// 001. Video

[girl_unlocking]

[She's fearful of it - this hodgepodge oddity on the table in front of her. Experience tells her that it's probably dangerous. But then again experience tells her that she's suddenly in a strange room and that her head hurts very badly. And that her nose is bleeding.]

[Am I dreaming?]*click

Comments

[voice]

[couragetodare]

This is Anatole! S'pretty crappy sometimes but it's not really Hell. [Pause.] Mostly.

[Another pause.] Oi, are you okay? You sound kinda freaked out! I mean that's normal and all, but are you hurt?

Re: [voice]

[girl_unlocking]

[Ana-huh? Well hey, that's good. It has a name. Because Hells don't usually have ...names. Except um, well, Hell and ...uh... I'm not really sure...]

Anatole.

[Pause.]

Um. Anatole's not anywhere near California, is it?

[Another pause, as she turns toward the screen.]

[Mostly?]

I...I guess I'm okay. My limbs are all...yeah. I hit my head on something...

[On the way here. A few times, I think. Also, there was skidding. And then came the smacking into--- ]

[Presses her sleeve to her nose, she nods.]

As long as I'm not in an evil room, I think so. Who ...is this?

[voice]

[couragetodare]

Cali- Where? [That. Might answer that question.] I don't think so! Never heard of Cal-ifff...forna? Wherever that is.

[She doesn't sound all that certain. And, there is that nosebleed. So Naruto sounds dubious here.] You might wanna see a medic just in case. Better safe than sorry and all, right?

Evil room? {Some silence.] I don't think the room is evil.

Oh! Shit, sorry! Name's Naruto! What about you? What do I call you?

Re: [voice]

[girl_unlocking]

[He's never heard of----]

Wherever that is!

[A panicked sort of laugh escapes her lips. Somehow she just can't stop it, and it doesn't seem to matter all that much that she's a nosebleedy, laughing crazyperson in a room she's never seen before that probably isn't evil.]

I'm Dawn. [An attempt to stifle the laughter] I'm sorry ....I think I'm just. Oh, losing my mind. Freaking out a little. I didn't expect you to say...

[giggle]

Naruto? That's ...a nice name.

So. If I. Wanted. You know ....to see a medic? D-do I call one through this?

[taps on the screen]

[voice]

[firebornfidelis]

You're not dead and you're not in Hell. But you are far from home.

Do you need any help?

Re: [voice]

[girl_unlocking]

Ye--

--no. Um. I don't know. Do I?

Need help?

[Not dead. That's good. And not-Hell is ...also good.]

How ....far is "far" exactly?

[voice]

[firebornfidelis]

Your nose is bleeding. Are you hurt?

... a world away. And there's no way back that we've been able to find yet.

My name is Riza. Can you tell me yours?

[Could be checking for a concussion there. It's fair to say Riza's a little worried.]

Re: [voice]

[girl_unlocking]

[looks at her bloodied sleeve]

Oh. Yeah. It's not that bad, I think I---

[No way back that we've been able to find yet?]

Yet? Well, yet is good.

[No way back.]

At least there's a yet. I mean if there were no yet---

[a fresh burst of laughter erupts from her lips, and she covers her mouth with a shaking, slightly bloodied hand.]

--well then I'd really be in trouble, right?

[No way.]

Huh. I'm hallucinating such pretty names, Riza. Pretty hair, too. Yay...pink.

[Her voice grows more faraway as she stares off past the odd little device she's talking at.]

[Go team pink hair.]

I'm just Dawn.

[princely_calyx]

It's a Forge. It's kinda like a cell phone - sort of...

Anyway! I'm Utena! Oh - [Switches to video, just having a voice come out of the device she's already afraid of probably isn't helping. So have a girl with large blue eyes and very pink hair fill the screen. Her expression is a little concerned but friendly.]

You're not dead. Well, as far as I know. You're in a place called Anatole. Here - Text Link! - That should tell you most of what you need to know.

Are you okay? I can send for a doctor or something.

[girl_unlocking]

Utena?

A Forge.

A Forge?

This is a forge.

[blink]

I-it's got pictures, too. That's neat. You have pink hair. That's ...neat, too.

A-and I can click on the little---ooh, links. Links are good. Let's see.

[Anatole. Endless stay. Outlanders. Scorched. Words words words. Oh, here it is Forge. Wait -- what?]

Endless stay. That's. That's funny.

[very faraway]

How come when I dream I never get to have the cool hair?

[She's looking past the pretty girl on the screen, and talking to no one in particular]

...where's Spike?

[Maybe he's out getting the doctor.]

[video]

[princely_calyx]

[A little sadness shows on her face now. This girl is a bit more messed up than Utena first thought.]

Er, thanks. About the hair. Do you have a name?

...I don't know who Spike is and I haven't heard of anyone by that name here. I- is he someone from back where you were?

[Pause and a sigh. She doesn't like explaining this part as it picks at some old wounds of hers as well. But best to get it out. It wouldn't do the girl any favors by not telling her.]

Look, anyone you knew back where ever you're from is probably not here. Probably, though! Someone might show up. It's just, the Door takes people at random. Some people here have a lot of friends from where they were and some - like me - don't.

...And this isn't a dream, or Hell, or anything. It just is. Do you know where you are yet? What apartment, I mean? You need help.

[Utena isn't too far from the outlander apartments, she could jog over in about 10 minutes. And bring the poor girl some food. That might settle her a little.]

Re: [video]

[girl_unlocking]

[A little less faraway, now]

I'm Dawn. I think I'm still Dawn.

Spike's....

[She trails off, blinking.]

I...I don't know. Outlander...um....h-how do I find the number? Is there a place I could look besides the door? I don't want to open the door yet. I think there might be demons outside.

You're ...alone here?

[I should have made you up with friends. That's not very nice of me. I could at least give the hallucination with the pretty hair some people from ...her place...]

Did...you meet demons here too?

[video]

[thejewelergem]

It's not Hell, it's Anatole. I don't think Hell has this many--[hold on, he's swiping something off his face. And leaving a couple of smears of oil across his cheek as he does.]--cobwebs. Shit! [He yanks his hand up to his mouth and sucks on a knuckle, then pulls it back to check for bleeding before looking past the screen.] That's it, I can't do this one-handed. Stupid snapbacks . . . You're new here, aren't you?

Re: [video]

[girl_unlocking]

[blink]

Uh-huh.

[nod]

I'm sorry about the cobwebs.

[Her eyes close tightly, bloodied nose scrunching. Lips pursed, she holds the pose for a moment longer before opening one eye.]

Are they gone now?

Re: [video]

[thejewelergem]

It's not your fault, I just think nobody's touched this building in ages---you're bleeding!! [ALARM.] Do you need help???

Re: [video]

[girl_unlocking]

There's --someone coming.

She said her name is Riza. And there was another...

[Ow. Damn.]

It's just my nose. And maybe my head, I don't know.

I kind of ...fell on my head. Through a door. I thought I hit it pretty bad and it hurts but ...I don't think it's as bad as I...

...well, maybe it is. I mean. I'm hallucinating all of you. So maybe it is bad.

[ audio ]

[suicide_tryst]

Nope, you're not dead!

Though sometimes you'll wish you were.

Re: [ audio ]

[girl_unlocking]

Oh.

Yay for another vote of not dead.

[I can't do this again. not alone. Not without Buffy. This is hard and I'm scared and it sucks and---]

...you mean when the ...the demons come, don't you?

[ audio ]

[suicide_tryst]

What demons?

Re: [ audio ]

[girl_unlocking]

...the one that said it wanted to eat me. B-but only if it's Monday. ??!!! There were are lots of demons back home in Sunnydale.

There's a Hellmouth. It happens.