Talk of dreams and an invitation

[ACSR: Tokiwadai Junior High]

"Good Morning!"

"Hello Misaka. Hello Shirai."

Joule was walking beside Saten when the girl had noticed their friends. They were heading in the same direction to get to school.

As Misaka turned back to greet them, a thought occured to Joule. How had they encountered one another?

Yesterday, Hokaze had been running the wrong way to get to Tokiwadai but she shouldn't have needed to run by her at all.

Tokiwadai was inside the School Garden, as were the dorms. Unless she was forgetting something, there should be no reason that Misaka and Kuroko would need to walk this way as they should just be following a path straight from their dorms to their school. They would have had to leave the School Garden to get here and-

Joule just decided to stop worrying about it. They probably had a reason. Maybe Shirai had needed to check by her judgement office in the morning and Misaka had come with her for some reason.

Regardless, her focus was broken when Saten tapped on her shoulder. She was talking to Misaka but it seemed she wanted Joule to hear about it too.

"So? How'd your indian poker card experience go?"

Misaka turned away after Saten asked that question, her face a mix of emotions before turning to a frown.

"It was pretty much the worst dream I've ever had in my entire life."

Ah.

"Isn't Orange meant to be for happy dreams though?" Joule asked "Or was it miscategorised?"

Misaka shivered again and Joule shook her head.

Saten meanwhile was checking her phone for a moment before she spoke up again.

"I looked into them some more and they actually say they're really useful for sleep learning. Someone can experience the dream of someone who knew english and learn it in a single night. Or you could use the dream of a pro bowler and learn their techniques."

"That..." Joule hesitated "Sounds off somehow. The brain doesn't really process information like that unless you force it too."

It was something she'd needed to look into while creating her songs.

"You know the old legend about listening to tapes while your sleeping?" Joule explained "It's only partially true. It can allow you to learn what a thing is but not how to do something."

"What does that mean?" Saten asked, a look of confusion on her face.

Joule thought about it for a moment before she began to explain "During the type of sleep that causes dreams, outside information can get stored similar to when you're awake. However, only some things are stored and it's about as reliable as a normal person recalling a dream."

Misaka was thinking more at that point "But the memories from last night, I still have clear memories of the card?"

Joule hesitated again but shrugged "I don't know what the card is really doing. It's meant to affect your mind's electrical signals right?"

Saten nodded "That's what was in the rumour."

"Then by best guess is that, if the rumours of learning in your sleep are true, the card is something like a testament or... Probably something closer to the level upper."

The group got quiet at that, they'd had a lot of experience with those things in the past after all.

"Maybe we should look into them more." Misaka mentioned.

Soon after that though, Saten saw Uiharu and she and Joule crossed the road to join her.

The school day went fairly calmly. GV was there for once, apparently he was waiting for a contact for that missing person case and they were likely to be available after school.

At lunch though, Joule got a phone call.

"Hello?"

The caller ID had said Misaka and indeed it was her voice that spoke back.

"Hey Joule, sorry for interrupting your lunch."

"It doesn't really matter." Joule commented as she took a small bite of a rice ball "What is it?"

"I was invited to a tea party by Hokaze and she said that you could come too." Misaka explained "It'll be after school."

Hokaze? She sure was seeing her a lot since Daihase.

"Do you know why she asked for me?"

"No clue." Misaka admitted "It worries me a bit actually. I don't think it's anything bad but..."

It seemed like she didn't entirely trust the offer.

Joule shrugged, Misaka obviously couldn't see it of course but it was the thought that counted, and answered "Sure, I don't see why not. Where will it be?"

Misaka gave her directions, there was a little café in the school garden that it was going to be held at and Joule noted it to memory.

As lunch finished, Joule explained to the others what Misaka had said and asked which buses went down to the school garden again. Uiharu got her a list and once school ended, she set off.

It ended up taking two buses to reach the café. One to get her close to the School garden and one to get her in. Apparently the buses for school garden were laid out strangely.

She was really thankful that her friends normally did this instead.

She needed to sign in and finally she was back in the very european section of Academy City.

Lumen reminded her of the address Misaka had given her and she set off.

[ACSRT: My Genius Ability]

...This was not what she had expected.

Misaka and Hokaze were here as expected but Misaki was here as well.

The two level 5s both looked very frustrated.

As Joule sat down in the last free chair, she asked "Umm, why?"

The honest question drew a sigh out of the two girls as Hokaze raised her hands "I thought this might be a chance to deepen your friendships. With me and Joule here as mediators."

"Not a chance." Both level 5s commented at once. Misaka did throw Joule an apologetic look as she said it though.

Joule could kind of see the point though. Both level 5s had a trusted friend who's ability was similar to their rival. Hokaze's Ramage Dress was similar to Misaka's electromaster while Joule's telepathy was similar to Mental out.

Honestly, Joule agreed with Hokaze that it would be better if the two of them got along but-

"If I may ask." Joule raised a hand slightly "How did you two become rivals in the first place."

Misaki looked away and Misaka's frown deepened as the latter explained "I was just walking down the hall one day when she turned around a corner and we both stopped. I was about to complement her when she suddenly doubles over and begins yelling at me, telling me to stay out of her sight."

Joule and Hokaze turned to Misaki who was looking away with a frown. They expected her to speak, to explain. Joule hadn't taken her as the type to react so aggressively without a reason but-

"BLAU, it's an honour to meet you!" A voice yelled out from behind a fence. All of them turned to look but none of them could see through the wood at the man beyond. The name was familar though. It was the name Saten had told them about. The highly skilled Dream Ranker!

End of chapter.

The tea party will continue next part, I just wanted to end it here for now.

You may see that I changed the tea party's discussion slightly to referenece chapter 132.5 of the manga. In context this tea party takes place in chapter 72. That's a big bit of foreshadowing... or backshadowing as I was quoting a flashback inside a chapter inside of an arc that happened before Joule even came to Academy City.

Oh, and in case I forget while writing: It's the 27th and Hokaze knows where she's going after the tea party, Uiharu hasn't left yet to go treasure hunting. This was just to help my timeline of this arc and this day specifically. And yes, I am being vague in attempt to not spoil you.

A lot of things happen on the 27th,