seventy-fourth labyrinth

[lord_wizard]

[He woke up suddenly from a dream with a sudden conviction the distant sound of laughter he used to remember the sound of. The sight of stacks upon stacks of book alarm him momentarily, but he need to look overwhelms the fear, and he pushes himself out of his seat to find what he's looking for.

It isn't long before he's lost and beginning to panic, when he remembers the magic book. Maybe the book will know]

Has anyone seen Joline? I can't find her.

[A few moments of harsh breathing as he loses track of his words by the sight of a few errant shadows he thinks might be Keeper.]

Please. She promised to tell me a story and I can't...

...please....

((ooc: Felix can be found wandering anywhere in or around the castle. Please see this post for info and permissions pertaining to his loss. Filling this out if you'd like to tag him in person is greatly appreciated!))

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[yay_heiress]

[London just barely seems to take into account that this guy seems, well, a little distraught.]

Who's Joline? Ooh! Isn't there a song about her?

Permissions: check!

[3nterprising]

[Faye had spotted him passing by as she opens the door to her room and steps into the corridor.]

Hey... are you alright?

[silentrunning]

[Chell wanders out of the library stacks, and looks at this guy, in utter confusion for a minute before speaking.]

Who... is Joline?

[lord_wizard]

[Felix immediately backs himself into a bookshelf as if she'd shouted at him]

...my friend.

[silentrunning]

[Chell doesn't take offense to this. She drops to sit on the floor, right there in the middle of the library.]

I could try to help you find her if you want. I promise... I mean you no harm.

[Yup. This one's familiar with backing away from people for various reasons.]

And I'm sorry if I startled you.

[lord_wizard]

[He clutches feebly at his own shirt as he watches her warily, because he can't see her clearly. But her color is a pale, gentle blue, and he knows she means what she says, at least]

You want to help me?

[silentrunning]

I do... Being without friends is miserable.

[She stands slowly and smiles at him in the most friendly manner she can.]

Where'd you last see her? Oh... And my name's Chell. Yours?

[inafadingcrown]

[Galadriel turns a corner in the halls, only to see a familiar face- albeit one that looks a little more out of sorts than usual. A look of concern crosses her face.]

Felix?

[ action ]

[wishmadeinfire]

<sub>[ As per usual, Ashura came to check on Felix - though he was a bit more hurried this time, having heard him over the journals. He liked to think the other was getting better, but he could honestly not be sure. He liked to live in his dream world where it was, and he clung to that as a fragile hope, easily snapped.

But now was not the time for that as he came to him, came to find him before whatever it was Felix saw drove him back into true madness. ]</sub>

Felix, there you are. I was growing worried.

_{[ Talk to him like normal, treat him as normal. He hoped it would help draw him back to true reality. ]}

forever <3

[lord_wizard]

[He shrinks away at Ashura's approach, though only a little - a slight hunching of his shoulders and lowering of his head, like an abused animal. He's at least far from hysterics, which have been infrequent since the madness first started. Usually brought on by nightmares where he wakes up screaming or crying, unable to fully separate it from the reality he was trapped in. The dream that's brought on this current crisis is much the same, but the memory of Joline serves as the smallest calming salve to his confused fugue]

I'm not lost. I'm fine.

[His insistence says otherwise, and his tone says he's desperately trying to make sure Ashura won't be angry with him, like a child avoiding punishment]

[lord_wizard]

[All Felix perceives is light, so sudden and so brilliant that he visibly staggers, and reaches out to steady himself on a nearby wall]

I...what?

[It's a feeble stall for the fact that he knows, somewhere in his mind, that this light has a name, but he can't recall it]

[lord_wizard]

[He unfortunately can't see the expression, besides the faint impression of feline countenance. The colors around her swirl with bright warmth]

Felix, and I...[he swallows and drop his voice]...I think she's dead.

[inafadingcrown]

[That concern? Is now multiplied.]

You are unwell. [An obvious statement. But the tone makes it more of a question- can she do anything to help?]

[silentrunning]

Oh no!

[Chell's concerned.]

I'm so sorry. I'm not sure I'll be able to help you find someone who is dead, but I'll try... In the mean time, I could tell you a story, if you can tell me what kind you'd like.

[Chell doesn't know many stories, or at least she thinks she doesn't, but she can make one up. If it would help him feel better, she'll do it.]

[lord_wizard]

[He can see the concern more than hear it, though it's easy to miss among the glow, and he diverts his eyes from it.]

I'm fine. I just need to find her.

[lord_wizard]

I think only the dead can find the dead.

[His voice is still wavery and lost-sounding, for indeed his mind is lost in memories and visions, and the conviction brings on a feeling of defeat. To find Joline he had to die too, and he's too afraid of death to try it.

Felix wobbles and drops to his knees with a sigh]

Would you?

Re: forever &lt;3

[wishmadeinfire]

I am sure you are, but a little help in a search never hurts.

_{[ He was careful to keep his voice slow and smooth, reassuring and in no way punishing. He had begun to see that Felix flinched like a beaten animal, and as much as Ashura did not want to treat him as such, he found that acting like one might to such an animal worked best at times. At least it was progress from the initial, shuddering madness he had first seen and he thanked all the saints and gods for that alone. ]}

What are you searching for, Felix?

[inafadingcrown]

Perhaps I might help? [Or at least make sure you don't wander into danger.] Who is it you seek?

[lord_wizard]

Joline. My...my friend. [He wrings his hands and stares at the floor, his mind and memories stuck for a moment at a time when he was a child]

[lord_wizard]

[He wondered sometimes why Ashura guarded him as he did. It make him feel trapped sometimes, and the distrust lingered despite his kindness. But he'd been taught to always answer questions he was asked, so he did]

Joline. I need to find her.

[wishmadeinfire]

Joline. I see. She... might not be here, Felix. You know that, don't you?

_{[ He kept a space between them, even though he wanted to wrap his arms around the other and shield him. But he couldn't shield him from his own mind, could he? ]}

[silentrunning]

[She nods.]

I shall... Would you like a fairy story?

[inafadingcrown]

[She furrows her brow] You have not spoken of her before. [And she hasn't noticed a person of that name in the castle. It's possible that she's missed her, of course, but...]

[lord_wizard]

[Felix frowned down at his own feet, catching the miasma pale green worry that spun about her, and he paused to wonder over this himself]

I suppose that's because she's dead.

[lord_wizard]

I don't know anything about fairies, but Keeper said I was a changeling child.