video;

[writtendestiny]

[She's new here, but this isn't her first walk in the 'kidnapped to a strange place to be used for something against your will' park. Poison still isn't settled, but she's getting the hang of things, and the face that appears on the screen is slim and pale with large, focused violet eyes.]

I'm looking for some people I might know, from the place I was in before this one. That wasn't my home, either. We called it the Box, and the people there tortured us - killed us, repeatedly - trying to stop a... a monster from waking up and destroying everything in that part of the world.

[She says this without much emotion on her face, though it's difficult to tell whether or not that's just a front for the purpose of the message.]

The last thing I remember is being on a train. The experiment was failing and we were being moved somewhere else. If that sounds familiar to anyone, contact me. [A beat, then--]

My name is Poison.

[She ends the video here, after another moment or two of silence and the smallest flicker of what might be hope in her eyes.]

Comments

video;

[demonsional]

That sounds really scary...

[He's not going to be very much help beyond that, but...it's the thought that counts, maybe?]

I don't have any boxes, Miss Lady Poison, Sir. I'm sorry! If I find a box, I can give it to you!

video;

[writtendestiny]

[It was scary, but Poison thinks that, over time, she became more numb to the fear than she should have. She took it in as part of herself, used it, making it as much an aspect of her as anything else. How much must a person suffer, to accept something like that?]

That's just what we called the place. No real boxes involved, but if you find one, I might like it for my cats.

[demonsional]

I like cats!

[He bounces up and down.]

I will find one and it will be a present for your cats! How many cats do you have and do they have names that they have also been given?

[writtendestiny]

[She can't help but smile a little. It has the effect of softening the sharp lines of her face and makes her look younger - likely closer to her actual age.

Poison shifts and stands up, swinging the camera around to focus on a small black cat asleep in a small, furry ball on a nearby bed.]

That's Bat. [And then, around to a--... something perched on a chair.

It's something that looks like a cat, but instead of four legs it has eight fuzzy tentacles.] And that's Anderson.

[demonsional]

[Hayden almost screams. Fortunately, it's a delighted kind of tone, his pitch rocketing.]

I love them! I love Bat and Anderson! They are both so special! They are sophisticated!

[writtendestiny]

[For the first time since she got here - and, indeed, the first time in a while - Poison laughs. It's a quick sound, one she isn't too used to making anymore, and though the sound dies off before the camera focuses on her face again it does linger around the corners of her mouth and in her eyes.]

They're both completely round the bend, but that's okay. They've kept me company for a long time.

Video

[knifecollecting]

I haven't heard anyone talking about a place like that.

[writtendestiny]

I'm starting to think that's all I'm going to hear. [It's... upsetting, though she doesn't show it. There are so many people she's lost and she had been clinging so tightly to the ones she had left, only to now lose them to.

Time will tell if this new place will be worth the sacrifice.]

But if you do hear anything, please tell me right away.

[knifecollecting]

Got it. [That would suck, to not be home before here. Being here is hard enough.]

My name's Jo.

[writtendestiny]

Hi.

[She's already given her name, so she doesn't repeat it. Instead, she studies the woman for a moment or two, as if considering what she could say next.

It didn't really occur to her that she could carry some conversations off this question.]

... Do people ever come here from places that weren't home?

[knifecollecting]

I wouldn't be surprised. [Jo shrugs.]

The Door pulls people from all kinds of worlds.

[Video]

[imhisaunt]

[GASP]

That is just AWFUL. You poor thing....

[Video]

[writtendestiny]

[She presses her lips together with the air of someone biting back a retort that may have been undeserved in its sharpness.]

Thank you. [She settles on, after a moment.] I'm not looking for any sympathy, I just want to find out if anyone I know came here with me.

Re: [Video]

[imhisaunt]

o-oh...well [He hesitates awkwardly, not sure what to make of that response] ...I can help you look!

[writtendestiny]

[If he keeps talking to her, he'll get used to her in time. Poison is often short-spoken and simply says what's on her mind, often to the detriment of conversations.

But, her heart is in the right place.]

Have you been here for a long time?

video

[am_i_a_monster]

I don't know anyone from the box. Sorry.

[writtendestiny]

[A sigh.]

It's fine. [She's probably going to have to get used to it, right?]

Maybe that's better. I don't know.

[am_i_a_monster]

It can be better here. At least better than where you're from.

[She pauses]

It's better for me here.

[writtendestiny]

I'd rather be home.

[She'd rather be home, with friends, in the castle that makes up most of the Hierophant's realm. She would rather be home, but she wouldn't want to go back to the Box.]

But if I have to be here, I suppose it's fine. Nothing's tried to kill me yet.

[am_i_a_monster]

Not even the monsters at the colosseum? That's good. It's safe-ish here, but strange things happen. Be careful.

video;

[storyseeker]

Jesus. Are you all right?

[Elena shakes her head. Okay, that's probably not helpful to this woman.]

I don't know anyone from the Box, I'm sorry. But you're safe now. Safer.

[writtendestiny]

I'm alive. [Which might be more than can be said for her friends and doesn't really answer the question, but perhaps gives something of an idea of just how low Poison has the bar set for 'alright'.]

And I'm not so sure about that yet, but it looks that way, so far.

[storyseeker]

[Alive matters. It's a lot better than the alternative.]

I can't promise it'll always stay that way, but if you're left the coloseum, you're in no immediate danger. There's a clinic here, if you have any injuries from where you were before.

[writtendestiny]

I've been there. There's nothing wrong with me that they can help with.

[But the woman there had been nice enough, she hadn't pushed for information or tried to make Poison do anything she didn't want to. She'd go back, if she needed to.]

It all happened too long ago.

[storyseeker]

That's one silver lining, then.

[Not much of one, though, it sounds like. God. Her heart goes out to Poison. What can she possibly say to her that might help?

She supposes an introduction might work.]

I'm Elena. It's been a while since I arrived here—months now. For the most part, we look after each other here.