[He doesn't think it's boring talk at all, River. But for now, they'll have to put that thought on hold.
because... ma'am???
Henry's followed River, stopping just a few paces behind him, and catching the sight of Amelia emerging from the lake. She's indeed very wet, and though the sight isn't indecent on its own, it's still not something he's sure he was prepared to see. Clothing clings when it's wet! And while he shouldn't care, he finds himself turning his head to place his gaze elsewhere, just for a moment.]
And whatever's in the coffin-shaped box, like you asked.
[Thankfully(?), when Amelia kneels to greet Emily properly the air around her shifts until she's dry again. Her hair spills across her shoulders, glowing in the late afternoon sunlight and it's as if the lake hadn't touched her to begin with. Emily grins at this simple but effective display of magic and hugs her. Amelia returns it (awkwardly) before standing back up.
It's Simon who takes the opportunity to ask a question.]
"What's in the box anyway Miss Steinbeck?"
Hm? Oh, yes. [And with her usual dry delivery...]
That's the body of the monster Henry assisted me in subduing. It was laying around my house so I figured it was better to use it as food for the Belly.
[River turns his head around squinting his eyes at the witch while the two children stare at her wide-eyed. Simon scoots away from Henry and the box.
So don't worry Henry, you are not the only one who thinks this particular witch is... Out there...]
[Ah, yes, but this is the sort of "out there" that actually has Henry's somewhat morbid sense of humor piquing, twisting his lips and making him release a soft laugh.
When he glances back, he's a little amused -- and thankfully(?) Amelia's back to being dry.]
Despite popular belief, I do have some propriety. If we're going to serve a new meal, it can be dressed up a bit.
[While the younger ones wander over to River to help him set up for what appears to be an impromptu picnic (he takes out two coolers, one for food and one for a drink, and a small grill), she gestures at the cluster of trees nearby.]
We can let the coffin rest over there. The blue moon won't appear until we're done with dinner.
And you’re not worried about a lake monster getting splinters in its teeth?
[The way he says it clearly reveals more amusement than actual concern. When Amelia indicates the copse of trees, Henry walks with her in that direction, box in tow.]
He’s a little talkative, isn’t he? But he’s friendly enough. An open book — those are particularly easy to wrench answers from.
That said, it’s odd speaking to others who have some kind of psychic abilities in this world. Their circumstances here are so different than mine. It’s enough to make a man green with envy.
When I said the Load can eat more than just food, I meant it. Splinters will not be an issue with a stomach like his.
[And she's serious as usual but that small twitch at the edge of her lips at least indicates she understands his amusement.]
River's boisterous for an esper. Many of them adopt outgoing attitudes to make up for the mental and emotional strain — [coughLienKhacoughcough] but he's particularly genuine and open-hearted.
[Amelia nods at Henry's latter observation.]
And that's why I thought it would be fine to talk with him especially. River is affiliated with the Collective but he does not strictly adhere to it; just the more benevolent functions and base philosophy.
[A pause.]
And I thought it would be good for you to see and hear a different perspective from mine.
It's still hard to wrap my mind around the fact there are enough espers for a collective to exist.
[He says mildly as they reach the trees. Henry decides to place the coffin down against one trunk, stepping back and still finding the sight comedic, now.]
There are so few of us left back home.
[(Because he killed most of them, his reasoning twisted, but it made sense in his own mind. The only way to save them.)
[She sounds oddly dubious. Though they both agreed their meeting was fortunate (poor first impressions notwithstanding ) it doesn't seem like she had particular expectations about how Henry views her.
Yes, even after he said she was interesting. To her that isn't necessarily positive. This does seem to speak of her actual self-esteem when it comes to relating to others.]
[A strange rebuttal of a question, at least to Henry's ears. But Amelia doesn't quite understand how much of a trial it is for any human to register as interesting on his scale. Misanthropy paints everyone as the same, people with masks, lying to themselves--
And maybe she's no different. But there's something to be said about someone who's powerful, with other facets lying vulnerable beneath, that entices him. Makes him want to know more.
Good, bad? Somewhere in-between? It's hard to say when one has earned Henry's attention, but this is the reality of the situation for now.]
Of course not. [Does she think she's someone to easily become tired of?] There's still plenty I'd like to know about you. River said that you're a tough one to crack, but I see that as a challenge.
[One has to wonder sometimes if Amelia wants to be left alone because she starts to feel antsy about being in someone's eyes for too long. If you're alone, you can't be hurt and be thrown away (because even the Witch King who could be entertained by the mundanity of humans, dropped his interest in her for a time).
But even she's trying to overcome that, isn't she? More than a decade ago she couldn't imagine herself striving to be a public-facing educator or forging friendships across the supernatural world with those who do not neatly fit into the status quo.
And here's Henry Creel, a stranger from another world who, despite having the goal of returning home, wants to know her even after taking the brunt of her obstinate personality. It stirs up something complex within the witch, a reminder of sorts.
She isn't blushing at Henry's tease (goddammit River) but Amelia's intertwined fingers move back and forth in a restless fashion. And before she can stop herself, she says:]
... It doesn't have to be a challenge.
[But additionally.]
But it may very well end up just being that way knowing me. [And now she glances away looking mildly embarrassed.]
[One does wonder. Perhaps it has something to do with her unusual upbringing, perhaps it's something more human, more insecure. Heavens knows that only makes Henry Creel more curious.
He watches as she fiddles with her fingers. A little tell.]
Well. That's all right.
[His head tilts.]
You could say I'm pretty stubborn. And I'm the same way. Maybe we'll both just regret it if we get to know each other more.
[Henry has his fair share of skeletons in the closet. So, so many of them. Despite his human form, this is not his body any longer. Despite his smiling face, that is not his true self. Despite the show of his powers thus far, they are much more insidious in nature than he's let on.
Maybe all of that will be too ugly for Amelia to stomach, later down the line. He is not ashamed of any of it; but he is self-aware. Still, nothing for it but to keep pushing on, to keep centered on the goal of returning home.]
But we won't know until we find out, right? [He leans aside, nudging her gently with a shoulder. It's the first gesture of physical anything from Henry, even if it's a negligible thing, playing at his tease.]
[The little shoulder nudge gives Amelia a bit of a start and she stares at him blinking. Her mouth opens to reply but before she can reply, River calls to them, gesturing with some tongs. The smell of charcoal begins to fill the air.]
"Yo, Miss Steinbeck! Time for dinner and time for Henry to have his mind BLOWN by Korean barbecue!"
[It's a good distraction and Amelia points over to the espers.]
Let's eat. I don't know if you'll have your mind blown but you can at least be full before we go into the lake.
[Oops, looks like the moment's interrupted -- not that it wasn't near its end, anyway. Henry turns to look at River in the distance, then arches a brow towards Amelia.]
Food's food. I'm sure it'll be interesting because it's different.
[Everything is better than twenty years of lab food. Henry isn't picky. Every meal has been a net positive thus far.
Time to wander over and see what River's all on about.]
[When they settle down for dinner, River is more than happy to show Henry the ropes of grilling, the type of meats they had, and also the accompanying vegetables and sides ("It's like the perfect balance of protein and fiber bro! But it isn't boring at all!"). It's a pleasant dinner with iced tea passed around and some light conversation between River and Amelia (she asks about any new patients or trainees and though his information is vague, he seems like he's happily busy) with an occasional quip by Simon.
Emily sits between Amelia and Henry with her own bowl of rice and cut-up meats. At one point, she reaches into her bag and offers Henry a shiny mandarin orange ("It's seedless," she tells him seriously as she offers him her treasured fruit).
The sun fades and the sky goes dark and the only light comes from some lamps that River brought along and the charcoal of the grill. River's truck has already been arranged so that it's parked near the lake shore and Amelia has helped him set up a ramp so that the boxes can slide down into the water.
And finally, the full moon hovers above the lake reflecting on its surface. Emily is the first to sense a change in the atmosphere (a change in pressure, it smells of salt, unknowable plants, and air, and the sky looks so much clearer with hundreds of thousands of stars). She pushes herself off of her chair to run to the edge of the lake.
She points to it excitedly.]
"It's blue!"
[The normal denizens of Blackgale only know Blue Moon Lake as a quaint moniker and not an indication of something literal. But this view, this very reality they're in, is the world of magic and espers who live alongside fantastic wonders, only for their eyes.
Amelia has already stood up and has taken the coffin in her arms.]
Well? [She gestures her head at Henry towards the water.]
[It's... strange, to do anything like this. To be outside, to watch someone grill and try to inform him about the ingredients that make up a Korean BBQ. To engage in idle chatter, though Henry remains mostly quiet throughout. To earn a mandarin orange slice from a child -- and realizing the weight behind it, knowing how children are.
These are all mundane things, the roteness that Henry had disliked so much when he was twelve, and all those years after. It had always felt like a facade, like happiness was a mask, or that everyone was marching to the beat of a ticking clock, playing their parts until life was wrung from them. Wasted, withered away. Pretending to smile the whole time.
And this outing isn't enough to change his mind—no, these are long-ingrained thoughts of his, steel walls he’s built up around himself, hard to crack without knowing where to needle in—but even Henry Creel has to admit: it isn’t as bad as it could be.
Especially once this mundanity gives way to something far more enticing, something that draws his attention to the swath of stars in the sky, the atmosphere changing, the reflection of a swollen, blue moon. The reflection of it catches in the own blue of his eyes as he look at Amelia, hitching his brow up and grinning that little grin of his. This bit should be interesting.]
[River gives the rest of them a thumbs up from the truck. He'll be making the boxes slide down and also just keep an eye out in general on the surface. Meanwhile, Amelia has the siblings hold hands as she uses one hand to encase them in a box of runes. The box wobbles and stretches, transforming into a more spherical bubble. The instructions are concise.]
Walk into the water and then touch the bottom to sink down in the reflection. When you're done with your visit, touch the top and keep it there to sail back to shore. Got it?
[They nod and Simon leads Emily to the water. Their rune bubble keeps their feet dry and the brother leads their descent when they walk on top of the blue moon reflection. Slowly they sink down and disappear.
It's Amelia and Henry's turn now. She stands next to him and performs the same spell to encase them in a magic bubble. The witch mutters some stray thoughts as she finishes it up.]
And no ear popping so underwater pressure shouldn't be a bother ... There we go.
[They're fully enclosed now. Amelia looks at Henry and holds out one hand.]
Might be a good idea to hold on. [She hesitates and then adds.]
[The young ones are fearless, aren't they? He's sure that's a phobia of many, being sent underwater and knowing there's a creature lurking beneath.
But maybe Henry is fated to always see things through that lens, despite the beauty around him. If nothing else, he's probably just as curious as the kids.]
Hm?
[He's distracted briefly by the shimmer of their magic bubble when Amelia's question dislodges his observations. He tilts his head in her direction, eyes moving from her hand and right back up to her face.]
In case I get swept away? [He reaches out, clasping her hand with his long fingers.] Why wouldn't I want to?
[As their fingers thread together, Amelia tries to remain focused and in the present. Tries not to be aware of the unfamiliarity of his touch and the magic humming beneath her fingers, fresh from spellcasting. She takes a deep breath, hugging the box closer to her chest.
When Henry asks why he would opt out she answers honestly.]
I don't know.
[Her hand around his is oddly gentle.]
We're going in.
[And so she leads the both of them into the water. They glide on the surface at first and stop when in the middle of the blue moon's reflection. Since both of her hands are occupied, she uses one foot to press on the bottom of their bubble. The runes glow and they begin to sink beneath the water. It surrounds them but they remain dry and the air fresh as if they were on the surface.]
[An oddly honest answer? A gentle touch? Oh, if only he could just pierce through that head of hers again, and understand exactly what's going on-- But no, he's not about to shatter that tenuously-built trust once more, and so soon. Especially since her magic is likely the only thing that's going to keep him frown drowning at the bottom of a lake.
...Interesting, though.
His grip is gentle, too, all too aware of their hands if only because this is an anomaly for him. And the fact that, despite his teasing, he would certainly like to remain connected in case something wild and unexpected happens. But surely not!
When they sink beneath the water, Henry is really not sure what to think. It's like being engulfed by the lake, except completely dry, able to breathe; almost as though the water were nothing more than an illusion in which they were mere observers. He cranes his neck up to see the bright light of the moon trying to pierce through the lake's surface.]
This is...
[He doesn't have the words. For a man gone flying through dimensions, stuck in an alien world for years, this counts for something. This is certainly more beautiful than that, fractal lights scattering across Amelia's veil of magic.]
[They sink deeper and deeper and at first it looks like unfathomable darkness with no bottom as they move further away.]
The Belly lives in the reflection for a reason.
[Lakes are definitely deep but it shouldn't be this vast. The green runes keep things lit for them and at first, there's nothing but fish and plant life swaying gently around them. And then stars— no, bubbles, fly around them and they are aglow with blue and white light, and as they stand in their protective bubble it's like they're floating through space instead of underwater. There are fish that swim past their faces. They have the shape of your usual bass, bluegills, and trouts but it's their neon-colored scales, and their size (many of then human-sized) and patterning and giant unusual eyes that give away their otherworldliness. There appears to be no true bottom within this reflected world.
But where is the Blue Moon Belly?
Soon they can see the siblings in their own bubble, waving to Amelia and Henry. And in the distance, there is the outline of a gargantuan shape moving back and forth sweeping up the vague shadows of boxes that are sinking into the water.
Without letting go of Henry's hand, she holds out the coffin box for him to take.]
Here. You're going to offer this to him. Oh and... Since it seems like you're able to communicate, could you call him over?
[Okay, fine. This one experience is definitely on the same level of fantastical as that other dimension, and far, far more pleasant to view. He isn't the sort of man to appreciate beauty as an aesthetic more than just distantly, but his innate curiosity about the creatures that drift past--are there predators among them?--flares too much for him to ignore. Henry turns his head, watching scaled fishes far too big swim by. Their scales shimmer and almost glow, even this deep below the surface of the lake.
And... well. Speaking of predators. Down below, a huge shape wends around the boxes plummeting downwards. Their friend, he supposes.
Henry takes the coffin-box, still looking downwards, his demeanor a bit childlike itself now, focused wholly on this new experience. He cinches his brows together.]
[It swims towards them, closer, closer, and closer...
On the surface, the lake creature changes its shape to sneak around humans and as a result, it appears rather out of place, goofy even, what with how it awkwardly walks on its hind legs, its surface skin slimy, and its color a duller blue-grey.
Here within the reflection of the moon?
The Blue Moon Belly is basically a Leviathan.
It's like staring at a cruise-ship-sized monster that blinks back at them with dark expectant eyes. The Belly is a shade of a smooth pastel blue and the sheer size of it has Emily in the other bubble laughing with delight and Simon smiling.
The Belly addresses them all with a low hum that sends a vibration across their bubbles. And then it speaks to Henry.]
"Thank you for visiting me. I do not receive many guests but it is always heartening when I do. The Emerald Witch told me that you are from another world and that you aren't familiar with the ways of this side. Therefore, I hope you enjoy my home within the blue moon's light.
[Oh, it's... big. Massively so. This is a far cry from the creature that was raiding Amelia's pantry and fridge not so long ago.
Henry doesn't bother to hide his surprise, blue eyes widening. He doesn't even look at Amelia... He just pushes the coffin through the edge of the magic bubble.]
Thank you. Your home is unlike anything I've ever seen.
And you look very different compared to when I last saw you.
[He is a very happy monster with all this food and attention. The Belly lets out what could be a chuckle which rocks their bubbles back and forth.]
"This is my true self. I cannot appear this way on land, lest I be labeled a calamity and hunted down. No, this arrangement I have with the Emerald Witch is satisfactory.
Now then! I must have a taste...!"
[When the coffin leaves the bubble, the Belly patiently waits for it to move closer to its face. Once it does, it delicately laps out its tongue, wrapping it around the case, and gulps it down just as quickly.
It's a minuscule thing and yet it pauses to move its jaws back and forth, contemplating this new food. The Belly suddenly swims in loops and circles around them and what Henry can hear is delight in his mind while Amelia wrinkles her nose as it croaks joyfully.]
"Wonderful! What a unique flavor! Delicious! Your gift is exceptional!"
[It stops and looks at Amelia, croaking some more and she sighs shaking her head.]
No, I don't think we'll have more where that came from in a while.
[She glances at Henry; she's definitely smiling now.]
But I'll keep you posted. And yes, we'll stay a little longer... You're okay with that, right Henry?
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sunfloras2023-04-20 07:42 pm
no subject
because... ma'am???
Henry's followed River, stopping just a few paces behind him, and catching the sight of Amelia emerging from the lake. She's indeed very wet, and though the sight isn't indecent on its own, it's still not something he's sure he was prepared to see. Clothing clings when it's wet! And while he shouldn't care, he finds himself turning his head to place his gaze elsewhere, just for a moment.]
And whatever's in the coffin-shaped box, like you asked.
1/2
no subject
It's Simon who takes the opportunity to ask a question.]
"What's in the box anyway Miss Steinbeck?"
Hm? Oh, yes. [And with her usual dry delivery...]
That's the body of the monster Henry assisted me in subduing. It was laying around my house so I figured it was better to use it as food for the Belly.
[River turns his head around squinting his eyes at the witch while the two children stare at her wide-eyed. Simon scoots away from Henry and the box.
So don't worry Henry, you are not the only one who thinks this particular witch is... Out there...]
don't perceive
When he glances back, he's a little amused -- and thankfully(?) Amelia's back to being dry.]
Oh.
That explains the coffin.
[Ha.. clever.]
👁🗨
Despite popular belief, I do have some propriety. If we're going to serve a new meal, it can be dressed up a bit.
[While the younger ones wander over to River to help him set up for what appears to be an impromptu picnic (he takes out two coolers, one for food and one for a drink, and a small grill), she gestures at the cluster of trees nearby.]
We can let the coffin rest over there. The blue moon won't appear until we're done with dinner.
[She glances between the espers and then Henry.]
Was the drive with them alright for you?
no subject
[The way he says it clearly reveals more amusement than actual concern. When Amelia indicates the copse of trees, Henry walks with her in that direction, box in tow.]
He’s a little talkative, isn’t he? But he’s friendly enough. An open book — those are particularly easy to wrench answers from.
That said, it’s odd speaking to others who have some kind of psychic abilities in this world. Their circumstances here are so different than mine. It’s enough to make a man green with envy.
no subject
[And she's serious as usual but that small twitch at the edge of her lips at least indicates she understands his amusement.]
River's boisterous for an esper. Many of them adopt outgoing attitudes to make up for the mental and emotional strain — [
coughLienKhacoughcough] but he's particularly genuine and open-hearted.[Amelia nods at Henry's latter observation.]
And that's why I thought it would be fine to talk with him especially. River is affiliated with the Collective but he does not strictly adhere to it; just the more benevolent functions and base philosophy.
[A pause.]
And I thought it would be good for you to see and hear a different perspective from mine.
no subject
[He says mildly as they reach the trees. Henry decides to place the coffin down against one trunk, stepping back and still finding the sight comedic, now.]
There are so few of us left back home.
[(Because he killed most of them, his reasoning twisted, but it made sense in his own mind. The only way to save them.)
As for the last bit, he says a bit wryly:]
Why? Think I'm getting tired of you?
no subject
You aren't?
[She sounds oddly dubious. Though they both agreed their meeting was fortunate (poor first impressions notwithstanding ) it doesn't seem like she had particular expectations about how Henry views her.
Yes, even after he said she was interesting. To her that isn't necessarily positive. This does seem to speak of her actual self-esteem when it comes to relating to others.]
no subject
And maybe she's no different. But there's something to be said about someone who's powerful, with other facets lying vulnerable beneath, that entices him. Makes him want to know more.
Good, bad? Somewhere in-between? It's hard to say when one has earned Henry's attention, but this is the reality of the situation for now.]
Of course not. [Does she think she's someone to easily become tired of?] There's still plenty I'd like to know about you. River said that you're a tough one to crack, but I see that as a challenge.
[It's equal parts teasing but... sincere.]
no subject
But even she's trying to overcome that, isn't she? More than a decade ago she couldn't imagine herself striving to be a public-facing educator or forging friendships across the supernatural world with those who do not neatly fit into the status quo.
And here's Henry Creel, a stranger from another world who, despite having the goal of returning home, wants to know her even after taking the brunt of her obstinate personality. It stirs up something complex within the witch, a reminder of sorts.
She isn't blushing at Henry's tease (goddammit River) but Amelia's intertwined fingers move back and forth in a restless fashion. And before she can stop herself, she says:]
... It doesn't have to be a challenge.
[But additionally.]
But it may very well end up just being that way knowing me. [And now she glances away looking mildly embarrassed.]
no subject
He watches as she fiddles with her fingers. A little tell.]
Well. That's all right.
[His head tilts.]
You could say I'm pretty stubborn. And I'm the same way. Maybe we'll both just regret it if we get to know each other more.
[Henry has his fair share of skeletons in the closet. So, so many of them. Despite his human form, this is not his body any longer. Despite his smiling face, that is not his true self. Despite the show of his powers thus far, they are much more insidious in nature than he's let on.
Maybe all of that will be too ugly for Amelia to stomach, later down the line. He is not ashamed of any of it; but he is self-aware. Still, nothing for it but to keep pushing on, to keep centered on the goal of returning home.]
But we won't know until we find out, right? [He leans aside, nudging her gently with a shoulder. It's the first gesture of physical anything from Henry, even if it's a negligible thing, playing at his tease.]
no subject
"Yo, Miss Steinbeck! Time for dinner and time for Henry to have his mind BLOWN by Korean barbecue!"
[It's a good distraction and Amelia points over to the espers.]
Let's eat. I don't know if you'll have your mind blown but you can at least be full before we go into the lake.
no subject
Food's food. I'm sure it'll be interesting because it's different.
[Everything is better than twenty years of lab food. Henry isn't picky. Every meal has been a net positive thus far.
Time to wander over and see what River's all on about.]
no subject
Emily sits between Amelia and Henry with her own bowl of rice and cut-up meats. At one point, she reaches into her bag and offers Henry a shiny mandarin orange ("It's seedless," she tells him seriously as she offers him her treasured fruit).
The sun fades and the sky goes dark and the only light comes from some lamps that River brought along and the charcoal of the grill. River's truck has already been arranged so that it's parked near the lake shore and Amelia has helped him set up a ramp so that the boxes can slide down into the water.
And finally, the full moon hovers above the lake reflecting on its surface. Emily is the first to sense a change in the atmosphere (a change in pressure, it smells of salt, unknowable plants, and air, and the sky looks so much clearer with hundreds of thousands of stars). She pushes herself off of her chair to run to the edge of the lake.
She points to it excitedly.]
"It's blue!"
[The normal denizens of Blackgale only know Blue Moon Lake as a quaint moniker and not an indication of something literal. But this view, this very reality they're in, is the world of magic and espers who live alongside fantastic wonders, only for their eyes.
Amelia has already stood up and has taken the coffin in her arms.]
Well? [She gestures her head at Henry towards the water.]
You ready?
no subject
These are all mundane things, the roteness that Henry had disliked so much when he was twelve, and all those years after. It had always felt like a facade, like happiness was a mask, or that everyone was marching to the beat of a ticking clock, playing their parts until life was wrung from them. Wasted, withered away. Pretending to smile the whole time.
And this outing isn't enough to change his mind—no, these are long-ingrained thoughts of his, steel walls he’s built up around himself, hard to crack without knowing where to needle in—but even Henry Creel has to admit: it isn’t as bad as it could be.
Especially once this mundanity gives way to something far more enticing, something that draws his attention to the swath of stars in the sky, the atmosphere changing, the reflection of a swollen, blue moon. The reflection of it catches in the own blue of his eyes as he look at Amelia, hitching his brow up and grinning that little grin of his. This bit should be interesting.]
Of course. Lead the way.
no subject
[River gives the rest of them a thumbs up from the truck. He'll be making the boxes slide down and also just keep an eye out in general on the surface. Meanwhile, Amelia has the siblings hold hands as she uses one hand to encase them in a box of runes. The box wobbles and stretches, transforming into a more spherical bubble. The instructions are concise.]
Walk into the water and then touch the bottom to sink down in the reflection. When you're done with your visit, touch the top and keep it there to sail back to shore. Got it?
[They nod and Simon leads Emily to the water. Their rune bubble keeps their feet dry and the brother leads their descent when they walk on top of the blue moon reflection. Slowly they sink down and disappear.
It's Amelia and Henry's turn now. She stands next to him and performs the same spell to encase them in a magic bubble. The witch mutters some stray thoughts as she finishes it up.]
And no ear popping so underwater pressure shouldn't be a bother ... There we go.
[They're fully enclosed now. Amelia looks at Henry and holds out one hand.]
Might be a good idea to hold on. [She hesitates and then adds.]
Unless you don't want to?
no subject
But maybe Henry is fated to always see things through that lens, despite the beauty around him. If nothing else, he's probably just as curious as the kids.]
Hm?
[He's distracted briefly by the shimmer of their magic bubble when Amelia's question dislodges his observations. He tilts his head in her direction, eyes moving from her hand and right back up to her face.]
In case I get swept away? [He reaches out, clasping her hand with his long fingers.] Why wouldn't I want to?
no subject
When Henry asks why he would opt out she answers honestly.]
I don't know.
[Her hand around his is oddly gentle.]
We're going in.
[And so she leads the both of them into the water. They glide on the surface at first and stop when in the middle of the blue moon's reflection. Since both of her hands are occupied, she uses one foot to press on the bottom of their bubble. The runes glow and they begin to sink beneath the water. It surrounds them but they remain dry and the air fresh as if they were on the surface.]
no subject
...Interesting, though.
His grip is gentle, too, all too aware of their hands if only because this is an anomaly for him. And the fact that, despite his teasing, he would certainly like to remain connected in case something wild and unexpected happens. But surely not!
When they sink beneath the water, Henry is really not sure what to think. It's like being engulfed by the lake, except completely dry, able to breathe; almost as though the water were nothing more than an illusion in which they were mere observers. He cranes his neck up to see the bright light of the moon trying to pierce through the lake's surface.]
This is...
[He doesn't have the words. For a man gone flying through dimensions, stuck in an alien world for years, this counts for something. This is certainly more beautiful than that, fractal lights scattering across Amelia's veil of magic.]
no subject
[They sink deeper and deeper and at first it looks like unfathomable darkness with no bottom as they move further away.]
The Belly lives in the reflection for a reason.
[Lakes are definitely deep but it shouldn't be this vast. The green runes keep things lit for them and at first, there's nothing but fish and plant life swaying gently around them. And then stars— no, bubbles, fly around them and they are aglow with blue and white light, and as they stand in their protective bubble it's like they're floating through space instead of underwater. There are fish that swim past their faces. They have the shape of your usual bass, bluegills, and trouts but it's their neon-colored scales, and their size (many of then human-sized) and patterning and giant unusual eyes that give away their otherworldliness. There appears to be no true bottom within this reflected world.
But where is the Blue Moon Belly?
Soon they can see the siblings in their own bubble, waving to Amelia and Henry. And in the distance, there is the outline of a gargantuan shape moving back and forth sweeping up the vague shadows of boxes that are sinking into the water.
Without letting go of Henry's hand, she holds out the coffin box for him to take.]
Here. You're going to offer this to him. Oh and... Since it seems like you're able to communicate, could you call him over?
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And... well. Speaking of predators. Down below, a huge shape wends around the boxes plummeting downwards. Their friend, he supposes.
Henry takes the coffin-box, still looking downwards, his demeanor a bit childlike itself now, focused wholly on this new experience. He cinches his brows together.]
All right.
[Telepathically, a message sent outwards:]
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[It swims towards them, closer, closer, and closer...
On the surface, the lake creature changes its shape to sneak around humans and as a result, it appears rather out of place, goofy even, what with how it awkwardly walks on its hind legs, its surface skin slimy, and its color a duller blue-grey.
Here within the reflection of the moon?
The Blue Moon Belly is basically a Leviathan.
It's like staring at a cruise-ship-sized monster that blinks back at them with dark expectant eyes. The Belly is a shade of a smooth pastel blue and the sheer size of it has Emily in the other bubble laughing with delight and Simon smiling.
The Belly addresses them all with a low hum that sends a vibration across their bubbles. And then it speaks to Henry.]
[The Belly hums again and Amelia nods at Henry.]
Just push it through the bubble.
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Henry doesn't bother to hide his surprise, blue eyes widening. He doesn't even look at Amelia... He just pushes the coffin through the edge of the magic bubble.]
[And in a better mood, too.]
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[When the coffin leaves the bubble, the Belly patiently waits for it to move closer to its face. Once it does, it delicately laps out its tongue, wrapping it around the case, and gulps it down just as quickly.
It's a minuscule thing and yet it pauses to move its jaws back and forth, contemplating this new food. The Belly suddenly swims in loops and circles around them and what Henry can hear is delight in his mind while Amelia wrinkles her nose as it croaks joyfully.]
[It stops and looks at Amelia, croaking some more and she sighs shaking her head.]
No, I don't think we'll have more where that came from in a while.
[She glances at Henry; she's definitely smiling now.]
But I'll keep you posted. And yes, we'll stay a little longer... You're okay with that, right Henry?
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