Pcho!

Hitomi spit into the sink, a foamy spritz splashing against the bowl and slowly dripping into the drain. She rinsed off her toothbrush and put it back in it's holder, wiping her chin down. The minty flavor was sticking to her tongue as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Juli had been quite persistent about meeting up tomorrow, and all Hitomi had been really able to say was that she'll see if she's free after class. Of course she was going to be free after class, she always was and had no plans that might interfere but she didn't actually…

Well in truth she'd given it some thought, about whether she actually did want to go or not and she was in a deadlock. On the one hand she didn't have anything to do, and all the circumstances were piling up and stressing her out. On the other hand she still had her general aversion to overtly public places, and the mall definitely counted.

So she was giving Juli the semi excuse for the moment. Maybe she… maybe she would go, the girl seemed nice. Weirdly nice. It might be nice, actually.

She looked over as her phone vibrated on her bed. That was either Juli trying to entice her into the trip tomorrow again or…

Or it was her virtual friend trying to inform her of more game features. Ever since the library it had been going off randomly and Hitomi had been ignoring it. That stuff could wait for a day. It really could! She wasn't exactly mad, she wasn't exactly scared, she just…

She curled a lock of hair around her finger and looked at it. She was confused, and all the excitement lately was because of it, and she just wanted to put it off and deal with it later.

Picking up her phone she saw a message from Juli which she responded to noncommittally, and seven notifications from Lavender Dungeon. It wasn't irresponsible to not check on those, she'd done that one quest, she could see what it had to say tomorrow.

Throwing her phone in her drawer, Hitomi collapsed into bed. This was weird. She usually was browsing on the thing right up until she fell asleep. She stared at the ceiling, but it wasn't the same. What was that thing people did? Count sheep? Guess she could try that.

1, 2, 3…

____________________________________________________________________________

The sun was scorching amidst the sand dunes, it's brightness glistening across the surface of the water like a spotlight shining on a mirror. The air was dry, so, so dry it wrung your body out like a towel.

Hitomi plucked a grape and ate it, the fruit succulent and moist in contrast to the cruel day. It was delicious. She stretched her arms above her head, elbows cracking as the stiffness shuffled off of them.

The heat was intense and the glare of the sun was omnipresent, but the shade of the awning and the gentle rocking of the large reed boat as it traveled down was nearly palatial in its luxury. She reclined back into her seat and plucked another grape.

A cornucopia was arranged near her, overflowing with the succulent fruits. Her chair was comfortable and firm, leathery smooth and warm.

"An Egyptian Queen. Quite the outlandish fantasy."

Hitomi's eyes fluttered open. The words had come from… somewhere? Behind her? What… what was behind her? W-where was she? Why was it so hot?

A strange awareness came with the questions and she suddenly felt the heat, the dry air, the sticky sweat between her legs and the chair cushion. And something… something behind her?

She looked back and immediately scrambled from her seat. Sitting in the regal but wooden throne was a large man with sun kissed skin and a bald head, wearing golden jewellery and a hidebound loincloth.

"W-w-wha who are, w-what are you wearing?!" Hitomi asked, shouting at the realization that… that… had she been sitting on his lap?!

"Not much less than yourself." The bald man said, pointing at her. Hitomi looked down and instantly felt like she needed to hide herself, but there was nowhere on the boat to do so.

All she had on was some cloth tunic that was wrapped around her hips like a skirt and traveled up her back and clung to her chest, leaving her with a bare midriff.

"G-gah!" Hitomi shouted, trying to cover herself. "W-what did you do to me?!"

"I have done nothing. This construct is of your own imagining." The man said in a monotonal voice.

"I have no control over this scenario, I have merely entered it to speak with you."

"T-this scenario? What scenario? Where are we?!"

"You are currently in your bed at this time. I am nowhere you would understand."

Hitomi felt like she was burning up standing directly in the sunlight. "W-what does that mean? How am I in bed?! This is the middle of a desert!"

"This is nothing but your own sensory creation. In reality you are wrapped up in your sheets, under the effects of sleep paralysis and your brain is merely creating sensory experiences to keep itself stimulated until you awaken." The man tapped his own head as he explained.

"I-it… you're saying this is a dream?!" Hitomi sputtered. The sun, the air, the splashing of the waves, it felt impossibly real to her. Besides… "W-why would I have a dream like this?!"

"I do not fully understand myself. The workings of your subconsciousness are beyond my grasp. That does not matter though-"

"And why was I s-s-sitting on you?!?!"

The man seemed like he was going to sigh, but did not. "I do not understand the details of your subconsciousness. I would surmise it made sense to your more primal instinctive drives."

Hitomi balked at that suggestion. She wasn't like that, was she? "W-w-well, I want to wake up now!"

"I do not believe that will be happening. You are in the middle of a deep rhythm. Only a substantial shock should awaken you now. But regardless-"

"N-no, I want to wake up!"

"Hitomi, please. There is much I have to explain to you."

"Nooooooo, I don't want to talk with you, you're some weird… weird impulse!"

The man crossed his arms in front of his chest. "To clarify, I am hijacking this form that already existed within your dream so that I may speak to you. I am unable to manipulate your conscious experiences. Now, please, I have important information about Lavender Dungeon to reveal to you."