Lay me down on a bed of roses

[indirectcause]

Who: Ben and YOU!
What: Arriving in Paradisa
When: 28th
Where: Lobby
Rating: PG13 kid has a mouth. Here be your spoiler warning for the game.


[Ben had never really thought much about how fast it takes for a bullet to do its work. Not until he needed it to, anyway. He'd heard the shot, but after that, nothing. It went fast, really fast. There was a vague feeling of gratitude as Kenny pulled the trigger, giving him a mercy he knew he didn't deserve from the man. He'd surrendered to the blackness willingly, no longer a burden to the ever smaller mish-mash of humanity that was their group.

The blackness doesn't last, and that's when he appears on the floor of the lobby of Paradisa, his letterman jacket covered in blood. His blood. Walker's blood. It's a mix, really. He takes in a panicked gasp, scrabbling at the floor and looking around in sheer panic. The alleyway is gone. The walkers are gone. So are Kenny and Lee. ...The pain too.

He glances down at his stomach, the metal that had been sticking out there, a final, horrible promise that he wasn't getting out of that alley is missing. His hand automatically goes to his head, his hair matted with blood (definitely all his own this time) but no hole. Did Kenny miss? He couldn't have. He brings his hand back down to stare at the blood for a moment, before turning to glance around him again, looking for any signs of life.

He's definitely not in Georgia any more]

What the fuck is going on?

Comments

[rogueofheart]

[She's only momentarily insulted by his reaction, but that's to be expected from someone who's brand new. This guy is definitely brand new.]

Well one, I am a troll. You can ask more about that later. And two, this is Purradisa. Do you need bandages?

[indirectcause]

Purr-awhat?

[He might be panicking a touch] N-no I don't. What the heck is a troll? And what's Pura-a...esa?

[rogueofheart]

[All of these questions are kind of backseat right now compared to the fact that he's covered in blood.]

Are you sure? That's a pawful lot of blood on you. If you're bleeding, we should get you to the clinic.

[indirectcause]

[He looks back down at himself. He was bleeding, a lot. He doubted any clinic could have helped him]

I'm not bleeding. I-I was. But now I guess I'm not? [He sounds so unsure] I don't know how that's possible.

[rogueofheart]

[Her head tilts to the side. She sympathizes, man.]

It's kind of complicated to explain. The easiest way to explain it is magic, but not everyone is willing to believe that right away.

[indirectcause]

Magic.

[He rubs a hand over his face. That sounds absolutely fucking insane. But a couple of months ago he'd say the same thing about the dead up and walking and tearing everything to pieces. The walkers change your perspective on things, a lot]

That sounds crazy. But fine. Whatever. Is this place safe? I mean, your doors are open and everything. You're just asking for trouble.

[rogueofheart]

[But doors are... supposed to open. . . . .]

Relatively speaking, yeah, we're safe fur the most part. Is there some sort of monster or boss that you are running from?

[indirectcause]

[He nods, shakily getting to his feet]

Everyone is, aren't they? We call 'em walkers.

[rogueofheart]

[There's an awkward sort of pause there. Clearly she doesn't get it.]

...As opposed to runners?

[indirectcause]

[Maybe they haven't made it here yet, or maybe she has a different word for them, like Molly did]

No, the walkers. The goddamn dead people shuffling around.

oh god look what i found in the depths of my inbox

[rogueofheart]

[He could have just said dead people to begin with. She still doesn't seem fazed by the concept. Because she sort of is a dead person back home.]

What's wrong with them? Lots of people have died and gotten to come back to life here.

ohohoho

[indirectcause]

[That doesn't seem to comfort him at all. In fact, he looks even more worried]

You mean they're already here? [A quick look around] What do you mean 'what's wrong with them?' Shit, they fucking eat people. That's a start.

[rogueofheart]

[She leans back at that. She has never seen anyone eat anyone else, but she's pretty sure that's not how it works.]

Maybe in your world, but nobody would ever do that here.

[indirectcause]

[He'll glance around]

How do you mean? How can things be different?

[Pause] Please don't say magic.

[rogueofheart]

[She huffs and her shoulders slump a bit.]

It's not magic, it's just plain manners. I mean, people coming back from the dead is the magic part, though. Before I came to Purradisa, I died. But when I came here I was alive again. It doesn't mean I want to eat anybody.

[indirectcause]

Walkers don't care much for manners.

[Oh. Well that shuts him up for a moment. He glances down at his shirt, again finding it strange that the balcony arm isn't sticking up from the middle of it]

...So that can happen. People just...die and show up here. [Great. Greaaaat his afterlife is a magical castle with troll cat girls. He can honestly say he never saw this one coming]

[rogueofheart]

[Nepeta knows that feeling well. It's enough to calm her rising temper, too. She doesn't meant to stare at the blood, so she immediately looks away from it.]

Yeah. Sorry if I got a little snappy. It's a sensitive subject.

[indirectcause]

I can get that.

[He runs his hand through his hair, wincing because, oh yeah, that's covered in blood too]

Shit. So this is like an afterlife?

[rogueofheart]

Not really. I guess it kind of is for us, but not everyone that comes here is dead. Some people were brought here during very different points in time.

[indirectcause]

That must get real confusing. [He's already so confused, stop the world he wants to get off]

[rogueofheart]

It's levels of confusing I don't even want to get into right now. But the good thing is that there is always someone around who is willing to help explain stuff.

[indirectcause]

I guess that helps. I mean, this whole thing is pretty crazy, you need someone to help you out with it.

[rogueofheart]

[She pauses, and then leans in just a little, lowering her voice.]

Here is the first helpful tip: You should probably wash up if you don't want people getting all into your business with questions or trying to push you into the clinic.

[indirectcause]

[He glances down and yep that sure is a lot of blood]

I don't suppose this place has any showers? [Jesus he's missed showers]

[rogueofheart]

Sure, lots of them. Everybody's room should have one, including yours.

[Frowning]

But I am guessing you dont' know where your room is, do you?