Dream 2

[nameless_river]

Kohaku is standing in...Yubaba's office? What is he doing back here?

The door behind him opens. He turns, and sees the witch herself come in, followed by a sniveling frog-man spirit. He panics for a moment, but realizes as they pass him that they can't see him.

"Have you discovered a way in yet?" Yubaba asks the spirit, settling herself at her desk

Comments

[kyudousha]

Huh.

What's a 'Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi'?

[nameless_river]

[Oh, right, people can see your dreams here. He'd almost forgotten.]

It's my full name.

[kyudousha]

That's a pretty long name.

[nameless_river]

[Smiles wryly.] You're rather direct, aren't you?

[kyudousha]

... Let's just say I don't plan on beating around the bush.

So, wanna tell me what's that all about?

[She doesn't realize it's a dream.]

[nameless_river]

[And he doesn't realize that she doesn't realize it was a dream.]

That...that was my ex-mistress, the one who used to control me. From what I can tell, that was her saying she was going to come here, take over, and force me back into working for her.

[kyudousha]

... You're not very round-about yourself, aren't you.

I don't know how possible it is, but it's probably pretty unlikely that someone can just force their way here. If they can, though, kudos. Maybe we can take a crack at getting out.

[nameless_river]

[Smiles again, just as wry as before.] I can be, I suppose.

I know. But that doesn't make the idea any more appealing.

[kyudousha]

Do you now.

I suppose it doesn't. But now that you know it's going to happen, you can prepare for it. Must be pretty easy, having an ability like that. How do you make future events play out like that anyhow? Is it like a psychic ability, or something?

[nameless_river]

[Wait, what? What does she mean? Seeing future events? What on earth...?

Wait...now he gets it.]

I think you're a little mistaken. That was a dream, not a psychic vision. [Sighs.] A nightmare, to be more precise.

[kyudousha]

[... She's not getting it.]

... A what?

... You think I'd fall for that? It's not possible to view someone else's dream - nightmare, whatever.

If you're just trying to hide your ability, whatever, you can stop now. I think it's a little obvious what you can do just from your broadcast.

[nameless_river]

[He's a little surprised again; she doesn't know about the Dreamberry? Didn't someone explain it to her? Or couldn't she have figured it out on her own? He doesn't show his surprise, though.]

I'm not trying to 'hide' anything. The Dreamberry has the power to pick up people's dreams and broadcast them to other people. What you just saw was my nightmare, broadcast over Somarium and picked up by your Dreamberry.

If it WAS a vision of future events, I'd be getting everyone together, telling them what I saw, and preparing them for the invasion, not lying here chatting with you.

[kyudousha]

... That stands up to logic, I guess. The second part, at the very least.

[She turns the Dreamberry in her hand.]

What an inconvenient little thing. A 'dreamberry', huh. I should have known having such an interesting long-distance communication device would have its drawbacks. So, what else can this thing do besides communication and invading people's privacies?

'Invasion'? You make it sound like it's a bad thing.

[nameless_river]

Those are pretty much it's only features. And I have to say, I agree with you on the invading privacy part.

Believe me, if you knew Yubaba like I do, you'd think that it's a bad thing too. The woman would enslave all of us and make Somarium her own personal playground. Of course, she'd make me her personal assistant again, but the rest of the inhabitants would be her slaves, and she'd work you to the bone.

[kyudousha]

You? Personal assistant? [He sounds so... fatalistic. Let's try to cheer him up.] I don't know you all too well, really, but there must be more qualified people here than you.

[... Okay, that came out all wrong. Oh well.]

And besides, how are you so sure that she can do all that? In terms of probability, the chances that someone will be in possession of an ability, formula, whatever, that'll counter everything in this damn place is pretty slim. I think it's just your personal bias working against you there.

And besides, if anyone tried anything funny with me, they'll eat fire balls. I'm serious.

[nameless_river]

[Said very sarcastically.] Gee, THANKS. And just so you know, I WAS her personal assistant before I came here.

[Grimaces.] I know. Logically, I know that what you're saying is right, but just the idea...I hated being tied to that woman. The idea of her managing to take me back sickens me. [Manages a grim smile.] And I'd use fireballs on her myself, if that didn't interfere with what I am.