2020-07-05 Places of Power

Places of Power

Participants: Jinny Luu

Location: Armageddon Highway

Date and Time: July 5, 2020 10:00 am

Summary: A special mission and the birth of a Chantry

Mood Music: Kate Bush - "Lily"

It's been about a week since the Curse took Luu and shook her in its jaws. And before any misogynistic types start making the off-color jokes, no, it's not that kind of curse, but rather the mystical storybook type that compelled a person to do something as a punishment for not fulfilling a vow. The Foreboding Jacobean, the site of a party originally for one, a party that quickly shifted to a party for two after a frantic phone call, had been transformed into a recovery center of sorts. Luu had been confined to her bed to heal from her ordeal while Jinny did her best to make her best friend as comfortable as possible. While this did include little things like giving little massages to legs and shoulders, small meals that could be eaten in bed, and helping her out with baths from time to time, it also included more personal things, like trips to the bathroom on the wheelchair when the other woman's legs threatened to give out beneath her. All through it, Jinny was quiet and supportive, providing conversation, a shoulder to lean on, and some much needed distraction from the continual protest her body was giving. "I don't know much Life magic." Jinny confessed. "I know we could get someone out here to wave a hand and solve all your issues but..." She trailed off. "It might annoy the skates if you skip the consequences."

That is a sentence that she never thought she'd utter, but then, she's only been a Mage for a few years.

It would be ghoulish to loom over Luu while she slept, so when Luu lost consciousness to recover and heal, Jinny did her best to keep herself busy by taking care of things that would almost certainly need to be taken care of. Things like dishes. Laundry. The pool of vomit on the floor of the ballroom. She always liked cleaning, even if it wasn't her own place, and it gave her a sense of accomplishment to remember what a room looked like before she started and then again when she was done. It wasn't a deep cleaning, of course; after all, a girl had to have her secrets and the last thing Jinny wanted to do was go digging in a drawer and find out something that Luu was keeping secret. She hoped to find her skate, though - ever since her slip and fall in the bathroom, the ROCKET BUNNY skate was nowhere to be seen. The cleaning consisted of the rooms she'd been in and none of the others and, even then, it took her a good day or so to get her bearings before she started in on things, keeping her phone nearby in case Luu called and needed something from downstairs.

During all of this, Jinny had spent evenings (the first surprise one notwithstanding) on the couch in the bedroom with Luu, a blanket and a pillow (festooned with Gray aliens, naturally) scavenged from a spare bedroom somewhere to keep her covered and warm. Her dreams, normally fanciful and carefree, were more prophetic than usual, showing her images of a cave, of a light flickering out, of something she couldn't entirely make out through the mists. The thing she could make out? The city, calling her name, taking her sleeping form in its hands and cradling it close, whispering hopes, dreams, desires into her sleeping psyche, leaving little droplets of inspiration to draw together into one gleaming, shining thought.

One morning Jinny awakens with a gasp, her eyes fluttering open, gazing forward, unblinking, sitting up from her spot on the couch, back rigid. The breath she didn't know she was holding is released and, moment by moment, the tension slowly starts to seep from her tailbone into the earth below until she relaxes slightly. Smacking her lips, Jinny runs her fingers through her hair and looks towards the bed, blinking. "Luu...?" She asks quietly. "You awake?"

Angering The Muses is one thing, but angering the -- well, it's best to not even invoke their proper name, so let's just say that Luu respected 'The Kindly Ones,' and accepted her fate. The first twenty four hours, maybe even more, were not conscious hours. Drained of all energy thanks to The Curse she accidentally invoked, Luu would have spent that time on a hardwood floor next to a puddle of her own stale vomit, were it not for the kind attention and interventions provided by Jinny. For a while there was just blackness, nothingness, a fact that she's only somewhat sure of by the fact that she woke up into a dream. Her recollections of it now are hazy, fractured, and half-remembered, as is often the case. Still, something about this particular dream stuck with her, and there was the feeling that when experienced it had been quite vivid and lucid.

When she finally woke up, she might have remembered more of her dream had she thought to begin writing down her experiences. This was simply never going to happen, for Luu woke to a terrible headache, blisters, and a sore body; too weak to hold a pencil, too dazed to remember how to write. The idea of a Curse making one uncontrollably dance might seem like a benign or flirty punishment, but no one who saw the damage it did to Luu would think that. If anything, Luu got off light, history and myths are filled with much worse stories of dancing curses. At least Luu managed to keep her feet, even if the pain made her almost wish she hadn't, and the swelling and blisters made wearing any form of shoes something that was not immediately possible.

Luckily for Luu, there were no divinities out there -- Greek or otherwise -- that said Jinny could not help in caring for her during her recovery. If anything, there might be a few out there slowly working to bring these two together. A lovely thought, but then again the Greeks are known for the tragedies and ironies, and not to forget their petty jealousies and at times callous treatment of mere mortals. Best not to think too much on their motivations and plans. What Luu did know were the kind and caring motivations of Jinny, ones which she of course appreciated and was not quite sure how she would have managed without.

Despite the pain and weakness she was going through, Luu was not a particularly demanding patient, and also one humble and realistic enough to know when she needed help and asked for it. Nourishing foods, a paired down -- though still extensive -- beauty regimen, a range of reading material, and of course some company was really all she needed to make it through with little complaint; and of course Jinny was there to provide all of that with a smile.

"mm?" Luu responded, still seeming a bit peaked and not really giving a full indication of whether she is or is not awake, but will at least hear the other woman out.

It wasn't pleasant, some of the things required, to get Luu back on her feet. Bandages wrapping open wounds and needles draining blisters, ointments and cold packs to soothe aching joints and baths of epsom salt and steaming hot water to help ease away the pain and stiffness. It did require a bit of closeness to get all this taken care of and Jinny, being the consummate professional, did everything without a word of complaint, finding the humor in hoisting a slippery wet Luu out of the bath and into a robe while Jinny's clothes were pasted to her from the water and smelling of rosemary. In any other situation, it would be something out of a sitcom, rife with simmering innuendo and coquettish touches with the laugh track providing punctuation on when it was okay to laugh, but misery does have a way of taking sexy out of a lot of situations. However, that's not now, but the night before. Rubbing a hand over her face, Jinny swings her bare legs out from beneath the blanket, her hair going in all directions, sleep still being blinked out of her eyes, bare feet scrunching on the carpet-covered floor. "I just had a dream." she begins, letting that sink in before she says anything else, ducking down to get a little cloth bound book with a black pen taped to the cover, uncapping it and scribbling in what she could remember of the dream. "I don't suppose you feel up to getting out of bed? I think the City needs me to go check on someone; another City Shaman, out north of the city near Armageddon Highway, and I don't want to make the trip up there by myself." She actually could make that trip by herself, but she didn't want to leave the lovely Luu all alone in this big house.

As Jinny explains the situation, Luu stays in bed with her eyes closed, listening while slightly awake. It would be easy for Luu to just flop her head one way onto the pillow in response, and without the details, she may have in fact done just that. The phrase 'Armageddon Highway' is what causes Luu's eyes to open right up, a surge of energy, of mind of matter. Before Jinny can even really finish talking, Luu's throwing the covers to one side, and moving to get up from her bed. There's a little bit of a stiff, unpracticed awkwardness as she makes it to her feet and begins to head straight for her walk-in closet. There's no verbal response from Luu, but her sudden activity clearly indicates a 'yes.' A hand lightly swatting at the air behind her as her hobbling begins to turn into actual walking, as if to tell Jinny 'I got this,' but also in part out of a desire to show that she's capable of making the trip and won't be a burden.

The navy 'Celine Paris' crop top tee and grey athletic shorts come flying out of the closet, one landing on the bed, and the other nearby on the floor. Shortly following are the quiet sounds of an adorable struggle, as Luu works through the infirmities and dresses herself for action. Of course, leaving the house for the first time after a period of extended bed rest, there might be the temptation to make a big showy splash. Luu is fashionable, but 'Youth Mode' had made a huge impact on her way of thinking as a teenager, and that has led to both a degree of practicality and appropriateness to her attire, but only when such concerns are practical and appropriate. Mastering difference and individuality are easy, but mastering sameness is hard mode, but one that recognizes the benefit of a flexible identity over a unique one. Fitting in as an act of fashion empathy that recognizes there's no such thing as 'normal,' this world is pretty fucking weird.

While she was never figuratively there, a few minutes later, Luu literally comes out of the closest; dressed in armor designed for connecting with this unique experience. A simple black tee, but perfectly and tailored and of the softest cotton; blue jeans, in a brilliantly subdued indigo, with just the right amount of wear to convey sturdiness and comfort; the jeans cuffed just so to fit with a pair of tan hiking books, Celine's subtle feminine reinvention of the iconic Timberland look. Stepping out she pauses to put her blonde hair back in a practical ponytail using a simple black hair tie; the perfect discount brand to make buying hundreds upon hundreds affordable, but not so cheap that the material would dare to yank a single hair from her head.

"Armageddon Highway, you say?" Luu says casually, looking up slightly as she taps an index finger against her cheek, as if giving this one a thought. "I suppose that could be an interesting diversion," Luu says, as if she just reached that conclusion, her eyes meeting Jinny's. "Of course," she adds with a grin, "this means I get to pick the next trip."

It takes a second for Jinny to parse that Luu is mobile, the red-haired woman sitting a little straighter as her friend migrates from the bed to the closet, seeming to remember about halfway through how things like arms and legs work and where they bend to provide a somewhat natural-looking gait. She rises to her feet, peering into the closet, dodging back as a navy T-shirt and pair of shorts flutter out to land on the bed and floor respectively, turning to look at them and then back to Luu, flicking on the light in the closet to let her more easily discover what she's looking for. "I'll take that as a yes." she states, moving away from the closet and shedding her sleepwear, crouching down in her panties to rummage through her zippered gym bag for something to wear that'll work with a trip out to the middle of the desert. Long pants are a must, in her view, as well as thick socks and boots to keep the brambles and snakes from doing anything brambly or snake-like to her tender feet, but the top....all she seems to have are cute tops with no sleeves which won't do at all. With a shrug, the tank top comes out and gets laid atop the pants, Jinny standing and sitting to start pulling on her clothes nonchalantly. The time with Luu has given her a bit of immunity to caring about being naked around the other woman - it is what it is, after all, and since they're not romantically involved, it's not something to be ashamed about since they're just putting on clothes. Besides, seeing Luu naked all those times while giving the other woman a bath (usually in shorts with her feet in the tub to soak a little for the bathing part) has lessened the concern she might have had about such things. Luu didn't seem to care, so Jinny didn't either.

Looking up at the emergence from the cocoon of the closet, Jinny claps, pulling her pants up and buttoning them, looping a matching brown leather belt through the loops to define up the shape of her hips and silhouette of her curves. "Very nice." She says with a mischievous tone in her voice, one Red Wing boot pulled on and tied tight, the laces looped through the grommets and twisted in a neat bow that's tied a second time, the other boot resting on the floor. "Had I not been taking care of you for the past few days, I wouldn't know how many blisters you have on those feet under those boots." She pauses, pulling on the second boot, looking over. "Armageddon Highway." she reiterates, tying the second boot in a similar way to the first and straightening, pulling on her tank top now, tucking it into her pants sans bra before standing, walking over to give Luu a quick hug. "You sure? It's probably not a very easy walk. We'll take the Datsun up to the trailhead and then we'll hike in. Backpacks, water, and granola are probably required."

Things, necessary things, were gathered. While Jinny might have not been a Scout growing up, she had brothers that were so the basics were ingrained in her preparation. Food, water, whistle, first aid kit, rope, backpack, pocketknife, flashlight. Enough for each of them, packed in an old Military backpack she found bouncing around the house somewhere. But the Datsun, their steed to lead them to the mountains? Dead Battery. No charge pack. Dead as a doornail.

Other methods were required.

Twenty minutes later, Jinny was astride her Vespa, helmets and sunglasses pulled on to shield from the sun, Luu on the back, with the backpack between Jinny's knees on the footboard, puttering along the roads leading towards the desert. "Hold on." was the first thing she said as she sat down, petting the seat behind her once she put the footpegs down for Luu to rest her feet on. "It may not be as fast as the Datsun but it definitely does the job."

"I think I can manage," Luu assures Jinny, as she gives the other Angeleno a hug. "Besides," she let's her know, "if I get too tired, you can always carry me." There's a grin to indicate she's joking, along with sparkle fingers to let Jinny know that there are options available if need be.

While Luu has no siblings and at times often felt like she has no parents, these facts have made her fairly resourceful, and managing a business and models have put her into plenty of random situations requiring quick improvisations. Because of that, she at least has some idea of how to deal with non-fashion emergencies, and a certain degree of practicality when she needs to call on it; and while there's somewhat of a wardrobe change included, dry socks and the like are quite important.

Waiting by the door with her red-red Hello Kitty Messenger bag strapped to her back, Luu watches as Jinny works on the Datsun. What exactly Jinny is doing, Luu has no idea. Yet she focuses on it, trying to follow along and figure out what's going on, because if she doesn't she'll end up thinking about the Vespa. The situation of the past week had led to both of Jinny's vehicles being parked at Winters' Retreat out of practicality. Being in bed, she didn't think too much about that stupid Vespa, but now she can't help, but stealing glances at it. Part of it is her imagination, but the other part is the dawning realization of what is soon fated to be. It would be easy to back out of the trip, just saying she's not feeling as well as she thought, but Luu's already upset enough Divinities recently to think to do it again, and besides, she's obsessed ...

Sitting behind Jinny on the Vespa, Luu hasn't yet dared to do anything but keep her hands at her side. The words 'hold on' makes her both a bit nervous and excited at the same time. What am I supposed to do? Oh no, oh no, what if I do it wrong? What if it's too much or too little? Uh oh, you're taking too long, she's starting to think you're weird. Just don't grab her breasts or smell or her hair and you'll do fine. With that, Luu holds onto Jinny and they set off towards Armageddon Highway on a mission for the City Heart and a little bit of Obsession.

IT takes about twenty or thirty minutes for Jinny to realize that the only way the Datsun is going to get moving with any sort of speed is to get a battery, but wouldn't you know it? No batteries are to be found after several phone calls. They're either sold out, the business has closed for some obscure holiday, or on the truck and available Thursday. None of those do them a lot of good at this point in time. She would have sworn that the battery was good, too. Unlucky her, apparently. That left the little green Vespa, sitting nonchalantly in the shadow of the garage like a hero in a Western, ready to emerge from the shadows and save the day. Of course, it starts on the first twist of the key, a little puff of white smoke coming out of the tailpipe as a little water is evaporated out of the cylinders and, waiting for Luu to settle down on the seat, Jinny steps around and perches, primly, right on the front of the seat, back straight, as she slowly uses the foot-powered reverse gear to walk them back and aim them out of the driveway where they head out on their way.

The first stoplight is what brought up the 'hang on!' comment, Jinny putting a foot down to steady them as they stopped but, looking back at Luu grasping feebly at the bar at the back of the seat, Jinny makes a command decision. "Here." she says, barely hiding a blush, reaching around to take Luu's right wrist, putting it around her waist, twisting to grab the left, placing it on her left hip and then scooting back against the other woman as they start going again. Pressing closer than friends might, but not as close as lovers would. Somewhere consistently middle-of-the-road when it comes to that sort of thing, where hands can roam but aren't going to easily move to breasts or between thighs or anything like that. Just two girls riding on a Vespa. Nothing to see here.

"So!" Jinny calls as they slowly make their way along back roads towards the northern part of the city, flanked by deserts and mountains. "I don't know exactly what we're going to see. I just know the City Heart wanted me to check up on one of the Shamans that lived up there. I've never met him, but I hope he's got a few stories to share." As they drive, Jinny finds herself becoming more comfortable with Luu's arms around her waist. She even scooches back just a hair, settling her bottom between the other woman's denim-covered thighs, the seat just big enough for both of them to sit comfortably, but not much. There is a stop at the last gas station before they hit the mountain, the finest hydrocarbons poured into the miniscule tank of the Vespa, a flat kit purchased, and other things that they may need if they get up there and get stranded. It's not going to happen on Jinny's watch since she's a proponent of better having it than not needing it, and it doesn't take up too much space either.

It's awkward, it's nice, but after a while it's just comfortable. This is a ride Luu had thought about for awhile, the two of them weaving through LA on that stu-- no, don't insult the Vespa. While before the Vespa had been a strange object of fear and desire, those feelings quickly -- well, not quickly, it is a Vespa, they only go so fast -- melted away as they rode together. It's not exactly what Luu had been thinking about. They're together, but they're not together, so maybe that could work, maybe. The whole ride her mind seems to flit between the triangle of Love, Friendship, and Armageddon. "We definitely have some recent stories to tell him," Luu responds, thinking back to all the events that led to them being right here, right now, right-turning on this Vespa. Having not spent too much time around Shamans, Luu is only vaguely aware of the idea that a Shaman living as a reclusive hermit in a place called Armageddon Highway might have some slight differences from Jinny, but she's sure they'll get figured out. They figured out how to communicate with Spirits. How hard could it be to communicate with each other?

As Jinny fills up the tank, Luu makes use of the facilities, not really needing them, but generally a good idea before heading into a remote area. Making her way back, Luu looks to Jinny with a smile and says, "I almost bought you a Garfield, but -- " A glance is given to the Vespa, before Luu meet's Jinny's eyes, " -- no Window."

The ride is comfortable. Not exactly what Jinny was expecting, but more of a settling in of familiarity. Like one might slip into a well broken-in favorite pair of shoes or some jeans that fit in just the right way is the way she feels about this riding on the Vespa. She'll have to teach Luu how to drive one of these. She might have drivers and Ubers for things, but being able to putter around on a Vespa gives one a nice taste of freedom that money can't buy. The wind in your hair, the feel of the road beneath your wheels and being able to just point and go is something Jinny really loves sharing, and is glad to share with Luu. "Hopefully it's all okay." she says, rounding a curve. "It's rare the City Heart sends me on a mission, and even then, it's usually to plant a tree or write some graffiti. Speaking of..." She nudges the bag between her legs with one foot, the Vespa veering a bit as she does. "We can leave our marks on the tunnel once we get there. A way to say that we were there, you know?" And then they continue to the gas station.

Once Luu has returned, Jinny grins, giving Luu a playful wink and scampers inside to use the facilities herself, returning slightly scarred from the grunginess of the bathroom but otherwise relieved and returning with the Garfield and a couple of zip ties. "Just because we don't have a windshield doesn't mean we can't have a Garfield." she says with a smirk, plopping the fuzzy orange cat right on top of the headlight and zip tying it's legs on either side, giving them a kind of figurehead on the handlebars that looks in the way that they steer. She couldn't not buy it....it even comes with little motorcycle goggles! Thus refreshed and gassed and bathroomed, Jinny and Luu hop on the Vespa and head up the road to Armageddon.

"Let me chat with him first. If he's up here alone, chances are seeing two people would cause him to be a little feisty. If I could smooth things over, I think you might be able to get some interesting points of view from a different tradition." Jinny converses as they drive, the pavement becoming less and less maintained until they reach a sign and a gate. The sign declares the road 'Off Limits' and the gate is meant to prevent people from getting past but looking at the fence, it's obvious someone has cut the ties that hold it to one of the posts, making it look like there's a fence, but allowing passage if you hold the fence open. Room enough for a Vespa, even if you take your time.

She takes her time, of course, walking through the fence as Luu holds it open, the road beyond unpainted and crumbling, leading to their goal.

Passing that gate and leaving the fence behind...that begins the story. A breeze from the north brings with it a cooling, welcome shiver of wind through dry grass, beckoning them forward and, looking back to Luu, she saddles up and they head up the road. "I don't know exactly where but there should be a sign for us somewhere." Jinny says as they move from tarmac to hard-pressed gravel, the Vespa's small tires allow them to weave around some treacherous-looking potholes, towards the tunnel blasted through solid rock. The tunnel that would allow Angelinos to escape the horrors of World War III, were it ever completed.

The Vespa's front light is turned on, illuminating the concrete path, cracked over fifty years of neglect, Jinny looking back to Luu. "I think from here we walk. Going through there is just asking for a popped tire, and I didn't bring an air pump."

Giving a little giggle, Luu watches as the Garfield gets zip-tied to the Vespa; her smile a little brighter as she realized they had been thinking the same thing. "I should probably hang back slightly when we get there," Luu agrees with Jinny's assessment of the situation, "can even sorta stay away while you two do your thing, if need be. I mean, we like totally get along, and we're trying for cooperation, but your group and my group? There is some history. I don't want to offend him, and I won't be offended. I trust in you to know the etiquette, and you can trust in me to follow your lead and not embarrass you."

The sign says 'Off Limits,' but for Luu they're approaching something wondrous like the 'Outer Limits,' and she does her best to keep herself from squealing in delight. The road they begin to travel on definitely hasn't had maintenance in a long time, and yet Luu can't help but notice how together the surrounding nature looks. It's as if the ecosystem is in perfect balance, a cyclical harmony. Below them is the only sign of a disruption. A concrete wound cut through the mountains, serving no real purpose, created by prison labor. It's not exactly a pleasant understanding, and yet the unnatural intrusion has begun to crumble, giving the hint that one day it might fade into a barely noticeable scar. Of course, nothing is definite, old wounds can be easily reopened.

"We did pass a sign," Luu notes, being quite literal, "but I think you probably meant something else. At least I hope that wasn't a sign for us." Hopping off the Vespa, Luu takes a little stretch, her body still a bit tender for rollerskating, and not helped too much by the moped. Looking around, she tries to figure out what exactly might wait for them here. In her excitement to check out the area, she didn't think to ask too many questions about 'why' Armageddon Highway, seeing it was enough a reason for her. Taking off her helmet, Luu awkwardly places it on the Vespa, really having no idea how it's supposed to rest, and looks to Jinny to figure out what's next. There's some definite touristy things on Luu's agenda, but she respects the local culture first-and-foremost.

Parking the Vespa out of the way isn't really necessary, considering the lack of things going on in this part of the world, but Jinny still does it out of habit, using the kickstand, taking the key, hiding it out of sight behind a bush, and disconnecting the battery just in case someone gets cute and wants to tinker with something that isn't theirs. Not that there's anyone out here that would, but still, better safe than sorry. Jinny picks up her backpack, pulls out the flashlights and slings the pack across her shoulders, clipping the strap across her chest in a way that, were she trying to show off her breasts, would certainly do so in a fairly enticing way. One light passed to Luu, the other clicked on and beamed down the tunnel, illuminating old graffiti, cobwebs, dust and dirt, and not much else. Even the other end of the tunnel can't be seen from where they stand. She scuffs her toe on the dirt and turns to Luu. "So, shall we?" She nods towards the tunnel proper and, when she gets an affirmative, takes her first step into the historic darkness of the 1960's red scare.

"You probably know a lot more about this place than I do." she says as they start walking into the darkness, their lights sending beams through the still air, illuminating motes of dust dancing on the air currents. "Any rumors of hidden bases or alien hieroglyphics in the walls or proof that the earth is flat that was too much for the regular people to comprehend?" She's teasing of course, going quiet as their steps echo in and fade in the darkness, the light at the tunnel vanishing behind them, the light at the end of the tunnel ahead not in sight yet, their flashlights providing the only illumination. They walk and talk, moving through the mountain at a decent pace, the light at the other end coming into view after a few moments of walking and, truth be told, Jinny was hurrying that last little bit to get to the end and back into the light.

The other end reveals a small ramshackle hut built into the side of the hill, a yellow door covered in peeling paint, the wood beneath gray from the elements, colored in with pencil, pen, and marker, in a riot of colors. A small series of rainbow-streaked flags flutter from poles around a perimeter that, at the center, has a small copse of trees where, sitting beneath, is a form, immobile. Jinny pauses and looks to Luu, putting a finger to her lips in the universal 'shhh' symbol, slipping off her pack and walking slowly towards the seated figure, far enough where Luu can hear that she said something, but not exactly what, the wind taking her words away to be shared among the other spirits. When there's no response, Jinny moves forwards a bit more and pauses, looking, her hands covering her mouth at the sight. "Luu!" Jinny calls, looking back at the figure. "I think I know why I was called out here." She kneels down, adjusting the man's shirt, smoothing it down with both hands, positioning a necklace that had fallen to the side to the center of his chest, and then sits back on her knees, her hands on her thighs, as she looks at the shaman, respectful, quiet. "One of the City's own has gone to be with her."

An excited nod is given as Luu takes the flashlight from Jinny, and aims it at the tunnel. Making their way towards the tunnel, Luu's walk is a bit funny, and it's not quite clear how much of it is coming from sore legs and how much from a performative 'spooky mystery' walk. In all likelihood, it's a bit of both. "I know a bit of the history," Luu explains as she walks through the darkness with Jinny. "Cold War had quite a black budget for cutting into the planet," Luu explains as they continue, "this one was built with convict labor as part of the United State's nuclear strategy, but was never really completed. I think someone finally realized that LA traffic is bad enough as is, that trying to emergency evacuate everyone using the road system was kind of a pointless task. It was always more of a civilian project, as the US military's underground tunnel project is more strategically aligned with San Diego due to the Naval yard. Remind me to show you how it works some time, it's pretty neat, but also pretty obvious once you start connecting the dots. There's no way a foreign adversary wouldn't be aware of the structure, but with a structure that large and well fortified, what can they do about it? The point was more to keep from American citizens and low level military, to avoid scaring from shitless. Los Angeles was always more of a Military Intelligence and PsyOps hub, but I think they realized in the even of a Nuclear Exchange, that firing back at the adversary and domestic internment camps really replaced what Los Angeles was setup for strategically."

"Because of that," Luu continues to explain as they creep through the tunnel, "anyone serious about underground military bases and the like would probably laugh at you if you suggested this place had any active use. Of course, there's the whole convict labor angle regarding this place, and some people definitely died while building this road and tunnel system. Prison labor is of course a miserable thing, so I could see why someone might let their imagination run wild and think there were some ghosts around here or something. There was actually a ghost hunter documentary film crew that went up here to investigate, and all of them ended up mysteriously disappearing."

While it might sound like Luu is beginning to tell a ghost story instead, she explains, "They found their mutilated decomposing bodies months later a couple miles from here. Everyone had warned them this would happen, but they went anyway, and of course the expected happened. Mexican Cartels got them. These hills are basically swarming with them, and for most people that's real enough that they don't need another explanation. So yeah, most of what I've heard about this area is just 'Don't go there, Drug Cartels.' That's part of why I was so excited when you mentioned wanting to go. Most people I know stay the hell away from here, but these tunnels seem sooooper spooooky, so I've always wanted to go, but never had anyone that would go with me. Even the UFO Cult I was part of thought I was crazy for wanting to go here, and they all killed themselves!" At that statement, Luu gives off a quick loud laugh that echoes through tunnels, and is still echoing when she adds, "Of course, I'm sure the Cartel members have some stories about this place, they're really superstitious." A beat before she adds, "And territorial."

The progress through the tunnel had been much slower than it would have been normally, in part owing to Luu's sore legs, but just in part to her looking around slowly as she went, soaking in the ambiance. The fact that her flashlight kept flitting around the tunnel, landing on various small detritus or small scurrying creatures was probably a 'great comfort' to Jinny when paired with Luu's explanation. Had there been any Cartel figures watching, they would likely have had no trouble ambushing the two of them.

Outside the other end of the tunnel, Luu is looking back towards the tunnels as if she really wants to spend a little bit more time in there. Probably a lot more time. Transfixed by the strange beauty of the tunnel, Luu is slightly startled when Jinny calls out her name. "You scared me!" she calls out to the other woman, but of course this isn't the sort of thing that Luu terribly minds. Walking towards Jinny, with a slight limp, Luu grows more solemn as she realizes the situation. Coming to a stop a few feet away from where Jinny and the dead Shaman are, Luu does not say anything, she simply tilts her head downward and gives a silent moment of respect.

The flashlights Jinny passed out for the tunnel were ones that she lovingly referred to as 'ridiculous.' Regular-sized lights but with ultra-powerful LED's and enough batteries to power them to an almost blinding light. It's how she directed lost delivery people to her house; a text message telling them to look for the beacon followed by shining her light in the air was often enough to lead people to where she needed them to be. Illuminating the tunnel was easy with those things but, as they went deeper, and as Luu told the tales of escape from a Nuclear War and the impossibilities of such things, the darkness seemed a little more oppressive, a little more absorbing of the light. It was something that she could definitely see exploring a bit more but more important things are at hand.

"I've only read about the ritual for the fallen." Jinny says softly, looking over to Luu and then back to the Shaman who appears to have simply sat down and went to sleep, never waking up. Owing to the bond he had with the place, no animals had gotten to him, no vultures, and no flies. Almost like it happened just as they were approaching. "It's not something I've done before but I suppose what I know will have to do." She rises to her feet and takes two steps back, then turns towards the painted yellow door.

Opening the door on well-oiled hinges, Jinny looks at the sparse life of a Shaman. No books, no amenities of modern life, no nothing. Art dances on the walls in vivid blues, greens, reds, and yellows, a simple pallet in the center of it all with a box set in the center of it, the bed made carefully. The box is taken and opened and inside is the remnants of a life. Jinny carefully flips through the contents. An ID. A few photos. A woman's ring, etched in gold. She steps out of the simple and closes the door behind her with a final sounding thud, stepping back and lifting a hand, murmuring words that are taken on the wind, the colors fading, the door fading into obscurity. Were one to look, it would be easy to overlook the door as a chunk of wood leaning against a rock in the middle of the desert, and when she turns to walk away, the room vanishes from sight behind a glimmer of something. Which only leaves the Shaman.

Looking to Luu for a moment, Ginny crouches and starts tracing a symbol in the dust surrounding the body, leaving mementos of the man in strategic spots that, as she moves, start to fade and swirl, vanishing into the aether as she settles back on her haunches at the man's feet, just outside the edge of the circle. She lifts her hands to her chin, steepling them in a triangle in front of her lips, her eyes closing as she murmurs something that, if Luu listens, she might not be able to fully understand, or even comprehend as the body quickly speeds through decomposition, falling to bones in a breath, the bones vanishing to dust a few moments after, leaving no trace of the man behind but a few flowers rising from the dust at the base of the tree. She's silent for a few seconds, standing after a moment and turning to look to Luu again, giving her a watery smile that fades quickly. "Well...I guess I know why the City wanted me to come check up on him. Can't leave him alone like this."

Traveling through the darkness of the tunnel, Luu had been quite casual and chatty about all sorts of government black budgets, high strangeness, and criminal dangers. In that tunnel, there were all sorts of possibilities; stories told and stories best not told. Her tone casual, amused, excited, and maybe a little frightened, but that was part of fun. Outside the tunnel, standing a respectful distance away from the Shaman who is most certainly not sleeping -- but is definitely dreaming -- Luu is quiet. There is nothing strange or unusual about a person's death, it is hauntingly normal. While the Shaman's soul has moved on to infinite possibilities and new stories, the responsibility of Luu and Jinny as witnesses is to help tell a singular story.

It's the story of a life, fit into a small place, but in no ways constrained by it. An ending, but also a new beginning. Luu and Jinny have never met this Shaman before, but they have become part of their story. In turn, the Shaman has become a part of the story of Luu and the story of Jinny. A thread cut to be stitched into clothes and stitched into books. Not what it once was, but what it always was, an eternal part of reality's tapestry.

There is no need for Luu to step into the spotlight here, her role in this scene is different. A quiet observer, a respectful witness, a solemn audience. On the edge of the stage, Luu creates new memories as Jinny moves through the small hut, retrieving the props of a quiet ascetic life. From the heavens, a spotlight shines down framing Jinny and the Shaman as the ritual is enacted. It's the first performance, it's the last performance, it's an eternal and infinite performance. The spotlight narrows as the Shaman gives way to flowers. There were many things before, but now a single beautiful flower is illuminated, and the darkness is nothing compared to it. The light flutters upwards, but never goes out. The curtain simply falls for this performance. The Shaman walks out to take a bow. They receive a standing ovation and flowers.

Just off the crumbling Armageddon Highway, near a few flowers, Luu looks to Jinny. There's a small smile on Luu's face, containing sadness, but also joy and empathy. Reaching out for Jinny's hand, Luu says softly, "Thanks for thinking to make me a part of this."

There are a million graves in a million places around the world, but very few things could compare to the world surrounding and embracing a person as they pass, drawing the remains of the body into itself to provide for others in the web of life while the spirit, and the experiences it holds, is free to fly to the next story. "This chapter, for him, has ended." Jinny whispers softly, her hand moving to brush against Luu's, closing it around the other woman's, giving it a light squeeze. For them a new chapter has begun, a new page turned over, the unlimited potential of what may be extending from this one point, the pair in the desert.

"Close your eyes.” Jinny whispers softly. “Trust me.” She turns and lifts her hand to cover Luu's eyes, her palm warm against the other woman's skin, blocking the light for a moment or two as she murmurs something. When she takes her hand away? The world looks different and, in fact, it is. A layer of reality has been stripped away, and the spirit world, for a brief, brief moment, becomes visible to Luu.

The trees, the grass, the air itself, has been meticulously maintained, the touch of the Shaman who called this place home visible on almost every surface; there, but not there, like a chef's plate that had fifteen people making sure the dish was perfect before going out. That's what this place is like. The air, the grass, the world itself, is filled with swirling spirits, dancing, celebrating almost, the arrival of another. The colors are more vivid, the shapes the ideal image of what something should be. Trees are tall and proud, the leaves vivid green, the grass knee high with small spirits stalking through it, around Luu and Jinny who is certainly unconcerned about this in the least. "Thanks for coming with me." She finally says, leaning over to give the other woman a light kiss on the cheek, straightening after a second. "It's never ideal to be alone for such an important moment." Jinny smiles and points to the bottom of the tree, a gaffling perching on her extended finger, wings fluttering before it takes off again. "Look."

At the base of the tree where the Shaman's body was sits a glowing egg the size of a football in the roots of the tree. Something inside is moving rapidly, urgently trying to break free and, with a crack, it begins to hatch. All the spirits surrounding it still to watch as cracks spiderweb across the surface and then, with a pop, the egg shatters, the sound of splintering wood echoing around the valley. The soul within, incubated over a lifetime breaks free with a joyful shout, the light blinding for a moment as it streaks into the heavens to fulfill its next life, his thread tangling with the threads of the universe, becoming part of the greater whole. "May your stories be told for a thousand, thousand years." she says, lifting a hand to wave as it disappears into the sky, leaving her and Luu together in the desert

Trust me. Those words spoken by Jinny to Luu are unnecessary, she trusts the other woman implicitly. Instead of overcoming some internal resistance or fear, they cause Luu to close her eyes and step back from her thoughts. A mind now focused and cleared ready to take on new memories and experiences; a blank canvas ready to be painted by the wonders that Jinny wishes to share from her life and perspective. Holding the other woman's hand, Luu waits in a calm and meditative state. The words spoken by the Shaman holding her hand are not any language she knows, not even one she could name, and yet they have a distant familiarity; these are word of power. The warmth of the other woman's hand is joined by something subtle, a familiar Quintessential flow as the two begin to connect with each other on a whole different level. From that brief rite, Luu's perspective on the world changes; it is no longer singular.

Opening her eyes, books come to life for Luu. Previously, she had heard of these things, even begun to understand them academically, but nothing can compare to when what has read about becomes what one is experiencing. It's not just the dusty tomes of spirit lore, but countless stories now come to life for her. Left speechless, Luu begins to turn her head to look at all the wonders around her, still hand-in-hand with the City Shaman. It's not that she sees all the 'fictions' and 'myths' she's read unfold before her, though some day in the future that too may happen. Instead, she is connecting with the world of those stories, the world that created those stories, and the stories created by the world. A new infinity, a new eternity, overlayed and coexisting with the one she knows.

This area once had a Shaman who lived here, and Luu was part of the final chapter of their story. Now with new eyes, she watches as that end gives way to a completely different kind of beginning; the end of a single story is the beginning of countless stories. It strikes her as funny that we say an egg 'hatches,' the usage likening it to escaping from a prison. Not an idea to be thrown away wholesale, but one that makes us forget what we are truly seeing; an egg hatching made to seem somehow different from a snake shedding skin. A metamorphosis, an alchemical transformation. And all this reminds of her song she knows, "Dark they were / with golden eyes / Brought books golden / from Darkened skies / Every word from every world / within was written down / They read it all aloud to us / with silver tongues of fire / that licked the sun and stars and moon / All space became a choir / Shining / Then they left without a sound"

For a while Luu's eyes are fixed on the cosmic beauty above, before turning down once more to look to Jinny. Nothing is said for a while, just holding the other woman's hand, and looking at her with a smile; the strange new world fluttering in kaleidoscopic ways in her periphery. "You said you brought paints?" Luu asks the other woman; a practical question, an indication of inspiration, a respect of proper etiquette. Close by a tunnel with no purpose and no sense, a cast on a mountain slowly heals, a blank canvas.

The words spoken were there for Jinny more than for Luu. When one spends day and night for several days nursing the other from a mostly infirm state, trust is almost always implied but, in Jinny's world, never, ever assumed. This was changing someone's entire experience with the world around them, stripping away the blindfold to reveal the shadows on the wall were merely cutouts, and the reality of what really exists on the other side of the veil can be rather surprising for the uninitiated. So you have to be a little careful. 'Safe' is the implication of Jinny sharing that view. This is safe. This is normal. This is the world beyond that the spirits call home, and this is a world that we are a part of and separate from all at the same time.

Lowering her hand to her side and hooking one thumb in her beltloop, Jinny turns to take in the majesty of the spirit world surrounding them, hand in hand with the Hermetic mage. It's easy to see how glimpses of this world, either through chemical means, physical means, or a trick of the light or mind, could be the impetus for stories on top of stories full of wonder and majesty. The mad are not entirely mad, Jinny has found. They just see reality in an entirely different way and now Luu, with her conspiracy theories and Grays, has seen the beyond. For all intents and purposes, the pair are in an island of dryness at the bottom of a vast sea, the eternity surrounding them as far as the eye can see. Together in the swirl of the spirit.

"I brought paints." Jinny says softly. "I always bring paints. If I can get my correspondence better, I'll work on a wonder that's a bag full of paint that I can pull from whenever I like. Any color I want, at my fingertips at an instant. For now, though?" She turns to Luu, taking her hands and giving them a squeeze. "In the middle of a desert, at the end of a road leading to nowhere, the walls, they call. A blank canvas, ready to be filled. A memorial, perhaps, of the man who called this place home, or simply a mark to say that we were here." She nods. "Let's go paint before the light leaves us."

Walking from the bed of fresh flowers towards the blank canvas, Luu does not let go of Jinny's hand. To do so would mean relinquishing this new way of looking at the world; this old way of seeing worlds. That is the fiction they created between them, but there is no doubt that both of them had reasons beyond the immediate, utilitarian, and magickal purposes for doing so. It's a slow walk, Luu's legs still sore and recuperating, but the movements are less a forced hobble and more a chosen stroll. Pausing in front of the opening to the tunnel, Luu still does let go of Jinny's hand as she contemplates what is before them and surrounding them; what has happened and what might might happen, and preparing for what is to happen.

Standing in front of the tunnel entrance, the two women holding hands reflect it's a shape. It's not spoken, but the way in which they will work seems clear. Each woman will take a side of the tunnel and begin to paint. Their work on the painting will be separate and yet will join together to also form a unified work; an unspoken bicameral concordance. As they work, they will begin to move upwards and closer together, until they finally meet in the middle and complete a unified vision. As they meet, there will be no clear center, no line of separation; their visions shall intertwine in communion. To anyone else, it will be impossible to tell if two became one or if one became two; they on the other hand know the meaninglessness of such a contemplation. It will be one painting, it will be two paintings, it will be three paintings.

Finally turning her head from the canvas in front of her to the woman beside her, Luu still holds on, even if she knows that soon they separate in order to join together once more in new ways. "Paint?" Luu asks with a smile, holding out her other hand towards Jinny, ready to receive the spraypaint can.

The thing about the Spirit world that Jinny most enjoys, aside from all the spirits of course, is the way that sounds move. It's strange to describe but things, like footsteps, set up a deep, resonating echo with each movement that fades almost instantly, but is longer than one might hear in the real world. Walking on gravel is a favorite activity when her senses are like this, the hissing and crunching of each step making it sound like one is walking on a layer of breakfast cereal that echoes before fading away. So the sounds of them walking over the dry desert is musical, in a way, with the sky a kaleidoscope of colors that promises splendors both fantastic and gross if one were to simply explore, to watch. Jinny turns to look at Luu as they slowly walk, hand in hand, the grass brushing against their legs, the umbral breeze ruffling their hair, the images of spirits surrounding them on all sides, some watching, most playing, celebrating the new arrival of their companion, their friend, the one who had prepared this place for them.

They reach the mouth of the tunnel, darkness, flanked on both sides by hand-hewn stone blocks, each carefully laid by chain gangs that were long gone before either one was born and, reluctantly, Jinny lets Luu's hand slip free from her grasp, the visions of the spirit world fading as the contact is broken, leaving the beauty of the desert to be enhanced by their art. Jinny's backpack is slid off and rested on the ground, the bits of first aid and food and water she brought with her sitting on top of a box of spray paint cans in a variety of colors, pushed together to save space between, a little plastic bag of caps and latex gloves there to keep the paint off. Digging them out, she opens the box, letting Luu choose her colors. Nine cans, mostly primary colors, black, white, gray, brown - plenty of paint to do art for the pair of them. It might not be mural-worthy, but it'll definitely be a mark that they were there. Taking two cans, dark colors, Jinny stands and shakes them, moving to the left of the tunnel mouth and, with another shake and a study of the canvas, she begins to paint.

The Spirits fade away from Luu's vision as she lets go of Jinny's hand, yet the memories and inspiration remain. Taking off her red-red Hello Kitty messenger bag, she let's it carefully drop to the ground. Donning latex gloves, Luu carefully walks over towards the tunnel beginning to apply spray paint to one side of the tunnel entrance. One strategy might be to start low down and go high up, but that's not the way Luu's chosen to work. Instead, she works from the outer edge of the tunnel entrance, top to bottom, and then works her way inward. This of course leads to her scurrying up the mountain just to the side and above where the tunnel entrance has been blasted. Her initial work has her using gray, brown, and some accents to reshape one side of the tunnel entrance by better blending it with the natural environment. A subtle optical illusion type effect that begins to make the tunnel look less like an intrusion and more like a natural phenomenon.

Given the past week and the hike and drive they took, Luu's probably feeling pretty sore and achy, but if it's the case, she's not letting on at all. Instead, she seems to be quite driven by all the creativity and the current task at hand. With initial blending complete, Luu begins to add more primary colors onto her side, working to fill in her space with gradients and abstractions. The effect on her side is that whereas once the tunnel might have represented darkness and the abuses of civilization intruding on nature, it is now nature and a colorful and creative magick pushing back against the darkness and healing over a wound. Luu's side of the entranceway does not seem to specifically represent the Shaman-turned-flower, as while it might be a decision Jinny could make to represent, Luu does not feel qualified to do so. Instead, she represents what she sees as the spirit and inspiration of this place. The central boundary of her work is a bit fuzzy and hazy as one might expect from spraypaint, but also done in an intentional way to be able to blend with whatever Jinny might make on her side.

In the process of working on this mural, Luu doesn't really seem to really consider it when the flashlights need to come out. They in fact have to work with them for a while to finish up the work. Yet once finished, it's quite something. Not just a collaboration between Luu and Jinny, but a triangulation between Luu, Jinny, and the Shaman who used to and still does call this place home.

Standing back, Luu takes the whole work in for some time, slowly tracing her flashlight over it to examine the various details. Quite satisfied with the work, Luu turns to Jinn and with a slightly nervous smile says, "Holy shit, it got dark."

Working with paint is like meditation for Jinny, the rattle and hiss of the cans as the color laid out on the walls combined with the exertion of having to scamper up walls slotting neatly into one of her practices as if this was planned out this way. Her method is similar to Luu's in the sense that she starts from the bottom and works her way up, but her colors are more harsh and angular, with dark colors - reds and blacks mostly - rising from the blended in colors at the bottom before slowly transitioning into curves and swirls with brighter colors as she paints higher up the wall. Tiptoes are required, as are leaps to get some of the curves right, but the higher stuff requires her to be up on the side of the mountain, alongside Jinny, flashlights held in one hand, paint held in the other as they fill in. Flowers and insects and green growing things merge into each other and, at the very top of the door, a simple white triangle with a yellow outline, making it seem like it glows faintly in the fading light. Looking to Luu as she climbs down, Jinny moves towards a prominent white spot near the bottom and gives the can a shake. A couple of test sprays follow and then a quick script of her name - not her tag, but her name - is added to the wall. Jinny. She underlines it with a flourish and looks to Luu, offering the can. "Sign your name." She nods her head towards the wall. “Leave your mark here to prove you were here.”

While Luu does that, Jinny packs up. Her flashlight is propped so Luu can see where she's working, and the empty cans go back into the box and box goes back into the pack, following the missive of 'leave only footprints.' Well, they kind of failed at that, leaving far more than a footprint on the countryside but, all things considered, it was a fitting memorial for the City Shaman who lived at the furthest corner of the city. It was dark, the sun setting in the west a while ago, the temperature of the desert starting to fall slowly. It'll probably be chilly on the ride home but, thankfully, Luu's there to put her arms around Jinny and that thought warms her a little more than she thought it might. Thank goodness it's dark, otherwise the blush would be quite prominent. She stands and shoulders her pack, walking to where Luu is. "It's going to be a slow ride home but at the bottom of the hill is that burger place. My treat, yeah?" A goal at the end - something warm to fill their bellies as they sit and chat with a milkshake between the pair. "Come on..." She motions, picking up the flashlight and giving the area one final sweep before shining it down the tunnel. "Road's not getting any shorter."

It's not something Luu would usually think to do, attaching her name to a criminal act, but this seems different. From what Luu suspects, the reason Jinny was sent on a mission to this place was that without their intervention, that Shaman's body likely never would have been found. It seems the kinda place where likely very few if any people are going to notice the mural, and there's about zero chance that law enforcement are going to do anything besides laugh should anyone complain. A slight shrug is given to this and then Luu nods agreeably to Jinny's idea taking the can of spraypaint from her. Just below where Jinny signed he name, Luu adds her own names as 'luule' Between the script, the lack of capitalization, the spraypaint, the fact that she usually just goes by 'Luu,' and that most people haven't heard of that name or 'Luule,' the name is both obvious and obfuscated. It would be very easy to mistake the name for a stylized looping squiggle below 'Jinny,' but it's also clear that she's not actually trying to do anything other than write her name.

Having finished the mural and signed their name, Luu walks away from the tunnel, taking off her latex gloves and folding them into each other to minimize any paint from getting anywhere. Crouching by the red-red Hello Kitty messenger bag, she puts the dirty gloves into a ziploc she has in her bag for just such purposes, and then hefts the bag onto her shoulder. Clicking the strap closed, she gives a nod to Jinny's suggestion of food, "Yeah, definitely, my stomach's definitely gettin a little growly, and -- " Luu looks down at her outfit, then back to Jinny saying, " -- I actually have pockets this time, but I don't think I remembered a wallet." There's a grin and a small laugh at this predicament, before she signals with her head towards the tunnel to confirm it's time to get a move on.

The tunnel is cavernous and echoey, yet also eerily silent. During the day, you can at least see on either side of the tunnel how far away you entered from and how far away until you exit. At night, there are only the flashlights to guide them from the tunnel, and it's light doesn't immediately help to show where the exit is. Travelling through the tunnel at night, one quickly gets far enough into the tunnel that the light of one's flashlight can neither illuminate the entrance nor the exit. It's not only impossible to see how far one has left to go, but also impossible to see if it would be quicker to continue forward or just turn around. Even with the flashlights, it's a somewhat disorienting experience. It quickly becomes difficult to not just understand the space one is moving through, but also how long one has spent in the tunnel. Seconds? Minutes? and Hour? The more Luu tries to think about it, the more it gets fuzzy, and she could almost start to believe that she's been here a day, maybe more. She's pretty sure she's been somewhere other than here, or was that all a dream?

"hmm," Luu turns her flashlight to the side to catch something she thinks sees, but there's nothing there but the wall of an old tunnel. Giving a little shrug, Luu decides it was probably nothing, and turns back to continue on the path. Only when she turns, she turns back to start going towards where the Shaman used to live. If Luu had reason to turn around, she didn't explain it to Jinny, didn't really give any indication about what she was doing or why, or what she thought she was doing. Or maybe it's that they had gotten turned around and were accidentally heading back towards the Shaman, and Luu figured it out and turned around to go the right way. Then why wouldn't she say anything? How could one get so turned around traveling in a straight line through a tunnel? Likely the same way one ends up with a car heading right towards them on a road to nowhere. Having decided to turn around or turn back the right way, Luu doesn't seem to notice the high beams beginning to illuminate them both.

The flashlights are bright, illuminating a fair distance into the mine, and the batteries are full, so even at the brightest setting (which, truth be told, is fairly blinding) they'll last until the trek through the mind ends. It just seems that this time, with a lighter pack, even, the journey is longer. Oh, sure, the graffiti is the same, as are the echoing footsteps and the sound of their breathing, but it seems somehow longer. They should be out by now, shouldn't they? It's the question that Jinny's asking herself as they walk and, with this being a tunnel, there's really no other exit. There weren't any branches, side tunnels, or alcoves to be had, and even at the end, where they emerged, the rock was mostly unfinished. They were getting through to where it should start, showing the light from the other end.

"What?" Jinny asks from her spot by the wall, the last hundred steps taken with her fingertip dragging over the dusty concrete that had been poured seventy years ago, leaving little trails in the everpresent dust, turning the flashlight to see what Luu's looking at and taking a few steps towards, studying the wall for a second or two and then straightening, watching as Luu turns to go back the way they came. Right? Or was that the way they were going. She stops to look at the wall she was standing against, two trails in the dust now, her fingertip slightly lower than the trail that seems to have been just made by a previous passerby that came through a dozen years ago. This oddity takes a second to register and, for a second or two, Jinny really considers saying something because this really is something in Luu's neck of the woods but the headlights take precedence.

There was a gate. The road was basically destroyed. There's no way there's a car up here, but the high beams are coming right for them. "Luu!" Jinny shouts, her voice urgent, diving towards the other woman to push her, to push them out of the path of the oncoming traffic and against the wall of the tunnel opposite where....well...where things get odd.

There is no impact against the tunnel wall. There's no rush of air as the car passes by, or the sound of an engine or a horn. The wall seems to be both there and not there for a moment, Jinny's urgent rush pushing the pair through the wall and into somewhere else. There's a sensation of floating, of falling, then rising on a breeze that smells of smoke and summer and purple and green growing things. Lights trail across them, candles in the darkness leaving imprints in their vision as they streak away at speeds that could not, would not be recognized. The flashlights beams change from white to blue to red to yellow to green, flickering, curving in a way that light does not curve, the pair twisting in the air. Down changes directions constantly. Jinny finds herself reaching out for Luu's hand, urgently seeking the other, an island in this momentary madness. The car hit them. This isn't the spirit world.

What is going on?

Her name, she hears it as Jinny calls it out. She watches as the word dopplers by her, and then begins to echo around her. Luu becoming like a large rock heaved into a pond. Rippling outward and shaping its surroundings. Sinking downward, unable to fight against pitiless forces of nature. For a while she is uncertain which is herself and which is her name. The substance of reality around her no longer makes sense, and she begins to feel like soon she might not make sense to herself. Her name, her self. The circular ripples, the downward sinking. Terrible thoughts of separation. The Outer Darkness, it must be stopped. There is a final echo of her name. No more Luu.

It rushes through her. It is her. There is no doubt in her mind. There is no doubt in her soul. No darkness. No echo. She is more than bone. She is more than poetry. She is the poetess and the poetry. So much more. Her True Name gives her strength and she is the strength of her True Name. A momentary encounter with inner darkness, and intended confusion to make her recognize something else that she will never know.

That feeling of being lost in the darkness, she recognizes it as something else. Thoughts of being lost in the desert, thoughts of being lost at sea. It is then that she remembers her dream, and remembers it as being something.

Long ago I drowned. Tossed from a ship on a turbulent sea, I sank to the bottom. I live in darkness, desperately clawing at the earth for a way out of the sea. I turn my claws inward, but can neither die nor dig my grave. I envy those who are mortal, my hungry rage is the watery grave of sailors. I am nightmares, a succubus, a demon. Were you waiting for them to call me fat before you understood and laughed? I am none of those things. There is no need to be afraid, I am not fear. Powerful women are looked at with fear, because we are not afraid.

I am the Moon, could I drown? Watch the tides, I move with the Water in the rhythms of lovers; watch how we lap against the shores of the Earth. A Triangle. As Above, So Below.

I am the Pearl that my lovers kiss. A Triangle. As Above, So Below.

Now do you understand such fuss? Such words? You already know about my words, so do not be afraid to sing, my poetry is in your bones. A Triangle. As Above, So Below.

You are a Priestess in my Temple.

As she coalesces, she knows this is not a darkness to fear. A natural scent of hidden powers, not yet known by her, and yet familiar. Preparing to find her way, she reaches out to Jinny.

What has happened?

In the days and weeks following this experience Jinny and Luu will inevitably ask that question many, many times, and each time it's asked, more details will come to light in fragments of memory while others are lost, only to be rediscovered again and again. Like walking through a darkened gallery with a small candle where paintings of fantastic complexity are revealed in the flickering of a slim taper, the amount that the pair experienced was like drinking from a torrent of knowledge neverending. A sip, certainly. A mouthful or two, perhaps. but everything?

There is no chance of that.

But for now?

They fall. Together.

There's a brief struggle against the chaos that they find themselves enveloped in, the futility of their human bodies against this universe becoming evident. They find themselves falling up against gravity, through the air, ejecting through the surface of a pond that they did not realize they were beneath into a world of darkness and light.

She reaches for Luu, their fingers entangling as they experience this new place. The air here was somehow more pure, more real than any air they had ever breathed before and the visions come, unbidden. Visions of a nexus in the middle of a maelstrom of elements - earth and fire, wind and water, twisting, roiling in a sphere around their naked bodies, spirits coming into being, living, and being subsumed into the fabric of this place a thousand times a second. Out of fear, or self preservation, or just not wanting to be alone they rush together towards a single point, pushed or pulled they’re not sure, and then forward through a membrane, the sound of a rush of water crashing in their ears. Pressure. A scream. A cry. And then blinding, hazy light.

"Jiinya."

Her mother's voice, quiet and calm, calling to her. A touch on her cheek she turns towards, her eyes closing against the light. It's so bright that her eyes hurt. A voice that isn't her mother's, but another person, speaking words she cannot understand. A thousand voices keening in the distance, calling out. A million voices shouting right behind her eyes, oppressive. And then silence. Nothing. The void of darkness surrounds them, a pinpoint of light in the distance.

Luu's hand in hers. How long have they been together? How long have they been falling?

And then It speaks to her; not in words, but in feelings, telling the story of what was and what will be.

The first feeling we remember was need. The ache of hunger was ever present. Hunger begat fear. A primal fear that there was not enough for ourselves and our families, and this is what started the great migration. Hunger drove our steps, unrelenting. Storms lashed at our backs, wind burned our skin, and the ground was full of thorns and stones beneath our feet, hindering us as we pushed forward. The world conspired to keep us where we were, mired in ignorance. We travelled to fill our bellies. To follow the herds. To seek greener pastures. To find clean water. To escape the night. To see what lay beyond the next hill. We explored, not knowing where we would sleep the next night, always seeking to survive and flourish. We were lost more times than we could count before we started recognizing the signs of where we had been. Footsteps in the sand. Paint on walls. The unfamiliar slowly became familiar, the unknown became known, and we recognized a different kind of hunger.

We needed to know.

The stories that we told around campfires were shared and remembered. When a storyteller fell, a library burned, its texts lost to time. Words became represented by symbols, to keep track of who's grain was who's at first, but slowly, ideas were shared. Stories of what could be. What might be. What was. We reached for the stars, and with the quiet rhythm of the mother sea in our veins, we struggled, wrenching ourselves free from her embrace atop columns of fire, shouting our instinct to know more. We emerged from our cradle to set foot on a world not our own.

Someday the next great transmigration will occur, as we leave this existence looking for another. The journey will begin anew.

And it all will start with a world covered in dust.

Dust.

Fingers shift against themselves, synapses starting to fire again, tactile data slowly trickling in to determine what is going on. The sensation is of a fine powdery dust that sticks to the skin and clogs the lungs, almost like flour or confectioner's sugar. Dust that lingers in the stillness, dust that can be smelled with each inhale of pure air, that is easily stirred with any movement, threatening to obscure the passages that may lead to salvation. There is no light here. It's as dark as dark can be. The darkness of ignorance. The darkness hidden from view in the depths of the earth. She starts to uncurl herself from a fetal position, willing her eyes to open and then realizes that they are open. She can't see anything. There's no light....the light...oh God, there's no light! Where is it? Panic starts to set in, Jinny bolting upright, the metallic sound of aluminum scraping across stone jarring her senses, the dancing of the flashlight, still powered on, sending a beam of weak light through the place she finds herself in. Oh, oh thank the heavens the lanyard is still here, tied around her wrist with the light attached and, when she looks around frantically for something else. Held in the other hand, gripped tightly, is Luu's hand, knuckles white, fingers firm around the other woman's.

The place they are in.

“Luu.” Her voice echoes in the close space, Jinny shaking the other woman. “Luu...wake up, Luule.”

She looks up, slowly lifting the flashlight to illuminate the space they are in. Black flecked stone encircles them, with dust-filled passageways going off in all directions. She slowly stands, the room large enough for that, and tentatively explores the space, never straying far from Luu.

Leading the way.