[WEEK 4, WEDNESDAY: Raven]

[spinatalltale]

[fffffuck these doors]

[honesty, after the first time, Magilou isn't quite sure why she's opening hers and Laphicet's door again. maybe. . . she's testing herself? maybe the knowledge that this island is fucking with her head the way Melchior used to puts her on edge, and makes her want to prove to this goddamn island that she can take whatever mental abuse it throws at her]

[and so, here she is, standing in front of her door with a blank expression, once again watching Artorius strangle the one woman Magilou admired more than anyone else in the entire world to death. she's sort of standing in front of the doorway, trying to block the images within, but since she's short it isn't so difficult to see what's beyond from behind]

. . . it doesn't get any more riveting after the first time. . .

Comments

[hydrazine]

[Meanwhile, Raven doesn't intend to look over. Her focus is on the people already outside of their rooms, though, and that's why Magilou standing in front of her door catches her eye. She glances over, and once she looks, it's hard to tear her eyes away from just what she sees. After a few seconds, she's still looking, not realizing that her staring might become obvious soon.]

[spinatalltale]

[-- and then the door slams shut]

[Magilou whirls to face Raven, chest puffed out and shoulders stiff. she looks petulant]

Hey! Haven't you ever heard of privacy? A witch has got to keep her secrets!

[hydrazine]

[She blinks, realizing just how long she's been looking, and then... Well, she doesn't quite look apologetic, because doesn't do apologetic. What she does do, though, is look away respectfully, making eye contact with Magilou instead. Her expression is sympathetic.]

[spinatalltale]

[. . . Raven doesn't need words for Magilou to understand what she's trying to convey. she grins]

You don't need to waste that expression on me. It's an illusion-- that's all. And that's enough for it to mean nothing.

[hydrazine]

[There's an expression that might be amused in any other situation. Here, it just comes off as curious, and perhaps a bit flippant.]

Is that why you were standing there and staring at it?

[spinatalltale]

Yeah, actually.

[WHOOPS]

[. . . she answers with an affirmative, but offers no other explanation]

[hydrazine]

[She pauses for a moment, because she's expecting Magilou to continue on, but when it's clear she isn't going to...]

You want to elaborate?

[spinatalltale]

Not particularly!

[SHE IS DIFFICULT]

[hydrazine]

[just

gives her a look]

[spinatalltale]

[. . . sighs]

You've noticed the pattern this place has with messing with our heads, right? This isn't the first time we've been confronted with illusions like this.

As long as I can still see through them. . . as long as I don't let my eyes and ears deceive me, then they can throw as many of them at me as they want.

[she'll stare them down, unflinching]

[hydrazine]

Whoa. That almost sounded cool.

[almost being the keyword!!]

[spinatalltale]

[rude!!]

And that sounds like a high compliment coming from someone like you. I'll take it!

[hydrazine]

[A smirk, and then a pause.]

Would it make you feel better if you saw what was behind mine?

[Even if she's not acting it, she does feel a little bad for seeing something that she's sure must have been painful for all Magilou is denying it.]

[spinatalltale]

[oh]

[she blinks a few times, earnestly surprised by this suggestion, before she nods]

You'd really trust a witch like me with a secret from the depths of your heart?

[hydrazine]

I mean, you won't know any of the context for it, you'll just see something horrible happening to someone you don't know.

[raven don't put it like that]

[spinatalltale]

Huh. Fair point! In that case, let's go!

[Raven DO put it like that because Mags likes it that way]

[hydrazine]

You don't need to sound so excited.

[but here they go! she hesitates for a moment before opening the door, steeling herself]

[spinatalltale]

"Excited" is my default state.

[but! she falls quiet when Raven opens the door, and doesn't act too eager when she leans over to peer inside. . .]

[hydrazine]

[She props the door open wide enough that Magilou can see a man inside the room, stabbed in the abdomen and bleeding on the floor. Raven doesn't take her eyes away, but she does take in a deep breath and cross her arms.]

[spinatalltale]

[. . . it's similar. . .]

[she keeps her eyes on the illusion, but her expression is empty. when she speaks, her words are as well]

It feels real, doesn't it?

[hydrazine]

[She shakes her head as casually as she can, eyes narrowing slightly at the sight before her.]

I know it's not real. It can't be.

[spinatalltale]

That's what your heart says. That's how you keep it from getting to you.

[lifts a hand to her chest, over said heart]

. . . but your senses say otherwise. For some people, the senses overwhelm the heart.

[hydrazine]

My senses have seen this happen to him before, so no, not really.

[There's a new edge of tension in her expression, even if it's not directed at Magilou.]

[spinatalltale]

[her gaze flickers towards Raven, and she nods]

Replaying an old memory, then? That's almost as bad.

[hydrazine]

I'd say it's worse, myself, but maybe I'm biased.

[She sighs, closing the door, forcing herself to look away.]

[spinatalltale]

No no, that's fair.

[exhales deeply when the door is shut]

They really are trying their hardest to knock us off balance, aren't they?

[hydrazine]

[Somehow, that makes her lips quirk upwards in a humorless smile.]

If they think they can outdo the things I've already been through, they're idiots. This is nothing.

[spinatalltale]

[she grins]

I feel much the same. I've been through far worse illusions than this.

[she doesn't elaborate]

It certainly does make me continue to question the fabric of reality that holds this island together, though.

[hydrazine]

We should make a club.

[girls please]

Newt thought it might be virtual reality. I'm starting to agree with him.

[spinatalltale]

. . . I don't really know what virtual reality is, but I am going with "hallucination" or "illusion." I suppose that's close enough?