I dreamed I was at a large mall, something with four floors or so and I was anxiously seeking something. At some point I found a group of people all in interesting dress and design, looking like they came straight out of some fantasy/sci fi situation. One guy distinctly had dark brown hair, a shock of it like the goblin king as portrayed by David Bowie, and cow horns. Suddenly I realized this was Matterhorn from Arknights. The group began to take more distinct shape. Gladiia directed me to a locker room for me to get "prepared".
I wandered into this locker room and found there was a bunch of storage and doors. One door had the word "Father" on the label and when I opened it, it was a higher-end bathroom suite with shower and toilet and such. I went in to get ready. When I came out, the group introduced themselves as my siblings. One of them, out of my line of sight, said "Ready?" and I assented.
She spilled something onto the ground like black goo, and my vision shifted. I was brought to abovehead camera view, and the longest Arknights level I've ever seen came to view. I had to scroll around horizontally just to see the full view, a whole floor of the mall. It looked like something out of the IS2 Mizuki levels, silvery and staining with nether sea brand. Goopy seaborn creatures rose from the spill and I, as the Doctor, had to deploy limitless units to combat every creature. After a few minutes I could feel myself get overwhelmed, so I somehow "reset" my progress and ended up at the mouth of the mall.
I realized how dire the situation was but, like with any videogame logic, I could revisit this stuff later and activate that final battle whenever convenient. I was a university student and I warily wanted to have a bit more normalcy, so I went to the food court of that mall to hang out with friends, spend some time shopping, and regather my thoughts.
When I went back up to the top floor, there was no more group. Just that giant bucket, the size of a commercial flower pot you'd see lining a city street, that was filled with roiling goo. I spilled it myself and the battle recommenced. I remember deploying Skadi the Corrupted Heart, Thorns, Hunter Yato, Texas the Omertosa, and Nightingale among others. Just throwing everyone and everything at this situation. People fell and I had to replace them, and at some point I once again worried I wouldn't get through this. Then... suddenly the map became eerily empty.
From underneath came a giant shadowy whale creature crusted with Nethersea brand much like the designs of the game. It breached the floor and took out eight or nine tiles with each bite. It roared as it followed me, "Is this how you repay my favour, daughter?" and when I looked down, I realized my hands were covered in Nethersea Brand. I was his favoured child and I betrayed him to help the Rhodes Island crew.
Emotionally overwhelmed and trying to run from this Seaborn King who was rapidly swallowing the mall around me, I hit "reset" again.
I was back at the mouth of the mall but things felt different, not like the last reset. I found a group of my friends from uni sitting at a food court table. They exclaimed in surprise at seeing me, about how I've been gone for weeks and they were getting worried. Weeks?? I thought agape. I tried to log in to my ROSI account for u of t and couldn't remember my credentials, feeling slightly panicked about overdue assignments. But when I couldn't double check, I sighed and headed back up to the top floor. Can't hand in assignments if the world ends, can I?
Once at the top floor, I was met once again with the Arknights team, but also with my sister Phoebe who pointed out that I should wear old and worn clothes because the Nethersea brand ink stuff stained permanently. I went back to that locker room from the beginning and pulled out a summery old romper, fumbling my way to the bucket again. Only this time... The contents were maybe only half a foot high. I spilled them and only tiny silhouettes struggled out. We stomped them out and someone even wondered aloud what happened, where was the Seaborn King?
I felt a twinge of both fear and guilt, knowing I betrayed him. I wondered if I killed him last round, and this reset he was gone for good. I knew vaguely that he loved me more than all his other children... And I used that to destroy him.
Then I woke up!! What a vivid dream.
