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video, un:charon

[Lysithea appears on the screen in front of a doorway painted mint green, looking grim, but resolute. Her arm is in a sling and she has obvious scars and cuts across her face and neck, but at the very least, she is in one piece. She couldn't say the same for some of her friends.]

I am one day late.

I am pleased to announce...

[And here she makes a gesture with her good hand, and it becomes clear that this is a recording through the eyes of her Omen. The bird flaps back a few feet to reveal a recently renovated building that looks, if not grand, at least, well... intact.]

The grand opening of the Patisserie Lysitherie. Located in the Willful Machine, [address here], five minutes' walk from the closest Lamp Friend.

[Lysithea steps inside and her Omen follows to showcase part of the interior.]

...I'm sure I've prattled on about my business long enough, so I won't bore you with more details. Just know that our trade rates are exceedingly reasonable, and we seek to procure only the finest ingredients from the docks. It is winter, of course, so temper your expectations accordingly. Additionally, all purchases will come with a package of Weeping Wafers, our first in-house concoction. The taste is nutty and earthy with hints of nutmeg and almond. It's delicate - and not excessively sweet.

Most importantly, it is made with raw, diced Weepers.

After the... occurrences of the previous month, I imagine we could all benefit from their magic. If you seek mental stability, come by and we're happy to provide you with free samples. Don't take too many, though - I don't know what the effects are if you overdose.

...Well, that's all. Thank you for your business.

[...It is evident that Lysithea has no idea how to end this. After a moment, she looks around awkwardly and then dips her head as if in a bow before the transmission cuts.]

[action, ota, at the Patisserie]
[Lysithea will be manning the sweets shop during business hours. Her employees are welcome to join her when they're free - she could use some extra help, given her dislocated wrist. Drop by to sample normal baked goods, Weeper products, or simply strike up a conversation.

On slow days, Lysithea can be found eating her Weeping Wafers and fingering what appears to be an old research journal of some sort.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not a nightmare, no.

[She frowns.]

Though - is the essence any different at its core? Certainly, it strikes me that having squid bodies reforming every time we die is equally bizarre as existing in a nightmare.

It appears that in some way, those crazed lunatics believe that it 'works' by draining us of blood.

Mmm, yes. I'm aware. I think I'm going to assume that the lunatics have lost sight of reality. But it's hard to be entirely certain. Nothing seems on the surface dependent. The Pthumerians aren't exactly forthcoming.

For the most part, I think I might describe the difference as more "surreal" here and more "horrifying" in the nightmare, if that makes sense?

I went and bothered Never Mind again in his lecture.

[Lysithea's eyes flicker to the side briefly, a momentary expression of discomfort.]

He... wasn't helpful. I don't think the Pthumerians can be, somehow. It's against the composition of their souls. But he did confirm that these creatures had been around quite some time and they were acting in the manner they thought best for this city. Then there was a lot of blather about perspectives and truth and corruption. You can fill in the blanks.

I begin to have the sense that there's no real purpose here besides what we make of it. 'Surreal,' perhaps, means that it is reality, but distorted through an unfamiliar lens.

I both think that's true and not a complete picture. On the one hand, I believe that Never Mind wishes to assist in the sense of teaching, but on the other? It's always from their perspective. The Moss King might tell you what you wish to know, but always for a price. Doorway might reveal a truth, but always as bluntly as possible. You have to ... well, you have to study how they operate to know how they'd approach a problem, so that you can eve get useful information.

But... it's informative to know that sleepers have arrived on the shores apart from us before. It means that our arrival from within the dream did not come immediately. We took time to come from the dream to here. And these individuals lost their way in the process.

Actually, that does help a little. It explains the existence of the Disciples at all. None of us would have considered worshiping the Pthumerians before that I know of. So only those who never knew better might found such a group.

...I was so caught up in consciously making an effort to forget what happened that I neglected to give it due thought.

It is frightening to think that there have been Sleepers here that long. And odd to consider... we are the Sleepers responsible for this existence, with our choices at the end of the dream. If, as you say, it took us this long to travel into this world...

I wonder what was the purpose of the Sleepers before us.

The truth is that most of the sleepers would never have met Doorway. We lost access to her at some point not long after you arrived in the dream, assuming my assumption is right. And the Boat Keeper was never ... well, helpful, really. [She shook her head.] And she was much too loyal to the Queen's memory. You really only had the chance to talk with the Moss King at any length. So I don't know how helpful the past knowledge really is.

Well. I know this may be a harrowing thought, Lysithea, but have you considered that we might not have any purpose, other than one that we give ourselves? Our fate, and theirs, may very well be our own. We helped to give them a world to exist in, naturally. And these were their choices while dwelling in it.

[Lysithea shakes her head slightly.]

You are speaking philosophically.

I am speaking less of the workings of the universe and more of the workings of the Pthumerians. Unless you believe that it is random chance that Sleepers pop up here - that there is no choice or guided outcome at all - or reason that this place brings in souls from other worlds...

I do find that hard to believe.

I intend to create my own path - which, I believe I have begun to do so - but I do continue to question why and how it is that Sleepers are drawn here.

Ah... you're speaking of the base, banal reality that while those of us that survived the dream probably drew ourselves here, other sleepers have likely arrived by the will of the Pthumerians? No... that's probably true. And their purposes are inscrutable as ever. I doubt it's something quite so crass and obvious as Julia's desperate bid for protectors.

Perhaps we are meant to 'carve our own path.' We are the ones who gave this world its mold and shape. So, perhaps we are here to finish that task?

Which brings us back around to me asking Never Mind what the point was, I think.

[Lysithea flattens her lips.]

Perhaps it's not the same as Julia's motivations, but it might be in a similar vein. The Pthumerians are drawing in people they think can shape the town into a more stable place. ...Or unstable. Who knows what they intend for Trench?

Either way, the incident with the Tower seems to have been a particularly aggressive form of test.

I'm not truly certain that it was a test. The problem with these Pthumerians is how little they tell, which returns us to the basic problem on its own. [She sighed.] There's at least a small possibility that those were people who already failed their tests and degenerated into madness.

... But as you said, there's probably an intended purpose. I get the feeling the answer will take time to learn.

[Lysithea is about to answer when something seems to strike her. A restrained smile comes suddenly unbidden to her face.]

Doesn't it seem... very much like this is déjà vu?

How many identical conversations have we had like this in the past, Vira-Lorr? In Deerington - even in the past few months here.

Oh, but it does get tedious, doesn't it? Always the same! Endlessly wondering, never any certain answers.

Perhaps next time, we'll kidnap one of the zealots and force some answers out of them. We'll turn the tables.

Hah. Very droll. You know, I think it might be interesting if we could do it safely. Because you're not wrong. We've done so much of the same...

...

Maybe I'll try to reach out to Doorway. She's my patron, so... we'll see.

Well, if you get more answers, let me know.

In the meantime, the only concrete answers I ever get are to the question, "Chocolate or strawberry?"

[Lysithea pauses.]

What are you finding for yourself here, Vira-Lorr?

My home mostly. Finally getting a moment of rest, breathing. A little bit of happiness. Trying to tell myself it's not just a lie I'll wake up from tomorrow. I feel like I get to be myself here a bit, without the whole title of General attached.

It's been creepy but peaceful?

Oh, and ... dark chocolate please.

'Creepy but peaceful'...

[Peaceful is not a word Lysithea would use. But of course, Vira-Lorr had mentioned she had not been exposed to the full horrors of the tower.]

I think that's the element that's missing for me, still. Peace. I have my goals and my ambitions. I don't have faith that this world is stable enough for us to fulfill such goals.

I'll keep that in mind.

[she means the chocolate preference]

[Admittedly, when she said 'peaceful' it was by no means an absolute concept. The tower was a glaring exception to the whole peaceful aspect.]

I suspect that it will need pro-active molding to make certain that the more peaceful elements remain at the fore. This is a peace that requires active defense. But I'm not entirely sure what your goals most are in this place.

Heh. Forgive me, but I imagine you want more than just to be the best baker in town, though I'd be pleasantly surprised if I found out that was on your mind just as I would many other goals.

I'm already the best baker in town.

[Lysithea has never been lacking in confidence.]

...But my goal is to create the best baking empire in town.

[There might be some part of this that is a joke. But her expression presents it as outwardly serious.]

Otherwise, I seek knowledge, of course. The nature of this place - of blood - of the gods who govern us. And when I have enough knowledge, I can effect the change I hope to see.

You will conquer us all with baguettes.

[She was a mixture of serious and playful, leaning heavily into the playful side because it was her. Still, the idea of making herself the pre-eminent baker in town was kind of ... actually it was a good notion of a plan.]

We can work together on learning the blood magic. I know at least two others who are starting to actively research in as much as they can. So we will make progress with time.

True baguettes are hard enough to break teeth on.

[Lysithea matches the inscrutability of Vira-Lorr's tone. ...Though Vira-Lorr probably knew her well enough at this point to know that anything without sugar wasn't really Lysithea's style.]

Oh --

I did finally figure out my own brand of blood magic. I had thought for a while that I had nothing particularly worth manifesting.

It seems I have the standard darkblood connection to the concept of time.

[...And as Vira-Lorr knows something about Lysithea's past and her absence of time, this might not be surprising.]

mmm. They are meant to be rather flaky aren't they?

[But sugary and buttery confections aside, the comment about her blood powers had the woman's attention. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands.]

So, you have a power associated with time? In theory perhaps it can be refined and built upon... which probably means that the visions I get from objects could probably be refined on some level.

What exactly does your time connection do?

Stop it.

[Lysithea smiles wanly.]

I was always desperate for more time. So I suppose the universe has granted me as much of it as I need.

...To an extent.

It just about knocked me out the first time it happened.

Stop it?!?

[Lysithea got to see one of those rare moments where Vira-Lorr actually looked a little shocked. That kind of power was definitely something extravagant.]

I can see how that might have taken a lot out of you. I suppose if you stretch it carefully you might be able to do a great deal with it, if you do not shred yourself to pieces using it.

Do be careful.

You needn't worry. I have a great deal of experience with wielding overwhelming power that slowly eats away at my lifespan. ...Well. Relatively quickly.

I don't feel anywhere near as burdened as I did before. My blood has always been a curse to me, you know. If this is the curse it carries now, then... at least it is one that I chose to use, in one sense.

[She shakes her head.]

Up to now, it's only showed up to save my life, anyway.

mmm. True. But allow me to worry a teensy bit for a friend. [She winked.] At least, though, this is less of a burden so it is probably something that the blood you possess is more clearly designed to offer.

And that choice... it is important. Maybe in time you can experiment. Preferably not with life threatening situations, heh.

It does have the potential to go awry, doesn't it? I had a nightmare the other day where the world was frozen and nothing in it could respond to me.

I don't know how I would go about 'practicing,' though. I... suppose my first thought was simply to conduct some research.

Time manipulation is not uncommon among Darkbloods.

video, un:charon

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