Topic: A Desperate Measure.

Morpheus

Date: 2006-11-15 09:09 EST
A conversation. May, 2006.

You came.

Not often I get called by one of your kind.

Tha's no' true. You get called b"my kind all th' time.

No. I get called by my kind. Not yours. We're close, maybe, but we aren't the same, Morpheus.

You mean those o"my pantheon.

Yes. You Greeks. Romans. Whatever you're calling yourselves now. You avoid me.

No we do no". We jus" don' deal.

Same thing, my pretty. So. What do you want from me"

Someone died. She shouldn't 'ave.

You want me to pull a Lazarus with her" Why not chat with Hades like Orpheus did"

I don't know who has 'er.

So' Can't Hades find out' Or Hermes" Or one of your other buddies. Hey, your uncle is big with the death folks, isn't he" Why call me"

's no' tha' easy. 'ermes....I 'aven't been able t"talk to 's much. No' like I used to. Same wit' 'ades. Thanatos won' give tha' sort o' information out. No' t"me. You 'ave a way wit' people tha' I don".

Oh, my. That almost sounds like flattery. You must really want my help.

I do. I wan' 'er t"be alive.

I might not be able to do anything.

I won' give y' anything wit"out 'er walkin" the world again, like she was.

Of course. Of course. Now"what are you willing to give me"

Name y"r price. 'll tell y' if"n I'm willin" t"pay.

One task, of my choosing. To be completed after you learn of her return, of course.

Fair 'nough. Can y'do it'

I don't know. You'll find out soon enough, won't you?

I 'ope so, aye.

Care to seal the deal"

O?course. Three mugs o' mead, aye'

That's right. Bottoms up, Sir Dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

((This conversation, obviously, happened a while back. I'm using this as an IC reason for Morpheus to have been gone, while the OOC reason is that I've been having trouble getting myself inside his head. He went from my main character to a secondary character a while back, and I've come to realize that, weird as I'd been making him, he was still thinking too much like a human. So...if I decide I can get back into the state of mind to play him, he will be back. Until then, the outcome of this will explain why he's vanished. Events here have had no effect on anyone other than Morph, even if it might seem so. Unless someone wants them to, in which case, let me know.))

Morpheus

Date: 2006-11-16 13:00 EST
A conversation. August, 2006.

It's about time, Sir Dream.

'd been busy. I only "eard last night. She's back.

She is. As per our agreement, you owe me one task of my choosing.

Who "ad "er" "ow did you get "er back"

I have no idea. I had nothing to do with her being back. The agreement, if you recall, was that if she came back, you would complete a task.

So"you intend t"collect payment, when you did nothin?"

Our agreement did not include a provision that I had to actually do something. She's alive. We had a deal.

You live up t"your titles, Liesmith. What do you want me t'do f"r you?

You flatter me again, Morpheus. I want you to give the Father some dreams.

"ow do you expect me t"be able t'do tha?" "e is no' in m'domain.

I can get through it for you. This is me , after all.

So you can get me in, an' you want me t'send 'im some dreams" Tha's it"

I can thin the walls. You'll get through, but it will not be easy.

Wha" do you mean' Won' be easy"

It will require nearly all of your concentration. To do this, and to keep up with your regular duties"

You're tellin" me tha' "m goin" t"be your slave.

We had a deal.

One task. This 's no' jus" one task, Liesmith.

A series of dreams. One series, Morpheus. One task.

So, she 's back. No' tha' you "ad anything t'do wit' it. An" now y"r tellin" me tha' I won' get t' e"en see "er.

Didn't you?

No. I was told tha' she was back. I "aven't seen "er yet.

That's a shame. I need you to start now.

I did no' agree t?become your slave, Liesmith.

We had a deal, Sir Dream. You drank my mead. And you needn't worry. I will release you from our agreement. Scarred lips twitch into a grin. Eventually.

~~~~~

And so Morpheus was unable to return to Rhy'Din.

For some time, at least.

Morpheus

Date: 2008-04-29 19:48 EST
I'm not sure how long I've been working for the Liesmith. This realm is not one I am overly familiar with, so the passage of time is foreign to me. In a manner of speaking.

It's all foreign to me. I think Rhy'Din would be, now, as well.

I don't think like I used to. Even that is foreign. My mind as it was.

I'll get it back. I know I can.

Everything I had will be mine again. At least, what I had when I first found the hole through the Nexus.

I've missed a lot, I'm sure. Can't have everything I used to. I don't even know if...

It doesn't matter. I've figured it out. It's taken time, but I know. How to trick the trickster.

He wants me to shift the Father's trust. To give him dreams of betrayal by his trusted and salvation from the ones he can't trust.

Baby steps, it's been called. A little here and a little there, to make the change. Dream it enough, and you can start to believe it. Even when you know it is only dreams.

Dreams are funny like that. I should know.

I should...

No. I can't get ahead of myself like that.

A sudden jump can be jarring. It's almost time. I need to get Wotan to the right place. The right state of mind.

Trust. It can be just as funny as dreams.

Funny.

~~~~~

Odin, the All-Father, dreamed.

There were dreams of women. There were dreams of foolishness. There were dreams of drinking. Dreams of feasting.

More than any other, there were dreams of battle. He was Odin, after all.

He did not know why Thor started to hesitate before coming to his side during the carnage.

Baldr turned away from him.

Frigg and Jord went to Modi and Vidar.

Loki caught an arrow that was speeding for his good eye.

Odin couldn't understand it. More and more of his waking time was spent contemplating his dreams.

Everyone he trusted betrayed him.

The one he trusted least saved him and came to his aid again and again.

Then there was a shift.

Morpheus

Date: 2008-04-29 19:53 EST
A conversation. Outside of normal time.

Sir Dream. Why has my dear foster father ordered me to release you from this bind which he has no way of knowing if you have been doing as you agreed to do"!

've been doin' exactly what you asked me t'do, Loki. Sent dreams t'Odin, aye"

I told you to make him dream me trustworthy! He was supposed to lose trust in that insufferable Thor and his ilk. Whyyy is he angry at me now, Morpheus"

Th' balance shifted.

Balance" What are you prattling about"

's simple, if'n you pay attention.

Explain it. Now. Lest I name thee oathbreaker and—

No need t'be throwin' around names, now. I did exactly what you told me to do, Liesmith.

You did not. I was supposed to be in his good graces! I was supposed to become the good son!

Followed y'r orders t'the letter. Once he started t'trust you more'n those others, I couldn't make you look good in th' dreams I sent t'him. if I did....Well, then I'd 'ave been breakin' m'vow, aye"

You...what? No...no, you...you can't...

Can an' did, Loki. I sent 'im a dream where th' one 'e trusted...that'd be you, at this point, if'n y'r 'avin' trouble keeping up....where the one 'e trusted betrayed 'im. You ne'er told me I could no' send 'im a dream o' exactly what actually 'appened.

How dare you—

Loki, I believe you have been told to release me.

...I have.

Do you intend to openly defy the All-Father?

...no. I release you, Sir Dream. Never seek me out again, as you will gain no favors.

Won't ask f'r any more, now tha' I see what y'do with them. Sweet dreams and light laughter, Loki Liesmith. A sly grin was shown to the redheaded god.

The response from Loki, before he vanished, was coarse and vulgar.