kenoslogs | and if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones [CLOSED-ISH]

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and if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones [CLOSED-ISH]

WHO: Chloe, Ann, Subaru, maybe others?
WHAT: One surly punk's arrival and adjustment in the days leading up to Shit Going Down between factions
WHEN: Vaguely early February/mid-Emru
WHERE: Tree of Life, Highstorm, maybe other locations

Closed starters here for stuff Chloe's getting up to before the event. If you want a thread with her, wildcard something here or let me know and I'll toss a starter up!

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[“Safe.” She doesn’t feel safe, and that much is clear from the way she rocks back at the sudden approach of someone unfamiliar, one arm raised up defensively. But… aside from the two of them, it’s quiet. The girl doesn’t look like she’s out to get her. Safety might be real relative in these circumstances, but she can at least feel that she’s not in imminent danger. So she lets that arm drop back to her side, but there’s still clear suspicion behind her eyes.]

What—

[Fuck. Deep breath, chill out girl. The initial surge of panic that kickstarted her adrenaline-fueled escape is leveling back out, but there’s still a faint background hum of it lingering.]

Where the hell are we?

['Safe' is a very relative term considering their current predictament, but... In terms of immediate threats, at least, it's not exactly inaccurate. Ann hangs back to give her some space while she gets her bearings, holding up her hands to show she's unarmed and not about to hurt her.]

Do you remember having a weird dream before you woke up? [Ann pauses. She doesn't want to say that it's true when there's still a lot she's struggling to believe about their situation, but she lets the implication at least hang in the air before continuing.] We're... far away from home. They said this place is called 'Kenos'.

[She takes another breath, and exhales it in a bitter laugh.]

So, what, that was real? Everything back home is… is just fucking gone?

[Because that had been the feeling that freaky dream had left her with. If she hadn’t seen first hand just how willing reality was to tear shit up when something goes wrong, she’d be calling bullshit on all of this right now. But this right here doesn’t feel like part of the dream. The humidity in the air, the dirt clinging to her, the ache in her fingers after tearing her way free—that all feels way too real.

Why would it even happen, though? What would—

She tenses for just a moment, then abruptly tries to push herself up onto shaky feet, head whipping around as if in search of something—someone—here amidst the enormous roots.

Max, what the hell did you do?]

That's what I was told, but I don't know for sure.

[And Ann doesn't trust a single authority figure here until proven otherwise, especially with how unfamiliar this place is and how much pressure there is to pick a side. She doesn't like it. Though she's soon distracted from elaborating when Chloe begins looking around.]

Oh-- I think it's just us here. I was waiting here for a little while, so...

[Is she worried someone else might burst out of the dirt and jumpscare them? Valid!!]

[Chloe will have to contend with how much she wants to believe all of that once she’s had some time to get her shit together… but so far, she’d be willing to buy almost anything. She thought life could not get more fucked up, but as always, it’s raring to prove her wrong.

The news that the two of them are seemingly alone here causes some of the tension to slump out of her shoulders and an almost crestfallen expression slides onto her face. Blue eyes drift back over to the other girl, a little bit of desperation there as she beseeches her.]

You really didn’t see anyone else climbing out of the ground here? No mousy, hipster girl with brown hair? Nothing?

[Damn it, she had been right there with her before all of this… she was sure of it.]

[That's kind of a backhanded description, isn't it... Ann tilts her head a little, as if puzzled, but opts not to ask too many questions for now, when this girl looks desperate as it is.]

No, sorry. [Her expression softens, then she adds by way of encouragement:] But... Don't give up yet! I haven't been here all day, so maybe she left before I got here?

[It's a trend among new arrivals to look for others they recognise, so she doesn't mind adding another to the list.]

I mean, there's a guy I know from home, but I didn't bump into him until I started exploring.

[The confirmation just has Chloe gritting her teeth and almost starting to glance around a little more desperately before that encouragement comes along.

Does she fully believe it’s possible? If she’s being honest, no, not at all; her luck is way too shit for hope like that to get her anywhere. But if this stranger’s had a little taste of that luck finding someone she knows, then maybe…

She sighs and rubs at her face a little wearily.]

That would make more sense, I guess. She’s always been a step ahead when weird shit happens…

[She pulls her hand back from her face, grimacing as she realizes she probably just smeared more dirt all over herself. Whatever, that’s the least of her worries when she’s just dug herself out of a grave at the foot of a monstrously huge tree.]

Dude, I did not think my life could get any more insane.

Ahaha... I know the feeling.

[The laugh sounds a little forced and nervous, if anything, but she's trying to stay cheerful. The other girl's taking this well, all things considered, which is probably a good thing, because Ann has no idea what she'd do if she started panicking.]

Oh-- I'm Ann, by the way. Do you want to come with me? I can show you around and help you get cleaned up.

[Oh, the urge to panic is sitting right there under the surface, but that little light of hope that Max might be out and about somewhere around here is more steadying than she realized. Meltdown postponed, even if there’s still some clear worry there in her eyes.]

…Chloe. And god yes, get me the hell out of here.

[She pauses to glance toward one of the nearby roots, following it to the main body of the Tree and up along its impressive height.]

Please tell me we’re close to somewhere more civilized than this.

Yeah! I can take you to a city called Springstar.

[Ann's really doing her best to keep up the forced cheer here...! So she gestures for her to follow her out of the roots. She's not kidding about the lack of civilisation -- at least once, Ann's boot sinks into the soft mossy earth enough that she stumbles. At other point her pigtail gets caught on an exposed root, and she has to untangle herself with a disgruntled 'uuuugh'.]

I'm so going to need a shower too by the time we're done here... The cornerstone's not far, though, and it'll take us there in no time.

[The comment about a shower gets a dry laugh from Chloe, because she’s feeling like she’s gonna need ten showers to get clean after this herself. She doesn’t even want to think about how much of a pain in the ass it’s gonna be to get this sap out of her hair, ugh…

But otherwise she follows along the path Ann leads them on, gaze scanning ahead a little warily in part, but mostly in hopes that she’ll catch some sort of glance of this Springstar place on the horizon. It’s just a lot of dirt and roots so far though, so it’s not exactly instilling her with confidence.]

Cornerstone? [Her attention drifts back Ann’s way.] Kind of a weird name for transportation.

[If it’s something that’s supposed to take them there, Chloe’s picturing something like. A bus. Or a train. Oh boy…]

Honestly, it's hard to explain, so it'll be easier if I just show you. Oh -- I think this might be a shortcut!

[Getting tired of the route through the roots, Ann spots what looks like a quicker way out. She ducks under some low growth and then pulls herself up a steep slope of mossy earth until she emerges and finds herself back on the platform outside the tree. She turns to peek back down.]

Can you manage? [She's not trying to baby her or anything, but waking up here for the first time can be a pretty disorienting experience, so Ann's ready to help pull her up if need be.]

[Fuck yeah, she’ll be down for a shortcut. This little hike of theirs is turning into the realization of how tired she is after clawing her way out of the dirt. Anything that brings them to civilization faster is great in her books.

Even if it means something of a steep climb. Chloe’s gritting her teeth a little and sighing internally while Ann makes the trip up. There’s something stubborn or prideful that refuses to admit how beat she’s feeling already, so she waves off the question as she begins tackling the mossy slope herself.]

Yeah, I got this.

[And to her credit, she’s managing… even if it’s feeling a bit precarious. She might be wordlessly holding out a hand for a little help on that last stretch, though.]

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and if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones [CLOSED-ISH]

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sorry for the delay holy moly

all good!

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