Stephen Vincent Strange (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
suckstobestrange) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
riverviewlogs2017-10-19 07:53 pm
suckstobestrange) wrote in riverviewlogs2017-10-19 07:53 pm
When I was a child I heard voices
who: Stephen Strange and You
what: Memshare
when: During the Event
where: Anywhere around the city
warnings: Sad small, demons and shitty parenting. Extra big warning for actual happiness TW for suicide attempt in the existing CR toplevel (ie the first comment to the log)
i
It had been hours since the kitchen had been decorated in anticipation of father's birthday and he still wasn't home from work. Donna and Victor were sitting on the sofa entertaining themselves with some small game, and you could hear mother in the kitchen again. She'd ben doing that the last hour, flitting from the kitchen to the living room and back again with a restless sort of energy. You look from where you'd been settled hearing the latch turn on the kitchen door, sharing a glance with your brother and sister before all three of you went running for the room as mother was lighting the candles on the cake.
"Don't bother." His rough voice cut through the excited air, and you felt your mother's hand settle on your shoulder, Donna and Victor stopping short with you.
"But the children worked so hard on this!" Even at her plea, the scowl on his face only deepened as he took in the decorations that had been carefully put up, disapproval practically radiating off of him in a way that had Victor shrinking back against Donna's arm next to you.
"Then they've wasted their valuable time! Life is too short to be squandered on such foolishness!" Hat and coat on the rack by the door, he was already stalking through the kitchen, jabbing an almost accusatory finger at his wife, as if she was to blame for such a heinous crime on his way into the living room. "Where is the profit in a birthday party?"
All of you start at the sound of the door slamming when he retreats to his study, and a glance to your sister shows tears starting to streak her face, and a quiet snuffle from Victor hints that he's not faring much better. Your own face is dry, but you can feel a cold knot of emotion like lead in your gut, especially at the resigned sigh that you catch from mother, as she strokes Donna's hair in an attempt to be reassuring.
"Don't cry children... your father appreciates all your efforts," You can hear it in her voice that she's only lying to save your feelings, to try and smooth over hurt feelings, and that knot of emotion just gets heavier and colder, bitter and harsh. "Really he does..."
"Does he, mother?" Your voice is a little sharper than you intend, and you feel her hand on your shoulder flinch at the tone. the reaction draws conflicted emotions from you, glad to see some reaction other than acceptance and trying to mask the issue, but guilt at snapping at your mother like that. "Sometimes I wonder."
She calls after you when you tug free of her grasp and storm off to your room, but she can't follow yet, not with Donna and Victor both in need of reassurance as well.
ii
It was a strangely nice day. Rolling green fields surrounding a pituresque sort of farmhouse, and the kind of cloudless blue sky that drove most children to play outside, just like the ones behind the house, a small dark-haired boy sitting in the grass watching an older boy standing on a cloth-covered picnic table, holding up a second tablecloth in both hands like a matador's cape. Clearly siblings despite the age difference, the older of the pair wiggling the cloth in a way he clearly thought made the whole thing look more 'mysterious'.
"And look now as I make my assistant disappear!" On the last word the boy dropped the cloth to show nothing behind it, waving a hand to the empty space with a beaming, pleased smile.
The smaller boy however was clearly not pleased with this development, face scrunching as if he wasn't sure if he should start howling his displeasure or not. "Donna?"
"Patience dear audience, I-"
"I want Donna!"
Whatever the boy on the table was going to say was cut off by the sound of giggles from underneath, which just prompted his 'audience' to reach out and... lift the tablecloth to reveal a brunette girl badly stifling laughter behind her hands.
"Honestly, you're the worst assistant!" The older boy huffed, watching her crawling out from under the table.
"Victor liked it better than your act, Stephen!"
"He's five, that- hey get back here!" As the two on the ground took off, the girl shrieking you're it as they did, the boy on the table leapt off to go running after, all three disappearing around the side of the house, laughter echoing in their wake.
iii
You can hear it long before you see it. The rasp of it's heavy wings unfurling in the darkness of the room, the rattle of breath that stirred the blankets you were huddled under as if it could protect you. Mere days before it might have made you feel better, but then you'd gotten a good look at what really went bump in the night and none of the silly childish rituals gave any comfort. All you could do was tuck into the corner by the bed, make yourself as small a target as possible. Maybe it wouldn't look. Maybe it would go away. Even as you hoped you knew it wouldn't. It was toying with you just like it had every other night.
The noises shifted closer, and the urge to shout for your mother for help bubbles up but you stamp it down with difficulty. The creature always vanished when she came to check on you, and it always ran the risk of your father waking too.
All there was left was to wait. Listen to it moving-
Until the blast of breath, hot and stinking of sulfur even through the barrier of a blanket had you biting back a whimper of terror behind a hand. Clearly it had found you, and it was mere seconds later that the blanket was ripped away, and your vision is filled with the thing, a hulking purple monstrosity all claws and shining teeth that just set your stomach to knots as you press yourself back in the corner as if willing yourself to be swallowed up by the wall.
Biting your lip to keep from screaming when you hear the the heavy slide of another's movement, tail moving over the carpet.
It was... going to be a long night.
[ooc: If you would like a character-specific memory feel free to let me know and I'll set up a starter for you!]
what: Memshare
when: During the Event
where: Anywhere around the city
warnings: Sad small, demons and shitty parenting. Extra big warning for actual happiness TW for suicide attempt in the existing CR toplevel (ie the first comment to the log)
i
It had been hours since the kitchen had been decorated in anticipation of father's birthday and he still wasn't home from work. Donna and Victor were sitting on the sofa entertaining themselves with some small game, and you could hear mother in the kitchen again. She'd ben doing that the last hour, flitting from the kitchen to the living room and back again with a restless sort of energy. You look from where you'd been settled hearing the latch turn on the kitchen door, sharing a glance with your brother and sister before all three of you went running for the room as mother was lighting the candles on the cake.
"Don't bother." His rough voice cut through the excited air, and you felt your mother's hand settle on your shoulder, Donna and Victor stopping short with you.
"But the children worked so hard on this!" Even at her plea, the scowl on his face only deepened as he took in the decorations that had been carefully put up, disapproval practically radiating off of him in a way that had Victor shrinking back against Donna's arm next to you.
"Then they've wasted their valuable time! Life is too short to be squandered on such foolishness!" Hat and coat on the rack by the door, he was already stalking through the kitchen, jabbing an almost accusatory finger at his wife, as if she was to blame for such a heinous crime on his way into the living room. "Where is the profit in a birthday party?"
All of you start at the sound of the door slamming when he retreats to his study, and a glance to your sister shows tears starting to streak her face, and a quiet snuffle from Victor hints that he's not faring much better. Your own face is dry, but you can feel a cold knot of emotion like lead in your gut, especially at the resigned sigh that you catch from mother, as she strokes Donna's hair in an attempt to be reassuring.
"Don't cry children... your father appreciates all your efforts," You can hear it in her voice that she's only lying to save your feelings, to try and smooth over hurt feelings, and that knot of emotion just gets heavier and colder, bitter and harsh. "Really he does..."
"Does he, mother?" Your voice is a little sharper than you intend, and you feel her hand on your shoulder flinch at the tone. the reaction draws conflicted emotions from you, glad to see some reaction other than acceptance and trying to mask the issue, but guilt at snapping at your mother like that. "Sometimes I wonder."
She calls after you when you tug free of her grasp and storm off to your room, but she can't follow yet, not with Donna and Victor both in need of reassurance as well.
ii
It was a strangely nice day. Rolling green fields surrounding a pituresque sort of farmhouse, and the kind of cloudless blue sky that drove most children to play outside, just like the ones behind the house, a small dark-haired boy sitting in the grass watching an older boy standing on a cloth-covered picnic table, holding up a second tablecloth in both hands like a matador's cape. Clearly siblings despite the age difference, the older of the pair wiggling the cloth in a way he clearly thought made the whole thing look more 'mysterious'.
"And look now as I make my assistant disappear!" On the last word the boy dropped the cloth to show nothing behind it, waving a hand to the empty space with a beaming, pleased smile.
The smaller boy however was clearly not pleased with this development, face scrunching as if he wasn't sure if he should start howling his displeasure or not. "Donna?"
"Patience dear audience, I-"
"I want Donna!"
Whatever the boy on the table was going to say was cut off by the sound of giggles from underneath, which just prompted his 'audience' to reach out and... lift the tablecloth to reveal a brunette girl badly stifling laughter behind her hands.
"Honestly, you're the worst assistant!" The older boy huffed, watching her crawling out from under the table.
"Victor liked it better than your act, Stephen!"
"He's five, that- hey get back here!" As the two on the ground took off, the girl shrieking you're it as they did, the boy on the table leapt off to go running after, all three disappearing around the side of the house, laughter echoing in their wake.
iii
You can hear it long before you see it. The rasp of it's heavy wings unfurling in the darkness of the room, the rattle of breath that stirred the blankets you were huddled under as if it could protect you. Mere days before it might have made you feel better, but then you'd gotten a good look at what really went bump in the night and none of the silly childish rituals gave any comfort. All you could do was tuck into the corner by the bed, make yourself as small a target as possible. Maybe it wouldn't look. Maybe it would go away. Even as you hoped you knew it wouldn't. It was toying with you just like it had every other night.
The noises shifted closer, and the urge to shout for your mother for help bubbles up but you stamp it down with difficulty. The creature always vanished when she came to check on you, and it always ran the risk of your father waking too.
All there was left was to wait. Listen to it moving-
Until the blast of breath, hot and stinking of sulfur even through the barrier of a blanket had you biting back a whimper of terror behind a hand. Clearly it had found you, and it was mere seconds later that the blanket was ripped away, and your vision is filled with the thing, a hulking purple monstrosity all claws and shining teeth that just set your stomach to knots as you press yourself back in the corner as if willing yourself to be swallowed up by the wall.
Biting your lip to keep from screaming when you hear the the heavy slide of another's movement, tail moving over the carpet.
It was... going to be a long night.
[ooc: If you would like a character-specific memory feel free to let me know and I'll set up a starter for you!]
no subject
Stephen, what the fuck is your life?
no subject
Weird as hell.