Wendy Berber]
*Its the middle of the night. 3 am, the house lies quiet but for the determined patter of rain on the roof, the occasional hum of the fridge. Wendy's skinny form is curled in bed, thin sheets tangled around spindly white legs. Wendy almost passes for pretty when she sleeps. Peaceful features, shiny black hair, long eyelashes. None of the twitching stammering or trembling to take away from what limited charm she has.*
[Boy]
And underneath the bed, the steday sounds of sleep came from Boy in his man-form nestled in his odd man nest. He'd been brooding still late into the night, locked into his room with his ghosts. They hadn't gone to sleep at the same time, but he'd still settled in because that was still where he belonged.
[Wendy Berber]
*Wendy begins to shift in bed, muscles twitching, old mattress creaking a little under her unimpressive weight. her heart rate goes through the roof and she begins to sweat, hands tightening on her sheets. And then the soft sleepy silence of the room is pierced suddenly by a shrill terrified scream, Wendy jerking upright in bed.*
[Boy]
The bed bumps suddenly and in the dim light of the room there's someone large darting out from underneath. Square shoulders shift from side to side, with tensed muscled arms attached. Then he whirls turning to the screaming kin on the bed and barking her name in Boy's gutteral Glabro Voice.
"Wendy? What is it? What's wrong?"
It was far too violent a tone to be comforting. Instead of 'how can I make this better' the Near Man that had sprung from under her bed was demanding 'What do I have to kill?
[Wendy Berber]
*Boy's broadening form gets another shrill squeak and she slams into the corner of the wall, eyes wide with terror. Wendy's soaked with sweat, nightshirt hanging off of her, chest heaving as she tries to catch her breath. Blue eyes flick here and there in the room looking for something. A hard swallow, her hand coming to her chest. It was Boy. Just Boy She was safe. *..Oh G-gaia.
[Boy]
"What?" He demanded still. "What is it?"
He was still in attack mode, looking about the room and even moving to open the door, letting the hallway light spill into the room as he looked around. He sniffed at the air and tilted his head to listen, hearing just the sounds of a sleeping house.
[Wendy Berber]
n-no. No. I'm s-sorry I.. *She touches her throat, feeling it was intact, whole. Another swallow.* B-bad dream. Really b-bad dream. thats all. Its ok. Its ok. Just a d-dream. *She repeats, a mantra to calm herself, The trembling kin blinks and looks down to her little ribbon talons, fingering them.* Oh!
[Boy]
"Just a..."
Yes, just a dream. And now she was awake, here, where he could protect her. He too calms, and his bulk melts away along with the sudden tension. He waits until he's himself again, until he's the Boy that she knows best, before easing down to sit on the bed near to her, but not too close.
"You alright?"
[Wendy Berber]
I.. yeah. I'm ok. *Her heart is rattling in her chest as she shuts her eyes and shakes her head. Thats it Wendy. Banish the sight of bale fire and talons from your waking mind. She slumps, then raises up her eyes to boy, scent of fear beginning to fade. Wendy sighs and crawls toward him on the bed.* ...Can you use a talen in your sleep?
[Boy]
"In your sleep? Huh. I don't know."
He lets his arms find their way around her, holding her close to him.
"I've never thought about it. Marrick says there's a spirit in it, waiting until you need to call on it. And some spirits visit dreams, I think. But...I don't know. Its just a dream though. You just have to wake up, and you did. You're alright now."
[Wendy Berber]
I t-tried to use the talen in my d-dream. But it only brought the .. I think it was a spiral. *She curls her skinny frame against him, letting the feel of his arms around her dispel the lingering sensation of prickly claws on her skin.* I h-hope it still works. I've never had a d-dream like that before. *She mutters into his shoulder, heart slowly gearing down into a more manageable pseudo normal rhythm.*
[Boy]
She can feel his hold tighten when she mentions that, but eventually he relaxes again.
"Its okay. It was just a dream. Just a dream."
He almost sounds like he's try to convince himself as well as her.
"You wanna tell me about it? Maybe that'll make you feel better?"
[Wendy Berber]
I've never seen a spiral. I d-don't want to ever see a spiral. *She squeaks into his shirt, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Its a few moments before she begins again.* I, I was reading a b-book alone. And y-you and Marrick were out... n-noone was here. I was w-waiting for you. And the wind got up and there was a b-brown out. I thought m-maybe the wind was getting in form our w-window. So I went to close it, but the wind um.. well.. this is dumb but - *She manages an embarrassed laugh.* The wind was um saying bloody mary. You know bloody mary? *She turns blue eyes up to him.*
[Boy]
He listens quietly, but shakes his head.
"Don't think I've met her."
[Wendy Berber]
N-no.. Its a um. An Urban legend. You um.. you're supposed to stand in front of a m-m-mirror and say her n-name three t-times while s-spinning in a circle. And then she will um, appear in the mirror. Some m-myths hold she's a w-woman named Mary Worth.. who was m-murdered, Other versions say she's the g-ghost of Mary Queen of Sc-scots. She's s-said to have b-bathed in the blood of um.. innocents. To s-stay pretty. Either way its just a M-myth. But thats what the wind in my dream was s-saying.. and there was a mirror in our r-room. And I went to r-run away and I was *She cringes and curls her legs up against Boy.* -claws drug me into the um, the mirror.
[Boy]
"Spiral claws? Bloody Mary's claws? "
She was making herself so small, so wanting of protection. She must have been terrified, he thinks.
"Did you get to the other side of the mirror?"
[Wendy Berber]
Sp-spiral claws. *Wendy nods, sweat beginning to dry as she sighs in the darkness of their shared bedroom.* I f-fell and fell into a l-la-laby- a big maze. It was full of all these barrels full of green fire, and the walls, Boy? The walls were sceaming like they were made of t-tortured people. *She swallows and shudders, hugging him.* a v-voice said that Bloody M-Mary would like my f-fear, or that I'd die q-quickly.. t-told me to run. And then the s-spiral stepped out of the green fire and.. the talens just made him come closer Boy, and I ran.
[Boy]
He's quiet for an uncomfortably long time. His arms had grown slack in the telling of her dream, and instead of Wendy he was staring off, eyes unfocused.
"I want you to think." He says in a flat, grim voice. "Are you sure you've never seen a spiral before? Maybe in pictures or something? Maybe you heard or read this story somewhere else before?"
[Wendy Berber]
n-no.. I don't th-think so. I've h-heard of them though. The one in my d-dream was missing um, missing fur and skin in places, and his eyes gl-glowed in the dark. But not like um, not like yours do. Yours catch the light. His um.. his were the light. Boy? *That note of panic is rising in her voice again as she straightens up and looks at him, hair on the back of her neck raising.* It is just a d-dream right?
[Boy]
Boy made a very unconvincing "mm-hmm" sound, while still staring into the dark.
"Tomorrow." he said eventually, "I think you should talk to someone about this. Maybe Wahya Many Tongues. He's helped with things like this before. I think you should write it down too, so you don't forget."
[Wendy Berber]
Ok. *Is all his frightened mate has to say fro a few long moments, hugging tight to Boy's thinly muscled torso. Finally she murmurs.* I'll go right it d-down. Right after I um, use the washroom. My shirts.. damp. I think I was um, sweating.
[Boy]
"Okay. You do that. I'll warm some milk for you."
[Wendy Berber]
(wp - intense phobia!)
[Wendy Berber]
*She gives him a nervous smile. The skinny glasswalker kin was rattled. She pads out of bed, and into the hall. Old house silent but for the constant drizzle of summer rain, the gush of it running out of eaves hat need cleaned. The bathroom light flicks on and there's another shriek and the noisy shattering of glass.*
[Boy]
He was already headed down the stairs, expecting to at least have her milk warming by the time she came down to the kitchen. Some time awake was just as important as easing her back to--
More screaming, shattering glass. Could it be? No.
"WENDY!" came that gruff voice again, and the Boy is in Glabro once again and rushing to the bathroom doorway.
[Wendy Berber]
*He'd crest the stairs to find Wendy slamming the door to the bathroom and slumping to the ground with a blood hand staining her white t-shirt. She looks up, eyes wide.* I .. just the mirror. Gaia. I don't think I can do this.
[Boy]
He didn't preen and hover over her this time, nor did he wait for her to come to him. This time Boy descends and hefts Wendy in his arms, carrying her back into the room.
He looks at her hand briefly, then takes her other hand and forces her to hold the cut one to her shoulder.
"Wait right there." He says gruffly. Luckily when he comes back he's smaller again, and carrying their home first aid kit in his hands.
"Tell me what happened."
[Wendy Berber]
*She's lifted like a bundle of twigs and set back on the bed, calming by the time he returns, her shoulder wet with blood.* I um.. I just - you d-don't think anything can come out of um, a broken Mirror..right? T-Too small? Right?
[Wendy Berber]
.. I just. .. I got scared. I forgot, about the mirror.
[Boy]
He doesn't really answer, just fixes her with a blank look for a moment or two while cleans and bandages her hand.
"I'm just gonna go check on something." he says when he's finished. He looked serious, even though he took a moment to clear the hear from in front of her eyes and plant a kiss on her forehead. A moment later he went into the bathroom, leaving the door open."
[Wendy Berber]
*Wendy swallows, touching is cheek with her bandaged hand as she's kissed, a faint blush managing to chase the goosebumps from her skin. She drags her legs under her and waits in bed.* kay.
[Boy]
She waits.
And she waits
And waits.
And at some point she might wonder what he was doing in the bathroom, or why he was being so silent. The clock in the kitchen ticked and tocked minutes away so loudly through the silence that she was nearly certain she was alone in the house. There was not even so much as a sigh from Boy since Wendy'd seen him entering the bathroom.
She waits.
Suddenly, there are footfals on the steps, and up comes Boy from downstairs, broom and dustpan in hand. He gives a wan smile to Wendy through the open bedroom door and enters the bathroom again, this time sweeping up singing mirror shards noticeably.
Now how'd he do that?
[Wendy Berber]
*She's not sure how he'd gotten past the doorway without her seeing him, watching intently as she was for something to boil out of the mirrors and be in for a fight. But she's relieved that he's back, offering a sincerely grateful smile as he sweeps up the mess she'd made.* Thank you Boy. I.. I d-don't want to be around them.
[Boy]
"Its okay." He calls back. "But maybe next time we'll just cover them up. They can't work if they can't reflect."
Which was just another way of saying they did work normally, and in just the way she was afraid of.
[Wendy Berber]
..it just caught me off guard. S-sorry. *She speaks up, There's rustling as she snatches a paper and pen from her bag near the foot of the bed, making short notes on her dream as he cleans up the glass. Its a few minutes before she puts the pad away adn ventures to stand silouetted in the doorway, arms wrapped around herself.* um.. could we maybe... skip the milk?
[Boy]
He had the shards of glass in the small bathroom waste bin, which was in turn lined with a black plastic bag he was tying up. He nodded.
"No Milk. No problem. You think you can get back to sleep?"
[Wendy Berber]
I think so. Maybe. Um... Are you coming to bed? *She fusses with the shoulder seam of her baggy t-shirt, alone in the doorway squinting a little without her specs. She can see the black blob of something, make out Boy's form but not his facial features.*
[Boy]
"Yeah. C'mon."
The light flicks off, and from the darkness his hand reaches for hers as they head back to the bedroom. He'd wait for her to get into bed before crawling underneath.
[Wendy Berber]
*spindly fingers close on his, leaving only reluctantly as she crawls back in bed. The rasp of a sheet as she drags it over herself.* um.. th-thank you Boy. Sorry I woke you up. Goodnight?
*Its the middle of the night. 3 am, the house lies quiet but for the determined patter of rain on the roof, the occasional hum of the fridge. Wendy's skinny form is curled in bed, thin sheets tangled around spindly white legs. Wendy almost passes for pretty when she sleeps. Peaceful features, shiny black hair, long eyelashes. None of the twitching stammering or trembling to take away from what limited charm she has.*
[Boy]
And underneath the bed, the steday sounds of sleep came from Boy in his man-form nestled in his odd man nest. He'd been brooding still late into the night, locked into his room with his ghosts. They hadn't gone to sleep at the same time, but he'd still settled in because that was still where he belonged.
[Wendy Berber]
*Wendy begins to shift in bed, muscles twitching, old mattress creaking a little under her unimpressive weight. her heart rate goes through the roof and she begins to sweat, hands tightening on her sheets. And then the soft sleepy silence of the room is pierced suddenly by a shrill terrified scream, Wendy jerking upright in bed.*
[Boy]
The bed bumps suddenly and in the dim light of the room there's someone large darting out from underneath. Square shoulders shift from side to side, with tensed muscled arms attached. Then he whirls turning to the screaming kin on the bed and barking her name in Boy's gutteral Glabro Voice.
"Wendy? What is it? What's wrong?"
It was far too violent a tone to be comforting. Instead of 'how can I make this better' the Near Man that had sprung from under her bed was demanding 'What do I have to kill?
[Wendy Berber]
*Boy's broadening form gets another shrill squeak and she slams into the corner of the wall, eyes wide with terror. Wendy's soaked with sweat, nightshirt hanging off of her, chest heaving as she tries to catch her breath. Blue eyes flick here and there in the room looking for something. A hard swallow, her hand coming to her chest. It was Boy. Just Boy She was safe. *..Oh G-gaia.
[Boy]
"What?" He demanded still. "What is it?"
He was still in attack mode, looking about the room and even moving to open the door, letting the hallway light spill into the room as he looked around. He sniffed at the air and tilted his head to listen, hearing just the sounds of a sleeping house.
[Wendy Berber]
n-no. No. I'm s-sorry I.. *She touches her throat, feeling it was intact, whole. Another swallow.* B-bad dream. Really b-bad dream. thats all. Its ok. Its ok. Just a d-dream. *She repeats, a mantra to calm herself, The trembling kin blinks and looks down to her little ribbon talons, fingering them.* Oh!
[Boy]
"Just a..."
Yes, just a dream. And now she was awake, here, where he could protect her. He too calms, and his bulk melts away along with the sudden tension. He waits until he's himself again, until he's the Boy that she knows best, before easing down to sit on the bed near to her, but not too close.
"You alright?"
[Wendy Berber]
I.. yeah. I'm ok. *Her heart is rattling in her chest as she shuts her eyes and shakes her head. Thats it Wendy. Banish the sight of bale fire and talons from your waking mind. She slumps, then raises up her eyes to boy, scent of fear beginning to fade. Wendy sighs and crawls toward him on the bed.* ...Can you use a talen in your sleep?
[Boy]
"In your sleep? Huh. I don't know."
He lets his arms find their way around her, holding her close to him.
"I've never thought about it. Marrick says there's a spirit in it, waiting until you need to call on it. And some spirits visit dreams, I think. But...I don't know. Its just a dream though. You just have to wake up, and you did. You're alright now."
[Wendy Berber]
I t-tried to use the talen in my d-dream. But it only brought the .. I think it was a spiral. *She curls her skinny frame against him, letting the feel of his arms around her dispel the lingering sensation of prickly claws on her skin.* I h-hope it still works. I've never had a d-dream like that before. *She mutters into his shoulder, heart slowly gearing down into a more manageable pseudo normal rhythm.*
[Boy]
She can feel his hold tighten when she mentions that, but eventually he relaxes again.
"Its okay. It was just a dream. Just a dream."
He almost sounds like he's try to convince himself as well as her.
"You wanna tell me about it? Maybe that'll make you feel better?"
[Wendy Berber]
I've never seen a spiral. I d-don't want to ever see a spiral. *She squeaks into his shirt, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Its a few moments before she begins again.* I, I was reading a b-book alone. And y-you and Marrick were out... n-noone was here. I was w-waiting for you. And the wind got up and there was a b-brown out. I thought m-maybe the wind was getting in form our w-window. So I went to close it, but the wind um.. well.. this is dumb but - *She manages an embarrassed laugh.* The wind was um saying bloody mary. You know bloody mary? *She turns blue eyes up to him.*
[Boy]
He listens quietly, but shakes his head.
"Don't think I've met her."
[Wendy Berber]
N-no.. Its a um. An Urban legend. You um.. you're supposed to stand in front of a m-m-mirror and say her n-name three t-times while s-spinning in a circle. And then she will um, appear in the mirror. Some m-myths hold she's a w-woman named Mary Worth.. who was m-murdered, Other versions say she's the g-ghost of Mary Queen of Sc-scots. She's s-said to have b-bathed in the blood of um.. innocents. To s-stay pretty. Either way its just a M-myth. But thats what the wind in my dream was s-saying.. and there was a mirror in our r-room. And I went to r-run away and I was *She cringes and curls her legs up against Boy.* -claws drug me into the um, the mirror.
[Boy]
"Spiral claws? Bloody Mary's claws? "
She was making herself so small, so wanting of protection. She must have been terrified, he thinks.
"Did you get to the other side of the mirror?"
[Wendy Berber]
Sp-spiral claws. *Wendy nods, sweat beginning to dry as she sighs in the darkness of their shared bedroom.* I f-fell and fell into a l-la-laby- a big maze. It was full of all these barrels full of green fire, and the walls, Boy? The walls were sceaming like they were made of t-tortured people. *She swallows and shudders, hugging him.* a v-voice said that Bloody M-Mary would like my f-fear, or that I'd die q-quickly.. t-told me to run. And then the s-spiral stepped out of the green fire and.. the talens just made him come closer Boy, and I ran.
[Boy]
He's quiet for an uncomfortably long time. His arms had grown slack in the telling of her dream, and instead of Wendy he was staring off, eyes unfocused.
"I want you to think." He says in a flat, grim voice. "Are you sure you've never seen a spiral before? Maybe in pictures or something? Maybe you heard or read this story somewhere else before?"
[Wendy Berber]
n-no.. I don't th-think so. I've h-heard of them though. The one in my d-dream was missing um, missing fur and skin in places, and his eyes gl-glowed in the dark. But not like um, not like yours do. Yours catch the light. His um.. his were the light. Boy? *That note of panic is rising in her voice again as she straightens up and looks at him, hair on the back of her neck raising.* It is just a d-dream right?
[Boy]
Boy made a very unconvincing "mm-hmm" sound, while still staring into the dark.
"Tomorrow." he said eventually, "I think you should talk to someone about this. Maybe Wahya Many Tongues. He's helped with things like this before. I think you should write it down too, so you don't forget."
[Wendy Berber]
Ok. *Is all his frightened mate has to say fro a few long moments, hugging tight to Boy's thinly muscled torso. Finally she murmurs.* I'll go right it d-down. Right after I um, use the washroom. My shirts.. damp. I think I was um, sweating.
[Boy]
"Okay. You do that. I'll warm some milk for you."
[Wendy Berber]
(wp - intense phobia!)
[Wendy Berber]
*She gives him a nervous smile. The skinny glasswalker kin was rattled. She pads out of bed, and into the hall. Old house silent but for the constant drizzle of summer rain, the gush of it running out of eaves hat need cleaned. The bathroom light flicks on and there's another shriek and the noisy shattering of glass.*
[Boy]
He was already headed down the stairs, expecting to at least have her milk warming by the time she came down to the kitchen. Some time awake was just as important as easing her back to--
More screaming, shattering glass. Could it be? No.
"WENDY!" came that gruff voice again, and the Boy is in Glabro once again and rushing to the bathroom doorway.
[Wendy Berber]
*He'd crest the stairs to find Wendy slamming the door to the bathroom and slumping to the ground with a blood hand staining her white t-shirt. She looks up, eyes wide.* I .. just the mirror. Gaia. I don't think I can do this.
[Boy]
He didn't preen and hover over her this time, nor did he wait for her to come to him. This time Boy descends and hefts Wendy in his arms, carrying her back into the room.
He looks at her hand briefly, then takes her other hand and forces her to hold the cut one to her shoulder.
"Wait right there." He says gruffly. Luckily when he comes back he's smaller again, and carrying their home first aid kit in his hands.
"Tell me what happened."
[Wendy Berber]
*She's lifted like a bundle of twigs and set back on the bed, calming by the time he returns, her shoulder wet with blood.* I um.. I just - you d-don't think anything can come out of um, a broken Mirror..right? T-Too small? Right?
[Wendy Berber]
.. I just. .. I got scared. I forgot, about the mirror.
[Boy]
He doesn't really answer, just fixes her with a blank look for a moment or two while cleans and bandages her hand.
"I'm just gonna go check on something." he says when he's finished. He looked serious, even though he took a moment to clear the hear from in front of her eyes and plant a kiss on her forehead. A moment later he went into the bathroom, leaving the door open."
[Wendy Berber]
*Wendy swallows, touching is cheek with her bandaged hand as she's kissed, a faint blush managing to chase the goosebumps from her skin. She drags her legs under her and waits in bed.* kay.
[Boy]
She waits.
And she waits
And waits.
And at some point she might wonder what he was doing in the bathroom, or why he was being so silent. The clock in the kitchen ticked and tocked minutes away so loudly through the silence that she was nearly certain she was alone in the house. There was not even so much as a sigh from Boy since Wendy'd seen him entering the bathroom.
She waits.
Suddenly, there are footfals on the steps, and up comes Boy from downstairs, broom and dustpan in hand. He gives a wan smile to Wendy through the open bedroom door and enters the bathroom again, this time sweeping up singing mirror shards noticeably.
Now how'd he do that?
[Wendy Berber]
*She's not sure how he'd gotten past the doorway without her seeing him, watching intently as she was for something to boil out of the mirrors and be in for a fight. But she's relieved that he's back, offering a sincerely grateful smile as he sweeps up the mess she'd made.* Thank you Boy. I.. I d-don't want to be around them.
[Boy]
"Its okay." He calls back. "But maybe next time we'll just cover them up. They can't work if they can't reflect."
Which was just another way of saying they did work normally, and in just the way she was afraid of.
[Wendy Berber]
..it just caught me off guard. S-sorry. *She speaks up, There's rustling as she snatches a paper and pen from her bag near the foot of the bed, making short notes on her dream as he cleans up the glass. Its a few minutes before she puts the pad away adn ventures to stand silouetted in the doorway, arms wrapped around herself.* um.. could we maybe... skip the milk?
[Boy]
He had the shards of glass in the small bathroom waste bin, which was in turn lined with a black plastic bag he was tying up. He nodded.
"No Milk. No problem. You think you can get back to sleep?"
[Wendy Berber]
I think so. Maybe. Um... Are you coming to bed? *She fusses with the shoulder seam of her baggy t-shirt, alone in the doorway squinting a little without her specs. She can see the black blob of something, make out Boy's form but not his facial features.*
[Boy]
"Yeah. C'mon."
The light flicks off, and from the darkness his hand reaches for hers as they head back to the bedroom. He'd wait for her to get into bed before crawling underneath.
[Wendy Berber]
*spindly fingers close on his, leaving only reluctantly as she crawls back in bed. The rasp of a sheet as she drags it over herself.* um.. th-thank you Boy. Sorry I woke you up. Goodnight?
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