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

[ Honestly? Hibiki had completely forgotten about her birthday... and to be fair, who could blame her? A lot happened, and so her birthday was kind of the last thing on her mind.

So imagine her surprise when she got invited to Karaoke under the impression that it was just going to be a small hangout... only to be surprised with a birthday party.

Honestly? Hibiki couldn't stop herself from tearing up a bit at that, but she quickly wiped those tears and got to properly enjoying herself. It was... nice. It helped get her mind off of things, but in a good way. She wasn't running anymore, she was just... having fun with her friends. ]

Haaaah...! That was fun...!

[ Case and point, Hibiki sighs and plops herself down as she finishes belting out a song. Nothing's better than just singing your heart out, she thinks. ]

[A lot happened, but it isn't like Ruby is going to forget the time they need to make up for, including Hibiki's birthday. Karaoke is something she's wanted to take Hibiki to for a while anyway hearing how good she is at singing, and the other girl loves it, so it's a perfect opportunity! Ruby even grabbed a cake to bring to the room along with the various snacks and juice they offer.]

Woo!! Go, Hibiki-chan! [The high score Hibiki manages on the specific song she just sang also confirms Ruby's suspicions even more.] You're like, super good at singing! Ever think about being an idol?

[At least pretend to have a bigger sales pitch than that, Ruby.]

[ It was nice to see Ruby again. She knows that she was there, and she heard later on that she reached the top of her Disturbance and fought the Nightmare at the top. She feels bad about that, but she's grateful at least that she wasn't there for the actual Night Terror confrontation. Hurting Ruby personally would've... well, it would've seriously sucked.

~~The righteous indignation in regards to her dad was nice too... even if it is a little embarrassing to know that it was broadcast for everyone to hear.~~ ]

Ehe...! Thanks, Ruby-chan...!

[ Hibiki remembers back when she took singing lessons for a time around the time when she first became a Dreamer and found out about her powers... she doesn't take any anymore, but— ]

...Hm? Eh? EH!? I-Idol!?

[Look, shitty dads deserve a special level of hell if you ask Ruby.]

Well, you're a good singer, you're almost as big an idol fanatic as I am, and you're in Ai-san's unit. It just sounds like a natural fit to me, y'know?

[ Hibiki's got a lot of complicated feelings when it comes to her dad... but she'd be lying if it wasn't nice to know that there was someone getting that angry on her behalf, even if Hibiki doesn't quite have it in her to do so. ]

E-Ehh...? I-I mean, I guess, but I'm not that good of a singer! B-Besides, isn't there way more to being an idol than just singing!? I mean, look at me!

[ So she says, gesturing at herself, but she's not really being clear about what exactly it is about herself that's unsuitable... ]

[ If one were to ask Hibiki if she remembered what LLENN said in that chamber where they fought the Night Terror, the answer would be... yes. Except when Hibiki passed out, she remained unconscious until the Disturbance collapsed and she returned to the Waking World. She never did get to hear whatever it was that LLENN wanted to tell her.

Still, there's no way for her to associate that memory with the message she got soon after from Karen, asking if they could meet up at a local Cafe... and well, Hibiki was in need of some social interaction, really. ]

Mm... this is the place, right?

[ So Hibiki arrives, looking around for her friend, who must surely be worried after so long of no contact. It shouldn't be too hard to pick her out, at least... she's pretty tall, after all. ]

[The tall girl had arrived over an hour before the time she'd asked Hibiki to be there. She'd went over in her head what she wanted to say. She didn't believe it would make the other girl angry. Her worries stemmed from a purely selfish thought process. After today, she'd never be treated the same again. More and more people were going to know who LLENN was. It was going to be the complete end of her little charade.

But she wouldn't hesitate. She knew she should stop playing pretend. She still loved that other side of her, and wouldn't allow it to vanish. But if she was going to have any honest, true friends, it would be wrong to not let them know.

With her words well practiced in her head, she raises a hand when she sees Hibiki enter. She both looked forward to and dreaded what was about to come. But her voice is as soft and calm as always.]

Over here.

[She had intentional picked a corner booth and put her own back to the wall to resist the temptation any temptation to cut the conversation short.]

Ah...! Karen-chan!

[ Hibiki smiles sheepishly as she makes her way over. It doesn't feel like it's been too long, but Hibiki was "asleep" for most of her time on the other side, so that much is obvious. Hiding herself away, mind and everything... away from her own heart.

And now here she is, back and everything. Well, she had to stay at the hospital for a bit for some check-ups, but she's properly back now.

Not that she can imagine Karen fully understanding. ]

Sorry... it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that...

[ So she says with a sheepish laugh as she slides into the booth. ]

[Without knowing what the meeting was about, it would be easy to think it was just a concerned friend wanting to know what was going on. It would make perfect sense. But what doesn't is the way Karen is acting. A little sigh escapes her.]

Not that long, really. I asked you to come here because I know you're going through some things. We spoke a little at the waterpark, but now I have a pretty solid idea of what is going through your head.

[Her father had always taught her to look a person in the face when talking about something serious, so there was no wavering in her gaze, no shiftiness and no hesitation. It was a bit more intense then the gentle girl normally was.]

I know what its like to bottle up my feelings, Hibiki-chan. I did it as a child, I didn't want to be a burden on my family, so I always gave them the brightest smile I could manage. It never fooled them, and you aren't fooling me.

[A warm smile comes to her face, as she reaches into her pocket. She withdraws something, cupped in her hand and then wraps her other around it as well.]

But maybe I should explain. I know what you're feeling because I saw firsthand.

[She opens her cupped hands, and resting on her palms is an object that would be familiar to any Dreamer. Karen is holding a Sandglass.]

[ if it was awkward for kenko to show up to hibiki's karaoke party despite being a total stranger to her, she showed no sign of it as she filed into the booth and awkwardly fit her gangly frame into a corner. granted, she shows no sign of any other emotion either, her face a blank mask without a trace of expression. at least she's hella good with that tambourine.

after hibiki's song, kenko makes her way over to the machine. she's done research, she knows the perfect song for this situation. breathe in, and out. ]

I get knocked down! But I get up again! You're never gonna keep me down!

[ and as kenko sings in perfect english, she transforms. suddenly she's the life of the party, full of cheer and vibrant energy. kenko grooves along with the music, laughing between verses, and when the song winds into its final chorus, she gestures for hibiki to come up and join her inside "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba. ]

[ Even if it was Hibiki's birthday, Hibiki is hardly one to turn away anybody, especially friends of her friends. See, that's how you get to meet more people! Besides, she uh, feels as though she owes an apology to all of the Dreamers who had to fight in her Disturbance anyway.

She hasn't had a chance to do so with Kenko yet, and she considers it after Kenko's song, but... ]

E-EHH!?

[ It's great that Kenko is enjoying herself, but there's one problem with her invitation...

Hibiki has an utterly pathetic understanding of the English language. In fact, it's one of her worst subjects. What she does understand of the lyrics...

Well, the tone and tempo is upbeat, but is she crazy or is she being threatened right now!? ]

U-Um... o-okay...!

[ Except with Hibiki being one to never back down from a challenge, she gets up anyway and joins Kenko... ]

I-I geh nock dow! Buh I get uuh agai...!

[ Good god it's like the worst "Engrish" you've ever heard... ]

[Did Amane know Hibiki?

No.

Did Hibiki know Amane?

Also no.

Dream Sphere things aside, they were perfect strangers here in the Waking World... at least, until her Disturbance happened, anyway. But because of that, Amane's been wrangled into attending this party he'd normally have no business going to-- all due to the fact that he had a hand in getting her out of there. Although "help" was a pretty generous term, considering the mincemeat her Night Terror made of him...

So... all that said, this is a bit awkward for him!! But being invited to parties in general was a rare occurrence, even now, and he had resolved to get to know Hibiki better in the real world, so he didn't exactly want to turn this down. Plus... he'd always wanted to try this karaoke thing with folks!!

At first, he's content enough to munch on the party snacks, occasionally cheering on Hibiki and the others while keeping time with the provided maracas. (Or... sort of keeping time-- his rhythm is kinda off) But after a little bit, the itch to join in grows-- after all, he sort of helped save the day with his singing, didn't he? And he had so much fun belting out songs while fighting those Torments too...

Soon enough, he's keying a song into the system-- an older one, from some Dreamer-related drama that had been fairly popular-- feeling the excitement bubble within him as he grabs the mike. Maybe it wasn't the sort of party pumper song like some of the others had been, but it felt... appropriate, in it's own way.]

I'm a dreamer...
Hidden power...

[Except... oh. Oh NO. He is definitely not hitting any of those notes, is he? And at this volume...]

I want to find my dream... I want to make it come true...
There is nothing that I can't overcome, if I only believe!

[Can't believe Hibiki just got out of one Disturbance to find herself in another one, smh]

Eh...?

[ Hibiki is silent, slightly confused as Karen continues to speak... confused at first at where she was going with this, and then further confused as she starts to speak of things that she shouldn't have any way of being aware of.

Then, she pulls it out... her sandglass. ]

...! K-Karen-chan, that's...!

[ If nothing else, Hibiki knew Hanako... as well as Amane in passing, at least from his disturbance. Honestly? She was pretty happy to see him. She has a lot to apologize for, after all. She just had to find the right opportunity...

She figured, when she saw him go up to the karaoke machine, that she'd apologize to him after his song, but... ]

H-Huh...!?

[ Hibiki's hands reflexively come up to cover her ears. What the heck!? Not even Hibiki herself was this bad at singing when she first started...! ]

I am looking at you?

[Ruby is a little confused.]

I mean, there's dancing and being able to show off your charm points too, but we're already Dreamers, so we kind of have that going for us already!

[ CAN'T BLAME HER... ]

Mm... but still...! I'm not really that feminine, a-and just look! We're at my birthday! Aren't I a bit too old now...?

[ Honestly, Ruby's enthusiasm is getting to her... but still! There has to be better girls out there to ask, right? Sure, being able to sing and stuff would be a lot of fun, but... ]

Just like singing, just like miracles
"Feelings" can change everything!

[He's really getting into the groove now, putting more energy into ~~his yowling~~ the lyrics-- that is, until he looks up, and sees the birthday girl with her hands clamped over her ears. His expression falls for a moment in confusion... although, unfortunately, it doesn't seem to put a stop to his singing.]

Without a doubt... without a doubt...

[His voice is unsure, evident in even the mangled melody, trying to figure out what triggered that reaction. Did he turn the volume on the mic too high?? Maybe he should turn it down a little...]

IT'S ALMOST SURPRISING--!

[WAIT FUCK THAT WAS THE WRONG BUTTON]

[ Hibiki wanted to get herself back in the groove of things. A torment hunt seemed like the best way to do that, but she didn't want to go totally solo like she had done just prior to getting trapped in a Disturbance... so an impromptu team was in order.

Hibiki was pretty fond of the ones who chose to join her... or well, that's the case for two of them, at least.

Needless to say, in the presence of Chaosbringer, Dreamer Gungnir is more than a little sheepish. He'd seen the earliest signs of something being wrong, after all, but she'd ignored him... and while she's really not in the mood for a lecture, she can't exactly run away from one in good conscience now. ]

So, um... we're all Strikers, huh?

[ A team consisting entirely of a single archetype... is worth addressing a little more, she hopes. Not that whatever Torments they face here should be a problem either way, though. ]

[sheepish atmosphere? They're just bouncing off Sonic like he can't read the room at all. In fact, he's swinging his arms back and forth in a stretching exercise, clearly ready to go]

Whazzat? [Sonic, please pay attention]

Well, it shouldn't matter. [a wink and a fist pump] The best defense is a solid offense!

[ God, who ever thought that Illya would be subjected to yet another karaoke birthday party...

It's a good thing that she absolutely had to come this time around, or the young girl surely would have made some sort of excuse to not be here. But after what happened to Hibiki in the Dream Sphere.. Illya just really wants to make sure Hibiki can have a normal party and a normal time for now. Especially when there was so little she could do to help the other before - both back in the real world and the Dream Sphere. Showing up at a - dreaded karaoke - birthday party doesn't feel like it's enough to make up, but.. hey.. Maybe it's a start..

So when Hibiki is done singing and doesn't seem to be looking for more karaoke victims, Illya approaches the other girl a little shyly. ]

Um.. Hibiki-san? If you have a moment, I had a birthday gift for you..

[ Hibiki just wants to see Illya break out of her bubble! The poor girl is so timid... and she's not as bad of a singer as she thinks! Still, it's not like she's gonna force Illya to sing karaoke at every opportunity... though she hopes that her shyness in that regard didn't make it too hard on her in the Disturbance. Hibiki wasn't aware of the design of her own labyrinth, but she heard about it secondhand. ]

Ah! Illya-chan...!

[ Hibiki's usual cheer hasn't quite come back, but she's definitely getting better. At this rate, she'll probably have bounced back by the end of the month. Still, even while in the middle of emotional recovery, she's still cheerful enough to immediately pat Illya on the head. ]

Ah! Really!? You didn't have... ah, well, it is my birthday, isn't it? Maybe I should just be happy about this kind of thing, right?

[ God. She's glad that Illya didn't have to see her as the Night Terror. She's not sure if she could've forgiven herself if she hurt Illya too terribly. Heck, she already feels awful enough about Illya's mentor. ]

[ Hibiki experiences a feeling that many others have felt, especially within the Disturbance... a feeling of whether one has it in them to break the terrible truth to Amane, the terrible truth that he's as tone deaf as humanly possible.

But before she can weigh the pros and cons of dropping this bomb on him, the volume suddenly spikes and she has to react accordingly. ]

U-Uwah...!! S-Stop! Stop!!

[ If nothing else that volume has gotta drop. ]

Yes, it is. Exactly what it looks like.

[She sets it on the table, and wouldn't stop Hibiki from touching if she wanted to.]

But the truth of the matter is that is isn't new. It first appeared for me three years ago. But I've kept it a secret. Not just from you. But from everyone. My family, my closest friend back home, and everyone I've met here. It probably sounds odd that I would want to do that, but I've had my reasons for it. As a Dreamer, I'm a little different from everyone else I've met.

[She pauses, taking a deep breath.]

Everyone I know just looks like themselves wearing a different outfit. Its different for me, though. I am a different person entirely. It would be impossible to tell it was me if you didn't already know.

[The little pink soldier seems almost as confident, but a bit more concerned for Hibiki's feelings. Those feelings hurt her more then anything in the Dream Sphere ever had, and while she holds nothing against the girl, she's also not looking for a repeat of that battle, either!]

We'll be fine. There's no tanks or healers in GGO, this will be just like that. A dead enemy does 0 damage, so all we have to do is win the damage race. No problem!

[She echoes Sonic's words in a slightly more nerdy, gamer girl way.]

U-Uwah...

[ To say that Hibiki is surprised would be an understatement... but come to think of it, it kind of makes sense. That modicum of sense allows Hibiki to slow her thoughts and sit back down. ]

Ehh... really? I mean, I know there are plenty of Dreamers who look pretty different, but...

[ Hibiki tilts her head at Karen. She's right, she can't think of anybody she's seen in the Dreamsphere... ]

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

Birthday Karaoke

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Reveal (Closed to Karen)

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Torment Hunt! [Chaosbringer, Sonic, LLENN)

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