The Nexus

So I was bored at work this evening... And well I just started writing. And I decided to adapt the writing into the beginning of a role play. We had been recently discussing modern characters and now we have a role play for some ! I don't have a set plot yet, but I am open to suggestions as well as character submissions. Just keep in mind, this is a city full of normal people who are ignorant to most all supernatural beings, so no sparkly entrances, please. Let me know if you want to play!

He lounged in the afternoon sun, stretched out on his back. His arm hung over the side of the flat rock which he had made his bed. His spidery fingers just grazed the surface of the water, causing ripples to mar its mirror-like appearance. His eyes were half lidded due to the blinding angle the sun was resting in and his hair was splayed in silken waves about his head and shoulders. However, this man was not content.

His mismatched eyes stared at the sun as long as they could withstand before they started to tear. The yellow and blue were too light to put up with much luminescence. He blinked away the tears and rolled onto his side. His hip jut out sharply as the bone had little between it and the skin. A foxen tail wagged lightly against the rock causing small thumping sounds. They began to get more rapid as his boredom grew more apparent. Lolling back on his spine he threw his arms out wide and uttered one word:

“Fuck.”

Rin got off the rock then and onto his bare feet. He wore little; just a pair of cargo shorts and an open button-down shirt. His hair fell over his shoulders in ivory waves with the glaring red tips as a stark contrast. His fox ears hung low at the back of his head, the many earrings jingling against each other as he walked into the woods of his childhood.

This forest was not named officially, but the occupants had affectionately dubbed it the “Forsaken.” Those who were born here could come and go as they pleased and even those who lived here long enough might be blessed to gain the same ability. However, the majority of beings who passed through had no idea how they had gotten there, or how they had left. The Forest occupied its own dimension and pulled misfits into its trees randomly. Rin was lucky enough to have been born here over forty years ago.

He grew bored of the forest, however. It held too many memories for him, most of them in the category of horrific. Some passer through had planted a rose garden not far off from this favorite rock by the Lake. The smell of the budding flowers taunted him and brought him nostalgically back to a dark place in his mind. He needed to get as far away as he could, preferably somewhere with an even stronger scent. His sense of smell was more advanced than humans and to him the whole forest was polluted with the roses.

He made a sharp turn after making a quick decision. He buttoned up his shirt as he quickened his pace and grabbed his boots from his rock. After donning footwear he made for the exit. There was no clear exit, exactly, it was more of a thought. He thought of leaving the forest and walked toward its outskirts. Eventually the dimensions peeled around him and before he could quite point it out, he was in a park.

One of the surrounding dimensions to the Forest was that of a modern Earth full of humans. He now found himself in the middle of a bustling city park. He blended well, however. Those who are not demonically gifted or otherwise supernatural would see him as a normal human. Albeit, a seven-foot, deadly skinny, heavily scarred and pierced human… But a human none the less.

The cab driver, a big middle-aged individual with a thick mustache, turned around to face the man in the back seat, giving him a broad smile. "That'll be... twenty, mate. Tip not included." The other person's reaction was an even broader smile and a nod. He reached for his bag, a brown, dirty thing covered in patches that was lying next to him on the car seat, and opened it. All very slowly, like any patient old man would do. For seconds that felt like ages to the cab driver, Kin's long bony fingers searched through the many metal trinkets for something. When he did found a small, cheap-looking leather satchel, from where he took three bills, one of them smaller than the others. He handed them to the cab driver, nodded a second time, and slowly put the satchel inside the bag again. He then left the car.

He looked around - that big, lush park would be his home and workplace for the following days. He had never been to that city, but surely it wouldn't be any different than the other hundreds of cities he had already visited during his many years of travels.

He found a good place underneath a tall tree. The shadow would make it comfortable for both him and whoever wished to listen to him, as the sun was relentless at that time of the day. His bag was opened again. An old, smelly, carpet was laid on the soft grass. Kin sat there, and looked around, looking for someone who could spread the news. A young man in his twenties that passed by, with those strange modern things on his ears that enabled him to hear music, was the perfect choice. For a decent payment - "Half now, half later." - he quickly ran off to tell people there was an old storyteller around. Where did the old man get so much money? Telling tales to children and young adults shouldn't pay so well...

Patiently, the storyteller waited. Until he saw something very interesting. It looked like a man, only his skin was gray and he had fox ears. That sight was the first thing in many years to surprise the old man. Perhaps the demon - what else could it be, but a demon? - would come greet one of his kin, if only partially. If not, Kin Hou would call him to come closer. He would not let a chance to talk to that strange creature go so easily.

Vanessa sat in the park. Waiting, but not knowing what she was waiting for. A new life maybe, or at least something to make her find worth in the one she has. She was tired of always sitting in the same park, on the same bench, waiting for something that she knew was coming she just didn't know what.

She looked around the park from her bench. Watching the cars pass by. This was her favorite spot, facing the street, back to the forest. She could see all that went on in the city, things the people couldn't see. Did they realize that they were playing frisbee with a little girl dressed in petticoats? Or that there was a dog waiting to go home with the master who couldn't see it? Of course not...no one could see them, just her. She seemed to see more strange things than that, the occasional school boy with a tail coming out of his britches or a mother with teeth like an animal...no...no one else saw it. She wanted something new in life, to see it differently and enjoy what she saw.

Rin exhaled and it seems as if he had just deflated, his shoulders fell forward into a more relaxed position. The city was more open to him than the suffocating forest had been. He took a deep breath then, which he did regret as the city air was certainly not as clean as the forest air and his lungs protested. He sauntered through the walkways of the park, coughing deeply. He watched the people he walked by and pointedly ignored the weird looks they gave him. He knew well enough that they couldn’t see him the way he should be and if they could… Well, they would be running.

He passed by a curious sight which caused him to pause. An old man was looking right at him. It was one of those uncomfortable looks where you’re sure the person has you in their sights and isn’t actually looking around you. The man was… ancient looking, in Rin’s opinion. His father had been quite close to ancient, but he looked younger than Rin, so he really had no idea how old this man was.

He’d set himself up like a little shop, it seemed. Rin could smell the mold on the blanket he sat upon and it made his nose wrinkle. However, he man was looking at him with such intensity and that beckoning kind of look old men give… The fox was drawn towards him unconsciously.

Rin looked from side to side cautiously to see if others were being pulled in by the mysterious gentlemen. No one seemed to notice him so openly; or rather they were purposely walking a different way to avoid the smelly display. Rin passed by a girl on a bench who gave him a peculiar look before he found his feet had taken him right up to the man.

Vanessa watched the man walk by her bench, she looked him up and down. 'He's new' she thought to herself, she looked at him again, 'new here and new to the multitude, adding variety now.' She was curious about the man. She looked at the sun to check the time, about midday, she had time. She decided she would sit and watch the man for a while, see if she could figure out why he is here and if he is here to stay.

She sat there watching him for a bit then looked down at herself and realized she was quite an odd sight here. Most people dressed in summer clothes and bright colors. She had her white skin, black hair, and then her black and white clothes. Well, she didn't have much else and she refused to buy what she couldn't make so she settled with it and then looked back to the odd man again. 'What was he up to?'

Such a long life, yet he had never seen anything of the kind! Kin Hou found it, however, very easy to keep his composure before what he had decided was a demon. He had seen far too much to be easily impressed. That didn't mean he wasn't curious. As Rinku came closer, he watched. And once he was closer, he nodded, his eyes nearly closed.

"Come and have a seat. Be my guest to stay and chat. Or perhaps you wish to hear a tale instead of wasting your words on an old man? Tales, Kin Hou knows many. Of generals, dragons, sages and demons." Saying the last word, a grin appeared on his wrinkly face.

In all honesty, before such an interesting creature, he had not even noticed the pale girl in odd clothes (not odder than his obviously Chinese-inspired outfit, but still odd). Or rather, he had noticed her and found her looks strange, only to forget all about it when Rinku came close.

Rin's ears pulled back in suspicion when the man finished talking. So he can see us... His mismatched eyes looked the man up and down before deciding he was harmless. Taking a couple steps closer, the kitsune decided to throw caution to the wind and sat down, Indian style. His long legs folded easily beneath him and he resting his elbows on his thighs. His tail curled behind him as he got comfortable and he pulled his hair back into a messy bun at the base of his head. He regarded the old man who was watching him with that same smile splayed across his face and Rin was forced to look away. He was suddenly uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

"Well, Sir, What is your name?"

Vanessa watched the old man and the odd man. They each looked odd in their own way so it was extra odd to see them talking to each other, standing next to each other, it was quite an odd site. However to the people in the park the only one who looked odd was the old man, so not many people paid attention, but Vanessa was very intent on them. She focused on them intently while they talked she finally couldn't sit there any longer and she went up to them.

"Excuse me...sorry if I'm interrupting but...are you two usually here? I just don't see either of you here when I am, I wouldn't notice but you two are quite the odd pair." She wasn't afraid of being honest, she wasn't going to beat around the bush at all.

The fox flinched when Vanessa spoke. He had not been prepared to be addressed and the girl had snuck up on him in all this noise. He turned to regard her, his ears still pulled back. She was an odd looking girl, but not any more odd than he must be to normal people. Now that he'd sat he felt it was rude to no stand to introduce himself... So he did. He towered over the girl, looking down to extend his hand. He did not feel any sort of evil intent off her, but he kept his body on the ready just in case.

"I only come here every now and again... I don't live here." One of his ears ventured forward in attention. "But if you don't mind, I was just waiting for this nice man to introduce himself."

The nice man Rinku spoke about acknowledged the girl's presence with a solemn nod. He did notice Rinku's ever so slight uneasiness towards Vanessa, but did not mention it. He merely smiled at him, too, before answering the girl's question, shaking his head.

"I may or may not have been here before... this old man's memory isn't what it used to be." Politely, a kindly smile always present, he introduced himself as Kin Hou, the elderly storyteller from the lands to the East, traveling the lands for decades, sharing his tales with the world. "Rarely I attract more than one or two souls looking for a little more fantasy in their mundane lives, during my day-long stays. It fills me with joy to see I have barely been here for an hour, and yet have made two new friends.", he would add, offering Vanessa a seat next to them, before excusing himself for being a long-winded old geezer - without using those same words, of course.

"And what are my two new friends' names?"

Rin had listened to the man quietly, letting him speak until he was through, without interruption. He replaced himself in his seat, somewhat more stiffly as this new girl gave him the creeps. She was too frank for his liking, being a subtle person himself. However, he could not allow himself to be rude. He offered her a small smile before answering the elderly man.

"Rin." He extended his large hand, the palm and fingertips of which had dark callouses on them, much like a canine's paw would have pads.

"I'm Vanessa" She says as she sits next to Rin. She saw his handshake extended toward the Kin Hou, she wasn't one for handshakes so she let a half smile his way. Vanessa's mind wasn't exactly on the introductions though, she was wondering what this story teller had to tell. She was sure his stories would actually be good, since he obviously knew first hand what he would be talking about. She was intent on his stories, but she was also hoping to figure out a little more about the two gentlemen. Usually people like them, like her, hide, she wanted to be with people more like her, even if that involved giving them the creeps.

The storyteller shook Rinku's hand with one so bony, so wrinkly, so apparently frail, that one could fear it would shatter to pieces while shaking Rin's. That did not happen, however. But the weakness of his grip was worrying, anyway.

"Vanessa, Rin. It is a pleasure to meet you both.", the old man said.

What an odd sight. An extremely pale girl (Kin was just starting to notice just how pale she really was), an old man, and a... whatever Rin was. Kin did not know why weren't people reacting to the fox, so he assumed only he could see his true form. Probably something to do with his gift. Too bad few things impressed him anymore.

Rin folded his hands in his lap uncomfortably when Kin released it. He darted a glance at Vanessa and again at Kin. Then he looked around him, his ears swaying in uncertainty. They surely were a sight for anyone gifted with demon blood or really any magic at that. He began to play with the rings in his lips while a silence fell on the trio. Determined to break it, as he felt he was probably the common factor for the three uniting, Rin regarded the old man. "So, you've stories to tell? Or are you collecting new ones?"

from across the street a gothic boy was watching the trio...this boy was gifted with magic and was a shape shifter... he wore baggy tripp gothic pants that were black and blue, and had chains on them, a long sleeved black t-shirt and a regular black t-shirt over the long sleeved t-shirt, the t-shirt had a silver wolf on the back of it, he also wore a necklace the had a pentagram pendant... he was new to the city and to him it was odd to see the trio in a city like this but they seemed content

In she came, the girl that seemed so normal but just felt odd. She was walking swiftly through the park, headed for the closest shade. As she neared the tree that the trio was under, the closest one to her, she looked away for a moment, distracted by a noise. That was when she tripped over Rin's legs and went sprawling to the ground, the book and three papers in her arms scattering across the ground.

"Oh!" The girl sat up, tucking her hair behind her ears and clumsily moving to pick up her papers and book while she stuttered an apology to Rin. "I am so sorry, I-I didn't see you, I-I was just looking for some shade..." She winced a little and touched her forehead. Intense sunlight gave her a headache, and it was an awful day for her to be stuck out in on that aspect.

Zalia seemed completely normal. Black pants and normal shoes, a brown button-up blouse with a white camisole underneath (the top two or three buttons of the blouse undone), long mahogony hair and green eyes. "I-I'm so sorry!"

the the boy from across the street was suddenly by her his voice was soft as he spoke " are you ok? " he helps her pick up her papers then holds an unopened bottle of water out to her. " you look like you could use some water " his voice was like a soft melody playing

Rin stared at the girl like he didn't know what had just happened. His limbs had recoiled from her touch. He was stunned a moment while the other random boy helped her up. He found his voice then and stood to make sure she was okay.

"I'm sorry I was in your way, are you alright?" He shadow somewhat eclipse her since he was a large man. He could see the slight relief that crossed her face. "Why don't you... get out of the sun?" He called the shadows under the tree to extend over her so the sun didn't beat so fiercely. He hoped no one would notice the shade acting so unnaturally.

(Can do. Also, MY FIRST POST USING CHAT THINGY!!! HOORAY)

As more people approached, the old man just remained still. He had instinctively given Zalia a death glare for a second, when she so abruptly showed up, his body becoming stiff for a second.

Mind over instinct, though - it had been but a reflex, and before anyone would notice, he was once again just a perfectly normal old man.