EVENT #7: SEVEN DEADLY MYSTERIES

[hanamane]

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"Dark matter and dark energy got their names independently. The darkness of dark matter is literal- it doesn't interact with light other than gravitationally. The darkness of dark energy is figurative- it describes our ignorance, because the only thing we know about it is how it works."

"Red giants burn up pretty quickly, so it's possible the real Antares stopped existing a long time ago. We can see it, but it's dead. Now that I think about it...

... it kinda sounds like a ghost, huh?"










Welcome to our third 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 none other than Amane Yugi, aka Dreamer Hanako!



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 March 30th.

ARRIVAL

The shift from the city outskirts to the Disturbance is a gradual transition, compared to its previous counterparts; the railroad tracks stretch ahead, as they usually do, submerged into the waters surrounding the area. But one by one, anomalies start to pop up-- a flooded, dilapidated car here, a drifting camellia blossom there, the sky shifting from it's usual dreamy hues to a rich, midnight blue-black, splattered with stars. Even the ever present Moon in the Dream Sphere seems to shift and change, hanging low and heavy in the sky with an eerie, golden glow. Soon enough, Dreamers will find themselves wandering into what can only be described as the aftermath of a tsunami, the sad skeletons of old shops, waterlogged vehicles and floating bits of broken stone and wood among the debris. From the looks of things, there's nothing grandiose or imposing amongst all this wreckage-- only sad, lonely, shells of things that used to be, reflected by the moonlight upon the murky, dark water.

But then, past a rusting train car, it appears, like a closed-off island in this sea of destruction-- the brick façade and reaching towers of a sprawling, old-fashioned academy, largely untouched by whatever had laid waste to everything else before it. Water trickles from beneath the looming, intricate iron gate guarding it's entrance, woven through with blooming red clematis vines, offering a glimpse of the school and the vast grounds before it. Even from here, it's clear the building is abandoned; the countless windows are dark as the grave, with nary a soul nor Figment to be seen moving within them. The surrounding areas are equally as empty, the damp pathways and shadowy gardens silent and still in the damp, misty air. The vibe absolutely screams haunted liminal space, the sort of stuff teenagers with too much bravado would dare their friends to explore in the dead of night in a ritual test of courage.

But then, a breeze ripples through the gate, rustling the climbing flowers and carrying another sound within it-- the hushed sound of thousands of whispers, in as many different voices, rasping and hissing until they start to converge into a single phrase

haveyouheardhaveyouheardhaveyouheard

HAVE Y̶̏ͅO̸̳͕̯͆Ŭ̷̼͆ H̶̯̹̟̠̮͎̝̮̥͔̿̋͐̔̀͂̄͐̕͝Ȩ̸̧̤̺̮̗̥̮̞̄͒͆̓͛̍͗̉̋̽Ą̴̛̮̭͈͖̳͈̃͋̐̌̅̈͛̋͝R̸̘̣̬̘̞͙͚͍̻͋̿D̶̢̛̀̅͒̓̊̉͠ͅ

And then, as suddenly as it came, it stops, leaving only a thick undercurrent of tension and disgust. The gate, rigid and impassive as it was moments before, now gives way with the gentlest of touches, swinging open with a groaning creak.

Ready for a trial of courage of your own, Dreamers?


♫ 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒎𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒛𝒖 ( 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 + 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒃 ) – 𝑱𝒊𝒃𝒂𝒌𝒖 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒏 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐 𝒌𝒖𝒏 𝑶𝑺𝑻





!

COURTYARD

As the Dreamers enter through the clematis gates, they'll find themselves within a large, quiet courtyard, the landscape and benches scattered about illuminated by the honeyed glow of the moon. The pavement on the paths is dark and rich with the earthy scent of petrichor, and the entire area in general-- from the wood on the seats to the metal railing upon the steps leading into the school-- is damp, as if a rain shower had passed through the morning before. It's not the most comfortable place to sit and relax (unless you want a soggy bottom), but there's a sense of solace here, albeit one tinged through with melancholy and solitude instead.

Despite the whispers from before, the courtyard itself is devoid of any creature or construct, the only life amidst the yawning stretch of land being the bright array of flowers blooming within the planters along the walkway and the shrubs bordering the lawn. There's all sorts of blossoms on display-- cape primrose, thistles, yarrow, and snapdragons-- although upon closer inspection, something about them seems a bit off. Their petals seem too stiff, and their leaves shine with almost a plastic sheen...

The other oddity is the modest statue in the center of it all, cast in a white, luminescent rock that shines a bit too much to be marble. It appears to be an astronaut, one foot proudly propped upon a stone pedestal and helmet under their arm, but... oddly, the head seems to be missing entirely, rotted away by some odd black gunk which has already dripped down to it's chest. Within the decayed hole, a number of vibrantly red camellia seem to have taken root, spilling over and decorating the ground surrounding it in floral carnage. Totally normal and absolute not cursed outdoor decorations! Yup!!

Wretched landscaping vibes aside, this serves as the designated safe zone for any Dreamers who wish to rest, recoup... or just find themselves unceremoniously tossed out into when the building has had enough of them. But more on that in a bit!



!

FIRST FLOOR



Once the Dreamers make their way through the entrance of the academy, however, things start to get a little... odd. Just from a glance, it's definitely unlike any school interior anyone else has ever seen-- the hallways are unusually wide, the doorways are stretched all the way to the lofty ceilings, and the colors, even in this moonlit glow, look as if someone pulled their contrast and saturation to the maximum. The floors, checkered and strewn with blood red camellia blossoms, are the same sort of damp as the courtyard grounds, slightly slick with water and small puddles accumulating near the walls and the windows. It feels more like a leaky carnival funhouse than a place of learning, and it's almost a headache to take in all at once.

But then, without warning, those whispers from outside start up again, louder and more distinct as they drift ever closer.

"Hey, did you know...?" "Have you heard...?"

"About the Seven Mysteries of this place?"

And suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see them: dark, defined figures, like shadow puppets given solid form, their monochromatic colors standing out in harsh contrast to the bright and loud colors of their surroundings. They seem to range from early tweens to nearly college age, in terms of size and shape, milling about these expansive halls and clustered together in pairs and groups, ever whispering to one another. The good news is, these odd shadowy constructs don't seem to pay the Dreamers any mind-- they pass through the corridors, in and out of the classrooms, too engrossed in their gossip to care about anything else. Although, in a way, this is also somewhat of a double-edged sword; any attempts to get direct answers from the figures will be outright ignored, the dark figures merely walking through them as if they were made of air.

It's impossible not to eavesdrop, though, with so many hushed voices reverberating through the air, and given how the corridors seem to stretch and twist without end, paying attention to what they're saying is probably your best ticket to navigating this place. But beware: some of their gossip may wind up being about you, and whether it's true or not, it's best not to argue against it-- the more you fight against their words, the louder the whispers will be, and even if you did kiss that frog in the fourth grade, do you really want your fellow Dreamers to hear about it??


⧖ HAZARD ALERT: "Have you heard...? In the library... at a certain time of night, there's a door that appears that leads you to a room full of secret books. But beware of the ones with the red jackets... for they could spell your doom..."

It's easy enough to find the library in this place, despite the regular classrooms constantly moving locations-- the doors are the only ones wrought through with canna lilies, climbing riotously up to the ceilings above. Despite the floral overgrowth, though, it opens with little trouble, leading to a surprisingly normal sized room filled with numerous bookshelves and desks. Without the Shadow Students milling about, the place is silent, and almost peaceful... although there's also a burrowing sense of loneliness hanging heavily in the air as well.

Trying to get anything out of the books here is a fruitless task; like all dream writing, the words gnarl and garble together, wriggling out of comprehension, but there's a feeling it's mostly just dry, school-assigned novels and nothing more. But as the shadows shift along the wall, a singular book stands out, it's white spine gleaming in the moonlight. Those observant enough to grab hold of the volume will find it's the lever for a hidden doorway, making way to a sprawling room lit with flickering oil lamps and filled with towering shelves packed with all sorts of books, bound in a variety of colors-- save for red, curiously. Despite the dust and cobwebs around the area, along with the odd black sludge from the courtyard dripping down some of the walls, the canna lilies from the outside door are in full bloom here, thriving in the dim, dirty light. While some of the titles offer some resistance in being pulled from the bookcases, they slide out with some careful easing, and they prove to be simpler to read than their counterparts in the main library. Not due to the writing-- that's still as frustratingly elusive as it's always been-- but there's plenty of pictures and vibes to go off of, with the content varying greatly. Some of it is giddy, childlike tales of exploration to unknown places and planets, others are melodramatic rehashes of spooky legends, and some... are oddly familiar. Things like previous Excursions and discoveries, wild adventures within the Dream Sphere...

... and Dreamers. There's books about your fellow Dreamers in here.

Some of these books are only a couple of pages full, while some are thick with illegible writing, and though the initial impression of feelings may vary-- annoyance, amusement, admiration, aggravation-- there's a running emotion through the volumes longer you hold them. Fondness. It's a soft, wiggly feeling, like the consistency of a poached egg, delicate and ready to run if given the slightest of pressure. But peek into these books for too long-- or, worse, get nosy and start trying to find the ones belonging to Dreamers you know-- and suddenly, the novel within your hands becomes clammy and cold. The color bleeds away from the cover, almost quite literally, as a vivid crimson stain spreads from the center until it encapsulates the whole book. What did those Shadow Students say about red jackets again...?

The flutter of a thousand small wings stir up the air all around you, and... OH. Those sure are a bunch of creepy eyeball butterfly Torments looming up behind you, huh...? While tiny and individually easy to pick off (or even step on), these creatures have banded together to form a construct mirroring whichever Dreamer decided to pry more than they needed to, mimicking a good deal of their attacks and strategies. It's easy to become overwhelmed by their numbers on your own, but with the helping hand of a fellow Dreamer to coordinate attacks or take the butterfly swarm by surprise, it can be defeated with some solid teamwork. Escaping from where you came is also an option should things get too hairy, but the library will shut itself off from re-entry once you decide to leave.


⧖ HAZARD ALERT #2: "Did you know...? There's a whole other floor below this one, deep beneath the school. Pay attention to the light of the moon, and you'll be able to find it. But once you fall in, you may never come out again..."

No matter where you look-- in the maze-like hallways, or the odd, shifting classrooms filled with stacks of old radios, TVs, and desks (all functional, but curiously covered with mysterious seals)-- there seems to be no sign of how to proceed further. There's no staircases to be seen, and the one elevator that does seem to be around is faulty and is full of useless buttons (but more on that in a little while!). It seems things have already reached a dead end before they've really started...

... or have they?

Those keeping an ear on the whispers or possessing a keen eye will notice it-- the reflection of the moon on one of the puddles on the floor, glinting a warm amber before flickering out into inky darkness. Dreamers may feel compelled to move towards it... or heck, they might just accidentally stroll through it without paying it any mind, for that matter. But one moment, their foot is on wet tile, and the next, they're abruptly tugged down into the void, the frantic pressure of too much water pressing in all around them. For a terrifying moment, it may feel as if they're drowning, heart hammering against their chest and desperate for air--

... and then, just as suddenly, they're plopped into... some sort of place. It defies convention-- there are doors, of all numerous shapes, sizes, and styles, floating within the starry black void, illuminated on their own but no source of light connecting them. There doesn't seem to be a set path or direction in this Endless Door Hell, just portals upon portals upon... portals. The only logical thing to do is to choose a door and start exploring, hoping one of them will lead to an exit of some sort, but of course, things can't be that simple, can it? Some may open to what appear to be well-known locations in the Dream Sphere (although they flicker out into nothing soon after), others may unlock into memories or flashbacks... and yet others might unleash a hoard of very sludgy, very multi-legged, and very angry Torments upon you the moment you get it open! It's all a matter of luck (and maybe an observant eye) over what you may get, although eventually, after a good deal of wandering, you'll hear the sounds of school bell echoing from behind a red door, decorated with yellow camellias. Looks like you found your way upstairs...

!

SECOND FLOOR



The first thing the Dreamers will notice, upon setting foot in the second floor of this academy, is how normal it seems, in comparison to the floor before. The colors are more muted, the corridors are a normal width, and the doorways are sized just how you'd expect them to be in a school building like this. While the first floor had the appearance of a candy-colored disaster, this one, in contrast, felt more aligned to how a school should actually be-- neatly kept and maintained, with the wooden doors polished to a high shine, and not a dust mite to be seen.

That veneer of normalcy is broken, however, once you actually look down; the water from outside of the building seems to have made it's way onto this level, as illogical as it might seem, sloshing and pooling it's way around the Dreamer's ankles as they explore around this floor. There's all sorts of random little debris floating along the ground-- pens, pebbles, pieces of paper, bottles of pills, wilted flower petals-- which makes the trek a little more annoying compared to the previous level, but not impossible. The other oddity is the scent lingering through the air; one of mild mold and decay, like mildew, musty and stale in the night. It's not necessarily unbearable, but it's not pleasant, either, especially to those with more sensitive noses.

The Shadow Students, however, have not disappeared-- in fact, they seem to have only increased, although whether that's because the halls have become narrower or something else is anyone's guess, really. They continue with their whispers and rumors as usual, moving effortlessly through the standing water as they travel from classroom to classroom. Unlike before, though, they're slightly more corporeal, occasionally jostling or tripping up Dreamers in their travels, but still ultimately ignoring them all the same. Like the rest of the strangeness on this second floor, it's not really an obstacle, but it adds another layer of pesky inconvenience to navigating this place... and isn't that just a metaphor for teenagerhood?


⧖ HAZARD ALERT: "Did you hear...? There's something sinister lurking around the nurse's office at night. They say... a 2nd year student went in... and never returned. Poor thing..."

Like the library from before, the nurse's office is hard to miss-- the doorway is twisted through with chamomile and calendula flowers, though the former seems to be wilting more than the latter is, dropping small white petals into the water sloshing below. Unlike the other room, however, the door offers some resistance to being opened, sticking stubbornly in it's track until some good old elbow grease finally gets it to slide through (or someone decides to kick it down-- we're not going to judge!!). What hits first is the smell: bitter and sterile, run through with the chemically artificial reek of industrial soap and disinfectant. It's more the scent of a hospital than a modest nurse's office, and from the looks of things-- the expansive size of the room to the numerous machines and IVs hooked up to the beds (beds which were much more complex than just the usual tiny cots)-- it seems you Dreamers seemed to have stumbled into just that.

But you're not alone; instead of the Shadow Students occupying the space, there seem to be a hefty amount of Shadow Nurses drifting around instead, their hushed whispers an undertone to the hiss and beeps of the machines as they check on the charts and monitors for the empty beds. Except... upon closer inspection, the beds aren't quite empty, are they-- each space is occupied, in one way or another, with some sort of toy or random item. A threadbare red teddy bear with it's chewed up purple twin lying next to it on one, a couple of Teki-Terra action figures on another... and then others with picture books and novels, a somewhat gnawed on Switch controller and some video games, a music player with a somewhat warped, tinny version of a certain idol's song playing through it's headphones... all with odd, black sludgy handprints on the mattress and the bed stand nearby it.

There's no precise trigger for when it happens; perhaps you've been investigating one of the charts or random items for a bit too long, or perhaps you bumped into one of the beds or bits of floating debris on the ground by accident... heck, you might have even just walked into the room. But suddenly, a voice cuts through the whispery haze, harsh and distorted compared to the overall quiet in the room.

"What are you doing out of bed?" "You can't be roaming around like this--"

And then... OH. Those Shadow Nurses are sure looking in your direction now, aren't they? Even without facial features, there's an unnerving sensation of multiple eyes boring upon you, as one by one the figure swivel their attention your way. Before you know it, they're converging to descend upon you, arms reaching and hands grasping as they try to pin and corral their unlucky target towards one of the beds.

"You need to rest" "So young, poor thing"
"It'll be over before you know it" "It won't hurt, don't worry"
"p̴o̷o̷r̸ ̴t̷h̵i̷n̷g̷"
"You have to think about your health" "There's nothing to be scared of"
"p̷̛̻o̷͖͌o̴̭͌r̸͇̋ ̶̠̾t̴͚̔h̴͉͝i̴̛̝n̶̟͂ǵ̵̳, p̶̘͒̋̅̏̈́̍͘͝o̵̦̫͙̒͐͑͑͌́͊̔̒ŏ̶̡͖̼͚̝͚̥̺̖̤̄́̅͜r̴͙̜̤̃̈̾̅ ̷̛͈̘̠̮͉̝̺͕͊ẗ̴̨̲̠̜́͂͆̃̄̈́̓̅̂͘ẖ̵̝́ȉ̶̧͈̙̟̖̼̊̃̇̈́̉͜ͅṋ̸̘̥̲̺̟̰̟͓̟̿̓̊͜g--"

Being shadow constructs, they're easy enough to disperse with a well placed attack, but with their numbers and malleable forms, it's fairly easy to get smothered or suffocated by them if you're not quick enough to strike, so keep on your toes! They seem to only be able to focus on a single Dreamer at a time, so leaping in to save your fellow mahou-in-arms (or provide a good distraction) is a solid strategy in defeating them!

Or... you can also just try your luck and high tail it out of there, but with the sticky door, that might be more trouble than it's worth-- especially with no other leads on how to get to the next floor. However, there is something else in the room...


⧖ HAZARD ALERT #2: "There's a wonderland on the other side of the looking glass. There are mirrors there that reflect... the hearts of all those who wander inside. Someone with a beautiful or brave heart will be just fine. But if their heart contains even the smallest bit...of ugliness or fear..."

Maybe you spot it after you defeat the Shadow Nurses, or perhaps when you're escaping from them... or maybe you just got incredibly lucky and dodged their notice somehow while you've been here in this cursed office-- but propped above one of the sinks in the room is a mirror. That alone shouldn't be much of note, but wilting around the frame is a number of red spider lilies, and if there's been a running theme in this Disturbance, it's that flowers probably mean something around here. Not that it's immediately apparent at first glance, of course; it just seems like a normal (albeit very floral) mirror, dingy around the edges and reflecting the room around it. But then, there's a shift within-- a smirk, from your very own reflection, eyes tinting yellow and glimmering with malevolent mischief. Swiftly, without warning, it lunges forward, breaking free from the confines of the mirror to grab at whoever's in front of it and drag them in, pulling them through the glass as if it were merely water.

Contrary to popular belief, there isn't a wonderland on the other side of the looking glass-- in fact, there's a whole lot of nothing, just a round room illuminated by a single, unseen spotlight and surrounded by mirrors in all shapes and sizes, stretching to the vanishing ceiling up above. In the middle of it all stands a full-length mirror in an ornately wrought frame, bearing down upon them as their reflection smiles impishly back. But unlike the looking glass in Mio's Disturbance, this reflection isn't interested in playing a game of follow-the-leader, an unsettlingly familiar giggle echoing in the air as it fades from view.

"There's nothing to be afraid of...

The glass all around turns murky and dark, and then something in the atmosphere of the small room... changes. It's like reality stretches thin, like a rubber band being pulled too taut, and then abruptly retracts, altering everything around it with a snap. What happens next depends on the Dreamer-- if they're the rare sort that are pure of heart and conscience, with no worries or concerns plaguing their mind, then the only thing different in the room will be a door where the mirror frame used to be. But if they're not... that's when things start to get a little hairy. Depending on what fear or worries the Dreamer harbors most in their heart, the Torments that manifest in the room will change to reflect that, whether it's oddly benign to catastrophically deadly-- be it swarms of fluffy rabbits, hellishly hot fires... or just people relentlessly bullying you over your chunky legs. (yes, really.) It's either face your fear head on and fight your inner darkness in order to escape, or be paralyzed and taken over by your demons... unless someone else comes to your rescue. After all, burdens are lighter when they're shared, and what might be terrifying for some might not be so bad for others.

... of course, breaking the main mirror is always an option, but that's just going to kick you out to the second floor hallway, and do you really want to deal with the Shadow Nurses again?

!

STAIRWELL



Whether you were fortunate enough to stroll through the door in the mirror room without a sweat, or had to fight tooth and nail through your fears in order for it to manifest, what lies on the other side of the doorway is something a bit... new. Instead of the endless corridors of the first two floors, Dreamers instead find themselves on a landing of some sort, facing a set of stairs ascending to the next level. The stairway itself glistens pale and luminescent in the moonlight, white camellias woven around the bannisters and scattered about the steps as they stretch upwards. Strangely, it's drier here compared to the rest of second floor, the water merely a shallow pool along the floor and dribbling languidly down the staircase. It seems like a no-brainer to push forward-- after all, there doesn't seem to be any other way to get to the next floor, what with the continuing trend of shifting classrooms and twisty halls, and this time you at least have a set of stairs to use instead of a weird pocket dimension, right? But wasn't there a rumor floating around about this place, too...?

⧖ HAZARD ALERT: "...Have you heard? There is a rule regarding that staircase that you must never break... You must never set foot on the 5th step. If you do... you'll be taken to the other side...."

Ah yes... with a warning like that, it seems simple enough to avoid this trap. As long as the Dreamers are quick and skip the fifth step heading up the stairs, they can bypass whatever horror is waiting for them down below. The staircase is a bit of a trek, and somewhat slippery thanks to the water running down it (watch your footing!) but soon enough, the third floor landing is in sight, ready to lead the rescue team further in to the Disturbance...

... but then... the rumor never quite specified if it was the fifth step up or fifth step down, did it?

As soon as your foot hits that step, it's as if everything drops away, sending you plummeting down, down, down into an ever narrowing chute. It's a long, perilous plunge, but thankfully something soft, squishy and (unfortunately) a bit soggy finally breaks your fall, helping you bounce with minimal damage onto solid ground. It's hard to say what this place is, exactly-- it's towering and narrow, almost like an elevator shaft, but it's hard to imagine any sort of machinery working in here. The walls are lined, from bottom to top, with all sorts of faucets, with the thick vines and stems of numerous flowers, in various stages of decay, weaving about them. The scent of rotting flowers almost overpowers the smell of stagnant water swirling about their feet, murky and dark as it laps against the chaotic mess of toys bobbing about. Battered stuffed animals, broken trains, chipped rocket ships, half-inflated balls-- it looks as if a child's playroom got turned upside down and deposited in this place, but considering some of it stopped you from breaking any Dreamer bones, maybe it's not a bad thing...

It may be seconds, or minutes, or maybe even hours before another Dreamer is plopped alongside you-- that is, if you hadn't already fallen in with someone in the first place. But the moment there's more than one person in this room, a sound screeches through the air-- one that sounds like a thousand rusty faucets turning on at once. And then all of a sudden, it's nothing but water, water, dark and gunky and uncomfortably sludgy water, cascading down upon you two with no means of stopping any time soon. With how narrow the space is, it doesn't take long for things to start filling up, the flood climbing higher and higher and threatening to overwhelm Dreamers if they don't start working together to climb to higher ground soon. With the faucets and the vines on the walls, it's possible to help each other scale the walls to escape-- or even put some creative Dreamer abilities to the test to launch yourself higher up the shaft. Near the top, there's a moon shaped door, signifying an emergency exit, though it'll take some clever planning to get both Dreamers out in one piece. Staying in the water and letting it carry you to the top is also an option, if you tread long enough-- but it comes with an unsettling sensation of something slick and slimy pulling at your arms, your legs, a lilting, distorted voice burbling up from down below to coo:

"Give up... stop fighting... it's useless in the end anyway..."

... yeah, you might just... want to avoid being in there too long if you can help it. Yikes.

!

THIRD FLOOR



Whether you manage to scamper through the emergency exit in the flooded room, or were just clever enough to avoid both the top and botton fifth steps and made it to the end of the stairs (which... good for you for side-stepping that absolute nightmare fuel of a puzzle), you'll find yourself stepping into an unfamiliar hallway... and an absolute hell of rot and decay. The scent of earthy, putrid mold and dying white camellia flowers hang heavy in the air of this dimly lit floor, the wood frames on windowsills and doors slickly dark with fungus and water damage. While the previous floor felt more like a normal school, this one is like a post-apocalyptic, claustrophobic disaster, the corridors squeezing in on the Dreamers in a narrow, constricting fit and the water rising up to drag along their shins and calves. There's a murky, dark, and somewhat disgusting quality to the flooding on the ground, akin to the waters in that cursed shaft, and it pulls at Dreamers in much of the same way, deliberately slowing them down and tiring them out the longer they traverse the halls. In the glow of the moon, it almost looks like there's an eye peering up from the depths, or a pair of lips, twisted in a grotesque grin... but surely that's just a trick of the light, right?

The Shadow Students still remain in the hallways, drifting through the decomposing carcass of the school like nothing, flitting past the rusted shut classroom doors and peeling paint as they continue their rounds of whispers. But maybe it's the tighter hallways, or maybe it's because you're getting closer to the heart of things, but the dark figures seem to be getting more aggressive, deliberately knocking into Dreamers or pushing them into the grimy water and pointing their vicious rumors and mockery their way. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but these words actually hurt, in the physical sense, stinging and biting like a swarm of angry bugs. Ignoring them has gotten you this far, but maybe it's about time you started to fight back-- although the narrow space and standing water is probably going to be one hell of a mobility disadvantage.

If you've been keeping an ear on the rumors (at least, the ones that weren't try to eat you alive), you may catch onto a familiar name in the babble:

"In the 3rd stall from the end of the bathroom on the third floor of the building...you'll find Hanako-san. To summon them, you knock three times...And thenー"

Was this a clue to find Amane...? After all, it does make sense-- he's a ghost-themed Dreamer after all, named after a popular urban legend, so it would be fitting to check in the bathrooms... even if a place like this having any sort of restrooms seems a bit odd. (It's Dream Logic, don't question it!!)

As with the other locations, the bathroom is easy enough to find, especially here in the midst of the decay of the third floor. The door, small and modest as it is, is covered with rotting yellow lilies and headless white camellias, the latter floating along the dark waters like tiny pale boats. With all the rust and the deteriorating wood, it's a struggle to get the entrance opened, but some well-aimed Dreamer powers will get the job done (or just a good, solid kick... seriously, we're not judging in the slightest), leading to... a surprisingly normal looking restroom! The floods and the accompanying decomposition somehow haven't seemed to have touched this place, with only the gunk from outside pooling slightly on the floor from where the Dreamers have entered.

There's an overwhelming sense of loneliness, hopelessness, and sorrow radiating from the small room, as the moonlight tints everything in a reddish gold glow from the stained glass windows. A small sob cuts through the air, hiccupping and breathless, the voice haunting and painfully familiar in the otherwise silent bathroom. The weeping continues the further one walks in, the doors to the first two stalls swinging open and empty as they pass. But the third...

Knock once, and the crying comes to an abrupt stop, waves of shame and anxiety radiating from behind the closed door. Knock again, and the shame gets replaced by something much stronger, much more intense, the malevolent energy pulsing and crackling around the edges of the stall.

go away i dont want you here leave me ALONE

Knock one more time, and the dark, bitter feelings surge and boil over, pressure mounting

goawaygoawaygoAWAY G̸̖͈̰͎̮̽͑͝ ̷̝̫̗̭̑̽̚E̶̝̭̜̠̒́͛̔̕ ̶͓̝̺̾̎̇͊͜Ț̸̡̰̹̠͒̀͑ ̴̝͙̫̎͜ ̸̰͔̰͍̌̓ͅO̸̜̓́̂̆͗ ̴̠̣͚̬͚͊U̵͎̇ ̴̙̔̑̄͂̿Ț̴͍̥̖̿̇̋͝

But then, the door swings open with a quiet, anticlimactic click, squeaking on it's hinges, and... huh. There's nothing there, save for a lone toilet, but... why is everything suddenly getting so dark...?

!

ELEVATOR

If there is one thing that remains consistent between the levels of the school, no matter how deep into this Disturbance a Dreamer travels, it's the elevator.

... yes, the elevator. Old fashioned in style, forged of tarnished bronze and gleaming in the light of the moon, it always lingers just out of sight whenever the Dreamers enter a new floor. The interior, while a bit dusty and smelling of oil, is dry as a bone compared to the rest of the building, instead carpeted with red, white, and purple camellias. The other curiosity, aside from the flowers, are the mechanics of the elevator itself-- there are numerous buttons, lined up and down the control panel, more than there are possible floors to this place, and the display panel above the gate only reflects that.

It begs to question, then, why anyone would subject themselves to the various dangers and traps lying in wait when a simpler option of exploring exists-- but taking a chance on one of the buttons makes the answer painfully clear. Despite finding the elevator cab stalling and ready for riders on whichever floor you might be, it refuses to move to anything but the ground level, no matter which individual buttons are pushed. Manhandling the control panel or trying to physically get the carriage to budge via Dreamer abilities will earn folks a swift boot back to the courtyard, undoing any sort of progress they may have made investigating the Disturbance-- and surely you don't want to go through all of that again, do you?

But the elevator isn't just there to aggravate people or be a tease-- those who have been keeping a keen ear on the rumors, paying close attention to the tiniest details and turns of phrase, may have picked up on it. The seemingly innocuous but oddly specific numbers mentioned in these stories...

2nd...

5th...

3rd...

The moment the buttons to these floors are pressed in succession to each other-- 2, 5, 3-- the doors automatically rattle shut, locking into place before the carriage starts to ascend. The vintage display panel slowly ticks off the floors as the elevator travels up, and up, and up, the gates rattling as it's pulled along ever higher. There's something curious about the choice of numbers here, though, and to those either skilled in goroawase, or just... really good at pager texting in the 90's, it starts to become clear it's a code for something else.

2 5 3

tsu ka sa

tsukasa

Before the significance of that can completely sink in, however, the cabin shudders to a stop, the arrow on the display pointing to a faded crescent moon. The doors clatter open, bringing the clammy, brisk breeze of the night into the stuffy carriage, and in the distance, on the top of one of the roof spires, you see him.

But he's not alone...

code

Comments

QUESTIONS OR INTERACTION REQUESTS

[hanamane]

[Leave any questions about the Disturbance here or ping Luna @ Urameshi or on the game Discord!]

MID-TIER COMBAT ENCOUNTER: NOCTALGIA

[hanamane]

NIGHTMARE ENCOUNTER

♫ Ainetaburu - Jibaku Shonen Hanako-kun OST

The shadows from the stall seem to coalesce around you, thousands of dark, thin arms bursting from the inky depths to spirit you away into an endless void. For a few confusing, deadly silent moments, you're floating within jet black nothingness-- neither falling nor rising, just suspended within the shadows like you're in the world's most cursed jello mold. And then, just like that, you're spat out into a shallow, filthy pond of water... though where, exactly, is another question entirely. It's certainly nowhere in the school, or if it is, it's well underneath the building from the looks of it. The walls are high, rocky and cavernous, slick with water and condensation, with random evil-sealing wards in various states of disintegration stuck all around. But before you can get a better glimpse around, an agonized, monstrous scream wrenches the air and-- oh.

Yeah, Hanako's definitely not down here. But then, assuming he'd let himself be found so easily within his own Disturbance was your first mistake.

The creature that bears down upon the Dreamers now-- Hedorah Noctalgia-- is a massive, sludgy, eldritch abomination of a creature, looming down upon the Dreamers at a good thirty feet high. It's dark, slimy body is covered in eyes, ears, and mouths, twisting and moving independently from one another as it wails and perpetually oozes in place. For something so huge and goopy (not to mention covered in vulnerable spots), one would think it'd be a cinch to fight-- but this kaiju knock-off has a few tricks of it's own up it's sleeves.

Despite it's size and matter, Noctalgia is surprisingly quick to strike, using it's dripping tendrils to whip at any Dreamer not fast enough on their toes, or occasionally launching gobs of it's body in a rapid-fire barrage. While disgusting, getting hit by this Nightmare is the least of your worries-- the substance of Noctalgia's body is fairly toxic, so even glancing damage can leave a Dreamer feeling ill and lethargic if they're not careful enough. The stagnant pond of water it inhabits also polluted with a diluted version of it's toxin, so standing in it too long will start leeching into your Durability if you don't find a better vantage point, and fast.

Thankfully, carved along the walls of the pit is a curving staircase, twisting up and around the circumference of the cavernous room and (presumably) leading to an exit. Some of the steps have eroded over time, giving the whole thing a platformer sort of feel, but it's nothing a good Dreamer bunny jump can't clear. With Noctalgia's multiple eyes and ears, sneaking up on it isn't really possible, but working in time with your fellow mahous can help get the upper-hand on this creature, especially from multiple angles. Needless to say, it's immune to poison-based attacks, and while physical attacks to the gunky parts of it's body are largely ineffective, anything aimed at the softer bits (aka the eyes and mouth) are more likely to damage it. It's also very weak to electricity, so a well placed charge in the pool or aimed towards it's vulnerable spots can help seize it up, but be careful not shock your fellow Dreamers in the process! Water based and purifying/healing attacks are also effective to a lesser extent as well.


WIN CONDITIONS:
⧖ At least 3 characters must show up to fight
⧖ At least 15 comments must be posted across 2 threads.

BOSS COMBAT ENCOUNTER: DREAM̴ER?̶̛̜̥͖̘̃̿̈̈̊̽̈́͊͋̅̕͝?̸̂̋̈́̅̒̌̄̐̽͘͝͝͠͝

[hanamane]

NIGHT TERROR ENCOUNTER

♫ Endlessufia – Jibaku Shonen Hanako-kun OST

It seems the elevator deposited the group on what could only be the roof of the school, the fenced perimeter and spindly towers spread out under the blue-black midnight sky. But what a sky it is-- there are stars, hundreds and thousands of stars, more than can be seen in Yumemigaoka, glittering like a beautiful velvet box encrusted with diamonds. The moon hangs large and heavy amidst the glimmering starlight, casting it's pale golden glow like a spotlight upon the rooftop, almost close enough to touch by always just out of reach. Along the ground, floating upon a clear, shallow layer of water, there are countless gekkabijin flowers, their white blooms gently perfuming the night air with their sweet scent. And beyond that, perched upon the top of one of the tower spires and eyes trained on the stars is...

"... you guys never know when to give up, huh?"

Surprisingly, it's not Hanako there but Amane instead, clad in the black cardigan and blue pants of his Fujiwara Junior High school uniform. He turns his eyes away from the moon and the dazzling night sky, his expression cold and oddly detached as he glances upon the group gathered below. It's a jarring contrast to his usual goofy, cheerful demeanor as a Dreamer, or even his more subdued nature in the Waking World, and for someone who seemed to be in dire need to be rescued, he sure doesn't look all that thrilled by the company.

But then a voice pipes up from behind the spire, lighter and more childish in tone but eerily familiar all the same.

"Oh? What's this? We have guests already? Ahaha, guess all those traps and puzzles weren't all that great after all, were they, Amane?"

A gloved hand plants itself around the spire, using it as leverage to swing themselves away from their hiding spot, and...

... huh?

The boy who emerges could only be described as a palette-swap of Dreamer Hanako; where Hanako's uniform was a twilight purple fading into dark stars, this one is vibrant pinkish red, fading to white, with the purple lining his jacket tails and the rope bow on his back. The white shirt and accents are now black, and the moon upon Hanako's ever present cap is now a small sun instead. Was Amane actually telling the truth this whole time? Was Hanako actually a completely other person...?

But then the boy smiles, his sharp canines (much sharper than Hanako's ever were) glinting in the moonlight as his golden eyes darken to something more sinister and dangerous.

"Should I get rid of them for you, then...?"

[liedol]

courtyard

[ Ai isn't staying here long. In fact, it's only the knowledge that she has to set a good example for her trainees and a certain blonde newbie Dreamer that keeps her from tearing right into the school with no looking back. But none of them should be tearing off alone in a Disturbance, especially not one like this, and she hangs back just long enough to start giving instructions.

There's no warm, playful senpai here today; just the practical, businesslike attitude of a veteran Dreamer. ]

If you're part of a Unit, stick with them. If you absolutely have to break apart to investigate or you're forced apart, don't dive any deeper until you have a buddy with you. That goes for everyone else, too - surface explorations are fine, but I don't want anyone going in deep without a buddy, especially if you don't know your Archetype yet. We have good reason to expect at least one Nightmare even before we find Amane-kun. If you don't have your Archetype yet then stick with someone who does. Does everybody understand?

[ A bitter part of her that doesn't speak up often wryly notes just how much she sounds like a teacher wrangling kids on a field trip. She keeps it to herself. ]

nurse's office

[ It's too good to be true to imagine she might find Amane there so soon but even so, the nurse's office is Ai's first stop, if only for the promise of clues. It makes her feel a little queasy herself to think of snooping around in there but if she's learning anything about these Disturbances, it's that she can't afford to let that stop her.

The smell gives her pause. The horrible, familiar burn of chemical cleaners and antiseptic. She breathes it in deep, forcing herself to get used to it, then heads inside. There has to be something here, right? Some clue, some... anything.

But she can't bring herself to investigate properly. By the time another Dreamer comes wandering in, all Ai's done is stand by one of the bedsides, staring down at it like she might be able to will Amane into being.

She glances up and offers a crooked smile. ]

... sorry. I haven't found anything yet. Any luck on your end?

[coorow]

first floor.

[Cooro wastes no time making his way into the academy, despite how scary it seems from the outside - he has a friend to save, after all! It's difficult and disorienting to navigate, but he manages to press on into the library. Here, he doesn't expect to find much - Hanako can't be hiding behind a bookcase, can he? But in idly pulling volumes out from the shelves, he unlocks the secret area.

What could be so special about these books that they have to be hidden away?

Cooro pulls one from the shelves and gives it a read. It's...familiar. A tale of a bunch of Dreamers and a haunted house...]

Ah-!

[Soon enough, the book starts to change, and Cooro drops it in shock. Its clatter to the ground is softened by a stray torment hurrying across the floor. He'd let himself breathe a sigh of relief, if not for the sounds of something shifting behind him-]

Waaah!

[There's a yelp as he springs up the bookshelves to get away from this mirror image of himself - but, it seems like the torment has the same idea.]

second floor.

[After having escaped the library, Cooro continues to scale the building. Making it to the second floor, he's immediately thrown off by the normalcy of it, until - ah? What's that feeling around his ankles?

More interesting than the flood of water is the things floating around in it. Cooro fishes out a pill bottle and gives it a rattle of inspection.]

What's with all this stuff?

stairwell.

[After all this running and fighting, Cooro needs to catch a breath. He slumps against the stairwell, looking somewhat disheartened. Whenever someone comes along, however, he'll perk up and ask:]

Have you found him yet?

Nene Yashiro | Dreamer Koi

[daikonic]

[1] Gossip

[ Nene had some idea of what to expect. As she was part of the group who found the disturbance in the first place, she had managed to catch a glimpse of the thing.

Still, she wasn't expecting it to be this creepy. Listen, she loves scary stories, but she hates the idea of being part of one! Oh, Hanako-kun... why must you be so ghost-themed? Still, if he thinks that this is enough to deter her, then he's got another thing coming! So, after smacking her cheeks to psyche herself up, she was one of the first to dash into the soggy and definitely haunted school.

Unfortunately, this school is apparently haunted by the absolute worst kind of ghosts. ]

Hey, hey, did you hear?
What, what?
I heard that Yashiro-san...
Ooh...?
...when she was born, she was plucked out of the ground, just like a daikon!
Ahaha! That sounds about right for her!

[ ...and if you happen to hear that, there will almost undoubtedly be the sound of Dreamer Koi screaming indignantly. ]

I DID NOT!!!

[ Followed by her running in and immediately waving her arms angrily at the shades... who just continue on their way, their giggles and gossipping only getting louder as a result of Nene's indignant fighting of that particular rumor. ]

Ooh, no wonder she's in the gardening club! A daikon returning to her roots, huh?

GYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

[ It's official, she HATES it here... and it's only the first floor! ]

[2] Library

[ Nene may hate these gossiping shades, but at least they're providing hints. Finding the library is easy, figuring out how to get into the important part takes a little more time, but is otherwise obvious enough. ]

Mn... why are all the books here so weird!? I can't read any of them!

[ Someone hasn't been around the Dreamsphere long enough to know that's just, normal here. Still, thanks to the pictures, Nene has at least some inkling of an idea that these books have some kind of meaning. ]

...ah! Wait a second!

[ If you're in here with her, you'll hear Nene suddenly get very excited as she pulls a pure white book from the shelf and opens it. ]

It is! This one is about me! Maybe we can find a clue in here!

[ On the page is a drawn image of Dreamer Hanako running with Dreamer Koi in his arms as stars fall down around them... a bit of a cutesy rendition of that time when she and Hanako were running for their lives from very dangerous meteor torments, but she supposes that there is something romantic about being held as stars fall around them, right? ]

I wonder what else is in here...?

[ Nene starts flipping very quickly through the pages, seeing as how there's nothing in the way of legibile text to read... and not at all noticing as the pure white color of the book in her hands starts to bleed red.

And it's turning red very rapidly. ]

[3] Mirrors

[ Needless to say, Nene has not had a good time here so far. In fact, her luck seems to have been at an all-time low ever since she got here! She got to the second floor by falling into the void completely on accident, had to run from the various dangers that would appear if she opened certain doors, and then she got attacked by a bunch of creepy shadow nurses when she investigated the nurse's office!

So basically, Nene has been victim to every single trap so far... and alas, Nene thinks this might be the worst one yet. Having been in the middle of running from the shadow nurses, Nene has been yanked into the mirror without any warning, and now... ]

Ugly daikon~! Ugly daikon~! Ugly daikon~!

[ There she is, on the floor and practically in tears, surrounded by torments who have taken the forms of various people that Nene knows in the waking world, albeit completely faceless. Heck, you might even recognize yourself among the torments! Taking the form of your waking world appearance, speaking in your voice, holding horse radishes in either hand, and chanting: ]

Ugly daikon~! Ugly daikon~! Ugly daikon~!

N-Nooooo...

[ ...how long has she been in here? Her face is pale and she looks dead inside. Even if you just saw her, it seems like she's been in here for at least a little while, under constant verbal torment from... well, the torments. ]

Your legs are just soooooo ugly, I can't stand being around you!

You've got the legs of an elephant from your ankles down, I don't wanna be seen hanging out with you!

Hey, hey, Ugly Daikon-chan! You don't mind if we keep calling you Ugly Daikon-chan FOREVER from now on, right?

Ew, wait, do you think it might be some kind of disease? They can't possibly be that fat NATURALLY, right?

Kyaa! Get away! I don't wanna catch the ugly daikon disease!

[ Please. Just kill her now. Put her out of her misery. She's already motionless on the floor, save for a few twitches here and there, with nothing but tears in her eyes. Why is Hanako's disturbance so mean to Nene specifically at this point? ]

Wildcard!!

[ Feel free to plot with me for something specific! Because to be clear, Nene is going to fall victim to everything. Every single trap... I just can't write a whole prompt for every single one. Plurk is OddEyes ]

[thestarknows]

A. The Endless Doors

[Down, down they went -- dragged by something inside a puddle. Something that pulled them in, so impossibly deep, and into a space that defies logic while daring to be made sense of it.

Doors -- of every shape and size. Lights on them in the darkness, shining brightly, and marking the only way forward.

Junna stands up in the darkness. She dusts herself off, then sighs. Her eyes close. She just wants to find Hanako. And then...

She doesn't know.

She exhales -- then glnaces around, for whoever else may be here. Maybe she won't be alone in looking for a way out.]

B. The Shadowy Nurses

[Dreamer Sage stops before the door to the nurse's office. She hesitates for a moment as she looks at it; it's twisted through with flowers, dropping petals to the floor. Water sloshes over her boots.

She frowns, then grabs for the doorknob. And she turns -- and it doesn't budge.]

Mm.

[She's getting ready to put her shoulder into it. But there's a moment of hesitation, as she looks at the nurse's sign above.]

Why nurses...

[darknesshotpot]

1. HIDDEN LIBRARY

I think some of these books are about Dreamers... or Hanako's impressions of Dreamers, anyway.

[Ango flips through a random book, glad he's not the only one who thinks Hibiki is lowkey kind of terrifying. He's usually able to read in his own dreams, but here, the words are a jumble of meaningless symbols. At least there are plenty of pictures.]

Hey, do you think he's got a book about Ai?

[Ai and the brat are close, right? So if anybody knows the identity of Ai's secret boyfriend, it's probably him... Before anyone can stop Ango, he's reaching for a large purple book. Sure, it's a little underhanded to dig through Hanako's memories like he's browsing the shelves at a manga cafe, but Ango is a ninja. It's not snooping, it's reconnaissance!

But as soon as he opens the purple book, he can tell that it's not Ai's... the pages are filled with angry scrawls, with crude doodles in the margins. Heh, the brat really is just a middle schooler after all... There's a poorly drawn stick figure illustration of Hanako (just barely identifiable by his hat and the fact that he's floating) socking another stick figure in the gut. The fallen stick figure is wearing sunglasses, so it looks an awful lot like Ango...]

...Wait, this is my book! What the hell... I've gotta fix this!

[Grumbling, Ango materializes a pen out of his shadow magic and starts scribbling his own additions to the book.]

"Actually Ango-san is very smart and cool and totally badass, and I want to be like him when I grow up..." heh, now that's more like it. Maybe I'll draw something, too...

[He doesn't even notice the butterflies beginning to mass behind him...]


2. NURSE'S OFFICE

[The sharp smell of hospital-grade bleach hits Ango's nose and eyes so harshly that he instinctively draws his Sandglass knives, expecting an a Torment attack while he's half-blinded... but there's no one in the nurse's office apart from the ever-present shadows whispering to themselves. He blinks his eyes a few times to clear them, then walks in. There's no point in trying for stealth here when he nearly had to kick down the door to get it to move.]

Oi... what's all this?

[Each bed is occupied by what appears to be some kind of toy, all neatly tucked under white sheets with monitoring lines running to an array of computer screens and beeping machines. Ango takes a step back, swearing softly under his breath. Years ago, he watched one of his closest friends slowly waste away in a hospital bed, slowly but inexorably changing from a living breathing human to an inanimate object. In the end he became just another one of the countless pieces of junk that make up a human life.

The stuffed animals and cheap plastic toys here are part of someone, too... and now they're on life support.]

Shit... the kid looked rough when I saw him last month - he couldn't even catch his breath. I figured it was just a bad cold, but... what if he was really sick?

[hgs]

1. STAIRWELL

[Despite their best efforts to cushion their fall with a mercury shield, Cinnabar hits the bottom of the shaft hard - with their body weighed down by the immense density of mercury, they can't hop around lightly like other Dreamers. They're stunned for several minutes, unable to do anything but look up at the hole in the staircase high above them as cold water drips onto their face from a leaky pipe.]

Ugh...

[Finally, their limbs cooperate and they're able to sit up. At least they landed on something soft: an oversized teddy bear, damp with mold. Ugh. This is going to be a problem. Cinnabar could try climbing out of the shaft, but the rusted pipes seem too rickety to hold their weight. They don't have enough mercury to build their own staircase to escape, either. Nor can they try turning on the faucets to attempt to float to the top... mercury is much heavier than water, so they can't swim.

Cinnabar sighs. They've always taken pride in their self-sufficiency, but...]

Um... help? Anyone?


2. THIRD FLOOR

[The rusted fluroescent light fixture overhead sputters a few times as Cinnabar enters the third floow, but after a few moments it stabilizes and bathes the hallway in harsh, greenish light. Their own distorted shadow is thrown against the wall... but instead of the long coat and high-heeled boots of their Dreamer costume, Cinnabar's shadow is dressed in a silhouette of their Promised Morning Academy uniform. The lurking Shadow Students flee to the opposite wall, giggling and whispering to each other.

Watch out, it's Shinsha.
Aren't they creepy?
Are they a boy or a girl?
Neither - they're a freak of nature!
Haha, seriously.

Something stings at Cinnabar's bare leg, so they quickly slap their hand against the skin... but instead of a crushed insect, they find a crushed word in their palm. "Freak." The wounded characters twitch weakly until Cinnabar closes their fist tightly around them.]

...Just ignore it.

[But a moment later, the whispers - and the stinging - start up again.

Are they really a Dreamer?
More like a Torment, right?
I heard they poisoned the new Dreamer they were supposed to be training.
Hanako-kun, right?
Uwaaah, I bet they did it on purpose.
Scary...

...And with that, Cinnabar smashes a huge blob of floating mercury against the wall, breaking through the flimsy drywall and sending Shadow Students scattering in all directions.]

Or don't. They'll be back.

Darian Conner | Dreamer Revision | OTA

[spectationinfiltration]

..::\\|| 1. The Library ||//::..

Dreamer Revision may be a very green-horned dreamer. But his detective roots still run deep, and may even be his most useful trait right now. .....Though this place is very admittedly creepy. He didn't know these places could get so quiet. Although, perhaps that is very fitting for a library. Look, dreams don't always have to make sense. But he certainly is combing through the books, trying to find anything. This whole thing about red jacketed books spelling your doom certainly has his interest. Is it real? Could there be more information about the mission or Hanako's whereabouts?

It might be odd that there's a book that stands out amongst the rest, gleaming white in the light of the moon. And the fact that tugging on it opens a passage. Maybe it's a trap? Isn't it too convenient? But he treads carefully in after peeking in first for any immediate danger. So far, so good. He decides to look into some of the books. Secret passages often indicate secret information, right? Although, none of the text is legible. He hums in thought as he flips through, finding the pictures.

It's... interesting. Though he's definitely not a cypher. Though he supposes it's possible that one of these might show Hanako's whereabouts. But which one, if he can't read them? There could be millions of books here, too much to sift through in one lifetime, let alone in time to rescue someone.

While he thinks, he continues to flick through the book, looking at the images, until he hears a soft splattering on the floor. He folds the book to look down, finding the colour of the previous paint melting off the book. He looks to the cover to find red. Oh.

....Ohhhh.

He looks around him, almost curious. He figured spelling had been literal. But does it count if you can't read the book? Until he finds something of a copy of himself behind him. He yelps and jumps away as it swipes at him.

This is bad. This is bad, bad, bad. He needs to copy an attack!

Although... perhaps fortunately for him, it seems his copy needs to as well. It doesn't seem to have any magic that he doesn't. He dodges and tries his best to fight back. Still, he can't hold his own forever. Some help would be nice.

..::\\|| 2. Hospital ||//::..
(CW: Mentions of coma, head trauma, and human trafficking)

Revision isn't afraid of hospitals. Though, he might be able to chalk that up to the fact that he was in a coma during his stay, and hadn't really needed to be to one otherwise. Sure, the smell isn't the best thing, but he can cope with it relatively well.

What really seems peculiar is the items within the beds. Items that would mostly entertain a child, he supposes. If they're all associated with each other, at least. Or maybe each item represents a different person. He wonders... Though their decay is particularly noticeable. The ones that draw his attention the most are the two bears. If they represent different people, did two share one bed? He picks them up to examine them.

When he's told he shouldn't be out of bed. At first, he's confused. No? He's fine. His hospital stay already ended. But then looking at those nurses and...

NOPE! He's not doing this one. Thank you! He manages to struggle out of their grasp and bolt for the door, still holding the bears. If he runs past you in the hallway, he'll stop and turn to you.

"Hey, don't go that way! The creepy nurses will--!" And then he pauses in thought. Will what, exactly? "...Okay, I don't know what they'll do. But it can't be anything good! I'm sure of it!"

He's sure of it. So you should totally trust his advise, okay?


..::\\|| 3. Mirrors ||//::..

(CW: Death, injuries, mentions of abuse, hopelessness, suffering)

Okay, Revision would very much like to get out of this horror house, now as he finds himself grabbed by the ankles of his own image into the mirror. Instead, he's sure he's about to meet his end.

...Only to end up in a different place actually. He pats himself a few times. Okay, he doesn't think he's dead. (In fact, he's pretty sure he read somewhere that the dream would just kick him out somewhere. He's got to be fine.) He lets out a sigh of relief as he begins to look at his surroundings.

And then, of course, he sees his image smirking back at him again. Only for everything to suddenly change again.

Something seems... familiar. Like he's had this dream before.

One of his friends is sitting in a corner, covered in scratches and bruises. As Revision gets closer, he sees his friend's eyes covered in tears that have yet to fall, staring blankly ahead.

Revision reaches out a hand.

"Hey, Ry--"

"I'm so done with this... things never work out..." the friend utters, not even processing Revision's presence.

Revision can feel his heart quicken, his breathing shudder, as he tries to get closer.

"Hey, that's not the way it is. It'll get better. I promise."

He reaches to touch his friend's shoulder, but his hand brushes right through his friend, as if Revision is the ghost that can't touch solid objects.

Revision's face grimaces into something between fear, sadness, and desperation.

"No, I... I won't let this happen again. Ryou!"

Trying again and again to get through to him, only to be unable to touch him.

Ruby Hoshino | Dreamer Soleil

[rubykomachi]

life has many doors

[Ruby does her best to stick with a group of some kind for this one, and to try and stay positive. Maybe if she wasn't so worried, she could view this more like a proper dreamer would, but right now she just wants to find Amane.]

Hanako-kun?! Come on, where'd you go?!

[She calls out with some fake bluster, but upon noticing a strange reflection in one of the puddles, she's thrown off-guard, and...

Oh shit. One moment she's in a hallway, the next it's just a void with a bunch of doors.]

Huh? But we were just...we pick a door to go back, right?

a familiar sting (nurse's office)

[In her search, Ruby aggressively starts to kick down a door that won't budge in hope of clues.] Open! Take me to him!

[Once she does get this one open, though, she instantly regrets it when she's hit with the sights and smells of a hospital room. She near-instantly pales as she takes the whole thing in.]

...huh? This is... [Perhaps it's Ruby's clear distress that makes the Shadow Nurses instantly lock onto her, distorted words of concern coming from all of them. Her eyes widen with terror as they surround her.] No! We're better now! We're supposed to be better!

[She swats at a few of the shadows with her whip, but more seem to keep on coming no matter how much she yells at them.] Don't touch me!

Karen Kohiruimaki / Dreamer LLENN

[smalltall]

1. First Floor

[The unusually wide hallways were perfect for someone who both took up little space and moved quickly. Though she wasn't entirely sure what she needed to find, the little pink Dreamer was quick in searching for it. Unfortunately, that haste lead to a reckless step into a moonlit puddle....

And an uncomfortable trip into one of the most unnerving places she'd encountered as a Dreamer. For just a brief moment, she feels as frightened as the child she appears to be, but quickly pulls herself together.]

W..what? I guess I have to pick a door?

[And what lies beyond the door she picks? It seems she's won the lucky prize, she picked the monster door. She'd fought plenty of torments before, but the sudden swarm elicits a high pitch frightened squeal from her.]

G..gross!

[And more importantly, rapidly surrounding her. Being speedy isn't too helpful when there is nowhere to run!]

2. Nurse's Office

[It hadn't been easy for LLENN to make her way into the Nurse's Office. While she was stronger then someone her size would be in the real world, it took everything she had to even get the door open, and when she finally did, the force it required made her stumble into the room face first. This would be unpleasant enough in any circumstance, but with the water on the floor, she's wearing a very displeased look as she drags herself to her feet. Unfortunately for her, the splashing from fall combined with the sounds of displeasure as she does her best to wipe the water from her face seem to be disturbing enough to the shadowy nurses to have them snap their attention to her right away.

Anyone in the area would be able to tell something was going on just from the noise. One sound in particular would feel very out of place, the distinct pop of gunfire. Investigating would reveal the little Dreamer, with a very pink machine gun in her hands firing upon shadow nurses.

Should anyone enter the room, she twirls immediately, weapon leveled at the newcomer. But she's quick to turn it away when she can tell it isn't another enemy.]

Its dangerous in here, if you aren't here to help out you should probably wait outside!

[Because its obviously LESS dangerous for a kid!]

3. The prompt where shadow things taunt in ways that only make sense in context

[LLENN had stepped a little bit too close to that mirror in the Nurse's office, and found herself dragged into it by a less cute version of herself. But surely someone so tiny and cute wouldn't have any sort of problems in her heart, right? Of course things were never that easy. Dreamers collected mental trauma like trading cards, and though LLENN didn't have a big enough collection to fill a shoe box, she definitely had the beginning of a collection at least.

Anyone that might find her in that otherworldly room inside the mirror may find themselves confused with how she was being taunted. Tiny shadowy figures, ones shorter then even the little pink Dreamer herself, leered at her from the corners of the room. Whispers echo from all sides, and what they were saying all had one thing in common.

Its that giant girl. I heard her dad is an oni. Better make sure oni girl doesn't hear us, she might come after us with her club!

I heard she's just really dumb, and has been held back from graduating so long she just LOOKS older then a normal person.

Just look at her, she's so not cute. Its annoying to even look at her. She's like a tree. I bet she can't stand still outside for long, or birds build nests on her!

[It was a VERY odd way to harass someone as minuscule as LLENN seemed to be, but it was obviously bothering her. Her gaze whips back and forth between voices, and she tries to put on a brave face. But its obvious the teasing was getting to her.]

Th..that sort of thing doesn't bother me anymore! You can say whatever you want, it won't hurt my feelings!

[Which does nothing to explain why her hands were so tightly clenched. Maybe if she makes tight enough fists, she can convince herself what she as saying was true?]

[traceofeffort]

[courtyard]
[It is neither a surprise nor particularly unusual that Rhodonite is here, at the start of the operation and later for a break in a "safe" place; she takes Dreamer work seriously, and Hanako is both a recognized, important Dreamer, and someone she sees as an important friend. It is unusual that she's visibly a nervous wreck on this side, twitching at shadows and hypervigilant, unable to settle down. In her waking life that's not weird, with all her hangups, but ever since she made Experienced she'd been feeling pretty good about her abilities over here. It's... almost like she's regressed a little bit. Hmm. Concerning.

She'll be watching out for anyone she knows, though, or anyone that looks like they need someone to talk to for a minute. This is a rough situation and, even as wrung out as she is, she wants to help. However she can, even if it's only something small like this. Still, she looks a little... careworn, the bags under her eyes translating into her Dreams and a general aura of tiredness and anxiety wrapped around her that might make her seem a little unapproachable. Girl really needs someone to remind her to take breaks... well, now's not the time for that. Now is the time for action, and she's going to act, damn it! Her restless, anxious energy ends up making her look indecisive - even when she is resting, at any given moment she's liable to make a frustrated, strangled sound, before wheeling with hands balled into tight fists and charging back into the school.]

[second floor | CW: bullying]
[Rhodonite's stress level was already high, but now that she's walking through looking for clues, it's rising ever higher - she can't afford to miss anything, to make a mistake. The constant voices aren't helping either, but she's doing her best to push them aside and continue to search, even as an ominous feeling bubbles up alongside her anxiety. Floating refuse drifts into her heels and she starts and shrieks and jumps. A shadow drifts through the hallway talking to its friend and she trips, stumbling. It's... unpleasant.]

Hey, isn't that-
Oh, Imai-san. She's still here? Didn't she run away already?
Yeah, but she ran here. You'd think once was enough to teach her.

[And speaking of unpleasant things, the whispers are getting a little louder. Lisa's trying desperately to keep those out, more than anything else. The look on her face is somewhere between sour, haunted, and dispirited, and even her costume itself seems dull, though whether that's the damp environment or her own will petering out is an open question. The door to the nurse's office stands in front of her, but she doesn't have the faith to open it right now, so she keeps searching the hall and the classrooms a little longer, picking up things as they drift by and stopping to examine the surroundings in more detail. That's perhaps a mistake, as more classrooms mean more shadows.]

Red is so not her color. What an eyesore.
Can you believe she wore her shoes after that? I didn't think she could look any more pathetic.
Well, the glue didn't do it. Mommy and daddy must have covered new books.
None of the clubs will take her, so we can't use that. Oh, but she has stuff in the Gardening Club's room, right?
Yeah, yeah! Hey, why don't we-

STOP! [The word comes out as a shriek, and in a flash she calls her bass and fires a wild bolt of crimson magic with a horrible, discordant sound, Rhodonite taking ragged breaths. The shadows flicker out, and for a moment, the second floor is silent except for her.] Please! N-no more. Once... once was enough.

Her cookies are salty.

[...is it raining in here? The water under the unmoving Rhodonite, where she's braced against the wall with her arms extended and her hands shaking, bass hanging freely from her shoulder and refusing to refract light, is disturbed by small drops of... something.... ah. Maybe that's why someone would think her fresh-baked cookies are salty.]

[nurse's office]
[Lisa has been blessed with fairly good physical health her whole life, so she hasn't been in the hospital very much. That means that any design cues it happens to take from real-life locations are lost on her, but it doesn't get her out of the general vibe, nor that particular disinfectant smell. As she forces the door open with a magic-assisted swing of her bass and pushes her way inside, taking heaving breaths, her immediate despair and panic slowly... slowly subside. She pays no mind as the door swings shut, wiping her eyes and trying to calm herself down from the somehow even greater stress of roaming the hallways, but after a moment of starting to take in the room, she freezes. This place... shouldn't be here. It feels wrong, in ways that the rest of this forsaken school somehow hasn't already, which is itself a feat. She feels uncomfortable even standing in the doorway. But as she recovers enough to walk into the room properly and start to look at the items on the beds, to take in the equipment that's seemingly made to keep someone going instead of to help them get better, the feeling grows and grows, until it's almost sickening. Hanako... there's only one reason this room would be here. And it makes her heart hurt more than it already does. She wants to be out of this place. She needs to find Hanako and hug the stuffing out of him and tell him that everything's going to be okay somehow-]

Poor thing, you look exhausted. Come back to your bed.
You need your rest! Tomorrow's another big day.

[-but she can't even have that, as a new crop of shadows - seemingly with better intentions than the last ones, but still not good - turn their attention to her and start to drift over. She still hasn't gotten over the ones in the hallway yet, so this is quite possibly the worst time for this. And yet... the last shadows pulled all the fear and despair out of her, and all that's left for these is rage. The haunted look in her eyes washes away, replaced by a spark she hasn't had since before they found Hanako's Disturbance in the first place, and her bass glows red as if in answer to her will.]

Stay away from me! I'll rest when I've found Hanako-kun, and nobody is going to stop me until then! Do you hear me!? Get out of my way-!

[If she thought it would work, if she were more like Chaosbringer and not just regular old Lisa, Rhodonite would take the neck of her bass into her hands and cleave these things until nothing remains, until the black feeling in her heart subsides, until they give in and tell her where Hanako is. None of those are things she can realistically do. So instead she begins to play, a hard and fast beat closer to a rock or metal song (or maybe one of Ai's more hard-hitting tracks), firing beam after beam of red light, breathing hard, putting everything she has into keeping these things at bay, or better yet making them go away. She's had it. She's not going to let anything in this place push her around any more...!]

[wildcard and notes]
((Lisa can be found more or less anywhere in the school; she's going to end up triggering most of the Bad Stuff this Disturbance has to offer, so if you want something else, let me know! Grab me at eternities or in the game server. That said, she's also in a very bad way this month - please consult her March plotting comment for information on her mental state.))