asgardeventide | second spell ✰ video/text, action to odin house

( People have probably had enough of being woken up in the middle of the night, so if your bracelet is safely off, you won't notice a strange message coming through. It almost sounds like someone is rubbing a blanket up against their microphone; the video feed shows a pitch dark room, moving every now and then ... almost as if someone is thrashing around a bit in bed. Because that's exactly what is happening right now. Every now and then the strange static is punctuated by feverish murmuring.

Hermione Granger is having a nightmare. )

No.. Not Harry, I swear I'll be good, I promise..

( Her voice is low, begging, pleading, whispered. You wouldn't catch it unless you turned up your volume to try and discern what the strange muttering was. )

I did everything right, I swear; I just forgot .. please, don't .. it's not .. I won't --

( More thrashing. The video feed is obscured as the whispering reaches a crescendo and then --

A muffled scream. If you're in Odin house, you probably heard it, especially if you room nearby. If not, it's a little alarming as the video feed cuts out just as Hermione finds the lightswitch and floods her bedroom with light.

About twenty minutes later, there is a text post for the morning. )

Does anyone know if it's possible to brew sleeping potions here?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No, I wasn't sleeping, don't worry about it.

Oh? It's rather late, John.

I've noticed.

( Is that .. a small smile? )

So, what's your excuse?

[ Shrug. ]

Thinking?

( You aren't getting off that easily! )

About?

[ Yeah, of course not. ]

About this place.

[ And every trouble it brings. Sherlock, especially. ]

What to do. What not to do.

Come to any grand conclusions?

Well, I have a job. That's always something.

Oh? What is it that you do?

I'm a doctor.

Of medicine? ( She sounds excited! )

Really? How is that? Do you like it? I mean, obviously you like it, but...

Yeah, obviously. It's...

[ Shrug. ]

It's my life.

What sort of doctor are you?

Army doctor. Ex-army doctor.

Oh.

( She's quiet for a long time. Then: )

This might not be tactful but. Were you ever in a war?

No, that's all right, I was, yeah. I got sent home only a couple of years ago.

( BURSTING with questions. Instead she just rocks a bit on her bed, twirling a lock of bushy hair between her fingers. )

How do you.. that is.. ( No. Too personal. ) I'm glad you're safe. ( Er, that's a little weird, too. But let's go with that. )

[ A little, but it makes him smile. ]

Thanks.

You can ask if you want to, you know. I might not answer, but you can.

( She's considering it, though it's not .. him. It's more her. Can she ask for help? Is it ok? Does it mean admitting that something is wrong if she does? )

How .. do you go back to living a normal life? After something like that, I mean. That was all I was wondering.

( Baby steps, Hermione. )

[ Ah...

He was worried about getting a question like that. ]

I'm not really the right person to ask that question.

[ Because his life isn't normal. ]

Therapy? It didn't work for me, but.

[ Shrug. ]

( Hermione nibbled on her thumb nervously, considering it. Therapy. She couldn't .. exactly do that. Even going in public was difficult now, as a high profile person. Finding a therapist who would actually keep to the bonds of confidentiality .. unlikely. Not to mention any Muggle therapist would never be able to understand. )

I see. But you're still .. moving? Doing things?

( Read: You didn't run off to another country. )

Yeah, I am. Couldn't stand it if I didn't.

[ But his moving and doing things is probably more extreme than most. ]

I .. understand.

( Staying frantically moving in one direction; it seemed like the only thing that would keep her together back home. And here... ? What was there here? )

I'm sorry to pry.

[ He shrugs, shakes his head. ]

I let you.

video.

charmandchant - 2013-03-31 11:48 (UTC) - Expand

hadbadays - 2013-04-01 12:19 (UTC) - Expand