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

[ With the chaos of Golden Week and the anniversary celebration behind them, things at the DU have settled... mostly back to normal. You know, as normal as you can ever expect a place like the DU to get. It's into this relative normalcy at the DU office that a familiar face comes swanning in her usual incognito gear and with a big smile. With a bit of a flourish, she whips off her sunglasses and – ]

Surpriiiiiise! Did you miss me? [ it's not a surprise. she was due back at work today. but let her have a LITTLE fun. ] You would not believe how perfect the weather was out there – I got a little tan, can you see? Ooh and don't worry, I brought back souvenirs!

[ And with that, she starts unpacking her bag onto her desk and steadily piling up more and more... and more... sweets all the way from Hokkaido. D–did she seriously try and get enough for the entire office??? ]

So? What did I miss? Who got in the most trouble while I was gone?

[ Back to work doesn't just mean flitting around the office, of course – the most important part of a Dreamer's job is the whole... dreaming thing. It's in the name! So as soon as she's settled and caught up on everyone's business, Ai makes her way over to the other side. As much as there is to catch up on here, surely there's even more on the other side.

You'll usually catch Dreamer Ai-Doll in the Slumbering City, doing her usual work of making sure nothing's afoot with any newbie Dreamers. If you're looking particularly worried or out of place, then you might find yourself set upon in a well-meaning way by a very enthusiastic Ai-Doll. ]

It's a little overwhelming to start with, huh? Don't worry, you got this!

[ ... Or maybe you're out in one of the outlying locations and facing some particularly nasty Torments – maybe even a Nightmare! Whether you're struggling or managing to hold your own, you'll see a sudden flash of light strike your enemy like... a spotlight? Once the light hits them, the enemy's attention suddenly whips away from you over to Dreamer Ai-Doll, who's illuminated by a similar plume of radiance. ]

Sorry to barge in. But right now, you're duetting with me!

[When most people are thrown off by Ai, it's usually because they're starstruck. There might even be some of that in Maki's blink and half-second stare, just because it's Ai. You don't shrug someone like that off so easily. But the immediate, room-filling aura of someone who not only managed to make it in show business but became a top star and gets to do what she loves... Well, it fills Maki with things she doesn't like to think about.

But that's not fair to Ai, so she just smiles and waves from where she's fixing someone's computer.]

Well, I saw some poor sap get chased up a tree at the anniversary. [Maki shakes her head and laughs.] Glad you had a good time out there.

If that's all that went wrong, it's a big step up from last year! I had bruises up and down my arms from that display coming down for weeks...

[ Put like that it's uh, not really any wonder she decided to adios out of there and take a vacation this time around.

Bag mostly unpacked, Ai scoops up a little bundle of food and hurries over to Maki to start making snack deliveries. ]

And this one's for you! [ She hands over a bulging pack of fancy rice crackers in a few different flavours. ] I wasn't sure what sweets you'd like but then I thought – if it's Maki-chan, you can't go wrong with rice!

For real? Thanks.

[She takes the rice crackers and looks the pack over before setting it down on her desk.]

Everyone missed you around here, but you gotta take a break some time. Did you seriously get something for everyone at head office?

[ Dreamer La Pucelle pauses in the middle of a crowd of suddenly distracted Torments her own attention momentarily caught. Incredible.....A beacon from heaven?

No, it appears to be a Dreamer's magic. La Pucelle gathers her wits, figures out what sort of spell this must be, and salutes her fellow Dreamer with her sword. If this person keeps the Torments distracted, then she can wipe them out from behind, one by one - ]

[Hark! A Newbie Dreamer! He's out and about without his senpai around, for better or worse, trying to practice his powers. He's working on balance as he jumps around, summoning and dismissing his shield, which seems to be a slightly different shape each time, and summoning a breeze with his palms.]

[He's looking very serious about it all and not paying enough attention, clearly, because Ai-Doll is able to walk right up to him. Maybe he expects a more familiar face, but he certainly doesn't expect the famous Dreamer-Idol of the DU to greet him. Personally. Within arm's reach. Smiling at him with that encouraging look and her little fangs.]

[Like any true idol fan, he loses his absolute goddamn shit. He yelps and drops his shield, which bounces into his sandglass and lands against his gauntlet again as he stumbles, bowing at the waist to be polite and to hide how red his face is.]

Thank you! I'm doing my best!

[Help.]

[After getting thrown about the Dream Sphere a week or two ago, Rhodonite has been a little disheartened about her ability to keep up. So, she's been trying to push herself to improve. That, in turn, brought her to the Slumbering City to train today again. There are enough Dreamers running around this area, consistently enough, that she doesn't feel horribly threatened. In danger if she gets complacent, sure, but not actively threatened. Exams being over helps.

So, she's here alternating between taking on the occasional Torment when she finds one, and trying to get better with her magic - she feels like she's on the cusp of something new. Right now her bass is to hand, and she's channeling magic through it as she plays, searching within herself for that little feeling that keeps escaping her-

-when that voice hits her and everything just. Goes out the window, her arms falling to her side. Was. Was that. That can't be-]

Aaaaaaaaaaa-

[Pardon her. Lisa.EXE has stopped responding. Temporarily incapable of words. No, stop, reboot, turn around-]

Y-y-yes! I... I'm still getting used to things, but I want to improve! I, um, ah... I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to someone so cool, aaaaa-

[Lisa, honey. You're supposed to keep that part on the inside.]

Not everyone. Or at least not everyone personally. I did my best to make sure there'd be enough to go around. That way, nobody gets to complain if I'm playing favourites a bit.

[ Not that getting something for Maki is exactly 'playing favourites'. Ai just thinks it's wise to keep herself in the good books of the girl who carries the entire IT infrastructure of this office on her back. ]

It's nice to hear I was missed, though! To be honest [ She Is Literally Lying Right Now ] I got a little bit lonely when I was out there as well. Vacations are fun, but there's really no place like home.

Edited 2023-05-27 19:48 (UTC)

[ Ai-Doll returns a cheery, double-peace salute – not overtly enough to redirect any attention back to the younger girl, but as a quick show of encouragement. She's got this! ]

And now I've got your full attention... let's start the show!

[ A Torment instantly rushes in to try and grab hold of her, but Ai-Doll spins and steps so elegantly out of the way you could be tricked into thinking she really was fighting instead of dancing. Even without the magic she's using, it's hard to keep your eyes off her. It's just the sort of distraction you need to deal with Torments...! ]

[ It's been a good few years of getting this sort of response when she goes ahead and – let's call it what it is – jumpscares one of the newbies, but it still tickles her every time one of them gives her such a good reaction. Especially when it's one of the (many) teens who are so much taller than her. A healthy reputation really makes up for a lot, huh? ]

Heehee, you don't have to be so formal with me. [ She's just going to politely pretend that whole fumble with his shield did not happen..... for his mental health..... ] We're all on the same side, right? We can afford to be a little more relaxed.

[ Not that she expects that to ever actually work, but hey. She gave it a shot. ]

You're still getting used to moving around, right? I was watching for a little bit before I came over.

[ Despite all her fumbling, Ai-Doll just smiles at her encouragingly.

(It takes a truly concerning amount of professionalism for the smile to not break into a laugh) ]

We all had to start somewhere! Knowing you want to improve's always a good first step. And it's always nice seeing people take the initiative and give training a shot even when their Mentors aren't around! So you get a gold star on that front from me.

[ As if all this isn't bad enough, Ai-Doll leans in a little so she can take a proper look at Lisa's bass, ooh-ing and aah-ing the whole time. ]

Ooh and is this your weapon? I haven't seen anyone with a real instrument in such a long time!

[ And La Pucelle intends to make the most of it. The Torments she's closest to, she hacks down with her sword - those crowding towards Ai-Doll, she targets with a swing of that sword that releases a barrage of doves made of light.

Did she get all -

No! There's a cluster sneaking up - ]

Behind!

[ She leaps towards the Torments, not content merely to warn. Please, Lord, let her make it...!! ]

[She laughs and shakes her head.] Glad you had fun, though. You take any of your friends with you out there?

[She might have preferred being laughed at! Still, the reassurance... mostly helps. Rhodonite does sheepishly correct Ai-Doll on one thing, though:]

Ah, I don't. Have a Mentor? I haven't done that much with the Union yet. But thank you for your praise... [There's a pregnant pause where Rhodonite clearly wants to add something else, but gives it up after a moment. Internally, she's trying to decide if Ai-Doll is enough of a senpai to call her that (or something even more extreme!), but she'll. Come back to that. Other problems first. She shakes her head slightly.] I had a battle the other day I'm not satisfied with, and I want to get better.

[The examination of her weapon is perhaps worse - she can at least be proud of it, given she owns a real bass guitar that looks a lot like it on the other side, but it's still...] At least I don't have to depend on my magic to tell me how to play. I'd be doomed. Not that I'm very good, but it's enough for this side. [A small, wry smile.] I'm no professional.

You JUST missed the biggest storm of the year.

Also a huge public facing DU event, but I'm sure that was just a coincidence.

[Ben does not think that was a coincidence.]

Nope! Just me myself and I. Sometimes you need a little time by yourself to recharge. Saves a little money when it's just one person, too!

[ One person not counting Ruby and Aqua, obviously. The entire reason she took a whole-ass month off in the first place was to spend as much of it with them as possible – and if it means skipping out on actually doing her job over Golden Week and the anniversary then that's a necessary casualty. ]

What about you, Maki-chan? It's been a while since you were out on vacation last – did you do anything for Golden Week?

You guys all managed totally fine without me though, right? I was so confident you'd knock it out of the park, you didn't need me to hang around and be here.

[ Ai gives him her Prettiest And Most Innocent Smile. Come on, you can't be mad at her when she's practically got puppy eyes like that, can you? ]

Besides! This was everybody else's time to shine. Isn't it polite to give up the spotlight now and then?

[ La Pucelle's cry rings out just in time – with her focus on the other girl, Ai-Doll doesn't seem like she's fully aware that she might have been about to get set upon. But at the last moment, she takes a delicate flurry of steps just to the side, making a perfect opening and leaving the Torments vulnerable. Was she really as in trouble as it might have looked for a second, there...? ]

Just one last push and we've got this covered!

Ooh, you don't, do you? [ Ai absolutely, definitely does not have the time or energy to take on more trainees than she currently has already but it would be a lie to say she didn't think about it for at least a second. ] It's definitely worth looking into if you want to improve! I know it doesn't exactly work for everyone but take it from me – if you have a Mentor you really get along with, it makes things a lot easier!

[ It's funny to look back and remember when she'd been in Rhodonite's shoes – or close enough, anyway. She'd been unsure of everything, frightened of even more and it'd only been the comfort of a steady and reliable presence that had kept her grounded long enough for her to start learning.

Not that she thinks any of them would actually believe that if she told them. ]

I don't think you have to be a pro when it comes to something like this, though! If it came over to the other side with you, it must mean it's something you're passionate about. I think that's cool!

[ She finally lets up on her examination of the bass and instead goes back to favouring Rhodonite with that encouraging smile. ]

What sort of music do you play with it over here?

Some how, people were more interested in meeting Dreamer Ai-Doll than meeting Dreamer Saber, but I persevered.

[He literally can’t, even when he knows damn well it was all on purpose. It’s a problem. Goddamn puppy eyes. Time to scan over the startling array of candy and baked goods rather than continue to make eye contact.]

[ How light on her feet this Dreamer is. Could it be...La Pucelle has encountered someone very skilled?!

All the better. Undaunted by keeping such excellent company, she adjusts her grip on her sword. ]

Yes!

[ I'm....pretty sure holy crosses aren't meant to be formed out of light around a sword and then fired like a cannon, but try telling that to La Pucelle. ~~THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS THEE, TORMENTS!~~

So yeah, she's taking advantage of that opening to clear this area. ]

Wah -- you're back!

[Look at that gleeful delight on Zeke's face! He immediately shoves the accordion file he's carrying onto the nearest person without bothering to ask permission, zipping over almost as fast as if he were in the Dream Sphere.]

Looking fabulous and bringing candy? The Dreamer Union is finally back to where it should be again!

Worked, mostly. Worth it for the holiday pay. [She shrugs with a smile.] Most I did was get a new rice cooker. Work went decently well, though. Only weird thing here was some kid fresh out of her first dream came in declaring she had to lead the DU herself to "save Yumemigaoka." Tourism department, now that's where all the fires were. I'd bet everyone in this office was probably jealous of you getting all that time to relax.

I guess it's good that she's coming into things motivated but... maybe not that motivated.

[ Then again, who knows? In Dreamer terms, Ai was more or less a nobody when she first turned up at the DU and it was only thanks to the kindness of people who took her under their wings that she'd been able to spread hers in turn. Suddenly, she's a little curious about this girl... ]

Did you hear who she was?

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

May 22nd - Dreamer Union

Last week of May - Dream Sphere

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slumbering city;

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