Back on the Doghouse Again...

[velesdonnersen]

 [The doghouse in the backyard of 1126 Taylor Road is turning into Tarvek's personal little corner.  He sits on the roof, with just enough shade from a shade tree, and just enough sun, and the doghouse has a flat peak, so he can sit comfortably cross-legged. He's there, today, far more sober than he's been in awhile, in more senses than one.]

[The kids run back and forth, as usual.  Tarvek's got Perry mowing the lawn again.  Catherine's been on the swings, and then jumped rope for awhile, and then she sat on Tarvek's lap for a bit, and now she's kneeling on the patio drawing with sidewalk chalks, because "Daddy" is up on the doghouse roof drawing himself.  He's working in a soft drawing pencils -- wide, flat-leaded ones, slim ones with well-sharpened points.  He's drawn the children.  He's got a good eye and hand: he trained as a draftsman, of course.  Most sparks do.  But he's also semi-canonically an actual artist, both sculpture and painting. His drawings of the kids seem to race across the pages of his notebook.]

[But the big picture he's drawing is of someone who is no longer there, and who no longer exists.  She's a bland, gentle-faced, vacuous blonde with a pretty smile, a perky nose, a classic 50s wave perm, and a dress that's trim to her upper body, but floofy around the hips and legs: all petticoats and floral print.  He's drawn her as though she's just beginning to turn to leave, raising one hand to wave as she goes.]

 

[Her name was Betty.  She was his drone wife.  He wasn't in love with her, but he found her gentle, silly, sweet, well-intentioned, and likable.  Like all drones replaced by "real" people, she's disappeared without a trace.  Not even her photos in the house remain.  Her children don't remember her.  There's no sign in all of Mayfield she ever lived. Tarvek and his quick little pencils are trying to remedy that.]

 

You are walking, flying, etc. You see Tarvek, sitting on his doghouse, drawing soberly.  His kids bustle around the back yard.  Inside you can hear someone new, singing beautifully.  Tarvek looks up from his work, sees you, and waves, calling to you in friendship, whether you're a stranger or an associate.

 

What do you do?

Comments

[perfectvoice.livejournal.com]

[Miku is going over to Tarvek's house to--what else?--visit Luka. She's dressed for the occasion in her usual outfit, and is happily spinning a leek when she notices her sister's not!husband.]

Ah, what are you doing?

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[Tarvek has noticed that since Luka's arrival the place is suddenly far more filled with decoratively dressed young women than it used to be!]

Hello! I'm drawing... and watching the kids.

You're one of Luka's friends? She's inside, today.

[perfectvoice.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm Miku Hatsune, [twirl] virtual diva!

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

So... what's a "virtual diva?"

And, hi, Miku Hatsune. Good to meet you. I'm Tarvek Sturmvoraus. I'm the fellow Mayfield's stuck your friend with.

[catslooklikeme.livejournal.com]

[Oh hey, Tarvek! Nall decided to pay you a visit, but he didn't feel like walking, so he decided to just teleport into your back yard.]

Hey, Tarvek!

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[Jumps, swears, blinks, and prepares to fight... then realizes it's Nall.]

Hello, Nall! It's good to see you.

[catslooklikeme.livejournal.com]

Uh, hi...

...sorry about that, I know teleportation can be kinda jarring if you're not expecting it...

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

No, no! It's interesting. Is it magic, or technology?

[catslooklikeme.livejournal.com]

It's magic, one of the few tricks I've managed to regain since I showed up here...

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

I wonder...

I wonder if it's possible to regain things you never originally had? Like...

I'd like to regain teleportation myself!

[Ponders] Do you know if anyone in Mayfield has tried to regain something they never owned before?

1/2

[catslooklikeme.livejournal.com]

...not that I know of... but if you'd like to experience it, I could teleport ya somewhere...

2/2

[catslooklikeme.livejournal.com]

...but darnit, I'm getting sidetracked. Did you get one of those form thingies too?

Re: 2/2

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

{For a moment boyish excitement flickered, at the idea of the teleport, but the mention of the census damps that down fast. He's been involved in government in one form or another his entire life, and he knows bureaucratic BS when it shows up. And he doesn't like it forcing him to fill in the blanks.]

Yes. The last few days have handed me my first taste of the dark side of Mayfield. That census is... nasty. And Mayfield wouldn't let me fake much. The best I managed to was to tell the truth with some, er, manipulation of tone. But it's an ugly thing.

I'm told we can expect trouble, soon. But so near as I can determine, there's really no way to prepare. Is that true?

[catslooklikeme.livejournal.com]

...maybe. Depends on how original this place is. That wasn't the first stupid form that I've seen...

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[He's finally got something to explore, not just word-of-mouth, or Old History. And he was not happy to see how they wiped out The Betty... for all he likes much of Mayfield, he's irked to see the place really does decide to mess with people.]

Can you tell me what they've done with forms previously? Is there a pattern to work with? A way to determine what directions an outbreak may take?

Huh. No, let's start simple. What else have you seen in forms?

[ooeeooahah]

[ She notices him on the doghouse from the street, and enters by the gate. ]

[ When he pauses in his drawing, she speaks. ]

Please tell me you haven't moved out here.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

Hello, Ilsa! No -- but it is a nice place to sit, considering.

How are you, today?

[ooeeooahah]

[ She shrugs, ] I've not had any haints climbing out of the drains at me today.

[ Ilsa notices the subject of the sketch. ]

How are you holding up, hon?

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[Looks, and sighs, then shoots her a sardonic grin.]

Well enough. I... I did know it was likely. But it's really the first time I've seen Mayfield's teeth.

[Grim]

I don't like the fact that everything here is treated as disposable. The place has no respect for any sort of integrity, does it?

[ooeeooahah]

No. It doesn't... and I'm afraid, from what I've been hearing, what we got was just a friendly nip.

[ She's watching Catherine draw happy little trees. ]

Did you get a census form?

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[He's not ignorant of the games government plays with things like this... oh, no. Not in the least.]

Oh, yes. I got it. What's worse, as near as I can tell Mayfield made me fill it out.

[Imagine a cat forced to walk through cold, icy puddles... for a long way. Such is the peeve expressed.]

If this town insists on playing petty bureaucrat, we're going to have troubles.

[ooeeooahah]

Ah.

The timing is not that far off, seasonally, but the questions?

[ She shakes her head. ]

I was never a valid precognitive, but I don't like the feeling I got from the form.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[He's actually helped write the Sturmhalten census. He knows rigged questions when they club him over the head like a baby seal.]

You shouldn't. If this place does what we've been told, prepare to be put through hell.

[Grim]

I don't even know where to begin preparing for a place that has all the power. It's not like I know what sort of challenge they'll hand us. Getting weapons may be superfluous -- or, worse, it may simply provide Mayfield with the tools to hurt people.

My people.

[Yes. THIS calls to the Prince in him. His family, Ilsa, Agatha... they're his to protect... and he has no idea how to protect them, any more than he knew how to protect The Betty.]

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa rolls her head, sighing. ]

The problem with seeing storm-clouds on the horizon without having adequate radar - do you go to high ground to avoid the flooding, or shelter in the basement from the tornado?

[ She huffs in exasperation. ]

And right now, I'm making myself tense up for something that might be tomorrow or next month... or it might even wait for fall.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[He's got experience with waiting without knowing what he needs to know... The next morph or two may be unsettling to Ilsa, particularly without her talent to draw on. There was the flash of The Prince just now...but it will give way to a moment of serious Dim Fellow....]

Well, gee, why borrow trouble? After all, no one would ever hurt us, would they?

[And, then, the disingenuous court optimist morphs again, to something mild, good natured, but... prepared.]

Seriously? We can't plan for what we don't know. I get so tired of people planning ahead of their data. No data? No plan. In the meantime we enjoy what we can, and...

Keep.

On.

Learning.

[On those words, The Prince again flashes out, like a glint of light on the blade-edge of a Bowie knife. Then mild again.]

You haven't taught me to drive, yet. I think if trouble is coming, I want to learn to drive.

[Turns to kids.] Catherine? Perry? Go tell your mother I may be out for awhile, but not to worry.