ARRIVAL LOG 008

[larkers]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: Night of October 5 to night of October 8
WHAT: The eighth arrival
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion and loss of autonomy, alcohol usage. Further notes at end of log.

> ARRIVAL LOG #008

Awareness comes to you in blurred snatches, cloudy fragments of sound and light, color, sensation. Hazy and difficult to grasp on to, but slowly aligning into focus. A series of regular, rhythmic beeps. A medicinal, astringent smell. The sensation of movement, a low hum and accompanying vibration under you. Your eyes are heavy, hard to keep open, but in the glimpses between slow, dark blinks you see four people in black body armor seated opposite you, as well as a man in dark gray scrubs.

You realize there are others next to you. All of you in blue short sleeve shirts and ill-fitting jeans, hair recently cut but at various stages of growth, restrained by straps across your chests, arms, feet, holding you to the bench under you. To your left, an armored interior door, two more people visible, the movement of streets passing through a windshield. You try to open your mouth to speak, but it's as if your tongue is coated in tar, and you manage nothing more than an empty parting of lips.

The vehicle stops. The guard opposite you stands and comes to unbuckle you from the bench, helping you to your feet. Your limbs feel wooden and heavy, slow to move. One guard opens the back of the vehicle, and false, colored light, illuminating the streets in the distance will first alert your senses of being somewhere else, combined with warm air that's only cooled with the setting of the sun. The nurse moves to stand at the back, checking each passenger over one by one just before they're helped out of the vehicle, quick and methodical. He doesn't climb out after you, moving to sit as the last passenger is unloaded.

The guards keep their heads down. Their actions are quick, firm, but not entirely unkind. Once all the passengers are out, they climb back into the vehicle and close the doors. The engine powers up again, and then the bus is gone.

You're left alone in an alley, with no idea of where you are or why you've been brought here.

Around the corner of the alley, there is the smell of beer and a weird yodel-like sound – no, wait. That is definitely yodeling and beer. Further movement forward will lead to you finding yourself in a busy area filled with multiple people carrying reusable cups full of liquid. You've just shown up at a party with a bunch of people wearing nearly identical clothing. The good thing is that everyone is probably too drunk to notice.

◉ Though entirely capable of independent action and thought, new characters will find themselves completely, unquestioningly compliant to any verbal statement which could be taken as a command or request.

> OKTOBERFEST

The message from El comes the same as usual: insistent, not waiting for any active attempt to open it. Scrolling within your vision as if being written while you're reading it.

I'm starting to think that the arrests last month mean that our friendly delivery men have had to change up what they're doing. Either way - the group waiting for you this time is huge. The get up? Blue shirts, all around. Let's see how long that lasts. Anyway. Arrival #8. You know the deal, don't you? I bet you're all already out there having a good time.

Although New Amsterdam is a mish-mash of world cultures, there are certain traditions that took root in the city as it began to form its identity. Yes, one was Anime Naexpo. Another? Oktoberfest. Hoping to capitalize on the heritage of the region, businesses throughout New Amsterdam pushed for the continued celebration of Oktoberfest. In fact, the only time it wasn't celebrated was during the Xelkoven War, as the fight between humans and AI meant that any celebrations were put by the wayside.

Perhaps even more so than having to work during an anime convention, Oktoberfest is not a fun time for customer service workers. All around, various different cashiers, food truck chefs and drivers, rickshawers, couriers and more find that they don't have a choice but to dress up in Dutch costumes recalling times of the past. These costumes are typically pulled out of some back closest and generally assigned to the employees, so some of them won't fit all that well. The problem is that it isn't cool enough to be dressed in these as the days cool off, and the only saving grace is that they get to work at night rather than the day. The early parts of their shifts are miserably hot, and things don't get better from there. If your character is a customer service employee, they can expect some uncomfortable days ahead.

Somehow, the discomfort of the various workers doesn't come in the way of the loud and festive activities. All around New Amsterdam, various tents go up selling a lot of different wares, many of which are probably second hand junk that people are trying to sell off for a few credits. This is the time when the Black Market stops working underground, instead opening temporary store fronts in tents that are far too nice for the wares they're providing (but at least they're trying to be a less obvious money laundering front). If someone's looking to get in good with the underground or get a sense of how to find these places for some actually illegal goods, Oktoberfest is a prime place to start.

Otherwise? Oktoberfest is likely full of what anyone would expect: a lot of beer, funny looking Bavarian clothing, a lot of live music, and a lot of opportunities for drunken folk to put on a good show. If your character is the type to look for an opening to grab some attention, this is the place to do it.

◉ There will be a lot of beers available in pretty much every single tent. The drinking age in New Amsterdam is 18, but it's equally unlikely that anyone will be checking implants with how busy everything will be. The most popular beer this year? "We're Lucky We're Not Cyborgs," an extremely hoppy IPA made by the most popular brewery in New Amsterdam. All of the beers are available in bottles that you can return for more, as businesses no longer sell alcohol by the can. Think of growlers – but in a far more manageable size! Feel free to come up with the cyberpunk name of your dreams for the beer. Or people can just drink the New Amsterdam River – which is the name of the beer with a picture of the man-made river on it. It's cheap, but reliable. Oh, and for those of you that don't like the taste of beer, there's cider and mead on tap at most places as well.

◉ There will be various stages all over for acts to perform, but the schedules will not be full. Before long, the characters will know that Oktoberfest is where some people plan to get discovered. And … it's also a place where some people become social media sensations, in either good or bad ways. Need to propose to someone? Need to show off your abs? These stages are the place to be. If someone's not up there, take the chance and make it your time to shine. Or … go down in infamy.

◉ Most of the food throughout the festival will harken back to its German heritage, albeit without a whole lot of success. There are sausages, but much like the hot dogs of today, it's likely better that you don't ask what's in them. A safe bet is the large array of potato dishes around. These are delicious – and cheap!

◉ There are some competitions, too! Virtual fencing – albeit in a very, very amateurish way – and virtual crossbow competitions happen throughout the three-day event. And then there's yodeling. One of the stages will be dedicated to this the entire time. Yes, people practice to win big, but that doesn't mean that everyone has to practice.

◉ Like with Oktoberfest of the past, celebrities will have their own VIP tent right in the heart of the financial district. If you have a favorite music, film, or movie star and they have a penchant for partying, this is the place to be. Sneaking in will be hard – but not impossible. Though some will find that they might have to work this tent. These celebrities can't go without their coffee or beer, after all.

> SAFEHOUSE

Access to the safehouse is a hatch hidden behind stacks of empty storage shelves in the back of an abandoned supermarket in an outer district of the city. The immediate area is similarly abandoned, empty stores, flanked by several blocks of dive bars and clubs which cater to more niche tastes. A place where people can come and go unseen, or, if seen, not spoken of. A dark haired woman called Gaby is ready to greet the new arrivals and get them settled in, brusque and no-nonsense – she'll be open for in depth questions later, but will advise everyone to ask the people who brought them in for the beginning bits of information.

◉ The safe house is a large open space, filled with rows of basic cots set up to sleep a large amount of people. Basic, but outfitted with everything necessary for daily life. A few doors lead to back rooms for storage, medical care and a large communal bathroom, and past the long rows of cots there is a communal kitchen, fully stocked, and an eating area. Privacy is at a minimum.

◉ New characters will be asked to pick their beds, and provided with a change of (second-hand, mismatched and somewhat threadbare) clothes and basic toiletries.

◉ While there were previously also NPC occupants of the safehouse, natives to New Amsterdam, these people have now been moved on to somewhere safer. A few of their belongings remain, discarded or accidentally abandoned.

◉ Gaby will make it clear to all new arrivals that if they have any requests or queries, they should contact her or El.

◉ There will be shifts when Gaby isn't present in the safehouse because she's shorthanded following the UNA attacks in our January event. New characters will find that if they try to open the hatch to leave during this time, it'll be sealed shut for anyone without a registered implant.

◉ The drugs making new characters compliant will remain in their systems for a few hours after their arrival at the safehouse before finally beginning to fade. They will be gone entirely after a night's rest. In the meantime, they may want to be careful of what others say to them.

◉ New characters will be given rudimentary access to the network on arrival in the safehouse, but will not have their ID set up yet. They will be able to make posts and replies, but their messages will be anonymous and they do not have inboxes yet.

◉ New characters will not be allowed to leave the safehouse until OCTOBER 9. These 4 days are for them to adjust, learn about the world they've arrived in from their fellows, and for El to speak with them and work on setting up their IDs.

> WHAT DREAMS MAY COME

As everyone goes to sleep, a familiar stomp vibrates through New Tokyo on the other side of the world. The wall outside of the city is stable at first, holding up, but the vibrations continue. The creature this time is twice as large as the one that hit New Amsterdam – 800m high, yet not seen until right around when the vibrations began. It should have been, by all rights: New Tokyo is no less secure than the other cities around the world, with constant surveillance and a dedication toward maintaining an idyllic life for its citizens. Its behavior is similar: it slams its tail against the outer wall of the city before it gives way, the destruction nearly absolute. In a panic, New Tokyo's UNA forces and police force move into action to try to bring down the monster and protect its citizens.

At the same time, whether they're still awake or already asleep, something stirs inside of the displaced. Their chests will glow without anything to bring it about – no power drawn on, either innate or new, and no skin touching. This glow seems to fatigue any of them if they're still awake, and will send anyone already asleep into a deeper one. Once they're under, the stirring within will give way to unrest that foments dreams and visions for many of the displaced. If they had a dream while they slept, characters will wake up with a burning sensation in their chest.

As for New Tokyo: it will be left in ruins by the time the UNA soldiers there manage to take down the monster. Several sections of the city remain intact – almost out of luck – and the governor of New Tokyo reports that they believe this monster came from outside of the city, having been given life by the unsafe conditions outside of the megacity. Within a few hours, this statement will be revised, with the governor admitting that he doesn't know what the monster was or where it came from, only that their surveillance saw that it came from outside.

The three dreams below are what each character will experience, though you can feel free to assume they managed to jar themselves awake before the dream finished. To get a dream, please comment below to get an RNGed number for the dream that they'll be having. Since these are unnatural dreams, you can feel free to have your character remember it in its entirety – or not, if that's what you'd prefer.

If you have multiple characters, we suggest you only have one experience a dream, but it's ultimately up to you!

> DREAM 001

A blue glow illuminates the site – offering light on a foggy morning, with everyone having completed their journey to this final destination. A sense of fatigue and relief that washes over everyone there, but also an inner warmth that seems to radiate from the site itself. Huge rocks rise up on either side of the site, acting as shielding barriers for these followers and what lies ahead of them. Despite the lack of natural light cast through the thick fog, there's still a distant glow, leading them forward.

You find yourself among these people, well aware of the many miles you walked to get here, most of it on an incline. Around you, the clothes that people wear are worn, tattered, made from wool that's begun to wear down. How long have you all been traveling? It's hard to say – hard to guess, only that you know that you were all drawn here. No single story is the same. Some saw symbols: triangles that glowed when they saw them in the periphery, as well as bits of circles coming together. The tree of life. Perfect like nature in its finest form. Others could never put the words to what they experienced.

Each of you feel the draw now. It resonates within you, fills you up. Just ahead, there are structures that seem to float in space, and when you draw closer, a clear, light blue bridge appears. The walk forward requires a leap of faith – and there are some unwilling to take it. Afraid. They wonder if they've wasted their time.

But you haven't. You walk forward, and the bridge carries you forward. You can't tell if you're walking or literally carried, but eventually you come to an alcove where a strange circular structure stands. As you step closer, it comes to life, a mixture of lights and – no, not sounds. But the same resonating warmth.

You walk into it and –

– you find yourself somewhere else. Somewhere new.

> DREAM 002

– this is not where you belong where you've chosen to live – this is not it this is not it this is not it –

Your fingers spread, wrapping around the nearest metal instrument to drag it close. You test the edge against your skin, drawing out a sharp pain. You never asked for this particular experience. But every day, you feel it.

It's time to take back what you can. The walls around you are white, pristine. Somehow, you know that they weren't a day ago. One of the others you know got sick, doubled over after a bad interaction with a medication. You see them now, dark rings under their eyes, a shaved head. How do you know this? Your mind doesn't answer you. You just react. Someone in a coat as white as the room draws closer. Checking your vital signs. Your breathing picks up – your lungs hurt. You lash out with the instrument, cutting deep. A bright red spreads. A sick smile creeps over your lips. You know that color, deep within you. You know it.

And then there's nothing.

And then life moves on (your life moves on). Has time passed? The room is different. The person with the red splotch of color on their lab coat is gone, and your build is different. More gangly, uncontrolled. Deep down, you feel an unabiding frustration. You hear a shout: "Put them down!" It's too late. A fire erupts. The doors seal.

> DREAM 003

You recognize the walls. The building. But there's some barrier between you and it, a constant, subdued fog that lies between you and your surroundings. The lights are bright. Everyone moves in a single file, dressed in the same white scrubs. You're among them. The workers walk alongside you, occasionally checking your vital signs. Sometimes they make you grab each other's hands, noting the shift in reactions or responses.

The air here is cool. Stale. Your head is cold, recently shaven. Like everyone else, sans a few. It looks like it's been a while since they had a haircut. You don't recognize them, not like the others. You're certain that you recognize the others.

Thought is difficult to process. There's an IV into your arm. You try to make out more of your surroundings, but the fog encroaches and takes over. You're missing your chance. Your chance to know where you are – were? Who did this to you?

Distantly, you see a marking on a wall. Letters. P - R - O - PROJECT. You're certain of it. What else is there? Nothing. No. Something, but not another word. It's a symbol of some kind, or – an animal? There's a splotch of yellow, bright and prominent on its breast, with a dark V that cuts down. The fog obscures the rest.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

This arrival log is a little different, as it doubles as a prologue for our monthly event! Everyone's character can have one of the dreams, and it'll hit them anytime within a day of the attack on New Tokyo. This does include anyone new to the game! So, please go ahead and comment below to have your dreaming character assigned a number. All assignments will be random on our part!

Welcome to Meadowlark, newbies! You're now free to post to the network and logs comms. To reiterate, your characters will have no IDs or inboxes, nor be allowed out of the safehouse until OCTOBER 9 (MARCH 17). At that point it's expected they'll have gotten a good idea of their new situation from their fellow characters, and will have discussed their background and job potentials with El in order for their false IDs to be set up.

All arrival logs act as mingles, so older players can please feel free to top level for the festivities described!

If you have any questions or ideas about how you'd like to get your character involved in the world, please head over to the plot engagement post and drop us a comment! For questions specific to this log, there is a thread below.

Please check out our March calendar rundown for a look at things happening this month, as well as some additional notes from the mods.

As a reminder, AC for new characters accepted in March will be 10 comments across 2-4 threads, while current characters will need to provide the full AC of 20 comments across 2-4 threads. AC will be posted on April 1 and close on April 7. If you do not reply to AC, you will be considered idled and dropped from the game. We will not post a warning list.

> NAVIGATION

Comments

[gasping]

I'm hungry.

[ that much is a whine, agitation and frustration both, but it's an understatement. she's past hunger, past a simple want for food — though caroline's never seen it happen, she could very well mummify given a bit longer of burning energy and nothing come in to replenish it. ]

Unless there's blood bags down in the secret basement that you won't let me into or somebody willing to stick their neck out for the cause, I don't think you can help me.

[ which is what she'd been worried about from the very beginning, but she'd let herself get carried away with a little shred of useless hope. and now she's let out a secret she never intended anyone to know, to somebody who may not even keep it.

and she can't leave this place, at least not for a few more days. which meant she could very well be trapped in here with people who would like nothing more than to stick a pile of wood right through her vampire barbie heart. no thanks. ]

I need to get out of here. There's got to be — bunnies, foxes, something.

[ she hadn't even been able to find rats before rey had ambushed her, but surely there was something out in this place. it might be the future, but surely there were animals somewhere. ]

[theseuschip]

[ It’s a very compassionate approach, one that Simon has no capacity to appreciate, since he’s immediately preoccupied with wanting this guy to leave and stop acknowledging this embarrassing spectacle. He grips the counter — with his right hand, the remaining portion of his left arm not doing much to help out here — in front of one of the sinks, jaw set and neck muscles corded.

He’s studiously trying not to think about the thing set into his chest, the color of the WAU’s lights, or the fact that somebody cut his head open and put some kind of blackbox thing in it. As if his head hasn’t been through enough lately.

Through the tunnel vision, he catches a glimpse of the stranger in the mirror. Obviously, it’s some starkly GQ-looking guy who’s wearing clothes that fit and doesn’t look like he has nuclear food poisoning. Because who else would it be. ]

Yeah. [ the question might seem unnecessary because the answer is obvious, but apparently not to Simon, since he not only gives an answer anyway but gives one that’s clearly stupid, in a strained tone around the constriction in his chest. ] I’m good. Sorry.

[reneger]

There's nothing like that in this generation. No wildlife running round streets to nab. ( at the very least: she made it absolutely clear with her last statements about what exactly's going on here. doesn't leave room for doubt in jason's mind when she speaks about blood bags and necks. it's strange, but not the strangest--hell, it's not even close to the top of the list of weirdest shit he's seen on gotham's corners. granted, she's still a little out of his field of expertise. jason handles drug dealers, petty arms dealers, assholes like black mask. those that aren't quite human but not far enough gone to be considered otherworldly. rarely, does he cross over into dealing with other shit.

there's a low breath that passes through his lips, before jason gets to his feet. the medical supplies are still running a bit low after what happened before. from how--desperate she's looking, he doubts she can hold it together much longer. but she is trying--that much is obvious. whatever her deal is, ripping out veins and doing whatever the hell she wants isn't on her game plan.

and jason todd has always had a weak spot for kids. even the blood sucking kind.

hands slide down to press against thighs, using that as leverage as jason pushes himself up to his feet. ) Caroline, ( using her name, for once. ) get up. This isn't the place for talking shop. You wanna eat? We'll make sure you eat.

[batricide]

[ She actually cooked. Damian takes a quiet moment to be impressed by the initiative. It's not often that people get here and just immediately try to make themselves useful.

He sets the drinks on the table, pushing his hair out of his face. ]

Here.

[blyat]

[The concept is difficult to grapple with, but Cain does his best. He's heard enough strange things since showing up in this place: androids turned human, people claiming divinity, entirely alien planets.]

Sounds like it'd be tough to explain anyway. Rooms that change from people's minds? [Cain glances over the festival.] Kinda glad this is where I ended up. At least I know what the fuck is going on here.

[Most of the time. A futuristic city on Earth is still a new experience.]

Your 'old gods', what are those supposed to be? You mean gods that actually exist?

safehouse day three

[theseuschip]

[ The brisk pace at which this girl operates is all the more out of place amidst the shuffling confusion of most of the safehouse newbies, of which she clearly is one. And it might not be superhuman, but it’s basically breakneck speed when you factor in that 1) there’s no reason to wash dishes that fast, and 2) she looks exhausted. Not the regular, sleeps-like-shit exhausted that Simon (along with a lot of the newbie population, probably) looks like, but protracted sickliness.

He’s showed up to find something that resembles a granola bar enough to be trusted, but ends up watching her, bemused. He is amazingly average, save for the left arm, healed but severed past the elbow, which he clutched in his right hand to sorta-hide the missing stuff.

When she addresses him he’s startled by how chipper it is. There’s still something brittle about it, but no one here so far has seemed able or willing to force that amount of cheer, including him, and he doesn’t shy away from conversation. ]

Simon. Nice to meet you, Caroline. [ a beat, before he adds: ] Where’s the fire?

[ his tone is light, and he does try to reign in the dubious knit of his brow. It’s just hard to see that combination of rigorous activity and what looks like poor health and not think... that a bunch of one led to the other, but “wow you look kinda rough slow down” wouldn’t exactly be tactful to say to a stranger. ]

[motivation]

[ dutch watches him down about half of his drink, stepping a little closer while he's at it. mostly because she's not to keen on being overheard, but the appearance of flirtatiousness isn't just appearance. he's a handsome fella, she's not blind; invading his space isn't a hardship —although she's very deliberately not touching him anywhere that could lead to skin contact. not touching him at all, in fact. ]

The short version is we're all in a different universe than whatever one we belong to, no one knows what the hells has been done to us and there's weird-ass consequences. Different kinds of powers. An empathy bond.

[ she's not happy about any of this, trust her. (most of all, she's annoyed at the lack of agency, the lack of choice she was given. the powers are neat. the empathy bond isn't as bad as it could be. but she didn't get to choose either, and that? she hates that.) ]

There's a safehouse not too far from here.

[motivation]

[ it's very much on purpose. ]

Couple things.

[ at least he's good at getting with the programme. low voice, keeping quiet, not backing away. dutch doesn't expect him to trust her, but she's here now and she's talking. she's gonna see this through, even if she thinks others (like johnny) would be far better suited to playing welcoming committee. ]

First of all, skin on skin contact between any of us makes us glow. It's fucking distracting and people have been noticing and I don't want to end up being experimented on again. Second, you've got no ID. Everyone here's got one, so the lack of it is noticeable as shit. Third, we've got weird ass powers, thanks to whatever was being done to us [ at least she figures that's where they got them. ] and those kick in at weird times. And come with more glowing.

So, we stand out, if we're not careful.

[ yeah, she wouldn't believe herself if she heard that, but —he asked. ]

I can prove it, if you want, but not while we're as visible as this.

[resleeves]

Are you implying that I would do something bad? Wow, I'm flattered. I'm glad I'm still able to make such a good first impression on all my new friends.

[ jason doesn't get points for thinking that about him because he knows he has that looked. even if people hadn't known his reputation in bay city, they still shied away from him.

except for fucking kids. what was it about kids? ]

Kovacs. [ see, look at that, the truth. ] But it's Milton in my heart.

[resleeves]

[ his face immediately scrunches up like he's eaten something particularly sour. how dare. he wasn't some some skinsuit over a bunch of wires and technology. ]

I'm not a fucking AI. They exist where I'm from before you start telling me that it's possible to look human and not be human. I know.

[ miss you, poe! ]

This is my fourth body. Still kind of getting used to it, I guess. It's a good fit, don't you think? I wear it well.

spoilery things about spider verse? idk. maybe?

[thwipandrelease]

[geez daisy. warn a guy a little beforehand why don't you? peter isn't expecting that to happen, but once the initial shock of 'oh whoever brought me here also put something in me' is said and done, he does metaphorically crack the guide open.

unusual for him, but likely a prudent thing in this place that is very different from new york.]

Oh. Okay. So, I'm in some other universe. Cool. Been there. Done that before. One question though... have any of the displaced had their molecules go unstable and die?

[peter's pleasantly surprised that he's had zero glitching thus far, but the day is young and the world is full of unpredictable things like burgers with bugs in them.]

[thwipandrelease]

[a frustrated sigh, but the possibility of one existing is better than nothing.]

It'd be a good place to start.

[he's read the new amsterdam strategy guide, knows first hand that he's not going to have the benefit of his agility or strength, but if peter's good at one thing, that's blending in, keeping it casual, and should the situation need it: throw the plan out the window.]

I'm gonna need a few things though. Do you know anyone who's good with a needle and thread? [and much quieter] Someone discreet?

[thwipandrelease]

[he raises an eyebrow and then promptly rolls his eyes. billy's is kind of the reaction that speaks volumes, the kind of volumes that suggest that he probably does know peter. just not this peter.]

Yeah buddy. Let me try this one on for size: You know of a me who's maybe a little younger, a little less tired looking, and in better shape?

[he stops short of calling himself fat. there's no sense in shaming himself. peter's well aware that he's let himself go.]

Does that cover it?

[realists]

[ jyn's instincts still want her to beat up that guy from before so they haven't caught up enough to see if she should go with her instincts re: stranger danger.

if all else fails she can just continue her life's work of fighting anyone. she's had worse odds and apparently survived. no, she doesn't want to think about that. shaking her head idly as if she can physically dislodge the errant existential crisis. ]

Alright.

[ sister is a skittish bird ]

[thwipandrelease]

Yeah. That's kind of what I keep hearing. It's more than a little annoying because I could've at least pried that door open and stretched my legs a little by now.

[he knows that he'll be let out eventually. peter's just never been the most patient and the situation is hardly helping. he sighs, dragging a hand across his face, loki's words aren't reassuring in the least.]

But if there's a way in there's got to be a way out. Somewhere. It's just a matter of finding that way. Or has everyone just given up and moved on with their lives?

[thwipandrelease]

[he has to laugh a little when sora mentions that he has another friend named peter. he hopes that that peter doesn't bear any sort of passing resemblance to him, but that's probably a conversation for another time.

fast friends is okay by him. at least it is now. peter's not sure that he would be so receptive to hanging out with an optimistic youth if he hadn't just done so. let's thank miles, gwen, and peni for that.

peter shrugs his shoulders before standing]

I'm pretty sure we can scrounge up a deck of cards or a board game or something.

[thwipandrelease]

[leprechauns are no more or less weird than talking about other in theory imaginary creatures. peter gets the feeling that wherever she's from that it's a little less imaginary but no less weird.]

So, punk rock leprechaun? That's weird.

[peter takes another couple of bites to clear off his plate before he sets it aside and rests his elbows on the table.]

I don't do sidekicks, personally, but I hope shitty isn't synonymous for won't stop asking dumb questions.

[resleeves]

Empathy bond.

[ what in the fucking shit did that mean? whatever it meant, it sounded like something he didn't want to partake of. the word bond itself was enough to give him some fucking hives.

god, someone wake him up. find his stack in the mess of his sister's ship and put him in another body. what the hell. ]

You're not kidding. [ she's definitely not laughing and she's gotten close enough to him that, while enjoyable, also implies that this has to be kept somewhat quiet. ] What the fuck. I was planning on being dead, not getting another fucking chance in another new city.

[arkproject]

Uh... yes, but I wouldn't call it a 'power'. [ Way to sound like a comic book. Explaining what she lost is likely to open a huge can of worms, which Catherine doesn't really want to get into -- but she also isn't the type to keep secrets or lie about who and what she is.

So, she says bluntly, ] I used to be digital. It's been pretty freaky to be organic again.

[arkproject]

[ Simon isn't a bad guy. Catherine's always known this, and her hurt doesn't change her basic opinion of him as a good person. For some reason, she seems to inspire distrust and scorn in others, and Catherine has never understood it completely but she doesn't hold it against him either.

At the same time... she's never managed to get her ensuing sadness and loneliness to get in line.

So, she's not surprised that he wordlessly obeys her wishes even as he freaks out about their circumstances. That's also a return to form. ]

Yeah... okay. Let me get my stuff. [ Catherine crouches to retrieve her clothes, which she holds close to herself, almost subconsciously a form of defense. It's never so apparent how much humans rely on body language as now: Catherine's feelings become so much more transparent with her human form to betray her. It's frustrating, and it contributes to the return of her social anxiety. ]

... I am glad you're here, Simon, [ she finally says, without looking at him, starting to head out of the room. ] I didn't-- like thinking of you left down there.

[verflair]

[ Ah, there it is. He’s become quite familiar with that look in the last year and some change. There are precious few who know what a Miqo’te is, and fewer still who manage to get a hold of themselves to stop from starting when they notice his feline features. ]

Yes?

[ One of said ears twitches, flicking in the young man’s direction. ]

Have I something caught in my fur?

[apathet]

[ weird is one word, and he's more drunk rock than punk rock, but those are details for another time. it's not exactly a vital clarification. ]

Worried you're checking boxes? Don't sweat, I'm not hiring.

[ ha... more potatoes in mouth? more potatoes in mouth. ]

[isherarmor]

[Relief sets in and it might be visible - it very likely is visible in stance, face - there's a shift there as the woman speaks. She glances in the mirror, everything within her sightline seems to be people-free.]

No. It's no "bad" at all. Just the inevitability of communal bathing areas.

[She gets it - it's efficient. But it's very awkward at times, and not terribly well suited on the heels of "Welcome: our hair is gone and powers too if you had them, but you have a new one that's up to you to figure out, it comes with a glow and gives you too many feelings and burning if you do the wrong thing, and there's an implant in your skin that's a network and is also money."]

Soon enough you'll have your own bathroom if you like, no strangers poking their heads in.

[She's not going to ask about the scars directly - they're too obvious for the woman not to know they're there - and it's none of her business unless they're a fresh injury, in which case she'd be well out of her first aid depths. Though she unwittingly takes a moment to admire the stitching - it's better job than she'd done when cleaning up Blas' infected horror of an amputation, and likely took very long - she can't imagine what kind of thing would cause such grievous wounds.]

But since I've already poked...I can try and find you something for the pain if you have any. Or anything else you might need besides a way out, specific reason why you're here, familiar face, or an animal that isn't a robot.

[It's lightly said but there's a bit of sadness in it, maybe bitterness, too.]

[isherarmor]

[It's hard not to worry. It wasn't as hard when she hid herself away in an abandoned building or - daresay a lighthouse - alone and afraid and licking her wounds with only Lady. Or worse - utterly alone. But surrounded by people who are more than nameless faceless concepts? Hell, she'd worried about them - so it's impossible not to do so when she's able to pin deeds and names and everything else that goes along to faces. Faces she sees often. Serious, stressed out and tired faces.]

Not the worst I've seen. And you don't look bad, just tired.

[A small smile, not tired, just worried, trying not to think on what might have happened that resources are an issue. She's not going to pretend she didn't hear, but she's not going to bring it up, either. If Gaby thinks they should know, she'll tell them: or someone else will.]

If you're hungry, if food sounds ...well, good, then yes. Some people drink. You could do that, too, if you wanted. If I can't do anything to help and you're not running out the door, then there must be time enough to sit, or to take a breath or even, yes, eat a sausage.

[Gaby looks as if she might be more in need of that drink than she is - she's not even sure why she's carrying it - more than likely she would have just shared it with Jon. Because as long as he's in this safehouse she's not leaving him to sleep alone.

So she offers the growler.]

[retravel]

[ ah, he can relate to that frustration. ]

Then we start there.

[ we already 'cause fitz is game to help pursue any potential leads.

after that, he matches peter's low tone. ]

I know someone good. [ he takes a seat on the cot opposite peter, leaning forward, elbows on his thighs. ] Not sure if they're discreet, but they're one of us, so. [ they're the best case scenario. ] What are you after?

[ he wouldn't be much of shield if he directed just any grown-ass man to sansa stark now, would he. ]