Shatter EP

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

A few hours of walking north of the Grand Canyon, there is a FLASH followed by a BANG with the immediate appearance of a small, skinny teenager standing where nothing had been standing before. She freezes, dark eyes tracking this way and that, the quickness of the motion the only clue to her panic.

Then, a few feet away, there's a FLASH followed by a BANG with the immediate appearance of a large, floppy bloodhound in mid-distressed bark.

A bark which rapidly transforms into a yap of contentment as it spots the girl and trots toward her, long ears flapping.

Jordan Harper grins at her dog, but it only lasts for a moment. While she scratches the creature's ears, she looks around at the desolate bit of land she landed in.

Nothing that can do this, in her experience, should or could be ignored.

Comments

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

There is a tree nearby. It's an old tree, mostly dead, no leaves on the branches. But what is on the branches...

Someone has decorated the tree with hundreds of mirrors, dangling on threads. Tied to each thread are numerous small slips of paper, prayers written to a god who listens.

Speaking of whom, there's Mort, watching the new arrival from his hom inside the mirrors.

"Hello there."

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Glancing sharply over to where the voice had come from, Jordan frowns a little when there's nothing there.

And then notices the mirrors.

And then the faces inside the mirrors.

She nods a hello, gesturing to Journey (or what looks like a gesture to the god as she reaches for the handgun tucked against her spine).

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

Mort folds his hands together. He doesn't smile, but the hint is there. "Welcome, to New Earth."

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

"New?"

Phrased like a question, soft and curious. Jordan doesn't fake being scared well, but she's definitely unnerved.

Beside her, the bloodhound looks up at her mistress with a soft whine, before looking off at the same tree and growling a little. It's obviously in response to the change in Jordan's posture and tone more than actually being able to see anything.

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

"That's one name being discussed for it anyways."
He gestures absently, and the mirrors swing with out wind.

"This world faced a great catastrophe. It near to ended. And now... it seeks people to repopulate it."

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Eyebrows lift high. She's only heard of one creature that has the power and the inclination to do something like this but Jordan has no clue why one of them would be interested in her. She was on the trail of a shapeshifter.

And so far as she knows, only a trickster would think this was funny.

"Oh?"

She's going to need a lot more information before taking any action.

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

"Indeed." However, if she needs more information, she's going to have to ask for it.

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

The silence lies between them for a moment before Jordan realizes that, however. Her lips curl into a faint smile and she sets a hand on the bloodhound's head, stilling the soft growls.

"And... if I don't want to have any part of a repopulation effort?

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

"It's not one of those things we're given a choice over."

Mort cocks his head to one side.

"Do you think this is my ideal of a good place to hang around?"

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Her lips quirk before she can stop it, a tiny amused smile quickly hidden.

"You're a sentient reflection," she points out quietly, with as much gentle tact as she can muster.

How the should she know where he'd like to hang around?

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

"I'm a man who has been granted the powers of a god." He raps his fingers against the inside of the mirror.

"Granted, my only areas of affection are Prophecy and Reflection, but I'd rather be dealing with them on my own world."

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

"Do most people know that by looking at you?"

This is what her mother talks about when she says Jordan has a sixth sense: from anyone else, the question would be sarcastic, or at least teasing. From Jordan, it sounds only curious, as well as carefully reminding the listener of her situation.

Because really, there's nothing proving that Mort isn't the one that brought her here in the first place.

[godofshiny.livejournal.com]

"You'd be amazed how many do." Mort replies quite dryly.

[blueisboring.livejournal.com]

Ai-Ling gave the Grand Canyon a very wide berth when she noticed the dragons. It's a shame, because she missed something breathtaking.

Now, the teenager is trekking along the desert road, having abandonned her sled along with most of her possessions whe she decided she'd be better with this back pack she found. Her spear is strapped between her back and the bag. Since she shed her leathers, it's the only object that speaks of her time in the Water Tribe.

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Jordan has nothing that really speaks of home. Nothing obvious, anyway. It's in the little things, the amulet she wears, the bracelet, a ring. Her tattoo is basically hidden, unless someone were to find a way to look at the underside of her chin.

And Journey's collar? Well, a lot of people put weird designs on dog collars. No one needs to know that the bloodhound's happens to be special.

But she sees the girl - the dog, not Jordan. And while Journey is an exceptionally well trained hound, she also got quite a scare from the talking mirrors. She gives an excited bark and takes off.

Jordan just smiles a little and doesn't have the heart to yell. She does whistle sharply before Ai-Ling can be tackled, though, and Journey stops short and sits in front of the other girl, tail thumping thunderously on the ground.

[blueisboring.livejournal.com]

Dogs do that; they love making friends and the boisterous approach of a dog intent and excited about making a new aquaintance is familiar to everyone who comes from a culture in which dogs are integrated members of society.

However, Ai-Ling isn't from one of these cultures. To her, all that happened is a strange wolf-like animal barked and charged at her. She loves animals, but if Jordan hadn't whistled, she was well prepared to defend herself from attack.

But there was a whistle, and there's not longer an animal attacking her. Ai-Ling gives Journey a suspicious look, and shares it with Jordan.

A suspicious look and a raised chin.

"Is he with you?"

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Jordan nods, smile fading into a more apologetic expression in response to Ai-Ling's look.

"She."

It's important.

And Journey is whiiiiiiiiiining because there's people and she wants to say hi.

[blueisboring.livejournal.com]

"She." Ai-Ling corrects herself, and allows a tiny smile, if only to accept the implied apology. But because the 'she' doesn't sound happy, there's a brighter smile turned that way.

"What is she?"

It's a perfectly acceptable question whe you're used to the kind of animals Ai-Ling grew up with.

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Of course. Or if you're just not used to hound dogs. People from cities tend not to be. Something about the howling.

So Jordan just smiles and approaches, because Ai-Ling hasn't told her not to. It makes Journey go nuts, though, since she still hasn't been told she can move. "A bloodhound," is the answer Jordan offers, smiling fondly at the dog as she approaches, and then looks to Ai-Ling again. "She's just excited. I won't let her jump on you."

[blueisboring.livejournal.com]

The tenseness that accompanied Journey's approach doesn't greet Jordan. Ai-Ling has her right thumb tucked in the empty belt loops of her jeans, which brings it close - but not threateningly so - to her sword,and her demeaour is confident and relaxed.

"Good. I don't much like being jumped on."

She frowns slightly at the name blood-hound. It doesn't sound savoury.

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

She's got a sword. That answers any questions Jordan might have had about her meeting with the mirrors being a fluke.

She only glances at the weapon, though. Then she's smiling at her dog and looking at Ai-Ling with slightly lifted eyebrows. "She just wants you to pet her. You don't have to."

Journey whiiiiiiines and is only slightly mollified when Jordan scritches her ears.

[blueisboring.livejournal.com]

And to Ai-Ling it's something so normal that it was only ow that the narration saw fit to mention it. She may or may not have seen a glance to it; some people have weapons, some don't. This one has sentimental value.

"Oh," she says, and unhooks her hand, holding it out tentatively to the animal's head. "I don't mind. I like animals."

Sometimes she likes to eat them, but she won't.

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Well, Jordan would hope not. It would be a weird thing to fight someone over.

...assuming Ai-Ling is human, anyway.

Journey's tail goes a mile a minute as soon as Ai-Ling reaches out toward her, excited and wriggly all over. Her massive tongue lolls out of her mouth and she grins a happy dog grin at Ai-Ling hopefully.

Jordan just grins and glances around, looking away from them. She knows her dog and knows the hound won't move unless she tells her to.

[blueisboring.livejournal.com]

Happy grins produce return grins and Ai-Ling pats the top of the dog's head tentatively and then strokes it gently.

"What's her name?"

[littlegal-lost.livejournal.com]

Journey is about to die of love here, wriggly and happy and excited but staying obediently still.

Jordan just smiles as she returns her gaze to Ai-Ling, apparently pleased with the question. "Journey," she replies. And, after a moment, "I'm Jordan."