Perdition-Last Chance [Open, but you MUST read the OOC before hopping in]

[Drobabes]

He saw her struggling to keep her footing and or course, being the gentleman he was raised to be, offered his hand once more for support. He had a quizzical look on his face as they walked, but waited to speak until they were just before the doors of the bar. He reached forward and pulled the door open for them.

"I don't think I follow. Is that part of some act?"

He then gave her a bit of a goofy grin.

"It would make sense, a run down ol'town like this couldn't possibly hold such pretty misses such as yourself unless you were an actre-"

He stops short as he looks inside the bar and takes it in.

It was huge; much larger than he was sure was possible from the way it had looked outside. It had to be at least a football field, if not more, and there were stairs leading higher than the roof he had helped Darla climb down from.

"What in the hell?" He says under his breath.

Had somebody drugged him? Or was the front of the building an illusion and he was on some weird TV show?

 

[Poprockz]

He was so polite and helpful, offering her a hand as they moved across the mushy landscape. Darla figured he was contemplating why Perdition did what it did as they walked, as he seemed lost in thought for several moments.

When he asked his question she cocked her head to the side, wondering what he meant by that. "An act?"

He continued speaking and didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, though she knew where he was going with it. She was flattered that he thought she was attractive, but that didn't distract her from the fact that he was speaking as though he didn't recognize this place or the situation he was in.

The sudden realization hit her and her eyes widened in surprise and sympathy. He must have had an unexpected death to not realize where he was. Darla had the "luxury" of having known when her time was up, being that it was decided for her. It had been her time to follow those she had sent ahead of herself. She imagined that a lot of the other people had found out the hard way: suicide. Having been fed up with the confusing and frightful possibilities of this place, many had tried to escape in a final desperate attempt, only to find themselves back in their rooms to begin again.

Her eyes drifted down to his shirt and she examined it, noticing that it looked like maybe he was shot or stabbed. She reached out and traced her fingers along the fabric, her nails just a few shades brighter than the blood stains.

"Come drink with me. I think you're going to need something stiff for this." Darla took his hand and led him over to a booth and sat down, a pomegranate martini appearing before her.

 

[Drobabes]

His eyes were drawn away from the stairs as a light touch tickled his stomach, and he suddenly remembered the weird situation that he had woken up to. As she led him to the bar, he was a little more stiff and his walking had slowed, an instinctual nervous feeling bubbling up in his chest and making him swallow.

"How did you do that?"

That goofy grin hasn't quite dropped from his face, but now it's a little more tight, a little more nervous.

 

[Poprockz]

She took a long sip of her drink and then set it back down, her eyes flicking back up to him. His question was left unanswered, but instead she asked a question in return.

"What would you like to drink right now, if you could pick anything?" Her eyes studied him, noticing that he seemed a bit on edge. It was possible that when he got the news, he might have a breakdown or become violent, so she wanted to make sure she got a bit of a heads-up if that was the case. Being stabbed by a piece of martini glass was not on her agenda for the day.

 

[Drobabes]

He took a seat opposite of her, looked around, then looked back at her. He suddenly didn't feel like his charming self, so for the time being he dropped the accent.

"I wasn't really planning on drinking this early in the day, but it being a bar, I guess a good IPA would do m-"

He visibly flinches as a tall glass appears before him, containing a dark liquid with plenty of white froth on the top. For a moment he just stares at it. Then after a beat he reaches out, takes it, and gives it a taste.

His hand sets it down slowly, he smiles again, and then ducks his head down to look under the table. When he comes back up, he's got that puzzled look on his face again, and now his hands are feeling around under the table, then along the crevices of the seat, on top of the table...

 

[Poprockz]

Her eyebrow raised. A sudden switch in accent? Did he use the accent in his everyday speech on purpose, or was that his default and this new manner of speech was brought on by stress? These were interesting questions, but it was obvious that now wasn't the time to ask them.

Darla watched the drink appear, knowing that the bar would grant whatever tastes he was craving. She had once seen someone drinking mayo out of a glass in the bar, and that was a memory she wouldn't soon forget. It had almost made her heave.

In any case, the checking under the table was expected. It was almost a rite of passage for new people as no one believed at first that the bar simply materialized their drink out of thin air. She reached out and took one of his hands to grab his attention.

"Are you a religious person, Toby? Where do you believe people go when they die?" She asked softly, taking another drink.

 

[Drobabes]

He stops his nervous inspection as her soft hand finds his, and he meets her gaze. It's obvious that he's thinking hard, as his brow furrows and he takes a long while to answer.

"I guess I never really put much thought into it before..." He says quietly.

Gently, he pulls his hand free and looks down at his shirt, inspecting it carefully. All that blood and and torn holes, but not a single mark on his chest even though the memory of the pain was so very fresh and real.

When next he meets her eyes, and only briefly, there appears to be some moisture in his own. The drink finds it's way back into his hands and he doesn't put it down until he has drained it, and then he sits it down carefully.

"Hmm."

He pulls his hat off, runs a hand through his semi-long black hair, and then deciding he doesn't like the feel of how greasy it is, puts it back on.

"Don't suppose you're going to tell me this is all some elaborate dream, are you Darla?"

 

[Poprockz]

She simply watched as he worked it out on his own, waiting for his reaction. The fact that he had withdrawn from her hand didn't bother her; after all, it was quite a shock and many people reacted differently or needed different methods of comfort. Her head nodded as she saw him looking at his shirt and probably coming to the conclusion that his last memories were more than they seemed. What the circumstances of his death were, she didn't know and didn't intend on asking. That would probably open up a can of worms for both of them, so it was likely best to keep a certain level of privacy regarding their past lives.

Darla felt a bit sorry for him, seeing his eyes becoming glossy from his newfound realization.

"I'm afraid not. This is Perdition, and it's where we go until we're... sorted out, I guess. People who haven't done enough good or bad to warrant a decision... or bad people who someone has decided might be redeemable." Her smile became a bit weak, the woman retreating back to her martini to take another numbing drink of the tart beverage.

 

[Drobabes]

"Hmm" is all he can manage.

He puts both his hands on the table, interweaving them together, and takes another slow look around the bar. By the time his eyes come back around another drink has appeared before him, this time what looks to be just a plain clear shot.

He doesn't flinch this time, but he does sit back in his seat a bit before sort of wagging his finger at the drink.

"I don't...I don't think I'm gonna get used to that."

He doesn't exactly hesitate to try it, but after a small sip, he let's out a very loud, and very real, nervous laugh before throwing it back. The glass shakes and rattles against the hardwood as he sets it down.

"Moonshine. My dads moonshine. This uh...place trying to prove something to me, or did I do that to myself? And what do you mean judgement? What, like purgatory or something?"

 

[Poprockz]

She shrugged, "I don't know about that. Most of us get used to it within the first couple weeks. I imagine the majority of us order enough drinks at first to get used to just about anything." Her hand picked up her martini glass and she swirled it a bit, watching the clear red liquid as it moved.

Darla noticed how much his hand was shaking as he put the glass down; it only reinforced the nervousness of his previous laugh. He seemed to be taking it all okay so far, but there was no telling what would happen once it sunk in. She couldn't entirely relate, but she knew it was hard for everyone to accept.

"The bar gets you whatever you want, food-wise. Drinks, food, etcetera. So you probably either asked it to, or secretly wanted it." She paused and nodded thoughtfully, "yes. Exactly like purgatory, only this place is called Perdition. I can't quite remember who told me that, but it's something we all know."

Come to think of it, it was pretty odd that she knew what it was called without having memory of the name. It wasn't listed anywhere that she could think of, but she had to have gotten it from somewhere. She tapped the side of her glass with her nail, lost in thought.

 

[Drobabes]

A long few minutes of silence pass after that, only being interrupted briefly as another few shots appear before them, and he drinks them down.

Finally, he lets out a long sigh.

"Well I'm sure you're used to hearing this" a little of that well practiced accent was edging back into his voice.

"But I'm having a hard time believin' it all."

His hand comes up, hesitates, then reaches out. A cold beer materializes. He laughs and shakes his head a little.

"That just ain't right...

So...how long have you been here Ms.Darla?"

Whatever answer she gave him would give him a better understanding of just what he might be in for.

 

[Poprockz]

He sure was drinking quite a bit, but she wasn't going to stop him. It's not like he could permanently die from alcohol poisoning or anything.

Darla looked at his beer, the top of it looking a bit frothy. "It's hard to believe, I know. I've been here for about six months. I made a few friends here and there, but mostly I keep to myself. It's dangerous for a woman to be wandering around in a place that has no rules." Her eyes traveled around the bar, pausing on certain men who she knew were more dangerous than others.

The woman's gaze returned to him and she gave him a sad little smile. "Some people have been here for more than a hundred years, still not sorted one way or the other. I hope to god I'm not here that long."

 

[Drobabes]

So, six months to a hundred years huh? That was almost harder to take in than the fact he might actually be dead.

He watched her gaze turn outward as she spoke, and he looked as well. He wanted to know who to keep an eye on too. Unfortunately, he was quite used to a lawless, or at least, take matters into your own hands, type of land.

"I'm sorry Ms.Darla."

There was a sincerity in his voice that hinted at him knowing more than a young man should know, and he had a suspicion she was a like spirit. The world was cruel. It didn't appear as if the after life was much better.

He stood up then, solid on his own two feet, and looked around. Then he gave her a sort of sad, wilting smile. The best he could manage at the moment.

"Would you mind showing me where folks around here go to sleep? Or do y'all not get that luxury here?"

He wasn't asking her to come lay with him, if anything, he was more concerned with making sure she got to her own bed safely after hearing what she had to say.

 

[Poprockz]

That look and the way he said he was sorry, it seemed very heartfelt. It was as though all the terrible things that could possibly happen had passed through his mind and all he could do was apologize for the way things were. There was no way to tell what the scope of the horrible things were that he was able to imagine, not knowing his background, but she imagined he got the gist. She didn't want his sympathy, but it was a nice gesture of support on his part to utter those simple words.

Her head tilted upward as he stood, impressed that he wasn't falling over himself from all the booze he had consumed. She also stood, her martini disappearing from the table as though it was never there.

"That would be upstairs. We do get to sleep, which is a blessing in of itself. For some people, it's all they do, withering away in their rooms as they wait for an end that won't come. Honestly, that's too boring for me. I like to sleep every night, or use my room for other activities, but that's about the extent of it." Darla walked to one of the staircases, gestured to him to follow, and then started climbing. Once again, her ass swayed back and forth in front of him as they ascended.

"Everyone has their own room, but yours is for you to find. If you wander the halls for a bit, I'm sure you'll find it. Don't ask me how it works, but it's almost like you already know where it is, you just have to let your legs take you there." Upon reaching the top of the staircase, they walked for a bit side-by-side, their footsteps echoing.

In the hall, people could be heard in their rooms. Some of them were crying or wailing, while others were cursing and throwing objects against the walls. A couple of them had explicit noises of desire and pleasure, loud moans and rhythmic thumping.

 

[Drobabes]

The alcohol was effecting him, numbing away many of the fears and anxieties that wanted to bubble up in him all at once, and making it much harder to ignore his more primal urges. He had only just met the women, but already he wanted to reach out and grab her by the hips and pull her ass to his groin. Instead he shoved his hands into his jean pockets, adjusted himself as inconspicuously as he could, and tried not to sway as they walked.

He looked all around the halls and gave glances towards the rooms, taking a slight interest in the noises, but really, he was more focused on the next move. The next footstep, the next words from her pretty lips. He didn't want to think too hard tonight, there would be time for that later. Right now all he wanted was a distraction, whatever form that took. Almost regretting not taking more of the booz with him, he looks over his shoulder behind them, half wondering if he should head back down after he finds his room.

Two large men were walking in the hall behind them, a few yards back, with their eyes trained on them. One of them meets Tobys eyes and gives him a hard glare, so Toby returns the favour before turning his attention back ahead. He takes a few steps towards Darla and drunkenly wraps an arm around her shoulder.

"Woops, sorry hunny. I ain't usually got such a problem holdin my liquer" his voice is loud, the accent exaggerated, and though he is leaning on her as if he's shit faced, Darla can feel he's keeping his own center of gravity well below his own two feet.

In a hushed tone, he asks:

"Friends of yours? If they feel like teachin the new boy a lesson, I don't want you involved."

He tipped his hat forward a little on his head.

"You smell good by the way" he said as a sort of afterthought. Or maybe that was the booze talking.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla had noticed the two men following them, but hadn't been quite sure how to proceed. Her default plan was getting herself and Toby to one of their rooms and locking themselves inside until they got bored and left- that was what she usually did, after all.

She wasn't expecting Toby to put his arm around her and lean against her, so they lurched to the side for a moment before they both pulled themselves back into a centered stance. The smell of alcohol on his breath was one she had become accustomed to in this place, as drinking was likely the pastime of most in Perdition. Darla assumed that he the alcohol was truly hitting him hard until she felt the way his body adjusted.

The woman couldn't help but think of how nice it felt to have him draped around her, his warm body pressing against hers as they continued forward. In his efforts to look drunk, he accidentally brushed her breast with his hand, but she ignored it for now. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

Though she was aware of being followed, she hadn't checked to see who it was. As he whispered his inquiry, she glanced behind her almost imperceptibly. She pursed her lips for a moment before whispering, "they follow me every now and then, thinking that one of these days they'll catch me and get a taste, but I usually just hide or outrun them." Her eyes searched the doors, trying to see if any of them felt familiar.

His comment about her scent made a small smile appear on her lips, but she didn't answer it.

"You look like a strong guy, but you're a little tipsy and here, murder is an everyday occurrence. Do any of the doors feel familiar to you?" If they could only find one of their rooms, she would be able to get them both to safety. He didn't deserve to be stabbed or beaten to death on his first day there.

 

[Drobabes]

"You look like a strong guy, but you're a little tipsy..."

She was right. In his panic trying to come to terms with his new reality, he had definitely gone a little overboard. It wasn't the first time though, so he knew that he had roughly half an hour before it really started to hit him. Plenty of time to find a room. If the assholes behind them didn't try anything, that was.

"...and here, murder is an everyday occurrence. Do any of the doors feel familiar to you?"

He smiles a little at that, but tucks it away for future contemplation. That might come in handy.

"No, not yet.

He kept his arm around her shoulder and relaxed, trying to just walk and let his feet take him where he needed to go, as she had suggested. It was a quiet walk for a few moments, only interrupted by the sounds emanating from the rooms and the heavy booted footsteps behind them.

Right about the time those heavy steps started to speed up, Toby suddenly grabbed Darla around the waist and shuffled her into an open door. He still had an arm wrapped around her waist protectively as he slammed the door shut behind them and locked it.

"Haha! Not tonight boys!" He yelled loudly at the frame as the sound of the handle rattled loudly and the men on the other side gave the wood a few good kicks.

"Woo little doggys! Better luck next time ye'goat fuckers!"

He did a little fist pump towards the door, and was laughing as he turned back to face Darla. It slowly turned to a soft chuckle as he found her just an inch from his chest, his arm still around her and feeling her warmth.

 

[Poprockz]

She had been starting to get a little more nervous when she heard the boots speed up behind them. Darla was no match for either of them, so if they caught up, she wouldn't be able to help him if they decided he needed a good beat-down. On the other hand, if they simply knocked him out cold, then she could only imagine the things they would do to her. There were stories of women being kept in rooms for weeks, tied up to be used for the man's pleasure whenever he wanted it. Those who escaped typically did so by finding a sharp object; if it didn't work on the ropes, it would always have another use.

However, a wave of relief hit her as she found herself pushed into a room, a locked door now between themselves and the two men. She jumped from the first loud kick of the door, but mostly grinned, happy to be safe. It was then that she realized that his arm was around her waist, holding her close to him as he whooped and taunted the men outside.

When his gaze turned to her, she simply stood still and looked back at him. His body was so close, if he pulled her any closer they would be pressed together. Not that it would be a bad thing, especially with his charm and his looks making her feel more comfortable with him by the second. For a moment she wondered what he tasted like, her panties still damp from her earlier activities.

Clearing her throat, she chuckled and looked around the room, unable to hold his gaze. Each room was specific to the person staying in it and was decorated as such. Her own room looked like a college dorm room with a bookshelf, desk, and twin bed. There was a large chest full of sex toys at the foot of her bed. At first she thought it was some kind of joke, but more and more she found herself using them to give herself some pleasure in this godforsaken place.

 

[Drobabes]

The shade of her lips, pulled up into such a sweet smile, and the softness of her eyes made him want to lean down and kiss her. He was contemplating doing just that, but then she turned away and he let his arm slowly fall away from her side. A small whistle left his lips as he looked around as well.

The room looked like an add for a winter cabin vacation. A few wooden bench seats were carefully placed around a mahogany table in the right corner, with a low lamp light and small bookshelf beside it. To the left of the room was a huge king size bed, covered in thick warm fur blankets, and, in the middle of the room, blending the furniture together and adding an atmospheric touch, there sat a dark brown love seat with silky soft black throw pillows and an old fashion wood stove fire-a few large logs crackling and burning away quietly.

Toby walked over to the loveseat slowly, taking it all in with a big smile.

"You sure this place is purgatory and not heaven? My whole life I've tried to play the role of the cowboy, but I could never have afforded something like this."

 

[Poprockz]

Darla looked around, wide-eyed and impressed with what he had been given. She would have killed (metaphorically speaking) to get a room like this, but instead Perdition had very clearly told her to go fuck herself.

“I’m sure, cowboy.” She chuckled and sauntered slowly over to the stove, holding out her hands to feel the warmth of the crackling fire. “Honestly, I’m a bit envious of what you got. Mine looks like a broke college student’s dorm room. Since you showed me yours, maybe I’ll show you mine sometime.” Her voice was playful, her blue eyes glancing at him with a sly smile on her red lips.

Walking back over to the loveseat, she reached out and felt one of the silky pillows, delighted at the way her fingers slipped over the fabric. She realized she was still wearing his jacket and she took it off, laying it down on the arm of the loveseat. It was so warm and cozy in his room that she really didn’t need it. As a result, the faintest hint of red could be seen through her white blouse, hinting at the fact that the bra she was wearing was a red one, just like her lips and nails. Red seemed to be a theme with her, which served her since she wore it so well.

It had been a while since she had scene the bloodied knife, so she didn’t expect to see it when she looked over at the table. She blanched and looked away quickly, focusing on the pillow again as she bit her lip nervously. “So, um. What made you want to be a cowboy? Besides making all the girls swoon, of course?”

 

[Drobabes]

"Since you showed me yours, maybe I’ll show you mine sometime.”

He peeled his eyes away to look at her, his smile matching her own. Was she flirting with him? He felt like she was, but that could just be the moonshine going to his head.


"So, um. What made you want to be a cowboy? Besides making all the girls swoon, of course?”

Walking over to to stand beside her, he gave her that goofy grin again.

"Is there a better reason?"

So badly he wanted to reach out and touch her. Everything about her was attracting him, and he was having a hard time keeping himself a polite distance away. He wondered briefly how she would react if he took her hand and pulled her down to the couch with him. Lost in thought, he stared a little too long and now it was his turn to clear his throat as he took a seat himself, suddenly feeling not as sure footed.

"I guess it just felt natural. Been helping my dad with the ranch for my whole life. Bringing the cows in, feeding the chickens and sheep, fixing the fences in summer. You know, all that cliche stuff."

He leans back in the seat and makes himself comfortable, putting his arm up over the back, but he leaves plenty of room for Darla to take a seat if she wanted, hoping that she would.

 

[Poprockz]

She laughed at that big goofy grin. It pulled her in and made her want to trust this good-humored man. The way his whole face lit up was contagious and she couldn't help but return his smile with her own. Their eyes met as it seemed like he was on the edge of saying something, so she silently waited for him to speak. Her eyes looked at him expectantly as the silence went on for just a little too long.

Darla wondered if he had lost his train of thought or if the booze was starting to really get to him, especially when he plopped himself down on the small sofa. However, he started to speak again and it didn't seem like his words were slurring, so he couldn't be that far gone yet.

"So you were a farm boy, hm? I'm a city girl myself, so I can't say I know a whole lot about life on a farm in general. It sounds like tough work, though." She saw that there was space for her and she took off her shoes, bending over to roll up her slacks just a bit. They had been a bit stained with mud, so she wanted to get that out of the way before getting comfortable. Darla sat down and tucked her legs underneath herself,leaning back against it. She was aware of the proximity of his arm, of how with one movement he could pull her to himself or make a move, but she thought to herself that she might not mind.

Her hands fiddled with her loose red tie as they sat together in his warm room. There was no telling whether the two men had given up yet, so it was safer to stay in here with him. "Hey, would you mind if I stayed the night? I'm not sure how long they're planning to stake this place out, so I figured it would be better to just wait it out if that's okay." Her blue eyes looked at him hopefully, her blond locks framing her dainty face.

 

[Drobabes]

"When you've been doing something your whole life, you get used to it, but it does take it's toll. My dad had me when he was real young, and already he's gotten some aches and...pains..."

Had she meant to put her ass that close to his face? Suddenly the room felt hot, and he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol.

"Hey, would you mind if I stayed the night? I'm not sure how long they're planning to stake this place out, so I figured it would be better to just wait it out if that's okay."

"I don't mind at all. After everything that's happened today, I wouldn't mind staying up with you all night."

He hadn't meant for it to sound like an innuendo, but once it was out of his mouth, he couldn't take it back. He found he didn't want to either.

"Darla?" He asked as he leaned forward a little, looking down at her.

"Maybe it's just the booze and your good looks, but I really want to kiss you.." His voice was quiet and husky.

 

[Poprockz]

A small smirk lit her face when he uttered the unintentional innuendo, especially from the way his face had a moment of realization, having not intended it in the first place. He seemed so well-mannered; charming was really the most accurate word she could use to describe him.

She noticed his posture changing, his body adjusting his position as he leaned closer to her, his eyes looking at her with an intensity she recognized. His chocolate-colored eyes were so gentle as he said her name as a lead-in to something bigger.

Darla's heart fluttered a bit when he came out and said what he wanted, her eyes flicking down to his soft lips before returning to his eyes. She decided to herself that tonight, she wouldn't mind seeing what it was like to feel a pair of ranch hands on her body.

"Do you, now?" Her body leaned forward until her lips were only a few inches from his, tantalizingly close to him. Close enough that he could feel her breath when she continued in a soft voice, "How much do you want it?"

 

[Drobabes]

She was intoxicating, more than any fine liquor could ever be. As she leaned even closer, he lost the last dreads of fear that had been clutching onto him since he woke up. There was only here and now, and a women that wanted to know how bad he wanted her. He didn't leave her guessing.

He moved a hand up to cup the side of her face gently as he pulled her to him, and, finally, tasted her sweet lips. He was hungry for her, but he forced himself to be slow, savouring. Lingering. Truly enjoying how soft and plump they felt against his own, and only moving to get a better angle and take in more of her sweet fragrance.