Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

[faileas]

Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

I. Boaltinn (1st - 3rd) Boaltinn comes around again. A handful of Mirrorbound will remember the holiday from last year, but for others, it will be brand new. In both Residential Districts, bonfires burn in central locations through the night, frequented by the residents celebrating another summer come to Aefenglom. Curiously, while last year the bonfires seemed quite segregated by human or Monster, this year, there is more of a noticeable mix at each, and Mirrorbound are invited to join the games and festivities quite happily. Characters are invited to try and jump through the bonfire's flames to burn away any poor relationship experiences, be it romantic or platonic, past or present; to aid them in this, those at the Eastern Bonfire will give those participating rune-etched accessories to protect them from the fire. The city has quite a bit to offer for this holiday: shared rose baths at public bathhouses and pleasure establishments that increase feelings of friendliness and talkativeness, poles draped in ribbons meant to be danced around, wrapping a ribbon around the pole to bring good luck for the summer, food stalls whose offerings are meant to be shared, and fortune-telling set up by Divination students of the Coven, who can tell your day is going to go. To see last year's Boaltinn prompts, you can take a glance right here! Much of it, including the bonfires, baths, and entertainments will be similar this year, so feel free to use those in your top levels.

II. An Unusual Arrival (3rd on) A full year from the arrival of the first group of Mirrorbound, the 1st passes quietly, with no one showing up in the mirror-lined halls of the Looking-Glass House. Dates and times are important in most kinds of magic, and this is strange enough that some Witches of the Coven get together on the night of the 3rd to try a probing ritual, attempting to gather some kind of clues that could be useful in prying out the cottage's secrets. Boaltinn is the best time for such things, when the boundaries are thinner, and magic is stronger. Those who are awake that night at 3 am might notice a pulse of harmless silvery light that spreads like ripples on water throughout the whole city, originating at the Looking-Glass House, but nothing further happens, and the Coven receives no answers. Well, nothing happens in the Looking-Glass House. Before long, the reports start coming in: people are emerging from mirrors, regular old mundane mirrors, all over the city. Anything with a particularly reflective surface could be an entry point for someone from another world! Inhabited homes, businesses closed and locked for the night, pools of still water in fountains or the river, these unorthodox Mirrorbound pop up anywhere and everywhere, causing chaos for the City Guard (folks aren't happy to find strangers in their bathrooms at 3 in the morning) and the Coven both. Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. If you are one of these unfortunate arrivals, it's likely a rude awakening for you, to find yourself somewhere inconvenient, somewhere other than where you've been. It only makes sense to be confused. Hopefully someone finds you and explains to you what's happened to you. Resident Mirrorbound will hear a message from Miss Nessie shortly after it begins, a call to arms: "Dears, I'm quite sorry to disturb you, but it seems your fellows are arriving elsewhere than the Looking-Glass House this month! We're trying to track them all down for the usual welcome, but we could use a hand or several! If you could just bring them by the Coven, the usual spot, that would be lovely." She'll give her usual orientation and pass out Watches, but no doubt the Mirrorbound will be more helpful in this regard, with so many arriving.

III. The Goblin Market (All Month) Life goes on in Aefenglom, despite the addition of so many new residents. With the City Guard decidedly busy dealing with the sudden flood of break-ins (or, more accurately, break-outs?), the vendors of the Goblin Market find opportunity to set up their stalls more openly than they have since the crack-downs some months ago. They pop up all over the city, but clustered more often in the Residential Districts and the Harbor District, where there are even fewer law enforcement agents out and about to run them off. These sellers, while not as devoid of morals as those major players of the Black Market, still have very few compunctions when it comes to lying, cheating, fencing stolen goods, and misrepresenting their wares to unsuspecting buyers. It's also the place to find those things that are- not quite legal, shall we say. They won't say a word if you don't. If confronted, they are quick to pack up their things and slip away, however; they know this city and its hiding places a lot better than you do. With a brand new batch of what the natives assume are Mirrorbound, many undergoing rapid transformations into their Monster forms, many of the wares on display are potions: supposed cure-alls for aches and itches, calming draughts for the full moon restlessness, some even claim their brews can halt changes entirely! Some concoctions are meant to increase a Witch's magical ability, or decrease it, or provide them a finer control. They offer potions that they say will eliminate the need for a Bond, or temporary Bonding potions of their own that they claim are more pure, stronger, than the ones offered by the Coven. Claims are only claims, though. A few remedies for the pain of changing or some regular temporary Bonding potions can be found here and there, but for every potion that works, there are twenty more that have less than pleasant side effects. A brew that will cause everything you touch to turn to solid gold for up to an hour; a potion that will invert your sense of direction - trying to turn right will make you turn left, trying to go forward will cause you to walk backward; a potion that will remove all traction from your feet, causing you to slide around as if cobblestone are the slickest ice. Worse, some shadier vendors sell things more sinister, including a potion that gives you the appearance of being moderately to heavily infected by the Cwyld. Even if you don't drink any, the vendors are not at all careful where they're sloshing those bottles around, trying to show them off, and they all activate on skin contact.

IV. A Wilde Hunt (7th - 22nd) All Mirrorbound, temporary or not, are likely to feel it. Monsters are always affected by the full moons, but this month, it is more. Stronger. Instincts rise to the surface as the Sisters emerge full and visible in the night sky, and for many Mirrorbound, they are undergoing rapid transformations into whatever type of Monster they are meant to be. Curiously, the natives get along like they usually do, noticing nothing out of the norm, other than the increased agitation and restlessness from Mirrorbound Monsters. Monsters' aggression fades when the Sisters start to wane, but as the new moons approach on the 22nd, Mirrorbound Witches will notice their magical reserves overfilling, and will find themselves stricken with the overwhelming urge to use it, until casting spells, pushing one's magical limits, is almost a compulsion. Those who are not in proper Witch-Monster Bonds will feel it even stronger, with no stabilizing magic to consume (for Monsters) or avenues to expend magic (for Witches) other than casting spells. (For those who are interested, the Coven does offer temporary Bonding potions which can be used to help alleviate the effects somewhat.) The Coven Witches notice the signs, and they take decisive action on the morning of the 6th, the day before the full moons. So many Mirrorbound, likely to be so heavily affected by the lunar cycle this month, many of them coming into new features and abilities at a breakneck pace, only spells danger for the city. They barricade off a massive chunk of Wilde outside Aefenglom, largely free of Cwyld and totally bereft of farms, homes, and Wilder outposts. They invite anyone who feels the effects of the moons too strongly to control to come out for a Hunt. The hunting grounds will be open nightly to anyone who needs to work off restless energy or overflowing magic; all participants will be warned that their safety cannot be guaranteed from others, but they won't be able to harm bystanders out here. The woods are thick, with the river cutting through them, and full of wildlife. There is room to run and chase prey, or room to play with your developing magic. Play cat and mouse with your friends or Bondmates, or stalk a stranger. If playing games isn't your thing, there is something else to hunt out here as well. With the deep Wilde entering into Winter, this patch of land so close to the city is much warmer, and fearsome Shades have emerged to search for prey. These were once living beings, Monsters, Witches, or animals, who have been overtaken by Cwyld infection long ago, leaving them dead but for the infection, white-eyed and seeking out sources of magic to consume and infect. Anything could become a Shade, but the most common out right now are the ferocious remains of bears, wolves, and nomadic Arachne and Turnskins. If not killed, these Shades threaten the people of the Outer City, when they inevitably escape the barricade. Careful to limit your contact, though; anyone infected upon their return to the gates will be escorted straight to the infirmary.

Welcome to May's Fourth Wall event, An Inauspicious Arrival! The comms are now open to comments from all registered users and will be until June 1st. Current players, if you don't want fourth wall characters tagging your posts, just say so in your text. Fourth wall characters can use this post for their own network top-levels, or this post for log top levels. This event is game canon; threads from this fourth wall can be used as application samples later and current players may use these threads for AC. As always, be courteous to each other! Let the mod team know if there are any problems and we will handle things.

As always, please direct your questions to this thread!

Comments

[unsundered]

"The river," he says, tone flat, apparently cursed to repeat parts of Hythlodaeus' replies in order to truly comprehend them. But as he takes in the rest of it, his frown turns more thoughtful.

An answer that did make a glimmer more sense than the man having decided to jump in the nearest body of water as his first act on a sudden transference to a new world. So he had just- manifested there?

"Well, I suppose I'm unsurprised to find that you would take the unorthodox method of arrival. Normally there's a mirror involved," as though a statement like that makes any more sense, "but apparently the surface of the water will also do."

But how did that even work? If the mirrors were a tie to this world, did that make Hythlodaeus tied to the river, somehow? Something very strange was afoot. And occasionally ariver.

[purposefulnonsense]

"So it was a mirror you arrived through? Of that I am glad, my friend." As much as he teases his friend, the thought of him enduring the same situation — deeply disoriented, water-logged, struggling without assistance — to be an unpleasant one. No, 'tis better that he arrived some other way.

"How do you feel?" Even as he is, damp in body and dampened in his senses, he thinks not to voice his own personal lamentations. Not when his friend may yet be suffering from the same. Or in this case, the latter.

Hades had looked so tired, too, when he approached. As though he had not gotten enough rest, or something was weighing upon him. Naturally, Hythlodaeus is curious. Naturally, Hythlodaeus is going to bother him until he feels that his friend is all right, or at least until he is a fair degree better.

[unsundered]

"'Tis nothing to be glad for, this place is...."

Complicated. A statement he allows to trail off, then shakes his head, gesturing sharply as though to dismiss further comment. Nothing was straightforward, even less so than it had seemed on his first arrival, for reasons beyond hassle, beyond his initial impressions. For reasons beyond the world itself, despite the frustration of having his powers stripped of him. With duty halted, and the future waiting for him- how did he feel?

His expression darkens at the question, a warning that near-borders on a threat. How he was feeling, was, apparently, not up for discussion. Or for politely concerned commentary. "I've been here for months," is the eventual reply, neutral with an edge to it, "and my initial impression of it has not changed. You could say I've not enjoyed the experience."

Which doesn't even begin to cover... anything, but he seems disinclined to try.

[purposefulnonsense]

Ever the perceptive one, Hythlodaeus takes note of his friend's sudden change in demeanor; a fair step beyond the man's usual prickliness, the thought crosses his mind that there may actually be malice in his expression.

That bodes no good. No good at all. Now he is even more determined to help. "I take it that you are not comfortable speaking at length on the matter..." His shoulders drop ever so slightly, his expression growing softer, full of empathy for his beleaguered friend. "Very well. If such is the case, then tell me, what may I do to help lighten your burden? Save for, of course, letting you remain alone..."

Months, his mind supplies in the background of his thoughts; Hades has been here for months. It hardly seems possible, given how recently Hythlodaeus saw him. Yet he seems to have adapted to walking amongst the more diminutive population. That in itself speaks to him having spent some measure of time there.

It pains him to think that his friend may have been suffering in his absence.

[unsundered]

"The one thing I'd ask for from you, and you already move to deny me," he answers with a huff, though he makes an effort to settle back down to his usual levels of aggravation at Hythlodaeus' presence. And... despite the words, Emet-Selch didn't want to leave him alone either. His first real connection to the old world, the true world, in so long- someone long broken apart with all the rest, and to see him again here, in this impossible place....

While he wasn't moved to a feeling of gratitude, nor did he wish to lose him again. Knowledge that does little to improve his mood, though he only sighs. Waves dismissively.

"But there's little you nor any other can do for me here," he admits with more honesty than the Ascian really intended. "More pressingly- how are you faring, dragged here so suddenly? As I'm sure you've noticed, the modern world is not made for ones of our original- that is, of your stature. Nor have our abilities made the journey here alongside us."

[purposefulnonsense]

"I have noticed that," he concurs amicably, even though it is more than a touch unsettling to suddenly find himself without the sight he so enjoyed. "Moreover, I am wet, the river seems to have been lacking in its upkeep--" meaning, of course, that it was filthy, "--and I have not yet the means to change into another set of robes, given my present inability to create new ones." Finding a place private enough for someone of his size to change is an issue, too. "Yet I have your company, and so I am content."

As inconvenient as the rest of it is, Hythlodaeus truly seems unbothered by it. He's very much a glass-half-full person. Not even Hades' protestation that he would wish to be let alone manages to dampen his mood or disturb him significantly. Then again, he knows his friend well enough to know that if he truly wished to be alone, he would already be leaving by now. And he has not, so obviously, obviously that means he really wants his company and is just being contrary about it.

It's rather charming, really.

"And... well, if nothing else will bring you cheer, I daresay you may find some amusement in my efforts to get through the doorways in this place!"

[unsundered]

It was an assessment Emet-Selch could guess at, and that it was wholly accurate kept the frown so very fixed on his face. How troublesome it had been to realize that he apparently sought out this kind of burdensome company. Those that were clever and friendly and undaunted by his prickly habits. What a terrible fate.

But he can't help but snort at the mention of doorways; the imagery was a bit amusing, he had to admit (inwardly). "'Tis interiors at all that will continue to plague you, I fear. There's few buildings with ceilings that will even begin to accommodate. How long will that most tiresome cheer remain after being locked into a hunched position for a spell, I wonder."

Not that Emet-Selch was really one to speak when it came to bad posture.

But he had no trouble believing that Hythlodaeus would have an easier time adapting to this place than many others, purely due to that stubbornly optimistic force of will. Despite the physical issues, despite the loss of abilities so great and intrinsic to them, he had few concerns when it came to the man finding his way here. ...Not that he'd be concerned at all, anyway, of course.

Though it's in a more grudging tone, he does continue. "Were this somewhere private I could conjure new robes for you while your current set dries. Insufficient as it is, this world has seen fit to provide me with its own version of magic. While a poor replacement for concept creation, I have specialized in a field for the calling of objects...."

Speaking of terrible fates.... well, I'm sure you see that thread with Mettaton~

[purposefulnonsense]

Ah... it will be difficult to navigate, he supposes, if he is to be expected to go inside of the little buildings on a regular basis. That is to say, if he even manages to fit inside, for surely many of the small buildings are apt to have even smaller rooms within.

It suddenly occurs to him that it is entirely possible that he will have to spend a significant quantity of his time outdoors. Hopefully the weather will not be too harsh on him.

Still, he is not too bothered. He will manage somehow, he is sure. And even if it should prove troublesome, he still has his friend. Though they have a sudden and rather mysterious difference in size between them, and Hades is yet again carrying burdens that will have to be teased out of him over a period of some time, it does not feel as though so much has changed between them. Hades is still grumpy, and he is still attempting to coax him into the ability to smile a smile from the heart, as ever.

The snort of amusement is an acceptable middle-ground. Nay, a small victory on his part!

Even more touching to the heart is the sentiment of wanting to help. Though clad in the customary grumbling, if perhaps also a dash of resentment towards their unfortunate predicament, the offer of assistance moves him so deeply that his smile becomes positively radiant. "I am grateful for the thought regardless, Hades. Yet you do have a point! It would be most awkward were I to disrobe in public."

I saw...! that meeting is the exact opposite of what emet wanted to happen

[unsundered]

A pity it wasn't still Winter, Emet-Selch muses. Then the encouragement towards staying indoors would be greater, and Hythlodaeus could suffer in a mild and ultimately harmless sort of way. How unfortunate that the weather was turning towards the warm. How fortunate, perhaps, that he chooses not to express this thought, for all that he doubted that it would manage to offend.

"Well, insufficiently sized as it will inevitably be, there is plenty of housing available for all those of us displaced from our worlds," he says with a faint shrug. "Unsuitable as it is, I'm sure you'll manage something. Until then, you'll just have to endure an unknown number of hours of damp."

River-water-damp, for that matter. How terrible.... Though the Ascian is disinclined to volunteer either of his households for shelter.

Just wait until he finds out that his new friend and his bff are together in *that* way.

[purposefulnonsense]

"Of course." Hythlodaeus replies, cheer undiminished even under the threat of prolonged discomfort. It will be fine, in the end. His clothes would eventually dry. "If I should manage to locate a dwelling of sufficient size to stay in, though, I fully expect for you to visit."

Or else Hythlodaeus will come find him, and then take him back for a proper tour, subjecting him to an even longer period of his company. Which suits Hythlodaeus perfectly fine, as he thoroughly enjoys spending time with his friend. Be he normal-sized or be he miniaturized, title or no title, Hades is still Hades.

"I take it you have already found suitable housing for yourself?"

Surely the esteemed Emet-Selch hasn't been without shelter, he thinks. That would be a sad state of affairs. Fortunately, he is confident that such is not the case.

That is even *more* the exact opposite of what Emet wants to happen, which is lovely.

[unsundered]

"If I weren't to visit, you would no doubt take it upon yourself to rectify my good judgement and inconvenience me at your slightest whim. Better to drop in myself, and limit the damage. Who knows, perhaps I'll find you trapped somewhere and requiring extrication. Perhaps I'll even be moved to provide it." Translation: yes, he would like to visit and to also keep an eye on him.

But one way or another, Emet-Selch would undoubtedly find himself back in his friend's company. It was only a matter of pretending to have a choice in how often he would have to endure it.

(A thought that was nearly... reassuring in the way it displeased him. Familiar and reliable.)

"But of course I've shelter of my own," he adds with an idle wave. "Several, in fact. It seems my company is well sought after."

Not- entirely true, but it's how he chooses to interpret events.

Oh hey, guess what happened. ...That's right! Mettaton told him!

[purposefulnonsense]

Mirth stirring at the accuracy of his friend's assessment, Hythlodaeus' smile turns playful, as though to affirm Emet-Selch's voiced suspicions and underscore a hint of promise on following through with them should the impulse strike him. And it will strike him, for it always does.

The notion of Hades coming to his rescue is an added touch. One that comes as a surprise to him. It feels like a rare admission, and in response Hythlodaeus can feel his veins suffusing with a warmth that lingers strong even as the conversation turns towards other subjects.

"As to be expected of one so important! So..." He pauses, deliberate in the creation of that brief period of silence and making not the slightest secret of it as he leans in, ever full of benevolent mischief.

"...which is it that you go to in order to hide away from those who seek your company?"

Somewhere, Emet gets a sudden horrible feeling and has no idea why.

[unsundered]

Hythlodaeus leaning in earns him a point of annoyance (to add to all the others he's collected over the years), viewing it as a way of emphasizing their sudden extreme differences in height. Literally and figuratively looking down at him. It's a fortunate thing he's already frowning, or else Emet-Selch would have to switch to such expressions. That suspicious pause also earn him no favors, raising the Ascian's hackles on pure reflex.

The question, though, when it finally comes, gets a sound from him that's not quite amused, but a sarcastic cousin of it. "Both. That is, if one household makes too many demands on my presence, I may escape to the other. And so, the process repeats."

It would be unavoidable for Hythlodaeus to find them; a thought that pleases him no better, though his tone remains irreverent. "Shall I send you the addresses once you're more settled in, or will you enjoy the hunt? Mayhaps I'll let you try and track me down... who knows, I may gain a few precious weeks to my relative lonesome."

And more importantly: Hythlodaeus not meeting any of his housemates. Mettaton in particular, for all that he's blissfully unaware that such tragedy was inevitable.

How I long to see his reaction to the two of them chatting together! I must do something about that.

[purposefulnonsense]

"Oh, how you wound me!" he replies dramatically, not wounded in the slightest. The smile does not drop, does not even marginally slip from his masked face.

However, he is quick to let up, to allow his friend the shortest of reprieves from his antics.

"Truthfully, I had thought to offer to bring you things while you were hiding away..." From over-stimulation, he imagines, having to deal with so many people vying for his attention. Hades was ever a sensitive soul in his eyes. "...Yet, if you've a mind to make it difficult for me to do so, I suppose I could just offer wherever I should end up staying as an alternative. With a promise to let you have a little peace, should you find yourself over-burdened with stress."

He is all in all well-meaning, behind the veil of playfulness.

"...Though I could track you down, as you so seem to want. Does it warm you, my friend, to think of me seeking you out for weeks upon weeks?" Because of course, Hythlodaeus being Hythlodaeus, he is fully capable of turning the bitterly-worded statement around and re-framing into something else entirely.

oh, that would be delightful

[unsundered]

The newcomer bringing him things and offering him shelter? How- very much like him, Emet-Selch could grudgingly recognize, though only to himself. And it would be an entirely fair judgement to name the Ascian sensitive; what was prickliness and an acerbic demeanor other than a defense? How else could he still be grieving for a people thousands of years dead, and world lost?

"Oh, so you'd grant me clemency from not only others but yourself? How unlike you, to show such consideration for others. Are you sure you're feeling entirely yourself? Inhaled a bit too much river water on your tumble into this world?"

It's something of an unfair statement, and Emet-Selch is fully aware of it; as irritating as Hythlodaeus could be, inserting himself into his affairs regardless of his own preferences, he did know to back off a little when necessary. It was a difficult balance to strike, and one that his friend was unfortunately capable of- and contrarily, another source of mild ire.

But in the end Emet-Selch only huffs a breath. "And I suspect I will live in a state of mild disquiet, never knowing when you'll finally turn up. Truthfully, that thought's nearly worse. But I'll permit you your chase."

As though it weren't the Ascian being coy about giving out his locations.

I... may have hit up Mettaton's network post.

[purposefulnonsense]

"Hmn." Hythlodaeus hums with a healthy measure of amusement, the sound paired with a fond expression as he lifts his hand before his face, smiling behind the curves of loosely closed fingers. "Well, you do know how to bring an end to that disquiet of yours should you end up worrying too much." Telling him a proper location and meeting time would be an easy fix. Perhaps too easy for his friend, in the end.

Still, it's plain to see that the man was capable of making an adjustment or two. Quite literally plain to see, given his appearance. Though Hythlodaeus is not privy to the reality of how and why Emet-Selch has taken on such a shape, it does seem rather convenient to have in a place like this, where everything and everyone seems to be small, save for the wall that sticks up in the not-too-distant distance.

"How is it, by the way, moving about in that form?"

/zooms in

[unsundered]

His frown only maintains its precision at the first, accompanied by a dismissive shake of his head. The Ascian was already disquieted, might as well extend the moment. Perhaps he'd get used to it. Just one more thing to be uncomfortable about in a life of misadventure.

The question, though, is at least a distraction, earning Hythlodaeus a shrug. "Hm? Oh, 'tis practical for getting around, I'll have to admit. It functions much the same as my original form, only on a smaller scale. Apart from the loss of magic here, it's... similar."

As for why he had this new body at all, Emet-Selch does not volunteer. Instead, he considers his friend with a tilt of his head. "You might consider finding yourself a witch learned in transmutation. Someone to lower your stature a bit... unfortunately, 'tis not a specialty of mine."

Theater tags are alluding to a special gift I planned for. Look forward to it!

[purposefulnonsense]

Unaware of the history he has not lived, Hythlodaeus is only left with the erroneous supposition that his friend may have himself availed of the services of one skilled in the transmutation of living forms. Yet, what he does not know does not affect his mood. Instead, he focuses on the point of his friend's generosity.

"I shall make the effort to look into it." His smile softens a measure more. "...Thank you, my friend, for looking out for me."

It is unusual, he thinks, for him to be the one watched over. Yet, he finds he doesn't mind it. Not that he would, given his nature, but it is... touching, to think of his friend showing his care in that aloof way of his.

and now my curiosity is piqued....

[unsundered]

It's a completely reasonable conclusion to draw- and a far more realistic option than the reality of how and what Emet-Selch's form consists of and why.

And it was also true enough that he'd rarely been the one to look out for much of anyone like this. A combination of little opportunity, necessity or inclination led to such a result. The Ascian was dutiful, yes, but not particularly thoughtful. And when the world had ended, he'd become even less so; the broken peoples deserved nothing of his regard or consideration. They were something to scorn, not to look after. And so, there had been little chance to show even the slightest concern towards anyone.

So while Emet-Selch's first impulse is to scoff at Hythlodaeus' gratitude, there's a hesitation to it. A moment's pause, the sound weakened into a small huff instead, tone reflecting a tiredness more than a defense. "Someone must, I suppose... and with no one better equipped for it than I, the responsibility falls to myself. It's--"

'--been a long time,' he doesn't say. A flicker of loneliness and grief only, though quickly dismissed.

"Nevermind. I'm sure you'll find a way to fit in, with little trouble for anyone but myself."

Hmnhmn~ You will have to wait for a tag or two!

[purposefulnonsense]

"I promise I shall save my most heartfelt troubles for you." A note of playful teasing is borne upon the words, belying the immense trust he feels towards his closest of friends.

Where Hades hides in sharp words, Hythlodaeus conceals the depth of his feelings with dazzling cheer. Grateful. He is truly grateful. What better person to be lost in this strange place with than him? And what luck that he should see him so soon?

"Naturally, should you feel so inclined, I shall be glad to lend my help in any troubles that ail you... even if they should turn out to be nothing more than want for a quiet place to nap."

He could probably manage to be quiet for a bell or two. Probably.