deercountry | [001] time has a funny kind of violence

Entry tags:

[001] time has a funny kind of violence

Who: Orpheus

themuseabandonsyou
What: Arrival, acclimation, acceptance
When: September 1st
Where: The beach, Cellar Door

Content Warnings: suicidal imagery,

In another world, in another time and place, Orpheus plunges an antler - the last physical remnant of Deerington that came with him when he returned home - into his chest with shaking hands, and the world goes dark.

He finds himself floating in the darkness of some great and cold and foreign sea, the current too strong to resist. Somehow, though, the lack of light and the freezing temperatures and the pressure of the water all around him don't seem as immediately dangerous as they should. Somehow, the body he's in now is perfect for it, all flowing lines and long tentacles. It should be horrifying. It is kind of horrifying, if he thinks aboout it too hard, but there's an odd sort of peace to it, especially as he lets the tide sweep him inexorably wherever it's going, giving him time to reflect.

He thinks about arriving back home, walking out of the fog that surrounded Deerington and arriving where he fell asleep, and immediately turning around and heading straight back for the railway town. About Mister Hermes waiting for him with some small amount of surprise but great relief that he was back so soon after he'd run away in the first place. About telling him everything - about Deerington, the people he'd met there, the visions he'd seen, and his decision to come back home rather than keep running away from everyone who might want to help and support him. He thinks about how for a while it had seemed like it might be alright, and that he'd renew his search for a way back into the Underworld with support from those around him this time.

Of course, it couldn't stay that way. Slowly, steadily, things had started to feel... wrong, somehow. Off-kilter. Over time he began to feel less and less like he belonged anywhere, not because of anyone shunning him or anything like that, but in the sense of feeling connected to the world itself. It was hard to describe, but when he called on Hermes again to ask him about it, he got his answer.

You see, Hermes is the god of between-places - of travel, transit, of being neither here nor there. And that's where Orpheus was, caught between where he came from and where he was going. And the only solution, he'd said, was to finally go, to get to his destination, wherever that may be. And as much as Orpheus wanted to protest, he knew Hermes was right. So he said his tearful goodbyes, as best he could with his very self starting to slip sideways out of reality, and took the plunge.

I. it can't leave you the way it finds you

And now he's here, washing up on the beach. The transformation back into his old shape is awkward to say the least, but he manages it, crawling out of the ocean hand over hand and gasping for air as his lungs regrow. Once he's free of the waves, he collapses, just lying there for a moment in the sand and taking in the new and foreign sky above him. He feels... less bereft, than he might have expected? That's not saying much - being here is essentially accepting that his search for Eurydice is over, and he's still not sure that's sunk in all the way yet, but there's an odd feeling of belonging. A sense of relief, the loss of an ache that he'd felt so acutely that there had been no other way but to come here. It's strange, and he doesn't quite know what it means or how to deal with it, so he just... doesn't. He's cold and wet and covered in sand, but right now all he really has the capacity to do is lie there and stare at the sky.II. good grief; I've heard people say it

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Laughing, Orpheus stoops down a bit to make up for the difference in height. As difficult as this whole situation is for him to grasp right now and as much trouble as he's having coming to terms with it, it's hard not to be happy to see Fern again after everything. He can worry about the rest later.

"I just got here less than an hour ago, I think?" he says. "This place is called Trench, right? It seems - livelier? Than Deerington ever did. There's a lot more people here at least."

And they're a lot less rude than the Townies were, just on first impression. On that note, Orpheus steers them towards a low retaining wall at the edge of the sidewalk and sits down, setting down his bag and collection of instruments out of the way of the people trying to get by.

Fern doesn't let go right away. He never, ever thought he was going to see Orpheus again, and he gets that can't mean good things, but at the same time he's absolutely thrilled another of his friends is here. Plants are sprouting on his hat, carnations and bamboo leaves and flowers.

"Yeah! It's a huge city, and people don't give you weird looks for just existing near them!" He nods excitedly. It's a weird thing to say, but when you're made out of grass in a 1950s era American town, you notice the looks and the snide comments and the way people cross the street to avoid him. "It seems a lot nicer than Deerington? But also a lot spookier."

"It's been a really long time since I was able to really explore a city this big," says Orpheus, looking up at the buildings towering overhead. He feels kind of crowded in by it, a little overwhelmed by all the light and sound and bustle of the people on the streets, but it's not bad, necessarily. Just a lot to deal with all at once. And certainly it's miles better than the claustrophobic heat and brightness and smog of Hadestown.

"That's good though, I'm glad the people here seem nicer. Where do you think they all came from, though? They can't all be Sleepers. Maybe some of them were the Wastes?" Orpheus pauses, brows furrowing slightly as he remembers something. "Although - some of the Wastes were us? I didn't really understand that."

It had all been very confusing at the time and he's sort of just chalked it up to dream-stuff, which he guesses he can't really do anymore now that Julia's not asleep anymore.

Fern nods in agreement. It feels like forever since he's been in a city this large, even though he knows it's only been a few years. It's a nice change from Deerington, honestly, like it's part of a whole fresh beginning. No weird, offputting 1950s town that he never quite got used to.

"Maybe. The Wastes were part of that whole multiverse business - there aren't just tons of universes out there, but universes so close to ours that we even got alternate selves living their lives," he explains. That's something he has personal experience with, so he at least feels okay explaining it. "Some of the people here might be them. I think some of 'em are Pthumerians, too."

Orpheus - isn't really sure he gets that either, but he nods along all the same and tries to wrap his head around it. Right. Yes. If worlds can be so close together - like his Earth and the Earths where nature was without its rulers and just spun along on its own, but all the countries of the world were still more or less the same - then he guesses people could be that close across universes too?

"That makes sense," he says, when Fern brings up Pthumerians. "It sounded like a bunch of them came to Deerington to settle it with the Queen? So I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are still around after everyone woke up."

Though, wait a moment. Orpheus frowns a little, thinking things over, before speaking up again.

"Although - do you think this is Deerington? I mean, the same place. I don't remember the town being anywhere near the ocean, except that one time we found our way there from the hotel?"

"Right. Who knows how long they live, or if they had kids, or - those kids like Julia woke up, too," he says thoughtfully. Those are probably good things to look into once they're all settled into the city, though it does make his mind churn with more questions now that they're talking about it.

"There was an ocean during Octobers too. Maybe that has something to do with it?" Fern says, chewing on his lower lip. "Otherwise I dunno, maybe Deerington - the real one - is further inland?"

Orpheus nods at that, thinking back. Hadn't the Dog Keeper said something about there being other half-Pthumerian children around? Or at least that the Queen and Cynthia weren't the only ones who had kids in Deerington.

"Maybe," he says, frowning a little as a thought occurs to him. "Do you think there's a way of telling how much time has passed? Between when the dream came apart and when we washed up here. I wonder if that's even the right way to think about it, though. If this is a new world."

It might just be that this just isn't the same place or timeline as Deerington was, in much the same way that it's not the same as Earth or Ooo. There might be some form of continuity between them, but maybe he shouldn't assume any of it right away.

Orpheus is posing a very good question, one Fern never considered before. Which is funny, because given where he's come from, it should have occurred to him as soon as he arrived here.

"I got no idea," Fern replies, the realization dawning on him. "But there might be someone who knows? Or like, a library. For all we know it's only been like, a day, but - but back home in Ooo, it had been a thousand years since humans were around. Maybe that's happened here, too. Maybe it's been a thousand years since Deerington - the real Deerington - was around."

"Oh, the library's a good idea. That's -" and Orpheus starts to turn to look around for someone to ask for directions before realizing that Fern has said something extremely unusual and coming to an abrupt halt. He looks at Fern, blinking owlishly.

"Humans... weren't around? For a thousand years?" That's both news to Orpheus and a whole lot to think about, but also; "Didn't you say you were a human who turned into a sword? Does that mean they came back?"

That's a legitimate question, though Fern doesn't look taken aback. He only shrugs, growing a little gloomier. "Dunno," he says because yeah, he's always wondered the same thing. "My dad never explained how that worked."

Thank you, Martin, for shoving off any and all questions Finn had about his heritage and how it was even possible for him to exist. What a good dad.

"Anyway, I've seen people around here who looked human, so it might not be the same kinda deal."

"Oh," says Orpheus, catching that little dip in Fern's mood and the comment about his dad. He can't really begin to speculate at what's going on there, but he does know how complicated parents can be, sometimes. "I'm sorry."

He's not sure if the apology is necessary, but better to err on the side of caution, he guesses. Shaking his head, he continues.

"That might not be exactly what's going on? But we won't know unless we ask. Um, excuse me!"

Orpheus waves to one of the passers-by, hurrying over to them as they slow to a stop and having a brief, animated conversation with them before shaking hands and letting them go on their way. Looking contemplative and a little confused, he returns to Fern.

"I asked about Julia and Deerington?" he says. "He - um, she? They said it's been a really long time, first off, since any of that happened. Or is said to have happened. Long enough that people don't know exactly how long anymore."

Fern shrugs a little. There isn't anything he can do about it, especially not here in Trench, so he mostly just tries to not think about Martin and Martin's everything.

He'll hang back while Orpheus interrogates that Trenchie, not wanting to get in the way. Despite this being a new city he isn't sure how his presence would shake out - back in Deerington it was always a pain dealing with the natives, since they weren't particularly thrilled to have someone made of grass approaching them. Better to just let Orpheus do his thing and see what he comes back with.

This information isn't all that surprising, really. "That long, huh?" Fern says, rubbing his chin. "So it's definitely been at least a few hundred years." It's looking like an Ooo situation, where the Mushroom War was long enough ago that no one really knew the details about it.

"It sounds like it," says Orpheus, idly watching the Trenchie he'd been speaking to as they head off towards their original destination, looking back to Fern once they turn the corner and dip out of sight. "They seemed sort of surprised when I asked? Like - it's an old story, and one everyone knows, but they weren't sure if it was just that. A story."

And isn't that a strange feeling, to have faded into myth? Not that he'd know anything about that, of course. He frowns, contemplatively.

"So if it's been such a long time," he says, slowly. "Why do you think we're all showing up now? It must be the will of the Fates, or something like it, right? Things like this don't happen for no reason."

It's such a strange situation for them. Julia and Cynthia and all of them - they hadn't been just a story, they had met and talked to them all, and here's a city full of people who consider Deerington some vague folklore.

Fern can understand where the Trenchies are coming from, since this reminds him a little of the Great Mushroom War back home, but it's strange being on the other side of things.

"Maybe," Fern sounds a little uneasy. "I don't know, in my life this kinda junk has always happened a lot, and it's usually just random. Not because of some grand master plan or reason."

Orpheus nods seriously, taking in what Fern has to say about it.

"I guess so," he says. "Sometimes it's just hard for me to remember that the gods of my world don't... really have much influence here? If any."

You get so used to having the Fates always singing in the back of your mind, it's hard to imagine them ever really being absent. Orpheus frowns a little, contemplatively. In a way, it feels like it should be freeing, not having the tapestry of his life woven before him like that, but right now mostly it just feels like a great loss. He shakes his head, sighing.

"Either way, I think it's still a good idea to look for a library? It sounds like a lot has changed since we've been gone."

"It takes some getting use to, when you're dealing with the multiverse," Fern says. While there were gods back home in Ooo, Fern doesn't think they ever had a lot of influence over most people's lives.

The library sounds smart, though Fern doesn't look enthusiastic at the thought of having to go do research in a place he's deemed incredibly boring. "I... guess so. That's probably the best place to start."

Orpheus, caught up in his own little world and trying to distract himself from having an existential crisis, does not notice Fern's lack of enthusiasm, and starts to wander off in no particular direction other than 'deeper into the city' in the hopes of finding a library or bookstore.

"I think I saw Cynthia earlier, in the sky, as I was looking around," he says, idly, just sort of expecting Fern to follow along after him as he goes. "Which is good, I think? She said she was coming with us. Which probably means the Dog Keeper is around somewhere, too."

And, unfortunately, Mother Superior, if he's remembering those last visions right. But he doesn't particularly want to dwell on what might've become of her, and chooses not to voice that particular thought.

Fern will follow after Orpheus. Since he isn't thrilled at the idea of finding a library he's content to just wander a little, rather than actively hunt a place like that down.

He looks up towards the rooftops at the mention of Cynthia, then perks up. "The Dog Keeper - oh, right!"

He had completely forgotten about that guy, but that gives him an idea. "Maybe we should try hunting him down. He might have answers!" He says excitedly. That's way more interesting than sitting in a library doing research for hours and hours.

"Oh, that might be a good idea too," says Orpheus, easily distracted as ever and also not that fond of research himself. He slows to a stop, glancing back at Fern and looking thoughtful. "But, how would we find him? He's not as, um, distinct, as Cynthia is."

Or maybe he should be calling her the Moon Presence, now? Is invoking her by her human name too personal? He'd interacted with her a few times back in Deerington, but they hadn't exactly been close, and now she seems to be some sort of goddess or guardian spirit of this world. Or maybe she was always that?

His expression goes a little distant as his thoughts turn inward, pondering all of this. What was he thinking about, that got him here originally? Oh, right. The Dog Keeper.

"Should we just... ask people if they know of a man who keeps a lot of helpful dogs?" Orpheus asks, the thought that the dogs might not have come here with him failing to occur to him entirely. That would just be sad.

Orpheus raises a very good question. The Dog Keeper looks so unassuming, if he even still looks like a normal human. Maybe he's gone all giant dog, like how Cynthia went all Moon Presence? It's impossible to tell right now.

Fern taps his chin thoughtfully, giving a nod at Orpheus' suggestion. "That seems like the best way to go," he agrees. Asking people is a lot better than going to the library and trying to look him up.

In fact, he sees some poor Trenchie walking by and yells out a loud, "Hey!" Before running over to them to ask.

Orpheus leaves Fern to his own investigation this time, hanging back and catching the eye of another passing Trenchie headed the opposite direction in order to flag them down while the other boy makes his inquiries. They have another brief conversation, before saying their polite goodbyes and leaving Orpheus to wait for Fern to come back.

"Did you find anything?" Orpheus asks, leaning against a wall off to the side of the thoroughfare so as not to be in the way of all the foot traffic as they talk.

Fern is far from the best investigator out there, but thankfully this is a fairly straightforward task. He interrogates the Trenchie, asking about Doug, or a guy named the Dog Keeper, or a guy who has an affinity for dogs - anyone like that who might be living in or around the city.

When he gets his answer he heads back to Orpheus excitedly, happy to have found something out. "Yeah! There's a guy way out by something outside the city called the Waystation. It's a big windmill, and the guy there is known for having a bunch of dogs that go out and help people. Sounds like him if you ask me."

Orpheus nods, beaming.

"Right! The person I talked to said he's been around as long as anyone can remember? So I think you might've been right about it being a really long time since the dream came apart."

And there'll be time to think about the implications of that later, because right now Orpheus is too relieved to hear there's yet another familiar and friendly face around.

"I'm glad he made it. Should we go look for him now, do you think?"

It's a huge relief, though it does raise the question of whether the Dog Keeper is still a human, or now something else. If he's been living here for that long, it sounds like he's something more than human....

Who knows. Fern taps his chin thoughtfully. "Would you be up for it? It might not be the safest place to check out."

"Oh, that's a good point." Orpheus frowns a little, thinking about that. "Vira-Lorr was telling me that there's apparently a lot of monsters that live on the fringes of this city? I don't know. Maybe it wouldn't be a problem? But I don't want to slow you down having to protect me."

As curious as he is, he figures it's probably a good idea to at least wait until he's found somewhere safe to put one of his instruments, so he's not juggling his bag and guitar and lyre all at once.

"I'd still like to go see him! But it might be a good idea to prepare a little first, at least for me." He's pretty confident Fern would be safe out there, with his skills as a knight, but after having washed up on shore and regrown all the bones in his body less than two hours ago Orpheus is much less sure of himself.

[001] time has a funny kind of violence

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