Video | First Bitemark

[cinereoargenteus]

 [When the screen turns on, Garrett is nowhere to be seen. The video is facing outward and quite shaky, but some people will still recognize that he's in the infirmary. As he sees the video is finally working, he breathes a sigh of relief and turns the video back towards himself, jarring the video a little bit. Though it's hard to read emotions on a face half-covered, it's clear that he's scared and trying very hard not to show it.

His voice, still young despite his attempt at sounding more mature, has a peculiar accent to it when he speaks. His words come out stilted without the use of contractions.]

Do not like it in here. Smells wrong, like old blood. Feels wrong. Reminds me of back home, when bodies do not get buried right after battles and then you end up with places full of dark magic. Hell, do any of you know what I am speaking of? So many differences here from home. And I found this.

[The video swings back out again until it focuses on a very large footprint indented into the floor. This is what has gotten him so shaken up. There's an inappropriate, hysterical laugh from Garrett, the kind someone makes when they don't know how to handle a situation emotionally any longer.]

What big beast made that? And is it still around?

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[grimholdkeeper]

[Instant concern. Blake clicks on the video feed, fumbling with buttons for a moment before managing to make it steady and static-free. From what he can see, the area around the stranger looks more like a laboratory than a torture chamber, which is what he'd have expected from that description. Still, sometimes there's a fine line between the two.]

Easy. Take it easy. Panic won't help anyone.

I understand what you're saying. Stay calm and I'll see if I can find you to help.

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[cinereoargenteus]

Not panicked. Would be able to hear me screaming down every hall if I was.

[Even with his mind conjuring every terrible what-if scenario involving just who or what that giant footprint could belong to, Garrett can still find a corner of his mind to conjure up a joke.

He grows suspicious at the offer of help. Maybe if it was someone he'd talked to, but he doesn't know this guy from Adam.]

Why you want to help, mister? What you getting out of this?

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[grimholdkeeper]

[Well, that's mildly frustrating. Being the compulsive hero type, Balthazar always feels a little foolish when his heroics are rejected, but at least he's accustomed enough to such things not to take it personally.]

Call me curious. I just arrived here, and I have yet to figure out the lay of the land.

[cinereoargenteus]

Anybody ever tell you 'bout what happened to the curious cat?

[He hasn't got a good reason not to accept Balthazar's help, aside from his own stubborn pride and suspicion. One ear flicks back and the other stays forward, a sign of indecision.]

Gimme a name first, mister. Cannot trust if I do not even know who you are.

[grimholdkeeper]

I'm more of a dog person. [That's roughly true, but really he's a fan of animals in general. Birds are his favorite.

He knows enough to read the ear position as language, though.]

Balthazar Blake, although I'm guessing my reputation doesn't precede me here. I'm a sorcerer. White magic.

[cinereoargenteus]

A Sorcerer?

[If ever there was a word to promote a dramatic reaction in the fox, that was it. Garrett disappears from sight as he drops his phone on the ground, so Balthazar won't get a view of the shock that runs through his features.

When he picks it back up, there's a low growl emanating from deep in his throat and a look to his face that speaks of emotions he's trying to hide, covering them up with his anger. If he was afraid before, now he's downright terrified. And all that fear is directed right at Balthazar.]

You stay away from me!

[grimholdkeeper]

[Not the reaction he expected, but then again...it's not entirely foreign, either. In 20th century America, if you tell people you're a sorcerer, they normally ignore you or commence with the fantasy-novel-based jokes. But there was a time he had to reassure everyone he met that he wasn't trying to steal souls or create floods or dominate the country.

He sighs, feeling old and tired, and possibly a bit hurt. His voice is calm, though, as he answers:]

I have no reason or desire to harm you in any way. If I'm that upsetting, I'll leave you be. But if you feel you're in danger where you are, you should leave and find a more populated area.

[cinereoargenteus]

I have heard that before from a Sorcerer. [He adopts the frail-sounding tone of an old man.] 'Do not worry, I will not hurt you or your brother. I only wish to make the world a better place.' And then he tried to kill me.

[He shakes his head.] Men like you, they have too much power.

[notrosesshadow]

I don't know what made that. I've been doing my best to clean the infirmary up. Or at least I was the last time I was here.

Hello. I'm Martha.

[cinereoargenteus]

Last time? 'Nother one who left and then came back and does not know how, yes?

[This is the third one he's talked to in the last few days. An idea is beginning to form in his mind. Pretty soon, he's going to think there's a teleportation beam that strikes at random to sends people back.]

[notrosesshadow]

That would be correct. Ended up home. Thought this place was a dream. Lived back home for two years and came back here to find out it wasn't. It'd only been two days here.

[cinereoargenteus]

Two years, but only two days?

[He clutches his head with both paws in a manner that suggests this new piece of information broke his brain.]

Gods playing around with time and creating who-only-knows what kind of monster in here. We are all doomed.

[notrosesshadow]

I know. Time doesn't always make sense to me either.

So far I've not seen any monsters down here. But there's definitely something messing with us.

[cinereoargenteus]

I think it is gods. Cruel and also very bored gods. Would explain a lot of the stuff going on 'round here.

[notrosesshadow]

I was thinking possibly aliens. There are some that will take you for seemingly no reason.

[cinereoargenteus]

What is an alien?

[These people keep using so many new words. It is beginning to make him feel quite ignorant.]

[notrosesshadow]

[Well that wasn't the reaction she expected. Watch her eyebrows shoot up.]

An alien? Is... a being from another world. Another planet really.

[video]

[wolfofmidgard]

Garrett? Are you all right?

[Cue a concerned-looking Valkyrie.]

I'm not sure what did that. But we think that lab was where we used to be taken, when we vanish.

[Now? Who knows.]

[cinereoargenteus]

Not so much, but that ain't the big problem here. [Yes, of course it isn't an issue to have his emotions going on the fritz. He just needs to bury them down inside and focus.]

Whatever they did in here, it was no good. Think...think someone died in here. [He gives a shudder that runs through his whole body.]

[wolfofmidgard]

It's... certainly possible. [That concerned look isn't going anywhere.] There's no sense worrying about it now. I think someone would have noticed something like that tearing up and down the halls, by now.

[Maybe that's optimistic, but she'd had the feeling, when in the infirmary herself, that the incident hadn't been recent. Just something about the way dust had collected and the state of the equipment itself.]

[cinereoargenteus]

I am gonna have to put up some signs 'round here. [He's a superstitious little fellow, though considering the world he's from, it's partially justified. Having some anti-ghost wards around the place will make him feel a whole lot better.

He looks unconvinced by Meja's reassurance.]

Dunno. Something big can still be fast. My brother Stubborn can turn into an ursurine 'n I have seen him sneak up onna camp in open range.

[wolfofmidgard]

You'd only have to worry about those signs of yours moving around.

[He has a point about speed.]

That's true. [Dragons are huge and they can still fly faster than most other creatures.] But whatever made those was angry, and we've not had any fights of that scale recently. Unless they've been very quiet.

[cinereoargenteus]

Hmmm, do you think they would move right off the walls? [He taps one of the walls in question, tracing a strange mark over it with the tip of his paws.]

Let us hope they stay quiet. Maybe it is the type of creature who sleeps part of the year and wakes during the other part.

[wolfofmidgard]

Perhaps not the signs, but the walls themselves.

[Something's clearly not right in this place, as far as physics are usually concerned.]

I haven't personally seen them shift, but they must.

[cinereoargenteus]

It is not fair! Why can this place not follow rules?

[There's a slight whine to his voice, like an unhappy child. Garrett tries very hard to act responsible and grown-up, but every so often, there's a reminder he's still young and far away from home.]