The Doorway: a panfandom game

I... saw something in my window earlier. It looked like the outline of a man, just black as ink. It was when the electric went out and there was lightning and I saw it and I haven't been brave enough to look out the window again. And now I'm huddled under my blankets and I'm very warm because I'm afraid to stick my head out of the bedclothes. Help? I feel like an absolute widgeon, but it was quite startling.

Time flies so very quickly here, it seems. Tomorrow's my birthday, and I shall be veritably ancient at 29. Only that sounds very young when compared to my actual age. If we look at that, then I am positively radiant for 219! I believe that I shall, just because I can, gift myself with a volume of Lord Byron's poems. I wasn't ever allowed to read his works at home, so I shall make up for it now.

[Text Message to Penelope Featherington]

-- If I'm not very mistaken you have a birthday coming up.
-- Coincidentally, so do I
-- I'm thinking we should celebrate being over a century old & looking as damn fine as we do.

Right glad to have stayed in my own body, as much as I've been just tryin' to feel more like myself after that horrible sickness.

[Filter: Penelope]

I'm thinkin' I may spend the next week in here in the city. Just workin' with the different places that buy my furniture and such. would you like to spend some time together?

[Filter: Castle]

I've been workin' on that project of yours and have some photos to show you. You take a look and see if I've got this sketched out right.

image1 image2

TEXT TO LYDIA MARTIN:

-- Lydia, darling, how are you feeling?
-- Please tell me that you're feeling better, so that I know that there is an end to this misery.

Kinda almost wishin' I was in the tower right now.

[Filter: Penelope]

Ya all right? I thought I'd be all right cause I've been out here at the ranch and I ain't seen anyone all week, but apparently I've gotten sick too.

Feel right miserable.

I had a meeting with my advisor today, and it was lovely to be out and about the city today. It finally feels as if Spring is trying to make an appearance, and it truly is time for that to happen. But I did have an interesting conversation about the courses that I'm taking, and about the courses I expect to take in future. He also mentioned that I should contemplate declaring my major, so that the classes I take in autumn are beneficial and relevant to my intended area of study.

That leads me to a quandary, however. I had planned, as I did the last time I was here, on focusing on creative writing for my major area of study. And I do plan on doing that, but for some reason, it doesn't seem to be enough. I have so many areas of interest and to explore only one of them seems... not ideal. But I understand that it can be difficult finding employment on the strength of a degree in creative writing, English, or even history, unless one is prepared to attend university for many years after the initial degree. I am willing, of course, but I simply don't know what I wish to do.

Who: Penelope Featherington & Sully
When: Monday, 23 February (slightly backdated)
Where: The ranch
What: A walk, and a first kiss. =D
Rating: Low

( I believe you should do whatever it is that your heart guides you to do. Although I must admit that should you leave New York for parts west, I would miss you a good deal. )

It would appear that the guinea pig (for lack of a better term, I've still no idea what SHE is, really), is a she. When I returned from the clinic this evening, I discovered that she'd given birth to a litter of little guinea pigs! And as I really do not have the time for more than one, and since they seem to be nearly as big as she is, I feel that it is only right that I should give the litter away to good homes. So please, if you'd like one, speak now and I will deliver it to you personally.


[ooc: there are still 2 open spots for the plot prompt for today, so whoever wanted one last night and wasn't signed up will get one. dawn summers, definitely. anyone from pen's dungeon friends? helena?]

Being away from home for a week, it turns out, means that the a good portion of the food in one's refrigerator will be well past its date when one returns. I spent a good portion of this afternoon replenishing my pantry. The result is that I am now prepared for the coming week, always a good feeling. While I was out today, I was reminded of my desire for a pet when I found a small, furry creature in a box outside of Potts Tower upon my return. It's very small, and a brindle colour, and it purrs madly.

I believe I'm already a little bit in love with it, although I have yet to come up with a name. Any suggestions would be quite, quite welcome.

Filter to those who were in Penelope's dungeon

Thank you. You are, all of you, the very best of friends. I believe that quite literally, were you not there and providing me the support you did, I would not have exited from that place. Perhaps it does not seem like much to you, but knowing you were coming for me, seeing your words of outrage on my behalf, and reading your words of comfort and encouragement -- you bolstered me when I most needed it. Allowing me to stand on my own against Cressida -- against myself, but feeling you with me with the knowledge that should I falter you would step forward and enter into battle. Thank you. Thank you.

Filter to Tony Gates

I hope you will forgive me, but I believe that I am taking this entire week away from the City, so I won't be able to be at the reception area.

Filter to Sully

Thank you. I was afraid that your words whilst in that place were a mere figment of my imagination. I was never so happy to see someone than when you entered the ballroom.

I have told Dr. Gates that I won't be in for my usual shifts at the clinic's reception area this week. Do you suppose there will be room for me at the ranch during that time? I'll be able to keep up with my schoolwork from there just as well from here.

Who: Penelope Featherington & Sully, Lydia Martin, Laurie Juspeczyk, Howard Stark, Helena Wells Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Tony Gates, Mary Margaret Blanchard, Fandral
When: Sometime before midnight, February 23.
Where: The ballroom inside Pen’s midnight channel
What: Penelope faces down her worst enemy.
Rating: Lowish?
Notes: Just a note, bullying is mentioned. If any of her dungeon-mates wants to jump in to add a bit of narrative, please feel free to do so! <3

( I want to go home now. )

I always expected that if I were to return home, I would leave all of my modern trappings behind. And yet, my phone, in my reticule, finally working. I'd forgotten how I sometimes took refuge in the ladies' powder room at the theatre.

I only hope that one day I return to New York. Even though I won't remember it.

Who: Penelope Featherington & Sully, Lydia Martin, Laurie Juspeczyk, Howard Stark, Helena Wells, Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Tony Gates, Mary Margaret Blanchard, Fandral
When: Beginning at midnight.
Where: Inside the bubble dimension that contains her dungeon.
What: IC/OOC! Penelope caught in her own dungeon. Will her friends save her?
Rating: Eh, middling, probably? Mostly for language, I guess? IDK
Warnings: Trigger warnings for bullying!

( Welcome to Penelope’s life before New York )

If I were at home in London, it is at this time of year when myself and my mother and sisters would start looking towards the beginning of the social season that surrounds the spring session of Parliament. We would be planning the first of our trips to our modiste to choose dresses and patterns, and those who chose to spend the winter tucked away in the country would begin to trickle back into town, and Lady Whistledown would again have more than enough fodder for her thrice-weekly newsheet. I've sometimes thought how interesting it would be to start a modernised form of that scandal-sheet, but then I remembered the existence of TMZ. It would appear that the market for such writings is taken.

Filter to Sully

Thank you for this weekend. It was perfectly lovely, especially with the snow. I don't remember having spent a nicer time in the country during winter. My chest has already found a place amongst my belongings, and is sitting half-filled with those treasures of mine which I hold closely to my heart.

I believe my favorite part was sitting, bundled up, next to you as the sleigh flew across the ground, the wind whistling in my ears. Yes, I was freezing at the end of it, but it was a magnificent use of horse, sleigh, and snow.

Filter to Henry Jekyll

Thank you for the flowers and the chocolate, Henry. The chocolates were exactly what I needed when I returned from my weekend away. Are you doing well? Holding your end of the bargain with Edward, so that he may hold his?

Who: The whole game!
When: Valentine's Day! (Pretend it's the 14th)
Where: In your pants. Wherever love is!
What: Valentine presents!
Rating: Who knows!

Because this game is massive, and even if everyone just sent ONE package to anyone, it would end up being 300+ posts in the community. So to save our friends lists from imploding, we the moderators are asking that you fill out this form and reply HERE. It'll make it easier to find (Control-F is a lovely thing!) and we won't have to abuse our scroll button. Here's how we're going to do it. You will post for one character with everything that they got for their friends/family/etc. Make sure to tag your character as soon as you get their information up! <b>Character name:</b> Name! <b>GIFTS:</b> • <b>Giftee:</b> Present. • <b>Giftee:</b> Present. • <b>Giftee:</b> Present. • <b>Giftee:</b> Present. • <b>Giftee:</b> Present.

[Filtered to

[Filtered to Penelope Featherington]

I am so dreadfully sorry that you were subjected to Edward's appalling behaviour yesterday. I cannot apologise enough. I'm afraid it is my fault. I have been very busy and I haven't let him out all month and that does rile him up terribly. I should have hidden my computer and phone before I let him out yesterday.

I am so terribly sorry.

[/Filter]

From what I understand, the time I am from was a part of the "Little Ice Age". Snow and ice and terrible weather weren't unusual. But I'm very certain that I do not recall ever seeing so much snow at one time. I'm very glad to be here, safe and sound and, most of all, warm. While the houses we live in may be magnificent, there are times when a bed was the warmest spot one could find.

Filter to Sully

Have you survived the snowstorm? I'm running low on hot chocolate, myself.

I don't suppose you would like to reprise our date from a few weeks ago, with Scrabble replacing reading aloud?

Filter to Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde

Hello, friend. I feel as if we haven't spoken in ages. Are you well? Keeping busy? I've started at university and it's quite a change from being a lady of leisure, I do assure you!

It's been cold enough that when I ain't workin' on furniture orders, I've taken to spendin' my time readin'. I'm open to any good book recommendations if you've got them. Currently I've been readin' some Sherman Alexie, and he's got a good voice. Different from most of what I've read at home, but in a good way.

[Penelope]

I'm wondering if perhaps you'd like to try an evening together that might have a bit less potential to go wrong. Say, a trip to the theater followed by hot chocolate?

On a whim I stopped in an animal shelter near campus, so now I will be volunteering a few hours a week. I have made a vow to myself to not get overly attached to any of the animals so that should they be adopted, I won't feel so terribly sad. I fear that it is to be a futile exercise, as one of the kittens attached herself to me, almost literally, and by the time I left, we were great good friends. The next time I volunteered, I learned that she had been adopted out to a family. I am, of course, mildly devastated at this turn of events and have renewed my vow to keep a harder heart towards these sweet animals.

I must admit that I have found a spot in my apartment that would be perfect for a cat tree, and so another step in my domestication has been spotted.