OPEN ✿ June Catch-All

[hanamane]

⭐ Who: Amane and YOU
⭐ When: Throughout June
⭐ Where: Moon Bunny Market (namely @ Camellia), Riverwalk Theater, Dream Sphere (Slumbering City and N E W L O C A T I O N)
⭐ What: PLANT GAYS, Kaiju movies, Hanako being sulky about missing Dreamer-versary things and a Completely Normal Dreamer bonding trip gone horribly, terribly wrong
⭐ Warnings: Possible mentions of chronic illness in meta text, spiders, Dream Sphere death by miasma poisoning; will update with top-levels and further warnings if need be!

Comments

Kaiju Movies (Sometime in June)

[hanamane]

[If you're passing by Riverwalk Theater, maybe on your way home from Promised Academy or even the Cat Cafe, you might see a dark-haired boy lingering in front of the numerous Teki-Terra promo posters outside. He's still in his school uniform-- definitely not the PA one, but those with a keen eye can probably tell it's from Fujiwara Junior-- and he's twisting his backpack handles in his hands as he paces, a 90's Teki-Terra keychain hanging from one of it's straps, clearly agonizing over something as he mutters to himself.]

Ugh, why is this screening so late...?? Maybe I can convince Mom and Dad to let me go by myself, and-- no, they're gonna make me take Tsukasa, and there's no way, not after the last time...

[He pauses his pacing to slump dramatically against one of the walls of the theater, as if being closer to these posters might magically help him find a solution to his dilemma.]

But... the original Teki-Terraaaaaas... on the big screeeen... with MERCH...

[THE PAIN IS SO REAL RIGHT NOW]

[considergun]

[This is a whole lot of Not Ei's Problem, but for some reason the despairing muttering makes him pause anyway.]

...What, is it that good?

[hanamane]

[Normally, Amane probably would have been embarrassed to have been caught muttering like this, especially by a boy near his age-- no one likes to be seen talking to themselves, after all! But the audacity of this guy's question is enough to unlock The Nerd in him, and he pushes himself up off the wall a bit indignantly.]

Is it that go-- Are you kidding me? This movie's like a triumph of old-school special effects! Do you know how much work they put into it back in the day to make it look as convincing as it did? CGI in this day and age could never!

[considergun]

Whoa-- I get it already. One of those cult classic hits... I'm not much of a movie buff. [Gotta get a different 13 Sentinels kid in here for that.] But I guess I can appreciate good craftmanship.

[hanamane]

[Some of his Nerd Rage evaporates a little at the other boy's concession, and he pulls his eyes away self-consciously, mumbling a little as he replies:]

I mean... I'm not much of one either, but you don't have to be in order to see how ahead of it's time this thing was, y'know?

[He glances back over, a bit of disbelief coloring his expression.]

Have you really never seen Teki-Terra before, though? Not even the reboot films? They're like... everywhere.

PLANT GAYS (June 9-11)

[hanamane]

[While Camellia was nowhere near a big or popular enough shop to justify having a stall at Yumemigaoka Pride, that didn't mean they weren't going to do their part to cater to the community! Anyone strolling along Moon Bunny Market before or after the event in the park-- be it to grab some snacks, meet-up with friends, or whatever-- might spot a cute little table outside the florist/cafe, with a small array of various Pride flag cacti pots set upon it. Can't find your particular flag? There's more inside, with the counter piled with plant-themed LGBTQIA+ stickers and keychains-- along with another little table being supervised by a certain co-worker to paint your own if you feel up for it!

Amane, on his end, is keeping an eye on the outdoor table, clad in a surgical mask and looking every bit the brooding teenager as he slumps in his chair. He doesn't seem to be making much of an effort to draw people in, but for the ones who do, to investigate the pots or peek over at the workshop, he tries to give them his attention-- until another nasty coughing fit takes over, leaving him a little short of breath. Welp. We know what the mask is for now, at least.]

S... Sorry, did you-- were you looking for something, or...?

[thezekeinator]

I have no idea!

[Diplomatically, Zeke ignores that terrible coughing fit as he leans on the table to look at the wares.]

Never certain just what to get to show support around this time. Any recommendations?

[hanamane]

[If the coughing fit didn't have Amane choking before, Zeke's sudden appearance sure does now, hastening to straighten himself up out of reflex. He's definitely seen this guy around before-- not quite in the DU offices, since Amane avoided those like the plague, but he was hard to ignore over in the Dream Sphere (and Ai's no doubt told him stories, too). Thankfully, the mask provided Amane with more identity protection than usual, but... what were the chances a DU bigwig would stop here of all places??]

U-Um... [He makes an attempt to clear his throat, to ease his nerves a little] I've heard there's a flag for Allies, but I'm... not really sure we have anything with that on it right now, so maybe... just a regular rainbow pot? Or keychain, we got a lot of those, too.

[Finley for sure knew more about LGBT culture than Amane did, but he was already busy enough working on painting the pots that he didn't really want to bug him about it right now. But hopefully it was a close enough answer?]

[thezekeinator]

['Hard to ignore' is a good description from a guy who can be heard shouting 'BRINGER OF CHAOS!' from halfway across the Dream Sphere. His average office getup is way too subdued (and distinctly spoiled by him still wearing an eyepatch).]

A keychain! That'll work great. I can hang it off my lanyard while I'm in the office.

[A lanyard would be better! But who's going to be picky about what's being offered? ]

[hanamane]

[Lanyards probably would have been a smart thing to have in stock, considering the amount of office workers around, but... alas, they couldn't really find any with a good plant motif, and they had to stay on theme! However...]

Ah... we do have bracelets and pins, too, if you think that'll work better with your lanyard. Or stickers, but that might block your ID or something, so that's up to you.

[Amane might be under the weather at the moment (physically and emotionally), but he still knew how to push product when it counted!!!]

I guess it depends on the kind of office you work in, though? [AS IF HE DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW]

[liedol]

[ There may be a sizable plot in the Reverie Necropolis dedicated to plants Hoshino Ai has killed, but even with her admittedly impressive talent for murdering innocent houseplants in their plots, cacti are relatively easy to keep alive and she's feeling confident enough in her lack of failure to try picking up another one today. Or, well, that's the plan anyway – she'd meant to ask for a suggestion as to which one she should pick up but what comes out instead is– ]

Amane-kun! [ An admonishing what do you think you're up to young man sort of voice. ] You should be in bed with a cough like that!

[hanamane]

[Of all people he expected to pass through this weekend, he certainly didn't think Ai would be one of them-- after all, with her performance at the festival, he figured she would have been too busy prepping or relaxing afterwards to pay them a visit. And, honestly? He was fine with that-- after that disaster of an Excursion, he was smarting too much emotionally to want to talk to anybody about it, her included. After all of his big talk back in the Dream Sphere, he went and got two people seriously hurt, one of which who was his new Trainee. How could he look her in the eye after that? He wasn't sure if she already knew the full details, given how high up in the DU she was, but...

Her admonishment leaves him flushed and somehow even more sulky, and he pointedly avoids her gaze as he readjusts his mask a little.]

I-I'm fine. [And, if on some ironic cue, another coughing fit takes hold, though it's thankfully less intense than the last one-- not that it helps his defense any.] I don't... I don't have a fever or anything, and it's not like I'm doing much here, anyway.

[Which is probably more reason for him to go back to his room, honestly, but he'd spent enough time there since the incident that he just needed a change of scenery to try to get his mind off of things. (Not that it was really working at this point, unfortunately]

[liedol]

Then that's all the more reason for you to be resting!

[ honestly it's a good job he pre-empted her about having no fever because going by the urgent way she whips off her shades to get a better look at him, she's not that far from scruffing him like a cat to take his temperature and make sure. ]

It's not really cold season, is it? And you've never had allergies like this...

[ Jiiiiiiiiiiiiii. She's staring at him hard enough to burn a hole through his mask. ]

So what's wrong?

[hanamane]

[Amane's been through this song and dance enough in his life to know when to let people know when he was actually seriously ill, so the fact he's being as blasé about it as he was right now is... rather telling, honestly! He slumps further into his seat as she fusses over him, feeling more and more wretched the further he goes. It was one thing to give her grief through stupid, harmless pranks and teasing, but it was another thing entirely when she was so genuinely concerned over his well-being. He can practically feel those eyes of hers boring a hole into him as she stares him down, and he could lie to her, he's done it before and he could do it again...]

I said, it's nothing. It's just--

[... but he can't. Ai was the only person he could talk to in the Waking World right now who probably would fully understand the situation he was in. Sure, he gave the Cliff Notes explanation to his parents, to his brother, to assure them he wasn't coming down with something again, but... they weren't Dreamers. They didn't know the weight and the pains that came along with it.]

... it's just a Dreamer thing. That's all.

[His voice is barely a mumble, both from the reluctance of admitting that much, and also out of fear someone might eavesdrop. The area was fairly empty, so it wasn't all that likely, but it never hurt to be cautious regardless.]

Slumbering City (June 1st or so)

[hanamane]

[You may be just arriving in the Dream Sphere, about to coordinate with some other DU members or getting ready to go on a patrol and-- wait, is that some weird, gloomy sort of Torment in the corner over there??

... nope, false alarm, it's just Dreamer Hanako, who's very clearly not sulking and manifesting a dreary aura around himself!! Not at all!!

No matter how close or far you are, though, it doesn't matter-- the moment you pass by him, his head snaps up, his large, golden-yellow eyes boring a hole into you in the most childishly resentful stare he can muster.]

... so? How was your great, awesome, Dreamer anniversary? Was it fun?

[A beat, and then:]

I can't believe you guys ate a dragon without me.

[IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TRULY UPSET ABOUT, HANAKO???]

[flatcola]

You'll manifest something horrible with a mood like that.

[ Maybe, maybe not, but when Dreamer Mind periodically drags herself into working with lots of other people the last thing she needs are these rotten vibes. ]

I stayed out of most of that anyways.

[hanamane]

[Her warning only gets him to pout further, huffing a bit indignantly as he mutters:]

Good. You guys can feel my grudge for days, then.

[Not that it was the DU's fault that he got sick the day of the celebration, nor did he realistically expect them to reschedule such a huge event for someone as minuscule as he was in the scope of the organization. But he was still cranky about it, nonetheless, and the FOMO of it all was making him particularly petulant.]

But you still went, didn't you? I mean-- they had donuts! Donuts that made you FLY! Why would you miss out on that??

[flatcola]

...alright, well, I'm not one to turn down free donuts anyways, so go ahead and curse us all over that.

[ She honestly doesn't even care about flying. ]

Then go get some donuts for yourself or something.

[hanamane]

[Considering Hanako can float, it's not so much the flying part he cares about in this instance, either, but rather the novelty of it all. At Mind's suggestion, however, he just slumps in on himself further, his petulance giving way to despondency.]

They wouldn't be the saaaaaame.

[He knows he's whining, and it's not the most attractive of things, but he was upset, darn it!]

Were the party donuts good, at least? You said you had some, right?

Spoopy Scary Skeletons - June 5th Excursion (Shinsha + Jackie)

[hanamane]

[While Hanako's been on a number of Excursions in his brief time as a Dreamer, June's been shaping up as a lot of firsts for him. His first as an actual chaperone, (alongside his former Mentor, Ai-Doll), and now his first time actually leading one of these things, as a Mentor himself, no less!

... well, okay, maybe it was a bit premature to call it a Mentorship just yet-- Mantle's been a Dreamer for much longer than he has, and seemed to know their way around the Dream Sphere pretty well, from what he could tell. But they didn't quite know how to fight, and if Hanako's quick graduation was anything to go by, he could certainly teach this other Dreamer a thing or two about how to hunt Torments. Plus, they could goof off and have some fun exploring some of the hidden locations in this place while they were at it! It was a win-win situation!

Hanako's waiting near one of the train stations on the outskirts of the city, feet dangling off the platform edge as he idles by. Once he spots a familiar orange figure in the distance, however, he leaps off of it, hovering above the water submerging the tracks and excitedly waving in their direction, making sure he remembered to use his English as he calls out to them.]

MAAAAAAANNY!! ♪ This way, this way!

[But his excitement quickly diminishes as he spots yet another figure approaching as well, their black and red uniform impossible to ignore in the pastel hues of this world. He blanches, an odd contrast to his very candy colored Dream attire, and he can't suppress the flash of panic that crosses his face.]

GEH-- W-What're you doing here?!

[CINNABUN SHOCKED HIM SO MUCH HE REVERTED BACK TO JAPANESE]

[hgs]

You're a Mentor now, aren't you? You'll be busy training that one....

[Cinnabar's English pronunciation is as sharp and meticulous as their Dreamer uniform. They incline their head towards Mantle, letting crimson hair fall over their face so they don't have to make eye contact, but the floating amoebas of mercury surrounding them pulsate anxiously and betray some of their unease.]

...so you'll need extra backup if you're venturing into an unknown region, obviously. Don't get careless now that you have a little bit of experience, Hanako.

[It's a sensible justification that does nothing to explain why Cinnabar is there right now, of course, but they hope that Hanako won't think too long on that. The truth is enough to bring an almost imperceptible flush of color to Cinnabar's pale face: they were worried about him.

The last time they'd gone on an Excursion together, back when Hanako was still relatively new to the Dream Sphere, they only encountered mid-level enemies... but Cinnabar was so unaccustomed to fighting alonside other Dreamers that they'd accidentally covered their own student in toxic mercury. It had taken all their strength to drag Hanako to safety, but all their strength simply wasn't enough to reverse the effects of the poison. That was when Cinnabar had sworn off mentorship for good. At least now they had a chance to do something worthy of a mentor, and make sure that their former student's first time leading an Excursion went as smoothly as possible.]

Besides, I'm acquainted with Mantle.

June 25 - Riverwalk Theater

[hgs]

Mission accomplished.

[Shinsha allows themself a small smile of satisfaction as they take their seat in the main auditorium of the Riverwalk Theater, although the smile is hidden behind a face mask. They had to line up hours before the theater opened to secure a good spot in the merchandise line, but the effort paid off: Shinsha has managed to secure the Teki-Terra and Mecha-Teki-Terra plush toys produced exclusively for the promotional event. They don't usually collect toys - growing up in an orphanage, any personal possessions were liable to be "borrowed" by other children and returned grubby and broken (if at all) - but they have fond memories of watching the old Teki-Terra films on an ancient VHS player until the tape finally wore out. It's been years since they've seen the original 70s versions. There was a DVD box set of the 90s reboot trilogy at the orphanage too, but despite what some fans claim, they are not "practically the same thing."

The theatre steadily fills with people, many dressed in Teki-Terra t-shirts and homemade cosplay, until most of the seats are full. Even though the movie isn't scheduled to start for a while, it seems that the hardcore fans arrived early to show off their vintage merchandise and participate in the trivia contest out in the lobby. For a few minutes Shinsha thinks they might be able to enjoy the rare luxury of being next to an empty seat... but then someone starts squeezing their way down the row.

Someone familiar. Amane.

It's been over half a month since the failed Excursion and the lingering cough has finally faded, but the memory is still uncomfortably fresh in Shinsha's mind. It's their fault that the Excursion went so poorly... if they'd been more alert, more prepared, they would have seen that spider monster coming and squashed it into paste. They were better equipped to resist the miasma than anyone else, so they should have been able to protect everyone... The only consolation was that Cinnabar was ejected from the Dream Sphere first, so they didn't have to see Hanako and Mantle succumb to poison. Again.

Hurriedly, they adjust their mask and try to hide behind their hair. Amane can't possibly know Shinsha's Dreamer identity, so if they just stay quiet for the next few hours, they should be able to avoid any awkward conversation. With any luck, Amane won't even recognize them now that they aren't wearing a school uniform (ignoring the fact that Shinsha is one of the only natural redheads in Yumemigaoka.)]

[hanamane]

[It took a lot of begging, a lot of pleading, a lot of compromises and agreements to take on extra chores and shifts at the store, but Amane was finally here. It might have been less of a hassle to get his parents to agree to this if he had taken along Tsukasa, but given the way his brother behaved in movie theaters... he just couldn't risk it. Not for something as big as an original Teki-Terra movie marathon!! It did feel a bit weird going to something like this by himself, this late in the evening, but... it was also exciting! And cool! It was a taste of independence, at least outside of the Dream Sphere, and it was neat to lurk around and see what the other fans were up to, even if he didn't quite have the confidence to join in with them yet.

It was his father who introduced Amane and his brother to the series (being a huge fan of the 90's version himself and wanting to get his boys hooked on it), and it had become something of a comfort series to him during those long stays at the hospital. It wasn't until his mother forgot to bring the DVD after one particular procedure that he wound up stumbling upon the 70's version on the internet instead, and something about it lit up some sort of flame in him. Was it the classic special effects? The puppetry? The simpler story but more compelling characters? Whatever it was, it left him obsessed, and he'd amassed quite the small collection ever since. He still had a soft spot for the 90's version, of course (and it was easier to find merch for), but if anyone asked, he'd always argue that the original was superior just by technical feat alone.

So naturally, he had to get those exclusive plushies himself as well (even if the line took FOREVER, and they had already sold out of the mini figurine he wanted for his desk), and he's feeling very pleased with himself indeed as he picks his way down the row, his precious goods tucked into his special Teki-Terra kigu hoodie. Thankfully the seats were reservation only, so he just had to find his number and settle in, and--

...oh.

He nearly drops his churro-flavored popcorn at the sight of the person in the seat next to his, feeling like they'd just seen a ghost. What were they doing here?? It couldn't have been some sort of joke-- Amane was convinced Cinnabun had zero sense of humor-- and they were sitting alone, so it's not like they came with a group...

... right. Well, they couldn't just stand there gawking, because it'd just look suspicious. For all they knew, Amane was just the kid they saw at the flower shop every so often, not... the boy who had blindly led them into danger after putting too much confidence into his own skills. If he had paid more attention, had a better strategy, he probably could have warned Cinnabar about the incoming monster... but instead, he got all of them killed, and stuck them with that nasty cough in the Waking World to boot. The fact that Shinsha was still wearing mask made him wonder if it was still bothering them... he hadn't seen them stop by since the incident (not that he wanted to have seen them anyway, not with his own guilt), so maybe it hit them harder than the others.

Clearing his throat a little, he moves to sit into his seat, before offering Shinsha a small, awkward smile. It's not like he particularly wanted to speak to them, but it would look weird if he pretended not to recognize them, especially given how often they visited Camellia.]

Um... hey! Funny seeing you here. I... uh. Haven't... seen you stop by recently...?

[Someone take him back to that cursed Dream location and kill him again PLEASE, why is he doing this to himself]

[hgs]

Right... it's been a while... um, I've been busy with gardening club activities lately... you know, it's, uh, weeding season...

[They'll take another spider monster over this awkward conversation, PLEASE...

With their plan to go unnoticed foiled so quickly, Shinsha sighs and pulls down the face mask. Even though the miasma poisoning has long faded, they've enjoyed being even more invisible in the waking world these past few weeks.]

...I didn't know you were a Teki-Terra fan.

[Most of the people in the theater are in their 30s or older - old enough to have seen the reboots when they first came out, or old enough to have grown up watching the originals. Apart from the families with small children, Shinsha and Amane are among the younger members of the audience. But they can see the heads of the same Teki-Terra plushies they bought peeking from the pockets of Amane's kigurumi hoodie... he must have spent at least an hour waiting in line to get them. That's a level of dedication that Shinsha can respect.]

[hanamane]

Oh... yeah, I... guess that's true? [Actually, he was sure weeding season was usually earlier in the spring, but... he wasn't about to poke holes into Shinsha's excuse and make things even MORE awkward than they already are at the moment.] I'm sure the Academy has... um. Really big gardens...

["Really big gardens"? Amane knew he wasn't the best conversationalist at times, but even that was a new record of bad for him. He does his best to sink into his seat, clutching his popcorn a little closer to his chest and wondering how much time was left until the film. At least they wouldn't have to talk while the movie was going...

But then Shinsha says that, and it's like a switch automatically turns on, getting him to sit up a little straighter with the exciting prospect of getting to gush about something he loves. His eyes light up and a smile automatically crosses his face, all awkwardness and tense feelings momentarily forgotten as he grasps this opportunity to Nerd Out.]

Yeah!! Our dad used to show us the reboot films like-- all the time when we were little, so I practically grew up on it. But the classic ones are so much better! They redefined the kaiju genre, and we wouldn't even have those reboot movies if it wasn't for all the work they put into the original...!

[He conveniently leaves out the hospital details, of course-- Shinsha didn't need to know about that. When it came to what he was passionate about, though, Amane was nothing but devoted, be it waiting for ages for special plushies from his favorite films or babbling endlessly on his favorite subjects. That said... he does have some degree of self-awareness, and when his eyes fall upon the same Teki-Terra toys nestled in Shinsha's chair, all the awkwardness starts rushing back in. Cheeks flushed, he settles back down, clearing his throat a bit self-consciously as he pointedly avoids their gaze.]

U-Um... but... I didn't know you were a fan, too. I guess not a lot of kids our age are, though...

["Our age" was probably a generous term, given the four year age gap between them, but... hopefully Shinsha knew what he meant.]