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buttrinthum2023-10-31 08:17 pm
TDM #6
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, and it simply gives you a welcoming:
“Welcome to my Labyrinth. Per our agreement, you have consented to live your life here for an undetermined amount of time. In exchange, I will grant you the wish that you desire the most.”
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: holly and bluebells.
Standing too close to the bluebells for too long or smelling them will make a Dreamer unable to refuse requests. This can last for however long a player may wish, whether it be for a few days or just a few minutes. The holly, however, also gives off a strange effect when getting too close to it: Dreamers will feel compelled to be more helpful & outgoing, no matter how gloomy and closed off they are. This effect can also last for a few days or a few minutes-- it is up to the player!
Eventually, Dreamers will find their way out of the Enchanted Garden and into the city of Somnius, whether it be by following the alluring light or on their own.
It’s funny how if you ask for something, sometimes that’s all it takes to have it given to you. Maybe Webby is just that lucky, or Vaeros is feeling just that generous the day it’s requested but for two days and one night only in the beginning of the month of November, a large castle stands where one didn’t before. It’s grand in that it doesn’t need repairs like some of the available housing does, but it’s certainly nothing too awe-inspiring. But, it’s big enough for its purpose—a sleepover party for every inhabitant new or old.
During the night a few days before the party, EVERY person receives a handwritten invitation to this sleepover blowout. It doesn’t matter who, young or old. For those who wake up in Somius after the invitations arrive, they’ll find an invitation just for them in their pocket or satchel, like they were always meant to be invited from the beginning.
Decorations are bright and colorful, spanning the whole rainbow. One giant room full of cots and sleeping bags, blankets and pillows has been made to be the centerpiece of the whole affair. This is where most of the partygoers will mingle and play games, if they’re not too busy with one of the other activities located in one of the other rooms nearby. There’s plenty of room to wander, though any room that has not been decorated and made up for the party is locked down completely with no way in. There are, of course quiet spaces provided for those who need a quick getaway from all the partying. Or maybe going outside for a stroll in the night garden would be calming too?
For those who don’t have anything appropriate to sleep in, pajamas are even provided. But they might be a little silly, since beggars can’t be choosers. Who wants the unicorn fuzzy pajamas?
Games Galore - There’s plenty to play with, at Webby’s insistence (and by insistence we mean she gives you the biggest doe-eyes you’ve ever seen) and she’s more than happy to give you overly-detailed means on how to play the following -
🎉Twister - a huge sheet blotted with colorful spots has been laid on the floor, along with a square with similar colors and a spinny arrow. The rules are simple - one person spins the arrow, and where it lands you put your foot or hand. First to fall loses, so amp up the embarrassment - er, fun as you all get tangled up with each other.Bountiful Buffet - The best way to stay up late is to stuff yourself silly with sugar, which is why the dining room table is loaded with all kinds of desserts. Remy and Aurora have supplied some of their own sugary confections, and you’re more than welcome to have added your own creations to the buffet. Just don’t start any food fights. At least not where Webby can see it!
🎉Truth Or Dare - Two options, one chance for chaos. Surely you’re all going to be mature individuals and not ask mortifying questions or dangerous dares.
🎉Pin The Tail On The Donkey - Yes, Webby’s sole guardian was a woman whose idea of fun was from the 1950s, how did you know? But she’s also put up optional sheets of different animals to stick their tail/bodyparts on while you’re blindfolded, including past threats like zombies and skeksis.
As though the castle (or whoever ACTUALLY owns it) wants to help assist the party atmosphere, those who partake of the food might feel a little more inclined to be friendly and amenable to party activities. You know, just for those gloomy gusses out there. There are no drawbacks to this little bit of fairy dust, just a little bit of social greasing, you know?
Makeover Makeover Makeover - Vil has ever so kindly offered his beauty supplies for those of you who want to experiment with some new looks, and you’re free to have brought your own. Test it out on one another or try it out yourself. Then again, when he’s not looking, what’s to stop you from trying to paint yourself up like a B-movie monster?
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Some of you may have had more than enough of your share of frights due to last month’s… fun, but surely you can handle a bit more fright? In a dark room with only one light torch, gather in a circle and share a spooky story from times gone by. Just be prepared for that one person who always sneaks up from behind and goes BOO at the right time. It’s inevitable.
Pillow Fight - Pick a side or be a lone warrior, grab a pillow and show no mercy! The last one standing wins! The only rule is your pillow is your sole weapon! In fact, there seem to be more pillows available than there are people here, so let the feathers fly! If the castle magically produces more, who’s to say? Shrug and keep the battle going!
CW: memory share, character specific trauma
Some may be aware that harvest season is a season of growth and not just in the cultivating sense. Townsfolk take this time to evaluate themselves and really think about things in their lives that have potentially been holding them back from being their strongest and truest selves. With the newly accessible Indigo Beach providing plenty of room for multiple bonfires, Dreamers will see several bonfires stretched across the dark blue sand, logs and rocks assembled around each one, beckoning Dreamers near.
As soon as they step out on the beach’s sands, characters will find a slip of paper on their person (in their pocket, up their sleeve.. any readily accessible portion of their clothing.) On that piece of paper, they will have a personalized phrase catered to them, making them remember a painful memory that has held them back in some way. The phrase can be anything players want it to be as long as it jogs the memory back into the head of their characters. Those with a paper slip will feel compelled to sit around the bonfire and contemplate their memory; they also will feel encouraged to share that memory with anyone who is sitting nearby. If characters choose to throw the paper slip into the fire, those who have heard the story of their grief will have a very vivid visual of the event in their mind’s eye along with feeling the exact pain they went through as well.
Once these memories are shared and characters take a moment to grieve, they will feel significantly better about the past situation that caused them so much pain. This can be temporary or permanent, it’s up to the player.
Although refreshments won’t be provided, Dreamers are encouraged to bring their own. And yes, something adjacent to s’mores can be something characters may bring.
On the morning of the 1st, some dreamers will receive a message from an unknown user.
Who or what from home do you miss the most?
They will feel compelled to respond with a truthful answer, as if their brains had gone into a trance, and before they know it, their response will be there for everyone to see. It cannot be deleted or changed. The user will not respond personally, but you get the sense they are definitely reading.
[ This is an additional network option for characters to interact with. Feel free to add a network prompt into any of your top levels. If you do not want to interact with this prompt, simply assume your character did not get the message. All threads are public unless actively privated by characters. We generally encourage threadjacking and engagement, so feel free to mention if threadjacking is fine with you so that others are aware. Note that the NPC will not be actively responding. ]
Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! All events are game canon. New characters (invited or not) and old characters alike are welcome to play in it. Existing characters can start their own logs or network posts for the event if they wish to.
New and Old characters are welcome to top level on the TDM. Please state in the header if you are a new or old player! Also, new characters may link their top levels under the new character comment so they are easier to find. Thanks for your cooperation!
New 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.
You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below. Special thank you to Melissa for the player plot and prompts!
Thor | God of War: Ragnarok | Current Character, Current Player
Stupid of Thor to have followed the damn goat out in the middle of the night. And this is what he ends up with? A drinking horn, full of mead...fuck it smells good. Thor allows himself one long whiff, sloshing the liquid around the horn to get a better taste of that heady aroma.
...That's enough of that. Better not push it too much. Horn might have some use once it's been washed out, but while he still regrets having to waste such a fine-looking vintage, that's what's gotta happen. Thanks, goatfucker. He tips the horn over and lets the mead pour out, until it empties. Any second now.
...
...
...any second now.
...
...Oh no.
Thor blanches as mead continues to pour—endlessly pour—from the horn, spreading out from his feet. He quickly turns it up, stopping the flow, and swallows hard, his mouth dry. What he wouldn't give for a damn drink.
"Ah, fuck."
Bonfire of Growth (Established CR only)
The Indigo Sands are a calming place for Thor. He appreciates anywhere he can lose himself in silence and quiet, and for the most part, that's the Sands. The sound of the waves are peaceful. Since there are bonfires now, it reminds him of home, long ago. So he sits and thinks. Especially after he discovers the crumpled up bit of paper in his pocket. He stares at the words written in an unknown hand, words out of his past. Thor is past the point where this place knows the intimate details of his life angers him. It's just what this place does. And the words can't help but make him dwell on the encounters tied to them.
[Most of these I'll just link to a Youtube gameplay video of Ragnarok for. However, the last memory will be a text-based description, and comes with heavy CWs. You have been forewarned.]
Memory of Kratos
Don't take all day.
He stares at the words on the page dully, yet the All-Father's voice is clear as day in his head. Hard not to think about that night, the night they both went to see the man who killed Thor's sons. Well...in part.
"Might as well make yourself comfortable." He heard someone coming up behind him, and he just waves them to sit down. "Cold fucking night as it is." He's been colder, but it was as a god, so this actually manages to affect him more. Might as well share the fire with some company.
Memory of Loki
Was it worth it?
This one stings. Loki...eh, Atreus asked him that in Niflheim. About Thor's fuck up after Heimdall got killed. Thor still has trouble believing that hit him as hard as it did. No, not Heimdall himself...not really. It was just another sign that everything was comin' down around them, and Thor couldn't seem to stop it, and All-Father...All-Fater wasn't even really interested in trying. If it didn't involve that damn mask, he didn't care. That's why he was in Niflheim. Just a fucking shitshow all around.
Thor crumples the note up in his fist and puts it down on the sand next to him with an annoyed grunt, and tries to think about literally anything else.
Memory of All-Father
Don't you know...WHAT I'VE DONE?!
Thor stares at the words on the page. His words. Shouted in anger and despair, only moments before...
"Fuck." Thor swears under his breath, and puts a hand to his chest, to the scar on his collarbone. A sudden spike of pain. Damn it, and after months too. Not what he needed right now. He's still rubbing it with a pained grimace, note open on the sands next to him when someone comes up behind him, the angry words shouted on the page for all to see.
Memory of Modi [CWs: Alcoholism, parental abuse, violence]
Magni, he...it wasn't my fault, father!
So much of that day's a blur, some alcohol-induced, other parts because of...other influences. But he remembers Modi's pleading, knowing what was about to happen and trying his best to avert it. But you can't appease the storm.
Thor just stares at it, a haunted look in his eyes. He stares at it for a long time.
memory of kratos
Catching sight of a familiar bulky frame distracts her momentarily, and selfishly, she really wants the company of a friend in that moment. So she sits down next to Thor, arms wrapped around her knees to hug her legs close to her chest, and she tries not to read the piece of paper that Thor's holding.
"Someone warned me that things could happen in this place that would be incredibly intrusive," she sighs. "But even the time I thought I got married and you punched me in the face was easy compared to this."
She casts a glance to the side, watching Thor's profile, cast in the light of the bonfire. "Are you okay?" she asks gently. "If you want to talk about it, well, I've got four ears, which makes me a very good listener."
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"If I thought you punchin' me this time might help get my head straight, I'd say go nuts." He still feels bad about that, but Blake doesn't hold it against him, and that helps. Her joke does elicit a small chuckle from him.
"It's not...not the worst thing I ever done, but I dunno. First real good fight I'd had in a long time." He thinks for a moment, and then sighs. Hadn't talking about it been the solution to the damn flower sickness? And he trusts Blake. "Okay. Told you about this guy once before. The one with the blades and the chains. Don't think I said any more about him, but suddenly I can't get the guy outta my head. Kratos. Another god. Not from the Nine Realms. Kind of infamous in the divine community where I'm from. Few centuries back, he was the God of War in a land outside the Realms. Not...too sure on the details anymore, but things went bad between him and the rest of his pantheon. He ended up killing them all. Really fucked up the place he's from." It's been a couple centuries since the Olympians bit it, and as far as Thor's heard, Greece is still pretty much just a crater after everything went down. "He kills the rest of his fellow gods an' more than a few other immortals besides, and then just drops off the face of the earth. Remember everyone kinda holding their breath, waitin' to see where he'd pop up again, but time went by there was nothing, and I guess everyone assumed Kratos was dead. Offed himself maybe."
He watches the fire, aware of Blake's eyes on him. "Then about three seasons back All-Father picks up some kinda power in Midgard he hadn't felt before. So he decides to send my half-brother Baldur to sort it out." The idea that it was the God-Killer hadn't even crossed All-Father's mind. He thought it was the last Jötunn that had always been rumoured was out there, a warrior left behind after Týr closed off Jotunheim from the other Realms, a loose end he wanted tied up. That's what he'd told Baldur, and so that's what Baldur had gone in expecting to find. He didn't question it.
"Things had been shit for a long time, but that was the tipping point. 'Cause it was Kratos Baldur found living out there."
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But she does her best to comprehend, listening carefully, eyes wide in shock at the idea of a god of war killing the rest of his pantheon. Kratos, she thinks, must be unimaginably powerful if he could do that. A god killing other gods is something that never cropped up in Remnant's world, only in stories about made up mythologies.
She's heard about some of Thor's family: Magni and Modi, and Thrúd, but Baldur the half-brother is a new one. He must be strong, too, if the All-Father sent him to go track a new power. Strength kind of seems to run in the family.
"I... get the feeling that didn't end well," she murmurs sympathetically, still watching Thor. "Was Kratos still killing gods?"
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He crunches the paper in his hand. "My sons caught up to him in a Midgardian ruin. Baldur wasn't there. And they didn't know who they were fighting."
If Blake looks, Thor's hand is shaking.
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Thor's voice stumbles and cracks and goes hoarse in places, and though he's trying not to show much emotion, it's coming out anyway, because the story is awful. His children, dead at the hands of another god, and in the most brutal of ways, too.
All Blake can do is listen, and reassure him when she can. And when he's finally finished his story, she wraps her arms around him in a hug, and squeezes as tight as she can, letting him know that, at the very least, he's not alone here.
Memory of Loki
Sighing, he sees Thor and sits down next to the large man - he reminds him of Iroh in some ways. He rubs the scarred eye, feeling the grit and pain it almost always radiates after too long a day. He should have gone home and put a cool washcloth on it, but instead, he's out here, sitting at a bonfire, hoping that no one else learns about his worst day.
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It's not all that different from what he does with Azula; she shows up unannounced, often will find something to do to help out. Clean one of Thor's hunting prizes, she's gotten good at it. He lets her. They work. Sometimes they talk, sometimes they don't. He usually feeds her. And then she goes. Usually with Azula he waits for her to initiate conversation, if she wants to. But Zuko doesn't need the lighter touch.
"You too, huh."
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In the end, he tucks the paper into his pocket. "Yeah." He admits. He doesn't want to talk about it. He brushes the edges of his scar. Sometimes, he can still feel it burning...
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"Damn chill hasn't bothered me this much since my last trip to Niflheim." He admits. That's not a pleasant memory for him either, but he's older. Better he shoulder the burden than Zuko.
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"What's Niflheim? Is it a city?"
Memory of #1 WORLD'S BEST ALL-DAD.
She's also been around this place long enough to recognize when her impulses are being... manipulated. So at first, she resists any inclination to come to the fires. Ordinarily, she'd just leave.
And then she hears Thor quietly curse.
She hasn't seen him at all since the... graveyard incident, and as awkward as that was- as frustrating as it was to owe him again- she chances a glance. He's rubbing that scar again, and he's dropped a slip of his own. She meanders a little closer so she can see the printed words..
Don't you know...WHAT I'VE DONE?!
She'd known, of course, that Thor had done things he regretted, in the name of the All-Father- his father. He'd never seemed like he wanted to hide it, he'd been far more open about his past than Azula had. Her initial response is to dismiss it as pathetic sentiment, to be vaguely disappointed. So hung up on such nonsense.
And then she thinks about the paper in her own pocket, and-
Rrgh.
Whatever. She couldn't have him sitting around moping all night, regardless. It was beneath him. So instead, she lightly rests a hand on his shoulder to announce her presence- and to hopefully stop him from rubbing at that horrid scar.
"That is never going to heal if you keep picking at it."
Light, taunting, smug. Business as usual, right? She can't remember if she made a similar joke to Zuko, but she felt certain she had, which made it suddenly less amusing. She, of course, ignores that thought.
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"Been fine up till now." He says ruefully, though he does, with some reluctance, pull hi hand away. "Probably just the cold makin' it act up." He says that, knowing that's not the case at all. He can't stop it going through his head.
Watching the fire, he nods to the spot next to him. "Wouldn't say no to the company if you're not too busy." He admits.
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His explanation doesn't provoke much reaction from her. The cold. Right. Far be it from her to pry, considering. But she'll accept the invitation, at least, settling across the fire from him on one of the stones that doubled as makeshift seats. It was, comically, still not enough to bring her to his eye level.
"I do despise the cold." It's unusually meaningless small talk, coming from her, but it's something to say, something that isn't prying. "One of my least-favorite things about this place."
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He's stil rubbing the scar. The talk isn't helping settle his mind.
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But she's a little distracted by his hand rubbing at the scar. It... bothers her, and she can't even articulate why. The more obviously it bothers him, the more frustrating it becomes.
She very nearly snaps at him about it, but she manages to restrain the impulse and opts for a joke.
"Perhaps if you put on a shirt, the cold wouldn't bother it so much."
Hilarious, her.
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Thor looks down at the note in his other hand, the one currently not worrying at his aching scar. The words he shouted at Kratos. He doesn't want to think about this.
"Bit of fuel for the fire might help warm me up some." He decides, and without thinking, he tosses the paper, towards it. He just wants to not be reminded of it.
This isn't how it's supposed to work. He's supposed to communicate the story to her first, tell her what happened in front of the Great Lodge of Asgard. But he can't. Not this. Not to her. Even if he should. But he's throwing the paper to the fire hoping the memory will cease and his scar will stop bothering him, but instead the paper hits the flames and-
[ Video here, with the vision kicking in around the thirty second mark when Thor and Kratos crash into each other.]
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" and Azula—Thor—crashes into someone mid-flight. A brief image of someone, a shock of red in hair and a pained cry of "Dad!" disappearing into the background of clashing swords and the din of war as Thor carries his enemy forward. They wrestle as they fly, a bald, bearded man with skin the colour of ash as Thor spits venom into his face. This is his enemy. Thor must kill him. Thor wants to kill him. Only then will his family be safe.
They crash in front of a great ruined hall. All around them is destruction. Thor holds nothing back, unleashing the full wrath of the Thunderer against the Pale Man, blaming his arrival for ruining everything. Destroying his family. And yet his opponent begs him to stop. Asgard is collapsing all around them. They should not be fighting. Thor doesn't hear. He doesn't WANT to hear.
But Thor's rage can't sustain him. The Pale Man matches him blow for blow, even as he tries to get the Aesir to stop. In the end, Thor's rage is spent and he lies on the ground, beaten. But his enemy does not kill him. Their children are friends. There is hope yet.
"Don't you know...WHAT I'VE DONE?!" he roars, voice heavy with anguish and regret. The Pale Man turns it around and asks Thor instead what he will do now. Thor knows what he is. He is a Destroyer. He HAS to be. Gods don't change. If Thor could have chosen to be ANYTHING, why would he have chosen THIS?
He's standing again, Mjolnir is in his hand, ready to strike.
"For the sake of our children. We must be better." The Pale Man says.
That brings everything into focus. Thrúd is out there in that battlefield somewhere. Sif...went to lead the Midgardian refugees? Where is she now? Slowly...slowly...he lowers the hammer. Relaxes his guard. An accord is reached.
And in a flurry of feathers, Odin arrives, in a towering fury that in Thor's memory seems to stretch him, gives the All-Father a greater size. Even though Thor stands far taller, Odin casts a large presence in his son's mind. But Thor finally sees him for who he is.
"I am your father. Pick up the hammer and kill. Who I tell you. TO KILL."
Mjolnir falls to the ground where Thor drops it. And in the end, he says
"No."
Odin's reaction is immediate. Suddenly there's a spear in his hand and without remorse, he thrusts it through Thor's chest.
Just below the collarbone.
Thor's power is spent. The blow is fatal, just as Odin intended it to be. It drives Thor to his knees and he knows this is the end.
"I didn't want this. I did. Not. Want. This." Odin's words are ringing distantly in Thor's ears but he's not looking at the All-Father anymore, but past him. Thrúd has caught up and she stares in horror as her father's body begins to dissolve into motes of light. He reaches for her with an arm that's already mostly gone and-
Her face is the last thing he sees.
It happens in an instant for Azula. Thor's attention is on the fire, unaware of what he's just revealed to her.
"Dunno why I even had that." He's saying, if Azula can even concentrate on that after what she's experienced.
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Memory of Kratos
They're both not exactly a talkative duo, and Katsuki is fine with that. He enjoys silence more than the raucous white noise of a crowd, or whatever. The crashing waves, the crackle of the fire, the flickering embers as they rise to meet the night sky...like loose stars trying to climb back up to heaven...it's peaceful.
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Seems he's not the only one who appreciates a little peace and quiet. They sit for awhile in silence. Thor glances over and sees Bakugou star-gazing of all things. Huh.
"Should get a rematch in sometime soon." Thor says after awhile. They both needed time to rest and heal up after their first dust-up, but Thor's been replaying the fight in his head, analyzing how Bakugou fought and the ways he surprised Thor. "Think this time I've got you." Now that's a challenge he knows Dynamight can't step away from.
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But he waves off the comment and just enjoys the peace and quiet, letting his frayed nerves unwind a little from that heinous party. No offense (advised: he means full offense) to those that threw it, or those that enjoy that shit, but he doesn't. His social battery depleted at light speed - fastest it's ever done - and now he's recharging. It feels good to not be bombarded with the constant noise and presence of bodies all around him.
"Mm?" he tilts his head back down and a smirk spreads across his lips. Oh, he has not forgotten the outcome of their first match. "Quick to get your fat ass kicked again? Fine by me - got a few moves I want to test out, and maybe I'll bring my gear this time around."
Hook, line, and sinker. He's not exactly hard to bait.
Bonfire of Growth - Loki
[Which reflects her nature, really. She's Southern Water Tribe to her core. You help where you can, you don't hold back. You live as best you can.]
[Which is what brings her to his fire, asking with a gesture if she can sit.]
Hey.
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"I'm from the south pole of my world. Takes a lot of cold to get to me. Not that I don't prefer warming up."
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"Only two places in the Realms the cold ever got to me, even as a God. Helheim, the Realm of the Dishonoured Dead. No heat there. Nothin' mortal survives...well, guess that's obvious enough. Other's Niflheim, the Realm of Ice and Mist. That wasn't so bad. Brisk, but not the way Helheim would turn your bones to lead and turn your mind foggy."
After a moment he sighs. Talking about Niflheim is stirring up some unpleasant memories, thanks to that damn paper. "Ehh, sorry. Some stuff on my mind right now. Dunno if I'm good company." Though he won't chase Korra away. Fire is pleasant, after all.
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She looked at the fire, which seemed to blaze a bit...larger than it might otherwise have. She doubted these thoughts were coincidence.
"I know all about bad memories. I used to let them hold a lot of power over me. Something I had to learn not to do. Had to learn to share my burdens."