haventkilledusyet | 1st Fight

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1st Fight - [ action ]

[Another New Feather season, another flood of confused new residents. Unfortunately, Gretel has no idea how routine this is for the village. She, actually, knows very little of anything at present. She only knows not to stop moving, to keep going. If she stops to rest now, she won't get up, and it's cold enough that she knows to fear exposure. She hasn't lived this long just to be killed by the cold.

Her body shows signs of the ordeal she's obviously been put through since her arrival. Dressed in only the New Feather gown, there is no hiding the abuse of the elements. Her skin is red from the chill she's fighting, and there are scratches on her legs and hands as well as blood on her bare feet, fresh against the well-worn scars on her body. She's walked all day, crossed the field after waking alone and barely dressed and fought her way through the branches of the forest, guided by a few tall buildings that served as the promise of civilization. Faint traces of vomit cling to her lips and the back of her hand despite an earlier attempt to clean it off. The cause is likely the patch of feathers missing from her left wing.

The fountain glitters in the light of the moon, and Gretel uses it as a focus. Walking all day is nothing new, but she's barely dressed -- especially for this weather -- and has an untreated wound. Or, at least, that's what the damage to the unwanted growth on her back feels like. She has resisted the allure of every source of water, too worried she might slump over and never be found. But the buildings all around her, even dark as they might be right now, promise traffic come morning.

Gretel's throat burns as she drops to her knees and cups her hands to bring water to her mouth. She's shouted herself hoarse as she's walked all day, and now the fatigue is setting in. She's not sure she can even get up any time soon without some help.]

(Two requests for Gretel's first Luceti encounter: please no magic users or non-humans. Either would provoke a very violent reaction, and I'd prefer to avoid that for this thread. Thanks.)

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[Henry was on a walk tonight. It was good to be back to himself and he just needed time to clear his head of what he had said and done to others.

But, as he goes to Seventh Heaven for a meal, he see's a woman by the fountain and she doesn't look very well.

Worry instantly instilling in him he moves over quickly to her. She looked hurt and while he was no doctor he was pretty sure being out in this weather wearing that dress wasn't good.]

Miss? A-are you okay?

[Normally, she'd snap at that stupid of a question. But the voice. She raises her head.

Just a kid.

She won't swear at a kid. Not unless they're being stupid and, like, about to walk into a candy house. Then she'll swear up a storm. But this is a kid approaching her, making sure she's okay. Even though she's not. Her back still aches, likely from the missing feathers, and she's seen better days.]

Not... right now. Will be, though.

[No need to worry the kid.]

[Yeah right no need to worry. He can see the cuts and scrapes and her obvious pain. She needed help. How far was the clinic from here?

Moving over to her more closely he offers a hand to help her up.]

Here, we need to get you to the clinic. Someone might be able to help you there.

I don't need a doctor.

[But her throat is burning. Mostly because she's been shouting all day. But. She won't send a kid out into the woods, especially at night. No, but he might know something.]

But. Look. I'm... I'm looking for my brother.

[Been calling for him all day, wandering the forest. Trying to find this civilization and him.]

Anyone else-- any other strangers-- come through here?

[God, everything hurts.]

[He'd say she's hurt but she probably already gets that much. Frowning instead he's really not sure what to do.

However, when she says and asks those things...Henry has already sorted out what's going on here.]

Oh...um not that I know of. But, your brother could have been here for awhile. This place is really strange like that. What's his name though?

[Gretel knows she's hurt, yes. But she'll insist she doesn't need much help. She needs somewhere warm to go, yeah, and some clothes. Hers, preferably. But shit, her back hurts.]

Hansel.

[She takes a deep breath, braces herself against the fountain, and tries to get up. But she has to give up. Her arm and legs won't bear her weight up at this point.]

[At that name...he stares at her for a long moment. Hansel? Not many people had that name, especially people in normal people world. Which only meant one thing.

Enchanted Forest.

Could this woman possibly be...she could be...he has to peer at her for a moment. No, the Gretel he knew had blond hair and even if this was the same Gretel from the future or something she'd still have blond hair right?

In any case...]

That would make you, Gretel than right?

[He shakes his head though.]

There's no one named Hansel that I've met here though. But, he could be here. This place is really big.

Yeah. I'm Gretel.

[She chuckles faintly, trying to smile. But she's in no mood for fans or stories. It hurts. Everything hurts, and she's cold, and everything makes her feel exhausted.

She tries again to stand up but only makes it as far as sitting on the side of the fountain.]

Look. If-- If you run into him? If he doesn't look okay? Get him to the clinic. And get me.

[She won't go into it. Not right now. But it's important. If Hansel's here, she has to know about it. She has to be able to take care of him. Especially if the timer runs down...

But it won't. She'll find him before that.]

But I'm okay, kid. [Doesn't look it. At all.]

[Henry would be asking fifty questions right now if it weren't for the fact, oh hey, she's hurt.]

I will, I promise. But, you might be able to find him easily. You got your journal, right?

[Those were the quickest ways to find people. If he was here he'd be in it.]

My what?

[Someone didn't notice the book. After noticing the wings. And that she was alone.]

...You didn't take your Journal did you?

[It's pretty obvious that she might not have.]

You get one when you com here. But, we can use mine. Everyone's journals are all linked together.

How can Journals be linked?

[Now, there's a definite, creeping tone of distrust in her voice. It's all starting to come together. Piece by piece.

A strange place. Alone. The wings. No Hansel. Her clothes.

And now... books linked. Even with her head pounding, even with her stomach knotting, even with her aching muscles, she's seeing the edges of it, and it has her tensing all over.]

[He's noting her unease and while it's sort of making him feel a bit unsure of this whole situation he won't leave. She's in trouble after all.]

Um...I think I read that the journals are linked by something called 'shifts.' It's some kind of magic and science.

[Magic.

Fucking magic.

She manages not to say it, manages to bite her lip and keep from saying anything. Just a kid. Just a stupid kid. He doesn't need to listen to the things she knows. But, God. It made her even sicker to her stomach.

She tries again to stand. Painful. Very painful. And she sits back down, breathing hard.]

I... don't have money on me. [But she needs food and shelter and clothes.

This is a bad day gotten worse. A lot worse.]

[Ooooh...he knows that look.

She didn't like magic. It couldn't be science because seriously, when did Hansel and Gretel have to fight a scientist?

He understands though. Magic has hurt people but, it's helped people too.

That wasn't the point right now though. She was hurt and they could talk about it later if he remembered.

At the mention of money, he offers a smile.]

That's the good thing about this place. Everything's free.

[And as he says "That's the good thing"... she groans.]

Shit.

[The word's out before she can stop it.]

Sorry.

[Kid. Shouldn't swear. She'll work on that. Gretel shakes her head.]

Nothing is ever free. Especially when you're dealing with magic.

[Because that's how it starts. Something free or for a nominal price. Something that seemed so unimportant... and then the price started to increase. And before you knew it... Well.

She'd seen that story play out before. Too many times.]

[Magic always comes with a price...yeah that was something that would always come with him. His face moves from general curiosity to neutral.]

I know...magic always comes with a price. And we're probably all going to pay for it soon by the Malnosso.

[Gretel gave him a bit more clarity on this. They got food and living space and heating for free, didn't they? But in the end the Malnosso would come to collect. Maybe they did with their shifts and experiments.]

[It's easier to be professional than worry about her injuries or the cold. She can't do her job unless she can actually know what she's up against.

Gretel tries again -- and fails -- to stand up. Few minutes more, she tells herself. Then she'll be fine.]

The Malnosso, huh? Group? [Probably. "The" usually suggested a group. But that word. Could be collective or the name of an overlord. Some archaic language she didn't know.]

[He moves to go catch whatever he can of her when she's about to fall. But she seems to do it herself. As much as he wants to suggest to get help or get her to the clinic it doesn't seem like she's the type who would.

So, he'll continue to answer her questions.]

Yeah, they're a group that usually puts on experiments on the village. They're evil.

[Gretel can admit that it'll be awhile before she can move on her own. What she won't submit to is a doctor's care. Hasn't needed one for years, doesn't need one now. Not, at least, according to her.]

Great. A coven. I hate covens.

You've dealt with people like this before?

Nothing quite so... elaborate. Like the wings. Those are new. But the basic situation? Seen it a hundred times.

[Oh, well, that sounds pretty cool. If it weren't for the whole being kidnapped thing. She's still injured however.]

Okay, but are you going to be okay?

Yeah. I'll be fine. Don't worry.

[Not that she's sure she believes herself, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that this kid doesn't worry about her.

It's her job to worry about him. Or at least the people like him. Especially the kids like him.]

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1st Fight - [ action ]

Action; obviously they need to meet

action; obviously!

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action; is minor vocal fourth walling fine? Henry does know the tale of H&G just not the badass one

action; totally! it's in her canon that people sort of know the story, so that's a-okay!

action; shweetness thanks, sweetie.

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action; let me know if i need to edit I feel like i might be treading on thin ice

action; Not at all! Gretel's just... paranoid? about magic.

Re: action; Not at all! Gretel's just... paranoid? about magic.

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