[01]

[decrypts]

[this, ladies and gentlemen of the plane, is york. standing about as lax as he's ever been in his life - which is saying something, given the fact that he's almost always seen slouching in his armor. (catch him taking a catnap inside the safety of his helmet during a mission briefing? yeah, that's happened a few times. sometimes, he wonders how he's still the board's number two. he likes to think it's because he's just that important to the project and it's cause.)

back to the matter at hand.

york is thinking - to himself, of course - that this is probably one of the strangest things he's ever seen in his life. a stretch of sand that looks like it belongs in the middle of a desert with how barren it is, no water, no trees? yeah, this is pretty .. weird, and he's wondering just what's going on when he turns to see if he's the only one out here.

which means, basically, he's wondering if he's going to end up talking to himself when he starts working out the dynamic of how he's found himself here in the first place.

out loud.

because that's how he rolls.] If this was a training sim .. you'd think there'd be a lock or something for me to crack. Some security protocols to override or .. something - [he cuts himself off, tilting his head to the side and staring at the stretch of sand in front of him, wondering idly if it ever ends.

it's kind of eerie to think that it doesn't.] So what the hell am I supposed to do? Sit around and wait for something to happen? Psh .. man, why did I ever stop carrying puzzles around in my pocket?

[because he's convinced that's the only thing that will be able to keep him occupied.]

Comments

[punkblaze]

[Hello, York. Have a redheaded punk, smoking a cigarette. He came to the beach to think, because his life just got a fuck of a lot weirder. He... did not expect to find an armored guy contemplating security overrides. That's... that's pretty weird too.

He blinks... and then cracks a small smile.]

Hey. ... You new here?

[decrypts]

[hello, redheaded punk smoking a cigarette. contemplating security overrides is just one of the many things he does with his time, so while it might not be normal for you, it's par for the course for him.

but at the sound of his voice, he turns to face him fully, tilting his head to the side at that smile.] You .. could say that, yeah.

[punkblaze]

Thought so. Welcome to the Astral Plane.

[He drops his cigarette into the sand and further snuffs it out with his boot. He was only a little over halfway done with it, but it doesn't matter. Talking to people works as distraction too.]

I'm Eithan Paine. It's... kind of weird around here, but it's not too hard to get the hang of it. Want a tour or somethin'? Explanation? I could get you a brocure? No really. Someone made brochures.

[decrypts]

.. thanks?

[he's about as unsure about this place as he ever has been about anything else, but he has to admit that it's nice to be able to talk to someone that seems to know the territory.

so he nods, friendly as always.] Call me York - and yeah, I uh .. I noticed. What's with the lack of water around here, anyway? [he pauses, smirks a bit at what eithan is saying.] How would you even go about making brochures for a place like this? But .. I wouldn't mind a tour, I guess. And an explanation. Both sound pretty good right about now.

[traitortwin]

[Oh, of all the fucking times...

She doesn't know if York's spotted her yet, but she quickly drops from the Plane so she can pick up the notebook and pen she left behind in order to deal with her brother. She returns to the Plane with both, scribbles a little something on the top page, and then marches over to York.

She waits until she has his attention, then turns the notebook around for him to see: "What the hell are you doing here ??" ]

[decrypts]

[of all the - whoa.

nope. he isn't expecting this. normally he stays about as far away from south as he possibly can, just for the simple fact that he never knows when she's going to be on a rampage. but .. what the hell is with the notebook?

he blinks, stares at it, and then back at her.] Thought I'd take in the serenity of this beach, here, except .. it's not that serene. What's with the notebook?

[traitortwin]

[She looks around the beach. Serene? Yeah, no, not this place. Maybe if it actually had some water... ... Okay. No. More important things first. Right. She's about to start scribbling out a short little explanation of where they are, but then he asks about the notebook. ... So she sighs switches gears a bit. One more second...

She's done writing, and turns the notebook for him to read:]

"I can't talk. I can explain later. And if you laugh I'll kill you.
Did you just get here? Do you know what this is?"

[decrypts]

[yeeeah .. he's joking, of course. c'mon, south, you've known him long enough to be able to pick up on that sort of thing, haven't you?

but he reads what she's written, eyes carefully following the words on the page,and he really has to subdue the urge to giggle at the fact that she can't talk.

south? not being able to say a word? ... good lord he's hit the jackpot.

york clears his throat, swallows the laughter that's so close to giving him away and sending him on a one-way trip to oh god ow, takes a breath and sobers up.] Okay, okay, I promise I won't laugh. Yeah, I just got here - and .. I'm not entirely sure, no.

[vengefulagent]

[If York thinks a stretch of beach, wait until he sees...well, everything else.]

[Wash is just putting his helmet back on after cleaning the inside of it--really, having a sneezing fit inside one of these things is really fucking awful--when he spots a familiar figure in the distance. Of course, York isn't the Freelancer he's looking for, but if York's here now... Ugh. He just adds many, many things to the list of rules and things he'll have to explain.]

From a good thirty-forty feet away, Wash is making his way up the beach] York? [He starts jogging, and there's no mistaking that armor] Man, it really is you.

[decrypts]

[he turns at the sound of that voice - because there's no way in the world he could ever mistake it - and once he sees those familiar colors, he knows he can't be seeing things. still, he blinks, just making sure that it's not a mirage or anything.

because you never know, right?] Wash? Hey - [he waves, spreading his arms out wide on either side of him.] What're you doing here?

[vengefulagent]

I could ask you the same thing. [His words aren't accusatory or anything. He's actually more surprised than anything--as well as a little stuffed up.]

How long have you been able to come to the Plane? You should've said something!

[decrypts]

[and he just shrugs, smirks, though wash can't see it through his visor.] First time, actually. Still, uh .. tryin' to get used to the whole thing.

[he pauses, tilts his head to the side in contemplation.] You okay? You sound a little .. congested.

[docinawall]

[since back home Doc is currently stuck in a wall in the desert, coming to the Plane so he can ditch the wall and wander a sandy beach might be an odd choice of activity. then again, it's Doc. plus, he's exploring the beach for the first time, and he was (mistakenly) hoping it would have water. oh well]

[while it may not have water, it does have one unexpected element--a man in armor. armor, in fact, that is neither red nor blue. the minute Doc spots York, he gasps and puts his hands up] You're a Freelancer! [you know, in case York didn't already know that] Don't shoot! I don't want to die! Why is it always Freelancers?

[decrypts]

[you'll have to tell him about that sometime, doc. it sounds .. really interesting. he doesn't really have anything to escape back home, but .. seeing new places is always fun and adventurous, right?

but when he sees the other set of armor, he just .. stares at it for a second, and when doc starts yammering ..

he has to wonder what kind of experience this guy has with freelancers. well, okay, not just that .. but that's what's on his mind right now.] Whoa, whoa, calm down, buddy. I'm not gonna shoot. You haven't done anything.

Yet.

[okay so that last little bit is just for posterity, and .. because he's kind of a brat sometimes.] Yeah, I'm a Freelancer. What do you know about us?

[docinawall]

You're sure? [at least, that's what he says first--and then York has to add that one more word, and Doc adds a squeak of:] Oh. I won't do anything, really! I never do anything!

Uh...is that a trick question? [actually, he's been asked a similar question before, about different people. it brings up bad memories] O-or if this is an interrogation, I'll talk! You don't have to hit me!

[decrypts]

Okay, seriously, calm down. I was just messing with you. I won't do anything. Promise. [jeez .. he's wondering if this guy is always this twitchy, or if he's just caught in on a bad day or something. either way, he can't help but to think that this is going to be a very interesting conversation regardless of the subject matter.]

A trick question? Nah .. I'm just curious -

Would you calm down?

[lamb_of_gold]

[There's someone sitting towards the edge of the barren stretch of sand, and that someone has been giving him a curious look during his little monologue.]

Not one to remain idle, hm?

[Despite the look, that voice is most certainly masculine.]

[decrypts]

[shit, someone heard me talking to myself.

way to be observant of your surroundings, york.]

I talk myself though things, y'know .. keeps me on track.

[never mind the fact that there's nothing to talk himself through, here. he really had just been talking to himself.

whoops.]

[lamb_of_gold]

On track, or calm?

[bonnypiperlad]

[Maybe York won't have to wait too long for something to happen, because there's a blip and something appears just off to one side. It's some sort of creature - reddish-orange in color and not terribly tall, with a series of horns standing up on its head. The horns seem to be all different lengths, with knobbly bits on them that give them the appearance of pipes.

It also has a pair of wings jutting from its back, a series of raised bumps covering its arms, torso and back...and if one looks closely enough, a pair of very human-looking brown eyes.

Right now, the beast appears to be disoriented - or at least somewhat confused, as it's looking around in a way that comes across as more baffled than anything else.]

[decrypts]

[now, this .. this is something york isn't expecting. which is kind of stupid, because it seems like anything goes around here - just for the simple fact that he'd been able to get here without any effort at all.

even if he's still trying to fully understand what here is.

he stares at the creature that's just appeared for a moment, wary, though he doesn't take out his pistol. he never takes a shot unless he's being actively threatened, and right now .. it doesn't seem like this thing even really knows where it is, much less has any intent to do him harm.

he cocks his head to the side, just keeps on staring, thinking that he's pretty sure shit can't get much weirder if it tried.] H-hey .. buddy .. you look a .. a little lost ..

[oh god please don't eat me please don't eat me please don't -]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Some of the confusion seems to lift as the creature turns towards the man in armor. That part of things is unfamiliar, but now that some of the immediate strangeness from the change has settled, it does seem to realize where it is.]

Hey? No, I know where I am...Ooh, my head.

[Unfortunately, the words it's saying don't come out as words so much as they do an unintelligible series of noises. But the clawed hand that's brought up to the side of its head may do a rather better job of conveying the whopping great headache it has right now. Well, that and the fact the otherwise alien-looking features of its face has a certain amount of mobility, because there's definitely some wincing involved too.]

Late tag is late >.>

[betrayedtwin]

[Some time after South leaves him, North decides to do a bit of exploring on his own. Wandering around the mansion only does him so much good, and besides, he knows the main floor layout by heart now. If he's going to be like this for a while...he's going to used to it--and his makeshift cane.

So, as he walks, there's an occasional tap, tap, tap of the broom handle (the head of which has long since been removed), but he's slower in his movements. He's listening to the tapping, the sounds his feet make and if the noises both of them make change, and listening for those around him. It's while he's doing that that he catches the sound of a voice he doesn't expect to hear. He slows to a stop, looking in the direction of the voice, his white, opaque eyes looking around him, a confused look on his face. (Yes, he's wandering around without his helmet, but he's still in his armor.)]

Hey, is that who I think it is? York? Say something again.

it's never too late for north! c:

[decrypts]

[even though he knows north is here, it's something of a surprise to see him roaming around on his own. to say he looks odd walking around with that makeshift cane is putting it a bit mildly, but seeing his eyes .. damn. for some reason, he'd been hoping that it hadn't been true, even though south doesn't have any reason at all to lie to him about something like this.

it's her brother, after all.

to make it a little easier, york walks over to the other man, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling behind the cover of his visor even though he knows he can't see it.] Yeah, it's me. I've already seen South - she told me about you. Not .. in so many words, though. [he can't help a small chuckle here.] How are you?

[betrayedtwin]

[He can't help his own chuckle.] I'm better than I was earlier. [Gently he taps his the end of his 'cane' on the ground.] Between South and this, I'm slowly getting used to things.

[Well...more like resigned himself to it than truly accepted it.]

Did...did South seem all right? Aside from the not being able to talk thing, I mean.