shadow over dreamwidth [open post]

[veratrum]

[This is an open post for Rune/Solomon/Ilhatar/Liam O'Rian/Freckled Garbage Monster. Here are some scenarios for you.

A. Baby It's Awful Down Where it's Wetter
A few seconds ago, you were doing...whatever it was you were doing, in the place you expected to be in. Now you are not. This is...it looks to be a basement or something, marble floors and glass walls (which makes it fucking freezing, by the way, I hope you have a coat). The light is very dim and sickly green; what's worse is that it flickers and dances and leers like a drunken, living thing. Also those glass walls? Aquarium walls. Some of the fish swim in and out of view, and they're all horrible deep-sea monstrosities, of course they are. There are little placards beneath the glass, listing all the awful, awful species.

Also, there's a young man, sitting on a sofa, the only furniture in the room, reading a book. In this light? He'll ruin his eyes.

B. A Little Bit Of Gardening Never Hurt Anyone (We Cared About)

As a contrast, this is a garden. It's a beautiful garden! It's peaceful, and in full bloom, and the sun's shining in through the glass. Ignore things like the skull-shaped pots for some of the smaller plants, and the fact that every single flower in here is poisonous or has thorns or both. Also, there's a freckled...person with a giant floppy sunhat staring at you. All his hair, poking out from under the hat, is also staring at you.

They would like to know why you're in their garden?

C. STOP SUMMONING FOREIGNERS GODDAMMIT

Like. Whatever Holy Grail War this is, however completely fucked the greater grail is this time, a summoning circle probably shouldn't vomit black ooze and your command seals just turned bright green and all the shadows have eyes. Have we learned nothing from the Einsenbergs? Have we learned nothing from Chaldea?

Anyway the shadowy mess coming out of the circle seems to have turned to regard you, what do.

D. Make up your own prompt, live freely, I'm not your Dad

Comments

[debrided]

[ She scowls, the space around her shifts a little, displeased, but she doesn't move and doesn't retaliate. ] What is a heroine but one that strives to reach a goal, despite their victory being a matter of course?

[veratrum]

That description's of a villain. I should know, I am one.

[Shrugging, casually.]

I know what you are. I was the same, corruption filling in the cracks to give a semblance of a personality? It's as disgusting on you as it was-is-will be on me. But the difference is--

[Dropping the. Flower crown on her head???? He added more flowers to it. There's some spider lilies and cherry blossoms, now.

And it's funny. His voice just kind of glitched out on the tenses--all of them were spoken at the same time, yet distinctly audible in each.] I know heroes don't exist. A saint's the same thing as a sinner, with better PR.

[debrided]

Oh my. Don't misunderstand. [ She sneers, from all appearances unaffected - it's decidedly smug and rude as expressions go, but fairly human in look. ] What I desire is nothing more than what I've been owed, what I deserve - each friend and lover within my reach. Every joy and pleasure which was denied to me in life - retribution paid in kind to that wrong, compensation granted through blood and flesh. The heroes of the classical period, the heroes of antiquity - surely you must be capable of comprehending that much, at the very least. Must I constrict my vocabulary further still, such that it accommodates itself within the realm of your deficient comprehension?

[veratrum]

Nobody owed you shit.

[Laughing. it's not a good sound.]

Girl, you can't impress me. You should stop trying. I don't care how educated you are, or how powerful you think you are, or how wronged you are.

Nobody's owed anything. Everything has a price. If you're not a child, shouldn't you know that? That everything you take, you will inevitably lose, at the end. None of it was ever worth anything, anyway.

[Considering this, and adjusting the crown slightly so it sits at a dashing angle!] Really, self-righteous anger's a lot of effort. It's a lot more freeing to understand none of existence is worth anything, isn't it?

[debrided]

You've truly come to the conclusion that I could feel even the most minute sensation of concern for your assessment of me - the opinion of some insipid chimera milling about in a garden, wallowing in filth of his own creation - in all earnestness you have arrived to this interpretation - and yet it is I that must be conceited. I see. That rat's likeness extends beyond your countenance by far. What a pity. I offer only my most sincere condolences.

[veratrum]

Then who is this bluster and insistence on your own superiority for? No one else is here. If you believe it true, then why waste your breath on repeating it? You've been puffing up your feathers for your own grandeur since you got here. Do you think your brother will fuck you if you go back and tell him about spitting insults at a god he's never met?

[Sighing.] If you're going to be comparing me to someone, shouldn't you tell me who so I can at least be insulted with context? It's no fun if I can't even be properly offended.

[debrided]

This is nothing more than my manner of speech. As for that brother of mine, he is hardly so feeble as to be moved by insult to a god whose existence he would certainly deny. [ Catholics, man. ] I certainly hope you have some familiarity with rats, at the very least. Surely you must have enjoyed your fair share within your hovel.

[veratrum]

Ah, but your words were that rat, which implies a specific rodent.

[He was catholic you shut your mouth?]

And don't be so rude. It's one thing to insult me, I've plenty of venom to fling back, but this isolated world isn't yours to critique. Were your parents so useless that they didn't instill even this much manners into you?

[A pause. Thinking about that.] ...Well, of course they would have been, with your breeding.

[debrided]

I have no parents to speak of save for my father, who I must confess is quite the vulgar man, though through no fault of his own. He may help his circumstances no more than you may your poverty. It is unspeakably tragic. You are, regardless, certainly welcome to return me at any juncture.

[veratrum]

[Woman we are standing in a greenhouse, what is with your classist nonsense, vanilla.]

For free? No. You've paid me nothing, so I owe you nothing.

[debrided]

[ sighs, like he is just ruining her whole day ] What do you want? It is nearly time for our afternoon nap.

[veratrum]

I'm tempted to take your tongue, but in reality that's useless to me. One of your eyes would be a sufficient measure of power but...mnn.

[Staring at her, for a long moment.] You're from the Forest, aren't you?

[debrided]

I suppose. What of it?

[veratrum]

It makes this a little easier.

Cut open a vein. Pour out this corruption for me.

[He's already made a bottle and an athame appear in front of her.]

I've a notion it'll be good for the flowering trees.

[debrided]

I can assure you that the corruption which may be "poured out" will provide only the opposite result.

[veratrum]

It's not as though they're mortal plants.

[BIG SHRUG.]

Or are you a heroine of gardening, now?

[debrided]

I am speaking from experience.

[veratrum]

Black thumb, is it? [He shrugs, and gestures to the trees in question--cherry and plum trees, but the blossoms range from blood red to black.]

In this case, they're just the souls of those who have defaulted on their deals. I intend to introduce the corruption to them to see if it's anything useful to me. New kinds of poison usually tend to be.

[He explains this in a slow, even tone of someone speaking to a poor student, because of course he does.]

[debrided]

Oh my. To whom do you believe you are speaking? It certainly is not me.