January Is a Tough Time for Theater Kids (Catch-all!)

[thestarknows]

⭐ Who: Junna Hoshimi... and you!
⭐ When: Throughout January!
⭐ Where: Yumemigaoka and Dream Sphere
⭐ What: A January catch-all for Junna! Ping me if you want a thread outside the top levels, too.

Comments

Late Night at the Dreamer Union, 1/11 (open)

[thestarknows]

[Junna was cast in I Wanna Be Your Canary, in a major supporting role. It's a community theater play, and it debuts in mid-March... which means it's rehearsalk season.

Which means many an evening, Junna is out late.

Normally, she goes back to her dorm. Today, though, she'd left some of her books at the Dreamer Union... and she wanted to file a report. Which is why in one of the lounges, with a mug of tea, Junna is taking a seat on a couch with a laptop open and looking very tired. It's about nine o'clock at night, too.]

[flatcola]

You good, kid?

[ Kozakura is on her way out to... not go to sleep for another few hours probably after getting home. Her sleeping habits are terrible but she can try to save the children from becoming like her. ]

[thestarknows]

Ah... ah, yeah. [She looks up and smiles. In a tired sort of way. The woes of going all day.]

It's rehearsal season. [She hasn't explained that properly but she's tired.]

[flatcola]

Busy. I get it. At your age you still need to get enough sleep, though.

[ Kozakura should be getting enough sleep too but.

Eh.

She doesn't have morning responsibilities. ]

[thestarknows]

I know, but... there's a lot to do. [She looks up at Kozakura and blinks.

Wait, is she... older than Junna...?]

Ah, Junna Hoshimi. A third year at Promised Morning and Dreamer Sage.

[flatcola]

Ai Kozakura. Dreamer Mind.

[ It's hard to tell looking at her. She's tiny and baby-faced, but there are just the slightest hint of lines around her eyes and lips. ]

I've been working here for about ten years now - so if you need anything DU-related covered short-term while you focus on school, you can always ask one of us.

[thestarknows]

It's nice to meet you, Kozakura-san.

[She immediately gets her tone to be more polite. This is someone older than her! A veteran! An adult--well, she graduates this year. But still.]

I appreciate it! I'm, well... I'm trying to keep up with everything.

[flatcola]

And you, Hoshimi-san.

[ The type who immediately gets more Proper with adults. ]

It's not easy. I didn't join until I was in college, so I'm always impressed by you kids who start younger... but I worry too.

[thestarknows]

Mm, yeah. It is a bit of an adjustment, doing it at my age. I--I mean, I'm a year and a half into it, now, but...

It's a lot to balance. I've learned a lot about how to do that, though.

Icy Torments at Facet Lagoon, 1/19 (open)

[thestarknows]

[There's been a surge of Torments at the Facet Lagoon. A lot made themselves known, and that meant Dreamers were needed to deal with them. They're not especially powerful... but there's a ton.

And, to make matters worse, it came on a chilly Saturday and the Lagoon is frozen over.

Dreamer Sage is one of those out here, though she's fallen back after a couple hours of dealing with them. She's at a base area; people on the front lines have moved up to a snowy drift, where they're fighting them. Here, there are Savers to help Dreamers that need to heal... and, somehow, warm drinks.

She holds a thermos, and looks at where the fighting is occurring. Junna exhales, which is cold and misty on the air. Then, she takes a sip of her thermos. She looks distracted. (She has rehearsal in a couple of hours.)]

[i_peace]

Oh, Sage-sa- achoo!!

[the sneeze that interrupts the greeting is a little too small to be from a person though. Maybe because of his loose fighting Dreamer outfit (and the exposed shoulders), Tycoon's opted to walk around as a tanuki when not fighting. It causes him to sink into the ground a little more, but the thick, fluffy fur coat he's sporting does a great job at keeping him warm]

Sorry... [sniff] How are you holding up?

[he means their failed hunt earlier this month]

[thestarknows]

Tycoon! [She looks up from the thermos, and then has a sip from it -- and looks at him, with a smile. It's... a tired one. She's been running herself ragged. There's bags starting to form under her eyes.

But she smiles, still. And puts the thermos down.] I'm... holding up. I don't think the Torments have let up since that outing, have they?

What about you?

[i_peace]

I'm doing all right. [he plops himself down by her feet] I think? I still have a headache, but it's probably from how cold it is. [Tycoon plz]

Everyone's been looking forward to their New Year's dream, so it sort of makes sense that all the Torments would show up like this...

... What are you drinking? [he has to crane his head to look up at her and after a few seconds he seems to give up on the uncomfortable position. Taking a couple of steps away from where Sage is, there's a sudden burst of black smoke as Tycoon changes back into his regular appearance.

With a sheepish look (and his teeth every so slightly chattering) he explains;] It's easier to talk this way.

[thestarknows]

Me too. That headache... stuck around. [She winces a little -- but smiles at him. Maybe, uh, maybe the headache isn't just from the cold.

Then, she blinks -- and there's a quick nod.] Yes. I'm... not surprised, just...

[There's a quick shake of her head -- and then she laughs a bit as he changes, and lands in front of her.] It does seem more convenient.

[She holds the thermos up.] Tea! They got some here for us. Or... made some? I'm not sure how it works.

[i_peace]

[Tycoon nods absent mindedly]

You too, huh? Careful you don't catch a cold. [speaking from personal experience... What a time to fail a hunt]

Maybe we should say they dreamt some up? [he rubs his hands together, trying to warm up] Tea sounds like a good idea right now, since I'm not wearing a fur coat anymore.

[his tail is also too short to actually wrap around himself. Unfortunate, really]

[thestarknows]

Yeah... yeah, I'm going to try. Hopefully my body will listen. [She laughs a little, though. Even if it probably made her feel all the more tired and off-kilter.

Then, there's a nod -- and Junna reaches over, where a table is set up. She grabs a thermos, and hands it to him.]

One dreamt up tea, for you! It is warm, and that helps. Especially without the coat. Good flavor, too!

[i_peace]

Just remember to stay warm and get lots of rest. [there's a pause, before he laughs softly] Though the second part is a lot harder to do than before.

[is it really 'restful' if they're dreaming like this when they're meant to be resting?]

Thanks! [he takes the thermos of tea and hovers over it carefully, enjoying the warm it provides]

... Truthfully, I can never tell if the food here smells nice or not. Maybe it's just the nature of dreams.

Dreamer Union HQ, 1/23 (closed to Amane)

[thestarknows]

[The ice and cold has let up (until its triumphant return tomorrow!)... and Junna's in the Dreamer Union again. She was looking over some reports, because some of the rumors of Crimson Dreamer had bothered her. It had always bothered her: the idea that Crimson was alive out there, but in some sort of state that...

...that people didn't talk about, in detail.

So she decided it best to ask. She sent Amane a message to see if he wanted to get dinner. And that she has something to ask him!

And now she's in the cafeteria. She has a rice bowl -- chicken katsu and some vegetables to go with it -- and a soft drink. While she waits, she's idly flipping through her phone.]

[hanamane]

[That message of Junna's definitely took him off guard-- dinner invitations were a rare occurrence for him, especially from his peers-- but her reasons behind it were an even bigger surprise. What sort of things did she want to ask him about that had to be done in person...? School stuff? Family troubles? Heaven forbid... love advice?? Amane sure as hell was not qualified to answer any of those things, but as her Mentor (and... maybe friend...??), it was his responsibility to help her with whatever she needed!

Thankfully, with school being closed for the week thanks to the cold, he has no problem making his way over to the DU at this time of the evening, though it does take a bit until he's navigated the cafeteria properly. But finally--]

Junna-saaaan...!!

[He trots his way over towards her, his black winter jacket unbuttoned and a fluffy navy-and-silver flecked scarf hanging loosely around his neck. (In fact... the style of the scarf looks a bit familiar... hmmm.) He slides into the seat across from her, setting down a tray with a curry bowl filled to the brim with all sorts of toppings-- fried shrimp, sausage, hard boiled egg, cheese-- along with a soda of his own. T-That's a teenage boy appetite for you, huh...]

Sorry, that line took a lot longer than I thought-- so what's up?

[thestarknows]

[When Junna looks at that plate of curry with infinite toppings, she stares for a second. In awe. That looks tasty, but also a lot. Then she shakes her head to clear her daze, and looks up at him.]

Amanda-kun. [She smiles.] That looks tasty. Ah--

[Right. Focus, focus, she asked to meet him here for a reason.]

I wanted to ask you about Dreamer Crimson. I read a few things, and... well, I thought it's best to ask directly.

[hanamane]

[He's shifting off his coat and scarf, making sure they're laying neatly upon his chair, when she comments on his bowl, and he can't help but laugh a little in response.]

Ahaha, you want some? You can have some of mine if I can have a piece of that katsu of yours--

[Because clearly what his curry needs is more protein!!! He picks up his spoon, ready to dish out whatever toppings Junna might want, when her next statement makes him pause in his tracks.]

...

[... well. That's someone he hadn't talked about in a while. After his Disturbance and the incident in Slumbering City, he figured it was best to keep something of a distance from whatever she was involved in. Outside of Hibiki's incident, it seemed like Crimson had largely disappeared as of late... and whether or not that was a good thing, he couldn't say. His smile dims to something a bit more practiced, more contained, as he finally dips his spoon into his curry, hoping Junna wouldn't catch on to his discomfort.]

... ah. Okay, then. What was it that you wanted to know about her?

[The subject was still a sensitive one for him, but... as his trainee, she needed to know this information, right? And, for better or worse, he had the deets to spare...]

[thestarknows]

[Junna blinks -- she's weighing his offer for a second. On the one hand, more flavors. On the other, precious, precious katsu and--

Right. Focus. Topic that's been bothering her.

She keeps quiet for a moment for a second, when he asks. She knows enough to know it must be close to home. Even if... well, it's close to home for her in other ways. She looks down for a second, her eyebrows furrowing. What does she want to know? It's a tricky question. She isn't sure she knows what she wants to know.

But, she has to start somewhere. Junna exhales.] I... I know she's still... out there. She didn't just disappear, like we've heard.

...But do we know what happened? Or... have any theories on it?

[hanamane]

[He's quiet as he mixes his curry a little with his rice, using the action to help get his thoughts sorted. Because as simple as the question was... there was a lot to unpack from it. An awful lot, really.]

... Not exactly. But from what I've seen and what I've read... I think I have a few ideas.

[But where does he even begin...? It feels itchy, sharing someone else's story and pain, especially one filled in with conjecture and guesses. Then again... Crimson sure liked to drag out everyone's deeply buried problems with these Disturbances she'd been triggering, so maybe he shouldn't be sparing her such sympathy on that end.]

I went through a bunch of her old reports when you guys were all stuck last year, and... it sounds like she was doing a lot of deep dives into the Dream Sphere for a while before she vanished. Really intensive stuff, along with another Dreamer who I'm pretty sure must be Reverie.

[Which is wild to say, considering how long SHE had been missing, but the carvings in that tomb in Necropolis and the blatant namedrop at the end of her final report had been proof enough. Although, on that subject...]

And then... she lost her younger sister, back in the real world. I can't say for sure, but... based on her last report, I think she decided to go into the Dream Sphere to stay, once and for all, to get away from all of her feelings here. At least, that's how it sounded to me, anyway.

[Which... y'know. Is pretty dang grim and has some Not So Great implications behind it!!]

She certainly didn't want us around when we crashed her domain a while ago, that's for sure.

[thestarknows]

Mm. I know we can't really know what she's thinking just by observing, but... yes.

[Her eyes widen a little as he explains. She didn't expect Reverie to factor in. That was far before her time. But... what could they have been doing?

But--Crimson's sister. Junna looks up. Her eyes widen a little.]

I... had no idea. She's... still there, then? In the Dream Sphere? What was she like?

[hanamane]

It's not just observing-- she said straight out that she didn't want us helping her. She made it loud and clear when she kicked us out of... whatever that gazebo place was that she liked to hole up in.

[Of course, maybe Amane should know better than to take other people's words and actions at face value when he sure as hell never says what he really feels himself, but--]

I know because I was there when it happened. I've ran into Crimson a couple of times already during our searches for her, and...

[He pauses then, unsure how to say it. Admitting that she intimidated him was something he was too embarrassed to own up to, not to mention... he was Junna's mentor, for goodness sakes. It wouldn't be a good look on his end! (Never mind the fact that Junna's probably already seen him at his lowest already, but still) But finally:]

... she's not someone you take lightly. She claims to be on our side, but... anyone who keeps pulling people into the Dream Sphere to trigger these Disturbances doesn't have our best interests at heart.

[After all, what was it that she had said? "Is it that bad to offer a choice? Nobody has to say yes." How could anyone ever refuse when they feel like they have no other options left in the first place?]