008 || Backdated to Friday the 13th because fashionably late is where it's at

[common_name]

[When the outside world is gone, what are you left with? When its distractions are nothing but a distant memory, when your senses work a desperate overtime in a futile attempt to fill in the void, what stays? In an unpredictable reality, one that can change or be snuffed out at the drop of a hat, what can be considered a constant?

There's only one thing, what may be the most horrifying above all else to be left alone with, to have no choice but to face. Yourself.

With the lights out, with whispers constantly present in the back of her mind, with suspicions that may or may not be ungrounded gently tugging at her, just the right amount, it's hard for Julia to tell what's real. Maybe she's never really able to tell for certain, but on this day, it's enough to be more than unsettling.

No matter what she does, no matter where she goes, there's always a feeling that there's something just two steps behind her, watching, waiting to make the right move. Images, ones that were just flickers at first, disappearing when she blinked, but had over time become clearer, more lifelike. Her eyes are lying to her. Everything is lying to her. It has to...--

Nevertheless, she's now found herself in the second floor corridor, gun in hand, having set out to search for something. Something that's not really there, but that she can't stop herself from searching for all the same. At the moment the journal chooses to pick up some of this scene, she's taken a pause, her breath coming out in short gasps. Her steady grip on that gun begins to shake.]

It's over. [Her voice is about as steady as her grip; wavering in its best attempts to be firm. For anyone that would happen to also be in the area, it's not clear who or what she's actually talking to. Maybe she's trying to convince herself, make one last attempt to rationalize her way through whatever is going through her mind.] It's over.


[[OOC: Completely wide open :) Journal, hallway, whatever you want!]]

Comments

[spongetastic]

Julia...? You okay?

[common_name]

[A voice. Someone...? Where...?

She takes a breath in an attempt to steady herself again, but when she speaks, there's still a touch of uncertainty in her voice. For a woman that's normally so calm, so untouchable, something is starting to get to her. Whatever this is in her head.]

Peter? [She has to check.]

[spongetastic]

It's me. Are you okay? Do you need help?

[common_name]

[Okay. Something had answered her back. A small relief. That's about the best evidence she has right now that she's not going completely crazy. Even if she's still questioning. Best to go about this cautiously.

Nevertheless, her grip on the gun in her hand tightens. Not as if she's going to try to use it; as if she's trying to find something else that's tangible.]

I'm fine.

[spongetastic]

Okay. [but he will worry anyway]

[common_name]

[A long moment of silence. Her thoughts are drifting back and forth, from non-reality to reality and back again. There are things occupying her attention. Whispers. Hints. Taunts. It's difficult to focus on anything from one moment to the next, no matter how hard she's trying to pull herself back.

Another breath.]

It's nothing. [If anything, it sounds like she's trying to convince herself.]

[spongetastic]

Okay. [will keep his journal open just in case]

[gottaknockhard]

[It's fair to say that Spike has been looking for her since this whole thing started. All the awkward situations and failure to save her from just about everything they've come across aside, he's not willing to risk the chance of her being alone when something big goes down. Because really, you never know when that will happen.

Thankfully, after deciding to check her room, he hears her voice from down the hall. Not enough to catch what she's saying, but enough to know it's her.

He approaches maybe a little too eagerly, sounding tentatively relieved.]

Julia.

[common_name]

[There's no reassurance in this. No relief.

When she hears that approach, it only feeds off of her paranoia. She'd had the distinct sense of someone being there, and now she's had auditory confirmation. She freezes. Her blood runs cold.

Somewhere in there, the sound of that familiar voice does register, but she can't take it at face value. She can't trust anything her mind tells her. Can't--

She turns, and as she does, instinct takes over. There's almost a complete disconnect between her mind and her body as the gun in her hand is raised, pointing straight at him.]

[gottaknockhard]

[Spike doesn't slow down until he's close enough to feel that something is off, even if he can't quite make her out in the dark. She's afraid. Understandably, but he can't be so sure she isn't under the influence of ... whatever this is.

Suddenly the concern comes back, and he chooses his words carefully.]

Hey. It's me.

[common_name]

[Even that careful choice of words only taunts her.

Because something doesn't quite match up. In the darkness, she swears she sees something. Equally familiar, but not in the way she wants it to be. It's the vaguest traces of an outline, a tall, thin figure, the tip of a sword hanging around by the coattails when she blinks again.

A quick, desperate shake of the head is of no use. It's still there.

There's no sound, much less any response from her at all. Nothing but the cold click of the hammer being thumbed back.]

[gottaknockhard]

[That sounds practically unmistakable, and somehow it seems to echo in the small hallway -- yet he doesn't quite believe it. How many times does she have to try and kill him before he takes the hint? Or maybe the castle finally figured out the quickest way to get to him. It's hard to tell either way, but he never was that bright.

One more time. He stays where he is, masked in shadows, and says her name again.]

Julia. [If he can just get her talking...] I'm not going anywhere.

[common_name]

[Just as quickly as it appeared, it's gone. Another blink, and all her eyes see is total darkness. It wasn't real, it was never real. On some remote level of consciousness, it registers that Spike's voice is coming from somewhere nearby. It's faint, quiet, and she can't make out any actual words apart from her name, but it's enough to put her somewhat at ease. At least to steady her hands and venture a sanity check.]

Spike--?

[She'd been just about ready to lower her gun when something intrudes on her newly-found calm and that question falls dead on her lips. A set of footsteps. A rustle of feathers. A gentle swish of coattails. They only become louder, clearer by the second. With a sharp intake of breath, she turns, almost wildly, trying (futilely) to scan the surroundings for any sort of visual confirmation.]

[elementoflol]

[And of course, when someone is losing touch with reality, the thing they most want to see is...

...a pink pony go flying past on rollerskates, waving one wheeled hoof at Julia as she goes past.]

WHEEE~

[common_name]

[She catches something out of the corner of her eye, some weird outline in the darkness, and she stops. Turns.

Was that a... hoof...?

... Yeah, that's a real help for her grip on reality at the moment.]

[elementoflol]

[She comes spinning back towards Julia, an expert on the skates.]

Hellooooooo!

[common_name]

[Weird. She's never heard that voice before. And it's not going away, no matter how many times she tries to shut her eyes to it. Maybe it's worth a check. She lets out a breath.]

Is someone--?

[elementoflol]

I'm Pinkie Pie.

[She skids to a stop in front of Julia, beaming up at the human woman happily.]

[common_name]

[Squinting into the darkness, there's definitely something there. Maybe some proof that that voice isn't disembodied? That would be slightly encouraging, if anything. Enough to begin to ease her mind.

But, she'd swear that the outline of that form the voice is coming from is something not quite human.....

Just pardon her while she stares. She's not quite sure what to do with any of this at the moment.]

[ectobabble]

[and Ray comes around the corner in his full ghostbusting gear, perfectly ready for any of the nasties his PKE meter keeps telling him MUST be around somewhere]

... Julia? Hey, you alright?

sob, I am so sorry, Ray

[common_name]

[Here's the one problem of being in the darkness, especially on a day like this. Things appear to be much different than they are.

Unfortunately, when Julia's eyes happen to catch sight of that gear and that's all she focuses on, it seems like something a lot more sinister. Like something that's clearly after her. Something she has to defend herself from at all costs.

There's a sharp (very audible) intake of breath, and a gun that's raised. For the moment, that's all.]

[ectobabble]

[he holds up his hands, eyes wide]

Whoa, hey, Julia! Calm down! It's me! You know -- Ray?!

[common_name]

[It's a bit of a delayed reaction on her part. Like she's trying to put some pieces together, but they're not immediately fitting. There's too much going through her mind, too much coming at her, too much reality and unreality to sort out. It's difficult to parse her own actions from one moment to the next, much less reach back into memory...--

... But, tentatively, the gun comes down after a moment.]

Ray? [Said just as tentatively. As if she's not 100% convinced she knows what he's talking about.]

[ectobabble]

Yeah. [he nods, trying to be as reassuring as possible] Yeah, it's me. It's okay.

[common_name]

[That seems to work, at least for the moment. It may not be much of a reassurance, but it is a small one. She exhales, and the hand that has a hold of her gun quietly drops to her side.]

I thought--

[She lets that thought trail off.]