Topic: Peace in Perspective

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 11:34 EST

A Minor Crisis for the Major

Ghent was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He enjoyed his quiet time. He wasn't too sure what all the women were up to. Asleep, perhaps. There wasn't a whole lot of noise currently, so that was likely a safe assumption. He got to his feet and decided to change his clothes. It was time to go for a walk. In addition to his usual shirt and trousers he pulled a blue hooded sweatshirt, with the letters "HRA" printed in white on the front, out of the closet and put it on. He tried to be as quiet as possible. If the girls were sleeping, he didn't want to wake them up. His military radio was also taken from his pack. He hadn't touched it since his return.

That was the purpose of his walk. He was going to discard it. Quietly, he left the house, making sure he didn't slam the door. He picked a direction and started to walk. All he had ever known was military work. The last two years of his life had seemed much longer. He joined the army to get away from Jerald, his father. The two never saw eye to eye. Jerald didn't think Ghent was manly enough. He didn't play sports. He was a little thin, at the time. He didn't bother with the girls around his age, stating they were far too "immature and material" for him. It made his father angry. Boys should play sports, get into trouble, and flirt with girls. Not play chess, study philosophy, and get beat up a lot. He remembered many times when he was picked on during school. For being small, for not wanting to fight people. The ability to fight physically had always been there, but it hadn't been drawn out but a few times. Mostly when people picked on Lily. Ghent wouldn't defend himself many times, but defending his loved ones was something completely separate.

His boots made very little noise as he walked through grass. He wasn't sure how far away the house was by now. His thoughts were still on memories. Everything changed when he joined the army. Actually, he took to it quite well. He managed to get into officer training simply on his own knowledge of strategy. When he graduated, he was placed in Serai's Company. The Colonel had viewed the scores from the tests and was quite impressed with most of Ghent's answers and score. He watched the young man correct higher ranked officers. Usually, he'd been right. It took him about a year to reach the rank of Major, at which point the war broke out fully. Ghent had led troops in more than a few battles. Casualties were usually small. He always managed to keep them low and accomplish his goals. The regular troops admired him for that. Most strategists didn't give a damn about how many grunts they lost. Ghent did his best to be different. He learned how to use firearms and how to fight with a knife. As with most things, he understood the concepts quickly. Serai presented Ghent with the Jericho he carried as a reward for leading the charge onto an enemy position. Normally, that wouldn't have warranted much, but it gave the troops morale that Ghent was willing to risk his own life on his strategies.

That same gun hung on his left hip, in its holster. He finally reached a stream. It wasn't really deep, two or three feet, perhaps. He glanced at his radio for a moment. He flipped it on for no particular reason. Static. He nodded a bit. His arm drew back as he prepared to throw. Crackle, crackle. "M--or Tyn, t--- is Lieu------ Co--- Jad!" He didn't catch much of it, beyond the last word. His dark eyes immediately widened. How was the radio working? He could only come to one conclusion. Jad had gone through the portal.

((This was written for play on November 29th, 2007, by the player of Ghent Tyn. Posted with permission, and only edited for formatting purposes.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 11:37 EST

She could smell the soup. Well, actually, she smelled the soup most of the day, but it was nearly unbearable by the time the clock rolled past midnight. Ada laid in bed, staring at the darkened ceiling, and tried to ignore the smell, but it was just wasn't working out well. There was a short time that she worked to convince herself that it would be better if she waited until morning, but then her stomach rumbled, and she just couldn't take it anymore.

As quietly as she could, Adalia slid out of bed and slipped into her dark silk dressing gown. She certainly didn't want to wake anyone else up, so she opted to stay barefoot, and quietly tip-toed her way to the door and out of her room.

The halls were quiet -- she couldn't hear anything, aside from the general sounds a house makes when it started tightening up in the winter. A hand reached back to pull the door closed behind her, and she looked around once again to make sure she hadn't disturbed anyone. Finally, when she was certain that no one else was leaving their room, she headed for the kitchen. And was completely surprised to see Lily standing by the soup pot with a bowl in her hand.

"I didn't wake you up, did I...?" Ada sounded completely uncertain, and slightly confused.

Lily shook her head, her mouth too full to answer. When she finally could, she stepped back to the soup pot to get another spoonful. "I was up before you, so I don't think that would work."

"Right." Ada nodded and went to the cupboard to get herself a bowl. "Is it any good? I don't think I added enough salt, but it was too hard to tell earlier. It needed to cook some more."

"It's good." There was a short silence, where it seemed that neither of the two girls knew what to say. Maybe it was because they didn't know much about each other, or maybe it was how quickly the both of their lives had changed. Neither of them had really expected for such a dramatic change on such a short notice. "It could use a little pepper." Lily smiled and then went back to eating.

Silence again. Ada ladled some soup into her bowl, and then fished for a spoon in the drawer. At first taste, she thought that it was all right, but when she actually blew on it to cool it down, she realized Lily had been right about the pepper, and set her bowl aside long enough to add some.

"I hope you're finding your way around all right," Ada said, glancing back over her shoulder while she ground the pepper into the soup pot. "Sometimes I forget that Rhy'Din tends to defy just about every law of common sense and reasoning. If you like, I could show you and your sister around some of the marketplace. We could get anything that you needed, and then you'd know where to go."

"I have an excellent sense of direction," Lily boasted, obviously proud of that fact. "Em and I were already there once. We saw all sorts of places that might be interesting to explore."

"Oh?" Ada put the lid back on the pot and then found her own spot at the counter to lean back on. "Do you remember which ones?"

Lily took another few hurried bites, nodding as she chewed. "There's an exotic pet store," she replied, mouth still half full. "They had all kinds of animals, and I was thinking about getting a little dragon. Or, at least a dog."

Ada nodded politely, intent for the moment on listening to what Lily had to say.

"And then we saw this really sweet little coffee shop. There were so many people there that we couldn't make it though the door. I think there must have been some kind of construction going on, because we saw a lot of guys in flannel shirts without sleeves there."

"Mm. That's actually what a lot of people around here choose to dress like. Like a lumberjack mentality."

Lily looked a bit surprised by that. "Really? Well, some of them looked all right." She scooped up the last of the soup and finished it off, before setting her bowl in the sink. "They could use a haircut, though. Most of the men around here could."

Ada couldn't help but laugh at that, and shook her head. "Good luck convincing them. They think that it makes them look ruggedly handsome."

"It makes them look like really muscley girls." Scrunching up her nose, Lily started looking around the kitchen, at just about anything she could set her eyes on. "Don't they have any real people here? Em thought for sure that she could pick anyone off the street and they would be perfect to cast for some sappy play about a princess or a knight."

"She's probably right, since there are an inordinate amount of people in this realm that have a claim to a thrown, or have been granted knighthood for a kingdom of four. Eventually you get used to it, and you start appreciating people for their normalcy." She took another few bites of her soup, and then Adalia set the bowl in the sink as well. "Or, you take advantage of it, and become a princess or a knight. But that's the bland option, anyway."

Lily looked up from a glass bottle of spices and shook her head. "Weird." Then, she set the bottle aside and crossed the kitchen, heading into the dining room.

Ada nodded and followed after her, flipping the switch on all of the kitchen lights except one. "Very much so, at times."

"Well, I'm going back to bed. Thanks for the soup. It was really good." And it wasn't more than a few seconds before she was through the dining room and halfway across the living room. "And, maybe you can come with us the next time we go to the market." Lily stopped outside the door to her and Emma's room, waiting to hear an answer.

"I'd like that." Ada replied, stepping over to the couch and looking out the front window.

"Great! G'night!"

A moment later, the bedroom door closed, and all was quiet again. With some warm soup in her belly, Ada felt infinitely better about the fairly cold night. Still, once she was done looking out the window, she stepped over and poked at the wood in the fireplace. Almost instantly, it felt warmer in the house, and she moved over to take a seat on the couch, content with watching the fire.

((This was written for play on November 27th, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 11:41 EST

Things seemed to be settling some at the house, and every day that passed, Ada took steps to make sure that something was put away in its proper place. Frequently, they were items that had belonged to her father; however, while searching through a stack of objects in the room she had been cleaning out for Emma, she came across a rather curious something she was sure she had never seen before.

As carefully as she could, Ada pulled the box out from underneath the pile. There was an unconscious head tilt while she looked over the lid of the box that was decorated with different ribbons and lace. On the very top, there was something written in small seashells in the corner. Turning the box, she slowly read over the word, mouthing it out quietly. "Evelyn..."

It was Ada's middle name, but she had gotten it from her mother. Logically, it was her mother's box -- or, at the very least, a box that belonged to someone with the same name. And, while strange things sometimes showed up at the house, she never remembered running across something that didn't belong to a person who had lived there.

She slowly lifted the lid and pulled out a black piece of cloth. Further inspection told her that it was a handkerchief, and she couldn't help but make a face and gingerly put it aside. Why did people insist on keeping the liquids that they put into the handkerchief? She just never understood it. Certainly, the black cloth wasn't something she felt was worth keeping, but she was at least going to look at whatever it was hiding in the box. Which turned out to be... another handkerchief.

There was a short sigh from Ada, and she pulled that one aside, and found a whole slew of things beneath it -- trinkets and jewelry and handwritten notes. Tucked against the side was a picture of Evelyn and Ada's father when they were much younger, so she pulled that out to save it.

Some of the trinkets she found reminded her a bit of the things that she made in her spare time. Most of Evelyn's work was far more intricate, and far less eccentric than Ada's. Most of it felt a little humdrum, in comparison. Grabbing an earring out of the mess of jumbled jewelry, she couldn't help but make a scrunched face. There was a cluster of pastel flowers made out of glass at bottom of the earring, and some wire was curled into "majestic" spirals. It all seemed so... blas?.

Still, Ada figured that maybe Emma or Lily would enjoy to have them, so she carefully started separating out the jewelry. By the time she got a lot of it untangled, she realized there was a lot of very typical jewelry in the box, and little else. The only thing that really seemed to catch her eye was a set of hair clips that seemed so incredibly different from all of the other things. They were little bluebirds, and for some reason they seemed so appealing. So, she took them and used them to hold her bangs back.

The jewelry was placed in a little container and set outside of Emma and Lily's room, and the rest of the things (including the box,) were thrown out.

From what she could tell, her aspirations towards crafts came from her mother, but just about everything else seemed to have come from her father. Either way, she had little to no connection to her mother, aside from a name. And on most days, she felt it best to leave it that way. She loved her mother, but without knowing her and interacting with her, it felt a little bit like it was a strange, wayward connection. Maybe if her father had still been around to steer her in the right direction, she might have wanted to know more. But, she had three other living, breathing people to discover more about -- that seemed far more interesting any day of the week.

((This was written for play on December 1st, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 11:46 EST

While it was fairly late when she got around to making it home, Ada had managed to feel a sense of accomplishment from her day. There had been a lot of things that she had been meaning to do, and most of them involved visiting the old abandoned part of town. She hadn't set off particularly early, so it turned into a late evening, and then a late night.

Coming back to the house, she immediately started unpacking the things she had bought. There were boxes of bullets for Ghent's gun -- two different types, since she wasn't entirely sure which kind he liked to use. So, there was a box of 9mm rounds with regular ball tips, and a clip to go with them. Alternatively, there was also a box of .40 S&Ws, which a book had assured Ada the gun would be able to handle. And, of course, there was a clip with those as well. She really didn't want Ghent to run out of ammunition, even if it meant getting a couple of different kinds.

Among the other small things her her bag, there were three gift-wrapped packages. Each one of the packages were wrapped differently, and had ribbons tied around them. Two were marked for the girls, and one was stacked on top of the bullets so that she could keep all of Ghent's things together.

The most frivolous purchase she had made, though, was a set of juggling balls from the market. She had stopped there to get some cheeseburgers, and a ridiculously coincidental display in a window caught her attention enough that she had to buy the circus-like objects. Something about testing her limits with the fairly useless talent made her feel unique. She didn't know a lot of people who could juggle -- even less who could do strange little tricks whole juggling. As if to make a point to herself, she took out the juggling balls and threw a couple rotations, before letting them sit on one of the end tables in the living room.

Really, there was only one thing left to do -- write Ghent a note and drop everything off in his room.

Adalia grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, quickly scribbling down her explanations of the day. And then she took the bullets, gift box, the note, and the bag with the cheeseburgers, and set them on Ghent's bed, atop a book from her father's study that had some notes about portals in the realm.

-----------

Dear Ghent,

I think I found what you needed for your gun, but if these aren't right, I'll take them back. Also, I stumbled across one of my father's journals and I saw there was something in there about "measuring portals." I really don't know what that means, but I figured you would want to see it.

Also, I talked to a lady in the Inn, and she said that if she ever saw Jad around, she was going to ask him to leave. I suppose it was worth a shot, considering she looks like she could hurt someone very easily.

If you need anything else, let me know.

Love,
Ada

((This was written for play on December 5th, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 11:58 EST

She couldn't get the tune out of her head. It was a slow, throaty song that had a consistent and sweet little beat, but she just couldn't place it. As Ada hung garland along the separations between bookshelves in her father's study, she wondered how it was possible to know a song -- to know the notes -- but not know the words. It really was a curious thing.

Balancing precariously on the book ladder, she used one hand to hold the garland in place, while the other argued with the tape. It wasn't easy trying to tear a piece of tape from a dispenser with one hand. Finally, after being thoroughly frustrated, she let the garland go and used both hand to tear the tape... just like she had every other time she had needed the tape. Ada's song stopped for a moment and she huffed a bit, commenting to the empty room, "Even monkeys learn eventually." So, she tore a few more piece of tape and stuck them to the step in front of her.

And then she was right back to humming that incessant tune. The garland she was hanging in the study was (like her Christmas outfit) red and black, twisted together prettily. The hard part was that every time she dropped the garland, it would untwist and she would have to twist it again before taping it up. The worst part was that she knew she would be taking it down in two weeks. But, it never hurt to be festive.

Ada had picked out some different decorations for the girls. There were lights and garland and big sparkly ornaments in pastels, which Ada had thought were just precious. She had never seen pastel Christmas decorations, and she felt that Lily and Emma might appreciate them a little more than Ghent would.

She had gotten Ghent some very bright pink garland and some matching, but it had mainly been a gag gift, since he had made it very clear that pink was far from his favorite color. Honestly, she didn't know what his favorite color was -- or, couldn't recall what it was if he had told her. So, aside from her gag gift, she had gotten him some blue and white decorations that she had twisted together and taped so that it would stay twisted. Of course, the pink was what was left outside his door, along with a note that served as a scavenger hunt.

As she pulled the rolling library ladder down the line, she thought about the clues she had given him. Ghent was smart; he would probably figure out where everything was without thinking too hard. The first clue had been: In porcelain I sleep, with crumbs as my neighbors. When chocolate chip lived here, you had trouble keeping a hand out. It seemed pretty obvious to Ada that she had meant the cookie jar in the kitchen, but the clues after that had gotten steadily harder.

Despite her efforts to hide things away and make it into a silly game, Adalia wondered if Ghent would even want to decorate his own living space. She knew that her father had loved decorating for Christmas and had spent the whole month of December crafting an indoor display that expressed his love for the season. The outside of the house had rarely been decorated, but every year the inside looked like the personification of Christmas Cheer. But, she also knew that her father hadn't been anything like the "normal male" that was in the real world. Most men didn't like to decorate, from what she could tell. Still, it was better to give Ghent the option than to assume he wouldn't want to decorate and then leave him out of the festivities.

She pulled the ladder farther down, and soon had the last of the garland strung. On her way back around, she hung sparkly red and black ball ornaments from the garland to make everything look like it worked together. And when she finally finished with that, she stepped down from the ladder and stood back to assess her work.

It wasn't as festive or cheerful as her father's decorations usually were, but it was something. Ada crossed her arms and followed the track of garland around the two walled bookshelves and smiled. It was nice -- a fitting tribute to her father, and a good start. "Merry Christmas, Daddy," she said to the silent room, and then turned and headed off to work on the rest of the house.

((This was written for play on December 12th, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 12:02 EST

One last look was taken over the notes, as Ada tried to decide whether or not she completely understood what Ghent had put on the paper. She couldn't remember ever actually doing an experiment that involved such carefully measured variables; it seemed as if Ghent had taken no chances with his work and checked everything over and over.

She looked over at the rented mage that she had run into while in the market. He seemed very young, but he had quite a bit of experience in magic and portals. From what he had said, the mage had worked for some sort of merchant company that traveled between world to deliver cargo, and he had been paid to make the portals between realms. Anyone who could make a portal large enough for a whole ship, then there was little doubt that he could make the test portal for her.

"Now, from what the notes say, there has to be a constant steam of magical energy for the portal to stay open," Ada reminded the man, who looked bored beyond comprehension. "'Anything less, and the portal will remain unstable or collapse,'" she read from the paper.

"Right," the mage replied, looking at his nails. "I know what I'm doing with this, all right? You just have to tell me where you want the portal to go, and I'll open it for you."

Ada sighed and shook the stack of papers at her companion. "I've told you, your not opening the portal, I am."

"Right, yeah. Okay."

"So, I just need you to use your magical energy to power the portal and keep it powered." She felt that she had to clarify these things over and over, but Ada was still fairly optimistic that the young mage was just messing with her.

The man made a sound, bordering on a confirmation.

Ada shook her head for what seemed like the millionth time, but for a hundred crowns, she hadn't expected much more than she was getting with the young mage. Ignoring the huffing noises of her companion, she took one last look over Ghent's notes, and then set the aside. There were so many little steps that needed to be followed, and little time. It was already starting to get dark, and she wasn't supposed to do anything in the dark.

So, the test was going to happen at that moment, or never at all.

She began the process of opening the portal, every so often stopping to squint at the notes. And, when everything seemed set up just right, she snapped her finger at the mage, who startled and nearly fell over. At first, his magical energy didn't seem like enough to keep the portal open, but then there was a bright flash and a shimmer.

Standing back from the shimmering object, Ada tilted her head and looked between the young mage, and the portal he was sustaining. He didn't seem like he was having trouble with it, from what she could tell. Now, all that she had to do was determine whether or not the portal went somewhere.

"Moment of truth," she commented to the mage, then crouched down in front of the portal (which was uncomfortably low to the ground.) First, she poked a finger into the shimmering mass, and when nothing horrible happened, she plunged her arm in after it. It seemed like such a strange sensation, when she knew she couldn't see the rest of her arm on the other side. "It feels like it's seventy degrees on the other side of this thing. Where do you think it goes?"

The mage stepped closer and looked at the small, man-made portal. "How should I know? You did the calculations for this one, so it could be on a whole 'nother planet, for all we'd know."

She made a face at him, then pulled her arm out and plunged her head into the portal. All of a sudden, everything felt very strange -- there was sunlight shining in Adalia's eyes, and a warm tropical breeze blowing across her face. For a moment, she considered crawling all the way through the portal and walking around, but she didn't feel safe leaving the young mage behind, or trust him to keep the portal opened until she came back.

Out the portal she came, shaking the warmth of the sunlight off of her face. "It's really nice in there. Maybe we could all take a vacation there." She was more talking to herself, than to the mage.

As she crawled to her feet, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a little baggie. At least, if Ghent couldn't have been there for the test run, he could see the fruits of his labor. So, Ada reached her arm back into the portal, just in time to hear the mage make a sound in protest.

"What?" Looking back towards the mage, she raised an eyebrow, wondering why he looked so pale in the evening light. "What's the matter?"

He stammered and pointed at her, eyes wide, and then shook his head. "I, uh... it's on the house, ma'am! I'll, uh..." And then he turned and bolted off into the darkness.

Of course, it wasn't until he was gone that it dawned on Ada that the handful of sand she was trying to bring back to the bag just didn't seem to be making it to the bag. And, when she realized that, she turned and found nothing. Literally nothing. No portal, no shimmering, and no arm. She blinked a few times and tried to raise her arm, only to see her shoulder move, and nothing else. "Oh, wonderful..."

Ada let out a sign and examined her arm, finding nothing but a fleshy nub where her arm used to be. The sleeves of her jacket and her sweater were gone as well, too. It seemed fairly obvious that her arm was in another, much warmer realm, all by itself. She could still feel the arm, and likely move the arm, but it just didn't exist where the rest of her did.

With a sigh, she scooped up the notes against herself with the one arm she had, and went to search for a little help. Or at least some answers, muttering to herself as she went. "Ooh, Ghent's going to be so upset..."

((This was written for play on December 21st, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 12:05 EST

Surprisingly enough, Ada was dealing with her armless nature much better than most people would. At first, there had been a great many things that were nearly possible (or very frustrating) for a person with only one arm. Tying her shoes had almost driven her mad! She had even considered using her teeth as an aid to her only remaining hand, but that thought was quickly pushed aside when she noticed how dirty her shoelaces were. She'd much rather have loose laces that she could tuck in, than have dirt and grit in her mouth because she was idiotic enough to not ask for him.

It had always been the little things that vexed and perplexed Ada. She had never quite understood the simplest of the simple, and overly-complex matters tended to confuse her. But, she had a system to deal with things like that. Ada knew that she was flighty, and she knew that she was so different from everyone else -- to live on her own after her father had left had been quite a challenge in the beginning. Luckily, Ghent and his sisters had arrived long after she had learned to Instead, she always seemed much more adept at grasping strange and unusual things, and a missing-but-somehow-still-attached arm definitely fell under "strange and unusual."

At first sight of the missing arm, Ada had really expected that Ghent would be terribly upset with her; but. before she got a chance to find out for sure, she was being questioned by Ren Shimmerscale at the Red Dragon Inn. She had only gone there hoping for some help, and instead she just decided it was too much trouble for everyone else. Had Ada known that the test portal would be such a horrible flop, she would have just waited for the proper people to help, instead of worrying that it would waste everyone's time if the portal calculations didn't work. Now, she was wasting her own time (as well as Ghent's) trying to adapt and to find a way to get her arm back. On top of that, she wasn't even sure how to reattach the arm, so it was possible that it was a long shot all together.

To make things worse, she was starting to feel as if the wayward arm was starting to lose its connection to her. At one point, while she was trying her best to sleep, she had felt a strangely continuous annoying pain. And, since then, her arm hadn't felt the same. Some part of it was sore -- that much she knew. The rest just seemed rather sluggish to respond as more and more time went on. She had a feeling that if the situation wasn't fixed soon, then she would have to deal with that missing arm forever.

So, it had come to the time where Adalia Dodd knew she had to consider her options. The most optimal outcome would be for her arm to be found -- or returned to her -- and easily reattached. If they found the arm, but couldn't reattach it, then Ada would have to find someone who could put it back on using magic or healing. If all of those options turned out useless, then she would have to be more creative.

Her first thoughts on a replacement arm took her to robots. There was something very appealing about a highly advanced, super-powerful robotic arm. She doubted she would ever have trouble with juggling again, if there were super-sensitive sensors telling her what she needed to do. Despite the obvious upsides of a robotic or cybernetic arm, there was always some concern about whether or not people would look at Ada strangely. Or, at least, more strangely than they already did. And how would Ghent feel about having a girlfriend that was twelve percent metal and wires? She didn't think it would make a difference, but Ada had to consider that aspect anyway.

Ada's only other viable option had been found by Lily, who had taken pity on the poor Ada and offered to help. She had searched the library extensively, and ended up bringing in a book that looked like it would have belonged to a voodoo priestess, instead of any of the Dodds. It seemed like a long shot, but Ada and Lily both agreed that it would be better than nothing, for the time being.

Collecting the materials needed seemed like it had little to do with helping, and more to do with cursing. The obscure materials were so odd, but Ada felt she had to at least try. Lily had agreed to do the measurements for Ada, and when the strange paste was finally finished, Lily also helped Ada slop it on. And then they parted ways for the hour it would take to see any sort of results.

Pouring over some notes, Adalia decided to remain in the living room and wait out her temporary "cure." The paste was supposed to give her a temporary, vapor-like apparition of an arm, and that was certainly better than nothing. She considered the possible folly of trying another experiment, when the last had gone so terribly wrong, but it wasn't like she was going to lose the same arm a second time.

Surprisingly enough, within then minutes she was noticing something out of the corner of her eye -- a sort of whisper of a vapor, licking around the arm of the couch. As the clock ticked away and the fire burned down farther, Ada watched as a strange thing happened. Slowly, just as the book had said, a phantom arm was forming itself around the empty space that had once occupied a real arm.

Ada tested movement, and found that it followed the movements of what might have been her own arm, but it wasn't solid. Instead, the blue smoke-like material has only a chilled feeling to it when she tried to touch it to her own skin, and gave only a little resistance before passing through an object completely. It was better than nothing, though -- anything was better than nothing.

Time would tell how long the faux arm would last. She was curious how people would react to the phantom arm, but more so, she was worried that she had to go change her outfit so that it would match her new, blue temporary vapor arm.

((This was written for play on December 23rd, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 12:08 EST

Ghent began his journey to the marketplace fairly early in the afternoon. It started with him stopping at the home he shared with Ada and his sisters. He had a box, buried underneath his bed and in a bag, that required a key for one to acquire its contents. That key was in Ghent's pocket. Once in his room, he pulled a separate waist holster from the one he usually wore from the closet. He didn't remove the other one. They were adjusted so he could have two guns, one on each hip. The holster on his left hip was considerably larger. It had a hole in the bottom, likely to accommodate a barrel. As he was finishing his adjustments, Lily knocked on his open door.

She looked concerned. Everyone in the house knew about Jad being on this side of the portal. "Hey, big bro. Whatcha doin'?" Lily smiled at Ghent, who lifted his gaze to her. "Just going to meet a friend." He didn't tell her to go away, to leave him alone. Nothing of the sort. She just nodded and watched him pull the box out from under the bed. Ghent used the key to unlock the box, which clicked. Once the lid is flipped, Ghent withdraws another gun from its confines. It was a Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver. He also had the required ammunition inside the container. He snapped the chamber out and began to load the weapon. One bullet at a time. He snapped the chamber back into place and then holstered the gun. Lily gave him an apprehensive look. She didn't even know he had that kind of weapon lying around. Ghent examined her face for a moment. "I'll see you later, Lil." Ghent kissed his younger sister's cheek and left the house. Right now, there was no point in explaining. If he did and something happened, she would look for Jad and get hurt. He knew that much. It appeared that Em had already gone to work, so he was relieved. After talking to Ada at the Inn, he actually considered not going. She seemed more than a little worried. Ghent shook his head. "This has to be done." So, he returned to town. His mind was blank the entire trip.

Upon arriving in the market, Ghent pulled the note he'd received from Jad out of his pocket. Major, meet me at Cupo's Cafe. I'll be at an outdoor table. We need to speak about your discharge request. There was no signature, but he knew the handwriting well enough. Ghent had seen the quaint little cafe before. Just large enough to look successful, really. Once he had arrived there, he saw Jad seated outside. He was the only one there. Ghent draws his coat back on the right side so that the Jericho was visible. His proficiency with handguns in general was pretty well known within the military. Without any further hesitation, he sat across from Jad. Ghent was checking the edge of his vision for a spotter. On the roof of the cafe. Not very high up, twelve or thirteen feet. The person's position was noted before he spoke to Jad. "What are you here for, Lieutenant Colonel?" Ghent had no intention to idly chat with this man. They had been enemies long before this day. Jad attempted to be savoring the moment. His smile didn't fade easily, even when he spoke in return to Ghent. "Major, the Council has denied your request for resignation. You are to return to active duty immediately." Ghent stared back at Jad with his dark eyes. "You're wasting my time. There is no reason for my resignation not to be honored. I checked the procedures twice before I did it." This made Jad laugh, albeit quietly. "So you did, Major. Your discharge was processed. However, you seem to have forgotten that the Council may reinstate any soldier who has been active less than five years in a time of crisis." Ghent's eyes widened a little. He had made a mistake. Mentally, he cursed at himself. How could he have missed something like that? Jad grinned sadistically. He was enjoying Ghent's reaction. "I've been authorized to use force. It's in your best interest to just come along." Ghent actually scowled at the man across from him. "Jad, I'm telling you now. Leave while you still can." Another chuckle. "Not this time, Major. Get up. We'll go now."

Ghent remained seated. Jad lifted a brow at him. "Are you defying the council? You know what happens to traitors, Ghent." The Major's tone became grave. "I don't appreciate the government whom I faithfully served trying to bully me. Last warning. Leave on your feet or in a bag. Your choice." There were some people in the area. It made Ghent grumble. He might not have a choice in the matter momentarily. "Don't threaten me, Major. You're just making your situation worse." Jad was still grinning. Ghent saw him begin to lift a hand. A signal. The Jericho was ripped from it's holster. He'd have to make a nearly blind shot. He prayed the person hadn't moved. Two shots rang out into the air. People screamed and scattered.

A body fell from the roof and landed on one of the tables outside. The loud thud made let Ghent know he had hit his mark. An amateur spotter. Jad must have hired someone inexperienced from around the city. Normally, Jad would have taken the opportunity to pull his gun. It didn't seem like a good idea currently. Ghent had drawn the Model 500 almost simultaneously. The barrel was aimed directly at Jad's forehead. The Major, however, makes a mistake. He glances away from Jad to be sure the fallen person was actually deceased. By the time he looks back at Jad, he could see the Ruger beginning to level. Ghent slammed a boot to the underside of the table and fired a round out of the Model 500 at the same time. This did three things for him. The first was to get him out of harm's way. When he kicked the table, it was enough to send his chair backward toward the ground. He rolled with the momentum. The second was to throw off Jad's aim by surprising him. Finally, he hoped it'd give him enough time to get back to his feet while the table tumbled.

Jad definitely didn't think Ghent was that fast. He dove away from the flipping table. About the time he got to his feet, so did Ghent. The Jericho was holstered. Both had their weapons aimed at the other, Ghent now only holding the Model 500. There was a brief second of reprieve. Each was considering what to do. Ghent thought on his feet much faster than Jad. Jad was positioned so that if he stepped left, he'd run into the building. Forward put him closer to Ghent and his weapon. Right was the only open space. Ghent kicked a chair hard to block off the escape. Instinct sent Jad left, into the building. The Model 500 roared three times. The first shot struck Jad's Ruger right on the barrel. It flew out of his hand. The second ripped into his shoulder and the third blasted into his stomach. Ghent advanced as quickly as caution would allow. Two shots left in the revolver. Jad's eyes were closed. He was bleeding profusely. Ghent let out a sigh and lowered his gun. He figured Jad was dead. Had he been paying attention more, he would have heard the soft breathing. Just as he began to turn, he heard a click. His reaction was to twist. Jad had pulled a USP from a shoulder holster. He fired once. The bullet ripped through the flesh on Ghent's left side. He grit his teeth and whipped the revolver around. Jad rushed to his feet and ignored his wounds. He knew he was dead if Ghent got him again. Clutching his stomach, Jad ran as quickly as the pain would allow. Ghent watched him. He couldn't bring himself to finish the man off. Jad would likely die from those wounds anyhow.

He stopped off at a store to get some bandages, tape, and disinfectant. His wound was relatively minor, so it clotted fairly quickly. After dressing the wound, he immediately began toward the Inn. He needed somewhere relatively safe to rest for a bit.

((This was written for play on December 23rd, 2007, by the player of Ghent Tyn. Posted with permission, and only edited for formatting purposes.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 12:13 EST

By the time afternoon rolled around, Ada could no longer sit still. She wanted to wait by Ghent's bedside until she knew he was all right, but her mind kept wandering back to the pressing issues. Ada had a great many things to consider, and time was moving far too quickly for her to feel safe putting it off.

She carefully pulled herself up from the side of Ghent's bed, and looked him over. He looked so tired and pale, but she imagined that he had to be getting better. It didn't seem like he had as high a fever as the day before, and he hadn't shifted around much for at least an hour. So, it was time for her to slip away and start what she knew she needed to do. But first, she placed a gentle kiss on Ghent's lips, before stepping out for a little while.

The first stop was to her room, where she found herself some clean clothes. It felt as if a week's worth of grime was built up on her. There was mug and water spots from being out in the snow and thrown to the ground more than once. Her face was still dirty and tear-streaked, and her hand looked like she had been working on a some sort of automobile and hadn't washed them since.

Ada then looked down at her phantom arm and lifted it slowly. It seemed to her that it was more and more sluggish with each day, and for a moment she considered that eventually there might not be any connection to her wayward arm. She was just about to get up and head to the bathroom, when she noted something on her forearm. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she pulled the phantom arm close to her face, trying to pick out what the shape was. She wasn't sure, but she thought they looked a little like stars -- three stars, in fact. Idly, she wondered if it was possible that her arm was having adventures, and managed to get itself a tattoo. The thought passed, though, and she headed for the shower.

It didn't pay for her to spend too much time there, although she felt like she could stay all day. It was difficult to do anything one handed, and even more difficult when she felt the stress of the days before. Everything seemed to hurt, but nothing so much as her neck. When she finished with her shower, she stood in front of the mirror and looked at the bruises. There were obvious, long bruises where the dead man's finger's had dug so sharply into her, and particularly dark spots where his grasp of her had overlapped. It wasn't pretty, but at least she was alive.

There was a long sigh from her, and then she took her time getting dressed, trying to make herself look at least somewhat presentable. Especially since she was going to need to go out and beg for help getting ready of a body. In the end, she didn't bothering covering up the bruises, the phantom arm, or how tired she actually looked -- it would only do to help her case.

The walk into town was lonely and quiet, just like everything else on Christmas Eve. It seemed as if just about everyone in Rhy'Din was home celebrating, but she knew that the person she was looking for wouldn't be. He remained in the West End of town, and she hated to even ask him for help, but there were very few people who would help her get rid of a dead body without asking any questions. They weren't even close anymore, but he would help.

Ada worked against shivering and approached her destination, trying not to seem nervous about what she had to ask of this man. However, it was all stemmed by surprise when the door opened unexpectedly. She jumped and blinked, looking up at the tall, grisly man who was obvious ready to step outside. "I need help."

The scarred, gruff man made a grunting sound and chewed on the toothpick that hung part way out of his mouth. "Looks like it."

She lowered her eyes and bowed her head a little bit, feeling a bit embarrassed. She could have probably done it all on her own, if she'd still had two arms. But she didn't, and instead had to ask for help. "Please, Pate... There's a body."

"This body..." He grabbed her chin and lifted it so that he could see the bruises on her neck. "It did this?"

"Yes, Pate, he did."

"He?" There's a displeased growl from the man, and he steps outside with her, closing his door behind him. "And the arm, too?"

Ada shook her head and looked down at the ground, leading the way. For some reason, she always felt terrible for asking her godfather for help, but there were things she knew she couldn't handle on her own. "No, that was my fault."

The toothpick he had been chewing on was spit into the road in front of them, and then he crossed his arms over his chest. "Where's your father?"

It was obvious that they hadn't seen each other in some time. Ada pulled her jacket around herself, trying to keep it tight against her skin to shield herself from the window, but she had yet to master buttons easily with one hand. "He's gone. More than a year now, so he's not coming back. I would have thought that would have made it down the line to you."

There was another non-committal grunt from the man, but he did reach an arm around Ada and pull her close as they walked. "Sorry for you, kiddo. Sounds like a bad time for you, all around. But better for me. Just so you understand that, we'll be all right."

"I do, Pate." Ada nodded and dipped her head down as they walked. If she could manage it, she'd take a nap on the way home, but she knew that wasn't possible. Still, she felt much safer walking home with her godfather and she would have by herself. He was at least foot and a half taller than her, and cast a massive, thick-muscled shadow over the ground. He was burned, scarred, and grisly, but she was confident that he loved her enough that he would help her and keep her safe. "Thank you for coming. It's a sorry excuse for a visit, and a rude Christmas gift."

"S'all right with me. Just don't make a habit of it, because you're too good a kid to be in jail for murder all the time."

"I won't. This was... necessary." She wasn't about to tell him that it hadn't been her that had killed the mercenary. For the time being, she felt it safer to not mention Ghent and his sisters, and to just let her godfather assume that she had been the one who had killed the man. That way, there were fewer questions and much more willingness to help. "And very unexpected."

"It happens." He gave her a squeeze with the arm around her shoulders, and then dug into his pocket for another toothpick.

--------------------

In the end, all Ada had to do was show her godfather the brainless man next to the porch. Immediately, he had agreed to take care of the mess. He had given her the option to get some rest, but aside from checking on Ghent every twenty minutes or so, she kept her godfather company while he took to making the body into manageable pieces.

By the time he was finished, dark was just setting in, and he had several trash bags to take with him. Ada assured him as he left that she would be by later in the week to explain everything, and then covered what was left of the bloody mess with some mulch. With any luck, no one would wonder about the missing man, and they'd all be all right.

((This was written for play on December 24th, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 12:20 EST

Part 1 : Coming to Terms

From what she could tell, Ada had been sitting at the very same table at the Inn for at least a half hour, without moving. Ghent had left, of course, but she hadn't found enough ambition to move until she was certain that he was well out of town. It didn't make a lot of difference where he was, really, as long as he was away from the clinic while Jad was being taken care of; it was an insurance policy.

Finally finding the strength to move, Adalia got up from the table in the Inn, leaving her catalogs there. She had no intention of taking care of Jad by herself, and knew that she once again needed to employ the help of her godfather. So, she left the Inn from the back door, doing her best to keep to the shadows. She really didn't expect anyone to care what she was doing, but if anyone ever made the connection between Jad's death and the mercenary's death, then they might be able to point a finger at her.

In a way, she felt a little bad for only recently showing up at her godfather's, and only when she had a problem, but she knew that asking for help meant that she would be held in debt, and there was never a clear answer to how they could be repaid, until the moment they needed to be. It was just how things went, though.

The last time her father and her godfather had spoken, it had been an argument over repaying debts. She hadn't even been a teenager yet, but she remembered watching the two men arguing and yelling at each other. Her father had needed almost continuous help after a bout of illness, and Ada had spent almost a year living with her godfather. She remembered it rather fondly, considering her godfather seemed to adore her, but when things started to go better for her father, her godfather seemed to get darker and more angry.

By the time her father had come to get her, Ada had seen enough of the effect of self-hatred. She hadn't known why her godfather was so angry, but at least some of it had became clear when her father had finally come to get her.

Her bags were packed, and little Adalia was so excited to see her father again. They hadn't had a chance to visit him more than a handful of times in the whole year, but she could have seen him once a week, and still been excited to see him. As long as she could remember, her father had been the one to look up to -- her only family, her only friend.

But then she was left with her godfather, one day. At first, she had been terrified by how large this man was. He looked a lot like something she expected to find hiding in her closet, or under her bed -- gnarled and scarred, with a rough voice that reminded her of a person who only had the ability to growl. But, he was surprisingly gentle whenever he was near her. That made the transition a little easier for Ada, who soon came to know and love her godfather almost as much as her father.

They had spent a lot of time having fun; many months, until things started improving with her father's health. By the time her father was ready to take her home, Adalia's godfather was so incredibly miserable and angry, that she was almost happy to go.

"You said you'd name your price tonight?" That was her father's voice, quiet and calm.

There was a pause and a grunt. Ada held her bag close to her chest and stood in the kitchen doorway, peeking around to see her godfather nod. He looked so forlorn, that she felt bad about leaving, but she knew that it was better to leave, than to stay and leave her father to his own devices.

Once again, she heard her father speak. "You know what I have, Theron. And you know what I don't."

"I want Adalia." It was grunted out in a way that left no question as to what he had said. "That's my price."

Little Ada gasped from the doorway, and when both of the men looked in her direction, she shrunk back into the shadows. She didn't know that her godfather could ask for her as payment, and she wasn't even sure what that meant. Would she get to see her father? Would she be able to go home? She clutched her bag and was just about to run when she heard her father respond, "She's not your daughter." Her father's voice was as cool and collected, as always -- like he knew nothing would go wrong.

"She should have been!" Theron's voice was absolutely booming -- the perfect representation to the power that the man possessed, whether Ada knew it or not. "And she will be." But he didn't seem so certain about the second part.

And, little Ada had to admit that she didn't quite understand what her godfather was saying. Everything seemed confusing for the moment, and she peeked back around the doorway to see her godfather's angry, scarred face snarling in her father's calm, cool face. "That is my price, Flynn," he repeated, the low rumble rolling out his throat with each word.

Ada watched her father clasp his hands behind his back and lift his chin. He didn't seemed threatened or upset, just matter-of-fact. He glanced over at his daughter, then back to Theron and shook his head. "Evelyn was a fickle lover, though she had a the same sweet soul I see in my daughter, who is without a doubt my daughter. I'm sorry, but you cannot have her."

There was more hesitation, and then the gruff voice spoke again, though much softer. "Then you will not have my help again. I have watched out for you, because Eve would have wished it so. But, no more. There are a great many people who would have your head, and when they do, she will be my daughter."

"We shall see." Flynn Dodd merely shrugged and stepped back. Ada watched as Theron made another guttural grunting noise, before turning away from her father. He looked in her direction and she could feel her shoulders drawn in together, expecting him to be angry with her. But, instead he ruffled her hair and spoke very quietly to her. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, kiddo, but I don't want to see you again until your father's out of the picture -- not unless it's a life or death situation. Maybe some day you'll understand." And then he just kept walking; it would be so many years before Adalia would see him again.

((This was written for play on December 27th, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 12:25 EST

Part 2 : The Favor

As if it were magic, the door swung open before Ada was given a chance to knock. She blinked once or twice, realizing that she had practically made the walk without even thinking about the route -- instead, she had been thinking over the last time she had seen her godfather before she had needed to ask for help hiding a body. She shook off the cobwebs and looked up at Theron, speaking quietly, "Can I come in, Pate? I think I owe you an explanation, before I ask for help again."

"Again?" He grunted, but still swung the door open for her.

Ada glanced up and down the street, then dipped her head and slipped past her godfather. "Yes, Pate."

The door was closed and the lock clicked into place, before Theron moved over to sit at his small kitchen table, where he was obvious peeling potatoes for dinner. The seemingly ever-present toothpick bobbed against his lips as he spoke again. "Well, then you'd might as well help out, if you're here."

"Right." She chewed on her bottom lip and grabbed a potato to wash, before taking a seat opposite him. There was a length of silence, while she decided how to say what she wanted to say, the pile of small, peeled and rinsed potatoes growing bigger and bigger. Finally, Ada took a deep breath and looked up at her godfather. "I wasn't the one who killed that man."

"I know."

Ada's mouth hung open in surprise, but then snapped shut with a click. "Of course you do. I shouldn't be surprised. The point, though, was that I needed to tell you that. Because... well, because I have a family now." She watched as the words seemed to rattle around in his head, and when she felt that they had sunk in, she continued on. "And if I don't get some help -- If we don't get some help, then everything will be ruined."

The air seemed to chill as Theron lifted his eyes to look at her. His voice was low and kept such an even tone, that Ada had a hard time understanding it. "Many families have been laid to ruin."

She had known it that it was bound to come up, and she had been ready for it. "But these people -- the people I love -- it was no fault of theirs that your chance for a family was ruined."

"You speak without thinking or knowing anything of the subject. If you would have stayed with me, you wouldn't need help, or lessons on etiquette." It seemed like the years had tempered him some, because he went back to peeling the potatoes, even after his blood was obviously up.

"If I would have stayed with you, I wouldn't be the person I am. It would have been a good life, I'm certain, but it wouldn't have been this life." She sighed and grabbed an extra bowl, adding the peeled and cleaned potatoes to it. "And this life is important to me."

Theron made a grunting noise, and spoke quietly once again. "You have the same passion for placidity as your father did. I see very little of your mother in you -- just the way you look."

Ada sighed and stood up, pacing in front of the hearth. "I didn't know my mother. I can't be her, Pate. If you're not going to help me, then you just need to tell me."

There was a screech as his chair came out, and then Ada's godfather dropped the knife on the table, grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "Let's go. Now."

-------------------

By the time they had made it to the clinic, Ada was having a hard time keeping up with her godfather. His fast-paced stride was nearly a jog for her, and when they made it to the door, she had to stop to catch her breath. Along the way, she explained about Jad and the whole situation. She wasn't even sure if her godfather was listening, but she had to make him understand why she needed his help.

Before she could even completely get her breath, Theron was through the doors of the clinic. Their first stop was the nurse's station, where he deftly grabbed the clipboard with patient orders and handed them to Ada. There was no nurse behind the counter, but Ada still looked up and down the hall nervously. Then she flipped through the pages, finding Jad's name under a list of med passes.

"That's it? Room twelve?" Theron had been watching her, his arms crossed over his enormous chest.

She nodded and dropped the papers back down.

"Go home. I'll let you know what my price is."

Ada looked up at him and then nodded. The clipboard was set on top of the counter at the nurse's station, and then she stood up on her toes to give Theron a kiss on the cheek. She didn't know whether we was mad, or not, but she had to assume he was. Still, she couldn't help but be appreciative that he was willing to help her, even if there was a cost. "Thank you, Pate."

He nodded to her, and she thought that she might have seen his face soften some, before he turned and headed down the hall for room twelve. She took one last look, and then jogged for the front door, catching the sounds of metal crashing and some yelling as she crossed the threshold.

She was glad to be going home -- glad that she had people to go home to. And, definitely glad that Ghent didn't have to do the dirty work.

((This was written for play on December 27th, 2007.))

Adalia Dodd · Date: 2008-01-07 12:32 EST

It seemed a bit like time had suddenly sped up, and everything was passing by so quickly. Ada knew that life, and time had a way of suddenly speeding up, even though there were scientists that had proved that time was a constant. If time was so constant, then it should feel constant. And, if Ada felt like time was whooshing by very quickly, then there had to be something to the idea that time was speeding up.

It just felt so much like she was in slow motion. Emma had found herself a steady job that she obviously liked. Lily had taken to spending some time with Emma while she was working, and the rest of her time was spent socializing. And Ghent... well, Ghent had just gotten busy, and Ada had gotten busy, and before anyone ever realized it had happened, everyone was too busy for everyone else. But, this was just how families were, in Adalia's mind and memory -- when people are comfortable and secure, they usually have no problem spanning lengths of time without seeing each other.

But it was all going so fast. Ada was certain that if time actually kept up going as fast as it was, then she would be looking at middle-age within a week, and death within a month. It was certainly a lot to think about.

So, when the letter arrived, time suddenly screeched to a halt. She had met with her godfather, Theron, earlier in the week. Ada had been fearing the meeting since she had asked Theron to help her take out Jad, who was actually the second victim in a few short days. She was no longer a favorable person in the eyes of her very judgmental and harsh godfather, and would have to pay a price for his services like everyone else. It seemed appropriate that she would follow in her father's footsteps.

Theron had taken the opportunity to warn his goddaughter that his terms were coming. They were a set of instructions that she would have to follow, and when she completed her task, he debt would be forgiven and forgotten. So, the letter, when it finally arrived, made the world seem suddenly very slow to Ada. She could hear her heartbeat in her chest, slow and steady, and could feel the tingling in her fingers as she held the letter in front of her. Everything felt dark and ominous.

She was standing in the front hallway, just staring at the writing on the outside of the envelope. If anyone had been watching, they would have seen that she actually stared at the letter for a full five minutes, silent and still, before she realized it would look more suspicious, the more time passed. So, she moved.

The first place that she could find was the small bench right near the front door. She sat down carefully and turned the letter over to look at the back. There was nothing there but a sealed envelope -- no clue as to what demands were inside. Her mind was racing, trying to imagine what Theron would be asking for; she didn't want to open the letter at all, even if she could find out quickly. But the alternative would likely be much worse.

Her finger wiggled under the glued paper, and she tore along the top of the letter to get it open, using her one hand and a leg to complete the action. Inside the envelope was a folded piece of lined notebook paper, sitting innocently, like it was a letter of salutations or a message of thanks. Ada knew better than that.

Once more, she was forced to glance around and make sure that no one was watching her. When she was satisfied that no one was hanging around and watching her, she opened the letter and held it up to the light to read:

Ada,

Your debt will be fully paid if you follow the instructions contained in this letter. I trust you need not be reminded of what can, and will happen, if you fail to follow these instructions. This is my price:

Tie up your loose ends. Meet me behind your manor, and come prepared.

Theron

The brevity of the letter caused a chill to creep down Ada's spine, and it settled quite firmly into her stomach. The instructions were so vague and yet starkly simple. She read over it one more time, making sure she hadn't missed a word, or misinterpreted what he was demanding. But, even after reading it a second time, everything seemed the same. Time was still creeping slowly by -- she could still feel her heartbeat, but it was so much faster that it seemed almost out of place. She could swear that she could almost tell the difference between one valve of her heart and another.

Tie up your loose ends. That seemed obvious enough -- she would have to make sure that either people knew she could be killed, or knew she would be gone for a while, or knew nothing. However she chose to leave her life behind (even momentarily,) she would have to make sure that no one would come looking for her.

She would then meet Theron behind the manor, which was an easy thing for follow. But, then she looked over the last two words and frowned a little. Come prepared... She wondered what she had to come prepared for. There weren't going to be any fancy dress balls waiting for Ada behind the manor -- that much she knew for certain. And, yet, she still wondered what she was going to face, which would determine what she was going to take. She read it again, and before she could get side-tracked by another thought, she whispered into the quiet hall, "For everything." That was what she was going to do -- at least, when she could bring herself back from the slow-moving, time stretching, moment she was in.

At least she knew she was still alive; everything passed lazily by her, like dust floating aimlessly in the morning light. And, in her ears, the rapid, nervous heartbeat, pounding in her ears. It was probably possible that someone else would be able to hear her heart beating so fast, if they were quiet and listened hard enough.

((This was written for play on January 7th, 2008.))