[EVENT] The Simulation Ends

[sixthiteration]

WHERE: 6I Fountain Park & Elsewhere
WHEN: April 1
OPEN TO: ALL - Mingle
WARNINGS: N/A

---

In the snug circle of an old park, a fountain sits burbling beneath a broad, midday sky.

Once-neat paving stones have buckled and cracked from the slow nudge of wayward roots. Benches stand covered in lichen and rust. Three paths push into the underbrush like the spokes on a wheel, the encroaching forest creating lush tunnels through the dark.

But the fountain stands singular and pristine, brightly splashing in open rebellion of the deep, muffled sounds of a place long ago gone to seed. A vibration hums through the ground, there and quickly gone, and the water in the fountain trembles, lapping against the high walls of its cool, pale reservoir.

Far, far away, in a place that isn't really there, people begin to blink out of existance.

It is the first of April.

It is precisely ten o'clock in the morning.



[Please see event details and guidelines here.]

Comments

[theluckygirl]

For the past hour and some, Claire has been sitting by the fountain edge, arm in the water waiting to help the next person out and get a towel around them as quickly as possible.

When he says her name in that curious, uncertain way, Claire nods while rubbing his arms and getting some warmth into his limbs. She recognizes him right away.

"Hey, Danny. You alright?" she questions.

[dann_0]

He shivers and cuddles into the towel around him, pulling it tight. "What happened? What is going on?" This all seemed strange. He looks around, trying to figure out where they are.

"I.. I am alright, just cold and wet."

[theluckygirl]

It was beyond strange and it had them all speculating and not reaching any sort of certainty besides the fact that they seemed to be exactly where they were. But with a very big, obvious difference.

They all looked like mountain men and women.

"Wish I could tell you, but we're still in the village and looks like everything is as it was before. Your stuff is where you had it last, too."

Besides the disorientation that everyone seemed to have after crawling out of the fountain, Danny seemed okay. Yet, she was still a nurse and checked him over regardless.

"You remember where that is?"

[dann_0]

He looks around and shakes his head. "The village we met in. The one I came to through the fountain." He sighs and then looks around. "Steve's here? Have you seen him yet?"

He moves to sit up more looking around, but he doesn't fight her when it comes to checking him over. Part of him is happy for it.

[theluckygirl]

Claire nods as Danny slowly puts some of the pieces together. It wouldn't answer everything, but it was a start. And something told her they were a long way off figuring out the whole truth.

"You came through it again. We all did." she tried to explain. "As for Steve, I'm not sure. People are arriving in threes every 15-20 minutes."

She hadn't yet met Steve, but she did know who he was and knew Danny and him were friends. It was a small village, after all.

"Did you live with him?"

[dann_0]

"We all did? Why?" He runs a hand over his face and notices his beard. "What the hell. Claire, do I have a beard? How much time has passed. What is happening."

At the question, he calms though.

"Yeah, I live with him and Mary."

[theluckygirl]

Alright.. he's kind of adorable and reminds her of the Danny she knows in her world.

Claire smiles and nods, cringing a little. "Yeah, you do. And really long hair. I can't explain that either, but it seems where we were last might have been maybe a holding place. Or, maybe it wasn't even real."

That was an eerie thought altogether.

[dann_0]

He blinks at that. "Sort of a whole fake reality? Can't have been a dream since we both remember the same things. At least I hope we do."

He sighs."But why? This place looks exactly the same." He shakes his head. "We'll figure that out later, what do we need to do now?"

[theluckygirl]

"I'm pretty sure we do, yeah." Claire confirmed with a single nod of her head. The million dollar question here was definitely "why" and something told her that they were no closer to getting that answer here.

She continued to listen, but when Danny asked what was to be done now, she gestured to him. "You need to put some dry clothes on before you catch something worse than hypothermia. Everything you had will be at that place you were living with your friends. Come on, I'll take you there."

Claire straightened. "Can you stand?"

[dann_0]

Danny nods and moves to stand. He feels a little wobbly but he soon enough steadies and nods, leading the way towards the house he shares with the McGarrett siblings. "Everything looks the same, just more... abandoned." He sighs a little as he opens the door to the house. "I'll be right down. Make yourself at home."

[theluckygirl]

Claire smiles and nods, watching him disappear before letting her eyes drift around and take in the layout of the home. She meanders into the living room and grabs a seat on the couch to wait.

"You're lucky to have your friends here." she speaks, hoping he can hear her from wherever he is.

[dann_0]

"Yeah, I am. Steve and Mary are good people too, even if Steve's stubborn and risk-seeking..." He shakes his head as he comes downstairs after having changed into dry clothes. He also has his heavy jacket with him.

[theluckygirl]

"I think every single person knows someone like that." Claire smiled, thinking of Matt, especially. But Luke, Jessica and Colleen came to mind, too.

[dann_0]

Danny chuckles. "Yeah, hopefully most people aren't partnered with them though. He also has this thing about always being in control, I don't even get to drive my own car."

[theluckygirl]

Claire deadpans. "What?" Laughing she adds, "Sure, he might be your friend but have you ever said uh uh, no way?"

Because that was ridiculous, despite how amusing it sounded.

[dann_0]

"I have tried, he claims he gets carsick. He has some serious control issues. He just takes the car keys. Any ideas on how I can get him to stop."