TDM #9

[labyrinevents]

Arrival / Enchanted Garden

Whether it be sleep or death, you feel your eyes close, and as your body begins to let go, you see a barn owl that is flying through the darkness, soon sweeping you across the clouded sky. You feel yourself mouth the words, “I wish, I wish..” and utter your deepest and darkest desire.

When you regain consciousness, you’ll find you are in an unfamiliar place with no recognition of how you arrived here. You have the clothes on your back, but nothing else. No weapons and if you had a particular superpower, you’ll notice it is missing. All you have is a satchel with a piece of bread, a vial of water, and a potion. The potion could be red, blue or golden. There are no instructions about these potions other than two words: Drink Me.

Will you drink it or not?

There is a parchment, handwritten in scrawling, jagged lettering that seems a bit... ominous:

“Welcome to my LABYRINTH where your wish, you wish you wish youwishyouwish– Your CONTRACT is SEALED.”

You’re in a garden, surrounded by flowers and plants– most of which you cannot identify. However, there are a few that you can make out: Larkspur and Anemone You’ll soon find out that being around the Larkspur makes you almost overwhelmingly tired, to the point you might even feel sluggish and in desperate need of a comfy place to rest. Why not lie down right in the garden? Or better yet, find someone to snuggle up with and sleep your worries away. The only truly strange part? You don’t seem to dream. At all. Straying too close to the Anemones, meanwhile, grants an entirely different effect. One second you’ll be walking through the garden and then suddenly you’re twenty feet away and facing the wrong direction. Even worse, whatever those flowers have done to you will sometimes make it so you “glitch” through solid objects – your leg might suddenly be lodged in the ground despite it being perfectly solid a moment before, or your arm could be shoved halfway into a wall that… actually, was that wall even there before? Nevermind that. The effects only last for a few minutes at worst, so at least you’re not stuck there forever, right?

Liminal Spaces and Worn Out Faces

Thanks to the combined efforts of dreamers and dragons, Vaeros is asleep. No one knows for how long. The locals aren’t particularly pleased with this turn of events and the village is a mess, but at least the moon is high in the sky again and everything is back to normal… relatively speaking. Things start to change... morph into something more dreamy, more surreal. It's subtle at first but after a few days…

The aftermath of the overgrowth, animal attacks, and the overall chaos of Vaeros' tantrum has left the village a little worse for wear. While most of the damages are cosmetic and could be fixed by the local's efforts alone, maybe a little help would be appreciated? If nothing else, it might help alleviate a little bit of the tension still lingering in the air after the events at the castle.

That, and the locals seem to be acting kind of strange. Leaving them to their own devices might not be the best idea. The Gelfling you are aiding in repairing a half-broken wall has been hammering for what seems like hours and when you look to see what they're doing, they haven't actually made any progress - they're just hitting the same spot over and over again, potentially making the hole even bigger. Did the goblin you just passed have a completely blank face for a moment? Others might walk into things, off of things (Starlight Cliff might be a hazard zone), or suddenly and inexplicably become aggressive toward dreamers, grabbing anything they can get their hands on (kitchenware, vegetables, a goose??) to use as a weapon. It's a very bizarre scene and the villagers don't seem to notice there is anything wrong with the people around them.

It’s not just the locals either. The animals have been acting equally strange. There's a wolf inside the clothing shop trying on suits, a goat standing (or trying to stand) on its hind legs, bleating out random words like a town crier while jingling a bell around its neck to get everyone's attention. Where you should find the local baker, suddenly they're replaced with a deer holding a paddle in its mouth to stir up a batch of brownies.

To top it all off, there's an eerie sense of deja vu no matter where you go or what you do. Didn't you just help that goblin with the wheelbarrow an hour ago? So why is it halfway across town again? You could have sworn you had to go and grab groceries, but your pantry is full like someone already had.

Up is Down, In is Out

Days pass and the oddities continue to make themselves more and more apparent. The sidewalks seem uneven and wobbly at times, threatening to toss people walking across them to the ground or even fling them into the air with a sudden violent ripple. Walking through the forest sees the leaves of the trees melting into green goo that sticks to your clothes, your hair, and your skin - potentially staining them green and leaving you in dire need of a bath. You can always wash off in the lake, of course, but even that is not free of the strangeness occurring in Visium. The water of Lake Omen has turned to lava, at least in color; although there is no heat radiating from it when one approaches. That, and the locals are still fishing in it without issue, save the fact that they keep pulling up fish with tophats on.

Speaking of fish - they're raining from the sky now (tophats or not) in all sorts of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Good news! They're still edible. Bad news, they're probably trying to sell you something.

If you do decide to try the fish or any other meal in town, especially those served by the locals, you'll find that it doesn't taste like much of anything and most certainly doesn't fill you up, at least not at first. Everything is bland and unappealing until left in the presence of dreamers - and the more you share the meal with, the faster the taste returns.

Dream Within a Dream Within a Dream Within a Dream Within

Even with Vaeros asleep, only a small portion of the labyrinth is still accessible. Those that attempt to explore will find sections made up of pillows and cushions, and no matter what time of day it is elsewhere, this portion of the labyrinth seems to be stuck in perpetual twilight. Explorers will also immediately feel drowsy, then lulled to sleep by the quiet singing whispered through the air like a lullaby. Anyone brave enough to try and rescue those poor souls from their impromptu naps would be wise to plug their noses and cover their ears with earmuffs to block out the sound.

At night, dreamers dream. They will be visited by the same melody heard in the labyrinth, though it is distant. They will also hear a woman telling them to spend more time together, to bond and create things together in order to soothe the effects of Vaeros' magic growing wild in his dreams. Dreamers will also have the ability to visit other's dreams, meeting in a dreamy light liminal space that will not feel so real when they awaken.

OOC

Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! Characters will arrive depowered and with only their clothing, and will be given a satchel with a crystal pendant, a communication device, some water and bread and a magic potion. If they drink the potion, they will manifest an elemental, healing or animal transformation ability.

With the exception of Castle Vaeros, characters are free to go as they please, so feel free to place them in any of the locations available on the map. Yes, this includes the Labyrinth - though characters will not be able to clear the maze.

You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below.

Comments

Arrakis Faylare | Original Character | Current character | OTA

[fallendragon]

I. Up is Down, In is Out

[Arrakis was worn out from everything that happened, and the current situation didn’t help. The villager’s aggression, while somewhat understandable, brough back unpleasant memories and his paranoia reared its ugly head. If felt like even the town itself didn’t want him here, and he stumbled when the sidewalk tried to kick him out.

He could pretend that none of this bothered him, but he was tired. He turned into a small white dragon, about the size of a small lizard, with dragonfly wings and he looked for his fellow dreamers outside of town. He hadn’t told anyone about this form so he could shamelessly beg for comfort without anyone knowing he wasn’t alright.

He checked the forest first, but the green goo stuck on his wings brought him to the lake, which was now full of lava? That’s not very helpful. Still, some of the locals were still fishing so maybe it was just an illusion. Curiosity brought him to the edge of the water. Is it safe? Before he could test it, things got even weirder, and he found himself dodging raining fish? Forget the top hats, some of them were bigger than him!]


II. Dream within a Dream

[Arrakis hadn’t sang at all since he tried to charm the villagers. He still felt incredibly guilty about it, which is why he couldn’t ignore the quiet singing that was lulling everyone to sleep in the labyrinth. He used the same trick he used with his own music to trap the quiet song inside his wind magic, but he couldn’t capture it. He was starting to feel drowsy, but he refused to give up and he tried to counter the song with his own magical, arabesque sounding melody instead. When he mixed his wind magic with music it created a song that magically eased one’s pain and promised better days for anyone who touched the gentle wind that flowed into the labyrinth.

It seemed to have some effect, although it wasn’t the kind he wanted. The quiet song suddenly became harsh, and dissonant, painfully so. It was something at least. His glowing eyes burned brighter as he switched his consciousness to his magic side so he could escape the pain as he stubbornly continued to sing. Unfortunately, the quiet song was magical in nature so the pain didn’t dim under the weightless embrace of his magic like most of his human senses. His headache only grew worse the more he tried to interfere, and his song was cut off with a stifled scream as he collapsed.]


III. Sweet dream or beautiful nightmare (cw: death)

[There’s nothing in Arrakis’s dream but darkness, an empty void where he will eventually fade away completely as everyone forgets about him. It was the last thing he felt before he woke up here but his death continued to haunt him every night. The quiet sound of his own crying was the only comfort against the lonely silence of his nightmare.

Or maybe you are lucky and manage to stumble on a rare, good dream. Instead of darkness there is a sea of sparkling golden sand. Inside ruins that look like a mix of steampunk and arabesque architecture, Arrakis sits with his seven friends from home; Sheliak, a tall, young man who exuded an aura of elegance with long pale blonde hair and eyes that rippled like water, Bellatrix, a quiet young woman with long wavy black hair and fiery eyes, Altair, a surly young man with wild, short black hair and otherwordly purple eyes, Sirius, a slightly timid young man who seems to radiate warm with dark brown hair tied into a short ponytail and silver starlike eyes, Rastaban, a sarcastic young man with his long black hair woven into a long braid and green eyes with a spark of gold, Tarzed a confident young man with short, dusty brown hair and stone like eyes. Arrakis’s friends up to this point wore similar clothes with a desert, steampunke-esque fashion. However, his last friend wore clothes from Earth; Skylar, a young woman with long, red hair tied in a ponytail and magenta eyes. His friends’ eyes are different colors than his, but they share the same unnatural glow as Arrakis’s. Despite the destruction around them Arrakis and his friends look happy as they play chess on a beautifully hand painted chess set that will look familiar to anyone who has been in Arrakis’s room.

Arrakis’s glowing eyes flickered whenever he looked too closely at the ruins around him, but otherwise they shone brightly with a soft, happy glow. He waved when he noticed someone else in the dream.]

Come join us! I’m woefully outnumbered over here.

That’s your fault for making us wait so long.

[Arrakis’s eyes flickered sharply at the hint of venom in Sheliak’s words but just like with the ruins he quickly buried his pain and responded with a small chuckle.]

I suppose that's fair.

[He wasn’t going to let anything take away this precious dream.]


IV. Wildcard

[Surprise me with your own prompt! You can also plot with me on plurk Nicholaj, Discord@25thNicholaj, or PM, whichever is easiest for you. Enjoy!]

Good Dream

[familyalien]

[The Doctor walks over ]

Who's this Arrakis? Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?

[fallendragon]

Doctor!

[The lingering sting from Sheliak's words started to fade as greeted his new/old friend with a bright smile.]

These are my friends from home!

[His eyes softly resonated with each friend's name as he introduced everyone. He missed everyone so much and the glow from his eyes grew brighter as those feelings threatened to break past his happiness.

Anyone in particular catch the Doctor's interest?]

[familyalien]

Hallo, I'm The Doctor. Arrakis and myself raised a dragon egg together. And he taught our little one how to fly.

I want to meet everyone that's important to you. So - who's the most?

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis listened to the Doctor with a soft smile. His smile faltered with a hint of surprise at his question. Without realizing it he looked over at Sheliak, who looked just as flustered as he quickly tried to hide it under a smug smile.]

That would be me.

[He moved his black knight on the chess board. On a closer look the chess board might seem a bit confusing. Arrakis's side was all black, but it was missing a few pieces, Sheliak's black knight, a pawn, a bishop, and the queen were on his friend's side which was otherwise white. The odd mismatch of pieces didn't seem to bother anyone though. After he made his move Sheliak turned back to the Doctor, his eyes that seemed to ripple like water shining brighter with a faint flicker.]

What's this about raising a dragon together?

[Arrakis tried and failed to stifle his chuckle at the clear jealousy in Sheliak's tone.]

You never would have admitted that if this wasn't a dream.

[He teased as he moved his own black knight.]

[familyalien]

We used our friendship to hatch a dragon egg. And was that a beautiful dragon, oh yes!

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis was so happy the Doctor remembered them raising their dragon, Althiya and he listened with a soft smile, which was reflected in the bright, but gentle glow from his eyes. Sheliak's eyes however sparked more sharply as he looked between the Doctor and Arrakis suspiciously.]

Just friendship?

[That earned him an amused scoff from Altair, his friend with the purple glowing eyes, as he moved a white knight.]

What's wrong Sheliak? You already share Arrakis with Bellatrix.

[Arrakis ignored Sheliak's stubborn huff that Bellatrix was different as he shyly glanced at Bellatrix, who seemed amused by the chaos the Doctor's question had caused.]

1 (Assuming she doesn't find out about the dragon-fly being Arrakis during the last TDM...)

[magusrobin]

[Chise recognized the little dragonfly flitting about town as she was out and about, an umbrella clutched carefully in her hands. Last time she had left without one... well, it was a reminder to be prepared, in any case.]

[Some part of her hoped to catch up with the small creature, but he was willfully quick. Losing sight of him caused her to wilt a bit but...] "What else was I expecting?"

[So she continued on her daily walk, cresting the hill overlooking the lake... which was now filled with lava. Before she could think much further about it... the fish started raining again.] "At least I brought this..." [A weary sigh left her as she opened the umbrella, already hearing the telltale signs of bouncing fish before...] "Was that...?"

[Musing to herself, she caught a glimpse of white and green frantically dodging their current mess, and her heart caught in her throat. The dragonfly! He was so small; he could easily be crushed by the falling fish! Her legs moved before she could think, rushing towards the creature without much care for her own footing. She reached out, holding the umbrella over the dragonfly just in time to deflect another fish.] "A-are you alright?" [Asking in concern, somewhat out of breath from the sprint.]

that works great since Arrakis is planning to keep his identity secret with this form

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis enjoyed a bit of danger. It made things more interesting but things were getting a bit too dangerous here. The goo stuck to his wings more each time he opened them so he tried to rely on hopping when he could. He thought for sure he was about to get smashed by a particularly big fish when he was saved by an umbrella.

He recognized that voice and he looked up with a happy warble. Chise! His wings instinctually tried to unfurl as he leapt in the air, but the goo kept his wings shut so all he managed was a clumsy hop instead. Well that didn't go as planned. He didn't want to worry her so he quickly shook himself off and stood a bit straighter with a reassuring warble. He's fine, minus the annoying goo.]

((oh my goodness, he's too adorable! <3 ))

[magusrobin]

[A sigh of relief left her at the dragonfly's energetic response - and her posture relaxed in turn. 'He's alright.' she repeated inwardly.]

"I'm glad. It's dangerous enough out here as is, let alone when there's fish falling from the sky." [And especially with the creature's small stature. Though she didn't say that out loud, not wanting to offend him.] "We should probably get that goop cleaned off of you though... where did you even fall into such a thing?"

[Most of her comments were either absentminded, like she was talking to herself, or to a friend - of which she did consider the dragonfly, even if she hadn't seen it lately. Bending down and making sure to keep hold of the umbrella with one hand, her left hand lowered towards the creature - an offer to be carried if he wanted. If not, that was fine too, but she was a little worried with the fish still flopping around...]

"There should be water around here somewhere... though the pond isn't of much use right now. Maybe there's a tributary nearby...?" [She tried to remember what she could of the topography around Somnius. Back towards the cottages. It was worth a shot.]

[As they walked, Chise was still mindful to cover the dragonfly with the umbrella's surface. Making small talk too, even if he couldn't necessarily answer with words.] "It's been a while since I last saw you. Are you doing well? Aside from... um... current circumstances."

I'm glad you like him! I have too much fun with Arrakis in his animal forms

[fallendragon]

[The little dragonfly listened intently. Arrakis liked hearing Chise talk to him. Part of him wished he could talk to her as well but that would ruin his secret. This was nice too though. It felt like he didn't have to pretend in this form and he nuzzled her hand before he accepted her offer. He curled around in a circle as he made himself comfortable in the safety of her hand.

He looked around with Chise as she continued talking to him. He wanted to engage in the conversation too and he titled his head to the side as he thought about the water question. Maybe? Everything looked different when he was so tiny so he couldn't really help with directions.

He sagged a little when she asked if he was alright and he answered with a hesitant warble. Not really, but he was feeling better with her here and he nuzzled her hand again. His quiet warble turned into a purr. Thank you Chise. He would have to make it up to her somehow when he turned back.]

(Now I'm just imagining the day that Arrakis' voice comes from dragonfly and Chise's like "eh?" XD)

[magusrobin]

[Continuing the trek back towards the housing area, she kept a lookout for any other bodies of water. The pond - now lava - was the first obvious choice... except for the fact that it was now unusable. Or she wasn't taking a risk, even if it was in fact just water that looked like lava.]

[Her next best choice, aside from stumbling into another patch of water or asking the local businesses, was to bring the dragonfly to the river where she drew water. Explaining this to him as they walked, so that he would know what was going on. After all, the creature had a choice in this too.]

"I don't think the shop where I get herbs will have much water... but there is a small river near the cottages. That's where I draw water, since the house doesn't have any amenities." [She smiled down at him, content.] "That's certainly the least of my worries. I'm just glad there's a place to get water otherwise... if it's still water." [There was the slight concern that the river could have turned to lava too... but she would think of something else if that was the case.]

[Her thumb ran over the dragonfly's back carefully at the nuzzle.] "I know. You'll feel much better once you have that stuff off of you. Baths are always cleansing like that."

lol well if Chise ever gets the ability to talk to animals that can be arranged!

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis tensed a little when Chise suggested going into town and he firmly shook his head. With the way the villagers were acting it was too dangerous for Chise. The small river near the cottages was a much better option and he nodded his head enthusiastically. She did bring up a good point about the water though and his inward nervous chuckle came out as a hesitant warble.

Arrakis reacted with a happy shiver when Chise ran her thumb over his back. Oh! That felt good and Arrakis leaned into her touch with another purr like warble. Forget the bath and just continue petting him like that! His wings could wait.]

3. Nightmare (Oh no, is it ok to respond to this too? It's too tempting T.T))

[magusrobin]

[The sound of crying was the first thing she woke to. Although... 'woke' might have been the wrong word. Something about the weightlessness of her body, the sluggishness of her sense, implied that maybe she wasn't awake at all.]

[The darkness was actually familiar to her, in a way - something that she herself dealt with often. And the crying... it brought back her own memories. Voices overlapping, asking to be saved. His pain... which was now her own. Concern lanced through her as she looked around. How best to move here?]

"Hello?" [A whisper, as though she was afraid of frightening whoever was here. Some tentative steps, as she learned to move in the inky dark, before she found a familiar shape.] "Arrakis, is that you?"

absolutely! :)

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis's crying broke off with a startled gasp. His wide, brightly glowing eyes pierced through the darkness.]

Chise?

[His hesitant voice was raw from crying. Normally he would panic at anyone seeing him like this and quickly try to hide it but right now he didn't care. He was always alone in his nightmares and he desperately reached for her.]

How?

[The rest of his words caught in his throat. What if asking that made her disappear? The sharp flickering in his glowing eyes reflected his fear.]

((Oh no my heart T.T))

[magusrobin]

[On one hand, she was relieved he could actually hear her because that had been a worry. Glancing down at her hands... they weren't see through this time. Good. On the other... Arrakis was definitely upset by something.]

[The fear reflected in his eyes felt too... real. Especially if this was a dream. She sat down near him, reaching out a hand with a melancholy smile.]

"I'm here." [She let that echo in the air around them, repeating it softer the second time.] "I'm here."

[As for his inquiry on how... that was harder to answer.] "I'm... not entirely sure. I've looked into memories or dreams before, though it's normally on accident." [And not to mention she would have to be making some form of physical contact with the person beforehand, which was entirely impossible when she and Arrakis were in separate dwellings.] "I did hear a voice before falling asleep. Like a lullaby. Do you remember hearing it too?"

[Though, some part of her wondered, if maybe she had somehow felt his hurting... and that part of her had come to answer it.]

He's very good at breaking hearts T.T

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis's eyes flashed brighter when he touched Chise's hand. It felt real. The feel of her hand quickly faded under the relief that resonated with his magic. He couldn't stand feeling like a ghost right now and he gripped her hand tighter as he desperately chased the precious feel of her touch. It wasn't enough though and he leaned against her shoulder with a shaky sigh.]

"I'm glad you're here."

[The darkness around him didn't feel quite as oppressive with her by his side. In the lonely darkness her voice sounded like the most beautiful song in the world and he started to relax a little as he listened.] "Hmm, that's an interesting ability." [A potentially dangerous one but he felt like he could trust Chise and he didn't want to shatter this dream with his fears so he ignored it for now.]

[Her question reminded him of the quiet singing he fought in the labyrinth and he chuckled nervously.] "I don't know. All I remember is an awful headache."

[Arrakis had always longed to be able to talk to someone like this. It scared him too so he normally chose to hide his pain but this was a dream. Just this once, it was ok, right?]

I have an idea on how to end this, but let's give him some catharsis first <3

[magusrobin]

[She somehow stayed upright, content to let him lean against her if that was what he needed. Trying to keep her own melancholy thoughts from leaking into her reply.] "I'm glad too, at least that I'm allowed to be here. Being alone, especially when you are going through something no one else can understand... it's painful."

[She couldn't imagine what he had gone through - to feel such pain even in the grasp of slumber. She couldn't bring herself to ask. The darkness around them was as much his as it was hers, a familiar chasm. She thought she had left it behind, moved on, but some of it still lingered, she supposed.]

[Humming thoughtfully at his comment.] "Some might call it interesting. I'd use a different word." [She didn't elaborate though. How could she explain that, even if it allowed her to share the sadness of others, it was something that she still had to come to terms with? Experiencing their regrets and pain firsthand... she didn't ever want to intrude that way, if she could help it.]

"A headache? You mean the lullaby caused that?" [A slight frown as she thought over his words.] "Or... have you drank enough water recently? I know the food's tasted off, but it's important to eat enough too. Or... is the poison entirely healed?" [Concern lanced through her. If only she could have done more... healed him properly... had her magic or something.]

I'm intrigued!

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis's eyes glowed brighter as he resonated with her words. Yes it was and it seemed he wasn't the only one who knew that pain. He squeezed Chise's hand tighter, hoping to give her a some of the comfort she gave him.

The way she didn't elaborate on her ability reminded Arrakis of Altair, who had always refused to talk about what it was like to see the memories of the dead. He decided not to pry. After all, Chise hadn't asked about the oppressive darkness around them.

He couldn't help but chuckle a little at Chise's sweet concern.] "Don't worry the poison's gone, I promise." [Come to think of it, when was the last time he ate? As a mage he didn't have to worry about eating and drinking as much.] "The headache is my fault. I tried to stop the lullaby with my magic, but it didn't work."

II. Dream within a dream--rescue from the labyrinth

[whose_son_am_i]

[Since his first foray into the Labyrinth, Loki had reinforced his mental shields as well as his magical shields. He'd also stuffed cotton in his ears, to dull the sound and hopefully keep the melody out.

It was working, as he hadn't yet fallen asleep again. But he had found others. Although he hadn't yet heard anyone scream yet--that was new. And had his attention as he wasn't sure he had heard it at first.

Better to investigate cautiously, and he headed further in. It wasn't much longer before he found Arrakis passed out. Success, as Loki looked briefly to see if the other was alone. Seeing no one else, he tried shaking the man awake.]

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis's body felt unnaturally cold and it took a few tries before he finally stirred. He wasn't awake enough to worry about hiding his pain and his eyes sharply flickered with a weak glow as he opened his eyes with a pained wince.]

Mmm! Ow.

[It was hard to focus on anything over the agonizing throbbing in his head. It took him a moment to recognize who was in front of him.]

Loki? Did it work?

[whose_son_am_i]

[Loki looked at him and recognized that wince, but couldn't necessarily hear him.]

Explain later, can't hear you right now. Come on--we're getting you out of here.

[And whether Arrakis will start to move or not, Loki's just going to bodily haul him up. Pulling the man's arm around his shoulder and moving to support him.]

[fallendragon]

[Right, that's probably a good idea. His head swam when he sat up and he let Loki help him up. He didn't want to be too much of a burden for Loki so he walked on his own, although he still leaned on Loki as they escaped.]

[whose_son_am_i]

[The walking-attempt just made it awkward, so they only made it a few steps before Loki just outright hauled Arrakis up over his shoulder carefully. The ear-plugs were helping, but Loki still didn't want them to stay in the labyrinth and risk falling asleep longer than they had to.

That made getting out much easier, and once they were out Arrakis was gently set on his feet again. Loki moving to pull the cotton out of his ears.]

[fallendragon]

[Arrakis yelped in surprise when Loki suddenly hauled him over his shoulder.]

Loki! I can walk on my own!

[The way his head swam with a sudden stab of pain from all the movement made him amend his statement.]

Ugh, maybe.

[He stopped resisting with a dramatic sigh. Fine. He didn't want to risk Loki getting caught by the music, although being carried like this did hurt his pride a bit. He was the one who was supposed to did the saving, not the other way around.

Doing nothing didn't sit right with him and he pushed past the waves of pain so he could focus on switching his consciousness back over to his human side. The least he could do was not make Loki worry more because he felt as cold as a corpse. He did not like being carried like this but it made it easier to focus on the physical sensations around him. It helped ground him and his body started to feel warmer. Feeling more real only made his embarrassing situation worse though and he scowled a little.

He hoped he wasn't too heavy. Strangely it didn't feel like he was slowing down Loki much at all. His scowl softened with a curious smile.]

You're an endless mystery aren't you?

[Before he knew it they were out and Loki was setting him down. His eyes flickered with his relief. Land! As someone who loved flying he never thought he would be this happy to be one solid ground again. He hid his inner shout of joy behind a small smile.]

Thanks.