Back from the grave to tell you jesus doesn't always save

[gumshoewizard]

 [The sky is getting dark, night is coming soon for Promenade. The sun is heavy and blood red on the horizon in the last hours of daylight, turning the ocean scarlet in its final light. Everything is red, the sand on the beach, the buildings, the roads...

the island that, no less than an hour ago, wasn't there.

Its not very big. Just a spit of land

Comments

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[purpleprosed]

[ Having been spending a good chunk of time on the island they dared to call her 'place of solace', and she had grown use to seeing the other island inhabited by the fellow seer-slash-cranky-asshole-dragon and usually only that. Nothing new had popped up in the ocean recently so when the island suddenly appearing the young magic user was more than intrigued.

So she decided to investigate, as any sane, logical thirteen year old girl would do, and flew on over to the new island. She armed herself with her needlewands, exploring around a bit and half tempted to dismantle the already disheveled lighthouse just to see what may have been inside...or underneath. Alas, the familiar voice stopped her.

She made her way over to the grave, peering down at Harry with an uplifted brow and an otherwise straight face. ]

Again? Is finding yourself in a shallow grave a normal occurrence for you?

action;

[gumshoewizard]

[Looking up at the voice, Harry blinks at her form against the last of the daylight. He manages a grin, but its loose and tired and his voice is like gravel grinding together.]

It was a necessity.

[purpleprosed]

Dare I ask why or shall I just offer a hand up and leave the questions for later?

[gumshoewizard]

Its a long story, full of boring things like ghosts, demons, angels, the great cosmic battle between good and evil.

[But he's offering up his hand. He's not too proud to accept help.]

[purpleprosed]

Sounds excruciatingly mind-numbing, I only hope you won't even think to tell me a single detail.

[ And she reaches down to take his hand, the black wisps of her magic aiding her, keeping her grounded so she doesn't go toppling into the grave with him, along with giving her enough strength to actually help him out. ]

[gumshoewizard]

[Harry, at the least, isn't dead weight. He uses his feet to try and help get himself out of the pit. When Harry finally breaks free, he plops on the ground, limbs akimbo and panting for air. Air man, functioning lungs. A body thats full of old pains, injuries, and weariness.

He blinks up at the sky. More specifically at the hovel and the lighthouse. Thats when it starts to piece together in his head.]

...Demonreach.

[purpleprosed]

[ She'll consider this her thanks for when he helped her upon her arrival. That's it.

She releases his hand once he is on the ground, standing over him with yet another flat look, hints of curiosity only evident in her lavender eyes. ] Demonreach?

[gumshoewizard]

[Its weird. He forgot what it was like to be on his genius loci. Even if he closed his eyes, stuffed his ears shut and was completely sense-blind, he would know the moment her feet made contact with the earth on this island. His hands still felt tingly from where her magic had touched him. Like acidic black fire on his skin.]

This place...s'named Demonreach.

[purpleprosed]

[ She turns to look at the tower, then back down to him a moment after. ]

Fascinating. [ Only not really. ] Are you going to elaborate or is that all there is to say on the matter?

[gumshoewizard]

[He's trying to kick his brain into gear here, give him a minute.]

S'place they kept my body alive. While I was...kicking ghost booty in Chicagotory. The island and Mab kept me alive...damnit.

[purpleprosed]

[ By all means, take your time, Harry. ]

Do I need to check your head, mister Dresden?

[gumshoewizard]

[That remark is enough to make him grimace and start to sit up.]

All you'd get is a rattling sound, pretty sure.

[Damnit. Damnit damnit damnit! All the memories - of the people he'd hurt, the loved ones he'd left broken, the unseen thousands he'd left to suffer.]

[purpleprosed]

[ She steps back once just in case. ]

It was worth a shot, I suppose.

[ She's not sure what to say, not sure what's going on in his head if there's anything at all. ] Unfortunately, I cannot offer much in the way of help as I currently am, as you already know, blissfully unawares of how or why you showed up with this island in a hole with your name on it.

[gumshoewizard]

I made a mistake. A really, really stupid mistake. I ended up hurting a lot of people who needed me. Left a lot of debris in my wake, so to speak. But its a mistake I'd probably make again, all things considered.

That, and this city has a crappy sense of humor.

[purpleprosed]

[ She pauses, hoping that her face hadn't betrayed her and displayed some type of emotion.

Unfortunately, it did. Something like surprise, what with the widening of her eyes, if only momentarily.

Familiarity, maybe. ]

Indeed it does. And while I'm certain this tale is interesting in detail, I think it would be best if we brought you back to the city. Unless you would like to sleep in your grave a bit longer?

[gumshoewizard]

[If Harry saw anything, he's not saying anything right now.]

No thanks, I've done enough of that already.

[Graves are for the dead. He's not dead any more.]