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 Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:14 pm
Conniving Conductor The raised voices and brash arguments had long since ended in the basement of the Junction. The entire building had an uncomfortable air surrounding it, tension was thick, thick enough that a jackhammer wouldn't be able to get halfway through without needing to swap out the hardware. But even with the anxiety and dismal atmosphere a wave of calm had washed over the inhabitants, pulling each away from their troubles and into a deep sleep. Dust may have collected and tiny animals skittered leaving criss cross patterns across the floor, but at least it was quiet.
The junctions doors were sealed tight, locked up for the night and now into the morning, and the entire place seemed daunting. The anxiety and tension caused most passerbys to hurry along, an uncomfortable tingling starting at the base of their spine and spindling up. However; a select few found that the concrete fortress held a gravitational pull, urging them forward and into the mysterious depths. Bloody Anubis Kin was one of these such people to be drawn along. He hadn't even planned to return to the small warehouse after the last events. He didn't know why he was going now, when there was such a strong air of discomfort hanging about. Someone probably just got murdered here is what he thought. Someone got murdered here and now it was going to be just like those horror movies where the beautiful person had to go explore the now-haunted place that was practically in the middle of nowhere. He really, really rather hoped it was one of those comedy movies.
Why was he even up this early in the morning? Shouldn't he be getting his model's beauty rest? Swallowing thickly, the blonde reached for the junction's entrance and tugged. It was locked. With a sigh that momentarily rattled his whole body, Kin relaxed some. Well! Good! Maybe he wasn't meant to go in after all! He could just go home now, right? He could go back to sleep... if he wasn't already dreaming. Turning, the male prepared to hustle back to his car, berating himself for not even changing out of his pajamas. What if someone saw? Not that he looked bad at all but... Tempest Vernum Tierra Malyn had been in a slump. Her career as a photographer was slowly and painfully dwindling into nothingness. She let out a sigh as she walked out of her apartment building and stepped onto the pavement. Despite her career woes, she was on a mission on this dismal morning, ever since she received the mysterious ticket; it had been nagging at her. She set out towards the building in question. Anticipation and adrenaline were running through veins as she approach the Junction. The streets themselves seemed to be holding their breath. Once the Junction was in clear view of Tierra, she noticed another figure standing in front of the door. She as she drew closer, she noticed that he couldn’t get in. She walked up behind him and said, “Hey there, so the door’s locked huh? That kind of sucks. So, what brought you out here at this hour?” Her voice unusually cordial even for her. Conniving Conductor Ticket bearers, the both of them, no? It could have been a change in the winds or a simple shadow flicking across the window pane. Whatever this distraction was it was sure to end the idle chatting from outside, or at least give the strangers' conversation another topic to hop on.
Behind Kin a large rumble seemed to be released from the junction followed by a frantic scurry of a small beast. A loud click and then clock resounded throughout the crowded streets and the doors suddenly opened a jar. If they looked closely they could see a fuzzy green tail skitter away into the shadows of the junction. Bloody Anubis As he came face to face with a woman, the young man nearly jumped out of his skin. Worse, he almost let out a rather undignified yelp. For only a moment he was as stiff as a piece of gum left in the freezer, his golden eyes widened comically. Then, he relaxed slowly, sighing with relief that it wasn't a face that was bleeding or rotting. And she was asking a coherent question. "Yeah, it's locked," He confirmed, a sheepish smile soon creeping across his well-tanned features. As much as he usually liked to speak with others, he really wanted to get home. Best to close this conversation fast.
"Well, I can't honestly say I had a reason for--" The rumble stopped him mid-speech. He would not have seen the tail, as his back was turned to the door. When he did look back, there was nothing but an empty darkness through the slit, although he could have sworn he'd heard something. A little part of him died on the inside- no more excuses for not going in. It wasn't exactly like he could climb over Tierra and dart away into the safety of his Bentley. No, he had far too much ego for that. So Kin put on a brave front, giving a winning smile to the female. "Well, look at that! It's open now. Will you join me?" Concealing well his jittering nerves, the man moved to open the door and take a step inside. Tempest Vernum Tierra was highly amused at the reaction of the man, his face had been priceless. She was relieved that she wasn’t the only standing out side of the building. It’s good to have company, she thought when suddenly there was a loud rumbling. Tierra jumped about a foot at the noise, she wasn’t normally this jumpy, but something about this place put her on edge. The door was hypnotizing to Tierra, she could only stare at it until Kin brought her out it with a question. “S-s-sure” she said, fear evident in her voice. No stop it, you are not afraid! She scolded herself. Look at Kin! He seems perfectly fine! If he can do it, then so can I!
With each cautious step she took towards the door, her heart accelerated. She finally reached the door, but paused in the threshold. “Do you think it’s safe?” she called out. “I thought I saw something in there.” Her heart was almost crawling out her throat and she was sure that Kin could hear it from where he was in the building. Finally, Tierra swallowed her fears and doubts and entered into the shadows of the building. “Hey, wait up!” she called into the darkness. Conniving Conductor The door slowly closed behind Tierra, quietly as to not disturb the visitors. But the shadows did not swallow them. In front of the forayer there was a counter, cluttered with boxes upon papers which were again upon boxes. A lone antique cash register sat at the edge closest to the wall. It was upon a haphazard pile of books that a gentle lamp lit the room, casting a calming glow, or frightening depending on how it is perceived, upon the room. The lantern itself looked out of place. While the rest of the room had a train station theme with the teller's box, trunks piled, blank train tickets littered about, the lamp was more of a lamp one would find on a seaward ship.
The room was silent, relatively given a few creaks and shifts of the building settling. That was until an lonesome tune made its way through a basement door nearby.
"A dog came in the kitchen
And stole a crust of bread.
Then cook up with a ladle
And beat him till he was dead.
Then all the dogs came running
And dug the dog a tomb
And wrote upon the tombstone
For the eyes of the dogs to come..."
The voice itself seemed to beckon the visitors towards the dimly lit staircase leading downwards. Bloody Anubis "Safe? I dunno... But I'll watch out for you, okay? It'll be alright." He straightened a little more, shoulders and taut chest becoming somewhat clear through what now seemed a very frail set of blue flannel pajamas. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he and the stranger were getting into, but one thing was for sure. They were supposed to be there. No manner of bitchery from his manager could have called him out here, so this must have been a step up- destiny, maybe.
He tried very hard to ignore the comment about seeing something. He really didn't want to think about it. And when she called for him, the young model was glad to comply, not wanting to be alone either in this strange place. Sure, he had been here once before, but that was when it was all lit up. Admittedly, all the piled boxes were not scary at all, nor the strewn papers. Maybe he was getting a little too worked up about this...
He thought too soon. As the eerie voice crept its way through the dim light, Kin hoped Tierra could not see him shudder. What the HELL was that? Ohhhh not-God. Clearing his throat, the blonde glanced towards his companion. "You can... hold my hand if you're scared." He offered her, clearing his throat with a strangled attempt at nonchalance. That unpleasant song was calling to them and, well, it was probably right they follow now that they were in that far. Glancing once at the other, he slowly began to leave the light of the lamp and follow the sound, thought better of it, and picked up the antique thing. No way he was going down anywhere without some sort of light. Holding it out in front of him like a shield, Kin made to lead the way down the stairs, reaching back for Tierra just in case she wanted to take him up on his offer. He kind of hoped she would. Tempest Vernum To her chagrin, Tierra found it sweet how this man she’s only met for a couple minutes was trying to be brave for her. She tired desperately to remember that she doesn’t need a man to make her feel safe, but Tierra could help but to admit to herself that it was nice. Once Tierra’s green eyes had fully adjusted to the change in light, she found herself studying the layout of the room, the cash register, the books, the papers, and the strange lamp that illuminated corners and created shadows. I wish I had my camera was the first thing she thought of when she saw this. Tierra found this to be strange, but she wanted to capture the feeling that this room gave off and show it to the world. She could be in here for hours and still not be able to fully unlock the mystery of this room. A song floated up from below them and it caused Tierra’s heart to jump. It was sad, but alluring, Tierra desperately ached to find the source of the poignant song. And at the same time, Tierra couldn’t help but smirk at her companion’s reaction to the sudden appearance of the song. “Um, sure, if you want me to.” She said, nervously twirling her auburn hair. She stepped closer to Kin and reached out for his outstretched hand. They stood at the top of the stairs to the basement, Kin holding the unique lamp. She gripped his hand tighter and glanced over at him. “So are you ready?” She said trying to put as mush bravery in her voice as possible; it ended up coming out high-pitched and squeaky. Tierra inched closer to him, “Come on, it’s now or never.” And they descended into the foreboding staircase. Conniving Conductor As soon as the two adventurers hit the landing of the staircase the audible sound of retreating waves echoed throughout the junction. The train tracks were empty and the dull shipyard lanterns shed very little light, creating a pseudo twilight around the enclosed train station.
"Hmm. You two are early." Came a voice who began to hum a resemblance of the tune previously sung. "Things truly do get muddled without Pere here." Another lapse of song, then suddenly the voice cried"Tickets please."
A arm and hand entered the guests fields of vision, and this arm so happened to be attached to a man. He was almost identical in visage to the man who normally resided down here in the junction, but he was somewhat scruffier. He lay back on what appeared to be a capsized boat, built by a kindegartener. His pants were rolled up to mid calf and his feet were bare and covered with sand even though no source of a beach or otherwise sandy place was visible. Hanging upon his bare foot was a precariously perched black bowler's cap. As to who it belonged to, there was little known.
"My name is Johnathan, now quit the staring and the meaningless introductions and hand me the tickets?" The man asked, exasperated, sitting up and flinging the bowler's cap to his hand. Apparently he had a temper. Bloody Anubis As they came into the room where there was a little more light, the man gradually loosened up. Hey, maybe this wasn't so bad- maybe they weren't really going to die due to vengeful spirits or otherwise. Sighing quietly, he was about to give a reassuring smile back to Tierra when the voice made him flinch. Hey! There was a man there! Why hadn't he noticed before? And such odd attire... The bowler at least made Kin feel a little more secure in his pajamas- at least THEY were in-style designer models.
So this was the end of the line, right? Ignoring the slow-creeping feeling of embarrassment, Kin untangled his hand from the woman's, assuming he had done his job as a man and looked out for the damsel. Almost childishly, he canted his head down at the man who had introduced himself as Jonathan, a small smile creeping over his handsome features. "Hey now, I know it's the first thing in the morning, but there's no need to be curt, Jon!" He seemed to be musing for a moment before imploring, "Who's Pere? Did he get hurt? In any case, I don't think I have what you're looking for. As you can see, I kinda came out here without really thinking to pick anything up!"
He chuckled, hiding the awkwardness of the situation. That was very much like him, to get more confident when any sane person would have had the sense to shrink a little and try to evaluate limits when it came to this new stranger. He was probably just a little too friendly, but that wasn't necessarily a bad quality, right? Right? As if to emphasize his earlier claim, the man tugged at the fabric of his pajama bottoms, even reaching in and turning out his pockets. That was when it appeared, flickering out onto the open and fluttering on an invisible current of air. A ticket, the ticket. The owner himself looked incredulous, his lips thinned in a delicate display of his bemusement. After all, he could have sworn the last time he'd seen the ticket it had been to keep his place in his pseudo-Bible. Wait. Now he was going to find his place all over again? Did that ticket know how hard it was to find ANYTHING in that book? But there it was, spiraling towards Jonathon, the printed ink glinting in the dim light. Bloody Anubis As they came into the room where there was a little more light, the man gradually loosened up. Hey, maybe this wasn't so bad- maybe they weren't really going to die due to vengeful spirits or otherwise. Sighing quietly, he was about to give a reassuring smile back to Tierra when the voice made him flinch. Hey! There was a man there! Why hadn't he noticed before? And such odd attire... The bowler at least made Kin feel a little more secure in his pajamas- at least THEY were in-style designer models.
So this was the end of the line, right? Ignoring the slow-creeping feeling of embarrassment, Kin untangled his hand from the woman's, assuming he had done his job as a man and looked out for the damsel. Almost childishly, he canted his head down at the man who had introduced himself as Jonathan, a small smile creeping over his handsome features. "Hey now, I know it's the first thing in the morning, but there's no need to be curt, Jon!" He seemed to be musing for a moment before imploring, "Who's Pere? Did he get hurt? In any case, I don't think I have what you're looking for. As you can see, I kinda came out here without really thinking to pick anything up!"
He chuckled, hiding the awkwardness of the situation. That was very much like him, to get more confident when any sane person would have had the sense to shrink a little and try to evaluate limits when it came to this new stranger. He was probably just a little too friendly, but that wasn't necessarily a bad quality, right? Right? As if to emphasize his earlier claim, the man tugged at the fabric of his pajama bottoms, even reaching in and turning out his pockets. That was when it appeared, flickering out onto the open and fluttering on an invisible current of air. A ticket, the ticket. The owner himself looked incredulous, his lips thinned in a delicate display of his bemusement. After all, he could have sworn the last time he'd seen the ticket it had been to keep his place in his pseudo-Bible. Wait. Now he was going to have to find his place all over again? Did that ticket know how hard it was to find ANYTHING in that book? But there it was, spiraling towards Jonathon, the printed ink glinting in the dim light. Tempest Vernum The walk the staircase wasn’t nearly as scary as Tierra had thought it would be. She had been able to loosen her hold on the young man’s hand while they entered a room with sufficient enough light. The sound of the waves kept Tierra’s mind occupied thoughts until a voice brought back into the real world. The voice caused her to take a step back, she wasn’t always comfortable around strangers, and there was something about this man that caused shivers down her spine. But she did like the hat. Tierra glanced over the man once more and noticed that he was dressed kind of eccentrically, but not that she was one to talk, wearing her mismatched socks and jeans so old that they were practically falling apart while she was wearing them. Tierra noticed that Kin had let go her hand a while ago and was now talking comfortably with this man who introduced himself as Johnathan. Tierra, on the other hand was highly affronted by his tone of voice. He was asking for the ticket. Might as well give it to him she thought fumbling through her pockets for the aforementioned ticket. “Is this what you want?” Tierra said, finally finding a voice. She held out the ticket and then it was no longer in her hands, but rather heading towards Johnathan. Conniving Conductor "My don't we have the drop-ies today. Would you mind not throwing them at me? I find that to be rather offensive." Johnathan sniffed and reached down to grab the two tickets, precious as they were, nonchalantly. "Honestly, handing them to me would have been just as fine. Easier, not requiring me to move much and all."
It was obvious from the start that this man had the utmost pessimistic view on life, but his gravely tone just added to his flavor. He reached up to the bowler cap and flicked it off his head onto the boat. Or rather...shabbily built raft?
Johnathan stretched before walking over to a small shack in the middle of the platform. A dilapidated sign reading '----'s office', nigh unreadable mind you, as he passed he tried pulling on the handle which would simply not budge, knocking on the window which gathered no response and finally shouting.
"Oh Common! Peregrin, you cannot make me do your slavework forever!" He sighed and leaned against the door. "These lumps of baggage continue to pile up and my time spent here without escorting them elsewhere is waste!"
He finally gave a harumph and pushed himself off of the door. "You two, follow me if you're still here. Damn you if you are." He hollered over his shoulder to the two intruders.
With little more than a flick of his wrist at another open walled booth and jab into a drawer, Johnathan pulled out an aged timebook and scrawled something within it.
"I'm ne'er quite goo'at timing'ings and with 'er all pissy'n whutnot. But, I'ssume..." He said through the pen that had made it between his lips until a loud screeching noise penetrated the seemingly enclosed junction. The walls to the left and right of the expanse of railroad track were, well, walls. Physical barricades with no way in or out, yet now there was a rather large and imposingly red steam engine screeching to a halt.
"Sheesh! Always when I'm least expecting it!" Johnathan glared at the opposing object as the train's doors shot open. He took the pen from his mouth and turned his gaze to the newcomers.
"You, Wench." He said indicating Tierra. "Compartment 7, aisle 12, left hand window seat I believe."
"And you, Poofter!" Johnathan turned to Kin. "Same compartment, aisle 13, right behind the other bugger." Bloody Anubis "I didn't mean to!" The blonde protested, hmph-ing idly as he made to cross his arms. He hadn't even know he was in possession of the ticket that had somehow snuck into his pajama bottoms. The female seemed much more prepared than he. Twin, golden brows arched as their greeter or sorts began to holler at what looked to him like an empty, locked room. Was someone else supposed to be out there with them now?
"Is everything alright?" He called to Johnathan, curious and eager to be let in on some sort of drama that was apparently going on. Anything could be more interesting this dim, deserted place... Wait. Take that back. There was a train now, chugging forward from absolutely nothing and just about prompting him to jump five feet. Clutching at his heart somewhat dramatically, he glanced to Tierra, wondering if she was seeing the same thing he was. "Is there a train in here?"
And now the guy was saying they had to board it? Oh ho ho ho! He had another thing coming... No he didn't. Kin was in his night clothes, far from his home and town house- he wasn't about to go home with nothing. Weird as it was, he was going to get on. "Poofter! I know you mean that only in the nicest way, John," He told the other man, winking and maybe even waggling his brows a little, playful even though it was still early. Then, after counting the train compartments, he looked to his current companion. "My dear wench, shall we?" He gave her a faint smile, to show that he was joking, before heading off to the seventh car, keeping the number in his head as he cautiously stepped onto the care and glanced down the aisle. Tempest Vernum I’m such a klutz, Tierra thought while staring down at her worn out sneakers. A small apology escaped her mouth as the young woman continued to berate herself. She looked up to see Johnathan picking up the dropped tickets. Johnathan was putting her on edge, not only did something about him rub her the wrong way, but now he was yelling at door as if some one else was there. Confusion was only growing in the redhead’s mind. She heard Kin speak and looked up to see Johnathan fiddling with an old book when suddenly, appearing from what seemed to be complete nothingness, there was a train. Tierra became like a deer in headlights when she saw the train, unable to move, and her mouth wide open in shock. She barely noticed the blonde’s spectacular jump as she thought, “How on earth can there be a train here?” Then Johnathan’s voice cut though Tierra’s reverie like a butcher’s knife through soft butter. “Did he just call me wench?” her shock quickly turning to resentment. The young redhead was never fond of nicknames in the first place, but this one… She didn’t have much time to stay angry, the strange man had also told her a compartment number. Then she heard Kin’s remark and couldn’t help but to let out a loud peal of laughter, which she tried to cover up by nervously coughing afterwards. She stared up at the train, debating with herself on whether or not it was worth getting on the train or not when Kin spoke to her. She smiled back at him, “It’s now or never!” She stepped gingerly behind the young man as they entered the train. Conniving Conductor The air aboard the trains cabin was thick and heavy with the smell of brine and earth. The two conflicting senses of ocean and land was enough to cause a headache among the two victims of one of Gaia's oddities. The lights seemed to flicker and the floor was soaked in a layer of salt water. The train swayed, as if on the ocean, releasing a moan as bolts and sheets of metal resisted the movement.
Yet, despite the definite feel of being on the open sea, there was another presence. Rooted and earthy. Like fresh spring dirt, the kind that cakes between the toes of some unsuspecting stranger. The tones of green and blue wavered in the air as the two Gaians made their way through the rows of seats.
The twelfth aisle came upon them, the scent of earth was thick. Tiny whispers gathered around the duo, "It will protect you.".
The sight to greet them, a small boy, strawberry blond hair, piercing green eyes and several stones and earth hovering around him lazily. The boy looked a little ruffled, one sock missing and his clothing had a fine layer of dirt and wrinkles lining it. Airily he glanced up, eyes searching Terra's face before a small grin formed on his features. Hands slowly raised towards Tierra.
Behind him, aisle thirteen, resided another small figure. A head of brown curls lean ed against the window, contemplative stature, almost huddled from the cold. The scents had turned form forest to ocean and brine once more. The boy looked up with impossibly blue eyes surrounded by his tan complexion. He broke out in an easy grin, casual and as if he knew his guardian, Kin, from before.
A small whisp of ocean scent and warm air brought a tiny chime "All of that, and even again, just for one more glimpse of that shining tail."
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Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:26 pm
"Who th' hell are you? What're you doin' in my house?"
The metal of the spoon dipped itself into the sweet, white nectar and disappeared. The boy at the table wouldn't look at anything else, even when there was clearly a very muddled older male addressing him. His attention was rapt on the heart, stars, and horseshoes, clovers and blue moons, pots of gold and rainbows, and the red balloons floating around in the sea of milk. Getting soggy, but he continued to stir monotonously, in his own little world.
"Hey." Diago asserted again, and smacked his hand against the table. "What the hell are you doin', kid?" This seemed to shock the strange boy some, his head raising slightly to take in the visage of the much larger boy.
Then, with a deft twist of his wrist, he flung a splash of milk and marshmellow puffs from his spoon, hitting Diago directly in the right eye.
The teen came across the table for him, raising shouts from the both of them as Diago managed to get his hands on the kid's blue hoody. The green-haired boy was all about ready to drown the little b*****d in his Lucky Charms when something suddenly wrapped around his throat and hauled back. Bucking, sputtering, Diago was dragged backwards into a more secure hold against Kin's chest.
"Calm down!" The blonde man commanded his unruly ward, wrestling with the boy until he could manage to get an arm around his chest and arms too. There was laughter in his tone, a silly grin on his face as he failed to take Diago's rage seriously.
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Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:11 pm
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Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:12 pm
Drifting
Ahab and Kasch Bloody Anubis Well, if you couldn't keep up you weren't really worth the time.
This scene was boring him. A gaggle of people, none of them very interesting, and all of them talking at the same time- this modeling business was for the birds. Why couldn't he get a 'father' with a decent job? A real job? Or at least something exciting. A stuntman, now there was a job that could keep even an observer on their toes. If Kin had been a stuntman or even a base-jumper he would have been a lot more interesting. But he was all glamour and superficial charm, neither of which interested Ahab for very long. Not that he could really complain; the money was good.
Diago was long gone. He hadn't even lingered to look at the underfed women in their strutting over-glorified outfits. Apparently they weren't his type. Or he had just had enough of models in general. They had attracted his eyes for a moment, which was why he had lingered as long as he had, and because the hand of his guardian had rested on his shoulder as if knowing and taking advantage all at the same time. When that was gone, so was he. Perhaps, if he was really instrumental to Kin's happiness and popularity, they would find one another again. He wasn't worried about it.
Viridian eyes appraised the archaic architecture of Durem, a very keen amusement glowing dimly. He'd never been here before, being the first photo-shoot that he had attended since he arrived in this place. He didn't know how long that he'd wandered, or where he was. All Ahab's mind was focused on at the moment was the small thought that he had seen a tower of sorts on their way in. For a child he was very comfortably lost. anemosagkelos He was supposed to be on his way to the library but he kept taking turns to make the trip longer. His hazel eyes kept finding shining objects and he found he just had to see what they were, however thus far each one had turned out to be a disappointment. A coin, a lost key, a heart shaped locket, even a silver cigarette case- though he'd thought it was some kind of fancy purse.
With a long sigh, he mumbled something to the brown feathered creature on his shoulder- it looked like an owl with a very sour temperment or some dark desire. "I thought it'd be fun to walk to the library by ourselves, but it's even more boring than being brought," he said softly. Given that Kasch really wasn't an adventurous kid, it was a little odd that he had wanted to go on his own. Then again with a flesh eating bird, who would be stupid enough to touch him?
By the time he finally decided to head for the library he had made it about half way in the opposite direction. He paused, looking around to figure out just where he was. Just as he took a step forward to head off, he felt himself walk into another person. The strix on his shoulder hoved indignantly above the two kids- a hungry look in his eye as he surveyed the stranger waiting for a sign. Bloody Anubis When Kasch bumped into him, Ahab's body heeded with an easy fluidity much as if he had expected it. He hadn't, of course, brows arching briefly as he flowed backwards with legs that mindlessly criss-crossed one another to almost dance him back a bit from the other boy. His eyes took in the other child, guarded, then relaxing along with his whole disposition in the next moment.
"Smart." He commented quite bluntly, looking not at all concerned with the sudden contact of the stranger though he did seem somewhat amused in a lazy sort of way. His arms remained in his blue, baggy hoodie, though they shifted somewhat. He appraised Kasch- white-blonde hair, pale skin, strange clothes. He himself was a darker breed, tanned an olive color by the sun and in possession of dark curls that seemed glossy in the light of the day. At this vicinity, one could smell the faint traces of salt on him. His eyes drifted up to the owl-like creature that had taken to the sky. It seemed familiar to him, almost.
"What's that?" He questioned, drawling with lackadaisical ease as if they had known one another for years. anemosagkelos Kasch opened his mouth to retort, his brows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and slight anger. Just what did he mean, smart? Colorful words filled his head, ones he knew he wasn't to say but had heard Adam muttered many times. "Sorry," he said with a hint of displeasure at apologizing. It certainly wasn't like him to be angry or not want to apologize. In fact since his arrival, the boy had never been angry. He'd been sad or slightly upset at the most.
He shook his head, getting to his feet before even thinking of addressing the boy's question. His mind screamed, Why should I tell you? but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead he stood quietly glancing over the other kid. He looked vastly different- though his skintone was a bit like Reiha's he thought.
"It's a strix." His voice was even, no hint of emotion as he tried to calm down. There was no need to lash out at the boy- though there was something about being almost criticized- like he wasn't right that pushed him into another life.
Truthfully, he was a bit alarmed at the anger he felt. Yet he was sure the boy wouldn't know what a strix was and then he could strike back- he could be the one criticizing the other. He waved his hand absently downward and the strix settled on his shoulder a noisy clicking filling his ear. Bloody Anubis If he noticed the other boy's anger, or if he felt anything in return, he certainly wasn't showing it. He didn't even acknowledge the other's apology, absorbed for the moment on the disgruntled strix. Something about it made his attention stay on it for the moment. It was the frustration of seeing something familiar and not knowing where from. It seemed impossible, since nothing like it showed up by his lakeside home. Perhaps he had seen it on the train ride over?
A strix, was it? Idly he reached up, scratching the bridge of his nose with his thumb in a thoughtful gesture before he finally regarded Kasch, or to be more correct, the boy's clothes and addressed them. "You're on your own. Lost?" anemosagkelos Lost? He bristled slightly, "I am not lost." His voice was more forceful than he intended and for a moment he had a notion that maybe he should sent the strix at him just to get some sort of respect. Of course then he wondered if that made him think he was some sort of king, better than other people.
No, that wasn't right. Closing his eyes, he calmed down and spoke again, "No, I'm not lost. I'm on my way to the library. Are you looking for something?" he asked. It sounded nicer than asking if he was lost in return. Whatever it was, he was trying hard to quell the anger that was threatening to rise up.
The strix clicked again, letting out what sounded like a shrill hoot or whistle. It stared at the boy, it was just asking to be nibbled at the very least. Tapio clicked again, his eyes flashing with hunger. Surely this boy who was upsetting his pet-master-friend was low enough to be eaten or at least sampled. But his hopes were dashed when Kasch shook his head, and the bird let out another shrill whistle. He ruffled his feather indignantly, wanting to know just why the hell not. Bloody Anubis That seemed to generate something. Even though he was not really paying attention to the boy's stance and expression, his tone was loud with irritation. Ahab looked up finally as if his name had been called, eye to eye with Kasch for the first time. He looked a bit bemused, brows furrowed as he seemed to puzzle over why the other was getting excited all of the sudden. In all truthfulness, he had forgotten about what he had said earlier, and certainly didn't consider the impact. He gauged the other, watched him close his eyes and give himself his own little form of therapy.
The tan boy himself shifted while he waited, dragging a sandal-clad foot over the back of his leg to scratch an itch there. He heard the question, but his expression took on that devil-may-care air once again and his lips twitched upwards. "You're the one who ran into me, you know," He reminded the other, and there was something playful in the boy then, teasing and bold. That the strix was making noise and raising somewhat of a fuss seemed beyond his comprehension or care. Ahab ducked his chin somewhat, shook his head with a clever little chuckle as he dismissed the subject again.
"There is a tower here, white or maybe brown." Was what he mused, as if drifting on to another subject entirely. Whether it could be called the answer to Kasch's question was up for debate. He rarely gave them, at least not in the way most did. He wasn't stressed or in a rush, so there was little reason to. Even if there was it was still a possibility that he couldn't say exactly what he wanted to save his life. anemosagkelos "I only ran into you because I was making sure I was going the right way to the library. If I'd been a step ahead, you'd have run into me!" Kasch stated trying hard not to yell. Why was this boy so aggravating? Didn't he care at all about anything? "If you were nice I'd show you the tower but-" he stopped short.
Just because someone else is rude doesn't mean you have to be! Xiu Xue always stated, usually after a fight with Adam. He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in anger. He had every right to be angry, this boy wasn't being nice- he didn't even have the decency to be rude so Kasch had a reason to be angry. He grumbled something under his breath, guessing the other boy wouldn't notice. He might've had eyes but he didn't seem able to pay attention at all.
"I guess I could show you the tower..." he mumbled. His hazel eyes moved to the other boy, his anger ebbing away as he tried to forget the non-sense that had been getting to him. He'd have to ask his father why it would- it didn't seem to make sense to him. It wasn't like he was ever criticized or anything- it should've been a curious encounter if anything.
"My name is Kasch and this is Tapio." He held out his hand, not sure the other boy would do anything in return. Maybe at the mention of the tower, he'd want to pay attention to Kasch and be attentive. Or at least, he would stop being so- difficult.
((I have to go for an hour, I'll be back after that for an hour or two- depending on when I fall asleep.)) Bloody Anubis [[Yeah, a while back unfortunately. Better luck next time]]"But it didn't happen that way." The boy tilted his head slightly, allowing his amusement to shine through his relaxed stance and expression. Did he know how flustered he was making the other male? Well, he did now if not before.
He resisted informing Kasch that he was sure he would find something if he wandered around long enough. That was pressing it a little, surely. Besides, the other seemed to be offering to show him to his current interest (though this huffy little boy was playing a close second). Rolling his shoulders slowly, Ahab seemed to have made his agreement to the offer, nonchalant as it was. To the names he nodded, idle to the formality, knowing that Kin would be so disapproving of his less than affable nature.
"Cash?" The hand received a lifted brow, before Ahab smirked, reaching forward to take the boy's hand and hold it. The vampiric little owl received a slight nod of greeting. He knew this hadn't been what the other had meant but oh, it was so fun at the moment![[Poor Kasch xd Ahab could make the Pope curse.]] anemosagkelos ((No one's ever made Kasch mad. Poor thing- probably think he's going crazy!))
If holding his hand was supposed to phase him, Ahab was mistaken. Though he had intended for the other boy to shake his hand- he didn't mind holding hands in the least. For some reason as a kid it just seemed natural for him to hold someone's hand. Whenever he was with Xiu Xue, sometimes Adam, he held hands- and really this didn't seem any different. Obviously the other boy was not from Durem and he obviously had no idea where he was.
Still holding to Ahab's hand as if it was no big deal, Kasch turned to point at the tower that had been looming behind him. "That's the tower, it's a good four blocks from here I think- walking I mean." He stopped short of adding anything realizing this boy had said nothing of his wings- it was ood as that was almost always the first thing someone mentioned. Still he shrugged it off, not really caring that his wings weren't the main focus- maybe for once he could not have to admit he couldn't fly yet. It wasn't a huge disappointment for him at the moment but still- it was slightly embarrassing to only be able to flutter a few feet off the ground and hover when he wanted so much to fly like his dad and join the birds.
"I'd ask your name- but you probably wouldn't answer. Did you wander away from your Dad or Mom?" he asked, he had no idea this was a passenger. Then again he'd never really sensed anything from a passenger let alone himself. Sure he'd arrived on a train but- maybe that's how everyone did?
((Bright as a doorknob right now, ain't he? XD)) Bloody Anubis Holding hands was more of what Kin did to keep him from putting him in a collar and leash. He tended to wander often, sometimes of his own choosing and sometimes not. It was something Diago had made clear that was NOT to be done with him, assuming their guardian wasn't watching. It seemed that it did not work with Kasch to make him uneasy. Apparently the other boy did not take contact from a stranger as seriously as he could. Well, whatever. Sure, he was disappointed, but it was only a minor setback.
Sure, he'd seen the wings. He wasn't exactly sure what they were doing there, but he had a good idea of what they were. To be honest, the boy's clothes attracted his eyes more. He slid them over the elaborate azure of the tunic Kasch was wearing, admiring secretly. He was of course interrupted by the other trying to produce conversation, and asking questions.
"Why should I when you don't really like me?" He sighed, as if the words already bored him as he spoke them. His gaze drifted away as they walked, never staying on anything for too long. "Maybe I'm not the wanderer. Or maybe I didn't wander as much as I just walked. I'm here, you're here. Did you wander?" anemosagkelos "I would if you were nice." Kasch mumbled. He didn't want to answer any questions from this kid now. He was sure it'd either get a sarcastic response or another question in return. For once he was along the same line of thoughts as Adam, he really did want to show the tower to Ahab and then lose him for life. Unlike Adam he'd have a guilty conscious if he did that. If there was ever a moment where being raised with manners was the most horrible idea, it was now. Without manners, he could've just pushed the other boy over and left. He could've done all sorts of things and just left- instead of trying to help.
"Why should I answer that? I'm sure you just want to make me look or feel stupid, just so you can be amused." It'd escaped his mouth before he'd much thought of it, but it made plenty of sense. Normally he would've apologize for his irritation, for being angry, for anything and everything he said, but now he kind of felt like he didn't care. In fact maybe he should be as irritating as he could- then the other boy would want to leave on his own. A guilty conscious though...
So he simply walked on, feeling as though he were dragging the most annoying kid along with him. He looked up at Tapio- he seemed even more annoyed than Kasch did. Then again when prey wandered right up to him, he still wasn't allowed to take a bite. The bird supposed he couldn't fault Kasch for that as it seemed the boy was getting his own form of "No" having to drag the annoying brat with him. He clicked- a soft whistle of comfort floating down to his master. Just as soon as that appreciative note left his beak, he made a much more menacing whistle towards Ahab and for a bird it didn't matter if he noticed him or not, he didn't care if someone didn't notice- it always made hunting more fun when they didn't.
"No Tapio," Kasch whispered to the strix. As tempting as it was- it was the last thing he wanted to happen. But with the encourgement from his pet he decided to try not to be irritated anymore, giving it another shot at trying to be friends. "What's your name?" And if he didn't get an answer this time, he might just not talk at all. Bloody Anubis Ahab had to laugh at the other's words, a soft and breathy thing descending into a small chuckle. Those dark brown curls swayed when he shook his head, something he did often it seemed, as if he were sharing in his own private joke that Kasch wasn't seeing something very important. "I'm amused. Do you feel stupid?"
Another chuckle, his azure eyes flickering over to Tapio, as if considering whether or not he would try and tease it as well with a couple clicks of his own. Best not to push it, right? The strix seemed to be withheld by the owner himself, something Ahab at least could vaguely realized. "This is me being nice," he addressed Kasch instead, tan fingers giving the opposite set a small squeeze before he began to swing their arms a little. Usually he wasn't much of a talker at all when he was presented with questions, but it seemed as if the other boy's frustration with him deserved something. "You've done better than my brother. I'm called Ahab." anemosagkelos Kasch looked quite confused at the boy's laughing but said nothing as he watched him. When he first heard the question, he had to wait before answering- the word stupid seem to make him feel angry again but he pushed it away. So far being angry had just amused the other boy- so it was no good getting angrier. He took a breath, pondering over it. Did he feel stupid? Yes, sometimes he did but did he right now? No, he felt more irritated. Perhaps this is why Adam never came around in the daytime- Xiu Xue was always irritating him. In the end though, he simply shrugged. So far in life, feeling had not been his strong suit unless he counted being scared or happy.
He was quiet surprised by the squeeze and sudden swinging of their arms- but it was much better than being asked questions or being irritated for sheer amusement. "It's nice to meet you, Ahab." Ok so that wasn't entirely true, but for the moment- it was. He pondered for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "What's your brother's name? What train did he come on?" he asked quite sure there was no other way to arrive in Gaia. Not that he remembered the train much- though for some reason when he thought of it, he could remember a name on the side of it. "Did he come on the Naviat?"
Tapio looked a little sullen at this turn of events. They were talking- almost friendly like. He made a depressed hoot and turned his back to Kasch and Ahab. Next time he'd make sure to bite the little beast before he could decide to get into his master's good graces! Bloody Anubis Life for Ahab thusfar was either an amusement or a disappointment, the former dissolving into the latter before he could properly enjoy or grasp it. It wasn't really anything personal against Kasch himself. Ahab didn't do personal, at least not yet. What he said, or didn't say, wasn't really what you could call malice for Kasch or anyone. As far as he was concerned for now, he was rather neutral, if not amused with this new boy and what seemed to him an uptight . So many other things just went over his head in the meantime. Like how the other may feel about him and how he was offended by what was said.
There was only a shrug towards the statement. Was it really nice? Things like that were things Kin said all the time to people he may not have meant it to. This boy was really chatty, wasn't he? At least he seemed to know how to keep the subjects interesting. "He didn't come with me here so I don't know which train he rode in on, but his name is Diago. He must have come in before I got here... Was he on your train?" Well, Kasch didn't look nearly as old as Diago, who was in his early teens about now. anemosagkelos "No, I came alone mostly. There weren't any other children, just my egg. He or she doesn't seem to want to hatch though, it's been months," Kasch frowned. He really wanted his egg to hatch and because it didn't he felt he was doing something wrong. It was really hard because no book could tell him what it was! It was like it didn't belong in any world and had never been seen before- so there was no way to find out if he was doing something wrong or even if he was doing something right.
Had his mind not strayed off to his egg, he might've asked about when Ahab arrived on the train. It was quite odd he'd never asked anyone else about the train they'd arrived on though but then he never thought of it. There was no reason to ask when or how or to who- not for him.
"So why do you want to see this tower?" Kasch asked in hopes of keeping things friendly or at least not irritating. The only real thing he could think to say about the tower was that it was tall and that really didn't seem interesting enough to seek it out. Bloody Anubis "Maybe it's for you to eat." Made sense to him if the egg was supposed to be a dud, which it sounded like it was. And he had eggs for breakfast all the time. The thoughts of the egg drifted away after that, and a few minutes into the silence until the next question, Ahab took on a distant sort of look. At one point his steps slowed, and he was about to come to a stop until the other's hand tugged at his because Kasch had gotten ahead by this time. Absently, Ahab picked up his step again, following the other like a lost lamb in all complacency. Until he asked a question again, of course.
He looked like he was waking from a dream then, blinking lazily and looking back at the boy with a sort of dazed look. "Tower?" He murmured, then seemed to remember, shrugging. "It's not the tower I want to see." anemosagkelos
Normally the suggestion that he was to eat the egg would've caused a very unnatural explosion of anger from him- but he wasn't paying attention when it was said. He'd become lost in thoughts of his egg. All in all it was probably best he hadn't heard it- he was very protective of his egg and birds. It was almost like they were treasures. By the time he'd moved onto another train of thought- he'd ask another question and now he was confused again.
"You don't want to see the tower? Then why do you want to go there?" Kasch stopped, bewildered. He'd said he was looking for the tower and now he wasn't interested in it? The wheels in his brain could find no logic and had ground to a halt as he stood just sort of gaping at Ahab.
The sudden turn of events made Tapio peer over, perhaps hope wasn't lost. If he was lucky they'd start fighting again. For fear of ruining the moment, he was silent just watching and waiting.
"What do you want to see?"Bloody Anubis "Not the tower," He replied, halting as Kasch did. He couldn't help being amused at the other boy's face then, wondering to himself now if he really did not want to go to the tower. Oh, it couldn't hurt. It was that or go back to Kin and his facetious company.
"Easy," The boy drawled slightly, quirking a small grin, "The tower is where I want to go." There was a small tug to Kasch's hand, as if to encourage him to move again. "How much farther?" anemosagkelos "About two blocks," Kasch said slowly. He started walking again, glancing over at Ahab curiously. Was the boy playing with him? Was it just some joke to make him look stupid or something? He mused silently unwilling to speak- not wanting to say something that would make him look worse than he sure he already did. Nor did he want to continue amusing the boy. So he said nothing, just silently walking.
Once in awhile he made glances at Tapio, urging the bird to stay quiet. He didn't know if Ahab was playing with Tapio or found him amusing but he didn't want to chance it. Both because he felt it reflected badly on him, making Ahab even more amused, and because he didn't want the strix attacking the boy.
A block later, the silence was broken as Kasch decided he didn't much like the silence- "Do you like being on your own?" Honestly he couldn't think of anything to say and so ended up with heading back to square one. Bloody Anubis The darker male didn't seem to mind whether they spoke or not, whether or not the other got angry or not. Very suddenly he was... over it. But he had answered the question before, didn't he? In his own way, certainly. Either Kasch would understand in time or continue to be in the dark thinking that what he did was always to set him up. And no one could blame him for it, certainly not the current narrator. He was so new to the world, at least this one, and even his family was still trying to puzzle over him while he bothered little in return. There was a spectacular, almost serene indifference to him as they continued down the streets, to everything around him to even the hand in his.
But he couldn't help but listen. Sound attracted him more than anything, and the streets seemed at peace here. "My own...?" He echoed, absently coming back to himself like a tide in and out. "I don't mind company... depending on who it is, of course. You?" There, maybe he'd be pleased and babble and comfort himself. Was this the custom of the world, he wondered, to have no silence unless you were alone? Discomfort in the presence of others...? anemosagkelos "I like being with people sometimes. As long as they aren't mean, I don't mind people," Kasch replied. Truthfully he liked being in a crowd of people as long as no one paid attention to him for the most part. However, when he was with someone he did want some attention. Just enough so that he knew the other person cared he was there. He hadn't met a lot of people, mostly passengers without knowing it and most were nice. Still he liked being with Tapio and before his strix, he'd liked his blackbird's company most with exceptions to Xiu Xue and Adam of course.
Right now he was much too confused with Ahab to say much more. One moment it seemed they were bound to be enemies, that Kasch would hate him and Ahab would find it amusing. The next it seemed they could get on rather well, granted Kasch didn't lose his temper or flare up enough to amuse Ahab and feel stupid.
So it was a relief to see they'd come to the tower, finally. "There's the tower." He gave a bit of a shrug still unsure of what Ahab wanted. But he looked up at the tower, he'd been here once at night and had an inkling that his father came here quite often. Yet it still didn't hold much interest for him. It was after all a tower and buildings didn't seem very interesting. True he was rather in awe of them but once he had gotten over that- he'd realized there really wasn't much that was special about them, at least not to him. Bloody Anubis "So it is..."
The darker male lifted his eyes to follow the form of the inorganic giant, head falling back slightly in an attempt to see to the very top. Such an imposing thing, in the middle of small town. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if it were some sort of place of worship. And if it was, was the 'god' Time?
"Have you ever been inside?" He asked Kasch, glancing sidelong at the winged child. "All the way to the top?" Now maybe some of those riddles would unravel a bit. anemosagkelos "I've been to the top- but never inside. My dad took me there once. I think he likes to go there a lot though," Kasch answered. He looked over to Ahab- wondering if he actually was interested in the tower. Then again- at least it was something to talk about. He'd never realized how hard to it was to talk to people sometimes. Except maybe Reiha.
Tapio, restless from being allowed to do nothing- clicked his beak and with a small jump started to fly up into the sky. He paused momentarily to listen if Kasch wanted him to come back but heard nothing and decided to go hunting. Maybe next time he could take a bite out of someone but it didn't look like he'd get to today.
"Sorry about Tapio," Kasch said hoping that he wouldn't be sorry about letting the bird fly off- he really didn't want to start arguing with Ahab again. He had an inkling it made him look as stupid as he felt. Bloody Anubis "You flew." Those eyes finally seemed to recognize the pallid appendages on his company's back. He found Kasch looking at him as well, and returned his gaze for a moment before it seemed as if he no longer could, as if he were staring into the sun instead. A short mutter of dismissal was all the apology received, unimpressed, understanding. He could relate, of course. Boredom wasn't a feeling he could tolerate for long, and should he possess the same means, he would have undoubtedly done the same. Were he a disgruntled Stryx, anyway.
"Is it worth it?" The view. He didn't seem possessed with the urge to pester the boy, at least not at the moment. His attention seemed elsewhere. anemosagkelos He opened his mouth to say that he hadn't flown, to be quite honest he could only hover briefly off the ground but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Besides, in a sense he had flown, granted it'd been with his father doing all the work while he just pretended to be flying. So he said nothing and waited for Ahab to say something else.
"It's a nice view but after looking around for awhile- it gets a little boring. You can't do anything but sit and look around. I think my dad likes the view." Kasch answered. He thought back to when his father had taken him to the tower- they'd sat and he had asked his father questions. Then he'd taken him to another rooftop and he'd found Tapio- he thought. He might've been mixing the days up, his memories wasn't wonderful with days. They had a tendency to blur together unless something special happened. Bloody Anubis Probably best to keep such a tidbit to himself, yes. Who knew what sort of things Ahab was going to grasp onto. As of now, he was considering Kasch's words and opinion. Boring, was it? Then again, he wasn't Kasch, so their interests may not follow the same line. To be frank, he had never ever been so high up in his life.
"Good-bye, Kasch." The other had things to do- he wouldn't ask him to follow, and wouldn't expect him to. He loosed the other's hand and re-inserted it in his hoodie, nodding once in his temporary companion's direction before he let the invisible pull of the place take him. He was quite unceremonious, leaving the boy to himself and not thinking one more moment about it. anemosagkelos
Kasch watched as Ahab walked away- he pondered going after him but figured he wasn't wanted. He gave a shrug before turning around and heading off. He supposed he had a bit of time to get to the library though now he couldn't quite remember why he'd wanted to go there. Turning in the opposite direction he headed for home.
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Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:06 pm
Rendezvous
Ahab and Pryderi Bloody Anubis Early evening found the small park in an ordered chaos.
Bodies everywhere, chatting at one another or shuffling brusquely from one scene to the next. The photoshoot was roped off from the general public, thankfully. Props were being raised and tied into place and every model was either in or being ushered to make-up. Except for Kin. He had lost something on his way.
"Ahab!" The blonde stood on his toes even though he was quite tall enough, looking through heads and legs. Where had that boy gotten off to?
"Sir, you're going to be late," A mousy-looking little brunette man trailed after him like a mother after a child with dirty feet. "May I remind you that you were invited here? This is your chance-"
"Not now, Jordan." Kin dismissed him with a wave of his hand. He had spotted the little devil, almost to the privacy rope. Within a few renewed strides, and the long reach of his arm, he had snagged the boy by the hood of his jacket. "Gotcha!" Something strangely musical to that triumphant note.
"Come on, come watch daddy put on his make-up."
Ahab's scowl reflected just how excited he was at the prospect. Tempest Vernum ((Hey, so sorry this took so long! And i guess we're doing it here in the thread!)) Tierra had never been more nervous in her life. She had finally been offered the chance to work for a major magazine; she couldn’t mess this up.
“Pryderi! Pry! Hurry up, we can’t be late!” Tierra shouted as she ran around her messy condo. “Where is it, where is it?” She muttered under her breath as she rummaged through the floor of her closet in search of her nice button up blouse. “Ah, here it is!” She exclaimed triumphantly, holding up a slightly rumpled green shirt. “Good enough.”
She threw it on and quickly went to check her hair in the mirror. It was up in her trademark messy ponytail. She fiddled with it for a few moments before decreeing it a lost cause.
“Pry! Where are you?” She called out, gathering up her impeccable camera equipment.
Finally a small little strawberry blond head appeared by the open front door, “Momma, I’m playing in the garden, see! I help things grow!” He held up dirt-covered hands in an attempt to show his accomplishments. Once he came into full view, Tierra couldn’t help but groan, he was covered in dirt once again! The amount of laundry that this kid went through was daunting enough as it was.
“Pry! I told you to stay clean! Urg! There’s no time to change you! Oh! I guess you’ll just have to go as is! Come on, let’s go before it get’s too late!” Tierra rubbed her head in attempt to ward off the oncoming headache. Pry’s circling stones had fallen a few inches as he hung his head, giving him the look of a kicked puppy.
“Pry, don’t give me that! Just get your shoes on and let’s go! And I can’t carry you today, I’ve got too much in my arms as it is! And I can’t be late!” Pry’s rocks fell even farther down and they started circling at a slower pace. Tierra grabbed Pry’s hand as they walked out the front door and headed toward the park where the photo shoot was being held. Luckily for Tierra, the park wasn’t too far away.
Once Tierra and Pry arrived (about fifteen minutes before Ti’s boss had told her to get there), the evening sky had set a soft light on the chaos. Tierra wondered around the camp for a few minutes with her equipment in one hand, and her little boy and his floating rocks in the other. Pry was shrinking away from all the weird glances he saw being thrown his way and his rocks tightened their hovering around him.
“Okay, so I was told to go to the make-up station and I would get further directions from there, okay, okay, you can do it Ti, you can do this!” Tierra muttered under her breath as she approached the many models and their make-up artists. And it was there that she saw some one she didn’t expect to see ever again; Kin, the man from the train station, the one where she received Pry.
“Kin?”Bloody Anubis [[I thought that was what you wanted? xd Besides, thread needs the activity.]]As his name was spoken, Kin paused in his step and looked over automatically. No one called him Kin on the scene- it was Oushi or Mr. Kirzner. Golden eyes fell on Tierra with a bemused sort of glare to them, then softened as the man recognized her immediately.
"It's you!" He gasped, looking quite cheerful at the prospect of a familiar (not competition) face. Without waiting, he took a step forward and attempted to give her a one-armed hug. His other had hold of Ahab. "What're you doing here?"
"Mr. Kirzner." Jordan hovered just behind his model, clearing his throat a little with urgency. He was ignored.
"Hey! You're here too," A warm smile was given to Pry by the blonde man, "You look like you put on some inches, champ. Well, I got someone here to compare. You remember Ahab, right?" He sure made up for the fact he had forgotten their names, didn't he? Dragging the dark-skinned child from behind him, he centered the boy between them like a shield.
Blue eyes would stare boredly at the two at first, then light upon his fellow train-rider. A slow sort of smirk slid across the boy's face, and he tipped his head somewhat expectantly. "Hey Pyr." Tempest Vernum ((The thread does need activity, doesn't it? I'm really sorry about this next response, i feel like sentence structure and grammar in general has just died on me...))
Tierra couldn’t believe her luck, it was some she knew and he seemed to be genuinely glad to see her. “Hey, yeah, it’s me.” She replied a little bashfully. She tried to return his one armed hug, but it was a little awkward seeing as one arm was covered with her equipment and the other was being used as a security blanket for Pry.
“I’m a new photographer, first day for this kind of shoot, so it’s quite exciting! How about you? One of the models?” Tierra asked, shooting the hovering man a guilty look. She didn’t want to seem rude, but as selfish as it was, she wanted to talk to Kin just a bit longer.
Pry shrunk away from Kin as he addressed, burrowing his head into the back of Tierra’s hand. All the new sights and sounds were overwhelming him a bit. He just wanted to get away and go some place quieter.
Then he saw Ahab, the boy who had shared the train ride with him, being pushed in front of him. “Ahab?” he called out cautiously, letting go of his death hold on Tierra’s hand. His green eyes were no longer fearful and his rocks loosened their orbit around his torso. “Hi,” His voice was quiet but his smile was bright. Tempest Vernum ((The thread does need activity, doesn't it? I'm really sorry about this next response, i feel like sentence structure and grammar in general has just died on me...))
Tierra couldn’t believe her luck, it was some she knew and he seemed to be genuinely glad to see her. “Hey, yeah, it’s me.” She replied a little bashfully. She tried to return his one armed hug, but it was a little awkward seeing as one arm was covered with her equipment and the other was being used as a security blanket for Pry.
“I’m a new photographer, first day for this kind of shoot, so it’s quite exciting! How about you? One of the models?” Tierra asked, shooting the hovering man a guilty look. She didn’t want to seem rude, but as selfish as it was, she wanted to talk to Kin just a bit longer.
Pry shrunk away from Kin as he addressed, burrowing his head into the back of Tierra’s hand. All the new sights and sounds were overwhelming him a bit. He just wanted to get away and go some place quieter.
Then he saw Ahab, the boy who had shared the train ride with him, being pushed in front of him. “Ahab?” he called out cautiously, letting go of his death hold on Tierra’s hand. His green eyes were no longer fearful and his rocks loosened their orbit around his torso. “Hi,” His voice was quiet but his smile was bright. Bloody Anubis [[Yeah, we gotta give it some luvin'. And don't worry about it, this aint a writing competition and I'm not yer English teacher. xd ]]"A photographer! You never mentioned that. Fair enough, I suppose, it was really early." About the earliest he'd gotten up in years. He leaned back slightly, flashing a brilliant smile, "Guilty. I'm about to head off to make-up right now. You promise to get my good side, right?" That was a joke. Every side of Kin was, in his humble opinion, his good side.
Jordan would give the woman a rather exasperated look, before he managed to collect himself and simply stared impassively. His gaze flickered to the two children, wondering why in the world anyone would want to bring a child into this animal house. Kin he could understand- Kin was a tax-evading lazy-body, but this woman? Despite their name, models weren't exactly the most ideal people to set their children next to if you were going for character value and self-esteem.
"Who else?" Ahab quirked a brow, glanced to the parents.
"What're you planning to do with your boy while you're working?" The blonde asked, as if getting the message, "I was just going to send Ahab off with my manager here for a while, but I'm sure he'd rather be with a friend. Tempest Vernum Tierra blushed at Kin’s smile, “Yeah, I’ll be sure to try!” She said meekly as she nervously tuck a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear. The reality of this day was setting in, she really needed to be amazing, or else it would be back to weddings for god knows how long.
A quiet laugh escaped Pry’s mouth, something about Ahab’s expression amused him, “Sorry! But you never know! Maybe somebody else looks like you and I just wanted to be sure…” he trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed as his stones dropped a centimeter in the air.
Tierra could help but smile at Pryderi, he could be so nervous sometimes. She slowly raised her hand to smooth down his strawberry blonde locks reassuringly. “To be perfectly honest? I don’t know what I was going to do with him! My mother is really busy today, so she couldn’t take him, and there was no available babysitter who wouldn’t charge me an arm and a leg, so I couldn’t exactly leave him alone in the house at his age, and here we are!” The recollection of the morning’s stressful events left the young photographer slightly breathless.
“But so it goes. Would you mind terribly if Pry tagged along with Ahab? I have a feeling Pry would love it, wouldn’t you, sweetie?” Tierra asked. Pry subsequently looked up at her with wide eyes and quickly nodded his head.
((Urg to muses that decide to leave and take all motivation with them!!)) Bloody Anubis [[I totally know how that is. Like. Really. It's cool, Tempest heart -bothers zige too, or ex-zige-]]Kin's wink signaled his glorious approval, something of a good-luck kiss without a subsequent restraining order entailing it. It wasn't going to be just the other models that were snitty. Those other photographers had to eat too! Secretly, he was eager to see how someone he knew on slightly more interesting personal terms did.
"I wouldn't let you know that I was an impostor. If I was one." Pointed out the brunette, snorting softly. Shouldn't that be evidence enough, though? That carefree smart-a** attitude- no, it was Ahab.
Was that a Kurt Vonnegut reference? Ohhh, he thinks it is! "I actually would encourage it." What did she mean, you couldn't leave someone their age at home alone? Whoops. He'd have to keep that in mind... next time. "This is Jordan, by the way, my manager. You're alright watching them, aren't you? Thanks, man. Isn't there an ice-cream place across the street?" His wallet was procured from his pocket, a few green notes floating into his fingers before he offered them to Ahab. There wasn't any hesitance there- they disappeared from his fingers and into the blue hoodie without further delay. "That's for the both of you, if you decide to go somewhere else, so split it. And behave." The blonde put on his best serious face. Really, though, he needed to be going soon, the manager would tie up the loose ends like he usually did.
Jordan was practically about ready to do anything if it lit a fire under Kin's a**. Really, he should look into finding new bread and butter, because he was already paying out most of it to a therapist. And now kids? He wasn't a babysitter. The brunette was a wandering rube, but the redhead... well, he looked demure enough. Pushing up his glasses, he made an awkward gesture of invitation. "Children..."
"Shall we?" Kin offered Tierra as he pocketed his wallet. In the meantime, Ahab moved for Jordan, his fingers playing with the paper in his pocket. He looked at Pyr sidelong, expectant. He'd be alright with him. Tempest Vernum The butterflies inside Tierra’s stomach began to flutter even faster, and some, she was sure, had grown teeth and had started to gnaw away at her stomach lining. Kin’s wink at her hadn’t done anything to subdue the man-eating butterflies either.
“Oh,” Pry thought for a moment, if he were an imposter, he wouldn’t let other people know either. “Well, that’s okay, cause you sound like Ahab!” His mouth turned up into a big grin, and his green eyes brighten, even his stones seemed o float a little happier, if stones could float happier…
Both Tierra and Pryderi turned to look at the manager, Tierra gave him a small smile and a nervous wave, while Pry simply cocked his head to the side and looked at his new babysitter with curious green eyes.
“Thank-you for taking Pry, it means a lot to me!” It was just one less thing for the harried photographer to worry about if Pry was being watch by another responsible adult. “Now Pry, what to you say?”
“Thank-you mister!” The young boy sang out.
“Now, go have fun, and be safe!” Tierra called out as Pry scampered off to join Jordan and Ahab.
“Okay,” Tierra said as she turned her attention back onto Kin, “let’s do this thing!” ((So are we going to continue on with Tierra and Kin? or are we just going to focus on Pry and Ahab now?)) Bloody Anubis As they were finally dismissed, Ahab didn't think any more about it. He allowed himself to drift closer to Pryderi and his stones, finding their circling barrier a pretty good guideline as to just where he should walk. The other was lucky, he thought, to have a tangible personal bubble. Silently, the darker boy shuffled in his pockets and removed a folded bill, holding it before his companion to take as they walked along. Jordan was leading the way, as well as keeping an eye on them for now. He wasn't a threat to Ahab, not nearly as big as Kin was and about three times as meek. You didn't feel intimidated by meek people- it just didn't happen.
What Pryderi was about to get was ten dollars, half of what he'd been handed for whatever expenditures they chose to indulge in. As far as conversation went, he was waiting on the redhead. Something held him back from saying the first words in most cases, and was also responsible for telling him that he wasn't allowed to look too excited.
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Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:12 pm
Summer is over, time for school.
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