protocol_02.00: gateway
Three years ago.
It's been four days and Anna isn't sure that she hasn't made the biggest mistake of her life. So far, she's barely slept, eaten through more of the food she packed than she'd like to admit, and barely avoided at least one mugging. Well, she assumes it was supposed to be a mugging. The guy reeked of alcohol and kind of collapsed on his face five feet in front of her in a puddle of...something...before he even finished his initial threat.
Oh, and now it's raining.
All in all, it's not a confirmation of every scary rumor she heard about the undercity at school, but it's not much better. It's worse, in a lot of ways. Poor desperation isn't really a good topic for high school hallways Up Above.
Anna's throat goes tight at the thought of school. God, what are all her classmates thinking happened? Have any of them even noticed? That she's gone, that she hasn't come back. Does anyone even miss her Up there?
She pulls her jacket closer. Honestly? Probably not. It's funny how important things like who was dating who, or tests, or whatever seemed so vitally important even a week ago. Before her parents died. Before she knew her sister wasn't. In just a few days, Anna's learned things she never knew about just how the city functioned. Or didn't.
It wasn't like it was a complete surprise. Mama and Papa had talked for years about how bad things were, especially in the undercity. They were always trying to give money away for this project and that foundation. Trying to make things better, Mama said. Papa said they had a duty to do it, since they had so much, to give to people who had so little. That a society can't function if people don't give back.
But none of that had been real, not really. Not until Anna had seen it all with her own eyes. And breathed it. And now was huddled under its slimy walls, trying to keep as much of herself dry as possible. It's kind of a loss.
At least the tablet is still dry. Or dry enough. She frowns at the drops of water on the surface, trying to hold it close enough to cover it with her jacket and keep it out of sight. Touchscreens still did not play nicely with water. And right now, the tablet is the most-important thing she has. The last thing she wants is for it to get stolen. Because as bad as it's been, Anna's pretty sure it'll have been worse without her one lifeline.
[LaPucelle:] I am seriously rethinking my life choices here.
[Frost:] The part where you're still breathing or not?
[LaPucelle:] Dammit, Elsa, this isn't exactly easy. YOU'RE not the one standing in the rain wondering if you're going to get mugged or worse.
[Frost:] ...no.
[Frost:] ...no I'm not.
[Frost:] Sorry.
Anna winces. Shit. She forgot. How the hell she managed that, but she did. Ugh. Way to be an asshole.
[LaPucelle:] Sorry Elsa. That was a dick move.
[Frost:] ...it's fine. Really.
That almost makes it worse, really.
[LaPucelle:] No, it's not. I'm complaining about you SAVING MY LIFE. And actually being able to feel the rain instead of...not.
[Frost:] ...it's really fine. Don't worry about it.
[LaPucelle:] It's really, really not.
[Frost:] I'm fine. Just drop it, okay?
[LaPucelle:] Elsa
[Frost:] I said drop it.
And that's the end of that conversation. As effective as a door in her face, really. This isn't the first time in the last four days something like this has happened. Elsa is prickly, in a way Frost wasn't. Or maybe Frost was also prickly, but didn't really have reason to show it. It's so hard to keep the two straight. Maybe that's the point. Frost always was Elsa, and the sooner Anna can actually wrap her head around that, the better it's going to be. Because she keeps thinking of Frost-her-friend and Elsa-her-sister, and combining the two is weird, even after four days.
The tablet dings angrily, drawing her attention back to it. Oh shit.
[LaPucelle:] Elsa! Battery!
[Frost:] Oh fishsticks —
Fishsticks? What does that have to do with...oh god, that's Elsa's form of cursing. That is the most ridiculous thing she's ever heard, and if she wasn't about to be totally screwed, she'd be dying of laughter right there. But the battery warning is flashing red and there's just no time for that.
[Frost:] Anna. Get out of the alley, go straight, 4th intersection, turn right, 3 more streets, left.
[Frost:] You're looking for a bar. Go there.
[Frost:] Sanc
The tablet goes dark. Out of power.
Anna huddles in her jacket, willing the tablet to come back to life. She swallows the knot in her throat, feels her eyes pricking. She's alone. Really, really alone right now. No one can come for her, and the only person who actually gives a shit can't talk. The dead tablet is a horrifying weight in her arms, but she clutches it to her chest. Bites her lip.
Elsa told her to go somewhere. She's going to have to trust her. And she's going to have to trust herself. Trust that she can remember those directions, even though she only had seconds to read them. They weren't that complicated. All she has to do is take a step.
She bites her lip harder. Then puts her head down and steps into the freezing rain.
She can do this.
Anna repeats the directions in her head as she walks through the dark streets. Lamplights flicker overhead, trying their best, but it's a lost cause. Most other people on the streets in this rain flit like insects from each circle of light. If she were to tilt her head up, she wouldn't even see any of the glittering lights from Up above. None of that glitter falls all the way down here. Not unless it has to.
Anna doesn't lift her head.
The building she's looking for doesn't look like much. But it's well-kept and the outside looks clean, which is better than a lot of other places she's seen in the last few days. A battered but obviously-cared-for sign hangs above the door, reading 'Sanctuary'. She pushes open the door.
Light spills out into the darkness. The first thing Anna realizes is that it's warm inside. The door clicks shut behind her, but she barely hears it. The bar dominates the main space, and oh wow, is it made of actual wood? She breathes in, smells sawdust and spice, and her stomach growls. How did Elsa find this place?
She shakes her head. Then she realizes that the bar isn't empty, and there are people giving her curious looks. She swallows hard, wraps her hands around her stomach, and tries to make herself smaller. Attention down here is bad.
"Hey. Hey, are you all right?"
Anna looks up. There's a black woman in front of her, wearing a bar apron with a towel slung over a shoulder. Her eyes are kind, even as she gives her a once-over. Anna bites her lip again and tastes iron. "Who me? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just...fine."
The woman quirks an eyebrow. "Darlin', you're bleeding."
Anna wipes her lip hastily. "Oh, right. I did that to myself, nothing to worry about." Her stomach growls again.
The other woman's eyebrows go flat. "Right then. Come on." The way she says it makes it clear that if Anna even thought of not following, there'd be trouble. So, she follows. The woman leads her over to a corner of the bar. "Sit. Right there."
Anna sits. She disappears into the back, where Anna guesses there's the kitchen, judging from the heat and smell. The high chair is surprisingly comfortable, and she can drop her bag on the floor and still have her feet resting on it. Not that she does. No, she's still got one hand on the straps. The other curls around the edge of her wet jacket, the weight of the tablet in the inside pocket at least a cold comfort.
A bowl of...something appears in front of her. It looks like a stew; there's meat and rice and oh god are those honest-to-god vegetables? The spices alone make her mouth water. She looks up at the woman, who is standing over her with a ladle in hand, arms crossed. "I..."
"Don't you dare. It's on the house."
Anna blinks, then hunches down further. "I can pay," she says in a small voice. She's had so much, she doesn't need charity, not when there are so many other people around here worse off than she is.
The woman frowns impressively and taps her free hand against the bartop. "I said it's on the house. Now stop arguing with me, darlin', and eat."
Anna gives up. She digs her spoon in and takes a bite, flavors and spice dancing on her tongue and warming her up from the inside. She nearly moans, it's so good, and it's warm and she hasn't eaten anything made by someone who might care in over a week. It's only Mama's voice in her head, and hearing that makes her eyes burn, that stops her from shoving the food into her face as fast as she can.
Her spoon scrapes the bottom of the bowl, chasing the last bits of rice, before she knows it. She looks up sheepishly, spoon half-dangling from her mouth. The woman's eyes are soft and kind. She chuckles. "Well now. There's a compliment. Let's see about getting you a refill." She whisks the bowl away and disappears back into the kitchen before Anna can even think of protesting.
The second bowl arrives, smelling much like the first, and Anna's a little embarrassed at how hungry she still is. But her jacket isn't heavy just from the water, and she's got something she needs to do. "Um. Not that I'm not, you know, really really grateful, but I was wondering if there was a place I could charge my tablet?" Anna swallows hard. "My...friend, she sent me here, but the battery died right after she did and she's probably flipping out and..." she trails off.
The woman smiles. "Hush. I've got you covered." She ducks under the bar for a second then comes back up, cable in hand. "This work?" It's the right connector, thank god, and Anna can't speak because of the stupid lump in her throat so she just nods. "Here. Eat up and let your friend know you're fine, okay? If you need anything else, just give me a holler. Or tell someone you need T and they'll give me a holler." And with that, she disappears, off to take care of other customers.
Anna slowly makes her way through the second bowl, trying to focus on chewing rather than willing the charging bar on the tablet to work faster so she can at least have enough power to turn the stupid thing on. Funny how it's easy to miss the things you take for granted when you don't have them. Finally, the light goes green and the screen boots up.
[LaPucelle:] Elsa!
[Frost:] Oh thank god. You okay?
[Frost:] I was worried!
[LaPucelle:] Yeah, I'm fine. I followed your directions. I'm at Sanctuary.
[LaPucelle:] How did you even FIND this place?!
[Frost:] It's, uh, fairly well-known. In certain circles.
[LaPucelle:] What kind of circles?
[Frost:] ...blacksider ones.
Anna nearly chokes on her spoonful.
[LaPucelle:] Elsa!
[LaPucelle:] What the hell?! You sent me to a BLACKSIDER bar?!
[Frost:] I sent you somewhere safe.
[Frost:] There's a reason it's named "Sanctuary".
Okay, it's not fair she can sound so damn reasonable about this. The woman at the bar, T, she guesses, has been nothing but kind, and the rest of the bar seems to be keeping a respectful distance. It's really not the kind of place she would have imagined if she heard "blacksider bar". Maybe that was the point.
[Frost:] Hey, did you...you didn't tell anyone your name, did you?
Now that she thinks about it...
[LaPucelle:] No, I didn't. No one even asked.
[Frost:] Good. That's not exactly a Thing down here.
[LaPucelle:] People don't have NAMES?
[Frost:] Ugh, no. It's all...well, it's all handles. Usernames.
[Frost:] And before you ask, yes, I've done a little work with blacksiders. That's how I know.
Wait, what? Elsa's done blacksider work? It hits Anna like a brick how very much a stranger her sister is.
[Frost:] So, you're going to have to pick a name.
[LaPucelle:] What's wrong with this one?
[Frost:] It's too tied to you.
[Frost:] How many of your friends from school know that username?
[Frost:] How many shops?
[Frost:] It's got to be as clean a break as possible.
It makes sense, really it does. But it's her life, and it's a small, stupid thing, but it's another thing she has to cut away and it hurts.
[LaPucelle:] What about you? Shouldn't that include you?
She shouldn't have typed that. Why did she type that? Oh, what was she thinking?
[Frost:] Anna...
[Frost:] Would it make it better if I also changed my handle?
Wait, Elsa would do that? Maybe it's because she's so mixed up with Frost in Anna's head, it seems like crazy-talk. Because she's really having trouble splitting the two. And Frost is Frost. That means something, right?
[LaPucelle:] But didn't you say that you did blacksider work? Don't people know you by that name?
[Frost:] Doesn't matter, not really.
[Frost:] It wasn't anything big.
[Frost:] So pick a name.
Anna pauses, chewing thoughtfully on her spoon. Names are important, especially down here, it seemed. And maybe it'll make things a little clearer, to not have Elsa-as-Frost and Frost-as-Elsa as the same person, and for herself as well. She can stop thinking about what she's lost, what she's left behind. A clean break.
[LaPucelle:] Arc. I'll be Arc.
[Frost:] Arc? Are you serious?
[Frost:] The point was...
[Frost:] Argh. Fine.
[LaPucelle:] Oh yeah? Well, what are you changing to, oh experienced one?
[Frost:] Rime.
[LaPucelle:] Okay, hold up, how is THAT any better?
[Rime:] Says the girl who keeps naming herself after Jeanne d'Arc.
[LaPucelle:] Hey now, Joan's awesome. And what the hell, "Rime"?
[Rime:] ...I like ice.
Okay, her sister is weird. Anna laughs softly, and then a thought strikes her. Is Elsa laughing too, at the ridiculousness of the conversation? Or is she dry and teasing? There's just some things that text can't tell her, and she finds herself desperately wanting more. They only have each other, and Anna needs more than just words on a screen.
[LaPucelle:] I wish I could hear you.
"Sounds like your friend's been reassured." Anna nearly jumps out of her skin. T blinks at her from behind the bar. "Jumpy little thing, aren't you?"
Anna can feel her ears start burning as she slouches slightly in the high chair. "Um..."
T waves her off. "No, no, it's a good instinct." She places a hand on her hip. "And you know, there are ways to talk to your friend over the Net."
"I...how did...?"
The smile she gets is soft. "You said that bit aloud. Don't think anyone but me heard you. But I was coming 'round to check on you anyway."
"Oh." Anna swallows and looks down. "You don't, you don't have to worry about me. Don't you have other customers?"
T shrugs. "Husband-o'mine can pull his weight a bit," she says, grinning. "Take care of them for awhile. So yes, I absolutely can check on you." She leans on the bar. "So, back to your problem. Blacksiders use headsets all the time. No reason you can't."
Anna looks up. "I don't have a headset, though. I..." left it all behind, she doesn't say. "...don't have one."
The older woman leans back. "Well, I do have some. Blacksider-issue, so I can't just give them away." Her frown is apologetic. "Sorry, darlin'."
Anna bites her lip. She does have some money, and while Elsa might flip out over her using it on this, this is something she needs, same as air.
[LaPucelle:] Elsa?
[Rime:] Hm?
[LaPucelle:] How do you feel about headsets?
[Rime:] Headsets? I'm sorry, I'm confused.
[LaPucelle:] I think it'd be easier if we talked on headsets. I can't type as fast as you can, and getting cut off is bad.
[LaPucelle:] T (woman who works at this place) offered to sell me one.
[Rime:] Actually she owns it.
[Rime:] But that's not important right now.
[Rime:] They're expensive.
[LaPucelle:] How did you know that? Wait, whatever, of course you did.
[LaPucelle:] I'm pretty sure I have the money for it. And...I need it.
[LaPucelle:] Wait, do YOU have access to a microphone and speakers?
[LaPucelle:] I'm sorry, I didn't think to ask, and I mean, you could totally not, and
[Rime:] I can make it work.
[Rime:] If it's what you need, Anna, I can make it work.
T is still there, still watching her with warm eyes. Letting her take the time she needs, as if she's the only other person in this bar. Anna bites her lip. "How much?
She names a price, and Anna nods, reaching for her credstick, then thinking better of it and going for some of the loose money she has. "Here." T nods as she takes it, then disappears around a corner for a few minutes before coming back with a slim earpiece and microphone.
"This should just plug into your tablet," she says, handing Anna a wireless widget along with the headset itself. Anna plugs it in and waits.
[LaPucelle:] Headset is plugged in.
[Rime:] Okay. Let me install a thing on your tablet.
[Rime:] And there. Try it?
Anna takes a breath. Her heart is racing for some reason. Anticipation? She'll get to hear her sister's voice for the first time in a very long time. It won't be the child's voice she keeps thinking, even if she knew Frost was older. Well, now Rime. She puts on the headset. "Hello?" she whispers.
There's a long pause. Then the earpiece cracks to life. "Hello, Anna."
The voice is all wrong. Stiff and tinny. It sounds like one of the GPS systems that she's heard in cheaper skycars. "Hey, what the hell? You sound like a robot."
"Oh. It must be a filter setting. Hold on."
Somehow, Anna'd expected Elsa to be better at this. It's actually a little endearing. Proof her sister is human, is real.
"Better?" The voice is still a little stiff, but it sounds like a human woman. Teenager. The word sounds a bit different. But it's still enough to make Anna grin from ear to ear.
"Yeah. Yeah, a lot better."
"Good. I'm glad." There's a bit of a pause, all awkward silence. T's wandered off to another part of the bar, apparently intending to leave Anna to some privacy for her conversation. "I hate to bring this up now, but whatever money you managed to grab isn't going to last forever."
Dammit, she's right. The headset did take a sizable chunk out of her funds, even though it's clearly totally worth it, but she needs that to eat. "I don't even know what I could do down here. Most places aren't looking to hire 15-year-olds."
"None you'd want anyway," Elsar says, voice hard. "There's not a lot. Even fewer I'd want you doing."
"You can't protect me forever, you know. We're in this together."
"I can try." A pause. "But point taken."
Anna drums her fingers against the bar, enjoying the feel of hard wood against her fingernails. She looks out at the rest of the room. It really is a blacksider bar. Most people look to be on the wrong edge of sharp and rough; even she can see the wary looks and tired eyes, the young ones trying to posture or drown themselves in their drinks, while the older ones seem to have just gone straight for the latter. But no one looks hungry, at least, not in the same way she's seen other people down here look. They at least lack that part of desperation. If they're hungry here, it's not for food.
Her eyes are drawn to a table in a corner, occupied by four blacksiders. They're brash and cocky, bright hair and brighter eyes. They can't be much older than she is.
She bolts upright. That's it! "I could be a blacksider."
"Wait, what? Anna, no..." The audio crackles a bit. "What part of 'safe' don't you understand?"
"And what part of 'in this together' don't you get?" Anna huffs. "You did it."
"That was different!"
"I don't see how!"
Elsa makes a frustrated noise. It sounds more like a distorted growl; she really needs to work on her microphone. "Well, for one, I wasn't physically in danger."
Okay, that's a really good point. "Look, I—we need the money. And I wouldn't be alone. You'd help me, right?"
"...you actually have to ask that?" There's a pause, long enough that Anna bites her lip, wondering what Elsa is thinking. "Of course I would."
"All right then." Awesome. Blacksider work paid enough, right? They'd be able to get money for equipment and clothes and food and a place to stay. All that stuff they're going to need if they're even going to have a chance to track down where Elsa's being kept. Except, there's just one problem. "Er...how does one become a blacksider?"
Anna's honestly surprised she can't hear Elsa slamming her head against something, she sounds so resigned. "You have got to be kidding me..."
"Well, lesson one is probably being a little quieter when talking about plans with your partner," T interjects dryly. Anna's head snaps up to stare at the woman, who's calmly drying a glass in front of her. "Honey, blacksider-grade microphone means you barely have to whisper, and it picks up."
She feels the tips of her ears go hot. "Oh."
T hums a little as she continues drying. "No one here's going to bother you about that, though. And I'm probably the only one that overheard you. Now," she says, putting down the glass. "What's this about becoming a blacksider?"
Somehow, it seems harder to explain to a stranger than to Elsa. "I, um, well, I need the work. And my, uh, friend said she's done it before, so she'll help, but she isn't, um, good with people?" Well, that sounds stupid.
T eyes her skeptically. "Your friend sounded none too thrilled with this."
"Yeah, well, um...she's worried?"
"Smart. It ain't an easy path." She puts her hands on her hips. "Although I get the impression I could offer to have you work here bussing tables, and you wouldn't take it."
It is a generous offer, considering the woman doesn't know her at all. But bussing tables won't make enough to find Elsa. "Um, not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but..."
T drops her arms. "Yeah, I figured as much. Don't look so guilty. Everyone down here's got their reasons. Yours ain't anyone's business but your own." She signs and then straightens, looking stern. "I can help you out, but in return, you're going to have to stay here. There's rooms for rent above the bar, and I'll put you up in one of them. I'm not about to have someone your age wandering the streets without a roof over her head, you hear?"
Anna feels like she just got hit in the head with a brick. "Um, yes, ma'am."
"Good, you're polite, always nice to hear. Now grab your things, and I'll take you upstairs. I'll make some calls, and first thing tomorrow, I'll take you to meet the Contessa. She'll be able to teach you." T yells something to the kitchen and then ducks out from behind the bar in the time it takes Anna to scramble out of her seat and grab her bag. She follows after T, nearly stumbling a few times. With the promise of an actual bed, it's like it suddenly hit her just how tired she is.
The room T takes her to isn't anything special. It's barely big enough to fit a bed, a desk, and a storage trunk. But it's clean and dry and warm. "Oh wow, thank you. Are you sure — "
T holds up a hand. "Not another word. Bathrooms through this door, it's private, so no one should bother you. Now get some sleep, all right? You need anything, just find me. I'll see you in the morning." She's halfway out the door when she pauses. "Oh, right. What names should I give the Contessa?"
Right. New names, new people. She can do this. She's going to be a blacksider. Anna takes a breath. "Tell her Arc and Rime. I'm Arc."
T nods. "All right then. Welcome to Sanctuary, Arc."