Second Message ⨕ Video ⨕ Both Courts

[vaccinations]

"Shit. Shit"

Ellie gasps as she runs through a hallway, moving so fast that she's nearly knocks off the walls as she rounds a corner. The force from the impact of her shoulder causes the wood to crack. It's old. The entire hallway is old, half overgrown by vines that reach from floor to ceiling. Branches of trees protrude from broken windows and door ways. Parts of the floor have caved in where the wood began to rot away leaving the floor uneven and causing her to stumble. Thankfully she catches her balance while in motion. She fucked up. She was supposed to be quiet and she fucked it up.

There's a sound from behind her. It's a mixture between a screech and a croak. It's guttural and unnerving. And it's getting closer. She makes the mistake of twisting around to look at it closing in on her. It's a person. Or at least looks like it used to be a person before they decayed into whatever this creature is. It's face has been torn apart by whatever as emerged from it's skull. Smaller bits of infection grow all over it's body. And judging by the state of it's clothes, it's been that way for a rather long time. It makes the noise again, arms flailing, and reaching towards Ellie, fingers closing in towards her face.

Up ahead, the floor has completely fallen away, leaving Ellie with nothing but a sharp drop.

"Fuck!"

So quickly, it's nearly hard to see, Ellie pulls a pistol from her belt and begins firing on the creature. Her shots are wanton as she struggles to aim while running. One misses and hits the wall. The other grazes the creature but it does nothing to phase it. She tries to fire again but the barrel does nothing but click pathetically. She's out of bullets.

And then it's upon her. The force knocks Ellie to the ground as the monster tries to grab at her throat at hold her down. Ellie yells and tries to kick it away. However it grabs relentlessly and forces itself forward, rotting and broken teeth nearly against Ellie's neck. The girl gasps for breath, clearly using all of her strength to keep it from tearing into her flesh. In one swift motion, she reaches into her pocket and then swiftly brings her hand upwards, slamming the blade of a switch knife into the monster's throat.

It screeches and tries to twist away from her but Ellie moves forward, continuing to push the blade deeper and deeper into the decaying flesh. Blood splatters across her face and cascades over her hands. She doesn't even blink. Finally, after what seems like hours of struggling and gurgling, it collapses forward. Ellie pulls her legs away and rolls to the side, struggling to catch her breath. Then she reaches out to grab her knife.

As soon as she pulls the blade out, the scene collapses. No longer is she in an old and over grown building. Instead, she's near the outskirts of Caer Scima. And there is no corpse of a monster in front of her either. Or at least, not the monster she believed she was fighting. The body of a great dog, with glowing eyes that are now fading and tongue lolling out of it's mouth lies before her. There's a massive wound in it's neck and a pool of blood around it.

Ellie exhales and stands. It was a dream. It was a fucking dream. This place was just fucking with her. She wasn't back home. She was still in wonderful, magical, fucking fairy land. She spits. The taste of blood is strong in her mouth from where she bit her tongue after being knocked to the ground. In her right hand, is still her pistol. Slowly, cautiously, she pulls the trigger. The barrel clicks empty.

She kneels and grabs the locket that had fallen out of her pocket in the struggle. She was painfully aware of the fact that it was on. She looks straight into the camera, as if daring anyone to ask what that all was, and asks-

"So. Forget magic and fairy shit for a second. Where can I get some more bullets?"

Comments

video;

[firith]

Go to the Station, take what bullets you need. I will send you an escort to bring you to Caer Glaem immediately, within hours — if you wish.

[ That video was a whole pile of nope, so guess who wants to reel in the child to the safety of his side. ]

video

[vaccinations]

[Oh. Hey. It's that elf guy she kind of looks up to. Gotta play it cool.]

And I can get an awesome steed there, right?

video

[firith]

I will have three Elves arrive on horseback with another steed awaiting you, all at the Station. Ride with them from the Southern-Greenwood Ring to the castle, Ellie; I will meet you in the bailey of Caer Glaem. I will have a room made up for you next to my study, so that you may rest while I sit with my work.

[vaccinations]

...Alright.

But I'm not gonna promise resting. I gotta give the new place a look around, you know?

[She's okay. Really.]

[firith]

Of course. [ Orientating herself won't be a problem, and he can issue fairies to keep an eye on the kid her company. ] I will turn off the lockets now and send the Elves to the Station, they will wait for you there.

[vaccinations]

So. I just show up and be all "Hey, I'm Ellie" and they'll do their thing?

That makes it sound like I'm pretty fucking important.

[She gives a sideways sort of grin. She's nervous. Like somehow this is all going to just fall through at any second. It always seems to.]

See you at the castle?

[firith]

You are important, Ellie. That is why we must give you a proper escort.

[ Of armed Elven guards to take down anything they might encounter while ferrying her over to the fortress of the Seelie. Thranduil nods. ]

I will be here waiting, I promise. Go now; the faster we do this, the sooner you will have something delicious to eat in the golden halls.

[vaccinations]

People keep telling me that. But now I'm finally starting to feel it.

[But somehow it means more from him, when he doesn't know what she's worth, what she means to the world. When she's just Ellie.]

Right. Lockets off. Heading to the Station.

[She salutes and does what she promises.]

[firith]

[ Whatever she is and means, he prefers the company of just Ellie. That is why, much later than expected owing to the interruptions of the dogs abroad, a trio of Elves rides up to the Station with a fourth horse (some of their armour bloodied but uninjured), asking for her by name. They stop just long enough to feed and water their horses, eating and drinking a little to fortify themselves for the trip back to Caer Glaem, and are cheerful despite the danger though not without wariness of their surroundings.

Whenever she is ready, the long escort will begin. ]

[all7seas]

"What was all that, then?"

Oh, he'd take that dare. Really.

[vaccinations]

It was a hallucination. You know. Seeing stuff that's not there.

Been happenin' to a lotta people.

[all7seas]

I never hallucinogize. [Lies.] Bet you don't even know how to fire that gun straight.

[vaccinations]

That just makes it sound like you have something to hide.

[Then she frowns.]

Fuck you. I'm a great shot. You have no idea.

[vaccinations]

[And Ellie approaches them, a rifle on her back and pack full of bullets. She swings easily onto the horse and ignores any offers for help. Along the way, she tries to make small talk. Asking them about what it's like to be an elf, if she could learn to shoot a bow and arrow, and what the city they were headed to was like.

She's nervous. What if she doesn't fit in with the faeries? What if she has to leave? And then there's Joel. She spends most of the journey wondering what he would say about faeries and elves and all this madness. She wonders what he's doing without her. It's kind of wrong for her to be here without him. To be fucking around with magic and not trying to get back.

Maybe Thranduil knows a way out. He seems to know shit. So that's another reason to go to the other castle, right?

Who knows. Who the fuck knows. The journey is way too long to keep thoughts like this from taking over.]

[all7seas]

You know, lass, I've got bullets. You can have some if you can PROVE what a great shot you are. Savvy?

[vaccinations]

Savvy.

[She'll be stealing that word. Thanks.]

When and where?

[all7seas]

The when depends on the where. Where are you?

[Words are for sharing.]

[vaccinations]

Hanging out at the imp castle. Biding my time.

[firith]

[ The Elves are friendly to her, chatting gaily whenever shadows pass and the road is a safer place for talk. By the time the group arrives at Caer Glaem, Thranduil is where he promised to be; standing at the top of the steps in the bailey past the courtyard, hands behind his back as he paces in his silver robe with a keen eye on the great gates.

He lets a smile sink into place to see Ellie, a nod from his crowned head finishing the welcome when she comes close enough to hear him speak. ]

Are you well, Ellie? You must be hungry.

[vaccinations]

Hey!

[She waves and then promptly dismounts the horse, not even bothering to wait for it to come to a stop. She'd been on that horse waaayyy too long and she wanted to have a look around. She approaches Thranduil, pulling the horse along beside her as she gazes up at the walls of Caer Glaem before looking at him with a grin.]

Okay. I admit. Fairy castle is pretty sweet.

[Then she gives a shrug.]

Well enough. Didn't see much action on the way back. Just kinda sat there riding for daaaysss. For a fairy land, there is lots of just woods. And grass.

[firith]

I regret I could not bring you here sooner. [ He glances up at the golden castle, at the flocks of rainbow-spattered fairies whooshing through the trees of the bailey and agrees with a nod. ] It could be a sight worse, yes.

[ Leaving the Elves and the horses, he leads the way indoors as he gestures her inside. ]

Shall we dine in the Great Hall so that you know where it is, after tonight?

[all7seas]

Meet me outside in one hour -- to the west of the castle. Look for the magnificent pirate ship in the sky. Wave your arms about a bit.

[vaccinations]

Psh.

I'll just get on the ship. See you there.

[vaccinations]

Nah. It's alright. I'm fine just hanging out. Exploring. I even took a bath.

[She follows his gaze and stares at the fairies. They're a bit more enchanting than the imps she has to admit.]

Sounds great. I'm totally starving. I never thought I could get sick of bread but since the ride? Totally sick of bread.

[all7seas]

Right-o.

[He will show up around an hour later -- the Black Pearl riding proudly through the sky, black sails filled with the wind. It's been very convenient since the fairy-folk gave it to him as a boon.

He scans the ground for some sign of the girl.]

[vaccinations]

[Aaaand she's off on the docks, trying to figure out a way to scale up the ship.

...It's a little harder than she expected, whoops.]

[firith]

Even a bath? Ai, that is noteworthy.

[ Holding in his laughter, he leads her through the golden hallways with their starlight-marble veins, the finery giving way to a far more useful-looking hall with long tables groaning with food. ]

There is more here than bread, I can at least assure you of that, Ellie.

[vaccinations]

The baths back at the other place are pretty swank. So you better hope that yours are up to snuff.

[She looks around, pausing to briefly touch the marble side of a pillar. He fingers move across the veins and the finely carved designs. The only time she'd ever come close to this was in that old hotel in Pittsburgh.]

Never thought I'd end up in a place like this. The nicest place I ever stayed was a dorm room. And that was only cuz it was dry and had heat. Sometimes.