Everyone can master a grief but he that has it.

[redwinekindofgirl]

Who: Julie Grigio & YOU.
What: Open and closed top levels, etc. Hit me up at hardtostarboard or by PM to plot!
When: All through August.
Where: All around - specified in prompts.
Warnings: None yet, will be noted in subjects if they appear.

Comments

[abheirrant]

[It's an aberration. He just said it's an aberration. She said it's obvious it's an aberration. His brow furrows, as it's an aberration apparently isn't the answer she's looking for, and he's not sure what is.

He falls back on Pratt's explanation.]

It... guards the cattle?

[redwinekindofgirl]

[Julie just stares for a moment.]

... I feel like we're having two different conversations here.

[And just give her a moment to wobble up to her feet, because she's feeling very vulnerable just sitting down on the ground like that.]

It's an aberration. Right. I know what that word means. So it's an aberration like this-- [She points at the small cat at her feet.] --is a cat, or it's an aberration like 'what the actual fuck is that and why does it exist'. Because I'm using the second one.

[abheirrant]

[Ah. Although her spirited answer is certainly one way a person may describe an aberration, it does seem they were on two different conversational tracks. He tries again, grateful she's standing so that she's closer to eye-level.]

It was animated by necrotic energies, born of the bones from the ground around us.

[... sort of. He doesn't know what happened to that swamp that magically appeared that day in the Agricultural Zone, nor the men who attacked Kieran and whose bones were subsequently pulled into the creature's malformed frame. The cow skull likely came from the zone itself, though. That part is truthful.

Not thinking that answer will be satisfactory either, he tries again with the Pratt method:]

I... believe its name is Scraps.

[redwinekindofgirl]

[The explanation doesn't really make it any better, but the name? The name is like the snap of an elastic band and Julie laughs, managing to not quite sound entirely hysterical.]

Scraps? Really?

[It's--

Well, with the way its creation was described she supposes it's accurate.]

So, what, it's some kind of Frankenstein thing? Who made it?

[abheirrant]

[Having no idea what a "Frankenstein thing" entails, Carlisle finds relief in the fact that she's laughing. Better that than any of the alternatives.]

It was already here when I moved onto this level to care for the animals. [He's leaving out a key detail, but that's also true enough.] I've seen you across the way a number of times, but I don't believe we've met properly. My name is Carlisle Longinmouth.

[He'd offer to shake her hand, but that would require physical contact, so he opts for a polite bow instead.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

[It was something about the thing actually having a name that did it. Facing off against a nameless horror was one thing, but much less intimidating when it had a name like 'Scraps'.]

I never saw it here. [She says doubtfully - Julie feels like she wouldn't have missed something that looked like that, but... Maybe she just thought it was some kind of scarecrow.

Then she blinks at him, looking up at his face when he gives his name. She purses her lips.]

Julie Cabernet. You're not, uh... [The young woman waves a hand, because it's a slightly awkward question to ask.] You're not all the way human, are you.

[abheirrant]

[Her slightly awkward question is met with a slightly uncomfortable look; he stiffens, his brow knitting as those glowing eyes affix themselves on her face.]

I'm sorry, what?

[redwinekindofgirl]

Er.

[Yeah, that was probably rude. You don't just ask someone if they're not human, Julie.]

Look. I'm kinda used to 'not all the way human'. You don't need to explain anything. Or, whatever, you can if you want to.

Time for a tag from 874038107341 years ago

[abheirrant]

[He remains stiff, but at least he has an excuse ready for this.]

It's magical inundation. Overexposure, in a way. It does, er.

[A vague gesture toward himself.]

This.

yes good

[redwinekindofgirl]

[She doesn't realise that he's making an excuse. Hell, if she wasn't so used to the idea of the Dead walking and talking she would be far, far more unsettled by this entire encounter. When she realises the true state of the person she is speaking to, she may be slightly more so.]

Huh.

[Okay, sounds valid.]

That's messed up. Why did you use it so much if that's what it does?

[abheirrant]

I am a healer by trade. It is my duty.

[Which, yes, is also messed up.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

Huh.

[Okay, yeah, sure.]

Doesn't look like it worked out too well for you, dude.

[abheirrant]

Yes, I am aware of that. What would you have me do, ignore my calling in this life?

[And unlife.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

I dunno. If my calling did that to me, I'd probably ignore the hell out of it.

[Like, no offence, but damn.]

It must have meant a lot to you.

[abheirrant]

[He bites back his annoyance; a sober tone is all that remains.]

It was all I had. Surely you must have had something so important to you that you would give anything for it.

[redwinekindofgirl]

... Yeah. Yeah, I did.

[Not something she would have gone quite this far for, she thinks, but she gets where he's coming from. She shrugs one shoulder.]

Then he died.

[abheirrant]

[His eyes fall.]

Ah. My apologies, lass.

[And someone who lost that very thing himself, he understands how painful that can be.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

Yeah, well.

[It's complicated. Julie lifts her shoulder in a shrug again. Thinking about Perry is still... kind of weird.]

He gave up on me before that, so fair's fair, right?