hellhouse | (no subject)

[NETWORK]
I'm getting really tired of not being able to find a goddamn kitchen, but I found a swimming pool that seems relatively harmless. So that's...a thing we have, I guess. In the vein of Betty's post, should we start trying to at least keep track of what rooms are here, even if they move around too much to map them?

[LOG]

He nearly falls in when he first enters the room because there isn't much of a ledge between the door and a swimming pool bigger than one he's ever seen in person. Derek pauses looking across the huge room, though, considering. He's been in this God forsaken house for what feels like forever already and he's been sticking close to Cleo until today, now that she won't be alone if he wanders a little. He'd volunteered to look for more food to have a good reason to explore a little. Derek's always been the type that's only comfortable — or even marginally so — if he knows his surroundings.

More importantly, in his opinion, he hasn't been able to go for a run or lift weights or really do anything more than some pull-ups on a doorframe — until one broke on him and then he'd decided that maybe he better not — and then push-ups, which can only do so much for him. The lack of activity makes him bored and settles like laziness in his bones. So the idea of some exercise, even if it's just a swim, is appealing.

Derek sheds his socks and dress shoes, since that's all he's got, along with the jeans and plain white t-shirt he'd taken from that kid's collection, pushing them away from the door with the hopes of keeping them as dry as possible, and he dives in.

What's the worst thing that could happen?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not if all the food is rotten.

Lydia? [ He sounds hopeful at that. Cleo has a familiar face and so do those other men. Lydia Martin wouldn't have been Derek's first choice, but he'll take it. She could be really useful here, actually, come to think of it. With that scream of hers, and all. ] Lydia Martin? It's Derek.

I opened a can of peaches this morning that were okay. The canned goods might not be so bad. There are jars of... I don't know what in the pantry though. I don't think I want to open them.

Lydia Deetz. [Sorry to disappoint.] I'm from Connecticut now. Hello, Derek.

I wouldn't want to, either. I don't blame you.

[ Sorry his disappointment is probably pretty apparent in his tone. ]

Oh. I'm from California. I woke up with someone from Australia.

I haven't strayed too far from this area. I'm almost worried I'll lose track of it.

[It's okay. She understands.]

That's a big distance difference. I was starting to wonder if we were trapped in the back woods of Connecticut or something but now you have me thinking otherwise.

You almost definitely will, to be honest. The walls move.

[ He's hoping that the claw marks he left in his wake on the wall to his left will help him find his way back to where he left his...pack. Group? Whatever. People. His people in this place. He supposes that's a pack if he thinks of the term loosely like McCall always has. ]

Yeah, tell me about it. And she was in Australia because she asked if I thought we were still in Melbourne, so she just sort of assumed I was in Australia, too, just like I assumed she'd been in America when she'd gotten snatched. I don't know where they're from, but those of us here are from all over, it seems like.

I wonder how they move. [She's literally pressing an ear to a wall now.] I can't hear anything moving inside, like a machine or something. That's so weird.

So we can't rule out anywhere. Not with that logic. We could literally be anywhere.

I don't know. I didn't hear anything like that, either. Just one second, the girl who woke up with me was right behind me and the next, she was gone because the walls moved.

Pretty much, yeah.

I suppose we can't rule out magic. Poltergeists maybe? Maybe they can move walls or doors. Or cause illusions to make us think we're somewhere else.

No idea, all I know is that it's obnoxious and maybe even if we don't know consistent places where the rooms will be, we should probably keep track of what rooms we have, just in case there's a room that's dangerous. A swimming pool sounds innocent enough, but if someone doesn't know how to swim and they run into it by accident when there's practically no ledge between the door and the water...

[ his voice trails off suggestively and he sighs. ]

Well, I've ran into a dining room with a kitchen near it. The pantry had nothing but rotted food in it. I think there was a jar of eyes. I didn't stick around to inspect. Truth be told, I've been sticking to this kitchen for now. I don't look forward to finding that pool. I can't swim.

Definitely be careful in that case, but I would recommend finding someone to teach you sooner than later, just to be safe.

(no subject)

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