Chesterfield Act Registry of the Expressive Database
File #11 Feb 2018 04:19
|
 Stéphanie Sokolinski |
For now, Book I history of Robyn Quinn can be found here.
In the wake of the fall of Pollepel, Robyn Quinn had intended to leave everything behind and start over in Canada, away from all the madness she had found herself caught up in. Instead, she was talked by Colette Nichols into staying, into not giving up and running around from everything they had done. So, against her strongest desires, Robyn made her way with her fellow Ferrymen to the next stop in the road - though she did intentionally leave behind many others, including Elaine Darrow, whom she wished to avoid dragging into the fight she'd gotten herself tied up in, instead having a letter with her engagement ring sent to her former fiance by her friend Royce.
For most of 2012, Robyn kept herself on the fringes of the war, helping out her friends in whatever way she could while choosing to rarely directly participate in combat. Instead, she built on the majority of her work within the Ferry, and operating under the alias "Alice Roux" she helped in smuggling both people out of the country and supplies back in and to those fighting, as well as helping with extractions from hostile situations. In particular she made a habit of extracting children and getting them out of danger, and often ended up close to the various kids of the Resistance. Though she claimed to be uncomfortable in a firefight, every time one arose, she threw herself into it headfirst.
This left little time for her previous life pursuits, and though she would occasionally play music to entain others where they were hunkered down, she feel almost entirely out of music in the years during the war. Despite this, she continues to hold on to the last songs written by Else Kjelstrom and has come to consider them her most prized possessions - though some of the sheet music received varying amounts of damage during her escape from Pollepel Island.
In 2013, a weary Robyn considered leaving once more, her eyesight futher deteriorating and having been unable to regain the use of her evolved ability despite conversations and attempts with Colette Nichols. Though she had gotten used to it, it was still a bit of a sorespot to her, to the point where it became uncertain if she even identfied herself as Evolved anymore, something which became a point of contetion between herself and those around her.
It was the death of her mother, a war casualty, and other events that pushed Robyn briefly to the frontlines , making use of the training she had been receiveing to compensate for her visual hanicap to provide aid more directly. She went from someone who just wanted to help people to full tilt freedom fighter, and despite having previously claimed that wasn't the person she wanted to become, she found herself involved in several of the battles leading to the end of the war.
With the war's end, Robyn finally wanted to make good on her desire to leave America, to escape what had happened and the person she had become during the war. That changed when the Chesterfield Act was announced, and US President Praeger offered exoneration and reparations to former Ferrymen in exchange for testimonials at the war tribunals prosecuting members of the previous administration. Reluctantly, Robyn reached out and offered to give her own testimony if only to ease her own mind. She spoke on the things she witnessed and had done as a member of the Ferrymen, within the Commonwealth Institute, and during the war efforts after, including:
- The attack on Gun Hill, where numerous children lived (was not present, likely to be disregarded)
- Finding and losing safehouses
- Having to rescue a teen from a hospital with Brian
- The story of the death of Pandora (as told to her by Melissa), and subsequent apparent death of Junko (again, though she helped look after Junko, her knowledge of this and Heller and Melissa's dealings is all second hand, might be disregarded)
- FRONTLINE showing up at her concert in pursuit of individuals who may not have even been at the show.
- Numerous friends who had to more or less abandon their lives just for genuinely trying to help people
- Having to smuggle kids across the border and the government attempt to apprehend them.
- Literally everything about her mission into the Institute Arcology - the ongoing war crime that was the ENTIRE medical wing, the rescue and death of Else Kjelstrom, the events in the drainage ditch from her perspective including the murder of multiple innocent men, women, and children.
- The Siege of Pollepel Island, though she will leave out anything about how she got her facial scar.
- The 2012-2014 war effort and her role in it.
There was a bit of controversy over how her testimony at one point turned into an impassioned speech about Evolved Rights and their importance, and how thoroughly they had been stamped out. Despite having only joined the Ferrymen a year and a half before the war, she is able to paint a picture of attacks, desperation involving rescuing children from hospitals and spiriting them away across the border, searching for and defending safehouses, and more, culminating in a talk about what she saw in Cambridge. That's before she gets into her experiences during the war.
This passion led to an offer to join the recently formed SESA, which she initially considered turning down due to a reluctance to relocate back to New York. The urging of people around her and the discovery of a stash of cash left behind for her in a bank account by Kincaid Russo following the dissolution of Studio K convinced her to accept the job offer and stay in town. When it became clear that Wolfhound was in need of stricter regulation, Quinn offered to take up oversight of the mercenary outfit on SESA's behalf - she didn't know exactly who she was dealing with personally, but she knew she wanted to help avoid the problems she had had with how the Ferry was run from happening again.
The majority of 2018 was spent working in tandem with Wolfhound, living at their base of operations and keeping a close eye on each of the Hounds. It was during this time that she discovered that as much as she had tried to distance herself from the battles of the war, she actually felt at home in the chaos - reveled in it, at times. After accompanying them on several high profile missions, including the one that finally brought down the most prominenant remnants of the Institute, Robyn was transferred back to her home office in the New York Safe Zone, where she continues her work as a SESA Field Agent.
The latter half of 2018 saw Robyn experiancing another of visions - "overlays", they were dubbed - of herself in other presumed timelines. All of them presented similar stories - a version of herself either at her highest or her lowest, with her decisions inevitably leading to her untimely demise. These visions left an undeniable mark on her, the full ramifications of which are still unknown. Experianced versions include:
| Timeline | Summery | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Virus | Robyn sees herself carousing with several known members of The Vanguard, before reciving a mission to infiltrate the Lighthouse and kill Elisabeth Harrison from Kazimir Volken himself. | Here |
| Bright | Robyn sees herself performing a sold out concert, one that concludes with a new song and a proposal to her girlfriend, Elaine Darrow. | Here |
| Bright | Robyn sees herself stalking a target, seemingly on orders from Pineheart, and reveling in their subsequent murder. | Referenced Here |
| Bright | Robyn sees herself, detained and shackled in an interrogation room, being interrogated about her work for Pinehearst while a song written by her and Else Kjelstrom plays. Once she gets bored of the interrogration, she kills the agent questioning her and attempts an escape, likely leading to her death. | Here |
| Wasteland | Robyn sees herself engaged in a mission for the evolved Resistance, one that results in her being singled out, thrown against a wall, and shot dead on the spot. | Here |
| Flood | Robyn sees herself drowning in a flooded world. | Here |
This is only a sample of the overlays Robyn was party to, an experiance that left her with a condition that is being dubbed "overlay psychosis". Whatever else she saw, however, she has rarely seen fit to speak of.
2019 was a year of change for Robyn Quinn. The year started her final days working as Wolfhound's SESA Liaison, and a mission that would change the course of her life going forward. Working with Wolfhound members Rue Lancaster and James Dearing, she had her resurgant ability to control light outed, as well as her first contact with a boy named Matthew Parkman, Jr. With his mother perishing in the attack, Robyn found an odd kindrid spirit in Matthew, and shortly after returning to the Safe Zone and ending her tenure with Wolfhound, she would put in to adopt Matthew, and a short time later he came to live with her as her sun.
During this time she would also relocate from the apartment in Bay Ridge she shared with Dirk Dickson, buying up a near half block of 41st Street. Here she would make a new home with Matthew, while also opening up her own business on the side from her SESA work: Kaleidoscope Studios, a recording studio specialising in music recording and production. Here, she hoped to bring some music and culture back to the Safe Zone by encouraging local and up and coming musicians to come in and record, often at discounted rates - much like had once been done for her by Catherine Chesterfield years ago.
The year also opens with what become a defining even of Robyn's adult life: The death of her college Cassandra Bauman. Assigned a new SESA recruit, Kenji Saito, as her partner she set off training him and investigating Cassandra's murder. Through the course of the year, Robyn and Saito would discover that Cassandra's death had come at the hands of a previously unknown Evolved serial killer named William Sadler. She would spend the year working with Saito to slowly piece together more and more about the man who had murdered Cassandra, and his attachement to local Triads. A breakthrough couldn't come for some time, though.
Having discovered in 2018 that her mother, now deceased and always cherished, had once been in the employee of The Company Robyn set out for answers and elucidation. It came to light that Charlotte Roux had once been a driven woman with a solar-based evolved ability. Alongside Richard Drucker she had been trained in astrophysics and worked in various locations including Sunspot, New Mexico and Colobanth, Antarctica studying solar activity, and later, how to combat a supernatural evolved "Entity" that the Company had come into contact with and threatened to wipe out the world as we know it. Sometime after this event - and after Robyn's birth - she lef tthe company, losing both her memories of her years there and her ability. Robyn has attained a level of closure regarding her mother and the work she did for the Company, but there is still a longing for answers to questions she will never receive answers to and a desire to see through the work she originally put herself to.
Her drive to learn the truth about her mother, along with her undiagnosed overlay psychosis, would wreck havoc upon the majority of her personal relationships over the course of 2019. Losing and distancing from many she once held dear - including the end of her renewed relationship with Elaine Darrow and the departure of her best friend Gillian Childs for the west coast - made her a more volitile person than she had previously been, prone to emotional mood swings and dark musings.
In late 2019, her quest to learn more about her mother came to a head as she, Richard Ray, and others visityed Colobanth Station in Antarctica. However, there were ultimately little revelations to be had there, something which plummeted Robyn into a further depression. Through the end of 2019 and into 2020, she kept to herself working quietly at SESA. Regulated to desk work and transcripting files from the Albany Trials, she makes an unexpected breakthrough in the case she has been working the majority of the year. While pouring over files related to Demitri Gregor and Staten Island Hospital, she dicovers the identity of Cassandra's murderer - William Sadler - and her and Saito set about investigating a possible nest he had been working at.
Joined by Corbin Ayers, the pair discover numerous human remains and a large amount of Refain. Confronted by Triads looking for Sadler, Robyn is shot in the leg and wounded, Saito similarly wounded. As Corbin and Saito make a bid to escape, Sadler arrived on the scene. Cornered and wounded, Robyn realises that she is bleeding light, and inspired by this sight, makes a desperate bid to drive Sadler away. Unleashing a blast of light, she is able to save herself and her friends, as well as restored her thought-lost ability to see the world in colour, but the consequences of her actions would soon come to haunt her.
Unable to walk without assistance, Robyn is pulled off active duty for SESA and instead is regulated to medical leave at home, and for a week, things seem peaceful… until one night, she found herself awoken by a desperate phonecall from Rhys Blunther, a friend and SESA collegue. To her horror, Sadler was on the loose and had killed Kenji Saito - and he had come for her, having snuck into her house above the Studio. Trying to bide time, she engaged Sadler in calm discussion, trying to dissuade him from following through on murdering her in exchange for her walking away from the case. But before the coversation could go too far, Matthew stumbled upon them, causing Sadler to give chase afte rthe boy upon realising what his ability was. Unwilling to let Matthew die, Robyn herself gave chase despite her injury. The encounter that followed left Sadler dead. Robyn herself should have died as well, but miraculously came out the other end breathing.
Spending much of the next month in a coma, Robyn awakened renewed and ready to approach a world that now terrfies her more than ever before. Changing her name to honour her mother, Robyn Roux now walks a fine line built on drive to do good, anxiety about what might bring harm to her and Matthew, and a still brew darkside of her personality waiting to bubble to the surface…
In many ways, the Robyn Quinn of 2011 is long in the past more than just literally. Robyn in 2019 is in many ways a completely different person. She is no longer to lazy, laid back party girl with few cares in the world that she used to be. In truth, most of the time she comes off as morose, sullen, or bitter, in some combination or another. Time in the Ferry and time in the war since have turned her into sharper, more serious individual. Recent events have reshaped her even further. Her year spent observing Wolfhound has reignited in her the passion for action that the Ferry helped her discover and the war helped foster. The latter half of 2018 as well had her experiancing a distressing series of visions that all showed her at her best or worst, with her choices in each one seeming to lead to her death. Finally, 2018 was the year that she rediscovered her evolved ability, after seven years without it - though even that had changed as much as she had.
Her visions have had a profound impact on her personality and actions. Her visions of her Flood self have left her with an accute fear of bodies of water she hasn't yet come to fully grasp as well as a penchent for cynicism. Her visions of her Wasteland self have left her with a distinct sense of recklessness in both her personal dealings and her dealing with others. Her visions of her Virus self have fostered a more sullen and secretive side of herself.
Her visions of her Bright self by has the most impact on her. In their wake, Robyn finds herself reapproaching music in a limited capacity, starting with opening a recording studio. These visions as well have left her with a pronounced streak of ruthlessness, notably apparent in her much more confrontational approach to situations around her, one that is often marked with a slightly sadistic touch. As well these visions have infused a belief in her that she is meant for more, to do more - that she is meant to be a legend. This gives her a willingness to do anything to get what she wants, though she still works in the boundries of her position at SESA and the law.
As a result of this melting pot of emotions she has become more embracing of the people around her, but there'sn still a callous edge to how she treats most she comes into contact with - with the sole exception of Elaine Darrow, whom she tends to refer to as "'Lainey", a nickname her Bright self had for her Elaine, while lavishing her with attention.
There is a darkness brewing in Robyn as she makes sense of the tempest of emotions, visions, lives, and expanded sense of self she feels. She considers all versions of herself analagous with herself - they are her and she is them. Processing this isn't something she's handling terribly well, wanting to avoid their fates at any cost. Time will tell how it turns out…
Photokinesis
Robyn possesses the ability to absorb photons in her body, collecting light within a 30-foot radius around herself. Photons, once absorbed, are stored as electromagnetic energy within Robyn's body and are absorbed by the natural EM field that all SLC-Expressive people emit. All of Robyn's talents with this ability stem from her power to absorb and harness photons. During the events of Arkfall, while under the effects of amphodynamine and Gillian's augmentation, Robyn absorbed photons from a 300-foot radius and overloaded herself, resulting in a long-term ability burn out from which she has only begun to recover. Pushing herself beyond her normal 30-foot limitations by way of augmentation risks similar burnout; normal use does not.
Talents
| Talents | Effort | Description | Learned From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimmer Switch | Low | Robyn is able to lower the ambient light level in an area around herself to a radius of 30 feet. This talent does not have fine control and affects the entire 30-foot radius. In this area Robyn can control the ambient light level, lowering it from whatever its current level of illumination is down to total darkness. Since she is absorbing photons this also dims or completely darkens all light-emitting sources within the area. Robyn's control of light in this manner is absolute, and a photokinetic would be unable to raise the light level as Robyn would continue to absorb any photons brought into the area. With practice, Robyn has also leaned how to turn the "dial" the other way, emitting an area of light similar to the darkness she can emit. This area of light isn't as strong as her darkness, covering a radius of only about 15 feet, and possesses an intensity far less than that of her Flash Bomb. | Self Taught |
| Darkvision | None | When using her Dimmer Switch talent Robyn can see perfectly in the dark out to a distance of 30 feet. Beyond this Robyn's vision is hampered by darkness as normal. When using this ability, she can only see in black & white. | Self Taught |
| Photokinetic Negation | Moderate | By touch, Robyn can prevent an SLC-E person from using an ability that manipulates light. She must maintain skin-to-skin contact in order to maintain this negation and anything that breaks her concentration or contact ends this effect immediately. This negation also ends any ongoing photokinetic effect that relies on the manipulation of photons. | Self Taught |
| Induced Blindness | Moderate | By learning how to shape and pinpoint where she absorbs light from, Robyn has learned to replicate one of her old talents - pulling the light away from people's eyes, rendering them temporarily blind. This requires more focus than her dimmer switch, and makes it hard for her to afflict more than one person at a time | Self Taught |
| Flash Bomb | High | After years of absorbing light, Robyn has learned once more how to do the opposite - how to expel light from herself. This quick but intense flash of light is taxing on her physically, draining away most of the light she has stored within herself, and can temporarily disorient or even blind anyone who is unable to avert their eyes. | Learned through Desperation |
| Bioluminescene | None | Years of absorbing light has left a mark on Robyn at a biological level, giving her a strange level of natural luminescense. Her blood now glows with phosphorus light that fades with time. This light can cause her skin to have a similar glow to it, particularly in moments where she is under the effects of intense adrenaline or an otherwise emotionally heightened state. | Self Taught |
| Shroud | Low | Robyn has learned how to manipulate the light around her in a manner that can coat her form in a layer of light or darkness, depending on the desired effect. This can give her the appearance of being made of light or darkness. It can allow her to blend in to bright lights or dark nights, or add a blinding or disorienting effect to any punch she throws. However, this doesn't render her invisible (even at night, pure black sometimes stands out even more); she retains her ability to see while in this state, as per her darkvision. | Self Taught |
| Laser Generation | High | With full concentration, or reflexively when injured, Robyn can focus the ambient light around her into a prism of uncontrollable laser light that is the approximate strength of a surgical laser out to a range of 10 feet. This causes severe lasceration-like burns on everyone around her. | Learned through desperation. |
Photonic Replication
Robyn has the ability to modulate light to create intangible copies of herself that she controls subconsciously.
Talents
| Talents | Effort | Description | Learned From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photonic Double | Medium | With considerable concentration, Robyn can draw in available light around herself and — instead of storing it in her body — she can use it to create a duplicate of herself in appearance that matches whatever she looked like at the time of its creation. This duplicate is an entirely illusory double that cannot hold solid objects or interact with the physical environment. They look fully real, but have no physical form. Once created the double can persist indefinitely and cannot be harmed by most things. A photokinetic that can sculpt light can warp, distort, deform, or even dismiss a photonic double against Robyn's wishes. As a photonic double is created by light absorbed by Robyn, it can exist in total darkness and is by nature always somewhat visible even in low-light conditions, the way a "black" tv screen still seems to glow in a dark room. To start, Robyn can create one double. | Self Taught |
| Photonic Projection | None | Once created, Robyn can project her photonic double to anywhere within line of sight, but if she loses line of sight to the double it automatically returns to her side. These doubles move at the speed of light. | Self Taught |
| Photonic Speech | None | Robyn's photonic doubles can speak, but they do so by creating quick bursts of intense laser light inside their throats that causes air molecules to superheat and create sound. But the result is a synthesized and "artificial" noise that is clearly not natural. Additionally, light can be seen spilling out of their mouth when they talk. | Self Taught |
| Photonic Sight | Low/None | With training, Robyn could learn how to see through the eyes of her doubles both consciously and subconsciously, allowing her to be consciously and unconsciously aware of their surroundings. This is a low-effort talent to consciously see through a double's eyes and no effort to be unconsciously aware of their surroundings and actions. | Self Taught |
| Effort Key | |
|---|---|
| None | Requires no effort and is a part of Robyn's autonomous functions. |
| Low | Requires minimal effort and concentration, like walking, holding a conversation, or reading. |
| Moderate | Requires dedicated concentration. Moderate-effort abilities cannot be used while actively fighting or using another talent with an effort of Moderate or higher. |
| High | Requires undivided concentration. Cannot do anything other than move slowly or talk in short sentences while using a High effort talent and cannot use other talents that have an effort level of Low or higher. |
And it feels like the weight is too much to carry
I should quit, maybe go get married
Only time will tell
And I wonder if I should've changed my accent
Tried to make myself more attractive
Only time will tell
Appendices
| Another Version of the Truth |
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Hurt Me
| No need to understand 'cause I'm just happy to begin again | ||
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Ringtone: The Beatles - Hey Jude | The boy she would give her life for, and almost has. Taking him into her home had been a gamble for both of them. Now there is nothing she wouldn't do for Matthew or to keep him safe - even at the cost of her own life. Perhaps a little over protective at time, Matthew's presence acts as a good tempering agent to Robyn's more impulsive and destructive habits. |
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Ringtone: The Beatles - With A Little Help From My Friends | There's few people Robyn holds as dear as she does Gillian. Considered a member of Robyn's extended family via bonds from both shared experiences and via Jolene, Robyn will do almost anything for her. Maybe she cares a little too much sometimes… |
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Ringtone: The Beatles - Across The Universe (Naked Version) | Robyn doesn't really know Peter Petrelli, but that also doesn't really matter to her. As she told him, he's dear to people she holds dear, and that's all that matters to her. |
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Ringtone: The Beatles - Come Together | A member of Robyn's extended family in an aborted future, Adel is one of the most positive fixtures in Robyn's life - something she is constantly in need of these days. And now that Robyn isn't working with Wolfhound, the two are free to interact as they want once more, which is good, because Robyn definitely has lost time to make up for. |
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Ringtone: The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun | Robyn still doesn't see Jolene as much as she'd like to. Hopefully when she and Gillian return to New York, that'll change. She needs to make up for all the years she spent detached from those she cared about. And maybe she'll help ground Robyn that much more. |
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Ringtone: Blaqk Audio - Black Electric | Robyn worries about Nicole a lot these days, though she's careful about when she shows it for fear of Nicole pushing her away. Still, she'll back the other woman up any time she needs it, even if she doesn't have the whole story of what's going on. |
| See you and me have a better time than most can dream. | ||
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Ringtone: Circa Survive - We're All Thieves | Against all odds, Richard has become of Robyn's closest confidants and co-conspirators. His help in unearthing information about her mom and Drucker is a bit reason for that, but they've always strayed along the same lines, even if she never really realized how much until recently. |
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Ringtone: Incubus - Warning | Richard's sister. Or well, one of them. Not as cute as Valerie. A once cherished friend Robyn should definitely spend more time with, since she seems to have more of a pulse on happenings than she expected. |
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Ringtone: CHRVCHES - Warning Call | Lance is a good kid, if a bit misguided at times. She's glad Agent Lin was able to get him recommended for an internship, something she pushed Lance to move ahead with. He has a bright future ahead of him. Unless Robyn kills him for bringing up Gun Hill one too many times. |
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Ringtone: Paramore - Fake Happy | An Epstein, whatever that amounts to. She seems to have a well meaning heart, but their first encounter still has Robyn wondering how much she's sticking her head where it doesn't belong. She's someone for her to keep a close eye on. |
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Ringtone: The Get Up Kids - Sick In Her Skin | Hey there, Delilah. What's it like in New York city? We don't see each other nearly enough, but hey, maybe when I'm not so busy. |
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Ringtone: Gin Blossoms - Follow You Down | Robyn never really knew Cooper before the war, but they rode together on several occasions during it, cementing a long lasting friendship. Ask about their van sometime. |
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Ringtone: Default | Robyn respects Avi Epstein more than she'd ever admit to to anyone except maybe Avi himself. Even at his gruffest, she feels like he's supported her in unorthodox ways. Calling them friends might seem a stretch, but she'll always have his back. |
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Ringtone: Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead | Robyn's never really done right by Rue, and it took her a really time to truly realise that. She's not sure why the intelligence officer tolerates her still, but she's grateful for it. |
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Ringtone: Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me | Once what Robyn considered a mentor, she now considers her a friend. Robyn is secretly impressed with how Colette has gotten her shit together over the years, even if she doesn't really act like it sometimes. |
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Ringtone: Default | Elaine was the last person Robyn expected to walk back into her life, but here they are. Maybe this time there'll be an actual friendship, given that Robyn seems to have finally moved on. |
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Ringtone: — | S.Attva is a strange case in Robyn's life. Knowing the individuals he is a gestalt of drives her to make efforts to engage and befriend him, but is that fair to S.Attva? So far he doesn't seem to mind at least. She worries that may change when she finally tells him that she's Drucker's daughter. |
| So who were you? I thought I knew? I guess I was mistaken. | ||
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Ringtone: They Might Be Giants - Particle Man | Magnes coming back from the "dead" was a triumph and a reason to celebrate… but the fact that he seemed back to old antics and the news that he had married and subsequently lost an Elaine and had a daughter sit at ill ease with her. |
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Ringtone: Default | The events of the #xpressurself festival have violently ejected Eve from Robyn's good graces. She doesn't know what she'll do the next time she sees the former seer, only that it'll probably get her arrested. |
| If this is what you want, then fire at will. | ||
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Ringtone: N/A | Good fucking riddance. |
| Friends lost, yesterday and today | ||
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Ringtone: Default | The death of Charlotte Roux has shaped so much of the last decade of Robyn's life that sometimes she's not sure she remembers life before it. It's a good thing she'll never forget her mother, and misses her dearly. |
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Ringtone: Ben E. King - Stand By Me | I'm sorry, Else. I tried. |
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Ringtone: — | Robyn didn't know Richard Drucker, and hadn't even heard of him until the last few years. Despite that, between knowing his closeness to her mother and the recent revelation that he's her biological father, she feels an intense sadness when she thinks of a father she should've known but never truly met. |
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Ringtone: Lisa Miskovsky - Let Them Come | Oh Nat. I wish you'd told me. I wish I could've been there to help, like I'd always wanted to be. But I understand. I'm glad I got the chance to know you again, even if I didn't know it |
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Ringtone: The Delgados - The Light Before We Land | It should've been me, kid. Not you. This is never going to be okay, and I'm going to miss you for a long time. |
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Ringtone: Default | At least Mala has Santa again. |
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Ringtone: Default | You took a chance on me. I'll never forget you for that. |
Everything's Everything
In the years since she came to be with the Ferryman, Robyn's skills and strong suits have shifted considerably.
+ Public Speaking - Robyn has always been a charismatic and passionate speaker with a notable presence - particularly on stage. She can still summon that up when she needs to - in fact, she has only gotten better at speaking. Though she chooses not to speak up as often, she can still be a riveting and enticing speaker when she does. She knows how to get people's attention, keep it, and convince them something is in their best interests.
+ Combat Skills - Due to the training she received from members of the Ferrymen's Special Activities division and from other during the war, and how well she's kept up with some of the regiments she learned since then, Robyn has a surprising amount of combat capability and is no longer the clumsy poor shot she used to be. Her vision can act as a barrier at times, but she has practiced and she can account for both reduced vision and for only having vision in one eye if she is attacked or needs to act in a combat situation. She has kept up with self defence training as well, offering her some hand - to - hand skill as well.
+ Perceptive - A mix of training, paranoia, and the need to be more aware of the world around her because of her vision has helped make the once clumsy musician into a confident and perceptive individual, much more in tune with the world around her.
+ Languages - Due to her heritage, Robyn was raised learning three languages - English, French, and Irish Gaelic; as well she dated a polyglot who often made her practice the two foreign languages. She is fluent in English, and her time working as a faux-French smuggler has forced her to brush up on and work on her French to the point where she considers herself fluent. Her Irish was waned, but she can still speak it well enough to carry on a conversation if for some reason necessary.
+ Swordsmanship - In the wake of her near murder at the hands of William Sadler, Robyn has found comfort in learning an unexpected form of combat: Swordsmanship. Usually armed at least with her swordcane, Robyn has spent much of the last year studying how to wield such a weapon both with a trainer and through independent study, taking a particular interest as of late in Japanese Iaidō style as a means of sharpening her reaction times and acuity.
- Addict - Robyn's always had an addictive personality, but each time she relapses, it gets a bit worse. Able to get overly attached to people, substances, and feelings, Robyn's addictions have been slowly creeping back into her life the deeper she gets into the mysteries of the world around her. In particular, an addiction to danger and thrills and an inability to shake dependence on alcohol are her biggest hallmarks, but she finds herself slipping into other substances and a near obsessive need for answers more and more as time goes on. This impacts her ability to accomplish tasks and put what skills she has to use in carrying degrees.
- Music - Robyn hasn't written a song in almost five years, and hasn't played anything but an acoustic guitar in the same time. Her musical ability has diminished significantly, though with a bit of time and patience she could probably regain her lost musical skill and muscle memory. She seems to have little interest in doing so at the moment, however. She can still sing just as well as she used to, and this is the one musical skill she is still willing to flex. She also still knows how to maintain and repair musical instruments, and sometimes does this in her spare time.
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Playlists of music for Robyn Roux can be found here:
Quinnspirations: Book II Volume I - The Way Back
Quinnspirations: Book II Volume II - Resurrection
Rouxminations: Book II Volume III - Horizons
| Trivia | |
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| Identifying Marks | |
| Scar | Robyn has a facial scar running from the edge of her lip up to just under her eye on the right side of her face. She received this scar foolhardily trying to protect February Lancaster when she was wrongfully accused of betraying the Ferrymen |
| Tattoos | Robyn possesses the following tattoos: Lyrics: "Princess, We're Looking After You", running from her shoulder blade to her elbow on her right arm. (Ink and Memories, from the song "No More Summertimes To Come". In memory of Else Kjelstrom, who died two deaths - one of which was under Robyn's protection.) |
| Alts! | |
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Scottish scientist and former nurse. Overly sarcastic, and not one of the good guys. |
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Former business woman and survivor turned thief. Just trying to get by these days. |
| Shatterday | Artificial Nocturne | Mass As Shadows | I'm Not Okay (I Promise) | Into The Dark | Into The Light | What The Water Gave Me |
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| (2012 - 2015) | (2015 - 2018) | (2018) | (2019) | (2020) | (2020) | (2021) |
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| Diseased | Lady Stardust | Act Appalled | The Good Soldier | La Mer | How Not To Drown | Ordinary World |
| Virus Future | Bright Future | Wasteland Future | Flood Future | Optica Simulation | ||
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Mixtape
Volume by volume music selections for Robyn Roux.
Volume One: The Way Back
- Metric - Artificial Nocturne
- Dave Matthews Band - Grey Street
- Motion City Soundtrack - Circuits and Wires
I'm just as fucked up as they say
I can't fake the daytime
Found an entrance to escape into the dark
Got false lights for the sun
It's an artificial nocturne
It's an outsider's escape from a broken heart
We hide out in the back
Like shadows in a stranger's dream
Hiding out in the back together
Hiding out in the back forever
I make all that I believe
In dreams
So real
Babe, I have to take the call
Fate, don't fail me now
I make all that I believe
I set myself free
So take all the time you need
And let yourself be
I'm as fucked up as they say
I can't fake the daytime
Found an entrance to escape into the dark
Got false lights for the sun
It’s an artificial nocturne
An outsider’s escape from a broken heart
I’m as far gone as they say
I can’t fake the daytime
Found an entrance to escape into the dark
Got false lights for the sun
It's an artificial nocturne
An outsider's escape from a broken heart
Oh look at how she listens
She says nothing of what she thinks
She just goes stumbling through her memories
Staring out on to Grey Street
She thinks, “Hey,
How did I come to this?
I dream myself a thousand times around the world,
But I can’t get out of this place”
There’s an emptiness inside her
And she’d do anything to fill it in
But all the colors mix together - to grey
And it breaks her heart
How she wishes it was different
She prays to God most every night
And though she swears it doesn’t listen
There’s still a hope in her it might
She says, “I pray
But they fall on deaf ears,
Am I supposed to take it on myself?
To get out of this place”
There’s loneliness inside her
And she’d do anything to fill it in
And though it’s red blood bleeding from her now
It feels like cold blue ice in her heart
When all the colors mix together - to grey
And it breaks her heart
There’s a stranger speaks outside her door
Says take what you can from your dreams
Make them as real as anything
It’d take the work out of the courage
But she says, “Please
There’s a crazy man that’s creeping outside my door,
I live on the corner of Grey Street and the end of the world”
There’s an emptiness inside her
And she’d do anything to fill it in
And though it’s red blood bleeding from her now
It’s more like cold blue ice in her heart
She feels like kicking out all the windows
And setting fire to this life
She could change everything about her using colors bold and bright
But all the colors mix together
To grey
And it breaks her heart
I am all circuits and wires
Conducting symphonies of heat exchange energies
Fueled by a nervous system thrust through the great unknown
A timid mess of frightened bones
I pledge to make the difference
I aim to take no stand
This bitter silence is the only play I have
In light of all their laughter, I'll take to keeping shy
A resolution that I've finally had enough
Can't speak, can't speak, can't speak at all
Don't even think you know the reason
I know there's something wrong within my faulty brain
I lack the proper behavior
My temper-addled tongue can't seem to force it out
The words that linger inside me
Can't speak, can't speak, can't speak at all
Don't even think you know the reason
Can't speak, can't speak, can't speak at all
Don't even try to understand
I am all motors and gadgets
Organically designed to last a finite length of time
Locked in this rotary motion, the wheel spins round and round
I comprehend it all but still can't make a sound
I know there's something wrong within my faulty brain
I lack the proper behavior
My temper-addled tongue can't seem to force it out
The words that linger inside me
Can't speak, can't speak, can't speak at all
Don't even think you know the reason
Can't speak, can't speak, can't speak at all
Don't even try to understand
I am all circuits and wires
Conducting symphonies of heat exchange energies
My temper-addled tongue can't seem to force it out
The words that linger inside me
Volume Two: Resurrection
I'm 23
I still feel the same maybe
This ain't about you
This is about me
I can't help the way I am
No one seems to understand
I'm not alright but really it's fine
I like to be alone most of the time
Talking to myself with nobody else
That's the way that I like it
The way that I like it
Is it all in my head what they said?
I'm not feeling too good
I'm feeling misunderstood
Is it all in my head what they said?
I'm not feeling too good
I would cry if I could
I drive fast so I can feel something
I ruin my own life just for nothing
I fall in and out of love with everything
I really don't know what I'm doing
I drive fast so I can feel something
I drive fast so I can feel something
Time, time, time, see what's become of me
While I looked around
For my possibilities
I was so hard to please
But look around, leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Hear the salvation army band
Down by the riverside, it's bound to be a better ride
Than what you've got planned
Carry your cup in your hand
And look around, leaves are brown now
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Hang on to your hopes, my friend
That's an easy thing to say, but if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend
That you can build them again
Look around, the grass is high
The fields are ripe, it's the springtime of my life
Ahhh, seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me
But look around, leaves are brown now
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Look around, leaves are brown
There's a patch of snow on the ground…
Volume Three: Horizons, Part I
I have changed, I have changed
Just like you, just like you
For how long, for how long must I wait?
I know there's something wrong
Your concrete heart isn't beating
And I've tried to make it come alive
No shadows, just red lights
Now I'm here to rescue you
Ooh I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
Ooh I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
So silent, no violence
But inside my head so loud and clear
You're screaming, you're screaming
Covered up with a smile I've learned to fear
Just sunshine and blue sky
Is this is all we get for living here?
Come fire, come fire
Let it burn and love come racing through
Ooh I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
I've learned to lose, I've learned to win
I turn my face against the wind
I will move fast, I will move slow
Take me where I have to go
Ooh I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
I'm still alive
Ooh I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
Ooh I'm still alive, I'm still alive
I cannot apologize, no
You are not alone
We've all had our battles with darkness and shadows
I'm here to let you know
It's a pleasure to meet you
Can you feel it, disappearing
It'll happen, you are not alone
I've been there, I'm still there
Oh, and better
Everything is so damn tragic
Time erodes the waves of panic
Take it in
You are not alone
We've all had our battles with darkness and shadows
I'm here to let you know
It's a pleasure to meet you
Today is all we have
So try for a moment to break from the torment
And sing this to yourself
It's a pleasure to meet you
At a distance
There's a difference
Things will make sense
You are not alone
Got to hold on for the moment
Til the next one
Everything is so damn tragic
Time erodes the waves of panic
Get up
You are not alone
We've all had our battles with darkness and shadows
I'm here to let you know
It's a pleasure to meet you
Today is all we have
So try for a moment to break from the torment
And sing this to yourself
It's a pleasure to meet you
Every damn night for years of my life
I've spent driving around this miserable city
Just looking through windows at people
Alone for an answer or reason to live
But every day since, I've been peeling away
At this counterfeit skin just got in the way
I can see my reflection and clearly can say
It's a pleasure to meet you again
You are not alone
We've all had our battles with darkness and shadows
I'm here to let you know
It's a pleasure to meet you
Today is all we have
So try for a moment to break from the torment
And sing this to yourself
It's a pleasure to meet you
It's a pleasure to meet you
It's a pleasure to meet you
I called it quits
Fell to the ground
I hid every wall
I made every round
I drank till dark
My family cried
Trouble I find, chooses its side
But I had enough
I had enough
Don't let them win
Don't let them get
Under your skin, into your head
They're full of it
You're full of love
You'll prove them right if you give it up
So let's go for blood
Let's go for blood
I've got my words
They're gonna cut
Sure it took a while to
To say it's enough
I've got my heart
It's full of love
Sure it took a while to
To learn it's enough
So let's go for blood
Let's go for blood
But it sure took a while to
Turn it all back
But I never gave up on me
Yeah it sure took a while to
Turn it all back
But I never gave up on me
Let's go for blood
Volume Three: Horizons, Part II
Sic Transit Gloria…
Once upon a time, Robyn Roux was a musician, and some of her music was actually published. Occasionally, it still comes up or gets played on local radio, and on even rarer occasion a song not previously released makes it to the airwaves. Below is a collection of Robyn's songs:
Glass Wonderland (Winter 2011)
- Tracklist
- 01 - Whiteout
- 02 - Firefly
- 03 - The Perfect Mix
- 04 - She Talks To Spirits
- 05 - Empire of the Sun
- 06 - Fantasies
- 07 - Glass Wonderland
- B-Side - Stardust
- Outtake - Desire's Grip
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| Front Cover | Back Cover |
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Recorded at The Village Renaissance studio owned by Catherine Chesterfield starting in August 2010 and ending early in January 2011, Glass Wonderland is the debut EP (Extended Play) by Robyn Quinn. Consisting of one disc of freshly recorded music, as well as a second disc of demos and carefully chosen tracks recorded over the last several years, the album was released on February 10th, 2011, along with an accompanying release concert.
Tracklist
Disc One: Glass Wonderland
- Whiteout
- Firefly
- The Perfect Mix
- She Talks To Spirits
- Empire of the Sun
- Fantasies
- Glass Wonderland
Disc Two: Glass Fragments
- Take The Fall (Solo, 2003 Studio Demo)
- Sympathy (Solo, 2003 Studio Demo)
- Pieces (Full Band, 2003 Studio Demo)
- The Breaker (Full Band, 2003 Studio Demo)
- Endless (Piano Instrumental, 2006 Home Demo)
- Like Porcelain (Full Band, 2007 Studio Demo)
- Ashes (Mad Muse Demo, 2010 Home Demo w/Sable)
Inspiration: Tori Amos - Winter
A blanket of white wrapping up all around
Home left behind without a sound
So cold in the air drifting through and through
Turn the world into something new
Lost in a crowd, blending into a scene
Someone tell me, what does this mean?
White all around me is all I can see
So tall it just might swallow me
Come, come pick up with bare shaking hands
Have you ever seen something so grand
What's left of a day wasted far and away
We've lost the road, we've lost the way
From warmth of the sun, lost and alone
From here I'll make it on my own
A white wonderland, a grim story to tell
A white wonderland, a grim story to tell
Whiteout, whiteout
White the world out
And now I can't think
How's this going to be?
Whiteout, whiteout
Erase the world out
Truth's hard to find
Why can't it just be…
Whiteout, whiteout
White the world out
And now I can't think
How's this going to be?
Whiteout, whiteout
Erase the world out
Truth's hard to find
Why can't it just be…
Trivia
- This song is inspired by the massive snowstorm in Winter 2010 that saw Quinn trapped in St. Luke's Hospital for more time than she cares to remember.
- This is actually only half of a complete song - the longer half of an almost eight minute track. The second half contains another verse, shorter and dominated by guitar rather than piano. This shorter guitar version of Whiteout was the first track on Empire of the Sun, while the full version has never been formally released - though atendees at Quinn's 2010 Christmas Party received a CD with a rough cut of the full track.
Inspiration: The Delgados - Coming In From The Cold
Firefly
My tiny, little firefly
Never stop to wonder why
Burn as bright as you can
And rise up into the sky
Burning bright
Riding on a wave of light
Little firefly
Dance on the wind tonight
Stay up with all your might
But nobody knows what's waiting for
Such a little one not ready to
Take on the world outside her door
Firelight
You're running out on your light
And fly on through the night
But don't be surprised
When you burn out that little light
Nobody knows what's waiting for
Such a little one not ready to
Take on the world outside her door
Burn, burn, burn
Burn that light so bright
Burn, burn, burn
Burn that light all night
But don't be surprised when
You burn out that light
Nobody knows what's waiting for
Such a little one not ready to
Take on the world outside her door
Trivia
- Though she would never admit it, this song is written about her encounters and stories she hears of her fellow photokinetic, Colette Nichols and Quinn's fear she will literally burn herself out.
- Surprise, it was Quinn that burned herself out instead!
Inspiration: Iron and Wine - The Trapeze Swinger
Another lonely, tired night
Fifth and Jonestown Height
I wander up the stairs
To find you waiting there
Before I know I’m three drinks deep
Whiskey, scotch, nothing cheap
With each drop a siren’s song
We won’t be here for very long
I’m just so drunk and
I’ve been down this road before
I know it only ends up poor
I’ll pour myself another
Mix myself another
Closer, closer as we drink
Never take the time to think
We both know better shouldn’t we?
Fuck it, I’ll just let this be
Kiss the corner of your lips
Hands find their way onto hips
We both know some infidelity
These drinks don’t bring me clarity
I’m just so drunk and
I don’t trust myself with you
But the night is young and so’re you
I’ll pour myself another
Mix myself another
Feel it as it hits the throat
Burning like a lover’s note
Warm like the touch I feel
Brokering a devil’s deal
A whisper here, a soft sigh there
I’m not sure when I got to here
But I know I don’t want to go
So I’ll just ask for one more
I’m just so drunk and
You eyes are bright and blue
I just don’t know what to do
But pour myself another
Mix myself another
They always told me to be careful
I knew you’d bring out the worst in me
I just don’t care at all not anymore
But they’ve never stood here like me
Glass in hand in hand with yours
They will never ever see
What it is you mean to me
I’m just so drunk and
I’ve been down this road before
I know it only ends up poor
I’ll pour myself another
Mix myself another
I’m just so drunk and
I don’t trust myself with you
But the night is young and so’re you
I’ll pour myself another
Mix myself another
I’m just so drunk and
You eyes are bright and blue
I just don’t know what to do
But pour myself another
Mix myself another
But I’m just so drunk and
You are so goddamn beautiful
So cheers to us darling
Nothing between us now
We are the perfect mix
You and I
You and I
Trivia
- This is one of Quinn's favourite songs she's ever written, even she doesn't actually think it's that good.
Inspiration: Trembling Blue Stars - Helen Reddy
Trivia
- Quinn wrote this song about ex-girlfriend and friend February Lancaster and the complicated situation that existed between them when they were dating. She thought this was a wonderful gesture! It was not.
- Was the first single from the EP, with a cover of "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20 as the b-side.
Inspiration: The Academy Is... - Beware! Cougar!
Well when we first met
I didn’t know what to expect
But you took me by the arm
Threw caution to the wind
Said things I can’t forget
“Love won’t wait”
And then we made promises
Plans to just get away
Tires spin and we were gone
Threw caution to the wind
They watched us drive away
“Love won’t wait”
We're all living in the
Empire of the sun!
No need to pretend now
We can work it out
Looking down from above
No destination in our minds
Just a smile to get by
So reckless of us they said
Threw caution to the wind
Can’t say that I care too much tonight
Love won’t wait
We're all living in the
Empire of the sun!
No need to pretend now
We can work it out
Looking down from above
No, no, no more time
Spent living in the dark!
No need to pretend now
We can work it out
Looking down from above
When this endless summer began
I couldn’t have known
where I would land
But I wouldn’t trade for the world
Right now
We learned so much about our lives
Seated in this endless drive
Lost on the road
Never coming home
We’re never coming home!
We're all living in the
Empire of the sun!
No need to pretend now
We can work it out
Looking down from above
No, no, no more time
Spent living in the dark!
No need to pretend now
We can work it out
Looking down from above
Trivia
- None to speak of.
Well
Don't you know what's ahead?
Do you see what I see now
Waiting up ahead
Hey
Stand here right next to me
And tell me, tell me
Are you here for me?
Are you here for me?
These are wild fantasies
Unlike anything before
Red fire coloured dreams
Unlike anything before
Stay tonight with me
My wild fantasy
Wild fantasies
Still
I never could have known
How you'd blow me away
When we met
And
I didn't really know
Just what to expect
So tell me, tell me
Are you here for me?
Will you stay with me?
These are wild fantasies
Unlike anything before
Red fire coloured dreams
Unlike anything before
Stay tonight with me
My wild fantasy
Wild fantasies
What happens when we turn out the light
Stays between us
What happens at the end of the night
Stays between us
Stays between us
My starburst fantasy
These are wild fantasies
Unlike anything before
Red fire coloured dreams
Unlike anything before
Stay tonight with me
My wild fantasy
Wild fantasies
Trivia
- Quinn wrote this song somewhat on the spot in the studio in a fit of creativity.
- Was the 2nd single from the EP, with "Stardust" as the b-side.
Inspirations: Jimmy Eat World - Disintegration and The Juliana Theory - You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight
This isn't what I know
This city of glass
Wreckage all around me
Don't you think this is not
How it's supposed to be?
Living in a glass wonderland
A broken fantasy
Fragments laced across the street
Memories lost
Ruins of what was meant to be
How did we get this way?
How did we
Get this way?
Lost in a black fog
Taken from all
That I know
But I don’t want to go
None of this seems so real to me
Don’t take me
Don’t take me
Living in a glass wonderland
A broken fantasy
Fragments laced across the street
Memories lost
Ruins of what was meant to be
How did we
Get this way?
How did we
Get this way?
Break, break, falling apart
Like a glass wonderland
Break, break, wasting our lives
In a glass wonderland
Break, break, falling apart
Like a glass wonderland
Break, break, wasting our lives
In a glass wonderland
(continues in background)
What happened to the world we once knew?
To the light?
Living in a glass wasteland
Shattered forever
Where do we go from here?
It takes me
Don’t take me
Don’t take me
Don’t take me
Living in a glass wonderland
A broken fantasy
Fragments laced across the street
Memories lost
Ruins of what was meant to be
How did we
Get this way?
How did we
Get this way?
Trivia:
- This song is a not so subtle metaphor for the state of New York in 2010, with some disastrous undertones.
- The song was originally the centerpiece of a concept album idea called Glass Wasteland.
Inspiration: Lisa Miskovsky - Last Year's Song
I can't forget the day you left
That quiet, unassuming theft
You stole my car and you stole my heart
That was when it all fell apart
Did you just forget?
About the day we met?
Or was it just like the dawn
Here so brief then gone
Was it bright stardust
Did it glitter just
Like the light in my eyes
As I stared up at the sky.
You left here in the dead of night
I never knew it would end tonight
The sound of glass shattering
Now these tears won't stop falling
I laid out on the lawn
Wondering where you'd gone
Would you come back for me
In a year or three?
Was this all for show?
I guess I'll never know
It was just that bright stardust
Now I know I must
When you come through again
I won't be here waiting then
My heart's been undone
To think we'd just begun
You won't find me now
Find me now
So this is how it ends
There's nothing left to mend
Lost forever in the sky
Like stardust from my eye
Trivia:
- This song was the b-side on the single for "Fantasies", the second single from Glass Wonderland.
- This song was originally meant to be on Glass Wonderland as a counterpoint to Desire's Grip, placed between She Talks to Spirits and Fantasies in the tracklisting. Despite being the most complete of the songs cut from the album, it was dropped when Desire's Grip was as well.
Inspiration: A Fine Frenzy - You Picked Me
I walked down a lonely street
Drowning in the summer heat
In the night
You looked at me, I looked at you
Something born to be brand new
You and me
A siren's song across the sea
I heard the way you talked t' me
Like the stars high in the sky
You made me feel like I could fly
Here now I feel desire's grip
Words hanging on my lips
I love what you do to me
I love what you do to me
We danced under a clear moon
From May all the way through June
Forever
Lights shining bright down the path
That led me here next to you
To the end
You looked at me, I looked at you
Something born to be brand new
You and me
And all I can say
Is that come what may
I won’t forget today
A siren's song across the sea
I heard the way you talked t' me
Like the stars high in the sky
You made me feel like I could fly
Here now I feel desire's grip
Words hanging on my lips
I love what you do to me
I love what you do to me
And here we stand
Feet in the sand
My eyes to yours
Want nothing more
Stay here with me
Stay here with me
And all I can say
Is that come what may
I won’t forget today
A siren's song across the sea
I heard the way you talked t' me
Like the stars high in the sky
You made me feel like I could fly
Here now I feel desire's grip
Words hanging on my lips
I love what you do to me
I love what you do to me
I love what you do to me
I love what you do to me
Trivia:
- This song is about Quinn's nearly year long romance with Ygraine FitzRoy and features her on at least one instrument. She is not credited on the album due to extenuating circumstances.
- Though cut from Glass Wonderland, a rough version of it was included on a CD she gave to attendees at her 2010 Christmas Party.
- A finished version was recorded for Empire of the Sun, but was also cut from that album. A copy of a CD containing this and other songs cut from Empire was given to Ygraine FitzRoy and Elaine Darrow.
"Empire of the Sun" Single (October 2011)
With the success of her Glass Wonderland EP and a feature in the April 2011 issue of Pause Magazine, Quinn wasted no time setting forth to record a new, full length record with the intention of pushing it to release in early 2012. After a false start that led to a number of tracks being scrapped, Quinn spent much of her summer in 2011 putting together a new album named Empire of the Sun, with the track of the same name from Glass Wonderland appearing on the album with new, rewritten lyrics. The album was finished, mixed, and mastered, with master analog tapes handed over to Studio K. It's release, however, was indefinitely delayed by Quinn's departure to Pollepel in October 2011 and the subsequent closure of Studio K. Only a single for "Empire of the Sun" was ever issued, hitting the airwaves in October 2011.
Tracklist
- Empire of the Sun (Empire Version)
- Ashes (Version Q)
Inspiration: Still The Academy Is... - Beware! Cougar!
Well when we first met
I didn’t know what to expect
But you took me by the arm
Threw caution to the wind
Said things I can’t forget
“Love won’t wait”
And then we made promises
Plans to just get away
Tires spin and we were gone
Threw caution to the wind
They watched us drive away
“Love won’t wait”
So far, so good!
Take the wheel and
Let it go, let it fall!
Break it down, we’re
Lost now, we’re gone now!
Lost in the empire of the sun
No destination in our minds
Just a smile to get by
So reckless of us they said
Threw caution to the wind
Can’t say that I care too much tonight
Love won’t wait
So far, so good!
Take the wheel and
Let it go, let it fall!
Break it down, we’re
Lost now, we’re gone now!
Lost in the empire of the sun
When this endless summer began
I couldn’t have known
where I would land
But I wouldn’t trade for the world
Right now
We learned so much about our lives
Seated in this endless drive
Lost on the road
Never coming home
We’re never coming home!
So far, so good!
Take the wheel and
Let it go, let it fall!
Break it down, we’re
Lost now, we’re gone now!
So far, so good!
Take the wheel and
Let it go, let it fall!
Break it down, we’re
Lost now, we’re gone now!
Lost in the empire of the sun
Inspiration: Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
Burnin’ up like a big bright sun
Floating down from outer space
Tell me that I’m all yours
The brightest star in all the sky
Lighting up the atmosphere
Drive me wild with your pulse
Not caring for the ground
Burnin’ out, only ashes still remain
Can’t think, can’t sleep, can’t move
Torn asunder
What I am, can't be without you
There's no future I can see without you
Don't matter how many tears I cry
My wings are clipped, I'll never fly
Away
Like a fairy tale now we wind
In and out of my worn mind
Tell me now what you saw
Losing control of what I feel
Falling down all around us
Pushed too far, breaking down
Collapsing to the ground
Fade away, ashes still remain
What I am, can't be without you
There's no future I can see without you
Don't matter how many tears I cry
My wings are clipped, I'll never fly
Away
Can’t think, can’t sleep, can’t move
Torn asunder
What I am, can't be without you
There's no future I can see without you
Don't matter how many tears I cry
My wings are clipped, I'll never fly
Away
Trivia:
- "Ashes" was the first song Sable and Quinn started writing together for the project that would become Mad Muse. Eventually, Quinn decided to take her half of the lyrics and flesh out a version on her own to see how it would compare to whatever Sable wrote. Her results in this exercise were recorded during the Glass Wonderland sessions and put on the single for "Empire of the Sun" as the b-side. The song utilizes just a piano and Quinn's voice run through a vocoder for additional sound layering.
Other Songs
- Lost Songs
- Adore
- All Eyes On The Liar
- Just Breathe
- Shadows on the Wall
- Swanmay
- The Dying of the Light
- Take The Fall
Despite having put an end to her musical career, there were several songs written by Robyn Quinn that never saw formal release, either to circumstances out of her control, or because they were never properly recorded. Some people have copies of these "lost" recordings. Robyn herself seems to have no interest in doing anything with them. A collection of known unreleased material written by Robyn Quinn includes:
- A Means to an End
- Adore
- All Eyes On The Liar
- The Breaker (rewritten)
- Choice
- City of Glass (Else Kjelstrom cover)
- Coming Down
- Don't Go
- The Dying of the Light
- Eyes Wide Open
- Guilty
- Hold On
- I Know How You Do
- Julia
- Just Breathe
- Ocean of Light
- Pieces (rewritten)
- Shadows on the Wall
- Starcrossed
- Swanmay
- Sympathy (rewritten)
- Take The Fall (rewritten)
- The Way Back Is Closed (Originally written by Else Kjelstrom)
- Yesterday
More will likely come to light in time.
Style: A mid tempo song played on just an acoustic guitar
Should’ve known
You'd bring me heartache
We let this get too far
Let this go too long
What to do, what to do
Why do I adore you?
Can’t I just forget you?
Lying only
Kills me slowly
I can’t escape you
How long is too long?
Too long to forget
Time like waves
Breaking on our shore
Hanging on for more
Try so hard, so long
What to do, what to do
Why do you adore me?
Can’t you just forget me?
Lying only
Kills us slowly
You can’t escape me
How long is too long?
Too long to forget
Goodbye, you I adore
So far away from me
I’m setting you free
You have your wings
So go on and fly
So go on and fly
So long, my broken love
I won’t haunt you anymore
Let go of all you adore
Don’t worry ‘bout me
We won’t cross paths
We won’t cross paths
We won’t cross paths
Again
Trivia:
- Adore is one of the songs on the post-war demo CD given to Jolene Petrelli.
- This song can be heard infrequently on WSZR, along with the other songs on the CD, "Just Breathe", "The Dying of the Light", "Swanmay", and "The Way Back Is Closed".
- The timing of when this song was written is unknown, and hasn't currently been shared.
Inspiration: The Get Up Kids - In Your Sea
All eyes on the liar
Songs for a pyre
The evidence you found
None of it was sound
Nothing left to prove
All I can do is move
On and on and on
On and on and on
Distant memories
Haunting reveries
Waiting endlessly
Drowning misery
All eyes on the liar
Songs for the fire
So the best of us
Is left out to rust
Drowning in the rain
All I can do is hang
On and on and on
On and on and on
All eyes on the liar
Songs for the choir
Don't say I'm sorry
Someday I'll be free
No more thoughts abound
All I can do is drown
On and on and on
On and on and on
Distant memories
Haunting reveries
Waiting endlessly
Drowning misery
And I am haunted
By the sights and sounds
Echoes of another life
And I am haunted (All eyes on the liar)
By voices I hear (Songs for the pyre)
Carrying this tune (On and on and on)
And I am haunted (All eyes on the liar)
By the sights and sounds (Songs for the fire)
Echoes of another life (On and on and on)
And I am haunted (All eyes on the liar)
By voices I hear (Songs for the choir)
Carrying this tune (On and on and on)
Trivia:
- This song was written in 2018 in an emotional fit, and was the first one Robyn had written in five years.
Style: Just Breathe is a slower, almost conversational song that starts with just a guitar and some piano, before it builds into a fuller song when the song hits the bridge, becoming faster paced while still keeping an airy, upbeat sound.
Look
At this red fire
How did we get to this, mate?
I guess it really was too late.
Just breathe.
Just breathe.
Look
What’s between us
Is it the same as yesterday?
Why do we carry on this way?
Guess
I’ll just ask now
I know you’ll just look away
An’ ask where we’ll spend the day
Just breathe.
Just breathe.
Look
Up at the stars
The light’s started t’ fade t’night
An’ I think my heart just might
Break
The sun has set
An’ now I guess so’s our love
I turn an’ give you a shove
Guess
We’re finally talkin’ now
An’ when you raise your voice
You give me a dead man’s choice
Just breathe.
Just-
[tempo picks up dramatically]
No, fuck this I’m not doin’ it anymore!
I really need you t’ listen t’ me
I’m trying t’ tell you there’s a problem
But you never want t’ listen, you just want t’ argue.
Shut up!
I said shut up!
I don’t fucking care anymore I just need you t’ listen
Everything around us has gotten so loud
An’ I can barely even stand the buzzing anymore
I’m so tired of everyone tellin’ me t’ just breathe
What a load of shit
If I want t’ feel sad, then I’m gonna
There’s not really much anyone can do about it
I’m tired of naffin’ about an’ I don’t really care
About the nixer you got for the holiday
Is that really all y’ have t’ say?
I can’t do this anymore, I really can’t!
I want t’ go out t’ shows
I want t’ sing out loud and I want t’ scream
I just want t’ scream
Stop telling me I need t’ be calm
I don’t care if I need t’ take a minute and just breathe
It’s hell out there and If I have t’ face it with you
Well then I’m just not gonna
I’ll find somewhere else t’ be
This is the end, we’re done here
An’ I’ve never been happier
I’ve never been happier
I’ve never been… (gasp)
Oh god I’m running out of air
[tempo slows down]
Just try an’ breathe
Just breathe.
Just breathe.
Just breathe.
Just fuckin’ breathe…
Trivia:
- Just Breathe is one of the songs on the post-war demo CD given to Jolene Petrelli.
- This song can be heard infrequently on WSZR, along with the other songs on the CD, "Adore", "The Dying of the Light", "Swanmay", and "The Way Back Is Closed".
- Despite being recorded post-war, the song sees Robyn Quinn returning to an Irish accent and gait - the only song on the demo that has such a style.
- Curiously, Just Breathe is a song that also existed in the Wasteland future, one of the only one of Robyn's songs to appear in multiple timelines.
Trivia:
- Originally written for Robyn's unreleased album, Empire of the Sun.
- A snippet of lyrics was performed in A Song In Every Future.
Style: A slower acoustic track with a similar style to a previous Robyn Quinn song, "The Perfect Mix".
Signs of winter
Fall down from above
Light on a lake
Dance a dance beloved
Brightened smiles
Love me, love me
Blue eyes shine
Love me, love me
Swanmay
How should I feel?
Dance forever
Show me what was always real
Red horizon
Sun setting in the sky
Spin in place
Whisper goodbye
Faded nights
Love me, love me
Burning memories
Love me, love me
Swanmay
Full of beauty
Live forever
No tragic ends to our story
These february nights
Trapped far from light
Come what may
Come what may
Tonight the world burns
No more sweet returns
Come what may
Come what may
I'll always have you
My sweet swanmay
Swanmay
How should I feel?
Dance forever
Show me what was always real
Swanmay
Full of beauty
Live forever
No tragic ends to our story
Signs of winter
Fall down from above
Light on a lake
Dance a dance beloved
Brightened smiles
Love me, love me
Blue eyes shine
Love me, love me
Love me, love me
Love me, love me
No tragedy in this story
- Adore is one of the songs on the post-war demo CD given to Jolene Petrelli.
- This song can be heard infrequently on WSZR, along with the other songs on the CD, "Just Breathe", "Adore", "The Dying of the Light", and "The Way Back Is Closed".
- This song was written in the early years of the second US Civil War, to fulfill a promise made to February Lancaster.
Style: Very Oasis-esque. The only song on the source demo with a backing band.
We’re at the edge of the world
A storm rages forever and more
All the rivers overflow to the deep
They trap us in dreamless sleep
Follow me into the dark
We’ll try this another time
This time we will hit the mark
We’ll be party to this crime
Party to this crime
I was told
Kid, just don’t try
No matter what you do
You won’t find out why
And I was told
Give up the fight
Nothing we can do
To stop the dying of the light
We’ve gone so colourblind
Can’t see to find the way
We stand here in this twilight
Was anything we did right?
Are we lost, fading away?
Trapped in our delirium
With nothing left to adore
Endless midnight we abhor
What else is in store?
I was told
Kid, you can’t win
All the nights that come
Lose all you’ve ever been
And I was told
Give up the fight
Nothing we can do
To stop the dying of the light
And as night falls we’ll find
A way outta this bind
They’ll be there, there for us
With thoughts so treasonous
Fading from this glass wasteland
Nothing went as we had planned
With nothing left to us as bright
We’ll go with the dying of the light
We’ll go with the dying of the light
We’ll go with the dying of the light
So tired of the endless fight
We’ll go with the dying of the light
I was told
Kid, just don’t try
Well, I have to see this through
And I’m done with asking why
Forget what you were told
We’ll get through the night
If it’s the last thing I do
I’ll stop the dying of the light
I’ll stop the dying of the light
I’ll stop the dying of the light
Trivia:
- Adore is one of the songs on the post-war demo CD given to Jolene Petrelli.
- This song can be heard infrequently on WSZR, along with the other songs on the CD, "Just Breathe", "Adore", "Swanmay", and "The Way Back Is Closed".
- This song was written on Pollepel Island in November 2011 following the events at the Commonwealth Arcology
Inspiration: Metric - All Yours
Tell me now
Are we always this way?
Will you hate me
For all the choices I make?
We can’t stop
It’s too late
I won’t stop
I know where I am
I’ll take the fall
For this now
I won’t be afraid
I’ll walk my line
Won’t stop me now
I won’t be afraid
Tell me now
For all your love today
If I do this now
Will I see your smile again?
We can’t stop
It’s too late
I won’t stop
I know where I am
I’ll take the fall
For this now
I won’t be afraid
I’ll walk my line
Won’t stop me now
I won’t be afraid
I’ll take the fall
For this now
I won’t be scared
I’ll tear this down
From earth to stars
I’ll take this away
I’ll take the fall
For this now
I won’t be afraid
I’ll walk my line
Won’t stop me now
I won’t be afraid
I’ll take the fall
For this now
I won’t be scared
I’ll tear this down
From earth to stars
I’ll take this away
I’ll take the fall
I’ll take the fall
I’ll take the fall
Trivia:
- "Take The Fall" was one of the first songs Robyn Quinn ever wrote, when she first began to seriously consider music as a career in 2002. It went through several revisions and demos over the years, before she wrote this version in 2011 during the sessions for the album that became Empire of the Sun. While that album was never released, Take The Fall was cut when the first set of songs she wrote for it were scrapped and wasn't to appear on the final tracklist.
- Lyrics first revealed in Take The Fall.