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Bellum Anon ([info]bellum_anon) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2010-05-18 10:00:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:beast, black forest witch, javert, plot: riddles

Group H: Baba Yaga, Javert, Black Forest Witch, The Beast

The plaque on the wall says:

On this group of lovers four,
Fate has come and closed the door.
The wedding bells chime times two,
One chime for each two of you.
Obsessions all, obsessions one,
Share yours before the hour is done.
Should your confessions truthful be,
The wedding feast shall come to thee.
The confessionals are in the rear,
Go forth, if you have naught to fear.

One more caveat for you lot:
A double wedding this is not,
It's up to you who ties the knot.


The room resembles a bright, airy church, and the four people within it are dressed for a wedding. The pews are filled with faceless party guests, and while there is no ancient mariner who stops one of three, there is a cleric at the altar in black robes, which waits for them. Should all four approach the altar, they will be ignored and the cleric will not begin the service - nothing will happen.

The women are dressed as brides and the men as grooms. Any attempt to leave the church will result in entering the church again, over and over, ad infinitum.

1. All four guests must share their main, primary obsession in life in the confessionals - one in the role of the confessor, the other as the person confessing.
2. Lying will cause the cleric to continue to ignore everyone present when they approach the altar.
3. Once all four parties 'confess,' the wedding march will begin.
4. Two members must play the part of the bride and groom, while the other two must play the part of the maid of honor and best man.
5. Once the service ends, assuming the requisite kiss is given, the doors (located at the back of the main church aisle, open.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-18 07:13 pm UTC (link)
Luther had picked up Les Miserables again, getting through a chapter or so before it became midnight. His surroundings suddenly changed and his book fell from his hands, as he stood. Staring downwards at his tuxedo and hardwood floor he wasn't familiar with, he felt a chill go down his spine. It was too early to be the moon, why did his clothes change? - he didn't feel that different...

Katya's warning was remembered too late as he looked up. A church? He grimaced, not recognizing anyone in the pews. His eyes fell on the three faces who could be made out - two of which he recognized. A sigh of relief escaped him as he moved towards them, not having noticed the plaque on the wall. "Anybody recognize the building?" Best to get that out of the way first.

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-19 01:38 am UTC (link)
She was sitting in the dark, weighing her thoughts before the flicker of a single candle's flame. This was the second day of her new life in Bellum, but Vaughn hadn't jumped onto the forum or scoured the halls. She didn't smoke in the stairwell, she didn't exist to the rest of the building yet. There was no reason to rush things. No, this new trickery could not be rushed or hastened. This new plague would flow, musically. Perfectly. Divinely. Absolutely, absolutely wonderfully.

Jane's face had been easy to remember. The librarian from the fourth floor had been as permanently ingrained in the crevices of her memory as Daniel himself. As Ella, as Boyd, as any of the ruiners...

But she wasn't worried about them right now. She wasn't even worried about Daniel. She wasn't worried at all, in this moment she felt so wonderfully empty that nothing disturbed her.

The new apartment, 405, was hardly furnished yet. Vaughn tried to think of what a librarian might bring to her living space and had come up with very few ideas. Books? Reading lamps? Cardigan sweaters? Vaughn had gotten the books from discount shops, a hundred titles plucked from suggestion of the store owners. There were no shelves yet, so they cluttered the corners of her empty apartment. The only furniture thus far was a small table, with it's one candle, and it's one chair, where Vaughn Jane sat. She'd read some things about Jane from Boyd's stolen diary, but that hardly gave the full impression of a person. There were secrets she did not know, and memories she did not know. Words, feelings.. all unknown.

But Vaughn was unperturbed by what she lacked. Somewhere inside of her hummed the keen, animalistic knowledge that this plan was perfect in every way. That nothing would ruin it. That the only thing she'd let come between her and failure was death itself.

She stood from the table, and while advancing across the floor toward the skinny hallway, she heard her clock chime midnight. When she stepped through the doorway of her bedroom, it was not her bedroom she saw.

The interior of the church was enough to freeze her on the spot. The pews with their vacant, unfocused faces. Her attention fell to the fabric under her fingers. White silk and taffeta formed a dress that made her eyes, from behind that thin and lacy veil, widen. When one of the guests spoke, she glanced back up with a sharp and wary leveling of her eyes from behind the veil before pushing it back from her hair completely. "No.."

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[info]labete
2010-05-19 01:52 am UTC (link)
Daniel, looking entirely unlike anything anyone at Bellum had ever seen in a suit that rivaled what some people made in a month, rose slowly from where he'd been crouched behind a pew and stared forward at the altar in the glimmering light from the stained windows high above. A moment ago he had been trying to persuade his cat to come out from underneath the couch, and he had been wearing jeans and no shirt, so the stiff material of the suit was the first thing that made his eyes go wide, regardless of his surroundings. Then, after an endless yet short handful of moments, he said, articulately, "What the fuck is this?"

He turned ninety degrees to face a man on the pew, a faceless man, and shoved him. He rebounded; nothing happened. Looking up when he heard intelligent voices, he started to join in the general negative--when he saw Jane. Jane.

Jane.

Daniel's expression completely wiped of anything but surprise. He just stared at her. "Jane?"

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-19 02:11 am UTC (link)
Katya had been expecting this. The fact that it came at midnight wasn't a surprise. She had anticipated something, and so had dressed accordingly in a comfortable pair of yoga pants and a cozy sweater. She had curled up on her couch with her Clifford book, intent on making her way through that one without a dictionary, when she suddenly found herself sitting on a church pew in a dress that cost more than anything she could ever afford. The silk was covered in sparkling gems, and she strongly suspected they weren't rhinestones.

Slowly rising from the pew, she cast her gaze around the church. The pews were filled with faceless men and women in drab dresses.
Slipping from the pew and into the aisle, she looked for some point of reference. It took her a moment, but she saw Luther and two others. Though she didn't know the other two, it was obvious, that they knew each other. She couldn't even be upset. It was simply interesting.

Moving toward Luther, she addressed the entire group. "Are any of you knowing what has happened?" The answer was obvious, but asking made her feel better. She smoothed her hand over the bodice of the dress and looked behind her, over her shoulder, at the priest and the altar. There was a strange looking plaque on the altar, and something told her it needed to be read.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-19 02:17 am UTC (link)
Luther watched Daniel approach Jane - he assumed it was her name, despite a lack of introductions, as Daniel had called her that - and turned to Katya. "I thought you knew this was coming?" It was almost good-natured, but his eyes scanned the whole room rather than meeting hers. Really, he'd have liked to know if he was going to spend more time with her - it would have given him less of a chance of being awkward.

The man at the alter was slightly disturbing with his reaction, but Luther walked past Jane and Daniel and up to the plaque behind. He read it once, twice, and then a third time before looking back. "It's the building obviously but-" He glanced at Daniel frowning. "It's adressed to 'lovers four.'" Why was Daniel looking at Jane like that? He and Ella were involved - she was his Beauty. How could he act like that?

"Take a look." He gestured towards it, crossing his arms behind him. He didn't like this, especially the ending. He and Katya were not lovers - just friends. He didn't know the Jane and Daniel was dating Ella. None of this made sense, even less so than the building normally did.

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-19 08:50 am UTC (link)
The breezy, but nightmareish atmosphere of the church was unnerving. Everything looked beautiful, as if spun from some fairytale.. but there was an element of unease on every twinkling surface. The faceless guests, the dark robed cleric. Vaughn did not like this, the church did not echo the feelings of safety and belonging like she got while inside the building. And while this must have surely been part of the building's magic, it felt like a trap. She'd wanted to lay low, to bide her time, to reveal herself when she was ready.

But now--

Jane.

While her attention had skittered to every corner of the lofty church, it suddenly settled on one man. How she had not seen him initially, how she had not felt him here.. she didn't have to feign the surprise. It was real and rich in her deep eyes. Everything; love and hurt, shock and awe.. she suppressed it quickly, consciously, and so unsuccessfully. Vaughn was suddenly aware that she did not know how to act as Jane. She hadn't expected this, and stared wordlessly at Daniel for a moment before finding her voice, Jane's voice.

"Daniel?"

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[info]labete
2010-05-19 04:08 pm UTC (link)
"You're here?" Daniel was purely reactive at this point, not having the presence of mind for coherent thought. "But you're in California." He blinked, shook his head. Clearly she was not in California, she was here. Wherever here was. He took a step toward her, stopped, and then looked around for something or someone he did not see. "Is this the building?" He looked back at her, taking her in. He had missed her, and seeing her again brought that pain back. It showed.

Daniel stared uncomprehendingly at Luther and Katya, both of whom he had seen before in mirrors. At least Luther--Ella's friend--was a relatively familiar face, though not one he trusted very much. "It's not the moon yet."

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-19 04:44 pm UTC (link)
With a quiet scoff for Daniel, Katya pushed a lock of curly hair over her shoulder. A fancy hairstyle had come with the dress; she could tell from the bite of the bobby pins. "It does not have to be full moon for the building to be strange," she said. "And this I saw." She hadn't made a public post about it. It hadn't occurred to her to do so. "All around Bellum, there are groups of four who are being forced to do this." She gestured vaguely to the room, meaning the idea of the tasks was being forced on everyone, not necessarily the same task.

"And this plaque, these are our instructions." She frowned at it, subtly shifting closer to Luther. "We are to be making confessions." Her frown deepened. They were supposed to confess to each other their obsession? She couldn't think of an obsession in her life. She wasn't obsessed with money; she just wanted to make a positive return with her shop. She wasn't obsessed with a person; she had only just met Luther. It wasn't obsession that drove her to learn an ugly language like English, it was necessity.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-19 04:50 pm UTC (link)
Luther had decided the exchange between Daniel and Jane was pointless to matters and turned his attention to Katya. She seemed to be the only one keeping her head during this. "Not to each other," Luther said, with a slight frown. "I never went to church willingly, but Rodriguez took me once or twice when I was child." He gestured towards the back where the confessions booths should have been. "It's a Catholic custom, you confess your sins."

He paused, hands moving from behind his back to in front of his chest. "Obsessions hardly fall under sins though or crimes." His was simple enough - there was nothing wrong with it. "It would probably be best if we get this over as soon as possible, if we have a..." He trailed off, rereading the ending again. He glanced over his shoulder at Jane in her white, almost traditional wedding dress, and Katya's daring red one. He swallowed hard, starting again. "If we have a wedding to get through."

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-19 10:32 pm UTC (link)
"I.. I came back. I wanted to tell you, but.." It was difficult not to stare at him, and when Daniel took a step toward her, she did the same. There was unabashed longing reflected in the dark chasm of her eyes; so much that she wanted to do and to say, but so uncertain of how to precede.

With reservation, she broke her focus on Daniel and regarded the interior of the church once again. While this was certainly some aspect of the building, she knew that they were not inside the building.

"Confessions?" Her attention strayed to the unknown woman, and she consciously crossed her arms across the white bodice of such an unfamiliar dress. Vaughn did not like the sound of this supposed task.. the last thing she wanted to do was confess. She crept a single step closer to Daniel out of wariness, rubbing the fabric of her gown between her fingertips in a nervous gesture.

When the other man mentioned that there was to be a wedding, she stared at him a little wordlessly. "Is this a dream?" She looked to Daniel again, for some kind of confirmation that this wasn't real. That he wasn't here, almost close enough to touch.

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[info]labete
2010-05-19 11:01 pm UTC (link)
Daniel didn't much care for getting scoffed at, but that was only because he was out of practice, and his world was pretty small, considering how many damn languages he knew. He decided that he would process Jane's return some other time, and shook his head at her. "It's not a dream." Daniel had some very specific dreams, and they were never like this. He closed the remaining distance and took her hand, familiar, unhesitating, and then turned and led her up the aisle to where the plaque was installed. As he moved he had the unmistakable sensation of being watched, though all the countless faces that turned their chins to follow had no eyes.

He read the plaque, scowled, and said, succinctly, "No."

And then he proceeded to stomp out of the nearest exit, Jane (almost literally) in tow. They appeared again on the opposite side almost immediately, and Daniel set his heels in for a halt--then swore in really colorful Italian. "Confess what!"

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-19 11:12 pm UTC (link)
Children. They were acting like petulant children. Katya hated petulant children, and she hated adults who acted like them even more. It was a trait she had in common with the Baba Yaga, and at that moment she would have given a kidney to be able to use even half the magic the old witch had. But she didn't have that magic, and even if she had, she wouldn't have had the first clue what to do with it. So she kept a neutral expression on her face and laced her fingers casually in front of her abdomen. She waited patiently for the unknown man's temper tantrum to end, suppressing her smile when he demanded to know what they were supposed to confess.

"The rhyme does not specify. Perhaps we should try something petty and see what is happening then," she suggested, her tone easy and unbothered. She hesitated a moment before adding, "The rhyme, it is not suggesting that we are to be confessing to different people. I am good at keeping secrets, and I am knowing only one of you. If anonymity is more comforting, then I am not bothered to listen." A small tugged at her lips. "But we should try with the small things, first. Lying, perhaps. And then we can see about this feast, da?"

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-19 11:47 pm UTC (link)
The dark fray of her brows knit as she read the plaque. It was not confusion that settled into the pit of her stomach, but disbelief. Why would the building do this to her, bring her here? She was still staring at the plaque, determining any meaning beyond the simplicity of those engraved words when Daniel was suddenly hauling her toward the exit.

His hand in her's was so warm, as familiar as every dream she'd ever had. She laced her fingers into his, and curved her palm against his own. Being this close to him was so deliriously wonderful that Vaughn almost forgot the whole purpose of playing Jane. It was not to love him, it was to torment him.

They took one step through the exit doors, into what should have been the bright light of day but was suddenly just the entrance to the church. The low slope of her heels stalled, and she regretfully loosened her fingers from Daniel's when be began to curse in Italian.

"Obsessions all, obsessions one,
Share yours before the hour is done..." Her eyes went to the woman in red, whom she did not know. There was a general element of recognition, but probably only from having seen her in the building once or twice before.

"We have an hour to tell someone an obsession?" An hour seemed at once a lifetime, and not nearly long enough. ".. and then what?"

What if they didn't have anything to tell, what if they refused? Hesitantly, she glanced to the wedding guests. Their blank, but somehow eerily attentive faces were all turned her way, waiting. She shrank back a step against Daniel, notably uneasy.

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[info]labete
2010-05-20 12:01 am UTC (link)
Daniel didn't trust Katya any farther than he could throw her, and Luther only a hair more. Ironically, he was perfectly willing to trust Jane with almost anything, despite the fact she might be a completely different person in the intervening months since she had left him the building. His hand tightened on hers when she tried to extract them, and he drew her nearer, as if to shield her from the watching audience. He attempted to ignore them with moderate success.

"I'm not going in one of those," he snarled, staring at the confessionals, and then at Katya. "What am I supposed to say, something I'm obsessed with?" He took in a breath in a low hiss. "Then what? We get to leave down the aisle?" It was a hopeful thought.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-20 12:09 am UTC (link)
She shrugged at his question. "If the rhyme is saying obsession, then you are to pick something you are obsessed with," she replied. "Then, there is a wedding feast?" A wedding feast wasn't a Russian tradition, so she had no idea what exactly that meant. "And, then, there is wedding. A double wedding this is not, it's up to you who ties the knot. But just one couple, is not for both." Truthfully, she was a little relieved.

Her gaze shifted to where Daniel clutched at Jane's hand, and there was something about it that felt off to her. She couldn't say what it was, and she didn't let her suspicions show. There was just something. But that's how it was with body language; it was easy to pick up on things but have no clue why. "You are interested in marrying?" she asked Daniel, her gaze shifting from him to Jane and back again.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-20 12:17 am UTC (link)
Luther watched the exchange with a deepening frown. He could care less about 'confessing' his obsession - he made no effort to hide it. If the others were going to be difficult, then they'd simply be stuck here. Luther had too much to do to let than happen and began to walk towards the confession booth. "If we only have an hour, we've wasted enough time already. While the two of you-" He sent a pointed look at Daniel and Jane. "Figure things out, I'll go first." He paused.

"I'll take this time to remind you of Ella." His voice was even, but there was a warning. The hand holding between Daniel and Jane was enough - and one of the things Luther wanted was to see Ella hurt worse. "Katya?" He looked to her before slipping into the confessional booth, closing the curtain behind him.

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-20 01:45 am UTC (link)
Daniel's fingers tightened on her's, and she dropped her eyes to observe the contact. She did not try to loosen them again, the pale lattice of her skin -- even if it wasn't her skin -- against his was hypnotizing. Drawn nearer, she pressed into Daniel as if protected from the faceless wedding guests and the disapproving stares from the other suited man. Who the hell was he? The dark honey of her eyes tightened on the stranger, suspicious with dislike when he mentioned Ella. What the hell did he know of Ella?

The Russian's woman question on a coming marriage was a little disconcerting, and she straightened in confused alarm. "What? No, I.. what?" It seemed like a lot to process, and she frowned when the other two went for the confessional booth. The deep, hypnotizing chocolate of her eyes rose to Daniel again once silence befell them now.

"You're still here, then, in the building.." She managed a smile, something small that spoke of joy and pain all at once. It was difficult to tell which was greater in the expression. ".. I wasn't sure you would be. I'd hoped that you.." She shook her head, and let the words fall away, as if uncertain of what she'd hoped for; him to be here still, or to have moved on. Quietly, she watched the sturdy, but ominous looking confessional booth.

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[info]labete
2010-05-20 03:18 am UTC (link)
Daniel's eyes flared when Luther dared to interfere in his relationships. "Stay the fuck out of my business," he said, in a voice of red steel, but the man was already hiding himself away in the stupid booths. Daniel swore again. It certainly wasn't Daniel who was tying the knot in this scenario.

"Where else would I be?" It was a distracted, faintly bitter reply, and therefore an honest answer. Daniel had difficulty walking out of the damn door, much less tearing up roots. Daniel had no time to go over old arguments with Jane. He was sure, now, that there would be time for that.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-20 05:05 pm UTC (link)
Fingers tightening on her arms in agitation, Katya followed Luther, her gaze icy on his back. Perhaps she could confess her pride. That was more of a sin than any obsession she might have. It took her a minute to figure out how to get into the room opposite Luther's, and once she was there, she found herself quite uncomfortable. Growing up, there had never been much time for church. While she found the facades of many Russian churches beautiful, she never liked being inside one.

And she certainly wasn't Catholic. This notion of confession was idiotic in her mind. "I am not sure how this is to be going," she said, speaking through the screen separating them. "But I shall confess an obsession with seeing my shop do well." She'd talk to him about that and explain it later; for the time being, it would do. It would meet the qualifications and they could move on. She had an early morning, and the longer they stood around the church, the more irritable she would become.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-20 05:58 pm UTC (link)
He ignored Daniel, mind going over things until Katya got into the other side. He shifted in his seat, opening his mouth to speak when she went first. He frowned, but went with it. There wasn't a real reason to argue about who went first.

"Reasonable," Luther said, hands clasping on his knee. "And I don't think it has to be more than that." He paused, before leaning towards the screen. There wasn't any hesitation because of doubt - it was putting into words, if this was a true confession that made him pause.

"It's no secret that the law is my life," he started. "But it's become more than that. It's not my job - making the world a better place, one that's safe for everyone is my purpose. Letting any murderer get away-" He shook his head, voice barely above a whisper. "It's a failure on my part. There was a man that got away years ago and I've put aside everything to hunt him down. It's why I came to New York in the first place..."

He paused again, looking at his hands. There'd never been an opportunity to explain this. "The law has always fixed things, ever since I was a child. It's the only constant, I've had. Nothing can be more important."

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-20 07:01 pm UTC (link)
She stiffened at the bitterness of Daniel's reply, an eyebrow hiking high. She didn't point out that he could have been anywhere else if he really had a mind too. After all, Vaughn didn't want to give him any wild ideas about actually being able to leave Bellum.

Instead, she drew a terse breath and murmured a shallow, "I don't know," as she watched the confessional booth. She wasn't too concerned or interested in what the others were saying behind the shaded doors, their business wasn't her primary concern. But were they actually meant to confess their obsessions? Fresh agitation stirred her blood, and she didn't pull her eyes from the foreboding image of the confessional booth.

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[info]labete
2010-05-20 08:22 pm UTC (link)
Though he did not draw away from her as they waited, Daniel's next comment had a tone of faint inquiry, as if he did not know how she would reply. "We can wait for one of them, you don't have to confess anything to me." He followed her eyes to the screened booths. Daniel's family could not have been farther from the Catholic faith, but he had spent much of his youth in Europe, particularly Italy, where Catholic traditions were part of daily life, thoroughly embedded in the culture beyond simply who believed Who did what.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-20 10:53 pm UTC (link)
Katya listened to Luther's confession and tucked the knowledge away. She didn't comment on it; she felt no need. When he was finally finished, she stood. "Da, this is good. We shall get the other two," she told him. For a moment, she paused, her fingers touching the screen between confessor and confessee. "This is will keep to myself, Luther," she said quietly. Then she swept out of the booth, walking back toward Daniel and Jane.

"It is your turn," she said, leaning against the altar. She glanced from Daniel to Jane. "And my offer, is still standing. If you are not wanting to tell each other these things, I will listen."

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-20 10:55 pm UTC (link)
Luther left the confession booth only a moment after Katya, wiping his hands on his pants carefully. Why had he built up a sweat? He shook his head, letting his arms clasp behind his back as Katya made the offer to Daniel and Jane. He made no comment, simply waiting.

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-21 02:36 am UTC (link)
As Daniel spoke, and added comfort to her worry over confession, she said nothing. The only hint that she heard him at all was the faint twitch of her eyebrows, the poison honey of her eyes kept enraptured on the confessional booth. Finally, just before the strangers emerged, she turned her attention to Daniel. A lift of her chin, reading him with shock swollen pupils, doe eyes soft and on the cliff's edge of trusting. "No, I want to.." She'd confess to him. In this new body, she'd say it.

The hinges of the opening confessional were silent, but the peripheral motion drew her attention. Like a barracuda, because these new toys were so shiny. The woman seemed feline, the man was sweating. That was interesting, and her attention tightened it's noose on the unknown woman before she started forward for the confessional, her fingers still entwined with Daniel's. He didn't have to come if he didn't want to, of course she could not make him. She was not even particularly excited about being forced into this confession by the trickery of the building. But she would handle it, she could handle it.

She turned on the point of her heel, the pale satin of her dress swirling like a hypnotist's coin, so that her steps trailed backwards, her eyes on Daniel. Compelling him to come along as she retreated toward the box. But her grip on his hand was almost nonexistent, he could let her keep going, if that's what he wanted, and she could slip through his fingers.. again.

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[info]labete
2010-05-21 03:39 am UTC (link)
Daniel didn't say anything to either Luther or Katya. He found both of them insufferably pretentious to go along with this and expect Jane and himself to fall right into line along behind, like children in a blind game. Jane's eyes, however, changed his mind, and any hesitation he may have had melted away in a way that was entirely obvious, features as clear and transparent as if it was all made of glass and his thoughts were written to read. If she would--wanted to--then he would to.

Wordlessly he went along with her, pulling his hand away--but only to work the evening coat off his shoulders in the careless manner of a man who wore such valuables before, and found them to be as tiresome as cheap cotton. Beneath it the waistcoat and tie were in silver and black satin, and he looked, for once, like a man of worth. He gave her a small, encouraging smile, and took the opposite side of the confessional, his sigh as he sat audible through the screen.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-21 02:02 pm UTC (link)
Jane and Daniel started toward the confessional, and Katya watched them go with an unaffected expression. She was finding that she didn't mind Jane, but that Daniel seemed to hold both her an Luther with disdain. It was subtle, and she kept trying to dismiss it, but it was there and it annoyed her. They were all stuck in an unfortunate situation. They should all be attempting to make the best of it.

Shaking her head, she put those thoughts from her mind. They weren't necessary, and they weren't helping. As Jane and Daniel both disappeared, she glanced at Luther. "Will they, do you think, be doing this wedding, then?" She hoped so. She had no desire to marry anyone she didn't know.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-21 06:07 pm UTC (link)
Once they were in the confessional booth, Luther relaxed slightly. Arms still crossed, he turned to Katya and took in her question. The looks and handholding was enough, Luther supposed, but something else tugged at him. What people did with their relationships is their business - he could care less if someone cheated on another, unless it ended up with a dead body on the ground. This was more direct and more personal. Ella was in a fragile place already and seemed to rely on Daniel. The ass wasn't going to shove her aside, was he?

"They better not," Luther said, expression hardening. "He has someone else living with him - she can't have this happen now. She's had too much stress as it is."

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-21 08:22 pm UTC (link)
The confessional was dark and comforting. Whatever conversation was transpiring on the outside of this little coffin, it was muffled and might as well have been nothing but the wind. But on the inside, she swore that everything was magnified. The way her own heartbeat was loud in her ears, the audible pitch of Daniel's sigh.

She swallowed gently, and ran a finger over the screen between them. For an agonizing series of seconds, there was silence.

"Say something?" She whispered, resting her cheek against the confessional panel. It was a gentle plead.

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[info]labete
2010-05-22 06:33 am UTC (link)
Daniel sighed again, a sound more of frustration than capitulation. "I hate this," he said, clearly in an attempt to meet the request. Something instinctive kept his voice down, and his voice was now a fatigued, thick sound from the bottom of his chest. "This... being forced to talk about things. It's like what happens on the moon." He tucked his chin down in his chest, and by the sound of his breathing and the cast of his shadow, he was slumped into the corner of screen and booth.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-22 06:50 pm UTC (link)
Well, she supposed there was nothing to do about the fact. She wrapped an arm around her waist, quietly watching the confessionals but not thinking on them in the least. "It is, I think, very little of our concern," Katya said softly, for as far as she was concerned, it wasn't anything to do with them. Or, better yet, anything to do with her. "Perhaps, though, you should be telling this friend of yours," she suggested. She wouldn't want to find herself in such a situation.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-22 06:54 pm UTC (link)
He watched the booth as well, a frown staying on his face. "Perhaps, if he doesn't." At this point, Luther didn't trust the man - simply because he wouldn't trust him. This betrayal towards Ella was too much as well, after she'd been put in such a fragil position. Sighing, he offered Katya his arm. "This might take awhile. Should we sit over there?" He motioned towards the pews at the front of the church.

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-23 09:40 am UTC (link)
"So don't talk," she offered. Her voice was a low promise, whispered against the very screen of the confessional. Something that vibrated even with her low tone. She was there, she was close. She was just on the other side, close enough to be real or just part of his imagination. She swallowed, but it held an audible sound, and even that seemed to stretch the silence on.

"We can just sit in this dream, right now, forever." Who cared about the plaque? Who cared if this was real?

She sighed, her breath was warm and vanilla against the shaded pane. She didn't mind Daniel's silence. She ran her cheek against the panel with a loose exhale, relishing the comfort that came from their separation, but their same prison.

Finally, after so many beats of the heart, she said. "The reason I came back, the reason I'm here.. is you." Obsession? What obsession? She conveniently kept that word out of the conversation entirely.

"I just.. had.. to see you. Talk to you, it's all I could think about. I feel like.. I never said goodbye?" Even if she was trying to find Jane's voice, it was Vaughn's heart spilling the words.

"There was a lot I never said, and never wanted to, and.. you don't have to say anything right now. I just.. like talking in the dark."

And it was dark. The confessional was a haven of shadow, she enjoyed it and tilted her cheek against the side with a murmur of nothing at all.

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[info]labete
2010-05-24 12:14 am UTC (link)
Daniel was never one for dreams of forever. It just wasn't in his nature to think positively, to get lost in the potential of present or past. He was a writer, yes, of fiction, and sometimes of strange fancies, but he never thought of himself as part of one. He listened to the things Jane said, the sounds she made when she wasn't speaking, and it hurt when he realized he'd never known what those sounded like before, not really. They just hadn't been together long enough--it had been letters and rushed moments and a lot of pain.

A short silence followed her speech.

"Jane, I--" he stopped, and tried to fight a blank slate. "Strange things have happened since you've been gone, and..." How was he supposed to explain the obligations he had, obligations to a woman she had never heard of, because of things she wouldn't understand? "I have to take care of someone else now. I want to be with you, at least long enough to find where we are--" (he thought of where she might have been, where he had been) "--but she needs me." A breath. "Do you understand?"

Maybe she wouldn't. Maybe he didn't. Daniel didn't think of intimacy and caring on the same wavelength. He could lose himself in Ain and care about Jane and still want Ella happy and safe. It made him a strange kind of coward.

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-24 12:40 am UTC (link)
I have to take care of someone else now.

Had he ever taken care of her? Had he ever taken care of the real Jane? Vaughn did not think so, she would have known if he'd had the woman living with him. She would have known if it was anything more than too-little-too-late. He had not been taking care of Jane, Vaughn remembered that he'd been sleeping with the brat slut at that time. She thought on all of this, and now there was very little movement or noise from her side of the confessional. It was like she wasn't even there at all. She might as well have turned into a ghost, some part of her felt like one.

How long had they been in this confessional? The silences that begged between them were agonizing, they were entire lifetimes, she felt herself die and rise again during every minute that they both failed to speak.

And then, finally.. "I wasn't asking you for.." She was not sure of the words, she was balancing on somebody else's hurt. Someone she'd never known, but could imagine from some of the details in Boyd's diary, the things Boyd had told her. Jane had been a woman hurt, hurt so deeply she could not even live in the building anymore.

"I told you that you didn't have to say anything.." Her voice broke then, like so much delicate crystal that met with the brick wall of his honesty. But the sound was muffled, and if Daniel was good enough at lying to himself, he might even believe that she wasn't close to crying.

Abruptly, the confessional door shuddered with the snap of her wordless exit. She left him without a goodbye, and returned to the bright hell of the church. She did not raise her eyes to the other two who were imprisoned in this scenario.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-24 01:09 am UTC (link)
They had just settled on the end of a pew, she and Luther, when Jane came from the confessional. Katya watched the other woman walk toward them, but she didn’t raise her head. She noticed a sort of depression about Jane, and she frowned. She wasn’t really curious as to what may have been said. It didn’t concern her, so she had no reason to wonder after it. Daniel was out a moment later, and he, too, looked depressed.

When they were all together, a conversation regarding who ought to marry was begun. There was fighting, and it became apparent quickly that Jane wasn’t marrying Luther, and Katya wasn’t marrying Daniel. Neither were Jane and Daniel willing to marry. Katya, unwilling to endure the awkward feelings that would follow should she propose herself married to Luther, suggested she and Jane wed. That was dismissed equally quickly.

Thus Katya found herself standing at the altar with Luther. The priest directing the ceremony had placed their hands together, and Katya stood there, eyes slightly wider than usual, trying not to shake. She told herself this wasn’t a real wedding, thus she should not have nerves, but the thought of marrying someone, even in pretense, to whom she was already attracted was horrifying at best. She was cold all over, goosebumps prickling her skin. She thought she might vomit. So she kept her mouth closed, a polite smile on her face, and she suspected she looked like a fool.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-24 01:44 am UTC (link)
Logical reasoning had pointed out this was the only option, but Luther remained uneasy as he was at the altar with Katya. There wasn't any other option and at least, he knew Katya. He'd been awkward about her - he trusted her somewhat, unlike Daniel and Jane.

It didn't prevent his hands from shaking or stop him from glaring at the priest every now and then. Luther could barely hide his own emotions, feeling only more antsy when he realized Katya's hands were as cold as his were and her skin was raised with bumps. Really, the dress gave him far too much of a view of that.

The words and vows were gone through quickly and though he had to, Luther struggled to meet Katya's eyes. He wasn't a fan of lying, but making vows that were considered the most important a man could make made him uneasy. He didn't want to promise something he didn't intend to hold his word to; it wasn't his style. Fortunately they were brief, not as bad as a few weddings he sat in on and his eyes darted to Daniel and Jane, before the priest gave the announcement to kiss the bride.

The look that crossed his face was of near horror. He'd forgotten that, he didn't sign up for that, and Katya was supposed to be just a friend. He looked to the priest, questioning, then back to Katya before swallowing. His mouth tightened into a thin line before his right hand moved to the back of her head. There was a small, muttered forgive me, before he kissed her.

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[info]shebringscurses
2010-05-24 01:53 am UTC (link)
Despite her initially fallen expression, Jane was difficult to read when she stepped nearer to the wedding as it began to proceed. The deep fawn of her eyes was dry, but a little distant as the vows began to be spoken. Vaughn had been married before, and found that this ceremony was thankfully moving a great deal faster than her's had. The four of them would hopefully be out of this church in the next few minutes.

In distraction, she ran her hands down the pale satin of her gown, watching the peach of her fingers against all of that white. I DO's were exchanged, and finally her eyes lifted toward Daniel. A single look, impossible to read aside from the fact that her brows were drawn into a contemplative knit. But he was not looking at her, and Jane's attention fell back to the dress.

She missed the kiss, not that it mattered much to her. Nothing seemed to. Not even when the doors of the church peeled magically open after the strangers' kiss had completed, the woman barely stirred.

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[info]labete
2010-05-24 02:04 am UTC (link)
Daniel didn't even have the energy to be grateful to either Luther or Katya for going through with the marriage in their place. He couldn't look at Jane, but he didn't really have to--his mind painted a vivid memory of how much pain he caused her anytime he got near, and the refresher of her soft voice and her hand in his was all it took to bring that back. During the minutes before the door opened, he stared off into space at the candles behind the altar until they were spots of hard yellow light among splotches of mahogany and blood red. The doorway off to one side changed, depicting the building lobby with such clarity it could only be real.

Daniel moved one step to the side, and without thinking he gently slid his arm under Jane's and led her out into the lobby like a proper groomsman, releasing her when they were clear of the door and vaguely looking back for the others, silent in his distraction.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-24 02:19 am UTC (link)
Forgive him indeed. Katya had half a mind to pull away, but then she felt quite overwhelmed. Maybe it was the dress. Maybe it was the cathedral, odd though it was. Maybe it was something else entirely. But instead of pulling away, Katya set one hand on Luther's cheek. The other she tangled in the short hairs at the nape of his neck. She shifted closer, lifting herself on her toes to make the kiss easier.

Her lips parted under his, and somewhere in the back of her mind, Katya mused that it had been a very long time since she had last kissed someone. The hand on Luther's shoulder slid around his neck, and she found herself holding him close. His kiss was sweet, his body warm, and she felt the nerves that had accompanied her at the wedding ceremony gone entirely.

It didn't matter to her that this was false. It didn't matter that it was all a charade. None of that mattered, because here was a man who knew she was a fortune-teller, who knew she was odd and strange, and kissed her anyway. In her red slippers, her toes curled with delight.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-24 02:32 am UTC (link)
Katya's response surprised him, but he found himself swept up by it. The last time he'd kissed a woman, it had been routine - the regularity of an old relationship barely hanging together. She'd left in the end, unable to deal with him and what mattered to him, with barely a good-bye.

She felt different. Warmer, more vibrant, and unpredictable - the fact that her mouth opened was proof enough of that. The kiss was suddenly something that was hardly something to apologize for, more passionate and he moved closer. The hand behind her head got lost in her hair, more than likely messing her up do as he pulled her closer - the loose hand from before going to the bare small of her back. His mind couldn't keep up and he realized, somewhere in the blur of Katya, delightful, and closer that he was losing control.

Slowly, painfully, Luther moved away from her, regretting the movement before he did it. His breathing was heavy as he looked down at her, still close but at least with room to pass a hand between them. The hand moved from her back to her cheek for a long, still moment before he shook his head and pulled away. There was a forced laugh, more awkward and apologetic - he didn't have words to for the situation.

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[info]redhorse_tea
2010-05-24 02:53 am UTC (link)
He laughed. She stared, stunned by her reaction to him. Slowly, very carefully, she extricated herself from his hold. Taking a step back, she swung her gaze around the chapel. The gray people were gone. The priest was gone. Jane and Daniel were also gone. She and Luther were alone in the chapel. Her gaze immediately went to her left hand, and she was relieved to see there was no ring there.

Returning her attention to Luther, she tried to form a coherent sentence. "I am..." She swallowed. "That is saying..." She shook her head, looking away from him, and swore in Russian. Her gaze met his once more, briefly, and she wore a panicked expression. Without saying anything further, she picked up the hem of her dress and ran from the chapel, trying to deal with the well of emotions inside her.

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[info]sentinelstar
2010-05-24 03:13 am UTC (link)
His gaze followed hers, the awkward laughter fading into confusing quickly. Bellum made it so that he was less disturbed by the lack of gray people than he normally would have been - but Daniel and Jane had left without him noticing. Luther turned back to her, a hand carefully going to her shoulder, mind racing to say something better than the broken sentences that came to mind, but then she ran.

Luther's hand reached out for her moments too late; his reflexes seemed to be getting worse over the years. He remained standing there, still at the alter and in the groomsman's clothes until she went through the doors. One final look was cast over the empty cathedral before his face contorted into a grimace. He shoved the altar, letting it crash to the floor before trudging into the lobby.

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