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[h1][color=yellow][b][u]Karamir[/u][/b][/color][/h1]
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FP:06 MP:03
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Karamir’s eyes jutted awake from a nightmare. Cold sweat condensed on his skin and his eyes frantically flickered around. The feeling of dread followed him into the land of the waking. A disturbing face hung from the sky, staring down at him hungrily, fangs dripping. Karamir went to move, but he couldn’t. A cold horror cracked through his veins and he could see Diana sitting idly in the corner, picking at a nail as if none of this was happening. He went to shout at her, but his jaw didn't move, he was paralyzed and sleep had found its way to the land of the awake. 

His heart began to pound, shaking his chest as the shadowy horrors swarmed around him, the jaws inching ever closer with its rancid breath and dirty teeth. He could feel his limbs going weak and then all at once, he regained control of his body. A scream belted from him as the horrors blinked out of existence. 

Diana looked up from her nail and smiled wide, “A pleasant nap, I presume?” Heliopolis had yet to even break the sky, the dawn still a rotted purple. 

Karamir waited for his breathing to slow down to a reasonable level, and then he looked Diana in the eye. [color=yellow]”Indeed it was,”[/color] he answered coldly. It had been several days now, and he had decided he would no longer give her the satisfaction of listening to him protest or complain. She was playing a game, he realized. And no doubt, she knew that he realized, which added another layer of frustration to the whole thing. She would know that he knew [i]that[/i] as well, and the cycle just didn’t end. How could you win against a creature that can see inside your head, when you can’t see inside theirs?

“I suppose you can’t,” Diana answered the thought, “But if there weren’t any useless beings in the world, well then we would all be useless, hm?” She smiled wide, and flicked a dimissive hand “Oh come, I’m just being fun.”

Karamir suppressed a groan. Her fun came at his expense, he had long since realized. No matter. They would not stay in the open ocean forever. They would reach land eventually, and he could leave. Until then, he just had to endure. He could handle pain. He wondered how cruel this K’nell must be, if she was one of K’nell’s creations.

Diana seemed to suddenly frown, muttering something about being rude before slipping that tiny orb she has out of her hidden dress pocket. She propped it on her lap and stared happily down at it.

[color=yellow]”What does that do, exactly?”[/color] he asked, gesturing toward the orb. [color=yellow]”Other than nightmares?”[/color]

“Oh! It’s wonderful, come here and see,” She gestured to him, her witching eyes watching his every move.

Mentally bracing himself, Karamir reluctantly moved closer, already preparing himself for whatever might come next. He found a spot next to Diana, but no matter which way he tried to position himself, he couldn’t get comfortable, the umbrella seemingly working against him. She leaned towards him with the orb, a terrible smell emitting from it and causing his throat to clench dryly. Inside he watched pigmen gnaw on each other, fighting for what could have been a slaughtered child. They were grotesque figures with three fingers and cloven feet, each with a pair of yellow eyes that almost matched Diana’s in making Karamir unsettled. Her smile widened, and he could see something stuck between her incisors and canine.

Karamir sighed. He wasn’t disgusted, nor frightened. In truth he had expected something worse. This was just a handful of beasts fighting over a meal. He felt a strange sense of what almost seemed like... disappointment? He could not explain why - if anything, he should be feeling relief that it wasn’t as bad as he expected. Was he growing used to this?

Diana snatched the orb away from his vision and frowned, “You don’t have to pretend to like it if you don’t like it, that’s just bad manners.”

[color=yellow]”I’m not pretending anything. I just expected something more,”[/color] Karamir answered with a shrug.

There was an audible gasp and Diana slanted her brows, “If you have something to say, then say it!”

[color=yellow]”This is underwhelming compared to everything I have seen in the past few days,”[/color] Karamir informed her honestly. She could see inside his mind anyway, so there was little point hiding the truth. [color=yellow]”I suppose I’m getting used to it.”[/color]

“Oh dear,” Diana turned away and bit her finger-knuckle in thought. Karamir shrugged and glanced toward the horizon, where the first few rays of Heliopolis were beginning to emerge. Minutes began to tick away, but Diana stayed in her silent stupor, the heavy rays breaking over the hem of the umbrella. 

Karamir remained where he was, doing his best to ignore the discomfort beneath him, and uncertain as to what would happen next. Timed seemed to keep slipping and before he knew it the silence grew loud and heavy, just like the heat. For some reason it felt worse than usual, and when it came time to drink, Diana was still thinking in silence.

Wordlessly, Karamir tapped her on the shoulder, to see if that would provoke a response. Diana seemed to huff and slap his hand away, her eyes narrowing, “How dare you.” She suddenly turned on him. She stood up and put one hand on the handle of the umbrella, “I’m trying to think.”

[color=yellow]”I need water,”[/color] Karamir said, his voice coming out as a raspy croak.

“And I need some conflict and chaos…” She thought for a moment, “In peace and quiet!” With a sudden jerk of her hand the umbrella tipped wildly to its side, dumping the thirsty man into the ocean. 

Karamir’s hand shot out, and somehow he was able to grab the umbrella’s edge, his fingers cramping at the uncomfortable angle. His head was underwater, so he attempted to pull himself upward. To his horror, his pulls seemed to only tug the umbrella down with him, a gurgling sound coming from the now hazy image of Diana who stood over him.

Karamir felt a sense of desperation as the water choked him, and he gradually started to lose his grip. [color=yellow][i]Kalmar…. Kalmar I’m in danger…[/i][/color] he found himself praying.

Suddenly the world tipped and water drained from his ears as he flopped back onto the umbrella. A smiling Diana stood over him, a cackle on her lips, “That’s so sweet of you,” She charmed, “You really aren’t used to it after all.”

Karamir did not answer, because a gruff voice soon pierced his thoughts. [color=orange][i]What danger? Where are you?[/i][/color] Kalmar’s voice spoke within his head.

[color=yellow][i]Nothing… nevermind…[/i][/color] Karamir found himself answering. If Kalmar did come to rescue him now, he would have to explain how exactly he ended up in this situation, and why he put up with it for so long. That… he did not want to go through.

Diana put the black teacup on his chest as he laid there in his thoughts. She hummed to herself wickedly, “It is rather hard to find new things to do on this umbrella, I must agree.”

Carefully, Karamir retrieved the black teacup with two hands. Without spilling a single drop, he rose to a sitting position, sniffed the liquid, and then took a reluctant sip. He found it lukewarm, but fresh. For some reason, it was slightly slimy and went down his throat in a funny tickle, but otherwise replenished his thirst. 

With a soft ‘foo!’ Diana returned to her usual spot and sat, dress blossoming around her, “I have to say, this will not do. Not for much longer.”

Without any words, Karamir continued to take light sips of the drink. He had learned that it was better to take gradual sips than to down it all at once, since it made it feel as though he was drinking more than he actually was. [color=yellow]”What do you have in mind?”[/color] he finally asked her.

“I’m not sure,” She tapped her chin, “Landing somewhere, getting out of this umbrella, meeting new people, making new friends. You understand.”

[color=yellow]”Oh? I’m not good enough?”[/color] Karamir asked rhetorically.

“Oh dear,” She waved her hands, “What a terrible thing to suggest, of course you aren’t.” She sneered, “How silly.”

Karamir stared back at her and began to think. She had consistently and repeatedly abused and terrorized him during his stay on the umbrella. Yet at the same time, she had also saved his life, providing him food and drink. She did so scarcely, at irregular hours, yet somehow that had made it both taste better and feel more fulfilling than anything he had ever consumed. She was indeed playing a game, and if the game was continuing, then of course she would say that. He gave a thin smile. [color=yellow]”If you say so…”[/color]

“Oh but I do,” She nodded, “You’re much too needy and far too confident.”

[color=yellow]”Aren’t those two traits in conflict with each other?”[/color]

“And the questions,” She clenched her teeth into a grin, “Such a little simpleton, aren’t we?” 

Karamir finished his drink, and looked down at the cup. [color=yellow]”I shouldn’t ask what this actually is, then?”[/color]

“Oh fluff,” She rolled her eyes, “That’s a cup!”

[color=yellow]”So it is,”[/color] Karamir agreed, deciding not to press what he had actually meant. [color=yellow]”Where will we be landing?”[/color]

“A question for time” Diana winked, the motion seeming awkward as a salty crust fell from her lashes. She sat back against the wall of the umbrella and mused, “But I hope it’s unbearable.”

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[hider=Post Summary]
Karamir wakes up after another nightmare. After several days at sea, he feels he has begun to grow used to Diana’s antics. She shows him a grisly image inside the orb, but Karamir is unimpressed. When he tells her he has gotten used to it, she falls into a silence for several hours. Eventually he tries to get her attention, and she responds by tipping the umbrella into the ocean.

He barely manages to hold on, and only when he becomes panicked enough to start praying to Kalmar does Diana finally decide to let him back on. She gives him water and a conversation ensues, with Karamir realizing that, although she had been cruel and abusive, her actions were ultimately helpful in a way.

Diana then decides that they need to find somewhere to land, but she does not reveal the destination.
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[hider=Might Summary]
[u]K'nell:[/u]
1mp spent on aura of misery. When close to Diana, it’s nigh impossible to get comfortable. 
⅕ for misery port, 4.5/5 nightmare port
Ending with 2MP and 6FP
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