage with five orbs of blue fire.

To her side is a man in white, contrasting their surroundings.

"... Is it really okay?"

She asks the man, looking down at the cage solemnly.

"For these souls so keep dreaming... even after death?"

"Who knows?", his face obscured by the hood on his head yet one can clearly see the smile on his lips. "Don't you want them to be happy, Mistress of the Underworld?"

"..."

As the souls glow in response to the "happiness" of their dream, their dim light reflect the sorrow in the lady's red eyes.

"... I do, that's why I called you here in the first place."

After all...

Even as a Goddess of Death, she loves humanity.

"... What's his name?", she asks and looks at one soul in particular. "This one... You said it's his birthday today, right?"

He hums in confirmation.

"His name is B-ka."

She nods, holding the cage closer to herself.

As if to bring warmth to the cold cage, like an attempt to understand the souls within.

"... Happy birthday, B-ka."

[tomokahiroshi]

A Fairy Tale's Wish

"Happy birthday!"

*

I must be dreaming.

Standing in a strangely bright land, surrounded by flowers is the last thing I want to wake up to.

And in the middle of the flower field, there's a little girl.

*

Her long hair is silver with a tint of pink, highlighting her round magenta eyes.

She dresses in a somewhat gothic fashion, smiling at me.

Did she just... say "happy birthday"?

*

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

I ask her, looking around.

"Or am I dead?"

What I get in response is her giggle, echoing like ringing bells.

"Of course not.", her voice innocent as she walks closer. "It really is just a dream, A-ya nii-san."

Getting addressed that way feels odd to me, how did she know my-

"It would be a long journey, for you and your friends.", she smiles up at me. "But you're not alone."

Something about what she said bugs me greatly, but before I can find my own voice-

*

"After all...

The story lasts forever, like thin fingers going back to the first page, or reaching for the second volume.

As long as the sad reader refuses to accept reality."

*

At this, memories of my group's struggles flood back into my mind.

But somehow, the good memories of the happy time we spent together outside that takes up most of my mind.

And I can't help but smile a little.

"Right, as long as the reader refuses to accept such a tragic ending."

*

My eyes open just in time for my ears to hear my phone vibrate, I reach for it and check to see my childhood friend calling.

"Hey.", I rub my eyes and sit up. "Why are you calling?"

["Oh, is it too early?"], C-ta laughs sheepishly. ["Sorry, we just want to hang out."]

"What kind of-"

Right, isn't it...

The little girl's cheerful smile flashes in front of my eyes as her voice echoes in my mind.

... my birthday?

["Oh, it's-"]

"Yeah, I just forgot for a moment.", I snort. "I'll be ready shortly, wait a bit."

["Don't take too long."], I hear B-ko say from the other end. ["There's a lot to do."]

"Sure, princess.", I grin as I feel her reaction through the exchange. "I'm hanging up now."

Ending the call, I chuckle to myself.

Yeah, it's not going to be a particularly bad birthday.

*

"Eh? What kind of dream was that?", B-ko asks in disbelief. "You're so weird that you get weird dreams too?"

"B-ko-chan, I think the weird thing is the environmental element.", D-ne smiles. "It was very dreamy, no?"

"Exactly how I thought of it to be.", E-noru hums. "Like a fairy tale of sorts."

"... That's giving me goosebumps.", I look at him accusingly. "Stop it."

"It's just how it was, come on.", he chuckles. "C-ta, what do you think?"

"Well, yes... uh- It is quite weird, both the figure and the environment.", he replies. "I don't know what did she try to say, but... A-ya, have you ever seen her before?"

At this, I shake my head.

"Never once.", I respond. "But for some reason, I feel like I can call her..."

A Tale for Somebody's Sake.

"... Nursery Rhyme.

The childish fairy tales, the stories told to children.

She just gave me that kind of vibe, like an embodiment of such."

"That isn't wrong, I would say...", B-ko mumbles then exclaims. "Well, let's just be glad you got a happy birthday even in your dream!"

"It's a weird one, geez.", I roll my eyes as something tugs at my lips. "I guess you're right for this one, though."

*

No matter what it is, still...

We will get through.

Our story won't end here.

I'm sure of it.

Because we will all be trying.

[amyvalikie]

Our Souls always dream

I misremembered his birthday and wrote the story two days beforehand dlfnnfnflf

I'm so sorry oh my God-

At least the artwork's in time, kind of. :')

I still love this series and I hope that I can continue contributing, even if it's not so often anymore.

Previously on A-ya's birthday story, I've also inserted a character from another series and please tell me if it doesn't sit well with you. ^^;

[lukesjournal]

Hmmm I’m wanting to try drawing Layton characters in the styles of other animated shows and series..... any suggestions? I really can’t guarantee that I’ll get to all of them but I will do my best