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Soulserenity20

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  • [dash=white]It has been winter for far too long now. The world was not built for stagnancy. Without change, there can be no future.
    You are that change.
    You must bring about the shifting of the seasons. [/dash]

  • Current Map in Spoiler
    [spoili]
    You've discovered Murn's Shack, where a mysterious Ice Man told you to head south along the glowing trails of the Tormarr to a warm, purple field called the Whispering Wilds. Once you get through, head West to reach a city called Dohmara to find the next steps in your fate.
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    Cabin Map
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    [/spoili]

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    You never knew this world. It was always just a part of a story you heard as a child: a world where the seasons no longer changed and for an eternity, Winter maintained its hold on the land. This world was said to be beautiful, but dangerous, for it loomed in a delicate balance, like a set of scales, ever-nearing its tipping point. Stagnancy is not the stuff of life. A world can only stay frozen for so long.

    You awake from a dream in a world you never knew. The cold air swirls around you and silently, snowflakes drift down from the sky, kissing your chilled skin before melting away. The sky is dark but for the dancing lights that dazzle the skyscape. The stars are outshone by these lights of blue and purple. The beauty is entangling, but something within you demands you look away. All around, you see a white blanket of snow and hear nothing but the gently breeze. Where are you? You do not know this world of Winter.

    It becomes quickly apparent that you are far from home. Are you alone? With some searching, you come to discover there are others, more like you that are lost, unsure of this strange, beautiful place. You come together, one of you noticing a strange creature leaping about in the distance. It looks to be a deer of sorts, but it is larger than any you've ever seen and its coat is white as the snowy landscape, its antlers are made of ice, and its eyes are a cool, purple.

    Together with the others, you decide teamwork is the best chance at survival. But none of you are sure how you got here or where you must go. And so, as a team, you venture out into this wintry world, seeking answers and seeking shelter. If you can survive, you may find yourself caught up in a magical adventure.


    Welcome, to the World of Winter.
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    SURVIVAL
    This roleplay will be an unpredictable adventure filled with curious opportunities driven by chance. I will be rolling dice consistently throughout to determine encounters and sub-adventures you will come across in the main plot. Your characters will be your own, but I will be giving you situations where your character fails or succeeds at certain actions and you must react accordingly. Like survival in the real world wilds, nothing is certain, you will face a number of difficult decisions; this is all a part of the survival experience.

    MAGICK AND COMPANIONS
    Two key features in this roleplay will be the bestowal of a magical ability and a companion or familiar from the world of Winter. You will not be able to choose either of these. They will be given out at various times as the plot progresses. If you are not mature enough to be okay with the unexpected and extended equailty (not everyone will have a power at the exact same time, not everyone will get a companion at the same time, but everyone will get one) then I fear this roleplay is not for you. A key aspect of any great adventure is the unexpected. This roleplay will be based around how your characters respond to the world and you will not have the same OOC power you would have in other roleplays. That is the point of this RP.

    FORMAL RULES
    +Do not complain about your ability or companion. I will take generic requests at the start of the RP but the surprise is the nature of the roleplay.+
    +Be mature, communicate, and be kind.+
    +Posting requirement is once per week, sometimes once per two weeks. My roleplays are long term. We all have vastly different schedules and so a week to two week long window helps ensure everyone has ample time to post. We'll aim for movement in the plot once a week.+
    +COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR GM. I'm patient as hell but I do expect effort.+
    +I EXPECT GOOD WRITING. You'll be PM'd by me if I don't accept your writing level. Poor writing makes it harder for your GM's and harder for your fellow players. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is.+

  • 1. Greenie playing Kirn
    2. Akashi playing Robert
    3. Cait playing Adeana
    4. Bitterblue playing Amalia
    5. Bitterblue Temporarily playing Arthur
    6. Soulserenity20 (GM) playing Sophia
    7. Soulserenity20 (GM) playing Jingim
    7. Reverend of Steel playing Olafur

  • BASIC SYSTEM:
    Severity Roll followed by a success or failure roll.


    COMBAT
    1-5= Easy (one man can handle it) 1 hit required for defeat
    6-10=Average (Requires at least 2 chars) 2 hits required for defeat
    11-15=Hard (Requires at least 4 chars to beat) 4 hits required for defeat
    16-20=Impossible (Escape necessary)
    NOTE: Hits can be done by multiple chars or all by one, but the char requirement remains the same. You cannot face a 2 person foe alone, but you can be the only one of the two to hit it and effectively kill it.

    1-10=Success/Unharmed Escape
    11-20=Failure/Harmed Escape

    Success roll determines A: defeat or failure (rolls of 1-15) or B: whether you are damaged in your escape or not. If you do not meet the requirements, you MUST roll for flee damage. The battle ends when you are successful at defeating the foe or when you flee. Damage must be taken with each failure, but you may keep rolling to win or you may roll for retreat.


    WEATHER
    1-5=Mild Harm
    6-10=Moderate harm
    11-15= Severe harm
    15-20=Not survivable, flee.

    1-10=Unharmed
    11-20=Harmed
    Success roll determines if you are damaged or not in your survival.

    DISCOVERY
    1-5=Useless
    6-10=Mildly Useful
    11-15=Very Useful
    16-20=Life Changing

    1-10=Beneficial
    11-20=Detrimental

    No success roll required.

  • COMBAT EVENT
    ROLL:
    IDENTITY:
    SCENARIO:

    NATURAL DISASTER
    ROLL:
    IDENTITY:
    SCENARIO:

    DISCOVERY EVENT
    ROLL:
    EFFECT:
    IDENTITY:
    SCENARIO:


    Roller Site for Convenience
 
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Sophia looked worriedly at the situation before her. There were people all over the cabin, inside and out. The door had been pushed open and as the wind whirled about outside, she could see that someone had fallen at the doorway and a dark-haired woman was shaking him gently, trying to wake him.

Olafur came over and when the word hypothermia was mentioned, Sophia felt stupid for not having recognized it immediately. As Olafur spoke to the fiery-haired man, Sophia shook her head.

"No, no. Please, we need to help get that man inside." She said to Olafur. The woman seemed poorly dressed for the weather and after having Amalia collapse, Sophia was growing more and more frightened by the minute. "Excuse me," she said to the man with the fiery hair and matching beard. "Could you please help me warm her up?" The request was straightforward enough, but somehow it felt a bit awkward for her to be asking of this strange man in favor of a strange woman.

"Er... Body heat is the best form of heat... you would help greatly if you would... well, snuggle her. Please. We have to wake her up. Just... get close and hug her. Speak to her. Her name is Amalia." The name should have felt stranger but already it felt... familiar. "Come back to us, Amalia." She said this quietly before getting up and looking to Olafur.

"Come, let's help the others."

After grabbing one of the rugs, Sophia went to Olafur and the pair made their way to the door. The woman outside looked frozen to the core. "Hey," she said, speaking loudly over the wind. "You should come in. Olafur will help pull this man inside. You'll freeze to death." She leaned down and placed the warm, knitted rug over the woman's shoulders. "Come, please."
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@Cait @B l u E s @Reverend of Steel
 
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Robert was still there, vaguely. He felt someone shaking his body, which eventually brought about his consciousness back. He was never really gone in that sense. Slightly opening up his eyes, all he could see was a stranger trying to help him up. he could hear mumbling inside the cabin. He could feel the cold wind coursing through his clothes, his body. "Ugh.."

He mustered up his strength, to push himself slightly up. He looked at the woman before him, until he moved his attention towards the door into the cabin, and the rest or some of the people he could still see. 'I guess I was right..' Or so he thought to himself. Robert was definetely not alone there, but was he just as lost as those around him? Or is there something else going on?

"I--.." He brushed of the help from the woman next to him, glancing at her. "I'm fine.." He crawled up by holding the wall, until he was standing, albeit slightly.

Robert walked inside the cabin, and the woman behind him followed suite. The warmth he felt, even if the cold had gotten inside because of the door, was still better than what was out there. A sigh escaped his lips before he mustered up the strength to tell the woman behind him to shut the door. "Would you..?" He turned to his side and looked at her, trying to point at the door.

After the door was closed again, he leaned against the wall. His cheeks were red. He was breathing heavily. Robert was still trying to process everything.

@Cait @Everyone
 
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As Olafur approached the door way the collapsed man began to stand up on his own. His back hurt and he was thankful he wouldn't have to lift or drag the man inside. He spoke to the frozen man and woman "You two need to get covered up, I don't know how many rugs are left but check in the room at the far end and remove any wet clothes. Those will only prevent you from getting warm." Olafur turned to the Russian woman, "Don't I know your name yet? I think anyone with enough clothing to face the elements should join me to collect wood for a fire. If there's anywhere to start one"

He peered around the corners of the cabin and seeing no fireplace or stove said "This cabin must have been built not expecting any cold weather... it was also built not expecting to cook any food either?" Olafur raised an eyebrow in a look of confusion. "There must be some storage at least, for provisions and equipment, maybe there's a cellar"

Eager to find either food or, at the very least, something to help them get food Olafur strode across the cabin to the other room. Peering through the dim atmosphere he could make out a bed in one corner and what looked like a door in the floor.

"Here we go" He beckoned to the Russian woman, "Come help me search this place"

He gingerly kneeled on the floor which, despite his best efforts still caused a throb of pain coursing through his back, and began feeling for a handle or a nook he could get his fingers under to lift the door. Conveniently there was a steel ring and Olafur flung the door open and beheld the absolute blackness below.

@Cait @Akashi@Soulserenity20
 
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After helping the dark-haired woman to a seat at the table and offering her another woolen rug to warm her, Sophia looked to Olafur and nodded. "Yes, alright. We'll see what there is. Perhaps some provisions that don't require cooking?" She found it odd that there was no hearth, but what was more unusual was that there was nothing to cook with or in. No pots, no pans, nothing. There weren't any utensils or dishes. "I don't think anyone has been here in a very long time. It may be that this is a cabin used for vacations only. Perhaps they only come here when it's warm out? They wouldn't need a fire if it was warmer..." She was trying to make sense of this place. Glancing outside through a dirty, small window, she struggled to imagine this place in the summer. The unforgiving Winter outside seemed eternal.

As she rummaged through the cupboards with Olafur, they collected what they could find and set it out on the counter to assess their bounty. With a look, Sophia bit her lip, brows furrowing. "This... won't do us much good, I'm afraid." They had found a set of three large, wooden bowls, a device that looked a bit like a watering can, a number of stones that looked like coal, a large bushel of papers with an unusual form of language written across them all, and a carving knife with a well-worn, wooden handle. "We can't survive off what's here." Pacing around, she scoured the room for any other storage device, other cupboards or shelves, but found nothing. However, as she made her way into the back room, a large, wooden door stole her attention.

"Hey! Come, let's see what's in the cellar." She waited until Olafur joined her before swinging the heavy door up and leaning it against the wall. Peering down into the darkness, she stepped back, a wave of fear running down her spine. "Er... On second thought... perhaps I'll leave you to look on your own." She had no interest in stumbling around in the blackness.
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Arthur hesitated as Sofia asked him to cuddle a random stranger...it wasn't his style. But it would likely save her life...fine. "Alright." Arthur walked up to the couch, unsure how to gently do this...he was to heavy to just plop down on top, he would have to lift her and place her on his chest. First, he grabbed one of the rugs to place on top of her to keep warmth in from the top. Kneeling, Arthur picked Amalia up as gently as he could, noticing the frigid cold of her skin. Not good. With one arm holding her legs, and the other supporting her shoulders, Arthur turned and sat down. Leaning back until his his shoulder rested on the armrest, Arthur positioned Amalia so her head was tucked neatly under his chin. There. Snuggling accomplished. Throwing the blanket over the top of them, he stroked his hands up and down her arms and her back as he spoke to her.

"Er...Hi, Amalia. I'm Arthur. I need you to wake up for me, alright? Just get warm, come on." He spoke on softly in his gruff voice, trying to keep talking so she doesn't get confused when she wakes.

Half an hour later


All Amalia remembered was cold....freezing cold. As her consciousness slowly eked to the surface, Amalia stiffened slightly. She heard the familiar thud thud thud of someone's heartbeat, and hands were running up and down her back. Automatic survival mode kicked in, or at least tried to. Amalia took a sharp intake of breath, Amalia moved to try to spring off the couch, only to feel the strangers arms tighten around her, sending her into a frenzy. She reached up and clawed his face, leaving a good sized slash right below his eye. "Hey! Hey! Amalia, settle down. You're safe." A voice whispered in her ear. "Like hell I am, let me go." she hissed. She attempted to break his hold, something she'd normally easily be able to do...but her limbs were so lethargic...it was then she realized how cold she was. Thinking back, she noticed all the signs...Arthur confirmed her realization. "You're alright. Hypothermia is a pain in the ass, you needed to be warmed up quickly, you passed out as soon as you entered the cabin...I'm Arthur, by the way." "Well, I'm awake now, so let me sit up."

"You're still frigid. You need the body warmth." Amalia knew he was right, she was shivering violently. That was an improvement, as the shivering had stopped before, one of the deadlier signs. She sighed, seeing the sense in it; she stopped struggling and relaxed into his hold as much as she knew how.

Arthur smiled. "See? Just a little longer. So, Amalia, I take it you have some defensive training?" he asked as he held his sleeve to his bleeding wound. "Ha, yes. I'm a cop. Sorry about that...instinct." She smirked back at him.

The two of them talked for a few more minutes, until she felt pins and needles all over. Groaning, she attempted to sit up again, and Arthur didn't resist. She stood and stretched, her body cramped from being in that position for an extended period of time. She grabbed one of the blankets off the ground, wrapped it around herself, grabbed a spare one, and headed to the older gentleman leaning against the wall. "Hello, sir. You need to get warm, trust me, you won't like hypothermia. It's a royal pain. My name's Amalia, what's yours?" Amalia's voice shuddered softly, as she was still shivering, but she couldn't just sit there and do nothing when there were others who needed attention. [/dash]
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He was inside the cabin now, his senses were slowly coming back to him. The surroundings, the bunch of people inside, it was all coming together. His eyes were fixated on the floor while the little warmth in the room had wrapped around him, or so he felt. He was breathing heavily for a moment or two, but things were looking for the better.

As the people started to talk, as someone told him to find a blanket to warm himself up, he just couldn't help but look all confused. He eyed the woman who tried to help him up just outside. He looked at the rest and was still trying to wrap his head around exactly what on earth this was.

"What?!" He whispered, though no one probably heard him. It did not take long before someone caught his attention, or actually, more than one person getting his attention. Someone had apparently found something, while someone was in that moment handing him a blanket. A woman at that. He grabbed the blanket from her, giving her his thanks. Looking at the rest, realized what he just did.

"Wait wait wait.." He added, before pushing himself off of the wall. "Someone tell me what's going on here." He pointed towards the window, and the winter weather outside.

"What the hell is it with this weather?" Maybe it wasn't hell after all. Maybe this was some sort of a game by the one who killed his daughter. He was a known serial killer, and one who liked to toy with the police by leaving his.. "symbol" on a wall. As if he was there, and he did his deed.

Robert felt that he was the only one who was confused here. Yes, people inside the cabin were searching, asking questions, but what if it was all some sort of a ploy. "How long was I out?" The man referred to his little "nap" from when he was home, on his sofa.
 
It was the cold that woke Kirn. He felt it almost instantly. One moment he was sleeping, dreaming of back home, and then next moment he felt as if he was back home. Except that wasn't possible. He was thousands of miles away from Canada, on a bus ride that would eventually have him touring Kruger National Park!

He opened his eyes, blue-grey eyes slowly accustoming to the white snow and the brightness in general of a white world. Well... this was certainly no bus. His heart quickened and not a moment later he sat up, ignoring his stiff arms upon which his head had rested while he was sleeping. "What on Earth..." He rubbed his shoulder, shivering as the cold had access to more of him. Perhaps where on Earth would have been a better thing for him to say. There was snow in some places in Africa, but never like this. It hardly made any sense to him. The possibility of someone drugging him didn't even make its way to his mind.

Since Kirn had only a thin jacket over his tee-shirt, as well as blue jeans and a normal pair of converse, it was painfully obvious that this sort of weather was exactly what he wasn't prepared for. He leaned heavily on his left knee as he stood up, a habit for the last two years, ever since his right knee became rather weak. "Should be glad this isn't ice," he muttered to himself. If he had slipped, that would be the end of it. He let out a breath before pulling his jacket's collar up so that there was some protection against the cold, as measly as it was.

"Which way though?" Now that he was up and standing, where did he go? He had to get moving if he didn't want to freeze, that much was certain. Looking around, he saw his first bit of luck. Footprints, and as he followed further, he found a piece of cloth tied to a tree. That had to mean someone was here. Not just that, someone had left this cloth as a sign to others. Were they lost as well then? He started forward, trying to quicken his step, though it was almost in vain at some points. The cold as well as his bad knee was not making things better for him. He shuddered as he walked, keeping his, arms wrapped around him in some semblance of keeping warm.

He wasn't sure how long he walked, but it seemed like hours. During that time, Kirn was hit by the dregs of the snowstorm. Unable to hold his own as a violent gust of wind hit against him, Kirn lost his balance, slipping due to his weather inappropriate shoes. His arms flailed in the air as he fell onto his back with a thud. He stayed like that for a good few moments, the air knocked out of him, as well as the fact that he was sure if he tried to get up once more, he would end up slipping yet again.

After a few minutes, Kirn forced himself off the ground. He was freezing, his teeth chattering. The fall had hurt his back, and his knee was painfully clicking with every step he took. The cold air that had entered his lungs was making in hard for him to breathe. Why am I even here? How? This... this doesn't make any sense... His step faltered as he misjudged the snow, and he fell painfully, a cry escaping him as he twisted his ankle. Once more he stayed where he was, trying to gauge whether he could move or not.

"Can't stay," he mumbled to himself. If he didn't move, it'd be tantamount to killing himself. A grunt escaped him as he pushed himself on his feet, hands burning from cold as once more they hand been pushed into the snow. Now standing, he shoved his hands in his jacket, under his arms. It didn't make much of a difference really, not while he was cold all over. To top it off, he could feel the throbbing in his ankle. At the very least, it was sprained; at the worse, broken.

What could he do? He limped forward, trying to put little to no pressure on his right leg. It was difficult not to, in this strange terrain he found himself in. A frustrated sound escaped him before he forced himself to calm down. The trail he had followed showed there was someone here.

"Hello?!" Kirn yelled at the top of his voice, hoping someone could hear him. "Is anyone there? I need assistance, please!"
 
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"Sir, you n-n-eed to calm d-d-down. N-n-none of us knows w-w-what is going on." Amalia stuttered. Goodness, it was cold. She tried to pull her own blanket tighter around herself, as she shivered. She probably should have stayed with Arthur, but she couldn't just lay there when people were hurt. Once she was sure the older man, whose name she still didn't know, was alright, she walked up to the lady who was found outside with him. The first thing she noticed was the blood slowly seeping from her skull. Autopilot kicked in. She turned to Sofia "Sofia, I-I need anything that c-c-can be used as a b-bandage, anything that can help to stop the bleeding." She knelt next to the young woman, trying to keep her shivering under control. "Hey sweetie, I'm Amalia. W-what's your name? I'm going to have to check that wound to see how deep it is. H-h-h-head wounds bleed a lot, so the amount of blood can b-be deceiving." Amalia cursed her being so cold. She could barely speak.

Wait. She heard something...someone. Someone was calling for help outside! It was very faint...but she could hear it. There was no way she could go out there though, not in her own state, and not when Adeanna needed her help with the head wound...."Arthur? I think someone's still outside. I can hear someone calling for help in the distance. There's no way I'd be able to make it out there and back in this state. Can you go see who it is please?" Arthur didn't even need to hear what Amalia was going to say. He stood from his sitting position on the couch, grabbing another blanket as he got up. As he headed for the door, he draped it over Adeanna's shoulders before heading out to see who needed help.

Amalia turned back to the woman before her. She grabbed one of the strips of cloth Sofia had scrounged up and placed it on her wound applying pressure. She'd kill for a bucket of clean, warm water right now to help clean this...but there was none available, so she'd have to make do. "So where are you from, miss? What do you do?" She tried to get her patient talking, and get to know her at the same time. She kept dabbing at the wound, trying to clean the blood caked on her skin. Applying pressure when the blood started seeping again. Her hand shook slightly, but not enough to hinder her. "Sorry, my hands are freezing." As Amalia dabbed the wound, she gently probed to see how deep it was. Thank goodness, it wasn't too deep. It wouldn't need stitches. But it could get infected...She carried on like this for a bit, chatting with the woman before her.

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Arthur made sure to close the door tightly behind him, not wanting any of the cold air to make it inside. While he didn't hear the yelling from inside, he could definitely hear it now that the wind carried it outside. "Hang on! I'm coming!" he yelled, hoping the man could hear him.

While he couldn't see anyone on the horizon, he figured the man was smart enough to follow the trail they had left. So he retraced his steps following the strips of fabric. Finally, he could see someone there, favoring his leg. Arthur hurried up to him. "Someone call for help?" he said with a smirk before offering to help the man. "I'm Arthur, by the way. There's a cabin not far from here, a group of us found it." He toned as he put his arm around around the guys shoulder to take part of his weight.

"Do you have any idea where we are?"
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Sophia was glad to have a reason to slip away from the dark cellar. Leaving Olafur to look around in the chilly depths, she grabbed one of the carpets Arthur had found and tore a length from it, with some difficulty. She passed it to Amalia as the frozen, shivering woman set to work on assisting another woman with a head wound. Sophia silently hoped Amalia was right in insistence that the blood could be exaggerating a minor wound. After ripping a few more strips off, she passed them to Amalia and stepped back to calm down for a minute. All the adrenaline had her heart pumping and palpitating from the anxiety. She needed to breathe but was finding it difficult to do so. The cuts and wind burns on her face were bothering her more and more and with all the commotion, she was worried she was going to lose herself to an anxiety attack.

"I- I'll go help whoever is left outside.." She said quietly to herself before zipping up her coat and wrapping some fabric around her injured face before leaving the cabin.

As she stepped out into the cold, she saw the storm had begun growing worse. Not far off in the distance, she saw two figures and assumed them to be Arthur and the one who was calling for help. She began making her was through the snow towards them but noticed another figure moving in the distance, behind them. At first it seemed an illusion of the woodland storm, but if there was someone out there, wandering with such low visibility, she had to find them and help them get to the cabin.
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The snow had started him. He had laid perfectly still for a few moments, captivated by the speckled skies, dark and dazzling as the snow fell heavily down. Snow, he was used to. What was bothering him was how he was seeing snow right now and how on earth he had gotten outside. Where was his luggage? He had fallen asleep in an airport. He hadn't boarded the plane, so it couldn't have been a crash. He blinked as a snowflake drifted into his eye.

Sitting up slowly, he began to play through all possible explanations for how he had gotten here, and where here was. He might have been dreaming, but he had never been a lucid dreamer and he felt completely in control. He could have been on a plane crash, but he was almost certain he hadn't boarded. No... it was impossible. An besides, there was no debris, no screaming, nothing. Had he somehow gone into a state of fugue? But then... he could remember where he had been, and that he didn't belong here, which didn't correspond with a state of fugue.

"So how..." He said quietly to himself. A gust of wind sent a chill through to his core and it became painfully apparent that he was not dressed for the weather. He had his coat on, and some jeans and tie up boots, but without a hat or mitts, he could tell he was in trouble. Getting up slowly, to feel carefully for any injuries, he looked around and saw nothing but a storming wilderness. There were no footprints, if there had been any the storm had long since covered them. He looked around for signs of life, but saw none. So he started moving. He wanted to assess the immediate vicinity before he left to see if there was anything to help him, and so he started moving in a circle from where he was, moving out wider and wider, using his foot prints as a guide. It turned out to be a good decision because very quickly, he found a strip of red fabric tied to a tree. It meant there was sentient life nearby, or that some had been here at some point. The strip could have been tied more than a decade ago and he'd have no way to know.

As it stood, this was his only source of life, of humanity. So he began looking around. With such low visibility, it took him some time to find the next ribbon, and at this point, he was inclined to believe it was a trail. His greatest worry was that he was following it backwards, away from where ever it led. Truth be told, he was only hoping it was a trail. For all he knew, they could have been markers placed by loggers. Though, the fabric was strange for such a task. It was a cotton knit of some sort.

After what seemed like an eternity, he heard a voice in the distance. It was ghostly, echoing oddly through the heavy snow, but he followed it. Eventually, some figures came into sight, one or two in the distance and another running towards him.

"Hello!" Came the voice of woman, muffled by the storm. He picked up his pace until he met the woman, who seemed a lot more calm that what he was feeling. It was a good sign. Most people panic when they realize they're stranded or lost. Her calmness convinced him there was some safety nearby, or that perhaps she was a survivalist.

"Hello," he said, "I am Jingim Khulun and I'm quite confused. Where are we? Who are you?"

"I'm Sophia Petrov, we'll discuss this at the cabin. Come."

Feeling foolish for asserting pleasantries and questions in the midst of a storm, he nodded and followed her. They passed two men who were making their way back. Sophia stopped briefly to see if they needed help, but continued on when they confirmed they were alright. Jingim said nothing, only glancing over at their faces. He was freezing cold at this point, and wished only to be in the warmth of the cabin.

It wasn't far from where she found him that a small cabin lay nestled into the snowy landscape. There was no smoke rising up from the chimney and even before they entered, Jingim realized there would be little warmth to welcome them. When they pushed open the door, he was taken aback. This wasn't Sophia's private cabin, she wasn't rescuing him. She was one of the many stranded and injured people that were likely as confused as he was about the mysterious woodland they have entered.

"You can sit, there. Cover yourself, try and warm your body. Are you hurt at all?"

Shaking his head, he moved to the small, awkward couch, and sat down. Sophia had moved to another room and through the doorway he could see her peering down into what must have been a cellar. He looked around at the others and saw that several were injured. One woman seemed to be taking good care of another woman, but she herself looked quite ill. In the back of his mind, he knew he could help some of them -- maybe. But his body refused to move. Perhaps it was shock, but all he could do for the moment was sit and stare at everything around him.

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Kirn was more than relieved to hear someone else's voice above the calls of the wind. True, at first he believe that perhaps he was imagining things, perhaps hallucinating due to the cold and pain he was enduring. However, sooner rather than later, a man came into view. "Thank you," he muttered softly, too soft for anyone else to hear. It was for the world in general, for finally having a little pity on him.

When he finally saw the person, Kirn managed a hint of a smile. By this time his face felt a little too cold to form any expression. "Thanks... yes, that would be me." Well, he certainly hoped there was no one else out here in this terrible weather. He let the man, Arthur, he told himself, help him up, trying his best not to put any weight on his right leg. His knee was out of commission for the time being, that was for sure.

"Kirn," he managed, leaning against his saviour, letting out a cold and frigid breath. "I have... no clue... really. I was..." He shuddered before continued. "Well... on a bus... in Africa." His clothes certainly showed that he hadn't been at all prepared to meet any snow. "Are there... others?" The idea of a cabin, shelter from this weather, sounded like heaven.

@Bitterblue
 
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Becca sat around the fire ring laughing and telling jokes with the handlers and wranglers as she did most every night. They were one by one slipping away to the bunkhouses and as usually she was left alone. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and watched the last embers die in the fire. her boots were very near the metal ring so he feet were warm and toasty. Normally, she would ahve on a cowboy hat but it had been unseasonably cold that day, so she had on a stocking cap with ear flaps that was fur lined. It had been a gift from her father, and though it looked rather ridiculous with it multi-colored stripes and braided rope tails, it was warm. And because it had been a gift from her father she wore it proudly.

As she watched the fire die, she was wondering why she felt cold with a blanket covering her AND her coat on, very weird weather. She let out a yawn and stretched a bit reaching for the steep poker to stir up the last of the fire so she could go inside and get some sleep. She Leaned back in the bent twig bench and waited. She never went inside while there was any embers still alive in the pit. Far too many flammable things around, and too much valuable horseflesh as well. She yawned again and pulled the blanket tighter around her as her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

She felt the snow before she felt the cold. How did she fall on the ground? she wondered. She sat up, but saw nothing anywhere as far as she could see but white. "Well this explains the cold weather last night...an early blizzard must have rolled in..." She said to herself but then realized she was not on the ranch where she had been. There were no barns in sight, no bunk houses and no main house. Just white...everywhere. She squinted trying to see if she could see anyone or anything. She pushed herself to her feet and pulled the blanket tighter. She was glad she had that, for sure!

She really couldn't see anything or anyone so she started to look for a sign of some kind that she might be able to follow, hopefully to anyone else. She wrapped the blanket around her and covered her face as much as she could, since she had no scarf of any kind on. It worked fairly well too. She was stumbling along in the snow that was getting deeper by the minute and squinted more when she saw something. She went to a tree and saw something tied there. "Oh thank heaven.." she said and looked for the next marker. She was able to easily follow the trail left by whoever thought of that and caught sight of a cabin. There were people there helping someone into the cabin. She rushed as much as she could, but the snow was getting pretty deep.

"Can I help?" she asked as she saw a rather large man helping another man inside.
 
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Arthur adjusted his stance as Kirn leaned almost all his weight on him. "Africa, huh? Bet it's hot there." he said with an obvious smile in his voice. Arthur took slow steps, aware that Kirn wasn't wearing shoes with good friction on ice.

"Yes, there's several more back at the cabin. Some are hurt, as you are." At this point, Arthur had to yell fairly loudly over the howling of the wind. It was getting bad. "Listen, we need to pick up the pace a bit or we're never going to make it back in one piece if if we don't get there before dark." Arthur was worried, it was steadily growing darker by the minute, and the cabin was still out of sight. He realized that Kirn had no jacket or protection of any kind on, and quickly shed the coat off his back and threw it over his shoulders. It wouldn't do for another person to come down with hypothermia.

Adjusting his grip on Kirn, Arthur picked up the pace; soon they had a good rhythm going. Arthur longed to see the cabin, Kirn wasn't as heavy as most of the loads he'd carried, but still, prolonged use of muscles that haven't been used in a long time took a toll. Arthur didn't complain out loud though, Kirn didn't need to hear that.

After a few more agonizing minutes, the cabin finally came into view. Arthur almost shouted for joy. As they were making it up the front steps, a young woman came up to them and offered her help. "Sure, would you hold the door, so we can get him to the couch, please?" He said quickly. As the three of them made it inside, and Kirn was safely on the couch. Arthur turned and grabbed a blanket and tossed it to the young man. "I'm Arthur, by the way. Thanks for the help. Are you alright?" he uttered as he turned to the young woman who had assisted them.

@Greenie @PoetLore
 
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Becca held the door and waited for them to enter before she shut the door securely behind them. Her blanket was immediately snatched off her, but she would ahve done the same given the chance, so she didn't mind. He needed it and she was cold but not harmed or in danger of frostbite or hypothermia as the other man had been. She tugged the hat off her head and slid it over his, pulling the yarn string down so his ears would be covered. "It's a stupid, silly looking hat but it's warm." she said with a smile.

She turned to the man who had been the helper, "Nice to meet you Arthur," she relied, "Becca...and I think I was pretty lucky looking around..." She had on long johns under her jeans, a turtleneck under a sweater covered by a heavy denim jacket, and three pairs of socks under her boots. Not to mention that blanket and hat. Something weird was happening but she was glad she had dressed for the cold yesterday. "How can I help?"

She was noticing someone rummaging in cabinets, and that some things had been placed on the counter for inspection. it didn't look like much for how many people were there. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out two bags of deer jerky and walked over to the counter. "It's not much, but it's here..." she said as she added it to their provisions. She also pulled a lighter out of her pants pocket. "I don't see a fireplace....how weird is that? Is there oil anywhere? If we can find a glass bowl or jar with a lid we can make oil lamps. It isn't much but it would at least give light and a way to keep our hands warm." She had no idea who anyone was of if anyone was in charge, or had been attempting to be in charge...so she was just throwing ideas out there.

@Bitterblue @Greenie and anyone else in the kitchen area
 
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Kirn was most grateful for the coat, immediately feeling the weight of the extra protection on his back, He didn't feel warmer, that would take a while, but it was the thought that counted. "Thanks," he murmured, his voice barely audible under the sound of the winter storm. He tried his hardest to pick up the pace, not wanting to keep himself or Arthur out in the cold any longer than they had to be. It wouldn't do for two people suffering from the cold, would it?

Not that it wasn't painful. He couldn't hear it, but the clicking of his knee was definitely felt, and it was aching, a burning sort of feeling that spread through his leg. It wasn't the kind of warmth he wished for. Still, once he was inside the cabin, he could rest. How many were there, he wondered? The way Arthur was speaking, it seemed as if there was more than just a couple, maybe even four or five...

His thoughts, already fuzzy, disappeared for the most part when he heard another voice, a woman this time around. It was all something of a blur, but soon enough Kirn could tell that he was no longer outside. He blinked, eyes trying to focus on the much darker inside. He looked toward the woman once more, feeling the hat on his head. A smile came to his lips "Thank you," he said once more. It was a delight to just be seated somewhere, no longer having to put his weight on his injured leg. He slowly extended it outward, wincing due to the pain. Finally noting he blanket, he pulled it up so that chest down he was now covered.

"Thanks, both of you..." He could speak better now. Perhaps it was psychological, knowing he wasn't going to die out in the cold? It didn't matter. He looked around now, taking in the sight of the others who were also there. The question once more came to his mind, now that he didn't have to worry about survival. "Does... does anyone know how we even got here?"​
 
[BCOLOR=transparent]Olafur gazed into the depths of the cellar. The darkness that exuded from below was dense and daunting. The only things visible were the first four steps of a narrow staircase leading down into the gloom. "Here goes nothing" Olafur muttered to himself. He proceeded cautiously, unsure of the age and structural stability of the stairs, letting his eyes adjust with each step. After some time and a few near stumbles he made it to the dirt floor of the cellar, his eyes had adjusted enough to vaguely make out some shelving along the left hand wall.[/BCOLOR]

There were several sacks on the shelf that Olafur examined closely. The contents could provide some sustenance until they were able to find another, more reliable, source of food. One sack contained a variety of grain Olafur was unfamiliar with, it was black, round, and about the size of quinoa. Another sack contained some unknown roots.

He ran his hand along the shelf to guide him as he continued to shuffle his way down its length. The shelves were bare and he began to think his endeavour wouldn't yield anything more than some mystery dry goods but when he reached the end of the shelf, which spanned the entire length of the wall, he sighed with relief at the pile of neatly folded blankets, sitting there as if waiting to be discovered. He inspected the blankets, there were five in total and they seemed in good shape, and there were no signs of rodents nesting amongst the folds.

Right next to the shelf, leaning up against the adjacent wall was an axe, which Olafur thought was a great stroke of luck. He grabbed two blankets under one arm and held the axe up with the other, hefting it a few times to get a sense of its weight and balance, it felt solid and the relatively rust free metal glinted dully with whatever light could find its way through the heavy darkness. He held it up close to his face to inspect the edge, it could use a bit of sharpening, but Olafur was very pleased with his find. "An axe..." he said to himself "a tool in the best of times... and a weapon for the worst of times" Only time would tell what the axe would become but at that moment a sudden thumping from across the cellar broke the silence. The sound was like a thunderclap to Olafur's daydreaming mind and he jumped back with a shout, instinctively holding the axe out as far in front of him as he could. His better judgement told him to flee the cellar but curiosity got the better of him and he inched his way through the murky blackness toward the sound. He got close enough to see a barrel in a corner tipping and wobbling against the walls, whatever was inside was making quite an effort to get outside and Olafur quickly realized he didn't want to be the only thing standing between the cellar exit and whatever was going to erupt from that barrel at any moment.

With axe outstretched he backed quickly toward the stairs, up the stairs and through the trapdoor. He kicked the door closed with a loud bang and walked swiftly toward the table where he set down the blankets he had been clutching for dear life and rested the axe against a chair, he shook his hand to loosen the cramps in his fingers and arm from gripping the handle so tightly in the moment of terror.

"I have two more blankets for those who have the need" he blurted out, abandoning all social grace, his nerves still quite rattled. "There are three more downstairs along with what could possibly be some food... and something else entirely whose food WE might be... possibly" He looked around the room nervously to see who was listening. He noticed a few more people had found the cabin; they were going to need every one of those blankets. Unsure of what to say next, or if he should say anything at all, he dropped his gaze to avoid any awkward eye contact. His gaze settled on the axe and he reached for it. "Ah! I also found this pretty good axe!" Olafur hoisted the axe up in an artless arc, luckily no one was standing too close, eyeing it up and down as if seeing it for the first time again. "Yup! Preeeeety goooooood!" he repeated, letting the handle slide through his hand until it rested on the floor and leaning on its sort-of dull, kind-of rusty head in as heroic a pose he could manage he finished "So," *thud thud* "there's that" *thud thud* tapping the handle against the floor of the cabin like some kind of exclamation point, trying to really drive home the point, whatever it was.
 
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Moving towards the kitchen, leaving Jingim alone on the sofa to settle himself, Sophia was grateful to see one of the newcomers put a bit of meat on the counter, offering it up selflessly for the group to divide up among themselves. She couldn't help but smile, feeling a deep gratitude for the woman. "Very kind of you," she said quietly, approaching the woman. "Are you hurt? If not, perhaps you'll help me to work on warming this place up? You seem well-dressed enough to come outside. Olafur found an axe, we should be able to collect wood from the nearby forest with it."

She glanced around the dimly lit room. There were no lights, and with only minimal light coming in from the windows, it was difficult to be certain of her surroundings but from what she could see, the most discerning features in sight, there was no hearth, no chimney, no stove, and no other form of warmth or light.

"We'll need to find a way to vent whatever we burn. This place wasn't built for a fire, it seems." She turned to Becca, smiling. "What do you say, will you join me?"
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Jingim listened quietly to the conversations going on, his attention most focused on the blonde man with the thick beard who had apparently found something of great concern in the cellar. Immediately thinking it was likely to be some kind of animal, Jingim felt motivated to move. "I- I can look, if you'd like. It might be a frightened animal that claimed this old cabin as its home. I can help... I know a bit about animals." He stood, looking cautiously around at the others, not wishing to step on any toes.

"That is, unless someone wants to go instead? I don't mean to take over." He glanced down at his feet, feeling a level of discomfort from the situation he was in. He didn't often do well with strangers. He didn't particularly like being around other people, and he certainly didn't want to risk upsetting any of them. Being stuck together in a foreign place would create enough tension without the possibility of mistaken interpretations of interactions between them. And yet, Jingim felt compelled to go on with his offer. "I assure you I can be of some help."

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Becca was torn, she could go and get wood, but she too knew a bit about animals. She was also worried about starting a fire inside a wooden cabin. "Oh, you're welcome, I just wish it was more and I'm fine," she said, "I was apparently luckier than some because I was dressed for a cold day yesterday. Did you wake up here too?" she asked curiously. "I fell asleep watching the fire, making sure it was dead and woke up in the snow here." She looked at the others around the counter for confirmation of her thoughts, even though they sounded crazy even to her as she was speaking them.

"I haven't really seen anywhere we could build a fire," she said honestly, "We need bricks or some kind of insulation, or we will just burn this place down and have no shelter at all."

She looked at Jingim and some of the others over of the sofa, "Shared body heat is our best resource for warmth at the moment," she said with a frown, "And I know a bit about animals as well. I train horses, and I've had a few veterinary classes. We need the blankets." Her words were coming out as snippets of her thoughts, but they needed to get people cared for and figure out what they were going to do to survive.

Some lamp oil would be a welcome find at this time, as far as she was concerned. It was amazing what a little bit of heat could do especially if enough people were huddled around it. "I'll go help with firewood," she said with a nod, "if you all think that's best."
 
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Amalia, too, had heard the thudding coming from below, and had grown concerned. She had finally managed to slow Adeanna's bleeding down significantly. "Here, hold this down and put constant pressure on it, and the wound should clot itself. It looks alright to me, we just need to keep it clean so it doesn't get infected. I'm going to go see if what's going on, alright? Just let me know if you need some more help, alright?"

Nodding at the newcomers, she made her way towards where the bearded gentleman....Olaf? Olafur? Was trying to casually lean on an axe over a door to the cellar where the thumping noises were originating. Curiosity at what was down there was starting to burn, and she felt her eyes crinkle as they showed a smile her mouth refused to give.

"I- I can look, if you'd like. It might be a frightened animal that claimed this old cabin as its home. I can help... I know a bit about animals....That is, unless someone wants to go instead? I don't mean to take over." Amalia flashed the newcomer a polite smile. "I'll join you, if you don't mind the company. Shall we?" After Olafur moved to get out of the way, she crouched and opened the door. As she stood from her crouch, she drew the small knife she kept sheathed at her ankle. She met the gentleman's eye and flashed him a mischievous grin before she descended into the dark muskiness of the cellar. "I'm Amalia, by the way, from Germany. What about you?" She whispered almost silently, they didn't want to spook whatever was down here.

Her eyes swept the cellar and fixed on a barrel that was still rocking side to side, with something clearly trying to get out. She turned to Jingim and beckoned him quietly to the barrel. Her face now a mask of concentration and determination, she crept up to the barrel right as it finally fell over with a loud THUD. Amalia froze and held out a hand to stop Jingim and held a finger to her lips as she knelt with her knife at the ready. With one quick motion she ripped the lid off the barrel and jumped back to let whatever was in there out.

A small, cat like creature emerged and locked eyes with Amalia and started to walk towards her. ~Hello, thank you! I've been stuck in there for ages!~ Amalia stiffened slightly as she crouched to meet the creature sitting calmly before her. She wondered if Jingim could hear the voice in his head as well, but she didn't want to take her eyes off the creature before her. A movement attracted Amalia's eyes and she barely managed not to gasp aloud. The cat had wings! "Woaah, what are you?" She blurted out in astonishment. "err...I'm sorry....where I'm from, cat's don't normally have wings...or talk in peoples heads." She said awkwardly. "Oh, I'm Amalia."

The creature made a face that looked faintly like a smile. ~No worries, Amalia. I am a Nixura. Not very many of my kind left, you see. We normally do not speak to others, but are able to with some. I'm sorry I scared you and your friends. My name is Calia, and if you'd permit it, I'd like to stick with you for a while. Is that alright?~ Amalia was at a kind of loss for words. A telepathic flying cat...a Nixura....sounded like something out of a fantasy world. She looked at Jingim, confusion written clearly upon her face before turning and nodding at Calia. At Amalia's confirmation, Calia gently jumped onto Amalia's shoulder and wrapped around her neck with her cheek pressing against Amalia's, and flicked her ears hello at the young man with them. Amalia smile softly, but was still lost. "Where on earth are we?" she muttered silently. At the word earth, Calia's eyes widened slightly, and she straightened, sitting poised gracefully upon her shoulder and looked at her ~Did you say earth? We are not anywhere on earth, this world is called Numbria. If you're from earth....~ "WAIT A SECOND. Did you just say we're not on Earth, but on a different planet?" Amalia replied with more than a bit of shock in her voice.~Of course not, didn't I just say that? Anyways, the big brute will be back soonish, and he can answer your questions. I will do a horrible job of explaining, dear me. I'm sorry I've just confused you more.~ "So there is someone who lives here? It's so blasted cold though." ~Ice man doesn't like warm, it hurts him.~ Amalia's racing heart was slowly returning to normal, and as Calia continued to assure her they were safe, Amalia couldn't help but believe her. Already, she liked the little feline.

She met Jingim's eye, praying he could hear Calia as well, but the confused look on his face told her otherwise. "You can't hear her, can you Jingim?" At Jingim's denial, Amalia groaned. "Well...recap. Short version: This is Calia, she's a Nixura and can apparently only speak to me telepathically. She's going to stick by me...and she just told me we are no longer on earth. Also, we're in ice man's house...and warmth hurts him somehow. What do you think?"

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OK! So I've been assigned the first companion! She is adorable, isn't she! :D
 
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If she was any other person, she'd be shocked speechless at what woke her up and what she saw. As it was, she merely blinked, slowly, like an owl, for a minute or two. There was a part of her mind that was demanding some sort of panic be felt, but the vast majority of her mind was preoccupied with the basic needs of survival. There'd be time to panic and break down into a hysterical mess later...maybe. How she came to be laying in a field of white, with snow falling and a cold wind blowing -almost howling- ,when she had been taking a nap on sun-warmed hay with a mildly chilly breeze, could also be pondered over when she wasn't in the verge of being buried under said snow.

Coming to a stand, Lior scanned the field and the surrounding woods with wide eyes, the only sign of her unease and shock. At first glance, there did not appear to be anybody with her, though as she gingerly moved, she saw places where others might have laid and a trail where they might have went. Her mind whispered that it would be a good idea to follow the trail, after all, she wasn't wearing clothing suitable for this weather. Jeans and a long sleeved home sewn shirt was fine and all for autumn, but not for however cold it is now. Shivering now as the wind hit the damp patches of her clothing, Lior froze as she saw movement in the distance on what appeared to be a rather large mountain. Was that...a deer? If it was, it was the wrong color from what she was used to seeing.

Unable to fully identify the creature, and feeling the snow hit her chilled skin, Lior began to follow the trail left by someone else in the hope of shelter and warmth. Hopefully she could find something before heavier and harsher snow fell. Some choice words in her preferred native language -Māori- fell from her lips when she stumbled and sunk into covered ditch. She was so going to have words with some one when this all got figured out! "This is not what I had in mind for my evening! Where on God's green earth am I?" She grumbled as she climbed out of the hole and continued on her way, now with fairly damp clothes.

It wasn't much further after that incident that she found where the tracks led. Thank the heavens! There was shelter! Eager now to get out of the biting wind, Lior hastened to the promised shelter and as she got closer, saw that there were people milling about both in and out of the cabin. She slowed down a little, hesitant on infringing on the group, but common sense told her that she needed to get dry clothes and get warm soon before rumored frost bite set in.

"Excuse me, is there room for one more?" She asked, her teeth chattering amid the falling snow.

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Kirn, for the moment, was simply enjoying no longer being in the cold. The hat was nice and cozy over his head, and the blanket, though not exactly warm and snuggly, was a weight that kept the cold away as well. His knee was still throbbing, but as Kirn closed his eyes, he could almost forget the pain. He wasn't asleep, however. Even if he wanted to be, he was still too cold for comfort. His hands were so cold they felt like they were defrosting, as was the same with his feet.

Instead, he listening to the others. One was the lady, Becca, who had given him the hat. He'd have to thank her properly once he was up and able to walk normally. Then there were others, but he obviously didn't know who they were or where to place them. There was a definite assortment of accents, ones he couldn't quite place. If it had been an African accent, he may have been in luck, but so far all he was getting was European.

"I did wake up there... in the snow." He had decided to be polite and at least reply to Becca, since she had spoken. "If I was in Canada I may have been dressed better, but I was in Africa, headed for a safari at Kruger."

After a minute or so of relaxing his eyes, Kirn opened them once more, finally taking in the sight the cabin where he now found himself. He was in the living room, he presumed, judging by the couch he was sitting on. If he turned a little, he could spot the kitchen. There were definitely more than just a couple of people in the cabin. Once more the nagging question of where on Earth they were came to him, but now he was quite sure that no one else had a clue.

As he wasn't too far away from the door, he could hear someone calling from outside. "Hello!... there's room!" he called, wondering if the person could even hear him. His voice wasn't as loud as he could hope for; he had never been someone to speak too loudly as it were. He tried to stand up but his leg was stubborn in keeping him down for the time being. "Someone's outside." Maybe someone could help her inside. Even if it was a little crowded, it wouldn't do to keep someone outside. Not that he imagined anyone here would do that, of course.

@PoetLore @Scath

 
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