JAWS • DECEMBER 2025 EVENT/TDM

[uruz]

TDM & EVENT: JAWS

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Show Me Those Pretty White Jaws

The dream has been coming in waves for those new to Sleep's touch, as a shoreline that never stays still. As a sky that never remembers to include its stars. Beneath it all, there is a voice. Her voice: silk-sweet, coaxing from just beyond the approaching wave that towers like a moving mountain. She tells you to come home. She promises it won't hurt, even if she never tells you what waits beneath. You see the shape just before the dream ends: a massive black tidal wave, yawning wide and black until it looks like a pair of jaws breaking upon you. You don't have time to resist.

You and your veteran Vessels will awaken in water.

There is no surface. No bottom. No sky. No sound but your own heartbeat and the echoes of water being slashed though, dull and endless in the still, frigid dark. You are suspended, weightless— Some may have difficulty to breathe without inhaling water the first few times, while those aligned with the waves will feel it come like second nature. Once you acclimate yourself, you'll notice that around you drift glowing filaments; thin, pulsing threads that coil like jellyfish tendrils, softly luminescent. They curl and twist through the water, and when you look closer, you realize: they show you things. Memories, maybe. Dreams, maybe. Each one unique to your gaze: a hand reaching for yours in the dark, a goodbye that never finished, a face you haven't seen in years. They are what you think love looks like. What you once needed it to be. And when you touch them, they wrap around you, gently, warmly . . . Hungrily— and begin to pull you down.

To ascend into the next level, you must let go. But not everything that binds you wants to be released. The filaments drifting through the water show you what you think love looks like— what you've built it into. They are gentle at first, beautiful even, but the longer you cling, the more they pull.

There are ways to escape them: You may bind your filament with another's and together speak aloud a shared truth: what you believe love really is. If your hearts align or at the very least come to an agreement, the threads dissolve into light and lift you upward. If your beliefs clash or contradict, the threads knot tighter, and something . . . May take interest in you.

Beneath you, something moves. Huge, silent and almost regal. It glides through the deep like a phantom, almost too large to be real. You feel its presence before you see its flash of pearl white and glowing red eyes, three on each side of its face: a shark.

The shark is here to choose its next meal. It smells grief, fear and seeks out trauma most of all. It is drawn to the most unspoken parts of you, the very parts you thought were buried, roused from the tightened ropes of what you crave in your heart. And when it chooses you, it does not bite immediately. It invites, with its jaws opening like a sanctuary and slow towards you.

Inside is I, whispers Sleep. Allow Me to have you whole, and you will be at peace. Show Me love.

Fight against her, or even with your current partner about what love is, and Sleep will open her maw, spilling tendrils from her throat and begin to stalk you. Best be prepared to fight the possessed Megalodon— She will laugh, amused as you do, like a great cat playing with its food. And if you were to be caught, well. You'll wake in the dream's next level with an undeniable prey drive, whether Token or Offering.

She will do anything to keep you here.

NOTES:

• There is no surface visible at first. Light only comes from the filaments. As characters resist, act, or ascend, a faint stained-glass shimmer begins to pulse upward, hinting at the dream's next layer.
• Sound is muffled— speech emerges as bubbles, but meaning travels regardless. Words feel heavy here. Some phrases may literally change the water (turn to light, birth dream-objects, or ripple with tension). You will do better using The Murmur as a means of communication. Luckily you have your mask on!
• The Shark always circles once it senses trouble within you. Sometimes close, sometimes far, but always felt. If characters listen closely, they can hear the echo of One's voice coming from inside it: pleading with a haunted, at times screaming melody.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• The dream bends subtly around Tokens, especially at the whims of an Aquamancer. Walls of pressure open before them, and filaments shift course as if expecting them. This can make their path easier, unless they start to doubt their purpose.
• Tokens perceive emotional resonance as currents in the water such as subtle flows of energy. These can guide them (or others) toward escape paths, or signal when the shark is near.
• When a Token speaks or acts with strong intent, the dream sometimes translates it into a symbolic structure: A word might become a floating glyph. A gesture might alter the filament's shape. A moment of clarity might reveal a hidden path. Other characters can interact with these dream-objects, but they're fragile, unstable, and prone to distortion by doubt.
• The deeper Tokens go, the more they feel themselves pulling apart and begin to experience dual awareness: one part dreaming, one part watching— some may even see flashes of within the shark's belly, and One's voice much louder. The deeper they go, the more detached they become, and the more they lack the ability to act at all.

OFFERING EFFECTS

• The shark is more fascinated by Offerings. It circles them often, sensing kinship— or potential. The more monstrous the Offering, the more the shark "pauses' near them, almost curious.
• Offerings feel "the pull" more clearly, particularly Merrows and other aquatic-based Offerings—they can sense where the surface might be, and where the shark intends to strike next. They may even see pulses in the water that others miss, similar to Spider Man's "spidey senses".
• An Offering may experience rapid body changes submerged. Fins may appear, bones may shift, teeth may lengthen without warning and so on. This makes their movement easier or harder, depending on how much of themselves they're holding back or how apt their monstrous forms are at swimming.
• Some Offerings may feel drawn to the shark— not in fear, but in understanding. They may see themselves in it, and vice versa— One's song in particular is hypnotic, and for split moments you may understand his pain through his words. This might make you more prone to being consumed, though, so hopefully your partner can help you out of it—?.

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Watching Me With Eyes Of A Predator

The surface you breach is not water— it's glass.

You strike it with the force of falling sky. It fractures beneath you in a bloom of painted light. For one weightless moment, the dream hesitates, sputters. Then the world shatters, and you fall with the cascade.

Water pours through the crack in the ceiling, carrying you down in ribbons of color and a shattering splash. Stained glass shards drift like petals through the now collapsing roof, and you eventually land not in sand, but upon a cathedral floor, slick with tide. Around you, the water spreads, pooling across the stone and swallowing the walls in a rising hush as it finds escape through the doors.

The cathedral is vast, impossibly so. Its architecture towers, crooked and immaculate, built more from longing than stone. No altar awaits you. No congregation. Only the sensation of having trespassed into something meant to be private. Veteran Vessels may recognize this cathedral as St. Patrick's— before it was drenched in One's blood sacrifice.

High above and surrounding you, the stained-glass mosaics churn with captured light. f you linger beneath one of the window's rays, your appearance may begin to change under the light. You appear as someone else sees you. Be it a hero. A monster. A disappointment. A god. A weakness. A temptation. Even a burden. That version of you clings to your dream-body like a second skin; uncomfortable, intimate, and undeniable. For some, it may be beautiful. For others, unbearable.

If you and another stand beneath the same window, you may each appear as the other secretly imagines. There is no control and no negotiation. Only truth twisted through the lens of want, resentment, fear, or love. And it doesn't go away until you leave the light.

Eventually, the cathedral doors open by dream's will. Beyond them lies a cloister garden: narrow paths, pale trees, and wild flowers that bloom in stillness. At the far end, behind the overgrowth and ruined arches, you see a hollow.

It is a corridor where the dream collapses inward, twisting, warped, half-swallowed in fog and dread. Its stones pulse faintly beneath a shallow film of water. Black tendrils reach from its depths like roots, veins, twitching toward sound, warmth, and movement. You see them dragging matter into the earth, and between them lie bones, contorted and fresh, half-consumed.

And farther still, a body that still breathes. Glimpsed only briefly, A masked man's form is stretched by the hollow's gravity, arms pinned behind the veil. He does not move, or speak. Or perhaps, he cannot. The hollow does not let him go and will not, should you make your attempts. If you step foot in the hollows that have consumed him, you too will be consumed. A three eyed Tod sits at the hollow's edge, a single bushy tail splitting into three, as its body plays with illusion like smoke put to dance over fire. It says, as its head floats up and its maw splits into a grin too cheshire to ignore: Wearing shoes, yet no feet in sight. You'll hear steps pound in the death of night. What is it that you need, to cross this narrow blight?

It disappears and only leaves you the riddle to chew on.

Nothing living can cross the hollow, you'll soon find. Nothing except . . . The Nightmares.

Just outside the garden's boundary, you'll find horses built from wind and shadow, flickering at the edge of your vision. Their bodies are black— not the color, but the absence, swallowing all light. Some of their craniums cound be seen, others have a jutting horn of bone from their foreheads. Where eyes should be, there are six: three stacked on each side of the skull, glowing dimly red like distant embers beneath ice. Their manes flow like torn fabric, like drifting vapor that trails behind them like the smoke from a snuffed candle. Their maws are too damn wide to be herbivorous, yet they seem to enjoy the act of grazing. They wait, unchained and wild in a herd.

This is the only way forward. Only they can pass through the hollow untouched. But how to ride one—? You may chase them. You may plead, command, kneel. You may offer them all your need and all your love, promises that you will provide if they become your steed. But they were not made to answer it. For every Vessel, there is one single Nightmare that will choose them, and thus you will choose each other. They have their own personalities, some more aggressive or shyer than others. The harder you reach, the faster they vanish or harshed they will attack if unready. Try to mount one through force, and you'll regret ever trying. Try to bind one, and it will break you.

But if you are patient, if you figure out its nature and how to please it— your Nightmare may come closer. One may circle you. It may bow its head. Their snort is warm and real against your palm. If successful, it will lower itself to its knees. If you've got the height, they will simply wait, patiently, for you to get on their backs (Or not; there are plenty of sassy mares out there).

If you accept, you might not be taken somewhere safe, but you will be taken somewhere true, away from here. And if you force your want upon them, if you cannot let go— you will be left with something else.

In the distance, across the flooded cathedral floor, you may see One again. Flashes, glimpses. Always chasing a mare he never reaches, or the opposite— the mare chases after him.

NOTES:

• If a character successfully forms a bond with their Nightmare, it will return with them in the form of a waking world steed, officially introduced in the next event. You're free to give it the personality you wish.
• If a character attempts to force a connection with a Nightmare at any point (tries to catch, mount, command, etc.), the mare will bite or kick, which Vessels will suffer as a persistent dream-mark that will carry into the waking world.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• Light clings unnaturally to Tokens in the cathedral, especially near the stained glass. It bends around their bodies like a false halo, casting them in divine or monstrous outlines depending on who watches.
• If a Token casts or channels any magic within the cathedral or near a Nightmare, the spell does not manifest, but instead, a cold mist escapes their mouth, and the Nightmare turns to look. The dream rejects force.
• When a Nightmare looks directly at a Token, their eyes eclipse, pupils vanishing into rings of shadow. In that moment, a fragmented vision floods the Token's mind . . . not from the Nightmare, but from another character nearby. It shows the Token how that character once dreamed of them, what they feared, needed, or hoped they would become.

OFFERING EFFECTS

• The stained glass causes a subtle change in scent and physical appearance turning into a more grotesque version of this— Offerings begin to smell or look like what others most want from them.
• Offerings may always know where the Nightmares are, even when hidden. But the more they try to act on this knowledge, the harder the Nightmares are to reach.
• An Offering's body will react before they realize it, flinching from lies, bristling in moments of emotional pressure, pulling away from contact, and so on. They may startle even at gentle contact, as if something inside them is as reactive as they are.

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Where The Delicate Stops

As your Nightmare takes you through the misty hollow, you may begin to notice the empty city of Manhattan as veterans remember. There is no warning but the eerie silence that surrounds you like impossible weights. The cathedral once behind you folds inward— wrong, deep and full of pressure. It bursts through the hollow's path, through the city's street, and then— The dream ruptures.

Stone peels backward like paper. Glass liquefies mid-air. The sky above the city pulls itself inside out. Time bends sideways. And from the edges of the dream, something, someone, begins to hunt. Sleep's presence moves like the very shark she chose as a vision of her physical manifestation. She does not speak or rage. But you feel Her, rising like fever beneath the skin of Her world as the hairs at the back of your neck do. She does not want you this deep, and neither does One.

Somewhere within the collapse, you may see them— entwined, shifting, trembling. One's face is turned toward you, screaming something that doesn't reach your ears. Sleep's hands are tangled in his body. She pulls him back with a gentleness that breaks the sky, and he screams, reaching for you with his last breath before consumption. The dream convulses.

The Nightmares bolt with you still on them.

The city rises to meet you from the shadows, but it's not the city you know. Skyscrapers twist at unnatural angles. Streets flood, then dry, then flood again. Tendrils burst from subway grates and gutters, slashing upward like tongues. Streetlights spin like compass needles. Cars levitate, crash, freeze midair. You move through it all at breakneck speed, but the exit keeps shifting— a hole in the world that flickers just beyond reach where you see your body, fast asleep.

Somewhere in the chaos, a few Nightmares are caught. Sleep strikes like lightning— she coils like a viper and tightens like a vice. One touch from Her, and your Nightmare collapses mid-gallop, its body unraveling into smoke and light. No sound. No scream. Just absence. And you fall right off it like a ragdoll.

Others fall beneath impact, too— a wrong turn, a shattered wall, a burst of heat from One's grief. A broken leg. A crash. A wound too deep to ride through. If your steed is lost, you fall. And if no one reaches for you, you stay fallen. Others are near, and their Nightmares still run. All of you have a terrible dread in your bones— if you are caught or left behind, the consequences will be dire. You might not even wake up. So, call out. Cling. Climb. Share. Two Vessels on one mount. Anything to survive and flee as the dreamscape tightens its wrathful grip around you.

Sleep calls inside your spine. You can't make out what She says. One answers, the same blur of garbled words in your marrow. And then, just before the dream can take you, just before you reach an exit— you rise.

Your body lifts from the Nightmare as it paddles the air with desperation, it too rising. You're pulled upward, weightless, as if a thread inside your heart has been yanked by a furious god. You float, twist in the air. Your vision glows white.

We've got you.

And then you wake up— mid-air in the waking world.

Your body slams into your bed, floor, street, soil, wherever it was that you had slept. Reality greets you with terrible impact.

NOTES

• If a character does not find a mount in time, they may be caught in the dream collapse. They still wake— but they wake broken. These characters may wake up bruised, disoriented, or emotionally fragmented, and this can be explored in the next waking world event.

TOKEN EFFECTS

• Any Tether they feel becomes unstable—splintered. For brief moments, they feel it breaking and re-forming again and again, with slight differences each time.
• The more emotionally charged they are, the more the dream pulls toward them; tendrils snap faster, debris veers unnaturally close.
• Their body flickers with signs of their own magic—sigils, symbols, runes— burning just beneath the surface of their skin like constellations. These glow brighter as the dream collapses, as if trying to tear free.

OFFERING EFFECTS

• Where Offerings are grazed or injured, they bleed light, not red. It floats up like mist.
• They hear One's heartbeat, not theirs, and it speeds in panic. It affects their own pulse, the mare under them . . .
• The Nightmare no longer follows the Offering's will—it will respond to their fear instead.

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OOC NOTES

➤ Welcome to Somnia's third TDM, which doubles as the month's gamewide event!
➤ This TDM is considered game canon. You are free to have your character remember as many details as possible when they wake up.
➤ Only new characters are free to experiment with the Vessel options, Token or Offering to your liking; this is a dreamscape, so multiple/different situations for you to really test which option you like most is possible. Current characters must remain as their chosen Vessel type unless you requested a switch, which can be done on the Taken page.
➤ All TDMs take place within a dreamscape, meaning characters can interact with the setting without needing to apply. Come have fun with us!
➤ Veteran players, I ask to please refrain from making post-event threads for the time being! We have some important information to take into account in next month's event when characters are slated to "wake up". At the very least, please wait for the information to be offered on the next plotting post. Thank you everyone for your patience!
➤ Please comment on the TDM's INVITE TL if you are a new player interested in joining the game, but don't yet have an invite. Current players or the mod may reach out to extend an invite. Once you've got one, please don't forget to comment on the Invite page so you may properly link it in your reserve and app.
➤ Questions? Please direct them to the designated questions comment linked below!

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[trashblaze]

Do you remember the riddle?

[ He's referring to the riddle mentioned earlier by the three-eyed creature. ]

"Wearing shoes, yet no feet in sight. You'll hear steps pound in the death of night. What is it that you need, to cross this narrow blight?"

[ Since they shortly encountered the Nightmares right after, they didn't need to think that hard. At least to Caelus, the answer clicked right away. That's why he's determined to befriend these horses as well, believing them to be key to the path forward.

Hopefully, it won't be too troublesome, considering how they don't appear to be hostile. They just seem cautious at most, at least the adults do. The younger ones are curious and cute. When some of the young ones start investigating him, Caelus allows them. He doesn't flinch, as he has extensive experience in handling non-humans. Familiar with this kind of curiosity, he holds out his hand for them to sniff as well, so they can get to know his presence. ]

Hello, everyone. What are your names? I'm apparently Star now!

[ The young horses don't respond immediately, but Caelus expected their shy reactions. So he maintains the same stance and smile, continuing to allow them to adjust to him. After about half a minute, one of the horses finally approaches him more closely than before. That's when he reaches out to gently touch the little Nightmare, massaging the areas where horses commonly groom each other, such as the neck or shoulders.

The little Nightmare melts right away, soon settling down onto Caelus's shoulder to beg for more, to which he complies as he lets out a soft laugh. It neighs to him, answering back. ]

Heeh? So, your name is Luna! It's nice to meet you.

[ Seeing that Luna has warmed up to Caelus, the rest of the young ones start surrounding him as well. They also neigh and start a conversation, finally successful. ]

Hm, hm. I see. That's interesting! [ He shifts his hands to pet each of them whenever any of them pleads for it. ] … Haha, no way!

[roedeer]

[ but this isn't a narrow blight for him.

to cross is to go further. caelus may not understand, but moving forward is not in the cards that kim soleum has dealt. all he has laid down is only a bit of advice that can help him in the future, and soleum does hope that it does. the fact he even used his name properly is a step in the right direction, but it's not a path they can share together.

how can he make caelus understand that no matter what, soleum cannot cross, even if his reminder means that these... things that he can hardly look at, are the answer to it.

he doesn't relax, his eyes fall to the ground as he listens to the other indulge in the curiosity of the children. whatever it is that he's doing, the children are slowly crawling around caelus with a chipper reaction, they're full of so much energy as they bite, lick, and even poke with a fang here and there. they don't bother soleum which is a good thing for him as it keeps his mind from going crazy, he really can't deal with the disgusting way they look less than normal. ]

Hm...

[ soleum notes the older horses that have slowed down and remain a little wary, and he pushes himself up from where he sat to bring distance between him and the children. ]

I am passing. Between us, [ he gestures to caelus. ] he's doing a better job in terms providing a connection.

[ and there's one horse that comes out from behind another as though they were merged, their size halved once they do this. it's the walk of some shame, the creature with its head angled low, disappointed in soleum's decision and caelus can note this by the sound.

you're making a mistake mistake mistake mistake mistakemistakemistake

a brow raises curiously, but he dismisses the noise for something else. when soleum tries to walk around this nightmare, the creature taps to the side to block him to show he can't go anywhere else. what a delimma. as one of the horses next to luna falls onto its side beside caelus, a head lays on his lap to prevent him from leaving. the children are aware that caelus and soleum came together, but they should stay out of arguments that doesn't have anything to do with them. from the looks of things, soleum doesn't know what's being said. ]

There's nothing I can give you.

[trashblaze]

[ Even though the children want to stay out of the so-called "adult conversation," Caelus knows he should join in. For "Roe Deer's" sake, of course. So with soft strokes on the children's long manes, the trailblazer reassures them before standing back up.

Then, he walks closer to the Nightmare that's blocking "Roe Deer," recognizing this one as the same Nightmare from earlier on. The one who led him here. ]

Oh, hello, again! That's right, you wanted to talk to Roe Deer…

[ What was said just now? Something about a mistake. ]

Hmm. Deer hyung, this one is trying to warn you. I think it's dangerous to proceed alone.

[roedeer]

[ he's going to make the children sad as he gets up and move, their bodies shifting a bit as they sneeze sadly to see caelus go. they'd get up too if not intimidated by the words coming from the one nightmare.

soleum looks to the side, his eyes never making contact with the creature. if he could ignore their crushed in head or how their eyes bulge out from one spot, then he'd hear it out, this sort of sight isn't meant for him! drugs would be better to take than to witness this, anything that could offer him a loopy sensation much like back then. if he has to keep standing here and dealing with this monstrosity he might j—

the sound of caelus' voice chirps next to him, and soleum turns his head to catch what's being said. ]

I wouldn't say I'm proceeding alone.

[ he comes across interesting characters at every step.

the answer doesn't make the nightmare happy though, it's cracked hoof hitting against the ground and almost stepping on caelus' foot. ]

[trashblaze]

[ Maybe "Roe Deer" meant something else, but considering the traiblazer is the only one with him currently, it comes across as meaning Caelus as a company. Whether or not it's a confirmation, the idea alone makes Caelus's lips turn upwards, and he's beaming a little at the man now.

The trailblazer's good mood doesn't falter, even as he reflexively dodges his feet. For now, he decides to interview "Roe Deer" to get to the bottom of this. Why is he so against befriending the Nightmares? Is there something Caelus is missing here? ]

So, what's the issue? Afraid you'll fall off or something?

[ Maybe "Roe Deer" is just afraid of riding because he hasn't done it before. Haha, it can't be that he's just afraid of their appearance, right? … Right? ]

[roedeer]

[ a question of why he's so unwilling? dangerous game, explaining his fears would tarnish the appearance he's shaped for himself, and so he sighs. ]

I've never ridden a horse before. I'm from the city.

[ which is true, he doesn't see people use horses to get around when living life in the city, has he? it's not a lie either, completely honest when the closest thing soleum has done to ride one would be in a video game. the same mechanic there probably doesn't work here, he verifies this by looking up above the nightmare to check if there's no carrot bar explaining how many speed bursts he could gain. ]

You're able to communicate with them, so you must have?

[ polite and curious. ]

[trashblaze]

No, actually. But I've ridden a large creature from my universe before.

[ It's a dinosaur-looking creature called droma. Caelus may have plenty of experience caring for all manner of creatures, but he doesn't necessarily ride them. As tempting as the idea may be. Maybe someday, he'll consider riding more than the dromas for fun. There's usually no need to do so, thanks to Space Anchors and other convenient transport systems available.

It has to be similar, at least. ]

I think I can learn it quickly… [ As a trailblazer who travels across many planets, Caelus is flexible and used to adjusting to many kinds of situations. Due to the nature of his occupation, he also acquired a good range of skills. He's a fast learner and is confident that he can do it. ] I'll teach you once I pick it up!

[ Turning around to face Luna, Caelus extends his hands to the young Nightmare, wondering if it will be willing to help him across. ]

Luna, do you want to play?

[ The shadow horse immediately perks up, running to Caelus as it starts rubbing its head against his, causing the trailblazer to break out into another energetic laugh. He strokes Luna's neck and shoulders once more, then begins to attempt climbing its back.

Remembering to keep his balance, he straightens up slowly and stays still for now to perfect the equilibrium first before anything else. ]

[roedeer]

[ a pass. he's passed the test of his concerns, eyes never meeting with the creature that stares at him intently. a test of courage or his sanity, the creature turning to its side to expose where soleum can start his ascent, but he shakes his head. ]

I'll look forward to it.

[ this is solely said out of being polite and a reason why he's denying the creature that continues to yearn for his attention. they're just so creepy he's unable to stand how their bodies shift and contort, then the way their skin breaks. to stare at their leaking inside doesn't do well for him and instead makes him feel a little sicker.

to prevent any other questions, soleum looks to the more dramatic nightmare. ]

...

[ a hand comes to his chest, there's something missing there, the outline of a friend and such dramatics this horse has put him through is only a simple reminder. he would probably be offended if soleum reused his name, and the idea of naming things to give them an attachment is already looking bad for the employee.

it started with caelus, but that was for his safety. ]

Pink...

[ deliberating this to himself, soleum snaps his fingers to get the creature's attention and at hearing a name... the clop of hooves against the ground as it prances around soleum. a little dance that might mean celebration upon the name, pink shakes its head and then trots over to luna, and bumps into the horse to show the enthusiasm it has. ]

We should survey our surroundings to make sure we don't go anywhere dangerous.

[ this is said to caelus. ]

[trashblaze]

[ Because of Pink's intense excitement from finally being acknowledged by "Roe Deer," Luna's own skyrockets, and the two Nightmares start dancing around together, even with Caelus still on its back. ]

Whoa! Luna!

[ Hold on! He hasn't learned the balance entirely yeeeet—!! And so, here we are, Caelus immediately holding onto Luna's neck with both arms as he secures himself. The Nightmares continue to hyperly prance around for a while, excitedly circling "Roe Deer."

But Caelus isn't a nervous type, so he concentrates and attempts to rebalance himself again. The added difficulty is beneficial, he thinks. It'll allow him to learn faster and ride better, especially when there's actual danger ahead. He knows better than to expect a smooth ride in Sleep's dreams.

After some time, Caelus finally picks it up. He has his back straight constantly, able to smoothly maintain his position, even if Luna jumps around. ]

… All right. I think I got it.

[ By the time "Roe Deer" suggests to survey, the Nightmares have already calmed down, and Caelus is able to direct it now. Thus, he nods. After this, Caelus can teach "Roe Deer." ]

Let's go, then.

[roedeer]

I still have my reservations.

[ he may have named pink who is so excited at the fact that soleum has finally acknowledged it, but that doesn't mean he's riding. instead, he'll walk side by side with them only because there's no need to learn how to ride yet, is there? rather than get on like caelus did, he follows right beside luna with pink behind him, and the stallion bites at the back of soleum's attire to slow him down.

an annoying horse with good intentions.

braun would be proud. ]

You said you've been in places like this before, the dream...

[ soleum lifts his gaze now to meet with caelus who is positioned on the horse like an expert, the confidence he has without a rein to hold or a saddle is by someone who is used to riding different types of creatures. it could come from how well he connects to animals, too, which soleum lacks. ]

What sort of animals did you meet there?

[ or perhaps there were characters there too. he'll never know if he doesn't ask. ]

[trashblaze]

I've been through a lot of places, even outside dreams like these.

[ Wait until Caelus talks about the intergalatic travels… He's a genuine alien, but there's no need to mention it yet. For now, he talks leisurely, following along the topics that "Roe Deer" is curious about. Luna strolls forward with a good pace now that it's calm. ]

As for animals, way too many to list! But I can mention a few. First, there are these really cute critters called chimera. They're about the size of a small dog, and they come in different colors. They have bubbly eyes, and they always look like they're blushing because of their facial features.

[ Those guys truly are adorable. Thinking about them again makes Caelus smile. ]

I've also encountered dromas. They're huge! They resemble dinosaurs, but they're not. Despite their intimidating appearance, they're domesticated and quite gentle, unless angered. People use them to help transport goods or as mounts. Oh, and they're a local specialty as well.

[roedeer]

[ oh, that's not what soleum was going for in terms of dreams like this. however, he won't stop caelus from reflecting on things outside of this phenomena, and despite the examples, soleum's unable to cross chimera off of the list of something here when in the company of shadow stallions. pink, desperate for attention, bites into soleum's jacket again and with a tug, it successfully draws him close to force collision, it's body breaking down under his weight. pink doesn't respond in pain, it welcomes soleum "relying" on it, "leaning" rather into its breast. the split of bone cracks underneath him, flesh splitting to cushion him. soleum closes his eyes and as he withholds his disgust by swallowing down the saliva lodged in his throat.

he withdraws with a single step, their attachment still visible by threads of blood connecting from his back to its body, and the strand wanes and snaps with a light tug on soleum's second to third step. in his mind, he feels like he's going crazy and disturbed by what transpired that he looks to caelus to show he isn't bothered by it.

deep inside, he really, really is. ]

I've never heard of them.

[ dromas, caelus calls them, and in return soleum commits the name to memory with a stroke of his chin. ]

Do animals of your home turn up here, or are they all... like this?

[ he raises a hand to gesture to pink, but luna is also a candidate in soleum's curiosity. his palm right side up encourages pink, their tail wagging with delight as the creature trots closer, and rests their chin right there. soleum swears he can feel something wriggling underneath the skin, but he has to hold everything in to keep himself from screaming.

... ]

[trashblaze]

No, I haven't encountered any animals from my universe in Sleep's world yet. Not even in dreams like this one.

[ Despite Caelus's demeanor, he's actually sharper than he appears. It's easy to think that he's an airheaded dumbass, but he's the complete opposite of it. Even though he's not making it obvious, he's been attentive to "Roe Deer" for a while. He hasn't stopped being concerned for the older man, ever since he retreated behind the boulder earlier. The trailblazer felt something off since then.

Caelus is only being considerate by not directly asking anything, and has chosen to accompany him silently. All while ensuring that the man remains all right. So during "Roe Deer's" interaction with Pink, Caelus observes every second keenly. The older man might have a seemingly perfect composure, but the trailblazer sees something beyond those serious eyes. A heavy discomfort that most people might easily miss.

But Caelus isn't most people. He's a trailblazer who constantly connects with people. His genuine gesture to seek understanding with "Roe Deer" allows him this chance. So he clicks his heels to make Luna pause, then he jumps off the young Nightmare. He approaches Pink next, unsure if this one will listen to him, but it's worth a shot. For "Roe Deer." ]

Hey, Pink! Are you hungry? I was about to find food for Luna… Want to come? You two can show me around.

[roedeer]

[ interesting. sometimes the setting will adjust to ensure that it's a familiar place for people to grow comfortable, and that could be the oddity in these nightmares. in his thought, soleum misses caelus' attempt at bonding with pink as he's in his own head thinking on the criteria of this strange place. pink comes around soleum, the creature tilting its head at caelus trying to find what his motive is here. food does sound tempting, and it's with a few steps towards luna's direction that the horse bites on luna's main in direction of the cathedral. isn't that the best place to obtain food, then they should go there.

luna and pink are familiar with each other, they've been in this herd for some time now so they can navigate their lives together. soleum and caelus are different, soleum remains distant and in his own thoughts as he tries to figure out what's the best way to save the people that are here.

and another thing, he'll have to fact check his phone later.

then there's caelus who is putting his best foot forward, accommodating, and he somehow gains satisfaction from that. ]

...Mn.

[ the mode of transportation had always been a train, but now it's changed to wild beasts. why is that? the creepy factor is all here, but none of this relates to where he's been before.

pink will look in direction of caelus and soleum to point their snout off to the distance of where they need to go. ]

[trashblaze]

[ Great, Pink is cooperative. That means Caelus has a chance to sway this creature to an extent. He only needs to play his cards right. ]

Ohh, Pink. You're so smart and reliable!

[ That means he's going to butter this Nightmare up to give it more confidence to lead instead of bothering "Roe Deer" constantly. He steps closer together with Luna, looking up at the tall shadow horse with large eyes, clearly admiring it. ]

I'm so lost without you. Let's go, let's go.

[ Luna seems to agree with Caelus and equally admires the older Nightmare together with its new master. Now there are two of them with those large pleading eyes. Once Pink starts moving, the two will follow closely in the direction of the cathedral. Caelus takes this chance to go between the Nightmares and "Roe Deer," acting as a barrier to allow the man to breathe.

Internally, Caelus is screaming. Not that fucking cathedral again. How many times does he have to return to that building? He has multiple bad memories of it throughout the months of his stay here. But he's not a coward, so he's not going to retreat. This is necessary, so he steels himself and looks forward without hesitation. ]

[roedeer]

...

[ his thoughts are littered with information spread out that he doesn't know where to start. if it's here, shouldn't they die up from the dream, but it's new material to find out someone is dreaming this landscape for them! he clicks his tongue as he watches caelus wedge himself between the nightmares and soleum himself. ]

This being the only building still intact is interesting.

[ soleum finally speaks to caelus again, his silence overridden by his final sweep of their surroundings.

he doesn't ask why caelus chose to do that, but soleum while he has the advantage to grimace with caelus in front of him, he does just that. the dot of crimson in his eyes looks at the back of his head, then over to the cathedral as the expression on his face softens into something unreadable, probably to keep a low profile when it comes to how he feels about this. ]

Why is that?

[ floor is yours, caelus. ]

[trashblaze]

Even if you ask me that…

[ Like Caelus said earlier, "Roe Deer's" guess is as good as anyone else's here. None of them truly understands what's in Sleep's mind, at least not yet. They're still working their way there in order to find answers. ]

I can try a theory, I suppose. My guess is that since Sleep is trying to convince all of us to worship her, she'll take every chance she gets to shove this cathedral down our minds.

About a month ago, someone she was trying to influence lured us to this place and caused a number of negative effects for everyone. It wasn't pleasant. People who haven't been tethering enough have lost their minds. To both that terrifying song and the Sundowning.

My other guess is that perhaps this place is important to her. Or it could be both reasons.

[roedeer]

[ the first sounds like a form of contamination, whatever this "sundowning" is, and maybe the song comes first before it. soleum nods, accepting the answer, and while the former is a little worrisome... all he has to do is avoid it. besides, the answer is something about a tether. a line, a hold, probably an item to hold onto. ]

I understand, you would label this as something dangerous.

[ as the two nightmares make their way towards the cathedral, pink looks back occasionally to find where soleum's attention is. never is it on them, but on caelus or their surroundings, but can't be too upset when soleum is coming along with them. there's a silent huff as pink bumps into luna, looking to them with a "i can't believe this" sort of attitude. ]

My other question would be... [ very, very thoughtful: ] has anyone decided to accept her faith and see what comes of it?

[ soleum will also keep that in mind... ]

Perhaps it prevents "sundowning"?

[trashblaze]

[ Luna seems to empathize with the older horse, so it bumps back to acknowledge its woes. In the meantime, these two continue to have their own conversation as their humans do. ]

There have been people who have been openly receptive to her, yes. Though, honestly, I doubt anything came out of it. At least from what I observed, the Sundowning and the need to tether continue to affect them. I think she won't be satisfied until they give her everything, which means… Succumbence.

[ Right… Naturally, Caelus hasn't forgotten that "Roe Deer" is new around here, so he wouldn't know what Tethering, Sundowning, and Succumbence mean. He ponders how to explain these for a moment, a finger against his chin, thoughtful. ]

I mentioned earlier that I don't want to overwhelm you with unnecessary information. Because it's not like it's guaranteed that you'll end up in Sleep's world after all this, but… I suppose I'll teach you anyway.

[ Because "Roe Deer" seems rather invested in their situation already. Besides, it can't hurt to learn them just in case. ]

The Sundowning started recently, about two months ago. Because the sun returned to the waking world, when it had never shone there at all before. So, I believe the Sundowning is her way of exerting her influence during the night, when it's most powerful and active. Things feel wrong at night, you'll immediately realize it when you experience it, even for the first time.

When someone starts giving in to her influence, that process is called Succumbence. The original inhabitants of that ruined city have all already given in to her. They've become mindless zombies— there are no traces of their true selves left in their bodies, only a morbid transformation. It's the same for the flora and fauna. I think that's why these creatures appear this way. Though, unlike humans, some of them seem to retain their original personalities.

Finally, tethering is forming bonds with others and acting on them. When you've come to trust someone here, a tether will form outside of the Murmur. Even if you remove your mask, that connection stays with you unless you break it. I've never personally broken any of mine, but… I heard that the process deeply hurts and will linger painfully, especially if the connection is strong.

To counter Sundowning, Succumbence, and whatever else is going on, those of us there have been tethering to protect ourselves. I've been getting by with simple hugs with my tethers, but I'm starting to think it may not be enough. I look fine here, but I'm actually injured in the waking world.

[roedeer]

[ the horses before them finally make it to the entrance of the cathedral, their hooves knocking against the tile floor. it creates noise for where caelus leaves off, the silence between the two humans is nothing to the sneezes and neighing of the creatures that speak in whispers. ]

...I'm not familiar with the information.

[ he doesn't know if that's healthy information to know which will ingrain itself in his head and force him to want that. from the sound of it, it might be a contamination effect, dangerous and something he shouldn't have been doing. that's why he craves more, the more he does it, the more his body requests a stronger... connection?

this is crazy. ]

Do you believe they are tethered, then?

[ he tilts his head towards the two horses that walk together. from the back, they're oaky to look at as none of their creepier parts are visible to make him sick. they do get along, but he doesn't know if that "tether" works on animals, or just the humans, but soleum will probably find out later in time. ]

If you make new tethers, maybe it could help your position.

[ he's suggesting the horse, really. ]

[trashblaze]

[ A small smile. ]

I'm not surprised. No one was. At best, we encountered similarities to some things we already knew, but there are still many mysteries we've yet to solve. Most likely, other things we haven't yet encountered.

The batch that came earlier than me, they had to go through everything in the darkness for so long. I mentioned that the sun didn't rise at all until two months ago, when it finally did. They didn't even have access to running water.

Two months ago, shortly after my arrival, we made a collective effort to restore the water supply. However, we still lack power sources, including electricity.

[ Bottom line: it fucking sucks in Sleep's world!!! Caelus misses his smartphone and so many other things. When asked about tethers regarding animals, he shakes his head. ]

I don't know if animals are tethered to each other, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had their own. But it's inadvisable to tether with them ourselves. Someone did that with a plant, and he experienced complications as a result. Eventually, one of his tethers had to save him.

[roedeer]

[ is that the case? soleum grows quiet now at the explanation, and thinks that maybe they weren't compatible. the thing about tethers is that both people must agree? it sounds sketchy, as far as soleum is concerned, but he won't make a comment about that as it's not his place. ]

For your problem, I'd suggest using something that can consent and share feelings back.

[ perhaps in the scope of things they can create creatures with feelings that act the role of a human, that's no different from what some people would do to survive. ]

Since you've been here long enough, I'm inclined to accept that you know how this works.

[ soleum stops once they pass one of the windows of the cathedral, he looks within expecting nothing to change. every time he's come here, something about him has changed, but he knows to stay in the darkness to prevent any unsightly figures to rear their head. ]

Let's stay in the shadows.

[ the horses do seem unaffected by the gimmick, but maybe because they are already monsters, and soleum sees them as nothing else but. ]

[trashblaze]

Hmm, as much as I'm willing to test tethering with Luna… I'd better not.

[ Because Caelus has given his friends enough grief the past two months. He's been acting recklessly often (nothing unusual, he's always like that), so he's been scolded often. But after getting injured now, he's trying to calm down just a little, at least until he's recovered. ]

I'm injured in the waking world, as I said. And… I promised my friends not to act stupidly for a while.

[ If the plants are a bad idea, who's to really say the animals won't be either? ]

I'm not tethered with you, so if I test it out now, you won't be able to save me if something goes wrong.

[ Moving on… Since "Roe Deer" is avoiding the light, Caelus follows the direction and does so, too. Meanwhile, the two Nightmares continue to lead onward. ]

[roedeer]

No, I didn't mean with Luna. I meant with... a different lifeform. However, maybe that's not something that can be done here.

[ a homunculus, mostly is what he meant. he raises a hand, waving off the conversation especially if it's not something he's interested in. really, it's just a suggestion because he doesn't know what this darkness is capable of.

caelus only knows so much, and because his knowledge is limited, he finds that he can focus on something else. ]

I'm surprised you have faith in me, has something happened to you here?

[ before when they were out there, caelus seemed perfectly capable, and now he's talking about soleum saving him now? he can't help but wonder if he experienced a situation within the cathedral that concerns him. he recalls what caelus told him about it, how it's forced in their faces to stand as faith to sleep among other things.

... there is also that interesting gimmick. ]

Aside from what you told me of this place already.

[trashblaze]

Ah, do you mean with different species? If that's the case, then it works. I've been tethering with humans all this time, and it's been working for me.

[ There's a nonhuman right beside you, "Roe Deer." And it's not just the horses. Though with the second question raised, Caelus falls silent for several seconds. ]

Remember when I said people were lured here and negative effects occurred? Many of my friends were deeply affected at the time. One of them particularly got hit so hard that he started hallucinating. He mistook me for someone else and attacked me here.

[ Which is actually how Caelus received his current injuries. ]