>> System Error?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Just by virtue of being one of the muses that have been around for years and years, Tobias is not at all a stranger to the setting shifting around. He's not exactly a fan of this latest shift, though it doesn't show that much in his expression. Still, you wouldn't exactly appreciate being suddenly thrown into a dark, urban alleyway, would you?

Every attempt he makes to think of another place, to shift the scenery, ends up failing. The sky momentarily fizzles, as though it were a huge screen suffering from static, but it eventually just fades right back into the same hazy night sky. He's still not surprised. A little concerned, and he frowns a bit to show as much, but not surprised. Not even worried. ... Much.

He stuffs his hands in his coat pockets and looks around. There's no one immediately in sight, but he can definitely hear all the typical sounds of a large city on a Saturday night clamoring in the near distance. He's probably not far from a popular downtown area.]

So... what does that mean? Is something supposed to happen here?


[Maybe your character needs magical healing? Maybe they're alone and need an escort - safety in numbers, right? Maybe they're looking for a fight in just such a dark alleyway? Maybe they're looking for a certain kind of herb that this guy's probably got, wink wink nudge nudge? Or maybe your character's just stuck in this suspicious looking alleyway, too...?]

((OoC: Totally open! Party post, even, if you feel like it! If you want to go to other parts of the city, feel free to completely make shit up. ♥ I'm doing this to test character voice, so let me know if something seems weird!))

Comments

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

[Why is Tallis, a defenseless and tiny fourteen year old kid, wandering down this dark alleyway? Who knows. Does he realize this generally screams bad decision? Possibly. Does he care? Definitely not.

Originally he wanted to pass through, just to see what was around. He wasn't really expecting to see anyone actually in the alleyway...

He also was bad at the whole "don't talk to strangers" rule. So, after spotting Tobias, he felt it necessary to wave. And ask unnecessary questions.]

What's someone actually doing in this place?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Tobias nods in response to the wave, then shrugs, hands still in his pockets.]

Beats me, to be honest. ... What about you?

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

Apparently bad things happen in environments like this. Or, so they say in the movies. I decided to check it out for myself... And then I found you. Strange.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Hooold up.]

So, wait. You know bad things happen in places like this, and you came to check it out anyway? Or, because of that?

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

It's simple, really. The concept seemed intriguing, so I decided to check if the stereotypical dangers of these places were a matter of fact or if they were simply stories made up to keep others away.

[... Yeah, he really doesn't see how people would even think of questioning his logic.]

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[He sounds like a walking textbook... This is no place for a kid, and especially for a kid like this one. Tobias shakes his head.]

Right. Uh, hey, do you live around here? Are you trying to get back home?

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

[He's giving Tobias the blankest of blank stares right now. Is that a serious question...?]

No, I don't live around here. Why would I purposely come here if I was trying to get somewhere else?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

Hey. For all I know, you could have seen it on your way somewhere else and decided this looked like a better time?

[He shrugs. There's really no reason to argue...]

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

I guess that would be a logical enough conclusion to come to. And not too far from the truth, either, although this place has yet to prove itself to be as interesting as I would've hoped.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

This... alley? [He shakes his head.] You know, alleys aren't really interesting. Dangerous, yeah. And bad things can happen. But they're not actually interesting. [pause] Though, maybe that depends on your definition of interesting, but I'm pretty sure...

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure... of what? That my definition of interesting doesn't match up to your definition of interesting? You shouldn't make assumptions. What's your definition of interesting?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Not... even touching that last question.]

No, no. I meant that I'm pretty sure most people's definitions of interesting doesn't involve stuff that goes on in alleyways.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

[Tallis saw the dodging of that question. He's not amused.]

I figured as much, or else there would probably be more people around outside of the two of us. My definition of interesting led me here. How about you?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[And watch now as Tobias easily jumps on the opportunity to pretend he thinks you're asking that question in an entirely different manner~]

I... guess my lack of knowing the city led me here. [He pulls one hand out of his pocket to scratch the back of his head.] But I don't really have a destination, so I'm just walking around anyway.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

[And watch as Tallis totally sees what you did there, and tries to figure out new ways to slip that same question into conversation.]

Strange. Aimless wandering generally doesn't lead to alleyways.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

It can if you're seriously lost. That's how all that bad stuff you see in movies starts sometimes.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

The bad stuff that happens in movies is generally because some idiot getting chased decided that going down a suspicious road is obviously the smartest choice they can make at the moment. Or maybe, in general, suspicious areas seem oddly inviting. Hm.

... Are you lost?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

I guess you could trace it back to the thrill of danger? Maybe it's subconscious. Or a convenient movie plot device. [He grins at the thought.]

Kind of. I've never been in this city before.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

You've never been in this city before, and yet hanging out here seems like a better idea than actually, I don't know, going into the city? That's a bit odd.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[He shakes his head.]

No, no. This is where I ended up first, that's all.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

And yet you decided to stay here instead of checking out other places? Either that, or I simply caught you before that crossed your mind.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the latter. I haven't been here long. Just a few seconds before I saw you.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

Then this place proved to be some form of interesting after all. If you consider coincidences to be interesting, that is, although I wouldn't know - I'm still not sure what you consider to be interesting, really.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Tobias blinks at that. He's really trying pretty hard to get that answer, isn't he...?]

Video games? Movies? Snowboarding? [He thinks for another second, then shrugs a shoulder.] Normal kind of stuff, I guess.

[A pause, then he adds, with another shrug:] I don't know about coincidences, though. I don't really believe in coincidence.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

Typical. [He sounds almost disappointed with that answer.]

If you don't believe in coincidence, then what would you call this meeting?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Metaphorical bullet metaphorically dodged~?]

Not sure. Probably something that was supposed to happen, on some level.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

[Only if he finds another topic to hang onto like a leech~]

You think this meeting was supposed to happen? That sort of implies that there's something of actual importance happening here.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

Sure. Why not? It was the first place I ended up. What about you?

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

So far, you've given me no reason to believe that this trip into this alleyway has been anything other than something to idly pass the time with.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Tobias just smiles and shakes his head, holding both hands up appeasingly.]

I'm not trying to convince you of anything, don't worry. It's just how I think. Not everyone thinks the same way.

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

If everyone thought the same way, life would be rather boring. ... Just like this alleyway has been.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

Well, if it's boring, then maybe we could go somewhere else. You know, look around the city?

((OoC: OH GOD SORRY FOR LATE. /dies))

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

We could. We should. It's probably more lively, at the very least.

(( Ahahaaaa it's all good!! <3333 /hugsforever ))

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

Probably. Though if it's late, I don't know that there'd be much for a kid. [pause How old are you, anyway?

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

Old enough to be walking around a city. [... Or, at least he is in his mind.]

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[... Uh huh.]

Right, right. And how old is that?

[fearyourmind.livejournal.com]

Fourteen. [Totally an adult.] And you?

[notadrdammit.livejournal.com]

[Jesse was on his way... well, nowhere in particular, really. Which is the main reason he doesn't mind finding himself in an alleyway when he starts paying more attention to his surroundings. He grins when he hears Tobias' questions.]

That's pretty deep for standing around by yourself.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Tobias laughs a bit, shaking his head.]

I didn't think anyone would hear that, I guess. Stick around, maybe I'll talk a little about our place in the universe.

[notadrdammit.livejournal.com]

Do you seek out alleyways to think about this stuff, or does it just happen at random?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

Would you believe me if I told you it's not really as existential as it sounded? [Amused~]

[notadrdammit.livejournal.com]

Maybe if you try explaining yourself.

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[He chuckles a bit, rubbing the back of his head with one hand while the other stays in his jacket pocket.]

Well, uh... the place changes, if you think on it enough. Right? It's not changing right now.

[And if this guy doesn't know that the place changes, then Tobias is going to look like a crazy person. Great.]

[notadrdammit.livejournal.com]

[Jesse looks around, considering that.]

You know, I thought I might have actually left for once, but that probably makes more sense. What kind of something do you think we're in for?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

[Tobias lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Oh good, he didn't just say something he shouldn't have after all.]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, then. Yeah, this is still... you know.

[He looks around, hands back in his pockets, considering.]

Beats me. Hopefully not trouble, though it's definitely the set-up for it.

[notadrdammit.livejournal.com]

[Jesse shakes his head, grinning.] I wasn't super excited about walking home anyway.

Maybe we should head for a main road, then?

[backside-360.livejournal.com]

I wasn't exactly thrilled about hiking my ass back to the lodge, either.

Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Maybe we'll see something. [He just can't shake the feeling that he's stuck here for a reason, as is probably evident from his tone/phrasing.]