Issue 1 Downtime

For the second time today Atropha wakes up in an unfamiliar place. Not that she's even sure it is the same day. Days have been kind of an abstract concept lately that she's still trying to wrap her head around again after her stay with Harbinger. She sits up from the cot she's been lieing on, wincing slightly at her injuries. Glancing over at a makeshift table she spots the remains of her broken staff. "Sentimental girl..." she mumbles.

Taking the broken piece of metal and fixing it to her belt she feels a slight pang of guilt, but putting on a determined face she shoves the feeling aside. She stretches her wings just to see if they're injured, folding them back in to step up to the only door in the room, half expecting it to be locked when she tries the handle.

It wasn't. However, there was someone sitting in a chair outside in the hallway.

"I'm surprised he let me take you here."

"Who's he?" she asks, not particularly surprised to find Sam guarding the door.

"Take a wild guess."

"Great. I'm sure he's thrilled."

"There was, I suppose, always the option of leaving you injured in a warzone. Somehow I don't think he's wired like that, though."

"It's... appreciated."

"Sorry, I'm not exactly used to being treated with any amount of kindness that isn't extorted anymore."

"There's also the fact that you're enough like her to give me pause. Don't abuse that."

"Right... I can see how that'd be a problem."

"Something is still nagging at me though..."

"...why do I keep picturing you with your face painted?"

"I... don't know. You tell me."

"You don't know, or you won't say?"

"How would I know? I've never put on face-paint."

"But at the same time, I almost know that hotel, from a vision of hers, and I would almost swear you were in it..."

"Visions of the future. Are you telling me you're still surprised by that?"

"I spoke with you."

"What, you think you actually talked to me through her vision?"

"It wasn't quite the usual sort. There were other circumstances interfering."

"Well I certainly don't remember it..."

"...do you remember this?" She shifted her features to Nemain's.

"Look I... I don't know what you're trying to find. Some kind of meaning to all this, I guess? But I don't know what that vision meant or how you talk to me or a representation of me..."

"Just answer..."

"Yes I do but not from that vision."

"Then from where?" She asked, shifting back.

She closes her eyes and sighs before walking past Sam.

"Just... go home, Samantha. This world is no place for you..."

"You know I can't do that, not without her."

She reached out to try to grab the sphinx's shoulder.

"Now answer, damn you..."

Even wounded she still easily twists her shoulder away from Sam's hand, even if it makes a wince a little.

"I know you. Let's just leave it at that."

"No, you don't.."

"I know that that was Nemain and that she'd be torn to shreds here so the longer you stay here the more Badb will take over." she says, still walking away from Sam.

"You don't get to do this. Not without explaining."

"I don't even exist on your world, damn it!"

She just keeps walking.

"Don't... don't make me do this to you. Not when you look so much like her..."

That makes her stop, even though she doesn't turn around.

"Don't you dare..."

"I don't want to..."

"It doesn't matter how I know."

"How am I supposed to know what matters here if you won't bloody tell me? Why on earth should I back off now, after what you've done?"

"I'm trying to tell you to leave, that's the only thing that matters now! Before this place chews you up and spits you out."

"You're rather doing your fair share of chewing yourself, aren't you?"

"Believe it or not, but I worry about you."

"You... you can't say that. How can you say that, with what you were going to do?"