Junna Hoshimi ⭐ 星見 純那 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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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
Junna’s friend, Nene. ]
No, I’m not letting go!! You made it really hard catching you, so I’m definitely not letting you go!
[ SHE DOESN’T WANNA CHASE YOU AGAIN!! IT WAS SCARY!! Wait, hold on that’s not the point, is it?
Despite Nene’s claim, though, that DAMN GIRAFFE just HAS to start FLOODING THE PLACE!? NOW!? Nene can turn into a fish, she’s actually kind of in zero danger from the water aside from the powerful current… but thanks to Chaosbringer, they don’t have to worry about that. Still, the water being waist deep uh, means she can’t exactly keep Junna pinned down.
Y’know, because she doesn’t wanna DROWN her friend. So instead, she’s going to yank Junna to her feet—still with an iron grip on her arms, both to keep her from escaping and… to keep her from getting washed away. ]
Junna…! Don’t listen to that stupid giraffe! I mean, just look at me…! I can barely do anything! My Mokke barely listen to me, my powers are super weak, I can turn into a fish for some reason…!
[ Which, speaking of, she’s not turning into a fish but she is starting to sprout fish scales on her skin. Still, she looks Junna dead in the eyes as the water batters against them… ]
But I still made it here!! It was hard!! It was scary!! I hate disturbances!! I never would’ve done it on my own, I never could’ve come here to help you on my own…! but I still made it here! Because…!
[ And the next bit comes with tears in her eyes… ]
We don’t have to be drowning!! Honestly, saying that we do is SUPER messed up…!! Not that I can drown anyways!!
[ Cuz, y’know, fish. ]
My point is…! If I can ask for help, then so can you…! Cuz you’re way cooler than me! You have way slimmer legs than me! I’m super jealous, actually!! And you can do so much, so…!
[ And suddenly, with eyes that are just a little crazed… ]
Come home with me or I’m stealing your glasses!!
[ The duality of Koi… and hey, the Mokke would LOVE Junna’s glasses. They seem to like picking up trinkets and the like. ]
no subject
He jumps up using his Sylph spell to pull himself out of the water before flying over to also pull La Pucelle out of the water onto the platforms Chaosbringer made for them. Hopefully with this, she can maintain the buff she has up for everyone without worrying about getting swept away.
Then the spotlight is on him and Torch is forced to raise a hand to block out the light for a moment to get his bearings]
Oh, for crying out- If it's a song, you're expecting, I'm sorry to disappoint.
[he has no song on hand! But he's going to take advantage of the makeshift raft to recharge Sylph, sending a nod at Chaosbringer as thanks for the platform... A platform made using Sage's magic, if the other man's speech is anything to go by.
The water soaking through his clothes makes it difficult to draw spells at the moment and
because he used his actions on movementrenders Torch temporarily unable to cast anything else... Koi and Chaosbringer seems to have the encouraging speech well in hand anyway]I don't know what's happened to bring you to this point. But even if it's easier to listen to voice telling you that all hope is lost, know that it's not true. Just as there are people who will only care about what you can do, there are people who care about you for who you are.
Think about which of those matter more to you!
no subject
Her reaching out to Junna seems to have done something. Given her pause, at least. Everyone else is adding to that with their words. But they are not the only ones speaking - that Giraffe keeps saying the most terrible things to Junna! Are those sad thoughts the way she feels sometimes? They are all wrong! Junna should listen to her friends, not to that Giraffe!
And thus it is with the hope of getting that animal to stay silent long enough for Junna to listen to the others' pleas that Jeannette raises her sword and fires a beam of light at the giraffe -
which, perhaps influenced by the water swirling all around them, transforms into a dolphin en route to smacking that Giraffe right in the heavily-eyelashed face.
Stop deceiving Junna!!!!! ]
cw: giraffe body horror
She blinks at Nene, as she shouts that she isn't letting her go -- and then she gets yanked up to her feet, water rushing around her.]
G-gh...
[She looks at Chaosbringer, blearily. Her eyes blink once. She registers what he's doing -- using a bow, using her abilities.
And it's okay to... to be herself.
Then she looks at Olruggio. She blinks at him, too; she only talked to him the once. But, he told her even then to not push herself too hard. To... to get help.
Then, at La Pucelle. Lisa's friend. Her friend,too. And she's setting down on one of those platforms.
Junna looks back at Nene, and she listens. She looks miserable -- in a few ways, with those cracked glasses, bags under her eyes, and exhaustion just showing through. She looks a little like a drowned rat, too, with the way she was soaked.]
Nene-chan... [That goes on, and -- and there's something about her legs. Junna blinks once. She looks down for a moment. Then, back up at her.
And those fish scales, keeping her safe. She swallows.
Then she stares more.] Please don't steal my glasses. [Her voice cracks.] Y-You're amazing, Koi. You shouldn't sell yourself short. I...
[There's people who want to see her again. Junna's voice cracks again.] ...Please, get me out of here.
[It's fortunate that Chaosbringer makes those platforms. It gives them all something to stand on, as the cold waters rush in. There's also debris lifting up; the pieces of stagecraft that the Kirin dropped down.
Those are much more precarious to leap on.
But thanks to Torch and Chaosbringer, La Pucelle has secure footing. And she shoots a beam of light -- shifting into a dolphin -- that smashes into it. The Kirin explodes into putrid black smoke, that rolls over all of them. And when it clears...
Its skin is gone. Underneath, it is a mass of rotting tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and other fruit and vegetables. Its eyes, now red, twitch about.]
I... UNDER..STAAAAAAANNNDDDDD...
[It opens its mouth and vomits out a high-pressure blast of rotting tomato gunk, like a dragon breathing flame at them all. Then, the spotlight shifts around and falls on Junna...
And a massive, rotten tomato flies into her, smashing her away from Koi and against the wall. She sticks there, screaming as she hits the wall. The rotten tomato pulses...
...and Junna sags, as a patch of giraffe skin begins to grow over the left hind leg of the Kirin. The gigantic rotten tomato is draining Junna's life and funneling it to the Kirin.]
no subject
[Well, this has certainly gone directions he hadn't expected from his knowledge of Junna. Maybe he should have, but somehow horrible rotten produce isn't something he'd associated with even the darker parts of her psyche.]
[1.]
Genbu Turters! Reveal yourself once more!
[The black turtle-snake surges out of the water by Junna, and begins... eating the rotten tomato off of her. Kids, don't feel your normal turtles rotten tomatoes, that's not wise! Only summoned turtles resembling a guardian spirit of Kyoto should attempt this!]
[As for Chaosbringer -- 2. -- he takes to the air once more on the wings from La Pucelle, a bit unsteady because of all the gunk and seawater, but still more Unstoppable than most. 3. He draws back a hand, gathers ball lightning around it, then hurls it directly towards the Kirin.]
Bringer of Chaos! [The bow in his hand melts back into the Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher, which he points towards their foe dramatically. 4.] OVERLORD THUNDERBEAAAAAAAAM!
[Lightning erupts in beam better suited to shonen than psychological horror, roaring ruthlessly towards the Kirin. In its path is also the ball lightning, which the beam punctures on its way -- causing it to explode with similarly devastating violence just inches away from the Kirin's form.]
no subject
To reiterate.
What.
The.
FUCK.
Is THAT!? ]
EEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
[ Yep. Nope. That’s it. No thanks. Goodbye. That is single-handedly the most TERRIFYING THING SHE HAS EVER SEEN!! Is she even going to be able to grow vegetables after this!? Junna, if she becomes too traumatized to grow veggies because of this, she really will steal your glasses as revenge!!
Fortunately for Junna, that thought doesn’t get to linger before Junna is promptly smacked away from her and trapped by a tomato… ]
JUNNA…!!
[ With surprisingly little hesitation considering the fact that there’s a giant giraffe made to haunt Nene’s nightmares, she shifts into a fish and NYOOMS through the water towards Junna… an impressive feat, really, considering both her small size and the current. ]
Junna…! Junna!! I’ll get you out…!
[ Upon reaching her, she turns back to normal and joins the Genbu Turters by trying to literally scoop off chunks of the rotting tomato with her bare hands. It’d be nice if her own familiars would help, but as a small makeshift raft containing four Mokke floats by on the current… ]
”Ew.”
“Not candy.”
“Bye-bye.”
“Avast, ye mateys.”
[ Ever helpful, ever reliable, that’s Nene’s Mokke for you. ]
no subject
Questions that inevitably multiply with the appearance of a foodie's worst nightmare... Tempered, a little bit, because the artist in him has to admit that the bits and bobs coming together to form a metaphor about getting booed offstage by something that oversees them. The continuation of the veneer of beauty and grace hiding the ruined, rotten inner workings? It's a fun little thought exercise, though the presentation is a little hamfisted and could use some finessing--
... Right, the task at hand.
As much as he wants to heal Junna, doing so would put a damper on their task of eliminating the Night Terror as it siphons energy from her, but with the ground covered in water many of Torch's spells were rendered ineffective, his first Warmth spell lost under the waves nearly immediately. Then again...]
Ugh, I don't look forward to how this will smell...
Torch conjures up another Warmth spell to slowly heal La Pucelle. Then, he casts Firestorm once again, intending to boil the water at the Giraffe's feet. It may not be as effective as his regular flame, but they need to defeat this thing as soon as possible]
no subject
Once Junna is safe. A flock of doves made of light join Dreamer Koi in pecking away bits of tomato. She's going...to protect her friend....! She promised Lisa....!
And through it all, she continues to sing, bolstering everyone but the Giraffe's spirits (and, in the case of her party, their stats). ]
Our sacred sword is the crystallization of
Angelic dreams that cannot be described in words
In a single swing that desired repose, it cut through
The clouds and became a sun of white light
Now, vanish… along with our pain...!
no subject
But she's alive and that's what matters. She looks at the doves, then Turters, and finally at Nene. She nods, weakly.]
Th-thanks, Nene-chan... I, ah--
[The Kirin is having a time of it.
Zeke's thunder beam slams into it, lightning that surges throuh and causes some of its rotten fruit body to POP with grisly displays of exploding fluid and pulp. Then, Torch's flames rise up.
The iceberg begins to melt; the boiling water around the Kirin causes the fruit to begin to burst in places, and the Kirin shambles forward, as much a sloughing mass as a quadrupedal shape now. When the Kirin bellows, his voice is distorted.]
I... UNDER...STAAAAAND...
[Suddenly, all of the spotlights above swivel, countless beams hitting the Kirin. It begins to glow a deep, dark red, enhancing its next attack greatly! This also makes the rest of the chamber grow dark in comparison; it's dim, with all of the lights shining on the rotting mass of the Kirin.
And high above, upside down, a rusted and pitted version of Tokyo Tower is forming. It's hovering ahead, as beams of steel slam into place to form it. It's building up quickly, and the radio antenna is pointed straight down at the very center of the room, like some great spear meant to impale through the very room they're in.
Orchestral music, deep and foreboding, begins to swell.
Sage looks at it, then at the Kirin, before she cries out.]
We have to destroy it, now!
[
She's played enough games to know when her psyche is making the boss use its ultimate attack.]no subject
[La Pucelle's Power Driver gift of wings unfurl from his back again, and Chaosbringer flexes his knees slightly -- then explodes upwards, sword whirling through the air around him like a lightning bolt carving runes in the sky (that read SUPREME!)]
BRINGER OF CHAOS!
[...yes, Chaosbringer swings his sword to intercept the antenna. He is, indeed, locking weapons with Tokyo Tower.]
[No one can accuse Chaosbringer of living anything other than his best life.]
[And since he's doing this to give the others a chance and show Sage that she's needed: from the clash of blade and telecommunications array spring forth writhing vines and roots, spreading upwards across the tower to add their own resistance to its descent.]
no subject
It's around now that she should freeze, cover her head, and hope for Hanako-kun to come and save her. In the face of a literal giant Tokyo Tower, what is someone like her supposed to do... ]
Nn...!
[ But she sees the giant nightmarish giraffe, and in a moment of pure adrenaline, she manifests a fish scale... and strikes it with her wand, sending it flying towards the giraffe. She's never fired it so far, never at this distance... honestly she's not even sure if it'll hit. But as she stands protectively in front of Junna, she just...
Does what she can. ]
no subject
But Chaosbringer is occupied with slowing down what might be the final attack that the Night Terror has, and Koi is but a Novice. A Night Terror would not be so easily taken down by an attack from a Striker, let alone a Saver...
Muttered quietly;] I don't get paid enough for this.
[it takes longer to his magic this way, without using a quire as a focus and drawing a magic circle into the air itself, but with the buff that La Pucelle has granted and Chaosbringer diverting the Night Terrors attention, Torch manages to get his spell drawn in record time. He completes his spell with a flourish, the 'ink' from his Sandglass Pen trailing off like embers.
He is, after all, a professional)]
Dream of Fire & Light.
[out of practice as he is, his Signature Attack is weaker that it used to be in his youth. His attack is normally used defensively as shields to essentially body block for nearby Dreamers, but that's not how Torch has drawn his spell this time. The two stags that appear, horns ablaze and bodies comprised of the light, touch down lightly atop the water for a moment before leaping into action, horns lowered to attack the Night Terror. It's not nearly as effective as a Striker's Signature Attack, but it is better than nothing]
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In Thy right hand is the sword that cleaves the Lord's enemies. In Thy left hand are the scales which weigh the souls of the faithful -
[ Dreamer La Pucelle's song has shifted to a rapid-fire chant. She's running through the words as quickly as she can, because while her Signature Attack is powerful, its requirements are....not inconsiderable.....and the Giraffe has advantage....
Still, her sword is glowing. ]
O greatest warrior of God, who led legions of angels and destroyed the enemies of the Almighty -
I pray for manifest judgment that protects us in battle and destroys those who hinder our worship - those who disobey our beloved Father!
[ The light grows blinding. Her song stills. ]
Koi, look after Junna!
LUMIERE JUDGMENT DREAM!
[ And a blast of cleansing light, hoping to rival even the Giraffe's spotlights, fills the stage. ]
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It holds.
Sparks explode and fly, as he parries it -- and vines shoot upward, grasping the structural steel and holding it in place. From where she's crouched down, Junna stares up at it in awe. It's not lost on her what Chaosbringer is telling her through his actions: he couldn't have done this without her.
The Kirin bellows -- screams -- and there's no more words, no pretense of intelligibility. The fish scale that Nene sends flying smashes into it, its body rippling with the impact.
Its head -- half-fallen over -- turns to look at Nene and Junna. It's the latter that it gives a baleful look towards, but Dreamer Koi is between it and its target. And that means it's not looking where it should.
La Pucelle and Torch strike together. First, the fiery stags slam into its body, and it bellows out another terrible SCREAM as they push it back and back -- until it slams into the wall of the chamber, water and rotten fruit pulp exploding out. Where, at least, it isn't burnt. And it's pinned for a moment.
Which is when La Pucelle's great blast of cleansing light slams into it, joining with Torch's fires. The Kirin lets out one last scream, before it explodes apart into what it truly is: black smoke, the stuff of nightmares. The Night Terror puffs away into so much black smoke.
And after it, Tokyo Tower winks out of existence -- and the halves of the Titanic, the scattered props it dropped, and the freezing water. They're left on the chamber floor. Junna's on her knees, breathing hard, and staring with wide eyes.
She looks at them in turn -- La Pucelle and Torch, before they're pulled back, then Chaosbringer, and then Koi. She looks down after that. It's equal parts relief, guilt, and shame that hit her like a wave. How... how did she let it get this bad?
She looks away, but there's tears rolling down her cheeks.]
Th-thank you. [Then, more choked:] I'm sorry.
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[Problem: No sooner does La Pucelle vanish than so too does her Power Driver connection, and thus, the wings that are keeping him aloft in the first place.]
[Chaosbringer's descent, therefore, is less the triumphant hero, and more the ACME-betrayed coyote.]
[not here]
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[ Oh my god that thing is terrifying. She's traumatized, traumatized she tells you! This might not be appropriate considering that she's supposed to be here to save Junna, but she's suddenly clinging to Junna instead.
But if nothing else, this means that as Junna starts to cry, Nene already has her arms around her. ]
J-Junna...
[ Oh man, she's still terrified, and she's pretty sure Chaosbringer is falling to his death, but... ]
I-It's okay! Listen! I might be super traumatized now, but it's fine! Cuz' you're okay! I think I'm even starting to feel like a real-deal Dreamer...!
[ Agh, where did all her ability to comfort go...!? She was so good at it earlier! ]
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Y-You did great. [She manages that through her tears, though she's barely coherent.] Just great, Nene-chan. I-I'm sorry.
[Then her eyes widen when she looks over Nene's shoulder and spots Zeke. Falling.
Fortunately, with the Night Terror defeated, the Disturbance is dissolving. It seems to melt into pastels all around them; soft blues and greens, more Junna's colors than the dark and stark dramatic lighting of the theater. And just before Zeke hits...
The Disturbance poofs away.]