Arknights story · Somniloquium Serenum
SS-6 Echoing Hall
Sakiko returns to the Castle of Dreams. Morpheus makes fun of Sakiko's many mistakes, and none of Ave{@nbs}Mujica's members wish to return to reality with her. Morpheus tells Sakiko that she has a wonderful dream in store for her. Sakiko again finds herself in the vehicle she rode to sortie to the field operation. At first, she mistakes this for a repeat of a previous dream, only to discover certain deviations from before.
2 scenes, 204 lines
1. Before Operation
107 linesA cold wind whistles past my ears.
Down I fall, faster and faster.
But there is no end to this abyss.
My crazy ideas? You're the only drummer I know who can actually make them happen.
You were the most hardworking drummer I have ever met.
All you had to do... was be yourself, and nothing more.
You kept hopping from group to group, yet you never found a place to truly belong... Is this really the life you want?
You should never have had to bear this pain...
Umiri, let's get out of here. Together.
I will find you. I have to...
Uika...
Mutsumi, none of this is real. We need to...
BANG!
Her heart rate is ragged, her breathing is out of control, and her back is soaked with sweat.
Sakiko's consciousness has returned to her body once more, albeit in this most awful, unbecoming manner.
Felt real, didn't it?
Falling straight to the ground from who knows how high up.
Oh, and then when the dream shattered and you were trapped in dreamless Limbo... how did that feel?
No matter how sweet those dreams were, they have to come to an end.
You pry into their most fragile parts and dramatize them over and over...
Must say, I don't agree.
Before you barged into their dreams uninvited, they'd all but forgotten about you and your insignificant little band.
Ave{@nbs}Mujica is our contract. They entrusted their lives to me—
You were the only one who ever cared about it!
What do you—?!
Heard it for yourself, didn't you?
One after another, they all rejected you.
Not a chance. Everyone here loves me for the actress I am.
I gave everything I had for this... and now you're telling me it's all fake?
What a load of crap. I'm not accepting that!
This is my dream, and I don't need anyone else in it, thanks!
How can you possibly understand me?
This lifestyle is perfect... It suits me better.
I don't need someone to save me.
And no one could save me.
......
I knew it. Mutsumi-chan didn't need Sakiko.
Hahahah-hah... Hah-hahahahah!!!
I got to see every one of your sorriest, most helpless, most laughable moments.
You may have destroyed the dreams I spun, but I suppose this makes us even.
And I have to thank you. You roamed their dreams again and again...
In the process, proving to me that the dreamlands I wove were perfect, impeccable.
And now, even that pest ought to admit it. It's me. I'm the most talented of us all in the Castle of Dreams.
'Pest'?
Didn't you meet her in your dream?
The snooty girl? Flowery high-nobility frock? All the outdated pleasantries?
Just being around her puts me ill at ease.
Iris is this place's master. You are nothing but a fraud!
She said it! No matter how sweet the dream, one has to wake up in the end—
Nngh—!
Sakiko feels her vocal cords freeze in place. She cannot make even the slightest peep.
You know what? I finally understand why you get on my nerves so much.
You're just like her. You never listen to what others think. You just sit there spouting big, empty words forever.
You say they entrusted their lives to you, but let's be fair. You just don't want to be abandoned by others. Isn't that right?
I've seen your life. There's not much to it. Just a princess's stubborn struggle after her fall from grace.
Each and every action of yours was done to deceive and persuade yourself, and to present yourself as never having fallen.
You're self-important, conceited, and an utter lost cause.
What exactly does your band entail? Hmph. Just a bunch of girls using a so-called contract to bind one another for fun.
And now that they've all found happiness, of course they're abandoning you. Poor Sakiko Togawa. All alone once more.
If you really believe what Iris said, then fine, I'll prepare another round of the sweetest dreams for you.
It'll be perfect, impeccable. Realize it's a farce all you want, you still won't want to wake up.
Like your bandmates, you'll wallow in your dreams, unable to ever pluck yourself out.
Nngh—!
Something to say? Alright, you get one last time. Speak your mind.
The impish girl draws a pattern in the air, and there is a sensation of chains falling away.
Then, the chains are pulled tight once again.
Hahahah-hah-hah!
I knew it. You are much cuter when you're not talking!
As Sakiko struggles, Morpheus paces closer, step by step. Out reaches her right hand, and she places it on Sakiko's cheek.
O ye, Princess of Hypocrisy. While you were on your dream tour, I've come to completely understand you as a person.
What you thirst for the most, what you need the most, and what you fear the most.
But don't worry. This dream? Will be absolutely perfect. You'll be more awake than ever. Not that you'll ever want to wake up.
Now sleep, my noble, selfish, conceited little doll girl.
Sweet dreams.
Clank, clunk.
Sakiko? Sakiko!
Sakiko bursts out yelling, but she is no longer in the castle, and Morpheus is nowhere to be found.
You okay? You look terrible. You have another nightmare?
I'm... back in my dream again.
What are you talking about? Didn't you just wake up?
What, you sleep so long your brain's fuzzy?
Iris and Bena are here...
Er, how do you do... I don't believe I introduced myself?
I think she was already asleep when we got on?
Vigna and I aren't late... The dream has changed...
Sakiko, you know, you keep saying some pretty weird stuff—
We are heading to a small town in Victoria to find a girl named Ann who is acquainted with Iris.
This vehicle will have a flat tire soon. We will be forced to get off to fix the tire, delaying us by a few hours...
Are we going to Victoria to find Ann?
Who's Ann? Do you know, Iris?
I don't. Is that a friend of yours who lives there?
Uh, hello? We're on a field mission not too far away from your home. I figured I'd bring you back for a break, let you see your family.
You've been mega busy with work. Gotta be a while since the last time you went home, right?
What's going on? Why did the car suddenly stop?!
Did a tire burst?!
*huff*... *huff*... *pant*... Phew, we almost hit a burdenbeast!
That was close, but no worries. We can be back on the road right away!
......
As the engine starts humming again, the view outside the window begins to move once more.
The same wilderness, and the same companions.
That said, this dream is starting to bare its own colors.
2. After Operation
97 linesIris! Bena!
I brought you all sweets, just like I promised! Everyone gets a fair share!
Yayyy!!!
Now, did you keep your promise too? Have you figured out what you treasure the most?
I treasure my beastie bank! Look at all the coins I've saved!
I planted these flowers myself, they finally sprouted... They're so pretty, and I was wondering if you could preserve them.
Okay, okay, one at a time! Line up, everybody!
Iris and Bena try to have each child introduce their treasures in an orderly manner, but it seems every one of them is exuding limitless passion.
The children's excited voices don't die down for a second, but there's no chaos in Sakiko's eyes. On the contrary, the sight before her is filled with warmth.
......
Why, if it isn't Sakiko.
What brings you home so suddenly?
Sorry, who...?
We just happened to have a field mission in the area, so I figured I'd bring Sakiko along, get her to pay her family a visit while she's here.
Your father's been talking about you every day, you know? He says you've been so busy interning at a large company, you hardly ever write home.
I've never seen him that talkative. He must really miss you!
You should hurry home. Give him a nice surprise, and lift that weight off his shoulders!
......
(Whispers) Sakiko, you've been acting kinda weird... Like, your reactions are kinda slow.
Um... Pardon me, how do I get home from here?
...?
Though the conversation that follows is incredibly embarrassing, Sakiko follows the kind townsperson's instructions and successfully makes her way 'back'.
Following the meandering path, she at last arrives at the door of what is allegedly her home. A white, strange building.
The flowers and grass in the courtyard are well maintained. She can hear the flowerbeds' sprinklers quietly watering the plants around them. The chimney lets out puffs of smoke, as the master of the house prepares lunch.
But she knows that this return is not to her real home.
Her real home is in a faraway, unreachable place.
Home. The first thing that comes to her mind is the Togawa family mansion, followed by the dusty, cramped little place her father rented that always smells of alcohol.
She thinks about how hardworking her father once was.
Alas, her real father is probably wandering the streets with a bottle of booze right now. He might even be uttering her name, though the sorry excuses he gives alongside are the furthest thing from 'sweet'.
Right. That is Sakiko Togawa's reality.
What she sees before her is a dream spun for her by Morpheus, and it doubles as a cage to imprison her.
Suddenly, the aroma of food seizes her.
Hmm-hmm... ♪ Hmm-hm-hmm... ♪ Hmm-hmm... ♪ Hmm-hm-hmm... ♪
...Sakiko?!
What brings you back all of a sudden? I thought you were busy with work?
I am... We have a field mission, so I thought I would drop by.
You've hardly ever written home! Every day, I've been reading the few letters you did send over and over.
They're no more than simple letters. You needn't...
How could they be no more than letters when they're written by my dear daughter?!
Father, I think something's burning...
—!
Just hold on!
I lost track of the time... I'll have to remake it from scratch...
I was taking classes for a good while to learn to make your favorite dishes, Sakiko. How about a taste?
Father? I thought you never used to cook.
I have a lot more time on my hands nowadays, so I thought I might as well try something new.
And look at you... How much weight have you lost...
We have regular medical evaluations at Rhodes Island—I weigh just as much as I did before.
No, you've definitely lost some weight!
With a worried look on his face, Sakiko's 'father' reaches a hand out to pat his daughter's head.
Huh...?
Her father's hand feels at once unfamiliar and nostalgic.
As she remembers it, she would always be stooping down, her drunken father's arm over her shoulder, as they slowly inched homeward one step at a time.
His hand hung ever so feebly before her eyes, as close as it was just now, but so, so different...
Well, you'll always be my most darling daughter.
Don't want you forgetting your smile, not even while you're out working.
...Yes.
The two of them smile at each other. The hesitation in Sakiko's mind is cast aside.
She's certain that this smile of hers, right now, is true and genuine.
I can hear piano from upstairs... Do we have a guest today?
Hm? What are you talking about, Sakiko?
Surely that's Mizuho practicing the piano.
...Mother?
Well, yes! It's always been you and Mizuho who know how to play it.
Oh, right, I haven't told Mizuho you're back yet.
She's going to be overjoyed to see you. You should head on up!
Sakiko's legs begin to shake.
And a low hum continues echoing in her mind.
Piano.
As the music continues, her memories of her mother slowly begin to well forth in her heart.
She still remembers how she cried her eyes out on the day of her mother's funeral.
The piano was her mother's favorite instrument. That is why Sakiko loves the piano.
Sakiko's mother would hold Sakiko's hands so gently, and teach her to feel her way around each and every key, black and white.
In the days following her mother's death, Sakiko could still vividly recall every moment of her time spent with her mother, and kept playing song after song her mother had taught her.
Run.
All of this is fake. A dream spun from yarn by Morpheus.
That is not her real mother.
How could Morpheus possibly know everything about her?
She is nothing but a crude forgery.
And yet.
And yet—
Her legs do not carry her to a stop. They seem to move faster, if anything.
Despite this being a dream. Despite her being a 'forgery'.
Because just like that, she truly is right there.
Sitting there, completely engrossed in her performance.
A ray of light filters in from the window and drapes her figure, making her somewhat hard to make out.
But at this moment, only one thing is on Sakiko's mind.
M... Mother...?
Her 'mother' stops playing, and turns around.
...Sakiko?
Everything before her eyes is so, so real.
A fowlbeast that flies for its whole life does so not out of an unwillingness to land.
Its decisive wings shroud the pain and tragedy that come with having no legs.
I do not fear forgetting.