cycleofages | ARRIVAL LOG

Entry tags:

ARRIVAL LOG - First Wave

Who; EVERYONE!
What; The new residents of HQ make their arrival!
Where; All unrestricted areas of HQ (and maybe some restricted areas, you naughty people)
When; July 24th, Mid-morning on
Warnings; None as of yet, can be changed if content changes

IT'S A MINOR BLIP IN TIME
Maybe you were showering, or sleeping, having breakfast. You might have been participating in your morning commute or fighting off a horde of zombies.

Whatever you were in the middle of, a strange sensation of disconnection comes over you, as though you're watching your life on screen, a passive audience to the proceedings. It's almost like, well, being sucked down the drain like every adolescent nightmare, the feeling of disconnection replaced quickly with a pain so deep, it's as though every atom of your being is pressed too closely together, and your vision goes dark. Then, just as quickly as the pain came over it, it's gone, reality snapping back into place like a stretched rubber band.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK CITY

When your eyes adjust, you find yourself in a slightly spartan room, standing on a platform that seems to be made of glass or some sort of crystal. Energy currents in blues and greens swirl within it, dizzying and hypnotizing if stared at for too long. You're shocked from the vision by a cheery, bubbly voice that belongs to a petite brunette grinning at you from the base of the steps that lead down from the platform. She apologizes for any inconvenience you may have been caused, and hands you a small package, explaining that inside you'll find a phone, a directory of locations within the complex you've arrived in, a charge card with a balance of $500, and a key to a room in the dormitories which can be reached by following the green line on your directory.

She apologizes again for how confusing this must all be, but assures you that everything will make sense soon!

OOC NOTES: Feel free to hit up any of the NPC starters, start your own threads under any of the locations provided, or start your own threads independent of the starters! Prose or brackets are welcomed! Once characters leave the Receiving Room, they will have full access to the Network, and you're free to post there as well!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

HALLWAYS

Papa! Papa!

[She knows what that nice woman had said when she arrived but she wants to find her father. Her cloak is pulled over her cheeks but as she runs down the hall it falls showing off long her messy blonde hair.]

Papa are you here?!

[Grace continues to call out, her voice echoing down the long hallways.]

FOREST

I can smell mushrooms.

[Grace makes her way through the fores, her nose sniffing in the air. She crawls over a large rock and then pauses at the base of a tree. She kneels in the ground and lightly brushes her fingers over the familiar fungus.]

I found them papa.

[She closes her eyes and sits on the damp earth, trying her best not to cry. How long has he been gone? Now he'll never find her.]

DORMITORIES

[Grace finds her room after some trail and error. She looks around finding the single person dwelling lonely. She's not used to it considering she'd often sleep in the same room with others.

She moves back out to the common area of the Sun dorms and curls up on the small couch. Her cloak works well as a blanket and within a few minutes she's falling into a deep sleep.

In her dreams, anything is possible.]

[ Jefferson had done his own brand of investigating after his arrival, but just about everything he'd found out was either irrelevant to what he was looking for or made him question both the people he'd met and his grip on his own sanity.

Being trapped in Storybrooke had been a nightmare. Of course it had. But this place? This place was like hell. Grace was painfully out of his reach yet again, and the fact that he didn't even know who to properly blame left him feeling more angry and bitter than he did on most days. At least he'd been able to see her before. Seeing her with them every day was its own kind of hell, but it had been better than Wonderland. It had been better than the utter hopelessness he felt now. Without much thinking, he'd found himself heading toward the dormitories. He needed time and quiet to process what all had happened and if he could do anything to make going back to Storybrooke even work. How could he even do that without the Savior? She had been the only shot he'd had in nearly thirty years.

Jefferson was so caught up drowning in his own thoughts and fears that he almost went without noticing the small frame curled up sleeping, but a certain pattern caught the corner of his eye and it made him stop dead in his tracks. He continued to look forward, knowing his mind was likely playing tricks on him. For a flicker in time he thought about going on his way, but making himself do that was impossible. He tried not to have any expectations when he turned his head, but all it took was a single glimpse of that familiar red cloak for him to know.

It was Grace. His Grace. His eyes shot to her face and what he saw there only confirmed what he already knew, a hand flying up to cover his mouth in sheer shock. She was right there. Right there. But would she even know him? He knew she didn't dress like that in Storybrooke, knew she didn't have her memories, and yet there she was looking so similar to the day he had foolishly left her.

He began to let her name slip, but that was when the panic set in. He had no right to speak to her. She had to hate him. She had to. Why wouldn't she? He'd made a promise and then he'd broken it in the worst possible way. He wanted to move, to hide, but he remained completely still. He couldn't think clearly enough to make his body do anything. The way his emotions banged against his skull made the situation worse and he could feel the threat of tears at the corners of his eyes. She had been found but he was still lost. ]

[Grace’s head turns, her cheek cradled by the long messy mass of wheat colored hair. Her lips part and a sleepy soft word is spoken.]

Papa…

[The word settles uncomfortably in the air between them, lingering as if it isn’t willing to get go. A sigh falls away from her lips while small fingers curl around the edge of her red cloak. She feels the weight of his stare, even in her dreams. Slowly her slumber falls away. Thick lashes part while light brown eyes slowly take in the small plainly decorated room. Her head turns towards Jefferson and for a moment she only sees a dream; her father, finally coming back home to be with her. She’d been so alone.

She wants to cry out, to hug him and hold him but something is wrong.]

Papa, why aren’t you smiling?

[Her voice is tired and sleepy. Grace hasn’t fully awaken and her mind quickly turns to catch up and register that the man in front of her is her father, that he’s here and that he’s finally found her.]

Papa?

[Grace whispers as her awareness rises, disbelief seeming into her voice. Another second brings a smile to her lips, wide and bright as she vaults off the couch.]

Papa!

[Her arms wrap around his center and she buries her head against his waist. Tears dot the corner of her eyes but she doesn’t care, she can hold him, smell the tea, dirt, must and mushrooms that linger on his clothing and skin.]

[ The way his heart banged against his ribcage when she said that single word was almost unbearable. God, how much more had she missed him than he'd missed her? He'd of course considered that line of thought before, but with her lying there in front of him, searching for him even in her sleep, the truth that he was responsible for making her own heart hurt and ache became more real than it ever had and it felt like drowning. The way the air seemed to grow stagnant and thick only added to the pressure he was feeling as it pushed him down and down, further and further. He had so many doubts that he could have gotten stuck on them for the rest of eternity if she hadn't spoken again.

Why aren't you smiling? Of course she'd ask something like that. He'd abandoned her for ages and ages and her first thought was why he wasn't okay. Jefferson squeezed his eyes shut and mumbled quiet apologies, turning his head up to the ceiling because he didn't believe he had the right to look at her. But then there was her small sweet voice again, and he opened his eyes and let the tears spill as he looked down and felt her tiny frame against his.

Wait. How did she...? ]

You... y-you remember me?

[ He slid downward, his arms encasing her completely. He didn't understand, he didn't deserve her, but the desire to hold his little girl trumped everything else in that moment. He craned his neck so he could place his face against hers and feel the familiar tickle of her hair against his skin. He savored that moment as long as he could before guilt came knocking at his conscience once again. He didn't pull away, but when he spoke his voice was thick and wavering. ]

I... broke our promise. I-I didn't mean to. I just wanted you to be happy, I just -- [ His body shook with a silent sob and he exhaled shakily. Jefferson's words came fast then, a frantic urgency to them. ] You don't have to believe me but I have tried every day since then to come back to you. I couldn't get it to work -- I tried, I tried so hard but I wasn't able to and I know that isn't good enough and you don't have to forgive me but please --

[ He had to stop himself. He was becoming erratic. He inhaled and swallowed roughly, trying to bring a softer tone to his voice. ]

Please, please don't think I didn't come home because I stopped loving you. [ He pulled back to see her face despite the fear of what he'd find there. His words were a whisper and he dared to place his hand on her cheek. ] You've always been the only thing that matters, my dear perfect Grace.

[Grace looks up at him, her lips set in a smile that she couldn’t have dropped if she wanted to. Her cheeks began to ache from the intensity of her grin but she only notices his tears. Do they match hers or are they different. Something’s changed in her father, she can tell, but she doesn’t know what it might be. A knot twists in her chest making her small frame shake nervously. What if he doesn’t want her anymore?

Just keep smiling.

She shakes her head feeling his arms wrap protectively around her. Her heart continues to tremble in her chest threatening the small body it belonged too.]

Of course papa, I love you. I’ll never forget you.

[She doesn’t understand and the stress of the situation begins to pull more tears from her eyes. She’s silent when he begins speaking trying to stop herself from falling apart. His words sink into her chest and the knot loosens its hold on her heart. The overwhelming rush of emotions surrounds her and she isn’t able to hold it back anymore.

Grace begins to sob and smile, releasing months of emotions she’d buried away.]

I’m so sorry Papa, I looked for you but I couldn’t find you. I missed you so much papa. Please don’t leave again. I love you and all I need is you. [She remembers searching for him in the woods, calling out as if they’d been playing hide and seek.] I’m sorry I asked for the bunny. I liked yours better. I did papa, please don’t leave.

[She continues to cry, her small fingers clinging to his shirt.]

[Joey's head's still swimming from all the information he was forced to cram into it in so short a time, and he's still reoccupied with all the revelations, too, like not being dead, not having Red, not being DEAD...wait, he'd covered that one already.

He was sort of wandering aimlessly, just sort of...exploring really. He has a hard time remembering what it was like to just wander around, do his own thing, when he nearly collided with the kid calling for her dad. He frowned at first, not wanting to get involved, but come on. Who could leave a little girl who was clearly lost wandering around the halls alone?

Even if she was dressed like Little Red Riding Hood.]

Heey, easy there, sweet-cheeks. Where's the fire?

Fire?

[Grace paused and looked up at the older man. Her brows furrowed slightly and after a second she shakes her head, tousling wheat colored hair over her shoulders.]

There isn't a fire. I'm looking for my father.

[She has a slight hint of an accent but it's hard to place its origins.]

Have you seen him? He's really tall with dark hair.

Yeah...it's just a phrase, kid.

[Joey's eyebrows raise at the description.]

That's really not much information to go on.

He is nice and good at hide and seek.

[Describing her father is difficult.]

I... I need to find him.

[Grace is trying to be strong but the more she talks about her father, the more she misses him.]

Yeah...it sounds like it, kid.

[Kids. He's never been good with kids.]

Yeah, sure. We'll, uh, we'll find him.

Does that mean you've seen him?

[Just for a moment there is a sheen of home in the young girls eyes.]

[Joey shakes his head.] Sorry, kid. No luck just yet, but hey, maybe, right? I didn't know I was looking for him before I came down this hallway.

Then will you let me know if you find him?

[She sees no flaw in this plan.]

Tell him that Grace is looking for him and if he'll please come home...

Yeah, sure, kid. I'll let you know.

[Seriously, how could anyone say no to that face?]

And I'll tell him.

[Grace beams up at Joey.]

Thank you!

[With a quick curtsy goodbye she turns and makes her way back down the hall.]

[Allen had been majorly confused since he arrived. This wasn't the Order where he had just returned to before coming here, but the place seemed... much different than the Order. He had brushed it down to being a different branch, but yet at the same time... They didn't seem to know who he was.

With that thought in mind he continued walking forward, the one thing he would always keep saying no matter what. However he soon heard a voice and glanced over. It was a young girl? A young girl here... he wasn't sure what to think.]

Hello. What are you doing out here?

[Grace turns, her fingers rising to wipe away the tears in her eyes. She needs to be strong. Her father would want her to be strong. She sniffles and rises to her feet to face the other boy.]

I found mushrooms.

[It sounds insignificant and yet there is a weight to her words that suggests that it means something specifically to her.

With her tears under control her arms drop to her sides. Her eyes are a little red and puffy but she’s otherwise composed.]

[He could tell she was upset. Sure she was trying her best not to but it was still sadness never the less. It made him feel like he should try and do something to cheer her. Going to kneel down in front of her, he tried to keep a smile.]

You know, people say it's okay to be upset sometimes. I know you want to be.

[He moved to stand up, looking around before moving to pick up some rocks.]

It might not help, but even if it's for a moment I can try and cheer you up.

[Grace doesn't want to admit to feeling sad. If her father found out, wherever he is, then he'd be sad. She shakes her head to reject Allen's idea of being sad. Her hood falls to her shoulders showing off the bright wheat color of her hair.]

What will you do?

[She's at least interested in whatever idea might be brimming in his thoughts.]

Well... I figured I'd do something I use to do when travelling.

[Once he had at least four decent sized rocks that he could use, holding two in each hand.]

Though admitedly I've not done it with rocks. [With that he threw the first rock into the air quickly followed by another, It wasn't too high but wasn't too low either, but he at least had started to juggle. Hands moving swiftly keeping at least two up in the air at the time.]

[Graces watches the rocks with growing interest. Her dark eyes were brightening as the anticipation bubbles within her chest. Her greatest talent is her ability to find joy and happiness in anything.

She might lose sight of it at times but seeing the rocks, as simple as they were, brought out the wonder in her eyes.]

That’s amazing.

[A short laugh escapes Graces lips and she claps her hands together feeling her own excitement rise.]

[Allen he soon stopped two of the rocks, using only one hand to juggle the other to. he was at least glad it was working in a way.]

Thanks. Though I am glad you are laughing. It's a cute laugh.

[Grace smiles up at Allen, feeling a nervous heat dust her cheeks. She isn't used to being complimented by anyone but her father and its been a long time since she's heard his compliments.]

Thank you.

[Her eyes continue to dance with excitement.]

Where did you learn that? Are you a traveling performer?

[He finally caught the last two as he finished juggling, moving to put the rocks behind him for the moment.]

I learnt it off someone I know, who was a travelling performer. Never really expected it to still come in handy though.

They sound amazing.

[Her smile slips into a more neutral expression.]

If you aren't a performer, what do you do?

Grace | OPEN

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