[closed] when it rains, it pours

[edalyn]

Who: Edalyn Clawthorne, Raine Whispers. Closed, but others are free to say they witnessed this rather public episode!
When: Early september
Where: ADI grounds
Summary: Raine hasn't been telling Eda the whole truth, and she's absolutely fed up.

Warnings: arguments/fighting, chasing, possibly some silly magical dueling but no genuine/serious violence, (well intentioned) lying/mild manipulation, anxiety/paranoia, panic attacks, grief, (slapstick) body horror.

Discussion of: (ambiguously successful) attempted genocide, ambiguous fate of loved ones including children, near death experiences, injury (loss of limb), bigotry/government corruption.

Is Eda stalking her own ex--
friend--
roommate? Maybe, but desperate times call for slightly creepy desperate measures.

She wants to be happy that Raine is here, but something has felt off since they arrived. They’ve been vague on the details of what was happening in the Boiling Isles. They’ve been barely home, avoiding her, and acting more awkward and weird than usual. They’ve been making excuses every time she’s tried to ask if anything is wrong.

She wants to believe everything they've told her... but she knows they've lied to her before, convinced her they were brainwashed because they thought they knew what was best for her. The whole thing has her far more on edge than she wants to admit.

The last straw was what Donna told her. Raine claimed that they were fine when they got here, but now she hears that they weren’t. That they were hurt, weak, covered in cracks or veins of light.

Eda might be wrong, but that sounds an awful lot like their coven sigil being used against them. So how does that line up with Raine saying that they were still planning their rebellion, that they hadn’t been caught, that they still had time back home?

The answer is more obvious than she wants it to be: it doesn’t.

As far as Eda is concerned, all of these factors add up to a perfectly good explanation for the fact that she’s lurking in a bush, waiting to confront Raine when they leave the library. You know, like any reasonable concerned party would do.

Comments

[rainewhispers]

They were finding an ebb and flow to this odd situation they found themselves in. Try not to rock the boat too much, as far as they knew they were going to drown either way but they could at least try to make sure the rest of the people here got home to a world unravaged by these entities they were supposed to be fighting.

Then there were those they didn't quite know how to help. The Golden Guard was one. He was admittedly not as much of a concern. They didn't know what happened to him after the infiltration spell went sideways, they didn't know he was even still..

The other was Edalyn. Eda.. what were they supposed to do? Supposed to say? It hurt to lie but they knew it would hurt too much more to tell the truth, they didn't want to take her hope away that there was something to get back home to. They didn't know if they would have to go back to what was happening when they arrived, if they'd still be breathing when they did.

So they dived into the human world's intricacies. Spending more and more time in the library as they committed themselves to familiarizing themselves with this world like they never planned to leave it. Maybe they didn't. Maybe they'd try to stay, fight tooth and nail to keep their wits about them. Maybe they.. maybe they could convince Eda to stay as well.

Raine walked out of the library. They were even dressing more human-like with time. It wasn't exactly the most flattering wardrobe but they found it charming and comfortable. At least more comfortable than the tea soaked and stained clothes they ended up arriving in.

Looped around their arm was a book bag with library books, they were also thumbing through a newspaper idly, trying to keep up with local happenings even beyond the scope of just what the ADI found interesting as they started to take the first few steps down the path.

[edalyn]

Eda was getting bored and finally debating just going into the library and making Raine talk to her there, when it turned out she didn't have to keep lurking for long.

She waited for Raine to get a few steps out from the library doors before pouncing out of her hiding place. She landed in front of them and snatched the newspaper out from in front of their face. She wanted their full attention for this.

"There you are," she said, triumphantly, like she hadn't known exactly where they were for at least the last half hour or so.

[rainewhispers]

Raine jolted at alert as someone was suddenly jumping in front of them and snatching away the newspaper they had their nose all but buried in. They stared her down like a sneer (that's a snake-deer) in lamp-lights.

Their eyes flickered over her face alarmingly but seemed to relax more when they realized it was Eda. They opened their mouth to say something, shut it, paused.. before pointing at her head while keeping their arms close to their chest.

"You have.. twigs in your hair." They managed out with a sheepish and nervous smile. Trying to gauge what she was mad about this time. "I mean it- it looks good on you? Trying something new?"

[edalyn]

"Camouflage," Eda explained, not making any move to remove the twigs from her hair, whether or not she actually put them there on purpose.

"And yeah, I look amazing," she agreed, clicking her cheek and giving them a quick wink. This was serious, but if they were going to compliment her then she could spare a second to flirt, right? Even if, to be completely honest, her own locally bought outfit was only slightly more fashionable than Raine's.

"But that's not the point," she said, tone clipped and snappier as she moved on. "The point is you need to tell me the truth." She didn't specify about what, but she wasn't sure whether she'd have to.

[rainewhispers]

Raine may have found it more endearing if they weren't already starting to get in their own head about this situation. Why did she have to be camaflogued? Was she waiting out here for them? How long was she there? Why was she there? Their expression turned more scorned and annoyed as they tried to hide how nervous they were with false bravado.

Their nose scrunched up a bit as they huffed and gathered themselves. "I don't know what you're talking about, Eda." They responded as they took back the newspaper quickly and tucked it in their bag as they tried to walk past her. "I'm kind of busy right now, we can talk about..whatever this is later I'm sure."

[edalyn]

And Eda might have found that false bravado endearing in just about any other context. But right about now it only served to make her more irritated with them than she already was.

She let out a brief growl as they snatched the newspaper back but didn't actually stop them. "Oh you don't huh? Well, if it helps, I was talking to Donna--" she began, reaching to grab their arm firmly as they tried to walk away from her.

[rainewhispers]

They had a feeling she'd argue it, maybe even just follow them. They could have handled that, they thought so anyways. What they weren't expecting is Eda to say she was talking to Donna. Donna- That human who found them when they arrived here, who saw them..

Eda was grabbing Raine's arm and they swivelled their head to stare her down with a look of shock, caught red handed. There was no worming out of this one, so they acted without thinking. Their free hand shot out and grabbed the arm holding them from leaving and twisted. It was an achingly familiar gesture, one that had them stunned in place as they realized they were holding her arm. The arm no longer attached to her body.

Raine made a choked up sound of distress as they tossed it aside like it was a hot pan, staring it down with wide eyes before looking to Eda. They couldn't bear to face her a second longer.

They hardly took another breath before they were turning tail and bolting down the path away from her.

mild/slapstick body horror

[edalyn]

"Hey!" Eda cried out more in irritation than anything else as her lower arm separated neatly from her body at the elbow. It didn't hurt, not really, the twist did a little but not the arm itself coming apart. But it still surprised her, not to mention the fact she found it rude to use one of her weaknesses against her.

A weakness she wasn't even sure Raine knew about--no, wait, they'd mentioned her arm when they got here, and then tried to explain it away. Something the their face, in that strangled little noise they made gave her pause as confusingly disparate pieces started to click into place in her mind.

For a brief moment there was silence between them save for a sound almost exactly like, well, a severed arm hitting the ground before starting to scuttle after the person who tossed it aside.

But she didn't have long to contemplate Raine's reaction. Instead she took off after them almost before she realised it, only barely remembering to scoop up her arm on the way.

Not that chasing them was much of a surprise at the moment--she was angry, and she wasn't letting them keep avoiding her. It certainly wasn't the fact that something in the back of her mind had an instant reaction to the fact that Raine was running and pr--

No, she just wanted to talk to them. "Get back here and tell me the truth right now, Raine Whispers! You little--"

[rainewhispers]

Raine’s heart was pounding, they could remember feeling her arm break off in a similar way, crumbling to dust in their grasp as they looked her in the eye one last time. It was making it hard to breathe as they ran. They were getting tangled in their own web of lies and it was biting them back hard. They didn’t want to do this to Eda, make her so desperate for the truth but what else were they supposed to do then? Or NOW for that matter?!

They could hear her shouting after them. They were limber and agile but she had more legroom and ferocity on her side. They needed to make distance, they needed-

Raine felt very small, backed into a nook of a maze while a crones voice cackled over them.

Suddenly they whipped around to face Eda, she would only get a moment to see them raise their fingers to their mouth and blow.

FWEEEEEEE~!

The whistle cut sharply through the calm air of the campus and bursting out from Raine was a shrill shock wave that sent Eda backwards. Raine took in a desperate breath after, realizing what they just did before shaking their head and turning again, shouting behind them. “This is for your own good!” They cried out, trying to ignore how the words were trying to choke up in their throat as they turned a sharp corner not slowing down as they kept their sprint.

[edalyn]

Eda's eyes widened and her breath was knocked out of her as her back hit the building she'd been passing in front of. She didn't know Raine had any magic back--although that wasn't what bothered her the most. Unfortunately, it reminded Eda less of that moment in the maze and more of the last time they fought, when Raine was pretending they hadn't seen her in years.

It took her a moment to get her breath and her balance back, and the shock was replaced with an expression even darker than it was before as their words struck a nerve. Maybe it was being reminded of the last time they lied to her 'for her own good,' or maybe it was the way they'd reacted all those years ago when she'd done much the same. Maybe it was both.

"For my own good?" she shouted after them as she took up the chase again. She didn't stop to worry about exactly why it bothered her as much as it did, because right now Raine was running and--

It was hardly even a conscious decision, she barely noticed the feeling of feathers bristling through her skin. Didn't think about the talons she hadn't had mere moments ago gouging furrows into the ground as she skidded to a halt and turned the corner to follow them. She definitely didn't think about the fact that here, at headquarters, people would likely be able to see an absolutely furious and somewhere over seven-foot-tall harpy woman.

Her voice was layered with strange harmonics the next time she spoke, well, yelled.

"What happened to honesty huh? Wasn’t that kind of your thing or do I really not know you anymore?" Oh, that was low. She didn't think about it until it was out of her mouth, hadn't consciously meant to echo what they'd said to her back then. She'd regret that later.

But she didn't stop to regret it right then. Right then she was angry and she was panicking and everything was very... simple.

Because Raine was running and prey runs.

[rainewhispers]

Raine didn't look back, not at first. They kept running across the campus, pushing past the stray few people still walking out as dusk crept closer. Reds and oranges had started to leak into the sky since they first walked into the library.

They saw a small stairwell heading down from the library path as they swallowed back their tears and choked up breaths. Leaping up they planted on the rail, sliding down it smoothly until they hopped off at the bottom. Her voice cut through behind them, warbled in her throat in a way they'd never heard before-

Then came startled shouts of the few passerbys Raine had passed and they risked a look over their shoulder-

Eyes went wide and Raine's breathing hitched. They almost froze in place as they staggered into a run again. Sweat beat down their brow and their heart beat like a war drum in their chest, lungs straining to keep up their circulation as they tried futily to outrun her.

Her words cut deep but this went beyond just that. They were being hunted, and Raine was unmistakably afraid.

They didn't say anything. Adrenaline was their ally, they rounded around by a low planter near a low wall leading to another higher level of the grounds. Raine hopped up on it and grasped at the edge of the wall, hoisting onto it and rolling over. Their pace was slowing, they couldn't do this forever.. where would they even go now to avoid her? Could they do anything besides delay the inevitable?

[edalyn]

Eda watched as Raine jumped to the stairwell rail and spread her wings, flying the short distance to land just behind them at the base of the steps.

The gasps and shouts from nearby startled her briefly. Her ears pricked up and she glanced over, staring down a passerby with intense, yellow-in-black eyes and giving a low hiss. Normally she might think better of the response, but right about now she wanted them to mind their own damn business.

Either way, unfortunately--or perhaps fortunately, all things considered--the distraction let Raine put more distance between them again, and they weren't close enough to grab by the time they looked back.

She'd think about that expression on their face soon, but right now she was running on adrenaline... and the almost overwhelming rush of something else she got from that visceral fear. In that moment she felt almost as powerful as she used to feel in this shape, and she didn't stop to regret how well the Hunt might be eating today.

Instead she let out a shriek, something no human or witch should have been able to make--closer to a hawk than an owl, but probably not a sound that any normal bird could make. With that she was off again, clearing the planter with another flap of her wings and landing on the wall behind them, grasping the edge with her talons just long enough to catch her balance before breaking back into a run.

With Raine beginning to slow it wasn't long before she spotted the chance to round in front of them, cutting them off near the mouth of a small alley between buildings and leaving it their only avenue of retreat--assuming they didn't want to try and dodge past a snarling harpy.

[rainewhispers]

The shriek shook them to their core, they felt it chill through their vines to make their blood run as cold as the snows of the Knee. They staggered and nearly fell on their face as Edalyn suddenly ran past them and stopped in front of them. She stood her ground, snarling and hissing at them. They'd assume this was just her curse but-

How is she even doing this, for that matter actually..? It didn't matter right now, ask questions later, if at all. Raine stared her down for just a second, with watery and fearful eyes before the next breath had them bolting down that alley next to them. Their eyes locked behind them for just long enough that when they looked in front of them, it was too late to turn around as they saw there was no escape around them, or above them or-

Raine all but barrelled into the wall, turning around with a sharp inhale that was more of a shrill wheeze than anything else.. bracing for whatever was about to happen next.

[edalyn]

Eda didn't stand her ground long, resuming the chase at almost the same second Raine bolted into the alley. The moment she realised that she had them cornered she pounced, landing heavily in front of them as they turned around.

Without stopping to think, she braced one clawed and feathered hand against the wall above them and grabbed their collar with the other, nails likely ripping their sweater as she pinned them against the bricks. It wasn't hard enough to injure them, or at least that wasn't the intent, but it was certainly hard enough that they wouldn't be going anywhere.

She looked down at Raine and--

It's only then that something in her started to crack, to falter, to ask what the hell she's doing--

She was always taller than them, of course, by a few inches, that had been true ever since they were kids. But right now, in this form, at this angle, Raine looked so small.

Eda's stomach twisted as it began to hit her that this was Raine, her Raine, the only person besides Lily to even matter to her for most of her life, her gorgeous, powerful, brave, badass rainstorm of a bard... eyes wide in her claws like a frightened rabbit.

...Eda thought she might be sick.

But none of that changed the reason she was chasing them, not quite yet.

"Just... just... tell me the truth." Her voice cracked a little, though it was hard to say if they'd be able to notice, still layered and strange as it was.

[rainewhispers]

Raine's breath caught in their chest and hitched to being held as a claw slammed above them and another grabbed at their sweater, pushing them back and pinning them in place. The walls were closing in around them, thrashing in their own web had only tangled them up more and now the silk became barbed wire digging in-

They couldn't breathe but.. more importantly, they couldn't lie to her, not anymore. Not like this.

Raine took in a shudder-y wheeze again and the tears welled up visibly as their face twisted into one of despair. They couldn't hold it in as the welling pooled over and they balled up their fists, turning their face away from Eda as the truth came out.

"Titan's sake Eda I was lying because- because we don't win!" They cried out, a choked up sob barely held back as it all came pouring out. "Belos- the draining spell- we don't stop it. He won, and the last thing I remember was it going dark after saving you from ending up like the rest of us..."

They raised a balled up fist, the one with their sigil as they grimaced at it. Before their face scrunched up in guilty frusteration and they smacked it against their forehead before burying their face in that hand. "I wanted to keep it from you because.. because you didn't know yet. I thought the least I could do was give you hope we have something worth fighting for here! Even if it meant you hating me for it, I.."

Their legs felt weak, starting to wobble under them with Eda now supporting most of their weight as they went near slack in her grip, dizzy and having trouble keeping their wits about them.

"It was my fault you were there that day, for branding you. I thought we could do it but.. they knew before we were even there.."

They looked over at her slowly and pained with bleary eyes. "I'm sorry, Eda."

[edalyn]

“We… we don’t…? Everyone…” Her voice was very soft and very lost as all the fight drained out of her at once. She wanted to stay angry at them for not telling her but honestly, would she have told them? She wasn't sure. Probably not. Did she feel any better for the answers she wanted so much? Did she even have to answer that question?

She let out a shaky breath, suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the chase set in. Or maybe the exhaustion of the last few weeks, months, even before she got here... she'd been trying so hard to be strong, to be calm, to find some way to keep everyone safe and for what?

Her limbs felt heavy and she swayed slightly, wings starting to tremble. She took the pressure off Raine's chest, though she kept a hand on them lightly to make sure they wouldn't fall. She was barely even processing what they'd told her, not really, not wanting to accept it or believe it. It didn't feel real yet, not quite. What was hitting harder, right then, was the fact they were crying. That she'd made them cry, scared them, maybe even hurt them--

"Raine, I'm so--" Her voice cracked more audibly now. "You know I'd never–ever actually want to hurt you… right, Rainstorm? I just–" she just thought she had a right to be upset. They weren't telling her if her kids were alive! Not that that made her feel better. Despite her current height and her layered voice she sounded very, very small.

She stopped leaning on the wall and reached to touch their face lightly, cup their cheek with her hand… and noticed just how big her claws were. How sharp. And for the first time in this shape that felt like a bad thing. She swallowed thickly and lowered her hand, looking away.

Normally she loved how she looked as a harpy. She felt beautiful and powerful. Dangerous, yes, but not in a bad way. She'd used those claws to protect Luz and King and since being here even Hunter too.

It was a symbol of the fact she'd finally made peace with the curse, of not...

Of not being a monster.

But she sure as hell felt like one right now. Felt like everything she'd ever been terrified they would see her as.

She never wanted Raine to be afraid of her. Not Raine. She spent years trying to avoid it, she lost--ruined their relationship trying to avoid it. To avoid scaring them, to avoid hurting them, to avoid even making them worry about her. Her eyes began to sting.

[rainewhispers]

Raine nodded slightly. They felt weak, almost as weak as they did when they first showed up here. Albeit it was for different reasons. Raine wanted to... to... they weren't sure what they wanted to do. As Eda let up a bit, they slumped back slightly. Though they kept upright with the help of Eda's supporting them.

Eda... this entire time they were having trouble really processing what she was right now. This wasn't like the curse, not how they remember it. This was.. deliberate, controlled? They didn't know a lot about the curse but... they recall her not being so aware.

She had to know what she was doing...right?

Her claw moved to their face and they couldn't help the way they flinched. They didn't want to think she'd hurt them but they weren't able to stop themselves. As her arm lowered again Raine's moved to hug themselves as they grimaced.

"I didn't want to keep lying to you, Eda. It.. it's why I was avoiding you, it hurt but I was more worried about hurting you.."

They slowly moved their hands up to rub at their eyes, wiping away the tears and trying to collect themselves.

"I wasn't sure how to even say it- how to bring it up or- or.." Their voice cracked and they took a slow, deep breath, finding their footing again steadily. "Or how you'd take it."

[edalyn]

Eda couldn't blame Raine at all, but that flinch filled her with so much guilt and shame that she couldn't look at them. "I'm sorry," she said, softly.

She listened as they went on, but she still couldn't make herself meet their eyes. The moment it seemed like Raine had their balance again she took her hand off their chest and turned to, to--

As much as she wished she could help, fix this, comfort them... she was pretty certain they didn't want that from her right now.

And what she wanted to do was leave. Not talk to them just run, flee, be absolutely anywhere else, be gone so she couldn't just make things worse. Do what she always did.

It's fine! Ahaha everything's normal!! You can leave now!

...Because running, pushing them away, trying to hide her claws from them had worked out so very well in the past.

She swallowed again, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth. It took an effort of will to stop herself in her tracks. But instead of bolting, she turned and pressed herself back into a corner, slowly sinking to the ground and pulling her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her wings around herself, trying not to let Raine see as her eyes welled over.

She didn't change back, not yet, and there were any number of excuses she could have made. It was harder here, took more effort and burned through her limited power. Harder still when she was stressed, when it already took effort to keep herself from letting the curse take over. But as true as those excuses may have been, it was probably more to do with the fact that right this second a part of her was certain she didn't deserve to pretend she wasn't a monster.

"I--I understand... I don't know if I could have told you. I guess--I guess I haven't told Luz or King we've got no plans and no hope and I--I haven't told Hunter he's a--" But those were the kids, shouldn't this be different? She didn't have any good answers. She wouldn't have wanted to hurt Raine any more than they'd wanted to hurt her.

"I'm sorry. I was just--not knowing was--" tearing her apart, she didn't say. "I was so... so..."

She went very quiet as she realised that there was more than one reason she didn't want to finish that sentence. As it hit her exactly why Raine had been able to use magic earlier.

She could have been wrong, of course, but right now it felt painfully clear.

Even if she couldn't fault their motivation, which one would that make it? Secrets, manipulation, spinning a web of lies--everything she was pretty sure both of them still hated. Not that she hated the Hunt any less right now.

[rainewhispers]

When Eda turned around there was a small bitter part of them that expected her to leave, walk away, shoo them off. Instead they watched her sink to the ground in the corner, her wings folding around herself- it was still a bit weird, the wings. Seeing her like this. It wasn't bad- or at least they wanted so desperately to believe it wasn't in spite of everything that just happened.

Raine stayed quiet for a moment before slowly sliding down the wall to sit beside her, letting out a deep sigh as they did.

They didn't need her to finish to know what she meant. They used their powers back there, and they knew the only way that could have come about was if she was-

"..Afraid?" They added for her. Raine looked down at their hands in their lap and spoke softly. "I didn't know it was that bad for you. I would have tried to think of a better way to tell you if I knew. I know you don't want me to be afraid of you, and I don't want to make you scared either."

Raine looked over, hesitated, before slowly reaching out and brushing a hand gently down her wing. Not trying to open it, or make her move it, just.. familiarizing themselves with it.

"It's going to be hard, moving forwards. This entire time I've been wondering what would happen if I went back to that moment when this is all said and done, would it be worth it? But.. the least we can do is try our best to ensure this world has a fighting chance. After all, it's not like we didn't try."

Raine offered a weak smile, whether or not she could see it. "They've got a world worth fighting for as much as we do right? As long as we're here we can give it our best shot one more time."

cw alcohol mention

[edalyn]

Eda didn't quite look up when Raine sat by her, but she felt just a tiny bit better. Things were horrible, and neither of them could do anything to fix that. But things were horrible and neither of them was walking away.

She swallowed thickly and nodded when Raine finished her sentence for her. Even without the overwhelming idea of everyone being gone– it was her family. The kids, Lily, their parents. Of course she was fucking scared. But she bit back that comment, because the last thing she wanted to do was make them feel worse.

"I know, Rainstorm… I know." Her voice was still soft and she sounded more tired than anything. As angry as she'd been, she didn't really believe that Raine would make her feel that way on purpose.

She was startled when Raine touched her wing, and it twitched lightly but she didn't pull away. Instead, after a beat she pressed it gently into their hand.

She was quiet as they spoke, trying to get her tears under control. It was so tempting to just give up. Right now a large part of her simply wanted to drink until she passed out. But Raine, even for all their uncertainty… Raine sounded so strong. If Raine could be strong… then maybe she could too.

If not for her own sake, then for theirs. Mad at them or not, Raine deserved the world. The least she could do would be try and make sure they had one to live in, right? If… that was what they wanted, at any rate.

She nodded with more certainty and finally lowered her wings enough to glance over and give them a weak, slightly grim smile back.

"We can try. One more time… one last adventure, huh?" Maybe neither of them would make it through this at all, but at the very least they could make sure they went down fighting. Making a difference for the people here who were still alive.

"I'm… glad you're here." She wanted to hug them, pull them close and hold them like they were everything she had left. But she still wasn't sure she should. Instead she spread the wing that they'd touched and tentatively tried to wrap it around their shoulders. Her claws and talons were sharp, but her wings were warm and soft. Maybe that would be alright?

[rainewhispers]

When the wing softly pressed into their hand they didn't move it, just held it there with a soft, relieved huff. Gently brushing down the bristled feathers and trying so hard to keep it together, help her feel better. It's their fault this happened.

Raine watched as the wings opened enough to see Eda and they managed a lopsided kind of smile. It was.. still pretty weird, seeing her like this. Not that it was particularly a bad thing. They hoped it wasn't anyways.

They nodded and glanced to the win wrapping it around them. They let out a little chuckle and let her curl it around them. It was nice. Warmer and softer than they expected. It was a stark change from the way they understood the curse to work, albiet that was mostly through second-hand avenues.

"I'm glad you're here too.." They sighed out, gently nudging her with their elbow playfully. They then went quiet for a moment, staring her up and down before settling on her face again. "just... one more thing."

"Where did- uh.. well." They stammered a bit unsure how to address it before sighing and smacking their forehead. "For Titan's sake Calamity- Where did this come from? Is it.. part of the curse? It doesn't look like- I mean I never really saw it in person myself but it doesn't look like- You know?" They decided it would probably be best to stop there.

[edalyn]

Eda definitely didn’t relax fully, but that smile and chuckle still went a long way towards at least cracking the tension. She still didn’t actually hug them, but she wrapped her wing around their shoulders a little tighter and pulled them closer to her side with a soft sigh.

She nudged them back lightly with her shoulder, and when they looked her up and down she tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. She was probably about to make an ill-timed joke about how hot she was as a harpy. But, perhaps fortunately, she held off when they started talking again.

Then the rest of the tension broke all at once. Whether it was their exasperated expression, pulling out the childhood nickname, or just the shift in tone–or the combination of everything–Eda burst out laughing, despite the fact she hadn’t entirely stopped crying.

She turned and buried her face in Raine’s shoulder as she tried to stop. They were still nervous and awkward and she did feel bad about that but at the same time they were nervous and awkward in a way that reminded her they were, well… Raine. Her best friend. She wrapped an arm around them and gave them a squeeze before finally getting the laughter under control.

“Breathe, Stormcloud.” Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite fair to reach for what she used to call them when they were grumpy with her but–just let her have this.

She did sober up a little as she tried to find the words to actually answer them. As she thought about the fact they hadn’t really seen the curse, not up close–she’d tried to be so careful after that first day she apparently ran away from coven tryouts.

“I’ll fill you in. Promise. But… Titan where do I even start? It is the curse, kind of, but it’s not–it’s not like it used to be… I’m me. And it’s–I mean normally I’d say it’s a good thing–” Eda realised she was rambling and paused to try and start over.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get the chance. Her ears twitched as she heard voices and footsteps approaching, turning into the alleyway. Of course they couldn’t just be left alone. Was she in trouble? Probably. Probably a lot. She didn’t really… care. Nothing really mattered. She was tired. She just wanted to hold her friend and almost feel like things were normal for a minute there. She didn’t look up, instead just kind of shrinking in on herself a bit.

If she’d looked up, she might have noticed that the security guards were armed.

[rainewhispers]

Raine let her bury into their shoulder as she laughed and cried. It was making it hard for them not to start welling up themselves just seeing how overflowing with emotions she was. She was loud in all things, the way she spoke, carried herself.. and how she expressed herself. How she felt things.. Raine sometimes would wish they could be as unabashed as she was.

They loved that about her.

Their own arm moved around Eda, looping over her shoulders as well and gently running a hand through her hair to try and help her calm down. It felt achingly familiar. Like a better, simpler time when they were younger. The world didn't seem as complicated then, as dangerous.

Raine went tense around the time Eda hear the footsteps, their attention was immediately shifted to the armed guards who were approaching them like-

Their arm looped tighter around Eda as the guards spoke.

'Edalyn Clawthorne, you are being detained as per the violation of ADI guidelines. Attempts to resist will be met with equal measure of punishment.' They advanced quickly, grabbing Eda's arm around Raine and forcing her off, even pushing between the two of them as Raine clambered to try and keep hold of her.

Two of the Guards tried to crowd around Raine, barely able to ask: 'Are you alright? Did she hurt you?-' Before Raine was barking back at them.

"She didn't- It wasn't like that!" They cried out as they tried to push past them. The guards grabbed Raine's shoulder and in a knee-jerk response Raine's elbow jutted back hard into their side. It was then the Guards around them moved more firmly to grab Raine, forcing them to their knees as they forced their arms behind their back.

All while the guards attempted to work around Eda's wings only to decide to just cuff her hands in front of her. Raine kept struggling futily as the Guards demanded they calm down, but it was white noise to them.

"Stop- Just listen to me-" Their words fell on equally deaf ears and it was starting to cause a rise in their chest.

Raine's brows furrowed as they started to take a very pointed deep breath while staring down the ADI members trying to take Eda away.

[edalyn]

It was painfully familiar to Eda as well, not just Raine's fingers in her hair but Raine managing to keep themselves collected while she was a mess… albeit less of a mess than she'd be without them.

To be honest she'd always wondered how they put up with all her moods so easily. Raine Whispers was a safe harbor in a world that had never failed to remind a younger Eda at every turn that she was too big, too loud, that she felt too much, that she was too much.

…Maybe she should have trusted that more. But now wasn't the time to dwell on past regrets. Or even current ones.

Right now her ears were folding back and she was barely processing what the guards were saying. She was both overwhelmed and numb at the same time, not ready for something else on top of the day she was already having. She snuggled further into Raine’s side, trying to make herself find the words to explain herself–but then she was being pulled away, and it was clear they weren’t particularly interested in listening anyway.

She didn’t fight back when she was grabbed, or cuffed, or pulled to her feet. But it was a lot harder not to do something stupid when she saw Raine pushed to their knees. That hit too close to home, too close to the last time she watched them get captured–

“Raine–!” Her first instinct was to fight, but they both had tasers pointed at them, and she had no idea how much magic either of them had, and that was before worrying about what would happen if they burned their bridges with the ADI. Fighting would end badly… and while it was currently hard to care if it ended badly for herself, the last thing she wanted was Raine getting hurt on her account. Especially when she’d been the one to start this.

She saw them take that breath, get ready to use bard magic, and she shook her head sharply. “Rainstorm don’t.” She did her best to force her tone to be soft, level, to not make them worry more. “Just… don’t. I’m fine. It’s fine. I’ll go.”

She managed a very weak smile, probably not convincing but she did her best. Then she sighed and turned to let the guards lead her wherever they were going, hoping the easier she made it the sooner they’d stop bothering with Raine.