#goth threads

     It had been a little while since Rose appeared in this city now. She’d spent most of her time behind a book, trying to absorb as much knowledge as she could about this new, unfamiliar world around her. She had also attempted to communicate with a few Septans and off-worlders alike to little avail.

     When she finally left the library, it was dark, and her eyes ached. She wasn’t ready to go home yet though. It still felt cold and alien to her. She walked the streets until a small bar caught her eye.

     Rose stepped inside, met by a warm blast from the heater. When she was like this, in her Grimdark form, the cold didn’t really bother her, but the change of temperature was still very much welcome. She walked straight up to the bar and took a seat. It wasn’t particularly busy that night, so she didn’t have to worry about scaring off too many bar patrons.

     If Rose wanted to find the key to getting back home, she needed to figure out where she was in the first place. She had already spent some time in the local library, studying the lore. She noticed the stark differences between the Septans and the off-worlders, however approaching the locals proved futile. She would get nowhere if every sound that escaped her mouth sent people running and screaming.

     But just maybe, she would have better luck with someone in the same predicament. And that was how she found herself studying this strange, blue-haired man from a distance. He was an off-worlder, without a doubt. But Rose had no idea how to approach him. It was easy enough to avoid speaking, but the strange black tentacles that followed her everywhere weren’t much help either. But there wasn’t really anything she could do about those, for the time being. Deciding, that there was no way she could think herself through this situation, she approached him.

Bright eyes glowed in the dark, darting back and forth as Rose tried to make sense of what had just happened. She had been looking for her girlfriend. It wasn’t like Jade to be out so late. She wandered off, calling for her. And then everything was black. She remembered hearing the Horrorterrors call back to her. It had been years since she heard their horrible voices... The visions were even worse.

When she opened her eyes, a strange city was laid out before her. People shuffled by, frightened when they made eye contact, only to scurry off before she could approach. Rose lowered her head, looking down at her palms, now a ghastly gray. She could feel the black aura looming behind her. Then something twisted in her stomach. She clutched at her abdomen, letting out a cough. A few steps forward, and she caught sight of the local hospital, conveniently right across the street.

Rose stormed into the ER, murky black tentacles shortly behind her. A few patients in the waiting room jumped, and nearly all of them stared in shock. She approached the front desk, slamming her hands on the table to get the attention of a rather large, purple nurse. Rose took mental note of the stark difference between the nurse and the rest of the civilians she had seen so far. And then, she spoke.

     “Hafh ya! Y'ahlloig Y'ah l'bug mgepnog-”