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MULTIVERSE MUSEUM EXHIBIT
FLY HIGH
characters who enter this brightly lit exhibit will find a fixed bicycle on the floor, surrounded by a box-like enclosure that "moves" in accordance with how much you pedal, thanks to strategically placed projectors facing all walls. if you continue pedaling, the images on the walls pass by much like they would if you were in motion. think a bicycle riding simulator that is bulkier and much more vintage. there are also a set of mats on either side of the bike for higher-level activities. what plays on the walls are not real images, but fabricated ones based on paper puppets and shadow puppets such as these: ONE, TWO, THREE. once you're ready, hop on, and start pedaling! the lights will begin to dim, the speakers will crackle to life, and so will the walls around you.
ACT 0
the scenery that begins to pass by you is painted in dull colors and depicts an average, quaint japanese town; the wind that artificially blows in front of you is cold. storefronts, barber shops and even the black cut-out silhouettes of people are abnormally large, giving the sensation that you're quite smaller than what's around you. you pedal along, contours of different sports balls (tennis, baseball, soccer, basketball) pop in and out and disappear as fast as they crop up. you pedal more, through a boring street with no color left in it, just black and greys. but in the silence, a sudden announcement rings loud over a speaker to your left:
HE'S LIKE A LITTLE GIANT!
to your left is an electronics shop with a huge tv taking up the store's front window, and if you don't stop pedaling then, the bike pulls the brakes anyway. the tv is "playing" a sport— a high school volleyball game that sends the winning team to nationals. soft music begins to play as ambiance to the crackling cheers and passersbys commenting on the team's success.
once you decide to continue pedaling, you'll notice that the small town around you is suddenly painted with warmer colors going forward. it's not that cold anymore. distantly, the sound keeps chiming: squeaky sneakers. the thud of a ball against a court floor. it echoes like a persistent memory that refuses to get out of your head.
to your left is an electronics shop with a huge tv taking up the store's front window, and if you don't stop pedaling then, the bike pulls the brakes anyway. the tv is "playing" a sport— a high school volleyball game that sends the winning team to nationals. soft music begins to play as ambiance to the crackling cheers and passersbys commenting on the team's success.
once you decide to continue pedaling, you'll notice that the small town around you is suddenly painted with warmer colors going forward. it's not that cold anymore. distantly, the sound keeps chiming: squeaky sneakers. the thud of a ball against a court floor. it echoes like a persistent memory that refuses to get out of your head.
ACT 1
going forward, everywhere you look— there's a volleyball somewhere. the road following those bouncing yellow-blue balls isn't exactly an easy one. it's lonely, as the paper puppet projections suggest. no one wants to play with that little paper shoyo, no matter how many times he asks or looks. his elementary school, nor his middle school, have any interest in forming a boy's team. in desperation, he spikes at walls, plays with the girls' team— and that in itself attracts teasing throughout his education. eventually, he gets a few close friends to join his "team" just to play in a real game—and it is a complete flop.
it stays that way for a while, until paper shoyo grows a hand taller, sports a new uniform, and races eagerly to a high school surrounded by crows (caw caw!! go the speakers). the sound of sneakers squeaking against a court floor, the thumps of balls being hit back and forth— it's the sound that's been following you, now closer than ever. the atmosphere changes, upbeat and excited. he doesn't meet someone he quite likes at first, a taller boy with dark hair who always calls him an idiot among other things, but they eventually start working together and become an important part of a team of underdogs who's motto is short and resonating with their avian mascot: FLY.
they grow, grow, and grow together, through some wins and many losses, until they've earned their place at high school nationals. but the bike's gears clank and tighten at this point, becoming heavier and heavier to pedal with as the scenes flash forth and portraits mingle. with barely any rest, poor sleep and diet due to paper shoyo's too-high excitement and anxiety, he collapses in the middle of an important game, struck with illness due to exhaustion at a dangerous level. he sits out for the rest of the season.
HE WHO CLIMBS THE LADDER MUST START AT THE BOTTOM.
one season turned to more, and they never made it to the top. but that's okay. characters will have to strategically and correctly fix the bike's gears with the manual shift to make the pedaling lighter. how this is done is up to the player. your character can easily fix it, or have a hard time with it. sometimes the gears reset despite your best efforts. either way, their choices will reflect on a thoughtful paper shoyo on the wall who grows, learns, graduates and, when you succeed: packs his luggage.
it stays that way for a while, until paper shoyo grows a hand taller, sports a new uniform, and races eagerly to a high school surrounded by crows (caw caw!! go the speakers). the sound of sneakers squeaking against a court floor, the thumps of balls being hit back and forth— it's the sound that's been following you, now closer than ever. the atmosphere changes, upbeat and excited. he doesn't meet someone he quite likes at first, a taller boy with dark hair who always calls him an idiot among other things, but they eventually start working together and become an important part of a team of underdogs who's motto is short and resonating with their avian mascot: FLY.
they grow, grow, and grow together, through some wins and many losses, until they've earned their place at high school nationals. but the bike's gears clank and tighten at this point, becoming heavier and heavier to pedal with as the scenes flash forth and portraits mingle. with barely any rest, poor sleep and diet due to paper shoyo's too-high excitement and anxiety, he collapses in the middle of an important game, struck with illness due to exhaustion at a dangerous level. he sits out for the rest of the season.
one season turned to more, and they never made it to the top. but that's okay. characters will have to strategically and correctly fix the bike's gears with the manual shift to make the pedaling lighter. how this is done is up to the player. your character can easily fix it, or have a hard time with it. sometimes the gears reset despite your best efforts. either way, their choices will reflect on a thoughtful paper shoyo on the wall who grows, learns, graduates and, when you succeed: packs his luggage.
ACT 2
the world around you is cut and pasted together like hundreds of different magazine pages. something roars in the distance of the speakers, with hundreds of footsteps and muttering voices to bring you to consider you’re in a crowded place. ding, dong rings a soothing, electronic bell, and in front of you flashes:
DEPARTURE: RIO DE JANEIRO
HAVE A SAFE FLIGHT!
the engines rev, the bicycle shakes, the world around you takes off— and touches down to present pure whiteness. begin to pedal once more, and your new world takes form. it’s hot, so hot, like the exhibit is an oven. and it’s bright like the sun is sharing the room with you. the sound of waves crashing and gulls crying— you’re probably going to get very, very sweaty at this level. what embraces you from wall to wall are textures of sandpaper and fuzzy white cotton to complement the cascading roll of green-blue waters that move perpendicular to each other. landmarks will bounce in and slide out, and the melody from a distant radio sings joyful constant. you’re in rio, and paper shoyo is here to work his ass off. how?
you’re going to help him.
characters will start to notice over a short course of trial and error that if they stop pedaling, the music stops playing. if the music stops playing, an energetic, hardworking shoyo will be struck by loneliness and homesickness, huddling into a corner with big bubble tears in his eyes and a dark cloud raining over his head. you need to keep pedaling, keep giving him energy! bring that smile back to life!
the more you keep it up, the more friends he’ll make, and the happier your paper shoyo will be. the happier he gets— the more he becomes at home with this brazilian rhythm. there’s a final stretch that allows you to take a break as the beat softly fades out. words flash on the screen to a steady heart beat, and the pixelated metal around you begin to glow to that pulse.
READY?
you have to get off the bike and step on the brightly lit arrows to begin a song, festive and animated on the walls to reflect it, on beat. that’s right! for you to get to level 3, you need to move your feet to some sort of swing, either at a slower or quickened tempo to match the booms. this can also be done in freestyle if your steps are consistent enough, and can also be played with two players, one on each metal mat sandwiching the bike. you need to feel it in you, you need to be in the mood to hit the falling footsteps or create your own on the wall in front of you into a heartfelt dance.
stay still and the world will grow silent. this beautiful, colorful world with lovely people will begin to fade, and paper shoyo will be left standing in nothing, losing his animation and becoming bored, stagnant and lonely again. the sequence will end if you haven’t done anything worthwhile by the time shoyo backs himself into a corner and sits there. at this point, you will have to start level 2 from the beginning.
put your heart into it, and the world comes back to life. paper shoyo will dance, encourage you and play beach volleyball to the rhythm! if you manage to complete the song in full, paper shoyo will hop over to the front projection to thank you through a colorful speech bubble, and will fade out with a wide, satisfied grin!
HAVE A SAFE FLIGHT!
the engines rev, the bicycle shakes, the world around you takes off— and touches down to present pure whiteness. begin to pedal once more, and your new world takes form. it’s hot, so hot, like the exhibit is an oven. and it’s bright like the sun is sharing the room with you. the sound of waves crashing and gulls crying— you’re probably going to get very, very sweaty at this level. what embraces you from wall to wall are textures of sandpaper and fuzzy white cotton to complement the cascading roll of green-blue waters that move perpendicular to each other. landmarks will bounce in and slide out, and the melody from a distant radio sings joyful constant. you’re in rio, and paper shoyo is here to work his ass off. how?
you’re going to help him.
characters will start to notice over a short course of trial and error that if they stop pedaling, the music stops playing. if the music stops playing, an energetic, hardworking shoyo will be struck by loneliness and homesickness, huddling into a corner with big bubble tears in his eyes and a dark cloud raining over his head. you need to keep pedaling, keep giving him energy! bring that smile back to life!
the more you keep it up, the more friends he’ll make, and the happier your paper shoyo will be. the happier he gets— the more he becomes at home with this brazilian rhythm. there’s a final stretch that allows you to take a break as the beat softly fades out. words flash on the screen to a steady heart beat, and the pixelated metal around you begin to glow to that pulse.
you have to get off the bike and step on the brightly lit arrows to begin a song, festive and animated on the walls to reflect it, on beat. that’s right! for you to get to level 3, you need to move your feet to some sort of swing, either at a slower or quickened tempo to match the booms. this can also be done in freestyle if your steps are consistent enough, and can also be played with two players, one on each metal mat sandwiching the bike. you need to feel it in you, you need to be in the mood to hit the falling footsteps or create your own on the wall in front of you into a heartfelt dance.
stay still and the world will grow silent. this beautiful, colorful world with lovely people will begin to fade, and paper shoyo will be left standing in nothing, losing his animation and becoming bored, stagnant and lonely again. the sequence will end if you haven’t done anything worthwhile by the time shoyo backs himself into a corner and sits there. at this point, you will have to start level 2 from the beginning.
put your heart into it, and the world comes back to life. paper shoyo will dance, encourage you and play beach volleyball to the rhythm! if you manage to complete the song in full, paper shoyo will hop over to the front projection to thank you through a colorful speech bubble, and will fade out with a wide, satisfied grin!
ACT 3
this exhibit is a little more vague, but you feel a blast of old air conditioning and get to rest a little more. when you're ready to get back, lights focus on the bike. it's time to pedal again, and you can tell you're gaining easier momentum as you do. an airplane roars another time, taking riders to a much cooler "location". writing on the buildings that pop in next will hint to japanese, and a massive stadium waits for you ahead, with the flashing words: CONGRATS ON MAKING IT TO V-LEAGUE!. as soon as you start pedaling, a spirited rift builds, and it grows louder the more effort you put in. the gears are smooth, your strides take you forward with less struggle and more momentum. it's so smooth it almost may seem like you're flying. words slide past your vision, but hover just enough to be read:
BEING STRONG MEANS BEING FREE.
WE AREN'T LIMITED TO ONLY ONE WAY OF BEING GREAT.
IS LOSING REALLY A SIGN THAT YOU'RE BAD? OR IS IT A TRIAL?
IT'S A TEST TO SEE IF, ONCE YOU'VE BEEN KNOCKED DOWN— CAN YOU STAND UP AGAIN?
I'M HINATA SHOYO, AND I SPROUTED FROM THE CONCRETE.
YOU HAVEN'T LOST YET!
WHEN I'M HERE, YOU'RE INVINCIBLE.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS.
YOU CAN FLY EVEN HIGHER.
YOU'RE INCREDIBLE!
a black jackal follows along until one becomes six. you make it to the stadium, where two teams clash, lights flash, an encore rages and a chorus of voices shout:
WELCOME HOME!
when the game's best highlights end and the win goes to MSBY BLACK JACKALS, all the lights dim until a single one shines upon something high on the top left wall. a button? it's been there the whole time, looks like. words project around it with a speech bubble that says: JUMP! there's nothing keeping you from cheating or using teamwork, but the button is a near ten feet high. can you reach shoyo's vertical jumping height at this point? characters will only be able to proceed if they smack that button! as long as you keep trying, encouragement will pop across the walls.
WE AREN'T LIMITED TO ONLY ONE WAY OF BEING GREAT.
IS LOSING REALLY A SIGN THAT YOU'RE BAD? OR IS IT A TRIAL?
IT'S A TEST TO SEE IF, ONCE YOU'VE BEEN KNOCKED DOWN— CAN YOU STAND UP AGAIN?
I'M HINATA SHOYO, AND I SPROUTED FROM THE CONCRETE.
YOU HAVEN'T LOST YET!
WHEN I'M HERE, YOU'RE INVINCIBLE.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS.
YOU CAN FLY EVEN HIGHER.
YOU'RE INCREDIBLE!
when the game's best highlights end and the win goes to MSBY BLACK JACKALS, all the lights dim until a single one shines upon something high on the top left wall. a button? it's been there the whole time, looks like. words project around it with a speech bubble that says: JUMP! there's nothing keeping you from cheating or using teamwork, but the button is a near ten feet high. can you reach shoyo's vertical jumping height at this point? characters will only be able to proceed if they smack that button! as long as you keep trying, encouragement will pop across the walls.
ACT 4
as soon as you hit that button, something pops above you— confetti!! a fun, sunshiny tune of drums and voices begin to sing warmly over the speakers, and the metal dance mats around the bike pulsate with light. you may choose to keep pedaling or entertain the dance mat, but all actions will lead to the same result: loud cheers, of a crackling narrator shouting with excitement and the music just getting louder. more confetti falls now in the projected world and flashes of cameras set off like fireworks. the rings of the olympics wave and connect as the area depicts a massive, crowded stadium. handfuls of medals, bronze, silver and even gold project to the front, just underneath two flags and accompanies an array of trophies of all sizes. your paper puppet shoyo dances with you, encourages it— smiles the biggest he’s ever done as he lives his dream in a bustling brazilian city, as a pro player and as an olympian. it's then that you might feel through the music’s words, and what you see: he's happy, he's home, and he hopes you feel the same way.
before it all ends, there’s one more important message. the projections dim, and the lights come back on.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF ME!
before it all ends, there’s one more important message. the projections dim, and the lights come back on.
GIFT SHOP
in this little beach kiosk-themed shop, you'll find an assorted selection of shoyo-based goods including plushies, scaled figures, funkos, keychains and a nendoroid (mini volleyball set included!). if you rummage deeper, you'll even find a simple little gadget that only has two buttons: "feed" and "play".
