Regina Mills (
st_oriedqueen) wrote in
strangetrip2017-10-06 01:18 pm
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
[GP] All we can do is learn to swim
Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim. - Vicki Harrison
"You're sure?" Regina already knew the answer but demanding that Sam tell her what she already knew satisfied something petty in her. Or maybe just something hurt that hoped he'd have a different answer than her locator spell had already provided.
"Yeah." Sam half-rolled his eyes at her as he leaned across the pink bar counter to grab bottles of beer from the Silver Bar ice bin -- probably the results of Rebekah's last work-effort at the Inn -- for himself and his newly arrived companion.
Briefly, Regina considered burning a hole in the seat of his jeans, but it wouldn't bring Rebekah or any of the absent ones back. Instead, she took refuge in straightening her A-line and walking around the stylish counter Sam lay across like he was surfing the waves of grief. She took down a bottle of pointlessly pricey champagne, and then found the precise cut-crystal glasses Rebekah and Miss Fisher had preferred for their afternoon indulgences. She poured herself a glass and one for the person who dared her openly bitter expression.
"So who all are we missing?" they both said at once, glared at each other and sighed. They both knew the answers, in their own way and for their own reasons. And neither of them wanted to say.
Rebekah Mikaelson. Henry Winchester. Jack Robinson. Phryne Fisher. Dorothy Williams. Angua von Uberwald. Jaime Vegas. Harry Dresden. Lydia Martin. Raleigh Becket. Yasmeen. Joanna Beauchamp. Constance Bonacieux D'Artagnan. Lindsey McDonald.
"Grief is like the ocean," Sam clearly quoted from some fucking where, and Regina tuned him out until he added, "All we can do is learn to swim. Rebekah told me that."
Now Regina rolled her eyes; they weren't friends. "Shut up, Sam."
"You're sure?" Regina already knew the answer but demanding that Sam tell her what she already knew satisfied something petty in her. Or maybe just something hurt that hoped he'd have a different answer than her locator spell had already provided.
"Yeah." Sam half-rolled his eyes at her as he leaned across the pink bar counter to grab bottles of beer from the Silver Bar ice bin -- probably the results of Rebekah's last work-effort at the Inn -- for himself and his newly arrived companion.
Briefly, Regina considered burning a hole in the seat of his jeans, but it wouldn't bring Rebekah or any of the absent ones back. Instead, she took refuge in straightening her A-line and walking around the stylish counter Sam lay across like he was surfing the waves of grief. She took down a bottle of pointlessly pricey champagne, and then found the precise cut-crystal glasses Rebekah and Miss Fisher had preferred for their afternoon indulgences. She poured herself a glass and one for the person who dared her openly bitter expression.
"So who all are we missing?" they both said at once, glared at each other and sighed. They both knew the answers, in their own way and for their own reasons. And neither of them wanted to say.
Rebekah Mikaelson. Henry Winchester. Jack Robinson. Phryne Fisher. Dorothy Williams. Angua von Uberwald. Jaime Vegas. Harry Dresden. Lydia Martin. Raleigh Becket. Yasmeen. Joanna Beauchamp. Constance Bonacieux D'Artagnan. Lindsey McDonald.
"Grief is like the ocean," Sam clearly quoted from some fucking where, and Regina tuned him out until he added, "All we can do is learn to swim. Rebekah told me that."
Now Regina rolled her eyes; they weren't friends. "Shut up, Sam."
no subject
She didn't bother with a glass, just picked up a bottle of whiskey, the same brand the Salvatore brothers preferred in the boarding house, twisted off the top and drank deeply.
Rebekah was gone. It was fucked up to miss someone you hated.
Lindsey was gone. Caroline didn't even know how to classify the feelings she was having around that.
She grabbed another bottle for good measure and dropped into one of the pink wing-backed chairs.
no subject
She was very British sometimes. She would miss Henry. But of course missing people was somewhat normal for her, so she knew it would pass soon enough and he would be a pleasant memory.
"Scone?" She offered the plate to the blonde.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
no subject
He caught Caroline drinking deep from a bottle of whiskey and envied her that choice. Maybe he should take a bottle and hide out in Rebekah's room. Rebekah's old room. He sighed and half-muttered, "I should know better by now," to himself.
Meeting himself halfway on the desire, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey for himself and sat near Caroline. "She never told me how you knew each other," he said, with two intentions. One, hopefully to learn more about Rebekah, another piece of her to keep close to him. Two, to see if he could satisfy his own suspicions about how they knew each other. The Inn didn't seem to do casual acquaintances.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
OTA
Much easier.
The list of the missing was a long one, though, so Ignis busied himself with ensuring that there was food out for people to eat to soak up the alcohol from the likely inevitable heavy drinking. The kitchen was open as usual, but sandwiches, appetizers, and other such small items required no effort at all to get.
Re: OTA
So she was considerably more upbeat than the average citizen when she bopped into the kitchen. "Hey, Ignis, need any help with the food?"
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
She maybe couldn't work up the energy to care about everyone (or to act on the fact she did care) but she could at least check-in on Ignis. Which began the way most of their conversations began. "Order up!"
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Re: OTA
Corbie - OTA
She was an adult. And yet somehow she found herself curled up against the wall and behind a chair in the lobby, sobbing like a child. She knew it was fucking stupid.
The barely healed wound of Felix and Mildmay's loss had torn wide all over again. And now she was still here and didn't know how long she would stay or where she would go if she ever left and two of the people who had offered to teach her were gone she would never, never learn to be a wizard.
Re: Corbie - OTA
No, his intentions were more or less pure: collect food and drink and retreat to elsewhere before someone tried to reminisce at him. But then he heard sobbing coming from an empty chair and that was too odd not to investigate.
The solution to the mystery was nothing stranger than a young woman curled up on the floor behind the chair, weeping. He'd felt lost and despairing sobs like that himself, in the past, so rather than pass along, he took a seat in the chair she was hiding behind, offered his lemonade in the direction of the hiding-place, and said, "If misery loves company, I'll offer that as well as lemonade."
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
And ignored the ugly unending emptiness that no amount of suffering seemed to banish.
It wasn't once upon a time anymore and she wasn't the Evil Queen. She knew these people and cared about their suffering. She wanted to help. Even though she'd lost two of the people she'd counted dearest to her. That was definitely now and not once upon a time, but also now was that she hadn't the slightest idea how to help.
Or who would welcome it.
But as soon as she heard the sobbing, it somehow didn't matter. She turned and sought the source of the sound--
And when she'd located it, it all but broke her heart. To see Corbie, who'd comforted Rowan and so many others through these kinds of losses, broken and curled in the same position she'd coaxed so many out of.
Regina crouched, awkward in body, but for once, reasonably pure of intention, and stretched out a hand to pet the girl's hair.
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
Re: Corbie - OTA
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Snow White - OTA
Finding Lindsey was gone was... well, the feelings as far as she could tell were rather mixed. She didn't know how she was going to handle the horses all by herself, but damned if she couldn't try. Lindsey was a snake, but as there hadn't been any reason or advantage to hurting her, he had not. And he'd let her be. He was a snake, but he had not been the worst.
Yasmeen, though.
Okay, okay, the girl would tell you for free that she didn't exactly like Yasmeen and she didn't think Yasmeen really much liked her either. But they had an understanding. And the woman had been there for her when Regina was not, when she'd had horrible dreams nightly. And now she was gone.
She had grown up a little, perhaps, to know it was probably for the best.
But the noise kept coming.
Re: Snow White - OTA
The noise was distinct even in the den he'd made himself, it made his ears twitch. Something, or someone was... in pain. That was what it sounded like. He shifted back into human form, slipped into a pair of jeans and a pulled on a shirt as he loped toward the sound.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw her.
"Shit," whatever it was that inspired this, he knew it wasn't good.
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Re: Snow White - OTA
The howl crept across his skin, sank into his soul and stood his hair on end -- and that was when he thought it was the blonde wolf girl. When he realized it was a human sound... he wanted to bolt, to vomit, to call down flame to kill what caused the hurt.
Instead, inexplicably, he moved toward it, as if somehow he'd known... Shitdamnfuck.
"Snow?"
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
...
Re: Snow White - OTA
They'd wandered far from the worn hiking trails following a rabbit track when suddenly a sound broke through that made Trinket growl and Vex nock an arrow before either of them realized they were doing it. On the broom Vex was as fast as Trinket, and they took off toward the sound at full speed. She was too far from the inn to send a Jenga over the earrings, but it didn't occur to her to do it anyway.
Vex and Trinket both drew up short when they came across the source of the sound rather than barrel into Snow when she might not even notice them in her anguish. Trinket sniffed the air for signs of anyone or anything else, muscles all bunched for an attack, and Vex scanned the area around them, but there was no one.
"Snow?" she said softly, not knowing whether the girl would hear but wanting to give some warning as Trinket lumbered up and flopped down beside Snow. He really was such a good bear.
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
Re: Snow White - OTA
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
no subject
So she left the hotel in search of Snow, a concerned expression resting on her features as she tried the most random spots she could think of in hopes of finding the other young woman.
Finally, it was the noise the caught her attention and gave her pause. With a frown, she followed it until she found the source. There was a brief sense of relief but it was quickly replaced by concern as she took a tentative step forward. "Snow?"
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Tag Sam
He may not even have realized she was there until she patted him awkwardly on the shoulder. She couldn't tell, the grief and pain in the place was too thick for her to get more specific.
It felt sticky, thick and she didn't like it. It was all over her skin.
He would need to feel better. So would the others but he was slightly more important.
Re: Tag Sam
He'd have jumped, but the Inn wasn't exactly a dangerous place. So he turned to look, instead, prepared to glare--and then found River.
"Sorry. I know it must be really loud right now."
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
Re: Tag Sam
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Tag Butters, others by arrangement
You'd think with the life she'd lived, Kitty would be used to it. Losing people.
Maybe she was. She was used to the anger and hurt and fear and, more than that, she was used to the pure, blind rage at being absolutely powerless against it. She could walk through a wall, short circuit a spaceship by plunging her fingers into its computer console, but she couldn't keep a human from disappearing from a space roughly the size of her high school.
Or maybe the rage was an excuse. For not wanting to care. That had always been Jean and Ororo's job. Even Moonstar's. Not hers.
And when she looked out across the bar at all the grieving like walking wounded, she didn't feel compassion. She felt...tired.
"I'm a terrible person," she mumbled to herself and went back to tending bar. In that capacity, she could be friendly, express concern, lend a listening ear. No one expected her to come across the bar with hugs and handkerchiefs, and certainly not with answers.
Re: Tag Butters, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Butters, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Butters, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Butters, others by arrangement
Tag Kitty
She would be fine.
"I have an excuse being raised as a single minded psychopathic assassin will do that to a girl. What's your reason?"
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
Re: Tag Kitty
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Tag Vex, others by arrangement
But this? What was there to heal? Who was there to sort, assist, find?
Kash knew when he was beaten. A dragon? Two fire giants? No problem. But he took one look in the bar and then turned around and walked away.
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
She angled her path to meet his and fell in step alongside him. "So. Where are we going?"
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
Re: Tag Vex, others by arrangement
...
...
...
...
Molly OTA
When she entered the bar area, the unexpected emotions hit her like a wave and Molly stumbled in response. The shield quickly went up stronger and her own emotions shut down as not to be drawn in. But something niggled at her, to check it out. Rather than go in and trust that she wouldn't succumb to the emotions suppressed or displayed there, Molly went over to the front desk. That was where Fate kicked her in the teeth again. Harry was gone. Jaime was gone. They left together, she should be happy they did, right? Yeah, not so much.
The hotel and the emotions flowing in her and those around her were swirling tighter and tighter. It felt like the walls were closing in and she had to get the hell out before the ugly dark monster clawed its way to the surface and she'd do something that she'd regret. Like tip toe not so gently through the man behind the counter's mind to find out what really happened to Harry.
Molly headed for the hills, literally. If she was going to explode it would be best not to be in a populated area. Once she'd reached far enough away, she let her emotions flow freely.
With a snap her voice, she yelled, "dispertius" and a gaping hole appeared at her feet as the earth opened up. Since that was vaguely satisfying, she yelled it again. It felt good to direct the rage at something even if it was at the ground at her feet and not the hotel itself.
Re: Molly OTA
When she got closer, she saw a girl in the distance, not much older than her yelling. When Buffy took a step closer she faltered with impact of the ground giving way. "Woah, so not of the good." Buffy's pace picked up, "uh hey, everything okay?"
Clearly it wasn't, Buffy wasn't stupid but she hoped the sound of her voice would distract - was that Molly? Oh man, really not of the good. They'd met a few times "patrolling" and around the hotel with Jane, but they weren't close. She had a respect for her magic and now Buffy had a respect with her temper.
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
Re: Molly OTA
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
no subject
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Closed to Kitty
Not the sort of weird that Peter Parker was getting accustomed to. The kind of weird where people from all over the place just sort-of showed up here out of nowhere. Or the kind of weird that resulted in baby animals suddenly appearing and then disappearing just as quickly. This was the kind of weird that he didn't like. The sort of weird that was firmly rooted in reality. The kind of weird he'd experienced first with his parents when he was very small, and then again, with Uncle Ben when he was older.
Loss. That was the sort of weird Peter was sure he was never going to get used to.
But there were some things he was used to now. He'd been uneasy about going into the bar his first day here, even with Butters' encouragement, but now, it came easy to him. Walking with the same casual ease as he did when walking to the school cafeteria, he finds a stool at the bar, and takes a seat. There seems to be more people here than usual. Peter's not entirely sure how he feels about it. But today, it does appear to be staffed.
"Uh, excuse me," Peter says, hoping he's not interrupting the bartender from anything too important. "Can I have a coke, please?"
Re: Closed to Kitty
She blinked briefly as though adjusting her eyes to sight again, tilted her head, and then smiled--not automatically, but genuinely, at the teenager sitting on her bar stool.
"Sure thing. You can have something stronger if you want. No one cares, since there's no drinking age in half the worlds people are from," she said, but didn't let it stop her from filling up a tall glass from the soda gun for him.
"We haven't met yet." Which was also significant. Kitty knew everyone. "I'm Kitty."
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
Re: Closed to Kitty
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Tag Regina
He didn't approach, just followed her with his eyes trying to determine how she was, and waiting for her to notice him.
Re: Tag Regina
Since the day she'd stopped raging about him breaking things off, she'd spent much of her magical study time focused on a single problem--his. Not because she wanted him back, although she did. But because she couldn't bring Graham back and she couldn't keep Dyson here, but she could, just maybe, give Dyson something more important than the love he didn't want from her. Something that she could live with when he, also, disappeared.
All of that was in her eyes now, at least, for someone like Dyson who knew how to look. To see beyond the prideful stiffening of her shoulders and lift of her chin as she blinked slowly and turned her gaze away. She wanted him so badly, even just to talk for a few minutes, but she was too proud and too afraid (still, even after Robin) to ask.
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
Re: Tag Regina
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...