[ In contrast, Ai's laugh in response is light and airy, like she doesn't have a care in the world - the way she always laughs, of course, practiced and pretty. Stranger things have happened, huh? Well, it's not like he's wrong. When it comes to Dreamers, strange is the baseline. ]

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It all comes down to chance, really. I just hope if it does ever happen that it's both of them at the same time - can you imagine the sort of arguments they'd have otherwise?

[ She says it lightly but even as the words come out, something unpleasant curdles in her heart. It's a little selfish to want them here, even if nobody would ever tell her to her face. After all, to be here, to be a Dreamer... even if you choose not to fight, having that choice put into your hands in the first place means you'd have to fight your way to it in the first place. What sort of mother would she be if she wished a Nightmare on the two of them, just for the chance to see them here, to share this part of herself with them?

It's selfish. And yet, a little part of her can't help but wish for it anyway. ]

But I'm sure I could talk him into coming along. I'd just have to tell him he'd be missing out on an exclusive live performance and he'd be there before you could blink.