cherry valley forever
AnasAbdin
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Keni
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if i look back, i am lost
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@tai-breaker
Notice to all Followers:
Everything below this post is from an entirely different RP and thus irrelevant. I am simply a sentimental hoarder of old characters who is unable to delete certain threads. :)
If you're from any previous rp, please Unfollow. Thank you!
Have you ever been in love?
.....no. I've been in a relationship that had the potential to develop into that, but it didn't last long enough for me to figure out whether I was or not.
Checking In || Joanna and Lydia
Joanna felt bad because she had yet to honor Devlin’s final request which was to take care of Lydia. She had texted the other Mythic a few times and at least knew that she was surviving but she hadn’t really seen her since the day they cleaned out Devlin’s room together and she knew that she had to change that. The Salamander thought going to her room was the best thing to do, Lydia wouldn’t be able to turn her away as easily as she could if she were to contact her by text instead. After closing down her stand for the day Joey drove the short distance towards the Inn Room Suites, parking her van in front of the Rusalka’s room. She carried a small bag with her containing some left overs from the dinner she had cooked the night before, having way too much to finish it herself, and a plate of cookies that she had baked with her grieving friend in mind. She doubted that Lydia was eating very well and wanted to change that if she could. Walking up to the door Joey knocked and waited for her the other woman to answer.
Dia had finally forced herself to go back to work several days ago, but she still couldn't do much more than that. Her days pretty much all looked the same. When she had to work, she went to Logos, then the Pet Depot, then home. When she didn't have to work, she went to Logos, then back home. On the bad days, though, she couldn't even manage that. There were still nights when she would dream about him - sometimes, it was his last moments, sometimes it was more pleasant memories, and sometimes it was as if the camping trip had never happened - but no matter what, the next day, she wouldn't be able to leave her room.
Last night had been one of those nights. It had been one of her least favorites, where the camping trip had never happened. They were happy, normal - or, as normal as two Mythics being hunted by the government could be - and, most importantly, they were together. As the dream replayed in her mind before fading back into oblivion, she curled smaller, pulling the sheets tighter around her. Looked like she would be spending the day in bed again; thankfully, she didn't have to go into the Depot today. She didn't want to close her eyes, for fear of seeing his face again, but the misery of staying awake made her want to escape it somehow. As she struggled with the decision between consciousness or not, she heard someone knocking on her front door. After a moment of willing it to be a figment of her imagination, she knew she couldn't just leave whoever it was standing out there. Pulling the blanket with her as she got out of the bed, she wrapped it around her shoulders and opened the door. She offered the Salamander a small smile, the best she could force out, then stepped aside to allow the woman to come inside if she wished. "Hey, Joanna. What's up?"
What's your opinion on yourself?
I'm nothing special. In fact, I've done some really bad things in my past, but I'm trying to be a better person. I try to be there for the few friends I've managed to keep, though I'm not really sure what I can do for the current situation. Like I said, I'm nothing special.
Trying to Move On || Lydia & Jamie
Jamie made a split decision and took a deep breath as he reached across the table and laid a hand over Lydia’s in an attempted gesture of comfort as he quickly retold his own tale of loss. No one had ever heard this before now, not in the full detail he was about to give. “I know how it feels to lose someone important, and I just wanted to share that with you, because I’m here for you if you need someone.” He gave her a gentle smile.
Leaning closer so as to not be overheard, Jamie launched into it. “I grew up in a boarding school in England because my parents were involved in the rebellion there, they kept me away for safety reasons I assume. But one night when I was seventeen, they came for me and we moved here to Georgia. At first it was Savannah, everything was rather good for a year until the judgement caught up with them— or I think it was them anyway. Either way, we were going to the beach that weekend, I was upstairs packing when I heard the gunshots.” He paused to look down, splaying his fingers as his palms lay flat on the table, the right one oddly encased in a black fingerless knit glove. “I came downstairs and saw them dead on the kitchen floor. My mum was dying.. like how.. Devlin died. Similar. I screamed and the man turned and shot me too.” He lifted the hair on the left side of his face, revealing a long scar from his temple that disappeared into his hair. “I bled a lot— head wounds do— but he had just grazed me and thought I was dead. I woke up later that night.. my parents dead.. and took off. Then I came here.” Jamie chewed his bottom lip as he looked back up at her. “I don’t know why I told you that, but I did. Maybe to show you that we have a kinship somehow.” The blond gave the Rusalka a watery smile.
"And you can burden me anytime you fancy, I’m a good listener, and it’ll take my mind off of my own problems for a short while to focus on a friend’s." Jamie’s smile that time was a little wider— hopeful— as it quirked upwards.
Dia tried to meet the Merrow’s gaze as he began talking. She was intrigued by his words, especially since the conversation suddenly felt so similar to the one she had shared with Devlin when they had first met. The memories of that day threatened to bring the tears back, but she fought against them. No need to lose control for a reason Jamie couldn’t detect. However, as his story continued, her heart went out to him and when he mentioned the late Phoenix’s name, the tears finally broke free, silently flowing over her cheeks.
Her hand began moving of its own accord, lifting from the table as if to stroke his scar, but she was able to detour it quickly enough that she instead simply imitated his comforting gesture by placing her hand over his on the table. She managed to return his smile with a sad one of her own, even with the tears still slowly carving their way down her face. Once he was finished with his story and she felt in control of her voice, she daintily cleared her throat. “Thank you, Jamie. I really appreciate that. And…I’m - I’m sorry about your parents. I never knew mine, but I couldn’t imagine knowing them and losing them like that. This is hard enough.” A single tear made a path down her cheek, and she reached up to brush it away. She hadn’t wanted to cry in public, and yet here she was, weeping in the middle of the coffee shop. She should have known that would happen; It seemed she couldn’t go very long anymore without crying.
It suddenly occurred to Dia that Jamie had shared a very personal story with her, and she should probably reciprocate. She didn’t know what it was about the blonde, whether it was because he was a fellow water creature or because they both knew the pain of loss, or maybe it was because of what they had gone through at the farmhouse, but Dia wanted to confide in him, to trust him. She took a deep breath before beginning a story, the whole of which she had yet to tell even Alex.
"I didn’t actually know Devlin that long. It was only a month or two, which - for people like us - is more like a second or two. But he had lost family, like you, and it had sent him to a dark place. We had that in common - I was born a different person than I am now,” Dia hoped that Jamie could see in her eyes what she could not communicate verbally in public, “and I did some bad things before I finally…changed. And so we bonded quickly - we had similar interests, and he always treated me like I was some precious thing that needed to be cared for and protected. At the Halloween Parade, we…we found out that he's-er, was possibly the father of Eva's baby - they happened before he met me - but that gave me an opportunity to step back from him. To distance myself. And I probably should have, because before I came to Atlanta, I didn’t have the best track record for keeping friends alive. But I didn’t, and that was actually when we finally made our relationship official. Fast forward two weeks, and we were happy - before the camping trip got seriously screwed up…..then we went on that search party for you and Angel and the human. We had barely gotten into the woods, it couldn’t have been ten minutes after we crossed the treeline, when the Mare - though we thought she was that little girl with the awful laugh - appeared with the other hillbilly Mythics. One of them, I’m not sure who, fired a shotgun at me. It would have killed me if Devlin hadn’t gotten in the way…..” Dia’s voice finally trailed away, the tears having returned with a vengeance. She looked down at the coffee cup between her hands, no longer able to form words until she could get herself back under control.
Aftermath ► Alex and Dia
"I’m okay," he lied, wincing a little at the mention of Jagger’s name. He still hadn’t seen Phoebe, and he felt like an asshole for it. He just couldn’t bear to feel that pain, to see the look of hurt in her eyes, or…worse…feel exactly how much his sister blamed him for what happened. "Don’t worry about me, Dia. Let’s just get you okay again." He didn’t want the others worrying about him when they already had so much to worry about. Alex, in his opinion, didn’t deserve their worry.
Dia didn't completely believe Alex's assurance that he was alright, but she didn't have the energy or desire to argue with him. She just nodded at his words and leaned her head on his shoulder, content to sit for a few moments in silence with her best friend. After a while, a small smile played across her lips as she leaned her head up to look at him. "You know what could help with that? I never did get to see you in those bunny slippers... any chance we can get that movie night?"
Aftermath ► Alex and Dia
Alex took a deep breath, letting it out slowly at her words. “Eva is a big girl,” he answered evenly, trying not to let any emotion play in his voice. “She can take care of herself and that baby…if it’s Devlin’s. You did the right thing, Dia. Your happiness didn’t have to be sacrificed because Devlin and Eva made a mistake.” He hugged her tight, more to stop himself from breaking down than anything else. “I promise you that he would have be right there regardless of what you told him. He cared about you, Dia. Don’t ever think that caring about him was wrong or that you didn’t deserve it.”
Dia returned Alex's hug just as tightly, trying to accept his words. The tears no longer flowed down her cheeks, but she could feel them threatening to reappear if she spoke. She took several moments in Alex's arms to compose herself, and when she felt more in control, she pulled away again to really look at her friend. "I really am glad you're okay. I saw you go down after...after Jagger...and I was so worried. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you too...you are okay, right?"
Trying to Move On || Lydia & Jamie
Jamie waited, staring at Lydia but not sitting for a long moment. Instead he just hovered awkwardly, being too politely English to just sit down without being invited. When it became obvious that the Rusalka was too distraught to even talk, Jamie slid into the booth opposite her and just watched the raven haired creature for a moment. He obviously knew by the time that they had all gotten back to Atlanta that she had lost someone dear to her heart, and that was never easy. He had never lost someone on that level, but he had lost both of his parents to the government that had raided their home and killed them. So at least he sort of understood her grief.
Nursing his cup of hot coffee, Jamie slowly spun it within his palms, warming them as the awkward silence between them filled the air. He was just about to speak when Lydia piped up, asking him that question that everyone wanted to know and always asked during intense emotional upheavals. The blond gave her a wan smile when she asked but replied candidly. “I’m as well as can be expected, more importantly how are you?” He questioned kindly, canting his head as he studied her. “I know losing someone is hard.. do you-do you have someone to take care of you right now? Help you through it?” Jamie murmured.
Dia nodded at the blonde's response. It seemed no one in Atlanta was the same as they were before the weekend. Maybe this was just Dia's bias, but everything had changed, and the atmosphere around town reflected that. And then came the question that Dia knew would be the most frequent one she would hear. But then, what else was there to say in this situation? She may have only known Devlin for a short time - especially to a creature with her life span - but in that small window of time, he had become one of the most important people in her life. She had found in him something that she didn't think she would ever find, but he had been ripped from her by a psychotic Mythic. What words encompassed that tragedy?
Jamie's questions slowly registered in Dia's mind, and she took several moments to consider them honestly. After a short while, she finally spoke, though her eyes remained on the untasted coffee between her hands. "I'm...I'm functioning. I'm out of my hotel suite, and I'm showered. Bright side, right?" At that, Dia attempted a small smile as she finally looked up at Jamie. "I haven't really talked to anybody since I got back to Atlanta...Joanna has been as helpful as she can, but I haven't really reached out to her. Normally I would go to Alex, but I know he's going through his own struggle right now and I don't want to burden him with mine." Dia shrugged, once again dropping her eyes to her coffee. The truth was, all of her friends had gone through trauma this weekend, and everybody was hurting. As much as she wanted to lean on someone, she couldn't bring herself to burden anyone else with pain they didn't need. And, while she was being honest with herself, the one person she would have gone to in a heartbeat was no longer available. She could feel the tears building behind her eyes once more, but she refused to let them fall. Not in front of Jamie, not in public.
What's your favorite era that you've lived through?
Probably turn of the century/early 1900s. The clothing and the cultural norms all meshed with Dia's personality incredibly well and it was the first time she almost felt like she fit into human society.
What's your favorite animal?
The Black Wakin Goldfish. She loves pretty much any freshwater animal, just because she spent so much time among them (and still spends as much time as possible), but if she had to choose, it would be the Black Wakin. She finds the coloring incredibly beautiful.
What's your favorite thing about the past that no longer exists?
Chivalry. Technically it's still around, but it's not the same as it once was and there are times when Lydia wishes things were as they used to be.
Aftermath ► Alex and Dia
"You do not EVER blame yourself, Dia. This was in no way your fault. He…he cared so much about you. What he did…he did willingly. He did it because he wanted you to live; don’t let your grief cloud what a hero he was." Alex ran his fingers through her hair, holding her close and then dropping a kiss on the top of her head. He didn’t want Dia to take the blame for what had been his fault. Alex took them up there; Alex told them they were safe. All the blame rested fully on his shoulders. "I’m so fucking sorry, Dia."
The weeping didn't slow, but Dia appreciated Alex saying what he did, even if it wasn't entirely correct. Until she had moved to Atlanta, almost everyone she had gotten close to had died. Most through some fault of hers. She had hoped the trend had ended when she came to Georgia, but apparently not. And to think she had had a chance to distance herself from Devlin after the parade, when they had found out about... "Oh my god." Dia pulled away from Alex enough to look at him, a nearly panicked look on her face. "Eva! What if it's Devlin's baby?! I could have ended things with him when she told us she was pregnant, but I didn't! And now her child could potentially be fatherless. All because I was too selfish to tell him we should wait until she found out who the father was...maybe if I had, he wouldn't have been next to me in the woods, and he would still be alive."
Trying to Move On || Lydia & Jamie
Even though he hadn’t lost anyone as Lydia had, nightmares still plagued the Merrow’s dreams, the viciousness they had all sustained in the woods and at the hand of the old ones ever present in the fact that he had barely slept in days and was merely existing off of coffee and cigarettes. Dark, bruise-like circles crescented the delicate skin beneath his eyes, and even the flesh over the sharp planes of the Merrow’s face was stretched taunt as if he had lost weight.
Stumbling into Logo’s for yet another large cup of coffee, Jamie muttered under his breath about having to purchase a coffee maker or he would be dumping his entire savings into Alex’s pockets by buying his coffee every few hours to keep himself awake.
After purchasing the cup, Jamie turned to head home when he spotted Lydia in one of the booths by the window. His heart went out to the Rusalka, knowing that she had lost someone important to her that day in the woods. Moving closer, the Merrow reached up to tuck a stray lock of blond hair behind an ear as he motioned to the seat across from her. “Mind if I sit with you for awhile?” The boy asked softly, his accented voice filled with compassionate sympathy.
Dia had been completely caught up in her thoughts, Devlin's last moments running through her head even when she was awake now. She had been hoping that being in a public place would have helped, but it didn't seem to have done anything yet. So when the Merrow spoke, she started and was grateful that she hadn't been holding her coffee, or else she would have been wearing it. She hadn't even realized he had walked up to her. Although most of that last day was a blur - the only truly clear point after Devlin fell was later that night, when she had cremated him - she thought she remembered the blonde helping her and Joanna escape the farmhouse.
Realizing he had spoken, she nodded slowly. She was trying to remember his name, she was sure she had heard it in the chaos of that day. John? Johnny? James? Jamie...that was it. He was the one who had offered to stay with her when all hell broke loose and the Mare had taken true form, even though there would not have been much either of them could do for their friends. Fortunately, the more powerful Mythic was stopped before they were able to join the fight, but it was the thought that mattered.
She suddenly realized that they were sitting in silence, and she racked her brain, trying to remember what people would normally say. Before the trip, she had to consciously stop herself from talking, but now that her world had completely changed, words came harder to her. In fact, she hadn't spoken more than the few words necessary to order her coffee in several days. However long it had been since she and Joanna had cleared out Devlin's room. Finally, she was able to form a question and looked up at him. Now that she actually saw him, she noticed that he looked almost as rough as she felt. It seemed no one had escaped the weekend unscathed. "How are you doing?"
Putting Affairs in Order || SELF-PARA
Cut for length, mention of death, and FEELS
Once Dia got back to the cabin, she was grateful to see that Keely and Jonah had already gathered their things and left. She didn’t think she could handle the Pixie’s energy at the moment. Dia numbly packed her bag, going through the motions as she fought back the grief that was threatening to overwhelm her. Once the last of her belongings was packed away, she turned to Devlin’s portion of the cabin. Fighting against the sobs, she couldn’t stop the tears from staining her cheeks as she began putting his things away. She managed to maintain control, though more than once a stray tear landed on his belongings. Finally, the awful task was complete and it was time for a much more painful one. She found where Santiago had taken Devlin’s body while Dia had been fleeing with Joanna and Yuko and walked through the kitchens, looking for the fallen Phoenix before kneeling down to pick him up. The man who saw himself as a monster, who - in Dia’s eyes - had been anything but. The man who had sacrificed himself to protect her. She choked back a sob but allowed the tears to flow freely - she wouldn’t be alive right now if it hadn’t been for Devlin. That shot had been meant for her. But Dia wished desperately that she hadn’t needed to lose him in the process of her life being saved. She pulled herself out of that train of thought; she had to stay functional, at least until she got home and took care of everything she needed to take care of for him. Focusing on the task at hand, she carried Devlin out of the kitchens as tears rained steadily over him.
Once they got back to Atlanta, Dia asked Joanna for a ride to the lake. The Rusalka was intent on giving Devlin a send off befitting his species, and she felt it only appropriate that Joanna should be there as well. She had momentarily considered inviting Eva - the Siren had certainly been distraught when he had fallen - but she wasn’t sure if Devlin would have wanted her there, and Dia certainly didn’t. No, better to keep it to just herself and Joanna. When they arrived at the lake, she directed the Salamander towards the cove where she and Devlin had come that day and immediately began preparing the pyre once the van had stopped and she could get out. Carefully unwrapping him from the blanket, Dia placed Devlin’s body on top of the pile before stepping back so Joanna could light it. She stood there as the flames consumed him, not moving a muscle until the pile of wood had been reduced to dimly glowing embers. The tears had fallen freely and consistently but silently, since she didn’t want to tear her gaze from him even for weeping. Finally, when the fire at last had died, she could feel Joanna gently leading her back to the van. Dia couldn’t remember much from the ride back, but she vaguely recalled Joanna agreeing to help her clean out his motel room the next day, though Dia hadn’t realized she’d made the request.
She didn’t sleep much that night - the fateful scene replaying in her head whenever she closed her eyes - and as soon as it was time for the front desk to be open, she went to get the key to Devlin’s room. Joanna could just meet her in there when she arrived. Dia thought that she had cried as much as was possible, but as she crossed the threshold into his home the tears began anew. She took at once to the task, wanting to spend as little time as possible in that room. When Joanna entered after a while, Dia was numb, her cheeks once again dry. She gratefully accepted the hug her friend offered, though it was difficult for Dia to return the action. As Dia returned to her chore, her eyes fell on a leather bound book, the word Dracula inscribed across the front. She gingerly picked up the novel, treating it as though it were the most precious thing in the world. As she looked at it, she realized her legs could no longer support her weight and she slowly collapsed to the floor. She hugged the book to her chest, sobs wracking her body. “He’s gone. He’s really gone and I can’t get him back. And I’m to blame. He was protecting me.” She sat there until she felt empty, no crying left in her body. No more anything left in her. She packed everything up to be given away, save for his copy of Dracula. The book his beloved mother had given him. That, she couldn’t bring herself to give away. That she would keep for the rest of her long life. As they left the room, Dia asked Joanna to take his things to Goodwill as she went home, then walked across the parking lot to her room. She collapsed on her bed, not crying, not doing anything except…existing. And there she stayed for the next three days.
Aftermath ► Alex and Dia
Out of all the people in Atlanta that should hate him, really hate him, for what happened, Dia was at the top of the list — right up there with Phoebe. When she threw her arms around him, the Satyr barely registered it, just sitting there silently as he fought to keep tears from tracking down his cheeks. After a few moments, he turned, pulling her into a hug. “I am so fucking sorry, Dia. I’m so sorry. All of this…Devlin…all of it. This is my fault, and it’s okay if you hate me. I don’t blame you, but I’m so sorry.” Then he did cry, hot salty tears sliding down his cheeks, and his own insides twisting at the pain he felt radiating off the Rusalka. “You deserve so much better than the shit I’ve brought you.”
Dia had to fight back another sob as Alex said the late Phoenix's name, and she could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. She curled into Alex's embrace, trying to pull comfort from his arms. "I don't blame you. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. If anything, I'm to blame for," her voice cracked as she struggled to continue, " for Devlin....he was protecting me. That shot had been meant for me!" Her voice had gotten progressively more desperate until finally she broke down into sobs.
Trying to Move On || Lydia & Open
Dia had spent the last several days in her room, staring at the walls. And the ceiling. And her fish tank. She barely moved, only performing the most necessary tasks. She couldn't stop thinking about Devlin, about the sacrifice he had made for her. Finally, she knew she had to get out of her home or risk going completely mad. She wasn't even sure how many days had passed. Needing somewhere familiar, she went to Logos, going through the motions of ordering her usual drink before finding a booth by the window and sitting down. She stared out the window, a dead expression on her face. She could feel her grief and tears just below the surface, but she had spent the past however many days crying. She didn't want to do so in public.
Aftermath ► Alex and Dia
The days after the Halloween fiasco had seen Alex not even leaving his house. All he’d wanted was a place for them to go and be safe…a place where they could talk, come up with a plan, and maybe find their way out of the darkness once and for all. He’d failed them, and this…all of this…was on him. The Satyr hadn’t gone to work, hadn’t answered his phone, and hadn’t done much of anything other than stare at the walls and think just how much better off they’d all be without him there to screw things up. Finally, he couldn’t take sitting still anymore, and had decided to take a walk through the neighborhood. His head was down as he sat on one of the benches and worked at the keys to his phone, typing out and then deleting message after message that he wanted to send people. He just didn’t know what to say, or how to even being apologizing.
Dia hadn't really left her room since getting back from the Halloween trip. She had spent days just staring at her walls, until finally she felt like she was going to go crazy if she didn't get out of there. She didn't know where she was going to go, but figured the more familiar the better, so started down the street towards Logos. She still felt hollow, her grief barely contained just below the surface, and threatening to overwhelm her at the slightest encouragement. On her way to the coffee shop, she noticed Alex sitting on a bench, and collapsed next to him, throwing her arms around his neck before she could stop herself. "I am so glad you're okay....I saw you go down, and I thought....everything was so crazy...but Jonah and Talos both promised you were okay, but then I didn't get to make sure, and after everything else...." She bit her lip to stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth even as she choked back a sob.
