[02] waiting for lightning to strike

[madboy]

[action a, around town]

[Okay, Gil needs advice from someone other than his father on this. Gil hasn't been here nearly long enough to jump right to "passing the time," though he is equipped to ask better questions about what to do now. The first thing would be to tap into whatever civilian organizations may have been formed so far; the letter he'd read said that the known records of Mayfield go back three years, so there must still be something resembling a task force. Maybe.

So he'll be stopping anyone who looks relatively interesting and asking them all variations on the same question.]

What can you tell me about any actual progress made by the civilians here?

[action b, near the post office]

[The temptation is maddening. Gil has been thoroughly warned about the possible consequences of taking back his Spark, but really, not since childhood has he felt so helpless. Maybe there's nothing he can do with his Spark that would last... so is he prepared to lose an arm and a leg for what amounts to peace of mind?

He's practically pacing, looking more and more agitated as time goes on. Worst. Catch-22. Ever.]

Comments

B

[lil_tanuki]

Waiting for a package? [Guess who hasn't heard about the post office yet.]

Re: B

[madboy]

Waiting for a decision.

[Gil pauses, finally noticing that he's been kind of going in a circle. It's probably really, really obvious from outside.]

Do people actually receive normal mail here?

Re: B

[lil_tanuki]

I honestly don't know. But it's possible...

B

[adventurerextraordinaire]

[Cade, a man in his late 20's who carries a rapier on his hip, walks right past Gil without thinking much of it. Then he realizes what the young man must be up to and dashes back.]

"Wo-ho there! I hope you are not planning on doing anything rash, young man!"

[Cade looks back and forth over his shoulders dramatically, seeing who might be listening.]

"The postman, he is a vile creature, AND NOT TO BE TRUSTED!!"

[Cade gives that last part plenty of boisterous emphasis, because, clearly, that's the way to get this guy to take him seriously.]

Re: B

[madboy]

[Oh goddammit. There are heroes here. It's hard not to look annoyed as he answers.]

I know perfectly well what the postman is capable of. I was fully briefed when I got here. I think what I gain would be worth what it, though; I'm practically crippled in the state I'm in now.

Re: B

[adventurerextraordinaire]

"Oh? Well how useful will whatever you're getting back be if you lose your eyes! Or your hands! Or... your eyes and your hands!?"

Re: B

[madboy]

I'll build better versions blind and with my feet. A Spark is useless without his Spark, especially in a place like this.

...Do you know someone named Othar?

A

[electrowhipit]

[ Well, the drone he was questioning has no answers, but the car parked by the curb might. ]

What kind of progress?

Re: A

[madboy]

[And the drone had so looked like someone with something to say. Gil transitions over to talking to a car pretty easily; talking clanks are usually designed to look more human, but all things considered he's not that shocked.]

Anything that doesn't involve sitting around waiting to die. I'm not ready to lay back and let whoever's imprisoned us do what they want. I know that no one has managed to escape on purpose, but surely those trapped here have done something important with their time.

I've been briefed on everything besides what the populace gets up to.

[electrowhipit]

Eesh. [ Jolt shifts a little ] That's complicated.

A

[roadroller]

[At the very least, Rin's manner of dress is interesting; certainly far from being a drone anyway.]

... Progress, huh? ♪

[Rin has to think about that one. A lot of stuff has happened, but could it be called progress?]

Well, you know Officer Grady? Grady dying might be one of the biggest things that's happened. But that wasn't caused by us. Still, things have been quieter since he died. ♪

Re: A

[madboy]

...Grady? I've heard nothing about this person. Tell me about him.

[roadroller]

[Rin nods.]

He used to be the police chief! From what I hear, Grady was really nasty and aggressive, and used to mess with people out of spite. There was a woman named Samantha who was droned, only it was a different kind of drone than usual, and one day she broke free of the droning... and Grady killed her.

[She pauses sadly at that. Rin remembers that she had met Samantha just the night before. She sang for her.]

...

Anyway, it wasn't like normal, where you come back the next day. He killed her for real. So then, he was killed for real.... ♪

B - near the post office

[ooeeooahah]

[ Someone has been watching him for the past few minutes, not hiding, but staying out of his way while he went through the plans several times. When he does pause, she speaks. ]

It's a crapshoot, and the dice are loaded. You might get what you want, but there's no guarantee you'll be able to use it.

[madboy]

I can use it. Trust me, nothing they can do to me is worse than crippling my mind.

[Probably. If he really believed that, he wouldn't be so uncertain.]

[ooeeooahah]

They can give your ability back, and take away your training.

[ Her voice is quiet and calm. ]

Or your memory that you even have the ability, and leave you wondering why all hell is breaking loose.

[ She regards him with an air of resignation. ]

You're new enough to consider this, so you probably won't listen to reason. Did you get the map, yet?

A - Around Town

[mylittlechangeling]

[Queen Chrysalis probably looks fairly interesting, even without many of her more outlandish features. She is what appears to be a large pony or black horse and today she was making her way down the sidewalk.]

That's a question I'd like to have answered.

I've been told they've tried everything, but it seems to have come to no good. I'm not impressed, to be honest.

[madboy]

What have you thought of, then? If you're as new as myself then I imagine you haven't attempted much for yourself.

[mylittlechangeling]

Unfortunately in my current position and without my powers, I haven't been able to do much yet.

I suggested tapping into whatever power source our jailers use, but it was immediately shot down.

A

[rebelcommunion]

I'm afraid I'm too new to answer that. I've been wondering it myself.

[Summoner takes the sudden question in stride, relaxed and confident. Almost too cheery. Though he still holds himself with a vague awkwardness, like there's something that should be there suddenly missing that's thrown him off balance.]

Re: A

[madboy]

Doesn't everyone get a letter or something when they show up? I did.

[His father hadn't even penned it himself, which was rather remarkable on its own.]

[rebelcommunion]

I got more than one! But I prefer to trust what I can see and hear and touch over words on paper.

A - Around Town

[genkibot]

[Tachikoma is happy to provide information on the drone Gil seems to be trying to interrogate and happens to be one that it was following.]

Well, Mr. Jacobs there was recently promoted at the office job he works at and he bought his wife a new stove to celebrate! That's a bit of progress for them, isn't it?

[madboy]

[That is the most chipper little clank Gil has ever seen.]

...You know, I can't help but agree. Good for them.

Do you know anything about what the prisoners here get up to?

[genkibot]

[Tachikoma seems to tilt down a bit, like it's a little ashamed.]

Oh, no, I'm afraid I don't have much information on non-drones... A lot of them look like they'd get very upset if I tried to follow them. I guess I could try following them with my therm-optic camouflage, but that feels more like spying, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing to do unless I'm on a specific mission.