First* Video/Action

[decadentdecade]

Video
[Bela is standing in front of the camera, dressed in pants and shirt and a brown leather jacket-rather common clothing considering the eclectic pile of clothes behind her. If anyone cares for those kind of details they'll see a wide arrangement of clothing, from suits to cocktail dresses to waitress uniforms and even a maid costume.]

So. The closet? It's a very nice touch, I have to admit. I certainly wouldn't mind having one back home. Though seemingly free food, board, and clothing just means there's a hidden cost. So what is our benevolent caretaker charging us?

And what becomes valuable in a place like this? Is there a currency in particular items? Favors? Souls? [And there's a wry smile there to indicate that might possibly be a joke.]

Or does everyone here work on altruism?

Action A: Wandering Wonderland
[Not one to idly sit when her surroundings are so undiscovered, and therefore a little bit threatening, Bela takes to exploring the grounds with a casual step that belies just how uncomfortable she really feels. She can be found idly touching decor along the walls of the mansion, or grabbing something to eat in the dining room, or eyeing the titles of books in the library even if she doesn’t actually reach for any right now.

[ooc: This is your find her wandering anywhere you want to option.]

Action B: An unlocked room is an invitation.
[After exploring the more open grounds, Bela can be found roaming the hallways. It’s a seemingly innocent gesture by itself, except for the subtle jiggle of a handle here and there as she moves about. Just her way of...well, casing the place. Not that she’s planning on stealing anything quite yet, but she’ll feel more comfortable once she’s got a good map of the surroundings and people around her since it doesn’t seem like she’ll be leaving very soon.

Occasionally, when she finds an unlocked door, she casually opens it just to get a good idea of the room-and on the occasion that someone is actually in their room without bothering to lock the door, well, she smiles sheepishly and offers an embarrassed apology.]

Oh, I’m sorry. I have the wrong room. [Ignore the subtle sweep around the room before she tries to retreat.]

Action C: A locked one is just a challenge.
[She’s good. For a while. But after finding so many empty and unlocked rooms, she’s a little curious to see what’s inside a locked one. And just as curious to see how easy it is to pick a lock on these particular doors.

So she chooses a random one in a rather quiet hallway, listens near the door for any tell-tale sign of shuffling, and when she thinks she’s in the clear, she kneels down and jimmies the lock, before pushing the door open. If there’s no immediate reaction, she’ll take a step inside. Just a quick scouting mission, don’t worry, she’s not here to steal anything.]

Comments

B

[nokidstuff]

[The room she steps into clearly houses two people seeing as how there are the same number of beds, but currently sitting and reading his comics inside is just one boy whose attention is anything but on the door when she walks in. He thinks it's someone else as he speaks up as soon as the door opens, half amused in his current reading.]

Michonne. I think you should read--

[He, however, cuts off mid-speech when her apology fully registers as coming from an unfamiliar voice and draws him to look up to her, to give her look of surprise.

And not just because she isn't someone he knows, but because she LOOKS like someone he knows. Of course with the exception of her voice, her clothes and the length of her hair, she was a dead ringer for his friend, Maggie Greene. She looks so much like Maggie even that he has wonder if he's just imagining the differences after a moment, though. There were too many similarities for it not to be her, you know. So he was stunned by this wide twist of events.

He set down his comic slowly, though, and eventually shook his head at her words. If it was really her, it was really okay she came in. In fact, it would even be good she did. If not... then he had to find out what this was. He looked at her straight on.]

...Maggie?

[decadentdecade]

[A child. Upon arrival and learning a bit about her location, she had just assumed that most of the unfortunate captives would be adults. That they had pulled children in too, probably should have been expected. But it still left a bad taste in her mouth. Which was why she was entirely set on walking right away from this one.

But then he's calling her a name and looking like he's actually happy to see her, and damn it-

So she releases the handle and takes a step forward into the room.] I can't say that's a name I'm familiar with.

[nokidstuff]

[And he remains looking something between happy to see her and puzzled up until she speaks again. Right then only is he more sure that her voice is not Maggie's and her saying that's a name she's not familiar with furthers his realization to the truth of that fact.

Carl doesn't quite scowl, but the happiness over his features fade then. He shifts to get up off his bed and stand up as she steps in more, being both curious or cautious.]

Then who are you?

[decadentdecade]

[She has a tendency to answer that as honestly as she answers everything else, but given her apparently preceded appearance here before, it's better not to be caught in a lie.]

Bela.

[A brief pause.] And who are you? Were you brought here?

[nokidstuff]

Bela? [He repeats after her, just because the name is far from being like Maggie and he needs to process that. How she's definitely not Maggie, either.

His lips push into a little frown of disappointment and a small bit of hesitancy.]

Yeah, um, my name's Carl. I was brought here like everybody else.

[decadentdecade]

Sorry. [There's nothing all that apologetic about her tone though, but she feels inclined to say something with that little kid frown. Humanity quit meaning anything to her long ago, but, well. Children, it's the closest she comes to caring. Still, they trail behind cats. And talismen. And money. Whatever.]

How old are you, Carl?

[nokidstuff]

[This is such an weird situation anyway that he'll give the lack of an apologetic tone a pass. Besides right now she seems a little weirder than the mirror double thing he's heard about, he thinks.]

Why do you wanna know? [Which is meant as an honest question, really, but it comes out a little sceptically. (Then again he really doesn't see why his age matters.) To answer her though, he shrugs.] I don't know, maybe fourteen.

[decadentdecade]

[It's always amusing when someone asks that specific question but then answers anyway. It shows a lack of true commitment to the paranoia. And makes it rather irrelevant to answer afterwards.]

You don't know exactly? [And she's not sure why that bothers her.] What was your life like where you came from?

[nokidstuff]

[He's very "sensitive" about his age, is all. He is still paranoid about her asking him these kinds of questions, but at the same time doesn't want her doubting him or whatever she's doing because of how old he is.]

No. [He shakes his head.] It's complicated where I'm from. We don't keep track of days anymore.

[He stresses the we for some reason not entirely certain to him either, but it's clear he's not alone here. And just as clear he doesn't really say anymore than that. It's not like the zombies are a secret, really, but he doesn't want pity from her or anyone either.]

[decadentdecade]

[Oh, she's not doubting him because of his age. She was fourteen when she was...intentionally orphaned, after all. If anything, she's aware how resilient children can be.

We. She gets the hidden message there easily enough. But it means little to her. She hardly considers herself a threat to him or whoever else he's rooming with.]

Complicated how?

[nokidstuff]

[Okay. Now this is weird, he thinks. Suddenly she's asking all the questions when...]

Shouldn't I be asking the questions here? [He deflects.]

[decadentdecade]

[She can't help but smile at that, so she shrugs and gestures for him to take the lead.]

[nokidstuff]

[Well, actually, he doesn't know where to go from here. He's gathered she looks like Maggie but isn't and her name is Bela, so he needs a second to think on what he should ask when she gestures.

He decides to start at the beginning.]

Are you new?

[decadentdecade]

[She doesn't smile, but she wants to. It's obvious he has nothing on his mind to actually ask, but she'll play patient.]

Is it obvious?

[Right. She's supposed to answering questions, ah well, she tried.]