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Who: Everyone
When: July 1 and onward. See this post for info.
Where: Kauto + Chioni + Ingress Complex
Warnings: Potential violence. Please label warn-worthy content in your subject headers.

There's a burst of light in the sky when the Ingress breaks, a final flare followed by a shuddering that only those in the facility can feel. A flurry of panicked activity in the complex follows, ushering new arrivals to where they need to go in a hurry, with little time to give them the needed information, much less answer questions. The lights remain on, but dimmer now, life functions still operating but little else. On Kauto and Chioni below, the sky fades into an early twilight, followed by night, and day does not come again.

nerds save the world

Before the end of the day, all TABs receive an emergency broadcast notification outlining the situation. The speaker, a lead Savriite Ingress technician, does not invite panic but nor does he mince words. The Ingress is broken; their best efforts have failed to restore it. The time has come to turn to anyone who can help: scientists, engineers, those who have worked with advanced technology on any world. Formal qualifications don't matter when it could be the end of everything.

"Help us. Before it is too late."

Those who come will have the run of the complex and full access to the Ingress, as well as whatever tools are available and as much coffee as they can drink. People are encouraged to work in groups and share ideas, and a small number of young and nervous technical assistants will be on hand.

the land below

As Thisavrou is denied light and warmth, the weather becomes brisk and descends into bitter cold. Chioni is evacuated due to the effects on the already-harsh weather cycles there, although a skeleton crew of scientists remain behind. On Kauto, the arboreal Region Three and pastoral Region Two suffer the most from the temperatures and the snow that eventually begins to fall. Many crops are frozen over, and refugee citizens are driven from their homes to the Regions One and Five, where stored energy will keep dwellings warm. Save for those who choose to leave the underwater facilities, Region Four remains largely unchanged, but there are unverified accounts of strange aquatic animal behavior near the surface.

Overcrowding, limited supplies and a pervasive fear presents the opportunity for both heroism and foul deeds. Many come together to share resources, supplies and fellowship in what could be the end of worlds, while others take what they can from the unwilling or exploit the desperate. Sentient evacuees are followed by fauna from Region Three and unsettled lands beyond, in search of warmth or food or merely confused by the change in habitat. Some are unthreatening herbivores, while tanglesnakes and clownbees are more troublesome. Others are poisonous hunters, while still others are small, but dangerous when faced as a pack.

Just when all seems lost, light returns to the sky. The Ingress begins to function once more.

the coming days

As the temperatures rise, many demand answers, but most turn to the rebuilding of their lives first. Damage has been done that isn't so easily fixed, and even in the least-affected areas, remnants of the crisis show in the lack of fresh food, in the increased signs of criminal activity. Those who can help others through their own efforts of by organizing assistance are needed, but those with impure intentions are more likely to go unnoticed.

Eavesdropping on the streets may reveal a desire for vengeance. "Those intruders from last week. They're responsible for this, aren't they? What's being done?" But don't listen too closely, or a suspicious eye may be turned on you. "Aren't you one of the refugees from the Midway Hub? You should return to where you came from! All the trouble began when your people showed up!"

Life goes on. But life does not go on unchanged.

[quick ooc note: the Region 4 search & retrieval mission/RNG fight will be posted in a separate log.]

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[ She doesn't miss a beat: prim and precise, they've managed to dispatch a hostile and leave him with a 'sorry-I-knocked-you-out' gift. As far as things go, this is a solid victory.

Venom takes the bag back from Red, nods, and brushes an errant piece of dust from her hair. ]

Not what I thought I'd be doing with my day, but not bad.

[ To be fair, he's used to everyone within a 30-meter radius of him wanting to take him out, so he doesn't sound too concerned by the fact that someone almost mugged him for his proverbial lunch money. ]

—Anyone been giving you trouble recently?

Not any more than anyone else, I imagine.

[The blink-and-you-miss-it platonic touch doesn't at all go unnoticed, and she thinks to herself this is what having a big brother would feel like. He, her Transistor, isn't here but she can hear his voice in her head anyway.

He's handy to have around. You always were good at making friends, Red. He could be one.

Yes, she agreed to the voice that wasn't really there, he could be a friend but she would never have him as one simply because he may or may not be handy to have around. There was something oddly sweet about him she thinks, scars and horn and eye patch and all. There's something kind in his face and movements towards her.]

Are you alright?

[And with some confidence that a sisterly counterpoint to his brotherly one won't go amiss, she leans forward and reaches out to brush some dirty snow from off his shoulder. Then, she grins.]

[ The stranger in her midst shifts on the balls of his feet, standing with his back to the nearest source of light (not many; most have blinked out from lack of power) to cast his face in long, jagged shadow. His lone eye is the only feature on his face that speaks for him, still and blue and calm, and it flickers when Red brushes her fingers along the line of his thick winter clothes.

Even without the rest of his face moving, that gentle blink almost looks like a smile. ]

...Fine.

[ He shows her his palms, as if that would inspire some confidence: one real, one artificial. Punctuates that motion with a slow stretch of his neck, leonine. ]

Been a while since I've had trouble find me.

Is that so? I've a knack for finding it, myself. Or maybe it is more apt to say, good at attracting it.

[She laughs softly at her own expense, then leans forward to grip at his elbow, coincidentally the metal one, and wrap her fingers there if he'll allow it. Perhaps it's not the most gentlemanly thing to ask a lady to help him hide a body he's knocked out with one huge punch but—

—she's not the most lady-like of ladies and after what happened back home, well, it's just really nice to be around someone right now.]

Would it put you out of your way to walk me to my hotel? This eternal night brings less friends than adversaries.

[ He tips his head down at the point of contact where Red's hand meets his red bionic. It only registers as weight, not sensation, but the important thing is that it doesn't disagree with him— he's not a bad escort, when it comes down to the wire.

The metal forearm shifts to accommodate her grip, to make it easier for her to keep a steady handhold and walk at the same time. Despite his clumsiness with his words, his silences are far more charismatic; his posture says everything that he doesn't need to, which is I've got you. ]

Mm.

I'll consider it payment for your silence.

[ About what he did here, he means. He may sound serious about it, but there's an element of facetiousness that Red might be able to spot in the faint glint of that single eye, in the breezy exhale that follows.

When he starts walking, it's at a pace that he knows Red can follow. Past the cold alley and back onto the main road, unflinching against the wind. ]

[She likes the subtle humor, and she likes that he's indulging her need for company. Red is good at dodging and outrunning things when she needs to but, she doesn't know her way around very well and more than anything she just wants some friendly company right now.]

My silence is yours for the taking.

[Which is funny when she first says it, but her smile fades as she thinks of having quite literally lost her voice just recently. She'll need time to work out everything that happened back home but in the mean time, Red is very good at appreciating the small gestures and taking joy in the small pleasures where she can.

After a few minutes she glances up at the side of his face and his scruffy beard.]

May I propose a further deal? Your name for mine? I'm Red.

[ Strength in solidarity, solidarity in numbers. Venom may fly solo most of the time, but he knows the value of a good partner in certain situations; her faith in him to provide the company is perhaps misguided (look at him, listen to him, he's such a poor conversationalist), but if nothing else, he's consistent.

He also doesn't miss the fading smile when she mentions her silence, but he knows better than to pry. The opportunity comes and goes, and she's asking for his name before he can offer some sort of recompense for being blunt. ]

'Red', huh. [ Amusement tinges the corner of that single-syllable retort, and Venom is sure that she gets this a lot. ] Pretty literal.

[ He gestures to her hair, driving this partial joke home, before offering up his own name. ] Ahab. —You're new?

My mother said I came this way, a big messy shock of red hair. What other choice did they have?

[She laughs happily at the story, grinning up at him]

Ahab, good. I'll remember it.

[(and lucky for him she has no Earthly cultural references to associate with the name)

At his question she nods, then verbalizes:] Yes, I've only been here a few days. I've not even had the chance to budget for some more sensible clothes.

...I'll keep the jacket, though.

[Even if it's a man's coat and far too big for her. She'll never get rid of it, ever. Red pulls up the lapel and rests it against her cheek as she leans her head over. I miss you, she thinks, and can't help being disappointed when no voice responds no matter her knowing better.]

Have you been here long?

[ No Moby Dick jokes— not from his world, then. That's fine (less things to tiptoe around), and more than the easy rapport that she provides or her well-timed smiles, he's surprised at how candid Red seems to be. Despite the cold, the chaos, and the conflict, she's forthright with her smiles and gentle with her sentimentalism. Most people wouldn't be: people are sparing with their good humor when life comes to try to knock them down a peg.

When she burrows her face into the collar of her jacket, states that it's something she wants to keep, Venom finally takes note that it's an incongruous piece of clothing in comparison to the rest of her gear. Oversized and pitch-black, not cut to her figure.

Her equivalent of keeping comrades as diamonds in her pocket, then. Or so he assumes, as his expression gentles from 'inscrutable' to 'understanding'. ]

Hell of a time to show up. [ Really, this is probably the worst it's been since he's gotten here, sorry Red. ] I've had a few months to adjust.

[ A hum, and he almost leaves it at that. Instead: ] Long enough that I've budgeted. Come on.

[ He pivots on his heels, and turns them towards a row of storefronts that are now largely abandoned save for the few patches of shops that offer meager winter gear in exchange for food or water. Good thing he has things to barter with. ]

[Not a good time to show up, no, but she also takes comfort in the fact this is evidently not the norm. Things will get better, He would say. Red can almost hear His voice, almost, and she keeps her face half hidden in the jacket lapel as she stares up at Ahab. It smells like her now and not the true owner, and that makes her a little sad. The perfume he'd bought for her, that she'd worn for the concert that night, has found its way into the fabric.

And then he's turning, and she grips his metal arm tighter as she hurries a few steps to catch up.]

What—? Oh, are you taking me shopping~!

[This is no upscale boutique in the Highrise District, but that makes it all the more funny and charming in a bizarre way. Red wonders if he even realizes what an absolute perfect gentleman he is or if it just comes naturally. Either way, she's having a hard time keeping the amused smile off her face as they move towards the store and its sensible clothes.]

I can pay you back once I'm on my feet.

Speaking of feet, mine are killing me. More than anything I would love some comfortable shoes. [Thigh-high black leather heeled boots are probably the most absurd shoes imaginable to be running around in, yet she's been doing it for nearly three days now.]

[ It's an inventory run, thank you very much!!!!!!!! Except no, it's basically shopping, let's be real. Venom doesn't flatter himself by considering this as anything but a way to be practical— if Red thinks he's a gentleman, it's because she has generosity to spare.

(In his eyes, at least.)

The first store they stop at has an assortment of drab coats and gloves, flanked by a row of secondhand boots that may or may not catch Red's eye. Adjacent to them is another stall, with a selection that's slightly less warm-looking but marginally more fashionable: more colors, more styles. Venom gestures towards both choices, in a silent indication for her to take her pick. ]

Don't worry about it. Go ahead.

[ This is coming out of his own pocket, not his XO's, so he isn't overly concerned with whatever dent it'll make. If given the opportunity, Venom will live on nothing for days at a time— that's just the way it is. ]

[Red isn't shy at all about taking him up on his offer. If he's willing to share what he has, she won't make a big deal out of it. She's certain that eventually she'll be able to pay him back, in one way or another. In the mean time his generosity coats her heart like a glazed strawberry dipped in melted chocolate.

While she looks through the racks, finding something that both fits her figure (rather thin) and her height (fairly tall for a woman at 5'8") is the real trick. As for those shoes she had wanted, she found those almost right away. A well used but not worn out pair of black boots.]

I'm going to try this on.

[Stated to Ahab despite the protest of the person who runs the stall. There isn't a changing room. Such a small detail isn't about to stop her. Red balances on one foot and tugs off the first boot she's wearing with a few hops to keep her balance, then does the same for the other boot. She pulls the jeans on over the top of her stockings and up under her yellow skirt.

She then pulls the simple gray shirt on over her top, after taking her jacket off, and is soon wiggling the dress the rest of the way off up through the neck hole of the gray shirt. After that, she gets her new ankle boots on, and checks the fit of it all. She's pleased.

Red looks up to check on Ahab and gets an eyeful of his backside as he checks out something on a lower shelf. Now that's something to smile about. With a slight tilt of her head and a subtle smile, Red will enjoy this view for a few seconds before interrupting him.]

This'll do.

[ Venom watches, blinks, then politely averts his gaze the moment she hikes the fabric of her dress up over the curve of her thighs. She's bold, he'll give her that.

It's not as if he's not used to seeing the intricacies of the female body— his combat partner'd given him no illusions as to what the feminine form looks like— but he still finds it prudent to turn around and scope out a choice pair of boots behind him. Oh yeah, look at... these treads. Fascinating. The buckles are well-constructed, yeah. Damn, check out the laces on this one.

He only straightens when he hears the rustle of fabric abate, garnished by her reedy affirmation that she's done. It's almost like he's back in his world again, putting a jacket over his prone sniper's form— she hadn't given a single fuck about his propriety, either.

It's familiar. ]

—Comfortable?

[ A soft huff, and he looks towards the Savrii running the shop. He looks a little scandalized. ]

...Wait here.

[ The Savrii continues to look a little scandalized as Venom hands him a few water bottles and a couple of cans of dried food. Good job, Red, you've officially made an alien embarrassed. ]

[She does her best!

Red slips back into the oversized jacket and balls up the rest of her clothes to tuck under one arm. The long boots, she shifts to one shoulder. Rather than wait where she's told to, Red moves out of the stall and back onto the street. It's snowing harder now, and she closes her eyes as she feels it on her face.

Is this snow more real than that which the Process generates, she wonders? It seems more real, somehow. The smell is much different, and it's colder. Red opens her eyes and smiles, then blinks as a snowflake lands on her lashes. With a squint she turns around to watch Ahab finishing up the transaction.

When he nears she's quick to strike up conversation again.]

Thank you, for all of this. I wanted to ask about the music I overheard. What was it?

[ The storeowner jostles Venom out once he's done, muttering under his breath about refugees and how strange they are. The guy isn't wrong, so Venom is quick to retire from the scene and catch up with his companion, who is patently difficult to miss.

A palm draws up in a silent sign for don't worry about it, indicating the gifted winterwear; the rest of her statement-turned question requires opening his mouth to explain, so he does just that. ]

—Aztec Camera's "Oblivious". 1983.

[ He hums a few bars under his breath: "And sometimes on the edge of sleeping / It rises up to let me know it's not so deep / I'm not so slow". ]

I'm guessing music's not the same, where you come from.

Edited 2017-07-11 11:40 (UTC)

[Red's broad smile blooms quick as he hums the music. She's so pleased with his humming she takes a few hopping steps closer (so thankful for these more comfortable shoes), and is quick to loop her arm around his again. Red beams up at him as if he's just made her whole night.]

Not entirely the same although I suspect everywhere music is enjoyed there is also the breadth of range which diverse tastes might find substance in. My music tends to be more...

[Red trails off, thinks a moment, before giving a soft laugh at her own expense.]

Cynical I suppose. Maybe not cynical but reflective. I don't know.

[She hums the same bars he had from his own song, and she looks very happy while doing so.]

[ Her exuberance catches him off-guard again, but he doesn't dislodge her grip or attempt to create distance; just lets her keep those well-manicured fingers in the crook of his elbow, curled daintily into the folds of his midnight-black jacket.

The tip of his head to the trajectory of her song is the same sort of half-curious gesture of a mindful hound, nose to the wind and paws in dirt. ]

...Music tends to be that way.

[ As much as bullets and grenades, bombs and landmines, music is a reflection of a time and a struggle against society. Lyrics are weapons, chords are protests. If there's one thing that Venom learned after being in stasis for nearly a full decade, it's that he can read society through what people are listening to.

He makes a sound from the back of his throat. Watches Red with gentle scrutiny. ]

You're a singer? [ She sounds the part, at least. ]

[He's a clever one, this one-eyed hero!]

I am, yes. I never much took to the traditional studies. It was always music for me. My great love in life— [besides you, I miss you, I missyouImissyou] —one might say.

[Red is quiet a moment while they walk, as she thinks about which of her songs this man might enjoy. It's not a matter of what he enjoys though, is it, she asks herself. It's about what might speak to him.

Red decides to start at the tail end of one of her songs, a few short lyrics sung a capella for him, her voice clear but soft as it's for only his ears.]

So come with me
We'll fly right over
Right over

Watch it break
If we get closer
Much closer

[Red stops there, not wanting to bore him with an entire song he never asked for.]

[ Music, the great equalizer. Venom responds to the auditory input in something that almost seems automatic, an attentiveness that verges on being a hindbrain reaction. His gaze singles on Red, clear and focused like a sniper behind his scope.

His scrutiny isn't unkind, and he relaxes in increments once the last note fades and he takes an intake of air. ]

...Sounds like you should keep doing what you're doing.

[ The opposite of the 'don't quit your day job' sentiment, delivered with distant earnestness. ]

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nerds save the world

the land below

the coming days

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i had to google leonine :"c

i should have just written "like a furry"

just proof your english is better than mine XD also why so cute v

PLEASE?!?!?! NO... also god he's a nerd, bully him

no he's precious baby bear

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I'M SO SORRY i'm so slow sometimes ;o;

DW TOMO SO AM I, no sweat!

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