Topic: Act IV: October 2006 - April 2007

Toby

Date: 2006-11-08 17:16 EST
Rising from the ashes, Act IV begins anew.

The intermission, played upon the stage of the Galactic Core, is ended. The fourth movement starts with the thundering sound of retrorockets, and the golden fire of a ship reborn, descending with her master to the place where both belong.

And thus..

Toby

Date: 2006-12-20 13:35 EST
How long had it been?

It seemed a lifetime ago that they'd been in each other's presence. They were both different people then, more different than they'd ever been willing to admit. Blind to the differences, even, or blind at least to the reality of that gap. When they had realized, the resulting clash was painful to say the least.

What was the answer?

There was none, so far as he could see. At best, perhaps, the application of that ancient remedy, time. Time enough maybe to clear their heads and decide what.. if anything... they'd do next.

And so they'd parted. She to her homeland of Rien, he to the familiar comforting depths of the stars. And with that separation came a world of change. More, as it turns out, than the two would know. Two who would eventually become three.

Toby

Date: 2007-01-03 14:58 EST
The year turned quietly, for those who celebrate the calendar long ago borrowed from the hearthworld known as Terra, or Earth. The holiday season found Toby as it had not in years past, not flying through the ageless, cold night... but looking up at a cold sky under a blanket of snow, within a warm and newly decorated cabin in the deep woods.

It did not find him alone, either, as was also unusual for many years now. Strange though things had become for them, Toby and Lorelie spent that holiday season together. And not by themselves, either.

Funny, he thought in one of the rare quiet moments they'd had, how quickly things change. Little Karma had come into the world rather on her own terms, not even giving them hardly any warning in the process. But come he had, and now she was sleeping contentedly in her mother's arms in the antique rocking chair by the fireplace. He watched the light play off both their faces - the tiny one blissfully asleep, the other well on her way. He almost felt like he could find some answers if he just watched them long enough, but no answers would come.

Well. Right now, there was peace, quiet, and the little one had both her parents looking over her. There was time to figure the rest out.

Toby

Date: 2007-01-12 13:55 EST
Time was, Toby could remember, that the whole idea of this cabin, the land on which it rested, was for a place where he might finally be able to find peace - or at least, the kind that didn't involve the utter depths of space.

The beginnings of the new year had seen that plan go straight into the circular file, he thought with a wry smile. As often as not, the cabin's walls reverberated with the strident sounds of the infant's upset crying, whether it be of the "Feed me!" variety, the "Change me!" and of course the ever popular "I don't WANT to sleep!" kind.

Now, acting on advice from a close friend, there was yet another new bit of chaos flying around the cabin. Several actually. Never one for animals too much, Toby had mellowed a lot on that stance after two recent events in his life: getting used to the stray dog that Lorelie had adopted whilst staying at the Inn, and then spending some time with an old friend on the Hub who had a few pets of his own (almost his own menagerie.). He'd been trying to convince Toby the entire time how great it would be to have one of his own.

Toby had been considering the idea, especially on his way back to Rhydin - Lorelie's subsequent revelation of her pregnancy, though, had derailed it for him at first. It was another conversation with another friend on Rhydin, that finally convinced him to go through with it.

"Long as you do it right, a dog's the best thing you can do with a little one. Get 'em used to each other early on, that dog will protect the baby all its life. And around here, you know that means something."

And so it was he ended up getting not one, but two - when he had seen them, both had stared at him with that look any dog owner knows: "Take me!!!" They were both Black Lab mixed breeds, though from different litters, they got along famously. Each took primarily after their Black lab parent, but there was something else in there - they had more angular faces and sweeping tails, rather than the more squarish features. And they were insanely affectionate (as Toby found out the hard way - as did anyone who they got close enough to).

He'd named them Duke and Duchess (for the male and female, respectively), for reasons he'd really not explained to anyone. Duke wore a blue collar, and Duchess a red, which was the only easy way to tell them apart (good luck turning them over to check!). Toby was also relieved to find out that while they were three months old at the time, they were somewhat housebroken already.

That didn't mean they were trained - things were going to get very interesting around the cabin now.

(( OOC: Duke and Duchess are based on my own little face-eaters, Hershey and Cocoa. http://www.lonewolfcreations.com/graphics/Puppies. jpg

They are named after two of the dogs that have graced my life - Duchess came to us when I was five, and passed on in 1992, and Duke was my little baby from 1994 through 2005. I miss them both greatly, and this is a way to honor them, and my current little girls, all at once. ))

Toby

Date: 2007-03-02 11:58 EST
Every now and then, an idea would seize Toby and just not let go. The last time that'd happened, he'd built himself a cabin. This time, he hoped, the project would be just a little smaller.

He'd not said anything to anyone, unless maybe it was to Duke and Duchess - after all, they tended to follow him about faithfully, unless they were distracted by the siren song of dinner or a nap.

The first step was acquiring the shell. As was often the case with his little side projects, the scrapyard at Star's End eventually yielded a perfect match. Just about the size of a basketball, its dark metal surface burnished and almost patterned, with a thin silver band running around the equator, it was just the thing.

( http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~ma.na/detector.jpg )

Toby could be seen at whiles, at the Inn, or in his workshop lab on board the Lady, tinkering away at the interior of the sphere. What he was doing, he never really said, usually just answering with "Just one of my little toys." Though, every time he was seen with it, he seemed to be adding a little more junk (as he jokingly put it) into the interior of the sphere.

Whatever it was, it was definitely getting more and more complex every day.

Toby

Date: 2007-03-26 13:08 EST
The weather had warmed up considerably in the last few weeks. The snow was nearly gone, except in some of the more thickly shadowed regions of the woods. This meant mud, which also meant that mop Toby stored in the closet was getting plenty of use.

Today, though, he had a different path to walk.

The 4x4 left muddy tracks along the woody road as Toby left his own lands, and started on the long and rather desolate road west. Far past the town everyone knew, past the more unsettling region known as West End... eventually you came to a wholly alien landscape. The sharp, shining, blatantly harsh and blaring place they call Star's End.

Part spaceport, part city, Star's End was a culture unto itself - a mix of cultures, both of the land and of the stars. It was sometimes ugly, sometimes dirty, frequently violent, but never dull. It went by many names too - Star's End, the Port, Nightside.

To Toby it bore another face entirely. The face of the past.

He left the Jeep parked on the outskirt lot, and took the tram in to the inner port itself. Once there, he eschewed the bright Concourse for now and turned in the other direction - into the spiralling maze of streets and accessways that made up the cityscape itself. It wasn't maybe the smartest thing to do, though in the daytime it wasn't nearly the hazard that this would be at night. His path took him through all manner of alleys and thoroughfares, past various buildings and structures, and among every sort of person you could imagine.

What he saw, though, was very different.

A glance down an empty, litter-strewn alley betrayed glimpses of running kids, roaring in breathless laughter as the port police gave futile chase after some ill-conceived mayhem went awry.

A decaying and corroded stretch of loading dock became ... a decaying and corroded stretch of loading dock again. But the basketball hoop hung (poorly) from a thick metal support beam now found itself being battered by terribly aimed shots from that same group of kids.

They were a motley lot. Living in this rabbit's warren of abandoned buildings, alleyways and maintenance corridors took its toll on what you looked like, after all. Toby paused, his eyes looking at the empty dock for a long time. Remembering.

A thickset, belligerant young man... Reese, his name was. Nominally the leader of the bunch, he had no love for anyone save the gang he ran with. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the set, but point him at someone threatening, and he'd either come back bloodied and victorious, or not at all. And Reese always came back.

Maurin, the oldest girl of the bunch. She'd been their den mother for as long as most of them could remember. Maybe twenty or so, the look in her eyes betrayed a soul twice that old. For most of the kids in that group, she was the closest thing they'd ever known to a mother. She always had an aura of sadness around her, though no one (even Reese) really knew why.

Leelee, the baby of the group. Granted, there had been younger ones who'd come into their fold after her. But she always had the distinction of being 'the baby' of the bunch. Somehow that life hadn't managed to wipe out the spark of joie d'vivre that smouldered under her ragged exterior. And she always had that thousand-watt smile.

Other names, other faces, tumbled past like leaves scattered on the wind. The smile touched his face as little things he saw, brought back the associated memories. It hadn't been a happy life by any stretch of the imagination... but they'd made what they could. And in the lens of memory and the filter of nostalgia... even the greyest memories could have a fond overtone.

On the surface, then. ..

Toby

Date: 2007-03-26 13:22 EST
Why had he come here?

There was nothing but old ghosts lurking these alleyways. Toby hadn't indulged himself in this kind of nostalgia, ever - it was a life he'd left behind, deliberately, before it had become his end. And end it would have, he knew.

Those smiling, hazy ghosts took on a sharp, bitter hue as he kept looking.

Maurin had passed away, taken down by a simple virus that should have just kept her in bed for a few days. But vaccinations, doctors and medicines weren't in the cards for her - and rather than leave her 'kids' as she had so drily put them (and it was she, after all, from whom Toby had copied his favoured deadpan way of speaking), Maurin had just toughed it out. And that simple little virus had ended her life at twenty-four, coughing faintly, weakened and alone.

Leelee had been murdered at fifteen by some mercenaries, who'd left Star's End Bar one night with a grudge and a serious case of tequila on the brain. Her screams had echoed through the warehouse district for hours, but no one had heard till it was too late. Or cared, till it was too late.

Reese had died in a gunfight with the port police, not long after. Once the group had fragmented, he'd lost the only things that had kept him sane - Maurin's quiet steadiness and Leelee's spark of cheer that had reminded them all that there was something good about life after all. Without that, Reese had finally gone over the edge. He'd murdered the mercenaries that had tormented Leelee's last few hours, surprisingly; no mean feet for a street ruffian. He'd managed it with a rather crude and brutally effective one-shot pulse blaster - a gift from one of the kids who had looked up to him for so many years. A brilliant but snarky young man with a penchant for the stars.

Reese hadn't dodged the authorities when they came after him for the 'murders'. At that point, he'd been ready to take out as many as he could before he went down. When it was all over, Reese got what he wanted - a blaze of glory ending. This time.. he didn't come back.

At least two of us got what we wanted, man,, he thought. I got away... and I guess you did too.

He turned his back on the scene, unable to bear any more. Stupid, he scowled at himself in a ragged reflection from a piece of aluminum laying against the alley wall. What else did you expect, coming here? Why did you come here in the first place? All that's left is memories, and death.

The reflection didn't answer him.

Toby

Date: 2007-04-06 14:19 EST
( ACT IV temporarily on hold till I decide on the future of things. )

Toby

Date: 2007-04-18 13:43 EST
It began like so many things do. With a passing thought.

Toby sat and watched Karmalore sleep, sitting in his papasan chair as if it were a throne. A strange disquiet was over him today, one that had been trailing him for days. He remembered waking with it in the morning a day or two ago, as if he'd had a particularly unhappy dream... but never could Toby remember the details.

Little things would bring it back to him. The way Lorelie hid her tattoos. The sudden way she had to leave. The shade of emotion that went over her face when her job was mentioned. Echoes of old conversations.

"... my firstborn daughter will take over for me, when she is old enough.."

" It is just the way of things, like my mother's life was, like mine will be."

"They look at me like I'm something horrible, like the angel of death."

Toby watched her sleep, those thoughts starting to coalesce slowly in his mind.

"You know how all my life, I've been independent? I just realized.. she's never going to have that choice. Her fate's already been decided."

Memories of the torments visited upon Lore by the cruel and absolute Elders of her society. Tattoos painfully burned off of her. Cruelty. Pain inflicted if she was a shade too slow to respond.

He watched the little girl sleep, so peaceful and innocent.

And then, unbidden, the image sprang into his mind of what she would be like as a young woman. Sweet and kind, beautiful.. and tormented the same way as her mother.

And the rage began to smoulder.

Toby

Date: 2007-04-24 10:30 EST
(( NOTE: Due to the length of this scene, I am going to break the posts down into a series, for easier reading. I would like to eventually convert these to prose form, but for now I am posting the raw log. ))

Lore_Soothspeak: ::She shrugged then blew him a kiss, eying Lydia politely as she poured her scotch::
Emerson: ::Lydia:: take care, ok?
Lydia Loran: You too Toby. ::A bit of weight behind those words. Standing up, bag on her shoulder was readjusted before she moved for the door, waving to both before stepping out::
Emerson: ::he turned then to Lore::
Emerson: We need to talk.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore nodded, offering no more than a pleasant smile on the outside...inside it was hard to tell what was going on::

"Of course, Husband..." ::she sad obediently, hopping the bar and sitting. She looked tired::
Emerson: ::he looked... shadowed::
Emerson: ::without preamble:: I've been having some visions lately. ::dreams, but the word he chose was closer in meaning::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She nodded, crossing her legs:: "Karma is to be sent away for a bit, Toby. But...just for a time"
Emerson: ::that cut right to the heart of the matter:: Where... and with who?
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She wouldn't lie, she owed him that much:: "Away...not Rien. Another land. Time passes faster there. She'll learn w'ways been done"
Emerson: :;frown:: Why.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She shrugged:: "So she can learn what she needs quickly. In case... in case anything happens"

Emerson: So they can steal her childhood. ::slowly::
Emerson: No.
Lore_Soothspeak: "No, Toby...time will pass as years to her...but to us it will seem so short"
Emerson: Every time I see her sleeping, Lore.. I see you. I see what they did to you.
Emerson: And I don't think i want her to go through it. ::a pause:: I won't let them.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She scoffed, finally standing up straight:: "What choice have you got, Toby? Its her fate....her responsibility...I won't let you ruin it for her or my people. You have no right!"
Emerson: ::he rose:: What choice? She's my *child*. I have all the right in the world. You're her mother, you went through it for God's sake.
Emerson: I've seen what they did to you. *I* never had a childhood, and she's not going to end up like either of us!
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She shook her head:: "If she's yours, then act like a father. Support her. Support her culture. You hardly even call her by her given name. She WILL know her roots, Toby. I won't let you cause more problems. Problems *I* and Karma...will have to pay fior!"

Emerson: I am acting like a father. ::shot back:: I'm going to protect my daughter from harm.
Lore_Soothspeak: "At the sake of others. No. You will let her train until she's old enough to make her own decision"
Emerson: She doesn't have to pay for anything, because they're not going to get the chance to torture her too.
Emerson: ::both eyebrows went up::
Emerson: Let them find someone else then.
Emerson: Spare her that torment.
Lore_Soothspeak: "She's far smarter than...than I was. They won't make her do that...things are chang"
Lore_Soothspeak: changing*
Lore_Soothspeak: "There is no one else. She was born to it. Goddamnit, Toby. I warned you. I told yo before she was born"
Emerson: So that's all I was? To continue *your* destiny?
Emerson: Wrong. I'm not going to sit back and let her go through the same thing.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Her expression softened and she fingered the bands she still wore:: "Toby...you were never only that. I love you...I adore you...but I won't let you go against my people. Karma will pay if you do. I will pay"

Emerson: So it comes down to a choice for you.
Emerson: What's the more important? :;stare::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She emptied her glass and set it down on the bar angrily taking out a cigarette and rolling it in her fingers comfortingly::

Lore_Soothspeak: "I wish she could escape, Toby...but she can't...you don't know what they can do to her. I could hide out here...for what? To have them hurt me like they do when I refuse to serve....to have them do it to her? No...its better to let her go now that the rules are being changed...they are being forced to be more lenient"
Emerson: ;:he took out the amulet and held it up, wordlessly::
Emerson: All right.
Emerson: My path is now clear.

Lore_Soothspeak: ::She glared at him:: "Don't you go near them. Her or Haven...You can still see your daughter and you'll know how happy she is...Toby...don't do this.."
Emerson: I am *DONE* being a victim, Lorelie. I let everyone walk on me. Natalia. Von Locke. Succi. Even you. And yes, even those
bastards in Rien.
Emerson: No more.
Emerson: Now it is time they know what *I* can do to them.
Emerson: No one's going to stop me.
Emerson: No one can.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She set her jaw:: "You hurt my family and so help me, Toby...I don't want to be your enemy... Please...don't make me do this"

Emerson: You're making me choose between them and my daughter, Lore. There is no choice.
Emerson: ::his eyes flickered, a paleness in them::
Lore_Soothspeak: "You're going to make it worse! You're a fool, you a'ways were. You don't even TRY to unnerstand!"

Emerson: Yes, Lore.
Emerson: I'm going to make it much, much worse.
Emerson: Stop me if you can.
Emerson: ::he put the pendant around his neck::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She seemed to just sag a moment, broken::
Emerson: ::then, with a smirk, he took it off again:: Better yet..
Emerson: You can be the first person to see just WHAT I can do.
Emerson: ::he tossed her the pendant::
Emerson: Watch this.

Lore_Soothspeak: "No..." ::She backed away::
Emerson: ::and with a muted *snap*, reality bent. And he was gone::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She drew from her satchel, her quill and book, then ran outside::

Toby

Date: 2007-04-24 10:37 EST
Emerson: ::a recent gift, it was. And one that was certainly jarring. Toby had learned, instinctively at first, and then taught by Kairee to use more subletly::
Emerson: ::It was no teleport spell, or gateway. What he did was far more far-reaching. Psionics, at its core, is mind over reality... and what he had done was hold himself stationary and spun reality about him like a lazy susan. Putting the exact spot where he wanted to be, right with him. And that spot... was Rien::

Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore popped out of a doorway at a dead run into her home in Rien. Bolting the door and screaming for Haven::
Emerson: ::he appeared like a dark angel; the tails of his black duster rustling behind him ominously in the wind. Shadowed eyes, that had not
known sleep, stared across at things, but it was that same house that he was striding for now::
Emerson: ::behind and around Toby, reality shook and twanged like a spiderweb snapped by a strong breeze::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::He took Karma into her arms and cooed to her comfortingly as the child started to cry. Haven, confused but loyal, just
staring at the door in anticipation and fear::
Emerson: ::the minor tantrums she had seen in the beginning were nothing compared to him now. There was power, but it had focus, had control. And had dark intent.::
Emerson: ::Kairee's influence was there... but she had only encouraged
him after he'd already made the decision. Someone else, maybe.. had
pulled a few puppet's strings to get him there::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The small family huddled in the main room, Lore comforting Karma...Haven comforting Lore::
Emerson: ::he didn't hold up his hand or any melodramatic movement like that. He didn't need it anymore. He simply willed the door to open, and it did. It even stayed on its hinges.::
Emerson: ::and he crossed the threshold, a walkign towering shadow::

Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore backed slowly away, holding Karma tightly. The child looked at him with her mothers wide eyes as if she didn't know him::
Lore_Soothspeak: "Toby....stop. You're going about this wrong...you're gonna hurt her...please.." ::She started to cry and Haven stepped in between her and Toby, looking confused::
Emerson: ::and right now, it wasn't surprising. He was a darker reflection of himself.::
Emerson: ::he never said a word. He stared first at her, then at Haven::
Emerson: ::finally, spoken lowly:: All she ever was to you was a destiny to be fufilled, for these people.
Lore_Soothspeak: "Shhhh...sh, Karma...mommy is here...don't cry. Daddy loves you...he's just...sick. Sh..." ::She cooed, wide eyes on Haven, then moving to Toby, pleading::
Emerson: All I ever was to you, was a means to that end.
Emerson: Because when it comes down to it, you chose them.
Emerson: Now I'm giving you another choice.
Lore_Soothspeak: "Thats not true...she's my baby...the only one I have...and I won't let you take her.."

Emerson: Come back with me, to Rhydin. With her. Beyond their reach.
Emerson: Listen to yourself. ::staring:: I dont' want to take her from you. I want her away from *them*.
Emerson: I want her away from what they will do to her. What they *did* do to you.
Emerson: You remember. I remember, I can still feel that pain through you.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She shook her head stubbornly...slowly the old Lore was coming back and her violet eyes blazed:: "This is our home! She belongs here as much as there. She can't be taken from everyone ...we...we have to share, Toby. She's a gift, don't you see? And you were never a tool...I..I love you, Toby.."
Emerson: ::slowly, each word burned, like molten steel:: They.. will NOT... hurt her.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven looked to Toby:: "Mayhap you both should talk away from Karma...she doesn't need to see....she unnerstands to much.."
Emerson: No.
Emerson: She's not leaving my sight, Haven.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore stamped her foot:: "Then don't make them hurt her...don't make her a rebel!"

Emerson: Don't *make* them hurt her?
Emerson: Listen to you!
Emerson: You're still their puppet!
Emerson: Every little cruel whim they had, you suffered for it... and you want to give her to that?
Lore_Soothspeak: ::He shook his head, looking sad:: "I called you brother, Toby...but you mustn't take Karma...please..."
Emerson: The tattoos, Lore. Remember those?
Emerson: ::he stared at Haven:: You saw what they did to her legs.
Emerson: Did you ever see what they did to her when she was a moment too slow in responding to them?
Emerson: Did you?

Lore_Soothspeak: "Things are changing!" ::She insisted:: "And I worked my ass off to change that...No thanks to you!"
Emerson: I did.. And I *felt* it. Downside to being an empath, Haven. I felt every bit of her pain.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven nodded:: "Neither girl walks an easy path...but it is the path they must walk, Toby"
Emerson: Stop being naive! ::he stared:: You've always been so goddam naive!
Emerson: They're gonna be nice now,r ight? And Natty was just a good friend, so was Renna!
Emerson: I was RIGHT every time - and you never, ever listend to me!
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore nuzzled the baby softly:: "I wish I could take her and stay with you, Toby...I miss you...but no
where is out of their reach..."

Emerson: So what you're saying is... you would come with me, if they coudln't reach her?
Emerson: Is that right? ::softer::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore nodded:: "I want to...I want to give her family...something neither of us had...All I can do is give her a chance...she must do the rest, just as I did"
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven closed the door as people were starting to gather outside to peer in the frame with curiousity::
Emerson: Then let's go. Rhydin is where she can have that. With people who love her, and *won't* torment her.
Emerson: They will leave her alone.
Emerson: ::slowly:: I'll make sure of it.

Lore_Soothspeak: ::She wanted to, she leaned towards him the slightest bit as if she wanted nothing more than to take Karma and run to the mans arms, she took one step, then a hand shot to her temple::
Emerson: ::his eyes darkened - of course he felt it, how could he not? And if it was what he thought it was.. ::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She looked terrified:: "Haven...go to Raja...tell him to make them stop. Tell him to let me handle this" ::She whimpered. Haven looked unsure, then nodded and bolted out thedoor, closing it::
Emerson: (w) So they chose right now to test me. Bad idea.
Lore_Soothspeak: "Toby...she can have both worlds....don't you see? We're so close to having a merciful leader...even now that woman trains to be...to be what we need, what we all need"
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She shook her head, wincing again:: "Not you, Toby...me. They want to see where my loyalties are"
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Karma reached out and wrapped her hands in her mothers hair, cooing as if she understood her mother's distress::

Emerson: Then let's go find out.

Toby

Date: 2007-04-24 10:44 EST
Emerson: ::Toby stepped toward them; and reality spun on its axis once more; depositing them all at the source of her pain::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She balked:: "Even if I went to Rhydin...we'd never be a family would we?" ::She looked around, confused::
Emerson: ::she and Karma to a lesser extent, felt him exult in his newfound power as he told reality to sit down and roll over.
And it did.::
Emerson: ::no doubt the Elders were surprised to see her, the child, and Toby all appear at the same time before them::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Three men sat in a large room at a sturdy table, surprised. One looked at Lore with fondness, then looked to Toby as if he were a rat::
Emerson: The next one to continue pumping pain into her head gets it back tenfold.

Lore_Soothspeak: ::A commoner nodded from his place near the door:: "I told you...the outsider is making problems again"
Emerson: ::shadowed eyes stared at the commoner:: Take a walk.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore just clutched Karma to her...Subtly, she moved to Toby, taking his hand and giving the others a defiant look::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The man tilted his chin up as if Toby wasn't worth addressing, instead he glared at Lore:: "You're a traitor...always have been. We told you not to grow attached to the lands...but you had to marry a cur and have this child tainted....you're dogs, all of you" ::He sneered::
Emerson: ::he held his hand up; a wave of pure force slammed the man in the chest and sent him into the door. Not enough to kill, not even do serious harm. But it would certainly knock the wind out of him.::
Emerson: We'll get back to what you called me later.
Emerson: ::he turned around, wheeling on the three men:: You and I, gentlemen, are going to have a little discussion on motivation.

Emerson: You seem to be under the impression that pain makes good motivation.
Emerson: What say we find out how you hold up under the opposite end of that theory?
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore whimpered and pressed close to Toby, holding the child tightly....surprisingly, she gave the elders a smug look::
Emerson: Might makes right, no? How you suppose it's going to feel when you're not the mightiest anymore?
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Just then, Haven ran in, along with Raja. The older man looked to Toby, then shook his head, looking sad:: "Toby..." ::He said softly, then to Lore, he said something endearing in her tongue. He liked this no more than Lore did::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven helped the fallen commoner, jeering at him for being a narc and for egging Toby on::
Emerson: You. ::Raja:: Have a seat with your buddies, please.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The old man shook his head:: "No. My place is here with Lore...I do what I am forced to do...but I take no pleasure in causing her pain" ::he wasn't defending himself, simply informing him::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore squeezed Toby's arm softly:: "Don't hurt him...not him"
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore drew her hand over Karma's eyes, cooing to her. It hurt her that her child had to see this, all this
violence and anger::

Emerson: Make no mistake. ::he was speaking to Haven, to Raja, to Lroelie, to all of them::
Emerson: I will hurt only those who earn it.
Emerson: But if you push me that far, I will show you hurt you can't imagine. If you cross me, I will ruin you.
Emerson: If you attack me, I'll destroy you.
Emerson: DO I make myself clear?
Emerson: ::he looked around::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The three at the table gave each other looks, scoffing...it was a joke to them. Raja and Haven nodded,
but Lore just cringed, stepping behind him. She turned to the laughing men and said softly:: "If my husband can find a way to
free me of your pain...to free my baby...then I'll leave you. I owe you nothing. But to this man...I owe my life...my child"

Emerson: ::he pointed at the scoffing looks:: First mistake.
Emerson: ::his eyes... dear Lord above, they went white::
Emerson: ::and around him, *everyone* could feel the fabric of reality shaking::
Emerson: ::the three men at the table felt their throats closing off, as if an invisible hand was choking each one of them::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::One man spat at Lore as he choked, as if the actions of the outsider were her doing. He gave Lorelie a
look and the poor woman screamed, curling herself around Karma protectively as she fell to the floor, eyes fluttering::
Emerson: ::softly:: You let her go now. Or I'll be in your head a moment later, and I'll destroy everything I find.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Strangely, Raja didn't move to help the other men. He watched quietly. If he could have cheered, he
would have::
Emerson: You have three seconds.
Emerson: One.
Emerson: ::side glance at Lorelie::
Emerson: Two.
Emerson: ::he was walking forward now::
Emerson: ::the black glove was off his left hand::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Even as he choked, the man gave him a look and Lore let out a terrified moan...then, the baby whimpered in pain::
Emerson: ::Toby' hand shot out, and made contact with the man's face. And his mind invaded like Sherman marching to the sea::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven cursed and stated to run to Karma, but Raja held him back:: "Let Toby do what he must he said softly::
Emerson: ::power overwhelming::
Emerson: ::the first thing he did was blister the part of the man's mind that connected him to Lorelie::
Emerson: ::and when the man dared to strike at Karma... the final barrier was snapped::

Lore_Soothspeak: ::The man screamed loudly and one of the other three turned his head to Lore, smothering her but leaving the baby alone::
Emerson: ::roaring:: Drop it! Or you're next!
Emerson: ::he continued to ravage the man's mind, blasting it with inner lightnings of pain and blinding power::
Emerson: ::he removed his hand, letting him fall to the floor - no permanent damage, however, had yet been done::
Emerson: ::and that bare left hand caught the second man by the temple::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore gasped, tightening her hold on Karma, tears filling her eyes:: "Do it, Toby! Show them how bad it is!" ::She hissed as she writhed. The second man choked her even as the third turned his gaze to her as well. They were not as strong, but together they were a nuisance::
Emerson: ::and finally, it was too much::
Emerson: ::Toby's eyes turned from white to erd::
Emerson: *red::
Emerson: ::and the crashing wave of his mind's power came down on the second man's mind like the tide on a sandcastle::
Emerson: ::there would be nothing left of who he was, anymore. Just a living shell::
Emerson: ::an entire soul, erased in a moment of rage::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Lore's eyelids fluttered and she reached for Toby, then her eyes closed and she held Karma to her still, the child screaming, terrified::

Emerson: ::he flung the body to the ground and turned on the third man:: (w) I can do worse. Let her go or find out.
Emerson: ::the power ravened around him like the shadowy wings of a giant raptor::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Raja's voice was sad behind Toby:: "Let her go...this is not what you are meant for...listen to him...he's the only one that seems to see what's wrong" ::But the other, arrogant and used to controlling the Teller gave her one last twist. Lore stayed still, not even her chest moved. Haven cursed again, as if cheering Toby on::
Emerson: ::Toby lifted him into the air. He never touched him, his hands never moved::
Emerson: ::deathly whisper:: Object lesson number three.
Emerson: And I want you ALL to hear this.
Emerson: I'm not going to kill him.
Emerson: I'm going to break him.
Emerson: I'm going to strip away his sanity, and send his mind deep into itself. Beyond recovery.
Emerson: Alone in his own little private hell, for all time.
Emerson: I'm going to show you for the last time what cruelty gives you.
Emerson: ::and his eyes went black::

Toby

Date: 2007-04-24 10:50 EST
Emerson: ::the third man's mind began to unravel, slowly but inexorably::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::There were no objections. The first man peeked out from behind the table, terrified. Karma stirred against
her mother's still frame::
Emerson: ::he cut off the man's throat, enough that he didn't even have the relief of a scream::
Emerson: ::but everyone present had heard him, and could only imagine what hell he was being sent to::
Emerson: ::his body fell to the floor like his now-blank compatriot's; breathing and utterly unresponsive::
Emerson: ::Toby wheeled, eyes blazign white again, and he turned on the first Elder::
Emerson: :;and with a flicker of those eyes, he was sent sprawling across the room, in a heap::
Emerson: Well? ::he snarled::
Emerson: What've you got to say now?
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Raja shuddered, stepping to Lore as if to rouse her. He had punishment coming for what he had been part of, but for now, he wanted what was best for Lore, for Karma. He handed Karma to Haven, rolling the woman onto her back, looking worried::
Emerson: ::this was to the first man he'd attacked, the one with no permanent damage; not Raja, just to be clear::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The first elder whimpered but pointed a finger:: "You cannot take her...either of them. Kill us, but you will have more opposition. She'll never be able to love you, to be with you. Not her, and not your whelp"
Emerson: Ooh, wrong answer.
Emerson: Let's try that again. ::with a flicker of his eyes, the man was pinned against the wall::
Emerson: Now, since you clearly believe in might makes right... I'm gonna be giving you some orders.
Emerson: What you're going to do, is find someone who is *WILLING* to take over the job from Lorelie. Let me make myself
indelibly clear..
Emerson: WILLING.
Lore_Soothspeak: "Even now...who will collect her body. Did you think she could betray us, and live?" ::The mans words were a hiss as he pointed to Lore::
Emerson: You will not touch my daughter. You will not touch Lorelie again. Do either, and I'll end you.
Emerson: ::Toby flung him to the floor at his feet::
Emerson: Actually, I think I'm going to end you anyway, for being a total bastard.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The man shook his head, holding his temples, his breath ragged:: "I don't have to touch them"
Emerson: But how you answer this last question determines if you die fast and clean, or if I send you into your own little hell
for all time.
Emerson: So think real hard before you answer.
Emerson: ::pause:: Y'know what...screw it. Let's see just what I can do.
Emerson: ::he flung him again, into the middle of the room::
Emerson: Object lesson number four.
Emerson: ::Toby raised his arms; reality shimmered and rippled around him::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven covered Karma's eyes, then looked away himself::
Emerson: ::his lips moved, but the voice was not his own:: *Power Overwhelming*.
Emerson: ::the ripple effect raced across the room; as it passed over the edge of a table, everyone saw the bit of table just disintegrate into nothingness::
Emerson: ::and it passed right through the man; as his form blurred and rippled, it just..came apart like that tide on a sandcastle one more time::
Emerson: ::and nothing at all was left::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Raja watched in horror, trying desperately to get Lore to breathe, to blink, to do anything that might calm Toby down::
Emerson: ::he turned around slowly, his eyes returning to normal again::
Emerson: You. ::Raja::
Emerson: You're one of them. You know what they did to her.
Emerson: Fix it.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Raja nodded. He would not defend himself. That he'd tried to help Lore and Toby before meant nearly nothing:: "I...I can figure something out...there is no one to deny me if...if I make up a story of where she went..."
Emerson: ::it meant enough, that Toby had not yet struck at him::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::He concentrated on her, one palm to her forhead. He was not as strong as the others had been, indeed,
he hated using the bonds they had with her::
Emerson: No. No stories.
Emerson: I am not here for lies, I'm not here for deceit. I want an end.
Emerson: I want someone who will willingly take her place. And if my opinion means anything beyond your fear of me now, I
want you to treat her with respect and with reward, not with pain.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven stood, rocking, his face against Karma's, cooing to her, crying with her::
Emerson: ::he knew now, that he could nto go near his daughter. She would forever know him for what he'd done just today::
Emerson: ::even if it was for her future::
Lore_Soothspeak: "I do not have that power, Toby..." :He said softly, wishing it weren't true:: "I can't...I don't understand what's happened" ::He put one hand to the the woman's mouth then her nose, looking terrified:: "I can't fix this. I don't know how! I..." ::He was frustrated, he had truly liked Lorelie::
Emerson: ::he knelt, stone-faced:: What did they do to her?
Lore_Soothspeak: ::He shook his head:: "No more...No more Tellers...no more. We need no history such as this." ::Raja wiped his eyes, looking desparate. He kept his voice quiet so Haven wouldn't hear:: "I...I think they've killed her, Toby..."
Emerson: :he said nothing::
Emerson: ::then he put that bare left hand on her temple::
Emerson: (m) One last gift I can give you.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Raja watched, wide eyed and wondering::
Emerson: ::and instead of the tidal wave the other three had known; a gentle little stream flowed through the gulf between them::
Emerson: ~ You have a little girl that needs you... ~
Emerson: ~ Don't leave her. ~
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The voice was faint, just a small flicker of being:: ~Toby...I've ruined everything...Take Karma back to Rhydin...to her home. But let her come visit her uncle, her family. Take her there where she might forget what she would have been. Make her forget me~
Emerson: ~ She needs you more. I've done things I have to live with now, that I have to atone for. Don't leave her now. ... please..~
Emerson: ~ If you ever do anything for me.... do this. Live.... live with our little girl. Show her light, not darkness. ~
Lore_Soothspeak: ~I can't Toby...I can't do it. I'm not strong enough to tell her what happened when she asks some day...or
to desert my people...I can't....Toby, I never meant to betray you. I always wanted you happy~
Emerson: ~ Lore... I want you to stay here. With her. ~
Emerson: ~ I can give you one last gift... I want you to take it.. please... ~
Emerson: ::he would not answer the words about betrayal. It was past that now::
Emerson: ~ I can change just enough.... I have the power. To give you peace... and peace for her. But you must accept it.. please.~
Emerson: ::the world was gone for the moment. It was just them::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She didn't understand, but she wanted him happy, her words were resigned.:: ~Anything, Toby. I'll try to accept whatever you want. I'll try~
Emerson: ~ I want you to remember that Karma's father loved her very much... and that we loved too. I want you to remember
that, but the memories will fade a little... you won't remember me. Nor will she.~
Emerson: ~ I want you to be happy.. with her. Here, or in Rhydin, wherever you go.~
Emerson: ~ Make them follow through with what you promised... that she'll grow up to her own life, to choose. ~
Emerson: ~ I know what you'll say... that you don't want to forget. But I want you to be happy again. ~
Emerson: ~ Do this for me... please.. ~
Lore_Soothspeak: ~No! No...you may not love me...you may not want me...but don't you take what we had away from me...I won't interfere with your life, with your plans...just please...let me have that. Let me have memories. Karma is young, she may forget...but don't make me~~
Lore_Soothspeak: ~No, Toby. Never. I can be happy without you. As you can be happy without me~
Emerson: ::hushing gently:: ~ No.. I won't take it away. I won't ask that of you. Only that the memories will wear a different
face. That you'll think back on them and smile. ~
Emerson: ~ So that you can find love again. ~
Emerson: ~ Without my face haunting you. ~
Emerson: ~ I can do that much. ~
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She was getting stronger, angrier:: ~No. You said no more lies...no more deceit. No. I will look back on you and smile...but don't ask me to do that. I won't!~
Emerson: ::he was making her angry... and in doing so, making her strong, making her fire burn again::
Emerson: ~ Then will you promise me one thing at least? ~
Lore_Soothspeak: ~I...I a'ready have found love~ ::She admitted:: ~Never would I go to him while I wore the bands...but I can go to him. And if not...I'll find another. I can be happy, Toby. I love you but...you're not my only love. I love Karma too, and I'll give her a father figure~
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She stayed silent, listening::
Emerson: ::it hurt, but it also soothed him to know that, in a way::
Emerson: ~ You have another chance, Lorelie.. another chance at love, without all of this to interfere. Please... take it, with both hands. ~
Emerson: ~ But do it wisely. ~

Toby

Date: 2007-04-24 11:01 EST
Emerson: ~ Keep her safe and happy... away from darkness. ::including me, he thought, with a bitter twinge towards himself::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She was struggling to live, to get back to her little girl:: ~I can do it. You just worry about yourself now. I can manage it all without you~
Lore_Soothspeak: ~Don't hate yourself, Toby. Karma will prolly seek you out someday...but until then...I'll do as you ask and keep her away~
Emerson: ~ Just keep her safe, and in the light. That's all I ask. ~
Emerson: ~ And if there's one last thing I can ask... please remember me for who I was. ~
Lore_Soothspeak: ~Of course, Toby. You were many things...but always a good man. Good to your wife and good to your child~
Emerson: ::he couldn't answer that. All he coudl do was hope for the best now::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She did not draw a breath, but her hand reached up slowly and stroked Toby's cheek as Raja gasped in surprise::
Emerson: ~ I want you to sleep now. When you wake up.. I'll be gone. Haven and Karma will be here for you.
Emerson: ::he touched her cheek once more::
Lore_Soothspeak: ~Promise me that if Karma seeks you out, you will not ignore her...and that if we meet on the street, we
will not be strangers. That there will be a smile, if never any words~
Emerson: ~ I promise. To both. ~
Emerson: ~ Promise me, that whoever you give your heart to... that he deserves it, and treats you right. Better than I did.~
Lore_Soothspeak: ::And with that touch a soft breath came, she murmured his name sweetly, then just kept breathing softly, already tired, the voice was soft:: ~No one would treat me better..but I will find someone who makes me happy. Who will be good for Karma. I promise. One last kiss, Toby? Please?~

Emerson: ::he was crying, silently::
Emerson: ::leaning down to her, and giving her that kiss; long and sweet::
Lore_Soothspeak: ~No tears, heart...you do this for good reasons. I understand...don't be sad~ ::Though her own heart ached, she would be brave for him. Her lips pressed his softly and her hand fell from his cheek gently, as if to take all the regrets he had with it::
Emerson: ::and as he promised, he did not touch her memories. The only thing he woudl do, if she accepted it, was put a faint haze over the darkness of the past eight months. If only just to let the happy memories shine brighter.::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She let the slight fog in, welcomed it. She would remember things...but at least the pain would be dulled. She was strong, she'd make it::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::As promised, she slept. Raja looked to Toby and said softly:: "I'm sorry, young man...I'm sorry you fought so hard for her, only to lose her...and I'm sorry it had to be you to free her"
Emerson: (m) Don't be sorry for me. I screwed up, and I'm going to live with that.

Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven stepped forward, worried for his sister. Karma, though still scared reached out for her father. Haven only allowed the little girl to graze Toby's face with her hands, not letting her go to him without his permission::
Emerson: ::he nodded to Haven, looking at Lorelie:: She's going to be okay.
Emerson: ::he put his arms out one more time for Karma as well::
Lore_Soothspeak: "Da?" ::The baby asked, tilting her head. She was swell eyed from crying and red dots littered her face,
broken blood vessels from all the screaming she'd done...but she loved her father, and somehow she knew this was goodbye. Haven handed her over::

Emerson: ::quietly:: Someday I'll tell you this story... I hope you'll understand.
Emerson: ::kissing her forehead:: (m) Be good to your mama... she's earned some happiness, finally.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven gathered Lrelie into his arms, cooing to her softly as she stirred and muttered her daughter's name. Karma looked from her mother to her father, then pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek, her eyes serious::
Emerson: ::faintly:: I wasn't sure I wanted to be a father.. you changed my mind, little girl. ::touching his forehead to hers:: (m) I don't regret it at all.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She was not a stupid child, she nodded, looking at him. She touched his chest over his heart, then nodded again::

Emerson: Now.. ::he leaned her to look at the window:: I want you to look up there.
Emerson: In the night sky. You see that star, all by itself?
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She looked, squinting::
Emerson: That's your star now. It belongs only to you. ::softly:: And when you see it, remember someone up there who loves
you.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She pointed to it, looking to him with a silent question::
Emerson: ::nodding:: I'll be up there, looking down and smiling.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She kissed her hand, then pressed her palm to his lips, one tear falling from her violet eyes. He could
feel her love and affection pushing at him, smothering him::
Emerson: (m) Love you too, little girl. That won't change.
Emerson: Now... I want you to sleep too... and when you wake up, hug your momma tight.
Lore_Soothspeak: ::She put her thumb in her mouth, closing her eyes obediently, though one kept sneaking open to look at
him::
Emerson: ::he kissed her too one last time, and lay her in Haven's arms::

Lore_Soothspeak: ::She was committing every detail of him to memory. She knew she'd need it when she was alone, when her mother wasn't around. And the more she knew, the less she'd have to ask her mother::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Haven smiled and nodded:: "Thank you, Toby. You're a good man. I wish we'd known each other better"
Emerson: ::he rose, slowly, the black coat settling around him like angel's wings::
Emerson: (m) I wish I'd been better. But... things just happened.
Emerson: Take care of them both. I know she's stubborn.. ::faintly:: But help her to choose the right person... someone who'll
do right by her always.
Lore_Soothspeak: "You were the best. She was never easy to love, Toby. You made her better than she was"
Emerson: ::quietly:: She made me better too.
Emerson: ::and that, absolutely, was true::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::He nodded, tears in his bright eyes. He cooed to the baby softly::
Lore_Soothspeak: "Mayhap I'll see you again someday, my friend. Be well"
Emerson: ::tight smile, stepping back:: (m) I'm sorry about the mess.
Emerson: ::he bowed his head slightly::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::Raja waved him off:: "Had to be done...I'll take care of it..I promise"
Emerson: ::he looked at Raja:: There was a reason I didn't include you with them. I think you know and understand.
Emerson: Make it all better. For everyone.
Emerson: If they need someone to blame, let it be me. ::wry smile::
Lore_Soothspeak: ::The old man nodded:: "I will" ::He laughed and nodded::
Lore_Soothspeak: "I will let them take it up with you"

Emerson: ::he looked at Lorelie and Karma one last time. Then Toby closed his eyes and with a muted *snap* and a shiver, he was gone; the fabric of reality shook and vibrated in his wake, like a spiderweb struck by a strong wind::

Toby

Date: 2007-04-24 11:18 EST
Sunset.

The woods in the north of Rhydin were dyed a brilliant and fading red, descending from the bright warmth of fire, down to a darker hue.. almost like blood. It seemed appropriate.

Toby stood on the back porch of his cabin. Inside, there was little light - a torch lamp burned in the living room, and that was all. The dogs sat to either side of him, whining softly. They knew something was wrong with their master, could perceive it, but could not understand it.

Truth be told, neither did he.

In the span of hours, Toby had seen .. no, he'd *caused* his life to be torn apart and irrevocably altered. He'd seen the final end to what was possibly the last love of his life (after how far they'd gone together, how could he ever consider someone else the same way?), seen the bitter truth that no matter how he raged.. his daughter had a duty and a destiny she was going to have to fufill.

And he'd seen himself do the most terrible things imaginable.

Those men weren't brutal and simple half-orcs, they were *men*. Cruel, arrogant, unkind men, who had tormented Lorelie most of her life, had executed her mother for daring to love someone they didn't approve of, and would have done the same to his child. But men nonethless... and what he'd done to them...

There were cleaner ways to die.

Worst of all, deep in his soul, Toby knew a further and bleaker truth. At the moment he'd used his powers on each of them... as horrible as he'd been, he'd *liked* it. He'd enjoyed what he'd done, even as the full realization of it hit him later, sickening him. That, beyond any other reason, was why he implored Lorelie to keep Karma safe, to let her grow up happy and safe.

Away from him.

In the meantime, he was here once again. His 'fortress of solitude' someone had jokingly called it, referencing a popular film of another culture and time. But it was true enough. Until such time as he felt he could accept what he was, and what he'd become.. here he'd stay.

The sunset faded into darkness, leaving only shadows where man and dogs stood.

Toby

Date: 2007-04-25 12:33 EST
OOC:
Act IV is now complete. One chapter of Toby's life is over, and from his actions, the course of the next chapter is still in shadow.

For the moment, I don't intend to be playing him publicly in the Inn and such. The reason for this is fairly clear, bound up in the Finale post series. He has much to think about, and a lot to come to terms with about who he is, what he has done, and what he's given up.

That doesn't mean he can't have visitors, mind you.

Peace,

T.

Toby

Date: 2014-08-12 16:01 EST
OOC:

This post is to bring the Acts into chronological order, with the addition of Act III.