May Catch-All

[rutility]

Characters: Rutile + You!
Date: Starting yesterday and continuing through May!
Location: The Dreaming Bridge, Breakwater Wing, and adjacent areas
Situation: Arriving in Aifaran, new accommodations, Faith 4, and maybe more
Warnings/Rating: None, totally PG. You could let your kid cousin read this stuff.



A ▸ NEW ARRIVAL | open

[ First moments in Aifaran. ]

A couple of blocks away from the Dreaming Bridge is a scene of semi-controlled chaos: a couple of Verdant Sentries and well-meaning passersby try to assist the newest Dreamfolk, who seems determined to ignore placating words. If you would just go to the Dreaming Bridge like everyone else, the natives say; if you would just comply with protocol, all your questions would be answered -

"Don't patronize me!" the Dreamfolk snaps in one of the sentry's faces, audible across the street. From here their hair, glimmering gold and crimson in the sun, hangs wild about their face, and their lab coat is dirty and disheveled. Fortunately, Rutile doesn't seem dangerous: they carry no weapons, and they're actually on the smaller side of your average human. They just seem pissed.

The second sentry reaches in to separate the two of them and Rutile knocks their hand away. "Get away from me!" they hiss, "I don't need an escort!" The sentries seem unconvinced.

Scratch that about the danger: the situation isn't looking good.

B ▸ BUTTERFLY BLESSINGS | open

[ Arriving in Breakwater # 03, Faith 4 ]

The room is sparsely furnished, but still more than Rutile is used to: three beds, as many tables, a shelf with books with names such as Baby's First Spiritual Experience with Tu Vishan and Slime Molds of Konryu: A Field Guide.

None of the beds seem mussed or even occupied, despite the twilight fading fast, so Rutile approaches the one closest to the open window and kneels carefully on the mattress. Despite its flimsiness - it's certainly not quartz - it holds their weight. Rutile curls up on one end and tentatively leans their head against the wall, letting their gaze fall across the courtyard below.

Rutile is on the verge of falling asleep - from lack of sunlight, from an emotional hangover - when a tiny mottled butterfly alights on the windowsill. Moments later, more have arrived, fluttering their wings as they land on the sill, the shutters, and even Rutile. They're reminded of someone else they've seen this happen to - a memory that makes them scowl. Rutile reaches out a finger for one of the tiny butterflies to land on.

"You're in the wrong place, little things," Rutile mutters. "I'm not the one you're looking for."

C ▸ WILDCARD | open

[ Not feeling any of the above? Let me know on plurk and I'll see what I can do! Alternatively, just go off. Let me have it. We'll make it work. ]

Comments

[driverslicense]

Chase grabs the Sentry guard's arm and jerks him back to the sidewalk. The poor guard's going to have bruises in the morning, but better than the alternative. (Not that there were any vehicles incoming, but jaywalking isn't allowed. It's the rules.)

Unfortunately the only de-escalation tactics Chase knows are violent ones. So he's just standing around with a puzzled look on his face.

The Sentry guards seem to be a little more wary now, at least.

[rutility]

In the diversion as Chase rescues the unfortunate sentry, Rutile turns on their heel and dashes away, heading for an alley about a block down the street. They're a little faster than your average lawbreaker, but not so fast that they can't be caught, and they know it.

The sentries, not to be undone, run after them. The one Chase rescued gives him a quick look of gratitude, but shrugs and keeps going.

[driverslicense]

Well this is puzzling. Normally people fight and run when they are guilty. Then again, Chase has observed firsthand how heavy-handed the Sentry were being. And since Rutile is running away, it gives Chase reason to believe that they won't go to the Dreaming Bridge like the Sentry guards suggested.

...He isn't any faster than the guards on foot, at least in human form. And his motorcycle isn't here. He has a split-second to make his decision—he grabs the door of a car a few steps away. "This is an emergency." He plucks the keys out of the person's hand, elbows her out of the way. "I will return it." (Don't worry. He has a license.)

In a few seconds, he's chasing Rutile. If he gets the chance, the plan is to pull up beside them and open the door for them to get in.

[rutility]

Rutile isn't aiming for the Dreaming Bridge, but they're also not aiming for anywhere in particular, except perhaps out - of the city? The planes? Their mind? It's anyone's guess now.

They stay on the sidewalk, dodging under and leaping over passers-by and keeping just ahead of the sentries. It's much more difficult to run like this in such a crowded and enclosed space; every couple of seconds Rutile nearly loses their balance from having to quickly change direction. They're running on too little sleep and it's affecting their judgment - but it's also affecting their ability to care.

As Rutile reaches the alleyway they're met by a huge metal contraption. It's sleek, made partially of glass, and on wheels it's clearly faster than they are. They prepare to leap over it when a door opens, revealing the man from before inside. Rutile glances back at the sentries quickly approaching, weighing their options.

They climb inside the car.

[driverslicense]

"I'm driving away now."

Chase obeys traffic laws (speed limits), but he can be extremely deft with a car, and so he turns the vehicle abruptly and without hitting a single thing, and continues to make odd turns to throw any pursuers off if they come after him in vehicles of their own.

"I'm Chase. Why were you running away?"

[rutility]

Driving has no meaning to Rutile, but it quickly takes on one as the vehicle lurches forward at a speed unmatched by even Yellow Diamond. The acceleration forces them back into the seat, and Rutile grasps a handle on the door as Chase swerves unexpectedly around corners.

For all that, though, the sentries and the crowd are left behind, and the chaos fades as they drive away. The speed, though terrifying, is also a little exhilarating - Rutile could get used to this.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Rutile assures Chase, their eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead. "The sentries wouldn't answer my questions and insisted I go with them. I wanted to do no such thing. I think it's natural to run away in that situation." Warily, they continue, "I'm Rutile."

[driverslicense]

He...supposes that that's a reason to be wary of the Sentry. Though given the way Rutile's reacting to his driving, Chase is beginning to realize that he may have assumed some things.

"Going with them is not so strange. They are police..."

Chase does know of corrupt detectives, though, so he knows that that's not necessarily a comfort, depending.

"You do not like to go where people tell you to?"

[rutility]

"Not when I don't know them," Rutile explains, feeling vaguely like they're speaking to a junior. Shouldn't that be natural? "I haven't given them any authority over me."

Police is a word Rutile knows - you could refer to their own patrols as police, if you wanted to - but they would never behave in such an uncouth manner.

"You seem to know them well," they warily suggest. Chase's actions are still a little confusing to them: they're grateful for the help, of course, but not sure of the motivation.

[driverslicense]

That's fair, Chase supposes; part of Chase's lack of concern over it was the fact that he came from a place where he could fight off anyone who tried to do that to him. (...Brain and Medic notwithstanding, but they...were his allies. Kind of.)

"I know one," he says slowly. He wouldn't quite call them buddies, though. "...Some of my friends from my world were detectives."

And that's all the explanation he thinks to give, but he does notice the wariness. "If you do not want to go to the Dreaming Bridge, where shall I drop you off?"