Gather 'round people, wherever you roam

[hellosailor]

Date & Time: Mid December onward
Location: New Exsilium
Characters: Victor Sullivan and YOU
Summary: Catching up, Christmas stuff, hanging around, whatever
Warnings: none at the moment.

A. Near His Shitty Ice-Shack

[Home sweet home it was not. Sully set up base near the shores of the Thames, in an abandoned little shack probably originally set up for ice-fishing. Over time he's managed to snag some creature comforts for it, starting with a generator and a heater and working his way up.

Strangers may find him hauling furniture or wood, trying to build an outhouse, or just walking to and from, either from an excursion to the nearest town or a trip to transporter. A friendly stranger might offer to help. A less friendly stranger might laugh their asses off as he tries to dig through the packed snow.]


B. In Town

Well, that could have gone better.

[Pawn shops were never where the big money was, but he didn't have a lot of options. With barely any cash to his name and a variety of sundry goods for trade it was that or nothing. It wasn't like he had any contact here, not a fence to be found.

Still, he was hoping for a little better than this. A lifetime of figuring out exchange rates meant that he knew exactly how little he'd really gotten out of the bargain. Certainly not a fortune. But hell, a bird in the hand. Which meant that he was ready to hit the town.

Blending in with the locals might not be too hard. If someone didn't spot him first.]


C. Other??

[Whatever suits your fancy!]

((OOC- If we've discussed doing something special before, you can either throw up a starter or let me know if you want me to make one!))

Comments

A. Mid December time

[smallest]

[He came from the sky, fleeing from the city. The only warning to his arrival was his shadow racing over the land below. He hit the ice with a sharp sound. A network of cracks wove around him. A flea on the ice was a strange and frightening experience. Fearful of falling into the water, he cried shrilly. He ran on his hands and feet, going nowhere on the slippery surface.

He fell on his face and he slid across the ice. His gloved hands could not grip onto the ice to make him stop. Large, red eyes winced from the pain, barely catching sight of someone. He looked up. It was the man from before. He gasped, remembering that this was the man with a gun.]

[hellosailor]

[The shutters had seemed like a great idea at first. A way to keep the heat in at night when the single window on this little shit-box just didn't cut it. But it wasn't exactly going as planned. He hadn't expected goddamn art but Jesus Christ.

He'd managed to scrounge up some wood and various sundries with a little charm, but as it turned out the quote unquote frame of the window was about as brittle as ice and split with the slightest provocation. He was going to have to put up another fucking support or something to hold the damn things up because the shack itself certainly wasn't going to.

He stepped back, scrubbing at his face with his hand and studying the disaster. Which meant that it was totally quiet when all of a sudden some asshole hit the ice.

Flinching reflexively and turning, hand where his gun would be if it weren't bundled up in his jacket, he tried to figure out what in the Sam Hill was going on. It took him about a second to assess the situation then a second to not believe it.]

Are you goddamn kidding me?

[It was that real weirdo he'd met when he first showed up. Apparently ill-equipped for ice and falling out of the goddamn sky. Unfortunately he was a transport which meant he should probably try to be somewhat responsible for him. Or Cutter would be so very disappointed.]

Stay right goddamn there you damn fool, I'll be right out.

[smallest]

[He curled his fingers against the ice. How was he supposed to stay when he could not stop? He rasped, feeling scared, he watched the man helplessly. That man may have threatened him before, but Francœur tried desperately to listen to him.]

[hellosailor]

[He decided to take that as a yes, and spread his hands out as a clear sign to wait.

Then he promptly turned back to the shed and tromped his ass back inside. A moment digging through his pile of assorted sundries turned up what he was looking for- the spare set of high-traction boots he'd hoarded. Should give the guy some control. Not a minute later he was back outside and aiming himself in the general direction of whatever the hell the stranger was. It was slow going; traction or no the ice was slippery and he had no real urge to face plant.]

All right, all right, calm down.

[It took him awhile, but eventually he was within arms reach.]

You just don't do anything weird, ok?

[smallest]

[Exactly what constituted anything weird, he did not know. Regardless, he could not do much of anything on the ice. The cracks shifted, growing. Francœur was too heavy.

He chirped pitifully. He was trying not to panic, but that was hard for him to do. Being so close to the water made him nervous. He could not swim.]

b

[encharrneered]

[ Speaking of shops, Rinth's been arguing at one not too far from the pawn shop Sully had visited. In the underground tunnels of snowy Exsilium, she's at one of the stores that's a mix of outdoor and indoor, so the argument is outside and on display for all to see. It's one of the butcher shops and she's at her usual trade since getting here, selling what she hunts up. This time it's a string of fat, puffy-feathered birds.

That alone gets her hackles up. Thankfully, the locals can't see those, the holographic disguise yet again coming in handy. Still, the big burly lumberjack of a man that she parades around as when she has to talk to the locals has that out of place voice; it's growly, sure, but still a little too high pitched than one would expect out of a dude.

If by any chance Sully has his own little Initiative-made devices on hand, he might be able to see right through the disguise to the big angry charr herself. ]

You know how scarce large game is all of the sudden? [ Since the Transports showed up, thanks guys! ] I'm not even asking for the same I want for deer and hogs and you expect me to throw in half of them for free? Give me a break!

[ She has a building to keep heated! New wiring to buy! ]

Re: b

[hellosailor]

[The heated argument draws Sully's attention pretty quickly. He thinks he might recognize the voice, although he's not sure. Maybe not. Still, it gets his attention long enough to realize that it has to be one of them. Doesn't recognize the guy with the misplaced voice until he remembers to go fumbling around for the whatchamacallit. Bunch of them were disguised and-

Ah, yep. Big cat thing. Big angry cat thingy.

Well hell.]

We got a problem here?

[Sully rolls up behind her with a helpful expression and open-palms. If this cat is hoping to get a better deal out of this guy he's willing to be this isn't the right way to go about it. Hell, what about low-profile did people not get?]

[encharrneered]

[ Biggest of the big angry cat things around. The look she turns to give Sully alone should prove that, because it is definitely not a welcoming one. Lucky for him, she has other humans to glare at, and so she's back to snarling at the local one soon enough.

How snarling translates through the disguise can't be pretty, seeing how the butcher takes a step back at that. ]

He's going back on our earlier deal when it comes to smaller game because I haven't been bringing anything bigger in lately with it! Pulling this on me because I'm a new face in town, aren't you? Think I'll just roll with it not to ruffle feathers, huh?

[ It isn't the right way at all, but this place has done the opposite of wonders for her temper. Even without this place, surrounded by humans, it never was that stellar to begin with! ]

[hellosailor]

Whoa, hey now. I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement here.

[He's not actually certain at all, but he sure as hell hopes they can at least avoid bodies. Bodies are bad.]

I'm sure this nice gentleman wouldn't try to pull anything over on you. Not on such an excellent hunter. [Sully shoots the guy a look with raised brows. Charr was an excellent hunter. Ie killer. This guy had to be suicidal] He probably just doesn't understand the situation. Now it's true that big game is getting scarce, but that doesn't make handful of good birds like these worth any less, does it?

[He's giving his best 'follow along with me and don't get killed' face. Hopefully the butcher wasn't as stupid as he looked.]

[encharrneered]

[ Rinth can handle bodies better than people, though. Bodies can be handled if they end up with bodies. Still, she keeps quiet and listens. As for the guy, well, all he saw was another human, not unlike himself, if a little strange.

If he knew what she really was, this conversation would involve a lot more screaming.

Still, he isn't an idiot. He recognizes the look Sully is shooting him and between him and Rinth, he seems slightly less murderous. ]

I... guess so. I'm just worried about an influx of 'em, you know? There's been a whole lot of new people 'round lately who seem inclined to bring stuff in, too.

[ So he says.

Rinth just keeps on looming ominously. ]

Option I Do What I Want: near his shitty ice shack

[totallytrustworthy]

[Discretion is the name of the game. Or at least discreet is what she hopes to be when Chloe slinks in during the middle of the day to drop off one hastily wrapped care package near the front of the shelter Victor's set up for himself. The pressed cardboard box she's holding isn't light, isn't properly taped shut and damn if the contents rolling about inside don't make it any sturdier as she trudges through near knee high snow.

But it's fine, it's all fine: she'll set it on his doorstep, walk off, and put together a pair of makeshift rackets from torn down pine branches to keep herself on top of the snow for the trip home rather than under it as she ought to have done in the first place.

Ah well, hindsight and all that.]

[hellosailor]

[Alright so the bathroom thing was proving a bigger issue than he'd anticipated. The one-room shack had seemed like a real boon at first, and hell, who couldn't piss into the wind? But it was goddamn cold outside and he was getting about tired of it.

Not that it seemed to matter to the packed-snow he was shoveling. It was slow-goddamn-going, and he really really wished he could just blowtorch the shit. Alas.

Still, he's down a good four feet and bent over when she gets near the shack. No one could blame her being surprised when his head and shoulder seemed to pop up from underground, not far from her at all.]

Hey, watch your step. Hate to see you twist one of your pretty little ankles.

[totallytrustworthy]

--Jesus. [Surprised is one word for it. Mid parcel delivery-- the box barely a few inches above the ground-- her grip stutters for it, slipping through her gloved fingers to slide sadly down into the snow.

Stooped over it, wearing an expression only a few ticks shy of owlish, she supposes she doesn't look anything less than suspicious by all possible standards.] What on earth are you doing down there?

[hellosailor]

Honestly? [Never a great way to start a conversation with Victor Sullivan]

Digging a shitter. The glamorous life.

[With that he drops the shovel and plants his hands firmly in the packed snow around the edge of the hole. Uses the convenient foot hold he'd chipped out earlier to thrust himself out of the hole. It doesn't take but a moment to put him back on level ground.]

But enough about me, what the hell are you doing here?

[totallytrustworthy]

Ah. [Right. About that. Chloe glances down at the proverbial red on her hands, giving the box one sad little nudge with the snow-covered toe of her boot.] Brought you a care package.

I DO WHAT I WAAAANT also in town

[cyphered]

[Nate is still busying himself with trading and pawning off everything he's managed to swipe from various vendors for cash. Today proved to be fairly fruitful -- if he kept this up, he'd have his sled team in no time...not to mention some essentials for his little hole in the wall. Being human had its advantages here -- he had seen some less-than-human folk trying to sneak around with less than stellar results.

He had long ago decided that would work in his favor too. If they couldnt trade here with locals, then they could trade with him outside. Maybe. If he felt like it.

Nate is just waltzing along, keeping his eyes out until he spots a gentleman in a rush on his way out. After bumping into him rather hard (with a hasty apology and a haphazard effort to help him upright again), he turns away from the somewhat heated encounter with a small sack of coin. Not much, but it was something at least.

He will spend some time discreetly counting it in his pocket as he wanders, adjusting the backpack slung over his shoulder. He's so distracted that he doesn't spot Sully until he nearly bumps into him. Awkward.]

[hellosailor]

[Nate may be preoccupied, but Sully isn't. He isn't far out of the pawn shop when he spots him- fumble-handing in his pocket. And maybe he wants to smack him upside the head for that.

But that would mean drawing attention to himself.

He doesn't have to. He could turn, they could miss each other entirely. Two ships. It would be a hell of a lot easier. And this isn't really the right place for it anyway. But if he's wrong and Nate's spotted him and he doesn't even have the balls to talk to the kid, well...

By the time he's figured out what to do about it it's really too late to do anything but wait for the kid to bump into him.]

You're looking smug.

[cyphered]

[Nate gives an awkward clear of his throat as he steps back to put just a bit of distance between them.]

Yeah. Right. Bad habit.

[The hand in his pocket goes still and he manages an easy grin.]

Shopping around for a new fanny pack, Sully?

[hellosailor]

Not if you did something to deserve it.

[Well this is awkward.]

Very funny kid. Glad to see your sense of humor hasn't changed.

[He figured it was safest to stick with jokes. Jokes were easy. And sure, he didn't usually prefer the safe option but in this case-]

Nah, just rustling up some pocket money. [He doesn't bother to hide the look he shoots at Nate's pocket-hand] You know how it is.

[cyphered]

Any luck?

[He saw. Great. It was an amateur con, even if it worked, so Nate is just going to pretend Sully didn't see anything. In light of that, the jokes don't get returned.]

c, late also hoping this all is cool hi sorry forgive me

[irritating]

[ After deciding she needed a goddamn drink today, Apollo had also decided this of course was a great time to spring a short notice invitation for drinks on Sully via a couple text messages: one asking if he was busy, and the other giving him directions to a bar she'd be in shortly in case he wasn't and wanted to join her.

It was kind of last minute, spur of the moment of her but hey, fuck making proper plans, right?

In any case, Apollo can be found sitting at the bar downing a glass of whisky regardless of whether or not Sully is coming. Even though they've never met in person before and have only seen one another through video on the network (and although she's had to keep her unique little wings hidden due to the local's stupid dislike of them), Apollo's still a pretty recognizable woman. It's the bright red colour of her hair, mostly, although her enthusiastic energy as she slams down an empty glass and calls for a second drink is distinctive enough as well. ]

Shhhhhh let me love you

[hellosailor]

[The wes was a solid, familiar weight in his hands as he looked down his sights at the animal he had been trailing. The locals were smart enough to keep their caribou locked up, so this one was either wild or escaped. Didn't matter to him which. He wanted the head for his wall. Was thinking about calling it "The Stag". Probably not accurate, but hell if he cared.

So he was more than a little annoyed when the little computer thing started going off, causing him to flinch back and the damned thing to go bounding off into the snow. Just his goddamn luck.

He fished the thing out of his pockets, swearing all the while, and then glared at the screen while he tried to figure out who the hell-]

Oh. Oh!

[He'd almost forgotten. And while it didn't quite make up for ruining his master plan, a drink did soften the blow a bit. Especially a drink with a girl as game as she seemed.

He tucked his gun back in his holster and started the trek back to his place. He'd have to get himself back in order.

So he shows up with bells on, or at least with his face-shaved and his mustache trimmed. It doesn't take him but a moment to find her, and he saunters over, sliding onto the stool next to her, all smiles.]

Fancy seeing you here.

yes pls

[irritating]

[ She'd been doing a good job of keeping herself entertained while Sully got himself brushed up, as she was never one to find herself bored as long as she had a drink to keep her company. Of course having a drink and a man to keep her company was even better so, like him, she's all smiles when he takes a seat beside her. Though she keeps her elbow planted on the counter, she does turn her body a bit towards him so it's easier for her to inspect him. ]

Fancy indeed! [ Mildly ironic, considering the bar she had chosen was pretty far from fancy. ] Glad you made it, drinks are better when y'got someone to down 'em with.

[ The second the bartender places a new whisky in front of her, she's plucking the glass from the counter top and taking a good swig of it before continuing. ] Turned out to be a busy fuckin' month though, otherwise I would gotcha down here earlier.

*eyebrows waggling at the speed of light*

[hellosailor]

[He ignored the atmosphere, which was far less interesting than she was. A pretty thing, for sure. A little more colorful than he was used to, but hell, variety was the spice of life.]

Couldn't have said it better myself. [He gestures to the bartender with a couple of fingers] I'll have what she's having.

[Not often he got to say that. He tended to stay away from drinks with umbrellas in them. She had good taste, at least.]

Oh? This brave new world kept you pretty busy then? I'm flattered you made time for me.

[He had been hoping she'd get a hold of him. Then he stopped worrying about it. Figured she'd been just as busy as the rest of them trying to figure out how to go from bunkbeds on the moon to twenty feet of snow and yetis. So he wrote it off, and didn't hold it against her. This was a nice surprise to say the least.]

[irritating]

[ She's a little more colourful than most around here are used to - what with the hair, the heterochromatic blue and green eyes, and the overabundance of bracelets just to name a few things - but she'd be lying if she said she didn't like the attention. A grin tugs at her lips when he gets the same thing she has, amused as she watches him. ]

Yup! Makin' new friends, wastin' time fixin' up a shitty house I'm gonna end up ditchin' anyway, figurin' out what the fuck Christmas is, doin' some huntin', that kinda thing.

[ Meeting up with Sully had gotten put on the back burner for a while there, and sure she did kind of forget about it for a little bit, but that was mostly because she's easily distracted, rather than because she had abandoned the idea completely or something. Now that she was settled and most distractions dealt with though, she figured now was a good a time as any to finally get back to him. ]

Aw, well sugar, we had a nice little chat on the network thing, didn't we? Why wouldn't I wanna make time for someone who was good to me like that, hm?