don't you mess with a little girl's dreams

unexpected-places

Two weeks ago, a thing that was only doing a very poor job of pretending to be a woman crawled in through Nausicaa's window and raised its knife above her head and she screamed -

And her friend the boogieman tore it apart.

Nausicaa had been scared of him back then. It only made sense. But he seemed so lonely hiding under her bed, so she crawled down there - and kept crawling into the infinite shadows -

He seemed to need a hug, was all. And he did save her.

They've been best friends since, and Nausicaa's become more aware. Of the way Nanny doesn't seem to sleep - no actually she doesn't sleep - and seems to know a weird amount of things, and is always meeting with other Nannies outside in the dark...

Of how her friend Sue's sister died, and how it was probably way more horrible than what the adults told them. Which was nothing. How Sue now has a monster of her own, a skeletal thing (Nausicaa's glad she only needs to keep her boogieman from scaring people, not from eating people).

How there's something wrong with two of her teachers, and how her classmate Lianne has something weird in her family and people are following Silvie around who shouldn't be -

She's also become aware that she probably made her friend the boogieman. Three weeks ago, she saw a fox's skeleton, half decayed, and convinced herself it was going to follow her home and haunt her -

So, naturally, it did.

And now the rain-monster who brought the drowning dreams touched her boogieman and changed him, and he's weird lately and his shadows keep dripping, and maybe if she believed him she can believe very hard in someone who'll fix him -

A magical girl, obviously. Someone who will fight for truth and justice and humanity. Someone who can look into people's hearts and bring out their true selves. Someone who'll help because there's something horrible in this town and none of the adults want to know -

Nausicaa sits on her bed, scrunches up her face, and believes very, very hard.

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slumber-and-disaster

That's great news! What a lovely way to wake up.

unexpected-places

Uh huh! Come on, dad's making breakfast!!!

(Don't forget not to tell them about Boogey, she whispers. The normal adults don't think the monsters exist.)

slumber-and-disaster

Makoto nods solemnly. It'll be their secret.

unexpected-places

Secrets are fun!

She bounces around, rushes to finish her homework under her father's exasperated eye.

The mother smiles thinly at Makoto, says, "It's good your grandmother was able to offer you a place."

slumber-and-disaster

"I'm very grateful. To her, and to you."

unexpected-places

"Nanny and mom're nice!" Nausicaa pipes up. "Are you gonna go to school with me Miss Makoto?"

slumber-and-disaster

"I can walk you there, but I'm a little old to sit in on your class."

unexpected-places

"Oh, that's okay. But you should get to meet all my friends!"

slumber-and-disaster

"All right."

unexpected-places

"Great!" And she turns to her homework with a renewed gusto.

Her family isn't very talkative - they seem tired and stressed somewhat - and it's quickly time for Nausicaa to go to school. The boogiemam follows along in her shadow.

slumber-and-disaster

Off to school! Is it actually within walking distance or do they take the train or a bus?

unexpected-places

You can walk (which Nausicaa likes to do) but her parents don't like her walking on her own so she usually takes the bus. But since Miss Makoto is here they can walk! Or better yet, run!

slumber-and-disaster

Whee running! Nausicaa is a good runner, she's very fast. Almost too fast for Makoto!

unexpected-places

She has lots of energy! And keeps to shadowy parts so the boogieman will be okay.

When she gets to school, some of her friends are already at the playground outside. Nausicaa waves to them, and they come over, and Nausicaa starts pointing people out -

Sue Uccelo

after-ash

Sue is a few months older than Nausicaa. She lives with her cousin. She has a wendigo that fights off other wendigos.

Lianne Arrington

fearless-light

Lianne is a bit younger than Nausicaa. She once punched the boogieman in the face for scaring her friends. She's friends with the vampire teacher (but only Miss Lupei knows, and the kids aren't supposed to know), Miss Serpico.

Silvia Lowell

wolves-without-teeth

Silver is the youngest. She can do MAGIC!!! She's friends with the werewolf teacher, Miss Lupei, who saved her from a bunch of evil people. She's very excited to meet Nausicaa's other friends!

slumber-and-disaster

Hello everyone! (A werewolf named Lupei, heaven help her.)

Her name is Makoto and she's staying with Nausicaa and her family for a while.

Silvia Lowell

wolves-without-teeth

"We're doing a sleepover for Nausicaa's birthday, are you gonna be there?"

slumber-and-disaster

"Probably! If you won't find that an intrusion, of course."

unexpected-places

"That'd be great! We're also trying to get Mary and Kendra to come, Mary's got an angel and Kendra's got a spooky thing in her head. People think Mary's creepy but I think she's okay."

slumber-and-disaster

"I'd love to meet them, too."

unexpected-places