[Video] A Nightmare's Curiosity

[phobophage]

[A tortured stasis shrieks from the Vine, accompanied by vague shadowy impressions of a face in the mirror, with red eye glowing. The video quickly cuts out. A while later, it resumes, showing an empty backdrop of the Gardens before cutting out again. Finally, the video returns and stays, showing an oddly monochrome teenager

Comments

<s>Deeeee</s> Deiiiiii

[hotshot_momma]

You seem rather familiar with dream manipulation. Who, or what, are you?

[Yeah, she's not even commenting on your gygas.gif upload there.]

Re: <s>Deeeee</s> Deiiiiii

[phobophage]

The Nightmare Deimonea. And you?

[hotshot_momma]

[gritted teeth, balled fists, slow low even tone of voice.]

Are you familiar with the San Francisco region of California, Nightmare?

[phobophage]

Nice, sunny, some interesting people? Some fun nightmares there. I see, I see. You're a Dreamer or Dream Savior from there?

[hotshot_momma]

Chusheng chobaio-

[Dream Savior stops her. She stares, and frowns, and folds her arms.]

Huh. More things change, I guess. Define Dream Savior.

[phobophage]

You're a Dreamer, then. A Dream Savior turns into a magical girl or boy and saves the Dream World from falling to despair. Though those days it's mostly mopping up. That was such an irritating intermission, but it had to be done.

Hmm, Los Angeles has interesting nightmares too. Something to do with movies and greed?

[hotshot_momma]

If they're still making movies there, it's not my Los Angeles, but that sounds about right.

You're a long way from home, Deimonea, as am I. I'm part of a military that serves the same function as your Saviors, or tries.

[phobophage]

A different Los Angeles? I did know there were other Dream Worlds before, maybe then there're other Dream Worlds at the same time too and they're connected to other Waking Worlds. This is such a fascinating thought!

I knew this wasn't home from the start. Completely different feel. I haven't figured it out yet. Everything here's stubbornly resistant to dream-making. And, oh? Magical girls too, or did your Queen decide on a different theme? A military one it sounds like. Space force? Navy? Special forces? Mecha? Psionic forces?

[hotshot_momma]

Try "Mecha." Also, "No Queen." The Nightmares in our world, if they ARE from our world, invaded en mass after incapacitating everyone over the age of 18.

So I apologize for my earlier reaction to you, but I hope you can see it was understandable.

[phobophage]

That sounds like a losing war. They'd have every single adult to throw against you and there's no Queen to help you out. Can you even really hurt those enemies? I suppose if you found another way to cross the waking-dream barrier...

[hotshot_momma]

Salvaged 'Mare technology. Ours have as much trouble crossing over as yours, thank God.

[phobophage]

Of course, if you can access a sleepwalker or even an awake Dreamer in a particularly susceptible state, you can guide them to do some interesting things. And Dream Saviors exist in both worlds so your mecha must somehow do that.

[hotshot_momma]

Essentially, yes. We're put in a lucid state to fight.

...Anna Lin. [This with a resigned sigh and a slow facepalm.]

[phobophage]

Let's see, there's the time I managed to terrify most of a stadium audience by giving an interesting dream to a football player who was dozing. [She says this as if it is a highly pleasant memory.]