Log:Time Change

Time Change 2013/11/03 	 Sibusiso Rae Joseph Regan Ariya 1

Champions Mush - Monday, November 04, 2013, 12:41 PM

Bridgend

''Bridgend is an upmarket coastal stretch, between the port to the north and the yacht club to the south, where several main roads meet: Golden Sands Road from the southwest, Ming Street from Chinatown, Bridge Road from Sandy Bottoms Island, and Wharf Street, running roughly parallel to the shore. Some more prominent businesses have warehouses here, but expensive houses and nice cafes, restaurants and shops are more common. The spectacular arch of the bridge to the island guarantees these businesses always have a good tourist trade. ''

Sibusiso steps out of Steel's Gym into the evening air. It isn't that late, but the fall sun sets earlier and it has been four hours since the last of twilight passed from this part of the world. Although it is rumored she is immune to cold, Sibusiso still pulls her coat tight to her body as she considers which way to go next. She looks tired and drawn and every bit of her fifty plus years.

Sibusiso

''Fit, beautiful, and over six feet tall, the woman before you does not blend into crowds. Her coffee colored skin is smooth and even despite her age. Her hair is graying black, relaxed, and worn in a shoulder length braid. The irises of her eyes are deep brown, almost black, with laugh lines at the corners. But more than any single detail, an aura of quiet competence and confidence hangs around her like a cloak. ''

''Sibusiso is dressed today in a fitted double-breasted leather jacket that hangs to the top of her thighs and patterned burgundy velour slacks that show off her shapely legs without being snug. Black boots peak from beneath the slacks. If she is wearing a camisole under the jacket, it is not visible. ''

Joseph stands a few feet away from the entrance to Steel's Gym. He is packing tobacco into a pipe it seems. At least one would assume it is tobacco. He seems in a cheerful mood as he deftly whistles a lighthearted tune.

Joseph 

''This man stands a little over six feet tall with a lean athletic build. Lively dark green eyes are a notable feature of an even featured tanned face. He appears to be in his mid forties given the laugh lines at the corners of mouth and around his eyes along with silver dusted dark brown hair. ''

''He is dressed in a tweed jacket over a white buttoned down shirt with a neatly knotted tie encircling his neck. He wears a pair of crisply pressed khaki pants that compliment the tweed. His feet are clad in a pair of polished brown dress shoes. He carries a battered soft sided briefcase with an umbrella thrust along the top length between the handles in his right hand. ''

''He seems relaxed and in a good mood but attentive to his surroundings. ''

Rae comes from the direction of Chinatown, humming a bit to herself. She is dressed in what looks like a white tennis outfit and doesn't seem to notice that it might be cold out, or isn't acting that way. She is heading towards the coffee shop apparently at the moment.

Rae 

''This young woman looks to be in her late teens. She has lightly tanned skin that shows off her lithe muscles. She stands just over five and a half feet in height. Long blonde hair reaches down to the middle of her back, a few silvery white streaks run through it as well. Two pale blue eyes dart about to take in her surroundings. Her curves are sharp and angular giving her a carved like beauty. ''

Sibusiso notes the slightly wide tabs on Joseph's shirt and jacket and the slightly wide tie with a faint smirk. She shoots him a "peace" sign as she heads toward the coffee shop, but she stumbles a bit as she steps off the curb and barely catches herself before falling.

Joseph quickly moves to S'bu's side and takes her by the elbow. "Are you quite alright, ma'am?" he inquires in a soft Colonial Bay drawl. "You looks a bit tired."

Rae notices that and bites her lip for a moment but then sees the guy already over there, "Every okay?" she calls out, after all he could be a mugger in fancy clothes.

Sibusiso yanks her arm away from Joseph as if he is an attacker and balls her other hand into a fist, but catches herself when she spots the concerned look on his face. "Sorry," she mutters. "I'm just a but clumsy at the moment. I know this is an odd question, but did the sun go down a couple hours ago?"

If the gentleman is offended it does not show in his demeanor. "Yes, it did. The Sun sets early this time of year." He smiles warmly. "It can take a bit of getting used to if one is not used to it. From out of town are you?"

Sibusiso checks her watch. It is an hour off, but she doesn't appear to know that. "I am," she replies to Joseph. "Did the accent give it away?"

Joseph smiles slightly. "Yes, it did. By profession, I am a philologist and a linguist." He rubs his chin for a moment. "I am guessing Dutch or South African. Leaning towards South African."

Rae cocks her head to the side and watches the two, sure that no mugging is going on she heads towards the coffee shop again and gets closer to the pair.

Sibusiso blinks in surprise. "I haven't heard that region called South Africa since the twenties, but yes, the accent is Zuan."

Joseph chuckles ruefully. "I had very traditional teachers at Oxford. Since the language is Afrikaans they talk about it evolving in South Africa not Zu."

Rae pauses near the two, "Was everything alright?" she asks again just to make sure before she passes them.

Sibusiso says "Yes," then stumbles again. "No," she corrects as she again checks her watch. She doesn't smell drunk, but the way she is moving is very similar.

Rae cocks her head to the side and then moves a little closer, "you sound...do you need some coffee?" she asks curiously.

Sibusiso says, "A quick coffee would be nice," possibly more interested in the company than the drink, given her vulnerable condition. "But I'm a little short on change."

Rae shakes her head, "Its alright, "I will cover it, I am Raven though most call me Rae or Snow." she says and offers an arm to help her into the shop. Her arm is quite cold when taken her body temperature lower than normal by far.

'''Past Time's Coffee Shop. '''

''The smell of fresh coffee is the first thing that assails you. The next is the very old style. It seems the owner has gone for the Edwardian style from early last century. Lots of imitation wood panelling and prints of old English countryside. There are many partitions between the tables, affording some privacy and the sound seems hushed in the room, this has been achieved mainly through very good design, which muffles sounds. At the counter service is quite quick and cheery, conveying a welcoming and friendly attitude. The menu boasts the fact that for a little extra real coffee is served along with light hot and cold meals and snacks. All in all a pleasant place to pass a bit of time. ''

Sibusiso allows Rae to lead her into the coffee shop and heads immediately to a booth to sit down, moving with the practiced deliberate care of an alcoholic.

Rae moves over and orders a pot of coffee and some cups. She heads back over to the booth and settles down.

"I'm not drunk," S'bu explains without prompting. "I have a condition. I'll be better in the morning."

Rae nods her head, "I can understand things like that." she says and shakes her head a bit, "If you mean what I think you mean." she says and then the coffee arrives.

Sibusiso smirks at the pot. "The coffee won't help, but I appreciate the company. I've had people try to take advantage of me when I've had attacks in the past."

Rae cocks her head to the side, "That is just wrong, there are places you can go, or get to know some good friends that can help when you have one." she shakes her head a bit concerned.

Sibusiso says, "Life's not fair." She checks her watch again. "Usually, I can predict the attacks better and get somewhere secluded. I don't know what happened today.""

Rae cocks her head to the side, "Well do you have a phone or something?" she asks still concerned.

Sibusiso says, "I do not." She smirks again. "I tend to be very hard on ... fragile things, and haven't replaced my last one."

Rae nods, "Should get one." she says and pulls out a card and offers it to her, "There are some shops that make them a bit more durable, I have one that is especially cold resistant."

Sibusiso takes the card with the same deliberate slowness as the rest of her movements and slides it inside her shirt. Evidently, the coat pockets are non-functional. "I'll keep that in mind when my financial situation changes. Thank you."

Rae nods her head, "I can often be found at the college, but I can get most places in town pretty fast." she smiles and gestures around, "I come here a lot too."

Sibusiso says, "During the day, I'm often found at Steel's Gym. I know the owner and she lets me workout there for free."

Rae nods, "Regan is nice." she says softly, "Do you need a job or something?" she asks curiously.

"Not really. With my 'condition' ...," S'bu says, gesturing languidly toward her own body, "... I don't have time for a full-time job and, luckily, my needs are a bit less than most."

Rae nods her head, "Well they always need models at school and they do pay, not a lot but a little, I take sculpting classes, its a hobby."

Sibusiso says, "How do they pay? I mean, I don't have a bank account."

Rae shrugs, "probably could ask for it in cash, not sure, never asked one of the models." she flushes just a bit which brightens her pale cheeks.

Sibusiso nods and smirks, "It is something I could do during my attacks. I'm very good at sitting still right now."

Rae nods her head, "That is mostly what it takes, do you mind taking your clothes off?" she asks straight-faced.

Sibusiso says, "If I did it during my attacks, I would be more concerned about getting dressed after the session than what I wore or didn't wear during."

Rae nods her head a bit and then smiles, "Well how long do they last?"

Sibusiso says, "Dawn. Whenever they start, they always end at dawn."

Sibusiso is sitting at a booth with her back against the wall and her legs on the bench. An untouched coffee cup sits in front of her. Rae is seated across from her, chatting.

Joseph comes into the coffeeshop putting away his pipe into his jacket pocket as he enters the restaurant. He nods politely to Rae and Sibusiso as he makes his way to the counter to place an order.

Rae thinks for a moment and cocks her head to the side, "hmm. Well model in the morning then after the sun has come up?"

Sibusiso smiles. "In the morning I do my real job. The one that doesn't pay the bills."

Rae cocks her head to the side, "Oh. sort of like how I go to school, it doesn't pay the bills." she says softly.

Joseph gets his iced tea then makes his way to a table near the both where the two of you are sitting. He sets down his tea then his briefcase by the table. As he sits, he removes a small cloth wrapped bundle from the briefcase and sets it on the table.

Sibusiso nods to Rae. "Something like that."

Rae looks over at Joseph and smiles a bit before he looks back to Sibusiso and thinks for a moment, "Did you want any of the coffee or I could make it an iced coffee or cooler."

Sibusiso very slowly reaches for the empty cup before her.

Sibusiso picks up the cup with very deliberate slowness. "Yes, I think some coffee would be good. Thank you."

Joseph takes a sip of his tea then unwraps the bundle. Inside the bundle are two cuneiform covered tablets each about half the size of a paperback book. He lightly runs his finers along the cuneiform then takes a PDA from his briefcase.

Rae nods and pours a cup of coffee for her and then glances over at Joseph again and raises a brow as she sees the tablets and seems to be thinking for a moment. She looks back to Sibusiso, "You are welcome."

Sibusiso shakes a little as the coffee is poured, then, just as slowly brings the cup to her lips.

Sibusiso very slowly takes a long sip of coffee then sets it back down on the table.

Sibusiso smiles like she has done something eventful.

Rae cocks her head to the side a little and just watches for a moment.

Joseph looks at the tablets for a few moments seemingly comparing one to the other then makes some notes on his PDA.

Sibusiso says, "I wish I knew what brought today's attack on early. I was a bit late at the gym, but I can usually predict these things."

Rae nods her head, "Yeah, things can be unpredictable sometimes."

Rae blinks as her PDA goes off and she checks it, "Oh...I have to go."

Sibusiso starts to object, but simply nods. "Thanks for sitting with me. Have a good evening."

Rae smiles to her, "You are welcome, call me if you need anything frozen." she says and grins a bit.

Joseph switches his PDA to phone mode and talks to someone in French on it.

Sibusiso tries taking another sip of coffee, but it is fairly obvious that her dexterity is deteriorating.

The door opens to admit Regan who looks around the coffee shop for a moment, her expression neutral as she takes a few steps inside.

Joseph hands up the phone a few seconds before Regan arrives. He goes back to looking at his cuneiform tablets.

Sibusiso is leaning against the wall in a booth, enjoying the evening air. It is about 6 hours after sundown and a nearly full pot of coffee and two cups rests on the table before her.

Joseph sits at a table not far from Sibusiso looking over a pair of cuneiform tablets and taking notes on a PDA. He seems absorbed in his work.

Regan crosses to where Sibu is seated. "Good evening? How are you doing?" She glances at the coffee. "Are you staying up for some specific purpose?"

Sibusiso's speech is a bit slurred. She doesn't smell of alcohol, but that would be a reasonable guess. "I was working out at the gym late, was invited to coffee after stumbling when leaving, and find myself with no compelling reason to leave this bench." She glances at her watch, which is off by an hour.

Regan nods and looks at Sibu for a moment, then at the seat across from her. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Sibusiso says, "I would appreciate it. I am not exactly at my best right now."

Regan nods and lowers herself into the seat opposite. "I had noticed." she responds "Did you hit your head during training? Or suffer any sort of fall?" Her head tilts as she examines Sibu's face noting the relative dilation of her pupils.

Sibusiso says, "No, this is a known condition. I will be fine at dawn."

Joseph continues about his business it seems. He spends long periods of time scrutinizing the tablets then enters a few notes into his PDA. He thinks. o O (She will fine at dawn? What is she a reverse vampire weakened by darkness?)

Regan nods. "That is still some time away is it not?" Her hand sweeps across the table surface to bring up a menu. In the top right corner is a time stamp which she enlarges and spins so the orientation is appropriate for Sibu.

Sibusiso very slowly reaches out and takes another sip of coffee. As she return it to the table, she gives the intact cup a victorious smile. Noting the menu, she frowns and asks, "What happened to the time?"

Regan's brow furrows and she looks at the time. "Oh, well daylight saving ended. So the clock drops back an hour, it's a fairly standard measure for high latitude areas."

Sibusiso says, "Ah. It is spring in Zu. I should have remembered."

Regan nods. "It's a fairly commonplace thing, but the difference is an hour. Does that mean you simply miscalculated when you should be at home?"

Sibusiso says, "Well, a combination of miscalculation and pushing my limits ... leeway is the right word, isn't it?"

"Leeway is originally a nautical term, it refers to leaving space on the windward side of a vessel to account for drift. But now it means the amount of space available to maneuver between prohibitive constraints." Regan answers. "So it's a related concept, working out how much leeway you have."

Sibusiso nods, "Well I used up my leeway on the wrong day."

Regan nods, her lips curling into a soft smile. "So, aside from coffee is there anything that might be useful to you? Protein? Sugar? Sparkling conversation? Literal sparkles?"

Sibusiso says, "A lift? Somewhere private but open? I've been using the top of the Creekfield water tower, but I'd hate to have you carry me that far. Is the roof of Steel's Gym accessible by the public?"

Regan shakes her head. "No, but there are of course maintenance exits that open onto the roof-space. I'd be happy to let you rest there if you like."

Joseph continues to work on the tablets.

Sibusiso says, "That would be very nice, thank you. It has been a few years, but I was one found by a grafitti artist when in this condition."

Regan nods and rises from where she sites to help an obviously unsteady Sibu to her feet. As Ariya arrives she askes the young woman. "Would you mind helping me carry Sibu across the street? She's a bit heavy for me."

Sibusiso doesn't smell of alcohol but shows all the signs, coordination-wise, of being falling down drunk. She's even drooling a bit.

Ariya 

''This woman is slender, standing perhaps 165cm tall and not likely carrying more than 55 kilos. Upright, confident posture and some inherent grace may add some illusory stature. Some of the confidence may stem from experience and maturity, as she appears to be in her early thirties. ''

''Straight black hair would fall past her shoulders were it not contained in a practical tail or more imaginative bun. Pulled back, it exposes all of her slender face, divided by a prominent aquiline nose. Her complexion is just dark enough to be the result of sun or, more likely, genetics. ''

''Her clothing will vary by need or situation, but could be generally considered business casual: slacks or long skirt, blouse, and sensible flats. While the fit and style are pleasant, the colors are usually subdued. ''

Regan staggers a little as she takes Sibu's weight but leaning a little against Sibu the pair manage to totter toward the entrance.