I don't think invading her head would be a good thing in this instance. I'm cautious at the best of times, but...
[This is probably not like the comic books she read when she was younger (and, admittedly, still does, though not where she could be caught...). It seems like a Bad Idea, pulling mind tricks here. On the other hand...]
If you can just poof one of your...Haku-Joudai back after it did what you wanted it to do, that sounds like a good idea. I just think something that might trap you or leave your mind behind--it's too much of a risk, you know?
[And it isn't one Sam could take herself, so she'd be damned if she'd okay someone else doing so. Especially not the kid.]
[This... really isn't his thing, you know? Not that he's an idiot -- okay, well, not that he's got not sense for strategy and tactics, but that's about battle and leading Dreamers and keeping things together. Not piecing out mysteries and trying to outwit the bloody Dream Sphere itself.]
The enemy isn't Dreamer Crimson, that's for sure. It's this place. If she's got some special sort of tie to it, using powers directly on her probably isn't a good plan. But intercepting her physically is probably better. She reached for us last time, after all.
So. Let's try all of the ones that don't involve affecting her directly.
[It doesn't actually sound like much of a plan - at best, it's the beginnings of a plan. The brat will scout ahead with his Haku-whatevers, Ango will make a distraction, and Zeke and Sam will try to grab Crimson. After that... ????? profit?]
Guess we'd better get moving towards the... gazebo? Bandstand? Hell if I can tell the difference between rich people's tacky lawn ornaments.
[Ango might be the oldest Dreamer here despite his lack of experience... but he's deathly allergic to responsibility, so he steps back and lets others take the lead. Apart from a unsettling sky the color of a vodka-and-orange-juice cocktail, the world around them is dissonantly serene. It's weird to think that it may also be a prison cell.]
[Hey, don't look for strategy or tactics from the literal child-- he's just here to find cool new places and maybe stab some Torments while he's at it. And while the unanimous rejection of his possession idea does leave him just a tiny bit miffed, he's not about to argue about it with them. There was no telling what was pulling the strings here, exactly, and like D said-- he couldn't be too sure what might happen if he got caught. His parents already went through enough grief when his brother disappeared into this place... they didn't need it happening to their other son, too.]
I can get it to teleport back if things start to get dicey, yeah. We just need to see if she's in there, right?
[Hanako starts making his way towards the gazebostand (heck if he knew what that thing was either), not from a particular desire to lead, persay, but as a matter of necessity. His Haku-Joudai could only travel so far, after all, and the closer he could get to where they needed to investigate, the better. The little ball of light zips along ahead of him, swimming through the air and sights (for lack of better word) set on the opening in the structure before it. Hopefully it can spot something in there!]
[ As Hanako and the others make their way towards the gazebo, something strange happens.
The Haku-Joudai whizz off without any obstruction (and we'll touch on what those little guys see presently) but it seems that the Dreamers will not be permitted to follow. Though they're moving through the flower field at a steady pace, the gazebo never draws any closer no matter how far they go.
It seems that someone or something would prefer to keep them at arm's length. ]
[That wasn't something Sam had bet upon--but she's not surprised to note that they never seem to get any closer now. Yeah. It would figure that they're on infinite loop.]
I think we're kind of stuck here, for the moment. I don't think we're getting closer than we are now--physically, at least. They're on to us. If they're actually a they...
[That does mean that she thinks that Hanako ought to be that much more careful, but she feels like nagging him too much will create the opposite result. So no, we won't do that, now. She looks over at Chaosbringer, now, brows arched.]
What do we do now, chief? [Yeah, he's been ostensibly leading these things so far, so yes, D-Tune IS going to act like he's The Boss.]
Okay, hold up! [Zeke puts his hands out to bring his companions to a halt, then immediately turns on his heel -- and starts walking backwards towards the gazebo.]
[Ango can only stare as Zeke begins to walk backwards.]
There's no way in hell that's going to work...
[Or will it? Maybe the dream space is projecting some kind of illusion, or maybe there's some kind of spatial distortion field that's constantly lengthening the distance between them and the gazebo... but either way, it will probably be harder to maintain the trick if whatever is causing it has to account for multiple perspectives. All this time, they've been walking as a small group and looking in the same direction.]
Wait, what if we split up? Not by a lot - just enough so that we're coming at it from different angles and distances. It seems like the kid's haku-things are able to get closer, so maybe it can't handle approaches from multiple directions? Or maybe it can only move the gazebo when we're looking at it? Walking backwards might not be a bad idea...
[Ango makes a mystic ninja hand seal that looks suspiciously like he's pointing his middle finger in the direction of the gazebo, and an identical clone Ango appears. More perspectives can't hurt, right? He then removes his sunglasses to activate his enhanced perception skill - if their enemy is using illusion magic, there's a chance that he'll be able to see a way through it.]
[... welp. Plan "Approach The Gazebo Without Angering It" was already going sideways!! If there was any upside, at least his Haku-Joudai were able to get through... whatever it is that was going on, though he could only get a vague idea over what it was seeing. Still, it was better than nothing!
Hanako stops in his tracks when Zeke commands him to (not that he could go any further as it is anyway), though he can't help but mirror Decadence's expression at... whatever it is that's unfolding before him at the moment. Hanako wasn't exactly against goofy methods of action himself, but...]
... yeeeeeah, no, I'm not doing that.
[That's not very teamwork of you, Hanako!! Not that he was full of any particular ideas himself-- he didn't have ninja abilities like the old guy did, and he couldn't float high enough to get a better vantage point, so he was sort of stuck on what to do...
... except...]
We might be doing this the wrong way. If this thing's able to effect the environment, I don't think it's a matter of the gazebo being able to see us or not. They probably can already tell what we're doing whether we're forwards or backwards, to be honest. If we're gonna come up with a plan, maybe we shouldn't be discussing it out in the open like this? We need a better method of communication if we want to pull one over on... whatever we're dealing with here.
[He shoots them all A Look, hoping that maybe they could pick up what he was trying to hint at, mouthing the words for good measure.
Possession. He's hinting at Possession. If he couldn't do it to Crimson, then at least let him act as the messenger boy among themselves to at least have some element of surprise on this stupid lawn structure here.]
You're going to face the gazebo alone? [Dry, deadpan, and completely unamused, D-Tune frowns down at Hanako. Yes, Zeke is an idiot and she'll cop to that--even her own ideas weren't always completely sane. Guilty as charged. But she, personally, does not try to be stupid. If she can at all help it. Sometimes she can't.
Sam doesn't like Hanako's idea any more than she did the first time he suggested it, but here, she can see that there might actually be merit in it. There's a damn sight less danger for him, at the moment. So she'll at least hear him out. He's young, but...she leans down.]
All right, try it on me and then explain yourself, eh?
[Mostly it's "can you do it to the three of us at once", or is he going to have to do some weird sort of telephone game via possession? She likes the former idea better, honestly. But even the latter has its merits.]
[ What becomes immediately obvious once Zeke starts approaching the problem ass-first is that this doesn't appear to be a trick of the eyes. Rather, the distance between the Dreamers and the gazebo seems to be physically growing every time they take a step towards it - the structure itself is pulling back and retreating from them.
... Don't ask how that works while Hanako's Haku-Joudai is pulling in close at the same time. This is, after all, a dream.
As the group discusses their next move, Hanako gets a little surveillance ping in his head. His little ghosty guy has pulled up close to the gazebo and...
Standing right there and watching them all approach is Dreamer Crimson herself. ]
[See? They all can think he's crazy, but that's valuable information! The obvious answers, though, are -- well, obvious, like surround it. Or use some of the abilities the others are chomping at the bit to get out there. Chaosbringer, for his part, expects that no matter how advanced his Mobility gets, he won't chase the thing faster than it can move away.]
[So, while the others plan their own tricks... Zeke flips one hand up into the air, then draws it down suddenly as he snaps it into a fist.]
If you'd bloody talk to us instead of just assuming we're your enemy and glaring at us uncomfortably, maybe we'd get somewhere, yeah? We're not trying to make this difficult and it'd be nice to all get on the same page!
[As far as Ango can tell, the gazebo isn't just an illusion... the space between them and Crimson is literally expanding. Even if they managed to split up and surround it, that might only result in the entire domain growing indefinitely larger. Whatever is keeping Crimson trapped here is willing and able to distort the entire Dream Sphere to keep them away... He dismisses his shadow clone and considers their remaining options. They could try a more stealthy approach, but clearly they've already been noticed. Maybe the haku-joudai could act as messengers? Chaosbringer's bold declaration snaps Ango out of his plotting, though.]
Wait, do you really think Crimson is the one behind this!? I thought we were supposed to be rescuing her!?
[He honestly never considered the possibility that she might not want to be found.]
[Hanako can't help but pout a bit at D's question, feeling a little irked by her tone. Sure, he's made some... questionable decisions in the past, but he wasn't so delusional as to face this thing on his own! Sure, he was decently strong for a Dreamer his age, but he wasn't about to fool himself into thinking he could take on something that kept Dreamer Crimson of all people hostage. Before he can tell her as much (or at least try to demonstrate his ability on her and THEN explain), Zeke goes and says THAT, and Hanako turns his head to him, his expression one of complete bafflement. What in the world?]
Yeah, I hate to agree with the old guy here, but didn't you say she was trying to reach you--
[But the words have barely left his lips when a familiar little ping pops up in the back of his mind, the simple message leaving his blood go ice cold.
Dreamer Crimson. In gazebo. Alone. Watching.
His expression pales, as his eyes dart to the structure dipping away in the distance, and then back to the group. Shoot. They were going to have to come up with another idea and fast.
One moment Hanako is there, and the next he's gone without a trace, as if he just up and randomly blinked out of existence. Without time to explain, and given the circumstances... that's kind of terrifying!! But because Sam had volunteered first, she's going to be the one to have a voice suddenly pipe up in the back of her head, one that sounds an awful lot like the kid who just disappeared before their eyes.]
D, Chaos guy is right-- she IS watching us. We gotta pull back, pretend we're giving up, and figure out another way to approach without her finding out what we're up to.
[Unfortunately for all of them, his powers weren't nearly strong enough to take three people at a time, so there was going to be a lot of body-hopping involved in order to get everyone on the same page-- but not until they've gotten out of Crimson's watchful eye.]
[Really, she was kind of memeing at Hanako there, but D-Tune wouldn't be upset if he took it the wrong way. There was a bit of her that wanted to needle him, too. Just a tiny bit!
Wait, old guy? Here's a stage whisper.] Hanako, who's the old guy?
[Being the ripe old age of nineteen Decadence just isn't that old to her. You're welcome! But Sam doesn't have time to continue that line of questioning, or anything else, because suddenly Hanako disappears!]
What the fu--
[Okay, if the kid is in her head, he's gotta be safe so that's fine. She manages to not startle too much or act weird, though her brow furrows just a little bit.]
I'm not sure it's her he's yelling about; she might be the princess in the castle needing rescue, not the perpetrator, but I'm perfectly willing to at least attempt to retreat and regroup until we can hammer out a better plan...
[Sam's at least able to glean something from Chaosbringer's quite literal chaos. At least sometimes. She's generally the cautious one--maybe too cautious! Hasn't led her wrong yet, though.]
[ There's no response from Crimson – at least not one that Chaosbringer and the others can hear. It's D and Hanako who get the response, in another ping from the Haku-Joudai floating around the gazebo. Usually, the pings come through in slightly imprecise language but this time the impression is so vivid it almost feels like a direct image – as if someone was pushing it through to make their message very clear.
Dreamer Crimson cups her hand under the Haku-Joudai and leans in close. ]
Don't come back here.
[ Then, as if blowing out a candle, she extinguishes the Haku-Joudai with a puff of breath.
A second later, the ground under everyone's feet begins shaking. ]
[Okay. That's enough of that. Chaosbringer has TRIED to handle this nicely, and here's this entire dream realm being a little bitch about it all! Yanking his sword free, he slams it into the ground to provide support against the shaking ground.]
I think it just declared war, chums. Time for us to answer in kind!
Fucking hell, did she just kill the kid's haku-whatsit? Where is the kid, anyway!? Did Crimson boot his punk ass back to the waking world?
[It's not like he can blame her for that, but still - if Crimson's gonna mess with his crew, he's not going down without a fight.]
Okay, I guess we're doing war now, but I don't think stabbing the ground is gonna help... have we got any long-range attacks? Can anybody shoot lasers?
[Ango grimaces as the ground lurches beneath his feet. He just had a very dumb idea. He could probably transform into something that can fl... glide, and one of the others could throw him in Crimson's general direction to bypass the spatial distortion... but with the whole Dream Sphere turning against them, discussing battle plans in the open is too risky. And then there's the question of what he could actually do with his useless ninja powers if he reached Crimson... light the gazebo on fire, maybe?]
[It's almost terrifying the clarity of the image Hanako sees in his mind's eye, Crimson's face so clear and vivid, it was almost like he was looking at her himself. But... that couldn't be possible-- his Haku-Joudai weren't advanced enough to do anything beyond basic messages, and certainly nothing they could see themselves. Even without a proper body at the moment, he could still feel himself go cold as she leans with that warning, and then--]
KKH--!
[A lance of pain shoots through him as his Haku-Joudai abruptly snuffs out, the sensation all that more unsettling considering the muted nature of his usual injuries. Perhaps because the blow was directed at him and not Sam that Hanako managed to keep a hold on his possession, but his mind was still in a tizzy regardless. Never mind how Crimson was able to do that to his scout-- seriously, he'd never seen anyone do that, ever, to one of his ghost lil' guys-- but it was her warning (or was it a command?) that had set his alarm bells at maximum volume. The ominous shaking of the ground made her message entirely too clear-- they had to leave. NOW.
But with Chaosbringer and Decadence intent on pouring oil on this already chaotic fire (not that they know what was going on, exactly-- dammit, why didn't his possession skill cover more ground?), and Crimson watching their every move, it felt like things were going from bad to worse. When he finally speaks up again in D's head, there's a hint of panic in his voice.]
NO. Crimson wants us out. I saw it, she--
[He lets out a frustrated sound, realizing it was probably not D he should be warning, but Zeke instead. She wasn't the one stabbing the ground, after all!]
I'm going over to Chaos Guy! Just tell the old guy with the shades that we gotta pull back ASAP or else we might be in serious trouble!
[And at that, he hops out of D and immediately into Zeke, his voice laced with desperation as he tries to get his attention within his head.]
CHAOS GUY! You gotta stop!! Crimson's not looking to be rescued-- she told me herself! We need to leave, now, before we make this any worse!
[Sam can't exactly feel what Hanako is feeling--she knows something happened to him, more than just his little ghosty guy going poof. And it probably was not good--and what he says next practically confirms it. She just turns her head towards Crimson--in the other woman's direction, really--and nods.]
We'll have a reckoning, some day. He wasn't menacing you, and he's just a kid. But today is not that day.
[And Sam does offer a nod of respect. That wasn't a threat, after all. Just a promise! At least it should be evident to Hanako that when Sam unslings her axe, it's far more languid and lenient action than if she was following Chaosbringer and Decadence's lead. She just leans on it like it's a crutch--which it absolutely is, with the ground shaking the way it is.]
Gentleman, whatever your feelings right now, we're not welcome here any longer! Discretion is the better part of valor, after all!
[She'd rather leave of her own volition and accord, than get yeeted out again. Twice is more than enough...]
The shaking under everyone's feet becomes increasingly intense as the seconds tick by until finally there's a gigantic lurch, violent enough to make them all leave the ground from a split second. A massive crrrrrrrACK booms through the air and the domain seems to snap in two with Crimson on one side and the rest of the Dreamers on the other. The fissure gapes open and the two halves begin to pull away from each other.
[If he were alone, Dreamer Chaosbringer would let nothing stand in his way of getting to the heart of this mystery! How else do you face the challenges and mysteries of the Dream Sphere except head-on? Backing down just leaves them for another day, and possibly to fester and become far worse!]
[...If he were alone. But he is not, and his team is leaning towards cutting their losses and not continuing to piss off -- whoever they were pissing off, be it Crimson or the gazebo or some other entity entirely. Which means even if he engages further, he won't have their support; it'll just break down into an argument and chaos, which will sabotage his efforts no matter how strong they are. Now's the time to be a leader, not a hero.]
The way out is wakefulness! I'll cover you while you get out, then be right along!
["Oh, he's just going to get them all to wake up and then charge in alone!" No, that's how you lose the trust of your friends and colleagues and convince them they can't rely on you in the future. He's last out not just because this is HIS expedition, but because he's also the one who's hardest to actually hurt. ]
[Ango watches the ground before them open into a seemingly bottomless chasm. Well, that's a pretty clear message that they aren't welcome here... and until they come back with the power of flight or some other long-range capability, they're not going to get any farther.]
Yeah, screw this. Maybe I'll come back here when I figure out how to fly, but for now, I'm gonna bounce. See ya, suckers.
[With that, he abruptly vanishes from the Dream Sphere... and re-appears on the trash-covered couch in his apartment that currently serves as a "bed." Damn it... even though this Dreamer crap is just a job that Ango doesn't really care about (or at least he keeps telling himself that), it's frustrating to come so far and still fail to achieve their goal.]
[Even hiding out in Zeke, Hanako can feel the quaking of the earth beginning to intensify, and the deafening CRACK from below is enough to get him to flinch. Why was it always thunder and loud noises when Chaosbringer was involved?? He could only be relieved that no one could actually see him right now, because the last thing he needed was that old guy giving him hell for being freaked out over this sort of thing.
Though credit where credit is due, it seemed Decadence had the right idea to bail when he did, and Hanako hesitates for just a moment as he considers doing the same. Part of him wanted to wait it out, and make sure Chaosbringer would be good on his word (he was the one most intent on finding Crimson, after all, so he would have the most reason to stay), but... considering how earnest this guy was about everything, he couldn't see him lying to them about it. There's no reason to be doing this whole body-hopping thing anymore, either, now that Crimson had shown her upper hand, and waking himself up while in another Dreamer's body seemed like a dangerously bad idea.
Just as quickly as he blinked out before, he pops back into view, landing himself squarely between the two and trying to keep his balance as the ground pulls itself in a great, gaping void. He eyes the other half of the terrain for a second, in Crimson's general direction, his expression guarded and unreadable. This brief encounter had left him with a number of questions, but the answers clearly weren't going to be found right here, nor right now.
His gaze turns back to D, and then Chaosbringer, debating on whether he really should get out ahead of them, but-- no, they were the most experienced of the group, and if he's learned anything in the past few months, it was that retreating and surviving was better than being stubborn and suffering the consequences.]
... stay safe, you two.
[And with that, Hanako disappears from the Dream Sphere as well, reappearing back in his own bed as his twin snoozes from across the way in their shared room. Tomorrow, Amane will start trying to search for clues in the Waking World for what just happened here-- but for now, he had to chew on these events and hope that the other two managed to make it out without a hitch.]
[Just so she goes down on record, Sam isn't thrilled about all this. This is at least the second time they've gotten so close to Crimson, only to have her slip through their fingers.
And what the heck is the deal with all this, anyway? Sam is probably going to be attempting to glean any iota of meaning out of the area, the sky, the colors, the gazebo and its meaning...anything she could possibly find. But for now...
She's called for discretion before, and again, now. It's likely a disappointment to Chaosbringer--but she'll make it up later to him.
If she can.]
Come on, Chaosbringer. Time to go--don't let me down!
[Not that he really could, unless he stayed and got himself nuked from orbit, or something...]
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beautifuldreamermods) wrote2023-06-15 08:30 pm
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[This is probably not like the comic books she read when she was younger (and, admittedly, still does, though not where she could be caught...). It seems like a Bad Idea, pulling mind tricks here. On the other hand...]
If you can just poof one of your...Haku-Joudai back after it did what you wanted it to do, that sounds like a good idea. I just think something that might trap you or leave your mind behind--it's too much of a risk, you know?
[And it isn't one Sam could take herself, so she'd be damned if she'd okay someone else doing so. Especially not the kid.]
no subject
[This... really isn't his thing, you know? Not that he's an idiot -- okay, well, not that he's got not sense for strategy and tactics, but that's about battle and leading Dreamers and keeping things together. Not piecing out mysteries and trying to outwit the bloody Dream Sphere itself.]
The enemy isn't Dreamer Crimson, that's for sure. It's this place. If she's got some special sort of tie to it, using powers directly on her probably isn't a good plan. But intercepting her physically is probably better. She reached for us last time, after all.
So. Let's try all of the ones that don't involve affecting her directly.
no subject
[It doesn't actually sound like much of a plan - at best, it's the beginnings of a plan. The brat will scout ahead with his Haku-whatevers, Ango will make a distraction, and Zeke and Sam will try to grab Crimson. After that... ????? profit?]
Guess we'd better get moving towards the... gazebo? Bandstand? Hell if I can tell the difference between rich people's tacky lawn ornaments.
[Ango might be the oldest Dreamer here despite his lack of experience... but he's deathly allergic to responsibility, so he steps back and lets others take the lead. Apart from a unsettling sky the color of a vodka-and-orange-juice cocktail, the world around them is dissonantly serene. It's weird to think that it may also be a prison cell.]
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I can get it to teleport back if things start to get dicey, yeah. We just need to see if she's in there, right?
[Hanako starts making his way towards the gazebostand (heck if he knew what that thing was either), not from a particular desire to lead, persay, but as a matter of necessity. His Haku-Joudai could only travel so far, after all, and the closer he could get to where they needed to investigate, the better. The little ball of light zips along ahead of him, swimming through the air and sights (for lack of better word) set on the opening in the structure before it. Hopefully it can spot something in there!]
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The Haku-Joudai whizz off without any obstruction (and we'll touch on what those little guys see presently) but it seems that the Dreamers will not be permitted to follow. Though they're moving through the flower field at a steady pace, the gazebo never draws any closer no matter how far they go.
It seems that someone or something would prefer to keep them at arm's length. ]
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I think we're kind of stuck here, for the moment. I don't think we're getting closer than we are now--physically, at least. They're on to us. If they're actually a they...
[That does mean that she thinks that Hanako ought to be that much more careful, but she feels like nagging him too much will create the opposite result. So no, we won't do that, now. She looks over at Chaosbringer, now, brows arched.]
What do we do now, chief? [Yeah, he's been ostensibly leading these things so far, so yes, D-Tune IS going to act like he's The Boss.]
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Okay, hold up! [Zeke puts his hands out to bring his companions to a halt, then immediately turns on his heel -- and starts walking backwards towards the gazebo.]
Tell me what it's doing behind me!
no subject
There's no way in hell that's going to work...
[Or will it? Maybe the dream space is projecting some kind of illusion, or maybe there's some kind of spatial distortion field that's constantly lengthening the distance between them and the gazebo... but either way, it will probably be harder to maintain the trick if whatever is causing it has to account for multiple perspectives. All this time, they've been walking as a small group and looking in the same direction.]
Wait, what if we split up? Not by a lot - just enough so that we're coming at it from different angles and distances. It seems like the kid's haku-things are able to get closer, so maybe it can't handle approaches from multiple directions? Or maybe it can only move the gazebo when we're looking at it? Walking backwards might not be a bad idea...
[Ango makes a mystic ninja hand seal that looks suspiciously like he's pointing his middle finger in the direction of the gazebo, and an identical clone Ango appears. More perspectives can't hurt, right? He then removes his sunglasses to activate his enhanced perception skill - if their enemy is using illusion magic, there's a chance that he'll be able to see a way through it.]
no subject
Hanako stops in his tracks when Zeke commands him to (not that he could go any further as it is anyway), though he can't help but mirror Decadence's expression at... whatever it is that's unfolding before him at the moment. Hanako wasn't exactly against goofy methods of action himself, but...]
... yeeeeeah, no, I'm not doing that.
[That's not very teamwork of you, Hanako!! Not that he was full of any particular ideas himself-- he didn't have ninja abilities like the old guy did, and he couldn't float high enough to get a better vantage point, so he was sort of stuck on what to do...
... except...]
We might be doing this the wrong way. If this thing's able to effect the environment, I don't think it's a matter of the gazebo being able to see us or not. They probably can already tell what we're doing whether we're forwards or backwards, to be honest. If we're gonna come up with a plan, maybe we shouldn't be discussing it out in the open like this? We need a better method of communication if we want to pull one over on... whatever we're dealing with here.
[He shoots them all A Look, hoping that maybe they could pick up what he was trying to hint at, mouthing the words for good measure.
Possession. He's hinting at Possession. If he couldn't do it to Crimson, then at least let him act as the messenger boy among themselves to at least have some element of surprise on this stupid lawn structure here.]
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Sam doesn't like Hanako's idea any more than she did the first time he suggested it, but here, she can see that there might actually be merit in it. There's a damn sight less danger for him, at the moment. So she'll at least hear him out. He's young, but...she leans down.]
All right, try it on me and then explain yourself, eh?
[Mostly it's "can you do it to the three of us at once", or is he going to have to do some weird sort of telephone game via possession? She likes the former idea better, honestly. But even the latter has its merits.]
no subject
... Don't ask how that works while Hanako's Haku-Joudai is pulling in close at the same time. This is, after all, a dream.
As the group discusses their next move, Hanako gets a little surveillance ping in his head. His little ghosty guy has pulled up close to the gazebo and...
Standing right there and watching them all approach is Dreamer Crimson herself. ]
no subject
[So, while the others plan their own tricks... Zeke flips one hand up into the air, then draws it down suddenly as he snaps it into a fist.]
If you'd bloody talk to us instead of just assuming we're your enemy and glaring at us uncomfortably, maybe we'd get somewhere, yeah? We're not trying to make this difficult and it'd be nice to all get on the same page!
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Wait, do you really think Crimson is the one behind this!? I thought we were supposed to be rescuing her!?
[He honestly never considered the possibility that she might not want to be found.]
no subject
Yeah, I hate to agree with the old guy here, but didn't you say she was trying to reach you--
[But the words have barely left his lips when a familiar little ping pops up in the back of his mind, the simple message leaving his blood go ice cold.
Dreamer Crimson. In gazebo. Alone. Watching.
His expression pales, as his eyes dart to the structure dipping away in the distance, and then back to the group. Shoot. They were going to have to come up with another idea and fast.
One moment Hanako is there, and the next he's gone without a trace, as if he just up and randomly blinked out of existence. Without time to explain, and given the circumstances... that's kind of terrifying!! But because Sam had volunteered first, she's going to be the one to have a voice suddenly pipe up in the back of her head, one that sounds an awful lot like the kid who just disappeared before their eyes.]
D, Chaos guy is right-- she IS watching us. We gotta pull back, pretend we're giving up, and figure out another way to approach without her finding out what we're up to.
[Unfortunately for all of them, his powers weren't nearly strong enough to take three people at a time, so there was going to be a lot of body-hopping involved in order to get everyone on the same page-- but not until they've gotten out of Crimson's watchful eye.]
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Wait, old guy? Here's a stage whisper.] Hanako, who's the old guy?
[Being the ripe old age of nineteen Decadence just isn't that old to her. You're welcome! But Sam doesn't have time to continue that line of questioning, or anything else, because suddenly Hanako disappears!]
What the fu--
[Okay, if the kid is in her head, he's gotta be safe so that's fine. She manages to not startle too much or act weird, though her brow furrows just a little bit.]
I'm not sure it's her he's yelling about; she might be the princess in the castle needing rescue, not the perpetrator, but I'm perfectly willing to at least attempt to retreat and regroup until we can hammer out a better plan...
[Sam's at least able to glean something from Chaosbringer's quite literal chaos. At least sometimes. She's generally the cautious one--maybe too cautious! Hasn't led her wrong yet, though.]
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Dreamer Crimson cups her hand under the Haku-Joudai and leans in close. ]
Don't come back here.
[ Then, as if blowing out a candle, she extinguishes the Haku-Joudai with a puff of breath.
A second later, the ground under everyone's feet begins shaking. ]
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[Okay. That's enough of that. Chaosbringer has TRIED to handle this nicely, and here's this entire dream realm being a little bitch about it all! Yanking his sword free, he slams it into the ground to provide support against the shaking ground.]
I think it just declared war, chums. Time for us to answer in kind!
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[It's not like he can blame her for that, but still - if Crimson's gonna mess with his crew, he's not going down without a fight.]
Okay, I guess we're doing war now, but I don't think stabbing the ground is gonna help... have we got any long-range attacks? Can anybody shoot lasers?
[Ango grimaces as the ground lurches beneath his feet. He just had a very dumb idea. He could probably transform into something that can fl... glide, and one of the others could throw him in Crimson's general direction to bypass the spatial distortion... but with the whole Dream Sphere turning against them, discussing battle plans in the open is too risky. And then there's the question of what he could actually do with his useless ninja powers if he reached Crimson... light the gazebo on fire, maybe?]
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KKH--!
[A lance of pain shoots through him as his Haku-Joudai abruptly snuffs out, the sensation all that more unsettling considering the muted nature of his usual injuries. Perhaps because the blow was directed at him and not Sam that Hanako managed to keep a hold on his possession, but his mind was still in a tizzy regardless. Never mind how Crimson was able to do that to his scout-- seriously, he'd never seen anyone do that, ever, to one of his ghost lil' guys-- but it was her warning (or was it a command?) that had set his alarm bells at maximum volume. The ominous shaking of the ground made her message entirely too clear-- they had to leave. NOW.
But with Chaosbringer and Decadence intent on pouring oil on this already chaotic fire (not that they know what was going on, exactly-- dammit, why didn't his possession skill cover more ground?), and Crimson watching their every move, it felt like things were going from bad to worse. When he finally speaks up again in D's head, there's a hint of panic in his voice.]
NO. Crimson wants us out. I saw it, she--
[He lets out a frustrated sound, realizing it was probably not D he should be warning, but Zeke instead. She wasn't the one stabbing the ground, after all!]
I'm going over to Chaos Guy! Just tell the old guy with the shades that we gotta pull back ASAP or else we might be in serious trouble!
[And at that, he hops out of D and immediately into Zeke, his voice laced with desperation as he tries to get his attention within his head.]
CHAOS GUY! You gotta stop!! Crimson's not looking to be rescued-- she told me herself! We need to leave, now, before we make this any worse!
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We'll have a reckoning, some day. He wasn't menacing you, and he's just a kid. But today is not that day.
[And Sam does offer a nod of respect. That wasn't a threat, after all. Just a promise! At least it should be evident to Hanako that when Sam unslings her axe, it's far more languid and lenient action than if she was following Chaosbringer and Decadence's lead. She just leans on it like it's a crutch--which it absolutely is, with the ground shaking the way it is.]
Gentleman, whatever your feelings right now, we're not welcome here any longer! Discretion is the better part of valor, after all!
[She'd rather leave of her own volition and accord, than get yeeted out again. Twice is more than enough...]
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Proceed or retreat?
It's up to you.
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[...If he were alone. But he is not, and his team is leaning towards cutting their losses and not continuing to piss off -- whoever they were pissing off, be it Crimson or the gazebo or some other entity entirely. Which means even if he engages further, he won't have their support; it'll just break down into an argument and chaos, which will sabotage his efforts no matter how strong they are. Now's the time to be a leader, not a hero.]
The way out is wakefulness! I'll cover you while you get out, then be right along!
["Oh, he's just going to get them all to wake up and then charge in alone!" No, that's how you lose the trust of your friends and colleagues and convince them they can't rely on you in the future. He's last out not just because this is HIS expedition, but because he's also the one who's hardest to actually hurt. ]
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Yeah, screw this. Maybe I'll come back here when I figure out how to fly, but for now, I'm gonna bounce. See ya, suckers.
[With that, he abruptly vanishes from the Dream Sphere... and re-appears on the trash-covered couch in his apartment that currently serves as a "bed." Damn it... even though this Dreamer crap is just a job that Ango doesn't really care about (or at least he keeps telling himself that), it's frustrating to come so far and still fail to achieve their goal.]
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Though credit where credit is due, it seemed Decadence had the right idea to bail when he did, and Hanako hesitates for just a moment as he considers doing the same. Part of him wanted to wait it out, and make sure Chaosbringer would be good on his word (he was the one most intent on finding Crimson, after all, so he would have the most reason to stay), but... considering how earnest this guy was about everything, he couldn't see him lying to them about it. There's no reason to be doing this whole body-hopping thing anymore, either, now that Crimson had shown her upper hand, and waking himself up while in another Dreamer's body seemed like a dangerously bad idea.
Just as quickly as he blinked out before, he pops back into view, landing himself squarely between the two and trying to keep his balance as the ground pulls itself in a great, gaping void. He eyes the other half of the terrain for a second, in Crimson's general direction, his expression guarded and unreadable. This brief encounter had left him with a number of questions, but the answers clearly weren't going to be found right here, nor right now.
His gaze turns back to D, and then Chaosbringer, debating on whether he really should get out ahead of them, but-- no, they were the most experienced of the group, and if he's learned anything in the past few months, it was that retreating and surviving was better than being stubborn and suffering the consequences.]
... stay safe, you two.
[And with that, Hanako disappears from the Dream Sphere as well, reappearing back in his own bed as his twin snoozes from across the way in their shared room. Tomorrow, Amane will start trying to search for clues in the Waking World for what just happened here-- but for now, he had to chew on these events and hope that the other two managed to make it out without a hitch.]
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And what the heck is the deal with all this, anyway? Sam is probably going to be attempting to glean any iota of meaning out of the area, the sky, the colors, the gazebo and its meaning...anything she could possibly find. But for now...
She's called for discretion before, and again, now. It's likely a disappointment to Chaosbringer--but she'll make it up later to him.
If she can.]
Come on, Chaosbringer. Time to go--don't let me down!
[Not that he really could, unless he stayed and got himself nuked from orbit, or something...]
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EXCURSION END