01 | A Request

[unbrokenoaths]

Sender: Baldr
To: Everyone
Subject: Dreamotion Research Assistance Request

Many of you may already be aware of the ongoing effort to ensure that those who wish to remain in this world may do so. Eustace-san has suggested a logical first step: we need to better understand the nature of the connections between our present selves and our original worlds. While it appears that observing the connection directly is beyond their current instruments, the researchers at the Observatory are hopeful that progressing their understanding of dreamotion could prove helpful.

What we now need are volunteer dreamers who would not object to the study of their dreamwalking and dreamotion. For those willing, if you could reply here or contact myself or Eustace-san, it would be a considerable help. Of course those who have no intention of staying here permanently are also very welcome to assist. I believe learning more about this could be beneficial to all of us.

Finally, the tapirs have suggested that those who no longer exist in their original world may not be tethered to those worlds as tightly. From comparison to the magic of my own world, I believe volunteers with unusual circumstances such as these might be able to provide the researchers with additional clues. Those who have died in their own worlds, who otherwise experienced a separation from their physical bodies, or who may have complex connections as a result of something such as cloning could be particularly helpful. I understand that a number of these subjects may be sensitive. If you don't wish to discuss them in public, you are more than welcome to contact us privately, or to disclose this information only to the researchers themselves.

Thank you all for your time,
Baldr

Comments

[unbrokenoaths]

[ Is it easier like this? The long pauses to allow himself to pick his words with care might be less conspicuous. He's not certain.

He can guess that "I hoped so" isn't the correct answer. Lighter. He can go lighter. ]

I assumed it was because of the resemblance to exoflection. Or perhaps, camaraderie. He reminds me a bit of you.

[burnttoashes]

... does he.

[Were this an actual spoken conversation, there would be much less accusation in this sentence-- more curiosity than anything else, really. While he's not entirely surprised to hear this, he does find himself wanting to know why Baldr feels this way about the two of them.

Mostly because he doesn't tend to think of himself in relation to other people at any given point in time. As the crown prince, he's always been raised to keep himself separate, in a sense, as is part of his duty.]

[unbrokenoaths]

Only a bit. Of course, I don't mean that he compares to your radiance. Although the ears are somewhat charming.

[ He wouldn't be babbling in person, so he can certainly keep himself from babbling in text. Surely. This would be easier if not for the now-inscrutable tone, or the ominous mental image of Nuadha deliberately dotting each ellipsis. ]

[burnttoashes]

You would find them charming.

[Mr. "I joked about Nuadha putting on a dress because I not-so-secretly wanted to see that happen." Don't think he doesn't know the entire reason why you were joking about that, Baldr!!]

I mean aside from the... ears.

[Oh my god why are they even having this conversation. This was a serious discussion until about twenty seconds ago!]

[unbrokenoaths]

[ And Nuadha wouldn't even wear it... you die for a man and he won't even put on one little dress for you smh. ]

You don't agree? I think they would suit you very well.

[ If part of Baldr regrets that he deflected so quickly from his original question, no small part of him is just as relieved. Perhaps it was a bit too soon to be asking -- Nuadha takes his time on everything. His mind has always changed slowly. ]

But if you're rejecting the ears, [ is that where the conversation moved to? ] there's a certain similarity in the way you both speak...

[burnttoashes]

[Little dress! Little! That was the main problem there! He was not about to go flashing the entire world, thank you very much.]

You say that and you may as well have spoken it into existence. I'll make sure to blame you when it actually happens.

[Because he knows the nature of this place and how it likes to... give its residents interesting changes when it sees fit. He has no doubt that he will in fact wind up with a pair of ears one day.]

And by that I assume you mean the way we're both brief and to the point.

[Honestly, he likes it. Talking to Eustace doesn't wear him out, unlike some other people.]

[unbrokenoaths]

[ Well, he could have at least flashed Baldr... ]

You praise me too much. I'll gladly accept whatever admonishment you think is fitting, when it happens.

[ In exchange for the ears, that is. Baldr's beaming smile might not carry in text, but Nuadha almost certainly knows him well enough to imagine it. ]

Indeed. A very honest and straightforward man, I believe.

[ And he cares about the people here enough to worry about things like the dreamotion lessons. A good leader, he thinks. ]

[burnttoashes]

[There's a decided pause before the next response comes. Nuadha knows how swift Baldr is to extoll his virtues to anyone who will listen, usually in a more effusive method than is truly needed.

Somehow, even after all these years, it still hits differently to hear such a casual and straightforward parallel coming from Baldr.]

This place could use more of his ilk.

[It's neither an acknowledgment of Baldr's implicit praise nor a denial, rather a simple statement of the facts.]

[unbrokenoaths]

[ Oh... only Woden could phrase it like that. Baldr actually laughs aloud, the response a moment delayed as he tries to get his amusement contained again. ]

I'm very content with what we have now.

[ In a number of senses, but as Nuadha is currently artfully not acknowledging Baldr's unspoken words, he can continue right along doing so. ]

But I would certainly welcome more like him. I'm pleased to know you've found such good company here, Nuadha-sama.