Dani Lane: *scurries out of Battery Park
after sensing freakiness.... guitar in hand, rubbing her temple*
Storyspeller:
The throb in her temple doesn't recede, but seems to thrum in there, heavily,
like a second heartbeat.
Dani Lane: *what the hell's going ON?? She
rubs her temple*
Storyspeller:
Her vision blurs a little in the wake of a throb, and there it is again,
impossibly: the door to the theater. Wedged in between two buildings it can't
possibly fit between.
Dani Lane: *blinks.... the fuck? she looks
around... then looks back at it... ok, this is getting too weird...... but she
wants answers... so she heads into the theater to seek them out*
Storyspeller:
The door this time, features the classic greek masks of tradgedy and comedy. And
the announcement board on the sidewalk informs her that "Now showing: 'Lost
Voices: Cassandra.' Last showing." The words have a finality to them that chills
the girl's soul.
Dani Lane: *she frowns a little.... looking
around once she's inside* Hello?
Storyspeller:
There is no light. It' very dark. Except on the stage. There, a single beam of
light illuminates a woman in a sort of toga and veil-scarf that drapes from her
head.
Dani Lane: *heads toward the stage,
looking at the woman* What's going on?
Storyspeller:
The woman does speak, but not to Dani. Her voice rages at the heavens. "The
curse of Sight! That I should know that which is not known, and have none heed
my words! To feel eternity's touch, and not be able to share it! To be alone,
alone with my knowledge..." She despairs, letting her face fall into her hands.
"To be able to change what is.." She sobbs, "And to have the world refuse the
brilliance of potential!"
Dani Lane: uhhh.... *blinks, watching...
sitting her guitar down*
Storyspeller:
((You may roll an intel + enigmas roll.))
Dani Lane:
d10: intel + enigmas: 5,4,4,
Dani Lane: what's happening to me? *beside
the stage now*
Dani Lane: ((*hums, waiting*))
Storyspeller:
"The Gift of greatness...how many have held it in thier palm?" She regaurds her
own. "How many can truly SEE and know?" She looks, at last, at Dani- not her
specificly, the gaze is meant to sweep the absent audience, but it does include
the girl at least for a moment. "We have no mouth with which to scream. They
will not hear us. They will themselves not to hear it." The light on stage dims.
Dani Lane: whoa whoa whoa!! *as she light
dims, she climbs onto the stage, heading over to the woman* please tell me
what's goin on
Dani Lane:
d10: init: 7,
Dani Lane: ((13))
Storyspeller:
Dani becomes aware that that sword -is- coming down. She has a second to decide
what to do about it.
Dani Lane: *defense!! Grab skillet, whack
sword*
Storyspeller:
Sword meets skillet with a chopping 'thock' sound. The feeling of before, of
accomplishment, rises. whatever is going on, progress is a part of it.The light
glints off of the sword for a moment. When the glare fades, there is no skillet,
and there is no sword. Dani's feet are now immersed in sand, the lighting a dull
red. A backdrop featuring a magnificent castle is visable from Dani's place on
the sand covered stage. A small tribe of people are nearby. All of them, the
actors in black from before, but dressed as some sort of sand nomads. One of
them looks at her. "Is it you, Walker? You reckon we been slackin?"
Dani Lane: uhh.... no? *blinks*
Storyspeller:
The girl from before and a small group of followers seemes prepared to depart.
the strong male lead attempts to stop her. "There ain't no tomorrow morrow land
and there ain't no sonic! You trek out there, to nothin!" He turns to Dani.
"Tell 'er, Captian..."
Dani Lane: *looks at the others, wide eyed...
lost* uhhh.... *looks at the castle*
Storyspeller:
The girl glares at the man and his 'tribe' who,
indeed, appear to be the larger group by far. She looks at Dani. "Captain, we
have t'try. We have to get the knowin'."
Dani Lane: *ok.... whatever's going on.....
she's not getting out of until it plays itself out..... and it seems that
seeking knowledge is the curent lesson..... she looks at the girl.... and this
girl seems to be the 'star' as it were....... so she nods to her* .. you're....
you're right..... we gotta try... we can't just stay here can we? *looks around
at the others... hey, if it's a play, go with it* look around... what's here? We
gotta try... now who wants to seek more..... and who wants to stay here
and rot? *hopes she's doing the right thing*
Storyspeller:
The others seem somehow depressed about this choice, but the feeling from
before, it rises, again. The girl smiles, and begins to walk toward the castle.
Dani Lane: do you trust me or don't you? *it
seems she's a captain of sorts.... thusly, the leader* if you do.... then trust
me now....
Storyspeller:
"Well, Captian, yeh said yeh'd come back, an yeh did..." The guy formerly in
charge intones and they begin to gather prop supplies. Canteens, crude weapons
made from stylized salvage. They fall into line behind Dani.
Dani Lane: alright then.... follow me....
*steps up to lead the way... apparently toward the castle..... secretly
wondering what the HELL is going on..... trying to kep her cool*
Storyspeller:
The backdrop soon ceases to be such, and as Dani walks toward it, the girl in
front of her dissapers through the stage rear. While watching this, Dani has
failed to notice that she's staring at a stone archway, the backdrop. Her outfit
has changed, and she's in a brilliant looking black dress. Likewise, the actors
following her are in modern day, designer suits, hair and makeup done so that
they appear to be the same. Only the girl stands out, nd it's because she has a
single red bloom in a buttonhole.
Dani Lane: *pauses, looking at herself....
then at the girl, quirking an inquisitive brow....... what now?*
Storyspeller:
Her expression never changes, but she inclines her head toward the front of the
stage, the way all the actors are facing.
Dani Lane: *faces that way... cautiously
approaching*
Storyspeller:
The seats now host a full audience. An audience of Danielle Lanes. Dani when she
was 4. When she was 13. When she is 26 and the mother of two. An elderly Dani.
Peppering the audience of Dani as she was and could be today, are the nevers and
could be Dani Lanes as well. A child Dani of about 6 looks out from her battered
face, hidden beneath her hair. Dani the late teen junkie takes a second to look
away from her needle and let her glazed, dead eyes travel over the stage. Dani
in an Armani suit looks profesionaly attentive. Dani the ordinary looks lost. A
very dark Dani lurks near the back, her eyes full of knowledge that can't be
good. Every one of them reguard the girl with contempt. The narrative voice, the
one Dani first heard in the theatre speaks.
Storyspeller:
"The frames of a woman's life come back to haunt
her. It is she today who must find peace with them. Some were made by choices,
some were made by fate. But what does the one who owns this phantoms have to say
to them? What would God say to the people of this world, to answer thier painful
accusations?"
Dani Lane: *blinks, frozen*
Dani Lane: ..... I'm.... sorry? *looking out
over the audience... weirded out now*
Storyspeller:
Some of them seem to accept that. Most of them don't.
Dani Lane: *blinks* what do y'all want? All I
c'n say is I'm doin th' best I c'n do.... *overwhelmed.... she does the first
thing that pops in her mind................ she sings* When you hear twin
fiddles and a steel guitar, You're listenin' to the sound of the american
heart... And opry music on a saturday night, Brings a smile to your face and a
tear to your eye... Sing a song about the heartland, The only place I feel at
home... Sing about the way a good man, Works until the daylight's gone... Sing
the rain on the roof on a summer night, Where they still know wrong from
right... Sing a song about the heartland, Sing a song about my life......
Dani Lane: There's a place where mornings
are an endless blue, And you feel mother nature along with you... Where simple
people livin' side by side, Still wave to their neighbor when they're drivin'
by... Sing a song about the heartland... Sing a song about the heartland... Sing
a song about my life........ *sighs.... looking down, not sure what to say*
Storyspeller:
One, then another audience member begins to tap thier toe. From junkie, to
mommy, to nursing home resident, they all respond to her song. The music that
SHE likes. The part of herself that Dani saw in all of them, that universal
connection, has been touched by this simple act of appealing. In the moment that
they all respond to the music, amnosity fades, differences die, and the truth of
all life is there reflected in this for Dani to see. People who hurt each other
one moment will lay aside thier differences when something bigger threatens
them, or speaks to them all and unites them. Everyone is connected. Everything
is connected. And she can -change- the reality of the world, just as she made
them all respond to her now.
Dani Lane: *looks around.... awed... then
looks at the people on stage with her*
Storyspeller:
The actors in this mental production simply bow thier heads to the audience, and
still bowed, step back and exit stage right.
Dani Lane: hey... where y' goin? *looks for
the one girl...* what d' I do now?
Storyspeller:
The slow clapping of the audience builds until it is a deafening roar. Dani
feels..elated. Godlike.
Dani Lane: *looks back to the audience...
blinking.... then smiles.... tears welling a little..... and... well.....
bows... not sure what else to do*
Storyspeller:
The narrative can be heard over the clapping, somehow. "The curtain slowly falls
over the stage. The star will walk this day amoung the people, and bein a new
show." The audience, all applauding, begins to spin in her vision a little, as
does the rest of the theater. It's interesting at first, but quickly dizzying.
Dani Lane: *getting dizzy, she touches her
temple, closing her eyes*
Storyspeller:
The throb from before seems to have returned for moment. The pulse of
disorientation reaches a pitchn then fades, taking the pain with it. The gentle
reintroduction of street sounds is changed. Dani becomes aware of serveral
things at once, without knowing how. The first thing she realizes is that not
much time has passed. Her mental..trip..or whatever, seemed to be long but was
actualy little more than a few seconds. the second thing she notices..slowly at
first, then overwhelmingly so on the streets of New York..is that she knows the
exact distance between everything and herself, and feels people and things move
toward and away from her, like some internal radar.
Dani Lane: *stands there a moment... looking
around for the theater..... then just..... looks around................ whoa...*
Storyspeller:
Evry item she looks at jumps out at her in perfect clarity. She can almost see
the olidness of the building, the street, and she can feel the metal on the
passing cab..thicker in some places than in others and some of it not metal at
all but fiberglass. People are mostly, thankfully, left out of this mental
breakdown of composition.
Dani Lane: *she reaches down for her guitar,
not even noticing that she doesn't have to look to know where it is... eyes just
scanning her surroundings in wonder... she needs to make a call.... her cell
phone's battery is low... Fel said she'd be at Lime, that's... no, that's too
far to walk.. she needs a cab, there's one about to turn onto her street a
couple blocks away....... how does she KNOW all this??*
Storyspeller:
And, as predicted, here come the cab.
Dani Lane: *she shoots her hand up to hail
it... yes, she DEFINATELY has a call to make... maybe that crazy guy isn't crazy
after all*
Storyspeller:
The cab stops for her. The driver is a dark skinned man, from some eastern
country. "Where to drive?"
Dani Lane: th' Lime.... it's.. *stops herself
before spouting off how many miles it is... he knows where it is.... she just
sheepishly gets in.... and digs out her cell phone to make a call* ((yay!! *G*
THANK YOOOOOOOOOO *HUG!*))
Storyspeller:
((HUG! well done, and congratulations.)) The driver nods and begins to drive her
there. Poor girl. He takes the long route, ensuring a higher fee.
Dani Lane: *catches onto that quickly.... and starts having him turn to take shortcuts to get them there faster.... possibly causing him to wonder how this seemingly out of place country girl knows these streets better than he does*