The Promentory - cw: suicide, violence, death

[moon_in_her_hair]

[Spam]

[Opera House] (Here is the scene for reference)

[It's a scene that she knows. Even without looking behind her at the sets and the props, she knows where she is. For a moment, the curtains, the audience, everything disappears. She could swear that she is back in the Colonies, lost in the wild and pulled along by Magua and his men.

The actor portraying him looks at her with the same dead eyes, the knife at his side sharp and bloody. His men gathered around him, practicing their war calls. The same ones they used when they scalped her father's unit. Her body freezes, backing away as her heart hammers in her chest. Her eyes become wide and fearful, watching them with the same fear and knowing certainty that she is to die.

Cora is in the background, her black hair long and about her waist. She is next to Hawkeye, both speaking in low whispers. She is unseen by them, just as she was in life. Forgotten and left to her fate.

Uncas appears, his expression towards her loving and kind, as it always was. He sees her now, even as he is attacked and stabbed. His heart seemingly breaking as they both understand that he has failed.

She knows what happens, she knows how it ends. Backing away, Alice retreats into herself, but still unable to look away as her lover fights Magua. There is no escaping fate in the end.]

[The Ballroom]

[Her fear and terror from the Opera House is still with her. The ghosts swelling in each room have nothing compared to the actors she had just seen. But even so, she darts from room to room, seeking to escape her terror and never ending nightmare.

As she steps into the ballroom, she stops in shock, looking around at the figures dancing. She is pushed about, shoved into the corner as the room seems to fill. She is underfoot again, but it is more dangerous than before. She is lost and can't find her way out.]

Comments

[mercurialize]

[The ballroom was crushing and crashing. You went with the flow or you were stomped beneath the hundreds of feet. It took him a rotation around or two-he had lost track-of gliding between bodies to get an understanding of the room.

He spotted Alice in the corner and slowly sifted through the crowd toward her. There wasn't really time for niceties so he reached to grab her arm instead and pull her with him. He made certain to smile pleasantly so as to perhaps try and lessen the dire atmosphere.]

I hope you know how to dance.

[moon_in_her_hair]

[She's still in shock, trying to force herself to respond and recognize what's happening. But the moment that she sees Kylar, relief fills her again.

Alice nods, glancing around at the swarming figures. There doesn't seem anything left to do but to dance. It certainly wouldn't hurt.]

Yes. [She gives a nervous laugh, relieved to see him again.] The Waltz?

[mercurialize]

[He laughs along with her while taking her hand in his and the other around her waist. Waltz wasn't something he had been familiar with until he came to the barge and Vin had decided she needed to study it, of all things. He honestly didn't expect it to ever come in handy again. Will wonders ever cease...]

Is that what they're doing? I almost mistook it for cotillion.

[Jokes aside he takes a moment before a more serious nod and a wink.]

Follow my lead and we'll be out of here in no time.

[moon_in_her_hair]

[He's helping her relax, feeling safer already next to her friend. His skills with dancing certainly impressive, as she suspects many don't remember the Waltz.]

What are these things? What is this place, do you know?

[mercurialize]

[He'll glide them between what he can whenever there is an opening to do so. Spiraling slowly with the flow outward to the proper exit. It's easy to get lost in the music and he can see how others easily may have.]

Your guess is as good as mine. It's a port. This is probably someone else's world, or part of it.

[moon_in_her_hair]

[She hadn't danced like this in some time. Not since she was last in London and had recently been presented to society. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed it and wanted to return to that sort of normalcy.]

I thought they were ghosts when I first saw them. That can't be right though. [She hopes not at least.]

[mercurialize]

They might be. Some of the rooms-

[No, she doesn't need to hear that.]

People can get lost easily here. Logic isn't always the same in different places. They might just be lost and tied to this place.

But that's just a guess.

[moon_in_her_hair]

There was a room where the creatures continually asked me to stay. If I did, I wonder if I would be like them now.

[They didn't even seem to notice they were trapped here or notice that they were endlessly dancing about. It was as if they were in their own world.]

How do we get back to the ship?

[mercurialize]

Don't know. Lets just take this one room at a time, shall we? I don't think we should be lingering in any one room for too long.

[moon_in_her_hair]

I agree. [They are at least nearing the exit. She glances over her shoulder to see if anyone is watching them.] They don't seem to see anything beyond their actions.

[mercurialize]

Lets hope it stays that way.

[He makes sure that they spin enough to put Alice closer to the exit when the time comes. If anything latched on, he could probably easily fight it off. Although he'd never fought ghosts before. But he could get away, she might not be able to.

With the exit only steps away he takes a quick look at her.]

Ready?

[moon_in_her_hair]

[She braces herself, feeling at least some semblance of control. He was helping her, not treating her as a prop or helpless child. It eased her and made her feel that she had a chance to survive.]

Yes. Ready.

[mercurialize]

On the count of three.

[He double checks his footing and times the turns with his steps.]

One, two.. three.

[With more force on his left leg he'll push and spin them out of the dancing horde and toward the next hallway. Landing is far less graceful and not something he really took into account. But they seem to have gotten off easy otherwise.]

[starofdarkness]

Ceres could do nothing but watch, strangely mesmerized by the drama even though she could see that the characters were nothing but ghosts. She can see the love in the man's eyes. From the way the girl seems to shrivel into herself she knows that she loves him too. Her heart aches for the young woman.

She stays respectfully quiet behind Alice until the scenes comes to its end.

[moon_in_her_hair]

She collapses to the floor before the scene ends, before she was supposed to jump. Her body shaking as she tried to rouse and remind herself that none of this was real.

It was over, everything had passed and all of it had happened before.

She cries into her hands, giving true emotion for the losses she suffered and letting out all her fear and pain. Something she should have done long ago.

[heavenlymisandrist]

When the scene is finally over Ceres falls to one knee beside the woman and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. She keeps her voice quiet, so as not to startle the woman more than necessary.

"You are not safe here."

[moon_in_her_hair]

She nods, placing her hand on Ceres' arm. That small touch grounding her and helping her to feel again. Her eyes finally filling with tears as she let her heart well up with pain.

"I want to leave."

[heavenlymisandrist]

Aya doesn't have to say a word. Ceres simply offers her other arm, keeping the first where it is for as long as Alice wants it there.

"Let us go, then. We need not stay in such an ugly place."

[moon_in_her_hair]

She looks behind her, a lingering glance at Uncas. It would be the last she would see of him. It hurt, especially knowing why he sacrificed himself for her.

But she couldn't live through this again. Hesitantly, she took Ceres' arm, following her.

"Where are we?"

[heavenlymisandrist]

"A nightmare," is her answer, because she doesn't have a better one. "Nothing more."

She eyes the ghosts disparagingly as she leads Alice out, but it seems as though they're finished enough with their play to let both girls escape. Just as well. If they hadn't, Ceres would gladly have destroyed every last one of them.

[voluntaryapnea]

[At some point he ends up getting separated from Lydia and Dean, and he curses himself inwardly when he finds himself drawn back to the Opera House. But this time no one hands him a script.

People are already on stage.

It takes him a second to recognize the one person who's not an actor. He pauses for a second, eyes wide as he watches the scene unfolding before him, then shaking himself out of it.]

Alice?

[moon_in_her_hair]

[She doesn't recognize him at first, lost for a moment in the world that she left behind. There are still no tears, her body rigid and cold as she is prompted to continue playing out the last of her life.

But the sudden voice, intruding into the otherwise silent scene catches her attention. She clings to it desperately, pulling away as she spots Stiles.

He's from the ship. She's not in the colonies, she's not back at Uncas' death. She is part of the ship.]

Stiles! [She nearly bolts to him, but her arm is grabbed by one of the extras, still trying to hold her hostage.]

[voluntaryapnea]

[He's not sure what to make of the scene playing out in front of him, but he knows it isn't anything good. Apparently this place doesn't let them relive any good memories. Figures.

He sees her glance toward him and watches as she tries to break away from the "play" being acted out in front of him.

When the extra grabs her, though, he moves forward quickly, adrenaline surging. He has no weapon on him. Why the hell hadn't he grabbed his light saber before they hit port? Oh yeah. He'd been too busy shoving his bat into Lydia's hands. He doesn't really regret that, though.]

Hey! Let her go!

[moon_in_her_hair]

[The actors are fully into their parts. The Huron hold tomahawks and rifles in their hands, staring menacingly down at Stiles. But none move forward to attack him. They hold tightly onto Alice, speaking to her in French as they try to shove her along the winding set.

She looks towards Stiles, tugging more forcefully to be released, showing more courage than before. Having a savior encouraging her to try and break away.]

[voluntaryapnea]

[Now he's just pissed off. He doesn't deal well with people threatening and manhandling women. Anger flares in his eyes as he makes his way onto the stage, hands curling into fists.]

I said let her go.

[He meets Alice's eyes for a brief moment, giving her a nod before turning his attention back to the actors, who are still staring at him without moving or talking to him. It's eerie as hell.]