towerofanimus | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Characters: The Handmaid and the Summoner
Setting: The lake floor?
Format: Action
Summary: The Handmaid is traumatized!
Warning: Angst?

[The Handmaid had woken up a few minutes ago, and she still couldn't bring herself to move. She was shaking, knees hugged tightly to her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. She'd been... Dreaming? No, that wasn't it. She'd died. But there had been something off about the whole thing, and it was clear she hadn't really been home. That didn't change the fact that the entire episode had taken a huge toll on her, though.

When she can finally bring herself to move, she untangles her arms and legs and slides off of the bed hesitantly, only for her feet to land on something oddly soft. She looks down and finds herself standing on a square of green fabric. The Handmaid leans down to pick it up, ignoring the note, and unfolds it carefully.

Of course, she recognizes it immediately. It's his coat, and she drops it as though burned, feeling a sudden wave of nausea. She can't stay here, trapped in this claustrophobic room, but instead of leaving and running to the woods, or somewhere as far away from everyone else as possible, her first instinct is to find the Summoner.

It takes a while. He's not in his room, and by the time she finally finds him, she's a total wreck. But she finds herself afraid to approach, so she just sort of... Hesitates a few yards away.]

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[He's standing at the edge of the water, staring sort of hollowly at his reflection. Second time. This is the second time something's been done to the people here, somewhere isolated, and he got to watch it all happen. Worse, he got to watch her die again, got to watch some monster torment her and... The feeling of being entirely helpless is not a new one, but it is no less awful for being something he remembers]

[It takes him a long moment to realize he's got company all of a sudden, and when he looks up... a number of things flicker across his face. Surprise, relief, sadness, a kind of dull hopelessness before it all resolves into something like desperation]

[He moves towards her as quickly as he can while still walking, projecting his movements so she doesn't retreat from her spot there, and... if she doesn't run... he is going to hug her. You need it brosis B|]

[She doesn't run. In fact this time, she doesn't even flinch. She just clings to him, because she really does need it. She's still shaking, actually, not from the dying part, but most definitely from whatever it is they did after.]

[It doesn't take him too long before he's clinging back, squeezing her up against him and... shooshing her faintly. It's not even really a conscious thing. He just knows he needs to calm her down, has to somehow so...]

[She doesn't even register the shooshing consciously, but it does calm her down a bit. She clutches at the back of his shirt and buries her face in his shoulder, clearly not up for talking just yet.]

[Yeah he's... not really up for it either!!! Just tucking her up closer to him and pressing his face into her hair. After a moment of thought, he also starts rubbing her back for good measure );]

[After a while, she does start to relax. She's not home. As dangerous as this place is, Lord English isn't here, and the Summoner is. She lets out a shaky breath, peeking up at him.]

I'm sorry.

[Immediately peeks back... but he looks... confused? What...]

Why...? [YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG?? DON'T APOLOGIZE. That was not even close to the thing he expected her to say lakjsdf]

[BECAUSE HE HAD TO WATCH HER DIE AGAIN? But she just shrugs, looking away.]

[Nope! Gonna tuck a finger under her chin and try to get her to look at him again]

You didn't, deserve that. Any of it.

[She blinks up at him, brow furrowing. Something about the way he's saying that makes her think he's not talking about her death.]

What?

[...it doesn't actually occur to him that she doesn't know he saw. He's just kinda barreling ahead fff]

That. Man. The demon, in the coat. You don't have, to apologize for what he did. [Whoops reading too much into things ljsdf]

[She goes completely pale, her eyes widening.]

You saw that?

[......................oh. Whoops]

Yes, uh... Did you not know? That we could see, I mean...

[NO SHE DIDN'T KNOW??? She sucks in a sharp breath, pulling away from him. Excuse her, she's just going to have a sort of internal breakdown here.]

[No no no. Nope. Doesn't let her pull away! In fact he tugs her back into that tight hug, shooshing her again]

[It's not working this time, and she's going to keep squirming.]

You weren't supposed to see that.

[Did her voice just break there?]

[Oh my god laksjdfl He doesn't know whether to let her go or not )8 Ends up... letting her go but keeping his hands around her arms, trying to keep her close at least]

It's okay. You're. Okay now? [He doesn't know really. What he saw... and the way she's acting... Maybe it's really not okay at all]

[She shakes her head, fighting the urge to yank her arms back and just... Run away. It's not okay. The farthest thing from okay ever, actually.]

[lksjdlfkjf fuck. Awkwardly glances around, trying to find some kind of distraction or... just something... to get her to stop trying to pull away. It's not working at all lskdj]

Do you, want to talk about it? [...WHAT DO???]

[SHE DOESN'T AT ALL. But she should, shouldn't she?]

I didn't... Want you to see that.

Why... not...?

[Well that's a stupid question Summoner obviously because it was a horrible situation duuuh. But he will... let the question stand. At least they can get somewhere with this hopefully!!]

[Because you're going to hate her when you know all of it! She doesn't say anything, though, just looks away. It's going to take a bit more prodding than that.]

[Rubbing his shoulder with his thumb, looking sorta helpless at her silence for a moment]

Coleta...?

[The name is what gets her, and she takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself and failing.]

His name is Lord English.

[Ugh endless sympathy )8]

Who is he? [Is this the guy... This must be the guy... who's made her so afraid of things UUUGH]