Let the storm rage on. {Open}

[chasingtwisters]

The bus is an old, weathered piece of shit, one that really shouldn't be functioning still. Moira winces at the creaking noise every sharp corner pulls from the vehicle and the way the driver barely seems able to stay on the road. She keeps fidgeting in her seat and playing with her newly darkened hair, fingers curling around the piece of paper she clutches close to her chest. The island did her good in many ways: it healed the shock of the cruise, helped ease the burden of all the stress in her life, and helped her come to terms with being pregnant, with the exception of the morning sickness that still rules over Moira.

Yet, just two mornings ago, a woman named Blair, one of the elders of the island, brought her to one of the hidden springs, deep in the heart of the island. They'd done their breathing exercises and a couple of renewal spells, as had become their normal routine during Moira's time on the island. But then Blair had offered to scry with her, just a brief glimpse to check in on Siren Cove. Moira hadn't realized how much she'd missed home until then; fueled by a desire to see James, her sisters, and her cousins, she'd readily agreed.

Scrying with water had always been a bitch.

She never thought she'd catch a glimpse of her ancestor, one Viviana Coombs; but catch a glimpse of her, she did, and now, she's on a bus home, clutching the sketch Blair drew for her in her hands and trying to remember the breathing exercises from the island. But she can't stop thinking about it. Viviana Coombs could be her twin. Viviana Coombs, the one rumored to have started the curse in the first place. Moira can't tell if the nausea she feels is from the morning sickness or the shock running through her veins. And she has to keep it under control, for the baby's sake. The baby who, as the witches on the island had confirmed, would inherit some of the Coombs' powers as half a witch.

The bus finally screeches to a stop at the bus station in the center of town. Moira has to keep from leaping over the heads of everyone to get out. She misses her loved ones dearly, indeed, she realizes she owes them all an explanation, at the very least, but she needs to get to the library. Even as she can hear Blair telling her that the vision they'd seen was very much real, Moira wants to find evidence to the contrary, that she does not resemble her ancestor who might have caused the curse.

She keeps fidgeting as she makes her way through the line, her hands smoothing down the front of her loose blouse, disguising the small yet distinguishable bump of her stomach. She hopes no one with a discerning eye catches sight of her today.

She pulls her hood up over her head before exiting the bus, determined to avoid the inevitable mess of press that might await her. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Moira sets off at a sprint, maneuvering between people as she tries not to shove them out of the way. She needs to get to the library, needs to find evidence to reassure herself that she isn't the living image of a woman who once cursed an entire town.

OOC: Moira's back! Find her anywhere in town as she tries to make her way to the library. She'll be in a hurry, but obviously will stop for anyone who calls out to her. She's freaked out, but not nearly as badly as on the island. She's trying to cope with the fact that she looks so much like Viviana Coombs, so any friends will be greatly appreciated! Oh, and those with a discerning eye will recognize the slight bump on her now.

Comments

[asharpertongue]

"Moira!" Lara shouted across the street before she could stop herself. She hadn't seen Moira in weeks...not since the cruise.

Waving, she crossed the road and wrapped Moira in a hug. "Where the hell have you been?"

[jiyunnies]

She's running errands around town, making note to pick up lunch for Val who has been working tirelessly at the flower shop, when Riley thinks she glimpses a familiar figure but...no?

Riley looks again, following the hooded person a bit before she's sure. And then she lowers her voice, very much aware of the press and police's presence since the cruise.

"Moira? Moira, are you okay?"

[ameliecoombs]

Moira had left with nothing but a note in the middle of a family crisis. To say she had been a little ticked off was an understatement, though she feels bad feeling that kind of anger towards her sister. Still, Aoife had been in hospital, Thomas has been left in the dark with hardly a clue, and Clint Harken and the newspapers have been following Amelie around like flies. She's sick and tired, and she's pissed off.

Still, when she unexpectedly sees Moira rushing through the streets, her first thought is relief. Moira is back, she's okay, and even if she did abandon them in the middle of this mess, at least she came back. She's always worried that one day Moira won't come back.

"You're here," she says dumbly when she runs into her sister. "I can't believe you left like that." She doesn't mean to say it, she means to ask how she is, how the baby is, if she's back properly, but what comes out is the opposite, and she can't hide the hurt in her voice. She's never been as good at this as Alodia.

[summersong]

It takes her a minute to recognize Moira, with her hood up and her newly dark hair - which Alodia desperately hopes is just a temporary crazy pregnant lady decision, because wow, so not her color - and when she does, she wishes she hadn't. She does not want to talk to Moira now, because Moira sees through her acts better than most; all she wants to do is yell at her cousin, she knows she won't be able to fake genuine pleasure at her return well enough for Moira to believe it, and, if she's honest, she doesn't particularly want to. It's too late, though; they're in public, and with the press an ever-present concern, the last thing Alodia wants to do is let anyone see her ignoring the woman everyone knows is one of her dearest friends.

"You've come back," she says, stepping in front of Moira with a smile. She gives her a quick hug, keeping up the front of family unity, but her eyes and voice are devoid of any emotion. It's the best she can do, given the circumstances. "Good. I'm sure your siblings will be thrilled to know you didn't abandon them after all."