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Post by Lexxi on Jul 13, 2009 7:05:51 GMT -5
The music was obnoxious, the constant rise and fall of carnival tunes repeating over and over again over the city of bright colors and blinking lights. She’d seen it all before. She’d watched it for hours before and it never seemed to change or grow and she knew why. It was her fault. Her fault that no one could sleep and her fault that the days never passed. The girl was ashamed of herself for her cowardice as she stood, concealed by the door that would lead her to the platform she should have been singing on. Once again, no one would get to hear it. She’d rather they stay awake forever rather than disappoint them with a sour note or forgotten words. After all, they’d waited this long, what was a few more years? But lately however, she’d seen something weird. Pieces going missing, people going erratic as if suddenly struck with insanity, darkness creeping in and changing her world into a demented copy. She’d chosen to ignore it though. By the time she managed to climb her way down into the city, it would be too late anyways.
That was how the cuckoo went about her life.
Nothing was ever worth trying.
She sighed and looked back down at Lullaby Lane where the last few people in the crowd had parted ways back into the city, leaving only the lone toy soldier who watched her clock day and night. He looked tired, the poor man, but without night he could do no more than cat nap once in a while. And who’s fault was that? Why the one causing time to repeat, that’s who. She turned away, sitting back down on her couch and setting a cup of tea so it balanced on her knee. She didn’t even notice the flash of light that illuminated the farthest part of the city as someone from the outside fell into her world. All she could hear was the haunting carnival music rising and falling in the distance…
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Post by Nakki on Jul 13, 2009 16:43:50 GMT -5
"Owww..."
Nicolai sorely rubbed his backside, which he'd landed on when he appeared in this odd world. Grimacing as he stood up, he brushed a little dust off his pants, he looked around in bemusement at the city around him. Nico hadn't been in many cities, but he knew that something was amiss. And it wasn't just that all the buildings were made with toy blocks, and that the cars had little wind-up keys in their tops.
Then he realized something had changed about him. He looked down at himself and noticed, with some surprise, that he was wearing a blue suit, decorated with darker blue feathers and a few silver sequins. The feathers flared out a little at the tails of the suit, as well. Well, that's weird, he thought to himself. However, this didn't seem like it was what was giving him that odd feeling that something was wrong...
Finally, he got it. All the people he could see, milling around in their aimless way, seemed very tired. He even noticed one nodding off at the crosswalks a little way away. Nico suddenly spotted a man walking his way, and tapped him on the shoulder as he passed. "Excuse me, sir, but where am I? And why's everyone so tired?"
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Post by Lovenu on Jul 13, 2009 17:15:32 GMT -5
"ARGH BLOODY-"
Evan appeared not long after Nico had. She had fallen flat on her face and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She rubbed her nose as she sat on the street and looked around at all of the block buildings and toys. She looked down and saw that she was wearing a sailor dress, white stockings, and mary janes. On top of her head was a little hat as well, but she didn't know this. She also didn't know that her cheeks were red like a doll's. She groaned at this new outfit and got up. She examined her surroundings and out of sheer luck saw Nico... Or at least a boy that looked like him.
She quickly ran over to him and put her hands on her hips once she reached the boy. He was currently talking to a strange man so she thought it'd be best to lecture Nico until after the conversation.
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Post by Lexxi on Jul 13, 2009 17:16:58 GMT -5
The man gave a slight jump as he was awakened from his daze and looked about in a momentary panic. However, his expression didn’t change. Across his face was a plastic smile beneath half lidded eyes, a constant happy face despite the exhaustion he and everyone else was feeling. Any other citizen of the Toy Box might have babbled on incoherently or said one of those lame lines all toys were programmed in from the start, but not Beach Side Ben. Oh no, a franchise toy such as himself had to have brains to fit the perfect plastic molded body. He yawned and stretched, then smiled at the boy before patting him on the head. “Well hello there my boy.” he stated lazily. “First time in the Toy Box? Lost? Not sure what’s going on?” Alright, so maybe it was a little hard not to babble when one hadn’t slept in days. As his mind registered the already stated question, he snapped his fingers.
“Well you see my boy,” he turned Nico as he spoke to point him in the direction of a wall where a large ornate cuckoo clock hung and tocked merrily with each swing of a small pendulum. “This is the city blocks and this is where I live and that,” he motioned to the clock. “Is what’s going on. You see, inside that clock is a girl and she needs to sing for night to come. She aint sang lately. Nope, not a note. Not….a…note.” He nodded off then shook his head quickly to right himself. “Sorry, sorry. Um anyways, just got that way, right under the arch.“ And with that, he fell asleep, slumping against a nearby wall to snore and twitch beside a teddy bear about ready to the same.
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Post by Nakki on Jul 13, 2009 17:39:46 GMT -5
Nico listened to the odd, doll-like man with an expression of slight confusion on his face. At first it seemed like his babbling would never amount to anything, but when he pointed in the direction of the clock, explained, and then nodded off right then and there, Nico knew that the man wasn't as bad as he could be. He'd already seen people falling asleep right in the street.
"Ah, um... thank you, sir," Nico said politely, and stepped back- right into Sailor Girl Evangeline. He jumped with a small "Whoa!" and then recognized her. "...Hey, aren't you my sister's friend? What are you doing here? And..." Nico snickered as he looked Evan up and down. "And, what in the world are you wearing?"
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Post by Lovenu on Jul 13, 2009 17:51:11 GMT -5
Evan gave Nico an unamused look as he snickered, "Hmph... I wouldn't be laughing if I looked like I'd been tar and feathered..." she said with a sneer, "And the reason I'm here is to make sure you don't mess anything up in Jacques' head! She's very important to me and I won't have some kid causin' trouble in here... I'm Evan by the way, not sure how much Helene has told you..." she said as she looked around, "So everyone's tired because this cuckoo won't sing... Let's find the bird, make it sing, and fix whatever's bothering Jacques."
Evan was a no-nonsense sort of girl and expected Nico to follow her orders despite the fact she barely knew him if only through his sister, "C'mon then..." she said as she began to walk towards the large clock.
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Post by Nakki on Jul 13, 2009 17:57:46 GMT -5
Nico frowned at Evan as she began to walk to the clock, unaccustomed to being ordered around by anyone other than his father and his two eldest siblings. He also didn't like her insult. It wasn't a very good one, in his opinion, and besides; he liked this suit. It was a very handsome shade of blue, in his opinion.
Finally, Nicolai ran to catch up with Evan, but didn't slow down even as he passed her. "If you think you can order a Galochio around, think again, 'guvna'!" he called to her mockingly as he passed, then suddenly switched to Levitation to gain even more speed against her. Pretty soon, he was just feet away from passing through the arch, and ten times as far away from Evan.
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Post by Lovenu on Jul 13, 2009 18:22:00 GMT -5
Evan gave the boy a death glare as she sprinted after him, shoving sleepy civilians out of the way as she shouted after him, "YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!" Evan cursed the uncomfortable mary janes as she chased Nico towards the clock.
He was extremely far ahead though and she needed to take action. She quickly wound up one of the cars best she could and jumped on top. The car gained speed and she was catching up. She cackled at her own cleverness as the little car sped up, "WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU YOU LITTLE TWAT" she yelled. Eventually the car stopped a few feet away from the arch and she got off. She looked around for the boy with the most horrid scowl on her face.
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Post by Nakki on Jul 13, 2009 18:37:19 GMT -5
Nico turned his head as he heard a mechanical 'beep beep!' behind him, and then his face contorted into shock as he saw Evan riding one of the wind-up cars. "Gah!!" The boy started running faster, reaching speed enough to smash a squirrel to bits as he tore through the arch, finding himself on Lullaby Lane.
All of a sudden, his thought bubble popped on something sharp, and Nico was sent tumbling to the ground- again. "Owwww!" He sat up again, and then watched in awe at the events that began to unfold right as he entered the arch...
(LEXXI, WORK YOUR MAGIC! *wiggly fingers*)
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Post by Lexxi on Jul 13, 2009 18:49:40 GMT -5
From above the clock began to chime, it’s tones ringing out like a thousand bells from heaven. From across there Toy Box, people were waking up to look at the clock. They were all hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, she would finally sing for them and bring peace. Back on Lullaby Lane, everyone was just as hopeful as the music boxes slowly opened their lids and three lovely woman appeared on their platforms. They were all identical aside from their choice in clothing colors, each in long flowing gowns with feather boas around their necks. They smiled, greeted their adoring and sleepy public and then turned their heads to gaze upward at the clock and each began to sing.
Each note rang true and pure, each line was touching a beautiful. It was as if the three were a chorus of angels, opening the golden gates with the most holy of songs and as their voice blended into a bright and lulling harmony, all eyes went to the clock’s platform as it slid out to reveal….
Nothing.
No cuckoo to be seen.
The clock ceased chiming and a series of groans and even sobs erupted from the crowd that quickly dispersed upon the disappointing reveal. The Lullabies, outraged that this would happen yet again, each gave an enraged shriek before slipping back into the boxes, the lids closing behind them. The only ones left were Nico, Evan, and a toy soldier slumped forward in defeat.
“Not again…” he muttered, kicking the dust on the ground in frustration before settling down on the sidewalk. “Sorry folks,” he stated to the two before him. “Looks like you wont get to hear the cuckoo sing…”
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Post by Nakki on Jul 14, 2009 6:35:54 GMT -5
Nico watched the performance in a state of disbelief. It was all so amazing- the three voices of those women were so impeccably beautiful, he almost forgot for a minute why he was there. It was all just too pretty.... He looked up to the platform as it went out, as all the other audience members did...
And was jolted back to reality by seeing it empty.
The boy's heart sank a bit with unsure sadness. It didn't seem right that everyone would congregate here, just to be let down. Then he remembered the words the doll man spoke to him just a short while earlier. "The girl in the clock," he said to himself, looking up at the cuckoo clock.
Then the toy soldier's words startled him out of his thoughts, and he looked over at the boy. His eye narrowed a bit when he saw it resembled Rasputin, his self-proclaimed enemy, but let it go. "Do you know why she won't sing?" he asked, glancing to Evan to catch her attention, hopefully.
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Post by Lexxi on Jul 14, 2009 10:54:40 GMT -5
“She’s scared.”
The toy soldier pushed up his hat as it slipped down over his eyes and looked at them both with a solemn expression across his worried and weary face. He, like all the others, hadn’t gotten a decent night’s sleep in a long time. Day after day, he stood and waited and day after day he was met with the same result. She wasn’t going to sing, but he wasn’t going to give up. “I haven’t been here long, but from what I can see, she’s terrified to go out there. One wrong note and we’re stuck with day until the clock chimes again. Not to mention….”
He trailed off, eyes turning skyward to where dark clouds hovered. They covered the once blue skies over the Fair Grounds, the music faint but chilling to the ear. It was where he lived, or at least close to it. The huge bird with his razor sharp talons and single, piercing eye. The toy soldier shivered and leaned his little plastic gin against him as he shifted uncomfortably. “If she goes out there and messes up…The Falcon will take her away.” As if on cue, the wind picked up, sending a frigid chill over the nearly abandoned Lullaby Lane. “But I’m just guessing. Try talking to her sisters, they might know more or,” he motioned up to the clock. “You could try climbing up there and talking to the Cuckoo directly.”
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Post by Lovenu on Jul 14, 2009 13:48:09 GMT -5
Evan wasn't as impressed with anything as Nico was. She was still focused on getting her revenge. She barely paid attention to the toy soldier but got the gist of what he said. Cuckoo in trouble, gotta help her. She glared at Nico though after what he had done.
Once the solider was done talking she decided to answer to Nico's glance with a fearsome scowl. Even in the dorky little sailor dress, she still looked like she was going to rip his head off if he kept being difficult. She walked over to the two of them and gave the soldier a mock smile before stepping on Nico's foot rather harshly and making her way for the clock with the intent to climb.
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Post by Lexxi on Jul 28, 2009 10:03:39 GMT -5
And she watched them, hands placed on the sill as she knelt of the window seat. She’d been watching them since they’d arrived. Through the point when she was supposed to sing, past the moment they spoke to the toy soldier who always seemed to be wandering about, and on to now as they began to attempt the long climb up the many ropes connecting the clock to the ground below. The Cuckoo was fascinated by them yet, as they drew ever closer, she felt her heart swell with terror. What did they want? Her mind instantly went to the Falcon who, for months now, had been making periodic trips over her house, watching and waiting for her to step outside so he could take her away. It was quit possible that they were in league with him, their to force her out the door and into the open.
The Cuckoo found her heart beating rapidly in her chest, and stepped away from the window. They were almost there, so very close to her door and practically standing on the welcome mat. Any second now they would come in and she would have no escape. They would push her out the door. Everyone would see her shame, the Falcon would take her away. She turned and fled up the stairs, determined to hide before either of the two strangers had the chance to catch her.
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Post by Nakki on Jul 29, 2009 11:37:17 GMT -5
Nico gasped sharply when Evan tread on his foot, but gritted his teeth and ran after her as she went to the clock. "Wait up!" he called. "What are you doing?! Look at all those tightropes!" He pointed skyward, to the myriad spiderweb of ropes. "Do you even know how to walk on a tightrope?"
The circus boy glared at her as she answered, then looked up at the tightrope. Vaguely, he was starting to go through his old tightrope-training memories, but unfortunately they were very old and the moves were mostly unused. This unpreparedness was making him nervous, but still he thought, Gotta get up there...
Tentatively, he walked in front of Evan towards the first tightrope and stepped on it lightly with one foot. It was good and taut, and seemed strong. After a moment's hesitation, Nico jumped up onto it, managing to balance on it once he got his bearings. "Phew... good that I can still do this..."
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