A dream I dreamed // OPEN

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

Who: The Disciple & Anyone
What: Exploring the center from the elevator doors
Where:Training Center Elevator/Any Floor
When: Today, anytime
Warnings: Probably tears.

Too many hands had touched her this morning for comfort. A woman used to living alone and running if people came too close was not suited to strange aliens manhandling her or others insisting that her clothing be changed. Her hissing and tearing at the clothing they pressed at her just got hurt scared looks and she felt a pang. No stronger than grubs, these creatures with their clothes and devices held out pleadingly. Eventually guilt and a sense of inevitability made her take the clothes she was offered and let them pull the knots from her hair.

They called themselves humans when she asked. Humans. Aliens. Was she merely a creature to them, to be kept for their amusement, killing and playing their games. Hardly. She pulled on the only thing she had managed to save from their hands, a long skin and fur cape, and held it closed over the clothing. As much as she liked the leather and fur that adorned her outfit, she almost wanted to tear it off.

The Disciple did, at least, want to find out where she was being kept beyond these rooms. A way out was probably too much to ask at this point, given that they had subdued her before. Their words and explanations flew over her head, things she didn't know of or understand. They at least managed to explain the elevator to her and when she asked if she was to merely stay here, they encouraged her to go look around. Technology she didn't quite understand swept her up and down until her stomach was queasy and at each new floor, she surveyed the area from the elevator doors and occasionally stepped off to explore.

She's not as silent as she hopes with new clothes to adjust to and the ding that precedes her at every floor makes any hope of a silent entry impossible.

Comments

[tis_allgood]

He normally ignores the elevator, but hearing it come by several times gets Cuthbert's attention. As does the troll riding in it.

"Miss Nepeta? Gan, what did they do to you? You look... nice."

He approaches with the comfortable gait of someone who knows who he's talking to.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

Given that half the interaction with humans had been forcing her into things and places, she skitters backwards automatically. She's wide-eyed and more than a little on edge. What did she expect from venturing forth into places really?

She steels herself with the knowledge of her own stupidity and pulls herself up to her full not so impressive height.

"I'm not Nepeta. Who are you? Who's Nepeta?" Her old skill at conversation has definitely fallen off.

[tis_allgood]

"Whoa... hold! Cry pardon for the mistake you look a great deal like a friend."

He backs off immediately, he doesn't have guns to defend himself and if this stranger doesn't understand how violence is looked down on in the tribute tower he doesn't want to start something.

Not to mention that Nepeta was a bit more than a friend and if this woman had anything to do with her it wouldn't be good to upset her.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

When he backs off, she tries to calm the adrenaline that had sent her running. If he was going to be friendly, she should at least try as well. She lowers hands automatically raised to defend.

"Another troll." That's the only thing that could look like her. She runs through it in her head. Would this human know of blood colors? Maybe. If they killed here. But would the Nepeta be alive? Best to try to figure out all the basics of who she looked like and if they were a threat. Another troll could be friend or foe here.

"What color was she? More yellow than mine?" She nicks a finger with a sharp fang and shows him the bright green blood, "Or bluer? Purple?"

[tis_allgood]

He starts a little when she makes herself bleed, he's still not used to that being so important.

"Don't! You needn't... her blood is the same color as yours. And please don't ask how I know."

He would rather not bring up the last time he saw her dead. But now that he knows this troll is more or less her identical duplicate he can make a safe guess as to what she is. He knows two other similar pairs, it isn't hard to put two and two together to get four.

"You're older than she is, from before her time. You wouldn't know her."

[69problems]

It wasn't unusual for people to flit in and out of the District 12 suites during the day, coming and going from other floors or the training center or shopping in the Capitol. The Signless glanced away from the television at the 'ding' of the elevator, expecting to see Effie, maybe, or Pruna, and did an immediate double-take. That had to be Nepeta. He was just seeing her because he missed her and they did look so similar and...

"Meulin?"

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

The voice was achingly familiar. She stopped in her tracks halfway out of the elevator and dug her nails into the fur that wrapped around her shoulders. Maybe this was really all one of her nightmares. She'd thought those ones in particular were past her. The ones where he was alive and then she had to see him die again. What an inventive mind she had, to think up a whole other race and a game and imprisonment--but not so inventive that they didn't look like hornless trolls and the dream didn't end in watching him die all over again.

She doesn't know what to say. What should she say? If this is all real then she's simply standing here silently staring into space and what kind of impression would that make on a Signless back from the dead. But she doesn't know what to believe and he's dead so he can't be calling her name.

She can't move from this spot. The elevator dings at her stupidly to move or at least let the doors close, but she can't move. It doesn't feel like a dream so maybe that's why she's starting to cry. Does she ever cry in those dreams.

[69problems]

One the one hand, he wants to run to her. He wants to throw his arms around her and shoosh her and comfort her, because she should never, ever cry. On the other hand, the last time he met someone he cared about here, they rejected him. Maybe she hates him too. She should hate him, because it's his fault she's here, because he couldn't keep his damn mouth shut and apparently someone knew the best way to get to him was through her.

Still, just as it had with the Psiioniic, the need to help wins out. He stands, closing the distance between them, and reaches out to touch her cheek. He has no idea what to say, because nothing he can say can fix this, but he can be here for her. If she wants him.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

If her nightmares could be so real...What sort of mind did she have anymore? Had she really broken so much. Stupid thoughts war in her mind until the touch of his hand on her cheek stilled her mind. The tears still fell.

"You're dead. What kind of fucked up place would bring you back from the dead just to--" She knew they killed. She'd paid that much attention. Would they really make her watch him die again? Her mouth got away from her, words pouring from her as she started to feel her breath come fast. Hyperventilating, a part of her mind told her, but the need to reconcile the situation and the lack of company had her thinking aloud.

"It's just a nightmare right? I haven't had sopor in sweeps, I'm just dreaming. Hallucinating maybe or something wrong with that herdbeast I caught. I watched--I--It's all a nightmare, I'll wake up in the cave again. " Her breath catches, "Or I've been caught and it's all voodoo'd."

[knifewithnoname]

As the elevator pinged on floor twelve a little girl stormed into the lift, sat on the floor and began attacking the shoes on her feet. She seemed to be having trouble with the laces. Soon though she had pulled them both off and thrown them savagely into a corner.

Then she seemed to realise she wasn't alone. She wrinkled her nose, "You do be looking like that other alien troll, but bigger." Like stupid troll and Signless were.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

Disciple had barely any time to react to the sudden storming in of a young human. Any instinct to see her rushing in as an attack were stalled by the sight of the girl wrestling with footwear. She could definitely relate to the hatred of things being strapped on your feet. Definitely. Yet, she couldn't quite relax enough to enjoy the camaraderie that mutual hatred of these ridiculous shoes might bring.

But a blunt girl, she could deal with. Given she had been a bit of a blunt girl herself as a wiggler.

"I'm an adult. You probably met a wiggler."

[knifewithnoname]

"I did be meeting lots of wriggler alien trolls and lots of adults." Pruna told her wriggling her nose, "This one did be looking just like you but littler, does she be being your sister?"

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

Disciple wrinkles her nose a bit herself and shook her head sharply. She doesn't know what a sister is but if it's something human then obviously it has nothing to do with her.

"Apparently I look like someone." She doesn't say that she thinks all humans probably think they look alike. One scary alien is much like the next--and considering her own problem with differentiating between them, she's sure they feel the same way.

[carnagecarnival]

His mood is high. Perhaps on par with the moment he learned he was going to be Highblood, was the Highblood in the future. It's not often he feels so, but now, rocking on heels in wait for the elevator open up to the second floor, to his moirail, he does.

At least, he did until the door opened. It opens to neither his moirail nor the floor he wants, but to another troll. He freezes at the sight of her.

"Who the motherfuck are you all to be?" He blurts, but considering the pattern of things, and the cat-ear-like horns on her head, he's already got a guess. He's got no weapon, the capitol allows it nowhere but the arena and the training center, but he's got horns, claws, and teeth. His body is tense to spring. Just in motherfucking case. It's not as if the peacekeepers could really stop him if they fought.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

The horns remind her of someone but she can't quite place it in the moment between the elevator opening to him and the moment he speaks. Her eyes widen, all the adrenaline rushes to her body. A troll she doesn't know is a threat, automatically, and her whole body tenses.

She reaches to her throat to pull at the clasp of her fur cape in case he turns violent. She doesn't need it weighing her down. The space is tiny. She'd have to claw her way out. This is the last thing she needs.

"Meulin." Her title would only make her more of a target.

[carnagecarnival]

She's older than him. He's sure of it. Even if she's smaller, she looks matured. And he'd seen the other cat-troll to be able to compare. So when she gives her name over her title, he's taken aback just a little.

"KUR--" He stops himself before it slips out in whole, and starts again to emphasise his title, "Initiate Fraysong."

She gave her name but she's tense. His back is to the wall and she too is prepared for strife. His eyes are narrowed.

"DO YOU GOT RECOLLECTION OF ME?" He asks, because he certainly doesn't know her.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

She narrows her eyes. Does he not know her? Maybe without her usual clothes she's not as recognizable. Or simply word of her and Signless--and all the rest--had faded from memory. It had been so many sweeps. Would those who were born when he died even know of him. Why is she questioning her own lack of notoriety when it's to her advantage.

"No." Short, simple, she doesn't know him. Though the idea that he's familiar is still nagging at her brain. She's seen him somewhere.

[whoseesbynight]

The elevator, as a whole, isn't anything anything particular out of the ordinary as far as Nepeta is concerned. The Capitol is still a far cry from either Alternia or the various worlds of Sgrub, but it's a familiar sort of different by now. The person standing in the elevator, on the other hand, is a different story altogether.

She's not unfamiliar with the idea that ancestors are - or were - a real thing. She hasn't been since Karkat first told her about the Signless. But this, this is different. The troll in the elevator may be older than she by who knows how many sweeps, but the horns are the same as hers and even without the familiar symbol to look for, she suspects that this troll bleeds just as olive as she does.

There's a moment of silence, as Nepeta stands there blinking, and then she says the first thing that she can think of, so as to not simply stand there gawking. "Did you just arrive?"

There's honest concern in her voice, which is perhaps strange to hear, but she means every bit of it. She knows this is hardly the nicest of places and even if it's odd offering advice to someone so much older than she there's no sense in not trying.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

Oh. So that's who she looks like. The one whose name everyone kept calling her, she bet. Standing face to face, they're exceedingly alike. Like looking into a mirror to the past. Longer hair and it could be her standing there. A wrigglertale about ancestors and descendants comes to mind.

"I did. Just arrive." What do you say to a descendant. She feels like this should be more solemn. More wise advice and less startled blinking.

"You're Nepeta."

[whoseesbynight]

Nepeta has never actually seen a meeting like this one. She knows that Terezi's ancestor had showed up in the last Arena, but she'd never actually seen the two of them meet for the first time. For all she knows, then, this is perfectly normal for meeting someone who looks so similar.

But in the effort of keeping things going, she nods at the Disciple's comment.

"That's me. I don't think I know your name though."

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

"Meu--The Disciple." She should use her title at least. This girl was no threat to her so she didn't really have to hide who she was. Her hatchname could come later. For now, to not act like a idiot. First impressions count.

"I...well I heard of you from others. They said I looked like you but I didn't believe that it was this close."

[celebrityskinned]

Venus is trying to impress Enjolras, just a little bit. That doesn't mean she's 'put on clothes' any more than her usual (today, it's a pair of shorts and a halter top shirt that, while it covers plenty of skin, she's sure he'd still find scandalous), but it does mean that she's reading a book about 'some crap she doesn't understand'. She's never taken any real interest in politics, because she hardly needs government when she has money and power; a wealthy superheroine can delegate all that legal stuff to her agent, who actually gets paid to care about those things.

As such, she's nose-deep in The Republic and sleeping when the ding of the Disciple's elevator rouses her from her nap so quickly that she knocks over the empty can of diet energy drink near her ankle.

"Hello?" Venus can tell from one look that the Disciple isn't one of those camera-ready people. She looks uncomfortable in her clothes, displeased with her hair, although Venus thinks it's one of the more stylish of the Capitol's fashions at the moment. Yet despite these differences, Venus always has a small space in her heart for the weirdos, for the strangers, for the non-humanoids. Given that she spent over a decade of her life as a technologically-contained living bag of anti-matter, it's be silly for her to feel anything but empathy, and she greets the new girl with a wave and a relieved snap shut of her book.

"Hi! Do you live here?"

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

Disciple is a little startled to be greeted so casually and compassionately but she pulls herself up straight and shakes her head. There's a long moment where she looks around--It's the same as the other floors honestly. She's not sure what she expected.

"I was exploring." She admits, staying in the door of the elevator for the time being, one hand on the frame to keep the doors from shutting, "I live on the seventh floor."

At least she thought it was the seventh. She remembered the particular decoration of the main room so it was merely trial and error when it came to that.

[celebrityskinned]

"You new?" Venus sets the book on the table, idly moving its cover to face away from Disciple with her fingers - never show off a logo or identifying brand, in this case a title. "I didn't see you on the screens last time."

One of her flip-flops has fallen off her feet while she dozed. She inches her toes around for it, trying to redress herself without having to bend over or get out of her chair.

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

"I am." She was a little curious as to why...or how someone could fall asleep in the middle of a room. What a strange trust for this place. And there, her reaching for a shoe with just the tips of her toes, as if time was not a precious commodity. She was trying quite hard not to show the confusion or curiosity in her expression but it never quite worked out.

"There isn't a need to get up. I am intruding."