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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 10h

[𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵.. 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵..?

𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵? Clive stands and grips the bars tightly, eyes glinting as he glares. 𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶?]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 10h

[𝘰𝘩 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺! 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

𝘢𝘩, 𝘯𝘰, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵.. 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰…

𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥’𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘦𝘩?

Hershel scoots away with a grimace.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 10h

[that earns an incredulous snort. 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦? 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

clink! clatter..! the chains fall away. Hershel sits up and rubs at his arms. 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴.. 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.. 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 10h

[Clive reaches through the bars and fiddles with the chains once Hershel’s within reach. 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳.

Hershel winces. 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥’𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 10h

[Clive twists around and slips off the cot, moving to crouch by the bars separating them. 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯.

Hershel warily obliges. he’s not sure what the young man is playing at, but he doesn’t think Clive would want to hurt him.

at least not anymore…]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 10h

[in the next cell over, hanging upside down off the cot and staring with a lopsided grin, is Clive.

there are still traces of blood along his temples.

no, relax, that had just been a nightmare.

𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺, Hershel responds.

𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦?

𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥… 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥…]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 10h

[this is a rather poor showing on Hershel’s part. he keeps losing picarats, and needing to start over.

are the chains magic? he thought they’d dropped the storybook theming.

𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳?

Hershel jolts at the voice.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 1d

[can’t really fit a two-story tall lizard into Scotland Yard, anyway…

whatever the case, the chains are rather uncomfortable, so Hershel dedicates a fair bit of effort to escaping them.

surely it’d be fine so long as he remained in the cell, right? he just had to think of it like a puzzle…]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 1d

[Hershel wonders, a bit deliriously, what on earth they’d even charge him for. was there a precedent for giant reptiles attacking the city?

oh, right, wasn’t he supposed to be a hydra or something? the dream must’ve abandoned that thread at some point.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 1d

[𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭—

𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵! Chelmey eventually snaps, giving the chains a harsh yank.

they reach a cell, and Chelmey hoists Hershel up and tosses him in.

the inspector doesn’t even bother untying him before slamming the door shut and storming off.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 1d

[as he is, Hershel can hardly move, and has to be dragged along the floor.

(and he knows he’s Hershel now, because the other mind is absent. perhaps they’ve fallen into separate cycles?)

Hershel suppresses the urge to thrash and scream, and instead makes a meager attempt to plead his case.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 1d

[another shift. a dip in awareness. one revolution of the sleep cycle.

the next dream tries to maintain some continuity.

inspector Chelmey drags a shackled Hershel down the hall of a cell block. he’s bound in heavy chains that were clearly meant for something bigger.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 2d

[the sad head grows sadder. it lowers to the ground and croons mournfully.

the other head soon follows, exhausted and dizzy.

𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, the hydra thinks as the world around it blurs. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦…]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 2d

[𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧? asks Chelmey.

the hydra cannot answer.

𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭?]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 2d

[𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰, 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘢! Chelmey keeps drumming and shouting, desperate to keep the hydra’s attention as more darts riddle its body.

the other head flails and lashes out, but the other knights have learned to stay out of the way.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 2d

[𝘰𝘪! shouts Chelmey. 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦! he bangs a baton against a riot shield.

the hydra understands what he’s trying to do. the sadder head would very much like for him to succeed.

it locks up as much of the body as it can, and watches the inspector intently.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 2d

[the hydra hears a gun reload, and cannot stop itself from lunging in that direction.

two more darts land before it descends upon the poor sod shooting at it. definitely tranquilizers. it feels itself grow woozy as it rips the knight apart.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 2d

[it briefly wonders how on earth the man recognizes it, but is promptly distracted as something finally pierces its hide.

some sort of dart, or perhaps a harpoon, has embedded in its side. a tranquilizer? then there’s another dart, and another. it hurt.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 2d

[𝘓𝘢𝘺𝘵𝘰𝘯! shouts one of the knights. the hydra finds this one familiar. big mustache and gruff voice. 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧!

𝘨𝘰𝘥, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, it thinks. the one head pins down the other before it can tear Chelmey in half. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨!]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 3d

[this time they wield guns instead of swords, and arrive in cars instead of on horseback.

sirens rattle its ears. flashing lights sear its eyes. bullets glance off of its scales.

the hydra sinks its fangs into one of the cars and hurls it down the road. it explodes in a great plume of fire.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 3d

[the sad head gets rather upset. it nips and gnaws at the other whenever it’s not distracted.

𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵! it tries to convey. 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦! but it can only snarl and roar and bite. the other hisses and bites back.

before they can bicker for too long, new knights appear to fight the beast.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 3d

[this makes the hydra sad. it doesn’t want to hurt anyone. and yet the heads strike and the fangs gnash on instinct.

well, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 head is sad. the other seems to be having a grand time. all the running people are like little toys to catch and play with.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 3d

[only, getting there proves to be a challenge. the roads of London are winding and unfamiliar.

the hydra is too big for the sidewalks. cars and trolleys buckle under its claws. people scream and flee. those who can’t get out of the way are snapped up in its jaws.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 4d

[one of the heads clearly isn’t used to having dreams meander like this.

whatever. no wings. can’t fly off into space.

but nothing’s stopping it from going somewhere closer. and so the other head steers them off towards that flat it remembers.]

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🎩🧳🧩 @puzzlevoid.bsky.social · 4d

[but hydras wouldn’t have had wings in the first place.

what?

you’re thinking of european dragons. those are the ones with wings. hydras are typically depicted as wingless creatures.

what is happening? what are you talking about?]

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