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."
behind the scenes
Apparently not. The moment she enters, there's Hanako-- and more importantly, there's those figures Hanako is sending her way through the attack.
And Prisma feels like she's having a heart attack on the spot. Panic levels rising. So much anxiety--
At least it doesn't make her fully freeze up. Flight or fight kicks in, but thankfully training has made her lean towards the latter rather than the former a little bit more. The girl instantly raises her wand, already sending some of her usual pink energy balls in the direction of the two silhouettes to push them back a little, creating more space to fight. ]
What-- What happened in here?!
[ Prisma can see the red paint. But considering she entered a moment too late, she has no idea it's paint in the first place.. What if it's Hanako's blood?! ]
no subject
Don't worry about it. Just fight.
[His voice is brisk and a little clipped, a far cry from the usual impish, playful tone he usually liked to use around others. He'll kick himself about it later-- he didn't want Illya to think he was bullying her again!!-- but right now, the situation was too dire to mess around in. The faster they beat these things, the sooner they'd find Junna and drag her out of here, and they didn't have a moment to spare. At least Illya seemed to be getting past her stage fright (so to speak) when it came to fighting Torments, but it was hard to say whether or not she was going to get overwhelmed in the process.]
Summon that familiar of yours if you have to!
[And at that, he slashes one of the figures with his blade, the sharp edge digging deep into it's inky frame. For creatures that looked like theater kids, they sure were tough...!]
no subject
The upside is that it means the attitude she encounters here doesn't fully cut deep into her soul. But it's still not great all the same. It's difficult enough to end up in a chaotic dangerous situation like this in the first place!
But Prisma knows she has no choice. Regardless of Hanako's attitude, she's got no choice but to try and deal with the threats here. For his sake, for her sake - even for Junna's, technically speaking.
So she starts shooting off some of her usual balls of pink energy. A little slower than the usual, because she's trying to keep an eye on where Hanako is, making sure that the balls won't hit him. The fact that they mostly gravitate in the direction of the shadowy figures is helping, at least.
They're still not the most powerful though. Prisma is well aware Hanako is a more powerful Dreamer than she is, so she's mostly thinking in terms of support here. Maybe that's why the star on her wand starts glowing and she does summon the weird little familiar, because-- ]
He'll keep the one on the left busy! [ She calls out to Hanako. ] Focus on the other ones first..!
[ You're being a MEANIE but she will help you anyway, Hanako!!! ]
no subject
Except that's absolutely no reason to be a dick, Hanako!!It looks like Illya's got some grit to her now, at least, which is something he probably should commend her for later (along with an apology for his shitty attitude, tbh--), but for the time being, his attention is squarely on the battle they're in the midst of. He can hear the "pew pew pew" of her wand firing off it's shots, can see the nearby shadow student being knocked back by her little gremlin thing, and he nods at her order, eyes already on a figure ahead of him. She may not be as powerful as he was, comparatively, but having someone take some of the heat off of him was help enough.]
Got it!
[At that, he kicks away one of the figures he'd just sliced, sending it barreling into it's companion behind it. Whirling around, he gestures to his Hakujoudai, sending one of the orby bois plowing straight through the third student and into the far wall. Amidst the chaos, however, one of the shadowy figures breaks free of the weight of it's friend atop it, lunging to grab Hanako's back bow and yeeting him straight into the garment rack with a colossal CRASH.]
GH--!!
[LOOKS LIKE HE'S GONNA NEED THE SUPPORT NOW MORE THAN EVER....]
no subject
The girl quickly turns her head, gasping when she sees what happened. Hanako may be rude, and Prisma still isn't really sure how to feel about him because of it, but it's not like she's just going to stand there while he's getting hurt. Especially when she witnesses the shadow that threw Hanako in the first place starting to approach his current spot, like it's trying to get him while he's down.
Running over might not get her there in time - but her power involuntarily kicks in through sheer helpful instinct, and when Prisma jumps, she very briefly flies through the room, up and over the shadow, until she lands between it and where Hanako landed into a very inelegant pile of clothes. ]
Stay away from him! [ She says - trying her darnest to sound tough as she waves her wand, shooting more of her energy bubbles at the shadow. It's not enough to fully stop it or defeat it, but Prisma figures all she has to do is hold it back until Hanako can get up.
(Which-- S-Surely he can, right? He's got to be okay, she thinks!) ]
no subject
[For as speedy and strong as Hanako could be, he was still very much a glass cannon when it came to handling damage. Even with a Dreamer's durability, being thrown full force into a whole garment rack still hurt, and the impact plus the resulting mountain of clothing burying him certainly didn't help matters, either. It takes him a few moments to regain his bearings through it all, the ringing in his ears and the extra weight of the costumes atop him feeling like he was swimming through a muffled haze. He could hear Prisma shouting out something, the faint pings of her wand firing off, but it was so hard to tell what was going on buried all of this. (And wasn't Prisma farther away...? How'd she get over here so fast??)
Well... he'll try to figure it out later! Right now, he had to get back on his feet, or else he was going to look like a massive hypocrite after the attitude he gave Illya. His hand struggles through the massive pile of costumes, emerging from the depths like a zombie from the grave, straining to reach something outside of his grasp. The leftover red paint streaking his skin certainly didn't help the optics either...]
H-Haku... joudai!
[One of his orby bois immediately beckons at his call, darting to smack into the closest shadow student to Prisma. Or... it tries to, anyway. Without Hanako guiding it properly, its aim is all sorts of off, but at least it's... something, anyway!]
no subject
[ This time the exclamation of surprise coming from Prisma is at least not born out of fear or anything. She's just surprised when Hanako's summon starts flying around in a way that doesn't exactly seem targeted. For a moment the girl is even worried it might slam into her, and she's doing a quick side-step to prevent that..
But even when it flies past her, it's still not moving in the direction of the shadow. Prisma fires off some more attacks to keep it at bay, but her eyes are on the orby thing, calling out to it: ]
No, not that way! A little bit more to the left! Just-- Just a little bit more! [ Does she think it can hear her?
Who knows. Apparently she does, because Prisma sounds - if not also panicked - incredibly sincere about her directions as she calls them out. ]