Daniel Barker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
livinlavitaeloca) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
entranceway2013-09-30 08:48 pm
livinlavitaeloca) wrote in entranceway2013-09-30 08:48 pm
video ; diary 1 ; the best part of waking up is what where the fuck am i
[ Daniel wakes up in his hotel room in the village of Altstadt. He is definitely in Altstadt, and certainly not in a room in Wonderland which has styled itself to look exactly the same. And, it logically follows, this room is definitely not broadcasting a video of him without his knowledge or consent.
THAT ESTABLISHED,
Daniel springs out of a restless sleep and sits up on the edge of his bed, blinking in the morning light. It must be earlier than it looks, because nobody has come to knock him up, and he definitely asked to be knocked up at 7am promptly. He was very clear in asking to be knocked up.
They'd better not have forgotten. Might they have done? This is sort of a ghetto guest-house, if you want his honest opinion. There's not even a bell he can ring to call a servant.
Okay, Daniel doesn't have time to be annoyed by the inconveniences of rural life. His thoughts are too full of the last leg of his journey, which will be undertaken today, to the castle where he might finally find some safety -- so he stands up quickly, steps away from the bed. Lacking a clock, he just assumes he's late, and starts to undress hurriedly out of his woolen cap and night-shirt.
The network is still definitely not there, but if it were, it would probably now be broadcasting an early Victorian strip tease. ]
(( ooc: info and permissions post! [x] ))
THAT ESTABLISHED,
Daniel springs out of a restless sleep and sits up on the edge of his bed, blinking in the morning light. It must be earlier than it looks, because nobody has come to knock him up, and he definitely asked to be knocked up at 7am promptly. He was very clear in asking to be knocked up.
They'd better not have forgotten. Might they have done? This is sort of a ghetto guest-house, if you want his honest opinion. There's not even a bell he can ring to call a servant.
Okay, Daniel doesn't have time to be annoyed by the inconveniences of rural life. His thoughts are too full of the last leg of his journey, which will be undertaken today, to the castle where he might finally find some safety -- so he stands up quickly, steps away from the bed. Lacking a clock, he just assumes he's late, and starts to undress hurriedly out of his woolen cap and night-shirt.
The network is still definitely not there, but if it were, it would probably now be broadcasting an early Victorian strip tease. ]
(( ooc: info and permissions post! [x] ))
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Take your time. I can wait.
[ Good thing he can be pretty colourblind sometimes, huh? Philip crosses his arms. And waits. ]
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He finishes getting dressed rather hurriedly. And wonders whether this vision has something to do with over-exposure to that Orb, not anything supernatural of course but maybe unhealthy vapours, it's got to be doing something, all these terrible events at once are stretching coincidence.
...
Finally dressed, he looks suspiciously at Philip one more time and then opens the bedside cabinet.
...
... ]
Where is it?
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All right, progress. That's good. Granted, he has no earthly idea what it is supposed to be, but-- ]
I took it.
[ And then he almost frowns, because hang on, give him a moment to catch up with why he just did that. It ought to get him some attention at least, right? Right, let's go with that one for a moment.
Arms still crossed he looks at Daniel expectantly. ]
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He really does need to start sleeping better, because Daniel finds himself considering the possibility for a moment. You know, before he remembers that that's not possible because: ]
You are not real,
[ he says stiffly, patting down the inside of the cabinet with trembling hands as if that'll make the Orb reappear within. Oh jeez this is bad. ]
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...Or even occurring to him in the first place, because wherever Daniel thinks he is, it's definitely probably not an alternative dimension with a penchant for time and space shenanigans.
Last time meeting in person helped. Maybe there's a way to push them there again. ]
What makes you think that?
[ At the risk of going nowhere, but it seemed a better idea than going 'Am too' and sticking out his tongue. Marginally. ]
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And what with how restlessly he slept, Daniel is sure he'd have woken, had a servant come sneaking into the room.
And for an hallucination, this has gone on so long and been so coherent and chatty.
Daniel hesitates for a long moment, then straightens into what he thinks is a commanding pose (spoilers: it's not) and addresses Philip directly. ]
If you have taken it, where have you put it?
[ True, the Orb has been the herald of a lot of problems, but he has a feeling that just losing it won't make them go away. Quite the reverse, in fact. ]
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Now all he needs is a place for them to meet. The library comes to mind first, but as it is he doesn't quite trust Daniel to get over his incredulity in regards to his location, let alone become sufficiently aware of it to find the right door.
Something even simpler then. ]
Just meet me in the entrance hall. [ A beat. ] Down the stairs. You'll know it when you see it.
[ That shouldn't raise any- well, not too many questions, right? ]
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[ How's that for speaking at cross-purposes?
Well, at least he doesn't have his fingers in his ears going la-la-la any more. ]
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Fantastic. I'll see you there in ten minutes.
[ (Or rather, Daniel can deal with it. Philip will start walking down into the entrance hall and wait there, hoping to whatever deity or stroke of luck they've got at hand here that Daniel sticks to the instructions despite the unexpected scenery. ]
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Part of him hopes that if he goes fast enough he'll outrun his new and not possibly real surroundings.
But by the time he's gone down some twisting stairs and reached the entrance hall, he's discarded 'not possibly real' in favour of 'where the hell am I'. He's breathing quite fast by now, and hoping against hope that this isn't a hallucination because if it is, he is probably already ruined.
Okay god thoughts like that: not helping with his composure.
He more or less bursts through the final door and stops in his tracks. The guy from the painting is there, in the flesh. ]
[ oh sorry was there supposed to be dialogue in this tag because daniel is gonna need a minute ]
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How many days, weeks, and months? He doesn't want to look back. He doesn't want to look ahead either, and he definitely doesn't want to look Daniel in the eye as long as he feels like the words Welcome back are about to escape him any second. ]
Where do you think you are?
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I---
[ No sorry he still needs that moment. Okay there we go.
He doesn't need to be hawk-eyed to tell that the man in front of him is avoiding his gaze, and none too happy to see him. Maybe sad, or guilty. In fact guilty is more likely, because what right has he to be sad when Daniel is the injured party here? ]
I venture it is not Altstadt.
[ And did you ever expect a Daniel to sound so unfriendly towards a Philip? ]
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[ Philip looks up at Daniel. Whoops. Only, you know, that isn't what he remembers, that wasn't where he was, so-- ]
No, it's not,
[ he quickly finishes, to buy himself time to study Daniel's features after all. See if he looks different, older, if maybe he truly did outrun everything that's been haunting him, to a future beyond the stories Philip remembers. He steps closer without noticing, the explanation he meant to give silent in favour of his curious stare. ]
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Maybe the biggest difference is that he has no trouble meeting Philip's eye. After all, for now, he can still meet his own. ]
Did--
[ STRANGER DANGER. Daniel backs away a step as Philip moves forwards. ]
Did you expect something different?
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Oh come on, what is he going to do, throw a gun at your head?]No.
[ That said with exactly the same decisiveness and conviction Daniel will soon come to answer questions such as, "Hey, brutally tortured and murdered anybody good lately?", but that's a revelation in a direction best left wayyyy out of the conversation on both sides.
The look Daniel is giving him is bad enough without it. ]
And for the record, I didn't steal-- whatever you were looking for. But I figured it was a faster way to meet than waiting for you to consider that I might not be a hallucination.
[ Permission. Forgiveness. You know what they say. Plus there's the backing away bit, so we're considering that now, yeah? Bright side and all. Sigh. ]
All right, look, you're--
[ He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the brochure he quickly grabbed on the way here. But his hand sinks nearly the second he lifts it to hand the pamphlet over.
Disney movie, Alice in Wonderland, communication device. Yeah, this isn't going to cut it... ]
You're in Wonderland. This is Wonderland. You're trapped here. So am I, so are all of us. I'm Philip. I'm real. And I didn't take your-- thing.
[ Just to reiterate that last part. And here's a look for Daniel: You with me so far? ]
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[ yes daniel because if he doesn't know what it is then he's totally going to be able to answer that question ]
A stone Orb of strange colour. It's mine. [ He cups his hands to approximate the size.
Now it's Daniel's turn to step forward. Apparently he's choosing to focus on the 'lost Orb' part of this conversation. And with good reason, because a) it can lead into addressing the rest of Philip's salient points, and more importantly b) oh yeah THE WHOLE SAVING HIS LIFE THING ]
Sir, I don't know what part you play in all this, but understand that it's of deadly importance that I find my Orb and my way back to Altstadt!
1/4
This is-- This must be before everything that's happened in Brennenburg, more importantly right before Brennenburg, on his way to-- Christ, no wonder he's distracted, because of all the things Philip still needs to tell him that really shouldn't be his focus. ]
The Orb is back at home where you left it. And when you go back you'll find it again, but listen, the Shadow can't follow you here, so what you're worried about can wait. What's important--
2/4
Is that...
3/4
Ah...
[ Whoops? ]
4/4
SMOOTH AS A PORCUPINE PHILIP 1/2
well that was
not what he expected this man to say and furthermore
Daniel tenses and stares. He sways for a moment as the floor behind Philip swarms with a carpet of insects, and flickers clear again. The air itself is heavy with a predator's breath. ]
REALLY GOOD JOB I CAN HEAR CLARENCE'S APPLAUSE 2/2
Then--
[ He's suspected, but not wanted to believe. But. All those men. His physician's ruined body. Alexander's letter, speaking of protection. Some things cannot be coincidence, and if he didn't believe that something followed him from Algeria then why has he felt so responsible for their deaths?
Sometimes you gotta climb out of the river in Egypt.
The insects swarm again, chitinous and chittering. ]
I have not imagined it. I really am hunted.
[ He closes his eyes briefly, under the weight of it. ]
God preserve me.
YOUR FACE IS A PORCUPINE
It's relief that turns to pity in the same breath, it's the pain that comes from knowing Daniel isn't just right, he doesn't even know the worst of it yet. Like watching somebody watch the first scenes of that tragic movie you've already seen, and know what ending they're in for. ]
No, you- you haven't.
[ Philip tries to brush past it for the time being. To- to maybe make up for the blunt introduction. ]
But you're safe here. From the Shadow. For now.
[ ...or maybe he should just keep talking and hope something different sticks. ]
I can't tell you why you're here, because nobody knows. But we-- you, I, other people you'll meet sooner or later, we've been brought here from-- Erm. Different places. So to speak...
[ There's that part in him that wants to rattle off as much as he knows as fast and as cearly as he knows, but it comes through surprisingly muffled under the weight of the part that feels like he's handling a porcelain teacup with so many cracks that his next breath might be the cup's last.
YOUR MUM WAS A PORCUPINE
Because -- you were hunted too?
[ Which would be... unfortunate for them, but a useful explanation for him and even rather hopeful, because it means that there's something--
Well, obviously there's something going on here that's bigger than he yet understands, but it means that that something might not be hostile to him.
Or this could all be a lie and he's actually in even bigger trouble now. Or he could just be mad.
...Let's go with the more favourable of those possibilities and see where it leads him. Philip might've chosen the best thing to say to convince him, in fact, although I am in no way suggesting that Daniel tends to believe what's most appealing no I'm not suggesting that at all. ]
And that's why your manner and dress are so...
[ so stupid-lookin' ]
And this is -- It really cannot reach me? This is some sort of a haven? Are you Baron Alexander's man?
[ Shut up and let him answer, dude. ]
AT LEAST SHE WAS THERE FOR ME, DAD
No,
[ he says, tentatively drawing it out as much as you can draw out two letters, and sighs slowly. This isn't about to get better. ]
I mean, 'no to everything you just said'.
[ And an added cringe for good measure, and not just because he doesn't want to theorise about the sentence that follows his manner and dress. ]
[ ...Actually. ] The Shadow really can't reach you, but that's about it. Your baron doesn't have anything to do with it, and, erm, I doubt that anyone else here is-- [ How to put it? ] ...running from the same thing.
[ Yeahhhh, not even going to touch the haven bit. ]
daniel and philip should bitch about their dads together sometime
/signs up for this product
while drunk
aka. at any time of any day
it's always drink o'clock somewhere!
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