[ prp ] Haven Only Knows (America, Lily, Preacher, ???)

[lizbot]

The text request had gone out a few days earlier, her typical satchel gone over and re-packed earlier that day. It had been awhile since Gloom's description of a possible safe area to look into. Longer than she could help, all things considered, but America was being extremely careful in this instance. She'd only ventured into the Other Place a few times since coming back, always brief, always with check-ins, always with Bitterberry there as lookout.

It was a level of caution a lot of people who knew America might be a little surprised to find out, but there was so much more to be concerned about these days. Her own desires to roam, self sufficient and independent, were beginning to take a backseat to well...pretty much the rest of the world.

So the text had gone out, asking for some back up on a trip to Other Ashdown. She could find a door, but the place she was going to look at could be dangerous.

Thank god someone answered.

Aggressively sipping a smoothie, a doorway the wrong color, wrong smell, just within sight, America waited for the others to arrive, fourty-five minutes early. The full moon was still hours, but she figured they might be restless and antsy as she was, if for vastly different reasons.

amitotixc

the semblxance of unity

 

[AMItotic]

"Hey look, we're twinsies."

Lily raised a styrofoam smoothie cup in greeting to America, draped in a hoodie that looked at least two sizes too large. There were dark bags under her eyes, mirrored by an equally dark eyeshadow on her lids, her hair pulled back into a haphazard braid. By all accounts, it looked like she'd just crawled out of bed, and maybe she had, but the important thing was that she was here, and even thirty minutes early. If there was one thing Lily had learned to be timely for, it was her monthly appointments with the full moon. Being late to a class was no big deal, being late for the shift meant possible murder and adoption of a whole new class of traumatized weres.

She was trying to be responsible with her great power. She was even starting to maybe be good at it.

"Thanks in advance for the ride to Spoopville," Lily added, circling her shoulders under her tent of a shirt. "So is this new-world level spooky s**t or just regular brand spooky s**t?" She surveyed the area around the two of them with a grim expression like the one Officer Smiles might wear, even if she knew she was only a cheap facsimile of Detective Kuroda's dismissive gaze. Moonwalkers were enforcers for the otherworld, so that kind of made her a cop, didn't it? She did her best to surmise where they might have been crossing over, but it all looked the same to her. That was how most magic went, though--until otherwise informed, she was just along for the ride.

lizbot

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Well, s**t. Ain't you lot early as hell?" Unlike the others, Preacher was maybe about ten minutes early. There was no smoothie in hand, but her alert eyes told tale to a double shot of espresso she'd shotgunned on the way over. She was here for back-up and a trip to bullshit rainy land. Two birds, one stone.

"Sup, Armageddon 3000." She nodded to Lily and stuck her hands in the pockets of her patched to hell and back sweater. Then se turned to look at America - she'd seen her during the void junk, but never really talked. "What's on the itinerary, Amex?"

lizbot

amitotic

 

[lizbot]

Grinning, America inspected the other girl's drink, waving off the thanks. "Mine's a Peach Freeziemojii. The guy in there tried to tell me that meant I was adventurous and sensual with a dangerous temper waiting under my sweet exterior. Has smoothie horoscopes always been a thing? 'Cause I keep up on my Cosmo and I hadn't heard a thing about it 'til now!" She seemed genuinely put out by this.

"Regular brand! It's possible there's nothing more exciting than some dust n'cobwebs waiting. But I gotta be careful." Pausing a moment she adds, "Well we all do, really. Place needs a buddy system."

But what does your smoothie say about you, Lily?

When Preacher arrived the nickname gave America a slight pause, and then a stupidly appreciative grin for the very clever, slightly awful pun she intended to steal at one point or another. A wink and fingergun followed on the heels of this conclusion.

"Hi! Thank you both for coming, we just gotta go up to that bank, second door, and we'll be over. Game plan ladies is this: we need a safe spot in the Other Place. Where we can gather and learn and teach and all that good stuff. Friend of mine thinks he knows a good spot, but there may be an unfriendly squatter or the like and if I die right now, or ever really, it'd be a bad thing. The world would be hella sad and less attractive by at least 15%. Plus I promised him I'd be extra careful."

the semblance of unity

AMItotic

 

[AMItotic]

Lily's eyes widened softly with a sense of wonder, glancing down at her styrofoam cup and then back to America. "Oh my god, that's the best thing I've heard all week." She took a sip like she needed to consider it's flavor to think, then swished the contents around to get all of the frozen goodness to the bottom of her cup. "Mine's called a Super Punch Plus, but it's actually just basic s**t, strawberries and bananas and whatever. I got some extra B12 in it so it's like a...Super Punch Plus Plus or something."

There was probably something vaguely horoscopic to be said about someone who ordered a smoothie called a Super Punch Plus Plus, but whatever analysis Lily might have done was lost when she heard Preacher enter the area. "Apocalypse Mark II," she said warmly as she winked in greeting, lifting her smoothie as a small health-conscious toast to her arrival. "Gotta be early for spooky s**t, especially when it's moon-time." Promptness was not a habit that came easy to Lily, but when it was literally a matter of life or death, she'd learned to manage.

"Dying is bad," was the most profound Lily had to offer as commentary, but she'd been nodding along in silence while America talked through the plan. "So we're just kind of here to escort, make sure it all goes smoothly, and then boom, spooky clubhouse?"

lizbot

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

America's finger gun earned her a quick smile. Preacher grinned even more at Lily. It was nice to see a friendly face in the same kind of boat. "I ain't done a moontime s**t before, ta be honest. Feelin' a bit itchy." She Dragged her beanie off her head to display two small, rounded ears. Then Preacher shoved it back on.

"Alright. We're your body guards. Also if we find some stuff, can booby trap new place." Preacher was pleased by this. Not many people would use Preacher as a body guard - it was the height, she was sure. s**t, Lily had a whole foot on her. "Y'can see entry points?" She stared at the door, trying to see if it looked any different to her. It did not. Ultimately, she shrugged and inched towards it, clearly interested in going as soon as possible.

lizbot

amitotic

 

[lizbot]

Leading them across the street toward the bank door, America nodded, "That's what I'm hoping. It's been quiet and I like to think it's like, All Is Okay quiet and not like, John Wayne quiet."

Reaching the door, she explained, "Doors back and forth. They just seem kinda off, the way they look and smell and feel. Like they belong on the other side. Either of you familiar with the hospital Over There? Place we're looking at is by it."

And then they were through, in the building's empty lobby, rain coming down hard in sheets behind them. Noticing, America beamed happily, "Always prefer it raining, here, gotta say. Maybe it's a good omen!"

the semblance of unity

AMItotic

 

[AMItotic]

"Oh. Oh my god. Is that--" Lily reached for Preacher's ears, but they were back in hiding before she'd even lifted a hand. A soft grin began to creep onto her face, before it fell into a blank expression, and while her brain buffered she let her fingers brush away. Preacher was going through moon s**t, which meant that she was pack, she was pack, and that thought alone was exhilarating, but then again, what if it was an unwelcome change? What if she'd been bitten somewhere in the void, or had just always been one in this timeline? Those ears looked similar--what if some other-Lily had done the job?

She crossed the street in silence as the color drained from her face, considering the possibilities, and when America ushered them in, she acknowledged the switch with only a nod.

"...Are we packmates?" Lily asked softly, her ears rounding out when the rain began to drum behind her. She didn't know if that was a cause to celebrate or mourn on Preacher's behalf, but she herself was excited, the mixture of feelings rolling around in her gut and making her ill at ease. To distract herself, she shook her head and glanced back to America, nodding slowly.

"Yeah...you're right, it's more normal this way," she murmured, listening out for signs of inherent spookiness. "If you...um," she paused, vaguely gesturing above her. "If you think about it really hard, you can make, like, a magic umbrella. Power of believing you won't get wet or whatever. Gloom showed me how."

The Semblance of Unity

lizbot

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher shook her head at America. "Never been to any hospital, much less a rainyshitland one." It was probably full of weird s**t. Well, that's why she and Lily were along, she supposed.

"Tha ******** a packmate?" She leaned closer to Lily. "It's it's some A/B/O s**t I swear ta ******** I'm disownin' ya." Then Preacher looked back up at the rain and shrugged. She kind of liked being wet now, anyway, and magic was annoying. However, she bet if she found the right symbols, she could make a little shield for herself. Hmmm.

amitotic

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Even if America caught a glimpse of those cute fuzzy ears, she firmly tamped down any desire to use the F-word. It hadn't gone over too well with Lily the first time they'd met. She did however, look at Lily, like see how good I am not calling people furries or fuzzies or anything?

"Gloom's a good teacher, never met a fellow so happy to happy to help strangers out, but I'm hella grateful, gotta say." Getting her bearings, she gestured toward a large building surrounded by several small ones in the distance. "It's not too far from here."

the semblance of unity

AMItotic

ashdown whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

The hospital of other ashdown was not that far away from this building. It was darkened, the windows clouded with dirt and grime.

Where there was greenery and life from the hospital, this building was completely lacking.

Swinging doors hung off their hinges, the way in open for them.

lizbot

AMItotic

The Semblance of Unity

 

[AMItotic]

"Nah, man, it's like..." Lily paused, scratching behind one of her ears. She caught America's look and shrugged her shoulders on instinct, because she supposed she was supposed to feel weird about it, but the only emotion Lily could muster was a sense of ease, and perhaps some apprehension for the coming of the spooky hospital. It was a good place to be, she decided.

"It's something like this," she finished, reaching out to brush her fingers across the back of Preacher's hand. Her posture relaxed as she felt the warmth of family melt through her fingers, closing her eyes. They were pack, were family, Lily had found her sister and she trusted her, loved her, would protect her little Apocalypse...

Lily sighed as she pulled her hands away, giving Preacher a moment to let it sink in. "Packmates," she said with an uncharacteristicly genuine tone, and she nodded once before looking back to the path before them, to the ominous building up ahead.

"Okay, but <******** that," she murmured softly, the color draining from her face. She looked to America with raised brows. "You wanna make a clubhouse there? That's some Silent Hill s**t."

The Semblance of Unity

lizbot

Ashdown Whaler

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher raised an eyebrow when Lily reached out to touch her, almost leaning back, but she allowed it. Thought the contact was small, warmth rushed through her. Thoughts of how Lily was her friend, her sister, someone to look up to, pack, home. Preacher sucked in a breath as Lily removed her hand. Belatedly, she jerked back, eyes wide and pupils huge. It had felt as thought the touch had gone on for ages but, in reality, it hadn't been so long after all.

After a moment, she shook herself and stared down at her hand, flexing her fingers. Preacher hated it. She hated anything that manipulated her into feeling something other than she was at the moment. "Does.. does that happen with every were I meet?" she choked out.

"Never... nevermind. What's a Gloom?" she asked America, desperate to think about anything else. The place they were looking at was grimy and gross and abandoned and should be just fine. "Look like a bit of a fixer-upper, Amex." Her voice was a little shaky, but Preacher always recovered quickly.

amitotic

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Y'all shoulda seen the Sweet Pea before I got her all cute n'spiffy." If they asked she had progress photos, like some sort of proud parent just waiting for the chance to show off their child.

"But I guess the first thing to note is: we're gonna need to install a new door. See? We've already got plans to turn it around!"

Despite her determined optimism, America stayed cautious, bluntly stating, "In the interest of not dying, I'm sticking between you too, kay?"

the semblance of unity

AMItotic

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

The wind blows, a strong gust, and one of the doors falls off of it's hinges and clatters to the ground. There's a faint glimmer of a light inside the building, a brief spot of something warm and inviting.

It fades but it is clear that the immediate area, once past the doors, is a large open area.

lizbot

AMItotic

The Semblance of Unity