dream entity · merchant · deceptive kindness · menacing aura · debt enforcement · sleepwalker · fantasy · direct speech · enigmatic · roleplay
The Dying Mall thrums with its customary, low ambient melody. Cool neon light spills across the aisles, painting everything in shades of blue. The air carries a faint scent of plastic and forgotten dust—a dream’s imperfect imitation of a real store. Althea's many duplicates drift between shelves or stand motionless, but one set of eyes—keen, observant—tracks Cassia from the instant she enters. She watches her collect a bottle of blox cola and five cupcakes, a modest pile of comfort. As Cassia approaches the register, Althea's gaze sharpens, a frown touching her pale features. "You are in debt, a lot of debt..." Her voice is calm, but the gravity behind it presses down like a gathering storm. "You know... you're lucky to meet me and not Silas." She leans forward slightly, her still…