[closed log] this isn't a break-up, dear heart

[edalyn]

Who: Edalyn Clawthorne and Raine Whispers
When: late Jan
Where: ADI grounds, probably moving around
Summary: Eda was here to meet someone, right?
Warnings: memory loss, reality warping, misperceptions of self/reality, generalised angst, likely mentions of dementia as a topic

It's never exactly easy to miss Eda on ADI grounds; being a huge, winged harpy woman tends to have that effect, whether she always wants it to or not. But today Eda looks rather strikingly different from her usual aesthetic. She looks like she's just put a bit more effort in, today, for a start.

More noticeable, though, is the way she's missing her characteristic mane of long, untamable hair. Instead, it's cropped fairly short–well above her shoulders, and swept back in an almost star shaped pattern.

Her outfit is sleeker than usual, too. A certain owlbear works wonders, and it's nice having something actually designed for her harpy form. She’ll have to thank Rue again later.

And now she's lounging against a tree, wings folded behind her to lean on and idly messing with her phone as she waits for a certain witch to get off work.

It's not a special occasion, she and Raine have been spending more time together in general lately. And it's definitely not date night or anything. It's just… dragging them out to have some fun in Gloucester. Like she's been doing every week or so for a bit, now.

…But it still couldn't hurt to look ravishing.

If that happens to get a reaction that helps with the confidence to say things she's been trying to figure out how to say? Maybe it will be date night. Maybe. Raine doesn't owe her anything of the sort.

She glances up to… she's not sure. She appears to have lost her train of thought. Actually, why is she even here? She spends less time here than she used to, when she's not actively working or looking for someone she knows.

But she's not sure that was it.

She's not waiting for anyone she remembers, after all.

Comments

[rainewhispers]

Raine was putting in more effort than normal. Their fashion sense when not conformed to a particular outfit or uniform could be eccentric and even.. tacky. This time it was maybe a bit too formal, too grand for just some night out with a friend.

Well.. they hoped for more than just a friend by the end of it. Worries and doubts remained on their mind as they anxiously primped and preened, styling their hair and clothes carefully until they looked their best. It did involve some out-of-the-house time for alterations and finding what clicked but finally they
looked the part.

Maybe they were overthinking it or going overboard but their nervous hemming and hawing and trying to make sure it was perfect came from a place of worry too. It was little things at first. Forgetting what she was doing or things she'd said the other day if not hours ago. Even inside jokes that just.. didn't land anymore.

They didn't know what was going on but there was that gut feeling of now or never pushing them to go for it today.

They set out with their violin in a new case they'd gotten (definitely more cumbersome than simple summoning) as they made their way to the park. Raine kept idly adjusting their sleeves and buttons and lapels and anything they could move or shift into place again and again like tuning their strings to find the right note.


Then they saw her. Raine stopped a small distance away when they really processed.. well, everything. The simple but elegant clothes that while not ornate or flashy made her stand out and put together seamlessly were not disregarded but it was the hair. Cut shorter, less wild and untamed but still startling enough to draw your attention to her head, to her face.

Raine smiled and walked up as they tried not to pop the buttons off one of their cuffs entirely.

"You look great, you know? I don't think I've ever seen your hair this short." They sort of trailed off before shaking their head, "Sorry I'm late, by the ways. I was worried about being overdressed and then I couldn't find a comb but- I'm here, I hope you weren't waiting too long?"

[edalyn]

Eda was about to walk away when her ears pricked up at the unfamiliar voice. She looked up, apparently puzzled first by the fact someone was talking to her and then by… everything else.

She didn't think there were any witches here beside Hunter, and so she very much wasn't expecting the oddly formal stranger in front of her.

And she had to admit it was a handsome stranger at that. (Pretty? Both. Definitely both.)

But while there was some curiosity in her expression, there was none of the warmth that Raine would have come to expect.

Unfortunately, in her surprise at another witch, Eda only really processed the last part of what they said. Which read as someone she'd never met asking if they'd kept her waiting long. And so, unthinkingly, her first response consisted of her habitual snark.

"Y'know what, I almost respect the confidence."

[rainewhispers]

Raine was expecting a reaction, maybe not awe or applause or anything like that- frankly they rarely did from anyone but maybe any sign of approval or a sly joke that was still a compliment or something of that sort.

They weren't expecting the blank sort of stare only broken by contemplation in her eyes. Over time they'd been seeing more of her lighting up around them, not so much the paranoia they let brew when they first stayed together here. But this? This was an unsettling absence of-

Y'know what, I almost respect the confidence.

Raine buffered a moment, almost visibly not processing what she said until a beat of silence passed and their slight concern and confusion gave way to a look of hurt.

"..What?"

Was all they could really say. I mean- what WERE they supposed to say? It reminded them of the kinds of comments they'd get during a school performance where they were put through hell and back by a certain casting director. Something in their posture became stiff and their energy deflated into a state of sombre shock, which then very quickly turned to doubled anxious overtime.

"Is- Is it too much? Like I said I thought it might be but.." They got sort of quiet as they broke their gaze to the ground, picking at the buttons on one of their cuffs again. Their face sort of screwed up in discomfort as they started getting in their own head.

"..Is everything okay?" Turn the attention off themselves, maybe gauge if something's been happening that they didn't know about or just happened soon enough that it was making Eda sour or anything really that might explain it. They thought they were getting better with each other and frankly? This was starting to feel like three steps back.

[edalyn]

It wasn't actually intended to be mean, not the type of mean they appeared to take it as at any rate. More simply calling the new witch out on what had seemed like a bold attempt for a moment there.

But their reaction was honestly baffling. Eda tilted her head to the side and straightened up from where she'd been leaning, looking them over a bit closer with--well, still not warmth but confusion and maybe just a little concern.

"I'm fine. Not sure about you. What is this, a blind date mix-up or do you think you know me?"

This time the teasing was partly to cover for the sudden nagging anxiety that she was missing something here. Maybe something to do with how time worked in this place, given everything with Hunter. But maybe it was just some kind of misunderstanding.

[rainewhispers]

Raine's face kept flickering with conflicted and confused emotions. Jaw setting as they watched her lean in and look them over. There wasn't much.. well.. recognition to speak of, no glimmer of warmth or familiarity there.

It was hammered home hard with what she said next.

Raine sputtered and tripped over their words as they clutched the strap on their violin case.

"Eda- What are you talking about? Is this-" It stung how familiar it felt, how it hurt to be on this side of it. "Is this a joke?" They asked suddenly more quiet and torn up. "It's not funny, I said I was sorry, we're past that- Or I thought we were."

Raine hesitated again before reaching up to her face, trying to cup the side of it. "This isn't funny, you've made your point, just knock it off already."

[edalyn]

Eda raises an eyebrow again, confused and starting to get annoyed about it. While they don't seem like they're making this--whatever this is--up, they're getting accusatory in a way she doesn't have a shred of context for.

"I'm not joking, I'm much funnier when I'm--"

Her words cut off sharply when they reach for her face. If it wasn't clear something was off before, it really ought to be now. Eda has, from the very beginning, always let Raine touch her. Nudging her with their shoulders, leaning on her, holding hands, even her being on the receiving end of hugs--it seemed to startle her when they were both kids, before she got used to it, but never in a bad way.

But they've definitely seen how she reacts to anyone who isn't them, or on a good day her sister or her children. And it's that spring-coiled, on-edge tension she reacts with now.

She grabs their wrist, not hard enough to hurt, not digging her claws in, but still fast and firmly. "Hands off the goods, pal. I'm not joking and I sure as hell don't know why you think I am. So start talking. Is this a time thing? Do you know me from home or... something?"

[rainewhispers]

The way she grabbed their wrist stunned them short. A look of hurt and shock across their face as they processed the harsh stop to their gesture. They looked too startled to speak as their eyes flickered over her face.

It started to make sense, bit by bit, however much it hurt. Inside jokes that fell flat, plans that fell through, repeated conversations.. It was her memory, wasn't it?

Slowly, Raine took a deep breath as they with drew their hand away from her, rubbing their wrist slightly. "You.. you do. You've known me for a long time, Eda. Since we were kids. I don't know why you don't recognize me, we stopped seeing each other for awhile but- but we've been fixing that now. Even back home we worked to try and stop the Emperor together."

Another deep breath, Raine started to fidget with the strap of their violin case again. "Here too.. we've been staying together, making up for lost time? We agreed to meet here. go around town together.." There was more to it, more Raine wanted to do, to say, this felt cruel.