![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
larkers) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
meadowlarking2020-04-22 11:35 pm
TEST DRIVE MEME 012
Welcome to the Meadowlark test drive meme! After waking up in strange and rather worrisome conditions, characters will need to begin to live their lives in this new world. All TDM threads take place after the arrival process, so please assume that the initial adjustment period has passed – in which the characters were found after being dropped off in a random part of the city and had to live in a safehouse for four days before hitting the streets. Now it's time to see the bright sights and sounds that New Amsterdam – and beyond – has to offer.
All Meadowlark test drive memes will not be game canon because of the nature of our arrival logs. Please feel free to carry on relationships that make sense, but please keep in mind that the TDM may not reflect current circumstances in game.
This will be Meadowlark's last Test Drive Meme until we hit 50 players.
NOTE: The PCs have chosen to call themselves "the Displaced," and that's become the common parlance to refer to them.
There is very little that can smooth over the experience of your arrival in this world. Coming to your senses in a van, drugged and restrained, only to be carefully helped out by the unknown guards and nurses and then abandoned in an alleyway. What comes after is relatively straightforward: you're found by others and taken back to a safehouse that is hidden under an old hover bike shop. You aren't the first group that this has happened to: there are others not from this world who have experienced the same, with no recollection of how they came here. Like you, they have few answers about what's happened to them. Maybe this knowledge brings you a growing sense of futility, or perhaps it inspires a deeper determination in you. But even as you begin to think on what to do next, life has to go on.
All of the new arrivals will be given a fake ID and a background that will lend them access to entry-level jobs. It may be overwhelming, but their fellow Displaced have found their footing enough to be able to help the newcomers. Two Morningstar agents will be around to take care of world integration and IDs – the rest will fall to the Displaced who arrived before. It would take at least a month's wages to put down a deposit on even the smallest apartment in the city, so everyone has a grace period before they have to leave the safehouse – and then some, depending on the kindness of who's running the show.
Morningstar's veteran agents will also make their purpose clear if asked: they are a group dedicated to fighting corruption and righting the wrongs of this world, though they're in the process of rebuilding the organization's branch in New Amsterdam from scratch, and they know that the people in charge of those efforts wouldn't mind a little help. It will be made expressly clear that this entire arrangement to get the Displaced situated in the world is meant to be kept a secret, and that especially includes Morningstar's assistance. Letting the world know about their involvement could cause big problems.
> EXPLORE THE CHANGES
Despite the lack of answers about why you're here, your fellow Displaced will be able to give you a rundown of the changes they've recognized in each other. Anyone who had powers before will find them gone. Anyone who was once an AI or in a completely artificial body will find that their current body is now fully human. Those with cybernetics will find that they've remained mostly untouched, though any primitive ones may be replaced with temporary ones that are improvements on the previous models.
◉ NEW ABILITIES. In the place of any powers that were lost, there is now a new power. These abilities are unique to each of the Displaced and seem to update over a certain period of time, with the changes appearing thanks to critical emotional events. One thing that's apparent is that the power seems to be linked to the Displaced individual's personality or life before this one, shaped according to who they happen to be. When this power appears, their chest glows with a blue light that shines from their sternum, and it can be triggered by anything: natural inclination or a moment of great stress. If someone's out in public when this happens, they might want to duck under cover lest the blue glow from their chest and the unusual power's appearance draws unwanted attention.
◉ EMPATHY BOND. No matter the circumstances or the conditions, every skin-to-skin touch of the Displaced triggers this empathy bond. Whether they touch hands, brush cheeks, or knock into one another on accident, they'll be met with the emotions of the person they've touched. Every instance of skin-to-skin contact will trigger an immediate empathic bond, letting you feel the other person's emotions and vise versa. While there's nothing that can be done to completely prevent this, someone can either decide to hold on and continue sharing that level of emotional intimacy, or let go and end the shockingly vulnerable exchange. If someone is particularly tactile but not fond of sharing their emotions, they might want to invest in a fashionable pair of gloves.
◉ MEMORY SHARE. Through a recent event, the Displaced unlocked the ability to share memories similarly to how they can share emotions. While unknown at first, the Displaced soon learned that they could share a memory with each other the same way they could share emotions. All they need to do is focus on a memory and touch the skin of their fellow Displaced, and then they could pass this experience along. These memories are shared through the eyes of the giver, granting the receiver a unique insight into the thoughts, feelings, and sensations during a specific moment in their life.
◉ DREAM SHARING. Once one, two, or five Displaced fall asleep, they may be able to find each other in their dreams. These dreams lead to the dreamers themselves feeling lucid and somewhat in control of their surroundings—though the control itself is ultimately dependent on the dreamer and how well they come around to understanding what's going on. Dream logic applies with the flow of time, but no one is able to spend their entire lives there. Lost powers are still gone for any of the Displaced, but they can use their dreams to practice any new ability that they've received. Memory shares and empathy bonds are just as possible within these shared dream states—if anyone doubts that another Displaced is really there, they can test the empathy bond to see if it activates.
◉ POWER SHARES AND UNIONS. The Displaced can share something of themselves with another Displaced by offering them an object that comes out of their chest. This object is meant to be symbolic of the person it comes from and significant to them in some way. When someone else takes hold of this object, they will get a sense of the owner's essence, along with temporary access to their in-game ability. Only when they give the item back do they give up the power in question. In addition, the Displaced are able to act in unison and create a fusion of their powers, making it so they can fight someone else with them at once. This ability is there from day one, but the power's ability will only ever present at its current stage.
> THE NETWORK
When the Displaced first showed up, Morningstar set up a private network for all of the Displaced to use in order to communicate. Most of the veteran Displaced are old hands at using the implant now, and will be happy to provide any necessary information on how to utilize this new tool and understand its application in daily life.
Early on, every newcomer receives access to the encrypted network, only available to you and the others like you, making contact between you easy and safe. Familiarize yourself with this network and dig in. Perhaps you're hoping to find some bigger answers, ask about the current nail polish trends in New Amsterdam, or want to play a game of "hot or not" among the Displaced.
◉ IDENTIFICATION. Everyone who gets set up with an ID gets access to Morningstar's network. In order to ensure that none of the Displaced stand out like sore thumbs, Morningstar's agents El and Gaby ensure that everyone has a name that makes it so they fit in among society. All usernames are thusly formed as firstname.lastname, with some room for creativity (Ziggy Stardust had a brief cameo, after all).
◉ PRIVATE COMMUNICATION. There are private, one-on-one modes of communication available as well, though without the security of Morningstar's encryptions, they're much less safe. You can make calls, send texts, make videos, and even interact with others in a VR simulation—however, it's made very clear that the government has a means of tracking this communication. Big brother is always watching.
The day of April 26th is known to all United Nations citizens: it's Resolution Day. To everyone around the world, it's the day when the last known AI lifeforms were completely eradicated in 2101. While some might say that it's the day that the UN claimed victory over the AI, to people the world over it's the day that humanity managed to keep themselves from being wiped out. Little will be said in detail about the holiday itself, but a remedial bit of research will cover the six-year-long Xelkoven War between humans and AI. The war itself was started when the home security unit AI Elysian killed 50 households full of people, and the war itself was named after the largest artificial intelligence distributor at the time: Xelkov. Ultimately, a billion humans died in the war, and there was the very real risk that the rest of humanity could have followed if they hadn't devised a method to put down the AI for good.
The citywide celebration of Resolution Day starts early and finishes very late, so whether you choose to join in the fun, learn more about the history of the festival, or take advantage of the revelry for other, more nefarious goals, you'll have plenty of time.
As the festival sprawls wildly throughout the streets of New Amsterdam, it gives even the most desolate parts of the city new life with bright lights, noise, and plenty of food. Most businesses are closed for the day, but not all of them—if you've gotten yourself a restaurant, street cleaning, or corporate PR job, you might find yourself stuck on a double shift. Better snatch what small moments of enjoyment you can!
> ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES
Anything you'd think would be at a festival in the year 2512 is definitely at this festival. Food, games, dancing, alcohol, free stuff? It's all there for your enjoyment. While the city streets will be full of people, this isn't a bad day to try networking. Want to get a new job or find a way to pry some information out of someone when they're least likely to remember you? Try to butter them up—or use the powers you've been granted to get your way. If anything goes badly, at least you can slip back into the crowd.
◉ GAMES. Care to play a game? All attendees can play for free. Some games —like the hoverblade racing, the augmented reality fightboxes, and the street-wide bouts of laser tag—require a partner or a competitor, so you better hope someone's willing to do you a solid or bring out your competitive side. For anyone who's interested in something a little less hands-on, all of the city's biggest VR arcades will have setups with all the latest games. Hoping to get noticed for your gaming talent? This might not be the day to try to stand out, but anyone's down to try.
◉ FOOD TRUCKS. It's time to try the delicacies of New Amsterdam. Hundreds of food trucks have turned out today in droves with high hopes that they'll come away turning a profit. Down for some Mexi-German fusion? Or perhaps you're hoping that pad thai still tastes the same with grasshoppers? Share your food – or give away whatever you don't like. Food trucks are the hub of activity, and the busiest ones might be worth the time, but you'll be standing in line for a while.
◉ NETWORKING. There are other opportunities with the city being flooded with festival-goers. Whether someone is on a mission to try to test the current sentiments toward Morningstar or simply wants to charm some corporate execs, this might be the time to get it done. Whatever your cover story is, make it good. Whether you claim you're hoping to pitch an idea for some new tech or are more interested in seducing – or squeezing – some information out of them, following them into the next bar or karaoke booth may give you the perfect chance. But you might want a lookout to watch your back, a co-conspirator to keep them plied with drinks, or maybe you'll need a voice of reason to stop you from squeezing too hard. Discretion is the name of the game. Everyone can agree upon that.
> HISTORY LESSONS
Aside from your typical booths of free samples, charitable causes, volunteer applications, and white chocolate-covered beetles, you'll find an opportunity to learn about Resolution Day’s history. There are various stands available where—thanks to the augmented reality application of your neural implant—you can view videos about the origins of the festival and the reasons for celebrating. If you haven't done your initial search yourself, you'll be able to buff up on it here.
◉ VR SIMULATIONS. If you'd like to feel like a hero, the UNA are running several virtual reality simulations where you can be taken to the battlefield to fight alongside fellow soldiers, working to bring the outwardly robotic AI to submission. The virtual reality simulation interacts with your neural implant to give you the most realistic experience possible. If you don't ground yourself enough, you'll be certain that the sights, sounds, and smells around you are real as you march in formation toward the brutality waiting up ahead. Feel free to team up with a partner on a side mission, or maybe try to keep someone from plugging in for what could be a traumatic experience. Eerie, heart-wrenching music plays when you die, but is promptly followed by the image of several corporate logos reminding you that they sponsored this day and this event.
◉ SYMPATHIZERS. If you're uncomfortable with the concept of eradicating all AI, no one will understand why. AI sympathizers are not present among the native population. Everyone in this world has been raised with the understanding that AI only wanted to destroy humanity, and that everyone is lucky to be alive in spite of it. They have a deeply ingrained fear, and anyone claiming to formerly be an AI or android won't receive a very friendly response.
Traveling down from the hectic main city streets reveals a different side from the gloss and promise of New Amsterdam. Economic disparity runs rampant throughout the city, and many people are pushed to desperation, looking to find other ways to make ends meet. In the darker shadows, many illegal activities thrive, out of view of the authorities—or perhaps known and supported by corrupt individuals. Maybe you're out exploring, completing a task for Morningstar, or working a job in the place you excel. Whatever brought you to the rougher parts of town, you may want to watch your step, or else find the city eating you as it has so many others.
> ORGANIZED CRIME
Organized crime still has a strong foothold in the world, with gangs and more established families working with drugs, weapons, property, and black market cybernetics, to name a few. These organizations are sprawling units that regularly recruit new members into their ranks, so long as they can prove themselves by passing the intensive hazing. While there are two main mob entities in New Amsterdam—the Riverstone Mob and the Petrov Family—there are a handful of gangs that otherwise roam the streets. Some are loosely sponsored by the mob, while others are fledgling groups trying to gain clout. More than anything, these groups know they don't have the power of the corporations or government, and do everything to seize more power when they can.
◉ JOINING UP. Catching the eye of the mob is difficult, but not impossible. Getting into the larger gangs is less difficult, but they're still wary of anyone who doesn't know the ins and outs of how to duck surveillance, traffic drugs and supplies, and intimidate people without catching flack from the NAPD. The best way to start getting attention is through their clubs, casinos, and illegal gambling dens. Getting inside isn't always easy: it might take a few weeks of legwork to get an invite, but someone could try to strongarm their way inside or use some chicanery to make it a smoother endeavor.
◉ ESCAPE PLAN. Whether you went in to cause trouble or accidentally caused it by breathing the wrong way, it's good to have an escape plan in place. Does that mean fighting all the goons available? Maybe. What about stealing a hover bike and getting away? The good news is that hover bikes can fit where hover cars can't.If you've got the skills, you'll be able to weave through the chaos of the city and make a clean getaway. Just don't let the chase run for too long, or you'll have law enforcement on your ass as well.
> FIGHT CLUB
No matter the occasion outside, New Amsterdam's fight club events are held every evening. The bouncers at the door don't have too many scruples on who they let inside. All they care about is whether someone has the money to pay the cover charge.
The interior of the fight club reveals the sophistication of a business that's used to uprooting itself regularly. All the fights take place in a large cage in the center, and you remain on your feet while you enjoy the show. There is a special VIP section if you've been lucky enough to receive an invite or bribe your way in – just keep in mind that these invites are scarce, and you will have to have done something spectacular to earn the attention from someone high up the food chain. Regardless of where you end up, there is one rule: what happens in the fight club stays in the fight club. This tenant is law, and everyone's heard stories of the different (and sometimes extreme) lengths that have been taken to maintain it.
◉ FIGHT. It's time to sign up and test your chops against other fighters. Many of the fighters boast illegal cybernetic enhancements, so it would be a really good idea to have someone on hand who knows some first aid. Fights can either happen in duos or in one-on-ones depending on the signups for the evening.
◉ RINGSIDE CHAT. You might just want to enjoy the show, or use the opportunity to grill the bartenders for information. Just be careful not to make a fool of yourself. Asking too many questions might catch the wrong kind of attention – the kind that might find you being thrown into the ring, whether you wanted to be there or not. For all the blood spilled, these fight clubs thrive on discretion, so whatever you do, try to keep it quiet.
Life in New Amsterdam was once all festivals and people avoiding association with organized crime. Life in New Amsterdam these days is full of drama, citywide disturbances, and everything else that might be expected of an action film in progress. While there aren't many answers for what's happened to the Displaced, there is enough chaos going around that it seems like it may be connected to their arrivals.
The worst part is that New Amsterdam seems to struggle. Rather than being an anonymous backdrop to those action films, New Amsterdam is a bustling city full of life that never asked to be at the heart of this. When trouble hits, most repairs and restorations focus on helping those with money, while others are left forgotten living in tents and hoping for a helping hand. Recent circumstances have called for improvements in this area—there is more charitable work than ever before in New Amsterdam—but it's still a trying time.
Where the Displaced stand in all of this varies, but it's hard to ignore a city in trouble.
◉ DISPLACED VERSUS DISPLACED. Whether it's by manipulation of an outside force or through inhaling weird monster gas, sometimes the Displaced are at odds with one another. When some of these few heroes are fighting, it means that the city can be left in even greater danger. Other times, the Displaced might not be able to control themselves. Feeling a sudden surge of vengeance and hoping to follow through on it? That monster gas might be the cause. Want to finish out a nasty deal to get something back important? The monster gas won't be an excuse, but maybe someone can pretend it was. Life as a Displaced is wild sometimes.
◉ THE UNITED NATIONS ARMY. In fact, it's so wild that sometimes they come up against the extremely dangerous soldiers of the UNA. These soldiers are the military arm of the United Nations government. They aren't the average soldier, however. Dressed in thick black armor that acts as an exoskeleton for their bodies, they are basically invulnerable to any and all attacks. When fighting as a unit, they work perfectly in unison, making it so that they can quickly move to deny almost any and all attacks. They're also extremely resistant to any mental or emotional compulsion or manipulation, making them hard nuts to crack. Ready for a bossfight? They're the soldiers for it.
◉ MONSTERS. As for unconventional threats, there are the monsters. These creatures first turned up in giant form when the first batch of Displaced arrived, stomping all over New Amsterdam. The less unique version of the monsters are around 400m high, have lizard-like features, and tend to show up by tearing down a portion of New Amsterdam's city wall And that's the less unique version. More unique monsters vary in size and make, seeming to be an amalgamation of a number of different creatures. Half-snake, half-dog? Seems odd, but it happens. The one consistent feature of all these monsters is they all have golden irises. Suffice to say that running into these creatures could be a problem.
Feel free to branch out and explore! Visit a doctor about some advanced cybernetics. Sneak through the city checkpoints and set out into the wilderness. Try to hop on a train bound for one of the world's five spaceports to see one of the colonies—though bear in mind the cost and difficulty of one of these joy rides. Experiment with some insect based versions of your favorite recipes. Perhaps you'd prefer to engage in some illegal street racing, spend some time getting used to the technology, or try to become a social media celebrity. Use the SETTING for inspiration and choose your own adventure!
no subject
The poor guy's new. People deal with being displaced in different ways. Some of them cry, some of them nervously crack jokes. There's the denial stage, the outright disbelief stage.
(Ian, for one, was immediately fucking thrilled and asked like four people to empathy bond with him that same day.)
Some of them drink, which Ian personally thinks would be healthier than this, so... ]
I'm giving you one more, and if you don't light up like a fucking Christmas tree we're gonna start a shot of tequila per hit currency system.
[ Redirect him toward alcohol, Ian's coping mechanism of choice - aside from weed, of which he as found exactly 0 here.
Maybe loosen the dude up a little. ]
Deal?
no subject
[ Which seems less intentionally heated and more just— dismissive of literally anything this guy could be telling him. It comes out steely enough. When it's obvious that it's gonna take some semblance of recognition here to move past it, Nathan just looks even more annoyed. Disproportionately, some might say. ]
Fine.
[ Even though hard liquor's not really in his wheelhouse anymore. Not like guy-with-the-cube has to know that. There is literally no way for him to reinforce that deal, other than, he's getting the feeling, fucking annoying him to death by talking.
Magic's not around anymore. Lot less to fear, Nathan figures. ]
no subject
Besides, he concedes anyway which is a win. As annoyed as Nathan is, Ian seems equivalently pleased. Compromise is a beautiful thing, and so is tequila.
Alright.
Round two. This one comes in the form of a slightly more solid slug to the arm, because he... doesn't feel great about the concept of punching a guy in the face twice. When he was a teenager, him and the four or five guys he'd hang out with regularly would do dumb shit like "play games". There was letter B, and there was this one called dead arm which... essentially is what it sounds like, you take turns punching each other in the same exact spot on the arm until it goes numb.
He wasn't great at it, but hey, let it never be said the experience didn't become relevant later in life. ]
no subject
Blue glow. Hard to ignore, even harder to mistake for anything else. In the broad span of the world, nothing much happens — time ticks on as usual, where Ian throws a hit to Nathan's arm.
On the other end, Nathan's world slows down. Kinda literally.
A little weird to experience, honestly. His peripheral vision gets shot to hell, but everything else sharpens into focus. Nathan can almost feel the spaces between his own heartbeat, when the muscle inside his chest starts to ever-so-slowly contract. He can see Ian's blow coming as if in slow motion. The entire world feels suspended and slow and blessedly fucking quiet. Nathan sees the blow coming towards his arm and, generally, you react to that kind of thing. So he does.
And then it — this moment of hyper-perception to the nth degree — is over.
And instead of making contact with his arm, Nathan's caught the round of Ian's fist in his very naked hand. ]
no subject
Holy shit.
[ Pleasantly surprised, vaguely impressed. ]
Your power's being mister fucking miyagi. How'd you know that would work?
[ Because there's no way that just... coincidentally happened. Nobody can know taking a few punches will unlock what they can do, right? Not without some serious fucking instinct, or insight, or both. ]
no subject
Got nauseous, earlier. [ Which is one word for it. More like he was minding his own fucking business and then saw some kind of insect fly pass him in slow-motion, its tiny, papery wings as crystal-clear and individualized as if he'd been looking at a still-life. Then the world had righted, his heart had kicked back up into its steady pace, and Nathan had thrown up into a sink. ] Didn't think much of it.
[ You know, except that blue fucking light coming from his goddamn chest that told him something was up.
Also, not even remotely the whole story. But not exactly like he's interested in telling the rest. ]
Thanks. [ He does not, for the record, sound thankful. ]
no subject
So you were fucking with me a little.
[ Probably not deliberately, he acknowledges that. Not in the sense that he gave a shit about what Ian thought, not that he was setting something up to pull the rug out, just... He could've mentioned that sooner, right? Like, around the time Ian tried to convince him most powers weren't combat related?
Or maybe not, maybe his give a shit is just the lowest out of anyone Ian's ever met - including a lovely bunch of aliens.
Whatever the answer, Ian can only shake his head and dip his eyes back down to the table with his little glowing cube thing.
Alright, man. Well, you're welcome. ]
Fucking magic karate.
[ He mutters, picking up his screwdriver.
With the flattest expression ever, he looks Nathan in the eyes and changes it from a fork shape to a spoon shape.
Congratulations on your badass power, new guy.
Damn it. ]
no subject
His eyes track Ian when he moves. Just— for no other reason other than because that nausea's back, and having something to focus on helps him out. He keeps waiting for that prickle at the back of his own neck, something that tells him what he's looking at when that fork changes into a stupid spoon.
But it's nothing. Feels absolutely nothing, and Nathan says back, expressionless, ]
Yeah, sucks for you.
[ Not like Nathan's gonna fucking do anything with whatever the fuck this is. He does not give a fuck about winning karate championships.
He does care a little about that cube Ian was fiddling with. Now that one question's answered, Nathan pivots towards his next, arms folding loosely over his chest. Nods in the table's direction. ]
What the hell are you working on?
no subject
A slightly uncharitable thought that he tucks away somewhere beneath layers of calm. He's mollified a little by the attention his work - probably opened up a can of worms just now, Nathan.
He lights up like a fucking--
Well, like a glowing cube. ]
I was in engineering before I showed up here, except that was like... five hundred fucking years ago. I'm trying to get caught up, because technology fucking exploded since then.
[ As it is wont to do. He nudges the cube a little closer toward Nathan. ]
If you can believe it, this is the kind of thing they build in freshman year. It's like... baby's first project. A hologram, and you can interact with it. Seriously, like- poke it. It's amazing.
[ It'll move to the touch, expand and contract and spin and whatever you can think of. ]
no subject
Huh. ]
Well, shit.
[ Nathan's got no idea of where to start, trying to piece this out. He looks sidelong at Ian. Reassessing, and plainly so, what this guy's all about. ]
Probably beats a 9 to 5, this place. [ Considering age and demeanor. Nathan defaults to the idea that the guy probably just has a fucking desk job or something. Had. Had a desk job, before this shit. ]
no subject
Sure.
[ He agrees mildly, settling one hip against the lip of his desk. ]
Also beats the fuckin' end of days.
[ It's not actually hyperbole. There's a frankness in his expression written in there somewhere between his lines of good humor and ease.
It's not a secret, not something he's sensitive about. Not something that brings up such trauma and sends him careening into dramatics.
It was the end of the fucking world, and he mostly drank his way through it until he woke up here, so. ]
Personally, I'm pretty psyched about the change of pace.
no subject
Might as well just ask it. ]
That literal or metaphorical?
[ But the frown's gone, at least. Nathan's expression settles into something more level, still on that reassessing thing, holographic cube forgotten for now. ]
no subject
[ He sighs, tipping his head over toward that tequila he'd been set on foisting onto this guy. It's just instinct now, an association - you talk or think about the end of the world, you take a drink to numb it.
He does that now, absently screwing the lid off with quick flicks of his fingers to send it spinning. ]
All these assholes sit around complaining about it here, like cricket tacos and no more coffee are the worst things in the world.
[ And it's strange, maybe, how someone can muse so bitterly but still sound so kind about it. More like a fatigued father complaining about his kids with no real heart. He points the neck of the bottle at Nathan. ]
I woke up here and it's the first real fucking shower I had that didn't come from PVC pipe in eighteen months.
[ He takes a drink. ]
no subject
No shit. [ Nathan's spent plenty of time thinking of the end of the world. He's spent approximately none of that thinking about what it'd be like to still be alive on the other side of it. He clocks Ian with another short look, then stares back at that bottle of tequila. Cricket tacos, no more coffee, apparently enough liquor to go around. Yeah. There are worse things in the world. ]
People are only gonna miss what they know.
[ Which sounds like some fortune cookie bullshit and means fuck-all, actually. Nathan barely restrains from rolling his eyes at himself and just sounds more annoyed when he says, ]
What, no beer?
[ He doesn't have anything against tequila, so his judgement isn't totally personal. Nearest target for his frustrations, more like. ]
no subject
[ He answers, a little click-hiss in his throat and his teeth from swallowing back well-quality liquor. Aside from that, he takes it like a champ - maybe a little disturbingly casual about it, considering it's fucking tequila and all tequila's rough.
It's clear by that word he's teeing up for something, and he follows through with an incredibly dry question. ]
You have strong opinions about Natty Light?
[ Because he does. It's the water of the beer world. It's the La Croix of beer. It's like if someone ran beer through a Brita filter and then burped that into your mouth.
He's a craft beer guy - sadly, something that he lost during the apocalypse and still hasn't found again since getting here. Some kind of future-piss version of Natty Light is all they've had in stock since he showed up. It's alright, he's got Montezuma to cover his bases. ]
no subject
You gonna keep mouthing off while you shoot that?
[ Nathan is a Heineken guy, technically. Standards are probably for people who care a bit more about aforementioned cricket tacos. He lifts a hand from where his arms are folded to emphasize his point, fingers spread, palm laid open. ]
Shitty beer, no coffee. You sure this is better than— [ He makes a gesture to mean: you know, whatever the fuck ended up crushing the world like a tiny blue egg. ]
no subject
But since Nathan's hand is out anyway - even though he's not asking for it, Ian plops the bottle into his open palm. ]
We didn't have beer or coffee back there, either, most of the time. Fridges went out, stores got ripped out of the ground, hard to grow fuckin' coffee beans in the pacific northwest. Plus, all the fucking aliens. So
[ A faux-moment of weighing his options. ]
Yeah, slightly better.
no subject
About as plausible as firebirds and poltergeists. Nathan raises an eyebrow at the bottle that ends up in his hand, but he's not above hefting it in his palm, turning it over, reading over the barebones label and shitty fucking design. Gives him a little something to do while he considers whether Ian's lying through his teeth, trying to get back at him for that lie of omission earlier. Doesn't really seem like the type, somehow. People try and sell lies by leaning into them. Ian might as well be talking about the weather.
Fair enough, he figures. Nathan tips the bottle back towards him. ]
Keep it.
[ Short, clipped. ]
Need it more than I do.
no subject
[ He says it pleasantly, accepting the bottle and plunking it back down on the desk. ]
You just asked me to punch you in the face on a hunch.
[ Doesn't seem like the mark of a guy with everything together and great, uncompromising judgement. That's just his unprofessional opinion though.
But he won't push it anymore. The guy can enjoy his Sadtural Light.
Before he forgets-- a little gesture to himself. ]
Ian.
no subject
Mimics the gesture, anyway. ]
Nathan.
[ A beat. ]
Good luck with your fork.
no subject
Thanks. Fork you, too.
[ Wryly. Get it?
Yep, okay, he's just gonna round his desk and get back to work.
His knuckles hurt a little now, so. You know. Thanks for that.
Nice to meet you. ]