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meadowlarking2019-12-22 02:40 pm
TEST DRIVE MEME 008
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.
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!
Quentin Coldwater | The Magicians
[You would think that after living most of his life without magic, he'd be able to handle being without it, but circumstances already proved that wasn't true. There was an entire key quest about it. Quentin couldn't just accept what someone told him, but he's been sitting in a corner for awhile now trying every technique he knows to get magic to spark and none of it's working. It isn't the absence of magic like what he's known before; it's more than that. To most people the way the Magicians use hand gestures and twitching fingers isn't exactly typical known movie or TV magic, so it would just seem like he's doing strange spider-y gestures with his fingers. Still, he's determined, walking through these strange streets more focused on his hands than on anything else.]
Exploring Changes: Touch-a touch-a touch-me
[While doing that, Quentin isn't paying much attention to where he is going. He has often been called oblivious, and a little feather-brained, and he is both of those things. So there are several times that he ends up knocking into someone or knocked around by them. His apologies are quick and sincere, shoulders slumping in obvious guilt, and he scoots out of the way. When he walks into someone, he might accidentally brush fingers with them, setting off an empathy bond without meaning too. Unlike a lot of people, Quentin doesn't pull away from it, instead he blinks and leans into it, quizzical. His emotions are a blend of high anxiety and deep sadness, mixed in with some curiosity at what's happening.]
Resolution Day: VR Simulations
[Quentin likes video games although it's been a long time since he played any of them. It requires a lot more time than he has. When presented when something geeky and excitingly new as VR, well, he can't help being drawn into it. Want to be a hero? someone asked him, and it's a loaded question. Which he says yes to. Always.
He is not at all prepared for what happens. At first he's amazed and looking around at how realistic it all seems. He has seen some fantastical and bizarre shit in his day, dragons for example, but he's not used to science fiction, not to this level of impressive trope-naming level of technology. He is definitely into it at first, but as the VR keeps going he gets way too immersed and starts flailing around.]
Wake up, wake up, shit. [It feels too real and the panic begins in his chest until he's heaving breaths and he manages to pull away before he really loses it, stumbling and tripping onto the floor.] That seems so much more fun in the movies. [He says to himself, loud enough for anyone to hear.]
NETWORK @ quentin.coldwater
Hi. How did you get your new powers to work?
Wildcard:
[Quentin will be walking around looking very lost and easily startled. He is friendly at the safehouse if a little shy of making steps to introduce himself, and spends a lot of his time brooding, staring off into space. There may be heavy drinking involved. There's an air of melancholy to him at all times.]
[OOC: No Magicians spoilers in top level but could be in later comments, please note if you do not want season 4 spoilers at all. Message me at plurk @ waftingcurtains with questions/thoughts.]
touch-a touch-a touch-me
[ Whirling around, his eyes land on someone... touching him. Scott's immediate reaction is to pull back, but he still feels miserable. Empty. Like someone's scraped all his hope out with a spoon, or whatever the hell was left of it.
Ugh. Wanting to cry and wanting to piss yourself are two things that should not be combined. ]
Did you... did you do that?
[ Scott's unaware that his own feelings might have pushed through into the guy's own head, but they're not nearly as terrible. Mostly he'd been confused and hungry, scared but not enough to completely disappear into himself. Scott's used to being a fish out of water-- at this point, it's probably his default state. ]
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Shit, um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.
[Is empathy his new power? That would not be a great power for him, especially with the current bitter emptiness looming on his mind currently. He instantly feels guilty that someone else had to feel that. Q's used to being a depressed mess and he tries hard not to make other people feel that way. He runs his hand through his floppy dark hair nervously.]
I'm new. Like, very new. I have zero idea what I'm doing. It's like a cyberpunk movie come to life except not as fun as it should be. [He rubs the back of his neck.] I'm also not one hundred percent sure that I'm even alive right now or it's that situation where your brain is dying so it makes up all these images that's like your life is flashing before your eyes, only it's not. [He pauses.] I talk when I'm nervous. Sorry.
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Scott isn't dumb enough to think that it'd appeared out of nowhere-- it'd definitely been because this guy touched him-- but he isn't bothered enough by it to feel angry, either. Just kind of... sad? Sad that this guy feels so sad? Because, surely, if it was caused by touch, then Scott's read enough sci-fi/fantasy to know that its source has got to be the guy who touched him in the first place.
The guy who's apologising just for talking. ]
I run my mouth all the time and it isn't even 'cause of nerves. [ The corner of his mouth tugs up into a smile, hopefully more comforting than not. ] Like-- listen, I'm new too. And, [ leaning in, Scott whispers quite conspiratorially ] it is pretty freaking weird, right?
[ He looks around, arms crossing over his chest, and then looks back this guy's way. ]
But I think we're alive? I got a good feeling we're alive. Just... somewhere weird, is all. I'm pretty sure I heard someone call us "Displaced", and that definitely doesn't mean dead, right?
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Super freaking weird. On one hand I want to go looking for like a hoverboard, but on the other, hi we're in some kind of new dimension?
[Quentin bites his lip and glances around them before darting his eyes back to Scott.]
I, uh, know what the underworld is like where I'm from, so really I shouldn't be surprised. It's more like a corporate office thing? A lot more boring than I would've expected. [He waves a hand around them.] At least this is cool madness. It has that going for it.
[Calm the fuck down, Q. He offers his hand and then pulls it back.]
I was going to say I'm Quentin and offer my hand, but I think we just learned that the state of touch around here is apparently of the bad variety. So. Hi. Quentin.
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I have definitely not been to the underworld, but if that place made you feel weird... I hope this place doesn't make you feel the same kinda weird.
[ And speaking of feelings, Scott's residual misery is receding, leaving him in his default state of slightly fearful and kind of curious, thank God. He probably won't be forgetting Quentin probably still feels them any time soon, though.
Scott rubs the side of his neck. ] Talking about touch... so it was you, right? Who did that emotion thing?
What, is that your power here?
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It isn't at all like there, no. It had this empty sort of ... nothingness vibe to it? Which makes clear if you're in a wait station to whatever comes next. Which I don't know about. [Yet. Whenever this whole thing is over he will know all about what that is, but he's not really in a hurry for that particular answer.] This is much ... shinier. I think that's good.
[His smile fades at that and he shrugs, crossing his arms.] It could be? I haven't been able to figure mine out yet. Empathy is something magic can do, but I've never been trained in it. [Quentin sighs.] I'm a magician, um, a magic user? But I can't use my normal powers.
@angela.roberts
Piece of advice: Don't ask someone to hit you as hard they can to try to get your power to work again.
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I'm used to having powers? But I can't seem to get it to work the same way.
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I heard people lose powers when they end up here. It's something I don't know much about since it's not a thing in my world.
[Now on the other hand, technology? Her world is flush with it and she has no qualms with all her nanotech working here.]
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I've definitely lost them. I've been trying non-stop since I got here. Pardon the language but it really fucking sucks.
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I'm sorry. Can I ask what you lost?
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While he might be leaning into the whole empathy bond thing she jerks away with a yelp as if she's been burned. She has enough of her own anxieties to deal with, she doesn't need someone else's barging in on her. She stares at him with pale blue eyes that are suddenly much more watery than they were before.]
What the Faaa--uck? [She takes a step back, hands shaking a little.
Quentin was likely to get a whole cocktail of emotions off of Kenzi; anxiety, heartbreak, frustration and anger and, of course, surprise.]
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He puts up his hands.] I'm sorry, super sorry, I didn't mean to run into you. [It is something he does though. He's clumsy and doesn't think clearly, especially not wrapped up in all this madness. Quentin when he first got here wondered if it was a chance to restart and be a person he wasn't, someone cool and confident, and pretty much immediately proved that he couldn't be. This was him.]
That was weird. I don't think it was magic, but it was ... something. [There is empathy magic, but it's never really been in his skillset.]
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She lets out a frustrated breath as she brings her hand up to her head as if she's going run her fingers through her hair then remembers the current state it's in and simply grips the beanie. ]
It's fine. [ Not really but what can she do? She doesn't like this empathic thing. It weirds her out. ]
Magic? What do you know about magic? [ Her tone is less grumpy, consumed by curiosity now that he's said the 'm' word. ]
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Um. [His eyes dart to the side and then back at her. Technically magic's supposed to be not real where he's from, they have that whole secret society thing going, but he has no intention of bothering with it here. He's way past giving a shit about the nuances of his timeline.] I'm a magician, a magic user. Or I was.
[He sighs and twitches his fingers.] It's gone, I can't use it. I've been trying since I got here.
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Maybe she would have to look into getting some wigs. ]
Oh. [ Her lips pull down into something between a grimace and a frown. She can't imagine having some kind of power only to have it taken away, but it probably sucks. ]
That sucks, dude. [ She glances around, wondering if this is something they should be talking about somewhere so public. Weren't they supposed to be discrete or something? ]
Maybe we should find somewhere with fewer ears to talk about this?
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sorry I've been siiiick
its fine, haven't been feeling so great myself
Exploring Changes
[Eliot still hasn't quite gotten over seeing Quentin, but he has at least gotten past the hysterical parts of it in favor of just giving him another long once over to verify he's really there, and then a rueful smile.] However, there is some weird shit I've spotted around, so I don't think it's magic gone missing entirely. Just not where we can get at it. I don't know if that's better or worse. With our luck, probably worse.
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[Well, they got it back. Because of him. Out of the grip of the Library. Quentin didn't get to fully enjoy having magic in his grasp again but he is thankful the others did. It's all the more reason he feels cheated now and like Sisyphus climbing up the mountain. Quentin steps out of Eliot's touch mostly because he doesn't want to accidentally dump emotions at him, which apparently is something that happens now.]
I'd say it's the universe telling us magic might not be for us, except it's like the universe also is telling us we should stop being in our dimension or timeline since we keep ending up outside of it. [Quentin smiles back at him, lacking his usual hesitance because it's Eliot.] Maybe our destiny is being time-travelers!
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[Eliot laughs though.] It might be. But if so, the next jump better end us somewhere where the outfits are better than the last trip. Or let's try a sci-fi style future. [He lets go of Quentin finally, though he doesn't move very far away. Eliot still has a nagging urge to keep Quentin in easy eyeline.] Besides, I think magic is still on the agenda, I've seen some weird shit around. It's just not our usual brand.
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He likes keeping Eliot close, but he is very anxious about any potential skin to skin contact with people, Eliot especially. The internal struggle Quentin goes through on a day to day basis is hard enough for him to deal with, but Eliot's been through so much. He just doesn't like other people having to deal with his shit. They still are within easy gripping distance if need be. There are times Quentin looks at him and thinks about the monster and can almost hear the way he talked and he wonders how long it'll be before that stops.]
I really do prefer fantasy, but I don't know, I could get behind some sci-fi. A little less god, fairy, and dragon drama would be real great. [Especially the gods. He could do without god interactions for the rest of his life, thanks.] I want to try like a hover bike or something. Or one of those VR stations, but I feel like it won't be as cool as I think.
network: @richard.grayson
[ someone is GRUMPY. ]
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