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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
"If we try very hard and eat our vegetables."
And, completely predictably, he kisses her right back.
And, completely predictably, he kisses her right back.
do_over
Yup. Proceeding as married couples do. On, and on, and on.
When he wakes up long after they've long gotten into being very much a married couple, Avedan has seen and felt entirely too much. He makes a strangled little squeaky sound.
When he wakes up long after they've long gotten into being very much a married couple, Avedan has seen and felt entirely too much. He makes a strangled little squeaky sound.
if_at_first
Sylvi is snoozing peacefully on the other side of the pillow. "Waterfall. Pear. Hagiography."
do_over
... Right. Right, of course he would get awkward sex dreams, he's been married three times, why wouldn't he get awkward sex dreams?
He gets up. And he goes and finds the bathroom, and proceeds to have the coldest shower. Begone, awkward sex dreams, maybe later you'll be fun, but right now it's really kind of more than he ever wanted to know about how marital relations with the - woman currently sharing a bed with him would go. Thanks, awkward sex dreams. Thanks.
When the coldest shower is done, he very seriously contemplates sleeping on the floor when he comes back. How's Sylvi doing, anyway, he really hopes he didn't bother her with the - squeak.
He gets up. And he goes and finds the bathroom, and proceeds to have the coldest shower. Begone, awkward sex dreams, maybe later you'll be fun, but right now it's really kind of more than he ever wanted to know about how marital relations with the - woman currently sharing a bed with him would go. Thanks, awkward sex dreams. Thanks.
When the coldest shower is done, he very seriously contemplates sleeping on the floor when he comes back. How's Sylvi doing, anyway, he really hopes he didn't bother her with the - squeak.
if_at_first
Well, she's still asleep, but - less peaceful. There's squirming.
She's still speaking random words that cannot possibly all be drawn from the same dream, especially one as coherent as a previous-incarnation memory, but she's saying them differently.
"Tree," she - says. "Violins."
She's still speaking random words that cannot possibly all be drawn from the same dream, especially one as coherent as a previous-incarnation memory, but she's saying them differently.
"Tree," she - says. "Violins."
do_over
Nope, he is not equipped to handle this, he is sleeping in the hallway. A pillow and blanket are retrieved, then - hallway. Sleep. Politely out of the way so Sylvi doesn't have to worry about stepping on him.
do_over
That - causes him to snort with stiffled laughter. When it passes, he curls up with his pillow and blanket and after a bit of trouble - drifts back off to sleep.
This time, mercifully, there are no dreams.
This time, mercifully, there are no dreams.
do_over
That - causes Avedan to stir, mumbling something about his inevitably fucked circadian rhythm. Was he imagining the cries, or -?
do_over
Right. That's - probably a bad dream. Avedan pulls himself to his feet, rubs at his eyes, and - goes off to be heroic or something. Maybe.
Gently, he tries to shake Sylvi awake.
Gently, he tries to shake Sylvi awake.
if_at_first
"Flint -" she starts, but then she squints, waking. "Ayd- Avedan." She takes a deep breath, obviously trying not to cry.
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.