♠ first encounter ♠

[ex_shiftings982]

[ Panic sits heavy in Raven's throat, drips into her heart like the water currently falling from her uniform. She'd had to pull herself from the water immediately, the shock of cold and lack of breath breaking only when the survival instinct had kicked it. But it's not seawater, she knows that much, knows as she sits on the steps of an unfamiliar building and watches the flooded streets with an unfamiliar horror that she is no longer on the beach. Had the teleporter brought her here? And what of her brother, of her friends?

Raven doesn't like feeling lost.

But she found the device easily, sitting awkward against the leather of her uniform. It had taken moments for her to figure out the buttons and now she stares at it. The device barely catches a flicker of blue before it settles on to the image of a blonde girl, a worried crease settling between her eyebrows. She's wearing some sort of uniform, yellow and black leather that hugs her tight and looks like it's made for protection more than anything. But it's maybe a little strange to see a girl who looks so young in something like that. ]

Is this a camera? [ Turning the device in her hands. ] I don't --.

[ She doesn't know what it is or how to use it and all she can think of is the last thing she said to Charles before they came to the beach, before they had to fight. It makes her want to cry but she knows she can't. With an exhale of breath and a disappointed sound, she talks almost to herself. ] Always falling to peices, c'mon.

Comments

video: (and so it begins)

[charring]

[Yep. It's a day ending with 'y' if there are new arrivals. But Charlie's been here long enough to actually feel concerned when they look young.]

Actually, it's a piece of shit communication device. It's yours, I promise.


[Charlie. What the hell kind of greeting was that?]

video: this will be the very best, sigh

[ex_shiftings982]

[ The screen dips in surprise, Raven holding up the device as though it might actually be possessed. They have televisions and telephones and sonar and all manner of communication devices back home but this --?

Well. ]

Like a radio? [ The girl on the other side should probably not make Raven relax any because Emma and Angel are just as deadly as Shaw or his cronies, but she's lost and although not as hopeful as her brother there are some traits they share. ]

I ... can you see me?

video:

[charring]

I can. Hi. I'm Charlie. [She gives the girl a wave and a grin.] Welcome to the City. And...sort of like a radio? Everyone here has one, so it's going off frequently with videos, text posts. It can be exciting and kind of frustrating.

video;

[brobeforehos]

Hey. [Small wave of compassion; Mae's starting to take this whole Greet Lost Teens thing seriously.] It's a communication device thingy, but it does have a camera, yes.

video;

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She's going to stop having to be surprised when a voice comes out of it, but when is the question. This time though, she just holds it closer, hunched in on herself as though that can help. ]

It's super small. [ That's the most troubling thing. Technology is so big, like Cerebro and Hank's computers, his lab. ] Someone else said it was mine? But I don't even know what it really is.

[infernoandhearth]

Partially. Welcome to the future. [Amused grin. It's a safe bet if the device is new to her.]

[ex_shiftings982]

Sean?

[ She brings the device closer to her face to look at him. She's not a telepath but her power is in noticing things about a person, how else could she shift if she didn't notice things. ]

No, you're not ... are you his twin?

[Video]

[pinokosthewife]

It's okay, Mish! Please don't cry... [Pinoko sounds worried, but she's forcing a small, comforting smile.] Relaksh!

... it's recording, sho, please don't worry. You're now connected with everybody elshe here. We're all from different plachesh and don't know how we got here, sho it's okay.

Maybe not okay okay, but you're not alone. Promishe.

[Video]

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She's startled but it turns into a watery smile. Of course that kind of greeting has to be treated as charming rather than alarming. ]

I know, I know. I'm trying not to ... I just don't know how I got here, I can't remember.

[Video]

[brothertragedy]

Welcome to the City.

You will likely spend more time here than you would like; this place is treacherous and prone to suddenly changing from peaceful to hostile with no prior notice, so I urge you to find shelter.

[Video]

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She nods, giving up on trying to keep track of all the different people and accents. It sounds like New York in a way London never did, people of all areas and backgrounds and understanding and for some reason it makes her shoulders less hunched. ]

Shelter. Okay. But how treacherous?

Video

[trenchknives]

Welcome to the City. It's kinda shitty a lotta the time, but welcome anyway.

Video

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She laughs a little, a soft surprised hum of sound. ] Nobody seems to really like this place.

video

[fiveagainstradley]

It's a camera and a telephone! Isn't that brilliant ?

You must be new. My name's David.

video

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She's not sure if she likes the teeny tiny phone simply because how is someone supposed to use buttons like that? ]

It's -- something. I'm Raven.

[helsmaiden]

[A gondola comes floating by, carrying a young teenage girl who herself is carrying a very angry hairless cat. There is no gondolier; instead a green glow in the water follows the slow movements of the boat. It slows to a stop as it approaches, the glow fading.]

You seem troubled.

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She looks from the green glow to the boat to the cat to the girl feeling as though she's fallen asleep mid-chapter of a fantasy book. Again. ]

I'm lost.

video;

[unwheeled]

Raven! [And in scrambling for the device he nearly knocks it off the table way to go Xavier.] Stay right where you are, I'll be down to find you all right?

I'm here, Sean is here, Erik is here, and so far that's all but everyone is fine, despite the obvious drowning hazard of the week and --

[A voice cuts in Do you wish to lock the lab upon exit because Charles always forgets so he huffs a "yes yes of course" at JARVIS and rushes out into the hall towards the elevator.]

You're here, thank God.

video;

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She's used to her brother's ways, the bumbling rush of all that he is, his mind speeding too much ahead and leaving everyone else to catch up. But they argued, is the point, they argued and she could have lost him so all Raven does is lean back against the wall ( now she's in the teashop thanks to Charlie, safe and drying ) and breathes out. ]

You're okay.

[ Dimly she registers Sean and Erik too but all that matters is her brother, the fact that he's alive and unchanged. ] I thought --.

[ She gives up now, rubbing the back of her hand against her eyes. ] You have so much explaining to do.

Video

[deadmanbusiness]

[She's going to get a face of an undead rat for a second before a hand pushes it out of the way to reveal a man wearing sunglasses.]

Hello!

Annd I see I'm running a bit late in these greetings things.

Video

[ex_shiftings982]

Um.

Was that a rat?

[ She's from New York so seeing a rat isn't really all that awful but it looked ... kind of funny. ]

voice;

[hexuality]

Nice to see I'm not the only person who arrived in a uniform.

voice;

[ex_shiftings982]

[ She ducks her head. ]

It needs a lot of work.

[eiremagic]

Exactly what it is.

[ex_shiftings982]

It's ... it's not mine.