As the morning sun gently filtered through the curtains, illuminating the room with a soft glow, Ari slowly opened her eyes. Blinking in the gentle light, she found herself in a clean, serene cabin unlike what she had become accustomed to.
The room was a sanctuary of simplicity and order. The walls were painted in a soothing shade of pale blue, creating a sense of tranquility. The wooden furniture was neat and minimalistic, with a cozy bed adorned with crisp white linens at the center of the room. Everything was meticulously organized, from the neatly arranged books on the shelf to the freshly cut flowers in a vase on the bedside table.
Ari sat up, feeling a sense of calm wash over her as she took in her surroundings. She could hardly believe that she was waking up in such a pristine and peaceful space. It was a stark contrast to the cluttered and chaotic rooms she had grown accustomed to in the past.
As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she noticed the clean, polished wooden floor beneath her feet. There was a sense of purity and clarity in the room that made her feel as though she had stepped into a new chapter of her life.
"Huh it's gotten pretty clean" Ari said as wrapped herself in a warm blanket and walked over to the cabinet.
"Thanks a lot" Buttons said as he came out from the cabinet with a toolbox and a hard hat on. "Oh you did this?" Ari asked watching Buttons nail down a loose floorboard.
"Yeah, well I am your consciousness so this is all you" he said as Ari looked around the room seeing the refurbished walls and new windows.
With a sense of wonder and gratitude, Ari stood up and walked around the room, taking in every detail. The windows were spotless, allowing the sunlight to stream in and bathe the room in warmth. The sense of cleanliness and orderliness was like a balm to her soul, soothing her mind and lifting her spirits.
She ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the dresser, feeling a sense of peace settle within her. Grinning ear to ear she looked over at Buttons putting away his hard hat and tool belt.
"You okay?" she asked as her mind was taken back to the previous mission where he laid unconscious. "Of course I'm good, why wouldn't I be" he replied with a shrug. "Just need to recharge" he continued, pointing up at the ceiling.
Looking up, Ari was met with a blue and white digital clock of sorts that read:
//COMPANION RECHARGE\\
Dream companion Buttons is currently recharging from injury.
Full health in: 23:59:00
"Oh so you'll be okay tomorrow? That's fine" Ari said kneeling down, petting Buttons on the head. "Well no and yes, I'll be fine in twenty-four hours 4th Dimension time. But that's like time in a dream, not time in your world so yeah you're gonna be working without me out there for awhile. Sorry" Buttons said slumping his shoulders with a dejected look on his stuffed face.
"Hey" Ari said, picking Buttons up and placing him in her arms like a baby, same as she did when she was a child. "I'm just glad you're okay" she said hugging him tightly. Reaching up with his tiny arms he hugged her back.
"So what's the mission friend" she said carrying him to his cabinet before setting him down. "This one's a lot heavier than the others" he replied solemnly as he reached into the cabinet and pulled out a neatly folded page. "Oh, you're organized now should I be worried..." Ari said snarkily before her face dropped as she looked down at the page.
"Yeah, it's another co-op by the way" Buttons said under his breath at seeing Ari's eyes go wide when she read the contents of the page. Ari's hands shook with the page in her grasp as a sense of determination and anger came over her.
With malice and revenge on her mind she adjusted her stats and hit save.
[Dreamers Profile]
[Name: Zariah Brooks]
[HP: 100/100]
[Strength: 2] > [Strength: 10]
[Speed: 7] > [Speed: 10]
[Stamina: 11]
[BP: 11/100] > [BP: 0/100]
[XP: 120/200]
Nodding towards Buttons who was as furious as her and frustrated with himself for not being able to go with her, Ari set out to her next mission.
Ari was filled with dread and confusion at first glance of her surroundings. She instantly recognized her the tall building as her old school from when she was a child. A once mixed bag of feelings towards the school had been quickly cast aside and replaced at disgust at what was going on inside the building.
As she crossed the threshold she couldn't help but remember her own experiences at the school. Though her own sorrows paled in comparison to that of the young girl she was assigned to protect.
The hallways stretched out before her like a maze of forgotten fears and insecurities, each step bringing her closer to a past she had tried to leave behind.
The walls seemed to close in on her, the lockers looming like silent sentinels of her past mistakes and regrets. Remembering Kate's advice to her she thought about the meaning behind this. The outside world remained sunny and pleasant but as soon as she stepped foot in the school everything became dreary and distorted.
Meaning as far as Ari could gather it suggests the girl had a broadly pleasant home life and the abuse she suffered at school snatched her joy away. Looking down the hall she noticed a door at the end of it that appeared different to all the other doors in the hall. The rest were grey and dim but this one looked like a normal wooden school door. Assuming she was onto something she approached it and opened it.
Walking into an empty classroom she wandered around. Looking around the room she heard the sound of snoring. Following it to a closet door, she opened it to find a girl asleep on a young woman's shoulder. Recognizing the school uniform as the same kind she wore as a child, she made eye contact with the young woman.
With a smooth dark complexion and long flowing braids, she was adorned in white and gold clothing with golden beads in her hair. Looking up at Ari she smiled and waved while mouthing the words "Hey girl".