nexus_crossings | (no subject)

(It's cool; I do it too :'))

In the time it takes her to look back the way she came and then face forward once more, a floating hand appears from somewhere and pretty much gives her a heart attack on the spot.

And then it clicks. A hand. Funny. She's such a mix of nerves and confused right now, she actually laughs a little, until she sees who she presumes is the hand's owner. An easy connection to make, given the colour of both.

Glancing from the hand to the man, she clears her throat and nods at it.

"Is, ah...is that yours?"

She laughed! He'll take that as a victory. He beams, smiling just as genuinely as anyone can (and really only the tiniest bit at her expense for having been scared.) Then he nods and in a quiet voice says, "Shouldn't'a startled ya like that when you were lookin' for some help, but I couldn't stop myself."

He sounds American Southern, but who knows, really? His hand returns to him and then he rests both of them on the pommels of the runed axes tied at his hips. With lowered, slightly worried eyebrows he gives the lady a quick once-over, then lifts his chin in her direction.

"So what was it you needed? Somethin' wrong, Miss?"

The apology, whilst not entirely necessary, is returned with an appreciative nod. She wants to ask how the hand is floating or what it's used for, but only the latter is answered when the appendage not only goes back to him, but reattaches - in a way, kind of - to his general..wrist area.

This can't be real. There's no way. But hey, even if it isn't, she may as well roll with it while nothing terrible's happening.

Her free hand comes up to rub the back of her neck, the other secured almost surgically to the strap of her duffel bag.

"Yeah, actually - I have no idea where I am, and whether I'm dreaming or hallucinating or whatever..I kind of need to get back home."

She gestures at herself, or rather, at what she's wearing.

"Kind of in the middle of something."

"Don't know how ya got here, huh?" he asks, but judging by his knowing smile and the slight tilt of his head it's a rhetorical question.

"Maybe you're dreamin'..." he says with a grin. Then he leans down so that his face is closer to her level, and his hands float forward, fingers wiggling as if casting a spell. In his best ghostly impression he moans, "Or maybe you're deeeaaad~!"

And then he's standing straight again and laughing! At this poor girl's possibly mortal predicament.

"Or maybe not," he concedes as if it were an afterthought. Still, now seems like as good a time as any for his hands to search his shirt pocket for a cigarette and lighter, both of which he offers to her. "Were you doin' magic before you got here? 'Cause that'll definitely do it. Just try doin' the same spell again, it'll probably getcha home."

She can only shrug and shake her head, moving back an inch or so when he moves closer. While she is concerned about how she got to this place, she's also curious about how this stranger is such an asphyxiated shade of blue. Or how his hands seem to work perfectly fine even though they're not properly attached.

So far, dreaming is the best-case scenario or the most realistic anyway, but the idea that she's dead doesn't really frighten her. She's certain that she's not, and there's no reason for her to have suddenly died, so that option's pushed right to the back of her mind.

"I'm not really a magic-using sort of person-" she pauses briefly to shake her head, politely turning down his offer, "-I was just dancing before I got here. Generally that doesn't involve...well, this"

Edited 2016-09-07 08:08 (UTC)

She's not at all perturbed at the notion that she might be dead. That either makes her very logical or very brave. Still, Harrow has to hide some mild disappointment in her reaction. Trying to scare people is a whole lot less fun when they don't fall for it.

"Dancin', huh?" he asks thoughtfully. One of his hands drifts up to his chin to complete the look. "I've met a lotta folks that got here a lotta ways, but dancin' ain't usually one. Walkin' though doors, that'll do it, but never dancin'."

He turns to look over his shoulder then, to consider the Nexus and all its bizarre (and less so) inhabitants walking through the city. It's a few long seconds before he faces the girl again and starts to nod.

"You wanna get home without knowin' anything about this place? Or you wanna take a stroll, learn a little bit, ask some questions before you get gone?"

As a general rule, it's rather hard to scare her, in the conventional sense anyway. Jump-scares are one thing, but actually frightening her is a tad more difficult.

While he's turned away from her, Grace takes the chance to look again at his hands, specifically the one not near his face. She's never seen anything like it, and considers bringing it up, but decides not to for now. What if it was rude to? Whether or not this is real, she doesn't want to offend him.

Her eyes comes back up when he turns back towards her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She knows the sooner she can be home, the better - but she'd also be lying if she said she wasn't curious about this place and what it was.

"A stroll sounds good, if you're happy to show me around. I wouldn't want to put you out"

Harrow barks a laugh and shakes his head. "Naw, hun, not even. All I do is wander around all day. Might as well take someone with me, look productive for once in my unlife."

He nods his head toward the nearby plaza and then proceeds on his way on the assumption that she'll follow along.

"This place – the whole place, not just where we're standin' – is called the Nexus. You might think of it like a harbor, I guess? Folks from all over come here to live and work and meet folks. And when I say all over, I mean all over. All over the universe, y'know?"

He glances over his shoulder to be sure she's following as he leads her through a part of the plaza filled with couches and chairs sitting out in the open for people to loaf and chat and laugh. There are taller buildings up ahead, skyscrapers and castles and various structures of massive size and wild design.

"Lotta folks here are from a world called Earth – some version of it, anyway. You look like you're from an Earth. Am I right? It's the clothes. And maybe the accent? You sound like my pals from England. You ever heard of England?"

Once she knows she's not being a pain, Grace is happier to follow him, though she doesn't walk side by side with him just yet. Instead, she tags a few paces behind him, looking around at the different buildings as they go, as well as the arrangement of seating and sofas. What an odd place...

She does perk up a little when he mentions there are other people from Earth - although the possibility that there were people who weren't hadn't quite fully registered.

"Yes, I am - and yes I have, as it happens. That's where I'm from"

Only now does she catch up to him, asking a question of her own.

"So...where are you from? How long have you been here?"

Harrow shimmies his shoulders in triumph at having guessed not only her world, but also her country. "I'm gettin' good at pointin' out Earth folks! Human ones, anyway."

As he continues toward the apparent business section of the Nexus he puts a hand on his chest and says, "I'm from a little world called Azeroth. Not a lotta folks 'round here know it, you don't gotta feel guilty if you don't. Been here in the Nexus off and on for about a year now. I can come and go as I please, which is more than some folks can say."

He offers her that hand then, this time not to startle her but for a businesslike shake. "Name's Harrowheart. And you, Miss?"

"I didn't know there were non-humans from Earth" she says, semi-playfully but also semi seriously. Because honestly, how amazing would it be if there were not only aliens, but aliens amongst people? Then again, technically he's an alien.

This is weird, but also just a little bit cool.

When it's offered to her, she shakes his hand, committing his name to memory.

"I'm Grace"

Edited (I can edit I swear) 2016-09-07 23:11 (UTC)

Harrow inclines his head respectfully. "Good to meetcha, Grace." He pauses a second to let that introduction have its moment before moving on to say, "Of course there's non-humans on Earth. Just... Not all Earths. But maybe your Earth! I got a pair of Earth buddies, they're mages, right? Their magical lives are totally secret from the rest of y'all. Earth's pretty mysterious that way."

Talking passes the time well, and they've quickly crossed the plaza to the bases of those tall buildings. Harrow spreads his arms out wide, content to completely blow past what might be massive revelations for Grace. "This is the Downtown district!" he announces, motioning left and right with his handless wrists. "Lotta folks live in apartments here. Lot more work in offices, shops, things like that. There's some real cool places here! Diners, taverns, movie theatres. All the food and entertainment a person could want... And all sorts of real weird stuff you're probably never gonna wanna try again. But that's the fun of it all, right? Findin' out what's good?"

Her smile becomes a bit sheepish. "And here I didn't even know there was more than one Earth. I guess we're a little self-centred in that respect."

As they slow to a stop, Grace is a little taken a back by how big this place actually is. She was aware other people were here, but certainly not as many as the apartment buildings and different stores would suggest.

"Oh, definitely. I'll try most things once; it helps people grow, I think.." her sentence trails off, almost distractedly, but she picks it up again a moment later.

"You said there's movie theatres - do you know if there are any actual theatres, with stages I mean? Or dance studios or anything like that?"

Because hey; if she's going to be here a while, she's going to need to practice somehow. She can cross the 'where to find dance supplies' bridge when she gets to it.

"Like stage-play theatres?" Harrow's eyes narrow thoughtfully. He looks left and right around the street, as if he might catch a glimpse of something that jogs his memories. But he comes up blank and shrugs guiltily for Grace. "I'm sure there are, but I ain't really the guy to ask. Stage dramas and stuff like that, they never interested me much, and I ain't sure I really follow on the 'dance studios' thing. Like a place a person can dance with other folks? If you're talkin' about clubs, there's tons!"

This utter philistine doesn't even know what a dance studio is? Does he even know what the art of dance is? Absolutely barbaric.

"More like a room for people who like to dance can practice. It's usually a big room with lots of mirrors?"

asking more rhetorically at this point, as it's clear he doesn't really know the answer. Which is fine; she'll find a place one way or another.

"It's okay - I'm sure I'll be able to find somewhere. I can be resourceful when I need to be"

When Grace explains the dance room Harrow smiles and nods in the way of someone who's practiced in not knowing the details of another world. His nodding becomes more enthusiastic and his smile more sincere when Grace says she'll find it on her own. One of his floating hands lightly and playfully cuffs her on the shoulder.

"That's the spirit! You're gonna get far in the Nexus, I can tell. Folks with open minds always do better."

He takes an abrupt turn down a street and keeps on guiding her through the bustling downtown district.

"I'm gonna take you to a place folks call the underbelly. Shady stuff goes on there. Spy work, wheelin' and dealin', weird stuff. I figure you ain't gonna have much of a reason to go there, unless you're secretly a druggie or somethin', but I said I'd show you round and I might as well keep my promise."

He glances back at her as he has a habit of doing to be sure she's following his lead. "But, y'know, if you are a druggie, you oughta come to me. I don't have the hard stuff, but I do have the good stuff! Just... Whatever you do, if you ever see a little green man in a suit with a head shaped like a pickle? Don't take nothin' from him."

A few seconds pass before he thinks to tell her, "Most folks here you don't gotta watch out for, though. Most folks try real hard to be friendly. Strangers pop up and help out, and some of 'em become part of your life for good. That was a real big change for me. I had to learn to get used to it, but now that I am? I like it.

"Do you think that's gonna be a big change for you? Folks helpin' out, bein' kind? Or is that how most folks in London are?"

(I just realised the first sentence of that last tag made no sense e_e my bad!)

Grace isn't sure how far she really wants to get here, but she listens all the same, keeping up as well as she can while she's still wearing her pointe shoes. Made for dancing, yes - walking around a lot? Not particularly. She makes a mental note to stop the next chance she gets to pull her boots back on.

She catches his glance with a look of wide eyed surprise, like she's just been caught daydreaming, although he doesn't seem to notice.

"Oh, no, I don't- I'm not really into that sort of thing"

A lot of what Harrow's saying, Grace finds strange. She feels a little like Alice in Wonderland, surrounded by peculiar things that are all apparently perfectly normal. Like she's the odd one.

When he asks her about what Londoners are like, she thinks a moment, casually guiding them both towards the nearest bench. While she answers him, she takes a seat and goes about taking off her shoes, carefully untying the ribbons around her ankles before slipping them off and rummaging in her bag for a pair of old, well-loved brown boots.

"It depends where you are - on the tube, a lot of the time people don't want to know. They just want to get on with their day - other times, they can be amazing. I had a woman wait with me once when my train was cancelled because it was late at night and she didn't feel right leaving me alone. Other times I've seen people just stand around and do nothing while someone's being harassed. It's weird, but I think generally people are okay...the city just has that effect on you."

((Your tag made perfect sense to me! I didn't even notice until you pointed it out haha. You're fiiiine <3))

Harrow follows her to the bench no questions asked. He doesn't need to sit, exactly, but he's content to do so as long as it seems like it's what she wants. It's interesting to watch her undo her strange and impractical shoes, and he makes no attempts to hide the fact that he's totally staring. And then boots come out, and he can't help but smile. He moves his leg to put his own boots near hers; yellow-tan, well worn things with a classic Dr. Martens vibe.

"The tube's a train station in London?" It's as much a statement as a question. Not something he's intimately familiar with, but she was generous with the context clues. He speaks quietly, thoughtfully, when he says, "I don't think there's anything like that here. Some people drive cars, but I think most folks walk. You get where you want to go pretty fast, no matter how far it feels like it is. I think things just kinda... Unravel right. Like always havin' good luck, but maybe with a little bit a' magic."

He folds his hands between his knees and hunches over slightly to be more on her level. "Before I tell you more about the Nexus, can you tell me more about Earth? About England, and London? What's it like livin' there? What sorta things're important about bein' English?"

Given that she's only just met Harrow, Grace doesn't let herself show just how good it feels to be in comfortable shoes again. Her feet ached most of the time anyway, and these boots were their salvation after a nine or ten hour day.

It's around now that she's realising she probably should have pulled her jeans back on first, but whatever. It's not cold, and she's used to wandering around in tights anyway. She smirks over at him when his own boots catch her eye, before she clarifies what she means.

"It's an underground train system; there are loads of stations it goes to with different trains running in different areas. The map is kind of notorious for being difficult to navigate, at first anyway"

She smiles at what he says about Nexus, about it maybe being a little magical. It's oddly comforting, even if it's only being used figuratively.

As for describing England in general...she exhales as she straightens up, hands folding in her lap.

"Telling you about Earth might take a while, but England and London I can do. London's the capital city, which means lots of tourist attractions, lots of cool things to see, amazing architecture...there's something there for everyone. And there's all sorts of people living there as well. It's completely different from where I was born, even though they're not that far away from each other.

As for England, it's not really that big, but there's a lot of different places with totally different accents and ways of doing things. It's difficult to say what's important about being English though...our history isn't that great as far as other countries are concerned."

But that's a whole other kettle of fish.

"We have had a lot of Kings and Queens though - that's pretty interesting. And we do love tea. A lot. We didn't invent it or anything, but we're very good at acting like it."

Harrow nods along with what she says, sometimes slowly and sometimes with a little extra energy.

"We've had a lotta Kings and Queens where I'm from, too! I think that makes more sense than leaders ya vote for. And tea, we got that on Azeroth too! Used to be just one kind I knew of, but ever since we discovered Pandaria there's been all sorts of teas! Kinda makes me wish I was alive to taste 'em all, y'know?"

He leaves his hands folded between his knees and stretches his arms across the back of the bench. The trip around the Nexus is going to have to wait. They're talking Earth. You're stuck now, Grace.

"I got a buddy who lives in London. He took me there once, to his apartment, on emergency circumstances. I didn't get to go out in the streets or nothin', but I did get to stand on a balcony and look out at all the folks! Light, it was real excitin'. Everyone was human. I liked that. All the buildings were made of white stone with grey roofs, and there were black iron fences all over, and everything was so clean. I really wanna go back, see more, walk around, but I don't think it's really in the cards."

Harrow shrugs and smiles. That's life. Or... Unlife.

"So where were you born? Here, wait..." His hands untangle and one of them digs around in a side pocket on his cargo shorts. He comes up with a phone, does a bit of searching, and hands it over to her. There's a map of England and all its counties there for her to point to. "Show me! Tell me all about it. What it looks like, what the people do. I wanna learn."

"I don't know - I like being able to have a say in who leads my country, but the fact that it's rigged to the teeth makes that pretty much moot."

It's only now clicking that Harrow's actually not alive. It would explain the hue of his skin, certainly - and it only makes her wonder more just what sort of place he's from. Somewhere more interesting that London, she suspects.

When he hands her the phone, Grace zooms in a little on the Southern coast of the UK, quickly finding her home town and pointing it out to Harrow.

"Just there - it's very...quaint, I guess? In a way? A lot of the buildings are really old, a lot of the smaller streets are still cobblestones. It's nice to go back to when the city gets too much, you know?"

She pauses a moment before she brings the phone closer to her again and types something in. After a few seconds, she holds it out for him again. The screen is filled with pictures of the Royal Opera House; a grand, beautiful building in Covent Garden.

"This is the place where I work...I love it" a moment later, she adds, "Tell you what; if I find a way to get home again, I'll let you come with me. I'm not a professional guide or anything, but I'd be happy to show you around. That's a better way to learn than me sitting here telling you"

Quaintness, cobblestones, away from the rush of the city... These are concepts Harrow can certainly relate to and agree with. He smiles, pleased, at her descriptions of her original home. He goes to speak, but by the time he does Grace is showing him more pictures, and he's more than willing to let himself get immersed in the sight of the stage.

"Woooow," he whispers reverently as he takes the phone and zooms in, inspecting the finer details of the opera house. "I've never seen anything like this! And you work here? What is it you do? Are you an actress? I'd love to come see you act! I-if I can, I mean. I don't think I'd exactly fit in on Earth. Especially not in a fancy place like this..."

Grace wasn't expecting him to sound so enamoured by the theatre, but it's kind of endearing. She's used to it, she sees it everyday - but then again, she remembers what it was like visiting it for the first time and seeing her first ballet there; it was pretty magical.

She speaks with a laugh in her voice when she replies. "Oh God, no - I couldn't act my way out of a paper bag." - Not strictly true; she's not a terrible actress. But without any formal training, it's not something she'd go around saying she could do - "I'm a dancer; a soloist, technically. You'd be more than welcome to come see me do that sometime"

"A dancer!" Harrow is at once intrigued and, for some reason, embarrassed by that. He punctuates his exclamation with a self-conscious laugh and begins to rub his hands together anxiously.

"Normally I ain't the kinda guy who goes and watches girls dance, but it'd be rude to say no to a lady who's offered, huh?" He nods then and, smiling, says, "I'd be glad to watch you dance some day."

Then a brief pause before he asks, "What made you wanna do that for a livin', though?"

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tl;dr - Britain is hard to describe since our culture is 'tea, brexit, save the NHS'

Grace, vote Remain on Nexit

oh, she'd vote 'remain' for sure - and that icon is so cute omg

Thank you! And thanks for your patience, been sick the past few days 9_6

D: oh no! I hope you're feeling better!

3-weeks-late low-content post: My signature style B)