[ There is no winner, but the Vessel is content; they do not need to triumph, to have determined a victor, to gain something from the experience.
(Not causing someone pain matters far more to them than testing their own strength. They are already striving not to do such things.
Someone showed them kindness, when they had no reason to. It was a simple choice, a simple act, and yet it has already changed them in many ways.)
Their vision is...adjusting, right now. When they stepped into the dream, it was monochromatic; a fiery red, with no ability to discern the subtleties of the shadows or any other coloration that existed within it.
When they had experienced the Dreamers' visions, when they had listened to that plaintive song on the stage, it was something they could see and listen to, but couldn't touch or understand. The world had seemed...gray. Washed out and empty, being viewed from a fog, through a distance. A masked shadow creeping upon a clouded world, not able to be part of it.
Now, though, colour is creeping in, adding warmth and casting shadows, bringing a new dimension to their vision. A connection that wasn't present before.
They squeeze his hand and nod, indicating the fire that burns in their eye, that spark grown to a flame.
Yes. Saw it.
They glance at the Heart, at the room around them, with fresh eyes. They seem...worried, and it's not hard to tell why that is.
[If they do finally see the colors they had missed, then the Vessel won regardless of the outcome of the dance.
The Heart is beating a little erratically but is slowing down to a normal rate. Although it was something the Nightmare King did not go out of his way to test, Grimm was rather sturdy. It was only during the Ritual he would fall from the Heart's declining health and be reborn from the ashes of his death.
But the worry the Vessel is expressing for him is good to see. They could have kept going, kept enduring the Nightmare King's assault but they knew it would be a hazard to someone else's health and stopped.
Within their own newly discovered flame they have not lost what made them unique. Grimm would be happy.
The Nightmare King nods.]
Yes. Time to wake.
[The Heart's beating is normal again and the room begins to dim, the fires going out one by one. The Nightmare King closes his eyes as a familiar tune begins to play, the song Brumm often played.
But he has one last word of advice before the nightmare ends.]
Listen. A call. Your dreams will lead you. Your nightmares will remind you.
[Remember it, as the sound echoes around the chamber before everything goes black.
The Vessel will wake up exactly where they were before the Nightmare King pulled them into his nightmare. And if they so happen to hear something crash elsewhere...
Well it is resulting from the nightmare. But not a bad result.]
[ The cry snaps them back into reality, back into the waking world. Their head is still ringing from it, so it takes a moment for them to register the other thing that just happened, and then to connect that with-
Wait, now they remember.
They scramble to get to the source of the sound as quickly as possible. They might be panicking! They might be panicking a lot! Oh no what have they done. ]
[Grimm is sitting up by the time the Knight finds him, having fallen off his perch while he was sleeping. He had not expected the Nightmare King's final words and coupled with the battle that had taken place, it had startled him awake.
He cannot help but cough and press a hand against his chest. It would be a lie to say that did not hurt, to suffer a nightmare where he was trapped listening to his heart pound and stutter under the strain of bearing the Nightmare King's full power.
But the Vessel had to fight the God of Nightmares and light their own flame. That was a harder battle then simply watching the fight unfold. So Grimm smiles when he spots them.]
Good morning, my friend. Quite the wake-up call we both experienced?
[ Smile or not, they're anxious enough about the pain they've accidentally caused that his question gets little more than a nod before they're running over to where he's now sitting on the floor.
Unsure of how to apologise for what has happened, or how to start, they anxiously look him over instead. Tilting their head close in a clear attempt to listen for his heartbeat; it's something they've done before out of curiosity, more than once. They were fascinated with it then, not having one of their own; now it's a cause for concern.
(It hasn't quite sunk in yet that something has followed them out of the dream. There is a distinct red glow lighting their left eyesocket, where once there was merely emptiness. They're too busy worrying about the Troupe Master to notice it, but it's an obvious change to an observer.) ]
[Grimm knows he could assure them that he was fine until the night was over but it would not be enough, so he allows them to listen to his heart. It had indeed been pounding, a quick stutter-stop when the battle had reached its peak, but was calming now. It is not difficult for him to breathe anymore and the true cause of Grimm's fall was because he had not expected the Nightmare King's words and the scream of a lonely, broken child trapped in a cocoon.
But while they fuss over him, it allows Grimm to observe the Vessel and see what has changed.]
I will be fine. But yourself, my friend...have you not noticed the changes that have followed you?
[He presses a hand against the left side of their head. The red glow calls him, a roaring fire to a small, yet strong flame.]
[ They seem relieved that no permanent damage has been done, at least; after a moment, their frantic movements come to a standstill, and then they half-sit half-fall right there. Their sleep hadn't exactly been restful, in hindsight.
They give him an uncomprehending stare; it seems like they're still drowsy, and it's making them a little slow on the uptake.
At least until he touches them -- presses a hand to the side of their head -- and then they feel a connection that wasn't there before, suddenly brought into focus by close contact. They startle, head jerking up as they sit up straight, staring back at him questioningly.
Even with the conversation fresh in their mind, they're clearly still not sure what all this means. Help. ]
[Even if they were fully awake, Grimm could not blame them for not quite understanding all that has happened. It was a large change and the Nightmare King is rarely if ever clear when he speaks, even to his own earthy vessel.
(A disconnect, knowing yet not knowing yourself entirely.)
But as they say, seeing is believing. Rolling his shoulders, Grimm stands and reaches down to pick up the Vessel.]
Perhaps a mirror will show you what I mean. Come, let us find one.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
(Not causing someone pain matters far more to them than testing their own strength. They are already striving not to do such things.
Someone showed them kindness, when they had no reason to. It was a simple choice, a simple act, and yet it has already changed them in many ways.)
Their vision is...adjusting, right now. When they stepped into the dream, it was monochromatic; a fiery red, with no ability to discern the subtleties of the shadows or any other coloration that existed within it.
When they had experienced the Dreamers' visions, when they had listened to that plaintive song on the stage, it was something they could see and listen to, but couldn't touch or understand. The world had seemed...gray. Washed out and empty, being viewed from a fog, through a distance. A masked shadow creeping upon a clouded world, not able to be part of it.
Now, though, colour is creeping in, adding warmth and casting shadows, bringing a new dimension to their vision. A connection that wasn't present before.
They squeeze his hand and nod, indicating the fire that burns in their eye, that spark grown to a flame.
Yes. Saw it.
They glance at the Heart, at the room around them, with fresh eyes. They seem...worried, and it's not hard to tell why that is.
It's the reason they stopped, after all.
Time to wake up? ]
no subject
The Heart is beating a little erratically but is slowing down to a normal rate. Although it was something the Nightmare King did not go out of his way to test, Grimm was rather sturdy. It was only during the Ritual he would fall from the Heart's declining health and be reborn from the ashes of his death.
But the worry the Vessel is expressing for him is good to see. They could have kept going, kept enduring the Nightmare King's assault but they knew it would be a hazard to someone else's health and stopped.
Within their own newly discovered flame they have not lost what made them unique. Grimm would be happy.
The Nightmare King nods.]
Yes. Time to wake.
[The Heart's beating is normal again and the room begins to dim, the fires going out one by one. The Nightmare King closes his eyes as a familiar tune begins to play, the song Brumm often played.
But he has one last word of advice before the nightmare ends.]
Listen. A call. Your dreams will lead you. Your nightmares will remind you.
[Remember it, as the sound echoes around the chamber before everything goes black.
The Vessel will wake up exactly where they were before the Nightmare King pulled them into his nightmare. And if they so happen to hear something crash elsewhere...
Well it is resulting from the nightmare. But not a bad result.]
no subject
Wait, now they remember.
They scramble to get to the source of the sound as quickly as possible. They might be panicking! They might be panicking a lot! Oh no what have they done. ]
no subject
He cannot help but cough and press a hand against his chest. It would be a lie to say that did not hurt, to suffer a nightmare where he was trapped listening to his heart pound and stutter under the strain of bearing the Nightmare King's full power.
But the Vessel had to fight the God of Nightmares and light their own flame. That was a harder battle then simply watching the fight unfold. So Grimm smiles when he spots them.]
Good morning, my friend. Quite the wake-up call we both experienced?
no subject
Unsure of how to apologise for what has happened, or how to start, they anxiously look him over instead. Tilting their head close in a clear attempt to listen for his heartbeat; it's something they've done before out of curiosity, more than once. They were fascinated with it then, not having one of their own; now it's a cause for concern.
(It hasn't quite sunk in yet that something has followed them out of the dream. There is a distinct red glow lighting their left eyesocket, where once there was merely emptiness. They're too busy worrying about the Troupe Master to notice it, but it's an obvious change to an observer.) ]
no subject
But while they fuss over him, it allows Grimm to observe the Vessel and see what has changed.]
I will be fine. But yourself, my friend...have you not noticed the changes that have followed you?
[He presses a hand against the left side of their head. The red glow calls him, a roaring fire to a small, yet strong flame.]
no subject
They give him an uncomprehending stare; it seems like they're still drowsy, and it's making them a little slow on the uptake.
At least until he touches them -- presses a hand to the side of their head -- and then they feel a connection that wasn't there before, suddenly brought into focus by close contact. They startle, head jerking up as they sit up straight, staring back at him questioningly.
Even with the conversation fresh in their mind, they're clearly still not sure what all this means. Help. ]
no subject
(A disconnect, knowing yet not knowing yourself entirely.)
But as they say, seeing is believing. Rolling his shoulders, Grimm stands and reaches down to pick up the Vessel.]
Perhaps a mirror will show you what I mean. Come, let us find one.
[There is likely one in the crawl space.]