the taste of dried up hopes in my mouth

[fallingdream]

Who: Song, Seph, and Jalen
What: It's time for another little "talk" with Medrau
When: Wednesday night, July 25
Where: Rainbow's End, Song's headspace
Posting Order: Whoever replies first determines the cycle



If there was anything untoward about waiting on her bed for two hale men who were both romantically involved elsewhere, Song didn't care a wit except to find it amusing (and with Josiah gone more often than not, could she really be blamed when her sense of humor listed in that direction?)

Not to mention that, given what she'd been dealing with lately, she'd take any excuse for a laugh.

She'd shooed Amy out, granting her permission to sneak back in and watch if she could get Larkin to sleep in the nursery. That task would surely give her enough time to get the spell cast on Seph and Jalen without the extra distraction of an over-protective wife - no offense to Amy.

To fill the time, she played at meditating. Song had never actually had much success with meditation, but she'd found that if she just listened very hard, locating and identifying the most distant sounds, she would start to lose her sense of gravity and feel as if she were floating or tilting to the side. Whether it counted as actual meditation or not, it felt cool, and also quite relaxing, so that's what she did.

Comments

[creepy_son_of_a]

"Interesting."

Seph was trying to look at this objectively. Which was not easy under the circumstances.

"You must realize how insane this sounds."

He turns away, looking at nothing except the darkness surrounding them.

"If you are sincere... Why? And where did you learn of this?" He didn't feel the need to state the obvious. The obvious being that they would likely believe she was trying to fool them despite her claims of a 'change of heart'.

[fallingdream]

"I am a child of Darkness," she responded to the last question first. "We're all part of the same entity. You know I'm just another Heartless, in the end. It is only this link to my Other's mind that gives me sense of self enough to speak with you."

Song looked as if she was tasting something sour, but held in check the scathing, mocking tones she was tempted to take. More or less.
"Back to the point, why summon the First Darkness? How would that be any better than leaving the whole mess alone?"

Medrau's smile seemed very nearly sad... or perhaps she was trying at pity. She did take the time to catch each of their gazes before replying.
"The First Darkness will come again whether or not we summon him. I am giving you the choice to catch him off guard, instead of sitting on your hands until he deems himself ready. After three embarrassing defeats, I somehow doubt he'll underestimate the lot of you again."

[amys_keeper]

Jalen remembered being pulled into a pool of Darkness; being trapped in Alexandria away from his wife and son. It wasn't something he ever wanted to experience again, but he had his doubts about Medrau's sincerity, and dealing with the First Darkness before they absolutely needed to...

Though she had a point.

"I don't think a decision like this should be made just among the three of us."

Yes, he was purposely leaving out the Shadow.

[creepy_son_of_a]

Seph stared off into the darkness, his expression carefully blank. There were so many risks here. Both in trusting her and in disregarding her.

"It is not a decision to make without a great deal of thought and more information either."

[fallingdream]

Medrau indulged in a satisfied smirk.
"Of course. By all means, discuss it with the rest of the gang. You know where to find me when you come to a decision. I have only one more warning that might sway you."

She met Jalen's eyes, unblinking, and then flicked her gaze to Song, targeting them specifically with her next words.

"If the First opts for patience and bides his time until your lives are spent, he will target those you've personally trained. Your children, and whatever families they've built for themselves by that point." She sipped her tea. "Something to keep in mind."

[amys_keeper]

He'd had enough. As if that wasn't something he tried not to think about late at night. Jalen turned to Song and Seph.

"I'm going back," He said, gesturing off toward the void around them. He was pretty sure he could wake himself up with no trouble. Part of him felt like he was deserting, but Song would be safe enough with Seph if Medrau acted up at the last minute, and Amy could help from the other side.

Without giving the others a chance to reply to his statement, he faded from the dream.

When he opened his eyes back in Song's room, it was to see his wife bent over him, face inches from his, just staring. He blinked, and she yelped, jumping back.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, DAMN IT?"

"...How long were we gone?"

Amy frowned for a second, thinking. "A couple minutes. IT WAS FOREVER, JALE. DON'T DO THAT AGAIN."

Jalen almost laughed, but rubbed his ears instead. "Stop the shouting, they can probably hear you in the dream."

[creepy_son_of_a]

Seph frowned. It seemed that their reason for coming here had been completely derailed. It could simply be a ploy to distract them so she had time to plan something. But they couldn't really ignore what she'd said.

He didn't really blame Jalen for going.

There wasn't much else he could say so, he waited for Song's response. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone or he might have decided to leave too.

[fallingdream]

Song had reached the same conclusion as Seph, but she also had an idea. It wasn't a fool-proof test, but she could perhaps judge the truthfulness of Medrau's proposal based on whether or not she continued to pester Song with all the anxiety and unwanted dye jobs.
For that reason, she didn't say a word of it to her Shadow. Even if Medrau backed off as part of an act, it would solve the immediate problem she'd come here to deal with.
Win/win... from a very optimistic standpoint.

"We'll talk about it, Shadow. I'll be in touch, seeing as I don't have much choice."
Very much done with this encounter, Song turned on her heel, and the dream shattered as if it were the glass of Medrau's box.

[amys_keeper]

When the others wake up, they'll find Jalen still in Song's room, with Amy sitting in his lap, playing with a strand of his hair and quizzing him on the dream.

"So did she try anything?"

"Define 'anything'".

"You know."

Jalen smirked a bit. He thought he knew what she was getting at.

"No, I don't, really. Enlighten me?"

Instead she just punched him in the arm.

[creepy_son_of_a]

Seph sat with his eyes closed for a few moments. He was still thinking about what they'd been told. The others would probably have an... interesting reaction to this.

He tilted his head slightly as he cracked open an eye.

"Couldn't even wait a few moments for us to wake up?" he muttered, slightly amused.

[fallingdream]

Song draped herself across the bed, braced on elbows with her hands curled over the edge like the paws of a beast - the 'Mama Wolf' pose. She regarded the others wordlessly for a time, taking in Seph's relaxed demeanor and the antics of Amy and her husband. This would be interesting no matter which way it went.

"So..." she said during a suitable silence, "do either of you particularly want to tell the Refs all about what just happened, or does it fall to me?"

[amys_keeper]

"Since it's your Shadow, you should do it?" Jalen half-heartedly suggested, only to be elbowed in the side. He winced.

"All right, maybe we should leave it to the strange girl trying to crack my ribs."

"Hey! Wait, what exactly happened? I didn't get much outta him before you woke up."

Amy looked between Song and Seph, scowling a little. Still kinda miffed about being left behind? Yep.

[creepy_son_of_a]

Seph sighed. "Complications," he said simply.

Is he going to elaborate?

...Apparently not. Okay yeah, he is.

"Medrau has proposed we summon the First Darkness and take him out before he can put a destructive plan into motion."

He didn't really want to be the one to inform everyone else but, he'd do it if the others continued to be childish about it.

[fallingdream]

Instead of volunteering to make the Post of Doom, or elaborating on Seph's explanation, Song changed the subject.

"How's Larkin? Did she get to sleep alright?" The faintest gleam of wry mischief in her eyes suggested she'd tacked this on at the end of Seph's words intentionally, just to make it a little more difficult for Amy to absorb the news.

Messing with her friend's head was a stress-relief method.

[amys_keeper]

"She wha-"

Cue the gears in her head coming to a screeching halt as she tried to take in what Song said. At Seph's words she'd felt a little jolt inside, more from Awiergan than herself, she suspected. But before she could even fully express herself on that, Song was asking about...the baby?

"Great, she dropped right off. Eli's 'guarding' her." Not officially, of course, but it was hard to say no when he gave her big brown eyes and settled down at the foot of the crib with his toy sword in his lap.

But back to business.

"What d'ya mean, summon the First Darkness? I like living!"

She felt Jalen squeeze her hand and sighed. Breathe, Amy.

[creepy_son_of_a]

"For a preemptive strike." Seph was ignoring the mention of the baby. Obviously. "We didn't get details of the how or of what Medrau thinks to get out of it." Because obviously she wouldn't be sharing if she didn't have something to gain.

[fallingdream]

Song swallowed down her grin. She could behave. Really. More or less.

"If she were anyone else, I wouldn't believe a word of it, but I know myself, and, well... I'm pretty sure the need to find meaning and purpose against what's expected is well and truly laced through all of me, including the darkest bits. I'm inclined to believe her story because it sounds like something I'd do." She raised one hand, palm up as if weighing something. "Of course, that could have been the point. I'm not yet close enough to tell her lies from her truths."

[amys_keeper]

Amy made an odd noise somewhere between a squeak and maybe a growl before gently thunking her head into Jalen's shoulder. He let go of her hand to pat the back of her head.

"I suppose I could go talk to the Brat, see if she knows anything...if she's willing to quit being a pain in the ass and tell me straight, anyway." Though she'd been trying to interpret that jolt, and it felt more like disbelief than anything else.

She made a face at Song - even though she hadn't grinned, she could tell she'd wanted to - before continuing.

"Should I do that before we tell the others, or does it matter? And maybe we should have Eli do it. Potentially bad news delivered by an adorable toddler..."

Amy was only a little serious about that.

[creepy_son_of_a]

If Seph had anything else worth doing he might have tried excusing himself. But Aria being away helping Mabry gave him a few less reasons to leave. At least she hadn't been silly enough to leave Pancake with him. He still didn't get along with the creature when she wasn't around.

"It probably doesn't matter." It really didn't seem to matter if Amy asked Awiergan or who decided to inform everyone else. The result would likely be the same. Disbelief and distrust.

[fallingdream]

"Talk to the brat after we tell the others. It'll fill the time while they scowl and fuss. And just for the novelty, let Eli make the post. In video. It'll be a fond memory for all no matter how this turns out." She wasn't even trying to hide her grin now. Song's sense of humor was at its sharpest when there was real trouble. It was an excellent coping mechanism, in her opinion.

[amys_keeper]

Jalen facepalmed. His wife really would have Eli do it, even if Song was joking.

"Don't encourage her." He grumbled from behind his hand before dropping it. Amy pouted at him, and he had to make an effort not to twitch, or possibly melt.

"Awe, but Jale, it'll be the cutest thing ever!"

Amy turned back to the others, her serious face on. "So aside from that and bugging the Brat, is there anything else we need to discuss right now? I should probably check and see if Eli fell asleep at his post."

[creepy_son_of_a]

Seph couldn't help a small smile at the joking. Actually getting Eli to inform the others about this in an understandable manner would be near impossible. The mental image was strange to say the least.

"I don't think there is." He still wasn't standing up though. Perhaps reluctant to leave but, not admitting that he might be just a little bit lonely without Aria home.

[fallingdream]

"Nope. Get out of my room. I want actual sleep tonight." The harshness of the words was in obvious jest, but she did look weary, and also like she was going to a valiant effort to hide the fact.

"I was actually serious about Eli posting. We'll have to explain things either way, might as well have some fun with it first."

[amys_keeper]

Amy grinned and crawled out of Jalen's lap before getting to her feet. "We'll get right on that, then." She held a hand out to her husband and helped pull him up, nearly stumbling backwards. Jalen steadied her before glancing over to Seph.

"Since she's going to be busy terrorizing everyone, I could use some help picking up the toys scattered around the house."

Asking Seph if he wanted to help him with the housework? Why not.

Amy snickered a little as she pulled away and headed out the door.

"I'll keep an eye on Larkin too!" She called back.

[creepy_son_of_a]

Seph finally decided to get up to go because by now it would be rather weird not to.

The idea of helping pick up toys was actually more appealing than anything else he had to do at the moment. He wasn't really in the mood to for books or video games. Aria would probably pout at him if he went looking for trouble out of boredom and she found out about it.

"Nothing better to do." Yup, he was actually going to help.