deercountry | (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..

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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.

(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...