exsilium | 1st story. (voice.)

( there's a bit of a pause before anyone speaks. when the voice does start, though, it's pretty low. flat, almost, like the speaker is tired, and her voice sounds pretty rough and husky-- and distinctly australian. she sounds decidedly... detached from what's just happened, considering it's her first entry. )

I remember, once when I was a kid. One of the shearers bought a kangaroo to the farm – not alive, though. It was roadkill. I couldn't tell you if... he hit it, or if he just found it. I don't know if that matters.

Anyway, he brings this dead 'roo over in the back of his ute, and hauls the thing off his trailer. I'm surprised he got it on there, to be honest. He and my dad, they took it over to one of the sheds and started butchering it. It was already dead, but they still went through all the steps they use for lamb or cattle if we're gonna be using them for food. Slice the throat, first. They took the whole thing apart, until there was just this... steaming carcass, and then they froze the meat for dog food, buried the guts so that the foxes couldn't get at them.

That's a bit what I feel like right now. Like I'm a carcass that someone picked up and dropped off here. It doesn't matter if I was alive or not when they found me. ( She laughs a bit, but it's a bitter sound. ) I'm here now, aren't I? Either I've gone bush crazy and I'll be dead soon, or I'm already dead. This Initiative bullshit is just-- Jesus.

( A sigh, and a long silence. )

My name's Ellie. Ellie Linton. I don't know if names mean much to the dead, but that's it.

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We're not dead at the moment. I started to figure that one out when I still had to pay for things, but I had some help. I don't know what it means for people like us later, dying first and all. But it's not so bad right now. Just slightly overwhelming.

( Weirdly enough, that actually makes her laugh. )

At least we can rely on always having to pay. Good old capitalism at work.

Wait, hang on. You actually died before coming here? Are you sure?

( She was just being melodramatic but... wow. Brace yourself for morbid question time, Mr. Diggory. )

I'm sure. It happened in a split second---instant death. I just sort of felt it all ripped away, and then I woke up on the platform.

Christ.

Hey. Did it hurt? Instant death, I get it. Got to ask, though.

( She was pretty sure that was how it had been for her friend. Instant death. But Robyn had seen it coming, had known, and she hadn't looked brave or courageous or anything like that. She looked like a sad, scared kid. Maybe if it didn't hurt, that was better. Then again, wasn't like it did much to make her any less scared for those seconds leading up to it. )

Did you know it was going to happen?

Instant death, yes. I only had a second. Kill the spare, they said. Out of nowhere. I didn't know what that meant until I saw it coming. It was like the most painful freeze I've ever felt. Not being physically ripped apart, but like I had a moment to process that the life was being ripped out of me. It's hard to explain.

( It takes her a while to reply to that. )

You were murdered?

( That made it worse. Her hands grip the device harder, and she doesn't know this person, doesn't know who or how or any of that bullshit, but it grabs enough bad memories and makes them twist that she's livid on his behalf. At least Robyn chose. Not that it was much of a choice, but it was hers. )

Good on you for explaining at all. Bloody Hell.

( Generally, Ellie is not the most caring of people. Closed off, enough of her own problems... it's hard enough for her friends to deal with her, let alone how she acts around strangers. )

I'm sorry. Not that it changes anything, but for what it's worth. No one should go like that.

What's your name?

Yeah. I've been told it was at the hands of the most infamous person from my world, but I didn't see him at the time. He was hiding in the shadows. Thank you anyway. It helps a little. My name's Cedric Diggory.

Sounds like a bit of a bastard.

There's a bloke giving out free chocolate chip biscuits near the arrival point. I don't know, my mum always though baking was a good answer to bad times.

Good to meet you, Cedric. Or talk to you. Whatever this counts as.

That does sound nice. My mum was the same. I started to learn a few things from her over the summers. Something home-made would be fantastic right now. The same to you. You're all right, right?

You should grab some, they're pretty decent. I'd offer you something, but the best I can do is toast or stir fry. Maybe lamingtons.

I've been better. Not sure if I've been worse, exactly, but I can handle myself. Got all my limbs and apparently my sanity, so the odds aren't totally stacked against me.

That's good! We're alive, and we're intact. That means it's not too late...for some things. Most things.

Yeah. We're still capable of making dumbass decisions and dealing with other people being morons.

( Don't be a downer, Ellie. )

I'm a real optimist, hey?

Right! But that's not all life is. There are bright spots, and we've still got a shot at them.

As long as we've got a shot at 'em without getting shot at ourselves, it sounds like a half-decent plan.

( Maybe you shouldn't make shooting jokes around someone who was murdered. Oops. )

Have you been here long, or did you just stumble out here, too?

I've just arrived. Strange place.

Good luck with it all!

1st story. (voice.)

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[text] I FEEL SO BAD FOR HER ASKING LMAO :C also hello

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[text] moving house is the worst for prompt tagging, apologies!

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