second flame 🔥 January catch-all

[olruggio]

🔥 Who: Olruggio + YOU
🔥 When: Throughout January
🔥 Where: DU + the problem areas around the Dream Sphere
🔥 What: Stuff and things!? He's a Saver, so he's been recruited to thaw everyone's sorry butts.

Comments

[hanamane]

Aw, that's pretty nice, though. All we really get here 'round Christmas is like-- sparkly lights, the occasional tree, and a lot of Torments born from loneliness and grudges, for whatever reason. Cakes too, weirdly enough...

[But that's maybe thanks to Christmas being Valentine's 2.0 in Japan, so is anyone really surprised there's an uptick of salty feelings cropping up that day...?? Milk and cookies and toasty logs sounded much better in comparison than fighting off Yamada-or-whomever's bitterness over being single!!

... but. Right. They have a much more important line of conversation going here, don't they?]

Mm... well, I don't think it's the weather or anything seasonal that's affecting Fury Peak, which makes it all the stranger. I mean... I think this is the first time this has happened, like... ever, so it's kinda concerning.

[He gives the other man a grin at his concern, however, before adding:]

Ahaha... we'll try, though! At least we don't have to worry about getting roasted like a bunch of sweet potatoes if the whole place is frozen solid!

[olruggio]

Ah, I suppose that's the cultural divide for you. Though - and you didn't hear this from me - I'll have to admit that the cake Torments are probably global. There's no helping it, when everyone's selling panettone and buche de noel everywhere...

[... he would mark the holidays by their desserts]

... Hmm... Ah, that's right. It probably wouldn't be so alarming if this happened every year due to the cold.

[no, they have to worry about Sonic's gung-ho attitude. But it's okay, everything turned out fine at the end... Not that Torch is aware of that. He waves Hanako off]

Yes, yes... If everyone's an experienced Dreamer, then it shouldn't be a concern. [pause] I assume you have the wherewithal to take only Experienced Dreamers on this excursion.

[hanamane]

Oh yeah...? Wonder what's bothering people so much about cakes that they gotta manifest as Torments over here, though... [A beat, and then:] Calories, maybe...?

[Not that he would know anything about that, what with his black-hole-eat-all-the-fried-things teenage boy stomach and all!! It's fine, all the calories are being put towards his inevitable growth spurt anyway

He ignores Torch's gesture to wave him off, as usual the menace, but he does pull something of a face at the Experienced Dreamer remark.]

Well, yeah. If there's anything funny happening over there, it'd be pretty dangerous to send newbies, wouldn't it? They're more likely to freak out and get hurt, and we're low on Savers as it is. [Hanako, just say you don't want to put Novices in danger like a normal fucking person--] I dunno who's coming along just yet, but I'm sure whoever's putting it together has that much sense.

[... never mind the fact that Miraidon technically isn't even a Dreamer, let alone a Novice, so he's an extra liability but like!! NOBODY ON THE TEAM KNOWS THAT]

[olruggio]

It could be people wanting to eat one... Or the calories. Both sound like nightmares to contend with.

[he's thoroughly unimpressed... And then the flat look he gives Hanako at the Saver comment would have probably killed all the plants in the area]

...

[sigh]

Good. At least everyone's sensible enough to recognize danger when it's presented. [c-cut straight through the bullshit? He's used to dealing with Agott some rather headstrong girls, so Hanako's coy act does nothing for him] Running into unknown scenarios is par for the course, but it would be a weight off everyone's shoulders if more people would understand what makes something a calculated risk and just a risk.

[hanamane]

I dunno what the big deal about it is, though-- if you wanna eat some cake, you should just do it.

[Then again... there were a number of things Amane couldn't partake in thanks to his health, like heavily caffeinated drinks, but that was something else entirely. It's not like the people who usually complained about such things were sick or anything...

He can't help but flinch at the flat look Torch sends his way (hey, he's only human, after all!!), twiddling his fingers a bit once the storm seems to have passed. At least he seemed to be good at reading between the lines, anyway...]

But most of us are, yeah. There's still a few who sort of do their own thing and don't really think it through too much. [No doubt Sonic and Tsukasa are probably sneezing at the moment--] It's fine for the Novices to break out of their comfort zones and all, but you don't wanna send them to the secret boss fight if they still haven't leveled up their starter abilities, right?

[Bold of you to assume Olly might get the gaming references, Hanako]