dreamcrystals | sixth entry ⊗ permanent residency

Entry tags:

sixth entry ⊗ permanent residency

Sender: Eustace
To: Everyone
Subject: A Method to Stay in This World

As everyone should know, the version of ourselves in this world is wholly separate from our originals that remain awake in our home worlds. What we do here has no effect there, and vice versa. Most won't care whether they are here for a temporary stay, however there are those like me and Tifa who have formed relationships that would be impossible if not for this world.

And I am determined to make it last.

When the Halloween Carnival arrived last October, we had the opportunity to speak to the tapirs and inquire about the nature of our existence here. In short, we are tethered to our home world which allows us to return, currently at random. However, the fae, creatures, and every other being that is not a dreamer like ourselves do not have such tethers. They either traversed into this world or were directly taken through other means.

This leads to the conclusion that if we want to stay in this world, we need to somehow break the connection, either by completely severing it or changing the tether to connect to this world instead. Perhaps we need to completely change the nature of our current "dream self." As the risk of being sent back is high if the tether is cut, I aim to focus on other means.

However, there is of course no known knowledge or means to do this, and the tapirs do not know, either. Thus I am sending this inquiry to:

1) ask if there are any others who would be interested either to help or in the results;

2) if there is anyone who is familiar with dimensional travel or strong magic that could give some clue as to what to look for.

Currently I am looking through the Tree of Stories to find any text or story that could be of use. My current suspicion is dreamotion will be the main component, however manipulating it for such a use will be difficult.

If you are interested, you can respond here or contact me privately.

— Eustace

[ooc: AND THUS MARKS THE BEGINNINGS OF A VERY LONG QUEST but yeah Eustace is trying to find a way to stay permanently in this world and is looking for anyone who wants to help, wants to benefit, or has ideas that they can look into and be possibly incorporated in the actual method. An additional sign-up post has gone up for an official head count. Those who sign-up will be able to play a significant role in finding a clue and/or piece that will lead to the final result. More details there!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

okaaay!! i still have some food left over from our trip to the store so ill come up when im finished!!

[ she might be a little too eager see Eustace again as she places down the device, scurrying off to eat her lunch as fast as she can (and while trying to avoid the eager eyes of the dogs that accompanied her downstairs. ~~okay maybe she did share her food a little bit shh~~

It will take her some time to arrive, mostly because she wanted to be mindful of Eustace and Tifa’s time, and she knew the conversation he was having with other people was probably very important…

Cue her softly knocking on the upstairs door when she finally makes it, and poking her head in the opening. ]

Excuse me…

[Although Eustace had been shifting between helping Tifa and minding the journal as people respond, he does occasional wonder when Lyria will come up. In some ways it reminds him of having a little sister again... Only they're both much older.

With that wistful thought, he continues on until he first hears her footsteps just before she knocks and peeks. From his place on the small dining table, he looks over with a light smile.]

Come in. ...Before the dogs push you through first.

[Guess who followed her up. YEP ALL OF THEM.]

[ ...Annnd almost on cue as he mentioned the dogs, the herd of them will come barreling in behind Lyria, causing the girl spin around in a circle as they race past her to go greet Eustace. She giggles as she was nearly swept up off the floor but will quickly recover with a small plant of her foot.

Good luck trying to concentrate on your work now oops ]

Good afternoon, Eustace! [ Lyria chimes as she enters the room fully at this point... and behold! She is wearing a brand new outfit, complete with a large brown satchel strapped across her chest ~~and yes she is wearing shoes~~. She had only been living with him for a few days now but everything was slowly becoming more and more familiar to her. This is a place she could call home, and somewhere that Eustace wanted to call home forever.

She took a moment then to glance around the room; the simple decorations, plates he and Tifa had likely bought together, and even the extension he added to the house. Small but noticeable additions the two worked on to really make this place their own. Their home.

It was obvious to her why he wanted to stay. ]

Did you have a good lunch?

Edited 2023-01-23 14:18 (UTC)

Yeah. Sure you don't want any? We have a portion for you regardless.

[Even if Lyria had to stay in the bottom half of the house since there weren't any proper guestrooms on the upper floor, he would always let her use this part of the house whenever she needed, even give her some space to sleep if she felt lonely. He knows it's a big adjustment compared to having Gran and Vyrn with her all the time, as well as the rest of the Grandcypher crew.

But he is also pleased to see her starting to settle in.]

Huh? Ah, but you didn't have to—! [ She was genuinely a little shocked to hear, but considering she didn't eat all of her food downstairs, there was certainly some room left for some more. This time she'll make sure the dogs don't get all of it!! ] But thank you, I'd love some!

[ To make such accommodations for her...

It was only when she was seated at the table across from him did the small redness of her cheeks become apparent from this distance. Behind a freshly washed face the subtle puffiness of her eyes remained. ]

Have you been to this library that we are going to before?

[He just smiles when she accepts, standing so that he can fetch a bowl of the soup Tifa had made for her. It won't take him too long to reheat it, especially when he has his dreamotion to help power the device, and soon he has it set in front of her with a spoon. He's about to get her a drink when he notices that redness and bit of puffiness...

...]

Did something happen?

[ Oh. Ah. ]

... Something? What do you mean?

[ She's... going to look down at her food and smile at it!! It looks so delicious wow wow! ]

...

[He pulls up a chair to sit next to her.]

Lyria.

[ She immediately tenses as he is seated beside her as her head lowers deeper to her chest. Hands that would have been around the spoon and meal are now clinging to the sides of her dress, giving them a small squeeze. ]

It... it's nothing, really!

[ No, she's holding it in. This wasn't suppose to happen, she was suppose to put on a brave face- ]

...Lyria.

[His voice is quieter now, a bit more coaxing. And then after a moment of hesitation, he slowly reaches out to cover her small hand with his larger one.]

You can talk to me.

I...

[ She didn't mean to do this, she didn't mean to bring down the mood.

Lyria had hoped that if she left enough time in between them meeting that maybe he wouldn't notice. She had washed her face, and washed it again... and again...

The hand against her own only briefly snapped her out of roaming thoughts. It was so warm, so comforting, and for a moment Lyria felt a wave of despair rush through her body. ]

I can't.

[ She ducks her head even further now, completely concealing her face as her long hair falls down in front of it. But slowly, silently, small tear drops fall on the back of Eustace's hand. ]

I-I promised myself that... that I would be strong. For you, for—

[He had a feeling the tears would fall, but feeling them still makes his heart twist and he briefly clenches his teeth before he takes his other hand to pull her to him into a half embrace.]

I'd rather you tell me what's going on instead of hiding it from me.

[ ...

The embrace almost went unnoticed until she could feel his chest against her head. It was an overwhelming space to be in, but still just as warm and just as comforting as the hand had been.

She allowed the tears to fall more freely at his words. Eustace was truly so kind, and was doing so much for her... ]

I...

[ Choking back a small sob she then buried herself into his chest, using her free hand to grip onto his clothing for support. ]

I'm scared—

[His hold on her only tightens slightly, not too much, but just enough to provide her a little more security and comfort.]

Scared...of what?

—of being alone... [ She tried to control her breathing by talking, but her words slowly became harder to understand as she speaks into his chest. ] I'm not alone— I'm not! I know I'm not, but...

... but sometimes it's so quiet, i- it feels like I'm back there...

[ A sob. Her grip tightening. ]

I'm scared for Gran! I... I can't feel him anymore...!

[....Ah.

He should have considered this.

He did in part, but he didn't think of how deeply she would have been affected. She had seemed so excited and he thought she was adjusting... Of course she was just putting up a front, he had been a fool.

Pursing his lips, gently strokes her back as he wonders how to soothe her.]

...It will be fine, Lyria, Gran will be fine, I promise.

[He lets out a long breath.]

I'm sorry I didn't notice...

We have always been together since that time... and I’ve always known he was right next to me. But here... the feeling is just... gone. I - I've never felt this way...

[ She takes a few moments to breathe and continues to squeeze herself against Eustace, grasping at whatever sense of comfort she can manage. Yet, when his apology came she froze in place. Her shoulders tensed up again but she forced herself to muster whatever strength she could manage to continue: ]

N- no, it’s okay! Please don't apologize... [ Even after all of this she was still just as concerned for Eustace as herself. That's the reason she came up to meet with him today, right? To find a way for her to help him, and that's what she wanted to do. ]

You need to be here... with Tifa. I know that Gran will be okay with "me"... but— [ but that doesn't mean she could stop thinking about him. ]

[He only continues to hold her and run his hand up and down her back, leaning back a little in his chair to adjust them into something a little more comfortable.]

I know. I've felt that way before.

[He remembers how he had been before early on in his first "new world" experience. How while he had reassurance a part of him was there, that doesn't really do much for the part of him that is not. Doesn't end the worry and the wonder. It was yet another of many complications in him grappling his feelings for Tifa, wondering if he was abandoning everyone for his own selfish reasons.]

And for you it's more difficult due to that bond you share... It's only natural for you to feel upset and scared by it. Just...

[He's not sure what to say. Rather, he's not sure if anything he says will help. So after a moment of faltering, he hugs her close, his hand patting her head.]

I know I'm not Gran, but just know you're not alone. And if you ever need anything, you can come to me.

[ Lyria is particularly limp in his arms as he adjusts the two of them. Like a fragile doll she will curl into his chest, her muscles refusing to move. The uneven sobs was the only thing she could produce when he rubs her back, but it does seem to quiet her down a little.

She had spent several nights since she moved here crying herself to sleep. Lyria wouldn't notice it at first, but a sudden wave would hit her like a tsunami in the middle of the night, when no sound could be heard. She had buried her face into her pillow, sobbing quietly as to not alert the dogs... or worse, the two upstairs.

To completely uproot their lives for her... it was a kindness she never felt she could repay, and so she chose to remain silent. Smiling at them whenever she could get the chance, and finding ways to be as helpful as possible. Yet, time and time again, the night came and the silence that followed.

The silence was cold. Deafening.

"Someone please help me—"

Eustace's reassuring words seem to bring her back to reality in the slightest, as she mulled over his words. Truly, he was doing so much for her... ]

Thank you, Eustace... [ She finally manages to whimper out. ] Do you think... I can stay like this? Just for a while—

Edited 2023-01-29 05:52 (UTC)

Of course.

[Once in a more comfortable position, he just keeps his arms around her, his chin lightly resting atop her head. To think that a year ago he would have been more at a loss of how to do this... But now he's—perhaps unfortunately—had more experience that holding Lyria close to him and sharing his warmth with her just comes natural. Of course, he already genuinely cares for her, which makes it easier.]

Take all the time you need.

[ The acceptance was all the confirmation she needed to bring down the rest of her barriers as she let out a small wail into his shirt. A rush of distress, pain, and relief all came flooding out at once. To know that she didn't have to hold it in anymore, that Eustace would be there to protect her...

She truly wasn't alone anymore.

The small girl continued to cry wordlessly, muffled by the cloth pressed against her cheeks. But soon the sobs turned into sniffles... and the sniffles into tiny hiccups.

Then soon soft breathing.

Lyria cried all that she could and was left completely and utterly exhausted. Her head tucked gently under his own, Eustace could steadily hear her breathing slow and become more rhythmic.

Her eyelids weighed down by countless sleepless nights... and so the blue haired girl dozed off into sleep, allowing the presence to finally, and safely, overtake her. ]

[Eustace only listens to her cries, his heart tightening as he can feel the loneliness and sadness she's been holding back come rushing out. With his usual quiet patience, he just remains as he is, letting the young girl use him however she needed it. Whether it was to cling to him, to bury herself in his arms, he didn't mind. He let her used whatever. Let her feel the comfort and assurance that she had someone there to hold her, someone she can rely on.

And as he sobs fade into sniffles and then to hiccups, he's reminded of all the times he's had to hold and comfort Tifa...how his heart had ached whenever he heard her cries. Is this why he knows what to do now? Knows what to offer?

And speaking of, he looks up to where he sees Tifa waiting nearby, knowing she's been wanting but hesitating to approach. He had signaled for her to wait, wanting Lyria to open up without worrying about her presence. And now that she's asleep, Eustace waits just a few moments more before carefully lifting the young girl up into his arms to quietly carry her to their room. Tifa helps to pull back the sheets so he can set her down, but feeling Lyria's strong hold on him, Eustace has no choice but to sit down next to her, one arm tucked under her so that she can still feel his presence.

Only after Tifa joins them from the other side does he sigh and quietly tell her about Lyria's fears—of her loneliness, of how lost she feels without Gran. It's at this point Eustace reveals a little more about the two's connection—how Lyria and Gran share a life link and they have always held a strong bond because of that. So here, in Songerein, she no longer can feel that link to Gran and she's not used to it...no, rather it reminds her of how she used to be, when she used to be alone. After having so many people on the Grandcypher, especially Gran and Vyrn around, suddenly losing all that would have been a shock.

That feeling of loneliness, of not knowing what to do and being afraid—as Eustace looks at Tifa, he knows she would understand her well...just as he does.]

[She had been leaning against the frame of their bedroom door looking on in worry, her arms wrapped protectively around herself, as if to shield her own heart from the crippling loneliness that she empathizes and still struggles with, that still lurks underneath her skin. Tifa had wanted to step in to help, to comfort in a way she could, but when Eustace had signaled for her to wait, she had... She disappeared into their bedroom for a while, waiting in silence. She could hear bits and pieces of the conversation—not all of it, but enough to get a sense for what was happening...

And as she hesitates to sit on the bed on the other side of the sleeping girl, Tifa listens to Eustace confirm exactly what she had gleaned on her own.

To go from having so many people to waking up and suddenly thinking you have no one... it's a hard thing for someone to go through, even harder for a girl her age. It's a terrifying thought, but one that Tifa is far too familiar with. She had gone through the same thing only a few short years ago and while it isn't quite the same in that there were no connections like Lyria and Gran, that feeling of sudden emptiness and paralyzing fear because of it is a universal thing.

There isn't much she can say to all of that either. She doesn't know her well enough just yet to know the right things to say just yet.

She sits, keeping a respectable distance but remaining there all the same, on Lyria's other side. She has her back against the headboard, knees curled up to her chest, and she twirls a starflower between her fingers, watching the glowing petals spin so intently that she doesn't even notice Eustace glancing at her, and sorting through her own thoughts on the matter as the pair silently wait for her to awaken together.]

[ As distressed as she was falling asleep, Lyria seemed to rest rather peacefully after that, comforted by the arm that still held onto her and the bed that encapsulated her tiny form.

She swore she was dreaming about him... about Gran. His smiling form beside her, cuddled together with knees pressed against chests, and next to him Vyrn. They were giggling and whispering about who knows what, sharing warmth under an open and endless skies. The stars lit up around, brightening their surroundings and causing no need for lanterns. This was a sky she was familiar with, a sky she had often looked out from her window and wondered if she could touch the stars. It was through impulse that the girl reached out her hand towards it with fingers outstretched. She was trying to take hold of something... Eyes focused on the stars she stretched even further and further again, until she finally felt something take hold.

It felt as though it was pulling her towards it, and as her fingers slowly begin to close did the image of a person... of people start to take form amongst the skies. It was a warm, welcoming presence. They sparkled amongst the constellations and as she was urged forward from a then sitting position to standing, and then from a standing to a floating. As she approached the lights were slowly beginning to get brighter... and brighter... but she wasn't afraid. She could feel the kindness in the stars, and as they shown the brightest, Lyria was forced to close her eyes—

—only to awaken the moment she opened them once again. ]

Hnngh...

[ Lyria stared up at a familiar ceiling. Not one of the Grandcypher's, but at a home she was welcomed to. She sat in silence for a few moments, tears still clinging on to the sides of her cheeks before finally turning her gaze to either side the moment she felt something beside her. Eustace... Tifa... they were both here.

The memory of what had occurred before she went to sleep caused a wave of emotions to rush through her body, but she resisted the urge for the tears to boil back over and instead shifted slightly in the bed to prop herself up with her arms. Her attention drew first to Tifa as a frown creased over her lips. Eustace had mentioned that Tifa was the one to prepare the lunch, so of course she had to have been in the room too, or at least close by. Had she heard what had happened...? ]

Ah, I... I'm sorry—

[Eustace notices how Tifa is lost in thought, likely processing what he's told her and thinking of the situation at hand. He wants to reach out to her as well, to gather both of them in his arms and to protect them from the loneliness that they've both saved him from. He does end up reaching out so that he can lightly touch her shoulder, but it's around then that Lyria begins to stir and wake.

As she moves, he sits back and lets the girl wake up a bit more before letting Tifa speak first.]

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eustace > tifa > lyria

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