Happy Dreamerversary!

[beautifuldreamermods]

YUMEMIGAOKA

May is always a dicey time to have an outdoor event in Yumemigaoka but this year it seems like luck's on everyone's side. The morning of the 14th dawns with bright blue skies, beaming sunlight and a refreshing breeze - in other words, the perfect weather for an outdoor festival! As it does every year, the Dreamer Union is hosting its annual celebration of the first Dreamer Awakening now fifty-one whole years ago! Damn! Today's the day the entire community comes together to say happy anniversary, Dreamers!

Part of the DU has been opened to the public for the event - while the upstairs beyond the second floor are still off limits, a number of informational boards with quick and breezy rundowns of the DU's functions and how it supports Dreamers are set up around the atrium and on the second floor. Some are informational, some are educational, and a few have trivia quizzes on them that you can answer at the front desk to get a little token for some free food at the event.

The majority of the setup is outside, though - something between a pop-up market and a festival, with colourful sparkling banners and materials lining each stall. Some are small, independant businesses from around Yumemigaoka, some are larger organizations who sponsor the DU (they've gotta keep the lights on somehow!) and plenty of food and drink vendors. A few indie artists from the community are also selling merch and art catered to their fellow Dreamers, with imagery and in-jokes that wouldn't really mean anything to normal folks.

Some particular stalls to keep an eye out for include...


⧖ Dreamery Creamery are serving up scoops of their ice cream in all kinds of crazy flavours with a massive array of toppings and cones for you to choose from. To make things more exciting, Dreamers Sage, Soleil and Prisma are all helping out at the booth and serving ice creams themed after their Dreamer selves! How does Soleil Sorbet sound to you? Maybe Sherbert Sage? Or are you going for Prisma Pomegranate?

⧖ Dice and Dash have a shaded area set up for people to sit down, take a load off and chill out with some board games! They've got a selection of games to borrow, but so long as they're not too busy, you're free to take up a table with your own entertainment if you've got it.

⧖ Dream Weavers, famous for their position as the DU's go-to tailor, is strutting their stuff with recreations of some famous and well known Dreamers' outfits! As well as selling their goods, they're also hosting a little workshop where visitors can learn some quick and simple cosplay and sewing techniques to see how these outfits get made. Dreamers Luck, Gungir and Hanako will all be volunteering and... doing their very best at the cosplay workshop!

⧖ Hybrid Colours is selling portable wares like canvas bags, keychains and postcards of the various prints/paintings available at the gallery! Since they only just arrived at Yumemigaoka, all the locations are international or from other parts of Japan. (Aleena will do face painting or hand painted 'tattoos' for kids, teens, or the daring adult and has a small table set up with a catalogue or 'surprise me!' option for it)

⧖ The Yumemigaoka Cultural Museum has their usual setup! As well as a truncated version of their installation explaining the Dream Sphere and its history, they've set up several dioramas of places in the Dream Sphere, recreated in miniature! There's some moving elements like miniature Torments bobbing around here and there and some cute interactive gimmicks, like a button that will raise and lower the water level in the miniature Vale of Sorrow or a switch to make the volcano in mini Fury Peak go kaboom!

⧖ Finally, a soundstage has been set up just a little ways away from the rest of the stalls with plenty of sitting room for the audience. Dreamer Ai-Doll will be performing a small set of songs partway through the day and the rest of its time will be dedicated to hosting a Q&A panel of a rotating list of volunteers to answer questions about life as a Dreamer or day to day goings on at the DU. Please be aware that both Angelica AND Chloe will kill you if you post cringe on main so be on your best behaviour!

There's lots to do and plenty of time to do it in - the event runs from 10AM and starts wrapping at around 4:30PM so everyone's got time to head home for work the next day. Dreamers will be able to attend the afterparty in the Dream Sphere if they'd like to but for the most part, that's this year's event wrapped up!

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Comments

[saynotobugs]

[For much of the event, Maki is running around checking on the booths. She might be checking out yours or just one that you're hanging around at.]

You guys need anything? Water, fan, paperweights?

[But later, she's taken a shift running the trivia booth indoors, meal-ticket prize in hand.]

Okay, let's see... [She checks a cue card in her other hand.] "What is Dreamer Ai-Doll's favourite animal?" Who snuck that one in there? Okay, new question. [Flipping that card to the back.] "Are Dreamers with the same mentor required to form a unit together?" There we go, relevant question.

[thezekeinator]

Style. I need some bloody style.

[Zeke frowns at the small booth the Department has set up in the throng, at pretty much entirely his own insistence. It's grey and blue, looks like it came straight out of a cubicle farm, and doesn't even have serifs on its sign.]

Or a booth babe. You interested?

trivia booth

[pleonexy]

[Mari grins at the scene. Maki really is trying hard...]

Who's to say what's worthwhile and what's not? Dreamer Ai-Doll's favourite animal might be particularly important knowledge to someone.

trivia booth

[liedol]

It's bunnies, in case you were wondering!

[ ai jumpscare... she's approaching Maki's side with some snacks and a mug of tea. ]

Thanks for taking over the trivia stuff, Maki-chan. Any winners so far?

Booths

[greaterspeed]

I need a breaaaaaaaak!!!

[that's an uncharacteristic whine, isn't it? He's used to being busy, but Hybrid Colours is having a bit of (much needed) downtime and Nikki is already developing cabin fever. How could this be possible? How could there be this many people yet still nothing to do?

It's been five minutes, Nikki, please calm down]

But also a fan. A fan would be helpful. Like... An actual wind blowing fan and not an otaku fan. You know what, I'll go grab one with you!

[Sorry, Maki, he's looking at you all expectantly now, as if you'll take him away on some grand adventure to wherever they store extra electrical fans]

[darknesshotpot]

[Ango is currently losing the trivia contest, despite being a DU employee for the past year.]

Ha, I know that one! Ai loves bunnies!

[Or at least rabbits were her mascot animal during her B-Komachi days... but it seems like she's stuck with the rabbit motif in the years since, so she must like them, right?

Maki's next question earns little more than a confused grimace, though.]

Uh... I dunno, is that in the employee handbook? I swear I'm actually gonna read that one of these days.

ice cream booth check in!

[reluctants]

[ At first Illya seems kind of surprised that there's someone to check on them - but then she looks kind of relieved, honestly. Even if she's happy to help out, it's all kind of overwhelming.. ]

Ah, um-- I was just wondering--

[ .. is Maki the right person to ask about this?

Who knows. She seems enough like a responsible adult, so.. ]

What do we do when we run out of ice cream..?

[rubykomachi]

[For the majority of the event, Ruby will be working at the Dreamery Creamery with gusto, putting on a bright smile and calling out whenever she hears the bell noting someone's walking in:]

Welcoooooome~! How can I help you today?

[Occasionally she'll even add a little wink.

When she gets a break, Ruby can be found quickly guzzling water behind the booth.]

Whew...isn't ice cream supposed to cool you off more? [She pulls out her phone and considers, talking to herself.] Maybe I should post on my Soleil Insta again? I did a lotta promo before, but...

[aquactor]

[ Say what you want... these twins are naturals at the customer service smile. Aqua's been keeping an eye on her from a distance, as he usually does, but he doesn't actually come up to the booth himself... and can you really blame him? Not only is he suspicious about the flavors actually being good... but it'll be a cold day in hell when he tries "Soleil Sorbet" and therefore give Ruby that kind of ammunition.

He does, however, show up when she takes her break... sneaking up on her without a sound and suddenly saying— ]

You should really stop posting so often. You'll end up with a reputation as a sellout.

[ S-Surprise brotherly advice? ]

[thezekeinator]

I need an ice cream sundae or something named after me, that's how!

[At an anniversary in particular, the finest and greatest Dreamer in his own mind definitely deserves some acknowledgment! He can't just always be the guy who's also a government official. That's so mundane!]

What's chaotic around here?

breaktime

[liedol]

[ A little ways into the day - not too long after Ai's performance, in fact - a familiar voice pipes up from the side of the booth. ]

Hiiii! ☆ How are things going so far? Any fires needing putting out?

[ And around the back comes Ai. Going by the surprise that flashes across her face once she spots Ruby, this wasn't planned but then it softens into a grateful smile. A nice surprise then. ]

Heehee. How's that old saying go... 'working hard or hardly working'?

[ruinedsky]

[ He grins when he steps in and realizes it's Ruby working the counter now. He didn't plan that, but it's a nice coincidence. He's still wearing most of his cosplay of his own dreamer outfit... it's honestly not bad, for amateur costume armor. ]

Well hello there, Soleil-chan. You're helping me already! I'm on break and looking for a pick-me-up. What do you recommend?

[reluctants]

[ Considering Illya has been working there alongside the other, she's.. kind of unsure about the other's hustle, really. Sure, in some ways the younger girl is impressed, but in some ways it also kind of worries her, especially with how intense Ruby seems about it? ]

.. Is that.. a thing we're supposed to do? Posting..?

[ Says the Dreamer who's been here longer. And who apparently has zero ideas that they're supposed to promote themselves.

She just got asked to make some ice cream named after her for the festival, or she wouldn't be here doing that.. ]

[predecir]

Oh! Hey!

[It's kinda fun that people Bruno's met around here before are working the booths! Makes it a little easier to talk to them, ha...

Anyway, he squints at the menu board.]

What, um...which one's the best?

[determinationtofist]

[ "It can't be that hard! I mean, it seems easy enough to put on in the Dreamsphere!"

Those had been Hibiki's words when she agreed to volunteer for Dream Weavers. She is now experiencing first-hand what it's like to have stuck your foot in your own mouth.

Needless to say, Hibiki is... not the most precise girl in the world. She punch real good, she hold hands real good, she does not sew real good. At the very least, the costume itself is all she really needs, since stuff like her hair doesn't change much in the Dreamsphere. ]

Um... I think I might've made it a bit too small...

[ She was trying to replicate how skintight the actual outfit in the Dreamsphere is, but as she holds it up... it looks like she won't even fit into the first layer. Or if she could squeeze herself into it, it'd be suffocating her as a result.

Well... one way or another, she does manage to put something together, even if it's VERY a little amateurish.

Just in time, too, for Ai's performance. Which, yes, is the most important part of this event to Hibiki. She's even brought her own penlights. She's not able to do a wotagei or anything, but she sure is waving those things around at max speed anyways. ]

AI-SAAAAAAN!!

[ She's a fan, alright... ]

[ruinedsky]

[ From an adjacent worktable, Sylvain hears Hibiki talking to herself and glances over... and does not manage to prevent his face from scrunching for a moment. ]

Is that made out of... stretchy material at all?

[ On the one hand, it wouldn't even get past her ankles if it isn't but on the other hand he shudders to think about the stitching she must have done on an elastic fabric. Oh No. ]

[aquactor]

[ That Aqua would be here is a given, of course. It's a good opportunity to get some better insight into the DU and the Dreamers there, while simultaneously keeping an eye on his family.

Yes, he's not here to have fun, not at all... which means that someone needs to force him to have fun or else he simply won't have fun whatsoever.

Though, there is one thing he's looking forward to... something that he can't miss no matter what, something that holds priority over anything and everything else.

The concert.

It doesn't matter if it doesn't fit the gloomy image he's made for himself, he's here with his penlights and, well...

He's really going at it, huh? ]

[dullshooter]

[Yeah, so Misfire's here for the concert too. Sue him! Ai has some bops! He's got his penlights at the ready, giving them a spirited wave in time to the music, when his eye catches the guy beside him.

Woah.

Check out those moves.]

Whoo! Yeah! You go, kid!

[Who's the one performing here? Doesn't matter, he's watching him, trying to mirror his movements. To limited success, but hey, he's having fun.]

What, you some kind of Ai-doll superfan?

[ruinedsky]

[ Sylvain can be found for much of the day at Dream Weavers' workshop, displaying all their tips and tricks for how to make costume armor. He's wearing a set himself that while it is not remotely as glass-like as what he has in the dreaming world, is certainly not the most embarrassing cosplay on display today. One might even be forgiven for thinking he's done costuming before... Just don't look so closely at him you notice all the bandaids on his fingers, or the color correction hiding the bags under his eyes. He definitely didn't pull several all-nighters to make and remake anything. Any distress he might have felt is covered up by a pristine customer service front. ]

Welcome to Dream Weavers, were you interested in cosplay?

[ When he's set free from his volunteer shifts at the workshop, Sylvain spends a good amount of time at the Dice and Dash set up. He can be seen excitedly perusing the available games or sitting at a table eagerly looking for someone else to play, or even at an open table where players have already gathered. He is still wearing parts of his costume, because it's simply easier to carry it that way. ]

Hey, you up for a game? There's a lot of great choices here!

[greaterspeed]

[oh crap, he was just going to drop off some business cards at this stall and got distracted from his mission by looking at the good, the bad and the ugly cosplays. He can't help himself!!]

Oh uh... Nah, not my thing. [he's not crazy enough to free run in cosplay, not when he's actually a Dreamer and can live all his platforming dreams] By the way, nice armour.

[the sudden switch to English might have been pretty jarring, but Nikki continues in fluent Japanese like it didn't even happen]

The stuff here's pretty impressive though! I don't think I've ever seen this much lace outside of a fabric store!

[i_peace]

[Keiwa's volunteering again - because of course he is - helping out primarily at the Yumemigaoka Cultural Museum's exhibit. Mostly to keep an eye on the kids and make sure the displays were being played with responsibly, of course. Someone must have given him a Tapucchi mask because there's one perched on his head, just out of the way from blocking his view but silly looking nonetheless]

Hello! We have some pamphlets if you'd like more information on the Museum itself!

[Later in the day, some of the kids must have realized that Keiwa is a pushover and have taken to asking him to pick them up so they can get a 'bird's eye view' of some of the dioramas. He's also fielding random questions better directed at the Q&A panel to the best of his ability, because someone must have snitched that he was a Dreamer too... Though it seems most of the kids are trying to sus out if the dioramas are actually really, really representative of the Dream Sphere or not]

You have to wait a little before you can lower the water level in the Vale of Sorrow... Hm? I haven't seen the water get too deep yet, but it froze over winter time! Everyone must have been dreaming about the cold and snow after all.

exhibit

[saynotobugs]

[Maki's here bringing a supply refresh to the exhibit. She hands out some water bottles and looks over the pamphlets.]

You guys are putting a lot into this, huh? Hope the kids aren't too much.

[angelolatry]

Art:

Oh! I guess I never realized or considered people might be drawing Dreamers? Um, fans?

[At least, back home it was easier to be oblivious to that sort of thing. While she knows the Dreamers here have support and all, it's another to see it like this? With people devoting time to art of them like this? Colette pauses in seeing some of familiar faces, complimenting some of them.]

Dreamery Creamery:

[It's ice cream. Of course Colette wants to try some! She quickly approaches the ice cream stall, debating and considering the options for a moment. Did she want chocolate today? Maybe strawberry? She does love fruit! She stands to the side, trying not to be immediately in the way if anyone else wants to be served and knows what they might like first, as she decides.]

Hm. Maybe a strawberry ice cream?

Dine and Dash:

Oh! I think I heard of this one but I hadn't played it. We didn't so much have things like board game stores before I moved out here.

[She does try to be quiet and not intrude as she watches some of the others play and snack. Colette doesn't want to interrupt, just sits down at some point during the early afternoon to eat something. Noting the games others are playing and having a look even if she wasn't necessarily intending to play.]

Cultural Museum:

Oh, look!

[Colette seems surprised, maybe a little excited as some children nearby push the buttons and see what it does. She has visited and helped out around the Dreamer Union and all but not necessarily so much spent too much time in the museum. More used to figuring it out herself or getting information from the Union without necessarily checking out the museum itself. She wanders and explores the museum, noting things it might have information on from before she herself moved here.]

Creamed Ices

[shrieking_violet]

Not gonna try something weird?

[ Chris might. Egging on Colette is important enrichment for her too, though. ]

[liedol]

[ Just as promised an hour or so after the event gets started, the soundstage lights up and there's Ai - or, well. There's Dreamer Ai-Doll, just as pink and sparkly over here in reality as she is in the Dream Sphere. ]

Oh wow, just look at all those penlights! Thanks so much for showing up, everyone! I've got a really good feeling about today's event, so be sure to check out everyone's stalls while you're here, okay? Oh, but not until you're done listening to me. [ Wink! ] Alright, let's get started!

[ The lights flicker enticingly and then - ]

I'm an invincible girl, whoa, who-aah ♪

[ Off she goes!

It's not a super long set - six songs, a mix of newer hits and old favourites and ending on Sign wa B... which is little cheeky since it's technically not one of her songs anymore but Strawberry Productions seem to have unofficially surrendered it to her regardless. She's not quite sure how she feels about that.

Not that you'd think she's thinking of anything but the crowd by the time she's done. She's wearing one of those sparkling smiles and she gives everyone another wink. ]

That's all for today...! Well, from me, anyway - thanks for dropping by! Phew, it's getting toasty, huh? Make sure you all stay cool and hydrated today, okay?

[ And with some waving and final goodbyes to the crowd, she hops off the stage and relinquishes it to the Q&A panel. She disappears into the DU for a little bit - presumably to wash up and hastily change - because when she emerges she's back to being just regular Ai, ready to run around and put out a million mini fires today.

If you're manning a booth, you might find her popping up from the side with a smile and radiating an aura of pure Let Me Help Out you can practically see. ]

How's everything going over here? Need an extra pair of hands for anything?

[ ... Or maybe you'll catch her doing her shift at the trivia booth inside the DU, enjoying a little break from the heat. ]

Well, of course bunnies are my favourite... but I think someone snuck that in as a joke. [ Wink! ] How about this one... "what's the location in the Dream Sphere best known for its high temperatures?"

[ ... Or maybe even at the Q&A panel when it's her turn to take a slot. She's all over the place today, huh? ]

... so I'd say the most important thing really is to keep an open mind and not get too locked into what you think your powers can do. If you dream big, you can dream anything! [ how did she sell that cheesy line so effortlessly... ] Hm, I've got time for one or two more questions I think, so... how about you?

[ It's not until late in the day that she seems to finally take a break. She ducks into the shade behind one of the booths she's just finished running an errand for and takes a seat with a huge, deflating sort of sigh. It's only then that she realizes she's got company and though her smile snaps back into place, it's clear she's tired. ]

Whoops, you caught me! [ She puts a playful finger to her lips. ] Don't let anyone know about my little hiding spot, okay? I'm just taking a breather.

[soshaku]

( Man, that sigh. He gets it; he wanted to come up to ask her a question or two back at the Q&A, but ... now is not the time. He at least recognizes that much.

He affords her a smile too, and though his is genuine, it also feels a little sardonic. )

I won't tell if you don't, but ... I think you're more in demand than me at the moment.

[soshaku]

( here is manato's catch all and here are his event-specific prompts. feel free to wildcard, more to come later? i'm also happy to write something specific if you want just hmu. )

[hanamane]

[How Amane wound up volunteering at the Dream Weaver's booth was an utter mystery; sure, he had been known to make his own Halloween costumes along with Tsukasa from time to time, but following tutorials he found online was drastically different than sewing something from scratch. Crafting wasn't necessarily his forte, either-- that seemed to be more of his brother's wheelhouse, but they couldn't exactly ask him to help out at the booth instead. Not if they didn't want Eldritch Abomination takes on Dreamer Swan and Dreamer Crimson, anyway...

But if there was anything Amane was good at, it was lying through his teeth-- and that, plus his years in customer service, has him at the front of the booth during one of their demonstrations, blithely applying hot glue to one of his in-progress jacket seams like an animal, while one of the shop employees looks on in horror.]

And remember-- when in doubt, just hot glue it!

"Do NOT hot glue it--"

See? It's easy!

"Oh my GOD."

[At some point, though, the Dream Weaver employees banish him to Gay Baby Jail-- or, at least, exiled to a less noticeable portion of booth-- leaving him to commit his costuming crimes out of sight. But then... what were they expecting from a fourteen year old boy with minimal sewing experience? The fact they were even expecting him to sort-of recreate a long tailed, cropped, double-breasted jacket with lapels and cuffs was just cruel.

Anyone passing this more secluded nook of the booth might spot him face down in his glue stained, fraying, glitter encrusted mess of a costume, voice muffled as he whines:]

Ughhh... why couldn't I have been at the ice cream booth instead??

[Was this punishment for stressing everyone out in March??? That had to be it, right?

Though speaking of ice cream, once he's finally done his time at the Dream Weaver's booth, he makes a beeline over towards Dreamery Creamery, eager to get some sort of sweet treat after his harrowing ordeal. His eyes scan the menu, taking in the familiar names with varying levels of excitement (and one with a twinge of guilt), humming a little to himself as he weighs his options.]

Wow, they really got a flavor for everyone, huh? I wonder if they're any good...

[After his well-deserved ice cream has been obtained, however, he's going to be wandering about the festival, taking in everything with wide-eyed excitement and peeking in on every booth for at least a minute or two. Maybe you might notice him before he notices you...?]

demonstrations

[noonecandestroythemetal]

[Sam...is not really any help. Amane is in Gay Baby Jail when she finds him. That's.

That's a lot of glitter. Like a Queen featuring Adam Lambert-esque amount of glitter. Dang!

She leans down to give him a hair ruffle--that might be slightly closer to a noogie than she intends, at the moment.]

You're not trying to drown yourself in glue, are you? Or huff it to dull the pain? Don't do that. That's not a good idea. Kills brain cells.

[Not that Sam would be much help. She's an advocate of duct tape--if you can't duct it, fuck it...and don't ask about the glue commentary.]

[hgs]

[Shinsha is relieved to find that the 51st Dreamerversary is a more relaxed, low-key event than last year's huge celebration. While they aren't as withdrawn as they were a year ago, they still prefer to avoid large crowds. With all the strange things that have been going on in the Dream Sphere lately, it's not totally unthinkable that Dreamers could manifest their powers in the real world... and for Shinsha, that would be a nightmare.

So, Shinsha carefully makes their way through the throngs of festival-goers towards the Dream Weavers booth. Is that a replica of Dreamer Crimson's outfit on one of the mannequins? Shinsha has never tried cosplay before, but... it wouldn't hurt to take a closer look, right?

They quickly check their phone so they won't be late to meet up with a friend from school - Kohiruimaki-senpai is a year older than Shinsha so they don't share any classes, but they're both frequent visitors to the university library.

Ai's concert is a little later in the afternoon, but they had better find a good seat before the fans crowd in!]

[smalltall]

[Shinsha picked a good time to check their phone, because just then, it gives a notification of a message.]

Train got delayed, I am getting off now. I'll be there soon.

[Thankfully it isn't much of a trip from the station. She'd made this trip once before, under the excuse of just being curious, but actually wanting to see what some of her fellow Dreamers were like in real life. This time its just a reason to have some fun with a friend.

Its pretty easy to see her coming with the way the girl towers over most of the crowd around her. She makes her way to the agreed on meeting place, and is immediately apologetic.]

Sorry! I should have taken an earlier train. I didn't expect them to delay it. They're normally so punctual. But now that we're both here, what should we do first?

[predecir]

[Attending the event feels a little strange. Bruno's in so many weird positions here - not really a member of the public, as a DU employee, but certainly not an actual Dreamer. Except, of course, he is. He's on the outside of everything that perhaps he should be part of.

But then, that's old news for him.

He wanders about, happily snacking on some of snacks from the food booths. Most of the informational boards aren't interesting - he knows Dreamer history just fine - but he lingers around to read the ones about the DU and its functions in particular.]

Lots of stuff. It'd still be hard to be so far away from home, though...

[He's speaking to himself. Or, the collar of his shirt? Or, maybe there's a hidden rat. Don't worry about it.

Later on, he also swings by the soundstage long enough to catch the tail end of Ai-doll's performance.]

Oh, hey! She's a musician!

[There has never been anyone more out of the loop!]

soundstage

[saynotobugs]

Wait. You didn't know? About Hoshino?

[thestarknows]

[Who's handing out ice cream?

Dreamer Sage!

She is in a version of her outfit -- okay, not the real (imaginary) one from the Dream Sphere, but rather an imaginary (but real) version manufactured for an event like this. Her eyes are a bit wide, as she hands them over. This is...

This is her first publicity event!

So she's handing out ice cream, smiling, and looking her best! But then she says:] My catchphrase is still pending! But I'll be sure to let you know when it's ready!

[junna no]

[thezekeinator]

How have I let you go this long without a catchphrase!?

[Had Zeke even been anywhere near here moments before!? Well, he's here now, looking distraught!]

How about, "Time for some Sage advice!"?