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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
But then his gaze falls upon the full picture of what was actually happening here, and the indignant anger that flares up within him is enough to overpower his pain, albeit temporarily. Was that old fart actually running around as him?!! Maybe Hanako shouldn't be casting stones here, when he had the power to outright possess people, but at least he got some form of permission first...!!! Though that anger quickly sputters out to sheer horror, as what plays out before him next is something he could only describe as some weird, pseudo out-of-body experience. Oh no. Oh no, no, NO--
Another scream rips from his lips, not from pain this time but one of genuine, second-hand terror for the fate that was about to befall his doppelganger in that precise moment.]
GYAAAAAAAA!!!!
[RIP IN FUCKING PIECES, ANGO, YOU BROUGHT THAT UPON YOURSELF
The ominous rumbling and splitting of the ground beneath him doesn't leave him much time to be (re)traumatized by Gungnir splitting open his head again by proxy, though, and he struggles to assess the situation as quickly as he can. Something Flyhigh must have done must have turned the tide of this battle somehow, although both he and Frieren look worse for wear at the moment. An incredibly petty part of him wanted to body hop to Ango's clone, just to get one more kick at him (it would certainly help him escape this quickly opening chasm a lot faster--), but after what Hibiki had done to him... it would have just been beating a very dead horse.
There were no other options left. He could only be grateful that Sakuya decided to shift to something more demonic-- this would have been a lot harder to do if she still looked like Ai.]
BOUND DREAM: PURGATORY KNIFE!
[At his shout, a number of red ropes suddenly burst in from all directions, seemingly breeching the barriers and boundaries of the dream. They entangle themselves around Sakuya, seeking to bind her up much in the same way her roots had sought to entrap the party earlier, suppressing her powers as much as they're keeping her tied and trapped to the spot.
As for Hanako? He's going to use the brief boost of power provided by his Signature Ability to summon the strength to leap over the void threatening to swallow him up, ignoring the stinging pain in his limbs as he dashes towards the now-bound Sakuya. His fancy, powered-up cape billows behind him as he runs, providing brief protection from the remaining razor sharp petals that may still be swirling within the air.]
For a moment, darling, you almost sounded like a real woman!
[And at that, he swings down his knife upon Sakuya, aiming to split her open from sternum to stomach. Whether this would be enough to take her out of commission or at least shave off a hefty chunk of HP for the others to finish up is anyone's guess-- but the timer was ticking for Hanako now that he had to settle upon his last resort.]
no subject
The worst part about dreaming is that you're *already* asleep, so you can't get knocked out... and whatever magic Crimson used to let him stay long-term in the Dream Sphere means that Ango can't just get booted out of his dream the usual way no matter how much pain he's in. He's stuck, both physically and metaphysically, unable to do anything but watch.]
I never wanted this...
[He tries to shift the dirt pinning his arms to his sides, but every movement makes his vision swim... fuck, where did he leave his glasses? He can barely make out what's happening, but he can hear Sakuya say that she did all of this for him...]
You can't bring back what's already gone, Sakuya! A place where nothing dies and nothing changes... that's just a place where everything is already dead!
no subject
She lied... she said we could stay here as long as we wanted...
[Sakuya reaches out with her almost-human hand, tangling the twigs of her fingers in Hanako's hair before he can jump back. She could try to crush his head with her remaining strength... but instead she stills her hand, becoming almost gentle. Maternal, even.]
...You've thought about staying here forever too, haven't you?
no subject
[Aware that being buried up to his neck may slightly diminish the force of his words, Ango wriggles until he manages to free his arms. At least the rubble is fairly loose, so he's able to drag himself out of the hole Hibiki put him in. He may not be strong, but he has the resilience of a cockroach.]
I'm okay with being alone. You don't need to keep them here for my sake. That's what decadence is, right? Being forsaken, being abandoned by others, having no choice but to stand alone and move forward regardless of what anyone else thinks.
[The highest branches of the tree begin to dissolve into a soft rain of sakura petals.]
no subject
As for Ango, he seems to have had some kind of change of heart. She has no idea what the hell he means, rambling on about decadence, but she does know one thing—whoever "lied" to him and Sakuya is what enabled this Disturbance in the first place.
The sight of Sakuya resting a gentle hand on Hanako's head douses Frieren's curiosity with cold fury. It's one thing to view the results of Sakuya's manipulation on Ango, and another to see it happen again right in front of her eyes. Any shred of sympathy Sakuya might have garnered is now gone.]
Get away.
[Frieren raises her staff and shoots Sakuya in the head, aiming to make her let go of Hanako or stagger her.
At this point, Sakuya can't possibly have much stamina left. Much as she'd like to exterminate her and get this over with as soon as possible, what she said earlier is running circles in her mind. They need to eliminate the problem at the source, not just its symptoms. She doubts she'll be able to draw answers out from her, but it can't hurt to try.
So Frieren gets close again and wraps both hands around Sakuya's throat, an obvious threat.]
Who's she? Answer me.
no subject
...she unclenches her fists, the fight being all but over now. ]
You're not alone, Ango-san... I don't really know you that well, I don't really get what's going on either, and to be honest when we met I thought you were weird...
[ In her defense, when they met, Ango was trying to pitch sexy swimsuits to everybody. ]
But...! I still wouldn't mind getting to know you better! And I'm sure there are others here who you can talk to about these things, so...
[ The ground trying to pin his arms down eases up a bit, and Hibiki reaches down to him. ]
Let's go back, Ango-san...
no subject
[With Frieren having Hanako and Sakuya covered - something tells him that she doesn’t want anyone to finish her off just yet - Flyhigh turns his attentions back to Ango, only to ruin the moment between him and Gungnir.]
no subject
But Sakuya is faster, twining those rough, sharp hands through his hair and knocking the cap on his head just a bit askew. He stills, like a coil wound tight, ready to spring in case she attempted something. His strength might be slowly sapping now that the timer was ticking for him, but he could still lop off that arm if he needed too...
Something drops in his gut, then, when her touch becomes soft, doting even, and paired with that face that still looked entirely too much like Ai's, even transformed like this--
"...You've thought about staying here forever too, haven't you?"
The world feels like it crushes to a tiny pinpoint around him as he stares back at Sakuya with wide, horrified eyes, the knife nearly falling out of his grasp. He's dimly aware of Ango saying something in the background, but he can barely hear it, the sudden exposure of his darkest desire muffling everything around him. It's true he had mentioned it idly, in passing, as a carefree whim; but for a creature like her to see through to the heart of it...]
I--
[But before he could get anything further out of his mouth, Frieren's attack connects with her head, adding a little extra layer of trauma to this whole scenario as a treat. It's enough to temporarily snap him back to his senses, though, and he slices at Sakuya's wrist, hoping to use that to free himself from her grasp if Frieren's assault did not. He staggers back a little, mind still reeling from the encounter, glancing over his shoulder to see how the situation with Ango was unfolding. It seemed like Gungnir and Flyhigh were already taking care of things over there (and better off for it-- they were more suited to emphasizing with the old guy, anyway), so it was probably better off that he didn't interfere. He only had so much energy left, anyway.
Instead, he pulls his focus back towards the
developing USTconfrontation before him, angling his knife in warning in Sakuya's direction in case she attempts to try anything against Frieren. He only had so much time left before he got booted out, so he may as well make the best of it.]That idol girl said the same thing when they tried to rescue her, too, y'know. Is there someone behind the scenes that we should know about?
no subject
...You wouldn't go back to the waking world either, if you had the choice. But you already knew that, didn't you?
no subject
[Ango has seen enough shounen anime to recognize an obligatory good guy power-of-friendship speech when he hears one... but he still appreciates the effort. He can't even blame her for beating the shit out of him (honestly, he deserved it, and it was pretty damned impressive). He takes her hand and lets her drag him to his feet, even though the movement nearly dislocates his shoulder. Seriously, how is she such a badass?
Hibiki's a good kid. The Dreamers are all good people (even the brat, sometimes) but he's been too cagey about his past to get close to anyone... even Misfire, who's probably the closest thing to a real friend he's had in ages. Which is partly why he's kept some distance... all of Ango's friends die.]
Haha, sorry buddy, next time I'll call you before I have a complete mental breakdown... shoud have thought of that before I tried to handle everything on my own.
[He turns back towards Sakuya, wincing. Even if he could still fight... there's nothing he can do for her now. The main body of the tree is already starting to dissolve, and it won't be long before she, too, floats away as petals on the wind. She may not have really loved him, but she was at least willing to stay with him for a little while. He can't ask for anything more than that.
...Even if she does seem to be getting a little close with Frieren. Well, she is a product of his imagination, so he can't really blame her for being attracted to powerful, emotionally distant woman. They've got a type.]
Sakuya, please. It's over.
[It begins to rain, only accelerating the dissolution of the tree. On the castle ruins surrounding them, the other cherry trees slowly wither and lose their petals, too. Ango's just going to pretend that the wet lines running down his cheeks are raindrops.
What happens to Nightmares (or whatever the hell she is) when they're defeated? Will the thoughts that created her be purged from his mind, or will some part of her still linger on in his dreams? Will he see her again? It's all out of Ango's control at this point, if any part of this was ever under his control.
He takes a deep breath, and closes his eyes. How did he end up here...? He knew just moments ago, but the cold rain seems to wipe the memory from his mind as clouds obscure the moon above their heads. All of this will soon be washed away.
But... it had to be her, right? Ango has never met Crimson face-to-face, but she was a minor celebrity back in her time - there are still interviews with the members of RAY on YouTube, so he's reasonably sure that he could recognize her voice. And there had been a voice in that place between dreams, gentle and soft, that promised him he wouldn't have to go back...]
...It was Crimson. Or at least I think it was Crimson. I mean, there are only so many mysterious women lurking around the Dream Sphere, right?
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Sakuya chose not to comply, and now that Ango's jumped in with the answer, her fate is sealed. There's no reason to keep her around even a second longer.
Frieren unleashes her magic one last time, cutting the doll's head clean off. She watches it hit the ground and roll away amidst the scattered petals. Save for a hint of disdain, her expression is unreadable as she lets her hands fall back to her sides without a word.]
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The rain starts to fall as Hibiki helps him up, the ground around him suddenly softening in order to release him, before turning to watch as the tree continues to disintegrate in front of their eyes. Sinister as it may have been, watching it and Sakuya's dying words is still haunting, at least to Hibiki.
"You've thought about staying here forever too, haven't you?"
"You wouldn't go back to the waking world either, if you had the choice."
...has Hibiki ever thought like that? Maybe not those things specifically, but back when everything seemed hopeless, she can remember thinking about never leaving her room... not even attending school, because why would she put herself through what waited for her there?
She hadn't fallen into that dark place, not completely. A single ray of sunshine kept her from going down that path, and things only got better once she became a Dreamer. It was less of an escape to her and more a door that allowed so many precious things into her life...
Her eyes follow the doll's head as it hits the ground and rolls away. One can't just dream forever, she knows that... but the feeling of wanting to just escape is one that Hibiki knows all too well. ]
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She's said a lot of things that seem to have cut to the core of some of their cohort, but Misfire's not really one of them. The Dream Sphere doesn't hold any special appeal to him that the waking world doesn't; he's just as much of a loser in one as he is in the other. Still - that didn't seem to stop Ango.
Yeesh.]
Sensing a lot of tension here...
[Desperate to relieve it, he clicks his tongue, looking around, and then bunches up his shoulders.]
...Can we go home now?
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Because... she was right. She was right, and he hated himself for the selfish desire of it. It was one thing when you didn't have anything left, but...
There was something draining and ultimately bittersweet about the whole scene as the rain starts to fall, as if the dream was mourning her destruction. (Although maybe it was just draining because he was quickly running out of power, oops--) It's enough to sober Hanako a little out of his musings, though, as he focuses his attention on the real root of this whole gnarled mess, frowning in disbelief at his answer.]
You think? So you didn't actually see her?
[Granted, Ango had been there the time Crimson kicked them out of the Dream Sphere, so if anyone would have been able to recognize her, it would be him. But the uncertainty of it all bothered him, especially given what they had talked about prior to this whole disaster. Sure, there weren't a lot of mysterious women in the Dream Sphere, but there was at least one other out there who could have been responsible...
He flicks his eyes over in Misfire's direction as he attempts to ease the tension, and for a moment, he's inclined to agree. After all, what else was there to be done? Sakuya had been defeated, Ango had been saved (?), and Hanako was on his last legs, anyway.
... although...]
... wait. One more thing before we leave, though.
[He dismisses his knife as he staggers over in Ango's direction, his gait stiff and a bit lopsided thanks to his dwindling energy and residual injuries. He doesn't stop until he's right in front of the other man, expression blank and unreadable--
And then he pulls back his fist and socks Ango in the stomach with his remaining strength. Granted, he was no Hibiki, and certainly not at full power, but it holds a surprising amount of wallop for a shrimpy, scrawny boy his size.
Satisfied, he turns away, the bright, radiant smile upon his face at odds with the dreary, dissolving dream about them.]
THERE! Now we can go! ♪
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Frieren and Hanako are unreadable, and even Hibiki is uncharacteristically somber... only Misfire appears unaffected by what's just happened. When Misfire is the most stable and functional guy in the group, something is definitely wrong...]
Yeah, Misfire... let's go home.
[Maybe Ango will stay just a little longer. The cold rain seems to be dissolving his castle - it was only ever built out of unfulfilled dreams in the first place, so the structural integrity is questionable. Wet, bruised cherry blossom petals blanket the ruins like melting snow. Ango has always seen a certain beauty in destruction, so he's never been able to to look away even when it's his own life (literally or metaphorically) crumbling around him.
He turns back towards Hanako and shrugs.]
It was really bright, and I didn't have my glasses so everything was a blur... but she kinda sounded like Crimson. Sorry, kid, that's all I've got. You guys oughta be able to go back to the waking world now, so I'm just gonna hang out here a little longer and...
[And then the brat punches him in the gut, silencing any further protest. Ango doubles over in shock and abruptly blinks out of existence - Hanako managed to punch him straight back to th waking world. Not bad for a scrawny kid...
The dream begins to collapse at an accelerated pace as the petals are washed away. Dreamers should get out while they can!]