The Masquerade || The beginning

[Khallayne]

: . T h e . M a s q u e r a d e . :

Welcome to an evening you'll always remember in a village you can never escape.

|| Open & Accepting :: Link to the OoC Thread ||Please read the OoC thread for all information on this roleplay and to join.

 

Current events . . .

To be added.

 

 

Updates . . .

10/8/13 ~ The intro post went up opening up the thread.

Edited October 8, 2013 by Khallayne

[Khallayne]

Past events . . .

None at the moment.

[Khallayne]

Canons and NPCs . . .

These are the people who you’ll meet in the roleplay who’ll either be a citizen of Ceron or have some sort of importance. Some of these characters may become adoptable at a later date. More will be added with time.

ღ ✘✘✘ Tay ✘✘✘ ❣

✘✘✘

『 ♂♂ 』✘✘✘ 『 Quiet 』✘✘✘ 『 Diligent 』✘✘✘ 『 Sympathetic 』❝Going to the middle of nowhere, huh. I know the feeling. ❞✘✘✘

• Tay is the driver who drives the bus to Ceron. He’s in his late 50s and his graying brown hair and a knowing smile. He tries to be social (as it comes with the job) but he’s a rather quiet guy. He’ll ask but he’ll never pry. He’s likely to sympathize with people. He says that he’s been bringing people up these parts for the past twenty years and has great things to say about Ceron. But there’s this tiredness in his eyes that shows that his age may be catching up to him.
  • • • • • ⤷ NPC canon character

ღ ✘✘✘ Allita ✘✘✘ ❣

✘✘✘

『 ♀♀ 』✘✘✘ 『 Caring 』✘✘✘ 『 Gentle 』✘✘✘ 『 Town greeter 』❝Come, lose yourself in the music! Make this place your home. ❞✘✘✘

• Red hair, brown eyes, about 5’3”, fair skinned –

The first thing people will ever notice about Allita is her smile, it’s a soft, warm look that she holds for the visitors of Ceron. Allita is the village greeter and takes her duties very seriously. She’s always found near the village gates. Though on the surface she is a very sweet, kind and gentle woman, there is this sort of coldness to her. It’s a feeling that creeps up on people like a ghost of a touch running down your neck. If anyone needs help, though, she’s the one to ask. There’s nothing about Ceron that she isn’t aware of.

• • • • • ⤷ NPC canon character

ღ ✘✘✘ Ira ✘✘✘ ❣

✘✘✘

『 ♂♂ 』✘✘✘ 『 Charming 』✘✘✘ 『 Patient 』✘✘✘ 『 Warm 』❝Look at you, darling. Don’t you just look beautiful. ❞✘✘✘

• Brown hair, blue eyes, tall with a bit of delicacy –

Ira is the mask maker of Ceron. He’s a charming young man whose door is always welcome to those who would like to join in on the masquerade. He’s one of those people who come off as if he’s trying to hard but it isn’t difficult to see that his intentions are always the best. Known as an optimist, Ira tries to see the beauty in everyone and only wants to accentuate that in his masks. His voice is always warm, almost mesmerizing.

• • • • • ⤷ NPC canon character

ღ ✘✘✘ Ace ✘✘✘ ❣

✘✘✘

『 ♀♀ 』✘✘✘ 『 Cold 』✘✘✘ 『 Secretive 』✘✘✘ 『 Passionate 』❝Don’t say a word. You’ll just ruin this moment. ❞✘✘✘

• Blond hair, green eyes, tall, a little heavy set –

Ace is a musician and it’s clear that that is entirely what she’s centered her life around. Her love for the violin is known to be stronger than any love that she could possibly have for anyone else. Her personality is one of secrecy and distance, but the warmth that flows through her music is impossible to miss. It has this attraction to it, a sort of passion that wraps a person up in the warmth. Her music is said to make all the troubles disappear while she plays. She can be found in the courtyard under the pavilion day and night.

• • • • • ⤷ NPC canon character

ღ ✘✘✘ Lorn ✘✘✘ ❣

✘✘✘

『 ♂♂ 』✘✘✘ 『 Bubbly 』✘✘✘ 『 Carefree 』✘✘✘ 『 Attentive 』❝Stop. Just stop. You worry too much. Look around you, what do you have to worry about? ❞✘✘✘

• Black hair, dark brown eyes, short –

Lorn doesn’t try to impress anyone. He is comfortable in who he is and there’s no if ands or buts about it. He wants to be everyone’s friend and doesn’t want to leave anyone behind. However, perhaps the easiest thing to see about him is that he doesn’t believe in setting limits for yourself. He’s easy to talk to and willing to spend those minutes with anyone need an ear to listen to them. He’s the owner of a bed and breakfast near the main entrance.

• • • • • ⤷ NPC canon character

[Khallayne]

The characters . . .

ღ profile✘✘✘ Ilys Webb ✘✘✘ beginning ❣

✘✘✘

『 ♀♀ 』✘✘✘ 『 Worn 』✘✘✘ 『 Diligent 』✘✘✘ 『 Baker 』❝It’s not better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. People who say as much are trying to convince you that it’ll be okay. It isn’t. It’ll never be.❞✘✘✘

• Ilys is a widow who is looking to forget. She wants to forget her loss, to forget her hurt. She knows that she can’t cope with what has happened and though it happened three years ago, she hasn’t been able to move on. Ilys wasn’t always a nice person though she did have good intentions. The loss of her wife made her feel as if the world had something against her. The pity from the people around her has made her bitter. It’s closed her off and allowed her to bury herself into her work. There’s a part of her that wants to do better and to be better, but trusting people again has been difficult and she’s not sure if she’s ready to let anyone else in close, friend or otherwise.
  • • • • • ⤷ Khallayne

[Khallayne]

Reserved for extra characters.

[Khallayne]

Storyteller :: The beginning . . .

{ OoC: This is just a start to allow people a chance to talk to bus mates if they want and to post their character opening. The next Storyteller titled post will be arriving at the town. }

 

When the bus pulled into Illune station, there was no sun in the sky as the water bounced up from the pavement. It was hard to see a hand in front of anyone’s face, and the bus driver knew that they were going to be in for a long ride if the weather didn’t let up. The black sky above them hung low; they were lucky the weather was unusually warm as it was want to be during this time of the year. As the bus parked, he looked out at the people gathering under the eaves of the building, waiting for his doors to open. He reached out and put his hand on the button but paused for a moment. His eyes turned from the throng of people outside to the picture of a young woman with short blond hair. There was a part of him that could just see her shaking her head, and he could almost hear her voice in his head, just out of reach. The sight of her brought a smile to his lips. There would be a time for the nostalgia. There would be that time for hope; Tay’s fingers pressed down on the button as a smile flashed across his face.

 

“What a lovely morning it is today!” He laughed as he greeted the people huddled about and walked towards the luggage compartment beneath the vehicle. “Now who’s ready to get out of the rain?”

 

-------------------------------

 

The rain hadn’t lasted forever. The closer they got to the mountains the harder it had seemed to fall until Tay had been forced to pull over. Then, everything happened like magic, within five minutes the weather started to give way and the storm started to blow over. By fifteen minutes the sun was starting to come out from beyond the clouds and Tay put the bus back in motion. To him, it was like a sign. He didn’t know how many people were going to… No, it was impossible for him to know. And again he could feel the disapproving look of the blond in the back of his mind again.

 

But you’re not here, he thought to himself as he glanced over his shoulder at the people on the bus. They were all types. He didn’t know their stories, but there were at least 25 people making this trip. Some of them he assumed were running to forget, others running to remember. Some were out here because of the reviews, he was sure, and perhaps there were even some who had already felt Ceron’s touch or who heard her call at night. It wasn’t Tay’s place to dig.

 

“Once we get beyond the mountains, you should be able to see the coast line in the distance. We’ll be about three hours away.”

 

Edited October 8, 2013 by Khallayne

[Mousia]

Jen stuffed her medium-sized tie-dyed bag into the luggage compartment along with the rest and climbed onto the bus. Not many would have noticed her, really. Most everything having to do with her appearance was just plain average. Sitting down near the center of the bus, she smiled gleefully as the bus began to move. Although it was a slow journey what with all the rain and smog clouding the driver's vision, the nasty weather eventually cleared and the driver announced that there were about three hours remaining. Picking up her purse, the woman walked up and down the isle a few times to stretch her aching legs and sat back down next to a poor woman that had obviously not gotten enough sleep. She snored in her seat and leaned against the window, though her head often slipped on the glass that was slick with condensation from the humidity outside.

 

Sticking earbuds into her ear, the brunette began to listen to a playlist of her favorite soundtracks from TV shows or movies. Many were instrumental, thought a few were not. She really had no particular taste in music. As long as she could find a beat to move to or a message to carry, it was okay with her. Perhaps that translated well into her adaptable nature. She was nearly always smiling or finding the good in things. Despite her habit of having deeply set resentment of people after they'd wronged her or some such thing, she generally trusted openly and went out on a limb for people. Probably because, after so many years with her nose in a book almost constantly, separating the very tangible dangers of trusting too much in real life and the fun thrills of fantasy had grown more difficult as the lines between them blurred.

 

Looking out the window, the woman sighed. As much as she liked reading, doing so in a moving vehicle gave her nausea and vertigo. Unfortunately, there seemed to be poor phone reception and no wifi in the area, so there were no virtual things to distract her. Which left only her thoughts. Her thoughts were dangerous things, she'd learned. They'd come up with monstrosities that she hated just to think about. They'd created the things that made her cheeks go red with embarrassment. And so she kept them carefully checked, despite the threats of her creative mindset taking over and letting all of them run free. So she just watched as all the green fields and forests and rocky hills passed by at what seemed to be an impossible speed. And she thought on that for a while as her voice settled deep into her throat in sleep and her mind began to empty with a strange peace that she was unaware of at the time.

[Mistress of Whispers]

Wisperlee rummaged around in her re-styled US Mail bag; her bright blue bangs and lock falling down to cover her face. From this angle she offered the profile of a young woman, slightly shorter than average and physically fit, with brightly painted blue fingernails. Finally she dug up what she'd been looking for - a large bag of gummi worms. She straightened and her hair fell back to reveal Wisperlee's most stunning feature: remarkable eyes with a shade of blue that bordered on dark lavender. Opening the bag and popping a worm into her mouth, she offered the gelatinous, sugary sweets to the people near her and, indeed, to anyone glancing at the bag with even the barest of interest.

 

Selecting a seat near the window, she opened a tattered, obviously well-read paperback novel and pretended to read while surreptitiously studying the other passengers. She had never seen the people following her - only their van - and she was anxious that one of them might have followed her here. However, none of the people around her seemed particularly interested in her and she took that as a good sign. Relaxing a bit, she turned to the first page. 'April is the cruellest month...' Soon she lost herself deep within the world created by Eliot.

 

She finally looked up when someone sat down next to her. Closing the book and extending her hand, she introduced herself: "Hi, I'm Wisperlee. What brings you here on this lovely bus ride?"

 

 

((OOC: Anyone who wants is more than welcome to be the person sitting down next to Wisperlee.))

[RainDash]

[Tag: Whisperlee.]

 

Nora's olive green army cap was stretched over her eyes, the darkness covering the drawings inside. Nora didn't want to look at them anyway, the childish things that she did. She preferred to keep the idea of 'Watson' out of sight and mind. She had no inclination to dull her razor sharp senses with cluttering information like how she felt or if it bothered Watson that she had just bailed so suddenly. She adjusted her cap to rest normally on her head, ditching the idea that she was going to be able to sleep anytime soon. Thankfully, she knew how to deal with buses. As the woman with blue hair rummaged through her bag, Nora raided hers for The Hound of the Baskervilles. The person sitting next to her was boring, and if anything, most certainly the type to easily get carsick, but ready to tough it out in the back of the bus.

 

Nora stood up and moved next to the woman with the blue hair. Once she was in her seat, Nora opened her book, hoping to apparent social cue would urge the other woman to be quiet. She wasn't. The insane woman introduced herself as 'Whisperlee', and without pausing in her book, Nora replied, "isn't that an old hacker name?" She licked her finger and flipped the page one handed, hoping the grand gesture would urge the other woman to shut up about her gelatinous worms. Nora had decided the day she looked up 'gelatin' to never eat one of those again. "And what brings me to to bus is none other than my feet and the pursuit of a decent mystery. I have no interest in you nor any other passenger. Now please either read the book you are holding or kindly shut your mouth until we arrive."

 

Nora saw the extended hand but regarded it as little more than social custom and thus, totally ignorable. Not to mention the girl wasn't exactly the type that Nora liked, loud, flashy, and apparently on edge.

[Mistress of Whispers]

((Tag: Nora))

 

Not the slightest bit perturbed by the woman's rudeness, Wisperlee continued to smile. "That's really good! How did you know?" She'd done an (very) extensive search before adopting the name Wisperlee again, so she *knew* it wasn't in any databases or caches anymore. Though she supposed it was fairly easy to guess - it's not like many parents would name their child that.

 

"But if you're so good at 'pegging' people, why sit down next to me? Surely you must have taken one look at me and realized 'here's a girl who will try to make small talk and who probably hums along when listening to her music, while all I want to do is read'. There are plenty of other seats available. As a matter of fact -" she did a quick count of heads and seats "- you could have gotten two seats all by yourself. Why choose a seat that is so obviously perpendicular to your goals?"

 

She was genuinely interested in the answer - curious to see if the woman was perhaps not as perceptive as her initial, off-hand comment made her appear to be, or if she was just trolling. Of course, there was also the chance that she was sent by the people pursuing her and, if she was, confrontation might be the best option since running had already failed (and, besides, running had never been Wisperlee's strong suit to begin with).

Edited October 11, 2013 by Mistress of Whispers

[RainDash]

[Tag: Whisperlee]

 

"Whisperlee is, quite frankly, a very obvious name. Judging by the amount of gear in your bag and the way you keep pestering me, you've done something to undertake an assumed name," She turned the page, "since your traveling and not already shot, I have to guess it's from a distance that you've ticked them off. I'm not surprised, if you're this prying about a woman who sits next to you, that you have an affinity for information. Probably saw something that you shouldn't have."

 

Nora shut her book with her right hand. "As for why I sat next to you, I find people an oddity. Also, the woman who I was sitting next was about to retch, and didn't have anything in hand. I prefer to arrive at locations sans vomit. You were closer to the front of the bus, where most people tend to ride if they are carsick, and find it easier to not vomit there. You were just a con to the plan. Plus, I don't tend to leave an electronic trail, so don't bother to try and look me up. Now, are we done with the question and answer session, or do you want me to shoot you?"

 

Nora thought Whisperlee amusing, if a touch annoying. However, the other woman was apparently too much on edge for her to have just sat down without many questions. Nora just hoped she didn't point out the way she was favoring her right arm, keeping the left close to her. The last thing she needed to appear right now was weak. If she was going to force this woman at arm's length, pity was not an optimal emotion for her to instill. Whisperlee wasn't the type of person that interested her, unless she hired Nora to find the people chasing the blue haired woman. Even then, Whisperlee could do that on her own.

[Mistress of Whispers]

((Tag: Nora)

 

Wisperlee popped another gummi worm in her mouth, deftly using her tongue to wrap it into a neat ball, and stared at the woman sitting next to her. She tapped her fingers against the small food tray on the back of the seat in front of her and considered her options.

 

She could, theoretically, continue asking questions. She certainly had a dozen and so far the woman had done nothing to earn the civility of silence. On the other hand, purposeless questions would be a waste of *both* their times. Perhaps there was a middle ground and she did love a good challenge.

 

"Why don't you give me your name and a few aliases and we'll put that to the test. It's win-win, really. If I find nothing: I've still spent a good few hours being relatively quiet - unless the sound of typing upsets you too. If I *do* find something: you'll know what you still need to clean up." Sucking on the little gummi ball inside her mouth, Wisperlee waited to see how the other woman would respond.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Mistress of Whispers

[RainDash]

[Tag: Whisperlee]

 

"How about I don't because I don't like giving strangers information about me. But my name is Nora, Elenora Audra. Don't try Facebook or any social networks. I haven't owned a computer in about..." Nora scanned her memory. "Never. I've borrowed, stolen, and once rigged one up, but they've lasted only minutes afterward. Plus, I have no intention to join one." Nora said, glad that the other woman would shut up. "I have no doubt I have a few electronic footsteps from college, but I doubt that you'd find anything outside of a few newspaper clippings outside of that."

 

"Also, gummi worms, bears, and everything containing gelatin use the last little bits of animals that haven't been used already. Bones, hooves, and tongue included." Maybe that would cause the woman to put the bag down in favor of a snack that wasn't nearly as disgusting. Then again, it would be mildly interesting to see how much of a footprint she had left. She made the newspaper once, no picture though. She'd visited so many cities that they'd all blended together in a swirl of buildings and bodies.

 

Two bodies of importance, fifty of no consequence to her, one hundred panicked parents, seventy two killers, and one gunshot wound. That she'd made it so far without getting shot was a miracle, but she was smart enough to be able to persuade people that injuring her with a gunshot would be pointless. She'd been stabbed enough, a couple of rocks thrown at her, and shot at. She'd figured herself God, but did God ever get shot? Maybe, maybe.

[Mistress of Whispers]

((Tag: Nora. Btw it's Wisperlee without an h . ))

 

Wisperlee looked from the bag of worms to Nora. "Oh, are you a vegetarian? I'm not, I'm afraid, but I do think that if we're going to slaughter animals for their meat, we should at least do them the courtsey of consuming all the parts we can. I've always felt it's a bit of a cop out to be fine with prime steak and then balk at the less savoury bits."

 

She pulled her laptop out of her bag, set it down on the tray table at an angle that would prevent other passengers - including Nora - from reading along or watching her hands and opened it. State-of-the-art (and costing quite a penny), it required both a password and thumb print to activate. Setting the bag of gummi bears next to the laptop - on the far side from Nora as a small sign of courtesy - she plugged in her earphones and got to work. True to her word, she did humm along occasionally to what sounded to be Dvorak's Planets.

[RainDash]

[Tag: Wisperlee. At some point I'll get that spelling... :S]

 

"No, but considering a cow's average... waste... I'd much prefer if I didn't eat a cow's hooves." Nora turned back to her book, noting the computer and the tune to which Wisperlee was now humming. She flipped the pages, lost in the book she'd read so many times before. She wondered if Sherlock would be amused by her attempts at emulation. Then again, Sherlock didn't have to deal with psycho terrorists with bombs, or portable machine guns. Well, maybe he did. At a much lesser extent. Being pre-world war one, hand grenades weren't exactly 'in style' then either.

 

Truth be told, Nora was curious what the other girl was going to dig up. It would be... nice if it ended up mostly empty. She hated people just cheating and googling names, but perhaps Wisperlee would be able to use some technical know-how and dig something up. Nora preferred pen and paper, but that was mostly because of her traveling all the time. Nor staying in one spot was nice, it kept her from having to interact with people, and it also kept everyone else in the dark about who she was. Clean slates were nice, it gave her an indicator about people. Nice people who hide hate usually put on a pretty face and tried to warm the other person up with lies. Honest people did nothing, and intriguing people... well, that varied.

[Skarx]

Mikeal had been sleeping for most of the travel, exhausted already from his work and the heavy rain they got before getting on the bus. At first he wanted to stay awake, but the somehow calming sound of the rain falling on the bus windows and top made him slowly drift to sleep, waking up from time to time when they passed on a road bump or when the bus had to stop because of the storm. Sleeping also helped him avoid thinking about lightnings. After the storm passed he managed to stay awake and looked at the now much more interesting view outside the bus. Inside the bus itself he counted around 25 person other then himself and including the bus driver. Some of them were chatting together, but most close to him were busy with their own things like music, sleeping and surprisingly reading for some. He himself would get sick from even starting to read in a vehicle.

 

He was getting relatively bored though and was pleased to hear that they were now three hours away from their destination. He really wanted to see the place, one of his coworker had brought up the place, saying he found an advertisement in a magazine he was reading, when Mikeal mentioned the need to take a short vacation. Sounded like a nice simple place to relax and take it at his own pace, if only the temperature would stay nice now... After looking outside for a bit more he fell asleep again.

[Mistress of Whispers]

((Tag: Nora))

 

Fingers flying over the keyboard at an incredible pace (though - possibly to Nora's relief - she tapped the keys lightly and the sound of her typing was near-silent) Wisperlee stopped once or twice to get a USB stick from her bag and plug it in. Occasionally she'd stop to read something, intent on the screen, and once pulled her gaze away from the laptop to look at Nora as if she was somehow re-evaluating the woman - a flash of compassion (though not pity) briefly crossed her face.

 

She made a soft clucking noise with her tongue and, while the sound itself was too short and non-distinct to place, the grin accompanying it was definitely triumphant as she intensified her search.

 

Munching on another gummi worm, she continued to type. At this rate, the bag of sweets would be half-empty by the time they arrived at Ceron - Wisperlee vaguely hoped the local convenience store would sell gummi worms (though gummi bears or gummi anything would do in a pinch). Or possibly Twizzlers - she loved Twizzlers.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Mistress of Whispers

[Mousia]

[Tag: Mikeal]

 

As she listened to her music, Jen took a bottle of water out of her purse and drank some of it. Closing the bottle, she laid it in her lap and sat placidly, letting her mind wander. Suddenly, the bus gave a slight jerk as it went over a bump and the bottle fell out from her lap and onto the ground. Due to a turn shortly after, the bottle rolled under the seat next to her across the narrow isle. The man appeared to be sleeping, but she couldn't reach. Blasted seatbelts!

 

For a little while, the woman appeared to be deliberating. To wake him or not to wake him. On the one hand, she didn't want to be rude and rouse him from his slumber. But on the other, she'd spent more money than she would have liked on that water (she still hated how they made one pay for the plastic) and she would be a little cross if it was wasted. There was about three fourths of it still in the bottle and it seemed to taunt her as it rolled around! Decision, decision, decision. She ground her teeth and made up her mind. She would be getting that water back...

 

Sighing softly, the woman shifted over in her seat and prodded Mikeal lightly. Ever so lightly. Impatiently, she prodded him again, just a little harder. "Excuse me, sir, but I've clumsily dropped my bottle of water and it rolled under your seat. Don't suppose you'd be so kind as to get it for me..." She hoped he'd awoken and heard her, otherwise she'd be back at square one.

[Skarx]

[Tag: Jen]

 

Mikeal was fast asleep when someone woke him up by prodding him. At first he was confused since he just came out of his sleep, but quickly recovered. It was the woman sitting on the other side of the isle. It was the one who had been listening to, he would guess, music. When she asked him if he could give her back her water bottle he gave a quick nod and searched on the ground for it. Finding it was quick since it was almost just rolling between his foot and the side of the bus. He grabbed it and offered it back to the woman with a smile.

 

"Here's your water miss. It's a long trip getting to Ceron isn't it?"

 

He took that chance to speak a bit too. He was a bit bored and had been sleeping for most of the trip. It would be a nice change to talk. Hopefully the other woman would also be in the mood for small talk.

 

"It seems to be a nice place to relax, I sure hope it will be worth that long bus trip!" he said with a small laugh. "I really dislike taking a bus. So boring and long."

 

[Mousia]

[Tag: Mikeal]

 

"Thank you," the woman muttered thoughtlessly. It really was an instinct, especially when talking to strangers.

 

"Oh yes. I've seen countless adverts for Ceron on the Internet and the pictures look just stunning. But I do have to agree with you on the length of the trip. It does seem especially long. I do suppose that it's quite far from all the hubub of cities, which is why the bus ride is so long. Personally, I've had to get out of my seat to stretch my legs twice." Sighing, she looked around. Lulls in conversation discouraged her slightly. As is she wasn't being a good partner to talk to. "So what do you do back home? I'm an editor." Casually, she assessed him and, within moments, had drawn some conclusions. Slightly muscular, but not overly so... Exercised regularly, but not just for leisure. For work as well. Very slight bags under the eyes meant a tiresome job. Depressing or boring. Hospital, funeral home, or office. But not an incredibly high-ranking position, because he wasn't wearing a suit and was going to Ceron rather than some other place that was less out of the way and more esteemed.

 

In her long past of reading and writing and other literary passions, she'd done countless reports on Edgar Allan Poe's "Murder on the Rue Morgue" and other works involving Dupin, the frequently overlooked character which spawned the famous Sherlock Holmes. And she'd also studied many of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works as well, though she found them but boring replicas of Poe's original genius idea. Either way, the method was easy to pick up after a length of time, though it was never quite so accurate as in the books. Either that or she just didn't care as much. It wasn't her job, nor her passion, nor her creed. Just a hobby. Something to do when nothing else was available. Anyway, she liked it better when people told her. It was more...enlightening. The way people said things and did things opened so many more doors. That was a commonly overlooked thing in such stories. The psychology of it. Sure, it was well and good to have things figured out, but just the voices of people told stories. More stories than could be figured out just by showing off one's skills. It was always best to keep one's cards close to one's chest in those times. Jen never really saw an advantage to letting everyone know one's strengths and weaknesses right off the bat. But what did it matter. Those times were long gone. The world around her was tame. The worst that could happen to her was petty and silly. Or so she thought...

[Skarx]

[Tag: Jen]

 

He was glad the woman was up for chatting for a bit. Her mention of walking around to stretch her legs reminded him that his were getting slightly numb from lack of movements. He'd have to do the same soon if he wanted to get the circulation back to them. It could wait for now though. "Yeah from what I read it is far from civilization, but I guess that's what makes it a nice spot for vacation. Being away from society will be nice." He looked outside quickly then looked back at the woman as she mentioned she was an editor. "A book person I see. I respect that, I myself am not good at reading... I don't have the patience for it most of the time so I just look at movies based on them. Though from what a friend told me they often don't do justice to the book itself. Back home I work as a paramedic and my name is Mikael nice to meet you." He extended his hand to shake hers, if she offered it, as a greeting.

 

They might see each others a couple of time in Ceron so he might as well present himself so it won't be too awkward later if he wanted to say hi. They were a very small group so the chances he did meet her and recognized her were fairly good.

[Mistress of Whispers]

((Tag: Nora))

 

Shortly after the driver announced that they were nearing Ceron, Wisperlee's typing slowed and then stopped. She checked the laptop, trying several commands as well as a few physical buttons, and then checked her phone - restarting that too. Looking resigned, she took out her earplugs.

 

"No reception," she said by way of explanation before she swivelled the laptop towards Nora to show her what she'd found.

 

"These show up in standard search engines," she said as she highlighted all of three newspaper articles - two focusing mostly on the strange case Nora had investigated and mentioning the detective only in passing, and one detailing the recent shooting that had left Nora injured.

 

"And here's what shows up in a more extended search." First there were more newspaper clippings and case reports - found in restricted archives - and from these, Wisperlee had extrapolated the States that Nora liked to work in. That extrapolation had led her to her biggest find: a gun license registration, detailing a place and date of birth for 'Elenora Audra'. After that, Wisperlee had started her search from the bottom up, rather than top-down, and found high school records as well as an article about the shooting that killed John. And then.... her internet had given out.

 

Wisperlee offered no comment as she cycled through the various tabs and windows, nor did she list her finds out loud; instead simply letting the other woman see for herself. After all, she wasn't here to pass judgement and she saw no reason to share Nora's personal life with the bus at large. She was, however, curious to see how the other woman would react.

 

[Mousia]

[Tag: Mikeal]

 

Taking his hand firmly, Jen smiled slightly, but only slightly. She didn't want to be too friendly. After the standard three-second shake, she recoiled her hand and set it on her lap in a normal position. So much normalcy. It was shocking. But yet...comforting. To know exactly the proper etiquette and how to react to everything. But soon all normalcy would be reduced to nothingness.

 

"I'm Jennifer. Very nice to meet you too." She paused a moment. "Sometimes movies based on book are alright. It's really like comparing apples and oranges, if you ask me. It's generally a different story altogether, so what's the use comparing them? I just like to watch a movie for a movie and read a book for a book."

 

(Short post and not that well written, but I almost didn't write it so that's the best I can muster at the moment.)

[senyi]

'This bus...is really dirty,' Eden thought, as he opened the book that he was reading, Daniel Keyes's Flowers for Algernon. 'Lots of damn dust everywhere.' He wasn't very far into the novel, but for a classic, it was one of Eden's favorites. As a child he had originally read the shorter version of the book from cover to cover until he discovered the longer version. Eden had always pitied Charlie, the protagonist because of his inability to be happy for a long time, but he'd always connected with him. Throughout the bus ride, Eden had done little; all he did was sleep and draw sketches of the changing landscape. Since he sat alone towards the back of the bus (to be specific, the second to last row), Eden had little company, but it was probably better that way. After all, he'd probably be the person that would ruin the said tourist's vacation with his snarky comments. Yes, he'd be the rain on the unfortunate individual's parade.

 

Bored, Eden placed his book back in his backpack. Instead, he found his pencil and sketchbook, and began to draw his surroundings.

 

'I'll start with the blue haired lady behind me,' Eden mused as he turned around in his seat in order to get a better view.

 

(Mediocre post, but I'll try harder in the future.)

[Skarx]

(bump before it disappears)