we used to swim the same moonlight waters [april catch-all, open + closed]

[fromshadows]

who: Blake descendsfromshadows + various
what: Event and non-event happenings, fallout from Rokkenjima, Blake trying to become an Arcane Scholar and also pushing her own boundaries to host a food stall by the celebratory bonfire
when: April
where: The salt lake, the School of Mutter, various

Content warnings: Will be added as necessary





[ ooc: Blake's plotting post is here! closed posts to be posted in comments, and as always, if you have something you want to do with Blake, hit me up at cosmonautdelta! ]

▒▒▒ i. 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞-𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 (𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 + 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐨𝐫) [ open ]

[ Blake is beginning to learn to expect anything from Trench, and portals appearing out of nowhere seems about par for the course. She'd seen a few and paid them no mind, until she'd almost walked right past one with some very familiar scenery. Bright blue water, golden sand, green trees swaying in the gentle ocean breeze, and people with animal features bustling to and fro, laughing and working and surviving. Blake had stared for a long time with a lump in her throat, scarcely daring to breathe for fear of making the portal vanish.

She hadn't realized how much she missed home -- and her people, her culture -- until right now.

It started to shrink, and the last thing Blake managed to do was reach through and grab some of the food from the market that had been right in front of the portal. And for a while, she hadn't known what to do with it all, until she'd heard about a celebration down at the salt lake.

So here she is, with a little wooden stall decorated with some purple flowers she'd managed to pick, some spare cooking equipment she'd borrowed from the Clockhouse, and a small firepit burning merrily off to the side, pots and food suspended above it to cook. Offered on the stall are containers of a few different kinds of food: thick noodles and charred vegetables in a spiced sauce, huge fish cooked to crispy perfection and laid out on broad green leaves, big bowls of fluffy rice with fresh vegetables and seaweed and colorful chunks of fish. And while Blake looks totally comfortable cooking -- stirring the pots with chopsticks, rotating fish on the skewers above the fire -- she keeps darting nervous little looks toward anybody who comes close.

She's... look, Blake is proud of the progress she's made in the past year or so. She's become so much more confident and comfortable in her skin. But being thrown into Trench last month has upset her progress a little, pushing her off balance. Having to deal with so many new people is difficult, but Blake's determined to forge connections.

So when someone approaches, looking interested in the food, Blake manages to smile, and though the cat ears on top of her head are angled a little warily, the smile is nonetheless genuine. She's wearing her catsuit underneath her new cloak jacket, but she's illuminated by the fire, looking perfectly at home. ]

Everything's free, though I won't say no to a trade if you insist. I managed to pull some food from my home out of one of those portals, and I... just wanted to share.

Comments

for mayerling⸻

[fromshadows]

[ Blake is... kind of lost.

After having a lot of conversation with various people about Trench and its history and godly inhabitants, Blake really only feels like she's started to scratch the surface of the knowledge available. There are libraries in Gaze that have massive rooms full of information on this world, and she's even heard of a place outside Trench that gathers knowledge on the experiences of Sleepers. But the place that Blake's felt the most drawn to is the School of Mutter.

Standing in the lobby, Blake's watching people walk to and fro. Some of them have books stacked in their arms, others are reading from their omnis, or chattering away in small groups. The building is in dark stone, and Blake would say that it looks a little ominous if it wasn't a style of architecture that she loves, elegant and gothic.

She's heard that Never Mind is the dean of the School, and Blake would be lying if she said she wasn't a little scared to talk to him. How do people just walk up to gods and have a conversation? People in Trench must be used to it, she supposes. Maybe she'll eventually get used to it too, if she's here long enough.

She hates to bother anyone, but inevitably, she's forced to pick someone to bother. A tall, elegant looking man is walking right past her, and Blake grabs his attention with a hesitantly raised hand. ]

Hi, sorry-- I'm new here. Can I ask if you know where Never Mind is? I'm, um, contemplating becoming a student here.

[whowillmourn]

Mayerling hears the movement as well as sees it, and he slows down even to a stop by the time the young woman speaks. His cloak flows past him for a moment before dropping back to stillness.

He smiles at the question, nearly beaming. "Yes, Never Mind is one of the most approachable Pthumerians, as long as you want to learn," Mayerling tells her.

He gives a small bow. "I am Mayerling. A pleasure to meet you. If you don't mind me asking, what do you want to learn about, if anything in particular? I have studied between the archives since I arrived, and I will never run out of material to learn." A wonderful sign in his book.

[fromshadows]

[ It's a relief that the person whose attention she grabbed is friendly and willing to talk -- so many people here seem to be in such a hurry, Blake had worried that she'd be intruding. ]

A bit of everything, honestly, but first I want to learn about the Pthumerians themselves.

[ The concept of never running out of things to learn, it's... exciting, actually. Blake's been a fighter for such a long time, but she's always loved the academics, and she's fascinated by the idea that she could really get to dig into the science and structure of a whole new world.

She smiles tentatively at Mayerling; his love of learning is positively radiating out of him, utterly infectious. ]

I'm Blake. I've heard that to join the School of Mutter you just have to talk to Never Mind? Where I come from, joining a school was a lot harder. But I'd love to be a student here, there's just so much to learn.

[whowillmourn]

Mayerling cannot help but smile at that statement. It sounds exactly like him when he first arrived. Blake, as she introduces herself, sounds like a kindred spirit.

"Yes, talk to him and want to learn. Never Mind's the Patron Pthumerian of Knowledge and believes everyone has the right to learn. That's why it's so easy to join the School of Mutter."

He motions her along further into the school so that they can find Never Mind.

"He speaks every language. Everything gets translated between us, but he'll understand you in your native tongue and answer in kind. The ravens around Trench belong to him, and they're more intelligent than they are in most people's worlds. They can learn to speak and alert people to corruption or beasts."

Since she wants to learn about the Pthumerians, why not the one she's about to meet?

[fromshadows]

[ She's really only heard good things about Never Mind, even from people that generally seem to dislike the Pthumerians as a whole, so that says a lot about the god. She follows Mayerling as he leads her into the school, ears swiveling every which way to catch every noise, gaze darting to and fro to observe what she can. ]

I did wonder why everybody seemed to be speaking the same language we use in my world. [ Blake laughs quietly, sheepish. ] The translation is a life saver, then. All of us from different places and different worlds, we'd never be able to understand each other.

[ She does recall hearing the ravens call more frequently in the month where the carnivorous plants had been attacking. That they're *that* intelligent is intriguing; Blake's definitely going to have to interact more with them. ]

From what I've heard, he lets people learn anything? There's no restrictions at all?

[whowillmourn]

Mayerling smiles at her comment, wondering what language she's speaking. "There was an issue with the network in November, causing all kinds of problems," he says, "Sometimes the translation broke down. I found someone else who speaks my native language, despite our different worlds, because of it. I'm speaking German right now. What about you?"

That translation comes from the Pthumerians, he suspects. Were people to live without them, they might need to learn each other's languages. Perhaps best to start early, in case anything happens. He thinks of Sharon.

"Only that you want to learn."

Bonfire Side

[onekindsoul]

[Ruby had more or less been muddling her way through the last few days since she had fully regained control of herself from the corruption, and had her role as Ange's furniture revoked.

It was good to be thinking straight again but there were a lot of lingering memories about what she had done during that time. Things that she had let happen to her friends and people she cared about that didn't sit right with her.

She wasn't really looking to contribute to anything at celebration, she was mostly looking to pass by and spend some time by the shore. But she caught sight of Blake and her stall and froze briefly.

A pang of guilt hits her chest as she considers that something like this might not have been possible if Blake had stayed locked away back in that little world. Sure she looked nervous, but she looked to be enjoying herself and fitting in just fine.

If Blake's on the look out she might catch sight of Ruby staring at the stall from as close to out of sight as she can. Too nervous to approach, too stuck in place to flee.]

[fromshadows]

[ With Blake's hearing, she'd heard Ruby's footsteps as soon as she'd come anywhere close, but she'd been content to let Ruby approach on her own time, assuming that her friend was checking out the other stalls. She's been trying to see Ruby for a little while now, turning up at her and Ange's house with tea and cookies every day -- but she'd never managed to catch them. Whether that's because they weren't in, or they just weren't answering the door, Blake doesn't know. Ruby has a right to her space, especially with how she must be feeling right now, but still, Blake had wanted to check in.

But as time passes and she doesn't hear the sound of Ruby footsteps anymore, Blake finally glances up, and sees Ruby frozen. Her expression softens, fondness mixing with concern, and she takes a break from her stall to approach. Taking a queue from Yang's head-on method, Blake takes Ruby's hand, and tugs her toward Blake's set-up, giving her no chance to protest. ]

Have you ever tried Menagerie food? You never really see it outside of Menagerie; there's a couple places in Vale, I guess, but they don't really do it right, you know? There were these portals in the city, and I managed to grab some food from home.

[ As Blake makes up a fresh bowl for Ruby -- spooning soup and noodles into a bowl, topping it with seared fish and root vegetables, slathered with richly spicy sauce and seaweed -- her omen, a little dark-furred rabbit, peers at Ruby from around the other end of the stall, mostly hidden behind a post. Blake presses the bowl into Ruby's hands, followed by a pair of chopsticks. ]

Here. I've got cookies to follow. Those are made here, though. I've been making them every couple of days, hoping to give them to you. [ Blake smiles, sheepish. ] They're your favorite kind.

[onekindsoul]

[It feels like it happens so fast. Or maybe it's because it's because her own world had slowed to a creep watching Blake at the stall, wallowing in her own misery about what had happened. She feels the hand take hers and she's pulled along toward the stall with a little gasp.

She whirls as she finds herself let go and her hands move to grip the counter to steady herself. Part of her wants to run, but her legs feel like jelly from the awkwardness of all this. And the guilt slowly eats away at her.]

I- Uh- I-

[She fumbles with what to say here. This is all so kind. Which is exactly what she knows and loves about Blake. But... After everything she just did. She sees the smile on Blake's face and it hurts more than she'd like to admit.]

I-

You didn't have to do that- This-

After what I put you and everyone else through.

[She stares down at the bowl that's been put down at her hands. She doesn't quite feel tears welling up in her eyes yet, but she tries to sniff them away anyways.]

[fromshadows]

I know. But that's what friends do, isn't it?

[ In the end, all that had happened to Blake was getting locked in a room for a bit and having to puzzle her way out with Penny, and she doesn't exactly count that as traumatizing. What had been far worse was watching Ruby with nothing behind her eyes, going through the motions without the normal spark of her energy and personality. Blake had been confident that she, that everyone, would manage to find a way to break Ruby free of her predicament, but she'd still worried. ]

Ruby, [ Blake says gently, ] for me, the scariest thing in that place was my fear for you. Not of you. For you.

I'm just so, so glad to see that you're getting better.

[ A hug will have to come later, what with Ruby having food in her hands that Blake doesn't want to get spilled. And she knows that her words aren't going to magically fix Ruby -- that's going to take a while, because guilt can be the worst kind of festering wound -- but she can only hope that help a little. ]

Besides, if there was any revenge to be had, I might have just gotten it by giving you those noodles. [ So rarely seen, Blake's little smile holds a touch of playfulness. ] We use enough spice on that meat to make any non-Menagerie-native cry.

[onekindsoul]

[There's silence at first. That is what a friend is supposed to do, isn't it? Not to lock them in a room against their will. To hurt them. To take their eyes if they disagree with you. A pang of guilt hits her chest.]

I guess. I guess I haven't been that great of a friend.

[It's easier to wallow in her self pity than to be happy. She tries her best to convince herself it's better that way. But then Blake keeps going and she raises her head up a little.]

I'm sorry I scared you. Either way.

I- I'm glad you're here. And I just- I wish that wasn't one of the first things you had to experience here.

[She does appreciate the sentiment and well- The words would help her out along the way to getting better.

She does shake it a little when Blake describes the spices. Spice wasn't necessarily something she was used to- between her, Yang, and her dad the cooking palette back at home wasn't exactly exquisite by any means.

She manages a faint smile.]

Well- Maybe I'm about to really get what's coming to me.

[Look at her. She managed a joke. Then goes to take in her first mouthful of food. And gosh. Does she try her best to hold her own against the spice as she chews. But her pale face is getting awfully red longer it's in her system.]

Bonfire!

[payingfordeliverance]

[Break has been preoccupied enough since his first meeting with Blake -- keeping an eye on Ange's world as it began to fall apart, sticking around to help pick up the pieces after, and then coddling a certain bird who got himself into a snit that if he were to try to live in a perfect world his very existence would ruin it -- that honestly, he barely remembers that she exists for several days. Only when he spots her from a distance at the bonfire, which he's attending to remind himself that it is possible to have nice experiences in Trench from time to time, does Break recall that he has a new niece to check in on.

Because she is a new niece, obviously. Many of Break's memories from that other dimension are a little hazy. But, thanks to the dip in corruption he experienced during their conversation, he's at least clear on the fact that Blake was worried about Ruby and determined to help her. These days, that's all he needs to take somebody under his own wing, too.

That Blake has the air of a wallflower about her now only solidifies that. Break gets on well with wallflowers when he's not gently messing with them, and his eccentric lack of shame means he's an excellent buffer for them, too. He was a wallflower himself, back in the day, and still has a habit of sneaking off for air and quiet at least once during parties. He knows how it is.

Both his clothing and demeanor are much more sedate than before when he approaches. His ever-present omen has all his teeth put away, and could well be a normal slinky noodle dog if it weren't for the spectral white eyes.]

Actually, if you wouldn't mind the company, perhaps you might show me what's what. [He'd had a hunch this would be food that mattered to her, if she'd be participating in something like this despite the discomfort perched right atop her head, visible in her ears.] Since coming here, I've learned to cook myself, and I've all sorts of connections for finding ingredients, you know? In a place like this one, we ought to help one another have our favorite delicious foods.

[fromshadows]

[ The difference in Break is immediately obvious; he's less twitchy, less all over the place, and far more comfortable in his skin. Even his attire is less wacky, but Blake has to admit; she did love his style in that garden maze. It's a shame, Blake thinks, that their first meeting was under such dire circumstances, but she's glad to see him looking far more settled -- and far less corrupted -- now. ]

Well, this-- [ Blake points. ] --is egg noodles, and charred fish and root vegetables in a sauce that's kind of fruity and kind of spicy. This one is just fire-roast fish, but it's a glowfish caught off the east shore during its migration, it's really seasonal, and a pretty strong seafood flavor. And this is rice topped with a couple different kinds of fish, light vegetables, and seaweed for garnish.

[ Her own omen, a little dark-furred rabbit, peeks cautiously around the other side of stall, gazing at the noodle dog. ]

I got it all from a portal that came from home. It's, um-- I'm from a place called Menagerie. It's an island that's mostly uninhabitable except for a small coastal region, it's what the governments of Remnant gave Faunus as an apology for centuries of oppression. [ Her tone is wry, clearly a little irritated at the history, but undeniably fond as she talks about her home. ] So our food is very heavy on fish. As you can probably tell. Please, take anything you like, there's plenty of it.

[ She hesitates briefly, before adding: ] You look better. How are you feeling?

[payingfordeliverance]

[While Break helps himself to a little of everything — nine times out of ten if you see him putting something in his mouth it's probably a sweet, but he isn't actually all that picky, even if Qrow's junk food habits make him nuts — his omen catches sight of the little rabbit. The dog's ears perk up, making him look rather more like a horse, and he carefully lowers his front half to the ground to make himself less threatening.

Baltus is, of course, a reflection of Break. Just as the silly demeanor of the man himself conceals a deadly swordsman of frightening, ruthless skill, it pleases Baltus to be a weird friendly noodle. Never mind that he's a graveyard guardian of a breed intended to hunt wolves.]

Mm, I’m quite alright, thank you. Of the three of us, I'm the one having the easiest time, really. [Because of course Blake would be referring to that.] I'm afraid I was a touch corrupt when we last met, but I was having such a pleasant time in that place that in the end I came out of that state on my own. I've been watching over the girls since, as they find their feet again.

[His tone is light and airy enough that anyone who has experience with the sort of person who keeps a lot of secrets will be able to tell there's a lot more to it than that. But, that's the most important part, as far as Break is concerned. He's well enough to have resumed his proper uncling with no trouble.]

[fromshadows]

[ Break's answer is the very tip of the iceberg. He's probably fine to some extent -- he doesn't seem to be lying when he said he'd been having a good time in there, and that's no surprise, given the isolated whimsy of his tea party -- but Blake's certain that's not the entire story. She doesn't have any personal experience with corruption yet, but it sounds like it hits hard, and it gets personal. ]

I'm glad they've got you. I know Ruby's going to really struggle with this. She's used to being the hero, not the villain.

[ She gestures to a log seat next to the stall, inviting Break to sit, and resumes her cooking, turning some meat that's keeping warm over the fire and stirring noodles in a boiling pot. Blake catches sight of her omen tentatively creeping toward Baltus. The rabbit's about the size of the dog's snout. ]

Uhane. Please don't bother him.

[ Her omen pauses, long ears laying flat, and they and Blake trade a frown. But despite Blake's rebuke, Uhane stays exactly where they are, cautiously sniffing at the dog. Blake draws a deep breath, looking unhappy and like she's about to say more, but shoves that down, and brings up a smile for Break. ]

So I've heard that there's something about this bonfire that's making people think of their home. There's lots of people saying that saw old memories in the flames. I can't decide if that sounds comforting, or like something that'd make people homesick.

[payingfordeliverance]

Mm, I've noticed her case of "chosen one disease" is particularly terrible. It's a common issue in the kids around here, but -- not everybody has special eyes, and a special ancestor, and whatever else. When there are certain things only you can do, the weight of that sense of responsibility begins to feel like a suit of armor one can't let go of, even as it drags a person down.

[Break delivers this little nugget of wisdom as casually as though he were discussing the latest petty gossip, like a fashion faux pas or someone making a fool of themselves at the market. So, there's a good clue as to how he's wound up as everybody's uncle, despite the numerous shortcomings of the entire rest of his personality.

He doesn't react to the exchange between girl and omen, though he does take note of it as he settles down on the offered log. Baltus likes other omens as a general rule, so there won't be any trouble there -- indeed, he manages to make his glowing eyes look soulful and pleading as he gazes up at Blake, tail swishing. What Break takes note of is that the omen's curiosity is a contrast to Blake's overall demeanor of polite, distant restraint, which doesn't take long to pick up on at all.

Probably, Break thinks, this indicates that deep down, Blake is a nosy person. He will watch and wait, and see if he is correct. It is a little game that he plays.]

As to the other thing, I'm afraid you'll find that memories showing up uninvited is a common issue here in Trench. I'd say the comfort in it depends on the person, but -- even that can be manipulated, around here. If you're a very private person, I'd take care to avoid getting too close to the flames with anyone else close by. You never know what will turn up, you know?

for neopolitan⸻

[fromshadows]

[ Despite not being the most social creature, Blake's enjoying herself at the celebration by the salt lake. Her welcome to Trench has been a strange one, so it's nice to know that her friends are recovering and the city is quiet this month and everyone can have a chance to relax for a moment. She's been happily handing out food to anyone who's interested -- and given how good it looks, quite a few people have been interested -- chatting here and there with people that engage her.

Some time later, she absently casts her gaze over the people sitting by the bonfire, and her attention catches on that distinctive pink and brown hair. Anger immediately rages to life in her belly, before it's abruptly, and shockingly, tempered somewhat by the images of Neo's apartment that spring to mind; that chill, unadorned, empty place. The photo of her and Emerald, with Emerald nowhere to be seen. Both feelings congeal into a horrible, sickly feeling that Blake doesn't know how to sort out.

Before she can really think about it, she's grabbing a bowl of spicy noodles and charred meat and vegetables, chopsticks sticking out of it, and making her way to the bonfire, holding it out to Neo. ]

Here. You've probably never had Menagerie food, and everybody from Remnant should get the chance to try it at least once.

[threelayers]

[Neopolitan was, quite obviously, surprised. Her eyes widened a fraction when she saw Blake come up to her, food in hand. She sort of stared at her for a second, and then down at the food, gesturing to herself as if to say 'wait, me? Are you sure?' right before she reached out to snatch first one of the skewers and then the bowl, gesturing at a seat next to her, in case Blake was willing. Hey, a chef liked to see how people reacted.

She settled down, looking up at Blake while taking a bite. She'd been right on that guess. Neo had never really done much in the way of cooking that was like Menagerie. Emerald and she hadn't really been avid cooks, and Emerald had generally wanted other food than what they had in Remnant anyway. And, before that? She and Roman had stuck to Mistral and Vale pretty exclusively, even when recruiting the White Fang. The smile when she took a bite and chewed it was a good indication she was liking it. Spicy things were hard to come by in Trench. Everything was so bland and ...

... mushroomy.

She nodded gratefully and gestured again at the seat, setting the skewer on top of the bowl and pulling her omni out to set it on her knee. She wasn't actually sure if Blake wanted to talk, or if this was just a random gesture. Honestly, she was ready for about anything.]

[fromshadows]

[ Blake supposes she can't blame Neo for the surprise -- if the shoe had been on the other foot, Blake would be surprised as well -- but she gingerly sits down next to her, hands clasped around her knees.

She'd been so sure that she'd try to kill Neo again the next time she saw her. But she's been highly distracted the last short while, what with Ange creating a whole little world and Blake winding up locked inside, that she's barely had time to think about Neo and Yang and Weiss and everybody else. The times that she has thought about Yang and the memory of her falling first...

Blake doesn't know where she is. But if Blake and Ruby fell here, then there's a good chance Yang isn't dead. Maybe she'll fall here eventually. Maybe she fell somewhere else. But she's the strongest, most stubborn person Blake knows, and if anybody can find a way to survive, it's Yang.

It doesn't absolve Neo. But it does make it easier to bear. At least a little. ]

Do you... miss Remnant? Or anybody there?

[ Blake asks on pure impulse, not even really thinking about the words (or who she's saying them to) before she asks. ]

[threelayers]

[She took the moment to eat while Blake was collecting her thoughts. It was good, after all, and in a way it felt a little like home, not that Remnant was actually her home. There was nothing there for... well, that wasn't true, was it? But Emerald wouldn't remember her in that reality, not like she did here. Deep down, because she knew about memory shenanigans between the worlds, there really wasn't anyone for her in that world.

She finished a bite after the question was asked and her hand fluttered over to the omni. There was a moment's consideration. She knew the answer, after all, but there was a definitively awkward part of it.]

Remnant's a shithole, so no.
But I miss Emerald and I wish Roman were here, alive even if it would be hard.
Part of him would absolutely hate this place, and I know it'd take a while.
There's a couple other people from there I miss.

[She fidgeted, glancing away. She didn't want to add that Yang was actually on that list. They hadn't gotten on well, but the few times they'd actually spoken, she'd found she liked the girl a little. But she also comprehended very easily how much a sore spot there would have been in mentioning her.]

[fromshadows]

[ Blake wouldn't agree with that first part. She loves Remnant and its people; that's part of the reason that she became a Huntress, after all. She may have complicated feelings about the people of Remnant and their all too common bigotry, but she has hope that they can forge a brighter future together.

It's not a shithole, in her opinion. But one can't deny that Salem's war had made Remnant... hard to live in. ]

I miss having other Faunus around.

[ It comes out as a sigh, and as Blake gazes wistfully into the fire, she sees little flashes of her home. The stalls in the warm water of the shoreline, the houses of Kuo Kuana dotted in amongst green trees and golden sand, Faunus everywhere you looked. ]

I feel like it's a terrible thing to wish that the people we love were here in Trench. But... I wish the same thing.

Bonfire-side

[frogfear]

[The portals, as they did last year, do capture Willow's interest, but there doesn't seem to be any that lead back to her world. It's okay. She's fine with it. Given things can come through the portals too, it's probably better there aren't any leading to Sunnydale. The last thing Trench needs are more monsters.

Still, sometimes she wonders how the world she left behind is doing.

She grins when she spots the stall Blake has set up, and makes her way over. The food certainly looks more appealing than the standard fare Trench generally has to offer.]

It looks incredible, Blake. And really nice of you to share with everyone. Looks like you're having no problem getting settled in.

[fromshadows]

It helps that I'm surrounded by good people.

[ And she's very much counting Willow among that group. Blake has caught herself thinking, a time or two, about what it might be like if she'd arrived here with no friends, no house to be welcomed into, no friendly housemates to share tea with. She's good at being alone, but she doesn't think she'd be doing very well here. ]

Please, take anything you want. This one's really spicy, [ She points to the one with sauce generously poured over the fish, vegetables, and noodles, ] the other two are pretty mild.

[ Well, mild for Menagerie standards, which still might be spicy. Blake can't really tell anymore. ]

I'm still digesting the fact that vampires are real in your world, you know. [ Blake laughs lightly, keeping her hands busy with tending to the food. ] Where I'm from, they're just fiction. Sometimes they're in horror, but sometimes they're in really romantic stories.

[frogfear]

[Willow can't help but smile. She had arrived in Deerington with a couple people she knew from home already there, but her time with them was brief, and the adjustment after they woke up had been difficult. Leaning into the other friendships she had made helped.]

Most of the Sleepers here are good people, luckily. It helps when we've all been through the same thing - leaving behind our previous homes to come here, and the whole squid thing.

[She helps herself to one of the less spicy dishes, and grins as Blake talks about vampires. It feels like a pretty common reaction, even in her own world there were plenty of people who had trouble wrapping their heads around the idea that the supernatural was real.]

Well, the ones at home were - okay, mostly [She's willing to make an exception for Angel.] - less the romantic kind, and more the evil, scary blood sucking horror kind. But yeah, it does kind of turn your world upside down when you find out that stuff's real. But I can't imagine dealing with the Grimm from your world either on a regular basis.

[fromshadows]

That's true. I guess we've all got things in our worlds that are normal to us, but utterly bizarre to people from other worlds.

[ With how Willow's told it, vampires and werewolves and everything else in her world kept to the shadows, enough so that the regular population didn't know about them. Grimm, on the other hand, are problems that everybody knows about in Remnant. They're two very different things, but Blake still finds kinship in Willow as a person who dedicated herself to protecting the vulnerable. ]

I'd love to hear more about magic in your world, though.

[ Blake says it with the reverence and bright eyes of a nerd heavily into fantasy novels. ]

In Remnant, magic does exist, but only about six people can use it. [ She laughs lowly, head ducked as she puts a bowl of noodles together, carefully portioning out meat and vegetables. ] And they don't use things like the spells or rituals I've heard about here or in books, it's much more... wildly elemental in nature. But your world uses something a bit more structured, right?