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

[resleeves]

Resident underground resistance.

[ because there was always one of those, wasn't there? envoys had been something of the sort though they'd been labeled freedom fighters or terrorists more than anyone called them an underground resistance. but he thinks the concept is similar.

wouldn't it be his fucking luck to fall right back into a place like that? because this definitely isn't the earth he remembers and it's not harlan's world either. ]

United Nations is still around, huh? They still trying to kill everyone that opposes them?

[revlon]

[ Her brows raise at the assessment, not bothering to hide her surprise. ]

Yes, [ she begins slowly, brows knit. More than one world has a future like this? Bloody hell. ] The UNA — United Nations Army — is ruthlessly efficient, entirely anonymous. Deployed when local law enforcement can't handle a job, or so they say. They raided the city last month searching for Morningstar operatives, arresting who they caught, executing their partners, and orphaning the children left behind. There's been no news on it and the government is pretending it didn't happen.

[ A beat. It was a hard 24 hours, even for someone with her experience. War is never easy and that had been an act of it, even for those of them who hadn't joined up with Morningstar's cause. ]

We rescued who we could and evacuated the survivors and their families out of the city. [ Peggy studies the other man for a moment, wondering how much she should share right off the bat. But they come here with too many questions as it is, so may as well answer a few before they get started. ] The UNA has been at odds with Morningstar since the beginning because they've been trying to take down the government they're sworn to uphold and protect. And it's been that way long before any of us got here. Decades, really. But some of us have volunteered to help Morningstar fight back. They helped us, so we help them, that sort of thing.

[ Firmly, ]

But it isn't a requirement. What you do with your life here is your choice.

[resleeves]

That's good because I'm not really in the market for helping the poor and unfortunate anymore. Been there, done that.

[ kind of. working on solving bancroft's murder had put him in the middle of a lot of shit like that and he'd taken care of it because there had been a pot of gold under the rainbow waitin for him.

what the hell was there for him? nothing it sounds like. ]

I'd like to avoid getting killed and I'd like to get the fuck out of here. I've done my time in rebellions that were fucking futile. Not again.

[ if quell were here, maybe he'd be changing his tune. but she's not. he hasn't even seen her in his mind's eye. maybe she truly was gone now that he knew a piece of her might still be out there. ]

[revlon]

[ That's fair enough. She knows a man who's fought when she sees one and who is she to press him back into another world's conflict when he doesn't even know it? Morningstar's ranks have been decimated in the wake of the September raids, it's true, and she and Leo Fitz are working to rebuild the network of intelligence and operatives as best they can. But it's a process that cannot be rushed or forced.

So she leaves it. A little. ]

We'd all like to go home, [ she tells him evenly, ] and we're working on it. As a colleague of mine has said, if there was a way in, there must be a way out. As Morningstar has the most extensive reach when it comes to unfiltered, often confidential, information, it's likely the best answers will come out of their — our — network.

[ Our. Because she joined up for that reason as well as to see this world fixed (or at least, better than how they found it). It's idealistic, maybe. But despite a life in the war, she hasn't lost that part of herself yet. ]

[resleeves]

Morningstar.

[ the name isn't familiar but that fits with this new people, new city, new life schtick they're throwing in front of him, doesn't it? a whole new set of shit to step in and try and scrape off his shoes for centuries.

he sighs. ]

Our, huh? [ yes, he'd heard that. ] Sounds like this Morningstar — [ he even adds a finger wiggle here because he can. ] already has you eating out of the palm of their hands. I take a little while longer to trust.

[revlon]

[ She curbs the kneejerk retort, the implication she's been tricked or swayed by something she doesn't understand. Peggy knows her own mind, trusts her instincts, and she has nothing to prove (anymore). Even so, she takes a patient breath to keep the bite from her tone before replying.

This is not about her. ]

Sometimes it isn't about trust, but about practicality. Whether you utilise it or not, the partnership exists between them and the displaced. [ Her brows lift in lieu of a shrug. ] And if it ends when you receive your ID and supporting documents and head out that hatch, that's your prerogative.

[ A beat, and she cocks her head to the side. ]

Anything else?

[resleeves]

It just seems a little too easy to me. Get your ass dumped here and oh look, there's his very helpful group of bandits that are gonna help you get back on your feet and fight the man. Wonder if they could want something for themselves down the line? Surely not. Surely they're just nice.

[ surely. but, as long as he's not going to be conscripted into helping these people, he'll deal with it. if he can sit back and watch the manipulation and heartbreak from the sidelines, all the better. ]

But what do I know? I'm brand new. I could be totally off base. [ he doesn't think so. ]

Anyway to get extra blankets and pillows? I'm very sensitive. [ well, if she was going to ask... ]

[revlon]

[ She's heard that argument before. She's had it with herself. And God knows she'll hear it again when she and Leo Fitz go public on the network to the other displaced about rebuilding Morningstar. (It could be different altogether with them calling the shots, although the goals will remain the same.) It's all valid, of course, and a woman with her experience more than understands it.

What proved the organisation to her might not do the same for others. His surety in his assessment only elicits a brief quirk of her lips, not quite a smile, there and gone. ]

Could be, [ she says blandly, and leaves it at that. ] And yes, I imagine you are. There's a cupboard just over there, you're welcome to help yourself. Or do you think the helpful group of bandits will take your kidney if you do?

[resleeves]

They might. Honestly, this body might be lacking a kidney already. I didn't really get to window shop when they gave it to me.

[ hopefully it has all its bits and pieces. the important stuff is there, at least. no idea about the kidneys. ]

They done that before? Stolen body parts? Should I sleep with one eye open?

[ he was going to do that anyway while he was stuck in this building. ]

[revlon]

[ She doesn't roll her eyes — she does it often, even under professional settings — but it's a near thing. Maybe it's audible in the dry shift to her tone. ]

While I don't doubt you'll do that regardless, no, they haven't stolen body parts. The bare minimum Morningstar has ever asked of us, apart from our voluntary assistance during the rescues, is that we don't shit the bed.

[ She's quoting Leo Fitz's welcoming spiel to her and yet it manages to sound crisp instead of crass in her elegant accent. Then her eyes narrow a fraction as she circles back to what he said earlier; it's an unusual statement, to be sure, but not the first time she's heard a member of the displaced clarify a body as not their own.

There's a beat, and then she asks, quite frankly, ]

Were you artificial intelligence or an android in your world? Or is there another reason you're unfamiliar with your own body?

[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.

[revlon]

[ He phrases it like his body is a suit he shrugged on for a day and there's no hiding the way her own expression twists. It's mild, her lips pressing into a line and her brows drawing together, but it's clear as day: she's not familiar with the way he's introduced the idea to her and half of her isn't sure she wants to be.

The other half is deeply curious, as always. More so now that she's made he acquaintance of aforementioned androids. ]

No comment. [ A beat. Then: ] What do you mean, it's your fourth body? How is that possible?

[resleeves]

So, here's the thing, sweetheart, I don't know if I wanna tell you.

[ because maybe it's just her that doesn't know about cortical stacks and if that's the case, he's just going to keep that tidbit of information to himself. won't stop him from being killed but no one's going to know to automatically go for his neck and he can withstand a lot of shit on his own. ]

It's a sleeve. [ he brushes at his arms like he's ridding himself of some lint on a brand new shirt. ]

But, it's possible. I used to have dark hair and I didn't do go for a shitty dye job.

[revlon]

Or perhaps you did and our mysterious kidnappers didn't do you the favour of shaving it all off.

[ He could be telling the truth, he could be pulling her leg. She can't tell off of one conversation and a thousand different worlds out of their reach. There's a beat, and then she adds, just a touch more crisply: ]

And need I remind you, my name is Peggy Carter. [ Call her sweetheart one more time, pal. ] Do you have a name, or shall I assign one to you?

[resleeves]

But sweetheart has such a nice thing to it. [ and her bristling at the word just encourages him to use it a little bit more. he'll remember her name but will he use it? only time will tell. ]

Kovacs. [ he shrugs. ] What name would you have assigned me if I decided I didn't want to give it to you? Boris? Rudolph? Something very nasty and vulgar that would make my ear turn pink?

[ perish the thought. ]

[revlon]

[ She's done her time in the trenches, this barely skims the surface. It also means that she probably could curse a blue streak vivid enough to turn anyone's ears bright red but that's neither here nor there. She isn't here to prove herself to anyone or get the last word in edgewise.

(But yes, sweetheart does make her bristle. She's punched men in the face for less. Water off a duck's back, Agent Carter.)

His last comment does earn a sharp exhale, close to a laugh but not quite. It's genuine enough. ]

Far be it from me to offend your delicate sensibilities. So tell me, Kovacs. [ Her brow quirks. ] How does someone so sensitive, [ to use his own word, ] do enough time in a rebellion that he becomes as jaded as you are now? You were remarkably quick to dismiss the idea of one fighting for, what sounds to me like, a similar cause. Or was helping the poor and unfortunate just a turn of phrase?

[resleeves]

Oh, that would be unlocking the tragic backstory and I don't know if I trust you enough for that. [ even if she'd stood up admirably well against his various barbs and quips. a lot of people would have stomped off by now or tried to start a fight.

she was still talking to him. he was kind of impressed. not enough to tell her that but the feeling was there. ]

It wasn't just a turn of phrase though, no. I did that sort of thing awhile ago. Century or so, if my memory serves me correctly. But, sometimes shit happens and you decide it's not worth it anymore.

[ stronghold. stronghold happened. and it ruined a big part of him. ] So now I like to sit things out. Keep the sanity intact.

[revlon]

[ His first answer earns a quirk of her brows in lieu of a shrug. Fair enough, the expression seems to say. She's felt similarly — not just here, but at home, too. Far be it from her to trust her life story to a perfect stranger; she barely trusts it to people she's befriended.

What's past is past and all that. No use in dwelling. But her curiosity is, as always, piqued and insatiable so she listens closely to what he does deign to tell her.

Are they just going to skip neatly over the offhand comment of being at least a century old? Bloody hell, all right, then. ]

And nothing in a hundred years has tested that resolution. I find that hard to believe.

[resleeves]

I was a little preoccupied.

[ being dead and completely detached from reality. ]

No time to find something to test that resolution. No reason to try and rediscover my motivation. But if you think you've got something like that, by all means, we can test it out.

[ she might even be successful. ]

Just don't get your hopes up.

[revlon]

[ It's not quite a smile but her lips curve in a there-and-gone flash of one, more acknowledgement of a challenge than acceptance of it. There's a story here and he's offered pieces of it freely; if the rest comes, it will be earned not pried. He's a new arrival, not a mark. ]

I'm here to pour some tea and answer questions, not change hearts and minds. As I said, what you do after you clear that hatch is up to you. Explore the city, see what sticks and what doesn't.

[ A little one-shouldered shrug. ]

As for me, I never stopped wondering how we got into this mess, so I leapt at the best shot I had at finding answers. You might prefer to sit things out, but I can't abide the thought. [ He might think that's naive, or idealistic. She's been accused of it — a wonder in of itself after the war. ] Although whatever it was that drove you to that point, I am sorry it did.

[resleeves]

Don't apologize, I don't need the sympathy.

[ he doesn't know how to handle it either. stronghold happened. people died. he'd smelled the rot and seen the blood. it was done and it was over with. couldn't go back and change it and the sympathy wasn't going to comfort him. ]

You think you're really going to find something?

[ dubious. so dubious. he wasn't sure what to think of a place that could save him from what looked like an explosive death without him knowing. that just didn't fucking happen. ]

[revlon]

[ He treats sympathy like pity but she doesn't attempt to correct it. Time heals all wounds but not this one, then. Curious — she'd expect the rawness from someone like her, only two years out of a war and still grappling with the ghosts, but not from someone with the long march of years between then and now. But who is she to gauge or judge?

Peggy presses her lips together in thought at the question. ]

You can always find something if you look hard enough, [ she says at length. ] What you find is another story altogether. But I've always been interested in stories.

[ About people, places, secret organisations that try to rule the world. That sort of thing. ]

[resleeves]

[ he smiles thinly. ]

Maybe you'll get it from me one day. No promises.

[ but hey, sometimes he drank too much and got a little mouthy. mouthier. maybe one day they'd be having a drink together and he'd spill his guts. ]

I do have plenty of stories. [ it was getting him to share them that was the issue. ] Maybe I'll look into that for employment. Motivational speaker. I'd be good at that, I think.

[revlon]

Yes, well, motivational speakers do encourage people to aim high, be their best selves, that sort of thing.

[ Look at this tall, salty statue of inspiration. She's as dry as he is: ]

You'd be perfect.

[resleeves]

Careful. You keep flirting with me and I might start swooning.

[ right into your arms, peggy. it'd be very romantic and ridiculous. ]

But I appreciate your encouragement. Maybe I'll look into that if every other fucking job in this city doesn't work out.