multiversallogs | How many goodly creatures are there here!

Welcome to Baedal.

These are the first words newcomers hear when the door opens and they are invited into their new world. Some fuss, some fight, some need time before they have the courage to step outside. Others, shell-shocked or jaded, go quietly along with the proceedings.

They are given brief instructions; a repeat of what's described in the pamphlet and a door key.

Please stay in your room. There will be dinner soon.

It's been almost a day for some. For others, only an hour's wait. The latest newcomer is lead straight from the arrival room to the dining hall where candles and lanterns have been set out to compensate for failing electricity. (Those who have been here longer explain about rolling blackouts.) The food, however, is warm, varied and plentiful. Seating is open, and less conventional chair are available to those who need them.

There are many strange faces around the table, the majority of these recent arrivals. The proprietor of the Valhalla Inn is here, as is some of her staff. The Sheriff of Mog Hill is introduced, his function detailed. The reason for the dinner is explained:

It's a celebration. A new cohort has finally been officiated; CeidaryBlue523. Your cohort. Please. Introduce yourself. Mingle. Get to know your fellows, they will be your brothers and sisters for as long as you live in this city.

((OOC post for discussion and coordination.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lyla's pretty sure she recognizes Dean from the side, there--she stops in her tracks to double-check, eyes wide. Not much has really astonished her today, but this does, and she tells herself that hope is stupid, but it's so difficult to fight it back once it starts to grow. There persists the vague feeling like she might be wrong even if her instincts all say this is the guy she knows, just because she's inclined toward self-doubt, but she can't help herself:

"...Dean?"

Well. Now he is sans impala and arsenal, but plus teenaged dhampire delinquent.

Edited 2011-05-01 08:33 (UTC)

Dean is not a man that deals in hope, save in the smallest measures. Hope this doesn't blow up in my face, hope I've got enough cash on me for this beer, those meaningless kinds of hope. So it never occurs to him that things could go his way, that a situation could turn for the better out of nowhere.

He doesn't believe this, not at first. But he can see her, and she's said his name. He strides toward her, work boots thumping on the floor. "Lyla?"

If he can't hope, he can at least confirm. When he's within reach, he puts a hand on her shoulder, to confirm she's real, she's there.

She is.

He pulls her into a hug, no longer caring about being weird or freaking her out. He just holds on, tight.

Lyla has never really fully comprehended why Dean treats her so paternally--he's not really old enough to be her dad, more like an older brother, but it manifests that way, and she's gotten to the point where he's on the two-person list of people she'll actually listen to, alongside Integra. Lyla doesn't see herself like a lot of people do, as so screamingly clearly growing up way too fast and quite possibly in the wrong direction. But she doesn't feel as wrong when she's got her people around her, so she doesn't even object to the hug in her nominal 'aw man I am too cool for this' way.

She's kind of surprised, though--as far as she knows, she's only been gone a day or so. She'll be really disturbed to know it's been markedly longer.

"Dean," she says, tall enough to return the hug without a lot of awkward arms in the wrong places. "Still got my Hellsing badge."

Dean draws in a breath like he's going to speak, but there's a pause--no, he is not choked up, what the hell are you talking about. Another breath, a hard swallow, and a few blinks of his eyes, and he draws back, smiling down at Lyla.

"Yeah? Yeah, me too," he says, and he draws it out to show her. It marks him as senior staff now, not just general-dude-in-the-garage like he was when she was still there. Your first clue that things are not what you expected, Lyla--here it is.

"When did you get here?" he asks, casting an appraising eye over her, more in control of himself now that he's had unexpected hope confirmed and he's had a minute or two to pull himself out of that chick-flick moment.

The badge's insignia is slightly unexpected, and she aims a puzzled glance Dean's way after she looks it over. Pleased for him, though. (She's still a trainee. Probably it will remain this way until she stops doing so many drugs.)

"Just today...but when'd you get promoted? That's cool."

"Couple weeks back," he explains as he slips the badge back into his pocket. Already his something's-off sense is tingling. He's watching for her response as he elaborates, "You know. Maybe a month, five weeks after Integra and Alucard left. Which was probably a good month after most of the rest of you just up and vanished."

She stares for a second. "No, that's--"

What the fuck. Lyla reaches up and tugs anxiously at a strand of her hair, trying to figure out how this could have happened. Interdimensional travel is bound to be a little complicated, but this just seems downright mean.

"I only...I was there yesterday."

Figures. Even on the way out, that place had to mess with them.

"Swear to you, Lyla. I haven't seen you in about two months. Most of the people who were there at Hellsing when Sammy and I joined have been gone, either those two months or half that time."

"Jesus," she says, puzzled and quiet. She wonders if she just stopped existing for those two months or something, and the idea bothers her enough to push the topic away. She shakes her head to illustrate as much, unwilling to let the reunion be disturbed by her morbid streak.

"That sucks. But we're here now, right?"

Dean is decidedly not wondering about what happens to people when they disappear. Dean, you see, considered that exactly once, and the thought of his brother not existing nearly undid him. It's bad enough Dean has no idea where Sam is, even worse that Dean has no way of knowing if he's safe, but the thought that his brother just ceased to be? He can't take it.

"Yeah. Like I said, I got no idea how all this time stuff works. It's probably even more complicated when you hop universes or whatever the hell it is we just did. I wish Sam was here to explain it."

His solemn expression softens at her question, and he nods. "We are. That's what matters."

How many goodly creatures are there here! :: GAME OPENER

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