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There is a mystery that's currently unsolved. It's in Avedan's head. It's not like he's going insane (he's quite sure that he's not) but lately his sleep's been pretty eventful. He'd always had dreams (didn't everyone?) but lately, they've been getting more vivid. More lifelike. And, most interestingly of all, more internally consistent.
It's really, really confusing. Avedan is somewhere between wanting to learn more about the internal history present in the dreams, and wanting to understand why they're being so - insistent. He suspects it has something to do with malfunctioning servants, but all of his are working just fine. He checked. Twice. So - maybe someone else's aren't working properly? Or something? He doesn't know, there's zero precedent for eerily vivid and consistent dreams. Avedan tries talking to someone about it, exactly once. They immediately think he's having reoccurring nightmares.
But they're not nightmares. Well. Okay, some of them are, one of the more memorable ones included desperately clutching a woman's hand, begging her to stay with him, just keep breathing, to stay alive. She didn't. If it'd been with someone he knew, he might have thought it was just a simple nightmare. But, no. He's never seen her before in his life. Only his dreams, and not all that often, either. Because there are others, with - happier memories attached to them.
He's started to notice patterns. In - consistent people, consistent places, and most interestingly, consistent personalities. He's pretty sure it's not his subconscious being uncreative (if it were that, he would be naked at work or something) but the bizarre internal consistency his dreams are exhibiting.
It's hard, to figure out if there's a timeline to it all. But there is one thing that's consistent: a city. He does a quick bit of research, finds the city's name (Lapis), and after a bit more research is confronted with the dream's reasonable level of fidelity. As in, it's nearly the same, with exception to what he suspects is construction. And he's never been to Lapis in his life. Just what is going on? He can only think of one way to find out, and that way involves packing up his bags, handing them off to a well-maintained servant, and then heading off to Lapis.
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do_over
do_over
"It's gone now," he offers.
Avedan is perfectly happy to let her cling. You know, even if he's a bit - half asleep and exhausted.
Avedan is perfectly happy to let her cling. You know, even if he's a bit - half asleep and exhausted.
if_at_first
"You came near," she murmurs. Hug hug hug. "That wasn't even about Aly dying, it was - I don't know how long before. I woke up in the night and didn't want to wake you and just - held still."
do_over
Avedan winces, and gingerly pets her hair.
"I am quite certain h- I would have preferred if you'd woken me up so I could offer some measure of comfort."
"I am quite certain h- I would have preferred if you'd woken me up so I could offer some measure of comfort."
if_at_first
Sylvi leans on him when he pets her.
"I thought so too. But you'd been up at ludicrous hours for a week and - there wasn't anything you could've done, anyway, I was just about overdosed on willowbark already."
"I thought so too. But you'd been up at ludicrous hours for a week and - there wasn't anything you could've done, anyway, I was just about overdosed on willowbark already."
if_at_first
"It wasn't a - distractable amount of discomfort." She shakes her head. "I don't remember the part where Aly died but I remember Kib writing about it, just a snippet - and I'm afraid I'm going to get to it and it'll turn out Aly could've held on if she really tried and just didn't want to anymore."
do_over
Well that's - just about the most heartbreaking thing. Of all time.
"I don't think it works like that," says Avedan, softly.
"I don't think it works like that," says Avedan, softly.
if_at_first
"No, probably not. I imagine getting more than a snippet of Kib writing would have disabused me of the notion. But it crossed my mind."
do_over
"It's completely fine," he says, sincerely. "Really, it is. Don't be sorry, you didn't - plan the timing of the dreams, and I'm likely to have bad days after having some of them, too. I'm glad I'm helping."
if_at_first
Sylvi obviously has no way to know that he heard her extolling the virtues of rule by the people.
"I think I want to go back to sleep," she yawns. "Thanks."
"I think I want to go back to sleep," she yawns. "Thanks."
do_over
"You're welcome," he says. He glances towards the hallway. "... Sleeping on the floor is painful. Let's just - avoid that, now."
if_at_first
"You were on the-? Why? I thought you were okay with the setup or one of us would've gotten a hotel."
do_over
"I was on the bed," he explains. "Then there was an -" He coughs again. "- awkwardly timed dream and I decided the floor would probably be a better bet."
if_at_first
"Well. You sleep wherever you're comfy. I'm gonna roll over and hope I get Kib working on Charp or something." She lets him go and stretches and flops back onto her pillow.
do_over
"Bed," he sighs. "I'm mostly just exhausted and we're both very lucky my speech isn't all mumbly and slurred."
He goes, retrieves his pillow and blanket, and flops back onto the bed.
He goes, retrieves his pillow and blanket, and flops back onto the bed.