#her referring to the others as their title/domain while emory calls them by their names is a fun lil detail that also kinda

[acircusfullofdemons]

DAYDREAMTOBER 2024 [16 / OLD FRIEND]

╭──→ 💭 ──  DAYDREAMTOBER 2024

│ 🌫️ PROMPT ❞ 16 / old friend

│ 🌫️ PARAS ❞ emory warwick, josephine allaway

│ 🌫️ PARACOSM ❞ eternal labyrinth 

│ 🌫️ WORD COUNT ❞ 915

╰──────────── 🤍

I don't think I've properly talked about Josephine. Oh well. All you need to know is that she's the Goddess of Time & kinda sucks. Mainly I think this just kinda serves as background for as to how/why Emory is Cheshire in FF, especially given the fact that he clearly doesn't enjoy it. Not proofread or edited.

It started — as did most things — with a house. A haunted house, mind you. Not that it made things much better. In fact, it only made things worse. 

But for Emory, he was used to it. Used to the cold spots, the creaks and groans, the odd stains that showed up from time to time. Some would call it creepy. Others, unlivable. Emory just called it “home”. 

Though he had lived there for longer than anyone would care to track, some would rather he move on from the old manor. One such person just so happened to be interrupting his mid-afternoon nap outside. 

Emory felt a weight on his back. It was light, but clear that someone was laying on him. Another animal, most likely. 

“You’re stuck.” 

He knew by the voice alone who it was. “Hello Josephine.” Emory opened his eyes to look at what form she took. A white rabbit. “It’s been a while. How are things?”

“Bor-iinggg!” She groaned, pressing more of her rabbit weight on him. “Come play with me.” 

“I don’t ‘play’.” 

“Bullshit,” she said, “you play with those kids all the time! And don’t even get me started on how you act with this house.” Josephine scoffed. “It’s like you don’t even like me…” 

“I don’t.” He replied, attempting to stand so she would get off of him. “We’re opposites, we’re not meant to get along.” 

Josephine frowned, sliding off of his back. “That’s not true. Life and Death were married.” 

“You are aware that their situation is partly why I’m here, correct?” 

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, bad example. What about the twins? Order and Chaos. They get along.” 

“Lucien and Vincent were originally Humans. It doesn’t count.” He began to walk away in search of a new napping spot. Josephine’s only other argument would be Eloise and Ketrill, and those two weren’t exactly known for getting along. 

Josephine hopped after him. “Okaayy, so the others got tricky shit going on. But we’re Time and Space! We gotta stick together.” 

Emory stopped, sighing. “Why are you here, Josephine?” 

“I told you. I want you to come play.”

“Play what,” it was always like pulling teeth with her. “You games aren’t what I typically find amusing.”

“No, no, you’ll like it this time! I promise!” Well, she did come all this way. 

He sat down. “I’m only listening because it’s polite.” Josephine quite literally jumped for joy. He rolled his eyes. 

“Okay, okay, SO — I found this universe that bleeds into the others in an interesting way.” She paused. Emory said nothing. “The inhabitants are fairytales.” 

“Fairytales? Like Cinderella?” 

She nodded. “Yeah, yeah! Well, not exactly. They’re kind of like ‘em. If they didn’t start their tales yet.” 

“Interesting. Though I don’t see why you’d be interested in them. I don’t recall you using the Library often.” 

“I’m getting to that! And I did so use the Library, you just didn’t like what I did!” 

“A library should be for reading, not parties — oh, nevermind. Why are you telling me about this universe? Trying to apologize?” 

“Pft. I got nothin’ to apologize for. You took Death’s side, so I took Life’s. It’s only fair.” He hummed in disagreement. This whole mess would be a lot easier to sort through if she and Vitalis weren’t working together. “We’re supposed to be impartial anyway, remember? I haven’t told Life anything about all of this.” 

True…though, Emory had other reasons for disliking Josephine. “If you’re just going to waste my time—” 

“He says to the Goddess of Time.” He glared at her. “Fine. I made a deal with one of the inhabitants and now everyone is trapped in a Time Loop. Isn’t that fun?!” 

“What?!” Emory shot to his feet. “Josephine, we are not supposed to interfere with��-” 

She waved him off. “Oh, please. You talk to people here all the time. I mean, you live in this spooky manor for crying out loud! Excuse me if I want to live a little.” 

“Trapping people in a Time Loop is wrong and you know it.” He scolded. “Their minds can’t comprehend the repetition — they’ll go mad!” 

“All taken care of, dummy. Like I said, they’re fairytales. Each loop is just them going through a different version of their story with no memories of the previous one.”

“That’s horrid,” Emory replied. He began to walk away. “This is far outside the realm of what we should be doing. Leave that dimension alone.” 

Josephine huffed. “Gosh, you’re impossible.” She complained. Then sighed. “Alright, I didn’t want to bring it up, as it was none of my business and your self-appointed job, but Order is there, too.” 

Emory froze. He turned to look at her. “What?” 

“Yeah. On an island with some fairies.” 

“Why didn’t you say this earlier?” 

Josephine shrugged, ears twitching. “You always say it’s not my place, to stay out of whatever Life and Death are doing—” 

He took a step forward. “Our pantheon is scattered throughout the multiverse. I have gone to great lengths to track them all down — and you thought it ‘wasn’t your place’ to tell me?!” She shrank back . 

“...You said I always make a mess of things…” 

“Because you do.” Emory sighed. None of that mattered now, though. He needed to find Lucien. Fast. “But fine. I will look over it, just this once. Take me there.” 

The small rabbit was back to her unbearably chipper self. “Oh, yay! You’re going to love it there, I promise.”