|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:25 pm
 [ the application ] Apparently the house was just too quiet for her tastes, and that was that. With all of her grandchildren gone there was no longer the sounds of childish mirth echoing in the hallways, the sounds of little feet running up and down the stairs moving to be a distant memory. The voice of silence had taken up residence and infiltrated every nook and cranny of the small home with its presence, save for the occasional hum of a television or the sound of a door opening and closing. People still lived in this home, but they made sounds no louder than those who resided in the ground. To the old woman who sat on her porch drinking tea, they were no louder than the dead - and it saddened her. The winter months left the outside world quiet enough as it already was, so there was no need for such things to invade her home as well!
It would be a good while before her grandchildren returned for a visit, the Chinese New Year having come, gone, and taken them safely back to their homes. Her only flesh and blood that stayed behind was that foul mouthed young woman who kept mostly to herself in her room or the shop, the heavy smell of smoke and the cigarette butts in the petunia flower pot some of the only signs she had been inside the house at all. Occasionally the two women would see one another face to face, the older of the two dressed in her sleeping wear and the younger sporting the smell of alcohol and bactine, though such encounters had been rather brief lately. Meng Lan's beloved Rong Wei was turning into something of a stranger (where it more possible) and such a thing was breaking the poor woman's heart.
She would have stayed pitying the sounds of silence in her home and the lack of attention from her daughter lately were she not to hear the sound of the neighbor's dog barking, an annoyance the to Hu family as of late due to how often and the periods of time the little beast decided to become vocal. Lately it had taken to announcing its bestial desires whenever something moved at night, be it a car or a bird or whatever else happened to be around at three am. There had been a family meeting about confronting the owner - a rather good man - and telling him to silence the dog or they'd do it for him, though the idea was scrapped when they realized that killing an animal was probably a crime and they wanted to stay on good terms with all their neighbors. Business rather depended on it after all.
Still, the idea of a dog and the sounds it made - not the yapping and annoying ones anyway - made Meng Lan think that perhaps the best way to find a cure for the emptiness in her house was to find something to fill it. If she wanted the sound of feet, then perhaps paws could fill that void? The sound of a bird chirping or a kitten mewing could easily take the lead role of vocals, and soon the silence would be forced to move along and away from her residence. She knew her husband wouldn't mind a new addition to the household, the man barely doing much of anything anyway save for tending his garden and telling the same story again and again, but she wasn't so certain how her daughter would feel about.
Rong Wei had never had much of an affinity with animals, so to speak. Their first attempt at a childhood pet for her and her brothers ended with stitches and a dead rabbit, not necessarily in that order or right around the same time. The second and third ones pretty much followed in the same suite, though not out of the young girl's own cruelty or the odd pranks her brothers enjoyed playing on the animals. It was after the third dog, or was it the fourth cat, that Meng Lan had decided that there would be no more animals in their homestead for as long as she could hold out, and now that more than fifteen years had passed since scattering some ashes on the rosebushes occurred, it was time to try again.
Now that her daughter was older and had more control (hopefully) there was always a chance of getting something more exotic to live in their home, something that couldn't be obtained so easily from the local animal shelter or pet shop. Perhaps now she could also move from the cuddly mammal type into something a bit more high maintenance too, what with how often they were all at home with the shop connected by a single door. Reptiles were quite popular amongst the twenty-somethings now, right? She'd seen quite a few young women come in to get their nails done all sporting serpent-like tattoos, so it would be a good idea to follow a trend, correct? It would have been correct except for the fact that Meng Lan would rather had died then allow a reptile into her home, snakes and frogs having expressly been forbidden inside the four walls, though occasionally the odd turtle was allowed to stay until it's unfortunate demise.
That left an options of birds. Meng Lan had nothing against birds, nor did her husband as far as she knew. Rong Wei even seemed to like them, having once mentioned something about 'ravens' to them once, back when they were all still eating around the table together. Perhaps a bird like that then would bring the family back together? If her daughter had liked it so much that she mentioned it once, even in passing, then it was up to the older woman to get more information on these strange birds and perhaps even acquire one for her child. Rong Wei may have turned from her mother, but Men Lan wasn't turning from her baby. She rose up from her seat on the porch and went inside the the phone, ready to give everything a shot.
-- //
It had taken the old woman a while, a little longer then she would have perhaps liked, but finally her information network had landed her an application for the 'raven' her daughter had been speaking about. The boy who gave her the paper didn't mention anything about the place, just saying it was clean and probably had great pets, so Meng Lan had no reason to doubt as she took up her hands and did her best to fill out the application. She knew Rong Wei would never fill one out on her own of her own accord, the girl being a little more social lately yet still quite a stick in the mud, so she took it upon herself to do it for her. Her English was childish at best and she didn't understand half the questions being asked on the paper, but slowly and surely she filled the entire thing out before mailing it in.
Meng Lan had done her utmost to speak with her daughter, to let her know that she was getting a pet just for her. Of course most of what she said went in one ear and straight out the other, the younger Chinese woman having little to no time for talking before she rushed off into the wild blue yonder, but it was for a brief moment or two shortly before they took on a shift at work that the conversation had finally been brought up and properly discussed. Of course much of it had to be cut short when customers came in for the day, a school dance season coming close so girls were not in short supply, leaving Meng Lan to simply tell Rong Wei that eventually a bird would be living in the house. It was a very special bird, she'd managed to say, but that was about it. Their conversation was over and quickly forgotten with the passing of days.
That all changed when the mailman came to the door about a week later, carrying a letter with a strange seal and even a stranger message. A miss 'Hu Rong Wei' had been accepted after all in taking care of a young Egyptian (did she read that right) raevan, one that was in need of a good home and they were perfect for it! The only problem was that Rong Wei had to pick up the pet in person, her mother couldn't do it for her, and it was only then that Meng Lan remembered she had never properly informed her child about all of this.
Oops.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 8:28 am
 [ it`s electric! ]
frei pick-up w/zeke
completed
summary :
Rong Wei is sent by her mother to go get a 'raven' that she applied and was accepted for
Rong Wei meets Zeke Farris
Papers are signed and off they go
Hello Ripley! What the hell are you doing?
Ripley hits(?) Rong Wei in the face
Questions are asked
Even more questions are raised
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:33 pm
[ homeward bound ] As soon as the door closed behind the pair Rong Wei knew she'd made a mistake. There was no way in hell that she could take something like this home to her parents - her father would probably have a heart attack on sight of it alone. When he found it it could speak and do other things, then what? He'd just keel over and die right there on the spot? s**t, she didn't even want to think of that possibility. Then, there was her mother. Meng Lan would probably be fine with whatever came home, though Rong Wei wasn't exactly sure how she'd handle the thing beside her. The old bat had flipped a s**t over Xiu, who was generally the least odd thing she'd seen so far out of all these floating freaks, so how would she take up with Ripley? He was practically a walking what the ******** but then again, so were all the other Raevans.
Well, whatever. It was too late for her to turn back now and push him through the doors and onto the a*****e with the multi-colored hair. He'd pissed Rong Wei off just enough that the woman was going to spite him yet do what he wanted all at the same time, though she really wished he'd get what was coming to him. What was he anyway, some kind of doctor? Like hell she'd ever go to one who didn't have natural hair color and had piercings. It was unprofessional and unhygienic, but whatever. She couldn't really talk about being clean right now considering she hadn't seen a bath all day and she was feeling a little greasy. Not to mention she actually did smell a little bad, popping out six or seven cigarettes en route to somewhere tended to do that to a person. It didn't hurt or help that she had one in her lips right now, the tip of it glowing against the encroaching darkness of the night.
She probably would have stayed standing where she was for a good few minutes longer if it wasn't for a sudden (and startling) bump against her arm, her head turning quickly to come into the face of her new charge. His dark eyes were staring into her own as if he were trying to swallow whatever color she had, and his face was set in a frown that could rival the very best of hers on any given day. Even though he wasn't trying to look sinister, he was just frowning like normal, there was something very unsettling in his expression. Perhaps it was because of how close he was to her face, or just the cold glimmer in his eye as he seemed to be sizing her up and down just by looking.
The bump she had felt turned out to be Ripley's hand, as the object lingered rather close to her elbow still, and the woman had to look down as the Frei wiggled his fingers ever so slightly. She wondered if perhaps he was still trying to remember how to use them, or just figuring it out. From what the man said he'd been frozen (or something, she hadn't really been listening) perhaps shortly after his birth. Rong Wei still had no freakin' idea what the hell that meant so she assumed it meant date of creation from a test tube or something, which didn't really provide any comfort to her. This thing was flesh and blood, it was showing signs of brain activity without a problem. The fact that she couldn't pinpoint it's birth mother without having to point to a machine unnerved her somewhat, as it meant inhuman and certainly not animal. Such things were known to her and therefore not that bad, but this? This was a whole new ballpark and franks.
"Do you need something? You obviously felt the need to grab my attention by touching me, so spit it out already what you want. It looks like I'm stuck with you until grow up or whatever the hell it is you freaks do, so you need to learn to talk if you want me to do something."
She'd pulled the cigarette from her mouth in order to speak properly, pretty sure the thing before her wouldn't be able to translate the slurs that came with having something between her lips. She was also taking care to use English, though she'd been cursing in Chinese for a slight while, since apparently if this thing needed to interact with others it would need to speak the dominate language of the land. Learning to talk with her parents would have to take back seat, not that she figured either of the old timers would be shitting themselves with eagerness to talk to...well, it. No, not it - Ripley. She'd have to learn to call the damn thing by a name or else who knows what kind of services would be all over her a**. The last thing she needed was to serve time all over a freakin'....freak. But whatever.
" . . . . .Rilpey. Ripley?"
The Frei repeated the word the woman had said so many times, though his tone made it hard to tell if he were making a statement or asking as question. It was a mixture of both and the intent behind it was something akin to a demand. He wanted to know why he had come to be called Ripley, but Rong Wei wasn't biting that particular piece of meat at the moment. Instead she had lit up her third cigarette (man they didn't last long) and finally seemed to have gotten the nerve to start walking towards where they needed to go in order to return to Ripley's 'new home'. Her mules made a hollow clack on the pavement as she started her shaky steps forward, her head turned slightly to make sure her charge was following. He wasn't stupid enough to just stay there, right?
Right? Well, okay. He certainly wasn't moving of his own accord. He was just floating there, looking almost as if he were lost amongst the few people that made up the evening crowd. His head was swaying back and forth slightly as he glanced around at the various faces, and even though he wasn't saying anything nor truly moving his distress was quite evident. Rong Wei was very, very amused. Her little freak of nature had a fear of others, was it? Or did he not like the noise and sounds of a world unlike that his soul would have known? What that it? A fear of the unknown? Impossible, but pretty damn interesting to think over anyway - the Chinese woman would have to make it a point to mull over this information later. For now she'd have to get the thing moving and into her home, seeing as leaving it to fend for itself outside of the place she just left would be a heinously bad idea.
". . . Come on then."
A few steps back and an extended hand were all Rong Wei offered, glaring at the people who peered at her as they shuffled past. It likely looked to them as a scene from a movie or something, as a few motioned as if they were going to get out cell phones and snap photos. None of them did thankfully and they went on their way, sparing themselves the earful of a lifetime from a woman who didn't want to be on camera - at least not on camera while looking like she'd been attacked by her bed or sofa. Her hand stayed extended for only a few actually moments as Ripley reached forward and took into his own, how large his hands actually were in comparison something both the Frei and the woman quickly noticed. She'd grabbed his hand before when they were inside but that was all she had done, there wasn't much of a holding action there. Now wit hand and hand, fingers intertwined, both were slowly becoming more aware of the other's existence.
The touch of hands, the walking home, Rong Wei and Ripley did most of it in silence. He trailed behind her, not floating at her side or in front of her, his head hung low as if he were more interested in the ground then his surroundings. Every now and then the Frei grunted or made some sort of thin and hissing sound, the street lights they passed under flickering quickly at those moments and drawing his eyes from the ground to the sky. Ripley didn't say anything then, Rong Wei pretended not to notice, and together they reached the place where both would be residing. The human was unsure of it all and a bit pissed off, the Frei most certainly was unhappy and rather preferred to go back into the freezer or the room he liked and mostly woke up. Still neither of them could change their luck now, and with a deep sigh Rong Wei dropped Ripley's hand and opened the door, calling into the lit house in a language Ripley did not understand.
"Mother? We've got a problem. . . ."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:35 pm
[ terse feelings ] At first he seemed harmless enough. Curious, yes. A little touchy-feel, maybe. Dangerous? She'd like to think so, but after the novelty and initial investigations started to wear themselves thin Rong Wei began to wonder just what it was Ripley had been really doing. The first meeting (or showing off) of her parents had been almost two weeks ago and the Chinese woman had seen neither hide nor hair of either adult since the encounter. They hadn't left the house (she could hear them in them) and they hadn't seal themselves inside their room (someone was still cooking meals for her), yet it was plainly obvious her parents were avoiding both Rong Wei and the Frei. The family altar was getting way more use as well since Ripley had arrived, the faint smell of sandalwood lingering the halls from the sheer amount of incense being burned. Her mother was clearly praying all day and night now, but why? Was it because of Ripley?
Rong Wei admitted that things probably could have gone a little better during the introduction, like Ripley could have tried not to scare her father almost into having a mild heart attack, or he didn't have to make the lights around them flair and dim like bulbs possessed. The Chinese woman was no fool, she knew he could control the flicker; she'd watched him even the lights before when it involved something he wanted. Well. . . maybe he didn't have full control over it at all, as there were times that even Ripley appeared surprised when something happened. this didn't occur often though, leading Rong Wei to the belief that something was doing it. Ripley remained mum about it all for his part, though he wasn't much the talkative type to start with. This suited Rong Wei just fine, as she was not fond of idle chatter. The sound of silence was what she most preferred.
So it was in this way that much of their first week together had passed, the silent company provided by both woman and Raevan more than enough. To keep her end of the promise to that irritating man back at the Lab Rong Wei was attentive. Questions about being hungry/wanting to eat were directed at the Frei daily, an idea of how to feed him still not quite a solid plan, but thankfully(?) Ripely appeared to not be hungry. It was a far cry different from what she'd been told would happen. "Three years of deep sleep would result in massive hunger" her a**. But then, maybe the flickering lights was his feeding. He supposedly ate electricity but nothing had changed in terms of the meter readings outside. Even that faint hiss and crackles from before was gone. Ripley was so eerily quiet. It was unsettling.
A few more days passed in silence, leading into their second week together, the days being spent with Rong Wei working in the parlor. Ripley was not allowed in and he seemed fine with that, and the nights were easy with the woman staying in the house and not going out like she used to. Her usual town rounds had ceased the moment she brought Ripley into her life, but pretty soon she'd get the itch to start again and most likely he'd be taken with her. For now Ripley stayed in Rong Wei's room with her, an extra futon laid out for him, though it became apparent he was either not sleeping well or not sleeping at all. Whenever Rong Wei closed her eyes at night he was always floating, watching; in the mornings he often shook her awake. Ripley never asked for anything when he woke her and his hands always left her shoulders the moment her eyes opened. No words, just watching.
His silence by no means didn't mean she wasn't teaching him to speak, or that he was incapable of speech on his own (he'd talked before) so Rong Wei took to assuming he had nothing worth saying. Occasionally he'd parrot a word or two that she'd used, as if the sound of it was pleasing in his own voice. Such actions were growing more common the more time they spent together, along with his strange desire to put his hands on Rong Wei. The touches at first had remained ones of curiosity and testing, Rong Wei slapping them away when they wandered too much or she was tired of being man-handled. He soon stopped altogether on the day he decided to actively talk more. That was also the first of many days that she woke with bruises decorating her neck.
The bruises weren't very dark or painful, she'd most likely gotten them in her sleep somehow, but the sheer number and their location put the woman on edge. Did a blanket wrap around her neck while she slept? Impossible, blankets didn't leave more than one bruise at a time, and she was barely sleeping with sheets as it was. Asking Ripley anything seemed a useless point, as he did answer her but in a broken manner and with a response that raised even more questions that before. She had no reason to suspect he knew anything about the bruises, only she was pretty sure he knew everything about them. He was always watching her, right? It was impossible for him to not know if she was hurting herself in her sleep with something, unless. . . .
No, she didn't want to think about it. Rong Wei was above such petty thoughts that a mere thing that didn't have legs or talk could even harbor enough thought to start planning something. Sure Ripley was growing creepier with each passing day, seeing as he was talking more and actually interacting with his environment more, which should normally have been a good thing. Perhaps it was because of the way he did things that made her so uneasy, how he always seemed to be judging and watching. Each night still passed with her sleeping while he watched, and each morning she was shaken awake and had bruises on her neck. There was something off, just something so wrong. Rong Wei couldn't figure it out so she tried to ignore it the best she could, all the while keeping watch. Eventually she just called herself paranoid and soon started to forget everything, the bruises on her neck vanishing as well, and the start of their time together into a third week seemed peaceful. Until the argument happened.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:57 pm
[ improper etiquette for an argument ] "I'm telling you, you need to take it back and say you're sorry. This is pointless."
It had been over something stupid, something so trivial she couldn't even remember why voices were being raised, but it had honestly shocked Rong Wei when she demanded something of Ripley and he snapped back at her. Until this point he'd generally done whatever it was she'd asked of him to some degree, but now he was outright refusing. He was able to talk back to her now, even if his sentences still weren't fully formed and he sounded like a child just learning their speech.
"No, you are wrong. I will not do for you, you are lazy."
Ripley's words he used were exact and precise, words Rong Wei was pretty sure she hadn't taught him (or used around him), though none of them seemed threatening enough. Some words he even used out of their proper context (or so she thought) but it didn't seem like he was aware or cared. It was just nerve-wrecking that he even dared to raise his voice back but thankfully the woman wasn't showing it on her face. Instead of looking upset or even a bit frightened she simply looked pissed off beyond any comprehension, and soon she was gesturing along with her words as if to prove a point.
"If you'd like to stay living in this how you'd best do as a I ********' tell you to do or I'll send your floatin' a** back to that freezer. I don't care if I hurt that little prissy boy's feelings, but I'm not going to have you acting this way. Do you understand what the hell I'm saying to you?"
"No."
Ripely crossed his arms and made to turn his back to the woman, unwilling to discuss things any further. Even he couldn't really remember what they were going on and on about, but the way her aggression had be turned towards him only made him more annoyed with the human than he'd like to be at the moment. Anything further would result in him repeating an action he'd learned early in his moments of life, an action that had caused the woman to certainly hate him from the start. Not that the feelings between them weren't mutual - he hated her just the same, but probably in a different context. She likely hated his whole being, and he found her beyond useless.
He was about to go on and float away, out into one of the rooms that had the books and the tee-vee, when a hand came clamping down on his shoulder like a vice and all the feeling in his body rushed with shock and startle towards the point of impact. She needed to let him go, and now.
"Are you listening to me?! I am-"
It was a shock and not the kind that simply made you pull your hand back - it was a shock that made all the feeling in Rong Wei's hand vanish as her fingers started to tingle with the sensation of nerves trying to restart themselves. Quickly her right hand was pulled into her left and her fingers started to squeeze the afflicted limb in an effort to regain feeling rapidly, though the sensation stayed and threatened to drift past her wrist. From the lack of feeling and movement came a sense of cold, and the Chinese woman placed her hand at eye level to see what else could be wrong with it. Nothing at all, her skin was still pink and healthy. No bruises, no holes.
"What did you do?!"
"Nothing. As far as I knowing."
Honestly? Ripley looked almost as shocked as Rong Wei did, if not a bit pleased with himself. Seeing how she had panicked after reaching over and touching him was worth noting and very, very funny. If he wasn't so sure she'd try to slap him or something of that nature (he'd watched her smack a guy who came over earlier) he more than anything would have laughed loudly and in her face, but it was safer not to do anything. Unless of course her touching him again brought about the same results. Was there something about his skin that drove her away? They hadn't had any problems before, when they'd held hands or she'd pushed him out of the way, so what made this different? His anger towards her? Her anger towards him? The Frei wanted to know, and he wanted to test this.
It was an easy enough task, he simply reached his hand out towards the woman and made a move as if he were going to be getting closer to her. Rong Wei was already in a state where her nerves and irrational fears were overtaking her usual normal calm nature, so just actions like this would be more than enough to drive her backwards or get her to react in a manner he wanted. His hand was only inches from her face when the woman stopped looking at her own, her fingers finally gaining feeling back and wiggling at her command, and the moment the tips of his fingers drew closer Rong Wei turned rapidly as if to leave. She wasn't going to deal with this anymore, not right now anyway, but her exit was suddenly halted.
She hit the door frame. It wasn't a small hit, or a bump that would make her curse - Rong Wei smacked face first into the frame with enough force to crack the wood and leave a sound that echoed through the empty hallway. Her cry of surprise went with it as well, though the sound was quickly suppressed by a grunt of rage and effort as Rong Wei tried to stay on her feet and turn to find Ripley. A bad move.
Rong Wei staggered a bit as her eyes started to swim, her vision blurring from the sudden pain the impact had caused. She was pretty sure her nose was bleeding as well, the smell of iron too overwhelming to just be from a minor source, and a small stream of hot that started to trickle over her lips and off her chin gave her all the indication that she needed. She tried to lift her hands to her face to wipe the blood away and even rub the tears that were stinging her eyes, but the way she swayed on her feet made moving her hands almost impossible if she wished to stay upright.
". . . you-"
The woman was about to say something against when a sharp pain dash above her temple and her vision flickered black yet again, though this time the rest of her body didn't do its part to keep her on her feet. Unable to stand and unable to think of anything else to do, Rong Wei crumpled awkwardly as she leaned back against the wall, her body sliding down until she was in something akin to a sitting position. From where he floated and watched all of this Ripley merely stayed silent, keeping his hand resting on his chin with fingers splayed over his mouth every so tactfully. It was hard to miss the large grin that he was likely trying to hide beneath his fingers, white and sharp teeth a stark contrast to the darkness that was his skin. The faint sounds of chuckling could be heard as soon as Rong Wei's eyes closed and Ripley floated every closer to her side, moving down enough to that his face was level to hers and he could reach out and touch her chin. Grasping it within his fingers of his left hand, and the fingers of his right hand touching her throat ever so slightly, the Frei exhaled and pursed his lips tightly, the humored look on his face vanishing.
"I told you so. You will listen to me now."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:49 pm
[ reaction to a riddler ]
general prp w/eiry
- in progress
summary :
RP is in progress . . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:55 pm
[ learn your place ] He'd been letting it slide, which actually was a pretty big deal when it came to the lists of demands that Ripley usually heaped upon Rong Wei. The Frei often delighted in watching the woman become flustered, her expressions and reactions so very interesting; they had not been together long at all yet Ripley was certain he had seen most of the Chinese woman's default settings. He knew what to do to make her pout, as opposed to her common scowl, and he knew what to do to make her look fearful. There was still so much about Rong Wei that Ripley was unsure over, making at least 75% of the woman still unknown to him and something of a small threat. Ripley did not like what he did not or could not understand completely, which launched Rong Wei to the top of that list. The issue that Ripley was harping on happen to be about his name. In the short while he had been made aware that he was indeed called 'Ripley', that it wasn't a vocal tick, the Chinese woman had made no effort whatsoever in explaining her reasoning. From what he could recall when it had come time to give him a name she hadn't even hesitated, and now it was time for her to explain herself. It was only natural for any "child" to be able to tell others what their name meant, or why it was chosen. As much as Ripley did not hold interest in what was common for others, he did have his own agenda - one that he intended to keep.
Rong Wei approached (read: cornered) a few hours after Ripley had set his mind in stone; the woman for her part had not been expecting the Frei to appear before her so suddenly. Her drink nearly came out her nose with a hot snort, and it was with a deep scowl that Ripley was addressed. The television that had blared a loud gunfight seconds before was clicked off in a hurry, the sound of the machine pinging the only noise that settled amongst the developing silence. Neither made any effort to speak first (Rong Wei wiping her face, lower jaw, and nose with a tissue) though eventually Ripley cleared his throat and floated ever so closer. The strong smell of ozone, of the sky during or before a rainstorm, oozed from his body as he drew near and the Chinese woman reflexively let her nose wrinkle. Ripley's scent was by no means unpleasant, rather it was just really potent. Still, ozone was better than the very long list of everything else he could smell like.
"Can I help you with something?"
The silence was finally broken with the sound of sarcasm, Rong Wei crossing her arms over her chest as she listened to the familiar clinking of metal that was her Raevan's movements.
Ripley was still quiet save for various parts shifting and tinkling together, so it was with a huff that the remote was reached for as to turn the noise back on. Her hand never reached the receiver as Ripley's own larger, darker one grabbed her wrist and held it tight. The familiar and still nerve-wrecking pulse and tingle that came from Ripley's touch began to leak up Rong Wei's arm and she quickly yanked herself free. Instinctively she moved her fingers in and out, to make sure they still moved, and a soft sigh of relief washed over her face and from her mouth. The sensation of being numb was certainly not on her list of things to try again.
"Well?"
There was no sarcasm now, only solid questions and more then enough annoyance to keep things running. Rong Wei's patience with Ripley had long sense run out and it was all but on thin ice now. When the Frei still did not respond nor make as though he were going to move away the Chinese woman sighed deeply and longed inwardly for a cigarette. That was all that was on her mind, but for Ripley an entirely different sequence was underway. His dark eyes had never once left Rong Wei's face, her hands and movement all observed and recorded. An airtight opinion about the woman had already been formed in days past, but it never hurt to keep gathering evidence. Perhaps one day she'd do something to change his mind about her, but Ripley seriously doubted that.
"My name. I want to know why."
It was wildly irritating to the Frei that his grasp of the English language wasn't quite where he wanted it to be this far into his time outside. Of course there was always the option of watching more television, of speaking more with Rong Wei, but those weren't working fast enough for his tastes. If anything were to come to pass where he would be required to do something, he would need a good vocabulary. Knowledge of everything else could take the back burner - he'd learn his name today and expand on everything else tomorrow. His priorities were odd and probably wouldn't be something he'd look back on with delight, but for now he wanted what he wanted and he'd get it - even if he had to force it out. Thankfully he wouldn't have to, as Rong Wei raised an eyebrow and a smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. Something about how this Frei was asking her for his name in a manner that was both childlike and demanding was really, really amusing.
"Your name is Old English. It means 'strip clearing', and I picked it because it sounded really nice and fitting for an Egyptian creature. First thing that popped into my head."
"You are lying."
Ripely's eyes narrowed, and he moved closer to Rong Wei. There had only been a few feet between them to start with and now that he'd shifted, there were mere inches. Rong Wei wanted to cover her mouth and back away, the lights around her flickering as Ripley's level of irritation rose. It was fairly obvious as of late that his mood controlled the lights, as they responded well to him when he was upset (or feeding, she supposed), and the Chinese woman bit her lower lip slightly as a bulb to her left started to grow brighter. With her luck he'd probably cause it to burst and she'd be stuck shelling out cash to replace every bulb in the house, and her mother would probably start to cry again at night. In an effort to make peace, Rong Wei held her hands up and pushed Ripley back and away.
"Okay, fine. I got your name from a movie I was watching before I went to pick you up. It was the only thing I could think of at the time, and I sure as hell wasn't going to spend any effort on trying to name you. Don't forget that you were something I didn't want."
The woman turned her head away as she spoke, looking over at a DVD case that still lay stop the television. It was partly open, meaning that the disk was still inside the DVD player, and the curious Frei floated away and to it, lifting the box into his hands. It was black and green, with a word on the front he couldn't read.
It was pretty obvious he'd ignored the 'didn't want' comment, as both of them knew he didn't want her either. It was an even trade, and now things were a bit more clear for the Raevan in terms of being able to tell others his origin.
"What does this say?"
"It says you're pretty damn lucky I didn't name you Xenomorph. Now shut the hell up, go away, and let me finish my soaps. It's getting interesting."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 4:03 pm
[ king takes princess ]
general prp w/lulu & josh
- in progress
summary :
RP is in progress . . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:39 pm
[ it's like a blitzkrieg ] Were it possible for books to ever start to get boring when read a second or third time then it was happening slowly. The usual stack that Ripley enjoyed devouring on an almost daily basis hadn't been touched in a few days and he hadn't made any mention of wanting to go to a store and get something new (Rong Wei's wallet was thankful). The Raevan had taken to reading the dictionary in his advanced state of ennui (his newest "word"), starting at A and now well into L's; one benefit of this odd reading prior was the rapid nature his vocabulary was expanding at. While he may still not have been able to properly (or correctly) use more than a third of what he was leaning the staggering pace at which he dove through things was more than enough to consider it all impressive.
"Well, I do have some board games that my brothers and I used to play together when we were younger. I don't know if any of them would suit your royal highness's tastes though, whatever it is you've developed them into."
Ripley frowned but didn't say anything as he floated after Rong Wei, following her over to a hall closet which, upon opening, revealed a treasure trove of game boxes. Rong Wei read each title aloud as she touched them with her hands, casting a glance every now and then over at the Frei to see if he was indeed interested. Many if not most of the games sounded uninteresting to Ripely based on their name and a brief synopsis alone though he did find his interest piqued at least once or twice. He motioned for Rong Wei to pull out the ones with potential and set them aside, the stack ending at five games once the closet had been inspected.
"See any out of your group that you'd like to try first? I've got to hit the streets in a bit so we can't play long but I'll humor you with at least a game or two. Been years since I've played any of them though, just a warning."
"It's fine. I want to try this one first."
A game involving sinking ships via guesswork each round was pulled loose and handed it to the Chinese woman, the Frei floating to the table where he proceeded to 'sit'. Rong Wei skimmed the title, Battleship, and smirked at her sordid memories of the game. This was the game dominated by her oldest brother and his fantastic power of prediction, his undisputed champion status marked on the underside of the lid in marker. The trio had used the box lid to tally victories and defeats in order to keep disputes down and she had to chuckle at the number number of tics covering the aging cardboard; she may not have been able to beat the oldest but she certainly could kick the a** of her middle brother.
"I'm waiting."
Ripley's terse voice interrupted the trip down memory lane like a bad car wreck and Ron Wei shook her head as the box was carried over and the pieces set out. The Frei was tossed the instructions and told to read them while his opponent went ahead and set up her playing field, a usual winning strategy in her maid and laid out before her. There wasn't going to be a case of 'I let you win' or the painfully obvious holding back attributed to 'beginners luck'; Rong Wei was playing to win. Ripley finished reading and set the slip of paper to the side before opening his plastic case and setting up his mini armada. Dark eyes looked to the woman when he was complete and a bob of his head in her direction let her know he wanted her to go first. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she obliged.
"Alright then, A-15."
The game had started! It was looking to be pretty good except. . .
". . . and that makes six losses. In a row. I think we're done with this game if you've managed to master it this well and this quickly."
Rong Wei looked up from her once again completely sunk set of tiny ships, the look on her face saying she wasn't interested in playing anymore. After the Raevan had beaten her twice in a row she stopped thinking it was a fluke and by his third and fourth victories the game has ceased to be fun. She played two more for the sake of saving face though she was promptly stomped and left hanging out to dry. Ripley would probably give her brother a run for his money if he didn't outright beat him and Rong Wei mused over how interesting it would be for that match to occur. She wasn't allowed (again) to dwell in her thoughts as she heard the sound of Ripley getting up followed by the rummaging through of the other four boxes. the sounds stopped when he returned with a larger box and a look of disinterest, one Rong Wei wasn't buying. He'd brought over the chess board and it's pieces, likely picking it for the crudely drawn king and queen on the lid. Ripley, for all that he was complicated to understand, was pretty easy to figure out after a while. The battleship pieces were cleared away and the
Chinese woman opened the new game slowly. Several, if not at least ten or so, sheets of paper scattered onto the table top as the box protested having its yards old seal cracked and Ripley lifted one of the pages up, glancing at it.
"Those are probably notes on the game or else a record of moves my brother wrote down. You'll find the instructions in this box somewhere but I don't have the time to explain - I've got to be going. I didn't think to check the time after our last game and I'm not going to miss going out just to be here with you."
Rong Wei didn't put the lid back on, setting it to the side instead, and she took a look down at the watch on her wrist.
"You'll be fine here by yourself for an hour or so, right? I can't take you where I'm going, not that I'd want to anyway, and more than likely if I did you'd hate it there the whole time. My folks are here in case you need anything but don't harass them unless you seriously need something. Read over those papers or something and we'll have a game when I get back. Sound good? Good."
The conversation was extremely one-sided and ended just as suddenly as it had started with Rong Wei leaving the room before Ripley could even have a little input. He hadn't planned on saying anything anyway since he was occupied trying to decipher the chicken scrawl that dared to pass as handwriting. The Chinese woman had been going for nearly an hour before he even noticed her missing and he soon dismissed her lack of presence by returning to reading.
Chess was fascinating with all of its complex moves and the unique name given each step that a piece could take. The papers turned out to be basic instructions after all with silly illustrations to try and help keep whomever was playing in the loop. For as simple as it all was Ripley devoured each little scrap of information as though his life depended on it; he even set the board up a few times and moved the pieces just in accordance to his guide. Eventually he was just moving knights and pawns around to stage his own self combat, all the while taking notes of how to ensnare or escape during various situations. Some of the strategies he developed he enjoyed trying to tear apart or find a flaw in but soon he grew bored of playing by himself. The original point of him playing games in the first place was to help alleviate some that uneasy and unhappy feeling, not to just mask it for a while.
Whenever it was that Rong Wei decided to return he'd be ready for her to play with him without asking any questions being raised; her opinions and wants were completely going to be overruled and rejected before they even had a chance to air. His set opinion of course lead to a rather awkward moment when she did return, the Frei greeting her at the door with the black king in his hand and a massive scowl on his face. He had the board all set out and waiting for the woman to make the first move, allowing her the honor of having the white pieces. She did so by stepping a pawn out two spaces, her main focus actually on taking her coat and shoes off. ripley had moved a piece just as quickly, but it was a short move, one easily countered by another pawn. This give and block continued for a few rounds before Ripley grew tired of waiting for Rong Wei to actually do anything, and he smirked a bit as his hand moved a piece into one of the positions he'd practiced so often.
"Check."
Rong Wei responded by moving a piece back and blocking it, only to barely have her hand leave the board before Ripley moved his and took the last line of her defense, blocking her in entirely and ending the game. There was a feeling of satisfaction to watch the Chinese woman knock over the white king in favor of his black knight, and he smirked proudly as the board was cleared by a clearly unhappy woman. There was nothing else to be said amongst them, she was probably tired and he was no longer feeling that uneasy feeling from before, and the Frei moved to float over by her side.
"We'll play more tomorrow, right?"
"No. I'm taking you somewhere tomorrow where you'll get your a** kicked and I can actually enjoy some down time. We're going to the park."
She sounded so sure of herself, Rong Wei that is, and Ripley frowned as he listened to the word he barely knew the meaning of. This park place.. ..then what? It was too late to ask, Rong Wei had already walked off, and Ripley crossed his arms as he sulked at being denied things.
" . . . . is that a disease?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:41 pm
[ the queen's gambit ] "I don't think I like this book anymore."
Ripley's quiet words tore through the silence of the house like a sneeze would during prayers at church, Rong Wei almost dropping the dish she had in her hands as her shoulders jumped with the shock. Soapy fingers gripped a sponge as the Chinese woman lowered the plate back into the water, her gaze not even daring to look over at the Frei in the kitchen doorway. A few dishes passed through water and hand as she continued to clean, and she likely would have stayed silent if not for the sound of metal clinking together and Ripley clearing his throat.
"I said - "
"What book now? Another Greek one?"
Rong Wei was growing used to the pile of books Ripley 'didn't think he liked', her Raevan's appetite for reading leading him (and her) to book stores on an almost weekly basis. Very seldom did she actually have to buy him something to take home since his preference was to read where he floated, though sometimes a book would make it into their possession. Rong Wei's wallet often openly wept.
Her question about the book being Greek was in reference to one she'd pulled out of storage fopr him, one she'd used in her early college days. It had been the Odyssey, or was it Beowulf? Either way it didn't mater what it was, Ripley had gotten to a certain point in the book and nearly shredded in in the rage that followed; the vacuum was still sucking up pieces of paper that had fallen behind things. Thoughts of having to clean up yet another five-hundred page novel made her stomach ache, but to her delighted surprise (and relief) she was presented with a still-bound book. It was The Hobbit, one Ripley had taken off the shelf in the room that used to belong to her older brother, and he had the novel cracked open to a certain page. By how crumpled and dog-eared the page corners looked she could tell he'd been over this section many a time.
"And? Do you hate hobbits or something?"
"It's not that. It's what they're doing in this passage that I don't understand."
". . . .like understand how to read it? Are you having problems understanding the words?"
"I already said no."
Ripley's voice held an annoyed tone to it as he answered, his eyes narrowing and his wing flexing a bit so that they released their usual jingle. He'd actually managed to pique the Chinese woman's attention by now and she pulled her hands from the sink, drying them on a towel before taking the book. She pushed her glasses up with her hand, squinting at the small print.
"Do you see what I mean?"
"Not really, no? You're right after he gets the ring, where he and Gollum are challenging one another with riddles. What's so hard...about that...?"
The blank stare she received in response was more than enough to let her know what the problem was, leaving Rong Wei to bite her lower lip in an effort to not laugh in Ripley's face. As ridiculous as it sounded, as much of an oxymoron as it sounded, it should have been impossible for her to be in the presence of a Sphinx who could tell no riddles. This...this was rich.
"Are you having trouble understanding the riddles?"
The way he turned his face to the side, his skin blanched, was a pretty good indicator. Fascinated, she had to take this chance to lean on him a bit more. Ripley'd been something of an a** lately and Rong Wei wanted revenge. She moved from the kitchen and into the living room, the Frei floating to follow as she settled at the dinging table. Her eyes were scanning over the passages like she was actually trying to figure out the problem but the reality of it was that this was the only way to curb her laughter. After a moment or two longer she settled on one of the riddles, her nail lined under it as she read it aloud.
A box without hinges, key or lid,
Yet golden treasure inside is hid.
"I already said I don't understand, so why are you patronizing me?"
The tone of annoyance had dropped into cold clarity by rong Wei shrugged it off, continuing as she was. Each riddle was read aloud and each time Ripley appeared to grow angrier and angrier. This woman was severely pressing his buttons whether she knew it or not. Ripley considered himself of fair temper when it came to the majority of things but it seemed that his level of understanding towards Rong Wei was remarkably low. By all means he should have been grateful to her for providing him with various things yet whenever she acted this way he found it very difficult to do so. Thankfully her snarky attitude only emerged once in a while, with tonight her moods in rare form.
"It's not so much patronizing as it is me being taken aback by you not understanding. Your soul is a Sphinx for ******** sake so you think even the tiniest bit of you would be able to grasp this. I wonder if the people at the Lab got lied to and in turn lied to me."
" . . . say that again."
Rong Wei almost didn't hear him amongst her snickering, though when she opened her eyes from wiping away a few stray tears it became all too obvious what was going on. Ripley's eyes almost looked like thin slits in his face face and his whole head seemed to have turned narrow, pointed. Thre was no customary frown on his lips, his expression was almost completely unreadable. The lights in the room - no the whole house - started to flicker (Rong Wei could hear her parents moving and shouting in their room). One of the bulbs to Ripley's right gave a loud pop before it went out with a hiss and suddenly Rong Wei was all too aware of what she had done, at least in terms that something was wrong because of her. She still didn't know exactly what it was and to what extent, but she was now at the very least mildly leery. Aside from the flickering and the bulb burning out, the sound of crackling was rising in the air, a familiar sound from the time the woman and Frei first met. Ripley was angry and it was entirely her fault.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Knock this s**t off, I was just ******** with you."
Another light bulb popped and dimmed, then another, and soon very few were left to illuminate the pair. Neither had moved from their positions (Rong Wei did close the book), each one knowing that the first to make a move would pull the outcome. Ripley probably didn't have any idea how to fight other than animalistic and natural instinct, his tank age and first-hand learning rather low. Rong Wei had an advantage in both age and experiance - bar brawls and martial arts lessons really leaning the scales in her favor for a fight. Were the Raevan to make a move the human woman would be ready, willing. She could take him on technique along if needed, but she didn't know just how strong Ripley actually was. Enough to seriously hurt her, should he make contact? Everything was always an assumption.
Thankfully nothing happened from the stand-off, the lights taking their time but gradually stopping in their flickering before growing brighter. The crackling vanished just as suddenly as it had started, leaving everything just how it had been in the tense moments from before. ripley pushed himself back up into his usual floating height and stance, acting as though he were going to dimiss himself. His face had moved from the raged expression to that of something neutral, a look that unhinged Rong Wei's nerves far more than it should have. Whenever Ripely was quiet the woman always wondered what he was thinking, not that he was a particularly chatty Raevan to begin with - at least not chatty to her. He was the type to pick and choose his words in regards to her, so perhaps that's what he was doing now - thinking of what to say. A sigh escaped the woman's lips and she closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing them beneath the frame of her glasses with her thumb and index finger. When they reopened Ripley wasn't in her view and in spite of her usual calm she felt her heart pound lightly in her chest. The pounding only increased and her stomach dropped when the jingle-jangle of his wings chimed from behind.
"-!"
Before she could properly turn her head, before words could form in her mind and spill out of her mouth, all Rong Wei could see was was Ripley's elbow. To be more specific she felt it before before she even registered that she saw it, and a muted cry that sounded inhuman escaped her body. She couldn't get up and away as easily as she would have liked or hoped, the kitchen chair acting as a guard to hold her in place, but through some luck she managed to block an incoming blow with her arm. While Rong Wei was confident in her ability to deal damage when she attacked it was her defense she was most proud of. Her brothers had always loved the force side of the martial art they'd been learning together, but she stuck with the basics to protect herself - and now she was using what she knew.
She waited for another blow to come after the one that had hit her in the face and the one she'd blocked, hoping that the third one she could grab his arm, but they didn't. She couldn't hear Ripley's wings anymore and could only smell the bitter scent of iron and the heat that followed as it fell down her face. Her nose wasn't broken as she reached to touch it but the skin was tender around it to say the least. She winced at even the slightest pressure and frowned at the blood that trickled onto her pants, and it was with a grunt that she pushed the chair back and away. Shaking as she rose to her feet Rong Wei pinched her nose to stop the flow and started to turn to get back into the kitchen, though she was stopped dead in her tracks by the Raevan who had been floating silently behind her. The sounds had stopped because he was waiting for her, waiting for a better shot, and Rong Wei didn't even have time to duck or move before a fist contacted squarely with her eye.
"You sonnuva-!"
This time she managed to talk, though it was weak and almost pleading. Her head was reeling and her ears were buzzing, a hit far worse then most she'd ever taken. There had to have been something else behind his fists, something that was making her vision swirl, but Rong Wei wasn't going to take the time to ask. She backed quickly and darted towards one of the few rooms in the house that had a lock, the bathroom, and she jumped inside and threw the door closed before even checking to see if Ripley had followed her. She stood in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection, her face bloodied and her skin turning purple from where he'd hit her. This wasn't an accident like the first time they'd met. This had been on purpose.
What had Rong Wei gotten herself in to? She wasn't wanting to know, but something inside told her this was just the beginning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:37 pm
[ my king shall castle ]
general prp w/ebony and cordelia
- completed
summary :
Ripley gripes
Cordelia and Ebony come in
Introductions are exchanged
Ripley is just damn creepy
Nails get done
Languages are learned and promises made
of note:
Rong Wei has a black eye
Ripley now knows Cordelia [ starting level: uninterested ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:39 pm
[ an unlikely sort of weakness ] Ah the joys of babysitting or, as Rong Wei liked to put it, "watching the fruit of useless's loins...again". Her zeal and enthusiasm was being so heavily directed at the small child that stood on her doorstep at seven in the morning, a kitschy Barbie backpack strapped to its back and a teddy ear in its arms. There was a note in one of its hands likely to be an explanation for the early morning drop, and Rong Wei held her hand out to take it.
"Nihao Gu gu."
The only response the little girl got was a grunt from her aunt, the older woman stepping to the side to allow her in. Slip-on plastic shoes were quickly shed before exiting the entry way and the Barbie bag was hung up, leaving the child to squeal loudly before darting into the living room and depositing herself onto one of the low couches. The television was soon turned on to some children network programming, and Rong Wei grunted again as she started back down the hall to her room. The door was still open wide having been nearly ripped off its hinges when the Chinese woman was startled by the doorbell, and Rong Wei closed it behind her as she slid in and shuffled over to her bed. She did her best to tiptoe around a figure she very seldom got to see sleeping, not really wanting to wake him and risk early morning wrath.
Ripley's sleeping face was practically as serious as the one he wore while awake, his eyebrows furled downward and his lips pursed in a frown. Every now and then he would murmur something and his arms moved, fingers twitching at his side, but for the majority of what Rong Wei watched he was laying on the second futon quite still. Most if not all people would find it odd that the pair still shared a room even, with one down the hall vacant and clean, but it had been through Ripley's insistence that they stayed in the same space. Rong Wei had been assured he would leave when he was ready to be on his own but for now her company was required at night. The futon he was (somehow, it still amazed Rong Wei) laying on was slowly moving closer to the door as the days passed and hopefully it would be out of her sight and thought before too long. Anyway she wasn't going to dwell on watching him or thinking about him when the option of going back to sleep was readily available and soon the Chinese woman was back in her own bed with eyes closed. She'd forgotten about her niece, not that she even cared that she was there, but for some reason she was pretty sure the television would do most of the watching for her - plus the kid was at least old enough to feet herself. Self-feeding habits were important to develop at an early age.
The first thing Rong Wei noticed when she woke up about three hours later was that Ripely was no longer on the futon, the second thing being that the door to her room was no longer closed. A heavy yawn that shook her chest escaped over her lips as she scratched her neck and lower back, heavily debating if she should just roll back into a ball and return to sleeping. She normally would have and was actually to to when the sudden memory of her niece being in the house invaded her mind, forcing the Chinese woman quickly to her feet and out into the living room. She found Ripley floating near the entrance, his hand on the door frame as his dark eyes peered at the small girl fumbling with the DVD player. It was apparent he'd been wayching her for quite some time as the lights in the hallway (and those in the living room, TV included) were flickering to show his clear unease at this stranger being in the house. Ripley had never seen a human child before (he'd never seen the young of anything actually) and the fact that this creature had been raiding the pantries for 'pop-tarts' and crying that there were no 'juice boxes' didn't help to ease his discomfort. He was mildly fine so long as she stayed away from his bookshelf or his various, scattered board games, but the moment one of her small hands started towards an in-progress chess game Ripely started to move forward. He was stopped when Rong Wei dared to reach out and grab one of his wrists, a thin hiss escaping from her lips at the pain of the sudden shock the Frei generated.
"Her name is Tamora, and she's my niece. She's my second brother's youngest kid that he leaves with me every now and then. < Tamora, come here. >"
The little girl looked up at the calling of her name and clumsily rose to her feet, her small hands pushing against the table to help her stand up. She toddled over to the pair with teddy bear in tow, a DVD in her other hand. Her eyes were as large as saucers as she stopped in front of the woman and the Frei, her lower jaw slacking in wonder over the sight. For as much as Ripley had been watching her she'd not even noticed him. Now that her attention was drawn to him her dark brown eyes scanned up and down, taking in ever single detail possible. Ripley was eying this small sack of flesh in detail as well, noting her almost delicate frame in comparison to the thick Chinese woman who claimed to be her relative. The girl also had lighter hair, almost a dusky blond, and Ripley was fairly certain her slanted eyes were not a dark enough brown. He was certainly confused over her appearance, confused really over the meaning of 'niece'. There was too much about this girl he couldn't understand just yet and the fact that she and Rong Wei had been talking back and forth with one another in the fork didn't help. At all.
"I'm going to make some breakfast for the two of us, so Ripley I need you to stay in here and watch a movie with Tam. You don' have to do anything but float on the couch and I swear to you - if I come back and you've done something to her? I won't hesitate to respond."
Rong Wei left her Raevan's side and went over to DVD player, Tamora following and squawking about the movie she was holding. From what Ripley could gather based on their actions (in between sorting his level of amusement over the threat) the smaller human wanted to watch that specific film and Rong Wei was loading the DVD player for her. He floated over and lowered himself down as best he could onto the couch furthest from both women, though his actions were completely in vain as Tamora bolted to his side and practically sat on him (she got his ribbon). There was a grunt of extreme displeasure as the Frei tried to free himself from beneath the kid's thighs though his struggling ceased due in part to a rather withering glare courtesy of Rong Wei. He sighed and dropped his hands just as the rich sound of bells filled the air from the television screen, an indicator the movie had started. The bells were soon followed by a man's voice singing (thankfully) in English.
The film was animated, something Ripley had never seen before, and it was only a few minutes into the movie that Rong Wei smirked while moving off towards the kitchen to make a quick and late breakfast. When she returned a good half-hour later she was both surprised and amused to find the Frei and child still sitting together, hand in hand. Tamora's hair was slightly standing on end from what the Chinese woman hoped to be static from one of the nearby pillows. Seeing thought that her niece wasn't crying out in pain and Ripley wasn't giving off an expression of his usual sort (he was too engrossed in the movie) she let it slide and set the tray of food she'd brought in on a coffee table. With food ready and a child occupied the woman yawned and rotated her shoulders, all the while shuffling back to her room and the bed inside.
"So, did you have a good time today?"
The tone was sarcastic as Rong Wei washed the dinner dishes and placed them in a rack to dry, the smug look on her face directed at Ripley. The dirty look was swiftly returned before the woman decided to continue speaking.
"Tamora looked like she was having a good time, that was the first I'd ever seen her sit silently through a whole film. I didn't know you liked kids so much, or you were so good with them."
"Like them? No, I just liked the movie we were watching. Your small child was just annoying and troublesome."
Rong Wei raised an eyebrow. What he was saying and what he did didn't match.
"But you were holding her hand."
"That was to shock her every time she talked or tried to talk. You humans learn really quickly though so it wasn't something I had to do very much. I really liked the movie."
" . . . .wait, what?"
"I'll watch another one tomorrow, in the parlor. We'll see to it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 6:27 pm
[ the difference between acetone and bactine ]
general prp w/doucette
- in progress
summary :
RP is in progress . . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 6:33 pm
[ break so easily ] If it hadn't been for Tamora leaving behind a few DVDs from her latest stay with her aunt Ripley probably would never have gotten an interest, let alone a full blown idea. thinking completely outside of the box or planning that far into the future wasn't exactly something he was going at right at the moment, the Frei preferring to do things straight off the cuff. Such "plans" were more than enough to satisfy him with their results, even if it was only just for now. Rong Wei had recently used the phrase "instant gratification" when she was on the phone with someone and Ripley was pleased (upon looking them up) to find that little use of words suited him. He would later think that word gratification should be replaced with results, but he hadn't reached the section of the dictionary where the R words were just yet, so it stayed as it was until his conquest was furthered.
Ripely had found the DVDs stacked near the door with a(n unreadable) note attached to them, likely a reminder that they needed to go out the next time the Chinese woman was out. The Frei carelessly ripped the post-it off before tossing it into the trash can. He took the DVDs over to the television and the player, hesitating a moment on the next step. He only knew how to operate both items in theory - Rong Wei had almost always done everything for him in regards to electronics. While it would have been easier for him to just attempt at working both machines on his own, he was bright enough to figure it out eventually, there was something to be said about going into his and Rong Wei's shared room to wake her up. The fact that it was the middle of the night meant nothing at all to him, same with the knowledge that Rong Wei had somewhere to be early on into the day, so there wasn't even the slightest hint of remorse in his words and actions as he roused her.
Television + Ripley > Rong Wei's rights, at least in his opinion.
The woman groused at him in both English and Chinese, her expression bleary and her movements slow as everything clicked on. The DVD Ripely had out and on the table was put in and loading, leaving Rong Wei to yawn heavily and stroll out from the room. As much as Ripely though she'd sack out on the couch he was glad to have his silence, though the quest was broken when animated characters popped on the screen. They promised him to be educational and fun while they performed their sassy science songs and, in spite of his efforts not to enjoy everything, Ripely found himself humming along.The songs about the solar systems were amusing and informative (as promised), but it was the songs about the human body that really got his attention. Through trial and error he figured out how to get the DVD remote to pause, rewind, and perform its other function which in turn allowed him limitless viewing. He was mildly delighted (and surprised) that he knew most of the words the section time watching, mastering each song on the third or fourth go-through, and soon he was actually singing lines from each song even after he'd turned the player off. Ripley favorite from the Science Rock! video had most certainly been the song about bones and what connected them and he found himself with the want of knowing more. He assumed it was the Sphinx in him that was always curious and never satisfied with basic information, but that wasn't exactly a bad thing. A zeal to keep learning until nothing was left was a good quality, if not a little obsessive.
The next order of things to do on the Frei's list was to try and find any books that related to bones and their make-up. There were many shelves and cases in the house he'd yet to fully look through so his hopes settled on finding what he wanted amongst those unchecked books. The ones on the shelf in the living room were not of any use to him, they were all in Chinese, and he knew all of the book titles in Rong Wei's room by heart to know nothing in there was what he needed. If there were any books in the Parent's room then Ripley could not get to them - that door was always locked. Come to think it he still hadn't seen her parents since that very first day but it wasn't much of a loss. Two humans out of millions or billions? His heart wasn't breaking. Their room being off limits left only one room left, that of Rong Wei's brothers.
The two had apparently shared a room with the woman getting her own because of gender (and the fact she was the baby), but since her parents had put in a partition it acted like two. Ripley had explored the room of the middle brother once before, it was where he'd found a book he now detested, but he hasn't given much through into the oldest. The door to that room was unlocked and the divider had been rolled back, allowing for easy access to everything. It didn't take him too long to start examining all the books that he could openly find and Ripley was sorely disappointed to not turn up a single medical book. Both of Rong Wei's brothers had been interested in and actually gone into the business fields, all their books on operating a company or similar topics. Disgusted that he wasn't able to get what he wanted Ripley returned to the living room, turning the television on to try and temper his sour mood. The Egyptian didn't like television at all, it wasn't that helpful now that he could speak and read without much difficulty, but he needed something to pass the time until he grew tired or Rong Wei woke up - whichever came first. He got the guide to pull itself up and he started to pick through shows, skipping over any and all that seemed a waste of his time. Eventually though the cursor settled on a late night medical show, one of those "ER EMERGENCY!!" shows, and soon Ripley was getting his fill of gore and knowledge. The tiny bit of curiosity that had been brought about by those odd videos had grown into a grand idea that would be put into motion once Ripley had some time to rest and the sun graced the sky.
Morning and Ripley's big chance came sooner than the Frei had thought or hoped, seeing as he'd fallen asleep in front of the television screen. It was turned off via the Chinese woman who sat out on the back porch smoking a cigarette, the rays of mid-morning sun streaking down on her and her weathered pink robe. A cup of coffee sat next to her on the stoop, a newspaper in her free hand, and Ripely floated over to get a better look at the visible bare arm from a rolled back sleeve. An arm would be easy enough to break, right? He'd watched them put pins and everything else inside arms on the television, so in order to test his theory all he would have to do involved setting up a similar situation. It didn't sound that difficult at all in the Frei's head and a thin smile spread over his lips as he waited for the woman to finish her morning routine and come inside. To occupy himself until that moment he started to look around for something that could be of use to him in his little 'experiment', finally settling on one of the bookshelves near the door that lead into the kitchen. Ripley inwardly chuckled to think that the fact this family enjoyed reading as much as it did could benefit him in more than one, and the Raevan moved over to case to examine it further.
The bookcase was sitting on the edge of the wall with space enough between it and the jam that people wouldn't walking into it when they walked around corners, and a slight bump from the other side of the wall made the entire piece of furniture rock forward just a bit. A heavier force into the wall would likely send the item over and onto the ground without much effort which would serve him well if he managed to get her arm just right. It would take timing and a strong blow from the Frei's side of the deal as well as slow reaction time and a weak grip from Rong Wei's in order to have everything run according to plan but there wasn't much doubt in the Egyptian's mind. He would pull this off without a hitch and find the level of strain the human arm - Rong Wei's arm - could take before breaking. Once again his luck seemed to be holding good for the day as the woman folded the paper and came into the house, her cigarette tossed over the fence into the neighbor's yard, and it was with delayed steps that she got back into the house and over towards Ripley. A scowl greeted him as she started past and the Raevan raised his hand as if to wave good morning, startling Rong Wei into repeating the motion. Both stayed in that pose for only a few seconds. . . and then Ripely grabbed Rong Wei's hand.
It happened quickly, she didn't have time to react at all. Once her hand had been grabbed Ripley smashed into the wall with as much force as he could muster and the uneven bookcase swayed violently before it completely came down. The only sound Ripley heard other than books and bookcase hitting the ground was Rong Wei's shortened scream, something far more like a gasp then an actual lengthened sound. The grip of her hand inside his own was weak when he'd let her arm go, he could swear he felt the muscles and bones pulling against one another as he tried to keep her arm holding up, and the Frei glanced down at his open palm with a wide smile. From behind him he could hear the door to the Parent's room open and her parents come rushing out, the Mother and Father already properly dressed for their day ahead, and both of them completely ignored Ripley as they got to their daughter's side. The bookcase was pushed off and Rong Wei was dug out from the stack of books, her face bloody and swollen. Ripely mused that this was a good and common look for his human guardian, something he'd like to see a bit more often. He floated to the side and out of the way as Rong Wei was hoisted to her feet and the family of three started out towards their car, all the while squawking in their native language. Rong Wei's arm was bent at an odd angle and looking really gross, her body beaten just like he'd thought it would be.
Just as planned, Ripley had found how much strain the human body could handle. That little bit of his curiosity had been satisfied for now, but only for now. Who knew what he would think when they remembered they'd left him behind and still had to come home?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 6:33 pm
[ dutch defense ]
general prp w/rivener
- completed
summary :
Ripley beats an old man at chess
Rivener wanders over
Pleasantries are exhanged
Music is shared, Ripley drains the battery on Rivener's music player
Rong Wei is a douche
A promise to meet again is made
of note:
Rong Wei has a broken arm, a black eye, and several other superficial wounds
Ripley now knows Rivener [ starting level: uninterested ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
