Daine's Arrival [Closed]

[wildmage_daine]

Daine Sarrasri knows that wandering about with only Cloud and the other People for company might not be the wisest idea she's ever had, but the recent snowfall--the first of the season--is too tempting. It's been months since she's had the chance to take a quiet ride for no reason but the pleasure of it, with no particular destination in mind and no need to hurry. Given how busy things have been--and how busy they're likely to get, as it's only a matter of time before some immortals cause a ruckus somewhere--she's happy to seize the chance while she has it.

At least there haven't been any new holes torn in the barrier lately, and the forest around the castle is safer than most, thanks to frequent patrols. It's not a guarantee that there won't be trouble, but she has her bow--already strung, just in case--and she's quick enough with her shifting that she's not too worried. If anything, it's Cloud's safety that might be a concern. Daine taking a hawk shape and flying off wouldn't do her pony much good.

Cloud lets out an indignant snort, reminding Daine that she's not a helpless foal in need of coddling. If there's trouble, it's as likely to come from the stork-man as an immortal.

Daine can't help smiling at Cloud's less-than-flattering nickname for Numair, but it turns into a wince a moment later. She isn't sure what to think about her teacher's recent protective streak. Given what happened in Carthak, she supposes it was fair enough at the time… but she hopes he isn't planning on continuing with it now that they're home. She doesn't think he'd get into a pet over her outing, but she wasn't certain enough to tell him about it and risk his grousing.

A jay's warning call startles Daine and Cloud, who stops in her tracks. There's something up ahead that has the People upset, and Daine catches something through the bare branches--a glimmer, or a flicker--that reminds her of the holes she's seen torn in the barrier. A quick survey of the nearby animals confirms that there are no two-leggers about, though. Barring mages, who--or what--could be making the hole? Daine's mind races as she slips off Cloud's back. Is the barrier so weak that holes are just appearing? There's a problem they don't need.

"Stay put," Daine orders Cloud as she draws an arrow from her quiver and edges toward the spot where the flickers seemed to be coming from. If any nasties show up, she wants Cloud to have a head start. She doesn't feel any nasties, though; there's no unpleasant buzz of an angry immortal in her mind. If there is a hole in the barrier, nothing seems to be passing through it. Frowning, she steps forward.

There's a whinny from Cloud, and then the world gives a sickening tilt that blurs Daine's vision and sends her sprawling. She lands harder than she expected, because there's suddenly no snow to cushion her. Instead, there's a crunch of frozen grass, and the wind is knocked out of her.

As she gasps for air, she realizes that she can no longer hear Cloud, not even in her mind. Her range with Cloud ought to be miles; how can she not hear her? In a panic, she casts her magic out like a net. There are squirrels, pigeons, a few horses, a fair number of cats and dogs, rats (lots of rats), and--she jerks back as soon as she reaches a menagerie, though she hears enough in that brief moment to confirm that it's not their majesties', but one she doesn't recognize.

Belatedly, she realizes that sending out her magic might have been a mistake. All the People in her range are now aware that she's here and eager to meet her (with the exception of the rats, who are no more welcoming now than they were in Carthak), and she's in no position to greet them properly. Please, not yet, she silently calls as she waits for her head to stop spinning. I'd love to meet you all, but I need a little time, first. There's an agreeable ripple of response, and most of the People go back to whatever they were doing before she interrupted them.

After a steadying breath, Daine pushes herself up and blinks to clear her vision. She doesn't recognize anything, not the smooth lawn, or the trees, or the handful of gray squirrels eyeing her curiously. Even the air is unfamiliar.

Where is she?

Comments

[rebelnpc]

Yeah, no. But they'll have plenty of rats! She likes rats, doesn't she? They're animals, after all.

He nods. "We have some apartments above-ground -- homes for people to live in, in one of the skyscrapers -- but all the ops stuff is down here." He says that as if he thinks it'll be reassuring for her to know she can get accomodations in one of the giant metal buildings. Hey, he'd like to live above-ground.

[wildmage_daine]

Speaking of. Daine wrinkles her nose as they descend; the rats are less than welcoming, and she can feel their unfriendliness like an itch. It reminds her of docking at Carthak, though at least the rats here aren't as concentrated as they were at the docks. Rather, they keep their distance, not wanting to associate with Daine--or with the cat she carries.

Daine furrows her brow at the idea of living in a skyscraper, though it's the idea of living here that upsets her as much as doing so in a skyscraper. She's not staying--not any longer than she has to.

Belatedly, it she realizes that quite a few other folk must have come through the rift--that's how it sounds, anyway. Otherwise, how would they know so much about it, and why would they need homes for anyone?

"Just how many folk does the rift bring here?" she asks.

[rebelnpc]

Yuri isn't thinking of rats, naturally. He's aware they exist, but he doesn't really think about them unless he's having to help put out traps, the same way he doesn't think about most animals unless he's directly confronted with one.

If she asked, she might be interested to find that Yuri himself arrived through the rift. Or she might not.

"Too many," he replies. "Hundreds of us." If not more; it's hard to judge how many came through before Romac started up.

[wildmage_daine]

Hundreds? She winces in sympathy; she knows what it's like to find yourself beset by those from other realms. Though 'beset' might not be the right word if the rift is only spitting folk out one at a time... and that's assuming most of those who are brought here aren't out for a fight.

It takes her a minute to clock the 'us,' but when it hits her, she glances at Yuri in some surprise. "You came through the rift, too?"

[rebelnpc]

Most of them aren't violent, no, or at least don't have a fight to pick with the people here. Still, they have to be housed, and fed, and given work to do. Yuri knows that too well.

"Yeah," he nods, sounding slightly awkward. "A while back. This isn't really all that different from where I come from, though."

[wildmage_daine]

So much for him being from Tortall or any of its neighboring countries, then--though she'd figured as much when she'd had to explain mages to him. It's still a bit disappointing, though.

She tries not to think too hard about him having been here for 'a while.' Well, if he's from a world without mages, it would be that much harder for anyone from his realm to find him, wouldn't it? Daine shifts her grip on the cat so she can brush her fingers against the badger claw around her neck. Her friends are a different matter.

It must be terrible, though, to be stuck here without much hope of getting back where you belong. "I'm sorry," she says quietly.

[rebelnpc]

Yuri gives a little shrug, not quite making eye contact. "I'm doing okay," he says. This isn't about him and his problems; it's about getting Daine into the fold somewhere safe. "I've made a lot of friends here -- it's really not so bad."

He means to reassure her about her own prospects. She's probably still in denial, but eventually she's going to find that she really can't leave.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine can't see how being permanently displaced by the rift could be 'not so bad,' and decides that Yuri's probably trying to reassure himself as much as her. She lifts her shoulders in an agreeable shrug instead of expressing her doubts, not wanting to make him feel worse.

"Do most of the people who come through come from realms like this one?" If so, that would be some comfort. Maybe those from realms like hers aren't always noticed because they don't end up staying too long.

[rebelnpc]

It's all relative, isn't it? He nods. "Yeah, I mean, not everyone's from a version of New York, but most of them seem to come from Earth. An Earth, I mean. But then you have people like Kuiv." He frowns. He'd better try to avoid introducing Daine to Kuiv. "There are some from different worlds, like yours," he finishes, thinking maybe she's asking because she thinks she won't be able to relate to anyone.

[wildmage_daine]

It's strange to think that the rift mostly deals in humans; in Daine's experience, holes in the world tend to spit out things that are very much not. "Kuiv?" she prompts, wondering if they're some sort of immortal.

[rebelnpc]

"She's an alien," he explains. "From, um, another planet. She used to be a soldier, I guess; she's...a little hard to get along with."

He says it as if he's worried she'll overhear somehow, even though there's no sign whatsoever of this Kuiv person as they move deeper into the underground area. Soon they'll pass the locked entrance to the base proper, Yuri's familiar face getting them past the guards inside.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine blinks. She's gazed at other planets through a telescope before, but this is the first she's heard of people living on them. At least soldiers are familiar territory, though she still isn't sure she necessarily wants to meet this Kuiv. She's just a bit curious to see what she looks like.

As they approach the entrance, Daine slows, growing apprehensive. She doesn't like the thought of there being barriers between her and the way out, and this looks like a good bit more than a simple door or gate. Yuri might have said that she'd be free to leave if she wanted--or implied it, anyway--but this door, with its visible locks, says something very different.

[rebelnpc]

The locks and the hidden nature of the door are to keep people out -- at least, that's the way Yuri looks at it, and the way Daine and others are meant to see it.

He reaches out to take her hand again, if she'll let him. "Are you okay?" he asks.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine might come to see it that way, but right now, all she sees are the locks, and locks make her think of cages.

She eyes Yuri's hand, but doesn't take it. "You said I could leave if I wanted," she says, trying not to sound accusing.

[rebelnpc]

"Yeah," he says, brow furrowing in concern. He looks at the door, cracked open now with an impatient guard watching them. "You can. This is to keep people out."

Mostly.

[wildmage_daine]

Spotting the guard doesn't help ease Daine's mind. Now it's not just locks she might have to plow through if she has to escape; it's guards, too.

"Promise?" she blurts, feeling a bit silly for asking, but needing the reassurance. Plus, a very small part of her thinks that it might be best to remind him that if she wants to leave, she expects to be allowed.

[rebelnpc]

"I promise," replies Yuri promptly. He turns to the guard. "Phil, can she leave when she wants to?"

The guard shrugs. "Sure -- but don't hang out there all day; either come in or close the door."

[wildmage_daine]

That's as much reassurance as she's going to get, and a bit more than she expected. She's not thrilled, but she'll have to take their word for it, and take comfort in the fact that she has a sizable trick up her sleeve if she really needs it. Or even two: the cat climbs back onto her shoulder, and if need be, he can launch himself at anyone threatening her.

"All right," she says, and steps through the door.

[rebelnpc]

Yuri follows after her, and Phil has the decency (or at least common sense) not to slam the door immediately after. "New rifty?" he asks.

"Yeah -- we're going to go talk to someone about getting her a place to stay. This is Daine," Yuri introduces them belatedly. "Daine, Phil, Phil, Daine. He watches the door." And enough has apparently been said about that, as he doesn't really wait for much reply before he moves to go on.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine manages an awkward, "Hullo," and a nod in Phil's general direction (the cat offers a haughty glare) before she has to hurry to catch up with Yuri. She might have felt rude in rushing off immediately after being introduced, but she's too distracted to give much thought to what sort of impression she's making, and it's clear enough that Yuri doesn't mean to stop and chat.

Now that she's in the base, a few of the rats are taking more notice of her. This is their turf (as far as they're concerned), and they're not well pleased that she's here. One scurries into her path and rears onto its hind legs to challenge her, teeth bared.

The cat tenses on her shoulder, and Daine puts up a hand to keep it from pouncing. I know you'd rather I wasn't here--so would I, she tells the rat. But I am here, and I've better things to do than squabble with you about it. I'd be happy to leave you alone, and here she bears down a little with her magic, to make sure she gets the point across, but don't vex me.

The rat makes a show of hesitating for a few moments before it drops to all fours and races off. "And you can tell your friends I said as much," Daine calls after it, peeved. Why do rats have to be so difficult?

You should have let me eat him, opines the cat.

[rebelnpc]

Everyone knows this place has rats -- it's New York, after all, and a part of New York that's seen years of neglect. It'd be surprising if they didn't have vermin of all kinds. Still, it's not every day one of the rats just runs out in front of you, and Yuri startles back, staring at the thing. He's trying to think if he's carrying anything he can hit it with hard enough to kill it instead of making it mad, when he realizes belatedly that Daine is talking to it.

Once it decides to leave, it disappears fast. Yuri stares at Daine. "What did it say?" he asks in consternation.

[wildmage_daine]

"He was just being territorial," she explains instead of giving him a direct translation of the rat's unfriendly remarks--they weren't meant for Yuri, after all. "Rats aren't very..." she casts about for a more diplomatic term than 'nice' before settling with, "cooperative." Well, that's not quite right--they just don't cooperate with her. With a grimace, she clarifies: "Not with anyone who isn't a rat."

[rebelnpc]

Yuri snorts. "It's not his place to be territorial about." Because it's Yuri's the rebels'. He gives his head a little shake, willing away his own territorial feelings -- ridiculous, can't he even think like a human this close to the full moon? -- and glances at the cat.

"Your cat didn't try to eat it," he points out, curious.

[wildmage_daine]

The rats would beg to differ, but Daine gets the impression that saying as much wouldn't be... welcome. She glances at Yuri, a little surprised by his tone, but she doesn't have a chance to think about it much before his next comment distracts her.

"He wanted to," she says, lifting her cat-free shoulder in a half shrug, "but I asked him not to. Dead rats can't carry messages--and besides, I did promise him a meal he wouldn't have to work for."

[rebelnpc]

This is why he needs to keep to himself when he's like this. He gets so antsy, though -- and he's sure he can keep it under control.

"And he listens to you? Even though you just met him?" Yuri gives the cat a curious look, as if asking him why he'd do that.