dormes-vous? dormes-vous?

[crittersheep]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: Pastureland and the world of dreams alike
WHEN: Night 25

Well, that life sure has been slicing, except where it hasn't. It's been a long day. Why not take a night walk? Or lay down and... oh, oh, the dreams are mixing again.

Comments

[strateelgic]

[There's nothing written on the spines or covers of any of the books, and should she open them there will be text but it's completely unreadable. What does she expect from a dream?]

Have I learned anything at all?

[He swims in a circle around her.]

Have you?

[wants_the_phd]

In my long life, I've learned many things.

But I don't know if they're the answers you seek, or the questions.

[strateelgic]

[He opens his mouth, but doesn't know what to say to her. He swims back and forth like he's pacing, hands on both sides of his head.

Then he gets angry and swings his long tail around to knock one of the shelves over completely.]

WHY?

[wants_the_phd]

No reason.

The world doesn't care. It doesn't even notice.

We plankton like to think about how we fit into this ocean, but a passing wave will scatter us on the shore just the same.

[strateelgic]

What

What

What.

[For a moment, the merman's features become more visible. The room brightens the slightest bit.]

What do I have for someone that has?

What do I know for someone who knows?

[wants_the_phd]

What do you have? What do you know?

There is nobody in this world who thinks about us more than ourselves. Who values us more than ourselves. Who cares for us more than ourselves.

Even if the world doesn't, we will. We will protect ourselves. We will fight for ourselves. We will value ourselves.

You who shares a face with another... you have been torn in two. But does that make you less whole? Or are you now twice?

[strateelgic]

[This seems to agitate him. It isn't what he wants to hear. Nothing improves, but nothing darkens either.]

No. No, no. I’m missing. It leaks out.

[wants_the_phd]

[She isn't here to deliver platitudes, alas]

Was it easier before you remembered?

[strateelgic]

Yes.

No.

[wants_the_phd]

I know how it feels to be helpless in the face of a world that can break you without effort. But just because you are powerless now, doesn't mean you never will be.

The tide that recedes to the horizon returns as a tsunami, to rake its teeth across the land and reach far beyond where sinners thought was safe. Store your spite in your subduction zones and melt it into potential energy.

[strateelgic]

Too many words.

[The merman complains, but the room brightens ever so slightly again.

He also sends a few small balls of ice in her direction.]

[wants_the_phd]

[*doesn't mean you ALWAYS will be. powerless.]

[She will attempt to swat the balls away before they hit her.]

[strateelgic]

[It's easy enough to do. Pond Fiend uses the opportunity to... swim around in circles.]

Useless. Empty.

[wants_the_phd]

Tell me about him.

What do you remember?

[strateelgic]

Not enough!

Never enough.

[wants_the_phd]

Give me an example?

[strateelgic]

How many instruments does he play? What are his favorites? What are all his favorite things? Does he have any? How do he and Azul really get along? What did he think about me? What does he think about me? How well do we fight together? How often do we get into fights? Are either of us the older brother? Do either of us act like the older brother?

I want to taste his cooking.

I want to...

I want to...

[wants_the_phd]

And what are some examples of the facts about him you have recovered?

[strateelgic]

I chose him. I chose him and we survived.

He's temperamental. He does we he wants depending on his mood, which makes him very entertaining to be around.

He's in the basketball club. He... he cooks better than me...

[Pond Fiend stirs up a bunch of ink with his tail suddenly and swims to the other end of the room.]

[wants_the_phd]

[following him, waiting for him to say more]

[strateelgic]

[He just curls up and turns away from her, arms around his tail.]

[wants_the_phd]

...



[She idly picks a book off the shelf.]

If it hurts, it's okay to cry about it. Get it all out while you can.

[She sets the book on the ground next to him. It's a photo album.]

[strateelgic]

[He hesitates before taking it, even though he already knows what he'll find. All the books are empty to him. He has no memories with his brother from his time as an elver, so there wouldn't be any images of them to be found in its pages regardless.

He tosses it aside.]

Crying won't help me remember.

[wants_the_phd]

It won't bring him back, either. But it will help ease your pain, more than holding it in will. And it'll help clear your head, which will help you to better come up with a plan of action going forward.

But you can do what you want. I'm not your boss.

[shrugs, turns to leave.]

[strateelgic]

[He won't go after her. It's too dark outside, too frightening.

But he will sob quietly in the back of the room.]