❀ ❝flat line, no pulse, but eyes open❞

[lotuslife.livejournal.com]

Characters: Vietnam (lotuslife) and Aribeth (justicedone)
Date: December 22nd- first day of the blizzard. Log might head into the 23rd or 24th as the horrors get more aggressive.
Summary: Getting BAMF all up in here! Aribeth and Vietnam are paired off and ready to kick some horror ass.
Warnings: There shouldn't be anything aside from the blood and violence that'll come from fighting the shadows and lights.

The first thing she could perceive was stone beneath her bare palms, the coolness of it creeping through her clothing. The shock of the icy feeling down into what seemed like her very bones woke her instantly with a sharp inhale. Vietnam sat up immediately, her head whipping around to take in her surroundings. This was, without any doubt, not where she had fallen asleep yesterday.

She exhaled, and in doing so became all at once very aware of just how cold it was in the room, her breath steaming up in a mist in front of her before quickly dispersing into the frigid air. Her arms rose automatically to wrap around herself- the color in the tropical country's skin seemed to drain out of her in mere seconds, and she grit her teeth together, grimacing. Her eyes swept around the room and soon enough fell on the only object in the room: a sleeping bag, much finer in quality than what she was used to. She reached out for it, instinctively, self-protection taking priority before attempting to figure out where she was-

But then- all at once- she was aware that she wasn't alone in the room. Her chin jerked up, her deep brown eyes settling on the form of another woman. Her hand fell away from the sleeping bag, and she sat up more rigidly, speaking cautiously.

"Are you all right?"

It was only natural for her to inquire after the health of the other woman first, because if the stranger was as confused as she was, they would need to figure this out together.

Comments

[breakfaith]

The woman in question was sitting in the corner of the bare room, curled in on herself and apparently deeply asleep. The cold, however, woke her, and she blinked, hands moving to settle on the floor, the stone so chilled it was like touching ice with her bare skin.

The sound of another woman's voice brought her more fully awake, and she straightened up, eyes widening in momentary shock before that started to die down.

"I—" Aribeth had to pause, swallowing a little; her throat was dry, probably from the cold. "I... seem to be uninjured, if that's what you're asking." Her speech was clear and enunciated, with an odd accent that might have sounded vaguely British to the country's ears.

The half-elf was still wearing the dress she had been wearing earlier, and her armor was nowhere in sight — though there was her sword nearby. That was a small relief, at least.

"Where are we?" Keeping one hand on the wall, she pushed herself to her feet, tucking her auburn hair behind one pointed ear reflexively. A glance around the room revealed it truly was utterly empty, except for the other woman and the object nearby her that Aribeth recognized as something like a bedroll, though different from the sort she was used to.

[lotuslife.livejournal.com]

She adjusted the zip on the coat she was wearing- taken from the necessities, though now she wished she had picked something warmer- and gave a quick nod. She took note of the accent and filed it away in her head for later (and the ears- so strange); there were more important things now. She stood and picked up the sleeping bag; the other woman was in a dress and she in a coat, and so she simply held it out wordlessly, as if to indicate take it, before speaking again.

"I am unsure." She studied the interior of the room again, but there wasn't much to actually study; it looked empty but for the sleeping bag and the woman she didn't recognize. "I hadn't fallen asleep here yesterday, and I don't recall being in a place like this."

As confusing as it was, though, Vietnam would be lying if she said she was entirely surprised- ever since coming to this place, suspending her disbelief had become second nature. This place- or the Queen, or whoever- wanted something out of them, and she assumed that it wasn't going to tell them just what.

and I'm back, sdklfj;f. so sorry for the wait. .__.

[breakfaith]

Aribeth blinked a little as the other woman offered her the bedroll — it would have been amiss of her to take it in any other circumstance, but the other was clearly more well-equipped for the cold, and after a moment she took it with a small smile and a nod of thanks.

"Neither do I." A frown creased her forehead. "Is this still part of the Gardens, do you think?" A glance out the window showed nothing recognizable, just layers upon layers of snow, and more falling. "It is a bit difficult to tell."

Aribeth was well used to things like magic and being transported to entirely different locations in the blink of an eye, so the idea that they were in a totally different place, or at least a totally different area of the Gardens, was not improbable. But waking up in an unfamiliar location still didn't sit well with her.

no problem! ;u; don't worry about it.

[lotuslife.livejournal.com]

She wandered over to the window, trying to discern something in the view, but everything was awash in white. She couldn't withhold a grimace; she had rarely ever seen so much snow in her entire life, and the only time that she had had been in a country that was definitely not her own. "Well, it's nothing I recognize. It may not be the Gardens, but it isn't home, either. Chết..."

Turning away from the window- there was only so long she could go looking at that much snow without feeling cold all over- she smoothed a smile onto her face. "It seems we are both fine, though, which is enough to be grateful for, if just a bit cold..." 'Just a bit' was being polite- what she wouldn't give for the burning heat of the afternoon sun right now. "I've been rude, though. I must introduce myself." She motioned to herself. "I am Vietnam, though if you prefer another name to call me by, you can use Sen." She was aware of the strange shape of the woman's ears and that not everyone here claimed to be from Earth- which still seemed impossible and ridiculous, but she was not one to accuse others of lying- but just in case she was from Earth, Vietnam supposed she would give her human name if the woman chose not to believe her.