[013]

[grip_on_reality]

[403 has had enough of being cooped up in that strange bathhouse. after all, when you're thrown into a weird situation, the first thing you do is explore, and that's exactly what she intends to do. with that plan in mind, she heads outside, stepping onto the Plane itself. for a moment she frowns at the ground, tapping it with her foot] What the hell is this?

[with no answers forthcoming, she continues forward, looking around her suspiciously] Some sort of...city? [she murmurs the words to herself as she looks around at the nearest buildings. her lip curls] Well, at least there's plenty to see.

[but before she sets out to explore one of those buildings, she cups her hands around her mouth and calls:] Oi! Anybody out 'ere?

[she waits a moment, her expression wry as she mutters:] We can probably rule out an egomaniac. They'd 'ave 'ad more to say by now... [but, cupping her hands, she gives shouting one more go before setting off on her own] Anybody around? Hello?

Comments

[betrayedtwin]

[Yeah, he notices she's breathing harder and frowns, wondering what's the matter.] Hmm? What do you--[he steps forward, putting a hand on her shoulder when she suddenly grabs the railing.]--hey, are you okay?

[grip_on_reality]

Hard to breathe... Something...in the air...? [she gives him a bleary look, not understanding why he doesn't feel it, too. but as she looks at that visored face, even her currently sluggish mind puts together a possible reason--he has his own oxygen system]

[but she has no time to debate that. she can think of only two ways to get out of this--go back or go forward. she isn't sure what's causing this or how widespread it is, but considering it started while she was still outside of the stairwell, she opts for going forward. ignoring him and holding tightly to the railing, she tries to make a run for upstairs--but she's unsteady on her feet, gasping as she goes] Gotta...get out...

[betrayedtwin]

[It's too bad she can't see how worried he is behind that visor. As it is, he can't see anything that would indicate that there is something unbreathable in the air, so maybe it's something else?]

If you want to get out, let's go back the way we came. You won't get out that way! [He tries to grab her arm to stop her, but she has a bit of a lead on him now as he definitely didn't expect her to go upthe stairs.]

[grip_on_reality]

[she continues up the stairs in a staggering run, but just short of the top, she stumbles, falling to her knees and letting out a weak cry as she does so. still gasping, she throws a hand out for the railing, but she's weak with loss of oxygen, and she can't pull herself back up enough to reach. instead, she falls forward, putting her hands out to catch herself just in time. and at that point, her body can't take it any more. still sprawled on the stairs, she slips into unconsciousness]

[betrayedtwin]

No, stop! [For someone much shorter than him, she can really move quickly. But he's just on her heels, so she doesn't stay sprawled on the stairs for long. Gently, he picks her up and slings her over his shoulder, but he retreats quickly back down the stairs. Something in that place is getting to her, but he isn't sure what. He just knows he has to get her back outside.

It takes him a minute, but soon he's back at the front entrance of the library and is throwing the door open. Cradling her as best he can with his bulky armor on, he lays her down on the starry ground. He takes off his helmet, pressing an ear to her chest. There's a faint heartbeat there, but she's barely breathing. So, he tilts her chin back and starts to deliver mouth-to-mouth.]

[grip_on_reality]

[now that she's free of the influence of the library, it doesn't take long before she gasps in a great lungful of air--and then she starts to cough, her body struggling to regain a normal breathing rhythm after the unfortunate interruption. she rolls onto her side, coughing and gulping in lungfuls of air, her eyes still shut for the moment as she focuses on breathing]

[betrayedtwin]

[He keeps a hand on her back, rubbing it gently to encourage her to breathe normally.] Easy, easy... Nice and slow. Deep breaths, okay? [He really wishes he had a name to use. Maybe that'd help calm her down, but he doesn't know it. Reassuring words is all he has right now.]

[grip_on_reality]

[it's kind of him to try to calm her since she's still very much caught up in the horror of not being able to breathe. if there's one thing in the world that scares her, it's a lack of control--and that was a lack of control in a big way]

[at the sound of his voice, she opens her eyes, looking blearily up at him. for the moment, she continues to focus on breathing, fighting back the remaining sense of panic as she does so. when the coughing begins to subside and she gets closer to a normal rhythm, she chokes out:] What...was that!?

[betrayedtwin]

[Patiently, he waits for her breathing to stabilize. He still keeps a hand on her, partly to keep her calm, but also so he can keep her steady until she's ready to move.] I wish I knew. You just...panicked. I don't know what set you off, but it was like it terrified the hell out of you.

[And from the very slight shake in his voice, it scared him too--but only because he didn't know what was going on with her.]

[grip_on_reality]

Panicked!? [she gapes at him, getting riled up all over again] I couldn't breathe! There was...some sort of poison. Or something. You're lucky--[she coughs]--you've got that helmet!

[betrayedtwin]

Easy, easy. You got panicked because you couldn't breathe, that's all. But...I don't think it was poison. [He taps a finger on the helmet next to him.] The stuff in there would've told me. But if you'd like, I can take a quick look around without it on. You can stay here and I'll check to see if it's clear.

[grip_on_reality]

[sharply] No! [since he's crouched next to her, she reaches out to put a hand on his arm] Who do you think is gonna get you out!? [her expression is intent; she doesn't understand why he's treating this like something that would affect her alone. in a place like this, she has a feeling that his helmet not picking up poison doesn't mean it's not there] Because somehow I doubt I can just stick your helmet on and go in after you.

[she pauses, coughing again, but her breathing has settled back into a normal rhythm. she lets go of him, putting a hand on the ground so she can push herself into a sitting position--but slowly. she's still feeling fatigued and shaken] No, if you're going back in there, it'd better be with that helmet on.

[betrayedtwin]

[He sighs, moving back a bit so she has room to sit up.] How about this: I go in there with it on but take a quick look around with it off once I get to that staircase? I'll have it with me to put right back on if I start to get poisoned.

How does that sound?

[grip_on_reality]

[flatly] Dangerous. [admittedly, she wants to know the cause of the problem as much as he does--still, letting him go in there on his own sounds to her like the sort of thing an officer who gets civilians killed might do] You'd be better off exploring it on your own, helmet on.

[but she sighs, knowing that isn't going to explain things well enough for either of them] But if you're going? You're putting that helmet back on the second you feel anything. Because there's nobody to go in after you.

[it's not an admission she makes happily, but she has to face reality. he's too much bigger than she is--and too much heavier in that armour--for her to have any hope of helping if she did go in. and fatigued as she is now, she wouldn't have any hope of getting herself out either if it started affecting her again. so she gives him a stern look and waits for his decision]

[betrayedtwin]

[Oddly...this kind of thing seems a little exciting to him, if he's honest with himself.]

Hey, no problem. [He smiles and reaches for his helmet.] If I'm not back out in five minutes, run back to that hotel and get help. [He puts it on, then stands.] But I don't think it'll be necessary.

[And so, he heads back into the library without another world. Once inside, he heads over to that bowl of candy. It started there wit that and that article. He picks up the candy bowl, examines it, but doesn't see anything off about it so he puts it back down and heads back over to the stairs. So far, he isn't seeing anything strange or alarming show up on his helmet--and he isn't sure if that's good or not. Good for him, perhaps, but not for her... Shrugging, he takes off his helmet, cautiously taking a normal breath in.]

[Nothing. His lungs aren't closing up and he doesn't smell anything weird. Frowning, he peers up the stairs. Still nothing. He scratches his head, puzzled. What's going on here? He's noticed nothing in the library that could possibly have hurt her.]

[Soon, he heads back out, the helmet tucked under his arm. Hopefully he didn't take too long.]

[grip_on_reality]

Tch. [she scowls, knowing how low their chances are of her being able to get him help in time if he can't breathe] Just be careful in there!

[when he disappears inside, she spends a few moments watching the entrance. but then, now that she's alone, she pulls the article out of her pocket and reads it over again. to herself, she mutters:] Am I ill? Is that how...?

[but she lets that thought trail off, sitting quietly for a moment. then she sighs, tucking the article away again, and pulls herself to her feet. she doesn't want him to return to find her still sitting on the ground--not when she's feeling better. but one thing she is doing is checking her watch often. thankfully, it is less than five minutes later that he emerges. it's a surprise to see him carrying his helmet under his arm. she moves forward to meet him, looking him over for any signs of trauma or injury] Oi! You all right, soldier?

[betrayedtwin]

[He lets out a small laugh.] Yeah, I'm definitely okay, suit. [He figures a nickname will be better than calling her a number.] No poison or anything. Just those books and a lot of dust. I'm beginning to wonder if you had one hell of an asthma attack or something.

[grip_on_reality]

[she snorts at the name, but relief is obvious in her expression] Good.

[she flinches at his suggestion, though. it matches up disconcertingly with her own worries about the reason behind her previous...episode] I...don't know. [it's all she can think of to say, and it's frustrating her to no end. how can she properly form any hypothesis about what just happened when she doesn't remember anything about herself? if she is ill, shouldn't she feel at least some fleeting familiarity with the idea? but nothing is ringing a bell at all--not about that, anyway. so far, the only things that have felt real to her have been the candy, the newspaper clipping, and those handcuffs on the stairs]

[she swallows hard] If I went back in, we'd know if it's dissipated. [she's not sure whether she means that as an observation or an actual suggestion. but even as repulsive as the idea of going back in there is to her, one thing's for sure--she wants to figure this out]

[betrayedtwin]

[Part of him isn't sure if it was just a fluke or not, and part of him wonders if they should just go elsewhere. But...nothing happened to him, so it still could be okay in there now.]

Don't know, but let's find out together. [He holds his hand out for her to take.]

[grip_on_reality]

[she nods, fighting back her dread. she considers ignoring the proffered hand; even without her memories, she can sense it's not really her thing. but in this case, she can see the benefit of sticking close, so she takes it, stepping up beside him as she does so] Right. [she takes a deep breath] Let's go, soldier. [and she starts toward the doors]

[betrayedtwin]

[He nods, keeping his helmet under his arm, and follows her. That is, until they get to the doors and he reaches forward, opening it for her.] After you, suit. Anything happens, and we're going right back out, okay?

[grip_on_reality]

Yeah. [she gives him a meaningful look] Both of us.

[and with that, she steps inside. heading through the foyer and into the library proper, she takes deep, even breaths. but so far, so good. she glances behind her] You all right so far?

[betrayedtwin]

[He nods] Yeah, I'm good. Feels the same for me so far.

How about we go over to where you started to feel weird before. [He points over at the table with the candy bowl resting atop it.]

[grip_on_reality]

That isn't-- [she's about to point out that she didn't have any trouble breathing until later, but even glancing at the table again, she knows what he means. the same sense of dread comes back as she sees that innocuous bowl of candy. she swallows hard] Is it...familiar...to you? [she glances at him again, trying not to show the seemingly baseless fear welling up inside her]

[betrayedtwin]

[He's about to add that he noticed her reaction to it earlier and it's only an assumption on his part--but when she turns to him, he sees that same look in her eye.]

Nope, not one bit. Is it to you, though?