Noctium TDM Overflow

[sing_for_me]

Zoomies
[ Alex can run, and she can do so in heels, but thankfully the guild had lent her some boots because her usual shoes sure as hell weren’t made for booking it like this. Her knees are banged up and bloodied from how often she’s fallen over, though the bandages on her face were clearly placed prior to arriving here. It can’t be helped though, since every time she tries to move, she ends up running a lot faster than intended. At this moment, she might be charging right at you screaming for you to — ]

PLEASE MOVE!

[ Or maybe you see the odd woman frozen on all fours on the ground as she looks up at you pitifully. ]

Could...you give me a hand, please?

1-1
[ Still in a daze from everything, she follows the flow of people until she reaches the cafeteria. The pain she had felt was undeniably real, but her mind couldn’t wrap itself around everything going on around her. The GemSci were kind enough to change the bandages on her face and offer her the chance to clean up (though she insists on using her own clothes still), but Alex remained on edge. Tray of odd looking food in hand, she’s stiff as she approaches you at your table from behind. ]

Excuse me...is...is it okay if I sit here too? I won’t take long.

2-2

a) Alex wasn’t sure what was more shocking, that she was in a new world with gem people and futuristic technology, or that the government actually gave stipends to people. She turns to someone nearby who she recognizes from the sky station, assuming they received the same offer. ]

Do...you think it’s a scam? Would we need to pay them back with interest? Or would they order us to do something dangerous...?

[ If there was anything Alex had learned from Ergastulum, it was that there were always strings attached. ]

b) They even provided them with devices that Alex had never held before. Sure cellphones were a thing in Ergastulum, but she’d never used one herself. Tapping at pretty much everything, she selects the camera option, gasping as she takes a random shot of someone’s foot. Wanting to try again, she holds it up and uses it to scan around crowd until she finds a suitable target. She takes one shot after another, fighting with how blurry they always come out, the sounds of snapshots might catch your attention, or maybe the flash that suddenly goes off in your face when she gets too close. ]

Wildcard
[ I realize we are ab out two weeks into the TDM so f you’re interested in doing something else feel free to toss it in or hit me up at mightycheese ]

Comments

For Stiles:

[sing_for_me]

[ We. Something about that warmed her, a pleasant feeling that started from the center of her torso where her gem had been placed, a faint glow she wouldn’t be able to notice at this time. It was so peculiar how his words could be so concerning yet so comforting at the same time. Schizophrenia? Hearing that would have made her panic under normal circumstances. You could find all sorts in the back alleys of Ergastulum, those who suffered from a variety of disabilities, born with one developed. One could only hope to be less worse off than the next to survive.

But ‘we’ could figure something together. Maybe that was why the shock of finding out she survived a whole year subsided so quickly. ]

If the me of Aefenglom was able to last that long...I’m sure people like you were to thank for that. She was very lucky.

[ And maybe, she might be as well. Stiles seemed so knowledgeable and learned for someone so young. She didn’t doubt that he would be a strong ally and someone her other self would have found dear. Would it be okay for her to find out for herself? ]

Is there anything you need, Stiles? No matter what it is, if it’s something I can do for you...did you need someone to practice your powers with maybe?

For Itachi:

[sing_for_me]

[ Normally cautious despite the instilled obedience, Alex finds herself following after him, drawn in in the same way her camera lens had turned towards him. Was it because he was familiar? Not in the sense that she remembered him, but his raven black hair and dark eyes reminded her of Nicolas. He was no where as gruff as Nic, but he felt sharp, a similar edge in a different form. Silent consideration was another trait they seemed to have in common, as it hadn’t escaped Alex that he was walking at a much slower pace, making it easier for her to keep up.

A strange question, she thinks. Was he really going to go so far as to pretend to know what Ergastulum was like? Then again, she hadn’t disclosed where she was from, which probably didn’t give him that opening. How long were they going to play this game?]

About that—

[ It hits her then, as she recalls her interaction back in the station. This wasn’t the first time she met someone who might know her. Except, it wasn’t her that they knew. Any boldness she built up shifted back into hesitation, blue eyes that were previously locked into his averting their gaze. ]

It’s...a lot cleaner here than in Ergastulum. The people feel a lot more carefree. Not that those are bad things, but...it’s something to get used to. Actually, there’s a lot to get used to. The technology, the buildings, this whole...thing with the gembonds.

Was there anything like this where you’re from?

[anbu]

[It's a unique relief when Alex follows him, as though he hadn't wanted the conversation to end but expected it would nonetheless - after all, what reason does she have to trust him? Would it be better or worse to tell the truth? In either situation, he holds the weight of the advantage: knowledge. Itachi knows her better than she knows him. It isn't power he intends to wield; still, he has it.

The street opens up to them, a tepid breeze on their faces as they begin the walk to the Embassy. He listens to her description of this other world and revisits the awful memory he'd experienced within it, mental picture of a run-down room tethering him to the imagery now.]

No, there wasn't. Not on this scale. We also lacked the technology and urban development, to say nothing of the gembonds. And… I suppose the people, too, were not so carefree.

[The Land of Fire is likely much closer to Ergastulum than Sumarlok.]

What are your thoughts on the power of these gems? On Synchrony?

[sing_for_me]

[ A vague response, but it’s a description that could be applied to any place, if she really thought about it. It occurred to her that she might be approaching this the wrong way, attaching herself too much to the thought of a past connection. What did it matter if she couldn’t recall it herself? How was that fair to Itachi?

Her focus shifts to his question on synchrony. Physical intimacy as a way to earn a living wasn’t a foreign concept to her, if anything it was like the cotton candy version of her previous occupation. ]

It’s pretty straightforward, as out of this world as it might be for me to really understand. But having powers and...connecting with someone emotionally, I’m not too confident about that. It might take some time for me to adapt to something I’ve never really had.

[ Both she had desired for years, and both she had given up on. More recently, she began to yearn for power to keep the connections she finally made versus the alternative of cutting them off, all to survive. ]

I’d like to think it would be nice to have both. But... it feels a bit greedy?

[ Her laugh is awkward, not trying to hide how new she was to all this. ]

[mensrea]

[ The suggestion that he was even vaguely responsible for the Alex of Aefenglom’s positive wellbeing is laughable; they barely knew each other, after all. But Stiles can’t think of a way to gently tell this version of Alex the truth without discouraging her. Right now, she needs reassurance and hope. And so the implicit lie remains. Guilt gnaws at his core, yet he recognizes that the choice is for the best. For now, at least. Maybe in the future, he can be honest with her – honest that he has no idea how her counterpart was able to survive so long.

Her idea of helping him practice with his powers has him immediately shaking his head, even before she’s finished speaking. The vines are too out of control. If he hurt her – well, if he hurt her again… Stiles doesn’t think he wants to risk it. ]

I’m kinda drained right now from using them before, [ he fibs, another lie that comes easily to his lips. ] Thanks for the offer, though. But just for the record, you don’t need to help me with anything. Like, you don’t owe me. Just wanna make sure that’s clear. We can be friends on even ground, if you’re cool with it.

[anbu]

[Alex feels the same to him as she did in Aefenglom—a kind, gentle undercurrent to her thoughts and responses, a hesitant consideration for her words and how much personal detail she shares. It isn’t difficult, then, to get used to the differences. Perhaps the most stark of all is only the absence of her previous Merrow characteristics.

As she mentions powers and emotional connections, Itachi moves to cross the street, staying in the lead without losing her in the crowd. His voice is carefully neutral when he responds.]

It is normal to be apprehensive in a new situation. Time for adjustment is necessary.

[He would be more concerned about someone who took confidently to unfamiliar powers; ego and avarice are a dangerous combination in untrained hands.]

Are you ashamed of the desire to feel powerful? To be close to someone else?

For Ardbert

[sing_for_me]

( ooc: continue from here )

[ There probably wasn’t much she could do considering she was still settling in herself, but he didn’t reject the offer completely either. She’ll be satisfied with this for now, nodding back and returning the smile. ]

Will you be going to the embassy then?

For Cloud

[sing_for_me]

( ooc: continued from here

[ Alex takes note of his frown and the added criticism, though it’s not as if he was pleased with her to begin with, so she’ll bite back a retort for now. She follows him away from the crowd, peering from the side as his fingers navigate the screen effortlessly. He’s able to predict the questions before they come out of her mouth, but she keeps her mouth shut to focus on taking in his instructions until he hands the device back to her. Her eyes stay on the screen, going through the steps at the same time as thinking of what questions she can ask him for however much longer he’s willing to stay. ]

They mentioned a um...network? For sending messages and finding things? Is that something I have to “set up” for too?

For Gumshoe:

[sing_for_me]

( ooc: continued from here )

[ ‘Pal’, that was a new one, but somehow it made him seem all the more harmless. As he describes his own symptoms, she reaches up to press the back of her hand to his forehead. ]

You really are burning up...

[ She shouldn’t just lean on him, not while he was also going through it. ]

Yeah, I just...need to be careful. Are you able to? Where you were heading earlier—-do you think there’s people there?

For Asura:

[sing_for_me]

( ooc: continued from Here )

[ She’d almost felt bad when it seemed like she was rejecting his help because of what he was going through, but guilt quickly shifted into embarrassment when he changed the course of the insinuation. Her cheeks took on a warmer hue, her mouth agape at his gall. Why did he remind her so much of someone else? ]

Y-you can treat them! I’ll walk!

For Hizashi:

[sing_for_me]

( ooc: continued from here

[ Brave wasn’t a word used to describe her very often, if at all. She takes his hand, her grip light and careful. Cautious as she might be out of necessity, she couldn’t help but hope he might be someone she could befriend, the gem beneath her chest glowing softly. ]

Alex Benedetto. And...I think a full stomach would be better than an empty one right now.

[ Who knows when they might need the energy, no matter where it came from. ]

I’ve tasted worse and I’m still here.

[ Her tone is a joking one, maybe his vibe was contagious. ]

For Caesar:

[sing_for_me]

( ooc: Continued from here

[ The flirtatious attitude and friendly demeanor reminded her of Worrick, which may be why she’s not as reluctant to keep her distance. It takes a moment longer, but she does take her hand back, using the beginning of their walk as an excuse. ]

The depends. Would you also tell me about yourself?

[ Or was this going to be more one-sided? ]

[sing_for_me]

[ She couldn’t quite tell what he was thinking, not knowing him aside, but it felt like a lot was running through his mind. He was being careful of her, she thought, possibly out of consideration. Worrick had gotten her accustomed to such kind lies. Granted she did get hit, and he ended up listening to her unpleasant background. With all that in mind, it’s no surprise he wouldn’t feel inclined to rely on her. Maybe it was for the best that she had left out the other more extreme symptom of the withdrawals.

Really, what was she doing getting someone so young to worry about her? ]

Friends...offer help just because they want to, don’t they?

[ At least, that was her understanding, but her smile is resigned. ]

It doesn’t have to be right now, and I’m aware there isn’t much I can even offer at this moment. I just hope there’s something I can do for you in the future. I’m a lot sturdier than I look.

[ Alex didn’t want to regret holding back anymore, she had promised herself that. ]

Unless my understanding of friendship is wrong?

[sing_for_me]

[ His tone was nowhere close to comforting, but his words still passed on the intention. Something about that made her smile as she watched him walk ahead of her. ]

I think both can hurt you. I’ve seen what power has done to some people and...getting close to others makes it more painful to let go.

[ The things Barry did to obtain more influence, how the superhuman abilities of the twilights disabled them and decreased their lifespan, the war that was breaking out amongst the different divisions of Ergastulum...Power more often brought ruin. Alex didn’t have the gall to consider herself close to Nicolas or Worrick either, but she couldn’t deny how much they and the others meant to her. ]

I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t want both though. To keep the people I care about...I need power, don’t I?

[ Alex couldn’t hide behind her powerlessness forever. ]

[mensrea]

[ Once again Stiles shakes his head, this time more vigorously than the last. ]

Nah, your understanding sounds pretty accurate. But maybe we could start with the basic stuff first, get to know each other the old-fashioned way.

[ A strained laugh. ]

I mean, you might be as sturdy as a brick wall, but I don’t want to take a chance, y’know? It’s not worth hurting you over. I’ll find someone I don’t really like to practice on, okay? [ A wink. ] For now, you can do me a favor and tell me what you like to do for fun. I met you – [ in a brothel, but he’s not going to admit that ] – during a festival, when you were singing on stage for a crowd. We danced after that. So, do you like to sing and dance, or was that specific to Aefenglom?

[sing_for_me]

[ Oh, that made her laugh. It felt like it had been a minute since she last did. ]

Was I doing that?

[ So she was still able to sing in a different world. ]

I’ve never tried dancing, and I just recently started singing for work—-

[ At a mafia run brothel. But he doesn’t need to know that. ]

It was the only thing I could really do for fun. [ And silence was unpleasant. ]

Mm, I don’t know if it counts, but I’ve been trying to learn sign language. Does learning new thing count as something fun? What do you usually do for fun, Stiles? Do you like to dance?

[coraza]

...yeah. Basically anything that you look at for the first time will require you to set it up.

[he waits for her to finish up with the current setup, and leans in a little closer; this time, he won't be taking the phone from her, but rather just tapping at it slowly so she can see what does what, as he moves about the screen.]

All these squares you see on the screen, they're applications you can open up and use.

[pointing at one in particular, he leans back.]

That one's for the network. Tap on it and see what happens.

[the setup screen should pop up, and it should be easy enough to follow.]

Your username and password can be anything you want it to be, so long as the username isn't already taken.

[sing_for_me]

[ Did that mean each application had to be set up? Alex groans internally at the thought. Was it something she could figure out on her own or should she bother him while she could?

Username, she’s assuming is as obvious as the term, a name for the user. And if it’s how passwords worked in the darker corners of Ergastulum, it’s whatever is going to let her in, she assumes.

As she starts to type it out, she realizes that she didn’t know what his name was. They didn’t have the most proper of introductions. ]

I’m Alex, by the way. [ Thus the straightforward user name of Alex Benedetto ] Can I ask for your name?

[ With how guarded he’s been, she wonders if he would. ]

[anbu]

[There's surprising insight in her words, causing Itachi to glance back over the slope of one shoulder to study her face. It occurs to him that he doesn't know very much about Alex and her history, outside what he'd witnessed in a memory and what she'd later shared about her brother. Guessing through context only offers so much.

Getting close to others makes it more painful to let go. What is it that made her say this?

He studies her in the moment of silence that falls, considering her declaration, all of the secrets trenches within it. The topic of power only threatens to plunge him into a deep, dragging nostalgia, an ocean of agonizing sorrow always at the fringes of his self-control. He'd once craved power to do exactly as she says; still, he'd lost everyone.]

Which gem do you have? [Itachi looks ahead, rather than search her body for a visible glimpse of it.] Your power will be different depending on that. Have you experimented yet with it?

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex catches his gaze just as he turns away. She picks up the pace until she’s walking by his side, taking the chance to assume that he didn’t mind. Was there something he wanted to ask? The question about her gem felt more like a change of course, but Alex didn’t mind going along with it. ]

Amethyst. I haven’t purposely tried yet though. I don’t think it’d be safe to do that here. I don’t want to...cause any problems.

[ After finding out the reason behind her newfound speed, Alex was wary about using it carelessly. ]

Have you with yours?

[ She on the other hand, doesn’t stop herself from looking him over. Not that his clothes allowed for much to see. Surely a gem would stand out amongst all that black if it were somewhere visible. ]

[anbu]

[He nods his head, a short little gesture as Alex shifts ahead to keep pace with him; he doesn't comment on it. At the next turn, Itachi gestures before taking the corner.]

Not deliberately. At the moment, it's more of an inconvenience than anything, due to that volatility. You're correct that it's better to wait until you can find a safe environment to test it.

[The amethyst sits at the base of his throat, a dormant purple that almost slips beneath the collar of his long-sleeved shirt, barely visible. It isn't much larger than a dime.]

I would be willing to help you practice, given that we have the same gem type.

[sing_for_me]

[ Her eyes just barely catches a glimpse of the gem as it peeks from beneath the fabric of his collar, but his offer pulls her attention away. It stops her in her tracks, her hand unconsciously reaching out to tug at his sleeve, eyes wide as she stares up at him. ]

Wait—-Really? You would?

[ No matter whether he knew her prior or not, to assist someone like herself surely was more trouble than it was worth. Even though she’s received more kindness that she has in years, it was still foreign to her when she had little to offer in return. ]

But what...can I do for you then? Will you really be able gain any practice with me? Not that I wouldn’t try, but—!

[ Ah, she said she wouldn’t be so unsure anymore. ]

I mean, I’ll do it! [ Her grip on his clothes tighten. ] I’ll try me best, if you’re okay with me!

[mensrea]

[ So, singing in Aefenglom wasn’t simply a Merrow gimmick; Alex sang back in her home world too. Stiles finds that he’s pleased to hear this, like he’s learned something unique about Alex that has little to do with the previous dimension he’d met her in. Aefenglom may not have been as unpleasant as Hell, but it’d still been a gilded cage – a prison, just like Noctium is sure to become. But there’s no point dwelling on those grim truths now. ]

I like dancing. I’m not very good at it, but it’s fun. [ At least, he’s always enjoyed it at the parties he’s attended, even if he was only shuffling from side to side and nodding his head to the beat. ] And sign language definitely counts if you enjoy it.

[ That said, Stiles has some negative associations with sign language – nightmares during his possession by the Nogitsune that mildly traumatized him – so he’s not keen on asking her for a demonstration right now. ]

As for little ol’ me… I dunno. I like hanging out with my friends. Used to really enjoy playing video games, but haven’t had as much time for that. Uh, because of schoolwork, y'know? [ It’s easier to lie than to explain the supernatural forces that otherwise occupy his time. ] I think I could get into cooking if I took a few classes. You any good at cooking or baking?

[anbu]

[The tug at his sleeve tows him obediently to a stop, out of the stream of foot traffic. Alex’s earnest response is endearing, certainly, sending him into a mixed nostalgia somewhere between the early days of training with his brother, and his friendship with a young girl named Izumi.

He doesn’t have to read into her response to understand that Alex sees her ability as lesser in comparison; she isn’t wrong. At some point, maybe that would’ve guided his decision-making. Here and now, it’s no longer a priority for him.]

There is plenty the teacher can learn through the instruction of a student. I’m not adept at these abilities, either, so perhaps we will both improve ourselves in the process.

[Itachi doesn’t pull his arm away, glancing down with the corners of eyes—mastering the slight curve of amusement at his lips.]

I wouldn’t have suggested it if I wasn’t certain, and I don’t expect compensation. Do you have any training in basic self defense?

[sing_for_me]

[ Stiles had a boyish charm that made her smile all the way to her eyes, and hearing him speak more his age was enjoyable for her. He had to be somewhere around her brother’s age, maybe. Would Emilio have done the same things? They probably would get a long. It was laughable, thinking about something impossible. ]

I like to think I’m decent with both, though I’ve been told it could be better.

[ The last half is said with a scoff and a wry smile, remembering all the subpar comments Nicolas would give her food. ]

You mentioned that you’d met me in another world...does that mean you’ve been able to return home since then?