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p_r_i_s_c_aTitle: A Sanctuary in a Frigid World
Character: Jeremiah, Libby
Prompt: Yahtzee / frigid
Words: 500
:::
Jeremiah dropped down beside the young woman, who was cowering under the metal stairs, her face covered with her hands. „Why are you hiding here? The cafeteria is a much more comfortable place to hang around.“
„Too many people, I prefer to be alone.“
„Do you mind me joining you for a while? We can just sit here in silence.“
She lifted her head. „You are a nice guy, Jeremiah, but you don't know anything about me. Why do you care?“
„Your name is Liberty, but you prefer to be called Libby. You like music, you like to dance. You should smile more because you are beautiful when you do so. That's all I need to know for the moment.“
She kept quiet for a while, staring at the floor. When she turned back to him, tears were sparkling in her eyes. „I am sorry, I am not ready for this yet. I have learned on the hard way, only to trust myself.“
„We all had to go through a lot of shit before we finally ended up here. The Mountain is like a sanctuary in the frigid world. From now on, you are safe. A comfortable bed, enough to eat, and friends when you are willing to let others into your life. You don't have to fight alone any longer.“
Libby stared at him with empty eyes. „Simms always warned us that lies are used to hide behind wonderful words,“ she finally said.
„Simms?“
„The leader of the group I was living with for the last five years.“ She hesitated. "I don't know how to move on now without his support."
Jeremiah narrowed his eyes. „He was the one who beat you up and left you alone in the middle of the nowhere?“
She shrugged. „He does what needs to be done. You follow his rules, and everything is fine.“
„But he has no right to treat you, or anyone else, like that.“ Jeremiah's voice got louder, and Libby winced visibly. He cursed inwardly. „Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. But this makes me angry. How can he dare it? Who is he?“
„He is not a bad guy,“ she answered in a low voice. „Just a very rational one. It's all about surviving the next day. I didn't follow the rules; I had to pay the price. It's always like that, isn't it?“
Jeremiah shook his head. „No, it's not. Not here, in the Mountain. For Markus, every single life counts. You don't have to be a tyrant to build a future.“ He put his hand on her arm and was almost surprised that she didn't shriek back. Maybe this was a good sign. „Give me a chance, will you? Give me a chance to show you that life can still be beautiful, even in a frigid world like ours.“
A faint smile turned up on her lips when she nodded hesitantly. "Okay," she whispered, "I trust you, Jeremiah!"
Character: Jeremiah, Libby
Prompt: Yahtzee / frigid
Words: 500
:::
Jeremiah dropped down beside the young woman, who was cowering under the metal stairs, her face covered with her hands. „Why are you hiding here? The cafeteria is a much more comfortable place to hang around.“
„Too many people, I prefer to be alone.“
„Do you mind me joining you for a while? We can just sit here in silence.“
She lifted her head. „You are a nice guy, Jeremiah, but you don't know anything about me. Why do you care?“
„Your name is Liberty, but you prefer to be called Libby. You like music, you like to dance. You should smile more because you are beautiful when you do so. That's all I need to know for the moment.“
She kept quiet for a while, staring at the floor. When she turned back to him, tears were sparkling in her eyes. „I am sorry, I am not ready for this yet. I have learned on the hard way, only to trust myself.“
„We all had to go through a lot of shit before we finally ended up here. The Mountain is like a sanctuary in the frigid world. From now on, you are safe. A comfortable bed, enough to eat, and friends when you are willing to let others into your life. You don't have to fight alone any longer.“
Libby stared at him with empty eyes. „Simms always warned us that lies are used to hide behind wonderful words,“ she finally said.
„Simms?“
„The leader of the group I was living with for the last five years.“ She hesitated. "I don't know how to move on now without his support."
Jeremiah narrowed his eyes. „He was the one who beat you up and left you alone in the middle of the nowhere?“
She shrugged. „He does what needs to be done. You follow his rules, and everything is fine.“
„But he has no right to treat you, or anyone else, like that.“ Jeremiah's voice got louder, and Libby winced visibly. He cursed inwardly. „Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. But this makes me angry. How can he dare it? Who is he?“
„He is not a bad guy,“ she answered in a low voice. „Just a very rational one. It's all about surviving the next day. I didn't follow the rules; I had to pay the price. It's always like that, isn't it?“
Jeremiah shook his head. „No, it's not. Not here, in the Mountain. For Markus, every single life counts. You don't have to be a tyrant to build a future.“ He put his hand on her arm and was almost surprised that she didn't shriek back. Maybe this was a good sign. „Give me a chance, will you? Give me a chance to show you that life can still be beautiful, even in a frigid world like ours.“
A faint smile turned up on her lips when she nodded hesitantly. "Okay," she whispered, "I trust you, Jeremiah!"