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Post by jaylin on Jul 15, 2009 21:40:16 GMT -7
Time: 18:22 PM Date: March 12th, Wednesday, Week Two Place: Trenton, New Jersey - Bus Station Status: Closed for everyone but the Gunnarssons
Jaylin had bought his ticket and now sat on a bench, looking around for Ingegerd and hoping that she and her father would show up. Jaylin knew there was the risk of her deciding she didn't want to deal with the naga, or that she'd be unable to convince her father to meet a strange, serpentine creature that had taken human form. He really didn't want to learn that he'd wasted the money on the ticket, or that his hopes of learning more of the supernatural were for nothing.
He needed to feel that the supernatural was something he would find aside from himself and a vague connection with his father. He wanted something he could touch and see, a place he could visit where he could shed the human guise. He was lucky to be able to take the shape of a human, of course. It allowed him to live a normal life. However, he wanted to be able to live a not normal life as well.
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Post by ingegerd on Jul 16, 2009 13:03:42 GMT -7
Ingegerd's day had not been better than her previous evening. Wearing all black, baggy pants, T-shirt and her green sports jacket, plus sunglasses, she gave 'hungover' an actual face. She'd foregone drinking when she got home, and was now deeply regretting not having any with her for the bus ride. Any doubts she had about meeting with a total stranger to hunt her father down in New York was thoroughly suppressed by her burning determination to get what she wanted. If denying her heritage was what kept her father's hold over her, she'd rush at it like a stomping rhino. She had no idea where Sven was staying, but he would never turn of his cell in case she needed him. Her plan was simply to get her and Jaylin there, call, and then see what happened.
That the effeminate naga would show up Ingegerd for some reason never doubted. He had just seemed so urgent about the whole thing. In the light of a new day - or night, in her case - she was though now feeling thoroughly embarrassed about seeing him again. He'd seen her lose control, make a fool of herself and be weak, and that she couldn't just tolerate. But there was nothing she could do to change it, and if she was lucky, he'd just write the whole thing off as her being drunk. Still, her heart skipped a little when she saw him sitting there, and she found herself at total loss at what to do next. Her social skills were limited to say the least, and even if this guy was far from a friend, he knew her better than anyone beside her father did.
"Hello." Was her voice squeaking again?!
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Post by jaylin on Jul 17, 2009 19:19:57 GMT -7
"Hey," Jaylin said, smiling a little. Though Ingegerd looked horrible, it meant he wasn't being stood up. It also meant she hadn't been too drunk to remember the arrangement, which had been a possibility as well, even if she hadn't intended to leave him waiting here. Of course, she certainly looked like she wasn't in the best shape, but that was to be expected.
"So...are we going to go? Are we meeting up with your father somewhere or something?"
He didn't see the man around, but there was the chance she'd be taking him to meet him. Jaylin wasn't terribly worried about it, though, since she wouldn't have come here if she didn't have something in mind. He just wasn't sure exactly how they were going to do this. He'd never impulsively agreed to meet someone so that their father could show him the troll market before, after all.
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Post by ingegerd on Jul 18, 2009 5:19:59 GMT -7
Okay, a smile should mean she was doing this right. Ingegerd's relief from her insecurity was though quickly vanquished by self consciousness when she now in sober condition took in how pretty Jaylin really was. Not as in being attracted to him - he did look a lot like a woman after all - but as pure inferiority. Maybe she should have done a facial or something before coming. Oh, who was she kidding? Her species was synonymous with ugly.
"Hrm, yes, he's in New York at the moment. That's where the Troll Market is." The reason for Sven being there Ingegerd hoped would not be revealed when they met him. If Jaylin was any clever, he'd then probably figure out that she was using him. Not that she felt terribly bad about it, he was getting what he wanted after all. But most importantly, she would get what she wanted.
"I don't know exactly where he's staying, but it's probably in some motel where we can get rooms as well."
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Post by jaylin on Jul 22, 2009 22:35:45 GMT -7
"All right. We should probably get going then, the bus will be here in a minute."
He didn't notice that she was using him, but then, he didn't know her personal issues. For that matter, he didn't particularly care what she had to gain from this. His only concern was getting what he wanted. Jaylin idly did wonder, however, what her father was doing in a motel or why she wasn't quite certain as to his whereabouts, but he decided not to pry. It could be anything and questioning that would probably just annoy her and possibly lose his ticket to the Troll Market. The correct bus then pulled in.
"It's here."
He boarded the bus, looking at Ingegerd after he took a seat.
"So I'm guessing you have some way to contact him?"
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Post by ingegerd on Jul 26, 2009 1:27:18 GMT -7
"He's got a cell." Ingegerd had to bite her tongue to not make something up about magical crystal balls just to see if Jaylin would fall for it. Hey, the guy seemed to have a pretty open mind. But being a bitch wouldn't get her anywhere except on his bad side. She flung up her bag above their seats, then sitting down next to Jaylin. She realized this was actually the first time anyone had sat next to her on a bus willingly. Too bad there was no beer to celebrate the occasion. And hello to you too, impending alcoholism.
"I'm going to call him when we get there. He's probably in Brooklyn, that's where the Troll Market is." Ingegerd remembered Sven telling her all sorts of stories about the place, half of it probably bullshit just to get her to come with him. She seriously doubted unicorns would put up with being used for pony rides or that there were glittery fairies making cotton candy that could make you fly.
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Post by jaylin on Jul 27, 2009 18:44:08 GMT -7
Jaylin nodded. Then thought of something. Though he was there to see other creatures and not to shop, he still intended to look around and possibly buy stuff.
"Did your dad ever mention what they use as currency? Will mortal money work or do they barter or have their own coin or what?"
He didn't have much if they bartered for things. All he had were a few necklaces and rings he was wearing, and his clothes of course, but the only thing of any real value was the ruby sealed to his throat, and he wouldn't trade that for the world. He needed that to attract his prey; he needed that to take human form.
"I might want to pick up something to trade on the way if it's barter."
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Post by ingegerd on Jul 28, 2009 8:56:46 GMT -7
At that Ingegerd was completely dumbfounded, and for once forgot to hide it. "No, and I have seriously no idea. Logically, I'd say barter, but father told me many of them use glamor to appear human, so they should have some use for money. If it's bartering though, I can't really imagine what they would want."
This led her into a whole new fascinating train of thought: how was the "magical" world really structured? Father had told her that the elves were the rulers of them, but now they were dying out, so she doubted they still had a working currency. Did they have a structured society even? Was it still on a medieval level, or had it evolved like the human one, with health service and social security? The idea of a troll negotiating for a dental plan for lurking under a bridge actually made the corners of her mouth twitch slightly. She tried to hide it by adding, "Father told me our... relatives like shiny things, like jewelry. Maybe that could work." And now she was suddenly seeing her childhood obsession with aluminum foil in a whole different light...
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Post by jaylin on Jul 28, 2009 17:10:45 GMT -7
Glamor? That sounded like what he used, though his form truly changed with the power of the gem, rather than simply appearing to change. This was fortunate, as it eliminated the risk of someone touching something that shouldn't be there or passing through something that should, as he couldn't stand nearly as tall without legs. At first he figured he wouldn't say anything about it, not wanting to blurt out all his secrets, but then he thought better of it. If they'd be getting a motel room, there was a chance that she'd get a glimpse of him in his natural form. Not to mention, she'd get a lot more than a glimpse if she went to the Troll Market with them, and it would perhaps be best not to startle her with the image of a fanged snake man.
"I use something like that myself." As for the bartering possibility.... "If they do use a barter system, as long as the real value doesn't matter, I'll be set."
Aside from the ruby at his throat, nothing he had was worth anything, just cheap little trinkets he thought looked nice. However, if 'shiny' was the important factor, he could probably handle any deals.
"Maybe if they have their own currency there might be some way to exchange human money for whatever they use. I mean, they might need that if they have to pass for human sometimes."
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Post by ingegerd on Jul 29, 2009 8:35:25 GMT -7
"Yeah, I think so too." Ingegerd nodded. Then her attention suddenly caught on Jaylin's previous words, that he was using something similar to glamor. Did that mean he actually did not look human at all? She'd forgotten that he said that he could become human the previous night and just assumed that he had the opportunity to add on his basic human form with serpentine features, not the other way around. The idea thar she could be sitting next to something that actually looked like a monster was more than slightly disturbing.
"Er, sorry if you think it's rude, but what do you really look like?" Okay, not the most thought-out question, but she had to know.
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Post by jaylin on Jul 29, 2009 10:50:42 GMT -7
"Oh, you know. Five foot long tail, no legs, fangs. Pretty much what you'd expect a naga to look like."
Actually, his father who was full naga, was simply a snake in his natural form and all human features were brought by his gem, but there was no need to get into specifics. If she pictured the half snake, half human form presented in Chrono Trigger, she'd be close enough.
"But it's not exactly a glamor," he explained, remembering her very human reactions the day before, like a person unacquainted with supernatural forces and knowing he might have to make her comfortable with how he really looked. "I mean, I really look like I look right now, I actually change shape, so it's not actually a glamor. It's just like one."
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Post by ingegerd on Jul 29, 2009 12:25:22 GMT -7
"Oh." Ingegerd wasn't afraid of snakes; they served their purpose in nature as any other creature. But the idea of a very big one sitting next to her was a definite stretch on her tolerance. Jaylin's assurance that his human appearance was really physical calmed her a bit, especially when it was so non-threatening as it was. If she got to see his real form though there was no guarantee she wouldn't freak out again. Not wanting to repeat that embarrassing incident, Ingegerd decided that the best way of dealing with the frightening and alien was with knowledge. "You said you're half naga. I take it your mother is human then? Did she know what your father was?"
She was also really curious. Here really was someone just like her who'd grown up among humans. He must have been lonely as she had been since he wanted to meet others like them at them at the Troll Market, but he didn't seem as resentful of himself as she was for not fitting in. It actually made her a little jealous.
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Post by jaylin on Jul 29, 2009 20:32:47 GMT -7
"Well, she kind of had to. He kept reverting back to his true form in bed." Jaylin paused, thinking about this for a moment. "I think that's why they got divorced." It was, after all, the second biggest thing his mother complained about. "That and the breakfast in bed."
Which, of course, involved luring various rodents into their bed to snack on them. Jaylin suspected she wouldn't have minded so much had his father simply bought feeder mice and kept them in a cage, but to save money he let his gem give out tantalizing scents to various pest creatures who would join them in bed and eat them in the morning.
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Post by ingegerd on Jul 30, 2009 8:55:15 GMT -7
Breakfast in bed? How could that lead to a divorce? Ingegerd could sympathize with sharing a bed with a large snake being too straining, but breakfast? Wait. Snakes ate rodents, so that would mean-oh, yuck! Expressing disgust over Jaylin's species' eating habits was probably not the best action in this situation, so she kept a straight face and just said, "Sorry to hear that." She had no intention of further inquiring about the matter, her imagination was enough. Crap, hope he wouldn't eat any live rats or mice when she saw.
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Post by jaylin on Jul 30, 2009 11:15:20 GMT -7
Jaylin nodded. He'd have liked it if his parents had stayed together, particularly because that might have given him more of a connection to the supernatural world, but he was used to the idea that they were apart. Besides, it seemed that Ingegerd managed to remain oblivious to the supernatural world regardless of living with her troll father, but that seemed to be largely by choice.
Then the bus pulled to a stop in the New York station. "We're here."
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