★ blind the masses with a grin, stir up the media

[liedol]

⭐ Who: Ai and you!
⭐ When: End of May through July
⭐ Where: Various prompts around Yumemigaoka and the Dream Sphere
⭐ What: An Ai catchall for the next month! After a suspiciously well timed vacation out to Hokkaido, Ai's back in Yumemigaoka and ready to catch up on everything she missed. I'm also down for doing closed/private prompts so hit me up on Discord if you'd like to plan something!

Comments

[darknesshotpot]

[He's glad that Ai was spared the worst of the backlash, even if she did egg him on past the point where his self-preservation instinct should have kicked in. What guy wouldn't do something stupid to a laugh out of a cute girl, right? Ango's spent enough time in the entertainment business to know that the laughs are as rehearsed as the dance moves, so it's rare to get a real, unscripted reaction. But hey, aren't those moments of genuine feeling what being a storyteller is all about?]

So even you were worried about going solo, huh? I guess I don't feel so bad, then. I've been a Dreamer for a couple of weeks and I have noooo idea what I'm doing. Haven't been in a real fight since my delinquent days, haha!

[...Which had been a couple of months ago, but she didn't need to know that!]

[liedol]

Not having any idea what you're doing is the first step to getting the hang of it though, right? [ She wrinkles her nose a little, her encouraging smile turning a little wry – that's a line that sounds nice enough when said to her trainees, but it falls just the teeniest bit flat when she rolls it out for a guy like Ango. She means it, though! ] I've seen people take to the whole thing a whole lot worse than you so far – so I wouldn't worry.

[ Of course, all he's doing is sitting there and eyeballing Figments, but we've all got to start somewhere. ]

Do you think you'll fight?

[darknesshotpot]

To be honest, I have no idea what the hell I've been doing for my entire life so far.

[Ango laughs. As a teenager he always felt more mature than his peers, but now that he's an actual adult, it's a struggle just to hold down a job and do his own laundry. So much for being a grown-up, right?]

Anyway, these Torment things, they're like... representations of people's negative emotions that manifest in their dreams, or something like that? So if we whack'em before they turn into Nightmares, people might feel a bit better, right?

[That means there have probably been Dreamers fighting Ango's inner demons this whole time... he feels like he owes the whole Dream Sphere an apology for giving them so much trouble. Sorry, guys, I'm a mess.]

Seems like a good reason to fight, if you ask me.

[liedol]

It's as good a reason as any. [ Or rather, any reason is a good enough reason – that's how she's always felt about it. ] A lot of people still come here feeling like because they Awakened, it means they have to fight... but doing it because you feel like you have to and doing it because you feel like you really have a reason to are pretty different.

[ She bumps her elbow against his in a playful sort of way. ]

But whatever works, so long as it works, right? Whatever makes you feel like you can fight you should just take it and run with it.

[darknesshotpot]

You know, I never really needed a reason to fight before. If some guy looked at me funny, that was more than enough. Dumb, huh?

[He smiles ruefully and looks away, a distant look in his eyes.]

It's too late to save the person I was supposed to save... but at least I can fight for something worthwhile for a change.

[Just as quickly, the pensive mood is gone, replaced by a grin.]

I've got zero combat-focused powers, but screw that, I've got two fists and one hell of a grudge! I oughta get out there and smash some Torments!

[liedol]

[ Fighting to save someone, huh?

Yeah. That's why Ai's here too.

She'd been so scared at first she hadn't even wanted to come back, not after how horrible her Awakening had been. But knowing that this other world existed and that it was full of things that could and would hurt Aqua and Ruby if they got the chance, that Ai had the chance to protect them so long as she was willing to try–

It really had been a no brainer. ]

Now that's an attitude I like to see! [ She says it with a laugh and playfully pumps her fists for him, like she's matching his punchy energy. ] There's lots of Dreamers whose magic isn't suited for direct fighting, but we all find ways to make it work.

[ She tilts her head. ]

What sort of magic do you have, then?

[darknesshotpot]

Well, I guess I'm a ninja now, so I can do the usual anime ninja stuff. I can throw knives, and see in the dark, and... oh wait, you're gonna love this one.

[He makes a mystic-looking hand seal to activate his power and, with a puff of purple smoke... transforms into a mediocre copy of Ai herself. The hair isn't anywhere near the right color, and the dress looks like a cheap cosplay replica, and he's still wearing sunglasses, but it's a decent attempt. He strikes a suitably idol-esque pose.]

Tadaaa~ Still working on getting details right, but it might at least work for distracting the bad guys. And I'm pretty good at pretending to be a large rock.

[The only problem is that Ango's voice hasn't changed at all...]

[liedol]

Oh–!

[ She rocks back a little on those fancy shoes in surprise but of course she doesn't overbalance. It takes a moment for it to really click what she's seeing – but then she bursts into delighted laughter and gives him a round of very impressed applause. ]

You're kidding me! It's just like looking in a mirror! [ it's so totally not like looking in a mirror, but she's got to give him his props. there's a joke to be made here about twins, too – but he's not exactly the audience for that one. ] How long can you keep it up for?

[darknesshotpot]

Not long, maybe a minute or two... I wouldn't even make it through one B-Komachi song, so I've got a ways to go before I can pull off your look.

[He poofs back quickly - while he can hold the transformation for a minute or so, it takes a considerable amount of focus. Even in his own form, Ango's hair is still a shade more purple than it was before, and there are a few stray ruffles left on his clothing that will take a few minutes to fade. It's an occupational hazard of being a writer (or ex-writer, anyway) - it's easy to lose a bit of himself in other people's stories. ]

Not exactly a lot of combat utility in that one, but I bet it's great at parties.

[liedol]

It's a shame you can't pull it off in the real world. I bet you could make a fortune offering to sit in on boring meetings or covering shifts for people.

[ because of course ai's first thought was How Can We Make A Lie About This. she's normal, i promise. ]

I wonder if you could learn how to copy more things, too. I mean, if you're copying how we look, I bet you could try and copy how we move and use our magic, too.

[darknesshotpot]

[Sitting in on meetings and covering shifts sounds way too much like actual work... if Ango could use his powers in the real world, he'd be doing so much illegal shit. He can't exactly say that in front of the DU's superstar representative, though, even if she'd make a great partner in crime.

Lies don't bother Ango at all. If anything, he assumes that everyone is lying all the time about everything. There's no such thing as truth, only pleasant lies that people choose to believe. He's normal, I promise.]

Hey, now that's an idea! Stealing other people's powers sounds shady as hell, I like it!