Dream Catching

[crouching_sin]

Sender: Naoya
To: Everyone
Subject: Nightmare Remedies

All right, I'm curious. How do people with tendencies towards them prevent nightmares here? I've only had some minor success with harnessing this 'dreamotion' energy, and I don't have access to the methods I tend to use at home.

(Those being various herbal remedies as well as simply loading up with caffeine.)

I suppose I could continue waking up before I can drop into the stage of sleep where one dreams most of the time, but it's stretching even my own considerable limits.

Comments

[crouching_sin]

Ah, I'm no good at growing plants. Call it a curse - they all wither under my care.

[Unfortunately, that's not a joke. Thanks, God.]

But I'll have to keep an eye out for those. I wouldn't want to take so much that others can't have them, but they do tend to be particularly bad.

[mwehehe]

Think you'd do okay if they were already blooming? Just a little water and keep 'em out of sunlight, I think.

[They were somewhere else, weren't they...? She doesn't recall them being in the crystal caves, but...]

You can probably find some in a cave, but I don't know where. You probably don't wanna be out in the wastelands or whatever by yourself, but I know they were a found thing.

[crouching_sin]

Maybe. No chance that plastic ones would work the same, huh?

I do have backup I can call upon, but even with them... I don't know much about these noctaere.

[mwehehe]

Ah... they can be mean, but if you know how to fight it might not be too bad. There's some little ones, then real big ones— those are the ones you want to avoid.

[Hmm... well, she's already done some stuff around here, so maybe the next project can be...]

I wonder if there's a way to harness the same energy from the flowers in something else so you don't have to try to take care of flowers? I can't promise it'd be quick, but I can try and figure something out... like an anti-nightmare nightlight. It wouldn't be the coolest thing to have in your house, but it'd help.

[crouching_sin]

I can imagine. If those things are made out of nightmares... but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now I'm more concerned about making sure the layout of the city and the surrounding area are solidly in my memory. Which shouldn't take long, given my tendency to memorize things quickly.

I've moved past the need to impress other people with 'cool' things in my home. And we all live in treehouses, which are either cool or not on their own depending on how you look at it. But if there's something I can assist with I wouldn't mind helping. I need a project to work on around here with the tech level here being so low.

[mwehehe]

It's not... too big, not like Shibuya or something. More like an old-timey village on the outskirts of a shrine or something.

Heh, I just wanna make sure, you know? Sometimes the need to be SUPER COOL wins out.

[Ah... a kindred spirit... she appreciates it.]

If you know some ways to build tech, we could probably collab, yeah. I'm uh, not great with people on a first meeting, but I got some ideas on how to improve things. Having electricity helps sooooo much though. Don't have to do anything by candlelight anymore.

[crouching_sin]

I see. At least you're familiar with Tokyo. I live - or used to live - in Aoyama. Not in one of the most expensive buildings, but I was doing quite well for myself. I'm a computer programmer by trade, though I know how to build electronics.

Not all that much we can do without circuit boards or things like that, though.

Was there not electricity before?

[mwehehe]

Oooh, are you now?

[NEW BEST FRIEND........... maybe.]

Nope. No electricity for about a year. I figured some stuff about some stuff that was left over from who knows how long ago though, and there was an expedition to find anything useful. There's a whole power plant out in the wastelands with some really old equipment that runs on dream crystals and all that. I haven't had a chance to really explore in there, but it's up and running which is all I could really ask for.

[crouching_sin]

I am indeed. I was barely out of university before I got offers for large projects.

[It's not bragging if it's true.]

Old equipment in the wastelands... that sounds like an enticing target if I ever heard one. If you'd like to go and look at that, let me know. I'm more than capable of defending myself, though I'm not the most sturdy in return.

[mwehehe]

Daaaaamn, lucky.

[NAH, SHE'S IMPRESSED]

Sure, why not? It's being run by some... fairies? I dunno what they are, but they woke up with the power plant when we found it, so there's been upkeep, but I don't think there's been much else. But if you know your stuff, we might be able to get more up and running.

[crouching_sin]

Skilled, but a little lucky, yes.

Fairies? I've had dealings with the fae of my world. What are these ones like?

[mwehehe]

They look almost mechanical. I didn't try to take them apart, I didn't wanna offend them. You might see them around sometimes too, they keep the electricity going and upkeep it and all.

[crouching_sin]

Best not to offend the fae, no. But mechanical... usually the fae I know shun the mechanical and iron. How fascinating!

This place is truly strange, indeed.

[mwehehe]

I'll have to really dig to see what else they can do, but I'm sure it's SOMETHING cool beyond just upkeep. We can probably put our heads together to see what else we can find in the power plant, maybe.

[crouching_sin]

We'll have to gather supplies if it's far out... unless you know someone who can act as a guide?

[mwehehe]

Oh, I know where it is. I was the one who put together the expedition to get there! There's some old power lines, a cave full of crystals that power everything, the elecrystals, and then the power plant itself. We kinda woke up the fairies when we charged some stuff up.

Though the supplies would be a good idea. It's about a two day trip on foot out in the Wastelands.

[crouching_sin]

Which are very dangerous, from what I've heard. It's not a problem for me to fight - I have my demons with me. But I don't know if you're a fighter or not.

Crystal power... do crystals work with other items, too?