001 - recalled to life

[believinginheroes]

"It's okay, boss. This was never gonna work if they didn't have something to..."

[The world got dark just then, everything getting suddenly dim and distorted. For a split second, Phil was afraid. He wasn't scared of dying, he wasn't even scared of Hell or hopeful of heaven...he just needed to finish that one stupid sentence. He needed to make his point...he *needed* them to know why it was okay for him to go.

He hallucinated before the end. He had to be hallucinating, because the cold cement floor and chrome surfaces were something...much different before he died.]

* * * * *

[Through the journal, there's a muted noise as Phil stirs, making a soft, drowsy sound as he opens his eyes and rubs his face. He's flat on his back and staring at the ceiling of a room he didn't recognize. Blinking, he sits up and looks around...and oddly enough, the carpet catches his eye. He remembers it from his dim fever dream...]

What...

[He rubs his chest, and finds no sign of injury. Did he lose some time in there? Maybe he'd been transported to another SHIELD facility where they worked on him. It didn't feel that way, though...no pain, no tenderness, he'd been shot and stabbed in the line of duty before. Kind of came with the job description.

So the question remained...]

Where the hell am I?

Comments

dictated → forever

[msattentionspan]

[Faith is not the welcoming committee that one wants in the castle, but this morning that's what you're getting. She's outside, eating an apple, and reading the journal. Since returning, she's not exactly fond of being inside for long periods of time. It's too early for much of anything else, so she's been reading.]

Paradisa. It's a castle. Kinda screws with you. Makes you believe wishes come true, but they come with a price. [she takes another bite of her apple.] Congratulations, you've been kidnapped.

Re: dictated → forever

[believinginheroes]

[Phil blinks, looking for the source of the voice and not finding it...mostly because his eyes skimmed right over the open journal laid out on the desk in the rather well put together room he was in.]

Not the first time. [He can believe the castle thing, fits the decor.] Probably won't be the last...where exactly are you, Miss?

[msattentionspan]

[She chews and swallows before talking.]

I'm outside, but if you just got here look for the journal. Looks kinda like a diary. It should be transcribing everything.

Ta-da. It's magic. [She sounds less than thrilled. She's also gonna keep eating this apple.]

[believinginheroes]

[Phil does a cursory glance around the room again, gaze lighting on the journal yet again...yeah, that seemed to be where the voice was coming from, all right.

He walks over to pick up the journal...and stills the moment his hand touches it. He tries again, grabbing both the front and back cover, but he can't move beyond that. He goes still...and he can't make himself lift it off the desk.]

That's...odd.

[Dictated]

[schrodingersghost]

New arrival, I take it.

You're in Paradisa. You've been kidnapped by a magical castle. I only wish I was kidding.

Re: [Dictated]

[believinginheroes]

Pretty much.

Kidnapping castle...yeah, so I heard. Still trying to fill in all the blanks.

[schrodingersghost]

Anything in particular? I've been here for a few months now. I can probably fill you in on any of the basics.

[believinginheroes]

Is it sentient? The castle, I mean.

dictated forever

[valuedstrength]

[Steve can't help feeling for this poor guy based on the conversations above. This place really needs a welcoming committee.]

You're in a castle like the rest of us. How you got here is another story. [That will make him sound completely crazy. A beat.]

Did you find the journal yet?

Re: dictated forever

[believinginheroes]

[Phil stills, turning in the general direction of the familiar voice.]

...Captain Rodgers?

[valuedstrength]

... That's me. [Luckily Steve's got a little more experience with dealing with people who know him from a possible future so we can skip the 'what' portion of this.]

This is going to sound a little funny, but bear with me. You wouldn't happen to be from a time where we fight aliens together, would you? Maybe Agent Barton and Tony Stark ring a bell?

[believinginheroes]

[Fortunately, despite his confusion, Phil is every inch the good soldier...and hell if he's going to make demands of Captain America! All things in time, that's how it usually works anyway.]

Yes, sir. [a pause as he blinks and rubs his face] Last I remember, you and Mr. Stark had been dispatched to repair the dead engine on the helicarrier. I was...Loki escaped, sir.

[whatialways_do]

Paradisa. AKA Castle Crazy, AKA Castle Wonderfuck ... the list goes on. Sentient magical castle, likes to keep us around for some kind of weird social experiment.

Kitchen's on the first floor.

[ ... yep, that about sums it up.]

[believinginheroes]

Kitchen...good to know. Thanks for the info.

[whatialways_do]

No big. There's also a bar, if you're looking for a drink.

[believinginheroes]

Bar...not a bad idea, actually. [At least when he's sure he's not needed. Technically, if he's not even in his own world, he's not on duty, and he could kind of use a belt.]

Same floor as the kitchen?

Dictated - placeholder

[wizard_redfive]

Cair Paradisa, our home away from home.

I'm gonna take a wild guess that you're new.

Re: Dictated - placeholder

[believinginheroes]

Yes, ma'am.

Dictated

[wizard_redfive]

Ugh, please don't "ma'am" me. I'm not that old.

[She's only 13, and she sounds even younger than that.]

Dictated - After the post that will eventually go up about his loss ending sob

[compromisedarrow]

[Wait. That voice...]

Coulson?

[There's no doubt about that voice, switching to filter.]

[Phil Coulson]

Agent Coulson, this is Agent Barton. Request description of current location.

[filtered]

[believinginheroes]

[Another friendly voice...or it would be if he didn't know that Barton was still compromised...at least he had been. Cautiously...]

Agent Barton? [Yeah...he won't give up his location until he's sure.]

Forever~

[compromisedarrow]

Yeah, it's me.

[A pause.]

It's really me.

dictated FOREVER

[not_like_the_rest]

Welcome to crazy town.

Re: dictated FOREVER

[believinginheroes]

Thanks. I think.

[not_like_the_rest]

You're welcome. [She gives a small chuckle.] You have a name?