prelude

[singmod]

January 1st 2015

Do you remember yesterday? What is tomorrow?
How will you face this quiet apocalypse?
— Raphael van Lierop.

As the old year falls and the new year begins, the skies fill with light. An Aurora comes on the last day of December, and with it the usual signs of it: the ethereal noise, the cracks and pops in the air, the stuttering of electrics as they struggle to power on and then blare and flicker. It is, as Interlopers have come to know, business as usual — in terms of the Auroras within this world. However, something a little different happens this time.

Interlopers will fall asleep all over the town of Milton. Even the ones who fight sleep and try to stay up into the small hours of the night will find themselves drifting off for a short while — as if their eyes just feel too heavy to keep open, and their minds slip into a deep kind of quiet darkness without their realising. And at first, there is nothing — nothing but the quiet dark. Something peaceful, almost.

A dream comes.

The first thing you notice is blood in your mouth, the cold in your bones, the deafening din in your ears — as if you are caught in static and the sound of howling winds through pine trees. You are afraid. At first, you do not know why. You find yourself on your knees in the snow. The skies are filled with green light, the air is thick with smoke. And then the realisation comes:

This is the ending of all things.

You look up, to the sight before you: a huge, shapeless shadow. Towering above you, over you. A head peers down at you: a cluster of three wolf skulls, eye-sockets glowing green and terrible, and their three open maws, dripping with more green. The sound it makes is unnatural, you cannot put it into words. The darkness draws in, you are so cold, so tired.

This is the ending of all things.

It is so hungry. You are so tired. The world falls away, you cannot see the stars, the dark hiding them from view. Were they even there to begin with? Or did they go out? You have forgotten. And you know, you know—

This is the ending of all things.

The skies glimmer, licks of strange, colourful wisps curl above — a voice screams out your name, from the static and winds. Through the noise. A woman’s voice. You have heard this voice before, in the lights and noise. Do you see? What could be? What you could become?

Can you hold on? Please. A hand grips your shoulder, but as you turn — the dream ends.

For some, they snap into waking with a shout or cry. Some will shudder awake to find tears in their eyes. All over Milton, the Interlopers wake: shaken, unsure, afraid. They will awaken to the dark: the Aurora is gone — slowly fading from the night skies into an otherwise calm and clear night.

It is a new year.

Comments

[guidemyway]

A deal, huh?

[Don't mind Ruby as she taps her chin as he goes over this. She didn't really need the deal as an excuse to go over and try to cheer people up, but she liked it as an excuse. Plus- Maybe it was a sign that he needed a bit of a pick me up too if he wanted to hang out afterward?

It was clearly not her thing though. Why would that ever be the case?]

Oh yeah? It better be something really interesting. Now that I know you're a big dog at heart, you could have just found a really big stick that you're proud of.

[A pause before she adds in.]

Not that I'm opposed to a game of fetch if you really want to.

[bigbaddy]

[ He lets out a sound that definitely sounds both exasperated and amused at the same time. ]

Alright, alright, don't get too carried away.

[ He's still TOUGH, Ruby!! You can't just treat him like this!! ]

Save that energy for all the people who need cheering up right now.

[guidemyway]

[Nailed it. She let's out a little chuckle.]

This is probably why my uncle never told me that he could turn into a bird sooner, you know?

I'd probably have set up a bird feeder and bath outside of his room. To be fair- That still sounds like a good idea for him.

[bigbaddy]

... Y'know, this suddenly all makes way more sense now.

[ Why Ruby didn't find that information weird in the first place, yes, but.. also why she's so quickly comfortable enough with it to start throwing around these jokes.

She's just done so before. ]

I hope one day I can meet your uncle so I can shake his hand and commiserate.

[ Not about turning into an animal.

But about putting up with Ruby's animal jokes. ]

[guidemyway]

Weird how you find yourself running into familiar things in unfamiliar places, huh?

[She gives a light hearted grin and pokes him with her elbow.]

I think the both of you would get along pretty well, actually.

[bigbaddy]

[ He raises an eyebrow. Not necessarily sceptical. Maybe more just curious in Bigby's own way. ]

Oh yeah? What makes you say that?

[guidemyway]

[She gives a little shrug.]

Well- He had that gruff sort of "I act like I don't care, but I actually care a whole lot" kind of vibe to him too. I think you both put a whole lot on your shoulders but even though it's hard you don't let it keep you down.

...I guess there's a certain smell that you both have going for you too

[bigbaddy]

Maybe work a little bit more on your compliments.

[ Because Ruby has a real knack for messing them up right at their tail end.. But Bigby doesn't mind, not really. Even though he sounds gruff, there's also a faint sense of amusement in his words.

Besides, it's not an insult to say a wolf smells like a wolf (read: stinky woodland creature), okay!!

And it's also the easiest thing to address, because this way he doesn't have to admit that she's right and that he cares. A win-win situation for Bigby! ]

[guidemyway]

...What's wrong with my compliments?

[Look. She was doing her best here! She couldn't help it if they both smelled.]

You're just mad that I'm right.