[PRP] proper meetings (cass & jeremiah)

[demon_pachabel]

If Cass had seen Pacific Rim, that would be the visual that popped into her head about that time. The phantom thought was there, though she personally wouldn't be having it.

"I am a fan of the darkly beautiful, I guess." she admitted, tilting her head curiously when Jeremiah mentioned the garden. Drifting Garden. Now with probably the same amount of Lovecraftian Future Horror as the Drifting Classroom! She looked down at Hellbine when he was gestured to and crouched. "Hey there, sweet fuzzy face~" she cooed, offering first face rubs before she picked the feline up.

Now she'd gotten to hold TWO out of two othercats she'd met. Life was good.

If she had food, she'd probably have offered it to Hellbine. Alas, she didn't.

Her eyes trailed back to the butterfly now. Tracking butterfly. "So kind of like the ones that are attracted to blood only it's....something else...?"

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Hellbine went easily into Cass's arms, small thing that he was. Though he promptly pawed at her, gently without claws, so that he could be up on her shoulders and see all the things.

"Essentially," replied Jeremiah. "It, the thing, destroyed a building here within other ashdown that resulted in the roof of it's counterpart in Ashdown caving in. No one was injured, thankfully, but it has escalated too far. It also injured a being in the process of that."

Shoulders rolling, Jeremiah's fingers twitched without thought as he looked around as the butterfly flitted ahead of them still. There would have been goosebumps on his skin if icy scales weren't spreading out.

"I should take you back," he said suddenly, "you don't need to be around for this and I can do so."

demon_pachabel

lol she doesn't have to go, jeremiah just doesn't want her to get hurt

 

[demon_pachabel]

At a whole 5'3", Cass's shoulder didn't make the best vantage point (especially when standing next to Hellbine's human, who was definitely taller than her). So Hellbine would have to settle for only seeing some of the things.

"Is...is that a normal thing that happens? Damage on this side effects the other?" her brows furrowed together as Jeremiah explained what it was he was looking for, looking perhaps the most concerned she could. "A 'being'. Like a human being or an other-being or..?" Being was a very vague term for a living creature. There were lots it could have been.

The look of concern turned to one of almost annoyance when Jeremiah suddenly decided she needed to boot out of their side of the veil. "After my last magic touch, I'm not having it." Algernon had made it so she didn't want anybody touching her and he hadn't even meant to offend with it. She pointedly took a large step away from Jeremiah.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"A resident of this side, a being that is not human. An other being. If you know of the game Guild Wars 2? There's a race in there called sylvari and I would have said it was that, minus that it's head was not visible and instead of a swarm of butterflies like the one we're following." Jeremiah looked a little rueful, if only because explaining it this way was either telling that he was, not so secretly, a nerd (who cared) or because it was simply odd to describe.

He stared at her a moment before he sighed. "The fact of the matter is, I may end up having to grab a hold of you. It would be best if you're not worried about a magical touch. Algie's talents are particular and there is, so far as I am aware, no one else can do that." His hand was offered out palm up to the sky and, aside from what looked like icy blue scales peeking out from his sleeve, it was normal. (Just be happy it was the hand with the wedding band only on it because the other hand had two rings and one of which that was made out of bone.)

"Just touch a finger to my hand, if you must, to realize I cannot impact you one way or another." He paused. "Well, aside from the fact that I am cold." As in touching him it would be noticeable that he was more than a little chilled.

One thing was abundantly clear, however, and that was that he would not do something without her consent.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"..A Horerczy..." She wasn't a Guild Wars 2 sort of person, but she was a demonic mythology sort of person. She frowned, the image she'd given herself from that word clearly enough to describe it for her. Albeit it wouldn't be as accurate as what Jeremiah was picturing.

Cass's brows furrowed. "So he told you about that." She'd been very dodgey post 'excuse you those feelings are mine' and it may have been worth mentioning. "I'm sure it would be best if I wasn't worried about it, but that doesn't change the fact I'm worried about it. I'll deal with it if it ends up needed." she took a deep breath, finally putting the phone away. "I can deal with it." I guess.

Never the less, she kept her hands to herself. She didn't even give his hand a scrutinizing look. "I'll take your word on it. For now." That little knot of distrust had a way of winding itself up quickly, and while his presence was suitable, the contact wouldn't be tested unless she needed it to be.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Minus the need for holy water." Jeremiah replied, head tilting curiously. "Hadn't thought about it that way. Nor have I ran into actual demons. I do think whatever started the Slenderman story lives here, though it doesn't drive people to insanity."

He shook his head. "Actually, Algie did not tell me anything. You have to remember," his voice was light but there was something about the set of his eyes that said otherwise, "I also have held hands with my husband."

So he was aware of what it felt like and while, for him it was mostly welcome, there were times that he found himself remembering what it felt like to he forced to sleep. When the thing that had worn his husband's face made the decisions for him and pushed him along the paths he had not wanted. When he had not wanted to be touched at all for a couple weeks.

"If it will help, just grab onto my arm and don't make skin contact." In case she was truly worried. "... but only if you are wanting me to take you out of here before I find what this is leading to." An eyebrow raised. "So the question becomes: do you want to see something unexplainable, Cass?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

If Slenderman was from Other Ashdown (and not just a strange internet meme), Cass was gonna find it. She was going to be the Steve Irwin of this side of the veil. She was gonna wrassle it and probably be killed for it. This was a dangerous aspiration.

"Well.....I guess that's fair. I just never said it was your husband at fault." she replied sheepishly. Of course Jeremiah had held his husband's hand. She would have thought it odd if he hadn't. She'd barely relented to touch his hand in the first place and well...it had been uncomfortable.

"Of course I want to see it." she said, still keeping her hands to herself. In fact, she seemed to make it a firm point to put her hands in her pockets. "What's the point of being somewhere unexplainable if you can't see any of it?"

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Note: make sure to mention the other ashdown theatre to Cass. It included faceless slenderman-esque beings and an adorable chipmunk that wanted to eat faces.

Not that Jeremiah knew first hand. He had only heard about it after the fact.

"No but if you're not expecting it, it will certainly be disconcerting. Not everyone wants to be soothed." There was a shake of his head before he let the topic go. Mostly because it was a thing.

Hellbine, of course, had taken to sniffing at Cass's hair while they were talking. He nosed at it before letting out a small meow. The kind that said 'you two do realize the butterfly is moving, don't you?'

Jeremiah just shot the cat a look, as if he thought it was sass, and looked to Cass. He let out a huff, a near breath of laughter, before he shook his head and gestured for her to start following again. "Then be prepared for anything and take a position at my eight o' clock. Hopefully this thing won't have gotten bigger."

The butterfly had flitted off but it's trail was still followable and they would go after it.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I don't think what he attempted was soothing." he'd meant well, but it had been strange. Probably nice in smaller more expected doses, but definitely strange. She'd never allow it to happen again, however. Alas.

She looked at the feline when it meowed at her, reaching up to offer cheek and chin scritches (kitty kitty, pretty kitty, sweet fuzzy face). "I'm prepared for absolutely nothing and will plan on my feet accordingly." she admitted straight out. Jeremiah's instructions made Cass pause for a minute, having to think through what he'd just said to find her proper position at 'his 8' (it had taken forever for her to realize that all of these number positions were clock based. Nobody ever explained that stuff!!).

"Bigger? Well if it's bigger it'll be easier to find but...." she kind of agreed with the sentiment that 'bigger isn't always better'.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"It was originally," Jeremiah replied, though he meant to stop himself. "Nothing stays so simple as warm hands that can ease aches and worries." Now it was something far, far stronger.

Chin and cheek scritches meant that Cass got a lick to her cheek and Hellbine's tail curling lightly around her neck before it swished.

"Last time it was vaguely human sized. I say vaguely because I am still not certain what I saw." His head tilted, a glance back towards her. "Did you ever see, what was it ... Ringu? The Ring? Either work but the way that the girl in that moved. Jerkily, glitching forward without the other movements being seen."

Comparing things to Ringu was probably a bad idea but ...

Jeremiah's focus shifted back to the trail as he felt the telltale prickle on his skin, that sense of high alert kicking in. Down the street in what looked to be like the wreckage of an old store fluttered the butterfly.

"Before I forget- yes. If you move large things here and they have corresponding counterparts in Ashdown then it can affect it. Small things? No but if you wanted to move your bed a few inches, you could find your place here and use magic to move it easier and go back to Ashdown with it moved." Who wouldn't want to cheat and rearrange with magic? His fingers twitched at his side as he moved forward, posture shifting into something more alert.

A man who was ready to move at anything.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Cass could think of a few comparisons that matched up with that he was describing. But Jeremiah was speaking her language and she nodded along. "Sounds pretty Eldritch to me." she stated with a nod. "I've heard of things described that way because it's how the eye is trying to make it at least make enough sense to see, but the brain can't fully process it." It wasn't in a Lovecraft story she'd read that, but in something more recent. A text adventure game.

She'd found she'd missed a lot. It was good catch-up.

"Okay, I'll..keep that in mind." she wasn't sure where 'small' ended and 'large' began, but it seemed like 'bed' counted as large. Did chair count as small? Did desk count as small? She kept these questions mostly to herself because Jeremiah seemed a little on edge. While there wasn't exactly fear of the unknown creeping in (Cass's fear-senses were a little broken. Must have been part Kender), she did know better than to just ask for trouble.

Though while Jeremiah was ready for one thing, Cass quietly took out her phone. She wanted to snap a picture of whatever it was for Cid. She was an enabler.

Plus he just seemed interested.

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Essentially. Though I can sometimes catch the trails of it, my eyes can see magic if I focus enough." Part of him was suddenly thinking about that one cartoon. Not that he remembered what it was. The one where people had to train to be able to see the fast motions that others made.

Was it bigger than three feet? Probably would count.

Cass was in good company however because Jeremiah's own sense of fear and danger were more than a little bit broken. Especially given that he could tell when he was walking into trouble. The warning bells were going off in his mind and there was little to be done about it.

His head tilted briefly towards Cass, a wry smile given. "Just keep me out of the photo, if you don't mind. The town is already well aware of my status as a magic-user. I'd rather they not know what else I do in my not-so-spare time."

Somewhere, in the rubble head, was a groaning noise. The sound of something bending and being broken further.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

“Well that sounds like a small headache.” No wonder he had cool shiny eyes. If she squinted hard enough would she see anything? Cass pointedly squinted for a bit to test this theory. The answer was no. It just made her look like she needed glasses.

“Oh, I don’t need a picture of you.” she said, tone teasing. “My pictures are for me. I don’t think your husband would appreciate me snapping shots for my own personal benefit.” Though even Cass could appreciate that while an older man, Jeremiah was decently attractive. Just not for little ladies half his age. Or ladies in general, since he had a husband. Cass peered past Jeremiah curiously as they continued on ahead, occasionally glancing back around behind them. The trail had definitely led forward, but…

Still feeling the hint of Fatal Frame in her life, Cass couldn’t help but glance around through her phone camera as well. Just in case.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I've given myself one before because of it." Jeremiah had not enjoyed it either. "... and, actually, there was a point where my magic faded due to being too far away from Ashdown. When I came back all my magic did as well and that," he let out a breath, "is not an experience I want to repeat."

Not that it could anymore anyway.

His lips twitched, a wry look given. "It's more that pictures get around than me caring if you have a picture of me. It is also very specifically me doing anything ... extraordinary. As I said, the community is already aware I am magical but not what I am truly capable of. If it turned out that the Chief of Police has more than just strange eyes it may not go well." If Cass did not know, she now knew his profession and job.

Hopefully that wouldn't ruin things (as some did not always like interacting with police) if only because Cass was someone he already had some camaraderie with it felt like.

Looking through her phone and it faced ahead, she would notice something that looked like broken pixels to the far right. Except that as she moved the camera it would move as well to another spot. It wasn't just on the screen. The butterfly was moving towards it.

Jeremiah turned his attention back to the old store that was wrecked. Another building was next to it, entirely intact but that one did not have the butterfly floating in front of it. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as a piece of rock suddenly came flying out from the rubble. It missed the butterfly and crashed into a window across the street because of how hard, and fast, it went through the air.

"... looks like it may still be throwing tantrums," he said, steps slowing to approach.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

When she first saw the pixelation, Cass frowned, tapping her phone a few times before moving the camera setting to see if it was just from that angle. It was, yet as the affliction move, she continued to frown. She looked up from it when Jeremiah dropped his job title, frown deepening as she stared at his back. The knot of trust wound itself up carefully, pulling its strings in. He didn’t seem like a bad person - and she tried to give everybody their fair shake, but…..

“Gotcha. Gotta have people not lose faith in The Man over things that already make them uncomfortable.” she understood it easily. Despite her own situation, she tried to keep her faith in The Man open as well. It wasn’t like it was Jeremiah’s fault, or the APD’s fault, or really anybody’s fault that she felt like she’d been failed. Simply, he’d just never be put into a position where he could fail her.

Her attention darted away when the rock flew out from the rubble, wincing at the sound of breaking glass. “Hooooo, someone didn’t eat breakfast and now they’re haaangry…” she whispered under her breath. “Am I in a good spot or do I need to move?”

Azuredreams