Beautiful Dreamer | App
Player
Name & Pronouns: Luna (she/her)
Age: 34 at the end of May!
Contact Details: Plurk @![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
Urameshi, Discord @ starsugars#7982 or PM @ ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
starshot!
Canon Info
Canon Name: Hanako (Self-Assumed name)/ Amane Yugi (Real name as a human)
Canon Age: Physically + mentally 13, chronologically 50+ thanks to being a ghost
Canon: Jibaku Shonen Hanako-kun
Character Summary:
(tw for child abuse, murder/fratricide and suicide, because JSHK is a cutesy-looking series that touches on some not-so-cutesy things)
No.7 of the seven mysteriesー Hanako-san of the toilet.
In the third stall from the end of the girl's bathroom on the third floor of the old building...
...You'll find Hanako-san.
She will grant one wish to anyone who summons her spirit.
But in exchange, that person will have to give up something precious.
To summon the ghost, you knock three times...
And thenー
"Hanako-san Hanako-san."
"Are you there?"
Or so the legend goes at Kamome Academy, a school chock to the brim with supernatural rumors and tales. Nene Yashiro, a hapless girl in love with the idea of love and desperate to get her senpai to notice her, decides to try it out herself, and discovers two things:
One: the legend is, in fact, very true.
And two: Kamome Academy's Hanako-san is actually a boy.
It turns out that "Hanako-san" is more of a mantle than an identity, and this particular Hanako-san-- or rather, Hanako-kun-- used to be a middle school student at the Academy well over fifty years ago and took on the title to atone for his sins. Despite not being the stereotypical Hanako-san in appearances and attitude, he's more than happy to help Nene with her wish, albeit with more traditional methods instead of supernatural means. Unfortunately, it all goes sideways, as a frustrated Nene (who was getting zero results) gets her hands on a cursed mermaid scale, accidentally turns herself into a fish by eating it, and she's forced to revise her wish in order to get her body back to (mostly) normal. Hanako "fixes" things by ingesting the other scale to lessen the curse on her body, thus binding their souls and fates together, but his intervention comes at a price (as all deals with supernaturals do)-- she has to pay him back by being his human assistant, helping him with his duties around the school and upkeeping his territory (which is mostly just cleaning the bathrooms, unfortunately).
It turns out that Hanako is the boss and the leader of the Seven School Mysteries that maintain the balance of the living and the supernatural within Kamome Academy, and it's a duty he takes very seriously, despite what his childish and playful demeanor would have others assume. With Nene in tow as his sidekick, they help combat the rumors around the school that threaten to warp and alter the supernaturals' very existence, either by modifying said rumors, neutralizing their powers... or just plain eliminating them (though that's the worst case scenario). Of course, not everyone is thrilled by Hanako's involvement with the otherworldly creatures at the Academy, (namely the resident exorcist brothers, Kou and Teru Minamoto), because... well. Turns out Hanako's a sealed spirit and was actually a murderer in his past life! OOPS.
The boy-who-would-become-Hanako, real name Amane Yugi, seemed to have been dealt a poor hand from the get-go while he was alive: born with a congenital heart defect in an era where medical treatment for such a condition didn't quite exist yet, he wasn't expected to live past his fourth birthday. However, his younger twin brother, Tsukasa, made a deal with a mysterious wish-granting entity in order to heal his sibling, with the steep price of his own life in exchange. Thanks to some (unknown) time loop shenanigans, Tsukasa merely disappeared for six months instead of dying, but it was obvious upon his return that he was no longer the same boy he was before, with the implications that whatever he made a deal with was now riding shotgun in his body and possibly influencing his personality.
Whatever happened between the twins between then and the start of middle school is still unknown, but it's clear by Amane's second year at the Academy that he was being abused-- withdrawing into himself, coming to school with various wounds and having zero friends-- with the signs largely pointing towards Tsukasa as the culprit, despite Amane refusing to reveal who it was. His teacher at the time, Tsuchigomori, was powerless to intervene, knowing through his own abilities to read the future (because SURPRISE, he's supernatural too) that Amane would eventually overcome his hardships and grow up to be a teacher of the subject he loved the best: the stars. However, in a rare act of defying the fates written in Tsuchigomori's books, Amane claims that despite his great desire to travel far, he's decided not to go anywhere, effectively killing his dreams before they even began.
Sometime after that conversation with his teacher, Amane stabs his brother to death with a kitchen knife, before dying shortly afterwards by what's heavily implied to be his own hand. What prompted Amane to kill his twin is currently unknown, but given Tsukasa's words-- that Amane finally stopped "holding back"-- it can probably be assumed that it was a crime of passion rather than anything premediated with malice, though the ghost-that-is-now-Hanako staunchly refuses to use that as an excuse for his actions. It's one of the things he regrets most deeply in his past life, to the point he refuses to mention anything in regards to himself or his past because of the negative associations behind it, and straight-up disassociating or breaking down when directly confronted with it.
With that all said and done, it's clear that Hanako's a complicated kid with a HUGE amount of trauma and baggage to his name, with even Nene saying he was "difficult to understand" and "more trouble than he's worth" (though she still willing to befriend him and care for him despite it all). On the surface, he's a cheerful, outgoing and impish boy, always finding a way to playfully tease others or goof off and inject some fun into situations, even when it's not always appropriate. It can make him come off very troll-ish and flippant (and to be fair, he is a pain in the ass), but he knows when to draw the line at times and sincerely apologize if his actions have hurt someone else, like when Nene got upset at him for faking a love confession towards her. He can be quite affectionate to the people he cares about, clinging and hanging onto them or patting their heads, to the point where he may get too much into their personal space, and it's clear it's a leftover love language from his human days with Tsukasa (though it must be said that he's much, MUCH better than his brother re: boundaries, because... Tsukasa, please, stop being Like That, I beg of you) Despite having a bit of a sadistic streak (like... "playfully" threatening people with his murder knife...) Hanako is kind in his own ways, like retrieving and returning all of the items lost around the school thanks to the Mokke (who are basically the supernaturals responsible whenever you randomly lose a thing), and comforting Nene after she started crying after the previously mentioned false love confession.
But under the happy-go-lucky attitude, Hanako is a mess, and understandably so, given his history. His constant smiles around others are a mask for the guilt and self-loathing he feels daily, and it often leads to times where he's smiling when he really shouldn't be, because he doesn't quite know what expression he should be making otherwise. At best, he self-isolates or sulks when he's upset, usually hiding from others as he sorts out his feelings, but at his worst... oh boy. He bottles up his negative emotions something fierce, refusing others to see into his deeper worries or pains, and ultimately it leads him to make frankly insane decisions (a lot of times without asking the other people involved, much to their detriment and his own), because he feels that he knows best. Some prime examples are wanting to leave Nene behind in a fictional world because it would extend her lifespan (because SURPRISE, the reason Nene could actually summon him to start with was because she was fated to die soon!!), and literally breaking apart the supernaturals' connection to the living world by allowing Nene's friend to be sacrificed in her stead to... also try to extend her lifespan!! He feels it's easier to fall into the role of being a villain because he already is one (as a murderer), but he's short-sighted in that regard because he doesn't take into consideration how the people affected would feel in regards to his actions until they confront him about it head-on. It certainly doesn't put him in a good light to those who already view him poorly due to his bloody past, and the lying and manipulation on his end to do what he thinks is the best course of action doesn't help matters, either.
A question that crops up from time to time throughout the series is whether Hanako is truly good or not, and to be honest... it's hard to say. Hanako is what remains of a cheerful, yet broken down boy who forsook his greatest dreams and desires-- to explore space and become an astronomer-- for a darker, more tragic path, and the purgatory he's bound to hasn't helped things either. Being a supernatural has already warped and skewed his moral compass to an extent (he straight-up admits to being okay if someone was sacrificed because he likes his friends more than people he doesn't know), but remaining stuck within the walls of the Academy for nearly half a century and having little to no human contact has done a number to his mental well-being as well. Hanako's incredibly lonely, especially considering he's had zero friends even BEFORE his death, so the bits of human companionship he's getting now, in the form of Nene and Kou, are important to him to an extent he might not even be fully aware of, even (shyly) admitting to small details about himself (like favorite desserts or festival games) that he wouldn't have before. Granted, he's also more than well-aware that his time with his human companions, especially Nene, is short, and the amounts of self-sabotage he inflicts upon himself-- like avoiding acting upon his feelings towards his assistant or trying to make her forget about their time together-- makes any strides towards curing his loneliness a moot point. It doesn't help matters that his brother's ghost is now roaming the school with his own companions, intent on upsetting the balance of things for his own means, thus forcing him to directly face his dark past more than he has in the past few decades.
... I honestly can't think of a good way to wrap up this section since JSHK is still on-going and there's still MUCH more about Amane/Hanako's past (including the pivotal murder) that's still unknown (and probably won't be known until the end, to be honest), but from the bits and bobs across the 100+ chapters so far, we can piece together a pretty good picture of the titular character so far! (Unless there's another wild twist somewhere along the line, please AidaIro I'm so tired)
AU Info
AU Name: Amane Yugi.
Age: 13
Suitability: He's just at the age cap so I'm assuming he's safe....!!
AU History:
✿ Amane was born and raised in Akabeni with his younger identical twin brother Tsukasa; his family runs a long-standing vintage cafe (aka kissaten-slash-flower shop named Camellia in Moon Bunny Market, which... is admittedly populated with mostly Boomers, and not quite as popular as some of the trendier places in the area, but still chugs on regardless! The store itself has been passed down a few generations, and the boys pitch in occasionally as a means to earn an allowance... although given Tsukasa's more rambunctious nature, Amane's been leaned on as the more reliable one re: making sure the shop doesn't accidentally gets burned down. (They also thankfully have part-time staff, with Finley Baines being one of their employees) Overall, the Yugis are a (mostly) normal, modest, and somewhat busy middle-class family, although they aren't without their own set of drama.
✿ Amane was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was very young, though thanks to the advancements of modern medicineand also being born in 2009 and not 1955, he was able to get treatment and care for it early on, despite it being a terrifying diagnosis for everyone involved. Of course, this also came with the burden of multiple surgeries and treatments growing up (along with a more fragile respiratory and immune system), so his childhood was a mostly lonely one supplemented with lots of books, movies, and other non strenuous activities, with the occasional company and support of his healthier twin. While Amane's condition has fortunately stabilized as he's gotten older, he's still reliant on medications and the frequent doctor visit to make sure he's still okay, and the largely isolated upbringing he's had left him wanting for friends and close connections, but also... incredibly unsure on how to go about it!! (Or whether the effort is even worth it, given the limitations of his health) In short, he's kind of a lonely mess, albeit one who's gotten skilled at covering it up to others around him.
✿ On a side note-- thanks to his long stays indoors and voracious book reading, he's developed a HUGE passion for space/astronomy as a kid and has harbored a dream of becoming an astronaut (or at least something in the field), as well as a love for robotics/engineering and is one of the few things that is guaranteed to get him to open up when asked. He also LOVES spooky tales and urban legends (although ironically is no good with thunder and lightning-- go figure??), and has probably seen more horror movies than he should have as a child.
✿ While no one in the Yugi family had ever Awakened as Dreamers in the past, they were more than familiar with the culture and the concepts thanks to a certain Ai Hoshino-- aka Dreamer Ai-Doll-- who was 1) one of their few frequent patrons who was under the age of forty, and 2) a close family friend. It was joked a few times that if anyone was to Awaken as a Dreamer, it would probably be Tsukasa, due to his fearless, straight-forward nature. It came as no surprise, then, when thanks to the stress and worries throughout his childhood due to his health, Amane was nearly attacked by a Nightmare when he was eight years old, and his brother jumped in to rescue him. What no one anticipated, however, was Tsukasa's sudden disappearance into the Dream Sphere afterwards, saddling Amane with immense guilt and putting more stress on an already burdened family. Thankfully, Tsukasa returned on his own somehow after about a few weeks, with no memories of the incident nor a sandglass to show for it-- though he also came back a bit off, and to this day, no one can quite pinpoint how or why, exactly.
✿ The guilt that came with his brother's disappearance never went away over the years, despite his twin returning safe and sound, and the festering of that (along with his other unaddressed worries) leads to Amane being attacked by the same Nightmare yet AGAIN about four years later, once he started middle school. However... this time, he's frustrated enough to fight back, momentarily letting go of his fears and concerns to finally do something about it for once. And lo and behold, it turns out his family pegged the wrong twin to be destined as a Dreamer, as Amane winds up Awakening as Dreamer Hanako, a stronger, healthier and more durable version of the boy he was back in the Waking World. It doesn't take long for him to realize how much more he can do in this form compared to his weaker condition as Amane, and decides then and there to live his best life by leaning into a more cheerful, playful, mischievous gremlin persona while transformed, compared to the more shy, closed off nerd he was in his normal, day to day life.
✿ ... that said, he very deliberately refuses to talk about his regular self while in the Dream Sphere, and is very intent on keeping his Dreamer life and Waking life as separate as possible. Now that he has a "fresh start", so to speak, he absolutely doesn't want the knowledge of his condition to influence the way other people view him or treat him. Dealing with people fussing or pitying him over his heart most of his life was frustrating enough, but to have to go through that with other Dreamers, who might try to get him to sit out of patrols or battles? No thanks. Thankfully, with Ai having a high position in the DU (as well as being one of his past Mentors), his identity is under pretty good wraps... aside from the fact that he really doesn't look too different in his Dreamer form compared to his Waking form. OOPS.
✿ He's currently in his second year at Fujiwara Junior High (he had the option of Promised Morning, but attending a school specifically for Dreamers would just be asking for trouble re: his secret identity), and is approaching his one year anniversary as a Dreamer! Despite having a bit of a rough start (thanks to another Mentor of his, Dreamer Cinnabar-- aka Cinnabun-- having some... very unique training methods), Hanako's quickly risen to the Experienced rank, and heaven help whatever poor souls might get him as a Mentor themselves 8')
AU Personality:
To get the massive elephants out of the room right away: because Amane is 1) not dead, and 2) not a murderer in this AU, his personality already has some significant changes compared to his original counterpart! While Amane's life isn't nearly as smooth in this universe compared to, say... the canon Picture Perfect AU, it's still miles above what he's had to endure in the series itself. His relationship with his brother is (mostly) functional, and while he still harbors guilt in regards to his twin, he uses it as a motivation to fight as opposed to a cross to bear-- mostly because that guilt doesn't involve killing his sibling!! And despite having a lonely upbringing a good chunk of his life, it doesn't nearly compare to the fifty year isolation and dehumanization that came with being a supernatural entity in canon. Even if he feels like a metaphorical ghost at times, Amane is still alive, and is able to forge bonds and relationships with others without worrying about them living their lives ahead of him. He does still have his reservations about getting too close or vulnerable to people, thanks to the unpredictability of his health, but he still has the option to be able to, which is more than his canon self can claim.
That isn't to say that his base personality traits aren't still the same, though!
By daylight, Amane Yugi is a shy, well-behaved and somewhat quiet kid, a sharp contrast to his more energetic and boisterous twin, Tsukasa. Because of this difference, Amane's been relied on a lot since he was little to be the responsible older brother (especially due to him being the faster learner), and it shows in the way he tends to look after others and keep his own worries under a tight lid. He's a bit serious-minded and quite studious, preferring books over video games (although he will play if offered), and can be quite the nerd about certain topics, like astronomy and robotics. Once eased out of his shell, though, he's a friendly, good-natured person, with a bit of a sly streak and wry sense of humor, and once he's become attached to someone, he can be very devoted to them. Despite his more reserved nature, however, Amane's also still a child in many ways-- he can be petty at times, and be a bit jealous over things, and cry when he's overwhelmed and upset (though the last part he'd probably do alone because we can't have people knowing that he's vulnerable about things!!) Growing up with a chronic illness has given him his fair share of insecurities and anxieties as well, always feeling like an outsider looking in and never quite knowing how to break through.
By moonlight, however, Dreamer Hanako is the complete opposite-- a confident, cheerful, impish pain in the ass for most of those who deal with him. Hanako is Amane's way of letting go of all the expectations and self-imposed responsibilities back in the Waking World, getting to revel in all the mischief and antics he couldn't quite get away with back home. He's playful and somewhat easily bored, opting to go spook other Dreamers or pester them when he's got nothing better to do during patrols, though he'll always opt for the minor inconveniences over anything that could get anyone seriously hurt. He's a bit of a troll with an odd (and sometimes inappropriate) sense of humor, and it's hard to tell at times when he's being facetious or when he's actually earnest about something unless he clarifies (and even THAT could be a misdirect). Despite his goofy attitude, though, he takes his Dreamer duties very seriously, having zero qualms over fighting Torments (and sometimes Nightmares) single-handedly if need be. (Does it look kind of terrifying when his main weapon is a kitchen knife? Yes. Does he care? NO.) He can be practical to a fault when it comes to Torment Hunts, opting to exterminate them right away without digging into the finer details, and he carries over his canon counterpart's tendency to act on his own volition as opposed to discussing things with others (although thankfully not to the same degree as OU Hanako).
Hanako isn't so much an alternate personality to Amane as it is merely parts of him he hadn't felt free enough to express in the Waking World-- Amane has the capacity to be as confident and carefree as his Dreamer counterpart, he just has to discover it for himself. And that's not to say parts of Amane don't shine through while he's Hanako, either! Questionable methods aside, thanks to his book-smart nature in the Waking World, he's actually a pretty good teacher, and despite all of his shenanigans, he does stay within the parameters of the DU's rules too. Keeping his Dreamer life separate from his Waking one will inevitably go sideways-- there's only so long he can keep up the façade until someone will both connect the dots AND call him out on it-- but considering how little differences there are in appearances between forms, maybe there's a part of him deep down that wants to be discovered. Friendships and bonds are a two-way street, and he'll have to eventually learn to open up about his troubles if he'll ever want to form a connection with anybody.
Other AU Changes: Hanako doesn't really refer to people with honorifics in canon (save for a few exceptions), but since that doesn't quite work within the Dream Sphere (and Amane would be too polite to not use them), I figured he'd probably just come up with dumb nicknames for them to reflect the bluntness/informality of it all!
Dreamer Info
Dreamer Title: Dreamer Hanako
Appearance:
(Basically just his Idol AU look, except with a less goth color scheme, more crystals, and cute space thingsand actual pants)
Archetype: Striker
Power Considerations:
Levitation- Can float about one foot off the ground at D rank, with the maximum being four feet when the ability is at full cap. Not so much a fighting skill, but good to help get an extra boost for those bunny jumps and to cushion any nasty falls!
Transparency- Can turn himself invisible for a minute tops at D rank, although not untouchable or undetectable (and can't use it in conjunction with his intangibility ability, either) Can possibly extend the camouflage to other Dreamers as the ability ranks up, along with the maximum time limit (about three minutes at full cap).
Haku-joudai- Two semi-transparent orbs of light that he can summon for long range attacks, with the distance and damage done increasing with rank. Also good for surveillance, though how far they can travel is also affected by rank!
Intangibility- Can phase his whole body through objects, with the fine control (i.e just phasing a limb) improving with rank and possibly extending it to other Dreamers as a means of evasion or escape for short periods of time. Cannot be used in conjunction with his Transparency ability, though could be used in tandem with his Levitation onejust so Hanako doesn't clip through the floor like a bad Fallout glitch
RP Sample: TDM toplevel!
Other Notes:
Me when writing this AU
Name & Pronouns: Luna (she/her)
Age: 34 at the end of May!
Contact Details: Plurk @
starshot!Canon Info
Canon Name: Hanako (Self-Assumed name)/ Amane Yugi (Real name as a human)
Canon Age: Physically + mentally 13, chronologically 50+ thanks to being a ghost
Canon: Jibaku Shonen Hanako-kun
Character Summary:
(tw for child abuse, murder/fratricide and suicide, because JSHK is a cutesy-looking series that touches on some not-so-cutesy things)
No.7 of the seven mysteriesー Hanako-san of the toilet.
In the third stall from the end of the girl's bathroom on the third floor of the old building...
...You'll find Hanako-san.
She will grant one wish to anyone who summons her spirit.
But in exchange, that person will have to give up something precious.
To summon the ghost, you knock three times...
And thenー
"Hanako-san Hanako-san."
"Are you there?"
Or so the legend goes at Kamome Academy, a school chock to the brim with supernatural rumors and tales. Nene Yashiro, a hapless girl in love with the idea of love and desperate to get her senpai to notice her, decides to try it out herself, and discovers two things:
One: the legend is, in fact, very true.
And two: Kamome Academy's Hanako-san is actually a boy.
It turns out that "Hanako-san" is more of a mantle than an identity, and this particular Hanako-san-- or rather, Hanako-kun-- used to be a middle school student at the Academy well over fifty years ago and took on the title to atone for his sins. Despite not being the stereotypical Hanako-san in appearances and attitude, he's more than happy to help Nene with her wish, albeit with more traditional methods instead of supernatural means. Unfortunately, it all goes sideways, as a frustrated Nene (who was getting zero results) gets her hands on a cursed mermaid scale, accidentally turns herself into a fish by eating it, and she's forced to revise her wish in order to get her body back to (mostly) normal. Hanako "fixes" things by ingesting the other scale to lessen the curse on her body, thus binding their souls and fates together, but his intervention comes at a price (as all deals with supernaturals do)-- she has to pay him back by being his human assistant, helping him with his duties around the school and upkeeping his territory (which is mostly just cleaning the bathrooms, unfortunately).
It turns out that Hanako is the boss and the leader of the Seven School Mysteries that maintain the balance of the living and the supernatural within Kamome Academy, and it's a duty he takes very seriously, despite what his childish and playful demeanor would have others assume. With Nene in tow as his sidekick, they help combat the rumors around the school that threaten to warp and alter the supernaturals' very existence, either by modifying said rumors, neutralizing their powers... or just plain eliminating them (though that's the worst case scenario). Of course, not everyone is thrilled by Hanako's involvement with the otherworldly creatures at the Academy, (namely the resident exorcist brothers, Kou and Teru Minamoto), because... well. Turns out Hanako's a sealed spirit and was actually a murderer in his past life! OOPS.
The boy-who-would-become-Hanako, real name Amane Yugi, seemed to have been dealt a poor hand from the get-go while he was alive: born with a congenital heart defect in an era where medical treatment for such a condition didn't quite exist yet, he wasn't expected to live past his fourth birthday. However, his younger twin brother, Tsukasa, made a deal with a mysterious wish-granting entity in order to heal his sibling, with the steep price of his own life in exchange. Thanks to some (unknown) time loop shenanigans, Tsukasa merely disappeared for six months instead of dying, but it was obvious upon his return that he was no longer the same boy he was before, with the implications that whatever he made a deal with was now riding shotgun in his body and possibly influencing his personality.
Whatever happened between the twins between then and the start of middle school is still unknown, but it's clear by Amane's second year at the Academy that he was being abused-- withdrawing into himself, coming to school with various wounds and having zero friends-- with the signs largely pointing towards Tsukasa as the culprit, despite Amane refusing to reveal who it was. His teacher at the time, Tsuchigomori, was powerless to intervene, knowing through his own abilities to read the future (because SURPRISE, he's supernatural too) that Amane would eventually overcome his hardships and grow up to be a teacher of the subject he loved the best: the stars. However, in a rare act of defying the fates written in Tsuchigomori's books, Amane claims that despite his great desire to travel far, he's decided not to go anywhere, effectively killing his dreams before they even began.
Sometime after that conversation with his teacher, Amane stabs his brother to death with a kitchen knife, before dying shortly afterwards by what's heavily implied to be his own hand. What prompted Amane to kill his twin is currently unknown, but given Tsukasa's words-- that Amane finally stopped "holding back"-- it can probably be assumed that it was a crime of passion rather than anything premediated with malice, though the ghost-that-is-now-Hanako staunchly refuses to use that as an excuse for his actions. It's one of the things he regrets most deeply in his past life, to the point he refuses to mention anything in regards to himself or his past because of the negative associations behind it, and straight-up disassociating or breaking down when directly confronted with it.
With that all said and done, it's clear that Hanako's a complicated kid with a HUGE amount of trauma and baggage to his name, with even Nene saying he was "difficult to understand" and "more trouble than he's worth" (though she still willing to befriend him and care for him despite it all). On the surface, he's a cheerful, outgoing and impish boy, always finding a way to playfully tease others or goof off and inject some fun into situations, even when it's not always appropriate. It can make him come off very troll-ish and flippant (and to be fair, he is a pain in the ass), but he knows when to draw the line at times and sincerely apologize if his actions have hurt someone else, like when Nene got upset at him for faking a love confession towards her. He can be quite affectionate to the people he cares about, clinging and hanging onto them or patting their heads, to the point where he may get too much into their personal space, and it's clear it's a leftover love language from his human days with Tsukasa (though it must be said that he's much, MUCH better than his brother re: boundaries, because... Tsukasa, please, stop being Like That, I beg of you) Despite having a bit of a sadistic streak (like... "playfully" threatening people with his murder knife...) Hanako is kind in his own ways, like retrieving and returning all of the items lost around the school thanks to the Mokke (who are basically the supernaturals responsible whenever you randomly lose a thing), and comforting Nene after she started crying after the previously mentioned false love confession.
But under the happy-go-lucky attitude, Hanako is a mess, and understandably so, given his history. His constant smiles around others are a mask for the guilt and self-loathing he feels daily, and it often leads to times where he's smiling when he really shouldn't be, because he doesn't quite know what expression he should be making otherwise. At best, he self-isolates or sulks when he's upset, usually hiding from others as he sorts out his feelings, but at his worst... oh boy. He bottles up his negative emotions something fierce, refusing others to see into his deeper worries or pains, and ultimately it leads him to make frankly insane decisions (a lot of times without asking the other people involved, much to their detriment and his own), because he feels that he knows best. Some prime examples are wanting to leave Nene behind in a fictional world because it would extend her lifespan (because SURPRISE, the reason Nene could actually summon him to start with was because she was fated to die soon!!), and literally breaking apart the supernaturals' connection to the living world by allowing Nene's friend to be sacrificed in her stead to... also try to extend her lifespan!! He feels it's easier to fall into the role of being a villain because he already is one (as a murderer), but he's short-sighted in that regard because he doesn't take into consideration how the people affected would feel in regards to his actions until they confront him about it head-on. It certainly doesn't put him in a good light to those who already view him poorly due to his bloody past, and the lying and manipulation on his end to do what he thinks is the best course of action doesn't help matters, either.
A question that crops up from time to time throughout the series is whether Hanako is truly good or not, and to be honest... it's hard to say. Hanako is what remains of a cheerful, yet broken down boy who forsook his greatest dreams and desires-- to explore space and become an astronomer-- for a darker, more tragic path, and the purgatory he's bound to hasn't helped things either. Being a supernatural has already warped and skewed his moral compass to an extent (he straight-up admits to being okay if someone was sacrificed because he likes his friends more than people he doesn't know), but remaining stuck within the walls of the Academy for nearly half a century and having little to no human contact has done a number to his mental well-being as well. Hanako's incredibly lonely, especially considering he's had zero friends even BEFORE his death, so the bits of human companionship he's getting now, in the form of Nene and Kou, are important to him to an extent he might not even be fully aware of, even (shyly) admitting to small details about himself (like favorite desserts or festival games) that he wouldn't have before. Granted, he's also more than well-aware that his time with his human companions, especially Nene, is short, and the amounts of self-sabotage he inflicts upon himself-- like avoiding acting upon his feelings towards his assistant or trying to make her forget about their time together-- makes any strides towards curing his loneliness a moot point. It doesn't help matters that his brother's ghost is now roaming the school with his own companions, intent on upsetting the balance of things for his own means, thus forcing him to directly face his dark past more than he has in the past few decades.
... I honestly can't think of a good way to wrap up this section since JSHK is still on-going and there's still MUCH more about Amane/Hanako's past (including the pivotal murder) that's still unknown (and probably won't be known until the end, to be honest), but from the bits and bobs across the 100+ chapters so far, we can piece together a pretty good picture of the titular character so far! (Unless there's another wild twist somewhere along the line, please AidaIro I'm so tired)
AU Info
AU Name: Amane Yugi.
Age: 13
Suitability: He's just at the age cap so I'm assuming he's safe....!!
AU History:
✿ Amane was born and raised in Akabeni with his younger identical twin brother Tsukasa; his family runs a long-standing vintage cafe (aka kissaten-slash-flower shop named Camellia in Moon Bunny Market, which... is admittedly populated with mostly Boomers, and not quite as popular as some of the trendier places in the area, but still chugs on regardless! The store itself has been passed down a few generations, and the boys pitch in occasionally as a means to earn an allowance... although given Tsukasa's more rambunctious nature, Amane's been leaned on as the more reliable one re: making sure the shop doesn't accidentally gets burned down. (They also thankfully have part-time staff, with Finley Baines being one of their employees) Overall, the Yugis are a (mostly) normal, modest, and somewhat busy middle-class family, although they aren't without their own set of drama.
✿ Amane was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was very young, though thanks to the advancements of modern medicine
✿ On a side note-- thanks to his long stays indoors and voracious book reading, he's developed a HUGE passion for space/astronomy as a kid and has harbored a dream of becoming an astronaut (or at least something in the field), as well as a love for robotics/engineering and is one of the few things that is guaranteed to get him to open up when asked. He also LOVES spooky tales and urban legends (although ironically is no good with thunder and lightning-- go figure??), and has probably seen more horror movies than he should have as a child.
✿ While no one in the Yugi family had ever Awakened as Dreamers in the past, they were more than familiar with the culture and the concepts thanks to a certain Ai Hoshino-- aka Dreamer Ai-Doll-- who was 1) one of their few frequent patrons who was under the age of forty, and 2) a close family friend. It was joked a few times that if anyone was to Awaken as a Dreamer, it would probably be Tsukasa, due to his fearless, straight-forward nature. It came as no surprise, then, when thanks to the stress and worries throughout his childhood due to his health, Amane was nearly attacked by a Nightmare when he was eight years old, and his brother jumped in to rescue him. What no one anticipated, however, was Tsukasa's sudden disappearance into the Dream Sphere afterwards, saddling Amane with immense guilt and putting more stress on an already burdened family. Thankfully, Tsukasa returned on his own somehow after about a few weeks, with no memories of the incident nor a sandglass to show for it-- though he also came back a bit off, and to this day, no one can quite pinpoint how or why, exactly.
✿ The guilt that came with his brother's disappearance never went away over the years, despite his twin returning safe and sound, and the festering of that (along with his other unaddressed worries) leads to Amane being attacked by the same Nightmare yet AGAIN about four years later, once he started middle school. However... this time, he's frustrated enough to fight back, momentarily letting go of his fears and concerns to finally do something about it for once. And lo and behold, it turns out his family pegged the wrong twin to be destined as a Dreamer, as Amane winds up Awakening as Dreamer Hanako, a stronger, healthier and more durable version of the boy he was back in the Waking World. It doesn't take long for him to realize how much more he can do in this form compared to his weaker condition as Amane, and decides then and there to live his best life by leaning into a more cheerful, playful, mischievous gremlin persona while transformed, compared to the more shy, closed off nerd he was in his normal, day to day life.
✿ ... that said, he very deliberately refuses to talk about his regular self while in the Dream Sphere, and is very intent on keeping his Dreamer life and Waking life as separate as possible. Now that he has a "fresh start", so to speak, he absolutely doesn't want the knowledge of his condition to influence the way other people view him or treat him. Dealing with people fussing or pitying him over his heart most of his life was frustrating enough, but to have to go through that with other Dreamers, who might try to get him to sit out of patrols or battles? No thanks. Thankfully, with Ai having a high position in the DU (as well as being one of his past Mentors), his identity is under pretty good wraps... aside from the fact that he really doesn't look too different in his Dreamer form compared to his Waking form. OOPS.
✿ He's currently in his second year at Fujiwara Junior High (he had the option of Promised Morning, but attending a school specifically for Dreamers would just be asking for trouble re: his secret identity), and is approaching his one year anniversary as a Dreamer! Despite having a bit of a rough start (thanks to another Mentor of his, Dreamer Cinnabar-- aka Cinnabun-- having some... very unique training methods), Hanako's quickly risen to the Experienced rank, and heaven help whatever poor souls might get him as a Mentor themselves 8')
AU Personality:
To get the massive elephants out of the room right away: because Amane is 1) not dead, and 2) not a murderer in this AU, his personality already has some significant changes compared to his original counterpart! While Amane's life isn't nearly as smooth in this universe compared to, say... the canon Picture Perfect AU, it's still miles above what he's had to endure in the series itself. His relationship with his brother is (mostly) functional, and while he still harbors guilt in regards to his twin, he uses it as a motivation to fight as opposed to a cross to bear-- mostly because that guilt doesn't involve killing his sibling!! And despite having a lonely upbringing a good chunk of his life, it doesn't nearly compare to the fifty year isolation and dehumanization that came with being a supernatural entity in canon. Even if he feels like a metaphorical ghost at times, Amane is still alive, and is able to forge bonds and relationships with others without worrying about them living their lives ahead of him. He does still have his reservations about getting too close or vulnerable to people, thanks to the unpredictability of his health, but he still has the option to be able to, which is more than his canon self can claim.
That isn't to say that his base personality traits aren't still the same, though!
By daylight, Amane Yugi is a shy, well-behaved and somewhat quiet kid, a sharp contrast to his more energetic and boisterous twin, Tsukasa. Because of this difference, Amane's been relied on a lot since he was little to be the responsible older brother (especially due to him being the faster learner), and it shows in the way he tends to look after others and keep his own worries under a tight lid. He's a bit serious-minded and quite studious, preferring books over video games (although he will play if offered), and can be quite the nerd about certain topics, like astronomy and robotics. Once eased out of his shell, though, he's a friendly, good-natured person, with a bit of a sly streak and wry sense of humor, and once he's become attached to someone, he can be very devoted to them. Despite his more reserved nature, however, Amane's also still a child in many ways-- he can be petty at times, and be a bit jealous over things, and cry when he's overwhelmed and upset (though the last part he'd probably do alone because we can't have people knowing that he's vulnerable about things!!) Growing up with a chronic illness has given him his fair share of insecurities and anxieties as well, always feeling like an outsider looking in and never quite knowing how to break through.
By moonlight, however, Dreamer Hanako is the complete opposite-- a confident, cheerful, impish pain in the ass for most of those who deal with him. Hanako is Amane's way of letting go of all the expectations and self-imposed responsibilities back in the Waking World, getting to revel in all the mischief and antics he couldn't quite get away with back home. He's playful and somewhat easily bored, opting to go spook other Dreamers or pester them when he's got nothing better to do during patrols, though he'll always opt for the minor inconveniences over anything that could get anyone seriously hurt. He's a bit of a troll with an odd (and sometimes inappropriate) sense of humor, and it's hard to tell at times when he's being facetious or when he's actually earnest about something unless he clarifies (and even THAT could be a misdirect). Despite his goofy attitude, though, he takes his Dreamer duties very seriously, having zero qualms over fighting Torments (and sometimes Nightmares) single-handedly if need be. (Does it look kind of terrifying when his main weapon is a kitchen knife? Yes. Does he care? NO.) He can be practical to a fault when it comes to Torment Hunts, opting to exterminate them right away without digging into the finer details, and he carries over his canon counterpart's tendency to act on his own volition as opposed to discussing things with others (although thankfully not to the same degree as OU Hanako).
Hanako isn't so much an alternate personality to Amane as it is merely parts of him he hadn't felt free enough to express in the Waking World-- Amane has the capacity to be as confident and carefree as his Dreamer counterpart, he just has to discover it for himself. And that's not to say parts of Amane don't shine through while he's Hanako, either! Questionable methods aside, thanks to his book-smart nature in the Waking World, he's actually a pretty good teacher, and despite all of his shenanigans, he does stay within the parameters of the DU's rules too. Keeping his Dreamer life separate from his Waking one will inevitably go sideways-- there's only so long he can keep up the façade until someone will both connect the dots AND call him out on it-- but considering how little differences there are in appearances between forms, maybe there's a part of him deep down that wants to be discovered. Friendships and bonds are a two-way street, and he'll have to eventually learn to open up about his troubles if he'll ever want to form a connection with anybody.
Other AU Changes: Hanako doesn't really refer to people with honorifics in canon (save for a few exceptions), but since that doesn't quite work within the Dream Sphere (and Amane would be too polite to not use them), I figured he'd probably just come up with dumb nicknames for them to reflect the bluntness/informality of it all!
Dreamer Info
Dreamer Title: Dreamer Hanako
Appearance:
(Basically just his Idol AU look, except with a less goth color scheme, more crystals, and cute space things
Archetype: Striker
Power Considerations:
Levitation- Can float about one foot off the ground at D rank, with the maximum being four feet when the ability is at full cap. Not so much a fighting skill, but good to help get an extra boost for those bunny jumps and to cushion any nasty falls!
Transparency- Can turn himself invisible for a minute tops at D rank, although not untouchable or undetectable (and can't use it in conjunction with his intangibility ability, either) Can possibly extend the camouflage to other Dreamers as the ability ranks up, along with the maximum time limit (about three minutes at full cap).
Haku-joudai- Two semi-transparent orbs of light that he can summon for long range attacks, with the distance and damage done increasing with rank. Also good for surveillance, though how far they can travel is also affected by rank!
Intangibility- Can phase his whole body through objects, with the fine control (i.e just phasing a limb) improving with rank and possibly extending it to other Dreamers as a means of evasion or escape for short periods of time. Cannot be used in conjunction with his Transparency ability, though could be used in tandem with his Levitation one
RP Sample: TDM toplevel!
Other Notes:
Me when writing this AU