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!))

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Even if I had the grades for it, I still couldn't afford college. Any of 'em. [Maybe if the Watchers had ever given her a single cent. Or her dad had ever paid child support, wherever that fucking asshole was.]

But yeah. School blows. It's why I dropped out. [That and the fact that she was expelled and became a wanted fugitive after killing a vampire in her foster home. But like, school also fucking sucked, so it's not like she regrets that sequence of events much.

She glances over at the person approaching, then at Usagi. There's a hint of waryness to Faith's tone.] What's up? You know this guy?

Oh, I'm terrible at it, I think the only reason I haven't flunked out is that my friend Ami-chan makes sure I study and do well enough to keep going.

[At the mention of him being a friend, she scowled.]

No. He's... well, he's-

HEY, BITCH! [The man was... giant, even swaying as he was and hunched over. He reeked of alcohol, all of him unkempt and stained with dried blood and possibly old vomit. He was some level of corrupted, as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and eyes.]

So this is where you were hiding this time, huh?

He's a problem.

[Faith sighs, putting her hot chocolate down gently. She gives Usagi a sympathetic smile. Ah yes... men.

She turns to the guy and steps in front of Usagi protectively with her arms crossed.]

Hey, man, how about you fuck off and keep walking and I don't throw you back into the ocean for the monsters to gnaw on with a personally broken fuckin' spine thrown in just for you, hm?

[It's been a while since she's hurt a person that badly. Part of her misses it. Part of her is eager to make him scream.]

If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be alone! [Usagi sighed as the man swayed and seemed to sob before anger overtook him and he growled.] Margo wouldn't have left me! Why did she have to listen to you! We were doing fine! I promised her I wouldn't act that way again!

[He screamed, slamming his fist against the wall, denting it and his knuckles began to bleed.]

So she [A bloody claw like finger was pointed at Usagi as she stood up.] has to pay!

Duncan, go home... [Usagi kept her tone soft and calm.]

[Faith blinks as she takes in the situation. She remembers ice packs, nights spent crying in her apartment, dragging her mother out from the cold after one of her breakups went wrong, she remembers seeing her mother look away whenever one of her boyfriends laid a hand on her, she remembers, remembers, remembers...

She... is less patient, and much less forgiving. She lets out a sharp laugh, walking a bit closer to him with a cruel, predatory edge to her smile.]

So easy to blame anyone but yourself, isn't it? Look at you. She didn't make you pathetic, Duncan. You did that all on your own. But hey, since you're begging for payback...

[She snatches his wrist and tightens her grip until she feels it break. With all the rage built up from a lifetime of abuse, it cracks like a cornchip.]

...I'm happy to oblige.

[Usagi didn't even wince at the sound of his wrist breaking, Duncan, for his part, lets out a cry of pain but immediately tries to move his other fist towards Faith's head.]

This has nothing to do with you, bitch! Just move along and let her pay for what she did!

[Usagi's eyes narrow at the way Duncan not only makes to attack Faith, but for blaming her, refusing to take responsibility for all the harm he's caused, everything he did to her client, the bruises, the broken bones.]

It's easy so easy for you to hit a woman when she's terrified of hitting back, isn't it, Duncan?

Are you as tough when a woman is willing to hit back?

SHUT UP! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I WAS ANGRY! I SWORE I NEVER WOULD AGAIN!

Edited 2022-03-26 17:58 (UTC)

[Faith responds to the punch with an easy counter. She's almost tempted to let him get a hit in, just to feel the sting of it. But... no, right now, she's in the mood to cause pain.]

Let's be fair to him, it's not like he has much of an advantage seeing as he punches like a little girl.

[Faith releases his arms and aims a sweeping kick to his ankles, sending him falling to the floor.]

I think I made myself pretty clear about throwin' you in the ocean, man. But hey, if you're so tough how about you fight back? Fuckin' weakling.

[Being so tall makes for a lofty fall, which is why when Faith sweeps his feet out from under him, his head cracks. That sound DOES make Usagi wince and she tilts her head when Duncan seems to stop moving for a moment, clearly dazed.

Usagi watches his chest and he's still breathing.

She wasn't sure if Duncan was lucky or unlucky considering.]

I would just stay down, Duncan.

[She offered as she moved next to Faith.]

Should we call the Hunters since he's clearly corrupted?

[Usagi likely isn't going to get an answer just yet mostly because Duncan, in all his genius, decided that while he was down there and Usagi was now closer, he would use those long legs of her and promptly kick her in the knees, sending her stumbling back and nearly falling to the ground from the sudden kick.]

[Faith heaves, the anger visibly hard to control. She hasn't quite realized that she's, well, a vampire, more or less yet but there's always been something... bestial inside of her.

She spares Usagi the slightest glance, trying hard to register the words beneath the boiling rage that's pulsing through her veins. She nods, about to answer, when he strikes out with his foot and kicks Usagi.

And well. That has the opposite effect of calming her down. Her voice comes out as a growl.]

Y'just don't know when to quit, do ya? [And it's hard to see, but the expression on Faith's face has shifted into something between a snarl and a feral grin. She grabs the man's throat and squeezes, closing his windpipe. With just the slightest twitch of her hand, she could snap his oversized neck. It's so fragile, every bone in this monster's body is like putty under her fingers. She could make him sing the alphabet in his screams.]

Listen up, you piece of shit. I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And so far, it seems like you qualify. [She tightens her grip as he's just about to speak. Before loosening it and removing her hands. You could almost mistake it for mercy. Until her hand shifts to the leg he used to kick Usagi, and her other hand joins it.] I think you'll be having nightmares about tonight for a very... long... time.

[And without another word, she pulls it up and forces it enough to break the leg with an ugly snap. It's only a few moments later before she recoils away from him, as if realizing what she's done, and the anger in her eyes is replaced with shock and something that looks rather a lot like fear.]

[Usagi slowly gets back up, rubbing her legs. That's going to leave a bruise, she's pretty sure.

Her legs aren't happy but she's not in any real pain. As she gets up, she sees Faith breaking the bones in Duncan's body. Usagi watches with something of an impassive face. She doesn't want Duncan dead but she has little remorse for someone who beats their partner.

She CAN heal him, but she isn't going to. She watches him for a second before she sees Faith recoil and moves over to her instead. Duncan isn't going to get back up on his own.]

Faith? [She sees the fear and her brows knit together, reaching out to hold her hands.] Hey, hey, I'm right here, okay? Look at me. Breathe with me. [She took a deep breath in then out, doing for Faith what Rei had once done for her.]

[Faith looks down at her hands, shaking with... fear and with a memory that haunts her like a ghost and she's briefly not sure where she is. Whether she's driving her dagger into this asshole, the mayor's second in command that she never remembered the name of because she was too busy pretending she didn't care, or maybe her mother, or Buffy, or Xander, or Willow.

It takes her a moment to hear Usagi's voice and she nods and swallows. Breathe. That's what her therapist said in prison too. Just breathe... don't fight your anger, just let it pass.

Her voice is small when it crawls out of her mouth.] I didn't... I didn't mean to go that far.

[And she knows that Usagi is going to look at her with disgust, is going to tell Willow, and Tara and anyone else who will listen, because Faith isn't a hero, she's just another monster dressed up in the clothes of the girl she was born to serve as a hollow replacement for.

She's always been a monster, that's the conclusion they all reach in the end.]

[Faith will not get the look of disgust, she will not get a lecture, or told how she's a monster. She'll merely get wrapped up in very warm arms and hugged tightly. She keeps her breathing even to make sure Faith maintains it and doesn't start to hyperventilate. Pale hands rub Faith's back in small circles and Usagi gives a small squeeze.]

Okay. [She assures Faith.] I know. [She could only imagine what Duncan said must have triggered. She kept her own voice soft and reassuring. She didn't try to tell Faith it would be okay, everything will be alright, she didn't know what Faith was dealing with in her head. But she did know that Faith just needed grounding at that moment. Usagi would offer the bridge between wherever Faith was in her mind to the world around them.]

I'm right here.

[...It's confusing.

She showed a violent and cruel part of herself over something so small, and she's being reassured and hugged, not feared. Why? Angel showed her kindness because he understood what it's like to be rotten inside.

And Buffy... Buffy couldn't handle it. She tried to be kind but there was always a tinge of judgement. Because she gets to decide what's right or wrong, who lives and dies.

But this is different. It's warm and inviting and Faith doesn't panic because she's too tired to distrust it. Faith feels tears welling up in her eyes and she has no idea what to do with this.]

...I'm okay. [Her voice comes out weak and pathetic and Faith hates herself for it just a little. But she believes it anyway.] I'm sorry.

[She hugs Faith a little tighter, stroking her hair.]

You don't have to say you're okay if you're not. You don't need to apologize. Why don't we call the Hunters to take care of him? You don't need to tell me anything or say anything.

We can go and sit for a bit away from here if you feel up to it? Or I can take you home if you want, Faith.

[She thinks the last time she was hugged like this... when was it? Angel? The Mayor? Before that...? She shudders, feeling once again like she's broken on a fundamental level if this simple gesture of kindness is getting to her so deeply.

All she can murmur out is...]

Thank you. I... can't go home yet. [Not to her empty home with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company.] We can sit down.

Then you won't go home. [She offered easily as if Faith didn't just break a man's bone with her hand.]

Why don't we go sit down inside somewhere it's warm? [Faith might be in shock and the cold likely wouldn't help.]

...Yeah. [She stares up at her, for the first time able to meet her eyes.]

Are you okay?

[It feels like that should take precedent.]

I'll heal. [She assured, smiling. Having been through much worse.]

He just knocked the wind out of me, but I've had way worse spills from my own feet. Thank you for being concerned, Faith.

I meant... he was harassing you.

[She's not super coherent but...] Like, emotionally okay. I don't know the situation beyond him being a piece of shit.

Edited 2022-05-26 04:11 (UTC)

You... called it pretty correctly. I convinced his partner to leave him since he's abusive. He blames me since I made sure he can't find her.

He's been coming after me weekly... I guess I should have put a stop to it, honestly.

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Forward Dated to Feb. 1st

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CW: suggestions of domestic violence

cw for implied domestic violence

CW: Violence

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cw for excessive bone breaking, brutality

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