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yumemigaoka2025-05-24 08:42 pm
tworo) wrote in yumemigaoka2025-05-24 08:42 pm
in the valley of the dolls we sleep
" The crystals' power is tremendous! Their unstable output made the Union fret, but...if I can harness this energy, it will open up research possibilities we've only dreamed of.
At last, paradise will be mine to create. "
Welcome to...Turo's? Disturbance event! To recap from 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, it's Dreamer Miraidon!
Using the descriptions in the log below, you may freely toplevel 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 toplevel.
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 June 7th.
THE GATES OF EDEN
- Upon entering the Dream, Dreamers will find themselves standing on the rim of a massive crater. The opposite side is hard to see; there's a thick layer of pale fog up here, obscuring vision. Dreamers will have to climb down in order to enter.
Fortunately, though the cliffs are steep, it's easy to find a carved path that spirals down into the depths. The grade is gentle, and there's no enemies here. It's a pleasant walk. Breaking through the fog cover, things only get better; the beauty of the Zero Crater spreads out before you. A tiered landscape of soft pastel grass, glittering crystalline spires, and sparkling waterfalls that cascade down from seemingly nowhere. There's no screams or haunting voices, just a gentle sound like windchimes.
This is a good dream. This is a paradise.
!THE PLAINS
Upon reaching the bottom of the crater, Dreamers will find themselves in an open plain. The grass is mostly a pale green, but pastel shades of other colors ripple as you move through it. In the taller grass, strange Torments occasionally slip out. They look almost like glass animal figurines, the kind a child might collect: ruby foxes, smoky glass rabbits, birds of sapphire and jet. As long as you're peaceful, they won't attack. But if you're too loud, or push forward too aggressively - well, it's your own fault, for shattering the peace of such a place.
In some places, there's grottos of trees, with crystalline bark and leaves that chime lightly as they blow in the wind. Some of the waterfalls from above terminate here, forming pools of cool, clear water. It's a peaceful environment. It even smells lovely. It's very tempting to sit down next to a pool for a while, or even just lay right down in the grass.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Those who sit and rest too long in a grotto will find the trees slowly shifting towards them. The slight tinkling of their crystalline roots and leaves as they move are often the only warning a Dreamer will receive before they're grabbed. If they seize a Dreamer, they will attempt to pull them into their trunk and grow around them, encasing them, too, in crystal. Fortunately, this is a slow enough process that you'll have plenty of time to call for help.
If a Dreamer can't be wrench free physically, the trees are still partially plants and can be repelled with fire. They will also let go if you sing them back to sleep.
In some places, there's grottos of trees, with crystalline bark and leaves that chime lightly as they blow in the wind. Some of the waterfalls from above terminate here, forming pools of cool, clear water. It's a peaceful environment. It even smells lovely. It's very tempting to sit down next to a pool for a while, or even just lay right down in the grass.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Those who sit and rest too long in a grotto will find the trees slowly shifting towards them. The slight tinkling of their crystalline roots and leaves as they move are often the only warning a Dreamer will receive before they're grabbed. If they seize a Dreamer, they will attempt to pull them into their trunk and grow around them, encasing them, too, in crystal. Fortunately, this is a slow enough process that you'll have plenty of time to call for help.
If a Dreamer can't be wrench free physically, the trees are still partially plants and can be repelled with fire. They will also let go if you sing them back to sleep.
!TUNNELS
There's cavern openings in the Crater. Some are simply in the walls, but most are underwater, hidden in those peaceful pools. Diving underneath, you surface again in a tunnel system. It's not cramped and winding like the Reverie Necropolis; here, the paths are wide, made entirely of glittering white crystal. Light refracts off it in rainbow hues, and it's clear enough that you can see yourself reflected in the depths.
The only thing is, you can't get out.
Attempting to turn around and exit the way you came, you'll find the entrance gone, as if it were never there. You'll simply have to keep moving forward, accompanied by a thousand faceted versions of yourself. You can feel them watching you.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If Dreamers touch the crystal walls, or spend too long observing their own reflections, they'll begin to grow increasingly disoriented. Are they reflections, or are they real? They seem to move first, sometimes, before the Dreamers themselves. Which of you is really the reflection here? Dreamers who spend too long engaging with their doppelgangers will find the reflections reaching out to drag them into the crystals, stepping out to take their place. Reflections will attempt to act like the originals in order to lead other Dreamers astray, spiraling deeper into the labyrinth.
Dreamers may free their trapped teammates by noticing that the reflections are fake and forcing them back into the walls. The reflections do not share the powers and abilities of the real Dreamer; it's not much harder than shoving a regular person, though they will protest, struggle, and cry that they're the real ones. Why are you turning on them like this? Their only real move is emotional manipulation, so they'll try their best.
The trapped Dreamers can also free themselves by simply shattering the crystals they're stuck in and breaking free. But it can be difficult to tell which facet is reality - a strong sense of self is needed, or else the help of someone else to keep you grounded.
The only thing is, you can't get out.
Attempting to turn around and exit the way you came, you'll find the entrance gone, as if it were never there. You'll simply have to keep moving forward, accompanied by a thousand faceted versions of yourself. You can feel them watching you.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If Dreamers touch the crystal walls, or spend too long observing their own reflections, they'll begin to grow increasingly disoriented. Are they reflections, or are they real? They seem to move first, sometimes, before the Dreamers themselves. Which of you is really the reflection here? Dreamers who spend too long engaging with their doppelgangers will find the reflections reaching out to drag them into the crystals, stepping out to take their place. Reflections will attempt to act like the originals in order to lead other Dreamers astray, spiraling deeper into the labyrinth.
Dreamers may free their trapped teammates by noticing that the reflections are fake and forcing them back into the walls. The reflections do not share the powers and abilities of the real Dreamer; it's not much harder than shoving a regular person, though they will protest, struggle, and cry that they're the real ones. Why are you turning on them like this? Their only real move is emotional manipulation, so they'll try their best.
The trapped Dreamers can also free themselves by simply shattering the crystals they're stuck in and breaking free. But it can be difficult to tell which facet is reality - a strong sense of self is needed, or else the help of someone else to keep you grounded.
!THE LAB
While making their way through the crystal caverns, Dreamers may stumble upon a strange, out-of-place door. It's grey and metal, entirely unremarkable except for the incongruity with its surroundings. Entering, they'll find themselves in a dimly lit lab space of sorts. It's cramped here. Every surface is piled with paperwork, and multiple computer monitors flicker with nearly incomprehensible graphs and spreadsheets.
Somewhere above, an old-fashioned loudspeaker crackles to life.
"Find me the energy readings from last week."
A man's voice. Those who have met Doctor Turo Morado will recognize it as his; those who have met his Figment may still recognize it as its. He gives nothing but the simple order. If you cast through the files and papers to do as he asks, yet another order will come. And another. And another. Each of them are simple grunt tasks, but they're never-ending. There is no reward, and there is no end. The door is locked. This is what you do now.
This game of Simon Says can only end by refusing or questioning the Doctor's commands. This gets the voice on the loudspeaker to finally respond directly to the Dreamers, snapping:
"Malfunctioning? Oh, well, we can fix that."
This is when the Torments will emerge - slender amethyst serpents that crackle with electrical energy. Dreamers will have to defeat them before the door will unlock and free them to continue through the caverns.
However, if you continue playing the good servant and following orders, eventually the voice giving them changes. It morphs, as it's speaking, into your own voice.
Here it comes.
Somewhere above, an old-fashioned loudspeaker crackles to life.
A man's voice. Those who have met Doctor Turo Morado will recognize it as his; those who have met his Figment may still recognize it as its. He gives nothing but the simple order. If you cast through the files and papers to do as he asks, yet another order will come. And another. And another. Each of them are simple grunt tasks, but they're never-ending. There is no reward, and there is no end. The door is locked. This is what you do now.
This game of Simon Says can only end by refusing or questioning the Doctor's commands. This gets the voice on the loudspeaker to finally respond directly to the Dreamers, snapping:
This is when the Torments will emerge - slender amethyst serpents that crackle with electrical energy. Dreamers will have to defeat them before the door will unlock and free them to continue through the caverns.
However, if you continue playing the good servant and following orders, eventually the voice giving them changes. It morphs, as it's speaking, into your own voice.
"Very good. I can take over from here."
Here it comes.
!THE DEPTHS
Finally reaching the cavern depths, Dreamers will find a much more open environment, made of larger chambers with towering ceilings. As above, water flows down from some unknown source, creating a shallow pool that covers much of the ground throughout the chambers. It must be this water that feeds the purple flowers that grow everywhere down here. These are bioluminescent, glowing with a faint violet light of their own that illuminates the deeper caverns. Any other light sources will fail. But that's fine. It's pretty, isn't it?
Though the water here is never very deep, spending too long wading through it presents other dangers. It has a soporific effect, causing Dreamers to become sleepy and forgetful. Combined with the strange lighting, it becomes quite easy to lose the path. Fortunately, the glowing flower patches indicate where you can find strips of dry land. Some of these are narrow strips; some are larger islands. The flowers on the latter seem to grow bigger. There's some that are almost as large as a person, with drooping bell-shaped blooms and delicate trailing vines.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Dreamers will notice an intoxicating aroma emanating from the blooms of the larger purple flowers. Should they draw too close, the petals of the flower will close around them. They're soft and delicate, easily broken, except that being inside a flower traps a Dreamer in a vision of their ideal life. In this world, they're unaware that anything is wrong. Everything is going perfectly, somehow. They have everything they ever wanted. It's paradise.
Other Dreamers can try to free those trapped by attacking the flowers, but they will fight back, trying to use their vines to pull them in and trap them in visions of paradise by force. Fire magic is especially effective here, though if used against flowers that still have captives, there's a solid risk of harming the trapped Dreamer. Another option is to touch the trapped Dreamer, entering their vision. If they can be convinced to leave, they'll wake up, and it will be far easier to destroy the flower.
Though the water here is never very deep, spending too long wading through it presents other dangers. It has a soporific effect, causing Dreamers to become sleepy and forgetful. Combined with the strange lighting, it becomes quite easy to lose the path. Fortunately, the glowing flower patches indicate where you can find strips of dry land. Some of these are narrow strips; some are larger islands. The flowers on the latter seem to grow bigger. There's some that are almost as large as a person, with drooping bell-shaped blooms and delicate trailing vines.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Dreamers will notice an intoxicating aroma emanating from the blooms of the larger purple flowers. Should they draw too close, the petals of the flower will close around them. They're soft and delicate, easily broken, except that being inside a flower traps a Dreamer in a vision of their ideal life. In this world, they're unaware that anything is wrong. Everything is going perfectly, somehow. They have everything they ever wanted. It's paradise.
Other Dreamers can try to free those trapped by attacking the flowers, but they will fight back, trying to use their vines to pull them in and trap them in visions of paradise by force. Fire magic is especially effective here, though if used against flowers that still have captives, there's a solid risk of harming the trapped Dreamer. Another option is to touch the trapped Dreamer, entering their vision. If they can be convinced to leave, they'll wake up, and it will be far easier to destroy the flower.
!PARADISE
But of course, this isn't an ordinary Disturbance. This one came with a guide.
The Figment knows the Crater. It also knows the Doctor. It's been moving throughout the Disturbance the entire time, trying to help various Dreamers navigate their way through. It's nigh useless in combat on the way down here - its attacks don't seem to have any effect on anything here - but it seems to always know where it's going. Eventually, it will successfully bring a small party to the heart of the caverns. It looks like a dead end, a tall wall of shining crystal that stretches beyond what anyone can see, but this is where it stops.
"Well," it asks. "Are you prepared?"
The Figment knows the Crater. It also knows the Doctor. It's been moving throughout the Disturbance the entire time, trying to help various Dreamers navigate their way through. It's nigh useless in combat on the way down here - its attacks don't seem to have any effect on anything here - but it seems to always know where it's going. Eventually, it will successfully bring a small party to the heart of the caverns. It looks like a dead end, a tall wall of shining crystal that stretches beyond what anyone can see, but this is where it stops.
"Well," it asks. "Are you prepared?"
QUESTIONS & INTERACTION REQUESTS
MID-TIER COMBAT ENCOUNTER: THE FRAGMENT
The Fragment is a Nightmare that, initially, appears to be a sudden and rapid growth of the same sort of crystals the Caverns are made of. It builds and cracks and lifts into the air, hovering amid a faint rainbow glow. For a moment, it looks very much like a sleeping person's Figment.
But then, almost like a person Awakening, a humanoid form coalesces around it, and it becomes a person: one of the Dreamers it's facing. It's identical, but something about it remains uncanny. The Fragment holds itself with the utmost authority, no matter who it's imitating, beckoning like a parent to a stubborn child as it tries to seize its counterpart. It changes its shape to match whoever it's currently engaging with, as well as their abilities and resistances. As such, its weaknesses vary as long as it can remain transformed!
Whatever it looks like, the Fragment can also attack with sharp crystalline fragments that it summons from within itself. It favors trying to pin Dreamers to walls or surfaces with these, or using them to shield itself from attack. Eventually, once it's been worn down enough, it will lose its power to imitate others. Without its illusions, it's very fragile and can easily be shattered via physical damage.
WIN CONDITIONS:
⧖ At least 3 characters must show up to fight
⧖ At least 15 comments must be posted across 2 threads.
built with a heart broken from the start
On the other side, it's like you've entered the inside of a diamond. The chamber is massive and glittering white, the walls faceted and iridescent. Inside, a great crystalline flower has bloomed. Its petals seem to be carved of amethyst. They catch the light strangely. Everything catches the light strangely in here; it turns the outlines of everything a little fuzzy. It has the same strange lonely feeling as an empty train station in the middle of the night, or an endless silent hotel hallway. You've entered a liminal space.
In the center of the flower, Dreamer Miraidon waits.
He is, in every way, identical to the Figment that led you here. He has the same sleek violet armor, the helmet removed so that you can see the same face beneath. But the way they hold themselves is different. This is the real Turo, and he is unequivocally in control here. There's an aura of power about him that's not typical of a Dreamer, a feeling of pressure. As he turns to shoot an exasperated glare at the Figment, the air around him shimmers.]
There you are. I didn't tell you to go anywhere.
no subject
Then the other Miraidon speaks and Tycoon instinctively summons his weapons, his body understanding the threat in front of him before he can fully make sense of what they're looking at. He holds them in front of himself protectively for a second before lowering them when there's no sign of an attack]
Huh? [pause, then;] Miraidon...-san? Ah, wait, that's sort of confusing... Doctor, are you all right?
no subject
He keeps his knife drawn as they enter they room, unwilling to let his guard down now that they've gotten to the heart of all of this. Pretty as it all is, this was still someplace dangerous, and the radiating power of the man in the center of the room just cinches it. But still...
His eyes flick to their guide, and then to the identical man within the flower. Admittedly, he didn't know very much about Dreamer Miraidon at all-- aside from the fact that he really wasn't very good in a fight-- so his surprise is just a little more tempered than Tycoon's.]
So... are you a twin too, or...?
[Look, you can't exactly blame him for asking!! Granted, the other man seemed a bit more commanding, but like... brothers could be like that sometimes, right???]
no subject
The little pink soldier, raised to be a polite girl, was ready to thank the one that guided her here and kept her safe, but the sight of the crystalline room and, more importantly, the massive flower made the words die in her mouth before she could even speak them.]
Huh? Wait, there's two of them?
[She isn't familiar with the one in the flower any more then she was with the Figment that guided her. But, however unlikely it was, maybe this could be solved without violence. She gives a little bow to the Miraidon perched in the flower.]
U..um, nice place you've got here. Its a little confusing, but its also pretty. Don't be mad at your brother...twin...er...whatever, he was just helping us out so we could get here safely. A..are you aware you're inside of a huge flower? J..just asking, its kind of a weird place to sit.
[She's not exactly projecting confidence, despite the beauty she was clearly unnerved. That feeling in the air had not passed her by. But she still clings to that tiny shred of hope that this can be settled without having to pull out her weapon.]
no subject
[Sage slows to a stop, just behind Tycoon. Then there's a glance sideways at Hanako, then one at LLENN. She looks back at the Professor -- away from the figment -- and marvels at the fact that there's two of them. Maybe Amane is right. Maybe they're both twins. Or--
No, she thinks. This is eerily the same.
She looks at the Figment for a second, before she looks back at the Professor. She sucks a breath in, then she steps forward.] ...Were you expecting them? And--and... you're aware this place is dangerous, aren't you?
no subject
[The Professor sweeps his eyes over the assembled Dreamers disinterestedly, and finally settles on Sage, the only one of them who's even mildly familiar.]
The rest of you aren't necessary here. But I do appreciate you delivering my Figment. It must have wandered off - I'll fix that in later versions.
[He snaps his fingers impatiently. The Figment cringes - looking at the floor rather than anyone else, it's obviously torn between obeying and staying where it is, not to mention bizarrely embarrassed.]
no subject
'Delivering'-
[Tycoon flinches initially at the snap but steps forward to... Not quite stand between Turo and his Figment, but clearly trying to dissuade anything from happening while everyone was still trying to make sense of the situation]
Wait, what do you mean fixing him? He brought us here because we were worried about you! This place isn't... [actually, it's a lot nicer than the other Disturbances they've experienced! The circumstances feel really different, considering the lack of personal(?) trauma on display] We all need to wake up at some point or another. Just staying in the Dream Sphere can't be good for you!
no subject
[His eyes dart back to their guide, the pieces starting to suddenly click in place. It explained a lot-- his reluctance to fight, his familiarity with this place... and actually, hadn't he stayed behind when Chaosbringer and Sonic went to explore that volcano a while back...? Hanako had chalked it up to Miraidon using his adult common sense and exercising some caution (a good call, considering how THAT all ended up), but now looking at it in hindsight...
He frowns as the other man snaps his fingers and he mirrors Tycoon's movement, hovering slightly near the Figment as he turns his gaze back towards-- whoever this guy was. There was something about the way he treated the Figment that made Hanako itch, and he couldn't quite pinpoint why.]
I think we kinda are necessary, actually? We're here because whatever you're up to is enough to mess around with the real world and freak out the Union. And if your Figment is operating on it's own...
[... well. He'd only heard theories about what triggered that to happen, but from what he could remember...]
... then that's really, really bad, isn't it?
no subject
Figment? Huh? Do I not remember what that means?
[She looks between the two Turos, the confusion obvious on her rounded cheeks. She mumbles to herself as she tries to figure it out.]
If the one over there is a Figment of the one over there, that means the one in the flower must be the real one, but the two of them don't seem to necessarily want the same thing....
[She closes her eyes, lowers her head and audibly sighs.]
You're even more confused about yourself then I am, aren't you?
[There's no accusations in the small girl's voice. Rather, there is a good deal of concern there. She probably has the whole situation wrong. But to her eyes, it feels like this man is having some sort of internal conflict, if his own dreams were trying to get him help.]
no subject
[She takes a step closer, since she has his attention. But there's a frown at the idea of "fixing" the Figment. She glances between the Professor and the Figment. Then she looks back at the Professor.]
...He isn't just some wayward machine to reprogram. He led us here, and he's shown concern and care for us.
no subject
[The Professor waves off all of this concern dismissively. He's accustomed to people not understanding his work. The only real annoyance is that his Figment is still not following directions. That's what gets him to step out of the flower and approach. He's not preparing for battle, not even donning his helmet - he just moves to grab the Figment by the wrist. If no one intervenes, it allows him; its posture is curled inward, shameful and afraid, and it doesn't say a thing.]
You must understand, this isn't an actual person. It's just a fragment of me that I've been cultivating here. Maintaining a piece of oneself in the Dream Sphere and the Waking World both is the first step. Of course, this one is not perfect, but it should serve... [Inspecting the Figment closely, in a way it does not seem comfortable with.] I'd have to do more testing, but it's probably just a function of how long I've had it. The others shouldn't end up so unruly.
Nikki Aoyama 🌀 Dreamer Sonic
[On your way down the plains, you might notice a bright blue streak tearing through the area as if it's his God Given Right(™) to destroy the peace of the area. Periodically, the crystalline animals can be seen trying to give chase to the offending Dreamer. Imagine so brazenly destroying the peace and tranquility of the area!!
Oddly enough, Sonic doesn't seem to particularly care about the animals chasing after him. It's easy enough for him to shake them off his tail, though he might unintentionally drag them into other Dreamers along the way. When he realizes his mistake, he doubles back quickly to make up for his mistake]
Oops, my bad! May as well fix this while I'm here, yeah?
Tunnels
Really? [then again, in Engrish, because he big mad;] REALLY?
[Sonic is pacing aggressive in front of one of the pools, arms crossing and uncrossing with uncharacteristic anxious energy as he does. Truly, his disappointment is immeasurable and his night is ruined]
All the things this place could do, it really went 'ah, it'll be great if we just put everything under water!'
[He peers over the edge of the pool, staring at something in the water before he points aggressively at the water]
Don't think you've beaten me yet!
[Maybe it explains why Sonic is looking so uncharacteristically mild later in the tunnels. Approaching him in the tunnels has him sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck before he explains;] Yeah... I don't do well with water.
Anyway, let's get going. We still need to find the Dreamer in here, right?
The Lab
[Sonic is nothing if not a troublemaker. When he's given his first orders, the Dreamer stops and stares at the room around himself for a moment before casually reaching over with one hand... And, without waiting for what the other Dreamer does, sweeps all the paper on the table down onto the floor with the same energy as a cat being told not to]
[with zero remorse;] Oops! Sorry~! My hand slipped.
[he doesn't usually mind authority - someone needs to be in charge - but Sonic has always bristled under the expectation of having to behave according to another person's wishes. When the Torments start slithering out of wherever they were hiding, he dashes over to quickly kick one into the wall]
This guy's attitude just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe we should be report him to HR instead of reporting to him?