HEATHER ‘GUGGA’ MASON (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ingestion) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
etrayalogs2025-07-14 03:33 pm
ingestion) wrote in etrayalogs2025-07-14 03:33 pm
closed — all these nightmares I once had as a child
WHO: Heather Mason + Henry Townshend
WHEN: 07/14 - Afternoon
WHERE: Robin Deli
WHAT: Discussing his person, Claudia, and other Silent Hill troubles
NOTES\WARNINGS: Major spoilers for Silent Hill 3 (potentially 4) within
( there was a strong level of self-restraint heather had to show when texting henry because while she had succeeded in quelling her anger towards claudia since her arrival, every time she thought about that woman or even mentioned her, the rage came boiling back to the surface, threatening to spill over. he knew more about her story than anyone else here but he didn't know that the woman who was here who murdered her father was the very same claudia he had spoken so kindly about.
as she waited in the deli, preparing them both sandwiches, she went extra hard with her knife, leaving cuts within the cutting boards underneath that were never there before. each slice was a new mark of her anger, each vegetable chopped was furiously cut up but surprisingly, in her rage, came forth probably the best set of italian sandwiches she had ever made. surpassing even the recipes in her books, she truly made something quite refined and delicious.
it surprised even her, but soon as henry came through the door, she placed her knife down and looked onwards. it took her a moment but she forced a smile and lifted her head up. )
Henry, hey.
( he was someone special to heather at this point, a warm presence and while she was still severely concerned for him, she knew why he behaved the way he did. it was a miracle she wasn't in a similar position. once he finally came closer she decided though that instead of focusing on checking up on him, she needed to tell him exactly what claudia did and who she was. )
Thanks for coming, I feel like we haven't spoken in a little bit. I missed you, though I do see you everyday I walk by your apartment....
you sure uh....sit there a lot don't you?
WHEN: 07/14 - Afternoon
WHERE: Robin Deli
WHAT: Discussing his person, Claudia, and other Silent Hill troubles
NOTES\WARNINGS: Major spoilers for Silent Hill 3 (potentially 4) within
( there was a strong level of self-restraint heather had to show when texting henry because while she had succeeded in quelling her anger towards claudia since her arrival, every time she thought about that woman or even mentioned her, the rage came boiling back to the surface, threatening to spill over. he knew more about her story than anyone else here but he didn't know that the woman who was here who murdered her father was the very same claudia he had spoken so kindly about.
as she waited in the deli, preparing them both sandwiches, she went extra hard with her knife, leaving cuts within the cutting boards underneath that were never there before. each slice was a new mark of her anger, each vegetable chopped was furiously cut up but surprisingly, in her rage, came forth probably the best set of italian sandwiches she had ever made. surpassing even the recipes in her books, she truly made something quite refined and delicious.
it surprised even her, but soon as henry came through the door, she placed her knife down and looked onwards. it took her a moment but she forced a smile and lifted her head up. )
Henry, hey.
( he was someone special to heather at this point, a warm presence and while she was still severely concerned for him, she knew why he behaved the way he did. it was a miracle she wasn't in a similar position. once he finally came closer she decided though that instead of focusing on checking up on him, she needed to tell him exactly what claudia did and who she was. )
Thanks for coming, I feel like we haven't spoken in a little bit. I missed you, though I do see you everyday I walk by your apartment....
you sure uh....sit there a lot don't you?
no subject
The woman he met at camp seemed to be concerned about him. He didn't sense any malicious intention or insanity. She seemed a little lost, too, but he isn't sure if he's the right person to make that observation.
His steps start out slow as he walks down the sidewalk, but he soon picks them up. It's more of a sensation -- a feeling -- that he should run. So he runs. He runs the whole way to Robin Deli. He can hear how his breath sounds; feels how his chest hurts; but he only stops when he's outside the door. Huffing, panting; everything veiled in red for a few seconds.
Sweat runs down the back of his neck, down his face, staining around his teeshirt and collar. Why did he run? He just felt -- he felt like he should get to Heather and make sure that she's also okay. It's just a feeling; he doesn't know. Maybe he is wrong. He wipes his face with his sleeve, and cleans himself up as best he can.
That was odd.
A casual comment to himself before he enters. ]
Hello. [ He huffs out the reply, but still has the dreamy tone. ] You don't have to thank me. But thank you for wanting to spend time. [ He nods a little. ] I missed you, as well. I feel like I miss people a lot, but I'll get better about talking to them.
[ He blinks and nods. Oh right -- he should exit past the doorway. So, he does and starts walking toward her. A few steps closer as he looks around where he should actually go and stand or sit. ]
It's nice. Nothing changes in the room. [ His answer about just sitting in his apartment a lot. ]
no subject
( truly it's the only response heather could give to him, placing a hand on her hip with a bit of a sassy attitude. it doesn't last for very long though because they're here to discuss something serious and while she didn't want to frighten henry, she also didn't want him thinking claudia was a good person. truthfully she wasn't sure what she wanted to accomplish with this but that was the main objective—
to ensure that the narrative wasn't changed from what she knew.
for now though as she watched him, she held her hand out for him to wait [immediately sensing he was just kinda standing there waiting for direction] before she pulled her gloves off her hands and tossed them into the bin. she picked up the plates of sandwiches and held henry's out to him. it was a large muffuletta with ham, pepperoni, provolone cheese, olives, peppers, and chips crushed into it, and a deli pickle on the side for him. )
How about we go upstairs into my office to eat and talk? I have a lot I want to tell you about....Silent Hill and that cult. It involves Claudia.
no subject
Henry lifts his head back up. His eyes widen slightly before it returns to the usual neutral look that he has. He opens his mouth to say something but stops. His chin dips down instead. ]
Okay. [ His fingers curl around the plate. ]
no subject
so she grabbed her plate, eyes looking down at the food before she began to move from behind the deli counter and out into the front. she waved her hand to guide him towards a set of stairs near the entrance and as they went up, she wondered how he'd handle the news. she had provided him great support before, surely he could handle this information.
he knew her far better than most people here with the few exceptions being maria and vincent. still he deserved to know the truth, after all she had told maria that silent hill becoming the way it was, was partially due to her— well a version of her, alessa. while henry hadn't been drawn to silent hill, those holes and walter were most certainly a result of it.
once they made their way in, she sat down on a brown leather chair and leaned back, placing her plate to the side for now. she wasn't the best at eating and talking unless she was in a good mood and her mood had soured for now. )
Henry did I tell you that all of this started when I went to the mall one day? I fell asleep in that fast food place, Happy Burger and I walked out, called my dad and that was the last time I ever spoke to him.
no subject
Heather seems like she's going to share something very personal -- he should follow her lead on how she wants to say it? Maybe? He tries to think of all the ways he could tell her that he doesn't really feel owed any explanation for anything. Even his own situation.
It's something that he became aware of with all the notes that he acquired. He could get all the information about anything, but it wouldn't necessarily mean he'll be saved. It'd give him context, but what did it matter of people still died? If he couldn't help them?
His fingers tighten around the plate as he follows after her.
When they reach the room, he locates his own chair to sit down. Lightly poking the top of the sandwich, he's once more in the situation of not sure when he should eat and when he shouldn't. But she put the effort in -- so he should, too. Which means he does lift it up to takes bites out of it as she talks, chewing quietly, not sure if he's tasting anything as his worry for Heather mounts.
He swallows what is in his mouth, sets the sandwich back down. ]
No. I don't think you did. [ A slight pause. ] I'm sorry that was the last time you talked to him, Heather. [ A longer pause. His mind wraps in on itself on what he could do for her. He only comes up with one thing, however. ] Would you feel better about things, if you had a gun?
no subject
A gun?
( her words are a bit stilted, but the intrigue is there layered within. she's not sure if that was a good idea but given that she's calmed down considerably since claudia's initial arrival well it'll be alright. even if she did use it to kill her, well she decided it would be a last resort kind of thing. )
Yeah you gonna use your points to get me one? I'll take it.
( no resistance there, she'll accept anything given to her without much thought. she's sure if henry needed something from her in turn he'll just ask. they were close like that now....at least she hoped.
but in the meantime she rolled her head up and decided to continue her story. )
Anyways that's not the end, I was approached by a detective looking to talk to me about my birth. It turns out the cult found my dad and I, the one I was telling you about?
no subject
[ His eyes glaze over for a second as he isn't sure what's a good gun for a teenager. He wonders if he could ask someone about that -- but he avoids letting his thoughts sink him deeper into somewhere else. ]
The same one from the forest. [ Setting the plate down on his lap, he does that so that he can cross his arms. It helps him think (or so he thinks). ] They were looking for Alessa. [ That poor girl. That poor boy. All those children. Why did they have to keep looking for them? He doesn't understand - but it may be that's for the best, really. ]
... oh no. [ His mouth opens; he struggles but feels like he knows the conclusion. If they found them both, found her father, that being the last time she spoke with him! ] You don't... you don't have to say it. About the part that comes next.
no subject
especially now given that he seemed to be catching on quite quickly to where heather was going. she stood up now, feeling a restlessness that came with remembering such a painful thing. if only she could show henry her memories like maria saw them before, or the way sophie was able to read her mind. still he could probably sense how she seemed to be walking herself through the memory again. )
Yeah....you know what happened. But what you don't know is who was responsible for it. See all those old heads in the cult were long gone by the time I was reborn as Heather, in this body you see before you. Unfortunately that didn't mean the cult was finished for, no.
( now as she spoke her voice sounded just a bit different. a bit more deeper, more ominous sounding. )
You see Henry, the children of those leaders grew up and decided to complete their task of bringing their God to life. My little Claudia.....my dear sweet sister...she grew up and became obsessed with the idea of saving humanity from suffering. She believed if she took Harry Mason, my father from this world, I'd become so angry that their God would be born because you see...
( she walked closer to henry, placing a hand over her stomach. )
They had implanted the seed of God within me so that I may birth it.
( she'd tell him soon that she no longer had god inside of her and that the claudia she was referring to was here, but for now she waited for him to truly digest this information. )
cw: sa implications/concerns
His head gives a slight tilt as he hears her voice seem to change. It doesn't quite sound like Heather. Even the word choice, it doesn't quite sound like her. Why would that be? But his eyes widen as he wonders -- could that be Alessa? Heather did say that Alessa was reborn, but does that mean she is still there?
But none of that matters -- the horrifying statement that she makes has him standing up. He walks slower than what she does, however. His movements no less stilted than what they always are. Reaching out, he rests his hand over hers; his palm slightly damp from sweat and fingers trembling. ]
How? How could they do that to you?
[ The upset he feels rising in his throat isn't something he knows what to do about. ]
cw: sa implications/concerns/immolation mentions
she hadn’t lived them technically, ignorant to the suffering alessa had gone through until more recently but as the memories flooded her mind for the first time, that rage from before felt familiar. it was like a comfortable ghost that had nestled deep within her and made residence of her life— like it belonged there. however that anger wasn’t beneficial to her so although she was right to be angry, instead her voice almost sounded peaceful when she finally spoke.
eerie surprisingly. )
Back when I was Alessa, I was born to a woman named Dahlia Gillespie. I was born with powers and when I became older that woman…she took me away and performed a ritual where I was set on fire.
It was through that magical ritual that I became planted with the seed of their God. They wanted a God born of anger and hatred to be born but the ritual failed…instead my powers, my anger…that town, Silent Hill became the way it did because it fed off of my pain.
Still…present day Claudia wanted this to happen again. So she orchestrated the death of my father to make me so angry, God would be born this time.
( it was a lot to take in, so much information and yet so little time to describe every little detail that went down. it was a condensed version of what happened but she’s sure it was all too much for henry to take in. so she looked at him directly, seeming to phase back to the heather he knew. )
I’m sorry, that was a lot to take in wasn’t it?
cw: sa implications/concerns/immolation mentions
With his shaking hands, he rests them lightly on her shoulders. His head tilts to look at her properly through his bangs. All of that is a lot to take in, but no more than anything else that he had to read to witness as he traveled to multiple worlds. ]
... that wasn't your fault.
[ It's a second before he tries to tighten the hold on her shoulders before loosening almost immediately. Like he isn't sure how to physically comfort her. ]
The cult. Those people. They were doing a lot of rituals and things. It wasn't you that did anything.
[ He isn't sure why this is a sticking point but he feels as though it is. That's what he says over answering the question that he's been asked if this was a lot to take in. Regardless of any of that, Heather is the one who has to have all of this information. He's just ... just someone who witnessed rather than fully involved. ]
All of that... isn't something for me to ... it's much more for you than me.
cw: vague abortion mentions
still she looked up at henry as he placed his hands on her shoulders and she did her best to stay focused on the point she was trying to get at. she wanted to hug him, cry into his chest but she held on, nodding at his words. )
You know what's funny? No one has ever actually said that to me. Thank you Henry, that helps a lot....you're right I just had the misfortune of being born to that woman. Still....That brings us to our present time.
( she closed her eyes as she rolled her head to the side, gently brushing her cheek against his hand. he truly was providing her some comfort like a real big brother would. )
Claudia found my father and I and while I was at the mall, she had sent some cult members to kill him. I went to go find her in that town, Silent Hill and successfully managed to confront her and get rid of God in my body. You know what she did next Henry?
She did something that makes me wonder if my world is even still there, our world but....given you're here...I don't think she succeeded in her goal.
no subject
[ Henry continues to try to reassure her that she had nothing to do with what happened. It's unfortunate that no one else had said this yet, but he's sure that others would if they heard her worries. Because that is what they sound to him -- worries that she ruined so much through her suffering.
His chin drops against his chest. He tilts his head as she mentions doing something that had her worrying if the world is still there. Furrowing his eyebrows, he wonders what could've happened. What more could that cult do? ]
What... what happened?
no subject
yet with time and reflection, heather had become an empathetic person. she had been raised by harry mason who seemed to care so much for others so in a way it influenced her. with time she could see the harm she's indirectly caused and while she agreed with henry, she sought to make things better for people. for alessa's sake...to show that past version of herself that there were good people in the world, starting with her and harry.
with a soft breath, she pulled away from henry and walked over to another chair nearby. the upholstery on it was worn and weathered, but it was one she'd found when she went dumpster diving with jayce quite some time ago. they'd clean it up and fixed it, becoming a chair the people who came to her office often sat in. it was a beautiful thing really, how something old and close to falling apart could bring some comfort to people. she touched the top a bit first before finally sitting down.
as she continued to speak, her head rolled up, eyes looking at the ceiling above. )
Well I managed to get 'rid' of God from my body, but that woman, Claudia swallowed it and gave birth to it. I couldn't let it live, it was going to destroy the world but I got pulled to Etraya right as I was going to shoot it.
There's a man here from my world too who died before I could kill it and we kinda assumed our world was done for because God's now running around but you....you're here. You know of Alessa but from what you told me, it almost sounds like you're from the future. So maybe God wasn't successful?
no subject
He remains standing where he is; his arms awkwardly still out in the air before they drop back down to his sides. Shuffling his shoes, he shifts from one leg than the other but doesn't move from where he is.
His fingers twitch as he listens to what else that Heather has to say. The idea that Claudia ate the piece of God and gave birth to some monstrosity -- he isn't certain if the horror of that revelation shows on his face or not.
However, he does lift his hand up to lightly cover his mouth. Just the ghost of his fingertips against his lips as he processes what she's saying.
Someone else from her world is here, too? ]
Uh -- [ Henry starts out clumsily. She's right that it is a lot to process, but she's been processing all this by herself. ] -- I don't know. [ He isn't sure if he's from the future or not. ]
I'm sorry. [ Wait, isn't it easy? Couldn't he tell her what year it is? His eyebrows come together. ] I don't -- [ Wait. What year is it in his time? ] I'm not sure what year it is anymore.
-- but I don't -- I don't want to believe those people could've succeeded. [ Um. ] If there is a God, I'd like to think they would stop something truly bad from happening. So -- even if I don't know, let's assume everything is all right.
no subject
( it's a quick and immediate answer given to quell both of their worries, but with each word the voice of alessa seemed to fade and all that remained was heather. she closed her eyes in turn, softly breathing out as she ruminated over what else to share with henry. he was a confidant, one of the very few people she'd spoken about the order to and her own experiences, but as usual, she kept vincent out of it.
there was more than one person from her world here as well, after all. for now though this was enough, enough to explain why henry should be cautious around claudia, and why heather disliked the woman. )
But that's why I called you here, to talk about Claudia and our world in a way. I think the Claudia you mentioned is that same woman from my world. I looked throughout the registry in our devices and I didn't see anyone else there.....but....
Henry?
( she asked, before rising up from her chair and looking at the man who had essentially become like family to her during her time here. )
I uh....you can be friendly with anyone you want, I don't have any right to tell you otherwise. ( she didn't want to be like vincent after all. ) I'm just sharing this with you so you can be careful around her. Everything she says and does is to draw people into her madness. I spoke with her and all she remembers is her death and she thinks being brought here is like a reward for her bringing the cult's God to life or something.
I just don't want to see you....drawn into a bad crowd.
no subject
He stares at her as she sorts her thoughts out about what to do regarding Claudia. In truth, he feels like his own thoughts are pretty complicated. The woman that he met appeared to be kind and didn't have the signs of derangement -- but then that is also what he thought about the man on the stairs that he met in the twisted apartment world.
No, that isn't quite right.
The man on the stairs spoke in such a strange way that he didn't even know how to respond. But Claudia spoke relatively clearly and well. She seemed to be concerned about him. He blinks -- listening more to what she has to say.
He understands that she doesn't want anything bad to happen to him. So many bad things have happened but she's one of the few that could understand them. His head tilts slightly -- furthermore, Claudia killed Heather's father; she caused so much trouble for her.
A person is made of multitudes, he supposes. The Claudia that Heather knows is different than the one that he knows. There is rolling anger inside of him about the pain that others have suffered because of this cult, but isn't one of the victims also Claudia? Like that young boy that Walter used to be?
His thoughts continue to be jumbled and he stares at her. ]
Yeah, that makes sense.
[ He, at least, can say that Heather's feelings make sense to him. It's just his own feelings don't. ]
... I don't ... I don't think I could ... talk to her for you... [ He struggles to explain, but he doesn't think that's his place, but -- ] ... I don't want you to be alone ... with what you're thinking or feeling...
no subject
( she immediately waved her hand, wrist flicking in an almost familiar manner. she paused shortly after, looking onward as she thought about the cult and claudia, vincent, and anyone else who was in it―
dahlia.
that was probably the one person she truly could not forgive, couldn't ever view as a victim of the cult or accept them having friends. when it came to claudia and vincent though? she found it more difficult to impose herself onto their lives. she had watched claudia for sometime here in etraya, ensuring she wouldn't do anything to harm anyone but it became obvious she had no intents. however... )
I appreciate it Henry, I really do. You and I both know what it's like to be in a situation where we feel like we're going crazy, that no one would ever believe us or what has happened to us. So the only thing I ask is if that woman...Claudia...ever tried to recreate what happened back home, that you'd help me?
Help me stop her from hurting anyone else. Otherwise I can't tell you not to associate with her at all, just be careful because...
( to cement her point, to bring weight and value to her words, she began to rise from her chair and walk towards henry. her voice turned more sad, a little strained and her expression was a bit juvenile― full of emotion and worry. )
I really care about you dude. You're one of my best friends here and if something happened to you, I'd be really....really upset.
no subject
I'd help you.
[ Honestly, if the situation were different, he'd say that the two of them should simply run away. But there isn't anywhere to run. Etraya is both large but small at the same time. He flexes his fingers and clenches them into fists.
The Claudia that Heather talks about and the one that he's met war with each other in his head. Is it all some manipulation? A trick? Or is it simply that people are made of multitudes? Or is it the madness of the cult and those rituals turn reasonable people into something terrible? ]
I wouldn't let anything happen to me... or you. You shouldn't have to worry about doing anything. [ Uh. ] You have a lot of people who wouldn't want anything to happen. I'm sure... the worst wouldn't come to pass... [ The worst isn't necessarily Claudia completing her ritual, but Heather having to kill someone. She's still just a kid; she wanted to make a better life for herself so he'd rather she not have that sort of stain on her life. ]
no subject
with a soft look, she kept her gaze upon henry and felt a small twinge of empathy for him. all of this must have been so difficult for him to process and mull over, learning that someone he liked could be so cruel.
that was the problem with abuse wasn't it? the abuser moved on with their life, while their victims were left in shambles with the aftermath. however heather had no inclination of allowing herself to feel like a victim, even if it was the truth. no she wanted to rise above it all and protect those she cared about. )
Thanks Henry, really and you're right I don't think she's dumb enough to try that here. Still if more people from that Cult arrive here, we might be in trouble. I might be in trouble I should say...
I guess for now we just have to keep going with our daily life you know? Be vigilant but not let it consume us.
no subject
[ Actually, a lot of people might be in trouble if that man comes to Etraya. Could that really have been Walter Sullivan? Even now, Henry isn't sure. However, that person just like Claudia was manipulated and broken down by the cult. Perhaps, there would be a way to help them? Maybe?
He would like to think so -- but if they tried the same thing, if they hurt people again, he isn't sure he'd have any sympathy left to give them. But is that right? Is he right to judge them? He doesn't know. ]
Yeah... [ His voice is a little quieter than before. He suddenly remembers the very strange man he met -- the one with glasses that gave him a bad feeling. The two of them didn't talk for long; the man didn't seem to have any patience for him but felt just as odd as Jasper did. Even if he didn't have Jasper's stutter. Hm. ]
... we have these devices so if anything happens... I'll rush right to you...
no subject
( surprisingly in this moment, after such a strong outpour of emotions and different sentiments, heather felt like a deflated balloon. she'd gone over her grief and trauma all over again, but she didn't quite feel emotional about it. instead she realized that she came to discover something new about herself and those around her each time she shared the truth of her situation.
as henry said those words, 'i'll rush right to you', she turned to face him before her expression softened considerably. it was time to admit something else to him—
just as he had admitted that he felt like she had saved him so long ago. )
You know something Henry? I actually feel kinda better revealing this to you. Maybe I just wanted protect you from that woman, or tell someone else what she did to me but when my father passed away, one of my biggest fears came true.
I was all alone again. Now being here, being able to live my life as a girl my age should and making friends with people like you and Maria well....I'm not alone anymore. Thank you Henry really, you've....well you've become one of the people I care about the most here outside of Maria of course.
no subject
[ Henry believes that it's good she feels just as relieved as he did when he shared some of what happened to him. It is fantastical and difficult for others who have not experienced it to fully comprehend or believe. Even with them being brought to this world, he's come to understand people have a limit of what they're willing to accept as real.
But it seems like Heather's found those that will listen and understand. He's glad that she doesn't feel like she's all alone anymore. It's nice that she's made friends with Maria, as well, because he also likes Maria. She's a very warm and kind person; he hopes that Heather continues to meet people like that and slowly heals from those that were cruel and unkind.
Seeing her, understanding her situation, it makes him wonder if Claudia or Walter could've been saved in a similar way. Could they find a way to be saved here? Well, Walter isn't here, but Claudia is. Could they save her from herself? Do they have to do anything? He hopes they don't have to -- but if something does, could he harm another person? He could kill monsters or incapacitate ghosts, but a person? He isn't sure, but he doesn't think that's something Heather should have to worry about dealing with herself.
She already has so much, so, he steels himself again and makes the same decision that he would do something if it truly came to that end.
Of course, he just ended up saying: "you're welcome" and has been staring silently at Heather as he sorts out all his thoughts. Just staring and blinking at her at the end of each sentence and thought. ]