Musebox type Shinanigans

[silentrunning]

[It had been several months since Chell had awakened in this cabin. She'd tried her very best to figure out how she'd gotten here, straining to remember anything between Aperture and waking up on the floor with harsh morning light shining through the window, and she could not. But there had to be a scientific reason she was not in the field outside the toolshed the elevator had dumped her in. But whatever it was, she couldn't find it.

The place seemed friendly enough, just a little log house in the middle of nowhere. Chell theorized there wasn't anybody around for miles and miles and miles. She'd had to learn to grow her own food, to fetch water from the well, and to work. And some days it was still hit or miss, as trial and error generally is.

But today seemed a good one. The sun was bright in a cloudless sky, and birds were cheerily singing... It seemed a good day to go and see how her garden was doing. So, she put on her boots, yes she still had them, and squeaked out into the garden.]

Comments

[indirectcause]

[Ben wasn't exactly sure how he got here, perhaps Paradisa had grown bored and thrown him out. Maybe this was what being dead was like. Still, there was nothing for miles, and Ben never did well alone, and so he walked, waiting to see if he came across any life at all.

It was on his wanderings that he finally came across the small garden, finally a sign of habitation of some kind, and there was indeed, a figure, and surprisingly, one he reognised.]

...Chell?

[silentrunning]

[Chell was crouched on the ground, pulling weeds out of a row of potatoes. And as always it took her a second to recognize her own name. But recognize it she did and stared up at the guy in the jacket standing there calling her name... Why did he look so familiar? She blinked... Well, best thing she could do was ask.]

Do... I know you? You look so familiar... Were you in Aperture too?

[Talking felt strange after this long, but good too. She stood up, wiping her hands on her pants, and scrutinized him, head cocked slightly sideways as she tried to place him. God he looked so familiar... And then a name trickled back into her memory. Ben? Wasn't his name Ben? But how would she know that? Either way, she'd go with it...]

...Ben?

[indirectcause]

Yeah, it's Ben.

[He glances around.] Do you- do you know where we are?

[silentrunning]

[She shakes her head.]

I remember Aperture... And then there's... The field outside Aperture, and then what I know has to be a gap in my memories, and I woke up here on the floor in my cabin.

[She half turns to indicate the little building across the garden behind her.]

How do I know you, Ben? It seems there's something important... I need to know.

[Dammit she's sick of having her memories tampered with. Help her, Ben wan Kenobi. You're her only hope... Again.]

[indirectcause]

Shit, Aperture? Are we in your world?

[And there it was, she went home. Was this what happened to people who went home? They had strange, unexplained gaps in their memory, from where the castle tampered with their lives?]

Does the name Paradisa mean anything to you?

[silentrunning]

[She rushed to reassure him.]

No... I don't think... But wait, to be in my world... Wouldn't that have meant that I had to leave my world...?

[Paradisa... Paradisa... That rang a tiny bell in the back of her mind... She thought long and hard, face scrunching up almost comically in concentration, and something loomed up out of her memory...]

I knew people. More than just Aperture scientists. And there was... some place where I ate some sort of weird fried chicken candies. You were there.

[And then Ben's words from that time popped back into her head. It's not Para exactly, but it is a start. She repeated the words aloud slowly.]

They have these candies on my world. They're called jellybeans. But... they usually taste of fruit or licorice. But not fried chicken.

[indirectcause]

Yeah, that was when the castle, uh, Pardisa took us to some place called Hogwarts.

[He smiles, glad for the recognition.]

It does crazy shit like that.

[silentrunning]

[And then a memory that comes with a stab of pain that drives her to walk over and hug Ben.]

And it takes people away?

[Was this even possible? It had to be. She's remembering again, a journal page, an announcement if you were lucky... There'd not been an announcement from her. She'd not had a chance...]

I'm so sorry, Ben.

[indirectcause]

[He returns the hug, albiet gangling and awkwardly.]

Hey, at least I'm not back home, right?

[silentrunning]

Thank goodness. I'm so glad. I wouldn't want you back there.

[indirectcause]

Not as much as me, trust me.

[silentrunning]

[She nods. Man, she's missed you, quiet ways, gangly hugs and all.]

Are you hungry? At least I have food... And you could tell me more about this castle. There's still a lot I don't remember. And it's driving me nuts.

[It's so good to not be alone.]

[indirectcause]

[And he has missed her.]

I...yeah sure. And I'll tell you hat I can. I guess it must be weird, not remembering it all.

[silentrunning]

It is. Like I know I had friends... There was a little girl who was constantly drawing pictures and had a dog named Copper who had a pink leash.

[She's walking back toward the cabin.]

And you. And there's a lady who can't drink coffee because it always burns her... Yeah, it's weird.

[Once they're inside, she serves him a bowl of soup. The cabin had had some acoutrements when she'd found herself in it, a few bowls, a few knives, forks, spoons and the like.]

[indirectcause]

That's Clementine. She's from my world, and the coffee lady is Carley, her too.

...From my world, I mean.

[He'll sit down, glancing about him.] Nice place youv'e got.

[silentrunning]

[She grins.]

I liked them. Clementine especially. She was very very sweet.

[She serves him a steaming hot bowl of soup (potato soup XD yes I went there), and a tall glass of water. It's kind of hot outside.]

[indirectcause]

[When you've starved in a zombie apocalypse, being picky about what you eat is no longer a thing you do, Ben'll have it gratefully.]

She's the glue that kept us all together.

[silentrunning]

[Chell eats a mouthful of soup, thinking, and then her eyes light up.]

I also knew a Lee once. He was from your world too, right? Please please tell me Wonderfuck didn't send him home too?

[Wonderfuck? The word is out of her mouth before she can realize what she said, but she realizes after she says it and repeats it again slowly, as memories float back in.]

Won. der. fuck... Some of my friends called it that. Mark... and Nora. THAT's who. I left the Castle intending to go live in the Dead Zone... I woke up here!

[So that's how it had happened!]

It must've been odd without me around.

[indirectcause]

That's him, and uh, no he was still there when I was.

[He chuckles fondly at the memory] They're still out there, too, far a I know.

And yeah, it was.

[silentrunning]

I'm so glad he's still there. I'd worried... I'd worried the Castle'd separate you.

[She smiles at him.]

What have you been doing since I was gone?

[indirectcause]

Nah. Not...until now, anyway.

[He shrugs.]

Same old, really. Trying to learn how to look after myself better,

[silentrunning]

[Chell turns to regard him thoughtfully.]

What parts of that are you trying to learn? Maybe I could help.

[Yup, Ben. That's Chell for you. Always willing to help you out or teach you things if she can.]

[indirectcause]

[She's great for that.]

Hand to hand combat, and fighting with weapons, mostly.

[silentrunning]

[She grins.]

At least you know how to dodge.

[She goes on eating for a good long while, till she's sure he's not expecting it... And then she pokes him. She's testing your skillz, man! Too bad nobody ever taught her the rule of don't poke the zompocalypse survivor unexpectedly!]

[Also, just curious for curiosity sake. Have you ever watched the show? Since you enabled my butt to the game I got to watching the show. Hoooly crapola.]

[indirectcause]

[That sure isn't the best idea, even after almost a year out of the apocalypse. Ben yelps and tumbles to the ground, halfway under the table before he realises what's going on.]

Shit, Chell, what was that for?

[[Only season 1, I've read more of the comic]]

[silentrunning]

[Chell leeeeans down to peep under the table at him, assuming he's not already scrambled out again.]

Testing your reflexes. You've got a good start to hand-to-hand combat, but the first step is to be prepared for anything.

[She grins more broadly.]

I can teach you.

[indirectcause]

[He'll carefully pull himself out of his hiding hole.]

Yeah, well, after my home world, you learn to run and hide over everything else.

[silentrunning]

That's understandable.

[She nods.]

I tell you what. I'll teach you how to fight, if you can teach me how to hide better. I mean, I know how to hide, but I'm better at it if I have an ASHPD.

[She smiles at you.]

Sorry for scaring you silly though.

[indirectcause]

...I guess I can live with that sort of deal.

[He shrugs.] Hey, at least you didn't try to kill me.

[silentrunning]

[She grins, and streeeetches up to pat the top of his head. It isn't really that much of a stretch for her, seeing as she's five nine with the boots.]

I like you. I don't kill people I like. So, how does one learn to hide?

[indirectcause]

Gee, yay for me.

And it depends on what you're hiding from.

[silentrunning]

[Good point, Ben.]

Teach me how to hide from those walker things that were on your world?

[Yes, Mr. Paul. Teach the n00b zombie survival skills.]

[indirectcause]

Well, you need to find somewhere you can get out of. Boxing yourself in is just a good way to end up dead.

[silentrunning]

[She looks around her cabin, thinking.]

So, actually, this cabin would be a death trap, since there is only one door. There is, however a window so maybe not.

[For reference, Chell's cabin is one large room. There's a wood-burning stove in the corner, and a small table that serves as a kitchen. There's a blanket spread out on the opposite side of the room that counts as her bed. Her few dishes are in a little free-standing cupboard on one of the short walls. So overall, pretty rustic. But it's sturdy.]

[indirectcause]

Windows aren't a big help, either, Walkers can break windows. This would pretty much be a last resort.

[silentrunning]

[She nods.]

What weapons work best on them? Also, how would one go about walker-proofing a place like this? I hope it never comes to it, but knowledge is power.

[indirectcause]

A gunshot through the brain will get rid of them really quickly, but the noise will attract more. You're better off with something you can smash their brains in without making noise. Like a hammer or...something.

[silentrunning]

[Chell grins gleefully, walks over to the corner and digs around under the blankets that serve as her bed, on the side she usually doesn't sleep on, and pulls out a sledgehammer.]

Like this?

[She holds it up and shows Ben.]

[OOC: Sorry, but the mental image of Chell with a sledgehammer was too badass and I couldn't pass it up. Almost as badass as Ben wielding one. Or Heath. *Smirk*]

[indirectcause]

[Ben shrieks a little, stepping back.]

YEP! That- that'd just about do it.

[silentrunning]

[Chell sets down the sledgehammer, and holds up empty hands with a smile.]

I have seen nothing around here, wild or tame as far as animals or walkers or anything. But I want you to know I will defend you if it comes to it.

[Her usually merry eyes are solemn.]

I consider you a friend, and I won't let anything get you.

[Beeeen! Why you know so many mama bears?]

[indirectcause]

[He attracts them, for real.]

Well, thanks. That- it means a lot.

[silentrunning]

[She grins.]

Means a lot you'd let me.

[She rummages in one of the cupboards and slides out a covered bowl.]

Want a cookie?

[Could almost be old times in Para... almost.]