Not Until We Are Lost

It had all been a dream. Mulan was sure of it. Aurora had asked for one thing, and they'd both gone on that trip.

Phillip was older, so much older, and Stefan had grown into a fine man. There were even grandchildren. Mulan's heart broke for Aurora in that she hadn't been there to share in all of the growing up and experiences. Phillip had found another wife, which broke Mulan's heart a little more for the princess. He'd moved on, and she supposed it would be expected. Phillip couldn't stay single forever, could he?

Phillip told the two women about his adventures and obstacles. He'd shown strange images of Stefan at different ages, doing things that made both women smile and in some cases tear up. Mulan had been there for it all. Or what she thought was appropriate.

Then she'd let Aurora and Phillip have time together, to say good bye in a way. She played with the grandchildren who seemed eager and willing to call her Auntie Mumu. She wasn't sure she liked it, but she wasn't going to say no.

Whatever Phillip had said to Aurora seemed to lift the princess' spirits a little. For that, the warrior was grateful. And as the day ended, Mulan pulled Aurora close in a hug, as much as she was allowed.

Strange that they would wake up in the same bed, Mulan's arms wrapped about the other woman. It felt right, and the comfy sheets urged her to snuggle in a little more, pulling the princess closer.

Felicity couldn't help the twirling. The material begged to be twirled, even if it did earn her a few looks of disdain from the very pretty inhabitants; at least she guessed they were this place's inhabitants. They seem to be too pretty for words, and everything seemed to be something for words. She returned back to Ray after a little twirl away and sighed.

"You know, I can't tell if they just hate what I'm doing or hate me. Or us. The ones that look at us anyway." Her nose wrinkled, and in a need for a little security, she found Ray's hand.

"You don't think they'd want to hurt us? We could hurt them back, but that just doesn't seem right." Fingers tightened on his. "I think I should shut up and hope we find people we know soon. I really want to find people we know soon. I don't like sounding like some fraidy cat because I'm not. Not too much. Not really."

The first thing that Zera realized, before her eyes even opened, was that it was day. She was not indoors. She did not feel the full brunt of the sun on her flesh - that would have hurt a lot - but she was aware of the smell of it, and the danger of moving even a little. What if she were not under any sort of significant cover and an arm slipped into a ray? She would have shuddered, if she had not been so tense that no muscle was even twitching. She might have been a statue, laying there.

Slowly, Zera opened her eyes. This was mostly because of how bright she knew it was going to be. Her eyes were unused to sunlight these days, and highly sensitive to boot. Strangely, though, the light did not hurt her as much as she had anticipated. It made her recall the days when she'd been alive, walking out of the house into the bright summer.

The vampire noted that she was in some kind of forested area, shielded from the sun by some kind of lean to, and over that, a thick expanse of tree branches. She thought she could probably wander maybe 5 feet away from the structure and be alright. The second thing that she realized was that this did not smell like home. Home smelled like oil and cars, and people, and rot. It smelled of life as it had evolved to be. This was... she didn't know.

Zera pulled herself to the edge of the lean-to and pulled her knees up, hugging her arms around them and resting her chin on top. She couldn't really go anywhere or explore right now, and she didn't feel quite safe enough in this spot to sleep again. So ... she'd wait.

Talking with Jack had made Evan feel a bit better, and a bit worse at the same time. He couldn't stop wondering how things might have gone if he'd not met Niks first, or if he'd never met Niks at all. Everything was so up in the air with her, that stupid fairy made all of it overly difficult. He knew how he felt about the librarian, and he knew that he didn't want to die. He also knew how Jack felt about her dancer. Evan didn't like complicated.

Which was another reason he liked Jack.

She was so straightforward with everything. She lacked the drama that most people in the world drew to them. She knew what she wanted, and she did what she could to get it. And then there was that whole thing on how the two of them were almost the same person. Two halves of a whole. Genderflipped.

Exploring with her had really cleared his mind. They'd talked only about things related to various hunts. She had been surprised to learn that he wasn't exactly ignorant on ghosts and monsters and how to kill them. Or maybe her surprise wasn't that total.

They'd eaten and talked more, straying away from the Mopey Twins subjects. God. Why did they have to get along so well?

Then they'd broken off and set out to find others. Evan didn't doubt Kai would be the first on Jack's list. Maybe Niks should have been the first on his. First thing Evan wanted, though, was to explore more on his own. To let his senses take over in this place.

He roamed out to the woods to find a good spot, and sat down.

( The howl wasn't meant to frighten. )

They'd gotten their fill of Christmas carols, candy canes, sugar cookies, hot cocoa and all of the other trappings of the holiday season. Felicity had even shared some Jewish traditions with him while they'd spent their time going between his cabin and hers. Ray still didn't like being taken against their will, but he had to admit that this journey had been one adventure after another. There were things that they never would have seen if it weren't for their abductors. He couldn't help looking on the bright side of just about everything. He knew right away when he opened his eyes that this wasn't the bed they'd fallen asleep in."

"Felicity," he reached over to nudge the blonde at his side, taking a moment to thank whatever powers that be that she was here with him. "Where do you think we are?"

Getting out and exploring was fun, but speculating ahead of time and coming up with some guesses based on what they could see upon just waking up sounded like a fun sort of thing to do. He did his best to contain his glee. He knew that danger could await them with every new world that they visited, but he was the sort that tended to think danger was worthwhile if knowledge and experience could be gained. And he thought that Felicity felt the same in some ways.

The little town was ... well, it wasn't exactly quaint. It was oddly sophisticated. But rural. He spied no cars and no other forms of transportation. There were shops and ... well. It all seemed so modern without being modern. He wouldn't have been able to explain it if he'd been cornered and forced to. Another thing was that the people weren't people. They were people, in the sense that they were alive and individuals, but not human, that was incredibly clear. Humans were not that ungodly beautiful.

They eyed him as he walked through the street, which wasn't really a street so much as a nice cleared path. Like they didn't trust him. Or maybe they didn't know why he was there. He sure as hell had no idea.

The warmth here was welcome though. The cold had kept him inside on the last planet, he'd been entirely uninterested in the snow. Though he had gone out and spied two familiar faces on the ice, skating and having fun. He hadn't said hi, he'd just gotten hot chocolate and headed back to the cottage he'd been placed in. Thankfully there had been a lot of books. Unfortunately, most of them had had to do with Christmas.

He'd also spent some time thinking about Lasher and Annabelle, but it wasn't anything he found he could focus on long, mostly because he had no answers to give himself, and he would drift back into whatever silly story he'd picked up.

Cavan ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting around to find a familiar face. They couldn't have put him here all alone, right?

Piotr was finding it hard to enjoy all the beauty. His gut told him, paired with experience, that a place this lovely had to be highly dangerous. It had to be. The sun shone down on him, warming his skin and washing away the cold of the snow, as well as the nostalgic feeling he'd had while he'd been on the last planet. He felt less calm and less willing to be accepting of what was going on.

Which could also be due to everything being so seemingly perfect.

He wanted to find Rob as soon as possible. He'd been enjoying the direction of their last talk. Not so much the subject matter, but the actions that had taken place while they'd been discussing the difficult things. There was hope that they could progress even further. Piotr was certain that he wasn't just being foolish.

The Russian headed toward a lake he could see, hoping that it would take him out of the thick forest.

"Well, the hits just keep on coming." Jack laughed as she woke up again in some place new. She would have preferred waking up with a certain dancer, or even alone curled up in a comfy bed. Waking up on a couch that seemed a little too much somehow, fully dressed, in a room that was airy and bright and all too sweet and perfect was not her ideal. It was almost like the resort, yet not.

"Hey." She looked to the side, seeing a very familiar face. The hunter reached out and lightly swatted the werewolf's thigh. Jack didn't think he'd mind, seeing as she'd spoken before touching him. Hitting werewolves without a warning was probably a bad idea. "Wake up, sparky. Stop dreaming about your librarian babe. We got somewhere new to explore." She felt pretty good, and the newness said adventure! She needed a little bit of adventure and maybe a little intrigue. It was time to do something more than feel warm and fuzzy. She might have needed some action, in almost any form she could get it.

"If you don't wake up, I will molest you, and we both know where that ends up." She laughed, moving a little closer to the sleeping fellow, if he was really sleeping.

Jack was concerned about the dancer and Diana - she hadn't seen that woman in a while. Yet, she could handled the concern, seeing as she had an expert finder right beside her. Now to get him up and going.

Sun, birds, breeze, fresh air that rivaled that of the Winter Wonderland. A sense of home felt only one other place, though the menace here seemed different. Niks rolled to her back with an almost peaceful sigh, her fingers brushing over the soft bed coverings. They weren't as thick and heavy as the ones she'd come to know recently, yet they seemed just right, perfect almost.

Her nightgown briefly had her wondering if she hadn't somehow created a more permanent dwelling in the Dreamlands. The material so fine and sheer that it seemed to mirror what she usually wore there. The presence of some other creature, one she was growing closer and closer to, also made her wonder if she had managed it, a Dreamlands cottage?

"Mmm?" She stretched, not wanting to leave the bed, not yet. She rolled to carefully to her side, setting her head down to the pillow. Her hand reached out for the fairy not far away. "Where are we?"

This was the first time she'd woken up with either of her men. Even if she hadn't been in the same bed, she was in the same room. Perhaps he found her out there; she doubt that for some reason.

Roy stretched out on the bed, wondering why it felt a little less fluffy, or more a little less covered in thick...covers. He stretched a little more and found that he was not alone. There were times they weren't spooning, and he was okay with that. As long as he could reach out and touch a certain metahuman, he was happy.

He laughed softly as he rolled over in the direction of the body he'd touched. He was sleeping with a metahuman. There was something kind of sexy about that. Slowly his eyes opened to the face that made him smile. His fingers lifted to trace the curve of a cheek.

He didn't want to wake Laurel as she looked so peaceful. The room was certainly different from the one they'd gone to sleep in, as if winter had turned to spring. There was a soft breeze blowing through the opened window, and the sound of birds chirping felt right. Could this be another nice world, another happy little planet? Part of him hoped so; the more adventurous part wished for a little action.

He scooted closer, sliding an arm around his metahuman girlfriend. He'd let her wake up on her own. Or at least he'd try to be patient and do that.

The snow had been nice, and Sam might have slipped in a little puppy dog time while he was at it. It was a little silly, but who didn't need to be a little silly sometimes?

The sun felt strange on his skin. The warmth wanted attention as much as it began to lull him back to sleep. His arms tightened around the body near him, and his eyes widened to stare at the blond hair in his face. He was naked again, with some random woman?

He didn't move for a few moments; he did take that time to sniff. He also realized that he wasn't completely naked, just barely dressed. Pair of pants and some sleeveless shirt; the body he held seemed to be dressed as well. There was a soft laugh when he knew who he held in his arms.

"Betsy?" He hoped that it was her. He didn't have any reason to doubt his senses.

His eyes opened slowly to unfamiliar surroundings. Johnny's mind jolted when he realized that he wasn't in the place where he'd been when he'd fallen asleep. Training alone kept his body from making the same sudden movement. Which he was very glad of when he heard the soft breathing of another person. Looking down, Johnny noted Mary in the same exact place she'd been in his arms before he'd drifted off.

He took quick stock of what he could. It seemed to be another little cottage, though this one was ... it was weird somehow. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. His body felt fine, despite having slept on a couch, no kink in his neck or stiffness. There were bird noises coming in from outside, and sunlight (and warmth) as well. That, to him, meant no more snow. Johnny glanced around for a window to confirm, and indeed saw a green leafy branch swaying outside the glass.

"Hey, Mare." Johnny whispered the words and brushed hair out of her face. He kissed her gently on the top of her head, as well.

Whatever shift they'd undergone, whatever planet they were dumped on now, he had Mary. That was all that mattered to him at the moment.

The world is one of the most beautiful places you have seen yet. The greens are greener, the blues bluer. Everything is crisp and clean, well taken care of and high quality. The air itself smells rich with flowers. Earthy, with no hint of pollution.

There is a small town, but mostly the dwellings are scattered. The forests here are thick and filled with life. Streams and ponds. There is a lake near the little town, situated partly into the forest. There are little shops, cafes, theaters. There are no cars or other gasoline powered engines. You might see some riding bikes, but for the most part transportation is on foot or animal. Some of the smaller fae might be seen on dogs or cats, maybe even squirrels.

At first, you may not see anybody around. You are all strangers in this place, and the citizens will be wary of your purpose. The fairies will be the first to emerge, curious and cold. They will make demands on you, wanting to know how you got there, and what your intentions are. The other creatures will appear gradually.

Some wear modern clothes, but most stick to the finely made garments of the world. Fabrics are all soft, no matter if they're wool or leather or cotton.

Food here is some of the best you've ever tasted, savory and flavorful, and even the water is something to talk about. There are many sweets about. Cakes, candies, treats maybe you've never even heard of.

Nothing is particularly dangerous, though everything is inherently dangerous. The fae are wicked and clever, and like to play pranks. Some are cruel because they don't understand what cruelty is, others are cruel because it's fun for them. They may try to trick you, or trap you. If they love you, they will not want to let go.

Your weapons will not be with you, though other items might be. Nothing made of cold iron (pure iron) will make the trip. Fairies in particular, but most fae creatures in general, enjoy trinkets and baubles, they may try to trade, or steal.

The day you arrive is bright and cloudless, you can hear what sound like birds, and you can feel the presence of other animals. Everybody will get a dwelling (you choose if you are bunked with anybody, and where it's situated). You will not need money, though that doesn't mean money you have can't be used. Some fae or another might be interested in it.

please see this post for more details, and for any questions you might have.

"Snow! So much snow!" They'd been in the Christmas village for a while, but the snow still brought out the little boy in Roy Harper. He knew that in other places snow meant death and unhappiness, yet here it was the good stuff. The stuff that made kids happy about snow days.

He had woken up alone, in some overdone cabin, and jumped out of bed almost literally to get dressed. He had to find Laurel. She had to be here. He couldn't take another planet without her; what if something other than the cry happened? What if the aliens did something worse?

Thankfully he found her not long after he started searching, and the two settled into a bit of domestic bliss in his cabin - he didn't even have to get a job. It was nice that he could provide a place for her rather than the other way around.

"I challenge you to an angel off." His smile was boyish, and before he could explain what he meant, he fell back into a very large snow drift, thankful that it wasn't too deep or too shallow, and started making a snow angel. They both needed a little bit of play and fun, especially since they knew that their team was in this strange happy place.

Clark had to wonder if the aliens weren't lulling them into a sense of false security. After two relatively dangerous worlds, they'd had the fairly safe university town-though there were dangers going on elsewhere in that world. And now they were in Santa's village. It made him miss his ma and pa quite a bit. Christmas at the Kent farm had always been a humble but warm affair. And for all the trappings in this place, it wasn't quite home.

However, Lois was here. That brightened up the place a bit. And they had a kitchen. Sure, there were restaurants as well, but Clark liked preparing his meal with his own two hands. That was definitely something that ma and pa had inspired in him-everything tasted better when you knew where it came from.

So he'd made sure that the kitchen had everything they needed for a nice goose, complete with wild rice, steamed vegetables, and a chocolate mousse for dessert. And then he'd invited Lois over. They'd managed to sneak in a few dates in the last place, but this seemed special somehow. He whistled to himself as he started to prepare things and waited for Lois to arrive. They'd agreed to cook together, and Clark was perfectly okay with that. You could tell a lot about a relationship by how two people worked together in a kitchen, after all.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

The songs of the season were not what Sam expected to wake up to. The last thing he remembered was a little hunting and a little running. There might have been a few strange humanish scents along the way. Carols were not high on his list of things to wake up to; they weren't low either. They really weren't on his list at all.

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, hey

The voices were a little higher than he expected too. When he finally opened his eyes, he was a little disappointed to see that there wasn't a blond head of somewhat sagging curls not far off. He'd grown used to her being around. Evan was fine, and his hunter friend too, but he was growing accustomed to Betsy. He laughed softly at the idea before rolling out of bed.

The air was a little nippy, as if the heater was just about to kick in because it'd gotten below the set temperature. He hadn't had many of these sorts of winters. He'd had a few, but he didn't get that many in Louisiana.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

The cabin smelled of the holidays, and it almost made him sad. He wasn't spending it with friends and family back home - well, friends anyway. He missed Bon Temps when things like the holidays or sense memory triggers came. As a shifter he had a few more senses in play, or he paid a hell of a lot more attention to his senses than normal types.

He knew he could go out in some warm creature's fur, but he wanted to see the world as a human for now. He put on some warm clothes, not bundling up too tightly, and headed out to find someone, anyone.

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!

Sam found himself humming that song, throwing in a few Batmans and Robins now and then. He sniffed a little at the air, catching something faintly familiar. He also smelled food in that direction, so he opted to find out what that familiar smell was.

Snow. So much snow. And lights. And merriment. And what the hell was going on?

Rob had grown comfortable in the university world, even with the mutants and threats of destruction by some force that wasn't exactly supernatural. He'd grown comfortable and possibly lazy. Just a little lazy. Not that he'd stopped working out or looking after himself. He had hoped to see more of Piotr, but the man seemed to need some time to himself, which Rob would give without complaint. He had asked for time, or at least put a pause one whatever might come. Piotr had every right to do the same.

After checking the new Christmasy cabin for bugs, charms, and whatever else might be used to hinder or spy, Rob got dressed, grabbed a muffin that had been set out for him - he was hungry after all that snooping - then headed out to see what other winter wonderland craziness he might find. He was not prepared for what greeted him first.

There sat a not sp sullen yet completely underdressed in little more than a long sleeve shirt and jeans Russian making a snowman.

"Well, that's one way to deal with the cold."

Warm, so warm, and peaceful. The warrior felt as if she were back at home, long before the great war with the Huns, before she took up her father's armor, before she even had to worry about marrying some stranger. It was winter, and she was snuggled up under the bed things. The feeling didn't last long; reality kicked her escape in the teeth as the part of her who cared so deeply for a certain princess demanded she reach out for the other woman, only to find her gone.

Mulan jumped from the bed as if she'd been attacked. Her hand grabbing whatever was close, which turned out to be a strange red and white striped curved stick statue by the bed. She could and would make anything a weapon to protect the people she cared about and loved. She looked around and realized that she was alone in the room. A strangely decorated room. She looked down at what she was wearing to see she had the same strange striped sticks on her clothes and little round things with similar red stripes.

With as much speed as possible, the warrior dressed in the clothes she found, noticing that they were meant for cold weather, and headed out to see what was going on. She had met dwarves and pixies, but she was not at all prepared for these creatures. The way they smiled was almost unnerving.

"Where am I? Where is Aurora?" She didn't exactly grab one up and shake it - she wasn't that much bigger than the smallish creature - but she did have the do not mess with vibe going.

The big black wolf bounded through the snow, jumped into a snowbank, burst through the other side of it, and shook himself off before taking off running again. Evan didn't know how long he'd been doing this, he'd entirely lost track of time. The snow was glorious amounts of fun as a wolf. He liked it quite a bit when he was a man, but this was so much better. The smell of it was clean and crisp. The cold bit a little at his paws and nose, but the rest of him was quite comfortable due to the fur.

He threw himself onto his back and wiggled around in the white powder, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his tail wagging wildly. He was attempting to make a snow wolf angel, but didn't know how well he was doing with it.

Waking up here had been wonderful. Mostly because it meant they weren't in a place where people might be trying to poach him. And where people weren't visiting to try to get a picture of the strange creatures that could shift their bodies into other things. Though he had to admit that it was nice getting to bond with Sam, and meeting Betsy. That meant two people who understood what he was going through, if in their own way.

Admittedly, he was still curious to see how tiny Betsy became an elephant.