Don&#39;t believe in no-win scenarios

"If I may suggest," the thin man offers, "it is much less difficult to be at ease with a situation when one understands it. Perhaps you could explain to the Captain what he experienced, and his options for dealing with it?"

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"I have ghosts imprisoned in my head begging for help." Jim points to his noggin with his big ol' hulking claw to further drive this point home. He's less panicked than he was before, mostly because the whole possession thing will be sorted out thanks to Schon. And as for the whole Naugus killing Jim's body?

Well, Jim's going to try to stay enough on the magi's good side for that not to become a concern. It's not a great solution, but it's the only one he's got for the moment.

"They're stuck in my head and I know no one signed up for this whole body swap fiasco but I am not getting haunted by the first ghosts I have ever met because of Naugus. Can we help them somehow?"

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"You see why I thought we could use your expert opinion," Verity adds quietly from where she's flopped down next to Schön. "As if it weren't complicated enough before."

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Though his attention is mostly focused on Naugus, he glances to the other two when they talk. Hands tighten and relax around his bag strap while he thinks.

After a moment, he regards everyone in the room before settling on how to start. "Perhaps if I could speak to Jim alone... I-I don't mean to be rude, but... When I saw what I saw, Naugus was letting me into something very personal. I don't want to betray his confidence any more than I need to."

With a small sigh his gaze rests on Jim. "Everyone's privacy has been invaded enough already as it is with this bodyswap."

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"Of course." Schön rises with an air of dignity from where he had perched, gliding toward another room. "In any event, I have a scathing review to compose on the subject of absent dumplings."

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"W-we'll just be a minute okay? Sorry guys." Naugus' privacy isn't something Jim gives a whit about in light of how the mage has been treating his body, but it does give some huge points to the 'not pissing off Naugus to the point of killing Jim's body out of spite' plan.

Once Schon and Verity have left, Jim scrubs his face with Naug's good hand.

"Thank you for checking this out for me, I didn't believe in ghosts until I woke up and holy shit I don't think I can handle this..." He sighs, not even able to keep up the pretense of being calm anymore. "I hate this..."

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"No sorries, sweetie. It's fine. Call if you need us." They both get a thin smile from her before she follows Schön to the mysterious elsewhere of the other room. She really hopes those dumplings are in the other room because she has been promised duck dumplings and she's hungry now.

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He offer the two of them a small smile of gratitude as they leave. It's easier than words, mostly because he doesn't know what to say to Verity right now, and he doesn't know Schön at all except by reputation.

Once he's alone with Jim, he moves to take a seat. One on one, discussing dreams... Viatorus calms a bit as he slips into a more familiar role. There's a confidence and calm that comes with his discussing dreams. "It's alright. It's always scary the first time, even if they're nice spirits. Try not to worry, the dead don't have much power over the living. You're safe. Now, just... take a deep breath, and tell me what happened. Everything you can remember. Even the little details, even how you felt."

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"They don't, huh..." Jim's not so sure he believes that but he does his best to do as he's told, none the less. Like Viatorus instructs, Jim takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes. It's easier for him to focus without the constant visual distractions of Naugus' body. God, Jim hates this. "I wish I could show you." He murmurs, licking at his lower lip with nerves. "Okay..."

I remember having my own voice. It was too dark to see anything. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. They sensed me, first. Asked me who I was and brought light. I was in my own body and they were anything but human. A crustacean with a calming voice, a batlike creature who was very twitchy and nervous looking, and a large rhino looking dude.

They asked me why I was in their realm. They thought I had been imprisoned as they were. I explained the body swapping circumstances and they warned me that Ixis has the power to possess other people and has before. That he had stolen their three powers in order to add to his own.

It seemed like a lot to swallow, but I was unnerved. Naugus had already told me that he had no qualms about killing my body out of spite and just getting another. I thought he was bluffing until I spoke to the spirits. They said they'd begged over and over to be released, but Naugus never remembers them when he wakes up. They wanted me to help. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I don't want to end up like them. But they're all Ixis too. Ixis Suguna, Ixis Nusgau, Ixis Agunus.

I started panicking. How could I not? Why did Maugus keep a ghosts imprisoned in his head? Were they telling the truth? There's just no way I want to end up like that. Trapped inside someone else's mind. No body of my own....

"...And that's about when I woke up shaking and decided I needed to talk to Schon. He called Verity over, and she referred us to you."

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While Jim explains, Viatorus takes out a notepad to jot down a few of the details. During a brief pause, he takes out a leather folder and then returns his attention to the description. There's a lot to take in, a lot of gaps being filled. This is going to make talking to Naugus about it much easier.

"Thank you for telling me. I know that must not have been nice to recall," he says straight off. Opening the folder, he takes out a few thick sheets of paper where watercolours and sketches have depicted the creatures that haunt Naugus' dreams. "Are these the beings you saw?" A little more hopefully he asks, "Can you put their names to their image?"

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"...Yeah. That's them, mostly. The lobster thing is Suguna. The bat is Nusgau, and the big guy is Agunus." Jim leans back away from the sketches initially, but points to each in turn with his claw and names them.

"When I asked how I could help, they told me to tell Naugus their names. I don't know how it's supposed to help, but they wouldn't give me much in the way of details. I don't know if they were bound by magic to not say, or what." Jim shrugs. He doesn't understand any of it. Ghosts, magic. It's all foreign to him.

"They seemed genuinely concerned about my well being, at least."

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Pencil in hand, Viatorus is quick to jot down the names of each under their respective images. He's so focused on taking down the information with hands that are much too large that he barely hears himself natter on. "Names are invaluable. The power they hold is... almost beyond measure, to the right person."

Names noted, he lifts a hand to rub the back of his neck, turning his mind to the matter of explaining this. "When we dream... we are free from so many distractions, even our own consciousness is quietened. That's how you were able to meet these beings. Unless you know what to look for, and how to, they are very difficult to meet in the waking world. As far as I've observed, they can't affect Naugus much at all except by emphasising certain emotions. Not when he's awake."

Viatorus lets his hand fall and leans forward to reassure Jim. "You mustn't worry, they can't harm you. Whatever Naugus has done keeps them where they are. They might give you some nightmares, but I have remedies for that."

"But..." A frown crosses his features then and his voice takes on a warning tone. "You mustn't trust them either. Beings like that... They'll trick you. They will do anything they can to get what they want. Sometimes they just want fear, sometimes they want a body. You are stronger than them, but you must remember that, and not to allow them anything. I have tea that will give you dreamless sleep. I'm going to ask you to ignore them. After I'm returned to my own body I'll talk to Naugus about it. But until then, please don't tell him, and please don't listen to them."

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"So we're finding solutions for being possessed thanks to Schon, and you've got being haunted covered. This is good news. But I'll be honest, I"m more worried about Naugus than I am his headprison full of spirits." Jim sighs and rubs at his right temple with his one functional hand.

"They're Ixis too, I'm not trusting them." Jim reassures Viatorus. The more he talks to folks, the more opinions he's getting that these spirits are no good. Maybe Ixis did lock them up there, but if they're Ixis too, maybe they're just as bad as he is, if not worse.

It certainly seems plausible enough. One Ixis is enough trouble. Four is just goddamn ridiculous.

"Sure, whatever you suggest. I won't tell him. I've been trying to avoid him best as I can until this blows over." Jim pauses, gives Viatorus a long look. "Thank you. You had plenty of reason to not want to help me, so....thanks. Sorry I was rude to you the only other time we met."

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"Being possessed?" Viatorus blinks at Jim in surprise. "Did they threaten they would possess you too?"

It doesn't make sense for them to. They tried the nice angle first with him, he's sure they would do the same with Jim. But... threats don't seem implausible either... After a moment's thought he's certain possession isn't a real threat for Jim, but it's still alarming to hear.

The apology is met with a small smile and a shake of his head. "It's alright. Dreams are personal things. I understand why people wouldn't want to talk about them to a stranger, but I also would hate to leave someone worrying about their dreams. I'm happy to share what I know, if I'm asked."

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"They didn't, no. They were only ever kind to me, if not desperate sounding." Jim rubs at the back of his squat neck and sighs. He really really wants his own body back. "They said Ixis could do it anytime he wanted once we got swapped back. And Ixis himself kept saying he's possessed bodies before, and he had no qualms about killing mine if it annoyed him too much...."

There's a weak shrug from the captain-in-a-goblin's-body.

"It just seems like every time I think this swap might not be the end of the world, something else comes up."

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That... was not the response he'd expected. Viatorus is silent for a long moment as he slowly tidies away the papers and thinks. He doesn't believe Naugus would do that to Jim, but... everything will become uncertain after he talks to Naugus about his dreams. So, instead of reassurances, Viatorus settles on some advice.

He hesitantly meets the captain's eyes and talks gently, quietly. "If you do... get possessed..... Fight. Hold onto yourself. Your memories, your thoughts... Hold onto them and don't let go. Know yourself." He breaks his gaze to look at his bag, closing it up as a helpful distraction. "You have plenty of friends here who can help you if that happens."

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A knock at the door is promptly answered by Schön stepping to it from the other room. "It's about time," he snaps to the deliverybeing, before stepping outside and closing the door to see to the matter of dumpling transactions and late penalties.

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"Oh Schon, we're about done in here if you guys want to come back." Jim gives a grateful smile Viatorus' way as though to confirm it.

"Thank you. I really mean it. Once we get the body swap thing sorted out, let me buy you a drink. I owe you at least that much for coming out in the middle of the night to deal with me." He'd be even more grateful that Viatorus came if he knew the recent events between him and Verity.

He'll have to ask Schon and Verity what they'd like. Schon seemed to enjoy that drink he'd brought to thank him for the Samhain ball, but Jim doesn't want to do the same thing twice. This is a much more healthy line of thought than previous lines he's had this evening.

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Verity's leaning in the doorway, watching but not joining the scene until invited. Familiar territory for her. With Schön having stepped out and Jim not needing to deal with it, she's going to just stay here so V doesn't freak out again.

It's safer that way.

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"It's quite alright. I'm always happy to help a concerned dreamer."

The sudden reappearance of Schön and Verity has him looking between everyone and then ducking his head as he roots out something from his bag. A small paper bag and a pen. After he jots something down on the bag, he hands it over to Jim.

"Some tea to help keep the dreams away. Verity knows how to make it. I've put my number down there in case you need me again." He tucks the pen away again and does another glance around the room, his gaze falling especially quickly from Verity. "I-If that's all I can help with, I should leave you to enjoy your food."

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"-inexcusable, it isn't as if there are that many sphinx-based row-houses in this part of the Nexus, and what sort of fool tries to take a shortcut? Those never work." The door opens again, admitting Schön and a brown paper bag in which reside a family of take-out containers. He sighs, nudging it closed with a foot. "Well, triumph at least, we have our feast." He's just in time to have missed Viatorus' announced intention to depart.

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Jim doesn't want to keep Viatorus any later than he already has especially since the man seems eager to get back, presumably to Harrowheart and that kid they've all been swapped with. He gives the dream walker a grateful wave in farewell as he's getting up to go.

"I uh...I think I've got most everything sorted out on my end." Jim pipes up, poking at the bag of dream-free tea. "Viatorus gave me some tea and some advice on the whole possession front, too, so there's much less to be worried about." Verity gets a glance and a smile, as does Schon in turn. "So...late night snack time?"

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Verity shrinks back into the shadows of the doorway after V's made it clear he's too uncomfortable to be around her. Not even the promise of her favorite Chinese food can coax her out right now.

"That's the tea I made you before," she points out to Jim, quietly enough to go unheard or ignored. "It'll be good for you."

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He's certainly not going to sit around watching everyone eat pretending that he's in his own body and nothing has happened, enduring awkward silences instead of conversations that can't be had before he apologises to Verity privately. No, better to leave everyone to settle down and become comfortable without his awkward presence.

"I'll say goodnight to you all then. I hope you sleep better in future Jim. Call me if you need me." He tips his head to Verity, unwilling to bridge the gap that she's putting between them just now. "Verity." And then he tries a smile for Schön, since his hands are rather full to go offering a handshake. "It was nice to meet you, Schön. I only wish it were under better circumstances."

"Enjoy your meal," he says before heading to the door.

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