The music! The beauty turned vile and frightening. It had started in her waking hours, and now it’s followed Pod into her dreams. Worse, it already had a hold on some of her own memories. Pod is almost certain that her initial panic was wrong. Gull can’t have come to Drabwurld with her. Nor could the cursed harp made from the witch spruce that imprisoned his soul have made the journey. But, oh, if she had dragonfire to destroy that cursed sound anyway.
She’s woken screaming from nightmares with the music woven through them for two nights in a row now, but trying to search out the sound in her waking hours leads her around in circles and has proven fruitless. Even using one of the Fairy Rings to flee from Cothromach to Caer Glaem to Station and back again didn’t stop the sound. Nothing she’s been able to think of so far, not even prayers, has been able to rid herself of it. Worse, when Kiga had tried to give comfort to her earlier, her temper had flared and she’d snapped at him. Now, the guilt has her on the verge of tears, even though he’s forgiven her well and truly.
Yet still, the harp plays on, and Pod has to wonder if it might be some spell to rob them all of their sanity instead of control their minds and thoughts as Gull’s music had.
And since she’s back in Caer Glaem, Pod has retreated to the library. There must be something that will help. Somewhere in all these books, there must be some way to break a curse such as this, before it takes over her sleep and waking thoughts entirely and drives her utterly mad. She’s like to strike someone if this continues!
Her first thought is that it must be a curse, so she looks for books on counter-courses and protections. They are varied, and have many uses, some that she writes down to remember later—one can never be over-prepared to stand against dark magic—but only one of the spells that she thinks herself possibly capable of seems like it would have any bearing on such a curse that drives emotions wild.
She takes time and gathers what the book says she’ll need, and even asks one of the librarians for the proper way of pronouncing the words, and tries it. For a little while, she’s hopeful it has worked, but then the music sounds again at the edge of her hearing and Pod breaks down for a moment into frustrated tears.
It takes a while before she’s in control again, and Pod can think of only one person that might help. It’s not even a difficulty to find Hermione, because Kiga informs her that he can smell their friend, and very recently in the library at that.
When they have followed the trail, Pod almost breaks down in happy tears. “Oh, Hermione— I’ve been looking…”
She takes a breath, trying to bring herself to a more calm state. “I fear I’m cursed, or going mad. Do you know anything at all that might help?”
The library at Caer Glaem is almost like a second home to her now considering how long she's spent there the last few weeks. She's in and out more often than she would've expected, all things considered, and she huffs a little as she shoves another book out of sight, getting more and more frustrated as she tries to figure out what she can do to help.
The music that runs in the back of her mind is a concentrated echo, pulsing here and there. She knows there is more to do, more that she can do, and yet she feels weaker and exhausted, pulled down by the power of the harp music and all the things that she has been trying to do to shrug it off and be more herself. It's hard, ridiculously so, and yet she is trying desperately to overcome it. She isn't used to giving in to her emotions as easily now, having become a little more accustomed to fighting them off and demanding that she holds her head high as a Marchioness ought; she's been learning.
Kiga is what she notices first, her eyes widening a little when Pod follows not long after. She pushes herself to her feet, stepping over and hesitating before she reaches to pull the other girl into her arms.
"Pod, oh, no, it's okay," she's gentle as she holds her, stroking a hand down her back with careful tenderness. She's a little on edge herself and the other girl's obvious emotions tackle her and make her want to swallow back her own pain, to do nothing more than help her, smothering her in all the possible kindnesses she can ever hope to offer. Her hand lifts to stroke through Pod's hair before she finds her words.
"You're not going mad, I promise, it isn't just you. Lots of us are suffering from this - the harps and so on. It's alright, I swear, we'll figure it out. Just breathe, okay? Breathe for me."
The hug is a little surprising, but after a moment, Pod melts into it, sniffling as she holds back tears that threaten again. It’s embarrassing to cry so, and the music just seems to make everything so much worse.
So she focuses on Hermione’s voice, and breathes slow and deep, the way she was taught to call up her magic. She reaches for good memories, focusing on Kiga and Conor and Linden, and to her surprise, when she manages to hold onto them and the good feelings, those feelings rise up a like a tide. The sudden shift makes her head spin, and she laughs for a moment, sounding more confused than mirthful.
“What is it? I— I tried something for curses and it didn’t work. And I’m sure it cannot be Gull. Almost. I just— how do I get rid of it? There must be a way to stop it, for everyone.”
Getting rid of it is almost as important as finding out what it is, though Pod is sure discovering the latter would make the first easier. Well, harder or easier, what matters is doing it. If this continues— Pod doesn’t want to think on how terrible things could end up. This must be some kind of dark magic, surely?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
after her panic post; early April
have made the journey. But, oh, if she had dragonfire to destroy that cursed sound anyway.
She’s woken screaming from nightmares with the music woven through them for two nights in a row now, but trying to search out the sound in her waking hours leads her around in circles and has proven fruitless. Even using one of the Fairy Rings to flee from Cothromach to Caer Glaem to Station and back again didn’t stop the sound. Nothing she’s been able to think of so far, not even prayers, has been able to rid herself of it. Worse, when Kiga had tried to give comfort to her earlier, her temper had flared and she’d snapped at him. Now, the guilt has her on the verge of tears, even though he’s forgiven her well and truly.
Yet still, the harp plays on, and Pod has to wonder if it might be some spell to rob them all of their sanity instead of control their minds and thoughts as Gull’s music had.
And since she’s back in Caer Glaem, Pod has retreated to the library. There must be something that will help. Somewhere in all these books, there must be some way to break a curse such as this, before it takes over her sleep and waking thoughts entirely and drives her utterly mad. She’s like to strike someone if this continues!
Her first thought is that it must be a curse, so she looks for books on counter-courses and protections. They are varied, and have many uses, some that she writes down to remember later—one can never be over-prepared to stand against dark magic—but only one of the spells that she thinks herself possibly capable of seems like it would have any bearing on such a curse that drives emotions wild.
She takes time and gathers what the book says she’ll need, and even asks one of the librarians for the proper way of pronouncing the words, and tries it. For a little while, she’s hopeful it has worked, but then the music sounds again at the edge of her hearing and Pod breaks down for a moment into frustrated tears.
It takes a while before she’s in control again, and Pod can think of only one person that might help. It’s not even a difficulty to find Hermione, because Kiga informs her that he can smell their friend, and very recently in the library at that.
When they have followed the trail, Pod almost breaks down in happy tears. “Oh, Hermione— I’ve been looking…”
She takes a breath, trying to bring herself to a more calm state. “I fear I’m cursed, or going mad. Do you know anything at all that might help?”
no subject
The music that runs in the back of her mind is a concentrated echo, pulsing here and there. She knows there is more to do, more that she can do, and yet she feels weaker and exhausted, pulled down by the power of the harp music and all the things that she has been trying to do to shrug it off and be more herself. It's hard, ridiculously so, and yet she is trying desperately to overcome it. She isn't used to giving in to her emotions as easily now, having become a little more accustomed to fighting them off and demanding that she holds her head high as a Marchioness ought; she's been learning.
Kiga is what she notices first, her eyes widening a little when Pod follows not long after. She pushes herself to her feet, stepping over and hesitating before she reaches to pull the other girl into her arms.
"Pod, oh, no, it's okay," she's gentle as she holds her, stroking a hand down her back with careful tenderness. She's a little on edge herself and the other girl's obvious emotions tackle her and make her want to swallow back her own pain, to do nothing more than help her, smothering her in all the possible kindnesses she can ever hope to offer. Her hand lifts to stroke through Pod's hair before she finds her words.
"You're not going mad, I promise, it isn't just you. Lots of us are suffering from this - the harps and so on. It's alright, I swear, we'll figure it out. Just breathe, okay? Breathe for me."
no subject
So she focuses on Hermione’s voice, and breathes slow and deep, the way she was taught to call up her magic. She reaches for good memories, focusing on Kiga and Conor and Linden, and to her surprise, when she manages to hold onto them and the good feelings, those feelings rise up a like a tide. The sudden shift makes her head spin, and she laughs for a moment, sounding more confused than mirthful.
“What is it? I— I tried something for curses and it didn’t work. And I’m sure it cannot be Gull. Almost. I just— how do I get rid of it? There must be a way to stop it, for everyone.”
Getting rid of it is almost as important as finding out what it is, though Pod is sure discovering the latter would make the first easier. Well, harder or easier, what matters is doing it. If this continues— Pod doesn’t want to think on how terrible things could end up. This must be some kind of dark magic, surely?