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 Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:09 pm
The world was completely still, until a large rock fell into the water and splashed all over creation. Leaning over it, face as still as the wind, was a blonde girl with green dragonfly wings attached to her head. She bobbed her outstretched hand over the rock; a small ring on her pinky flared, and it zipped back up into her hand. "Works perfectly," she said, dropping the rock back to the stream. Aure took the ring from her finger and put it back into a small, navy-blue case, then carelessly dropped her invention into her backpack- which she dropped to the hard cobblestone of the walking bridge. There was a crack, but it probably wasn't the ring.
She shrugged and leaned back over the granite side of the bridge. As fun as establishing magnetic pull over even the smallest objects was, it wasn't as fun as....
....seeing another Illusionary? A little red light that just screamed Reverie! to her was floating about just out of reach on the other side of the bridge. And if she didn't know any better, she'd say it was dancing...
Her thoughts as she contemplated this light were broken off by the sound of footsteps on the bridge. Maybe this would be the Illusionist?
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:50 pm
If there was one thing he had always loved, it was the stillness of life outside of the city. Though he would never utter a word about his secret contentment, the fact remained. Once in a while, he would find himself taking the train and leaving entirely. Sometimes for days. Sometimes for weeks. Whatever the time, it didn't matter. All that mattered was the peace and quiet - and the fact that there was no one to kindly hand his life to him on a broken plate.
As could be expected, Jamie had taken liberty from work. With haste, he had backed a bag of clothes and taken off, leaving only a note pinned to his apartment door that he was going on a brief vacation. Of course, his vacation was not really intended to be a vacation, but rather a secret refuge from the rent collector at the apartment complex. He was broke, and, while it was his fault, he did not particularly want to be there when the old hag came for his money. He would have to figure something out before he went back. Perhaps he would do a few rough jobs before going back to the usual routine? There had to be some ludicrous thing that needed to be done in the world - something that someone would pay for.
Snorting at the idea of which had eaten at the corners of his contentment, Jamie had shoved his hands into the pockets of the tattered old blue jeans he frequently wore. With that motion, he discarded the very idea. There was no rent, he told himself. There was no rent. Only vacation. That worked, didn't it? A slight smile had crossed his face as he began over over the bridge. In an almost fidgety manner, his hands had been moved from his pockets and placed on his chest to smooth out the collared shirt. How formal of him, but it never hurt to look nice when going out for the day. Unfortunately, he never stayed true to his theme. His hair, which he usually kept neat, was left unkempt - and the long sleeves of the button-up shirt were rolled to his elbows, thus wrinkling the remainder. Given that and the torn nature of his pants, he looked more like the office reject than the formal man. That did not seem to bother him, though. He strolled quietly, occasionally making a whistling noise or muttering some quiet sentence saddled with a thick accent.
Half way over the bridge, Jamie stopped moving to fix the heel of one sneaker - which had fallen off due to a clumsy motion. His thick eyebrows furrowed together, jaw twisting into a crooked set. He'd torn the whole heel! Not a word was muttered. After inhaling a deep breath, he simply took off his shoes and picked them up, holding them in his hands. Suddenly, the air didn't feel so great. His feet were cold without socks or shoes for cover.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:16 pm
She watched him walk across the bridge until he was halfway across, where he stopped. Her heart jumped into her chest- a feeling she associated with indigestion- thinking that he'd spotted the Reverie. But he hadn't, so she pulled the ring out of her backpack as quietly as she could and slipped it on. With a gesture, the man's shoe zipped over to her.
"Need some help?" Despite speaking to him, she was still watching that Reverie. As far as she knew, Illusionary didn't get their own Illusionary children... at least, not for a while...
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:46 pm
Before he could finish inspecting his broken shoes, figuring whether or not they could be mended, they had been taken from his hands. As if startled, he had let them go, watching them zip away with wide-eyes. A nervous glance was given around him. No one there that he could see. With the sheepishness continuing, Jamie had followed the path of his shoes until he came in contact with a rather tall girl.
His blazing eyes stared, as if unsure of what had just happened with his shoes. It wasn't every day that he saw something just zoom right out of his hands, as if alive!
The voice pierced the solitude. A generous offer, though what help did he need? His shoes had broken, and that was the end of it. What else could be done regarding the matter? Clearing his throat, he straightened his hunched form and smoothed back his hair. A kind offer deserved a kind reply, he supposed. "Not much to do. Heel're falling off, you see? Too much walking." His faint smile became a wide tooth-spread grin. Completely oblivious. He did not seem to have noticed the Reverie at all - too focused on shoes or other complications roughly imaginable.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:59 pm
"Is that so?" Well, there were other powers than simply knowing how to invent rings that manipulated magnetic fields of any strength. Aure poked at the tears in the heels, picturing the molecules knitting back together. It would be a temporary patch at best- she didn't even know what she was fixing- but it would likely hold on until he reached his destination. Still, even as the rubber mending she had invoked was still wiggling together, she pointed towards the bobbing red light and said, "Can you see that?"
Waiting for his response, she continued to hold onto his shoes. No way she would give them back until he gave her her answer.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:14 pm
What bridge had he crossed? It reminded him of a book he'd once read - or one of Donald's crack pot ideas of children's entertainment. Crossing the bridge and having your broken shoes stolen, only for them to be fixed by some awkward looking blond? Jamie wasn't sure what he was suppose to be thinking about it. It wasn't as if his peace were shattered, but his mind was plagued by bewilderment.
Until she mentioned seeing something. Had he encountered a loon?
Supposing she couldn't be more crazy than some of the people he had met in his life time, he had indulged her, commenting while turning his head. "Yeah, that's so. Hell of a lot of walking where I come from. Takes too long to drive places due to traffic. Lots of crowds, so you're better off on your feet. As a consequence, your shoes pay a lot, though---" He had cut himself off once he had turned enough to see what she was pointing to. A red blob, glistening in a way - and mist like. There, plastered in the center, seemed to be some vague image - or was there nothing? Regardless, his mind had twitched and he had squinted, leaning forward with a puzzled look on his face. His jaw was shifted around, his eyebrows wiggled. It was a nice image, but... "That? That red thing?" He spoke, accent shining like a guaranteed label. He really needed to work on eliminating it. Such focus he put on the starting words, and his voice seemed terribly loud. "Yeah, I can see it. What is it? And, geez, you're weirding me out kid. First you take my shoes, then you fix 'em, and now you --- Television's warned me about situations like this." In truth, television had taught him a lot of things. However, it had never prepared him for situations that made him feel like one of the actors.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:26 pm
"Oh, good, I was worried it was mine!" She let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and passed the man his shoes. With a audible sigh of relief, she tripped over to the Reverie. "C'mere," Aure breathed, standing on her toes and leaning forward. The fingers of her outstretched hand wiggled, trying to draw the little blob forward- since Reveries technically had no mass, her ring wouldn't work.
"Stay put," she said to Jamie over her shoulder.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:33 pm
The words 'stay put' made him feel like a dog. Inside, he could feel his blood boiling with irritation - perhaps over the sheer confusion over what was being talked about. A floating red blob - how it reminded him of a drive in movie. Yet, the little thing did not leave him feeling uneasy. He felt nothing - no heightened sense of fear, not inner gut-twisting motion... He felt nothing out of the ordinary.
Squinting his eyes, Jamie had nudged his lips over - a smug expression crossing his face. "What is that thing?" He had asked while holding his shoes and scrutinizing the mended heels. Quickly he returned his shoes to his feet, happy for the warmth. "And who are you, any way?"
Next time he would wear socks.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:54 pm
A smile flitted across her face as the red Reverie swayed into her hands. She quickly covered it and allowed a more permanent smile- that of a predatory scowl- to wash over her face for a minute. "It's a Reverie." Aure hopped off the edge and offered the red light to him. "And I'm..." She thought about it for a moment, then she smiled again. "An angel."
With a flourish, she removed her protective hand and let the red light drift out to Jamie. "And who're you?"
[ you can control Sarin now <3 ]
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:11 pm
[ xD -notes!- ]
The petite light had seemed to brighten, then fade, and repeat - its twinkling almost hypnotic. As it was released from Aure's hands, it had, almost instinctively, drifted towards the scruffy man who had formerly been plagued by broken shoes. There it hovered, twisting, stretching, reacting in some strange and eccentric manner
Jamie had taken a step backwards as the light had made its motions, as if he expected something strange to happen. He had quite the experience with gases - and, though the red thing appeared a light, it was similar enough to make him wary of its closeness. He shifted once, twice, and every time the light had seemed to follow him - as if a game had been created between the two out of the man's plight for a bit of personal space. With a wild eye, Jamie had finally looked up, the red light of the Reverie sparkling all about, creating a bit of a shadow to his face. Such a thing brought out the peculiarity of one of his eyes. There was a blue slash mark within the iris, glowing and evident when compared to the shadowed nature of the area about it. The expression on his face was rather strange. He looked like a young boy - though that obviously wasn't the case. "A Reverie, huh?" He had murmured.
"On an ordinary basis... I'd say you were nuts." The words were spoken with sincerity. For a time, Jamie's eyes had began wandering from the light to the girl. When he finally settled down, a large breath was taken in. He set a hand upon his forehead, tugging softly at the choppy bangs. "The name's Jamie - and I'm a painter." A far-fetched statement. He was a waiter. He was a cook - and he had not painted anything for months! A smug look crossed his face as he scratched the side of his nose. In a way, he seemed amused by the idea of encountering an angel. "Don't angels have wings and halos?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:57 pm
His reactions almost made her drop her cover- sometimes speaking with those with a lower IQ than her was so amusing... "Perhaps we're all mad?" Jamie, a painter... Yes, all artists were completely insane, as far as she was concerned. At his second question, she sighed.
"Not all of us, sadly. Just the really beautiful ones." Her voice trilled slightly, and she skipped back to her bag. Oh, this made her so happy. She might really like this man... or she might hate him. The distinction had always escaped her.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:33 pm
Jamie rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes were still occasionally flinting about, as if there were something specific on his mind. In truth, there was nothing there but thoughts of the current - and of wonder over what time it was. He should have worn a watch, but ... Did he even own a watch? Mentally discarding the trite worries of a watch, his mind had once again focused on the red light that seemed to be following him no matter what step he took. It was swirl about him, cease, then repeat, in an almost dizzying manner. How was he going to work when he went home with the thing following him around? What if it made him drop a tray of food all over customers? His job would never hold up if he were to do that - and he'd never live it down.
Gnawing on his lower lip, the man had went from rubbing his neck to his shoulder, before dropping his hand to his side. His head was shaken to himself, the smile that had previously been there growing stronger until returning to its almost casual state. "And some are just madder than others." He had retorted with a gruff voice.
Not moving, he had watched the girl head to get her bag. Such a motion had prompted him to look at his shoes, then back up - where he was once more greeted by the red light. The little thing had wormed to his face, shining brightly and nearly blinding him. Out of startlement, he had staggered backwards and nearly fallen over himself. "Stop that, it's not cool." He had mumbled, waving one hand as if to shoo the light from his face.
When the light had moved from sitting in front of his face, Jamie had unrolled his shirt sleeves, the long things wrinkled due to the time spent so compressed. His hair was smoothed down, becoming almost rainy, though it lacked the luster of wet hair. It was a dull, coal back - filthy and evident with very little shine - not too captivating. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - just like truth, kiddo." He had made a popping noise as he brushed wrinkles out of his sleeves.
The Reverie had been slightly distraught over the idea of being shooed away by a hand. Regardless, it had not been as phased as one might have imagined. In a quick rebound, it had shifted upward, resting above Jamie's head like a spot-light. When the man had looked up at it though, it had retreated from its spot on the crown and gone to relaxing a short distance away.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:56 pm
She put her ring away and waggled her fingers at the Reverie, temporarily ignoring Jamie. That is, until she wanted to know what to call it. "So, what're you gonna name it?" Aure settled, watching the two interact while she tucked her chin into the ruff of her white coat. "It's gotta have a name-"
She bristled. "And don't call me 'kiddo'. Aurelius will do."
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:34 pm
He had been stumped. The idea of naming it was strange - foreign. It felt as if he had just gotten a new pet, or been settled into a waiting room during the birthing process, only to be asked about a name by a stranger. Jamie's mind had twisted at the idea. He was terrible with children.
The man had nudged the tip of his toe into the ground while thinking. There were a hoard of names within his mind at the thought of them, most of old friends long since passed, or still somewhere within the realm of home. Each title to skitter into his mind was ephemeral, though. Naming something after a friend was an honor that he didn't feel was deserved. After a short while, something passed through the filter. The brief solitude had been shattered by a low 'uhm', followed by the habitual rubbing of the neck. "I don't know. I had a dog name Kibbles once..." His voice had trailed off. Such a good dog Kibbles had been, he could remember --- What had he been thinking about? Searching the ground for an answer, Jamie had an epiphany. "I'm taking it home? I don't know how well the rent lady's going to handle it." He had continued, looking at the light - which had seemed to slink at the somber note of his voice. Furrowing his brows, Jamie had shaken his head to himself. "Alright. Make me feel guilty about doubt." His voice had been muffled. Quickly, he had smudged his lip with his thumb and given a nod. "Sarin sounds right. We'll call it Sarin?" Such an odd name. It sounded familiar, though he wasn't sure from where...
The Reverie had seemed to mingle with the name, though memorized by Aure's waggling finger. In a bout of curiosity, the thing had moved a little closer, then had moved back quickly.
"Aurelius? That's a name I've never heard. Guess I'm old now." Jamie had spoken, his eyes still wandering - as well as his mind. "Don't get so riled, though. Kiddo's an awesome title to get, way better than 'you'. Take it from a guy who grew up with a large family. Transition from 'you' to 'kiddo' was fantastic!" A wry look was etched to his features, cunning in a way, yet immature. He certainly didn't look bright. "I'd say it's a pleasure - but I don't judge meetings by first encounters. I have a question, though." A motion was made towards the Reverie. "Why'd you ask if I could see that thing?"
Stretching outward, the light had flattened, then grown thin, then wide, as if the idea of being called a 'thing' were slightly disturbing. Nevertheless, it made no brutal or excessive motion to seek vengeance for pride.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 6:57 pm
She smiled, enjoying his reactions and cataloguing them in her mind for later review. Even his mention of naming an Illusionary Kibbles didn't really phase her- she just smiled even wider. "Of course you're taking it home, Jamie, it-" she paused, thinking. "he's going to be a baby, and then a kid. Sarin is a wonderful name, by the name. Reminds me of an antidepressant, Seroquel..." She beckoned the Reverie closer again, as if trying to make it come back to her hand, where she'd caught it.
"It's Greek," she said, but that was all. "And I am not a child." With a toss of her hair, she sent a particularly venemous glare towards Jamie. "I asked because no other human but you or other guardians of his kind will see Sarin. Because you can see him, you are his guardian who will keep him alive... or so Shen told me."
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