interstellar5555 | ☆MINGLE IN THE CITY

Entry tags:

☆MINGLE IN THE CITY

Who: NEWBIES FROM EVERYWHERE.
What: More rescuers and musicians have arrived. This is a non specific mingle log for whatever you want to do that is intro related!
When: March 9th, 2055
Where: Anywhere in Vista City!
Warnings: Could be anything, or possibly nothing.

☆VISTA CITY

You'll quickly notice that Vista City comes with multiple levels - the ground level, that actually touches the earth, and then a second level of streets and walkways that occurs halfway up the mountainous buildings. Cars streak down both sets of speedways, and the signs of life scatter every inch of the towers surrounding you. At the same time, though, a city of this magnitude leaves a lot of nooks and crannies left frequently unseen - something you'll definitely have to take advantage of. In the outer ring of the city the population is less dense than it gets towards the center, so at the least it gives you the opportunity to get your bearings.

You'll find that there is no shortage of people stalking around in the darkness, even as the sun sets and night totally takes hold. A lot of them are dressed pretty funny, too, and any insecurities you had about looking ridiculous can tentatively be put aside. The costumes you were left do allow you to blend in about as well as you could hope. You've been advised to avoid talking to locals as much as possible, at least until you've figured things out better. There is a notable absence of homeless people on the streets, which could mean any number of things.

RESCUERS WILL BE GIVEN THE FOLLOWING LOOT:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING: if your character doesn’t already speak English, they will be given some time with a crown like technological device that seems the be able to psychically teach people languages at a rapid pace. Whatever has been enabling communication so far won’t cover you once you enter the city, so it’s important that you’re prepared. How easily a person’s brain accepts this information will vary based on unseen neurological factors, and can range from perfect fluency to an uneasy second language. (On an OOC level, whether or not your character struggles with picking up English is completely up to you.) Most of this training will be done on the trip to Tera.
THEIR DESIGNATED TOOLS: any items your character was designated on your application will be given to them now. They’ll have some degree of choice in what they get, but everything is limited in supply. There are manuals for everything, but how much you can be fucked to read them will vary. Also, some of them aren’t in English or anything else even remotely recognizable.
COMMUNICATION DEVICES: Everybody will get a communicator, which are worn around the back of your ear and project a holographic field over your eyes when activated. The device itself must be manually switched on with your fingers, and from there on out your exact method of controlling it depends on the settings. Some of the more basic functions can be manipulated with “brain waves” (though nothing very complicated) and the rest is mostly voice or touch activated, though you can also set it up to be controlled with blinking and eye movement if you are a “pro”. Its functions include voice, voice-to-text, and a sort of janky manual text mode that you have to touch the screen to use. Video chat is not available, though it is capable of recording video from your POV to be shared manually after the fact. It can also share still images. Various channels can be set up and accessed, both private and public, much like a Teamspeak server is used in gaming.
HOLO EMITTERS (LIMITED): The amount of these available are limited by “plot convenience.” Do you want your character to have to struggle with their alien appearance to get by constantly? Then imagine there wasn’t enough of them to go around and your character was unlikely or benevolent enough to not receive one. Would you rather they have access to one? Then you can have one. A holo emitter is capable of projecting a holographic image around your character and disguising their appearance, the complexity of which is entirely up to you. The major problems with it are that 1) it can’t conceal things that the hologram doesn’t actually touch – cow horns could be covered in a hologram to look like a hat, but it couldn’t make them look as if there is nothing there at all, and 2) the holograms have no mass, and so if anyone tries to touch them they’ll realize they are just light projections. Also, like most of the equipment, they only work for a few hours before running out of power.
AMERICANA DISGUISES: Clothing, make up, the works – everything the average joe needs to pass themselves off as a resident of Vista City. Outfits are perhaps a bit more eccentric and flashy than you’re used to...or maybe a bit less, depending where you come from. Either way, it’s a specific look, and there should be enough here to accommodate new outfits for all the humanoids. If you’re a horse, you’re sort of on your own. What your character ends up with is up to you, though “space rave” is a good way to describe common aesthetics. There are also a lot of hooded coats, hats, and other articles that would be good for hiding inhuman characteristics.
RATIONS: Enough food at water, tightly compact, to last everyone for a few days. It’s going to start to run out quickly, though, so the group is going to need some breadwinners sooner rather than later.
FAKE IDS: Complete with each individual's image (or a human approximation) and a made up name. It's enough info to get a job with, they'll explain, if you can manage it. Avoid pushing the forgery's limits, though, if you can. Silver and Gold made them themselves so they expect they are excellent quality, but you can never be too careful.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's a young woman sitting on the sand. A young woman small and slim and dark-haired, streaks of blue streaking through the blackness of it. Definitely Asian -- perhaps Chinese, Vietnamese? She sits with her legs tucked up underneath her, underneath a long cotton skirt, her toes just peeping out -- bare.]

[At the sound of the girl's voice, at the sound of the enormous . . . dog? . . . she startles, eyes whisking in that direction, looking very much like she's about to dart to her feet and run. Why she holds on is anyone's guess; her hands are braced in the sand, body leaning forward as though she means to move. Her entire being almost hums with held-back energy.]

[She doesn't move in spite of it, not yet. But her eyes never leave girl or ungodly large dog, her anxiety written in every muscle.]

[As it turns out, trying to stop a 400 something pound actual-lion is a lot harder than one might think, and Connie's attempts to grip into his fur just mean she's dragged along for the ride. A long straight line can be found, in fact, stopping at her heels.]

[At least Lion stops, nose twitching as he stares down the young woman in the sand.]

Lion! [Poking her head around the not-dog, she gives a shameful look to the woman.] I'm sorry- I don't know what got into him.

[But... isn't there something familiar about her? The facial structure, maybe. Connie feels like she should know her, but nothing comes to mind. Connie keeps it aside. Lion is a more pressing matter.]

He's friendly, I promise.

[Usually, anyway.]

[Lapis stares at the dog-not-dog named Lion, at the girl holding-not-holding him in turn. There's familiarity to the girl in particular -- like a half-memory, something that she ought to remember.]

He's . . . big.

[Definitely something here. Definitely something she should remember, and the sense of danger in it is like a tiny jolt of electricity. Her posture hasn't relaxed.]

Yeah, we, um, get that a lot.

[Giving up that she can't move Lion when he doesn't want to be moved, she ends up just leaning. Maybe whatever she can't remember, Lion does. It's something she wonders, as she glances from him to the woman in front of them. He hasn't stopped staring.]

He's... actually a friend of mine's. We came to Vista to see him again, actually. He was my- [only] -first friend so... I really want to see him again.

[The next batch of rescuers came in today. Lapis knows this; she listens to her communicator, even if she seldom uses it. This language . . . it sounds similar. If this girl is a rescuer, she might indeed be someone Lapis is supposed to know, someone from home . . .]

[She's quiet, trying how to sort out how best to ask the question without completely giving away her hand.]

Someone . . . you lost?

[It's strange wording, a strange question at best. But it'll have to do.]

['Lost'. The specific phrasing draws Connie to a pause, her fingers curling in Lion's fur. She thought she'd get to meet the other rescuers if J invited her to stay, do things at her own pace. To just suddenly stumble onto a potential teammate...]

[But how can she be sure. Kneading her fingers through Lion's fur helps keep her head calm.]

Yeah. That's right. [A familiar face, a familiar face... But she knows about the Crystal Gems and where they all are. How can this be familiar?] Are you looking for someone you lost too?

[This is someone from home. It has to be. From the look of her, she looks like a human.]

[But then again, she (Lapis) looks like a human at the moment too. Her mind races, thousands of pulses darting through synapses, looking for a connection . . .]

[And she finds one. Suddenly she's standing, feet braced in the sand.]

You're . . . the girl. That Steven brought-- . . .

[What does she do? The girl doesn't have any powers that she knows of, but the dog . . . she definitely doesn't trust that that's really a dog.]

[The waves lap behind her, lingering near her feet in silvery strands of water longer than waves should.

Edited 2016-03-13 16:58 (UTC)

[Steven-!]

[Lion suddenly gives a growl, a low rumbling thunderous sound that makes Connie's very bones rattle in her body. Before she knows it, he's circling around her so that he's between her and the water. The water, the ocean-]

[Shoving at Lion for all the good it does her, Connie takes another shocked look at the woman in front of her and of course. The colors are all wrong, because Connie has only seen her twice: the pale blue of a hologram, translucent and glowing, and then the watery distortions of a face pressed out from a pillar of blue.]

[The name comes out in a gasp.]

Lapis Lazuli! I- Steven- [The rumbling is still making her tremble and she tries to wrap her arms around Lion as if to hold him back.] Lion, calm down! This is- oh my gosh.

[It's too much to process, and she has to take a deep breath to reign everything in.]

Steven... He's going to be so glad to see you again. [That much she's sure of.] Are you- I mean, I heard about Malachite...

[Where to even begin?]

[Lapis stares back at the rush of words, dark eyes wide. Somewhere between Connie's recognition and Lion's movement, one foot has slipped backward, as though at any instant she could twist, run.]

[Escape.]

[It's easier. Easier than fighting. Easier than talking. Just a few steps, and she's gone; she doesn't have to confront . . .]

Who else? [The words are a demand, but there's no mistaking the panic in them -- or the very deep-seated fear.] Who else came with you? Who else is here?

[Beneath her fingertips, Connie can feel Lion's muscles tensing. This could go really badly, really fast, and her words threaten to trip over each other as she speaks.]

Amethyst, but- no one is coming after you, Lapis, I promise! We don't want to hurt you, we want to help Steven too.

That's what you want, too, right? To help Steven?

[Steven.]

[That's what you want too, right? To help Steven.]

[Lapis' thin shoulders shudder, restraining, trying to sort out the boundaries between words and emotions. Steven is a strong pull. But.]

[How can she trust these people -- any of them? Pearl doesn't even trust her -- even after all these weeks, they've barely spoken. They're here now, and they won't trust her. They'll want to take over. They'll want to keep her away.]

[These past few weeks . . . she's been more than she ever thought she could be. Done more than she thought she could do. She's found a place, however tentative it is, however in danger of messing it up herself she is.]

[The thought of losing that . . . it steals her breath. Another foot edges back.]

I've been helping him. Alone. I came when he asked. The first time . . .

He called for me . . .

[She believes that. Needs to believe it. It's the first time in so long she's been wanted. Needed. That he would still call for her, after all she's done . . .]

[Maybe there's still something in the world for her. Something worth saving.]

I know he did.

[Simple and honest.]

[Slowly, cautiously like she's approaching a scared stray, Connie makes her way around Lion until she's in front of him. If nothing else, he's calmed down a little bit although she can tell he's still wary.]

Me and Steven talk all the time... And, before all of this, he'd mention trying to look for you so much, even though the ocean is enormous.

I'll be honest... I don't know all of the history with the Gems, or you, or Gem homeworld. But, what I do know is that Steven considers you a friend.

And I believe in Steven.

So if you say that he called for you, then I'll believe that. Okay...?

[Lapis stares back at her -- this tiny, thin girl staring back, earnest.]

[Her shoulders quiver again, as though with held-back energy. Or releasing anxiety. But she's still and staring. Watching.]

Are you going to try? [The words don't come easily, the sentence fragmenting.]

Are you going to try to keep me away from him?

[Are you someone else I have to fight?]

[Are you something else I have to overcome?]

Edited 2016-03-16 01:37 (UTC)

[There's a tension in the air, like a spiderweb about to snap from the weight of a storm, and Connie wants to tremble just as much. So badly, so very badly, she doesn't want to mess this up.]

[This might be even more important than learning the grip of a sword, or the twist of her steps.]

No. I won't.

[A wobbly smile, shaking where the rest of her body won't, but for a quagmire of reasons.]

If I did that... Steven would cry, and I'd never be able to live with myself. Just...

[She swallows, but even then, her voice still cracks a little in the middle.]

Just promise you won't drown me again. No hurting each other.

[Still she watches. Absolutely intent -- as though any move might betray Connie, show that Connie means less than the truth.]

[Slowly as a blooming flower, the tension seeps from her shoulders. She's still not relaxed, but she breathes, eyes slipping closed briefly. They've made a pact here, and she'll hold Connie to it.]

Yes.

[It's not complete ease. Words, after all, aren't guarantees.]

[But it's a place to begin. Walls can be built on a foundation.]

Edited 2016-03-24 01:56 (UTC)

[Yes. That's a good thing. Connie's own shoulders slump in pure relief, and she does her best not to drop to her knees from the sudden lack of pressure. Instead, she turns to Lion, resting her fingers in his mane. Somehow the presence of his soft fur helps ground her.]

See, Lion? It's alright. Everything is alright.

[Feline eyes are still narrowed cautiously, but he does slowly lay down in the sand. Connie supposes it's the best she can ask of him. Despite the relief, she still has to swallow when she turns back to Lapis. Adrenaline is still jittery in her heart, like a bird panicking in a cage.]

So, have you... Do you have anywhere you stay? Besides the beach?

Yes.

[That sort of question seems strange. Unless:]

I've been here. For weeks.

[Admittedly, the fact that they're evolving into something resembling conversation is even stranger, considering all they've just said and done.]

Mostly I stay here. But I have a place to go when I want it.

Edited 2016-03-25 01:32 (UTC)

[It's the most normal and non-offensive thing her frazzled mind can think to ask. The Crystal Gems and Steven seem like touchy subjects, after all. This is... fine, right? Awkwardly settling down on the ground, Connie thinks it is.]

Oh. That's good. Steven would worry, I think... [She chews on the inside of her cheek, thinking.] Do you talk with the others on the rescue team a lot?

[If there are other people who know her, maybe things... might be alright?]

[Lapis isn't quite ready to echo the position, but her stance has eased, her feet coming to rest in a loose echo of the fourth position of ballet.]

I've found . . . people.

[Not exactly a clear answer, but Lapis isn't known for those anyway.]

Everyone . . . they're scattered. We come together sometimes. But usually we're on our own.

The ones who keep their faces covered . . . they help when it's in their favor.

[Strong hesitation. Very strong, at least for the first name.]

. . . Others are here too. Pearl. Greg.

[She doesn't yet know about Garnet.]

[Patiently, Connie waits for Lapis to keep going. Somehow, the slow hesitant pacing of her words help calms down her own fluttering heart. It's not really logical, she supposes, but that can't be helped.]

Have you... talked to them a lot?

[Just as tentative a question as the answers Lapis has given.]

No.

[There's a quiet emptiness in that, in the soft flatness of the words.]

Pearl doesn't like me. Greg . . . never knew me.

Steven . . .

[Her voice dips.]

He doesn't remember me yet.

Greg might still know you! Pearl showed us a hologram of you when you took the oceans.

[And when she broke his car... and his leg. But Connie wisely keeps quiet about that. Instead, she thinks about how it felt to see the others in those strange dreams, how tentative and scared Steven had been just to take her hand.]

[The same hand which curls into a fist on her lap.]

...We'll help him remember. With all the science and magic that's around... I'm sure we'll be able to help him remember.

Even if he doesn't... [Her head dips slightly as she thinks about the possibility before she shakes it.] Steven is still Steven. I'm sure he still wants to be friends with you, no matter what. That's just how he is.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

☆MINGLE IN THE CITY

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject