genessia | AM I DEAD? [action] [audio]

AM I DEAD? [action] [audio]

WHO: Lydia and whoever is around
WHERE: The Bay
WHEN: after midnight
WHAT: her first day at Genessia

When she finally woke up, her eyes were still heavy and it took awhile for her to blink the dreams away so she didn't realize that she was somewhere that was not her dark room at first. It was a little cold so she figured she had kicked her covers off again and tried to curl up to hold onto that last bit of warmth but her hands slid against something cold, something that didn't feel like her bed at all. Then she realized that the thing over her head wasn't the ceiling.

Her first official thought was that she was dead and buried and this was her coffin. It was brighter than she would have liked, so white. Her stepmother most likely had something to do with the design. How disappointing. For waking up in her own coffin, she felt unusually calm and was about to try and fall back asleep when the sound of water had her lifting her head.

That's when she sees the box. It doesn't look like one of her's, which makes her curious. Her first order of business is to open it and when she's gone through all the contents, she goes from curious to confused. And she thought she had known what to expect from Death. Gathering everything back into the box, she tests her coffin and discovers it's not much of one and she's not buried at all but sitting in some kind of weird cocoon in a cave of all places.

Creepy, Lydia thought with a grin as she began to venture out of the cave, picking the third doorway, box tucked to her chest. There were other cocoons in the cave but she was too shy and a bit apprehensive to check any of them. On her way out, she decided to try and give the walkie-talkie a try and see if her friends were around. It took her a few minutes but she was finally able to get it to work-

"Hello? Barbara? Adam? Are you out there?" The static response wasn't encouraging so she kept making her way down the watery hall, anxious and excited about whatever she might find.

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Betelgeuse had a habit of leaving his videofeed on, though, usually set to voice only. The chatter that came across it was amusing to him and kept him aware of what was going on. So, he was listening, when that voice came over the feed. He rolled his eyes, when the voice called out for Barbara and Adam. Didn't that just figure? He pushed the button to talk.

"They aren't here, babes. Welcome to Genessia!"

When she heard HIS voice, she almost dropped the walkie-talkie in the water but was able to recover enough in time to keep it in her hand. She gulped, her eyes going as wide as milk saucers. But could she really be surprised? She was dead and so was he, after all. But if he was here, why weren't Barbara and Adam?

She waited for a bit, then lifted the walkie-talkie back to her mouth. "Why not? Where are they then?" It was a horrible thought, that the Maitlands weren't here. Even a little ... frightening. She looked around the cavern, expecting something black and white and striped to come slithering out of somewhere. "And where are you?" If her tone came out suspicious, it was his own fault for making her so.

When Saleh was in Luceti, he had made it a duty to look out for new arrivals and other people who needed help. So here in Genessia, he decided to check the Bay every so often to see who would show up. Perhaps his old friends would show up, either from Luceti, or from his home world. But he would be just as willing to give aid to a complete stranger as well.

He spotted the girl looking rather lost and approached casually, carrying his healing staff in his hand. He made sure to position himself in her line of sight to avoid the appearance of sneaking up.

Being dead and all, she had expected the beyond to be much gruesome and dark than this. The cave was dark enough and though it was dark outside, it was because it appeared to be night and not for any other nefarious reason. She could even see stars above her. Nothing was like she imagined it and every step she took and sight she saw only made her more confused.

She heard someone approaching and wheeled around, her large black hat nearly falling off. "Who's there? Barbara? Adam?" It was dark and still hard to see but the outline of the figure was nothing she recognized. At least they appeared human.

Saleh stopped, realizing that he had startled her. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you. I am Saleh. You must be a new arrival, yes?"

Well he looked normal, which wasn't always a good thing but it was comforting, all the same. Lydia straightened her shoulders and stood her ground, squinting in the dark as her eyes adjusted. "Hi. Yeah, I guess I'm new here." Then because he had told her his name, it would only be polite to share her own. "My name's Lydia."

"Lydia..." The name rhymed with the name of one of his closest friends in Luceti, so it rather surprised him. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, Lydia. You should have a package that you woke up with. It should help you get settled."

Saleh then handed her one of the welcome fliers that he had picked up from the entrance. "This contains a welcome message. I don't know who wrote it, however. I arrived rather recently myself, so I'm afraid I don't know much more about this place."

Was it her or was this guy's hair purple? Guess it was more a lilac. Now that was rather strange. Lydia smiled and walked up to him. "Well aren't you all formal. Where are you from?" She juggled the box in one hand and the flier in the other. Welcome message? Anyone who knew her knew she wasn't that big on jewelry so the necklace was weird and she hadn't really given much attention to anything in the box but now she was thinking that she ought to.

"A wizard? Well, I guess I should try and find this Harry Dresden guy, see what else is going on." Being dead, she expected a bit more ceremony. "Would you like to come with me? We could help each other out." Lydia wasn't into making friends, mostly because they weren't into her but this guy seemed okay. Anyone with hair like his couldn't have a problem with her.

It wasn't just her. Saleh's hair did have a lavender hue to it. But that wasn't so strange in Magvel, as many people had unusual hair colors, from blue to purple to green.

"I am from Magvel," he responded. "Or more specifically, a mountain village called Caer Pelyn."

It was certainly unusual for a new arrival to ask him to accompany them. It wasn't something he would turn down, though. Saleh had been viewed as strange and unusual in Magvel as well, but he hadn't thought much of it. This was who he was, and he was comfortable with it.

"I suppose we should find him. We could certainly stand to learn more about this place."

If he wasn't strange enough already, Saleh tucks his staff in its carrier sheath. He pulled out a red tome, and then conjured a fireball, which hovered in his opposite hand to light the way.

Her stepmother would have an opinion about someone who chose PURPLE, of all colors, for their hair but Lydia? She loved it. It was new and strange and just somehow fit him. Saleh, his name was. Everything about him was so odd, nothing like she'd heard of before. Maybe she'd found a friend after all.

"A mountain village? Literally?" OR maybe this was some work of her own imagination. She was dead. Maybe her brain was malfunctioning and coming up with weird things to keep her distracted while bugs and worms ate her up in the real world.

She almost dropped her box and the flier when suddenly Saleh had fire coming out of his hands. Not out of fear but complete and utter shock. Lydia had seen some crazy things (railings turning into snakes, ghosts and spirits with some seriously uncombed hair) but this? "That is so cool. How did you do that? Wait, are you a wizard too?" She fell in step next to him as they walked, though her eyes were on the fire and she nearly kept tripping over her feet.

Edited 2014-04-24 19:32 (UTC)

Saleh would easily explain to anyone that he didn't exactly choose his hair color.

He gave her an odd glance. "Yes, literally." Honestly, he wasn't sure what else a mountain village could mean. "The Caer Pelyn range is perhaps one of the most rugged terrains in Magvel. Many people may find it inhabitable, but we live there quite comfortably."

He glanced at the fireball in his hand as Lydia inquired about it. "I'm a sage, actually, an advanced scholar of magic. I have studied magic since I was small."

That anyone could be born with such a color would make Lydia jealous. She always though she would like a dark blue for her hair, so dark, it would almost be black. Almost.

He spoke strangely and she wondered if he was a completely different world. Or a different time? She hadn't heard of any mountain people with purple hair. Or of a place called Magvel.

"A sage? Weird. But weird is cool." She didn't want him to think otherwise. Not that her opinion mattered since obviously he had been doing this sort of thing for awhile. "You study magic sooo anyone can learn it? There's an actual school for it?"

"It is not so strange, really...at least where I come from. Though when you find yourself in a different world, everything would seem strange."

Saleh has seen far more strange things in Luceti, so he's learned...a lot, to say the least.

"Yes, anyone can learn magic if they put forth the effort. I don't believe there are schools for it, however. Most people either study on their own, or learn with private tutoring. I have a student of my own in Magvel."

"I love the strange. Anything else is ... boring." Anyone could learn magic. Not illusions for little kids or card tricks or taking off your head but magic like this? Guess it wasn't all that different from the few things she had seen back home but at the same time, this was VERY different. "So are there other things you can do?"

She decided now was a good time to go through the contents of her box. It was apparently supposed to be helpful. The walkie-talkie had been silent for awhile so she stuck that and the flier in one of her dress pockets. "So everyone got the same package? Not very original." She flipped through the pamphlet, noticing the part about getting a job and money. "Have you met anyone else here?"

"Boring. Hmm..." He could only partly agree. He was rather fond of the peace and quiet, but venturing into the unknown had a bit of a thrill to it.

"I can cast various nature-based spells, as well as light-based spells. I can also heal wounds with my staff."

And to show her, he brought out his staff, and the blue orb began to glow.

"Not very original? Well, it's better than nothing. It may not be much, but I'm grateful for what I can get."

Which is how he's lived throughout his life, appreciating the little things.

"Meeting anyone else? Not really. I've spoken to a few, but haven't gotten to really know one another..."

Being dead wasn't going to be so bad if got to meet other spirits like Saleh. He certainly wasn't all that talkative which worked for Lydia since she was pretty shy on her own. He seemed honest and incredibly serious, two traits she could admire in a person.

"You can heal yourself?" Lydia was astonished and smiled. "How convenient." Wish she'd had him around when she'd fallen down the stairs and skinned her thighs. "Well I hope this Harry person isn't some sort of scammer. Think I've got enough of those in my life."

"Same place they were last time we talked: that house you were living in. What, did you move or something? You've read the Handbook. Those mooks are stuck in that place for a hundred and twenty-five years," Betelgeuse reminded her. "As for me, well, I'm here with you in Genessia, of course. Did you read that stupid pamphlet they give people?"

He answered the questions patiently, even with some amusement. She seemed a bit confused to him, but he figured that was to be expected. Waking up in this place had even disoriented him a bit!

The Maitlands weren't here. They weren't here and he was. The thought had her nervous. Their last ... parting? conversation? Well things hadn't quite ended so well for him in any case and she wasn't so sure what to do about seeing him. She kept looking around inside the cavern hall, suspicious of any shadow. But then, he'd never been one to hide in the shadows.

Right, the pamphlet. Everything was still in the box. Opening things that she wasn't familiar with wasn't a smart thing but then, how else to explain the place she was in? "Yeah, sure. I love to read about new places." She lied, not sure she could trust the ghost with the most, even if he was the only familiar voice so far. "Have you been here long? Gotten married to anyone else yet?" It was supposed to be a joke but she was anxious about the can of worms she just tipped over.

Edited 2014-04-25 04:30 (UTC)

Betelgeuse glared at his videofeed. Yeah, that still bothered him. He ignored her claim about reading the pamphlet. Really, she thought that was funny?! Honestly, she'd soured him on the marriage plan, but she didn't need to know that, did she?

"You really want to go there, babes? 'Cause, no, I haven't moved on to someone else. We had a deal and I kept my end of it. Far as I'm concerned, you still owe me, including for the damn sandworm! Ever been bitten by an animal? Imagine being chewed on whole."

That wasn't entirely true. He blamed Barbara for the sandworm, not Lydia, but, again, she didn't need to know that. The point was he'd kept his word and she hadn't. Sooner or later, he had to find a way to collect.

She tripped (over her own feet or something in the water, it was hard to tell) but caught herself in time. It wouldn't be good to drop the walkie-talkie in the water and ruin it, considering it was her only contact to anyone so far. "You DO know my name is Lydia, right?"

This wasn't the time to get into an argument so her tone was soft and she was starting to feel bad again about the sandworm. She hadn't meant for that to happen but she hadn't wanted to get married either.

"Look, I'm sorry about that. How was I supposed to know about the sandworm? Besides, Barbara was only trying to help me. You can't blame her either."

If only Saleh knew that she thought they were dead, he'd gladly correct her. He'd been dead once, and it...wasn't pretty.

"I mostly heal others...but I can heal myself if my injuries aren't too serious. Healing takes a great deal of concentration, so if I am too injured to concentrate, then I would need aid from another healer."

He gave only a slight smile back. Smiling was never his strong suit.

"Indeed. We'll see when we meet him."

Edited 2014-04-25 15:57 (UTC)

"Oh, I can blame her plenty, Lydia," Betelgeuse corrected, still sulking. "Of course, I know your name. What kind of fiance do you think I am?? Besides, I said your name during the ceremony, remember?"

He sulked, leaning back onto the couch. Right now, Betelgeuse was haunting a small, but very comfortably furnished apartment in downtown Genessia. He was tempted, for some reason, to go meet Lydia down at the Bay, but so far had resisted. He doubted she really wanted his help, she already owed him one favor, and, well, really, what could he do? Give her a guided tour? Nah. She'd be fine on her own. Right?

Well. He did know her name, after all, so she guessed that was an argument lost. And he sounded quite put out by her insinuation too. Lydia rolled her eyes and huffed out a sigh. "Yeah, in my voice too. Though I guess I have to admit, that was pretty good." Made her wonder what other sort of tricks he had up his striped sleeves.

Fiancee. There was truth in that, wasn't there? She'd begged him to save her friends, even at the cost of her own freedom and for only being fourteen at the time, freedom was all she had. She had never thought of getting married and certainly not to someone like him. Now that she was here, wherever here was or whatever it was called, would he still hold her to that deal? "I don't suppose you would let me out of that?" She had to ask. What was the harm, right?

"Thank you muchly. I wasn't lying, when I said I'm the ghost with the most," Betelgeuse told her. "I don't see why I should let you out of anything. What's the big deal? I helped your friends, you help me, and everything's cool! Don't see any reason for everyone to have freaked out like they did!"

She owed him, right? Seriously, he wasn't big on the idea of marriage, himself, but he figured she could do a lot worse. Of course, he wasn't at all sure getting married here would free him, the way it would in their world, but dammit, he was going to get something out of the situation. She owed him.

Couldn't be surprised when he rejected the idea straight out. Still, who was to blame her for trying? Shoot, what was she going to do? If she was going to have to get married, she hoped at least her dad and Delia were going to be there, not mention the Maitlands. Guess they all were mostly there the last time.

She groaned. "The fact that I was and still am under age doesn't bother you, I guess." Why would it? He was dead. "Guess now that I'm dead, it doesn't matter anyway. I thought death would be less ... watery."

"Under age? Sheesh, how old do you have to be in this century? Come to think of it, how old are you?" he asked, then paused, before continuing. "Uh, Lyds, babes, what are you talking about? You're not dead! Are you? Did something happen back home?"

There was something amusing in the way Betelgeuse rambled. Lydia rolled her eyes with half a smile on her face. "I'm fifteen and in this century, the legal age is eighteen so yes, under age."

That wasn't concern in his voice, was it? Because she couldn't see the man being concerned about anyone but himself. He just seemed like the selfish sort. She didn't correct him again on the 'babes' since technically he did use her name. Kind of. "I don't really remember. I guess I just assumed. Isn't this the other side?"

"Oh, well, fifteen and eighteen, fine, fine. I said the marriage was a convenience. Shouldn't be too hard to keep it just friendly for that long. Weird, though, I knew plenty of gals who got married at fifteen, when I was alive," Betelgeuse mused, out loud. He guffawed, at her last question. "Aw, hell, no, Lyds! This isn't the afterlife. This is just some weird, parallel world we both got sucked into. Wish I could tell you more, but no one seems to know a whole lot."

This was an odd conversation to have and she was strangely enjoying that part of it. It didn't sound like she was in any real danger then. She was still stuck in the engagement, one she had been kind of pushed into, but three years, hey, a lot could happen in three years. Surely she could think up something to help her get out of this.

"WHEN were you alive? The Dark Ages?" That would explain the smell. And the teeth. She wasn't dead? Guess that was a good thing. The name Genessia made more sense now. She'd grown up in New York so practically anywhere else felt like a whole other world. Maybe this was the Bermuda Triangle.

"Well, fourteenth century, yeah, but you might be careful with that "dark ages" crap. WE weren't in danger of sending the entire planet up in one big fireball," Betelgeuse retorted.

Modern people, jeez! Betelgeuse liked a lot of things about the modern world, but his life hadn't been so bad, even without running water and television. There'd still been booze, food, and girls. Really, what more did a person need?

Edited 2014-04-26 05:10 (UTC)

"Sorry. I would never have taken you for such a concerned humanitarian." She didn't roll her eyes this time. Yes, it was a joke but it wasn't meant to be mean-spirited at all. Suppose it was more of a tease.

He wasn't threatening her, was he? What exactly would he do if she DID say something offensive? Sure, the guy had the moral compass of a cockroach but she didn't get the feeling that he was entirely bad. Then again- best be careful. "So then, you're, what? Seven hundred years old?"

"Hey, if you all bite the dust, I'll be out of a job, Lyds," Betelgeuse reminded her, amused. "It's not like I dislike people or anything! Mostly, I just find 'em a good laugh."

He chortles, just thinking about it. Really, though, this is good. They're talking, which is far better than her running away screaming or something!

"Not quite. I'm six hundred and thirty...something. I don't really keep close track of what year it is, anymore."

"Woah." Six hundred years old? She had to really think about that for a second. "That is a lot of birthdays." Not to mention that was a huge age-gap. Imagine the scandal! Not that she ever cared what other people though. Okay, maybe she cared but only a little and never enough that ever stopped her from doing what she wanted.

She didn't want to get married. That was a problem she was going to have to solve somehow. She'd had a year but she'd also thought she never had to worry about Betelgeuse again.

"It would be, if dead people celebrated birthdays. Ghosts are a dull lot, babes, I'm sad to say. We don't celebrate death days, either."

A very small part of Betelgeuse recognized that Lydia was very young, probably too young, maybe, but hell. What living woman wasn't too young, compared to him? She'd grow into a full adult soon enough. He wondered if he should tell her that many nobles in his time married, while still children, then took up residence together, once both parties were of age.

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