when by now and tree by leaf
04:00 - In the Kashtta Tower, soft music is floating from the piano room tucked back by the cursed hallway.
It's not terribly good music.
J picked his way through a primer someone had left on their piano, and is now demonstrating minimal proficiency at having memorized any of the songs. He can pretty reliably hit the first few bars of Ode to Joy ( Read more... )
It's not terribly good music.
J picked his way through a primer someone had left on their piano, and is now demonstrating minimal proficiency at having memorized any of the songs. He can pretty reliably hit the first few bars of Ode to Joy ( Read more... )
"...um...yer gonna freeze quick without any shoes on."
This place is weird.
Reply
Leona's wings twitch a little, clawed phalanges tracing through the air, but as annoyed as she is at this day and her less-than-relaxing spa trip and the fact that her bodyman is stuck in traffic and not right here to pick her up, there's no call to take that out on passers-by. She can go hunting later. So she smooths over her metaphorical ruffled feathers, and gives the girl a tight smile.
"I'm absolutely freezing already, darling." Her toes curl against the concrete. "You'd think this city would have the decency to follow its own patterns and set itself on fire, but no such luck today."
Reply
"I have an extra pair back at the Conrad if'n ya want? It's a bit of a walk though an' I ain't sure they'd even fit ya..." she offers and then looks down at her own boot-encased feet. "Or I could let ya wear these ones. I won't feel the cold." Not if she husked her legs to steel or something.
Reply
"There's a man supposed to be picking me up soon - soon as he gets out of whatever traffic he's stuck in," she says. "But I do appreciate the offer." The smile she gives now is more genuine. After a moment she switches the lizard extremity to her left hand, and offers her right. "Leona Sandric. A bit new here, or just a bit fearless?"
Reply
Her breath hitches at the mention of her mother. Her chest constricts as she thinks of the woman and how she must be dealing with her absence. Except that's not something to bring up with a complete stranger.
So she nods towards the lizard part. "Are there a lot of lizard creatures roamin' around this city?" She thinks something like that might be possible by how nonchalant the woman appears with the limb.
Reply
The smile that accompanies that statement is almost mischevious.
"Time was, standing here chatting about how odd the city was would just get you attacked. We seem to have showed that particular mob who's boss, though."
Which is almost a shame. They were easy violence.
Reply
Paige looks back at the doorway Leona had come out of and raises a brow. "So I'm guessin' that's yer spa that was invaded by lizard creatures. An' the rift is the thing that pulls us all out of wherever we came from, yeah?" She still isn't too clear about what a rift actually is.
Reply
"That would be our Rift," she says. "And this... used to be the spa I stopped off in when I had a bit of free time. No one's explained this place to you yet?"
If not, this might be a situation which could be turned to her advantage.
Reply
Rogue had told her the basics. She isn't ever going to be able to go home and there are others who were also pulled out of their world scattered about. Paige was only half listening at the time, too overwhelmed by her own emotions to pay attention. She's regretting that now.
"I'm guessin' this happens often, huh?"
Reply
Leona raises her eyebrows - just a little - at Paige. "More and more often. People are pulled through the Rift and tossed onto the streets but so are monsters, strange objects, foreign diseases... quite a lot of stories, all told." She gestures at the limb. "And this sort of thing becomes day-to-day life for all of us who live here, native or not."
Her voice has changed into something not yet saccharine, but certainly warmer and more friendly. It's followed by a light, self-deprecating chuckle.
"Honestly, you'd think some places never dealt with wanderers, the way they're treated. Left to fend for yourself, have you been? ...ordinarily I'd offer to explain, but it's a terribly busy day for me-" this said in a tone of utmost apology, "-and while I have a bit of a drive back to my meetings, whenever Adonis gets here, it would be terribly forward of me to ask you into a strange woman's car."
Not that this would stop her. It just seemed pertinent.
Reply
Paige nods along to the explanation. None of it seems all that ridiculous to her when she compares it to what she dealt with at school. If she can accept that Monet wasn't actually Monet at first but her twin sisters impersonating her because their brother wanted to eat them, Paige is pretty sure she can accept anything as a reality. Not to mention all the things she read about when reviewing the X-Men's adventures for history class.
"I don't think I'd have listened much ta what anyone said at first anyway, ma'am," Paige informs her with a little shrug. "I was pretty focused on tryin' ta figure out how ta leave." Or crying bucket loads of tears. "Maybe I could look ya up an' we could discuss this further sometime?"
Or really, she has nothing else to do except wander a bit more before heading back to the Conrad. "I'm kinda tryin' ta find somethin' ta do with my time."
Reply
Reply
"An' can't really blame anyone for not wantin' ta help people who suddenly show up outta no where. It's gotta knock a person off their senses a bit." One thing Paige realized at an early age was that people don't take too kindly to those that are different. She doesn't want to think too hard about that though because it will lead to thoughts about her family. And all that does it hurt at the moment. "But I'd appreciate whatever ya could tell me about this place. It never hurts ta learn all that one can before makin' any big decisions."
Reply
"Oh, the economics can be debated, of course," she says, "but I think we can all agree that turning Chicago into a refugee colony doesn't help anyone. especially when so many wanderers have talents which could be put to work improving this place, if only people would open their eyes and let them." She gives a demure glance down. "But then, I'm probably preaching to the choir. I'm sorry. My work involves a lot of wanderer outreach; you get me on the topic and I'll never shut up."
It's... not exactly a lie.
"I wish I had a card to give you," she says. "I could probably get you to a few of those computers and a studio."
Reply
"If'n ya tell me a number I should be able ta remember it. Or," she pauses, rummaging through her coat pockets and pulls out the tattered envelope. It's one of the few ties she has left to her old world and she will not leave it anywhere. "You could write it on here?"
She's hesitant to give it up. She still hasn't opened to see exactly what's inside. Maybe she will tomorrow. She always thinks she will tomorrow.
"I ain't got a pen though. Just that."
Reply
Leave a comment