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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 2, 2019 22:10:12 GMT -5
Life with Derek around was easy. Comfortable, even. It took no time at all for Romi to adapt to his constant presence in her dorm. Aries had warded the place heavily, so there would be no surprise visits from Derek’s demon father or any other unsavory creatures. She had taken the liberty of turning her single bed into a bunk bed, rearranging her closet to give the empty side to her new roommate, and taking Derek out shopping for new clothes. Which really meant she had gotten his clothing sizes and picked them out herself, whatever she thought he might like or what would look nice.
As for the campus’s rules for only one person per room and no co-ed dorming, a little magic went a long way. No one else would see her room any differently. Only people who knew about magic would.
She was sprawled across the couch now, watching some movie, with her feet propped up in Derek’s lap. She had fallen asleep halfway through. Even though she knew he wasn’t entirely used to her yet, it was moments like these that she enjoyed. Outside, a storm was raging, rain splattering against the window and the howling wind rattling the glass. It was peaceful.
A loud boom of thunder startled her awake, followed by the room going pitch black as the electricity went out. Sleepily, she rubbed her eyes and automatically searched for her friend. Groggily, she yawned, “Derek?”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 3, 2019 15:33:30 GMT -5
It wasn't so bad living with Romi. Sure, they didn't get to go out much, they meaning his system, but it was better than their own home life. The tiny dorm room was a safe spot where they had gotten a few glorious days of rest and recuperation from his injuries. The first day in her dorm, Derek had crawled into the bed designated to him, and slept for the majority of the day. Their body was running on empty, and the only thing that had roused any of the alters who were in control was Romi's insistence that the ate something. The next few days were better in the fact that the body had been more wakeful, and the alters were able to function semi-normally, but there was still little he could do. The bruises on their face were fading, and the burn around their neck was slowly getting better. The limp was still there, but there wasn’t much they could do about that.
Winter didn't let them leave the room. As much as he hated the fact of being cooped up in such small quarters with the witch, he knew that if they stepped outside, their father could get them. They were trapped until he could figure out a plan to get rid of him. Yet he also knew the longer they stayed away from home, the more difficult it would be on them when trying to banish him. So far, however, no plans seemed to form, which only made the boy anxious, on edge, and snappish.
Sam and Derek, however, were content staying where they were. Sam had all the stuff animals he needed and all the cartoons he could watch, and Derek had a friend to talk to. Currently, he and Romi were watching a movie. Well, he was. Romi had fallen asleep several minutes ago, and he hadn't felt the need to wake her up. So he focused on the movie, listening to the rain storm. Sam was no where to be found because of the storm, but Winter was pacing back in forth, ever restless. It was a calm scene despite the business in his head, and the boy felt like he could go to sleep to. However, before he could even get comfortable, the dorm went dark.
"I-I'm here," Derek responded. "I-I think the power went off." There was some panic coming from Winter as the boy moved closer to the front, co-hosting now as he too shared the consciousness while not necessarily being in control. His anxiousness was spreading to the body though as their hands started shaking. “D-do you have any flashlights?”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 4, 2019 2:51:42 GMT -5
The fact that Derek couldn’t leave the dorm at all without putting himself at risk was one that upset Romi, despite knowing that it was for the better. Leaving meant putting himself at risk—his father was likely furious by now and could show up any time on campus. Truthfully, he could also attack her any time he felt like it, but that would be a direct reason for the council to step in and take matters into their own hands. She figured he must know that, which would explain why nothing had happened to her. Maybe if he got desperate he would try. Part of her hoped he would, just so the council would eliminate him and he would no longer be an issue.
Comforted by the fact that Derek was still close and alright, Romi pushed herself up and padded over to the window. Rain poured down in waves, the clouds too thick and the night too dark to make out much more than the water droplets sliding down the glass. Somewhere, a flash of lightning lit up the sky like a firework. A feeling swept over her like a tidal wave—something strong and suffocating, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. A shiver crawled down her spine, but it was Derek’s voice that brought her back from her thoughts.
“Yeah, sugar. There’s one around here somewhere,” she answered softly, feeling around blindly for a moment until she reached her nightstand. She was certain she kept one there and was pleased to find that she was right. Switching it on, she made her way back over to Derek. He looked frightened and she couldn’t say she blamed him, so she reached out and laced her free hand with his. As she was about to comfort him, she was hit by a rush of cold air that made her teeth chatter and her hair stand on end. A squeaking noise caught her attention, loud and abrupt.
Romi didn’t know what it was until she glanced toward the window, where a single sentence had been written in the fog: go back home.
Now Romi was convinced that maybe it wasn’t the storm that knocked out the power. She stepped a little closer to Derek and held his hand tightly. Whatever was doing this couldn’t have been a demon, if it slipped past Aries’s wards so easily. Curious and protective, she shouted, “Who and what are you? Why are you telling Derek to go home?”
The television flickered to life, skipping through static and grainy pictures. The window shook in its frame, until it was forced open and a violent gust of cold air swept inside. Papers were scattered, dancing around the air and crinkling as they fell back down to the floor. It was enough to startle her, but not enough that she missed the single sheet of paper that drifted down much more slowly. Torn and ripped crudely, she recognized it as a page from one of her history books. A piece of a paper, the telltale markings of a map. On the back written in shaky handwriting was the very same phrase and her own family’s symbol: go back home.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 4, 2019 22:07:04 GMT -5
She was taking far too long to find a light for Winter's liking. Derek could feel his impatience. The protector, while the one who took the brunt of the horror of their lives, was the one who held most of the fears. The dark was one of them. He was close to switching because of it, but the moment Romi took his hand, he felt a little more grounded. He took her hand and held it tightly. He froze when a loud squeaking filled the room. It was such a strange sound for a storm, and he couldn't stop the feeling of dread the overcame him. Around the same time, the air turned freezing. "R-Romi?" he asked, eyes searching the darkness for the source of the sound. It took a moment before his eyes landed on the window.
The message there was plain to see. For a long moment, he could only stare at it. His father was still searching, still wanting him home. Wards forgotten, he believed that his father had grown tired of waiting and was finally coming to drag him back home. His worries made even larger as the window flew open and the TV flickered to life. Derek's breathing grew frantic as panic seized him. His eyes darted around the room, expecting to see his father materialize before them. Trembling, he was all but crushing Romi's hand in his.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 5, 2019 19:40:15 GMT -5
Romi turned the paper over in her hand and, as she did so, a crack of thunder rumbled through the night air. The lights didn’t come back on, but the room warmed up a bit, and she was thankful that the intense feeling was receding a bit. “It’s okay, Der,” she soothed him and gave his hand a squeeze. She didn’t know what this was supposed to mean—this little slip of paper showing some small section of South America, telling her to go home, displaying the family crest she had grown up around.
Folding the paper and tucking it into her pocket, she decided now wasn’t the time to investigate this mystery. Instead, she lead Derek to the couch and urged him to sit, before she fetched the fluffiest blanket from her bed. “Here, sugar,” she murmured, throwing the blanket over his shoulders and tucking it around him. “The lights will be back on soon, I think, but I’ll find some candles until then. Are you okay? Hurt anywhere?”
She didn’t think he would be injured, but it was better safe than sorry.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 5, 2019 20:02:25 GMT -5
Derek followed her to the couch, sinking into the cushions. He was losing the struggle against the panic attack. Maybe he could have calmed down had the circumstances been normal, but with the addition of Winter's anxiousness on top of his fear of the message on the window, he couldn't stop it. The boy was fighting for breaths as his body shook. As the blanket was draped around him, he clutched it like a lifeline. Yet it did little to help. With eyes shut tightly, tears still managed to find their way down his cheeks. "R-Romi," he cried, and for a bit that was all he could say, repeating her name as a silent plea for her to make this go away. She had helped stop the beatings, as temporary and fragile as it was at the moment, so surely she could make this stop.
But, like most things for him, it just simply had to work its course. A minute later, and he felt the hand of unreasonable fear release him. His breathing and heart rate were able to return to normal, and the trembling slowed. It still stuck around, but it wasn't anything like it had been. The tears were gone, and their trails were starting to dry. All of this leaving an exhausted Drake huddled on the couch, silent and not moving.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 5, 2019 20:23:11 GMT -5
“Shh, it’s okay, sugar. You’re gonna be just fine. No one’s going to hurt you here,” Romi whispered as Derek worked through his own panic. She held his hand tight, to give him something to ground himself, and sat on the couch beside him. Pulled him into her arms, so that he could use her as a shield from the terrifying world outside. Her hand rubbed his back in gentle circles. “You’re okay, sugar. You’re gonna be just fine. Deep breaths. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You’re safe here.”
She held him and repeated this same things, until at last the panic attack seemed to take its course and come to an end. Slowly but surely, Derek settled down, but he was far too still and silent for Romi to be relieved. “Hey, honey,” she murmured and ran her hand through his hair. She wondered briefly if he was switching—it would be Winter for sure, not Sam—but even if he was, she wouldn’t stop unless she was told to. Gingerly, she wiped the drying tears from his cheeks and tried to smile. “See, it’s alright. Do you need anything, Der? Another blanket, pillows—I can make you some hot chocolate.”
Part of her thought that maybe he just needed this—the physical affection, the cuddles—but she liked to ask to be sure anyway.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 5, 2019 20:44:44 GMT -5
Derek, for once, wasn't switching. Winter knew that him being so close had added to the attack and had withdrawn deeper inside their mind. For now, he wouldn't put the body through anymore stress by taking over. It was just taking a moment for Derek to pull out of the hollow place the attacks left him in, trying to find the will to speak and get up, to do something.
Tired eyes fell closed as he just felt her hand running through his hair. Briefly, he wondered if this was what a dog felt like when it was petted, and decided that, if it was, he didn't mind it at all. He'd take the gentle petting over slaps and punches any day. "I hate this," he muttered, voice flat and dull as he spoke. "The attacks, I mean."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 5, 2019 20:58:44 GMT -5
“They’ll get better,” Romi promised, though she knew without a doubt that it wasn’t something within her power to really fix. She only knew that with time and a loving environment, Derek could get better, and his panic attacks might lessen as the amount of daily stress diminished. “You just need time to heal.” Nothing could ever get rid of the scars that Derek and the others wore, but she swore that she would find a way to help him move towards a better life.
The rain still patted against the glass of the window, soft and gentle, and she leaned forward to rest her cheek on top of Derek’s head. “Your dad isn’t going to be able to come here, sugar. Whatever this thing is, it isn’t a demon. I don’t know what it wants, but I’m pretty sure it’s not telling you to go back home. Unless your home is somewhere in South America, which I’m guessing it isn’t.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 8, 2019 8:55:38 GMT -5
Strange messages weren’t a normal part of her everyday life, but she couldn’t say she had never encountered anything strange before. Strangeness and oddness came hand in hand with being a witch, or any other supernatural creature, and it was unavoidable. “Not sure what the significance of South America is, but that’s the continent on this piece of paper,” she said as she took it from her pocket and unfolded it, held it out for him to see. “I don’t even know where it is in South America. I’ve never been there. But I think it’s telling you to go here, not to go back home with your dad. Like I said, I don’t know why it would do that, whatever it is. Makes no sense to me, but I’m pretty sure that whatever that thing was, it wasn’t a demon.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 8, 2019 21:38:16 GMT -5
A real mystery had been shoved into their hands, it seemed. A mysterious force that was neither human nor demon. A map that lead to some small section of South America, far away, in an unfamiliar place. Only Romi and Derek and the others, left to solve it somehow.
“Neither am I. At least I don’t think so,” Romi sighed, staring down at the ripped paper like it would give her some kind of answer, if only she looked hard enough. It didn’t, of course, and remained very much the same. Moving it to the side, she shook her head and turned a worried smile onto Derek. “I don’t know why it’s telling us to do anything or what it means or—I don’t know anything at all. Not really. I’m just a fledgling witch, still trying to learn magic. I have books and scrolls and potions, but none of those are any good if I don’t know what to do.”
Admitting that she was useless was difficult, but Derek deserved that truth, so she would be honest.
Romi ran a hand through Derek’s hair thoughtfully, trying to work out the problem in her head. No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out. She brushed her hand down the side of Derek’s face and pursed her lips. “We’ll figure it out, together. I think you and me can make a good team, if we put our minds to it.” Though she hesitated, she once again slipped the necklace around her neck free and examined the pendant, admired the way it glittered even in the low light. Gently, she held it out to Derek. “This is very important to me, Derek. This necklace has been in my family for generations, for hundreds of years. It’s special, a protective charm, and it’s the symbol that’s on the back of this map.”
She placed it into Derek’s hand, closed her fingers around it and his fingers. “I want you to have it.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 8, 2019 22:31:57 GMT -5
“I trust you, Derek. I know you won’t lose it,” Romi insisted stubbornly, though the smile that played on her lips was one of warmth. She couldn’t find it in herself to be angry even if he did happen to lose it, but somehow, she knew that he never would. Something about the man made her trust him more than she had ever trusted anyone. Giving the necklace to him felt right—everything in her told her that it was the right decision. “I feel like you should have it. We’re here for each other now.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 13:43:42 GMT -5
“I think it suits you,” Romi commented quietly as she smiled at him, before she settled back onto the couch and kept her hand in his hair. It was more of an absent gesture these days, partially because it comforted Derek and partially because it was comforting to herself. “You look sleepy, sugar. Take a nap. I’ll be right here if you need me. I think the power will come back on soon.” Even if it didn’t, it wasn’t a big deal—she planned to use this time to think and process what had just happened. She wasn’t tired enough to doze, but Derek looked like he could fall asleep at any moment. It was expected, after his panic attack, and she didn’t blame him for being exhausted.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 9, 2019 13:55:11 GMT -5
Derek didn't know how to respond to the compliment, so he just sort of nodded. At the mention of a nap, he wasn't going to argue there. He knew that he would sleep much better in his bed, but that was such a long distance away, even in the tiny dorm room. There was a few seconds of silence before he seemed to find his voice. "C-can I sleep h-here?" he asked. "Next to you?" It felt childish to have to ask, but there was a part of him, like Sam, that took comfort in being near someone. Where Sam needed to be cuddled, he was perfectly fine just sleeping on the couch beside her. Just so long as he had some kind of contact with her, he had discovered, made sleeping a whole lot easier.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 14:05:50 GMT -5
Romi wondered if she would ever get used to Derek’s high amount of uncertainty. She knew that everything he did and said was justified, that he had every right to feel this way. Didn’t stop her from feeling like she needed to punch his father in the face or push the demon in front of a speeding bus. Derek and the others were warming up to her slowly but surely—except maybe Winter, who still didn’t care for her company—and that was really all she could ask for. “Of course, sugar,” she answered and smiled at him, before patting her lap. “You can use me as a pillow if you want to. I don’t mind.” To price her point, she snagged a fluffy blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over herself, before leaning to grab a book forgotten on the floor. It was dark, even with the flashlight on the table, but she didn’t really mind. “I think I’ll read for a bit.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 9, 2019 14:13:01 GMT -5
Derek waited and watched as she settled herself in, hesitating a moment longer. Then, gathering his feet onto the couch beside him, he slowly and carefully positioned himself so he was laying down, head resting on the woman's lap. He pulled the blanket he had currently been wrapped up in tighter around his body. There he stayed, finding that this was, surprising, a very comfortable arrangement. At least for him. Romi might feel differently in a hour or so when she felt the need to get up and do something else. If that happened, he hoped she would wake him so he could move. The last thing he wanted was to keep her trapped there.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 14:33:11 GMT -5
Romi stayed there longer than she should have, to be honest. Her leg had long since fallen asleep and she was slightly thirsty, but there was no way she would ever wake Derek up. He looked so peaceful when he was fast asleep like this, all wrapped up and snuggly, not a single hint of fear on his relaxed face. How could she possibly interrupt him when he looked so adorably comfortable? The answer was easy: she couldn’t. So she continued to read, until she grew tired of it, and instead dozed off herself.
It was only a couple hours later when she woke, but the room was still dark and it was still raining. She thought maybe she had woken up because she was sleeping in an odd position—her neck was beginning to ache slightly—but realized that it was something else entirely that bad woken her. A soft clicking noise, from just outside in the hall. Whatever it was, it was slightly annoying, but nothing that concerned her. Not until she closed her eyes to go back to sleep and heard the clicking approach her door, loud and echoing.
“Stupid college kids,” she mumbled as she gently detached herself from Derek and stood up, stretching. When she reached the door, she hesitated a moment before opening it. This close, something felt a little off—not a cold rush of air or a heavy sense of dread, but just something...unusual. Not quite right. The clicking was growing louder, until it dissolved into a furious snarl, and nothing in the world would have made her open that door.
Instead, Romi stood on the tips of her toes to glance through the peephole. What she saw was a wide, yellowed eyeball looking back at her and didn’t have time to muffle the yelp of surprise that tore itself from her lungs.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 9, 2019 14:51:25 GMT -5
Derek had fallen asleep in a matter of seconds. The moment his body was allowed to relax, he was gone. It was a deep and restful sleep, the kind that he normally didn't get a chance to have at home. Here, however, all of them had a chance to rest without waking up at every little sound. He was dead to the world, and not even the occasional clap of thunder stirred him. It was only when Romi moved his head so she could stand that he was pulled from sleep. The boy didn't fully wake, though, figuring that the woman had needed to get up for her own reasons. He wasn't going to think much of it, that is, until he heard her startled cry.
"Romi?" He called out sleepily, blinking open his eyes. The room was still dark, making it hard to pinpoint where the woman was. "Are you o-okay? I-is something wrong?" He hoped not. He hoped the cry he heard was nothing more than his mind playing tricks on him.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 15:02:43 GMT -5
Whatever that thing was, demon or otherwise, it was clawing aggressively at the outside of the door and snarling. It couldn’t get inside, Romi was certain of that, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t try to. The fact that it couldn’t seem to move past the door seemed to aggravate it further, if its noisy clicking was anything to go by. From what she glimpsed through the small hole, it was somewhat insectile in appearance. Multiple legs and a flat face like a praying mantis, wide yellow eyes set far apart.
Creepy was the only word she could use to describe it.
It was Derek’s voice that pushed her out of her shock. “I’m okay, but—uh, I think something might be wrong. Just...stay over there, okay? There’s something in the hallway and it sounds pretty angry.” The door rocked on its hinges viciously and she almost jumped. Trying to stay calm, she grabbed the umbrella by the side of the door and held it like a weapon. “Grab my phone and call Aries, sugar. Tell him it’s an emergency.”
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 17:04:09 GMT -5
Romi wished she knew what it was. It was ugly and creepy and gave her the heebie jeebies. “I actually don’t know what it is,” she replied, quiet and baffled, with an umbrella raised to defend herself. Some witch she was—she didn’t even know kind of magic would work on this thing, let alone a spell that could be useful. “But it’s creepy and angry.”
She hoped that Aries would take care of it for her, but he wasn’t answering her phone calls, and it went straight to voicemail. So much for relying on her big brother to do all the dirty work. She was torn between what she should do. Should she just keep the door closed? What if it hurt someone else on her floor? How was she going to get rid of it?
“I’m going to open the door, okay, sugar? Stay all the way over there. It shouldn’t be able to step through the doorway, but I don’t want it to be able to grab you. Just in case,” Romi decided and slowly inched over to the door, grabbing the handle, and flinging it open. The insect-like creature stood on its back legs, taller than the doorway and towered over her, beady eyes glowing and its pincers moving as it clicked. She was more than ready to hit it with her umbrella when it made a soft, cooing noise and dropped down to a much shorter height.
To Romi’s surprise, it was wearing a little hat, blue and fitted perfectly for its bizarrely shaped head. Slung around its shoulder was a messenger bag, which it dug into with one eerily long leg, to produce a letter.
“Um, not exactly what I was expecting,” was the only thing Romi could think to say. Even a witch had a limit of what was normal.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 9, 2019 17:56:10 GMT -5
(IT'S A MAILMAN!!!! XD I love it!)
"What?" Derek asked. Was she crazy? Why would she be opening the door if there was something trying to break its way inside? "R-Romi, don-t -" he started, but it was too late to stop her. She had already flung the door open. From his spot, couldn't see the the creature clearly, but he could tell that it was big. He stood there, by the couch and uselessly clutching her phone as he waited for the worst. The worst, however, never came.
"W-What's going on?" he asked when the woman had said and done nothing. He tried to move and get a better sight of what the thing was, but Romi was blocking the doorway. It was probably a good thing, though. Who knows how he would have reacted if he saw the creature for himself.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 18:21:45 GMT -5
(( I was sitting here like, “what’s something weird and funny that could happen” and bam, weird monster mailman popped into my head lmao ))
“It’s, um. A mailman, I think. Mailcreature?” Romi couldn’t take her eyes off of it—she had never seen anything like it in her whole life. It states right back at her, not blinking, and chittering softly at it her like it expected her to understand. She did not, in fact, speak praying mantis, so its words were sadly lost to her. The umbrella in her arms suddenly felt ridiculous and she leaned to slowly put it back down in its rightful spot. The mailman—okay, was that even the proper term to use or was that disrespectful?—didn’t seem to mind her hesitation and continued to hold out the letter.
Not knowing what else to do, she took it, and glanced down at the paper. In cursive, elegant handwriting, her full name was scrawled across the front. She expected the creature to leave, but instead it procured another letter, and this time held it out past Romi’s shoulder.
“Oh, is that one for Derek?” She attempted to take it, but the creature use one of its legs to poke her in the nose and held the letter a bit higher away. Clearly, she wasn’t allowed to accept Derek’s mail for him.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 9, 2019 19:22:50 GMT -5
(( Lol me too, I love him and he’s going to be a recurring character. :3 ))
The creature extended its arm further to allow Derek to grab the letter without moving any closer, which was a simple task, given exactly how long its arms truly were. It seemed pleased to have completed its task and chirped once, tipped its hat, and scuttled back out into the hallway. Right before Romi’s very eyes, she watched it crawl out of the hallway window and jump, disappearing into the night.
“Okay, that was weird. Very, very weird. So weird,” she muttered, too shocked to do much else, and slowly closed the door before locking it once more. When she glanced over at Derek, she found that his letter was addressed to all three of his alters: Derek Parker, Sam Parker and Winter Parker were all scrawled one beneath the other. It was a nice gesture, she thought, that whoever it was had thought to include all of them. Although it worried her a bit because it also made her wonder how they knew. “That, uh. Doesn’t really happen. Sorry if it spooked you, sugar. I’ve never gotten a letter from an insect before.”
Curious, Romi tore open her letter and moved to find the abandoned flashlight so that she could read it. Squinting, she found that the letter said:
Dear Miss Andromeda Nightingale,
Through a long and careful analysis of your magical talents and exceptional skills, you have been hand selected by the world’s most renowned, talented witch. You are cordially invited to attend her annual gala, in honor of her upcoming birthday. Please dress formally, preferably in black or white, and arrive no later than nine o’clock. You are expected to be accompanied by a guest. No exceptions will be made.
We expect to see you soon.
P.S. - We apologize if our mail carrier frightened you.
Romi didn’t know what to make of it. She had never received such a formal birthday invite and the letter had no name written anywhere, so she wasn’t even sure who the witch in question was. Derek’s letter said the exact same thing, though with the addition of informing him that any and all demonic transformations would not be tolerated at any time during the party.
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