Kin in the Odeon

3/1/2009

08:28 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

Currently the moon is in the waxing Crescent Moon phase (36% full).
It is currently 20:24 Pacific Time on Sun Mar 1 2009.
Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 48 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius). The wind is calm today. The barometric pressure reading is 29.74 and falling, and the relative humidity is 89 percent. The dewpoint is 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius.)

Harbor Park -- The Meadow(#194RJ)
One of the last bastions of green left in the city, mottled and withered grass and weeds covers the earth like a badly stained carpet, with the construction work turning what is left into just bare dirt. The vegetation seems marginally healthier the further it is from the river and much healthier towards the central area of the park around the fountain. Construction work is ongoing here: a raised earthen berm about five feet tall is being built all around the park perimeter, with two breaks each at the Bridge Street entrance and the First Street end. Wooden posts are being erected at regular intervals all along the earthen wall, while tasteful iron gates and fences are being added at the entrances. Overpowering the scent of living vegetation are the exhaust fumes from a busy street to the west and an unpleasant stench from the Columbia River to the east. From the street view or river view, the park is now isolated, as if it existed apart from the city. People in tall buildings have an excellent view of any goings-ons for now, though. In the center of the park, a small glade of six tall trees and a flower bed surrounds the fountain.
The murky waters of the Columbia River flow swiftly along the east side of the park. Bracketing the park to the west is First Street and the city of St. Claire.
Contents:
Daphne
Obvious exits:
Bridge Street  Fountain  First Street  River

The relative calm has brought people out, though Harbor Park remains relatively deserted, as usual. Daphne is taking advantage of the quiet and the fading light, detouring through the park on what must be some sort of errand. She carries several canvas bags as well as the usual messenger.

Yi also appears to be taking advantage of that fading light. It's like a signal for her, a virtual silent alarm clock to the start of her day - or night, as it were. She has a bag of her own, but it's a garbage bag and it's already clinking with some sounds of cans and bottles within. The Gnawer fostern just happens to be rooting through one of the trashcans in Daphne's detouring path when she comes up with a styrofoam takeout box.

Daphne stops, a bemused, tentative smile coming to her lips. "Hi," she says, very quietly.

Yi sniffs at the contents of the box and then startles a little despite the quiet voice, head whipping around to see who spoke. After a couple of blinks, she recognizes the girl and a smile comes. "Hello," returns the ragabash. Her hands still grip the box. Her eyes go to the bags on the other, arching up brows in curiosity.

Daphne swallows, and she glances down, awkward. "I was, um, I was going to drop these off for some-- some friends, at the old theater?" Her gaze returns to the Gnawer and the smile tugs upward, just a little, at one corner. "But I'm sure I could spare some for you. There's a couple of rotisserie chickens, and some bits of less perishable stuff... and rolls and biscuits."

"I thought I smelled chicken," Yi chews over in thought as she looks back up to Daphne's face. It takes a little bit for her to put more together as she asks with burgeoning curiosity, "Old theater? Which one?"

Daphne lifts a shoulder, and glances over toward the streets. "Odeon?"

Yi blinks in some more surprise, twitching in reaction. "You're familiar with the Odeon?" she asks, this time her volume subconsciously modified to be more furtive. "You have... family there?"

"Friends..." There's a slight tremor in her voice, and when she looks to the girl again she takes an inadvertent step back. She looks almost... sickened for a moment, before the mask shuts down her expression. "You--"

Yi looks down to the battered takeout box in her hand. "I, ah, I live there," she explains softly. Then, holding up the box to show, she adds, "Tonight's dinner."

"Then you--" Her voice is almost pallid, washed out with repressed emotion. "Then you saw. You know what it means and-- and you didn't, you didn't say anything?" Her brow furrows, and she lowers her eyes. "I don't understand."

Yi wets her lips, looking at the woman with a subdued demeanor. "Come on," she invites her gently, "This is not the place to speak of such things." Her hand moves to gather the clanking and clinking garbage bag, the other holding the styrofoam box anyway. Whether or not Daphne follows though, the ragabash starts to walk anyway.

"Yeah," she says quickly, moving to follow. "Yeah, I'm sorry." That low, hoarse voice holds tension, and all the repressed feeling her expression keeps hidden.

Odeon - Lobby(#4049RJ)
The Odeon's lobby is testament to a faded and perverted glory. The deep crimson carpet is thick in places but in others stubbly as velveteen, and the rich pattern of tangling flowers is everywhere marred by dark stains. The walls are clothed in kingly purple tatters of wallpaper, and covered with faded posters featuring women and men in various states of undress, posing with various degrees of tastelessness, and screaming out titles like "Male Service", "Bang Bang: a Sexual Explosion", and "A Slip of Her Tongue" in garish lettering. There's no light in the room but what comes in from the street, and during the day the actresses look grey and ghoulish, and the bright reds and purples of the room faded and dusky; and at night, the place might as well be covered in thick black paint.
Immediately in front of the entrance is dull matte turnstyle which no longer turns, where once tickets were taken. To the right are a pair of doors which some joker has labelled "Pimps" and "Hos" with red spraypaint: these are the washrooms. To the left are a pair of doorways which lack actual doors, and opposite is a grand set of boarded doors which lead into the theatre proper.
Please check +view for further description.
Contents:
Daphne
Obvious exits:
Upstairs  THeatre  Street

Yi leads on down further south of the park, making quite a few twists and turns that would normally have one lost in the alley maze of the industrial side of downtown St. Claire. But once they hit the vicinity of the Odeon, she's a little less paranoid and lets Daphne into the lobby without a worry. The lobby itself is chock full of a bizarre sight. Spare change pasted into concrete covers the entire lobby with the exceptions of the pornographic posters and sparse furniture. But, even the ceiling and walls sport coins of actual usable denominations. Yi crosses over to the turnstyle at the front of the entrance and hops over it, gesturing the woman further in.

Daphne lets out a sharp breath as she steps in, almost a laugh. "I've--never actually been in here..." She swallows, and follows the Gnawer past the turnstiles. "I was hoping to find Sean and have him drop this stuff off, or I was just gonna leave it here..."

"Sean... is an interesting guy," Yi says in euphemism as she tosses her bag of recyclables haphazardly to one side. "And we had some decorators come in recently. Can you tell?" Her eyes go to their surroundings before moving to find a small lamp. A flick of her lighter later and they've got a bit more light. "So, you know about us? I have not been here for some time, so, I am sorry I did not recognize you." The styrofoam box is set down where the lighter had been, and the lid is left open.

"It's all right..." Daphne gestures with one of the bags. "Want some chicken, while it's warm?"

Yi brightens up at the offer, perking. "You really didn't have to," she says as she moves towards the bag indicated. "But thank you. You are most generous, Daphne. You said you have other places you were going to?" She glances up from the bag to the girl.

Daphne shakes her head minutely, lowering her eyes. "No," she murmurs, "it's for your tribe." Setting the cloth sacks down for a moment, she paces away, exploring the space.

Odeon - Theatre(#3973RA)
The floor sticks to one's shoes like flypaper, and the seats all sag limply under even the slightest pressure. It's dark and dank with the evaporation of untold unknown liquids, and sounds echo menacingly off the soundproofed, honeycombed walls. The theatre is like a giant abandoned hive filled with row upon row of empty egg sacs; about a hundred of them, arranged in two columns, with three neat walkways, one through the middle and one on either side. High up and inset over the lobby doors is the projectionist's booth, a small alcove overlooking the theatre; opposite it is the screen, framed by ratty curtains that no longer close, and taking up most of the wall. It can no longer serve its purpose, though: the screen is no longer blank, scrawled across it, from top to bottom, is a disconcerting mess of fluorescent graffiti which glows out bright oranges and greens even in the dark theatre. Like massive glowing worms the lines coil in and out of tags and outlines of images, in a roiling, reeling, psychedelic nightmare. The hundred empty seats all point towards it, mute and dusty.
Contents:
Daphne
Obvious exits:
LObby  Alley

Yi's own exploring fingers find the chicken, and it isn't long before she's cut herself a nice quarter of it, leg and thigh. "You should have some too," she says as she sets about to slice off the other leg too using a knife she's taken from somewhere pocketed in her clothing. Brooking no protest, she brings the two pieces along with the lantern as she follows after the woman, trailing her exploring path. When they get into the theater, that same coin-concrete combination inexplicably adorns the floor and the walls. At first it's a silent follower that Yi makes. But eventually she speaks up, careful to swallow around her bite of chicken, "Are you... are you also Rat's child?"

Daphne swallows. "No," she answers, soft and hoarse. "Fianna." She touches a chair, and makes a face. "I don't think I could eat in here."

Yi looks down at her hand with the other leg, only after a moment realizing aloud, "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't wash--... sorry." She looks around, having no real place to put the other quarter of the chicken down. So instead, she retreats back to the lobby for a brief moment, shuffling over the concrete. In the quiet, the very faintest sounds of scratching and squeaks can be heard. Then, Yi returns.

Daphne turns to watch for her, a little forlorn as she's left alone in the dim, unfamiliar space. She looks almost bleak, when Yi returns--and swiftly apologizes. "I didn't mean you-- I didn't mean that. Just that it's-- a little scary."

Yi wipes off her hands against her jeans as she walks back in, looking up at the taller woman for her apologies. The ragabash however, just shakes her head. "I forget sometimes. You see, I was living out in the woods for the past year and," she pauses with her own rambling. "Well, anyway. It isn't much, but it works." Her eyes move back to the other, studying from afar. "Are you still planning on doing yoga tonight at the park?"

Daphne shakes her head quickly. "I don't-- usually do that," she says quietly. "It's too... open."

"Really? It's nice at night though," Yi considers aloud. "Even though... you are right. It would not be a safe place. But! Maybe if you would like, I could come with you? Keep a good eye out? Maybe you can teach me some." Her hands continue to get rubbed against her clothing, as if a touch self-conscious now.

Daphne glances toward her, offering a shy, nervous half-smile. It is, at least, a departure from the city-dweller's mask she usually wears. "I'd be happy to teach you, if you want, sometime.

Yi bobs her head agreeably, then bows it entirely in a show of respectful self-made discipleship. "Please!" she says enthusiastically.

The woman's smile widens a little. "Where are you from?"

Yi peeks up from the bowed position. "Where am I from?" echoes the ragabash of the question. "Hong Kong," then comes the answer, her shoulder preceding a roll back up to a straightened height. "But I have lived here in the United States for..." A moment is taken to count. "Almost nine years." Another moment is taken to think. "But nobody is supposed to know that. I.N.S., that is." She taps her fingertips together and then echoes the question back at her, "What about you?"

Swallowing, Daphne smiles a little as she answers-- a nostalgic sort of smile. "San Francisco. Sept of the Golden Gate. I've been here--" She glances away, then, a sudden crack in her composure. "I don't know how long, it depends on what you count, I guess."

At first, Yi brightens at the mention of San Francisco. But that crack in the other's composure follows with a dimming of her own as she too looks away. "I went to San Francisco," the Gnawer murmurs. "It is a nice city. Chinatown was... like home." Her throat clears again, she scratches her cheek lightly and then turns back to her. "You go to school, then? Work? Both?"

"Both," Daphne answers, looking down as she scuffs a foot against the grime on the floor. "Grad school at SCCU. Chemistry. I do some teching and some lab work..."

Yi looks impressed, but then shortly afterwards embarrassed as she too looks down. "I never really finished my schooling," she admits, "But. I did manage to teach myself English. I did tour guide work when I was younger. In Hong Kong." Her hand scratches at the side of her head. "Have you ever read Charlotte's Web? That was the last book I was reading..."

Daphne nods , offering another faint half-smile. "Yeah, it's good. You got a--no, I guess you prolly don't have a library card. I could get you one?"

Yi shakes her head slowly. "No cards. All cash," she remarks in answer, seemingly not bothered by this lack. "I stopped when Templeton reached the fair with all the food..." continues the no-moon in memory. "Oh, but," she then says as she snaps back to the present, "I am not meaning to step on your toes or force you to do anything. Please. You are Fianna kin, after all. Your family might need a few library cards of their own." She quirks a smile again, one half going wry with humor.

Daphne offers a faint half-smile again. "It wouldn't have a picture or a name or anything. The system isn't very sophisticated here. And you know, you can just go in, anytime."

"You mean they don't care about who has whose card?" Yi asks curiously. "Maybe... hm. Maybe, then, I could get one of these." The latter statement gets a couple of nods. "That is true." A short pause after, she leans in and says in hopeful tones, "Maybe you'd like to come before they close? I could use some help to choose new books."

Daphne's smile tugs upward, something genuine coming to her eyes. "Sure, I'd like to go there anyway. I can just borrow something for you, long as you'll take it back eventually."

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