[Video 002]

[doctorate]

[As generally happens with video posts, the screen of the Forge flickers on -- and for the briefest of moments, the interior of the Doctor's TARDIS is visible, the time rotor emitting a dull, pulsing glow. After a quiet "Oh, it's on," the Forge is quickly shifted around to focus on the Doctor's face, with only the roundels on the TARDIS' walls

Comments

[cop_for_one_day]

[A pause as he thinks. He's had the usual nightmares, but nothing new. Still, something about this piques his interest. Probably having survived things like this before. And he remembers Claire telling him abut a giant, evil marionette in the Ashford mansion.]

No odd dreams here. But if people have been having the same dreams...

[There is noise of him pacing as he holds the Forge, muttering.]

...dreams come from the subconscious. So dreaming about things you've never seen before isn't normal... some kind of magic foresight...? ...no, or else advanced technology that wouldn't exist here... ...umbrella? ....there's no way.

Do you have foresight abilities? Or magic of any kind?

What's the difference between people who had these dreams, and people who didn't?

[voice]

[doctorate]

I don't know, you can have technology alongside precognitive abilities. Seen it first hand, actually.

And no, no magic on me. At least, not any I've noticed. I should hope I would know, though -- or that I'd figure it out soon enough.

As it stands, I'm not entirely sure if there is a difference. I reckon I'd have to meet up with anyone who's had these dreams and examine them personally.

[voice]

[cop_for_one_day]

...you can?

[A pause.]

So we don't know the difference between the people who 'received' the dream message and the ones that didn't. Since it's not random chance, the dreams must share a source, magical or technology. If that's the case, someone or something is sending it.

It might not even be sending it on purpose.

[voice]

[doctorate]

[there's a beat of silence between transmissions; when the Doctor finally speaks, he sounds pleased] Exactly what I was thinking, actually. Something like this can't be happening simply "because." It has to originate from somewhere, yeah? Purposeful or not, there's something in these dreams that need to be pieced together -- we just need the other pieces.

They could be a warning, though -- much like the messages in the city square seemed to be.

[ voice | won't forget this time! ;A; ]

[lonestray]

...Same dream.

[The man sounds exhausted. He barely got an hour or two before the dream began, and his mind hasn't been able to idle enough to return to sleep, instincts far too wary to let himself rest.]

It must be the damn mist acting up again...

[voice | no worries--! XD ]

[doctorate]

Ah, lovely. That makes two of us so far, then. Cheers.

Still, I'm not sure if I can chalk it up to the mist. Did you see those messages on the wall?

[voice]

[lonestray]

I'll open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. [dryly. Even less sleep than usual has him edgy.]

Mm. Wouldn't be all too surprised if the mist made us hallucinate those messages in the first place.

[a sigh] At least we can wake up from them. Better than the waking hallucinations last time. Gave us all our own personalized little piece of hell.

[voice]

[doctorate]

Well, I suppose this mist is certainly a jack of all trades, isn't it? It'd be lovely if I could examine it properly, 'cept my equipment is running at half capacity, at the moment -- and I'm being generous with that estimate.

[a beat, then sounding interested,] Hallucinations? 'Fraid I wasn't around for that bit. Mind telling me what happened?

[Voice]

[sucker_punches]

... I had the same dream. The exact same dream.

[Sounds distinctly disturbed.]

[Voice]

[doctorate]

[for his part, he sounds as though this is nothing out of the ordinary -- like he's talking about unfortunate weather rather than freaky dreams] I reckon that's only to be expected. Seems as though some message or vision was sent out telepathically on a large scale, when most people are at their weakest -- while they're sleeping. Fewer mental blocks to encounter, that way. It's possibly a projection of a past event, or else just a communal nightmare.

[a pause, then his voice is softer, more concerned] You alright, there?

[Voice]

[sucker_punches]

... I'm fine.

[She isn't really, and she doesn't sound it, but she tries to cover it.]

I don't like the idea of a communal nightmare, is all. Having my mind messed with by some outside force.

[Voice]

[doctorate]

[if this were a video feed, she'd be witnessing the Doctor's patented raised eyebrow of disbelief. Instead, the only thing showing he's not entirely convinced is his voice when he says,] Alright. If you're sure, then.

I'm not liking it much, either, to tell you the truth. The very idea of someone getting access to my thoughts isn't the most pleasant of ideas, is it?

[Voice]

[couragetodare]

'Red raindrops and a pocketful of dirt.' [ A quiet quote. And he would go on but he can't remember the rest.] The dreams- Your dream-- I mean, the one you had, wasn't the same as the one I had at least. I dunno if anyone else's had it though. The sun was gone. It was raining only the rain was-

[Red. And there were rivers of blood. A quiet breath.] It wasn't really rain, I don't think. ... Last place I was at, we used to get shared dreams too. They used to leave most people feelin' sick as all hell after 'em. At least here, we're not gettin' sick.

[Not yet. Naruto's not going to write anything off and echoes of old dreams via with more recent ones. Oh Discordia, mother reborn-]

[Voice]

[doctorate]

"Red raindrops." [he repeats it thoughtfully with a quiet "hm," -- and with the other speaker's hesitation, the Doctor can easily figure out what the rain actually was]

[when he speaks again, he sounds interested] How is it that you would share dreams, back home? Was something projecting them?

[Voice]

[couragetodare]

I don't know how. I think it had something to do with the gods there, or, they called themselves gods anyway, I dunno what they were, but I don't think they were gods. Some people used to blame it on the Crimson King but he died. Or, he disappeared. Something else took his place.

[There's a pause as he realises how confusing all that probably sounded.] Uh, that place wasn't home though, it was another world, like this place is another world. I was tryin' to get back home.

[Voice]

[doctorate]

[laughs a bit] Sounds like you've got some stories to tell. Been stuck away from home more than once, then? Not anything as sinister as this, was it?

[voice]

[dollchains]

I-I...

[There's a long silence before Namine speaks again.] I had that dream, too.

[voice]

[doctorate]

Seems a lot of us did. Must be a popular one!

[the Doctor is quiet for a moment, and then speaks gently,] Definitely wasn't the most pleasant of dreams. You alright, there?

[voice]

[dollchains]

Hmm... I don't know if popular is good this time.

[She nods, even though he can't see it. It might be more comfort for her sake, anyway. After all, none of the people on the network... have any requirement to worry about her.] Yes, I'm okay. Thank you, though. It must be significant, though... if everyone is having bad dreams, then...

[voice]

[doctorate]

[he finishes the sentence for her] -- Then something decidedly worrying is happening, it seems. At least, I reckon the dream we had wasn't the best, but I suppose for some it could just be par for the course.