trans_9 | (no subject)

Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

There was condensation and mist spraying out from cracks in oblong glowing things that were clustered along the floors and walls of the huge, ancient-looking caverns.

For now, the ones that were cracking were the closest to the floor, but perhaps later, the figures sliding out of the pods would be sliding out onto the slimy walkways and platforms above.

Pop. Poppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiissss.

There was light, and unconscious minds breaking through the top of the briny, harsh waters of consciousness, as their bodies did similarly and broke free from the pods, sliding to the floor, shivering in pools of slime.

Once the temporary blindness that some of them had passed, and once they were free of their sleepy stupors: somebody had some splainin' to do.

But there would be no explanations, as the only thing that could explain was only watching, silently, almost as a mother would look at their child right after it was born.

Pop. KASCHUNKhissss.

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Moments - or maybe months - before, Faith had been on an airplane to London, and then there was some kind of a flash, or maybe like a flash turned inside out, and now -

Now she was naked on the floor, covered in demon snot. "What in the fucking - ew!" She tried to jump to her feet, but either she had a severe case of death-vertigo, or the place was moving, or the snot was extra slimy, but she just slid back down and smashed into the floor.

"Is this hell?" she muttered, looking around wildly for Ubervamps, demons, something to figure out where in the hell she was - literally and figuratively.

||This is not Hell, Faith Lehane.||

Calm and monotonous, the new voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

||Do you require any assistance?||

Faith scrambled to her feet, somehow managing to stay up. She instinctively reached for her stake, but it wasn't to be found. Since she was, you know, naked.

"Where am I? Who are you?" she demanded loudly. She stood completely still, listening, to try to figure out where the voice was coming from.

A bit of slime dripped off the tip of her nose, and Faith tried not to hurl.

||You are in The Pod Caverns.|| the voice explained soothingly. And she was -- the dim lighting didn't hide the vast number of fleshy-looking pods, much like the one Faith had just fallen out of. And there were thousands of them. Hundreds of thousands.

||My name is --|| There was a burst of telepathic warmth and kindness in Faith's head. A sense of maternal love, above everything else. ||The closet pronunciation is STA'C K'LTRRB'TXFT. But you can call me Stacy.||

It took everything in Faith's power to not burst into tears upon the rush of love in her head. That was not okay.

"Stacy, huh?" she said gruffly. She looked around at the - pods. It was freaky. "Why am I here? What's going on? Have I died?" the Slayer demanded.

And although Faith could normally not care less about clothing, she added, "And give me clothes or a towel or something, it's cold."

||Information Classified. Information Classified. You are not dead.|| Stacy answered simply. As she 'spoke', a line of pustules on the floor at Faith's feet began to light up, leading off in on direction.

||This way will take you to the Clothing Room.||

Maybe it was from unsurety, or exhaustion, or maybe because she really wasn't used to this maternal-y love crap, but Faith sort of almost trusted this voice. Which worried the rational part of her considerably, but at this point, the rational part of her was vastly outweighed by the cold, naked part of her.

"You know, those are really gross," Faith commented as she followed the pustules. "Like giant pimples or something. So are my clothes in here, or - holy shit."

She looked around at the giant spiraling caverns, and kept going, albeit pretty slowly. Her Slayer senses were on alert, and she could feel her heart pounding the same way it did during the final Sunnydale battle. It was exhilarating. If only she had her stake.

Faith followed the pustules to the doorway and entered, taking note of the weird vines hanging from the ceiling. "Hey, uh, Stacy, what's all this about?"

||This is the Clothing Room.|| Stacy answered. ||Please move to the center of the room.||

"What? Where are my clothes?" the Slayer asked, stepping unwillingly into the centre. "Are the vines going to pick them - arrrrrgh!"

The vines wrapped themselves gently but firmly around the Slayer, lifting her up off the floor. A few moments later, they set her back down, having dressed her in a dark, membranous material. It was surprisingly comfortable.

Also, most of the remaining pod goop was gone.

Faith was shaking slightly, bordering on twitching. She touched the material, which felt sort of like a second skin.

"Fabulous. Five by five. What do I do now?" she asked.

||Now you may proceed to the Weapons and Possessions Locker.|| Stacy replied. Another line of pustules on the floor lit up. ||This way, please.||

This is the weirdest day ever.

But Faith followed obligingly enough, though she kept her eyes open, ready to attack the first person she saw.

Unless he was naked and covered in snot.

The lights lead her to a door, which opened as she approached, revealing a cramped tube.

||The Hub will take you where you wish to go.|| Stacy informed her.

"Uh... okay."

Faith stepped inside, and shlooped off.