Who: Qrow & various people What: December catch-all When: Throughout December Where: Around town, in memories, Trench Silent Hill, etc [ooc: starters in the comments! if you'd like something specific, pls hit me up on plurk or discord to plot!]
( It isn't the first time that Peter's found himself in something like Trench, but different. Wrong. His first thought is that he's right back where he was last time, the version of Trench with rolling black fog and impassioned cries of Riteoir rising from the streets. Beasts prowling too close into the city. He's lucky he survived last time.
However, it soon enough becomes clear that this might be something... different. The little things are there β he stumbles over empty bottles and so many burnt rose petals, but it isn't until a monster comes for him that he begins to think this might be something else. The thing is big and an awful shiny black, and Peter can't run fast enough. The process of being brought into this place must be affecting the demon inside of him, for Paimon doesn't surface to protect him. Not even when Peter cries out his name in desperation, something he's so rarely done; the ancient demon that haunts Peter frightens him almost as much as the beast he faces now.
He's alone. He's alone and the thing has him cornered, and he thinks he's going to die.
And then someone β or something β else is there. Peter barely comprehends what's happening, only sees quick flashes of movement as the figure slashes a weapon at the beast, which crumples into ash. He sees a flicker of silver and they're gone, as quickly as they came, and the young man is left leaning weakly against the brick of a nearby building, panting against the panic that was swelling up in his chest, trying to talk himself down from it.
There's a thought through his horrified daze, and it makes a strange kind of sense. The rose petals. The beast... he's seen something similar to that before. And the silver eyes.
Ruby?
From there, Peter makes his way through this alternate version of the city, something that's even more of a hellscape than it usually is. Is Ruby... here? Was that her? Could he be in one of her memories? He doesn't know where to go, how to find her, what to do. So he just wanders, sticking close to buildings and moving slow and quiet. He keeps huddled down as short as he can, willing his six-foot frame and long limbs to take up as little space as possible, shuddering as he moves.
After a while of moving through the city, he catches movement up ahead and flinches, almost convulsively. Until he realises it's a person, and Peter's eyes go wide, heart pounding in his chest as he calls out. )
[It's not Ruby who answers, but the figure that turns as he's called out to does bear a ... striking aesthetic similarity, not least because he's also wielding a scythe. The kid looks familiar--Qrow has seen him around before, at the rebuilding of his house and at Ruby's wedding--though he can't bring the kid's name to mind, if he ever knew it at all. He raises a faint eyebrow at the boy's terrified expression, though. There's something faintly uncomfortable in it -- when he was young, the fear of others made him feel powerful, useful, even. The strong survive, the weak die. Those were the rules.
Qrow isn't above intimidating others now, if there's a pressing need for it, but most of the time his enemies are unhinged enough that there's little point in doing more than dispatching them as efficiently as he can. To see some kid afraid of him for no apparent reason settles uneasily within him.]
Chill out, kid, I don't bite. [A beat, then a shit-eating grin] Well, not most people, anyway.
( As the person ahead turns to face him, Peter's met with a startle of recognition β he knows he's seen the man too, someone who's been on the peripheral of Peter's vision for a while. He's never met him though, or spoken to him (at least as much as he can remember; demonic possession tends to do a number on his mental state and capacity to recall details...)
But there's something else. Maybe it is the scythe, but Peter does think, once again, of Ruby. And is reminded with a fresh bloom of confusion that this place seems to be connected to his friend somehow. It's a relief to bump into another person in all this bizareness, even if Peter's eyeing him nervously still, looking all tensed up. )
Man, I'm glad to see another person around. Do you uh... know what's going on?
[He'd heard the siren, of course, though it hadn't quite clicked that there was anything particularly unusual happening at present. The fog, sure, but monsters coming in from other worlds wasn't entirely new, and he had not clocked the bottles or the rose petals as targeted, just yet.]
Do you mean the Grimm? [It's an educated guess, mostly] The town likes to bring in monsters from other worlds, sometimes. These ones are from mine.
( And then there it is, laid out. Those monsters are from this guy's world, he says. Which means.... )
You're from Ruby's world?
( It's not such a strange concept; Peter knows there's a couple of people here that came from the same world as Ruby did. He's familiar with Oscar, and he's seen that Oz guy pop up on the network a couple of times, as well as helped fix up the house they all lived in. )
( Oh shit! There's an almost comical expression of surprise, and Peter's taking in the man with fresh awareness now. So he's..... )
You're Uncle Qrow?
( Yes, Peter, that would be... the implication, here... But there's a new wave of relief now; if he's with Ruby's uncle, surely he must be safe now, right? )
She's a really good friend of mine. I uh, met her back in Deerington. ( He nods, for the immediate moment actually able to focus on this and not his terror of the situation around them. ) Were you there, too?
( Peter actually, believe it or not, manages a laugh at that before he can stop himself. Dude, it's Uncle Qrow! And he's cool.)
Yeah, I was there. I'm uh, Peter. Peter Graham. There used to be a lot more Peters around here, but.... I guess not so much, anymore. ( Used to be so many that he did have to clarify by last names. Is he the last Peter standing, now...? )
It's good to finally meet you. And bump into somebody who knows about those Grimm things. You guys' world sounds terrifying.
[Qrow actually huffs a quiet bark of a laugh of his own at that.]
I'll let you in on a little secret, kiddo. [He half-whispers conspiratorially.] The Grimm aren't even the scariest thing, back there. Maybe not even top 5.
[Grimm just destroy mindlessly and turn to ash when you stab them enough. People, now that's the real bullshit.]
( There's a wide-eyed stare at that β something scarier than those monsters?? Holy shit. (Of course, Peter would understand the whole "People are the scariest things of all" thing. It's something he's certainly learned the hard way through his own life.)
For now, though... he's casting a nervous glance back over his shoulder, hands rubbing against his own arms like he's cold, barely able to conceal the shudder that slips through him. )
No wonder she's so good at handling Trench. ( If Ruby β and her family β are used to a world like that... Trench must not be too surprising. )
Someone... saved me from one of them, just a few minutes ago. I thought it might be Ruby, but... I'm not sure. They disappeared too quick. I just saw silver eyes.
Yeah, believe it or not, this place is more or less a comfortable retirement for us.
[On any given day, Qrow could simply choose to stay inside and mess around with his boyfriend and there will be no monsters that come for him. The main reason he still fights monsters at all is that he would climb the walls from boredom were he to be fully idle.
The mention of someone with silver eyes has him stiffen a little, though, and he's suddenly looking around them carefully. The only other living person he knows with silver eyes is Maria, but it is not as though the dead cannot come out of the sea. He doubts Ruby would simply protect her friend and then disappear from sight, though, so ..... hm.]
People born with silver eyes from our world are special. They have extra power against the Grimm, the kind that can turn even a massive one to stone with just a glance.
[But why would they have just left? And why are Grimm out here in the first place? He hasn't heard anything on the network about monsters leaking into Trench from other worlds again, nor seen anything like those tears in reality from last April. There's something to this coincidence that itches just under his skin, but he can't quite get his fingers around it just yet.]
In the meantime -- well, Harbinger's not quite the same level of flashy, but I like to think it's pretty cool, anyway. Which way is your place?
(Comfortable retirement... yep, that's pretty darn telling of where they come from. It's always... startling, to hear people talk about their worlds being even worse than this one, and Peter can't help wondering just what kind of horrors this man before him might've known. Sometimes it's hard to imagine how Ruby can be so cheerful and.... kind. )
I haven't asked her too much about all of it, but I know her eyes are... special. ( Oh, the demonic entity within him has been extremely interested by Ruby and those eyes of hers, the things he can sense within the young woman. Peter's picked up one some of that over time, and found lots of drawings that Paimon has done of Ruby... )
I hope she's okay... Something weird's definitely going on. ( Peter mulls quietly, nervously. Before he looks back up at the other man, attentive. )
I live in Gaze, so it's not too far from here. ( A beat, and something within him flutters softly at that word. Harbinger. Peter has no memory of the conversations Paimon had on the network, but some of the demon's experiences still slip into him sometimes, on a subconscious level. Especially lately, as they blend and bleed into each other more and more. The boy frowns thoughtfully, and a little confused, like he's not sure if this is familiar information or not. Like trying to recall a dream. )
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However, it soon enough becomes clear that this might be something... different. The little things are there β he stumbles over empty bottles and so many burnt rose petals, but it isn't until a monster comes for him that he begins to think this might be something else. The thing is big and an awful shiny black, and Peter can't run fast enough. The process of being brought into this place must be affecting the demon inside of him, for Paimon doesn't surface to protect him. Not even when Peter cries out his name in desperation, something he's so rarely done; the ancient demon that haunts Peter frightens him almost as much as the beast he faces now.
He's alone. He's alone and the thing has him cornered, and he thinks he's going to die.
And then someone β or something β else is there. Peter barely comprehends what's happening, only sees quick flashes of movement as the figure slashes a weapon at the beast, which crumples into ash. He sees a flicker of silver and they're gone, as quickly as they came, and the young man is left leaning weakly against the brick of a nearby building, panting against the panic that was swelling up in his chest, trying to talk himself down from it.
There's a thought through his horrified daze, and it makes a strange kind of sense. The rose petals. The beast... he's seen something similar to that before. And the silver eyes.
Ruby?
From there, Peter makes his way through this alternate version of the city, something that's even more of a hellscape than it usually is. Is Ruby... here? Was that her? Could he be in one of her memories? He doesn't know where to go, how to find her, what to do. So he just wanders, sticking close to buildings and moving slow and quiet. He keeps huddled down as short as he can, willing his six-foot frame and long limbs to take up as little space as possible, shuddering as he moves.
After a while of moving through the city, he catches movement up ahead and flinches, almost convulsively. Until he realises it's a person, and Peter's eyes go wide, heart pounding in his chest as he calls out. )
H-Hello?
no subject
Qrow isn't above intimidating others now, if there's a pressing need for it, but most of the time his enemies are unhinged enough that there's little point in doing more than dispatching them as efficiently as he can. To see some kid afraid of him for no apparent reason settles uneasily within him.]
Chill out, kid, I don't bite. [A beat, then a shit-eating grin] Well, not most people, anyway.
no subject
But there's something else. Maybe it is the scythe, but Peter does think, once again, of Ruby. And is reminded with a fresh bloom of confusion that this place seems to be connected to his friend somehow. It's a relief to bump into another person in all this bizareness, even if Peter's eyeing him nervously still, looking all tensed up. )
Man, I'm glad to see another person around. Do you uh... know what's going on?
no subject
[He'd heard the siren, of course, though it hadn't quite clicked that there was anything particularly unusual happening at present. The fog, sure, but monsters coming in from other worlds wasn't entirely new, and he had not clocked the bottles or the rose petals as targeted, just yet.]
Do you mean the Grimm? [It's an educated guess, mostly] The town likes to bring in monsters from other worlds, sometimes. These ones are from mine.
no subject
( And then there it is, laid out. Those monsters are from this guy's world, he says. Which means.... )
You're from Ruby's world?
( It's not such a strange concept; Peter knows there's a couple of people here that came from the same world as Ruby did. He's familiar with Oscar, and he's seen that Oz guy pop up on the network a couple of times, as well as helped fix up the house they all lived in. )
no subject
Ruby? Yeah, we might be acquainted.
[Wait for it.]
She is my niece, after all.
no subject
You're Uncle Qrow?
( Yes, Peter, that would be... the implication, here... But there's a new wave of relief now; if he's with Ruby's uncle, surely he must be safe now, right? )
She's a really good friend of mine. I uh, met her back in Deerington. ( He nods, for the immediate moment actually able to focus on this and not his terror of the situation around them. ) Were you there, too?
no subject
[Thatsa-me, Qrowrio.]
Yeah, I was. She knew way too many people for these old bones to keep up with, though. You were at the wedding, right? I'm not sure I got your name.
no subject
Yeah, I was there. I'm uh, Peter. Peter Graham. There used to be a lot more Peters around here, but.... I guess not so much, anymore. ( Used to be so many that he did have to clarify by last names. Is he the last Peter standing, now...? )
It's good to finally meet you. And bump into somebody who knows about those Grimm things. You guys' world sounds terrifying.
omg he's precious...
I'll let you in on a little secret, kiddo. [He half-whispers conspiratorially.] The Grimm aren't even the scariest thing, back there. Maybe not even top 5.
[Grimm just destroy mindlessly and turn to ash when you stab them enough. People, now that's the real bullshit.]
He has some Canon Sad Uncle Feelings ;~;
For now, though... he's casting a nervous glance back over his shoulder, hands rubbing against his own arms like he's cold, barely able to conceal the shudder that slips through him. )
No wonder she's so good at handling Trench. ( If Ruby β and her family β are used to a world like that... Trench must not be too surprising. )
Someone... saved me from one of them, just a few minutes ago. I thought it might be Ruby, but... I'm not sure. They disappeared too quick. I just saw silver eyes.
awww cuuute ;;
[On any given day, Qrow could simply choose to stay inside and mess around with his boyfriend and there will be no monsters that come for him. The main reason he still fights monsters at all is that he would climb the walls from boredom were he to be fully idle.
The mention of someone with silver eyes has him stiffen a little, though, and he's suddenly looking around them carefully. The only other living person he knows with silver eyes is Maria, but it is not as though the dead cannot come out of the sea. He doubts Ruby would simply protect her friend and then disappear from sight, though, so ..... hm.]
People born with silver eyes from our world are special. They have extra power against the Grimm, the kind that can turn even a massive one to stone with just a glance.
[But why would they have just left? And why are Grimm out here in the first place? He hasn't heard anything on the network about monsters leaking into Trench from other worlds again, nor seen anything like those tears in reality from last April. There's something to this coincidence that itches just under his skin, but he can't quite get his fingers around it just yet.]
In the meantime -- well, Harbinger's not quite the same level of flashy, but I like to think it's pretty cool, anyway. Which way is your place?
no subject
I haven't asked her too much about all of it, but I know her eyes are... special. ( Oh, the demonic entity within him has been extremely interested by Ruby and those eyes of hers, the things he can sense within the young woman. Peter's picked up one some of that over time, and found lots of drawings that Paimon has done of Ruby... )
I hope she's okay... Something weird's definitely going on. ( Peter mulls quietly, nervously. Before he looks back up at the other man, attentive. )
I live in Gaze, so it's not too far from here. ( A beat, and something within him flutters softly at that word. Harbinger. Peter has no memory of the conversations Paimon had on the network, but some of the demon's experiences still slip into him sometimes, on a subconscious level. Especially lately, as they blend and bleed into each other more and more. The boy frowns thoughtfully, and a little confused, like he's not sure if this is familiar information or not. Like trying to recall a dream. )
Harbinger.... that's your weapon?