Okay, so being a bit in a mood didn't mean she shouldn't be nice to the new arrivals, right?
"As impressive as your shiny knife is, I don't think it's really needed," Cordelia said, smiling - even if her smile was a bit forced at this point. "You're... pretty safe here."
It didn't reassure her, being told that, especially not by someone over the strange tablet she'd picked up just moments before. Sarah had spent her life being suspicious, and for good reason. "Where exactly is here?"
"Taxon, Alien-Land, Land of the Ever Rising Population of Kidnapped People." Well, those were just some of the names she came up with for the place. Cordelia hesitated about telling the newbie that they might not even be on Earth anymore, but decided that 'Alien-Land' probably covered that already.
"Some pretty smart names there," she quipped, belying none of her worry. Nothing she said sounded reassuring. It simply put Sarah more on her guard, slipping her knife back into the small of her back for moment. "Jenny," she said it reflexively, "Jenny Burton."
"Well, Jenny. Jenny Burton," she teased, "you know, Taxon's not just confined in that four boring and space age-y corners. There's a lot more to see outside. You've already got your tablet with you, so... door's already open, right? Go towards it."
Cordelia briefly wondered if Jenny already knew someone who had already been kidnapped and brought in this place, too. Would've made adjusting a hell lot easier.
Sarah hated that name. She hated being called it, and that she'd given it- she'd think about that later. "Down the rabbit hole," her words were nearly beneath her breath, her bare feet silent as she looked through the door to make sure it was safe. Safe. A strange concept here.
"So, Cordelia, is this how it works?" She spoke as she stepped through, scanning the area for anything familiar. Anything that would give her a clue as to just where she rally was. "Because it's not very reassuring."
"I think you're giving normal a definition that I'm not exactly used to," her words were as wry as her half smile. "If you're calling any of this normal."
There were a few things she was sure of. Cordelia, whoever she was, wasn't the person who'd brought her here. Just instincts, but she trusted those instincts. "First things first. What exactly is Taxon? A corporation? Why do they bring us here?" The building reminded her more of a lab or some CIA research facility than anything else.
She grinned. Having been a purebred Sunnydale alumni plus working with a vampire to battle the seedy, demon-y parts of LA? Wasn't something anyone would call normal - except those who get to experience the thrill of having hunted and killed demons for a living. "Maybe I am," she said. "Although... you'll find out, eventually."
At the word 'corporation', Cordelia frowned and rolled her eyes. "Please. Thankfully I have yet to see evil lawyers walking around, so no. This isn't a corporation." She bit her lip. "No one knows why we've been brought in here. It just... happened. One day you're busy living your life, then, poof - metal-y goodness."
"Still not very reassuring," not that she imagined there was a way to be. Nothing that Cordelia told her made sense, warring against everything she knew was possible.
"That's impossible. Not that I'm saying I'm this isn't real," the cold of the floor beneath her feet and the sounds of people in rooms she hadn't yet reached told her that it was as real as anything else she'd known. "How many are here?"
"Sorry." Cordelia shrugged. "Believe me, if I have something better? I would've. As it is... I'm still as clueless as you are. And I've been here a couple of months now."
She looked up, apparently in deep thought. "Well, counting those who have bracelets like you and I do? Probably... less than a hundred." The extras, however? That's another story.
"Great," she muttered, filing that bit of knowledge away for herself. "Not to sound greedy, or anything, but is there at least a place here I can find shoes? Some sort of magically appearing shoe repository? Do our unnamed captors actually provide things for us, or will I have to fight to the death to get what I need." She was joking, of course, her eyebrow raised as she opened the door to what looked like a dorm room. "This walking around barefoot bit is getting old, fast."
"You're barefoot?" Well, that was weird. And... none of her business.
"Well, Jenny, as for the 'magically appearing shoe repository' part? I'm happy to say that there is. There's lots of ATM-like machines in Taxon, and I'm sure you'll find one easily. They have this handprint thingy part - you place your hand on them, think of anything you want - which includes all sorts of branded shoes, FYI - and you'll have them. No money or blood sacrifices required."
"Long story," not so long but she wasn't exactly going to explain.
"Oh good," it wasn't actually relief in her voice, but exasperation. This place was too good to be true and wrong in every way all at once. "Just look for an ATM with a handprint thingy. Any other helpful advice."
"There's also the 'house' part. Or the 'where-in-heck-are-you-going-to-stay-in-this-place part."
It's obvious that she'd given this spiel before. Several times over,, in fact. "In your tablet, there should be... like, a blinking dot. If there is, then that means you've brought a place of your own with you. Like... me, for instance. I brought my apartment with me. Somehow." She gestured vaguely around her, since she was in her apartment at that time. "Makes staying in this place a whole lot easier, let me tell you."
"Blinking dot," she looked at her tablet, tapping it to bring up a map, "No. No blinking dot."
Of course there wouldn't be. She didn't have a home. She didn't have much that was hers. It was all covers and temporary. Her smile was stiff as she looked back to the visual. "Guess that means I'm out on the street."
"As impressive as your shiny knife is, I don't think it's really needed," Cordelia said, smiling - even if her smile was a bit forced at this point. "You're... pretty safe here."
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"I'm Cordelia Chase. And you are...?"
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Cordelia briefly wondered if Jenny already knew someone who had already been kidnapped and brought in this place, too. Would've made adjusting a hell lot easier.
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"So, Cordelia, is this how it works?" She spoke as she stepped through, scanning the area for anything familiar. Anything that would give her a clue as to just where she rally was. "Because it's not very reassuring."
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"But the outside part is bigger, better, and a hell lot more normal than that building." A beat. "Which is scarier, admittedly. In a way."
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There were a few things she was sure of. Cordelia, whoever she was, wasn't the person who'd brought her here. Just instincts, but she trusted those instincts. "First things first. What exactly is Taxon? A corporation? Why do they bring us here?" The building reminded her more of a lab or some CIA research facility than anything else.
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At the word 'corporation', Cordelia frowned and rolled her eyes. "Please. Thankfully I have yet to see evil lawyers walking around, so no. This isn't a corporation." She bit her lip. "No one knows why we've been brought in here. It just... happened. One day you're busy living your life, then, poof - metal-y goodness."
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"That's impossible. Not that I'm saying I'm this isn't real," the cold of the floor beneath her feet and the sounds of people in rooms she hadn't yet reached told her that it was as real as anything else she'd known. "How many are here?"
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She looked up, apparently in deep thought. "Well, counting those who have bracelets like you and I do? Probably... less than a hundred." The extras, however? That's another story.
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"Well, Jenny, as for the 'magically appearing shoe repository' part? I'm happy to say that there is. There's lots of ATM-like machines in Taxon, and I'm sure you'll find one easily. They have this handprint thingy part - you place your hand on them, think of anything you want - which includes all sorts of branded shoes, FYI - and you'll have them. No money or blood sacrifices required."
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"Oh good," it wasn't actually relief in her voice, but exasperation. This place was too good to be true and wrong in every way all at once. "Just look for an ATM with a handprint thingy. Any other helpful advice."
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It's obvious that she'd given this spiel before. Several times over,, in fact. "In your tablet, there should be... like, a blinking dot. If there is, then that means you've brought a place of your own with you. Like... me, for instance. I brought my apartment with me. Somehow." She gestured vaguely around her, since she was in her apartment at that time. "Makes staying in this place a whole lot easier, let me tell you."
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Of course there wouldn't be. She didn't have a home. She didn't have much that was hers. It was all covers and temporary. Her smile was stiff as she looked back to the visual. "Guess that means I'm out on the street."
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