[Walkabout - Week 4] ...oops.

[willyousee]

[Alcuin sounds contrite, but not precisely sorry, per se.]

I, ah... seem to have started a trend among the children. One of them had a terrible nightmare, so I made them a dream catcher. Now all the children in the household want one. I expect word of it will spread through the children's ranks fairly quickly. They seem to be treating it as a grand secret, however, at least from the adults, so perhaps it will stay quiet?

I thought it only fair to give people warning that you may be asked for one. I can teach others to make them as well, if you like! I am not certain if we can teach the children to make their own, however.

Comments

[fearinahandfulof]

Does it fill automatically?

[willyousee]

Yes. In liminal space it will fill very slowly all of its own, and it will gather dreams of the nearest person when they sleep without any activation. Most jaunt worlds do not seem to have the free-floating magic to fill a dreamcatcher, so you needn't worry there, but it will still filter dreams accordingly.

Thorne and I have traded nights with mine from time to time.

[fearinahandfulof]

Does that mean that person doesn't dream at all while one is near? You said it transformed bad dreams to energy...

[She doesn't know enough about them to know whether it's feasible for a dreamcatcher to differentiate between types of dreams, but she suspects it's not.]

[willyousee]

Actually, no! It seems to only pull energy when dreams turn foul. Silly, happy, or boring dreams and the like remain in place. ...Though I should mention that if one has prophetic nightmares, sometimes those are strong enough to break through if one's dreamcatcher is nearly filled.

[fearinahandfulof]

People seem to be having more of those lately.

[She's inclined to blame Harrogate; that's when they seem to have picked up, anyway.]

How does it differentiate between good and bad?

[willyousee]

I am not entirely certain. I believe it has something to do with the emotional reaction of the dreamer, but I have not experimented enough with various abilities to be able to say for certain.

[fearinahandfulof]

So it reacts to the emotions of... its owner? Or a nearby dreamer? Can it pull energy from more than one dreamer if they're both having nightmares?

[willyousee]

It can only pull from one person at a time, but it can be lent to another person to cleanse their dreams for a time, or for someone else to draw power from it. Whomever holds the dreamcatcher is whom it affects.

[fearinahandfulof]

So you have to be in physical contact with it?

[willyousee]

No. It helps, but if it is close, say on a nightstand, or hanging on a bedpost, it will affect the closest sleeper.

[fearinahandfulof]

So proximity is an important factor...

[willyousee]

Yes it is. It cannot be left across the room and be expected to function for the creator.

[fearinahandfulof]

So it would need to be small enough to be kept on one's person.

[She thinks for a moment.]

Can larger ones hold more, or does that not matter?

[willyousee]

The size of object does not appear to have an impact on its capacity, no. And if you wished to have something large to simply leave in your usual sleeping place, that would be fine, but were you to be caught away from it, its effect would not reach you.

[fearinahandfulof]

That makes sense.

Can you have more than one, or would that confuse things?

[Not that she'd want more than one, but she's curious.]

[willyousee]

I am not certain yet. I want to try doing so in case the children cannot make one themselves, or do not have a good item to use. But the one I created with her last night seemed to function perfectly well.

[fearinahandfulof]

I'm glad. That it worked, I mean - not that they're having nightmares.

[She's not surprised that they're having nightmares.]

[willyousee]

Yes... Perhaps I ought not to have, but I could not stand idly by. No child deserves that. Their lives are too difficult already.

But it is a simple enough process, and having worked I think I will set about providing them for as many as I may.

[fearinahandfulof]

I think that's a good idea.

[Bad enough that the adults are miserable all the time. The children shouldn't have to be, too.]

[willyousee]

[Brief, startled pause. Then he sounds touched.]

Thank you, Cassandra. I appreciate you saying so.

[fearinahandfulof]

Do you need help with them at all? I could find materials, or make them...

[willyousee]

I had not thought... Yes. Please. I was thinking perhaps small rings? Ones that might be worn on the hand, or upon a chain? Something that they could take with them as they grew. But if you have other ideas, please, by all means!

[fearinahandfulof]

What should they be made out of? There are metals, but something like gold might be... too much?

[By which she means someone might think it sinful and react accordingly.]

[willyousee]

No, you are right. Not gold. Perhaps wood, or stone, or steel? It should be smooth and with rounded edges, so that they do not hurt themselves. Wood may be the best choice. The magic will keep them from cracking. The only thing they need fear would be flame.

[fearinahandfulof]

And it's lighter than stone or steel. Although some might find the weight of the stone a comfort, instead...

[Maybe?]