Welcome to Gaia! ::

The ice was finally starting to melt away, glimpses of spring stealing a peek at the world it would develop before winter's chill claimed its rightful place once again. Though the air was frigid beyond her walls, Granny was quite content that late evening in the confines of her shop, working late on wrapping leather and cloth around a couple of frames for future dream catcher. Still, the cold was seeping into her bones and causing her joints to ache. It was difficult to remember how long she had been working on dream catchers in general, and when the pains had first started.

The painted sign in the window was left on "Open," the scroll-work around the edges faded with age. It seemed to be a fragment of a dream all its own, as if it belonged to another but had been merged with the brightly lit shop in place of something else. The shop was always open late on Thursdays, and today was no different. Who knew what - or perhaps who - would find their way to her door?

The matronly woman smiled at the sound of a voice filling her otherwise quiet shot. Her long fingers gripped the ring of the catcher she was working on, testing the hold of the leather wrapping as she looked up to discover a man with pale hair and lines etched around the corners of his eyes. Her smile warmed as she recognized not a customer, but a client. She knew what those sahdows under a person's eyes met. Anderson was one of her newer clients, and also one of those not a child. For a while, Granny's concern had grown with how many young people were coming to see her. Anderson, though not at east himself, helped lessen that concern to a degree.

"Good evening, Mr. Rey. Come in." Setting the catchers down, Granny stepped away from her desk to greet her guest. "What brings you here?"

Granny's smile warmed at Anderson's greeting, appreciating the gesture of a time long since passed. to some, it felt like only yesterday – up until you remembered how the world was now. It was rather depressing, some days more than others. But the old woman knew that etiquette wasn't the reason for Anderson's visit, and listened as he spoke his mind.

“I see.” She nodded as he described the dream he experienced once more, her gaze flickering briefly to the catcher only once as it began to reverse its rotation. When he finished, Granny nodded to one of the nearby chairs, opening a palm to gesture towards it as well. “Please, Mr. Rey, have a seat. Would you like some tea? It may take some time for me to explain, but there is something you should know of your dream.” Her smile was reassuring and also sad as she took in the man's weary demeanor, knowing it would get worse before he could ever hope to have release.

“Some may find this more difficult to accept than others, Mr. Rey, but your dreams are not usual dreams. This you know, even subconsciously, or else you would not have appeared at my door as you had.”

Granny regarded Anderson with a steady eye as he explained how in-depth his dream had been, that there were slight changes already from the first time they had spoken. This, more than anything, told the woman what she needed to know about his dreams. He was giving her pieces of a puzzle, broken fragments that could disturb a person's mind, but was something else when put together.

“It can be a difficult task to handle such a thing on a nightly basis,” she agreed with a nod, her smile turning sad for a brief moment as she held out her hand in gentle invitation. “I believe I can shed some light on your situation, Mr. Rey. Might I see your dream catcher?”

“I have no doubt.” Granny's hold on the catcher was gentle, yet meticulous. She examined it briefly before nodding at Anderson's comment. The old woman was smiling with just as much reassurance as she stood up and, with catcher in hand, headed towards the large desk near the center of the room. It was long with an L-shape side so she could have the register and papers on one side and the rest for her crafting, the a solid piece of wood that had been well-loved and weathered with time.

“It's not what I'm looking for just yet, Mr. Rey, but rather what you have told me. The reason your dreams are so strange and so vivid is a special one, and requires a special procedure to keep it in check.” She paused for a moment, her focus going from Anderson to the catcher he had given her as she ran a single index finger along the frame of the catcher. After a moment's pause, she looked to the gentleman once more, raising a brow.

“Have you heard of an Oneiroi before, Mr. Rey? They are fascinating beings; spirits that live in and thrive off our our dreams. Some, Nightmares, feed off of the emotions and thoughts from their namesake, while Reves feed off of more positive experiences. Yours is a Nightmare.” It sounded silly to some and pretentious to others, but Granny's face was serious as she spoke. This was not something she would ever jest about.

“It needs your emotions – the strength of them – to grow stronger. They have attached themselves to you because of this dream you mention. That is why it repeats itself; so they can continue to grow. Eventually, they will be able to part from you, but the road may be a long one depending on who has been attracted to your dream.”

“Time, patience, and a bit of a blessing.” Granny's smile turned wry at her own words, as though she were telling Rey she understood how pointless and even cruel that could sound. She wouldn't leave him hanging out at sea without an explanation, however. As she spoke, the elderly woman began to open drawers behind her desk, carefully selecting some colored beads that matched the catcher she had given Anderson, laying them out for a moment before gazing at the center of the catcher, then back at its current owner.

“These spirits are tricky beings at times, Mr. Rey. Even a Nightmare can be polite and behave if they wish. But even still, their personality matters not when it comes to how you're being drained. It can, however, make the process more difficult. Should your companion be one of those that grows more difficult, do not hesitate to bring them to see me.” She paused, realizing she was getting ahead of herself, and shook her head.

“Forgive me, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.” She sighed and opened a drawer, still looking at Anderson. “The simple answer is that you retain your catcher and let your dream continue to grow. After they drawn enough energy, they will have gathered enough to create a body of their own that can sustain the process of living in this world – or the Dream Realms, should they chose to go back.

“This catcher will help prevent the worst of the drain from affecting you, but you must know that the nightmare will continue to become stronger as the spirit does. It is similar to feeding a child an infant's portion of food; it is simply not enough for them to grow and will only prolong the process.

“Trying to remove the spirit is...unwise.” For a moment, the old woman's eyes grew distant and cold, suppressing a shiver at the thought. “It breaks them, you see, and has a negative effect on you, as well. You are connected; they chose your dream for a reason. Perhaps it is a subconscious message that your mind thought important enough to show you.”

When Granny smiled at Anderson's question, her expression seemed warmer than it had ever been in his presence, and yet her eyes were sad as she chuckled. It was as though she'd embraced whatever pain she'd felt at his words and made the most of it. “It will.” She pulled a small, bright red object out of one of the bottom drawers of her desk, about the size of her thumb. The contrast was stark against the rest of the catcher's colors as she lay the cherry within the weave, looping its stem with some cord as she chut the previous weave and began to rewind the new cord along the frame.

“You might think it unwise, and perhaps it is for some of the Nightmares. But you are giving them a way back home, as well. Think of them as a stray of sorts; you do not know if they have a home to go back to or are feral, but should you cage it just because you do not know?”

“That is good to hear.” Granny's smile widened at the reassurance that the Nightmare spirit wasn't hostile so much as it was tense. Reves and Nightmares came in all varieties, as did Dreamers. It was good to see that Anderson was able to connect and understand his companion at such an early stage.

His question coaxed a chuckle out of the old woman, a sound that was strong compared to her aging frame. It was bright and merry like the color of the cherry she had included. “In a sense.” She looked at Anderson with a meticulous eye, considering how much she should tell him. He wasn't one of those who automatically denied what was out of his own sphere of experience – that sort of reaction was common in younger dreamers who didn't want to seem childish.

“You could say it is a symbol of the spirit in your nightmares, an extra way to help them find a center in this world other than yourself. I think you will find this to be a common sight in the days to come.”