EchoicChamber

Dead Roleplay, Ignore

Dawn’s mouth had softened into a smile at Overreach’s little ditty, lingering on even after he had finished. After spending some time wandering the wastes on her own, such jolly company was welcome. She adjusted her sleeves absently at his question, glancing at the sky for a moment.

“I might try staying here for a bit, actually,” she admitted. “If the prices aren’t too high, of course. It’s, um, it’s been awhile since I’ve stayed in a town.” Her fingers, satisfied with her work on one cuff, moved to the other. “If we don’t see each other again, just, uh, make sure to take care out there.” She gave the group a brief wave before shuffling off deeper into the village, slinging her bag off her shoulder and into her arms.

In the Wastes, money was worth about as much as rocks- unless you worked for the factions in one way or another, that is. It was a system of bartering, and while Dawn had little to offer in the way of services, her travels had seen her gathering a jumble of various goods to exchange. A small sack of coffee beans. Strips of leather. Children’s shoes. Bundles of clothes that impractical, or near impossible for Dawn to fit into. Luckily, it seemed that luxury goods were in demand in this particular settlement, and she managed to replenish her supplies and thensome.

After she finished her little shopping trip, Dawn found herself wandering through the town in search for an inn, a half-eaten loaf of walnut bread in hand. She had been pointed in quite a few directions, but it was a bit difficult when nearly all the buildings were unmarked. Before she could progress further down her current path, however, a body was thrown in her way like a sack of trash.

Dawn stopped, quickly moving to check the man’s pulse. Upon seeing that he wasn’t dead, she knocked back the last of her bread and glanced into the building he had been tossed from; largely out of a sense of morbid curiosity., if she was honest with herself. From what she could see, it was a bar. Dawn wasn’t much of a drinker- alcohol put a heavy damper on her Gift capabilities- and she was about to move on from the sight before she caught a glimpse of a familiar face.

Her brows rose slightly.

“Lucas?”

@Conch Shell VII@Sketcher@Claw2k11@bmxbrat484@Hyro

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“Odd, huh?” Stride didn’t press the subject, aside from a raised brow that went hidden beneath her goggles. A blast like that hadn’t felt like a signal of worry, but there were other things to do than to spend her time interrogating the guy on what he had felt. Rolling her shoulders, Stride knelt down to help Cienna to her feet, then began to walk in the direction of the apartment’s garage. “No problem, lady. Might take a while with all the traffic n’ shit, but I know the place.” Her knowledge of the hospital largely consisted of the fact that, after certain missions, she’d often wind up there herself. Regeneration could do a whole lot, but not exactly when your insides had decided to become your outsides. Stride absently placed a hand below her ribs, then retrieved her keyring from her pocket as she kept forward.

Stride’s car had as much personality as the woman herself- a bright red Hummer H3 with worn leather seats, and a radio that was screaming “Heart-Shaped Box” before Stride politely turned the volume down for her guest. A part of her felt that shutting it off entirely would have been the better move, but given the fact that that would make the drive consist of a long, awkward silence, it felt better to just keep it on for background noise at least.

The song had changed several times over before they made it to the hospital, upon which Stride stalled the car and glanced over to her passenger.“A’ight, here we are. Ya...want my number or somethin’ so ya got a ride back? Don’t know if you’re gonna be wantin’ to stay the night here or not.”

@Erklings25@Daemanis

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It wasn’t a surprise that Julie was…well, pretty damn old, to put it bluntly. Seeing as there was no need for them to hide anymore, stumbling into someone who was a century old at least was becoming more and more common by the day. It wasn’t surprising that she seemed so tired of it all, either. Stride rocked back on her heels, scratching her jaw with a gloved hand. “What Fried said,” she said, eventually. “Look, I haven’t been ‘round long ‘nough for me to know what seein’ ‘eras rise n’ fall’ ‘s like, but here’s the thing. You’re livin’ for someone else now. Ya got yourself a fairy who seems real worried ‘bout you, and it sure as hell seems like she ain’t leavin’ anytime soon. So just...y’know. You ain’t alone anymore in the whole lastin’ long thing.”

It was a relief when the paramedics finally showed, taking Julie off their hands and away to the hospital. There were people out there trained in dealing with age fatigue, and Stride definitely wasn’t one of them. She waited until the ambulance puttered away and out of sight before turning to Cienna, giving her a somewhat awkward tap on the arm.

“Hey, lady. D’ya need a ride home or anythin’? Might take a while, but if ya tell me where to go I can get ya there.”

Most of the warmth had gone out of her packs by now, and she was feeling a tad lightheaded from the cold, but it wasn’t like the hummer didn’t have a heater.

Before the other responded, however, Stride suddenly tensed. Her fingers flew to her hip, and, upon coming up empty, she gave a slight curse under her breath. She had been in enough fights to be able to pick up on those little magic auras or airs or whatever-you-called-’em, and this wasn’t exactly an atmosphere that screamed “welcome”. She glanced about, searching for an unseen threat, only to catch the last flicker of amber drain from Fritz’s eyes.

“Somethin’ up?” Stride kept her voice down, trying not to worsen Cienna’s hysteria. A possible threat was one of the last things they needed at the moment.

@Daemanis@GoodLuckTuck@Erklings25

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If Stride had any notion that what had happened was an accident, it was quickly snuffed out by the next chain of events. A pale-eyed fairy fluttering to Julie’s side, wailing the woman’s name. Julie waking up, only to immediately start sobbing and shouting at a voice only she could hear. Fritz mentioned that she had “done this before”. Wiping her wrist clean on her shirt, Stride reached forward, clasping her hand on Julie’s shoulder with surprising gentleness.

“Look. Julie. I know we don’t talk much, but ya seem like a decent lady. Whatever happened to make ya...y’know, try that, you sure as hell didn’t deserve it. But here’s the thing.” She pulled back, resting a hand on her bent knee. “You might not wanna be here, but these folk sure as hell want you around. They care about ya, Julie. Fritz, and your soulmate over there, they’d be pretty damn torn up if ya weren’t around. They wanna help ya, too. So whatever it is you’re dealin’ with, you ain’t alone.”

Stride reached out again, giving Julie a pat on the shoulder. She was no therapist- hopefully, the folk at the hospital would be able to point the lady to someone who could actually help her out- but she couldn’t really just sit there, twiddling her thumbs like if everything was a-ok. She had to try something at least.

@Daemanis@Erklings25@GoodLuckTuck

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“Oh, thank fuck.” Stride’s head lolled back, and she let out a large breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. “Thanks for not bein’ an asshole ‘bout this, Fried. Some people out there get all hung up over their bond n’ fallin’ in love n’ all that shit, then get all pissy when it all ain’t like some cheesy romance flick. It’s fucked up.” She took a shot.

It wasn’t uncommon for cases like that to roll into the station. Men and women alike, appalled that their “soulmate” didn’t have stars in their eyes as soon as they laid eyes upon their partner, or wanted to take things at a different pace, or had different opinions on children and marriage and lifestyles. Occasionally, this shock would turn to frustration, then anger, then violence.

It was never an easy situation to deal with.

Stride washed down the last of her chips with her drink, and was about to ask about the whole France deal Fritz mentioned when she stilled. Her eyes had glued to the screen in the same way Fritz’s had, her hair puffed up around her face like a frightened cat.

“Shit.” Stride said. “Shit.”

She wasn’t alone in her distress- apparently, it seemed as if both she and Fritz lived in the exact same apartment building. How they had never met before, Stride wasn’t sure, and she honestly found that particular coincidence to be somewhat unnerving, but that didn’t matter now. "Looks like we got one thing in common,” she said. With hasty movements, she reached into her pockets, smacked a handful of crumpled bills onto the counter, then practically flew out of the bar and into the night.

The rain was still falling in icy sheets, and Stride could quickly feel her temperature falling just a few minutes into the trek, but she pushed on- sprinting like death itself was at her heels. By the time that she reached the complex, Stride almost fell flat on her face in an attempt to slow down.

Of course, upon seeing the state the apartment was in- and of the figures scattered around the base- she could hardly regret being a speed freak. She glanced at the building for a moment, let out a hiss under her breath, then rushed over to Fritz and Julie.

To be entirely honest, Stride wasn’t too familiar with the woman. She knew that loud, 80s music often blasted from her apartment, and passed by her in the hall from time to time, but that was all. Regardless of that, Stride didn’t think before kneeling down beside her, pushing her phone at Fritz, and rolling down her sleeves.

“Call the hospital.” She paused, then, as an afterthought, added, “Look, I’m gonna do somethin’ kinda fuckin’ weird right now, so if you’re the squeamish type, just...look away, I guess.”

It was the right side. Stride doubted that Callias would be winning any awards for “best dad” anytime soon, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was teaching. Years after she had left his care, she found herself swiftly drawing a butterfly knife from her pocket, holding bared wrist above Julie’s mouth, and, teeth gritted, slitting open the vein. Some of the blood splattered onto the woman's lips, but, for the most part, the flow hit its target. Stride held her arm in place until the skin had knit itself back together, then tilted Julie’s head up just a bit more, trying to prompt her into swallowing.

Gorgon blood was capable of giving life, and taking it away just as easily. While Stride’s could never be as capable as a full-blooded’s, it still held a sort of watered down power in its own right. It could heal the wounded, and that was enough.

@Erklings25@GoodLuckTuck

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@Erklings25 Oh, damn, I had been hoping to have Stride be living in that apartment complex as well, haha. Do you think it would be too convenient for them to have been living in different sections and have never met because of it? It's fine if it's not, cause I don't wanna seem like I'm trying to force myself into a scene or anything.

_PROJECT: P.H.O.B.I.A._

Dawn’s smile widened a bit further, and she reached out to clasp the offered hand and give it a gentle pump. “I don’t blame you. It seems like the project’s taken a lot out of everyone as it is.” She released her grip and pulled back, her other hand moving to lift the brim of her hat up. “My name is Dawn. It’s nice to meet you, too, Eiko.”

She ignored the scoffing that came from the other side of the room. Perhaps it had been a bit of a redundant question, when most of the gathered subjects were clearly rattled, but Eiko was young. It was somewhat disturbing that they would allow a minor to participate in an experiment like this, so the least she could do was make sure that he hadn’t been too badly affected by it all.

The situation became only more unsettling when the next group walked in- in particular, a woman. One with the lower body of a spider. Admittedly, Dawn started a little upon her walking in, shock written across her face before she wrestled it out of sight and glanced at her lap, guilty.

Dawn had read the warnings. She had signed the forms. She knew very well that this project would put the applicants’ lives at risk, but...nothing on this level.

Eventually, two of the doctors came in. One was a dark-eyed, stern woman, and another, completely silent man, carrying a young woman in his arms. He laid her on the floor for a minute before Williams plucked her up and brought her over- without comment, Dawn stood and moved to another seat, allowing for Eiko to sit next to his sister. The girl’s skin was terribly damaged, and there were splotches of blood drying in various spots across her body.

Brow furrowing, Dawn reached into her purse, pulled out a roll of gauze, and handed it over to Eiko.

“Here,” she said. “It’s not much, but it should keep her wounds from getting infected.”

She went silent for a moment, listening to Ms. Williams introduce herself, fists burrowed in the folds of her skirt. It was only after the good doctor had finished that Dawn turned to their new company, smiling faintly. “Oh, um. Hello. It’s nice to meet you, James. I’m Dawn.” She extended her hand out to the man, the other still dug into her lap.

At the very least, it seemed that Doctor Williams had been confident that nothing particularly worrisome would happen during the experiments.

@Tenma Tendo@Majoras End

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Stride grinned broadly beneath her mask. “Good shit, ain’t it? This place’s got the best damn chips I’ve ever had, can tell ya that.” As if to prove her point, she pulled the fabric back down and tossed back another handful of chips, showing a glimpse of nearly vampiric fangs before her mouth shut again. Up again went the mask, and her expression was once again rendered unreadable. She crunched thoughtfully around her mouthful as she listened, and, after swallowing, there was genuine sympathy in her voice.

“Well. Damn. That fuckin’- that fuckin’ sucks, guy. Sorry to hear ‘bout that.” Even without Fritz saying anything, it was clear enough from the whole “soulmate” thing that the lady had probably been a girlfriend or a wife or something along those lines. Unfortunately for Fried, however, Stride wasn’t exactly a therapist, so the next words that came out of her mouth were,

“Oi, bartender, could ya get me two more whiskeys?”

As soon as the order arrived, Stride pushed the second over, and immediately dove into the first. “So, you’re a demon, yeah? That’s pretty damn cool.” She took a shot, nodding to herself over the information.

“I’m a halfer. Dad’s a gorgon, mom’s human. Been alive and kickin’ for...” Stride trailed off, glancing at the ceiling and furrowing her brow. “Shit. Turned...forty two a while back. I think.”

Another shot. The casual air suddenly seemed to drain from her body as she looked back over to Fritz, then back to her drink. She took a deep breath.

“Hey, look, Freid. Ya seem like a real nice guy. Real classy n’ shit. But the thing is, I don’t really, ya know, believe in the whole…” Stride lifted her hands, giving an overarching gesture. “‘Love at first sight’ shit. Ya know? You don’t know me, and I sure as hell don’t know who you are, so it’d be kinda fucked up to have to start actin’ all lovey n’ shit right off the bat.” She scratched the back of her head. Her hair was moving as if it had a life of its own, twisting and turning and folding in on itself in lashing tendrils.

“So, ya just, y’know, wanna try bein’ pals or somethin’ like that?”

@Erklings25

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@Lucidnonsense That sounds dope, Lucid. I love eldritchy type characters in roleplays.

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It had taken a few tries, and Stride found herself having to snap some of the cartilage that had begun to heal, but eventually she had repaired her nose enough to her satisfaction. She snorted, wiped her face clean with her sleeve, and was pulling up the front of her mask when the guy beside her started talking. Stride gave him a glance over. Seemed friendly enough. Kind of like one of those guys you’d see in a movie, twirling a glass of scotch in his hand and spinning a gun on the counter. She leaned back in her seat, hair moving lazily in some imaginary wind as she reached for her whiskey. “Not my first time, sure as hell not my last.” Stride took a moment to peel away the fabric concealing her mouth, revealing patches of scales smattered along her jaw and chin, before lifting the glass to her lips and taking a long swig.

She was just about to ask him how he knew her name when the guy gave an answer on his own.

There was a pause.

Stride began to choke on her drink.

She took a few moments to gather herself, the liquor burning her airways as she coughed into her hand, then immediately drew her sleeve away from her wrist. Her glowing, burning wrist. “Shit,” Stride muttered under her breath. She lifted a hand in a “wait a moment” gesture, polished off the rest of her glass in one, long swallow, then pulled her mask up and back into place before taking Fritz’s hand.

“Well. It’s, ah, good to meet ya, Freid.” She gave him a hearty shake before releasing, pleased that the mark had decided to stop burning. Not really sure what else to say, Stride turned back to her chips, lowering her mask and tossing a handful down the hatch. She paused, pulled up her mask, and offered the basket to the guy.

“Ya want some chips or...somethin’?”

@Erklings25

---

Madison was making decent time down the path, skipping about the occasional puddle that formed within the dips in the sidewalk and humming snippets of “We’ll Meet Again” under his breath. Even after the many, many years that he had been alive, he had always had a soft spot for the sweeter airs. The wistful. Perhaps it was just nostalgia for past lifetimes, but regardless, Madison found himself drawn to that particular facet of music.

He found himself daydreaming about the past as he wandered along, head so far up in the clouds that it took a minute for him to realize that someone was calling his name. Confused, he turned, only to find a rather bedraggled young woman standing behind him. In her arms was a cute little vase, and the remains of a Forget-Me-Not bouquet.

“Oh, no.” Madison’s eyes widened. In all the excitement of meeting Russell and wrapping up his studies, he had completely forgotten that he had placed an order at the local florist’s. He quickly rushed forward, holding the umbrella over the woman’s head to allow her some reprieve from the rain. “I’m incredibly sorry, Miss. You’ll have to forgive me- today was just such a busy day, I completely forgot- here, you can take my umbrella, if you’d like. I’m so sorry for making you come all this way-”

In the midst of his rambling, Madison suddenly trailed off, a look of surprise on his face. Bringing his free hand up to his lips, he pulled his sleeve down with his teeth, revealing that the text scrawled on it had begun to glow faintly. Slowly, he lowered his arm, staring at the woman with a sort of wonder.

“Would your name happen to be Roe Emlinel, by any chance?”

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