+ It's All About Balance +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Mansion + Grounds
When: May 11-14
Rating: Will likely have violence and death; use content warnings at your discretion.
Summary: Someone or something is looking for Infinity Stones in Wonderland.
The Story:

This will be your main log for fighting aliens, reacting to the Snap, and any fall out. The top level for days 1 & 2 are up now, and the top levels for the Snap and the aftermath will go up late on the 12th. Hopefully, the reason for this will make sense once they’re posted!

Feel free to refer to the plotting post for more details!

Comments

[oneagainstall]

Gren watches her, quiet, letting her go through the motions. He's not much of a hugger- and he's very aware she'll probably scurry away from him. But he'll take that chance. He steps forward, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her in. At least all of Gren's hugs, by default, are one-armed hugs, so they're fairly easy to escape from if she needs to. He gives her a gentle squeeze. Once.

"Yeah. It sounding like it was like that. You're still allowed to feel like shit about it, though."

[holyshihtzu]

Juliet lets him hug her and presses her eyes shut as she rests her cheek against his chest. She has always been the one pushing hugs on him, offering to comfort him, even when he didn't want it. To be given that now, without her needing to ask... It meant more than she could ever say.

"But it's over," she whispers. The tears that are coming now are impossible to stop, but she manages to push her words through them. "It's over, so why I am scared now?"

[oneagainstall]

He lets her cry, keeps a hold of her to offer the best comfort he can. This was a shitty thing to happen to her and he'd give anything to make it so it never happened. But he can't- Wonderland will always do this to people- try to break them - push them to their absolute limits. All he can do is hang around to try and pick up the pieces.

"Because it still fuckin' happened to you, Juliet. You still fuckin' died," his voice is softer than usual, a quiet rumble. "Just because it's over don't mean it erases the fact it happened at all. You're allowed to be scared, or mad, or sad, or whatever the fuck else you feel."

[holyshihtzu]

Gren's words make sense to her. Logically, they make complete sense, and she knows, from everything that she's read and learned about trauma, that all those feelings are normal. Healthy, even. But Juliet's never been through something like this herself. Granted, her life hasn't been all flowers and rainbows and unicorns - she has fought for her life before, and she has her own challenges finding her place in the world.

But she's never encountered anything like this. She has never felt like this.

"I'm scared. And I'm sad. And I'm really, really angry." Juliet pulls away, wiping her tears as she looks up at him. "Why does Wonderland do this to us?"

[oneagainstall]

Reading and learning are very different from experiencing. Gren knows that one only too well. If he could, he'd make it so she didn't have to go through any of this- that she could get through to the other end of this trauma without having to have the horrible middle parts of living with it. But he can't.

"Because Wonderland is a spiteful bitch of a place, you know this."

He considers. He's not well equipped for helping people, not really. He can't really make people any less scared or any less sad. But anger? Anger he can do.

"You wanna go smash things to shit in the destruction room?"

[holyshihtzu]

Juliet presses her lips together, pulling completely away from him. She knows he's doing everything he can to help. If she weren't so wrapped up in her own emotions, she would love him more for it. But right now, feeling anything is starting to be too exhausting.

"Not now. I think I've had enough destruction for one day." She manages to push forward a pained smile. "I appreciate it, but I need to go find Steve and make sure he's okay."

[oneagainstall]

He exhales heavily. He doesn't completely understand it- but he does understand humans are... complicated. They don't solve their problems with violence or shouting or uncompromising alcoholism. They actually try to work their shit out.

"...Fair enough," if he was in her position, he'd probably want to find Misty- he'd do anything to find Misty again if he were honest. "Let me know if you change your mind. You should go find your soldier guy."

[holyshihtzu]

"I will. I'll let you know. And I'll call you."

She will, eventually. First, she'll find Steve. Then, she'll hide for a while. It will be easier for her to grapple with this by herself, at least, that's what she hopes.

"If you don't mind telling her, let Misty know I'm okay."

[oneagainstall]

"Sure thing. I'll do that- but you know she'll come to find you, and there ain't no way I'm crazy enough to try and stop her for too long."

He offers a half smile.

"But I'll distract her long enough so you and your soldier boy can have some alone time. No promises how long that'll be."

[holyshihtzu]

"It's fine. I want to see her. I'm so glad you both are okay."

Not that everything they went through even mattered. It was random, and the fighting and exhaustion didn't save anyone in the end. Everything she said to Steve when he came back didn't ring quite as true anymore.

"I'll see you later."

[oneagainstall]

"Yeah, well. Better now you're back."

He gives her a small, half-smile, raising his hand in farewell. He's still worried about her, coming back from being dead is a fucking head-fuck in this place. He knows that much too well from experience. But she's going to Steve, and that's...something, he guesses.

"Good luck."

[holyshihtzu]

She raises her hand in response, even managing a smile, although it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Juliet is worried if she stands there any longer she'll start crying again, so she just mouths a silent Thank you before scurrying away down the hall, in search of not just Steve, but someplace where she can have some peace and try to make all of this make sense again.