Wanderlust (Marina Elemento x Kiyiya Sakura)

[Player Advisor]

Wanderlust





The year is 1892. The industrial revolution is in full swing as Queen Victoria's armies hold half the planet in Britain's name and the United States is slowly growing into the next global super power. As war brews, Air ships patrol the skies for pirates and automatons serve the higher upper class. However, powers are working in the darkness, and the world is about to be plunged into a conflict larger than any seen before. The ever growing streets of New York are where our story begins, but where will it end? That if for you alone to decide.

 

[Player Advisor]

Kaine(Rust) Parker




Kaine could hardly see the cobbled streets through the misted window of his fifth story apartment. It had been raining all night, and despite the emptiness of is wallet, he had turned the wall heater on to keep him warm. He really need to get himself a better place, or at least one that allowed wood burning stoves. It would save him some money. He looked out the window from his bed, having just woke up. He stretched and yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. It wasn't like his cat cared about his morning breath. It certainly did not stop that mop of an animal from yowling to be fed. "Yes, yes Soot-ball, I'm coming. Food, food, food. That's what you want right?" He got out of his bed and shuffled to the kitchen area to get himself and the cat some breakfast. He opened the fridge to find the familiar emptiness, and feel the familiar pain in his stomach as it reminded him how little he ever ate. He took out the last can of the five cent tuna and popped it open and placed it on the floor. Soot-ball wasted no time.

How had he ended up here? He often wondered to himself. When he was young, he was so confident that he was going to grow up to be a famous explorer, and pilot his very own airship to undiscovered lands and write books about his expeditions. Where had that ambition gone? Growing up in a house full of siblings, especially in the lower class of London, made children grow up faster than they should, but up until his family moved to the U.S., he never let go of that dream. It wasn't until he was twelve years old, coming home from the school his parents fought so hard to get him into, that his life changed for the worse. He came home to find that the small but quaint apartment building he lived in was on fire! It had nearly burned to the ground by the time he had gotten there, and all he could do was stand there and stare, knowing that he would never see any of his family again.

He lived on the streets, stopped going to school and took up the life of a newsie, selling newspapers on the corner, and sleeping in a common house full of boys who were in the same spot he was in. When he turned sixteen, he had to get a real job, He found one, a mechanic's assistant.

Kaine sighed, shaking his thoughts away. He looked at his clock, Half an hour before six a.m. He had an hour before he had to leave for work, still the assistant to that kook of a mechanic. He grabbed his cloak, opened the window for Soot-ball to come and go, hopefully to find his own meals for tonight, and left for the diner.

 

[Marina Elemento]

Estelle Dominique Lareau



It was morning, much earlier than Estelle would have liked it to be, but it was still morning. The fog of the streets and skies clouded the rising sun, but it was still just visible above the skyline. She smiled to herself, gazing out the huge arched window of her family mansion. It wasn't a mansion, really, despite what people called it. Sure, her family was filthy stinkin' rich, but that didn't mean they had everything... Kind of.
The blonde sighed heavily, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. A lacy dress, undergarments and a corset were laid out pristinely over the hope chest, as if begging her to put them on. Estelle rolled her eyes and instead strode over to her wardrobe, where her usual "scandalous attire" (as her mother called it) was kept.

Ever since her father's factory business went in full boom, money was piling high like crazy. And for some ridiculous reason, that gave the Lareau family a huge opportunity to act like rich, selfish snobs. Estelle hated it, and more than anything, she missed her life back home, on that tiny countryside farm in France. It wasn't much, and though her vivid memories of that place dwindled with her age, she still missed it more than anything. The only good thing about this city, in her opinion, was the fact that she could go wherever she wanted and there was an adventure around every corner.

One of Estelle's favorite adventures was downtown, where several inventors and crazy mechanics worked, where the streets teamed with steam and the fresh scent of oil and metal. At first, this part of the city repelled Estelle more than anything, but recently, she found comfort in going there and observing. She also liked to talk to the people who worked there, ask them questions, tell some jokes, laugh, act like she was one of them.

Today was one of those days.

Estelle strolled down the busy city, staying on the crowded sidewalks towards downtown. She recognized a few familiar faces, but none of them recognized her, as she looked quite different to them than she usually looked at her parents' dinner parties. Chuckling to herself, she turned the corner and strode into an old mechanic's shop. She marveled at the walls lined with tools and gizmos of all sorts. One thing she desperately wished she could do was make something, and someday, she would invent something to cure all diseases, and end all wars. Granted, this was both a big dream and a ridiculous one, but she didn't care.

 

[Player Advisor]

Kaine(Rust) Parker




Rust had his coffee and his and was early for work. Earlier than his boss, Mr. Ravyn, so he unlocked the shop and took the orders from the front desk, stuffing his keys back into his pocket. He saw a stale biscuit stick Mr. Ravyn had left from last night, so Rust took it and put it in his mouth. It was stale, but it was sustenance. Grabbing his clipboard and pinning the orders onto it, he went into the shop area to see to the maintenance. The first one he had to work on was some rich snob's personal aero-bicycle. One of the wings were not flapping correctly and the chain had to be oiled. Easy work, easy pay. He began his diagnostics.

fifteen minutes into his work, he heard the bell of the shop door ring as someone opened the door. He assumed it was Mr. Ravyn, so he didn't bother to pull himself out from under the a-bike. "Hey, boss, I opened shop already. Just got an early start. Could ya get me the oil cloth and that lubricating oil? This chain is way rusted."

 

[Marina Elemento]

Estelle Dominique Lareau


Estelle had been so entranced by her surroundings, she jumped in alarm when someone's voice came from the room. She blinked, noticing that someone was working under an aero-bicycle. It was a beautiful thing, really, and for a moment she couldn't take her eyes off of it. She snapped back to reality at the guy's words, then tilted her head to the side she looked around. There was so much stuff in the room, some of it she didn't even recognize, so it took her a minute to realize what she was looking for.

Estelle's golden eyes fell on a can of oil and a rag that were a few feet away from the working man. Shrugging, she walked towards them, picked them up and strode towards the guy. Whether this guy knew who she was or not, it couldn't hurt to lend a helping hand. Estelle outstretched her hand to give him the oil and cloth, still unsure if she should say anything to make her identity known.

 

[Player Advisor]

Kaine(Rust) Parker




Rust was puzzled by the silence. Mr. Ravyn usually had some odd tale to spin about his youth. Perhaps his wife had given him a hard time and he was in a foul mood. The items he had asked for appeared by his hand, so he took them. "Thanks," he began to clean the rust off of the chain. He didn't like his boss to be in a sour mood, so Rust decided to exchange an anecdote of his own. "So uh, boss, you won't believe what Soot-ball did the other day. The darned animal didn't come home the other night and had me worried. You know that fat good-for-nuthin is never late for a meal, so I went out to look for him, only to find out he had found himself yet another poor sap to feed him. I swear that cat has like nine meals a day, going from house to house pretending that he's their cat." he finished the oiling and crawled out from under the contraption to meet the golden eyes of not Mr. Ravyn. His face flushed and he stood there, unable to speak. "Uh, um... " was all he could spit out. He stood there, his face grease streaked and reeling for something to say.

 

[Marina Elemento]

Estelle Dominique Lareau


Estelle stepped back and listened to the story, rather enjoying herself. She hadn't expected to come across someone like this, nor did she expect to get to hear such a cute tale. As the boy crawled out from under the bike, Estelle couldn't help but hold her breath. She hadn't meant to be rude, then again maybe it didn't really matter, did it? When her eyes met his, she covered her mouth in a giggle at his speechlessness. "I'm sorry," she said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "I should have, uhm, introduced myself. I guess you were expecting someone else." Estelle smiled and held out her hand politely. "I'm Estelle. This is a lovely shop you have here."

 

[Player Advisor]

Kaine(Rust) Parker




Rust found his breath and inhaled, then finally spoke, "Rust!" he didn't mean to shout. "Er, Rust, call me Rust." He took her hand and shook it, leaving behind a greasy smudge. "Oh, sorry!" he wiped his hand on his pants, then grimaced as he realized how ill mannered that was. "I, heh heh, Thought you were my boss." he stood there nervously. At seventeen, one would think he had had more luck with women, but he found himself with little time to socialize, let alone with women. His bright blue eyes wandered around the shop, looking for something to talk about. "Um, what are you doing here." that sounded rude, "I mean why are you- what do you-" he sighed in frustration, then opened his mouth again to get it right this time, when the door opened again and Mr. Ravyn stepped in.

"What brings such a pretty, young lady to our humble establishment, my dear?" Mr. Ravyn always had a knack for words. Rust wished he could sink into the ground and fall into his bed, cover himself up and never show his face in society again, but that was hardly possible. "Ravyn's the name, Rodrick Ravyn." he extended a white gloved hand.

 

[Marina Elemento]

Estelle Dominique Lareau


Estelle giggled. She didn't usually talk so casually to people; usually when she spoke to boys, they were all dressed up and super stuffy, and that combination just didn't work for her. This guy, on the other hand, was much more, well, real. "It's nice to meet you, Rust." She wiped her hand on her shorts, but still smiled. "Don't worry about it." As awkward as the boy was, she found him quite adorable as he fumbled over his words.

Estelle turned to face the man who had just walked in, presumably the boss Rust had mentioned earlier. Her eyes crinkled slightly when she smiled at the man, and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ravyn. I'm Estelle Lareau." Hearing her own full name said aloud almost made her cringe. She hoped they didn't recognize it as her father's name, though most people did nowadays. "I was just browsing around. I really am fascinated by these kinds of places."
"These kinds of places"? Really? You sound like such a priss. Estelle thought to herself.

 

[Player Advisor]

Kaine(Rust) Parker




Rust bit his lip and stood there a moment longer, then decided that it would be best if he went back to work. Now that the chain was oiled and running smooth, it should be easier to check and work on the broken wing. He returned to his work. Hearing the name of his mystery guest, he looked over his shoulder in awe. Lareau?! Like the filthy stinking rich factory businessman?! This must be his daughter! Rust felt even more ashamed and embarrassed. He ducked his head and silently cursed himself, banging his head on the A-bike.

"Ah! Mr. Lareau's daughter I presume. Well, please, if it delights you to stay, do so. If you don't mind us getting down and dirty, we do have work to do, but feel free to roam. I must ask you to be careful though, as this place can be dangerous, and I would very much like to avoid the wrath of such a wealthy family." Mr. Ravyn smiled and tipped his hat, before removing it completely and setting it on the coat rack next to Rust's old, patched duster. He sat down at his desk and called to Rust, "That the A-bike you working on over there Rusty my boy?"

"Yessir, there's a dent in the wing, it's keeping it from flapping correctly. Already oiled the chain. Should take me about twenty minutes tops."

"Good lad, I'll need your help on the old automaton after."

And so the work day began.

 

[Marina Elemento]

Estelle Dominique Lareau


"Thank you, sir. I'll be careful." Estelle replied. When she turned away from them to look around, she mentally kicked herself. Not only was it highly annoying to her that she had to be treated like royalty at home, but when people recognized her name, the first thing they thought of was wealth. Maybe I should just go by an alias from now on, Estelle thought, roaming around the room and observing everything intently. She hoped they didn't find her fascination with these sort of things obnoxious; after all, she couldn't help it. Sure, her father had a few automatons working for him in their house, but she never really got a chance to see how machines worked. Her father never let her in the factories for the same reason he disproved of her roaming the streets: "It's dangerous."

Estelle sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets and looking up at the old dusty skylight in the ceiling. Her eyes then fell back on Rust, who seemed to be working rather diligently. She smiled and sat down on the floor next to the machine he was working on. She didn't say anything, however, not wanting to disturb their work. She simply sat and watched, like a happy child examining something new and exciting.

 

[Player Advisor]

Kaine(Rust) Parker




At first, Rust was aware of his observer. He glanced at her briefly, remaining silent. If Boss said she could stay, then he had no problem with her presence. She didn't seem to be disturbing the work at all. He continued working. As usual, Rust eventually got so emerged in his work, being apt with machines, that his surroundings began to blur, and he was unaware of anything but his work. The rhythmic clicking and whirling created beats within his mind, and he began to whistle a tune. The whistling became mumbled words, as songs flooded his mind. " I say I'll move the mountains, and I'll move the mountains, if she wants them out of the way. Crazy she calls me. Sure, I'm crazy. Crazy in love, you see. I say I'll go through fire, and I'll go through fire. If she wants it, so it will be. Crazy she calls me. Sure, I'm crazy. Crazy in love you see." He hit the chorus, and Mr. Ravyn came to stand by Estelle. He out a finger to his lips and smiled impishly, then whispered,

"He does this when it's gloomy outside"

"Like the wind that shakes the bough, she moves me with a smile. The difficult I'll do right now. The impossible will take a little while. Oh, I say I'll care forever, and I mean forever, if I have to hold up the sky. Crazy she calls me. Sure, I'm crazy. Crazy in love I am."

 

[Marina Elemento]

Estelle Dominique Lareau


Estelle watched him continue to work, enamored with the many noises and sounds that came along with it. It always intrigued her to see things being fixed and altered; it was like slow regeneration, and the process was very interesting. She pulled her knees against her chest when he began to sing, hiding her smile. His voice was lovely, so for a moment she closed her eyes and imagined she was listening to one of her favorite bands play a tune. The noise of the work along with his singing meshed perfectly; Estelle could stay there and listen for hours.

She opened her eyes again when Mr. Ravyn came to her side. She covered her lips in another giggle, trying not to make too much noise. Though she had the urge to say something, she kept her mouth closed and watched the man as he worked and sung, worked and sung. Part of her wondered if she should join in with a soft hum. So, on a whim, she did, humming along softly to the tune, unable to hide her smile.

 

[Player Advisor]

Kaine(Rust) Parker




After his song, he started up another, about a lighthouse's point of view of his keeper, and the tragic love that led to both the keeper's wife and his own demise. Though sad at the end, the song was a happy and light tune. Rust finished with his work on the A-bike and sighed, wiping his hands on a cloth. He looked over to call to his boss and realized Estelle was still there. "Oh, hello." He said a little more relaxed now. He hadn't realized he had been singing, so there was no embarrassment just yet. He was unsure on how to proceed in conversation, so he figured he would let her be and continue his work. He excused himself and went to his boss. "Where is that automaton you said needed fixing?"

"Oh, that blasted thing only needed a steam gauge replacement. I already did it. Why don't you take an early lunch eh? Should have more work accumulated by the time you get back." Mr. Ravyn nudged Rust in the ribs and lowered his voice, "maybe you could give Ms. Lareau a little tour of the area, get a good word in with her family, or maybe for yourself eh boy?" Rust's face flushed and he coughed, he began to protest, but Mr. Ravyn was too quick witted for that. "Oh, Ms. Lareau, would you like to accompany my assistant on his lunch. Were are about to get very busy and I need to clean up to make space for the customers. Dreadfully boring I'm afraid." He shoved Rust forward and tossed him his worn out duster.

Rust stumbled forward an caught his balance, straitening himself before Estelle. he cleared his throat and draped his coat over his arm. "Uh-um, would you like t-to join me for lunch? Or rather brunch?" he corrected looking at his watch and seeing it was only nine forty in the morning.

 

[Marina Elemento]

Estelle Dominique Lareau


Biting her lip, Estelle rose to her feet, allowing the men to speak privately. She busied herself with the wall of tools, where what looked like the metallic skeleton of a dragon was hanging in the corner of the ceiling. For a moment, she was intrigued by everything around her again, distracted by her surroundings like a puppy. Though when she heard her name, she turned softly on her heal to face them again.

Lunch?? her mind screamed. With a boy? Well, if Mother and Father could see me now... Estelle smiled and shook off her ridiculous thoughts, turning to look at the boy. As he stumbled to catch his balance, Estelle felt her face grow warm in embarrassment. Something told her Mr. Ravyn was forcing him to do it, but all the same, she certainly couldn't deny such an endearing offer. "I'd love to," Estelle replied, her cheekbones still rosy. She stepped forward, her lips pulling up into a friendly smile. "Where to?" she asked curiously, not really knowing the area as well as she should.