Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 10, 2021 20:51:53 GMT -8
Dani takes a look over to see what the heck Rowan is talking about. Lord of the Flies?
"Can't help you with that one. Tried to get me to read that in school. I probably like SparkNotes'ed it or something. Cliffnotes. Whatever the heck those things were. Uh... not that, uh, that's what's-" she wasn't really apologetic about not doing school work. But there is also the fact that she never graduated. Even her GED is pretty much a forgery that no one actually cares to look at anyway.
She looks at the clock. God, the hour just can't go fast enough. Not that she didn't enjoy the company. It would hopefully make it go faster, but still... freaking clock ticking so damn slow. "We're friends, so sometimes we hang. Shop is pretty chill when I'm working, so..." She shrugs.
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Post by Wayland on Mar 10, 2021 21:14:31 GMT -8
Wayland takes the opportunity to much on her scone, a small bite at first and then a larger one once she decides she likes it, and have a few sips of her coffee while the two other Changelings chat. The scone kind of makes her wish she'd ordered plain coffee, it's a little dry and espresso comes in small quantities. She nods when Fire explains their relationship and, making a decision, finally leaves the shop's counter.
She has a heavy tread, in her big thick-soled leather boots, as her stride crosses the small distance from counter to table. She sets down her beverage and pulls out a chair, still keeping at a side-angle that keeps both Fire and Rowan in her line of sight as she drops down into the seat uninvited. But her attention is on Rowan, and the book he's holding, tilting her head to look at the spine and confirm her suspicions. She shakes her head in distaste, then brings her gaze back to Rowan's face.
"It's not what you think," she begins, meaning his earlier reference to what was probably the Gentry. "The pig's head isn't literally talking to him. In the context of the situation, it's more about..." Her face pinches in concentration as she tries to articulate these complex concepts. She speaks again after a moment, "It's supposed to represent the Devil. The concept of original sin, that we all have this evil inside of us. So the kids, they hear it's voice and listen to it because they're out of control, with no supervision on this island."
She leans back in her chair, setting the edge of her tarnished, silver hand on it's face, with the fingers out and the thumb facing up. "So the message the author wants you to take from that is; without this... externally applied control, all the ways that society and civilization restricts you, you'd succumb to this evil within you, this innate wickedness." She picks up her espresso cup and raises it to her lips, "It's such bullshit," she mutters to herself, before taking a sip.
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Post by Rowan on Mar 10, 2021 21:47:58 GMT -8
"So, like, the Devil is talking to them? I don't know, that seems like a stretch, even by our standards."
When one had beholden the beauty and horror of Arcadia, metaphors weren't something abstract anymore. The Others operated by metaphors, memes in the informatics sense of the word - preconceived fragments of the collective knowledge that build the frame of reference. These things become very real beyond the Hedge, and Rowan had grown up there.
"I've had externally applied control and look how I ended up." This whole book read like some twisted Keeper experiment. Beast, Fairest, Darkling. Rowan could see the seeds of these Seemings planted into each characters and their so-called 'archetypes', or whatever the guide called them. "Didn't we all?"
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Post by Wayland on Mar 11, 2021 9:31:08 GMT -8
Well that is a dark and daunting realization. She hadn't put it in that context before. Hadn't even thought about that book since before her Durance, not until today. Her face makes a cool, sour expression, not at Rowan, just at her thoughts. At the feeling like a stone has formed in the pit of her stomach. "Yeah. You're right. I hadn't thought of it like that before." Stubbornly refusing to let these thoughts put her off, she jams the last of her scone in her mouth and chews contemplatively. Which is a mistake, because as she noticed earlier, it's a little bit dry. Her mouth works for a little while before she finally raises her espresso cup to her lips, draining it to help wash down the last of the pastry.
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Post by Rowan on Mar 11, 2021 10:02:14 GMT -8
"Yep I think I hate this book. I'm likely going to tank my GED and stay a janitor all my life. Amazing."
He pushed the book further away from himself on the table and his leaned back in. "'s fine." He drank some more coffee as he looked outside, then inside, then at the few people there. "What about you?"
Give and take were the fundamentals of a conversation. One side offers something, then the other responds in kind. The Darkling felt that since he's offered conversation material in the form of GED and work stuff, it was only fair that the Ogre offer something too. Her take on the book had fallen flat, but he was willing to give her another chance to be Interesting.
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Post by Wayland on Mar 11, 2021 10:37:51 GMT -8
It takes Wayland a moment to parse 'what about you'. She's not sure where to go with that, and her brows subtly sharpen again with a mild frown. But then her gaze slides back over to the book, and she shrugs, "It's well worth hating. Bullshit, like I said. But if you need it for your GED, try SparkNotes. On the internet." Not everybody who comes back from Arcadia is internet-literate, she reminds herself. "Are you comfortable on a computer?"
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 12, 2021 14:21:54 GMT -8
"Hey," Fire interjects, "You could get your GED and be a janitor anyway, sooo..." She gives one of those completely fake sweet smiles, "Just kidding. You've got places to go."
There is a bit of a chuckle from the Elemental as she leans back against the counter closest to the seating area near Rowan and Wayland, "Unlike my sorry butt," Who had someone sign the paperwork to say I finished and didn't like... disappear the last year. Though she wonders what it could be like if she decides to try and seek something higher. Lots of jobs in professions she wouldn't mind require degrees with money and time she doesn't have. Though, it isn't like she's particularly sorry about where she's ended up. She likes her life and the jobs she does. That's enough. And if it isn't, changing things around isn't hard when your roots aren't so deep.
She is curious though about his comfort with computers not having actually seen him work with any before. Though, it isn't like he has trouble with a phone. He wasn't a kid taken in the 80s and 90s when phones were giant bricks or anything. That was one of those scary trends she had noticed. So many Keepers must have been out and about in the 80s and 90s, snatching up all kinds of people, because every person she's ever heard having been time displaced was from then. So weird.
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Post by Rowan on Mar 12, 2021 15:31:38 GMT -8
Was that a dig? 'Relax, she doesn't know you. It's just a question.' But what if it wasn't? 'You'll deal with it then.'
"Yeah. Watched Tiktoks and all." He fidgeted with his hands. The topic of his mortal life was always uncomfortable for him. He'd lost so much. "Thanks for the tip."
"You're fine Dani. You make way more than me anyway." Was money a taboo conversation topic? After the alcohol fiasco, he wasn't sure anymore. "Um, anyway." He turned back to the Ogre. "I didn't catch your name, sorry."
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Post by Wayland on Mar 12, 2021 15:48:06 GMT -8
She glances back at Fire as the Ifrit makes her self-depricating joke, and snorts, bemused. She'd been there, or at least been somewhere near where she assumes Fire is. Stuck in a dead-end job and feeling doubtful about her prospects. Anything she could say would sound like empty platitudes, so her attention swings back to Rowan. "It's Wayland," she answers him, choosing for the moment the name that Fire had settled on, to avoid any confusion. "And you're Rowan, and that's Fire," she flicks her thumb at the Elemental, "Which means I know two more people today than I did yesterday, which makes this a productive week for my new 'stop being antisocial' agenda." She leans back in her chair and shrugs, "If I was better at small-talk it might be less awkward, but I'll take the win either way." Certainly enough to retroactively justify treating herself to a scone for a reward. Score.
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Mar 14, 2021 13:21:58 GMT -8
"For now," Not that money was actually a sensitive topic for her. At least, not now. Things weren't like then.
"I won't speak for Rowan, but you're in good company in the small talk department over here," she laughs a little bit, "So, you are venturing out trying to not be anti-social. You planning on hitting up some of the warmer ones?" Obviously in reference to the other Summers. They hadn't had a little Summer get together in a hot minute, perhaps that's something they could do soon. That would be fun.
Thoughts drifting for a moment on the kind of characters that could be there. A little twitch at the idea of Solomon, but nah, he wouldn't show up for a wee socialization kinda thing. ...would he? That made her eye twitch a little thinking about it.
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Post by Rowan on Mar 15, 2021 14:48:50 GMT -8
"Small talk makes no sense to me. But that's just me."
Rowan finished his drink and went to toss it out. What was it with him and always ending up surrounded by High Seasons? Summer was marginally better, insofar that they didn't shove their opinions down your throat. He hung back a little, letting the two a moment to talk about their Things. Something told him his awkward silence would be, well, awkward. Dani would feel the need to include him, he'd keep silent, and there will by much awkwardness. Pass.
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Post by Wayland on Mar 15, 2021 15:35:05 GMT -8
She shrugs, her hands following the movement of her shoulders, silver palms tilting up off the table, thumbs pointing up towards the roof, then drumming back down. "I don't really have a plan, just an... agenda, I guess. But yeah, hitting the hot spots is a good idea." She means people there, not places, though that might not be clear. Her gaze goes from Fire to Rowan, not quite able to figure him out. Maybe he wants to escape this conversation. Wayland weighs how she feels about that for a second. 'Nope,' she decides. 'I'm not feeling bad about this conversation. I met two people. I can talk to them more later. I'm taking the win.' She reaches into a pocket, producing a slim, steel carrier for business cards, and removes one. She pulls a pen from her pocket and jots something down on the back side, then holds it out to Fire.
BOHANNON IRONWORKS Traditional & Modern Forging Ramona Bohannon [phone number] [website] [on the reverse side, a different phone number in hand-written pen]
"Here. I should get back on the road, but it's been nice to meet you. Gimme a call if you want to chat or hang out." Maybe they'd have better luck next time. No surprise random encounter at work for Fire, and Rowan could control the pace at which they got to know each other. Might be more comfortable that way.
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