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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.
no subject
"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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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!
no subject
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?!"
no subject
Or, if the rest of them do. Guardian should be on his way out any minute, really. If Mio's unconscious like that, maybe she can't return to the real world in here. And, well... if they can help it, it shouldn't be risked.
More swings of his staff to keep the passage clear for Chaosbringer. Noticing Tycoon's look, and then the call to hurry, it makes Guardian look back as well.
Oh, that's definitely not good.
He'll still do his best to clear the passage. But really... is there a way for them to escape faster? And the fact that Chaosbringer is still getting dinged by the debris from time to time.
He has to think a moment...
"Hey, Chaosbringer? Would it be easier if you got off the bicycle? If only to defend yourself better."
That wobbling looks like they're going to fall, if he's being perfectly honest. And then them having to get up might slow the operation down even more.
no subject
They're all exhausted, and since Guardian has already used his special ability, then further use of his powers could result in him being ejected from the Dream Sphere. Even if he can't heal anyone at the moment, Cinnabar appreciates his calm presence.
With debris littering the floor, Chaosbringer's bicycle no longer offers much of a speed advantage anyway, and it can't be easy to steer with Mio in one arm (perhaps his next power upgrade should be a motorcycle with a sidecar).
"Mio might know the way out, but waking her could be risky."
no subject
But then in a second, the heat and light are both extinguished. A horrible cold darkness lingers but then in the distance, a white light seems to split through the air, beckoning everyone closer.
Approach?
no subject
Casually nudging the bike away with one foot so no one can point out that he was riding it so ineffectually, Chaosbringer shifts his support of Mio so that he might be able to get one arm free, then heads for the light. Standing around here isn't gonna get anything done, right?
no subject
"What was that?"
Was that normal? Is that just how the Dream Sphere was? The adrenaline was wearing out and without the looming threat of - not death... Defeat? - of whatever it was that counted as a fail state in the Dream Sphere, he's feeling out of his depth once again.
While Chaosbringer boldly walks into the light, Tycoon looks at Guardian and Cinnabar quickly to gauge what the general consensus was going to be. He'll follow after them.
no subject
Throw Chaosbringer just going ahead, with Mio, and well... what other choice do they have?
He nods at Tycoon, trying his best to offer a reassuring smile.
"If nothing else, there's safety in numbers. I'm sure we'll be okay."
He certainly hopes so. And with that, he'll start to follow Chaosbringer.
no subject
"...At least we'll be able to see whatever's trying to attack us. We might as well proceed. We can always escape... it's Mio that I'm worried about."
Cautious though, Cinnabar remains at the back of the group where they'll be best able to defend the others with the strength they have left.
1/2
DISTURBANCE DIVE END
Mio's weight shifts a little in Chaosbringer's arms. She still seems to be sleeping, but a second glance at her will made it clear that her form is gradually fading out until, with a flurry of sparkles, Mio vanishes.
Back to the other side, where she belongs.