001 ][ i see a ghost out on the water, i swear it has my face

[copingskills]

WHO: Elena Gilbert
WHERE: Fountain > Inn > Around the Village
WHEN: Nov 18 - 20th
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: References to death and drowning

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FOUNTAIN - Nov 18th

This had all happened before, this feeling. She was floating, waiting for the darkness to swallow her, only this time she was alone. That made it better, somehow. More peaceful. She didn't have the burden of watching her parents drown with her because of her mistakes, her selfishness.

Her lungs still burned as they screamed for air, and it was the shock of a sudden temperature difference that brought her back briefly from her oxygen-deprived haze. The water had been cold in the river below Wickery Bridge, but not this cold. Not by a long-shot. It felt like a thousand daggers were suddenly stabbing into her skin through the fabric of her drenched clothes as it sucked every last bit of warmth out of her insides.

It was hard to tell which way was up, the depth of the water disorienting, but she felt a gentle push as if she were being guided, and she managed to find the strength for a few weak kicks toward the surface.

Hopefully, someone would be nearby to give her a hand when hers managed to break the surface of the water, despite the storm. At least her bright red scrubs make her easier to see that she might be otherwise.

INN - Nov 19th

With the ice storm still going strong outside, Elena opts to stay inside where it's warm, at least for today. She's got the gist of what's going on, though she's still not convinced that she isn't dead and this is some weird sort of limbo or...whatever.

That said, everything feels very real and there are people to meet and talk to, so she forces herself to stay on the ground floor, trying to eat and drink what she can to get her strength back up and talk to as many people as she can.

They're all in this together, after all.

OUT AND ABOUT - Nov 20th

After the storm clears, Elena takes it upon herself to do a bit of exploring. It's starting to sink in that this is all very real, that she may never make it home, and that nearly everyone she's ever cared about would have very likely all passed by now. If she's being honest with herself, it would have happened sometime in the interim of her fitful sleep after her arrival, but the sheer amount of loss is just too mind-numbing to process all at once.

This is something in her face that she can focus on, at least. Getting a lay of the land and comfortable with her surroundings was important. She couldn't know what might be coming but she could try to be prepared.

She walks along the river, taking in the sights with her hands tucked into the pockets of her peacoat, making sure not to steer too far away or lose sight of the town itself. There would be time for that later, and getting lost in the cold didn't sound like a very good idea.

Comments

Inn

[littledhampir]

Rose too is more or less forced to stay on the ground floor, though her reasons have very little to do with a need to be social. Stairs with a busted ankle were a bitch and when it came to priorities? Food (and warmth after that less than pleasant arrival), trumped her desire to not deal with other people. She should want the company of others, given her life of late but then there'd be questions and that always resulted in more trouble than it was worth.

It was something of a relief to see the other brunette show up here, somebody not only new, like herself, but at least close in age. As selfish as it was to not want to be the only one going through this, selfless was something Rose could be, only in specific circumstances.

It's why she didn't hesitate to grab a seat by Elena when she'd retrieved a bowl of mystery meat stew, Rose setting it and herself down without so much as a question of whether it would be okay to join her. She'd seen Elena trying to converse with others, it's not like the girl was antisocial by nature, or she'd have stuck to her room.

"I keep meaning to ask them what goes into the stew... but after being here a few days I'm thinking I'd rather not know."

[copingskills]

Today it's less of a need to be social and more of a necessity. She could hide away in some corner or room, but that isn't going to help her situation. If anything, it will just isolate her and make everything harder in the long run, so she's going to try and act like everything is normal, even when it so obviously wasn't.

Besides, if she hermits up, she'll think too much and she's not ready to face that. Not yet.

There's a bowl of the stew in front of her as well, but it's barely been touched and likely cold by now. She knows it's wasteful, so she'll just sit here and pick at it until she can manage to get enough down that she doesn't feel guilty.

Elena feels the jolt of someone sitting down with her, her head turning with an expression of mild surprise as she looks at the girl. They have somewhat familiar features, actually, not to mention similar in age. The way she jumps into a conversation almost makes her feel like she's talking to a friend, despite not even knowing the girl's name.

It makes it easier to summon up a smile.

"Whoever does the cooking at least makes it taste fine. That's better than I could do." A cook Elena is not. "So, you're new around here, too?"

[littledhampir]

“Even if they didn’t, it’s not like we’ve got a lot of options.” Shovelling a spoonful into her mouth. It was edible and more than that, she supposed it could be described as homely. The food here reminded her a little of eating at the Belikov home. That brought as much warmth to her as it did a side of despair. It at least had the benefit of not being prepared by some crazy person responsible for her being here. Helped make even the most boring of meals more palatable.

Bobbing her head as she swallowed her mouthful. “Yeah, there’s a few of us.” People new around here. “All showed up, one after the other.” Which was not as much of a pattern as she’d thought it was. There was a reason why Rose was better left to the role of braun rather than brains. Attempts to think her way out of things, rarely went anywhere.

“Though, showed up kind of makes it sound like we had a choice in the matter.” Rose doing very little to hide her disdain. She was refraining from the constant bitching about things here but didn’t mean she wouldn’t seize on an opportunity to make digs.

“I’m Rose.” Skipping the whole rank and serial number style introduction that Sam had used on her. It would never feel normal to throw out the year it was where she was from home. She could handle her share of weird, but there was a line and that was it.

[copingskills]

"Anything's better than going hungry, so I'm not complaining." Not that she was particularly hungry in the present moment, so she forces herself to take another bite as the other girl does, chewing slowly.

The fact that it tasted good made it easier to swallow.

"It's hard to say kidnapped when there's no actual person doing the kidnapping." Showed up worked as well as anything, since she couldn't really recall what had happened between drowning in one body of water and then suddenly being in another one. All she recognized was the temperature of the water dropping.

She manages to smile at the introduction. "Elena. It's nice to meet you."

Inn

[thegreatexperiment]

Sam was not, by her nature, the most social of animals. But when you lived in the inn, you were sort of forced to see people. She figured it was healthy for her. Otherwise, she'd turn into a complete psycho hermit, like many an old vampire.

Even if she wasn't...currently...a vampire.

Thinking about it made her head hurt. Now that she could get headaches. So she tried not to put a lot of thought into it.

At any rate, to prevent herself from going cuckoo-bananas, she made the conscious decision to spend at least an hour a day on the ground floor. Usually, she spent it curled up in a chair in a corner, sketching with her charcoals. But when she came down the steps that afternoon, she spotted a girl who looked close to her age, with the invisible, flashing neon sign over her head that said 'Newbie.'

When no one ever talked to you, you got very good at noticing shit like that.

"Hey," she said, walking over to the girl, shaking a couple of synthetic girls back, behind her shoulder. "You have that n00b smell too you. Who are you?"

There was a reason why Sam wasn't a people person...

[copingskills]

Elena was actively avoiding thinking too much in her time down on the ground floor, too. Getting to know her new neighbors, no matter how weird all of this was, seemed like a better idea than dealing with the fact that she was probably dead, along with nearly everyone she loved.

She wasn't sure this wasn't some kind of weird purgatory thing.

Elena turns to look at the girl as she greets her, tucking a long strand of dark hair behind one ear. She manages what she hopes is a friendly smile; she doesn't need to be a giant debbie-downer on everyone else here. They likely had their own things to deal with.

"That obvious, huh?" At least she knows what a 'noob' is. "I'm Elena."

[thegreatexperiment]

Elena got points for the lingo. But as Sam scanned her face, she decided that this was exactly the kind of girl who would probably have hated her in high school, made fun of her for her lack of boobs.

Because, damn, Elena was breathtaking.

Perfect, even.

Sam shook her head. "Sorry," she muttered. "That came out kind of Bond villain. 'Who are you?' Although, in my defense, normal people say 'nice to meet you' and I would never say something like that in this clown rodeo."

[copingskills]

While Elena wasn't that girl, one of her best friends certainly might have been if their lives hadn't completely exploded in supernatural nonsense.

Her return expression is a sympathetic smile as she tucks a lock of hair behind one ear.

"Don't worry about it. Bond villain didn't even cross my mind." They'd probably involve more threats and guns and such. Maybe even an evil laugh. Elena wasn't particularly well-versed when it came to James Bond movies. "How long have you been stuck in this so called rodeo?"

nov 18 - fountain

[theluckygirl]

There was a point not too long ago when Claire was convinced she was a magnet for people with abilities. She was drawn into a world that people knew existed, but few were able to admit to being actually a part of; almost right in the middle of it all.

And now she was beginning to think that instead of people with abilities back in New York it was putting her by the fountain to help the new ones who arrived, which was, ironically, right in the middle of the village.

Passing by it this time didn't yield any tracks in the snow that led away from it, but there was an odd noise which drew her over quickly once she knew what the sound was; the same sound that meant there was someone underwater. Claire moved quickly towards the edge and peered in.

Whoever it was had forty-five seconds to break the surface or she was going in after them.

Thankfully, that wasn't necessary and Claire grabbed and hauled the woman out as fast as she could before immediately checking her over for signs that she needed more than just dry clothes and warm drink. But the visible exhaustion didn't make it look that way.

Slipping off her coat, the nurse slipped it over the woman and started checking vitals and level of consciousness.

[copingskills]

She could feel herself sinking again just before warmth wrapped around her hand. A moment later and she felt the rest of her body break through the surface of the water, and she did her best to hang on and push on the sides of the fountain to help her rescuer get her out of there.

Which means she barely helped at all due to the biting cold and her near-death experience.

Elena felt the coat go around her, providing at least a bit of protection from the icy rain, but she shuddered beneath it, coughing as she expelled water from her lungs.

It was November, and it hadn't been snowing when she hit the water, so she also looks confused and disoriented, trying to speak as she looks imploringly at the woman who just saved her.

"What happened? Where's Stefan? Is Matt okay?"

fountain

[ethnobotany]

Beverly doesn't usually pull stupid stunts like going out into an ice storm. But it's cold and she's still wondering about the Inn's supply of winter clothes. Sometimes things turn up and one can grab them. Besides that, it makes for a convenient excuse to check the fountain. The Observers have never before seemed to care much about the safety and security of their captives. Why wouldn't they start throwing people into the fountain during an ice storm?

So, it is with her backpack on her back ― and thank goodness they're waterproof backpacks ― that she runs through the streets, stopping at the fountain just to check the surface before continuing on. Except she has to actually alter course when she spots a hand breaking the surface of the water. Dropping her backpack to the side and falling to her knees, she braces herself against the edge of the fountain and reaches in with both arms to grab at the person obviously trying not to drown or freeze. Gritting her teeth, she wraps her fingers around the scrubs and pulls with everything she can, moving to wrap her arms around the body attached as soon as she can and haul the person out of the water as soon as possible.

Stars above, she hates the Observers as much as Q.

[copingskills]

She feels hands and then a sharp tug upward, so when arms wrap around her, she instinctively does the same, her arms slipping weakly around the other woman's neck and holding on as tightly as she can.

It's clear that she's pretty weak and exhausted based on how little tension there is in her arms.

Still, somehow they manage, and as she makes it out of the fountain and only the icy ground beside it, Elena starts to cough violently, water coming up and out of her lungs as she tries to find a way to breathe again.

[ethnobotany]

Something definitely has happened to this person recently, given that lack of tension in her arms, but at least she's got enough strength to hang on at all. Or move. Beverly will take that over pulling a corpse out of the water.

The person ― woman? ― Beverly pulls out, starts coughing and despite the sound, it gives the doctor hope. That means she's expelling the water in her throat and lungs and the less water in there, the more likely she'll be able to breathe. Still, she helps as much as she can, starting to rub at her and encourage the person's body to cooperate and keep moving.

"I need to get you to the Inn," she says firmly, with the tone of a doctor who won't be ignored. "You need warmth and out here isn't going to help. So as soon as you think you can move, let's go." She's not sure she can carry this other person, not fully, but she certainly can be as much of a support as needed while they hurry. Once inside the Inn, Beverly can work on getting both of them dry and warm.

[copingskills]

Finally, instead of a cough, there's the sound of a long and hard gasp, air fully entering her lungs, though there's likely still some water lingering there as she continues to cough to rid herself of the last of it. Her skin is pale and she shivers with cold, intensified by the wind and freezing rain against her soaked clothes.

Elena looks up at the woman who saved her, breath coming quicker now despite the deep chill in her bones, and gives her a shaky nod.

She's glad someone's here to tell her what to do. She's not sure she'd managed right now otherwise. There's a slight tightening of her grip on the woman, indicating that she'll try to at least hold some of her own weight if they can both just get to their feet.

INN

[babyhunter]

Clary found a seat by the fire early that morning. She usually sleeps in but with the raging cold outside and the heat transfer of the fire through the inn, she found it difficult to sleep for very long. She perpetually felt like Lucky from 101 Dalmatian's as they walked through the snow during a snowstorm to escape Cruella De Vil.

She had a few pieces of paper with her and was using the last pencil she had to sketch. The drawing looked a little bit like a city before Clary groaned and pushed the paper away. It was going to be a long day of sitting around, doing nothing.

Clary's head turned when she realized that there was someone sitting close to her and she was being overly dramatic. Her fingers ran through her fiery hair as she sat up a little straighter. "Hi. Feel free to ignore that just now." She leaded forward and collected the papers that had scattered in front of her.

"Are you new? I don't think I've seen you around." Clary spent a lot of time at the inn.

[copingskills]

Elena had never craved coffee more in her entire life, and that was saying something. Sleep hadn't come easy the night before, and there was little to do to keep her energy up in the face of an ice blizzard.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what the other girl was working on, her eyes peeking over to try and steal a glance every so often until she'd pushed everything aside seemingly in frustration.

If she wanted her to ignore it, though, Elena would do her best.

"Yeah, I...got here just yesterday." Without a blow dryer, her hair feel in soft and unruly waves, though she'd tried to tame them as best she could. The heat from the fireplace helped a little. "I'm Elena."

new journal

[ithuriels_blood]

"Clary." She grinned as she gathered the pieces of paper into her arms. Clary didn't mind sharing her work but she didn't want to get frustrated at it in a public setting. She normally crumbled up the drawings that she didn't like but given how rare paper was she didn't want to do that here. Instead she was finding new ways to channel her frustrations.

So far none of them worked.

"This is a sucky time to show up here." It was a statement. "You okay?" Since it was cold as death and crappy out. Clary couldn't image a worse time to climb up out of that fountain.

<3

[copingskills]

Elena gives her a partial smile at the statement, nodding.

"Hopefully it isn't always like this?"

She can't say she wants to deal with constant freezing rain; they had coats but weather like this for too long would be absolutely miserable, not to mention they'd probably starve. Still, at the question, she tries to make her nod seem confident.

"I'm much better now. Nothing a warm fire can't cure, right?"

Out and About

[enterprisingheart]

For all that Jean-Luc will never stop believing that there has to be a way for them all to make it back to their respective times and places of origin, he has to admit that actually finding it is proving to be distinctly more difficult than he might have expected. And to be fair, he probably is just about due for a probably that's none-too-easily solved. But that doesn't make it easy, either.

Still, he figures he can at least do his best to help out where needed, especially now that the storm has passed. There might still be traces of it left behind, patches of ice lingering on branches and walls, but for the most part things are back to normal.

He can't say that he recognizes Elena either, when he draws near. Which isn't necessarily much of a surprise - the onset of winter certainly doesn't necessarily mean that the Observers are going to stop bringing people in - but it is enough to catch his attention, which in turn is enough to have him wandering over.

"Looking for anything in particular, or simply taking in the sights?"

[copingskills]

Elena would give anything to find a way home, and yet she still isn't sure such a thing is possible for her. She's not entirely convinced that this isn't some sort of strange limbo she's found herself stuck in, that she died in that accident this time, and that going back was simply not something physically possible.

That said, she wasn't going to just give up. That wasn't in her nature, after all.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't really expecting to run into anyone out here." He looked nice, at least. "I'm new, so I was just taking a look around now that the weather wasn't so horrible. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

[enterprisingheart]

As far as Picard has been able to guess it isn't limbo. At least, not necessarily in the sense that people have had to die to turn up in the fountain. Especially since there's relatively little that could have killed him, where he'd last been. That said, he's also not in the least bit aware that's where Elena's thoughts happen to be turning. And in absence of that, he turns instead to the comment that is at hand.

"No, not at all. I'm afraid I can't say any of this-" there's a gesture that encompasses the river and its immediate surrounding "-is anything to look at just at the moment, but you're certainly not interrupting anything."

And while he doesn't directly offer, he's more than willing to answer any questions she might still have, should any be particularly relevant - or particularly pressing.

[copingskills]

"I've been stuck inside since I arrived in the middle of that storm, so anything except the inside of the inn is a welcome sight right now."

Elena didn't like to not understand what was going on, and something about not even being able to go outside had unsettled her more than she liked to admit. She was solving that little problem now, at least, though likely only to discover that they were very trapped.

On that note, though, she feels the urge to have to ask.

"I just...everyone says there's no way to leave the canyon. Is that true?"

Out and About - River

[super_seal]

Now that the storm has finally passed, Steve is out at the river sitting on an over-sized rock along the bank. He's got a stick in his hands, about an inch wide and six feet long that's dangling a long twine into the water. It may not look like much, but he's had some luck with it. There's a small hole dug out hole in the snow by 'his' rock and there's already two decent-sized fish there.

When he hears someone walking along the bank, he turns to look. He's not really surprised to see others out. Now that they can be out again, he expects everyone is stretching their legs and restocking up on supplies. He has a list of things to do and get himself.

As the person comes into sight, Steve doesn't recognize her, but smiles and calls out a greeting. "Hello. If you're looking for a spot to fish, this area seems to be pretty good."

[copingskills]

Elena is quickly realizing that the people who've been brought here are, at least in her experience, very kind and welcoming. It's a relief, really, especially since they're in relatively close quarters. She knows the kind of drama that can build in a small community, and given the living standards, they need to be able to work together.

She makes her way over curiously, taking in the sight of his 'rod' and general fishing set-up, before she gives him a sheepish grin.

"I haven't done much fishing since I was younger," she admits. "My parents had a cabin we'd go up to sometimes, but we went less often the busier my brother and I became with sports and school. I'd like to watch, though, if you don't mind?"

[super_seal]

Steve nods in understanding of how that happens in families as children get older, but truth be told, he doesn't understand it at all, he just knows that it's a common thing that does happen. The rock is large enough for them both to sit comfortable so he moves over a bit to make room for her if she'd like to sit down.

"I don't mind it all. Pull up a rock and make yourself comfortable." His smile is warm and welcoming, thinking the company would be nice. "My name is Steve, Steve McGarrett. I haven't been here overly long, a couple of months maybe, but you don't look familiar... You didn't arrive during that storm did you?"