The Daydreamer Project: Teatime

>Provide valuable assisstance such as"Oh noooooo jump" right as she is about to jump over a platform

Before you can even fully process the scene you've been thrust into, you find yourself unconsciously blurting out vital color commentary for the video game you're now watching.

"Look out! Look out!" you yell. "He's gonna grab you!"

"Mghrrr," comes a grumble in response.
The girl next to you is Kay; an old, good friend of yours currently struggling through her fourth consecutive hour of "Suplex Streets 3." It is very late right now - so late, in fact, that Kay's parents are already long asleep themselves. Fortunately it is not a school night. Sleep schedules mean nothing on a Saturday.

"You know," she says amidst furious button-mashing, "you can plug in the player two controller whenever you want."

"But I'm really bad at the game! I'm just gonna get in your way." Your words keep coming before you think them. You even feel the same years-old twinge of shame at the thought of embarrassing yourself in front of Kay while trying to play her video games.



It's a strange feeling, but you know that you're somewhere between observer and participant here. There's a part of you that knows this is just a memory, while another part of you feels like you're living this scene out for the first time. You're going through the motions, but they all feel like something you'd just come up with in the moment. This has always been the most disorienting of Professor Goodnight's tricks.

You ask Kay, "Maybe it's time we get to sleep? You'll do better when you're not so tired."

"I'm not gonna quit right at the last level," she quickly replies. "And besides, I told you - I'm not going to sleep until you promise to come hang out with me in my dream tonight."

"I'm not allowed to do that."

She scoffs. "I'm definitely not afraid of any stupid cat! We'll take him on together, Lynne!"

"It's not just that. Professor Midnight says it's not allowed."



Kay lets out a rather exaggerated yawn with a mischievous look in her eye.
"Well, I still mean it. No point wasting our sleepover time with sleeping if you're not gonna show me what it's like for you to visit. Soooo... I guess that means I'm gonna have to stay awake forever, then!"

"Kaaaay, come ooooon.." you sigh.

"All I'm saying is that I didn't invite you over because I wanted you to sit and watch me play games all night. If your dream-landlord-owl-face guy says we're not allowed to do that cool 'daydreamers' stuff together, there's gotta be something you want to do to pass the time tonight!"

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