Rise Kujikawa (久慈川 りせ) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
celebrity_commentator) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bravenewworld2014-10-19 08:39 pm
celebrity_commentator) wrote in bravenewworld2014-10-19 08:39 pm
17 ♪
The Dreams
When Rise initially falls asleep, she sees nothing amiss, although the edges of her dreamscape have a hazy fuzziness about them as part of her mind tries to figure out why the cloying fog lately has been bothering her so much. Still, her "normal" dreams consist of a strange, shifting landscape that appears to be in the stars, high above the ground and looking down on it. There's a constant murmur, as of a huge crowd, but Rise initially pays it no mind, leaping among strange rainbow-colored floating islands without a care in the world, changing from second to second from singing out bubbles of pure color to cooking tofu with her grandmother to defeating all comers in some strange Pokémon Battle/Contest hybrid while shirtless versions of every guy she knows cheer her on.
You know, normal dream stuff.
Toyo and Himiko have come along with her into the dream - Rise's subconscious thinks they're a normal part of the landscape, but the Pokémon's dream selves are actually there. They are a little more lucid and are getting steadily more concerned about that buzzing crowd...
Before she wakes up, but a long amount of subjective dream-time later, something is causing the previous pleasant cacophony to warp and change. The floating islands become claustrophobic and close off, trapping Rise in a small space behind copies of Union's walls. The murmur of voices echoes infinitely louder, and words start to come through.
Rise is shaken out of her previous revelry and is suddenly frightened...and feels a lot smaller. Huge versions of her friends - Haruka and Michiru, Asemu, Chie, anyone she's seen kick ass in a fight - have statuesque battles over her head with all manner of mean and nasty Pokémon, even Heatran, which all vanish in puffs of smoke.
Cheer them on, Risette. It's not like you can fight for yourself.
"Whoever you are, cut it out!" Rise shouts into the Void, although she suddenly finds herself in a short-skirted cheerleader costume and staring at a crowd of faceless people bowing down to a giant golden image of herself.
Weren't you so much better off when you were just a pretty piece of furniture? At least you knew what you were doing with your life.
"I'm tired of this...," Rise says, as the faceless crowds dissolve into mist and the statue turns into sand.
Look, even now, you need someone to rescue you. What a perfect damsel in distress...
Meanwhile, something has sent Himiko and Toyo out of Rise's dreamscape. They look at each other, nod, and wander out into neutral territory to find help.
When Rise initially falls asleep, she sees nothing amiss, although the edges of her dreamscape have a hazy fuzziness about them as part of her mind tries to figure out why the cloying fog lately has been bothering her so much. Still, her "normal" dreams consist of a strange, shifting landscape that appears to be in the stars, high above the ground and looking down on it. There's a constant murmur, as of a huge crowd, but Rise initially pays it no mind, leaping among strange rainbow-colored floating islands without a care in the world, changing from second to second from singing out bubbles of pure color to cooking tofu with her grandmother to defeating all comers in some strange Pokémon Battle/Contest hybrid while shirtless versions of every guy she knows cheer her on.
You know, normal dream stuff.
Toyo and Himiko have come along with her into the dream - Rise's subconscious thinks they're a normal part of the landscape, but the Pokémon's dream selves are actually there. They are a little more lucid and are getting steadily more concerned about that buzzing crowd...
Before she wakes up, but a long amount of subjective dream-time later, something is causing the previous pleasant cacophony to warp and change. The floating islands become claustrophobic and close off, trapping Rise in a small space behind copies of Union's walls. The murmur of voices echoes infinitely louder, and words start to come through.
Pretty.
Useless.
You have a responsibility to yourfans
family
Rise is shaken out of her previous revelry and is suddenly frightened...and feels a lot smaller. Huge versions of her friends - Haruka and Michiru, Asemu, Chie, anyone she's seen kick ass in a fight - have statuesque battles over her head with all manner of mean and nasty Pokémon, even Heatran, which all vanish in puffs of smoke.
Cheer them on, Risette. It's not like you can fight for yourself.
"Whoever you are, cut it out!" Rise shouts into the Void, although she suddenly finds herself in a short-skirted cheerleader costume and staring at a crowd of faceless people bowing down to a giant golden image of herself.
Weren't you so much better off when you were just a pretty piece of furniture? At least you knew what you were doing with your life.
"I'm tired of this...," Rise says, as the faceless crowds dissolve into mist and the statue turns into sand.
Look, even now, you need someone to rescue you. What a perfect damsel in distress...
Meanwhile, something has sent Himiko and Toyo out of Rise's dreamscape. They look at each other, nod, and wander out into neutral territory to find help.
no subject
Eh? Wht're you gus dng hre?
[Asemu, swallow before you speak.]
no subject
[They end up waving him back in the direction of Rise's dream. If anyone can sort out their Partner's issues it's either this guy or a professional therapist.]
no subject
[Asemu swallows the berry. It's really obvious that they want him to follow. Therefore, follow he does. He's not sure what to expect, but if they belong to who he thinks they do, then it's definitely important.]
no subject
[Rise's voice cuts through the static, apparently coming from nowhere.]
I'm not just going to call for help again, that's stupid! I don't think you can even hurt me!
[Images flash through the sky - Asemu, Commander Ogami, Lucas, and Jinxie smiting a horde of Grimer in the Old City, the Divine Defense Force taking out raiders, Asemu flying up to Heatran. In every image, Rise cries and cowers in the corner, waiting to be rescued.]
[Another voice, on careful listening also Rise's, replies.]
People will come for you anyway. It's your role and you have to play it. Don't you want them to love you?
[The background image shifts back to the huge, golden, immobile statue of Rise. Meanwhile, the humming sound of voices gets louder and...happier? Whatever they are, they're satisfied with something.]
no subject
Anger.
He's convinced at this point that this is Rise's self-doubt, and right now, it looms before him like a Pokémon that needs to be defeated. In fact, he can see the rampaging Medicham before his eyes all over again.]
HOLD IT!
[Asemu yells at the top of his lungs. He wants to draw attention on himself for now, as he is going to not only take the aggro but turn it on its head. That's his intention.]
no subject
[Himiko used Psychic!]
[No effect!]
[Toyo used Hyper Voice!]
[No effect!]
[?????? used Nasty Plot!]
[The Pokémon look at each other worriedly...]
Hey, your boyfriend's here to rescue you now!
H-he's not my boyfriend!
Only because he's an idiot, let's be real here.
no subject
Dendrobium!
[Asemu's Warp Band flashes and a Vivillon appears.]
I don't know what's out there, but -- wait, what?
[That's when he heard the banter.]
Hey, cut that out! What kind of a time is it for that?! Dendrobium, Draining Kiss!
no subject
[?????? used Dark Pulse!]
[Himiko used Protect.]
[Toyo used Light Screen.]
[The strange background images are now replaced by some careful closeups of Asemu without a shirt on - a few on the beach, a few reflected in mirrors.]
Oh, are we moving to that kind of dream? Maybe that would get rid of our guests.
Wait, guests? Is there someone else here?
no subject
[The Talonflame appears next to Asemu, and he hands it a Roseli Berry before it takes flight.]
Natural Gift! Dendrobium, another Draining -- KISS?!
[The order comes just as the scenery shifts. A good thing, too, otherwise he'd have been completely distracted. As it is, both Dendrobium and Bullet launch their Fairy-type attacks at the source of the disturbance.]
RISE! Can you hear me, Rise?! I'm here, and I don't mean in those...uh, images! Try to do something about this!
no subject
A-and it's just making up that stuff with the mirrors, I promise!
[Whatever the disturbance that was attacking is, it seems to have fled for now...if nothing else, it's not attacking Asemu or the Pokémon anymore.]
Are you suuuuuure?
no subject
Uh...I'm not even sure what to say. What is that other voice, anyway?
[Asemu isn't completely convinced that Rise is being honest about the mirror display. She certainly did have the time for it. However, he finds himself hoping -- if only a little bit -- that she did take some time to appreciate his body -- at least, above the waistline.
Which only embarrasses him more.]
no subject
Yes you do.
[Oddly enough, both voices sound pretty frustrated, and a gate appears to open in one of those floating wall structures.]
Why can't you just admit how you feel about things? Honestly, it's like you're a little kid.
[The floating images are suddenly replaced with a single picture of a ten year old Rise, looking extremely gloomy and holding a confused Happiny in front of her like a shield. Toyo pipes up at recognizing her younger self.]
no subject
Rise. I want to help you. May I help you?
no subject
You don't want to need anyone's help.
But I always do! Every time!
[Asemu can enter the door and see Rise yelling at what looks exactly like a curtained stage. There's a spotlight shining on the curtain, but it's closed.]
It's not fair.
It's not fair!
no subject
There's no shame in needing help. No one can do everything alone.
no subject
--left alone? But you never are.
And I don't really want to be alone anyway.
You aren't.
[Rise looks down and sighs.]
The hell do I want?
no subject
...That's something only you can answer. But if you do search, remember...remember that it can take time. That's how it was with me.
But look, I didn't get where I am by myself, either. No one really does do it by themselves. Try to keep that in mind, okay?
no subject
Whatever you want to be.
[Rise looks up at the big stage curtain.]
Hey, Asemu, could you pull that open for me?
no subject
[With a force-augmented leap, Asemu lands on the stage and heads over to the rope. He begins to pull the curtains apart with it.]
no subject
I'm the only--
--one here, aren't I? Well--
except the audience and the co-stars...
no subject
Well...I'm okay in front of an audience...
[He looks a little bit nervous, but still committed.]
But I'll understand if you want to perform alone.
no subject
[The audience flickers and sort of...flows together into a single floating figure, specifically, a wounded-looking Spiritomb.]
...but someone had to egg on one of my nightmares. That's what this is, right?
no subject
[Asemu calls upon his Vivillon again. It flutters around above his head, but makes no moves to attack.]
I think you can handle it from here. I'm just a supporting actor for now.
no subject
I'm gonna explain to this guy that there's no free shows. I think I'll be okay for a while after that...
no subject