amicustenebris | Labyrinthium Inbox

Gold considers the warning. What if she appears from a time before she had committed her crimes? Part of him wants to not care. She just wouldn't know why he hated her and it wouldn't matter.

But it's only part of him.

"...I want to say recent events are bringing it more to the forefront. But other than someone seeing it for the first time, nothing is really different."

Loki crossed his arms casually, brain turning it all over once more. "I'm noted as being extremely perceptive, but I'm sure there are others. So some might pick up on the pattern in your dreams. I'm unsure how to prevent that, admittedly."

"I don't have a lot of experience in stopping instincts formed to defend yourself against something you already killed. As far as I know, you just deal with them."

"I don't either, but I'm trying to figure out more if there are ways for them to not be so visible to others for you while you dream." Loki pointed out, as if it were obvious. He wasn't meaning to be snide or imply the other was an idiot...just preoccupied turning the problem over in his head.

Edited 2024-05-07 20:34 (UTC)

Gold shakes his head. There is no offense to take really. "Is it safe to assume these effects are temporary?"

What is he planning?

To just not sleep until it stops?

"Hopefully. But I've no idea for how long it'll last." Then an eyebrow-raises. "I don't think you can avoid falling asleep fully if this lasts longer than a week. At most." Entirely matter of fact about that.

Gold misses being the Dark One. You know what he didn't need to do, then? Sleep.

"And simply sleeping when most others are awake is not going to be especially useful when I still have a schedule to keep."

Probably not, although Loki doesn't voice that. He could also point out that there's such a variety of people here Gold can't be sure that he'd be the only one asleep at any given time. Instead, Loki switches topics somewhat.

"How did you learn magic? How to use it, to wield it?" He has a point and purpose to this question. Mostly because he is also noting he should check in on Eilonwy to see if she's having trouble with dreams or nightmares right now too.

"...That answer is very complicated. Some trial and error early on. Later a mixture of careful study and feeling it out when parameters changed." Because the rules do change when you traveled to other worlds.

A nod, and he appreciated that Gold had answered. "Do I have to teach you visualization and how to do basic shielding, in the sense of focusing one's mind and controlling it that way?"

A sigh. "The only magic that heeds me right now is transformation." This isn't to say he would not welcome new techniques, but at present there's too many locked doors, places where he can feel power is still present but he cannot access.

"Fortunately, what I have in mind is not yet fully 'magic' in the way people think of it. More it's a foundation upon which magic is often built or laid." Loki did try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "To put it at its most simple and blunt, are you able to build a wall around your thoughts or mind so that another can not pick up on them? Because the same wall can help in shielding your dreams from others."

"It's not something I have ever needed to be practiced in, but that does make sense to me, at least." Being the Dark One afforded him some natural immunities. At least, if no one got hold of the dagger, at least.

"Well, time to start practicing that. Use different layers. A wall of thorns for example, over a wall of grating, over bricks, etc. Build it and keep it up at all times, so that it becomes unconscious." Now Loki let a half-smile come to him. "The other thing I can think of, is to perhaps focus intently on something else before you sleep. Tell yourself a story, make something up, but focus on elements of it so intently that they show up in your dreams. So that you're choosing what people see, not just letting it happen randomly."

"...I will start to work on that, then." He reads it well enough to understand Loki is offering alternatives outside of making a deal. It's appreciated. It sounds simple -- some things never are, while others will be when one least expects it.

"I also trust you are intelligent enough, and clever enough, to see how this is a foundation for how magic works?"

"In places, yes." Just like knowing anatomy wasn't inherently required for healing magic, but it certainly helped to know what you were healing and how, if you wanted more precise control of it. "...I'm not attempting to come off as ungrateful. It is just an unusual position to find oneself in." Just as the man was more accustomed to being the host rather than the one being hosted: he was very rarely ever a student.

Loki snorted in amusement, still with his arms crossed casually. "You're not seeming ungrateful at all. Or you're doing a poor job of showing it if you are. I suspect you're relieved I've offered options that don't involve us making a deal. I can't guarantee they'll work as well as a shield--but there we go."

A pause as blue-green eyes studied Gold again. They were full of secrets and lies and mysteries, searching over him. Then Loki nodded. "I suspect you also won't want this option either, but I've some affinity with mental magics, including memory modification. I'm certain I could simply link you being unconscious and only certain memories. Or block just the trigger perhaps." Loki had been calculating whether to let Gold know that fact about him.

That was...a lot. But that is useful information to file away. And he supposes that makes senses given that Loki is...who he is, "That...is something I shall bear in mind, but strikes me as being on the extreme side just now."

Loki smirked, and wasn't offended. "I didn't think you'd like that option any more than my placing a shield on you." The smirk left though, as he relaxed from his crossed arms. Although they remained up, and his right fidgeted with his left. "Depending on who paid attention, or how much weight they gave it, that last post on Sleepr outed that yes--I have mental magics. The 'taking over someone's mind' it alluded too was years ago and required a special weapon I do not have access to anymore." A pause. "I'd prefer those who do know I am familiar with things like memory modification to remain small however." In other words, he was trusting Gold to be responsible with the information.

"...I have no reason to share that information with anyone." Even if it were helpful he imagined he would sooner offer to someone that Loki might know a solution or be able to point them to someone else. Since they were recommending each other for things lately.

A nod, as Loki understood everything Gold wasn't saying with that statement as well. "I shall leave you to your shield building then, unless there's more?" More he could do, more Gold wished to share. "Oh, the dream sharing works with others too--you may find yourself in their dreams."

Oh, all the more reason not to sleep, then! "Wonders never cease, clearly."

Sarcasm from him? No. Surely not.

"Thank you. For your discretion, for your advice. I suppose for asking the right questions."

Loki shook his head at the thanks, but smiled and chuckled a little. "Oh it's one of my many 'flaws'--asking questions and poking at things. But you're welcome all the same. I'll take my leave now." Loki figured that Gold would rather be done now with this whole thing. "This all works better, by the way, if you control when you sleep and not let exhaustion take you." Meaning don't 'not-sleep' Gold.

Gold was a stubborn man and he therefore felt the immediate, intense desire to do exactly that -- not sleep -- purely to assert himself. But he also saw logic in what he was saying. "There will be far less of that now that the plants and animals are behaving themselves, I assure you."

All the more reason to keep saving his shards.

I love that icon btw

whose_son_am_i - 2024-05-09 01:08 (UTC) - Expand

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I love that icon btw