dualislogs | i've been bitten by the bug ...

i've been bitten by the bug ...

WHO: Open to all residents
WHAT: Inoculation Season, plus your regular monthly NAPs session
WHERE: Throughout the city, with NAPs held at The Ax Hole.
WHEN: Sept. 10-30 for plague shots and associated side effects; Sept. 10-14 for NAPs
WARNINGS: Please use if applicable!

So tell me, what do you prescribe for these symptoms?

Remember that awful plague that wiped out the city's entire original population? You know, the entire reason you've been brought here? Well, the medical science community of Dualis has been hard at work concocting a cure for as long as anyone can remember, with minimal results. But during the morning of the 10th, news of a breakthrough is announced is a special city-wide bulletin. All media channels are overtaken with this message, and alerts hit every citizen's phone. The best part? Science needs your help!

There's no formal approval process for new vaccines and medications, just a series of volunteer trials before it's determined whether what's being tested is effective. All residents are invited to participate in these trials, with a bonus of 200 extra duos as compensation for their time and possible suffering. Simply head down to your nearest MedDualis clinic and inform the MedDroids supervising that you're reporting for your civic duty. Participants will be given a quick, easy, and practically painless inoculation shot in the arm, and will walk out the door 200 duos richer. Neat, huh?

Participants will be warned that like all experimental drugs, there may be side effects. A non-comprehensive list of those possible side effects includes: minor appearance changes (hair/skin/eye color), enhancing or reducing senses (smell, taste, hearing, sight, etc.), sudden mild development of extranormal abilities (telepathy, super strength, super speed, etc.), the ability to share dreams (if you're not tired of that sorta thing after last month), and/or loss of control over abilities you already possess, or those abilities misfiring. Hey, at least death isn't included on this list!

Any intrepid Dualizen who comes down with a case of weirdness as a result of doing their civic duty will find that weirdness will wear off by the end of the month. The Head thanks you for your sacrifice!

Don't you feel the fever like I do?

Look at all of these bright, shining new faces! There’s even a few less bright, less shining faces - maybe even a few folks without faces - but hey, this city welcomes all types. Chances are, if you’ve just arrived, you're seeing some pretty crazy things, unless you're used to an eye-blinding amount of neon, robots, weird-ass technology, magic, and an omnipresent police force...and hey, if you are, congrats, you're gonna settle in juuuuust fine. But for the rest of you, the Head knows this has gotta be pretty overwhelming, right?

Well, since your quaint individual processing units are probably having a hard time, why not link up with another one? By which the Head means...

Hello, new citizens of Dualis,
and welcome to your monthly Network Adjacency Protocol~!

NAPs are a monthly community networking event similar to the Earth concept of speed dating! Two citizens (new arrivals and old hands alike) are placed at a table together with a handy cue card of queries to help break the proverbial ice. Ask queries and receive results, or ignore the card and yeet yourself straight into a brand new friendship! But don't be too shy, you've only got ten minutes together, and if you just sit in silence for the whole ten, the Network Admins are likely to come supervise and try to repair the uplink through a mild shock to the ol' central nervous system. You might find yourself saying all sorts of unintended facts about yourself if that happens...probably better to just make friends, right? Who doesn’t like friends?!

This month’s event is held at an exciting new establishment called The Ax Hole! The 'Hole is an indoor ax-throwing range plus bar plus mid-price grill-type restaurant, the first of its kind to find a home here in Dualis. You must be at least 18 to drink and/or throw axes, and if you are throwing axes, there is a limit of one drink per hour. The bartenders are very strict about enforcing this rule, and employees are available to give safety instructions on proper ax-throwing technique and supervise activities.

This is a family-friendly establishment, so anyone under 18 is welcome in the restaurant section and the viewing room between the restaurant and range to watch the ax-throwing action, but they are absolutely not allowed inside the range, even just to watch. In fact, anyone who wishes admittance to the range must sign a waiver stating that they understand the risks of participating and agree to hold the Ax Hole free of liability in the event of any accidents that cause injury or death.

If that hasn't scared you off yet, come on down and meet your new neighbors! Oh, and do try to exit with at least as many fingers and limbs as when you entered, OK?

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[ Connor narrows his eyes, then gives the ghost of a grin, belatedly recognising the joke.

He's about to say he's never even heard of cardamom and he should try it sometime, but something in Erik's whole countenance shifts, suddenly intently focused on Connor. It's the kind of shift Connor might make to interrogate a suspect, and it puts him instantly on edge. ]

Nobody sent me.

[ He can't help sounding a little cold at the suggestion. The memory of the words he was virtually programmed to introduce himself with - I'm the android sent by CyberLife - flash across his mind, words he's already determined to never have to say again. ]

Why would you think that?

Oh. Right.

He realizes just how close Connor is as he kicks his foot. And honestly, it doesn't help. He can't complain really, but his concentration is shot there for a moment.

"Alright." He repeats. "Sooner. Gotta.. sooner, right. Gotcha. Now I'll..."

He throws it, and at least this time it sticks. Above the target area altogether? But it sticks.

He's decided since coming to Dualis that he should try anything once - within reason. And maybe axe-throwing isn't entirely within reason, but he's still going to make a go of it. But...paperwork, and he blinks in surprise at the man presenting him with the waiver.

"Tannor," he says with a faint smile. "Nice to see you again."

He pauses, then, head tilted, "I guess this is a kind of security."

Connor quickly gets used to the heft of the axes and privately thinks they could make this more challenging: moving targets, multiple axes, that kind of thing. But then, obviously an android is a better shot than a human, and obviously he's bored the instant he's gotten the hang of it. Humans have to work for it, and he likes that. It's fun to watch.

But then there's the giant...he'll say 'giant organic' because he's not sure who's human and who isn't around here...who's got it down pat in four throws, although maybe it's because the axes are more like oddly-shaped knives in his hands.

"That's impressive," he says from the side, totally genuinely.

"And as maddening as that worlds of difference is, it will be absolutely true," David promises, a brief smile on his lips. Depends on whether his body has the muscle memories or not. He's more aware of the knowledge he retained than the skills.

You don't know what muscle memory you have until you use it.

"Tell you what, I'll stay away from the mind altering substances, sign my waiver, and we can see if it's going to be one session or tons of practice?"

Flattering? Hardly. Incomplete? Absolutely. But as I can't exactly list out the specifics of your life given I suspect you're not from the same instance of Earth that I am, I fear I might only give you ideas.

[And really, when did Erik Lehnsherr ever need someone like David to provide bad ideas? The man manages quite well on his own most of the time. And David? David's left frowning at Erik's question. What would he done if he'd graduated from Xavier's? College, of course. But what would he have done? Where would he have gone? What would he have been if he had been a mutant?]

Unfortunately it's a lot more complicated than merely graduating. The short version was that I was 'cured' of being a mutant against my will. And life sort of spiraled out of control from there. But I don't expect you came here for sob stories.

He inclined his head in greeting, having immediately recognized the android. "Connor."

His smirk is so brief it almost seems illusory as he holds the liability waiver out for the other. The paperwork is quite lengthy...trying to cover every base they can, he supposes, and there are a lot of bases to cover. Thane thinks it would be more effective if they reevaluated their rules regarding alcoholic beverages and safety, but what does he know?

"There is security in preventing others from accidentally cutting their fingers off, yes." He is not surprised at the amount of should-be-obvious-corrections that he's had to make so far. "I am obligated to ask if this is your first time." Granted, sometimes he doesn't because he can just tell.

It's his turn to do the seat-shuffle in the great plan of "getting to know your neighbors," and Ven slides into the chair opposite Naminé with a smile at meeting a new person. She looks familiar, but he's definitely never met her before, and he can't place why she does. It doesn't bother him; probably a lot of people look like someone else, at least if they're the same species and not Mickey or 626 or something like that. It's not like he has tons of experience with that after all. He's also carting along a drink that's mostly empty, something that looks like but doesn't quite taste like lemonade and that he's found he likes quite a lot.

"Hi. I'm Ventus, but call me Ven. Almost everyone does. What's your name?" With the introduction, he holds out his hand to shake, a polite gesture but also a sincere one.

He takes the paperwork and scans down the pages, a couple of seconds per page to absorb all of it. Most of it doesn't apply to Connor, but he's indulging it anyway. It's...interesting to learn about all the different ways that axe-throwing can go wrong when you're organic and squishy.

"You're securing drunk people from themselves." From what he can tell, that's pretty much vital work in here if you're going to let anybody drink and throw weapons at the same time.

"This is my first time throwing axes," he confirms, amused. "Do I need supervision?"

Hank's slightly distracted on his next throw - maybe Connor shouldn't have kicked him. But it still stuck.

"And...now too soon." He leans forwards just a little to say this closer to Hank's ear so nobody else has to hear it, before retrieving the axe.

"One more try? I think you might get it next time."

As long as Connor keeps out of his way.

"I appreciate your warning."

Even if he had been being as careful as he had, it's good to hear firsthand of incidents where outspokenness was punished. Well, not good. But information that's handy to have.

"You say your partner's an android. Connor, I presume?"

He figures it's a safe assumption to make. Connor did say he was a detective.

A part or her does feel bad for this obviously very confused and potentially embarrassed man. That was a tiny part of her compared to the part that just found it downright amusing. She knew it was weird, but there was a lot about her that was weird. When she'd chosen to attach parts of Barbie dolls to her jacket she'd accepted the path of being weird and maybe shocking. Not that it was exactly planed to be weird and shocking. It was just something she liked, just like teleporting. She really liked teleporting.

"Teleported," she said it like it was the most obvious thing anyone could ever see. Her tone held a hint of teasing in it, she wasn't trying to be mean but she liked to try to lighten moods. Clearly he was apprehensive about it all and she didn't want that exactly. Even if it was funny. "I'm sorry if it startled you." And that she does mean earnestly and her expression softens to a gentle small smile. "I taught myself how to do it..." she looked up like she was trying to figure out time. "Time gets lost. It was really recent though! At first I thought I had to hold on to people to take them with me, but then I realized I didn't." Did that even slightly answer his question? Probably not.

"Ah. You met 'im." Hank snorts softly. "Yeah, we were partners back in Detroit." Before a convoluted series of events that means very likely Hank has lost his job (he knows he's lost his job). But that's fine.

"Now we're just sort of partners in the 'take care of a room and share expenses' way. And we work as patrol officers at the Dualis Police Department. So we've downgraded from detectives."

But, as he'd observed before, maybe he needed to. Maybe he needed the time to remember the guy he was, and not the emotionally wounded and jaded man he became.

There was something kinda off about the person that sat down. Not off like her. Not off like Luke either or Mark. Maybe a bit of Mark. Yes. Mark. That was definitely where she'd felt something like this before. It peaked her curiosity but also put her on guard. It wasn't something she let slip into her expression though, she was just as bright and cheery as ever when he asked her to clarify.

"It could be either." She tilted her head and looked at him inquisitively. "Which means more to you? Your homeworld or other places you've been?"

I would hope not.

[Thane is a very quiet roommate anyway. Minus the occasional coughing fits, which reminds him that he should seek out some sort of dehumidifier when he gets the chance. Hopefully his roommate would have no problem with it. At any rate, this new development shouldn't be an issue.]

Admittedly things were a bit fuzzy. My memory seems to have been jostled after my arrival. It's usually usually quite sharp, so I would assume it has something to do with the...move. But a day or two would seem correct.

["Same here", basically.]

This son of a bitch isn't just breathing down his neck he's breathing down his neck and he knows he can feel the puffs of air with each word against his ear. And Hank barely has time to overthink because he's distracted by the sudden cold there at Connor's absence. He grunts and throws that ax like he wants it the fuck out of his hands before he drops it on his foot this time.

It's high in the target area, but it is in the target area. And it's stuck. A minor accomplishment born out of a kneejerk reaction.

"Well I still would have lost that fight but I got it in." He offers.

There was more to this place than what they were being told. There always was. If something had enough power to mess up her powers then that meant they had a lot of power themselves. More power than single things should have. It worried her. The others weren't here either. That worried her on it's own. No matter what she couldn't see if they were okay and safe. It was something she had never experienced and it frustrated her. Questions. There were a lot of questions she would need to look into by herself. It would mean really looking. Pushing hard with her powers to see if she could pick up anything. That would come.

First she needed to experience more of the city. She needed to know it better. It and the people in it like her that were brought from other places. They might know things. Or more things than her. All the questions and thoughts of what to do filled her head and made her not quite there. Back home everyone would say she was off again. Off in her own mind and being spacey. That spaceyness was why she didn't immediately notice Thane as she wandered the building. It took her almost bumping into him for her to stop and blink at what she saw.

"Froggy!" She pointed at him with a gleeful expression once she fully registered the green man. "Beautiful froggy!" She tilted her head as she looked him over. His skin was so colorful and brilliant. This was definitely worth coming out of her own thoughts for. "Hello, I'm Arkady!"

Mira's good with knives. Axes? Not so much. In fact, she doesn't think they even touched the things outside of survival school. Maybe in improvised weapons seminar? She certainly can't dredge up a distance formula for rotations from memory, and the man trying to explain things to her doesn't seem to know one, either. Or to have ever been in an actual fight, but she's getting used to that. Fortunately, she sees a solution to this problem out of the corner of her eye, about 210 centimeters, surly, and already tossing axes, so she makes polite noises at the employee until he wanders off.

"Aleifr!" If a Fenrisian isn't as good with an axe as a Cadian is with a gun, everything she knows about the universe is wrong. "Good thing you're here. I don't want to pick up any bad habits."

Most people would not treat a restaurant with axe target throwing as combat training, but this is Mira we're talking about.

Edited 2019-09-13 05:47 (UTC)

"Aptly put."

Yes. That is pretty much what he's doing.

"Everyone requires some form of supervision, particularly if you are a newcomer. I don't doubt this city is colorful enough to have very sufficient axe throwers at every turn. I am merely doing my job."

He remembers working at a construction site on Kahje, the krogan foreman forgoing all sorts of safety measures and rules in favor of getting his men to work faster. Harder, not smarter. There were several accidents he could recall in vivid detail should he slip into those memories again.

Professionalism aside, he would very much like to avoid accidents like those from happening again. It's not pretty.

He spotted her as soon as she came into view; spaced out, mind and body wandering in two different directions, and he could tell that if he didn't move she was liable to run right into him because she seemed so wrapped up in her own thoughts. He had been ready to avoid the collision when she finally snaps out of whatever thoughts she was having and noticed him.

Froggy. There were some continuous threads that Thane saw from world to world in which he found some existential comfort in. This is not one of them.

"Drell, actually," he corrects, no real hint of offense or upset. His arms are pulled behind his back still, bowing his head in greeting. She introduced herself, after all. "Hello, Arkady. I'm Tannor."

Aleifr looks over his shoulder at the smaller man -- it wouldn't even occur to him that he might not be human -- eyes only briefly lingering on the strange blue light on his temple.

"Practice." Aleifr replies. He picks up another axe, and this time he throws it into the clutch on the right hand side. "Lots of it."

Axes!

Revan's not cheating, or at least she'll make a convincing argument that letting the Force guide her hand doesn't count if she doesn't steer the axe into the target with telekinesis. Correspondingly, instead of being absolutely perfect, she's just very, very good, racking up bullseyes from her first throw. Of course, the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking she's cheating, because rather than walk the 15 feet to the target, she keeps retrieving the axes with telekinesis, to the mild consternation of the attendants. In case that isn't enough of a clue about her profession--and around here, why would it be?--the lightsabers she's got on either hip might help. They look a little weird with her nondescript "civilian" outfit.

"Huh," she says as she calls yet another axe back to her hand with the Force. "This doesn't get old as quickly as I thought it would."

NAPs

Eventually, Revan retires from the field of metaphorical battle so she can drink more than one beer in an hour and glance over the icebreaker questions. She likes friends, and she likes not getting marked as a troublemaker until it's time to make real trouble, so sure, she'll play along. Everything is completely aboveboard here. She's not suspicious of anyone or anything.

Or at least she's really good at selling that lie. Revan smiles up at the newcomer, gesturing to the seat opposite her. "Hi, I'm Revan, and according to this, I'm supposed to ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up."

Aleifr ... he doesn't smile, per se, but he inclines his head in greeting and his expression warms slightly at the familiar face.

"Don't teach you how to use axes on Cadia?" He asks, a hint of wryness in his voice as he picks up his next axe, bouncing it in his palm to feel the weight.

"It is an upgrade from roomba technician, at the very least."

The city run by an AI giving the android a job title like that...when told Thane couldn't tell if it really was some kind of joke or cheap shot. At any rate...

"But you knew him before you arrived here. If you don't mind me asking, did the two of you come in around the same time? Is it uncommon for the Head to bring in people familiar with one another?"

"Drell. That sounds lovely," she smiles warmly and gives a quick wave causing the barbies on her jacket to clank together. Drell. That was something she hadn't heard of which was exciting all on it's own. There was so much to find about this place. What was the real purpose in bringing so many different people together?

"It's ice to meet you Tannor." Tannor. Hmm. She paused for a moment and inclined her head to the left before offering another smile. There was a flash of something. Something he was hiding maybe? That was curious. "Where are Drell from?" She could look herself. It would be good practice to see how easy it was with the different people here. Or maybe she could try to fully read him after. Then it would tell her what pieces he left out. That was the thing most people never understood: the things people left out were usually the most important pieces.

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i've been bitten by the bug ...

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Axe Hole

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NAPs

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dorms

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Revan | OTA

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