caveofsapphires | Today is the first day of the rest of your lives [ opening post ]

Today is the first day of the rest of your lives [ opening post ]

WHO: EVERYONE. NPCs will be around to actively engage if you so desire.
WHAT: Sleepers wake and begin to figure out just what, exactly, they are supposed to do with themselves. tl;dr: REACTION POST for new characters to get out and mingle.
WHERE: Everywhere. Mostly the living quarters, but really: anywhere you want.
WHEN: The first week, April 1st through April 7th.
WARNINGS: Travis Touchdown (Ryan LeCourt) has quite a mouth on him.
NOTES: This is a serious game, guys. WE’RE SUPER SRS HERE. ~~This may be a lie.~~

Shimmering blue blanketed the underground city as the light reflected off the sapphires in the ceiling. It cast its eerie glow, almost mimicking the effect of light on water without the sort of freeing peace one might feel with the soft ocean waves. Figuring out how deep down the city was located was near impossible when the air was obviously heated to something approaching comfortable, and nothing seemed to echo too far past the quiet hum of the city.

Workers made their way down the street, every one with a Sleeper in tow. Something that would have been unheard of only a few days ago, now more likely than one would think. They intended to start slow, but considering how many others were still in cryo, this was a laidback pace.

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"Oh, they're up there all right," Gabriel said without turning around or shifting his gaze from where he was scowling at the ceiling. "Having a good chuckle at my expense. So!"

Abruptly he spun around with a clap of his hands and first laid eyes on his unexpected companion. He wasn't aware of it, but he squinted as if near-sighted and Malcolm was just too far away. Not being able to see souls--it was like being blind. "What are they calling you?"

Perhaps it was disorientation at being tugged out of whatever world he'd been used to. Or perhaps he was just talking to some authority figure he figured could see him. (Not a bad thought--there had to be some way of monitoring all these people, unless the force around was truly enough.) Or maybe the bloke was just a bit touched in the head.

"Even if that were so, it can't be just your expense." Thanks a lot, Gabriel. Malcolm gave a short inner debate on whether he should give his name (his other name, the name they told him was his, but isn't). Instead, he shrugged. "Does what they call me here matter terribly much? Don't you think our so-called dream names might be more appropriate?"

That was ... curious. Gabriel had been assuming the Sleepers were all ... well, all just players on the stage of this world Dad had thrown him into. The man's words implied that he'd been yanked from somewhere else too. Gabriel gave the man a sharp, considering look, but it lapsed a split-second later into a grin, pinpointed by a finger at Malcolm.

"I like you. You've got this sense of resisting the obvious. I know people like that where I came from." His eyes flickered aside and he shrugged casually. "Not that I really liked them all that much, but details. "

Particularly since he'd been trying to make them give in to the obvious for most of the time he'd known them. "What's your name, Mr Brit?"

Malcolm gave a small scoff. "Well, I'm glad that even though you don't like them, you like me." Did he really want to be associating with this guy?

Though he supposed fast friends might prove useful, almost as useful as information, perhaps. "Depending on who you ask, it's either Gavin Stark or Malcolm Reed. What about yourself? And do you always make it a habit of shouting up to the heavens?" Not that he realized that was exactly what was happening. And he might leave Gabriel to guess which name was which. Malcolm wasn't entirely certain what would happen if anyone were caught truly perpetuating their "dream" names, so a little care might have to be taken. At least for now.

"My usual telephone line is out of order," Gabriel said drolly, squinting again as if he'd be able to see Malcolm's soul if he only peered deeply enough. The blasted human hadn't told him which name was which.

"Take your pick. I've got a ton of names to offer. 'Round hereabouts, though? They call me Sylvester Wilton." He rolled his eyes.

"Well then, Mr. Wilton. Or anything else I suppose I might decide to call you--sorry," he interrupted himself, just a touch weirded out by all the squinting, "but do you need a pair of glasses or something of the sort?"

"Uh ... only if they'll reveal your soul when I put them on," Gabriel said in the sort of tone which said the words should have been facetious but really weren't. "I knew humans were blind, I just didn't believe it."

"What are you talking about?" He'd guess very human-like alien, naturally, but what was that about souls?

Gabriel sighed. "Souls. You know, those warm glowy things inside you that give you emotions and make you you." He tapped his chin. "Or are those tapeworms? I forget. You've got so many things that can get inside you, it's hard to tell sometimes."

"I know what souls are. I'm just wondering who or what you might actually be if not human and why you're talking about revealing souls." He just wasn't going to touch the tapeworms comment, at all.

"I can see them, of course," Gabriel said with an air of exasperation. "Well, not right now, but I should. Usually. Useful things, souls. They can tell you a lot about a person." He eyed Malcolm as if everything would change and he'd get his second-sight back in a flash.

The intense gaze didn't faze him, or at least he tried not to let it. It was just the idea of someone or something seeing more of him than he'd like was not a pleasant one. "I would assume so." Maybe it wasn't souls, though. Some kind of energy? An aura?

"I'm afraid you've gotten me curious now. Is that something to do with your eyes, or are you simply not human?"

"Oh, I'm human," Gabriel said with false cheer doubly belied by the edge in his smile. "At least, I am here. But I wasn't before. You know, in those 'dreams'."

He didn't actually finger-quote the word, but his hands lifted in emphasis and he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, do tell. I wasn't aware that being kidnapped and forced wherever the hell we are also resulted in a change of species. No wonder everyone around here appears human..." But, was that possible? He couldn't exactly go about testing genes, of course, but as far as appearance, that would still be an awful lot of trouble to go through.

"It's a wonderful metaphysical prank, I'll give you that," Gabriel grumbled, snapping his fingers idly and scanning the street around them with narrowed eyes, as if cracks in the universe would show. "Not everyone has the power to just change someone's species like that. It does narrow down the field."

"Quite a bit. Whoever's at the top, that's where we'll have to find our answers." But god only knew where that person or those persons were hiding. Somewhere they couldn't necessarily get to now, of course. Somewhere they were watching over. Malcolm couldn't help but give his own glances skyward (well, ceiling-ward).

"The Caretaker," Gabriel said promptly, but then made a gesture of disgust. "Of course, there's no guarantee there isn't anything higher than him, and if it were me, I'd pose as someone far less obvious. He hasn't even bothered to show his face. I bet it has tentacles." The last was added in musing afterthought.

"Could have antennae. Or scales. Might have to swim in a great big tub." Malcolm shrugged. "Or could look like you and me. Could have pointy ears and green blood, no way of knowing until we find this so-called caretaker. I doubt it's anyone we can find in this cave unless they play a very good game of pretend to blend in with the rest of us." Well, that was a nice, thoroughly paranoid thought to stick into his own head, that whoever's behind this might be anyone, if they're clever enough.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and shrugged. "If he is just the bait, chances are he doesn't look human at all. People don't tend to like people who look different." The last was said with a sardonic grin. "I'd put my money on a Worker or a Sleeper."

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Today is the first day of the rest of your lives [ opening post ]

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