✧ 06 ✧

[bonnypiperlad]

[The snow falls in great flakes from the sky, covering the walkway that's sprung up out in the lake. The one that connects to what looks like some sort of tomb, with a stylized metal man of some sort on the wall outside the great, heavy doors. It has voices, as well, drifting out into the cold - a young girl and a man, both with English accents.]

You look very nice in that dress, Victoria.

Thank you. Don't you think it's a bit...?

A bit short? Oh I shouldn't worry about that, look at Jamie's.

[From the expression on Jamie's face, the girl's voice strikes some sort of cord deep inside - and his own reply is barely a murmur.]

Victoria...

[Some time passes before he notices the footprints, but once he does, he - like everyone else - starts to follow them, eventually making his way to the fire in the observation deck. As he's rubbing his hands to try and warm them, he looks up to see that question scrawled across the many screens in the area.]

Och, that can't be good.

(OOC: Feel free to run into Jamie at the Cyberman's tomb or on the way to the observation deck or at the deck itself. Just let me know which in your reply!)

Comments

[fortune_sought]

"What have you done?" Isn't it obvious? This place is trying to make us think it's our fault! [and her expression says exactly what she thinks of that]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie goes to open his mouth to agree, but then the strangest feeling overtakes him and he says something completely different instead.]

I deliberately sabotaged a laser because I thought it would protect the Doctor.
I was once attacked by a dragon.
I've had a crush on ye for ages now and I've not said a word.

[A truly alarmed look crosses his features as the words come out of his mouth, quickly switching to something akin to horror as he realizes what he's said - and who he's said it to.]

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie gapes at him] Jamie! [from the look on his face, he obviously didn't say that on purpose, but she still reddens, sputtering] Are...are you quite all right?

[bonnypiperlad]

It...I-I-I don't know. [He can't quite meet her eyes, now, and looks down at the ground instead.]

When ye asked that question, I just felt like I had to say it.

[fortune_sought]

[she doesn't understand what he means by that. also, she's still quite red] Well, I...I'm flattered. You're a very nice young man. But, Jamie, you know I'm happily married. B-but I'm certain you'll make someone very happy! One day.

But...you should know that I love Howl very much. [she pauses, afraid that her words are going to crush him] I'm sorry.

[bonnypiperlad]

No, Sophie, it's not...och. Well, it is that I like ye, but I know you're married. I'm not daft, ye know.

I'm saying that when ye asked me that question, that "what have ye done" one, I all of a sudden felt like I was...was compelled to tell ye things. Like I had no choice, aye?

[fortune_sought]

But you... [she trails off as he explains--and he barely has time to finish before she finds herself saying:]

I let the Witch's fire demon into the castle.
I watched Michael catch a falling star.
I put my son in a stranger's care.

[she gasps] Oh, goodness and awfulness! What is this!?

[bonnypiperlad]

It's those words. When someone says them, then things like that come right out of your mouth. And you've no choice in the matter.

[He folds his arms against his chest, not looking at all thrilled by the situation.]

What I want to know is why do that? Why make us say things?

[fortune_sought]

What!? [she stares at him--and then finally she understands] So that's why you--oh goodness. Oh, Jamie, I'm sorry.

[annoyed] I've no idea! It wasn't even all true. What could be the point of that?

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye. There'd have been no point in my saying anything otherwise, would there have?

[He sounds very matter of fact about the whole thing, but he's not quite able to meet her eyes, either.]

Maybe there's someone somewhere watching and they think it's funny. Or it's all part of whatever game they're having us play.

[fortune_sought]

[she's going to just sidestep that comment because she really isn't sure how to deal with this revelation]

I suppose I can see why someone would enjoy making us...admit to things. [she reddens a little] But I've no idea why I said something that wasn't true. [she glances at him] Jamie, if you don't mind sharing, was everything that you said true?

[bonnypiperlad]

[Sidestepping it is fine with him. He knows that it's likely made her very uncomfortable, if he's being honest with himself.]

Well...no. It wasn't. But that doesn't make any sense either. If we're going to be forced to admit to things, why have us lie?

[fortune_sought]

[she shakes her head, thinking about that and not about Jamie's revelation] Perhaps...because of what the lie was about? Michael never caught a falling star--thank goodness! [curious] But what did you say that wasn't true?

[bonnypiperlad]

I never was attacked by a dragon. It was a unicorn...well, not a real one, but we all thought it was at the time.

[He frowns, thinking.] Did Michael catch something else, then?

[fortune_sought]

That seems a strange detail to be important...

Oh, no. [she shakes her head] But... [she pauses, a bit ashamed] We went out on the Porthaven Marshes together once, and he tried to catch one. It was my idea; we thought it was part of a spell. Neither of us realised at the time what would happen if you did catch one. But thankfully, the one he saw knew better and decided it would rather die than be caught. [she frowns] It was very sad.

[bonnypiperlad]

Which detail do ye mean?

[Did she mean the fact that it wasn't a dragon, or that the unicorn wasn't real? He wasn't entirely sure. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure he had heard her correctly just now.]

How did it know? Aren't stars, well...stars?

[fortune_sought]

Well, any of it, really. It doesn't exactly say anything about you.

[it's certainly nothing like as serious as making her talk about almost costing Michael his life, but she would rather not add that, so she doesn't]

Yes, of course. Stars are fire demons. [her tone implies that this should be obvious. then again, this isn't the first time she's had this conversation, so she decides she should probably explain a bit more] In my universe, at least. If you catch a falling star, you have to make a contract and give it your heart so it doesn't die.

[bonnypiperlad]

[Perhaps not, but his truths were rather more serious. So maybe it was a balance of a sort.]

Aye, maybe so. But what would ye think about it if you'd not come from a place where there's fire demons and magic, Sophie? Stars aren't demons where I come from. And I'd not ever heard of a unicorn until I dreamed it. Then we went to this place where one attacked us.

[fortune_sought]

[she frowns at that question, not sure what he's getting at] Do you mean to say you think this place is trying to make us sound untrustworthy? Or...you, at least, while I was...reckless?

[she flinches because that situation with Michael was reckless in both the lie and the real event, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time she's been accused of recklessness... maybe that was the town's aim after all]

[bonnypiperlad]

Untrustworthy, aye. Or mad, maybe. It'd sound mad to most people if they'd not seen strange things of their own.

[He sighs, running a hand through his hair - but he catches sight of that flinch.] Maybe the town wants us to sound like like things we're not. Or maybe they just wanted to start us talking for some reason. I don't know.

[fortune_sought]

["things we're not" seems a very nice comment for him to make. Sophie relaxes a little, grateful that he isn't judging her for her mistake with Michael, but she feels no nearer an answer than she was before. she nods at his theory, her expression sour] With this town, it's impossible to tell. [she shivers]

[bonnypiperlad]

[He catches that shiver, and for a second, he thinks about stepping forward to reach out to her. But mentioning the crush makes that a bit awkward right now, so he settles for looking at her in concern instead.]

Sophie? Are ye alright?

[fortune_sought]

Just c-cold. [she wraps her arms around herself, frowning] I thought the fire was helping...

[unfortunately for her, it doesn't help that she's only spoken about one of the three things she admitted]

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, it is for me... [Which is odd, and he frowns for a moment. He has a suspicion about that, but he doesn't want to say - at least not until he can get some confirmation on it.]

Look, why don't we talk about something to take your mind off of it. That thing ye mentioned with the Witches' fire demon. Was that a falling star, too?

[fortune_sought]

Oh, yes, I suppose it must have been. But it was much older than Calcifer, so it had to have fallen a very long time ago. [she pauses, not sure whether to leave her answer at that or if she owes Jamie more of an explanation after everything he's told her. she decides the latter is probably most polite, not to mention he might have a point about taking her mind off the cold. she feels a bit better already. and really, all of this happened before she even arrived in town the first time]

It wanted into the castle so that it could take Howl's heart from Calcifer, just as soon as the Witch's curse caught up with Howl. It meant to let Calcifer die and use Howl's heart to control him! [her tone is indignant] It was terribly evil--perhaps even more than the Witch. I think she was more mad than anything, probably from being without her heart for so long. But I'm certain they both would have gotten up to horrible mischief, if Howl hadn't stopped them.