won't let the waves wash me away

[thevulnerability]

WHO: Chloe Decker
WHERE: South Villiage Fountain | Town Hall | Hot Springs
WHEN: Beginning February 10th, from the day she arrives to a couple days later
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: Nothing, will update if needed

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I. THE FOUNTAIN

It's a blessing she long ago learned how to swim in the unpredictable waves of the ocean, because Chloe isn't convinced she wouldn't have drowned just on account of the shock it was to wake up submerged in water. Most of it is a blur now, with clarity arriving only when she is finally pulling herself out, her fingers desperately clinging to the lip of the fountain even as she alternates between gasping for breath and gagging as she forces water out of her lungs. Eventually, she's prone on the ground, eyes staring up into the sky as she tries to force herself to breathe normally, but by then, the fountain-created trauma is now being quickly obscured by general panic, because she has no idea where the hell she is.

Finally finding the strength to push herself onto her knees, she palms wet hair from her face and takes in the uniqueness of her surrounding. This definitely isn't Los Angeles. With her adrenaline waning, she's starting to feel the cold, and the common sense part of her brain is telling her that she needs to get up and get inside, but that small voice is overshadowed by her shock and confusion. Finally, she forces herself to stand up, a bit more wobbly on her feet than she'd like but it's a step in the right direction.

It's then that she feels the weight on her back and she stares down at her shoulder, her forehead wrinkling in confusion as she slips it off of her. "Wha... Why am I wearing a fricking backpack?"

Because that is, of course, the most important question at the moment.

II. TOWN HALL

She's (sort of) clean and dry, and she swapped out her wet creepy scrubs for the equally offensive overalls and undershirt, with the provided coat as an additional layer. Chloe hasn't stayed down for the count long, though; she's already poking around, trying to orient herself to her new surroundings.

Eventually, she finds her way into the town hall, her still somewhat waterlogged hiking boots sucking pathetically against the floor as she rounds into the main room. She's moving slowly, slow enough that her demeanor could be considered timid, but her sharp and narrowed eyes speak to a more confident wariness as she examines the room around her.

"Hello?" Oh, yeah, she's also holding a giant stick she found in the woods, you know, just in case.

III. HOT SPRINGS

Just because she has no idea what's going on doesn't mean she can't take a break. After she's had a little time to settle in and get some more information about the settlement and the surrounding area, Chloe decides to pay a visit to the hot springs. She's been constantly cold, and she feels gross, and a dip in some warm water seems like the least she could do for herself while she tries to grasp what she's going to do next.

Blissfully, it looks like there isn't anyone there when she arrives, especially since she realizes she didn't entirely think through what she was going to wear when she got in the water. Her internal monologue starts a fight between paranoid modesty and practicality and the latter finally wins over, resulting in Chloe depositing everything but her cotton bra and underwear on the rocks before she wades into the water.

She's already starting to feel better once she settles in, letting out a breath as she rests her head against a rock and closes her eyes. This is precisely the kind of respite she needed, although her peace probably is not destined to last for long.

Comments

[connatural]

"They tend to hang around, and they're fairly friendly from everyone I've talked to." Even her father could be very friendly, and so far has seemed in keeping with the sanity her mother had returned to him.

"There's also a store room where you can snag supplies, including clothes that aren't scrubs, and anything you might borrow..." She says with air quotes. "For a weapon. Axes and such are meant for chopping trees, things for hunting, but if you hang on to them a day or two... Oops?"

[thevulnerability]

"Axes? I'd be happier with a gun."

She regrets saying it a little, but it's already out of her mouth so there's no taking it back.

"I wouldn't mind changing into something less wet, though." The fact that everyone is nice is a bit of a relief, but it's not something Chloe is too fixated on at the moment. Regardless of how nice they may or may not be, she's going to get some information out of them either way.

[connatural]

Ashley snorts, though she nods. "You and me both," she says. "Sadly they think we can't have that. Hell, some around here don't think we should have weapons at all. Between you and me? Anyone that thinks we don't have a right to have weapons, when they, and really seems they alone, have the means to make weapons? Makes me suspicious," she admits, shrugging because there's not much she can do about it.

"The inn will have a fire to get warm by, and the clothes in the bag should be dry. Same thing you're wearing but it'll help," she points out.

[thevulnerability]

"Yeah, that makes me pretty suspicious, too." Chloe isn't exactly gung-ho for weapons, but in a place like this, she would feel a hell of a lot safer with one. Less because she doesn't know half these people or what they will try to do to each other and more because whoever brought them all here likely want to keep them at a disadvantage for a reason.

"Okay, let's get to this inn." It's getting too cold to keep standing around and at this point, any alternative to freezing to death is one she is happy to take.