milliways_bar | (no subject)

(Somewhere Under Milliways: Sunshine's large, lovingly-collected library of gothic vampire lit will likely never be the same refuge of fantasy escapism ever again. She may burn them all when she gets home. If she survives to get home.)

From the kitchens come the sounds of startled, squeaking rats, of a large basket of paradoxes overturning as someone runs unsteadily towards the reassuring light and noise of the bar. The door to the kitchen slams open a moment later, letting through a pale and shaking Rae, clutching her wrenched and bruised right arm to her chest as she runs.

Her head is still reeling, her eyes watering and blurring her vision, the realization of what had just happened - what she had done - and to whom - causing her stomach to rebel violently.

Luckily, the cleaning crew prefer a clean bar and have put trash cans up at strategic locations, for Sunshine doesn't make it to the restroom before being physically ill. She falls jerkily next to it, clutching the trashcan rim with a white-knuckled grip in an effort to steady herself and counteract the tremors she can't seem to stop.

(Warnings in OOM for... well, gothic horror.)

(Tiny tags: A Gothic Winter Tale, Vlad Dracula)

(OOC: Mun has gone to bed. Will return to tag up on threads tomorrow. EP is open for new threads/tags forever and ever, amen. <33333)

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"Don't worry about it," Sunshine says, leaning into the warm hug. "It was years ago. I only remembered about the lessons from my grandmother this past summer."

When she had needed to remember. "I... needed a key so I could get away from a bad situation, so I transmuted my pocketknife into a key."

It's now, while patting her pocket where her knife usually lived, that she realizes it's no longer there.

- and she remembers again why it's not there.

She suddenly feels very cold.

"That sounds very brave of you. Did you lose it here?"

Demeter's mouth sets in a firm line, she'll find a way to get it back.

"I wanted to stay alive," she says, shrugging with her good shoulder. Nothing brave about it.

"He... took it."

"If you tell me what he looks like then I can try and get it back."

She looks away, shivering. "I... I can't."

"He... made it very clear that I shouldn't... I mustn't..."

Demeter hugs Sunshine though the air around her holds the scents of a summer storm,

"I won't do anything if you ask me not to but this isn't right."

"Believe me," she says, leaning into Demeter's hug, "I know just how much of a coward I am."

She just doesn't want to die, kthnx Fates?

"He's taking advantage of your fear."

"Well, he's had a lot of practice doing that, I'd think," she says in a small, emotionally exhausted voice. "He's very good at it by now."

"I'm sure. I'm sorry. I will do my best to not cause you anymore trouble. Though if I happen to meet him on my own then I might but your name will not be mentioned."

Demeter does not like seeing anyone hurt and frightened especially strong young women.

"He already knows my name, anyway," Rae says, sick at heart.

"My names, though I didn't mention the others."

"Do you know his?"

Sunshine shuts her mouth.

That's a yes.

Demeter frowns as she hugs Sunshine,

"I won't ask any more. Best to get you feeling more like yourself."

Normally, a situation like this would send Sunshine running to her bathroom for the longest, hottest, most scrubbing-filled bath ever, followed by a marathon baking session to turn her terror into productive energy and the happier kind of exhaustion.

But she's not really up to baking, tonight.

"I'd... really like to get a bath."

"I'll help you get to your room and stay as long as you'd like to have me."

"Thank you. I don't feel up to being by myself."