Chloe Saunders 001

[ghostly_stutter]

Th-this… c-can’t be happening… [Chloe stumbles slightly, eyes wide as she stares up at the stars above her head-the surrounding area of the plane that looks as though it should be something out of a sci-fi movie. First the nightmare-which she was used to, though not to this caliber-then the shop keeper, that Sault woman, finding herself here. Her

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[oliverplus]

[hearing her panicking, Oliver approaches her with his hands up in a placating gesture, speaking gently] Hey, hey, calm down. It's all right; your friends are just fine back home. [he gives her a reassuring smile] Welcome to the Astral Plane! I'm Oliver Day. [he waves]

[ghostly_stutter]

Chloe Saunders... [Greets in return, dazed and not thinking clearly at the moment. Did that mean this place wasn't what she thought it was? She wasn't in danger?]

What is this place?

[oliverplus]

[he can't help looking a bit surprised at the name. it's not the most common of them, and...well, it's been years since he's seen his Chloe now. his eyes are a little sad when he responds] That's a pretty name. It's nice to meet you, Chloe.

[he quickly slips back into his cheerful welcoming committee mode, though] This is the Astral Plane, like I said. It's a multiuniversal--no, multidimensional nexus point. Basically, people come here from all over. And you can go back home whenever you want, too, so don't worry about that! Here, there's a kiosk with info brochures around here some--oh, over there. [he gestures before starting in that direction]

[ghostly_stutter]

[Chloe doesn't really zone in on the look of surprise--her mind still too dazed trying to figure out what is going on, but at her question she focuses on Oliver and then hesitates, distinctly noting his somewhat saddened visage. Then his words distracted her from her concern, and she blushes, unused to such compliments.] Th-thank you. It's nice to meet you, too.

... [She stares for a moment in slight surprise by his words and abruptly cheerful demeanor, and a small smile forms as she moves to follow him, questions still multiplying in her head.]

Multidimensional nexus? It sounds awe-inspiring or horrifying, I can't tell which.

[oliverplus]

Um...both, mostly. [he scratches his head, looking a little sheepish] We're not just visitors. There are...well, there are experiments...

[but he lets it go at that for the moment] Here we are! [he steps up to the information kiosk, gesturing at it] Go ahead and take whatever you want. Irving's--the one that says "Broderick"--has got better information, so I'd recommend it.

[ghostly_stutter]

[She's following along easily enough--until he mentions experiments. Why did everything always lead to that? She halted, feet rooted to the ground and face pale as she stares blankly at the kiosk, and the info he pointed out. Hand reaching out, her limb trembling slightly as she touches the screen to open the document he recommended, Chloe finally finds her voice.]

Experiments? Wh-what k-kind of experiments? Y-you're okay with this? [Her expression incredulous, Chloe slowly shook her head. She didn't think she wanted to be here...]

[oliverplus]

Whooa, hey, it's okay! I mean...mostly. [puts a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down, and kicking himself for not waiting until she was calmer in the first place to mention something like that] Look, let's just--okay, no, for one. I'm not. And we're doing everything we can to stop them, but we can't yet, so it's something you just... [winces] I guess you get used to. For now! Until we stop it.

And...all kinds, but they're almost always short, and there are lots of people here who'll help anytime something does happen. Look, it'll be okay. And there are lots of great people here, so it's not so bad, really!

[ghostly_stutter]

[Panicking? Chloe? Hell yeah, she was. She tried to stay calm enough to listen, but her body trembled and her mind blanked for a moment there. Why could she never seem to get away from all this?]

W-w-- [Wincing, Chloe takes a deep breath, talking around her stutter.] Everything you can? What has that been so far? [Good. No stutter.] H-how can we stop it and wh-who is running the experiments? [Well. There goes that.]

Not that bad. [She says it softly, shoulders slumping in something akin to defeat.] That's what they want you to think. They want you to go along with whatever they do to you until their grand finale, where you find out you're about to die, or wish you were dead because you know whatever they have planned next is nothing good.

[oliverplus]

Chloe! [he's alarmed by that trembling, and he holds her by both shoulders now. he knows that with his empathy it's a bad idea to look into the eyes of someone who's panicking, but he needs to calm her down, so he does it anyway. he at least tries to throw up a partial shield, though. but he's sure to still experience her emotions to some degree]

It's not... [but he can't say it's not like that because he has a sinking feeling that it's exactly like that, they just don't know it yet] Whatever happened before, this isn't it. [considering the way she's reacting--and the way she's talking--he can tell there must have been something] Just...take a deep breath. It's the people here who aren't so bad, okay? There are lots of us, from all different universes, and we work together. We help each other. No matter what happens.

And you can go home, too, like I said! Try it, if you want.

[ghostly_stutter]

[Oliver shouting her name got through to her, and her thoughts and emotions paused as she met his gaze. Her trembling lessened slightly, though her nerves were still buzzing and her worries were still very much a part of her.]

So p-people from different universes a-are brought here to be experimented upon? O-only they--you all--are working together to find out what's going on, and how to get away? [Her shoulders slumped in something akin to defeat.] All this time, and running doesn't get you anywhere. No. It gets you here. Which is worse. It's far worse!

[She's remembering Lyle House, the group home she was told she had schizophrenia only to find out she was a failed genetically modified necromancer. She remembers doctors shooting at her with tranqs, then real guns. Werewolves hunting her and Derek. Safety promised again and again only for that safety to be whisked away. Only now, she didn't have the others here with her. Now she was alone.]

H-how could they let you go home so easily? There has to be a catch. [Like leading them

[oliverplus]

[Oliver's mental wall keeps those worries from being overpowering to him, though he still feels them. he nods at her assessment of the situation, keeping his tone carefully calm as he continues to explain]

But don't say it's worse already! Ah...I don't know why we can go home, exactly, but I think it's because our homes are connected to this place, too. [and they might not be real anymore, but he can't bring himself to say that to her] You can go to other people's homes, too, if you hold onto them when you think about going home. It's actually really neat!

And I have a feeling it's just because they like watching us. You know, see us interacting with people--at home, other people from here. [he gestures between them. knowing the Plane, some monitor of that control equipment is showing their conversation right now] A lot of the experiments they do are that sort of thing. Like, I've lost my voice before, or been turned into a kid. Or um...men get turned into women, or people lose certain memories. Or get thrown into fairy

[ghostly_stutter]

My home I already connected? [Great. Just great.]

Those are the experiments they run here? Why? They seem rather pointless and childish, don't you think? [Compared to the experiments she's already been a part of--other supernaturals have already been a part of.]

W-wait a second. M-memory loss? Men being turned into women? Are these experiments long-lasting? Th-they sound horrible!

[oliverplus]

[quickly] Not you! This place--the Machine, it brings people here, at random. It wasn't anything you did.

[scratches his head] Well, yeah. Like I said, it's like they just want to see people interact--and react to things. It's weird. But no, they're really temporary! Sometimes super-short. And I've only seen, like, specific memories lost, so don't freak out about that. [his amnesia he did all on his own without any help from the Machine] They don't even happen all that often, usually. Sometimes they happen to everybody, but a lot only happen to one person now and then.

[ghostly_stutter]

[Still. Her expression crumples at that.] Random, huh? Aren't we the lucky ones? [At the same time, she's already been through this. Already banded together with other 'experiments' to locate and put an end to the Edison Project. Wasn't this more of the same? It sucked royally, and scared the tar out of her, sure, but it also gave her purpose. Purpose she could work with.]

How many people so far have gathered together to stop--whatever it is that's going on? [Then, another thought occurs to her and her attention focuses on Oliver as concern forms for him and others here.] H-how long have you been here? The others?

One person? Nothing like being singled out...

[oliverplus]

[Oliver shakes his head at that sentiment. for him, it has turned out rather lucky, but he doesn't expect her to understand that in her current state]

Um... That's sorta hard to say. [scratches his head, thinking] People come and go all the time. More than 50 people can come here, definitely. Maybe 60 or 70 at a guess? We haven't had to gather together against anything in a while, though.

[and that's another question that requires thought] Maybe...a year and a half? Or so? It's hard to keep track, really. Time doesn't pass at home while you're here. Which is nice!

Uh, yeah... [and some lucky people tend to get singled out more than others, as Oliver well knows]

[ghostly_stutter]

[Chloe stares, completely dumbfounded by those numbers.] So many...

A year and a half and no one has any real answers about this place? [Hesitant, Chloe forces herself to ask her next question.] H-has anyone ever died?