★ 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

★ Vale of Sorrow — Third week of December

[liedol]

[ In all the chaos in the months that'd followed, Ai had almost forgotten it'd happened — before anything had gone awry with Mio or Ango, before any of those effects had touched the waking world, the Vale had been at risk of vanishing. All the other Stabilized locations had come unglued as well... but the Vale was the one that had gone afloat entirely. There'd been some attempted investigation but the Disturbances that had followed had taken up so much of the DU's focus and...

Both of the Disturbances had vanished once the person at their heart had give up on them. Even if she wanted to, there was no way to go back and investigate them. And she has no way of knowing if there's any connection here at all, but... there's nothing to lose from looking.

So she goes looking. With winter thoughts chilling the Dream Sphere, the Vale's entirely frosted over and the usually sloppy ground is hard and crunchy underfoot. It's easier to navigate, but it also means that what she wants to do might be a little more difficult...

Before she can get started on... whatever it is she's got planned, though, there's a crack of ice from just behind her and she spins in time to see a nasty looking group of Torments making their way across the frozen grass to her. She huffs an impatient sigh before cracking a smirk and summoning her weapon to hand. ]

If you're that eager, I'm happy to make a little time to dance with you!

[ Maybe help a girl out if you're around? ]

[i_peace]

[Tycoon doesn't mind the Dream Sphere. He has an overall ambivalent opinion of it even. After all, he'd never bothered with it before his own awakening even as his sister talked endlessly about it and the Dreamers associated with protecting it. It just wasn't the first place he would normally run to in order to pass the time. What happens in the Dream Sphere is so ephemeral and seemingly inconsequential that he'd never paid it any mind.

It's hard to believe it's only been three months since he's moved here at Sara's insistence. It feels like it’s been much longer.

The loud crack of ice snaps him out of his reverie (ha). Upon spotting the gang of Torments, Tycoon instinctually summons his weapon before he runs through the ruins. He jumps off a pillar before kicking down one of the Torments near the back of the group, sliding a bit further than he intended to due to and nearly falling because he hadn't been anticipating the ice on the ground]

Are you okay- Eh?

[Three months. Enough time to learn to prepare for battle. Not enough time to learn to keep his wits about him before jumping in headfirst]

[liedol]

Whoa! [ Torments later — protecting a fellow Dreamer's dignity now! Ai-Doll manages to swoop in an loop an arm through his to steady him before he goes over and flashes him a grin once she's sure he's not going down. ] That's a close call, but you're not out yet!

[ Ai-Doll, evidently, isn't having any trouble because of course Dreamer Ai-Doll would have no issues sliding around on the ice even in her heels. Idols, man. ]

How do we want to do this, then? Think you're ready to take the front?

[ I-IS SHE REALLY ABOUT TO TURN THIS INTO A TEACHING MOMENT??? ]

I had to rewrite this tag and just noticed a major typo in the previous one I'm a mess I'm sorry

[i_peace]

[he should really learn to adapt to his environment better... Tycoon is momentarily distracted watching Ai-doll skate around with practiced ease before he snaps back to attention]

The front...? [It takes a second for him to realize what she means. But he adjusts his stance to steady himself with a nod, tightening his grip on his weapon as he does] Right, got it.

[if she is, it's not in Tycoon's nature to turn it down. But he doesn't know what Ai-Doll's abilities are... His older sister probably mentioned it to him during her usual idol/celeb/Dreamer gushing sessions. Alas, he had learned the fine art of 'tuning out your sibling while they're gushing about something you only sort of care about' and, honestly, doesn't remember much of what was said other than "Isn't she the best?!". Well, no time like the present to learn, right?

If she has any suggestions or pointers, he'll wait for to finish before jumping back into the fray]

[liedol]

[ And off he goes. He's nervous, but he doesn't falter - which means that even when he's wrong footed (quite literally, in fact...) he can keep enough of his wits about him to follow directions at least. That's good. Nerves can be conquered with time but disorganization and panic is a little harder to unlearn. And having trained Dreamers for as long as she has, giving direction is something Ai-Doll can do. ]

Focus on the ones that are the most aggro! [ She spins her weapon back up into her hand, mic in prime position to broadcast her voice. ] If they break formation, they might retreat. I'll give you a little backing track — oh, but...

[ She gives him a wink. ]

Don't feel like you can't sing along if you know the words!

[i_peace]

[he switches his weapon to its Twin Blade form before sending a brief look of confusion at Ai-Doll. Backing track? Sing...? There’s no way he’d be able to in these circumstances.

Well, things in the Dream Sphere work differently. Ai-Doll is the more experienced Dreamer here, so putting his trust in her is easy enough.

Tycoon dashes forward, blades flashing as he cuts down one of the Torments at the head of the crowd. He's mindful of where he's stepping now that he knows there's ice across the frozen, though he’s not nearly confident enough to try and skate around as Ai-Doll had. When another Torment takes a swipe at him, Tycoon disappears into a puff of smoke, slipping in the cracks between Torments to kick another one.

Seems he’s at least gotten used to fighting here]

[liedol]

That's right, just like that!

[ Well, look at that - for all that he'd hesitated, it looks like he really does have it in him to handle things by himself. She'd wondered if it might be the case when she'd heard of how he handled things in Mio's Disturbance but seeing his powers for herself firsthand has Ai wondering if they don't have a particularly speedy Striker in the making here.

But she can't just stand around and let him do all the word. Once she's sure he's getting into the rhythm of things, she strikes the end of her staff against the ground music begins spreading out across the ice. It's not too fast but it has a good driving beat and so long as he gets into it once Ai begins singing, they should be able to manage things just fine! ]

[i_peace]

[the beat's pretty good. He can understand why Ai-doll's as big an idol as she is... Oh right, he wanted to get something for his sister, didn't he? Though he's not sure how to bring something like that up-

Least of all when he's in the middle of a fight.

He narrowly blocks a swing aimed at his face, both blades going up parallel in front of him before he pushes the Torment away with a kick. It takes a bit of time before he recognizes it as a song that Sara had sent him before with a cheerful 'Listen to this!'. But... Singing along? He's not that confident (yet) and focuses instead on taking out Torments, unknowingly following along with the beat of the music as he attacks]

[liedol]

[ Ai-Doll prides herself on being easy to work with — it's one of her selling points, even! — but anytime she sees a Dreamer click into rhythm with her as she performs, it always feels just as exciting and satisfying as the first time it'd happened. On the other side, her music can only do so much but here and with other Dreamers, it's as magic as magic gets. No wonder she can't stop coming back. ]

On your right and then up top!

[ He probably would've managed those hits himself with how speedy he is but she did say she'd be the support, right? ]

[predecir]

[Bruno spends most of his time in this sort of area, in the Dream Sphere. Other Dreamers don't hang around places like this just to socialize. If he runs into anybody, they'll be on a hunt, and then he can help them and be gone without ruining a bunch of kids' fun dream adventures! Two birds, one stone!

Today, he'd seen a lone Dreamer facing down some Torments. Not the biggest crisis. Plenty of Dreamers could handle that much by themselves. But the vision is far too brief to tell how good at fighting this particular Dreamer might be, and he's already in the Vale anyway. Safer to just go and make sure.

Back in the day, Bruno had always stuck close to Pepa in a fight. Juli's healing food could be tossed from a distance, but Bruno was the human shield; he wasn't any good at the fringes. He's always at the fringes now, though, and he's adapted. From a distance, without saying anything, the mysterious cloaked figure makes a sweeping gesture, sending a wave of shadow rushing across the ground to attack the Torments as well.

..........on closer inspection it's a bunch of little rat shadows with little icy teeth and claws. Seems regular.]

[liedol]

[ She wonders for a second if she's seeing another Torment — she doesn't quite have the sense for this sort of thing some Dreamers develop so she has to go entirely off her eyes and her learned instincts. A sinister looking figure like that in a dream usually suggests a Torment but it's rare for them to linger on the outskirts of a fight like this when other Torments are already advancing...

But then that sweep of magic passes through and something in her settles. Okay. Dreamer. Good to know. ... except... this is in no way a Dreamer she knows. And what's with the mystery getup?

... Okay, Torments now, questions later! ]

Try not to get dazzled!

[ That's called out as a warning to this mystery Dreamer as, with a grand sweep of her wand, Ai-Doll pulls a great flurry of stars raining down from the dismal sky above, homing in on Torments and striking them into dust every time they connect. ]

[predecir]

[Bruno keeps his distance, as much for caution as secrecy. Even a decade later, his muscle memory always anticipates Pepa in a fight - lightning and hail, wild and difficult to control. He and Juli got zapped a lot as kids. So he doesn't have to skitter backwards out of star-range, even if a lot of his little rat constructs shatter into ice shards and curling wisps of shadow.

She's a good fighter. Probably could've handled this. But that doesn't mean he's just gonna turn tail and flee. Green light flickers for a moment in the depths of his hood.]

On your left!

[He's already summoning a group of heavier rat-shadows to try and soak that hit.]

[liedol]

[ She lifts her gaze just in time to see the Torment close in and get beaten back by... there's no way these are rats, right? She'll tell herself they're not. Anyway, focus...!

She follows through with a blow from her Sandglass once there's a break in the shadows, hard enough that the Torment skids back before being shattered apart under the impact of another star. The starfall has cleared by now — she'd taken out a decent number of them that were left after the wave of definitely not rats and the stragglers are starting to look a little uncertain about pushing their luck here. But of course, she can't just let them go wandering. ]

One last push!

[ She calls that to the mystery Dreamer still observing from a distance before wading back into the fray with her staff. ]

[predecir]

On it!

[Communication's important in a fight! Omen calls up another wave of totally-not-rats to replace the first, directing them to flank the remaining Torments. It's pretty easy to see the flow of the battle from farther back!]

[liedol]

[ With the Torments hemmed in, it's that much easier for Ai-Doll to take them out directly with her staff. A few of them try to skitter away and get swept up in the tide of shadows and the ones that stray towards her, either to flee or to attack, get dashed apart. She's not usually a fighter on the front lines, at least not anymore, but she's still sharp enough that with a little backup, she can handle a round of Torments like this.

The final one shatters apart and she takes a second to catch her breath and make sure there aren't any others lurking. There's nothing but the wave of shadows so Ai-Doll allows herself to relax and adjusts her face into a smile as she calls out. ]

We're all clear, I think!

[predecir]

Good, good!

[Omen hovers where he is for a moment - either looming ominously or just sort of hesitating, hard to tell - but eventually starts to approach. She seems fine, but...never hurts to check, right? It'd be rude to just run off.]

Are you okay?

[liedol]

Mm, I'm fine! Not a scratch on me.

[ She says that a little too quickly and a little too cheerily — even if it's true — as she starts to approach in turn, somehow not skidding on the ice even at the steady speed she's going. In heels. Idols, man. ]

You're okay too, aren't you? You were a little further out but...

[ don't mind her. she's coming to be Nosy. ]

[hanamane]

[Unlike Ai, Hanako's reasons for visiting the Vale of Sorrow was a lot more simple-- with the snow and frost now dominating the usually stormy domain, he didn't have to worry about any thunder or lightning scaring the living daylights out of him while he was patrolling for once. Was it a ridiculous excuse to avoid a location for most of the year? Yeah, probably, but with his thirst for wanting to discover new areas, he didn't really seem preoccupied with what was already around, anyway.

Unsurprisingly, the Vale seemed to be rather bereft of Torments, at least in his travels, and he's about to fish out his Sandglass and call it a day when the sharp sound of ice cracking hits his ears. Curious, he floats over towards the source of the noise, making sure to keep quiet as to not catch anything's attention, and... oop. He certainly hadn't intended to run into Ai today, but he wasn't about to sit back and let her take on a whole group of monsters by herself, either!

Before the mass of Torments get too close, he swoops on in, his glass knife carving a wide, lethal arc among the critters. It's definitely not enough to take out the whole bunch, but at least it's enough to thin things out a little.]

Mind if I cut in a bit, Senpai?

[YOU THINK YOU'RE REAL CUTE, HANAKO]

[liedol]

That's what you do best, isn't it?

[ Now that's a quick recovery — you could almost believe she hadn't been in trouble for even a moment. Her eyes sparkle and readjusts her stance, hands now braced on her Sandglass like she's holding a mic rather than a weapon. After all, if Hanako's all graduated and leading Hunts by himself, then... ]

Why don't you take the lead this time, Hanako-kun? I'll be your backup instead of duetting with you for a change. [ ⭐ Wink! ] You think you can handle them on your own?

[ Not that she's going to give him a chance to say 'no if the music kicking in is anything to go by. ]

[hanamane]

[His eyes flick over towards Ai, the surprise within them brief but recognizable all the same. It's true he'd grown quite a bit since he graduated, organizing successful Excursions and Hunts and even taking part in some truly dangerous missions, but-- her putting her faith in him immediately was still enough to give him pause. It was one thing to strive to be on equal footing with his Mentor, but for it to actually happen...

He's quick to reign those emotions back in, though, and instead he merely gives her a playful pout, twirling his Sandglass idly between his fingers. Two can play at this game...!!]

Aw, they're gonna be disappointed if it's just lil' ol' me on the stage, though!

[But it's clear that the grousing is just for show, though, as he neatly catches the handle of his knife, smirking as he angles it at the ready for battle. Even if he didn't want to, how could he ever say no to his Senpai...? It didn't help that the music was already starting to get him hyped up for the fight, either.]

But... I guess I have no choice, do I? Better to live up to their expectations, then!

[And at that, he dives back into the fray, his blade slicing another deadly swath among the Torments and shattering them into so many fragments of ice. With Ai's song, it was easy enough to dodge and weave around along to the upbeat melody, timing his Hakujoudai attacks to hit along with the rhythm. Thankfully, for as nasty as they were, they went down about as easy as one would expect from the critters in this area, although given their numbers, it wasn't going to be a speedy battle, either. But Ai put her faith in him, so he was going to do his best...!!]

[liedol]

[ Just look at him go.

Hanako's come on as a Dreamer so much faster than Ai ever expected him to. It seems like just yesterday that she'd heard the news of his Awakening and barely five minutes ago since the DU had recognized him as experienced enough to class him as a full fledged Striker. As it often does these days, a wave of some complicated, tangled up feeling washes over her — pride and sadness and nostalgia all blurring together like watercolour paints left to bleed out across a palette. They're all growing up now, aren't they? So much faster than Ai had expected they would.

It's lovely to see, of course. All she's ever wanted out of any of her trainees is to see them soar as high as they can. But it always makes her feel a little lonely once they leave the nest. ]

You've got it covered! Just a little more!

[ The music picks up, struck through with soaring violins and pounding drums, excited and triumphant, driving and powerful. All of Ai's pride and encouragement poured out into music, the best that she can do it. Even if it makes her feel a little sad to be left behind, she wouldn't give up being the one pushing them along their paths to take for the world. ]

[hanamane]

[Hanako nimbly ducks and swerves amongst swarm as he continues to mow down the Torments, his moves connecting together so smoothly that it almost seems like a dance. He had noticed it before, in the back of his mind during some of his previous encounters, but... there was just something so different about having Ai's musical prowess supporting him in the midst of these battles. It wasn't as if he couldn't fight without a backing track, but there was something that just made it easier and more energizing with the swell of her song pushing him along. It may have been a good while since he'd left her tutelage, but it was still a comfort to have her cheer him on, even if he was the one fending off the monsters now instead.

But just a few left, huh...? His grip tightens upon the handle of his blade, bracing for the final push of the battle.]

Gotcha!

[It feels like even the melody is urging him along now, the rhythm syncing up to the beat of his heart and the arc of his blade. How can he give it anything but his all when Ai had her confidence in him? As the music soars about him, his Hakujoudai go into overdrive, ping-ponging among the Torments at a dizzying pace and smashing them clean through, leaving the grass littered with the shards of the broken creatures. He leaps up to face the final monster, well-timed to the climax of the song, slashing it clean in two with a decisive swing of his arm.

As he touches back lightly upon the ground, he spends a moment or two of surveying the scene, to make sure no other critters had escaped his melee. After determining the coast was clear, he throws his arms up in the air triumphantly, practically leaping for joy.]

Wahoo, we did it!! That'll teach 'em not to try to get past security!

[liedol]

[ She's done a few Dream Sphere-themed lives before — all dressed up in a replica of her other self's costume, the stage set up with lights and effects to dazzle the audience even more than she already does. People always walk away buzzing about how it really felt like they were there for a second, they this must be what real magic really looks like.

She wonders how disappointed they'd be if they knew what they were missing out on. ]

Would you look at that...! I should get you to do security detail on my next live show.

[ Grinning at him, she dissipates her Sandglass so she can hold up both hands for a high five. ]

I'd grade that an A+... if I was still grading you, that is.

[hanamane]

Ahaha... I think hardcore Ai-Doll fans are scarier than any Torments, though!

[Said entirely in jest, of course-- because they both know all too well that Amane would probably be as useful as a dry, brittle stick in the face of any real threats Ai would face in the Waking World. Still... he was just happy to be able to give her some peace of mind here, at least, where it mattered.

He happily takes her up on the high-five, though, slapping his hands enthusiastically against hers and laughing merrily all the while.]

But it's still an A+ from you, so I'll take it!

So... what brings you out here anyway, Senpai? Were you here on patrol too?

[liedol]

Mm. Something like that. [ . . .

She can probably tell Amane, right? He's just taken point against a whole group of Torments with only her backup and come out barely breaking a sweat. Not just that but he's coming along in leaps and bounds in what it means to be a Dreamer, too — he's getting sharper and smarter and quicker in all sorts of ways. He's starting to grow up. It'll be just a year and some months until he's the same age she was when...

She finally turns to face him. ]

Hanako-kun... do you remember what happened to this place just before Mio-chan vanished?