Hibiki Tachibana (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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yumemigaoka2024-09-14 02:43 pm
determinationtofist) wrote in yumemigaoka2024-09-14 02:43 pm
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EVENT #9: UNCONNECTING HANDS
"The only problems you can solve with your fists... are the easy ones. When it comes to the things that really matter... I can't do a single thing..."
Welcome to Beautiful Dreamer's very first Disturbance event! To recap from the monthly post, Disturbances are surreal and dangerous dreamscapes that draw directly on the struggles, fears and emotions of a single character, similar to the TV world dungeons in Persona 4 or the Heartscapes in Blue Reflection Second Light. They're unique among Outlying Locations in that they vanish once resolved and incubate extremely powerful enemies at their core who must be defeated to save the person at its heart – in this instance, our ever-cheerful Dreamer Gungnir, Hibiki Tachibana! Though evidently the "cheerful" part hasn't necessarily been true lately.
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 September 30th.
THE TOWER
- Much like Hibiki herself, her Disturbance is hardly subtle. It appears out of nowhere, able to be seen far and wide... a massive multicolored tower that stretches high into the now-blackened sky, as if reaching up to what seems to be an eclipsed sun hanging even higher above it. There's little else outside of the tower's grim atmosphere, a wasteland so barren that the splash of eerie colors caused by the tower itself seems almost out of place... but the colors hardly make the tower seem welcoming.
There's no doubt where the Dreamers must go, however, as once they arrive... a massive opening forms in the front of the tower, an entire portion of the wall sinking into the ground to open up an entrance... followed by a sharp gust of cold air that perpetually blows out of the entrance, as if to reject anyone who dares try to come inside.
Welcome and good luck, Dreamers.
!SUNSHINE
Despite the seemingly cold reception, once you step inside the tower, there's no sign of danger... hell, it's not even cold inside, despite the cold wind that you just had to walk through. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It's warm.
Weirdly, despite the massive size of the tower, the inside of this first floor is smaller than it should be, like a reverse Tardis, a tall cylinder-shaped room the size of a small building despite the gargantuan size of the structure you've just entered. This, Dreamers, is the designated safe zone of the Disturbance. There are no enemies to be seen, it's warm in contrast to the light chill outside of the tower, and in the very center of the room is a marble statue of certain girl who Hibiki has almost-definitely told a good number of her fellow Dreamers about.
The warmth of this room seems to emanate specifically from that statue, and if you stay near it, you'll find that any injuries you may have sustained while ascending the tower will begin to slowly heal, and your energy will be rejuvenated. The pedestal on which she stands is lovingly engraved with the words "My Sunshine"... but the statue itself seems to have fallen into some neglect, covered in the occasional smudges and areas that are chipped here and there. It's clearly worn... unable to dispel all of Hibiki's pain, all it can do is provide someplace safe and warm.
This is her safety, her warmth, her "sunny spot" that she can always return to. Even with the weight of Hibiki's pain resting just above, it still remains.
Along the wall is a staircase, spiraling up until it reaches the roof, where an opening leads to the real Disurbance. A light chill blows out from it, as if to tell you that there is none of the warmth in this room to be found going up... but still, you must press onward.
...It's worth noting, however, that the statue has her hands out in front of her, cupped as if holding something despite her hands being empty.
Weirdly, despite the massive size of the tower, the inside of this first floor is smaller than it should be, like a reverse Tardis, a tall cylinder-shaped room the size of a small building despite the gargantuan size of the structure you've just entered. This, Dreamers, is the designated safe zone of the Disturbance. There are no enemies to be seen, it's warm in contrast to the light chill outside of the tower, and in the very center of the room is a marble statue of certain girl who Hibiki has almost-definitely told a good number of her fellow Dreamers about.
The warmth of this room seems to emanate specifically from that statue, and if you stay near it, you'll find that any injuries you may have sustained while ascending the tower will begin to slowly heal, and your energy will be rejuvenated. The pedestal on which she stands is lovingly engraved with the words "My Sunshine"... but the statue itself seems to have fallen into some neglect, covered in the occasional smudges and areas that are chipped here and there. It's clearly worn... unable to dispel all of Hibiki's pain, all it can do is provide someplace safe and warm.
This is her safety, her warmth, her "sunny spot" that she can always return to. Even with the weight of Hibiki's pain resting just above, it still remains.
Along the wall is a staircase, spiraling up until it reaches the roof, where an opening leads to the real Disurbance. A light chill blows out from it, as if to tell you that there is none of the warmth in this room to be found going up... but still, you must press onward.
...It's worth noting, however, that the statue has her hands out in front of her, cupped as if holding something despite her hands being empty.
!FIRST BLOCK
If you were still expecting architecture that makes sense for the shape of the tower outside, then this section should promptly dissuade you away from any idea that the interior of this tower is going to make any kind of sense. While the first floor was smaller on the inside than it should have been, the floors above are the exact opposite. The floors are far larger and far more expansive than what should be structurally possible, and the layout...
...Well, it can only be described as a labyrinth. It's a maze of long and winding, decrepit narrow hallways. There are lights along the ceiling, but all of them are broken, leaving every part of this section almost pitch black. The hallways themselves are nothing too remarkable... smooth tiled floors, and doors intermittently lining the walls... though if you try to open them, more often than not it's just a blank wall behind it. On a few rare occasions, though, a door will open... and if at this point your eyes have finally adjusted to the dark (or if you have a source of light), you'll find yourself in an empty and decrepit classroom.
In fact, this entire labyrinth consists of a school hallway... a bit more on the modern side, but completely decrepit, drained of any possible welcoming nature it might've had. In fact, due to how dark and decrepit it is—especially considering the complete lack of windows no matter where you look—it feels more like some kind of underground institution or abandoned evil lair. But the facts don't lie... the rooms are undoubtedly classrooms, though most of the desks are overturned as if a tornado blew through it, and like everywhere else here, the environment is worn as if exposed to the elements for a long, long time. On a few rare occasions, you might even find yourself in a school bathroom... but they aren't in a much better state.
But hey wait a second... what the heck is this red mist rising from the ground?
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If you were wary of the red mist, then you were right to be... but the mist is everywhere, not even the classrooms are safe from it... and the only way through is forward, right? At the very least, it doesn't seem to be harmful. You can still breathe just fine. Hell, you can only notice it if your eyes adjust to the dark enough to see the color in the air, or if you happen to have a source of light. Perfectly harmless!
...at least, at first.
While there's no need to worry about actual damage, the longer you spend on this floor, the more you will start to feel... sluggish, but not because of anything physical. You yourself are not weakening... but your weapons are getting heavier. Your magic is taking more effort to cast, your abilities are draining you more than they should be. Your body is not getting weaker, that much is certain. Put away your weapon and don't use too much of your powers and you're just fine... but the second you do, you'll find that doing more than what the average human is capable of is slowly becoming more and more draining. It's like a debuff that's slowly getting worse and worse...
Which is bad, because unfortunately, you're not alone in here. At last, Torments start to appear... or at the very least... really weird-looking Torments... weird in terms of the way they look, sure, but more than that... it's hard to even see them, and the darkness sure isn't helping. Certain portions of them are bright red and clearly visible, but the rest of them is hazy and transparent.
But no matter how hard it is to see them, the threat is very real. They may not seem like they have any weapons at first... but they move fast, practically throwing themselves at any Dreamers they come across... and you really don't want them to connect with you directly. It's fine when your weapons strike them, but touching them any other way results in pain like an electric shock, like being stung by a jellyfish... but unlike Jellyfish, these things WANT to latch onto you.
Fortunately, they're pretty squishy, and are pretty easy to deal with... provided you can hit them. Hitting the glowing red parts of these Torments is a guaranteed hit, and just one hit will usually result in the entire thing crumbling into dust... but swing at any part that's transparent, and your weapon will go straight through. Even worse, while your weapon might phase through, your body wont, and touching these things with anything other than your weapon all goes the same way. They aren't powerful, but they're annoying, fast, effective, and most importantly... a lot of them.
Despite the disadvantage... there is one saving grace for the more unfortunate in battle. Though there's no particular trigger for this, if a Dreamer finds themselves in a pinch and thinks of retreating back to the first floor... the nearest door will promptly swing open, a blinding light bursting from within that the Torments will hiss away from. Run through this door... and you will find yourself emerging out of the wall in the first floor, where the gentle warmth will immediately start to rejuvenate you.
...are you being given a chance to give up and go home? Or are you being told to try again?
Though it seems like there's no good answer to them, let alone a good hint... the answer to getting past these things comes surprisingly easily. If a Dreamer has any song-based abilities, or if you're accompanying such a Dreamer, it becomes clear as soon as you begin combat.
In the presence of singing, these Torments suddenly lose all transparency, gaining color and becoming fully solid no matter where you hit them. In fact, you don't even have to have any song-inclined powers. The instant anybody in the area starts to sing, not only do all Torments within earshot solidify (becoming easy to both see and hit), but the previously-stated debuff will lose it's effectiveness on you.
It doesn't even have to be good singing. In fact, the definition of what counts as "singing" seems to be extremely broad here. Even if you're replacing lyrics to a song that you've forgotten with hums, or even straight-up get a song wrong... hell you could even be completely tone deaf. As long as the singer in question views what they're doing as "singing", it seems to count! Better start thinking of your favorite songs, Dreamers.
!FIRST STAIRS
As this is a maze, it follows logically that there is a goal... and fortunately, finding it is only a matter of time. The layout of the maze itself is completely static, and while the walls are sturdy and resist destruction, there's nothing stopping Dreamers from marking the walls however they want. Finding the goal is only a matter of time...
The goal being a single doorway... with the door in question having been blown completely off of it's hinges, wrecked and bent out of shape, laying on the opposite wall. Inside the room is another classroom... but more importantly, at the back of the room is a large staircase where the wall should be, leading up into truly pitch-black darkness. Finally, a way up... one can only hope the rest of the disturbance isn't this tedious...
But there's one more thing in the room... a desk in perfect condition, upright rather than flipped over or tossed aside... or well, physically it's in good condition, but...
One can hardly look at the rough and jagged text that's been carved into the desk itself, all insults and the like... and think it's in good condition, can they? It's very clearly the desk of someone who's been rather ruthlessly bullied, and if you go to investigate...
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: ...the instant you get too close to the desk, a new enemy drops from the ceiling with a violent snarl. Though it's only about the size of a small dog, it's fast, hits hard, and unlike the previous enemies you've faced... this one doesn't go down in one blow. Still, though it's fast and at it's best in this enclosed space, having multiple Dreamers in the room will make dealing with it much easier, as it can't do much more other than attack physically with it's claws and teeth.
Fortunately, once it takes enough damage, it disappears like any other Torment... but while it's active, an invisible wall will form in front of the stairs, preventing you from passing until it's been defeated. Not investigating the desk means that you can skip the fight entirely, but once it appears, the only way to escape is by leaving the classroom... but it'll stay there until it's defeated. At the very least, there can only be one active at a time, so approaching the desk while it's already attacking won't cause another one to spawn.
However once you defeat it and it fades away like any other Torment, something appears on the desk. A framed picture, fixed to the desk and unable to be taken out of this room. Inside the frame is a picture of a middle-aged man wearing a suit and bearing a considerable resemblance to the girl next to him—and a younger Hibiki, around 12 to 13 years old and in a cute school uniform. It looks to be a first-day-of-school picture, the kind that parents take with their kids right in front of the school building as something special to be remembered. With that in mind, combined with their resemblance to each other... it's easy to figure out who the guy is.
The people in the picture look happy. It's a perfect picture, a bright sky and big smiles on both father and daughter...
...and yet the glass inside the frame is cracked, a long jagged line cutting between them.
You can now proceed up the stairs, Dreamers. The picture remains fixed to the desk, and the desk is fixed to the floor, meaning there's no removing it from that spot. Given enough time, the picture will disappear, and the next Dreamer to approach the desk will find themselves attacked... and following the monster's defeat, the picture will appear once more.
The goal being a single doorway... with the door in question having been blown completely off of it's hinges, wrecked and bent out of shape, laying on the opposite wall. Inside the room is another classroom... but more importantly, at the back of the room is a large staircase where the wall should be, leading up into truly pitch-black darkness. Finally, a way up... one can only hope the rest of the disturbance isn't this tedious...
But there's one more thing in the room... a desk in perfect condition, upright rather than flipped over or tossed aside... or well, physically it's in good condition, but...
One can hardly look at the rough and jagged text that's been carved into the desk itself, all insults and the like... and think it's in good condition, can they? It's very clearly the desk of someone who's been rather ruthlessly bullied, and if you go to investigate...
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: ...the instant you get too close to the desk, a new enemy drops from the ceiling with a violent snarl. Though it's only about the size of a small dog, it's fast, hits hard, and unlike the previous enemies you've faced... this one doesn't go down in one blow. Still, though it's fast and at it's best in this enclosed space, having multiple Dreamers in the room will make dealing with it much easier, as it can't do much more other than attack physically with it's claws and teeth.
Fortunately, once it takes enough damage, it disappears like any other Torment... but while it's active, an invisible wall will form in front of the stairs, preventing you from passing until it's been defeated. Not investigating the desk means that you can skip the fight entirely, but once it appears, the only way to escape is by leaving the classroom... but it'll stay there until it's defeated. At the very least, there can only be one active at a time, so approaching the desk while it's already attacking won't cause another one to spawn.
However once you defeat it and it fades away like any other Torment, something appears on the desk. A framed picture, fixed to the desk and unable to be taken out of this room. Inside the frame is a picture of a middle-aged man wearing a suit and bearing a considerable resemblance to the girl next to him—and a younger Hibiki, around 12 to 13 years old and in a cute school uniform. It looks to be a first-day-of-school picture, the kind that parents take with their kids right in front of the school building as something special to be remembered. With that in mind, combined with their resemblance to each other... it's easy to figure out who the guy is.
The people in the picture look happy. It's a perfect picture, a bright sky and big smiles on both father and daughter...
...and yet the glass inside the frame is cracked, a long jagged line cutting between them.
You can now proceed up the stairs, Dreamers. The picture remains fixed to the desk, and the desk is fixed to the floor, meaning there's no removing it from that spot. Given enough time, the picture will disappear, and the next Dreamer to approach the desk will find themselves attacked... and following the monster's defeat, the picture will appear once more.
!SECOND BLOCK
From here, it actually starts to feel like you're ascending something. The layout is still very much a labyrinth, but instead of one massive floor, this block consists of many floors, each with a single staircase that leads to yet another floor above.
With that said, the aesthetics certainly aren't any less unsettling... though on the bright side, it's considerably better. Gone are the decrepit and cramped school hallways, the environment this time is considerably less cramped, leaving plenty of room for Dreamer's to jump and run around on the more stone-like surface. Sinister roots spread throughout the entire block, however, glowing with an eerie red light... though on the bright side, this does result in this block being considerably better lit in comparison to the previous one.
Still, these floors are considerably more reasonable in size, making exploration here a matter of finding the stairs, ascending to the next floor, and repeating... and there's a considerable amount of floors to climb as well. Specifically, thirty of them, and they're littered with the same weird-looking Torments from the first block (and yes, you do still need to sing to make them easier to fight)... but this time, they aren't the main threat.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Unlike the first block, where the main threat were the Torments, this block is a bit more proactive in it's rejection of any Dreamers attempting to make their way higher. Namely, Dreamers must now deal with the bread and butter of any good labyrinth... traps. Among them are the more stereotypical traps... step on a hidden switch in the floor and the walls will suddenly open up to fire beams... or maybe Torments will suddenly spawn all around you.
While most of the roots snaking along the stoney surfaces are completely unmoving, Dreamers will figure out that it's better to err on the side of caution and avoid stepping on any of the roots. For the most part, nothing will happen if you do, but there's a small chance that the instant the root is touched by a Dreamer, it will suddenly spring to life and lash at the Dreamer in question. These roots are powerful, striking hard, having a spiked tip, and being extremely sturdy. Fortunately, they're unable to move too far from their spot, and will settle down if left alone for a moment.
It's important, however, to avoid being grabbed by the roots... because if they manage to wrap around you, whether it be your waist or just one of your limbs, it will tighten like a vice, pull you into the air, and throw you at the wall...
...and the wall will open up just long enough to create a slippery tunnel for you to fly into, and at the end of it... is the outside of the tower.
Specifically, the outside of the tower... at a very high altitude. You have just been quite literally thrown back outside. The tunnel will close up right away, and the parts of the tower that you're launched out of seem to be completely random, so there's no way back inside once you've been tossed out... other than the entrance at the bottom.
You can, of course, try to recover and avoid going through the hole in the wall once you've been thrown... but if you can't?
Time to try again, Dreamers.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT #2:Alas, while it would be nice if the traps were the only problems on this floor... this Disturbance seems to be eager to be very, very mean. Is that ironic, considering who's at the heart of this? In any case, beyond the traps, there is one more thing you have to look out for.
Roaming throughout the floors are featureless humanoid figures made out of the same material as the roots snaking throughout this floor. They patrol the floors without any particular pattern, and they don't have any facial features... save for two glowing red circles where the eyes should be... and if those eyes spot a Dreamer?
They loud a deafening roar and charge straight at you while their shape morphs and changes... to resemble you. Upon spotting a Dreamer (or Dreamers if there's more than one), it will select one and become a copy of one of the Dreamers it can see, becoming a perfect, grey-colored replica... save for an unsettling lack of facial features outside of glowing red eyes.
These enemies are fierce, relentless, and copy the abilities of whichever Dreamer they've changed into... though their fighting styles will be extremely aggressive, regardless of whatever fighting style the Dreamer they've copied prefers, mindlessly aiming only to attack the intruders they've spotted.
These Root Doppelgangers cannot be reasoned with, and while it's possible to run away from them, how much success you have will depend on which Dreamer they've copied. Fortunately, once a doppelganger has assumed the form of a Dreamer, it cannot change it's form again, even if you manage to escape it. In the event that it loses track of it's targets, it will return to patrolling the floor, but it will remain in the same form of the Dreamer it copied, even if a completely different Dreamer comes across it, which means it's entirely possible for you to come across a Doppelganger that's already changed into the form of another Dreamer.
The Root Doppelgangers will also attempt to do the same thing that the roots do... namely, if given the opportunity, they will try to throw you at the wall and eject you from the tower using the same method.
!TOP FLOOR
Finally, finally... you've made it to the top. You should be grateful, at least, that despite the staggering height of the tower from the outside that rivals big city skyscrapers... you did not have to climb nearly as many floors. It's almost like it was made to be much easier than it looks... but at the same time, the climb was made absurdly tedious.
Still, despite the frequent hazard of being knocked all the way back down to the bottom and being made to try again from the beginning, it's only a matter of time before Dreamers begin to understand how the tower works, how to best navigate it, deal with it's hazards, and eventually reach the top...
...or at the very least, the top floor, right before the roof. Once you enter this room, one thing becomes immediately apparent.
It's really, REALLY cold. Mind, with the exception of the entrance, this entire Disturbance has had a bit of a chill to it... but this is something else. It's so cold that you're able to see your breath in the air. Hell, ice is even forming on parts of the wall and floor. There's no particular source of the cold to be seen, but...
There in the middle of the room, just like the first floor, is a marble statue. This time the statue is of Hibiki herself... and it's covered in ice and frost. The statue isn't completely frozen over, but it's certainly getting there. Icicles have formed on just about every downward-facing surface, frost has accumulated along the sides, and actual ice is starting to form on her limbs... as well as ice coming from Hibiki's eyes, taking the appearance of frozen tears.
She's in the same pose as the Miku statue at the bottom of the tower, too... but her hands are actually holding something. In her frozen palms, there is a single red heart-shaped gemstone the size of her fist... though ice has begun to form around it as well.
Additionally, also inside the room... is a radio, sitting inconspicuously in the middle of the room, strangely immune to the frost that's accumulating in the rest of the room.
Whether anybody approaches it or not, soon after Dreamers enter the room and take notice of it, it suddenly turns on and starts to play something... something that, unbeknownst to anybody on the floor proper, starts to play throughout the entire disturbance as well.
"Man... I seriously didn't think I'd meet you again here of all places..."
"...Mm, me neither."
"A-Ah, not that it's a bad thing, though! See, I'd actually been thinking of you recently, so..."
"..."
"A-Anyway, I'm glad you reached out! Really, I am! I uh, didn't get a chance to get your number during the festival after you ran off, so..."
"..."
"Nn... Hibiki, listen, I—"
"Why did you do it?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you do it? Why did you leave? We needed... I needed you back then..."
"A-Aah... you're um... upset about that, huh?"
"Of course I am..."
"Hm? What was that?"
"...Nothing."
"Aha, well... l-listen, daddy was going through some rough times back then! You know all about that, right!? I was...
"...You were what?"
"I was becoming... L-Listen, it's not important. The point is that it was better if I left, for both you and your mom."
"But... but you didn't even say anything! How am I supposed to understand if you don't...!"
(There's the sound of hands clapping together.)
"Sorry! Seriously, sorry...!! But... it's been long enough, hasn't it?"
"...Huh?"
"Well... it's been a long time, hasn't it? One, two... four years now, right?"
"...Yeah, and?"
"Well... seeing you got me thinking... see, I've really been missing you and your Mom lately, but I didn't know how to find you guys again... so us meeting up again like this, it must be fate, right? So I figured... maybe I'd try to reconnect, y'know?"
"Re... connect?"
"I-I mean, I know your mom is probably WAY more pissed at me than you are, but... but see that's why it's perfect that I ran into you first! Cuz' then you could come with me and help me out!"
"Wh..."
"Seriously, I can't imagine your Mom even giving me the time of day, but... but you get me, don't you, Hibiki? If you vouch for me, I'm sure things will work out."
"What are you..."
"I know I've got a lot to make up for, but it'll be just like old times, won't it? Ah, are you still friends with that Miku girl? You two have always been toge—"
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"
(There's the sound of Hibiki suddenly standing up and slamming her fists on some kind of surface, and a chair being pushed back rapidly and skidding against the floor. After that, a moment of silence...)
"...I um, guess I was asking too much?"
(There's a rummaging sound, like a bag being picked up and hoisted over the shoulder, followed quickly by the sounds of feet hitting the floor hard, the sound of a person stomping away...)
"A-Ah, wait! Hibiki!!"
(The sound stops.)
"I, um... the bill... see, I don't have any money on me right now, so..."
The playback comes to a halt with the sound of a record screech, and starts to play again from the beginning... though this time only from the radio itself, NOT throughout the entire Disturbance. The playback is looped, so anybody who comes in after this will be able to hear it as soon as they enter the room. Once the first playback has ended, however... a large and ominous door opens, revealing stairs leading up to the roof.
Still, despite the frequent hazard of being knocked all the way back down to the bottom and being made to try again from the beginning, it's only a matter of time before Dreamers begin to understand how the tower works, how to best navigate it, deal with it's hazards, and eventually reach the top...
...or at the very least, the top floor, right before the roof. Once you enter this room, one thing becomes immediately apparent.
It's really, REALLY cold. Mind, with the exception of the entrance, this entire Disturbance has had a bit of a chill to it... but this is something else. It's so cold that you're able to see your breath in the air. Hell, ice is even forming on parts of the wall and floor. There's no particular source of the cold to be seen, but...
There in the middle of the room, just like the first floor, is a marble statue. This time the statue is of Hibiki herself... and it's covered in ice and frost. The statue isn't completely frozen over, but it's certainly getting there. Icicles have formed on just about every downward-facing surface, frost has accumulated along the sides, and actual ice is starting to form on her limbs... as well as ice coming from Hibiki's eyes, taking the appearance of frozen tears.
She's in the same pose as the Miku statue at the bottom of the tower, too... but her hands are actually holding something. In her frozen palms, there is a single red heart-shaped gemstone the size of her fist... though ice has begun to form around it as well.
Additionally, also inside the room... is a radio, sitting inconspicuously in the middle of the room, strangely immune to the frost that's accumulating in the rest of the room.
Whether anybody approaches it or not, soon after Dreamers enter the room and take notice of it, it suddenly turns on and starts to play something... something that, unbeknownst to anybody on the floor proper, starts to play throughout the entire disturbance as well.
The playback begins with an older man's voice, followed by... Hibiki's voice?
"Man... I seriously didn't think I'd meet you again here of all places..."
"...Mm, me neither."
"A-Ah, not that it's a bad thing, though! See, I'd actually been thinking of you recently, so..."
"..."
"A-Anyway, I'm glad you reached out! Really, I am! I uh, didn't get a chance to get your number during the festival after you ran off, so..."
"..."
"Nn... Hibiki, listen, I—"
"Why did you do it?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you do it? Why did you leave? We needed... I needed you back then..."
"A-Aah... you're um... upset about that, huh?"
"Of course I am..."
"Hm? What was that?"
"...Nothing."
"Aha, well... l-listen, daddy was going through some rough times back then! You know all about that, right!? I was...
"...You were what?"
"I was becoming... L-Listen, it's not important. The point is that it was better if I left, for both you and your mom."
"But... but you didn't even say anything! How am I supposed to understand if you don't...!"
(There's the sound of hands clapping together.)
"Sorry! Seriously, sorry...!! But... it's been long enough, hasn't it?"
"...Huh?"
"Well... it's been a long time, hasn't it? One, two... four years now, right?"
"...Yeah, and?"
"Well... seeing you got me thinking... see, I've really been missing you and your Mom lately, but I didn't know how to find you guys again... so us meeting up again like this, it must be fate, right? So I figured... maybe I'd try to reconnect, y'know?"
"Re... connect?"
"I-I mean, I know your mom is probably WAY more pissed at me than you are, but... but see that's why it's perfect that I ran into you first! Cuz' then you could come with me and help me out!"
"Wh..."
"Seriously, I can't imagine your Mom even giving me the time of day, but... but you get me, don't you, Hibiki? If you vouch for me, I'm sure things will work out."
"What are you..."
"I know I've got a lot to make up for, but it'll be just like old times, won't it? Ah, are you still friends with that Miku girl? You two have always been toge—"
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"
(There's the sound of Hibiki suddenly standing up and slamming her fists on some kind of surface, and a chair being pushed back rapidly and skidding against the floor. After that, a moment of silence...)
"...I um, guess I was asking too much?"
(There's a rummaging sound, like a bag being picked up and hoisted over the shoulder, followed quickly by the sounds of feet hitting the floor hard, the sound of a person stomping away...)
"A-Ah, wait! Hibiki!!"
(The sound stops.)
"I, um... the bill... see, I don't have any money on me right now, so..."
The playback comes to a halt with the sound of a record screech, and starts to play again from the beginning... though this time only from the radio itself, NOT throughout the entire Disturbance. The playback is looped, so anybody who comes in after this will be able to hear it as soon as they enter the room. Once the first playback has ended, however... a large and ominous door opens, revealing stairs leading up to the roof.
!DESCENT
All that work, all those floors, all that fighting... and what appeared at the top of the tower wasn't even the Night Terror. There's nowhere else to go, you can't go further up. The only thing above you now is the black sun hanging ominously over the entire area. Hibiki Tachibana is nowhere to be seen.
Well... that's not entirely true, is it? You just saw that statue of her, after all. A statue holding something very precious...
Whether it happens sooner or later, investigate the statue enough and, as it turns out... while the gemstone heart is frozen to Statue Hibiki's hands, it's not actually fastened to it in any other way besides that. Pull hard enough and eventually, it comes free...
...and the instant it does, the door leading to the roof slams shut, preventing you from going to the roof unless the heart is placed back. In it's place, however, another door appears on the opposite side of the room where there was nothing before, and it swings open. Warmth emanates from the door, causing some of the frost in the room to melt... and you can see that the stairs lead down instead of up.
Walk through the opening with the gem heart in-hand, and you'll find yourself having been returned to the safe zone... and hey, isn't the statue of Hibiki's beloved holding out her hands in the exact same way?
Place the heart in the hands of Hibiki's sunshine, and a soft rumble will reverberate throughout the room... before the statue suddenly starts to move. Organically, even. The statue smiles, grips the heart, and holds it close to her chest, and all of the wear and age on her stony body vanishes, restoring her back to pristine condition.
She doesn't move at all after that, seemingly going back to being an unmoving statue... but the podium she's standing on suddenly begins to turn until she's facing the opposite direction, looking directly at the wall opposite of the entrance. A ray of light fires from the heart in her hands, shining on the wall... and where the light hits, the wall turns into an opening.
A dark opening revealing yet a spiral staircase leading down into even less light... and it's not hard to figure out what's waiting for you down there.
Alas, once four Dreamers go through, the light suddenly fades... and the opening vanishes. You can't all go in, folks... best to just wish those who went inside the best of luck.
They might need it, after all.
Well... that's not entirely true, is it? You just saw that statue of her, after all. A statue holding something very precious...
Whether it happens sooner or later, investigate the statue enough and, as it turns out... while the gemstone heart is frozen to Statue Hibiki's hands, it's not actually fastened to it in any other way besides that. Pull hard enough and eventually, it comes free...
...and the instant it does, the door leading to the roof slams shut, preventing you from going to the roof unless the heart is placed back. In it's place, however, another door appears on the opposite side of the room where there was nothing before, and it swings open. Warmth emanates from the door, causing some of the frost in the room to melt... and you can see that the stairs lead down instead of up.
Walk through the opening with the gem heart in-hand, and you'll find yourself having been returned to the safe zone... and hey, isn't the statue of Hibiki's beloved holding out her hands in the exact same way?
Place the heart in the hands of Hibiki's sunshine, and a soft rumble will reverberate throughout the room... before the statue suddenly starts to move. Organically, even. The statue smiles, grips the heart, and holds it close to her chest, and all of the wear and age on her stony body vanishes, restoring her back to pristine condition.
She doesn't move at all after that, seemingly going back to being an unmoving statue... but the podium she's standing on suddenly begins to turn until she's facing the opposite direction, looking directly at the wall opposite of the entrance. A ray of light fires from the heart in her hands, shining on the wall... and where the light hits, the wall turns into an opening.
A dark opening revealing yet a spiral staircase leading down into even less light... and it's not hard to figure out what's waiting for you down there.
Alas, once four Dreamers go through, the light suddenly fades... and the opening vanishes. You can't all go in, folks... best to just wish those who went inside the best of luck.
They might need it, after all.
MID-TIER COMBAT ENCOUNTER: DÁINSLEIF
NIGHTMARE ENCOUNTER
♫ Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX OST - 03 - Shuumatsu no Yonkishi
When you step out onto the roof, the very top of the tower, you’ll find that the top of the tower actually extends a little above the colorful outer-exterior, and the actual tip is much more tree-like... at least in the sense that it’s shaped much like you’re standing in the middle of the trunk of a massive tree that’s been cut down. Though the material itself is much harder and much colder than wood could ever be, not to mention the glowing red lines running throughout.
Above you, the dark sun still looms unfathomably high directly above you, completely out of reach despite how high up you now are. The wind is cold and harsh, though fortunately not enough to blow anybody over, and in the center of the platform… a twisted looking sword sticks out of the floor, glowing ominously… and is it just you, or is the eye in the hilt following you?
Keep your distance and nothing happens… but once somebody comes within a certain distance of the sword, a dark miasma suddenly erupts from the sword, and soon after that, something massive drops in from the sky… hitting the ground with a powerful crash.
The sword is drawn out of the ground, rapidly growing in size to match the being wielding it. As the dust clears, what stands before you is an armored behemoth around ten feet in size, the sword having grown just as much to match. Sinister red energy bursts violently out of it’s body like flames, as if barely being contained by it’s own armor. It stomps forward, gleaming red eyes locked on it’s targets.
Due to how large the Nightmare is, it's understandably on the slower and more cumbersome side. In compensation for this, however, it is unbelievably capable in terms of both sheer strength and sturdiness. Sinister flames burst out from within the massive suit of armor at all times, making it dangerous to even touch as well.
On top of that, any injuries dealt to a Dreamer by this Nightmare will not heal until the Nightmare has been vanquished. It is immune to fire-based attacks, and though you can try to simply keep your distance and fight it at range, if the Nightmare fails to close the distance between itself and a Dreamer for too long, it will let out a massive roar and launch a barrage of flaming arrows from it's own body in an AOE that covers the entire roof.
Finally, as a reminder, Dreamers should be very careful to avoid falling off the tower or being knocked off, as there is nothing to stop you from going over. While it is possible to Aclimb back up if you don’t fall too far, the tower isn’t exactly climber-friendly, having remotely nothing in the way of places to grip.
WIN CONDITIONS:
⧖ At least 3 characters must show up to fight
⧖ At least 15 comments must be posted across 2 threads.
no subject
She manages to avoid getting blown away by the Nightmare dropping in with a burst of fire and an intimidating stature.
Oh. So this is what's keeping Hibiki here. Ruby pulls out her whip, the rope lighting up with a loud crack.]
Get out of my way.
no subject
R- [ Pause. Swallow. ] ... Soleil-chan, we can't be reckless about this.
[ She calls her own Sandglass to hand in a flurry of light. ]
... if I support you, can you fight?
no subject
identifying her emotions, whether she even has emotions in the typical sense, is difficult for kenko. but right now, more than anything else, kenko knows that she is furious.
it's only because ai-doll is right there that ghost doesn't charge in the moment she sees the nightmare. ]
...I... [ she pauses. ] I don't know what to- no. I don't know how to say it. [ her voice is its usual monotone. ] It's, [ another pause. ] frustrating. I think.
So I'll just punch it instead. With you. [ kenko slides into a fighting stance. ]
no subject
Well, maybe that isn't fully true. Kenko seems to at least share the feelings with her. Frustrating...yeah, that's a good word for it.]
Yeah. I can. Ai-Doll-san, Ghost-chan, Tycoon-kun... [She looks at the group that's gathered and her gaze shifts into a different kind of determined light just for that moment.]
Let's punch it for Gungnir-chan.
no subject
[ Ai-Doll strikes the ground with her Sandglass and a sharp, determined melody starts to fill the air around them. Maybe it's not very idol-y but right now, would a song like that really be fitting? ]
I'll have your backs, so don't be afraid to go all out.
no subject
her fist connects, along with all the fury she feels on hibiki's behalf. the rage putting a tiny crack in the nightmare's armor, and-
agony sears her knuckles. the nightmare's carapace surges with fire, leaving a lasting burn on ghost's fingers. she almost ignores the pain; after all, her own hurt doesn't matter, not in the face of what hibiki is going through. but... but. the words of kenko's mentor echo.
ai-doll can see the hesitation, but ghost retreats into the nightmare's blind spot instead of continuing her assault. ]
...it burns. Keep your distance. [ this is the best course of action. ai-doll was right back then. she needs to let her allies take some of the burden instead of burning herself to cinders just to put a few more dents in the nightmare.
even so... is this really all kenko can do? that question stings harder than the pain in her hand.]
no subject
The flames coming off of the Nightmare aren't exactly welcoming, since Ghost's hand looks to be singed.]
Got it! [The dent she left, however, is a significant help in providing Soleil with a target.] Take this, you big creep!
[Ruby swings her whip to strike at the same spot with the intent of making the chink in the armor even larger.]
no subject
[ They've both gotten so strong. Fierce pride and a helpless, protective fondness flare in her chest as she thinks that Hibiki, too, should be here - rather than trapped in her own fear and hurt, she should be fighting alongside her fellow Dreamers. But maybe that kind of thinking is wrong, too - maybe being strong for so long is why Hibiki's here in the first place. If you run too long on an aching limb, something will eventually rupture so is a place like this what that looks like for Dreamers? ]
Don't let it touch you! [ At her command, Super Motor activates - she can't make them invulnerable, but the magic makes both of them lighter on their feet. ] If you can't attack without taking damage yourself, fall back until there's an opening!
1/3
the clarity of purpose that came with her anger on hibiki's behalf transmutes and explodes outward. an overwhelming tide of white-hot static, running rampant through her veins. it's too much- how is she supposed to think through this torrent? what is she even feeling?
"i don't understand." kenko's lost count of how many times she's uttered those words. she's tried so many times to navigate her self, but unlike normal humans- real humans- she doesn't have a compass. what is she supposed to do?
ai-doll's song cuts through the noise, bringing kenko back to her senses in time to dodge the nightmare's blade. as it pries the gigantic sword out of the floor, kenko remembers when she had met ai. she'd caught kenko dancing, acting out one of her b-komachi's routines. it made sense at the time. after all, ai looked so happy on stage, and kenko wanted to know what that felt like. another emotion that kenko couldn't identify washed it away, but... in that moment... kenko realizes that she really did feel happy.
she turns, locking eyes with ruby.
"But you’re a real person too? You just haven’t really figured out what 'Kenko-chan' is like just yet."
that's when kenko realizes that she's been going about this all wrong. ]
2/3
But I understand other people- no, that's not right. I understand what they make. When I look at what they write, how they act out their parts, the way they sing... I can see every emotion they put into their art.
It's beautiful. I thought... I thought I could never reach it. That it's impossible for something like me.
I want to, though! More than anything else! [ for the first time in her life, kenko is shouting, her flat voice trembling ever-so-slightly. her dreamer form glows, specks of light floating all around her. ] Because when I sing and dance, I can feel it, all those emotions—anger, love, sadness, all of it!—that were put into those words, those steps. For just a few moments, I can feel like... like I'm a real human being!
For the longest time, I thought I didn't deserve to, but... Ruby-san. I've finally figured out who I want to be. I won't stand in my own way for a single second longer!
[ the studs on her gloves break, and kenko is enveloped in a cocoon of sand. the nightmare swings at it, blade carving a fiery arc through the air... but something deflects it, cutting through the sand, as kenko's voice joins ai's in song. ]
They say the future’s open wide, but I still feel I’ve lost my stride
I gave up dreams, but deep inside, I haven’t really tried
I realized it's wrong to live, not knowing what I really seek
The walls I built to hide away, I’m ready now to break...
3/3
she can feel it. the pain, the resolve, it all shines in her heart. it's beautiful in a way kenko never thought she'd be able to feel. ]
Drifting away in this hazy flavour
Even pain, anger, and sorrow melt away, but
Facing what is right, I know the things I don't want to see
will surely meet my eyes
Bid farewell, forget half-hearted prayers
Can I make these stains disappear somehow?
Now, the tears I’ve shed and left behind
I’ll turn them into strength, my trigger aligned
[ dreamer echo's voice is a rich contralto with a sharp edge, bringing light and life to kenko's usually dull expression. she comes in low, firing a few shots at the giant's head as a feint before using the reach of her gunblade to slice at the back of its knees. the flames lick at echo's heels, but she's already gone, backflipping her way back to ai-doll. ]
Ai-doll-san, when this is all over, can you teach me in the waking world too?
no subject
That kind of dream is what's finally waking up Kenko Yoshida, too. Ruby nearly starts crying as she watches Ghost transform into Echo just because of how overwhelmed she is with joy. It pushes her to back up the other young girl, taking advantage of the opening attacking the knee's of the Nightmare leaves to whip a brilliant flash directly into its eyes.]
Kenko-chaaaaan!! You look so cool! [Ruby is beaming, and then looks to Ai expectantly.] Maaaaaa--man, she's really good, Ai-Doll-san! Maybe you could!
no subject
So she's stunned. Stunned silent, even. But that's alright. Kenko's here to do the singing for both of them.
A helpless, delighted laugh bursts out of her before she can stop herself and her smile turns utterly radiant. No matter what else happens in the Dream Sphere, however hard and scary things get, it's moments like this that make her more certain than anything that it really is so beautiful. ]
Ah... ahahah! You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea! Let's finish this thing off and figure it out when we go back to the other side!
kenko is still singing, i'm just not writing it out so that claire doesn't have to t/l more for me
[ echo gives a bright, shining grin, one that'd light up the room even if her dreamer form wasn't still bathed in the afterglow of her transformation. letting her voice carry the song and its iron resolution through her heart, echo dashes back into the fray.
ai-doll's right- even with echo's newfound power, they can't let this fight drag on for much longer. the intensity of the nightmare's flames burn away their chances at victory with every second they delay. a decisive strike was the only way through this obstacle and to hibiki's heart.
so echo leaps toward the nightmare's head, reaching for a clean slice at its neck... but even with ai-doll's support enhancing her agility, she starts to fall short just before she can reach. before her descent can pick up momentum, echo fires the gunblade downward, giving her just enough propulsion to spin around and slash through a chink in its armor. ]
All together now! Just a little more! [ it's both invitation to join in the song and rallying cry. ]
[insert epic lyrics here]
Her voice joins in with Echo and Ai-doll by instinct, as if she's known this particular song her entire life. Right, just a little more, and they can save Hibiki. She'd love hearing about Kenko's singing. Maybe all of them will get to sing together!
Soleil figures that Echo could be able to reach the head of the Nightmare with just a bit of extra assistance, so she makes a bold move to swing her whip around the injured knee of the Nightmare with the aim of knocking it off balance just enough for its neck to be in range.]
no subject
then without. each note that echo sings twinkles into sight behind her, flowing together in musical notation that curves in and around itself, each note, each clef becoming a feather in a pair of beautiful wings.
the words come naturally, like poetry, like a song. ]
My Dream's Melody ~Soul Solo Style!~
[ the wings flare, firing two scythes of light at the nightmare, purifying it into sparkles of light as echo laughs, falling slowly to the ground.
then the song ends, and the light that animated echo's eyes fades with it, the sun setting and giving way to the peaceful night. but even though her expression is as stoic as ever, there's an undeniable glow to kenko's heart as she stares up at the ceiling. ]
Soleil-san. Ai-doll-san. Thank you.
[ pause. ] I'm confused about something, though. [ another pause. ] Soleil-san, is Ai-doll-san your...
no subject
There's no Dreamer up here to be seen. Only the strange sword and that's enough indication that this isn't the heart of the Disturbance. But it needs to be taken care of anyway. Tycoon's specialty is to stay in melee range, his agility making it easy to dodge the hulking behemoth's attacks (and shukuchi making it difficult to hit him even in precarious dodging locations). The only problem is that he is a close ranged fighting and trying to get at the Nightmare when it's body emits flames is definitely a challenge.
With only a katana in hand, Tycoon is woefully out matched but at least he's willing to be the distraction (as ever, as always)]
no subject
[Seeing the way he's currently keeping the Nightmare's attention, Soleil tries to take advantage of the opening by attacking from a slight distance with the range of her whip. It's still precarious for her since the length isn't exactly infinite, but she tries to dart out of range as soon as she can. The four of them can handle this, right?]