[open] apples and quinces, lemons and oranges

[nedofpies]

Who: Ned, open to all
What: Here be species-swap logs involving Ned the unlikely fertility god.
Where: Anywhere (preferably outdoors).
When: Duration of the event (58 - 61); put date in header, please.
Warnings: Blood, kidnapping, creepiness and general Ned-terrorizing? [will add more as necessary]

Ned wanders the town barefoot, leaving a path of fruit and flowers and vegetation behind him. There are daffodils and bluebells, hyacinths and crocuses, irises of all colors, primroses and poppies and periwinkle in profusion. When he stops to sit quietly under a tree, by the edge of the woods, the vines spread out from his body like paint creeping through water. They slowly wind their way up the trees, or else sprawl across the ground, swelling with strawberries and blackberries, grapes and kiwis, passionfuit and cherries.

He doesn't understand why it is happening, but from the sound of the messages over the communicator, everyone has been going through some strange changes. As far as Ned's concerned, being some kind of plant conjurer is better than some options.

Since he can't think of much else to do with his time, Ned lounges in the dappled shade and makes bouquets. All he needs to do is rake his hands through the soil and a few minutes later, up come the snapdragons, up come the cala lilies. He finds that, if he focuses on a particular kind of flower as he does it, sometimes it is mixed amongst the others. As he sits the hydrangeas are bubbling up around him, shielding him from view.

Ned isn't worried about resting in the woods, despite all the dire warnings he's heard in his short time here. He is at the very edge, just in the shade of the first few trees; the lions and tigers and bears can't possibly have any objections. So he lounges in his cozy bower, hazy, half-awake (he hadn't exactly slept well, the previous night), weaving crowns of camellias and garlands of gladiolus.

Comments

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel considers this, even pausing (briefly) in the enjoyment of his pie. "I've always known that someone did create me, and that the Laws were inviolate. It wasn't a question of reward for a life well lived, but simple practicality. Attempts to break them were... highly uncomfortable."

Uncomfortable in an entirely different way from his minor experiences with pain, but uncomfortable nontheless. It's the best equivalent.

"I've witnessed robots break down entirely when they were unable to keep the Laws. Friend Giskard suffered that, in the end."

Friend Giskard. That is how one robot addresses another, on Aurora, as friend, admittedly a meaningless term between most robots, but Giskard... Giskard had been more, a true friend in every meaning of the word, and while Daneel has missed him, grieved for him in his own quiet way, he's now struck with a sudden wave of sorrow, human grief. If Daneel is a person, if he should have counted as a person before he ever woke up this morning, then Giskard did too.

Suddenly, tears are in his eyes -- actual tears -- and he doesn't know what to do about it.

[nedofpies]

Ned nods as he listens, interested to know more about Daneel and the place that these so-called Laws had in his life. All until it apparently veers off into bad territory, because Daneel is talking about a friend of his breaking down, and then he's crying and Ned has absolutely no idea what to do. He might have always been human, yes, but he's not exactly the most experienced at having friends. His normal response to someone in distress would be to offer them pie, and Daneel already has that.

Instead he picks up one of the napkins, holds it out for Daneel to take, murmurs, "I'm sorry to hear that." That's what people say, he knows. He also knows how completely pointless the words are, hates himself a little bit once he's said them. "Is there anything I can do? Do you want to...talk about it, or not talk about it, or talk about something else?"

[thezerothlaw]

It takes a moment of staring at the napkin before Daneel realises what he's supposed to do with it, but he wipes at his eyes. What a strange reaction to emotion, how inconvenient.

"Friend Giskard broke the First Law to save all of humanity and he couldn't be sure he was doing the right thing. He is the one who gave me my mental powers. He saved me, and I saved him."

His relationship with Giskard is complicated, trying to apply human terms to a robotic relationship. Should they be termed friends, or brothers, or something else entirely?

"I am sorry. I should not... I can't..." Overwhelmed again, Daneel screwed up his face, not at all sure what he was supposed to do.

Day 62

[greenisnteasy]

The Hulk likes spending time with Tony, but he finds time to go for a walk. He likes being in nature too, the quiet of it, away from people; as much as he likes having friends, he needs some peace and quiet too, sometimes. He spots the path of flowers and is curious about them because they're pretty and they smell nice, and it's pleasant to walk along the path they make. It's pleasant to enjoy pleasantness without worrying about Banner taking over.

What he isn't expecting at the end of the path is a guy, and definitely not a guy who's vaguely familiar.

"Didn't I smash you?"

[nedofpies]

"Oh." Ned isn't exactly sure what the First Law is, other than that it sounds terribly important, but it's clear enough that this Giskard meant a lot to Daneel, and that things hadn't ended pretty for him. And that saving all of humanity had been involved, apparently. So that's a bit mind-boggling. But Ned isn't so worried about whatever epic story clearly lies behind these cryptic comments, at the moment. What he's worried about is helping Daneel through this.

Ned isn't sure if he will or won't appreciate physical reassurance. In the end, he banks on a tentative yes and, cautiously, rubs a hand back and forth across Daneel's shoulders soothingly. How can he possibly make this any easier for him? Humans get plenty of experience crying as babies. The process is natural to them, comprehensible, even if it gets confusing and complicated along the way for some people. But Daneel has no experience with it, and Ned can only imagine how disorienting it must feel.

"Don't apologize. It's only me here, so if you want to cry... that's okay. It's better than trying to hold it back. You'll just end up feeling worse, for longer." Not that Ned's speaking from experience, or anything.

[nedofpies]

Ned hears the Hulk coming - he's not exactly a light stepper - and sits up, watches his approach with a look that's somewhere between apprehension and horror. But he doesn't seem to be breaking anything, or tossing around bits of outdoor furnishing, so Ned stays where he is. In fact, he doesn't even look angry. Of course, he's still huge and green and muscly and terrifying, but perhaps Ned's fear threshold has gotten screwy after the last week or so. The Hulk hasn't yet done anything actively horrible, so Ned doesn't freak out just yet.

"Yes, you did." And then, because he doesn't want to sound like he's making accusations, Ned adds quickly, "But I don't think you did it on purpose. I was just kind of in the way."

See, he's blaming himself, not you, Hulk. No reason to get mad or you know, smash him again.

[thezerothlaw]

Though he might not know how to cry properly, he can take advice, and touch is... surprisingly comforting, for no reason he can name. That it's worse to hold back was something that would never have occurred to him.

With the napkin pressed against his face, he sobs for a few moments, hard, harsh, but oddly silent sobs. Crying is horrible, he's quickly deciding, and as it passes it leaves him with an oddly empty feeling. For now, though, he leans gently into Ned's touch.

"I believe I am... better... now," he says when he can speak. "I did not realise human emotions were so... intense."

[greenisnteasy]

The Hulk studies him, and then nods. Yup, sounds about right. That doesn't mean he's not sorry that Ned did get in the way because the Hulk doesn't enjoy hurting people who don't hurt him, but... he was in the way. Pancake doesn't seem to be too upset, and the Hulk isn't interested in upsetting him; he's interested in the flowers, and the more he's near Pancake Man, the more he feels... good. He stares at him for a few seconds, transfixed, before he comes nearer to him and then sits heavily.

After another few seconds of creepy staring, he looks down at the flowers around him; he holds his hand up, hovering over the flowers because he knows if he touched them, he'd ruin them. Instead he runs his hand over top of them, only nearly touching them.

"Where'd these come from?" They seem new.

[nedofpies]

It takes Ned by surprise, how gut-wrenchingly sad it is, sitting beside someone and listening to them crying, not being able to do anything to help. That's one of the side-effects of being alone for so long. He never trusted the people around him, and so they never trusted him enough to let him be near them for things like this. He doesn't say anything, though. Words aren't going to do any good. He just bites his lip and waits, keeps rubbing Daneel's back until it stops shaking with sobs.

"They're very inconvenient," Ned agrees, voice a little thick. He clears his throat, says in a more steady tone, "It's a wonder we get anything done. Though it's probably worse for you, since you aren't used to them, whereas most of us have years of experience ignoring them, or controlling them, or working around them."

Then he adds, softer, "If it helps, you've just gotten a taste of one of the worst ones." Whatever name they want to call it - loss, sorrow, grief, heartbreak, maybe even regret. It's hard for Ned to say. "They aren't all so bad."

[nedofpies]

Okay, apparently the Hulk is joining him. Ned swallows, fear flaring up in his chest, but he ignores it. If the Hulk wants to smash him at this point, nothing he tries to do is probably going to stop it, so he might as well relax. The staring is a bit unnerving - okay a lot unnerving - but that's all he's done so far.

He seems particularly interested in the flowers. When he asks about them Ned smiles, hesitantly. "I made them, see?"

At which point he runs his hands over a patch of grass between him and the Hulk, and a few seconds later, flowers start to poke their heads out of the soil: nasturtiums and chrysanthemums and orchids. After the course of a minute or two their petals start to unfurl and there they are, in full bloom.

[greenisnteasy]

The Hulk doesn't have the best relationship with magic and he doesn't trust people who do magic, but this is different. Ned's not trying to hurt him or use magic against him; he's making flowers, sweet-smelling and bright, and the Hulk doesn't feel threatened. He watches the flowers bloom, fascinated and transfixed, but once they seem to calm down, he slides his eyes back to Ned. Maybe he should still be more wary of the magic Flower Man.

"You a magician?" It's kind of obvious he thinks that's a dirty word.

[dowhatisays]

"What are you doin', Meyer?"

Charlie is back in the doorway, a large canvas bag in one hand that is jingling softly. He was nervous about leaving Ned with Meyer, after all Meyer ate him once before who's to say he wouldn't try to finish him off? And he isn't any good to him dead.

He comes in closer, winds one hand around the back of Meyer's neck. His fingers are burning, and he blows out a plume of smoke into Meyer's face.

"I really wanna trust you rights now, Meyer. But I ain't letting you take anything of mine. Got it?" He gives him a warning shake, and then lets go. After all, the contents of his bag are far more important.

He reaches in and starts laying out all his possessions in a loose semi-circle around Ned. It's a random assortment of gold and silver and jewels, many of them unfamiliar. Charlie's obviously been busy today. A few more watches, some silverwear, a few gold rings, two tie stick pins. It's not very much yet, but he's working on it. Besides, he found such a great addition to his hoard today that he doesn't mind at all that it's relatively small. He has plenty of time to work on it.

Once it's laid out, he sits back on his haunches again to inspect it all.

[nedofpies]

That's okay, Hulk. Magician is a kind of a dirty word to Ned, too. Even though there is no conceivable scientific explanation for being able to give life to the dead, he's always worked his way around using that word. Because 'magician' makes Ned think of stage shows and sleight of hand and rabbits coming out of top hats, makes him think about his father and the shows he used to put on before his last great vanishing act.

"That depends," Ned says, "Am I magician if I can only do one trick, and it isn't even really a trick since I have no control over it one way or another?"

He moves his hands away from the soil, knitting them together in his lap - though that doesn't stop the patches of alyssum around his bare feet from continuing to bud.

[nedofpies]

Ned tries to keep calm, to remember Meyer's promise when Charlie comes back, but it's a little difficult. The breathing smoke, though, what's that about? Maybe, Ned thinks, if he can come up with some idea of what Charlie has turned into, he'll know how to talk to him, how to talk him down, or at the very least, how not to piss him off any more than he already is.

So, breathing smoke. Some kind of fire spirit or creature, something to do with fire? What other clues does he have? Charlie apparently doesn't have quite this much of a temper most of the time, according to what Meyer'd said, or such a zeal for kidnapping hapless strangers. Ned watches him pouring out the sack, sees him lovingly arranging the items. They aren't just shiny things - they are expensive ones. Gems and precious metals, in various guises. A hoard. The way he said anything of mine - that greediness was the key, wasn't it? He doesn't even see Ned as a person, just a thing for his collection.

Ned glances up at Charlie fearfully, staying very still, not wanting to attract his attention any more than he has to. Something about the way he is sitting there, making sure everything is present and correct, looming over all of it with a strange intensity, makes Ned think of storybooks, of dragons in caves resting on mountains of gold coins. But Charlie is a human being, or at least, mostly human shaped. He couldn't possibly be-

But then, what is and isn't possible, in the place right now? Perhaps he's some kind of hybrid, or else possessed by a dragon. Apparently possession by demons was possible, so why not possession by something else.

Hesitant, unsure whether he should go for flattery or continued silence, Ned says shakily, "That's quite an impressive collection, Charlie."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Charlie's fingers on the back of his neck burn like hell, but he doesn't wrench himself out of Charlie's grip. Better to stay calm, to assess the situation, to find out just what Charlie left the room for. He watches Charlie take the possessions out of the bag -- ah, there's where his watch ended up, and come to think of it, that looks like his tie pin, too -- and place them around Ned, frowning suspiciously.

"Yeah, Charlie, that's a great collection you've got there."

He manages to keep most of the sarcasm out of his voice, but it's difficult. Sure, he gets that Charlie's been collecting shiny things, expensive things, but why Ned? Maybe he can ask. Maybe it's as simple as that. Unless, of course, Charlie doesn't understand why he's doing it himself.

"You want to explain to me why you needed to have Ned as part of your collection?"

If you learn why someone's doing something, sometimes you can talk them out of it. That's his theory, at least. He doesn't relish the idea of physically fighting Charlie, not now when Charlie can so easily burn him.

[dowhatisays]

"I dunno, I just need to, okay?" Come on, you're cramping his sorting groove, here. He'd been practically preening at the compliments in the first place.

It is a very nice collection. Small, but he's working on it. He just needs to find some more gold (and maybe a few more people like Ned) and then it'll be perfect. His brain is full of day-dreams of a nice cool, dark place where he can pile everything up, maybe some big cages for the rest of the collection. And then he can nap happily knowing everything's safe. The thought of it makes him smile again, content rather than hungry this time.

He leans back against the bed, staying close for now, happy just to be looking over it all.

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel certainly hopes not. As enlightening as it all is, it's also a bit terrifying. He gives a few final gasps of air and lowers the napkin from his face. What Giskard would have to say about this, he isn't at all sure.

Losing him had been terrible enough already.

He's becoming far more aware of how fallible and fragile his creators really are, too.

Not knowing what else to do, he goes for another bite of pie, though his appetite seems somehow.... diminished. "I have always made parallels between my own reactions and human emotions, as that is the only way I have to describe them, but I do not lose myself in them like this."

[enchangement]

Perhaps River should have spent the first day attempting to track down everyone she cared about to ensure they were all right, since she woke to find herself quite lacking the ability to just know, but. Well. Waking up with a head full of her own thoughts and no other noise save the quiet whisper of the wind in the leaves was a novel experience and River wanted to be able to just...enjoy that for a while.

Thus she's become even more tree like in the evening compared to when she'd actually been responding to the noises of confused, angry distress (or occasional showboating, thank you Mr. Stark) emanating from the tiny screen on her wrist. She is at least partially a physical representation of whatever tree she's parked herself in, perfectly content to take in the quiet hush of things that are just growing and being and existing rather without question.

Until the tree she's in starts wondering where that mushroom in it's roots came from.

So that gets her attention, enough to move through the tree and peer at what's going on at the ground level. It's Ned, and Ned is something so terribly familiar that the whole tree wants to bend to hold him - it can't, and more's the pity - but he's with two other people.

No. Not with. Being taken by two other people. Meyer the counting vampire and Charlie who seems to be generating quite a lot of heat. And smoking.

Doesn't take River nearly as long to add up two and two and come up with dragon but even without her psychic ability she is still what The Academy trained her to be; so the tiniest assassin moves from tree to tree, watching their progression into the house and observing from a nearby window as Ned is tied up and Meyer just...talks.

Meyer is afraid to engage Charlie, maybe (understandable, since burning dead flesh is not a fun smell) but River is not. Not with skin that suddenly becomes as thick as a centuries old tree, and hair that wraps like kudzu. The question is how to deal with this. She didn't stop them in the open because for all she knows, Charlie could set the entire town on fire and there's at least a dozen trees within easy range - besides, running with Ned in the open when he leaves a path of flowers in his wake seems like the opposite of stealth.

She needs to get in. If she can get in she can incapacitate them and get Ned to safety, though if incapacitate also means 'grievously harm' River won't be too disappointed. Charlie is obviously the threat here; he's the one who keeps herding Ned around, he's the one that watches over Ned like a prize, he's the one who tied Ned to the radiator to begin with, and the one who can make fire. A vampire probably wouldn't get much out of biting a tree, River decides, dropping down to the ground to pick up a few rocks and chew thoughtfully on a few nightshade flowers.

The largest and heaviest rock gets thrown through the attic window, with enough twist so that it bounces on the floor several times like a skipping stone after it crashes through the glass as loudly as possible. Namely this is to get everyone to look up and away from the window of the room Ned is tied up in, since the last thing she wants is for her friend to get an eyefull of shattered glass. It gives her at least twenty seconds of surprise anyway, which is more than enough time to launch a second rock through the picture window with every intent of hitting Charlie square in the head.

Of course, the window will probably change the trajectory quite a bit, but if River is lucky it will at least hit the man in the shoulder or somewhere else. If she's not, well. She's following the rock through the window anyway, and has a pinecone to shove in Charlie's mouth if he tries to breathe fire on anyone.

That should be fun.

[rigging]

No, Jesse gets it, and he meant it when he said he had Ned's back. Especially now, more, because he's sure that this has to do with Galen. He keeps his gaze on Ned as he talks, ignoring the fact that he doesn't look up.

Always had nightmares. So it probably made it easier to feed off of. Jesse had had the whole mare thing explained to him - but even with that, he can remember Galen getting all sorts of power trips from the nightmares that he caused in other people. Jesse's expression is just the slightest bit sour.

But he tones that down so he can try to catch Ned's gaze. "Different, yeah. You don't gotta tell me what happened in it, but - what was different?"

[dowhatisays]

The crash in the attic does draw his attention, his head snapping upwards. Then seconds later a rock hits him on the side of his head. It lost a lot of its speed when it crash through the window, but it still hurts, and Charlie's up in a second, practically spitting flames. Smoke curls from the corners of his mouth in anger rather than contentment this time. There is an intruder and his THINGS are here and that can only mean one thing. Whoever this person is, they're here for what's his. And he's not going to let that happen.

A surprisingly small figure, but he doesn't let that fool him. Meyer's small, and he knows very well how deadly he can be. His hands are clenched at his sides as he faces her, skin starting to glow red.

"You ain't gonna be happy you did that, bitch."

[nedofpies]

Ned's nerves are wound pretty tight right now, understandably, and so he doesn't think anyone could blame him for yelping at the sound of breaking glass and a loud THUMP from upstairs. When a rock comes sailing in through the window in this room and hits Charlie, however, he realizes that, just maybe, his luck is turning for the better. He twists in place and his heart leaps when he sees River coming in the window. It take a moment to recognize her, what with the fact that she's rather more tree-ish than Ned is used to, but it's unmistakably her.

"River!" he exhales, and the relief he feels at that moment is overwhelming. It doesn't last; Charlie looks like he's up for a fight, and Ned starts immediately conjuring unpleasant what-ifs. He doesn't want River to get hurt, ever, but he especially doesn't want her to get hurt trying to help him. Then it will be his fault, and he won't be able to bear it. And Charlie is starting to glow and looks like he could murder her where she stands. Ned starts tugging at his bonds in more earnest. He doesn't care if he has to break all of his fingers to get free, he has to help...

[enchangement]

"Sorry we're late gēge," River says to Ned without actually looking away from the glowing dragon!man, shifting her posture to drop her shoulders and extend her legs behind her a little from the windowsill. "Have faith in the little sister, still."

Because, seriously, if Ned hurts himself getting loose that's not useful. If Ned hurts himself trying and failing to fight to protect River? Even less useful. Granted Meyer seems to be trying to untie Ned without drawing too much attention, and that might be the best thing.

If Charlie opens up to fire she'll shove that pinecone in and if he doesn't she's going to kick him in the throat as hard as he can and do her level best to bounce his skull off the floor, but he's obviously easily goaded so why not use that to her advantage too? She points at Charlie and then turns her wrist into a beckoning motion with two fingers. "Let's see what the world made you today. Our guess is the ass of a baboon; you're red enough for one."

[nevermindtherunning]

"Yup!" The Doctor popped the 'p' as he took a bite into the apple, "Woke up 2 days ago like this... It has been two days now, right?" So far, it truly had been a strange experience. First kissed by Sharon, found out Donna was a Time Lord, and allowed Mina to bite him which caused all sorts of feelings he wasn't sure how to interpret just yet.

"I'm quite worthless now. Can't even read my notes about this place." And then he laughs, "It's Donna that has all the knowledge now. Imagine that? Donna..." And his eyes look wide for a moment, "She is ginger." His poor sodden mind was bitter.

[nedofpies]

Ned's glad that Jesse doesn't want to know the details, because one of the worst things about the whole experience is wondering if Galen saw what was in his head: saw and remembered. Maybe (and Ned is praying that this is true) it's like Jesse turning into a wolf. Maybe Galen has turned into this thing and when he turns back into himself, he'll have forgotten all of it. If that's the case, Ned thinks, he'll be able to forgive him without a second thought and move on. He probably would have been having some kind of nightmare, anyway.

But if he does remember, it's going to be a different story.

Ned really doesn't want to get Galen in trouble, but at the same time, it's getting harder and harder not to just tell the truth. He wishes he could confide in someone, and Jesse is already here, asking. There is a long, heavy silence before he speaks, looking resolutely down at his hands.

"Different was... someone was in my head, watching it. Causing it, I think, or at least making it worse." Ned bites the inside of his lip. His voice is only just audible now. "Different was waking up with Galen on top of me."

[dowhatisays]

"You fucking brat." Charlie is working on instinct and anger and not much else right now, which is why he lunges towards the girl without much plan in mind. He knows he can burn, so reached for her arm with his hand, working his energy to make his skin burn red hot.