event pt 1 | full moon & litha

[moustre]

Event Log: June, A Midsummer Night's Dream

I. IUNERIL 17TH - THE FULL MOONS The days leading up to the full moons are the same as last month: Monsters are a little itchier and a little easier to agitate, whether they mean to be or not, which becomes increasingly noticeable the day before the full moons. But of particular note is that this may be the second full moons that some arrivals have experienced, and with that comes greater risks, greater agitation, and further reminders to take care of themselves. Weather fair, despite the worries of the city, Monsters will find that the Sisters aren't blocked away by clouds this night. The moons cast their light down on the city, and the pull is strong for even the veteran natives that call the city home. The Coven is offering potions and charms, in an attempt to encourage those without a Bond to ensure that they will be able to keep their wits about them throughout the entire stretch of the Sisters' time in the sky at their fullest. They're always allowed to reject the offer, but it's with a warning: if they let their newfound instincts overtake them, then they might find themselves back in the Coven under worse conditions. But the Sisters rise framed in stark red skies, even as evening falls across Aefenglom, much to the discontent of the city. Streets that are rarely dim are lit up even moreso, now, in the face of this omen, lanterns and candles leading all the way to the Harbor District. Their colors flicker with shades of blue, green, violet - anything to offset the red. Boats that come and go along the river also carry a lantern or two with the same intent, and ships in the harbor are decorated with magical faerylights, strung across hulls, masts, the works. There's no place in the Harbor District untouched by light, with nary a sign of red in the midst of their goods. Tensions are already high, between the humans and Monsters of Aefenglom. It's especially noticeable on this night: full moons already cause everyone to be a little jumpy, but with the red tidings for Litha, they're more on edge than ever. Some blame the new arrivals, though never directly to their face, especially when they don't know who, or what, someone might be. It's always a there-and-gone whisper, it seems like. Gossip. Distrust. Unease. It doesn't lend well to the full moons, but there are still those that want to help. Many will notice that there's already activities and decorations up for Litha, some of them still under construction despite the fast approaching festival. The most notable of all are the hedge mazes that have been constructed, both by hand and with magic to encourage their growth. Behind the festival organizers' backs, a group of people - both man and beast - are offering Monsters a chance to burn off some of their energy by embracing their instincts in a more... constructive manner, with native Witches and Monsters alike prepared to intervene if things get a little too violent. In a sort of mockery of Litha's traditions, they're partnering Monsters up with a willing participant to run the mazes, with a variety of options that they will list. The partner - or partners, if there is a party looking to go in together - can be either Witch or Monster, and the people organizing this won't judge as they inform the interested individuals of their options: a. A-HUNTING WE WILL GO, allowing the Monster to either hunt a small livestock or game animal (a piglet, fowls, rabbits, the like) or to hunt down their partner through the maze they've chosen. This need not end violently, and can become more of a game of hide and seek meets tag. b. EVERYBODY WAS FIGHTING, where one maze in particular has been devoted to a makeshift fight ring at the very heart of it. The organizers hope, somewhat, that by making the Monster(s) in question run the maze first they'll be a little tired out already when reaching the ring. c. UNDER THE PALE MOONLIGHT, because instincts don't always call for violence, the organizers offer a more intimate experience here, whether it's sexual or nonsexual. Maybe you just want a good cuddle..? The organizers emphasize the idea of consent, and will not force anyone against their will into the hedge mazes, no matter which one it is. They also want to make sure that they will step in to help if called upon, in case someone gets a little too overeager. Witches looking to use magic this night will, peculiarly, find that their magic is a little less... cooperative. Many of the Coven Witches speak of how they specifically wait to cast powerful spells on the night of the full moons, to ensure that they have the greatest chances of success with the help of the Sisters. However, Witches of the new arrival persuasion are much weaker on full moons. Their magic is still there, and they can still draw upon it for spells, but they'll have to put greater effort if they want to cast a spell with any significant amount of power. Overexerting oneself while doing this is entirely possible, so it's best to try and find some sort of balance, lest you find yourself exhausted and without a means to defend yourself. We ask that any and all NSFW threads be marked accordingly, or otherwise moved to a locked post on the log community or an entry/inbox on a character journal. Remember to please be excellent to each other, and respect all limits that your threadmates might have, if you explore the more sexual or violent aspects of the offered prompts. If things get OOCly out of hand, please let us know; if things get ICly out of hand, please let Nessie and Mhairi know.

II. LITHA - IUNERIL 21ST TO 23RD Despite what chaos there might have been on the night of the full moons, and the subsequent day after as things began to calm, Litha still arrives as scheduled on Iuneril 21st, as the sun begins to set. The summer solstice reaches its peak the following night, and the festivities wind down the third dusk. While certainly still lively, it isn't as completely festive as Boaltinn, most certainly because of the red skies, and the natives are obviously trying to make the best they can of what they perceive as a poor situation. To say that the natives are on edge would certainly be an understatement. Whatever happened in those hedge mazes is untraceable, now, and everything looks pristine. Faerylights decorate every awning, overhang, and eave, magical and twinkling with colors to offset the red skies. There are no bonfires, this go around, but much like the fires it seems that the lights all lead to the primary area of celebration: in contrast to Boaltinn, Litha is celebrated in the Entertainment, Shopping, and Harbor Districts. Doors to businesses are wide open (with many even having large signs indicating VAMPIRES WELCOME HERE - those that don't make a clear statement), and stalls offering wares and foods and activities alike are set up at nearly every corner alongside preestablished businesses in the market. The harbor is especially lively, with many sailors coming and going as they prepare for setting sail. While ships themselves are always coming and going in the port, Litha is an important time for the more longterm voyages and those meant to carry some significance, and each ship departing is bid farewell with equal fanfare. Fireworks and celebration that is, at least in some part, genuine, but does carry a certain level of enthusiasm that borders on force of will. a. ASKING FOR A LITTLE COMPANY Though all businesses in the Entertainment District open their doors for the festivals of Aefenglom, the brothels of the city in particular are offering a warm welcome this Litha to anyone who might be interested in spending some time with someone - or, multiple someones. They have open rooms for mingling, lounges with floor pillows and low tables where customers can partake in spiced and unspiced drinks alike, where the unspiced are lacking in the potions and near-aphrodisiacs of the spiced drinks. Private rooms are also available for those seeking a more... intimate experience, however one may take that to mean. The brothel workers are more than happy to attend to any interested parties, but also aren't against randomly pairing individuals up, based on their specifications. And, after a little misunderstanding regarding their classes, the Head Madame of the guild has decided that they will be offering chances for individuals to perform at their establishments. She was rather charmed by the mishap, bless your souls, as were the rest of the guild, so the new arrivals have endeared themselves to the brothel workers. Dances, conversation, assorted busking - whatever skills that their quest-takers learned, whether it be of the more sexual nature or not, they'll provide whatever they might need to put on a show and attract or entertain clientele. b. I'M WISHING FOR THE ONE I LOVE Anyone interested in making their way into the Shopping District will find just as many open doors, as well as numerous stalls interspersed where they weren't before. Vendors hawking their wares and goods like always call out with Litha specials, and businesses set up temporary stalls to draw attention to themselves, with promise of greater bargains and products to be found at their main establishment. There are many that sell spiced foods and drinks, with varying degrees of strength depending on how one wants to feel. Others are selling candles and lanterns, offering a magitech version of a lighter at a steal, depending on how much you purchase otherwise. The largest stalls, and the biggest displays at storefronts, are the flowers though. Every single flower shop in Aefenglom has come out full force, practically painting the district in a myriad of non-red colors as they put their stock on full display. They offer deals for those who wish to buy bouquets for a sweetheart or someone they admire, as well as anyone wanting to make flower crowns for those they care for. Each of the seven largest shops are also handing out a single flower for those partaking in festivities to place under their pillow to dream of future partners, the flower they're typically most well known for; this varies from shop to shop, but the up and coming Rose Bush certainly isn't going to let superstition stop them, and are handing out red roses. It's a bold move, but one that causes the tizzy that they were intending it to. And if one is feeling particularly whimsical, they can go to any well at night, looking into the depths in a bid to see their future spouse and true love within. Perhaps making an offering of a flower would bring good luck..? Just don't linger for too long, as there's a rumor that someone is pushing unfamiliar faces into the well, likely targeting those they think are new arrivals. c. GET LOST WITH ME Though the Harbor District has some bleedover from the Shopping District in terms of festivities, their streets and warehouses are where the most room is available for the hedge mazes. Some are sprawling as they fill the streets and alleys, spilling into the towering buildings that have been empty to load the contents onto waiting ships. They create their own environments, with flowers from the flower shops blooming in the rows and creating archways at entrances and exits. Some are enchanted to seem neverending, although there always is an exit, if one can only figure out the puzzle. Each maze has a different method to its madness, and arrangements that those running them have decided on. (Some faces may seem familiar, to those that encountered them on the full moons; they'll feign otherwise, focused only on the now and refusing to draw attention to any recognition.) Some mazes send in the partners together, randomly selected and tasked with figuring out how to reach the end of the maze together. Others will send the partners in from different ends, with the instructions to find one another, whether in the center of the maze or in its winding path. Another variety offers something reminiscent of the hide and seek meets tag game, tasking one as the hunter and the other as the hunted, a game of pursuit meant to replicate the "playing hard to get" variety of courtship. There's no restrictions on how many times one can enter the maze, as it allows one to forge many bonds - and possibly Bonds - and replicates the process of finding your true love. Or, loves; no one here is going to judge anyone. They certainly won't judge, either, if participants opt to take a swig of something for luck in love before they go in. However, some mazes have been tampered with: rather than opening out into somewhere safe on the street or in a building, they empty out unaware participants into the port itself. Hopefully you know how to swim. Once again, we ask that if any threads take on a NSFW nature that they be marked as such, or otherwise moved to a locked post in the log community or an entry/inbox in a character journal.

Welcome to the event log, part I! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. As ever, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know, and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[belligerentwarrior]

[The touch makes the taller woman pause. Though she was physically affectionate and more or less held no concept of personal space, the gentle gesture made her uncomfortable; Fang couldn't pinpoint why. She doesn't pull her hand away, though.]

[Her claws melt away again, and Fang grins wryly.]

You figure that how out, you let me know. Or zap me or something if it looks like I'm gotta break someone's neck.

[beariot]

Well... I generally prefer to leave violence to the very last resort, personally. [ A small laugh. She pulled away her hand on her own, rubbing the back of her head. It was enough for one of the flower crowns on her hat to topple over, right into Fang's hand. ]

Oh! S-sorry about that... [ She was still pretty buzzed, after all. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

I'll live, don't you worry.

[She rolls her eyes a little, the wry grin shrinking, but also turning into something a little more genuine.]

What're you apologizing about? Not like some flowers're gonna hurt me. [She'd hold them out, but with since they were already standing fairly close, Fang's hand just moves an inch or two closer.] I'd hate to ruin that collection of yours.

[beariot]

Ah, that's... [ Ursula was more tentative in reaching for Fang's hand that time, but despite resting her fingertips across the woman's knuckle, she shook her head. ]

Actually, I think you should keep that. I only made them to give them away, after all... I guess chance decided which person got this one, huh?

[belligerentwarrior]

[The corner of her mouth curls into a smirk. Fang tilts her head a little, her other hand rising to pointedly run a finger along Ursula's ridiculous stack of flower crowns.]

Givin' 'em away. If you say so.

[Fang doesn't actually laugh, but it's in her voice. Without any further fussing, she settles the accepted crown on her head.]

[beariot]

Well, it looks nice on you, at any rate.

[ Honestly, if it weren't for the wine, she'd notice she was standing way, WAY too close to Fang in that moment, looking into her eyes, seeing herself reflected in Fang's own, feeling a small moment of... closeness with the other. She still had her hand on Fang's, warmth in her cheeks, and not a bit of it seemed strange or impolite... ]

Or at least... it suits you. Something natural and colorful like that.

[belligerentwarrior]

[All of a sudden, this felt so distantly familiar. A throwback to a small eternity ago, when Oerba was still surrounded by life and fields of flowers and Fang was young.]

[Fang was sober enough to notice that warm look, their distance, but it wasn't the distance that bothered her. She realizes that the tender touch from earlier didn't make her feel uncomfortable. It was more like an ache for something lost.]

[She didn't dare call it grief.]

[Fang closes her eyes and exhales softly.] Does, doesn't it? Used to hear that as a kid. Flower chain and all. [The déjà vu hit her so strongly, and thought it's painfully bittersweet, Fang didn't want to let go of the memory.] ...Vanille would've loved a festival like this.

[beariot]

[ Ursula kept close watch on Fang's eyes. This woman didn't seem to express herself too sincerely that often, was the impression she got, but Ursula could tell there was something going on there, in the way she spoke, those little shifts in her tone.

Fang wasn't the only one feeling nostalgic. It was impossible not to notice the similarities there between Fang and that person. Their stature, their tone...

But she wanted to keep Fang focused on those memories Ursula was inspiring. And now she had a name, too... ]

Tell me about them. About Vanille. If you don't mind, I mean.

[belligerentwarrior]

[Despite the turmoil coiled in her chest, despite the years of absence, despite the vehemence of their last argument, Fang still found it astonishingly easy to talk about Vanille. It wasn't unusual for her crew to ask about the "Saint," and she'd oblige them. This was no exception.]

She's a right crybaby, for one. [Maybe it was a little harsh that was usually the first descriptor out of her mouth.] Always smilin' about something if she's not cryin'. Curious. Can find joy in anything. Bet she'd be runnin' around with more flowers than you if she could stop herself from givin' the things out to everyone that smiled at her. [Fang lazily lifts a wrist, giving the beaded bangles on it a little shake.] Made these.

[Fang breathes in, tilting her head and opening her eyes to peer through the branches at the night sky again.] You'll never meet a single soul that cares so much about people she's never met. Hates bein' alone. Loves animals. No matter what people do or say, there's nothin' you can do to keep her from seein' the best in everyone.

[There's a slightly pause, and before Fang realizes it, she's nearly glaring at the sky. It's impossible to separate her fondness from her frustration—and fear. Her voice takes a sudden edge.]

And she's a damned coward.

[beariot]

[ Ursula listened and nodded along, thinking of this Vanille as someone she'd get along with splendidly. She found herself reminded of Akko to some degree, at least the "crybaby" part. And, well... Ursula could be a bit of a crybaby herself, at times, too. But when Fang's tone dropped, the narrowing of her eyes. The affection in her tone, replaced so suddenly by something... deeply familiar.

"You don't understand a thing."

"Your shows will be shunned and forgotten. Magic will be forgotten."

"I can't take the same path as you." ]

You care about her a great deal...

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang ran a hand through her hair, exhaling softly. For all the bad blood that had suddenly come between them, whether she still cared had never been questioned, not for one second. Hell, she stormed out in the first place to try to save her. Fang just hoped it still looked like she cared from Vanille's perspective.]

[Fat chance of that, after being abducted into this damn mirror world. The thought left something tight in Fang's chest.]

Yeah. [And that softness is back again. Something she'd said once bubbled forward.] I'd tear down the sky if it'd save her. No matter the cost.

[There were two kinds of people that said "at any cost." Those that hesitated when they saw the price, and those that retorted with is that all? The subtle gravity in her words made it clear which category Fang fell into.]

[beariot]

[ Yeah she... she for sure knew what that meant. She had a clearer picture of Fang and Vanille's relationship in that moment than she probably had any right to know, given how complicated it seemed, but there was no mistaking that sentiment. With paler skin, and much much paler hair, Fang would look awfully more familiar in that moment.

But perhaps even more keenly, she saw herself reflected as well, the sort of person she was determined to be in the wake of what had happened, even if so often her guilt made her question if she had any right to do so. ]

I understand. [ Simple words, often said in sympathy, but Ursula's had a similar weight to them as Fang's own. ] And I know... I know she'll appreciate it, no matter what happened between you two. [ She knew she did. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang's gaze swept down to Ursula. She didn't glean as much from the witch's subtle emphasis as the other had, but there was enough understanding that Fang didn't bother with a "didn't say anything happened" deflection. After a couple moments, she looked away again, feeling uncharacteristically awkward. Or maybe vulnerable. It was hard to tell the two apart.]

[The ache grew sharper, too.] I'd like to think that. Weren't exactly seein' eye-to-eye last time we spoke.

[Fang did her best to keep thoughts adjacent to that one away, but they came unbidden, and that sharp ache seized tightly. Fang's features flickered with pain before they smoothed out again, trying to desperately fend off the feeling.]

[She took a half-step away from Ursula, but to sit down rather than create space.]

Not like it matters anymore—[Her tone was discordantly non-chalant, all of a sudden,]—since I stumbled outta that mirror.

[beariot]

[ Ursula didn't stay apart from Fang for long, sitting herself down right beside Fang with a small flick of her wand, pulling up a stool for herself to plop down on. ]

I don't want to think of that mirror as a one way trip. If we got here, there must be a way to get back. I need to have faith in that... I've got a lot to return to. And it sounds like you have unfinished work, too. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I didn't work to reunite you with Vanille, so you can tell her all of this yourself.

[belligerentwarrior]

[It's a great sentiment, and almost eerily like Lightning's words with a lot more warmth to them. Instead, Fang clenched her teeth, fighting the surge of bitterness.]

And if there's nothing to go back to? [She turned to meet Ursula's gaze.] Why don't I let you in a little secret? The place I come from was dying. World was gonna end in two or three days, tops. Want to take a stab at how long I've been here?

[More than two or three days, that's for sure.]

[beariot]

[ It wasn't that Ursula couldn't understand Fang's concern, but... ]

Well, that would really only mean anything if your world was on the same point of time as this one, but...

Are you familiar with relativity? I don't mean as, like, a general concept, but like how it has to do with the relationship between time and space.

[ Nerd alert. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[...Ursula, she has like a high school education at best. Probably hardly even that much.]

[She just stares, and a bit of that bitter frustration starts to bubble up.] The relationship? The bloody relationship is that time's been busted for the last five hundred years and reality's gone fraying at the edges until there's damn well nothing left to fray but a couple little sorry patches.

Even the sorry god that made the damn world's gone and given up on it to go make a new one all his favorites get to move to after it all bites the dust!

[beariot]

[ She winced, realizing she definitely took the wrong approach there. Fang didn't seem like a reason-based explanation would actually make her feel any better, especially considering what was going on back in her world, something Ursula even had trouble imagining. But even so, she didn't let it stop her. If anything, Fang's frustration made her want to comfort her even more...

... not that she really knew how. But instinctively, and perhaps driven by the spiced wine, she reached out for Fang, placing a hand on her cheek, by far more bold than she ever would have been sober, and kept her eyes focused on the other woman's. ]

I may not be from your world, or have any right to say this, but I know I can't just sit here and accept that there's no hope for you... If you can't find it on your own, then I want to help you, any way I can...

[belligerentwarrior]

[The gentle touch in the face of Fang's anger caught her off-guard. That ache, that feeling that was certainly, definitely not grief, grew unbelievably keen, speeding her pulse. It may not have carried to Fang's expression or her mannerisms, but if Ursula were up to speed on this world's turnskins, the subtle encroaching changes would've belied her emotional turmoil: the fur on her shoulders thicker and more widespread, her ears edging towards a more feline shape, canines a touch longer than they had been prior...]

[Telling a stranger everything she has been wasn't too bad. Ursula asked, she answered. What would the witch do with the information, to tattling to the Order? But all these offers to get involved in some way, to look for a solution sparked her knee-jerk suspicion. People always wanted something in return—except everyone that she desperately missed.]

And just why're you so determined to help? You don't know a damn thing about what kinda person I am and you're just gonna throw all-in? What're you getting out of this?

[Finding hope. Fang was much better at it, ironically, when she was l'Cie. Even then, she'd been the worst at it of their merry little band. They'd have been able to find some glimmer of a silver lining here.]

[beariot]

[ She didn't miss the changes, but she didn't shy away, either. Akko wouldn't have flinched here at all, and what sort of teacher would she be if she had? But even then, she wasn't her student, and Fang had a perfectly fair question to ask, a perfectly fair apprehension to hold in her heart. She'd just bared herself for Ursula, easy or not, and was met with someone, someone who was a stranger not moments ago, swearing she would find some hope for Fang.

Looking at it on the outside, it seemed ridiculous.

But from within... Ursula's answer came just was easily, at least rushed along a bit by the wine, but it was still her honest truth. She hoped her eyes reflected as much. ]

Because... I've never been the sort of person to abide by hopelessness. Not if there's something, anything I can do to help. It's been part of me since I was a child... a dream to lift others, or at least their spirits...

I don't actually know how much or how little I'll be able to do. There's no conclusive, reasonable path before me. But I have to believe I can make a difference... that belief is my magic. It always has been.


[ After a moment, she did pull her hand back though, settling it into her own lap ]... That must sound pretty silly. But it's who I am. I understand if it doesn't mean much to you, in the face of what burdens you...

[belligerentwarrior]

[Such a dedication to making everyone happy, to a faith that things could always be changed... how nostalgic. Too nostalgic. It's downright painful, taunting her with something she no longer had, together with every else.]

[Her grief snapped. It's suddenly a tension coiled in her muscles, a sharpness in the lines of her posture, a pain twisting her expression as Fang screwed her eyes shut.]

This is how you bleeding-heart sorts get hurt.

[Something pressed on her mind—her monster's influence, clawing for more control through the cracks in her composure. Fang suddenly surged to her feet, shaking her head vigorously. Any more of this... this familiarity that was and wasn't at the same time, and she'd break.]

I've—I've gotta clear my head, [Fang muttered quickly, turning sharply to stalk off. She ran a hand—broader now, losing it's human shape—carelessly through her hair, the motion stopping abruptly when it tangled in the flower crown. In contrast to her agitation, her fingers carefully withdrew from the tangle with the delicate ornament without disturbing it.]

[This was too much to think about at once.]

[beariot]

[ The right thing to do would be to let Fang walk away in that moment, since she was clearly dealing with a great deal more than Ursula had any right to needle at. But something about what she said inspired a wave of her own frustration, hands clenching as Fang walked past her, and just as abruptly, she stood up as well, shouting at Fang's back. ]

You don't think I know that? Of course it can lead to hurt. It can lead to shame and guilt and regret. Ambitions can be poison even if they're ambitions towards the blessing of others.

[ Ursula hadn't realized it. It was probably the wine. But there was a tear running down the edge of her face. ]

There's something I will always carry with me, a sin I will probably never be able to walk past, no matter how much hope has sprung in its wake, or things have improved. I'll carry that hurt in myself, and the hurt it inflicted on others, for a long time yet.

So don't... don't treat me like this comes from some place of naive idealism. I've felt the pain that comes with it. But I still believe...

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang wheeled around, too-long teeth bared and fury in her eyes. She was in the Cathedral again, in the vicious argument that haunted the corners of her mind every waking hour for the last ten years. Guilt and culpability and blame and willfulness and misguided selflessness dug into her like barbs, over a truth Fang never wanted to hear but should have realized far sooner, and one that terrified her to her core.]

[She tried to scream back at Ursula, a million different refutes both directed at her and someone long gone, but the words never made it. They were all lost to a jaguar's growling roar, a sound that should have been alien to human vocal cords.]

[Fang crumbled to a knee an instant later when something tried to seize her, an inner force trying to twist her form. The Coven-provided restraint charms tied to her necklace and bangles all flared weakly to life, flickering with the last vestiges of their power, having been drained the full moon a few nights before.]

[But it was just enough to stop the spread of fur and to prevent the change of Fang's shape. Just barely, and not for long. Ursula needed to shut up, she needed to leave, for her own safety, and she tried to say that much, but those words wouldn't come either. The closer she was to losing control, the harder it was to speak, Fang'd discovered recently. Breathing hard, a low rumble on every exhale, Fang screwed her eyes shut again and pressed her forehead to her arm.]

[beariot]

[ And perhaps that would have been the wise thing to do, but despite a flinch at the initial roar, Ursula wasn't about to simply abandon a situation she no doubt had exasperated simply by virtue of telling her truth. But it wasn't just a sense of responsibility that kept her there. That empathy, just as strong as it had been when Fang had first started telling her about her story, still guided her more powerfully than any other force in her mind or her heart.

She closed the distance between them, collapsing her arms about Fang's shoulder and pressing her forehead against the other woman's. This wasn't a fearless act. In fact, her heart was beating so fast in her chest she felt it might smash right out of her. Blood was rushing, hot and focused, and the anxiety of whether Fang would lash out at her or be calmed was very real and impossible to set aside.

But it didn't stop her, all the same, she pulled Fang as close to her as she could, as much strength as her wine-soaked blood could muster. ]

Shh... shh... you're still you... you're still you... Focus on me. Not on what we said, not on what's haunting you, just on me. [ Her physical presence before Fang. ] I'll hold you as close and for as long as I need to...

[ Neither of them probably expected such an immediate test of Ursula's resolve, but... well... The moonlight had that effect on things, she supposed. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang didn't have a choice whether or not to focus on Ursula. She easily heard that pounding heart, like a panicked drum. The music of fear. The music of prey. That magical static of this place that'd been grating against Fang's nerves, against her soul, for the last two months urged her. It begged her to lift her head that easy few inches and tear into the neck of the fearful creature stupid enough to approach her.]

[And compromised as Fang was, that whisper thundered in her head. Tension wound her muscles tight, like a loaded spring about to snap—then would relax unevenly, only to coil tight again at the next tug of whispers and repeat.]

[Fang wasn't good at calming down; her passions ran high or not at all. She wasn't very good at hoping, either... but she'd managed that one in the past when others' lives had depended on it. This wasn't any different.]

[That didn't make it any easier. Especially not with this achingly familiar brand of comfort and stubbornness... though the show of courage is refreshing.]

[It's almost ten minutes before Fang could focus enough to choke out words again. She starts to speak, her voice distorted and gravelly, and the first word is so mangled she has to stop and swallow before trying again.] Don't want... hurt you.

[That pulse is less enticing now, at least.]