SUGAR & SAY THAT YOU WILL ● JUNE 2026 EVENT/TDM

[uruz]

TDM & EVENT: SUGAR & SAY THAT YOU WILL

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Prologue: The Pull

Sleep's wave comes unevenly after the heat of the last few weeks stack upon each other, weighed down by something that lingers even after consciousness fades for Veteran Vessels. A newer Vessel's dreams begin in familiar places before the edges darken and lose definition. A tide rolls in slowly, black and glossy, thick like oil spreading across water. Its scent arrives first, unmistakably sweet and heavy, clinging to the senses and pulling you down.

The tide slips through the dream space, seeping beneath doors, climbing walls, pooling around ankles and wrists, remaining close enough to be felt without forcing itself forward. The sensation draws attention rather than fear, offering warmth rather than the pressure of scary resistance.

For younger vessels, or those uninterested in seduction, the darkness softens as it rises. The feeling becomes comforting, like being wrapped in a blanket, accompanied by the sense that something beautiful waits ahead. The promise is simple: a place where indulgence is allowed, where desire is not something to be denied. For older vessels, the closeness carries intimacy: The tide glides along skin with deliberate intent, lingering at throats, hips, and mouths, its presence suggestive without revealing a form. Breath seems to brush against them, and the promise offered is indulgence without apology, to be wanted and consumed without consequence.

The tide does not claim them unless they allow it. Consent comes quietly, through a thought, a movement toward it, the choice not to pull away. When that choice is made, the water surges upward, swallowing the dream and pulling them beneath its surface.

You all will awaken within a Garden.

Watch on YouTube

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Play A Twisted Little Game

( content warnings: substance use, intoxication themes, addiction/temptation, manipulation and coercive influence, loss of inhibition, altered mental state, psychological horror, compulsive behavior, predatory/hunting instincts, animalistic aggression. )

The Garden stretches outward in impossible directions, lush to the point of excess, resembling a marvelously distorted fairy tale. Enormous flowers crowd the paths, their petals thick and glossy, colors saturated beyond reason. Trees twist into arches and spirals, their branches heavy with glowing fruit that hangs low enough to brush against shoulders. Massive mushrooms dot the landscape, their luminous caps casting soft light across the ground like candles and leading the way. Even where you step, flourescense lights your path.

Golden pollen drifts constantly through the air, clinging to skin and hair. Breathing it in brings a spreading warmth that softens one's restraint and dulls hesitation without fully erasing it. Laughter comes more easily, thoughts slow, and the urge to linger strengthens with every sweet breath you take.

The fruit is irresistible, for the record. It looks perfect, tastes even better, and leaves behind a pleasant haze that encourages indulgence. Those who partake may find themselves giving in to impulses they normally deny, choosing comfort over caution, distraction over vigilance, and pleasure over restraint. None of it feels dangerous, is how it entices you. How can it, when it feels this good?

Beyond fruit and flora, the Garden reshapes itself to suit each Vessel's wants and needs. It conjures whatever they love most, presenting it without shame or judgment. A clearing may reveal an entire pyramid of chilled pudding, each cup untouched and gleaming with sugar. A flower may open to offer fragrant tobacco and a lighter placed carefully within its petals. Sheltered spaces may contain alcohol, sweets, games, toys, music, drugs, books, instruments— anything capable of drawing the vessel deeper into indulgence.

The objects are real. They feel real, food tastes real, and they all satisfy, too.

The Garden responds eagerly to its use ever time. Paths widen, flowers bloom brighter, and the air grows warmer as indulgence continues among vessels. At the same time, subtle shifts begin to take hold. The pollen thickens, the sweetness becomes heavier, and vines creep closer to well-traveled spaces, brushing against ankles and legs as though testing their very boundaries. The more vessels indulge, the more the Garden thrives, and the harder it becomes to imagine leaving when everything they desire is right within reach.

Under a pink moon that hangs low above the canopy, the forest responds differently to Beastkin Tokens and Lycan Offerings. Scents sharpen and layer richly in the air. The hum of life beneath the soil grows louder, vibrating through bone and animal instinct. The floating pollen enhances instinct rather than dulling it. Hunger, territoriality, the urge to roam or chase press closer to the surface. The Garden may conjure open stretches of moonlit forest for running, fleeting silhouettes that invite pursuit, or rival presences that vanish just ahead of your grasp. Indulgence here may take the form of movement, dominance, or surrender to instinct beneath that glowing sky. The more these instincts are indulged, the more the forest reshapes itself to accommodate them, you, clearing paths forward, closing them behind, and making your hunts all the more exhilirating.

Token Effects

• Tokens may temporarily lose track of time spent in the Garden.
• A Token who indulges repeatedly may find decision-making delayed or softened, hesitating when asked to leave, choose violence, or break comfort.
• Emotional responses skew toward contentment and nostalgia. Irritation and fear are harder to access unless provoked sharply.
• Tokens may unconsciously rationalize indulgence, defending their choices even when questioned by others.
• After waking, Tokens can retain phantom cravings or habits tied to what they indulged in, persisting for a short time in the waking world.

Offering Effects

• Offerings may feel an increased urge to facilitate indulgence rather than prevent it, guiding Tokens toward comfort, distraction, or pleasure.
• Protective instincts soften; instead of guarding against danger, Offerings may prioritize keeping the Token relaxed and satisfied.
• Offerings might become indulgent themselves by proxy, gaining emotional satisfaction from watching or enabling their Token’s enjoyment.
• When indulgence is interrupted, Offerings may feel mild irritation or disappointment disproportionate to the situation.
• Upon waking, Offerings may recall the dream with unusual fondness, even if nothing dramatic occurred within it.

Beastkin Tokens & Lycan Offerings Specific Effects

• Beastkin Tokens may experience heightened body awareness, reacting more strongly to terrain, scent trails, and movement through space.
• Repetitive motion (running paths, circling clearings, pacing) can become grounding and soothing rather than restless.
• Lycan Offerings may feel compelled to remain nearby without overt guarding, choosing proximity over patrol or vigilance.
• Subtle pack dynamics can emerge naturally, with unspoken positioning, shared pacing, or mirroring behavior during indulgence.
• After waking, both may feel briefly unsettled by confined spaces or inactivity, as if the body expects continued motion.

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I've Developed A Taste For You

( content warnings: sexual content, aphrodisiac/sex pollen themes, coercion and impaired consent, restraint/bondage, dominance and submission themes, group sexual activity, possessiveness/territorial behavior, altered mental state. )

Deeper within the Garden lies a secluded expanse enclosed by dense growth that blocks sound and sight, forming a space that feels deliberately intimate. Vegetation grows close together, walls of leaves and vines pulsing faintly with warmth. Narrow beams of filtered light illuminate patches of soft ground and clusters of flowers that drip thick, honey-like nectar.

The air here is saturated with pollen that acts as a powerful aphrodisiac. Breathing it in heightens sensation immediately, making skin more reactive, touch more intense, and proximity impossible to ignore. Every sound feels closer than it should. Every movement carries weight.

The vines guide bodies together, coiling around ankles, wrists, and torsos, holding vessels in place until closeness is acknowledged. Resistance causes the grip to tighten insistently, while participation loosens it and rewards it with warmth and pressure that borders on pleasure.

The flora actively takes part for those who allow it. Vines may restrain, blindfold, or position bodies, holding them steady or pulling them closer. Some respond to voice and movement, tightening rhythmically, teasing, or delivering sharp sensations when struck or commanded. Flowers open at the sound of breath and noise, releasing thicker clouds of pollen that intensify arousal and blur restraint further.

Nectar drips freely from petals, sweet and sticky, suited for tasting, smearing, and shared indulgence, its effects compounding with every use. For Vessels willing to surrender more fully, the Garden offers deeper participation through vines capable of penetration, domination, and restraint, shaping themselves to suit acts of intimacy, control, and your very desire.

Every indulgence strengthens the ecosystem. The more Vessels give themselves over, the more responsive and possessive the Garden becomes, reshaping itself around desire until intention and influence begin to bleed into one another.

Under the same pink moon, visible here only in fragments through breaks in the canopy, Beastkin Tokens and Lycan Offerings feel instinct surge sharply to the surface of their consciousness. Scent becomes overwhelming, layered with skin, nectar, and earth. Territoriality, dominance, and physical closeness intensify, shaped by their nature rather than restrained by it. Vines will respond readily, coiling like extensions of instinct, guiding movement and contact. The urge to claim space, to press closer, to bare teeth or mark territory grows stronger beneath the moonlight. The Garden magnifies these impulses, encouraging surrender to physicality and sensation as the forest itself seems to breathe in time with their wild pulse.

Token Effects

• Sex pollen dramatically increases libido and lowers inhibition. Restraint becomes difficult to maintain in close proximity to their Offering/Tether.
• Vines respond more readily to Tokens, coiling around wrists, thighs, or hips at their unspoken command, assisting in pulling partners closer or holding them in place.
• Heightened dominance instinct. Tokens may feel compelled to physically position their Offering or guide additional partners into shared contact.
• Delayed climax and intensified arousal curve. Stimulation builds slowly but relentlessly, demanding escalation before release is possible.
• Stronger territorial urges that may manifest as possessive touch, visible marking (bites, scratches, imprints left by vines), or insistence on being the focal point.
• Increased openness to group dynamics. The pollen dulls jealousy and replaces it with competitive hunger or exhibitionistic thrill.
• Sensitivity to visual and auditory feedback. Moans, trembling, and visible pleasure act as accelerants.
• After climax, arousal may reignite quickly if vines remain in contact, creating cycles of repeated stimulation.

Offering Effects

• Sex pollen heightens physical responsiveness. Arousal triggers quickly and intensely, even from indirect contact or vine pressure.
• Vines tend to restrain or spread the Offering more often, guiding posture and exposing vulnerable areas to touch.
• Increased suggestibility. Coaxing from their Token/Tether or physical encouragement from vines feels compelling and pleasurable rather than coercive.
• Shorter path to orgasm. Climaxes may arrive suddenly and powerfully, especially when restrained or held in place.
• Heightened desire to be touched, filled, or pressed against—physical closeness feels necessary rather than optional.
• Greater willingness to participate in shared intimacy. Additional partners may feel inviting rather than threatening.
• Emotional attachment intensifies during and after climax. Physical pleasure deepens the tether bond.
• Post-climax sensitivity spikes; even light contact from vines or skin may provoke aftershocks or overstimulation.

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Won't You Say That You Will

( content warnings: psychological horror, paranoia, identity distortion/impostor themes, stalking and predation, body horror, transformation, emotional manipulation, obsession/fixation, abandonment themes, possessiveness, isolation, anxiety, mistrust, loss of control. )

There is no sense of departure from the garden following the dream's transition, no moment where the air changes or the ground gives way. One second the dream feels familiar enough to be trusted, and the next it no longer behaves according to the rules it had just taught you. Space stretches in ways that do not correspond to movement. Pathways that should lead somewhere simply continue, folding back on themselves, their angles all wrong.

Suddenly, it's quite cold. Terrible winter winds brew and ice creeps through the newly forming geometry. There are no signs explaining where you are or how you arrived to this now strange, blank canvas of a place stricken with the worst of winter cold. The Backrooms assert themselves through repetition and absence, through hallways that refuse to end and rooms that look as though they were abandoned mid-thought. The air smells faintly of dust and something chemical, thick clouds following your breath. The longer you remain, the more your sense of sequence erodes. It becomes difficult to say whether you have been walking for minutes or hours, or whether the others near you have always been there or only just appeared. Perhaps you'll start losing the feeling you have in your extremities.

Beneath that confusion runs a quieter tension, one that does not feel native to the architecture itself. The space reacts strangely to closeness. When you move nearer to another presence, the lights flicker more often. When you pull away, corridors seem to lengthen. There is an impression, difficult to articulate but persistent, that something is monitoring these shifts, responding the most to hesitation. What does it want from you . . . ? No clue.

That uncertainty carries a familiar weight. Somewhere within the structure of this place is One, though he does not appear in any singular form. His influence manifests through moments of contradiction: doors that almost open, sounds that resemble footsteps but never resolve into a source, and the persistent sense that reassurance is being offered and withdrawn at the same time. There is no overt threat in this presence, but there is desperation threaded through it, a need for proximity paired with the fear that closeness will inevitably end in loss. The environment reflects this conflict, holding you near without fully committing to keeping you around. What's worse— Strange encounters here may happen when paths overlap, when attention lingers too long on a singular spot, or when curiosity outweighs caution.

A Skin-Stealer may be noticed first. At a distance, it looks human enough to pass, moving with an awkward imitation of natural motion, but when closer, details fail to align. Skin does not quite fit the frame beneath it, stretching or sagging where it should not. If you interact with it directly, so much as a call, you may experience a strong sense of familiarity paired with discomfort, as though someone you recognize is wearing themselves incorrectly. Yes— They shall take the form of those you know. Prolonged exposure induces disorientation and mistrust with others. Vessels may begin second-guessing the identities of those around them, hesitating before responding to voices or approaching new figures. If the Skin-Stealer makes physical contact, panic responses spike sharply, and the instinct to flee or isolate becomes overwhelming. The safest response is distance and verification through group presence; these entities struggle to maintain cohesion when closely observed by multiple people at once.

Jerry's presence, on the other hand, is quieter but far more . . . Dangerous? He appears as a thin, dark bird, out of place and almost gentle against the harsh geometry of the Backrooms. Encountering Jerry produces an immediate emotional softening. Characters may feel an unexpected calm, nostalgia, or a pull toward simple comforts that do not logically exist here. Physical contact deepens this effect rapidly. Those who touch or hold Jerry may find their priorities shifting, attention narrowing, and thoughts circling around him with increasing intensity. Speech becomes repetitive, often affectionate or reverent in tone toward Jerry. Decision-making slows, replaced by an urge to stay close and keep Jerry safe. Over time, this devotion can override self-preservation entirely. Characters caught in this state may resist leaving Jerry behind, argue against practical plans, downplay obvious threats, and at their worst— worship or even wish to sacrifice for Jerry. Separation is possible, but it is emotionally painful, leaving behind a hollowed, grieving sensation that lingers long after the encounter ends.

Partygoers announce themselves through atmosphere before they are ever seen. Decorations appear where they should not exist as posters promising celebration and bright colors clashing violently with the monotony of the halls. When Partygoers enter an area, the tension shifts sharply to predation. These entities observe first, testing reactions, learning movement patterns. Characters may feel watched even when alone, with pressure building behind the eyes and a rising sense of being studied. Once engagement with them begins, Partygoers will attempt to herd rather than chase, using obstacles, noise, and misinformation to separate individuals from groups. Physical contact initiates rapid escalation of these effects. Those seized by their arm-mouths will experience intense sensory distortion, pain quickly giving way to numbness and intrusive thoughts that do not feel entirely their own. Early stages of transformation may cause affected characters to fixate on group dynamics, viewing others less as allies and more as resources or threats— until they too, may become one of them. Resistance is possible but time-sensitive, and intervention by others is critical to limit a Vessel's transformation. Partygoers do not act alone, and escape from them often depends on breaking line of sight and disrupting their coordination rather than brute force against them— You'll hardly ever win, in that case.

Throughout all of this, One's influence grows increasingly erratic. The Backrooms respond more dramatically to moments of connection and separation, lights stuttering when bonds are tested, hallways bending when someone considers leaving another behind. His presence presses closer in moments of intimacy as scrutiny, a palpable fear threaded through these reactions, and the sense that reassurance is being sought but never believed. Echoes of his internal conflict surface in fleeting impressions: the urge to cling paired with the certainty that abandonment is inevitable, the desire for closeness tangled with the impulse to wound before being wounded. This tension mirrors the emotional core underlying everything here, from promises feeling fragile, even when spoken sincerely, to Vessels finding themselves questioning not only the intentions of others, but their own.

The longer you remain, the clearer it becomes that progression here is not linear. There is no single path forward, only moments of proximity that rearrange the space around you. What follows this depends not on where you go next, but on who you choose to stay near, who you pull away from, and which promises you are willing to believe, even when you suspect they may not last.

The dream does not conclude so much as it fails to hold together. Somewhere within the shifting halls of the Backrooms, One becomes convinced that what anchored him has slipped away, and that belief fractures his ability to remain. The space reacts unevenly as his presence withdraws: corridors stretch and then collapse into themselves, lights hum without source, entities lose their rhythm, and the emotional pressure that bound Vessels together spikes sharply before snapping. For those still inside, sensations intensify all at once, where closeness turns unbearable, attachment feels abruptly severed, and attempts to reach for reassurance meet only distortion— until the dream can no longer sustain shared coherence. One by one, Vessels are torn awake mid-thought or mid-motion, breath catching as consciousness returns too fast, leaving behind the sense of being dropped rather than released, with unresolved desire, fixation, or unease lingering long after your eyes open.

Something else has awakened. "Awareness".

Token Effects

• Proximity dependency intensifies; physical distance from their Offering/Tethers causes agitation, shallow breathing, and intrusive thoughts about abandonment.
• Heightened sensitivity to tone and micro-expressions. Neutral gestures may be misread as rejection or withdrawal.
• Compulsion to seek verbal reassurance, even if they suspect the reassurance may be false.
• Increased fixation on touch as proof of presence. Tokens may repeatedly initiate contact to confirm their Offering/Tether is still there.
• Jealousy spikes in enclosed corridors; other figures in peripheral vision (real or not) may trigger possessive responses.
• Emotional volatility rises quickly from desire to defensiveness if they sense hesitation.
• After separation or forced distance, lingering obsession or replaying of final words heard may persist into waking.

Offering Effects

• Intensified urge to control or stabilize their dynamic; Offerings may feel compelled to define their relationship in absolute terms.
• Heightened dominance or surrender impulses depending on personality baseline, with less moderation than usual.
• Increased temptation to test loyalty through emotional pressure or loaded statements.
• Possessiveness sharpens in tight, enclosed spaces; they may position themselves physically between their Token/Tethers and perceived threats.
• Strong reaction to perceived emotional withdrawal. Reassurance may be given urgently, excessively, or manipulatively.
• Physical closeness feels like leverage as well as comfort.
• Suspicion of abandonment may cause preemptive emotional distancing or sharp, reactive behavior.
• After waking, unresolved tension may manifest as fixation, defensiveness, or a need to revisit the conversation.

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NOTES

➤ Welcome to Somnia's TDM, which doubles as a gamewide event!
➤ This TDM is considered game canon.
➤ Only new characters are free to experiment with the Vessel options 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!
➤ This is the last TDM before the game's arc change, which will skip a TDM round— Thus, the next TDM will be scheduled only for October. This App round has no character cap, so please feel free to hop on before our break or another character cap!
➤ Questions? Please direct them to the designated questions comment linked below!

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Aether | Genshin Impact | offering: seraph | new player/character

[startraveler]

☆ Twisted game

[It's far from the first time when he awakens in a strange space. At some point in life Aether decided that this is how things just are for him, considering his unusual aptitude for handling various powers. In Teyvat, at least. Something feels off here.

Maybe because it's a dream. Maybe there's no rhyme or reason to it. And so Aether follows the paths of the garden, curious, but with some sort of wariness, like everything about this place was trying to put him at ease to get his guard down. He passes through food suddenly appearing and only smiles at it, thinking of Paimon and her endless appetite. She would love a dream like this.

Then he stops, his eyes widen. In front of him is a field full of flowers, but not any flowers. It's the one that grew in his lost homeland. Aether steps into the endless sea of those blooms and kneels down, trying to pluck a few. They feel real and suddenly he's overwhelmed by emotions of finally having a living piece of his home in his hands. In this very moment, nothing else seems to matter.]

☆ Skin-Stealer

[The change in the scenery is jarring, to say the least. All the pleasant sights are replaced with confusing corridors, endless and ever changing. Aether has been in this kind of situations before as well, so he doesn't panic, all too sure that there has to be an exit somewhere.

Upon finding someone along the way, the lights flicker, causing Aether to look around. Then he notices something in the distance. Immediately, he positions himself between that strange form and the person he's found.]

Be careful. Something's there.

[The longer he looks at it, the more he realises that it looks like a person, but one that has skin hanging off its shape. Much to his horror he notes how familiar its blonde hair is, the flower ornament clipped to it. The creature is dressed in blue and white with flickers of gold, yet tattered in many places.

Aether really hates this sight.]

...Lumine. [It can't be her. It's just a trick, a trap. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from uttering that name.]

☆ Wildcard

[Choose your own scenario or contact me at spiritualwhisper and let's plot! Not really interested in anything spicy, but feel free to talk to me about it!]

Twisted game

[trashblaze]

[ Oh, no. This innocent newcomer is already too deep in this place's whispers of temptation. It appears that Caelus is too late to arrive and notice what's going on here, but either way, it doesn't stop his concern from rising… If anything, it rises higher. That alone motivates him to approach quickly, then attempt to convince this young boy to leave the flowers behind.

So, Caelus runs over and then lowers himself to match the younger-looking boy's level, reaching out gently to pause the boy's hands by holding onto them. The Trailblazer then sees it: a fond look the boy has for the flowers, but it doesn't make him falter in his decision. Still holding onto those hands, he carefully aids the boy in standing back up to make him stop picking more. ]

Sorry, little one. These flowers aren't what they seem, so you shouldn't hold onto them.

[startraveler]

[When he's approached, Aether doesn't seem to notice at first, but when he finally does, he stares owlishly at the person as if he's still in trance. Then he's pulled up by his hands, flowers falling from his grasp to his feet. He wishes to pick them up again, but instead he squeezes those hands holding his.]

Why? What... is happening here?

[Some clarity finally hits him and for a moment there he wonders if he's fallen into some sort of trap.]

Skin Stealer

[searingwing]

[The creature turns towards the sound. It draws in air as if it had lungs but the sound is off. Like something mimicking what it is trying to be.

And a small rock smacks it right in the side. It turns to face that direct and another comes out of the dark on the heels of the first.

The creature ambles off in that direction and a minute passes before a low voice whispers to Aether’s right.] They mimic but it doesn’t hold up if you stare at them for long. We should go. There’s a hallway past it to the right. I was halfway down when I heard you.

[startraveler]

[Aether feels frozen in the spot as the creature notices him. Then a sudden rescue comes in the shape of rocks thrown its way, drawing attention away from the traveller. The voice follows, familiar and causing Aether to look towards the source of it. For a second he wonders if he's being tricked again, but he chooses to trust that it really is his companion.]

Diluc... Let's go.

[He doesn't want the creature to come back. Even remembering how it was trying to disguise itself as his sister is making him angry.]

[searingwing]

[He motions for Aether to follow him and takes a hidden hallway to the right. Here the lighting and the sounds shift as if they stepped into another world.

A low buzzing static is a constant hum in the background and the lights flicker. Diluc looks around then forms a small ball of fire and lets it hover over his palm.] Proof that I am who I appear to be. The creatures can't mimic our abilities.

[startraveler]

[Aether follows without a word and steps into the next corridor, ever-changing just like the rest of this space seems to be.

The fire over Diluc's palm makes Aether look around in alert, before he realizes there's no danger in sight. And then his companion speaks putting the traveler more at ease.]

So it really is you... How did we get here, though? It isn't just a crazy dream, right?

[searingwing]

I’ve heard this is the doing of two greater beings. One used to be mortal. The other never was. [He visibly focuses and the flames snap off as if snuffed out. Faint red motes linger before they fade to nothing.] I woke up in a forest that catered to my wishes first. How we ended up in this section of the dream…difficult to say. It feels like I blinked and then I was here. Myself again.

[He glances around. The hallway carpet is drab and half melted in spots. The paint is peeling on the walls. But so far they are in the clear.] let’s keep moving. Those creatures seem to like to roam.

[startraveler]

[Aether's brows narrow slightly.]

Something similar happened to me. I was in a garden and it showed me a field full of flowers. And then suddenly everything changed and I ended up here.

[Aether moves as close to Diluc as possible as he follows his companion.]

All dreams have to have an end.

skin-stealer (a little wildcardish)

[vapour]

[ whether Aether is with anyone else or not at this point, there's yet another individual lurking in the pillar's and hallway's drastic shadows that will only step out once the person that the traveler is placing himself between retreats to a safer area.

it looks like another creature, but a lot more pleasant, at least: a pretty red fox with several tails, and it seems interested in drawing Aether's attention towards it rather than having him linger on the deformed 'Lumine.' a familiar voice will be heard in the traveler's mind, too, even as the fox has its tails deliberately brush against his side. ]

Ai~bou~. I'm here, so let's stick together and find the exit. Whatever that is, we should stay away from it. What do you say?

[ that's his nice attempt to be persuasive. Hopefully Aether isn't too drawn in by the entity, yet. if he is, though, Childe's fine with taking his persuasions a step further. ]

♥

[startraveler]

[Staying away from the creature takes priority, but even when the person he was protecting retreats, Aether can't help but stare at the disfigured form so horribly resembling his sister. It's only the appearance of the fox that gets him to look away. Another creature, but it doesn't seem hostile.

The he hears that familiar voice in his head.]

Childe?

[Aether hesitates, but between the horrid monster that pretends to be his sister and a fox that talks with his friend's voice, he chooses the fox.]

...Do you know where we can go?

♥♥

[vapour]

[ the tails start wagging less gracefully and more like a puppy's at Aether addressing him... just many of them in sync at once. ]

It's me! I can't find the exit, but I can get us to a hallway that's safer. That entity over there seems to take on the appearance of someone familiar to the first person they make contact with.

[ the fox circles Aether once before going to head back down the hall in the opposite direction, taking the first left but not before making sure Arthur is following. ]

This way, this way.

[ after making several turns and reaching the end of the halls, the animal will finally come to a stop before slipping into the shadows. Childe (—or at least it looks way more like Childe than that grotesque entity looked like Lumine—) is the one that actually emerges instead of the fox this time. as if to give some kind of unintentional proof he and the fox are one-in-the-same, though, the harbinger is currently accessorized with lingering fox ears and a few floofy tails, causing him to rub uncomfortably at the side of his head (and one of his fluffy ears in the process.) ]

That's a little better. I don't know what gives with the fox-shifting, but I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much since it's a dream. Anyway... we're good for the moment, but it looks like we have to keep moving or we'll get found by one clown resident or another in this place. The garden was way better. [ he's still trying to wrap his head around what kind of dream goes from a pollen-filled garden of desires to... whatever the hell they've found themselves in now. ]

[startraveler]

[Despite the entire situation Aether can't help but think that Childe is really cute as a fox. It's the tails! They are just so fluffy and the wagging is endearing!

But his companion doesn't have any explanations for him about this strange place. Aether follows him to, hopefully, a safer place.]

I'm surprised you're not trying to fight that creature.

[They arrive at the end of the halls and Aether is greeted with the sight of Childe back in his more human form, except the tails and ears are still there.]

Those fox ears really fit you. [Aether says with a grin, then he looks around.] So you've been to the garden, too? I'm guessing it was trying to get us to lower our guard. But for what reason? [Maybe just to mess with them.]

Twisted game

[armwriostle]

[The field of Inteyvat don't disappear, but Aether might notice that new flowers seem to sprout amongst them. Fontaine local flora seem to pop up, adding pops of color here and there.

Desire is a strong word for Wriothesley. His wants are a little out of his hands when one considers his want for a happier childhood and such. Still, Fontaine and his people are ever on his mind, so it isn't probably surprising that the dream would manifest it here in ways, though it really can't bring the people whom he cherish. The scenery only offers so much.]

Didn't think I'd see a familiar face in this place. Wherever this is. [Wriothesley seems to purposely make his steps heavier, though him speaking also gives him away. He merely didn't want to seem like he was sneaking up on the other.] Are these flowers familiar to you? You seem caught off guard.

[startraveler]

[More flowers appear and Aether recognises them right away as he's collected many such plants during his stay in Fontaine. His fingers brush against the petals of a Rainbow Rose, but it's only Wriothesley's voice that draws him out of this strange trance he's in.

Aether looks up at the man, then offers him one of Inteyvats he's picked up.]

They... grew in my homeland.

[He realises he's never talked much about it, but what there is to talk about when the world you once called "home" is dead and gone for centuries or longer?]

I didn't think I'd see a familiar face here either. It's a strange place. [He says, then motions a spot next to him, inviting Wriothesley to seat with him.]

Skin Stealer

[deathbecomeshers]

[ A fan unfolds right in his face with a sharp snap, blocking Aether's view from the creature that wears his sister's skin. Perhaps the motion is a bit presumptuous since she doesn't even know this person or what he's been through. But she knows grief when she sees it, and this punch is sickeningly low for someone just brought into the land of dreams. ]

Shall we catch our breath first?

[ Her own voice is unsteady as she is still trying to shake off the effects of the Garden herself. ]

The dreams can get more dangerous the longer they go on.

[startraveler]

[The fan unfolds so closely and suddenly that Aether flinches slightly, looking to the person beside him in surprise. He can no longer see the horrid creature, but is this enough? It's still out there, still mocking him with its appearance.

Eventually, he tries to calm down as instructed.]

Do you know what is happening here?

[She seems like she does and he could use some guidance.]

skin-stealer;

[judications]

[ The illusion runs deep because he can also see someone who looks like Aether in all her warped and distorted glory, taunting the two of them in a way that he feels she would not even though he's never met her. From what Aether had spoken of her, she seemed kinder and more graceful in nature. Certainly not someone who would approach them with hollowed eyes and a broken-doll gait.

In an instant, Neuvillette is moving forwards to act as a shield, water cresting at the edge of his fingers as he aims to blast her back and dispel the illusion completely. ]

Please take cover. We are still not certain what it is capable of.

[ Nor does he want to give it time to unleash anything devastating, though he can see the fissures in its skin the more it closes in on them and calls out to Aether. ]

Don't you trust me over him? I'm you're flesh and blood. I thought you were looking for me.

[startraveler]

[The sight is painful for him. The skin not fitting right, the disfigured form. And yet, when Neuvillette aims to strike the creature, Aether grabs his clothes without thinking as if to stop him.

Then he hears that voice and freezes. It calls out to him, so familiar and yet completely wrong. His fingers tremble, hesitating as if this thing could be Lumine and merely needs help, cursed by this nightmare. Then he realises the creature is looking less and less like her, like the illusion is slowly breaking.]

Please... be careful.

[He lets go of Neuvillette to stay back.

This creature could not be his sister, even if it called him with that same voice. Aether has fallen into a trap of something posing as Lumine in the past, exploiting his loneliness and wish to be reunited with his family.

He doesn't want to make the same mistake again.]