Movie Dream Trailer

[seemagicshit]

Sender: (Tianyou) Zhao
To: Everyone
Subject: Passive dream recording



[It's been said with the advent of movies and television that dreams have altered forever in people. Zhao appears to be no exception as there's some pretty groovy music playing. It's like a trailer for an epic movie and you can't help but get hyped for what this could possibly be about.

The dream trailer seems to be divided in separate sections moving at the same time. There's action in the foreground, a stylized repeating graphic of someone doing flips down stairs that's all in black and then some black and white grainy footage up in a corner of maybe other characters in this movie? The graphic of the figure flipping down the stairs doesn't succeed all the time. Sometimes it stumbles, but always tries again.

Over this scene is a voice over befitting what you're now realizing is some martial arts movie.]

Motivation! Have the desire to succeed. Confidence! Believe in yourself!

[The foreground footage is of Zhao being surrounded by a ring of foes and he's busting out some incredible kung fu to keep everyone away. Not a soul can touch this man!

Occasionally the repeating graphic is of a smaller figure who fails the flip challenge more often but that makes sense if this is a dream about a hero's journey to get stronger over time. The black and white grainy footage then must be past obstacles the hero overcame to be the amazing man he became. Hot damn, this dream is great! There seems to be a lot of men in various forms and battle poses, so there promises to be a lot of fighting in this movie.]

Discipline! Follow directions.

[A sinister figure wearing a white suit and holding a giant curved spear is snarling and points at Zhao.]

I will crush your spirit and make you fall!

[It seems a little tense now, as Zhao keeps fighting off endless waves of bad guys. He's even injured now, wiping blood off his lips. But he's grinning, ready for the epic battle yet to come. Even the voice over guy agrees.]

Perseverance! Keep working for what you believe in despite hardship.

[Zhao seems amped up and holds up his saber, waving it in deceptively lazy patterns. Which for people who HAVE watched him fight, is just the preamble for when he is ready to throw down.]

You can't steal my dreams, Mabuchi. I learned to fall with grace thanks to my father, so what do you think you can do against me?

[Holy shit this is gonna be so damn good, you're so excited!

Except there's just something about that last line...

Then the entire dream trailer freezes as though paused and it goes very weird and wobbly. Thanks to the voices of the characters, the next voiceover is from the man called Mabuchi:]

No one's going to come and save you, Zhao.

[And the dream trailer abruptly ends like a TV being turned off.]

Comments

sender: Hunter

[hashtagwoof]

Oh, COME ON! It was just getting to the good part!

[ Whoops, disappointed kid wanted to know what happened next. ]

Sender: Zhao

[seemagicshit]

Oh...you saw that? Well...

Yeah I kinda wanted to know how it ended too. It was pretty amazing for a while, yeah?

We didn't even get a title!

[hashtagwoof]

Yeah, I did.

Who even was that Mabuchi jerk, anyway?

[seemagicshit]

Someone I know. Kinda jealous of me so I'm not surprised it ended up with an epic fight between me and him.

[hashtagwoof]

Sounds like you're putting it mildly.
What's with the whole "no one's coming to save you" thing? It looked like you were fine on your own.

[seemagicshit]

Well you know how it is. Your dreams sometimes give you the impossible. Sometimes it's flying, sometimes it's making your life into an epic movie where you beat the crap out of 20 guys.

[Or that your brain tries to rework one of the lowest points of his life into one of his best. He liked the dream for that alone.

Sender: Toge

[fishflakes]

[Holy shit, this whole dream is like an action movie. If only Toge had a snack... though, as intense and cool as it is, the way it ends is... extremely sudden. Enough for Toge to reach for his journal.]

I shoulda grabbed some popcorn for that dream.

But what happened at the end?

[seemagicshit]

Entertained, hunh?

Well, not surprised that Mabuchi wanted to spoil my big moment. He's been trying to do that for a long time now.

[fishflakes]

How could I not be? That looked like a movie trailer.

Mabuchi? Someone you know from back home?

[seemagicshit]

[Unlike anyone else here, Toge knew of Zhao's criminal background, so he could be a little more candid to him.]

One of my...former associates. Took over the gang I ran. However, Kasuga and his crew came and put a stop that shit...

But I ended up joining Kasuga anyway due to politics so it all worked out.

[Since he isn't aware of the shadows he cast that Toge saw, maybe being surrounded and then helped up were better glimpses into what happened to him. The flashy move trailer dream might have been a chance to spin something terrible into something better...at least in his dreams.]

[fishflakes]

Woah, really? So he really tried to take over your crew, huh? Does that sort of thing happen a lot?

[Toge only really knows about gangs and stuff from movies and media, so he’s wondering how it was like for Zhao. How much of the movie magic was based in reality and all.]

Sounds like that Kasuga guy really came in clutch, huh?

[He’s keeping it a little light, but based on what he saw, it looks like those shadows had helped Zhao out.]

[seemagicshit]

There's a goddamn book I could write about the background of why he did it. Let's just say that some people -- when given the opportunity and they have the drive to do it -- just become sharks and will devour you on their way to what they think they're owed.

And yeah, Kasuga-kun did come in out of nowhere. Didn't even know he would do that, but it was all because I did him one solid. Funny how life works sometimes.

[fishflakes]

Mm, yeah. I know what that's like. Some people really are just that ambitious. Sucks that you had to deal with someone like that.

Well, that's how some people are. You show them kindness or do them a favour, they repay it back in kind. More people should be like that, if you ask me.

[seemagicshit]

It's not like I couldn't tell he had ambitions. I just didn't realize how far he'd be willing to go.

What a fucking waste.

Yeah, Kasuga-kun is pretty goddamn great for returning favors. Probably why he gathered such a group of weirdos.

[fishflakes]

Yeah, sounds like it. Fs in the chat I guess, right?

Sounds like you admire this Kasuga guy. He seems like a cool dude, at least.

sender: sora

[oathkeeper]

[Holy crap this is like watching an action movie.]

Whoa?! Zhao, you're like a movie star with those awesome hype-you-up lines! And all that fighting action too!

But, uh, what the heck is going on?

[seemagicshit]

[This response he has to give some thought. Sora had the bad luck to see into one of his childhood nightmares and Zhao was pretty sure he spun it into something harmless.

It's interesting that everyone is caught up on the action and not anything else that was actually going on. But, he supposes, even in his dreams he always downplays anything terrible because it's not something that defines him as an adult.

It's a little harder to explain Mabuchi though. He'll try his best.]

Glad you liked it. I mean, I know kung fu and little drunken fist. Also watched those movies, especially with my new friends. Not surprised all that much that I just turned my life into a movie trailer.

Mabuchi is a guy I had a falling out with, so that's probably why he's the villain.

[oathkeeper]

[Sora might not be keen to it at first but he does remember how Zhao's nightmare went once before. The other had dodged Sora's questions but he is still curious about all that.]

I guess we all have a dream where we kick some serious butt like that.

What happened with Mabuchi?

[seemagicshit]

We're all the heroes in our own stories, after all.

Mabuchi finally got wise and left town and if he's smart, he'll never come back. Or it's not gonna be too great for him.

[oathkeeper]

did he give you a lot of serious trouble, zhao?

[seemagicshit]

Without me going into a history lesson of my town and a plot that could be a great thriller, yeah, he kinda did.

I think the dream was me giving me a chance to make what did happen be more epic than it was.

[oathkeeper]

okay, better question then!

what made him do all of that?

[seemagicshit]

Well, without getting too into things, I ran a...gang, let's say.

When you're the leader, you gotta have guys who have your back and help you get stuff done. Mabuchi was one of them. Really driven and really smart but always wanted more and more. That's really all it was.

[oathkeeper]

it's okay zhao, i'm pretty sure i picked that up from your other dreams i saw too. and how you act most of the time.

it must have been tough running a gang and watching one of your guys getting in over his head, huh...

[seemagicshit]

Oh so you've already picked up on how shady I am? Good to know.

It's more than that. Because of what he did, he dragged other gangs with him, got people killed and just a lot of...unpleasantness.

But he's no longer around, so he shouldn't be a problem.

[oathkeeper]

aww come on that doesn't mean i think you're a bad guy, zhao.

but i'm really sorry it happened like that... you didn't want it to, right?

[seemagicshit]

Plenty of people do. You'd be joining a very small list to think otherwise.

[His feelings about Mabuchi are complicated. Even now when there's been a little bit of time. No matter how much hate lay between them, Mabuchi was still his brother. Because of that, Zhao couldn't kill him. But he could certainly let him go.]

You ever have someone that just is determined to do themselves in and you realize you can't do anything about it? That's basically this whole stupidity.

But enough about that. Bet I could take you even if you were holding three big keys, yeah?

[oathkeeper]

well you've always been a good friend to me so i'll be happy to be on that list, okay?

and you know, i think i know exactly what you mean

[Hello Riku in his rebellious bully days. But he gets it, Zhao doesn't want to get into it too much.]

i doubt you could be me, though! i could be holding four big keys if i wanted to and i'd still come out the winner!

Sender: Mammon

[stupidmammon]

[ SCREEEEEEECH!!!!! ]

ZHAO DON'T LET THAT PRICK BEAT YOU!!!

[seemagicshit]

Wow you are super into this! Didn't know you liked martial arts flicks that much?

Or is it just me?

[stupidmammon]

Ooooi, shut it, ya brat. What kinda shit did you think I was into??

Anyway, don't let that prick kick your ass, you're cooler than that, yo!

[seemagicshit]

[It occurs to Zhao at that moment that he's not going to get anywhere with his stupid crush on Mammon. But honestly? Having him say that? Is actually kinda cool too and he'll take that instead.]

Well, he's long gone now, so he's definitely the loser of that fight.

[stupidmammon]

A-ah... right this is like a memory or somethin' in a way I bet. Well. Good. Glad ya made it.

[seemagicshit]

This is more like wishing what happened was that epic.

But I'll take it. Better than how it actually went.

[stupidmammon]

So... do you get into a lot of fights like that back home? Like I ain't judgin' or anything. You just seemed like a really chill dude so it was a little surprising to see I guess.