Story: UY Dream Jumper

It was strangely heartbreaking to watch. Every time Ryunosuke came close to grabbing one of the bubbles, one of the pixies would do something to get it to move. They'd flap their wings or open a window or produce a fan. Anything to keep it away from her.

Not that Ataru was keeping still himself. He'd been dumping bells on top of the pixies, but it seemed like for every one he caught another two appeared out of nowhere. Ah, look there! Ryunosuke was diving for the swimsuit - and was tripped up by a broom handle getting between her legs!

"Boss, boss!" the alligator called, tugging on Ataru's sleeve. "You're forgetting! This is a dream, right? That means it's based on nonsensical logic! You can squish and trap these things all night long, it won't matter a lick!"

He was right. Ryunosuke didn't really want to catch her prize so easily. She wanted to earn it! That meant no matter what he did, she'd reject the scenario and throw those nightmarish imps in there as obstacles. If he wanted to get her to wear something sexy then he had to change this thinking.

"Thanks a lot, little guy," he said, patting the alligator on its snout with genuine affection. "There's only one problem, and that's because there's only one thing I can think to do that'll work here."

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Oh, so close! And again! And again! Ryunosuke didn't cry. She didn't bawl. She just got mad! That was the kinda tough chick she was. All these obstacles getting in her way, keepng her from the girly things she wanted to experience!

Case in point. There was a bubble holding a sailor fuku drifting off down the corridor. It got itself stuck in a corner, so Ryunosuke made a mad dash for it. Then at the last moment, just before she grabbed hold, she treads on a couple marbles or something that weren't there a damned minute ago! Then she trips, stumbles, fumbles and falls out a window, landing flat on her back as the bubbles drift off high, high above her. All that she could do was reach out with an upstretched hand and watch them, forever drifting away from her.

"Ryunosuke, you layabout!" a voice barked. A voice that seriously pissed her off. She hopped onto her feet and found (her perspective) her idiot of a father, the reason she was having to dress like a boy in the first place (our perspective) Ataru Moroboshi with a cheap paper mask over his face. "I didn't raise you to lie on the ground all day long!"

Oh, she had no problem getting to her feet. "Whaddaya want?" she growled. In response her 'father' held out a sailor fuku in much the same manner that a matador waves a red cloak. "Gimme that!"

"More of this foolishness?" her 'father' taunted. He pulled away and skipped off, holding the fuku over his shoulder just like a cape. "Hahaha! You won't ever wear one so long as I'm around! You'll have to beat me first to wear this!"

"Oh, yeah?!" Ryunosuke yelled. This song and dance again! "We'll soon see who has the last laugh!"

She dashed forward, grabbed hold of her 'father' by the scruff of the neck and judo flipped him onto the ground face down. He stayed there. The fuku then drifted down until it landed in her arms.

"Uh...?" she asked, feeling utterly confused. "What? What just happened?"

"You beat me!" her 'father' claimed. "Noooo, the shame of it all! Now that I am defeated there is nothing at all to stop you from wearing whatever you want!"


R-really? That couldn't be right. Could it? Could she have actually done it and... And... beaten him? "You ain't gonna stop me from wearing this!" she yelled, clutching the fuku closely.

"Nope. Not this time!"

Her breathing became more rapid. "I mean it!" she claimed, backing away from him. "I'm gonna wear this! And everyone will see me!"

"Sure, go ahead!"

This wasn't... This wasn't right! He must be playing mind games with her. Trying to trick her into thinking he didn't have a problem with it so she would simply give up! Yeah! That's it! He was a sneak. He was a snake! He'd been beaten and now he was playing his last trump card. Psychological warfare! Hahaha! That wouldn't work on her now! Even if it had been so easy as to be an anti-climax, but still! She backed off inside the building with a smile on her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Finally!" she said with forced enthusiasm. "Finally, I get to dress up like a girl! Yay?"

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Only once Ryunosuke had completely gone inside did Ataru dare raise his head. He'd forgotten he was in a dream world and had been worried his mask had been damaged by the judo throw. Well, he'd remembered after she left so it was something to keep in mind for later on.

"There, that should do it," Ataru said, slipping off the mask and spinning it by its strap around his index finger.

"Do what, boss?" the alligator asked, drifting up next to him.

"Well, so far as I could tell her only real excuse for not wearing anything girly was her old man drilling in the idea she couldn't until she beat him," Ataru explained. "Now that she's beaten him, that subconscious desire ought to disappear. Now she'll wear whatever she wants with no issue."

"Oh, that sounds kinda neat! You did a good thing for her, boss!" the alligator nodded. "Although it does make me worried. Wouldn't doing this outta nowhere like that potentially cause some severe, deep-rooted psychological issues to potentially surface, as she realises that what she consciously desired wasn't necessarily in line with what she subconsciously desired, and/or the experience doesn't live up to the expectations that she'd built up over time?"

Ataru stared blankly at the blue reptile. What had he just said?

But before he could get that answer he heard something akin to a maniacal and extremely female laugh filling up the dreamscape. Then the ground beneath their feet turned dark pink, the sky above a much lighter hue of pink, and everything else took on a rather... Overly exaggerated feminine quality to its design.

"Uh... I'm sure that's nothing to worry about," Ataru said. And then it started to rain. "Nor that." There was a sound like an explosion coming from inside the building, and then a giant hand with painted nails broke through the roof. "That, that may be something to be a trifle concerned with."

1. Damage control time! Can Ataru help Ryunosuke overcome her psychological issues?
2. Meanwhile, Ran's having some fun in her dream.
3. Lum's dream is going out of control and is somehow affecting the dreams of the other girls.
4. Or the reverse of the above: Lum's dream is being affected by the others in some way.
5. Something else.