Open DR post

[texelations]

A fold in the universe exists in the ether of the fifth dimension. This place, because it is somehow a place, consists of nothing, exists nowhere and nowhen.

Yet you find yourself in it.

To the eye of the mortal mind, this space appears to be a white, featureless room, and the portals that have brought you here appear to be nothing but empty thresholds. How you arrived is anyone's guess. Perhaps you were transported while in the throes of death; perhaps it was something so simple as passing through a doorway in your own world.

While here, others may be transported into this dimension join you. At there mere thought of your most treasured or needed possession, the item may appear on the pedestal within. Visitors can freely go to another world contained within one of the portals if they wish, but you must have a companion for the dimensional shift to work. Otherwise passing through the thresholds will be of no effect.

This is no dream; this is no afterlife. And you are in it. What happens next is up to you.

Comments

[bothbarrels]

"Okay, Wrath. I have some bandages over there. Maybe it'll be enough for the two of us." He sets a hand at her side and tilts his head to get a better look. "Good-sized gash here. You feel light-headed at all?"

[pain_train]

"If it's not I guess I'll have to fight you for it." Squinty-eyed look. "You're not that big." Her breath hisses out. "Shrapnel. Yeah. Well. I feel like I was just standing next to an artillery shell when it went. Which I was."

[bothbarrels]

"Your injury is worse than mine," he says. "Come on, let's get you over there." He offers his arm for her to lean on as she arises.

[pain_train]

"Lucky day for you, then." She glances up at him. "You look like shit. Do I look more like shit than you do?" The height difference is almost comical, really, but she's not laughing. She's also not at all shy about hanging on to North to cover the distance. He's not her enemy as such, he didn't try to shoot her, so she's not going to worry about it for now.

[bothbarrels]

"My wound aren't as bad as yours." For all that a facial gash will bleed, they're pretty superficial and close quickly. And the bullet impacts were minor because of his armor.

Amazingly since the time that he'd first noticed the bandages appear, a wound pad had joined the supplies on the pedestal. "Oh," he says, kind of mystified. "Here we go."

[pain_train]

"Yeah, but I could hope I'm still managing to be prettier." It's habit, talking like that. there's normally at least one other lieutenant around to bullshit with, or a couple sergeants she knows well enough.

She eyes the bandages distrustfully, but what kind of choice is there? Bleeding to death from suspicion sounds like a dumb way to go. "Huh."

Still leaning against North--hey, if he lets her, she might as well--she starts carefully stripping off the body armor, jacket first, to reveal a white, circuitry-laced long-sleeved shirt beneath. Well, it was white at one point. It's now mostly, wetly red. "Oh--fuck me." There are still bits of metal sticking out of her flesh, though it's mostly superficial except for the large wound in her side. "I'm going to chew someone a new asshole for this. Next-gen armor, my foot."

[bothbarrels]

"We'll have to wrap this for now. Hopefully we'll be able to get you medical treatment to get that shrapnel pulled." Somehow. Until then, he puts the wound pad on and wraps it with the tape and bandages. His touch is gentle, though he applies the bandages firmly. "How did you end up here? I was in an explosion."

[pain_train]

Gentle or not, it still hurts. A lot. Wrath takes a very, very tight grip on North's arm and grits her teeth. Her eyes are watering by the time all is said and done. "Same. We hit some... unexploded ordnance or something while we were looking for higher ground. I thought the damn wall was going to fall on me too but... here I am."

Arguments for this being the afterlife: Hot guy. (Yes, right now she just wants to punch him in his excellent jawline because god why does this hurt so much, but she can still admit the aesthetic appeal.)

Arguments against this being the afterlife: Ow ow ow.

No conclusion drawn.

"Have we been abducted by aliens or some shit?"

[bothbarrels]

"If we have, I sure don't remember it happening. For me, it was instant. Explosion; room." Similarly, he's thinking this all seems too real to be some kind of afterlife. Wouldn't the afterlife be floaty and ethereal? Well, he doesn't know.

[pain_train]

Wrath huffs a bitter little laugh. "Yeah, well, memory isn't what it used to be." She knows she's been compromised. It was plain from the first time she'd taken a minute to ask why she didn't have a family. The more disturbing thought was really how long it had taken her to notice that discrepancy.

And that she still went long stretches of time not caring about it.

"Well... first thing's first. Your turn. Let's patch up that pretty face of yours." She gives him a crooked grin that's just a little white around the edges with pain.

[bothbarrels]

His face relaxes into a ghost of a smile and he hands her the bandages. "If you insist." It was humorous being complimented by someone who'd been willing to shank him not long ago.

[pain_train]

"Better be on your knees for this." He is ridiculously tall, isn't he. Wrath knows how to do basic first aid. Whiskey made sure of that. So she knows what she's doing, and her movements are efficient as she gets the wound cleaned, gets a bandage on it, even if her hands are trembling.

Post-battle jitters.

"Okay. There's your face, gorgeous." Casual patter. It keeps everyone calm. It's habit. "What else needs to be fixed?"

[bothbarrels]

"Oh, I just have these..." He gestures to the impact points on his chest, which have bloomed into darkened bruised circles. "Just a little antiseptic is all I need on these, I think."

[pain_train]

"Understood." There is antiseptic--that was always there, right?--and some swabs. She starts getting the little impacts cleaned out, though after a moment she has to rest her hand on his shoulder, to steady herself.

Now is not the time to be considering how attractive this person is or is not. It's a response to almost dying, she knows that. It doesn't make it any easier to ignore. Focus. There's still plenty of pain to go around. She tosses the used swab aside after a moment. "There you go. Good as new."

[bothbarrels]

"Thank you." He rises and begins to pull on the sleeves of his undersuit. "I don't know what to do now. There doesn't seem to be a doorway to get out anywhere."

[pain_train]

Wrath eyes her armor, still discarded on the floor. She half crouches to pick it back up, then very carefully pulls the jacket back on, wincing as she does. "Doorways, but they're empty," she comments. She limps warily toward one. "Don't suppose you have anything to eat in one of your pockets, North," she says over her shoulder.

[bothbarrels]

"Storage is surprisingly roomy in these suits, but no, I didn't think to pack any energy bars or anything. Do you want any help with that?"

[pain_train]

"Very thoughtless of you," she says, teasing. "Help with what? It's... an empty doorway." She sticks her hand through it, waves, sighs with annoyance.

[bothbarrels]

"I meant your armor, but I guess you've got it handled now." He approaches the threshold she's sticking her hand through and peers through it, as though he's going to see anything but the same stark white room on the other side, and sighs.

But then, with the two of them standing side by side before the space, something seems to shimmer into view in line with the opening. He looks over at Wrath in shock. "Hey, do you see...?"

[pain_train]

"Oh, right. Nah. It's... as good as it's going to get." She wasn't really eager to fasten the jacket closed, not when it'd put more pressure on the wounds.

She takes a rapid step back from the doorway when it flickers. "Yeah. And I don't like this." She grimaces. "Why couldn't I have gotten dumped in here with my sword?"

[bothbarrels]

He follows suit, and the image disappears. "A sword, that sounds impressive. I usually have a sniper rifle but I guess it's still back on the ship."

[pain_train]

"Ship? You're a sailor?" ...yeah no.

"I'm a soldier and I'm good at my job. But I'm not much of a shot," she admits as she frowns at the doorway. "I guess it likes us, huh."

[bothbarrels]

"Space marine," he says, which isn't really accurate, but it's the easiest way of explaining it without going into a ton of detail. "So we're both soldiers."

Rocking forward a half-step confirms it—yes, there really is an image appearing whenever they get close. "What do you think?" he asks. "Nothing to lose but a boring existence in this room."

[pain_train]

"Hah, nice. I've heard about space marines. Mobile infantry, here."

She stares at the doorway, then snorts. "You seem like a nice guy, North, but I'd still rather not die of boredom with you. That could put a real strain on our relationship. Let's go."

A slight hesitation and she draws her combat knife, more for the comfort of it than anything, and holds it ready at her side in an ice pick grip. Then she goes for the doorway.

[bothbarrels]

She's take-charge. He likes that. "Lead the way." He pulls his pistol and brings up the rear, moving through the doorway behind her.