[There's no denying that one of Amane's main motivations to being a Dreamer was the sheer freedom of it all-- getting to discover and explore new places, reveling in the strength and capabilities of his new form, and generally thriving in the vast endless possibilities. But if that was the only thing that was driving him, treating the Dream Sphere like his personal candy-colored playground, then he wouldn't have graduated nearly as fast as he did. It was his desire to protect that gave him the courage and grit to face down all the nasty monsters in his path-- to protect this new life, to protect the others fighting alongside him, and to protect those in the Waking World from becoming victims like Tsukasa did. Despite his trollish antics indicating otherwise, he really did want to keep others safe, especially those who relied on him to do so-- so it made this failure a much more bitter pill to swallow.
So he sits there, quietly, absorbing Ai's words like a sponge, not daring to speak lest his voice betrays his emotions again. Everything she says, logically, makes sense-- it's trial and error, after all, and astronomy itself was built off of people continually building and improving upon mistakes. But, emotionally... will he have to deal with this sort of guilt and heartbreak every time he screws up in the Dream Sphere now? If he had a weaker resolve, this would be the time to question whether he was cut out for this life-- but for as much as this hurt, Amane knew he could never give it up. Not over this.
It's that last line that hits him the hardest, however, wrenching a tiny, choked back sob from the back of his throat. He feels that arm of hers draw him in for a hug, and, after a moment's hesitation, he lifts up his head and carefully rests it upon her shoulder. There's a half-hearted attempt to scrub off any tears still threatening to escape with the heel of his hands, pushing his mask askew in the process, though there's no hiding the red-rimmed, puffy eyes that peek out from underneath his choppy dark bangs. Maybe he was still just a kid after all, one who needed a hug and a reassuring word from someone who truly understood after a particularly hard day.]
... guess I really am coming back to you for help this soon, aren't I? Thought it'd be another few months, at least.
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So he sits there, quietly, absorbing Ai's words like a sponge, not daring to speak lest his voice betrays his emotions again. Everything she says, logically, makes sense-- it's trial and error, after all, and astronomy itself was built off of people continually building and improving upon mistakes. But, emotionally... will he have to deal with this sort of guilt and heartbreak every time he screws up in the Dream Sphere now? If he had a weaker resolve, this would be the time to question whether he was cut out for this life-- but for as much as this hurt, Amane knew he could never give it up. Not over this.
It's that last line that hits him the hardest, however, wrenching a tiny, choked back sob from the back of his throat. He feels that arm of hers draw him in for a hug, and, after a moment's hesitation, he lifts up his head and carefully rests it upon her shoulder. There's a half-hearted attempt to scrub off any tears still threatening to escape with the heel of his hands, pushing his mask askew in the process, though there's no hiding the red-rimmed, puffy eyes that peek out from underneath his choppy dark bangs. Maybe he was still just a kid after all, one who needed a hug and a reassuring word from someone who truly understood after a particularly hard day.]
... guess I really am coming back to you for help this soon, aren't I? Thought it'd be another few months, at least.