[Nexus] Random Places and Plots 4

[Lady Serpentine]

[Solarium]

They zoom ahead, sailing through the farcaster, and arrive back at the Nexus.

Tirin, unless stopped, rather frantically hits the emergency brake, and guides them into the dock.

((And now I must deadtime.))

[FireFox]

[Avon Park, a plot]

A pretty young woman sits by a river, reading from a battered, well-used book.
"O time! thou must untangle this, not I;
It is too hard a knot for me to untie!"
She chuckles bitterly and sets the book in a black duffel-bag, which contains everything she owns and a great deal of empty space besides. But I'm out of time, mores the pity. I just can't live anymore... She gets to her feet and paces about the bank, her sweet voice ringing out clearly.
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

Signifying nothing... Now she sighs, sitting back down and taking a small knife out of her pocket. No asp to clutch to my breast; I must quietus make with a bare bodkin. Trembling in a complicated mix of emotions, the girl slashes both of her arms and leans back to watch the grey river. Blood trickles down her fingers. Tears trickle down her face. Whatever comes next... Please Gods, let it be better than this.

[Beans]

[Avon Park, a plot]

A pretty young woman sits by a river, reading from a battered, well-used book.
"O time! thou must untangle this, not I;
It is too hard a knot for me to untie!"
She chuckles bitterly and sets the book in a black duffel-bag, which contains everything she owns and a great deal of empty space besides. But I'm out of time, mores the pity. I just can't live anymore... She gets to her feet and paces about the bank, her sweet voice ringing out clearly.
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

Signifying nothing... Now she sighs, sitting back down and taking a small knife out of her pocket. No asp to clutch to my breast; I must quietus make with a bare bodkin. Trembling in a complicated mix of emotions, the girl slashes both of her arms and leans back to watch the grey river. Blood trickles down her fingers. Tears trickle down her face. Whatever comes next... Please Gods, let it be better than this.

She'll feel a warm, light breeze like a vast and gentle sigh as she bleeds out.
Shadows across the river begin to thicken and separate into knots of darkness, gliding forth across the waters.

[FireFox]

[Avon Park]

Is she dead yet? The girl doesn't know. Her arms have stopped bleeding, but her eyes are open and she's seeing... the shadows of clouds? She shivers and waits for death.

[Beans]

[Avon Park]
The shadows rise into roiling columns which fall away to cocoons of iridescent black feathers.

The folded wings open to reveal pale young women, darkly clad with a top hat on each head and a simple black cane to each girl. 10 of them set themselves in two equal lines of five facing each other, marking a lane across the water as they hover above its surface.
Kneeling, they touch their canes to the water; within the space they define, it becomes pale mist.

A shape wreathed in pale-gold light, soft and warm, nears the girl through this path of shade and fog.

[FireFox]

[Avon Park]

This is it. The psychopomps to bring her soul to the afterlife. The girl tries to stand up, to walk to her fate with her head held high. But she has no life left in her limbs.

[Beans]

[Avon Park]
The bright being kneels by her side, the light receding to give her a look.

It is a young woman with hair like white gold and eyes the same. Dove-grey wings folded, she smiles down at the girl with a slight sadness in her eyes.
I know how you feel, sweetie.
She lays a cool hand on her forehead.
Don't be afraid.
I'm here to help.

[FireFox]

[Avon Park]

The young girl is very pretty with a delicate elfin look to her. She probably has some fey blood. Her hair is a light blonde and her eyes are vivid green.
She sobs, no more tears left to give. I have nothing to live for anymore.

[Beans]

[Avon Park]
We'll see about that.
She gently tries to pick her up and carry her bridal-style.

[FireFox]

[Avon Park]

The girl is picked up, taking comfort in the goddess' arms. She is ready to move on now. Well, almost. She looks back wistfully at her duffel-bag full of books. That's the one thing she's going to miss.

[Beans]

[Avon Park]
Carrie notices her looking back.
... Do you want those?
One of the Guides goes to pick it up.
I can bring them with you if they'll support your emotional well-being.

[FireFox]

[Avon Park]

Oh, yes please. They mean a lot to me. She relaxes more, closing her eyes and even smiling a little bit.

[Beans]

[Avon Park]
The goddess nods; the Guide shoulders the bag as Carrie bears the girl toward a portal that opens to...

I might put Carrie's Realm, which I think could be called the Intermission, in the Home thread.

[FireFox]

[Avon Park -> Intermission?]

That works for me. But a quick deadtime now for lunch.

[Neon Knight]

[The Quest]

If Crissy or Dorota one more step, they'll find themselves physically picked up and hurled back by the wind, back to the fork in the road. Well, okay. Obviously, the wind just tries to do that. But if they're just ordinary humans, that outcome would be likely.

Maybe they should think back to the silly rhyme? Is there a part they haven't used yet?

[The Bushranger]

[The Quest]

Nnnngh. Dorota grunts as she struggles. It's... difficult... but we have to keep moving. I think backing down is... explicitly against the point of this... quest.

[The Quest]

If Crissy or Dorota one more step, they'll find themselves physically picked up and hurled back by the wind, back to the fork in the road. Well, okay. Obviously, the wind just tries to do that. But if they're just ordinary humans, that outcome would be likely.

Maybe they should think back to the silly rhyme? Is there a part they haven't used yet?

[The Quest]

Crissy had just decided to try and push Dorota forwards, when she finds herself flying!
And landing on her backside with a whump!
"Owww!"

[Morty]

[The Quest]

And Dorota is flung as well. She doesn't take it any better than Crissy does. Alright. We're doing something wrong. She recites the poem again. "Crimson and clover, over and over"... we need be wearing one of these to pass this part, I think.

[Mindfreak]

[Solarium]

They zoom ahead, sailing through the farcaster, and arrive back at the Nexus.

Tirin, unless stopped, rather frantically hits the emergency brake, and guides them into the dock.

((And now I must deadtime.))

River Tethys
Elena giggles.
"Try not to get us killed."

[Lady Serpentine]

[River Tethys]

"I'll point out that you were the one who decided to send us through the portal back at full speed..."

[Neon Knight]

[Crissy and Dorota: Up in Smoke]

You might be on the right track! But where will they get one of those? Hmmm... there is another, non-windy path that they have yet to try.

[Mindfreak]

[River Tethys]

"I'll point out that you were the one who decided to send us through the portal back at full speed..."

River Tethys
"Details...details..."
She hops out.
"Hey Tirin, you're going to have to drive us back. I'll teach you quickly when we get to the car."

[Lady Serpentine]

[River Tethys]

He follows, saying "Alright."

[happyturtle]

[Tea For Two]

Mwahahaha! Her doom will be swift, with a side of biscuits!

Tarin orders and pours some tea for Missy. "What do you like your tea with, dear?"

"Um..." Missy thinks. She has had tea only once or twice in her life. It didn't really impressed her, so she has no idea which variation of tea she would prefer over another. "However you take yours will be fine."

[Neon Knight]

[Tea for Two]

"Hm. Well, today, we'll take the tea with a bit of lime. Biscuit?" She offers Missy a buttered roll. "So, Submission-Under-Adversity-Brings-Peace, you've been a little quiet. Tell me about yourself! What do you like to do? What's your family like? What's it like being a solider?"

[happyturtle]

Tea for Two

Missy takes the biscuit and nibbles a little before answering. "I like to play pool with the other soldiers in the Rec Center. I like watching movies. I like protecting people. That's what being a soldier is about. Killing and protecting. I don't like to kill, but if it has to be done, then I do it. It's my duty."

Gee, guess what question she completely evaded.

[Neon Knight]

[Tea for Two]

"My, such serious business." Tarin pours the tea and squeezes a lime into each cup. "Your parents must be proud. Does the service give you much time to see your family?"

[happyturtle]

Tea for Two

"..." Missy gulps some tea, probably burning her mouth a little, since tea is just a bit too hot when it's first poured. She isn't sure what to say to that, and finally answers with a very abridged version of the truth. "I haven't seen my parents since I enlisted."

[Neon Knight]

[Tea for Two]

"Oh? ...oh!" Tarin reaches over and tries to pat Missy's hand. "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to hit a touchy subject. We can talk about something else. What kind of movies do you like?"

[happyturtle]

Tea for Two

"Oooh, I love action movies. Big summer blockbusters. You know, the kind with car chases and explosions and lots of special effects." Missy says, brightening a little.

[Neon Knight]

[Tea for Two]

Tarin and Missy will probably end up chatting about inane things for quite some time, Tarin keeping up a polite little flow of conversation as the biscuits and tea go by. Eventually, though, Tarin will glance at an odd pocketwatch. "Oh, look at the time. I'm afraid I must be going. But, Submission-Under-Adversity-Brings-Peace Halifax, there's something I need to tell you first."