yumemigaoka | I can get back up however many times it takes [OPEN]

[The taller woman nods.]

I doubt you'd find any more different then me. I....well..

[A frown comes to her face.]

I've made no secret of how much I hate my height. It probably seems so unimportant to anyone else, but it defines almost every part of my life. I won't go into all the ways it does, I did not ask you here to have you listen to me complain. Just know its almost always on my mind.

I am certain this is how I ended up the way I am over there. It made my 'dream' come true. I'm not tall there. I'd say even you are taller then her...rather, me.

[She pauses again, but doesn't allow herself to look away. Her hands gently rest on her sandglass.]

And the truth of the matter is that you've met me as a Dreamer numerous times. I did not tell you for concern of how you'd react, but I believe now it is more important for you to know you can trust your friends. So I won't hide it from you anymore. Or anyone, for that matter. I have already filled out the paperwork to become an official member of the Dreamer Union.

[And yet she doesn't come straight out and say it despite saying she wasn't going to hide it anymore. She must still be feeling a little hesitation.]

[He flinches at both the volume and Hibiki's yelling, fumbling with the buttons on the side of the mic to try to rectify things. Okay, so if that one increased the volume, the other one should bring it down, right--

Maybe it was him moving around the mic too much, or just some stroke of very unfortunate luck, but a loud, metallic screech of feedback echoes from the speakers, getting him to clamp a hand over his own ears.]

GAH--!!

[JUST BECAUSE SHE NEARLY SPLIT YOUR HEAD OPEN DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEED TO DO THE SAME TO HER, AMANE....!!]

There's no such thing as too old to pursue our dreams, Hibiki-chan! Besides, you're still young enough that people don't think it's a huge deal!

If they reject us, that just means we gotta build our own team, you know?

U-Uwaaah…

[ She has a point there, but… ]

Are… are you sure, Ruby-chan…? I mean, I’m only good for singing…

[ But… it does sound fun… and getting to sing properly outside of the Dreamsphere…? Hibiki didn’t think she had it in her for that kind of thing, but now she has Ruby insisting on it. ]

O-Of course. You deserve to be happy.

[ After everything, she means, because Illya hasn't held a single Disturbance against the person in the middle of it - not even Hanako, and that's saying something. She may be holding some stuff against him, yes, but those are different things entirely.

So Illya does wholeheartedly hope that Hibiki can just feel better now she's out of that Disturbance. Now everything can hopefully go back to normal. ]

And I would be a bad guest at a birthday party if I didn't at least bring you a gift, right? So.. um, here you go. [ She holds out the gift to the older girl - though it's hard to tell what it is, it's wrapped up in cutesy wrapping paper.

If Hibiki unwraps it though, she'll be able to see that it's a wireless karaoke microphone, so she can do karaoke even when she isn't at a karaoke place. ]

[Chaosbringer, for his part, simply waves a hand grandiosely to dismiss those concerns.]

Not going all in on the 'damage is everything' position, but you know I'm pretty good at this, and the stronger you get the less the distinction matters. I'll take point and absorb the hits for you guys.

[Plus there's whatever he can borrow off the three of them. Sonic's ability isn't quite useful in the middle of combat, but that leaves two more to Drive. Which he isn't doing to start with -- this definitely isn't the scenario where one cracks out the S-rank power right from the get-go.]

Bonus is, you don't even have to worry about me if some of your attacks get a little vigorous in their areas of effect!

Well, I can help you learn to dance more. I'm pretty good at dancing! It's mostly my singing that needs work, heheh...

[Her karaoke scores indicate as much.]

So I think it'd balance out, especially if we can get a whole group of people!

Well... if you all say so!

[ Not that she has any particular AOE's, even if she did in her Disturbance... but Chaosbringer really is pretty reliable, huh? Hibiki thought that she was pretty reliable herself, but she can't help but have doubts after everything that happened.

Well, how reliable she really is will be clear after this, she hopes. They travel through the Vale, the steep cliffs on either side looming over them. The atmosphere is definitely a little spookier than usual, but that's Halloween for you. If there's really a horde here, then it'd be pretty bad if they got ambushed... but as long as Hibiki has her danger sense, they should be able to react— ]

...! Above us!!

[ Hibiki has to wonder if she's cursed or something... since as soon as she thought of a potential surprise attack, the deep sea creature-type Torments that they're hunting drop down from the cliff ledges above them, letting loose those disorienting sound attacks they were warned about. ]

Edited 2024-10-21 23:30 (UTC)

Ah, well...

[ She'd like to argue that, but... no, her karaoke scores definitely show as much. Though with that said, she'd actually say that Ruby has a pretty good voice... she just needs to learn how to, y'know, use it!

...Maybe that goes for Hibiki as well. ]

Mm... okay, I'm still not totally sure... but it sounds like fun! If you really want me, Ruby-chan, then...

Ack!!

[ Is this it? Is this karma? At least Hibiki already had her hands over her ears, so she managed to avoid the brunt of that feedback, but still... ]

Nn... is it over...?

[ So she asks, carefully taking her hands away from her ears... ]

Ehe... I'm just happy that you all did this for me at all. I totally forgot...

[ Hibiki reaches out to pat Illya on the head. Such a good girl... she's done a lot to cheer Hibiki up lately, she needs to do something for her in return someday. Except Hibiki's not totally sure what a girl Illya's age would like. She's only good at singing and fighting, and she doesn't seem to be very fond of karaoke... maybe training? No that doesn't seem right either...

...Ah, but maybe she should think about that after she opens Illya's present. She carefully unwraps the cutesy wrapping and... ]

Ah! A microphone! Ehe! Illya-chan, I'm not that karaoke obsessed, am I!? Oh, I guess I kind of am! Ahaha!

[ Still, she's gonna ruffle Illya's hair a little. ]

[ Hibiki listens, her head still tilted in confusion. Someone she's met lots of times, shorter than her, only now becoming an official member of the DU...

...Hibiki's eyes widen, and finally the pieces that have already been laid out start to click together. ]

Wait... wait wait wait wait...

[ Hibiki squints at Karen, as if examining every inch of her face... and suddenly she's reaching forward and putting her hands on Karen's cheeks as well, squishing them a little. ]

Wait...

[ ~~Said for what, the sixth time now?~~ Hey... didn't someone say that they wanted to meet up with her and tell her something? ]

...No way.

[ She's starting to piece it together, but it looks like disbelief is serving as one final barrier... ]

[Sonic's pointing and nodding along with LLEN's explanation before he whistles admiringly at Chaosbringer... Or it might have been admiring from anyone else. From Sonic, it comes off a little more teasing and much less serious.

Like Hibiki though, Sonic doesn't have any AOEs to be worried about. They'd just left a Disturbance, but there's (hopefully) no reason to still be disturbed... Right?

Sonic looks up roughly at the same time that Gungir does (or in reaction?). The next thing that happens are his ears flattening against his head as he darts out of the landing zone]

How nice of them to drop in! [there's always time to quip, it seems. But he's a close range combatant himself, so once everyone sounds off, it's just a matter of jumping in and fighting. Easy enough, right?]

[Karen shifts a little uncomfortably in her seat when things start to come together. She didn't expect Hibiki to be angry with her, she didn't seem the type of person to do that. But as she'd said, she was still worried about the reaction. After spending so long playing pretend, would she even be considered a trustworthy person?

Her eyes go wide as hands reach for her face. She had no idea what was going through the other girl's head.]

E..eh...eh?!

[Its tough to even find words to describe the shock she feels from the sudden cheek squishing. She sputters in a futile attempt to even speak, and finally manages to get herself under control enough to do so. Her words are slightly muffled due to face squishing, though.]

Its.....well, just look at this! Remember it?

[She hastily digs into her pocket, and takes out her keys and, more specifically. her rather distinct keychain. Shaped like the same gun that Hibiki had seen so much on the other side, and placed right next to Karen's Sandglass, it should be all the evidence needed to put the final piece in place. But she isn't going to just leave it at that. She smiles, awkwardly due to the situation.]

I'm sorry my cheeks aren't nearly as squishy as LLENN's are.

[Its the first time LLENN has actually gone on a mission as an official DU member, so despite her flippant attitude she does feel a little bit of apprehension. What if she messes up? Still, it doesn't show on the outside. She gives Chaosbringer a bright smile. She has multiple AoE attacks, after all.]

Even if you say that, I'll try not to blow you up. You're not the target, after all! Still, make sure you don't step on it if you see any pink circles on the ground. You can tell its mine because it will have my adorable face on it! I'll try not to put them near you but who knows how much we'll have to move while fighting so.....

[She's interrupted by Gungnir's announcement of the enemy's arrival. She looks up with a frustrated look on her face.]

Keep quiet up there! I'm TRYING to be a good teammate!

[In a flash she's got the barrel of her weapon aimed at the creatures, but doesn't open fire. Despite having a literal gun, she's a close range combatant as well. She'll wait until they finish their drop, then unload on them.]

Edited 2024-10-23 21:00 (UTC)

[ Hibiki remembers. She definitely remembers seeing that keychain before... and she had drawn the connection to her little pink friend, but... ]

L...

[ Only now... only now does she realize just how much more of a connection there was... or rather, is. ]

LLENN-CHAN!?

[ It's worth noting that Hibiki still hasn't stopped squishing Karen's cheeks... though this time it's because the revelation has shocked her so much that she's uh, forgotten to let go. ]

[It was likely that everyone else in the cafe would at least glance at the sudden outburst, but with no context as to who was being spoken about, it wouldn't be a big deal. The way that Karen was having her face squished would probably be a much bigger attention grabber.]

Y..yes, that's right.....

[She gently places one of her hands on one of those powerful cheek squishers.]

C..could you...maybe..let go?

[She takes a moment to compose herself.]

I am LLENN. You would have found out eventually, but I wanted it to be from me personally. That is why I knew about what you were going through. I wasn't just there, I was in the room with you. I would have told you right then and there, but I didn't think you needed anything else on your shoulders.

[She gives it a moment to all sink in and, hopefully, let her very squished cheeks have a second to themselves.]

As for my reasons for keeping it a secret, there are a few but I will start by stating I am not ashamed of LLENN. She is part of me, and a part I wish I could be more like in the real world.

[Remember how Chaosbringer was just talking about how as you gain strength and skill, the differences in roles become less and less meaningful? That's true for ranged vs. close-combat, too.]

[Sword held in both hands, he points it with a dramatic thrust at the dropping Torments.]

Overlord Thunderbeeeeeeeeeam!

[A blue-white column of electricity stabs out along the path of the blade, striking upwards!]

Um...

[He manages to glance back at the screen in front of them, and... just where were they in the song now, anyway?? The chorus? The bridge?? In the chaos of everything, he's lost track of the melody, and there was no way he was going to be able to bounce back and get a good score at this rate. ~~Bold to assume he was getting anything higher than zero, though--~~ He may as well cut his losses with this one, but...]

I-I can choose another song, if you want...?

[Because Strangled Cat Noises Part 2 is TOTALLY what Hibiki wants for her birthday!! TOTALLY!!!!]

[ Please, Hibiki. You totally are. If it's a big enough deal to even be included in your Disturbance, then it's clearly something you really care about! Even Illya can tell! ]

I mean, you always look like you're having the most fun whenever you're doing karaoke, Hibiki-san.. [ Unlike Illya.

She has been desperate avoiding any microphones at this party. ]

I thought that if you might have the chance to do it more often, you'd be more happy too.

[ And that seems like something Hibiki could use, with everything that had led up to the Disturbance. ]

Kh...!

[ Hibiki, meanwhile, doesn't wait for them all to drop. Whether this constitutes as reckless or not, she kicks off the ground and launches herself into the air, aiming for the Torments not in the direct line of Chaosbringer's fire.

On one hand, this puts her taking the sound attacks directly, but... ]

Hah...!!

[ She kicks one of the Torments midair, launching them into another Torment before gravity starts to bring her back down to the ground. Like Sonic and LLENN, she's a close-range combatant... and unlike Chaosbringer, she doesn't have anything to blur the line between roles.

But hey, if you specialize in close-range, all you need to do is get closer, right? ]

[ Hey! That could just be a manifestation of her powers as a Dreamer! You don't know! ]

Aah, do I? Ehe, thanks...! But...

[ Hibiki twirls the mic around in her hands a bit, smiling softly. ]

I... wouldn't say it's karaoke specifically. I think I just... like to sing, that's all. Whenever I sing in the Dreamsphere, it's like... I'm more myself than ever, just letting it all out without caring, and it felt... nice.

[ Her smile turns a little more rueful. ]

Well, not that I could for a little bit. I think at some point I... lost track of who I was and what I wanted, and suddenly I couldn't sing anymore. Then, well, you know...

[ She doesn't really remember what happened then. Presumably she had a run-in with Crimson since she seems to be the common factor between all the Disturbances so far, but... Hibiki honestly can't remember a thing. ]

Edited 2024-10-30 00:11 (UTC)

O-Oh! Right!

[ Fortunately for Karen, Hibiki does release her cheeks from their squishing. Not as squishy as when she's LLENN, but still pretty squishy she thinks.

Still, it's quite a lot... she already knew that LLENN was older than she actually looks, being around Hibiki's own age... and a college student, right? Something that Hibiki might've been perusing as a possibility if she weren't still, y'know... in High School. ]

Whoa...

[ She's honestly still a little amazed. She's listening, sure, but a lot of it is sort of just washing over her... mostly because a lot of stuff now makes a lot of sense, and more importantly, it's not like this is a bad thing... if anything, it just means that she and Karen were way closer than Hibiki thought.

But that last part about wanting to be more like that in the real world gets a proper reaction out of Hibiki. ]

Eh? You... wanna be more like LLENN-chan?

[ Well, who wouldn't wanna be such a cute little girl? But... she can't help but tilt her head at that. ]

[he's about to jump to follow up on Chaosbringer's opening volley when Hibiki beats him to the (quite literal) punch. Staying out of that sounds like the best way to stick around so he just stays where he is, hand raised over his eyes to shield them from the lightning and gives a low, impressed whistle]

Wow! Maybe I should just stand back and let you guys sort this out; be the metaphorical Hype Man to this squad.

[he watches as Hibiki is slowly getting pulled back down by Dream Gravity(tm) before suddenly dashing in and launching himself up near where she's falling. As he passes by, he grabs her arm with a wink and a "Go get 'em!" before throwing Hibiki back up for more air time with the lighter Torments. Sonic is sent back down to ground level, landing in time with some of the heavier Torments that missed the initial attacks from Chaosbringer and Hibki herself.

He staggers a little from the disorienting Sound attacks but quickly recovers. Cheerfully, he shouts;] Touchdown!

[and now that there are more and more Torments hitting the ground, it's time to start fighting in earnest. It should go without saying that Sonic's going to be doing his best to dodge enemy attacks and friendly fire but there's no time to explain that when he's landed in the middle of the mob. Everyone's Experienced though, so he trusts them to figure out to trust him to avoid attacks.]

[Now LLENN was in a bad mood. This was her very first mission in an official capacity. Keeping her identity a secret was a thing of the past. And those things had the audacity to interrupt here while she was proving that she wasn't just some reckless gun bunny.

The noise attacks bothered her, but her tiny pink fury allowed her to power through then and concentrate on the battle. She had an overly dramatic sounding attack coming from one of her allies, Hibiki doing Hibiki things, and the blue one providing support. She was the only one not helping. That wouldn't do at all!

LLENN was a close range combatant, but she was also a very quick witted and precise one. She was taking them out one by one, zipping towards one in a blur of pink, unloading on it, and then zipping away before she got herself surrounded on all sides. She seems to be intentionally letting them follow her closely, though. If they group up, they can all be exploded easily!]

I can get back up however many times it takes [OPEN]

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both I and my tracking are the greatest failures in the world

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pats...

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