rainestorms: (Raine_glassesoff)
rainestorms ([personal profile] rainestorms) wrote in [community profile] apocalypsehowcomm2023-07-29 02:52 am

LOG | July Catch-All | OTA/Closed Prompts

Who: Raine Whispers, Kate, Carter + OTA
When: Throughout July and the beginning of August
Where: Around Gloucester and the ADI
Summary: Raine pokes around the Christmas party, makes a bet about eating spicy food, looks and feels TERRIBLE, and does some light confrontation.
Warnings: supernaturally caused feelings of depression/isolation/loneliness, mental/physical health degradation, panic attacks, anxiety, drug abuse, more will be added if needed.



Holly Jolly
Raine didn't really understand the Christmas in July thing, but they were thankful it made Pam happy. She’d seemed so glum since their encounter in the park, and Raine did feel bad for stealing from her. Even if it was perhaps too easy.

Raine decided that they'd help Eda set up for the party when they're needed, as an unheard thank you. After things kick off, Raine can be found mingling around the restaurant, puzzling at the food (or decorations), or perhaps even trying to find the other half of their strange bauble. It looks a bit like a pig’s back end.. or maybe some sort of bird? Or maybe something holding maracas. The bard doesn't know.

Heating Up

Despite what the spookily dressed teenage workers claimed, Raine was not dead. In fact, they were doing fine. Maybe a little too fine. They'd loved spicy food since they were a kid, and having tasted some of the other spicy things, they had their eyes on the challenge: The Bowel Buster.

They contemplate it, alone, and will offer to do it with somebody if approached about it. To sweeten the deal, Raine might suggest that if they both successfully eat the chips, whoever finishes first gets both people’s prize money.





Lone Digger (Closed to bossyboiler/Kate)

“Kate,”

Raine sits down across from Kate, coffee cup of… whatever sounded good at the moment on the menu. They didn’t exactly understand what a latte, or cappuccino, or Americano was- Eda had explained all of them a while ago, but with everything going on Raine had only really retained the statement that they were “different ways to drink the same bean juice,” and that she was “banned from several coffee shops in Gravesfield” for trying to pay with raccoons.

“I’m glad we could sit down together, outside of the ADI.”

Raine flashed a polite smile. They didn't want to hit the ground running with asking Kate questions about the Glamours- it would seem too needy.

“It feels like as of late things have been.. Well. You know.”

Come Back Down To My Knees (closed to setthetone/Carter)
(tw: drug use)

Raine had spent some of their time using the medallion to spy on Carter- steal a few of his papers here, look through files and eavesdrop on conversations there. They'd been gathering information not just on him but on what he'd been hiding.

A stroke of boldness told the bard that they could confront him about it. Convince him to give over what they wanted if they could frame it the right way, as a safety thing. Because it definitely was.

Raine knew Carter was going to be at his clinic near Dogtown around this time. They'd followed him to it a few times, both to get a good sense of the clinic itself, and to keep tabs on who he was seeing.

So they strode into the clinic, as seriously as possible, violin on their side just in case, as they called out:

“Carter?” No sign of him yet. “I need to talk to you about, uh, what we discussed the other day.”





I Think I Could See The Beach, Just Don't Look Underneath Us
(tw: mental and physical health degradation, anxiety, depression, isolation.)

Things had changed around the ADI. Raine, unfortunately, is no stranger to being a part of this change.

Around mid-July, Raine begins to lose their normal cheery exterior. Dark circles under their eyes as if they've not slept, and a sort of sluggish energy that can be taken as them being tired from the recent attempt to stop the apocalypse, or one of the various other horrors they’ve dealt with.

But they become less responsive and more anxious. Their attempts to reach out to coworkers or friends dwindle, and texts go unanswered. Though they do come to work, or go shopping, they spend time doing what they're needed, and then go home. Small talk is unusually kept to a minimum. Questions of spending time together aremet with awkward admissions that they'll have to see if they're busy. Any attempt to ask if they're okay gets a gentle smile, a hand wave, a nervous laugh and a soft reply that they're just feeling a bit under the weather, or something vague.

i) I Can Admit, I Am Not Fireproof
(tw: prev+ perceived haphephobia)

Raine’s love language has always been physical touch to those whom they were close to. A pat on the shoulder here, a gentle hug there if both parties wanted it. But touch in the oncoming weeks is a sudden and new challenge for Raine.

They hesitate to take things from people’s hands. They try and keep distance in conversation. Any touch that they aren't expecting Raine will flinch from. They try to brush it off, but.. there's a sense of unease from the bard. That coming into contact with somebody is something to be afraid of.

ii) I Hope I Don’t Murder Me, I Hope I Don’t Burden You.

(tw: prev + descriptions of panic attacks.)

Raine tries to hide the way their anxiety has twisted into something severe. They disappear during work when they need to, In a bathroom, an office, behind bookshelves, in their room when they think they're alone.

The racing of thoughts and the pounding of their heart returns. The sound of heavy breathing and feeling numb fingers becomes normal for them again. At its worst, violent, ragged sobs that choked on desperate apologies with no recipient. The terror of being alone, of being unseen and unheard, but also of being seen, of being questioned for acting in a way that was off-script. It was so different here than in the Boiling Isles.

There, it was manageable.

There, Eda wasn't involved.
ruevealing: (i am funny)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-08-06 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
Well! That's not suspicious at all!

Rue's expression immediately softens, concern pinching at their feather brow.

"Of course." They agree kindly, while not completely believing them at all. Rue has been around ADI long enough to know when something is up and this just reeks of something strange and terrible going on. The way Raine handles rubbing their eyes as their glasses clatter to the desk really solidifies that theory for Rue.

"Well, I'm sure you deserve a little break from all of the work, don't you think?"
Edited 2023-08-06 06:49 (UTC)
ruevealing: (is that the ground below me ♪)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-08-22 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Aha, got them!

"A drink and a snack. I thought you could use a pick me up after all of your hard work as of late. Would you mind if I joined you briefly?"

All the while setting the hot cocoa and cookies down for Raine to enjoy, careful to not disturb anything on their desk.
ruevealing: (or your feet? ♪)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-08-23 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"You have been, haven't you?"

Rue is just going to take a seat, carefully settling into a nearby chair, folding their hands over their lap.

"What is it that you have been up to, dear?"
ruevealing: (am I free now ♪)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-08-26 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
The answer doesn't provide much context into why Raine is acting the way they are, but Rue hardly know if they should be trusting their entire word or not. They hope they can.

"Oh? And you've made progress on that endeavor?"
ruevealing: (But now i ain't gotta question nothin')

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-08-29 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
R A I N E.

This time there is no hiding the way Rue's huge eyes follow the path of that notebook being slid into the bag beside them, before immediately flicking back up to Raine.

"That seems so strange to me, if you both are putting so many needless hours into it, but have nothing yet to show for it, why continue to pursue it?"
ruevealing: (to tell me)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-09-09 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
Well, that about says it all, doesn't it?

But naturally, Rue relents the moment they are asked to. Their head bows in a slow nod. "Of course. Would you like me to step out and give you a moment alone?"
ruevealing: (i never seem to let self love in)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-09-15 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
Well, if they insist, Rue will stay with them, reaching a great paw over to rest gently at Raine's elbow.

"I should only like to know the truth of what ails you. Only as much as you would like to say. I will not push you for more."
ruevealing: (and I am playful)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-09-18 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
How grateful Rue is that their owlish features can be so difficult to read at times because what the fuck. The vagueness is almost insulting.

"I do not understand. This means that you've discovered and are using is hurting Eda?" Look, self-flagellation Rue can understand, but the active, purposeful hurting of someone you love? Rue can not imagine there is much worthy of that kind of cruelty.

"And you are still going through it?"

And more than that, Eda has not said a word about this!
ruevealing: (and I am playful)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-09-26 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
"Yet still you are."

The idea is revolting to them, the very idea of harming Hob simply for information or some sort, simply to get an advantage on the enemy. How does that make them any different than those they are trying to break free of?

But Raine is clearly distraught, exhausted, and all manner of everything else, clearly stretched thin by however long this has been going on. Rue does not reach for them, but rests a palm near them on the desk, just a reassuring presence nearby.

"Raine, you must tell me what you are up to. This can not simply live on your and Eda's shoulders alone."
ruevealing: (from the pot here to the kettle)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-10-12 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
Of course it hurts Rue's heart to be so firm with a friend, but at the same time, someone must.

"I do not mean to be so blunt with you, Raine, but please, what have you done to prevent anything? Are you both putting yourself in danger for nothing? We all know very well that ADI is hiding things from us and that they do not know how to send us home, or at least, so they claim, so what have you found out that will change things?"
ruevealing: (to tell me)

[personal profile] ruevealing 2023-10-19 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
Rue's feathers puff up, voice going cold. After all that Rue has done to prove themself as a loyal, caring, attentive friend. After they helped Eda through Raine's first disappearance, through their shaky return, through every up and down, gently coaxing their friend on how to carry on with an entirely different version of Raine while still respecting this one's autonomy.

"Well, I find that most ironic considering that between the two of us, Eda most needs protection from you."

And that is that. Unless stopped, Rue sweeps right on out of Raine's office.