westwhere | sa-hareth | arrival (mingle log)

"Oh dear, there you are!"

The bright, cheerfully British voice floats over from the woman in once-pristine white and green dress, looking like she'd stepped out of a victorian period piece. But she doesn't seem to notice the drastic differences in their dress as she steps up beside Five, giving him a smile and a wink, before turning her attention to the man.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive my son, it's been just a dreadful ordeal getting here. Those armies, and all..." She makes a vague motion behind her and the man takes the bait.

"Oh," he says, "the-"

"Yes!" Winnie interrupts quickly before he can get too far. Leave just enough to make them fill in the blanks for themselves. "Precisely! Just dreadful. I'm sorry we disturbed you, it's just..." She looks at Five with a furrowed brow, as if she does want to speak but is oh-so-honorably making herself go on, for his sake. It doesn't matter that her and Five look nothing alike; clearly he takes after his father. Obviously. "Well, we'd really like to get to the mainland, but we've just lost everything just trying to get here safely..."

She even tears up, sniffling as she dabs at her eyes, lower lip jutted out in a pout.

Five was currently in the middle of posturing and trying get across with a look that he's not joking when he makes those threats. The man who towers over him didn't seem to get it, and so he would have been happy to demonstrate. But just then they have company.

It takes him a few seconds to switch gears and realize what's happening when the woman interjects. If he'd noticed her before, he definitely hadn't given her more than a second look until that moment. He's been wondering if they all came from different times, and her dress seems to confirm that well enough for him. Even without the wink, it's clear what she's doing. Smart.

His mouth hangs open as she goes on, impressed that she even tears up, all while thinking there's no way he's going to buy this. But one glance tells him that she might have just earned their ticket. Well, that's a surprise.

"That's right." He clears his throat and nods slowly. If this doesn't work, he's perfectly willing to switch back to Plan A, but he's willing to be flexible in life-or-death situations. "I don't think we'll take up much room, do you?"

The man hesitates, looking between the two. Winnie sniffles louder, with the promising threat to start full-on bawling and drawing more attention. And Winnie's betting he's like most blue-collar men: He'd do just about anything to prevent a woman from crying loudly and causing a scene.

The man's eyes widen and he looks distinctly uncomfortable as Winnie waves her hand and dabs at her eyes, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm sorry it's just so much." She takes adeep, shuddery breath. "Can we go on board? We'll be out of your hair, I promise..."

It takes another uncomfortable minute of Winnie looking on with wide, watery eyes before he grumbles something about them hurrying up. She places light fingertips on Five's shoulder, a gentle nudge before withdrawing to turn them towards the way up. As soon as they're out of earshot she straightens and grins brightly at Five, no trace of the crying, vulnerable woman from a moment ago.

"Well! That went better than I thought. I would've been quite annoyed if I had to truly cry. Gives me such a headache. Are you alright?"

It speaks to the man's intelligence that he's so easily duped, but really, he can allow himself to be impressed when she turns it off like a flip of a switch. More so that she's still so... chipper, considering where they just came from. Or maybe she just has a screw loose. What does Five care? He got what he wanted, and if looking like he does manages to be an advantage, well at least it's good for something.

"Glad I could be a prop." Which isn't a 'thank you' but he forgets these things. Honestly, he's still a little wound up, and he stretches his neck while they go up into the ferry and he tries to find a good place to wedge himself. He kind of expects her to hover around to keep up the charade, so he sighs and gets comfortable. At least they can understand each other.

He didn't make it this far alone. That's something he won't mention while he waits for them to get moving.

"Did you know anything about what you were saying back there?" It didn't seem like it, but Five hasn't had a chance to compare notes with anyone. Doesn't hurt to check.

She laughs softly and gives him a mildly apologetic look. "Sorry about that. But it did get us both a ride!" She finds a near-by bench to sit down on, tucking her skirts beneath her and settling her hands together on her knee.

She hums a little, looking thoughtful. Her expression goes distant, searching back through her memory. "You were brought to serve warlord Unhalad. He will kill you for your strength. He has killed countless of your kind before. Be at the House of Dew within the fortnight, in the Merchant Arena. That way. Go east."

Winnie looks over. "Something like that? It sounds to me like this warlord person wants to kill us to be part of his undead army. Which, while I'm flattered by his overestimate of my character strengths, I'm not inclined to agree to membership."

"That it did." Five's maybe a little anxious for that ride to start, so he hopes it won't be long. Quietly he folds his arms and tries to appear just as causal. Anyone left behind can fend for themselves, as far as he's concerned.

After a brief glance to where they just boarded, he looks back and gives her his full attention when she speaks again. The same message he got. She manages to recite it almost exactly, which strikes him as odd, but that only makes him watch her more closely.

"I can't say I'm interested either." It would have sounded like a joke if he hadn't just escaped from that place. This is new to him and his curiosity is brimming. "Our kind. I wonder what that's about."

"Hmm...It could be very simple. It could mean anyone 'alive'..." Winnie's gaze lowers to the ground, face briefly blank as if forgetting that she's supposed to be showing some kind of emotion. SUre that's an idea, but she figures it's not as easy as all o that. She blinks a few ties and then straightens, turning to face him with a curious frown.

"Where are you from? What place, time, year?" She smiles encouragingly. "My name is Winnie--should get that one out of the way. I'm from England, and it was 1888."

It could. But he kind of doubts it, and purely going off of a first impression he wonders if she doubts it too. His suspicions grow when she immediately goes for what might have been his next question. What year is it for her, and what year are they in now.

"My name is Five." That's the easy one to answer, though he can't help but watch to see if she recognizes it. The rest, he seems to debate for a while, much longer than he should have to for such a simple question. Eventually he releases a breath and gives a partially truthful answer. "You could say I do a lot of traveling. Just before I came here I was in Dallas Texas, 1963."

Ten days earlier, he was in 2019. He's been all over the timeline, so it's a little hard to nail down where he's from these days.

There's no recognition at the name, though there is a fleeting expression of confusion, like she's not sure she heard right. "Like the number...?" She murmurs, not quite to Five himself, just... Like. Okay. Weird! Very weird! But that's not the priority because what is, is: "1963..." She echoes on an exhale, feeling a genuine bit of surprise. It's a fleeting feeling, but it's impressive it shows up at all, making her take a deep breath.

"Well... Well." Winnie laughs a little, as if she almost can't believe it and nods, like she's confirming something to herself. "There were quite a few of us in that jail. It seems we all might be from different times, at the very least, and from all sorts of different places. I'm just not sure how or why any of us, individually, were specifically chosen..."

Alright, she can think of a reason or two for herself, but not so much everyone else. SHe peers at Five curiously again. He looks like a child, but he speaks much more maturely, but really Winnie can't say she's great at ages. And she'd been expected to conduct herself like an adult any time she was out in public by the time she was Five's age, or thereabouts, so, really, what does she know?

"Number Five," he confirms without any further explanation. While she doesn't appear to know it, the way she repeats the year makes him watch her all the more carefully. That she would be the one to bring up time is interesting, and he tries to commit what she said to memory until he can write it down. Winnie, England, 1888. What was going on in 1888? He'll have to dwell on it later.

"I'm not surprised. People rarely know their own significance." Which is maybe telling, but he's also deeply confused about when and where they are now. He hasn't been able to place it. But since Winnie seems to have done better work at interviewing a few of them, he takes a shot and asks: "What was the latest year you heard?"

He isn't interested in filling in the blanks for her, especially not when that old familiar dread is creeping on him. As chaotic as their escape had been, he hadn't had a chance to search for the others. He's used to being the one to get all the attention, but he can't assume that means they all made it back without him.

People rarely know their own significance.

That makes her pause for a moment, looking at him quietly. It wasn't something she'd ever thought off before, but she supposes there might be something worth it in there. "All pieces of the grand puzzle?" She counters with a light little smile, looking out across the ferry at the people milling about. Did that mean some people were bigger pieces than others? Like the people who truly made history?

Lost deep in thought, she doesn't seem to hear Five since she doesn't respond right away, before at length she gives a low, "hmm" and straightens up. "There was one young man who wouldn't quite answer me-- just that I wouldn't understand it or something like that. He said he was from in the future. Another man told me he was from..." She frowns, furrowing her brow a little, "'the 33rd year in the Xingyao Era.' Whatever that's supposed to mean. Everyone was a little all over the place. Another young man told me he was from a place called Cobblestone, in the Heliodor region. Some kingdom south of 'Yggdrasil'." Winnie shakes her head slowly, expression distant again as she tries to think.

"But I've only heard of Yggdrasil in the myths..." So, you know. Little sus.

Five tilts his head at her first musing. She's already getting a habit of responding in ways that aren't... normal to him. Mostly because he doesn't run across many who follow his line of thinking. Like pieces of a puzzle. Exactly.

Then she follows that up with something he isn't expecting. Doesn't really count as an answer when it leaves him with more questions. -- In any case, it doesn't sound like anyone he knows. He keeps on staring for a while longer, then heaves a breath and looks out towards the water in front of them. What the hell happened?

"They all make it out?" He supposes they'll probably run into each other, if they're all headed to the same place. But things were bad back there. Survival of the fittest.

"As far as I know, yes. They all seemed quite capable! I was very impressed." She turns her head to look in the direction of the jail; despite her words, there's a worried frown on her face.

"But there were still plenty of people that will have trouble with the ferry. The coin is all foreign to me, and without those quartz things I can hardly understand anyone, so I imagine they're going to have similar trouble.

You know, I spend all that time to learn four languages and almost no one speaks a word of any of them!" Winnie huffs a little, as if offended before she laughs softly and shakes her head, looking down at her hands on her lap. "So far, only you and one other I've met have spoken English. Not entirely sure what I'm going to do if I lose it or it breaks."

That's one thing that he can easily relate to; speaking several other languages didn't help him at all when he was chained to an elf. He doesn't say as much, but she brings up a good point.

"You learn it." Easy enough. Depending how long it takes for them to get out of here. He shrugs and wraps his arms around himself a little tighter. It's a cold wind. "You do what it takes to survive."

As for the ferry, that's their problem. Five has enough on his plate without worrying about strangers. Besides, she says they're capable, they'll figure it out.

"Just like that?" Her tone is lightly teasing, but she laughs gently. He has a point, after all. It's not like she has any choice really--nor do any of them, if they want to survive here for any length of time until they can figure out how to get back home.

If they can even get home.

Which would be very inconvenient, considering she has so much to do. It takes a bit of digging and really thinking about it, but she thinks she can feel a flicker of something like annoyance at the idea. "Yes, I suppose so..." Whatever it takes to survive and get ahead to see another day. Winnie sighs and then frowns at his shivering before she gets up, brushing herself off.

"Stay right here, won't you please? I'll be right back." She smiles brightly reassuring, and then walks off. She's gone only for a couple minutes before she returns with two blankets in hand, slightly worn, but better than nothing.

"Isn't it just dreadfully cold? I went looking for something to keep warm, and wouldn't you know, I found two blankets? I only need the one, of course, so use the other so it doesn't go to waste, alright?" She drops the blanket at his feet and then takes a seat again, the blanket she has folded over her arm, seeming with no interest in actually using it herself.

Just like that. He isn't going to keep doling out free advice, it's just common sense. Though he'll admit it's satisfying when someone seems to agree with him. If people listened to him more often, they'd be a lot better off.

When she gets up, he watches her go with more curiosity than he might have a few minutes ago. Strangely enough, he can guess at what she's doing even before she returns with blankets for them. Just something about her that reminds him... And it shouldn't seem too strange when she's been so willing to take on a motherly role.

What she doesn't know. It's only been a little over two weeks, and Five has yet to get used to being in this body. He's as capable as he's ever been, but it's true that he doesn't have as much weight on him to keep him warm.

So he doesn't say a word, just reaches down for the blanket and drapes it around his shoulders. No point in freezing to death for the sake of his pride. Let her have this one.

Winnie smiles to herself, pleased, and settles in fully once he puts the blanket around himself. She’d made up the excuse of two blankets to try and save his pride some, and she’s glad to find it either worked, or Five wasn’t going to put up a fuss to begin with.

She lets the comfortable silence linger for a few minutes before she says suddenly. “You don’t have an accent.” And the nose turns to him, smiling slightly in curious amusement. “I’m not sure about America much, but I know where Texas is. Don’t they usually have funny little accents?”

Not... that Winnie can speak at all about ‘funny little accents,’ but here she is! “Did you move there recently? I’m a little jealous. I’ve never gotten to visit America.”

Five had already started to shift back into his own thoughts when Winnie speaks again. Oh. She's expecting small talk, now? He doesn't really do that with... other people.

"Uh huh. Like I said, I do a lot of traveling." He doesn't seem all that interested in elaborating, but he does pull his attention back to her. That's when his eyes go to the blanket she hasn't bothered to use, as if he hadn't noticed before. He isn't an idiot. There's obviously something strange about her.

"You don't get cold, do you?" Never mind that she remarked on it just moments ago. Maybe she forgot to keep up the act.

“And so young! It must seem like a dreadfully exciting adventure.” Especially for young boys, right? Don’t young boys love adventure and swashbuckling and all that?

His question makes her pause, head titled in slight curiosity, polite smile freezing on her face. “Hm?” She looks down at the blanket as if remembering it’s there and blinks before laughing brightly. “Oh! I did nearly forget.” She laughs again and her expression turns partly sheepish, party sad as she looks down at the blanket and her arms.

“To be fair, I’m wearing quite a few more layers than you.” Just, you know, pointing that out there. Then she sighs a little and goes quiet for a moment before confessing lightly, “no, I do get cold. I’m afraid I just don’t feel it as well as others do at times. And there’s so much else to worry about, it’s slipped my mind to even pay attention to the cold.”

Winnie fixes him with another slightly sheepish smile. “Did I worry you? I’m sorry.”

Dreadfully exciting.

"It was a riot," he mutters to himself, just because... well, that adventure was a little more than he bargained for. About 45 years more.

The more interesting subject for him is that oddity he senses in her. Granted, he's distrustful by nature, but he thinks he's clever enough not to have the wool pulled over his eyes by a pretty face trying to mother him into submission. They may think that he's an easy one to manipulate, but he won't be fooled again.

Though. He can't be sure. Maybe she is telling the truth, and he's being paranoid. So far he can't decide. She could just be strange.

"How about we don't worry about each other, hm?" He fixes the blanket on his shoulders. Then he goes on, a little less hostile, a little more tired. "We made it this far. We must know how to look out for ourselves."

“But we are all in the same boat,” she points out lightly, before pausing and then laughing. “Literally, in this case!” Gosh she’s hilarious.

Winnie clears her throat, trying to get back on track with where she’d been going with that. “There’s nothing wrong with keeping an eye on each other. I think we’re a lot more frightening in a group rather than individually, and there’s safety in numbers. There has to be a reason we were all separated and locked away. Perhaps they’re frightened of us, in a way.”

She glances out across the boat and to the shore, her eyes cooling. “I dare say they may have every right to be.”

That lingers in the air a moment before she looks at Five again, her smile back in place. “Besides, I quite like you.” Her tone turns teasing as she continues: “And you’d make it so much easier to gain sympathy and free things!” Which is a joke, sure, but also... Not a lie??

Every time she laughs, he seems to scrutinize her more. It makes him itch just knowing she's right about that. They've all been put here, somehow. Probably by the Commission because what else could it be, given the timing? How much did he really trust any of them, anyway? What makes him pause from jumping to conclusions is just that he can't connect the dots yet. Maybe they're more similar than he knows.

That thought settles on him as she goes on. He's already convinced of one thing about her, about there being more than meets the eye, but what... something he can obsess over along with a million other new problems that this whole 'adventure' just created for him.

So he's silent for a while, flexing his jaw while he thinks of how much he's willing to offer. What benefits him. He really doubts anyone is as capable as he is, but given the evidence, it's possible that they aren't completely useless to him. If he's already expecting to be betrayed it shouldn't be too hard to play along for now.

"It's not a terrible cover, if everyone is as smart as the captain of our ship here." He frowns, relenting slightly. It's always something and his patience is already wearing on him. "I can't make promises. Whoever locked us up obviously didn't have any qualms about doing it. I'm not sure we'll get a better reception on the other end of this."

"People like to believe what's most convenient for them. To any normal person, seeing a woman and a young boy together makes them immediately assume they're mother and son, or brother and sister at the least. It makes the most sense, so it's most likely to be true. If you play into that, then all the doors begin to open for you."

The ever-present smile is still there, but she raises her eyebrows at him as if to say, 'you see?' Intelligence level had nothing much to do with it, as far as Winnie was concerned. "That's the thing about lies. YOu keep them simple and vague and let others fill in all the rest. Suppose it's not technically lying if the other person makes it all up themselves..."

She trails off, tapping at bottom lip thoughtfully, then shrugs. Whatever! Makes no difference to her. "Why don't you get some rest, though? There's no telling how long it'll be before the ferry actually starts running. I'll stay here to make sure no one else bothers you."

You know, except for herself occasionally.

Five gives that more thought than is really necessary. She's obviously proud of that skill, which he gets after witnessing it. He hasn't had quite as much success when he pretends to be a child, but to be fair, he hasn't been in a long time. Remembering how to act usually falls flat, and he doesn't have the patience to really sell it. Winnie seems to be an exception. Maybe that's something she wants to believe too.

And contrary to what she says, intelligence has everything to do with it. Everyone would live longer with a healthy dose of paranoia, as far as he's concerned. Though he can appreciate the lesson she's trying to give to a poor misguided boy.

Once she asks if he wants to rest, he scoffs and shakes his head. It doesn't matter how cold or tired he is, there's no way he's dropping his guard now. Especially since he hasn't forgotten the one he's leaving behind, who might just be a little sore if she sees him sailing away.

"I'm good. Though if you want to try talking them into leaving sooner, I wouldn't mind." He smiles again, as if he's just asking for another demonstration. "Throw in a story about the missing father if you want. I'm sure that will get them moving."

Winnie's eyes light up at the idea and she makes an, "oooh!" noise of delight as she turns to face Five. She grins, expression excited.

"What kind of story shall I tell? Shall I make it tragically romantic? Long-lost loves separated by the cruelties of time and circumstance? Or am I running and saving us both from a tyrant who treats us so poorly? Or..."

She trails off, biting her lower lip and looking oh-so eager to spin a tale. "Or perhaps we're involved in a feud between two men. I've married one against my wishes at my father's behest, but I do not love him, though he treats me well enough and is a fine conversationalist. But he's a terribly mean drunk and has absolutely no ear for poetry." Winnie sighs dramatically, as if that's clearly the terrible part of this.

"But I have a childhood sweetheart whom I adore and am compatible with in all ways, but he's much poorer and therefore not a good fit at all, but he treats me well and works hard and we'd be poor but quite happy together. I refuse to say whose child you are."

She looks thoughtful, and then continues excitedly. "But he's gathered enough money to start a new life with us, so I've let my husband and run away with you to go see him where he waits to whisk us away to a better life!"

With a bright laugh, Winnie claps her hands together once and beams at Five once more, clearly enjoying herself. "How's that sound?"

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somebadnews - 2021-04-15 04:27 (UTC) - Expand

sa-hareth | arrival (mingle log)

Ferry

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