Hemlock 🥀🌹
Nightmares
A forest clearing, blood stains the grass and broken rope is wrapped around a tree. Theres a campsite of some kind- or at least the supplies to start one.
Its a familiar sight to Hemlock, its where all his nightmares start out anyway. But unlike usual theres no corpses, no people attacking him, and no noise. Its unnaturally silent. Of course, thats not odd for a dream so he ignores it, not even taking note. He looks around the area nervously and then he starts walking away. Wanting to be anywhere other then here.
The smell of roses and storm and death hits him as she appears in front of him. Amber. His mother. She glares at him, crossing her arms sternly.
"What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to be staying at home."
The area he was in is not his home. Nor is it Ambers. But in the context of the dream he understands leaving it was wrong. He glares back, trying to be strong, desperate that maybe this time she'll see his side of things.
"I'm helping you."
"No you're not. You'll only get yourself hurt like this."
Like this. He didnt notice before, such is the nature of dreams, but something is very very wrong. The hair on his shoulders is blonde. His skin is tanner then its been in years. His right arm is fully missing, no prosthetic in sight. And most horrifying of all, he can't feel the storm. Can't feel the death magic coursing through his veins. Can't feel the way his soul is connected to Ambers. He feels completely and fully alive. And its horrible.
"...wh- why...? I just- I just want to help. Please. Give it back, I need it." He sounds pathetic and he knows it but he's desperate. He feels empty. Broken.
Amber just holds out a hand, unbothered by her son's clear distress. "Give me your crystals too, clearly you can't be trusted with power."
He flinches back, retreating into himself. "What? No! No you can't take that too. It's mine. I fought for it."
"You would never stood a chance without me. I got you those powers and I can take them back. Now hand them over Voss. Now."
He's shaking and holding back tears as he reaches into a shadow and pulls out the crystals. The vessels holding souls intertwined with his own. The souls that give him so many of his powers. Amber takes the crystals and pockets them.
The dream changes. Its not an obvious thing, the scenery stays the same, its still him and Amber looking the same, but he instinctual knows this context is different. He feels younger, powerless and small.
"P-please I d- I don't- please." He whimpers. He hates being this weak. Hates being here. He's scared.
Amber sighs, clearly exasperated. "For the last time, I can't take you home. You'll just have to get used to it."
He starts sobbing. He doesn't know about what. His brain can't decide. Trying to pull pieces from previous nightmares, old fears. Fears of Amber hurting him. Fears of Amber getting hurt. Fears of being abandoned. Fears of being powerless. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
He wakes up with a start, sitting up fast enough to hurt himself. Panting and staring ahead with a traumatized look in his eyes. He digs his claws into the grass he was laying in, trying to ground himself.