[001] Inexplicable Arrival

[rosesandlimes]

[As soon as she woke up in her cell at the Keep, Iriel counted to ten. It was the only thing that kept her from running out and exposing herself in a potentially hostile environment. While counting, she checked herself for weapons. Bow and quiver, check. Handgun, check. Knife, check. Rifle...missing. The last time she'd had it, it had been kicked

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[helluvachin]

P-Peaches?

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

[She was teasing. It came out more when she was uncomfortable. The carpet had been yanked out from under her and she didn't like it at all.]

Hey, don't get your shorts in a twist, Riah. It's not personal and...you know. This is some weird shit okay?

[And then, after giving him a pointed look, willing him to understand, she continues.]

Weird shit like not everyone being human. Or not having heard of Halis. Gerard.

[Iriel tilted her head and raised an eyebrow way up.]

So where are we? And when did you even get here?

[Commentlog]

[helluvachin]

[Zachariah looked at her and smiled. He understood Iriel, and he didn't mean that to come out as harsh as it did. After all, he was extremely happy to see her even if there were better places for her to be at the moment. Just saying all of this out loud made him realize how crazy it really was.]

They call it Holloways Keep and that's all I know about that. There's some staff working here but all I met was the doc, and I really wasn't in a talking mood at the time.

[Not to mention he was kind of bleeding all over the place.

There was no real answer he could give her and all he did was shrug.]

Magic? Seems about as plausible as anything else.

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

[Well, now that that was out of the way...]

Magic?

[Okay. Time discrepancies. Non-humans. Kidnapping (how had they managed to take her so far away without her waking up?) and now magic?]

So this is the part where I'm pretty sure at least one or both of us is crazy. You haven't been drinking the water have you?

[See that line-face, Riah? That's all for you and this crazy information.]

But whatever. You're acting like you're leading up to something so just put the cards on the table, Riah. I'll keep up.

[Commentlog]

[helluvachin]

[Zachariah chuckled and shook his head. That was actually the most plausible idea he heard since he got here.]

Now there's an idea. Maybe we should let you go without a couple days and see what happens. What do you think?

[Well watch him counter that line-face with a smile. What do you say to that Iriel?]

Right well, if didn't think I was crazy before you probably will now. The people who die in this place, they come back. At first I only heard about and thought they were nuts but...but then I saw it.

Abeni...Abeni is back. She's alive and she's back and she's here at the keep.

[The look on his face was completely serious. He certainly believed what he was saying and he hoped Iriel would too, or at least not write him off completely. Hopefully she wouldn't think he had lost his mind and was no longer trustworthy.]

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

[Iriel snorts.]

Y'know, between the two of us, I think you're the one who needs to stop drinking the water, Riah.

[Her tone was dry, and faintly amused to mask some more serious concern.]

I heard there was no sun either. Is Kobus secretly here as a sequined can can dancer with six legs? The grass is purple? Gravity is optional between the hours of five and eight?

[She shook her head.]

People back from the dead. Levia help us.

[Commentlog]

[helluvachin]

Find me something else to drink and I'll do so happily.

[Zachariah blinked his eyes. That was definitely something he hadn't heard before.]

There's no sun? What?

[After being caught off guard by that he wasn't sure how to respond to everything else.]

Yeah I know how this all sounds. Guess you've got to see it to believe it.

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

That doctor. Bishop? Said there's no sun. Someone told her it blew up and that's why there was dust around or something.

[One story among many that were just damned crazy.]

And yeah, I think in this case I'm going to have to see to believe. Are you sure this Abeni of yours is who she says she is? Not an imposter?

[Hell, for that matter, how did she know that Riah was who he said he was?]

Wouldn't hurt for you to prove you're who you are for that matter.

[So what if he knew her call sign and about Abeni? She wanted more proof dammit and considering all things and how shaken she was by the crazy, Iriel had no qualms demanding he provide it.]

[Commentlog]

[helluvachin]

[He really didn't know why that should be anymore surprising from everything else he learned in this place, but it kind of was. Where was this light coming from then? And the heat? He decided to switch topics before his head started hurting.]

I know Abeni. Just like I know you and Fiel. If someone was impersonating her I would know.

[Of that he had no doubt.

When Iriel asked for proof of his identity he was a bit shocked. There was a part of him that felt hurt that she would ask but, well this is Iriel, and he couldn't blame her for being suspicious all things considered.]

You're really gonna make me do this huh? Alright. [He sighed.] I got my own workshop in Fiel's restaurant where I'll fix anything you guys give me. Not only that but I've been teaching you how to box there. Lately I've been helping you a lot with your cross, which is really starting to pack a punch these days.

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

[She might have been nicer about asking with anyone else. But if it was Riah, he'd understand. He'd know that this was a situation that would make her paranoid, and Iriel knew that he wouldn't begrudge her caution.

What he gave her was enough, thankfully. Enough that she was convinced about him. Iriel sighed and rubbed her face with a groan.]

This situation is a clusterfuck, Riah. It's a goddamn mess and nothing makes sense. Our worlds are gone but somehow they're able to save us?

[Commentlog]

[helluvachin]

[Zachariah shook his head.]

I don't believe for a second that our home is gone. If it was then there's no way you would be here and I refuse to believe that Fiel and the others are gone.

[The conviction in the way he said that made it seem like he was trying to convince himself as well, but he couldn't believe Fiel and Kobus and the resistance were gone, not without some kind of fight. They wouldn't just fade into nothing like a whisper.]

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

[Iriel was extremely pleased that she wasn't the only one that felt that way. If Riah believed, then she could too. Plus, considering the time discrepancies, in a way she could be considered proof that their worlds weren't gone. So. They just had to figure out what game was really afoot.]

Agreed. Someone's toying with people and it's fucking horseshit.

[She heaved a sigh.]

Alright so. Is there anything else I need to know?

[She wants all the facts before formulating a plan.]

And tell me more about Abeni while you're at it. Not every day you hear about dead people back from six-feet-under.

[Commentlog]

[helluvachin]

Same shit different day right?

[They could handle this. After everything he went through, after everything that Iriel had done, there was no way they couldn't handle this. If Iriel believed it then he could too. After all, he couldn't think of anything that stopped her before.]

Break the rules here and you get punished. Nothing like Deadworld, but some of it sounds bad. From what I hear people have been whipped just for starting a fight.

[Maybe it wasn't something that could help them get out of here but it was something she should know. He doubted it would stop her if she really got set on putting her boot up someone's ass but he hoped she would be a little more cautious.]

She showed up a couple weeks after I did. I could barely believe it until I saw her with my own eyes. No one could fake being Abeni, not for a second, and she remembers everything too. Even how she died.

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

[Iriel took everything he said in stride, and at his comment of same shit, different day, she nodded with a snort. No fuckin' kidding.]

So she is who she says she is. If you vouch for her well...that's enough I guess.

[Enough at least that Iriel will consider her and...make her own assessments. Riah had good judgment but it wouldn't hurt to check her out herself. Just in case. In this weird place there was no way Iriel was going to leave something like that to chance.]

Alright. So. I'm going to settle in. At least enough to get an idea of the layout and how things go around here and then we'll talk about getting us all out of here.

[Commentlog]

[helluvachin]

I do.

[For as little as he knew about Abeni's past, he knew her better than anyone else.]

I can help with the layout. The only place I haven't been to here is the forest.

[Plus helping her gave him something to do. Ever since he got the crap kicked out of him the only thing he did was rest and recover. Not doing anything drove him crazy.]

[Commentlog]

[rosesandlimes]

Well alright then. We'll get on that in a bit.

[Iriel exhaled and looked herself over.]

But first thing's first. Do I need to go concealed with my weapons or will no one think twice if I walk around armed?

[She wanted to blend in, but if she could get away with having everything on her, well, then that's what she was going to do.]