⭐ Who: Shinsha & Keiwa ⭐ When: March 5th, afternoon ⭐ Where: Camellia ⭐ What: Amane's gone missing and Shinsha is not taking it well.
[Camellia is closed indefinitely, but without the comforting routine of their after-school job, Shinsha doesn't know what to do. They only manage a few steps before slumping against the wall of the shop. Camellia is tucked away in a quiet alley off the main Moon Bunny Market, so the sounds of the bustling shopping street just a few meters away seem distant and hollow.
Mr. and Mrs. Yuugi won't officially announce the closure until tomorrow, but when Shinsha arrived for their shift the doors were closed and the familiar smell of fresh coffee was missing. Until Amane is found, Shinsha and Keiwa are out of work.]
I knew this would happen. I knew he'd do this.
[Of course the Yuugis are busy talking to the police and contacting hospitals, but there's no doubt in Shinsha's mind that this isn't an ordinary disappearance. Months ago, Amane as much as said that he was looking for a way to stay in the Dream Sphere long-term... and the past two Disturbances proved that there is a way.
Amane has been sick for weeks... and while the Yuugi parents have been able to manage strained smiles around the shop, Tsukasa has been uncharacteristically subdued. Tsukasa, who fears nothing... is afraid. That, more than anything else, tells Shinsha that whatever is going on with Amane's health is serious.
Keiwa must have picked up on it, too. As good-natured and trusting as he is, he can't possibly believe Amane's assurances that everything is fine. And now, with Amane missing, he must have his own suspicions about what happened.]
It's just like with Mio-san.... he's somewhere in the Dream Sphere. I know it.
[Shinsha's hood is pulled low over their face, so Keiwa won't be able to see them trying to hold back tears. There's no hiding the quaver in their voice, though, or the way their shoulders are hunched as if in pain.]
[Keiwa had arrived a little earlier than Shinsha for his own afternoon shift. After how busy it had been in February, the Yugis had been kind enough to give Keiwa a bit of a break from work. But it had been a surprise coming into the market to see most of lights out and then overhearing the whispered discussions between the usual residents. About the power outage, the strange meteor shower and the fact that Camellia seemed to have been most affected by the water main breaking. Keiwa had run to the store to check if there was anything he could do to help only to find the doors closed and the lights out.
While he's not particularly surprised to see Shinsha show up for work, he looks apologetic nonetheless. But when they slump against the wall, they'll find Keiwa next to them, arms held out as if to support them but hesitating in the moment]
-!
[his exclamation is cut off when he hears Shinsha's words though. He doesn't question how they reached the conclusion they did. Not when he also knows how differently Amane acts when he's Hanako instead, not when he's seen both Disturbances]
You know how Amane-kun is... He probably thought it would be a burden. [he says it a little sadly, but also as if Hanako's not-so-secret identity as Amane was common knowledge. One would never know from how Keiwa acts that he ever suspected anything. For now though, he gently puts a hand on Shinsha's shoulder. There's no mercury here to stop him after all]
[Shinsha flinches a little at the touch - even in the real world, they can't entirely shake the feeling that they're a danger to other people, that they trouble others simply by exisiting. So they understand why Amane feels like he's a burden, even though they're sure that absolutely no one thinks of him that way.
They don't want to inconvenience Keiwa, so they're about to insist that everything is fine... but that's what Amane would do, isn't it?]
...No. I'm not alright.
[They can't even blame Amane for wanting to disappear. The Dream Sphere could provide a reprieve from his illness, and even allow his body to rest. Shinsha has heard of highly experienced Dreamers who, with the help of DU researchers, have made controlled long-term trips deep into the Dream Sphere.
But whatever happened to Mio-san and Sakaguchi-san was anything but controlled. They were prisoners within their own dreams.]
Amane's in danger. He's always felt more comfortable in the Dream Sphere than in the real world, so he doesn't know - or chooses to ignore - what a savage place it is.
[Shinsha is one of the Dream Sphere's monsters, so they're unable to see it as anything other than dangerous.]
There's a Night Terror waiting for him... it's been waiting for a long time.
[his grip tightens momentarily after Shinsha flinches before he lets go. Respectful of Shinsha's comfort but wanting to give them some reassurance nonetheless]
...
[As he's told Ai, he's only ever been on the periphery of the Dream Sphere, far more focused on the waking world and what was here than something as ephemeral as dreams. But who hasn't thought about it? Escaping to a place that would - that could - be molded into the dreamer's wants. A paradise in your dreams.
He would be lying if he said he didn't see the appeal in it]
What do you mean? That there's been a Night Terror that's been waiting for him...?
[except his Awakening had been due to a Nightmare attack and his first experience in the Dream Sphere proper had been a Disturbance. Even if he can understand the lure of escaping into a dream, Keiwa is also aware of the inherent danger that lay in a place as insubstantial as a dream]
We need to tell someone at the DU about this. Maybe we can still stop... Whatever from happening to him.
That thing that captured Mio-san wasn't just an ordinary Nightmare... it must have been feeding on her misery and resentment for years before it manifested. If something like that has Amane... he won't be able to escape on his own.
[The rational, responsible thing to do would be to wait for the DU to put together an expedition team made up of their most experienced Dreamers. But... Shinsha has been a Dreamer long enough to know that excursions into the Dream Sphere can be influenced by what you're hoping (or dreading) to find there. If their theory is right, a group of people close to Amane might have a better chance of finding him quickly.]
I'm sure that Amane's parents will notify the DU immediately, and Ai-san probably knows by now, too.
[Shinsha glances away, feeling guilty about what they're about to suggest.]
...By tomorrow, the DU will probably tell us to cease all travel to the Dream Sphere for our own safety. But... I think a team of Amane's friends might be able to find him before the Disturbance is fully formed.
⭐ Who: Open! ⭐ When: March 8th, morning ⭐ Where: Akabeni ⭐ What: Shinsha takes a quick break from looking for Amane.
[Even though a few hours spent in the Dream Sphere are normally as restful as a good night's sleep, that doesn't hold true when one spends several days making repeated trips into the Dream Sphere... and with the time difference between worlds, the few days that Amane has been missing feel like an eternity to Shinsha. They've scoured every part of the Dream Sphere that they know (and a few places they've never seen before) in search of Hanako, only returning to the real world when the exhaustion becomes overpowering. Then after a quick meal, they water their plants and try to get an hour or two of fitful real sleep before resuming the search. At least it's nearly the end of the school term... even though preparations for graduation are underway, Shinsha hasn't been to school since they learned of Amane's disappearance.
Lacking either the mental or physical energy required to cook breakfast, Shinsha throws a warm coat over their pajamas and leaves their apartment for the first time in days. A few pickled plum rice balls and a canned coffee from the convenience store will be enough to keep them going for another round of excursions. Their dark red hair is even more tangled than usual and there are dark circles under their eyes, so they hide their face behind a paper mask. On the off chance that classmates recognize them, they can just claim that they've had a cold... after all, the DU has cautioned all Dreamers to avoid nonessential trips the Dream Sphere, and they can't let everyone find out that they've been going there every day...
Shinsha is so lost in their thoughts that they nearly run into someone else outside the convenience store. Without even looking up, they mutter a quick apology.]
[Even though Kozakura is probably used to people looking over her head, it's still embarrassing... Shinsha usually has better situational awareness than that, since with their poison-based powers, accidentally running into someone in the Dream Sphere could be a disaster.]
I... I'm just a little tired. It's the end of the school year and all...
[Shinsha is a terrible liar. But Kozakura works for the DU... she might report them if she finds out that they're making unauthorized excursions.]
[Karen was out for a much less stressful reason. She had been in the city for a short period time so didn't have a lot of food in her apartment. She'd put off grocery shopping for days now, so without a trip out she wasn't eating this morning.
And thus she was off to the convenience store. The food there wasn't the best, but as a college student she was obligated to eat cheaply. And it was there that someone nearly runs into her. The first thought that comes to her mind is how out of it someone has to be to not notice HER. It instantly makes her feel sympathetic.]
Oh, no. Please don't worry about....it..?
[Her voice trails off at the end when something nags at the back of her mind. With the mask in the way and the exhaustion in their voice, she couldn't really be certain, but something about this tired person felt familiar. She stops moving, and simply stares, with a puzzled look on her face. Surely having a tall girl staring won't exactly help matters. At least she doesn't look angry or judgemental.]
[Shinsha is quite tall by average Japanese standards, so they aren't used to having to look up at anyone. Between their long legs and naturally reddish hair, they're used to awkwardly sticking out no matter how much they'd prefer to fade into the background. But this girl is significantly taller... and she's staring at Shinsha with a quizzical expression.]
Um... do I... know you from somewhere?
[That seems unlikely, but Shinsha wouldn't put it past themself to not notice someone they'd met in passing at their part-time cafe job...]
[It was a question Karen herself didn't know how to answer. There was just something so very familiar about this person. Was it all in her imagination? She seemed to suddenly become aware of how weird she was acting, because she moves to step aside. This person was obviously having a hard time, they didn't need her being weird to make things worse.]
I don't think so, but...
[And then the gears click. Not being able to see the face had made it tough to figure out. And the last time, she'd had to look up. That had to mean...]
Wait. You're....Shinsha, aren't you?
[She says it before thinking. She'd done a good job of keeping LLENN and Karen separate so far, but the familiarity made her blurt it out before giving the consequences of her question any thought.]
...We're getting close, I think. Let's take our usual positions.
[After three days of searching for Hanako, they've worked out a battle plan for breaking into unknown locations: as Sentries, Cinnabar and Rhodonite will establish a defensive point, Tycoon will scout, and Koi will prepare to summon her Mokke if anyone gets hurt. Luckily they haven't run into too many Torments so far, but there's no telling what they might encounter in the unexplored regions of the Dream Sphere.
The fog between Dream Sphere locations is familiar, as are the train tracks beneath their feet... but there's a heaviness to the the air, and the damp smell of stagnant water. Normally, the fog would start to clear by now, revealing a new location, but it almost feels as if something is trying to stop them from going any farther.
...Not that Cinnabar has any intention of turning around. But just in case they need to find their way back here, they've left a silvery trail of mercury droplets to mark their route.]
[Not that she was particularly talkative as it was, somewhat uncharacteristically, but at the prospect of another lead, Lisa pushes herself into serious mode once again. She's... compartmentalizing pretty heavily, and will pay for it later - the dark circles under her eyes are starting to translate into her Dreams - but that's not important to her now. Koi needs her. Cinnabar and Tycoon need her. Hanako... Amane needs her, and that's what's keeping her going.
Rhodonite's fingertips are on the strings of her bass as she steps forward, the fog seeming to rob it of its inner light, pick held ready. It's... creepy. Ominous. Not that she isn't getting dishearteningly used to that feeling after a couple days of searching, but she still doesn't like it. She's twitchy, waiting for anything that isn't the four of them to make a sound so she can either blast it to kingdom come (yeah, right) or turn something trying to deter them aside. Nothing is going to stop her. Stop them. Not if she has anything to say about it.]
[he doesn't think he's ever really felt tired in the Dream Sphere, but after multiple deep dives, Tycoon was starting to feel the strain. Cinnabar has been at this much harder than him though... Not that Tycoon would think to complain. It's more important to find Amane before anything happened, that was the goal. And even if Shinsha thought that Amane had fled to the Dream Sphere on his own, Keiwa wants to hear it from Amane himself.
Tycoon was (probably) the fastest Dreamer of the four. With the brief confusion that his bunshin and shapeshifting powers caused, it was enough to help him escape most scuffles with Torments or at least gave him time to retreat back to the others before he got overwhelmed. Thus... Scouting]
...
[there's something weird about this space they found themselves in though. Even as Tycoon moves forward, it feels like the fog is pressing in... Or was it pushing out? He raises a hand to press against the fog, but it goes through no problem. The next second, he turns to black smoke to try and slip through. Tycoon seems to blend in with the fog for a moment before-]
Oof-!
[-he's thrown back out, tumbling out with a splash, wisps of his own magic trailing behind him. Whatever was happening, it doesn't want them there]
[ You know, when Nene insisted on joining them in the search for Hanako, she had been so adamant that she herself had forgotten to consider just how little she might be able to even provide the team. She can do one of two things: either turn into a fish, or hope her Mokke show up and even do as she asks.
The plan of having Nene summon her Mokke to heal just in case isn't a bad one... she just isn't exactly confident in her ability to get them to listen. Or even show up. Not that she's mentioned that, since the last few days they've shown up fairly early and haven't caused too much trouble... but strangely this time, they haven't shown up yet, and that's making Nene very nervous.
Not that Nene could blame them. This place is really creepy.
Still, despite how nervous she is... weirdly, she still doesn't feel like turning back. Normally she'd be trying to find a way to bail out, but when she starts to think about that, she ends up thinking of Hanako-kun.
And suddenly, she doesn't feel like leaving anymore. Oh, she's still terrified, no doubt about that... but her determination seems to still be outweighing the urge to turn back. ]
A-Ah! Are you okay...?
[ Please don't be hurt when her Mokke are still refusing to show up! Seriously, it's worrying enough that Nene hasn't even seen signs of them getting up to mischief where she isn't looking. ]
⭐ Who: Open ⭐ When: March 9, morning ⭐ Where: DU Headquarters ⭐ What: Now that the Disturbance has been found, Shinsha has to make a report immediately!
[As the taxi pulls to a stop in front of the Dreamer Union building, Shinsha hands the driver a crumpled ¥5000 bill and doesn't bother to wait for change. They open the door and immediately sprint towards the main entrance, leaving the bewildered driver to wonder what could possibly be so important that the red-haired kid didn't even have time to change out of their pajamas. And why is the kid carrying a brick...?
It's still early, before most of the DU's full-time employees have arrived at the office, but Shinsha is fully prepared to break the glass if the doors are locked. They need to write their Excursion Report as quickly as possible. Luckily, though, the lobby is already open for Dreamers working overtime, so there's no need for Shinsha to resort to extreme measures... yet. They rush through the doors, breathless.]
[Mari was simply sitting at the front desk enjoying a cup of tea before getting around to her actual job - it's a sort of ritual she's developed since starting here - but it seems that her work wouldn't wait for her, with this sudden intrusion.
But it's not that she could complain.]
That's quite the news. Well, we can't waste any time now, can we? [Not making much haste, she sets her cup down and pulls out the chair next to her. It's fine, she can just shoo away the secretary if they come back.] Why don't you take a seat, and tell me what you found?
[Upon finding themself ejected from the Dream Sphere and blocked from returning, Shinsha wasted absolutely no time in making their way to DU headquarters... so they're still dressed in pajamas and house slippers, with their hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. Hardly appropriate attire for an improptu tea party, but when Mari invites them to sit, they immediately comply. Mari-san is an adult, after all, and a former Dreamer... she'll know what to do.]
R-right. We need to assemble strike teams, and formulate a plan of action...
[Their voice begins to falter. Mari-san is everything that Shinsha isn't - serene, elegant, and composed. Even as Shinsha comes with battle plans, they have to fight their own anxiety and fears of inadequacy.]
I... I don't really know how to describe that place, but I know how to find it... probably.
[Mari leans over and gets her teapot and a spare cup - she’d kept it on hand for refills, but as a means of calming Shinsha down she’d be happy to sacrifice a cup or so.
Pouring it out, hot and fresh, she pushes it towards them.]
[Ruby has been working overtime herself, not sure what else there is for her to do--apparently she's not supposed to go to the Dreamsphere as much, but how can she just sit around and wait when Amane is missing?
So when another person comes rushing in with news, she's instantly brought to attention.]
I... I can't. He's in the Dream Sphere. I tried to go back as soon as I got kicked out, but...
[Shinsha pulls their Sandglass pendant out from inside their shirt and checks it again. It's unbroken, and the red sand inside still melts into silver before flowing to the other end of the glass... but they can't transform. Something like this has happened before, but only when they've been hurt badly enough that they were forcibly ejected from the Dream Sphere for their own safety. Did just looking at Hanako's Disturbance do so much damage?]
I can't transform right now. I left a trail, though...
[Should they really be telling Ruby all this? She's still a novice, and they technically aren't supposed to be going to the Dream Sphere at all right now.
...But if Ruby cares enough about Hanako to want to rescue him despite the risks, then she has a right to know.]
You can't? That's--that's not normal, is it? Where did Hanako end up that's so...
[Ruby knows that there's dangerous stuff in the Dreamsphere, but nothing that a group of good Dreamers can't handle, right? She anxiously twirls a strand of her hair, not knowing where else to put the nervous and despondent energy pushing towards the surface.]
Well--we know where to go, so we just all have to go and get him out, right? He's gonna be ok.
[She tries to reassure herself of that much. Hanako is going to be fine. Everything's going to be okay.]
[ The world has felt still and strange for the last few days. Distantly, Ai is aware that there must be motion and sound somewhere but to her eyes, everything is frozen and quiet. She goes through the usual motions of her work at the DU, wades through Torment Hunts in the Dream Sphere just to keep their numbers down while travel is discouraged, but it comes with the overwhelming sense of just playacting, faking momentum that will never snowball into any sort of change.
It's been a long while since she felt like this. Years, really. And it was Amane she was so caught up in worrying about last time, too.
She's in the process of dragging herself up to her office for another pointless day of pointless work when Shinsha comes stumbling into the lobby. She barely understands what she's hearing at first, blinking at them like they're speaking a foreign language... but then gradually, the noise reaches her ears.
Her mouth makes uncertain shapes, as if she can't will her voice to come out. But then all at once, sound, motion and colour slam back into momentum and Ai's breath catches in her throat in a tight, pained gasp. ]
Hanako-kun is- [ it almost hurts to pull the words out. ] Where is he?!
[Shinsha hurries towards her, shuffling in their house slippers - they left the house so quickly that they forgot to put on shoes and a jacket. Like Ai, Shinsha has learned to mask their feelings... but when the mask cracks, it falls apart.]
I... I don't know exactly. It was a place I'd never seen before, but... somehow, I knew that Amane was there.
[It sounds ridiculous to base all of this on a feeling, but what are dreams if not feelings? That was why Shinsha had asked people with strong connections to Amane to join the search. They would have asked Ai, too, but she's a DU employee and might have felt obligated to keep them out of danger. Shinsha, Lisa and Keiwa are all legally adults, but they needed Nene...]
I'd take you there right now, but something threw us out of the Dream Sphere and now I can't transform... I left a trail of mercury for you to follow, though!
[ Ai's stomach churns, her feelings tearing in all directions - concern, relief, frustration and all manner of other things bleeding together too fast for her to make any sense of. She wants to shake them for plunging into the Dream Sphere so recklessly. She wants to hug them for finding Amane, even if he's not home where he belongs just yet. But mostly she just kind of wants to be sick.
She takes a hard, sharp breath in through her teeth and steps forward, setting her hands on Shinsha's shoulders to try and steady them a bit. Though really, who knows who's actually holding who up here. ]
Okay, for now... let's sit down and take a second to breathe, okay? And then you can fill me in.
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⭐ When: March 5th, afternoon
⭐ Where: Camellia
⭐ What: Amane's gone missing and Shinsha is not taking it well.
[Camellia is closed indefinitely, but without the comforting routine of their after-school job, Shinsha doesn't know what to do. They only manage a few steps before slumping against the wall of the shop. Camellia is tucked away in a quiet alley off the main Moon Bunny Market, so the sounds of the bustling shopping street just a few meters away seem distant and hollow.
Mr. and Mrs. Yuugi won't officially announce the closure until tomorrow, but when Shinsha arrived for their shift the doors were closed and the familiar smell of fresh coffee was missing. Until Amane is found, Shinsha and Keiwa are out of work.]
I knew this would happen. I knew he'd do this.
[Of course the Yuugis are busy talking to the police and contacting hospitals, but there's no doubt in Shinsha's mind that this isn't an ordinary disappearance. Months ago, Amane as much as said that he was looking for a way to stay in the Dream Sphere long-term... and the past two Disturbances proved that there is a way.
Amane has been sick for weeks... and while the Yuugi parents have been able to manage strained smiles around the shop, Tsukasa has been uncharacteristically subdued. Tsukasa, who fears nothing... is afraid. That, more than anything else, tells Shinsha that whatever is going on with Amane's health is serious.
Keiwa must have picked up on it, too. As good-natured and trusting as he is, he can't possibly believe Amane's assurances that everything is fine. And now, with Amane missing, he must have his own suspicions about what happened.]
It's just like with Mio-san.... he's somewhere in the Dream Sphere. I know it.
[Shinsha's hood is pulled low over their face, so Keiwa won't be able to see them trying to hold back tears. There's no hiding the quaver in their voice, though, or the way their shoulders are hunched as if in pain.]
...So why didn't he ask me to go with him?
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While he's not particularly surprised to see Shinsha show up for work, he looks apologetic nonetheless. But when they slump against the wall, they'll find Keiwa next to them, arms held out as if to support them but hesitating in the moment]
-!
[his exclamation is cut off when he hears Shinsha's words though. He doesn't question how they reached the conclusion they did. Not when he also knows how differently Amane acts when he's Hanako instead, not when he's seen both Disturbances]
You know how Amane-kun is... He probably thought it would be a burden. [he says it a little sadly, but also as if Hanako's not-so-secret identity as Amane was common knowledge. One would never know from how Keiwa acts that he ever suspected anything. For now though, he gently puts a hand on Shinsha's shoulder. There's no mercury here to stop him after all]
Are you all right?
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They don't want to inconvenience Keiwa, so they're about to insist that everything is fine... but that's what Amane would do, isn't it?]
...No. I'm not alright.
[They can't even blame Amane for wanting to disappear. The Dream Sphere could provide a reprieve from his illness, and even allow his body to rest. Shinsha has heard of highly experienced Dreamers who, with the help of DU researchers, have made controlled long-term trips deep into the Dream Sphere.
But whatever happened to Mio-san and Sakaguchi-san was anything but controlled. They were prisoners within their own dreams.]
Amane's in danger. He's always felt more comfortable in the Dream Sphere than in the real world, so he doesn't know - or chooses to ignore - what a savage place it is.
[Shinsha is one of the Dream Sphere's monsters, so they're unable to see it as anything other than dangerous.]
There's a Night Terror waiting for him... it's been waiting for a long time.
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...
[As he's told Ai, he's only ever been on the periphery of the Dream Sphere, far more focused on the waking world and what was here than something as ephemeral as dreams. But who hasn't thought about it? Escaping to a place that would - that could - be molded into the dreamer's wants. A paradise in your dreams.
He would be lying if he said he didn't see the appeal in it]
What do you mean? That there's been a Night Terror that's been waiting for him...?
[except his Awakening had been due to a Nightmare attack and his first experience in the Dream Sphere proper had been a Disturbance. Even if he can understand the lure of escaping into a dream, Keiwa is also aware of the inherent danger that lay in a place as insubstantial as a dream]
We need to tell someone at the DU about this. Maybe we can still stop... Whatever from happening to him.
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[The rational, responsible thing to do would be to wait for the DU to put together an expedition team made up of their most experienced Dreamers. But... Shinsha has been a Dreamer long enough to know that excursions into the Dream Sphere can be influenced by what you're hoping (or dreading) to find there. If their theory is right, a group of people close to Amane might have a better chance of finding him quickly.]
I'm sure that Amane's parents will notify the DU immediately, and Ai-san probably knows by now, too.
[Shinsha glances away, feeling guilty about what they're about to suggest.]
...By tomorrow, the DU will probably tell us to cease all travel to the Dream Sphere for our own safety. But... I think a team of Amane's friends might be able to find him before the Disturbance is fully formed.
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⭐ When: March 8th, morning
⭐ Where: Akabeni
⭐ What: Shinsha takes a quick break from looking for Amane.
[Even though a few hours spent in the Dream Sphere are normally as restful as a good night's sleep, that doesn't hold true when one spends several days making repeated trips into the Dream Sphere... and with the time difference between worlds, the few days that Amane has been missing feel like an eternity to Shinsha. They've scoured every part of the Dream Sphere that they know (and a few places they've never seen before) in search of Hanako, only returning to the real world when the exhaustion becomes overpowering. Then after a quick meal, they water their plants and try to get an hour or two of fitful real sleep before resuming the search. At least it's nearly the end of the school term... even though preparations for graduation are underway, Shinsha hasn't been to school since they learned of Amane's disappearance.
Lacking either the mental or physical energy required to cook breakfast, Shinsha throws a warm coat over their pajamas and leaves their apartment for the first time in days. A few pickled plum rice balls and a canned coffee from the convenience store will be enough to keep them going for another round of excursions. Their dark red hair is even more tangled than usual and there are dark circles under their eyes, so they hide their face behind a paper mask. On the off chance that classmates recognize them, they can just claim that they've had a cold... after all, the DU has cautioned all Dreamers to avoid nonessential trips the Dream Sphere, and they can't let everyone find out that they've been going there every day...
Shinsha is so lost in their thoughts that they nearly run into someone else outside the convenience store. Without even looking up, they mutter a quick apology.]
...S-sorry. I wasn't paying attention.
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[ Kozakura... is easy to run into. In fact, looking up might put Shinsha looking over her head. ]
...you look like you need to take a little more care of yourself, if you'll let me be a nosy adult.
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[Even though Kozakura is probably used to people looking over her head, it's still embarrassing... Shinsha usually has better situational awareness than that, since with their poison-based powers, accidentally running into someone in the Dream Sphere could be a disaster.]
I... I'm just a little tired. It's the end of the school year and all...
[Shinsha is a terrible liar. But Kozakura works for the DU... she might report them if she finds out that they're making unauthorized excursions.]
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And thus she was off to the convenience store. The food there wasn't the best, but as a college student she was obligated to eat cheaply. And it was there that someone nearly runs into her. The first thought that comes to her mind is how out of it someone has to be to not notice HER. It instantly makes her feel sympathetic.]
Oh, no. Please don't worry about....it..?
[Her voice trails off at the end when something nags at the back of her mind. With the mask in the way and the exhaustion in their voice, she couldn't really be certain, but something about this tired person felt familiar. She stops moving, and simply stares, with a puzzled look on her face. Surely having a tall girl staring won't exactly help matters. At least she doesn't look angry or judgemental.]
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Um... do I... know you from somewhere?
[That seems unlikely, but Shinsha wouldn't put it past themself to not notice someone they'd met in passing at their part-time cafe job...]
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I don't think so, but...
[And then the gears click. Not being able to see the face had made it tough to figure out. And the last time, she'd had to look up. That had to mean...]
Wait. You're....Shinsha, aren't you?
[She says it before thinking. She'd done a good job of keeping LLENN and Karen separate so far, but the familiarity made her blurt it out before giving the consequences of her question any thought.]
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⭐ When: March 8, night
⭐ Where: when the text is blacked out you know shit's about to get real
⭐ What: Locating Hanako's Disturbance!!
...We're getting close, I think. Let's take our usual positions.
[After three days of searching for Hanako, they've worked out a battle plan for breaking into unknown locations: as Sentries, Cinnabar and Rhodonite will establish a defensive point, Tycoon will scout, and Koi will prepare to summon her Mokke if anyone gets hurt. Luckily they haven't run into too many Torments so far, but there's no telling what they might encounter in the unexplored regions of the Dream Sphere.
The fog between Dream Sphere locations is familiar, as are the train tracks beneath their feet... but there's a heaviness to the the air, and the damp smell of stagnant water. Normally, the fog would start to clear by now, revealing a new location, but it almost feels as if something is trying to stop them from going any farther.
...Not that Cinnabar has any intention of turning around. But just in case they need to find their way back here, they've left a silvery trail of mercury droplets to mark their route.]
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[Not that she was particularly talkative as it was, somewhat uncharacteristically, but at the prospect of another lead, Lisa pushes herself into serious mode once again. She's... compartmentalizing pretty heavily, and will pay for it later - the dark circles under her eyes are starting to translate into her Dreams - but that's not important to her now. Koi needs her. Cinnabar and Tycoon need her. Hanako... Amane needs her, and that's what's keeping her going.
Rhodonite's fingertips are on the strings of her bass as she steps forward, the fog seeming to rob it of its inner light, pick held ready. It's... creepy. Ominous. Not that she isn't getting dishearteningly used to that feeling after a couple days of searching, but she still doesn't like it. She's twitchy, waiting for anything that isn't the four of them to make a sound so she can either blast it to kingdom come (yeah, right) or turn something trying to deter them aside. Nothing is going to stop her. Stop them. Not if she has anything to say about it.]
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[he doesn't think he's ever really felt tired in the Dream Sphere, but after multiple deep dives, Tycoon was starting to feel the strain. Cinnabar has been at this much harder than him though... Not that Tycoon would think to complain. It's more important to find Amane before anything happened, that was the goal. And even if Shinsha thought that Amane had fled to the Dream Sphere on his own, Keiwa wants to hear it from Amane himself.
Tycoon was (probably) the fastest Dreamer of the four. With the brief confusion that his bunshin and shapeshifting powers caused, it was enough to help him escape most scuffles with Torments or at least gave him time to retreat back to the others before he got overwhelmed. Thus... Scouting]
...
[there's something weird about this space they found themselves in though. Even as Tycoon moves forward, it feels like the fog is pressing in... Or was it pushing out? He raises a hand to press against the fog, but it goes through no problem. The next second, he turns to black smoke to try and slip through. Tycoon seems to blend in with the fog for a moment before-]
Oof-!
[-he's thrown back out, tumbling out with a splash, wisps of his own magic trailing behind him. Whatever was happening, it doesn't want them there]
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The plan of having Nene summon her Mokke to heal just in case isn't a bad one... she just isn't exactly confident in her ability to get them to listen. Or even show up. Not that she's mentioned that, since the last few days they've shown up fairly early and haven't caused too much trouble... but strangely this time, they haven't shown up yet, and that's making Nene very nervous.
Not that Nene could blame them. This place is really creepy.
Still, despite how nervous she is... weirdly, she still doesn't feel like turning back. Normally she'd be trying to find a way to bail out, but when she starts to think about that, she ends up thinking of Hanako-kun.
And suddenly, she doesn't feel like leaving anymore. Oh, she's still terrified, no doubt about that... but her determination seems to still be outweighing the urge to turn back. ]
A-Ah! Are you okay...?
[ Please don't be hurt when her Mokke are still refusing to show up! Seriously, it's worrying enough that Nene hasn't even seen signs of them getting up to mischief where she isn't looking. ]
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⭐ When: March 9, morning
⭐ Where: DU Headquarters
⭐ What: Now that the Disturbance has been found, Shinsha has to make a report immediately!
[As the taxi pulls to a stop in front of the Dreamer Union building, Shinsha hands the driver a crumpled ¥5000 bill and doesn't bother to wait for change. They open the door and immediately sprint towards the main entrance, leaving the bewildered driver to wonder what could possibly be so important that the red-haired kid didn't even have time to change out of their pajamas. And why is the kid carrying a brick...?
It's still early, before most of the DU's full-time employees have arrived at the office, but Shinsha is fully prepared to break the glass if the doors are locked. They need to write their Excursion Report as quickly as possible. Luckily, though, the lobby is already open for Dreamers working overtime, so there's no need for Shinsha to resort to extreme measures... yet. They rush through the doors, breathless.]
...We found him! I know where Hanako is!
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[Mari was simply sitting at the front desk enjoying a cup of tea before getting around to her actual job - it's a sort of ritual she's developed since starting here - but it seems that her work wouldn't wait for her, with this sudden intrusion.
But it's not that she could complain.]
That's quite the news. Well, we can't waste any time now, can we? [Not making much haste, she sets her cup down and pulls out the chair next to her. It's fine, she can just shoo away the secretary if they come back.] Why don't you take a seat, and tell me what you found?
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R-right. We need to assemble strike teams, and formulate a plan of action...
[Their voice begins to falter. Mari-san is everything that Shinsha isn't - serene, elegant, and composed. Even as Shinsha comes with battle plans, they have to fight their own anxiety and fears of inadequacy.]
I... I don't really know how to describe that place, but I know how to find it... probably.
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[Mari leans over and gets her teapot and a spare cup - she’d kept it on hand for refills, but as a means of calming Shinsha down she’d be happy to sacrifice a cup or so.
Pouring it out, hot and fresh, she pushes it towards them.]
Why don’t you start with how you found him?
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So when another person comes rushing in with news, she's instantly brought to attention.]
You did?! Where?! We have to go there right now!!
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[Shinsha pulls their Sandglass pendant out from inside their shirt and checks it again. It's unbroken, and the red sand inside still melts into silver before flowing to the other end of the glass... but they can't transform. Something like this has happened before, but only when they've been hurt badly enough that they were forcibly ejected from the Dream Sphere for their own safety. Did just looking at Hanako's Disturbance do so much damage?]
I can't transform right now. I left a trail, though...
[Should they really be telling Ruby all this? She's still a novice, and they technically aren't supposed to be going to the Dream Sphere at all right now.
...But if Ruby cares enough about Hanako to want to rescue him despite the risks, then she has a right to know.]
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[Ruby knows that there's dangerous stuff in the Dreamsphere, but nothing that a group of good Dreamers can't handle, right? She anxiously twirls a strand of her hair, not knowing where else to put the nervous and despondent energy pushing towards the surface.]
Well--we know where to go, so we just all have to go and get him out, right? He's gonna be ok.
[She tries to reassure herself of that much. Hanako is going to be fine. Everything's going to be okay.]
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It's been a long while since she felt like this. Years, really. And it was Amane she was so caught up in worrying about last time, too.
She's in the process of dragging herself up to her office for another pointless day of pointless work when Shinsha comes stumbling into the lobby. She barely understands what she's hearing at first, blinking at them like they're speaking a foreign language... but then gradually, the noise reaches her ears.
Her mouth makes uncertain shapes, as if she can't will her voice to come out. But then all at once, sound, motion and colour slam back into momentum and Ai's breath catches in her throat in a tight, pained gasp. ]
Hanako-kun is- [ it almost hurts to pull the words out. ] Where is he?!
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[Shinsha hurries towards her, shuffling in their house slippers - they left the house so quickly that they forgot to put on shoes and a jacket. Like Ai, Shinsha has learned to mask their feelings... but when the mask cracks, it falls apart.]
I... I don't know exactly. It was a place I'd never seen before, but... somehow, I knew that Amane was there.
[It sounds ridiculous to base all of this on a feeling, but what are dreams if not feelings? That was why Shinsha had asked people with strong connections to Amane to join the search. They would have asked Ai, too, but she's a DU employee and might have felt obligated to keep them out of danger. Shinsha, Lisa and Keiwa are all legally adults, but they needed Nene...]
I'd take you there right now, but something threw us out of the Dream Sphere and now I can't transform... I left a trail of mercury for you to follow, though!
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She takes a hard, sharp breath in through her teeth and steps forward, setting her hands on Shinsha's shoulders to try and steady them a bit. Though really, who knows who's actually holding who up here. ]
Okay, for now... let's sit down and take a second to breathe, okay? And then you can fill me in.
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