In the center of a bustling city stands its crown jewels, a trio of grand, enormous pavilions. Within the facade of this old palace churns a city all its own, bodies chattering and exploring and roving about in search of the exotic and new and awe-inspiring. After all, no place could be better, for here, in the form of these stalls and displays for this fair, is where the worlds have chosen to convene. On the convention floor, they hawk their creeds, their products, their livelihoods, all competing for the attention of attendees as diverse as they are. But who is this 'they'? Why, anyone, from anywhere at all. From friendly small businesses to ominous corporations, from rebellions trying to gain ground to dying regimes attempting to rekindle their glory, from scientists and scholars to artists and storytellers. If an attendee can think of it, it could very well be here. Who knows what you'll find?
- Current Time: Noon/Early Afternoon (Day 2)
- Current Weather: Clear
Hello, Writer's Block, and welcome to the latest installment of the Character Development Threads! These shared story exercises give you the opportunity to develop your characters, practice writing, and have fun alongside your fellow writers, no signups, profiles, or GM approval necessary. Want to join? If the thread's gotten long, there's no need to fear Archive Panic- just head on over to our discussion thread
and say so, and we'll give you a recap of what's going on and good spots for working your characters into the thread; how you choose to do this is up to you. A little communication in endeavors such as these can go a long way towards having fun, helping others, getting that kink in your character worked out, getting your characters out of their comfort zone, or whatever you're here for, so if you ever have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. We're all for helping each other out.
This thread's designated trope page is here, and its map is here
◊. Don't forget to add your contributions to the page!
In this thread, as the introduction and name suggests, your characters will be coming to a convention, a gathering open to the various and sundry worlds of our stories, whether as attendees hoping to see something cool... or as parts of the exhibition themselves. Yes, you, the writer, will be shaping not just the cast and plots, but the setting as well in the form of stalls and exhibits. Note that this necessitates that we keep a few small things in mind to keep things running smoothly.
- Our standards of location for this thread are intentionally vague to allow ourselves the freedom to make up stalls on the fly as our plots demand, as well as to account for the fact that wandering around between stalls and chatting with your friends is as much a part of the convention experience as the stalls themselves. For the sake of keeping track of people, in lieu of standard location tags in the vein of [Market Hall], we recommend that you also append the names of the characters you're with.
- Though you're welcome to bring a piece of home in the form of a stall and control the characters running it, you're also welcome to bring a stall that exists solely as a plot device without ever mentioning it again. The basic rules to keep in mind are to write a stall as long as it takes to fulfill its raison d'être, whether that's to develop a faction or similar in your work or to keep the plot moving along, and that stalls can be anything. More specific info can be found on the trope page linked above.
- If you find yourself unexpectedly busy in other endeavors after entering the thread, there are easy ways to back out, whether you're writing for attendees or stalls. Attendees can step out into the covered walkways connecting the convention buildings or the adjacent courtyard for some fresh air and relief from the constant noise of the crowds, while stalls can suddenly become flooded with enough nameless background characters to render the stall too busy to reply to any troper characters that were interacting with it at the time.
With all that out of the way, we cordially invite you to stay and experience the Character Worlds' Fair! Onwards!
(Credit for this post and much of the work on the thread belongs to Crystal Glacia).
Fair has now concluded.
edited 31st Mar '15 2:06:36 AM by nrjxll
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
"Eh, I'm only here to take him home if he actually wants it right now," the cloaked figure told John, returning his bow with an inclination of its hood. "Really I dropped in more to spare the kid having to talk all over again about the unique and fantastical adventure he's been on, since for some reason" - it shrugged - "he doesn't seem to find it comfortable. And, also, I suppose, to set his mind at ease that his failure of basic common sense when it came to my card wouldn't leave him trapped here. Really, the card and the name were never necessary - I just thought having a reliable way of contacting me on hand would help him feel comfortable here."
The figure turned its hood towards Joseph, waiting to hear what he wanted, then paused and looked back at John. "Oh, the 'for Our sake' thing? Well, I would have said 'for Gatebuilders' sake', but I thought it would sound daft to talk about myself in the third person."
It paused, as if expecting a reaction. "No? Nothing? Sigh. Yes, I said sigh."
edited 21st Jan '15 12:45:02 AM by nrjxll
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
"Sorry... I don't get it," John said to the cloaked figure, "should I have a reaction to a mention of gatebuilders?"
"Either way, we're only asking questions that he can choose to voluntarily answer or not, there are no requirements here," John said. He looked to be ready to say something else, when he was interrupted by the door to the room opening.
Floating just on the other side was the light-woman from before, who said to the cloaked figure, "why are AI's in your sector usually insane?"
"Ah, Qinina," John said, looking embarrassed, "now... is not really a good time. Sorry everyone."
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)] (Joseph, John, Cloaked Figure, Qinina)
Joseph's brow had been crawling lower and lower since the cloaked figure had made his sudden reappearance. It was kind of funny; for as much as Joe had hoped that—by some miracle, or by the 'Will of the Universe, or by whatever it would take—he would somehow run into him again, the old guy had hardly been back a minute and already his open and unchallenged condescension was really starting to get on Joseph's nerves. Maybe it was undeserved flattery, but his treatment by John in the short time he'd been with the man left Joe feeling almost more willing to stay and try his luck with the temple. But he didn't say anything. Even with his attitude, the old whatever-he-was still appeared to be Joseph's only guaranteed ticket back to normalcy, or at least some faded shade of it.
Allowing himself one quick, and mostly internal sigh, Joseph looked to the cloaked figure and asked, "So... does this mean that everything went well? All that business you had to take care of, I mean? You'll be able to send me back to where I came from? That is- I mean, originally; where I originally came from?"
He wasn't entirely sure what to make of the pseudo-discussion between the John and the cloaked guy, only that it was almost certainly beyond him. Nor did he know what to think about the other new entry into the room, whom Joseph had only caught a glimpse of back in the temple proper.
this place needs me here
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
The cloaked figure turned its hood in Qinina's direction. "I... what? Oh, yes, that AI Psychosis thing. That's, ah, not really what it seems. It's not really my place to say more, I'm afraid. Nasty business. Poor AIs."
It then turned back to Joseph and inclined its head. "Certainly! I - or rather, we; my associates will be helping - can begin the transference at any time you ask." It moved closer to Joseph and leaned down to put its hood level to his face. "Though remember, young man, once we do this you'll probably be back in your universe permanently. So if I was you, I wouldn't ask until I was very, very certain I wanted to go home."
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
Qinina merely stared at the cloaked figure, making no other moves.
"Well, it's up to you," John said to Joseph, "you're always free to leave, and it sounds like this is what you've been wanting for a long time."
edited 21st Jan '15 10:29:14 AM by Sonzai
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
Cloud Gate Hotel - Lobby —> Room (Nioba, Lihiri, Adrien)
"We'll see you tomorrow morning, then," Nioba said. "Good night. Come along, Lihiri."
"Good night!" Lihiri called cheerfully as they departed.
As they got in the elevator, Nioba wrapped an arm around Lihiri. "My poor love. I promised you a vacation, and instead I've managed to get us entangled in an attempted terrorist attack and wild goose chase..."
Lihiri leaned against Nioba and smiled. "Oh, I don't mind that much. I rather like chasing wild geese. Except when they bite."
Nioba looked at Lihiri, not sure how to respond.
"That was a joke," Lihiri insisted. "Well, mostly a joke. I've learned a very long time ago to accept that you can't leave things alone, and it would be hypocritical for me to complain, since that character defect is the whole reason I'm here, isn't it? As opposed to still enslaved, I mean."
Nioba tilted Lihiri's head up and kissed her. "I love you."
Lihiri smiled. "I'm rather fond of you, too."
They reached their floor and headed to their room. There, they undressed and climbed into bed, and soon fell asleep.
Market Hall - Food Court —> Vardalgari Exports (Nazerno, Dimi, Rey)
"We will reconvene tomorrow at noon, then," Dimi agreed. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we should go make sure that the Empire is apprised of this development."
He walked away, and Nazerno hurried after him.
"What in the nine hells have you done, boy?" Nazerno demanded in Azikathi. "You've promised to pay any price! We ain't got that kinda coin! Hells, even the Empire might not have that kinda coin!"
"I am aware of that, Master." Dimi replied calmly. "But we only need her to get us to the targets. A battle with a Vyzobian Liberator, even a former one, is incredibly dangerous, after all."
Nazerno looked at his slave. "Goddamn, boy... you suggestin' that we kill her?"
Actually, I'm suggesting that you try and kill her, and then, while you're distracted, I'll kill you, Dimi thought. He did not, of course, say this aloud. "That would be preferable to paying her, wouldn't it?" he responded.
They approached the Vardalgari Exports booth.
edited 28th Jan '15 2:24:28 PM by StrixObscuro
By now, it should be clear to all except the most dense of us that sheep are secretly conspiring to kill us all and steal our pants.
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)] (Joseph, John, Cloaked Figure, Quinina)
Joseph opened his mouth slightly, wanting to speak but unsure exactly of what to address. His eyes were pointed inwards, towards the tip of his lizardish snout, but they looked almost entirely unfocused. Perhaps he was still adjusting to the recent, very unexpected turn of events, but in his mind's mad—almost desperate—sifting through his many scattered thoughts, it felt as though every decision he could think of, every choice he could make was in some way the wrong one. And there, sitting at a table in a fancy pants temple, with an eagerly waiting audience of two seemingly very important men and a talking glowstick, he had to figure out and pick whichever was the least wrong.
Slowly, he nodded his head, his eyes gravitating towards John as he said, "Yeah... I- ...yeah, it is, it is. I just..." He closed his mouth, frowning, then turned his attention towards the old cloaked guy, "So you're not just sending me back to my home. You're stopping this- just," he swept his arms out across the table's surface, "completely preventing it from happening ever again?"
this place needs me here
Just setting the stage, as it were, for the next day of Fair.
[Clark Tower Penthouse (Western Amalgamated's home universe)]
"...so, yeah," Alice said, "teal deer, the whole Vakaza mess resolved itself, thank Raava, except for one fleeing agent, who may or may not return. Still, not exactly the cleanest story."
Alice, Sigmund, and Isaac were crowded around their dining room table, Sigmund frowning as he re-read Alice's report. Then he said, "Dr. Xiong and Ms. Veneris seem to have just earned further hazard pay. Unless they're no longer interested, for which I wouldn't blame them."
"Nah," Isaac cut in, "Veneris is big on new experiences, ain't gonna let a chance like this pass her by. Xiong had a shitton to say about that last mess she was in, but trust me: she's down for another round if it means maybe finding someone who might be able to add something useful to her Songtech studies."
Sigmund nodded as he double-checked their profiles. "Of course, this is still proving more dangerous than I'd like. The people we trust for this aren't expendable, and we can't trust anyone who is."
"Except," Alice said, "that's not quite true. I took the liberty of digging through some relatively exceptional Maurosian auxiliaries. I've already whipped up a list of the ones we can trust to not cause a mess or tell the Patriarch things he doesn't need to know. A smallish squad, plainclothes, and the priest-commander I tapped to lead is adequate, loyal and sympathetic to our vision." She handed Sigmund the dossier, and he read it over as she continued. "A closet atheist, though as long as his men don't find that out, we should be fine. Anyways, the group would be enough to put out fires — metaphorical or literal — before they get too hot. They're not made of the same stuff as, say, Mills; if shit gets real, there's a chance they won't all make it back. But they're not afraid to die, what with all the religion, and... well, I'm not afraid to let them die if it means Veneris and Xiong get out alive."
Sigmund raised his eyebrows and nodded approvingly. "I appreciate the initiative, Alice. I'll admit I'm a bit hesitant, but... I trust you. Approved. Just remember: even the auxiliaries are not to be sacrificed lightly. While dealing with simple incidents and issues may help our reputation, any powerfully arcane or highly advanced incidents are to be responded to only insofar as they are a threat to our agents, and then only to ensure a safe retreat." Then he frowned. "I'm concerned Dr. Xiong in particular may attempt to prioritize civilian evacuations over her own in an emergency. Such heroism is admirable, but... make sure she understands that her own safety is paramount."
"Making sure we're clear here," Alice said. "We ain't in this to play cops, but if there's any low-hanging fruit and nobody else steps up to the plate, we'll see about grabbing it. And don't let any of ours be a hero; shit goes pear-shaped, we GTFO."
"As eloquently put as ever, Alice."
"So," Alice said, "how's about that offer I got about time-reversing anti-magic?"
To this, Sigmund sighed and said, "firstly, your proposed use of the shields was exactly the sort of unconventional thinking that makes me glad to have you as my left-hand woman. Unfortunately, the price is too high, and your proposed alternative use could very easily make us a pariah. So I cannot approve the transfer."
Alice sighed and said, "okay, understood."
edited 23rd Jan '15 9:54:39 PM by KillerClowns
[Food Court (Rey)]
Rey waited until the slavers were well out of sight before letting herself sigh. Okay. So. That worked. Or at least, it worked well enough for what I wanted. She still couldn't help suspecting that there was more going on than she could tell - that drop into whatever their native language was had been very suspicious - but all she'd really needed was for them to not pull weapons right this moment. Everything after that could be dealt with... well, afterward.
She sent Kel a text-only message - don't want to interrupt his so-important business, whatever it is - then resumed looking around for a bar. She could set up a confer with Nioba and Lihiri in the morning; it'd be a pain to get up then, but hopefully she could nap soon after this mess was done.
And I have that to look forward to, if nothing else. She grinned nastily and set off.
Rey is now effectively out for the night.
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
The cloaked figure waved one of its clawlike hands. "...Ish. You shouldn't keep randomly hopping between realities every few days once you're back home, but these little jokes of the multiverse are unpredictable at best. I can't say this will never happen again in your entire life. Nobody can. Certainly not their 'will' - the multiverse doesn't work like that, all that destiny nonsense."
It nodded its hood. "No offense."
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
"You are always welcome to believe whatever you want," Qinina said to the cloaked figure, hovering away back into the main hall - the door closing abruptly after her comment.
"Sorry... she's not usually like that," John said, looking embarrassed again.
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
Attitude is prohibited
[Entertainment Hall —> Market Hall]
Excitedly, Selina rushed out of the tent. "Come on, Kel!" She said, giddy and a bit light-headed from the exertion. "Hurry!" She was in a rush to see her sister, though she'd wait for him if she had to.
[Market Hall (Food Court)]
Tamara was little bit disappointed that Nagako hadn't answered any of her many questions. The young girl knew that she had a tendency to ask a lot of questions, but her mother usually told that this was a good thing. "Hmm," She said. "Well... Okay..." She tried to think of which of her questions she was most eager to have answered. "What's it like living in a secret city?"
There would be plenty of time for Nagako to give a well thought out answer, but as Tamara was thinking of a follow-up question, a familiar voice sounded near by. "Tamara!"
The girl looked over at the source of the noise, and her face lit up. "Selina!" She said, getting up and running towards her sister. She only got to take a few steps before Selina scooped her up and gave her little sister the biggest hug she'd gotten in years. Selina put her down and was about to say something, but Tamara spoke first. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" The nine year old admonished, with a big grin on her face. "Where have you been?"
Selina was a bit taken aback by this, but then she laughed, and hugged Tamara again. "Don't ever scare me like that! I told you not to run off!" She said, still squeezing her.
"Sorry." Said Tamara. When Selina let go, she took her older sister's hand and dragged her a few steps over to Nagako. "Nagako, this is my sister, Selina!" She said. "Selina, this is Nagako. She's my friend!"
"Hi." Said Selina. "I hope she wasn't too much trouble..."
Tamara peered around her sister at the curious, three-legged, powered armour-clad figure who wasn't far behind. "Oh," Said Selina, looking over her shoulder. "Tamara, this is Kel, he was helping me look for you. Kel, this is Tamara, my little sister."
Tamara walked up to the shivum mercenary and felt a familiar, intense curiosity building inside her. "Hi, mister." She said. "... Can I ask you something?" She had many questions she wanted to ask him, foremost among which were are you a bird-man and, having never seen powered armour before, are you a robot bird-man?
Not entirely dead.
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)] (Joseph, John, Cloaked Figure)
"Oh." Joseph said, sounding a little dazed. He paused for a second, then slowly nodded his head, "Okay."
In a strange sense, it was a bit of a relief to know that this solution wouldn't necessarily be a complete, vacuum-sealed certainty that he'd never see or visit anything beyond his own world again. As much as he had wanted to go home, he didn't want to entirely abandon all the things that he now knew to be real. Though the old cloaked guy didn't have the whole picture, he wasn't entirely wrong in calling Joseph's little offbeat journey "unique and fantastical". There had been plenty of thinness alongside the thickness and vice versa, but Joe would be lying to himself if he were to say that he was content in never being a part of anything like it again. Given how little he had to do at home, just knowing of it's existence and knowing he had no way to ever get back would probably drive him insane before the year was out. It had all happened too quickly, and in such an overwhelming downpour. So many things felt unfinished. Some felt like they had scarcely even begun. To deny all of it, well...
Well... he just didn't want to. But he did need to regain some semblance of control over his own life. The whole spontaneously turning into a lizard had been one thing, but if he couldn't so much as set his feet down and know for certain what dimension they'd be resting in, then it seemed hardly fit to that life his own. At least the lizard thing had remained constant, and he wasn't changing shapes every day by the whim of some unseen hand. If he could administer the same kind of control to his position in time and space, then there was no question about it. He had to.
Joseph raised his eyes to the cloaked figure's hooded... whatever it was keeping under there. He turned his gaze towards John, then said, "Listen, I um... I'd like to stay and answer the rest of your questions, but, I..." he glanced again at the cloaked figure, then back at John, "I think this is it for me."
this place needs me here
Market Hall - Vardalgari Exports (Dimi, Nazerno, Jidra)
"What're we doin' here?" Nazerno demanded.
Dimi looked around and realized that he'd led his Master to the Vardalgari Exports stall. The stall was abandoned, its staff presumably having retired for the night. "This is strange. I could have sworn I had a reason for coming here..."
"I summoned you." The voice was silky and feminine.
Oh shit. A shiver went down Dimi's spine.
A tall, pale Azikathi woman with long platinum hair and a long white dress emerged from the shadows of the stall. This was Jidra, Director of Foreign Projects for the Azikath Empire. Most people (and this included Nazerno and Dimi) feared her, and for good reason.
"You boys didn't really think I'd let you go off into another dimension without keeping tabs, did you? I mean, one of you is a defective Furor, while the other is the son of an exile..."
"My daddy weren't no exile!" Nazerno fumed. "He was a proud patriot who left because he saw where the Empire was goin' under people like you!"
Jidra snorted derisively. "Your father was a drunkard. They exiled him for breaking into the Emperor's palace and trying to murder him in a drunken stupor."
Nazerno lost his temper and attempted to lunge at Jidra, but before he could even take two strides, Dimi suddenly grabbed his shoulder and flung him to the ground.
Dimi looked at his own arm. Why did I do that?
"Poor boy," Jidra said, stepping in close. "You didn't really think you had total control of yourself, did you? You're a Furor. We programmed you to defend the Empire. All those years you've spent with this idiot were just our way of keeping an eye on him in case his idiot father gave him any stupid ambitions." She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "We never let you go, and we never will.""
"I-I've been loyal..." he stammered. "We found a woman who's met the targets. She will lead us to them t-t-tomorrow..."
"Good boy. Now take the idiot back to the hotel and get some sleep." She leaned in and kissed Dimi's cheek...
"Hey, boy! You listenin' to me?!"
Dimi looked around. There was no sign of Jidra, and Nazerno was still standing upright.
"What in the nine hells is wrong with you, boy?" Nazerno asked. "Why are we here?"
"Jidra wanted a meeting..." Dimi murmured.
"What?"
Dimi shook his head. "Forget it, Master. It's getting late. We should head to the hotel."
"Goddamn, boy. You're gonna end up like one o' them goddamned Avatars if you ain't careful."
They began making their way to the hotel.
By now, it should be clear to all except the most dense of us that sheep are secretly conspiring to kill us all and steal our pants.
[Food Court (Selina, Tamara, Kel, Nagako)]
Kel didn't bother to run after Selina as she sprinted off; while shvuim weren't built for speed, even a slight trot could keep him up with the armor boosting his movements. He arrived in time to see the sisters reunited, and turned his beak away to hide a shvuim-style smile. Looking back after a moment, he noticed the young human woman Selina's sister - no, Tamara - had been with, and nodded to her.
As Tamara walked up to him, he looked down at her with a friendly expression. "Of course," he said. "Ask away, small human."
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
"Well, that's certainly a morbid way of putting it," the cloaked figure said. "But very well, then, as you wish." It lifted its staff, which began to flicker with purple and green light. The temple's dimensional watch station could tell that this was, in fact, little more than a light show; the true cross-universal rift the being was creating was invisible to the naked eye.
The cloaked figure moved towards Joseph. "This may cause some slight nausea," it said in a cautionary tone, and rapped him - slightly harder than might have been necessary - on the forehead with its staff.
Without so much as a flicker, Joseph disappeared.
PM me if there's anything you'd like me to revise here, Ryuhza; otherwise, he should arrive at his home in your next post.
The cloaked figure turned towards John. "Well, that's my good deed for the day," it told him. "I'll be off soon - people to see, crypticisms to offer - but are there any questions you have first?"
edited 23rd Jan '15 11:55:54 PM by nrjxll
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
"Of course," John said to Joseph (before he left), "I wish you a safe journey, and hope you find some stability in your life."
Once Joseph had disappeared...
"Questions? I suppose Qinina already asked the question that we have been thinking about," John said to the cloaked figure, "I suppose, I could ask - why do you say there's no purpose or meaning in the multiverse? Why do you deny the legitimacy of our mission outright?"
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
The cloaked figure slightly twitched its shoulders - or something like shoulders - underneath its robe in a not-quite-shrug. "I've been around for a long, long time. You'd know how long if you recognized the name Gatebuilders; suffice it to say that I've seen a lot of the multiverse. And in all that time, and in all those places, not once have I ever seen anything to make me believe that the multiverse wants anything from us."
It leaned on its staff. "Maybe there's no will. Maybe there's several, all of them wanting different things from different people. Certainly I think there's a sense of humor. But this idea that the multiverse wants specific things from each one of us, this 'destiny' business your organization has going on? I'm just not seeing where you're getting that from."
It paused, tilting its hood downward. "And, uh - oh, my, look at my sleeve! Is that the time? I better get going! Things to do, crypticisms to utter! Think I'll be back tomorrow, though. Well... tomorrow from a certain perspective, anyway."
The figure lifted one hand to the tip of its hood in a salute, then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, space-time invisibly twisting again as it did so.
It will, in fact, be back the next day. Just don't want to hold things up.
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room >> Main Hall)]
"Typical," John said after the cloaked figure had departed.
Getting up and walking to the door, he said, "well, back to work, I suppose. That was all rather - short."
He glanced once more at where Joseph and the cloaked figure had been, then left the room, back into the main hall.
They are done for now. :)
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
[Temple Aeorinin —> Sammamish ~ Joseph's House]
Joseph's brow knitted slightly at the impact of the staff, but before he could think to say anything, he was gone.
In what seemed like a fraction of an instant, the hooded head his eyes were focused on was gone, replaced by the thin misty air of mid-morning. The table his hands had been resting on was gone as well, as was the chair he'd been sitting on. As a result, he was left standing—if one could call it that—in a very awkward position that looked more than anything like he was trying to sit on an invisible chair. His feet were just barely touching the ground, and his tail, which had been somewhat suspended by the support of the chair a moment earlier, quickly joined them. For a second or two, he managed to stay upright, balancing against his tail almost like a kangaroo would, but Joseph was not a kangaroo, or even part kangaroo, and he had neither the structure nor the skill to pull off such a feat for any extended period of time. Mixed with the nausea that the old man had mentioned—and which was now rearing it's ugly head—there was virtually no other outcome. Hardly a second after he had registered what was going on, Joe, waving his arms in a desperate gambit to stay upright, toppled over.
He landed with an "Oof!" and a soft crackle on a pile of mostly dried leaves, plus a bit of exposed dirt here and there. Surrounding him on what seemed to be all sides were familiar trees, all showing signs of one particular autumn that Joe had not seen in almost two weeks. He raised his head, propping himself up by his elbows, and took a look around. It only took a moment to find what he was looking for; the sight of his own backyard brought a slow smile to his face. Feeling a little nauseous, dazed, and disoriented, he pushed himself forward onto his knees, and then slowly onto his feet. With one destination in mind, he set off in a jog, then, at the behest of his stomach, settled very quickly into a comfortable amble.
Joseph's pace slowed as he neared the back door of his house. Something caught his attention in the first story window; his mother, walking by in a hurry while fixing her hair. She didn't seem to notice him the first time around, but a few seconds later she made another pass by the window, wherein she glanced in Joseph's direction and froze. She locked eyes with him for a second, looking slightly crazed, then slightly confused, before hurrying out of view. Then, when Joe was just a few steps away from the door, it flew open, and there she stood.
"Joseph, what the hell are you doing out here?" She hissed, her forehead wrinkled in what would best be described as a concerned glare. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Joe halted, glancing down at his cheap wristwatch, whose time was now most certainly inaccurate, then slowly raised his eyes back to his mother and half-said, half-mumbled, "Uh... no... no I don't."
"Way way way too late for you to be outside. Anyone could be walking by- hiking in the woods, walking down the street, and see you; it's nearly eleven." She glanced over his head and into their yard, as though expecting to spot someone hiding in the bushes with a video camera. "Come-on-come-on-come-on," she said, spitting out the words in a rapid string as she waved him in. Joe opened his mouth slightly, hesitated, but said nothing, and stepped inside. His mouth was still set in what one might call an especially flat smile, but his eyes had mostly drifted towards the floor.
Feeling a little childish, he wrapped his arms around his mother in a hug, hoping that the gesture would trigger the kind of response that he'd been expecting. The "I was worried sick"-s, the "where on Earth have you been"-s, and the "that's it, I knew I should have done this from the beginning, and now I'm left with no choice: you're grounded until you aren't a lizard anymore"-s.
But none of that came. None of it. Nothing that resembled it in the slightest came. His mother—who had returned to fixing her dark hair into a loose bun—simply glanced down at him in the same way one might glance down at another's odd choice of socks, or at a portrait of themselves drawn by a 6-year old. Once she had finished with her hair, she placed her hands on his shoulders and gently inspired him to stop hugging her that instant.
"Listen Joseph, I know it must get a little boring for you, kicking back in your room all day, but you've got to keep it together until we can get this whole mess sorted out, all right?"
Joseph's smile had vanished completely by that point. His mother stood back, tipping her head downward as she buttoned up the bottom of a dark blue blazer, though her eyes remained mostly focused on Joseph. "Now, Rick and I are going to be out of town for the weekend. And you, you can't just go waltzing down the street in the middle of the day, or we're going to have the police, our neighbors, reporters, G-Men- the whole circus, all breathing down our necks, and tough as things are now, I don't think any of us can cope with that."
"Right ...right." he said, nodding slowly, alternating between glancing at her and at his own concentrated confusion. "Is Rick here right now?"
"Nope," she said, finished with her buttoning, "he's out shopping for groceries, for while we're gone, then he's going to pick me up and we're out of here. He should be getting enough to last you at least through the weekend, even with your pickiness, but your cousin will be stopping by too in case you need anything else. We should be back some time around Monday afternoon."
Joseph nodded again, "Got it."
"Good, now go turn on the TV or something." she said, walking over to her purse on a table and beginning to rummage through it.
Joe stood there, only just inside the doorway, again unsure of what to say. Of what he could say, without sounding like he was delusional. He was beginning to suspect he knew exactly what was going on. Not even his mother could be so cold when he had been missing for almost two weeks.
Before he could say anything, she raised her head slightly, "Oh, speaking of your cousin, he called earlier, said that he wanted your help with some business of his in the city," she raised her eyes to meet Joseph's, then shook her head sternly, "but I don't think that's a good idea, even at night time. Even when we were under... different circumstances, you've hardly ever been to the city, have you?"
"No, no you're right." he said, shaking his head slowly. "Yeah, it sounds... sounds, uh, dangerous." He fell silent for a moment, then turned around, heading for the stairs to the second story, where his room was. At the foot of the stairs, he stopped and turned his head back slightly, though his eyes were fixed on the lower part of the wall. "Hey Mom, what if I- ...what if I said that I, um..."
"Hmm?" she called, after he had been silent for a few seconds.
He clicked his teeth together for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "Forget it. It's nice to see you."
"Mmhmm."
"Tell Rick that I said hi, okay?"
"Mmmmhmm." she said again. Joseph began to climb the stairs, but before he was halfway up, his mother raised her head again, face fixed with another one of those slightly-constipated expressions of confusion. "Joseph, what are you wearing?"
"Oh, uh, some- some old clothes that I took some scissors to."
She raised her eyebrows for a moment, then frowned, "Well, don't you go mutilating your whole wardrobe. All right? All right? I don't want to have to buy a bunch of new clothes once we've sorted out this thing with you."
"I won't" he called with a sigh, then continued up to the top of the stairs.
Something was wrong indeed. He had begun to suspect it with his mother's callousness, and her mention of his cousin needing his help in the city just about cinched it. Just to be sure, he quickly headed over to and into his room—which looked as though he had never left it—and then to his desk, which housed his computer and other useful tools for not becoming bored out of his mind when he was cooped up in there for hours on end. He yanked open a drawer on the desk's lower right side, revealing a neatly organized stack of newspapers. He hadn't been an avid reader of the news before, but isolation did crazy things to a person.
He drew a claw across the newspaper on the very top of the stack, looking for it's date. And there it was. November 15, 1992. Although... that didn't seem to check out. He couldn't remember the exact date of his departure, but he was pretty sure that they had at least been into the 20s.
Joe frowned, sitting down in his chair, which was thankfully roomy enough for his tail. He tried to think back on the days before he had left; on the things he had done in each, the distinctions, the little things that kept them bound to his memory. He put his elbow on the desk and propped up his head with his fist, tapping one claw against the desktop with his other hand. He couldn't recall anything. In fact, all that seemed to be floating in his mind just then was the thought that he hadn't finished the glass of water that John had provided for him. More than a thought even, it felt like a self scolding. Waste not want not and all that.
He spun around in his chair,facing towards his bed, where he spotted another newspaper, folded half open. Aha...
Joseph moved from chair to bed in one swift diving motion, grabbing the newspaper in the process, then rolling onto his back and sticking his lizardy snout into it's pages. The date read November 22, 1992. He had missed thanksgiving, or he would have, if he had actually been gone for two weeks. But apparently, he hadn't. Not to his world. Well, to his world he had been gone for almost three months, but to his close relations, he'd been there the whole time. Nothing but his set of clothes and the economy warping bundle of bills in his pocket to say otherwise. And maybe that was enough proof, but Joe wasn't sure who to tell. Who would want to hear it? Maybe it would pique the interests of his cousin or Rune, but would either of them understand it? Really understand what it had been like; what he had gone through? It didn't seem likely.
Again, the thought of the unfinished glass of water stole into his mind, haunting him with a weight and tenacity that it shouldn't have possessed. It was just a stupid glass of water. One unfinished glass of water. He tossed the newspaper to the side, letting it slide down to the floor while he wriggled up to his pillow, resting his large dumb lizard head against it and staring up at the ceiling.
Was it still sitting there, at the corner of the table, waiting for him to finish drinking it? He almost wished that he could. Just travel back to the fair, to the temple, and finish drinking that glass of water. More likely, John would have simply disappeared it as easily as he'd summoned it in the first place. There would be no real consequence to Joseph not finishing that water. In fact, it was probably the one of the least important predicaments in history, recorded or not. He had a whole brain full of things that were worth more worry than that stupid unfinished water. Yet there he was, lying on his bed and thinking about it. Who would care? Even if somebody did care, it's not as though Joseph would ever meet them again. The chances of what happened to him ever happening again in such a way that he would encounter that person had to be so astronomically improbable that it wasn't worth caring about in the slightest. He would be much, much, much better off forgetting it ever happened. He would never have the answers to these stupid problems, he would never find himself in the position to finish any of his unfinished business, and he would never ever ever again meet anybody who cared about it.
Joseph covered his eyes with both hands as they welled up with tears. The dream had ended. It was so good to be home.
this place needs me here
Market Hall (Food Court) (Nagako, Tamara, Selina, Kel)
"Well," Nagako started, "Considering I don't have a lot to go off of, I don't think it's any different from living in a normal city. Actually, it's not just the capital that's hidden; it's our entire society. Our ancestors got a little-"
She didn't get the chance to finish before the person they were looking for showed up. Apparently, Tamara's instinct was right after all. She didn't interfere when Tamara went up to hug her sister, instead choosing to simply smile. That worked out just nicely, especially considering how late it was getting.
Then Selina turned her attention to her. She stood up and gave Selina a little bow of greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, "And don't worry about Tamara being a bother. She was actually quite the nice little girl."
She turned to glance at Tamara, at the same time finally noticing the...bird thing. It might have been a youkai of some sort (albeit one she definitely didn't recognize), but judging by the armor it was wearing looking far more advanced than anything the youkai were usually capable of it probably wasn't. She didn't do so much as raise an eyebrow at it; weird-looking though it was it didn't look hostile (at least, it seemed to be helping Selina). Actually, she was a little curious about it herself.
Alas, now wasn't the time for questions. With this taken care of, she probably couldn't afford to stick around. Chances were Father was starting to pack up his stall and could probably use her help.
"As much as I'd like to stay and chat for a while, I have to leave. It's getting rather late, and Father is going to need me back at the stall." She bowed again, this time in farewell. "Though I'd be happy to meet up and talk again tomorrow, if you're planning on staying for another day...?"
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
Cloud Gate Hotel - Room 1071 (Jidra, Avatar of Carnage)
In her dimly-lit hotel room, Jidra removed her transmitting headset and relaxed in her chair, satisfied that she'd reminded that little Furor who was really in charge. She watched as the Avatar of Carnage sat on the floor in front of her and fumbled around with the wooden blocks she had given it. It lifted each block, looking at it as if in examination, but Jidra was certain there was no real thought behind those eyes - the magineers had spent decades stamping that sort of thing out.
Then again, that's what we believed about the wayward Avatar of Suffering, and look how that turned out...
Jidra dreamed of a world with no more Avatars or Furors, where the Empire's fate lay in its own hands instead of those of lesser races than the Zinji or the Llogari. In a few years, the magineers might finally crack the code of Azikathi genetics, enabling them to restore the natural gifts of which the Elves had robbed their children.
We will be stronger, and faster, she thought to herself. We will be able to wield magic. And our Empire will become great again...
For now, though, the Empire required the Avatar of Suffering to be returned. Tomorrow, hopefully, that swamp-bred idiot and his slave would deliver the Avatar of Suffering and the Vyzobian who had sheltered it. Or failing that, she would simply unleash the Avatar of Carnage upon the lot of them and get rid of four nuisances at once.
She watched the Avatar of Carnage for a minute or two more, then undressed and went to bed.
The Avatar of Carnage continued its inspection of the blocks, even after the lights had gone out.
edited 28th Jan '15 2:25:05 PM by StrixObscuro
By now, it should be clear to all except the most dense of us that sheep are secretly conspiring to kill us all and steal our pants.
Attitude is prohibited
[Market Hall (Food Court)] (Nagako, Tamara, Selina, Kel)
"Um." Said Tamara. She really wanted to rephrase the question, but she couldn't think of a better way to ask. Plus she really wanted to know. "Are... Are... Are you..." She bit her lip, hesitated, and then the question burst out of her. "Are you a robot bird-man, mister?!" Then she turned her face away, a little bit embarrassed. Sheepishly looking back up at him, she added "Because I think it'd be super cool if you were..."
Selina glanced over her shoulder when she heard Tamara blurt out her odd question, but didn't say anything. She just smiled and laughed softly. Turning back towards Nagako, she spoke. "Well, we weren't planning on coming back tomorrow, but..." She shrugged. "It wouldn't be too much of a bother. So, sure, We'd be happy to see you again tomorrow!"
Not entirely dead.
[Food Court (Selina, Tamara, Kel, Nagako)]
Kel looked confused for a moment, then caught on to what Tamara meant. "You mean the metal stuff I'm wearing?" He pointed at his armor suit. "No, this is just armor. I'm not a robot."
Funny the suggestion scares me much less coming from a kid...
"I guess I'm a bird-man, though. Shvuim - that's the name of my species - we evolved from what humans would describe as an avian species. Flightless avians, though, so we're no different from you that - when it comes to heights."
He shook his head slightly in amusement and turned towards Selina, pleased to hear that she'd be returning the next day. It meant he didn't have to worry about any complicated goodbyes now. "So I think I'd better get going too. I haven't even called my partner except that one time, and I think she's probably gotten into some trouble by now. I should be there to get her out of it."
He inclined his head towards her, then towards Nagako, and shifted his beak into a smile for Tamara. Then he turned and set off through the fair.
Market Hall (Food Court -> En Route to Youkai Showcase) (Nagako, Tamara, Selina)
"If you weren't planning on it, then you don't need to change those plans for my sake," Nagako replied, shaking her head, "But if there's nothing keeping you from staying and you're fine with it, then whatever works for you I suppose."
She bowed again. "In any event...I hope you have a good night."
Then she turned and started heading back towards the Youkai Showcase. Hopefully Father wasn't having too much trouble without her.
And that's it for Nagako for the in-story night.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
As late night arrived in the fair, all of the remaining guests finally departed - or, in some cases, were dragged or kicked out.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny, with a clear blue sky overhead. The grounds of the fair bustled with activity as a number of new stalls were set up for the new day. At exactly 9:00 AM, the gates opened, and guests began to return, while new ones arrived.
Of course, not everybody was up yet.
- Current Time: Morning, Day 2 (9:00 AM)
- Current Weather: Sunny and Clear
[Market Hall - Tevarian's Booth - Zachary Jackson, Tevarian T'jok]
"A pleasure doing business with you!" Tevarian said to Somlan as he left.
"Anything you're interested in?" Tevarian said to Zak.
[Temple Aeorinin (Side Room)]
John was about to respond to Joseph when they were interrupted. "That... doesn't correlate with our observations," John said to the cowled being, giving a look of suspicion, "and I don't really understand what 'Our' you're referring to here."
Turning back to Joseph, he said, "nonetheless, you are always free to leave - if you're ride's here." He motioned to the cowled being. "It was an honor to meet you, even if for such a short time."
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.