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

[ Bright and warm – that's the sort of smile Ai favours him with, a warm and sunny spot instead of her usual scorching spotlight. Looks like, for all his attempts to escape this sincere moment she's gone and gotten him stuck in!! ]

You've made some really good progress. And so fast, too! As proud as I am, it almost makes me a little sad to see you taking flight all on your own so soon.

[ Before he can protest, Ai reaches out and gently pats his head, just the way she does with Ruby and Aqua – or well, Ruby and the vanishingly few occasions Aqua will let her get away with it. ]

But I am proud. You've worked really hard and you earned this. But just remember you can still come back to me for help or anything else you need, any time you need it. Even if I'm not your Mentor anymore, I'll always be your senpai.

[Despite being at an age where talking about his softer feelings made him feel embarrassed, Amane certainly wasn't against shows of affection himself, and Ai's motherly gesture is, in fact, a welcome one. The tips of his ears and cheeks flush a dusty pink, and yet he doesn't try to squirm away, quietly accepting the head pat and soaking in her words like a sponge. Everything she said was the truth-- he really did put in the work, the extra effort to prove to himself and everyone around that this wasn't some sort of cosmic fluke, and it had paid off in spades. But to hear it from Ai herself... it felt extra gratifying somehow, like a warm ray of sunshine after a rainy, cold day.

Of course, Amane was still a teenage boy, and he can't help but give her a teasing grin, intent on wiggling out of emotional sincerity to the very end.]

Haha... are you saying you're going to be lonely without me around? That's not like you, Senpai.

[Though even with that, he knows he's stuck in a moment that he can't fully get out of, and so he'll give her this much, at least. His eyes dip to the glitter-dusted ground, voice low and a bit soft as he finally speaks up again.]

... I know, though. But... I don't think there's ever going to be a time where I won't need you, so you don't really have to worry about that.

[After all, he may have somehow speedrun his way from Novice to Experienced Dreamer in about a year, but Ai still could run miles around him in terms of knowledge and expertise. Confident as he might pretend to be over on this side of the Dream Sphere, there was still so much that was new to him here, and Amane had the feeling he was probably going to be occasionally clinging onto Ai's metaphorical apron strings for at little while yet.]

Of course I will. [ sometimes just Saying The Nice Thing is even more effective and potent teasing than dancing around it. ] And I'll be so much more bored without a little troublemaker to keep an eye on. So you'd better make sure you don't run off by yourself too often, okay?

[ Not that she'd let him get away with it. She may be an honorary aunt but don't think for a second that she doesn't have him on her Mom Radar right there with Ruby and Aqua. ]

But... say you were thinking about running off...

[ Ai-Doll gives him a grin. ]

What sort of place do you think you'd want to explore first?

[Hanako (wisely) refrains from mentioning that there were bound to be other mischievous and troublesome Dreamers down the line for her to watch out for, because... well, that wasn't really her point, was it? It was this particular pain in the butt she was going to miss having around, and while he half-heartedly whines something unintelligible at her request (what was the point of being an Experienced Dreamer if he couldn't go off to do cool things all the time??), he still appreciates the sentiment nonetheless.

That question, however, catches him off-guard, and he takes a moment to think, his eyes drifting towards the large expanse of sky above them. The answer was already on the tip of his tongue, but the voice that comes out is quiet and a bit tentative.]

Somewhere... like the moon, maybe?

[Definitely not a "maybe", it's a surefire "YES", from the bottom of his heart-- but somehow this question was leaving him feeling a bit shy. It's not often people directly ask him about what he's interested in, or what he'd like to do, and it feels like exposing a bit of himself by saying this much as it is. Granted, for as long as Ai's known him, she was probably already aware of the things he liked, so maybe he shouldn't feel so self-conscious about it, but--]

Or... I guess anywhere like outer-space would be good, too. Like a star! Or a planet no one's discovered yet. [A beat, and then:] But that kinda describes most of the stuff we find on Excursions, doesn't it?

[And, of course, Hanako starts to do what he does best, which is hiding his vulnerabilities under a layer of Goofy, and he places a finger to his cheek as he continues on, rocking back a little on his heels.]

Oooooor maybe something real spooky, like out of a horror movie? I wouldn't mind fighting some Torments in a haunted school or creepy castle. Oh! A place made of sweets would be awesome, too! Especially if the monsters were made out of donuts!

[HANAKO DO NOT PROPOSE EATING THE TORMENTS, OH MY GOD]

You've already got it all planned out, huh?

[ She says that fondly and warmly, watching him chatter away with an expression that isn't quite pride but something like it. It's never that Ai forgets how hard things had been for him when he was younger – that kind of stress isn't something you ever just forget – but she's reminded of it so strongly now, watching him bob around under his own power and talk about all the places he wants to go. He's gotten so much stronger in the Waking World and even more so here that she really can't help but believe that he really will be able to go any of the places he sets his heart on going.

For all the trouble and strife that comes with being a Dreamer... Ai thinks it might all be worth it for moments like this. ]

I think if you ate too many sweets and treats over here, you'd still end up with an awful stomach ache. Especially if they were fighting their way back out of your tummy. [ this is not the first time hanako has come out with some serial killer sounding shit and she knows it won't be the last by a long shot ] Outer space sounds a lot more fun to me.

[The day he doesn't randomly say some extremely out of pocket shit is the day people should be concerned, tbh-- though to his credit, he does look briefly horrified by the prospect of one of these theoretical creatures pulling an Aliens-esque maneuver on his stomach, and he instinctively puts a hand upon there out of reflex.]

GEH-- okay, that's a good point. They'd probably taste kinda weird, anyway...

[His face lights back up at Ai's preference for space, however, and it's like a switch turns on, gesturing excitedly as the words start to spill out of him.]

Right? Just think about it-- every star out there probably has dozens or more planets around it, with climates and atmospheres we've never even dreamed of before! I mean... they just discovered a planet that rains rubies and sapphires! Can you imagine what else could be out there? It's incredible!

[OH NO YOU GOT HIM IN NERD MODE NOW, AI.... though it does go to show how comfortable he is around her that he doesn't even bother to hide his love for astronomy like he would around others here, happy to babble about his passions without a care. Though it's easy for him to go on about the places he wants to visit and see-- he's had a whole childhood of hoping and (for lack of better word) dreaming of the impossible things he had wanted to do, no matter how mundane, and somehow, beyond logic, it was all starting to come to fruition.

Given Ai's indulgent tone of voice, though, she also probably knew as much... and so Hanako clears his throat, trying to reign in his over-eagerness a little.]

Um... but what about you, Senpai? Is there a sort of place you've always wanted to explore around here?

Hmm, I wonder...

[ She says it with a grin that makes it clear that the answer is yes but that she's going to play a little coy about giving it anyway. Not for any reason – not because it's embarrassing or anything like that, but because she's Ai and that's what Ai does. At least when she pulls this on Amane, it's just something playful between senpai and kouhai, anyway. ]

I wouldn't say it's one place in particular... I guess since I've been exploring so much since I awakened, I've seen a little bit of everything. Or well, it feels like everything sometimes! But that's why it's so much fun exploring with my trainees – maybe I've seen some of it before but to you guys it's all brand new. It's like getting to see it with fresh eyes all over again. But if I did have to pick...

[ She trails off and her smile goes a little wistful. ]

I'd really like to see some of it with Aqua and Ruby.

[Ah, so they were playing that game now, were they? Amane almost expected as much-- Ai was a master of never quite giving anything away, and honestly? He could learn a thing or two from it, especially when people got too nosy with him about the non-Dreamer aspects of his life. He eyes her as she answers-but-not-really answers, ready to whine that it wasn't what he asked--

But then she finally admits to that, and it's like everything goes still. Hanako's quiet for a long moment, before he finally sets his feet back to the ground, gently nudging her shoulder with his own.]

... you never know. Stranger things have happened before.

[After all, no one had expected Amane to be the one in the family to Awaken first, and here he is now, giving everybody headaches!! Genetics and talent had no say in who became a Dreamer or not, but there was a part of him that hoped, regardless, that those two would make it over here someday to give them more time to be together. There was, of course, a childish and selfish part of him that didn't want for it to happen, either-- he liked the attention that came with being her sole Dreamer kiddo (even if not by blood), and he knew if her own kids ever joined in, her focus would be more on them and not him, and he wasn't really sure if he wanted that. But knowing how happy it'd make Ai to have her children here... how could he not wish for that for her?

Because Hanako is uncapable of keeping a serious moment going for long, however, he then proceeds to set his head against her shoulder, pretending to dramatically wipe away a tear as he adds:]

But what'll you do if Aqua claims he's too much of a big boy to be going on adventures with you, though? He's getting to be that age, after all...!

[AS IF AQUA'S NOT LIKE THREE OR FOUR YEARS OLDER THAN HIM ALREADY.....]

[ 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.

[There's something about that laugh that makes him wonder, for a moment, whether he tread on something delicate by accident. It was Ai's usual laugh, of course, but it felt... different somehow. Perhaps it was his age (and with it the inability to yet fully grasp the larger, darker nature of this life), but the notion of the Hoshino twins being put into danger just to be with her hadn't even crossed his mind. Of course, that was how he had Awakened, and countless others before him, but... somehow that didn't even occur to him that would be the same for Ai's children too, should they ever become Dreamers.

So, very much ignorant to the turmoil in his Senpai's heart, he straightens back up, removing his head from her shoulder as he does so (and probably leaving some remnant glitter there too, that lil shit)]

Oof, yep, that's true. Ruby would probably manifest a whooooole lot of Torments in grudges alone if she got left out. And I don't even want to think about Aqua...

[That boy could be super intense sometimes!! And no doubt any creatures his bad feelings would spawn over here would be nasty. Hanako cackles a little at her plan to win Aqua over, however, knowing full well it would work like a charm.]

You could even tempt him with a personal duet! Ah... not that he seems like he's all that into the dancing stuff, but he'd definitely make an exception for you, at least.

[He slips his hands into his pockets, idly toeing at the sparkling dust on the ground (what did these manifest from, anyway? A fear of microplastics?), moving for the sake of moving... until he pipes up, tone deceptively innocent:]

Hmm... Senpai, the stuff Torments leave behind... it's not really toxic is it?

[... Hanako. Hanako, what are you planning--]

Edited 2023-06-21 13:35 (UTC)

You can just imagine it, right? A whole herd of Torments all spawning out of pure jealousy and all the complaining about whoever got left behind making their job harder...

[ See? When she says it like that, isn't it a funny joke?

Casually dusting off her shoulder (and all that glitter onto his head), she jumps at the chance to change the topic. Too much vulnerability today!! ]

I've ever heard of anyone getting sick... but I also can't say I've ever really tried messing with it. What've you got up your sleeve, huh?

[Yes, too much vulnerability!! There's been a distinct lack of staying silly here, and they need to rectify it immediately. So the moment Ai asks him that question, he immediately has an answer at the ready, barely batting an eye as he replies:]

Glitter bombs! ☆

[The absolute lack of shame in his voice when he says that, oh my god--]

I mean... those guys went and had a big ol' party without us around, so I was thinking, maaaaaybe we can get a little revenge of our own? Just a little, though.

[Amane, it was not the Union's fault that you got sick and she went on vacation when the Dreamerversary happened, just let it go already]

[ Should she be encouraging this behaviour? Absolutely not, especially not given how much trouble Hanako gets into as it is. But does she actually plan to intervene? ]

Ohh, do you really think you could pull that off? I'd never thought of trying to make anything like that from what gets left behind...

[ of course not. ]

How would you make sure it doesn't disappear when you go back, though?

Mmm... I guess I can put some of it in my pockets, and just... throw it at folks? [Pocket sand, but make it sparkle] It's not like I'm going to the actual offices or anything any time soon, so as long as I can get it out of this place, I think it could work.

[Because unless he pulls an Ai Hoshino himself and goes into the real world DU building in a hat and shades, he's pretty much blowing his cover by stepping in there, so any and all revenge had to happen while he was in the Dream Sphere. Though that does beg the question whether anything on his person while he was here last time disappears when he comes back again-- all the battle damage to his outfit usually gets repaired when he returns, so presumably things get reset to a degree, but...]

Or!! I can just roll around in it and throw myself at people instead!

[Like a cat running around the house covered in flour, but instead of a cat, it's a 90 pound boy dusted in glitter °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° Whether he's serious or not is... debatable, but BOY does he look thrilled at the idea of being a walking sparkle menace]

Hmm... [ Ai makes a point of looking him up and down, gauging his height and overall Troublemaking Boy Size. ] That's probably not the best idea for a whole lot of reasons but most of all...

[ She brushes a little glitter off his hat, where it was just... sitting in a pile... ]

Most people around here who see something small and sparkly diving at them are gonna think it's a Torment. You might end up getting smacked around before people realize what's going on.

[ It would not be entirely undeserved, given that this would be A Prank In Process, but still. ]

[He sneezes as Ai sweeps off some of that build-up on his hat, the sparkly debris swirling up in little clouds as it drifts back down onto the ground. There is no doubt going to be some inexplicable glitter dust in Amane's bed for WEEKS once he wakes up from all of this, but... STILL. Worth it. A part of him wants to point out the irony of that statement of hers, when he's only really a centimeter smaller than she is these days (an incredible feat, when he's still one of the shortest boys in his middle school class!!), but he's gonna set that aside for the more important matter at hand here:]

Soooo... you're saying the pocket sand is the better idea, then?

[... no. That's not what she's saying AT ALL???]

I'm saying that if you're going to prank people on this side, you'd better be ready for the consequences.

[ So she's not encouraging this behaviour but she's also... NOT... not encouraging this behaviour........ ]

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

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