+ It's good that we can't see what isn't there +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: Wonderland and adjacent dimensions!
When: Friday, April 21st to Monday, April 24th
Rating: PG-13, warn if higher!
Summary: A place to list your tears throughout the event, and describe the worlds that can be seen or accessed through them. Event Post.
The Story:

While invisible zombies ravage Wonderland, tears are popping up everywhere! Through them characters can see versions of themselves from alternate universes. Some of them show a different version of Wonderland, some a different version of their home. Some are as benign as a character drinking coffee instead of tea, others are as drastic as somebody's entire personality changed completely.

On day one tears are so small as to barely even be recognisable. Faint voices and melodies can be heard through the tiny cracks if you step really close, but these brief and indistinct glimpses are barely even worth describing.

On day two tears have opened up wide enough to recognise them for what they really are. Yesterday's melodies will sound clearer, and the voices will become decidedly familiar, belonging to people characters know, sounding perhaps even like the characters themselves. Look through the tears and they may catch sight of home, or something that merely looks like another part of Wonderland. The tears are yet narrow and instable though, and the field of vision is correspondingly poor.

On day three the tears have grown a great deal. The worlds beyond them can be seen and heard, though most cannot be interacted with at all. Only the biggest ones are already stable enough for characters to stick their hand inside, and pulls through any objects within reach.

On the fourth and last day some tears have finally become large and stable enough for characters to pass through whole. Not all tears will reach this stage, but those who have can be visited, and the world beyond them explored... at each character's own peril.

Comments

ellie | ota

[backpacking]

i knew you had heart ( lakeside resort restaurant )

[ One of the many tears shows the kitchen of a restaurant, albeit one that hasn't been in use for years. It would be cold in there, were there not a fire building strength in the other room at the front door. If you listen very closely, you might hear it growing and crackling. More likely, though, you'll hear the sound of a scuffle, the sound of an awful round of hide and seek. One voice is unfamiliar, a man who doesn't reside in Wonderland, a man who occasionally fires a pistol until he abandons it in favor of a machete. The other person in the room is Ellie, though she doesn't talk; if she makes any noise at all, the man, wild-eyed, goes tearing off in that direction.

A few times, Ellie scurries past the tear, in view, looking both exhausted and terrified. She has a switchblade in her hands, but no other weapons. Before long she has to move to change her hiding spot. This place is clearly dangerous, and the man - David - is out for blood. As time passes, he appears more and more manic, his words taunting... ]


is this really all they had to worry about? ( ellie's room )

[ Most rooms after the end of the world are not this clean. Of course, the world didn't end and the cordyceps didn't take over, not here. In this tear, the bedroom of a teenager can be seen, in part. Ellie works at a desk, likely on her homework, scribbling in notebooks and tapping away on a laptop. She looks much the same, though she's missing a few scars and her clothes aren't the same she's worn for months. She scrunches up her nose, mumbles, and even curses, though with less frequency than her real counterpart.

It's peaceful. Anyone who knows her history might be warmed to think that, in some universe, Ellie was able to live a normal life. A life where her mother is there to tuck her in (a mother she's never known, in reality), and where her biggest concern is her grades. The horrors of an apocalyptic life are just the things you read in books or see in movies, because nothing like that happens in the real world. Not to her.

The tapping continues for a while as she writes, though eventually, with a huge yawn, she folds her arms over the keyboard and drifts off. ]

ellie's room

[readytocomply]

[ooc: i think i got the event right, but if any of this needs changed please let me know.]

[Bucky's avoiding the invisible zombies the best he can. The only way he knows how to fight something he can't see is through sound and just holing up somewhere til the event blows over. He's on his way to do the latter, after making sure certain people are alright, when he notices the tear.

He feels bad about looking, but he's curious and it's one of the first he's seen that looks.. normal. A room, lots of notebooks and someone typing at a laptop. He has no idea how any of this works, but he goes for it anyway.]

Can you hear me?

[He doesn't know if he can go in through the tear, he's not going to try, but talking works.]

tim wright | ota, will match any format

[postictal]

day one | beach

[postictal]

[The first sign that the little event warning's begun to take place happens in the morning, as he drops the butt of a cigarette into the sand and stamps it out with one heel. Something hisses in his periphery - a shimmer, like part of reality has grown distended, swelling like a soap bubble.

Tentatively advancing yields nothing of consequence. He's not stupid enough to reach out and try touching the aberration, but something begins to hum out from the wisping crack in existence, something that sounds bizarrely like - like music, maybe?

No.

Not music.

Something much, much worse.]

Jane Doe | OTA

[endingpoint]

💔 To think I thought you really loved me

[ When the tear is finally big enough for Jane to really see what's happening on the other side, she never wants to leave it. There's a danger in sitting still right now, she knows that much. But she watches herself in Kurt's apartment from where she is, stuck in Wonderland. If the tears hadn't been progressive over the past few days she'd think she was dreaming, but she knows she isn't. That's the difference between what happened months ago and knowing she was married to him and now: Then it really wasn't...real. But this, this is in New York, in his apartment, and it is. It's a possible outcome, a glimpse of a life she could have as they come home together, arms full of groceries, and begin to cook.

The man who arrives is the same one from her picture and Kurt calls him 'Roman.' Now, Jane has a name. Roman. They eat, Jane and Kurt share kisses, and it's perfect. A peaceful evening, a good one. She's been watching for so long, though, that the danger is all around her now, and as the Jane in Kurt's apartment leaves with her brother, the Jane in Wonderland has no choice. If she doesn't want to die, she has to go through the tear, so she does, wearing completely different clothes from the one who just walked out of his apartment. She's also carrying an automatic weapon and she looks disheveled like she's been fighting something for days. She's still her, but she's not this Kurt's, and all she can hope is that he doesn't try to fight her outright. ]

But look what thoughts can bring 💔

[ This tear is of Jane too, but not happy. There's no bliss, no love. She's alone, in a hole. A dark one that seems to have been forgotten by everyone. She's pale; there's no sun, no window. Skinny because bread and water don't go far. Her hair is long, covering her face, and she has a tan jumpsuit on. Her knees are pulled to her chest, arms around them with her forehead pressing to her knees. There's nothing but a toilet and a cot with no sheets, no pillow, no blankets. When she looks up it's not because she sees anything in particular; nothing changes. Every day is the same and it's been that way for years. No one's coming for her, no one's going to listen to her anymore. She's just a prisoner, branded a terrorist and thrown away. She's been here for a long time, that much is clear but she has no idea how long. She lost track of time long ago, and when she asked someone what day it was when they brought her 'meal' she got kicked in the head for it. So, she doesn't speak anymore, either. She's going to die here, she knows it, and she wishes it'd come sooner rather than later. ]

[ooc: Anyone can see either of these tears any of the days, but obviouly any going through action is happening when appropriate for the plot. Before Jane goes through on the first one, feel free to talk to her in Wonderland, and in the second, feel free to come through or simply have your character note it for future threads. Jane isn't hanging around this one much. ❤ ]

[startingpoint]

[ Kurt's just getting the last of the dishes cleaned, planning on sitting down with a good movie and a few beers while Jane is out with Roman. So he's completely confused when Jane shows up, looking...nothing like his Jane. ]

Jane?

[ He frowns in confusion, putting his beer down and moving towards her slowly, concerned about the weapon in her hands. ]

Are you okay? What happened? Where's Roman?

frisk | ota, will match whatever format

[determinedest]

day two | second floor

[determinedest]

Visible through one tear is a rather idyllic scene; blank white kitchen tile, a round table, a row of cupboards along the back. Sitting at said table is someone who very certainly isn't a child any longer, but continues to radiate the same, purposeful determination. Legs crossed, phone pinned between shoulder and ear, they adjust the rolled-up sleeve of their dress shirt, revealing a loop of multicolored hearts tattooed in the crook of their arm.

Perhaps the starkest difference, however, is the fact that they're smiling, easily and simply.

"No, it's just me today," they're saying into the phone. "Chara's still pretty sick from yesterday, so they're taking the day off."

A pause, and they scrape the chair back to stand - revealing that, along with their unmistakably formal apparel, they're also wearing a pair of sweatpants and lime green crocs.

A brief look of exasperation flits across their features, dimpling their brow.

"Mom," they say, firmly. "If it's really that bad, just tell Asriel I'll be around later."

They twist the watch on their wrist to check the time - some cheap, novelty plastic thing with Wonder Woman on it - and glance over their shoulder at something that falls beyond the tear's limits.

"I'll call you later. I really gotta go."



...

A few feet away from the tear, Frisk - the real Frisk - sits, drinking the scene in hungrily, one hand fisted into the fabric of their sweater that falls above their chest. Looking, for the first time in a very long time

Hopeful.

Rick | OTA

[wriggedywrecked]

Day 2, entrance hall - Eric Stoltz from the movie Mask

The tear is set in the corner of a laboratory, and at a glance the laboratory is a pretty nice, clean, non-threatening set-up. There's a picture of a kitten saying "Hang in there, baby!" on the wall, as well as some cheesy over-saturated art of dolphins and whales and shit. A familiar dude walks into the lab humming cheerily to himself and goes to work on some science project, which is also non-threatening. Eventually another familiar looking so-and-so arrives as well.

"Aw, gee, Rick! W-What're you working on now?"

The Rick looks over at the Morty and beams. They both look really happy!

"I'm s-so glad you asked, Morty! Y-You know how the dimension with the best ice cream n-now only sells ice cream with bugs in it? I thought I'd, you know, try and make an ice cream converter right here in J19ζ7! It'll convert any material into ice cream at the press of a button!"

"Th-That's brilliant, Rick!"

Other similar scenes follow as Rick and Morty get up to some ice-cream related shenanigans a la 1990's kids cartoons.

Day 4, the gardens - oh god no

At first, this tear looks like it just a perfectly normal version of Wonderland. It becomes quickly apparent that all the plants, animals, people and items in general are all somewhat strange. Everything looks like it's on a cob! That's weird and wacky, right?

Posted in front of this particular tear is a holographic sign that reads DO NOT ENTER OR INTERACT WITH, along with several flashing warning signs. There's also a post-it note stuck to the sign itself with a handwritten note that says "seriously I'm not fucking around here don't fuck with this tear unless you want to face unspeakable horror and death."

Day 2

[theothermrgray]

[Dorian's incredibly amused by Doofus Rick. He's standing in front of it at the moment, sipping a cup of Earl Gray and chuckling to himself.]

Oh, would it be nice if we had this fellow here instead of the drunken lunatic...

[Doofus Rick seems more friendly and trusting.]

Wheatley | OTA

[literalidiotball]

Unstable Tear #1: The HORROR!

[literalidiotball]

[A tear opens up in the dining room on the second day. The first thing you might hear is the sound of Wheatley's horrified screaming. Should you go to investigate, it turns out this tear is a bit unstable, as it closes and reopens every hour or so, switching between a number of reasons as to what Wheatley is screaming about.]

[One of the tears has a panicked office worker that sounds like Wheatley overreacting to an announcement on the PA which turns out to be an irritated Cave Johnson broadcasting an excerpt from the safety video. This "Wheatley" isn't out of the woods yet, because the Sentient Cloud ruling the earth is still waiting for a sacrifice. His coworkers are talking about tossing poor "Wheatley" at it.]

[In another tear, the screaming is coming out of a black core thing being calibrated. By calibrated, we mean someone launched it at the storage boxes at high speed. There are other core things being subjected to this same fate, but you could probably catch one and bring it into Wonderland. Don't expect it to keep you company, though. Since these cores aren't calibrated, they won't exactly be sentient.]

[Option three gives you a glimpse into a glass cell, where a man who sounds like Wheatley is being chased by an angry alien monster. The scientists watching the scene on the other side of the glass shake their heads and decide that this subject just isn't a good mate for Caroline... Yes, the monster is named Caroline. Make of that what you will.]

Sans | OTA

[punful]

Day 2, second floor - ay yo what's up my radical brosephs

Oh shit it's Undertale! But something is wrong with Sans. He seems kind of...loud? Both visibly and audibly. Basically he's running around looking like all of the worst Nineties fashions got together and had a horrific, radical baby. He spouts nothing but Nineties jargon, does sweet kickflips on a skateboard despite all the snow in Snowdin, and is occasionally extremely creepy and unsettling.

Point and laugh.

Day 4, courtyard - HOI!

Oh shit, it's Undertale again! But this time it's less eyeball-destroying. Still, it's quickly apparent that something is different. Every single monster (and human) in the Underground is a Temmie. All of them are wearing the outfits of beloved Undertale characters, so yes, there is absolutely a Temmie wearing a blue hoodie making an absurd amount of puns about Temmies and cuteness and other such themes.

If you go here, you might find yourself allergic to literally everyone. You might even break out in hoives.

day 2

[naughty_nurse]

[Point and laugh? She'd never. She will stare, though, with big wide eyes and deep confusion.]

Sans...? Is that Sans?

kurt weller | open to all!

[startingpoint]

DAY TWO | the human heart shatters over and over and still lives

[ Kurt's father had shipped him off to military school as a teenager; he'd been too much of a nuisance for Bill Weller, always questioning his purported innocence with regards to Taylor's kidnapping. Kurt had never believed him and he wanted to make his father's life a living hell. Bill wanted to do the same to Kurt in return.

Though he wanted his father to be in jail for the rest of his life, Kurt would have been satisfied just knowing Sarah was safe. His father had already gotten to Taylor, and Kurt had failed to protect her. But he had to keep Sarah safe, he couldn't fathom anything ever happening to her. So he'd snuck out often, going unnoticed most of the time, and heading home in the middle of the night just to make sure his little sister was safe. He'd been caught and severely reprimanded a few times, but it was always worth it. Anything to keep her safe.

This tear, though, offers up a horrifying alternate reality for Kurt and one rainy, summer night, he makes it home only to find the house swarmed by cops and paramedics. He sees through the tear that they're carrying a body out on a stretcher, and it's Sarah.

No.

No, no, no. It's his baby sister, not breathing, and he watches them continously shocking her heart, over and over again. She's covered in blood, pale and lifeless, and nothing can bring her back. They cover her body with a sheet and load her into the ambulance, driving her away.

She's dead, and his heart is swallowed by that same darkness she's now doomed to exist in forever. ]


DAY FOUR | you and I could set the world on fire

[ When he was ten years old, the world held no more secrets for Kurt Weller. It opened its mouth wide and sharpened its unforgiving teeth on his heart. He learned, for the first time, that there was evil that couldn't be tamed, that couldn't be warded off with even the strongest urge and commitment to protect.

I'll take care of you.

He'd promised Taylor Shaw, that night she'd been so scared of the thunder moving the earth around them. It was the last time they'd ever camp together, he'd later come to realize. She was five years old, she shouldn't have ever been afraid of death. It came for her, in the form of his own father, who must have surely been a monster his entire life. Kurt had known he was responsible, he'd known it all along. Taylor was gone, by his own father's hand. When Kurt uncovered her years later, he made sure to bury her bones somewhere peaceful, at the mouth of the river she'd loved so much, near their secret hiding spot.

He held her bones in his hands and tucked her into the earth, the one last thing he could do to keep her safe.

But she's here, now. He glimpses her through the tear, and she's alive. She's older, his age, and they're...married. They're happy. He stands there silently, watching her tuck their baby into her bassinet and walk past pictures hanging on the wall of their wedding, their honeymoon, photos of them so young and clearly in love. He wants to step through it and touch her, but part of him is afraid he'll never want to leave. ]

[ ota and will match any format! he'll be looking quite distressed over the first tear so feel free to have your character note that. he'll be looking quite a bit happier over the second tear. bump into him anytime, in between zombie chaos. XD ]

day 4

[endingpoint]

[ Jane hasn't gone through her tear yet. The one with Kurt asking her if she wants to taste his spatula. Maybe she will; she hasn't decided. She'd come to talk to Kurt, to see about maybe changing rooms just to make sure the invisible dead don't catch wind of them here and start trying to break down the door. But then she sees what he's seeing, sees the look on his face.

His happy alternate world isn't her. It's Taylor. A part of her feels like she should have known. When he thought she was Taylor, that's who he wanted her to be, so damn badly, and that's who she wanted to be, too. And now he's left with her, just Jane, not the person he put all his faith into being. She watches them go about their lives, watches the other Kurt leave for work, and Jane clears her throat. ]

You should go through. While she's in the other room. Say you decided to stay home to be with her.

[ Because this is the only chance he'll get. ]

freya mikaelson | closed + ota

[deathlessness]

closed | elena

[deathlessness]

[For the most part, Freya is doing her best to ignore the tears. She knows better than to look back and wonder the what ifs and what could have beens. Hope for the future is fine, but she also needs to live in the real world, where she made her choices and has to live with those consequences.

Still, as the tears get larger and more prominent, they become harder and harder to ignore. Particularly when one of the tears happen to echo a voice that is familiar and almost forgotten, all at the same time.

"Mikael, don't run too far into the woods!"

"Yes, Papa."

She stops at first, knowing that she couldn't look - she shouldn't look. She shouldn't indulge the curiosity of what would have happened of Dahlia hadn't interfered on her life the way she had. But in the end, there's a part of her that can't resist, needing to see those strong shoulders and dark hair one last time. Needing to look on the son she'd never had, and fight the urge to want to hold him in her arms, eve n if he wasn't hers to take.

In the end, what she sees is a simple piece of land with a simple house and a simple life, that could have been her life. She watches their movements play out in front of her like a movie, but it feels more real than any screen.

"Quick." Matthias' hands smooth over the pile of snow in front of him, creating a piece of art out of a clumsy material. "We need to finish before your mother returns."

There's a tightness in her chest that she wishes would go away.]

alphys | ota

[sciencelizard]

day 3 | and try to show emotion, but my eyes won't seem to wet (grounds)

[This tear is rather different; in fact, one may not even recognize whose world it is at first. Wherever it is, one can tell by the scenery that it's incredibly hot, the majority of the tear lit by a deep glow from underneath the floor. The area itself appears to be a flat area of training gauntlet, showing a woman who is unmistakably Alphys, wielding a massive battleaxe with what looks like absolute ease. She smashes down targets with finesse and laughter, seeming to be very much enjoying herself as she goes, and speaks more roughly than those who've come Alphys to know would expect out of her.

More than anything, though, she seems... happy? Whatever world came together to make this.]

day 4 | and i'd love to tell you stories but i can't remember how they went (ballroom)

[In the midst of the empty ballroom, one of the tears has opened up to show another ornate room... or at least, a room that might have once been grand and decadent, but has since been overtaken with vines, plants, and notably, golden, beautiful flowers. In the center of it all sits a large chair, and in it, almost dwarfed by it's presence, is Alphys, looking mostly the same as she does in Wonderland, with the addition of a rather nice golden tiara. For those who know him, a certain short, blue-jacketed skeleton stands nearby, back to the chair, looking off into the nothingness.

At the moment, she seems to be gripping a cell phone in her hands rather tightly, her free hand grasping the arm of the chair so hard she's almost tearing it, and her voice modulates from a quiet and pitiful to desperately, desperately angry as she leaves a final parting message to whoever she's talking to. As soon as it's over, she all but chucks the phone into the flowers, and slumps back into the too-large chair, she and Sans, all of a sudden, seeming in completely different worlds.

Alphys, or at least Wonderland's Alphys, sits before this tear, watching it intently, gripping her hands together tight. She might not notice anyone approaching until after the scene has ended.]

[didntknowbest]

[Something catches Toriel's attention- a familiar voice, one of her friends. But when she turns the corner, she instead sees Alphys, looking into a tear, at... also Alphys.

It's a scene that Toriel is familiar with, for the most part. The increase in plant life and golden flowers is different, certainly- but there's no question, that's the throne room of New Home. And sitting on that throne, is apparently another timeline's Alphys.

Toriel wonders for a moment, what it is she's watching- it's clearly not the same as the Alphys she knows here, so. Is it something entirely different, like the different Chara and Asriel she had met here in Wonderland in the past? Or is it simply a different sequence of events? One that's closer to... the ones that Toriel had experienced.

As she listens, she thinks that it's far more likely that it's the latter.

She's not entirely sure what to say. It certainly wasn't a happy thing that she just witnessed. Though, she should probably say something- bare and padded feet are very quiet, and Alphys doesn't seem to have noticed that she was there for it.]

I... apologize if I have intruded. I feel that, perhaps, I was not meant to see that.

[But then, maybe she was. Maybe that's how things ended, after she was killed.]

shepard | ota

[normandysbest]

day 2 | sing us a song of the century, that's louder than bombs and eternity (kitchen)

[At first glance, this scene is entirely mundane. A man with close-cut shaved hair sits at a table, nursing a mug of coffee, reading something on what appears to be a tablet in front of him on the table. After a minute or two, a woman in a white, skin-tight bodysuit appears, reading over his shoulder and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Not a few moments later, a slight ringing noise can be heard- the man addresses his omni-tool, and picks up a video call from a person he refers to as his mother.

The thing here is that this doesn't appear to match anyone in Wonderland.

Except everyone is referring to this man as 'Shepard'.

Wonderland's Shepard waits in front of this tear, watching intently, trying to parse specifics of their conversation, but getting little more than small-talk about the current mission, and how he and his 'girlfriend' are doing. But Shepard herself looks... far too shaken up for such an easy scene. In fact, she looks downright scared.

Someone may need to break her from this trance. Or at least... say something to remind her of the world she's in now.]

day 4 | tell me a story into that goodnight / sing us a song for me (tearooms)

[This scene is much more jovial; for those who know Shepard, her personal apartment from the last event is in full view, music loudly playing and a variety of aliens dancing, chatting, and drinking all come into view. There are almost every species represented from the previous event, along with a few other outliers; a human man in a baseball cap sits on the couch next to a purely robotic woman, where slightly in view behind them a large, red Krogan can be seen pointing a gun at something and laughing boisterously. A salarian man leans on the counter, talking fervently to an asari woman decked in white; a geth, who others might recognize as Legion, chatters at a quarian in purple as she sits on the kitchen counter, a drink in her hand feeding through her mask with a straw. Everyone's happy, and the music continues, as if there was nowhere else any of them would rather be.

Most noticeably, of course, sits another human woman, unrecognizable if not for the familiar N7 designation on her clothes, and the name they all refer to her by. Shepard. She has dark skin this time, and wild, kinky hair, barely restrained in a ponytail, with scars dotting her face and arms. But more important than anything else, her arm is over the shoulder of another man, a lesser-seen alien, who is looking at her and smiling with a happiness and warmth, as if they are the only two there. Their backs are to the tear as they laugh, talking about something that Wonderland's Shepard just doesn't catch.

Because of the threat, Wonderland's Shepard is in full combat gear, her armor decked out in the same N7 designation, guns strapped to her, but entirely enraptured. She's standing in front of this tear, face looking entirely blank except for what looks like grief.

She'll stand on guard, snap to attention if anyone enters, in case it's one of those zombie creatures. But more than anything, she doesn't seem like she's defending herself.

She's defending the tear.]

[didntknowbest]

[Today has been somewhat of a difficult day, what with the resurgence of invisible creatures attacking- not to mention, Toriel is still ever so slightly shaken up about other things, that she'd seen in previous days through a tear in reality.

So, all in all, Toriel would rather not be alone right now. She's looking for- well, someone that she can actually see, would be a nice first step. Which she happens to find, as she spots a woman in a rather impressive suit of armor- and oh, hey, that's her girlfriend. She's never seen her ready for combat like this, before- it seems to suit her.

And now that she's closer, she looks... upset. Is there something wrong on the other side of that tear?]

...Jane? Is everything alright?

Georgia Mason | ota

[choosetruth]

[Will match any format!]

day 2 | in front of the mansion

[choosetruth]

Georgia has been examining the strange cracks, of course, since she needs something to keep her mind off how Shaun isn't here and how much she misses him. She doesn't find anything interesting until she hears her own voice say Shaun's name.

"Shaun? Stop fucking around. Get in the van."

The real Georgia slows to a stop, trying to get a look into the crack. She can't see much. Not even Shaun's face. She's not sure if that makes it better or worse.

"No can do, George. I'm sorry."

“No. It’s…it’s not that. It’s a tranquilizer. It’s harmless. Get in the van. At least let us run tests. At least…”

"You know better. Don’t play dumb, George. You’re no good at it. You’ll just make us both look bad.”

The George in Wonderland drops the notebook she's carrying. "No," she rasps out. She knows what's going on. What she always knew was going to one day happen, right up until the day it didn't happen. She always thought she was prepared. But as she listens to herself pleading for Shaun to tell her that it wasn't happening, to Shaun's voice, telling her to leave him so he can hold off what's coming long enough for them to write the story they need to write....

It's not real. She reminds herself firmly. Just another Wonderland trick. This isn't what happened.

"I love you, Georgia Mason. Now shut the door."

And then it's just gunfire and moaning and George has to turn away and all but run from the crack in reality and the scene she can do nothing to stop. She doesn't want to hear Shaun die.

Newt Scamander | Open, will match style

[mr_englishguy]

Day Two: 9th floor hallway

[mr_englishguy]

It is almost like a mirage in the hallway. Little of it makes sense at first. Voice shouting, some familiar and almost pleading. Others angry, aggressive enough that they leave Newt with his shoulders hunched in, arms folding over his chest as if hugging himself.

Yet he leans in closer, head canting as he bit at the pad of his thumb as if that will help him make out why things seem familiar. It’s a voice, a familiar one. Jacob. Angry and yelling, yet different than the other voices.

You can’t do this. They aren’t going to hurt you! Leave them alone!

Another voice rises, also familiar. Chanting, making demands. Mary Lou Barebone. Second Salemers.

Practically leaning against the wall, trying desperately to see more. Yet it isn’t what he sees that sends Newt running. It’s a sound. A sound that echoes in his mind as he runs, literally running down the hall, trying desperately to get away.

A sound of wood dropping, hitting something, and then a sharp twang and a snap. Several of them. He doesn’t need to try and see to know what he is hearing… and he has no idea that he is seeing what could have happened instead of what he believes is going to happen whenever he returns to his own world.

Jemma Simmons | OTA | Will match prose/brackets

[bravejemma]

Day 1 [Friday]
The tiny little rip on the stairwell between the sixth and seventh floor is hardly noticeable. It's much the same as the others, appearing here and there, in walls, in the ceiling, doors. There's nothing to distinguish this one from any others, not for Jemma, except that if she listens carefully, she almost hears a familiar voice, and feels the cool, dry air of a familiar cavern.

Day 2/Early Day 3 [Saturday/Sunday]
The tear has opened a little wider, and when she looks in, she sees what she already knew she would see -- an underground bunker, kitted out with equipment emblazoned with "NASA" on the sides, dinged up metal cups to drink filtered ground water from, and scratchy wool blankets to keep out the chill while one slept. It's the bunker on that desolate spit of a planet where Will had lived for so many years, and the place she had resigned herself to. All in all, if you had to be stuck millions of miles away from home, it wasn't such a bad place to be. At least she hadn't been alone.

But she doesn't recognize the scenes as they play out -- nothing that ever happened while she was there. Is this another time, perhaps? A timeline where she doesn't see the flare or hear Fitz shouting her name over the sand storm or where he doesn't know how to get to her at all? It's a little embarrassing to see, and makes her wonder all over again what Will's ultimate fate had been. But she can't make herself pull back for a long moment.

Wildcard
Have an event-based thread idea? Just need Jemma for your plan? Hit me up.

Asgore Dreemur - Abierto a Todos (OTA)

[alphyswhatsabara]

Day Two - Telenovella Asgoro
A tear has opened up wide enough that if you peer in you can see a person who is clearly Asgore, although he appears to be... wearing more open-chested shirts (wow you weren't aware that much chest hair was possible but then again he is a goat so actually why did you think that)... and there's a constant strain of dramatic guitar and/or organ music that fills the background, and then there's a lot of dramatic gesturing and leaning against convenient objects and shouting and weeping and in the corner you think that maybe you see Sans somehow clasping Toriel to his bony bosom. You also get the feeling that, even though you're hearing it through the Neverland Translation Magic Function as the same language which you always hear, that when Asgore speaks it is in a language that is not the language that the regular Asgore seems to speak in, although how you could be certain of that remains, itself, something of a mystery. Is something dramatic happening at the very moment that you are peering in? You bet!

Day Three - The Grimdark Fantasy
It's like you're peering into the depths of a Hot Topic, only worse. Everything is black and red with black and red accents. There's nothing worth looking at here at all. There's an Asgore wearing needlessly spikey armor and carrying a giant red scythe and his beard and hair is BLACK and you can't tell if that's his natural hair color in this place or if it's a Very Darque dye job. He's, like, just hitting things over and over again. He looks awful. When he says things they're mostly just the sounds of rage or phrases such as "No-one can understand my pain" and "It's kill or be killed" and you're pretty sure you hear Linkin Park playing in the background but maybe that's just your imagination.

Day Four - Sweatpants
Asgore is sitting in a room, wearing sweatpants, fuzzy slippers, and a blue hoodie. He looks suspiciously like a certain skeleton man that you all know and love, only if the little scamp were a giant goat instead. He has a pile of tea bags sitting a pile on the floor, and also in a tornado in another part of the room. There's a really shitty-quality bench press and weights tucked into a corner. He's practicing a song on his musical instrument of choice -- the contrasbass saxophone. You can go in and have a little chat with him, should you like.

Other Alternatives - Mermaid Asgore? Reinhart from Overwatch Human Asgore? The Jilted but Still Popular with 50,000 a year and the finest side-whiskers in North Derbyhamptondevonshire Mr. Dreemurr? Mob Boss Asgore? Is Actual Endboss Absorbed All The Souls Death Comes Upon Us Asgore? Sure. Just say so.

DAY 4 OBVIOUSLY

[punful]

[He's trying desperately to avoid zombies, now without the help of his cat, and he's found himself kind of backed into a corner with the tear behind him. He caught a glimpse of the trash tornado, though, so...well.]

[If anyone's going to be okay with the sudden addition of Sans, it's another Sans. He figures if a random second Sans showed up in his own room back home he'd be pretty blase about it.]

[The alternative is being eaten by what sounds like a zombie horse, so Sans just goes on through, stumbling right into a horrifically familiar and horrifically different version of his own room.]

[And instead of coming face to face with another Sans it's...]

[Asgore. In a blue hoodie, wearing fuzzy slippers, and playing a ridiculously oversized saxophone that actually looks almost normal-sized in his hands.]

[Sans blinks.]

...oh. okay.

Mettaton | OTA

[mettatonvevo]

Day 2 - I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly, I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna die

[One particular tear floating in the gardens gives a view of a certain robot in his box form wheeling himself through a large facility. It looks like some kind of energy plant surrounded by magma. He speaks into a cellphone, his tone seemingly nonchalant but a bit tense.

"Alphys, when you get this message, I hope I am standing beside you, alive and whole. If I'm not, well. Please understand that I did what needed to be done. If I can protect you and the others for even a moment, this will have been worth it. Be safe, darling. Oh. And tell Blooky... never mind. Good bye, Alphys."

He puts the phone away, wheeling into a large room with a stage and waits. It doesn't take long before someone arrives; a small human child that looks at the robot blankly.

"My, my. So you've finally arrived."

As this goes on, the Mettaton of Wonderland stands by, watching the tear completely enraptured. He can't look away as he sees his alternate self give his entire spiel. He's heard of this. He knows what will happen next.

But when his alternate transforms into his NEO form and when the human shoots him down in one series of quick shots, Mettaton raises a hand to his chest, an approximate re-creation of where that Mettaton was hit.

It's hard to watch yourself die. It's even worse to know that your death was futile. Mettaton stands there silently. He may need to be prodded a bit to get his attention.]

Day 3 - And I discovered that my castles stand, upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

Today's tear showcases a Mettaton more recognizable to Wonderland at large, his pink high-heeled boots and large shoulder pads accompanied by a large purple cape and a golden crown nestled into his hair. He sits upon a throne in a room overgrown with plant life and golden flowers, his body language regal and stiff. He holds a picture in his hand, unseen by whoever is looking in, and he stares at it for a moment before he bows his head, a hand pressed to his face as he silently shakes.

Day 4 - And if you want survival, kneel on my arrival, for this is how I rule the world!

[The tear from yesterday is now large enough to be stepped through. However today our weeping ruler is sweeping through the castle. His long and confident strides betray none of the weakness of yesterday as he makes his way to whatever goal he has in mind. Another Monster quickly approaches him, meekly holding out a clipboard with many papers.

King Mettaton takes it from them, looks over it closely, then throws it carelessly to the side. The monster, a small bird dressed in purple with the Delta Rune displayed on her coat, quickly crouches down, collecting the papers feverishly. The king watches her, bored.]

Do you think I care about that right now? I have my loyal audience waiting for me. Do not disturb me like this again. Now apologize.

[The bird nods furiously and silently, bowing instantly as Mettaton holds out a hand. She takes the offered hand and places a reverent kiss to it. Mettaton smirks, taking his hand back and discreetly wiping it.]

Good. Now get out of my sight.

[The other monster can't seem to leave fast enough as the king watches her go. Hm. Her penance had seemed rather lackluster. Perhaps he'll have to send his guards to truly teach her and her family the meaning of love through fear.

He stands there, thinking. He will mostly certainly notice if someone steps through the tear and joins him.]

Day Four

[theothermrgray]

[Well, Dorian was going to try and escape the zombies through this tear, but after seeing how this alternate version of his friend interacted with that bird thing...]

[... Yeah, he'll just pass this one by. The last thing he needs is an angry killer robot king trying to kill him.]

Cissie King-Jones | OTA

[cisskabob]

[Feel free to pick a scenario or to make one up! Will match formats.]

Day 2: For all the things my eyes have seen, the best by far is you

[cisskabob]

Cissie hurries through the halls. She’s seen the tears, seen some of the things on the other side, and she’s in no hurry to search for one of her own, but Wonderland has other plans and an all-too familiar voice stops her in her tracks.

”Cissie! Why aren’t you practicing?”

Her mother. Cissie knows that voice, and that stern, disapproving tone, and that particular question, so well that she doesn’t even have to turn to know what she’ll see. In fact, she’s half afraid she’ll see her mother marching down the hallway toward her. Instead, she hears a man’s laugh, one she recognizes dimly, in a way that makes her realize she had mostly forgotten the sound of his voice, and what she sees has her gasping and feeling like the ground has tilted beneath her feet.

”Oh Bonnie, relax. It’s high school archery, not the Olympics. And she’s already the best on her team. She can afford one night off, don’t you think?” Cissie watches her father, who died when she was five years old, drop a kiss on her mother’s cheek and squeeze her shoulder. He walks over and puts an arm around a girl Cissie realizes is her, and they both look back at Bonnie hopefully.

Bonnie looks stern for about five seconds before throwing her arms in the air. ”How am I supposed to argue with those faces?”

Cissie watches her other self squeal happily and rush to give her a grateful hug, and she isn’t sure what hurts more: seeing her father alive or seeing this other kind of mother/daughter relationship play out before her.

Cissie’s stuck in place, eyes locked on the tear showing her what her life might have been like. She doesn’t even notice that she’s crying.

Day 3, ota

[blackbirdsing]

[ This is, maybe, after almost a year of being in Wonderland, one of the craziest things that have happened, if not the craziest thing. There are invisible animals which are terrifying enough but it all keeps escalating and then the rips or tears start getting bigger. At first, she's expecting a horror show to pop out as she catches glimpses. But then, they open completely and she can see herself. She's in an apartment, Sawyer's there, and from the glimpses outside of the windows she's getting, it's in the city. New York City. Sawyer's so much older though, maybe fifteen or sixteen, but it's him, that's her son, unmistakeably. There are also baby toys and baby clothes, but Sarah just can't figure it out as she watches. Until she sees herself come into frame, fully pregnant like she's ready to pop any day.

And then Ray comes in the door with a toddler on his hip and that's when all the air leaves Sarah's lungs as she stands and watches from Wonderland. They're each wearing wedding rings, and this is her family. Their family, which is insane and impossible. They kiss, she asks how 'it' went whatever 'it' is and there's general chatter and smiling and talking as they go about their lives, completely unaware they're being watched by someone in another world, universes away. Their toddler is a girl with sandy hair in pigtail braids, comfortably resting her head on her daddy's shoulder. The next baby is a boy, Sarah can tell from the clothes laying around.

This isn't fair. Not by a long shot, and she closes her eyes tightly, but she also doesn't move away. This is a life that won't be possible, and she wants to soak it in for as long as the invisible horribleness outside will let her. ]

[startingpoint]

[ Kurt knows this must be conflicting for his sister; to see how happy she could be with Ray, having kids together, but knowing they'll never exist in the same world. He comes up beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders gently. ]

Hey.

sam winchester | ota

[ofletters]

it's to a castle i will take you, where what's to be, they say will be ( a restaurant )

[ The tear is small, showing only a view with no access to the scene within. The scene, though, is nothing alarming, or... interesting, really, unless you know much about the people within. They are Wonderland residents, Sam and Dean Winchester, along with a former resident: their mother, Mary. Alongside those three are two beautiful women: Carmen, Dean's girlfriend, and Jessica, Sam's (recent) fiancee. The five are sitting around a table at a fancy restaurant. Sam and Dean are noticeably younger than their modern counterparts with both looking definitively happier... though Dean, occasionally, seems to be confused, or concerned about something.

Either way, both brothers seem to have a lot more weight off their shoulders, have clearly seen less of the world's evils than they have within Wonderland. The family enjoys the dinner together, talking and laughing, and eventually leave to go home after a long time spent in each other's company. ]


are you going to be in my dreams tonight? ( a garden )

[ This scene is fairly different from the last one. If you try hard enough, you could maneuver your way into it, stepping into a garden in the middle of a city. Despite the urban surroundings, there are no people, no sounds of traffic or anything else; it's almost eerily quiet.

There are no people, but there is one Archangel. Lucifer, possessing the body of Sam Winchester, is tending the garden and clearly enjoying the solitude. This is his world, after all, and he'd earned the win that had cost much of the planet's inhabitants their lives. Those who know Sam can detect the differences in demeanor without too much difficulty, though Lucifer also isn't trying to hide his identity. There isn't anything for him to worry about these days, after all... though, the same might not be said for any intruders into his world. ]

[mulletrock]

[This is the opposite of what Dean wanted to come back to. One minute blood, guts, and endless fighting and the next this whacked out place, again. Culture shock hits him hard, and it takes him a second to realize he's not face down about to get his neck snapped like last time.

If it weren't for Cas he would've been round two and not many people went toe to toe with Lucifer and lived to tell the tale. Just them.

Whatever this was, Dean's not exactly tempted to run head first into it. That's already been lived, and even bruised and beaten he can still find the energy somehow to be pissed off that anybody might be able to just see into what could've been. No one deserved to see this.

At least he still has his wits, being poised to fight non-stop without much time to take it easy'll do that. After stepping in, realizing it's another Wonderland trick he pushes back toward the entrance of it while adjusting his grip on the blade he has that's made of bone.

Too bad he's already painfully aware that Lucifer can sense him. Jesus fucking Christ. If he's about to live this shit again heads will roll.]

Dorian Gray | OTA

[theothermrgray]

Day Two, Entrance Hall

[Dorian lingers in front of a tear that shows him a grand theatre from his time. He sees himself there, dancing merrily with a certian woman. She seems beautiful, yes, but there's a certian familiarity that causes the real Dorian to somberly shake his head and leave.]

[You could talk to him before he goes, or simply watch the scene for yourself.]

Day Four, Gardens

[It's an alternate version of Wonderland! Specifically, you're looking at a scene from the gardens, where it seems Dorian is idly chatting with a dark haired man from his time. Should you eavesdrop on this conversation, you would quickly learn three things about this man from the tear: He is a painter, he's one of Dorian's close friends, and his name is Basil.]

[Either Dorian was hiding the real reason he named his rabbit Basil, or this tear leads to a universe where Dorian's rabbit is a human. Why not find out for yourself?]

robyn cousland | ota

[heroica]

for their dreams had been devoured/by a demon that prowled ( the fade )

[ The Fade is not somewhere one should be in physical form. Inquisitor Lavellan, her companions, Garret Hawke, and Robyn Cousland are there in body, and not just mind, as usual. They have seen their share of demons, have had the Nightmare taunt them endlessly as they tried to make their escape from the other world. Now, near the end, it makes its last stand, engaging them in a vicious fight to try and stop their leaving. All present are clashing with the Aspect of the Nightmare and its minions, including Robyn, who ought to be dead. She is ten years older than her Wonderland counterpart, though not much else seems to have changed; she uses a crossbow, as always, working alongside the others to take down the demons.

The tear is small, not able to be crossed into, but the scene inside is concerning, to say the least, and likely confusing for most (Robyn herself included). ]


that like the leaves after a long winter, peace too might return to the land ( highever )

[ Highever, the estate on which Robyn was born, had suffered complete slaughter at the hands of Arl Howe. In this world, though, that had never taken place. The place is full of life and laughter, of people at a feast, or something like it, gathered around an enormous table. Robyn is there, of course, and so are her mother, father, and brother, along with Fergus' wife and child. There are a handful of mabari, naturally, and dozens of other nobles and people who work within the estate to serve the Couslands.

It's an especially happy scene, warm and carefree. Robyn's age is indeterminate, though close to her current age, but there is much less weighing on her mind. She eats and drinks, talking with nearly everyone, playing games with her nephew and gossiping, animated, with friends. The feeling is undeniably one of home, though it's unfortunately one the 'real' Robyn won't see again... ]

( the fade )

[chantes]

( The scene before her is one that Leliana knows, yet so much is different. She hadn't been there, only reading the report after, and yet to see it--

But it wasn't Robyn. Robyn had not been Hawke's warden contact. Alistair had been.

It's hard, watching the fight, knowing how it should play out. She wants to turn away but she can't, drawn to it )

You weren't there.

( Her words are a whisper, unaware that anyone else may be around, and may also be watching. Of course Robyn wasn't there, it was a foolish thing to say, but knowing that it could have been different, that this could have been the reality instead.

Leliana had lost one friend that day, but seeing the possibility of her losing Robyn another way-- )

Rebekah Mikaelson | Closed/OTA

[easily]

In My Nothing You Meant Everything, Everything To Me | For Klaus

[easily]

[The tears are harder to avoid when they seem to almost target you personally. Rebekah and her brother were sitting in the Mikaelson common room, sharing a couple of drinks between one another when one of them opens up, a scene enfolding in front of them.

Rebekah knows she should look away but when she hears a familiar voice her throat tightens and her chest aches and she is glued in her seat.

Marcel is leading her towards a house, his hands covering her eyes so she cannot see where she's being taken to. "I told you, if I say what it is it won't be a surprise."

She pouts playfully, always been impatient when it comes to things like this. She's known Marcel has been planning out something for a while but to what it was, she had no idea. Ever since her brother gave him their blessing they have been so happy. It feels like for once things won't end in tragedy. She's glad she didn't call her father after all. She didn't need to.

They had everything they wanted here.

"Just a little further." He promises, a grin on his lips because he knows she's going to freak out. He finally takes his hands away when they reach the door way.

Rebekah opens her eyes and her breath is taken away by the beauty of the large house. She knows many of the buildings in New Orleans but this one was new. It's one that Marcel had designed specifically for them, for them to have their future in.

"Do you like it?" He asks, smirking because he can tell by the awe on her lips that she does.

"I love it. Why didn't you tell me you were doing this?"

"Because I wanted it to be a surprise. And that's not the end of the surprises either. See, I went to talk to your brother earlier today." Although Rebekah has many brothers they both know exactly which one he means.

"He said my request was a little Oedipal, but he gave his blessing all the same." Marcel digs into his pocket now, getting on his knees in front of her.

"Are you ready to spend eternity together?"

The vision ends there and tears sting Rebekah's eyes at what she had seen. Marcel had shown her the blueprints once of the house he had wanted to build for them, all those years ago. But then they called Mikael into New Orleans and everything went south and now?

Marcel is someone she will always love but they have lost him in ways she is unsure they can ever recover. And the reminder of that feels almost too heavy to bare.]

sucre • OFF ( ota )

[duckies]

( will change format to match! )

DAY TWO ( for all the joy that is to come )

[duckies]

( it's in a hallway as she walks about aimlessly that she first hears it.

there isn't much, at first. in fact, it's so quiet that sucre can barely hear it until she's right next to it, listening in to what is going on in this small, static tear in the world - a child coughs, and that's when she knows to listen. although sucre has never been the most curious of beings, wonderland has taught her to look and listen, to investigate and find things out - it makes things easier in the long run, after all.

and when she listens here, she hears people talking. a child, at first - and the all too familiar voice of her killer - before a purring joins in. and it's nothing, explains nothing about what happened to her world or what occurred there, nor did it tell her why the batter was so intent on his holy mission that he killed everyone she knew. but it tells her what happened after her death, and horror spreads across her features as she listens to the cat and the man talk to one another.

the batter had wiped their world clean, all of it gone - for what? sucre doesn't know. she doesn't want to know. but she reaches towards the tear, tries to do something, but it closes before she can even seem to touch it, and instead there's only a wall.

she's dead, back home. there's nothing she can do. )

dean winchester (ota) / day two-three / matched format

[mulletrock]

it was the heat of the moment (broward county, florida)

[ For those close enough to get a glimpse the tear in question shows Dean and Sam without the wear and tear of years walking along a lightly crowded sidewalk in the middle of some bumfuck nowhere town.

All seems pretty normal, they're discussing a case, Sam seems as bitchy and pissed off as he always does. Dean crosses the street to ask a question and gets t-boned by a car.

The strangest part? It all recycles, and you can see a clearly distraught Sam wake up in the midst of an overdone Asia song looking strung out and confused. At least, until they make it back to the diner for Pig 'n a Poke with a side of bacon. Dean's still just as enthusiastic as he was before. Sam? Not so much. ]

in my time of dying (camp chitaqua)

[ Over a slowly darkening horizon a jeep convoy pulls up to a camping ground built on flat dirt land and a small group of armed civilians come piling out. Dean looks tense, unenthusiastic unlike the rest of them, whatever had been eating at him might as well have hollowed him out. All that's left behind is a shell of what he used to be, and the dead-set focus he has betrays the guy Wonderland's gotten familiar with. This guy's older, fully strapped and is layered in more weaponry than just what he's usually got concealed.

They got the colt, and that's all that mattered, soldiers are climbing out of their seats ready to get started on a celebration and despite the look on his face, Dean's passing out beers. After a toast to one of his fellow men, Dean pulls the hammer back on his gun while his boy is on his way out, drink in hand, and brains him.

The people gathered around don't seem particularly phased, and neither does he. No one questions it, not even the few that purposefully occupy themselves with something else or avert their eyes. ]

in my time of dying

[ofletters]

[ He shouldn't. It's stupid. It's got stupid written all over it.

... And yet.

Sam sees a version of Dean he's never really seen before, which is... something of an accomplishment, considering how many Deans he's seen. Not just in Wonderland, but at home, too. Demon Dean, vampire Dean, and everything in between.

Sam swallows, glancing at the tear. If he could just close it up, be done with it... but, that's not an option. This world will go on existing whether he walks past it or not.

I've gotta know. And, feeling like an idiot, he steps through. Carefully, though, when it doesn't seem like Dean or any of the other... soldiers? Are watching. ]

Damon's Tears

[eyething]

[OOC: let me know here if you want one of these for your character to see. ]

i loved and i loved and i lost you | closed to freya

[eyething]

The tear never changes.

The tear itself gets larger, but the view on the inside seems more like a still photograph with how little movement happens on the other side of it.

It shows the view of Damon's room in the boarding house. There's only one figure on the bed, Elena Gilbert, sleeping deeply still (as she has been for over six decades). It'd be hard to know she was sleeping if not for the rise and fall of her chest with each breath she takes. Most of this sleep, she's spent in a coffin. He would have kept her coffin near if so many people had not tried to steal her, take her, use her, hurt her, all to get to him. He wanted her safe more than he wanted the reassurance (false reassurance) of seeing her face, of knowing one day everything was going to be okay.

Elena was supposed to wake up. It's why she's not in a coffin anymore, which he's changed multiple times throughout the years (to keep her safe, to keep it preserved as perfectly as the spell had- as horribly still and isolated as the spell has kept her). He wanted her to wake up in their bed instead, surrounded by him, by his face, by his hand in her own so she wouldn't have to wake alone. So he could break the news Bonnie had died, but she'd lived the long, happy life Elena had always wanted for her. But it- it never happened, and he aches so much for her- The ache has become a chasm, and it's finally swallowed him whole until nothing remains.

Damon stands beside the bed, stands over her. He grips her hand (too tightly, too much). It's clear it's the only strength he has left. The rest of him has grown weak. It's hard to say how long he has been standing, staring, waiting, but it's been too long. He studies her face as if he's waiting for her to open up her eyes, as if waiting is all it is going to take. He's already waited over sixty years of a miserable life without her, holding on to the promise of her one day. Destroying Hell with his brother, fighting off Sirens and the devil himself.

His face has grown pale. Veins have begun to show. Sharp blue eyes seem dull and glazed over.

Sometimes Stefan or Caroline will step in. They try to talk to him, but he's unresponsive. They speak of what Elena would have wanted for him. They speak of how this isn't it.

The only words to ever escape him are in a low, strained, weak tone. They're only meant for her, but she can't hear them. The words are never spoken in the same order but always jumbled up in bits and pieces through sheer desperation: "Wake up. You were supposed to wake up. Come back to me. Please.

Elena."

Damon says her name as he always has, as he's never said any name before. He breathes it out on an ache. Tears stream down his face. It doesn't matter. She does not stir. She is still, emptied of life, of her heart. He will never see her eyes full of light and life again. Never hear her laugh or feel her squeeze his hand back.

Eventually, he lies on the bed beside her, and he dessicates fully.

His hand remains in hers.