MONGIL: STAR DIVE story · Event Story, Event stories
The Moonlit Bunny Show
On Mother's orders, Vivian puts on a brand new performance. But the sight of a young troupe member who resembles her, along with the clown's whispers, leads Vivian to doubt Mother for the first time. Watch as Vivian, the sweet and lovable bunny, takes
8 scenes, 500 lines
1. Backstage
56 linesAfter the performance, in the dressing room behind the stage.
After the audience and troupe members leave, I'm left alone. I sit quietly, recalling the audience's passionate cheers.
The cheers that fill the stage and the silence behind it... are all familiar to me.
I watch my reflection in the mirror and feel the heat of the spotlight slowly dissipate.
...How was my performance today?
It was flawless, a perfect performance.
From the big and small moves to even my blinking, everything went according to direction.
All those desires surging and welling towards me from the audience...
Just that can prove my performance was perfect. However...
Vivian's hand trembles slightly as she grabs the vanity.
It needs to be better. Even more perfect...
I need to move confidently, but not roughly. Gracefully and cheerfully.
Shouldn't my smile feel more relaxed at the highlight of the show?
No, no. It should be brighter, even lighter...
...I must not make a mistake. Never...
An old, sticky memory crawls up the back of Vivian's neck.
A windowless bedroom. The children and I had to wake when the lights turned on and sleep when the lights turned off.
I can't remember the appearances or names of the children I was with now. But...
I can still clearly remember the reason each of us was abandoned.
Their smiles were awkward, they lost the rhythm to the music, or...
They simply missed their family.
Dredging up old memories brings a wave of anxiety crashing over me. Without thinking, I start playing with the tail attached to my clothes.
As I feel its soft texture fill my hand, the anxiety slowly ebbs away.
I hear a voice from somewhere.
Smile, my lovely bunny. Vivian.
My reflection in the mirror looks at me with a soft but cold smile.
This voice is...
I quickly hide any remaining anxiety and answer, putting on a perfect smile.
Yes, Mother.
My most exalted Mother, whose name I could not dare utter.
What brings her here today? Mother never warns before contacting me, but...
Could it be... that she saw today's performance? She probably saw something she didn't like.
Your smile is always so beautiful, Vivian. As expected of a star of my show.
I always have faith in you. I know you'll fulfill whatever role I trust you with.
Of course. I will happily fulfill any role, Mother.
Haha... Yes, my sweet little bunny.
I can't trap a beauty like you here forever.
It's time to put on a new performance, Vivian.
A new... performance?
Yes, Vivian. One that will make everyone desire you...
We'll feed off of that desire and create a stage of eternal happiness.
Do you think you can manage that?
A stage of eternal happiness... I'm smiling just thinking about it.
I won't let you down, Mother.
But, am I...
Am I the only one starring in this show?
Haha. As expected, you're quick to catch on.
That kid, Eleanor, will join you too. You'll star on different stages but play the same role.
I trust that both of my lovely stars will shine on their respective stages.
Of course, Mother. You can trust me.
Mother's presence in the mirror soon disappears, and the dressing room falls silent again.
Eleanor. The tips of my fingers grow cold as I think about that pathetic jester.
This is actually good. It's my chance...
It's my chance to prove that I'm the one true star of the stage.
2. The Alluring Stage
54 linesInside the dark tent, a bright spotlight shines on various parts of the stage.
The elaborate props installed on the stage sparkle under the light.
The audience's chaotic murmuring is loud enough to be heard even behind the stage.
An echo of excitement, anticipation, and a bit of nervousness about what they'll see.
Their low murmuring continues over the heavy silence.
The lights turn off, the tent instantly becomes pitch black, and the murmuring dies down.
The click-clack of high heels and an upbeat rhythm begin flowing out into the quiet tent.
A blinding spotlight falls on the center of the stage, and I meet the audience there.
A skin-tight leotard and high heels. An outfit that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.
Every member of the audience covers their eyes or flushes red at the sight of my revealing outfit.
However, I know what expression they'll wear by the time the performance is over.
Alright, everyone... I present to you, the greatest show!
As I swing Hopping Bunny in the air, a bright light spreads out from the center of the stage.
A nameless live band begins to play, and the performance of pleasure begins.
Soon, the audience is unable to look away from the stage, and their mouths hang agape.
As the show nears its end, the audience's desires grow darker.
The performance continues under the waves of desire, shimmering in a dark pink hue.
Good, just a little more... A little more...
Desire more, cheer more...
For me, and for Mother...!
Finally, the height of the show.
Gold confetti showers down from the ceiling, and the audience erupts in cheers.
Huff... Huff...
I close my eyes and catch my breath.
I feel most alive when I'm being praised for being the perfect bunny showgirl.
Phew... Today's performance was also flawless.
It was a new performance, but as expected, I did well.
I'm sure this is enough for Mother to be satisfied, too.
...Of course, I'm more suited to be a star than a pathetic jester is.
I wonder where she's putting on that chaotic show now.
That sorry sight... I shouldn't have pictured it.
My brows furrow at the thought of Eleanor's vulgar behavior.
Just then, someone knocks on the door to the dressing room.
Uh... Lady Vivian?
Huh? You're...
The person at the dressing room is someone who'd been seated in the audience just a bit ago.
Even among the vast crowd, she possessed particularly deep desire and had caught my eye.
I also... want to become a bunny showgirl that performs on stage like you, Lady Vivian.
I know I'm being too forward, but... Will you take me in as a member of your troupe?
It's not simply desire... she admires me.
She's completely charmed by me. There's nothing left in her eyes but admiration.
I'm enough on my own. However, the more troupe members, the better.
In order to gather and unleash enough desire to please Mother...
I need a bigger and more dazzling stage.
Alright... Where will you be useful?
Excuse me...?
It's nothing. Haha.
I had no plans of accepting a new troupe member here, but...
I'm sure a cute girl like you will do a great job.
Oh...! Thank you, Lady Vivian!
If you want to stand on my stage... first, we'll have to find a tail that suits you.
I wonder what kind will suit you. A bunny tail? A cat? Or... a fox tail?
I would appreciate any tail you give me, Lady Vivian!
Haha, alright. Let's think about that slowly.
3. Young Troupe Member
75 linesEverything went smoothly.
The new troupe members gave their all on the stage.
And the captivated audience revealed their honest desires.
And so, one day, after finishing a show like any other...
From the corner of the stage, I hear someone crying.
Urgh... *Sniffle...*
I-I made another mistake today. She's definitely disappointed.
At this rate, if I get kicked out of Lady Vivian's show...
...
Oh, Lady Vivian...!
You're...
She's a young troupe member that had joined recently.
She lacks talent as a showgirl, but the desire this young woman harbors is pure.
The young troupe member rubs her eyes, as if trying to hide that she'd been crying.
Her eyes are shaking and her lips are pressed tightly together, as if she's trying to hold something in.
Lady Vivian... I-I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to see me like this.
...It's a familiar expression. One full of fear.
I know the source of that fear well.
A fear of being abandoned.
I notice a worn bunny doll in the hands of the young troupe member as she tries to suppress her nervousness.
At that sight, a memory I'd buried deep in my heart rises to the surface.
A windowless bedroom.
The group of about ten other children had disappeared one by one. I was the only one left.
I'm the only one left. My friends are probably...
I'm scared, but... I need to hold it in. I can't show it.
I must not cry. If I cry... I will be abandoned.
Like the other children...
I will be discarded.
I must become the perfect star to suit the stage.
My nice, lovely bunny...
*Sob, sob...*
On nights I couldn't sleep because of the fear of abandonment...
My only source comfort was a worn bunny doll I'd hidden under my bed.
I don't know how long I had that worn doll, but if I clutched it in my hand, I momentarily forgot about my nerves.
Right, that doll was as soft and fluffy as this tail.
Lady Vivian...?
...No, I'm thinking about the past again.
Before I know it, my hands are filled by the tail attached to my clothes.
It's okay... It's all in the past.
Huh?
N-no, Lady Vivian. I'm alright. Really...!
When I see the red, swollen eyes and forced smile across the troupe member's face, I'm reminded of my younger self.
I can sense it the moment I see that face.
As long as this kid remains on stage, she won't be happy.
No, in fact, she'll become more and more miserable.
Chased by the fear of being abandoned...
Leave this place. Now.
Huh...?!
The troupe member isn't the only one surprised by the words that I'd just spat out.
I can't make her leave. This kid became a troupe member because she admired me, but she's not my possession.
Everything is... simply a part of the massive show Mother has planned.
I can't... without Mother's permission... on my own...
But, but...
I might be reminded of my past every time I see this kid.
Leave this stage, this troupe.
L-Lady Vivian... I'm sorry! I was wrong!
It's because I made a mistake, right?
The kid's face contorts instantly as the fear of abandonment overwhelms her.
I know how she feels right now.
No, I'm not abandoning you. I'm simply...
I'm simply allowing you to find someplace that fits you.
You can leave the stage. It's okay. At least, for you.
Right, it's okay to leave the stage.
Even if you don't become a nice bunny...
Will it really be okay?
...Wait, what am I thinking?
Lady... Lady Vivian...!
Lady Vivian, are you alright?
I sent her with another troupe member. She should've returned safely.
...Okay, good work. You may go now.
Yes, Lady Vivian.
4. Nightmare and the Uninvited Guest
70 linesThe curtains rise on a performance that's been repeated hundreds and thousands of times.
I maintain my smile and sit down on the circular aerial swing.
My body is lifted high above the stage, accompanied by the familiar sense of weightlessness.
With the bright stage lights shining on me, the audience disappears into pitch black nothingness.
However, just as the aerial swing sweeps above the audience, delving into the darkness...
I see a familiar face among the cheering crowd stretching their hands out at me.
The kid that I thought returned home. She's in the audience.
She watches with spellbound eyes, just like she did before becoming a troupe member.
I'm sure I was told she returned home safely. Why is she still here?
Did she come back? Or... was she unable to leave?
N-no. My balance...!
In that moment, the aerial swing's rope snaps.
Vivian plummets below the stage, like a puppet with broken strings.
Gasps erupt from the audience like a rising tide, but soon everyone falls silent, as if all in agreement.
The spotlight shines on Vivian as she lies, collapsed.
I don't feel any pain or embarrassment. Before everything, I feel...
Fear.
As the crushing fear begins to choke my throat, I hear Mother's voice in my ear.
Look again, carefully, Vivian. What you saw wasn't that kid...
They're your friends.
...!
The darkness that filled the audience slowly writhes and twists, taking form.
The dark blob that moved ominously soon splits into several shadows.
V-Vivian... Save... me. I don't want to disappear...
Vivian... Why just you...?
Y-you're...
The half-destroyed shadows reach their melted hands out and begin to charge onto the stage.
You survived alone! Coward... coward...!
D-don't get closer...! No...!
The instinct to run away makes my body move.
I wander around looking for an exit to return behind the stage, but...
None can be found anywhere.
N-no...! AHHHHH!
The collapsing dark shadows engulf Vivian.
She is quickly buried by the shadows and disappears.
*Gasp...!*
A-are you alright, Lady Vivian?
I open my eyes, and I'm greeted with the familiar sight of my dressing room.
The dark shadow are gone without a trace, and there are only troupe members watching me worriedly.
It's that dream again. That unsettling dream...
Ever since I sent that troupe member back, I keep having this dream.
...I must just be nervous. I went against Mother's will.
It looked like you were sleeping, so I was about to put a blanket over you, but... you woke up so suddenly I got startled.
The fluffy blanket's texture slowly calms the anxiety the nightmare had left in my heart.
...Thank you. You shouldn't have had to see that.
No, Lady Vivian. I'm honored to be able to help you.
Oh, a letter arrived addressed to you, Lady Vivian. Here...
A letter?
The letter is sealed with an insignia that reminds me of that jester's face.
As soon as I check it, I frown instinctively.
This letter... Who delivered it?
Huh? It was... Who was it?
I can't... I can't remember.
...
The troupe member holding the letter drops her head.
Immediately, she lifts her head up, moving unnaturally.
She almost appears like a puppet connected to strings.
This reminds me of old times, Vivi.
You used to wake up in that sorry state pretty often.
She speaks completely differently, as if she's become a different person.
The way you scream, drenched in sweat...
It never stops being fun to watch. Hahaha!
A cheap spell that temporarily allows you to control someone using a letter as a medium.
There's only one person who would pull a trick like this.
...How dare you mess with one of my troupe members?
You're still as bold as ever, Eleanor.
5. The Clown's Whisper
62 linesI was the one and only star of her show.
I hid forbidden emotions and practiced millions of times, and finally...
I was able to receive everyone's love.
That was around when Eleanor appeared.
A grubby girl that Mother had brought from somewhere.
However, she didn't look the slightest bit nervous, even in front of Mother.
Eleanor performed in front of Mother wearing a jester outfit.
Unsteady walking, disorderly progression, rough and exaggerated movements...
Eleanor's performance is too chaotic and disorderly.
Plus, she laughs, cries, and screams...
On stage...
Doing whatever she wants...
They're all... things that are forbidden to me.
A girl like that is the new star of the stage...?
I don't understand Mother.
On a night that I had woken up from a nightmare about being discarded.
Seeing my twisted face, drenched in sweat, Eleanor burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Vivian, this is the first time I've ever seen you with that look!"
"This looks so much better than that boring face you make on stage."
Those insulting words still rattle around in my head, unable to be stuffed away.
A jester who enjoys unexpected developments, and a showgirl who only presents perfectly arranged stages...
It was only natural that I loathed someone who toyed with chaos.
Back in the present...
I guess you're not very busy, Eleanor.
Seeing that you're hanging around here and left that grubby stage of yours.
Hahaha! Why are so angry, Vivi?
We're co-workers who serve the same master and also, friends.
Huh? Is it because of this girl? Don't worry. I'll return her without a scratch.
They're precious bunnies to you, right?
Shut your mouth. Why are you here?
C'mon! Don't be so cold.
I was feeling fickle today for some reason, so I came by to talk to you.
...You feeling fickle isn't new. Anyway, if you speak nonsense, I'll kill you.
Nonsense? That's for you to judge, so just listen. Afterwards, you can do whatever you want.
Alright then... Should I start with an easy question?
Have you ever... thought about "our" emotions?
...Our?
Yeah, us! Not the emotions of the audience that just serves as nourishment...
You and me. People who stand on stage. Our emotions.
...This sounds like nonsense.
Figma feeds off of the audience's emotions. Happiness, sadness, desire, and anger...
You and I are performers who draw all those emotions out.
Do not speak Mother's name so lightly.
Hahahaha! Just hearing her name is making you shake! You're always so fun to watch!
Her grating laughter is getting on my nerves.
Eleanor, ignoring my twisted expression, continues talking.
The emotions we would've felt there, don't you wonder where all that went?
...What?
Oh, I said all that, and you still can't figure it out? I'm disappointed, Vivi.
On that stage, and in... the windowless bedroom.
That fear, despair, and loneliness you felt, where do you think all of that went?
My emotions? Well, of course...
No, I don't even need to hear any more of this. It's a poor attempt to plant seeds of doubt against Ms. Figma.
...Stop.
How dare you doubt her in front of me?
Pfft... Hahaha!
You haven't changed. You're still so nice, Vivi. No wonder Figma adores you.
Well, if you want to stay as Figma's bunny, then sure, you can do that.
But still... try thinking about it just once.
Why does Figma always appear in your nightmares?
The troupe member, who had been moving unnaturally, goes limp.
She makes a noise as she falls, and the dressing room is silent
6. The Worst Stage
58 linesThat fear, despair, and loneliness you felt, where do you think all of that went?
That jester's words keep coming back.
I know that it's just a trick to drive a wedge between us, but...
Why do those words keep running amok in my head?
What if, all those emotions I've felt since long ago were actually all a part of Mother's intentions?
...No, it can't be.
I must not doubt her will.
I hear my teeth grind as I unconsciously clench down.
Lady Vivian, it's time to get on stage.
...Yes, alright.
...Weird.
I've been on this stage countless times, but for some reason, today... it feels a bit unfamiliar.
I see the shimmering of desire rise above the audience watching the stage.
The emotions the audience feels while watching the performance are all a result of meticulous staging.
Of course, being on stage, I am also a part of the staging.
That's been the case since long ago, and it hasn't changed now.
It's not like I don't know I'm a part of the stage...!
However...
What if, instead of creating this stage together, I was simply standing on it as a tool?
If even the emotions I felt off stage were... simply "something needed" by her...?
A frightening thought flashes through my mind.
Could this doubt also be within her calculations?
Or is that jester just using a ploy to toy with me?
What if she's trying to drag me down?
Trying to become the one and only star of the show...?
Perhaps because of these distractions, my dancing begins to fall behind the beat ever so slightly.
Pull it together. You can't make a mistake.
Everyone is looking at me.
Smile, Vivian. Smile naturally.
The powerful spotlight pours down around me on top of the dark stage.
Wearing a perfect smile, I get on the circular aerial swing and suddenly...
I feel an eerie sense of deja vu.
Wait, this scene...
It overlaps with the scene I saw in my nightmare.
Dark and sticky blobs with human-like silhouettes.
Stretching their hands out at me, crying for help...
Try thinking about it just once. Why does Figma always appear in your nightmares?
...!
It only takes a second for my balance to break.
My body, which had been floating, plummets down.
Lady Vivian!
The lights! Turn off the lights!
The stage lights quickly turn off, as if trying to hide my fall.
I feel intense pain from my twisted ankle.
Having witnessed the fall, the audience begins to stir all at once.
No, the show... the audience...!
A massive wave of despair and anxiety, more intense than any I've felt in a long while, washes over me.
Intense emotions, something Ms. Figma needs most.
Just then, someone jumps out from the darkness.
Ahh!
I freak out and shake off the hand reaching out at me.
But it is simply someone trying to help me.
L-Lady Vivian? Are you alright?
The troupe member looks at me with round eyes, startled by my frightened scream and reaction.
Other troupe members also wear confused expressions, having seen me like that.
Having seen me... fall.
One by one, the admiration the troupe members held begins to break.
The showgirl's elaborate mask shatters, and the worst show comes to an end.
7. A Gift for the Good Bunny
71 linesMy hands won't stop shaking.
I've never exited the stage like this before, as if running away.
The audience's desires fading away coldly.
The wavering gazes of the troupe members looking at me.
It was literally the worst stage ever.
Does she know...?
No, it's not even worth wondering.
Ms. Figma... Mother knows everything.
Suddenly, the mirror in the dressing room feels scary.
I face the mirror and I can see a face twisted ugly with despair.
It's not enough that I ruined the show. I also look terrible.
I'm going to be discarded, I'm sure...
Just like the other children...
Huff... Huff...
I can't breathe.
My legs give out, and I grab the vanity to keep myself up.
I pound on my chest, trying to get some relief.
"My nice little bunny, Vivian."
"You're shaking."
My ugly reflection in the mirror is suddenly wearing a relaxed smile.
Ms. F-Figma.
What... expression am I wearing right now?
I don't know. I don't know.
I'm sorry, Ms. Figma.
I ruined your stage. I'm so sorry.
Please, give me one more chance, just one more chance.
Just one...
Does she know that I sent a troupe member home on my own?
I need to get her forgiveness.
But... I can't get myself to open my mouth.
"It's okay, Vivian. Don't be afraid."
"Everyone makes mistakes."
...!
With my face drenched in sweat, I see Ms. Figma in the mirror.
"I understand, Vivian."
"You were always prone to loneliness."
"You were so sad when the children were called home too."
"Abandon you? You're my most cherished girl."
"You are my muse."
Mother's forgiving voice feels like it's melting my ears.
Still, my nerves won't subside.
No, I actually feel more nervous. I'm sure something is...
"That's why, Vivian."
"I prepared a gift for you, who I cherish the most."
Before I can even finish, someone opens the door to the dressing room and enters.
Just like a well-organized play, with precise timing.
Everything moves in slow-motion.
Hello, Lady Vivian!
I'm so happy to be able to become a member of Lady Vivian's troupe!
I want to join you, Lady Vivian, and create a stage of eternal happiness!
No, no... You...
Oh, I think I understand... now.
All of this... It was a well-orchestrated stage for me.
Immediately after, a fact I had been trying hard to ignore sears itself into my mind.
"Do you like your gift?"
"Then,"
"You should smile."
"Vivian. My lovely bunny."
Slowly, I raise my head and watch Figma in the mirror.
If I can't escape Figma's stage, the only thing I can do is...
...Yes, Mother. I really... like it.
I hide all my fear, anxiety, and despair and put on a beautiful smile.
A perfect bunny showgirl.
8. How to Create the Perfect Bunny Showgirl
54 linesIf you practice smiling in the mirror thousands of times a day...
There comes a moment where reality feels like it's fading.
Could my reflection in the mirror be the real me?
"Vivian, my lovely bunny."
"Have you ever thought about why you survived?"
...
The reawakened fear completely crushes the doubts that had slowly started taking root.
I must not doubt Mother.
This time, I must do this perfectly.
That's the only way I'll survive.
Without being discarded like the other children...
The windowless bedroom, the disappeared children.
The moment of the fall, the sensation of the cold, hard ground.
The bird that was released, but had returned to its cage.
Memories of despair and misery cloud my mind.
Just like a swarm of bugs crawling up...
Fear slowly spreads from the pit of my stomach to my entire body.
Mother's voice tickles against my ear again.
"Vivian, you are my muse, someone who best expresses my stage, but also..."
"What I truly want from you is..."
"Your sorrow, your loneliness, your misery, your fear, your frustration, your despair, your..."
...No, stop. Don't think beyond that.
As I squeeze my eyes closed, a high-pitched ringing echoes in my ear.
If only that jester hadn't spouted that nonsense.
The reason Mother had come to visit me through the mirror...
What she wanted me to realize... It was all so clear.
Eleanor. I don't know what you're up to, but...
Mother already knows everything.
...What in the world are you thinking of doing?
If you're trying to go against Mother... Ms. Figma...
I will kill you with my own hands. And...
I will become the one and only star of her magnificent show.
Out of habit, I gaze into the mirror, and I see myself wearing a picture-perfect smile.
Just as I reach my hand out, as if under some kind of spell.
Lady Vivian, we're ready for you to enter the new stage.
...Yes, good work.
It's not work, Lady Vivian. Helping you is my only source of happiness!
Were you organizing the dressing room? You should've just asked me to...
Yes, please speak, Lady Vivian.
...The me in mirror, versus the me in front of you. Who do you think is real?
I want to ask, but I'm unable to bring myself to speak those words.
...Lady Vivian?
Yes, please let me know if you need me!
I already know the answer.
It's not important... which one is the real me.
What's important is...
I won't let you down, Mother.
I make a vow to my reflection in the mirror and smile precariously.