[Nexus] Inside 43

[Shadowcaller]

Silent Sleep

The tiefling pays and grabs the key, walking back to Cynthia, "Come on, let's find our room." She will guide the little demon to the elevator, frowning a bit as she see how deep down their room was. She was deadly tired though and really didn't want to argue.

Finding the button I suppose they'll go down to that floor and look for their room.

[TechnoScrabble]

One of the medics brings a spare headset for communication purposes and tries to put it on the boy's head, then play music. Let's see if it works...
Other two medics examine Cragg and the grub carefully, trying to determine the extent of the damage and the best method of treatment.

MP3 immediately stops screaming, gingerly feeling at the headset.
"Huh."
He sits up.
"Pawn shop. Red Zone. That idiot Concrete shot the cashier's head off when the chunk of stone here scared him."

[The Bandicoot]

One of the medics brings a spare headset for communication purposes and tries to put it on the boy's head, then play music. Let's see if it works...
Other two medics examine Cragg and the grub carefully, trying to determine the extent of the damage and the best method of treatment.

There seems to be some runes carved into Cragg's back. They're a bit charred but still perfectly carved. As for the grub it's two halves wiggle in eachother's general direction as if wanting to be together. The moment anyone touches one of the halves Cragg yells in pain. As for the arm there are four impressions that look like a fist mark just above the break.

[Gullara]

Silent Sleep

The tiefling pays and grabs the key, walking back to Cynthia, "Come on, let's find our room." She will guide the little demon to the elevator, frowning a bit as she see how deep down their room was. She was deadly tired though and really didn't want to argue.

Finding the button I suppose they'll go down to that floor and look for their room.

Cynthia follows along, her head darting back and forth as she looks around at the new surroundings. Going down the elevator provokes a grin from her. It's kinda fun.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

Apparently, after a particularly boring day at work, Kate feels lucky and decides to go on a walk in the park.

Now, it's worth saying that she has recently gone on a few walks without anything happening. Those were just off-screen, due to the fact that nothing in particular happened. I just felt it worth saying to point out that this is not insanity, but Kate just not being very paranoid today.

Note how this instance is on-screen.

[Reinholdt]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

Sleep happens, though it's probably not as restful as Rein would like.

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Something on your mind Kate? Well, there's ways to fix that. Mintbalm, fighting off a few curious, smaller fey, steps out of a portal in front of her favorite Ms. Kyland. Her arms, naturally, are outstretched for a hug.

"Kate! I haven't seen you in ages!" It's only been a few days Minty, no need to be melodramatic.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

Kate takes a step back. That was kind of unexpected! Kate is happy to see Mintbalm, though.

"Mintbalm! Hi! How are you?"

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Mintbalm steps forward, matching her stride to Kate's own and going for the expected hug.

"Great! I'm great, you're great, and you're here again! Oooh, does this mean you changed you mind about that sleep over?" Woah wait what? Way to make a leap of logic there Minty.

[Earl of Purple]

Silent Sleep

The lift is rather smooth, without the lurch in the stomach of most lifts. There's a dial at the top of the door to say which floor it's on. A glass panel enables lift-users to see the other floors. Floor 1 is richly appointed with expensive-looking furniture and electric lighting; as they move down, the floors get slightly worse. Fortunately, they aren't on Floor 10.

Floor five, when they arrive, is a cavernous labyrinth of tunnels with arched doorways leading off into other chambers marked A to Z. Annoyingly, they aren't in any particular order. The floor is covered in a thick carpet that deadens footsteps and sound and lit by many flickering, smelly tallow candles mounted on the walls; some have gone out.

Room X is next to rooms B and F and opposite room W. It's large, and more of an apartment- there's two separate bedrooms, an entry hall and a bathroom, though no toilet. Floor 5 is below the sewers of Inside. One bedroom has a double bed, a wardrobe, and a full-height mirror mounted to the wall. The other has a single bed, a chest of drawers and a full-height mirror mounted to the wall. The rooms are slightly worse for wear, with peeling wallpaper revealing bare stone beneath and damaged furniture. There's running water in the sink, but not the bath or the shower, and the bathroom has a camp toilet in the corner, and it's been changed recently so it doesn't smell too bad.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

Kate is hugged, moderately awkwardly. "Mintbalm? We already did that once. And tonight would be a bad night, anyway." She will do her best to detach from the hug.

"But, now that I think about it, I do have kind of an odd question for you. A question about the finer points of pixiedom."

[Shadowcaller]

Silent Sleep

"What a dump." Astrana states as she took a quick look at the room. "Thankfully we aren't going to be here for long." They won't even be able to take a shower.

"Better not remove your clothes, bet this place is infested with something. Then we can only hope it won't crawl up into our beds." She tells the demon before removing the sheet of the double bed and quickly lays down it it. She just wanted to sleep and get away from this place as fast as possible, maybe get back to riverside to take a real shower....

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Mintbalm doesn't break contact, that would deprive her of more Kate!

"Yeah, but you said that maybe I could sleep over at your place one day if things changed, and I told you to come to the park if they did, remember?" Mintbalm tilts her head to the side, how could anyone possibly forget something so world-shatteringly important like that?

"What about being a pixie? You should know lots already, since you were one for a while."

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

"Oh... oh, that. I forgot. No, it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon. And then I went on a couple walks in different parks and forgot." She shakes her head. "Anyway, my question is that, is it common for..."

Kate is feeling very awkward.

"Is is common to... sleep dust? Every once in a while I wake up and my pillow or sheets have pixie dust on them. It hasn't hurt anything, but I'm wondering if it's very common."

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Mintbalm wilts visibly, and lets go of the hug. No sleepovers for her...

"It's pretty common, yeah. Pixie dust is pretty much pure imagination and everything, so if you dream, sometimes things can happen. I once lost all my hair every night for a week because of the nightmares I was having." Mintbalm wraps her arms around her chest and shudders briefly. That was not a good period in her life.

"Of course, with other pixies around it's hard to figure out what's just dream-dusting and what's night-time pranks being pulled on you."

[Gullara]

[Silent Sleep]

"But what if I get my dress all wrinkly?" D= Cynthia likes this dress. She can't get it wrinkly! She follows Astrana right into the room and leans against the bed after the tiefling has lied down, looking at her expectantly for a response.

[Earl of Purple]

Silent Sleep

The good news is, the fleas and bedbugs are on the sixth floor to the tenth floor. This is halfway between the best and the worst, so no insects yet.

Floor ten's rooms have no beds; just piles of straw. And instead of a camp toilet, there's a corner of the room which acts as a compost heap. And there's no candles. And all the keys fit every lock. And the doors are made of cardboard.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

Kate shakes her head. It's a good thing she wasn't to prone to nightmares...

"It's a good thing that I don't have any need to worry about getting pranked in the night. I have enough trouble as is. In any case, how have you been? Any problems with Nexus society? Do you miss flying at all? I think that's one of the things I would miss the most, if I had spent the majority of my life a pixie."

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Mintbalm giggles a bit, "You already asked me how I'm doing, silly goose. Nexus is actually really awesome compared to the forest, and not flying is a pretty small price to pay for fitting in better. I mean, I'm nearly the same size as everyone else now, which is neat." Mintbalm does a little twirl to emphasize her point.

And show herself off for Kate, just because. Looks like she still hasn't given up on that.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

"Size isn't all that important in the Nexus; if you pay attention in the right places you'll see both tiny doors and ones built for very large things. Anyway, that's nice to hear."

For a second, Kate seems to think.

"Well, I'll probably see you around."

And that's it. Kate's said hi, asked her questions, and is ready to go like that.

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Kate's leaving already!!??!?!

"No wait! I mean, uhh...

Uhhhhhhhh......." Damnit Minty, think for once in your miserable, lonely existence! What could you possibly say to Kate to make her stick around?

"Want to take a walk or something? It's just I've been kind of bored lately, and it'd be really great to catch up a bit. Maybe play a few games with some pixie dust for old time's sake?"

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

"Isn't that what we just did? The catching up, I mean. Anyway, if you want to go on a walk, sure."

Kate will start walking a bit, and it should be easy enough for Mintbalm to fall into step beside her. Kate can't help but notice that there were a lot of Uhhs in that. And that came kind of out of the blue. It even seemed a little desperate. Kate can't help but think back on one thing... and that action falls into line with a theory that Kate doesn't like to think about.

Kate will suddenly look very distracted.

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

"Well, you asked me a bunch of questions, but I really don't know what's happening with you, right? Like, how's work, and life, and everything?" Mintbalm's been dying to know! Because, of course she isn't using pools of water in the Land Between to spy on Kate's every waking moment or anything. That would be just silly, and rude, and a total invasion of privacy.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

"Oh. Well, I have a new job that's going well. A freind of mine had twins... and no one's modified me since last time we met."

That's all the important things.

"Some really interesting things have happened. I'm not sure how they'll all go... and I'm trying my best not to worry about it."

A distinct lack of saying things like about the powerful being that wound up named Hannah, or that there's a clone of her around somewhere now. Maybe those things just didn't leap to mind?

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Twins, modifications, and a new job? All unimportant. Mintbalm instead latches on to the last thing Kate said like a hungry gator.

"Worry about what? You're worried about something? Can I help you with it? Just say the word, and I'll do my best to poof all your problems away." Mintbalm walks a bit more quickly and tries to overtake Kate, turning in place so that she can gesticulate wildly to her best-friend. Look at how willing to help she is Kate! Look at it!

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

"You can't just poof problems. You have to remove them, carefully, to keep other problems from coming up."

There Kate goes with the being careful and finding reasons to not make wishes.

"But... there is one thing that you can help me with... and this is going to be super awkward, and... please don't take any offense to this... it's just been bugging me for a while..."

Kate is being super awkward. It's amazingly awkward.

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

Awkwardness! *bats away* Mintbalm can't stand much more of that!

Actually, she finds it quite adorable, and tilts her head down to hide an encroaching blush behind her bangs.

"I'll do anything I can to help. Did I already say that? I think I already said that." Blush blush awkward blush.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

"Okay, so... I helped a powerful being... and apparently she... asked around, if you will, as for ways to repay me. And she told me... that you asked... to change my..."

"...orientation."

...

"And, in retrospect, I noticed a couple of things that, at the time, I wrote off as just... pixe-ness, if you will. But..."

SO AWKWARD.

"Given all this information, I can't help but wonder if... I mean, no offense is meant, and feel free to correct me as thoroughly as you like..."

[Slii Arhem]

A Park

A- what?

She... told Kate, even after Mintbalm told her not to?

That Utter *****!!!!

Mintbalm's face flushes beet red in anger, twisting into a surprisingly vicious scowl, before collapsing in the face of sheer mortification. Kate knew everything now, or at least suspected strongly enough to ask. As much as Kate's obliviousness frustrated the pixie at points, there was no way she was ready for this. Just... no way.

Mintbalm sinks to her knees, holding her head in her hands and seeming to shrink in on herself. Why'd this have to happen, and why now? Why ever???

Lie. Tell her she's wrong, and that you don't lo-like her like that at all, and that it was just a joke, or some jerkface of a ***** lying to drive them apart. Tell her something Minty. Tell her anything!

"No, I- I mean...

You must hate me."

Faint, desperate sobs punctuate the sentence, almost too silent to be heard.

[Lost_Deep]

A Park

Kate's initial reaction is fear. Mintbalm is angry. Infuriated, even.

Kate then watches Mintbalm crumple to the ground. She wasn't ready for this. She... was not ready for this at all. She was expecting surprise, confusion, awkwardness, maybe even getting laughed at... but...

Kate kneels next Mintbalm. She is as honest as possible. "No, Mintbalm, I don't hate you."