ioduanlogs | Weather told me get inside

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Weather told me get inside | June Catch-all

Characters: Pepper Potts, Devin Parker, and you!
Date: Throughout June
Location: Around Keeliai
Situation: Devin is making himself extremely scarce, while Pepper is getting into the Tourney excitement.
Warnings/Rating: Probably some mentions of past violence and torture, possible mentions of murder. Will add as needed.

A. [Pepper] Commerce 3 | Mid June | Open

Since first arriving in Aifaran when Pepper saw them being used as accessories in a fashion show, she's been fascinated by the selys. They're waaay too expensive to purchase one for herself, but they're too beautiful to altogether ignore. This particular visit to a shop where they're sold was on a whim, and now the breeder is insisting that she take one of the shimmering creatures or it will be Very Sad. "I, uh, sort of already have a snake… they probably wouldn't get along," Pepper says in an attempt to dissuade the woman; the selys is investigating her hair. "Seriously. Separate tanks wouldn't even work."

B. [Pepper] The Townhouse | Backdated to late May | Bakura

After at least two months of anticipation and excited daydreaming about interior decorating, Pepper and Bakura finally moved out of the Dreaming Bridge and into a modest townhouse in a quieter area of the city. Not quite the outskirts, but far enough out of the downtown core that the bustle and noise doesn't drive Bakura nuts. They don't have a lot of possessions yet, so there's not much to move from the Bridge. New furniture, however, has to be acquired so they can do things like sleep in a bed and eat on a table.

"My kingdom for Ikea," Pepper bemoaned - mostly in jest - as they navigated getting part of the disassembled bed frame upstairs. "Someone should seriously introduce flatpack to Aifaran."

C. [Pepper] Arts 3 | Before June 5 | Open

Pepper definitely didn't volunteer to put up decorations for the upcoming Tourney. She's been roped into it somehow anyway, and the harried manager who had shoved bunting at the redhead had insisted work begin right then despite Pepper's work shift. Fortunately, Pepper is good at being persuasive, so she's managed to convince her supervisor that the decorations are double duty - goodwill is earned for the Sentry for having one of their own involved, and she can get a different angle on any potential security risks while she untangles five different spools of ribbon.

D. [Pepper] City Outskirts | Early June | Yato

After the accidental encounter with Vee and learning more about Pepper's magic as well as her training, Yato had expressed interest in sparring with the ka. Pepper was similarly enthusiastic about the idea, but cautioned him about how the nature of dueling magic might come into play. It would probably limit her more than Yato, if things went that direction, but he might not be immune to the effects, either. Still, it promised to be fun, and they found a suitably open area to meet up. Unlike their first meeting, Vee had shown up today in her reduced size, which she and Pepper had worked on the previous year. The Knight was taller than average, but no longer towered ten feet high.

E. [Devin] City Outskirts | Mid June | Bakura

Finding himself both agitated and of the mind to avoid the people he knew well after the incident with X, Devin had considered locating a gym or somewhere similar that he could try to vent some of what he was feeling into physical action. Unfortunately, he was concerned about breaking equipment that didn't belong to him, and going for long runs didn't satisfy anything. He recalled his brief conversation with Bakura on the network, about summoned creatures that could, in fact, keep up with the strength and speed of a vampire. The idea grew moderately appealing, and after getting in touch, they arranged to meet. The vampire acquired himself another beater sword in the meantime.

"So, how is this supposed to work?" Devin had never sparred with magical monsters before.

F. [Devin] Aifaran and surrounding area | After June 3 | Open

X's accidental call on the network had not explicitly identified Devin or Valdis as the intended recipients, and therefore the subject of his obvious agony and near-insanity. That does not change the fact that Devin heard a reflection of himself in his worst moment - the fear, the betrayal, and the bone-crushing pain. He has tried so hard not to think about the night X was recalling, tried to banish it for a decade, and now he feels like a raw nerve exposed to cold. As a result, he cuts off what little social engagement he has, takes refuge in the apartment no one knows the address of, changes his work schedule, and generally attempts to make himself difficult to locate.

He does still have to work at the library, however, and anyone who seeks peace and quiet may stumble upon him outside the city in a forested area or occasionally at the turtle's head. He may not be the most receptive to conversation.

(OOC: Let me know if you want a starter, or feel free to make your own!)

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They seemed to be making a lot of apologies to each other since arriving in Aifaran. As incredibly invasive as breaking into his apartment was, Devin could recognize that it had been done with approximately good intentions. It did not improve his mood much, but that could be blamed as much on the situation as anything else.

Luthien wriggled in Devin's arms and he let her go to the floor. The inan scurried after the ball and nearly somersaulted over it, evidently unaware of the tension in the room. Her antics drew fondness from him that he did not make visible to Valdis, but he knew she would feel regardless.

"That is not usually how apologies work," he complained pointlessly, and sighed. Devin crossed to the bookcase, skirting around the inan who was thoroughly engrossed in attacking the ball, and opened one of the bottles. "Care for a drink, since you've invited yourself in?"

His mood had definitely not improved with time, but Valdis hadn't really expected anything differently. The trauma of having your life revealed to a complete stranger wasn't easy to get over, and his was far more fresh than any of hers. His pet seemed to balance him out a bit, her antics drawing a sense of affection as she chased after the ball. Valdis still didn't rise, watching Luthien with curiosity as the inan played. The creature was almost a cross between a dog and a cat, a safer thing to care for than another humanoid at least.

Valdis did have a reply for his complaint, but she kept it to herself, stretching out her legs and leaning back against the wall. "No, this isn't..."

She was interrupted by a sharp mew from the hallway and a scratching sound at Devin's door. It seemed Anani had also found them. That cat was far more intelligent than he should be. Valdis was quite inclined to ignore him for now.

An inan had definitely been a good choice on Leo's part; Devin would have had more trouble with something that actually required feeding. Luthien made it difficult for him to take things too seriously around her, and she demanded nothing that he was not able to give. It had been a surprisingly beneficial arrangement.

He scowled, recognizing the sound of the only cat in Aifaran. Luthien immediately abandoned the ball, ears pricking towards the door. Cautiously, she trotted over and sniffed at the threshold. By the time Devin had actually poured himself some liquor and recorked the bottle, she was poking a paw underneath the door. "At least the cat is knocking, after a fashion," the vampire griped.

He anticipated that Anani would not cease to beg for entry until granted it, so Devin went to open it for him.

Valdis watched the shadows beneath the door shift as Luthian began to investigate, it seemed Anani was as curious about the inan as she was him. Valdis rolled her eyes at Devin's comment.

"Please, if he had thumbs he would have gotten in the exact same way I did, or have you forgotten how he figured out the doors at the Dreaming Bridge?"

Again, the cat was too smart for his own good. The fluffy creature slipped through the crack as soon as Devin started to open the door, ignoring Luthien entirely in favor of investigating her toys. Valdis hoped the animals got along better than their owners did, or Devin would be kicking both her and her cat out.

Fortunately, Luthien was affectionate and playful by nature; Anani was a new presence, but not unwelcome. She'd gotten along quite well with most of the bibiru she'd encountered. The inan joined Anani, trilling at him like she was asking a question and flicking her tail.

"He does not have thumbs, so it's something of a moot point," Devin replied tartly. He took a sip from his glass. "Would you get to yours, or do you plan on making inanities about your cat all night?"

Anani seemed slightly taken aback by the trilling, but he continued to investigate the toys, batting at a feather with one paw. Meanwhile, Valdis had fixed Devin with a forcefully neutral expression, which unfortunately meant she had to look up at him, a fact which she hated, because she still sat on the floor. He was making it very hard to be nice and apologize like she had planned. She still owed him some sort of payback for moving her out of his way last month, but now was not the time. Luckily she had a long memory.

"I'm sorry I called you an asshole and was insensitive concerning your feelings," she said. The words came quite easily, and while she could have added a 'but', or tacked on some sort of logical excuse, she didn't.

It did strike Devin as rather odd that Valdis remained seated on the floor, rather than perhaps taking a chair. She wasn't being as confrontational as she could have been, nor even as she had in the past. The apology she offered without condition, and Devin studied her silently, as if expecting more.

When nothing else was said, he dropped his gaze to the pets, who were having a much better time than their owners. The corner of his mouth twitched up. "So, is that what you called me? Fitting." He swirled the liquor around in his glass, watching Luthien try to engage Anani in play with her, rather than the toys. Devin fell quiet again, and it wasn't long before his shoulders sagged. "I don't imagine either of us were thinking particularly clearly at the time," he allowed. "We aren't often the best around each other in those situations, I've noticed."

Anani continued to ignore Luthien's attempts to play with him, now investigating the ball that Valdis had been using earlier. He blinked slowly and then batted it down the hallway, turning to look at the inan as if he expected her to go after it. Valdis was constantly surprised by her cat and how he acted, but she wasn't here to promote friendship between the two animals.

"I'm fairly good at names," she replied dully, "Yet I still should have known better than to try rationality after having every single secret in my life revealed."

It didn't help that she suspected X's reading of her memories had had more impact than she anticipated, and not necessarily in the emotional sense. She had known he would sleep eventually, so she shouldn't have been nearly as shocked by it.

"I don't even know how we put up with each other most of the time."

Aside from what the fragment had told her, Aifaran was so different from where they had been that she was surprised they even interacted. Valdis didn't even know if the angel's words were still even true.

Luthien bounded after the ball, but stopped halfway in what might have been confusion that Anani hadn't been chasing it himself. As long as they weren't fighting, Devin didn't really care what they got up to.

His smile was resigned but genuine at her observation. He knew his own answer to that question, though some parts would be easier to admit than others. "It's like I told you when we first arrived: I've no intention of giving up on you," Devin said lowly and drained his glass. The liquor burned the back of his throat. "Even if you are exceptionally gifted at pissing me off."

She was not what he would describe as 'safe', but she knew him better than most. Valdis had insight into Devin's life that empathy alone did not account for, and experience that he could relate to without having to explain. He needed someone who challenged him as she did but didn't throw him to the wolves. True, there had been some missteps on both their parts. Their natural reaction to adversity was to fight, because there had been no other option in the worlds they came from.

"We're both used to prodding where it hurts," he acknowledged, going to refill the tumbler before taking a seat. "But I think we know by now that it is not an effective strategy when it comes to dealing with each other. Regardless of the intention, insults and callousness are not the way to motivate me to do anything of use."

Anani watched Luthien bounce after the ball, tipping his head when the inan paused. He mewed softly and batted another toy in her direction, but Valdis ignored the two creatures. Listening to what Devin was saying. She didn't have any intention of giving up on him either, sometimes it felt like he was the only one who could understand, and perhaps he was.

"We know each other better than we care to," she replied. There were two ways to motivate Devin, pissing him off was not one of them. "I don't think it helps that X currently reads as my own soul. Even from outside the Bridge, it felt like I was in two places at once. It doesn't excuse my words, but perhaps it may help explain what happened."

Rather than chase after the toy, Luthien bounded back to Anani in a clear attempt to engage him in friendly wrestling. Nothing about her behavior suggested she was actually trying to cause harm - it was clearly all about play.

Devin's eyebrows went up a little. "That sounds disorienting," he agreed. There was only so much he could imagine since he didn't have her empathy or her ability to read souls, but it must have been unpleasant on top of horrible. "Though given how old you are, it makes a certain amount of sense that you'd overwhelm whatever of me is in there," he added, taking a sip of his drink. "Unless you're neglecting to mention certain details in order to protect my delicate sensibilities."

Anani's ears flattened when Luthien tried to encourage him to play wrestle, but only for a moment. He seemed to opt to ignore the invitation and bat another toy at her, the picture of patience. Valdis glanced at the cat briefly, willing him to not cause any problems.

"You aren't delicate in the slightest," Valdis said, arching a brow, "I don't think it was lack of your experiences, but more of my sensitivity to what I most recognize." She sighed, gaze drifting back to Anani, who was still trying to redirect Luthien's energy, "It was like seeing your thoughts and feelings perfectly reflected in a mirror, except the face isn't yours."

Disorienting indeed. As useful as her empathy was at times, right now it just felt like a curse.

"How are you holding up?"

Luthien had her quirks, but some body language was universal. She didn't attempt to leap upon the cat, instead directing her attention to the second toy and this time batting it back.

Valdis' comparison made sense to him; recognizing yourself in someone else's body must have been incredibly unnerving. He glanced at her and then stared into his glass rather than answering immediately.

"You had to break into my apartment to speak with me," Devin muttered after a few moments. "I think that's an adequate measure of things." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. There was more to it than that, dread and panic that did not only belong to the situation with X though it was related. "What little safety I thought I had here is gone. I don't care how goody-two-shoes he seems to be; I don't trust him. It feels like being held hostage by my own life, and my life doesn't belong to me in the first place."

Anani responded to the return of the toy by batting it in another direction.

Valdis didn't look at him. She knew he wouldn't have spoken with her of his own volition and that the only way to successfully get his attention was to do exactly as she had done. The fact that he no longer felt any semblance of safety was far more concerning than anything else. Despite everything, the vampire's harsh judgement of X was uncalled for in her mind; but Devin struggled to find it in himself to trust under the best of circumstances. Having his secrets torn from him in such a manner was an unforgivable trespass upon his life, so Valdis could understand his reaction.

The trespass upon her own life was still terrible. She hated it, she didn't like how her secrets were no longer hers, how she no longer had a choice about who found out, how even the secrets she had never told anyone were now in the mind of someone she barely knew. But Valdis couldn't say she didn't trust X.

"Do you trust me?" She asked quietly.

Devin wouldn't claim his distrust of X was entirely rational. The reader would understand it, would know why the vampire reacted as he had, but that knowledge did not help. He had nowhere and nothing left only to him now.

He raised his eyes, again silent while he considered her question. The answer was at hand immediately, but saying it aloud was not so easy. Trust gets you killed. If she wanted, she could destroy him - although that would be true regardless of whether he trusted her from a physical standpoint. It was the rest of it, his wounds and his feelings and his past, that had always been more precarious to show others.

"Yes," he finally replied, and took a large swallow of liquor. "Are you suggesting I trust you, if I can't trust him?"

She did have a better insight into people's true nature than he did.

It wasn't nearly as simple a question as it sounded, so Valdis waited patiently, almost dreading the answer no matter what it was. Abaddon had told her back in Keeliai that Devin needed someone to trust, and that she was somehow that person. She hadn't liked holding something so fragile and easily broken then and she certainly didn't like it now. But of all the people she had met here, Devin was the only one she trusted with aspects of herself that she never wanted anyone to know. After all, monsters couldn't judge other monsters and everyone else who knew the entirety was long gone.

The answer was in line with the fragment's words, and Valdis couldn't find an answer to his question right away. The entire thing was so delicate and until the elements of herself faded from X's essence, she couldn't say with certainty that this was the end of it. Yet X was far too emotional to hide from her like others could. He wore his heart on his sleeve where anyone could see it and what he displayed had never wavered from what she felt through her empathy. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I'm saying that if you trust me, then you must trust that if I knew of any danger, I would tell you." A slight pause, "It may help to know that X's soul is untainted by our lives."

She, at least, felt some relief with that knowledge.

Devin breathed deeply and exhaled slowly. He was unsteady enough that he had to pay care that his voice remained level, though that would do nothing to disguise from her how he feels. The rest of his body language was accordingly revealing of that; he did not relax at her words. Even so, he believed her as much as he was able. A part of him always clung to suspicion, to that inch of distance, that his life had demanded he always keep to himself.

"Small mercies," Devin allowed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's been traumatized enough as it is."

Luthien was occupied with volleying her toys back and forth with Anani, eventually catching on to the idea of batting it not quite at the cat but near. If only life were so simple as they seemed to view it.

"I'll admit some surprise that we didn't melt his brain," he added dryly, clearly unamused. "Though it seems we came close."

No matter how hard he tried, Valdis knew there was some part of him that would always distrust her. The knowledge felt more like a gift than an irritant, for the amount of trust she did have became all the more precious. Their reliance upon the abilities and experiences of the other meant they could communicate differently, though not always effectively, as most recent circumstances would tell.

Valdis shook her head, "There is damage," she said, "But it will heal given time."

How much time and how completely, she didn't know.

"Almost three thousand years worth of less than pleasant memories has to leave some kind of mark."

Even scarring. But any damage was limited to his mental state, not his soul or body. Not that it made anything better.

"Its mostly a jumble right now, but we haven't dealt with the last of this."

So, there was a silver lining. Devin knew that the circumstances created by the Dreaming led to this, but he could not let go of responsibility for what had happened. He had sworn to never inflict himself on innocents again, and that broken oath has settled like a heavy stone in the pit of his stomach.

He nodded, eyes closed. "I am aware," Devin groused quietly. "But I've already given him the one thing I could think of to help. I don't know what else to do for him."

How could he aid X when he can barely help himself? There was a lifetime of healing to do, and the idea of it elicited more fear than he could account for.

"Any suggestions?"

"Don't hide."

For someone who had spent their whole life running from themselves, Valdis knew it was perhaps one of the least welcome bits of advice she could give. But leaving X with unanswered questions wouldn't help his recovery. Just because he had lived their lives didn't mean that he would understand the images and feelings. They would fester.

"No matter how much we don't want to talk about our pasts, we aren't telling him anything he doesn't already know, we are just helping him make sense of it."

Of course. The one thing he wanted most to do, the thing he has wired himself to do, he must not. In order to help X, Devin will have to sacrifice a tactic that he feels has kept him sane. Revisiting his life was inevitably going to tear open old wounds.

A quiet and cold thought pointed out that any suffering he might relive was likely to be of his own making. It was both a traitorous agreement with Valdis and a caustic remnant of his past.

"I'm not exactly the poster child for walks down memory lane," Devin muttered. "The only reason I've talked about my past as much as I have here is because this damn place hasn't given me a choice." The level of trust he'd built with Valdis was the result of that, but it had been a painful start. He finished the rest of the liquor and scowled into the empty glass. "And I can't even afford enough alcohol to get buzzed much less properly drunk."

Notably, none of this was an actual refusal.

"I know..."

Unlike many of Devin's wounds, Valdis had no marks to show the trials she had faced. Nothing to prove the deaths or injuries that now marred X's memories. Valdis knew this did not lessen them, but at least she didn't live with the constant reminders of hatred. She had always been strong enough to defeat those who wronged her, and the lack of emotional response had been in her favor. It was easy, then, to detach from her past in certain ways. Ways that Devin never could.

"I can't either," she replied, but seeing as she couldn't even get drunk, it was more a joke than anything else. "I doubt there's enough alcohol on Konryu to do that."

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Weather told me get inside | June Catch-all

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