Marlene Collins 2023/06/16(Fri)20:35 No. 1066042 ID: 11f77a
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>Are you two alone, or is there anything else in here with you?
I look towards the orange void and feel infinitely small compared to a red giant. I look up at the tethers and see no end. I sense many directions at once as my proprioception expands far. Perhaps I can describe it as seeing myself in the third- second- and first-person at once. It’s only now when I notice it, like manually breathing.

Nothing. Nothing but each other and ambient noise around us.

Marlene: Thank you, Carter. I have a feeling we may be seeing each other for a while.

Marlene: I don’t know why you and I were chosen... but I’ve been trying to make sense about why we’re here.

Marlene: Maybe this place is supposed to help us in the real world.

Carter: A new theory? Well you are the creative type~

Marlene: Just hear me out. Sure we can chill and drift forever, and bask in this wonderful euphoria. But this could be some metaphorical limbo to get past what holds us down.

Carter: If this is some roundabout way of accepting meatloaf into my life...

Marlene: No, Carter! It’s not like that at all~

Carter: I’m kiiidding.

Marlene: I was depressed for years, even through high school. Writing was my only distraction at the time--but once I lost that drive--perhaps this place is a means for me to get on the right path again.

Marlene: Is something holding you back, Carter? Something you’ve lost on the way?

Carter: Uhm--I’m not sure...

Marlene: A sense of agency? Or independence?

Carter: Quite the guess after one anecdote with my mom. Living at home aint so bad I reckon.

Carter: Though this place is a well-deserved break sometimes...

Marlene Collins 2023/06/16(Fri)20:36 No. 1066043 ID: 11f77a
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He moves on to something else.

Carter: So tell me about your band. Are you famous?

Marlene: Hell no. But-- we're gonna try to join a local event called, uh, ‘May 4 Two’ or some shit. It’s happening a month from now so I’ve taken the task of writing a song or two.

Carter: Man, that’s so cool. Do you sing?

Marlene: Oooh no. Noooo no I can’t sing. Or it’s passable but I’m going to let the two idiots do that. Maybe I’ll push a few keys but that’s it.

Carter: You sound wonderful just talking to me.

Marlene: Huh, you know I just noticed this--I feel like I’m talking just low enough to myself, but you can still hear me from all the way there right?

Carter: Hey, yeah. You’re right!

Carter: Can you hear me now?

Marlene: Yes. Hehehe. You have a nice voice too, by-the-way.

Carter: What’s your band called?

Marlene: Oh! The Mnemonic Gaps. Yeah I don’t know where they come up with that stuff.

Carter: It’s clever. Written anything so far?

Marlene: Ooooh... I’ve written some weird run-on paragraph of this place. It’s a bunch of gibberish but if I could pick out the best words maybe I can form a single poetic line for a 7-minute song.

Carter: That’d be so cool. I could try to help.

Carter: Man, can you imagine being able to... work in your sleep? You can get your shit together in here.

>>1066043
...shit, we should try that. Let's try it! Write something!

It's probably the tethers; you're in contact through them somehow.

Writing might be hard to do here, but you can tell Carter about something you'd like to write, or think of what idea really inspires you.

Have your songs transition between nirvana and cyberpunk hell, because that's apparently the theme of this place and you should write to reflect that.

>>1066062
ehh maybe it's best not to dwell on the nightmare that probably doesn't fairly represent the hypothetical alternate reality that contains the dream. The dream might simply be a psychic connection between two people, with nothing else related to it.

Maybe we could focus on the theme of connections between people...

Might be hard to write without a pencil. You could try telling Carter a story though! Make it up as you go along.

Marlene Collins 2023/06/19(Mon)20:51 No. 1066337 ID: 11f77a
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>You could try telling Carter a story
>Maybe we could focus on the theme of connections between people
>Writing might be hard to do here, but you can tell Carter about something you’d like to write.
> Have your songs transition between nirvana and cyberpunk hell […] you should write to reflect that.
Marlene: Huh. Maybe that’s one good use for this place. I don’t know how much longer we’ll have tonight but I may as well start on something.

Marlene: Like that song.

Marlene: But I don’t have a pencil so... this will be a testament to my memory when I wake up.

Carter: If you forget, the lyrics weren’t worth remembering~ What I always say.

Marlene: Eh, I’ve got a journal in my nightstand. If I sleepwalk again I just need to quickly jog over.

Marlene: Now let’s see...

It might be a bit difficult to ponder hard about this--but there are words and phrases I remember fading in and out of my head. Sometimes words are just sounds that feel nice on my tongue--that feel nice to the ears. No need to think of the words before or after.

>Select three, or your favorites
>You can swap or replace words
1)...turn my head into beautiful sound...
2)...we can fall for a million days...
3)...it’s just the company of absence now...
4)...can we feel the way that we used to...
5)...out of my peripheral, an ambient cloud...
6)...drifting between pluto and calliope...
7)...bask in the sun-stained grass field...
8)...whisper me a little seed...
9)...but you can’t take it with you...
10)...from the sky blooms a great noise...
11) [ free style >___ ]

6, 8, 1

1,3,7

10,2,5

hm...

whisper me a little seed
turn my head into beautiful sound
bloom a great noise into the sky
to echo between pluto and calliope

* screaming of yesteryear
* compressing god in a ball
* the highest is broken the lowest to be broken

Marlene Collins 2023/06/24(Sat)18:07 No. 1066543 ID: 11f77a
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>...turn my head into beautiful sound...
>...drifting between pluto and calliope...
>...whisper me a little seed...
>...from the sky blooms a great noise...
Yes, I think these will do; they seem to stick inside my head the most. I’ll manage to work on them in the real world--least if I make the effort to concentrate on remembering.

Marlene: What do you think?

Carter: I don’t think I’d be able to describe it any better. You’re onto something, I know it. I’ll keep an ear out for the radio when the song is finished~

Marlene: Which is better; bloom a great noise into the sky, or from the sky blooms a great noise?

Carter: Are you telling people to bloom or describing the sky blooming over them?

Marlene: I guess I’ll figure that part out later.

Carter: So your song is going to be about this place? Will people understand it? Could they ever feel like we do right now?

Marlene: For once it gives me inspiration to write. It’s very real to us. I know it’s a dream, but I’m also fully aware--

Carter: Like a lucid dream.

Marlene: But it’s not! It’s like... I can’t manipulate this place like a lucid dream. There’s a haze of forgetfulness when you’re in a dream and it’s only when you wake up would you realize what had happened.

Marlene: But here I feel no haze. My mind, albeit my emotions are heightened, is still clear to me.

Carter: It kind of makes--

Wake up, shows over. You're sleep walking outside, and not outside your home either it seems?

Wake up
begin thrilling stealth mission: try to get home without being seen.

Do you recognize your surroundings?

>>1066545
Where are you?

Oh no you went sleepwalking naked, right in front of that very well lit gas station, and the casino with all those neon lights, both of which the camera is conveniently facing away from right now, and the bar that's just finished happy hour with all the raucous patrons leaving at once, and oh no here comes the parade! Oh no it's the mayor! She's giving you a surprise pop quiz, right in front of your high school crush!

Uh oh, goat in the buff

Marlene Collins 2023/06/27(Tue)16:07 No. 1066711 ID: 11f77a
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It... it feels a little nippy. Cold all’a sudden. Everything went dark.

>Wake up, shows over.
>[...] Oh no it’s the mayor! She’s giving you a surprise pop quiz right in front of your high school crush!
Ugh, huh? What? What’s going on here--was I just--

Marlene Collins 2023/06/27(Tue)16:08 No. 1066712 ID: 11f77a
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>Where are you?
>Do you recognize your surroundings?
>You’re sleepwalking outside, and not outside your home either it seems?
GASP! What the fuck?! Oh shit! Where am I?!

shit..shit..shit..shit

I recognize this place. Fuck! I mean... good! It’s literally my street! What the fuck time is it?! Where’s my house?! How long was I out here?

I turn and see my porch directly behind me. The door is open a lil’. Oh thank fucking christ.

Marlene Collins 2023/06/27(Tue)16:09 No. 1066713 ID: 11f77a
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I rush back inside the apartment. My tits are freezing.

This isn’t good. I really hope no one saw me; I didn’t look around the neighborhood before I ran back in. I saw a little light in the sky. I wonder how damn early it is. Probably just about dawn.

Oh man. Oh god, what a rush. Brrrgh!

I gently close the door as quickly as I can.

Seb’s in bed it seems, undisturbed.

That must have felt a bit... exciting, didnt it? Maybe rub one off after that experience before you go back to sleep, and get dressed in your pajamas

Note to self: get dressed before going to sleep from now on... unless maybe... do you want to potentially go through that experience again? I mean, youll have the excuse that you were literally sleepwalking, and that experience probably did felt heartpoundingly fun and unique

get in bed and cuddle up to Seb so you can warm up

Press your cold nipples to his back.

Well if it was a good rush maybe you should try it again sometime. Otherwise just sneak back to bed and hold your man.

Pajamas might be a good idea.
Or unfortunately doing the cyber-nightmare unplugging to the dream again…

Hmmm. It might be more productive to try to get to the cyborg reality rather than going from the pleasant dream to the mundane reality, if this is what happens if you don't go for the middle step!

That one time you made yourself wake up, you were still sleepwalking though, and Seb found you in the closet. You don't know if the elysian pond is related, or if this is just a "you" thing. Might be good to ask Carter if he's been sleepwalking, next time.

At any rate the good news is even if someone saw you, you have an ironclad excuse. Can't help sleepwalking! It's a known fact that you get away with the most forbidden, tabboo acts in the world, and everyone will be perfectly fine with it, as long as you don't enjoy yourself.

Marlene Collins 2023/06/29(Thu)11:33 No. 1066827 ID: 11f77a
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>That must’ve felt a bit... exciting, didn’t it? Maybe rub one off
>Well if it was a good rush maybe you should try it again sometime.
Uh... I mean, well. Okay, listen.
As exciting as it may have been after running back in the house--usually that kind of experience is one to have planned beforehand. Rubbing one out isn’t really the kind of response I’d have right now...

>[...] doing the cyber-nightmare unplugging to the dream again
>It might be more productive to try to get to the cyborg reality rather than going from the pleasant dream to the mundane.
I don’t really want to shock myself awake--I may have ended in the street either way. But Carter was saying something before we were both cut off. I wonder what kicked us out of the dream if we hadn’t opened our eyes this time.
I’ve sleepwalked three times now. First was in a closet, then the couch, now it’s made me venture past my porch. I’m gonna have to take some precautions next time I sleep. I guess I’ll remember to wear pajamas.

My nips are sensitive to the touch but they’re quite chilled.

I notice it’s 5:12 in the morning. While I’m not as tired, I can snooze a bit longer. Not that I have a job. I lock my door. I don’t recall locking it yesterday; it slips our minds sometimes.

I carefully rejoin my boyfriend in bed. I try to sneak close to his toasty body. It rouses him to grunt.

Seb: Hmm? Hun? You feel... very cold--

Marlene: Shh. Say nothing or my cold hands will grab your balls.

Hmmmgh~ man that feels better...

Just like that~

Hrmmph...

Marlene Collins 2023/06/29(Thu)11:33 No. 1066828 ID: 11f77a
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Hurnh..?

Shit--who turned on the sun? It’s too bright through the window. My eyes; ow. Morning hurts.

Guess I didn’t return to the dream. Harrumph.

The television is on; news at a low volume. Seb’s not in bed. I think I hear him using the bathroom. Running sink water. Guh... what time is it now? 6:17?

GET UP YOU SLEEPY HEAD YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU ARE DEAD

Dont forget to write down what you dreamt:
>...turn my head into beautiful sound...
>...drifting between pluto and calliope...
>...whisper me a little seed...
>...from the sky blooms a great noise...

It's 11:30. You've been asleep for three days.

whats going on on the news?

Agreed. Get that pen and paper going Marley.

Marlene Collins 2023/07/02(Sun)18:27 No. 1066980 ID: 11f77a
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>Get that pen and paper going, Marley
>Don’t forget to write down what you dreamt
Yeah, yeah. I can still remember ‘em. Let me juss’ find my journal.
How come my eyes are so tired right now? I was fine an hour ago. I didn’t dream anything; it felt like a blink.

>what’s going on in the news?
My eyes adjust to the light. I put a robe on and check what’s playing on the news. Something about a rubber duck race happening later down a canal. It’s one of those market festivities.

Marlene Collins 2023/07/02(Sun)18:27 No. 1066981 ID: 11f77a
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By the time I’m finished writing down my notes Seb comes walking out of the bathroom. He has a script in his hands.

Seb: Oh hey, you’re up!

Seb: I uh... I was reading a bit in there. Some of these scripts are kinda bad. But you probably knew that.

Seb: I actually found a script under the couch while I was looking for my boots. I dunno if you’ve read it yet. I’ve put it on the coffee table there.

Marlene: Oh! Thank you. It’s not one of my old ones lost months ago is it?

Seb: Nah. It’s something about a... calliope thing? I forget the title--I only glimpsed at it.

Seb: Say, is everything alright?

Marlene: Yeah I’m fine. Why?

Seb: Jus’ wondering. Was thinking maybe the AC broke again or something. You felt a little chilly. But if it’s nothing then it’s nothing.

Seb: Anyway, work begins in a bit. Weekend is finally approaching. Don’t stress your brain too hard today. One of those scripts ought to make that $100.

Read that calliope thing. That's a name that showed up in your lyrics too.

>Calliope Script
Y'know, that might explain the dreams... but not the knowledge of Carter.
Read. Now.

And read more scripts.
* Bun in the Closet - A closeted lesbian is in a miserable relationship with a guy to hide her sexuality, gets raped by something (either a supernatural creature or she deluded herself from trauma), and is now pregnant.
* Hyper: Extra-Censored Edition - A sex comedy where everything manages to barely reach an R-rating by showing massive bulges, suggestive imagery, and clothed ongoing orgasms. For instance, there's a scene where a hermaphrodite housewife accidentally eats a testosterone pill while playfully wearing her scientist husband's experimental spandex spacesuit meant for astronauts to explore the sun, and then her bulge grows to the literal size of a mountain while it's still covered in NASA spacegear. All of this doesn't use CGI censoring but simple extra-clothing, which extenuates the hilarity.
* xkcd: The Movie - A stick figure movie made of unpublished comics from the late Ramdal Onerow himself, according to his last will and testament they are to be directly scanned and then modded beyond recognition with the latest video editing software to make a full 3D AAA-quality movie in whatever way the director desires. (In this universe, the author of xkcd died in an accident or something and then it turns out for every comic he published, he kept one in secret.)

also be sure to hug and smooch your boyfriend~

Marlene Collins 2023/07/03(Mon)20:52 No. 1067037 ID: 11f77a
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Marlene: Yeah I’ll be alright. I’ll likely choose... the Saturn one. Or Countdown to Darkness. I might visit Silenus, might not--who knows. Maybe I'll be naked all day inside the apartment and watch tv.

Seb: Ya know, I've been havin' a little cough lately. I ought to call-in.

He slips beside me for a kiss.

Seb: Alas, bills are waiting for me. I’ll see you later. Have a good day~

smeck

Marlene: You too~ Make your money.

Marlene Collins 2023/07/03(Mon)20:54 No. 1067038 ID: 11f77a
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>y’know, that might explain the dreams [...] Read. Now.
>read that calliope thing. That’s a name that showed up in your lyrics too.
I’m quite curious to know as well. There seems to be a lot of coincidental things happening. Soon as my boyfriend heads out the door I read the script.

Hrmm. Jason in the Kaleidoscope. Sci-Fi Drama. By Osman Neiro. Don’t know how I missed this one. Growing into adulthood, a boy experiences parallels of his life which only he is aware.

Multiverse here we go; it’s what’s popular right now. It seems like Seb misremembered the word ‘kaleidoscope’. Although, both ‘kaleidoscope’ and ‘calliope’ originate from the same Greek word ‘kalos’ meaning beauty.

How do I know that? I just looked it up on my phone.

flip
...
flick

Marlene Collins 2023/07/03(Mon)20:54 No. 1067039 ID: 11f77a
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Marlene: Huh...

flick

Marlene Collins 2023/07/03(Mon)20:55 No. 1067041 ID: 11f77a
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flip

CHAPTER END

I think we have a winner...

Chapter 3: https://questden.org/kusaba/quest/res/1068906.html