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yumemigaoka2023-11-13 03:47 pm
beautifuldreamermods) wrote in yumemigaoka2023-11-13 03:47 pm
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Event #6: Deadly Ever After
“Even now, no one knows the secret that lies under the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Perhaps one might call it “loneliness.” But the man no longer had to fear loneliness, for he had become loneliness itself.”
Sakaguchi Ango, “Under The Cherry Blossoms In Full Bloom”
Welcome to our second Disturbance event! To recap for new players, 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, it's our very own Ango!
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.
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 November 30th.
ARRIVAL
- As the mist between dreams begins to clear, Dreamers find themselves wandering through the narrow, crooked streets of a feudal-era Japanese city. Squat buildings made of dark wood and weathered plaster seem to sigh under the weight of their sloping, tiled roofs, paper windows shut tight against the cold night air and the prying eyes of strangers. A blood-tinged full moon hangs heavy in the sky, casting long, eerie shadows. Its cold light washes out all color, save for one… the soft petal pink of the cherry trees that line every street of this place. Tangled trees grow from gaps between buildings and from cracks in the stone pavement, laden with blossoms despite the mid-November chill.
While Ango’s dream looks like something straight out of a made-for-TV samurai drama, the ground is littered with the garbage of modern life: empty cans, snack wrappers, crumpled paper and cigarette butts. On closer inspection, most of the buildings are little more than shoddily constructed movie set pieces, empty on the inside apart from even deeper piles of trash.
The city spread in all directions, but the Dreamers’ destination is clear. Perched on a high stone bluff, the white walls of a samurai lord’s castle gleam in the moonlight. Even from a distance, it’s clear that the grand castle is a ruin, held together – or torn apart – by the roots of hundreds of massive cherry trees.
!THE TEMPLE
In this foreboding place, the old Zen Buddhist temple is an island of uneasy calm. Behind high stone walls, the temple’s ornate buildings and courtyards provide a safe spot for Dreamers to regroup. Savers have set up a medic station beneath the intricately carved wooden roof of the main hall. A towering (if somewhat dilapidated) pagoda makes the temple easy to find even in the maze of dark streets between it and the castle.
Despite the temple’s age, it’s clear that this place has been cared for. The ever-present garbage has been swept aside, so only fallen sakura petals cover its pathway. The main worship hall that would normally hold the sacred images of Buddha is empty, but there are still offerings of incense and rice wine on the altar where a statue once sat. Maybe Ango used to believe, but all that remains now is a lingering desire, a longing for something to believe in.
There are no Torments here, only the occasional Figment tracing meaningless patterns on the sand in the meditation garden.
Despite the temple’s age, it’s clear that this place has been cared for. The ever-present garbage has been swept aside, so only fallen sakura petals cover its pathway. The main worship hall that would normally hold the sacred images of Buddha is empty, but there are still offerings of incense and rice wine on the altar where a statue once sat. Maybe Ango used to believe, but all that remains now is a lingering desire, a longing for something to believe in.
There are no Torments here, only the occasional Figment tracing meaningless patterns on the sand in the meditation garden.
!NAMIKASE SHOPPING STREET
In the old days, large temples often had a nakamise – a row of open-air shops lining the street between the inner and outer gates of the temple precincts, selling everything from incense and prayer beads to snacks and souvenirs. This nakamise offers an even more baffling array of goods: ghoulish papier-mâché demon masks and suits of samurai armor alongside plastic rice cookers and vintage 90s fashion, daruma dolls and good luck charms next to broken mobile phones and expired bags of curry-flavored chips. The accumulated junk of Ango’s mind is stacked high, spilling off shelves and onto the floor. The open storefronts beckon curious Dreamers to step inside, but to be honest, most of the items for sale are nearly indistinguishable from the garbage on the ground.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: As Dreamers walk past, they’ll hear clattering and groaning from within the shops. If they don’t quicken their pace, they’ll be attacked by a Torment formed from an aggregate of random items. With a TV for its head and many limbs made from broken guitars and umbrellas held together with cheap toys and old clothes, it’s not an especially powerful enemy… but it will continue to re-form itself from available junk until Dreamers manage to drive it back into its trashy lair, so it’s more troublesome than it looks.
Dreamers who jump onto the tiled roofs to bypass the Torment will find themselves smacked back down to the ground by a large, vaguely humanoid creature with huge wings covered in black feathers. It’s no angel, though… it’s a Torment in the shape of a tengu, the winged guardian spirits of mountain temples. This tengu wields a heavy iron staff, smashing roof tiles (and unlucky Dreamers) with every blow. Its face is covered by a scowling, long-nosed mask. While this physically powerful Torment will be a challenge for all but the strongest and most agile Dreamers, breaking its mask will cause it to dissipate into a cloud of feathers.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: As Dreamers walk past, they’ll hear clattering and groaning from within the shops. If they don’t quicken their pace, they’ll be attacked by a Torment formed from an aggregate of random items. With a TV for its head and many limbs made from broken guitars and umbrellas held together with cheap toys and old clothes, it’s not an especially powerful enemy… but it will continue to re-form itself from available junk until Dreamers manage to drive it back into its trashy lair, so it’s more troublesome than it looks.
Dreamers who jump onto the tiled roofs to bypass the Torment will find themselves smacked back down to the ground by a large, vaguely humanoid creature with huge wings covered in black feathers. It’s no angel, though… it’s a Torment in the shape of a tengu, the winged guardian spirits of mountain temples. This tengu wields a heavy iron staff, smashing roof tiles (and unlucky Dreamers) with every blow. Its face is covered by a scowling, long-nosed mask. While this physically powerful Torment will be a challenge for all but the strongest and most agile Dreamers, breaking its mask will cause it to dissipate into a cloud of feathers.
!RESIDENTIAL AREA
Once Dreamers pass through the outer gate of the nakamise, they’ll emerge into a quiet residential district. The stately upper-middle-class homes have all fallen into disrepair, but glimpses into their walled gardens can be had through gaps in the decaying plaster. The cherry trees are larger and wilder here, their branches growing up through buildings and bursting through the uneven streets. Most of the buildings are dark and empty, but light flickers through the torn paper windows of one of the larger residences.
Upon entering the dilapidated estate, Dreamers will find that the flickering light comes from a series of old-fashioned film projectors that have been set up inside its rooms, beaming grainy black-and-white footage onto cracked walls.
Ango may be a novelist-turned-screenwriter, but here, he’s a movie star. The films consist of short, silent clips spliced from snippets of memory, all featuring Ango and three men who are clearly close friends. They laugh over glasses of bottom shelf whiskey in a Tokyo basement bar, they get shot down trying to pick up girls in Kabukicho, they crash on the floor of Ango’s apartment after all-night marathon writing sessions, they pose for stupid selfies at each other’s book signing events. But as Dreamers wander through the sprawling house, the films begin to change… one by one, Ango’s companions disappear. The lighthearted clips are interspersed with scenes of funerals, drunken arguments, and empty seats at the bar. Ango in bed staring wide-eyed and sleepless at the digital clock as it ticks over to 4:00 AM. Ango running, even though he knows that he’s already too late. Ango fidgeting in the smoky waiting room of a loan shark’s office. Ango punching a hole through the cardboard wall of his apartment. Ango trying not to cry. In the final reel, Ango is alone, drinking cheap shochu from a paper bag and wandering Tokyo’s streets at night.
When Dreamers finally leave the house, they’ll notice a splatter of fresh blood on the street.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: While the house itself is free from dangers, Dreamers exiting the building will suddenly be attacked from above by bird-like Tormets that tear at their hair and clothes. In Japanese superstition, seeing birds at night is a bad omen. These may be smaller than the tengu before, but these black-winged creatures are still a danger to inexperienced Dreamers - they attack in swarms with their sharp beaks and clawed feet, and they seem determined to steal anything shiny… including Sandglass weapons!
Upon entering the dilapidated estate, Dreamers will find that the flickering light comes from a series of old-fashioned film projectors that have been set up inside its rooms, beaming grainy black-and-white footage onto cracked walls.
Ango may be a novelist-turned-screenwriter, but here, he’s a movie star. The films consist of short, silent clips spliced from snippets of memory, all featuring Ango and three men who are clearly close friends. They laugh over glasses of bottom shelf whiskey in a Tokyo basement bar, they get shot down trying to pick up girls in Kabukicho, they crash on the floor of Ango’s apartment after all-night marathon writing sessions, they pose for stupid selfies at each other’s book signing events. But as Dreamers wander through the sprawling house, the films begin to change… one by one, Ango’s companions disappear. The lighthearted clips are interspersed with scenes of funerals, drunken arguments, and empty seats at the bar. Ango in bed staring wide-eyed and sleepless at the digital clock as it ticks over to 4:00 AM. Ango running, even though he knows that he’s already too late. Ango fidgeting in the smoky waiting room of a loan shark’s office. Ango punching a hole through the cardboard wall of his apartment. Ango trying not to cry. In the final reel, Ango is alone, drinking cheap shochu from a paper bag and wandering Tokyo’s streets at night.
When Dreamers finally leave the house, they’ll notice a splatter of fresh blood on the street.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: While the house itself is free from dangers, Dreamers exiting the building will suddenly be attacked from above by bird-like Tormets that tear at their hair and clothes. In Japanese superstition, seeing birds at night is a bad omen. These may be smaller than the tengu before, but these black-winged creatures are still a danger to inexperienced Dreamers - they attack in swarms with their sharp beaks and clawed feet, and they seem determined to steal anything shiny… including Sandglass weapons!
!BACK ALLEYS
Following the trail of blood will lead Dreamers to a neighborhood of narrow back streets that run alongside the river. Occasional paper lanterns provide just enough light to see by, but this is a place for people who don’t want to be seen. Dreamers will begin to experience the unsettling sensation that they’re being pursued through the twisting, claustrophobic streets. A faint odor of smoke lingers in the air, reminding Dreamers just how quickly this whole city could burn to the ground.
Dimly lit neon signs outside the cramped back-alley bars advertise cheap booze and all-you-can-drink specials, and the sound of Showa-period pop songs echoes from inside. If Dreamers peek inside, though, they’ll find that the buildings here are like everything else in this city: empty façades stapled together from plywood and cardboard, an illusion that falls apart under the slightest scrutiny. The tinny music is coming from an old cassette player.
Dreamers will notice that one of the bars is little more than a burned shell reeking of charred wood and gasoline, still faintly smoldering in the cold air. Outside, there’s more blood on the ground.
Something shiny glints from the floor of the burned wreck - a pair of cracked sunglasses. Ango’s sunglasses, the silly prescription-strength ones he always wears because he’s self-conscious about being nearsighted. The fake building went up in flames so quickly that some of its contents have survived, trapped under fallen debris.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Dreamers will find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, unable to shake the feeling that something is following them. Whatever fears and worries they might be running from in the real world will manifest in the shadows, chasing them off the relatively well-lit path and into even darker, narrower side streets. It’s easy to get disoriented here, where the streets seem to bend back on themselves in ways that violate the basic rules of geometry. Dreamers will need to think clearly to find their way out, or risk being lost with only their own fears for company.
⧖ INVESTIGATION: Dreamers who investigate the wreckage of the fire will soon realize that they are being followed… by Ango himself!? He’s standing silently on the roof of the neighboring building, dressed in a formal samurai costume with a sword in his hand - a sword that’s still dripping with fresh blood. Besides him stands a mysterious woman wearing a pink kimono. With her long dark hair, she almost resembles a certain idol… but the glint in her eyes is cruel.
Dimly lit neon signs outside the cramped back-alley bars advertise cheap booze and all-you-can-drink specials, and the sound of Showa-period pop songs echoes from inside. If Dreamers peek inside, though, they’ll find that the buildings here are like everything else in this city: empty façades stapled together from plywood and cardboard, an illusion that falls apart under the slightest scrutiny. The tinny music is coming from an old cassette player.
Dreamers will notice that one of the bars is little more than a burned shell reeking of charred wood and gasoline, still faintly smoldering in the cold air. Outside, there’s more blood on the ground.
Something shiny glints from the floor of the burned wreck - a pair of cracked sunglasses. Ango’s sunglasses, the silly prescription-strength ones he always wears because he’s self-conscious about being nearsighted. The fake building went up in flames so quickly that some of its contents have survived, trapped under fallen debris.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Dreamers will find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, unable to shake the feeling that something is following them. Whatever fears and worries they might be running from in the real world will manifest in the shadows, chasing them off the relatively well-lit path and into even darker, narrower side streets. It’s easy to get disoriented here, where the streets seem to bend back on themselves in ways that violate the basic rules of geometry. Dreamers will need to think clearly to find their way out, or risk being lost with only their own fears for company.
⧖ INVESTIGATION: Dreamers who investigate the wreckage of the fire will soon realize that they are being followed… by Ango himself!? He’s standing silently on the roof of the neighboring building, dressed in a formal samurai costume with a sword in his hand - a sword that’s still dripping with fresh blood. Besides him stands a mysterious woman wearing a pink kimono. With her long dark hair, she almost resembles a certain idol… but the glint in her eyes is cruel.
!CASTLE DUNGEON
Dreamers who skip the back alleys and proceed towards the center of the city will soon reach the fortified outer walls of the castle. Isolated on a sheer cliff cut by the river, the main keep can only be reached by a long stone staircase that winds through boulders and battlements. The path is frequently blocked by the thick, gnarled roots of cherry trees that have broken through solid stone. Petals float like snow from the hundreds of trees above, growing through the windows and walls of the ruined castle.
Finally, Dreamers will reach a courtyard that’s dominated by an even larger cherry tree encircled by sacred shimenawa ropes. The shimenawa mark the boundary between the mundane and the spiritual, the home of an enshrined deity. The enormous tree certainly has a divine presence, with branches outstretched over the courtyard like the many arms of the Buddhist goddess of mercy.
Passing warily beneath the sacred tree, Dreamers will find the castle gates open and unguarded. Those expecting the castle to be another hollow set piece will be surprised to find that the lowest level, the dungeon, is packed from floor to ceiling with books. Thousands upon thousands of books, all tossed into haphazard piles so dense that Dreamers are forced to climb over them in places.. Oil lamps set into the monolithic stone walls provide just enough light to read by, so they'll see that every book bears the same author's name: Sakaguchi Ango. But every novel is half-filled with blank pages, some trailing off after only a few lines of text. These are the stories Ango never finished. Amid the heaps of books are crumpled sheets of loose paper - rejection letters from publishing agencies, unpaid bills, and torn-out magazine articles featuring scathing reviews of everything Ango's ever written.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: There's no obvious way to reach the upper floors of the castle. No staircase, no ladder, no crack in the heavy wooden beams that make up the ceiling. But fans of ninja movies and escape rooms will realize that this is actually a ninja trick house - a building designed with secret hiding places and concealed escape routes. Astute Dreamers will notice that there's an area of the floor that's suspiciously clear of accumulated junk - above it, a section of the ceiling can be pulled down to reveal a hidden staircase.
Making one's way across through the neck-deep mess of books and paper will prove to be treacherous, though. One careless move can cause an entire stack of books to collapse, and the piles of garbage provide precarious footing.
Finally, Dreamers will reach a courtyard that’s dominated by an even larger cherry tree encircled by sacred shimenawa ropes. The shimenawa mark the boundary between the mundane and the spiritual, the home of an enshrined deity. The enormous tree certainly has a divine presence, with branches outstretched over the courtyard like the many arms of the Buddhist goddess of mercy.
Passing warily beneath the sacred tree, Dreamers will find the castle gates open and unguarded. Those expecting the castle to be another hollow set piece will be surprised to find that the lowest level, the dungeon, is packed from floor to ceiling with books. Thousands upon thousands of books, all tossed into haphazard piles so dense that Dreamers are forced to climb over them in places.. Oil lamps set into the monolithic stone walls provide just enough light to read by, so they'll see that every book bears the same author's name: Sakaguchi Ango. But every novel is half-filled with blank pages, some trailing off after only a few lines of text. These are the stories Ango never finished. Amid the heaps of books are crumpled sheets of loose paper - rejection letters from publishing agencies, unpaid bills, and torn-out magazine articles featuring scathing reviews of everything Ango's ever written.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: There's no obvious way to reach the upper floors of the castle. No staircase, no ladder, no crack in the heavy wooden beams that make up the ceiling. But fans of ninja movies and escape rooms will realize that this is actually a ninja trick house - a building designed with secret hiding places and concealed escape routes. Astute Dreamers will notice that there's an area of the floor that's suspiciously clear of accumulated junk - above it, a section of the ceiling can be pulled down to reveal a hidden staircase.
Making one's way across through the neck-deep mess of books and paper will prove to be treacherous, though. One careless move can cause an entire stack of books to collapse, and the piles of garbage provide precarious footing.
!CASTLE LIBRARY
Dreamers who make it past the trick staircase will be met with an awe-inspiring sight: the entire upper part of the castle is an enormous library, with bookshelves reaching up several stories into darkness. A network of dangerously narrow ladders, balconies and catwalks provides access to the upper shelves. The books are an eclectic, disorganized collection of the works of every storyteller who's had an impact on Ango, whether they ever wrote them down or not - from Edgar Allan Poe and Akutagawa Ryuunosuke and Agatha Christie to the nameless drunks who shared their life stories with strangers on the subway, all bound in rich leather like treasured tomes.
The cavernous room is lit by the haunting glow of floating paper lanterns, just like the ones sent down rivers on the last night of the Obon festival to guide the spirits of the dead to the next world. The floor here, too, is covered in paper and forgotten books. As Dreamers explore the vast space, a cold wind will sweep through and stir the loose pages. The library seems empty... but they aren't alone.
The cavernous room is lit by the haunting glow of floating paper lanterns, just like the ones sent down rivers on the last night of the Obon festival to guide the spirits of the dead to the next world. The floor here, too, is covered in paper and forgotten books. As Dreamers explore the vast space, a cold wind will sweep through and stir the loose pages. The library seems empty... but they aren't alone.
!THE FOREST
When Dreamers touch the sacred tree in the center of the castle courtyard, the air around them will momentarily shimmer... and they'll find themselves standing beneath the same tree, now surrounded by a castle in an even more advanced state of ruin than before. The roots and branches of countless cherry trees have completely consumed the library, eating through its walls and roof until little of the original structure remains. The trees bloom profusely until sakura petals blanket the courtyard nearly knee-deep in places, obscuring wide cracks in the pavement below. There's a madness to their beauty, a feral taint to their faint, sweet fragrance.
She’s been waiting.
She’s been waiting.
no subject
[Although, unfortunately, he can't deny that he considered doing the same in the past. It was easy, wasn't it? Just hopping into the Dream Sphere to get away from one's problems, and eventually never coming back out. He couldn't fault Ango for that, but his reasonings for doing so irked him a little. The loneliness he could understand, but... dodging some shady business? Really? And here he had thought the guy was in actual distress, too...
... well, no, that wasn't entirely true. Ango wasn't possessed, but that woman he was with screamed bad news-- even before she went and fished up a human skull like she was casually grabbing a drink from a cooler. Whether it was real or not was anyone's guess-- the Disturbance was too fresh, but with the various cases of people getting lost in here, and how inconsistent time was in the Dream Sphere... they couldn't take the risk.
While Flyhigh and Gungnir seemed to have wanted to take the pacifist route, there was no way this demonic Ai look-alike was going to let them go scott-free. So when Frieren and Gungnir move forward, Hanako lingers a little behind, knife still poised and at the ready in case Sakuyahime tires of talking and decides to make a move. He offers a blithe smile in Ango's direction, the indifferent cheerfulness at odds with the tension of the situation.]
If you wanna stay in here and be someone's pet, I'm not going to stop you. [RUTHLESS..... although whether he actually means it, or he's only saying it to jolt Ango to his senses is anyone's guess, really. But his smile cools to something a bit more grim as his eyes track towards his companion, trying not to linger too long on the skull in her hands.] But your lady friend here clearly is a threat, and we as Dreamers gotta do our duty and wipe them out before they become too much trouble for the regular folks.
Although you probably already knew that, didn't you...?
[After all, why else would Ango be so keen on driving them away, if not to keep them safe from the woman before them?]
no subject
[Annoyed, Sakuya tosses aside the skull without a second thought. It lands softly on a bed of cherry blossoms, then begins to sink as if something is dragging it beneath the surface. She doesn't bother to hide the contempt in her eyes as she glares at Frieren - whatever power she's using to mask her presence won't work here.]
Don't blame me, blame him. He's the second-rate novelist who wrote me.
no subject
Listen, I really appreciate you guys coming to rescue me and all, but... I can't go.
[Hibiki's a good kid, and he knows that even Misfire and the brat are only trying to help him. Ango doesn't know the white-haired woman, but she looks like she takes her job pretty seriously... and Sakuya is a danger to all of them. Maybe even to the Dream Sphere itself. Still...]
I mean... she's right. I created her, so I can't just leave her... it's my fault she's like this. I thought she was gone for good after I awakened as a Dreamer, but... I missed her.
[He shrugs, smiling to himself.]
She's been living rent-free in my nightmares for a long time. She may not be a good person, and she may not even exist outside of a washed-up writer's imagination... but she was there for me when nobody else was. It may not be love, but it's gotta count for something, right?
[Ango puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw. He's never actually fought with a sword before - as a Dreamer, he normally uses throwing knives - but he's got a feeling that it doesn't matter. The weapon feels light and familiar in his grip.]
So... I'm sorry, but I can't let you hurt her.
no subject
? ? ? ENCOUNTER
Durability: Unknown. Abilities: Unknown.
The turn order is Sakuya & Ango, Frieren, Gungnir, Flyhigh, Hanako, but if the group ends up getting split we'll just roll with it!
...For a moment, darling, you almost sounded like a real man.
[Sakuya raises one hand, fingers splayed towards the ground. While she carries no weapons and her body appears slight beneath the voluminous layers of kimono, her power is everywhere - in the rustling of wind through the cherry blossoms and in the flow of water through the ground.
Beneath the heavy layer of fallen petals, something unseen begins to move. The Dreamers won't see what's coming until it's too late.
Suddenly, thick ropes of living tree roots burst through the petals covering the ground and entangle the Dreamers, twining around their limbs and tearing at their clothes and hair. Everyone is immobilized until they manage to free themselves!
no subject
Frieren stoically meets Sakuya's glare, but there's a hint of confusion on her face too as she mutters under her breath:]
Twitter account…?
[She doesn't have the first clue what that is…
For the first time since the beginning of this encounter, though, Ango's words make Frieren hesitate. The Dream Sphere is undoubtedly just as real as the Waking World, and the fact that Sakuya is not one of the Nightmares she loathes is beginning to sink in for her. With that realization comes the understanding that Ango does have the genuine desire to stay.
In a way, she can sympathize with him. If she could live out the rest of her life in the Dream Sphere, burying herself in the study of its wonders, she would. But she can't. That was something that Flamme had imprinted into her at a young age when she noticed Frieren's propensity for long stays on the other side, because she herself had shared that all-consuming love for magic.
…She can't disrespect her mentor's memory like this. This has to be done. Frieren steels herself and finally addresses Ango.]
This isn't just about you. [Her tone is cold and pitiless.] Your actions affect everyone, both here and in the Waking World. If we have to drag you out by force, so be it.
[…And, frankly, his selfishness is getting on her nerves. She has a spell to regain, and she can't well work on that if some random guy's decided to make a mess of the Dream Sphere just to spend time with a fictional woman.
All of this is unceremoniously chased from her mind, however, as Sakuya makes her move.]
Durability: 5 - 1 = 4
Movement: 3 + 1 = 4
[Any hopes of completing her analysis of the tree are dashed when the roots surge, shattering her concentration. Frieren senses their approach, but too late—they grab her mid-leap, slamming her back down to the ground. The diminutive Dreamer ends up all but buried underneath the petals. Her arms are still free, though, and with quick thinking she manages to cast her cutting magic to sever the roots that bind her.
She knows Hanako uses a knife as a weapon—he can surely handle himself. Trying her best to dodge the roots, Frieren opts to dash toward Flyhigh with the intent to set him free as well, since he is closest to her. They'll be needing his supportive abilities, too, since this party is so offense-oriented.]
no subject
Movement: 3->4
...! Everyone!!
[ Gungnir's danger sense kicks in before any actual realization of what's going to happen, a 6th sense that exists only to scream "LOOK OUT" or "MOVE" when in moments of crisis. Gungnir is leaping forward and rolling out of the way just before the roots burst out of the ground, narrowly avoiding being ensnared thanks to her danger sense. ]
Ango-san!!
[ Still, Gungnir is keen to keep moving as to avoid being potentially ensnared... and seeing Frieren free herself and rush over to help Flyhigh, and knowing about Hanako's abilities, Gungnir makes the call to engage and take Sakuya's attention away from the others while they break free from the roots.
And thus, she begins to sing. ]
Surpass millions of years of history
And respond to (Go!) the questions within (Go!) my heart, O shine!
[ Hibiki clenches her fists and dashes toward Sakuya using the propulsion of her gauntlets, aware that Ango is next to her and won't just stand idly by, but aims to punch Sakuya right in her pretty face at full speed anyway. ]
My feelings burn hotter than flames
With lightning (Go!) made of steel (Go!), send them flying, my Gungnir!
no subject
[Which is all he has to say to Ango's declaration of war, readying his pistol. But Sakuya's roots burst out of the ground to keep him entwined, and he finds himself rather useless. When Frieren comes dashing towards him, he's at least got access to his trigger finger, even if he can't move to aim. With her so close, he'd have to be really rubbish to miss this shot.]
Don't take this personally!
[And he fires at her, wincing slightly as he does so. Hopefully, this'll give her a much-needed attack boost, if they're gonna take down this baddie.]
Durability: 5
Movement: 2 -> 1
no subject
Movement: 3 + 1= 4
[Hanako tenses as he spots Ango placing his hand upon the hilt of his sword, readying himself for the inevitable fight. So, in the end, he was going to choose dreams over reality, huh...? Not that he could necessarily blame him-- life in the Dream Sphere had it's perks over the stifling actuality of the Waking World-- but all of this over a pet creation of his?? (Granted, Hanako doesn't even have a designated cringey middle-school OC to his name yet, so maybe this is all over his head--)]
Haven't you ever heard the term "kill your darlings" before...?
[But before he can get any further with his snarky commentary, the vines abruptly shoot up from below, snaking around his limbs and pulling him harshly into the sea of petals. Amidst the chaos, he can spot Frieren freeing herself to help Flyhigh, and Gungnir on her way to land a sucker punch upon Sakuya's face (been there, done that--), so... where does that leave him, exactly? With his intangibility powers, he could easily phase his way free, not to mention cut his way out (although with the way he was bound at the moment, it'd probably be less than ideal...), but... Ango didn't know about that little power of his, did he? Not yet, anyway-- and if they wanted to turn the tables on this battle, they needed the element of surprise. Better to bide his time and use a more familiar technique instead.]
HAKUJOUDAI!
[At his command, two ghostly orbs of light swirl into view, bobbing freely in the air where he's ensnared. With a flick of his chin, they rocket towards the cherry tree, in the hopes of attacking the source of the roots directly. Perhaps he should have focused an attack upon Ango instead, but at the moment he didn't seem to be the most immediate threat.]
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Oh hell no. If you start singing, everybody's going to start doing it, and nobody wants to hear me sing.
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[With Ango holding Hibiki's attention for the moment, Sakuya begins to dance through the fallen cherry blossoms, singing
in glorious 480p potato qualityto music that only she can hear.]The metamorphosis of the world is a dizzy dream
Not knowing the truth only makes us lonelier
Flower petals cover hidden secrets in their depths...
[At first, her dance seems to have no effect.. but then wind begins to pick up speed, scattering even more blossoms from the trees surrounding the castle courtyard.
Sakuya's song is interrupted when Hanako's orbs crash against the massive cherry tree. Although the attack only leaves a scorch across the weathered bark, it's enough to make her narrow her eyes in suspicion. At least some of them have already figured out the truth: she's merely a single flower fallen from the tree whose roots permeate this dream.]
You really are an irritating child... why don't you tell that boomer what Twitter is?
[With that, the roots lift Hanako off his feet and fling him towards Frieren and Flyhigh. As a figment of Ango's imagination, she knows about Misfire's attack boosts, but she has no idea what the pale woman's abilities might be. Best to deal with her quickly, then.
Sakura petals swirl in the growing wind, each as sharp and stinging as a tiny razorblade. While no single petal can do much damage, collectively, they're a steady drain on Dreamer's stamina that make it difficult to see.]
• Gungnir: 4
• Flyhigh: 5
• Hanako: 4
• Sakuya: ??
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Frieren gets to work cutting through the roots, and soon Flyhigh is freed from their grasp as well. The overlapping songs from Gungnir and Sakuya are… somewhat cacophonous, but Hanako's attack puts an end to the disharmony; thankfully, he seems to have realized who—or what—is their true target, too.
Now, she ought to get away from Flyhigh to further split their foes' attention, because an entire child has been unceremoniously tossed their way, which is not ideal. She leaps back on instinct, landing in a better position to take stock of their current situation. That's when the petals begin to fly, but there's little she can do to avoid their stinging bite. At least, her magical sense keeps her aware of everyone's positions despite the poor visibility.
It's more than high time to go on the offense. She may not have had time to finish her Analysis before the fight broke out, but between Sakuya being a mere projection and her reaction to Hanako's attack (seriously, what the hell is Twitter and why does this matter right now? At least getting called a boomer is a refreshing change of pace from the usual), there's no doubt in Frieren's mind as she calls out to her teammates, loud and clear:]
Hit the tree. Sakuya's an empty husk!
[Putting her money where her mouth is, she takes aim with her staff and blasts the tree's trunk twice in a row with beam attacks not dissimilar to a small version of her signature move. The resulting shockwaves part the swirling petals, clearing a small area of the battlefield temporarily.]
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Her eyes briefly flicker over in Frieren's direction as she calls out the true target here. Hibiki had a feeling there was more to this fight, but even though she now knows... somebody needs to at least keep Ango occupied, or at the very least put him out of commission for a bit.
Thus, the instant Hibiki's feet hit the ground, she uses her earth manipulation to cause the parts of the ground directly underneath her feet to suddenly shoot up at an alarming speed, but at an angle in Ango's direction. It can't go far, but it effectively launches Hibiki at a much faster speed than before. ]
In the fastest, shortest straight line ahead
The morning sun (Fly!) has beamed down (Fly!)
I want to see it with you (with you), so now (right now), let's look up at it!
[ Suddenly with much more momentum, not only is Hibiki heading straight for Ango, but she starts to spin midway through to add even more momentum behind the punch she means to hit Ango with at full speed, intending to send him flying away from everyone else while they deal with the tree.
And finally, if/once Hibiki is successful with that... she aims to immediately chase after him and keep him completely occupied with herself. ]
Let it sound! (Let it sound!) Let it teach! (Let it teach!) Let it sing! (Let it sing!)
I want to tell you with all my power that you are not alone...!!
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Now freed he briefly turns his attention to the other half of the battle, the fight going on between Gungnir and Ango. The kid seemed all for talking it out with him, so he probably shouldn't be worried about her causing too much damage - but as Ango's friend, shouldn't he step in and try to deal with it?
That thought is quickly interrupted by the oncoming blizzard of petals, obscuring his view of that battle, and then further by Frieren's instruction.]
'Course. I mean, how could I miss a tree?
[Thankful that Frieren's a better shot than him and uses big, obvious, laser beams, he tries to follow suit and shoot at the tree. If he misses, well, he hopes he at least hits someone that's not Ango.]
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But before he could dwell on it further, he feels the roots abruptly hoisting him off the ground, whipping him back with such ferocious speed that he can't help but let out a startled yelp.]
GYAAAAAAAA--!!
[Thankfully, Frieren and Flyhigh have the common sense to dart out of the way when he comes rocketing towards them (though he'll probably note the lack of help later...... thanks guys......), making his means of escape all that much easier. Right before he makes contact with the ground, he phases through the woody vines, sinking within the carpet of flowers beneath him. There was only so much time before Sakuya would find out that her new bludgeoning toy just escaped, but the storm of petals picking up seems to be more of a boon than a hinderance in this case. With his intangibility activated, the tiny sharp blades meant nothing to him-- so now it was time to figure out how to take advantage of this lack of visibility. Should he try for Sakuya...? It sounded like Ango was keeping Gungnir occupied at the moment, and she seemed to be the one controlling things...
But then Frieren's voice rings out in the flurry of pink, and suddenly it all clicks into place. Of course-- no wonder she got so angry about him hitting the tree. And while his Hakujoudai didn't seem to have done much damage, they weren't the only attack skill in his arsenal...
He dashes through the flower storm, taking advantage of the small pockets of visibility to get a rough idea of the tree's location.]
Don't you know? It's always the irritating ones you need to keep the closest eye on...!!
[With his knife in hand, Hanako aims a wide slash across the trunk of the tree, bearing down most of his Striker-related strength into the blow. Of course, there's only so much damage a kitchen knife can do, magical weapon or not, plus the matter of visibility mucking things up, but a cut's still a cut, right?]
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gonna give bikki a critical hit just because that was a cool moveWith the extra boost from her earth manipulation powers, Hibiki's punch hits Ango square in the gut - Sakuya may want him to be her samurai, but he can't really use a sword against Hibiki, can he? That moment of hesitation costs him. Ango hits the ground hard, rolling to absorb some of the impact. His sword falls uselessly into a pile of cherry blossoms.
But as Ango rolls, he manages to clap his hands together, activating his skill. As Hibiki approaches to finish him off, purple smoke builds beneath her feet... her danger sense may pick up on the fact that he's plotting something, but with him sprawled on the ground in front of her and gasping for breath, what can he really do?
That's when the smoke and shadow coalesce into an identical copy of Ango... and he's crouched right behind her! The shadow clone wraps his arms around Hibiki's waist and lifts her off the ground, throwing her backwards over his shoulder in a suplex throw straight out of pro wrestling. Wait, isn't that a banned move!? Hibiki crashes towards the ground while the Ango clone scrambles away.]
Heh, I was the prefectural judo champion back in middle school! Ow, my back...
[Two grown men vs. one high school girl... it's almost a fair fight.]
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[With the battle focused on the trunk of the massive cherry tree and Hibiki keeping Ango at a distance, Sakuya is left standing alone in her field of flowers. Looking quite put out, she bends to retrieve Ango's dropped sword. Razorblade petals continue to swirl around her, but two of the Dreamers have already found ways to evade their effects, albiet temporarily... and worse still, while Hanako and Frieren's attacks on the tree were only glancing blows, Flyhigh's ridiculous-looking gun proves to be unexpectedly effective when he actually manages to aim.]
I hate being ignored.
[Sakuya raises the sword over her head, almost like a lightning rod in the storm of petals, but she's not reaching for power from the clear night sky above them... she's channeling an energy from somewhere deep within the ground. The tip of the sword crackles with pink-tinged plasma, and the petals closest to her abruptly burst into tiny, brief flames. She has Ango's knowledge of late-night low-budget ghost-hunting reality TV shows to draw from, so she knows that electrical equipment seems to react poorly to the supernatural... so, presumably, even intangible ghosts and fantasy mages are affected by raw electric power. If it works, she won't even criticize Ango's love for trash TV.
Bolts of jagged pink fire radiate from the sword, targeting the three Dreamers attacking her tree! Broad scorch marks arc mar the surface of the fallen cherry blossoms as the lightning arcs towards the most efficient paths to the ground.]
• Gungnir: 3.5
• Flyhigh: 4.5
• Hanako: 4
• Ango 2: ??
• Sakuya: ??
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i guess damage calculates after you guys have a chance to dodge/block? good luck with that lol]no subject
She hates being ignored? Fine. It's time for a change of tactics.
This is downright reckless, and Frieren's under no illusions that she won't get hit by the pink lightning doing this, but it's not like their party has much in the way of defensive options—she figures they're not getting out of this fight unscathed no matter what they do. She needs to move regardless—it may as well be toward Sakuya.
She dashes forward and jumps (hopefully clearing the electricity…?). Her intent: to land by Sakuya, grab one of her arms in both hands, and unleash her cutting magic. A gruesome tactic, but hopefully, an effective one.]
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[ Once Ango's arms are around her waist, there's little Hibiki can do to escape in time. So as she approaches the ground and recognizes that she's getting suplexed no matter what, she takes a different approach.
After Hibiki crashes into the ground and Ango starts to scramble away... she uses her Earth Manipulation again, a large crack suddenly shooting out from the ground where Ango just suplexed Hibiki and shooting towards him. Once it reaches him, a large fist of rock suddenly erupts out of the ground to hit his clone from below.
As for Hibiki... well, she'd be lying if she said that suplex didn't hurt, but she quickly recovers with a quick kip-up move to get back onto her feet from her prone position on the ground.
Seriously, how many action movies has she watched?]And then! We'll smile…! Because songs exist within this world!
[ Now back on her feet, Hibiki extends her hand out towards the earth fist that she had just created to control it again, and in mimicking the movement of her hand, Hibiki uses the earth fist to grab the Ango clone by his leg and fling him back over towards the original Ango, also ensuring that she's between him and the rest of the fight.
Finally, with both of them now in her sight, Hibiki assumes her fighting stance again and beckons them both toward her in a very Bruce Lee-esque taunt. Yeah that's right, trash-tv is the name of the game right now. Come at her, bro. ]
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Sorry lady, but even if me and Ango have a bunch in common, you’re not my type.
[Okay, could’ve been snappier, but whatever. He’s thinking on his feet - and he doesn’t have much time to dwell, because here comes her appropriately colour-coded attack. Flyhigh tries to dodge roll out of the way, because no way is he blocking that thing, and when he’s back upright again, if he’s not been zapped - or, hell, even if he has he’ll do it with a shakier hand - he’ll aim and fire at the tree again. Can’t miss what he’s hit before, right?]
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The ominous crackle of electricity in the air snaps him out of his thoughts, sending an apprehensive shiver down his spine. It's not until the pink bolts are rocketing in his direction that he realizes (belated) that his intangibility had shut off when he attacked the tree, and he hastens to dodge at the very last second. Crap, crap, CRAP--
But the lightning proves to be quicker, hitting his shoulder and sending a jolt of pain arcing through his body as it knocks him to the ground, wrenching a scream from his lips. Perhaps he should be grateful that injuries in dreams hurt less than they did in reality, but he didn't want to think of how much worse this could possibly feel in comparison. This was already bad enough!!
He couldn't just lay there in the petals while the rest of the team was fighting for their lives, though. Depending on how badly Sakuya's attack messed him up, he's going to attempt to shakily prop himself up on his elbows, beckoning his ghostly familiars back to his side.]
O-One more time...! Hakujoudai!!
[If all goes well, he's going to send them rocketing towards the tree once more, hoping to repeat his luck and maybe get something more than just some scorch marks upon it this time around. With Frieren and Gungnir on the direct attack, there wasn't much else he could do.]
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The bruised shadow clone manages a more or less graceful landing instead of crashing into the original Ango, but he won't be able to handle Hibiki alone... frankly, half a dozen clones wouldn't stand a chance against Hibiki. Ango may be an ex-juvenile delinquent with a solid win record in real-world brawls, but as a Dreamer, his combat abilities are middling at best. He's got a few tricks up his kimono sleeves, though...
The shadow clone leads the counterattack, running towards Hibiki and aiming a haymaker punch towards her face. It's a big, telegraphed move that she'll have no trouble blocking with or without her danger sense - the goal is simply to seize the space and create an opening for the real Ango to attack. Instead of coming in with a martial arts move of his own, though, he claps his hands together and... transforms himself into Hanako!?
As punchable as the brat's face is, Ango isn't planning on fighting Hibiki in his body. Instead, he immediately activates Hanako's phasing ability and passes through his own clone, re-materializing an instant later to slam into her body with the full weight of a scrawny middle schooler. Ango isn't sure whether being in the brat's body will make her more or less likely to beat the crap out of him after she recovers, but he doesn't have time to worry about that right now.]
Sakuya, I'm coming... Hakujoudai!
[He can only steal another Dreamer's face and abilities for a short time, but he should have one move left... he sends his copies of Hanako's familiars to intercept the real ones before they can cause damage.
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...You ruined my kimono.
[The cut sleeve of her furisode flutters to the ground, but there's no severed arm inside... only a twisted tree branch.
At first, Flyhigh's shot appears to go wild - if he was aiming for the center mass of the tree, he's off by almost a meter. But he does manage to hit the shimenawa - ceremonial straw ropes used to mark a sacred tree or bind a spirit - severing right through them. That's... probably not good.
The enormous tree lurches as its roots rip from the earth, sending shockwaves through the ground. While the wind has blown away most of the cherry blossoms that covered the courtyard, the uneven pavement is still treacherous. A huge crack in the ground begins to open under Hanako with the aim of swallowing him up while he's still stunned from the shock.
Meanwhile, a fresh tree branch grows from Sakuya's shoulder to replace her missing arm. Her legs, until now obscured by fallen petals, become a pair of thick tree trunks. Her long hair twists into vines bursting with flowers, and her kimono is torn to shreds as she grows taller and more tree-like. Only her face and right arm retain any trace of humanity.]
You ruined everything. I was only trying to give him a place where nothing dies and nothing changes... a place where he wouldn't have to worry about critics or creditors... a place where he wouldn't be alone... and you ruined it.
• Gungnir: 2.5
• Flyhigh: 3.5
• Hanako: 3
• Ango 2: ??
• Sakuya: ??
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sakuya's HP is getting low, so pull out some crazy attacks!]no subject
A place where nothing dies and nothing changes. That's… too good to be true, though. Especially coming from the likes of Sakuya—whatever she may be.
As soon as Frieren recovers, she struggles back to her feet as fast as she can and leaps away from Sakuya to observe the battlefield. She notes the severed shimenawa; she hadn't seen who or what had done it, but could this be the cause of the quake? As for her teammates… Flyhigh got hit by the lightning too, it seems. Gungnir, meanwhile, is in the middle of a fight with… Hanako? No, that can't be. She can sense his magical signature nearby. He's in danger, in fact—but he's too far for her to reach him in time, and even if she could, there's little she could do to help him. This other Hanako has to be the result of one of Ango's abilities…
While Sakuya seems to be getting desperate, the group is scattered and taking more hits than they probably should, considering none of them are built for it. It would be best to end this quickly, but with no one covering her, attempting to use Zoltraak would be a foolish choice.
…If Flamme were here, it wouldn't be a problem.
Well, even though her earlier attack had little effect, it's worth trying again. When she fires her beam this time, she aims to strike the scorch marks left by Hanako's Hakujoudai. Perhaps it had been a weak point?]
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It was also, however, a mistake… because Hibiki is very familiar with Hanako’s abilities. Knowing that Hanako is currently prone and behind her, deducing that this isn’t actually him is easy… and from there? ]
UWOOOOOOOOAAAAAAHH!!
[ Hibiki’s song is briefly replaced by an immense roar. She knows that Hanako has to be solid in order to actually hit anything, and so the instant Ango slams into her as Hanako… ]
ORYAAAAAAAHH!!
[ She stands her ground… fairly easily, since Hanako isn’t exactly a heavy boy, and with another devastating shout… grabs Ango/Hanako with one hand and drives her fist down onto his head as hard as she can, slamming him directly into the ground.
…so just in case the real Hanako was wondering, that time when Hibiki almost caved his skull in at the beach? That was her holding back.
In any case, once that’s done, Hibiki will then channel her Earth Manipulation again in order to cause the ground around Ango to close in around him and hold him down. He’s not being submerged… it’s just that the ground is now moving to bind him down into the crater Hibiki might’ve just made. ]
Hah… hah…
[ If there’s any consolation… Hibiki does look winded after that punch? ]
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That’s…uh…maybe that’s good?
[It is not good.
He’s quickly knocked over by the shockwaves, falling on his back, and in that moment he looks up towards Sakuya - and man. That’s a sight for sore eyes.
He gets back onto his feet, and - feeling it’s now the final phase of this boss battle - gets ready to go all-out on the offensive. But there’s just one question lingering...]
Are we - are we going for the tree or the chick? Or is she the tree now? …You know what, fuck it.
[He cocks his toy gun and aims to fire twice - once at the tree, and once at Sakuya.]
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