Rec Room

[Lord]

[[deleted user]]

Jamie sat at one of the tables, casually making minor adjustments to his metal arm, wiggling the fingers every so often to make sure he was calibrating everything correctly. His usual smirking face was settled and calm. With no one around, he was generally like this. When someone walked in, Jamie hardly looked up from what he was doing, giving a brief glance. He caught how beautiful and otherworldly the girl who'd made her way in was.

((I hope it's okay that I start. ovo))

[Lord]

Bonnie stepped in, her black boots clicking on the floor as she scanned the room for Melanie - nowhere to be seen. She was about to turn and leave again when she spotted someone in the corner. Brushing the blonde hair from her face she looked closer. There was a guy there and he...

He was messing with his enhancement.

She walked over calmly, rapping her fingers on the table he was sat at.

"Knock knock," she called, the joke lacking the humorous tone usually given, "I hope I don't come across as mean, I wouldn't want that, but you really should leave that to Father - he dislikes it when people play with his inventions."

[[deleted user]]

The girl stepped over to him, which really was to his surprise. People generally look over him while he obviously wasn't the one they were looking for. Still, he continued as if she hadn't even moved.

Upon her speaking to him in an almost monotone voice, he looked up to her with a lazy gaze. Her words caused his lip to curl up slightly. Of course she would be one of those who concerns herself with Father's business. Don't they all?

He looked back to his arm and gave it a look over, moving all the joints a few times. He didn't bother reactivating the cover that made it look like a real arm, because he really didn't care if others saw his enhancement. It didn't bother him in the slightest, and as a matter of fact, it was really cool to have a metal arm, in his opinion.

He often got comments about "messing with Father's inventions", and to be honest, it didn't bother him in the slightest, evident when he replied smoothly, "Don't worry, doll, I know what I'm doing. The less Father has to see me about this, the more time he has for more important matters."

[Lord]

"I'm inclined to tell you that 'doll' is politically incorrect," she told him. She was highly accustomed to being referred to as a doll, but Melanie had insisted she stop people from doing it.

She blinked emotionlessly and leaned over, examining the arm. He knew what he was doing, that much was evident, if slightly imprecise.

She reached forward and pulled the screwdriver away from him casually, slipping it into her pocket. "And that maybe so, but rules are rules, if we disobey them we will fall into anarchy and chaos."

[[deleted user]]

A raised brow met her first comment and Jamie wondered just how stiff this girl was. He gave a slight scoff at the next, drumming his real fingers against the table as she pocketed his screwdriver, a crooked half smirk gracing his features. She was just a bundle of fun.

"Firstly, I'm going to call you whatever I feel like calling you, since you very rudely interrupted me without even introducing yourself. Secondly, doll, I'd appreciate it if you didn't take my things. I bought that with my own money, therefore it belongs solely to me, and you have no right to put it in your pocket. And thirdly, I don't know if you'd heard the expression 'Rules are made to be broken', but I very much believe in it, and that may be something you'll have to deal with."

He stood up from his seat and held out his hand for the girl to shake as he introduced himself along with teasing her just a little, "I'm Jamie, by the way, and I know how to introduce myself like a normal person."

[Lord]

Bonnie blinked, making no move to give him back his property. She detected strong elements of sarcasm, and immediately felt saddened by the use of such. How unnecessary. Oh well.

"Firstly," she echoed, "If you want to do as you please with my name, then by default I can take your possessions. Secondly, please refer to my first point. And thirdly, it isn't something I have to deal with, it's something I have to eliminate. They may have been relevant to your life on the surface but we can't afford that down here. Perhaps you are selfish..."

She took it, she knew this was protocol. "Bonnie, and if you expected to find normal people down here, you'll be bitterly disappointed."

Yes Bonnie, sarcasm, nailed it.

[[deleted user]]

Selfish? So she thought he was selfish. What did she know? Jamie had been a fairly spoiled child, but all of that was lost with the blink of an eye. No, after that it was medical bills and disappointed glints in his parents' eyes. So yeah, what did she know?

His eyes narrowed just slightly as he listened to her, but then he simply rolled them. "Listen, Bonnie, I'm not going to sit here while you lecture me on what we do down here."

Jamie hooked a thumb in his pocket and cocked his head, continuing, "I don't much care how you are, but me, I might go insane if I sit around and wait for the ever important plans to go down."

He paused and clenched his metal hand, but still managed a smirk. "Life's too short to worry about what is 'affordable' and whatnot. You can call me selfish, but I'm not going to waste the perfectly good life that I've got. If I want to do it, I'm going to, and that's how I am. Take it or leave it."

[Lord]

"Affordable?" asked Bonnie, "I didn't mean that in the economic sense I assure you. And of course you aren't, you're one of us - we'll rule the world someday."

She smiled a practiced smile that reached her eyes, and shook her head as though he were some gullible five year old. "Endearing, really, but that way of living isn't really possible down here. I'd advise you to restrain yourself. And might I also add, you're not sitting, we're both standing up."

Bonnie thought him unusual, figured he'd be the type of person normal people would like to be around. Bonnie was the exception of course, she wasn't really built for friends and most were intimidated by her for reasons she couldn't quite grasp. She wondered it it was the wings, or perhaps the aura. But the man in front of her didn't speak to her respectfully or with an awestruck expression. Just like she was normal.

[[deleted user]]

"Neither did I, doll- er, Bonnie," he decided to correct himself, "You're not very apt to figures of speech, are you?"

Jamie could see the smile reached her eyes, but at the same time, he could tell it was practice, unreal. Why would she smile at him like that after being so static? Her words didn't match up with her expression. "I really don't want to get into a fight with you about this, but I'd advise you to not give me advice. Not that I don't appreciate your concern, but I tend to feel compelled to completely ignore advice."

Despite the fact that this woman had the air of sophistication and grace, Jamie could tell that there was something a little deeper, probably a part that wasn't so static. Then again, he could be wrong. Either way, this girl wasn't one to fawn, like many, and that made him feel almost happy that there were people he couldn't bend to his charm. Not that he showed her much charm. More like sass, but then again, they got off on somewhat bad terms to begin with. He wondered briefly what it would have been like to meet her when he wasn't being scolded.

((Apologies if this doesn't make much sense, I've got a sort of developing headache.))

[Lord]

"After my modification I was wiped of all memories and traits," she told him, "That were replaced with new ones. Figures of speech aren't really inbuilt anymore, although I do know a few from previous experiences."

Bonnie had always liked that about her modification, it made her feel comforted to know that she had no past. Something told her that the mere delight of ignorance must have been due to her having something she didn't want to remember. Her thoughts were simple, pure, and absolute, and that was perfectly fine with her. She didn't always see things the way they were, but she was not plagued by bias. She sighed. "I once heard an idiom I think is appropriate here - my advice has fallen on deaf ears. But no matter, I tried at least. And fight..."

She frowned... She had come across as cold again. "I didn't mean to appear hostile, sir, I-" She cut off, for speaking in such a way was out of her comfort zone entirely. She was not accustomed to apologizing; no one ever spoke to her long enough for that.

[[deleted user]]

Jamie gave a little smirk at the idiom, knowing now that she's not completely stoic. He ran his human hand through his hair, fingers making the unkempt mess even more so, if it was possible. Somehow the look suited him.

"It's fine," he put up his robotic hand to stop her, "You don't have to apologize for following rules. But thank you for trying. I came across as hostile, too, so you're not the only one at fault here."

The mostly human male brought down both arms to rest at his sides. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot, hm? I'm Jamie, and I tend to be the breaker of rules. I don't like relying on others, henceforth, why I keep up with small maintenance on my enhancement. So I apologize if I put myself before the cause, genuinely. It's a brain function I can't control very easily." He wouldn't go into why exactly he didn't like to rely on others, because she didn't necessarily need to know, but that was the honest truth behind why he messed with his arm.

[Lord]

She shook her head. "If you were hostile, I didn't pick up on it. Yes yes, all water under the bridge." She smiled to herself at the correct use of idiom, and faced him again. "Okay, well, I'm Bonnie and I like to follow rules. It's not really a real rule, it's just a way of life though - people don't usually speak to me. It's just a collective decision the residents have made. I think they're frightened of me, or of what I might say to them, or of how I look, or because of my wings. It's okay though; I don't need social stimulation to be contented."

She re-processed what she was trying to say and nodded. "Don't talk to me again, I mean, or you'll be outcast. Mr Fallon decided himself that to avoid people becoming ostracized from the others, I should refrain from mingling. Nevertheless, this was oddly pleasant, it was nice to meet you." She turned to leave, her long blonde hair swishing behind her.

[[deleted user]]

Jamie rose a brow as the girl began to walk away. "Wait, wait a minute!" He walked toward her, shaking his head.

"Firstly," he mimicked the conversation from before, "How would simply talking to you cause me to be socially outlasted? Not that I give two cares about what everyone thinks of me. Besides, I've never heard of this so called 'decision'," he put in air quotes with his fingers. "That's a little rude, in my opinion. Everyone deserves a chance."

"Secondly," he continued, "you still have my screwdriver, and until I get it back, I'm not letting you out of my sight, Father's decision or not." Like he said, he was a rule breaker, and that was his property in her pocket. He wasn't in the least intimidated or frightened of this girl. She seemed normal, aside from having a lack of casual conversation skills.

[Lord]

"If only I knew," she said, unabashed, "People don't like to talk to me, and they don't like other people talking to me either. Mr Fallon described the situation as one that had the residents romanticizing the fact I was untouchable, unapproachable. The power levels down here are strenuous at the best of times, it is best if you don't usurp it. It's not really a sacrifice, I'm not one for friends anyway, I'm eternally 'boring'."

She reached into her pocket and handed back his screwdriver. "You should have mentioned it earlier. Now you have no attachment to me. My enhancement made me otherworldly, Mr Jamie, more so than that of anyone else. You should stick with your own people, and I'll keep to myself. It would make your time down here so much easier."

[[deleted user]]

"Ah, but you see, I've been able to talk to you this whole time without thinking such things. Maybe we're meant to be... acquaintances, if you aren't one for friends. Either way, as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm really not like other people."

Jamie took back his screw driver, sliding it into his back pocket. "I understand how you want to make living here as easy as possible, so if you really want to go, I won't stop you. But just remember that I'll always be willing to talk to you, if you want me to. I've got nothing better to do, trust me." He gave a shrug and shot her a smile, a real one in comparison to her practiced one.

[Lord]

She smiled although it was less practiced and less warm if that were at all possible. "It's physically impossible for me to be as selfish as to have friends. You can walk away and have many friends and comrades, which I believe is a much kinder fate than a simple acquaintanceship with me. You shouldn't be so recluse; people down here like to stick together. And when we rule the world, it will be useful to have so many connections."

She smiled again and for a second her eyes lit up, just the tiniest bit. "When we return to the surface I'm going to live in the sky."

[[deleted user]]

Jamie saw her point and chose not to argue his. Either way, this girl wasn't going to easily let him be her friend, that much was obvious.

He noticed when the little spark shone in her eyes, and that gave him hope that one day he'd get through to Bonnie. She had dreams, and aspirations, and she was normal deep down. Wasn't that what made a human? Dreams? Hope? Shit like that? Jamie smiled, truly genuine with subtlety. "I hope you can. I'm sure the sky will welcome you with open arms."

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra was leaned over a pool table in the far corner of the rec room. She wore black leggings, tall lace up black heel boots, and a long sleeve form fitting black shirt. Her gun was clipped to her belt, and most likely she had other weapons hidden on her. Her scales glowed in the light, her eyes focused on her game of pool, which she seemingly was playing by herself. A low hissing sound came from her, her reptilian tongue flickering before pulling back into her mouth, and she took her shot, easily getting three balls down, not an easy accomplishment. The guard must be on her break.

[Lord]

"I will," she said, "You can visit me there when we're free again and-" She cut off, looking over to the woman who she hadn't noticed until now. She blinked with blatant curiosity. "That's her," she murmured, standing close to Jamie so he could hear her, "It's Vastra. One of Father's more complicated inventions. She took almost as long as me to complete. She's quite the picture I think, I honestly don't understand people's fear of her."

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra was indeed a special one. There had been many who hadn't survived the particular experiment that turned her. Being a warm blooded human changed to a cold blooded reptile was some serious work. She heard the girl behind her, who's name she didn't know, and her eyes slid to stare with blatant interest. Almost like she was observing her, a snake ready to snack on a mouse. But she looked away seconds later. She'd only caught a few of the girl's words, but she knew the basics of what she'd said. Another small hiss came from her as she wandered around the table to the other side, taking another turn. Finally she spoke, loud enough for the girl to hear. "I don't appreciate being spoken about behind my back. If you have a compliment, or an insult, say it to me, rather than to someone else." Her tongue flickered again, and once more her sharp eyes looked over.

[[deleted user]]

Jamie looked to the woman at the other side of the room is obvious curiosity. She was had to keep your eyes off of, but Jamie tried not to stare. He hadn't noticed her up until this point, but he cared not. "I see... well, I'm sure she's not nearly as cold as she appears... pun completely unintended." He looked again to Bonnie. "I always give people benefit of the doubt. Something I wish people would have given me when I was at my lowest point."

[Lord]

She raised an eyebrow. "You did not strike me as someone who ever had a low point. You seem unfathomably grounded Mr Jamie. And no, you're wrong. She's cold-blooded - she's exactly as cold as she appears." As usual, Bonnie did not pick up on the joke. "Do you suppose her and I are similar?"

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

(I edited my message up there but ignore it.) Vastra heard them and turned suddenly, dropping her cue so the end hit the floor but it was still in her hand. "I have nothing in common with warm bloods." She said simply, snaking into their conversation effortlessly. She'd been eavesdropping anyway, and they were talking about her after all.

[[deleted user]]

Jamie was about to speak when the girl of their conversation stepped in and spoke. "But you speak English, don't you? That's one thing in common. And then you walk on two legs. Number two. Let's see. You're playing pool, three." Jamie gave a little smirk, trying to play up a light atmosphere, but with two people who were quite possibly nearly unmoved by jokes, it may have taken the wrong approach.

[Lord]

"She was human once," said Bonnie, "And do not think you are so different from warm bloods. You are more like Jamie than I am at the very least. Look at how passionate your emotions are - only humans feel such powerful emotions like annoyance." She smiled to herself, proud she'd been able to successfully detect the correct emotion.

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Surprisingly, Vastra smiled. "Oh I feel many emotions. Not just humans have emotions. And many things speak English, you'd be surprised." She glanced at the two, "You know my name, yet I do not know yours. This isn't very fair, no?" She had a British accent that rolled naturally off her tongue with her natural hiss.

[Lord]

"My name is Bonnie," she said in her smooth voice, "You are from the south of England I presume? I come from the North myself. Not that any of it matters down here, we're all Underworldians now. I expect even when we do take the world." She thought of the sky again, how she'd be able to fly there freely.

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra nodded, "You're right. Doesn't matter anymore. Underworld is home now, whether we want it to be or not." She sounded just a little bitter, frowning.

[Lord]

"It's not like anyone was given a choice," she said soothingly, "But I can't remember how I felt before my enhancement, so it's not too bad for me. I miss nothing, hate nothing. It's refreshing. Today is going well though, I've talked to two entire people, and they haven't ran away from me."

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra glared at her now. "Lucky you. A past is a burden, a little doll like you wouldn't be able to handle. What are you anyway? I'd assume cyborg but I don't hear mechanical clicking." She asked, eyeing Bonnie like she was trying to figure her out.

[[deleted user]]

Jamie let the girl's talk, and like the guy he was, he got quite bored. Not that he didn't think they were cool people, but he wasn't exactly in the conversation. "I'll be taking my leave now, ladies. If you ever see me around, don't be afraid to say hello." Jamie gave a little bow and made for the door.

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra stopped him. Her tongue lashed out with a hiss and lashed Jamie on the neck, the paralyzing poison affecting instantly. Enough to make him paralyzed but awake. "Not so fast. You haven't mentioned your name." The Lizard-Woman said, her tongue flickering and she smiled slowly. Deadly quick on the paralytic poison. No wonder not many people liked her.

[Lord]

"I'm not supposed to let people call me doll," she said quietly, "I'm not a doll, I'm an angel." She looked up at Jamie. "You're leaving?" she asked in surprise, sad that their encounter was ending. She wouldn't say hello to him publicly. She was an anomaly, and the religious folk found her unnatural. She blinked at Vastra. "What did you do to him?"

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra shrugged, nonchalant. "He'll be fine, it'll wear off in ten minutes." She looked back to Bonnie. "Angels don't exist, though considering I'm not supposed to exist either, I suppose you could exist too."

[Lord]

"Adrian Fallon has magic hands," she supposed, "I don't know the details of how he managed it, but alas he did. I'm not allowed to get my wings out here but I'm sure you'll see them one day. On the Armistice."

[[deleted user]]

Thus there was a paralyzed Jamie. How in the world was he supposed to talk to them now if he was faced away from them? "You could have just asked, and I would have come back," he mumbled to himself as the girl's continued on in their conversation. Ten minutes... damn, that was a long time to wait. Jamie sighed heavily through his nose.

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

"That he does, little bastard." Vastra said, scoffing. She walked over to Jamie, grabbing him by the head. Forcibly she turned his head back and forth, studying him. "Hmm." She murmured, impossible to know what she was thinking, and then she released him, looking back at Bonnie, "I don't care much for wings, or flying, or birds. Different species, per se."

[Lord]

Bonnie turned to Jamie and leaned into him so that their faces where almost touching. She began to whisper in some form of Latin and a pink mist came from her mouth as she did, washing over him. "It acts as an antidote," she told him.

[[deleted user]]

Jamie began to feel the affects and rolled his neck as the paralysis wore off. He turned and shot a slight glare at the cold-blood woman. "I'm Jamie, and I appreciate it when I don't get paralyzed the first meeting." He stretched out his arms a bit, the mechanics in his right making slight noise as he did so.

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra put on a little fake smile, "I'll try to remember for our next meeting. Apologies, it's a reflex, really." Liar. She set down the pool cue, leaving her game unfinished. "I should go, make patrols. I am a guard, after all."

[Lord]

"Lie," said Bonnie. A curse of her enhancement, she could practically taste falseness on her tongue, "You don't have patrols. We're on lockdown. The infamous Stiles escaped a few hours ago."

[[deleted user]]

"Tsk," Jamie knew it wasn't no reflex that made her shoot poison at him through her tongue... god that was a weird thought. "I wonder how that man could have escaped. I'm surprised Father isn't running rampant through the halls, honestly."

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra scowled. "Yes, that little weasel. It's a good thing I was off duty when he got out, or he would have had to face me. I'm sure the lockdown will be lifted soon." She didn't acknowledge Bonnie seeing her lies.

[Lord]

"Oh he was before," she told him, "I've never seen him so livid. I hear the prisoner was an ex-lover of his way before the Underworld was ever created. It's a strange thing, love. I've seen it do great good but even greater evil. But I trust Father, he won't fail us, or rather, won't fail himself."

She looked at Vastra. "I can't be certain, but Stiles has powers of great influence. I think he was let out by one of the guards. He wasn't experimented on by Adrian either, I have no explanation for it. Keep this to yourself though; it wouldn't do for everyone to know he was some sort of succubus."

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra seemed to lack the natural trust in Father that Bonnie had. She however, spoke up vaguely, "You mean Incubus. Succubus is the female form of Incubus. Also, I'm not entirely sure an Incubus could be so persuasive like that, much of their powers in charming is in their seduction, usually on humans. Then again, I don't know many Incubi or Succubi, so I wouldn't know."

[[deleted user]]

"Then how do you know he didn't just seduce the guard? Living organisms in general are awfully weak to the powers of sex, as it is the fundamentals we're all built on, reproduction and all that jazz," Jamie shrugged. Men were especially weak to that kind of thing, but he had a feeling these girls really wouldn't know about that.

[Lord]

"Perhaps you are right," said Bonnie, "Stiles uses seduction as his preferred method but it is entirely optional. It is not completely necessary, is what I mean to say. A disturbing thought, though I hear his powers fall short of the Father. I suppose his hatred for the man is so strong he is protected against all influence. After all, what reason do we have to hate him?" She glanced at Jamie. "I do believe seduction makes the process faster; Stiles has an inclination towards men, horrifically convenient seeing as there are so few female guards. Save for Vastra and myself. Saying that, I don't believe we've met before - you must be a part of a different battalion."

[Dae]

((House of stiles...))

[Sυммer Rαιɴ || Wrιтιɴɢ ιѕ α cαllιɴɢ, ɴoт α cнoιce.]

Vastra just shrugged. "I keep to myself. Can you blame me?" She asked, gesturing to the scaled skin. She paused before looking away, absentmindedly saying, "I have every reason to hate The Father. To be honest I don't understand why many of you have a god-like worship of him." She crossed her arms, "I think even immortals should not rule forever. It's high time he met the end of his leadership." Now those were dangerous words. Of course, being a guard, Vastra would follow his orders while he was leader, but her words showed her belief that someday, the family who lead them would be overthrown.