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yumemigaoka2023-09-15 01:44 pm
beautifuldreamermods) wrote in yumemigaoka2023-09-15 01:44 pm
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Event #5: Fractured Melody
- There's never been an Excursion quite like this. Groups are usually kept small to keep things from getting too chaotic but today, practically every Dreamer in Yumemigaoka has assembled at the northern exit of the Slumbering City. The air is tense – apprehension and fear of the unknown and a whole host of other feelings that nobody quite dares express out loud just in case saying them makes them true. This is the Dream Sphere, after all.
Suffocating sunlight pours down from the sky and catches off the water as everyone wades their way down the tracks. Just at the point that the surroundings begin to fluctuate and the barriers of the dream are just shy of being breeched, Dreamer Ange takes point and turns to address the group.
"I get that this probably goes without saying but whether you're new or an old hand, this is not going to be like any of the Excursions we're used to going on. We don't know for sure how dangerous all this is going to be – all we know is that there's somebody in there who can't protect herself and she needs our help. Keep smart. Stick together – use a buddy system if you have to. Don't even let yourself be alone if you can help it. And anytime you think you're in real danger, head back to the other side and wake up. Understood?"
She waits for a noise of affirmation from the group before turning back around and taking a long, slow breath.
"Let's go."
Like heat haze mirages, the air around them ripples. Making way into a new dream is usually as easy as stepping from one room to another, but finally breaking through to this is more like tearing back a curtain that resisted you every step of the way. And most alarmingly of all is the feeling that settles over everyone when they first set foot in what's waiting beyond, a sort of dizzy hyper-lucidity like a false awakening. It passes quick, but it's unfamiliar... especially since it's a sensation that will be very familiar to some Dreamers...
Welcome to Beautiful Dreamer's very first Disturbance event! To recap from the monthly post, Disturbances are surreal and dangerous dreamscapes that draw directly on the struggles, fears and emotions of a single character, similar to the TV world dungeons in Persona 4 or the Heartscapes in Blue Reflection Second Light. They're unique among Outlying Locations in that they vanish once resolved and incubate extremely powerful enemies at their core who must be defeated to save the person at its heart – in this instance, the idol known as Mio Kasuga.
Using the descriptions in the log below, you may freely toplevel and have characters explore and investigate as you please! The descriptions given in this log are to give direction and progression to the events but please feel free to play around within the bounds of what's established as much as you like. Characters wishing to investigate and uncover additional hints and lore nuggets at the heart of the dungeon should indicate they are investigating in the comment header of their toplevel.
Since this is our first Disturbance event, things are relatively simple. To clear the event and prevent a negative outcome on the plot that will effect both the Dream Sphere and Yumemigaoka, characters must clear both the Mid-Tier and Boss Combat Encounters by the OOC deadline of September 30th.
FRACTURE MELODY
- Upon entering the dream, all Dreamers will first find themselves standing in the paved courtyard of a grand concert hall built from shimmering white marble. It's an imposing structure – somehow, it looks more like a siege fort or a prison than anywhere you might want to go for an evening's entertainment. Despite the dark night sky above, the courtyard where they stand is well-illuminated with most of the lights crossing to center on a massive banner overhead announcing: "Mio Kasuga Live in Concert."
Well. At least you know you're definitely in the right place.
The air is charged with anticipation and a hint of nervousness – all around there's the bustle of excited voices and footsteps of people coming and going but it doesn't seem like there's anyone else at all in the courtyard apart from the Dreamers. And... the sound can't be coming from inside because there isn't a single window on the entire building you can see. Just one way in – a huge ornate door carved in thick, black stone that looks like the door to some sort of dungeon.
As if anticipating guests, it swings open.
Once inside, the Dreamers will be able to split up and explore as they like but for now... looks like there's only one way to go.
!LOBBY
Upon entering, the Dreamers find themselves in an opulent lobby, spacious and open with dizzyingly high ceilings and wraparound balconies that are perilously out of reach for even the most determined of Dreamers. Like the outside, the building's inner walls are crafted from white marble that seems to glow from within and crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, catching the light to send shimmers of rainbow light across the floor and walls. The white marble floor is polished to a mirror shine but whenever someone stops to try and peer down at their reflection, it will fracture and undulate beyond recognizability until they look away.
Along one wall, red velvet drapes cascade from floor to ceiling to frame the entrance to the main stage and all around, various side doors and hallways split off into different directions. Faceless shades – not Torments but not Figments, either – mill around the hall, giving it the appearance of a crowd. But if you pay attention, it becomes clear none of them are actually moving with any sort of purpose; they're randomly drifting here and there to give the illusion of movement and activity. It's clear that these faceless guests are just as much a fixture of the dream as the chandelier is.
It's oddly, eerily silent aside from the scratchy recordings of Pure Candy's songs playing over some unseen speakers. Even that meagre filler noise occasionally gives way to record scratching sounds and indiscernible babbling before lapsing back to the cheery, happy pop of Pure Candy.
That same unpleasant tension from outside is simmering under the surface but by all appearances, this lobby should serve as a safe zone for regrouping and resting as explorations continue.
Along one wall, red velvet drapes cascade from floor to ceiling to frame the entrance to the main stage and all around, various side doors and hallways split off into different directions. Faceless shades – not Torments but not Figments, either – mill around the hall, giving it the appearance of a crowd. But if you pay attention, it becomes clear none of them are actually moving with any sort of purpose; they're randomly drifting here and there to give the illusion of movement and activity. It's clear that these faceless guests are just as much a fixture of the dream as the chandelier is.
It's oddly, eerily silent aside from the scratchy recordings of Pure Candy's songs playing over some unseen speakers. Even that meagre filler noise occasionally gives way to record scratching sounds and indiscernible babbling before lapsing back to the cheery, happy pop of Pure Candy.
That same unpleasant tension from outside is simmering under the surface but by all appearances, this lobby should serve as a safe zone for regrouping and resting as explorations continue.
!MAIN STAGE
Ducking under the curtain and entering the main stage, the Dreamers find themselves amidst a sea of empty, crimson velvet theater seats dimly illuminated by the glow of the overhead crystal chandeliers high up on the ceiling. The rows and rows of seats are arranged in a semicircle around the stage, packed so closely together and to the stage itself that the whole thing feels remarkably claustrophobic.
The stage itself is a vast expanse of obsidian-black marble that captures and amplifies every hint of light, creating the illusion of a swirling galaxy beneath a Dreamer's feet. The effect is something like stepping on a glass floor at the top of an enormous tower; a horrible sense of spinning vertigo. An ebony grand piano stands at the center, its surface speckled with starry reflections both from the spotlights and the backdrop of the stage.
A huge, towering mosaic looms behind the stage, an intricate pattern of shattered mirrors and crystal fragments suspended in mid-air by invisible threads. Each fragment casts light in a slightly different hue with odd perspectives that subtly warp the reflection of anything inside them. Look long enough and you might see a flash of something – or somebody – else. Mio Kasuga as she's seen up on this stage, laughing, smiling, dancing, screaming, singing, crying, performing, laughing, laughing, laughing–
Oh. She isn't in there at all, actually. What were you looking at again?
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If the Dreamers approach the grand ebony piano at the center of the stage, they will notice that the keys seem to play of their own accord, growing louder and sharper the closer they get. Ethereal notes that fill the air – pleasant at first but then the very pretty melody starts to turn discordant and ramps up in volume as each of those ear-splitting notes resonates with the obsidian stage beneath their feet, creating violent waves of sound that pulse through the main stage.
The hazard here lies in the piano's unpredictable melodies. The resonant waves of sound can cause the marble stage to vibrate and shift, making footing unstable. At times, the vibrations can become so intense that sections of the stage rise and fall like waves, creating gaps and uneven terrain. The Dreamers must time their movements carefully to avoid being thrown off balance or falling into these gaps, all while the hauntingly beautiful music of the piano plays on. Destroying the piano or otherwise putting distance between it and the Dreamer will stop the performance... at least temporarily.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT #2: As the Dreamers explore the seats, they notice a series of spotlights positioned around the perimeter, seemingly at random, each casting a brilliant beam of light. However, if they step into these beams, they realize that they cast long, elongated shadows that move independently of their actual positions.
When the Dreamers step into a spotlight's beam, their shadows take on a life of their own, seemingly pulling them in unexpected directions or shoving them around and tripping them. The only way to disperse them is to shatter the light that created it in the first place... but good luck even getting close when your own shadow is determined to pull your feet our from under you!
The stage itself is a vast expanse of obsidian-black marble that captures and amplifies every hint of light, creating the illusion of a swirling galaxy beneath a Dreamer's feet. The effect is something like stepping on a glass floor at the top of an enormous tower; a horrible sense of spinning vertigo. An ebony grand piano stands at the center, its surface speckled with starry reflections both from the spotlights and the backdrop of the stage.
A huge, towering mosaic looms behind the stage, an intricate pattern of shattered mirrors and crystal fragments suspended in mid-air by invisible threads. Each fragment casts light in a slightly different hue with odd perspectives that subtly warp the reflection of anything inside them. Look long enough and you might see a flash of something – or somebody – else. Mio Kasuga as she's seen up on this stage, laughing, smiling, dancing, screaming, singing, crying, performing, laughing, laughing, laughing–
Oh. She isn't in there at all, actually. What were you looking at again?
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If the Dreamers approach the grand ebony piano at the center of the stage, they will notice that the keys seem to play of their own accord, growing louder and sharper the closer they get. Ethereal notes that fill the air – pleasant at first but then the very pretty melody starts to turn discordant and ramps up in volume as each of those ear-splitting notes resonates with the obsidian stage beneath their feet, creating violent waves of sound that pulse through the main stage.
The hazard here lies in the piano's unpredictable melodies. The resonant waves of sound can cause the marble stage to vibrate and shift, making footing unstable. At times, the vibrations can become so intense that sections of the stage rise and fall like waves, creating gaps and uneven terrain. The Dreamers must time their movements carefully to avoid being thrown off balance or falling into these gaps, all while the hauntingly beautiful music of the piano plays on. Destroying the piano or otherwise putting distance between it and the Dreamer will stop the performance... at least temporarily.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT #2: As the Dreamers explore the seats, they notice a series of spotlights positioned around the perimeter, seemingly at random, each casting a brilliant beam of light. However, if they step into these beams, they realize that they cast long, elongated shadows that move independently of their actual positions.
When the Dreamers step into a spotlight's beam, their shadows take on a life of their own, seemingly pulling them in unexpected directions or shoving them around and tripping them. The only way to disperse them is to shatter the light that created it in the first place... but good luck even getting close when your own shadow is determined to pull your feet our from under you!
!BACKSTAGE HALLWAY
Once they manage to find a way around the stage's hazards, the Dreamers will be able to make their way into the wings of the stage. Passing through a discreet side door, the Dreamers enter a dimly lit backstage hallway, a stark departure from the grandeur of the main stage. The walls are lined with peeling wallpaper that might have been a vibrant red once upon a time but time and neglect have faded it to a dull, muddy pink. Sconces are placed intermittently along the walls but the light they provide is dim and flickering and only really succeeds in casting eerie shadows that dance across the cracked and weathered floor.
Along the hallway, the walls are dotted with framed photographs that seem to be moments from Mio's life as if captured on film... but they seem oddly distorted, as if the feelings associated with them have caused them to warp and contort. As you progress further down the corridor and the walls narrow to a slightly anxiety inducing squeeze, you'll be able to follow their progression. Mio as a young child in the audience of a stage show, looking awed. Mio as a grade schooler at a piano with her brow furrowed in intense concentration. Mio as a middle schooler despondently watching a competition going on without her. Mio posting an envelope. Mio at some sort of audition. Mio on stage as the centre of Pure Candy–
The last frame has been pulverized by some terrible force, glass shattered and photo almost shredded to pieces. From there to the end of the corridor, every single remaining frame has been broken as if someone had struck it over and over again in the midst of a rage.
At the end of the corridor, in place of a door is... a full length mirror? How strange.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: As the Dreamers approach the mirror stands in place of a door, they become aware of a menacing presence – the mirror seems to radiate an aura of anger and frustration, and the air itself crackles with malevolent energy. Once they draw close enough to see their reflection in the mirror, they'll get the shock of their lives once it starts moving all by itself! It seems like whatever lays beyond is protected by the presence in this mirror who is delighting in forcing them to play along. The presence can be appeased with a little game of 'follow the leader' in which Dreamers must perfectly follow their reflection's movements until the door swings open. A single failure, however, will have their reflection vanish altogether and they'll be forced to wait for another Dreamer to come along to take a second shot at the game.
Of course, there's always the brute force option... but shattering the glass will result in a whole swarm of Torments exploding out of the mirror and you'll be forced to battle your way through in the narrow corridor! Keep on your toes!
Along the hallway, the walls are dotted with framed photographs that seem to be moments from Mio's life as if captured on film... but they seem oddly distorted, as if the feelings associated with them have caused them to warp and contort. As you progress further down the corridor and the walls narrow to a slightly anxiety inducing squeeze, you'll be able to follow their progression. Mio as a young child in the audience of a stage show, looking awed. Mio as a grade schooler at a piano with her brow furrowed in intense concentration. Mio as a middle schooler despondently watching a competition going on without her. Mio posting an envelope. Mio at some sort of audition. Mio on stage as the centre of Pure Candy–
The last frame has been pulverized by some terrible force, glass shattered and photo almost shredded to pieces. From there to the end of the corridor, every single remaining frame has been broken as if someone had struck it over and over again in the midst of a rage.
At the end of the corridor, in place of a door is... a full length mirror? How strange.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: As the Dreamers approach the mirror stands in place of a door, they become aware of a menacing presence – the mirror seems to radiate an aura of anger and frustration, and the air itself crackles with malevolent energy. Once they draw close enough to see their reflection in the mirror, they'll get the shock of their lives once it starts moving all by itself! It seems like whatever lays beyond is protected by the presence in this mirror who is delighting in forcing them to play along. The presence can be appeased with a little game of 'follow the leader' in which Dreamers must perfectly follow their reflection's movements until the door swings open. A single failure, however, will have their reflection vanish altogether and they'll be forced to wait for another Dreamer to come along to take a second shot at the game.
Of course, there's always the brute force option... but shattering the glass will result in a whole swarm of Torments exploding out of the mirror and you'll be forced to battle your way through in the narrow corridor! Keep on your toes!
!DRESSING ROOM
With the mirrors blocking the way crossed one way or another, the Dreamers emerge into what looks at first glance to be a regular dressing room – then with a blink, the oddness of the whole situation asserts itself. The room is divided almost perfectly in two with one side pristine and glamorous, white walls adorned with photographs of "Miomio" posing and beaming at the camera – moments of radiant success, her radiant smile and glittering costumes befitting an idol adored across the nation. A grand dressing table sits against the wall in this half of the room with expensive cosmetics and trinkets scattered across its surface – a sparkling tiara, remnants of glittering confetti, and a copy of Pure Candy's first ever album release. It all sits glittering prettily in the soft light from the chandelier above... but something about the scene feels plastic and hollow. Something about it is wrong.
The other half of the room is in stark contrast – dark, dingy and neglected. It feels dimmer, even though it's under the same light, as if struggling to hold back the shadows. The walls are papered with what was one probably a striking crimson velvet wallpaper but neglect and damage have left it torn and frayed, its rich color faded to a sombre, muted shade. The walls bear faded and torn posters, have ripped from the wall and while there's a second vanity on the other side, it's not in much better shape than anything else on this side of the room. The vanity mirror on this side is cracked and fragmented, reflecting a distorted image when the Dreamers peek into it and empty makeup containers and brushes are in disarray all over the table. It's dirty and dismal over here but... something about it feels more honest, too.
Initially, this appears to be a dead end. However, looking into the shattered mirror will reveal a door in the reflection that does not exist in the actual room. Nothing you can do will make it appear but touching the mirror will allow you to pass through into the reflection (though uh, getting up onto the dressing table is a little awkward...). Once you're in the reflection side of the room, the door can be opened and things start getting really bizarre from there...
There are no hazards here, but interfering with any of the trinkets on the pristine side of the room will spawn a particularly aggressive and surprisingly powerful Torment!
The other half of the room is in stark contrast – dark, dingy and neglected. It feels dimmer, even though it's under the same light, as if struggling to hold back the shadows. The walls are papered with what was one probably a striking crimson velvet wallpaper but neglect and damage have left it torn and frayed, its rich color faded to a sombre, muted shade. The walls bear faded and torn posters, have ripped from the wall and while there's a second vanity on the other side, it's not in much better shape than anything else on this side of the room. The vanity mirror on this side is cracked and fragmented, reflecting a distorted image when the Dreamers peek into it and empty makeup containers and brushes are in disarray all over the table. It's dirty and dismal over here but... something about it feels more honest, too.
Initially, this appears to be a dead end. However, looking into the shattered mirror will reveal a door in the reflection that does not exist in the actual room. Nothing you can do will make it appear but touching the mirror will allow you to pass through into the reflection (though uh, getting up onto the dressing table is a little awkward...). Once you're in the reflection side of the room, the door can be opened and things start getting really bizarre from there...
There are no hazards here, but interfering with any of the trinkets on the pristine side of the room will spawn a particularly aggressive and surprisingly powerful Torment!
!MIRROR MAZE
The Dreamers pass through Mio's dressing room and straight into madness. Behind the mirror room door, they will find themselves entering a gigantic labyrinth, a colossal glass structure impossibly suspended in an infinite expanse of darkness. Its transparent walls extend seemingly infinitely in all directions, creating an eerie sensation of being adrift in a sea of reflections. The glass is flawless and unblemished, but its cold, almost sterile quality stirs up an odd sense of isolation and disconnection.
Trying to find your way in this maze is like... well, a nightmare. Pathways snake and twist in every direction and mirrors reflect each other, creating infinite regressions and dead ends and leaving it more or less impossible to predict what lies around the next corner. It's like trying to navigate a gigantic kaleidoscope, with reflections multiplying and refracting in baffling ways.
While it is possible to navigate, Dreamers must do so carefully. Getting lost in this maze is incredibly easy, especially if you're alone, and once you've gotten turned around there's no reliable way to escape without waking up and returning – and who knows just how much time you'd lose by going the long way round like that? To make matters worse, the maze itself is absolutely festering with Torments. . . and one super pissed off Nightmare right at the heart of the maze!
Dreamers looking to challenge the Nightmare should check into the Mid-Tier Combat thread.
Trying to find your way in this maze is like... well, a nightmare. Pathways snake and twist in every direction and mirrors reflect each other, creating infinite regressions and dead ends and leaving it more or less impossible to predict what lies around the next corner. It's like trying to navigate a gigantic kaleidoscope, with reflections multiplying and refracting in baffling ways.
While it is possible to navigate, Dreamers must do so carefully. Getting lost in this maze is incredibly easy, especially if you're alone, and once you've gotten turned around there's no reliable way to escape without waking up and returning – and who knows just how much time you'd lose by going the long way round like that? To make matters worse, the maze itself is absolutely festering with Torments. . . and one super pissed off Nightmare right at the heart of the maze!
Dreamers looking to challenge the Nightmare should check into the Mid-Tier Combat thread.
!HEART CAGE
Somewhere deep within the maze is an unassuming looking door that when crossed through...
darkness awaits.
darkness awaits.
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The room is going to come down, and Chaosbringer jumps again into action, faster than Guardian can think. Seeing him launch towards Mio, though. He wonders if he should...
If that ball stays in place, then this fight can only continue, right?
"...D... Dream Song!" he calls out in a shaky voice, casting the spell to try and shatter the material around Mio. And prays that it'll be enough for this battle to end, and for Chaosbringer to rescue her.
With that, he'll try to take Tycoon's hand as they run for the door; he'll grab Cinnabar's too, if they're close enough as they run by. And hopefully the landing will be enough to save them all.
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It's tempting to run. Isn't (literally) running away what they always do? But this isn't just some awkward social situation or unpleasant obligation... for Mio at least, this could be her only chance to escape an eternity trapped in the Dream Sphere. Before Mio makes that choice, she should understand what it really means to be alone.
Cinnabar doesn't stop to consider why Chaosbringer is riding a bicycle - it barely cracks the top three absurd things Chaosbringer has done in the past 10 minutes. But if that bicycle hits one of the widening cracks in the ground, it's going to send him flying headfirst over the handlebars. They let their mercury cover as much of the floor as possible, filling in the gaps. In places where the broken floor is uneven, they create ramps to ensure a smooth ride. Liquid mercury can't hold a solid shape for very long, but at the speed Chaosbringer is moving, that's hardly a concern. Finally, they dash after Guardian and Tycoon. If the doorway starts to collapse, they want to be close enough to reinforce the escape route.
1/2 - TYCOON, GUARDIAN, CINNABAR
For Tycoon, Guardian and Cinnabar: The former two's attacks at last manage to create a split in Melanchoria's glass shell and with Cinnabar clearing the way, Chaosbringer's got a clean shot straight in there! Nice!
Less nice is the fact that with Melanchoria's final scream still ringing out, the ballroom is still coming apart at the seams. Huge cracks form in the floor that have to be navigated around and even when they do make it back to the doorway, it's just in time for the archway to shatter and begin raining glass and debris down, at risk of blocking your path of escape.
Better think fast – you'll only have one turn's worth of time to do something about it!
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Turning back around, he just catches sight of the debris falling down. He doesn't have anything that could prevent the archway from collapsing further, but he still has part of his weapon in hand. Surely-
He re-summons his weapon in single blade form before using it to break some of the fallen debris. He can't reinforce the door, but he can at least help keep the pathway clear.
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The fact that he's used his Signature Ability and that limits how much time he has left in the DreamSphere allows him to put most of his stresses to rest. He's got to protect the others while Chaosbringer saves Mio.
He lifts his arms, holding his staff to try and support the hall as they run.
"Cinnabar, Tycoon! Protect each other and get out! I'll be fine!" He has to believe that he'll make it in time to the waking world. He wants the others to be able to escape before he gets pushed out and becomes unable to support them any further.
Guardian then summons crystal shards and attempts to use them as reinforcements to the base against the rattling room.
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"Tycoon, we need to clear the way for the others! There has to be a way out of this place that doesn't involve going back through the maze!"
Using their remaining mercury as an extremely heavy bludgeoning object, Cinnabar smashes through falling bits of glass and marble before they threaten to crush anyone's head. They can't afford to look back now.
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"Run for it!"
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... the hallway definitely wasn't this long on the way in, right? And it sure as hell wasn't as warm. And what exactly is that horrible red light?
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"Eh?! ... R-right!"
Well, the good thing about this is that Tycoon's hands are free now so he goes back to using the twin blade form of his weapon. He joins Cinnabar in breaking as much debris as possible. The pieces are small enough for him to quickly slash away at now that he doesn't need the the stronger single blade form.
"Guardian, let's go!"
Chaosbringer is coming through at top speed, and the rest of them will definitely need to run to keep up. Even if Guardian is going to wake up soon, it doesn't mean he could just bring himself to leave the other Dreamer behind.
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The thought does cross his mind to offer help to Chaosbringer. But then, he's not sure what he could offer. He doubts he's strong enough to carry Mio. It sure looks cumbersome to control a bicycle while holding an unconscious person...
Guardian makes sure to use his staff to hit away any debris that tries to come his way. They have to move quickly. Though he has no idea how they're going to get through the maze in time if it's being affected, too.
One step at a time. He'll do his best, and he begins trying to spot another way out. A way to climb, a door that might have been missed. Anything.
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There's nowhere to go but forward, though. Ahead, the walls are already beginning to crack. Behind them, Cinnabar can hear the high-pitched shatter of glass and the grinding roar of broken stone, as if the entire structure is starting to collapse in on itself.
Or maybe it's being rearranged? This place is a part of Mio, after all, and if this experience has changed her, then perhaps her dreams will change, too... either way, the other Dreamers fighting their way through Mio's dream will hopefully hear the terrible sound and make their way towards the exit. In theory, anyone trapped by falling debris will simply wake up in their beds, but with all the bizarre happenings in the Dream Sphere these past few months, Cinnabar isn't eager to test that theory.
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Boldly and powerfully, Chaosbringer.... wobbles the bike along, doing his best to keep it pointed straight down the hallway. Every once in a while, a large piece of glass tumbles off the ceiling and beans him on the head, before falling off in a way that somehow never seems to threaten Mio.
No, he won't be afforded the cool luxury of a kickass exit. He's probably burned out the few scraps of good luck in his life for the next few decades. But so long as the others help clear the path, they'll get to safety somehow!
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They definitely should have exited by now. Even if the maze had been a nightmare (ha) to navigate, getting to the ballroom afterwards had been fairly straightforward in comparison. The Dreamers would just wake up (he thinks), but could the same be said for Mio? He's not sure...
Tycoon turns around to check on Chaosbringer and Guardian again, only to stop for a second when he notices the ominous red light and the increasing temperature. That's... Definitely not good.
"Hurry!" he calls before dashing to catch up with Cinnabar again, still using his twin blades to try and keep the path as clear as possible for Chaosbringer behind them.
"Do we need to make an exit?!"
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1/2
DISTURBANCE DIVE END
CHAOSBRINGER
The Dream Sphere does not run on logic.
The lance finds a crack in the glass, shatters it open and
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"What did you think, Mio? Did you like it?"
It was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life. If I could make music like that some day... I'd give my life for that.
"Ugh, you're so obsessed! You never want to have fun anymore, why do I bother coming over?!"
That's fine. I don't need to waste my time on someone who doesn't get it.
"I see. What a shame. You can try again next year!"
I don't understand. I don't get it. Is this my fault? I have to get better. I have to practice more.
"It's a repetitive strain injury. If she doesn't lay off this pace, she might never be able to play again."
If... If I can't make music, then I...
"Come audition with me? Please? It'll just be for moral support! And it'll take your mind off things!"
"Chiaki Ohara? Haruko Fujita? Haha, what's with this fuddy duddy music lineup?"
"Now we're selling more, our schedule's getting fuller. This is your job now. You can't whine about having no time for hobbies. That's not how this works."
"Sorry, but you're so busy with idol stuff... we need a pianist the chorus really knows, you know?"
"If you quit then we won't sell! They'll disband us and it'll be your fault!"
"Mio, honey? You're having fun at work, right?"
OF COURSE I'M NOT HAVING FUN!
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"It's called 'Little Crystal Romance', by Takashi Yoshimatsu."
Sat beside him in the audience, in the only other occupied seat, is... oh. This must be the real Mio. Or at least, some part of her. She turns her head just enough to give Chaosbringer a smile before returning her gaze to the stage.
"My dad liked his albums, so I'd heard some of his songs before, but this one was different. I was so little when I heard it, but I still remember that it sounded like magic to me."
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Honestly, he would have been more surprised if he'd actually achieved exactly what he intended without something like this happening.
"Piano's good at that. I like my screaming guitars and hard drums, but even I've got a soft spot for some good piano music. Easy to see why you'd want to go down that path."
For all that he comes down hard on the get-Dreamers-some-much-needed-therapy angle, Chaosbringer is no therapist. Maybe he ought to be. But add that to all the weight he's already trying to carry and pretty soon they'll be finding him in the middle of the Dream Sphere hanging out with a earthquake-gazebo. So... he's just gonna have to wing this, and hope really hard that good intentions count for a lot.
cw: self harm via overwork?? we'll call it that
She hasn't looked away from the stage again but even from a side profile, the way her expression has twisted is clear.
"I'm all better now. I could go back to it and pace myself but... I've missed out on so much time and all this stupid idol stuff is just–!"
Teeth gritted, she pummels the seat in front of them with her feet, no other outlet available for her frustration.
"If I work my ass off and keep selling, they hate me! If I say I'll quit, they hate me! So what the hell am I supposed to do?!"
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"Care less about what people think who don't care about you?"
When you're a chuuni idiot, running around with an eyepatch and calling yourself by a different name and edgey title, you really do learn quickly that if you want to be yourself, you're not going to make a lot of friends. But the one you do make are the ones that count.
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"Well, yeah. If I could just do it, that'd be the solution, right? If I didn't care at all. Grown ups always say stuff like that, but they don't actually tell you how you're supposed to do it."
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Zeke smirks, shrugging as he does. Hard to imagine a different two people than this young idol and the experienced Dreamer-slash-government employee.
"We're all just winging it, Mio. That's life, you know? You do something, something happens, and then you do what you can to learn from it and move on. There aren't any guarantees or sure-fire ways to get through a problem and go on. So let me ask you this: what do you really want?"
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Little Mio beaming like the sun, fingers dancing over the keys. Music that sounds like magic.
Mio blinks. Once, twice. A little too quickly. And then breaking free from her lashes, a stream of tears begin to roll down her cheeks.
"... I really want to go back. I don't need a stage. I don't need to win anything or be the best, I just... I don't want to dance anymore. I don't want to sing anymore. If people get mad, I want to let them be mad. And if they make it my problem–"
She surges to her feet, fists scrunched into her skirt at her sides. Her hands are shaking.
"I want to let them hate me– and I want to tell them shut up! Screw you! If you couldn't handle it without putting it all on my shoulders then why'd you even try in the first place?! Eat shit and die about it!"
She starts, like she's hearing her own words for the first time – like it's the first time she's ever let herself say them or even think them in as much clarity.
Mio takes a deep breath and then turns to look down at Chaosbringer. Her eyes are still overbright with tears but now they're clear. Awake.
"... is that... really okay?"
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Chaosbringer, Zeke Genbu, stands, then offers her a hand.
"And I'll have your back. Bet a lot of us will. So whatever happens, you're not doing it alone. That's a promise."
Heck, he's pretty sure he can get this to be an Official Investigation, and lean on the DU to involve itself heavily because of the Dream Sphere repercussions of this disaster. That gives him the confidence to promise, and the conviction that he can offer more than just words to aid her.
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to take hold of his hand.
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Melanchoria is no longer screaming but given the way its echoes are still gradually dying out, whatever happened took maybe a second, if that.