deercountry | (open) you're looking at me like you don't know who i am

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(open) you're looking at me like you don't know who i am

Who: Ange, Ruby, Break, and anyone who knows any of them.
What: Corruption turned Ange into a true Umineko witch who decided the best way to keep the people she loves safe from this town is to drag them into a pocket dimension.
When: For a while in March.
Where: Ange and Ruby's house-turned-small-pocket-dimension.

Content Warnings: Potential violence if anyone acts particularly antagonistic. Potential talk of violence or gore. Other warnings will be added when things pop up.

Perhaps you have seen Ruby's odd network post and decided to check things out. Or maybe you're just wandering around Trench and notice that Ange and Ruby's house suddenly looks.. different.

The house has been completely overgrown by way oversized roses, big thorns growing out of all the stems, completely obscuring the structure that's supposed to be underneath it. If you get close enough to the cluster of roses, you may feel your connection to any of the three people inside suddenly pull you in. (Please note: only people who know either Ange, Ruby or Break will be able to enter the pocket dimension because of this!)

If you give in to the sensation, everything around you might go black, and when the light returns, you seem to find yourself in.. a hedge maze. A rather odd one, though. As you stumble through it, you may suddenly find yourself in random rooms, and then back out of them into the hedge maze once more. The Moss King's wild plants seem to have even invaded corners of this place, so you might want to watch out you avoid having those snap at you. Retracing your steps through the labyrinth feels impossible, like the way is changing up behind you with every step. Some rooms make perfect sense - like a neat and elaborate kitchen, or a library - and others seem to consist of nonsense with stairs leading upside down or to nowhere, or gravity not working in a specific room at all.

Flying throughout the entire maze are golden butterflies. They seem to fly with direction, and if you follow them, you might find them leading you to one of the people you were looking for..

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( Peter's not oblivious to the fact that something is off, here. Ruby's network post was... strange, but Peter also knows that Strange Things are constantly happening here, and he's not immediately thinking this is a bad or suspicious thing. It obviously has to do with magic, really powerful magic, which is something he still feels so far-removed from in so many ways. Whatever's going on is clearly outside of his scope.

But he does want to visit his friends, check up on them. So he finds himself pulled into the dreamlike world, moving through the hedge maze with a nervous skip of his heart until he spots those golden butterflies and knows immediately to follow them. Ange.

When he finds her, there's a wave of relief, but as he's taking his friend in, it does feel a bit.... odd. A little bit frightening in ways. He's certainly seen Ange in various states of Intimidating, and fairly recently got a glimpse of her in Witch Mode, at least until Paimon took over things. But here she's sitting looking almost... inhuman, like some higher power. The feathers, the.... eyes. Peter's own pair widen as he takes them in, unable to help feeling a kneejerk sensation of fright.

...But he moves closer anyway. Carefully, like he's giving her some space, but it not cold in the least. There's a warmth as he approaches his friend, a little smile and a life of his hand in a slightly awkward wave. )

Saw your butterflies. Figured you couldn't be too far away from those guys.

This place is... beautiful. Ruby said you made it, all by yourself...?

[ Ange's initial response is an affirmative hum. ]

Of course. This is my world.

[ It sounds like a simple statement of objective fact, rather than anything too possessive. After all, Ange is letting people in who she didn't initially drag in here - just as long as she can trust them to behave here.

It seems that she trusts Peter enough in that regard, since the witch doesn't look very worried in the slightest, not even when he approaches. Instead she gestures at the seat opposite her own underneath the gazebo, as if she's telling him wordlessly to come sit down with her.

When she speaks up though, her tone does carry something extra.. something different from the usual Ange. Peter is not wrong whatsoever in his impression of her, that there's something much more inhuman about her than usually, when witch and girl are more balanced. ]

This is as far away from the Pthumerians as one can get. I'm glad to see you like it.

( Peter hasn't moved any closer to Ange's seat on his own, as always needing an extra dose of permission before he acts on anything — but then she gestures to the empty seat and the boy moves that way. Sinking slowly down to sit, he's staring across at her, able to really see her face to face now, and it's certainly.... yeah, kiiiind of intimidating to see Ange like this. He's sure that Paimon is absolutely raring to come out and see what's up for himself, but thankfully the demon stays quiet, just watching from where he is for now. But Peter can certainly feel him, an odd prickling warmth up under his skin.

The Pthumerians...? Peter blinks in surprise, brows lifting softly. )

They aren't... here?

( She actually made a world away from their influence? Or as far away as possible, she says. The idea is absolutely appealing to Peter as well, especially considering his recent horrors and fears of Riteoir. He's terrified of what might happen in the uncertain world of Trench. What might happen to everyone. To himself. How it's... changing him. If he could be away from them, and his own Patron the Tower..... he'd want to do it in a heartbeat.

And now, maybe, he has. )

This place is definitely a dream, then. I want to be away from them, too.

Then why not stay here?

[ She says it so easily, like it's something Ange doesn't even have to think about. Even as far corrupted as she is in this moment, she still very much recognizes Peter as a friend - as someone she'd like to keep safe. She knows how many hard times the other has had already, some of which she even recognizes from personal experience.

Doesn't Peter deserve this place too? Somewhere he can no longer be messed with? ]

Luna can come too. [ She's a friend too, after all. And Ange wouldn't want Peter to be without her. ] We can all be safe from the Pthumerians here together. I would keep you all safe.

( Peter pauses, staring at Ange for a few long moments as he listens. He... hadn't thought of that. He could stay...? He and Luna?

Safe from the Pthumerians.

The boy's eyes finally drop down from Ange's ethereal golden pair, staring at the tops of his hands. )

Things do feel like they're getting a lot worse. With them. ( The Pthumerians. They've always been... a problem, but lately it's become painfully clear that something bad is brewing. ) All the Riteoir stuff.....

...We could really just stay here for awhile? Could we bring more people, too?

( ....It seems like Peter is going to be an enabler...... but he's thinking about all the rest of his friends he wouldn't want to leave behind. )

[ Ange is rather glad to hear Peter echo her own sentiment. It's exactly the way she's been feeling, after all. The reason she even created this world in the first place. Things felt like they were getting worse and worse, the people close to her ending up in terrible danger way more often - it even happened with Peter himself, back when they had to deal with that ice monster and Paimon ended up having to help her get rid of it before it could kill Peter even further than it already harmed him.

She knew she needed somewhere safe. So she made this place. It's only logical, isn't it?

(It's not like Ange realised something twisted in her mind along the way, the only thing that made it even possible to push her own powers this far. You can't be a true witch unless you lose your human self, after all.) ]

Of course you could really stay. [ That part is easy to say, but it's the second question that gives her.. a bit more pause. She can see something good in it, since she definitely thinks Peter could help convince some of their other friends to stay here and be safe too, especially when some of them seem so weirded out by her right now.

A fact that Ange truly doesn't understand. Just look at Peter. He isn't acting like she's strange. ]

As for other people.. well, it depends. [ Ange sounds a little bit more thoughtful. ] I don't want anyone here who would cause trouble. And I do not trust everyone in Trench.

[ Some of the people also hurt the people important to her, after all. Some burned down her house.

She'd murder them before they could even set a single step in here. ]

I don't want them to ruin this place. It is meant to be safe.

( More and more, the idea is sinking into Peter, and.... it's so easy for it to. It's not that he's completely oblivious to the fact things are a little strange here, but.... he trusts Ange, and her magic. No matter how much the idea of magic still freaks him out at the core, that fact remains that he trusts the girl.

And.... maybe he's a little desperate, too. Up under everything. Desperate to feel safe, in this world that's so unsafe. In this place where danger and loss and heartache and pain keep being a factor, time and time again. It wasn't so long ago that Luna was subjected to being trapped in a nightmare world tailored to her custom fears and torments. Her traumas. She'd been so.... so scared. It isn't often that Peter sees the girl like that, and he hasn't been able to stop thinking about it.

If he could protect Luna by staying here with Ange and Ruby for awhile...? Relief is blossoming in his features, although he's quickly looking up to nod at Ange's next words. )

No, I— I totally understand. If there's anyone else I think of, I could ask you first. If it'd be okay to bring them here.

( But there's a thought, a concern. He knows magic isn't something that just can happen without power, energy.... Given how Ange looks right now, it's clear that her magic is in full-force, but what if that can't last? )

Are you going to be okay, though? Using all this power to maintain something like this... it won't hurt you?

I'm a witch. [ She replies, like it really is just that simple. ] This is what I do.

[ Sure, the truth is.. definitely more nuanced than that. Doing all of this is pushing her powers, but Ange doesn't mind doing so. Especially when she doesn't realise that she's pushed them hard enough that she's fallen into full on corruption, edging on beasthood, but not quite falling to that extreme end of the spectrum just yet.

It just feels like she's using the powers that were naturally meant to be hers. ]

If I'm one of the few people who has the power to stand up to the Pthumerians, then I should be the one to do so, right?

[ That's the thing, isn't it?

There's so often something so pure at the center of corruption. An ideal that the corruption wraps itself around, twisting it for its own benefit. But Ange's initial intention-- it had never been bad. She truly does want to keep everyone safe, away from the influence of the Pthumerians, who clearly shouldn't be in charge of a group of people. ]

No matter what it takes.

( For a fleeting moment, there's that odd little flicker of fear, again. It's a strange thing, to so wholly trust a person and yet be capable of feeling some fear towards them (although isn't it how he is towards Luna's magic, too? In ways, yes — Peter will always fear witchcraft, no matter the type or nuance of it.) But in this moment, hearing Ange's reply and the way she says it, coupled with the way she looks, feels..... it does have that little shudder slipping down his spine again.

It doesn't mean he wants to leave her now. It's just... there. That realisation that he's in the company of someone extremely powerful, someone capable of.... all of this. And of course Paimon's awareness of it all makes Peter's own spirit especially sensitive, Ange's energy brushing against his nerve endings, making every fine hair stand up a little.

But there's the other side of it, of that awareness of how powerful the girl is. Because it's as she says — she has the ability to do something about the Pthumerians. And Peter's glad she is. So he's giving a nod, soft, but not hesitant. No, he fully agrees. )

I think you're right. And if there's anything I can do to help you.... just let me know. I've got your back.

When I go home later, I'll talk to Luna. See how she feels about staying here for a while. Maybe we can both help you out.

[ Something does soften about Ange's expression as Peter says that. Not fully - she still doesn't quite look the way she usually does when she softens, which is something the boy has definitely seen before - but there's no doubt that the witch is pleased to hear those words. There's not even any protest to the idea of Peter leaving, since it's pretty clear to her that he really does want to stay here. That he sees the merits behind her ideas and actions, unlike certain other people who came here before him. ]

Thank you, Peter.

[ It's why no word of that is a lie, nor manipulation. She's genuinely glad, even if it's expressed in a way that's a little more inhuman than her usual ways. ]

I knew you'd understand. [ Maybe because all of the things they've shared in the past. There's certainly ways in which she and Peter are very similar, ways Ange has discovered over the years of knowing the other. But it's also just-- ] You've always been an important friend to me.

[ And it's a little easier to say stuff like that when Ange doesn't have her usual inhibitions when she's in this state. Why bother holding things back or worrying about reputations when you're a witch? ]

Some people have been.. very unkind about my ideas. [ Okay, maybe that's a little bit of an understatement, at least.. Compared to the way Ange felt about hearing their rejection, anyway. ]

( It's true, there's something.... missing in Ange's demeanour, something that's a little more cool to the touch than even the girl's usual feeling. (Again, the word inhuman flutters around in him). But he's mostly chalking this up to her being so in her magic right now — she certainly doesn't look like a typical human anymore; it makes sense that her behaviour would change, too. So while concern is there, it's not at a level where he necessarily thinks anything is wrong in a way that should be... changed.

He's offering a soft smile at the words. )

You too, Ange. I'm really glad I have you.

( But there's a pause, a frown easing in at that next part. Peter's quiet for a few moments, thinking about it. )

I think a lot of people just don't.... understand. Maybe some people are fine fighting all the time, dealing with it... or maybe they don't see the Pthumerians as such a threat. But.... ( He swallows, looks back up at Ange. )

...they are a threat. That whole world is.... horrible. You're trying to protect people, made a whole safe space because of what you are and what you can do.

( He's never forgotten what Ange told him, the first time they met in person at Ruby's birthday party. How she'd never asked for or really wanted her witch powers, but decided that she might as well use them to help people. And that's exactly what she's doing here. )

You're doing a really good thing..... Thank you for this.

[ Listening to those words makes Ange scoot over until she's pretty much right next to Peter. There's nothing nefarious about the movement though, before she's mostly doing it so she can actually reach out to him, wrapping her arms around the guy and pulling him into a hug.

It's a slow movement - something that does seem a little like Ange even in the middle of all of this, since she's never too overenthusiastic with her physical affection, prefering to do it in soft and meaningful ways - but the hug does seem very genuine, despite the circumstances. ]

You get it. [ She says, a little more quietly, still holding him.

It's not even that Ange was expecting or demanding to be thanked for this. All she wanted was just.. for people to get it. To understand why this is important. Why it is better. ]

I promise I will do my best to get even stronger. To make absolutely sure I can keep the Pthumerians out of here, no matter what. I won't let them hurt you ever again.

( Peter's watching as Ange moves closer, mouth parting gently as he realises what she's doing — slow and gentle, reaching out for him. There's a soft exhale, and his arms move around the girl in return, not only accepting the hug but returning it. And any little lingering nerves about the current state of Ange aren't really present anymore for those few moments, no, she's just his friend, and he feels safe and comfortable here with her.

It's clearly important to her that people get it, that they understand, and Peter can definitely understand why it would be frustrating and even hurtful for them not to. She's trying to protect people, she's using her own magic, clearly using a lot of it.... to offer a safe space away from the source of so much uncertainty, horror, pain.... He doesn't see this as running away, but as being smart. Being safe.

Which is why her words fill him not only with warmth, but relief. Having been afraid for so long, and those fears growing and reaching deeper and deeper lately.... what Ange says means a great deal to Peter. He's quiet for a few long moments as it sinks in and the boy feels the weight of it, the importance. Gently, but securely, he's giving his friend a warm squeeze. )

And I promise I'll do whatever I can to support you.

( In whatever ways he could — whether it's as a friend to talk to here in her golden land, or trying to talk to others to help them understand.... Small ways, human ones that maybe don't help as much as some things, but it goes without saying that Paimon would help Ange out too, on that supernatural level if she needed any support from the demon.

After a few moments, Peter's pulling back just enough so that he can look at his golden-eyed friend, smiling down at her. )

After tea, will you show me around?

( Given he plans on hopefully bringing Luna here to stay for a while, it'd be nice to see what everything's like. )

Of course.

[ The reply flows out of Ange's mouth so naturally, and she's definitely smiling right back at him as she says it too. She would gladly show any friend around here, especially when she's so proud of what she's already made.. but with Peter's acceptance of all of it, it only feels more important to show him around. So he can see what this place is already, and what it could be. She'd even listen to his suggestions, honestly..

She seems so genuinely happy, even in the middle of her corruption. In the sort of way she hasn't really seemed ever since people from the outside started slipping in and questioning all of this. No-- Ange knows, she should've known all along. Peter is just like Ruby. He understands her in so many ways, even this one. ]

Let's hurry and have that tea before I have to reheat it.

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(open) you're looking at me like you don't know who i am

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that's a wrap! <3 i will hit up your inbox for a post-corruption thing...