[OOC] ➤ c o l l i d e. // ashes & dust.

[Rockette]

^{ring a ring o' roses. a pocket full of posies. ashes, ashes. we all fall down.}

The govern is a dying, withering rule, individuals are sired on the solitary election of peers, the world around crumbling, dying, falling beneath the wiles and radars of the outer realm. Within, they all exist and pillage, living within a constant fear, the sort of inbourne terror and trembling anxiety that cords and laces young hearts in twines of malice and infant hatred of an unknown reaping. The Bad Lands, as they are eternally named, never a more befitting moniker for spires of pain and torture, and secrets of the misunderstood and those of the blessed means and fortunes. Young hearts live long now that the Way of the Hopeless has fallen completely, shattered away into the river below. Upon the crest of it's descent, there has been a long fallen infliction of power that has been christened anew, bringing with it old, dusted stories and tales of a past that saw to the subjugation of mortals. With their only way now out forsaken, the misunderstood and forsaken have come forth once again, to find ways of light and fortune, but being so young, so inflicted, and so distraught with the manifest of powers and wonder, it's a terrible wonder to how long they shall last.

And what means they can achieve to just simply live.

[Rockette]

I'll have Gabby's sheet up tonight when I get off work. It takes me a bit of time to code everything and to get my notes organized properly.
It's simplistic though, so it won't take me long when I get everything down.

[Kote]

It's gonna be epic!! I will get my character sheet prettied up and posted here quickly. I loved the opening write up. The Way falling. Brilliant!

[Rockette]

Thought you'd like that little bit, something to connect this story to the last one, with time having passed now that the bridge has collapsed. Oh, and, Alexia, Danny, and Baby Jinx will be connected to Gabby in some way. I was thinking if Alex and Danny are familiar with Cadian, like, if the events of Smoke & Gasoline have occurred and carry on into this one.

[Kote]

How much time are we thinking has passed? I imagine someone knocked the bridge down, as it would have to be exceptionally old and in disrepair to fall down all by its lonesome. That's a good questions too, who would do such a thing? Who benefits?

I love the idea of keeping the others alive in this story, even cameoing them from time to time. The entire thing has such potential. I'm working on coding my CS now, to add it to the page!

Evanescence has a new CD out, I discovered over the weekend. I signed up for the Play Music service, it's really good, has so much more than Prime's..

[Rockette]

Mmm, maybe a year? Nothing longer than that. Maybe six months or so? Anyone one of those will work. And, the way I envision in the bridge, it fell during Alexia's spotlight, because we did the first Collide, I envisioned that she'd try and run across the way with Cadian. But someone knocked it down, dundundun.

Sweet! I'm glad we're doing a sort of connection between the two, I'm excited for it. Maybe we'll be able to give a more in-depth feel for our respective elder types. Danny, Cadian and Alexia. I know we had a lot planned for them, so maybe this will give us a chance to explore that lost chance bewixt Gabby's and Evan's own plights.

Oh yeah? I'll be honest I fell out of touch with Amy Lee for a long while. A much bigger fan of the older music. My favourite band, MIW, released a couple singles in preparation of their new album, so I'm looking forward to that!

[Kote]

I'm so sorry! I thought I responded to this already.. I could have sworn I had. I'm cool with a year, gives enough time to feel free with the start, without having to worry about stepping on the other play's proverbial toes, as it were.

That makes me think Danny had everything to do with the fall of the bridge. At least, that's the obvious culprit in it. Though, it's quite a feat to pull off. But it does bring to mind running in terror, trying to get away from the madman... probably on foot, being that driving has proven time and again a bad idea... and then imagine the hopelessness as the bridge just collapses, the deafing roar to the explosion.. knowing that you're trapped, the only exit now gone. So much fun!

[Rockette]

No worries. So a year will have passed since the last play. I envision it has been sort of a lax year, yet strenuous with the adjust of the bridge having collapsed. And we're currently going through a situation of should it be rebuilt or simply left alone, it all depends on who's elected to have that decision lain unto them.

Oh, you think so? Danny is that perfect antagonist, the one that has nothing and thus nothing to lose, is always involved and always bound, and always there. It's such a perfect ending though, being left hopeless and stranded. hah!

Now on the relationship of Gabby and Evan, are we wanting to kind of wing that development. I know that he's meant to be the protector and a long time friend. I haven't included it within my sheet yet, but Gabby currently lives with Alexia in the Badlands - the latter has assumed a new flat and everything, Danny now lives in her old one - and has been for about a couple months after running away from home. Alexia has always opted to live on her own, because there's a strain with her relationship with Cadian - it's hard to accept that sort of emotion when you've been abused for so long, and she's unsure of how to love him - and Danny who is always there, trying to bring her back into his life, and has started working various odd jobs. She's sort of clean, but Gabby views her as a maternal sort of figure, she's always been that way ever since Gabby first ran away to the Badlands and literally ran into her.

Danny, living in Alexia's old place, is still one of the princes of the Badlands, but has been drifting into the background as of late, he isn't as active, other people have attempted to steal his crown and somehow he always manages to be there, still holding reign. He's a bit damaged with Alex no longer constantly there now and has turned sort of manic in his desperation. He utterly despises and envies Cadian and all of Wither and has even attempted to threaten the rest of the band members to try and get Alexia back within his life.

Baby Jinx knows Gabby through Alex, the two being closer in age, Jinx has always been envious of Gabby and her life, translating into a verbal lashing every time they encounter one another. Jinx, knowing how close Gabby is with Evan and some of Wither, openly attempts to attract Evan away from her, in the demented conclusion that she wants everything that she has. She's struggling with her increasing age, as her former patrons have taken notice and don't call on her as much as they used to.

[Kote]

So it's an election year. That's a good bit of background to add to our play. Posters and ads all over the place. Just adds flare.

Danny, I can so see him living in Alexia's old flat. Guy kinda seems stalkerish in that respect. Not to prescribe a obsessive motivation behind why he would take her old flat, but just kinda pricked at the back of my mind that way. Probably more a means of resources driving the decision than obsession, but on some level... So Cadian and Alexia are together, strained but together. She's clean, he's -healing-... them two are put to the backburner. Evan / Gabby, school friends. I would imagine that the Badlands would have some form of public education. Both were delinquents, because I can't imagine anyone growing up in that setting as anything but. They ran in the same circles, and perhaps shared the same anecdotal stories, both involving a group and a one x one setting with one another. So they have been alone together, they have mutual friends (though they might not know any of them anymore...) The idea of a romantic or infatuation having been something that Evan dealt with in the past, thought he settled, but as they often do, those old feelings don't stay gone. So he's got memories of infatuation with Gabby to draw on, a early high school/middle school crush... perhaps even his first, to make the feelings stronger, unadulterated.

I'm seeing Cadian in a place where he's trying to devise a way out. Trying to discover what's really going on in the badlands, and why nobody seems capable of leaving. A dangerous pursuit, and I'm sure it will turn out to be something Cadian is solely not prepared for. I can also see an indirect series of conflicts between himself and Danny. A small part in this, but could be used to explore the why's and hows of what's going on.. I can see a descent into darkness here.

[Rockette]

Mm, this week has been so off for me. Has it been the same for you?

Anyways, yeah, I wouldn't out right describe as Danny being obsessive over her, but definitely bordering such. It's like a twisted dependency, he's the parasite to her wounds and heart, and if she's honest with herself, she can't really leave him entirely. Danny is bound to her in numerous ways and shapes, despite where her love and affections lie, there is no denying that Danny has shaped her past, thus effecting her life. In that reflection, I feel like the Church - you know the one - is in shambles, disbanded, the orphanage now gone, to go along with the fallen bridge and everything else.

So, a form of a crush, too young to know what it really means, but enough to know that there was-is something there that draws them to the other person. I envision Gabby a bit perplexed with the idea of Evans having such a thing for her, until it was dawned upon her that she shared mutual affections, but allowed them to drift and wane - never forgotten - to preserve friendship because Evans is from her childhood, her only friend - one that isn't a psycho lolita, a former drug abuser, and a twisted seller - and thus she considers their bond precious beyond normal perspective. But she can't fight her real feelings, as they continue to grow.

Well Danny will certainly be within the background, flitting about, causing trouble in indirect and shady forms. I imagine Alex wants to find out what happened too, she wants to leave the Badlands behind, find a life to live without the constant pain of home bringing her down. So this will be a wonderful descent for the lot of them.

So, I think we have the details worked out to finally start. Would you like me to? I don't mind of course, build the setting, and whatnot. I imagine I'll be able to work up something after this weekend, making notes in between, I don't know my schedule for next week just yet but I will keep you updated!

[Kote]

It was a pretty chaotic week for me as well. Ended up staying home for two days so that the wife could rest. We've yet to find that balance that allows her enough rest to make it through the week, and maintain the house, and the other kids, and work, and yeah. Last week it just all came crashing down around my head. But that happens from time to time, like a big game of Jenga, just restack and see how it goes this round. Got her rested up this weekend, so that's a good start. I'm dragging a bit today, but I will catch up in a day or so myself.

I'd very much welcome a starting post from you. I've been excited to get into this play for a while now, the dynamics are all so very interesting. Totally stoked about this new direction.

[Rockette]

Oh no. She's doing better then? I hope so. I imagine it's going to be a bit of a rough time till you guys adjust properly.

Awesome. I'll be able to write something up hopefully to this weekend. Maybe. I will be working all weekend, but I know I can spare some time here and there, no worries. I'm excited. ♥

[Kote]

She is doing much better. Well.. It comes and goes. Today she is doing better. I was off yesterday so she could sleep, but yeah.. it all is what it is. Just trying to keep up, don't want you thinking my interest has waned.

I need a good book. What's a good book?

[Rockette]

I'm so sorry I vanished for a bit, my family ran into an emergency. My brother is being deployed, for an entire year, and only weeks after he found out he's going to be a father. He'll miss the birth of his child due to such.

Anyways.. I'm back now with a more concrete schedule. So I can write thankfully.

[Kote]

Wow. That's got to be horrible for him, I'm sorry to hear that. Good news is he's having a kid though, that part is fantastic! It will change his life. The fantastic part, today's technology is such that he can either witness it electronically (Skype or such), or you guys can at least record it so that he can experience it at a later time, if he's so inclined. Honestly, to me, the actual birth part wasn't something I'd wished to repeat. The first time, oh hell ya, I wanted in that room, but subsequently, it's a total feeling of uselessness and helplessness while the person you love is in so much pain. I'd rather be on a bar stool down the block passing out cigars and celebrating! So congrats on becoming an aunt.

And as always, no problem for the vanishing! You're still totally worth the wait.

[Rockette]

I believe that's what they have planned: to Skype or something so he's there. He's like you were, he wants to be there for his first child and everything, but I have a feeling he'll instantly want to leave the room. It's going to be a day, my other brother is expecting his second child, the due dates are just days apart as well!

I have plans to finish the starting post tonight and starting into tomorrow, since I have off. More or less tomorrow night if I'm not taken away from home, haha.

[Rockette]

You said I was worth the wait once, haha, think we can pan and revive this? I need something to keep me from slipping into role play retirement.

[Kote]

Said it, and stand by it. I was hoping for a chance to get to know Gabby.

[Rockette]

Wonderful! You have no idea how thrilled that makes me.
I also have something to pitch to you, but I will when I have more time. I have work tonight but I am free tomorrow!

[Kote]

My ears are wide open. Whats up?