(Untitled)

[cathar_jedi]

Characters: Juhani (cathar_jedi ), Nikki (dont_leave_town ), Bellflower (wayofflowers ), and Simon (pompous_today ), not necessarily in that order.
Date/Time: The morning of November 15.
Location: The elevator in Section One.
Rating: G/PG?
Summary: A perfectly innocuous if icy morning turns, inevitably, into abduction and impending traumatic memories, guessing from that mix of characters.

Comments

[dont_leave_town]

Nikki wasn't sure if Bastet had worked her back onto the schedule by now, but she was getting a bit stir-crazy just sitting at home, and so she decided to go pay her a visit. Even if she didn't have a shift for today, it was better than just sitting at home. Besides, the snow was really pretty, and despite the chill in the air, she wasn't really bothered by the sudden drop in temperature. She knew that she originally came from New York City, but she couldn't recall many specific details about it. She wondered if it snowed a lot there.

The elevator doors were open as she rounded the corner, and she waved a hand over her head in signal before breaking into a jog. She didn't want to keep the occupants waiting, but she didn't really want to wait out in the wind for the next car.

Holding her jacket closed, she rushed into the elevator--"Thanks for holding the door."--and rubbed her hands together. She didn't recognize anyone in the car, but she hadn't met a whole lot of people yet, despite having been in the Sphere for about six months now. It was less that she was actively antisocial and more that she just didn't go out socially too often. She preferred to spend her free evenings in a hot bath with a good book, to be honest.

Maybe she should have made more of a conscious effort to be personable. After all, it was her job to serve and protect; maybe she should have gotten to know the public she was looking out for.

"This place looks so different in the snow," she remarked. Well, it was a little lame, but it was an attempt.

[cathar_jedi]

Two quiet people, their senses in the Force feeling leaden and unhappy, had boarded, and then had come someone who did not seem to have been weighed down. Having nodded to each as she or he came in, she was generally inclined to leave it at that, but she had no desire to be rude.

"So it does," she agreed softly, glancing from the others to the panel of buttons; it didn't seem as if any here wished to go farther down than the City Without Walls. The doors closed, and the car began to descend.

Surreptitiously, Juhani used her foot to shove the melting slush that lay directly beneath her into the junction between the wall and the floor.

[pompous_today]

Simon returned Bellflower's smile, glad to see someone familiar, at least, but his expression turned distant again soon after, and he simply nodded to acknowledge the presence of the woman who entered last. He vaguely knew Juhani thanks to her aquaintance with Handmaiden, but the other woman was unknown to him.

"It's beautiful, but thankfully not as bad as the ice storm we had earlier this year," said Simon, trying to keep the thread of conversation going out of an innate sense of politeness. "And this time we do not have ice skates affixed to our feet when we step out of doors, at least."

[wayofflowers]

That brought a slightly more genuine smile to Bellflower's face as the elevator descended. "That must have been quite a sight - though I think I will happily take the snow over it." Ice skating itself sounded fun, but having to do it to get anywhere... troublesome. "No doubt just snow will result in far fewer accidents, too," she added after a moment's thought. The idle chatter was a small distraction from her thoughts - which she didn't mind, at the moment.

moving us along!

[dont_leave_town]

"I'm not even sure I know how to ice skate," Nikki said, "so I'll agree that I think I prefer just the snow."

There was a beat of silence, and Nikki wasn't sure what else there was to say but felt an inane need to try anyway. It was less that the silence itself was awkward and more that now they had set the precedent, but before she could concern herself too much with the subtle nuances of smalltalk with strangers, there was a loud clunking sound, a jolt, and the lights flickered a bit.

The elevator had stopped.

"Great," she muttered, reaching out to tap one of the buttons. Out of the elevator and then right back in, it seemed--hopefully this wouldn't end up being another month-long vacation. "I don't suppose there's an emergency phone in this thing...?"

[cathar_jedi]

When Simon had spoken, Juhani had blinked and realized that this was Handmaiden's friend, the medic. She had had little to do with him. There had been that time she had lost her connection to the Force and hid herself in Handmaiden's home and he had visited while disturbed and speaking disjointedly, but they had only interacted in passing even then.

When the elevator stopped, she habitually stepped back to allow Nikki to press the button without brushing against her.

"There is not," she said dully, covering her eyes with her hand and swallowing back a sudden rush of dread. Bad enough that Night had seen her last memory. She did not think it terribly likely that another would be happy.

[pompous_today]

Simon nodded at Bellflower and the other woman.

"We had many, many injuries during that storm. Mostly caused by people bumping into each other- both accidentally and on purpose. I was glad when it was over..."

When the elevator suddenly ground to a halt, Simon groaned aloud, watching the unknown woman fruitlessly press the button. He bit back a swearword.

"Of all the days..." he sighed. "I suppose all we can do is wait and see if it decides to release us. Does anyone have their journal with them?"

[wayofflowers]

Bellflower pulled her shoulder back to the front, so she could unzip it and start digging through. "I do. I will inform Lezard-san that we may be...ah, delayed for work." Finally, she pulled out her journal, along with a pen, and began a quick entry.

[dont_leave_town]

"I have mine also," Nikki said, glancing at the others. "Is there anyone I should inform for you?" she asked of the woman with the orange scarf, since the other woman seemed to know the man. "Jeez, I feel like i just got out of this stupid elevator..."

Maybe she would look into free climbing or rappelling. It would make the trip to work a bit longer, but it was starting to sound like a better option than continuing to take the elevator.

[cathar_jedi]

"Handmaiden, perhaps," Juhani said a little tightly. "I thank you."

This would not end well. She took a deep, slow breath in through her nose, held it, and released it slowly through her mouth. There was no helping it. She would have to take what came.

"I am Juhani," she said, a little abruptly.

[pompous_today]

"Thank you," he said quietly to Bellflower, then to Nikki, "I believe Bellflower's entry will be enough for me. As long as my sister knows that I am alright..." He felt his heart sink. He had no idea how long they were going to be trapped, and while this wasn't the same as dying, he knew she would still be in bad shape if he were gone a long time.

He watched as Juhani introduced herself.

"Two of you already know who I am... but I am Simon."

[wayofflowers]

Bellflower gave the other occupants of the elevator a small bow - difficult in the slightly cramped quarters, but she managed. "And as Simon has said, I am Bellflower. It's a pleasure to meet you - though I would it had been under other circumstances," she added with a small, amused smile.

skdufghksdf did not get notif hurr durr

[dont_leave_town]

"Likewise, would that the situation was a little better," Nikki said, "I'm Nikki. It's nice to meet you all."

Simon... she knew that name. He was Qi's brother, if she wasn't mistaken. She didn't recognize the other two, but she did know Handmaiden, so at least she and Juhani had a mutual acquaintance.

The others all seemed a bit anxious, and so she narrowed her eyes a little.

"So does this happen often?" she asked. "I was stuck on the Fourth Floor for a while just recently, but I didn't realize the elevator whisked away groups of people."

[[ooc: i know it wasn't in her actual entry, since i wrote that up before we got this far, but let's assume she did leave a blurb for Handmaiden re: Juhani. ^_^;;]]