Emberwood [m] Oh Ophelia, you've been on my mind, girl, since the flood

Mature Content Warning

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: References to (believed) attempted sexual assault, themes of incest

Reverie took a deep breath as she stood several yards away from the place where she knew she would find her brother, lingering. @Carnelian flanked her; he'd agreed to accompany her. @Everett was surely harmless in his current state, but — still. She did not feel entirely safe being alone with him.

Slowly she made her approach, head lowered slightly with a guarded gaze as she crept closer. Her heart ached at the sight of him — but there was fear, too, and it was so strange. She'd never been afraid of Everett before. Yet the fur along her spine lifted almost imperceptibly as she neared.

Her heat had largely faded from her; only remnants of it lingered in her scent. All the same she kept her distance.

Everett, She greeted quietly, studying him. Would he apologize? Defend himself?

Attack her again?

Cameo, unless directly addressed. PP of his presence and neutral attitude, though more inclined to be protective of females over males.

The yearling wasn’t entirely sure why he was needed, but Reverie had asked for him to stand by her side, his presence meaning something to her comfort. He had agreed, of course, anything to be of assistance. He was not as familiar with Everett as he was with Reverie, but not quite as much as he was with Tybault. 

He stood there at her side, silent and watchful. It seemed to be a meeting between siblings, his Aunt and Uncle, but there was so much tension between the two it was nearly palpable, his own comfort mildly rattled.

She called his name, and he wished he could sink into the earth. To have her see him like this! To hear of what he'd done! But she already knew, surely, and she was here for what he had done - surely here, for the deeper evil he had done to her, against the entire pack.

In hurting himself, he had sinned against the pack. In hurting Reverie, he had sinned against her. In hurting all, he had sinned against the Singer Himself.

Everett knew He had forgiven him the moment he'd cried out and turned his heart against what he had done - the ugly, the cruel. But forgiveness did not negate the consequence of what his actions wrought.

He would seek forgiveness from those he had wounded, find restoration where they would let him, and face every consequence like the man the Singer still taught him to be.

So when she came, he did not run. He listed his eyes to her and met her face for a moment, though soon he shied his glance away.

Reverie, he said, and the words crashed through him. Where streams of sentences usually came, there was only a repeated confession. I hurt you, he said softly, I hurt you, and everyone.

It didn't matter that he had felt his parents against him, too, when she had snapped at his face, that his exhaustion prevented him from thinking before reacting. Reasons were reasons, but he'd still done what he'd done. He still bore the blame.

I'm so, so sorry.

Those four words were the base of a mountain, with heights to scale. He had fallen so far. Would she let him unpack the rocks that had fallen across the path to the top? Would she trust him enough to share her side, and clear them, too, so they could both stand on the heights again?

He hoped so. He doubted. He looked to get again.

I just -

Her voice spilled from her against her own will, cracking, shivering,

I just want to know why.

The question she could not answer. Had she led him on? Was it the way she sometimes pressed against him in the night? His role in her children's lives? The role he held beside her? She felt sick.

I - I love you, Everett, but you - you're my brother. You were -

You were my safe place.

And now you aren't.

Her eyes burned with tears. Why would you ever think I would want that? With you? Grief burned, she thought. It burned so much like anger, until it could become nothing else and the words turned to venom pouring from her; Or - or maybe it wasn't that. Maybe you're just - just like Tybault. Like Atlas. Like dad. You all think - you think you own me and you don't. You never did, so just - just stop trying to control me -

She cut herself off as the words dissolved into halting tears. You don't own me, Reverie repeated, voice scarcely more than a whisper. No, she'd never belonged to The Gilded Sea as the others did. Reverie had always been far too stubborn for that; she chose her own fate, forged it in fire if she had to, and she would never give that up. Not for anyone.

This was not what she chose.

Confusion riddled his face. Want her? Want what?

She didn't need to spell it out for Everett to know, and suddenly, the realization came crashing down. Why she had snapped at him. Why she had run. What she had thought when he'd --

Oh.

Oh no.

His eyes widened as horror set in.

I've never - oh, goodness - oh, Reverie - no!
Everett's head spun and he leaned back, feeling nauseous himself.

I didn't come -- I never wanted -- Reverie, you're my sister.

Yet she had thought -- ! Why? What? But he knew - he knew - though he had never done anything like that to her before, he knew this who had. 

I don't think I own you, he said, and I never want to control you, even if I could. I'd rather die. Reverie -- when I came to you - I just needed to talk with you - about Reina, Tybault - and when you struck me without words -- it remained inexcusable, -- I needed you to listen -- to stay -- and i was angry and tired and frustrated, and it's no excise -- and I shouldn't have hit you -- I was so wrong -- but I never meant -- I never wanted to -- oh, Reverie, he shook his head, as though trying to rid his mind of the very thought of what she implied, not that!

The fur along her spine lifted all at once. She took a step back. He was lying. He was lying to her. Something in her whispered that it was the truth, but that voice was lost beneath the wrongness of it all. They shouldn't even be having this conversation, she thought.

Why was she even here?

Reverie shook her head, taking another step back. How - how am I supposed to believe that? I was - I was in heat, Everett, I - I tried to leave, I tried to warn you. I need - I need - space. I need time. I can't - I can't even look at you right now.

I can't do this right now.

She took several more steps back, glancing once at Carnelian before she finally turned to flee. Everett would heal more quickly without her around to stress him out, anyway. Later Reverie would give @Peridot herbs and instructions to care for her brother — but she would not come back to see him again. Not for some time.