towerofanimus | ❝trying to talk my way out of this❞

Entry tags:

❝trying to talk my way out of this❞

Characters: Willow and whoever. OPEN.
Setting: Sixth floor (the forest).
Format: I slightly prefer action over prose, but I'll match whatever you want to do!
Summary: Willow's been doing a lot of magic lately, and tries to meditate to help manage it. Unfortunately she picks the worst place possible. Run into her in A or B, just let me know which one in the subject!
Warnings: Grief. Addiction recovery.

A.

[Since she got here, she's been doing magic almost nonstop. Well, not really, but it feels that way. Casual, advanced, ritual and on the fly-- she's even been teaching it, a little. Willow desperately needs to meditate and feel the Earth beneath her before it catches up with her. She can feel the temptation, feel how easy it is, to just solve everything with a burst of power and a hand gesture, maybe a well-placed word...

But it doesn't solve everything, and it won't bring Tara back. Tara, who had just wanted the best for her; who had wanted her to use magic for good things, as an expression of compassion toward the world. Not for selfish reasons. Willow feels intensely ashamed that she still struggles with this, but that doesn't mean she doesn't. She needs the grass under her hands and trees above her head to recenter herself. To find peace.

She shakes out a circle of ash about five feet in diameter, within sight of the stairs. It's a magical perimeter, intended to stop anything with malicious intent from crossing in and harming her. She hasn't had to use one in years, but Eridan had warned her about the monsters lurking in the woods. Willow uses one now, and settles herself cross-legged in the middle.]

B.

[Some time later, just as she'd really been settling into her inner space, the part of herself that stays calm and undisturbed no matter how much black magic roils through her... she hears a voice, and her breath catches. She could've sworn her heart stopped.]

Tara? [she whispers, and a moment later, she hears another trace of it echoing again.

No. She's dead. Willow lurches to her feet, leaving the small bowl of ash behind, forgotten, and rushes over to the stairs. She's breathing fast, almost hyperventilating, as she races down them.]

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[She looks a little embarrassed by the compliment, but gives her a grateful smile anyway.] Humanity has its own ways of being cruel. Thanks, though. All the trolls I've met so far haven't been too bad, to be honest.

No, he's... at home. [She looks down into her lap.] I haven't seen anyone from my world here. I can't even really-- wish he were here, because he's needed so much back there. I am, too, but I can't do anything about that. [Willow's trying hard not to be selfish, even in thought, but damn is it difficult.]

Really? Huh. Maybe you've been lucky enough to avoid the less pleasant ones so far. But I think all species have the capacity for cruelty, it's just a matter of how much it shows.

[And even through Willow's insistence, Aradia can understand the unspoken]

Still, I don't think you should feel bad for not wanting to be the only one here. I was lucky; there seems to be a lot of trolls here and one is my matesprit...now...again...that's a long story. Anyway, point being at times like this, having friends around you makes it easier so don't feel bad for wanting them here.

You're probably right. On both counts. I'm sure eventually I'll have to smack some sense into someone; that's just how it goes.

I guess I just-- hearing Tara's voice again, I... [Her voice drops, grows soft.] It made me miss her all over again. And then I felt all lonely, cause, I'm starting to get used to the idea that I'll never see her again, but everyone else? That part's-- kinda new.

Unfortunately, yes. Just be careful - the higher up the spectrum you go, the more violent the troll.

I understand. Even all the other people here can't really make up for the people from your world. But maybe they'll still come, in time. I'm not ready to discount anything as impossible for this place just yet.

Is that how that works? All I really know is that purple's on one end-- what's on the other?

You're right. You're... definitely right. I can't give up now, that would be heinous and, and disrespectful, and what if they show up and I'm all mopey Willow? Not a very good welcome. I should focus on happy things.

Like... [She casts around for something happy to talk about.] Oh, oh like, you having a matesprit again! You did say that, right?

Yes. Purple's the top end, at least in my world. The other end is me, basically, but then there's Karkat whose blood isn't even on the spectrum. But as far as the true spectrum goes, dark red is the lowest...or highest, I guess, in some worlds.

[She smiles at Willow's determination] That's the spirit. If they come, they'll come so all we can do is be ready in case they do.

[At the question, Aradia blushes deep red] Um, yes. I don't know if you've met Sollux yet...my world's Sollux, I mean. It's a really long story but once we were matesprits and when I got here he asked if I'd like us to be again.

Okay, good to know. It's too bad you guys don't come with, like, a manual or something, then I could just learn this all at once.

[Willow smiles back, relieved to be apparently digging herself out of sadness effectively.] Exactly.

[Oho, she sees that blush and grins at her delightedly. If there's anything Willow likes, it's talking about other peoples' love lives.] I haven't met him, no. But congratulations! You must be super excited. I'm happy for you, Aradia.

[She grins] You know, I could say the same for humans. But who knows, maybe there's enough of us here for something like that to work...though I can answer any questions you might have anyway.

[And that blush shows no sign of fading] Um, thank you, Willow. I'll have to introduce you at some point.

And I can answer any questions you have, I promise! I'll put the "guide to troll-human relations" manual idea on the back burner. You never know, I might get bored one day.

I'd love to meet him. [Her smile is less overpoweringly gleeful and, instead, softer now. Willow really does like hearing about other people being happy.] Maybe in the meantime, you could tell me about him? You're all glowy already.

Ooh, yes. Maybe soon we'll know enough that we can put something together. Then when new faces appear, we can just show them that.

[And okay, she's definitely getting fuzzy feelings just from the conversation so far. She'd forgotten what it was like to be so excited just thinking of her matesprit]

Well, okay. He's a yellow-blood, not that that really matters I guess, and he's sort-of all about the two of everything. Like, he has two sets of horns and everything with him is two colours, usually red and blue. He's also really, really good at computer stuff...he was the one who turned the code I found into something playable, actually. Other than that...I guess he can be quite shy sometimes, and sometimes he gets really down about stuff. But he's a good guy, at least I like to think so. Obviously, since he's my matesprit.

And we can be all, helpful newcomer greeters in ways other than tours around the tower. Inter-species peace, very important.

[Willow listens to this description and tries not to giggle.] You've got it bad, huh? [she asks slyly.] He sounds like a neat guy. Very memorable. [She can't help but wonder how similar he is to Eridan's Sollux, but it's not really a question she'd expect Aradia to have an answer to, so she holds that to herself.]

Oh yes. Especially if we're all going to be stuck here for a while. It would definitely be better if we weren't forever at each other's throats.

[And now that dark red blush is getting stronger]

Well, hopefully you'll get to meet him soon and find out for yourself.

Yeah, I like everyone's throats to remain intact. And if I'm going to keep getting friendly with you guys, I have to admit, it'd be nice to have a guide. Sometimes you're a little more alien than I expect-- no offense.

[She's still smiling, pleased to see Aradia so obviously attached to someone.] I'll have to look out for him. I'm happy that you have him while you're here.

None taken. I'm not sure what else we would be other than alien, to you.

[More happy blushing]

Well, it was a nice surprise. And I'll keep hoping that yours will come here too. Who knows what this place is capable of, right?

I've met a lot of demons that were way more human than you guys, so I guess it still catches me off guard.

--Oh, you mean... That Tara will show up? [Her smile turns a little melancholy again, but it's a lot more accepting and calm than the sheer grief she'd been battling earlier.] No, that's okay. She deserves her rest. I know from a reputable source that death is a lot more traumatizing to the people left behind, and resurrection is the hard part. I miss her, but... I know she's happy where she is.

But I appreciate the thought. Really.

Oh? But those demons live in your world, right? So I suppose it makes sense they would be more familiar.

[She gives a slight shrug]

Well, I expect this tower will do as it wants. But I suppose it's different for those who just stay dead.,,and in worlds where it's less of an everyday occurrence.

Most of them, yeah, but not all. We get a lot of interdimensional hijinks. Not so much with the timeline shenanigans, is Sunnydale-- we do it interdimensional.

Is it really that common where you come from? You've implied a little, but I mean... it seems wacky for resurrection not to have serious consequences.

Hmm...you mean like how there are different versions of some of us around here? I suppose that would explain why I can't find them on what I consider to be the alpha timeline.

Well, not normally. The game allowed it because we had dreamselves...in my case, I don't think I was truly myself until I revived on Derse. But I suppose being able to commune with the dead, and that I was able to exist and be dead at the same time at one point, makes me a little more open-minded about the possibilities.

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❝trying to talk my way out of this❞

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