He looks up at that. He seems much more alert, now that there's light in the room.

"It should."

[nods and tosses in the blooming selenia, watching the cauldron closely]

The flower floats for a moment before it's swallowed by the thick, dark liquid. A ripple passes over the surface, and as it settles, the picture changes... now, in the dream, the little figure of Selenia is leading the rest of the crowd to the edge of the islet, helping them down to swim away...

[smiles softly at that, then takes a look at the gold dolphin. that must be nice.]

It contains the hope that his Nation will flourish in safety, for generations.

[into the cauldron that one goes, checking the dream]

[will be grabbing the silver apple after that]

It changes again... a ship appears on the horizon, everybody is rescued, and it sails away... until it's just Mau on his own in the darkness, fighting furiously and hopelessly against Locaha... and now the liquid in the cauldron is a deep, clear blue.

The apple brings you visions of Aather, without darkness -- everybody coming whole out of the book, the Personae's bonds shattered, freedom and hope.

[apple goes in there too cause Mau should dream of everything nice]

[how about those glass stars?]

The apple doesn't cause any change in the images of Mau fighting Locaha that flicker in the cauldron, but the liquid clears further -- it just looks like water, now.

The glass stars contain the memory of this thread with Allen.

[that deserves to go in there as well]

Any better?

He's stopped crying.

"Yes... thank you."

I'm glad. Do you need more?

"I don't... that is better."

[places a hand on his shoulder]

Anything else I can do?

His hands are still pressed against the cauldron, but he turns and rests his head against your forearm.

"That is enough. More than enough."

[strokes his hair]

I'm glad I could help. Sleep well.

"Will you go now? The silver thread will guide you back out of my dream."

...If you want me to stay by you while you dream, I will. But if you'll be all right without that, I'll go now.

"It's all right. Go out and take hold of the end of the thread. It will take you where you need to go."

[nods once, and goes to take hold of the end of the thread]

You will probably have to right the spool again before you can find the end, since it has rolled down the beach and got stuck after you kicked it.

[...I forgot I did that in a fit of pointless guided-path resentment.]

[will...take his time righting that spool and making sure the line is straight.]

It is easy to set it back up, and as soon as you touch the thread, the world fades and you find yourself back in your own head.

[...Your head was probably safer.]

Yes. Probably.