voice

[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail died in the deserted plot and has just been revived.]

Hello? Can anyone hear me? Is anyone out there? It's dark out. I can't see anyone. Please tell me I didn't go through all that just to be alone again.

[There's a moment of Abigail crying.]

I was dead. Am I still dead, is that what this is?

[Being alone feels like hell to her.]

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[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail looks at him, recognizing him from the video and manages a small smile.  She stays back a bit, feeling a bit wary with everything she's been through.  Still, she tries to be polite.]     

Hi.  You're the one I talked to, right?  I don't think I got your name.   Are you okay?   The storm didn't make it too hard on you, I hope.

[vocarrah]

Ianchus Cepheos. And don't worry--I've been in worse.
[Jusr barely. He shakes the water out of his hair, though it doesn't do much; he's soaked to the skin. Still, he's managed to keep the blanket fairly dry. He thinks that he should have raided the shop he'd gotten the water and blanket from for food, but...ah, hindsight.
He drapes it over Abigail and sits down heavily next to her]

May not be a good idea to venture out again for a while, though.

[am_i_a_monster]

Thank you.   

[Abigail holds the blanket tightly around herself.  Almost wanting to hide in it.] 

It's nice to meet you, Ianchus.  I wish I had towels or a blow dryer for you.  I don't mind waiting.   As long as we're safe in here.  You think we're safe, don't you? 

[It might take time before anything truly feels safe again.]

[vocarrah]

[Sweet girl. He wouldn't protest either, really, he thinks, wringing the moisture out of his clothes.]

Safe as we can be, yes. [He lifts his head, listening to the howling wind outside.] This structure seems pretty sturdy, at the very least. I think it's certainly one of the safer places in Hadriel.

Though you did say others were coming, yes?

[am_i_a_monster]

Yeah, that's true.  No one's ever really safe here.   All we can be is safer.   Safe-ish. 

[She nods.]   

Yeah.  I don't know if they're safe or not.

  [She doesn't know if he's safe either, but company is better than being alone.  Anything is better than that.  That's how she justifies the choice she made when she was alone.]

[vocarrah]

Let's hope they are. At the very least, we're not alone while we wait for them to come, ah? Better that they take shelter before they arrive than risk worse injury.

[If there's a double meaning in her words he certainly doesn't pick up on it.]

...Would you mind if I removed my shirt? It's quite soaked.

[am_i_a_monster]

No, I don't mind.   I don't have anything to offer you though, to keep you warm.  [All she has is the clothes she died in.]  Maybe someone will bring towels and rain gear.

[vocarrah]

Maybe. It's not a problem, though. [He just wants to get out of his wet clothes. He pulls his shirt off, wringing it out and hugging himself, rubbing his arms briskly to try to get some warmth back.]

You're warm, right?

[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail nods.]   Yeah.  [Her clothes are practical and warm, chosen from years of being a hunter.]  

I feel bad for making people come out in the rain like this.

[vocarrah]

Ah, no, don't say that. [Ianchus sits back, looking over at her in the dim light. He should have remembered how dark it was here, should have brought candles.]

Don't apologize for what others have chosen to do.

[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail shrugs.] 

I chose to be in this position and to put out a call.  I should have known people would come.  I just didn't want to be alone.

[vocarrah]

Chose to be in your position? I don't think anyone chooses to die.
[He certainly didn't.]

Either way. Most people here are competent enough to know what they're getting into. I'm sure nobody else would want you to be alone, either.

[am_i_a_monster]

I did.  I asked him to do it.

[She nods.]  Yeah, it's bad when I'm alone.  Bad for anyone to be alone.  That's when nightmares and bad thoughts happen.

[vocarrah]

[Ah. Definitely more to this one than he'd thought. Ianchus pauses for a long time, and then ventures the question:]

'Him'?

[am_i_a_monster]

Yeah, The man who helped me.   He made it all go away.  No more pain.  No more nightmares.

[vocarrah]

[Ianchus feels the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and he throws Abigail another alarmed glance]

...Who was it? Why...why did he do--why did you ask him?

[am_i_a_monster]

I was alone and scared and I couldn't stop thinking about bad stuff I've done in the past.  He said dying would give me a second chance to be better.  Don't worry.  He only did it because I asked him to.