Tlazolteotl

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

@DaftJive Anything you're hoping to happen?

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

It's ultimately up to you guys! But I think we can do Damien's thing.

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

@BaronOBeefDip


My parent’s couldn’t decide until I was actually born (they had potential names, but when they finally saw me, they were like “yeah, this is your name”).

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

@BaronOBeefDip Yay on both! 😄

Has the family started making a list for potential names for the baby?

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

@BaronOBeefDipGood to hear from you! Congrats on becoming an aunt/uncle/ancle/pibling!

Have you had your shoulder checked just in case? Having a nice bath helps me whenever any part of my body starts to hurt.

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

Just to clarify, everyone's still free to perceive others, the Keeper only stabilized the connection between Silas, Vicis, and Damien.

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

Sirpa's Catharsis

@silver21

"Constant fear becomes familiar. And the familiar feels safer than the unknown. This is why some stay in situations that hurt them. Not because they want it, but because it has become something they know how to live with."

Mist gathers at her side, shaping itself into a figure. Her. Moments ago.Guess it was a rude question, then. Sirpa felt a twinge of annoyance. Normies, she told herself.The image holds, then dissolves.

"There is no shame in what you feel. To pretend otherwise is to let it fester. And what festers in the dark feeds what hungers there."

It looks away from the window.

"What is important is that you know why you felt what you felt."

The Keeper continues. "You have been hurt by people who misunderstood you. Who heard what they expected rather than what you meant."

Smoke curls into form. Jay. Turning away, shoulders stiff, walking toward the door.

"Jay was already bracing for rejection. Your question, the timing of it. To them, it sounded like what they feared most."

Whispers reach her:

"Constant fear becomes familiar..."

"...the familiar feels safer than the unknown..."

"...something they know how to live with."

Two hands lower to hers, wrapping around them—oversized, fingers too long, and somehow still snug. Warm. Soft.

"A miscommunication. One that could only be corrected by you, because only you know what you meant."

━━━━━━ ◈ ━━━━━━

Jay's Catharsis

@silver21@JJ Doe@Stanifly

For Sirpa, the scene returns to the group circle.

"Sirpa didn't mean to hurt you with her question." The Moderator's gaze shifts to her. "Sirpa?"

━━━━━━ ◈ ━━━━━━

What is Perceived

• Events in Sirpa's Catharsis can only be perceived by Sirpa

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

Sirpa's Catharsis

@silver21

The Keeper watches her curl inward, shrinking into the armchair as though she might disappear into its upholstery if she tries hard enough. It does not move closer. It does not move away.

"There was annoyance, when you labeled Jay a Normie."

Warmth settles over Sirpa's shoulders. A throw blanket, oatmeal-colored and washed soft, smelling faintly of a linen closet.

"...Every soul we have met has been as unique as they were alike." The large eyes blink. "Including you, Sirpa. You are different. And also no different from anyone who came before you."

One of its limbs reaches out and tugs the throw blanket higher. The Keeper holds her gaze. Says nothing. Its attention shifts to the room around them.
"So you find this place creepy..."

It turns toward the windows. Beyond the glass, the fog presses gray and heavy against the pane, close enough to be painted on, with no depth and no hint of what might lie past it. For a long moment, stillness. Then, low and slow, something drags itself past the window.

"Each Catharsis is shaped by the one who calls it into being." The Keeper does not look away from the window. "What manifests here reflects some aspect of them."

Closer now—the shape lingers at the glass, as if it knows it's being watched, before the gray takes it back.

"Do you find comfort in fear?"

━━━━━━ ◈ ━━━━━━

What is Perceived

• Events in Sirpa's Catharsis can only be perceived by Sirpa

◈ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐒 | Κάθαρσις ◈

Silas' Catharsis

@DaftJive@silver21@Stanifly

The woman glances at him sidelong. Her mouth curves. "Smooth talker."

The bartender slides the Jack Daniels across the counter and she intercepts it, curling her fingers around the glass before Silas can reach it.

"Come on."

She's already off the stool, weaving through the crowd. She stops at a booth near the back where the neon doesn't reach as harshly. Two men sit across from each other.

One is small, almost childlike in stature, drowning in an oversized cardigan the color of dried lavender. His hair fades from dusty rose to black at the tips, blue-grey eyes half-lidded and distant. His hands curl around a mug like it's the only thing keeping him tethered.

The other is tall even sitting down, sharp-featured, with dark hair slicked back and green eyes that catch the low light like a cat's. His fingers drum the table in a restless rhythm, and there's a self-satisfied tilt to his jaw that says he knows exactly how amazing he is.

"Hey." She taps the edge of the table with the whiskey glass. "You two mind if he sits here? Looks like he could use some company."

Leaving the glass on the table, she winks at Silas and pats his shoulder.

━━━━━━ ◈ ━━━━━━

What is Perceived

• The Keeper stabilized Silas, Damien, and Vicis' perception of each other, with Silas seeing the other two as human.