Difference between revisions of "Summary:Yumi and the Nightmare Painter"
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;Plot Summary
Painter stares into the shroud for a time before turning and walking along the street at the perimeter of the city. He passes Akane's [[capstone painting]], on the outside wall of a windowless building, followed by the blank wall where his own most recent attempt at a capstone painting has been whitewashed. The painting was of "the star," which is actually a planet with living beings on it, inspired by the announcement that a [[space bus|spaceship]] will voyage to that celestial body. Painter determines he needs to whitewash the wall again before noticing a disturbed area on the surface of the shroud, indicating that a [[nightmare]] has passed through. He tracks it into the city, following a few spots of dark, steaming residue, until he finds it down a dark, narrow alley. The nightmare is distracted by its victim, head stuck through the wall and into the building, as Nikaro begins a painting of bamboo. The creature turns to Painter and begins approaching, but is soon transformed into black bamboo. The bamboo evaporates, and Painter gathers his things and continues to patrol.
{{anchor|Chapter 4}}
;Plot Summary
Hoid explains the mysterious past behind the advent of the nightmares, the shroud, and the
{{anchor|Chapter 6}}
;Plot Summary
Painter considers how he wants to help Yumi but worries he will not be up to the real task. This fear is eased when Yumi explains they will use "art" to draw the spirits.
Painter wakes in his own apartment to the sound of someone at the door. He thinks
{{anchor|Chapter 11}}
;Plot Summary
After eleven days, Yumi finally decides that Painter is ready to begin stacking stones, so she begins to instruct him on how to set a good base. Nikaro succeeds in a few small stacks and admits that Yumi's training has actually helped, which is deeply encouraging to Yumi. Painter is less excited when she explains he will need much more complicated stacks to attract a spirit. They continue practicing, Yumi still focused but less overbearing. Painter watches Yumi stacks the souls of stones, which both impresses him and teaches him to respect her artform. He thinks that he can see a passion in her that he identifies with but has never seen in someone else before. He also begins to realize how difficult their situation has been for her, and is able to empathize with her better. Suddenly there is a disturbance nearby, and Painter leaves to investigate. Scholars from the [[Institute of Mechanical Solutions]] in Torio City have arrived in Gongsha. The lead scholar announces that they have heard about the yoki-hijo's problems and so have arrived with a [[machine]] that can stack rocks to summon the spirits.
{{anchor|Chapter 21}}
;Plot Summary
Back in Nikaro's apartment Yumi rants about the arrival of the scholars and their machine. Painter
At the Noodle Pupil Nikaro goes to speak with Design, leaving Yumi alone with the other four painters. She pays special attention to Tojin. Nikaro led her to believe his interest in bodybuilding was about being attractive to women. Yumi notes his interactions with his male friends as they discuss their weightlifting, as well as his shyness when Izzy draws attention to him. She asks him why he does it and she learns more about his true motivations. She also notes Akane's apparent interest in the man. Izzy then brings attention to the upcoming spaceship launch. This is the first Yumi has heard of this mission, and quickly moves to speak with Painter. She approaches the bar to see Design working to lengthen his [[Connection]] to his body, extending the range they can be apart from one another. Design says she will look for a device that can shed some insight on Yumi's Connection to her world. They discuss the spaceship mission and both wonder if it might be related to what the spirits have done to them.
* [[Hwanji]]
* [[Liyun]]
* [[Tojin]] (mentioned only)
* [[Dwookim]] (mentioned only)
}}
* [[Sunjun]]
* [[Honam]]
* [[Design]] (mentioned only)
* [[Samjae]] (mentioned only)
}}
After a day in Painter's world to collect some of her thoughts, spent mostly alone in Nikaro's apartment, the pair have returned. Liyun enters, after knocking, as Painter eats his breakfast. She asks how Yumi learned about the reform movement, which Painter lies about. Yumi asks several questions via Nikaro, and Liyun admits the truth--though she believes Yumi's rebellion will be short-lived. During their bath in the cold spring, Painter tries to cheer her up and help her process the implications this has about her life and the will of the spirits, including sharing some of his own relationship struggles. They float together and Yumi tries to touch his hand, but once again is unable to make physical contact. After this she declares that she wants to do something "transgressive". Painter proposes to spy on the scholars and their machine, which is more serious than Yumi had imagined--but she considers and agrees.
After they have been left alone in the orchard shrine, they cross through the orchard to the east side of town. They remove most of their clothing, to give the appearance of a common worker, and sneak the final distance to the scholars' tent. Yumi passes through the wall of the tent and
{{anchor|Chapter 24}}
;Plot Summary
One week later, in Painter's apartment, they watch the final episode of ''[[Seasons of Regret]]'', which closes with a kiss--to Yumi's shock--and a sad ending. They discuss the ending as Yumi looks out through the window. When Nikaro suggests returning to practice, Yumi declares that she is tired of practicing and wishes to go hunting the stable nightmare. Painter tries to discourage her, and has been stalling for a while now, but she insists. She takes the painter equipment and sets out into the city, first working her way toward the shroud. They walk until Nikaro spots the signs of a nightmare, and they follow. Painter becomes concerned that the foreman may have left his wedge of the city unpatrolled, assuming that Painter was shirking his duties for some time and his area was inactive. Eventually they catch up to the nightmare. Painter sees it is not the stable nightmare and urges Yumi to move on, but Yumi wants to take action. She tries to confront the nightmare, but freezes up when she sees it. While trying to coach her, the spider-like nightmare hears Nikaro. It draws closer to him and attacks, feeding on his essence. Yumi's scream frightens it away, and Painter is okay, but the noise also summons the attention of Akane and Tojin.
{{anchor|Chapter 26}}
{{columns|
* [[Nikaro]] (point of view)
* [[Yumi]]▼
* [[Akane]]
* [[Tojin]]
▲* [[Yumi]]
* [[Izumakamo]]
* [[Masaka]]
;Plot Summary
Akane and Tojin confront Yumi and realize she is trying to do Nikaro's job while he is on leave. Tojin rushes to find some fellow
{{anchor|Chapter 27}}
{{columns|
* [[Yumi]] (point of view)
* [[
* [[Akane]]
* [[Tojin]]▼
* [[Izumakamo]]
* [[Masaka]]
* [[Nikaro]]▼
}}
{{columns|
* [[Yumi]] (point of view)
▲* [[Nikaro]]
* [[Liyun]]
* [[
* [[Tojin]]
* [[Design]] (mentioned only)
}}
* [[Nikaro]] (point of view)
* [[Yumi]]
* [[Akane]]▼
* [[Tojin]]
* [[
* [[Masaka]]
* [[Izumakamo]]
* [[Design]]
* [[Sukishi]] (mentioned only)
;Plot Summary
Back at the Noodle
== Part 4 ==
* [[Sunjun]]
* [[Design]] (mentioned only)
* [[Mrs. Shinja]] (mentioned only)
}}
{{columns|
* [[Nikaro]] (point of view)
* [[Yumi]]▼
* [[Design]]
* [[
* [[Izumakamo]] (mentioned only)
* [[Hoid]] (mentioned only)
* [[Virtuosity]] (mentioned only)
* [[Samjae]] (mentioned only)
* [[Liyun]] (mentioned only)
* [[Akane]] (mentioned only)
* [[Tojin]] (mentioned only)
}}
* [[Nikaro]]
* [[Design]]
* [[Namakudo]]
* [[Masaka]]
▲* [[Akane]]
* [[Tojin]]
▲* [[Akane]]
* [[Izumakamo]]
▲* [[Yuishin]] (mentioned only)
}}
{{columns|
* [[Nikaro]] (point of view)
* [[Yumi]]▼
* [[Liyun]]
* [[
* [[Hwanji]]
* [[Gongsha bailiff]]
* [[Gyundok]]
;Plot Summary
In the shrine, Painter receives a map of Torio from Liyun and shares some empathetic words with her, thanking her for her patience. He sketches Masaka's map over it and they confirm that their worlds overlap
{{anchor|Chapter 35}}
* [[Liyun]]
* [[Hikiri]]
* [[Tesuaka Tatomi]]
* [[Chaeyung]] (mentioned only)
* [[Hwanji]] (mentioned only)
}}
;Plot Summary
Yumi dreams, hearing the voices of the scholars discussing what to do with her memories. Then she awakens in her wagon, repeating the day once again. Her attendants never arrive
Painter locates the temporary headquarters of the Dreamwatch
{{anchor|Chapter 38}}
* [[Sunjun]]
* [[Honam]]
* [[Gongsha bailiff]] (mentioned only)
}}
* [[Sunjun]]
* [[Honam]]
* [[Izumakamo]]
* [[Nanakai]]
Yumi now flees from the scholars, soaring in her tree. The tree begins to disintegrate slowly, and the scholars follow. She breaks through the barrier, into the shroud proper, and sees the prisons of the other yoki-hijo, as well as Torio City. Yumi realizes she has mental control over the shroud, and so stabilizes the tree she as on and creates a wind to blow her towards Torio City.
Thirty-seven painters have gathered on the west side of town. They wait, chat, and check their supplies.
Yumi lands just outside the city and confronts the four scholars. They attack, and she renders their attacks ineffective; then Yumi forces them into their human forms, freeing them slightly from the control of the machine. They are deeply apologetic, expressing their shame and
The painters form a tight circle to defend against the nightmares, with Nikaro running back and forth to shore up weak spots. Unlike typical nightmares, these don't evaporate once painted, and the painters
One structure remains at the center of Torio City--the grand exhibit hall where the father machine was unveiled seventeen hundred years ago. She finds the machine still there, thirty feet tall with hundreds of legs piling stones. It uses Investiture, taking the appearance of smoke, to repair itself. It is surrounded by thousands of spirits, undulating to a rhythm. Yumi encounters the shield and cannot approach any closer.
Back in Kilahito, six painters have now been wounded, and Tojin shouts that they cannot hold. The painters are running out of canvas and the ground is slick with paint. Nikaro urges them to continue because the city depends on them, and the battle cry "we are the Dreamwatch now" catches on. Nikaro then recognizes Liyun among the nightmares and gets an idea.
Yumi is frustrated as she is unable to penetrate the machine's barrier. She feels a light Connection to Nikaro and can sense that he is in danger. Yumi gets an impression that even if they survive the initial attack, the machine will continue sending nightmares until Kilahito is rubble. She exits the exhibit hall and
Despite the concerns of others who see what he is doing, Nikaro paints Liyun in her original, human form. She transforms and, when he finishes and moves on, she does not revert back. He moves on to the mayor, beginning the painting until he identifies the nightmare transforming. As he fills in the details, the man continues to transform--giving Nikaro more to work with. Others see that Nikaro is having success and they do their best to support him as he paints each of the townspeople. He finishes with Hwanji, then looks out into the shroud--sensing Yumi.
* [[Yumi]] (point of view)
* [[Nikaro]] (point of view)
}}
;Plot Summary
Hoid muses about the nature of stories, and apologizes to his audience for having to share this sad ending with them. He says that Nikaro refused to accept this ending
Nikaro finishes his painting and then turns to the vortex of smoke, with a dark shape inside reaching outward him. He drops his brush, takes Yumi's hand, and urges her to believe that she deserves to live on for herself. He reminds and encourages her, "''Our world, Yumi. Our rules.''" She finally says, "''I... deserve to choose. I deserve love.''" Yumi emerges fully and they cling to one another as the shroud vanishes completely. Life gave birth to art, and art gave birth to life.. because ultimately, people choose what is meaningful to them.
{{anchor|Another Epilogue}}
== Notes ==
<references />
{{summaries|
{{yumi}}
[[Category: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter|+]]
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