Wherever I am you'll always be more than just a memory | OPEN

[pottershotter]

Who: James Potter [pottershotter] and OPEN
Where: On the grounds
When: 5/22/15, afternoon
Rating: PG?
Summary: James has been feeling a bit moody about things since the last event, so he's off wandering around as a stag.
The Story:

[James' least favorite events are the ones that play with his head, and even worse are the ones that manipulate him into believing he can't trust anyone. He prides himself on his unshakable faith in the ones he loves, so to have that faith shaken so terribly always leaves him feeling a bit sick to his stomach when the event is said and done.

It's more than just that though. There are people missing again, but not just the usual people who seem to flutter in and out of Wonderland ever so often. George and Coach Beiste, two people who had been in Wonderland has long as he has, both managed to vanish in the same week. It's been some time since it happened, since their rooms reverted to their original state and any sign of them disappeared.

Frankly, it's left James a little shocked that he's still here. It's hard not to shake the feeling that he could leave at any moment against his will, and while he does want to go home more than anyone...they have to figure out how to keep their memories in tact first. He has to remember what he's learned in Wonderland, or they will just repeat their mistakes. They'll put their trust in the wrong people all over again.

Then there's the wedding. There's less than a month until the wedding, and while they've been planning on inviting evveryone...many of the people James had wanted present have left Wonderland. It's hard not to worry that he or even Lily could vanish between now and then, and part of him just wants to get the whole thing over with and marry her now, today, while they're both still in Wonderland. But, no. They need to do this right. It's their chance to have the sort of wedding they might never get at home, due to the war.

There's been a lot on his mind since the last event ended, not that he cares to admit it. Instead, he's decided to go for a walk and stretch his stagly legs. He'll be out on the grounds, strutting around and eating grass and interesting flowers, but most importantly he'll be reveling in that slower stag mind where everything seems to stretch forever. As a stag, complex emotions are broken down into something much simpler and almost meditative. He'd much rather sort himself out as a stag than do all this fretting and worrying. Worrying is awful; being a stag is clearly the way to go.

But this stag is unusually friendly, and he's more than willing to come say hello to any curious spectators...and to run far away from anyone who might try to hunt him. Threat of hunters has never stopped him before.]

Comments

CLOSED TO CASTIEL

[pottershotter]

[Later in the day, after turning back into himself, James is sitting on the front steps with his network device. He's given it a lot of thought, and he really ought to move things along in terms of wedding plans. Maybe it's a risk to plan in advance when people can vanish at any moment, but he's always been something of a risk taker.

So, he texts Castiel. He'd just go to his room, but it suddenly occurred to James that he has no idea where Castiel stays at all.]

Hullo Castiel! I need to ask you a favor. Can I meet you somewhere?

[Straight and to the point.]

[freewill]

[The reason that James has no idea where Castiel stays is because he's hardly ever there, and that's the case this time around as well. He's out in the woods scouting through the area (but more because it gives him something to do -- it became a habit long ago) when his phone buzzes in his pocket.

It's been some time since he and James have spoken. They tend to only communicate during times of crisis, not having the kind of camaraderie that leads to random check-ins.

So he assumes that whatever James requires of him, it must be important.]

Where would you like to meet?

[Wherever it is, he can be there in seconds.]

[pottershotter]

[It's true they aren't the closest of friends. James wasn't even very close to previous incarnations of Castiel, the way he was with Dean. Things had always been mostly Resistance business between them and nothing more, but this is something only Castiel would be able to help with.]

Anywhere's fine by me. I'm out by the front door if that makes it a bit easier.

[While it's important to him on a personal level, it's also evidently not something so dire that he can't share his location over the network.]

[freewill]

[James tends to be careful with security issues, both over the network and with the mirrors, a trait that Castiel thinks more people should adhere to. The fact that he isn't masking his location must mean that this isn't some sort of life-or-death situation.

Which isn't to say that Castiel puts it off for that reason. The moment that he receives the text message, he flies over to the spot that James cited, appearing at his side with the sound of flapping wings.

He rolls his head toward the young wizard.] Hello, James.

[pottershotter]

[James doesn't jump the way some others might when Castiel appears. He's used to the sound of people apparating, and the accompanying crack that sounds almost like what muggles might hear when a car backfires. Comparatively, Castiel's sudden appearances are gentler.]

That was fast! Hullo, Castiel. Thanks for coming.

[He stands up, and brushes off his pant legs. Then, he gets right to the point.]

So! Lily and I want to get married next month, but we've hit a bit of a snag in our plans. As far as I know, I don't think we have any members of the clergy in Wonderland at the moment, or anyone else who would normally be able to marry people, so...I know it's a bit unorthodox, but I was wondering... [The fact that it's a relatively big favor (at least in James' opinion) makes it hard to spit out at first, even if the favor seems obvious. Eventually he gets there though.] ...Well, would you be willing to officiate for us?

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper is just walking along when he sees a random deer hanging out. He pauses, frowning, and turns to stare at the animal.]

...that's odd. I didn't think the local fauna included deer.

[pottershotter]

[The deer in question seems to notice Dipper too after a moment, and he turns and stares at him.

And he stares for a very, very long time. Longer than a deer should really be staring at anything. He doesn't seem scared exactly. He's just watching to see if the boy does anything else...or how long he's willing to have a staring contest with a stag.]

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper approaches slowly, trying not to scare the creature off. Right now it probably has the deer in the headlights thing, which is definitely the most logical explanation for why it's staring like that. The trick is keep it feeling comfortable enough that it doesn't run off when Dipper gets closer while still getting their quickly enough that it doesn't just... run off for no reason. Dipper's observed enough strange creatures in the forest that he thinks he's gotten pretty good at it.]

[pottershotter]

[And the stag waits, watching Dipper approach. He's welcome to try his luck. This stag doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

If anything, it seems to be watching him, staring Dipper in the eyes.

He'll let Dipper get literally as close as he wants to, even close enough to touch if he'd like.]

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper definitely wants to touch. He puts his hand on the stag's side and makes a muffled excited noise because he's touching a freaking deer that's so cool. Mabel's gonna be so jealous.]

Oh my god. How is this happening.

[meatsack]

[Meg has come to enjoy walking in the woods since the first time Cas brought her out here. It's quiet, for the most part, and a nice change of scenery. While wonderland means life and freedom she'd never have in death back home, it does start to feel small and closed in to someone who's used to having the run of the globe. At least there's plenty to explore here, in the mean time. She's got half a mind to look for Sam, just to check in. Not that she cares...

Contrary to most, the distrust and paranoia didn't bother Meg much during the event. She'd been more worried than usual and mostly just laid low, but those things were par for the course for a being like her. It was good that things were back to - well, not normal, but back to the status quo with at least far less potential for meeting another violent end. It's with that in mind that she's enjoying her quiet walk in the relative solitude of the forest, until she realizes that she most certainly was not alone.

She turns and looks over each shoulder cautiously, inexplicably surprised when she sees the stag between the trees a few paces away. There's something about it that she can't quite put a finger on, or maybe she'd just learned to take everything here with a grain of salt. Meg sizes up the large animal and slowly walks over, ready to bail if the thing flips its shit. Always hard to say how animals will react to demons, after all. There's no ill will in her approach though, simply curiosity and amusement at encountering something new.]

Aren't you pretty? [She muses aloud, stepping slowly closer to get a better look.]

[pottershotter]

[The stag surprisingly doesn't back away or run off. There's something buried deep in his stagly instincts that is a little uncomfortable, but not enough for Prongs to frolic away from her. He might look like a stag, but there is very much a human mind in there.

So naturally, when she compliments him, the stag preens as if he completely understood her every word. He even poses a little, like how a majestic stag might stand in muggle nature photography.

Yes. Yes, he is very pretty. Thank you for noticing.]

[meatsack]

[The undeniable understanding and subsequent posturing gets a raise of her brows and a slight tilt of her head, but Meg has seen far stranger things - in Wonderland alone, even. Still, it's cause for keen interest and some measure of delight as she slowly advances a few steps toward the creature. She's not dumb enough to try to touch it right off the bat, but now she's all curious and stuff.]

Hmm... bet you're not from around here either, huh?

[pottershotter]

[He lets her come closer to him, as close as she'd like to really, and he looks at her curiously as she speaks. But then, after letting her wonder for a moment if he really does understand English or not, Prongs shakes his head back and forth.

It's slow, since his head is weighed down by his massive antlers, but the meaning is clear. No, he isn't from around here. Not at all.]

[meatsack]

[She wanders into conversational space with the stag, looking him over appreciatively. Even one as wicked as her could and did appreciate creation, wherever and whoever's it was.]

Don't tell me you can talk, too. [It's not the oddest thing she's ever seen when he shakes his head, but she's impressed by the novelty of the situation. Even she's never actually had a conversation with an animal before. Doesn't quite beat actual mermaid, but it's close.]

Funny, I thought this was Alice, not friggin' Bambi. [It's half-mumbled to herself before she takes a swig from a flask produced from a jacket pocket, but quite audible. Once she knocks it back, she speaks more directly. To the deer. It's happened, she's officially been here for too long.] Speaking of that, you oughta keep a look out in case this place decides to bring in any more hunting enthusiasts.

[goodwoofjames]

[This foray into stagly wandering doesn't surprise Sirius one bit. Last time Sirius saw him, James was clearly out of sorts, but also clearly disinterested in admitting to that fact. And generally when this happened-- and when he could get away with it --James would go moping about in stag form. After getting to feel that floaty, easy way of being for himself, Sirius totally understands the appeal. But that doesn't mean he's about to let James mope endlessly by himself.

So, after he's given James a small amount of private time to himself, he heads out in search of him. Luckily, there's generally less need to hide in Wonderland, and Sirius catches sight of him just outside the forest rather than deep within it. He holds a hand up in greeting from a few yards away.]

Hey mate. Thought you might want some company.

[James'll tell him what this is about later, when he can, you know, speak. But for now, Sirius can just be present. And scratch that spot behind James' antlers he can never reach.]

[pottershotter]

[It's true. He isn't even really hiding anyhow. Anyone who knows he's a stag will immediately know it's him, and anyone who doesn't will be in for a surprise. Only people like Sirius will know what why he's really out here.

He's been admittedly moody in a very noticeable way, but he's been insistent that he's fine - like he always done when something's bothering him that can't actually be fixed in some way.

Still, he's not going to turn away Sirius' company when he's gone through the trouble of trying to find him. He gladly trots over, meeting Sirius halfway without question or hesitation. Prongs rests his heavy head on Sirius' shoulder and is more than content to let Sirius scratch that spot - that spot is the worst.

He knows perfectly well why Sirius is really there though, and to communicate this he lets out a high pitched whine, not entirely unlike a squeaking door. It does not have a direct translation beyond perhaps "uuuuuuggggggggggghhhhhhh why do things have to be so awful?"]

[goodwoofjames]

[Sirius knows that is an upset noise, but it's so goofy and deer-ish that he can't help but laugh.]

Is that so? I don't know. I think you're exaggerating. Couldn't possibly be all that bad.

[He's teasing, of course. He knows James has just lost some people, some people who he'd been rather close to. He's not making light of that. Just trying to be goofy and Sirius-ish to make up for all the mopey deer-ish-ness that's going on.]

[pottershotter]

[James is not even remotely amused by all of this laughter. He is moping here!

Which is why he leans his head even harder against Sirius' shoulder and whines louder (and possibly even sillier) at him in his ridiculous stag way. Of course it's that bad! He's not exaggerating at all!

...Well, maybe he is a little. He does have a tendency to be over-dramatic.]

[goodwoofjames]

[Sirius bites back a giggle and just nods, smirking only slightly. He gives James a nice skritch behind the antlers.]

So do you want to talk about it, or should we go for a bit of a, hm, frolic?

[That's the word, right?]

[fireheaded]

[Antimony has only been in Wonderland for a couple days, so she still has plenty of good exploration to get in before she grows tired of wandering. She's circling the edge of the forest, wondering if it truly is a different forest than the one she knows -- but it looks different in the ether, and that should be a clear indicator. But it's just so strange, to be transported someplace wholly different without any warning...

She turns back from the forest, done looking over it from the outside for the umpteenth time, maybe not even the last time, when she sees him. A beautiful sight. A very attractive stag wandering not far from her. He stands out, what with animals seeming to be few and far in between here.

She's enchanted, and she takes a few careful steps closer. She's sure he has seen her already, and he doesn't seem to want to run away, so things are looking good so far.] Hello... Well, aren't you beautiful. Don't be afraid of me now...

[pottershotter]

[He looks up instinctively at the sound of footsteps and stares in her direction for a moment. It's actually enough to make him seem like an ordinary stag at first, but he's just taking her in. She isn't someone he recognizes - new arrival, maybe?

He can't help taking an immediate liking to her - she called him beautiful! And she seems gentle and not terribly threatening at a glance, so unlike a true stag he isn't really afraid of her at all. Slowly, not wanting to raise too much suspicion, he starts to walk toward her as well.

If she'll let him, he'll eventually get close enough to reach out touch. He really is a pretty stag, with interesting dark markings around his eyes - almost like little fur glasses.]

[fireheaded]

[She smiles in delight when the stag approaches her. He's actually interested in her! This doesn't usually happen, even in the Gillitie Wood, where she's more than welcome but the normal animals tend to keep their distance. Even as a medium, she's still more human than not, and that trumps any fancy title back home.

But here, there are plenty of humans, able to roam as they please. Maybe this stag is simply used to them? The idea of that pleases her. A lovely deer willing to live among humans.

She slowly reaches out when he gets close enough and, hesitantly, rests a hand against his fur. When he doesn't run off at the contact, she draws closer and strokes him, getting comfortable with the deer.]

It's lovely to meet you. My name is Antimony. I wonder if you're stuck here like I am, or if you've simply been here all your life.

Oh! [She's just glanced at him through the ether, a habit she has of checking every so often just to see what's there. And what she sees is dazzling.] So many colors... You're... magical. You're no normal deer.

[She scritches his head.] You must be very proud.

[pottershotter]

[Prongs is happy for all the attention, but he stiffens when she gently points out that he's magical. He's not used to people being able to tell he's a magical stag (or rather that he's magical and not really a stag) simply by looking. It catches him off-guard.

But then she's scritching his head and oh, that feels nice. It's enough for him to ease once more. He moves his head a bit, guiding her to the exact right spot like an impatient cat or dog. One she gets it, he puffs a sigh out his nose. Ahhh.

Then, slowly, he nods his head up and down, though he's noticeably weighed down by his own antlers. Yes, he's stuck like her, and yes, he is very proud to be a magical stag.]

[fireheaded]

[She smiles big when he really starts appreciating her petting. She's glad he likes it.

And then... Oh goodness. He seems to be... communicating with her. She wonders if this is what it feels like for Paz to be able to speak with animals.] You can understand me? [It makes sense, in a way. He's so magical, he's more than an ordinary stag. Hm... Now that she can talk to a stag, she wonders what questions to ask. Yes or no questions, so he can communicate his answer.] Do you like it here?