[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/f8cab05d-56c3-43a9-bc4c-86e24fa016b9.png[/img]

[i][color=khaki]"Jvan?"[/color]

[color=f6989d]"Hey."[/color]

[color=khaki]"You look so alone."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"Mmm? I'm alone most of the time."[/color]

[color=khaki]"But now?"[/color]

[color=f6989d]"What do you mean, 'but now?'"[/color]

[color=khaki]"Oh. I see."[/color] Ceeln sighed, but it turned into a smile. [colour=khaki]"Heh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised."[/colour]

Jvan's head cocked, mimicking Ceeln's smile, but didn't say a word. Ceeln looked out over the city.

[color=khaki]"Is it beautiful?"[/color]

[color=f6989d]"Yes."[/color]

Atoll spread out like a jungle before them. Vivid ribbons of people and animals crossed between each tower, lay restful in the corals and hung gently from the buoys. Here there was no ground, for the buildings only grew denser and more connected until the streets between were tunnels; no roofs, for citizens congregated on every surface and even in the blue-water sky; no murals or flowerbeds, for every wall was a garden and every stone was alive.

Ceeln could see almost nothing of it, but that didn't matter. Jvan's wonder was eyes enough. 

[color=khaki]"When you look at this..."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"Mmm?"[/color]

[color=khaki]"Jvan?"[/color]

[color=f6989d]"I'm listening."[/color]

[color=khaki]"What do you wish for?"[/color]

[color=f6989d]"..."[/color]

[color=khaki]"...If y-"[/color]

[color=f6989d]"I wish for more."[/color]

[color=khaki]"More?"[/color]

[color=f6989d]"Yes. More like this. Not... this, in particular."[/color] Jvan put two hands on their own heart. [color=f6989d]"This. This feeling. I want to see worlds like this. Galaxies. I want to take the cosmos in my arms and make it live. Make it wild, make it strange. Make the colours and the shadows. I want to be like this forever. Exploring. Creating. Just..."[/color] Jvan exhaled, gills shuddering along their entire body. [color=f6989d]"Breathing."[/color]

Ceeln smiled. Almost cried. Looked into the sky and could just about see the midday sun.

[color=khaki]"I don't think I can give you that. No matter how much I want to. But..."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"..?"[/color]

[color=khaki]"This is the least I could do."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"..!"[/color]

[color=khaki]"The lensmaker said they were the best money could buy. I don't think he was lying, but..."[/color] Laughter. [color=khaki]"It's not like I would know, anyway."[/color]

Jvan's hands trembled slightly as they danced over the goggles, then slipped the band over their gills. Ceeln's sister gazed out into the distance with eyes like liquid mosaic.

[color=f6989d]"..."[/color]

Ceeln laughed again. Jvan didn't say a word, but Ceeln could feel a heartbeat quicken in the water, and grinned. [color=khaki]"So I wasn't duped! Excellent. The technology is called Fractal. Within optimal range, there's virtually no limit on the level of detail you can see."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"...I-"[/color]

Ceeln ran a spare hand over Jvan's head. [color=khaki]"It's our birthday, little sister. Enjoy it."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"But I don't-"[/color]

The elder twin swept a massive tail and was gone into the waters, leaving only laughter, swirling away on the wake of a hundred fins.

[color=f6989d]"-have anything-"[/color]

Jvan trailed off, arms wrapped together, and watched their sibling go, feeling things they did not understand.

[color=f6989d]"-for you."[/color][/i]

[center]* * *[/center]

Dabbles lay in his hammock, watching the full moons through a porthole. They shattered over the water, a stream of broken white that lay upon the darkness below. 

"Things change, do they not?"

Himpledonk was silent in her coop, sleeping as soundly as a pigeon ever could. Dabbles blinked slowly, brilliant green eye shining in the dark.

[i]Yes. How things change.[/i]

The Sculptor turned and buried himself in his cloak, and the bright green light winked out.

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I had an idea and immediately did this entire post while waiting for my lecture to start, so, uh. Yeah!

More mortal!Jvan and Ceeln shenanigans. Jvan talks about her worldview. We see a little more of their home city, as well as the origin of Jvanic Eyes, and Jvan's habit of giving birthday presents.

This time the dream/memory belongs to Dabbles, but anyone with the ability to access Raka could potentially see it.
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