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WHO: Clara Oswald
WHERE: Bunker, Fountain, Around
WHEN: Clara's first few days in game
OPEN TO: Bunker is closed to Frank Castle, but everything else is ota!
WARNINGS: Nothing yet. Will update as needed.

Bunker (Closed to Frank Castle)
For Clara, everything comes to slowly. It doesn't really register for her that she's in a stasis tube or that she's somewhere new. All that her mind connects is that she's freezing cold, and that she isn't particularly comfortable. So her first action is to grumble beneath her breath, flopping a hand against her face to wipe at it groggily. Her head feels heavy, and as dizziness and nausea set in she tries to sit up. A hand flops over to try and grab at something as she doesn't make it at first, and she nearly winds up shrieking as her hand comes in contact with someone. She doesn't, of course, because that would be showing she's not in control of this situation. And she desperately clings hold to the illusion that she is. Even if she can't bring herself to look at who's here with her. Not until she puts forth the proper effort to ensure that she seems as relaxed as possible on the outside, even though she's in full panic mode on the inside.

"If you're the one responsible for this headache, it's probably best that you run. Go on, I'll give you a head start."

Fountain
Okay, so some people wake up here the same as she did, down in the bunker. They're let out. Others aren't as fortunate and wind up being shot out of the fountain. As soon as Clara learns that fact she's quick to make her way to find the fountain, attempting to peer down inside as if it's going to reveal some clues to her. When nothing on the surface pops out she does the only reasonable thing: dives in to try and see if she can swim to the bottom. She winds up emerging from the water several times, each attempt making her look more and more sour.

By the time she ends up climbing out of the fountain and spilling over to lay on the ground, she looks completely livid. It's probably easy to confuse her for a brand new arrival at this point, except for the fact that she picks herself up and leans over the edge of the fountain like she's going to slip back inside.

Zoom Seeds
When Clara spots a bird dropping part of something it's been pecking at, she doesn't ignore the voice in the back of her head telling her how much fun it'll be to check it out. Curiosity is always a dangerous thing, and it's likely no different in this case. It's just good sense to pick up the purple seed and sniff it, trying to decide if it's edible or not. There's a nutty odor, which is good enough for her. If she's managed to survive strange fruit and foods on alien planets, she can manage to survive this too. She takes a bite of the seed and finds it tastes decent, but she saves the other half in case she wants a nibble later.

About five minutes later, Clara can be found moving even faster than normal. Everything is feeling pretty amazing at that point, because as efficient as she generally is, she feels even more so now. And when she's feeling that way, she's in an incredibly good mood. So she hurries her way on over toward the nearest person and engages them in a bit of fast talking. A good conversation never hurt anyone, right?

"How much do you know about things that grow in the wild here? Because I've found something. It might be sharable, not too sure yet. All I know is I haven't felt this energized since the last time I drank coffee on Mars."

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He's been taking as many shifts as possible in the bunker, to watch out for those he recognizes, but Matt and Elektra have kept him busy to say the least. Maybe with them here it's even more important to keep an eye out, and one such night he's shocked at who he finds. He should have been here for them the way he is for Clara now, but the only question left is will she remember him? It shouldn't matter, not really, not when it's better if she doesn't. He knows he'd rather forget Kilgrave and all of his meddlings, but Clara especially had hurt. He'd felt betrayed by her for a long time before he truly understood what Kevin Thompson was. That no one's will was any match for a monster such as that.

She's awake and his heart leaps into his throat, looking for the lever to drain the fluid and pry the tube open before she can fully panic. Or, well, that's probably too late, isn't it? He takes in her gray scrubs and remembers Claire. He's certain he'll lose her too before long, but does that mean he shouldn't try? Frank catches her wrist neatly in his giant, calloused hand, tipping his head in a truly canine display. He has a lot more hair than he had in Reims and a bright teal smartwatch, but other than that he's the same old Frank. Always in a hoodie, always wearing the Mayoral bracelet Bethany made him, always frowning.

"Clara," is said on a breath, scarcely a word at all as he drops contact in order to set her free and allow her to get her own bearings. He thinks of how he freaked Natasha out by saying her name and chews on his lip, he really has to stop doing that. "I'm, uh, sorry. You should sit down." He holds out an elbow for her to grab onto and gestures to the chair he'd dragged into the room.

His voice sounds so loud right now that she makes a swipe with her hand like she can actually silence him. "Frank, how many times do I have to tell you to never tell me what to do?" She grumbles, pressing a hand against her temple before reaching over to grab at his offered elbow.

She lets him help her get to her feet before shuffling her way over to the chair. Eyes fall on it with disdain. The very idea of sitting sounds awful. So instead she just uses him as a leaning post and stays up on her feet. He's sturdy enough that it won't be any issue at all, she's sure.

"Where are we?"

Her mind starts trying to piece together her last memories, and she's unsettled by how fuzzy and unclear it all is. All she knows is this isn't the reset room, and something feels off. She just can't put her finger on what.

Frank's eyes open wide, she remembers him. She remembers... Reims? That part he isn't so sure of, after what happened with Elektra. He worries his lip, but unhands her and lets her stand if that's what she wants. He does indeed know better than to try and tell Clara what to do, whether they're acquainted in this iteration or not.

"It... doesn't really have a name. But it's not Reims." He's quick to tack on, searching her eyes for recognition.

The more she stands there, using him as a leaning post, the more her senses start to come back to her. The dizziness starts to fade away, just in time for him to deliver a shock to her system that sends her reeling. She visibly winces as he mentions Reims, and she recalls exactly what sort of fate she must have met to be reset this way. Her eyes go wide and she stumbles back, shaking her head in disbelief.

No, she signs. She had been so careful, so sure to stay quiet. How did I die? Her hands fumble over the words she's trying to sign, thoughts starting to race now that she's cognitively aware of what's going on. This isn't Reims. He's talking. They're both talking, and nothing's happening. They must be in a reset room somewhere, maybe Paris? The urgency of the situation falls over her as she tries to piece together clues to figure out what happened and where they are, and all her internal panic comes to the surface as she pushes past him to try and find a way out.

But then she stops short of actually going anywhere, spinning about to ask what's first and most important on her mind. If he's talking, it must be safe. So she does too.

"Where are the children? Are they safe?" She doesn't even realize she's still signing, even as she speaks out loud.

It's a relief to see her sign, to see the recognition in her eyes even as she pulls away from him and the fear joins in. He shakes his head, not sure how she died or even if she had. This place would have them believe yes, that they're clones, mere copies of an original; but Frank can't believe that without evidence and he knows neither will Clara.

"I..." He swallows, lifting his hands to sign Sorry. This shouldn't be as hard as it is. "They're... they're not here, Clara."

Not here, she signs, confusion crossing over her face. Any worry for herself is gone now, replaced with a need to find Eddie and the other children. It's her job to keep them safe, to care for them. And wherever they are now, it's making her break her promise. She's already broken it once before, and she can't do it again. Confusion is quickly replaced with a look of aching pain, one that runs deep. She doesn't have any children of her own, but that doesn't stop her from loving several of the kids she's left behind as if they were her own flesh and blood. Their loss cuts her to the core, causing her to go still for a moment as she processes the emotions.

Losing the Doctor had been nearly impossible. Losing Danny had made her go numb for weeks. She isn't sure which direction she'll wind up going this time, but she's not ashamed to be crying when she lifts her head to look up at Frank. It feels like there's a hole in her chest that's where her heart's just been torn out, and a hand clutches at the area like it's going to make it better. Shock doesn't numb the feeling, and her only way to cope right now is avoiding the emotions entirely to press on like there's a solution within reach.

"If they're not here, then I'll just have to find my way back to them." Her stubborn and determined nature has always served her well in the past. No reason it won't here and now, she's sure of it.

He's never seen her cry before, and he finds himself pulling her against his chest before he's fully processed what she's saying. There are so many reasons why she can't do that, he knows there's no way back to Reims. He's not even fully convinced it still stands. Frank says none of this, merely holding on for as long as it seems to help her.

"Children don't come here. It's- It's never happened. Kamala is here, though. She's the youngest person here."

She clings for a moment, only to pull back and out of the hug, looking up at him like he's just given her a sliver of hope. "Believe it or not, Kamala is still a child." She's a teenager, but still young. Barely older than the students she used to teach back home. That feels like a lifetime ago now. She was a teacher out in space, and was one in Reims as well. Here, it doesn't sound like she can have the same purpose.

She isn't even sure if she wants to find a purpose yet. She's bounced around enough that she's just tired, and emotionally drained. The thought that this isn't Reims and they no longer have to live in fear of sound is a good thing, but it doesn't help ease the pain she's feeling at knowing she's lost her found family she worked so hard to keep safe.

"Have you been keeping her safe?"

Just as his arms start to coil around her in comfort, she's shoving out of his embrace and he's looking down at his teal, teal sneakers, hands falling to his sides. This feels like his fault, somehow. Or maybe it's just part of his penance.

"I... I know she's a kid, Clara." Does he? He doesn't treat her that way, he expects a lot from her. And most of the time she takes better care of him than he ever could her. "You know I'd never let anything happen to her."

His fists clench and his voice grows tight. That's not true either, is it? He turns away from her suddenly and heads down toward the specimen room. His steps still fall silently despite the force behind them, and the moment he's in there he's tearing through everything until he can find the vial labeled in light gray: C.O. His head falls heavily into his hands right there in front of the sample on the shelf, muffling already quiet sobs in the sleeve of his jacket.

Clara's eyes follow his movements, but she takes a moment to herself to get better oriented. She looks around the room they're in, frowning as nothing looks familiar or triggers some kind of buried memory. Without letting too long go by, she trails along after him. This kind of behavior from him is worrisome, and her concern only grows in intensity when she finds him in the state he's in. Quietly, she approaches and stands at his side, placing her hand on his arm.

"Mind telling me what that is, exactly?"

She's here for him, even if she's not all there herself.

He looks down at her hand on his arm, steeling himself though he can't pull the tears back inside now, it's too late. They track hotly down his cheeks and he lifts his free hand to wipe them away.

"It's your blood. Or so they want us to think," he says softly, reluctantly pulling his arm from her grasp. F.C in teal is still in here somewhere unless someone else took it, but J.J. and M.M are missing. He knows because he and Karen took them.

Frank starts to leave the room all over again, expecting Clara to follow again. Suddenly, this place is making him claustrophobic.

Sorry, he signs again, knowing if he tries to speak up the tears will only come back. So instead he heads for the exit.

Yeah, she'll follow him. Right after she scowls up at the vial of her blood and makes a move to grab it. She doesn't know why anyone needs it, but she's not about to just leave what's supposedly her blood laying around. It's when she tries pocketing it that she finally notices her clothes aren't exactly her usual style. Even in Reims she had Frank help her make the available things into something tolerable. But now she's in scrubs?

There's not a chance in hell that's acceptable, especially not in grey.

"Frank, wait!" She calls out after him, jogging to catch up before he leaves her behind. They start to exit and any words die on her lips, old habits hard to break. Logically, she knows she can speak. But she still signs anyway. Where are we going?

He definitely wouldn't have left her behind, but he lets her run to catch him rather than slow down for her anyway. When he turns to her again, his eyes are ringed red.

No Sound Eaters, he pledges to her. It's safe.

Well, sort of. It also doesn't answer her question at all.

"We're underground. This will take us up."

He gets in the pod and waits for her to do the same before hitting the lever. Soon enough they'll be in dry land again, though it's impossible to forget that poor girl drowning every time he comes down here. Elena died so that they could all find this place, a place he thinks the Observers wanted them to find anyway. People had been here for years and still they were no closer to the truth. Maybe it's naive to think his plan with Bruce for sharing knowledge will change anything in the end.

Frank climbs out onto the shore and offers Clara a hand up. The second they hit the ground, three dogs come running up to greet them. A black-and-tan bloodhound who brays loudly in greeting, a shy slate gray pitbull who's much lankier and has an even blockier head than Max, and a Chihuahua-sized hairless creature with a long reptilian face.

They're okay, he assures, throwing in his OK symbol to drive the point home.

Edited 2018-10-28 04:26 (UTC)

Clara generally is fond of (most) animals. She loved Frank's dog in Reims, but she's overwhelmed by the dogs right now. She winds up flinching back as she tries to pat at their heads and see out past them, more curious about the world around them than the animals themselves.

"So, you have a whole herd of them here? Sounds about right." She gestures to the dogs, before stopping on the more exotic looking lizard dog. She ends up simply pointing at that, face contorting in confusion. She decides a second later it must be cool, and winds up shrugging. That OK symbol is tossed back in his direction with a wink. See, she's playing well with his dogs. Everything's fine.

Except she's screaming on the inside and wants to break down and cry but can't because Frank's just cried, and she has to be the strong one here. So she shifts from foot to foot, tugging at her scrubs.

"Where do we find proper clothes? I'm not wearing this."

"Bruno," he confirms softly when she points to the croc-dog, but Bruno's response to his name is a little rattle as he hops all the way into Frank's arms. He holds him obligingly and tries not to laugh. Some things never change. "The Inn should have somethin' in your size to tide you over."

None of it's all that great, but he'll make her something nice before long. He might even be bored enough to start it by hand before Tony finishes his sewing machine. Frank holds Bruno under one arm and shoves his other hand in his pocket as they walk, leading the way down the road towards the Inn.

"I've got more animals at the house," he says after a moment. He knows she's shocked. "Got a dog for you too, if you want."

Something about his offer strikes her as hilarious. Hilariously worrisome, maybe, but she still laughs all the same. It starts as a chuckle of disbelief and soon melts into a fit of giggles, until her stomach is hurting and there are tears in her eyes. "Are you giving me a dog so I'll feel better about missing the children?"

In the end, it doesn't really matter if he is or not. Clara needs companionship at the moment and he clearly has plenty of animals on his hands. She'll do him a favor and take one. She may not have a place to stay or actual clothes, but she has a dog. And somehow, that's amusing enough that she can't seem to stop laughing. It eventually melts into soft hiccups of laughter, and she wipes at her eyes as a hand presses atop the bloodhound's head.

"Thank you, Frank." For being there for her, for making her laugh. Even if he didn't mean to, she's grateful that he's here.

"No," he starts to protest, a little horrified by the suggestion. "I didn't—" But then she's laughing and he's frowning his confusion. Frank focuses on the path before them and nods, okay. Thanks for what? Who knows, but he's not going to ask.

Only a few more steps and he's taking his hand out of his pocket to open the door for her. Aretha and Aloe rush inside and then spin around like they're waiting for their new friend.

"Clothes are upstairs. In the hall closet." He gestures for her to go first unless she wants to explore this place first. It's just a little kitchen and a fireplace with a sitting area on this level for the most part. Shoved in the back is an empty bar.

Exploring is well and good, but she's all about making herself look decent right now. She makes a beeline for the stairs, letting Aretha come along with her. The hall closet isn't hard to find, and after some rummaging around and talking to herself she manages to find a flapper dress and a leather jacket. She starts to strip out of her scrubs to get changed, without really caring if Frank is nearby. He's her friend, and she's excited to get into something better.

"Do you stay here?" She's trying to comb her hair with her fingers, feeling a little more like her normal self now that she's able to primp and cater to her vanity.

All he can really do is roll his eyes when she starts getting undressed right in the hallway. He crowds her to try and keep her out of view should someone come out of their room or walk in through the front door and see her.

"No, but other people do." So maybe she shouldn't get naked here!!! But it's a weary protest honestly, and he averts his gaze like a gentleman, naturally. "We can go to my house once you get what you need. I'll make coffee." He hefts Bruno a little higher on his hip like a toddler and pats Aretha on her nose idly while he waits for Clara to sort through everything.

With as small as she is, he's like a literal brick wall compared to her. He manages to keep her hidden enough, and since she's used to quick changes she's able to make herself decent in a blink of an eye. Once she's done he gets a tap to his shoulder, so he'll look her way again. "Hold out your arm, quick as you like."

He's holding Bruno in one, but on his free one she loads up some clothes and things that catch her eye. When she finishes, she reaches over to take Bruno from him so he can be her pack mule and carry the things back to his house. She fully takes his offer as an invitation to stay, and since she trusts him she figures there's no harm in taking him up on it for a few days.

"Do you have any tea?" She remembers David preferred tea over coffee, and hopes that maybe he still has some teabags laying around.

He trades her the dog for the clothing, starting to pack everything into her discarded bag. After only a few seconds though, Bruno is begging to be let down, squirming out of Clara's grasp. Frank shrugs on her pack and picks the croc-dog back up, whistling for the other two as he climbs back down the stairs.

"Feel better?" he asks, knowing clothes mean a lot to her. It was close to the first thing he did here, though if he got a color like gray he could've postponed it. With that said, the teal is obviously growing on him if his shoes are anything to go by. "Not really. I could make something herbal." There's no English tea to be had here, which is what he assumes she's after, but the time is ripe for her to ask for anything. She knows from experience that new arrivals get special treatment from him.

Edited 2018-10-28 22:18 (UTC)

It's tempting to test limits in this place, to try things, and to see how bad they might get. Ashley has done much the same in her short time in the village, and met with the consequences. So when a woman rushes up to her, moving fast and talking the same, she can't help the pain that must show on her face, the deep frown and furrowed brow.

"I don't know much, but... Was it a purple nut?" She fears for the woman if it is. She seems maybe new, if she's asking that, and if she's not usually this energized and speedy, then she's in for a world of hurt later.

And then her mind catches up with the woman words, and Ashley blinks.

"Did you say Mars?"

Oh man. Ty has just been talking about aliens. Is he right?

She's just about to start prattling on about food on other planets when she's asked a question. It's enough to get her to take a slight pause and take in a breath, nodding her response. "Mars, yeah. Been there a few times over now, but I never learn to stay away from the coffee. Why? Have you ever been there before?"

It's pretty doubtful, judging by the reaction she's gotten. So maybe it's skepticism, which makes Clara quirk an eyebrow and cross her arms over her chest to try and calm her racing heart. It feels like it's going to beat right out of her chest, giving her plenty of nervous energy that has no outlet.

"It was, though. A purple nut."

"No. Not been off Earth, though me and a friend were talking about maybe who might be behind this place. Not like Martian's exactly, but aliens." Though she's looking at her, considering how much she looks just like she does. "Ty is going to lose it. I mean, he's never been there either I don't think so..."

Yeah she's pretty impressed and not hiding it.

Even if she makes a face then.

"I have... well, bad news for you. In about an hour? You're going to kinda wish you were dead. That thing takes one helluva toll on your body."

Hawke spends at least an hour every day at the fountain, and if someone asks, she says it's to look out for new people. And she does that, she's spotted some before, but each time it's in hope of someone else coming through. Anyone, really. She'd take an enemy at this point ... well no. She'd likely stab Meredith in the face as soon as the rose to the surface. Bad example. She's on her way to the fountain when she spots a woman jumping in rather than coming out. Instead of stopping her, Hawke decides to watch. She's chewing on some bread while she does it. It's sort of a show.

And she comes out looking furious, which is interesting, and Hawke has some ideas about what's going on. "You know," she says conversationally as she approaches, "I'm fairly certain you can't crawl your way back home. It's not a door there, far as I know." Hawke wouldn't be doing that even if it was. Certain death's a good reason to relax in this odd but easy enough place. There's food and people she doesn't hate so far, and it's been a lot worse lately.

Picard has, for the most part, been a little more interested in mapping the local terrain than looking into whether or not the local plant life is particularly edible. That he's mostly left to the actual botanists, assuming that they've been sufficiently interested in doing so - he hasn't exactly stopped to ask about their projects recently. On the other hand, the mention of Mars is absolutely something that catches his attention.

"I don't recall the coffee on Mars being significantly different to that on Earth."

On the other hand, he hasn't exactly been to the Martian colonies recently. For all he knows, it's entirely possible that something has changed between now and when he'd last been there.

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