After Rusty laughs and the cavalry comes together, she fades into the background and finds the old piano she used to play as a kid. People move around her, or in the main room and, of course, the chapel, but Sierra just sits.
She thinks back to her childhood. She always had loving parents. They encouraged her and signed her up for everything she wanted. They celebrated her achievements and stood up for her when she was wronged. They talked down her suspension which she and David rightfully deserved, and her mother said nothing when she found her with Jaqueline.
When she thinks about these moments, these isolated moments of good parenting, she doesn't understood.
How could she feel so out of place. So lost. Because her friends all had monsters for parents? How did that make her question her own worth? What's wrong with her that her parents treat her well. That they champion her. It was too perfect. It was too curated. Too beautiful. Even the family portrait.
She thinks back to her recital in the eighth grade. Jaqueline's parents wouldn't let her go. Max would never go. David did go. But, her father filmed it. And her mother cried. She starts to play a song she's played a million times. Every time she starts slow, she speeds up, keeping to the tempo as she replays her childhood. All her conversations. Her quiet resentments. Crying herself to sleep at night.
Running away.
This had to be done. She had been the one most for it.
[Of all of them, Jaqueline is most worried about her wife.
The Harpers were never like the rest of their parents. They were warm and supportive and caring. Her mother - or the ancestor version of her mother - asked Jaqueline every day when Sierra was gone if she had heard from her and she seemed genuinely worried. They were able to put on the performance of parents better than the rest of them, and she doesn't think that was necessarily to their daughter's beneft.
She makes her way back into the room, watching her at the piano, before moving to sit next to her. She knows this isn't going to be the wedding night people expect. They murdered their parents, rather than having a reception. But they are married, and Jaqueline does intend to celebrate when it's emotionally appropriate to do so.
Instead she just sits there and listens to her wife play, waiting until she's ready to talk.]
[Jaqueline's quiet, trying to figure out what would be more comforting. Either lane is the truth, both real things that happened. But at the same time, love is always complicated in this coven.]
Every day you were gone, your mother asked me if I knew where you were or if I heard from you. She just wanted to know that you were okay.
[She then pauses.]
But they also would have hollowed us out and wore us like new dresses without thinking twice. Rusty told me this whole mess was Harper Prime's idea. I don't really think that's love.
( And, even if it was a facsimile of what they should feel.
Maybe she wasn't wrong. There was still something sinister underneath their doting, their love, their "devotion." )
It's sick. ( Her mouth curls - into a smile. She rubs the remnant of a tear away. ) Thank you, for keeping everything in perspective. How are the others, doing?
That was a surprising development. Do you think that will be a bigger wrinkle for the two of them than his newly instated matrimony?
( Sierra has her own thoughts on the fact, and she only really ever gossips with two people. Seeing David is otherwise preoccupied. She chooses her wife. )
Though it would take me a minute if you had close, intimate relations with the person in my mother or father's body. Too bad he really only has a minute. ( She takes her hand. ) Thank you. For being here. I meant every word that I said up there.
[At least not that she's aware of. She's not fully certain of what Max did to get Rusty's name from him, but maybe now would be a good time to find out.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
praevaricatio) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
everyonelives2025-10-11 07:15 am
sierra and jaqueline | baltimore
After Rusty laughs and the cavalry comes together, she fades into the background and finds the old piano she used to play as a kid. People move around her, or in the main room and, of course, the chapel, but Sierra just sits.
She thinks back to her childhood. She always had loving parents. They encouraged her and signed her up for everything she wanted. They celebrated her achievements and stood up for her when she was wronged. They talked down her suspension which she and David rightfully deserved, and her mother said nothing when she found her with Jaqueline.
When she thinks about these moments, these isolated moments of good parenting, she doesn't understood.
How could she feel so out of place. So lost. Because her friends all had monsters for parents? How did that make her question her own worth? What's wrong with her that her parents treat her well. That they champion her. It was too perfect. It was too curated. Too beautiful. Even the family portrait.
She thinks back to her recital in the eighth grade. Jaqueline's parents wouldn't let her go. Max would never go. David did go. But, her father filmed it. And her mother cried. She starts to play a song she's played a million times. Every time she starts slow, she speeds up, keeping to the tempo as she replays her childhood. All her conversations. Her quiet resentments. Crying herself to sleep at night.
Running away.
This had to be done. She had been the one most for it.
Why now does she feel like this? )
no subject
The Harpers were never like the rest of their parents. They were warm and supportive and caring. Her mother - or the ancestor version of her mother - asked Jaqueline every day when Sierra was gone if she had heard from her and she seemed genuinely worried. They were able to put on the performance of parents better than the rest of them, and she doesn't think that was necessarily to their daughter's beneft.
She makes her way back into the room, watching her at the piano, before moving to sit next to her. She knows this isn't going to be the wedding night people expect. They murdered their parents, rather than having a reception. But they are married, and Jaqueline does intend to celebrate when it's emotionally appropriate to do so.
Instead she just sits there and listens to her wife play, waiting until she's ready to talk.]
no subject
( Maybe for her parents. Maybe for them.
She shuts the cover to the piano keys and exhales, turning. )
Tell me they were always bad people, raised from poisoned stock.
no subject
Every day you were gone, your mother asked me if I knew where you were or if I heard from you. She just wanted to know that you were okay.
[She then pauses.]
But they also would have hollowed us out and wore us like new dresses without thinking twice. Rusty told me this whole mess was Harper Prime's idea. I don't really think that's love.
no subject
( And, even if it was a facsimile of what they should feel.
Maybe she wasn't wrong. There was still something sinister underneath their doting, their love, their "devotion." )
It's sick. ( Her mouth curls - into a smile. She rubs the remnant of a tear away. ) Thank you, for keeping everything in perspective. How are the others, doing?
no subject
[Which is going to be a complicated conversation, so she kept her digs to a minimum, so Sierra gets to benefit.
If you can call this a benefit.]
Not every day you find out your crush used to bang the ghost currently possessing your mom.
no subject
( Sierra has her own thoughts on the fact, and she only really ever gossips with two people. Seeing David is otherwise preoccupied. She chooses her wife. )
no subject
I think the bigger problem is that Rusty's already rejected him once. I'm not sure he'll give him the chance to do it again.
no subject
( Rusty will probably see that, now. )
Though it would take me a minute if you had close, intimate relations with the person in my mother or father's body. Too bad he really only has a minute. ( She takes her hand. ) Thank you. For being here. I meant every word that I said up there.
no subject
[It's always been Sierra, for better or worse.]
We could throw a second one, that's more to our taste and maybe has less murder?
[She actually enjoyed the murder, but this is Jaqueline. She doesn't think her wife agreed.]
We probably have to get actually legally married anyway.
no subject
( She grins, pulling Jaq's hands up to her mouth, pressing a kiss against them. )
And, get god in there with us. Considering we only have our questionable ancestors and a power store we could only ever dream of. We did it.
no subject
[She smiles into the kiss, and is thinking about how they'll be able to keep everyone in line when she realizes something.]
Oh, shit.
[She springs up from the piano bench and starts to back away before turning back to her.]
I know I'm ruining the moment but I have to check something.
[And then she's heading out of the ballroom and down towards the holding spells.]
no subject
( She pulls back, confusion in her features. And then she takes off. )
Well, it's about time you left me hanging.
( She spies a splotch of blood on the piano, and then the piano bench. She smiles at them.
Getting up, she moves into the main area, eyeing the witches helping them. Sizing them up. Her wife will be back in no time. )
no subject
Damnit.
[A few minutes later, she stumbles back into the main area, seething.]
Hallewell's gone.
no subject
( That does make sense to her. It's unfortunate. )
You need to talk to your brother, then. Make sure all contingencies are in place. ( She scoffs. ) He's young again, too, isn't he.
no subject
[Jaqueline grumbles before exhaling with a sigh.]
I'll find him after he's done talking to Rusty.
no subject
( Or, maybe she's just tired. )
no subject
[At least not that she's aware of. She's not fully certain of what Max did to get Rusty's name from him, but maybe now would be a good time to find out.]
I just really wanted to kill him.
no subject
( She softly kisses her wife in front of the other lemmings. )
You want to find Max now, don't you?
no subject
[Her voice trails off and her eyes go distant, and she shakes her head.]
Never mind. He's leaving and heading back and Rusty is standing still so they're probably not sneaking off somewhere to have sex. We're safe.
[Bummer for Max, though. Either way, she takes Sierra's hand and off they go to track down Max.]
no subject
( She does turn around to spy Max heading back around. She waves as Rusty's car disappears. )
Goodbye, psycho.