walk beside me evermore

[intohell]

Who: Riza Elizabeth and anyone who wants to help (or needs help) with the whole technology thing
What: Not everyone is from a time and place with computers. Plus the library offers some great opportunities for research.
When: any day between 1/28 and 1/31
Where: the local library
Warnings:None


Open: Pity the tech challenged
[If she was going to get a decent job, one that would help not only pay the bills but put her closer to her goals, she was going to have to rely on her previous skill sets. Somehow she doubted anyone had a use for a sniper which meant updating her office skills.

There was only one way to do that which meant she was going to put in as many hours as possible using the city's library branches. She'll get it eventually, but any help from those not likely to judge would always be appreciated.]


Open: Information Gathering 101
[Not all of her time spent at the library is confined to the computers. Why waste a perfectly good resource of information?

The number of books was amazing, but those could be read at home. It's the magazines, both legit and tabloid varieties that have her attention most of the time.]

Do people actually believe this stuff?

[She's almost certain it's 90% fake, but who knows.]


Closed
[After several days, Riza's learned enough that it's easy enough to blend into the usual crowd of people doing their thing at the library without looking out of place. She still comes to practice, fill out job applications, and scour the internet for information regarding a certain missing individual. All perfectly normal things if the activities of the others around her are to be taken into account.

It's almost too easy to find things. Internet fan sites and general publicity meant she didn't have to look very far before getting more information than she could have hoped for. Also, who kidnaps and brainwashes a person but leaves them with their real name?

Of course, she's not going to act on any of that just yet. She had enough experience with this kind of thing to know better. Even without Silver and Gold's warning, Riza knew they weren't in any position to move forward. She'd stay away until the time was right.

Of course, the best-laid plans oft go awry.]

((ooc: feel free to swap to prose if wanted, I'll follow. also, PM or hit me up at purkle if you want something specific. or just start it and I'll roll.))

Comments

Closed

[snapcrackleburn]

[ Roy finds it hypocritical for the label to tell him to go to the trouble of wearing glasses and a hooded jacket to keep people from recognizing him when they still send him out with a Pride bodyguard in the full suit and wire. It's difficult to blend in when a tall frowning man is following you down the sidewalk.

Thankfully when they reach the library his guard gives him some more space. He asks him what he's at the library for and Roy jokes that it's for song inspiration. Amazingly, the guard believes him and disappears for a while down another book row in the science section of the library.

Roy starts gathering a small stack of chemistry books in his arms, mostly beginners text. As much as he knows from his education in high school and as a pyrotechnics mechanic, he gets the feeling he needs to start at the beginning.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chemistry. It's funny, he doesn't seem to be a Complete Idiot on the subject in the strange dreams he keeps having. Over and over the visions keep visiting him. The old house in the field, the worn older man criticizing his work, the lab littered with notes where chemical reactions are set off like magic, the study overflowing with stacks of books, and...

Roy stares down at the books in his arms and stops to laugh at himself. As if a musician's interest in chemistry could help him figure out what it was that moved him emotionally every time that young lady appeared in his visions. She's a fantasy and yet he feels a connection to her. He feels his heart race when she stares at him with those sienna eyes. Clearly he should be in the psychology or self-help section instead. ]

[intohell]

[Riza saw him when he first walked in the library. It was hard not to--the whole sunglasses and jacket I'm nobody look never worked. The obvious bodyguard helped as well; although, she was mentally chiding whoever was responsible for security. Pathetic.

To keep him from seeing her, Riza left the computer and started wandering amongst the rows of shelves. There was no telling how much he remembered if anything or how much that bodyguard knew. Were they looking for the rescue team already? Maybe they had photos of those closest to the musicians. She wasn't going to risk on the possibility--it was too soon.

Riza missed watching where Roy ended up as she walked around, missed the bodyguard standing just a couple of rows over, and so it only make sense that she'd run right into someone.]

I'm sorry, I should have paid more attention to where I was going.

[There's a moment of confusion as she bends down to help pick up the books she knocked out of his hands. A moment before it fully dawns on her just who she ran into. Of course, it would be the one person she was trying to avoid.]

[snapcrackleburn]

It's alright. I should really move to a table and start reading instead of-

[ He stops short as he replays the sound of her voice in his head, eyes running from her hands up to her face. All of it was familiar. Roy can't help gaping at her, his eyes wide behind the shades on his face. He rips them off as if they're obstructing his view and playing tricks on him.

That woman. He had started jokingly calling her his muse after hearing about other artists who had seen their own inspiring fantasy individuals in dreams using the word. Muses don't just show up in the flesh in libraries though, do they?

He can feel the familiar fuzz of a vision trying to fight it's way into his mind, like a brewing storm of thoughts and ideas is stirring somewhere in his subconscious. Roy ignores it, realizing that he's staring at her like a fool, which is rude for starters. He blinks and smiles apologetically, gathering the books in his arms again. ]

Sorry. I thought for a moment that- It's just- You look familiar. Have we met before? Your name, it's... I think it's on the tip of my tongue.

[intohell]

[The recognition in his eyes gives her enough of a pause that she almost slips up, almost relaxes into a familiarity that wouldn't make sense between two strangers. It fades quickly however as the confusion and doubt slide over him.]

Oh, no. I... just arrived here recently. [Not a lie. If someone tried to verify her story they'd learn that much about her. Luckily, she had researched some of the small towns and places around to fill in her bases.] I'm Elizabeth.

[There's a slight wish that the name rings some kind of bell for him, but Riza's not going to worry about it. Honestly, she'd be more upset if he remembered her code name rather than her own.

She hands him one of the books, eyes darting down to look at the cover. Maybe somethings weren't so buried beneath the brainwashing after all. Wouldn't her father be proud?]

Information gathering 101

[invisiballman]

Some people do.

[Kuroko is standing next to her, flipping through a magazine of his own.]

Although most of it is probably exaggerated at the very least.

[If not outright lies.]

[intohell]

I'd certainly hope so.

[She's not sure if she should be upset or amused at one particular article talking about the newest member of a band called MANTICORE. Both follow along the lines of the Flame Alchemist cornered by a guy with a knife...should she feel upset for not doing her job or does she laugh and tease him later possibly for being wet and useless at the time?

Both. Definitely both.]

It's just strange to see how many of these stories are about their love lives.

[And sex...why is there so much open posting about their sex lives?]

[invisiballman]

Strange. And a little disturbing.

[Kuroko is currently frowning at this article.]

But I suppose even things like this can provide us with a little information. At least we can get an idea of which places we might be likely to find our friends.

[What nightclubs or restaurants they were seen at for example.]

[intohell]

It does give us a start.

[Of course, it's hard to say how useful the information is if they're just random faces in the crowd like so many others.]

Some of them are going to be a little harder to get into than others. Between costs, security, the need for an invitation...

[She sounds so positive doesn't she?]

info-gathering

[hearted]

[This is Minako's number one mission between diner shifts. She ravenously reads every tabloid, committing things to memory---it'd look a bit too suspicious to take notes here.]

It's exciting, isn't it? Idol thefts and ancient feuds?

[That grin's a bit too face-splitting. Hard to tell if she's serious.]

[intohell]

That's one way to look at it.

[Riza's not sure she'd call it exciting, but she knows a few people who would.]

I'm just so surprised at how much they allow the public to know.

[hearted]

[She lowers her voice.]

But it's a big old mystery! Gotta dig to find anything true, just like a treasure hunt.

...if anything's true. I sure hope so!

Tech challenged

[vivelarevolution]

[Sabo is wandering the shelves. Not particularly interested in any books though he can't say why he wouldn't be, because he feels he should be. Currently, however, he's participating in a game of hide-and-seek with his bodyguard. Though Sabo prefers to think of it as keeping the man on his toes.

He spots the woman at a computer kiosk, seeming to have some trouble, and since he seems he's lost his predator for the moment, pushes his sunglasses up his nose to hide his eyes and approaches, hands in his pockets]

Having trouble, ma'am?

[he imagines the soundtrack from Showdown at High Noon in the background for some reason]

[intohell]

[She really should have been paying more attention to those around her, or at least, better attention to how out of sorts she appeared. Well, it wasn't as if she were the only one there having a hard time with the computers.]

I'm not used to this system, so I'm having a hard time finding the program I need.

[Why does Windows change all their settings every time they update OS? A better question would be, why do the two libraries she's been to have different systems on their computers? The one at the other library had an easier to find start menu. This one was just impossible.]

[vivelarevolution]

[if it makes her feel any better he's oddly good at picking up body language. He's not sure why. It's almost like gut instinct. Still, taking her reply as a sort of invitation, he ambles a little closer and peers at it.]

What exactly are you looking for?

Tech Challenged

[avidita]

Having trouble?

[Mammon has their own reasons for being at the library, but they pause when the recognize the woman. Already they've talked to people adjusting to everything. One more doesn't bother them, at least if it makes the mission easier.]

[intohell]

[A familiar face. Makes her feel slightly better about being so obvious.]

Just a little. This is all extremely new.

[avidita]

At least you seem to have a vague grasp on things. It's better than none at all.

[Seriously, a pirate...]

What have you figured out so far?

Info Gathering 101

[woomy]

[ 3 is looking an article about a giant eel like monster poking its head out of the ocean, summoned by Virgo music playing. ]

You gotta be squidding me! Is that related to the Great Zapfish?!

[intohell]

[Great Zapfish?! Riza has no idea what that is but it doesn't sound very good, no matter how excited 3 is about it.]

I don't think I've heard about that one.

[woomy]

[ Someone in the library gives a harsh "SHHH!" to her exclamation, and Agent 3 makes an "oops" face. She continues much quieter and glances around to make sure no one saw that she was the one being loud. ]

The Great Zapfish and the littler Zapfish provide Inkopolis with its electricity. They're what the Octarians stole from us and what I had to get back.

Info gathering!

[oceantier]

[There's a girl -- a woman? -- tucked into one of the chairs in the library, magazines and tabloids piled around her. Her size makes it hard to immediately determine her age, but at best guess, she's about 19 or 20, reed-thin and delicate in appearance. Black hair is cropped short, and she presses a few strands of it to her lips as she reads, almost as though she's subconsciously half-concealing her face with it. Her features verge more towards one of the Asian countries -- though there's a slight bit of something else there too that's hard to pin down.]

[She's been there for the last couple of hours, nearly unmoving, legs tucked up tightly underneath her as though she doesn't quite dare to trust them to the floor.]

[She blinks up at Riza's voice, uncertain, her eyes taking a moment to clear.]

E-Excuse me . . . ?

[Is the woman talking to her?]

[intohell]

[Oops, Riza didn't mean for that to be out loud, but it was a little late now.]

Sorry. It's just these stories in this magazine are a little hard to believe.

[Possessed cats? Alphonse's heart would break.]

Open: Information Gathering 101

[psyvampexperiment]

[The voice is a mellow baritenor, coming from a nearby chair, specifically, a tall pale man in a white suit worn casually, a leather-bound book with an odd cover in hand, though he's looking up from it to peer at her.]

Mmmm, unfortunately, there are quite a few uncritical people who do, when most of it is no more real than this. [A glance to the book in his hands, propped against one tented knee.]

[intohell]

[She hadn't meant to disturb anyone, at least not someone who was trying to get in some reading themselves. She turns to face the man looking rather apologetic.]

I suppose it's a tradeoff of having so many publications like this. They have to fill them with something, so most of the stories are fiction. The public doesn't know any better, however.

[psyvampexperiment]

[A gracious shrug of one shoulder, apology duly noted and accepted.]

Mmmm, there may be a minute crumb, a kernel even, of the truth somewhere in there, in those items. However... the writers certainly know how to take those kernels and make them blossom into whole towering trees. [An amused smirk.]

I hope you don't mind my intruding, but I overheard your musing and...couldn't help remarking on it.