Video| In all my dreams, it's never quite as it seems

[ushahin]

[When the video opens up, Ushahin is lying once again inside his bathtub. It's about five o' clock in the morning, so at least he's only waking up the resident of Hadriel up at the crack of dawn instead of the middle of the night this time. He's considerate that way.]

Does anyone else hear it? The music? It's so lovely.

[There is, of course, no music. What he's hearing is the tune he's caught from passing through someone's mind while they sleep. It's had quite the effect on him.]

Music makes everything quiet inside.

[He starts humming to himself, tapping his fingers to keep rhythm. If that tune sounds somewhat familiar, well, it might have been your mind he was tapping into.]

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[ushahin]

[He's seen the patterns of such a life before. People had hurt and scared him for a long time and eventually madness had followed. His cousin had been betrayed by those he loved and anger sustained him for years afterward. Ushahin is seeking to look past all that anger to what lies beneath Nick's surface.]

Ushahin Dreamspinner is what I am called.

[Of course he'd have a name like that. Just look at him.]

I am known for seeing things that nobody else sees.

[bekommen]

[Underneath the angry, callous exterior is a sad, frightened little girl, the Nick who lost her father at eight years of age and never knew love from her mother, only disdain and antipathy and casual violence. She's spent the better part of nearly two decades building herself a facade of the most indestructible materials she can find, hardened her own heart, taught herself not to care, to hate everyone first so it wouldn't hurt her when they turned on her with the same.]

Yeah? I'm known for being a huge bitch and making perfect cappuccino foam. I guess we all got talents, huh.

[ushahin]

I don't think you're as bad as all that. I like you just fine.

[He smiles at her. She'll have to work a lot harder at being terrible if she wants to be off-putting to him. He's seen the worst that people can throw at him, and yet still, humanity manages to fascinate him at the best of times.]

[bekommen]

[Nick breaks into an abrupt peal of laughter. She's not the sort of person that people like, and that's mostly by her own design. The idea of anyone coming out saying this just seems silly to her.]

You barely even know me, man. You didn't even know my name until like, five seconds ago and I was completely shitfaced the first time you talked to me.

[ushahin]

You revealed quite a bit of your past and personality when you were drunk. And a bit more as we have been talking now. As for not knowing you...

[He shrugs expansively. Can it ever be said of a psychic that they truly don't know anyone they've gotten into the head of? Not that he's done that yet with Nick. Strange, that he's limited himself to just conversations with her thus far.]

That is my great talent, young one. Knowing things that others do not.

[bekommen]

OK, Master Yoda, if you say so.

[There's an edge of sarcasm in that, but it's not as harsh as she could be. She's trying to turn over a new leaf and at least make an attempt at being more agreeable since her drunken public meltdown.]

I didn't really mean to say a lot of what I said when I was drunk that time. I mean, I did at the time, but I kinda wish I hadn't, now.

[ushahin]

[The pop culture reference goes straight over his head. He does notice that she's not nearly as biting as she could be. He does appreciate that.]

Too late for regrets. All you can do is to move forward and do better. Also, I recommend having someone take away your device if you decide to drink again.

[bekommen]

Yeah, don't worry - I'm swearing off booze for a good long time after that. I'm prob'ly gettin' too old for that kinda dumb bullshit anyway.

[ushahin]

You are never too old to make mistakes, particularly of the foolish kind. I know that quite well.

[If age was supposed to help one reach a state of perfection, nobody had bothered to tell Ushahin.]

[bekommen]

I guess we all got that in common.

[ushahin]

Indeed we do.

[He stifles a yawn. They've been talking for quite some time and he hasn't even slept yet today. It should be getting light out any minute.]

Pardon. I think it is time for me to sleep.

[bekommen]

Yeah, that's not the worst idea. Talk to you later sometime, I guess.

[ushahin]

Good night, Nick. I will see you in your dreams.

And with that eerie sounding sign off, Ushahin turns off the device and snuggles down into his bathtub.]