BACKDATED TO FEB 24TH, 2017
* Kaylee hadn't been social in so long that...some social norms were falling to the wayside. Her camera, held tight in one hand, was her only way to connect now - and even then, she didn't do it enough. But as she knelt in the cavern, surrounded by stones of varying type, camera to her eyes as she focused the lens on the serpentine figure not far down the corridor from her, things felt right. Things felt like they should. A giggle burbled from deep in her throat. She seemed to have not showered or changed from the jeans and tee shirt she wore in at least a month, if not longer.
* Adley Reed didn't come to the caverns often. His slashed gut had healed, however, and a change of scenery was necessary. Though he did not think that the caverns would be any more safe than the catacombs in regards to huge fadebeasts with a penchant for tearing out one's innards, at least he could collect some different things. His metalworking had reached a brand new high, his swords and weaponry only gaining quality the more he practiced. Gems and stones went well with some of the more decorative pieces, though, and he was rather enjoying experimenting with jewelry, too. With that in mind, he dropped into the cave and waited for his eyes to adjust before slinking off down one of the many passageways -- half his attention on the walls and what gems they might proffer, and half on what lay around the next corner. He'd prefer to keep his gut in tact from now on.
* Kaylee adjusted the lens again as she slid against the wall, getting a better view of the encantado figure before her. With another giggle, she muttered in a singsong poem that wasn't really hers, about hissing snakes on the floor that could be nailed to the door. As she approached the next turn, though, she saw another figure in the backdrop, in the darkness. A figure she hadn't seen in a while, a long while. A broken laugh escaped as she pressed her frame to the wall, standing upright now. The tee shirt was absolutely filthy, but the blue screenprint text across the front was clear - As You Wish, it read. Taking a couple further steps, she spoke haltingly. "Ad-ley?"
* Adley Reed was busy trying to dislodge an emerald when he heard a giggle. He stopped, frozen, and narrowed his eyes in the direction from which the giggle had come -- or what he thought was the direction it had come from. Sounds bounced around these caverns like magic nymphs, ready to catch one off guard. First, he saw the serpentine figure and wanted to recoil. Had it giggled?! But then he saw the blonde. The young girl -- woman? -- she was something in between. Kaylee. He hadn't seen her for ages, hadn't heard from her. But here she was, filthy but seemingly okay. He held out a hand, as sort of invitation for her to slip past the creature and retreat with him, somewhere where the creature was not. "Kaylee... you look... well," he said. Did she, though? He'd have to get her out into the light to make a better assessment.
* Kaylee giggled again, taking another quick picture of the serpentine figure before she stepped close to him. She hadn't played any facade of being a human; there was no more need, was there? On top of that, she didn't smell - most of the dirt was actually dust, settled on her skin, on her clothes, in her hair. "It's - so - pre-tty - here," she said, each syllable seperated by a beat just its length, even in the same word. "Was - told - I - should - prac-tice - my - art - a-gain. The - peo-ple - here - are - so - dif-fer-ent - so - a-li-en. Good - sub-jects." Her movements were jerky, a little robotic, but still she couldn't help but wrap her arms around Adley in a hug of greeting, her deaf ear going to his cheek. "Missed - you."
* Adley Reed watched Kaylee curiously, his arms returning the embrace tentatively, as if he might break her if he handled her the wrong way. Although she was smiling and although she seemed well enough despite the dirt, she was talking weird. Her happiness seemed like a facade, like she'd had to walk a long path to get there. As if it were part of madness, rather than genuine pleasure. "Maybe we should go somewhere else and talk, yeah? What have you been up to?" he asked, even as he glanced over his shoulder. He'd not come too far into the caverns -- at least he knew where the exit was, and the exact route they had to take to get there.
* Kaylee twitched slightly as she pulled back, tugging at her shirt. "You - o-kay?" she asked, rehooking her camera now onto the neckstrap as she stood. Her eyes flicked back to the serpentine frame down the hall, smiling in the siren's direction. "They - seem - to - en-joy - get-ting - their - pic-tures - ta-ken. Like - they - know - they're - beau-ti-ful - and - des-erve - to - be - pho-to-graphed. They - were-n't - both-ered - by - me." she said, her pacing picking up only slightly. Then she clasped her hand to his, squeezing like a vice. "Don't - leave - me."
* Adley Reed hadn't thought of taking pictures of the creatures that lurked the numerous underground hallways of the city. All Adley's work was confined above ground, focusing now more on aesthetic things than on anything else. He liked to take picture of life, of the way it swelled and swirled. He liked to capture rare moments of love or whimsy, of anger and awe. He was now, finally, doing something worthwhile with his camera. Tonight, though, he didn't have it with him. "I'm perfect, Kaylee. I don't think you are though," he said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I'm not leaving you, I'm saying we should leave together," he said, tugging a little to get her to follow him, leading them back toward the light and the fresh air.
* Kaylee followed easily, waving to the serpentine figure who would probably kill her if given the chance. "To-mor-row - night!" she called back, as she was led away. Her bare feet scuffing against the rough-hewn stone, following paths that perhaps these serpent warriors had smoothed with their scales as they patrolled about. She giggled again, wiggling her toes.
* Adley Reed didn't come to the caverns often. His slashed gut had healed, however, and a change of scenery was necessary. Though he did not think that the caverns would be any more safe than the catacombs in regards to huge fadebeasts with a penchant for tearing out one's innards, at least he could collect some different things. His metalworking had reached a brand new high, his swords and weaponry only gaining quality the more he practiced. Gems and stones went well with some of the more decorative pieces, though, and he was rather enjoying experimenting with jewelry, too. With that in mind, he dropped into the cave and waited for his eyes to adjust before slinking off down one of the many passageways -- half his attention on the walls and what gems they might proffer, and half on what lay around the next corner. He'd prefer to keep his gut in tact from now on.
* Kaylee adjusted the lens again as she slid against the wall, getting a better view of the encantado figure before her. With another giggle, she muttered in a singsong poem that wasn't really hers, about hissing snakes on the floor that could be nailed to the door. As she approached the next turn, though, she saw another figure in the backdrop, in the darkness. A figure she hadn't seen in a while, a long while. A broken laugh escaped as she pressed her frame to the wall, standing upright now. The tee shirt was absolutely filthy, but the blue screenprint text across the front was clear - As You Wish, it read. Taking a couple further steps, she spoke haltingly. "Ad-ley?"
* Adley Reed was busy trying to dislodge an emerald when he heard a giggle. He stopped, frozen, and narrowed his eyes in the direction from which the giggle had come -- or what he thought was the direction it had come from. Sounds bounced around these caverns like magic nymphs, ready to catch one off guard. First, he saw the serpentine figure and wanted to recoil. Had it giggled?! But then he saw the blonde. The young girl -- woman? -- she was something in between. Kaylee. He hadn't seen her for ages, hadn't heard from her. But here she was, filthy but seemingly okay. He held out a hand, as sort of invitation for her to slip past the creature and retreat with him, somewhere where the creature was not. "Kaylee... you look... well," he said. Did she, though? He'd have to get her out into the light to make a better assessment.
* Kaylee giggled again, taking another quick picture of the serpentine figure before she stepped close to him. She hadn't played any facade of being a human; there was no more need, was there? On top of that, she didn't smell - most of the dirt was actually dust, settled on her skin, on her clothes, in her hair. "It's - so - pre-tty - here," she said, each syllable seperated by a beat just its length, even in the same word. "Was - told - I - should - prac-tice - my - art - a-gain. The - peo-ple - here - are - so - dif-fer-ent - so - a-li-en. Good - sub-jects." Her movements were jerky, a little robotic, but still she couldn't help but wrap her arms around Adley in a hug of greeting, her deaf ear going to his cheek. "Missed - you."
* Adley Reed watched Kaylee curiously, his arms returning the embrace tentatively, as if he might break her if he handled her the wrong way. Although she was smiling and although she seemed well enough despite the dirt, she was talking weird. Her happiness seemed like a facade, like she'd had to walk a long path to get there. As if it were part of madness, rather than genuine pleasure. "Maybe we should go somewhere else and talk, yeah? What have you been up to?" he asked, even as he glanced over his shoulder. He'd not come too far into the caverns -- at least he knew where the exit was, and the exact route they had to take to get there.
* Kaylee twitched slightly as she pulled back, tugging at her shirt. "You - o-kay?" she asked, rehooking her camera now onto the neckstrap as she stood. Her eyes flicked back to the serpentine frame down the hall, smiling in the siren's direction. "They - seem - to - en-joy - get-ting - their - pic-tures - ta-ken. Like - they - know - they're - beau-ti-ful - and - des-erve - to - be - pho-to-graphed. They - were-n't - both-ered - by - me." she said, her pacing picking up only slightly. Then she clasped her hand to his, squeezing like a vice. "Don't - leave - me."
* Adley Reed hadn't thought of taking pictures of the creatures that lurked the numerous underground hallways of the city. All Adley's work was confined above ground, focusing now more on aesthetic things than on anything else. He liked to take picture of life, of the way it swelled and swirled. He liked to capture rare moments of love or whimsy, of anger and awe. He was now, finally, doing something worthwhile with his camera. Tonight, though, he didn't have it with him. "I'm perfect, Kaylee. I don't think you are though," he said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I'm not leaving you, I'm saying we should leave together," he said, tugging a little to get her to follow him, leading them back toward the light and the fresh air.
* Kaylee followed easily, waving to the serpentine figure who would probably kill her if given the chance. "To-mor-row - night!" she called back, as she was led away. Her bare feet scuffing against the rough-hewn stone, following paths that perhaps these serpent warriors had smoothed with their scales as they patrolled about. She giggled again, wiggling her toes.
