salamandher | 1

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[She wakes to another cell. And her heart stops.]

[This isn't Jacob's apartment. It's not even his grandparents' place. She looks around, wildly, for that man, but he isn't anywhere to be found. Not at first. Her pulse starts racing, and the rarely-felt panic begins clawing at her mind. She has to get out. She can't let him win again.]

[She hasn't eaten, hasn't slept, in what feels like days, and that probably only adds to her confusion and panic.]

[But that doesn't stop the fire.]

[As she all but bursts into the hallway, staggering, stumbling in her desperation, it kindles to life across her skin, over hair and clothing. Strangely enough, nothing else seems to be so much as warmed by the passing human torch. Stones she steps on will remain cool to the touch. It's only Kara who's on fire right now.]

[Approach?]

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[Zhaneel is doing anything and everything to keep herself busy and her mind on other things. Whether or not things are okay after the valentine's debacle, the poor gryphon is unsettled that such a thing was able to happen at all.

Between this and the forced form change a few weeks prior, the gryphon has become acutely aware that her magical immunity does not work at the Keep. Despite the fact that Zhaneel has been here for months, she's never thought to test the natural immunity that all gryphons share.

It had been sobering and terribly frightening.

She makes her way down from the wall walk, weaving through the halls with her attention turned inward. A mistake to be certain, but then she wasn't expecting to round the corner and find Kara there.

She lets out a skree of alarm and fear, stumbling back several steps with wings slightly flared. Normally she'd take immediately to the air, but that's not possible in the closed off hallways. So she backpedals, eyes wide and ears pinned as she tries to escape the flames.

In her panic, Zhaneel doesn't note the lack of heat, or the figure of the woman moving within them.]

[The woman on fire stops dead in her tracks. She's seen griffins before. Rarely, but she's still seen one or two in her time. But they were never anything you wanted to hang around for very long.]

[And so, the living fireball takes one look at the screeching creature... and bolts the other way.]

[Zhaneel starts, not having had expected this particular reaction to this. She blinks several times, wings clamping down to her back before she calls out.

Because, really, why should a flaming person be afraid of her?]

Wait! It is alright, I mean you no harrrm!

[The figure pauses at the end of the hallway, actually stumbling. She has to grip the wall for balance, or else fall over.]

[But she does stop.]

[Zhaneel approaches cautiously, not wishing to scare the individual into bolting again.]

My name isss Zhaneel... Pleasssse do not be afrrraid... You arrrrre not wherrrre you werre, but we have all experrrrienced the sssame.

[She is approaching slowly and warily, keeping her eyes on the figure in case it should choose to attack.]

... You can talk?

[She blurts that out, still clinging to the wall with shaking hands. Griffins don't talk. They just... shriek and then try to eat your face.]

[Zhaneel actually blinks in surprise at this... several times. Her ear tufts flick this way and that before settling forward toward Kara.]

Aye, I can... I can make reasonable decisions as well, such as sitting here and not attacking you. I would much rather ask questions first...

[As if to prove the point, she sits promptly on her haunches.]

[Kara stays put right where she is. Sure, it can talk, and sure it's keeping its distance. But it's a giant bird. It could change its mind.]

[And the fire begins to slowly die down.]

Where the hell am I?

[Yeah, the giant beak, talons and claws put people immediately into 'cautious', even if she was snap rolling on the ground and looking adorable.

She remains perfectly still, even her ear tufts and tail not so much as flicking. It's only when Kara asks where she is that she speaks.]

This is Holloway's Keep... you have been brought here, along with myself and dozens of others, to this place. I know it seems strange and overwhelming, but we are all of us from different places and times.

... And that's supposed to help?

[The fire has died out by now. Her need to protect herself overridden by the sudden, creeping fatigue.]

[She tilts her head slightly to one side, tail sweeping forward to curl over her toes. She gives her beak a single shake in the negative and thrums low in her throat.]

Only in that you know that you are not alone here... not really. There was a journal in the room you arrived in, did you see it there?

[She watches the creature, still wary, but this holding herself upright thing is getting difficult. Her fingers grip onto the wall.]

... Not really, no.

[She'd bolted from the room as fast as possible.]

[Zhaneel watches the woman with her own degree of caution, but there is a growing concern, too.]

It will explain things better than I, I think...

[She trails off and if a raptor's face can look concerned, then her's sure does!]

Are you alright?

[She shakes her head again, slower.]

I'm not going back in there, thanks. I know a cell when I see it.

[And then she nods, sharply.]

Fine. I'm fine.

[Zhaneel studies the woman silently for several moments, unblinking in that way only a raptor can manage. She clicks her beak and shakes her head once.]

Lean on me?

[She doesn't move to advance on her, yet, leaving the option to her before she shifts.]

[Well, that's a sight. Joe pauses, runs a hand down his face and sighs. Taking a step toward her, he puts his hands up.]

Lass... M'not sure who you are but m'gonna have to ask ye to put that fire out.

[Yes, he's aware she's the one on fire. Joe's used to odd things since Holloway's Keep.]

[Her head snaps around -- her eyes would have widened, if they were visible at all beneath the flames.]

[She doesn't recognize him. Not at all. He's not That Man... but he's not even remotely familiar, either.]

Who are you?

Joseph Ivers.

[He keeps his voice calm, hoping that straight answers will help.]

Yer in a place called Holloway's Keep. I'm gettin' that yer freaked out right now, but I'm here to help.

[Like a frightened animal, the calm voice has a definite effect. The fire starts to die away, revealing, bit by bit, the woman beneath the flames.]

Holloway's... keep? England?

[He shakes his head, a little sad that it's not. She knows Earth though, so that's a start.]

No, I admit sometimes I wish it were though. Can y'tell me yer name?

... Kara.

[The last of the fire flickers and dies, leaving her leaning up against a wall, fingers gripping it for balance.]

Where's Jacob? He's here... right? He's here too?

Kara.

[Joe nods as he says the name. She's a pretty girl alright, on fire or not.]

I haven't met a Jacob. But that doesn't mean he's not here, or won't be. This place is pretty spaced out with it's people. Sometimes it takes a while for them to show up.

[A long, long while.]

If he's here though, I'll help y'find him.

[She nods a little. Okay. If he's not here now... he might be. He showed up once. It could happen again.]

[And even as she thinks that, she hates it. She's not supposed to be this dependent -- it's all that man's fault.]

Right. We'll... get to that. So. If this isn't England...

[She looks up, meeting his eye with a confidence that's only half faked. Subject change was in order.]

... Where is it?

[Joe shrugs.]

By my understandin', it ain't really nowhere. I mean, it's somewhere obviously. Holloway's Keep is this place but as fer where it's located, speakin' Earth terms, it's... not.

[Maybe he's not so good at explaining this after all. He cringes.]

Uh... nevermind that crap I just dribbled. In the room you woke up in there'll be a journal with yer name on it. Inside that, you'll find a better explanation of what's goin' on.

[She kind of gives him a look. The hell did you just say, sir?]

It's... another dimension? Yes? No? Maybe so?

[Maybe it should be odd how that explanation would make the most sense to her.]

I didn't see a journal.

[If only because she'd been in too much of a hurry to get the hell out.]

[Odd indeed. Joe raises his eyebrows.]

Not Earth at all. There's a whole lotta worlds, whole lotta realities meetin' up here, Kara. Think of this as the pit stop in the middle.

[He starts toward her room.]

On the table by the bed. The letter in there from Lord Deior should answer some questions... an' likely ask a whole lot more. We can deal when them when we get to 'em.

... That's a new one.

[He starts walking... and she hangs back. The last thing she wants to do is go back in there. Back into a cell, of all things.]

Lord who what now? Lord Door?

[Joe can't not smirk at that.]

Deior. Lord of this Keep.

[He glances from doorway to Kara and sighs again. It's alright, he understands.]

Lemme grab it for ya then.

[Vanishing a moment, Joe reappears with the journal in hand, Kara's name printed neatly on it's cover. He holds it out for her to take.]

I think it sounds like "door".

[And thus, the lord of the keep received a new nickname forever and always.]

[She takes it, hands shaking ever so slightly. Odd. She hadn't been on fire that long...]

I don't... have to stay in there. Right? There's not a mandatory bed check or... anything.

[He leans against the wall, stance a little on the lazy side and folds his arms.]

It's kinda yer designated room, for the time yer here. S'not exactly much around in the means of housin' I'm afraid. But, there's a few around that sleep elsewhere. A few in the stables, boathouse from time to time, so it's up to you, really.

[First things first. He needs her to read that letter.]

In the cover of the book'll be a letter from Lord Door himself. Just, read it for me, aye? I'll explain all I can after that.

Yeah I... think I'll check into somewhere else. Anywhere else.

[Because she just can't bring herself to crawl willingly into a cell again so soon.]

[She hesitates, but does as he asks. And after scanning the letter, she goes still -- and paler. The journal shakes in her hands.]

... This is a joke. Right? This is a total joke.

[He'd been about to offer a place in the kitchens until she found somewhere better, but Kara's reaction to the letter demands attention first.]

M'sorry lass. It's no joke.

[She shakes her head, her expression suggesting he just told her something horrifying and incomprehensible.]

[Which... he short of did.]

No, you said -- you said -- that's not what you said!

[All he said was Jacob could show up -- but she'd latched onto it hard in the wake of what that man had done.]

[Fire licks its way up her arms, and now there's no hiding the shaking in her limbs.]

[Again, Joe holds up his hands.]

Whoa, whoa. Steady on, take a breath.

[Please don't set me on fire ;A;]

Out there is gone, aye. But yer friend, Jacob, he might yet be alright. Time, or at least I figure it's time, it moves weird. Don't be givin' up on yer lad just yet.

[Fortunately for Joe, the fire flickers out -- although it's more due to a sudden wash of fatigue than anything. Shock, fatigue, lack of food... that's never good for her.]

[And she'll kick herself for acting this way later. Once it's all settled in. She promises herself that.]

But you don't know.

No. I don't.

[Much as he hates to admit it.]

But just the same, y'can't say he won't. Not fer certain.

[He offers a hand, but doesn't expect her to take it. Joe's not sure what he's doing right now.]

Y'need to eat. The kitchen isn't far. I can explain better once you get some strength back into you.

[She looks as if she'd like to curl in on herself right now. She sort of feels like it, too. Like the floor got pulled out from under her, right when she needed it most.]

Not for certain. Great. Really great. Awesome, even.

[Kara stares at his hand, blankly. Her fingers curl tight around the journal.]

How... How did you know?

Y'stay in this place for long enough, you get to know a few things. Yer not the only one with abilities, Kara.

[Joe cannot speak for himself in that regard. He's one of the few standard human beings in the Keep. No powers, no abilities. Just a knack for cooking and a friendly personality to get him through the day.]

M'not the enemy here.

I'm not? [She pauses, looking him over, somewhat skeptically.] You're a wizard, Joe?

[If she's aware of the joke she just made, she doesn't show it.]

Enemy... right. Enemies. So who is?

A wizard? Me?

[For a moment he seems to consider the suggestion.]

Nay, lass. M'just Irish.

[He smiles and... scratches the back of his head.]

I know I'm just a stranger with a goofy accent, but m'here to help. I'll tell you all I can about this Keep and what's goin' on. Food first though.

So? The one I knew was... English.

[She had no idea where the other was from -- but Jacob was definitely English.]

[And she pauses, looking down at the book in her shaking hands.]

Yeah. Sure. Food.

Neighbor of mine then.

[Joe drops his hand, turns on his heel and motions off the way he'd come.]

Kitchen's not far. The broth should be about ready to come off the heat by now, so good timin' on your behalf.

[That said, Joe starts toward the kitchen, hoping that she'll follow along with him.]

Bring that book an' take it steady, aye?

Yeah. Except you couldn't tell until he got drunk.

[More or less.]

[She does follow, keeping near the wall, if possible. Her legs feel unsteady, and taking a header to the stone floor isn't high on her list of priorities.]

Soup?

[Joe moves slow and steady, letting Kara come along at her own pace. He keeps close enough to catch her should she need him, but distant enough not to invade her personal space.]

Y'like soup, don't you?

[Because clearly this is the important question to ask.]

[She shrugs a shoulder, looking down at the floor as she goes.]

I like food.

[That earns a grin.]

Then yer talkin' to the right guy. I'm the man in charge of the kitchens around here. Got a few others to help out but fer the most part, I'm the cook.

Any requests, I'm the one to ask.

[And for a moment, she's taken aback by that. How in the hell did she manage to run into the cook, of all people?]

[But... trauma and fear aside, she can't bring herself to overlook this little gift.]

Bagels?

[Yes, that is her first request.]

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1 - Action

BECAUSE FLAMES AND FEATHERS ARE A PERFECT MATCH!

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i'm sorry 8|b

NOPE no sorries

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