Starcaller☆彡

He is now happily stacking candy pumpkins on 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓’s head.

Blink... blink...

"Hythlodaeus... Respectfully," That distinction was important, "what the Hells are you doing...?"

Z'nakei’s brows furrowed as she looked away from him with a huff. If he found one thing, that’d open a whole lot of floodgates that aren’t supposed to be opened! A whole lot of information he’s not supposed to know yet!

But if she got too fighty in this, that wouldn’t end well either, considering she’s supposed to just be some ‘familiar’. But… If she had to weigh which one would be worse…

“Nope.” The Miqo'te repeated, grip tightening on her staff as she moved to tap it against the ground, a magic barrier forming between the two of them. And again a few more steps were taken back, ears flattening back as she went quiet to try and more clearly assess the situation. Because now, it just seemed to be a lesser of two evils, question, considering she could not have him finding out about things ahead of time.

   Of course the familiar would refuse to cooperate. After all she seemed to have a mind of her own and was a creation of Azem. He should have expected it yet was taken aback by the resistance all the same. If this exchange continued as it did, it would lead nowhere and Lahabrea would still be entirely ignorant of what was going to happen with Pandaemonium. “If you resist I will be forced to take these memories from you regardless of your consent,” the Speaker informed her, hoping that this bitter truth would move her a step closer to sharing what she knew. “Pandaemonium is my responsibility and if there is anything to happen with the prison this could endanger the entire star.”

Z'nakei spared the barrier a glance, gnawing at her lip. She looked from it, to Lahabrea, back to it, back to Lahabrea... Repeat a few times until she stepped back again and added more magic to the barrier to reinforce it.

"I already told you the important bits! Now stay out of my memories!" There was a pause, the Miqo'te debating how far her voice would carry. More importantly, was anyone else even remotely close enough to hear?

Well, people did tell her she had impressive lungs... The Miqo'te drew in a deep breath. The tell-tale signs of someone about to start screaming to bring in a third party to distract. Themis, maybe? He had seemed more than willing to coddle her...

@wonderloste​

At this point in her life, she was no stranger to nightmares. However, things had taken an abnormal turn once she was back in Sharlayan from Ultima Thule and reliably back among the living. Being bedridden while she recovered, there wasn’t anything she could do to distract herself. The only thing to do to pass time was one of the things she hated most at this point- sleeping and letting it happen. The first time she woke up bleeding, she brushed it off- reasoning that she had reopened any of her numerous wounds with her tossing and turning. Deep down she knew that was impossible, irrational, by the time she he had woken up, the Scions all assured her that her wounds- external- were healed. So perhaps it was internal again?

The second time, wounds that had been healed for years were searing with pain and beginning to horribly bruise. The third time, her silent scream was cut off as she coughed up blood- and again she tried to brush it away- she had reopened something inside, she’d just heal it and she’d be fine.

And on, and on, and on. By the time she was hearing whispers of a name not her own, she was beyond paranoid- jumping at every little sound. The Scions had to near force her to sleep, made drowsy with magic as she frantically protested that no- she could not sleep. Bad things happened when she fell asleep- bad things that were somehow worse than her nightmares had been before all of this.

This time she was lucid. Or perhaps she had been the other times and had just forgotten. Hells if she knew at this point. She gripped her staff in a death grip within trembling hands, claws digging into the wood.

it wasn’t long before it grew too dark for her to see, something knocking her off balance and her staff out of her grip. The Miqo’te fumbled blindly in the dark for her staff- or anything she could use to get up as it somehow got even darker. Normally she’d be too prideful to voice her distress, but at the moment all bets were off.

Continuing to clumsily shift about on her knees and feel around for anything she could use for support, she started screaming to those she knew would come at her beck and call. “Fray?! Ardbert?! FRAY!!”

But no one came. No one she could see, at least.

HER PRESENCE IS ONE THAT WONDERLAND’S VERY HEART  hinged upon  :  the moment she had stepped into the nightmares weaved by the claws of the Jabberwock, those closely connected to her soul, such as they were, had felt her presence. Among them, three  :  two gods, one anomaly. To interfere was sacrilege, for she existed in this space only for a single purpose…  to fall to sleep, to fall to death. Through these nightmares, her fate would be met, one way or another, or so the star’s and their fates had foretold, eons before her, and so they would eons after. But  ALICE LIDDELL  had never walked the path that fate had lined for her and she would very well not start to do so now.

Quiet, he beckons himself, consumed in the darkness of a million uneasy, silently woven terrors. Thousands ‘pon thousands of years has it been since the white rabbit had ripped open the edges of his long sealed hole, climbed to the very top where he had once beckoned a young woman in her blue dress. Now he is a singular light within this dark, pure white ‘gainst the black, and it is to her he comes.

The names she calls out in the nightmare are not those of any Wonderlandian’s who seek her presence  :  but he is all that this broken, mad, insane world is willing to offer her. He should not be here, he is not fated to be, but he has already decided that he will save her.

“Alice,”  he calls out quietly at first, footfalls breaking through the distant screams and deafening silence of the Jabberwock’s nightmarish realm. He cannot see her just yet, but already, he arm is outstretched, desperate and searching, because he would beckon her to safety as soon he could. It had been days, weeks, perhaps even months  -  but it was time now. She is falling.  “Alice, can you hear me? Let me help.”

He is a stranger to her, he knows, but the moment he speaks, it is as if life is given to this dreary dream. Suddenly, a singular row of candles is alit between them, a straight path and then, he sees her. His footsteps rush and in moments, the rabbit has come to her side, but not close enough to enter her space, lest he disturb her.

Instead, he reaches out a well meaning hand, indicating he wishes to help her up.

Alice? The Miqo'te blinked a few times, trying to make sense of that. It certainly wasn't any name native to her home... Her eyes widened when candles suddenly lit up, hands frantically feeling around anew as she located her staff in the dim light.

Her lips parted for a second, about to correct that whoever 'Alice' was, she didn't know them. Immediately though, she decided against it- feeling the urgency of the situation.

She shifted forward, one hand gripping tightly onto her staff and the other grabbing ahold of the stranger's hand to pull herself up to her feet. "Dreaming I get... but.." Her brows furrowed, "Do I know you?" She hadn't ever come up with entirely new people for her dreams... as far as she knew, at least.

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Blink. Blink. Her features twisted into confusion. “I’m not even threatening you?” …Yet. And this was why she literally only kept the Scions in company. People were far too confusing and she had only recently managed to decode the Scions.

For a moment she just stared at the Viera before blurting, in her infinite wisdom, “You see things, too?” A few more blinks as she caught up with what she just said, “I mean… Oh no, you see things… Do you need help?”

Ah, her filter was failing her. Time to add copious amounts of coffee to her to-do list once she escapes this awkward situation.

Bah, a poor slip of words. He knew what he said when he had informed her that the trail of death followed her. There was one, and then there was two, and then many that surrounded her back. Faceless souls hovering around her presence as if to either guard or drown her. He could see it and more, but why would he bother? “You’ve never dabbled in the arts of death, this I know. Yes, I see things. What keeps you awake, what claims your sleep. What agony you endure for merely existing.” That will be all. Any more and he would be too generous. 

Almost instinctually, a hiss tore itself from her throat. "I'm perfectly fine!" A nerve had most certainly been struck. "You don't know me. At all." Her ears flattened back a bit, "You'd do best not to assume."

Another hiss, this one entirely involuntary. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, trauma, or both, but she found paranoid thoughts creeping in and spiraling. Did he really know that much, or was he just bluffing? How did he know that much? Should she be taking this seriously...?

Her free hand felt at her side, silently- unfortunately- reminding herself that she did not have a knife on her in case things went wrong.

Seeing how quickly he recoiled and was ready to turn tail was incredibly amusing. And the remark was right there on the tip of her tongue, that surely there was some degree of fear if he was leaving so suddenly- even if on just an emotional integrity level. But, amazingly, she held that one in.

What remark she couldn’t stop herself from saying, though, “‘I scare nobody’, huh…? Because that train of thought ends well.” Another tired sigh, “Perhaps not odd to the average person, but even with best efforts to lay low…” She gestured down at her far from normal appearance, bordering on the monstrous. “I’m obviously not average.” A thinly veiled ‘we both know you know who I am’.

“I don’t have to be 'uncouth’ if you don’t make things more obvious. Trying to get you to stop from digging your own grave is far from uncouth.”

He had to look back, if only to find the ground in which she was pathetically walking on. Was that meant to inspire fear? To have him kneeling before her and lick every inch of her foot? Wood Mother, forgive him if he’s to doubt that this is meant to be the savior of the realm. The knowledge that salvation is being delivered upon by a woman of her personage? Might as well doom himself and everyone he loved.

Blink. Blink. Her features twisted into confusion. "I'm not even threatening you?" ...Yet. And this was why she literally only kept the Scions in company. People were far too confusing and she had only recently managed to decode the Scions.

For a moment she just stared at the Viera before blurting, in her infinite wisdom, "You see things, too?" A few more blinks as she caught up with what she just said, "I mean... Oh no, you see things... Do you need help?"

Ah, her filter was failing her. Time to add copious amounts of coffee to her to-do list once she escapes this awkward situation.

HM. This almost sounded like something she’d be obligated to ‘care’ about if he kept talking. She shifted closer, one hand clutching her staff for dear life so she’d have the support to rock up onto her toes and half-slap her free hand to his mouth. “No. Sh. Stop.”

“'Enthused by other wares’?? In a funeral parlor? Firstly, please, kindly shut the Hells up before I am obligated to do something. Secondly, you could stand to be less obvious.” The Miqo'te let out a sigh that was nothing but pure exhaustion as she pulled her hand away and got back onto mostly steady footing.

“Now… Wow, I’ve never seen or talked to you before, how interesting!” Tone dripping with sarcasm, but also unspoken warning of her former ‘no, sh, stop’.

He was quick to evade her touch, unappreciative of her sudden move. If he appeared too gleeful earlier, all signs of joy immediately left as soon as they came. The Viera began to frown, his lips thinning in disgust. This woman is supposed to be The Warrior of Light? If only all that fame could make purchase of manners.

Seeing how quickly he recoiled and was ready to turn tail was incredibly amusing. And the remark was right there on the tip of her tongue, that surely there was some degree of fear if he was leaving so suddenly- even if on just an emotional integrity level. But, amazingly, she held that one in.

What remark she couldn't stop herself from saying, though, "'I scare nobody', huh...? Because that train of thought ends well." Another tired sigh, "Perhaps not odd to the average person, but even with best efforts to lay low..." She gestured down at her far from normal appearance, bordering on the monstrous. "I'm obviously not average." A thinly veiled 'we both know you know who I am'.

"I don't have to be 'uncouth' if you don't make things more obvious. Trying to get you to stop from digging your own grave is far from uncouth."

HM. This almost sounded like something she'd be obligated to 'care' about if he kept talking. She shifted closer, one hand clutching her staff for dear life so she'd have the support to rock up onto her toes and half-slap her free hand to his mouth. "No. Sh. Stop."

"'Enthused by other wares'?? In a funeral parlor? Firstly, please, kindly shut the Hells up before I am obligated to do something. Secondly, you could stand to be less obvious." The Miqo'te let out a sigh that was nothing but pure exhaustion as she pulled her hand away and got back onto mostly steady footing.

"Now... Wow, I've never seen or talked to you before, how interesting!" Tone dripping with sarcasm, but also unspoken warning of her former 'no, sh, stop'.

“You’re bluffing… I’m sure he would have mentioned siblings if he had any…” And of course she was squirmy and uneasy, he’d become an unhinged, friend-snatching  killer in her time and she was alone with this man!!! But, of course! She couldn’t exactly just say ‘oh yeah, I’m nervous because you’ll steal the body of my friend and nearly make me kill him!’.

Instead, she just sputtered a bit as she tried to think of a comeback. “Of course I’m nervous! You are huge!” Still somewhat truthful.Her ears then quickly flattened back as she clumsily put more distance between the two of them. “Mmmh… No thank you…” She wheezed out uncomfortably, she did not want to find out how painful a vision would be when essentially pried out of her.

She really didn’t want to verbally ‘admit’ that she was Azem’s, but… “Wouldn’t Azem be upset if you went prying through my memories?”

   “Azem will have to forgive me for this transgression,” the Speaker replied dryly. No Azem was known to listen to rules and conventions which she had proved when taking Ifrita from the Bureau of the Architect and used her for the volcano incident. If Azem complained about his attempt to access the familiar’s memories, he would argue back mentioning the case of Ifrita, a familiar being killed by Azem. In comparison, Lahabrea was gentle. 

   “If the dream you have had is revealed to be something greater than the Traveller will certainly not have any point to raise against me. I acted upon concerns regarding the star. Look at me.” 

Z'nakei's brows furrowed as she looked away from him with a huff. If he found one thing, that'd open a whole lot of floodgates that aren't supposed to be opened! A whole lot of information he's not supposed to know yet!

But if she got too fighty in this, that wouldn't end well either, considering she's supposed to just be some 'familiar'. But... If she had to weigh which one would be worse...

"Nope." The Miqo'te repeated, grip tightening on her staff as she moved to tap it against the ground, a magic barrier forming between the two of them. And again a few more steps were taken back, ears flattening back as she went quiet to try and more clearly assess the situation. Because now, it just seemed to be a lesser of two evils, question, considering she could not have him finding out about things ahead of time.