Alley outside the Orchestra

Conrad exits the bar with the din of Kaorkie wafting behind him. The current Spring season settles on his body and he finds it to stagnant and humid on his face, Ah well... He looks up and down the street, satisfied that he sees no law enforcement agents nowhere in sight, he makes the corner of the building, takes one more precautionary look and proceeds on. Once to the end of the alley, he turns behind the building, and satisfied that he sees noone of note or threat, produces a small amount of illicit herb and some zig-zags.

He proceeds to rolling himself a nice neat little joint and surveys the area again to assure his privacy from everyone, save his table mates.

Lighting up the drug his face glows in the dark of the alley, and an all too familiar odor fills the air...

Zuke walked out of the bar, the sound of quite a lovely female voice accompanying him. As he stood outside, looking for a sign of Conrad, he suddenly felt lonely again. The lights illuminating the streets, the people walking them, it was all so different.
He snapped out of it, when he realized that Conrad was no where in sight, and decided to let his Wyrd guide him, for he was an excellent tracker. He drew on the power he had felt within himself, ever since waking up in the Hedge, and suddenly caught the faint scent of smoke. It was a familiar smell, mixed with something herbal, and so he followed the trail.

A few moments later Zuke saw Conrad glancing around the corner up ahead of the alley he had entered.
"Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing..." he said, and stopped a good ten feet from the man, in case he was.

Not at all Zuke. Conrad replies in a freindly voice. Please do so. It seems like you could benefit from a little nerve settling yourself.

"I could, but I'm not sure how. This world has me on my toes with its lights, and fast moving vehicles." He moved the last few feet up the alley and leaned against the wall next to Conrad.
"I have a lot to learn, that's for sure." he said with a sigh, and looked up into the night sky.

Let me ask you something, Conrad says retro-spectively, What year was it that you were abducted? Most people were gone for 2-3 decades at the most, but you speak of this world as though you were born long before 1880 (by the way, that was one hundred and thirty years ago.) I'll happily teach you all I can, but I dont know how far back to go...

Zuke thought about it, and honestly couldn't remember.
"I do not recall this world..." he said thoughtfully.
"It feels like I have tasted this air before though. One of my earliest memories are horses, tents and then a Mountain of Fire and Lava..." His voice trailed off, half of what he had said barely audible.

"I guess you'll have to start from the beginning then." He said with a tired, but sincere smile.
"And thank you for taking me in. I know that by the way I am weary of strangers, I have not come from a place with many as kind as you."

"Zuke, there is so much to teach and so much for you to learn, just about the social norms and behaviors of this world." Conrad pulls heavily from the joint in his hand, and offers it to Zuke. Thinking nothing of the illegal nature of the consumption.

"I'll tell ya what, if you will respect my efforts and time, I will assure you have everything you need to make it in this world. I will stand beside you when need, uide you through this world and give you ten years of my time. In return, i will reap a weekly meal of glamour, and benefit in skills to share with you. Will you accept me as your mentor under these conditions?" Conrad stands there, expectanly anticipating an answer of some type.

Derry entered the alley, following her nose. She could make out a red ember glowing, down where the alley appeared to come to a dead end. Making sure Nightfall was right at her side, she called out, Conrad, is that you? She felt glad that someone was with her. The alley was pretty dark, and had plenty of hiding places. She reached out for Nightfall's hand for reassurance.

Conrad looks about, certian that he had been conversing with someone... Had he really been alone in this alley the whole time?

Perplexed he looks down and notes that he had consumed more than his fair share of the joint stuck between his fingers...

"Yea Derry, its me, im about ready to seek more private environs. Where are we headed to now?"

I'm ready to go home, and unless Joshua has other plans, I'm hoping he's going home with you, said Derry.

While I'm thinking about it, would you like a wristband for the Ren Faire? The Spring Court is having a special party after the gates close. She pulls several out of her bag and gives Nightfall's hand two quick little squeezes. Want one?

Conrad appears releived to have some distraction from his apparant delusionment.

"Er, ah yea Derry, im about ready to head to more private environments. And Yes, I do have a couch that Josh can crash on, Goddess knows that everyone else does...

Without saying a word He takes the bracelet offered up by the buxom blonde. as he starts headed out of the alley way, he says aloud without looking back at Nightfall or Derry "dont know if I have an appropiate RenFest type of garb, but hey I can always just buy an out fit there. Eh?

As he reaches the front of the alley, he pulls one more heavy drag from the roach in his hand, and discards it to the dark corner of the alley...

Stepping into the street, he stands asside to allow Derry and Nightfall to go ahead of him.

He thinks back to his childhood. remembering a hot summer day, when he and his cousin Brandy were playing on the tire swing at thier grant parents house, and hearing granddaddy saying "Girls arent fragile, but they deserve to be treated as though they were." Conrad always felt compelled to be a gentleman ever since.