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.
stairwell
Not that Hanako was against Dreamers having some fun-- honestly, there were too many that were either too scared or too serious to really enjoy themselves around here, and he was always one to advocate for a few antics (as long as it didn't cause any serious harm or damage, natch). But... it was Nikki. And there was a part of him that kinda wanted to let those two duke it out while he just... snuck his way up the staircase and pretended he didn't see them. Blue Boy seemed to be enjoying himself well enough on his own, right...?
But before he can go and do just that, however, Sonic calls out to him, halting him right in his tracks. Darn-- he should have turned on his invisibility faster. Not that it matters, because the stairwell was blocked off anyway, but...]
I dunno, it looks more like a Busu, if you ask me.
[HANAKO...... granted, the critter was pretty darn ugly, what with the toothy maw and oddly shaped body, but it's still kinda rude to name it that????
... well. If he's going to be stuck here with Nikki for the time being, he may as well make the best of it-- namely, by being a little shit. Not like he's ever gotten a rise out of Nikki yet, but it doesn't stop him from trying!]
You're taking an awfully long time to beat up a lil' thing like that, though. You're not having trouble with it, are you?
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[wha- when'd he end up next to Hanako? Well, he's currently standing next to Hanako (a little shorter, because he's not floating) hand on his chin as the Torment stares them both down, as if trying to decide which one to attack now that there's two to choose from]
I don't know, I feel like it's normal for anyone to feel a little- [he holds one his free hand, holding his index and thumb apart just a bit] -bad kicking a dog, you know what I mean?
[if he really buckled down to fight, it would probably be harder to keep track of where he was in the room. As it is... The Torment finishes sizing up the two short Dreamers and charges at them like an angry chihuahua]
How's about a game of tag? [he raps his knuckles against Hanako's elbow] You're it!
[Sonic jumps over the Torment as it lunges at them. On the surface, it looks a little like he's just left Hanako to fend for himself, but he isn't dashing off; attacking head on is just asking for trouble, what with those teeth and claws. So Sonic's trying to get a better angle to hit the Torment... That was probably what he was doing this whole time, but to him, that's obvious and doesn't actually need to be explained.
He trusts that people can pick up on things!]
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[It's all he can do to not jump out of his skin at Sonic's sudden appearance, though he's pretty sure his heart almost lodged itself in his throat right then and there.
Damn you Nikki for getting one up on him again!!!How the hell did he get over here so quickly?? Hanako liked to think he was pretty speedy himself, as a Striker, but this felt like straight up teleporting somehow. Granted, he'd never seen Nikki in battle before this, so if this was some obnoxious skill he had...Once his heart finally settled itself back into his chest again, he can't help but shoot the other boy A Look, the exasperation not very well hidden upon his face.]
Yeah, but if the dog's made of teeth and trying to bite your face off, that's gotta be an exception, right? I mean, I'm more a cat person anyway, so--
[Before he can finish that sentence, however, Nikki goes and initiates that game of tag, leaving him with barely enough time to sputter out his protests before the Torment charges on through. Thankfully, he's quick enough to turn on his intangibility just in time, letting the creature sail right through before it could hit him, though not before sending another peevish look in Nikki's direction. Hanako would be a hypocrite if he said he'd never goofed off himself during some of these things, but was now really the right time for it?? Maybe this was part of some bigger plan...
... or maybe Nikki was just being obnoxious, yet again. Either way, he wasn't about to let him get the upper hand.]
Oh yeah? Sic 'im, Hakujoudai!
[At that, he summons his orby bois into being, ping-ponging them around the small room in a bid to chase the other boy down as he follows after. With the Torment being unable to properly attack him at the moment, chances are it would shift it's focus on Nikki yet again-- and, if the way he had been dodging the beast when he stumbled into this place was any indication, it was likely that it was going to collide with one of his orbs instead. It was admittedly a bit chaotic, but-- hey, he wasn't the one who suggested a game of tag in a small classroom, now was he?]
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And really, Sonic wouldn't have left Hanako hanging like that if he didn't think that the Dreamer had it in him to handle it. Imagine leaving a Novice in the line of fire! What sort of monster do you take Sonic for?!
But he's using his momentum to practically bounce off the walls to dodge the Torment ferociously chasing him down... And the Hakujoudai too, from the looks of it, though Sonic stops now and again to draw the Torment's attention back to himself whenever it starts sniffing around for Hanako before zipping off and out of the way again. At one point, he manages to nearly trap the Torment in between the trajectory of the Hakujoudai, but - and Sonic will lament about this later - he missed his opportunity to attack because he hadn't seen the second orby boy until the last second. The Torment is knocked off it's feet into a heap on the floor after getting hit, but Sonic's already skidded too far away to capitalize on the moment of vulnerability.
He's also still directly in front of it, so running straight back would just send him into the jaws of defeat.
Instead, he shouts over to Hanako;]
Whoa, look out!!
[maybe Hanako can take advantage of it instead?]
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And sure enough, the Hakujoudai smack into the beast, sending it into a heap on the ground, though Hanako can't help but stall momentarily at Nikki's shout, blinking in confusion.]
Whaddya mean, "look out"? I'm not the one in front of it--
[But then the creature starts to stir again, and somehow that gets the gears to turn in his head-- although for what, exactly, he wasn't sure. With how fast this creature was, his Hakujoudai wouldn't hit it again in time, judging by where they were... but throwing his knife at it felt like a dumb move, too. What if he couldn't catch it? It's not like he had any other long range attacks...
... or did he?
He's not sure what prompts the idea, exactly-- maybe it was all the singing earlier, and running into Ai-- but he presses his fingers to his lips, giving the Torment a wink before blowing a kiss in it's direction.]
Supernatural ☆ Kiss!
[At that, a red heart zooms through the air, landing squarely on the beast's rump. The result is... probably not very impressive-- he may as well have thrown a small firecracker at the thing, with the way that heart pops and snaps upon impact-- although it's enough to startle the creature back onto it's feet, flipping about and aiming it's toothy snarl in his direction instead. On the upside, though--]
Now! It's wide open!
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[there's a laugh- No, he's still laughing at the sight, even as he plants his hand and lets momentum swing him around. A brightly colour Ring appears in front of Sonic, hovering placidly in spite of the chaos happening around it. Once it's Dreamer gets sent through it, the Ring propels him forward with added momentum.
Can't believe Sonic's doing more Rider Kicks than Tycoon is--But going straight into the Torment's back at top speed after wearing it down as they have is enough to purify it; the Torment disintegrating moments before the door that it was blocking opens up again. Sonic skids to a halt like a super hero and waits a couple of seconds before hopping back up onto his feet with a grin, hands on his hips before he spins around to give Hanako a thumbs up. Does... Does this guy even know how to slow down?]
And nice shot too! Couldn't've done it without ya!
[he turns to look at the desk in the middle of the room]
I wonder what it was trying to keep people away from though. Think we have some time to investigate before another puppo drops in?
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Uh... y-yeah, sure.
[He can't even get annoyed that Sonic was laughing at his attack just earlier (which like-- okay, so it didn't exactly go as he envisioned, but it wasn't THAT bad!!
no, it was pretty dumb, there's no arguing it) when he went and pulled something like that out of his pocket. How dare this asshole be so corny but so cool!!!His eyes follow Nikki's to the center of the room, though, his dumbfounded expression morphing to something a bit more thoughtful as he takes in the desk.]
Mm... these things usually tend to stay dead after you defeat 'em in here, so we're probably good for a while. [A beat, and then:] I mean, unless someone else decides to join us, that is.
[That sort of seemed like a trend with the kind of Torments that haunted a Disturbance, anyway-- almost like a video game respawn or something. It did stand to question how many times one could defeat these things until they were GONE gone, though. Quietly, he floats on over to the desk, still a bit wary about touching it too much. Everything in these Disturbances were here for a reason, he'd learned, a piece of the person who was stuck inside of it-- and after his own experience, he felt a bit itchy about poking around in somebody else's heart. And judging by what was scrawled upon it...]
As for why... I think I got an idea or two.
[Granted, he never pegged Hibiki as the type to have been bullied, but... maybe that was the point, wasn't it?]
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Hmm... That's good to know.
[Sonic flicks his wrist as he walks past the suspended Ring, causing it to shrink and disappear once again. He doesn't like having his weapon out when he doesn't need to use it. Handy as it is, throwing it at enemies never wound up working very well: that's something he learned early on in his Dreamer career too. But this is his first Disturbance and he doesn't quite realize the impact of what's to be found in here yet. Which is why he walks over to the desk with only a sense of curiosity... Until he gets a proper look at it.
There's a quiet moment where he contemplates it before speaking again;]
So what came first, you think? This- [he taps the broken glass in the frame] -or that? [and he points down to the damaged desk itself]
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He glances over at the other boy when he finally speaks up, surprised he didn't opt for a wise crack or two. But then... this was sort of a hard thing to joke about, wasn't it? At least, not if you weren't totally heartless, anyway. He dwells on the question for a moment or two, before finally:]
... kinda hard to say. People get real weird about things that aren't their business, though.
[He should know-- he had enough experience on that front. Not that it ever got as nasty as the barbed words and insults carved upon this desk, but it was quieter sort of exclusion all the same. At least Promised Academy was relatively more accepting, although it did help to have some friendly faces around, too.]
Maybe something happened with her dad, and it lead to this? Feels kind of like overkill for something she probably had no control over, though.
no subject
... Huh?
[he pulls on it again only to realize it is stuck to the desk. Sonic lets go because he doesn't need to be told twice... Sometimes]
People all over are just like that. You look or act a little different from everyone else and it's all suspicion from there on out. When something suddenly happens that's 'shameful'? Just as bad.
Hmm... [he looks around] Can't say I know Hibiki-chan too well, so your guess is as good as mine as to what's happening. Dad's probably involved in some way, but honestly? The last thing we should be doing is talking about it behind her back.
[a sigh]
Nothing to it then. We just gotta keep climbing.
no subject
Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any invisible landmines hidden in that photo, and his shoulders slump in quiet relief-- at least they didn't have to worry about that after beating that weird dog thing. But even stranger than that-- he finds himself actually... agreeing with Nikki for once? It really wasn't any of their business to be speculating about her past, especially if it involved something as sensitive as this, and... he can't help but respect him a little for that. Though, that said...]
Yeah, well... it's kind of hard not to, in places like these. Disturbances in general tend to have a lot of things on display that people would rather not have us see. Even if we don't talk about it, it'll be in the back of our minds, regardless.
[A pause, and then:]
But... I agree. The only thing we can do now is go forward, and hope someone manages to bust her out of here before it gets any worse.
[Note how he didn't say it would be him, of course-- he was all for rescuing Hibiki, but he had no leg to stand on when it came to convincing her to leave. It was better to leave that for those with less baggage upon their backs.
Though, spoilers, he still gets turned into hamburger by her despite his best efforts, so. RIP BOZOno subject
If these things are made of someone's worst nightmares and anxieties, doesn't that basically mean the back of their mind is right front of us?
[He reaches out to the photo frame again, as if trying to flip it down to try and afford some privacy, but it still won't budge. He lets go with a sigh before turning towards the door, a wry smile on his face]
Oh? Not looking for the glory yourself? [he winks to let Hanako know he's just kidding before he starts making his way over to the previously blocked doorway... At normal speed (which is slow for him)] She'll be fine. Look at all the people here, no one's going to leave her behind...
If it's just matter of getting her physically out of here, she can do it herself. Which means there's something else... And probably a lot of fallout to work through too.
[with a smile;] Think she'll take one of those mental health pamphlets I see on the front desk of the DU?