poly_chromatic | Entry 562; Day 1234

Current Location: Turnabout Cafe

Entry tags:

godchild - cain hargreaves

Entry 562; Day 1234

[Filtered from Known DELILAH Members || Unhackable]
It's very kind to be invited, but I bathed this morning and I don't think I'm in need of another bath quite yet

Anyway, I'm not entirely accustomed to bathing with others. There are any number of places in my world where one might go to 'take the waters' as the saying goes, but when one does, one is either alone and unclothed or with others and at least somewhat clothed. I think the combination of the two--unclothed and with others--is a bit much for me.

I'll let the rest of the City float about in springs and pools in my place today. By my staying out, I think I shall save room for someone else, since visiting the springs really does seem the done thing today. It must be crowded and one less person trying to get in might make matters easier for everyone else.

When you've had your fill of taking the waters, you may wish to take tea, and so I shall be at the Turnabout Cafe for such a purpose.

I can't help but wonder if something more or worse is going to come of all this. I say that every time there's a mild curse--and this is a curse, you know, no matter what it seems like--but I can't see anything this City does as wholly good or completely benign. There might be sea monsters in all that water, you know.

But perhaps it's being in the City for too long that makes one a bit jaded about these things. Five years is rather a long time.

Five years and three days now.

I may take a walk. And a long one.

~C.

[ooc: Congratulations to Cain on enduring five years in the City. His Poly!versary was actually May 3^rd but ~~I couldn't post thanks to work~~ he has been keeping to himself because of this rather unsettling anniversary (hence the short post today). Five years! Let's hope for many more ♥ Also, Cain will not be joining you in the hot springs or baths or swimming pools or anywhere else today. Because of his back. (What does that mean? Wouldn't you like to know.)]

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You don't really think there are monsters in there, do you?

And five years? FIVE YEARS?! How are you still sane?

...are you sane?

I put nothing past the City at this point. I don't think there are monsters in there, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone did see one. How does that sound?

I should like to think that I'm sane. I certainly seem sane. And no one has argued to the contrary--not to speak of.

[Private || Unhackable]
We spoke before, I believe. Are you well these days?

It makes it sound like he deities are sadistic CREEPS! "Oh, you guys are having fun, are you? Let's toss monsters there in the bottom of that spring! How fun is that?"

I can't imagine being here that long. I don't do well caged, and I've got too much to return to.

[Private || Unhackable]

I'm...well enough.

I'd ask how you're doing, but you've just said you've been here half a decade, and you're sane. That's probably about all that can be asked of you, huh?

Well, they are, rather. Or the City is, depending on how one wants to think of it all working.

As do I, but the strange thing is that the City seems to have brought a few things here that I needed to attend to at home. It's peculiar like that.

[Private || Unhackable]
Well, yes.

Anyway--given the circumstances under which we spoke before, I had hoped to hear you were doing better.

...I'm not sure if I would want it to bring my stuff to me or not. Some of that might be best left at home.

[Private || Unhackable]

Well...in a way, I'm better, yeah. There's just some of it that might take a little time, is all.

Edited 2012-05-06 21:28 (UTC)

I suppose it's just as well for me to deal with here as there, although it may mean that I have to fight certain battles twice.

[Private || Unhackable]
Yes, of course. I really only wanted to ask after you and hoped that you were doing better.

That would be kinda annoying. I'd end up having to do that, too, I think.

[Private || Unhackable]

Well, yeah. I'm better. Sorry. I wasn't.... This is probably confusing, huh?

At least we wouldn't remember having fought them before--although that really would give one an advantage. So goes the City, I suppose.

[Private || Unhackable]
A little, perhaps, but it doesn't matter.

That's true. Now I kinda dislike the fact I won't remember anything once I leave here. I could learn a lot here, then go back and be better prepared. Never would've thought of it that way.

[Private || Unhackable]
Thanks for checking up on me, at least.

It's one of a few peculiarities of the City I'd once hoped to use to my advantage.

[Private || Unhackable]
Of course.

Oh well. Nothing we can do about it. Unless leaving here a different way will allow you to keep memories.

I wonder if there is a way to do just that. I've never heard of anyone remembering the City in their own worlds, though many do recall it when they return to it again.

Well, you never know. How many people have actually come back to the City to talk about what they remember? There's got to be some that never came back.

There are more than a few who've never come back, but some come and go again and again. It's difficult to say.

Huh.... Stuff like that must be hard to keep statistics of. I don't think we'll ever know everything for sure.

Every time I turn around, I find out something new about it. Granted, I haven't been here long.

We can guess at some of it. Of course, I've some memory of those who've been here and have since gone, and there's the Hall of the Missing, as always.

No, I suppose you haven't. ~~This time, at least-- If you knew--~~

Hall of missing, huh? That sounds like...people that've left?

Maybe I should go check that out.

So far as I know, there's a portrait for everyone who has ever been in the City and left it again. It's as much cemetery as gallery.

Then I'm definitely gonna check that out.

[And probably be really shocked when he sees some of the names and faces....]

That's a long time to be here. You've probably seen a lot of people come and go.

More time than I'd rather have spent here but, yes, I've seen more than a few come and go and come back again and go again. I even recall one or two 'deities' leaving. And I don't know of anyone else who recalls the fabled 'Animal Trinity' anymore.

It's not exactly an honour I'd wish for, though.

Definitely isn't an honor. I know how bad it sucks when people you care about leave here. I've only got two years worth under my belt. Five years?

What was the animal trinity?

At this point, I'm almost envious of those who have to leave. Much as I might miss their company, I almost resent their being able to get out at all.

The Animal Trinity: a cat, a dog, and a bird--a harpy, really, if you recall those. I was brought into the City just at the end of their reign. I don't know what brought it on, though the stories at the time suggested it was an accident on the part of the 'deities'. The 'animal trinity' came down into the City and, from what I heard, sent the whole of the City through torments that were nothing less than biblical--and I do mean that literally. There were plagues and torments and rivers of blood and all the rest and the only way to stop this apocalypse in the City and in all the worlds tied to the City was to sacrifice someone from each world. Obviously, this was no easy task. I think it was the cat who made these demands. Anyway--I think there were more than a few sacrifices made or enough, at least, to keep the Clock ticking. By the time I arrived, things were returning to what passes for normal in the City, though I did see this trio of animals on the Network.

The dog, by the way, has since made other appearances. His name is Adrastus and he is said to be fond of lemon cake. His mother visited the City once, too, at about this time of year. The harpies, I know, have come around a few times since--once to deliver the 'deities' to the City after a vacation, of all things. And I can't help but wonder if those sphinxes who took up residence in the Underground weren't kin to the cat.

In one more year, you'll have gone the same amount of time the silent princess did, sewing her shirts to change her brothers back from swans. It never seems like so long when it's in the words of a story, does it?

I certainly don't blame you for avoiding those baths, though. I'm keeping well away from them, myself--it's nothing short of indecent, really.

I've certainly not been silent in all this time, though. I think I would have gone mad if I'd had to keep quiet that long.

I'm glad you agree with me, Rosella. There really is something indecent about it all. It's not to my taste in the least.

I'm sure you're not the only one. The longer time goes on here, the more I find I appreciate just what a sacrifice that princess made for her brothers.

All the more reason to keep inside today, as far as I'm concerned. And speaking of things being to taste, if you come past the Blue Light on your walk, I'll have one of the tenders at the bar make you something to drink for your anniversary.

As I recall, since I think you've told me that story before, she didn't quite succeed in her task, did she?

Thank you, Rosella. How very thoughtful. Though I've no idea what to ask for, given the occasion. Champagne would be a little much, though, I think.

She missed a bit, I'm afraid! There was one shirt that didn't have the sleeve attached, and so the youngest of her elder brothers ended up with a wing for an arm, instead.

Well, my favorites are the ones that are made to taste like candies, but I know you're not fond of sweet things, so that might not be as much to your liking as it is to mine. Still, the tenders are wonderfully clever! I'm still not certain how they keep all the names and bottles straight, but it's really quite lovely to watch them work, and I'm sure they could recommend something better than I could.

Yes, that's how it goes. I do remember now. It rather makes me wonder if I'm to leave something so unfinished.

Very likely they've something that will taste of home to me. I'll have to ask them when I stop by. Will you be there as well?

I don't think you will. You're far too careful to miss a shirtsleeve like that--though it wasn't precisely the princess's fault, as I recall, since she was about to be burned at the stake and that was why she didn't quite have time to finish.

Mmhmm, that's where I am right now! Today I'm taking turns watching all the staff to learn a bit about how they do their jobs, so I know at least a little about everyone who works here.

That's more at what I was thinking about.

I see. Well then, I'll be sure to find you when I find my way there. It's a wise enough thing to do, by the way. I've certainly tried to learn what I can about the Turnabout Cafe, although I think I had some advantage in having had a hand in establishing the place. Still--I do think it's a good idea you have, to learn a little about what everyone does there.

I'm rather thinking I ought to try my hand at all the jobs, too, at least a little; Edmund used to make drinks sometimes, I know, and I remember Peter and Caspian and Blue all looking after things like that, too. So I think once I've this all sorted out, I'll try to work some of them, too. Not just so I've a better idea of things, but so that I can fill in somewhere in a pinch, if ever I should need to.

That isn't a bad idea at all. I think you could pick up what you'd need to know if you were in a pinch quickly enough.

I think I'd be all right in the kitchen and with taking things to the tables, but I'm not sure how to work the register or how to mix the drinks yet. And I certainly don't know how to spin the bottles around on my hands the way that some of the tenders do; I wonder how much practice it took them to learn to do it without breaking them?

I think you'd do best to learn how to mix the drinks without spinning the bottles around on your hands. At least a first. I think they must have practiced for more than a little while to learn how to do that.

I'm sure they must've. I'll have to remember to ask them if there's some sort of trick to it, or if it's just practice making perfect.

And if you ever learn how to do it, I shall be sure to come back and see it for myself.

How does a drink sound to you, Lord Hargreaves?

I think it sounds perfectly splendid, Mr Stark.

Your place or mine?

[eyebrow wiggle]

[Whatever, whatever.]

Have you a preference? I wouldn't recommend the Turnabout at the moment, unless you're actually in the mood for tea.

I didn't want to trouble the Lord so.

[shit-eating smirk.]

The Turnabout, then. Half an hour, if that so pleases you.

I think we can have the kettle boiling by then.

Excellent. I look forward to your company.

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Entry 562; Day 1234

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This is a placeholder but I will return. o/

I shall await you eagerly o/

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