Iskaulit Mingle - Problems with Psychics

[notzubats]

Who: Anyone on the Iskaulit!
Broadcast: If you'd like?!
Action: Iskaulit!
When: Today, as Sora's augment glitch starts.

[It's your average day on the Iskaulit. Absolutely nothing seems out of place initially, but without any warning- you might find yourself or your friends experiencing some problems. What's up on that?

In other words, it's an Iskaulit mingle with a twist! Come on in everyone! You don't need to interact with Sora to have it effect you, so feel free to start your own threadstarter! Or talk to Sora, that's cool too. ]

Comments

[brainiest]

Yes. They looked like toddlers most of the time but could transform into long dragons when they needed to - or weren't hiding. They hatched from eggs that the Seelie queen had found.

[winn]

Could they shapeshift into anything or is it like they had two forms?

[ dragon wanting to marry her is weird enough. toddler-dragon is just downright creepy. what even is that world? ]

[brainiest]

As far as I knew it was just dragons.

[ Which hadn't been good when the castle had attacked, but... ]

[winn]

[ he is so confused but okay he'll roll with it. nodding for her to keep going. ]

[brainiest]

One was hatched to Mako and the other was given to Lancelot - um, Sir Lancelot. The Knight.

[winn]

You know Sir Lancelot? The Sir Lancelot, from myth?

[brainiest]

Mhm. Merlin, too, and I met Arthur and Gwen.

[winn]

Wow.

[ he's got a sort of awed look on his face. that's amazing. he wants to ask so many questions he actually sits on his free hand and bites down on his lip to keep from vomiting them all at her.

this isn't about him. this is about her story. it's about hermione. let her talk. just let her talk. ]

[brainiest]

[ Hermione can't help the way she looks a little... Sheepish before she shrugs, fighting her laugh. ]

You can ask if you want, Winn.

[winn]

Sorry - [ he looks just as sheepish. ] your life is just -- super interesting.

[brainiest]

[ Her lips twitch ever so slightly. ]

It has been an adventure.

[winn]

Adventure feels like a good term.

[ he nods, they're exciting, but they definitely have their downs. ]

[brainiest]

It never really ends. I went from fighting a war to the Drabwurld to here. It's like I'm destined to be in the middle of something.

[winn]

If all these pocket dimensions are connected [ as he suspects they are; otherwise they would be warring with each other. he can't imagine almighty overlords being too happy with having their participants poached, it makes much more sense for the transfers to be consensual. ] it may mean they find you too promising to let go of. You adapt, you thrive, I don't know what their ultimate goal is here, but...whatever it is, I guess you fit their job description.

[ he doesn't believe in destiny. but this is just as bad. well, almost. this can't last forever sooner or later all these brilliant and powerful people will find a way out and on that day - their almighty overlords will pay for it all. ]

[brainiest]

It would have been nice to have been asked before they started dragging me around. [ Hermione's hand goes to her scar, the one on her face rather than the werewolf bites to her neck, rubbing against it absently. She can't stop touching it sometimes, running her fingers along the blood-red marking; it should be as silvery as the rest of her scarring is, but this one feels too much like the engraved mudblood on her arm - a reminder of something.

Huffing a noise, she tilts her head up to look at Winn. ] I might fit their description but I was busy.

[winn]

[ yeah, it would have been nice. most of them had lives, goals, families. but these overlords don't give a shit about what they have going in their lives, so he tries to at least look at the positive - if he were asked, of course he would've said no. and if he would've said no, well, he would've missed out on kitty, and all his friends. ]

Silver lining, if you would've been asked you wouldn't have met me - [ he nudges her lightly. he could've said 'cisco' of course, but he's trying to lighten the mood a little bit, not make her uncomfortable. ]

[brainiest]

[ Hermione never asked for a lot of things. She didn't ask to be in the middle of a war, but she chose to go with Harry, through thick and thin. She never asked to go to the Drabwurld, but she stepped up and she did her best to help support and lead people. She never asked to arrive at the Fleet, sad and lonely and longing for what she left behind, but she was trying to make the best of it. Trying to accept, be happy, love the people around her. It was getting easier, day by day, but it still hurt. ]

You're right. Where would I be then, hm? [ And she means it, too, nudging him back and giving him a sly smile. ]

[winn]

[ and it's that strength that, unfortunately, probably makes her so popular with kidnapping overlords. nobody wants to watch a girl hiding under her bed and sobbing all day long. ]

Completely lost. [ he returns a sly smile, thinking fondly of the time kara claimed she'd be just that without him in her life. ]

[brainiest]

[ It makes her laugh, and she leans close, nudging him gently and settling herself close. ]

I'm glad I have you here, otherwise I'm not sure what I'd do with myself. I'm very lucky.

[winn]

[ rubbing her shoulder. ]

Well you got me, and nothing you say or do is gonna get rid of me.

[brainiest]

[ That makes her pause, considering for a moment. ]

Even if I told you - the worst thing?

[winn]

Even then.

[ good it worked, he wasn't sure - subtlety isn't his strong suit. ]

[brainiest]

[ Hermione hesitates, something uncertain in her features before she lifts a hand to touch her face. ]

... Would you like to know how I got this scar?

[winn]

[ he looks at her, and says what he once told kitty. ]

I don't need to know to know that it won't change how I feel about you. But I think...you need me to know, or someone - to know. So you can stop punishing yourself for it.

[brainiest]

[ That just makes her breathe out, sharply, and there's something thick and painful in her throat - and all she can do is nod her head, rubbing her finger along the red marking. ]

My best friend gave me something to protect. I didn't really know what it was, not really, just that it was powerful and I was supposed to hide it from the monarchs - so I did. I put it in a blood magic mirror and I kept it a secret from everyone... Until the Queen summoned me and told me she knew about it. She told me that she knew, and that she needed it, and that - that I had to give it to her. And I trusted her, I really did. She said that I was brave, that I had done the right thing, hiding it from this other man, called Reynard, because he would use it to destroy everything. I made a vow to my best friend and I broke it because I trusted the King and Queen, because I thought I was doing the right thing. She said there was spirit in there, too, and it died, and it was someone's brother, and I -

[ Hermione breathes out, her hands clenched on her lap, squeezing her eyes shut even tighter. It hurts, deep in her chest, and she feels tears welling up in her eyes. All of this is years old, now, but guilt still bites at her. 'A girl's promise. Not my secret knight, but my brave sorceress. Your bravery and goodness are all the armour and sword you need, my darling.' ]

The monarchs took that sigil and used it against their enemies. The power of the thing I gave them toppled a castle, and inside hundreds of people were trapped. The power I gave them ended up murdering innocent people, servants and people without shards that were caught up in a war. Then my friend's mentor found out who I was and what I had done, and we met at a tournament. She demanded a duel, to the death, to make up for my lost honour, my broken vow. I knew I was going to die, there was no way I could beat someone in a rapier duel without magic, and... And I went, because I had no other choice.

[ Hermione traces her scar again and breathes out, whispering words aloud because she has no other option. ]

'Reputation is what other people know about you. Honour is what you know about yourself.' She cut me instead of killing me, and let me go. My punishment was to remember, forever, and to bleed for my crime.