★ my genius, flawless idol for life

[liedol]

⭐ Who: Ai and you!
⭐ When: its fucking dember
⭐ Where: Mostly in Yumemigaoka, with some planned Hunts and stuff in the Dream Sphere
⭐ What: Wow, that was pretty decidedly awful!!! Unfortunately, there's no rest for the wicked OR the DU's idol so even though she's a little running on fumes, Ai's still got a busy December ahead of her...! With DU work and idol work and holiday obligations all on her plate, the real question is: how does she ever find time to sleep???

Comments

[reluctants]

Um..

[ Sure, she is working hard. Even Illya can admit that much. That's not the part that has her thinking this hard - it's the question that comes after it. ]

I'm not sure about fun.. [ That's a big word to use for it! ] But it's important, I like feeling like I'm doing my part..

[ Does that make sense? Illya isn't sure, but she is speaking to Ai from her heart here.. ]

Sometimes you just get a little worried you're falling behind on other things, right..? Have you never felt like that before, Ai-san? [ Maybe a.. slightly bit more appropriate of a question for a meet-and-greet.. Relatively speaking, anyway. ]

[liedol]

[ Her stomach turns a bit. She was hoping he would've come out with a different theory — something she could go along with or poke holes in either way. But when he comes out with the exact line of thought she's been slowly making her way down, her heart sinks a bit.

It doesn't mean anything concrete, of course. Just that she and Hanako have been working with the same sorts of theories. It makes sense, of course — she's been in his life for so long even before she was ever his mentor. That kind of synchronicity in thinking happens between people all the time. It doesn't mean anything more than the fact that she and Hanako think alike.

But her stomach turns all the same. Because Hanako has a number of different puzzle pieces to work with in comparison to her and yet... they ended up with the same image.

So what does that mean?

Ai lets out a shaky, disquieted exhale. ]

... I think if anyone could do it, Eliza-chan could. [ it feels like she's been saying that a lot lately. ] That doesn't mean she is. But if she wanted to... I think she could manage it. ... we don't even know what happens when a Disturbance goes undetected, let alone just left to itself for as long as Eliza-chan's been gone.

[determinationtofist]

Mm, sounds good!

[ It's true... generally speaking, Hibiki's solution to most things is to hit it harder. Barring that, hit something else harder that could possibly lead into something happening to the main problem. Admittedly, it's worked pretty well! Except for when it hasn't. ]

Then, for now... how about some karaoke? Y'know, to celebrate!

[ruinedsky]

[He chuckles, pleasant but clearly the chuckle of someone who has heard too many rainy UK jokes in his life to really be charmed anymore.]

Well, I brought my bike with me, but not my car, so maybe not as prepped as I could be.

[But well, he never really owned the car he drove anyway...]

The end of the year does seem to come all in a rush, with the weather and the darkness and the holidays. You better keep your coat ready, Hoshino-san, [He scolds playfully, like the mom friend he secretly is,] the last thing we need is for you to catch a cold.

[liedol]

Heehee. I think I get that. When you're doing your best at something, even when it's hard — even if it's not exactly fun, it still feels like you're getting something special out of it. Not that it makes things any easier...!

[ She's shooting for 'encouraging' here, sure, but that doesn't mean she's going to go right to putting unrealistic ideas in poor Illya's head. By the sounds of things, she's had plenty of those already. ]

But I get what you mean there, too. Back when I first got started as a Dreamer and especially once I had my solo debut... I was always feeling I was falling behind on pretty much everything! Even nowadays, there's plenty of times where I feel like I'm not getting as much done as I want to be doing. But when you're just one person, there's only so much you can do, right? So you have to give yourself a little breathing room.

[traceofeffort]

Yes, that sounds good! [Hunts are good. She can handle Hunts. And she knows how to work with Ai-Doll, and to a somewhat lesser extent Gungnir. No problem. Probably.]

Ahaha... I'm game for karaoke, but, well. [An amused look at Hibiki, then an uncertain glance at Ai; her image of her senpai is that there's no way whatsoever she has enough free time for something like that on a whim. She's been wrong before - in the last few minutes, even - but it seems too easy?]

[liedol]

[ She laughs. ]

Oh, I wish I could tell you that never happens but it does! Since the station's so close and I've got the train schedules basically memorized at this point, there's been so many times I'll just grab a cardigan or a sweater since I'm not going to be out in the cold for that long — and then, whoops, I have to stay late or a train goes missing and I'm all out of luck.

[ Not that she ever learns. She'll make the same mistake every winter, complain about it and then go right back to doing it again the next time it gets cold. Guaranteed. ]

At least the coffee place by the station stays open late. Though I definitely have a moment every time I have to go in with no winter coat where I'm thinking — "they're judging me right now and I totally deserve it!".

[liedol]

Oh, am I invited too?

[ She says that with a bit of a sparkle and her smile is, all at once, warm and playful. Is she technically too busy for karaoke right now? Yes, absolutely. But that cautious look from Lisa was just a little too easy to read. So instead: ]

If you don't mind waiting on me for about ten minutes, I'd love to come along. Wow, I don't think I've done karaoke for fun in forever...

[determinationtofist]

Mm, of course! Why not? It's lots of fun, a great way to bond, and the food is great! It's perfect!

[ They're going to be working together, so they have to start bonding right away, right? That just about sums up all of the thoughts going on in Hibiki's head about it. Nevermind that she's inviting an idol to karaoke, but that's kind of just a bonus, isn't it? ]

Yay! Then it's time for Team Harmonic Blend's first karaoke outing!

[reluctants]

[ The girl looks like she's taking it in for a moment. She slowly nods, like she's thinking she might understand, or maybe she just feels a bit of relief that a worry like this is relatable even to someone like Ai..

.. but before she can say anything, Illya glances over her shoulder, only now suddenly seeming to realise something. ]

A-Ah-- W-Wait, I'm holding up the line, aren't I?!

[ N-NO..!! That's not okay! She can't ruin Ai's very special and important meet and greet..!! ]

[traceofeffort]

[......yeah, she's too obvious, but still. Lisa's not used to having nice things, she defaulted to "I have another meeting in ten minues". Mind, it'd have been nice to have an excuse to get to know Hibiki in a structured social setting anyway. So Ai deciding she has time in her busy schedule...]

W-well, of course you are... um, yes, we'd be happy to have you! [She feels zero reservation assuming on this one; Hibiki is not subtle.] Man. I wasn't expecting... [Nah, not worth trying to dig out here. Shaking her head as she trails off, Lisa just relaxes a little, eyes brightening.] Eh, it's fine. Let's have a good time!

[She pumps a fist in the air; despite her earlier nerves, she is excited, both about the Unit and about their impromptu karaoke trip.]

[liedol]

[ And of course, Ai laughs. Warmly and fondly, at least. Certainly not at Illya's expense. ]

It's alright! We have a little timer that goes off once your five minutes is up. Let's see...

[ Ai glances off somewhere under the table separating them out of Illya's sight then beams at her again. ]

You've still got a whole minute left! So just enough time to tell me one or two more things, if you like.

[reluctants]

A minute!

[ She says it like it's precious time. Mostly because Ai says she has enough time to tell her one or two more things.. And that means Illya has to make them count, right?!

(Maybe she's momentarily forgetting she can easily tell Ai more the next time she sees her.. It's not like her talks with the other are that infrequent, after all..) ]

T-Then.. [ For a moment the girl seems like she's panicking as she's trying to think of what to say out of the myriad of things she could tell Ai.. But then she suddenly - and quickly, it's probably only due to Illya's young bones that she doesn't snap her back at that speed.. - bows. ] T-Thank you, Ai-san! For having taken care of me this whole time already.. I-If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be where I am now!

[ She's not even sure whether she actually would have become a true Dreamer without the other in the first place, really.. ]

[ruinedsky]

[There goes the mom friend sigh! He's pausing what he's doing to give her a pose, even. Hand on the hip, a frown that threatens to turn into an indulgent smile.]

And you being an idol no less! I would have thought you'd take better care to not catch a cold!

[He playfully tsk tsk's before taking up his filing again. He's almost through with the most recent stack. He's... very efficient at this.]

[liedol]

[ H-hold on, is that what being subjected to the Mom Energy is like?! She'd have thought she was pretty immune to it but it's still enough to make her feel just a little guilty and she's so surprised and delighted that a laugh comes bubbling out of her. ]

Hey now! Hasn't anyone ever told you that idols can never catch colds? [ that's 'idiots' but. you know, same difference. ] We're tougher than you'd think!

[ This is absolutely not the case, but it makes for a good line, anyway. ]

[liedol]

[ Professional as she is, even Ai's not totally invincible... no matter how hard she pretends to be. Illya being here at all has been a bit of a surprise so she's totally, utterly unprepared for her to bow like that. The surprise of it is all over her face but it's not an unpleasant expression at all - it's soft, bemused and fond and it only takes a second for it to break into a smile.

She really shouldn't do this while everyone else is watching. But Illya's much more than a fan - she's one of Ai's precious trainees.

So, ignoring the ripple of murmurs that goes through the waiting crowd, Ai bows to her in return. ]

I've been glad to do it. Getting to see you do your best and blossom really has been lovely, Illya-chan. Let's keep working hard together in the new year, too.

[ruinedsky]

[Her reply is so unexpected it startles a laugh out of him.]

Ohhh, is that what they say?

[His tone is teasing but indulgent, like she's a sassy child... or a longtime friend. Either he is a great faker or he's gotten very familiar with her very quickly]

I don't doubt that second part, at least.