Another bit the dust

[rustyhonesty]

What the actual fuck? I was killed by something I couldn't even see? That's freaking ridiculous.

[Yes, hello. Jean has made his return from death. He's annoyed, but he's not shouting. Just annoyingly huffing. Most of the annoyance is a high and mighty act though. It was actually a big shock to die all of a sudden.]

Watch out for Maria. She's tiny, but very dangerous. I don't know what I did to upset her- well, I sneaked into the summit, but was that really a reason to stab someone?

... well, I guess if they thought I was a spy or something.

[Okay, so maybe he had a reason he was killed.]

I'm staying out of Koroshima from now on. Most likely I'm headed for Mibu.

Comments

[Private]

[rustyhonesty]

I haven't gone very far. I'm on the road in south of Suzuki.

[Private]

[willyousee]

I shall be there shortly. Listen for the Singing.

[willyousee]

Sure enough, some little while later, a light, fluting, dancing kind of tune may be heard floating through the air. It's far more beautiful than it has any right to be, coming from a single throat, really. Like a siren's Song, if Jean has heard that in liminal space. A few moments later there is Alcuin, moving unerringly toward him , a small lantern in one hand.

[rustyhonesty]

It confuses him to get the advice, but he doesn't question it. Instead he waits for the song. Once he hears it, he's quite sure he's heard it before - even if he was never really part of the events involving said song. He was just sometimes listening from further away. The song is soothing and he closes his eyes for a moment.

Jean opens them again as Alcuin is already near him. He raises a hand to greet him with a small, rather tired smile. "Hey. Thanks for coming."

[willyousee]

The Song dies as Alcuin nears and raises his own hand in greeting. "Of course. It is never easy to be injured, let alone to perish. And the dreams..." His lips quirk in a mirthless smile. "The dreams are worst of all."

Which is not quite true in his experience, but close enough.

[rustyhonesty]

"The dreams are what I'm most afraid of. Seeing the same thing happen again, maybe even made worse... at least the girl's creepy laugh will most definitely be ringing in my head." The last thing he ever heard... supposedly.

[willyousee]

Alcuin comes to sit beside the fire, cross-legged in the driest patch of dirt he can find. "She certainly does not make it easy to set aside," he agrees. He is quiet for a moment, gazing into the flames, then looks up at Jean. "I wish I could tell you that you won't dream of it. You will. It will replay in your head, trying to find ways it could have gone differently, ways it might have gone right for once. But they will get fewer. Further apart. And eventually your mind will find other things to focus on."

He presses a hand to his chest where something hangs beneath his shirt. "There are items which may help with this. Dreamcatchers, which pluck much of the bad from your dreams and retain it as energy to be drawn on later. They help, for a time, till they are full and the energy must be used or released. A few will get through from time to time, of a lesser intensity, but for the most part they vanish. They do, however, take a great deal of energy and focus and goodwill to create in the first place and I do not know if I would be up to the task right now, let alone if I had suffered as you have."

"What I can offer you now is a surcease from dreams entirely for as many nights as I can reach you. There is a spell - a small one as such things are measured - which will grant you dreamless sleep for eight hours. But during that time you cannot wake up on your own but only by someone from the outside. It does make you vulnerable. And it must be cast at the time you wish to sleep. It cannot be done early, or from a distance."

"Alternately.... I may Sing for you. The Sirens of this world have a Song which grants sweet sleep and quiet dreams for as long as the Siren Sings it or for a few hours after they stop. You may wake up of your own volition, and the more Sirens, the stronger the spell it casts."

"None are a permanent solution," he says softly, meeting Jean's eyes, "but they may help, at least for a few nights."

[rustyhonesty]

Jean listens to the options Alcuin tells him. He hadn't expected to find a permanent solution to this, but knowing there's at least something that could help is a big thing. After a while, he looks away from the fire and at Alcuin with a neutral look on his face.

"I wouldn't want to cause you extra trouble or make you company me for too long. I think just a nights sleep might be enough to help me out. Just to get me well rested."

[willyousee]

Alcuin gives him a long look that plainly says he knows that self-effacing, put-up-a-strong-front argument and he's not buying it, but he doesn't push him on it. "Would you prefer the more natural Song or the sound sleep of the spell?"

[rustyhonesty]

At least he could try to hold a strong front. "The sound sleep sounds more tempting."

[willyousee]

He nods graceful acquiescence. "Of course. ....Would you like to speak of what happened?" He understands the urge to never think about it again, but he does feel responsible.

[rustyhonesty]

"There's not... much to talk about. It happened very fast and there was almost no pain. She was very efficient in what she did."

[willyousee]

....It may not be a very manly gesture, but Alcuin reaches out to lay a gentle hand over Jean's. Some part of him can't help but be grateful that it was quick and clean. No one deserves to linger in pain. "That does not make this right. It does not make it easy," he murmurs, a slight roughness to his tone. "It may not have been a titan's teeth, but it does not mean that it has not left a mark. You are not alone. Nor will I leave you to the wolves, present or past."

Not again.