v i d e o ][ 020

[diastereomer]

[ Though he's still not entirely comfortable addressing the City at large (at least, not for anything more than shaming the dog), this video feed is obviously intentional. ]

A curse for flying, hm?

[ Yusuf taps his chin, as if he hasn't thought about this for the past couple days. ]

Well, I hope no one was hurt. Flying without a means only happens in hallucinations... and dreams, of course.

In my world, at least. [ He adds, because the City is full of surprising people with surprising talents. ]

I wonder if flying is the City's collective desire. If you could have any dream you liked, would it be to fly?

Comments

[signatures]

What was your first dream, anyway? Flying? A harem of girls? Winning the Nobel Prize?

[diastereomer]

I don't think most people remember their first natural dream.

[ Word... choice... ]

[synanthrope]

I don't dream.

[diastereomer]

You don't dream at all?

[synanthrope]

If I do I don't remember any of them.

[diastereomer]

Do you suppose you would like to?

[synanthrope]

Why?

[diastereomer]

Well, any manner of reason. To know if you do, to know what things your subconscious mind values, to do things you never thought possible. Dreams are limitless.

[synanthrope]

What do you dream about?

[diastereomer]

All different things, I suppose. Whatever happens to be on my mind that day. Recently I had a dream that involved watching water burn under water.

[synanthrope]

Was it a nightmare?

[diastereomer]

No, it was just a dream. I wanted to understand it, but knew that if I did it would go out.

[synanthrope]

Why would it go out if you understood it?

[diastereomer]

Probably because my right brain was trying to convince my left brain to take a break. [ A chuckle. ] But realistically, I suppose it must stem from something that my mind is worrying at subconsciously.

[synanthrope]

Is that what dreams do, Mr. Yusuf?

[diastereomer]

They serve a variety of functions. Rest, recuperation, revelation, sometimes even entertainment.

[synanthrope]

Why don't I dream?

[diastereomer]

I suppose the most pertinent question would be how long do you usually sleep for?

[misterblackbird]

Do you mean daydreams or only dreams had while sleeping?

[synanthrope]

Five hours.

[diastereomer]

If you had a daydream that you would like to have again, or expound upon in a dream while sleeping.

[misterblackbird]

I only ask because I seem to have more choice in my daydreams than in the dreams I have while sleeping.

I suppose flying could be one of them I'd like to have. There are others, though.

[diastereomer]

Well daydreams are a result of your mind wandering, natural REM-induced dreaming is your mind at its most uninhibited. The former has more room for intentional manipulation than the latter, usually.

Such as?

[misterblackbird]

I see. [Sort of... Just gonna roll with it...]

Visions of home, for example, or the people who have returned there ahead of me. I promised my sister that we'd have a tea party in the garden when we both returned to London. I almost think I'd like to dream of that. Dreams had while asleep seem more real--though perhaps that makes them both better and worse than just daydreaming.

[diastereomer]

That should be enough for you to achieve REM-sleep at least... [ Yusuf casts about for the exact number but chalks it up to, ] twice.

All humans dream, so I suppose that simply means you sleep too deeply to remember yours.