Was that a shark on the conveyor belt?

[wrathfulkhan]

Characters: Gene Khan, Miles Upshur, Aly Haskell, and y'all
Date: throughout June
Location: Aifaran and environs
Situation: Junebugs be buggin'.
Warnings/Rating: Prompt A: Depression/grief and unhealthy coping mechanisms

[A] | Gene | outside Aifaran | June 14 | closed to Pepper
Gene is just...gone.

With Tony's disappearance, Gene did what he does best, which was disappear, too, and hide himself. Being alone was safe, and he'd been alone for a while before he came here. Why not be alone again? He's used to it. It's fine.

(It's not fine.)

He has no control over anything, and he knows that. For someone who desperately needs to control some element of his life, especially about his family, this is something that hits too close to home and makes him spiral.

The only option is to run, and not think. Don't think. Don't ever think. Don't ever think again. Grief can only strike if you think, and if you don't think, there's no grief.

He doesn't want to be here anymore. He doesn't want to be in Aifaran. He doesn't want to be on Earth. He doesn't want to be anywhere.

Being in this little abandoned shack, shielded and invisible, is close enough to not-being.

[B] | Miles | throughout Aifaran | early June | open
Miles is walking down the street with his headphones in, and he's in a surprisingly good mood. He's got the scent of a story in his nose, and that's cheered him up immensely. Sure, he's gonna be making another enemy, but he's glad to have the kind of determination that only a new story can fix.

He's in such a good mood, in fact, that he starts to sing to himself as he walks, which eventually turns into dancing, which eventually ends in a park. Some bemused locals clap, and when the song's over and he realizes he has an audience, he laughs a little and bows. He's blushing a little, but you can't be embarrassed if you have no shame. Own it, Miles, own it.

[C] | Miles | Verdant Sentry HQ | early June | closed to Valdis
Time to get involved with the cops. Miles does not like cops, and the feeling is quite frankly mutual. It takes a little bit of doing, and a little bit of the Sentry jerking him around (assholes), before he finally gets to talk to Valdis.

"Hi," he says, waving at her. "You free a minute? You better be, after all the shit I just got."

[D] | Aly | outside Aifaran | early June | open
There's an odd creature outside the city. Well - odder than the creatures already here. It's not native, to be sure. An Earth-native might recognize it as a maned wolf, but...hello, there's something different about it. It's got two spiraling gazelle horns coming out of its head.

And it's stalking some completely oblivious bibiru.

[E] | Aly | throughout Aifaran | throughout June | open
Aly's learned her lesson about parkour for now, ever since dropping straight into the drink. Doesn't mean she doesn't go up on the rooftops every so often, especially at night. She likes to lie down and see the stars. They're strange here, but no stranger than they are Otherside, on the rare times she's been able to see them. The bubble they're in shines like the aurora borealis sometimes, and that makes her eyes water (she's not crying).

[F] | Aly | throughout Aifaran | throughout June | open
At other times, Aly's trying to be normal. She's trying to calm her anger down, and sometimes it even works. It's frowned upon to walk around obviously armed, but some days she takes her copper-headed mace with her, its iron core a deterrent to any faeries. You never could tell around here. She never, ever leaves her belt and its pouch behind, though. The antler knife inside it hurts a little to be near, and hurts worse for her to hold, but she won't risk being without it. It's death and blood, but it's necessary. And she works on sharpening it from time to time; not to harm anyone here, but for what she needs to do when she returns.

---

If you want another starter, feel free to hit me up via PM or at Chatvert!

Comments

C | Someone is gonna be in trouble :P

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis had just settled at her desk to take a look at the pile-up from last month. Her boss had been lenient with allowing her leave for her affliction, but now that she had recovered, it was time to get back to work. The appearance of Miles, whom she didn't know well, was a surprise, and a confusing one.

"If you are looking to report a crime," she replied, "Then there is a proper procedure to follow."

both of them i bet

[upshore]

"Yes, there is," Miles said, "which is why I'm a little surprised - but not really - that the report I filed about that gang murder by that one Dreamfolk hasn't gone anywhere. Took me a little while to find out his name, but he's crazier than a, a...a really crazy thing," he finished lamely, waving his hands about.

Then, regaining his composure, he crossed his arms. "And I know that you know both about the murder and that you know this man personally, too. I'm giving you the chance to comment on it before I run a story."

Oh dear

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis paused, her head tipping as she considered what Miles had said before putting down her pen and closing the case file she had been working on. Then she took a breath and fixed him with a chilling, yet neutral gaze.

"I'm afraid I am not aware of any murders involving Dreamfolk," she said slowly, "I am aware of the man you speak of, and his tendencies, which is why I am keeping my eyes on him. Even so, if there is an ongoing investigation, I would advise you to hold your story until more details emerge."

mwehehe

[upshore]

Miles didn't budge. Her stare had nothing on his ammi's, and she didn't know his middle name besides. His trouble sense was therefore not tingling.

(His trouble sense, he knew, was severely broken.)

"If you're 'keeping an eye on him' as a person of interest," he said, "then it'd be counterproductive to make sure that case goes anywhere, yeah? What, you're just going to make him think he's gotten away scot-free so he can kill again? He's not enough of a public menace for you?" It was the last thing she said, though, that tipped him over into pissed.

"Valdis, you had better not be telling me to drop a story because it would be more convenient for you that way," he said acidly.

oh no

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis did not know what Miles spoke of, but they didn't seem to be on the same page. She blinked back the scarlet that threatened to bleed into her eyes. Miles was an idiot, but not an enemy.

"As I said, I am not aware of any murders involving Dreamfolk," Valdis repeated, trying to maintain patience, "I am not the Chief of Police anymore, Miles. I do not know of everything going on in the city. I am keeping an eye on Jack of my own volition, not due to any case or assignment."

Her calm was just barely skin deep, his anger at her was uncalled for, but he seemed to be determined to be angry.

"I'm not telling you to drop anything, I simply don't have the facts you seem to think I have. It has nothing to do with convenience."

miles, B; here 2 make things even more awkward

[bestofthevein]

He's got an audience, all right. One of the spectators in the park is a familiar dwarf hanging out on a park bench, the end of his bibiru's leash in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. He's watching Miles with a lopsided smile on his face. yeah he saw ur moves.

nice

[upshore]

Oops.

Oh well. Own it, Miles. He waves to his adoring (adoring. definitely adoring.) audience and bows towards Kit. "So? Do I advance to the next round of Aifaran's Got Talent?"

arrives 2 weeks late w/ starbucks

[bestofthevein]

He'll find Kit smiling one of his charmingly crooked smiles, once he straightens up. Up comes the cigarette for an absent-minded drag. "You've got something, that's for sure."

Is it a compliment? Is it a jab? Probably a bit of both.

[upshore]

"I get that a lot," Miles says dryly. "Usually after I do something in that vein, too. Got any requests?"

A

[lasergrenades]

Unfortunately for Gene's vanishing act, Pepper isn't about to let him fade into non-existence, no matter how much he may want to. She can imagine what's going through his head with Tony being-- absent. Temporarily, Pepper allows herself to hope. It hurts to have him gone, but she knows that Gene must be utterly devastated by comparison. He has so much more to lose than her, here and at home.

Finding him is not going to be easy, but that does not deter her. He'd go someplace quiet, somewhere he could withdraw from everyone and everything, she thinks. Nowhere they've visited before - not the turtle's head, even with the peace it offers. She takes to the air and circles the city, looking for any sign of her friend. Eventually, she finds a hill that has a good view of much of the city and surrounding area, and pulls out her dueling gauntlet. Pepper will likely never be as adept at stretching the boundaries of Shadow Magic as Bakura, but she can give this a try. With the help of an antique-looking telescope, Pepper is at least able to get a general bead on the Makluan rings after identifying Gene as the 'opponent'. She'll take it; she can narrow to his exact location with enough time to search.

The abandoned shack seems a likely hideout, when she spots it. Pepper lands near enough that the sound of the repulsors will announce her presence, but not so close as to spook him (hopefully).

"Gene?" Pepper calls, pulling off her helmet and approaching the shack. "It's Pepper. Are you in there?"

[wrathfulkhan]

The sound of nearby repulsors means either Pepper's here or Tony has come back. The thought makes Gene's heart leap before he catches it and squashes it so he's not disappointed, but when he hears Pepper call out, he can't help but be disappointed anyway...and a little bit angry, too.

Go away, leave me alone. You've already left me, anyway. Why are you pretending to care now?

The thought's unbidden, and, he knows, unfair. But he's been out here for a week and the presence of Pepper is making him think, and he doesn't want to think. Thinking hurts.

He almost doesn't answer, like a stubborn child, but the reasonable part of him does realize that she's probably here to help. As brash as she can be sometimes, she's still a good friend.

"Yeah," he croaks, undoing his invisibility. When Pepper comes in, she'll see a mess. He's completely unshaven, which is a new and weird look for someone who tries to keep an eye on his appearance. Depression-stubble doesn't suit him. He's been lying down on the long-abandoned bed, either staring up at the ceiling or at the wall, and his clothes are rumpled.

[lasergrenades]

Pepper closes her eyes in relief when he responds; at least she's found him. She can help if she's with him, if she knows where he is and can look him in the eye. It's definitely not the hardest step, but it's a critical prerequisite for anything else she can offer.

At the door, Pepper dismisses the armor and sports only her street clothes when she enters. Her movements are cautious, as though Gene is a skittish animal - which isn't the worst comparison, really. Worry is clear on her face as she takes in his disheveled state, her heart sinking. She'd expected things to be bad, but it's not the same to imagine something and see it in front of you, weighting down your best friend like a cloak of despair. It only reinforces her determination to help him get through this, however long that takes. If their places were reversed, and it was Bakura who had vanished-- well, she'd be a complete wreck, too.

"Hey," she says softly, stepping out of the doorway and towards the bed. The old mattress gives under her weight when she perches on the edge of it next to Gene. She opens her mouth and promptly closes it. There are a thousand things she wants to say and not one of them is quite right.

It's probably too soon for hugs, so Pepper reaches over and lightly rests a hand on Gene's arm. He can pull away if he wants, but at least he'll know she's here for him and she's real and maybe that contact is more important and more comfort than words. Plus, it gives him less to argue with.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene's not even sure if she's real, but when she sits down and puts her hand on his arm, it suddenly sinks in and everything goes from unreal to too, too real. Everything is immediate and present and it hurts like an arrow in his heart, and that's part of why he'd left, after all; this is what thinking does, this is grief, getting yanked out of a world that isn't to a world that is.

The world that is is a world without Tony.

He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and closes his eyes. He doesn't know what to say, either; he can't say a thing. If he had anything to say it'd be stopped by the fact that his throat was choked up by nothing.

Not nothing - choked up by absence.

B

[ilda]

A blonde teenage girl in a hat is clapping enthusiastically at Miles’ performance; not only does he seem to have no shame, he’s actually good.

It’s not hard to notice, though, that she has her yimo out. A show like that? Of course she’s filmed it!

[upshore]

Miles hears some enthusiastic clapping and looks over to find its source. Just as soon as he does, he sees her filming him. Well...smile and wave. He grins and bows at her, flourishing dramatically.

"I take requests," he says dryly.

[ilda]

Wow, he is so cool. She’d thought the embarrassment would get to him after a while, but apparently not!

“Oooh oooh! Do the Macarena! And the Moonwalk! Thriller! Nae Nae!” She’s been spending way too much time on the Internet, that much is obvious.

[upshore]

Miles has long since abandoned any sense of shame. You roll with his friends and you work in his job, you get a thick skin. Besides, he thinks funny things are funny, and if you can't laugh at yourself, well, hell.

"In order: Yes, I'll try my best, of course, and I have no idea what that is." Dang, the Macarena came out when he was finishing up middle school. Way to make him feel old.

E

[ilda]

Ilda’s been coming up to the rooftops more often, too, especially after the temple riot fiasco. She’s still cheerful and bubbly most of the time, and in front of other people, but when she’s alone, she allows herself to think of more... serious matters. Like the situation back home. Sure, they say it’ll be like they’ve never been gone, but is that really true? What if she returns home and her sister’s already dead?

She shivers at the thought.

To distract herself, she sits down and stares up at the stars. They’re pretty here, too, but the patterns are different.

[wolfishflame]

Aly's lost in much the same train of thought. She knows it's no good to what-if herself to distraction, but she can't help it these days. What if she comes back and she's already on the plane? What if her ruse doesn't work? What if they see right through her? What if, what if, what if.

I'd feel a lot better if sensei were here, she thinks, and blinks back tears. The aurora-like shimmers and the strange stars remind her of the place between, the place she'd only been once.

Then she hears someone else. "This is my roof, get your own," she says out of the darkness, wiping at her eyes.

[ilda]

“Aly?”

Ilda only knows of one other girl who loves rooftops, and who can get snarky like that.

She hesitates for a moment; there’s something in Aly’s tone that she can’t quite put a finger on. So she just calls back out instead, in a considerably subdued tone, “It’s me, Ilda.”

[wolfishflame]

"...oh."

Aly sits up, trying to quickly wipe her eyes again so Ilda can't see. "Hey. Uh. Hey. Sorry."

F

[rutility]

Aly's not the only one trying to calm down. Rutile left their world in a state of frenzy and entered Aifaran much the same, and the only thing keeping them sane lately is to wander through the city and its surroundings, burning through what little energy they obtain through the clouds.

Rutile passes Aly a few times throughout the city before, driven by a combination of curiosity and loneliness, they finally decide to pause. It is less the weapons that are a surprise and more that there's someone here as restless as they are. They keep their distance, but come close enough to be heard and to admire the handiwork of the blade. "That's a lovely piece," they say.

[wolfishflame]

Aly'd been lost in thought, which, she's irritated to note, is becoming a lot more common these days. She'd barely even noticed the other person aside from as an obstacle to avoid.

"Huh? Oh, uh, thanks, I guess." She looks at her belt. "Er, which one?"

[rutility]

Rutile gestures to the antler knife, but doesn't point - that would be rude. It's not a material native to their world, and they're not at all certain what to call it. "The small one, there," they say. "I've never seen anything like it."

[wolfishflame]

"Ah, yeah." Aly doesn't reach to show it off, and won't unless she's asked. "It's, uh, pretty special to me. I'm trying to keep it in good shape for when I go home. Even though they say time won't pass while we're here, you never know, right?"