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 Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 8:56 pm
25/25 | Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | pensive, very pensive...
Directly outside of the aquamarine atrium is a long hallway, lined with entry-way tables and works of art hung along the walls. At the far end is a mirror by a floor-to-ceiling window. Shiloh stands there, fixing his mussed up hair in the reflection.
It's strange, because he rarely sees himself. It's more of a choice; of course he can see his reflection in the everyday, but he chooses not to. It's easier that way. If he can't feel pain, if he can detach himself from this notion of existing, then things become far more bearable. His encounter with that... thing however had left him ruffled. His attire needed to be fixed.
The most curious thing was the new growths atop his head. Seamless with his current outfit; they were long and slender, pearly white like the coral that he wore in his head piece. As it was, it seemed like part of the ensemble. As he touched them however, it became apparent that they were attached to his head, and despite the thin fragility they gave off they were hard. Strong.
Well, stranger things had happened he supposed. He allowed himself a selfish moment of respite, sighing as he listened to the rain against the window.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 9:29 pm
Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | finding him again For the work he'd put in, and with Adoelle as a decent lead, Jamie hadn't actually followed up or gotten a whole lot of information yet. It wasn't an entirely fruitless search, he'd seen people he wasn't expecting to see at the very least. Realistically, despite promising Shiloh he'd keep at it, he wasn't as into it as he could've been. Sure, he wanted to save whoever the tithe was supposed to be, but he was still feeling down and unsure of himself.
And now he was feeling a bit uncomfortable too. Since fulfilling his promise to Forever, his head wouldn't stop itching. When he scratched it, he could feel the beginning of a multitude of strange bumps along his scalp. It was a little unnerving.
"I hope I'm not getting sick or something..." he muttered to himself, fearing some strange Otherworld disease. Walking distracted, he found the entryway to the aquamarine atrium without really meaning to.
From behind the person Jamie saw at the mirror wasn't immediately familiar. Their outfit wasn't the same as any he'd seen so far and their hair, though the perfect shade to match a certain someone, was far too well kept to be him. Except, well, it was.
All Jamie had meant to accomplish was a conversation. He'd ask a few questions, get a little intel, and find himself back on track to hunt down Adoelle. Instead the itching over his scalp intensified and in that moment fledgling little snowdrops bloomed around his head like a crown at the edge of his lacy cap. He felt... happy. It was Shiloh in the mirror. For however long it would last, they could be together again. Jamie had hoped they would meet up soon even despite any lingering doubts.
"Oh, Shiloh!" he said, reaching for his shoulder. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 9:41 pm
25/25 |Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | Has forgotten.
An unfamiliar voice spoke out to him. Like others that had called out to him that night, the speaker knew his name.
He turned around slowly, eyes drawn to the wreath of flowers adorning the speakers head. He was bathed in lace; the thing that stood out the most was the fluffy ears, ivory white against his outfit. He wore a mask. Lucky for him...
Not that there was any venom in the thought. Shiloh didn't envy the guests really; sure, they could come and go, but Shiloh had found happiness and purpose here. So what if he was picked for the tithe? Shiloh was no longer afraid to die. He'd met worse ends already. Still, it bothered him that the guest knew his name. It was like the blonde man who was with Thorne; he addressed him as Shiloh too. Who were these people?
Old friends...?
That had been directed at Thorne, not at Shiloh. Perhaps it was just Otherworld trickery. There was still a vague, lingering doubt. It... wasn't familiarity because he didn't know this person, but...
Had his voice not been spoken, Shiloh would have offered to show him back to the party, deeming them lost and confused. As it was...
"I'm sorry, but have we met?" His voice was calm and smooth, not necessarily annoyed, but still void of any real happiness or surprise.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 9:59 pm
Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | ha ha real funny There was a visible fall to his expression when Shiloh popped the question, but the happiness didn't totally fade, that much was evident in blooms around his head. Not that Jamie understood that new power yet, or even really noticed it now that his attention was so heavily focused on the person in front of him; the person that, yes, he had met before. A short time before, actually, in the hall not far from here.
"Have we met?" he repeated with a small, incredulous laugh, as if the question was certainly meant as a joke. "When did you change your clothes, anyway? I just saw you not that long ago. What's that about?"
The sudden wardrobe change wasn't the only cause for curiosity, however. It was his voice, too, and his general demeanor. Though they'd only been together a moment it felt off, but to be fair, Shiloh had felt just a little bit off for a while now. This was just a different sort of off.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 10:09 pm
25/25 | Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | I...
Jamie's laugh was met with a blank stare. His eyes—exhausted as they were—softened slightly with pity. Perhaps he was confused after all. Shiloh struggled to find the words to give him.
"It... was not a joke." he reinforced, sounding awkward now, sounding tired. He looked at Jamie like he would a stranger; cold, aloof, steeled.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm in no mood to entertain strangers." he started to turn back to the mirror, adjusting the beads along his head.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 10:31 pm
Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | not enjoying this As quickly as his expression had fallen before, it truly lost its luster now, and with it so went the flowers, withering back to nubs beneath his hair. If this was still a joke despite the claims, it wasn't funny. It was hurtful, actually. Painful and confusing and not at all what Jamie wanted to be dealing with right now. With the way Shiloh looked at him, though, it was almost impossible to believe his words weren't real.
Was the Otherworld the one pulling pranks on him now?
"Shiloh I... don't understand what's going on." This time he did grab his shoulder, but his grip was loose and unsure. "P-Please don't turn away from me like that." There were so many things Jamie wanted to say, but they were stuck on his tongue in his confusion. It hurt and his chest was tight and none of this was making any sense.
"How can you say that? We're friends, Shiloh. I literally just saw you in the Ivory Hall."
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 10:39 pm
25/25 | Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | Isn't really having fun either.
Don't pull away from me like that.
Despite Shiloh only answering to one person and one person only, he turned back to Jamie on impulse, blood flowing beneath his skin. His eyes narrowed, watching as the white flowers that adorned his head withered and fell, petals littering the floor. It was pretty, if nothing else.
Old friends.
"I..." His voice sounded foreign to him suddenly, like he was leaving his body, tongue a dead weight in his mouth, "I don't have any friends." he said, matter-of-fact. His posture was stiff when the hand grasped his shoulder, and he immediately lifted his own hand to swat it away.
"I don't know who told you my name, but I don't know you." he repeated firmly. "I've barely left the atrium. You're mistaken, I'm sorry." except by the tone of his voice, Shiloh wasn't actually apologetic at all. No, the pity that was in his expression earlier had all but withered. Something about the Moonwalker was starting to legitimately bother him. His skin felt like it was crawling where his hand had touched. saedusk RRRREADY TO ROLL? Roll a 1d20, 5+ to start chipping away at him. The number will increase with each success.
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saedusk rolled 1 20-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-20)
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 10:55 pm
Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | distraught The way Shiloh turned on him, though much more restrained than Jamie ever remembered seeing, was not unlike the malice he displayed when he was legitimately angry. That look had never been directed at him, though, not once. Shiloh was his friend, his confidant, his impromptu protector when things went south... This was not right. This was wholly and surely wrong. This was Other Ashdown at work, Jamie was absolutely sure.
He held his own hand, the one Shiloh had slapped away, with a look as distraught as he felt. The touch had burned almost literally and Jamie's heart was squeezed so tightly in his chest he feared it might stop beating.
"It's me, Shiloh," he said, sounding almost pleading. "Jamie, remember?" It felt like a nightmare to be attempting to convince his best friend they were actually friends, that they'd even just met before, and that something was obviously wrong with this situation. It was a dream and Jamie wanted so badly to wake up.
Even if Shiloh hated it, Jamie wouldn't stop saying his name.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:00 pm
25/25 | Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | Don't...
Was the name Jamie supposed to mean something? He looked at him, gaze growing colder and colder and colder. Shiloh didn't remember any of the bullies from high school that he chased off. He didn't remember giving anyone specific this sort of gaze. Jamie's distraught didn't add up, and Shiloh wasn't interested in doing the math.
"If I knew you, I would remember you." he said with a short huff, "I've been in this court for a very long time. You are a guest here, I am not. We've never met."
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saedusk rolled 1 20-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-20)
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:09 pm
Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | getting desperate "That's not... that can't be true. We met on the other side, we went to school together, we-" Jamie cut his own words short, eyes snapping to the ground. There was a sickening lump in his throat that made it hard to speak. This was no joke, that much was more than obvious, but the longer it went on, the more he found himself unable to comprehend how any of it was actually happening.
"Your name is Shiloh Beaumont, isn't it? I know it is. Y-You... you keep denying everything, b-but you can't... you can't explain a-any of this either, can you? How long? How long have you been here??"
Now he felt like he was rambling, his words rolling off his tongue, his mouth numb, his voice fluctuating in volume as he tried not to choke.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:21 pm
25/25 | Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | ?!
Shiloh blinked, eyes once narrowed but now relaxing into an unsure squint. He shook his head. No, he was done here, he was going back to his room. He started to shove past Jamie, hand roughly pushing against Jamie's shoulder.
He stopped.
2:43AM, slushie cold on his tongue, street lamp overhead
And coughed.
Wheeling on Jamie, the animosity in his eyes looked as if he'd just been stricken. There was no rain in that place. It was dark, but it wasn't the same kind of darkness found here. It was different, the air, the sounds, the smells—
"I DON'T—" his voice raised to a shout, an honest to god first in who knows how long. "I don't—! I've been here forever, I've, I—" he exhaled sharply, mind racing to find the beginning, to seek out the source.
"A... month... months...?" he looked confused at the realization.
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saedusk rolled 1 20-sided dice:
9
Total: 9 (1-20)
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:53 pm
Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | very confused Jamie was small, he'd always been easily moved, and when Shiloh shoved past him to leave, he stumbled. He cried out, too, surprised, pained, unwilling... It wasn't going to end like this. No, he wouldn't let Shiloh go. Except before he could even reach out, he'd already been turned on. Again, another look he'd never seen directed at him. That voice, raised in his direction... Jamie visibly flinched.
And really, it hurt to see him this way, it truly did. It dug at Jamie's insides and riddled him with so much guilt, more guilt than he'd felt even in the most recent few weeks... or was it months? Months...?
"That... you seem unsure..." Hit bit his lip. Truth be told, he hadn't known Shiloh much more than half a year, if even that. If he'd been here for months, then... It just made no sense. In a way, he didn't want to know the extent of that answer. "Y-You really don't remember anything from the other side?" It was a very desperate question.
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 12:00 am
25/25 | Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | stop it stop it stop it stop it
Unsure. Unsure? "Months..." he said, and then swallowed dryly, "Three... three? Three..."
But it couldn't have been three, could it? He'd been here longer, so much longer. He'd never been on the other side, never... right? He'd...
"There were... there was..." he was obviously struggling, shaken by this as he shook his head. He nearly stumbled as he walked backwards, trying to put distance between him and Jamie.
"One of... the last days of school... school?" he looked perplexed, "I went to school...?" the way he said it made it sound so absolutely alien. What was school?
The image of the blonde—the one that had been with Thorne—immediately sprung to mind. It hurt.
"Stop talking, stop," he almost begged, "I need to—I can't, I have to go, I need to go." he was backing up still, looking towards the door to the atrium.
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saedusk rolled 1 20-sided dice:
7
Total: 7 (1-20)
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 12:28 am
Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | pretty goddamn at a loss Never in his life, his life of only eighteen years, had such a ridiculously short span of time hit Jamie like a sledgehammer straight to the face. If Shiloh had been here for three months, then who had he been spending all of that time with? Who had he texted at two in the morning or gone with for icees? Who had he been shopping for when he walked into the store where Thorne worked looking for art supplies? Who was the Shiloh he knew?
It felt like he'd been telling himself this very same thing over and over like a screwed up mantra since the beginning, but none of this made any sense at all.
There was no way he could let it end with that, absolutely not. His heart felt like a lead weight as it slammed against his ribs and made his entire body shudder. "Please-" he begged right back, his voice strained and cracking. "P-Please don't go, Shiloh! I-I don't want to be alone again... You won't, right...?"
This time when he reached out, he didn't stop. Desperate, delicate fingers gripped at his sleeve. It was all he could do.
Jamie wanted so badly to be strong, he dreamed of the day he could stand on his own two feet, but today was not that day. Shiloh had lifted him up from a dark, lonely place. He didn't want to go back. Please, his eyes begged, shimmering with unshed tears. Please don't leave me.
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 9:30 am
25/25 | Shiloh Beaumont (unmasked) | Can't help you
When had he learned to be so... reflexive? Why is it—when Jamie grabbed his sleeve—that he wheeled on him like an animal with reckless abandon? Why was his first instinct to punch, to hit, to defend? He looked upon Jamie with genuine agitation, but all in all, he looked absolutely harmless. He knew in a darker part of his mind that it wasn't wise to underestimate potential Otherbeings, but Jamie's words had tainted an untapped part of Shiloh's mind. The vague familiarity that plagued him whispered in absolute that Jamie wasn't a threat. Had the aggressive reflex to protect always been there? He never acted when he had to watch Thorne be beaten. He never acted when it was his turn.
It felt wrong, thinking he had been born complacent. He hadn't been, had he?
But than, what was he? Who was he?
It was a blur of messy emotions, but he roughly grabbed the wrist that held onto his sleeve, yanking Jamie into the atrium with him. Shaking him off in the confines of the room, he slammed the door shut with a loud, dull thud. It had been quiet in the hallway save for the thunderous sound of his pulse in his neck. Here felt like a small sanctuary. Here there was just the rain in all its gentle glory; the quiet thrum of the drops on the ceiling and the long shadows that they cast against the walls and the paintings and Shiloh's face as he turned back to Jamie.
Against his skin, they almost looked like faux tears.
"Why are you doing this to me?" his voice was pained, but his expression remained numb. Doing what? Even Shiloh didn't know, but the words escaped him before he could think.
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