but when the dusk descends (march catchall, open + closed)

[fromshadows]

Who: Blake (descendsfromshadows) + various
What: Some event stuff, some non-event stuff!
When: March
Where: Gaze, the Clockhouse, Turning Goat + various

Content Warnings: Minor violence, gambling + will add others as necessary



(OOC: Some open starters below, closed starters will be posted in the comments. Event plotting post is here, or hit me up at cosmonautdelta!)



▒▒▒ 𝐢. 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 [𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞]

[ It had been late afternoon by the time that Blake had gotten to the Clockhouse for the first time, and she'd barely had the time to appreciate it, let alone actually meet anybody that lived there. Late afternoon or not, she'd fallen asleep the moment she'd slumped down onto the couch, the long, hard sleep of someone who's just... well, falling into a void, briefly being a squid, washing up on shore, and having to adjust to finding herself into an entirely new world. It's a lot to get used to.

She'd dreamed in frantic snippets. Golden fire falling into darkness, and silver fire fading. Liferopes burned away. A raven's feathers in her hair, and black blood in her veins.

When she wakes, bleary and rumpled, the light coming in through the windows suggests that it's some time in the morning, but it's hard to be sure. Thankfully her Huntress uniform is (sort of) comfortable enough to sleep in, but she till feels out of sorts, absent of the routine she'd settled into again in Atlas. And though she casts a longing glance toward the kitchen, she's not sure she feels comfortable enough to just rummage around in search of tea. She knows that Qrow and Oscar, at least, would tell her that she's allowed, but there are people that she doesn't know that live here, too, and she doesn't want to presume.

So she winds up in the library.

As half-empty as it is, libraries have always been Blake's place of refuge. How was she supposed to resist? Curling up in a chair with her legs tucked under her, Blake idly thumbs through the book she's picked out, but her gaze is wandering between it and the view outside, past the verandah, onto the vast lawn and grey skies beyond. The weather looks like it's going to turn foul, and Blake's never been more glad to have somewhere she can shelter.

A soft sound catches her attention, and one feline ear flicks toward the doorway before her head turns. ]

I hope it's okay that I'm in here. And that I slept on the couch. [ Blake ducks her head, sheepish. ] For what it's worth, it's a very comfortable couch.

▒▒▒ 𝐢𝐢. 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 [𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥]

[ To say that Goat Turning isn't Blake's usual place is... understating it.

It's loud. People are yelling in excitement, in frustration, in congratulations. In such a packed place, the scents of food are almost overwhelming, and it's uncomfortably warm. But Blake's determined to explore this city, and that includes checking out the big events that are happening (much to her current chagrin). She'd been handed some chips, and after watching some games, had been bemused to find out that poker was the same here as it is in her world.

She'd tried a couple, keeping her commemorative coin tucked carefully in her pocket, and had come out slightly up. Blake's never been into gambling, but she'll grudgingly admit that she has a pretty good poker face, and it had served her well. She's not sure if she'll attempt any more tonight -- but it's open for two weeks, so she'll have plenty of opportunities to come back if she likes.

For now, Blake stands off to the side, and she watches, avid golden-yellow gaze roving over the crowd, feline ears swiveling every which way to catch the noise and snippets of conversation. There's a silent dread in her blood, and she doesn't know if she can put a name to it.

Someone comes to stand next to her, a new free drink in their hand -- the same one that Blake picked, something red and fruity and sour. And for a while, typical wallflower that she is, Blake doesn't say anything, until eventually she says wryly: ]

Should we be concerned that this place printed coins with our faces on them? Seems a little creepy.

[ Especially since she's been here for all of a few days, and hasn't come close to this area of the city before. How did they know? ]

Comments

iii. for neopolitan

[fromshadows]

[ Blake had spent a long few hours hacking away at the roots trying to smother the Clockhouse; every time it seemed like she'd made some headway, the roots had piled back on, like they just knew. But, eventually, there's a lull, and the roots seem to stay retreated for a moment, and Blake knows it's likely temporary, but she'll take the break.

She ends up on the street of Gaze, walking down cobbled streets and watching others battle the same fight, using whatever weapons they could get their hands on to push the plants back. She hears half a conversation, a young guy frantically telling his neighbor that he'd seen a huge one, ma'am, just absolutely enormous, big enough to eat someone!, and it somehow doesn't surprise her. She just keeps her ears and eyes sharp, pushing down the anxious sense that something is very, very wrong.

Gaze is almost beautiful, in a strange, haunted way. Dark streets and gnarled trees stark against the grey skies. Blake's almost enjoying herself as she walks, until she catches a glimpse of pink and brown, a person she's about five feet away from passing on the pavement.

Time feels like it shudders to a standstill. All Blake can see is Yang falling, all she can hear is her own panicked cries. Her gaze fixes on Neopolitan in the same way that a cat stares at its most hated and feared prey, ears pinned back. ]

Neopolitan.

[ Her voice is hushed, hoarse, fingers twitching as they yearn to reach for Gambol Shroud where it lays against her back. Ruby had told her that they had a truce. Blake's not sure that matters to her in this moment. ]

I heard you were here. How did you make it here, but Yang didn't?

[threelayers]

[Neo froze when she heard that hoarse, emotion laden voice. Oh, she knew that voice well enough, even if Blake had been the one member of team RWBY she'd spent the least amount of time around in the nightmare. That voice made her wince and she took a step back reflexively, turning to face the taller faunus.

Oh, hi Blake, you're back are you? And then came the question, and that question definitely told her one thing. Blake didn't remember the nightmare anymore than Penny did. Shit. She swallowed and held one finger up, reaching down for the small omni at her side to try and type something out. She didn't grab for Hush, but it wouldn't be hard to if she got pressed. Of course, who knew how Blake would interpret that reaction. If she managed to get it out, her thumb tapped quickly while she looked over at the other girl with a very uncomfortable look on her face, like she wasn't sure how to handle this situation. The words appeared via a small holo display over the omni as she typed. ]

She was here, for a while.
What's the last thing you remember?

[Like she had to fucking ask. she just 'knew' what it had to be.]

[fromshadows]

[ She was here, for a while.

It's been explained to her how this place works, at least somewhat. So Blake knows, now, that people can turn up and then return to their worlds with no memory of what happened here, and that they can even do this multiple times, in any order. She wants to find it a comfort that Yang was here once before, but it just leaves her feeling even more hollow. That Yang could have been from any time. The Yang she knows could still be dead. Even if that Yang had been the one that had fallen-- there's no guarantee that she's okay now.

Blake only barely makes herself be patient and read what Neo types, gaze darting over the holo display. And she only barely makes herself be civil enough to answer. ]

The portals out of Atlas. The bridges between spaces. You and Cinder, you were attacking us, and the civilians that were just trying to get to safety. You knocked Yang off the bridge.

[ And even though it's been a couple of days for Blake since then, her fury still feels fresh, quivering through her bones. ]

And then Cinder made you fall-- but you're here, just a few streets away from Qrow. [ It's not hard to put two and two together: Neopolitan was clearing out roots away from an apartment building, it's probably hers. ] You're here, and she's not.

[threelayers]

[She nodded the moment that the portals was mentioned. Yes, she knew exactly what time that was. Part of her had a suspicion they survived that fall, but she didn't know for sure. her last memories were of screaming silently, transforming constantly as she and Ruby plummeted into the darkness, trying to choke Ruby to death.

Fuck, she reached up with one hand and scratched at the back of her head, not quite able to make eye contact as her thumb moved with the skill of someone who memorized where the keystrokes were.]

And you hate me.
It's not like I would blame you for hating me.
It's how I'd feel if I were you.

I can't fix this, Blake.
I'm sorry.

[She could have said "Sorry. I missed. I was aiming for her sister," but was that really anything that even remotely sounded better?]

[fromshadows]

[ It's only been a few days since she fell, but Blake has imagined how this moment would go ever since Ruby told her that Neopolitan was here. She'd imagined Neopolitan's smirk, a careless shrug, indifferent justifications, a big smug fuck you. But what she's getting is... entirely different.

Neopolitan's body language seems to curl in on itself, and as her words start springing up on the holo, Blake reads them in disbelief. She's sympathizing with Blake. She's not making excuses. She can't even look at Blake. And Blake's immediate reaction is rejection. Neopolitan's a master of illusion, after all, and this has to be a trick. This is a mockery. Neopolitan can't care, she has to be putting on this obscene little show just for her own cruel amusement, like a predator toying with its prey.

(Somewhere deep inside, Blake's not sure she believes that. There's a tiny hint of doubt, of belief that Neopolitan might just be being genuine. But her anger is burning that away.)

And then the words I'm sorry flash up, and Blake sees red.

There's so many things she could say. She could call Neopolitan a monster. She could scoff and say she doesn't believe her. She could scream that she'd tried to kill two of the most important people in Blake's life. But, normally so quick to eloquent words, Blake's tongue tied. She can't conjure up anything.

The only thing she can do is let her hands do what they've been wanting to do ever since she saw Neopolitan: to bring Gambol Shroud forward, sword in one hand, cleaver sheath in the other, a wordless snarl on her lips as she springs forward. ]

High Stakes

[strikefirster]

[Johnny wouldn't exactly call himself a gambling man, but he had been to enough casinos in his life to at least enjoy the experience. Especially when he could drown himself in liquor while he was there.

...Thankfully he hasn't managed to get completely smashed yet. So he gives a little shrug when Blake speaks up.]

Man. You must be new here if you're getting freaked out about shit like that. I'll take a coin any day over getting fucking branded or tortured, or whatever other weird shit this shitshow can throw out.

[fromshadows]

[ Embarrassment has Blake's gaze darting down, her ears flattening, hunching in on herself a little. She's used to feeling like she doesn't belong, like she doesn't quite fit in -- but at least in bigoted places like Atlas, she knew where she stood, even if it was on the lowest rung of society's consideration. Here, as a newcomer amongst so many veterans of this strange place, Blake's not sure where she stands at all, and she feels like she keeps saying the wrong things in the worst kind of way.

Still. He's not being rude about it, or getting offended about Blake's ignorance. That's a relief. ]

I... didn't realize those were options.

[ So it's not just weird asphyxiation and being made to talk about your feelings with strangers and dying and coming back to life. Branding and torture? Great. Blake's tone takes on a wry cast. ]

You're right. Having my face on a coin is actually charming compared to those. I just wonder if its presence is going to curse us later.

⸻for ruby

[fromshadows]

⸻inside the portal home of total normality

[ Blake has only met Ange once, and really, she has no idea what her and Ruby's relationship is like. But she's pretty certain that it's unusual for someone to repeatedly and only refer to their wife with their full title and name, and not just... my wife Ange, or something.

And that had been one of the lesser clues that something was wrong.

Blake's found her way to the portal by way of getting directions to where Ruby and Ange live, and though Gambol isn't in her hand as she steps through, she's on high alert nonetheless. The garden she finds herself in is like something out of a book, a riot of color and bloom, the kind of lush green that reminds Blake of Menagerie's wilderness. Cautious, silent, not disturbing so much as a golden butterfly, Blake moves, avoiding the occasional hungry plant as she goes.

She winds up in the lobby, standing beneath the portrait that Ruby had shown off in the video. And despite her suspicion that something's not right here, Blake has to smile fondly at the portrait. Ruby's dressed up, and she looks happy, and that's at least one bright spot in this strange city.

Blake turns, calling cautiously: ]

Ruby? Are you here?

[onekindsoul]

[A faint laugh echoes through the halls of the lobby. And when Blake turns Ruby can be found entering the hall from another entrance. ...Except her feet aren't actually touch the ground, she's just floating through the air with the new magic she's powered by.

Her demeanor is about the same as it was in the video. Cheerful not exactly in the typical Ruby Rose fashion. There's something ingenuine about, but what she's really feeling is a mystery.

Either way she gives Blake a playful wave.]

Hey there, Blake. Of course, I'm here.

How do you like our new home?

[fromshadows]

[ Blake's eyes widen, gaze darting down to where Ruby's feet definitely aren't touching the floor. That's... not one of Ruby's abilities, nor was the scythe of pure energy that she'd displayed in her video, either.

Ruby had said that Ange had created everything here, and had called her a witch. The only magic Blake's ever seen has been from the Maidens, and as far as she can tell, that's purely elemental. If this Golden Land, as Ruby had called it, has really been made entirely by Ange... that's magic on a level that Blake's only ever read about in fiction. ]

It's beautiful. [ Despite her misgivings, Blake is honest. ] When I was little, I used to dream about having garden tea parties like that. I'm a little jealous.

[ Though she's smiling, she can't quite conceal the worried droop of her ears. Because she's seen Ruby cheerful, and stressed, and even angry, she's seen every shade of her happiness, and... something's wrong. It's like she's reading from a script. ]

I'd love a tour, if that's okay. I get the feeling there's a lot to see.

[onekindsoul]

[There is a part of Ruby that is aware of the droop in Blake's ears, and that seeing all of this magic might be a little overwhelming. But she refuses to acknowledge it. She wouldn't want to cause a disturbance and ruin the perfect mood her wife had set in this little pocket dimension. So instead she floats up into a sitting position and smiles brightly.]

She really outdid herself making this- So I can't say I blame you. There's no reason to feel jealous though. We can still have our little tear party if you'd like.

We can do that before or after the tour if you'd like?

[fromshadows]

[ She's actually already had a tea party with Break, complete with little tea cups scurrying around their feet, but she decides not to mention this to Ruby. If having tea with her gives Blake more time to figure out what's going on here, then she's happy to have tea twice. ]

How about after?

[ That way, she can ask Ruby questions about anything she saw on the tour. She's already got questions now, but she'll save them.

She turns, half-angled toward the door, ready for whenever Ruby wants to lead the way. For now, she'll allow herself one question. ]

So Ange is a witch? I didn't realize; she never said anything when I met her. [ But it's not like Blake can blame her. Blake doesn't do her introductions by saying my name is Blake, I'm a Faunus, and I can create shadow clones of myself. ] She must be very powerful.

1

[frogfear]

[Willow's time is split during the day mostly between the Archives, and the Ritual Gig. It's late when she comes home and her night is spent primarily in her room, even after she falls asleep and takes on the form of the wolf. It's easy to miss Blake's arrival.

She rises late in the morning after a quiet night, and fixes herself a cup of tea before pushing open the door to the library. Normally, she would expect to find Ozpin inside, so it comes as a surprise to find the dark-haired young woman with cat ears instead.

She can't help startling a little, nearly spilling the tea before recovering.]

Oh! Uh, oh, yeah, of course. Totally fine. Sorry, I didn't realize we had company.

[She offers a friendly smile.]

I'm Willow.

[fromshadows]

[ It's a bizarre relief that the person that comes through the door is just a regular looking human. Blake's starting to expect the worse, like some horrible creature with too many eyes and teeth might be the thing she meets next. But no, just an ordinary, friendly woman, who's apparently more startled by Blake than Blake is of her. Thank the Brothers she hadn't spilled her tea; Blake would have really felt bad then.

Whoever Willow is, Qrow hadn't mentioned her. But she can hardly fault him for it. She'd been mere hours from being a squid and had been disoriented and anxious, he probably hadn't wanted to bombard her with too much information. There are, it seems, a few people that live in the Clockhouse that Blake doesn't know -- but what she does know is that she can trust them.

They've already been vetted by Qrow, Ruby, Ozpin and Oscar, after all. ]

Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Blake. I'm a friend of Ruby, and Qrow said I could stay here for a bit while I catch my breath.

[ Her tone is solemn, as is typical, but there's a tiny hint of offered warmth there. Reserved and tentative, but there nonetheless. ]

Don't worry, I'm good at being unobtrusive. You'll barely notice me. [ And then, because she just can't help herself: ] Could I... is that tea available to guests, too?

[frogfear]

[As soon as Willow hears the name, of course it makes sense that Qrow would offer their house as a safe place to land. It's been a long time since they've had anyone new from Remnant arrive, and she's sure Blake will be well received by all of them.]

No, it's fine. I just didn't know we had company. Stay as long as you want, really. I'm sure Oscar and Ozpin will be glad to see you too. You know, I think there should be a spare room, if you'd find that more comfortable than the couch. Ruby and Ange lived here too until they got married, and moved out.

[She glances down at her tea, and then back to Blake with a warm smile. She had probably come in exhausted after the ordeal of coming to shore, it isn't a shock that she hasn't just made herself at home quite yet.]

Yeah, of course you can have some tea. The kettle's probably still hot even. Come on, I'll show you to the kitchen. So what's Qrow told you so far about this place?

[fromshadows]

[ Blake visibly perks up at the mention of a potential spare room, because gods, yes, she really would prefer that to a couch. It's not so much a matter of physical comfort -- Blake's slept in far worse places, for far longer -- but more a matter of privacy. For one night, it was fine, but she'd hate to be getting in everybody's way by taking up the living room constantly.

And the offer of tea is a relief. For all that she's used to going without, Blake does like her little creature comforts when she can get them. Books, tea, soft blankets. She likes to indulge when she can, and being able to do so in Trench will go a long way toward making her feel a bit more secure.

So she gets up off the library couch, stretches briefly with a soft noise, and follows Willow. ]

Here, as in the Clockhouse, or here as in Trench? Because he didn't really tell me much about this house other than some people we knew lived here. About Trench... he filled me in on the history of the dream that happened before this place, how the city came to be, and some of the quirks of the Pthumerians.

But I've still got a lot to learn. [ Blake's all too ready to admit that. ] I was hoping the library might fill in some gaps in my knowledge.

[frogfear]

[Willow leads the way to the kitchen, and turns the burner back on the stove to reheat the kettle. The kitchen has an old, but opulent feel to it, although the odd clay creatures with googly eyes and twigs sticking out of it probably looks particularly out of place, sitting on the shelf over the stove.]

Well, any of it really. It sounds like he's given you a good start, though. Ozpin, Oscar, and Qrow are the only three from Remnant who live here, and then there's me, and Faith. She's from my world too. You'll like her. Most people do.

[There's warmth in her smile as she talks about Faith that lingers until she decides maybe it's best to change the topic.]

There's, uh, an Archives here in Gaze. And a school - it's a good place to start, if you're looking to learn more. You can either use the lamps to get there, or I can show you way later, if you want?

/arises. Selling a house is hard, sorry for the delay. Clockhouse!

[justoscar]

[It had been so long since anyone had arrived from Remnant that Oscar had stopped expecting any more familiar faces. He had been in Trench for a year and a half, and had been in the lost little girl's dream for a year and a half before that. Friends had come and gone, and he had made new friends along the way.

Some of those new friends also left; it was a part of life in this strange world.

Oscar had been getting ready to turn in for a while himself. His sleep schedule had become erratic since arriving in Trench, and he often found himself falling asleep mid morning so that he could conduct a lot of his business in the early evening. It was inconvenient, but that was also just a part of life. He had been planning to exchange out another book from Ozpin's personal library to take to his room to read when he walked in on a familiar person-- and froze.]

Blake?

[He asked softly, hazel eyes wide with confusion and disbelief. He had grown tall enough to stand at Ruby's height and had filled out enough to be more solid than the skinny farmlad that RNJR had met in Haven.

It had also been two years since he had last seen Remnant, and the off colored streak in his hair suggested that he had seen a lot.

Oscar closed the distance between them, uncertain about whether physical contact was welcome but wanting to hug her like a long absent friend.]

Blake, I can't believe it's you. When did you get here?

[fromshadows]

[ For a long moment, Blake stares at the person that's just walked in the door, uncomprehending. It's the exact same look she'd given the first person to have approached her after she washed up on shore: the vision with the longer hair and the glowing red ocular prosthetic had taken a few seconds to resolve in her mind as Ruby.

Likewise, this taller, more solidly built, slightly older looking person with the pale streak in his hair... it takes Blake a second before recognition kicks in. She'd been told that Oscar was here, but had totally failed to account for the fact that he would have aged like Ruby had. ]

Oscar.

[ Despite her surprise, her voice is warm, and she climbs off the couch to gently draw him into a hug. The last time she'd seen him, they'd been discussing the plan to save the people of Atlas and Mantle. But she doesn't know if that's when he's from. According to what Qrow told her, people can be brought here at any point in their timeline. Does it really matter, though? He's obviously from a point where they were friends, and that's all that matters to Blake right now. She draws back from the hug, curious gaze roving over the differences in him. ]

Just yesterday. I met Ruby at the shores, and then Qrow in the city. He said I could stay here. You've... been here a while, it looks like.

[justoscar]

Just a few months less than Ruby.

[He chuckled. If he counted the days between both the Dream and in Trench, it would have totaled to be nearly three years. He wrapped his arms around his long absent friend and leaned into the hug for a moment to appreciate Blake's quiet but firm presence that he hadn't realized he had missed so much. Pulling back, he offered her a sheepish smile.

The last thing he remembered was being held captive by Salem.... but, he had heard stories from people that have come and gone in the time between.]

I don't think anyone will complain about you being here. We've got plenty of space, and Oz put together this library himself. Between this and the libraries in town, there's plenty to read.

[He chuckled softly. Blake had always been one of the people he liked to talk about books with.]

You... probably have a lot of questions, though. How much did Ruby and Uncle Qrow fill you in on?

[fromshadows]

[ Back on the shores, Blake's brain had started hurting when she'd figured out that Ruby was actually older than her now. And now it's going to start hurting again with the knowledge that Oscar is three years older, which puts him at eighteen, she thinks, almost her age. That's bizarre.

She sits back down, and tries her best not to look overwhelmed. She does, however, look pleased when he mentions how many libraries there are, ears perking up in interest. If there's one thing that can make her feel better, it's knowing that she's surrounded by books. ]

They filled me in pretty well. Qrow told me about the dream that used to exist before this place, and the little girl that made it. [ She can't help the sad twinge in her tone; even though she didn't experience that at all, the mere story of a girl hunted for who she was is a troubling one. ] And he told me a bit about the Pthumerians, and how this city came to be, and how people get pulled in at different times in their lives.

And Ruby told me about how much time had passed. [ Her little smile returns, fond. ] And how she's married now. I met Ange, she seems lovely.

for penny⸻

[fromshadows]

(⸻after penny and blake get put in adjoining locked rooms in rokkenjima)

[ The room that Blake finds herself in is startlingly... normal. There's clean white linens on the beds, picture frames hung straight and neat on the walls, small lamps providing light.

But the longer she looks, the more she notices. The windows don't seem to go anywhere: they're totally opaque, nothing to be seen through them. The pictures on the walls have black birds and golden butterflies and glowing eyes. And as Blake tries the door, she finds that it doesn't budge at all. ]

Ruby, please, [ she tries calling ] something's wrong, but it's not your fault, I just want to help, and...

[ Her words crawl to a stop, because there's a peculiar blunted quality to the air around the door, like it's thick, like any noise she makes won't get out. Anxiety begins to set in as Blake tries to the door again, rattling the handle to no avail. She steps back, standing in the center of the room, and takes a deep breath, trying to center herself. Calling out through the door isn't going to work. But she'd seen in the video -- and in person -- that hers wasn't the only door here. There were others in a row, evidence of people in them. If she can't speak through the door, maybe she can try the walls.

So Blake moves to one, pressing her ear up against it, straining to hear any signs of life. ]

Hello? Is anybody there?

[hacktivated]

[ From the other side of the wall there's nothing but silence for a long, long moment.

Then Blake may hear the sound of hesitant footsteps, drawing closer to the wall. A soft reply, too muffled by the walls to be coherent. Footsteps again, this time heavy and rushed. And then, finally, a heavy thud when the person on the other side slaps both of their hands against the wall. ]

Blake? Blake is that you?!

[ Penny, at least, should be easy to recognize now that she's speaking clearly, and right next to the wall. Her voice cracks from stress and there's even a thread of hysteria in there, but it's definitely her. ]

Blake-- Blake, please, tell me that's actually you.

[fromshadows]

[ Penny's distinct voice rings out, and despite the situation, Blake finds herself laughing softly, laughing out of sheer relief and surprise. She'd been told that Penny was here in Trench, though she doesn't know exactly when this Penny is from. Is she Penny that fought alongside them at the bridges over the void? Or is she from earlier? Or even later?

It doesn't matter. All that matters is that she's safe. ...ish. Blake's not sure how safe either of them are locked up in these rooms. As far as she can tell, this is a place that Ange created to keep her loved ones safe. For the people locked in the dungeons, that's either very good, or very bad. ]

Penny, it's me. I'm here.

[ Her voice takes on a reassuring tone, pitched low but audible to the worried sounding Penny on the other side. ]

Are you okay? Are you hurt?

[hacktivated]

[ It's her! Penny closes her eyes and thunks her head against the wall, a wave of relief washing over here. This is the first she's hearing about Blake's presence in Trench, but she's not about to complain about a surprise like this. ]

I am alright! But Ruby...

[ She trails off for a long moment, wondering how to even start explaining the situation. When she speaks again her tone is more level, though she makes sure to keep her voice loud enough to be heard through the wall. ]

Something is wrong. She isn't behaving like herself, and she won't let me out of this room.