cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
"I've been back for some time; I've met with these people already... I'm not eager to do so again." Melissa regarded Alexander with a reluctant look. "You all aren't so lucky. You've just arrived, and should get to know them... if for no other reason than that they might save your life at some point. I think you'll find your home will not be very welcoming... if you were missed at all."
She fell quiet at that, and turned to stare outside an adjacent window. "Perhaps you might be one of the rare fortunate few who find nothing changed, but don't get your hopes up."
Trip goes quiet and somber the instant the brusque young man mentions family. "I... Shit, man, I cant even begin to tell you how much this is gonna suck." The vehicle turns through the few twisting roads of the downtown core, almost everything dark and quiet. "Hokay. You aint you anymore. Well. THat is to say, there's a you still out there, living your life. The old bosses make sure the world keeps spinning away when they snatch you. 's called a Fetch."
By now he's turned off onto a side road, pulled up behind a flat brick wall. He pauses to look around for a moment, evidently satisfied by something. He beats out a fast, rapid pattern of knocks on the steering wheel, a hole in the universe unfolding infront of you. Vines crawl out of the wall, parting and pulling back, the twilit Hedge appearing before you.
A small clearing is beat out, surrounding the boxy, sturdy looking building. Its a striking building, screaming the architectural intent at the top of its lungs. Defense. The place is a curious mix of two conflicting styles. One, the more predominant feature, is "modern fortress", wreathed in gleaming chrome and angled edges. The other, is a crystaline fantasy, each parapet topped by a faceted glamour-coloured crystal, every corner lined with the thick, guarding gems.
"Ah. Home sweet home!" Trip honks the car's horn, once, twice, impatiently. The massive door on the front of the building, the only one you can see, rumbles upwards, leading in twoards what looks like the motor pool of a dozen too-rich for their own good eccentrics.
(( I wish I was better at describing the place. Imagine if the Draenei tried to build a Blood Elf building is the first thought I can supply, and get wierder from there. ))
A strange series of emotions pass over Alexander's face as it is lit by the strange lights of the opening wall in front of them. He opens his mouth to say something and then slowly closes it. Those sitting next to him can hear his jaw begin to clench so hard that his teeth creak slightly. His fists clench softly and his claws begin to idly pick at one another as if bored. His cold metallic eyes stay on the building.
A storm is brewing behind those eyes, to those that can spot it.
Searching a bit for a good parking spot and failing to find one, Joseph eventually decides to settle.
The Plymouth's hinges creak as the Changeling stands up and closes the door. After stretching and yawning for a bit, Joseph slips on a pair of sunglasses and heads for the entrance. Stopping there, he waits. It seems... appropriate for some reason.
I guess I might as well get a sneak peek at the guests of honor before going in.
Abysmal Lynx on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
0
Lord Palingtonhe.him.hisHistory-loving pal!Registered Userregular
edited December 2010
"...Fetch?"
It was too much to process right then, he had run out of the Hedge just a few minutes ago, really. He looked up at the new structure as he exited the van. "So this is where we're meeting everyone?"
Well... that was probably a good thing in many ways. This 'fetch' would have at least stopped his loved ones from worrying excessively about something beyond their ability to control or understand. Of course it'd make coming back... complex. He didn't have time to think on it much more.
He tries to look out a window when the van stops, but there really wasn't anything to see outside... until that series of honks. At the very corner of his vision he could see that hole suddenly split open, revealing a path back into the hedge... oh... oh that couldn't be good. The blood seems to drain from his face as he feels them drive right back where they came from, revealing a decidedly odd building.
It was clear Amaranth didn't like this one bit, but making a commotion now wasn't going to do a bit of good. The fact that Alex seemed to agree did make him feel a bit better though.
It takes him a moment to find a parking space in the broad, seemingly single story garage that the large door opens into. "Look, kids, theres a lot of questions y'got. I know. But I'm just the pickup guy, not exactly orientation trained, y'know?" He drawls the words out, manuvering around oddly placed posts, and finally, into a parking space set between an abstract scrap metal statue of a horse, and a slightly rumbling, iconic yellow and checker pattern taxicab.
The horse statue stays quiet, of course. The cab looks over at you all, headlights rotating slightly in their enclosures.
"Now, I gotta go see who we got on night guard, get the guest rooms prepped, all that jazz. Dont you worry nuthin, kids, your safe as houses here, but it is like, what, twelve thirty now? Yeah. Whole damn place is tucked in for the night. Hang loose for a few, and I'll be right back. Kay?"
((I've got a few days of having to be away from computers'n'such. Talk amongst yourselves! Any perception rolls or whatnot and things like that, feel free to have em prepped, so on, so forth. ))
As Joseph waits, he lights up a cigarette and takes a puff. The color of the smoke shifts subtlety as it forms hazy, half-shaped forms in the pale hedge-light. During this time, the same well-trode thought enters Josephs head: I wonder if I can still get cancer?
Abysmal Lynx on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
For lack of a reason not to, Melissa would exit the vehicle and wait with the others. It couldn't hurt, she supposed. "I hope you don't get bored by politics, you'll find lots of that here. Except they're not satisfied with a two-party system, oh no; they have to have four." She would adjust her hood back, waiting some feet away from the wagon, and regarding the cab thoughtfully.
"I sided with the frostiest lot. No surprises there, right?" While watching the cab, she added almost under her breath. "Fetches can be a pain, but sometimes it's even more painful when They didn't see a reason to bother with one."
Feeling confined, Alexander followed suit and exited the cab. His bare feet made soft sounds on the stone floor. Back in the cold air, his breath steamed again and occasionally rose in odd wisps.
After a moments thought, he looks up from his distant reverie. "Politics? Have that many people truly made it back?" He pauses for another moment, "Is something like what happened to us... common?"
Theres a loud, deliberate click-click-click of heels coming down the entryway, just as Alex asks that question. "For a given value of common, yes, darling."
The Lady Calgary cuts an imposing figure in her ice-made business suit, trimmed in waves of frosted froth where one would expect fur. Her smile is a good deal warmer than her attire and Mantle would impress, however. "Now, I'm sure you all have a number of question, and we do infact have a number of answers. We also have warm food and drink, as well as clothing, and beds. But I'm sure all this rambling is utterly useless, so, come along, children." She claps her hands once, cutting herself off from the visibly practiced speech, heading down the hall with a crisp little breeze and that click of heels.
"Now, the best way to think of the courts is part political body, yes, as young Melissa says, but also as a support group and refugee center. Some of you may remember the number of others like yourselves in your ex-keeper's 'service', perhaps not. They do seem to collect humans at an alarming rate, however. Escape is... Less common." She ushers you down the hallway while she speaks, throwing a set of large double doors open, into a massive hall. The walls have the occasional fireplace, one here, another there, a third oversized one at the head of the hall, an equally oddly placed collection of chandeliers of various types dangling from the ceiling.
Laid along the central wooden table are a number of containers, each and every one covered, from bread baskets to casserole containers to incongruous tupperware containers and shoeboxes, the scents of your favorite foods wafting up from them.
"Now, dig in, and feel free to ask your questions, I'm quite sure you have them, all."
As Joseph hears the approaching footsteps, he quickly drops his cigarette and grinds it out with his foot. After Lady Calgary finishes her speech, he attempts to slip into the crowd of new arrivals so as to appear as if he was escorting them in rather then coming in late.
With little thought, Alexander finds himself following the well attired woman. He manages to look regal as his footsteps sync up with hers perfectly. A smile drifts along his face, "There is a difference between an answer and a straight answer. I assume the latter is a rarity in this place..."
As they reach the large room he lazily pads over the table glancing over the foods. He finds himself drawn to a heavy meat dish with several juicy ribs sticking out of a casserole dish. Without a word, he snatches up the entire dish and heads over to the largest stuffed chair near the fire, curling in it for warmth.
MoosehatIV on
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Lord Palingtonhe.him.hisHistory-loving pal!Registered Userregular
edited December 2010
Swift follows along, checking for escape routes the whole way in. When they get to the dining hall, it suddenly hits him that he hasn't eaten in ... what, three or four years?
He surprises himself by sitting down with just a half loaf of buttered bread and a glass of water. He waits for Alexander to finish speaking before beginning, "So this is what, a ten step program to reintroduce us to the real world?"
He looks around at all the former humans in the room. "And I guess it would be too much to ask when all of ... this goes away?" he asks, gesturing to the obvious changes to the recently freed around the table.
Joseph gets naught but a slight arched eyebrow. She remains standing at the head of the table, her voice simply somehow carrying cleanly across the distance. "Mnnn, no rarer than anywhere else in the world." She nods at Swift, taking in their reflexive greed with nothing but that same warm smile. She knows full well how they all feel in this moment.
"Quite right, on both accounts, I'm afraid. Now, while this," she waves a hand at the roof, encompassing the whole building with a slightly exasperated air, "is a supremely.... useful building, it is not somewhere that you can simply stay. Many of us sleep and have workshops here, yes, but there are reasons why we do Not Stay In The Hedge for more than a day or two at a time. Mn. I suppose the ten-step program analogy is rather apt, actually. We do have a stance of Charity within our Court, and the town as a whole, but you will need to get your feet under you in one fashion or another."
Teyar on
Kick At The Darkness Until It Bleeds Daylight
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
Melissa kept to the rear of the crowd, preferring to keep a fair distance between her and their frosty hostess. She kept a distant ear to the conservation, instead focusing on her surroundings. The social atmosphere never did sit well with her. Too many unknowns.
The fire nearest Melissa sputters and flares, a vague impression of a whirlwind forming out of the twisting licks of flame, before collapsing back into normality.
There is something distinctly OFF about the air in the Hedge tonight. It was the same sensation as the unstable air around the house the new Changelings erupted from, and it has a distinctly "above you" vibe to it.
Amaranth would be dallying, still a bit shellshocked by the whole experience. Sitting in the bus up until Lady Calgary made her introduction, the changeling reluctantly leaves and follows after. The entire time, he finds himself wondering what he really expected when he came back, but he rather quickly comes to the conclusion that he really didn't give it a whole lot of thought. Perhaps this is what he wanted.
Even so, he'd still rankle at being called a 'child.' The combination of keeping toward the back and good control would make it less than obvious, but still. At least it seemed as if they'd be off on their own soon enough. The idea that the changelings here operated in a sort of 'court' system was actually oddly comforting, and the fact that many of the others around him didn't seem to appreciate it too much was even better. There was always something for ya' if you cared to look for it.
Busy thinking about the discussion, he doesn't even really notice the odd construction for some time, and even when he does he doesn't think about it too much. He actually rather expected it, given what he had seen so far of this place. The idea of food was actually rather enticing, but nervousness had wrecked the majority of his appetite. Making his way over to the table, he looks across it for a few long moments, but finally decides he could get something in a moment. Perhaps his stomach would settle by then.
Joseph walks up next to Amaranth and looks over the food for anything that catches his eye. Never taking his eyes off the feast before him, Joseph begins to absentmindedly speak.
"Hey, I saw you and the others come in earlier. I know it seems rough now, but don't worry, it gets easier. Just try and stay relaxed and give yourself time to adjust."
Amaranth glances to Joseph for a moment when he hears the changeling make his way over, giving him a quick look-over before devoting his attention back to the food. He certainly wasn't terribly hungry now.
"I wouldn't say it's rough now. Being back... there could be rough. This..." He trails off for a moment, the right word seemingly eluding him. "I guess it's just strange to have your own life, ya' know? Not used to that."
After taking a large bite of meat off the bone and chewing thoughtfully, Alexander glances over at the woman. "So, how does one simply "get their feet underneath them" after a time like ours? Hmm?"
The claws of his free hand tap idly against the wood of his large chair. "According to your ... smoke filled driver I have been replaced by some sort double. That would mean I have no money, residence, or even identification. Am I supposed to get some sort of job? Menial labor perhaps? Should I include the phrase "plays well with reptiles" on my resume?" Steam pours from his nose as anger smolders in his voice. "So, please, enlighten me."
A thoughtful look crosses Amaranth's face as he looks over to Alexander during that outburst, somewhat surprised that anyone could feel... anger at this point. Sure, just after escaping, with pure adrenaline pumping through their veins. Sure, after that somewhat cold and insulting first meeting with this place's representative. But now? After someone simply says they won't be able to stay here, pampered, forever?
"I think your anger is somewhat misplaced" he begins, continuing to give the 'dragon' a level gaze. "All they've provided us so far is help. I think if you give them a bit of time, they'll help us... settle. And even if they don't..." Shrugging, the changeling just gives a shake of his head, "At least they gave this much. More than they had to."
"Nothing's free." Daren mutters loudly, seemingly to nobody in particular, thoughts about how he was taken invading his head. "They've given us a ride and some food. It seems like they want to help us. Last time I got 'help'...." He shuddered. "The question is, what's the catch?" There's always a catch. He realizes his hands are shaking, and he takes a deep breath to calm them. "I apologize. I am not ungrateful. I just...." He closes his eyes. "It's hard to know what to think anymore."
(( Allright, I think its time we got together for an actual chat-room or voice-over session. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are good for me, just about any time in the day, and pre-7pm eastern for Sunday. What works for who? ))
(Okay, so, this Friday evening, then! I think I got everyone onto a gmail, and I know it does group-chat with easy in/out voice, dont know if it does group voice, though. That has the benefit of in-house logging, as well. )
im actually undergoing mental black hole style collapse at the moment. sorry, guys, just seeing the updates and realizing i cant keep this going like this is more depressing than not.
i'll try and restart this all when I'm a functional human being again. probably post winter. defintely gonna make it a point to have it be chat or voice, this forum speed bs is no good.
Posts
She fell quiet at that, and turned to stare outside an adjacent window. "Perhaps you might be one of the rare fortunate few who find nothing changed, but don't get your hopes up."
By now he's turned off onto a side road, pulled up behind a flat brick wall. He pauses to look around for a moment, evidently satisfied by something. He beats out a fast, rapid pattern of knocks on the steering wheel, a hole in the universe unfolding infront of you. Vines crawl out of the wall, parting and pulling back, the twilit Hedge appearing before you.
A small clearing is beat out, surrounding the boxy, sturdy looking building. Its a striking building, screaming the architectural intent at the top of its lungs. Defense. The place is a curious mix of two conflicting styles. One, the more predominant feature, is "modern fortress", wreathed in gleaming chrome and angled edges. The other, is a crystaline fantasy, each parapet topped by a faceted glamour-coloured crystal, every corner lined with the thick, guarding gems.
"Ah. Home sweet home!" Trip honks the car's horn, once, twice, impatiently. The massive door on the front of the building, the only one you can see, rumbles upwards, leading in twoards what looks like the motor pool of a dozen too-rich for their own good eccentrics.
(( I wish I was better at describing the place. Imagine if the Draenei tried to build a Blood Elf building is the first thought I can supply, and get wierder from there. ))
A storm is brewing behind those eyes, to those that can spot it.
The Plymouth's hinges creak as the Changeling stands up and closes the door. After stretching and yawning for a bit, Joseph slips on a pair of sunglasses and heads for the entrance. Stopping there, he waits. It seems... appropriate for some reason.
I guess I might as well get a sneak peek at the guests of honor before going in.
It was too much to process right then, he had run out of the Hedge just a few minutes ago, really. He looked up at the new structure as he exited the van. "So this is where we're meeting everyone?"
He tries to look out a window when the van stops, but there really wasn't anything to see outside... until that series of honks. At the very corner of his vision he could see that hole suddenly split open, revealing a path back into the hedge... oh... oh that couldn't be good. The blood seems to drain from his face as he feels them drive right back where they came from, revealing a decidedly odd building.
It was clear Amaranth didn't like this one bit, but making a commotion now wasn't going to do a bit of good. The fact that Alex seemed to agree did make him feel a bit better though.
The horse statue stays quiet, of course. The cab looks over at you all, headlights rotating slightly in their enclosures.
"Now, I gotta go see who we got on night guard, get the guest rooms prepped, all that jazz. Dont you worry nuthin, kids, your safe as houses here, but it is like, what, twelve thirty now? Yeah. Whole damn place is tucked in for the night. Hang loose for a few, and I'll be right back. Kay?"
((I've got a few days of having to be away from computers'n'such. Talk amongst yourselves! Any perception rolls or whatnot and things like that, feel free to have em prepped, so on, so forth. ))
"I sided with the frostiest lot. No surprises there, right?" While watching the cab, she added almost under her breath. "Fetches can be a pain, but sometimes it's even more painful when They didn't see a reason to bother with one."
After a moments thought, he looks up from his distant reverie. "Politics? Have that many people truly made it back?" He pauses for another moment, "Is something like what happened to us... common?"
The Lady Calgary cuts an imposing figure in her ice-made business suit, trimmed in waves of frosted froth where one would expect fur. Her smile is a good deal warmer than her attire and Mantle would impress, however. "Now, I'm sure you all have a number of question, and we do infact have a number of answers. We also have warm food and drink, as well as clothing, and beds. But I'm sure all this rambling is utterly useless, so, come along, children." She claps her hands once, cutting herself off from the visibly practiced speech, heading down the hall with a crisp little breeze and that click of heels.
"Now, the best way to think of the courts is part political body, yes, as young Melissa says, but also as a support group and refugee center. Some of you may remember the number of others like yourselves in your ex-keeper's 'service', perhaps not. They do seem to collect humans at an alarming rate, however. Escape is... Less common." She ushers you down the hallway while she speaks, throwing a set of large double doors open, into a massive hall. The walls have the occasional fireplace, one here, another there, a third oversized one at the head of the hall, an equally oddly placed collection of chandeliers of various types dangling from the ceiling.
Laid along the central wooden table are a number of containers, each and every one covered, from bread baskets to casserole containers to incongruous tupperware containers and shoeboxes, the scents of your favorite foods wafting up from them.
"Now, dig in, and feel free to ask your questions, I'm quite sure you have them, all."
As they reach the large room he lazily pads over the table glancing over the foods. He finds himself drawn to a heavy meat dish with several juicy ribs sticking out of a casserole dish. Without a word, he snatches up the entire dish and heads over to the largest stuffed chair near the fire, curling in it for warmth.
He surprises himself by sitting down with just a half loaf of buttered bread and a glass of water. He waits for Alexander to finish speaking before beginning, "So this is what, a ten step program to reintroduce us to the real world?"
He looks around at all the former humans in the room. "And I guess it would be too much to ask when all of ... this goes away?" he asks, gesturing to the obvious changes to the recently freed around the table.
"Quite right, on both accounts, I'm afraid. Now, while this," she waves a hand at the roof, encompassing the whole building with a slightly exasperated air, "is a supremely.... useful building, it is not somewhere that you can simply stay. Many of us sleep and have workshops here, yes, but there are reasons why we do Not Stay In The Hedge for more than a day or two at a time. Mn. I suppose the ten-step program analogy is rather apt, actually. We do have a stance of Charity within our Court, and the town as a whole, but you will need to get your feet under you in one fashion or another."
6d10 → [1,6,7,10,3,8]
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2799200/
Even so, he'd still rankle at being called a 'child.' The combination of keeping toward the back and good control would make it less than obvious, but still. At least it seemed as if they'd be off on their own soon enough. The idea that the changelings here operated in a sort of 'court' system was actually oddly comforting, and the fact that many of the others around him didn't seem to appreciate it too much was even better. There was always something for ya' if you cared to look for it.
Busy thinking about the discussion, he doesn't even really notice the odd construction for some time, and even when he does he doesn't think about it too much. He actually rather expected it, given what he had seen so far of this place. The idea of food was actually rather enticing, but nervousness had wrecked the majority of his appetite. Making his way over to the table, he looks across it for a few long moments, but finally decides he could get something in a moment. Perhaps his stomach would settle by then.
"Hey, I saw you and the others come in earlier. I know it seems rough now, but don't worry, it gets easier. Just try and stay relaxed and give yourself time to adjust."
"I wouldn't say it's rough now. Being back... there could be rough. This..." He trails off for a moment, the right word seemingly eluding him. "I guess it's just strange to have your own life, ya' know? Not used to that."
Having finished filling his plate, Joseph finds a place to sit before eating.
The claws of his free hand tap idly against the wood of his large chair. "According to your ... smoke filled driver I have been replaced by some sort double. That would mean I have no money, residence, or even identification. Am I supposed to get some sort of job? Menial labor perhaps? Should I include the phrase "plays well with reptiles" on my resume?" Steam pours from his nose as anger smolders in his voice. "So, please, enlighten me."
"I think your anger is somewhat misplaced" he begins, continuing to give the 'dragon' a level gaze. "All they've provided us so far is help. I think if you give them a bit of time, they'll help us... settle. And even if they don't..." Shrugging, the changeling just gives a shake of his head, "At least they gave this much. More than they had to."
i'll try and restart this all when I'm a functional human being again. probably post winter. defintely gonna make it a point to have it be chat or voice, this forum speed bs is no good.
No worries buddy. Feel better.