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yumemigaoka2024-12-04 09:08 pm
darknesshotpot) wrote in yumemigaoka2024-12-04 09:08 pm
☃️ HOLIDAY HIJINKS ☃️
⭐ Who: Ango and your blorbos!
⭐ When: Throughout December!
⭐ When: Throughout December!
[A pity date's still a date! But somehow, Ango has still not hit the level of pitiful where he can get pity dates.]
Ha, KFC rice is amateur cooking! This is pro level!
[Okay, Ango's pro cooking expertise consists of manning the grill at Dream Sphere parties and binge watching all 8 seasons of "Kitchen Nightmares." But he's got years of experience when it comes to turning the meager contents of an unemployed bachelor's mini fridge into a shockingly decent meal.]
Ha, KFC rice is amateur cooking! This is pro level!
[Okay, Ango's pro cooking expertise consists of manning the grill at Dream Sphere parties and binge watching all 8 seasons of "Kitchen Nightmares." But he's got years of experience when it comes to turning the meager contents of an unemployed bachelor's mini fridge into a shockingly decent meal.]
Ai~! I was hoping you'd stop by! You've gotta try this, I think it's my best hot pot yet!
[Ango offers her a spoon and a paper bowl so she can scoop her choice of delicacies from the bubbling pot. The soup almost resembles the sludge monster mid-boss from Amane's Disturbance... but the smell is savory and spicy, with warm hints of ginger and peppercorn. Ango's "darkness hot pot" is either going to be incredibly delicious, or it's going to ooze out of its pot and start terrorizing the Dreamer Union. Is this going to be the thing that finally breaks the barrier between reality and nightmares???]
[Ango offers her a spoon and a paper bowl so she can scoop her choice of delicacies from the bubbling pot. The soup almost resembles the sludge monster mid-boss from Amane's Disturbance... but the smell is savory and spicy, with warm hints of ginger and peppercorn. Ango's "darkness hot pot" is either going to be incredibly delicious, or it's going to ooze out of its pot and start terrorizing the Dreamer Union. Is this going to be the thing that finally breaks the barrier between reality and nightmares???]
[ It's true... standing at a mere 5'2", there's an undeniable size difference that would theoretically put Hibiki at an advantage. But she also trains regularly outside of the Dreamsphere, and her martial arts didn't come from nowhere either, and more than that...
He's correct in assuming she currently has a lack of mercy for useless middle-aged men as of right now. ]
Huhhhh.... oh really? Okay then. But just so you know... hypothetically, if someone like I dunno... a middle-aged man, were to get rough with a young girl over something like a handshake ticket... then hypothetically, they'd have to deal with a Hibiki-sized Hibiki, right?
[ ...Has she always talked like this? She's usually always so chipper and sweet, and sure, it's not like she's sounds angry... if anything, she still sounds pretty chipper, but... that was passive aggression, right?? ]
He's correct in assuming she currently has a lack of mercy for useless middle-aged men as of right now. ]
Huhhhh.... oh really? Okay then. But just so you know... hypothetically, if someone like I dunno... a middle-aged man, were to get rough with a young girl over something like a handshake ticket... then hypothetically, they'd have to deal with a Hibiki-sized Hibiki, right?
[ ...Has she always talked like this? She's usually always so chipper and sweet, and sure, it's not like she's sounds angry... if anything, she still sounds pretty chipper, but... that was passive aggression, right?? ]
[it probably makes sense that people stuck in a lineup would order Doordash. Which means it was only a matter of time before Nikki got sent out to handle the oddly regular request of "deliver to Tsubaki Department Store line up". Really, it's the only reason Nikki is here, rather than literally anywhere else, dropping off an order of assorted onigiri, drinks and other snacks for some poor soul who's been here since god knows when]
...
[he wasn't expecting to see a familiar face while searching for the person he was delivering to though. Nikki squints at Ango through his own sunglasses before walking past him towards the front of the line. Once he's dropped off the food though, Nikki jogs back to where he spotted his fellow delinquent]
You do know that they do digital releases for these singles too?
...
[he wasn't expecting to see a familiar face while searching for the person he was delivering to though. Nikki squints at Ango through his own sunglasses before walking past him towards the front of the line. Once he's dropped off the food though, Nikki jogs back to where he spotted his fellow delinquent]
You do know that they do digital releases for these singles too?
[Tycoon takes a minute to look at the exterior in confusion before stepping in to see Ango and... Recoils slightly from the distinct smell of alcohol]
... Did you use your ability to make all of this?
[he staring at everything all bright eyed and in awe. This is a pretty impressive assortment of things, after all! Keiwa himself has only managed to change his bunshins into tanukis, though he himself has managed to shapeshift into one other item at a time. But he end up wrinkling his nose a little all the same. Maybe he's not much of a drinker...]
Ango-san, I think people would question you less if you made less alcohol. [pause, followed by a slight cough] Or aired out the room a bit.
... Did you use your ability to make all of this?
[he staring at everything all bright eyed and in awe. This is a pretty impressive assortment of things, after all! Keiwa himself has only managed to change his bunshins into tanukis, though he himself has managed to shapeshift into one other item at a time. But he end up wrinkling his nose a little all the same. Maybe he's not much of a drinker...]
Ango-san, I think people would question you less if you made less alcohol. [pause, followed by a slight cough] Or aired out the room a bit.
Hmm... At least you have the designated 'spirits free' options.
[Torch makes a face at the comment about him being a cop... Or a narc. Which isn't too far from the truth, but there's something to be said about how blatant the accusation is]
Neither. I'm a freelancer. [OKAY BUDDY, SURE] Dreamer Torch... Or just Olruggio. I think I've reached the point where titles just aren't doing it for me anymore.
[there's the look of 'I'm getting too old for this shit' as he says it but he turns his attention back to Ango's wares]
If you're handing out [questionable] healing potions, I take it you're a Saver too?
[Torch makes a face at the comment about him being a cop... Or a narc. Which isn't too far from the truth, but there's something to be said about how blatant the accusation is]
Neither. I'm a freelancer. [OKAY BUDDY, SURE] Dreamer Torch... Or just Olruggio. I think I've reached the point where titles just aren't doing it for me anymore.
[there's the look of 'I'm getting too old for this shit' as he says it but he turns his attention back to Ango's wares]
If you're handing out [questionable] healing potions, I take it you're a Saver too?
[Ohhhhh? Omen peers at this with obvious interest, even considering that no one can see his face!]
Well, I didn't pick it. [Which is a weird thing for a Dreamer to say, given how that usually works, but he just brushes right past it.] This is neat! It's like, um...A Christmas Carol! The one really tall ghost!
Well, I didn't pick it. [Which is a weird thing for a Dreamer to say, given how that usually works, but he just brushes right past it.] This is neat! It's like, um...A Christmas Carol! The one really tall ghost!
[ Ai accepts the spoon and bowl automatically because her Politeness Instincts and her Survival Instincts (which are kind of just the same thing at the end of the day) are shortcircuiting. Is it ruder to refuse to try his food or to try and it admit to his face that it tastes terrible? Oh god, is she already being rude by assuming it's going to taste terrible right off the bat?
She looks down into the pot with the sort of expression you might expect out of someone facing a rabid animal or a sheer drop. She's still smiling though, since she's a professional and all. ]
It smells... really good! And it looks. Um.
[ ................................................ anyway! ]
Wh... what part should I start with?
She looks down into the pot with the sort of expression you might expect out of someone facing a rabid animal or a sheer drop. She's still smiling though, since she's a professional and all. ]
It smells... really good! And it looks. Um.
[ ................................................ anyway! ]
Wh... what part should I start with?
Deep down, you and me are both entertainers. And "all the world's a stage," right?
[...One Hibiki-sized Hibiki sounds absolutely terrifying. Ango takes a small step back, laughing nervously.]
Ahaha... but you don't really need a ticket, do you?
[He mutters, so the other people standing in line won't overhear.]
You could shake hands with Ai any time you want. You're both singers, so you've got a connection, right?
Ahaha... but you don't really need a ticket, do you?
[He mutters, so the other people standing in line won't overhear.]
You could shake hands with Ai any time you want. You're both singers, so you've got a connection, right?
Brats like you can't appreciate the charms of physical media. Back in my day, a real otaku would buy three copies of every CD: one to listen to, one to keep sealed in its packaging forever, and a spare to loan to friends!
[Japanese idol fans singlehandedly keeping the CD industry alive and thriving long after the Napster era...]
There's no romance in a digital release.
[Japanese idol fans singlehandedly keeping the CD industry alive and thriving long after the Napster era...]
There's no romance in a digital release.
There are freelance cops now? Damn, even the pigs are getting eaten by capitalists these days.
[Is that sympathy from Ango? This Olly dude (Ango is never going to remember his actual name) sure does look tired, even though he's technically asleep... freelancing is tough work. It turns out that you don't stop hating your boss when you're self-employed.
And he's a Saver, too? Maybe he's alright, for a narc.]
You too, huh? I always figured that I'd end up being a Striker...
[The pair of Sandglass knives hanging from Ango's belt certainly do look like stereotypical Striker weapons.]
But I figured I'd be a famous and wildly successful novelist, too, and that didn't exactly work out. Still, this gig ain't half bad.
[Is that sympathy from Ango? This Olly dude (Ango is never going to remember his actual name) sure does look tired, even though he's technically asleep... freelancing is tough work. It turns out that you don't stop hating your boss when you're self-employed.
And he's a Saver, too? Maybe he's alright, for a narc.]
You too, huh? I always figured that I'd end up being a Striker...
[The pair of Sandglass knives hanging from Ango's belt certainly do look like stereotypical Striker weapons.]
But I figured I'd be a famous and wildly successful novelist, too, and that didn't exactly work out. Still, this gig ain't half bad.
Yeah, because money is a social construct that doesn't exist in a free society! And, uh, because I'm pretty sure there's no money in the Dream Sphere. I mean, most of these Dreamer costumes don't even have functional pockets. How are you supposed to carry cash?
[Ango is a novelist by trade, so he's put way too much energy into critiquing the worldbuilding of the Dream Sphere.]
So yeah, everything's free. I'm just spreading the holiday cheer.
[Ango is a novelist by trade, so he's put way too much energy into critiquing the worldbuilding of the Dream Sphere.]
So yeah, everything's free. I'm just spreading the holiday cheer.
Oh yeah, I saw that movie - the one with the Muppets, right?
[Now that Omen mentions it, though, there's something that's been bothering Ango...]
Huh... I thought our Dreamer forms were supposed to be fantasy reflections of our inner selves, just with more sparkles and crap... but you know, apart from the outfit, I ain't really getting "spooky" vibes from you. You seem like a pretty nice guy.
[Now that Omen mentions it, though, there's something that's been bothering Ango...]
Huh... I thought our Dreamer forms were supposed to be fantasy reflections of our inner selves, just with more sparkles and crap... but you know, apart from the outfit, I ain't really getting "spooky" vibes from you. You seem like a pretty nice guy.
Yep, it turns out that my powers work best when I'm using them to slack off and fool around.
[Or so Ango says... but the truth is that a construction like this takes a lot of hard work: the same kind of meticulous creative work that Ango used to put into writing back when he still felt like he had worlds to build and stories to tell.]
But I've got non-alcoholic options, too! Look, I've even got a hangover cure!
[In the corner there's a cauldron of spiced Christmas wine cooking over an open fireplace, with sliced oranges floating on top. And next to it, there's a cauldron of bubbling greenish-yellowish liquid... oh god no, is that Monster Energy?]
[Or so Ango says... but the truth is that a construction like this takes a lot of hard work: the same kind of meticulous creative work that Ango used to put into writing back when he still felt like he had worlds to build and stories to tell.]
But I've got non-alcoholic options, too! Look, I've even got a hangover cure!
[In the corner there's a cauldron of spiced Christmas wine cooking over an open fireplace, with sliced oranges floating on top. And next to it, there's a cauldron of bubbling greenish-yellowish liquid... oh god no, is that Monster Energy?]
[Does McDonalds count?
It totally counts, even though he got fired after a few weeks when the corporate fascists in charge objected to his new and improved menu.]
...I'll have you know that I used to work at an internationally renowned restaurant specializing in Western cuisine!
It totally counts, even though he got fired after a few weeks when the corporate fascists in charge objected to his new and improved menu.]
...I'll have you know that I used to work at an internationally renowned restaurant specializing in Western cuisine!
[Ai may be smiling... but Ango recognizes it as her professional smile, the one that she pastes on during awkward interviews. She's unwaveringly polite and cheerful because she has to be. It's who "Ai-Doll" is.]
...Wait! You don't have to eat that! I'm such an idiot... I totally forgot to ask if you were a vegetarian! Give me a few minutes and I'll make you a meatless version that's even better!
[He reaches for another can of Monster.]
This stuff is mostly chemicals anyway, so it's gotta be vegan, right? Now where did I put the potato chips?
...Wait! You don't have to eat that! I'm such an idiot... I totally forgot to ask if you were a vegetarian! Give me a few minutes and I'll make you a meatless version that's even better!
[He reaches for another can of Monster.]
This stuff is mostly chemicals anyway, so it's gotta be vegan, right? Now where did I put the potato chips?
[ Hibiki's eyebrows crease, her expression—which had remained neutral—turning into more of a frown. Still, she lowers her voice to a whisper as well. ]
You know it's about more than that! I'm still her fan, so I'll continue to support her as one!
[ And it's not like Hibiki can just up and ask Ai if she can hold her hand! Even if her hand is... really nice to hold. She still remembers how it felt when Ai took her hand shortly after she was freed from her disturbance. ]
...Besides, the same can be said for you, right? You're both Dreamers, and you're an adult. I'd say you need a ticket even less than me.
You know it's about more than that! I'm still her fan, so I'll continue to support her as one!
[ And it's not like Hibiki can just up and ask Ai if she can hold her hand! Even if her hand is... really nice to hold. She still remembers how it felt when Ai took her hand shortly after she was freed from her disturbance. ]
...Besides, the same can be said for you, right? You're both Dreamers, and you're an adult. I'd say you need a ticket even less than me.
[She makes a face.]
Even if I hadn't given that up, I still wouldn't be making an idiot of myself like some gachikoi.
Even if I hadn't given that up, I still wouldn't be making an idiot of myself like some gachikoi.
[Tycoon's looking at some of the Christmas costumes on display, and turns back to Ango when he mentions he's just fooling around]
But the selection is still pretty impressive, isn't it? Even though we have similar abilities, I don't think I could pull off something like this.
[even now, Tycoon can only really shapeshift into things he sees... Not that he's tried to make anything too novel or unique. Though his attention goes to the spiced Christmas wine and-]
... Um... [he points at the questionable energy drink (please don't be an energy drink), deeply unsure] What is this?
But the selection is still pretty impressive, isn't it? Even though we have similar abilities, I don't think I could pull off something like this.
[even now, Tycoon can only really shapeshift into things he sees... Not that he's tried to make anything too novel or unique. Though his attention goes to the spiced Christmas wine and-]
... Um... [he points at the questionable energy drink (please don't be an energy drink), deeply unsure] What is this?
Rude. I can appreciate the analog media AND read an analog clock, thank you very much.
[he crosses his arms and looks at the line up...]
Well, I get wanting to get a physical copy. Gotta give Ai something to sign, right? [he holds up one hand then mimes writing on it like it's a signboard] But do you even have the budget for that sort of thing?
[he crosses his arms and looks at the line up...]
Well, I get wanting to get a physical copy. Gotta give Ai something to sign, right? [he holds up one hand then mimes writing on it like it's a signboard] But do you even have the budget for that sort of thing?
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