hgs (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hgs) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
yumemigaoka2023-12-01 11:19 pm
hgs) wrote in yumemigaoka2023-12-01 11:19 pm
December Catchall!
⭐ Who: Shinsha and YOU!
⭐ When: Througout December
1. HOUSEPLANT HOSPITAL
⭐ When: Early December
⭐ Where: Camellia
[Now that it's officially winter, all the potted plants that spent the summer on sunny balconies have been brought indoors... so if your succulents are looking sickly and your philodendron has peaked, you're not alone! Bring your haggard houseplants in to Camellia to have them assessed by Promised Morning Academy's Gardening Club president, Shinsha! Even if your green thumb is withered and brown, they won't judge you... too much.
Shinsha has set up their plant clinic at a quiet table in the corner of Camellia, the charmingly retro cafe/flower shop located on a side street at Moon Bunny Market. They're sipping a cup of coffee (black with just a pinch of sugar) and trying not to look too disgruntled about the fact that Amane put them up to this. They haven't gotten any better about saying "no" to things they don't want to do, but they are becoming a little more sociable, so... progress?]
...That plant is dead. You need a priest, not a gardener.
2. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
⭐ When: December 15th
⭐ Where: Koubai
[Even though Pure Candy's indefinite hiatus was only announced this morning, the big music shop in Koubai is quick to capitalize with a large display of fan merchandise, ready for the Friday afternoon rush of students on their way home from school for winter holidays. Sure enough, there's already a crowd forming on the sidewalk outside the music shop, so Shinsha is forced to trudge through the gutter snow to avoid them. Shinsha can't really enjoy the idol group's music after knowing how much pain it brought to Mio Kasuga, but they can't exactly tell her fans about that. Hopefully, if Mio-san ever returns to making the kind of music that she wants to make, her fans will still be there for her.]
Still... it feels wrong.
[Shinsha mutters to themself before turning back to their last-minute holiday shopping. Christmas is a romantic holiday in Japan, and a family-oriented holiday overseas, but Shinsha has neither a romantic partner (ugh) nor any close relatives... but it might be nice to give gifts to Sensei and a few friends.
Friends... they have some of those now, don't they?]
3. DREAM SPHERE
⭐ When: Late December
⭐ Where: Reflection Glades
[Cinnabar doesn't - can't - come here often. The Reflection Glades are warm and sunny, a welcome respite from Yumemigaoka's winter gloom, but even a relatively safe part of the Dream Sphere isn't entirely free from Torments... and if Cinnabar fights here, their mercury will poison the vegetation, leaving dead zones that persist for weeks. But this time of year, the Torments are unusually quiet, so Cinnabar can risk enjoying one of the few truly nice parts of the Dream Sphere. There are flowers here that have never existed in the real world, untouched by the seasons.]
It's beautiful...
[Belatedly, Cinnabar realizes that they aren't alone. Embarrassed to be caught off guard when they're supposed to be an experienced professional Dreamer, they begin to stammer.]
I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize that anyone else was here!
⭐ When: Througout December
1. HOUSEPLANT HOSPITAL
⭐ When: Early December
⭐ Where: Camellia
[Now that it's officially winter, all the potted plants that spent the summer on sunny balconies have been brought indoors... so if your succulents are looking sickly and your philodendron has peaked, you're not alone! Bring your haggard houseplants in to Camellia to have them assessed by Promised Morning Academy's Gardening Club president, Shinsha! Even if your green thumb is withered and brown, they won't judge you... too much.
Shinsha has set up their plant clinic at a quiet table in the corner of Camellia, the charmingly retro cafe/flower shop located on a side street at Moon Bunny Market. They're sipping a cup of coffee (black with just a pinch of sugar) and trying not to look too disgruntled about the fact that Amane put them up to this. They haven't gotten any better about saying "no" to things they don't want to do, but they are becoming a little more sociable, so... progress?]
...That plant is dead. You need a priest, not a gardener.
2. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
⭐ When: December 15th
⭐ Where: Koubai
[Even though Pure Candy's indefinite hiatus was only announced this morning, the big music shop in Koubai is quick to capitalize with a large display of fan merchandise, ready for the Friday afternoon rush of students on their way home from school for winter holidays. Sure enough, there's already a crowd forming on the sidewalk outside the music shop, so Shinsha is forced to trudge through the gutter snow to avoid them. Shinsha can't really enjoy the idol group's music after knowing how much pain it brought to Mio Kasuga, but they can't exactly tell her fans about that. Hopefully, if Mio-san ever returns to making the kind of music that she wants to make, her fans will still be there for her.]
Still... it feels wrong.
[Shinsha mutters to themself before turning back to their last-minute holiday shopping. Christmas is a romantic holiday in Japan, and a family-oriented holiday overseas, but Shinsha has neither a romantic partner (ugh) nor any close relatives... but it might be nice to give gifts to Sensei and a few friends.
Friends... they have some of those now, don't they?]
3. DREAM SPHERE
⭐ When: Late December
⭐ Where: Reflection Glades
[Cinnabar doesn't - can't - come here often. The Reflection Glades are warm and sunny, a welcome respite from Yumemigaoka's winter gloom, but even a relatively safe part of the Dream Sphere isn't entirely free from Torments... and if Cinnabar fights here, their mercury will poison the vegetation, leaving dead zones that persist for weeks. But this time of year, the Torments are unusually quiet, so Cinnabar can risk enjoying one of the few truly nice parts of the Dream Sphere. There are flowers here that have never existed in the real world, untouched by the seasons.]
It's beautiful...
[Belatedly, Cinnabar realizes that they aren't alone. Embarrassed to be caught off guard when they're supposed to be an experienced professional Dreamer, they begin to stammer.]
I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize that anyone else was here!
no subject
[Cinnabar doesn't know the winged Dreamer's name, but they recognize him as one of the Novices that joined in on last month's Disturbance mission. In their opinion, it was far too dark a dream for the younger Dreamers, but the boy seems emotionally unscathed, at least... which is more than they can say for some of the others.]
I just... I don't want to accidentally hurt anyone, so I need to be careful wherever I go.
[Even standing in one place for too long in a place as verdant as this can't be safe.]
no subject
Huh? Why’s that?
no subject
[Even though their toxic ablities are a source of immense shame, it's surprisingly easy to talk to Crow about it. His open, guileless face bears no hint of judgement or fear.]
no subject
[Well, now that makes sense. Sudden understanding is the only sort of reaction Cinnabar gets; he doesn't seem worried or fazed by it at all.]
That sounds like a lot of work... [To be conscious of what you're doing all the time; Crow certainly isn't operating on that level.] But since we're in the Dream Sphere, it's not that bad, right? We won't get hurt in real life.
no subject
[Physical pain may be muted here, but the pain of rejection and failure are just as strong.]
So... I'm always careful.
no subject
[He gets it; things do still hurt here and he can see why Cinnabar would want to avoid that. But since the consequence is less severe, he’s not so sold on it being a big deal. Still, if it matters to Cinnabar…]
Then I’ll be careful too, so you don’t have to worry about it all by yourself!
no subject
[Cinnabar smiles a little - it's impossible to maintain their usual stoic expression when this boy is so infectiously happy.]
You're not easily bothered by things, are you? That's... probably good.
no subject
[He shakes his head, confirming their assessment of him. Truly, things just run off him like water on a rock.]
You seem like the kinda person who worries a lot about stuff. [If they’re doing character assessments, which apparently they are now.] Don’t you get tired?
no subject
...I'm always tired. I have to drag thousands of kilos of this stuff around all the time.
[They let a few drops of mercury drip from their fingertips to join the blobs floating in the air around them. While they're able to keep most of their power contained within their body, it's impossible to control all of it.
They get the sense that he's not talking about physical exhaustion, though...]
But you're right. Worries weigh even more.
no subject
I guess it's hard for you to stop, because you care about other people. [Their concern over the mercury has proven that enough for him.] But if it wears you out, that's no good...
[This is a dilemma, but Crow's determined to help them work it out!]
Don't you have someone you can talk to?
no subject
[It's kind of him to show so much concern... but Cinnabar is tired of feeling like a burden, both in this world and in the real world.]
You must have your own worries, too... most people who become Dreamers do.
no subject