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nightfell mods ([personal profile] oblivium) wrote in [community profile] logs2022-11-09 09:42 pm

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INHUMAN COURTESY


I. PUSHING UP DAISIES
cw: depiction of hanahaki, mention of blood, mild body horror

The Frightful Harvest ended on a bloody, eerie note, but the Respite's most welcome interlude has proven exceptionally fruitful. The sky's darkened again, moons struggling to glow through turbulent clouds, but crops all over Stygia have grown dense and healthy, herbs and plants and flowers aplenty. Normally, it'd be a time to rejoice, even as sleet pours and winds grow bitterly cold -- and it might have been, had greens and stems and petals NOT elected to blossom inside you. Your lungs, specifically.

It's an uncommon side effect of the Harvest, affecting those who foster affection or attraction towards another, triggered only by a stray thought. Almost as if punished by Oblivium for harboring any kind of positive feelings. The worst part is that the object of your desire doesn't even have to be in the Netherworld for you to be afflicted. Over the span of three months, you'll gradually experience various degrees of the "harvest's curse", depending on the source of your feelings:

► PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL ATTRACTION & REQUITED LOVE
It starts with an itch. Your throat tickles, an odd sensation in your lungs, slightly constricted. Allergies? Not quite. It worsens overtime, and days pass by, perhaps weeks. You cough, a little more every day, a little deeper, and then it happens: petals, stuck to your lips as you wheeze and try to empty your chest. Marigold, carnations, daisies, peonies... Thankfully, for you, it's more of an annoyance, sporadic at best and leaving you exhausted at times, but you're in no immediate danger. Unfortunately, not all Restless share the same luck.

► UNREQUITED LOVE
It doesn't matter whether it is truly unrequited; as long as you think it is, whether you're fully convinced or distantly resigned, you get the whole package. It starts the same way the lesser variation does, gradual, and with unsavory (!) additions: lilies and dark red roses. The first slowly spreads its poison in your body, inducing fevers, skin rashes, blistering in your mouth and stomach aches. The second pricks your throat bloody, making speech difficult and breathing even more so. It spreads throughout Stygia, and if most wound up meeting their end in the past, some speak of a highly hypothetical cure. It's believed that if the object of your affection confesses equally strong feelings for you, the curse should rapidly subside. If this option isn't viable, Doran promises that all Healers in Hale are working extremely hard to find a solution. In the meantime, symptoms can be partially soothed with poultices and spells that you can find in the Marketplace or in Serene. Some merchants might even take pity on you and offer them for free.
if your character has heard of similar diseases in their home world, they're absolutely welcome to share their insight on the netherwork or anywhere else
the evolution of the disease can be as gradual, as fast or as severe as you wish it to be
a mini quest to retrieve ingredients for a cure will be available in december or january
by february, all characters should be cured

II. DO NOT PASS GO
cw: mention of blood, torture, branding, violence, forced captivity

Full-swing investigations concerning the Harvest's murders have begun, though the mysterious rider has yet to resurface. The day is young still, but no matter; the Hierarchy firmly believes that the creature was summoned by a group of renegades, fully intent on finding and dismembering the organization. Perhaps even literally.

If you've spilled blood not your own in the previous event, the Hierarchy finds you. Do they know? It doesn't really matter; they've targeted you for reasons they won't divulge, persuaded of your involvement -- and off to the Gallows you go. Each of you receives the same greeting when you arrive, held down by rough hands and branded upon the arm with the letter F. The mark signifies ‘forsaken’, and the painful scar is indelible proof that each of you has betrayed the Hierarchy's hospitality. Writhe and scream and glower as much as you want; next thing you know, something heavy hits you across the head, and you collapse.

When your vision slowly creeps back, your eyes adjust to a dimly lit stone cell. Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain, and you lie in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. It's dark; the air is bloated and filled with agonizing shrieks. Dead vines scrap the walls of half-crumbled buildings, weather-worn stone pillars surrounded by withered clumps of grass. You may converse with your cellmates: the guards patrolling the Gallows couldn't care less, convinced that no one could possibly escape anyway.

► Ironically, a magical barrier around the Gallows prevents magical/spiritual abilities from functioning. However, characters who roam free still can absolutely sneak in! Be careful not to get caught, though!
► Loud disagreements might attract unwanted attention. A single guard will come, and if he finds nothing else amiss, will threaten them to be quiet. A second violation earns the offender a rap on their bare feet with a club. A third violation will cause the offender to be gagged. Note that in order to beat or gag the offender, the guard must first open the cell.
If you share affinities with Gargoyles, incapacitating a guard in any way will draw the attention of one. It'll show you to the gates where you'll be able to escape, taking care of sentries on your way. You should probably keep a low-profile from then on, and avoid showing-off your brand.
► A secret passage may be found through a mausoleum nearby; an arrow of flaking red paint marks the entrance. Or is it blood? Inside, it's nearly pitch-black. Perhaps, if you're lucky, your vision extends as far as 30 feet in front of you, but occasionally, the darkness is broken by clinging phosphorescent fungi or crawling luminescent creatures, and from out of the silence echo sounds of dripping water. You're underground, and Abysmals can be encountered here if you're too loud. You should also watch out for cave-ins, but as you get farther away from the general region of the Gallows, your magical abilities gradually come back.
► Eventually, a long, broken staircase will lead you to Hale. If you're injured, you'll be sent to the main infirmary; characters with healing abilities or knowledge are super welcome to help!

Luckily for you, there are so many prisoners it's a difficult task for the Hierarchy to always keep track of all of them. Your brand, however, is a dead giveaway, so you might as well try and find a way to get rid of it; you might hear through the grapevines that the dead skin of Badaliscus can be used as bandages, and overtime, the brand will fully heal and disappear.


III. TO THE RESCUE
As you attempt to escape, or perhaps once you’ve successfully snuck in, you come across a terrifying spectacle: in front of you, impaled through the shoulder by a spear, a weary humanoid figure covered in blood. The body is being restrained by additional shackles on each arm and leg, which are linked to chains anchored within the walls. There's a guard nearby, armed to the teeth… and still you decide to free them.

The guard’s magic is just as useless as yours, and while impressive in size, dexterity definitely isn’t his main strength. He hits hard — with brass knuckles, a chain mace, and a sturdy shield — and his stamina almost seems endless, but it’s not. Keep evading, and he’ll eventually tire enough to topple over. It’s also possible to have him chase you around if you don’t go too far, which would allow someone else to grab the spear. Once he’s too exhausted to go on, you can either kill him or chain him to the wall. The keys are in his boots, and you’ll find a bottle of water as well as a small vial of ointment in a satchel on the ground, where he previously stood.

The prisoner is a young man, perhaps in his mid-20s. Once freed from his shackles, he immediately keels over, though he’s not unconscious. He thanks you with a deep and raw voice, begging for water. You can tend to his wounds if you’re able—the ointment quickly soothes—and when he finally stands again, he asks you a question: “I’m a stranger to you, and you could have died. Yet, you chose to free me, unaware of my past. Of my crimes. Of my virtues. Why?”

Regardless of your answer, he smiles, a private understanding that turns the stretch of his lips enigmatic. There’s a bubbling chuckle in his throat, very hoarse, and then he hisses, touching where you’ve helped him apply the ointment on his body. “You know what they say. If it stings...” He looks at you, deliberately pausing there and staring bold into your eyes. “... then it must be working.

It might feel like there’s more to what he’s trying to say, though it’s pointless to ask: he bows, and then he slowly inches away from you. “Until we meet again.” White and thick tendrils of smoke envelop him, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and then just like that, he’s gone.
so you’ve chosen to free him, which in turn has generated a future plot point that’ll occur some time in february. some of you WILL see him again.
what he says to you is a clue.
you can answer his question OOCly right here. it’ll have some bearing on the way your character will be approached re: future plot point.
if you've voted no and would still like to participate, you could always allow your character to be convinced or reluctantly dragged by another!
ooc note

► As always, check out the Notice Board if you'd like additional prompts! Older quests from previous months are always available as well. You'll also find the Calendar right here.
► You'll find already answered questions just here, and if you'd like to ask new ones, ask them here!
► For fun's sake and similarly to the puck adventure, you may play it out in different groups or on your own, and still obtain the same results as everyone else whether your characters threaded together!

oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💚 pretty.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-04 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, wow. Even though she had her suspicions, it feels weird having him say it. Someone like Zagreus is in the same (maybe not exactly the same but, details) situation she's in? That doesn't make sense, he's actually likeable.

Lottie frowns, unsure of what to say at first, and it's half because it's hard to think with his coughing. It sounds like it hurts, and this topic may hurt.. Emotionally? She's ballparking it, here, so she slides that same vial from earlier his way. ]


You.. Care?

[ She tosses her own back and feels her belly settle, the unease at the words 'unrequited feelings' edging away with the remedy at work. ]

Like.. Care care?
dodgeouttahell: (40)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-06 01:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[He takes the vial almost mindlessly, though he looks at it inquisitively.] Oh, what is this?

[Not that he's suspicious, he's only genuinely curious.

And just like that, easy, open and raw, he does admit to it. He even smiles a little as he opens the vial, sniffing its contents. Even though he's not sure if the targets of his affection would ever reciprocate (he knows one will not, but that's okay, he's grateful, anyway), he likes feeling, feeling for people.

He likes feeling love, even if it's not aimed at himself.
] I do have feelings for them, yes.

[Because to Zagreus, there's no greater strength than being vulnerable and owning up to your feelings. Though he is a little self conscious about it being more than one, as he knows people on the surface tend to have relationships with only one person at a time.]
Edited 2022-12-06 13:14 (UTC)
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💚 followers.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-06 03:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Lottie, simply, can't relate. His smile only serves to make her just as confused as she is about someone not liking Zagreus back. For someone like her, in her eyes, it begrudgingly makes sense -- she may be an influencer but she can't force people to like her, even if she tries very hard to do it. Tries stupidly hard, if her attempts at changing herself to mold pretty with her crush is anything to go by.

And it makes her angry, upset, vaguely defeated that even now she can't win at something as stupid as feelings. After all, there is nothing pleasant about the reminder you're undesirable. But on the flip side, she's happy he's happy. Vaguely jealous. So much that she forgets he asked her a question, that he admitted to splitting his heart in two for not just one, but multiple someones?

(And she's back to feeling bad, a total whiplash of emotions because of course he would. He's too nice, so soft. Confident and pleasant to be around. A lot of things she wishes she was, but isn't.) ]


It's medicine, duh. If we're gonna talk, I don't want a repeat of outside happening in here..

[ Of course, she doesn't mention much about herself. Not yet, anyway. Lottie is a bit too scared to open up like that, even if she knows he would understand, so she focuses in on his first question. ]

If you, wanna, talk. I shouldn't assume or anything, sorry..
dodgeouttahell: (8)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-06 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[He leaves a hand on her blanket-covered knee, pats it there. It's heartfelt, but with the thick fabric over her legs, she probably doesn't feel much of it.] This probably wasn't easy to come by. Thank you, Lottie. You're a godsend.

[A slight tip of his vial, before he downs it in one go.] Cheers, then.

[Does it help? Sort of. It's… numbing, somewhat. Reminds him of the herbs his mother grew in her garden but hadn't ventured to look too deep into what they were.

He clears his throat.
] It's alright. I don't mind talking, but it's sort of a downer. Unrequited feelings aren't exactly the funniest thing to talk about. [He thinks about that as soon as it leaves his lips.] Maybe it is, but I don't see it quite yet.
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💚 outreach.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-06 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's true, she doesn't feel much of it. But she sees him do it, and it's just as good. It's nice, supportive. Comforting and everything between all at once. And while she doesn't crack a smile, she does try and stifle a laugh. ]

No.. It really isn't. Like, at all.

[ Zagreus can be so weird, sometimes. She wonders what makes him think she wants him to be funny, talking about things like one-sided love. Her face softens, eyes flickering down to his hand. It's timid, experimental, how she places her own atop it. ]

You don't have to make it funny.. Or exciting. I don't want that. It's just, you're the first person I've met who's also coughing up actual flowers..? So. I don't know.. It's kinda crazy to me you'd know how I feel.
dodgeouttahell: (13)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-06 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[He looks at her hand, light at first, then letting its weight draw heftier on his own. Zag smiles, turns his hand, slowly as to not to frighten her, and his fingers hold hers in a gentle grasp.

It's been a while since he held someone's hand like this, just because. To reassure one another that they're real and not just a fragment of a shade in the underworld.

Though his eyes do dart to her, intrigued at that last sentence.
] Why would it be crazy?
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💕 schedule.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-07 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ His tender care works — Lottie doesn't pull away like she did earlier in the evening, startled and unsure of her touch. And even if she doesn't look very confident (with the way her eyes flick up to him every so often as if to ask, 'are you sure?'), she returns his hold. Just as soft, just as gentle. ]

It's..

[ She's quiet for some time, distracts herself with the calluses on his hands and how it feels on her skin. But she knows she can't avoid answering forever, so she swallows — ]

I never thought you'd.. [ Frustration builds at the tip of her tongue, lips pressing together when she decides no, that's not quite right. ] It's not like I pay attention or anything but, you're so.. Zagreus, I just know everybody must like you, you know? You're so nice. You're so.. Real.
dodgeouttahell: (45)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-07 01:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[As if reassuring her, his thumb strokes her knuckles, the back of her fingers and hand. He does so absently, finding the touch comforting and natural, not at all that great of a thing.

A wonder, really, considering how starved he is for touch itself.
]

Me? [He shakes his head, his smile turns rueful for a second, his shock drawing his eyes narrow. He decides to take the final sip of his water, and sets the cup down by the hearth.

There's a saying somewhere, from a shade slipping about as it talked to another across a hall: 'It's difficult to please Greeks and Trojans at the same time'. He's sure some people don't like him, and he's honestly glad about that. It means that the world is filled with different people and things.
]

I did end up hurting them, though. [He winces.] Er, not on purpose. But I was selfish; I admit that. I don't blame them for hesitating to reciprocate.
Edited 2022-12-07 13:06 (UTC)
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💕 awk.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-07 03:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ His thumb strokes her hand, her fingers, knuckles, and it serves to settle the nerves threatening to bubble up and force her mouth shut. She gives one inhale through her nose, and a shaky one out her lips when he doesn't say much, at first. Lottie wonders if she might've said something bad by the time his smile shifts, a different tint to it.

She's not sure if it's good or bad she can't place it.

But then he talks, and it starts to make sense. Her brows do furrow, because the last thing she'd ever expect him to do was both those things: be selfish, and hurt others (not on purpose, though, she reminds herself). Not everybody is perfect, she guesses, even if she wholeheartedly thinks so. ]


You did?

[ Her eyes move down to watch his thumb stroke back, forth. She's forgotten how nice something as simple as holding hands can be, so used to keeping them to herself. And then, a glance up, a bit of disbelief in her voice when she asks: ]

Really?
dodgeouttahell: (34)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-07 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
It wasn't an easy decision to make.

[ Zagreus's usual soft vice adds a certain weight. It's an admission, more than an excuse. Still, he thinks that makes it even worse. That such a difficult choice meant that he had to stay still, accept the life he already had, the comfort and the presence of those he does care for still.

In the end, was it worth it? Even as he ended up here?

'Alive! Oh, my son!'

It was.
] Unfortunately, there are things that you need to do for yourself that end up hurting others. You just hope they understand and that you can make up to them someday.

[Well, that's, pushed back for a while, until he leaves, but. He sighs, tries not to cough.

Surely they at least miss him.
]
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (✨ szn. ( 🌡 ))

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-07 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Even though they're dancing around names and circumstance, Lottie is at least glad to realize she understands exactly what he means. Sometimes you have to be selfish. Granted, Lottie has used this excuse to evil and questionable degrees, but you have to put yourself first.

Still, she wonders what it was that put Zagreus between a rock and a hard place like that.. Thankfully, she has enough sense not to ask. He's already sharing so much, more than she expected when she even asked him.

If it were her, she would've lied. Put the blame somewhere else. But he's owning up to it and it makes her heart twist, because it's difficult seeing how he's still trying to be alright in front of her. ]


When my ex broke up with me [ She blurts out. Pauses. Then continues with breathless vigor, ] I didn't tell my family. It's been like two years! They probably think we're still dating, now. If I'm not dead, I mean.
dodgeouttahell: (42)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-10 10:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Listening to Lottie talk helps with the weird numbness settling in his belly. He wonders if this… potion? Medicine? Helps with whatever this strange affliction may be, if at least settles it, so he doesn't spew bloodied flora onto her lap. Lottie is always very careful about how she looks, and he'd hate to be the one to spoil that.]

Were you afraid? Of what they'd think? [Gods know he was very self-conscious when he first started dating Meg, and then when they broke up. The Shades would always gossip around the House's staff, anyway, even if nothing did happen.

It's part of why he showed her, Than and Dusa, all of his affection in the only way he could, only after he left. Because he was ready to send those gossiping shades to hell.

Quite literally, really.
] It must've been hard to keep it a secret.
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (✨ press release.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-10 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Was she? To be fair, his line of questioning isn't so far from the truth. Lottie needs her family to think she's self sufficient and not insane so she can feel better about herself! Which.. Doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when she puts so little effort into contacting them, but it's true.

And it, honestly, does put things into perspective for herself, after all.. A lot of what she does is never really born from logic. Much like this: ]


It's dumb.. I think I just didn't want to deal with my mom being all nosey. She'd ask so many questions and it'd be the worst.

[ Probably stuff like, 'So you spent all that time with him and you weren't going to marry him?' and 'Five years and no marriage???' Also, 'Are you still doing that blogging thing?' Her shoulders hunch forward, breathing moodily through her nose. Her hand squeezes his the tiniest bit more, ]

..And it wasn't that hard. I only see my family during the holidays and every time they ask about Sunny I just go, 'oh, yeah, we're fine' and they move on. It's easier. Less explaining, you know?
dodgeouttahell: (25)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-13 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[At that tiny squeeze, Zagreus replies with another in kind. Hoping to be reassuring.] You were dealing with it the way you knew how.

[Is it something he tells himself? Sure. But he does think he learns with his mistakes and isn't that prone to making them twice.

Except perhaps he may slip every now and then, with how many runs he had to make, to realize that dealing with Asterius and Theseus at the same time was a matter of patience and timing and not just brute strength. With how many nectars he had to offer, to both Than, Meg, and Dusa, to realize why exactly he was offering them lavish gifts instead of using those items for something more useful.

Even if he does tilt his head, pondering.
] Would you do it again? If you knew how it would end? [Them being stuck here, he means.]
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💚 newsletter.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-14 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ Wow.. What a loaded question. He squeezes her hand back and she's mulling over a very real question, one that's hypothetical but forces her to wonder about what ifs. She's, at least, not as anxiety ridden as she should be -- Zagreus validating her and her actions makes her heart soar and her opinion of him grow fonder. ]

Probably..?

[ It's quiet, unsure, the way it comes out. He asks such a specific question but it feels so general, so broad, that she can't help but overthink. Sunny was her first everything, it's hard to imagine her life without him by her side. It's equally hard for her to imagine a life where she actually told her family about the break up (in her mind it turns out terribly, and she regrets every second of it). ]

Sunny's important to me, even if he's.. Himself. I don't know what my life would look like if we hadn't got together.. That's so weird to think about! But I guess I like being single..? When you're with someone for so long you kinda forget you can do whatever..
dodgeouttahell: (28)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-26 10:27 am (UTC)(link)
I've always heard that even the relationships that didn't happen are something to be grateful about.

[It's not without swallowing something tight in his throat that he says this. And he is thankful for the presence of all the three that he pines for in his life. Meg's relentless drive and pragmatic mindset, Dusa's hardworking and sensible demeanor, Thanatos'… everything, even the things that make him infuriating. The relationships that they already have, without giving a step forward, it all enriches his life so beautifully, even if they don't cross that threshold of his own want.

'Selfish.'

Enough.
]

Lessons, and the like. [He continues to shut up the threatening voice in his head. Zagreus grins and wiggles their hands.] I'm glad you're happy, that's the most important part.
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (✨ november.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-27 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ Where the hell did he hear that? That sounds so.. Sad. Lonely. And frustrating. Like forcing complacency when it's alright to be upset about things not panning out. But he follows it up with a, 'I'm glad your happy' and Lottie decides to simply bite her tongue. To just try and focus on the way their hands shake and how silly it looks in an otherwise grim situation. It's hard — she practically went to school for overthinking, lives and breathes it.

But then she remembers the phrase 'unrequited feelings'. Mulls over how awkward it'd be to point blank ask Zagreus if he was happy with the way things were before he had to make his ever vague, but life changing, choice. ]


Thanks.. [ It's genuine, at least, when she says it. ] I don't know if I learned anything from it all, though.

[ Although to be fair, a lot of Lottie's love life isn't exactly so cut and dry (and she'd sooner die than admit she started sexting her ex while he was dating someone else, you know, for reasons). ]

..Did you? You know, learn from your stuff?
dodgeouttahell: (32)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-27 11:11 am (UTC)(link)
[We'll blame Mercury on Gatorade for texting Lottie's ex.

Zagreus' head tips, pensive. Against the flaring embers of the hearth and the ones on his laurels and feet, he feels his eyes being drawn by the glow, growing numb and warm.

Even the circumstances on how he had realized that he did still harbor feelings for his own ex, even while they kept trying (and succeeding, one more than the other after a while) to kill each other to stop him from progressing further. Even while he was trying to leave, and stumbled upon who he once thought was his brother, only to find him hurt, and angry, and wishing none of that, and feeling like a fool whenever he tried to cross that bridge.

'You like me, Zagreus?' The disbelief had been so cutting. As though Thanatos had been offended by the whole concept of it.

And then… that adorable little Gorgon going 'I'm just not attracted to you in that way'.

He chuckles, and nods.
] You learn most about yourself. You said you enjoy being single. That's also learning, right?
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💚 kiss.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-28 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ Always blame the Gatorade, obviously! ]

Is it? [ It's said, clearly confused yet not entirely put off by his suggestion. Lottie pouts, but doesn't look away from him. ] Aren't we all.. You know.. Always single? Alone?

[ You know, metaphorically. Also, technically. Hopefully, not in a depressing way? She at least aims for this when she suggests it, leaves it to linger in the air, mostly so she can see his reaction.

This isn't a very 'Lottie Person' typical thing to say, she realizes a bit too readily — it's not the funniest thing to say aloud, and certainly a downer. But she's feeling comfortable enough to give it a go. If he can let her see those pensive, terse, expressions (in his home, no less, with the door probably still unlocked and the rain sprinkling outside) lit by his laurel, his hearth, why can't she give him a peek at herself? ]


I guess relearning how to be alone is kind of a lesson.. [ She stares at his lap, wonders, is he cold? Should she share the blanket? ] Learning how to be with yourself.
dodgeouttahell: (29)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-28 11:28 am (UTC)(link)
I suppose, but I wonder if you can't already lose yourself to others without being bound to someone.

[Even without being in a relationship. Expectations, from close ones, from the people you surround yourself with, from yourself, it all lends to how you act and perceive yourself.

And he is, after all, Greek. Zagreus doesn't mind a bit of a philosophical debate.
] I'll let you know that not even immortals, or shades in their afterlife, truly know the full extent of themselves.

[Himself included, of course. He follows her gaze at his legs, apparently, and he places a hand on his thigh.] Do you need to lie down? I've heard I'm a good pillow.
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (📱 empty.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-28 02:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That.. Is reassuring? No, it is reassuring. More-than-mortals get perplexed about themselves and their purpose in life, too. Not everyone has answers to everything, she guesses. She looks, feels, a little lighter after he says that, about to open her lips and continue that line of conversation before he beats her to it.

Her lips don't clamp shut, but Lottie does stare at him. Lets her eyes, wide and curious, linger on the hand that pats at his thigh. She's always been the pillow?? ]


Like.. On your lap??

[ She asks this, but she actually means to say: really? Lottie may not want to stop holding hands, however she's willing to make the sacrifice for science. Just to see what it feels like, especially since Zagreus might not offer again any time soon. Besides, if he is as good as he says, she could maybe nap? Flower free!? ]

I.. Guess my butt is hurting a little.
dodgeouttahell: (49)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-28 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Zag laughs, pats his thigh once more as he shuffles on his weight.]

Well, get on here, then. I wouldn't want you to leave my place with a sore behind.
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💕 bend.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-29 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ Aaaaaaaaaaa, noo!! Not a sore behind?! Lottie squeezes his hand tight, trying very hard not to laugh so abruptly that it hurts her lungs. Still, she has a very hard time saying this with a straight face: ]

Nope. No sore behinds in this house, obviously!

[ And so she'll go ahead and gingerly let him go, scoot her glass of water away from where she might accidentally spill it and.. Ease herself back? Wow, this is weird. Lottie pulls the blanket along with her, curls her legs in, as she finally lays her head on his lap. Her hair is pooled beneath her, creates a nice cushion on top of an already nice pillow.

She kind of stares up at him after that, eyes wide and just.. Thinking. Not in a bad way, really. For one, she's wondering why is it he still looks so pretty even from this angle — ]


This okay?
dodgeouttahell: (51)

[personal profile] dodgeouttahell 2022-12-29 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[Zagreus, circa ???? ?.C. : no sore behinds in this house.

He smiles down at her, resting his hands on the floor by his hips after tucking the blanket better around Lottie.
] Don’t be afraid to rest your full weight. I’m very much okay with this.
oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (💕 dye.)

[personal profile] oomfies 2022-12-29 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Historians will be talking about this discovery for Years to Come(tm).

His reassurance means she nods -- or, well, tries to. It's more of a concentrated tuck of her chin (she even adds a tiny, excited, 'okay') before she finally stops straining her neck and relaxes. She can feel the heat from the hearth better from this angle, tickling the crown of her head, and she lets her eyes flutter closed. Her hands curl up against her body beneath the blanket, ]


You'd tell me if your legs get sleepy, right?

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