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deer country | ic inbox
the arms of the ocean are carrying me
the arms of the ocean delivered me
[ text | voice | omen | action ]
the arms of the ocean are carrying me
the arms of the ocean delivered me
[ text | voice | omen | action ]
( Something is wrong. Peter can tell β a quiet alarm registering in him as he takes Luna in, watching her look over his face. His mouth's parting with a soft exhale, his heart skipping an odd, anxious beat. Did something happen? Is she hurt? Maybe someone else is in some kind of trouble, or maybe... someone else has left, yet another precious friend returning to the sea. It seems to be happening a lot lately.
....It isn't her, is it? She isn't compelled to leave him? He knows when it happens, there's no stopping it. Nothing can. You have time to say goodbye, maybe spend another day or two together, but then the sea calls you back.... and you have to go.
The fear of losing Luna strikes like a pinch against Peter's perpetually-raw nerves, and he's swallowing against the nervous tightness in his throat, feeling a hint of the familiar sensation of panic. Thenβ
Dormiens regem.
The boy stiffens on instinct, eyes widening as the words stroke Paimon's spirit, pulling it forth for a moment. But then just as suddenly, the demon's following the command, obeying without question or hesitation, and Peter's body gives a sharp shudder as Paimon pulls himself into a deeper place within, quietly shuts himself down into that subconscious sleep-state. A pair of golden eyes closes, and he's left alone.
Peter gasps quietly, eyelids fluttering for a moment. She's.... sent Paimon into sleep; she doesn't want the demon here for what's going on. Peter's heart is flittering with more anxiety, and then Luna's reaching for him with those trembling hands, mouth gently brushing against his nose in a gentle kiss. He doesn't understand but he's tipping forwards for her all the same, wide-eyed as the girl hugs him so tightly. His arms come up around her to return the embrace, protective as he holds onto her, staring past her shoulder. )
I'm here. It's okay, I'm here. ( His voice is hushed, soft. She seems... shaken. Maybe scared. Something's upset her deeply. A hand lifts, finds the back of her head to gently brush his fingers into her hair. )
What did you see?
....It isn't her, is it? She isn't compelled to leave him? He knows when it happens, there's no stopping it. Nothing can. You have time to say goodbye, maybe spend another day or two together, but then the sea calls you back.... and you have to go.
The fear of losing Luna strikes like a pinch against Peter's perpetually-raw nerves, and he's swallowing against the nervous tightness in his throat, feeling a hint of the familiar sensation of panic. Thenβ
Dormiens regem.
The boy stiffens on instinct, eyes widening as the words stroke Paimon's spirit, pulling it forth for a moment. But then just as suddenly, the demon's following the command, obeying without question or hesitation, and Peter's body gives a sharp shudder as Paimon pulls himself into a deeper place within, quietly shuts himself down into that subconscious sleep-state. A pair of golden eyes closes, and he's left alone.
Peter gasps quietly, eyelids fluttering for a moment. She's.... sent Paimon into sleep; she doesn't want the demon here for what's going on. Peter's heart is flittering with more anxiety, and then Luna's reaching for him with those trembling hands, mouth gently brushing against his nose in a gentle kiss. He doesn't understand but he's tipping forwards for her all the same, wide-eyed as the girl hugs him so tightly. His arms come up around her to return the embrace, protective as he holds onto her, staring past her shoulder. )
I'm here. It's okay, I'm here. ( His voice is hushed, soft. She seems... shaken. Maybe scared. Something's upset her deeply. A hand lifts, finds the back of her head to gently brush his fingers into her hair. )
What did you see?
[ She sinks into the embrace heavily, clings onto him a little too tightly. She doesn't dare shut her eyes, the images of what the Omni had shown her feel seared into her mind's eyes. What she's seen has horrified her in such a singular, painful way. To see him ruthlessly haunted, and hurt.
Now she thinks she knows why he felt so horrible. Why he'd been so upset when she'd come back from the dead, when John had brought her to his home; weak and shaky with illness, but even if the injuries that killed her had been healed, there was nothing done about the mess of bruises and swollen skin about her face. She'd managed to fix the break once she'd woken up again, but the damage had been done. She couldn't do anything to help it. She'd had the same thing done to her as he had to him.
There's a thick swallow, trying to work through words. It takes her a long time to speak, to bring herself to explain it β her voice hushed, trying to find comfort as his fingers find her hair. ]
... I think it was a memory. [ There's a short exhale, a tiny shake of her head. ] I saw you, in a classroom. But it wasn't Deerington. I think it was your school from home.
[ She's seen snatches of his home world before; in the form of his family in various ways, in the memory within his home when his mother performed some kind of ceremony to speak with Charlie. But not this. ]
I saw what he did to youβ what Paimon did to you. [ He won't wake, even if she speaks his name. He's obeyed her command to leave them, to let them speak in private. Perhaps for the best, as tears well in her eyes and she makes a small soft sound of upset. Some upset at Paimon, but most of it for Peter. ]
I didn't realise he'd done it. That he broke your nose.
Now she thinks she knows why he felt so horrible. Why he'd been so upset when she'd come back from the dead, when John had brought her to his home; weak and shaky with illness, but even if the injuries that killed her had been healed, there was nothing done about the mess of bruises and swollen skin about her face. She'd managed to fix the break once she'd woken up again, but the damage had been done. She couldn't do anything to help it. She'd had the same thing done to her as he had to him.
There's a thick swallow, trying to work through words. It takes her a long time to speak, to bring herself to explain it β her voice hushed, trying to find comfort as his fingers find her hair. ]
... I think it was a memory. [ There's a short exhale, a tiny shake of her head. ] I saw you, in a classroom. But it wasn't Deerington. I think it was your school from home.
[ She's seen snatches of his home world before; in the form of his family in various ways, in the memory within his home when his mother performed some kind of ceremony to speak with Charlie. But not this. ]
I saw what he did to youβ what Paimon did to you. [ He won't wake, even if she speaks his name. He's obeyed her command to leave them, to let them speak in private. Perhaps for the best, as tears well in her eyes and she makes a small soft sound of upset. Some upset at Paimon, but most of it for Peter. ]
I didn't realise he'd done it. That he broke your nose.
( Peter can feel something desperate to the tightness of the embrace, and his own squeezes a bit harder in response, one arm curling inwards on Luna while the other hand stays up in the back of blonde curls. He waits, the silence a taut, anxious thing β he's afraid to hear what's caused this, and thenβ
'...I think it was a memory.'
Peter gives a soft sound, a sharp breath drawn inwards. A particular pain needles into his heart, feels like something's burrowed right through him. By now, he's learned that a couple of his own memories have leaked to others; thankfully, they're isolated incidents, and seem to only be to people he knows well, but.... there's a horror spreading through him to think which one Luna might have seen. Was it Mom? Was itβ Charlie? He can barely breathe, though his heart is pounding away suddenly.
Then Luna says it was a classroom, back in his home, and.... Peter's eyes are widening over her shoulder, lips parted softly. She saw.... that, that time. That thing that felt like a nightmare.
He'd watched it play out once, too. Back in Deerington, when the dream had taken him back into one of his memories. Fern had been there with him. Watching it had been.... surreal, and horrifying; seeing himself from the outside, the particular way the demon had worked him. Unable to properly be inside him, wrenching its way in for just that brief moment; it had been so... wrong. He'd been so wrong. Face twisted, limbs caught, trapped and straining against his own skin. He hadn't even looked like himself. And the pain wasβ almost unbearable.
There's another soft sound as he hears the tears in Luna's voice, and Peter's hugging onto her for another moment before he gently eases back a little, just enough so that he can look down at her. She'd seen that, seen that awful thing play out.... seen how he looked and heard the sounds he'd made.
Andβ ....the demon had been inside of her, too. Hurt her, too. Peter wasn't there to see it himself, but he's gotten.... glimpses of it, through dreams sometimes. Through Paimon. It's still almost too horrible a thought for him to comprehend, that botched possession. His most precious person, knowing the white-hot snap of bone between your eyes, the rush of blood, the searing pain so intense it knocks you outβ
Peter gently finds her hands against his own trembling pair and slowly coaxes her to sit down with him on the bottom step, both because he feels a little dizzy, and for some attempt to soothe her. He's wrapping both arms around Luna again, keeping her tucked in close to his body. )
I'm sorry. I'm sorry you saw that. Iβ I never wanted you to.
( As much as she doesn't want him to see certain parts of her past... he doesn't want her to, either. It only hurts the other to see someone they love in so much pain. Peter's silent for a moment, just holding onto Luna and giving uneven little breaths, before he finally speaks up again. He hasn't voiced it like this before, and it comes slow and quiet. )
...It happened the day before I woke up in Deerington. I didn't know what he was. IβI just thoughtβ something was after me. Or that I was going crazy.
My dad came to get me, and I think he thought... I did it to myself.
'...I think it was a memory.'
Peter gives a soft sound, a sharp breath drawn inwards. A particular pain needles into his heart, feels like something's burrowed right through him. By now, he's learned that a couple of his own memories have leaked to others; thankfully, they're isolated incidents, and seem to only be to people he knows well, but.... there's a horror spreading through him to think which one Luna might have seen. Was it Mom? Was itβ Charlie? He can barely breathe, though his heart is pounding away suddenly.
Then Luna says it was a classroom, back in his home, and.... Peter's eyes are widening over her shoulder, lips parted softly. She saw.... that, that time. That thing that felt like a nightmare.
He'd watched it play out once, too. Back in Deerington, when the dream had taken him back into one of his memories. Fern had been there with him. Watching it had been.... surreal, and horrifying; seeing himself from the outside, the particular way the demon had worked him. Unable to properly be inside him, wrenching its way in for just that brief moment; it had been so... wrong. He'd been so wrong. Face twisted, limbs caught, trapped and straining against his own skin. He hadn't even looked like himself. And the pain wasβ almost unbearable.
There's another soft sound as he hears the tears in Luna's voice, and Peter's hugging onto her for another moment before he gently eases back a little, just enough so that he can look down at her. She'd seen that, seen that awful thing play out.... seen how he looked and heard the sounds he'd made.
Andβ ....the demon had been inside of her, too. Hurt her, too. Peter wasn't there to see it himself, but he's gotten.... glimpses of it, through dreams sometimes. Through Paimon. It's still almost too horrible a thought for him to comprehend, that botched possession. His most precious person, knowing the white-hot snap of bone between your eyes, the rush of blood, the searing pain so intense it knocks you outβ
Peter gently finds her hands against his own trembling pair and slowly coaxes her to sit down with him on the bottom step, both because he feels a little dizzy, and for some attempt to soothe her. He's wrapping both arms around Luna again, keeping her tucked in close to his body. )
I'm sorry. I'm sorry you saw that. Iβ I never wanted you to.
( As much as she doesn't want him to see certain parts of her past... he doesn't want her to, either. It only hurts the other to see someone they love in so much pain. Peter's silent for a moment, just holding onto Luna and giving uneven little breaths, before he finally speaks up again. He hasn't voiced it like this before, and it comes slow and quiet. )
...It happened the day before I woke up in Deerington. I didn't know what he was. IβI just thoughtβ something was after me. Or that I was going crazy.
My dad came to get me, and I think he thought... I did it to myself.
[ It doesn't take much to coax her down to sit, not with her own dizziness and the nausea rolling around in her stomach. And she can see his own horror, his realisation of it all. But she doesn't want to move away from him; wanting to keep him close, keep a hold of him. He sits her down with him on the bottom step and she moves in close, grips onto him tightly. Her head ducks in against him, trying to bury face into his shirt. ]
I shouldn't have watched it. [ There's plenty regret in her voice. It feels like too much of an intrusion, having watched the memory. She feels horrible for it. Maybe she could have looked away, turned her Omni off so she didn't have to watch it. ] I just... I could have done something to not see it. I don't know. I'm sorry.
[ There's a little breath, a shuddering exhale. She's miserable in that long silence. She can't answer why she didn't do those things, why she didn't just not watch it. She should have, it wasn't the first time this had happened. But she just... she didn't do anything. ]
I never thought to ask how. Maybe it was just something that happened in Deerington, before I met you. [ Plenty of things happen in Deerington. Merlin knows there's been plenty of injuries between them in their time within the dream. ]
... I suppose you could hardly blame him for thinking such a thing, if he did. [ She wouldn't like to think his father would. But even admittedly, Luna can't say she knows Steve Graham all that well. ] Neither of you could have possibly known what was going on.
I shouldn't have watched it. [ There's plenty regret in her voice. It feels like too much of an intrusion, having watched the memory. She feels horrible for it. Maybe she could have looked away, turned her Omni off so she didn't have to watch it. ] I just... I could have done something to not see it. I don't know. I'm sorry.
[ There's a little breath, a shuddering exhale. She's miserable in that long silence. She can't answer why she didn't do those things, why she didn't just not watch it. She should have, it wasn't the first time this had happened. But she just... she didn't do anything. ]
I never thought to ask how. Maybe it was just something that happened in Deerington, before I met you. [ Plenty of things happen in Deerington. Merlin knows there's been plenty of injuries between them in their time within the dream. ]
... I suppose you could hardly blame him for thinking such a thing, if he did. [ She wouldn't like to think his father would. But even admittedly, Luna can't say she knows Steve Graham all that well. ] Neither of you could have possibly known what was going on.
( Peter keeps Luna close as she buries against him like that, both arms tightening where they're wrapped around her, chin dipping to rest against the side of her head. )
Noβ No, hey. It's okay. You don't have to be sorry. Not to me. ( He tries to reassure her through regret; he can hear it there so miserably in her voice, and he knows it too, too well. He knows exactly how he'd feel if he'd been the one to see some painful memory from Luna's past. It was... difficult enough to see evidence of some of the torment she'd faced back home from her peers. When he'd literally stepped into one of her memories, and it was mostly good, it was golden afternoons and sweet treats, but... it was hard to see even that tiny piece of something bad. Hard to see any ounce of ache from Luna's past. (No wonder Paimon started hissing at those students, in all honesty.......)
But he doesn't want her to regret it. He doesn't want that. Peter gives her a squeeze and presses his nose against her hair for a moment, nuzzling into her like that, exhaling another shaky breath of his own as they wrap themselves in one another, trembling. )
Henry wanted me to see a doctor in Deerington about it, while it was healing. But I was so scared back then. IβI couldn't... trust anybody.
( There's a name he doesn't often say aloud, though he thinks of Henry Coles often. How he'd showed up on her lawn bleeding and so wrong. He'd scared her.
She'd still helped him inside. )
No, you're right. ( A soft sigh, gentle against Luna's hair. Peter closes his eyes for a moment. ) Everything was so wrong. After Charlie. ( The lump in his throat appears so suddenly that it catches him off-guard, and he stutters a little. ) We were all... falling apart. I could barely tell what was real and what wasn't. And I keptβ seeing weird things. Hearing weird things, feeling them. Looking back, I guess... he was after me all that time.
( It's still something Peter's so rarely thought back to. Still flinches away from so sharply. But it's similar incidents that led to him meeting Luna in the first place, he reflects on quietly. )
...When I met you, he was stillβ like that. Getting upset all of a sudden. I think being in classrooms.... set him off.
Noβ No, hey. It's okay. You don't have to be sorry. Not to me. ( He tries to reassure her through regret; he can hear it there so miserably in her voice, and he knows it too, too well. He knows exactly how he'd feel if he'd been the one to see some painful memory from Luna's past. It was... difficult enough to see evidence of some of the torment she'd faced back home from her peers. When he'd literally stepped into one of her memories, and it was mostly good, it was golden afternoons and sweet treats, but... it was hard to see even that tiny piece of something bad. Hard to see any ounce of ache from Luna's past. (No wonder Paimon started hissing at those students, in all honesty.......)
But he doesn't want her to regret it. He doesn't want that. Peter gives her a squeeze and presses his nose against her hair for a moment, nuzzling into her like that, exhaling another shaky breath of his own as they wrap themselves in one another, trembling. )
Henry wanted me to see a doctor in Deerington about it, while it was healing. But I was so scared back then. IβI couldn't... trust anybody.
( There's a name he doesn't often say aloud, though he thinks of Henry Coles often. How he'd showed up on her lawn bleeding and so wrong. He'd scared her.
She'd still helped him inside. )
No, you're right. ( A soft sigh, gentle against Luna's hair. Peter closes his eyes for a moment. ) Everything was so wrong. After Charlie. ( The lump in his throat appears so suddenly that it catches him off-guard, and he stutters a little. ) We were all... falling apart. I could barely tell what was real and what wasn't. And I keptβ seeing weird things. Hearing weird things, feeling them. Looking back, I guess... he was after me all that time.
( It's still something Peter's so rarely thought back to. Still flinches away from so sharply. But it's similar incidents that led to him meeting Luna in the first place, he reflects on quietly. )
...When I met you, he was stillβ like that. Getting upset all of a sudden. I think being in classrooms.... set him off.
[sansa's hair is braided back, a few pieces stick to her forehead with sweat. she looks exhausted. she wears a light grey gress with cap sleeves and embroidered ravens. lady pants sadly on the couch next to her.]
Hallo, Luna, I hope you're well. Since you know very much about the Moon Presence, I was wondering if you knew of anything we could do about the Beast Moon. It seems to be corrupting people badly. From what you've said, this doesn't seem like something that the Moon Presence wish for us. Could she perhaps be angry, or in danger of corruption herself?
Hallo, Luna, I hope you're well. Since you know very much about the Moon Presence, I was wondering if you knew of anything we could do about the Beast Moon. It seems to be corrupting people badly. From what you've said, this doesn't seem like something that the Moon Presence wish for us. Could she perhaps be angry, or in danger of corruption herself?
I intruded.
[ It's uttered weakly in the face of his assurances and she exhales heavily, burying her face a little harder against his shirt. She does feel terrible for it, knowing she could have simply turned it off, not watched it, anything other than watching what was a very terrible and awful memory from home. But she's said it, offered the apology. She's still going to be glum over it all, eyes falling shut with a little groan of sadness as he gently squeezes her and nestles against her.
There's a pause at that, her eyes opening again. Henry wanting him to go see a doctor. Not just the mention of her, someone even Luna admittedly misses in her own small way, but she remembers the conversation she'd had with Ange a little while ago. Peter... going to see someone, if it were possible. ]
... do you ever think you would? Go to a doctor? Perhaps to talk about things? [ She leaves it open for him. In truth, Luna doesn't really know if he'd ever want to. It's hard, with everything. ]
'The sky has lost a star'. [ She utters it softly, sadly. Maybe she's already told him that before, she doesn't remember. ] My dad used to say that when a child died. ... I think I understand why. Where there's supposed to be light, there's only darkness now, and we get lost in the dark.
[ It... would have been too easy for the hands directing Paimon, wouldn't it? Peter was lost in the dark, his parents too. It leaves Luna with a cold feeling in her stomach. ]
I thought he was a curse, like someone had cursed you. [ Her brow furrows slightly as she recalls their first meeting. It had been so strange. ] Something... wild, and powerful. Maybe it was the classroom, maybe he was lost too.
[ No one to guide him, no hands to direct him. Maybe it was easier to lean back on the things he'd done before Peter ended up in Deerington. There's a long silence from her as she mulls it over before she speaks up once more. ]
Is it why you so upset when you first saw me? [ When John had gone to fetch her, brought her round to his place; her face bruised and swollen β death hadn't fixed those injuries. Even through the haze of exhaustion and illness, she remembered how he'd cried out when he'd saw her. ]
Because he'd broken your nose too? He'd done the same to me?
[ It's uttered weakly in the face of his assurances and she exhales heavily, burying her face a little harder against his shirt. She does feel terrible for it, knowing she could have simply turned it off, not watched it, anything other than watching what was a very terrible and awful memory from home. But she's said it, offered the apology. She's still going to be glum over it all, eyes falling shut with a little groan of sadness as he gently squeezes her and nestles against her.
There's a pause at that, her eyes opening again. Henry wanting him to go see a doctor. Not just the mention of her, someone even Luna admittedly misses in her own small way, but she remembers the conversation she'd had with Ange a little while ago. Peter... going to see someone, if it were possible. ]
... do you ever think you would? Go to a doctor? Perhaps to talk about things? [ She leaves it open for him. In truth, Luna doesn't really know if he'd ever want to. It's hard, with everything. ]
'The sky has lost a star'. [ She utters it softly, sadly. Maybe she's already told him that before, she doesn't remember. ] My dad used to say that when a child died. ... I think I understand why. Where there's supposed to be light, there's only darkness now, and we get lost in the dark.
[ It... would have been too easy for the hands directing Paimon, wouldn't it? Peter was lost in the dark, his parents too. It leaves Luna with a cold feeling in her stomach. ]
I thought he was a curse, like someone had cursed you. [ Her brow furrows slightly as she recalls their first meeting. It had been so strange. ] Something... wild, and powerful. Maybe it was the classroom, maybe he was lost too.
[ No one to guide him, no hands to direct him. Maybe it was easier to lean back on the things he'd done before Peter ended up in Deerington. There's a long silence from her as she mulls it over before she speaks up once more. ]
Is it why you so upset when you first saw me? [ When John had gone to fetch her, brought her round to his place; her face bruised and swollen β death hadn't fixed those injuries. Even through the haze of exhaustion and illness, she remembered how he'd cried out when he'd saw her. ]
Because he'd broken your nose too? He'd done the same to me?
[ Luna on the other hand is looking a lot more at ease and comfortable. Granted she hasn't been outside today, but she is very much enjoying the benefits of magic atmospheric charms. Yesterday had been quite trying whilst she worked on getting them up and running, though. ]
Hello, Alayneβ! ... You look a bit fed up. [ Tact? What is that? But she does look quite concerned, her brow furrowing. But she quickly moves on to the other girl's questions β about the moon. ]
Oh. Well, no. [ That's the short answer. But she'll elaborate. ] Unfortunately there's not really anything one can do about the moon. The moon just... is.
Pthumerians acts in ways that are often difficult for Humans to understand. They're not... people. In truth, they don't understand us as much as we don't understand them. [ Thus the whole idea about uniting the two races, creating beings like Julia Sodder. ] I don't think her to be angry, and I don't think a Pthumerian as powerful as her would be in danger of Corruption.
She just... is who she is. The moon brings the tides that offer water to nourish, but it also brings the floods that devastate.
Hello, Alayneβ! ... You look a bit fed up. [ Tact? What is that? But she does look quite concerned, her brow furrowing. But she quickly moves on to the other girl's questions β about the moon. ]
Oh. Well, no. [ That's the short answer. But she'll elaborate. ] Unfortunately there's not really anything one can do about the moon. The moon just... is.
Pthumerians acts in ways that are often difficult for Humans to understand. They're not... people. In truth, they don't understand us as much as we don't understand them. [ Thus the whole idea about uniting the two races, creating beings like Julia Sodder. ] I don't think her to be angry, and I don't think a Pthumerian as powerful as her would be in danger of Corruption.
She just... is who she is. The moon brings the tides that offer water to nourish, but it also brings the floods that devastate.
[sansa smiles tightly.]
That is what the maesters say the moon does, but they also say it's the sun that causes crops to grow. Everything here seems to work differently. Do you think this Beast Moon is her own doing, or do think it's happening in spite of her?
[she frowns now, gently.]
If she's lived among people, she must understand us a little. It would have been very hard to get by, otherwise. When I had to live with people very different to me, I had to learn very quickly what they wanted, otherwise they became very angry. Perhaps it isn't the same, but I do wonder how she came to marry a human man, and what she learned from him.
That is what the maesters say the moon does, but they also say it's the sun that causes crops to grow. Everything here seems to work differently. Do you think this Beast Moon is her own doing, or do think it's happening in spite of her?
[she frowns now, gently.]
If she's lived among people, she must understand us a little. It would have been very hard to get by, otherwise. When I had to live with people very different to me, I had to learn very quickly what they wanted, otherwise they became very angry. Perhaps it isn't the same, but I do wonder how she came to marry a human man, and what she learned from him.
It wasn't your fault. This place... it's like Deerington. It.... shows things. Our pasts. Forces them out.
( Peter says softly, reaching up to give Luna's hair a gentle stroke with his fingers. Trench is so different in so many ways, but something at the core is the same. This place knows them. Knows what's inside them. It can bring it out. Even Corruption is... personal, individualised. Different depending on the person. But there's not an ounce of him that's upset with her for this. He's only sorry she had to see it at all.
The question that comes after a few moments takes him by a quiet surprise, and he sits there for a few moments longer, thinking. A doctor to "talk about things" is... a very particular type of doctor, isn't it. )
I'm not sure. ( He admits, gazing down at the floor. ) I guess... I probably should, someday. Butβ I think I'm scared to.
( There's... a lot he's afraid of, regarding that. Talking about things is still so difficult, and the thought of trusting anyone... He's kept his losses and aches so close to himself for a very long time. )
Have you ever thought about it before? Talking to someone? ( Because he knows Luna has her own demons, her own losses and aches and traumas. )
Your dad had a really good way of putting things. ( He says softly, sadly, giving her another little squeeze at the mention of her father. That's... very much how it feels. Like a light has gone out and it can't ever come back, and the universe itself feels that loss. And then there was the way Charlie had died..... something Peter still can't tell Luna about, not in detail. Not yet. Maybe not ever. It was.. impossible for his family to be anything but broken, after that. They split wide open like a wound. )
Yeah, he used to really... freak out the most in classrooms. That's actually how I really got to know Ben. He um... helped me through a bad time there. Like you did.
( Another name that Peter hasn't voiced aloud in a long, long time. It rubs against his throat a little, makes it feel raw. He swallows, and then Luna's asking something that hurts in a different way. The memory hasn't left him, the severity of it: seeing Luna that way. Slowly, Peter unpeels himself from her a little, only so he can turn to look down at her. A hand gently reaches up to frame her face, thumb brushing over the bridge of her nose, barely touching. He feels like he wants to cry, but he doesn't, just frowns sadly at her, practically whispers the reply. )
Yeah. It was my worst nightmare come true. That he'd.... hurt you, that same way. Seeing you like that... ( His lids flutter slightly and he shudders. )
I've had nightmares about it. I think sometimes we... share them. And I'll.... be seeing it happen, like I'm the one inside you. Like I'm the one hurting you.
( Peter says softly, reaching up to give Luna's hair a gentle stroke with his fingers. Trench is so different in so many ways, but something at the core is the same. This place knows them. Knows what's inside them. It can bring it out. Even Corruption is... personal, individualised. Different depending on the person. But there's not an ounce of him that's upset with her for this. He's only sorry she had to see it at all.
The question that comes after a few moments takes him by a quiet surprise, and he sits there for a few moments longer, thinking. A doctor to "talk about things" is... a very particular type of doctor, isn't it. )
I'm not sure. ( He admits, gazing down at the floor. ) I guess... I probably should, someday. Butβ I think I'm scared to.
( There's... a lot he's afraid of, regarding that. Talking about things is still so difficult, and the thought of trusting anyone... He's kept his losses and aches so close to himself for a very long time. )
Have you ever thought about it before? Talking to someone? ( Because he knows Luna has her own demons, her own losses and aches and traumas. )
Your dad had a really good way of putting things. ( He says softly, sadly, giving her another little squeeze at the mention of her father. That's... very much how it feels. Like a light has gone out and it can't ever come back, and the universe itself feels that loss. And then there was the way Charlie had died..... something Peter still can't tell Luna about, not in detail. Not yet. Maybe not ever. It was.. impossible for his family to be anything but broken, after that. They split wide open like a wound. )
Yeah, he used to really... freak out the most in classrooms. That's actually how I really got to know Ben. He um... helped me through a bad time there. Like you did.
( Another name that Peter hasn't voiced aloud in a long, long time. It rubs against his throat a little, makes it feel raw. He swallows, and then Luna's asking something that hurts in a different way. The memory hasn't left him, the severity of it: seeing Luna that way. Slowly, Peter unpeels himself from her a little, only so he can turn to look down at her. A hand gently reaches up to frame her face, thumb brushing over the bridge of her nose, barely touching. He feels like he wants to cry, but he doesn't, just frowns sadly at her, practically whispers the reply. )
Yeah. It was my worst nightmare come true. That he'd.... hurt you, that same way. Seeing you like that... ( His lids flutter slightly and he shudders. )
I've had nightmares about it. I think sometimes we... share them. And I'll.... be seeing it happen, like I'm the one inside you. Like I'm the one hurting you.
I couldn't say for certain. But I think that it's likely just as part of her. Moon Presence is capable of great violence, herself. I've seen it.
[ She was alongside her in her fight against Mother Superior in the end day of Deerington. And she also knew of her fights against the Hunters who came to hurt her the the month after Luna arrived in Deerington. ]
She understands enough to love us. She loved her husband, after all. She's always loved us. [ There's a little pause, her voice grows quiet. ] Sometimes... adaptation has its limits, perhaps. You can never truly change who you are at your core, can you?
She could do nothing to help her daughter who was half-human. And even despite how hard she tried, the townspeople of Deerington grew to hate her and her family, in the end.
[ She was alongside her in her fight against Mother Superior in the end day of Deerington. And she also knew of her fights against the Hunters who came to hurt her the the month after Luna arrived in Deerington. ]
She understands enough to love us. She loved her husband, after all. She's always loved us. [ There's a little pause, her voice grows quiet. ] Sometimes... adaptation has its limits, perhaps. You can never truly change who you are at your core, can you?
She could do nothing to help her daughter who was half-human. And even despite how hard she tried, the townspeople of Deerington grew to hate her and her family, in the end.
[sansa listens quietly, mouth tugging wistfully to one side.]
I suppose you can't.
[change who you are, at your core. it's funny that luna should phrase it that way. perhaps when sansa first arrived she might have said something different.]
Most people are capable of great violence, to protect the ones they love. I imagine it might be hard to tell us apart from her enemies, a world away. I just wish we had some way of telling her we're on her side.
I suppose you can't.
[change who you are, at your core. it's funny that luna should phrase it that way. perhaps when sansa first arrived she might have said something different.]
Most people are capable of great violence, to protect the ones they love. I imagine it might be hard to tell us apart from her enemies, a world away. I just wish we had some way of telling her we're on her side.
[Luna is one of the very small handful of people Willow reaches out to in July, in the span of time after Chara and allies destroy her home and kill her friends. Ozpin, Faith, Oscar... None of them have returned yet.
She has done so much irrevocable harm, and all the apologies in the world don't seem to matter much. It doesn't change anything, it doesn't fix anything, but it's all she has to offer.
At least Luna survived their encounter. At least Willow only attempted to drive her off when she refused to join in on her bid for revenge, instead of trying to kill her. Luna is family.
Willow is recovering at the Pines' family home when she reaches out through the network. She doesn't dare visit in person, both because the wound from where Reaper had shot her is still refusing to even begin to heal and makes travel difficult, and because she doesn't want to risk anyone targeting any of her other friends.]
Luna? Are you okay? I, uh, wanted to let you know I'm back to myself again. I'm sorry. About what happened. I think you already know I wasn't... I wasn't in a really good place. Not that it's any excuse.
She has done so much irrevocable harm, and all the apologies in the world don't seem to matter much. It doesn't change anything, it doesn't fix anything, but it's all she has to offer.
At least Luna survived their encounter. At least Willow only attempted to drive her off when she refused to join in on her bid for revenge, instead of trying to kill her. Luna is family.
Willow is recovering at the Pines' family home when she reaches out through the network. She doesn't dare visit in person, both because the wound from where Reaper had shot her is still refusing to even begin to heal and makes travel difficult, and because she doesn't want to risk anyone targeting any of her other friends.]
Luna? Are you okay? I, uh, wanted to let you know I'm back to myself again. I'm sorry. About what happened. I think you already know I wasn't... I wasn't in a really good place. Not that it's any excuse.
Oh, she knows we're on her side. Sleepers, that is. I don't know how she feels about the natives. But she owes a great debt to Sleepers of Deerington like me, which does expand to all Sleepers in general. [ The ones who came from Deerington to the Waking World, to Trench. There... seems so few of them left now. So many of them have returned to the ocean once more. It stings a little. It stings a lot.
But still, Moon Presence swore to watch over all Sleepers. One might not be able to change the moon, but they're certain not left alone to flounder with its power. ]
Still, even if she can't change who she is at her core that doesn't mean we're completely on our own concerning the moon's effects. The moon might have terrible effects, but Moon Presence's gifts are some of the most powerful I've ever known.
But still, Moon Presence swore to watch over all Sleepers. One might not be able to change the moon, but they're certain not left alone to flounder with its power. ]
Still, even if she can't change who she is at her core that doesn't mean we're completely on our own concerning the moon's effects. The moon might have terrible effects, but Moon Presence's gifts are some of the most powerful I've ever known.
[sansa furrows her brow. surely luna isn't just talking about the moon drops...?]
Can she help us with the effects of the Beast Moon? I know the moon drops are very powerful, but it does seem like there's something else besides corruption making people angry.
[even sansa feels...more frustrated than usual, and she knows she's not corrupted, or knight would eat it.]
Can she help us with the effects of the Beast Moon? I know the moon drops are very powerful, but it does seem like there's something else besides corruption making people angry.
[even sansa feels...more frustrated than usual, and she knows she's not corrupted, or knight would eat it.]
It's... possible that's the Reckoning's doing, considering she resides over justice and vengeance. She's likely causing the resentment. Someone dear to me once asked for her help a few months ago, and it wasn't... pleasant. [ Meaning: John went into a blessing-fuelled rage to fight Maul, powering the anger he already felt with Willow's death at Maul's hands. ]
We can ask Moon Presence for her blessing though, yes. Moon drops are very useful, but another gift which can help are her lunar flowers. She blessed homes with them last year.
We can ask Moon Presence for her blessing though, yes. Moon drops are very useful, but another gift which can help are her lunar flowers. She blessed homes with them last year.
[now sansa's features fall into a proper frown.]
There can be no justice without peace. I don't see how anyone who cared about justice could threaten it.
[but she doesn't see how a pthumerian could understand justice in a human world, anyway, when even humans hardly seem to manage it. she draws a breath.]
I had hoped The Reckoning came this month because it was so difficult, to bring us justice when we needed it most, and not the other way around.
[she glances back at lady for a moment, and then luna again.]
How can we ask the Moon Presence's blessing? I thought we were meant to leave her flowers.
There can be no justice without peace. I don't see how anyone who cared about justice could threaten it.
[but she doesn't see how a pthumerian could understand justice in a human world, anyway, when even humans hardly seem to manage it. she draws a breath.]
I had hoped The Reckoning came this month because it was so difficult, to bring us justice when we needed it most, and not the other way around.
[she glances back at lady for a moment, and then luna again.]
How can we ask the Moon Presence's blessing? I thought we were meant to leave her flowers.
Edited 2022-08-25 00:15 (UTC)
[ It's not been the best of months, truly. Luna doesn't think anyone in Trench had a pleasant month, in all honesty. Her face-off with Willow had only been the start of it, and plenty has happened since. But she's worried constantly about her, been angry at the fact she'd died. Willow might have failed in coaxing her to join her on a revenge spree, but Luna certainly ended up on one of her own. ]
Willow, you're back. [ It comes out as a breath of relief. There's another worry: plenty of people have returned to the ocean, and not returned. She's silent for a long time, sitting in the silence with a sorrowful expression before she utters: ] I'm very glad you're back, and that you're... well, you.
[ Her lips form a thin line, the bare hint of a smile. ]
You don't have to apologise, not to me. Andβ [ There's a small wince. ] I understand how you got that way, I know who's really to blame.
[ That horrible so-called 'god'. ]
Willow, you're back. [ It comes out as a breath of relief. There's another worry: plenty of people have returned to the ocean, and not returned. She's silent for a long time, sitting in the silence with a sorrowful expression before she utters: ] I'm very glad you're back, and that you're... well, you.
[ Her lips form a thin line, the bare hint of a smile. ]
You don't have to apologise, not to me. Andβ [ There's a small wince. ] I understand how you got that way, I know who's really to blame.
[ That horrible so-called 'god'. ]
Trust me, I'm glad to be back to being me again, too.
[Willow smiles with relief and gratitude. She had thought Luna was likely to understand, especially with her own brush with beasthood only a few months ago.]
Sorry I've been out of touch. I got back stuck in Puck's body, and then the house got burned down, and I got shot, and... just the chaos of, you know, the everything.
[She sighs. July had been a lot. Far too much murder, and death and destruction, and far too much of it that she still feels responsible for. She takes a deep breath.]
I should've put a stop to things before it ever got as far as it did. Are you okay?
[Willow smiles with relief and gratitude. She had thought Luna was likely to understand, especially with her own brush with beasthood only a few months ago.]
Sorry I've been out of touch. I got back stuck in Puck's body, and then the house got burned down, and I got shot, and... just the chaos of, you know, the everything.
[She sighs. July had been a lot. Far too much murder, and death and destruction, and far too much of it that she still feels responsible for. She takes a deep breath.]
I should've put a stop to things before it ever got as far as it did. Are you okay?
And some would think there can be no peace without justice. [ One month out of the year where everything bubbling under, all the injustices and wrong-doings from throughout the year truly brought into the light. ]
I think she might be one to bring it about so heavily, to influence it in others when it might otherwise be pushed down. Given how difficult this place is most of the year, I imagine there is plenty of bad blood around.
[ But who knows, really. Luna finds it best to let the Pthumerians be Pthumerians. But there's a little smile at the question, brightening on the topic. ]
Oh, and you still could! Moon Presence does love flowers. But you would ask the same way you might any other powerful Pthumerian: through ritual. Blood offerings will still count, along with flowers.
I've also found song is a very appreciated offering. She has always adored music. I believe something meaningful would be best. When I asked for her help in saving Peter from heavy Corruption last year, I sang her a song Peter had once serenaded me with on Valentine's Day.
I think she might be one to bring it about so heavily, to influence it in others when it might otherwise be pushed down. Given how difficult this place is most of the year, I imagine there is plenty of bad blood around.
[ But who knows, really. Luna finds it best to let the Pthumerians be Pthumerians. But there's a little smile at the question, brightening on the topic. ]
Oh, and you still could! Moon Presence does love flowers. But you would ask the same way you might any other powerful Pthumerian: through ritual. Blood offerings will still count, along with flowers.
I've also found song is a very appreciated offering. She has always adored music. I believe something meaningful would be best. When I asked for her help in saving Peter from heavy Corruption last year, I sang her a song Peter had once serenaded me with on Valentine's Day.
There never is any justice, and we won't find it in war.
[sansa sighs, irritably. there seems little point in arguing over the meaning of justice. the reckoning will do as she pleases.]
Well, I could make bloodstone flowers, but I know more about songs than rituals. What else would you propose we do?
[sansa sighs, irritably. there seems little point in arguing over the meaning of justice. the reckoning will do as she pleases.]
Well, I could make bloodstone flowers, but I know more about songs than rituals. What else would you propose we do?
( Things are... changing. Maybe Peter isn't so aware of it on the surface, but somewhere on a level far below that, it happens. Slowly, as all things do with Peter β and it isn't only the boy changing, but the demon, too. And the spirit-entity born from this place belongs to them both; they grow and change, and so does Susurrus.
...Who has been a very lowkey existence so far, hardly ever emerging except in dire circumstances. Never speaking. Until now... and it's InlΓ© he reaches out to first. Their respective Sleepers have several connections and bonds, but Omens have their own. His "voice" is a soft whispering hiss, and even through telepathy, the image of a forked tongue flickers between the words, curious. )
InlΓ©. I am now sssssspeaking.
...Who has been a very lowkey existence so far, hardly ever emerging except in dire circumstances. Never speaking. Until now... and it's InlΓ© he reaches out to first. Their respective Sleepers have several connections and bonds, but Omens have their own. His "voice" is a soft whispering hiss, and even through telepathy, the image of a forked tongue flickers between the words, curious. )
InlΓ©. I am now sssssspeaking.
[ The last thing the hare expects is to hear this voice. That perhaps it possible this one did not have a voice. Some Omens are ever-silent, after all. Still, she has spoken to Susurrus as if he might do regardless on those rare occasions they might find themselves together β Luna is so taken with him, too. And as cold and proud as she can be, she is still kind and patient. ]
This is curious. [ The voice is soft, feminine, and indeed she is intrigued. Something is going on here, clearly. ] Something has changed. What, perhaps? Or why? Could you not before?
This is curious. [ The voice is soft, feminine, and indeed she is intrigued. Something is going on here, clearly. ] Something has changed. What, perhaps? Or why? Could you not before?
( His connection and trust with the other Omen are the strongest of any others he has here, a reflection of Peter's connection and trust in Luna. They are a team, because Peter and Luna are a team, no matter how infrequently the snake may have made a visible appearance over this past year.
Still, this is... new, and while he knows it's right, there's something to him that's come to her for insight. InlΓ© has a wisdom, cool and reliable, that he gently, almost cautiously nudges towards. Susurrus is a shy thing, the way Peter is shy, yet quietly intense and alien, the way of Paimon. Somewhere between them both. )
I could not. Or rather... there was no dsssiiiire to. No need.
( Peter's spirit has been so quiet and afraid. Perhaps if he spoke at all, it would have been too much for him. )
...He isss changing. My Ssssssleeper.
( ...Susurrus has always been a very hissy boy; nothing's changed now that he can speak... )
Still, this is... new, and while he knows it's right, there's something to him that's come to her for insight. InlΓ© has a wisdom, cool and reliable, that he gently, almost cautiously nudges towards. Susurrus is a shy thing, the way Peter is shy, yet quietly intense and alien, the way of Paimon. Somewhere between them both. )
I could not. Or rather... there was no dsssiiiire to. No need.
( Peter's spirit has been so quiet and afraid. Perhaps if he spoke at all, it would have been too much for him. )
...He isss changing. My Ssssssleeper.
( ...Susurrus has always been a very hissy boy; nothing's changed now that he can speak... )
[ Insight is something she can offer. Much like Luna has thrown herself into learning how this world works with the Patrons, the Moon, the magics, InlΓ© quietly absorbs the world around her. She is happy enough to offer it, if he needs it. Although she is quietly pondering for some time before she answers. ]
Because your Sleeper previously had no desire to speak with you, perhaps. [ It seems a plausible argument, she reasons. If he did not wish to speak to Susurrus, then there would be no need or desire for the Omen to speak. ] We may be of them, but we are part of this world also.
[ Even InlΓ© isn't blind to how much the boy struggles in this world, that he might shun something strange and new β even if it is indeed very much a part of them. Omens come from Sleepers, after all. They are of Sleeper magic. But the fact remains is that they are a magic born in the Waking World. It is a stark contrast: Luna often chatters away to her, even if InlΓ© often says little in reply. Animals have often been easier for the girl to speak to. And InlΓ© is good at listening.
She's quiet for a moment, contemplating. Peter is changing. Change comes to all, does it not? ]
Perhaps change is good. This world is a cruel one, and the boy is soft.
[ It may sound cold, but it is offered in warm earnest. ]
Because your Sleeper previously had no desire to speak with you, perhaps. [ It seems a plausible argument, she reasons. If he did not wish to speak to Susurrus, then there would be no need or desire for the Omen to speak. ] We may be of them, but we are part of this world also.
[ Even InlΓ© isn't blind to how much the boy struggles in this world, that he might shun something strange and new β even if it is indeed very much a part of them. Omens come from Sleepers, after all. They are of Sleeper magic. But the fact remains is that they are a magic born in the Waking World. It is a stark contrast: Luna often chatters away to her, even if InlΓ© often says little in reply. Animals have often been easier for the girl to speak to. And InlΓ© is good at listening.
She's quiet for a moment, contemplating. Peter is changing. Change comes to all, does it not? ]
Perhaps change is good. This world is a cruel one, and the boy is soft.
[ It may sound cold, but it is offered in warm earnest. ]
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