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 Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 8:16 am
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:17 pm
The Tawdry Roadhogs Name: Varis Gregory Caldwell
Position: Lead vocals.
Age: 24
Hair color/style: Dirty blonde, straight, lank, short in back, long in front.
Eye color: Brown.
Skin color: Pale.
Height: 5'11"
Build: Thin, wiry.
Clothing preference: If it was possible, Varis would never wear a shirt. He's a bit of an exhibitionist, choosing colors, patterns and levels of tightness in pants that are carefully calculated to gather the most stares. Not sharing Astan's ability to shake off the chill, he uses the winter months to showcase his collection of trenchcoats with fur collars, zebra striped knee-length tunics and snakeskin boots with spurs.
Personality traits: craves attention, messy, rash, irritable, likes large parties, low self control, weird, does not like to be alone, does not respect authority, not rule conscious, not good at saving money, more interested in relationships than intellectual pursuits, very social, phobic, suspicious, not careful, outgoing, vain, passionate, aggressive, likes to make fun, hates to losepicture coming soon
his old one was too uglyName: Nicholas Xavier O'Connell
Age: 24
Hair color/style: Brown, with a longer aqua streak in front. It's shortish, but looks like it needs a trim anyway.
Eye color: Green.
Skin color: Average caucasian.
Height: 6'0"
Build: Average.
Clothing preference: Average. I'm sensing a pattern here. Nick normally wears t-shirts, jeans, button-down shirts, khakis, sneakers, jackets, anything completely and utterly normal. The rest of the group dresses him for gigs and insisted on the streak in his hair.
Personality traits: neat freak, organized, phobic, fears the unknown, irritable, emotionally sensitive, fears chaos, risk averse, fragile, unadventurous, frequently second guesses self, likes to fit in, hard working, does not like to be alone, clingy, dependent, practical, ordinary, cautious, takes precautions, suspicious, busy, altruistic Name: Thomas Andrew Donovan
Position: Bass guitar.
Age: 26
Hair color/style: Black, cut short.
Eye color: Brown.
Skin color: Ruddy.
Height: 5'8"
Build: Husky.
Clothing preference: Baggy jeans and t-shirts.
Personality traits: introverted, secretive, reclusive, tough, non social, observer, fearless, solitary, detached, does not like to lead, outsider, does not like to stand out, does not make friends easily, self sufficient, aggressive, likes the unknown, unconcerned with external opinion, strong, independent
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:19 pm
"Seriously, Nick. What in the hell are you talking about?" It was 9am on a Sunday morning, and as a result of the incredibly late gig The Tawdry Roadhogs had played the night before, Astan had been in bed when his phone rang. Sleeping. It was apparent Nicholas hadn't yet done the same. Astan wondered when he had become the dependable one.
"You know how you said you wanted someone besides Varis to write some songs and get offa our asses and stuff?" Astan winced as Nick's voice trailed off. He sincerely hoped that there was no one else in the room with Nick. The drummer made a note to keep his bitching about Varis to himself, or at least direct it toward people who weren't likely to spill around the very person he had a problem with. Nick coughed into the receiver and continued. "Those guys that followed us last night, Tangerine Scream? They were all drummers. You shoulda stayed."
"Hmm." Astan scratched at his shoulder and shuffled out of his bedroom into the kitchen. He doubted he was getting back to sleep anytime soon, and he was hungry.
"No really, these guys had these things called Speaking Drums or some s**t... no... well, whatever. It sounded like... heartbeats. If you had one of those, I could write the ******** out of some songs."
"You were drunk, man. Come on."
"I think I still might be."
"And don't tell anyone what I said about Varis. He's being a d**k as it is lately." Great. Way to mouth off some more, Astan.
Nick paused for what might have seemed like an uncomfortable amount of time if Astan hadn't been distracted by the cheese he was slicing. "Varis isn't here. Him and Sherry are out somewhere. That's not the point. They were, like, talking to each other, dude. That's what they were! Talking Drums."
Astan's laugh came out as a puff of air that grated against the phone. "So where do I get one of these talking drums?"
"Awesome! I knew you'd..." For the second time this conversation, nothing coherent came out of the phone for a minute or so as Nick fumbled around, trying to fish his cell out from where he had dropped it. "Sorry. I got a place. I'll text you the address." Astan noticed Nick didn't offer to pay for the acquisition of this inspirational instrument.
"Yeah. I'll see what I can do."
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:21 pm
Drums and Dogs
Astan ventures to the edges of Vargash to pick up a talking drum and meets Eli and his dog Kell on the way home.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:22 pm
Coffee Shop
Astan meets Verdant, a fellow musician, after a near coffee disaster.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:23 pm
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:26 pm
The Midnight Ball
Entrance on page 5. All interactions logged below for my convenience.Smerdle Location: Home -> Outside the Manor -> Manor gates When he had received the invitation late last week, Astan had thought it was a joke. What did the attendees of some Duke's party want with his presence? Still, he found he couldn't ignore the thing. It sat on the table near his front door for days, and every time he laid eyes on it, it further filled his head with questions about what he might be missing if he didn't take this Midnight Ball more seriously. At the very least there would probably be free food and booze, but at the most... Astan smirked at his reflection as he ran fingers through his unruly hair, trying to smooth it closer to his scalp. At the most, the whole experience could change his life.
He had opted for a short-sleeved dress shirt, brown pants and an orange tie. Certainly less than fancy, but this DeLonghy character must have known the type of person he was before he had been invited. His outfit choice would have to do, wouldn't it?
As he approached the manor on foot, Astan had to silently admit that he was impressed. Residences in his neighborhood didn't even have a scraggly bit of lawn, let alone grounds. Thumbs in pockets and gaze sweeping over everything in the vicinity, Astan slowly made his way toward the estate's front doors, sandals crunching on the gravel driveway. moonlit-raven Location: Home -> Outside the Manor -> Manor gates
Ishmael wasn't sure of the reason why he had been invited to this, but it wasn't particularly important. He was here, and even dressed up, in a dusty brown suit, and to be honest was a little excited about this. It wasn't every day that he was invited to a party, much less one hosted by a Duke. This would definitely be something to remember.
He noticed a man a little ways ahead of him, heading in the same direction that Ishmael was going, and he almost quickened his pace to catch up with him, but decided against it. For now, he would merely follow him. There would be plenty of time for socializing once they were inside. Smerdle Locations: Manor gates --> Entrance Hall --> Ballroom Oblivious to the cat man following him, at least for the moment, Astan continued on through the entrance hall, sticking as close to the wall as possible. He might have loved to hear himself talk, but all of these people were engaged in conversations he had nothing to add to, and he wasn't some clown, content to barge in and set off awkward silences. He did, however, notice what he assumed were the Essentics: a walking flower and a bony thing with a visor that seemed to be conversing with a pair of normal, if oddly colorful, humans. He didn't feel any strong sense of unease around these creatures, just an intense curiosity. If he was to believe the rumors some people spread, that flower could fly off the handle any minute.
Making his way past the crowd, Astan entered the ballroom, surprised to see not only Verdant, but Eli and Kell too. What in the hell were they all doing here? And why was there a dog at a ball? He shuffled over to Eli first, nodding at Lee and trying not to openly stare at Lauss. "Good to see you?" he said, his words more a question than a statement. "I wasn't expecting to find you guys here." He chuckled. "Any idea why we were invited?" ladyumbra [ Location ] Ballroom Eli shrugged but smiled in a a friendly manner at Astan, pleased to see someone else he actually knew if only minutely, " Good to see you indeed and no clue why we're here but why not enjoy?" He had suspicions of why but he intended to say nothing until more time had passed. Dark green eyes fell back on Lee for a moment, " I have no idea how he doesn't drive you crazy with questions." Eli's words were warm and teasing, though he was honestly glad he hadn't had to answer Lauss about the whole teach me how to shoot a gun thing. Smerdle Location: Ballroom Astan nodded at Eli. "Hmm. Yup, plan to." His gaze fell on Longway as she crossed the ballroom and he returned her howdy with a brief subdued wave. He probably should have guessed she'd be here. She looked quite nice in her fancy clothes, not that he was surprised. His attention turned back to the dancing proto that seemed to belong to the girl Eli was addressing. Well, there was the truth right in front of him. Unless he had missed something, Essentics were no more dangerous than a human child. Oh Astan, master of jumping to hasty conclusions, among other things.
"I'm gonna check out the food and stuff. Anyone want anything?" he interrupted, darting a friendly smile at Lee. epicZILLA Location: BallroomLauss nodded to Ellandra; a book on dancing? If he could find such a thing, he'd somehow have to persuade Lee to let him practice. Perhaps he'd have friends by then? Somehow, that seemed unlikely. Lauss was happily swung in whatever direction Ellandra led him in, taking note of every movement as they went. Dancing wasn't so hard. Especially when you didn't have legs.
Lauss was almost giddy to learn that he was actually in a dance he'd read about in his studies. "It did, Miss Ellandra. I'm delighted to see you've been doing your research. You know, quadrilles were quite popular in the era, which consisted of four couples who..." the proto rambled on about the most recent facts he'd read. It didn't really matter at this point whether or not Ellandra listened, he would continue on regardless.
Lee, on the other side of the Ballroom, smiled slightly at the sight of Lauss being dragged around. It looked awkward, but she knew he was having fun. Hopefully he wasn't too big a burden on Ellandra. She turned to Eli and shook her head at his comment. "You have no idea."
"Well, if you're going over there..." Lee had been eyeing some of the brownies she'd seen earlier. "Could you maybe bring back something sweet?" It would be a bit odd, she thought, seeing everyone with alcohol in their hands. She felt... very young. But as long as she had some sugar, there wouldn't be any problems.
Smerdle Location: Ballroom Astan cast a curious glance at Eli and his dog as they and several others were seemingly herded off into the bowels of the manor. What the... Oh. Oh.
"Sure thing. Be right back," he said to the girl. He hoped she would stay put, waiting for food from a complete stranger, so he could ask her some questions. He strolled over to the buffet, his calm gait and demeanor in direct conflict with his racing thoughts. Examining the piles of food for things that might be deemed 'sweet,' Astan decided on a pink puff and some sort of small dark chocolate cup-shaped cake, each on its own dainty plate. He swung past the cornucopia of alcohol, somehow nabbing a beer for himself while still keeping a tight grip on the food. Astan muttered a brief but friendly hello to the people gathered there and meandered back to Lee's side. "Which one?" he asked, holding out the hand that held the desserts for her to see while taking a swig of his beer with the other. "Or both." epicZILLA Location: Ballroom"I have brothers?" This was definitely news to Lauss, as his dancing halted immediately. The proto spinned in place, trying to locate these relatives Ellandra spoke of. And now she seemed to be heading on to other things, but... this left no closure. Lauss looked around for someone he recognized... Most of these people were complete strangers; Lee wasn't even in sight anymore. Anyone semi-recognizable would do at this point.
There. That man. He was with Elle earlier; surely he would know something. Lauss swiveled through the crowd and up to the half demon, stopping in the man's path. "Miss Ellandra said I have brothers here. Do you know where these might be?"
----
Lee followed Astan's glance as the others moved on, but was happy to hear that she'd be getting some treats soon. As the man came back with a plate in each hand, Lee surveyed the offerings, wondering which would be for her until... Both...? She sighed. With no where to sit, that probably wouldn't be the best idea. Such an opportunity, wasted. She nodded her head toward the pink puff with a half-smile. She tilted her head a bit before asking, "Do you have an essentic?"
Smerdle Location: Ballroom "Nope, can't say that I do," Astan said. "Was it this big of a deal when you got..." Him? Her? It? "...yours?" Apparently, he was under the impression that Banning threw an epic party every time the man had a load of sparks to give out. He looked down at the chocolate cake-pie he had been left with and wondered if this girl's Essentic would like it, wherever it had gotten off to. Did they eat? The flower at least appeared interested in touching liquids. "I'm Astan Moore," Astan said, sticking his bottle in the crook of his elbow and holding out his hand for her to shake. epicZILLA Location: Entrance HallLauss didn't congratulate the man; instead, he pondered what other information he could get out of him without being too obvious about it. That was a major step for the proto. This was the first lesson he'd learned from Lee, and it had only taken him his entire (short) life to get this far. But being socially adept was really hard... In the midst of trying to think of a way to ask the man what his name/job/education was, Lauss was distracted by Fao's own question. "Miss Lee was talking with a dog earlier..." He searched through the crowd, and pointed out Lee, who was no longer with the canine from before, and pointed out to her. "There." He turned to the man. "Are you interested in meeting her?" Perhaps Lee might get all this information that the proto so desired in a manner she found suitable. He seemed to have forgotten all about those siblings he wanted to meet already.--- Location: BallroomLee gave a face that said "oh, that sucks...". He must be interested, though; why else would he be here?
The girl shook her head, replying, "Naw, I just went to see them and they handed him over. Apparently it was already set up, though, so I didn't stay there long." She pulled off a glove and popped the pink puff into her mouth. Yummm. Her posture was slouching once again; even in such a nice building, wearing such a nice dress, she can forget her manners. "What kind were you thinking about getting?" Honestly, she didn't know a lot about essentics in general, but she flipped through the pamphlet she'd received and got the basic gist.
She took the plate in her other hand and reached out to return the handshake. "Lee Katan." It was nice, introducing herself. She thought back to that last time she'd done that, and only came up with Lauss and her parents taking that part over for her. Right, Lauss... where was he? "I'd introduce Lauss if I knew where he was..." She took a quick glance around, but it was useless. She'd run into him eventually. If she didn't... well, she wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
Smerdle Location: Ballroom "Ah." So this was a special party then. "I dunno," Astan replied. "Something to do with music, I guess." He wasn't terribly familiar with the categories Essentics fell into, but he had heard of the Services type a long time ago from his parents.
Lauss. Astan scanned the crowd for the proto as well, hoping he'd recognize him after only being in his immediate vicinity for a matter of moments. Nope. "I'm sure I'll meet him later," he said with a grin. "What does Lauss help you with?" Maybe hearing what others did with theirs would help him decide what he would use one for. epicZILLA Location: Entrance Hall >> BallroomLauss nodded once, quickly darting through the crowd without thinking of whether or not Fao could catch up. "Please follow me," he chirped. It was, after all, a bit easier to get through a mob of people when you didn't have feet.
"That's cool. Are you a musician?" Hm. This was easier than she expected it to be. At his next comment, Lee hoped to herself that he wouldn't end up meeting him. He'd already pestered Eli and Kell, and they were only around a few minutes. "He's... my tutor." It was slightly embarrassing to have to admit that she needed something like that, and her cheeks turned a bit pink. As she was about to hide her face, Lee saw a blue streak out of the corner of her eye and held her hand up to Astan to let him know she'd be right back. She lifted the front of her dress up slightly as she half ran over to the proto, meeting him in the middle. "Lauss, stick close from now on, okay, I couldn't see y--" She just then noticed Fao. Uh-oh. Did he rip someone's dress? Knock over the punch bowl? Lee knew he must have done something wrong. "I-I'm sorry, if he broke anything, I'll pay for it! He didn't hurt someone did he?" "Miss Lee, this man wants to meet you." Lee tilted her head. Why would he want to meet me? Smerdle Location: Ballroom -> Entrance Hall -> ??? -> Profit Astan nodded briefly in lieu of verbal replies to her question and gesture as Lee was distracted by her Essentic. There would be plenty of time to talk to the girl later, and he had wanted to attempt to check out the rest of the manor anyway, at least the parts that were accessible to him. He sauntered back toward the entrance hall, stopping in front of the first person he saw who wasn't in a group. "Do you have any use for this?" he asked, holding his chocolate cake out toward Ishmael. "I swear I didn't spit on it."
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:38 pm
Someone was knocking. Astan scrubbed a palm over his face and sighed. He cracked open his left eyelid, the one that wasn't buried in his pillow. It was dark outside. What time was it? He knew he had arrived home kind of late for a work night, but he couldn't have accidentally spent the whole day in bed, could he?
"Who is it?" he mumbled, his voice only slightly louder than normal to account for the short distance from his bed to the front door.
"Me, a*****e." The grating, slightly whiny voice was unmistakably Varis. Astan thought back to the night before, to the small gathering of people who, in their quest to protect their illegal Essentics, had formed a sort of family. He was beginning to think that with people like Varis around, a true family was something he'd never have again.
"What time is it?" Astan knew what time it was, he had seen what time it was on the way to the door. Five twenty-four in the morning.
"I don't know. What does it matter?"
"Well..."
Varis made a sound that could only be described as 'pshaw.' "I know you were sleeping, man. There's plenty of time to sleep. What I want to know is where you were last night."
"You mean, like, three hours ago last night? That last night?"
"Don't be an a**. You missed rehearsal."
"I was at a party." Astan had learned long ago that it was pointless to lie to Varis. Not only was Astan not a particularly good liar, but Varis had an annoying habit of never believing a word he said and pestering him until he told the truth, or at least the truth Varis wanted to hear.
"Hmm."
"Yeah. Right." He heard the pair in his mind's eye, the young woman and the odd rabbit boy talking as if they had known each other forever. He had been on his way out of the music room long before they had arrived, but voices carried... Little brother, big sis. Astan's brows furrowed. Was he jealous?
"Just don't do it again." Varis' lips were twisted in a smirk, but Astan was having trouble seeing what was funny about the situation.
"I think you should leave." For the first time, Astan wasn't playing.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 9:13 am
Every day was the same.
It always had been, even a while back when he had a well-paying job and a group of people he considered friends, but somehow the situation Astan found himself in currently was much more unbearable.
Six AM. Alarm.
Shower. Brush teeth. Get dressed.
Bus to the hospital.
Sign in.
Grab the mop, broom, dust pan, garbage bags, rubber gloves, hair net, disinfectant sprays in all the colors of the rainbow. His gear fit perfectly into a large pushcart that barely made it through normal-sized doors. The nurses scowled when his cart crashed against the doorframe but they never said anything.
Clean the hospital.
It smelled like puke in the cancer center.
Ten AM. Lunch.
Two PM. Sign out.
Forty-Five was a good place to go when you wanted to pretend you were famous. If you visited often enough, you were famous, at least while you were drinking there. Astan was The Help now. He was invisible. He worked there, bouncing and cleaning, from four o'clock until midnight with an hour break around nine.
It smelled like puke behind the bar.
Some of the patrons smelled like puke too.
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