sixthiterationlogs | OTA - I should be so lucky

WHO: Bela Talbot
WHERE: Bela's house and the forest
WHEN: 3rd - 5th February
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: Swearing

Background - no prompt: - 3rd

Bela had come across the letter whilst she was out gathering firewood near the outskirts of the forest. She saw a flash of red poking out from beneath the brush and went to investigate it, in the hope that it was something useful.

That was several hours ago.

Now she was seated by the fire in the inn, turning the letter over in her hands and trying to decide whether or not to open it. Was it a test? The letter was addressed to her and she was the one who just happened to find it outside; dismissing it as just a coincidence didn't feel right to Bela. She was worried that there may be consequences if she didn't open it, but there may also be consequences if she didn't.

She frowns, lifting her gaze to the roaring fire. There is a pause, and then Bela tears up the envelope, tossing the pieces into the flames and watching it burn. Choice made. Now she won’t know the contents and they won't affect her.

(i) House #33 - 4th

The next day, Bela found another envelope. It was lying outside her home on the porch, like someone had placed it down for her to find. But there was no one around who could have left it there so her natural conclusion was that the 'Observers' were playing a trick on her. With a shake of her head, she bends down to pick up the envelope and look it over, noticing the seal. It's the same as before, even her name is written exactly as it was on the previous envelope that she had destroyed.

A finger traces over the letters of her name before she flips the envelope over and cracks open the wax seal with a fingernail, pulling out the contents. Bela reads the letter, only to re-read it to make sure that was she saw wasn't just imagining the words.

She could go home.

Of course there was a catch to it. Bela had to follow the instructions as depicted in the letter. And yet, there is doubt. A little voice nagging at the back of her mind, telling Bela that it wouldn't change a damn thing, even if she does end up doing as the letter says. The voice tells her that she is stuck in this village indefinitely.

Which is why Bela finds herself seated on the bottom step of her porch, much like she was months ago when she first arrived. In one hand is the letter. The other rests on the steps, fingers drumming an anxious beat on the wood.

What to do?

(ii) Forest - 5th

On the following day, Bela rises early and slips into the inn to grab a sharp knife before heading into the forest. She's got her backpack with her, containing some food supplies, water and extra clothing in case it became a long night. Part of Bela thinks that it's a stupid fucking idea. The other part of her really wants to go home.

Even if it meant killing something.

A rabbit wasn't enough according to the letter. She would need to go after something larger and arguably, more difficult to hunt. Which was just her bloody luck. Bela didn't know how to hunt and even if she did, the only weapon she had on her was a knife. A firearm would make the job easier (and cleaner) but why should it be easy for her?

By nightfall, Bela still hasn't killed anything.

If anyone happens to find her, she's leaning against a tree, backpack beside her and a small fire lit about a foot away; at least Bela knows how to make one. Her coat is pulled over her body like a makeshift blanket, and she is wearing several layers to keep out the chill.

"For fuck's sake!"

She yells out into the surrounding darkness, contemplating on giving up and going back to her home or the inn. Stamp out the fire and take her things with her, forget about the damn letter and the trouble it had brought. But she wants to go home. That thought alone should be enough to keep Bela going. Maybe the forest wasn't a good idea. There had to be an easier way to fulfill the request of the letter.

Not yet though. She will sit a little while longer.

Threaded | Flat

The thin curl of smoke is what's pulled Karen out here, a strange sight on a cold, winter night when camping out is neither needed nor particularly advisable, a bounty of free beds under free roofs for the taking and a storehouse full of food to last them all through to spring.

It's impossible to be completely silent out here, so she doesn't bother trying, the crunch of her footsteps announcing her approach well before her actual arrival, bundled up herself with earmuffs and layers of scarves, gloved hands shoved deep into the pockets of her coat. She blinks once she reaches the circle of firelight, eyes adjusting to the brightness, and then falters. She couldn't say why, but Bela is one of the last people she expected to find at the end of this string.

"Um," she begins, brow pulling into a crease. "Hey. Everything okay?"

Don't go out at night, especially unarmed. Mark's advice was simple, hardly necessary: Kira had been navigating snowy paths full of things that wanted to kill him for months before the village, though things referred to people and paths to Manhattan's snow-clogged streets and alleys. The cross-town bridge had been especially dangerous, guaranteed patrols of men with automatic weapons and ski masks above and below.

No one had to tell Kira to stay indoors, except when they did. Poking his head casually in at the inn, and a little less casually at Bela's place hadn't turned her up. His sinking feeling hadn't been a feeling, but he thinks--people still know when shit is wrong, sometimes. He can live with a hunch if that's all he's going to get, these days.

At least he's got several sharp objects to his name, a heavy jacket, and a decent sense of direction. Marking trees is almost a habit by now, quick knicks at elbow-height marking his path. The fire draws him first, then the familiar voice.

He lets himself stomp on snow and sticks as he approaches, hands deep in his pockets. "I thought our thing was staying in civilization while other people camped out of doors for our benefit," he says, rounding a tree to enter the little clearing.

That's not the sort of thing Ravi likes to hear coming from the wilderness because, honestly, that's a sort of frustration that makes him wary. This is why he shouldn't be out here looking for samples of environmental aspects, and yet, here he is, being an idiot because what else has he got to do with his time.

Finding Bela as the one who's so wildly frustrated, he's not sure he knows her enough to be surprised, but he can be plenty sympathetic. Tucking one of his vials into his pocket, he gives her a curious look as he wanders closer to the fire. "Are we telling ghost stories? Because I've got a doozy of a horror tale."

Having finally gotten over the last few months of whatever-the-hell this place had been doing to her and the people closest to her, Felicity finally found it in her to go exploring again, finally felt up to meeting people.

The entire environment doesn't lend itself to someone of Felciity's talents and yet, she's come to make herself useful here and there - if only to find herself frustrated and back to feeling useless again a day later. she's always interested in hearing how other people cope, especially people she's never met before so, as she passes the house, she goes to greet the woman sitting there, only to have her attention pulled by what she's holding.

It gives Felicity pause and then, oh so nonchalantly, "Hey, so. You got one, too."

Major is out, taking Minor for a walk. The pup's grown significantly since he first arrived, and Major's been diligent about teaching him commands, as well as training him to walk on a lead (thanks to Wanda). He finds that going out into the forest is a good spot to do some training; that way, he doesn't have to worry about bothering Ravi in whatever latest experiment he might be conducting, and he gets to enjoy the fresh air.

He likes getting out in the early-ish morning with Minor, when the village is still relatively quiet. He likes starting his day off this way, with his lungs full of woodsy air and his circulation going. He takes Minor out for an afternoon walk, and then an evening walk to wrap up the night. He'll let him out as necessary if Minor needs to relieve himself, but they've gotten into a fun sort of pattern between the two of them. Sometimes Ravi even joins them.

On this particular afternoon walk, he takes a slightly different trail, wanting to mix things up a bit. Of course their options are far more limited than they would be back in Seattle, but variety is variety, however sparse. As they approach Bela's house, he notices something bright red in one hand, while the other seems to be getting rid of some anxious energy. She seems distracted on top of it.

He makes his approach a little louder than he normally would, not wanting to sneak up on her.

"Hey," he offers, once close enough to not have to shout. "You all right? You seem ... preoccupied."