applesaucedream | Let's Do the Time Warp (Again)

Current Music: March 13th, 2013

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Let's Do the Time Warp (Again)

It's that time again, but time seems to be a bit muddled. As usual, people from all over the multiverse are being drawn into the Dreaming by the rift. This time, in addition to (or sometimes instead of) picking up the residents of Manhattan, they take them from their home universe but from a different point in time. You may find yourself suddenly encountering a future version of yourself, or perhaps you bump into a friend taken from long before you met them.

Tonight's setting is also time-twisted. You're still in Manhattan, but it seems to be closer to the 1930s. Specifically, you're in an old hotel. There's the dimly lit lobby, with chairs and tables for relaxed mingling. The bar, where tables are front of a stage, on which a band is playing various hits of the 30s. There's also an outdoor area if you need fresh air. Or you could explore the hotel, but it's mostly corridors, unless you stumble upon an unlocked room.

[Mod note: Usual dream-party rules apply. Both members and non-members are welcome to use any character, be they already in the game or no.

For game-specific characters, you can choose whether or not they will remember their time in Manhattan if they're taken from the future. You can take your character from multiple different points in time, if you want.]

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"Safe, I think." And brilliant allies, to hear an older Daine's version of events.

Then all she needs to do is find them. Which might be a bit tricky, given that she's no longer where she was. The air is warm, here, and there are no mountains.

Daine rolls onto her hands and knees, blinking down at her hands for a moment. They're two-legger hands, and she spreads her fingers, as if to verify that they belong to her. Then, she turns to the bald girl, squinting in curiosity - and a little suspicion. She doesn't recognize her, but it can be hard to recognize folk without their fur.

"Who are you?"

"My name's Aly." She sits in front of Daine and looks at her with wide eyes, occasionally blinking slowly the way you're told to do with cats.

Daine's no cat, but the slow blinking relaxes her a little, nonetheless. Whoever this 'Aly' is, she seems to be in a bad spot, too. She's also definitely not from Snowsdale, which means she's probably not one of them that's after her.

Daine rocks back into a crouch, not quite sure whether she wants to stand up on her hind legs or go galloping off on all fours. She has a vague suspicion that the former would be the proper thing to do, but the latter is still tempting. It'd be more tempting if she knew where the Pack was, but she can't hear them. Scenting the air doesn't get her very far, either. Where is she?

"I'm lost," she finally admits, frowning at Aly as if it's somehow her fault that things are so confusing just now.

Aly nods looking worried, but also feeling very tired herself. She needs to take stock of her surroundings and then find the tools to escape back home.

"D'you want to try and find food?"

The mere mention of food causes Daine's stomach to rumble. How long has it been since she last ate? She's having a hard time remembering.

She doesn't trust Aly, or anyone outside the Pack, for that matter. But she still has her knife if she needs to protect herself, and she really could use some help finding food. Looking sidelong at Aly, she nods once.

"I'll not harm you," she promises, her hands open and peaceful.

"I think I saw something inside."

Inside. That's a place for two-leggers, not wolves. She frowns for a moment, then rises somewhat unsteadily to her feet. The ground seems too far away, now, and she feels as if even a light shove would topple her. But it's also easier to hold the knife, and that makes her feel a bit better.

"How far inside?" she asks, eyeing the hotel warily. She doesn't like the thought of being cornered indoors.

"Just there." Aly points at the cafe windows.

"If you wait here, I could go and get you some instead?"

It's not too far... but she still doesn't like the thought of being penned in. When Aly offers to retrieve some food, though, she can't keep a look of gratitude from flitting across her face. She nods, and as memories of being human start filtering back into her head, she offers, "Please?" Manners are quick to return, perhaps because wolves have them, too (of a sort).

"Of course," Aly promises, trying to squash down the painful concern for her aunt, forgetting her own injuries in the process.

"Just wait here, all right?"

And she's off like a shadow, stealing through and returning with a small feast before they notice her.

Once Aly disappears, it occurs to Daine that she could run off - or even just drop back to all fours while she waits. But... no. Until she can find the Pack, she has to be smart about things, and she's smarter as a two-legger.

So she paces, instead, relearning how to be comfortable on two feet. As her balance improves, she starts to feel more like herself: Veralidaine Sarrasri from Snowsdale. A small part of her doesn't want to be Veralidaine Sarrasri anymore, but it can't be helped. At least this definitely isn't Snowsdale. Pack or no Pack, she might be somewhat safe here.

Or not. How did Aly get that broken nose, and all those bruises?

When the other girl returns, Daine manages a brief, tentative smile, and a, "Thank you." Then, brow furrowing, she asks, "Who hurt you?"

"Slavers," Aly replies indifferently. "They're long gone now and they're not taking me again."

She spreads out a stolen napkin and lays out cooked pieces of steak with potatoes as well as a couple stolen sandwiches. In the interest of speed, she'd picked and grabbed indiscriminately.

Daine blinks at Aly in astonishment. Truth be told, she's a bit awed by how casually the older girl talks of escaping slavers. "Goddess," she breathes. "So you're running away?"

When the food appears, she carefully sits and looks it over. The steak is tempting, but she makes herself take a potato, instead. It takes some effort to stop herself from ~~wolfing~~ bolting it down, nevertheless. She feels as if she hasn't eaten in days.

"Certainly nothing to stay for." Aly has to eat slowly and more carefully–it's hard to chew and breathe at the same time with a broken nose.

She certainly knows what that's like. Daine takes a sandwich and inspects it for a moment before pulling off a piece. "Do you know where you're going?" she asks a bit shyly before transferring the bit of sandwich into her mouth and chewing pensively. It's a bit odd, but good.

"Back to Tortall if I can. That's where they snatched me up from." For whatever good it did them. She was a poor choice for a slave.

At 'Tortall,' Daine glances up at Aly. Just as quickly, she looks away, not wanting her to see the hope and envy in her eyes. Tortall might be a good place for Daine to go, seeing as going ~~home~~ back to Snowsdale isn't an option.

She sets aside the remains of the sandwich, her appetite gone. "D'you..." she hesitates for a moment, wondering if she's being too forward, then plows ahead. "Could I come with you? I wouldn't be a burden. I do well enough at hunting and tracking." And she can't stay in Galla.

"Of course you can." Aly's mind and heart hurt at how fearful and nervous Daine is. She's not yet the confident Wild Mage that Aly will come to trust and adore.

Right now, Aly may as well be the big sister and that frightens her more than a little bit.

She lets out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and smiles. It's a little smile, but it's genuine. "Thank you." Realizing she hasn't introduced herself, she adds, "I'm Daine." She's conveniently forgotten that Aly said her name a few times already.

"It's very good to meet you," Aly says, playing along. She picks through the food with hungry, sticky fingers until she ends on the chipped potatoes. Those, at least, are easy to eat around.

Now that she's not alone - and now that she has something that resembles a plan - she feels well enough to pick the sandwich back up and resume pulling it apart into bite-sized pieces. "Whereabouts in Tortall are you from?" she asks, curious to hear about it from someone who's actually grown up there.

"Pirate's Swoop, not too far from Port Legann, but I've family in the capitol as well." Or she will, at least, in the Wild Maige.

Daine stares down at her hands. She wishes she had family anymore, but she can't honestly begrudge Aly. "They must've been fair worried, when you got took."

"If all goes well, they're not going to be worrying for too long." It's been two weeks. It'll take the same amount of time to get on a ship back. She'll be all right.

"And to think, I'll even be coming back with a new friend."

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wildmage_daine - 2013-08-11 20:37 (UTC) - Expand

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aly_brighteyes - 2013-08-12 05:35 (UTC) - Expand

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