Nadine Cross (
nadine_he_loves) wrote in
abraxaslogs2021-07-01 03:26 pm
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Semi-Open Log
Who: Nadine and various prisoners
What: Visiting the dungeons
Where: The dungeons
When: Post-festival
Nadine is no stranger to the dungeons by now. Besides her frequent visits to Flagg, there are other prisoners down here she's befriended. Who are still imprisoned.
Apparently some are more threatening a threat than others.
And of course there are still plenty of others she hasn't met at all. It's important to know the other people brought here, to take their measure and determine who might be useful. It doesn't look like Thorne is about to let her husband out any time soon, and that's a problem that will need to be dealt with. She knows (casually, at least) a number of those considered welcomed guests, but many of the poor souls stuck down here are still a mystery.
So after she's checked in with Flagg, she turns her attention to the other prisoners, offering a smile or casual greeting through the bars. She's armed with cookies and a friendly demeanor, standing out in the gloom of the dungeon with her white hair and silk tunic.
What: Visiting the dungeons
Where: The dungeons
When: Post-festival
Nadine is no stranger to the dungeons by now. Besides her frequent visits to Flagg, there are other prisoners down here she's befriended. Who are still imprisoned.
Apparently some are more threatening a threat than others.
And of course there are still plenty of others she hasn't met at all. It's important to know the other people brought here, to take their measure and determine who might be useful. It doesn't look like Thorne is about to let her husband out any time soon, and that's a problem that will need to be dealt with. She knows (casually, at least) a number of those considered welcomed guests, but many of the poor souls stuck down here are still a mystery.
So after she's checked in with Flagg, she turns her attention to the other prisoners, offering a smile or casual greeting through the bars. She's armed with cookies and a friendly demeanor, standing out in the gloom of the dungeon with her white hair and silk tunic.
no subject
If they needed help...Flagg was in a much better position to do so. Just...unlikely to. She doesn't consider herself any more likely to, and what help can she offer anyway? It'd take years, likely, to learn the local magic well enough to do anything useful with it.
She wonders why Amos is here. What great 'threat' does he pose to the kingdom of Thorne? He looks like he'd fit right in with her roommates upstairs.
"I'd say if they're desperate enough they have to kidnap people from other dimensions, they probably ought to just take what they get. But supposedly you're all threats - except for the people they said were threats and then decided okay, maybe not."
no subject
At least they're free, though. Don't have to sleep behind bars, be hauled off to do prison labour, any of that; hell, they get cookies. Amos takes another bite, chews thoughtfully. He could be resentful, but he and Nadine might actually be on the same side, for as much as there are sides to this whole thing. So. He won't hold anything against her. Not like it's her fault.
"You know, might have even actually helped them," he says after a moment. It's what Holden would have done. And Holden's not here. He's kind of left floating, aimless, without a tether. It's not great, not for him. Eventually that little voice he attempts to make into a conscience is going to go quiet, and. Well. "Locking people up seems like a great way to turn them into threats, though."
They want him to be a threat; sure, he can be a threat.
no subject
She leans against the bars, eyes scanning the various cells thoughtfully.
"But it's not like we've been here that long, so I guess we'll see what happens. They do seem to be loosening up some restrictions - they let some prisoners out, and we can leave the castle now. There's a town."
Things are starting to shift, but not enough to tell her much or give any deeper insight into the situation.
no subject
Amos finishes off the cookie, leans against the cell bars properly now, letting his forearms dangle outside, off to the side from Nadine. Trying to keep as casual a posture as possible, like maybe that'll make him actually feel somewhat relaxed, forget about the ever-growing anxiety of being locked away, stripped of anything so much as resembling agency. Not really sure if it's working.
"Huh. Guess that explains where some of them went." He'd noticed their numbers had decreased by at least a little; probably better than them being executed or some shit. And yet he's still here, so it doesn't really mean anything to him. Pretty sure the only thing that's gonna get him out is someone dying, whether it's him or a whole lot of other people.
Trying not to think about that right now, especially not when he's got new company. Potentially very beneficial company. "Town makes sense. They took us up north to make us mine for them," he says. She probably already knows since her husband was there, too. It's the kind of thing you'd mention to a partner, he figures. "World's gotta be more than just this shit. The town as stuffy and self-important as this place?"
He probably could have tried to escape when they were off in the mines, but there wouldn't be anywhere to escape to, is the thing. At least, not as far as he knows. But if there's a town here, there's probably a whole lot more, so... some kind of destination might be possible. He figures any of that out, maybe he can go from there. Or at least not be here anymore.
no subject
Nadine has no issue sharing the general knowledge she's learned, it's only the specifics she reserves for Flagg. Her only immediate goal is getting him freed. With luck, she or Lloyd would figure something out soon.
"But the locals are pretty nice? A little in awe of people like us - they showed us off recently. Had a big long festival here in the castle and we got to do meet-and-greets and perform for the guests." Her tone of voice leaves no question as to how she felt about the whole experience - not happy.
"And they're still keeping a close eye on us, I think, even if we have some more freedom."
no subject
The whole magic thing is... still going to take some getting used to. Easier to think of it like magic as a science that just hasn't been explained yet. He can work with that.
If he ever gets the chance to work with it. Amos tilts his head at the idea of locals. That there are actual people here, not just guards and walls.
"Showed you off, huh," he says, the idea of locals already out of his head. He doesn't know them. They don't matter. His voice is flat; yeah, he'll agree with her sentiments. Kind of unimpressive, inter-dimensionally kidnapping people and either putting them to slave labour or making them do tricks to be gawked at. One experience is more shit than the other, but both are shit, really. "Kinda sounds like they're playing with fire."
He doesn't know how. What could go wrong, disrupt the status quo, make something happen. But if Nadine's not happy about it, there are probably others in her position. And this can't be sustainable.
Might be something to look forward to, at least.
no subject
She closes her fist to snuff out the flame, still not able to maintain it for very long. But it's proof of what can be learned here, what the welcomed guests are being given.
"They're encouraging us learn magic. Seems like that maybe isn't the best idea, but...no matter how these people go about what they're doing, they think they're doing the right thing. That's the sense I've gotten. They want our help."
Just not everyone's apparently.
no subject
So, holy shit.
"You didn't know magic before?" he asks. He's gotten the sense that some people here already came equipped with that knowledge. If Nadine could learn it...
Wonders what he could do with being able to conjure fire. Or whatever else might be possible. That's gonna stick with him, in the back of his mind, for as long as he's here. Shouldn't be possible. Apparently is. It'd be stupid not to do something with it.
That's not even close to his present, though. What is is that the people here think they're doing the right thing. They want people to help. Just... not him. That they'd rather lock him up than have him help. Which, yeah, Amos can't blame them. He wouldn't have even asked for his help for anything to begin with, so if they're stuck with him, prison would be the solution, huh. Still. It's not like it's something he wanted to have happen to him. Not like it's something he wants to think about now that he knows.
He pauses, silent for a moment, expression going blank. Then, voice small, "There are probably better ways to ask for help."
Holden, Naomi; they wouldn't treat people this way. That's all he has to go off of. And, huh. He's never really felt lonely before. But their absence is that much more obvious now, filling the air, solidifying it, could choke him if he didn't know better. So. That fucking sucks.
no subject
"But you're right, there's better ways to ask for help. Like with words and making sure you have consent to bring someone to a whole new dimension. It's amazing how much nicer people are if you just ask. I teach the kids that in first grade."
But again, Nadine thinks it's desperation. Desperation makes people do all kinds of stupid things, even people in authority.
no subject
"Well, just leaving. Before, you know. The well," he clarifies. And, "Magic isn't a thing where I'm from, either."
Nadine might be inadvertently pushing his mind in directions he'd really rather not go in, but there's also something encouraging about talking to someone here he's actually got some things in common with. Someone who might have similar values. He's getting more comfortable with her presence, at least. There's a part of him that was giving up, but there's a part of him that's relaxing, too.
And then she mentions first graders. And.
"You're a teacher?" he asks, expression opening up a little. As much as it does for him, at least, which still isn't a whole lot, but. She's got his attention.
Yeah, Nadine's probably someone to trust, as much as anyone can be trusted here. Even though he doesn't exactly have a lot of options, she seems like a good one, regardless of circumstance. Just gonna keep that in mind.
no subject
And it had paid well, well enough for Nadine to live comfortably enough in a small house of her own - bought, not rented.
"I'd left New Hampshire before coming here, things went bad in my world. In general, all over. There was nothing left me for there, my husband was currently on the other side of the country...I think I was in Nevada before I got pulled here."
Or a bordering state, she's not entirely sure. It had been the desert, she hadn't paid much attention to the road signs. They hadn't been guiding her, she'd followed that thing inside that could feel him, that just knew where he was. That thing that's gone now.
"What were you doing there?"
no subject
It's stunning, for that one second, before he drops the thought. Past can't be rewritten. Just glad that maybe people like that do exist.
So Nadine's someone important. Maybe that's why Thorne wanted her here.
His voice turns sardonic at her question. "Getting the fuck out of dodge. Shit went south in my world, too. A friend—" yeah, that's the word he'd use to describe his relationship with Peaches now, isn't it. Also probably isn't going to see her again— "said she thought there might be some shuttles still at Lake Winnipesaukee. Rich people bullshit, I guess. She was right. Got one fixed up and just left Earth before, you know."
A light, barely-there shrug with one shoulder; a faint gesture with the same hand; now he's here. Kind of a rip off, spending all that time trying to get off of a post-apocalyptic Earth, get back to his people, only to pass out at escape velocity and wake up planet-side somewhere else alone and in jail.
no subject
Something like one percent of the population. Nadine wonders what happened to his Earth, to necessitate leaving the planet. And at the fact that was even possible.
"What year was it for you? I've met some people from different times. I'm from 2020."
This sort of stuff has suddenly become important to specify.
no subject
His face is impassive while Nadine speaks. Reaches up, scratches an itch just behind his ear.
"2350-something. Six? Seven? Not sure on the exact year. Doesn't really matter. Space is fucking huge; takes a while to get from point A to point B. Probably spent a fair share of whatever passes for a new year in transit. Never really noticed."
He takes a second, cocks his head in thought, corners of his mouth quirking upwards slightly. "2020's like ancient history for me. You guys even get off the planet by then?"
no subject
Nadine hasn't experienced this yet, everyone she's met has been from the past in some capacity. Or another world entirely.
"Um...we went to the moon a couple of times. And put cameras on Mars." Or something like that, she wasn't entirely sure, the world had ended. "We have some space stations in orbit. Or had...I have no idea what happened with that when Captain Trips hit."
Well that's terrifying to think about, the idea there could have been people in orbit while most of Earth was dying in their own fluids. It hadn't occurred to her before now.
no subject
Except it isn't the past for her, so that's weird to think about. A time when having cameras on Mars would be so relevant there'd be a need to mention it. Like everyone on Mars doesn't already have their own personal camera thanks to a terminal.
Far ahead would be an understatement, then.
Captain Trips, on the other hand, is a weird fucking name, unless it's literally about a captain with the last name Trips. Amos is pretty sure that isn't the case. Can't speak to disease naming conventions, though. Only thing he actually can speak to is, well.
"Were your stations self-sustaining?" he asks. Probably not, he figures, being that far back in the past, but not like he actually knows. Hence, the question. "If they were, they were probably fine. If not, then everyone up there's dead from one thing or another. If the air recyclers and water reclaimers held up then starvation would be my guess, but who knows. Systems could've gotten overtaxed."
A shrug. He's been on a dying station before; it happens. Though this is old as shit, so a new thought.
"If there's nobody left to run anything up there then eventually orbital decay'll take over. Might not have any stations anymore."
Wouldn't that be something? A sparsely populated Earth, no need to push up past its atmosphere; no ability to, either. Like a completely different world. Can't say he isn't at least a little curious as to what that'd be like.
no subject
And the sort of thing that's normal to think about, even so. Nadine knows this. She'd still rather it weren't the case, she doesn't want to think about that. It's the nature of the universe, like forests. They have to burn, every now and again, to let the new and better growth come in. She thinks that's a lot like Captain Trips, that it had cleared out most of the old so something new could come.
That's all very far away now, though.
"All of it was pretty depressing. So many empty towns, empty cities...deer everywhere. Like in stores and people's houses just...taking over, it looked like sometimes. I walked from New Hampshire to...I don't even know where we were able to actually use a car, but it was a long ways, and it was like being in a real life horror movie. I'd never realized how quiet it could get. Even living in a small town..."
no subject
Amos shifts his position slightly, comfortable. Resumes leaning against the bars. He's seen people come and go on visits; this once he's actually enjoying, though. Nadine may be from hundreds of years in the past, but they've still managed to find a lot in common, somehow. There's something nice about that.
"Yeah, I did the whole walking thing, too," he says, voice casual. "Just through some protected wooded area along the Chesapeake, but still, that was a few days before we were able to get our hands on some bikes. Hell of a workout if you let it turn into one." A beat. "It was real quiet for us, too. That was a surprise. Lot of people where I'm from, normally. Lotta people got wiped out I guess. Kinda surreal, getting the chance to actually be alone like that."
He pauses, taking a second, debating if he should continue. According to Nadine, it's supposed to be depressing. But it wasn't. So, "Kinda liked that."
no subject
Nadine purses her lips, her mind going back to the trek out of New England with Joe. The haunted feeling places, dead towns and roads, the great silence and solitude of it. The destruction.
"Empty parks in the middle of the day. Corner stores with no local high schoolers hanging around outside. Abandoned playgrounds. I never looked inside anywhere but stores, for preserved food and first aide supplies...except once. I found this little boy in front of a house, he was feverish and had an infected animal bite of some kind. But he wasn't sick, not from the flu, he was like me. Immune for some reason. I had to check, he needed care and clothes and..." She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. "There were more kids inside. They hadn't been immune."
She'd avoided seeing that, until then. She'd known, of course, that all her own students were already gone. The ones she'd been teaching and every one that had ever passed through her class. The little girl down the street. The kids she'd always pass by to pop into the market. But she hadn't seen it until she'd gone into Joe's house.
"I found somewhere else to take care of him."
no subject
Except then Nadine continues, and Amos feels. Fuck if he knows. Nothing, at first. He gets that the lack of people was upsetting for her; probably wouldn't be bringing it up otherwise. Only there's no way for him to relate to her on that front. It's just descriptions of places. Doesn't really mean anything. He'd tell her as much, let her know they process things differently — that he processes things differently from most people — but.
Something churns in him at the idea of a house full of dead kids. Even if it was just from disease, natural causes, nobody really at fault, nothing to be done about it. Amos swallows thickly, that thing in his throat he can feel building up — not from anything Nadine said, just from being in prison, being away from his people, no idea no direction powerless — making itself all the more known to him. It's a different kind of discomfort. There isn't anything to actually do about it but wait for it to pass.
His voice is hoarse when he speaks again.
"That's good," Amos forces the words out. Swallows again, makes an attempt to clear his throat, a kind of faint... not a growl, but not not a growl coming out. He's got his voice back under control after that. "That you were able to help him. That's good."
Can't help but wonder what he'd have done, if he'd come across a kid while trekking along with Peaches. Just thankful it didn't happen. Thankful that kid had a Nadine. That there are people like Nadine.