[004] Let me be your everlasting light

[themuseabandonsyou]

Who: Orpheus (themuseabandonsyou)
What: February Catch-all
When: Throughout February
Where: Earworm, Willful Machine, Cellar Door

Warnings: Potential mild sexual/suggestive content, mild body horror (partial beasthood), giant worm/slug being, background use of drugs/alcohol, discussion of NPC death (trampling), mild blood, transformative magical effects


I. Your sun when there is none
( cw: Potential mild sexual/suggestive content, mild body horror (partial beasthood), giant worm/slug being, background use of drugs/alcohol ) ( closed to Vyng and Eurydice )

The descent into Earworm from the aboveground entrance is... a little nervewracking! As a rule Orpheus tries to stay away from being underground whenever possible these days, but he guesses if Lady Bop really wanted to build her club miles deep that's sort of her prerogative? It's a sacrifice he's willing to make for the sake of trying to figure out how to make life her a little safer, at least, though as he, Vyng, and Eurydice descend he seems deeply torn at all times between wanting to glance at his wife to check on her and very much not wanting to do that. It's fine, he knows, but years of nightmares about being in the dark of the underground with her have taken their toll.

In any case, when they do finally make it there - sooner than Orpheus expected but also not nearly soon enough - and the doors to the great cavernous expanse of the club itself swing open, they're met with a veritable wall of noise. Orpheus flinches away from it, but somehow it seems to adjust down to more manageable levels, fading gently until it's a more tolerable sort of loud. Glancing around, he tries to take in as much of it as he can at a first look. It's a little hard to pay attention to much else other than the gigantic, sluglike being from which all the music seems to be emanating, though, and Orpheus stares for a long moment before trying to get the rest of his bearings. The club isn't as busy as it could be, but there's still quite a few citizens dancing and sitting in booths and at the bar for this early in the day, being served by similarly sluggy people carrying trays of drinks and bar food. The doorways lining the back wall are what catch his attention, though, posters and signs portraying people in various states of beasthood posing suggestively and winking or blowing kisses at the viewer.

He looks to Eurydice and Vyng. "Let's split up?" he says, loud enough to be heard over the throbbing percussion of Lady Bop's current song. "We'll meet up later and talk about what we find."

And with that, absolutely failing to elaborate on what he means by 'later,' he makes his way off in the direction of the stage, disappearing into the crowd. About an hour passes before he bumps into either Vyng or Eurydice again.

"I couldn't get an audience with Lady Bop?" he says, pulling them aside. "But I did talk to a few of the dancers! Oh, but what did you find?"

(There is, of course, also nothing stopping them from reconvening before Orpheus turns up again.)

II. I'm a shepherd for you
( closed to Manabu )

Orpheus does a fair amount of wandering, most days. He doesn't tend to work until afternoon and evening, entertaining at various cafes and bars in Cellar Door, but he's always been an early riser, so that tends to leave his mornings fairly open once he gets done with his chores around the house. To his credit, he has been much more careful about where he wanders recently, sticking to crowded-but-not-too-crowded thoroughfares and keeping Eurydice updated on his location via the Omni regularly, and is just taking a blurry photograph of an interesting looking storefront in Willful Machine for her when he nearly bumps into Manabu.

"Oh!" he says, backing up and fumbling with the Omni so as not to drop it before stuffing it back into his pocket. "Hi, Manabu! It's nice to see you again."

Sidestepping to get out of the way of the foot traffic and gesturing for the other man to follow, he beams, obviously pleased to see his friend again.

"What have you been up to recently? It's been a little while, hasn't it?"

III. And I'll guide you through
( cw: discussion of NPC death (trampling) ) ( OTA )

Another day means yet more wandering, and is proving to be mostly uneventful and sort of dreary to the point where Orpheus is considering turning around and going back home for risk of rain, right up until he spots them.

By all appearances, they're just a random Trenchie, all dressed in black frills and silver accents, but Orpheus stops dead in his tracks when he sees them, eyes flickering with a faint glow like an animal's eyes in the dark. They don't notice him staring at first, but it's hard to ignore when he darts across the street - forcing a horse-drawn carriage to stop short and takes them by the shoulders. The world around him seems to grow dimmer, shades of night drawing in and more reflective, subtle pinpoints of light like distant bestial eyes appear around him in pairs, all focused on the poor confused citizen as he begins to sing, almost frantically.

"In the mud and under hoof
Is where the bitter end will come
Try to tame them but they'll prove
More than your your efforts' greatest sum

The herd knows you are watching
The herd knows your intent
The herd has been so patient
But the last of it is spent

In the blood and under hoof
Is where the bitter end will come
The stallion that gets loose
Will end your days under the sun"

The Trenchie looks, rightfully, absolutely terrified by all this. Maybe someone should intervene.

IV. Let me be your everlasting light
( cw: mild blood, transformative magical effects ) ( OTA )

Ordinarily even Orpheus would be sort of wary about the notion of taking candy from eldritch strangers in exchange for his blood - he's trusting, but he's not that bad - but there is not anything remotely ordinary about the Chocolatier. As it stands, he winds up with a very small box of chocolates, and less blood in him than before, which he does feel a little bit worried about now that the strange figure is gone, actually, but there's no turning back now, he guesses? Curious and also feeling a little woozy after all of that, he considers one carefully before nibbling at it, intending to savor it like he tries to do with all sweets.

It's gone before he knows it, though, and with it comes an odd prickling sensation all over his skin. He looks down at his hands, watching as his fingernails elongate and thicken into hooked talons and the skin of his hands and forearms grow leathery and scaly. Feathers start to unfurl from his skin, along his upper arms and chest and cheekbones, and he feels a sudden pressure at his back growing stronger by the second - prompting him to hurriedly strip out of his jacket and shirt before a pair of large brown wings unfurl from his shoulders. He blinks, startled, before starting to laugh.

"Oh! It's this again," he says to himself, kicking off his shoes so as to avoid them being destroyed by more talons coming in. He seems in good spirits about it, and that continues as he makes his way to one of Cellar Door's parks, whistling a cheerful melody to himself.

V. Wildcard
T( OTA )

[ OOC: Want something else? Feel free to add me at questionableveracity on plurk or message me at quodVide#2951 on Discord!! ]

Comments

[themuseabandonsyou]

That's really all Orpheus can ask for, that acknowledgment. He's still concerned, but he smiles again, nodding.

"Good," he says. "I just hate to think you'd see yourself as, um. Unworthy? Or lesser, or anything, because of any of this. You're a good person, and you care a lot about people, but sometimes fixing someone's roof or taking the time to talk or even just looking after yourself and enjoying the day can be just as important as the bigger things, like trying to find a way out of here."

He beams, pausing to take a sip of his drink.

"Whatever you do, however it turns out, I'm sure it would make your fellow officers proud to have you."

[siriusly]

Manabu's head dips, weighed down by sheepishness that he can't do much with but try and laugh off. Really, facing those kinds of remarks head-on isn't something he's good on doing. Compliments, that is. Especially when spoken so genuinely like that! Jeez, Orpheus! Is this how all guys talk on your planet?!

"That-that's a nice thought," he replies, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks, Orpheus. I...I'm getting better about...keeping tabs on what I can and can't do to make a difference. As much as I want to do big things, I...I know it's not so simple. Especially alone. So..." He straightens up, shrugging his shoulders. "So roof-fixing will still happen! You'll know who to ask if you need a patch-up, eheh..."

[themuseabandonsyou]

Again, Orpheus nods, glad to hear this is something he's put some thought into already.

"Of course! It's good to strive for great things, but that's not what makes you worthy - of respect or in general. There's a lot of worth in doing little, everyday things, too, and that should be recognized."

There's a lot of worth in simply being, really, is what Orpheus thinks, but he knows the type of person Manabu seems to be. Happiest when they're helping, perpetually unsatisfied when they're not. It's an admirable way to be, but a difficult one, and he figures talking about the value of smaller, less grand acts is an easier way to get through to him than trying to argue for his inherent value independent of his deeds right away. He smiles.

"So if I ever need help with my house, I'll definitely be sure to ask you. Assuming you aren't too busy with something more important, I mean."

[siriusly]

Manabu breathes out a sheepish little laugh.

"I-I'm sure I would have the time! I mean, we're...we're friends, right?" Maybe? He could just be assuming things, given how little time they've spent together that wasn't...fraught.

Foul-weather friends, maybe...?

[themuseabandonsyou]

"Of course!" says Orpheus, who's considered the two of them friends pretty much since the first five minutes they knew each other. Possibly two minutes. "I wouldn't want to take you away from any of your bigger projects just for that, though. Which, um, I'd offer to help with, but I think I'd mostly just get in the way."

It isn't that Orpheus is a total stranger to dangerous situations, but his track record with them mostly involves either getting hurried out of the way as soon as the trouble starts or simply taking the beating and hoping for the best. Probably not the best approach to take to an exploratory mission.

[siriusly]

He tilts his head, his smile kind of pained.

"I mean...who saved who back there? Back in the dream." Actually, that brings up a good thought, and he pivots right away to it. "Can you still do that? Change into animals and stuff."

[themuseabandonsyou]

That is a good thought, and Orpheus is summarily distracted by it. He thinks for a moment, before shaking his head.

"I don't think so? I haven't tried very hard, but it just doesn't seem like the power is there anymore. I think it was something Ramona Derwin was doing for us, back in the Dream, and now that we're here and she's... wherever she is, it's gone."

Which is sort of a shame. The implications of it more than the loss itself - being a deer had been kind of distressing honestly and he doesn't miss it, but the way reality has shifted around them and the fact that he just isn't sure what exactly happened to Ramona after they all woke up does worry him.

[siriusly]

Ramona, huh. Manabu wasn't terribly familiar with her as a person or as a presence, so it's something he has to take Orpheus at his word for. And that's easy - Orpheus is a pretty honest guy.

Manabu hums a thoughtful sound.

"I mean...if that dog-guy's still out and about, maybe she's just doing her own thing? Her own way. However...she is here."

[themuseabandonsyou]

"Maybe," says Orpheus, frowning. He pauses for a moment, thinking carefully, before saying; "I saw a vision of the two of them discussing what would happen to them, when the dream ended. She didn't seem to think she could exist, without the dream, or Julia."

He shakes his head. "And the Dog Keeper seemed worried she'd have trouble waking up, but I think you're right? If he's here, and we're here, she must be too, in some way."

It just might be some stranger circumstances than the Dog Keeper's apparent immortality or the Sleepers' new forms, given how Ramona was first among them and possibly most powerful. But he doesn't really have much to go on in terms of speculation, so he just leaves it there, for now.

[siriusly]

"It'd make sense to me, at least..." Especially since they can't really die, either. Why would she?

In any case, he pushes his cup away from himself, sitting up straight and putting his hands in his lap so he can politely bow.

"Thank you for the meal... Er, tea." He peeks back up, sheepish. Sometimes propriety doesn't cover all steps.

[themuseabandonsyou]

"Of course! Any time."

Orpheus beams, taking a moment to finish his own drink.

"It's nice taking a break to talk to friends every now and then." And on his end, finally being in a position where he can treat his friends to something like this every now and then. "Thanks for coming with me! If you have somewhere to be, I won't keep you any longer, but this was fun."