+ ENTRANCEWAY TEST DRIVE MEME +

[vitaelamorte]

HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?!

Your mind is a car, a car in the vastness of the universe, slowly going down the road which connects thought upon thought and you glance at your hands as they grasp the steering wheel, wondering if you are fit to master the curves of creativity, to weather the rocky roads of prose, to order a cool glass of beer at the roadhouse of inspiration no wait a second you can't order a beer you're driving you're test driving your mind car drunk what have you done WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THIS IS THE MIND POLICE SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY YOU ARE UNDER ARREST I SAID SLOW DOWN THIS IS--



♥ ENTRANCEWAY ♥
TEST DRIVE MEME

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Comments

Selina "Cat" Kyle | Gotham

[littlestreetcat]

[ While she's not exactly used to waking up somewhere she didn't go to sleep, winding up in places she doesn't expect to isn't entirely out of Selina's comfort zone. Although she knows basically every inch of the city, and this certainly isn't Gotham. But that's an easy one to realize.

She's cautious at first, worried that whoever dragged her here might be around and be less than friendly, but when it proves pretty obvious that she's the only one around, at least outside, she relaxes some. Starts exploring. Peering around hedges and staring at the checkerboard hills. ...Who on earth thought that was a good idea. She must be at some rich jerk's place, considering the impeccable garden and, well, the gigantic mansion ahead of her, but just how she got there is still a mystery to her.

Assuming that this is someone's property, she's not about to go walking in the front door. Nor is she planning to knock. She wants to inspect this place a little more, and maybe grab a few things from inside before she heads back home. ...Whichever way that is.

...What? So she's a thief, it's not like rich people notice their stuff going missing.

Instead of using the door though, Selina makes her way to one of the walls, one where she sees an open window, and she begins to climb. She climbs with ease, like she's done this a hundred times or more--probably because she has. Maybe not this building, but others very like it. It's not long before she reaches the window sill and slips into the room.

Looks like a bedroom, she realizes, glancing around from her crouched position on the floor. ...Oh, and she's not alone. Damn. ]

Oh. Hey.

[ She plays it cool, offering a smile and a wave like she didn't just climb in through their window and this is all somehow a big mistake, like she walked in the wrong door instead. ]

[fatherlesskind]

[Alistair stares down at the young woman who'd just casually climbed in his window in open-mouthed shock.]

Haven't you heard of doors? And knocking?

[As he speaks he shifts a bit closer to the sword and shield propped against the side of the closet, just in case. Yes, she looks small and young and harmless but she did just climb in his window for no apparent reason. She could be an assassin, trying to catch him off-guard. Or she could be a demon, if this weird estate really was some Fade dream he was trapped in. He still hadn't worked out if it was all real or not yet so he wasn't discounting demons showing up.]

I could have been naked you know!

[In fact he'd been half-way through stripping off his heavy plate armour, the pieces forming a neat pile on the floor at his feet and making him rattle slightly less than otherwise as he crosses his arms over his chest and frowns primly at her.]

[littlestreetcat]

Good thing I turned up now and not a few minutes later then, huh?

[ She smirks, nodding to the armour on the floor. That certainly would have been more awkward, no lies there, but she's more amused with his reaction. Granted, most reactions that you get from climbing in through someone's window are pretty golden.

Standing up, she takes a glance around the room as though considering it. More like searching it for anything that might be valuable. But casually, you know, more like she's just admiring his tastes before nodding belatedly. ]

Heard of it. Knocking. Not really my style, though.

[ Looking back at him, she grins. ]

To be fair, I didn't think there was anyone in here.

[fatherlesskind]

[The room is pretty bare of personality to be honest. Alistair is a fairly new arrival himself and has spent too much time on the road to just make himself at home. Everything seems to be contained to a pack in the corner which spills out an assortment of clothes and personal items including several old carved stone statuettes and runestones. Of greater interest might be his coin pouch, tossed carelessly onto the bed and spilling out silver and copper pieces along with the glint of a lone gold sovereign.

And of course the increasingly annoyed warrior scowling at her. He might be called intimidating if he didn't look so petulant.]

Well there is someone here. And I don't like people sneaking in on me!

[Her grin is met with an irritated huff and he points a finger at her accusingly.]

So are you here to kill someone or steal something?

[He couldn't think of any other reason for anyone to be climbing in windows she thought led to empty rooms. Well, maybe she could be here to see someone she wasn't supposed to or rescue a prisoner. But that sort of thing only happened in stories. Mostly.]

[littlestreetcat]

[ This is definitely a more disappointing room to have entered with how barren it is. She catches sight of the things that might be of some value, but truth be told, most of her interest is in the coin pouch once she spots it. Bingo. Probably the most valuable thing in the room.

Now to just figure out how to snag it while he's standing there, staring at her like that. ]

Like I said, man, I didn't mean to sneak up on you.

[ She holds her hands up in an attempt to look innocent. But sneaking in through a window rarely looks innocent at all, no matter what you do afterwards. But she hasn't done anything else yet, so he can't pin anything on her! ]

Me? Steal or kill? Come on, I'm just a kid...

[ There's still amusement in her expression, but she tries to hide it and really feign that innocence. But lots of people fall for the kid thing no matter what she's done prior, so hey, worth a shot, right? ]

I just don't like doors is all.

[fatherlesskind]

[Thing is, he can actually believe that. Maker knows, he remembers some of the trouble he got up to as a boy. He hadn't been so good at climbing in windows but sneaking in to raid the kitchens say? Or to play some prank on the brothers at the abbey? Sure.

It helps that she looks too well dressed and clean for a street thief. The children who'd picked his pockets in Denerim - that he'd only seen after they'd been caught by one of his companions - had been filthy, underfed things dressed in rags. Her clothes are strange but they still look a lot nicer than he'd expect from a thief. So maybe she really is innocent. Relatively speaking. There's nothing wrong with a few pranks after all.]

While maybe you should try and get to know them. I promise, most doors are very friendly. And helpful. And much nicer for going through than windows.

[He grins and finally steps away from his weapons.]

I'm Alistair.

[littlestreetcat]

For you, maybe. Doors are boring. At least windows are fun.

[ There's a quick little breath of relief as he totally buys her (not so great) innocent act. At least that means she's clear of trouble, for the time being. And means she can find a way to sneak off with that coin purse. She'll figure out a way before she has to go, she's sure, even if it's just to point behind him and ask "what's that" before grabbing the bag when he turns around to look. ]

Alistair? That's a weird name.

[ She scoffs a little, but offers him a smile in return. At least for a rich jerk, assuming he owns this mansion, he's not so bad. Kind of funny, actually. His reactions sure were, at least.

Folding her arms over her chest--not in a defensive way, but more to appear cool and tough--she tilts her head to one side. ]

I'm Cat.

[fatherlesskind]

And that's not a weird name at all?

[He scoffs right back at her, grin widening cheerfully.]

You know what, I'm just going to get the rest of this off. [Indicating his armour.] It's kind of heavy you know and I might be used to it but after a while it just gets to be a bit much.

[As he proceeds to do just that, slowly unbuckling each piece and setting it down with the rest he asks-] So why are you really here? Do you just like sneaking in on people? Is that a hobby?

[littlestreetcat]

[ To be fair, it's a nickname. And not that odd of a name, thank you very much, but she lets him have it. Instead of commenting, she just nods as he continues speaking. ]

Go for it. I'm not stopping you, man.

[ Holding her hands up again, this time in more of a playful defence, she glances around the room again and moves toward the nearest little table she can find. There she plops herself down, pulling a knee up to her chin, making herself comfortable in the stranger's room. That she totally broke into. ]

You could say it's something like that, yeah. [ Smirk. ] But in this case, I woke up with no idea where I was and figured a window was safer than a door on an unfamiliar house.

[ She shrugs like it's no big deal. Like this is something that happens all the time and she's totally not worried about it at all. Even if she is a little bit worried about it. ]

[fatherlesskind]

Oh, me too! I mean the 'woke up somewhere I've never seen before' bit, not the window bit. Can you imagine me trying to climb in anyone's window?

[Given that he's not that much smaller or more graceful when he's not encased in metal as when he is... no. Even on the ground floor he'd probably trip on the sill and fall on his head and that rather undermines the whole sneaky bit. Not that she's done that well at being sneaky, walking- ah, climbing in while he's here but he hadn't heard her coming and she hadn't tripped so there's that.]

I thought it might be a weird dream at first. But someone told me that it just sort of happens to everyone. Weird, right?

[Honestly, Alistair himself is worried about this too. If he hadn't run into someone from home and gotten a sort-of explanation already he'd be a lot more worried and suspicious. And probably threatening people as he tries to find the culprit. Luckily he has so instead he chatters on, pretty much unconcerned by a stranger hanging around in his room after breaking in.]

And I believe her about that but it's still kind of hard to believe.

[littlestreetcat]

[ Whoa, wait, what? Him too? That news catches Selina by surprise and has her perk up from her position on the table. What does that mean, if she's not the only one who's just woken up here with no idea how?

She listens as he speaks, but it's really hard to not just barge in with questions. It doesn't sound like he knows a whole lot about it though, judging from the way he talks about it and just...kind of accepts it. Selina's more of a fighter--she wants to know more before she just sits around in complacency. ]

It happens to everyone? So, what, there're other people here who've had the same thing happen to them?

[ She sits up straighter now, dropping her leg back to join the other one, hanging off the edge of the table. Her hands are at her sides, gripping the table's edges, and there's a confused but intrigued look on her face. ]

So this is normal. Just suddenly being here. Any idea who's bringing us here, or why?

[fatherlesskind]

[Dropping the last piece of armour down with the rest, Alistair rolls his shoulders in relief and throws himself down to sit on the floor.]

That's what I was told. A... friend of mine. Said that's what happened to her. And someone else told me the same thing.

[Which isn't reassuring but it's... something. Consistent maybe.]

I don't think I'd call it normal but it sounds like it happens a lot? No one has really told me who does it though.

[Or not in any way that has made sense so far. Not that much has made sense since he woke up but. Well. Lots of things don't make sense to him back home too. Shooting Cat an apologetic look he shrugs helplessly.]

Sorry. You might have more luck asking someone who's been here longer than me. Normally my job is just to hit whatever I'm pointed at.

[littlestreetcat]

[ His answer isn't really all that helpful, no, but it does have some consistency to it. Like the fact that she, him, and two other people have experienced the same thing. That's something, at least. Better than being the only one here.

However, she's had bad experiences in the past with people trying to knock her out and take her someplace else, so she can't shake the feeling that this is something like that. That they're here for some unpleasant reason, like to be unwilling organ donors, or something. ]

Oh well. Maybe I'll ask around, then.

[ She shrugs and takes the apologetic look in stride. It's no big deal; she'll get to the bottom of this eventually. ]

So, you're here same as me, but you've got a room? Does that mean the whole place is open to anyone who's been brought here? Or are you unsure of that, too?

[ Sorry, Alistair, she likes to tease. ]

[araneidal]

Hello.

[ Natasha blinks, once, in surprise, and then her expression turns wry. A stranger — a child — with such quiet movements and easy grace. She didn't climb up completely unnoticed: there's a .22 in the folds of the blanket, hidden expertly once Natasha realised the soft, almost silent sounds against the wall didn't ring right for an adult's. ]

Something I can help you with?

[ The room is bare of character. Natasha doesn't believe in keeping many possessions and this isn't a place to make a home. The only telltale objects are two Glocks, loaded, safety off, on the table out of both their reach, and the red hourglass belt Natasha wears. ]

[littlestreetcat]

Uh...

[ She's not really sure how to deal with the situation. It feels almost like she was expected, and that's a weird one for Selina. Usually she's better at surprising people. --Not that that had been the intention here, but still. ]

Not really. You know, I totally thought this mansion belonged to someone else--thought I'd surprise him, but...

[ She shrugs after trying to backpedal, like that's going to help her situation much. But looking around the room--the bareness with the exception of a pair of guns on a tabletop--makes her a little uncomfortable about the room she's just entered. And the person who's already in here with her. ]

[araneidal]

No one here but the other prisoners.

[ She sees no reason to talk down to a child, especially not one that sneaks around as a first instinct. She of all people knows not to underestimate them: she was one, once. ]

Natasha. Romanoff. And you?

[littlestreetcat]

[ ...Prisoners? ]

Selina Kyle. But everyone just calls me Cat.

[ Slowly raising to a stand, she takes another glance around the room before her eyes fix back on Natasha, now a bit wary. Those words spoken before introductions have her concerned, she won't lie about that. ]

What did you mean by "prisoners?"

[araneidal]

Cat.

[ Ah, Liho finds some way to her after all. Natasha doesn't laugh, though it's funny, in a way. She stands, with easy grace, and crosses over to tuck both Glocks into her clothes, making sure Selina can see where they are before they're hidden from the world. ]

I'll show you.

[ She turns her back on Selina — a risk, certainly, but calculated — and with silent-footsteps, walks out to the corridor, expecting to be followed. ]

[littlestreetcat]

[ Selina's eyes follow Natasha as she stands and hides the guns--though she wonders why hide them while there's someone in the room, seeing where you're putting them--then perks up a little at told she'd be shown.]

Okay?

[ It comes out as kind of a question, if only because she's confused, but she nods. On equally quiet feet, she steps after Natasha and follows her out of the room, head turning and eyes darting around to get a good look at the place and it's...long series of doors. ]

[araneidal]

[ The hiding's for the others watching, not Selina. The corridor stretches down, looking almost endless. Sunlight streams through the window at the other end. ]

The mansion has ten floors, and theoretically infinite rooms. Not the kind of place you want to get lost in.

[littlestreetcat]

No, guess not. But I'm good at not getting lost.

[ She grins a little and stuffs her hands in the pockets of her jacket, looking up the hall one way and down it another. ]

Infinite rooms, huh? How's that possible? Just how many prisoners are there here?

[araneidal]

Land on your feet like a cat, do you?

[ Her posture is girlish, and on some level, comfortable. Natasha mirrors it, carefully, and she smiles. ]

About one hundred and seventy five. Supposedly, it's magic.

[littlestreetcat]

Somethin' like that.

[ She smirks. Selina's not sure what it is, but she feels pretty safe around Natasha. At the very least, she's not worried about her turning around and suddenly attacking or anything. ]

Magic. For real? [ She raises an eyebrow. ] No offence or anything, but that sounds...pretty stupid.

[araneidal]

It probably is. [ Natasha's mouth curves downwards. ] It's what we have so far.

[littlestreetcat]

Hm. So, a mystery then, huh?

[ Selina doesn't seem particularly bothered. ]

Should be a fun one to solve.