/jp/ - Otaku Culture

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to fall asleep after someone's been playing with your hair." Doremy Sweet said to me as she sat on a big fluffy cloud in the middle of the Dream World. I found myself whirling my arms around in a sudden case of vertigo, only to realise that I was in a chair. It was big and soft with armrests, and when I looked over the side, I could see that it had wheels. Not having any idea what it was for, I decided that I'd best just stay still. "Well, I think it's only been a few minutes for you in the real world. Fortunately, time passes strangely in dreams, so we've got all the time we need."
Managing to get myself under control, I looked around, finding that I couldn't see anything like I had the last time I'd been here. There were no forests, nor strange castles with no logical construction. No mysteriously twisting lines cut through the massive moon I had seen the last time I was here. Doremy had noticed my confusion. "Ah, you're wondering where you are. The Dream World is massive. It has to be, or it wouldn't be able to support the dreams of the inhabitants." She crossed her legs and looked down at me, resting her hand on her chin. "We’re in a different corner, here. While some areas have more specific looks, places like this form up to match the Dream World’s needs. Speaking of massive things, I hear that you've been to Hell, haven't you? Naughty, naughty." That was a case of poor communication more than anything else, I said. I wouldn't have been there if Lady Hecatia had explained what she was doing before she teleported me. "No, I imagine all of them say that they don't deserve to be there." Doremy looked very smug, but I wasn't sure what it was about. I hadn’t been sentenced to Hell. Well, not yet, anyway. Hopefully never.
Instead, I tried asking how I was suddenly here. "You fell asleep. You only just became lucid, though." Doremy's smug smile grew wider. "I've got the records of your dreams here, which is why I know what was happening just before you fell asleep." She patted that massive book she'd had tucked under her arm the last time I'd seen her. "I suppose Reimu's delicate fingers must work magic." I looked away, remembering just what else had been happening before I'd fallen asleep. "I've also got records of your...other dreams." That sounded ominous, and I swallowed heavily. "So, there's someone who needs to talk to you. Or rather, you need to talk to them." I asked her why she was doing this. "Variety is the spice of life, or so they say. True with dreams as well, or so I say. And being the Ruler of Dreams, there's not many who can contradict me on that." I blankly looked at her, then asked what that was supposed to mean. "Oh, er, you keep dreaming about the same thing. It's getting a little..." I hadn't really remembered most of my dreams, so I wasn't entirely sure what she was driving at. Doremy looked a little embarrassed. "Well, there's only so many fantasies a girl can take. I’ll be a big ball of a baku if I have to keep eating those. Now, I've got a friend - er, no, rather, an acquaintance...Hmm, that's not right either. Annoyance? Yes, we'll go with annoyance. I've got an annoyance who hangs around the moon, and being what she is, I want her to come and sort out your problems." I asked her why I needed to be in a dream for this to work. "Well, I can't exactly go and tell her to meet you in the Hakurei Shrine. Super Typhoon aside, I fear your lovely Miss Reimu might take some offense. Hush, now." Doremy cleared her throat. "Okay. You can come out now."