[ 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...]
[Hey, if he got nuked from orbit, he'd at least wake up!]
[...although it is, apparently, possible to stay here. One way or another. If you're Crimson, at least.]
[But before he awakens, Chaosbringer lifts his sword one-handed, then levels it in a dramatic point towards the gazebo and its sole occupant. This isn't as easy as it looks, given how stupidly large his sword is, and he's secretly practiced it! The trick is to support the weight of the sword by letting the hilt press against the forearm, relying on leverage to hold up the blade. Crimson better bloody well appreciate the effort he puts into this dramatic statement.]
We're not done. We're not enemies! All we need is to understand, for everyone's sake. So I'll see you again.
[Pronouncement delivered, he flips his sword back over his shoulder, then turns away. Dramatics dictate he give Crimson a chance to respond, but either way, he's waking himself up before that response turns ugly.]
[ As the Dreamers each vanish from the dream in turn, Crimson stands watching them with a tightly controlled expression on her face that's hard to read – all you can tell from the growing distance is that it seems oddly cold.
It's not until Chaosbringer makes his declaration that some crack seems to form in her composure. Her face twists into that same intense, burdened emotion they'd seen last time and almost as if she can't bear to face the intensity of his sincerity, she turns way.
With one final great BOOM, the dream fully ruptures down the center and
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beautifuldreamermods) wrote2023-06-15 08:30 pm
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!
no subject
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.]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[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!
no subject
[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?]
no subject
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!
no subject
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...]
no subject
Proceed or retreat?
It's up to you.
no subject
[...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. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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...]
no subject
[...although it is, apparently, possible to stay here. One way or another. If you're Crimson, at least.]
[But before he awakens, Chaosbringer lifts his sword one-handed, then levels it in a dramatic point towards the gazebo and its sole occupant. This isn't as easy as it looks, given how stupidly large his sword is, and he's secretly practiced it! The trick is to support the weight of the sword by letting the hilt press against the forearm, relying on leverage to hold up the blade. Crimson better bloody well appreciate the effort he puts into this dramatic statement.]
We're not done. We're not enemies! All we need is to understand, for everyone's sake. So I'll see you again.
[Pronouncement delivered, he flips his sword back over his shoulder, then turns away. Dramatics dictate he give Crimson a chance to respond, but either way, he's waking himself up before that response turns ugly.]
EXCURSION END
It's not until Chaosbringer makes his declaration that some crack seems to form in her composure. Her face twists into that same intense, burdened emotion they'd seen last time and almost as if she can't bear to face the intensity of his sincerity, she turns way.
With one final great BOOM, the dream fully ruptures down the center and
all of you wake up. ]