Inbox for Deer Country

[justoscar]

Sorry you missed me! I'll get back to you soon!

Comments

un: trienemybest; text - 3am early september

[droptheious]

While we sleep our brains make stories that scare us.

un: diggs

[justoscar]

You're wrong.

My brain doesn't tell me anything while sleeping since we got here. It's hard going to sleep too.

[A beat passes-- and Oscar quickly taps back another response.]

If I start eating chipmunks whole and coughing up their skeletons, I guess that just means I'm really becoming an owl.

[droptheious]

[ The anxiety spikes keeping Varian from sleeping and prompting all this nonsense sure doesn't ease at all on hearing that- but it does give him something to focus on that's more important than inane bullshit that comes randomly into his head in the wee small hours.]

Wait, you're not dreaming? Like... at all?

...

Oscar this is a weird place and I know you can turn into a bird so now I really have to ask if you're being flippant or if you've actually been eating chipmunks whole.

Telepathy | Early September

[ghostharasser]

[Sometime early in the month, while Oscar is likely minding his own business, a blood curdling scream suddenly tears into his mind.]

[justoscar]

[Oscar had been trying-- and failing-- to catch some sleep in the afternoon. The fatigue of their travel through the tides, multiple days of a dreamless, fitful sleep, and the fall out he had been putting off since the Dream started to fracture was catching up with him.

There was little choice but to at least try.

--Until the scream, felt more than heard, sent him flying out of his bed and onto the floor in an ungainly heap of tangled blankets and limbs that felt like jelly.

His heart pounded in his ears. Adrenaline surged while he fought for clarity and recognition. He knew that voice-- he felt that overwhelming terror that threatened to sink him into the ground.

Scrambling, Oscar reached out in the way he knew how to with Oz, with Fox-- for the only other person he knew to try with.]

Dipper? Dipper, what's happening?

Talk to me!

[ghostharasser]

[Oscar's reach connects with something, but it's not what he hopes it is. He meets a wall of rushing water, something solid and chaotic that just won't let Oscar through.]

[And then, after several moments of him trying, the connection will go dead silent.]

flower stuff

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's always nice to get out and about on beautiful days. Some of the residents of Trench have been burying items in the ground as part of a ritual, one that he feels no need to participate in- so he's decided instead to get a breath of fresh air. Maybe he'll see someone he knows and stick his nose where it doesn't belong, as usual.

Today he's chosen to wander about in Gaze, and he finally comes upon a mansion in red and blue flowers. Outside, he sees a figure. Strolling up, he quickly recognizes Oscar.]

Well, well! I wasn't expecting to find you here, Oscar.

[justoscar]

Oh. Hey, Childe!

[Despite the obvious fatigue in his stance and under his eyes, Oscar beamed at the sight of a friend. Shovel in hand, he had been busy digging out in the gardens-- the pile of clothes folded neatly nearby suggested that someone else had heard about the rituals as well.

Setting the shovel aside, Oscar trotted over to greet his friend.]

Yeah. The house is not my style, but a lot of my friends are here. Our houses kinda got destroyed around the same time, so we decided to just... stay together until we figured out what to do.

But... this seems to be working for us! I don't think we'll be changing it any time soon.

[monoceroscaeli]

Hahaha, it's as fine a house as any. Beautiful too, if I might add.

[He gestures towards the shovel, assuming that Oscar was doing what everyone else in town was doing as well.]

Are you also working on burying your past? The people of the city have really taken to this ritual.

text; username: grollschwert

[hauntedsavior]

The gardener still isn't ready.
But she thinks you probably already saw through the bullshit.

text; username: diggs

[justoscar]

[The message earned a smile-- this was quite the pleasant surprise.]

I knew it was someone I had just met recently, someone who wasn't from the Dream. I just didn't know who.

Anna. You don't need to push if you don't want to.

[hauntedsavior]

I don't think I want to yet, but it would've been really stupid to be here pretending it wasn't me.
Was it too obvious?
I've never done a public eulogy before. Especially for people who nobody else knows.

text; un: ushiromiya (first half of october)

[entreats]

Oscar, are you somewhere around the house right now? I wanted to ask you something, but I figured I might as well come do it in person.

text; un: diggs

[justoscar]

Ange.

I'm downstairs in the library, just looking for some reading. What's going on?

Action; Backdated to Christmas

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul's fiendish delight in the holiday means he's once again broken into people's houses and used all the stealth he possesses to leave those he likes a gift or two. Sometimes, he even goes right down the chimney like a demented version of Santa Claus. He leaves Oscar some fancy steel-toed boots as his present and a short note.]

Merry Christmas, Oscar. Though you are small, you might be able to use these to kick something large and nasty that corners you.

Text

[justoscar]

[He's touched, truly. It means a lot to be given a set of stomping boots by someone who initially perceived him as harmless, and yet came to recognize and respect those teeth he had as soon as they were visible. However, there was an additonal problem here that he had to address--

about Boundaries.]

Maul,

Thanks so much! I forgot that Christmas was like this. It's not a holiday that we celebrate on Remnant, like a lot of Earth holidays, so it just wasn't on my mind.

I've been in the market for a new set of boots, too. These will definitely come in handy.

But, I have to ask:

How did you even get in without anyone noticing?

text | un: younghuman

[terriblepurpose]

Hello, Oscar. It's Paul Atreides.

How are you? How is your household?

text

[justoscar]

[Anyone near Oscar at the time of receiving this message would notice a near audible record-scratch as his mental processing crashed into a veritable brick wall. He clicked his tongue and sucked in a breath-- as if asking himself how was the household?

His expression morphed from surprise to frustration to irritation before finally settling on done.]

We're not currently on fire, but that doesn't mean anything right now.

Accidental Video; un: darkness cw: child abuse mental and physical

[survivalthroughhate]

[[Maul is about ten years old and training with Sidious using lightsabers. Not a practice one as the Jedi might do for a boy his age but actual ones. Despite his youth, Maul is clearly experienced with the weapon, and while Sidious is going hard against him he is holding his own. Eventually, his master calls an end to the session. 'Do you think you have learned the value of endurance and obedience?'

Maul nods, speaking very quietly, not quite meeting his adoptive father's eyes. 'Yes, my master.' Maul always strives to learn his lessons quickly, for when he doesn't it means pain, oftentimes going hungry and cold as well.

'Good. But I know of a way to make the lesson stick in your mind for good. Pain is a better teacher than I. Now listen closely.' A knife appears in Sidious' hands and flashes out towards Maul without warning. Not expecting the sudden attack, he staggers back, shocked at the fact his master stabbed him right below the ribs. One hand presses against his left side as he begins to bleed and he nearly collapses, barely staying up because he knows that his master will punish him harder if he shows any signs of weakness.

'There is some bacta patches over there,' Sidious says, gesturing towards some shelves on the edge of the room. Maul starts to make the slow, painful journey over to them when Sidious suddenly calls out. 'Stop.'

Maul does as he's told even if every fiber within him is telling him to move towards the patches which can heal his wound. He stops, obediently waiting for further directions from his master. 'Sit down. I want you to meditate until you lose yourself in the Dark Side so that your injury no longer matters. Only then can you get up and get the bacta. If you move before then, you will be punished. Do you understand?'

'Yes, master,' Maul says softly. He gives one last longing look at where the healing bandages are sitting on top of one of the shelves before he sits down in a cross-legged position and closes his eyes, trying to meditate despite the fact he's still bleeding from the injury to his side. The blood flows slowly and oozes out, staining his dark tunic and dripping onto the floor as he attempts to obey his master's command. Desperate as he is to heal himself, Maul would rather pass out from blood loss or just die before disobeying his master and risking further punishment.]

video | un: diggs

[justoscar]

[His heart felt like ice in his chest as the video finally came to a close. Witnessing someone else's personal horrors were not something Oscar had planned on waking up to-- but, Trench rarely gave anyone a say in these matters. Once again, he was smacked in the face with how little he understood about Maul. His decision to leave matters regarding his behavior up to those others from the same universe once more seemed like a wise one.

...And yet, he kept having dilemmas involving Maul come to his attention.

Sighing to himself, he opened communications. If this was sent to him, surely more horrific matters were being sent to other, less suspecting people.]

Hey, Maul?

[He began, with the innocence of a teenager and the weariness of someone who understood how the world worked weighing on his shoulders. Oscar looked sleepy, with his hair disarrayed in a manner that looked like he had just awoken from sleep.]

You might want to check your settings on your device. It sent me a video you probably didn't want out there.

[Quickly he double checked their feed, just to be safe.]

Looks like this one was just to me. Still, it's good to be careful.

Accidental Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

[It shows Maul in his yard. There's two Pokémon with him, a Shuppet and a Mankey. Maul is talking with both of them.]

Alright, so I'm going to show you pictures of people that usually come here again. You are not to attack them, alright?

[There's Pokéspeak from both of them as they acknowledge Maul. He seems to understand them well enough and addresses the Mankey's screeches.]

No, Cranky, you cannot attack people simply because you dislike them. I'm not allowed to do that anymore and so you can't do so either.

[There's a 'Hmph!' from the Mankey and he folds his arms, looking disapprovingly at his owner.]

Now let us begin...

video | un: justafarmlad

[justoscar]

[This was... unexpected. For the moment Oscar is content to just watch, glad for a little reprieve from at least some chaos in his life. It was the little things that mattered-- like the pile of leaves he was currently sitting in just outside of Vyng's farm, and a warrior notorious for having anger issues teaching his small friends the patience he was trying so hard to learn.

After a moment, Oscar finally spoke up.]

...I'm proud of you. You're doing a great job with this, Maul.

Holiday gift delivery

[wannasmash]

Midoriya knows Oscar stress bakes likes pastries, so he leaves him a gift at Clockhouse. By now, due to his habit of surprising friends who are feeling down with pastries, Midoriya has gotten good at meticulously sourcing a nice bakery. Carefully wrapped in a gift basket is a variety of seasonal pastries and a note with well wishes for the new year.

Gift Delivery - December 25th

[survivalthroughhate]

[This year, Maul had decided to behave himself when it came to giving gifts, unlike in years past where he broke into people's houses rather like Santa himself did. All gifts are left on the porch or front step of the recipient's home for them to find in the morning.

This year, Maul had gotten something a little different for Oscar. It was a hidden knife necklace, something he felt fit the young boy well, given his unassuming appearance outside and the far sharper mind he carried around within. Accompanying it was a note in blocky handwriting wishing his young friend a Merry Christmas signed from Darth Maul.]

Midwinter Gift

[terriblepurpose]

Oscar’s gift arrives at his new doorstep in a woven grass basket, which is filled with a stack of books of fables from a variety of different worlds, each of them featuring intermittent illustrations of their subjects. Tucked around the books are a new pair of insulated pot holders and a tea cosy - and on top of the tea cosy, a tiny, bright silver pin in the shape of a metal shield sits.