yumemigaoka | (no subject)

...? [he jumps a little when he hears a voice, though he relaxes again when he realizes it's Prisma. Was he that deep in thought?]

Prisma-chan.

[Tycoon smiles at her before scooting over to let her sit if she wanted to]

Hm... Sort of. [an abrupt pause before he quietly elaborates] I'm not hurt, if you're worried about that. The Torments here are pretty easy to handle once you're inside the Dojo: as long as you stay off the mats, they usually tend to leave you alone.

But what brings you out here? Were you looking to get some practice in as well?

[ Prisma isn't going to say no to an invitation like that, especially when it's coming from someone she's a little more comfortable around than she is around total strangers. So she takes a seat next to him, her own wand resting on her lap as she looks over at him. ]

Uh-huh. [ The girl nods, obediently answering his question, though she is noting that he didn't really answer her own question.. Or, well, he did, but he left out so many details that it's not really an answer at all. But asking the same question twice in a row feels horribly polite when he did technically answer, so she instead tries--]

Were you training all by yourself..?

[the unfortunate part is how he hadn't noticed that he'd misinterpreted Prisma's question in the first place. His talking around the question was completely unintentional...]

Mm. [a nod] Fighting Torments is all well and good but sometimes it helps to find somewhere quiet to practice other skills... Like shapeshifting! Though...

[he taps his fingers against the saya of his weapon with a sigh]

It seems that I'm somehow stuck again.

Stuck?

[ It isn't really something she anticipated - judging by how the girl sounds a little bit surprised at the admission. Sure, she knew that something was troubling him, but she didn't imagine that it would actually be a familiar problem she had seen haunting him before..

Prisma seems to consider it for a moment, but then carefully asks: ]

But weren't you a tanuki last time you got stuck..? [ As if that's somehow the only way Keiwa can get stuck in her mind now.. Only as a tanuki, nothing else!! That's the problem form! ]

[he nods in confirmation at the first question, then blinks a couple of times at the second one before he laughs softly]

I was! But that's one ability I've gotten a bit more comfortable with. One second... [he moves his sword over onto the ground next to him before making a generic ninja hand gesture and changing with a puff of black smoke. In Tycoon's place is... Tynuki? By which mean, the same tanuki that Prisma ran into back in February, though his fur is a bit more svelte and less puffy. It is the summer after all.

He does look a little silly, sitting on his haunches with his front paws raised in front of him, in a similar pose to the one he was in before changing, and with the usual leaf on his forehead. Tycoon turns to give Prisma a bright smile]

Like this right?

[his sword remains where he's put it]

[ She looks a little surprised when he's changing into the form naturally - and kind of happily - this time around, compared to the way he had only done so when startled months ago.

But the surprise only lingers for a moment before it instead shifts into happiness. Because.. well, look at him. Who could look at Tynuki and not smile? It's entirely impossible. He's just too cute. ]

Yes, like that!

[ And sure, she should listen to the rest of that explanation. But in the meantime she just-- She can't resist, holding out a hand and asking: ] Can I pet you?

[ Tycoon, your fur, it's just-- It's too fluffy! She has to touch it! You can explain everything else to her in the meantime, she promises! ]

[it's true, even with a summer coat, Tynuki does look quite soft]

Huh?

[those soft, plush looking ears perk up in surprise for a moment before he relaxes and gives her a nod as he settles into a more comfortable sitting posture. With his front paws on the floor, tail wrapped around himself... It has the unintentional effect of making him look rounder and even more friend-like]

Sure? If you want to, I don't mind.

[Tycoon does does like to make people around him happy. And that smile on Prisma's face makes feeling self-conscious about this form worthwhile. Ah, that's right, she was super worried the last couple of times she'd seen this tanuki form huh? Well, there's no helping it then... Though it's not as if this takes a lot of effort on Tycoon's part]

[ Tynuki...

He really is too cute. It's only confirmed to Prisma once more as she moves her hand through that fur, patting the little critter ever so gently. It helps that she can't really fully think of it as Keiwa while he's like this, so that makes the petting a little less embarrassing. Instead it's more like she's petting some sort of cute animal companion.

(And really, isn't that the magical girl dream they're all missing out on most of the time?) ]

So cute.. [ She even adds, unable to hold back the words. Tynuki must know how cute he is!! ]

But if you can just transform right now, then it's not like you're stuck, right..? [ Since Tycoon did mention that - but then easily transformed into Tynuki like it's nothing. ]

[because she's petting him gently (compared with Crow's enthusiastic pets), Tycoon can't help but do that little head bobbing gesture as she runs her hand over his head. This is oddly soothing... He's not sure if he would actively seek out people for pets, but he gets why animals seem to enjoy it so much.

Soothing...

There's a somewhat delayed 'Hwah-?' before Prisma's question registers properly]

O-Oh... No, the thing that's stuck isn't me! It's this guy. [he turns his head and sticks out a paw to pat the saya of the blade next to him. Parts are made of glass and the katana blade sheathed inside can be just seen past the green sand] I can't change it back into it's normal appearance.

The last few times I changed it I woke up not too long afterwards, so I've never tried to just use it normally until recently. It's strange...

.. wait, you can also change that?

[ Sure, she knows that Tycoon can shapeshift, if not just because of the initial Tynuki incident and all.. But apparently it was more extensive than she imagined.

The girl blinks, slowly processing this fact. ]

Then.. At this point, you can change yourself without getting stuck.. but you can't change that without getting it stuck..? [ Is she managing to keep up, Tycoon.. ]

Mhm. [one of his forepaws goes up as he paws at the air. Cheerfully, he continues;] You've seen it before right? It's a bit funny shaped for a sword. I can change it's form from a single blade to a pair of twin blades...

[his ears droop slightly afterwards, making a small little 'kyuun' noise as he sighs]

In this form, it's a lot stronger but for some reason... It won't go back to the way it used to look.

It feels little disheartening. Like I haven't actually improved at all.

[especially because it looks like it's the exact same problem he had previously. How frustrating... Though Tycoon sounds more dejected than frustrated]

[ It's telling that when Prisma runs into a similar problem, she just gives up, figuring that she's the source of said problem.

But when it's Tycoon's problem instead, she truly starts to think instead. She does not blame him by default at all. Instead the girl seems to be deep within her own thoughts, a slight frown on her face as she contemplates the problem in front of her.. ]

Maybe it's just because it's stronger when it's like this..? [ Don't worry, sad little Tynuki. You're getting some headpats from Prisma while she's saying that, even if her gaze deeps darting off in the direction of the weapon. ] It could be that maybe it's too much of a stretch of your powers right now to turn it into this and actually turn it back easily..

[his fluffy tail flops up and down with the pets, probably without the owner even realizing it]

Hmmm... A little like a growth spurt, huh? [he sighs] It's a little inconvenient if all my powers have growing pains. But it probably can't be helped. It is pretty strong.

[Tycoon knows better than to bring up the details - the fact that he could only use the sword and none of his usual tricks associated with his weapon being the biggest issue - with Prisma, who is similar to him in terms of how comfortable they were with their own powers when left in a vacuum.

Which is to say, the two of them aren't the most productive when left to their own devices...

He turns to look at Prisma]

It's no good to dwell on it. Maybe this- [his tail swings over to drape itself over the saya] -will sort itself out the same as shapeshifting. Nothing that practice won't fix. [/optimist]

But I didn't mean to distract you from your practice either! Is there something you wanted to do...? Would you like me to help?

O-Oh..

[ The girl looks a touch flustered, like she didn't imagine his attention would suddenly be turned onto her like this. Especially when she was so busy trying to figure out his problem so maybe she could do something - no matter how small - to help him fix it..

It makes Prisma stare wide-eyed at him for a moment, almost as if she's unsure what to ask of him, but..

The more she stares at the sword, the more she realizes something. ]

Tycoon-san, how do you keep getting all these new powers..? [ Just.

You know.

A very normal question, right. ]

... Oh!

[the pause followed by the equally surprised exclamation at the end (his whole body momentarily bounces up, cartoonishly even)]

That's... Hm. Some of them I just used suddenly in battle, like when I first figured out I could throw shuriken. Sometimes I don't even notice it until I've used it... [he hums thoughtfully, because even he realizes that wasn't that helpful]

But maybe it's because I keep using my powers? This one for example! [he raises himself onto his hind paws to indicate his current tanuki form before plopping himself back down] I watched Ango-san use his shapeshifting ability a few times and thought 'maybe I could I do that...' And one day, I managed to do it too! Though... It's not quite the same.

[the thought occurs to him that Prisma asking this seems odd, since... surely she's also learned new powers... Right?]

.. oh!

[ .......

.........................

There's such a meaningful silence after that. Like the girl doesn't recognize even a single bit about this.

But of course she doesn't say that. It's Prisma, after all. Instead of speaking up about that, she just has to say: ]

It must be because you're so impressive, Tycoon-san..!

[ Yes, clearly that's it.

Nothing weird going on here.

Nuh-uh. ]

[there's a nervous sort of laugh here. Partly because he relates to the sense of getting lost (he wonders, briefly, if this is how his sister feels and why she almost always follows it up with "Don't worry, you'll figure it out"). But mostly because the praise feels oddly undeserved]

I'm not that impressive. [there's a cartoonish 'poof!' noise as he changes back into his regular self, a matching cartoon leaf drifting onto his head for a moment before it, too, disappears] I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something just as impressive if you practice enough, Prisma-chan.

We just improve at our own pace, that's all. So don't feel too discouraged.

I-- I'm not..

[ .. said with all the enthusiasm (or rather, the lack thereof) that would radiate off someone who is currently feeling very discouraged.

And yet Prisma is denying it anyway, no matter how obvious it is. Maybe it's because she doesn't want to turn too much attention to her right now when she was trying to help him with his little problem, rather than making it about her own.. ]

A-And in the meantime I can help you improve! Maybe we can figure out a way for you to be able to change the weapon back easier! I'm sure we can..! [ See, this is the spirit! She's ready to give it her all for Tycoon's sake!! She's filling herself up with determination! ]

[he blinks in confusion at the sudden shift back onto him. Which is sort of funny in it's own way, watching two people trying to shift the focus off themselves onto the other even if one wasn't doing it consciously... which means Tycoon doesn't realize what's making this interaction so strange either. As always, the lack of self-awareness is nigh crippling]

Hmm... Maybe... But why not both? Maybe it's just a matter of practice for me too. Since we're here, we may as well make the most of it.

Don't you think so?

[ Tycoon, this is so hard!! Sometimes girls just don't want to say stuff in front of you, you know!! Stuff like 'I'm worried even practice isn't going to help me and I end up being totally helpless!!

It's why she seems to be inwardly debating her answer for a split second, before she says-- ]

Okay, if you.. if you insist.

[ Not that he's being that insistent or stubborn about it, but maybe Prisma feels better if she tells herself that.. ]

We can practice together. I just didn't want to take time away from your own practicing time, you know?

[well, he is being a little stubborn about it. But it makes sense, doesn't it? They're both here at the dojo, there's enough space to accommodate two Dreamers and it's good to help one another. Tycoon's mild temper means he doesn't get angry easily... So he just gives Prisma a lopsided but reassuring smile before he stands up, grabbing Bujin as he does.

... That does introduce a different problem though. With most of Tycoon's abilities locked away from him while his weapon was like this, what could they do together?]

Hmm... We could fight some of the Torments milling around.

[he could go grab one and bring it over easily enough. Or they could lure one in? Now that he thinks about it, he doesn't think he's actually seen Prisma's magic]

What abilities does Prisma-chan have?

Well.. Just the one.

[ She seems a little shy about the answer. Mostly because abilities kind of implies he might imagine she has more than she actually does - which would make sense. Prisma knows she'd kind of behind when you consider for just how long she's been a Dreamer.. ]

I can shoot balls of magical energy with my wand.. That's about it.

[he blinks, clearly confused, before he nods. Simple as that. As if it's totally normal. And, well... It's not like he knows the full history of Dreamers. Who is he to say whether it's normal or not? Some Dreamers might just be late bloomers!]

In that case... Maybe we could try and do some target practice with some of the dummies around here. Or the actual Torments...

[he looks around a bit more... Tycoon must have noticed something after a second because he tilts his head to one side, ears twitching. Then, with a bit more cheer, he points outside]

But we don't have to fight. There's a spot outside we can just practice moving around... Training doesn't have to just be about fighting after all.

[ It seems that Tycoon has at least hit on something that works here! Prisma is pretty awkward about her powers and the current - unimpressive - state of them, sure, but this is something outside of it. Still not something she's very confident about, but at least this does feel like the sort of thing that might get a little bit better with practice, unlike her powers.

So though Prisma looks a little surprised, she does nod relatively easily to the idea. ]

Oh.. sure! I-- I think I could practice running a little, actually.. I want to be faster! [ Since that might help make up for her lacking powers. ] Are you okay with that?

[Tycoon nods cheerfully, both in acknowledgement and happy to see that Prisma seemed to take to the idea more easily than the prospect of fighting]

Running and jumping are good to practice! You never know what sort of area you'll find yourself in, so it helps to get used to moving around...

[he gestures for her to follow him as he goes towards a slightly different area of the Dojo, just outside but with something similar to an obstacle course set up, with small obstacles and - just over the cliff - much more advanced climbing and running areas. For now, he seems happy to stay on the flat part of the course. He hops up onto one of the vertical logs and wobbles a little as he stands there on one foot, arms held out for balance]

We can practice here.