hadriel_logs | Event Log: Bad End

Entry tags:

Event Log: Bad End

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the Bad End event
Where: All over the city!
When: August 23rd-September 5th
Warnings: Bad futures, awkward conversations, smashed mirrors

You wake up to find a mirror at your bedside - a pretty nice one, too, a silver hand mirror perfect for fixing your hair in. Only when you try to do that, it's not your gorgeous reflection that you see. It's something else - a terrible future, just about as bad as anything you could imagine for yourself.

Maybe you see your loved ones dead on the ground, and you know it's your fault. Maybe you see the goal you've been working so hard for pulled out of your reach forever. Maybe you see someone you've hurt in the past ruining your life. Maybe you see your hot girlfriend leaving you to shack up with your worst enemy. Whatever you see, it really sucks, and you know that it's possible. This future could happen if you make the wrong choices, give in to your worst impulses.

Break the mirror if you want, but you'll see the same vision in any reflective surface in the city. You can't break them all, but you can sure try. And what will you do when you see your best friend's vision - and it features you betraying them?

Seek reassurance, give reassurance, lash out, vow to yourself that you'll never let it turn out that way, sink into the depths of sorrow because you feel like the future you see is inevitable. Whatever you do, it won't take away those visions - not until the event is over.

► This log covers August 23rd-September 5th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you can't handle the idea of your dark future, or maybe you just accidentally slip and fall on a mirror shard, let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

While she starts to move, Rey will rely on Maketh to know the way. It's hard to see through her hands, the dried blood, and overall just a desire to crawl into someplace dark and not come out for years. That latter which is hardly any option at the moment.

So, instead, she tries to distance herself from the pain with distraction. And conversation makes for a good one.

"Kalu. Odd name," Rey comments. "Never was good with names myself. Didn't think up one for the freak cat we've got until that... weird happy world we were in." And apparently married. "Does it mean anything? 'Kalu'?"

"It was a ship," Maketh explains softly, guiding Rey with the hand on her arm. It's gentle, a suggestion more than anything, and a person like Rey could so easily shove her aside and be done with it. But she doesn't. Rey stays. She lets Maketh guide her back towards the spires. "The Kalu. The first I ever served on. I'll tell you about it one day."

Things happened there, good and bad. Maketh is letting herself remember them, one by one.

"Does yours have a name now?"

"That sounds nice."

Or as nice as old stories of a long forgotten past is. It's not like Maketh or Rey have much to be proud of when looking back on it all. But she tries not to dwell on that too much.

"Tripod." The word alone almost sounds like a joke, let alone the moniker of a living creature. "Because... he's got three legs. Ugly bastard, but he's, um. Endearing. I guess."

The name gives her pause. "Tripod?"

Oh. Because--

Maketh feels her mouth quip.

"I understand. Cats are -- like that. There was a family of them on our farm, when I was a child. I had forgotten what they were like."

What it feels like to have a cat purring on her lap.

Rey opens her mouth to explain, but then Maketh's reaction seems to say that she got it. The corner of her own lip pulls a little.

"Do they normally scream at you when you take a shower, too, or is that just his problem?"

Since Maketh seems to have more experience with them than she does. She has to know, right?

"Sometimes," Maketh agrees, squeezing Rey's arm. "I don't know why. Perhaps they don't like being alone."

She stumbles a bit, but for the most part Rey remains on her feet as they leave farther from the Speakeasy.

"Guess they're sort of like us in that way," Rey admits.

For as much pain as it brings her, she really doesn't want to be alone, either. Nick saw through that -- so did her brother... and Faye, and Aiden. Sometimes, she's grateful that none of them are here to see her now.

"I suppose they are," Maketh says softly. There's no way she'll be able to take Rey's weight if the other woman falls, but she offers her arm nonetheless. The least she can do is be there and stand as tall as she possibly can. They're at the Spire soon enough. "Come on. I just remembered, I have everything I need for Irish Whiskey. You liked that, once."

The sight of the spire in her closed up vision is a welcome one. It means rest is coming soon. And something just as enticing, once Maketh introduces it.

"Still do. I'm no less Irish than I was yesterday." She scoffs at herself.

Maketh huffs, nudging Rey with her elbow. "I hardly think that's the point."

It's a comfort. Something sweet.

"Come on. I don't think Henry is home."

With that brief nudge, Rey grunts. Not out of pain but acknowledging Maketh's words. After some struggle, she manages to make it into the apartment and find a place to sit. A proper seat.

God. She's tired.

"Yes, this would sort of make a shit impression if he is." Not that they haven't met before; Rey barely knows Henry beyond their passing in the Guard. But this would be a terrible time for Rey to reintroduce herself into her new role in Maketh's life.

Not that she knows whether or not that conversation has already been had, but that's neither here nor there to her.

Maketh closes the door behind them, touching her hand to Rey's shoulder briefly. "He thinks well of you."

As a capable warrior. As something more--well, that remains to be seen.

"Do you want clean clothes?"

Her brows knit together. "He does?"

Rey doesn't know Henry that well. They've spoken, passed by each other, but never have they ever sat down and had a conversation.

"Um. If you have any that'll fit. Maybe a big shirt or something." Her mouth tightens into a thin line. It'd probably be a good idea to wash her current bloodied clothes.

"Yes. Though I suspect he will have words with you soon."

Maketh heads to her bedroom, glancing back.

"He is my brother, after all. I'll see if any of my clothes will fit you."

That almost sounds like it should be a warning, but Rey can't think of a reason why it would be. She doesn't want to think much at all right now. Instead, she just sinks deeper into the cushions of the seat, head pressed to the back of it.

It doesn't strike her as odd when Maketh addresses Henry as a brother. Nick is family to Rey, despite their obvious differences. It's normal to her.

"Okay," Rey manages to breathe out, listless.

For better or worse, Rey is much larger than Maketh - in height, the shoulders, in everything. But she manages to come up with a black shirt and sweats that hang too big on Maketh and should suffice for Rey. It's a temporary thing and at least these are clean.

Maketh returns, holding them out.

"Try these. I'll start making the coffee."

She hesitates.

"You can shower, if you want. I'll wait."

The fact that Maketh is able to find something suitable is almost impressive. Rey starts to get up, every inch of her aching as she takes the clothes offered to her. "Think I'll do that."

With the clothes in hand, she heads towards the bathroom door, before pausing to glance over her shoulder to Maketh.

"Um. Thanks. For everything."

Maketh's face softens a little. "I know."

She doesn't say it's nothing, because it's not. But there's no need to dwell on it overly much. This is just where they've found themselves.

"I'll make the coffee now. It'll be ready when you're done."

She nods, before disappearing into the bathroom for a bit.

Not long, though. It's only about ten to fifteen minutes before she emerges again, clean clothes on and still drying her hair with a towel. Her bare feet drag across the floor as Rey hauls her weight to the couch once again. Every inch of her muscles ache as she eases back into the cushion.

Allowing the tension in her to ease up just a little, she closes her eyes and rests her head against the back of the seat. There's been plenty of time for Maketh to prepare the coffee, but she isn't going to call for it until it's ready.

Maketh might not be a very good cook, but there is something comforting about following a recipe to its logical conclusion and getting the exact result she set out for. First the coffee is brewed, deep and strong, and then she sets out the cream and the whiskey. Each step followed just so.

And it doesn't take long, in the end.

The mugs are warm in her hands.

Quietly, she sits down next to Rey and offers her own.

"Here. Drink."

Bringing her knees to her chest so her feet are up on the couch, Rey presses back and accepts the mug Maketh offers, followed by a muttered "thank you" in response. It's a contrast from the rigid stature she tends to present herself in. When she is more comfortable with someone, she can be more relaxed.

Rey takes a long drink of coffee, not deterred by the fresh burning heat down her throat. She takes a deep exhale after.

"It's good." She glances to Maketh. "You did good."

In more ways than one.

Maketh settles on the couch, nodding just one. At least there is one thing in the world she can do consistently, and without fail. "We don't have to talk, if you don't want to. We can just--be."

For a little while.

Much as she wants to take Maketh's up on that, Rey's stomach turns as she sits there. Fingers clenching around the glass as the muscles in her jaw tenses.

"I... want to." She bites her tongue after several seconds, the pain reminding her to speak again. "But I should talk. Um. Explain."

It isn't the first time Maketh has seen her like this, and Rey knows the other woman better than to think she'd ever try to pry.

"Then I will listen," Maketh says simply. She means to leave it at that and let Rey continue, but Kalu - the brat - chooses that moment to appear and stake his claim.

The cat wiggles out from under the couch, making rumbling-growl sounds with his many mouths, and pants himself firmly in Maketh's lap. His tail lashes at Rey.

Maketh sighs.

"You are a rude creature. Stop that."

Kalu grumbles.

Rey takes this moment of reprieve to postpone her unpleasant anecdote when she finds them in the presence of a feline-like mutant animal. One of many, in fact. She holds out a hand to block one of his many tail-lashes at her.

"Heh. Reminds me of ours. He's very persistent." So she knows better than to try and remove him from Maketh's lap. That's his territory now.

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