Naps and dreams.

[ACSR: Tea time]

"So," Joule looked at the two of them "What, exactly, do you want me to do?"

They were walking through the streets. Misaka apparently knew an internet cafe nearby with a room where people could have naps. With all those Indian Poker cards, currently held in kraft paper, it was easy enough to guess what they would do there.

But...

"I'll explain when we're there." Misaka nodded as they turned into the street with the cafe.

They headed in, the other girl whose name was Kinuhata rented the room for the three of them and they headed in.

Finally, Misaka began to explain.

"So, one of these cards contains information that we both want our hands on."

Joule nodded and Misaka continued.

"Now, since these cards were scattered, we don't know which one has the info on it. We'll need to look through each card manually. Since these are effectively miniture versions of a testament, they could have serious effects on our brains. Things like the cursed cards from before. I'd like to ask you to watch over us while we're using these so we don't get brainwashed or anything like that."

Joule nodded slowly and Kinuhata put the package of cards on a table and unwrapped them before taking the top one.

"If either of us get it, we'll swap it with the other."

Misaka nodded "We can share it if we keep the card safe. If it's already been depleted or something, we'll just tell the other."

Kinuhata nodded "Butting heads about this would be Ultra stupid."

Misaka took her own card as Kinuhata continued "Plus, there's a lot of cards here. Having two people working on it will speed it up."

Joule raised her hand as both went over to one of the beds.

"Just to check, what information are you actually looking for?

Both of the other girls paused, looked at each other and then... Looked at Joule's chest.

Finally, Misaka spoke up, looking back at the bed "I'll tell you if we find it. Just make sure to wake us up if something serious is being done to us."

Joule warily nodded and both girls laid down.

She let out mental feelers to brush against their minds. Misaka's EM Barrier had been working better than normal since... well. Everything. But Joule could still read her mental state as she relaxed.

Kinuhata was more guarded but Joule was polite about it, doing the telepathic equivalent of knocking on her mind's door before she started reading.

She kept their mental states in mind as she relaxed with Lumen.

After a few minutes, the both of them dropped off to sleep. Something about the cards encouraged REM sleep to come quicker. It only took a minute or two for the brains to begin to dream.

Joule had studied dreams of course, it had come up in her psychology studies. Their brains were in a state similar to when they were awake, there was an uptick in brain activity when you dreamed.

Joule kept an eye on the both of them. The card was having some kind of effect but as far as Joule could see, both were doing basically what they were meant to do. It was adding data to the regions of the brain that processed dreams.

Misaka's brain waves were growing more excited. Had she taken a nightmare? She'd taken a red card... Well, orange ones were meant to be happy dreams. Kinuhata had taken an Orange card. Her brain waves were growing too, but more slowly.

And then with a start, Misaka snapped awake.

"No! I can't keep hoping I'll grow eventually! Once I hit that age it's game over, I've got to keep trying!"

"Umm..." Joule looked at her friend "It's over, it was just a dream."

Misaka looked up and sighed with relief. They were speaking quietly to avoid bothering others.

Joule was fairly sure she knew what the card was for now though, with their gazes from earlier and now this.

"Misaka, I'll ask this bluntly. Are you looking for a card that has information on how to make your breasts grow?"

Misaka looked away, embarrassed.

"No." She lied.

Joule gave her a look at that "Misaka, I've currently got a link to your brain. I am a living Polygraph machine right now."

With a sigh, Misaka nodded.

"Fine, yes."

But this...

"I want in." Joule noted quietly. She heard a laugh from Lumen as she did but she didn't care "If you find it, I want to know too."

Misaka nodded "I thought we'd already promised-"

"But now I know." Joule interupted her. There was a difference.

Misaka fetched another card and began relaxing again, Kinuhata woke up though with a groan that woke Misaka back up. Joule offered to hum a lullaby, quitely as to not annoy the other guests in other rooms, and the two agreed.

With that link, she tapped on both brains with mental links. With permission granted by Misaka to help her fall asleep, she slipped through the EM barrier and encouraged both of their brains to sleep.

As they both woke up again, she quickly calmed them down so they wouldn't react loudly. Joule had managed to learn something though. For some strange reason, all the dreams they chose made them feel inadequate.

...That was just unlikely. A card to increase breast size mixed in with all these cards to make you desire it more. It sounded like a con.

Or was that just paranoia?

End of chapter.

With Joule there, not only are they safer but they are also quieter. There's nothing to force them to go outside...