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[For Anael] Are you there?
Oct. 26th, 2019 11:57 pmIt had been a week, and after they still hadn't been snatched back to the inn, Corbie allowed herself to finally start to believe that yes, this was her life now. In this strange city, in this stark apartment. Not that she and Mildmay hadn't been learning the city--he was out doing that right now--but she hadn't really believed at first that this was more than another Otherworld. It was a defense mechanism, so she wouldn't be crushed at inevitably being dragged back into that pink hell.
But then if it was all a lie, then that would mean that she was never going to see Jackson again for the rest of her life.
It wasn't the biggest loss, objectively. She knew that. Didn't mean much.
It also wasn't her fault that she and Mildmay were stuck in this place. She knew that. But she hadn't fucking helped, either, and it didn't mean very much.
So, as she often did when she needed to find her center, Corbie prayed. She sat in the center of her bed and let the beads of her coraline--Vax, she hadn't even said goodbye--run through her fingers and said the five stations to the Lady. But for whatever reason, she could not convince herself that anybody could hear her. Not here.
What now? The God she didn't know? She couldn't bring herself to do that. It was too many steps too far. Her mind wandered, looking for something to latch onto. She could probably have meditated, it was what Felix would have told her to do, but that only reminded her of Felix and that was another thing she just didn't want to face.
She thought of the friends she'd left behind. Thought of Coby. Thought of his angel. And...
Anael? I don't know if you're there. You don't know who I am, and I'm sorry, only my friend Coby told me about you and I don't know if my Lady can hear me and there's nobody else and I'm scared and I thought maybe... this is stupid.
But then if it was all a lie, then that would mean that she was never going to see Jackson again for the rest of her life.
It wasn't the biggest loss, objectively. She knew that. Didn't mean much.
It also wasn't her fault that she and Mildmay were stuck in this place. She knew that. But she hadn't fucking helped, either, and it didn't mean very much.
So, as she often did when she needed to find her center, Corbie prayed. She sat in the center of her bed and let the beads of her coraline--Vax, she hadn't even said goodbye--run through her fingers and said the five stations to the Lady. But for whatever reason, she could not convince herself that anybody could hear her. Not here.
What now? The God she didn't know? She couldn't bring herself to do that. It was too many steps too far. Her mind wandered, looking for something to latch onto. She could probably have meditated, it was what Felix would have told her to do, but that only reminded her of Felix and that was another thing she just didn't want to face.
She thought of the friends she'd left behind. Thought of Coby. Thought of his angel. And...
Anael? I don't know if you're there. You don't know who I am, and I'm sorry, only my friend Coby told me about you and I don't know if my Lady can hear me and there's nobody else and I'm scared and I thought maybe... this is stupid.
Inner worlds
May. 19th, 2019 10:10 pmThey’d been working for months on this. Corbie had no way of knowing if the length of time was normal or not, she’d been learning to teach as she’d been teaching and that made things complicated. But Thor had been patient with her, and she did her best to make up for any shakiness in her teaching by his progress very seriously. Focus exercises, visualization exercises, meditation and trances and lucid dreaming. And recently, forming a mental construct. Which was bigger and more complicated than anything that came before.
And for most of that, they’d had to go with speaking to each other. Unlike magic, which had very visible results, this was... not. But Corbie thought she’d figured out a way for them to actually see what the other was talking about. It was dangerous to go wandering outside your door in mental or dream realms, but if a direct link could be forged...
They could try it, anyway.
Which was how they ended up sitting on the floor of Corbie’s room with cards the Moon for dreams and the Star for clarity, and two runes—his Thurisaz and Nauthiz standing in for her—arranged between them.
“You sure you want to try this?” she asked for what was probably the fifth time. “We don’t have to.”
And for most of that, they’d had to go with speaking to each other. Unlike magic, which had very visible results, this was... not. But Corbie thought she’d figured out a way for them to actually see what the other was talking about. It was dangerous to go wandering outside your door in mental or dream realms, but if a direct link could be forged...
They could try it, anyway.
Which was how they ended up sitting on the floor of Corbie’s room with cards the Moon for dreams and the Star for clarity, and two runes—his Thurisaz and Nauthiz standing in for her—arranged between them.
“You sure you want to try this?” she asked for what was probably the fifth time. “We don’t have to.”
The longer she did this, the more Corbie was getting used to playing this dual role of student and teacher. She was definitely not always confident in being any kind of authority figure when she felt like she barely knew what she was doing and when her student was almost a hundred times older than she was, but Thor was patient and encouraging and Corbie's natural response was to bloom under such attention until, somehow, she was rising to meet the occasion.
Mostly. She was still pretty sure she fucked up here and there, but what could you do other than try, try again?
He'd asked to stop warding his dreams and she had, and additionally hadn't asked about the results. Though she was starting to wonder if she really should. Not in a fussing sort of way, but in a needing to know for science sort of way... or was that being nosy?
This combined with her studying meant she was half-distracted and lost track of time. Her cards were still spread out all over her bed when the knock came and she struggled a moment with the urge to put them away. She was shy of them, or at least the idea of being asked to read them. She still had to look them up half the time because there was so much to keep straight. She wasn't even sure she wasn't getting gibberish most of the time--she had no idea what the Emperor, the Knight of Wands, and the Princess of Cups were referring to. Muscle memory had a say too, though, and that made her bounce off the bed to let Thor in. "Hey."
Mostly. She was still pretty sure she fucked up here and there, but what could you do other than try, try again?
He'd asked to stop warding his dreams and she had, and additionally hadn't asked about the results. Though she was starting to wonder if she really should. Not in a fussing sort of way, but in a needing to know for science sort of way... or was that being nosy?
This combined with her studying meant she was half-distracted and lost track of time. Her cards were still spread out all over her bed when the knock came and she struggled a moment with the urge to put them away. She was shy of them, or at least the idea of being asked to read them. She still had to look them up half the time because there was so much to keep straight. She wasn't even sure she wasn't getting gibberish most of the time--she had no idea what the Emperor, the Knight of Wands, and the Princess of Cups were referring to. Muscle memory had a say too, though, and that made her bounce off the bed to let Thor in. "Hey."
Mildmay the Fox
Jan. 16th, 2019 05:54 pmAfter the visit from Kolkhis, Corbie had set everything to the side for a while. Even if she'd been ready to talk about it, Mildmay just wasn't physically capable for at least a week afterward. She'd tended to him in spite of any protests, spent most nights in the other bed in his room, and made sure he had medicine, that he ate, that he drank enough water. That the sheets got changed so the bed didn't do more harm than good. She did what needed doing without complaining.
Every day he needed less of her. Every day she spent less time hovering and more time out on her own business. The fever did break, but then there was a lot of coughing. And a lot of fluids that if she hadn't seen it before, Corbie would have wondered at something that color coming out of a human body. Jackson had been--for once--a genuinely steadying influence through the whole thing, reassuring her that this was all in the range of normal and Mildmay was on the mend.
And eventually one morning when she woke up, she sensed that he was already awake and alert. Not just awake, but awake in a way he hadn't been since before she'd first bullied him into admitting he was ill.
Eventually, Corbie got herself out of bed, padded over, and slipped into his bed beside him. "Morning," she murmured. "How're you feeling?"
Every day he needed less of her. Every day she spent less time hovering and more time out on her own business. The fever did break, but then there was a lot of coughing. And a lot of fluids that if she hadn't seen it before, Corbie would have wondered at something that color coming out of a human body. Jackson had been--for once--a genuinely steadying influence through the whole thing, reassuring her that this was all in the range of normal and Mildmay was on the mend.
And eventually one morning when she woke up, she sensed that he was already awake and alert. Not just awake, but awake in a way he hadn't been since before she'd first bullied him into admitting he was ill.
Eventually, Corbie got herself out of bed, padded over, and slipped into his bed beside him. "Morning," she murmured. "How're you feeling?"
A trip sideways in time
Dec. 23rd, 2018 12:30 pm"You know the signs," Corbie heard herself saying. "Mildmay's cough is getting worse."
Only Corbie hadn't said it.
The girl startled and looked up from the book she'd been too preoccupied to read and found a woman sitting across from her. She was older than Corbie, perhaps mid-twenties, but possessed of the same curling yellow hair, the same large blue eyes, the same mischievous quirk to her lips. But there were differences, too. There was a scar on her neck, two round marks that spoke of a bite. And her face was less round, the bones more defined. Her ears were pierced, and she wore a locket around her neck that hummed with magic.
But nothing was as shocking as the baby in her lap. A year old, give or take, but that was most certainly a baby.
Still. That was her own face, that was herself, looking back at her from across the cafe table. Corbie stared with huge eyes.
The woman smiled, bouncing the baby on her knee. "How long has he been coughing for, anyway?"
Corbie's mouth hung open like a fish. "Um... uh... a few days?"
"Oh, honey," the woman shook her head. "You know better than that. He should be in bed, and he won't until you make him. And that creates a problem for me, because now that I've got this one with me," she bounced the baby higher, making her laugh, "my job got a bit harder. I'd gladly have left her with Mildmay, but..."
"Wait." Corbie held up her hands. "What the fucking fuck is happening?"
The woman smiled wider. "Oh you know. You've seen some folk 'round here who shouldn't be, I'm just one of 'em. And you want to go back to your life and I wanna go back to mine, you're gonna be the good girl I know you are and listen to me."
"Who... are you, though?" Even though Corbie already knew it her heart and slightly dreaded the answer.
The other woman extended her hand and they shook. "Gartrett Corbie," the woman said, bold as brass. "Knowst it without asking me, fool girl," she said, in an imitation of gran so spot on that Corbie could hardly deny their connection.
"What d'you want with me?" the girl whispered.
The woman's eyes softened. "You are... in a place I remember being, with a lot of questions about the future and what it can hold for you. Who better to answer those questions than yourself? Even if Gotham is nothing at all like this place. But you do have potential. It's only you don't see it." She sighed. "Ah, well. Plan B. Perhaps we could find Regina."
Only Corbie hadn't said it.
The girl startled and looked up from the book she'd been too preoccupied to read and found a woman sitting across from her. She was older than Corbie, perhaps mid-twenties, but possessed of the same curling yellow hair, the same large blue eyes, the same mischievous quirk to her lips. But there were differences, too. There was a scar on her neck, two round marks that spoke of a bite. And her face was less round, the bones more defined. Her ears were pierced, and she wore a locket around her neck that hummed with magic.
But nothing was as shocking as the baby in her lap. A year old, give or take, but that was most certainly a baby.
Still. That was her own face, that was herself, looking back at her from across the cafe table. Corbie stared with huge eyes.
The woman smiled, bouncing the baby on her knee. "How long has he been coughing for, anyway?"
Corbie's mouth hung open like a fish. "Um... uh... a few days?"
"Oh, honey," the woman shook her head. "You know better than that. He should be in bed, and he won't until you make him. And that creates a problem for me, because now that I've got this one with me," she bounced the baby higher, making her laugh, "my job got a bit harder. I'd gladly have left her with Mildmay, but..."
"Wait." Corbie held up her hands. "What the fucking fuck is happening?"
The woman smiled wider. "Oh you know. You've seen some folk 'round here who shouldn't be, I'm just one of 'em. And you want to go back to your life and I wanna go back to mine, you're gonna be the good girl I know you are and listen to me."
"Who... are you, though?" Even though Corbie already knew it her heart and slightly dreaded the answer.
The other woman extended her hand and they shook. "Gartrett Corbie," the woman said, bold as brass. "Knowst it without asking me, fool girl," she said, in an imitation of gran so spot on that Corbie could hardly deny their connection.
"What d'you want with me?" the girl whispered.
The woman's eyes softened. "You are... in a place I remember being, with a lot of questions about the future and what it can hold for you. Who better to answer those questions than yourself? Even if Gotham is nothing at all like this place. But you do have potential. It's only you don't see it." She sighed. "Ah, well. Plan B. Perhaps we could find Regina."
[Log] Matters of the heart
Nov. 20th, 2018 11:25 pmAfter first lesson with Thor, Corbie needs someone to talk her through whether or not she's entirely wrong about love. Jackson is both best and worst choice.
( Okay. )
( Okay. )
[Log] Matters of mind and spirit
Nov. 19th, 2018 11:31 pmIn a moment of panic when when feels she promised what she can't deliver, Corbie turns to Mildmay for reassurance.
( The second biggest problem with being stuck here, if you asked Mildmay, was boredom. )
( The second biggest problem with being stuck here, if you asked Mildmay, was boredom. )
For Jackson
Dec. 2nd, 2017 11:13 amContinued from here
She liked a man who was good to his word. She liked it even better when it resulted in a freely offered orgasm before being slammed into a mattress like she'd been craving for months. And she'd only asked for one of those!
Corbie was entirely certain that if any of her neighbors were home they knew exactly what she'd been up to. Jackson was not a quiet lover though really she hadn't exactly been discreet herself. It hadn't mattered. And now, sprawled on her bed with her face half-buried in her pillow, she didn't care. She'd needed that like she needed water and air.
Though she supposed she would have to figure out how to set up a ward for sound so that wouldn't happen again. She was used to it, sure, but there were kids living in the building. Older than Nell had been, but that didn't make it right.
When finally she caught her breath, she let out a long sigh. "Thank you."
She liked a man who was good to his word. She liked it even better when it resulted in a freely offered orgasm before being slammed into a mattress like she'd been craving for months. And she'd only asked for one of those!
Corbie was entirely certain that if any of her neighbors were home they knew exactly what she'd been up to. Jackson was not a quiet lover though really she hadn't exactly been discreet herself. It hadn't mattered. And now, sprawled on her bed with her face half-buried in her pillow, she didn't care. She'd needed that like she needed water and air.
Though she supposed she would have to figure out how to set up a ward for sound so that wouldn't happen again. She was used to it, sure, but there were kids living in the building. Older than Nell had been, but that didn't make it right.
When finally she caught her breath, she let out a long sigh. "Thank you."
