Waking Nightmares

Mon Oct 30, 2023 10:12 am

[E-Rank] Tear in the Fabric
[D-Rank] Questioning Reality
[C-Rank] Formation of Rifts
[B-Rank] Nightmares Given Life
[A-Rank] Waking Demons
[S-Rank] Into the Maw of Dreams and Nightmares

Total Ryo Reward: 38,750 Ryo + 12,000 Ryo (2,000 x 6) for C-Rank Vagabond Status + 9,600 Ryo from Max AP = 60,350 Ryo
Total AP Reward: 192 AP, Max AP Bonus results in 9,600 Ryo
Total Dream Tokens: 90 DTs
Total WC Required: 15,500 WC

Marabelle woke up from a stir of emotions over a restless night. The day before was a normal day for her in Otogakure, well as normal as it could be for a foreigner to the land. She had grown acquainted with some businesses and others within their shinobi system and was looking to potentially see about shifting a bit of their viewpoint to be more open to outsiders but fear and xenophobia would always exist should concerns and dangers lurk beyond the borders of their village. This night was filled with fear and terror to start but eventually shifted back to the time the Everbloom found herself helping at the orphanage baking. The scent of cookies filled her dreamscape and when she awoke in the middle of the night, she too also smelt cookies.

Alert and quick to act in her silk pajamas, Marabelle wasted no time to inspect her surroundings before entering the kitchen space that the small abode that Kaito, the Otokage, provided for her stay there within the village. On the table was, stacked neatly on a plate with a glass of cold milk beside was cookies. Specifically the ones she had made with the children a few days ago. It caught her attention immediately as that made no sense to her understanding. Forming seals to activate her expanded sensory, nothing alerted the kunoichi that something was awry. Uncertain on the cookies appearance even though she confirmed she was not under the influence of a genjutsu, she proceeded with caution and got dressed properly for the day as she decided a small investigation of the surroundings would be in order. Once equipped, she headed out the apartment door into the village proper as she stared into the night, illuminated by stars and lanterns dotting the streets. It was then she heard a small scream in the nearby apartments and moved quickly to help out.

The first few were simple concerned and terrified situations involving a giant stuff bear that made even Marabelle look like a child had suddenly appeared and filled half the room of an actual child. However the problems shifted as it got deeper into the night as small creatures like blood bats began to conjure from thin air age began attacking those investigating the evening affairs of the sudden appearances of baked goods and bed-sized bears. Using her tanto to swiftly remedy the problems, as soon as one was dealt with a new problem arose. The bigger issue the Everbloom had was that the death of the creatures has then slowly disintegrate into particles cascade if they never existed to begin with. They were not a shinobi’s summon nor a real creature which puzzled the Vagabond. Once the issues in her area were dealt with, she took it as a chance to head back to her abode for her duration within the village to finish her rest for the evening. Once home, the cookies remained, now cold and milk lukewarm. A soft smile etched its way to her face as she remembered the happiness of the children. Dumping the milk down the drain, Marabelle’s grabbed a cookie taking a bite out of it as it tastes just like the cookies she made. From there she changed back into her pjs and headed back to bed.

WC: 551, TWC: 551 | MWC: 551/500, TMWC: 551/15,500

A few days later...

Marabelle ventured around the village of Otogakure, before finding her way to the mission board. The last few days had become varied from her initial visit timeframe and thus it was time for some changes. The world seemed to almost become undone in the proceeding waking hours post the initial night. There was a lot to unpack for a lot of the villagers as the village leadership issues out an announcement finally about what was going on. There was some sort of explanation that was currently beyond their grasp of what was going on. Initially it seemed like an attack of some sort but there was no option available to properly identify what was going on. There was an ever increasing concern and worry for the shinobi in their capacity to handle such a situation. The Everbloom was mindful of the fact that Otogakure was just one village in the world, and the smaller settlements were also likely struggling to handle such affairs though their population might be more capable of remaining vigilant and calm in such a manner since there was less to cause the issue. Currently per the announcement it appeared that people should remain calm and try to avoid over-exerting themselves or becoming overly imaginative prior to bed. Dreams seemed to be common thread that was first identified with put a smile to her face. "Perhaps this will help encourage people that dreams can come true." She giggled to herself looking at the overwhelmed mission board in front of her. There was a numerous amount of missions needing attention now with the village itself trying to keep up with all the nuances of current affairs.

Grabbing a stack, Marabelle signed her named and moved on to begin the process of handling the long list of requests and orders and tasks that were not a sudden shift in importance for the village hidden in sound. The young kunoichi of Bean Jam ventured forth into Otogakure once more on a sunny day that was filled with everything from giant stuffed bears and candy to now creatures of day and night wandering about as if a child was dreaming of a world ending event and heavens forbid that was what was happening. The first task on the large assortment was to handle such a child who had taken a longer slumber than anticipated and now has fortified themselves within their own home causing concern and worry for their parent. Being a prospective student of the academy, the six year old 'Dream King' needed to be addressed to allow his creativity to shine for the village he hailed from. There was a lot to figure out at first before she attempted to siege such a defensive position. As such investigating and learning more about the kid was a priority for Marabelle and thus a meeting with the king's parents. Upon arrival to the abode, Marabelle introduced herself as she did typically with all of her encounters within the village. She was cordial as always as to not cause a stir, especially with the present issue at hand.

The conversation went back and forth for a while as a large neon sign saying 'Dream King Palace' flickered behind them alongside a drawbridge that either covered the door or operated as a door to his space. The child's dream was to rise through the ranks of being a shinobi but considered himself to be of a variety above the rest. Marabelle understood the ambition he likely had and with consideration of being part of a mission objective would likely excite him but also scare him considerably. With that in mind, Marabelle just had to try her best to resolve this quickly, without incident, and in as much of a proper shinobi manner to really encourage the child to continue to pursue the role of being a Genin for such a wonderful village. With a game plan in mind, Marabelle requested to use the family's kitchen for herself but also for the young boy name Uzo. Thus she began baking, filling the whole house with fresh baked goods, specifically the scent of chocolate chip cookies filled the space and seeping into every room's corner. With the bait made and the plan formulated, Marabelle was only worried that the scent was not going to be enough to convince the young kid to allow her into his fort but it was a rsk she was willing to work around should some form of communication became available.

With concerns of such issues present, Marabelle began her approach by simply knocking on the gate. "Requesting an audience with the Dream King. I am a convey with warm cookies and milk." the Everbloom announced as the drawbridge shifted and creaked allowing her entrance to the residence space that he occupied. Entering into the young kid's room, it appeared no different than what was likely already there, the only shift was two knights, fully clad in traditional armor, standing beside the bed, guarding the young king from anyone who dared to disturb their creator. With the cookies in place, she simply walked past them. She knew that the door would only open to guests that he was comfortable with or willing to parley in this situation. Though uncertain on such motives if there was one, Marabelle simply sat there beside him, her presence lingering heavy in the air around them. The Knights standing on standby were confused and remained even with the doors being open and the woman sitting next to their king. It was not long before the kid awoke and stared at her, "Why didn't you leave?" He asked innocently and yet still accusatory. Marabelle simply shrugged, "Here on behalf of the Otokage." She said pulling the scroll with his deal on it. "Here to simply remind you that classes are still on at the academy to be in attendance. Your teachers are missing their most prized student." She did not linger long but remained till the child talked her ear off and then it grew back and he talked it off once more. Wrapping up, there was more to do so she had her farewells done and taken care of before exiting the building, more tasks to complete.

WC: 1,045, TWC: 1,596 | MWC: 1,045 / 1,000, TMWC: 1,596 / 15,500

With the discovery of an anomaly within the village, it was clear that this was not going to be an isolated event as the progression of the issues became more rampant. Ever growing in concern, the villagers started murmuring and whispering about what was to happen should it not be resolved. Uncertainty spread through the channel of networks from those who had been well protected to those who were licking wounds from protecting. No one had a clear image of what was going on and the only thing connecting the events of the past few days was sleeping and dreams. Whatever the result of what they were studying and testing out, Marabelle did not seem to be interested holistically in what was around her but what was going on at large. She did not see Otogakure as short-sighted but thankfully for her position, she was able to consider other issues and options present. Thus she knew that she needed to help Otogakure now and then look to leave to help with whatever was to come from these affairs as it could not be localized to just Otogakure. There was no chance that others were not equally suffering and thus Marabelle was determined to make a more active difference.

First, was to help investigate the anomaly and not just speculate on what is occurring. The creatures she had already encountered and the young boy were indicative of the issues that were plaguing many as fear and superiority were the driving forces in antithesis to each other around the world as far as she had encountered. There was innocence still present as such presented with the giant stuffed bear that she also bore witness to. The Everbloom was resolved to see what she could do to help out and with these events, she would soon come to terms with the course of action she must undertake to truly be a help to those around her and to the world she loved living in. Until that point the missions she accepted that day were the priority, other things can wait, albeit only for a while. Arriving at the designated location it was time to see what she could do to help. Being a sensory shinobi herself and a medic, she was an amazing support to be able to help wherever she was needed and now she had picked up a blade, she knew she had more capacity to be of help to those around her.

The squad that was present was acutely aware that it was just Marabelle joining them for now. There was word of others to potentially join in but the determination of such action would be decided should they arrive in time as waiting any longer could prove disastrous to the wellbeing of the village. She knew she was capable but depending on what happened there were many questions that needed answers and they were going to get them soon enough as she stared at the anomaly. A massive black tear in what could be described as space hovered 10 meters off the ground, radiating some amount of chakra, it only spanned a measly 2 meters across currently. Size-wise it was not something to scoff at but it was a concern as the origin of the effect was indeterminable with the present information and capacity that was present in the world around them. With the preparation underway before beginning the process of sealing such an anomaly, Marabelle investigated the surrounding area. There was nothing out of the ordinary for what she could sense and with her Mind's Eye she still could not determine anything out of the norm to what was present. However, she could see the shift and pulsing energy of the rift itself as the preparations continued, something was coming.

Pulling out her blade, Marabelle quickly unleashed a torrent of water toward the rift from her tanto before a blade appeared from the rift, blocking the crescent of water that Marabelle conjured forth. A fight was going to break out and Marabelle was the one to defend the team that was working on sealing it. Without knowing if backup would arrive, the Everbloom made it a point to draw out the combat to what she could figure would be a good time if allowed. As the wielder of the weapon emerged and landed on the ground, it was some carapace beetle samurai figure with the head of a jackrabbit. A wild imagine from whomever thought of combining such items together but now was not a time to judge as Marabelle had been swift to pull its ire towards her with her attack. Sudden in its nature, Marabelle did not want to let the creature gain any ground from where it stood. Beginning the combat without much difficulty it became apparent that the task itself was not going to be easy for the Vagabond. There were many facets that made such a creature dangerous but the issue was not the creature itself but the onslaught on multiple of them. After she fell one another would come out taking its place.

With preparations complete, it was just the same defensive measure she had to keep up while the process continued. Being alone meant the team had to take longer due to having to slowly encircle the rift. Moving them individually would strain Marabelle too much and without knowing if backup would arrive it was a slow burn that she needed to maintain and continue going. Although not the most endurant of shinobi, Marabelle's chakra reserves astounded all around as she kept her techniques cycling for the group to have the best odds. As soon as one creature met its fate, she would be on the beat to produce another technique to help dissuade or remove the next obstacle in front of them. It was a war of attrition and it was the group of Otogakuran shinobi that were living on the dream that was the Everbloom's ability to maintain her combative abilities. It got to a point where she aimed for the efficiency provided by a simple blade swing over excessive technique use. Each strike would shift and change as the fight progressed, draining the kunoichi as she fought longer.

Once the technique of the squad began to fully take root in the scene, a revelation was made by Marabelle. As she got tired closer to the rift it was not because she expunged more energy but rather as she fought and used energy, its influence was growing stronger on her. This was a concern with the idea and concept that its defensive measures strengthened its offensive capabilities. "That's just not fair." She said unamused by the revelation she made. There was much to figure out and learn from the time near the rift but that was something to handle and sort through the completion of the mission at hand. Thus it was time for more bloodshed of the aethereal. As the combat continued, a shift in the monsters began to happen as more time came in between the proceeding ones. Eventually, as the team progressed their sealing technique, the time between got as long as 5 minutes. This gave some breathing room for Marabelle but was a double-edged sword as the adrenaline began to wind down from the breaks that it was causing.

Concerned this would prove to be an issue, the Everbloom activated her trump card to help keep her body invigorated and capable of continuing. As the seal on her forehead etched its presence across her body, the seal turned to vines that wrapped around her as she kept herself awake, alert, and ready for what was to come. This time shortly after she activated her Creation Rebirth technique, a larger, more fearsome beast, came out of the rift as it expanded to let it through. Similar to before but with the head of an anteater this time, the creature with a longer blade made a sweeping motion against the team, aiming to bisect them without a second thought to the surrounding structures and flora. Quick to act, a body flicker of motion had her breathing increase and her blade up against his own, stopping it with less than a meter in between it and the first of its intended victims. An onslaught of swings began its course against the villagers in the surrounding area and the shinobi who were wrapping up their technique, the only defense present being Marabelle who kept the blade from striking true.

In contrast to herself keeping up, the beast provided fresh for the fight and figured it out quickly that the female in front of him was the greatest obstacle to his objective. As his gaze loomed over the pink-clad shinobi, he looked towards the center of the village, the destination for his own objective. Wishing to simply ignore the ninja in front of him proved useless as she managed to keep up with his blade even though she had dealt with his waves of minions prior. Frustrated at the level of nuisance she was, rage pent up, and let out a loud squeal as the anteater headed into the village, disturbing the sounds of life and community. This would likely invoke fear and stir problems at a minimum which was the secondary objective he had. If his blade could not find a true hit into the surrounding village, it was himself that would be used sacrificially to progress and grow their force. It was a brilliant plan for them as even should he perish, he knew it was a matter of time before he could return, as the imagery he made would only make him stronger in the future.

As Marabelle continued forth, there was a shift and change in the creature's attitude, a sign or spark of intelligence could be seen. The others seemed mindless and just acted on instinct, this one showed its colors quickly as she defended against his charge. Seeing him reel back to scream, she swiftly moved her blade with water cascading off of it in a rich seafoam green coloration against its throat slicing deep but not enough to sever the head. With fear creeping into its eyes, it did not expect such an action from the defensively orientated shinobi in front of him as his squeal was replaced with squelching noises from blood this time seeping from the wound. Shook took root in Marabelle's eyes as this was a first for them to encounter thus far as there was more true form to the creature in front of her now than previously. Determination took root now as she kept the beat going with multiple strikes aimed at other vital parts of the body it possessed. As a medical shinobi at heart, she needed to see its internal structure to see if there was more to learn about these beasts before they simply disappeared or why this one was different than the previous.

Unfortunately, once her blade found more and blood seeped out onto the grass field that this took place on, as did the others before it, its body began to simply vanish in front of her. It was a slower process as it looked almost like it had to undo all the structures that were internal to its body first before disappearing. "The more complex the creature is, the more real it is, the more intelligence, structure, resilience, and capacity it is. The stronger the knowledge of the dreamer is likely the root cause for this shift. Thus it must mean someone is dreaming of more complex creatures and trying to see if anything works better than something else. I'm sure others are encountering various hybrid humanoid creatures too. There is too much to lose right now to stay idle." She said as the rift was sealed before her. It was only a matter of time now before the next one appeared, and Marabelle would be ready for it. Swiftly departing leaving the shinobi squad behind, she saw more of the rifts appearing around the village as she looked at the next mission to do. It was a simple one: Help.

WC: 2,029, TWC: 3,635 | MWC: 2,029 / 2,000, TMWC: 3,635 / 15,500

Multiple rifts began to form with many already having some shinobi nearby to begin handling them. There was what appeared to Marabelle a constant watch forming with a multitude of the shinobi of Otogakure suffering from the sheer volume that was beginning to form around the village. As a Vagabond in servitude to Otogakure at this time, it was an astounding volume of shinobi needed beyond just herself. Everyone appeared to be on double duty to handle the sudden outburst of the creatures beginning to come out. Thankfully they appeared to not be at the same strength as what she fought, though the number was the issue. Many who could handle swarms of enemies were being fed ration pills to keep in shape while they managed to help stave off waves that came without precedent or warning. This was likely the first issue that needed to be addressed at which point Marabelle figured the best method of aiding was likely going to be helping some of the sensory squads and determine the best course of action with determining what all was going on but then from there was to actively be present to help since small fries were not a huge issue for herself in contrast to some of what she bore witness to in capacity already.

With knowledge of some of the other shinobi within the village, she considered individuals like Harune and Ronin as possible help for damage control but with thinking of Raikur, Quinn, and Hanzo, the three of them seemed best suited for the monsters she fought already. Without them directly being here or a way to communicate to them the concepts, the Everbloom moved the thought out of her head as she was supporting here, not a leader, not a member of their hierarchy either. She was a friend, an ally, a helping hand but not a leader of any capacity. Otogakure was a good village and their lifestyle was in danger and Marabelle could not stop herself from helping even if she wanted to. There was a lot at stake here and she knew that she could be of help, thus determined to make a difference here, she sought the best place to get information, the Kage Mansion's administration. Making her way there, she helped a few straggling people heading to community shelters and family homes from stray creatures that made it into that part of the village. There was a lot to take in the moment and more to be wary about in the future.

With consideration of the dangers of the creatures, she made no effort to reserve her temperament for them. Swift slices, direct cuts, and intended removal was the ultimate goal for her at this time since none of these showcased intelligence like the last one she helped handle previously. Those were the ones she was interested in and these smaller creatures were simply fodder and likely a good one for the young and aspiring to train on. This was a time for growth for shinobi villages in the worst way, war without an enemy. As much as there was good that could come from this, that was only if they could win this or survive it. Uncertain if there have been casualties, Marbelle thought it was best to leave those thoughts till after the whole incident was resolved and taken care of. Much to do and so little time to be idle was the biggest concern she had. The life of Otogakure still sang out and rang out throughout the village, meaning there was a fight to still be had, lives to still protect, and growth to be made. She would help cultivate the world around here wherever she was and nothing would stop that cultivation.

Once arrived it was a matter of sorting through all the others who were gathering and getting to the correct individual to be of help. With a person in mind, Marabelle sought out one of the administrative aids to be able to speak with someone from the sensory division of the village. Once meeting it was a moment of confusion and concern as it was not often someone of Marabelle's position would be asking of the sensory squad. With the team being strapped thin, it was a while before Marabelle actually got to speak with someone. The numerous gates needed a few each to handle the shift and concerns present as once one showed up another would arise. As such it was a bit of a waiting game with Marabelle playing the patient one. She was not unsure or uncertain on this course of action but once she could meet with an individual it was only a matter of time before her thought and plan would be of an available option. Having time to prepare it was simple for her to begin the proceedings of what she was going to offer as a plan and attempt to do. There was a multitude of issues that were to come from such an undertaking but Marabelle knew she could figure out a way to make it work and the answers was Otogakure all along.

The sensory shinobi that entered wore thick dark glasses and muffled to himself on the way in to the small section set aside for the meeting. From there he simply stared at her and took notes to himself. His eyes behind the glasses were sharp and bore holes wherever he looked, the small roll of bugs amongst his sleeves informed him of much within the village and thus he was loosely and acutely aware of the woman who sat before him. Although there was something off about her to him, he did not make any slights or signs of such intent or thoughts. It was a simple meeting and supposedly something of insight or foresight or some other means of sight would be beneficial to the village in this trying time. He himself was not necessarily the top sensory shinobi within the village but he did operate as an administrative aide within the village and thus this was a matter for him since the others were occupied with more pressing matters such as the actual rifts. If it was up to him, he would be on the ground helping out but someone had to manage the operations within the tower for the lower end administration along with tracking everything. She was one that he had kept an eye on her but it was not for any particular reason out of his own interest. Although the Lord Otokage had granted her permission to aid and participate, it was still on him to keep track.

Now that someone was in front of her it was only about the conversation for her. Speaking outwardly the issues that were present was expecting and figuring out when the next rift would either open or unleash its contents out. There was much to be considering but there was something that was a bit of a concern which was the overview and usage of the village's defense as a means of sensory. It was a preposterous of an idea but Marabelle explained the way it could be used in conjunction to a sensory squad to utilize to help communicate and grow as method of detection and assessment of the village's wellbeing. Since it covered the village it would operate and work as simply an adjunct effect to it. There was not much else to be concerned or worried about for its intended use or operation as this would be temporary and could be used later down the road in some capacity, though it would likely need to be revisited to be considered fully for some other means of use. With the idea proposed, Marabelle was cognizant of the fact that she would not be the one to operate such a task as it was not her duty or responsibility. The idea came from how united Otogakure was to its people and to the land that it resided on. There was a lot to consider and rightfully so, she made it clear she did not want to do it either.

The man opposite of her considered the proposition. As someone well connected to the land and to the village, he likely would be the best operative candidate to make the concept a reality for the village to use in this trying time. There was a few bits of trial and error that was needed and necessary to see if such a wild scheme would work but the concept alone was reasonable enough given the right degree of sensory and ability to reach and communicate. The concern would be if it does work, what would that mean for the village after such events have transpired. Heavy thoughts were on his mind before Marabelle stood up and bowed. His eyes blinked unsure, uncertain, and confused. The woman gave the idea and began to depart without another word. She seemed to have one goal in mind and did not care about the rest of what was happening around her but there was something about the actions she was undergoing that he called for her to wait. She turned to look at the man, and then walked back to the chair he was sitting at and gave him a pat on the back, a small series of events that had transpired recently blurring through his head as her memories appeared to flow into his own vision briefly. Hope, determination, love, and most importantly care were the emotions that he left from the woman's touch. A little dumbfounded, she fully departed leaving him alone in the crowded mess of the administrative wing with a plan that could work, a plan that if it did work, could spell a huge help to turn the tide. She gave him the option, not to force it upon the village or demand to at least try, but to allow the village to decide for itself. He let out a heavy sigh as he knew fairly well where she was likely heading, back to the battlefield.

Marabelle finally excited the administration building and gave a wave back at it, even though no one would return it. The building loomed behind her as she continued forward, seeking more to take care of and help. Thus she figured one of the best avenues right now was to be of aid to people who weren't able to get to the center or hospital. Darting towards the residential districts that had been slowly evacuated to help keep an eye on everyone better, Marabelle saw a lot of other shinobi darting around helping out dealing with creatures or helping clear debris to confirm no casualties. Fear was spreading and there was little to do even with how strong the village was handling the situation at large. Multiple shinobi were handling various tasks simultaneously and thus the strength was being shown in such situations but without a proper explanation, there was not much more they could do. Sleep would find them eventually and more would come out due to it more than likely. The worry and concern were plain to see on a multitude of faces and for the world around her, it seemed there was no end in sight to be working towards. Shaking her head and continuing forward, Marabelle did not look towards the rest of what was being taken care of already as she was here to help where they were lacking not support what was practically already done.

The village was resilient and the people were just as so. Reaching the outskirts of the village, she helped numerous families get packed and ready to head deeper into the village of Otogakure. There was some hesitation from some since the mess was becoming more difficult to contain around the village and gathering people would likely exacerbate the issue altogether. Easing their fears and concerns, Marabelle did what she thought was best which was to give them the option should they want to. She expressed concern for their well-being if no one knew they were still out here and if she was occupied elsewhere. Her sensory skills were still developing and thus would not be able to identify their plight quickly enough, let alone make it in time quickly. She expressed the concern in a way that was more indicative of helping them out and thinking of the best of them and said she would return after conversing with other families. Much hesitation mirrored the others she encountered and as she began to depart with a small group, more came to follow and join the others in their community to make it to where the shinobi of Otokagure could keep an eye on them and protect them. The concept itself that smaller populations might be fairing better was not lost on Marabelle but the concern was the rifts now that were appearing randomly and without warning away from the village currently.

Filled with a small amount of dread, the idea of rifts forming closer to centers was in her head before she quickly dismissed it. Letting fear and doubt enter the Everbloom's mind was not advisable in the current landscape of issues she was encountering. She needed to be a beacon of hope and with everything else on her mind, she was certain there was not much to be worried about beyond what was within arm's reach at this time. She fought valiantly to this point in her life and she continued to fight though her thoughts wandered. Family was a huge thing for her and with them scattered to the winds, she knew her parents back in Bean Jam were likely to be handling their own mess of issues. Deciding she would need to visit in some amount of time, there were more pressing matters as it was time to act on her words and help these people get to safety first. From there she could do more to help on the ground for the combat portion of the issues present. While escorting a decent group of people, Marabelle remained vigilant of the surroundings. If her plan was successful then reasonably speaking, she should encounter a squad of Otogakuran shinobi soon enough to continue the escort proceedings.

Elsewhere the man attempted the idea that Marabelle proposed. There was some hesitation in his action but the idea was at no risk presently to the situation since the genjutsu covers and is audible just not affecting the people of the village due to their charms. Thus it would be within reason of finding and sensing the area around should it be used in that manner. With the first attempt, it was a dud but with most things, a second try is always appreciated and supported. With extra hands and extra attempts from numerous others, the idea worked. A small-scale temporary sensory network was accessible now for the village to use, and as her thoughts rang true, he could sense the rifts forming and pulsing which was to his understanding what the other sensory shinobi nearby the rifts could describe. Including seeing pockets of chakra from people moving and gathering including one that was being tailed behind by one individual. With his bugs at the beck and call to communicate with others, there was only so much more he could do from his position but his position was a seat of direction. He smirked thinking that this wild little pink thing was able to conjure such a thought. Now it was time to truly fight back against these things.

Marabelle's face brightened as a squad of shinobi approached. Her plan worked and it seemed to have been fully capable in this moment to help search and rescue operations as well should communication be present and capable of such affairs. There was much for her to be worried about but this was a huge shift in the village's advantage as she continued to help and aid. Passing off the baton to the shinobi, she explained what occurred in the outskirts indicating a few families staying behind and to likely check on them. She had begun to amass a rapport with the villagers who have, given the situation, were also more acceptable to receiving help from those, not of the village. All this time, with no headband symbol present, she fought and defended those who could not, and with the current affairs of what was presumably the world, she focused heavily on what was there. Her eyes saw the massive rift in the sky that began to form off in the distance. Not familiar with the geography of the world beyond this portion, she only presumed that a rift was forming above a large population or some special location on the mainland. That fear and concern was recognized by one of the shinobi and they got her attention back to the present, thanking her for her help thus far.

Wrapping up the gathering mission she basically assigned to herself, now it was time to fight back against the rifts and help remind people to take caution but not feed the woes that they were encountering. Marabelle's efforts were not unnoticed by the villagers as there were many who cheered when they saw the pink flash dash across the rooftops, looking for others to help out and aid in her continued valiant effort within the Land of Sky. Blade drawn, hands at the ready with the little medic badge she handcrafted attached to her sleeve, she pushed forward looking to get her footing within the village to help with the next rift. That was when she sensed a small entity nearby as she looked down at a bug that had found itself on her shoulder. Smiling at the bug, she moved to help it down before it simply pointed its head towards something, her vision following as a rift formed before her very eyes. Wide in surprise and awe, she nodded to the little companion before moving forward with her objective: Help Otogakure.

WC: 3,015, TWC: 6,650 | MWC: 3,015 / 3,000, TMWC: 6,650 / 15,500

Thu Nov 02, 2023 4:16 pm

With guidance and assistance in finding where rifts were going to form and located, the task of the shinobi was that much easier and reasonable to respond and localize the issue of them wandering about patrolling for issues. Marabelle's idea exceeded even her own expectations of how fruitful such an ability would be. The idea was going to help encourage her own thoughts and development concerning the plans being set into motion around her. Objectives beyond the village hidden in sound were being formulated and conjured in her mind looking towards a future where such affairs could be helped by others, not just herself in the moment, but by others who could reach out and help given circumstances. Many villages were likely suffering and handling these creatures of dreams to the best of their ability, but if one more person could be of service, someone who could turn the tide such as herself, then those villages would likely see even better results than already given or presented. Today was the start of that change in Marabelle's mind. Taking action and proving oneself to be of aid and help should problems arise, was the best she could aim for at this moment. She did not care for intervillage politics nor intra-village politics either, she wanted to band together like minds and see what they could do to help track, record, and support others wherever they may find themselves. The most important thing at this moment in time was her growth, and surviving this whole affair that laid before her. "The Land of Dreams, suffering and needing to be saved from the Land of Nightmares. Poetic to the vision I see myself pursuing now. Let me save these lands from suffering and fear and give them hope and aspirations beyond others' pain and destruction." She said aloud not fearful of prying ears listening to herself in this monologue of hers.

On her way to the next objective, the Everbloom spied a shinobi lying on the ground. Alert and prepared, she altered her course from the bug's directions. Seeing the man exhausted and breathing steadily but heavily, it appeared to her that the man simply passed out from exhaustion. She could tell that her own stamina was reaching its own limits but she trudged on with what remained within her tank. Sensing his chakra, it confirmed her suspicions of exhaustion which meant he needed proper treatment and not a field medic at this moment. Marabelle with her strength slung the man upon her shoulder, carrying him with an arm over her before moving towards the village's hospital to drop him off and admit him in. The concern that this had started to happen was one that was in her own mind, it was just a matter of if the village had planned a contingency for this occurring. If Marabelle found one shinobi on the ground due to overwork, it was likely she would encounter more in the future or on her way to her new destination. There was much to be afraid about falling asleep, there should be a higher priority not to pass out with all that was happening. Exhausting oneself in these crucial moments could be life and death but also could cause more creatures to spawn wherever they fail. It was a fickle problem that needed to be addressed as soon as humanly possible for the survival of the village. With much in her mind, she knew that this was a defining moment for her as this was a moment to rise to be active, a woman of action, and an inspiration for others. The village system was the best method she understood and as much as she could rally others to start another, she knew that fear and dominance plagued the system, it would take someone outside of it to help aid in its healing process.

The man she was carrying stirred in his slumber as she could tell his dreams were unpleasant. With urgency in her steps, she bounded towards the hospital as fast as she could to help see if there was more that she could do there or even return to the frontline in this war against the Land of Nightmares. Watching as small rifts began to form as she trailed forward, she knew there was much to be worried about and attempted a new method of dealing with them. Stopping on the top of a building, she swiftly and softly laid the man on the ground before forming handseals to perform her senbon trick once more before unleashing a flurry of them localized at the forming rifts in her wake, launching them to enter or attack the rift instead of looking to seal them. As the senbons approached, the first hit creatures began to take form and reveal themselves before entering the rift, and just like that, as quick as they formed and appeared, they closed and disappeared. Wide eyes and baffled, it was almost like something was opening them physically potentially on the other side. Marabelle knew this information would play a vital and it was about to become a widespread thing to discuss. Unsure if the bug that had tailed her was still on her body, Marabelle knew her line of approach for getting this information out. First, there was an unconscious man in need of medical care to attend to first. Picking him back up, the kunoichi would remedy this issue first before addressing the show and tell she would present at the first opportunity.

Arriving at the hospital, Marabelle dropped the man off and offered her medical services for a brief time for any emergency cases that needed a medical shinobi. She was aware that Sebastian and Harune were two proficient practitioners of Iryojutsu but she had not seen any others within the village that were notable. This would mean she might be needed as much as them even if she was needed elsewhere in the village for support. A fickle world with limited resources was baffling to conceptualize but this proved to be the spark that creates ingenuity in moments such as this. Her mystical palm was useful to a multitude of capacities and thus, she opted to unleash as much medically infused chakra into the hospital in bursts of her palm's technique. Creating waves of healing effects to help as best as she could, she scurried without getting in the way of staff to help those in dire need to move out of that critical state they were in. With the shinobi force around the hospital on watch, she knew there was little more she could do here outside of what she already had done. Thus it was time to return to the front line and find her avenue of approach to showcase the knowledge she discovered. The extended thought she had with that was if something or someone was making the rifts on one side, then it might be possible for them to make rifts to take the fight to them and stand an offensive effect onto the land of Dream to help aid in fighting back. Until they could muster an offense, it was still playing the game of defense for now.

Leaving the hospital and finding the closest rift she could, it would take her some time to make it there. Blade drew, there was what she could tell with her sensory prowess, more concerns and issues between her and the rift. Creatures stronger than before were beginning to appear en mass. The Everbloom took this as a chance of opportunity to try to gather information from them if there were signs of intelligence or otherwise. "Please tell me what you know if you do! I am sure there is some semblance of understanding of the situation! You were created, dreamt, or conjured in some manner!" She shouted outward as she cut down one after another that stood in her path before her. It was not long before she needed to use her techniques to continue the onslaught against the creatures that refused to budge, refused to answer, refused to converse, yet remained steadfast in the way of their safety and survival in the world. Anger and frustration began to form within her form as her hands gripped the blade's hilt, forcing the blade through the bodies of whatever she had to raise it against. There was always more and more that would appear and eventually, she made it to a rift where the shinobi nearby were injured or unconscious as the rift grew in size. Fear and anger boiled the blood within her as she screamed out against the world and its failures, against the world and those who wished for it to suffer, against the world that said they would be the losers in this conflict.

Unleashing multiple water blades outward towards the rift and some of the creatures, one rose amongst them and blocked it with their body before disappearing as the water slash cleaved it into two. Recognition was present in some now. There was intelligence somewhere amongst the ones here and present, and quick to act, she unleashed what she could offensively toward that rift that was growing. Rallying herself against the world in this uphill battle, Marabelle sought to protect with the blade that was before her and grow it to be one that was not only formidable but recognized where she went. The blade itself coated in her own love of life and chakra that she herself cultivated to this point, would unleash torrents of what she could muster out before her own exhaustion started to take hold. It might be her time to rest at this point and she knew it would likely be long. She needed to get the information out now before it was too late. As she knew there was more to worry or concern herself with, the realization that people were struggling and watching, she breathed in deep before she felt her muscles tense and ease with her breathing. It was now or never in her mind as she shifted gears to remedy the issue before her and save those around the rift. Unleashing a flare of chakra, she knew that it would alert and bring more toward her but she was also aware others were watching and Otogakure's forces were likely to follow behind. As she unleashed this flare, one of the creatures cackled before her as it stood above the slowly dissipating bodies of its allies, comrades, pawns, whatever it would use to describe the fodder that Marabelle had slain.

"Fuuuuutile. Dreeeeeam. Weeee feeeeeed." It hissed at her as its form grew and sank as it breathed. The form it possessed had breathing capacities which likely meant someone conjured it and it developed beyond that or as it existed and presumably now, fed on the energy, chakra, and dreams of the denizens of the world. Its body was primarily that of a snake with arms and limbs that were more like a lizard. Slender and sleek it carried weaponry and armor. It was almost like facing a boss in a game of Battlefields and Bijuu. Her face contorted in disgust at such a creature being brought to life through imagination or otherwise on a normal day. Her face was stone-cold and focused, a needle drop would not go unnoticed by Marabelle in this situation. The world around her was simply covered in pain and she was to aid in its recovery, starting with the removal of such a creature. Their blades clashed again and again, showing that they two were matched in their swings, and its shield that it used to help retaliate was stronger than a simple blow from her tanto could manage. Reaching the limit that she could have, she knew there was more she needed to do before hitting it and thus pushed onward and forward to reach her objective of finishing the beast or waiting for more shinobi to arrive. The world around her became a melody of metal and groans, grunts and wood, as he fought valiantly against the lizardfolk creature. There was a multitude of woes and issues that she would encounter fighting it but it was not until it felt it had the upper advantage that Marabelle's endurance came into play. Her breathing technique allowed her to physically combat such a foe but it was time for the surprise package and deliverance to the creature. "Guess this is it. Never had a chance did you?" She taunted it with a smirk as she wiped blood from her forehead. Its eyes focused in rage at her unleashing its own flurry of swings before the small nimble Marabelle danced and maneuvered between as her fist made contact with its torso, a clean punch.

A massive impact force rippled across its body before it slumped coughing up blood before her as it was launched back into a building, it crumbling around it. Its breath was heavy as the lungs collapsed, Marabelle could tell this creature's anatomy was more real than the others as well now, not just its intelligence. "Folly of a fight if you ask me. There was nothing you could to do someone who has nothing to lose yet has everything to lose." She stated, sheathing her blade as its form began to lose its structure, more hisses coming out. "Foooool. You onlyyyyyy preveeeeeent the ineviiiiitable." Listening intently to the words, its focus was trained on her as she formed more hand seals to unleash a barrage of chakra scalpel senbon at the rift before it, its eyes closing in the understanding of the revelation she had been able to discover. Eyes drilling their way on Marabelle's form, she stared back as she gave a respectful stance and gesture to the creature. "Your life was not your own from what I could imagine. I hope this is true and that whatever form you retake, you find yourself not twisted to this amalgamation of a monster." It simply cackled as its form vanished into the aether once more unremarkably like the rest of its kind as a battle was fought within the streets of Otogakure and the village was paying the price. Exhaustion began to take her as she propped herself up, allied forces and support finally arriving, beginning to clean up as the rift that hovered above them lost its form after Marabelle's attack on it and dissipated like the creatures that came out of it.

Sleep found her finally as a familiar figure picked her up from falling. She could not make out whom but it was only a matter of time before she found herself floating in darkness around her. She felt the torrent of her dreams this time around as her body ached and pains from the fight remained on her mind. She could not see, nor could she feel her body move when given the command to do so but she could tell her sensations were present, though her sensory abilities were not of help at this time. Unsure of her surroundings she focused on herself, not letting the days behind her influence her potential dreamscape, the last thing she wanted to do was cause more problems for the village she had been trying to protect so far. In the darkness she could only grasp at her body's form and from there eventually she awoke, medical lighting above her illuminated her vision well before she could focus on the surroundings. She was on a cot, her equipment on a side table in a mass recovery room. Multiple shinobi remained and laid on them in various states of consciousness, as Marabelle sat up and did a glancing scan across the room. She was in the hospital she had delivered the other shinobi to. Recognizing this, she assessed her own body for injuries and noticed all the wounds she suffered were tended to and mostly healed, likely indicating either her vital recovery or others helped to make sure the injuries sustained were not dangerous or problematic to get her back to the fight. Giving a small thank you under her breath, she grabbed her equipment, got changed, and looked for a nurse to discharge her. Even in these moments, she wanted to maintain record keeping should someone question where she was in this moment, though she was sure someone was watching over her.

Exiting the hospital herself, Marabelle saw notices on the fences and buildings around the hospital in sparing production to simply relay the message of, 'Rest'. Heaving herself forward, she could feel her body wanting to rest and relax and thus she had a feeling this was more than just a call of inaction but a call to prepare. That was when she observed another small bug on her shoulder pointing toward the administration building she went to earlier that day. That was when her thoughts narrowed a bit as she was not sure how long she was out. Presumably, it was a few hours at most but she did not pay close mind to the date that was marked on the documents. Pulling out her medical discharge papers, her breath escaped her body as she noted that she had been out of service for a couple of days. She had pushed herself beyond what she understood her limit was and recognition of that was the small coma she ended up in. Closing her eyes, she refocused herself to remember the timeline she had and attempted to recall any additional information as she made her way to the building. There were fewer rifts that she could tell were forming as it looked like it was finally able to be taken care of more practically and fewer creatures were forming randomly. Otogakure had stabilized and began its offensive measures toward the issue that was plaguing them. Marabelle felt proud of her contribution to the resolution they were approaching but knew there was more that needed to be done and taken care of before it was a job well done, or any amount of sleep could be realized. Trudging on, she held her head high as she walked the less barren streets of Otogakure now, as some business had resumed and people went about their day with some reservation.

Upon arrival, Marabelle was greeted by the staff as one ushered her forward toward a side room. A plate of food was ready for her alongside various drink options. It appeared to her that they were attempting to reward her, albeit as best they could given the circumstances, a modicum of hospitality. Enjoying the meal, she waited knowing there was likely a line of things needing to be taken care of before they addressed anything she was to be present or help with. The fear was slowly becoming more and more removed from her body as she ate, filling her needs was a priority and thankfully people began to refocus on such basic needs before handling the bigger issues that were ever present nowadays. Eventually, the staff member that she spoke with before entered the room and sat down with a plate of his own, crabbing the coffee carafe and pouring him a cup straight without adding anything extra. The scent of strong black coffee filled the room immediately as he heaved a sigh staring down the cup before beginning to drink out of it. There was a silence in the room that Marabelle opted to let hang to give time for herself and the aide to eat and take a break, both well deserved and needed. Once their plates were cleaned of the nutrition, their cups addressed with being scooted to be the only thing left on the table outside of their respective liquid-providing containers, it was time for business. The man spoke first towards Marabelle as he gave a bow in recognition to the kunoichi, "Thank you for your help in the village. I was hesitant, to say the least, when other staff reached out to me about a woman fitting your standing offering an idea." He said graciously and with some bite to it. She was sure he was likely someone who saw her presence as a hindrance or issue before help until this moment in time.

Marabelle simply bowed her head in thanks before he addressed more of what was to come. With her idea and the village's ability to execute it, they were able to fight back against the forces present, and with that being the last couple of days, they were glad to hear that she also found another method to deal with the rifts. With the discovery of being able to 'attack' them, it proved to be quick and easy to handle them in the future. This allowed the village of Otogakure to recover as quickly as it did with her help and aid as there was not much going for them at this time until those discoveries were made. It was though, Otogakuran shinobi forces that made the valiant effort and fight for the village at this point in time to overcome such a hurdle. Her own push to help drove a lot of the reform on handling the forces as well to prevent what happened to her from happening again. Though they were able to determine it was likely due to her above average chakra pool that she was able to stock up that likely was the root cause of the issue she specifically faced. A wry smile was on Marabelle's face at the commentary as she knew she had been building up a lot of her reserves to be able to stand the test of time against enemies in future combats. It was great to hear her training working but not in the fashion the man before her presented it. Taking the backhand compliment, the Everbloom learned that the village was taking on a few other challenges at the moment and sought to launch a countermeasure against these dream invaders and consumers as many others had fallen to similar fates of her but not due to them overexerting themselves. Something else was happening to them and the village was able to determine this was the best course to protect: attack.

With offering to help, Marabelle signed up for one of the groups aiming to slumber in the hope of approaching the Land of Dreams and being able to take the fight to them over waiting for an inevitable slow-burn defeat. There was doubt in the man's explanation of the plan but he shrugged it off as the circumstances present were not ones that he wanted to ignore the possibility or potential in such plans, especially after Marabelle's. With that in mind, she offered to rest another day before they began her team's attempt at such a task, and with an agreement, the two shook hands as the bug that was still on Marabelle returned to the man. With a smile on her face, she thanked him for watching over her as she knew that such a task was not an easy one with the rest of the village also having to need a hand from time to time. She then took her leave, taking the plates to return them to the front to allow them to be given back to where they were supposed to be. Leaving the building and heading back to her apartment, she refrained from overexerting herself more as that was going to lead to more problems. As she watched rifts form and then be dealt with by other shinobi, it was clear to her that she was going to be needed elsewhere soon and that her dreams and aspirations that she began to form were going to lead her to an exciting new adventure once things have settled within the village. Marabelle did not skip with joy like a little girl on her way back to the apartment but rather strode like a woman on a mission.

WC: 4,006, TWC: 10,656 | MWC: 4,006 / 4,000, TMWC: 10,656 / 15,500

The next couple of days, Marabelle rested and recuperated from her injuries to be better prepared for what was to come. With the events of the last couple of weeks present in her mind, there was fear once more once she saw in the distance, a large rift forming well above what she could imagine was lands off in the distance. Her geography was limited so she chose to spend this time to learn more about the world she was venturing into. Heading to the administration building to look over maps, she could tell they were updated as best as they could with the changing of known villages and such. With the major villages being present on the map, she noted a small mark on Forest that was drawn onto this map as they recognized someone was there but nothing of major note at this time. Seeing the rift off in the distance, it was clear there was something going on around the Land of Hotsprings, though her focus went elsewhere. Another newer village to what she could tell was noted on the map in the Land of Snow. Considering her luck and fortune so far with new villages, she would check there to see if the effects of what was going on impacted the village and Land as heavily as it hurt Otogakure and the Land of Sky. Perhaps she could find others who shared her perspective or offered new ones that she could convince to ally with herself in the future. Prospects aside, she took note of the major players in the world geographically as best as she could. The information was likely dated and she would need to connect to one of the larger powers to properly fill in the ongoings but she would know that eventually she would visit them all to gain more information and understanding of the different issues they were facing. As she wrapped up her little lesson, she found herself wandering the village once more.

The concerns and doubts that had plagued her mind were slowly drifting as the voice of the wind that carried her here was still adrift in the sounds around her when she heard the bells of a chime ring. Thinking to herself and her own name, she thought hard about this. Her name was to eventually carry weight but she sought none of the glory, she wanted to help but not necessarily recorded. With the sound of bells and wishing to be nameless the thought of nameless bells entered her head. A small play on even her own name would lead to credence in the future towards her founding of the organization but it was something that she could play up and learn more about in the future. "Nanashi-no-Fuurin... Would be a good place to start." She told herself as she aided people in fixing up their places of business and homes within the village of Otogakure. She enjoyed her stay here and was hoping to return back to Sakuragakure when time permitted for the village leadership to determine what would work best for them but with the events and affairs of everything going on, Marabelle knew there were pressing matters to attend to elsewhere. Thus she made her decision and would relay the information to Kaito and Sebastian of her departure in the future. There was nothing more she could do to help beyond this one last final task that might possibly be able to garner her more support. Making a name for herself in Otogakure was not on her list of things to do but if she could consider the village more of a friend than an acquaintance she would be satisfied with that.

Growing in strength in the days between her release from the hospital and the team she was joining to see if they could reverse make a gate for others to join in on or for them to enter through their dreams, Marabelle remained steady in her thoughts knowing that it would require a mental fortitude unseen so far in her own imagination to undergo such a task. The mission itself being formulated and gathered by multiple teams, the Everbloom had hoped she would recognize any of the names that were to join her but alas it was too late as many others found other routes and avenues to proceed with. Being a vagabond, she felt no pain or remorse in her course of action as she knew the friends she made here would be friends when the time matters not on the convenience of knowing a face in such trying times. Once gathered, she pressed onward towards the meeting point as small makeshift 'dream clinics' were made in hopes of using them as launching points of an offense against the Land of Nightmares that sought to invade the Land of the Waking as she called their world in this situation. Much to her dismay, there was a lot of preparation required of the team before even attempting to proceed forward. Grimacing a bit with paperwork and other physical activities, there was more to get ready for the potential invasion since no one knew what to expect. If things went south quickly, they needed options and contingencies for what to do. With medical staff, sealing staff, and sensory staff stationed in these dream clinics, it was surprising to see the village prepare so vigilantly in such circumstances.

Fighting onward, Marabelle joined her team to prepare themselves for a fight on the off chance their attempts would cause disturbances or rifts to form and occur. The plan was that each would take turns and see who could manage the best and then help support the best in a 5th attempt. Seeming reasonable and straight to the point, Marabelle offered to go first as she was not native and perhaps that could be of use or if they needed to see what would happen, she would put herself at risk before anyone else. As much as there was some hesitation, there was a degree of urgency and determination amongst the team and they eventually agreed with some reservations still at the end of it. With that done, it was set up and execution on Marabelle's part as the team prepared for the initial test and trial of creating a gate for them to enter through or if Marabelle could make it into the Land of Nightmares while asleep. With timers set to 5 minutes, the team prepared should anything come to attack, spawn, or if they need to get Marabelle awake to stop and have another member try again. Once lying down on a bed, Marabelle focused her mind on the surroundings around her while also probing further into her dreamscape as her consciousness began to slip toward that of the Land of Dreams and Nightmares.

From her perspective, it was similar to her time when she was unconscious in a comatose state in the hospital. Reaching out in the darkness, she felt pulls and tugs from all around her. Focusing her mind on the space around her even without the sight or senses to feel beyond her own skin, Marabelle sought out what she could find beyond just her thoughts. That was when she thought on the things she had seen so far, the formless given form, the young given aspirations, the games given life. She herself had to form the world around her just as the world was giving form to the land beyond. This meant that likely whatever was beyond the veil of dreams had been given a proper form, thoughts, and ability to execute them. That was when she realized that what they needed to do was likely more dangerous than first thought or dreamt. It was on that thought and concept that she began to work on that she found herself being pulled awake by one of the team members. Panic was laced in her face as she looked deep into Marabelle's eyes, herself returning the look as she was startled awake. Around the team, a mess of creatures and shinobi with the dream monsters disappearing as Marabelle sat up to assess the situation around her, a forlorn look upon her face. The mess was then elaborated on to her by the team.

As soon as she fell asleep a small rift nearby where they had planned began to form. The team was baffled and prepared for a fight which occurred relatively quickly. The rift was likely being formed as they prepared rather than made by her but that did not stop the squad from launching an attack on it the moment they realized they were not in control of it. With the hesitation from the team initially, the creatures were pushed out of the rift before they could deal with it and ended up having to fight for about 15 minutes before they could wake Marabelle up. Concern drenched the Everbloom's face at the realization that it felt like moments to her but time had passed without her conscious aware of such a fact. It was dangerous groups they were approaching with this but some information was provided that helped Marabelle out and she relayed what she figured was the need for them to be successful though there were some other issues present. If looking to make a gate or rift themselves would cause one, would that mean they need to survive the waves coming out and the person needed to take control of it? What other option was present for the Dreamer in the situation if they were attacked while dreaming? The questions began to form readily and suddenly among the shinobi and staff present as many concerns began to snowball amongst the team and it was not until another voice echoed in the room that silence was brought upon them.

Marabelle had shouted to be quiet in the room as many faces turned to look at the pink-clad woman on the bed, her eyes with sand in them stared at the situation and gave a sigh before getting up properly and looking at the team of shinobi next to them. "Who's next? There is much to discuss as I think we have a way in but it is as dangerous as current thoughts are to dismiss any notion of things being easy now or that we are finally able to do something and rest on our laurels. There is effectively a war on us and squabbling will get us nowhere closer to the solution. Now we need to be prepared better for a fight with consideration of what is to come. We can make it all the way to the end of it all if we can make it now. Energy is best spent on taking care of things here rather than worry about what could be." She proclaimed to the room standing up from the bed before collapsing a bit, her legs weak from her excursion. Catching her, the other kunoichi in the room helped her up as it was now time to recover, recoup, and adjust for the next individual's attempt. The squad has much to discuss with Marabelle alongside the other staff on-site to record their findings to cross-reference with the other squads attempting this as well. Once their findings and dialogues occurred, the team designated a staff member to relay the information they found and return with anything the other squads had gathered as well. This meant a hurry up and wait scenario had occurred so the team spent time speculating who would go next and the order thereafter.

With orders determined and general assessments made on how to progress without more issues, or at least minimizing them, the squad ascertained the best route would be to try to come up with a gate mentally and hopefully, that would result in the best possible outcome. The bigger issues from that would be who actually had control and or if things would come out as it was forming or post its creation. With the squad prepared for such events now, it was just the information that was returning that would be left to add to or adjust to allow their plans to be accounted for in other situations. The squad waited for a bit as other staff members prepared for more potential outcomes and a bit further away this time as they had gotten surprised but the initial spawning of creatures when Marabelle went to sleep. Considering the fact that their plan was to try everyone once and then make a more serious attempt, it would be best summed to be a rather dangerous day in their more normal or average lives within the village of Otogakure. For some of the shinobi, it was apparent that they did not work with these types of staff members prior, and the same for them with shinobi. This was a good blending moment that brought a lot of people together and exposed potential weaknesses in their structure. Such growth and need was always a driving force for innovation and development but it was never a good time for all involved and Marabelle saw that easily within the room.

With the selection of who was next in order and the information finally being relayed to the whole dream clinic, the courier took some time to rest their legs as running around the village was no small or easy feat nowadays. Preparing for more encounters, apparently, other teams had done multiple people at once and it exasperated the issue of spawning along with not producing more results for it. Another attempted to just let the person fall to sleep naturally and found nothing of note at this time as they were unable to fall asleep by the time the courier came due to just too much going on around them. The last one felt they were able to get a good dive into the concept proposed but the individual who attempted the entry into the Land of Dreams and Nightmares indicated nothing of note on their attempt. Researchers from all the other groups were spinning in circles with the information from each group as the synopsis was given to the shinobi squad but everything else from stacks of papers were provided to the rest of the forces gathered before them. Medical reports to any medical personnel present, general documentation of effects to the administration staff, and then miscellaneous documents and reports to the research team. The shinobi discussed options and thoughts as Marabelle took in the information presented and assessed the details that each synopsis provided for their own attempts. It seemed to her that their group was the most successful.

The first report indicated that it was best to go one at a time. Creating more issues and problems with more people attempting to yield no additional reports or indication of success was folly and likely exhausting to the forces present with two bodies unable to help versus just one. It was a good idea but one that ended up being a futile effort to help them move forward. It was a good thing that they attempted that idea early in the process rather than later when all options were out. Hearing that the second group attempted to let the person naturally just go to sleep seemed silly to Marabelle. The idea that anything about the process would need to be natural was wild. Nothing so far presented to her seemed that any of this was a natural occurrence or needed a natural approach to reach their destination. Especially when the subconscious was the part of them that made it to the Land of Dreams and Nightmares presumably. With that in mind, Marabelle recognized this test was a good show that effort was needed and a level of determination to reach inside themselves was pivotal to the success of the mission at hand. Lastly, the report of nothing of note boggled the kunouchi's thinking brain. If someone were to attempt but felt nothing nor did anything happen then the question would be if that individual was a dream creature in the first place. If that was the case they would be able to just open a rift and considering the team was working with them then it was likely not the case.

As their group prepared, Marabelle walked out of the clinic for some fresh air before they began. The village was getting chillier as time went. It was becoming to get cold in the streets as it almost looked like rain or snow but Marabelle knew that what she saw was likely another rift off in the distance. As time continued to pass among the lands, it was more and more important that success would need to be found. Considering the reality that showed in front of her, she was positive others in other villages were working towards similar goals and pushing for similar results. If they could share their knowledge, their experiences, and their thoughts, perhaps this whole situation would have been resolved sooner rather than later. As she gripped her sword's hilt, she let out the pent of breath that she contained within her as her focus was wavering a bit between multiple priorities. Giving herself a small clap on the cheeks, she stared outward giving herself a strong solid nod. her hand forming a fist in determination. She was fighting and she was going to keep pushing forward for Otogakure, for others, and for herself most importantly. This was her blossoming moment as she grew and developed herself beyond that of just another vagabond within the world. She was going to use this moment in time as a reminder that she can impact and help change the world even if it is just the part within her reach. Changing something was better to her than doing nothing and if her presence was not welcomed it would be reasonable to simply try again later.

Returning to the clinic after a brief walk, the Everbloom saw that the team was prepared and ready for the next attempt with Marabelle being the last to come back from their brief moment of reprieve. Ready to go mentally now, she was on standby as a medical shinobi should the need arise in this next encounter. As the next member fell into a slumber, the rift did not form immediately like it did with her but it did slowly begin to form with a level of rigidness to it. It was not forming how it normally did and thus Marabelle prepared for the worst as she drew her blade, ready to fight. Another shinobi reached out with a kunai and swung at it as the shinobi on the bed screamed out holding their face as the rift before them disappeared. Quickly moving to her side, Marabelle got her to stop screaming long enough to see a light scar fading off her face. The angle of it matches that of the kunai swing. Confused, Marabelle informed the team of the injury but indicated it was suffered not physically as the kunoichi finally calmed down from the pain of getting slashed across the face as she rested now, a light fever settling in. This led to a lot of discussions on how best to proceed since at this time there was no telling which rift formed was going to be of theirs or not. A conundrum was to be resolved quickly as the courier quickly moved to the other clinics to inform the new information they had just gathered. Because of the importance of such information, they hesitated on what to do to proceed onward.

Once the information was relayed and the courier returned, it was likely time to move on and count the kunoichi out until she recovered and was fit to be able to work and help out. A frown formed on Marabelle's face as she looked towards the spot where the rift had formed. "I think it would be best if we can form the rift to designate a spot that way we don't encounter this once more. It would be best if we had some way of knowing so and proposed spots. Maybe the wall?" Marabelle advocated for pointing at the far wall away from most of the staff and other members of the team. There was some hesitation about it being focused near a wall with the outside to be worried about but the team settled on it being slightly away from the wall in hopes that it would not cause more issues. The continuing experiments and trials of the squad of shinobi were eventful from one to the next as the day proceeded. In the end, a few tries from each of the members resulted in null results and nothing substantial. Other reports from couriers alike indicated they reached a block as well in their efforts. When it was Marabelle's turn once more there were some sputters of momentum forward for the desired result but there was no more progress made. Even when the other kunoichi on the squad recovered, she too did not find success. Eventually, it was time for the sun to head to bed at which point concerns rose with the volatility of trying these concepts out at night since they had worked through most of the day on standby and fighting creatures by this point. Some of the shinobi were for continuing onward whereas some were against the idea of doing it once it got dark. There was a level of uncertainty that lingered in the air as the sun's light faded on the horizon.

"How about we do one more try and then we can call it there? There is the potential for it to be more successful as the night comes since it would align with our normal sleep cycles, it could be a mixture of sleep and focus that we are needed and unfortunately trying to sleep while not tired is, in my opinion, impossible. I will be willing to do it one more time before we call it for the day. Sooner we hit a breakthrough the sooner we can take this fight out of the village and onto a new landscape where we can be a little less concerned about others." Marabelle began the discussion as she was willing to put her own safety and others here behind that of the village. Should something go wrong here it was them that was going to take the brunt of it which required everyone to be on board. With hesitation across the team as a whole, Marabelle heaved a sigh as the team began another discussion. The time for action was in front of the squad and it was realistically down to the shinobi being up for a potential fight. With that in mind, she approached each individually and began discussions with them. Being a 5-man cell meant there was some more flexibility than the traditional 2 or 3-man cells. With concepts in mind for how to approach each of them, the Everbloom made it a point to work towards making the evening affair happen sooner to avoid any more overlap and to force a decision now rather than wait till it was too late. Some of them had mixed feelings but with persuasion from the pink kunoichi, it was eventually decided to get a vote before the sun was fully covered by the horizon.

Snow fell that night as they prepared one more time to attempt to get into the Land of Dreams and Nightmares through the concept of dreaming or imagining a way in. Marabelle positioned herself once more on the bed as this was her resting place for the time being. This was the fifth time she lay there in an attempt to open a gate into the other plane of reality at this time in the world. There was much to be fearful of and to be concerned about as they went through another process of getting a rift formed. Throughout the day no team across the village of Otogakure had the ability to form a rift or a gate to allow entry. It was becoming almost a fruitless task as Marabelle let her thoughts wander and drifted to sleep before her squad realized she was doing something different this time. Her mind wandered but not about a gate or a rift or the land itself but rather wandered about the room. The tables with the documents, the team that surrounded the tables, and the shinobi who were preparing and ready for a fight should one break out. She steadied her mind in the room she was in and looked down mentally at herself sleeping. Dreaming of being there but not present as it was almost like a still frame of a musical production. No one moved, no motion was present, and a falling paper remained afloat waiting for gravity to take effect on it. Marabelle's mind pictured and formed the space around her in a dream and from there she simply thought of a door.

A door is so innocuous to the everyday person, after all, it was simply just a door. However, at this moment, the kunoichi imagined the door working for her dream-self to make it through. It slowly began to form in front of her as she could feel the tension in the space begin to restrain the idea, the concept, the door itself from forming fully. Marabelle urged and pushed her mind to focus harder on the reality that a door was there. That there existed a door untouched and simply a part of the wall. It was not made of some other material, it was not drawn on the wall, and the door simply existed. She understood well enough this concept was reality-altering but at this moment the idea and concept were more than enough to be a powerful tool to let their dreams be a way to open the world. Outside of the room she was in, she was unsure what lurked beyond the space but it was enough for her to form herself and her surroundings that allowed her to get a door formed in the first place. Now the challenge was maintaining its creation and keeping it protected as a door until the team could open it fully. At that moment she felt claws rake against her stomach, blood spilling out in between ribbons of silk as she spat some out of her mouth. She stood in front of the door, arms spread out defending it with her body as claws found their way across her form and slashed her kimono to ribbons, her body standing as she dreamed herself to be unmovable in this frozen slot of time.

Eventually, she coughed heavily and woke up in the bed stationed for use in these experiments. Sitting up spitting up blood, the whole room turned their attention to Marabelle who sat up in a cold sweat as she assessed her own body. Medical professionals began to do their assessments as well in conjunction with hers. No internal wounds were found or present that they could determine but she felt weak and dizzy. It was not until someone yelled out in excitement that the squad turned their attention away from Marabelle. A door had formed where they decided to try to form rifts and it was a few inches away from the wall itself. Assessing the success of Marabelle's Dream Dive, as it was coined, was still something to gauge. Her health and well-being were a priority shift in the team's objective as she ended up pushing the team's understanding of what was going on higher and farther than they anticipated. With the information she garnered it was clear that there was a fighting chance to make it through to the Land of Dreams and Nightmares. It was a wild thought that ended up working but the weirder part was that for Marabelle it felt like an hour of time to get to that point but it had only been a few brief moments in the world. With the door formed, one person attempted to open it but the door simply jiggled sounding locked. Unamused they attempted to force it open but to no avail. Breathing heavily, Marabelle apologized for thinking of a locked and protected door rather than one they could use but eventually, it began to fade away.

Many discussions were had with the young vagabond as she articulated the steps she undertook to get to the point where the door formed. From there her explanation of the attacks seemed random at first but indicative of a creature she could not form without her sight. The dangers of the world they were entering consisted of a multitude of problems including creatures they would likely need to form in their dreams to be able to handle. "The more real it is, the easier and harder it will be to remedy the issue in front of us. There will be challenges but we've taken the first step in honestly. This means once we're in we just need to give ourselves forms and then from there it should be as easy as forming more thoughts once we have solid footing." She concluded her thoughts as she was given the rest of the evening post the sunset to relax and recoup her energy. Giving herself a well-deserved rest, it truly was a mission accomplished but now the real fight began. For her, this meant leaving and looking to help others who needed her guidance to reach the Land of Dreams and Nightmares. With that in mind, she began to draft a few letters to the people she had met on her journey to this point in time within Otogakure. Of these, there stood two alone that meant more than the others which were letters addressed to Sebastian and Kaito.

WC: 5,000, TWC: 15,656 | MWC: 5,000 / 5,000, TMWC: 15,656 / 15,500

Thu Nov 02, 2023 4:28 pm

[Exit]

Claiming the following:

Mission Rewards wrote:
Total Ryo Reward: 38,750 Ryo + 12,000 Ryo (2,000 x 6) for C-Rank Vagabond Status + 9,600 Ryo from Max AP = 60,350 Ryo
Total AP Reward: 192 AP, Max AP Bonus results in 9,600 Ryo
Total Dream Tokens: 90 DTs + Dream Waiver

WC Claims:

Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:31 pm

Approved

(Write a novel at this point)

Waking Nightmares

Waking Nightmares

Re: Waking Nightmares

Re: Waking Nightmares

Re: Waking Nightmares