~ Tнє Pαяα∂σχ Hσυѕє ~ now back to regularly scheduled chaos

L | Job Swap Room | strider

L curled his hands in and rubbed them together, trying to get some feeling back into them. He felt like he was drowning in the cold, unable to breathe properly and unable to escape. He tried to keep Orpheus in sight as he fought towards the other man, but the snow kept blocking him out and making it impossible to keep track of him. He knew their chances of surviving this decreased substantially when they were alone, was that why Orpheus was fighting to get to him?
He kept moving, fighting the exhaustion creeping up on him. It would be so much easier to lie down and rest, part of him argued, but he ignored it because he knew that that was the cold talking, not him. He couldn’t afford to listen to the cold.
He was almost there, and struggling to continue, when he lost sight of Orpheus. He turned, confused by the endless snow that tore at him and the sea of white that swallowed him whole and blocked out the rest of the world. He turned again, searching for Orpheus, but it was no use. Had the other man blinked out? He half hoped he had, because then he would be safe. He just hoped he could blink out, too.
Then Orpheus was there and L turned to face him, dark eyes very wide against the white background. He was relieved, and then he wasn’t because Orpheus wasn’t safe anymore, and then he heard the words over the wind and real relief washed over him. They had a way out. That meant they were almost done with this room, right? They just had to find the door.
He looked at the bandana as the other blinker shoved it towards him, not understanding its purpose at first. Did Orpheus expect it to help with the cold? It wouldn’t - it wasn’t a scarf, after all - and he stared at it uncomprehendingly for a long moment before Orpheus explained.
He took the end offered to him, holding onto it tightly enough that the wind wouldn’t tear it out of his fingers. That was a good idea. They could barely see their hands in front of their faces, after all, and losing each other again would be...not good. Orpheus could hopefully find the door again on his own, which was comforting for L to know. But he didn’t really want to freeze to death today, even if it was probably temporary.
He was shivering badly now, the wind cutting through his clothes like they were nothing at all. He didn’t speak, didn’t really trust his voice to be heard over the wind anyway, and besides, he was too cold to come up with anything worth saying. He knew about snow, of course, but it had been a while since he’d been stuck out in it without proper protection, and he had forgotten just how bitterly cold it could be. He had forgotten what real cold felt like.
He looked up, surprised when Orpheus asked him that. His feet were completely numb now - bad sign - but they didn’t hurt, really, so that was something, right? He was having trouble not tripping over his own feet or accidentally breaking his toes by stepping on them, but since the only alternative was Orpheus attempting to carry him, he didn’t see the point of talking about him not walking.
“I’ll be fine.” He managed to answer having to call over the wind. His voice was raw with the wind and he licked his lips, than immediately regretted it as the cold intensified. “Come on, let’s find that door before this gets any worse.”
He couldn’t lead the way. He didn’t know where to go.
“Orpheus.” He said warningly as he watched the other man hesitate. “We’re close. We’re very close to getting out of here. You have to find the door.”

Juuzou | Powers Room | mintedstar/fur ~∂єѕтιиу

“What’s a Waldo?” Juuzou questioned, giving the vampire a curious look. He wasn’t familiar with the term, and he didn’t know whether that was because it didn’t exist in his world, or because he just wasn’t in the loop.
He yelped in surprise as the older man grabbed his hand, then fell into a jog to keep up, scrambling along behind him. “What does Vice look like?” He asked enthusiastically, scanning his surroundings for any sign of this “Vice”. “Any idea where it’s likely to be?”

(Short whoops)

Rue | Hallway | <Raintalon>

Rue watched Sol closely, wondering what her reaction would be.
Oh.
Well...she couldn’t say she had expected that. She had seen a lot of death, too, but she still hated it. She still wasn’t used to it, and she didn’t think she ever would be.
Would she kill someone if it came down to it? She didn’t actually know. She had been lucky so far, she knew, not to find out.
“Okay.” She said finally. “As long as you know. They can also just be really weird, like, completely random and stuff.”

“You glow,” Nico retorted stubbornly, forcing himself to hold Kelsier’s gaze. He didn’t interrupt, however, as Kelsier began to explain the metals. Everything he said just brought forward more questions, but Nico managed to hold his tongue. Even if they were friends, he doubted even Kelsier would take nicely to an interrogation. When had he started considering them friends? Nico likely would have thrown his sword to anyone who had been fighting a Titan, even if it hadn’t been his friend. Well… maybe he wouldn’t have thrown his sword to the version of Kelsier that had killed him on sight, but the Kelsier in front of him now was different. Nico didn’t have the words to explain how he knew or why he thought that.
“Pewter,” he decided after a moment, weighing the options in his head. “It’s the only one that makes sense.” He shifted slightly so he wouldn’t have to crane his neck so much to meet Kelsier’s gaze. “I can see… how likely a person is to die.” That was probably a mood killer, but of the two of them Nico was the most likely to die at the moment, so he didn’t really see an issue with talking about it. “It’s kind of like… a fuzzy shape around people. It’s sort of like auras, I guess? Except auras have to do with feelings and they’re bullshit, probably. Yours right now is… like a little light around you, dim enough that I sort of have to look for it. But… when you use pewter it burns really brightly ‘cause you’re less likely to die in that moment than a normal mortal would be. ‘s better than some people around here. Vampires and such are grey and it sort of… pulsates. Like they’re about to die. And when people are like… actively dying…” he coughed a little, frowning at the warnings his body gave that he was overexerting himself. “It looks completely black. My father’s is black all the time, so I sort of assume mine would be too.” He looked sort of sad as the thought crossed his mind, but he tried to push it away.
“Not to be rude,” he went on, going back to what Kelsier had been explaining, “But isn’t Soothing or Rioting kind of… a crappy thing to do to a person?” A tiny voice in the back of his head asked whether that was how he started trusting Kelsier in the first place, whether his emotions had been influenced. But… trust wasn’t really a feeling, and even if it was… well, Kelsier had said he couldn’t create feelings. “Also… do people know when you do it to them? What does it feel like?” The more effort Nico was putting into staunching the bleeding and staying alive, the more his filter ate away at itself. Normally he would have been worried, but… he had a feeling nothing he could say now would really make Kelsier hate him. It was an odd position to be in, not having to worry about every word.
“We have important metals too,” he murmured, forcing himself to stay awake even as exhaustion dragged at him. “Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold can kill monsters, but they can’t hurt mortals. My sword…” he gave a dangerous sort of smile, but it was only half apparent on his features, “Is Stygian Iron. Only people with a strong tie to the Underworld can really use it effectively. It’s dangerous against both monsters and mortals.” He looked up at Kelsier, a little bit of pride burning under his eyes “I forged mine myself.”
He smiled again, this time just a little bit closer to the expression Kelsier kept giving him. “I’m saying you talk more than I do.” He gave that another thought before deciding to amend his statement slightly. “Usually.”

Nico considered Kelsier for a long moment, trying to find the words to explain it. “Use pewter real quick,” he murmured, his gaze flickering to the space right around Kelsier’s silhouette. “It’s like… it’s like a light source. Like… if you’re holding a lantern or something and you can see where the light begins to fizzle out into the darkness, it’s like that, but a little closer to the lantern.” Did that make sense? Nico wasn’t sure, but he knew the fuzziness in his head was getting worse and the ache in his chest was making it painfully hard to breathe. Focus on Kelsier, he reminded himself, just doing his best to hold on.
“Other people don’t tend to glow when they use ambrosia, so… probably not. If anything it just… makes the blackness go away. I guess maybe it gets a little brighter, I’ve never really considered it.” He frowned a little bit and “People say my father and I feel the same to be around. We both sort of… radiate death. And fear. And I guess it’s not… a bad thing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if death follows me visually like it does him.” He managed a shrug, his voice staying mostly neutral. Children of Hades were destined to short, miserable lives. Nico knew he wasn’t going to be an exception, but maybe… maybe that was okay. As long as he did some good.
“Vampires are technically dead,” he went on, brow creasing. But they’re more people than monsters are so they still have… some tie to life. That’s why it’s more grey. I think, at least. I… I don’t know.”
He listened carefully, nodding along to both Breeze and Ham’s arguments. He was fairly certain he had heard both names before, but he wasn’t sure. One day he would ask about the people in Kel’s world. One day he would ask about his crew and his friends, but now didn’t seem like the right time. There were other things to think about now.
“It’s… not that I don’t trust you, because I think you’d probably not be here if I didn’t, but… is there a way to protect against it?” Nico murmured, trying to catch Kelsier’s eyes. “If someone else blinked in who could do it, or if the House decides to mess with our powers at some point…” he frowned, unsure why that was where his mind went. Perhaps he was just conditioned to always think the worst. He also found he thought it would be useful to at least be able to tell when someone was messing with him. His emotions, as complicated and screwed up as they could be, were his. Still…
“Can you Soothe away pain?” Nico’s voice was so quiet, barely more than a whisper. It hurt more than he was letting on, more than he was trying to show, and he was trying so hard to stay awake for Kelsier. He let some of the discomfort fade into his expression, dark eyes still locked on hazel.
“Anyone can use the sword for a little,” Nico murmured, his own voice sounding very far away. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus in on Kelsier. Just stay awake. A few more minutes. “It might have tried to pull energy from you. You’re… a lot stronger than most monsters though.” He frowned slightly, reaching out for the sword. “Let me show you… what it really should be like.”

| Eurydice | Living Room with Arthur and Orpheus |

Eurydice had almost expected Orpheus to be condescending about her admission in finding joy in something as small and insubstantial as a peach. Like the candle she kept with her to burn when she needed something bright. It gave off only the smallest flickers of warmth, but it was about so much more than just the heat. But he seemed genuine.

She jumped at Arthur's sudden question, disliking that her actions were being monitored so closely. "What's it to you?"
Orpheus also discouraged the idea of leaving the living room, which seemed to come from a place of concern, but she had no reason to trust him- they'd just met, after all.

Eurydice gathered herself like a bird about to alight from a branch in a flurry of feathers.

And then she sprinted for the hallway.

Orpheus’ eyes widened a little bit as Λ’s words struck him to the core. They needed to get out of here, and Orpheus was the only one who knew where the door was. He forced himself to move forward, his steps small enough that he was confident Λ would be able to keep up. It wasn’t that Λ was that much shorter than him – he wasn’t – just that the cold was making them both sluggish, and he doubted Λ was in any shape to walk quickly with his feet so exposed. Orpheus knew Λ had said he was fine walking, and he didn’t want to accuse Λ of dishonesty, but he knew people had a tendency to be stoic even when they weren’t alright. The least Orpheus could do was ensure that Λ could keep up with him, so they wouldn’t lose each other again. The bright red of the bandana might be enough to locate each other with if they were within a certain distance from each other, but… it wasn’t a risk Orpheus wanted to take.
The cold was terrible, it tugged at Orpheus’ bones, sent aches through his whole body, but he pushed through it as best he could. Fate would not take him here, even if it was temporary. Even if his heart felt like the one warm point in his body, even if his fingers felt like they were frozen in place, desperately clutching at the bandana like it was a lifeline. It was a lifeline. In his world he would have tried to find shelter, would have pulled Λ close to him, even if the other man didn’t like it very much. It was the easiest way to stay alive – stay together, hold close, wait for the storm to pass. Write music to make the storm go away. But that wasn’t going to work right now. The only solution here was a door.
The wind could steal his voice. It could tear it from his mouth and toss it into nothingness, but would that stop Orpheus? No. His eyes narrowed as he pressed forward, his attention always on the tension in the bandana. If it went slack… well, if it went slack, then Orpheus would have to go back to find Λ. But it hadn’t gone slack yet, and there was a considerable distance between them and the door. Although Orpheus didn’t know how it was possible, the wind seemed to be getting stronger, the snow even more blinding. When he turned to look at Λ, he found he couldn’t see the other man as more than just a vague silhouette, the snow flurrying around and between them both.
“Hold on,” he muttered, soldiering on as bravely as he could. He didn’t know if Λ would hear him.
I’m not leaving until it’s even. Wasn’t that what he had said to Λ several blinks ago? Before he’d seen the sort of horrors the House could supply? This wasn’t even. This was so incredibly far from even.
Very quietly, Orpheus began to sing. The cold hurt his throat, but he didn’t stop. His voice was quiet, hesitant at first, not loud enough for Λ or anyone else to hear, but it didn’t matter. It felt like it might keep him warm, if he kept it going. Like flames that might die if they weren’t stoked. Distantly, he wondered if Λ heard it. He wondered if it mattered, if Λ even remembered the promise Orpheus had made him when he was first discovering the House. Had Λ expected them to end up somewhere like this, relying on each other for survival? Orpheus was just the boy with the music, that was… well, that was all he figured he would ever be. Λ… Λ was something else. Something more.
Orpheus took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep moving forward. He would keep his promise. He wouldn’t let Λ die here. Were they friends? Orpheus would have said yes, but he knew from what Λ had told him that Λ was likely more selective with his friends. It was something they could navigate if they got out of there. When they got out of there.

"Of course," said Myrnin, sounding slightly concerned at the sharpness of Touka's tone. He hadn't expected such a sharp shift in tone at all, but he was willing to accept it. He took a position centered toward the hallway, hesitating to see what Touka would do, then he started walking forward, hands in his pockets.
A room might be nice.
The issue was he wasn't sure what had changed. Other than the eyepatch, of course.
He would find out, he supposed.
He wondered if Touka remembered that she had once blinked out of a room a teenager and a couple minutes blinked into it again as an adult.
"What room would you like?" he asked.

That was stupid. Arthur wasn't sure if he knew completely why, but he stiffened. Running off alone was a very bad idea. He looked over at Orpheus, then hurriedly started walking after Eurydice. He could at least make sure that things didn't go completely haywire, right? He could be helpful, even if Eurydice seemed very ... prickly.
Not that he didn't know why, he did, but that was a really stupid reaction. It wasn't going to solve anything to just run and not check where you were running to.
He exited the living room, into the hallway, and paused for a second. Lots and lots of doors and then lots and lots badly designed escapes.
This was looking to be tricky if Eurydice bolted into one.
"You really sure you want to do that?" he called after her. There was a touch of concern in his tone. 

"Someone pesky that you hunt for. Usually wears a striped hat," answered Myrnin. "He doesn't wear a hat. He's too dorky for hats. He should wear a hat."
With that in mind, he seemed to be doing rather well with going off in the direction that Vincent had. He was, foremost, a vampire. 
He wondered if his little ghoul hunter 'friend' would have some issues with him over that.
"He looks like a slimy man with slicked back blond hair and the expression of someone who's just caught all the mice and laid them out on the pillows of his unwary house-owners. And he has a scar on his neck. Very good looking. Will make you want to kill him. And very good looking."
He pointed in the direction of the beforementioned man. "He's over there."
Not that he was visible. Not that this mattered to Myrnin.

Vincent | Power Room | ®Hawkpath® mintedstar/fur

Vincent continued strolling backwards, facing the direction he was expecting Myrnin and the stranger to make their approach. He eventually came to a stop on the sidewalk and watched the street corner patiently, raising his eyebrows slightly when the sound of voices neared. Before the pair could make their appearance, the man quickly glanced around to pinpoint a few escape points, then looked back with a casual adjustment of his collar.
“Why are you still following me?” He called out as he was sure they were getting closer.

Asami | Living room Lark Sησω |

As two humans blinked in behind her, Asami paused in her search, her back still turned to them as she processed the situation and decided on a course of action. Slowly, her true form began to withdraw, knitting itself together into a more organized shape until finally, it settled neatly into the shape of a human head, complete with shoulder length black hair. Though it wasn't terribly noticeable, she'd changed the face a little. It would be bothersome to have to give up her position as Tachibana Asami, if these two decided to tell the police.

She craned her neck around to look at them, then the rest of her body followed, until she was standing facing them, her expression blank and slightly sunken as usual.

"I do not know if I am an alien," she said flatly, eyeing Mabel and the protective Steve with a curious eye. Her gaze traveled first to Mabel, answering her question, and then to Steve, who she was even more curious about. Was that his child? Was that why he was protecting her?

"I do not intend to attack the small one," she said at last. "Your defense is unnecessary."

Steve Harrington || Living Room || Sησω <Raintalon>

Steve's hand let go of Mabel's sweater, thankful that for once someone in the house actually listened to his warnings. That of course, did not extend to the so called alien standing a feet away. Hearing her refer to the kid as the small one had definitely made his skin crawl if her words hadn't done so already. The older of the duo wanted to look away but the image of nerves and soft tissue, flesh and all packed neatly into the face of a person. Maybe if he wasn't grossed out he'd reflect on how regular the disguise seemed, just like anyone you'd pass by on main street. In one fell swoop it could do whatever it wanted, not like the house would intervene. He raised an eyebrow at Asami's response visibly skeptical of the flat answers the blinker provided them. Still, he tried to scramble his right hand against the brim of the many wooden chairs lying in the living room. Not his style but it was better than nothing.
The older teen remained stiff, his shoulders tense and admittedly refused to drop his guard down to become the creature's next meal. "Nice? Is her being nice all you can think about?" Steve scoffed not peeling his eyes away from the stranger for one second. "What are you going to do, make her a friendship bracelet next?" God, he could hear Hook laughing at his reaction in whatever hellhole he's rolling in right now, facing the strangest thing this week so far. 
Apart from that, he somehow managed to strike up a chat with Will Byers - another kid who'd somehow went missing only to show his face in the house of all place. "Doubt she's from this dimension, that's for sure." He muttered under his breath, coming to terms of hiss world being flipped upside down. The teen stood his ground, standing there protectively in front of some stranger he'd never met in his life.
It was already embarrassing enough accosting a damn kid, the instinct to grab her again and make a run for it was still present on his mind. Nonetheless he was still observant of any quick moves Asami would do, or hell, even say in her pathetic defense to not slaughter them. Bickering like this in the open it was more likely the blinker was 'nice' as the preteen had stated earlier, he begrudgingly prompted discussion attempting to look Asami in the eyes, well, the single pair she has at the moment. "How do we know you're not going to chop us up?"