[q-prp] stars fall (Lily/Faceless)

[AMItotic]

She held their hand the whole way back to the theater, though neither of them exchanged words. Even so, sometimes Lily could feel the slow tendrils of confusion and ache like they were wisps of the passing fog, and each time she would look over at her faceless charge she noticed they glowed less and less. Once, when they were crossing the street, she thought she could hear the murmur of 'I am scared', but when she turned to respond the faceless went silent.

Under the light of the theater marquee, the faceless only had two stars left on its cheeks, and one by one they fell away, like raindrops. Thank you for your assistance, they responded, and for the first time Lily heard the chorus of many voices as one, shuddering softly as they let go of her hand. The faceless reached for the door of the theater in their stilted, clunky way, then froze in place as the door pulled outward, as if they'd always been plastic.

"See you, starchild," Lily frowned, trying to swallow a sudden sense of loss. With a nod towards the faceless she'd guided home, she walked through the door, making her way towards the office.

Ashdown Whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

They were waiting for Lily.

Just like she had left them moments ago. A head tilted; a hand outstretched.

The Faceless in Business Suits were always waiting.

AMItotic

 

[AMItotic]

As much as she'd been around the Faceless, Lily should have expected them there, but she still jumped when she saw their heads trained towards her. "Jesus, why," she muttered to herself, clutching at her chest as if it might calm down the sudden spike in adrenaline.

"I found your guy," she announced, reaching for the open hand with a little reservation. "Sorry it took so long."

Ashdown Whaler

 

[azuredreams]

You did, the voices spoke once a hand was touching, and we are thankful. Time is meaningless. Tell us what you learned from the one who was lost. Their voice has not quite rejoined yet.

AMItotic

 

[AMItotic]

"Trueee," Lily hummed with a nod in response to 'time is meaningless', trying her best to chase away the nervous flutters in her stomach. The Faceless meant her no harm. She'd just done them a favor and brought back one of their own. To act sketched out just because they had no faces and moved like living mannequins was spook-shaming, and she was above that.

"They were...really bummed out," she said after a moment of consideration, glancing back the way she entered as if she expected them to be in the doorway. "They wanted to read a book, but the book was empty, so they were really sad about it because they just wanted to go home." Lily still felt the sense of wistful loss gnawing at her, and she gently squeezed the hand she held for a sense of community.

"It doesn't hurt to rejoin or whatever, does it?" Lily's voice was small, unsure. "Like, they're not in trouble, right?"

Ashdown Whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

Lily would discover that the more she was around the faceless, the more she would notice a vague outline. Every so often there was a face.

It was blurry, softly glowing, and not in focus but a face. With dark hair.

This pair was twins, though she would not be able to see much of what their faces really were.

They are part of a whole, it will not hurt to rejoin. Sometimes even those of the collective consciousness get lost.

AMItotic

 

[AMItotic]

"That's cool, then," Lily nodded slowly, trying her best not to stare too hard at the blurs where there might have been facial features. She looked from one to the other and caught the similarity, though couldn't be quite sure if that was just part of being in a collective. Maybe they all had the same face? The starchild had freckles, but then again, the starchild had been lost.

"So you guys are all just one big...mind club, I guess?" She was trying to understand, in the hopes that it would make her feel less ill-at-ease. "What's that like?"

Ashdown Whaler

 

[azuredreams]

Lily would discover that other faceless, after this moment, would have blurred yet glowy features as well. None were the same from one to another except this pair.

The collective consciousness, they spoke, where one has purpose and is able to protect. There is no 'one', no individual, there is only we and we look out for those to make sure they do not lose their way or do harm.

AMItotic

 

[AMItotic]

"That's...actually cool as hell," Lily responded, a soft reverence in her voice. She couldn't stop herself from being a little unnerved by their stilted movements, the hint of features beyond her perception, but she had to at least appreciate what they sought to accomplish.

She had a thought, and looked up at the twins with a sense of purpose. "The moonwalkers were supposed to help enforce the line between this world and the normal one. Did you guys ever...help each other out?" It was kind of a moot question, given that she, a moonwalker, was currently helping the Faceless, but she wouldn't give up an opportunity to try and learn about her own purpose or find her way.

Ashdown Whaler

 

[Ashdown Whaler]

We have worked in conjunction before but it was years long gone. Where we could not go, they did; where we could not act, they would.

Another tilt of head, the blank/not blank faces watching Lily.

AMItotic

sorry i missed the quote!

 

[AMItotic]

"Huh," she said, shuffling her posture so she could lean against the desk. "Is that...something you would ever want to do again? Work in conjunction? It could be handy."

Ashdown Whaler

 

[azuredreams]

You are but a flicker of memory of what you once were, they spoke, but we would, if the time came once more.

AMItotic

 

[AMItotic]

"Yeah, I guess that's...a thing," Lily frowned, pulling away from the desk to adjust the tightness of her ponytail.

"So, uh, we're good, right?" she asked, glancing back for the doorway. "I guess I'll see you guys next time or whatever?"

Ashdown Whaler

 

[azuredreams]

Do you not wish for a reward? They looked perplexed, if it were possible, or perhaps that was just the feeling of their words she heard in her mind.

AMItotic