Agnostic Dreamer

Chapter 4 (Reworked)

Submerging. The state of engulfing something or someone beneath an intangible weight. The magnitude of this world's, of Solstice's truths, was suffocating. As each one doused me one after another, I'd forgotten what it meant to stand above, and instead, learned to move below. It was that, or be crushed by the pressures of this new abyss.

The cycle Hannah let me know how everyone's common sense contradicted my own was finished up in a subdued manner, and I only truly began to ponder what it meant as it neared its end. As her voice lulled and soothed me to rest with tales of disgusting possibilities, my mind went into overdrive to comprehend, only to short out as sleep took me. But a new cycle brought new determinations.

Rolling to the opposite end of the bed as Scilla neared it to wake me, countless questions flooded in again before drowning in truths.

With a subdued sigh she started up, "Lady Mosswood, it's time to wake up and get ready for your early cycle meal."

Frowning at the woman a bit, I began to tumble further away from her and promptly off the bed between us, "Lady Mosswood, please don't figh-"

"Restwoom," the weeks of learning how my new form worked, meant I could safely walk on my own nowadays, as well as toss out a few cold shoulders.

Scilla followed me down the hall, completely unfazed by my frigid demeanor. Even mentioning to make sure to call out if something is wrong while I closed the door to 'ye olde flower garden' in her face. Sitting on my hard-earned throne, I began to imitate the 'thinker' as the world shifted amongst the waves.

What Hannah mentioned, what those stupid stories talk about... I'll have to look more into detail about the stories, but it's hinting at something that's horrifying if true. If the 'Gods' of the world bestow skills, that means a few things. One, divinities are tangible for once, societal repercussions of that alone are staggering. Two, they've set up something akin to a damn game type, thing, that's fully integrated into society as a whole.

Grinding my teeth a bit at the thought of higher powers using humans as toys in a game, I took a breath to help steady myself, only for certain noise to make such actions irrelevant.

And why the hell is it just a noise? Isn't that stupid?! Wouldn't a pop-up notification be better or somethi-

Jerking back as something jumped in front of my vision, my head made a light 'thud' against the wall behind my seat. A storm of words that fit the locale brewed forth while eyeing the cause. It's a... text box? My lips grew taut as I finished my business and went to the washbasin to freshen up, completely ignoring it in the process.

Breathing deeply, and a few happy thoughts later and I was goo-

[Meditative Trance Has Raised To Level 3]

The towel in my hand struck the floating cause of my fury, only to see all my rage amount to a ripple on its surface.You're a Meditative trance, you're whole family is a Meditative Trance, this whole garbage dump of a world is a Meditative Trance!

[Berserker Strike Acquired At Level 1]

"Auuuuugh!" with a roar that came out more a squeak, my onslaught continued against the apparition.

A quick rapping on the door froze my arm mid-strike. Ah yeah, Scilla is still out there, huh? With a sigh, I exited my pretend sense of privacy, all while ignoring her worried questions at my earlier cries.

I'm not a fan of being dressed by others, I'm not a fan of being waited on while eating, I'm not a fan of being babied, I'm not a fucking fan of where I am right now. But, I can change all of that.

Once Scilla had rolled the trolley of empty tableware into the hall for another staff to handle, I grasped her hand and led her to the rocking chair, before starting to drag out a pile of books. Giggling at my antics before pulling the first book from the pile to read made me pause as I climbed onto her lap. Her mask crumpled for the first time over the fact I wanted a story. What a weird woman.

The best way to change your situation is to be educated about it. As for how a 'child' educates themselves about the world at large, besides the normal volley of questions, they watch, observe, and listen. And that's what I did for several... cycles. I not only put more merit into the stories told to me, but I also tried to pay attention to things I considered worthless before. The small nuances in conversations that hinted at more. It's been weeks since I started to heal up from that bad 'bout of, whatever causes a child of 6 to have another person's entirety take over them, and I've just gotta accept I'm stuck here.

And with acceptance, adaptation.

Ignoring the quickening pace of those damn pop-ups became second nature while swallowing and digesting information. Slowly but surely my knowledge base grew, and towards the end of my first month, or ring as it's called here, I'd gotten a basic grasp of how the 'Gods bestowed' skills.

"Are you excited to see your brother again Lady Mosswood?" Scilla's question simply made my frown deepen, or maybe it was her redoing my hair yet again.

"Whin will he git here?"

"Around mid-cycle," another hairstyle was found lacking.

"Mnnn," was all I could muster while watching her hands bounce and bob as my mind wandered down the same avenues as always.

It's just hard not to poke at something like the whole 'status' thing. But I'm almost certain I've got it. Every story, every mention, every telling, would say something along the lines of growing or working towards such ends.

To oversimplify a universal truth, you put in effort to learn something, you get a skill. As basic as that is, most universal truths are once properly viewed. The issue is testing such things so they aren't just theories.

Eyeing Scilla's hands dance and weave like a cat stalking prey became my new game. A twirling of a locke here, a bit of brushing there. The more I tried to comprehend, the more I realized there was a good deal more depth in such movements, and the text-box set these observations into stone. My sour mood instantly melted into a sweet grin.

My savory triumph had just hit my lips, when a bitter sight entered my eyes to the tune of a bell's chime. The fuck does [Akashic Understanding] even mean?! I, what?! No, no,no,nononononono!

"Do you not like this style?"

"Eet's finh," I forcibly reeled in my scrunching face into a more stable frown without looking away from this newly opened Pandora's Text-Box.

"I can chang-"

"Eet's finh, jist...choose sumthing!" My newfound frustrations in need of venting was leading to a few scalding thoughts in Scilla's direction. To her credit though, my outburst didn't make her hands pause as yet another hairdo was sculpted.

Closing my eyes to the outside world, and taking a few deep breaths gave the resolve to stare into this new abyss, but opening my eyes just showcased the earlier monster had been replaced by a notification stating my [Calming Breath] had leveled up. For fuck's sake! Why doesn't this stupid thing have a history function or so-

"Ahhhhgh!" a pitiable roar, from a pitiable girl who should just stop even thinking of looking deeper.

"Do you need to use the restroom Lady Mosswood?"

Please be quiet woman, just, "Pleese jist choose ah stih-ill Sillah!"

My dead fish stare focused on the newly added drop down arrow next to the most recent notification.

Are the Gods mocking me?