A Perfect World - Smiles and Lullabies
Flagship: EmmaKarin
Also Starring: Kanata
Rating: T? Maybe mild M?
Words: 641
AU: A dimension where everything is... perfect...
Fandom: Love Live Nijigasaki
Parent Fic: A Perfect World
Time Frame: ???
Event: Promptober 2023
Event Source: Idol Fanfic Heaven channel on Discord
Prompt: Memory
Content Warning: Mentions of blood and violence
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Author's Note: Second entry for the 4th
Summary: Karin's battle with insomnia continue
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“Karin-chan! Welcome.” Kanata said with a sleepy smile.
Surprisingly, Kanata was already awake, as though she had been anticipating Karin’s arrival. Granted, Karin had been showing up at roughly the same time each day.
“How is Kanata-chan’s favorite customer today?”
“I’m fine.”
“That you are.” Kanata made no effort to hide her wandering eyes. “Your usual room is open. Would you like another spell or maybe try a different method today?”
“Uhm, about that.” Karin hesitated. “Do you sell slee… dream aids that I can bring home?”
Had Karin blinked, she might have missed Kanta’s smile slip slightly. “Of course! Just be sure to read all instructions carefully as Kanata-chan cannot monitor proper usage offsite.”
Karin nodded.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Memory improvement. Emma insists that if I sleep better, I will remember my way around better and not get lost.”
Kanata laughed lightly. “Yes, Emma-chan did mention that about Karin-chan when she sent you to Kanata-chan for dream aid. Karin-chan sure is lucky to have such a caring girlfriend.”
Yes. I know. Karin thought to herself.
“I have just the thing.” Kanata continued. “Let me show you.”
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Karin bolted upright.
“Mm… Karin-chan…?” Emma murmured.
Karin looked at her girlfriend beside her. Such a sweet, sleepy smile. Karin shivered…. That was from the sweat, right…?
Karin clenched her jaw and pushed herself off the bed.
“Karin-chan?”
Karin stumbled into the bathroom and closed the door. She had to take a moment to figure this out.
That had all been a dream… right? There was no way that had been an actual memory… right?
Fragments flashed through Karin’s mind. Blood. So much blood everywhere. Pleading cries silenced. Cold steel plunging. Again. And again. And again. And a soft, soothing lullaby. And that smile. So sweet. Yet…
No. It had to have been a nightmare. Emma had a video call with her siblings just earlier this evening. Karin had even joined in for a few minutes. The Verde siblings were very much alive and well… right?
Karin noticed her hands were trembling as she picked up the package she had bought from Somnial. Had she misread the instructions?
“Karin-chan?” A soft voice and a gentle knock at the door. “Are you alright?”
“Be right out.” Karin replied.
She flushed the toilet and quickly washed her hands to play it off that way.
Emma pulled Karin close to snuggle once they returned to bed. However, Karin believed her insomnia would win again tonight.
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Another night. Another dream.
Emma found Karin hunched over the toilet and heaving. Not a good night.
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Another night. The same dream.
Karin hadn’t even used her dream aid. What was going on?
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“Ah, Karin-chan, you’re back.” Kanata drawled. “Come to realize Kanata-chan’s dream rooms are better than anything you could use at home?”
“Do you have anything that prevents dreams?” Karin asked.
Kanata furrowed her brow. “Why would you want to prevent dreams?”
“Something happened with the aid you sold me. I don’t know if I used it wrong or… but…” Karin explained. “The nightmares, they feel… real. Like I’m reliving memories of something I actually experienced. But it can’t possibly be real. There’s no way. Emma would never…”
Kanata’s expression changed to genuine concern. “I do have a few options. However, I must insist that monitor the process.”
Karin took an uneasy breath.
“Do not worry. I will not see the contents of your dream.” Kanata seemed to read Karin’s concern. “I will only monitor brain activity to aid in you reaching a lucid state and targeting the specific things you wish to remove.”
“Alright.”
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“Was Kanata-chan able to help?” Emma asked as the couple settled into bed.
“Mm… very much so.” Karin said, pulling her girlfriend close.
“That’s wonderful.” Emma with a sweet smile before she began humming a soothing lullaby.
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Author's Note Continued: I'm so sorry Emma, Karin...
I experimented with torturing a handful of the LL girls when I started writing backgrounds for them in PoH, my Monster Theater AU. But I think the majority of them have fairly normal backgrounds, at least as far as a monster themed AU is concerned. Then I wrote Unstable World, and came up with its counterpart, A Perfect World. And I started things off with body swapping NicoMaki against their will. I don't think anyone's getting out unscathed with this AU...
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