A Rude Awakening | Group DAFT

Fenna Van Daalen

Cold, cold, cold. Fenna Van Daalen has never liked the cold too much. Business is always slow (except for the holidays when too many people show up), the snow makes cab rides a nightmare, and winter clothes have never suited her figure. Just inconvenient all around!

This, however, was not a merely inconveniencing level of cold. It was the kind that sank into your very bones, that stung your eyes when the wind stirred, that made Fenna think… why wasn’t she colder?

She lifted her arm to see a gloved hand and the sleeve of a long black coat, neither of which were from her closet. Who put those on her, what the hell? And there was snow on them, and ice all around her, as far as she could see…

“What…?”

She immediately started to push herself up, and the ice visibly cracked underneath her elbow. In a panic, she flopped back down, unsure which way to move to get to safety– but she did see something other than the fog in her few moments upright. Someone, a few someones, lying on the frozen sea around her.

It wasn’t her usual style, but if there ever was a time to play the dame in distress, it was now.

“HELP!!! S-somebody help!”

Taran

Okay, conscious. it’s bright, cold, hard. I’m on my face. Did I faceplant hopping onto the train… bus? Don’t think so. It’s daylight now?

Am I sure I didn’t faceplant trying to get on the bus?

Alright alright, time to get up- Crack. Never mind. What the hell?

Taran takes in the situation properly. It’s survival time, god knows why. And he’s not alone…

Fenna Van Daalen “HELP!!! S-somebody help!”

“H-hey! I’m here!” He tries to lean up and wave as another thin rift announces itself. Taran flinches and puts his hand back down.

“yeah, help would be good…”

Dexter Blanche

Well. This was new.

Dexter had, just moments ago, been amongst the trees. Still cold, mind you, but not quite like this. One minute his head’s spinning, the next… the next…

There was… a train?

No- steady now. Assess the facts. Respect nature, and it shall respect you. The why can come later. Right now, Dexter is face down on some thin ice. Thin, cracking ice at that. Not good. Thankfully, he’s dressed for the occasion. A cozy scarf, thick jacket, insulated pants. He’s fine

@“Fenna Van Daalen”#p91 “HELP!!! S-somebody help!”

His ears perk up at the cries of someone else. Someone on the ice. He looks his head up, and sees a woman standing there, panicking. Not too close by.

Unfortunately, he too is in the same precarious situation, and he’s not quite… sure what to do about it. They’re very far from any sort of land, and one wrong move could be the end for both of them.

He finds his hand almost instinctively moving towards the bag slung over his shoulder. (That came with him, too? How fortunate!) Another crackling of ice made him move still though. He dare not even let out a breath or a word towards her. Just focusing on spreading out the surface area of his weight as evenly as possible, lest he be taken by the lake as well.

Abel Lazarus

Abel sneezes himself awake. Just a small kitten-sounding thing- far too cute for a man of his status.

He feels disoriented as he’s coming back to it all. He is registering things at a snail’s pace. His nose tingles with cold and it’s running a little, how mortifying, but why is he even cold? Wasn’t he on a train? Shouldn’t trains be warm or something?

The yell for help makes him really open his eyes. He blinks up at the sky and first wonders if he passed out in the garden until he realizes he’s Freezing beyond what LA would ever make him feel. Then he remembers again that he was on a train. Right?

He sits up and looks around and feels fear grip him for just a moment. Oh god. Is he on a Frozen Lake? It would be Mortifying to fall into this- Clearly, there are people around! He’s heard yelling! Without even fully thinking things through he stands and takes a few steps, thinking far more of the embarrassment of being seen crawling around, but once he hears the ice snapping under his feet he quickly lowers himself back down, deciding to fall in is a level of embarrassment he’d Never recover.

Okay. Okay. Take a deep breath, Abel.

He sees… someone. Was it the person who yelled first? They aren’t too impossibly far from him, so he’ll make his way toward them. Whoever they are. Is it a good idea to go towards someone? Wouldn’t that make the ice weaker? Maybe- but there’s no land around and. If he goes Toward someone then they can pull him back out if anything happens. Or maybe everyone will see him as mature and put together! Besides- someone has to know just What is happening here.

“I’m…” He takes a moment to clear his throat and make himself seem put together as he crawls a bit shakily. “I’m approaching. Stay low.”

Fenna Van Daalen

“Okay, okay! Yous guys, uh–”

Fenna pushes herself up just enough to see where the voices are coming from. Something blue, something orange, another something blue further off– good enough. Lying on her back, she plants her foot down with a… painful screech, as her glittery pumps scrape against the ice.

“Oh for gahd’s sake! Dey gimme the damn coat and the damn gloves but leave my damn heels, ’course dey do…”

She grouses as she feels around in her coat for her purse, hoping against hope that her flats are still in there… Yes! With a surprising amount of dexterity, she starts trying to change her shoes without her bare feet touching the ice.

“Okay! I can– hff– where we movin’?”

Dexter Blanche

The first thing Dexter notices was that there were more people. And on ice like this, that was very much a bad thing.

The second thing Dexter noticed was that they were all congregating together. More weight in one place. Very much a worse thing.

But he looked, observed. As they gathered around the black haired woman, they were very much not falling through to their demise. Why is that? Well, it would be only natural if that over there was a thicker patch of ice, much more stable.

And so, Dexter began crawling towards the group atop what he presumes to be more stable ground. steady, measure pushes as to not disturb the ice. He still hasn’t said a word to them, but its doubtless that they’d miss his approach.

Abel Lazarus

Abel is farsighted. This might be the first time he’s Glad about that. He gives the surrounding area a glance- hoping for land close enough to mention they should head towards- but such land is so far in the distance he isn’t even sure it actually exists beyond knowing it absolutely must be Somewhere.

He quietly sighs. “I’m… Not sure we can move anywhere. We might have to stay put and wait for help.” He feels like a fool on the ice like this. Sure he has enough insolation to be fine outside of his face freezing off- but he’s wearing wool. One dip below the ice and he’s going to be like a drenched cat sinking to the bottom. Plus, he’s on all fours like some child crawling around. He feels so embarrassed it’s tickling up the back of his throat and making his cheeks even rosier than just the cold could manage.

But he really needs to be put together at the moment. He really looks at the woman he approached. His first thought isn’t as negative because he hasn’t yet focused on the animal print leggings. He did notice the heels, but they were changed into much more practical shoes so his thoughts on her at the moment are… Fine. She has not yet reminded him of anyone.

“It seems land is too far off. We can technically pick a direction and move but there’s no guarantee we won’t fall in if we hit weaker ice. It’s best to stay low and stay… where we know the ice is thick enough to hold us.” Is this the best advice? Maybe. He’s running on what he knows- and he has limited experience with snow and ice. Not zero- but definitely not much more than the few times his father or Uncle Marius took him on vacation- and his focus at the time had mostly been on how miserable he felt in the cold.

He glances over and takes notice of the other two people around. One is approaching and the other… seems to still be laying there. He isn’t Very excited to be approached really but it is… what it is. They do need people at the moment. So long as they don’t need to huddle for warmth or something.

“… What’s your name, ma’am?” Politeness is easy. He’s done this exact thing over the phone before. Just… Need to keep calm personally and keep her calm. Her freaking out is surely going to dunk both of them. As well as their approaching visitor.

Fenna Van Daalen

“Ha, I don’t get ’ma’am’ too often!”

Fenna flops over and props herself up on her elbows, looking up at the approaching redhead with a smile. He seems like a nice young man! And about the same age as…

“…Fenna Van Daalen is the name, dear, but everybody just calls me Ms. Fenna… huh?”

As she says her name, the crack beneath her visibly starts to recede. She raps her knuckles against the ice, and this time it doesn’t budge an inch.

“Well that makes no damn sense!”

Abel Lazarus

Well… He’s going to ignore that it feels… strange to have an older woman address him kindly. Maternally? Don’t register that she’s the same age your mother would be if she were-

No- it’s not maternal. It’s just kind, Abel. Don’t be silly.

Anyway. The ice. It fixes itself and he can use that as a distraction to shove all of that down. He recomposes himself and silently sends thanks to God, shifting to hold his cross as he does and ending the prayer with a small crossing motion.

“Well, Ms. Fenna,” He gives a smile as he opens his eyes. It’s so easy to pretend he’s just. Working right now. He’s working so he must be kind, formal, and *together. “*It must be a good sign. Maybe the ice will hold all four of us here and we would be easier to rescue like this.”

They will be fine. The ice will hold. He will live another hour at least.

Be helpful Abel. He looks at the approaching figure again. He raises his voice so it will carry any distance that remains. “What’s your name?” He doesn’t quite offer his own at this point. Too many points of focus on controlling himself to let himself realize he might want to offer it without being asked. It’s fine. He can keep control for now, right? Maybe it’s a bit precarious but if he can keep his coworkers from seeing him lose control he can keep these people in the dark for an hour or so, right?

Dexter Blanche

Ah, he’s being addressed now. Only natural, he is approaching, after all. And he’s sure that he looks quite silly scooching along the ice while face down. No matter. A little silliness is fine if it means your continued survival!

“Dexter.” A more, higher, slightly nasally voice says. “Is my name.”

By now, he’s surely made it to the thicker patch of ice. He hoists himself up slightly, still sitting on the ice, but opening his bag. Thats… a camera! How novel. He’s looking it over to see if its sustained any damages.

“…Hmm… it seems to be fine.” is all he comments on the matter. Its hard to gauge how he’s feeling. His scarf covers the lower half of his face, and his eyes are equally as obscured by a pair of large goggles wrapped around his head.

Taran

Taran begins carefully sliding toward the gathering too. Close, but not too close. They shouldn’t be within, say, 5 or 10 feet of each other, surely, but if something happens having a chance of pulling each other out of the water would be… uh, not too useful in this cold, probably. Oops. Better tamp THAT thought down. Not being alone out here is comforting enough for now… And if the ice can thicken as fast as it breaks apart maybe they could all keep an eye out for healing cracks and-

Oh but the little guy has a Device of some sort!

“Huh, what do you got? Dexter, you said? I’m Taran.”

Dexter Blanche

Everything appears to be in order with his camera. Good. This was, by all accounts, an extraordinary circumstance, and he would be damned if he wasn’t going to try and archive his experiences.

Taran “Huh, what do you got? Dexter, you said? I’m Taran.”

Dexter looks up at the man.

“Yes, its a polaroid camera. That is, its an instant Camera. It has quick-developing film inside of it. I was carrying it with me when I boarded…”

He shakes the thought.

“Right, the ice right here is thicker. So, as long as the entire circle of it doesn’t all crash into the water at once, drowning us, we should be perfectly fine!”

His voice sounds quite… chipper? Even though this situation is far from it, frankly. At least he seems to be positive?

“Still, this is quite troubling. I have heavy doubts that a rescue crew is coming anytime soon.”

Fenna Van Daalen

Fenna raises an eyebrow as the boy crosses himself. Well, a man, but these three are all boys in her eyes– she’d card ’em if they showed up at her club, at least.

“A sign, huh? I’ll take yer word for it– HA!”

She pushes herself up to a sitting position and points at the patch of ice below the two newcomers. It, too, looks stronger than before, even as chunks of the lake further in the distance start to separate.

“Giddover here! Closer! I dunno why it’s workin’, but– What’s yer names again? Dexter? Terry?”

She turns back to the redhead.

“And you, dear, ya didn’t gimme yer name!”

Taran

“That’s cool! I don’t know that I’ve seen a polaroid like that in person.”

It’s neat that Dexter here has something for a diversion. That could be really valuable too, right? Cameras can get expensive and he’s probably a camera nerd. Taran understands the allure of picking through endless hobbyist equipment and settling on the “borderline-unreasonably-expensive” sweet spot. Like with his headphones!

“So you were on the bus too? Then we’ve gotta be in the Cascades somewhere, right? Hm…” And there has to be a road for the bus somewhere closeish, though they must have slept through a helicopter ride or something, which means they were probably drugged and-

Fenna Van Daalen “Terry?”

More pressing matters.

“Taran. Ends with an A-N.” Going about it politely for now, but the number of times Taran has had to clarify were probably countless. He makes up fake names at Starbucks just so Terry doesn’t happen.

Abel Lazarus

Abel pushes himself up into a sitting position as his confidence in the ice grows. Sitting is so much more dignified that it helps him calm down much more. He’s less vulnerable like this. It’s perfectly normal to sit. So normal he tasks himself with fixing up his appearance a bit. Make sure his earrings are snug, his rings are on, his cross is straight, and the coat he’s wearing is brushed free of any ice or snow it may have picked up while he traveled. His final move is, of course, to check that his hair hasn’t been frozen anywhere and to very quickly pin it into a low bun to keep it safe. Much better. He’s So Dignified.

“Abel. Abel Lazarus is my name.” He is ridiculously formal in his introduction as. Would be expected. It’s pure reflex to offer a hand for a firm handshake now that it’s an option.

Noticing Dexter’s camera makes him realize they likely still have their other belongings on them- he should remember to ask what people might have. It could be important to keeping them safe. For now, though, he does speak to the other two as well. “I think the ice almost wants us to congregate. As… strange as that is.” But it is healing itself as they all draw close so. What else could he assume is happening?

Fenna Van Daalen

Abel Lazarus “Abel. Abel Lazarus is my name.”

“Ha! It’s a pleasure.”

Fenna shakes Abel’s hand with a hoarse laugh and turns back to the newcomers. She seems to be regaining her usual verve pretty quickly, even in the dire situation.

“So it is Dexter, then, and T-A-R-A-N? Can I call yous Tarry? With an A?”

She laughs again, but two things said by each of the new boys (respectively) are nagging at her. The first:

Taran “So you were on the bus too? Then we’ve gotta be in the Cascades somewhere, right? Hm…”

“Cascades, like, the West Coast? I was last conscious in the middle a’ Chicahgo in July, so… Make a’ that what ya will.”

And the second, much more urgent:

Dexter Blanche “Right, the ice right here is thicker. So, as long as the entire circle of it doesn’t all crash into the water at once, drowning us, we should be perfectly fine!”

“… Should we, uh, get movin’, then? If it’s gettin’ heavier…”

She squints off into the distance, looking for any sign of solid ground. The horizon is miles away, but it looks like there are others out on the ice with them, and if it gets stronger when people move together…

Taran

Fenna Van Daalen “So it is Dexter, then, and T-A-R-A-N? Can I call yous Tarry? With an A?”

Taran squints a bit and shakes his head no while Fenna carries on. She knows the right one, so close enough.

Fenna Van Daalen “… Should we, uh, get movin’, then? If it’s gettin’ heavier…”

He follows her line of vision as she scans around and finds the figures she had noticed.

“Oh, more folks. If the ice, uh, likes it when we get together then we should probably meet up. Maybe they can help get us out of here.”