✘ Jo Harvelle | 001 | Video/Possible Action | Day 74

[lightgunhustler]

[The young woman peering into the camera looks more than a little worse for wear, her lower lip split open and the side of her face streaked with dried blood. She rakes her hair away from her face, revealing a long but shallow cut on her forehead, no doubt responsible for at least some of the blood, though there's too much for that to be her only injury.

She rubs the heel of her hand against her eye, grimacing as she sets her jaw, giving a quick, anxious glance over her right shoulder before turning her attention back to the video feed.]

Whatever's going on, I'm not laughing. If there's anyone out there who can offer an explanation, I'm all ears.

[A communication device meant that someone had to be out there listening, didn't it? Honestly, she doubts anyone thinks this is some kind of joke. She's pretty sure she hadn't made it out of that hardware store alive. So what the hell was this?

It wasn't like any afterlife she'd ever imagined.

She looks hesitant, biting at her lower lip for a moment before speaking again.]

Mom? Sam, Dean?

[They'd been there. They couldn't have gotten far before -- well. Before this. It was worth asking, wasn't it? Whatever was going on, she'd feel a lot better knowing they were in this together. Or maybe it really was some kind of run-down afterlife. Maybe she really was alone.

God. She hoped not.]

Comments

video

[hung_garian]

Do mine eyes deceive me? Can this really be another stylishly distressed Winchester groupie? Just a few more and we'll have the complete set!

[lightgunhustler]

[Jo narrows her eyes sharply at the feed.]

I'm not a groupie.

[Amused? Nope.]

[ video ]

[foundacause]

[ She's trying to be on her best behaviour and not upset the locals. But ugh, she's a demon and it's just too tempting. ]

Well, well, well. Military Barbie doll, looks like you finally joined the party.

[lightgunhustler]

[There's a face Jo really hoped she wouldn't see again so soon. She'd been keeping her fingers crossed for Dean to blow it clean away, in fact.]

What the hell are you doing here?

[She tenses visibly. God, she hopes Meg hasn't brought any of her pets.]

Action

[justrunsasaloon]

[It hit her in the gut, harder and faster than any punch had a right to. She'd been wandering the woods, looking for some herbs that she didn't have in stock, but had come up empty. Walking back to the bar, the familiar voice had floated on the breeze toward her.

She takes just a second, just a split second to catch her breath.

And then she's running. Running toward the voice, toward the one voice she'd hoped, almost prayed to both hear and not hear. But there she is. Standing tall and proud, her baby girl. Not dead. Not eaten by a hellhound, not bleeding out on the ground....]

JOANNA BETH!

[If her voice screeches a little, she doesn't notice. She's on her daughter in a moment, clutching her baby girl tight.]

Joanna Beth. You're okay. It's okay.

[Ellen leans back a little racking blonde hair away from Jo's precious face. Her eyes rake her daughter, double checking for injuries.]

[lightgunhustler]

[Even though she'd called out for her mother over the communicator, she hadn't expected to hear Ellen's voice cut through the air like that. She turns, looking over her shoulder to see Ellen coming towards her before the rest of her body follows, but otherwise, she finds herself unable to move, momentarily stunned and fixed to that spot -- not to mention her legs are a bit unsteady to begin with.

It's the embrace that pulls her out of that momentary daze, and she puts her arms around Ellen's middle and hugs her just as fiercely, swallowing hard. Her mother had opted to stay behind with her. Jo had known that neither one of them was going to make it out of that place alive. This? This was nothing short of some kind of miracle, if it was real.]

Mom, are you--

[She wants to ask if she's okay, but something else occurs to her first. Pursing her lips, she pulls free of the embrace just long enough to fumble for the flask of holy water at her hip, uncapping it and holding it out, offering it to her mother.]

Drink this.

[There was no such thing as too careful.]

( video )

[voliere]

[ Jo's injuries are enough for Elizabeth to quickly press and poke at her communicator until she's sure her own worried expression is on the video. ] Are you alright? Do you need help? I can find some supplies for you if you need them.

[lightgunhustler]

[Jo purses her lips as she looks downwards, gingerly touching her fingers against her abdomen. She distinctly remembers that spot being raw and torn wide open, but the wounds there now are shallow -- bleeding, but not a dangerous amount.]

I think I'm alright, somehow.

[And here she'd thought 'alright' was no longer on the table.]

I'm okay. Sore. Don't think any of these injuries are gonna land me in trouble, at least.

[video]

[blackmagus]

[Rough arrivals seem to be in style, around here. Fortescue responds with a black cat curled on top of her shoulders.]

I'm afraid the explanations are... sparse, love. We don't know much, either.

[She offers an apologetic smile.]

I can tell you that most of us are kidnapped. And from different worlds.

[video]

[lightgunhustler]

Kidnapped?

[She raises both eyebrows, dubious. Not the conclusion she would have drawn -- and the part about different worlds throws her for a loop, too. She's heard a little something about alternate realities in the past, but never given it much thought. The only world she's ever had to be concerned about was her own.]

What the hell for?

[tryingitall]

We do have a Dean. No Sam, unfortunately. Or perhaps fortunately, depending on how you look at it. [He's not sure who 'Mom' would be, although he has a guess.]

I'm beginning to dislike this place's tendency to bring people in wounded. It's discourteous. How badly are you hurt?

[lightgunhustler]

Dean Winchester?

[She hopes so. He'll have answers. He usually does, even if he doesn't like to give out all the details in the interest of 'keeping people safe' sometimes.

She winces as she lays a hand over the wounded side of her abdomen. It's painful, but the injury isn't what it was. Not by a long shot.]

Not nearly as bad as I thought I was. I think -- I'm gonna be okay. Just a little unsteady. People show up hurt like this a lot?

[Maybe it really was the afterlife. People showing up wounded might make sense, then.

Hell of an afterlife, though, no pun intended. This place looked like a total dump.]

[bluesrat]

[Oh no, another one who's dropped here looking like they came through the wringer. Rat feels luckier each time, but also increasingly worried that they don't seem to have a good medical clinic on hand.]

You okay sweetheart? I'm not sure what medical supplies we've got here, but do you need help? [The face is middle-aged and worried, and 'sweetheart' was not meant to be in any way patronizing.]

[lightgunhustler]

I'm standing, at least.

[That was more than she could say about thirty minutes earlier. Moving hadn't exactly been on her agenda then.]

I think I'm okay. My mom found me, but--

[She cuts herself off for a moment to regain her composure, frowning. If the nickname bothers her, it doesn't show. She's used to getting those kinds of casual endearments, working in a saloon that caters to hunters for so many years.]

What is this place?

[nedofpies]

There's no reason to want to laugh. It's not a joke, or a prank, or a bad dream. Have you gotten that explanation yet? Also, uh. Medical attention? [ Why do more and more people seem to be showing up with injuries? Ned doesn't much like that trend. ]

[lightgunhustler]

No explanation yet, aside from being told that it's a kidnapping.

[She doesn't sound terribly thrilled, on that note, but who would? She grimaces, subconsciously laying a hand against the side of her neck and covering some of the dried blood there.]

Not yet, but I just need supplies. I can patch myself up okay.

[Patching up hunting injuries was old hat by now, though really, these particular injuries weren't ones she'd expected to be able to patch. They aren't nearly as severe as she remembers.]

What can you tell me about this place?

video

[venatical]

Jo? [ Oh, he's sitting up and paying attention now. His expression changes quickly, from a somewhat sickened surprise (she looks hurt, she'd been dead, she doesn't need to be locked up here) to concern to an evened out determination as he squares his jaw. ]

Where are you? I'll come to you.

[lightgunhustler]

Dean!

[Thank God. Aside from her mother, there's no one she'd rather see. She's comfortable counting on Dean to help out in a crisis, and whatever's going on here? It qualifies.]

In the middle of town, whatever that's worth. There's a fountain.

[heavensmostadorable]

Oh-- Are you okay?

[He knows a thing or two about showing up here in rough shape, but it's not about to stop him from worrying about anyone else who does. Voice laced obviously with concern, Samandriel knows she's probably already been asked if she's alright numerous times, but...better safe than sorry, right?]

Do you mean Dean Winchester? He's here, if that's the case. Uhm. ...Is someone on their way to help you? Do you need anything?

[lightgunhustler]

He just got in touch with me.

[She sounds pretty damn relieved about that, and offers the unfamiliar face a tight but genuinely grateful smile.]

My mom, too. I don't think any of these injuries are about to bring me to my knees, but just in case, I think I can count on both of them to fuss enough that I'll have to pull through just to spite them.

[She's joking, at least. That's a good sign.]

Thanks for the offer, though. Real kind of you.

[video]

[happytobleed]

[ Castiel is oddly relieved to see her. With Ellen showing up, at least they'll have each other. ]

Hello, Jo.

[ He has the faintest hint of a smile. ]

What's the last thing you remember?

[lightgunhustler]

[Another familiar face. You're a sight for sore eyes, Cas. She's started to relax some, thanks to Ellen and Dean both making themselves known, and while she's not entirely at ease, Castiel's presence is still plenty reassuring.]

They got you too, huh, Cas?

[She smiles grimly. This place sucks for everyone involved, she's pretty sure. She's managed to gather that much.]

The hardware store in Carthage.

[And all that implies -- mostly, she remembers bleeding out on the floor of the place and watching as everyone else assembled explosives. She won't paint that image for him, though. She's sure he must know, even if he'd been elsewhere. Angels knew all kinds of things, didn't they?]

video.

[intelligently]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only sensible voice.

video.

[lightgunhustler]

Well, it's not like panicking ever did anyone any good.

[Not that she hadn't felt the urge to freak out while stuck in a bad situation multiple times in the past, but it was always best to shove it down and remain in control. Ask questions, get information, use your available resources to make the best of it. If you were in a tight enough spot that none of the above did much good, then you got religious and prayed. It was worth a shot.]

What do you know about this place?

Video

[servingmichael]

Are you still seriously injured Jo?

[ Looks like another angel joining the hello party. ]

Video

[lightgunhustler]

[The fact that he knows her name is startling enough that she forgets to answer the question, at first.]

Have we met?