driftfleet | Tha sin mar bhàs.

Who: Katie and you!
Broadcast: Yes!
Action: Planetside
When: Now-ish

[Amusement Park]

[So this is where she goes when she wants time to think, apparently. The bunker is a place she won't enter; between the heavy aftermath of a mass death and the understandably stricken reactions of its visitors, the atmosphere is far too toxic. But it doesn't mean she isn't grieving. The deaths could not be helped and are god knows how far in the past, but the fact that these people have been forgotten - not acknowledged even by this automated town, let alone the rest of space - is something that sits very poorly. She can't even change anything about the town to reflect its population's final days.

She's walking the rollercoaster tracks, very high up, thinking over the issue. Don't ask how she got up that high. And don't worry if you should be using the rollercoaster at the time; she can avoid you. Might give you a bit of a scare, though, sorry.

Eventually, she puts a call through to Sam.]

[Outside of town]

[As far as she can go before she suspects (or hopes) she's outside the range of the city's replication science so her work isn't scrubbed. She's not too far from the bunker; it would be pointless if she were too far away from it.

She finds a rock face smooth enough, and between a thick blade and Kirito's lightsaber she carves a memorial. Maybe nobody will ever see it, but if any other visitors come to this place, they should know what happened. It's worth the extra headache.]

[And Broadcast]

I've decided to quit making dreamcatchers and move on to voodoo dolls instead. It's more fun. So if you'd like to take one before I end up throwing them all out, feel free.

[Just so you know. Totally honest, as usual. Less cheerful than normal.

If anyone wants her she'll be curled up in her office with Licorice on her lap. She's so tired of these planets.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The name sounds familiar? [she taps her chin thoughtfully] But I don't want to be rude and assume. What is a pooka, if I may ask?

[Oh, dear.]

They're shapeshifters who believe in the importance of being extremely honest. Not tricksters like the sidhe.

Oh, then I'm mistaken. Ireland has something called pookas or similar - but I'm admittedly not that familiar with western creatures. That's a nice trait to have, though - being honest.

[Oh, dear.]

Isn't it? It's the easiest thing in the world, for a sidhe like me.

[Maybe she can call Sam up and get him to give an explanation.]

[she pauses, head tilting curiously.

. . . ]

. . . huh. It's opposite, isn't it.

[Her smile is a bit relieved.]

More or less. It's a pooka thing, though I've never been the most honest of children.

Ah, I see. My apologies for not catching on sooner.

Many I've known for a long time still haven't caught on, so I think a few moments is commendable.

What happens to the people you eat the nightmares of?

Really? I feel bad for them. They must not be used to people speaking differently. [honestly, the one reason she caught on is because she's so old and has encountered other beings who speak in riddles and such]

They sleep through the night, but they don't have any dreams that night, either. That's really it. Though, people tend to be wary because I see their nightmares when I eat them.

Oh, so it's just a nightly thing?

[The idea that they don't dream at all is abhorrent, but if it's one night only, not having the nightmare is... probably okay.]

Mmm. I try not to eat nightmares every night, but if they're particularly bad - I feel less bad about it.

It used to be that people who pray to me to take their bad dreams away every night, long ago. They knew I wouldn't come if their dreams were good. So I don't eat those.

So if you had a dreamcatcher which is designed to catch the nightmares and let the good dreams through, it's like setting nets for trout.

Mmm, that's exactly it. It works out better for those who are dreaming anyway; they'll still dream, and won't have to experience their nightmare at all.

[Perfect. A win win for both creatures in this room, really.]

How many people are on your ship?

We're a small crew - there's only six of us.

I quit making them, but I suppose I can start again just for you. [She plucks the three off the wall, holding them out.] Give me an hour and you can have two more.

Ah - [she takes them a little awkwardly, a bit surprised] Thank you. I appreciate it.

I suppose if you're in the unlikely situation that you're on an extremely well-adjusted crew, they won't help so much. But you never know.

I have one human on my crew, so it may catch his. But I may ask him as well - we haven't had the chance to meet yet.

The rest . . . well, they're all different manner of creatures. I don't think anyone else is human besides the one. It's interesting.

[Hmm.]

Is it only human dreams you feast on?

If a creature is capable of having nightmares, I can eat them. I haven't done it often, though. I still need permission from them, and many aren't keen to give it.

A nightmare can define a person. It can be hard to let go of.

[It's a hefty reminder, sometimes, of what not to do again.]

Mmm, I agree. They're just as important as the good ones. I've been asked before to leave specific dreams alone, or all of one's nightmares all together, for that very reason.

[She can think of at least one person who could stand having his nightmares eaten. But she'll leave that aside for now.]

Well, I suppose these will make it easier for both of us. I hope that what the dreamcatcher snares is edible, in any case.

I hope so as well. I'll let you know how well they work for me.

Tha sin mar bhàs.

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