[debut]

[floozyfacade]

I know it sounds cliché and all, and I swear I don't mean it in some weird Sapphic way - I mean, I love Rhi even now and we've been close, but not, you know, that close - but I'm pretty sure that, when I look up and see her staring back at me, my heart stops. Like, actually stops, and the blood in my veins just goes cold. Not literally, I mean,

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[floozyfacade]

Olive nods, though trying to breathe first means holding her breath, lips pressed together and - after a moment's hesitation until she finds she doesn't have much choice - eyes shut tight. She's unsteady, inhaling shakily, as she runs through a litany of reasons she's alright and stumbling over them repeatedly. Anson isn't here, wherever this is, that's all she really has. It takes her a solid minute at least to pull herself together enough that she can speak, first dusting her hands against her dress and then reaching up to wipe her eyes, that hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach from too much crying.

"I am so sorry," she says finally, voice still a little thick. She swallows hard to try and curb that some, with minimal success. Her eyes hurt a little and she sort of just wants to keep them closed, curl up and lie down somewhere until she stops feeling so awful or comes up with an alternate solution, whichever comes first, but first she has to find out how to get home. "It's been... a really shitty night and... to top it off, the cherry on the crap sundae of my life, I... I don't know where I am. And I think I twisted my ankle, but mostly I don't know where I am. I swear to god, I'm not drunk or anything, I don't make a habit of this, I just... got lost somehow." She almost doesn't make it through, her throat tight and painful, though at least the tears seem to have stopped.

[pointzerothree]

She's new. The realization is enough to make Eduardo feel vaguely ill, and he exhales heavily, palm pressing to his forehead. Of course she would have to be new. Even ignoring the fact that he doesn't see himself as being remotely equipped to explain this place, being fairly new to Tabula Rasa himself, it really, really sucks, leaving him wondering what the hell he can say to that, where he's even supposed to start. She just told him that she had a shitty night, and he's about to make it a whole lot worse. Despite the fact that he doesn't so much as know her name, it's hard not to feel guilty for that, because whatever she was just going through, she definitely doesn't deserve to have this added on to it.

"You don't need to apologize," he says with a slight shake of his head, that seeming like the simplest, most direct place to begin. "There's nothing to be sorry for." He certainly can't fault her for crying, even if he doesn't know what prompted it. If anything, he wants to apologize, though he curbs the instinct for now, as well as the one that has him nearly reaching for her hand, fingers stilling awkwardly in the air for a few seconds before he drops them to the sand. "I... Look, I can tell you where you are, but it's... gonna be kind of a long story, so... Do you want me to help you up, find somewhere better to sit? Or do you think your ankle isn't up for it?"

[floozyfacade]

Olive blinks at him, wide-eyed, as if she doesn't quite understand, although the only thing she doesn't get is why he's being so nice to her. The kindness of strangers suddenly seems vastly underrated, even if her mind's full of possibilities as to how she got here (could there have been something in her drink? Did Anson put it there? God, this is like that book she read about prostitution at the turn of the 20th century when they lured the girls somewhere with promises of safety and then ruined them so they had no choice but to become ladies of the evening and her brain is most definitely running away with her again).

"I, I can walk," she stammers, although she isn't altogether certain. It was a sharp twist and she's wearing high heels. "Yeah, um... if you could help me up, that would be, that would be great, thank you." She reaches for her fallen property, stuffing it quickly back into her bag, hefting the strap onto her shoulder before she extends a hand tentatively toward him.

[pointzerothree]

Though he doesn't actually know where they'll go, Eduardo takes this as a good sign, managing the barest hint of a smile as he nods once. There's the Compound, but it's far, and this doesn't strike him as the kind of thing to explain while on the move; there's his place, but it's a small hut, probably not the best setting for it, either. The only other real option is somewhere else down the beach, not just at the edge of the path, but he isn't sure he likes that much, either, and so he figures there isn't any way to decide preemptively. He'll have to see what happens, as much as that only adds to the nervousness he already feels at the prospect of having to explain the island to someone so obviously distraught.

"Yeah, of course," he answers easily, not quite dismissive of her gratitude, though it does seem to him like the very least he could do. Half-standing, he then takes her outstretched hand, careful as he tries to help guide her to her feet. She's said she can walk, but just in case her ankle gives out, he wants to be ready to support her weight so she doesn't take another fall. "I'm Eduardo, by the way," he adds, thinking they should at least exchange names before he jumps into the subject of pocket universes and magic islands. "Eduardo Saverin."

[floozyfacade]

In spite of her overactive imagination, there's something reassuring about someone holding onto her hand. Olive's already lost somewhere between feeling like she's imposing and worrying that the night's only going to get worse, but even though Eduardo's a stranger, it helps to feel a little bit less alone. Even so, she tries to keep her grasp on his hand light, but it tightens as she stands, blanching as she stumbles forward. It hurts now, putting weight on her ankle, so she tries not to, but her ankle really seems like the least of her problems when she's hanging onto a guy she doesn't know after being accosted by one she's known virtually her whole life, stranded in the unfamiliar dark. The thought makes her throat go tight again, but at least she can walk this one off.

"Getting up might not have been my brightest idea," she admits when she's regained her balance, letting him support her though she feels guilty for it. All the same, she can't just sit around on the ground all night. She huffs out a breath and looks up (god, he's tall, a couple inches over her even when she has these ridiculous shoes on; she bites her lip against that incongruous thought and the twinge of pain running up her leg). "Olive. My name is - I'm Olive. Penderghast."

[pointzerothree]

"Careful," Eduardo says quickly when she seems to be losing her balance, eyebrows raising in concern. That she manages to stay on her feet is a relief, probably means there's no serious damage done to the ankle; the extra weight he's supporting now to keep her standing up is nothing of consequence, and something he'd been expecting, anyway. It does mean that the Compound is almost certainly too far, though, especially while the only shoes she has are heels, and he thinks about his hut again, maybe just letting her stay there. He can spend a night in the Compound with no problem. Chances are, she might not want to deal with all of that yet, anyway, the people and the nature of the building itself, the things in it. She's had a long night, and it's about to get even worse.

He doesn't start walking yet, though, wanting to be positive that she's stable first. "Olive," he repeats, trying for a little more of a smile. "It's - it's nice to meet you, though I wish it were... under better circumstances, for you. Would it help to hold on to my arm or something instead?"

[floozyfacade]

Olive nods, shifting her weight to her uninjured leg as lets go of his hand to hold onto his arm. He can't be all that much older than her, but she's never seen him before. Ojai's not that small a town, she's sure there are plenty of people she doesn't know, but within range of her own age group, it's a little worrying anyway. A moment later, it becomes a relief as she realizes it means he doesn't go to Ojai North. She might not know everyone there by name, but she knows faces; this is one rumor that won't make it back to the wolf pack, at least.

"That's a little ominous," she says, shaky still, but calmer with the effort it takes to stay on her feet without relying too much on Eduardo's support. She finds herself wishing she had thought to wear a sweater tonight, folding her free arm tight against her chest; it was a perfectly pleasant evening when she left the house, but it's always so much colder by the beach at night. "And vague. And you - you are being really nice and I appreciate it, but ominous and vague is, it's kinda freaking me out."

[pointzerothree]

"Oh, no, that's not -" Eduardo starts, but cuts himself off quickly. The whole thing is ominous and vague and he can't deny it, even having been referring to something else. "I meant with you saying you had a shitty night, not, not the being here." Not that she even knows where here is, yet, which is something he really needs to change, but he wants to do so in the best way possible, the least freaky, and she's still only just stopped crying. Then again, maybe telling her now would be best, before she has to see any more of this place. He doesn't have the first idea how anyone could do this on a regular basis, his own introduction to the island lost in the haze of the fight that preceded it, but he pushes that thought away quickly, not needing to dwell on Mark and Facebook when he has an injured and still uneasy girl holding onto his arm.

Inhaling deeply, he looks down to ensure that he's met her gaze, still hesitating to start down the path just yet. "The being here part, that's going to sound... well, crazy," he continues, nothing short of remorseful and well aware that he's really only proving her point. "But I promise you, it's true."

[floozyfacade]

"Yeah, that's, that's not really reassuring me any," Olive says. He's not exactly intimidating, at least, for which she's immensely grateful; she couldn't get far fast in these shoes on a normal day, nevermind with a twisted ankle on sand. The only thing all this confusion is good for is distracting her from exactly how terrible her night has already been.

I don't really have much choice but to trust Eduardo like he asks, which is... a lot easier than it should be. I mean, all my alarm bells should be ringing, because if he says it sounds crazy, there's a strong chance here it's just plain crazy. But I do, I trust him. I don't know, maybe it's just that he actually seems really nice. Maybe I just need him to be. After what just happened, the way everything's been this week, potentially having been kidnapped, I - I just... really need a nice guy in my corner. Even if it's only just for a few minutes.

She meets his gaze steadily enough, though her eyes are wide, her features still drawn. "How crazy are we talking here? Should I sit down again?"

[pointzerothree]

"Uh, no, no, it's - I mean, if you want to, then sure, but with the sand, that's - it's up to you," Eduardo answers, cringing at how awkward he knows he has to sound. He's just entirely unprepared for this, and as if to compensate, wants to make this as easy as possible for her, reasonably certain that the news won't go over especially well, if only because she was already so upset. Unable to help continuing to feel guilty for what he's about to tell her, he can only hope that she doesn't freak out or start crying again; he doesn't know her, not anything beyond her name, but the last thing he wants is to make her cry.

Again, he takes a deep breath, and swallows heavily, eyes closing for a moment before he meets hers again. "We're talking very crazy," he says, the most direct response he's got. "I know right now you think you got lost, but... That's not actually the case."

[floozyfacade]

"So what are you saying?" Olive asks, not daring yet to look away from Eduardo at the trees around them. There's the beach and there are palm trees and that's about as much resemblance as this place bears to California, and anyway, deep down, in a way that makes her gut twist, she knows even that doesn't add up. Ojai's not far from the shore in the grand scheme of things, but it's still a decent drive to get there. "What, like, I've, I've been kidnapped or something?"

She has trouble imagining that's actually the case either, but it's the only reasonable explanation she can imagine at this point in time. That alone should be cause for her to let go, but she just holds onto his arm a little tighter, as if his answer might knock her over. There's no point in running. She's hurt and the jungle is dark and unfamiliar; she's not navigating that alone.

[pointzerothree]

"Jesus, no," Eduardo is quick to reply, with a laugh that sounds anything but amused, short and breathy and nervous, more than a little taken aback. With the way she's still holding on to him, he doesn't think it's an accusation, at least not one directed at him, but it's still a serious possibility to be throwing around. For her to even entertain the notion that he might have abducted her won't help the situation any. His tone is more even when he continues, something he manages solely for her sake. "No, it's nothing like that. I mean, it's crazy, but you're - you're safe. I promise."

It's the best thing he can think to say, meant to be reassuring but more importantly true. He just hopes it accomplishes what he means it to. With his free hand, he starts to reach for her arm, only then remembering that he's still holding an orange and a hair tie; he holds those out, instead, though the gesture is slightly stilted, since it wasn't his original intention. "It's more like... Have you ever watched any science fiction?"

[floozyfacade]

Olive's this close to going off again, though it takes her a moment to pinpoint the reason why the tears start welling up again. Safe. God, it has been a terrible night, if that's all it takes, when she's felt safe her entire life. She doesn't really believe Anson would have forced her into anything (he's a dick, she won't deny that, but she can't really think he's that bad a person), but the fact of it and the feeling are two different things and she's unsteady still, looking away so Eduardo won't see her blinking hard to clear her vision. Taking the offered items, she drops them back into her bag, forcing herself to focus on his question. She's safe - on edge, but safe.

"Uh, yeah," she says, pushing herself to answer him. "A - a little. I mean, I'm not like, a sci-fi aficionado or anything, but I've... seen things." She heaves a sigh, tipping her chin up to look at him again, almost defiant - not toward him, but toward whatever's happening here. Just roll with it, she thinks. She always does. It doesn't make sense now, but explanations rarely do at the beginning.

[pointzerothree]

Eduardo isn't sure what difference it makes, really, except that it's something close to how it was presented to him, making it the best idea he has for how to lead into it. For a moment, though, his attention is solely on her, mouth pressed into a tight frown as he watches her. That she's a stranger doesn't make him any less concerned; that there's no one else around and she's leaning on him only make him more so. It's a quick way of getting involved, finding someone so upset, and he's always been protective. There's no way he wouldn't want to make sure she's alright.

"Right," he says quietly, as much to himself as to her, the hand that's now free resting lightly over hers. "You are... The best way I've heard it described is... Well, you are on an island, which is a pocket universe. No one knows how people get here, they just do. Show up, like you did." He pauses, then asks, "You okay?" He'll have a whole lot more to tell, but for the time being, she more than the story is his primary concern. She looks like she has enough to handle already without him overloading her with facts.

[floozyfacade]

"I just tripped," Olive says, shaking her head a little. She seems to hear herself from a distance, a thin thread of panic pulled tight in her, voice rising though she tries to keep it down for his sake. She's not about to yell at the guy helping her, least of all when he's standing so close. "I didn't - I was walking and I tripped. That shouldn't open up a portal to a- another universe. I mean, I've been doing that pretty much since, uh, since I could walk and there were never any - what the hell is a pocket universe?"

Rolling with it turns out to be a lot easier thought than done for once. There are way too many questions here for her simply to accept it all. It's better than answering his question, though. She's not okay, aware of both the barely-there throbbing in her ankle and the slight, warm weight of his hand on hers, which is, at present, more distracting than comforting. She has a vague idea what he's talking about, but it doesn't seem like anything she should be able to apply to herself or this night and she wishes she could believe he's joking. He seems entirely in earnest, though, and this is too elaborate to be some stranger's idea of a prank.

[pointzerothree]

"It's sort of a - it exists outside of -" Eduardo stammers, wincing, but he loses the train of thought. Somewhere, he has an actual answer, but despite the question, he doubts the specifics will help her much. That people come from all different universes is a point he's definitely saving until later, until she's managed to process just this much. It's a place that starts off crazy and only gets crazier, a fact he's witnessed firsthand, now; the crazier part just isn't immediately important. "It's not a portal so much as a... Something splits. I walked through a door, you tripped, and we both wound up here, but back home, things keep going. It isn't like you just disappeared. I know, I know, it's completely insane. I didn't believe it at first, either. And like I said, there's no actual scientific explanation for it, but..."