DREAM * / SHAPER

                   i've lived a long life   ...   i saw the birth of the UNIVERSE  ,     & watched as time ran out . moment by moment , until nothing remained . no time . no space . just me .     ///

  𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐄  :    RANDOM INSTIGATIVE   / *  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒  :    always  open . @somniumtextor

* 𝒜 . 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 / * thready   strings   which   bind   matter   and   galaxies   .   wants   ,   𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔   ,   and   all   that   drives   existence   forward   .    which   twitch   and   dance   ,   at   their   handing   ,   bewitched   betwixt   lacquered   𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚜   -   &&*   ,   hate  / *  𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠   ,   𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚎   𝚊𝚗𝚍   𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚍   .   both   passions   made   flesh   ;   if   one   is   one   ,   they   must   embody   the   other   .   a   𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟-𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡   division   .   and   ,   little   makes   them   so   dived   as   sweet   𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖   *   (   so   arrogant   ,   judgement   . . .    selfish   ,   and   𝒐𝒉   𝒔𝒐   -   like   themselves   .   )   *   perhaps   the   two   were   not   meant   to   𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕   together   ;   a   tragedy   being   their   parallel   paths   made   blurred   by   a   blood   .

❝ 𝒐𝒉   ,   𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙   𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒   .   such   precious   boarders   would   not   exist   ,   if   they   did   not   have   bounds   beyond   them   don't   you   think   ?   *   𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠   are   made   to   be   explored   .   𝚞𝚗𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍   .   .   . ❞

* lips   form   sanguine   curves   ;   as   tongue   and   teeth   wrap   around   words   .   skinning   sounds   from   their   forms   .   vowels   ,   dragged   /   elongated   ,   in   a   perpetual   𝓹𝓾𝓻𝓻   .   a   salacious   lilting   lullaby   ,   strung   betwixt   𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠   lips   .

❝ .   .   .   &&   *   ,   it   is   so   bad   ?   . . .    to   be   𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬   ?   *   is   that   not   what   your   𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓼   are   made   of   ?   the   wondering   /   whimsey-ed   minds   of   𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚜   ? ❞

　　dream  stands  at  the  edge  of  definition.  stars  leaned  closer.  concepts  held  their  breath.  &  dream  regards  his  sibling  not  with  anger,  nor  surprise,  but  with  the  quiet  sorrow  of  something  that  had  seen  this  moment  unfold  a  thousand  times  before.

desire’s  words  curled  through  the  air  -  lush,  perfumed,  sharpened  at  the  edges.  love  &  loathing  intertwined  so  tightly  they  were  indistinguishable,  a  single  blade  with  two  names.  &  still  …  dream's  gaze  shifts.  not  to  desire,  but  beyond  them.  to  sleeping  worlds.

" you  pull  at  one's  desire  until  it  screams,  &  call  the  sound  discovery.  but  dreams  are  not  made  to  be  skinned  open.  they  unfold.  they  ripen.  they  choose. "  he  turns  back  to  his  sibling  then,  eyes  like  starlit  wells.  there  is  no  thunder  in  his  words,  no  grand  display  of  wrath.  only  accumulation.  only  exhaustion  layered  upon  eternity.

then  …  " you  do  not  know  when  to  stop, "  a  pause,  dark  brows  furrowing  over  twin  stars  at  its  own realization.   " you  never  have.  you  press  &  press  until  something  gives,  &  then  you  admire  the  break  as  though  it  were  art. "

for  the  first  time,  something  close  to  irritation  bleeds  through  the  calm.  not  loud.  not  violent.  controlled,  like  pressure  building  beneath  stone.  he  holds  his  ground,  cloak  stirring  with  slow  constellations,  gaze  steady  &  unflinching.

for fun. what a curious thing. "so your idea of fun is your job," perhaps an extremely simplified deduction, yet it's enough for nuala's mind to begin reeling with so many questions; shaping stories implies a certain degree of separation, at least from where she stands from. sure it sounds satisfying enough, but quite lonely too from what she has seen since her arrival. "revels in faerie can only be so if the company's good," she was never good company - couldn't see herself belonging even about something as some joyous as parties. "it's good to have so much love for your purpose, though." makes it lighter to live with she supposes.

　　she speaks, & dream listens without interruption, as he so often does. at her simplification, one pale brow arches the slightest degree. there is amusement behind the action. " my job is not so simple as that. but no … you are not entirely wrong. "

gaze drifts, galaxies dimming into something more contemplative. " purpose & pleasure are not enemies. not always. i shape this realm, just as dreamers shape me. it is not employment. it is … existence. "

his attention returns fully to her. there is something perceptive in his stare - something that sees the shadow tucked behind her words. " good company is rare, " he says simply. not a contradiction. not reassurance. merely truth.

when she speaks of her lessons - of harp & flute & fiddle - there is recognition. or respect, perhaps ? " the harp suits you, " he murmurs. " it requires precision. restraint. the willingness to let silence linger between notes. " though he does not ask why the lessons ended.

I was expecting to see you at [place] so I waited.

Can you stay this evening? I'll make us some tea.

Will you be home at the usual time?

Oh, there is an art exhibition! Shall we go?

Do you want something else or do you want something to eat?

I wasn't planning on coming round but I ran into [name].

How was your blood test?

What an awful time. No wonder [she/he/they] suffered.

They are going around saying that marriage is life's graveyard.

I suppose it's time for you to start thinking about it.

Are you all right? You're not tired?

They get along, but there's nothing between them

Can't you tell how [she/he/they] feels inside?

I see. Perhaps I should try. One can never tell.

Do you want dinner now?

I went out cycling, it was really nice by the beach.

I was wondering what to get for a wedding gift.

[Artist name] is playing in concert. Want to come? I've got tickets.

I've been hearing good things about you.

Did your parents say anything?

What would you do if you did?

Why didn't you come to the reunion?

Look who's talking. You don't have the right to say that!

What's so funny? I'm being serious.

I don't want to get married yet.

I'm the one who understands [her/him/them] the best.

I need to know how you feel about it.

Is anything wrong? Where are you going? Hey!

Goodness, your hands are cold.

Come on, try some. It's delicious.

Save your advice. I don't want it.

Just go and see for yourself. You can't remain like this forever.

I just want to be with you.

I've been using you for far too long.

But if I marry, what are you going to do?

What if I were to release you from these worries?

We're all so worried about you. You will go, won't you?

It sounds good, don't think too much about it!

You don't have the courage. You'd just squirm and blush.

Men are sly and can't be trusted.

About that meeting…have you thought any more about it?

Now my worries are over. I'll sleep soundly tonight.

Are you sure about your answer? You're not just giving in, are you?

What are you going to do tomorrow?

How time flies. We just arrived, and now we're already leaving.

I wish we'd done this more often together.

This will be our last trip together. Once we get home, you'll be so busy.

I just want to be with you, like this. I don't want to go anywhere.

I'm happy being with you like this. I'm happy just as I am.

Happiness is not something to expect but something you create.

Sorry for being so selfish. It was very selfish of me.

It's not difficult. I'm looking forward to it.

Soon we'll laugh about this talk and think it was silly.

Don't do it. Why would you do it again? You mustn't.

Don't worry, you won't be lonely. I'll visit you often. Really.

I don't tell lies like you do, at least not so convincingly.

i thought i told you to stay back.

i love you too much to let you get hurt like this.

this affects me, too, you know.

every time you leave, i sit up all night waiting, praying you'll come back alive.

you keep pulling stunts like this and something bad will happen.

do you have a death wish or something?

this isn't fair to me.

i deserve better than this.

i didn't get any sleep last night because i was so worried about you.

you promised me you'd stop going out at night.

i don't like hearing this.

you've been risking your life, and for what? so you can feel like a goddamn hero?

i said i would handle it.

what the fuck are you doing here?

you told me you'd stay put.

so much for laying low.

you remember how bad it was last time.

seems like you haven't learned anything.

i believe you promised me you'd lay low.

i can't keep doing this.

don't give me that look.

we'll discuss this later.

this stops now.

i'm tired of picking up the pieces once you've left.

you keep throwing yourself into danger.

you don't give a shit about yourself, do you?

i'm sitting here, worried out of my mind, while you're out doing god knows what.

that was really stupid of you, and you know it.

i thought you knew better than this.

what's your excuse this time?

you do realize what this does to me, right? seeing you get hurt like this? you know it hurts me, too?

you really don't give a shit how this affects me, huh.

that was the dumbest possible thing you could have done.

i need you to stop throwing yourself into harm's way.

that was completely unnecessary.

they had it handled.

you didn't need to step in like that.

why do you think you're invincible?

the last time you pulled a stunt like this, it nearly got you killed.

i can't just sit here and watch you get hurt.

what are you trying to prove?

you just like fucking with my heart, don't you.

this shit hurts me, too, you know.

you're not the only one affected by this shit.

you've got a lot of people counting on you to come home every night.

what happens if you don't come back?

you think we can just carry on without you?

you think i can handle things if you end up dead?

i'm not sticking around to watch you get hurt.

you're not even slick.

you think you're invincible, don't you.

quit pretending you've got everything under control.

let someone else do it for a change.

you can't keep putting yourself through shit like this and expect me to just sit back and watch.

i'm done with this.

next time you do this, i'm not coming back.

promise me this is the end.

look me in the eyes and tell me you'll stop doing this.

let the authorities deal with it.

you're making a big mistake.

is it worth dying for?

but he's not dealing with a mortal. the nightmare is stood before morpheus. dear creator, lord shaper. someone in kind, once. long gone. and no more.

　　stone  &  shadow  shifts,  a  thousand  mosaics  whispering  faintly  as  if  remembering  old  nights.  a  star  behind  frost,  a  memory  pressed  like  a  petal  between  the  pages  of  eternity.  the king  does  not  blink.  he  does  not  move.  he  simply  is.  a  silhouette  carved  out  of  inevitability,  listening  while  the  corinthian  pours  his  teeth  into  words.

once,  perhaps,  he  would  have  answered  softly.  once,  perhaps,  there  would  have  been  a  trace  of  something  like  pride  in  his  voice.  now  his  words  are  measured,  stripped  of  everything  but  intent.  " you  speak  as  though  consequence  can  be  dodged. "

it  is  neither  an  explanation  nor  a  threat.  it  is  a  truth  dropped  like  a  pebble  into  still  water ;  the  ripples  roll  out  across  the  marble  floor. 

a  step  closer.  the  starlight  in  his  eyes  burns  faintly  again ;  no  brilliance,  only  a  dim,  cold  echo  of  the  skies.  the  dreamstuff  at  his  hand  relaxes,  curls  back  into  his  sleeve  like  smoke  retreating  from  a  flame.   " i  would  not  unmake  you  because  it  pleases  me, "  he  says  at  last.   " if  i  do  it,  it  will  be  because  you  leave  me  no  other  course. "

"you wound me, my lord. it's merely concern for your well being," there is truth in her words, masked behind a veil of old habits and amusing theatrics - her understanding of the dreaming still lacking in parts, though she figures a cheerful mood might ensure a beautiful weather outside ... which would be much needed, considering the many heavy rains witnessed since her staying in the realm has begun. still, even the smallest acknowledgement is enough to give her renewed confidence, even just to prod a little further into past matters.

"not at all, you do strike me as someone who would rather sit and observe." if faerie and the dreaming used to be extensions of each other then the closest bond to explain is one of siblinghood - and it is known that between siblings one is always the dancer and the other always the watcher; faerie had its intrigues and its drama, the dreaming a softer version of that, less scandalous and loud. nuala can see their differences even between their kings and queen. "guess the recounts were greatly exaggerated."

　　dark shadows of its hair falling across pale features. the faintest smile creeps in, " you call it concern. i call it meddling disguised with pretty words. " yet, his words carry no sting. if anything, the slight rise of his brow gave them the shape of banter, a game he allowed her to begin. fae's remark earns a soft sound from him, one that might have been the start of a laugh. there is a rare ease in dream's posture at the moment, he notices. " exaggerated tales, yes. "

" for fun, i shape stories. not quite your revels, but ... satisfying. " his eyes soften with something closer to memory rather than teasing. " i do not hate music, " an admission, falling from his tongue at last. " i have played before. perhaps i still could. "