deercountry | Forward Dated to Feb. 1st

Entry tags:

Forward Dated to Feb. 1st

Who: Usagi Tsukino/Serenity (

lightthedarkness) and you!
What: Usagi's Paleblood powers are acting up again. Also, Usagi is trying to help with the months enhanced corruption levels as a Night Walker.
When: Throughout February
Where: All over Cellar Door and dreamscape
Content Warnings: Sexism, past genocide, violence

A. Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark [Dreamscape]

Usagi's Paleblood powers have been relatively minor things, but she hadn't forgotten that when the Walking Terrors were doing what they did best, she had dragged people INTO her own mind.

She tried to figure out how she even did that, had tried to find books on it but... nothing. So she went to bed, wondering what had caused it if only to not have it happen again.

But that's simply not how these things work.

Whether she meant to or not as she went to bed that night, her powers seeped out and those that were near her home or thinking of the moon may suddenly find themselves in a unique situation.

When those who are pulled into Usagi's dreamscape open their eyes, the very first thing they will see is Earth. But not Earth with her trees and rivers and flowers. No, this is Earth, in all her spherical glory, bright, blue, and green rotating slowly.

The view is... stunning.

Clouds and storms move across the masses of land. Whatever silly squabbles or problems feel ridiculously tiny in the face of seeing the Earth, ALL of the Earth hanging in the sky surrounded by the twinkling lights of the stars and planets.

When the fact that you are viewing Earth from such a distance has worn away, you may realize... you are on the moon. And as stunning as the view is, it's countered by the utter silence surrounding you.

The silence is like a weight on your shoulders, on your chest. Turning from the Earth to look at the moon will not show craters but instead... ruins. As far as the eye can see on the moon's surface are endless upon endless ruins and rubble and it sits undisturbed and so perfectly preserved.

But while looking at the ruins, it shifts back and forth from ruins to a completely restored kingdom.

But restored or ruins, there is a sense that you are... alone, that there is no one and nothing else here. You are utterly and completely alone. You are the last.

A breeze picks up, and a scent of roses carries on it. A voice is soft as it calls out behind you.

"We are the only ones left alive."

If you turn around, whether you know her or not is Serenity, staring at the Earth rather than the kingdom, her back to you for a moment before turning around.

"You may explore if you like. But it is only you and I left."

((OOC: Unless a character already knows Usagi and Princess Serenity are one and the same or have abilities that would see through the glamor, they will not be able to tell this is Usagi talking to them))

B. Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms [Cellar Door]

It's late at night and Usagi offers a hug to the person who was crying, a hand on their shoulder. They go in for another hug and Usagi pats their back before they hand her some rocks and a necklace before heading off. She puts it in a bag attached to her wrist and smiles waving at you.

"Hey! What are you doing out so late?" she smiles, bright and cheery. "Are you cold? Here hold on, I've got some hot chocolate," she held up a giant thermos and some cups. "Wanna join me?"

C: Wildcard
((Want to plot something out specifically? Feel free to put a wildcard prompt or contact me at

snickersnack and we can figure something out!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Marshmallows weren't completely foreign to Ariadne. When she was ten or eleven--and trade routes to the Daruc were still open--she would sometimes see them in the palace kitchens. This was long before she'd been banned. At any rate, she knew what they were.

But she'd never had them in hot chocolate before.

She stared into her cup in fascination, watching the way they bobbed on the surface, slowly dissolving. It was...strangely captivating.

It was only when Usagi started speaking again that she looked up, a bit startled. "Client?"

Edited 2022-02-09 04:36 (UTC)

"Oh! I'm a Night Walker! But I have a couple of clients who don't like how crowded it is around The Red for our talks. So once a week I'll make my way out around less busy cafes or stores here in Cellar Door so we can meet up for our sessions."

She took another sip of her own hot chocolate.

"I give myself a pretty big buffer to either eat, get something to drink, or if a session runs long, they won't likely run into other clients. Which is just as well cause I've got a couple that broke up recently and now they see me separately rather than together."

Night Walkers. Ariadne hadn't really learned as much about them as some of the other professionals in Trench. Perhaps because it was so contrary to everything she'd known back home. There weren't a lot of people you could just...share your troubles with. Not in any kind of official capacity. You just had to rely on your friends.

Or, in her case, her very small family.

"Do you enjoy it?" she asked, taking a small sip of her hot chocolate and practically oozing back into her seat with delight. "Being a Night Walker? It sounds like it would be very satisfying."

"I do," Usagi eyed a man stumbling towards them, sipping her hot chocolate and looking back to Ariadne.

She smiled.

"I don't have a whole lot of skills but I'm pretty good at listening, ya know?" the man kept getting closer.

"There are some problems, though, I'm not gonna lie."

And one of them happened to be a repeat offender.

"Well, well, well~" Usagi winced as she could smell the alcohol on this guy before he even opened his mouth as he stood near Ariadne and Usagi. "So this is where you hid this time, huh?"

The man was... giant, even swaying as he was and hunched over. He reeked of alcohol, all of him unkempt and stained. He was some level of corrupted, as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and eyes.

It wasn't often that a person smelled so terrible that Ariadne had to intentionally school her features. But this particular snarly male was the exception to that rule. He absolutely stank. And judging by the way he spoke, he likely didn't especially care.

And then there was the blood.

That really couldn't be good.

She looked back and forth between the two of them, before settling on Usagi. "Is this your client?" she asked softly. It seemed unlikely. But she didn't want to assume.

"No," Usagi hissed, trying not to get mad but trying to figure out what to do. If it was just her and him, she could move into the cafe and be done with it. Maybe she should drag Ariadne into one with her anyway. But if he got violent as he tended to, she would never forgive herself if Ariadne got hurt.

"I'd never come to this whore! But she did!" he screamed as he came closer. He slammed his fist into the wall next to Usagi's head, she didn't flinch. "WE WERE DOING FINE! I'M ALONE BECAUSE OF YOU! SHE LEFT ME BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Usagi stood up, moving to stand in front of Ariadne, just in case he actually got violent.

"You're very upset right now," she offered gently. "And you've been drinking more than usual. You should go home, Duncan."

Oh, that breath.

Ariadne couldn't help but admire the way Usagi was handling the situation. She remained calm. Placid as an idol, in fact. Like a royal princess. Like Princess Amanda, or Princess Laazia. Brave in the face of...well, anything.

When she stood up, Ariadne stood behind her. Her eyes flicked from side to side, taking stock of the entire situation, including the other people who slowly started to drift out of the room, in light of what was happening.

Good. If things became violent, there would be fewer people around to get hurt.

"Please leave, sir," she said, coming up over Usagi's shoulder, lifting her chin to a defiant angle.

Her fingers twitched. She had a plan. In fact, several. She just really hoped she wouldn't have to use any of them.

It was kind of a hilarious sight, all things considered. Usagi at her little height of 4'11" standing in front of Ariadne to defend her against a man who easily stood at something like 6'6" or 6'7", just a beast of a man, bleeding from the corners of his mouth and eyes.

"No, there's no one at home," he whispered as if realizing something, looking genuinely sad and upset before rage took over and he lashed out, grabbing Usagi by her long hair and YANKING, causing her to become off-balanced and stumbling, which he then grabbed her throat, squeezing.

"AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

Edited 2022-02-19 19:25 (UTC)

The third plan, then.

Ariadne didn't even hesitate. The man acted and she moved right along, surging forward. She didn't try to pull Usagi back. The last thing they needed was some kind of tug-of-war that could break her neck. Instead, Ariadne reached for Usagi's ears, clamping both of her hands over them.

And then she went up on her tip toes to let out a Scream.

Alastrians had a very particular type of scream. A scream that was more felt than heard. It radiated against the skin. Vibrated the air around them. And hit their attacker with a force powerful enough to send him flying back. Unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Surrounded, unfortunately, by some glass that also shattered long before impact.

Usagi winced as she felt the sheer force of the sound surrounding her and passing through her. She watched Duncan fly back surrounded by shattered glass, but she could not find the feelings in her to care that he was hurt. Her hand was on her throat, and she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. She moved her hands to rest atop Ariadne's, taking a deep breath and giving her hands a squeeze in thanks.

"Thank you, Airy," she whispered. Usagi took another deep breath, glad that he hadn't held on long enough to bruise her. Her throat was a bit sore but nothing like what she was used to.

"I... we should call the Hunters to come and get him," she took a step, only to have to catch herself because the whole thing was catching up to her body even if her mind was desperate to process it.

Ariadne crumpled down to her knees. It had been a very, very long time since she screamed. Back far into Deerington. Fighting against...zombies? Or something like that. It had been outdoors. Far from glass and other collateral. Far from walls that vibrated at all the wrong frequencies too.

It was a lot.

But Usagi was safe. So she would call it a win.

She managed to push herself up, fast enough to catch Usagi around the waist, before she fell. But it wasn't much of a catch. "Careful," she rasped, her voice hoarse and raw.

Usagi felt Airy's arms around her and leaned into them, grateful for the support. She let out a shaky breath and her fingers curled and uncurled and curled again.

"T-Thank you, Airy-san, really. Are... are you hurt? Did that hurt you, doing that?" she whispered, scared to speak too loudly, as if the scream had seemed to quiet the world itself.

Shakily, Ariadne gave her a smile. She was genuinely touched by the concern. It wasn't the typical reaction she got from the Scream. Thank the gods for that. The typical reaction wasn't particularly enjoyable. It either involved people running away from her in fear or else immediately scheming ways to take advantage of the ability.

But that didn't seem to be the way Usagi saw the world.

"I'll be all right," she whispered. And importantly. "So will he," she added, lifting her chin to indicate where Duncan was lying. "Bit of a headache. But no permanent damage."

Except, hopefully, a lesson learned.

Ariadne was going to find out it took a lot for Usagi to find something scary. She heard how hoarse she was and glanced around them, seeing everyone gone. She bit her lip.

"Here, stay still," she whispered as she summoned her crystal, light gleaming around it as it hovered in front of her chest and she reached out, pressing a gentle finger to Ariadne's throat and light immediately moving into Ariadne to remove the soreness and pain.

She allowed her crystal to disappear, back into her brooch and smiled.

"Better?"

That was unexpected. But while most people were scared of the unexpected, Ariadne was generally fascinated. Back home, she was rarely surprised. And in the multiverse, the surprises were usually bad. This, however, was definitely not bad. Not bad at all.

Gingerly, she swallowed. Her throat felt fine. Better than fine. It felt extremely relaxed. Like she'd just awakened after a good night's sleep.

She blinked, staring at Usagi in complete fascination. "There used to be whispers, back in my home. Of people who carried remarkable crystals that performed magic. They were all killed when I was too young to remember. And I started to think that it was only a story."

All that to say, she was very impressed.

Ariadne bowed her head. "Thank you, Usagi."

"That's not too far off from the truth for me, honestly. I've been hunted down for... years for my crystal," she gestured to her brooch. "There have been endless amounts of people who have tried to kill me or capture me for this." Usagi reached out and gently squeezed Ariadne's shoulder in comfort. "But it's more important that you're not hurt."

She pulled back and then moved over to Duncan, crouching down beside him, sighing.

"Jeeze... what a mess you've caused this time," she mumbled, checking his pulse and then standing up. "I'll contact the hunters about him. I don't know what they'll do considering how badly he's corrupted, but hopefully, there's a different Nightwalker who can help him."

"In all fairness," Ariadne said, pulling herself up to her feet, "I think I caused more of the mess than he did." She knew it was a risk, screaming in a crowded tavern, filled with...well...glass.

But it had been a calculated risk.

So while she might have to spend the next few weeks washing dishes to make it up to the proprietor, at least no one had been permanently damaged.

Ariadne grabbed a nearby napkin and started to gingerly pick up some of the broken pieces. "I hope this doesn't happen with all of your clients..."

"You wouldn't have had to do this if Duncan wasn't an ass," she grumbled. Lua, her Omen, came to make a figure eight around her legs. She crouched down.

"Go get the hunters, Lua," the margay nodded before running off to find the nearest hunter. Usagi went back over to Ariadne.

"Ah, well... no, most of them are way nicer. But... uh... I sorta... tend to have a specific reputation," she scratched her cheek, not sure how to explain how she kept helping people get out of less-than-stellar relationships and partners and find a new place to go that was safe. "And so I get sought out for it..." by the partners that get left. "Duncan is more persistent than the others in listening to me or leaving me alone."

Ariadne smiled a little, watching Lua slink out. She'd started to develop a quiet fondness for the Omens of Trench. The notion of animals just walking wild reminded her of home. And that they were useful and occasionally took direction was even better.

Cypher was her favorite. But he was a little bit of an outlier.

"Well," she said, picking up the pieces and dropping them into a napkin. "You wouldn't have this problem if everyone here was Alastrian. We mate for life. And we're very serious about it. When you take a spouse, you know for certain that they're the right person for you."

"Ah, let me go get a broom from the owner, one sec."

Usagi left for a little bit, to get a broom but also to tell the owner they needed hunters to come pick up someone who was deeply corrupted. Usagi came back with a dust pan and two brooms, handing one over to Ariadne.

"So, um, if you don't mind my asking, how do you decide someone is your mate for life? Is it a soulmate kinda thing?"

She accepted the broom with a slightly lavender flush. This wasn't how she'd anticipated spending the evening, and she was sure Usagi hadn't either. But it was kind of her to help. She was a sweet soul. And now, Ariadne feared that she might receive unwanted attention from other Duncans out there.

She was going to have to keep an eye on her.

Quietly.

At her question, Ariadne paused, resting her chin on the top of her broom for a moment. "Oh," she said, "I don't...really know. I mean, Alastrians--young Alastrians--are encouraged to flirt and have fun and enjoy sex with different people. But when they find the one..." She shrugged. "I don't know how you know. I just know that when you do, you touch your palms to your mate's palms and perform the Alastrian Kiss. And then he's yours and you're his."

Ariadne gave a soft, embarrassed laugh. "I'm not much of an expert in these things. I've never met an Alastrian male who wasn't a relative of some sort. And humanoid boys back home would never even think of being seen with an Alastrian girl."

Usagi paused and looked over to Ariadne.

"Well, what about here? Is there anyone who you like here?" she was more than willing to be Ariadne's wing-woman.

"I mean, it doesn't have to be your one but you said you're encouraged to flirt and have sex, right? So is there someone you'd want to do that with here? I mean, you're gorgeous so I can only imagine how many people would happily be willing to if you were interested."

Usagi didn't know how Alastrian's found their person, but if casual sex was fine, so long as everyone was consenting, Ariadne should get to have some fun!

The flush in her cheeks got even brighter. And she wondered why. Maybe she'd just spent too much time among humanoids. Maybe she'd accidentally picked up on some of their embarrassments, particularly about sex. She'd never really understood that. What was so awkward about sex?

But then, she'd never talked about it from her own perspective.

"Well," she said, trying to tamp down on the feeling. "There is a boy here who...who I let hold my hand."

Maybe not a big deal for some people. But a very significant show of trust for an Alastrian.

"His name is Luke..."

"Oh Luke-"

And then she realized:

"Wait."

Did she mean Luke Skywalker? Was there another Luke in Trench? Not that she could immediately think of.

Usagi smiled and nodded.

"That's really not that surprising, he's as handsome as he is sweet." And he was pretty much pure sugar in personality.

"He's wonderful, I'm honestly not surprised."

She then grinned, leaning towards Ariadne as she looked up at her.

"Do you know if he likes you too?"

Edited 2022-03-11 07:04 (UTC)

There was something unnerving in the way she grinned and leaned in. Ariadne didn't know what to call it, but it seemed almost conspiratorial. Was there some kind of double meaning in Usagi's question?

She honestly wasn't sure.

"He's a good friend," she said. "Every time we meet, he always tells me stories about his life in the stars." And he was certainly more palatable than his father, although, that wasn't hard to do, considering the horrible things Anakin had done.

The people he'd killed...

"I like stories," she explained. "They're...important to me."

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CW: Bleeding eyes

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CW: violence, strangulation

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CW: suggestions of domestic violence

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