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β π π¨ π§ π π π π
NOTE: I am forever backtag friendly and absolutely open to doing things from past events that won't really have an effect on things at any given time. For example, if you'd like to do something with Peter aged down or when he was his spider dream guide, etc.
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...Even when it happens, the strange feeling and the strange thought-sounds in his head, ones that don't belong to him. He just can't be afraid, the way he normally would be. Not when Luna's with him. Not when her fingers are entwined in his. He keeps her safe, but she keeps him just as safe.
He watches her listen, watches her think β because he knows by now the way her eyes get when she's thinking. They might look lost with the wide openness of them, fogged-over moons, but she's somewhere deep and thoughtful, and he stays quiet, waiting.
He doesn't know what she hears. It's somewhere inside him that he can't reach β hidden away deeply. Paimon doesn't communicate with him much, doesn't want to. The demon keeps a mental distance between them, with occasional sounds and hums and whispers leaking through; Peter's heard the clucks before, echoing like his sister's ghost in his mind. But not the way that Luna will hear it. ...Intentional. Purposeful. Paimon feels her there and is warmed by her sudden, strange presence. Soft white fingers gently reaching inwards to the blackness he stays in, and he's surprised by it, surprised and happy and reaching back out to her.
They do both hear Luna's mental "cluck" β quiet, like the after-ripples of a stone cast onto the water, a reflection of what's in Peter. Paimon's excited surprise surges, swelling fast β she knows he's here; she spoke back to him β but Peter doesn't understand the exchange. He simply blinks, lids fluttering slightly, but not yet piecing together that the sound came from her; he thinks it's just another one of his own mental sounds, and he tries to ignore it. Peter... knows what's inside him, even if not the exactness of it or what it needs. He knows by now that it's alive, even knows what it's supposed to be called. Demon. He remembers feeling it in louder forms on the ship, remembers being constantly aware of its Hellfire. It's quieter now, a gentle murkiness that blends into him rather than fights him. Maybe it's tired. Maybe it's at ease.
He has to tell her. He has to tell anyone that he cares so deeply for. But he... can't, now. It's too much, and he has to be careful, and he'll need Ben to help him with... the form of that, and... he's afraid. He's very, very afraid in ways he hasn't even been able to touch on at all, refuses to. Sometime. For now, they have to just survive this place, and for now he has to help Luna, who's still so sick and frail.
'The curse'.
He cocks his head slightly, eyes widening β those were actual words this time. What.. Where...?
'I think that's you. I can hear you.' ]
...Me?
[ It takes him longer than her to figure it out, and he blinks glossily, but follows along with her suggestion. After considering it for a moment, he's thinking something quietly but clearly: ]
I'm really hungry.
[ ...A simple message...but one that has weight; hunger is a constant state in this place. He feels a little bit silly, though, ducking his head slightly just after the thought, a little grin splitting his expression as his hand simultaneously gives hers almost a subconscious squeeze. Whatever this is, it isn't bad. Just strange. ]
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She knows something is inside of Peter; knows something lurks in there, has looked at her and tried to reach for her before. But she has no idea of what it is, really β what kind of magic presence it truly is.
Now is not the time to go throwing herself into it, not when she's not sure what's going on between the two of them β how they can hear one another. Care... is needed. She isn't the steadfast and impulsive makings of a Gryffindor, after all. Her house favours caution in the face of new knowledge.
Her attention focuses back onto Peter, onto working out this strange communication between them. She watches him carefully as he considers for a moment and her eyes widen when his voice clearly rings inside of her mind β not quite as if he'd spoken aloud, more... intimate than that, somehow. Like a secret.
But she can't help but smile a little at him, making soft sounds of mirth at the words she hears. It's... a little silly, yes. But it works. She'd heard him. ]
I'm really hungry, too. [ At least she has her appetite back these days, as small as it is. She barely ate at all in her first week back from death.
Is this... some kind of Legilimency, though? It's the only word she knows for it, to look into another's mind. But it seemsβ seems shared. As if they both are Legilimens. Luna finds herself quite at ease with that wondering, inhaling and exhaling softly. Silently, she leans into him, resting easily against him β settling herself more comfortably. He's warm, the fabric of his rich clothing from the ship soft against her cheek. Itβ it feels safe.
She swallows slightly, concentrating for a moment β working to gently direct the words to him. ]
It's alright, though. I'd prefer to sleep first.
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Paimon feels her surprise β she's just as stunned by the awareness of connection between them as he is β and he lets go, almost as abruptly as he'd moved to greet her. The tether is still so new, so fresh, he doesn't know how to hold it in his hands just yet. He lets go, but not reluctantly β willingly. She'd known he was there, she'd spoken to him. Cluck.
This is.. something. Something to think on. Something to... approach, with caution as well. Paimon has waited and watched this entire time, inbetween those little moments of being able to reach out of Peter. It seems he's able to do that more and more these days but... he needs to be careful, too. He slips back, still warmed β a vibrating hum easing back into a comfortable place, lets Luna have only Peter again.
The odd fluttering exchange of emotions and presence between girl and demon remains largely unnoticed by Peter, only some of it leaking through to him, but like an after-thought. A phantom. What he's paying attention to now are the subtle shifts in Luna β some he can see in her face, and some he can... feel, behind her eyes. She smiles, and he can feel her smile in his mind as much as see the movement of her mouth.
Typical boy, thinking with his stomach. Peter grins again, but something else this time β a sort of cautious delight, eyebrows lifting. She'd heard him, heard exactly what he'd said. How is is possible...? But then, they've faced all sorts of impossible things together.
'It's alright, though. I'd prefer to sleep first.'
Soft as down, her voice is within him. A pressure, but not demanding. Not aching. Comfortable, gentle, warm. He nods, as carefully as possible so as not to move her at all where she rests against him, ear and cheek tucked to his chest. He's alright, too; the hunger isn't demanding right now. It's an emptiness he's grown almost accustomed to, he's fine with it. He's at ease.
Peter adjusts himself slightly, gently, and then goes still, sitting with his back against the wall and Luna in his lap. One arm lifts to find the thin blanket nearby, fingers drawing it over her petite frame and his arms settle back over her that way, tucking her in against himself, protective. He feels the fever-warmth of her skin, contrasted with the chill of her, and frowns softly to himself, but after a moment, exhales, slow and even, coaxing the anxiety out of himself. He has to make himself the most comfortable place for her. ]
Let's sleep, [ he agrees, tentatively trying it out again β easing his thoughts towards her. A soft smile touches the edges of his mental-smile, shy but warm. ]
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It's thoughts for another time, but ones that she won't let slip too far away from her. This is... important. Something more direct than brief flickers behind his eyes, or wild thrashing without any coherent thought. Her eyes glance down to the thread β what has it opened between them?
Luna purses her lips for a moment, thoughtful but then distracted by something else. She can feel a little anxiousness and she knows it isn't her own. Some quiet fear that doesn't belong to her β but slips through and gently fills the spaces in her mind for a brief moment. The presence isn't the only one who feels warmth β she's sure it's coming from Peter, too. That he's comforted to be here with her.
And she feels comforted in return, it seems to drift through them, a constant. Safe. That word seems to sound out again. She feels safe. Luna leans on that word, that feeling. Inhales it, draws it in to her and exhales it out to him β a soft whisper of emotion. It's sincere: she is safe.
He pulls the blanket over her. It's strange, this. A nice strange, despite its newness. She settles against him, muscles finally relaxing β there's little room for relaxing in this place. But... she can do it here, right now. Her body quietly aches for it: for rest, for dreamless sleep.
Peter speaks again and she exhales a breath, amusement in it. She... likes this. Some silent little secret between them, speaking like this β soothed by his voice in her head. ]
Thank you. [ It's soft, sleepy β a sigh that sounds more peaceful than she's been for some time now. Her thumb moves again, absently brushing against his knuckles of their clasped hands, the ones holding the strings between them.
It doesn't last long, the motion growing slower and slower as sleep inches closer. It's barely a few minutes before her breathing finally begins to even out into easy, shallow breaths β slipping into sleep. ]