[at this point, wanda has stopped taking notice of henry's more unexpected responses to circumstances. he's oddly pleasant about what โ they're feeling, but she can't really fault him; for herself, as unpleasant as it feels, similar in some ways to the way the darkhold had ensnared her with its dark magic, there is still that familiarity, that odd sense of... not quite comfort, but a refracted kind of longing.
curiosity, mainly.]
Feeding on the fear and troubles of the people here, no doubt. [hush out their joy and hopes and dreams, transform it into something awful.] It's odd. Rowan said there was a disturbance in the woods, then whyโ?
[why would they be feeling this in town, in its people, faintly so, leading them in a specific pathโfor surely the two of them are following its trail down this gravelly road.
before walking towards a more open space in the town, wanda stops, turns to henry. there's a group of people milling about the general market area, going about their business. she and henry are mostly shrouded in the shade of one such stall, the sun high in the sky.
she scans the space with her eyesโuntil she locks eye contact with someone. red in her irises like a storm, as she tilts her head to the side, unblinking, getting a read of them. her voice echoes in the mind of the individual, loud enough for henry to hear, too.]
What are you afraid of?
[the answer is a little less confident; timid, almost.]
The Gods have abandoned the Ravn family.
[at wanda's question, eerily, everyone else in the market area raise their armsโ]
Where?
[โpoint at the same path winding further down, towards a series of neighboring houses. and then the clamor begins, in wanda and henry's heads. accusations of being cursed, then complaints, desperate, about how it's affected them. they cannot sleep. their food goes bad. anyone who speaks to the child becomes ill. it grows in volume, louder and louderโ
and then wanda draws back, pulling away from her connection amongst the people here. from one mind she anchored onto a dozen without so much as a flick of her wrist; telepathy and magic working in tandem. and just like that, they continue about their business, unperturbed, unaware of the two guests they had in their minds for a brief moment.
she starts walking in the direction they pointed.]
no subject
curiosity, mainly.]
Feeding on the fear and troubles of the people here, no doubt. [hush out their joy and hopes and dreams, transform it into something awful.] It's odd. Rowan said there was a disturbance in the woods, then whyโ?
[why would they be feeling this in town, in its people, faintly so, leading them in a specific pathโfor surely the two of them are following its trail down this gravelly road.
before walking towards a more open space in the town, wanda stops, turns to henry. there's a group of people milling about the general market area, going about their business. she and henry are mostly shrouded in the shade of one such stall, the sun high in the sky.
she scans the space with her eyesโuntil she locks eye contact with someone. red in her irises like a storm, as she tilts her head to the side, unblinking, getting a read of them. her voice echoes in the mind of the individual, loud enough for henry to hear, too.]
[the answer is a little less confident; timid, almost.]
[at wanda's question, eerily, everyone else in the market area raise their armsโ]
[โpoint at the same path winding further down, towards a series of neighboring houses. and then the clamor begins, in wanda and henry's heads. accusations of being cursed, then complaints, desperate, about how it's affected them. they cannot sleep. their food goes bad. anyone who speaks to the child becomes ill. it grows in volume, louder and louderโ
and then wanda draws back, pulling away from her connection amongst the people here. from one mind she anchored onto a dozen without so much as a flick of her wrist; telepathy and magic working in tandem. and just like that, they continue about their business, unperturbed, unaware of the two guests they had in their minds for a brief moment.
she starts walking in the direction they pointed.]
Shall we?