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How gracious of you to think of me in a time like this.

It might be a little uncomfortable, but I assume it's nothing you can't handle. You're going to need a tether with someone, though. Do you have another?

Why would I not? For better or for worse, we are trapped here together, and what do you mean by uncomfortable?

[ He has a feeling Aventurine is keeping something from him... ]

I've never severed one of these kinds before, but I did lose one that was stronger than this one in the dream. There were some residual effects. It felt like something was physically ripped from me on top of as if I was suddenly very alone.

[ which is saying something considering Aventurine always feels alone. ]

[ He's already done enough to Aventurine's psyche in the past, and he already knows Aventurine feels isolated enough as the sole survive of his people. ]

And if we maintain it as is? Could you live with that? I know I am the last person you ever wish to trust.

As in, what is a tether like if we keep it?

[ he'll avoid the other questions for now. ]

Yes, will you know and feel everything I know and feel or only what is on the surface? If you have more than one tether, will you also not become overwhelmed quickly?

Not everything, no. Or, at least, I haven't experienced anything like that, yet.

I can't say for sure because my tethers and I don't speak about what we feel or experience, but my guess is it's very random and the stronger or more uncontrolled the thought or the feeling is, the more likely it will be felt by the one you're tethered to. and...

You can think of tethers perhaps delivering thoughts and feelings in pulses or waves. I don't usually feel anything from multiple tethers at once unless something chaotic is happening to everyone. And if you ignore them they get weaker. A tether needs to be maintained or strengthen to avoid losing it.

Then I suppose there is no reason to concern ourselves that deeply with it at the moment.

[ Especially if it may gradually fade with time. ]

Why did you reach out to me if not that?

[ if only things were so simple. ]

It was about that. And to make sure you weren't lost. Caelus would be upset.

I appreciate the concern, but I have been managing with the provided map. I was merely exploring and trying to find Caelus something more substantive and less lethal to eat.

Would you like something to eat as well?

There's plenty of food here, you don't need to scavenge. I've had a very long time to collect food.

[ a pause in his words is accompanied by a feeling of slight exasperation. ]

... The meat won't stay without the snow and freezing temperatures, though. I guess that will be an issue.

I could search for a cooler or ice box of some sort to help you. I would like to contribute rather than simply occupying space without recompense. That would be rude of me.

[ there is a mental sigh, a bit deflating as a feeling of resignation comes over him. Of course this person is a Sunday that the Sunday Aventurine knows could never offer to show the outside world. He's been traveling with the Astral Express, as well.

Aventurine isn't forgiving, but to muster the negativity he wants to feel towards Sunday (especially after their encounter in the dream, because if he can firmly establish he still hates him, the dream doesn't have anything complicated that he may need to consider) feels so... exhausting.

And Aventurine is tired. The tiredness for a moment ripples over through their connection like a rising tide..

He's so damn tired. If he's honest with himself, despite saying he doesn't want to talk about the dream and what occurred in it, and is making a good show of it, a thought crumpled and distorted seeps out like trying to smooth out crushed paper.

( If the dream had only been what happened with you, it really wouldn't have been so bad. So... I shouldn't take it out you, either. ) ]

...Just... can't you do that tomorrow, then? You just got here after having such an awful experience in that dreamscape. At least let me feel like I was useful and able to give you and the others a little reprieve from this hell by not making it necessary to scavenge for scraps immediately while also dealing with the shock of this situation.

[ He feels the ripple of exasperation and exhaustion, frowning gently and trying to choose his words more carefully. ]

I would not say all the experiences were awful. Simply revelatory to others and myself without proper warning.

[ He walked away from it all more embarrassed than traumatized if only because he had spent so long learning to conceal all his thoughts, wishes, and desires to appease the Family at the expense of his own mental well-being. ]

It is almost cosmic retribution after trying to remove the agency of others to have the same done to me. I wielded the powers of Harmony improperly, and now I continue to face the consequences.

[ it's hard not to have sympathy for well-meant intentions, especially when Aventurine is no longer bound by his job to succeed. Although he doesn't want to, he can't help but be tempted to admit a man that sacrificed everything for his sister's (and the rest of Penacony's) happiness while throwing away his own is a bit worthy to be envious of. If Aventurine could have his sister alive with him, he doesn't doubt he would burn down the world for her, as well. And he would be also very tempted to keep her safe in a cage from the dangers of the sins of men.

Because Aventurine is so very well aware of how terrible self-serving and selfish he is. ]

You were trying to create a perfect world, while Sleep is attempting to ... well, I can't tell what She is truly seeking, but there's no world here for anyone to theoretically be happy in.

Next time we enter the Dream... you should also be able to use your abilities to better guard yourself, at the very least. I believe they might work further than that, though.

I started to tap him into them towards the end, but it was for the best that I was not able to use them fully. In the state that I was, I am sure I would have done something even more regrettable.

[ And he doesn't want to make matters worse between the two of them by having Aventurine under his control while he's feeling aggressive and hyper-sexual again. ]

How often do we enter Sleep's Dreamscape?

So far, I've only been in two dreams, but it was about two months apart. I have no idea what the next dream will be, either.

[ Aventurine hums. He just can't help but wonder if Sunday would have had any effect on the Abomination in particular. Any concerns about being the victim of being under his power while in their situation doesn't register. It's perhaps particularly because he knows very well with the way they were both acting that there was no way Aventurine was going to hate it as he likely should. ]

Also... I just found that it doesn't belong to Sleep like all of us thought. I haven't spoken to the others about it, yet, but...

[ At least he has time to mentally prepare for the next one and find out more about this place. ]

Is Sleep only the mechanism then? Who does run the Dreamscape, if not them?

I... don't know. The Dreamscapes are One's own, even though Sleep clearly has power here of some kind. I'm not sure if the original intention was for him to bring those of us like him to Sleep or if it's more of an unintentional consequence. He mentioned he can't control some kind of force that's inside of him, and because of that, we dream with him.

He runs the Dreamscape, but I don't think he's in that much control. The Abomination ultimately killed him, that's how the dream broke apart and set us free.

Edited 2025-10-07 20:14 (UTC)

Then that means it would not be as easy to seize control of the Dreamscape with our limited resources. I know from being inside that it was not constructed using memoria like Penacony's Dreamscape. The magic was entirely foreign and impossible for me to manipulate, let alone override.

With our power diminished outside of dreams as well, we are limited in how we can proceed forwards with returning to our own universe.

[ He doesn't like feeling this powerless at all. ]

So far, I've only experienced two dreams, anyway. It's hard to say what influence we could or couldn't have, but my guess is we'll have to become more friendly with One before we have much chance of anything. I'm not sure after what happened in the dream how willing he'll be to connect with us.

When we first arrived here, I thought he was an enemy. He seems now more like an unfortunate victim.

Which part of the dream are you alluding to? The battle with the abomination or...other occurrences?

Well... before the Abomination, one of us attempted to be friendly with him and it seems that it attracted the ire of Sleep. Although I don't believe She did anything to him specifically, it may have spooked him.

Then the other part is, of course, as you mentioned... the Abomination. He... suffered greatly in his fear as it destroyed him.

Is there any chance we could communicate with him once more in the Dreamscape?

Yes. We can sometimes contact him through the Murmur, as well. I don't know if you've heard his song while outside yet, but the one signing... is him.

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regulate - 2025-10-12 00:59 (UTC) - Expand