Junna Hoshimi ⭐ 星見 純那 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thestarknows) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
yumemigaoka2025-02-18 05:17 pm
thestarknows) wrote in yumemigaoka2025-02-18 05:17 pm
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EVENT #10: AND MERELY PLAYERS
- By now, entering a Disturbance is familiar. That isn't a good thing -- the way that it takes that extra effort, like pushing your hand through molasses; like a wavering mirage that almost pushes back against your gaze. It's a sign of someone in distress.
But after entering the Slumbering City, the Dreamers have made their way into this newest Disturbance. And then, they've pushed onward... and everyone finds themselves on a long path through darkness, lit only by stage lights.
Welcome to Junna Hoshimi's Disturbance event! To recap from previous events and 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, Junna Hoshimi.
Using the descriptions in the log below, you may freely top level 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 top level. Pinging Tex on Discord may also help in case his emails and notifications act up.
To clear the event and prevent a negative outcome on the plot that will effect both the Dream Sphere and Yumemigaoka, characters must clear both the Mid-Tier and Boss Combat Encounters by the OOC deadline of March 3rd.
SUNSET BOULEVARD
- Upon entering the dream, all Dreamers will first find themselves walking down a long path through darkness, lit only by stoplights. In the way of a dream, though, at its end, it turns into the front of Promised Morning Academy at sunset.
The building is lit up by sunset, with weather that suggests it is spring. It seems almost pleasant... but there is a buzz of tension in the air. It should be the time that people have left for the day, but there are lights on inside the school. There are murmurs, stressed and worried, but wordless. Sunset -- the time people should have left and gone home, but are still working -- never seems to end.
In that light, it isn't such a pleasant image. Still, this is a place where Dreamers can return to, to rest, coordinate, and take a breather before exploring further.
The way forward is the double doors, leading into the school. They are larger than they should be, more imposing that the ones in real life, and heavier to push open.
!SCHOOL DAZE
Upon entering, the Dreamers find themselves in a warped, endless version of Promised Morning's first floor. The hallway stretches out east-to-west, but there is a subtle curve to it. And if someone walks the full length of the hallway, it loops back around, leaving them trapped.
The Dreamers aren't alone here. There are shadowy figures, like silhouettes, wearing the uniforms of Promised Morning. Each are carrying large stacks of paper.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If someone touches them, they seem to fuzz and not quite feel real. But each of them will put stacks of paper that are quite real into an unwitting Dreamer's hands. So many papers, in fact, that a Dreamer could be literally weighed down by them.
After escaping the shadowy students, Dreamers can pass countless class rooms and clubrooms. Each of them has a locked door. It might feel hopeless, until a freight elevator is found at the end. There is a large, blinking red light and one button. The only way to progress is to go down.
The Dreamers aren't alone here. There are shadowy figures, like silhouettes, wearing the uniforms of Promised Morning. Each are carrying large stacks of paper.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If someone touches them, they seem to fuzz and not quite feel real. But each of them will put stacks of paper that are quite real into an unwitting Dreamer's hands. So many papers, in fact, that a Dreamer could be literally weighed down by them.
After escaping the shadowy students, Dreamers can pass countless class rooms and clubrooms. Each of them has a locked door. It might feel hopeless, until a freight elevator is found at the end. There is a large, blinking red light and one button. The only way to progress is to go down.
!THE ONLY WAY DOWN
The freight elevator is not a comfortable ride down. The floor is made of steel, patterned to give some grip. There are no buttons to control it. Once the down button is pressed, all a Dreamer can do is ride it down to the bottom. And the railing on each side is woefully inadequate from a safety perspective: it's only a three foot high steel bar.
Which means, from the darkness, something can jump onto it.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Torments begin to leap from the shadows, onto the 12 by 12 foot elevator platform. The Torments, initially, are only a Shadowy outline... but they respond to the Dreamers on the platform. A Dreamer with an idol theme finds them looking like crazed fans; a Dreamer with a sword finds ones carrying axes; a Dreamer with a ninja motif finds their foes include ones carrying katanas. The Torments are easily dispatched, but they keep coming in waves -- until the elevator reaches the bottom.
When it does, there is a ding. The door opens... revealing a hallway.
Which means, from the darkness, something can jump onto it.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Torments begin to leap from the shadows, onto the 12 by 12 foot elevator platform. The Torments, initially, are only a Shadowy outline... but they respond to the Dreamers on the platform. A Dreamer with an idol theme finds them looking like crazed fans; a Dreamer with a sword finds ones carrying axes; a Dreamer with a ninja motif finds their foes include ones carrying katanas. The Torments are easily dispatched, but they keep coming in waves -- until the elevator reaches the bottom.
When it does, there is a ding. The door opens... revealing a hallway.
!BEHIND THE SCENES FEATURETTE
The elevator lets out in a darkly lit hallway. Just a short distance away is a large set of double doors, underneath a sign that declares it to be the "MAIN STAGE." And yet, try as someone might, that door will not open. It seems that the only way to get onto the main stage is through hard work.
The hallway connects to many others. There are more hallways in this backstage area than any real theater could ever have. And there are doorways here, too, and each has a poster next to it, depicting a play or a movie. There isn't another door that clearly leads to the main stage... which means Dreamers will need to search the rooms.
The poster outside of each room gives an idea of its contents. Inside, there are people hard at work. Like before, in the school level, they are shadowy silhouettes of students. The shadowy students are engaged in some work based on the movie or play poster outside.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT #1: In this room, four silhouettes are hurriedly building props and backgrounds for a play. Wooden cut-outs of trees and houses that need to be built; organizing a closet full of costumes; painting details onto paper backdrops of a sky and a town. The work isn't done, and the silhouettes are in a panic about this. Dreamers who enter the room have tools pushed into their hands to help -- until the work is finished. If the Dreamers try to leave, they begin to screech and scream, and eventually attack with shadowed claws. The work will never stop, though. The props need to be put out of their sight or the silhouettes defeated.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT #2: Only one silhouette is inside here. A high school student, by the look of her. She cannot speak, but she mimics going through a play by herself. When Dreamers enter, she thrusts a script to them. Then, she tries to get them to act out Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The silhouette wants to play the part of Caesar. If they act it out, the silhouette will want to do it again. She can either be defeated in a fight, or made to play another role, which will stop the performance.
Once the Dreamers have time to thoroughly search the room with the silhouette that wishes to portray Caesar. There is a poster of Yonezawa's Last Paycheck, a movie that came out in April, on the wall. The other materials in here strictly apply to Julius Caesar, with posters of past performances and props related to it.
Pulling down the poster of Yonezawa's Last Paycheck reveals a door. Opening it leads to a hallway, dark, but with the bright lights of a main stage up ahead.
The hallway connects to many others. There are more hallways in this backstage area than any real theater could ever have. And there are doorways here, too, and each has a poster next to it, depicting a play or a movie. There isn't another door that clearly leads to the main stage... which means Dreamers will need to search the rooms.
The poster outside of each room gives an idea of its contents. Inside, there are people hard at work. Like before, in the school level, they are shadowy silhouettes of students. The shadowy students are engaged in some work based on the movie or play poster outside.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT #1: In this room, four silhouettes are hurriedly building props and backgrounds for a play. Wooden cut-outs of trees and houses that need to be built; organizing a closet full of costumes; painting details onto paper backdrops of a sky and a town. The work isn't done, and the silhouettes are in a panic about this. Dreamers who enter the room have tools pushed into their hands to help -- until the work is finished. If the Dreamers try to leave, they begin to screech and scream, and eventually attack with shadowed claws. The work will never stop, though. The props need to be put out of their sight or the silhouettes defeated.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT #2: Only one silhouette is inside here. A high school student, by the look of her. She cannot speak, but she mimics going through a play by herself. When Dreamers enter, she thrusts a script to them. Then, she tries to get them to act out Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The silhouette wants to play the part of Caesar. If they act it out, the silhouette will want to do it again. She can either be defeated in a fight, or made to play another role, which will stop the performance.
Once the Dreamers have time to thoroughly search the room with the silhouette that wishes to portray Caesar. There is a poster of Yonezawa's Last Paycheck, a movie that came out in April, on the wall. The other materials in here strictly apply to Julius Caesar, with posters of past performances and props related to it.
Pulling down the poster of Yonezawa's Last Paycheck reveals a door. Opening it leads to a hallway, dark, but with the bright lights of a main stage up ahead.
!TO SHINE ON THE MAIN STAGE
The doorway leads onward, until the Dreamers emerge onto the main stage. It is a massive, circular stage, but there is a raised circular platform at the center. Rich red curtains have fallen entirely across the elevated platform and hide whatever is behind. One set of steep stairs leads up to it.
But, it couldn't be as simple as approaching the stairs.
First, a bright stage light shines down, and falls into the audience. The chairs there are empty. There is only one living thing there, though it is not a person. It is a massive giraffe, with brilliant green eyes, a pink ribbon, and and a disaffected expression.
The giraffe bellows in a baritone, masculine voice: "To be a Dreamer is to be a performer! To struggle endlessly! To be a light that shines upon the people! I... UNDERSTAND!"
All around the stage, props and stage equipment rises up. Wooden walls, stairwells, and platforms create a maze. Each Dreamer is locked within them, separated from their fellows by a maze of different theater settings: from cut-outs of castle walls, Western towns, modern cities, cut-outs of trees, and backdrops of stars and nebulae.
Up high, though, a four point golden star lowers. The stage light vanishes from the giraffe. The golden star shines brilliantly -- and then at its center, a giant eye blinks, and opens to look down. This is a powerful Nightmare, though it is far out of reach.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Navigating the maze -- whether while fighting the Star Nightmare or not -- is a complex matter. First, a powerful orchestral soundtrack fires up (accompanying vocals optional). Stairs and platforms rise up, to provide backdrops ranging from historical dramas to science fiction. These include pyrotechnics and water effects -- which can dazzle, though they can't hurt. Stage lights shine down and blind, sometimes at inopportune moments. Getting to the center of the stage requires navigating through these rising and lowering themed platforms.
But, additionally, the Star Nightmare causes illusions. Sometimes, Dreamers who encounter each other will see one another as powerful Torment, illusions altering their perceptions of each other and their attacks. They can fight each in the midst of the maze, but if they realize that they're fighting a friend, it will stop.
If you need a visual, this fight from Revue Starlight gives an idea of the shenanigans at work:
Dreamers caught here are also able to battle against the Star Nightmare as a Mid-Boss Encounter.
At the end of the maze are stairs, which lead up to the central platform. The stairs are long and steep, and the curtains have yet to rise. But now, the only way to go is up.
But, it couldn't be as simple as approaching the stairs.
First, a bright stage light shines down, and falls into the audience. The chairs there are empty. There is only one living thing there, though it is not a person. It is a massive giraffe, with brilliant green eyes, a pink ribbon, and and a disaffected expression.
The giraffe bellows in a baritone, masculine voice: "To be a Dreamer is to be a performer! To struggle endlessly! To be a light that shines upon the people! I... UNDERSTAND!"
All around the stage, props and stage equipment rises up. Wooden walls, stairwells, and platforms create a maze. Each Dreamer is locked within them, separated from their fellows by a maze of different theater settings: from cut-outs of castle walls, Western towns, modern cities, cut-outs of trees, and backdrops of stars and nebulae.
Up high, though, a four point golden star lowers. The stage light vanishes from the giraffe. The golden star shines brilliantly -- and then at its center, a giant eye blinks, and opens to look down. This is a powerful Nightmare, though it is far out of reach.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Navigating the maze -- whether while fighting the Star Nightmare or not -- is a complex matter. First, a powerful orchestral soundtrack fires up (accompanying vocals optional). Stairs and platforms rise up, to provide backdrops ranging from historical dramas to science fiction. These include pyrotechnics and water effects -- which can dazzle, though they can't hurt. Stage lights shine down and blind, sometimes at inopportune moments. Getting to the center of the stage requires navigating through these rising and lowering themed platforms.
But, additionally, the Star Nightmare causes illusions. Sometimes, Dreamers who encounter each other will see one another as powerful Torment, illusions altering their perceptions of each other and their attacks. They can fight each in the midst of the maze, but if they realize that they're fighting a friend, it will stop.
If you need a visual, this fight from Revue Starlight gives an idea of the shenanigans at work:
Dreamers caught here are also able to battle against the Star Nightmare as a Mid-Boss Encounter.
At the end of the maze are stairs, which lead up to the central platform. The stairs are long and steep, and the curtains have yet to rise. But now, the only way to go is up.
!POSITION ZERO
Those who find their way through the maze and make their way up to the stairs come to where the red curtains are. Once the first Dreamers reach them, the left up. The circular platform has Junna standing at the center, raising a hand up to shield her eyes.
Because every stage light here is shining directly onto her, which blinds her from seeing them. From up here, those stage lights can almost be reached.
They keep shining on Junna, as an elevator platform begins to lower her downward -- as an elevator. The stage lights all turn away, and shine down onto the Dreamers. They threaten to blind them.
Not everyone can go down after Junna. But it might be best to say some final remarks -- especially as Torments are beginning to move up the stairs. Those who descend will need to be protected.
And those who jump down after Junna hear a deep baritone voice bellow up, from below: "I UNDERSTAND."
Because every stage light here is shining directly onto her, which blinds her from seeing them. From up here, those stage lights can almost be reached.
They keep shining on Junna, as an elevator platform begins to lower her downward -- as an elevator. The stage lights all turn away, and shine down onto the Dreamers. They threaten to blind them.
Not everyone can go down after Junna. But it might be best to say some final remarks -- especially as Torments are beginning to move up the stairs. Those who descend will need to be protected.
And those who jump down after Junna hear a deep baritone voice bellow up, from below: "I UNDERSTAND."
no subject
It's no big surprise when the shadow punches away most of the bolts. Most Dreamers can do that. But it lets her know that she's not dealing with something mindless - she's going to have to fight for her life. So it's a small moment's focus to cue up the rest of her abilities: mentally she shapes her next shield to spread wide but thin, to protect more of her even if it'll shatter from one solid blow, and to pull the Torment's attention in case she comes up with something and needs a distraction. And from there she's... on her own. Can she use something else in the room? The laser pistol's an option, but if she gets shot with that thing again she might actually die of shock, and thus she needs to make absolutely certain Hibiki's shadow doesn't find it. It's a space-themed set, with a starry backdrop, mostly-designed command consoles, and some other bits and bobs...
-wait, first problem first. Should she use that, or should she save it for a more impactful occasion...? No, if she gets herself sent home now, it won't matter if she has new powers. Gotta let her in closer first, though, and on a hard note, she projects a paper-thin barrier, like a sheet of pale-red paper in the air. Then she hops lightly onto one of the pieces of the set, throwing a couple more bolts, balancing her weight on her back heel. Wait for it...]
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HAH!!
[
Hibiki's claws tear through her barrierHibiki's fist tears through the first barrier like Rhodonite expects, and as she jumps away to another part of the set and fires more of those roses, a few bolts hit home, but the rest areswipedsmacked out of the air as Hibiki turns to pursue her again. She leaps toward Rhodonite once again...! ]no subject
sings in a sultry, almost superior tone, uncaring for the nuisance thinking she can interrupt her-forces herself to stay in time and keep her words clear-]♫ In this blurred score, I search for an answer ♫♫ Are you happy in this modern world? ♫
[-and sweeps out with a kick from her raised leg as she jumps, not intending to hit Hibiki with the kick itself but instead with a wave of
rich purplevibrant red energy sweeping forward from its arc, crackling with force and feeling like it has weight to it, throwing another round ofrosesbolts after her without expecting much. She doesn't shield up again right away, waiting to see how this works against a real opponent instead of a training dummy in the City. But she's tense, ready to move once she's got an idea. Will she even have time to follow up?]no subject
...!
[ Faced with the onslaught of roses midair, Hibiki isn't able to dodge...! The attack collides, smoke covering Hibiki as the magic detonates against her... but there's no yelp from having taken an attack.
Instead, as the smoke clears, Rhodonite will find herself looking up at her opponent with
massive, jagged, demonic black wingsbright shining and angelic wings wrapped around Hibiki to protect herself, before unfurling to keep Hibiki in the air. ]Kh...! ORYAH!!
[ She underestimated her...! But she won't make that mistake twice! With a
monstrous roarfierce battle cry, Hibiki shoots forward at Rhodonite in a straight line, aiming to deliver a sweeping kick to her side. ]no subject
rises in volume, not needing to save her breath to fight a defeated foesags in tired relief. The dark form of Gungnir disappears in a cloud of smoke billowing away from her, giving her room to breathe. She's under no impression that she defeated the thing, but maybe she can run the hell away and find a new route that doesn't involve claws in her face-]Uh-oh. You're joking-
[-and then the smoke clears, and Gungnir's wings unfurl. Damn, Hibiki got scary when Lisa wasn't looking, if she can do all this- no, wait, focus, that means she didn't do any damage!
Contempt blossoms on her facePanic grips her, and she struggles to come up with a new plan through her aching side and her foggy head. She doesn't have another trick up her sleeve - she's going to have to overcome Gungnir with what she has, and that's just not what she's built for. She keeps playing, looking around for options--and finds the laser pistol, barely glinting in a spotlight sweeping past it as she blinks the glare out of her eyes, a few meters away. If she dove for it, she could probably reach it, but could she get it before the shadow does? Or indeed, in the moment she couldn't see through the light, before the shadow gets her, diving past it but closer and above, rolling across a couch to stand on its arm and raising one more shield.]
♫ Bring it on down as you please, this is a determination symphony- ♫♫ I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in- ♫
no subject
More seriously, though... she's surprised. She was expecting this Torment to have something more up their sleeve, but everything they've done feels perfectly in-line with what Rhodonite is capable of. Flavored differently, sure, but still... she can also spot something else. She's favoring her right side... unusual, and Hibiki isn't sure why, but...
Something is off...]Hn...!
[ Lisa succeeds in avoiding Gungnir's kick, but as she dives past, Gungnir stops abruptly, cutting her own momentum with her wings to pivot in place and pursue Rhodonite. Her instincts tell her to aim for her right side, so...! ]
ORYAH!!
[
The black shadow lunges for Rhodonite's right side with it's claws.Hibiki swings her fist at Rhodonite, aiming for her side and all but ignoring the shield that she starts to raise. ]no subject
♫ Someday I will resound at your side--♫ Crash through the surface- fuck, ah, ohhhhh-!!
[
Eyes wide, as if she can't believe this girl had a plan all along, form wavering-Eyes blown wide in terror and realization, Rhodonite takes the hit. From her perch atop the sofa, the claws dig into the still-raw wound on her torso, and the force behind them drives her away, into and through a backdrop of a starry sky, then a second behind it, before the third of empty space at twilight is solid enough to catch her and she stops, her back hitting with a solid, discomforting sound. It would have been more than enough to kill a normal human outright; as a Dreamer, let alone a Sentry, Rhodonite is made of sterner stuff, but it still hurts like hell, and once again her vision swims and her limbs aren't... quite listening to her? The shield-glasses pop into nothingness, though at least they kept anything unpleasant from getting in her eyes, and her bass got jostled out of her hands in her flight, not that she has feeling in her arms to hold it. She recognizes, though, even without seeing, that she's finished. This is the part where the Torment finishes her off, and she's done for the night and part of the next day. And all she can think of is-]When... when did Hibiki... get so strong...? Haa... haha......
[Well? This is the part where you run her through one more time and finish the job, Torment-]
no subject
But... isn't that strange? A torment that's already been injured, but not finished off? It doesn't seem like the type to run, and in the first place, it doesn't look like she's injured at all either. Annoyed, sure, but... ]
Grrrrrrr...What...
[ ...Hibiki isn't smart. She's well aware of this. She's a dummy, through and through. But she has good instincts. She's gotten this far by trusting her instincts above all else, it was her instincts that told her to aim for the torment's side. It might be why she even has a power that outright alerts her to danger...
...and it's her instincts that are telling her something isn't right. Weird, right? Her own disturbance had something similar... the clones that roamed the upper floors and copied the first Dreamer they saw. What's going on here is similar to that, that's what she thought, but...
The beast glares at her with a low, vicious growl... claws sharp and at the ready as it takes a step forward.Hibiki lifts her hand for a moment, taking a step towards the Torment in the shape of her friend... or at least, what seems to be a torment in the shape of her friend. This is her opportunity... her chance to finish it off, one that she might not get again if she recovers, but... ]AaaAAAaa... aaaAAAAaaa... AAAAaaaaAAA...[
Strangely, incomprehensibly, the black beast starts to groan and whine. It sounds almost like a roar, but there's something... off. Like it keeps switching between something violent and something... else.]There's a meaning to the miracle that resides
Within this mechanical arm of mine (There's a meaning)
These days are so unlike my usual, ordinary life
Yes, it's for the sake of such a dream (It's for that dream's sake)
[ Hibiki sings.
The beast doesn't lunge at her. It glares at her with such hostility, but the lights dim until the focus is on both Rhodonite and the beast as it continues to let out that bizarre cry. It isn't clear why, but it's an opening.She just... starts to sing. She can't explain why, she doesn't have a clear reason, it just... feels right. ]no subject
Why isn't the Torment finishing her off?
There really are only a couple reasons, right? They're Torments, they just kinda go. They're not math-and-science-smart kinda things. So it should be tearing her apart the rest of the way. Then... either it's lost interest and it's going to just leave....... or it isn't a Torment. But if it isn't a Torment, what is it? Lisa frantically works her brain for anything it can come up with- the shadow on the elevator. That wasn't Hibiki at all, but it was something her mind created whole cloth and that got fed into a Torment. Just like the shadow of her was created from Zeke, even if it was a terrible imitation... imitation? This fought too well. What if it isn't an imitation, but-]
Hi- [She coughs; a little bit of blood comes out onto the hand she can barely lift to cover her mouth. If she's badly hurt enough for the Dream to simulate this, she's in trouble. She has to be right-] Hibiki... is that you? I'm so- [another cough-] so sorry.
no subject
Even if I have no words (Even if I don't use words)
That's the answer to my fist, the answer to why I hold no weapon
"One blow of certain love"—drive it in, my love song!
I'll believe in justice (I'll believe in justice)
And I'll grip it tight (And I'll grip it tight)
I hope that we can start again, even if we've broken it
[ From Lisa's point of view, nothing immediately changes... but after a moment, the illusion begins to fade, and Hibiki's song starts to shine through... cracks appearing in her darkened form as light bursts from within until... ]
It's already fine, no need to worry (It's all good, don't you worry)
Let our hearts resonate together
Even what little courage I have is "courage"
Becoming a love that holds tightly enough to make me cry...!
[ The illusion fades, and so too does the spotlight. Hibiki opens her eyes, and the illusion of Lisa isn't what she sees. What she sees is her friend, and... ]
LISA-CHAN...!!
[ If the illusion were still active, it'd undoubtedly look like the monstrous Hibiki was shooting forward to finish her off... but no. Hibiki shoots forward at full speed, but in order to instantly wrap her arms around Lisa in a tight hug. ]
I'm sorry...! I'm the one who should be sorry...! Oh, Lisa-chan...
[ She's so roughed up... moreso than what Hibiki could have done to her during this scuffle. ]
no subject
Lisa, for her part, hears the song before she sees the person singing it. She... relaxes, just a little. This is exactly the feeling she's used to from Hibiki, and it's comforting to know she never seems to change, no matter how screwed up the situation is. Hibiki's hands aren't for hurting, they're for helping. Lisa's bass... isn't for hurting, it's for protecting. She's sure been doing a lot of hurting with it lately, though. Maybe it's Hibiki she needs to be learning from. She could listen to this song all day.]
Believe in justice, and hold it tight, huh...
[She's rewarded with being proven right a moment later, and immediately after there's a rocket-propelled girl shooting toward her, face filled with worry. She can't stop her, let alone move out of the way, and she lets out a much softer, smaller sound of pain as the blonde missile collides with her and wraps her in a bear hug. She's all for this, aside from-]
T-too tight, Hibiki-chan. Easy. I- [She coughs again; she gets a hand up to keep blood from spattering onto Hibiki's costume.] I didn't think we could- ugh. Could get cracked ribs on this side.
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[ Hibiki winces. The wound isn’t from her, she knows that. For all her reputation as a piercing spear, she doesn’t do this. But she knows exactly where she struck Lisa… she’d struck it so accurately too.
…She pulls Lisa into another hug, though she’s gentler about it this time. ]
I’m so sorry, Lisa-chan… I should’ve noticed, I should’ve stopped…
[ Stopped fighting…? Or stopped her from pushing herself this hard? At this point, it’s both. ]
no subject
It's okay, Hibiki. You couldn't have known. I didn't... notice either until it was too late. Besides, my Junna is- [cough, shudder-] way too clever for either of us to see through.
Mm, unless you meant stopping me from- from running around like a woman possessed. Can't help you with that.
no subject
[ Hibiki sniffs, unable to contain a small laugh. Lisa really does care for her, doesn’t she? Not that Hibiki can talk. If she said she hadn’t done the same thing with Miku, she’d be a liar. ]
…I’m gonna get you out of here, okay? You need rest, Lisa-chan.
[ Hibiki’s wings, warm and bright—not jagged and dark—unfurl… briefly wrapping around them both before stretching out. Then, she’ll be scooping Lisa up into her arms. ]
no subject
[.......she really doesn't want to leave. She really doesn't want to. But... she probably needs to, given she's not making it out of here under her own power.]
I don't... wanna go... [Cough, cough; this time she can't catch it, and blood spatters to the floor. The amount is... decreasing, slowly?] I feel so useless. I know I have to rest... but it feels like losing.
[And yet, as Hibiki reaches out for her - the white wings are so much more comforting - she doesn't resist, holding onto her as tightly as her arms can manage right now. Which... isn't a whole lot.]
no subject
[ Hibiki stands. For better or worse, Lisa is basically weightless to her... though that can hardly be considered a surprise considering how far she flew from just one of Hibiki's punches. ]
But even though I don't know Junna-chan as well as you do, I... know what it's like. Kind of. I'm sure that Junna-chan would hate it if you pushed yourself too hard and got yourself hurt.
[ Well, she's already gotten herself hurt. If only Hibiki had a healing power... though maybe that's a bit much to ask for as a Striker. Best she can do is fly Lisa out of here as fast as she can. It's a good thing all this damage won't just transfer to her when she wakes up. ]
Lisa-chan... winning doesn't just mean saving Junna-chan. Once we save her, we have to be ready to welcome her back too, right? She needs someplace warm to go back to, so...
[ Be that warmth for her. With that, Hibiki beats her wings and takes off, flying through the maze at full speed. ]
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I think... she's already going to have some things to hate me for. But- [cough-] she doesn't need me to throw more things on, does she.
[She takes a deep, shaky breath. Hibiki's taking her out where she wants to go or not, so from here it's up to her to make sure she's ready for next time. And... for what comes after. Junna doesn't need her to burn herself out rescuing her. She needs someone to be there for her.
It's galling, but... Hibiki isn't wrong. That's her job. Junna chose her to do that job, so until and unless her partner changes her mind, Lisa will do just that, with as much as she has to give. So Lisa nods into Hibiki's chest, hugs herself in as tight as she can, and holds on in silence as Hibiki airlifts her out.]
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[ If anything, Junna's more likely to blame herself, Hibiki thinks... but that's probably not something that'll help the situation here.
Hibiki makes quick work of leaving like this, at least... clutching her tight and letting Lisa bury her face in Hibiki's chest if it'll help to hide some of the more raw feelings she's feeling right now. ]
Everything's fine, everything'll be alright... that's what I believe. You should believe in it too, Lisa-chan.
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I want to. I want nothing more, Hibiki. [cough-] I just... this is so much. I'm so stressed out. I don't... know what I'm- [cough, wheeze-] going to say to her, when I see her again. Tell her I love her, sure, but... how do I hold her when I just tried to hurt you with these hands?
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[ Self-loathing sucks like that. Hibiki's well aware, what with how she tries to laugh away the guilt she's still feeling about that. ]
It's... scary, I know. But you just have to have courage. It's easier said than done, but... if you don't reach out and miss your chance, it'll hurt way more.
[ Still, she'd like to ease Lisa's worries as much as she can... but how? She just can't find the words...
...Ah, wait, she's always had an alternative when words failed her. ]
"I want to be stronger"… that's how I really felt
I'd been recklessly lashing out (I'd been lashing out)
I've always had them with me (I've always had them with me)
Warm and precious things (Warm and important things)
Telling me not to lose, telling me to accept it
Their dearest love call burns at my heart
I won't let you go (I won't let you go)
Not so easily (Not so easily)
That's the road I found for myself
Hurting others, being hurt by them (hurting each other)
If our bond so polished
Sparkles more than any other
Then once more, I'll stand, and head for tomorrow…!
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But Hibiki starts singing, then, and once again Lisa finds herself drawn in to the girl's song as it rings out over her sobbing. She... Hibiki's song is pure, and comes from within. Lisa can do that, but most of the time, her music is coming from without. Something she heard, something that sounded like fun. Only rarely is it something that resonated with her. And... it's never something that's truly hers. She's been telling herself that's beyond her, but... isn't that like how she told herself music was beyond her? That love was beyond her? Is that truly... more than she can do?
...Hibiki sings advice even better than she speaks it, even if she does just fine with the normal stuff, too. Junna... well, she'd be mad at two-thirds of the things going through Lisa's head right now regardless, but she'd be even more mad at how much she's putting herself down right now, huh. She's... trying her best. Her best hasn't been great the last few days, but that's not entirely on her at this point. Maybe... maybe she needs to let Hibiki carry her all the way out of here, and go rest for a bit. Come at it again with a slightly clearer head. Junna- Junna will wait another day. Lisa can afford to stop for tonight. And then she can head for tomorrow herself.
She relaxes again, still crying, but... less so, as she clings on to Hibiki tightly once more. She'll... have to apologize later, huh. Thank her, for looking out for her.]
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At least... at least in song, they can communicate properly, she thinks. Taking comfort in that, Hibiki grips Lisa even tighter, refusing to let her go. Holding her close, no matter what... ]
Starting from now, starting from here, I'll sing with all my soul…
[ Hibiki rises, her wings carrying them further and further, perhaps in part boosted by Hibiki's song. Some enemies try to stop her, but she just flies past... ]
Love resonates, resonates strongly, with all that we've seized, all that we've connected to
Even if I have no words, even if I don't use words
I'll send my feelings to your heart, to the skies…!
I'll believe in justice (I'll believe in justice)
And I'll grip it tight (And I'll grip it tight)
I hope that we can start again, even if we've broken it
It's already fine, no need to worry (It's all good, don't you worry)
Let our hearts resonate together
Even what little courage I have is "courage"
Becoming a love that holds tightly enough to make me cry
[ All the way until she reaches the exit, bursting out into the outside and soaring upwards just a little more. ]