(open & closed) sunny july event catch-all

[sadpoem]

Who: sunny & YOU!!
What: july event catch-all
When: july 2025
Where: all around the city
Warnings: please see Sunny's CWs and use/mind subject line CWs

((ooc: hello! I'll be using this as my july catch-all for all event & related threads. I'll be posting top-levels & starting threads for each section of the event as they come throughout the month. as long as the subject line says (open) feel free to tag in! if you have any questions, feel free to hit me up via journal PM or on plurk at pantheraliam; also please keep in mind that sunny is a silent character, so there will be little to no dialogue in his tags!))

Comments

(open) week 1: I am caught, tangled in

[sadpoem]

[Everything about this city is wrong. Animals of unknown species prowl with too many teeth, mouths full of tendrils, claws too sharp. Even the plants are unfriendly, toxic mold pouring from ominous spores that cling to buildings and crawl out of sewers.

[It isn't safe. And it's getting colder.

[Curious, then, that one should find a boy sleeping, right there on the sidewalk, amidst the growing chaos. It's quiet on this side of the street for now, but it certainly won't stay that way. Perhaps you yourself were on the run when you stumbled across him, curled up in a tiny ball, a dirty towel tucked around him like a blanket.

[The boy shivers, but doesn't seem to wake.]

[snaggletooth]

[ Ivan cranes over the child, studying his placid, sleeping face for any sign of expression, even just his eyes rolling back and forth behind eyelids. Is he still dreaming of that place? With the collapsing moon, and some other parts that were almost something nice? There, there were ways of conjuring what once was. This cold world he's come-to on the other side of it offers none.

Unequipped to be soft, maybe, but never so cruel, Ivan would wake Sunny if he seemed at all like he wasn't enjoying his slumber. Even as a creature swoops down and caws murderously, perching crookedly on a street sign with all seven eyes glaring, Ivan simply chooses to stoop down and start to scoop up the entire swaddled bundle of the boy.

He should move him soon, before that thing tries to carry him off— ]

cw: bugs, gross descriptions

[sadpoem]

[It became to much. That's all.

[Sunny wasn't built for a world like this. When the nightmare ended, and he woke up, only for a new nightmare to begin, Sunny shut down like an overheated computer. There are only so many things you can do when demons hide around every corner, lurk beneath every surface, crawl out from your very own eyes and ears like insects from a corpse; sleep.

[Sleep. Nothing can harm you, so long as you aren't aware of it. Just sleep. Dream. Go somewhere else. Everything is okay...

[Everything is not okay. He's lifted, and he isn't really sleeping at all. His body goes tense, but he doesn't make a sound, doesn't open his eyes. He tries to keep his breathing even, to play dead if that's what it takes. He doesn't know who's lifted him off the ground, where they're taking him, what they intend to do...

[Sleep. Just sleep. Sunny finds himself clinging to the body that carries him. He doesn't have to wake up yet. Just sleep.]

[snaggletooth]

[ As Ivan maneuvers Sunny's body into both of his arms, he feels the tug of fingers anchoring themselves in his coat, but he doesn't think much of it. That someone would be pretending to be asleep while nature glares at their throat is unthinkable, after all.

The flying creature flaps down onto the asphalt when Ivan turns his back to begin seeking out a more suitable location for Sunny's slumbering. For every few steps his feet move forward, it takes a limping hop.

Like all things that don't live in groomed garden-cages, Ivan knows that it's probably hungry.

Soon, more of them start to descend from the sky, joining the first creature in audience. He hurries along a little faster, coming up to a broken display window belonging to a store. He steps through the jagged ingress with a mixture of obstinance, and of care. Behind him, another horrible, croaking caw sounds, and he turns sharply, the pointed toe of his shoe dragging through the rubble and kicking shards of broken glass at the cantankerous creature. ]

if u ever need more please lmk >:3b

[sadpoem]

[Through it all, Sunny is protected. He can hear the descending birds, the clatter of glass against cement, more squawking. He dares not open his eyes. He could only be dreaming (within this dream (within this dream (within this dream))), and he really isn't pretending...

[Just sleep. Will he be taken somewhere safe? Whatever holds him is no doubt scarier than those screeching birds. Sunny is at Ivan's mercy.]

(closed to noah) @ the penthouse

[sadpoem]

[Sunny is hesitant to leave Lortel's side, which is strange. He's never liked being alone, but he has gotten quite used to it, so...why should it matter if he's alone now? Things are a bit scarier than usual, but they've always been scary.

[At any rate, he can't stay glued to his red-haired friend 24/7, as much as he'd like to. They make it to the penthouse, and Sunny is left to look around on his own. The space is...sizable, with plenty of rooms to peek into (and plenty of healthy hesitation to do so). Sunny can easily imagine the space when it was more luxurious.

[Now, it's dark, overrun with shadows, but so is every place in this hollowed out husk of New York. Sunny tries to keep calm as he moves through, barely peeking into each room. Eventually, he makes it to what must be one of the bedrooms. The door is halfway open. Some rare boldness overtakes Sunny and he pushes the door open all the way, unsure if he'll see something inside.

[No. Just that boy he's met twice now. Sunny flinches anyway. Immediately, he raises his hand in apology, but otherwise seems frozen, unable to back out now that he's standing there.]

[offseers]

[ noah had settled himself in a corner. he had managed to find a decently sized piece of wood and a little cutlery knife, which he is using to carve. sunny might recognize the shape it is trying to take.

at sunny's appearance, noah looks up and gives him a warm smile. ]

Hey. It's good to see you.

[ layers of warmth and music in his voice, in his words. ]

correct me if I'm wrong on the name thing?

[sadpoem]

[The knife may have alarmed him a little bit at first sight, but he settles a little when Noah greets him. He tries to figure out what the other boy is carving as he ventures a few shy steps closer. He gives Noah a short wave, nodding his head. Nice to see you too. If only he had the words. He doesn't even know the other boy's name yet.

[He...points to the wood carving project, tilting his head to the side, a question.]

you're good!

[offseers]

[ he smiles, holding it up. ]

It's not great, but I'm hoping it'll be a passable flute.

[ noah has never had to make his own before. maintaining the flute, caring for it, handling . . . these were all things crys passed onto him. but the making of the flute . . . the castle handled that.

is it stupid to do this? maybe. noah's not even sure he could truly play after — after —

"It's been fun, Noah" ]

closed @ the library

[vixenish]

[ should it be embarrassing to come here for the express purpose of … well, this?

probably.

she doesn’t care, though. and also, it’s better than making out where Noah can stumble on them.

trying to pretend her heart isn’t racing like crazy, Lortel doffs her coat, setting down the bag she used to carry a (if not clean, then usable) blanket with them. this she pulls out now, spreading it over the pile of pillows.

flopping onto the pillow pile once this is done is all she can do to keep from—

nope. she looks at him, and flustered heat bursts into life in the murmur. Lortel presses a hand to her face, her gaze skating off to one side. she removes her veil and tosses it to flutter down where it will. ]

… come here. This is alright, isn’t it…?

[ she’s nervous. ]

cw: blanket warning for sensual -18 content, just in case

[sadpoem]

[Sunny isn't entirely sure what to expect, but he does have a pretty good idea of why they came here this afternoon. He tries not to think about it too hard for too long, lest he should start to panic, run as far as he can; on the other hand, he thinks there isn't a universe in existence where he'd deny her. Lortel is beautiful, clever, commanding, and so terribly sweet. Sunny gets the impression - and it is, perhaps, self-indulgent - that he's among the few who actually get to see her sweet side. He isn't unhappy about that.

[But he's never done anything like this before. Lortel is the only girl he's ever kissed. As he lies beside her on the blanket, reality feels very, very real.

[If they aren't sleeping anymore, that makes her his dream come true. He wishes he were bold enough to show her how alright it is, to pull her in for a kiss just like something out of a romance novel. Unfortunately, he's only Sunny. The best he can do, for now, is to wiggle in close, take her hand, and nod. It's alright. It's more than alright.

[He can feel her nervous heat through the murmur and returns it, though the undercurrent is undeniably eager (ever the teen boy). It's a daring move, him bringing her knuckles up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss.]

sobs ty they’re fine…………………

[vixenish]

[ a thundering rush of heat that thrums with her heartbeat. Lortel shifts a little on the pillows, beaming in the wake of his kiss to her fingers. ]

I love how sweet you are to me, [ she murmurs, utterly charmed. breath by breath she relaxes, though her heart doesn’t slow down at all. once he’s beside her, she’ll curl the blanket over both their bodies so they can get warm. she’ll tuck in close, bumping her forehead to his and tangling their hands together.

being around him makes her feel better. she couldn’t help but notice it. this attachment she has to him feels… special, different, in a way she finds hard to put into words. all she knows is that sometimes she’s needed him more than she’s wanted him.

eerie. strange, not necessarily in a pleasant way.

but she likes him, and he’s hers. and he likes her too, seemingly. if she had to feel this way with anyone, then at least it’s him. with a close-lipped smile she presses a kiss to the tip of his nose. ]

Am I still your dream girl, Sunny? [ even with her claws and endless conniving? ]

[sadpoem]

[It's as much the claws and conniving that draw him to her as it is her smile, her racing heart, exposed. Sunny's heart is racing too, and there's nothing he could say other than 'yes'. It surges through the murmur like a wave that swallows Lortel up. Their foreheads are still pressed together, but he nods. He nods and he makes sure she knows.]

(open) week 4: missing pieces find me

[sadpoem]

[He's stuck, staring at his own reflection.

[It looks wrong, too young, face dispassionate, stark black and white. He reminds Sunny of a skeleton, or maybe a piano. The boy flips a knife in his hand. In the mirror, he looks casual, adept; outside the mirror, he's nervous, knicking his hand on the blade every time he goes to catch it on the handle. It doesn't help that he's trembling.

[It isn't from the cold. He recognizes this dead-looking boy. He lives in Sunny's dreams.

[And he notices someone come in before Sunny does. Their reflection doesn't appear in the mirror; the only clue is black eyes moving in their direction, but Sunny doesn't look. He's too busy watching Omori.]

[sorte]

—Oh, I didn't know someone was already in here. Sorry for just coming straight in. Hope I'm not interrupting anything?

[ Aventurine's voice is like fanfare— it breaks through the uncomfortable silence like it belongs there, although it isn't exactly inviting of others into its newly acquired space. His gambler's coat is quite heavy and good at keeping a majority of the cold at bay when walking, and while his gloves aren't lined they also protect his hands from the worst of the elements, making him look actually not so bad for going on a month in terms of post apocalyptic survival. If they didn't all already know their situations, one might even mistake him for doing quite all right in their situation so far. Of course, they all know the physical survival is and will always be a priority but has somehow now become the least of their problems .

The issue with his own reflection have him well enough prepared that something similar might be occurring here, so while he acts like there's nothing different, he's very much staring at the reflection to size it up compared to the teenager that it should belong to. Even seeing the boy only from behind, it's obvious they aren't in sync. Still, from behind Aventurine's rose-colored lenses, he's careful for now to avoid making it obvious that he sees the discrepancy. He also takes note of the knife. ]

Is something the matter?

[ Clearly, but some questions have to be asked, especially when feigning ignorance. ]

[sadpoem]

[The first time Aventurine speaks, Sunny doesn't seem to notice, fanfare notwithstanding.

[The second time Aventurine speaks, he jumps, catching the knife directly on the blade and deeply slicing his own palm. He immediately drops the knife on the ground, whipping around to face Aventurine, eyes wide, wild, practically bugging out of his head.]

[sorte]

[ Considering Aventurine's meetings with teenagers so far in this world have been Noah, Lortel, and Megumi, this reaction now is highly different but also incredibly normal for what he'd expect of someone. Still, his brows crease slightly as he watches blood on the knife splatter a bit as it hits the floor, before looking up the stare at the teenager. His voice is soft, melodic and soothing as he speaks again even though he really isn't going out of his way to try and be comforting or kind. He would prefer this kid not traumatize himself, though. ]

It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you. What are you doing in here alone?

(closed to the forsaken)

[sadpoem]

[It started as an itch, barely irritating. Next, it felt like an allergy; tight throat, burning eyes. The ache has become unignorable. It brings Sunny out into the cold, bundled up in whatever he can find, layers of worn, thin clothing. He searches for the source of his discomfort- No. He searches for what might relieve this discomfort, like an invisible tether, drawing him somewhere, to something.

[He feels fear, and it's no surprise, but...there is something strangely foreign about it, as if it weren't Sunny's own. It has to be foolish, sniffing out the path of another person's fear, but he doesn't want them to suffer, whoever they are...

[There's a flicker in the distance. Sunny thinks he sees him - the Forsaken, his odd friend.

[All at once, Sunny feels desperate. Weak as his legs are, he starts to run, hand outstretched for the other man. He grows more familiar every time they see each other, but it's been...

[Days? Weeks? Sunny's out of breath by the time he reaches the Forsaken, stopping short just before colliding. He lifts his hand to wave, but...

[...ends up gripping the other man's sleeve instead. It's a desperate hello.]

[aeviternitas]

[ The Forsaken had forgotten fear.

For a while, he convinced himself it was only a trick of the strange, ever-dim light here (though it had been like that in his prison, too). Or, perhaps it was the newfound fatigue he felt whenever he did not sleep, or sleep enough. But though he told himself it was either of those things, he could not shake the feeling that sometimes, he seemed to disappear. When emerging from the darkness of shadow into even the muted light, he simply... wasn't there. It was only ever for a brief flicker.

Until it wasn't.

The days have gotten colder, enough that even the Forsaken is aware it is unnatural. It has sent the Forsaken wandering inside buildings - apartments, he's seen on a few various signs now - to hunt for places at night to bundle up beneath blankets. Only, he had been searching through one such building, stepped into the darkness between slits of moonlight through the windows, and when he had emerged again, his body wasn't there. He could feel it, his hands and his robes and his trunk, but he couldn't see himself. It had lasted too long to dismiss.

He was disappearing. Not into oblivion, or death, but disappearing all the same. He would be no better than the stories of ghosts that humans told, perceiving the world and the living but unable to reach out. At least in his prison, he could count on a Lost wandering in every so often, or to be able to reach out to the Lost in dreams. This? It was a fate worse than the perpetual limbo he had suffered for so long.

So he sits, in the open, under the direct light of the cracked and splitting moon. At least here, there were no shadows. He wears only the sleeveless robes he always wore, and the sandals Sunny had found for him, his arms wrapped tight around his thin frame.

Something familiar tugs at him beneath the panic welling in his mind, spilling over again and again in a way he cannot control. He has not been so afraid since-

Shadows loom over him, though he does not see them, great figures of strange shapes that cast blame and judgment on him. The sound of footsteps finally tear his attention away, and the Forsaken looks up. He doesn't look the calm patron he usually does. His eyes are wild, hair mussed from gripping at it and falling in his face. Recognition dawns as the boy runs closer. The shadows behind him disappear.

This close, Sunny would be able to see the rapid rise of his chest, the ragged breaths as though he had been running. The boy grabs onto his robes. He can see them, touch them. He reaches out too, without thinking, cold fingertips covering the other's hand. ]

Sunny?

[sadpoem]

[Sunny saw ş̸͉̗̫̓͗o̴͕͕͌̂m̴̳̓͛̑̈́͗̑̂ẽ̷̛͎̹̇̍͋̇͘ͅt̸̼͎͐̽͆̅͊ẖ̴̨̳̬̤́́i̵̺̞̘̅̃̄̽̚n̸͍͎̣̣̞̅͐̇̓̋̀͘g behind him. It's why he keeps his eyes, just as wild as his friend's, glued on the Forsaken. There might well be something behind Sunny too. He doesn't want to know if there is.

[It's too cold to be out here without sleeves. The Forsaken's fingers feel like ice.

[Sunny grabs the man's arm and tugs with all his feeble strength. They have to get inside, find somewhere warm. Sunny is bundled up in several layers himself, but they're hardly the same size.

[Come on. Come on. He knows where to go.]

[aeviternitas]

Sunny? [ He repeats, concern crossing his tone. ] What is it?

[ He looks behind Sunny, and sees nothing; though perhaps that doesn't mean nothing is there or chasing him. So he gets up, allowing himself to be led. His gaze flickers this way and that, but aside from a cat (he thinks it was once a cat) far down an alley, startled by their movement, he still sees nothing. ]

(closed to Noah & Lortel) body heat (cw: eating issues mentioned)

[sadpoem]

[Even in the penthouse, it's freezing. There are more than enough beds for them all to have somewhere to sleep, but Sunny is small, skin and bone, never eating enough. He'd tried huddling under every blanket he could find for a while, but Lortel was just as frozen, just as lonely. They've laid together before. Sunny would never deny her, but...

[There's someone else in this penthouse too, and Sunny worries after him just as much. Noah is strong like a soldier, but he surely still gets cold. Sunny pads his way through the penthouse with two blankets wrapped around himself, all the way over the head, down to his feet where they drag on the ground. It doesn't take long for him to bump into Noah. He tosses a blanket over his friend's head and reaches to take his hand.

[Come on, come on. It's only getting colder.]

[offseers]

[ noah blinks, pulling the blanket from his face. huddling together in terrible weather is nothing new. there have been plenty of times when eunie, lanz and noah have pushed their cots together. pressed close. the idea of not sharing heat, doing whatever it takes to survive . . . that's how life was.

but it seems different for everyone else. noah plods over with the blanket. ]

That bad?

[vixenish]

[ just as frozen? just as lonely?

true, but she’d never show it.

that much is obvious now. she’s sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the fireplace in the great room. the fire has been banked to embers to save on fuel, but it’s not nothing. she shivers occasionally, but doesn’t otherwise seem to acknowledge the cold.

mismatched papers are spread in front of her, whatever she could find that was intact, and scribbled upon these are lists of items and sketched out maps. LOTS of maps, all seemingly drawn from memory. all are heavily marked.

she’s so focused she won’t immediately notice what the boys are up to. even in the midst of her careful focus she looks tired, with her hair down and her hands grimy and ink-stained. she’s thinner than she was. perhaps Sunny isn’t the only one who’s not eating well.

a harder shiver runs through her, and she sets her pen down with a sigh. ]

[sadpoem]

[Goodness sakes alive, it's like trying to herd cats. Perhaps assuming Lortel was also cold and lonely was wishful thinking, but Sunny seriously thinks they're going to freeze if they don't huddle up! It's not something he'd push normally, but he's so desperate to actually sleep...

[He leads Noah over to where Lortel is sitting by the embers and plops down. Voila! A third blanket, hidden under Sunny's. He tosses it over Lortel, then wraps his own tightly around himself.

[From under the bundle, he stares up at Noah.]