Esmeralda dances to the rhythm of the tambourine (changewillcome) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-05-18 03:55:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, destiny rumancek, esmeralda, peter rumancek |
Who: Esmeralda and Peter, then Destiny
What: Esmeralda’s dreams lead again to violent ends and necessary aid as Peter gets a crash course in how extreme dream crossover can be
When: 18 May 2017
Where: Peter’s
Warnings: Temporary death
Status: Log | Complete
Between realizing that Gringoire had inadvertently handed her over to Frollo in the dreams, making Esmeralda feel awkward around the man yet again, and then Madellaine’s moods since realizing she was pregnant, Esmeralda had been spending less time at the Court, finding excuses for errands as well as visiting with friends when she wasn’t needed for work. It had been a particularly bad day and even Clopin had agreed that perhaps Esmeralda take the night off.
So she was currently at Peter’s where laying on a hammock and just talking about whatever came up was the order of the evening. All things considered, it was nice, comfortable. With all the insanity that came from Orange County, to just have time like this? It was necessary.
Though at some point, the two had drifted off to sleep.
All things considered, Esmeralda had known it was coming. The end. She couldn’t escape death twice, especially given Gringoire’s hand in her being captured by Frollo. A choice. There was always a choice.
It is less horrible to me than you are.
And again the choice had been made. Then she was left with Sister Gudule where there was hatred and frustration, only for the two to realize that she was the daughter Sister Gudule had been searching for. A distraction and an attempt at freedom only to see Phoebus who… again did not see her, but it was too late. She was grabbed and taken to the scaffold as she saw this woman who turned out to be her mother killed in an attempt to save her.
There were so many emotions, so much confusion as the noose was tightened around her throat and then she dropped and there was nothing.
In the waking world, despite the fact she was asleep, the air was being cut off and she was gasping for breath, a noose tight around her neck. Unable to wake up, her body still struggled to survive but soon the strangled gasps fell silent, limbs limp and her body blowing in the wind from the branch that now served as a scaffold next to the hammock.
Peter had been dealing with the aftereffects of his dreams as well as he could. He was a werewolf and things had been kind of weird ever since figuring that out. But it was easy to have a couple drinks and kick back. He didn’t want to think too hard on what was going on.
His dreams had been peaceful enough when he finally drifted off to sleep, nothing of the dream world that he'd started getting to know encroaching on it. But a shift in the hammock woke him up eventually.
Eyes opening, he didn't realize right away what was happening. However, the moment he did, he felt himself jolt awake. He jumped into action, heart racing as he worked to get her down from the tree.
“Fuuuuck.” A pause. “Fuck fuck fuck.”
All of it was obviously very helpful. Except not. But once she was on the ground, he looked around for someone to shout for. Okay. He was going to have to do CPR. It wasn't something he'd ever done, but he to do fucking something.
“When you stop being dead,” he said to her body, pausing only to give two breaths. “You so owe me a drink.”
The one thing that would be working in Peter’s advantage was the fact that Esmeralda’s neck hadn’t broken as then there would be no chance at her being revived. Even so, there was bruising around her neck from the noose, blood capillaries having burst. After a few minutes though, Esmeralda started coughing and struggling for breath in shorts wheezes which hurt enough that she started to regain consciousness.
In the fog of pain and confusion, Esmeralda was becoming aware of her surroundings. Mostly that she wasn’t on the hammock like she’d been when she’d fallen asleep and was instead on… dirt? Grass? Who knew. It was the ground.
“Peter...what…” Her voice was raspy and she winced, falling back to the ground after an attempt at pushing herself up. However, as she was still weak she was unable to hold herself up and so it was back on the ground, which just led to another coughing fit.
Peter felt relief rush into every part of his body the moment that she started breathing again. It wasn't the great sort of breathing, but it was breathing. He was pretty sure that he'd never been so relieved in his life.
“Probably best to keep the talking to a minimum.” He frowned, eyes scanning over her. It was probably madness to suggest a hospital at the moment, but someone on the net might have some sort of ability to help. “You were hanging from a tree. I'm assuming this is a dream thing.” He admittedly hated her dreams. What kind of fucking dreams, honestly?
“Ahhh. Fuuuuuck. Okay. I'm good. I just needed to get that out.” He pulled her arm up and over his shoulder before sliding his hands underneath her and moving inside. His mom would probably question this if she wasn't out, but he took her back to his room and laid her on the bed. “I'd apologize for the mess, but...more important things.”
He was probably right that it would be best if Esmeralda kept the talking to a minimum. It wasn’t like she was completely sure on what was going on, she just had a very strong suspicion based on what had happened when she’d died before. Even in the haze of confusion she could tell something had happened based on Peter’s reaction. He was also right though about it not being the best idea to go to a hospital. While her documents looked fine, they were still fake and with the current state of affairs….
Then he said that he’d found her hanging from a tree and figured it was a dream thing, which she verified by nodding.
“Less horrible than Frollo.”
Still hurt to talk. But when it had been submit to Frollo or die? Well, death was the best option in her opinion. Even if everything currently hurt at the same time as feeling weak. All in all? A very unpleasant experience, similar to before. She was at two for three in the dying department with these dreams, she really didn’t like those odds.
The less questions the better, so for that at least they didn’t have to deal with Clopin questioning it, he’d already gone through death by smoke inhalation, when she’d woken up after being tortured and was unable to dance. The man wasn’t an idiot, he’d figure something was up and that would ramp up his paranoia. Tiredly, Esmeralda didn’t fight it when Peter picked her up and instead just rested her head on his shoulder. She honestly didn’t care about the state of his room, so she just nodded some at the comment.
The words struck him as odd. At least, a little more odd than any other response. He knew a little about her dreams, but that didn’t mean he understood exactly everything that happened. But it wasn’t the most important thing. The important thing was making sure that she was okay. Which...obviously she wasn’t. She just had to be...well, not dying.
He had no idea how to treat this kind of injury, however. He wasn’t even sure if he should have moved her. He just didn’t want to leave her outside. Now he had to try to figure this out. First, however, he was going to make her as comfortable as he could and then he’d figure out what to do. Maybe calling Destiny was a good idea. Maybe his mom would know.
“Should I call someone?” Because he wasn’t sure how else he was supposed to figure out the next step.
It made sense in context, not like that was saying much. If pressed later, she’d explain a bit more, but for now? Death was preferable to Frollo, which really wasn’t that hard to be all things considered. So for now, it was just trying to remain conscious and working on the breathing thing. Still, she was no longer dying so that was a step in the right direction.
As for the question, Esmeralda shook her head, blinking as she felt dizzy. Not the best choice of actions, however she really wasn’t wanting to get anyone involved. There were very few people she would trust with this and given she tried to keep the temporarily dying thing quiet…
“No it’s fine, I’ll be fine, I was before so no need to worry anyone else.”
Not the most reassuring thing to say, though yes it was an admission that she had something like this happen before, even as her voice was still strained.
If she hadn’t already been pretty fucking injured, Peter probably would have shaken her. Instead of that, however, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “It’s not fine and you will be fine, but not if I don’t talk to someone. Don’t worry. Not some outsider.” There was exactly one person who he knew he could call with whatever fucked up shit happened in his life.
The phone started ringing and Peter waited for someone to pick up on the other side before he said, “Hey. I need your help in kind of a huge way right now. Like a...dreams are fucked up and if there was a fan, shit would probably have hit it kind of way.”
Before Destiny could get out anything more than a ‘hello’, Peter was off explaining the crazy. She couldn’t say it was unexpected but, of course, it was still alarming. It didn’t sound like he was hurt, so she assumed it was someone they both knew who was in dire need of help. Shit. Had the visions come true so quickly?
She snatched up her car keys from the bowl beside her salon’s front door and was about to head out before she realized that she might need to head into this situation prepared. Everything she needed was in her kitchen.
“What is it? Who is it?” Destiny tried to be the calming force in the conversation, but it was clear even in her most soothing voice that she was a little rattled and concerned for her cousin and whoever it was who was in need of their help.
Yeah, Peter could have done all the niceties and everything, but considering he was freaking out about it, he didn’t really feel like it was necessary to worry about that. He needed Destiny to help him figure out what the fuck he was supposed to do because he didn’t know a goddamn fucking thing about this shit. If it was him, he’d have turned...except it would have been the wrong moon and that would have fucked things up. So basically, someone would be doing the same shit for him.
“Esmeralda. Woke up to her hanging in a tree. She’s alive. In my room. But you know. The options here are call you or a fucking ambulance and we all know option two is a not the way to go. I don’t know what to do.” He could tell that Destiny was rattled, but he wasn’t really in a state to do the calm, reasonable act. He had a feeling she’d understand with what he’d told her. “Please tell me you know what to do and that you’ll be here as soon as possible.”
Even though he couldn’t see her, Destiny nodded. An idea occurred to her. “I think I know what to do.” With quick steps, she hurried over to her kitchen, phone wedged between her ear and her shoulder, and started poking around her cupboards.
“What’s the extent of her injuries?” She pulled out a mortar and pestle, setting it down on the counter. Waiting for Peter’s answer, Destiny pulled out several jars of herbs she thought might work for a healing paste. Not all of them would work for every specific situation, but she could sort through them as she made the paste. She then went to her fridge for the giant soda bottle of melted snow. If anything was worthy of using dragobete water, it was healing family.
Peter visibly relaxed the moment that she said she knew what to do. It was a relief that he had someone who knew what to do or at least had an idea. He really hated not having a clue and this was one of those times when it hindered him.
“Bruising around the neck. She can talk but it obviously hurts. I wouldn’t have been able to bring her back from dying if her neck had broken, so the general strangulation shit?” Because he couldn’t see on the inside, he couldn’t say how bad it was. But he held the phone between his ear and shoulder, looking her over for anything else. She was pale and he could tell that she was just barely still awake, so he let Destiny know that as well. Anything he thought would be important, he told her because he didn’t want her to suffer because he missed anything.
Very quickly, Destiny set to work crushing herbs into a fine powder. She managed to pour all of it into an empty mason jar and followed it up with a small amount of the special water. Securing the lid on the jar, she set to work shaking it like a twitchy bartender. With all of her work it wound up as a thin paste, just the thing she would need to spread across the injured area. Some of the disgusting stuff would have to go on Esmeralda’s tongue, too. This was all based on the assumption that her potion making skills were at least decent.
The jar was sealed and dumped into her purse so Destiny could make a speedy exit, though she kept the phone by her ear. “Okay, Peter? I’m going to need a location, otherwise this healing poultice is never going to make it to you guys. I promise to run red lights if necessary.” She exhaled slowly. The last thing she wanted to be was too slow.
“We’re at our place.” He gave her the address and simple directions. At least with the address, she could put it into her phone and find her way. “Thanks for coming, though. She told me not to worry anyone, but I like to remind her occasionally that I’m not very good at listening.” He said that all while giving Esmeralda a small smile.
“Just get here safely, okay?”
Well. At least Peter had decided to call Destiny. Given the situation and the fact he stated it wouldn’t be an outsider, it wasn’t as if there were many choices left on who Peter could call in the situation. So while Esmeralda really would have preferred that no one get worried, at least it was someone they both trusted and who had the chance of knowing what to do which… Honestly was for the best. Even if Esmeralda wanted to keep Clopin from worrying too much given he had shut down the Court for a week following the death by smoke inhalation thing that had happened in October.
So for now, she just remained curled up on the bed, trying to stay warm as well as awake. That was her main goal at the moment as she wasn’t quite sure what would happen if she passed out again and she wasn’t looking to find out. Still, she did return the smile faintly with a roll of her eyes and scoffed as Peter said he needed to remind her that he wasn’t always good at listening, though the scoff led to a coughing/wheezing attack which..yep, still hurt.
Destiny ran red lights and sped through school zones to get to Peter and Esmeralda. It was a miracle that she didn’t flatten any pedestrians in the process. The moment she was there she slammed that car into park and hurried over, shutting the car door behind her with a resounding BAM.
“Peter?? How is she??” The jar of disgusting paste was tucked safely under her arm as she hustled on over to the two of them.
Again, relief flooded over Peter the moment he heard the sound of a car door slamming, followed by Destiny’s voice. “Not great,” he said after a moment, motioning to Esmeralda. “I mean, she was hanging from a tree. But she’s still awake, so that’s something. I’ve been successfully annoying.” Which was only partially true. True in that he’d probably tapped her arm if she let her eyes close for more than a couple seconds.
“I’m glad to report that I actually picked up CPR somehow.” He frowned again as he looked at Esmeralda. “But still...whatever you can do. Probably important.”
Anytime Peter would have tapped her, Esmeralda would have half a mind to hit him with a pillow or swat at him. Not that she currently had the energy for that. She remembered how she had felt following death by smoke inhalation and while she had been out not even an hour after because needing fresh air, she’d still felt weak for a time after. Still, as she heard Destiny’s voice, Esmeralda pushed herself into a more upright position before she got there and gave a slight wave. Before Madellaine had helped with any sort of herbs and medical aid but given the woman had called her a bringer of bad luck before she’d decided to go to Peter’s that day, definitely better that Destiny be the one to help with this.
“Yeah, as much as I pride myself in making great salves and shit, I’d probably put more trust in the CPR.” She gave Peter a quick, weak smile as she quickly unscrewed the lid to the jar. Destiny dipped her hand inside and removed a small handful of stuff that looked like grey oatmeal and smelled faintly like grass and flowers. Gently, so as to not hurt Esmeralda any further, she smeared some of the stuff across her neck. Following that, she encouraged Esmeralda’s mouth open so that she could dab a little of the stuff on her tongue. It wasn’t enough to choke on, but definitely enough to taste.
“That should help some. Encourage healing.” Destiny’s voice was quiet. She was insanely worried, but clinging to hope that a simple family recipe would move mountains.
Despite Destiny’s attempts to keep from hurting Esmeralda further, she still did wince at the contact. Even with the gentle touch, her neck remained extremely sensitive. Still, she didn’t make any other sign of discomfort. It was simply what she had to endure and she was fine with that. It was definitely better than the alternative. Even with the taste of the paste. Letting it dissolve so as to work, Esmeralda just nodded at Destiny’s comment.
“I’m sorry for all of this.”
Yes, her voice was still weak. Yes, she was apologizing for dying and needing to be revived and then Destiny needing to come over like this, as if she’d actually had a say in the matter. Still, she did feel bad for causing so much worry and drama.
Peter stayed mostly out of the way, watching Destiny do what she did best. He was just glad it wasn’t him that needed to put that shit in his mouth, but he guessed if it was the strangulation bullshit or the gross paste in your mouth, anyone would choose the gross paste. Some sacrifices had to be made for the greater good of oneself or something.
“You would apologize for getting strangled in your dreams and dying.” Peter stepped closer again. “Which is to say, you don’t need to fucking apologize for that shit.” The words didn’t come out harsh. He wasn’t trying to make her feel bad. Just stating the fact that she definitely didn’t need to apologize for something she couldn’t control.
Destiny sat back on her knees, looking at Esmeralda as she apologized. She frowned at her, feeling absolutely awful. It was always rough seeing people in pain, but people who were close to you? People you’d grown up with? It was extra difficult seeing someone like that barely escape from a horrible situation.
“I’m gonna second Peter, here. No apologies. We’re happy you’re okay.” The corners of her mouth pulled into a small smile.
There were certain things Esmeralda disliked. Being afraid or uncertain around those she considered family as she’d been recently thanks to the dreams. Feeling weak. Feeling as if she was putting people out. However, she did know that the two were right. She’d say the same thing were situations reversed and would think nothing of it. Esmeralda also didn’t have the energy to argue even if she didn’t think they were right. Still, she wasn’t in the mood to be alone either so she just nodded.
“Well. Thank you then.” There wasn’t much else that could be said, at least that could be said with minimal pain from talking. So she left it there for the moment.