Changeling: Lost and Hiding (Ocfos)

[CxSeth]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Nothing is as it seems, especially not Nellie. While the uninitiated might see an unassuming young woman living a quiet life in a quiet town, the truth is as twisted as the path Nellie took to get there. Touched and twisted by fae magic, Nellie flees a Changeling civil war with a bag of stolen gold. But no one can run forever, and while “normal” doesn’t exist for those who’ve walked The Hedge, perhaps here, in the town of Cold Creek, Nellie can find something resembling normality, if only for a moment...

Blinking sunlight out of your eyes, you sit up and throw a cursory glance at the clock. 11:45 AM, a few minutes before noon. On another day, you might have set an alarm and tried to make the most of the morning, but after everything you’ve been through recently, you really needed a day to sleep in and rest your body.

Looking around the walls of your new apartment, you feel like you’re finally ready to put all that chaos behind you. A new chapter of your life begins today, in this out-of-the way town, far from intercourt politics and the war you had briefly, and successfully, profited from.

You haven’t properly introduced yourself to the local Changeling community, yet. In fact, the only two Lost you’ve met here have been your landlord, “Dusty” Dustin Ivy, and the bus driver, Ava Hawkins. Both seem friendly enough at first glance, but you’re not so naive as to sell your trust for a few friendly gestures. Especially when some of that friendliness was already paid for with stolen gold.

Still, if you wanted to learn about your new community, one of them would be your best bet. If you were more interested in exploring the town and surrounding terrain, you could probably manage that yourself. For the first time in a long time, you have nobody relying on you, and you have nobody to rely on. Your path is your own, and it starts now.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

Looking at her clock, Nellie grunts and rolls over to peek out of her blinds. Used to sleeping commando, last night was no different.
After peeking outside for a minute, she goes to her kitchen area, deciding she might as well grab a bite of some sort before she even considers going anywhere.

Not like she feels in any rush, at the moment.

[CxSeth]

The view from your window was far from picturesque, but it still overlooked a few important locations, each within easy walking distance. A small cafe, The Golden Bun, sat next to quiet Midtown Park. The creek for which the town was named bordered the park, and generally spiraled all throughout the town. A supermarket and hardware store completed the scene, and a handful of pedestrians wandered from one building to the next, unaware of the naked Changeling spying out her window.

Not that you were ever really naked around mortals. Your Mask made sure of that. Sure, someone looking into your window would catch an eyeful of naked flesh, but it wouldn’t be yours. Not really. Your true, squid-like flesh wasn’t revealed by simply peeling off a few layers of clothing, after all.

The kitchen was stocked well enough for breakfast... or was it lunch, at this hour? Either way, you had a variety of basic ingredients and quick meals at your disposal, and you were soon able to sit down with a plate of food. Good enough to nourish the body, but if you wanted to refill your Glamour, you required a very different type of sustenance.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

Humming to herself as she scans the city, Nellie notes down the creek, telling herself she'd need to check out how deep it is, just in case she'd ever need a slight "escape plan" of sorts. Wouldn't want to dive into shallow water, and end up looking like a dumbass.

While sitting for lunch, she figures she might as well check her phone for the local news around here, just to give herself a slight idea about what's going on in town these days.

Though she figures she'd need to figure out where exactly she'd connect herself with the freeholds in the area, too.
Better to blend among the locals, than poke out as a loner, right? Plus she figures it could probably fetch her some kind of work wherever she ends up affiliated with.

Everyone needs an errand-woman to do their less honest work, at least in her mind.

[CxSeth]

A brief examination of the local gazette’s webpage doesn’t reveal anything that immediately strikes you as dangerous or concerning, but a few things do catch your eye. First, for a relatively small town, Cold Creek has an extensive Help Wanted catalogue. Much of it is mundane work, waitressing gigs and lawn care and the like, but a few requests stand out from the rest. One listing simply reads; “Wanted: Performer,” followed by a phone number. Another listing asks for someone to help with “Security,” but rather than listing a business, only a name was given: Ms. Caldwell. Finally, volunteers were wanted to join the planning committee for a local festival. It wasn’t exactly what you were looking for, but it might be a way to learn more about the town you would be living in for the foreseeable future.

In terms of actual news, there were no strange disappearances or murders being reported on. Of course, Fae abductions rarely made the front page, but it was still something you kept an eye out for. A new soup kitchen had recently opened up, though, which might be an indication of a higher-than average Changeling population. Many Lost had trouble fitting into mainstream society, and turned naturally to crime or vagrancy.

Setting down your phone, you thought back to something Ava mentioned about the town’s Freehold. The Subtle Band, it was called, and it was the only Freehold in this county. It was ruled by a simple seasonal rotation, and for the next three weeks, that meant Spring. Ava was an Autumnal creature, herself, but Dusty was a member of the Spring Court. He might be a good starting point if you wanted to really make yourself known.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

As Nellie scrolls through the bulletin board, she does strike interest in at least two of the topics she comes across.

Taking her time to note everything of interest she's come across, she calls up the number listed for a wanted performer.

Might as well figure out what type of performer is wanted, she figures.

She has a feeling of what to expect, since it just says "Performer", but she figures a good paycheck would help her, where her secret stash wouldn't.

[CxSeth]

After two short rings, a man with a scratchy voice answered the phone. “Performer? Yeah, we still need one or two more girls to, ah, ‘entertain’ some of our more important clients.” Ah, prostitution. Not a surprise, really, given how sparse the ad was. Still. It was a possible source of income, and maybe even Glamour, depending on the clients.

“And I should warn ya. A couple of our regulars are kind of... eccentric, if you know what I mean. Not dangerous, of course, just a bit... weird. None of my business, but I figure you should know what you’re signing up for.”

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

"What kind of pay are we discussing here, then? I assumed 'Performer' would be something like a stripper, but I didn't expect it to be full on sex n' that shit."
She chuckles, "I'm sure we'd be able to settle on something, that'd make us both happy."

Internally, Nellie's mind just rolls the thoughts;
Least those brainy people kept saying we're pretty much unable to get pregnant by normal ways, with how fucked up our shit is... It would make the job easier, but probably messier..? Maybe it's best to keep the shit on?
Though she airs none of this, she's definitely trying to think about it. Trying being the key word here.

[CxSeth]

The man on the phone makes a noise that’s half a sigh, half a groan. “Look, kid. Our clients know what they want, and it’s my job to make sure that they get it... That being said, one of our more eccentric clients is looking for a “model” right now. I’m not sure what exactly that would entail, but she’s always been good to our girls, and she pays well.”

(Roll: 2)
If mortal-Changeling relations was something you had been informed about, your weren’t paying attention at the time. You still remember someone mentioning infertility, which made sense, and something at the core of your being suggested that lust could be a strong enough emotion to harvest Glamour from. Beyond those basics, though, you couldn’t recall anything.

You weren’t locked into this career path, of course. Security could also pay well, and some of the most profitable work couldn’t be found in the local classifieds.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

"I'd prefer knowing exactly what I sign up for, hun. No offense, just that the business can be a little shady when 'eccentric' people get involved, from personal experience."

She pauses, thinking, "Sounds like it'd pay well, but can I call back in after thinking it over for a little?" She figures she could always call about the security job too, and compare them a bit.

Second one definitely sounds like a bodyguard thing. Might bring in interesting status with it... , she thinks.

[CxSeth]

“I don’t handle details, I just make appointments.” There’s another sigh-groan, followed by the clacking sounds of a keyboard. “Fine. But if I don’t hear from you by tonight, then I’ll just find somebody else.” With nothing more to be said, he hangs up, grumbling under his breath about “Kids these days.”

The security job was much more straightforward. A secretary answered, and explained that after some recent threats, Ms. Caldwell is looking to hire a bodyguard or two to, more or less, follow her around and discourage any would-be-assailants.

“Of course, Ms. Caldwell will want to meet with you first, before hiring you. If you’re available this afternoon around Three o’ Clock? At the Caldwell estate?”

It was refreshing to have someone explain what they wanted in clear terms after your last call. And despite your relatively short stature, you knew how to be quite intimidating when you needed to be, which would certainly help in this line of work.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

"Of course, that time is perfect for me. What's the address I'm heading to?" She asks, smiling a little to herself as that sounds like very straightforward and proper work.

[CxSeth]

The secretary chuckles when you ask for the address, correctly guessing that “You must be new around here.” The Caldwell Estate sits atop a hill at the far North end of town, and is, apparently, “Impossible to miss.”

After giving you directions and the address (1 Caldwell Lane), the secretary marks down your name and tells you to pick up the phone at the gate when you arrive. “I’ll be there to escort you,” She tells you, “But first, I’ll need to let Ms. Caldwell know to expect you. See you soon!”

Looking at the clock, you have a couple hours before your meeting. It shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to get there, so if there was anything else you wanted to check out or take care of first, you should have plenty of time.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

Since Nellie has a few hours to kill now, she figures she might as well take a walk through the town, probably get something to eat along the way as well.

Getting herself dressed in spats and T-shirt, Nellie locks up after herself and then heads out in a very indirect way to her meeting, pretty much just keeping an eye out for anything interesting to her.

[CxSeth]

The park seemed like a natural place to start your walk, especially since it gave you an opportunity to examine the creek in greater detail. It was wide and clear and cool, but not especially deep. At its deepest, the creek might reach your thighs, and in most places it would barely cover your ankles.

It was a warm spring day, and there were a handful of other people out and about. A young couple holding hands, a woman walking her dog, a pair of joggers... nothing extraordinary. At the far end of the park, though, you do see something that gives you pause: a stone arch, lonely and detached from any structure or enclosure. It simply stood in the field, just off the main trail. A young man in a wide-brimmed hat sat in the shade of the archway, but otherwise, nobody seemed to pay any attention to it.

Back on the street after crossing through the park, you find a food truck selling appropriate food for walking around with. There are two main routes to Caldwell Manor from here, depending on which side of town you want to see. Going through downtown would probably give you a feel for whatever passes as excitement in this town. Alternatively, there’s a nice residential neighborhood you could trek through, if you wanted a quieter walk, or wanted to check out the local library.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

Upon arriving at the park, Nellie takes a moment to just breathe in and relax at the relatively early breeze, enjoying her time in the sun for the moment.

She then spots the man sitting under an odd stone arch, only really raising an eyebrow at the sight before continuing on.

She decides to sit down at the creek for a little, just enjoying the sound of the water as it runs its course down the stream.

Can't believe I can actually walk outside without much concern now. Better stay that way; I'd rather not have to relocate again already... She reflects, disgruntled at the situation overall.

Unless nothing interrupts in the 15 minutes she plans to spend here, she gets up to start heading downtown.

[CxSeth]

Your time by the creek is peaceful and calming. You can almost forget that you’re a wanted fugitive. You can almost appreciate the beauty of nature without comparing it to the terrifying, otherworldly majesty of Arcadia.

Almost.

Heading through downtown is a busier, less peaceful affair. There are more people walking past you on the sidewalks here, and perhaps it’s just the well-founded paranoia, but you feel like their eyes linger on you a little more than is necessary. Nobody is being blatantly creepy about it, but it’s still a little unnerving.

People aside, downtown is a pretty crowded district. Stores, restaurants, and bars are packed close on every block, broken up by the occasional tourist attraction or parking lot. In terms of style, there doesn’t seem to be a unifying theme. A trendy, modern clothing store sits next to a rustic, quiet store labeled “Ma’s Music.” Nothing seems too busy, at this hour, though there’s a small crowd gathered in front of the “Spinning Squirrel Saloon,” possibly waiting for the doors to open.

Nobody forcibly blocks your way or tries to start a conversation with you, but if you’re looking for something in particular, this is the place to find it. Otherwise, you can continue marching towards Caldwell Manor.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

As Nellie starts to make her way downtown, she attempts to shake off the thoughts of her old prison.

Walking through downtown, she figures her pink hair is the reason for the staring, which she's gotten used to - Especially in small towns like this.

As she goes by the many stores and services, her eyes pause on a clothing store. She decides it wouldn't harm to get some new duds, and goes inside to check it out.

Wonder why there's such a crowd for a damn saloon... Weirdos.

[CxSeth]

The clothing store you’ve arbitrarily chosen, Threadbare, carries a wide selection of clothing with a variety of styles. What really stands out, though, is that everything appears to be custom-made, either in-store or at a nearby workshop. This comes with an expected bump in price, but it’s a good opportunity to order clothes that specifically fit your body and your needs.

“The boss isn’t in today,” The bored-looking young woman at the counter informs you, barely looking up from her phone, “I can take your measurements or whatever, but if what you want isn’t on the racks, you need to come back tomorrow or make an appointment.”

Certainly, most of the clothes on display were a size or three too large. You do find an attractive blazer that would fit, and which sports an impressive number of pockets. Aside from that, little of what would fit you seems too notable. Still, the possibility of ordering custom clothing is something to keep in mind.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Name: Nellie Tatiana Samotara
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 6/6
Glamour: 5/10
Clarity: 7

[Ocfos]

Nellie walks inside, looking around as she hears the lady behind the counter speak, grinning a little as she walks up to the counter.
"Oh I'd love to have a girl like you take my measurements, hun. Bet you it'll make the day less boring, too." She waits to gauge the reaction of the clerk, "Then when it fits, I could definitely do an appointment. If you'd like.~"

Definitely not flirting in the slightest.