[Prompt: A Refugee in a New World]
BGM: A Perfect Circle - The Noose
Lillianne liked to consider herself familiar with the shadows, with the darkness, hell with the abyss. Cold velvet that had been a companion for some amount of years now. Eerily comforting, the never there yet ever present. But what she went up again, what she SAW. That... That wasn't the darkness she was familiar with. It was like entropy, all consuming. It left nothing but shades of what once was. Feeling like slickened oil, repelling the 'water' of her own darkness and corrupting it. Fear was also a familiar yet more bitter friend as she scrambled to try and find a way to save her world, to do SOMETHING with all of her abilities.
Gotham as she knew it fell, a snapshot of what once was in all its old gothic glory. And Lillianne in a bitter twist of fate had no CHOICE, no other course but to flee. From all she's ever known. She couldn't of even described how it happened, coming here to the Sanctuary. Whether it was blind, dumb luck or interference. It mattered little as she seemed to be the only one she knew to actually escape her dying world in the early hours of the morning, to find herself in frozen tundra with a helping hand thrusted in her face soon after.
Sanctuary.
Her new dwelling.
It has barely been hours since her entire world tilted on it's axis, to find herself staring aimlessly around her in unfamiliar lands with even further unfamiliar faces. A fucking pamphlet (what the ffffuck!?) shoved into her hands to skim through as she's led towards a settlement. The tight-fitting kevlar of her suit did little to brave the deep chill of this land, and with chattering teeth slipped into something two sizes too big yet was quickly proving to stave off the bitter cold. It was fur lined and a faded amber colour. Along with the other supplies in a worn leather bag she found herself sitting in an inn. Sipping on a mulled orange juice that warmed the senses.
She was still reeling. Going through the motions to get her somewhere stable. Her brain refusing to consider the consequences of what was lost. Of what to do next.
A homely goat-lady had set down a slice of butterscotch pie in front of her, freshly made with a dollop of cream. She had thanked the woman, Toriel? But continued to kinda just... Stare into the distance. She was waiting to be 'assigned' to a... House? A family? She wasn't entirely sure what the hell was happening, beyond that community seemed to be a massive thing here. And people sought out to help other people, complete strangers. It felt like hours had passed. It felt like no time passed at all. Adrenaline not entirely gone in these strange surroundings. An awareness of everything happening around her that she was trying to tune out, yet not completely (wouldn't do to be taken by surprised after all).
She got helping people, hell she made a living out of doing exactly that (people didn't save themselves after all), but coming from Gotham where it was almost every man for himself? Well it was jarring, to say the least. She had no identity here either, not like back home. No... Nothing. Just herself. And anything she brought with her on her person. Her thumb subconsciously sought out the smooth and familiar edges of one of her daggers. Not an attempt to be threatening, just something, that felt like Home.
13S was making her way through Sanctuary, a box in her arms as she stepped into the nearby Inn, making her way over to the bartender and telling them she had a package delivery. The bartender nodded and smiled, signing the form and taking the package. As she turned around to take her leave, she noticed that there was someone she didn't recognize sitting at the table. Tapping her chin, her brows furrowed in thought, should she go say hi or leave that person alone? She didn't want to disrupt them while they were eating but...
'It wouldn't hurt to stop by and say hello, right?' She wondered, thoughts flowing through her mind. Turning towards the bartender, she ordered a nice warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream, then made her way over to the table, standing a few feet away.
"Excuse me?" She softly called, glancing at the person with her hazel eyes, her reddish brown hair loose as she stands there, adorned in what seemed to be a simple white sweater and dark green scarf with a pair of blue jeans, the festive cup in her hands. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" She asked curiously, a kind smile upon her face.
'It wouldn't hurt to stop by and say hello, right?' She wondered, thoughts flowing through her mind. Turning towards the bartender, she ordered a nice warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream, then made her way over to the table, standing a few feet away.
"Excuse me?" She softly called, glancing at the person with her hazel eyes, her reddish brown hair loose as she stands there, adorned in what seemed to be a simple white sweater and dark green scarf with a pair of blue jeans, the festive cup in her hands. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" She asked curiously, a kind smile upon her face.
Lillianne had barely focused on her surroundings for the past half hour, or has it been since she arrived? Maybe getting torn out of her home due to some unforeseen apocalyptic event that not even the Justice League could stop did that to a girl. There had been attempts to shore up her usual vigilant ways, but it was just all so much... Too much. Her face scrounged up, frowning into the distance.
The soft voice broke through her tormented reverie, jolting her. She hissed as her thumb nicked the edge of her dagger, and she sucked on the barely there wound as her gaze slide over to the... Human? She blinked, nostrils flaring as she considered the woman before her. Her hand drops from her face, as she regards the woman fully. The smell of chocolate emanated from the hot chocolate, sweet and soothing in it's familarity. ''Erm,'' She glances about her, there was plenty of space to be sitting. ''Sure, yeah. Uh go ahead.'' She gestures at the seat closest to the woman, taking a sip of her now cold mulled orange juice. There's a grimace for a second before she looks back over at the lady. ''I'm Lillianne.'' She offers quietly, peering at her. She sniffs, looks around again and sighs. ''I'm 'new'.'' There was something bitter in the way she said the word. Hands clenching around the cool cup.
She shakes her head to free the quickly spiraling thoughts. Huffs out a breath that wasn't quite half a laugh, wasn't quite a sigh either.
The soft voice broke through her tormented reverie, jolting her. She hissed as her thumb nicked the edge of her dagger, and she sucked on the barely there wound as her gaze slide over to the... Human? She blinked, nostrils flaring as she considered the woman before her. Her hand drops from her face, as she regards the woman fully. The smell of chocolate emanated from the hot chocolate, sweet and soothing in it's familarity. ''Erm,'' She glances about her, there was plenty of space to be sitting. ''Sure, yeah. Uh go ahead.'' She gestures at the seat closest to the woman, taking a sip of her now cold mulled orange juice. There's a grimace for a second before she looks back over at the lady. ''I'm Lillianne.'' She offers quietly, peering at her. She sniffs, looks around again and sighs. ''I'm 'new'.'' There was something bitter in the way she said the word. Hands clenching around the cool cup.
She shakes her head to free the quickly spiraling thoughts. Huffs out a breath that wasn't quite half a laugh, wasn't quite a sigh either.
13S smiles softly then nods, sitting beside the woman. She kind of figured she was new, she hadn't seen her around before but she didn't want to make any assumptions. She also knew the look of someone new, because to her, they always either looked really sad, really angry, or really lost. 'I wonder if Nines and I looked like that when we first arrived...' she thought.
Adjusting herself in the seat, she took a sip of her hot chocolate, listening to the woman introduce herself. "It's nice to meet you Lillianne." She said, trying to get used to saying the woman's name. She wondered if she said it right to be honest. "My name's 13S but everybody just calls me Thirteen." She greeted, reaching out her hand for a handshake.
"So, you said you were new?" She asked curiously, gently setting her mug down as she looked at her, wondering if she should ask what brings her here but probably knowing the answer since it's pretty much the same for everybody she's met so far. With a furrow of her brow, Thirteen thought for a moment... what should she ask then? Maybe something that will lighten the mood or... something else? Then she remembered...
"That dagger you have is really pretty." She complimented, glancing at it for a moment. "May I ask where you got it from?"
Adjusting herself in the seat, she took a sip of her hot chocolate, listening to the woman introduce herself. "It's nice to meet you Lillianne." She said, trying to get used to saying the woman's name. She wondered if she said it right to be honest. "My name's 13S but everybody just calls me Thirteen." She greeted, reaching out her hand for a handshake.
"So, you said you were new?" She asked curiously, gently setting her mug down as she looked at her, wondering if she should ask what brings her here but probably knowing the answer since it's pretty much the same for everybody she's met so far. With a furrow of her brow, Thirteen thought for a moment... what should she ask then? Maybe something that will lighten the mood or... something else? Then she remembered...
"That dagger you have is really pretty." She complimented, glancing at it for a moment. "May I ask where you got it from?"
Thirteen. Frankly, coming from a city where someone names themselves something bizarre (she's mentally looking at the Penguin and the Riddler, and all the associated freaks of Gotham. Herself included!) it wasn't that out of the ordinary, and even if it were, it's not Lillianne's place to judge. Twisting slightly in her seat, she grips the woman's hand, giving it a strong shake before dropping it. ''Well Thirteen, nice to meet you too.'' She responds with a small smile.
She shifts in her seat a little. ''Yep. New. The culture shock and the...'' She gestures around at all the wonderful and new people now surrounding her... It was more like she was the new one, but from her point of view at least it was all strange. ''It's mostly keeping me occupied I guess.'' Her head tilts. ''I'm waiting for uh, my accommodation to show up essentially.''
At the mention of her dagger, she withdraws the blade hidden under the fabrics of the fur-lined poncho and strapped against her thigh. It's black, shaped like a feather and wickedly sharp. ''These?'' She murmurs, setting it on the table sorta between them. ''It's kinda a funny story. I was in some backwaters haunted mansion down in the south when I came across the set of these.'' She gestures at the dagger, she has 12 in total. ''And through a series of events accidentally stole them from a really angry violent ghost thing. So I did what any logical person does in that situation and basically noped the fuck out of there, daggers and all, through the shadows.'' She smirks, the memory somewhat fond even as she glossed over the details. ''Next thing you know, the 'cursed' daggers are bound to me. Constantine, english bastard,'' the term was said affectionately, ''said that the process of taking them through the shadows has left it's mark upon them. Basically, they are mine now.''
Her smirk falters a little as she's left with the crashing knowledge that her world, as she knew it, was gone. And everyone she ever cared about.
But fuck... It was John Constantine. The man that can outwit the devil and was titled as the greatest con-man. Surely he survived somehow. Just... Didn't up here, right...?
Her thoughts didn't like the continuation of that path. So she took a long drag of her drink, draining the cup before it smacked down audibly. She gestures for the barkeeper to please get her another. Needing the warmth.
She shores up some of her expression into a wry smile. ''So yeah, daggers. Cool huh?''
She shifts in her seat a little. ''Yep. New. The culture shock and the...'' She gestures around at all the wonderful and new people now surrounding her... It was more like she was the new one, but from her point of view at least it was all strange. ''It's mostly keeping me occupied I guess.'' Her head tilts. ''I'm waiting for uh, my accommodation to show up essentially.''
At the mention of her dagger, she withdraws the blade hidden under the fabrics of the fur-lined poncho and strapped against her thigh. It's black, shaped like a feather and wickedly sharp. ''These?'' She murmurs, setting it on the table sorta between them. ''It's kinda a funny story. I was in some backwaters haunted mansion down in the south when I came across the set of these.'' She gestures at the dagger, she has 12 in total. ''And through a series of events accidentally stole them from a really angry violent ghost thing. So I did what any logical person does in that situation and basically noped the fuck out of there, daggers and all, through the shadows.'' She smirks, the memory somewhat fond even as she glossed over the details. ''Next thing you know, the 'cursed' daggers are bound to me. Constantine, english bastard,'' the term was said affectionately, ''said that the process of taking them through the shadows has left it's mark upon them. Basically, they are mine now.''
Her smirk falters a little as she's left with the crashing knowledge that her world, as she knew it, was gone. And everyone she ever cared about.
But fuck... It was John Constantine. The man that can outwit the devil and was titled as the greatest con-man. Surely he survived somehow. Just... Didn't up here, right...?
Her thoughts didn't like the continuation of that path. So she took a long drag of her drink, draining the cup before it smacked down audibly. She gestures for the barkeeper to please get her another. Needing the warmth.
She shores up some of her expression into a wry smile. ''So yeah, daggers. Cool huh?''
Thirteen shook Lillianne's hand, nodding along as she listened to her bring up the culture shock of being new. She knew that feeling all too well. She still remembered when her and 9S were new.
"Yes, the culture shock really is a very strange... what is it called? Wake up call? When you first arrive here." She says, staring into her cup and drinking the rest of her coco, gently setting the mug down beside her, placing her hands in her lap. "You don't really expect people to be so kind and caring towards you at first. But then, someone comes over and offers you a drink, or some food, or a coat after giving you something you have to read immediately." She says, glancing around the room, sighing softly.
"It caught 9S and I off guard too but we eventually adjusted. I think it's more because we didn't remember our home world at all. So, we weren't that upset. Not as upset as I've seen a few other people who just arrive. They looked so... sad and angry and just upset in general." She sighs heavily and frowns as the many scenarios she's seen newcomers go through flow through her mind.
Then she heard Lillianne start talking about her daggers and her eyes lit up. She was so curious about them! She also kind of forgot she asked about them for a moment. She leaned in a bit, listening closely to the story of how she got them. It sounded amazingly interesting if she were to be honest. However, she didn't expect Lillianne to have so many. She counted twelve daggers in total and it made her wonder why a ghost had so many daggers to begin with.
"Fascinating! You managed to take so many. It makes me wonder why the ghost had so many to begin with, however." She says, thinking for a moment, lifting her hand in the air and staring at it, a pair of combat bracers with what looked like metal spearheads on the end materializing around it. "I arrived being able to summon this and a pair of daggers myself but, mine aren't as beautifully designed as yours are." She says, focusing on her hand again, replacing the bracers with a simple pair of daggers.
Thinking for a moment, she remembered Lillianne mentioning accommodations and someone named Constantine. She placed her finger on her chin in thought, wondering what she should talk about first. Maybe both? Hmm...
"You mentioned waiting for accommodations? Hmm... If I remember correctly, Nines and I were kind of just.. given a room here at the inn until we had help getting an apartment in the Omphalos but, I think the apartments there are limited." She says, sighing softly.
"By the way, may I ask who tho Constantine person you mentioned is? Are they a friend of yours too?"
"Yes, the culture shock really is a very strange... what is it called? Wake up call? When you first arrive here." She says, staring into her cup and drinking the rest of her coco, gently setting the mug down beside her, placing her hands in her lap. "You don't really expect people to be so kind and caring towards you at first. But then, someone comes over and offers you a drink, or some food, or a coat after giving you something you have to read immediately." She says, glancing around the room, sighing softly.
"It caught 9S and I off guard too but we eventually adjusted. I think it's more because we didn't remember our home world at all. So, we weren't that upset. Not as upset as I've seen a few other people who just arrive. They looked so... sad and angry and just upset in general." She sighs heavily and frowns as the many scenarios she's seen newcomers go through flow through her mind.
Then she heard Lillianne start talking about her daggers and her eyes lit up. She was so curious about them! She also kind of forgot she asked about them for a moment. She leaned in a bit, listening closely to the story of how she got them. It sounded amazingly interesting if she were to be honest. However, she didn't expect Lillianne to have so many. She counted twelve daggers in total and it made her wonder why a ghost had so many daggers to begin with.
"Fascinating! You managed to take so many. It makes me wonder why the ghost had so many to begin with, however." She says, thinking for a moment, lifting her hand in the air and staring at it, a pair of combat bracers with what looked like metal spearheads on the end materializing around it. "I arrived being able to summon this and a pair of daggers myself but, mine aren't as beautifully designed as yours are." She says, focusing on her hand again, replacing the bracers with a simple pair of daggers.
Thinking for a moment, she remembered Lillianne mentioning accommodations and someone named Constantine. She placed her finger on her chin in thought, wondering what she should talk about first. Maybe both? Hmm...
"You mentioned waiting for accommodations? Hmm... If I remember correctly, Nines and I were kind of just.. given a room here at the inn until we had help getting an apartment in the Omphalos but, I think the apartments there are limited." She says, sighing softly.
"By the way, may I ask who tho Constantine person you mentioned is? Are they a friend of yours too?"
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