#fear drabble

[choruscaelum]

Sheridan tag dump!

[littleorphansally]

Eisoptrophobia- fear of seeing oneself in the mirror. Nuada/Sally.

It is said that the Heirs of Bethmoora are mirror images of one another. Linked the length and breadth of numerous lifetimes by a similarity that encompasses all sins. Whether goodness and virtue or cruelty and caprice; they are meant to echo one to the other, like identical ripples created on opposite ends of a listless loch…

…even though they may but stir and never disrupt the others path…but to pass through them, as wind through a broken pane of glass, leaving only the hollow sound of the intangible transition in its wake.

But the reflection is only ever like those ripples, barely breathing across the surface; no submersion satisfied.

When Sally fastens her gaze upon the glassy length of the dark pool, unvisited by most in the Hall, she longs to see the shadow of another in herself. A woman, strong and gentle. Courageous and caring. Selfless…

…and severed from her…like twisted and knotted rope, shorn by a shaving shear…

When Sally reaches out, slim fingers sinking beneath the black viscous veil of that well, in the vain hope to catch the shade of her, that unreachable woman…she dissipates, like so many fragments of dust…at the bottom of the lake bed with but one touch from her hand.

When the surface stills once more, he has taken up residence behind her; observing her coolly within the confines of the constructed fountain. It is a gaze she returns as dispassionately as he doles out, a danger in itself.

There is no resemblance. There could be no two creatures on this Earth less liken to the other.

But she sees herself in his eyes.

The sight, like sunken stones to water, slip uncertainty into her belly…spreading ripples of fear throughout her frame.

And like a child, told how to banish banshees and bad dreams, she closes her eyes.

And counts to ten.

When she opens them again,

though he has gone,

she finds him within,

the reflection

of her own

empty

gaze.

For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. ~ 1 Corinthians, 13:23

[sirens-flag-blog]

||Gerascophobia

Being caught- yet again- by the knights was always so tiring that Patty had stopped being so surprised by the fact that they had learned how to catch her. It always seemed like the moment she stole something knights would be placed at every exit and would wait for her to try and leave the city. While her situation now wasn’t the worst case scenario- that would be Flynn finding her stealing something- being found out by Schwann wasn’t a big step in the right direction.

It was hard to determine who was more lenient with the small pirate as both would go as far as to arrest her but she wasn’t sure which one would usually listen to reason more. There were times she could get out of trouble when Flynn found her out but she could do that same when confronted by Schwann. But whether they let her go with a warning or brought her back for a long talk and have her sit in a cell for a few hours, neither of them had told her something like what Schwann has said to her.

‘When you’re older you won’t wiggle out of the law so easily.’

As Aifread, Patty had never gotten caught when the knights would bring her in for piracy, mass theft, and manslaughter. Now that she appeared to be a child, it was fairly easy to sweet talk a knight and get herself out of trouble and simply run off to her boat to try again a few days later. But she never realized that when she got older- again- she wouldn’t be able to get away so easily. Not only that but she would have much more responsibilities. When you’re older, people are less likely to take pity so she needed to be able to fend for herself in just a few years. She couldn’t be a full-grown adult and still be looking for someone to be looking after her and keeping her safe- it would be her job.

It took what Schwann said to bring it all to her attention. If by some chance she didn’t stay small for the rest of her life, well then Patty would have to find it in herself to finally grow up and act her real age. But that was something she had always been afraid of. Even when she looked her age Patty had never truly acted it. She always had someone to keep her safe so there was no reason to actually grow up.

Not only that, but as an adult she couldn’t let herself get caught committing any kind of crime. While knights were likely to let a child go, it wouldn’t be the same with an adult.  She would be arrested and left in jail for longer than just a few hours if she got caught. Not knowing what jail was like overnight, this was something Patty thought about often.

Thinking about all of this had caused the small girl to space out and she had forgotten Schwann was even there. Eventually she snapped out of her daze just as he asked her if she had understood him. Patty didn’t know what it was that he had said but Patty just desperately wanted to get away before he could change his mind and take in her for repeated thievery.

“Yeah… I understand, nanojya…” And before Schwann could say anything else Patty ran off in the opposite direction and the knight disappeared from her sight in a matter of seconds.

[timetravelingradiohost]

((dude what about losing his voice as a greatest fear?))

((DING DING DING YOU FOUND ONE OF THEM MY FRIEND))They found out rather quickly that the usual punishments for him speaking out on the radio, or through music, was just not working. Re-education could only go so far, as something always brought back his general loathing for the Night Vale system.So the only way to really silence him, aside form death (which would cause too much of an uproar than they would have liked) was to take his voice. If years of smoking and drinking hadn't worn it down already, their surgery finished the deal.He could still talk, if barely, but he couldn't do radio anymore. Couldn't sing. When Tony had learned about what they were doing, he didn't have a chance to get away. Having merely thought it was the usual procedure.  It left a large scar over his throat, and even if he still could speak, he barely did anymore. He mostly stayed in his apartment and composed music. Just melody. No words. But there was so much he had to say. So much.  They may have silenced him physically, but his intuitive abilities still spilled through him and while he couldn't sing, he could still write.  Still compose. And he would find someone to sing them. And they would be heard. He had to have hope. 

[timetravelingradiohost]

Greatest fear: Being Forgotten

((Surprisingly not his greatest fear since he faced it when coming back to Night Vale already but then people did start remembering him. But if he was truly forgotten like Twilight Zone-wise when even his sister doesn't remember him then YEAH THAT'S SCARY he likes to think he exists or matters to someone and not having someone to remember, even his music,  he'd feel very...lost.))It was when he had returned to the studio, old key still in hand, that he realized he didn't exist to these people anymore. When he opened the door and there was dust and cobwebs all over the booth. When the door had taken a lot of struggle to even open.No one had been in it in years. No one cared to find out what was behind that door. No one cared to unlock the drawers that held all those years of cassette tapes and music. Of history in Night Vale where there was a voice before Cecil Baldwin. And that was okay. He wasn't that great of a host. It was cheesy 80s stuff, that he had to admit. But it hurt, to know he was so easily set aside never to be touched again. That everyone had forgotten him, that those nine years had meant nothing, nothing at all.He flicked the flashlight over to the baby grand. His baby grand. And the nearly antique looking mic that hung overhead. He smiled as he brushed fingers over the dusted black of the piano, wrting over it. 'And these are the last words I have to say.'His life was finished. His story already told. Just untouched by the future.He just hoped Cecil wouldn't get the same fate. 

[sirens-flag-blog]

Drabble || Chaliophobia

Out of everything in the world Patty never thought she would ever be afraid of something as common as a carpet. It wasn't entirely a fear of carpets but more so that the decoration made her nervous and caused her stress. She wasn't sure if this was what someone would call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder but it sure sounded like it could be.

While the uneasy feeling she got from carpets had a reason, Patty felt like she really shouldn't be this nervous around them. After all, it were the guards that wrapped her in the carpet. It wasn't as if the carpet rolled up on her by itself and hung her from the ceiling.

Yet every time she went into someone's home or into an inn that had any type of area rug or carpet Patty would have to step around it rather than on it. She simply didn't like being anywhere near them. Her ship didn't have a single carpet on it and even when she found carpet made of valuable material she'd leave it rather than take it.

Sure people could make fun of the fear she had of carpets however what she thought was that once people knew what caused it they couldn't blame her for being scared of them. Right?

Of course Patty then remembered how even after seeing first hand why she was so nervous around carpets, Yuri still teased her about it and on rare occasions wrapped her in one. She knew with Yuri he was just doing it to get at her and didn't mean any harm but every time she sees him she still unconscious looks him over for a carpet...