(Untitled)

[keep_hallways]

Who: blackantiquas and whomever cares to join him.
What: Keeping safe in the warm Keep.
When: Mid-morning on the 23rd onwards.
Where: The Great Hall, in the Great Keep

Comments

[agentknockknock]

If she had been acting smart she would have stayed safely hidden in her room. Well alright if she was really as smart as she thought she was, then she would have found a way out of here by now. But that thought wasn't exactly helping her right now.

Anyway, the point was it would have been smarter to stay in her room. That's what she'd done for the invasion of the zombies, and it had worked out pretty well. This time was different though. She had people she cared about, and she needed to see them alive. Plus sitting in a dark room, alone, while something invaded the keep wasn't exactly comforting.

Using the static from her Farnsworth wasn't exactly the best way to keep from running into walls, but it kept her alive. Claudia managed to stumble her way into the great hall. She took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright lights before scanning for some familiar faces.

[stillseecracks]

Xanth had been watching the door for anyone he knew. Kairi and Ironhide were accounted for, but he hadn't seen Bobby, or Chloe, or Riku... and that was all worrying. His eyes were peeled for anyone he knew.

But he didn't know this person. Her face was familiar, yes, but her name didn't come to him. All the same, Xanth shrugged off his blanket and went her way.

"H-Hey," he said with a lopsided smile. "A-Are you, uh-- l-looking for-- a-anyone?"

[agentknockknock]

Hey, someone walking toward her. It was, uh, that one guy? She was sure she'd met him and she was really sure he had a name. She just wasn't sure what his name was. Crap.

She answers him, but she scans faces around the room, instead of looking at him.

Hey, you haven't seen Bobby or Ezra around have you? Or Sollux or Malkus?

[She chews a little on her lip in worry.]

[stillseecracks]

Xanth's own habit triggered, he bit his own lip. "N-No. I-- I-I was-- looking for Bobby too, a-actually, but-- I-I haven't seen him around. O-Or any of-- y-your other friends." He glanced at the ground and shifted his feet. "S-- Sorry."

That she hasn't seen Bobby was worrying. Bobby might be safe from the cold, maybe, Xanth didn't know how his powers worked, but the darkness was different.

[agentknockknock]

[Claudia drops her head back, shuts her eyes and mutters.]

Frak.

[She pauses, and takes a deep breath. They'll be ok. They know how to take care of themselves.

Nope, that wasn't making her feel any better. Maybe if she just keeps repeating it to herself?

She lets her breath out slowly and looks back at What's His Name.]

Thanks anyway. You ok?

[stillseecracks]

Oh-- y-yeah. I, um, I've been-- here, f-for a while.

[He nods back towards the fire and the pile of blankets.]

It's-- a-a good place to... t-take a rest. W-Warm up. You-- y-you know. There's-- there's food, i-if you want s--some.

[agentknockknock]

So basically they couldn't have slipped in and left before you got here?

[Feeling defeated, she really looks around the room, instead of just at the people. He wasn't lying, it was a good place to rest. Too bad all she was too worried to rest. But wandering around alone didn't sound like a genius plan either.]

Yeah, thanks.

[stillseecracks]

Oh-- well-- m-maybe they could have, I-I guess? I-- I wasn't here a-all the-- time...

[He glances around the room with new eyes. But just because someone was here didn't make them any easier to find now...]

[agentknockknock]

I'm gonna say, he was here. Didn't find anyone, so he went out searching. Because Bobby is an idiot like that. He's fine, totally fine, obviously.

[Ok there were so many holes in that theory it was sorta pathetic. But it was the best she could come up with. And she could choose to ignore logic right now.]

[stillseecracks]

[Xanth sees those logic holes, but he can't point them out. That would be too cruel.]

Y--Yeah. He's-- fine. I-I... I bet they-- they all are.

[Now that? That was stupidly optimistic. He doesn't even believe it.

But it's better than even speaking of the opposite.]

[agentknockknock]

[She gives him an appreciative smile. She knows her theory has more holes in it than she'd like to admit. She likes her made up world. Things are better there, ssshh.]

Thanks.

[Right, Claudia, now would be a good time to check on him. Basic social etiquette.]

Did you find your friends, besides Bobby?

[stillseecracks]

S--Some of them, y-yeah. Others...

[Of some others, he hasn't seen hair or hide.]

W-Well, they-- they're-- a-around. P-Probably.

[And then he perks up! An idea's hit him.]

W-Wait-- h-how about... we help e-- each other?

[agentknockknock]

[Something other that staring blankly at a wall hoping her friends walk in? Yeah she'll take that. She brightens up.]

What did you have in-mind?

[stillseecracks]

W-Well, just-- y-you keep an eye out f-for-- for me, I-- I keep an eye out... f-for you?

[agentknockknock]

I was hoping for something more like attacking things with nunchuks. But that'll probably work better.

[She's feeling pretty frustrated. She doesn't like being useless.]

[stillseecracks]

I, I-I don't-- I don't think they h-have those... h-here.

[Whatever they are.]

They've-- g-got other stuff? I-If you... want a w--weapon?