Arknights story · Somniloquium Serenum
SS-1 Dream of the Lattice Window
The group splits up. Sakiko is the first to find Iris's pen pal, Ann, and observes firsthand her miserable life. She plays a lullaby for Ann in her last moments of childhood. Iris gives Sakiko a necklace in gratitude. Sakiko puts on the necklace, and finds herself in a massive castle.
2 scenes, 356 lines
1. Before Operation
215 lines
The streets are deserted. We're not finding a map in a place like this either... This is a rotten turn.
We should split up. We have our communicators. If anyone finds anything, page the rest.
Not a bad idea...
Wait, okay, that works for us, but...
You don't have any solo experience, Sakiko. I can't let you go alone.
Now is hardly the time for that, is it?
You heard what she wrote. 'This will be my final letter.'
In the worst-case scenario, she's...
But...!
...Vigna. I'll be fine.
By Miss Whislash's account, I'm ready to operate in a squad based on my current abilities, remember?
(Takes out communicator) And I'll call at the first sign of trouble. Is that satisfactory?
Good! And don't forget us!
...Fine. Just be careful, yeah?
I will. Miss Iris, what's her name and address?
Her name is Ann... address, 33 Garden Street.
Acknowledged. We'll start from this crossroad. Split up and let's begin!
*pant* *pant* How can these streets be so complicated?
Is someone selling... flowers there?
Why would someone be selling flowers at this hour...? No, no matter. I need a lead!
Excuse me—!
Excuse me, do you know where Garden Street is?
You're on it. Would you like a flower, Miss?
No. No, thank you... Would you happen to know which way number 33 is?
Look up, and follow the setting sun towards the west. Last house at the end of the street, that's number 33.
Madam, it's already night...
Oh, that's why I didn't hear any footsteps in the streets... Silly me, doddering about. Suppose it's time I went home.
Is your sight...?
Don't you worry about me. Got somewhere to go, don't you? Better go.
The nights are dark here. Now don't you get lost again.
The old door creaks as Sakiko pushes it open.
Ugh... it reeks of alcohol in here!
The ground is covered in muddy shoeprints. In the corner, there stands a ragged man.
He looks all around, then starts going through bottles tidily tucked away in the corner, picking up each one.
Empty...
Empty...
...All empty!
Anna! Anna!!
Where the hell are you?!
*whimper* Is that it? You're abandoning me, running away, JUST LIKE SHE DID?!
......
Gh... Anna... Anna...
I won't drink anymore! I swear! Starting today, I'll do my best!
The man collapses to his knees in agony, then promptly screams in pain.
His palm is pierced by a shard of the bottle he broke.
A-Anna...! There's blood... on the floor... I'm bleeding!
I'm dying! Come back, Anna! I'm dying!!
Anna... you're back?
I'm not Anna.
You are... you are!
It's me! Don't you remember me?
The man makes to crawl towards Sakiko, but lets out another scream.
Inexplicably, a wave of lamentation washes through Sakiko.
She places her hand on the battered door frame—
......
......
I—
Let's go.
So the story you never published... that was an account of what really happened to you?
...Yes.
I do love fairytales. Back when Mum was still around, she bought me heaps and heaps of storybooks.
We were happy back then. Me, and Mum... and Dad.
But the happiness left with Mum.
I tried to write about all I'd gone through, show it to others, but nobody wants to read about oppression and despair.
So I turned every sentence on its head. I let them become the most beautiful fairytales of all.
...But I stopped reading fairytales long ago.
Anna...
(Trembles)
P-Please don't call me by that name...
...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you.
Don't worry. You've already been much kinder to me than anyone else.
There's Iris, actually. She's worried about you.
You know Iris?
I do. I came with her to find you. I just gave her a call, and she's right on her way.
Iris...
You don't want to see her?
I know how busy she is. Every day, she has so much to take care of...
You're a very important friend to her.
......
You know... I was up on a high place today. And I kept standing up, and looking down...
But I had all the letters she wrote to me in my pocket. I kept every last one. And I just kept holding onto them.
She told me to keep living. That the sweet dreams of my fairytales would come about someday.
I don't know if I should trust myself, or trust her...
Fairy?
You'll understand as soon as she's here. She says before you become an adult—
Sakiko looks up at the clock.
It's an antique one, hung high on the wall, and the hour and minute hands are slowly converging upon each other.
Dammit...
What is it?
Iris was saying, before you become an adult...
You mean, before my birthday? Iris wants to celebrate my birthday?
Yes, and we're running out of time...
That's alright, I haven't celebrated my birthday in so long anyway.
I'm not a child anymore. When you're grown up, you don't need celebration.
Sakiko's gaze flits around, and something catches her eye.
...Huh?
......
......
...Okay.
It is a piano.
The moon shines upon it, as though it was put there just for tonight.
Even if Iris's sweet dream doesn't make it in time, Sakiko wants to do something for Ann.
In your last moments before you become a grown-up, an adult... allow me to play you a lullaby as a present.
...Got it!
Sakiko paces up the steps. Ann sits below.
Their hearts beat. The clock ticks. The sounds gradually come into focus between them.
Thump, thump.
Tick, tock.
Sakiko's fingers weave through keys of black and white.
The notes leap with the passage of time, giving sincerest blessings to the miracle of the girl's birth.
Thank you for coming into this land.
May the future hold happiness and joy for you.
May the child live forever in your heart.
As the final note settles, a church bell rings.
Happy birthday, Ann...
Sakiko turns to look at the girl, only to find she has fallen asleep at the table, her face the picture of peaceful slumber.
Happy birthday, Ann.
Bena's in the church, waiting for Ann to wake up. Let's take a little stroll outside, shall we?
Thank goodness you made it in the end.
Mm, it was close. Thank goodness indeed.
What kind of dream did you... spin for her?
A room of pure white, so clean it could not be real.
And in there, first things first, I inquired if she'd be willing to enter the dreamland I'd spun for her.
You are quite the noble lady, aren't you?
Please do not take what Bena said at face value...
'You must have the child's permission before you enter their dreamland.'
It's a necessary procedure as ordained by the Castle of Dreams.
In her dream, I told her how truly beautiful her words were, and that I hope she can continue to write.
Whatever the style, whatever the story. It hardly has to be a fairytale, even.
Yes. That's what I wanted to tell her too.
Before her eyes, I unveiled each and every character she'd penned.
Mr. Decaytooth who loves to eat fruit, Miss Dolly who walks on her hands... And they all had a tea party together.
How wonderful. If only Ann could stay in that dream forever...
Dreams are not for wallowing in.
...?
No matter how sweet the dream, one has to wake up in the end.
Even if reality is callous and chaotic?
You and Bena have such powerful Originium Arts...
Sakiko, you misunderstand the power of fairytales and the Castle of Dreams. In the face of reality, what we can accomplish is so very limited.
It is but one thing. We nestle a seed deep in the depths of a child's heart.
Likely, it is what they considered the most important event, or thing, to them as children.
It usually lies quietly deep within. But at crucial moments—when people are at their weakest—it gives them strength.
......
...Am I being a little too weighty, here?
No. I saw the conviction in your eyes as you spoke.
I'm sure the dream you spun for Ann will stay with her, and give her the courage to live in the days to come.
Mm. I believe so too, though my reason is a little different.
Huh?
Before I spun her dream, I found in her heart a tiny seed.
Sweet dreams from the Castle are far from the only way to plant the seeds of faith—
It's all thanks to you, Sakiko.
Yeah, your piano was amazing!
I told you you'd be a killer musician. You need to get on stage at Rhodes Island's concerts!
Oh please, Vigna, spare me...
As Vigna and Sakiko mock-fight, Iris draws an item out of a box.
You mentioned having strange dreams, Sakiko?
Carry this necklace with you, and the nightmares should lessen.
Are you... sure I should have this?
Just take it, honestly. It's nothing valuable. A little Arts-enchanted, that's all.
Hey—gimme one too!
Do you also have nightmares?
I mean... probably maybe? I don't remember!
No. I can tell you've been a perfectly sound sleeper all your life.
Ughh—man, it's no fun dealing with you fairies! Nothing's secret from you.
As her colleagues chat, Sakiko carefully puts the necklace on.
She feels a gentle coolness at her neck, that then spreads through her entire body.
Nobody is there.
Sakiko looks around her.
Nobody is there.
Where... Hello?
Sakiko begins to make for the church she just left, every step more urgent than the last.
Miss Sakiko?
Are you alright?
......
Are—are you—alright?
(Turns around)—!
H-Hello?
It's like how everything used to be... It's almost like we're dreaming.
Ugh... a dream?
Sakiko? Sakiko!
Mm... hmm?
Time to get up, sleepyhead! It's a beautiful day.
Saki... ko.
Sa—ki—ko!
Mmgh... where am I?
She is inside a massive castle.
Looking up at the sky through the large window, she saw twin moons floating in the night sky.
The cold has cleared up her mind. She looks around her.
(Perplexed chirping)
W-What kind of creatures are these?!
Oh my, did someone come to?
The crisp sound of heels striking the ground rings out from the shadows.
And thereupon a figure emerges, and slowly draws close to Sakiko.
Clack, clack.
Humph! How boring.
2. After Operation
141 linesFairytales tell of a castle that only children can see, somewhere in Victoria.
Kind fairies live in the castle, treating children to banquets and making their wishes come true with sweet dreams.
But no one knows what the Castle of Dreams really looks like.
The sweet dreams begin to fade from memory the moment the children leave the dream.
Sweet dreams are continuously created and forgotten.
A cycle of creation and forgetting.
Is this not rather unfair to the gentle, overworked fairies?
'Yes, Morpheus.'
Welcome to the Castle of Dreams. I am its current Master, Morpheus.
Master of the... Castle of Dreams...? You—what have you done?!
Exactly what you dreamt of, no? I had you all dream a dream. Simple.
*sigh* But your dreams are no entertainment. Just filled to the brim with boredom.
(Mutters) Not to mention those... two horrid pests.
You know them? Iris... and Bena?
I wouldn't say we're intimate.
So they're real? They don't just exist in the dream?
I wish they only existed in dreams.
Now could you stop bringing them up?
You're talking to me! I'm the Master of this place right now!
Let me leave.
Not happening.
Why would I just let you go, now? So few children have come to the Castle of Dreams lately.
The Corettons can't talk. There's a single Wolff and it can't stop stammering.
(Dismayed chirping)
S-Sorry.
You trapped me in this castle because you, personally, were bored?
As if I'd do it to just anyone! No.
Your memories were interesting—your experiences. And those alien places! I studied them over and over.
You pried into my memory...?
Didn't the blue one tell you? Understanding a child's past is vitally important to creating a dream for them.
Now. You're quite special...
Even after all the unforgettable things you've been through, your mind has stayed clear as a whistle.
Now, to make up for this little regret, I'll spin you another sweet dream. We happen to be face-to-face this time, so you can tell me—
Wallowing in dreams and the pain of the past is a sign of weakness.
Heh. Stubborn, aren't you!
Well, if you're to be believed, and those who cannot face the truth are cowards...
Then there certainly are a lot of cowards around.
The curtains are pulled open, and chairs slowly rise from under the stage.
In those chairs sit the most familiar faces Sakiko could know.
The surroundings have become as a stage.
The sleeping girls are like dolls on a set in peaceful slumber.
Not a whisper, not a sound.
Sakiko tries to wake each one of them up, but to no avail.
Save it. It's useless.
I'm more than confident in my abilities. They're deep in their sweet dreams, and you won't be able to rouse them.
Say, is there anything wrong with the dreams I've spun for you?
Your Rhodes Island friends trust you. Isn't that nice? No unwanted farewells, and no need to hide behind a mask.
Look at these girls. Are you calling them cowards too?
Since I can wake up from your dream, they can too...
Suddenly, Sakiko feels powerful forces pulling at her, and finds her limbs caught tightly in threads.
She fights the panic of not being in control of her own body, trying to stay calm.
But the tightly-wound threads magnify her every tremble.
You are SO STUBBORN. Can't you just admit when a dream is beautiful?!
You...
Sakiko struggles to rein in her breathing.
You... you do seem confident in your powers, don't you?
Perhaps no one before me has escaped one of your dreams.
Of course! I'm the top dreamspinner of all the Castle's fairies.
Your awakening was an accident. Give it another shot, and I'm sure it won't happen again!
Sakiko can clearly see Morpheus clenching her teeth through those last few words, but an expression of bright innocence replaces it in the blink of an eye.
Yes... Sakiko Togawa, was it?
If you're so confident, let's make a bet!
...A bet?
Yes! An absolutely fair and even one!
......
The more childlike the smile on her conversant's face, the more dangerous she seems.
Hah-hah! It's very simple!
Even as the girl rounds the stage, Sakiko can feel Morpheus's glare fixed on her. Not just hers; there are countless more eyes on Sakiko, peering from the darkness.
I'll invite you into each of their dreamlands, and give you the opportunity to wake them up.
You can meet them, get to know them, and see the kinds of lives they're leading in there. I'll let you leave if you can make them wake up like you did.
And if you fail, they'll stay dreaming forever!
...I'll wake them up.
I won't leave a single member of Ave{@nbs}Mujica behind.
I selected each of them because they were the best of the best. I will not allow you to manipulate any of them.
Hah-hah! We'll see about that. If you fail, I'll have a nice tailor-spun dreamland for you to go back into too.
And this time, you won't wake up again. I'll make you forget all your old hurt and make you willingly live inside it.
......
Well? Getting cold feet? Do you want to take back all that bluster?
I could decline on the spot, but you would hardly let me go, would you?
Hah-hah! You're smart!
I look forward to seeing the look of despair and helplessness on your face when you find yourself in their dreams, Sakiko Togawa.
I'll prove it to you—you won't get away.
Morpheus waves a finger, and Sakiko's vision immediately blurs.
Nngh—!
Colorful, twisted lights and shadows rush into Sakiko's mind.
A cheering crowd in front of the stage.
A shadow in a rainy night.
A lone girl sitting on a chair.
Countless indistinct silhouettes.
Enjoy sweet dreams—
An unending stream of cars, towering buildings reaching into the clouds, and inescapable neon signs.
Fresh finballs! Have a look, have a bowl!
Hurry! There's a whole line waiting! We'll be late for the event!
Hello! Package—nobody home? I'll leave it at the door then?
Modern buildings, animal ears... what is this place?
The words 'Traditional Lungmen Hand-made' are printed on the packaging of snacks by the name of 'finballs'.
Pedestrians hitch rides on vehicles with large 'Lungmen Transport' signs that rush past before her eyes.
The deliveryman's shirt bears the same word, too. 'Lungmen'.
Lungmen... whose dreamland could this be?
Sakiko hears a familiar voice coming from above—
Good even-nyamu-nyamu~!
Hello to all my fans! Fresh new talent Nyamu here!
My newest role as the lead in The Drummer Girl is in theaters right now! Support your local Nyamu today~
It's 3 in the morning! Sleepless nights! What if you get hungry then?
'NyamuX' finballs are here for you!
The favorite finballs of Nyamu and cloudbeasts alike! Order yours now!
Get your makeup done in just ten minutes!
The 'Dream Painter' express kit lets you get the perfect makeup in just a few simple steps!
Come with Nyamu! Let's be the mes we wanna be~!
Nyamu loves you too~!
Her ads are everywhere in this dream...
I'm going CRAZYYYYYYY!!!
Guh...!
Nyamu's so... SO cute!
Every expression, every move, every word, omigosh she just teases my heartstrings!
C-Can I really become as pretty as Nyamu?
—I wanna buy the same thing!
This place is packed. Is everyone here just to see her?
Of course... Nyamu, she's like a daughter to me, oh, she's so lovely...
Hahahahah...
*cough* *cough*...
Are you alright...?!
Nyamu! Nyamu! I see her!!
Where? Where? Move it, lemme through!
Hah-hahahahah...! Look at the state of her. And it's only just begun! How very, very fun!
(Joyful chirping)
W-Why?
Hm?
There—there's no need... she—she c-can't win...
And there's no need for you to chime in when you can't even talk properly.
......
I can figure this out... While she's in that dream, I can figure out what went wrong.
I AM the most talented dreamspinner in this castle.
Morpheus gazes upon the slumbering girl, and says no more.