[video]

[destinedwaters]

[There's a (seemingly) nineteen-year-old woman on the feed again, holding up a copy of the latest book in the teens/young adults section just high enough for the watch on the table to capture it.]

For those who noticed I was gone for most of last month... I'm back.

[And somehow, all the horrors of Helltower did not prepare her for what she returned to. She reads a page, flips it, then tears the page out of the book.]

I'd say it's nice knowing not much changed, but-

[Suddenly, the page is on fire and not burning her as it's reduced to smoke and a fine ash that falls into a bucket at her feet.]

...I think some things--

[Reading, reading... Oh how she used to love reading and-- wait "Water" is the girlfriend of Earth!? And they're siblings?! NOOOOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOOO. DOES NOT COMPUTE. DOES NOT COMPUTE. DOES NOT COMPUTE.]

...can go unsaid.

[Yeah. Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah. She glares at the book, still burning it page for page. Now she gets why her brother was on anon.

She places down the book, and calmly and maturely decides to say as follows:]

If you decide to burn your copies or want them reduced to ashes, please send them to me. I think I have an... appropriate use for them.

And if anyone starts calling me "Water...

[Oh, hello there venom in tone. (Where do they even get their information, anyway...?) Regardless, the feed ends soon after. Though the scent of burning pages can be smelled all throughout the Castle of Departure.]

Comments

[destinedwaters]

[She holds it up for him to see once the feed is locked to private.]

It's something from the world I'd been to years before coming here. It was a strange world where, during the day, everyone was forced to wear a mask, and at night... the only way to speak was via telepathy.

[greyerrant]

How strange! [ And heretical. It seemed like the kind of thing a cruel cult would do to someone. ]

How did you end up there, Aqua?

[destinedwaters]

[Oh, does she know. Not going to lie, but aside from the people she met...]

The same way everyone did. Our consciousness was pulled into Dreams. Though despite how cruel or how fast a Dream can become a Nightmare... I wouldn't trade the bonds I made with others there for anything.

[And in a roundabout way, it's the same for this world.]

[greyerrant]

The Legiones Astartes don't dream, much. We consider it a weakness. Our catalepsean node allows us to maintain functionality with as little as 30 minutes of rest a week.

[ But Garviel dreams. And he doesn't like his dreams at all. ]

Oft the best bonds are forged in harsh times. I should tell you about Saul Tarvitz sometime, and the world of Murder where I met him.

[destinedwaters]

...Really?

[Though she'll admit sleeping in the Dark Realm was kind of a bad idea unless protected, but... daaaaaaaang.]

Sounds like we'd have a few stories to share.

[greyerrant]

I'd be willing to share them with you, sometime. I'd bring the wine, of course.

[ He sighs slightly. ]

Those times were simpler.