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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"We could go chop up junk on the edge of town," Mira says, amused by the thought of using a chainsword to chew through rockcrete and scrap metal. It's not as though there are any tech-priests lurking about to object to such an ignominious use of one of the Omnissiah's gifts, and besides, Mira's noticed that the machine spirits of weapons tend not to be finicky about their dignity as long as one stays diligent with the maintenance rituals.

She nods permission for Aleifr's help--courteous and sensible of him to ask first, given that she's armed at the moment.

A whole batch of people from the same place. He has to wonder if any of that is left to chance or if there's some kind of algorithm the AI uses to decide. How purposeful could it be if he, a dying (dead?) man, were brought here? As far as he's aware he's still inflicted with Kepral's syndrome. He can feel it. When he was recruited for Shepard's mission no one had known about his affliction. He finds it difficult to believe that the same could be said for the Head.

"Not technically real?" He inclines his head a bit, first visible indication of his confusion. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"I don't guess it matters 'cause I end up the fuckin' damsel in de-fucking-stress everytime."

He droops, ax in hand, nose wrinkled as he stares at the target.

"Fuck, I am the damsel in distress, aren't I? Fuck me." And then he resumes the ax-yeeting position. Both hands on the handle, body a little askew, feet the right amount apart.

Closer to the target this time? But it doesn't stick.

"...Don't worry, if you get tied to the tracks I'll improvise or somethin'. No problem. I got this."

Aleifr doesn't offer a verbal response to the suggestion, but his wolfish grin implies he likes that idea quite a bit.

He reaches out and takes her hand, guiding it to a spot just above the butt of the axe and adjusting her grip to be just a hair tighter.

"Bring it straight forward and back." He says, demonstrating the motion. "Keep the head back, release when your hand passes your eye."

Might be unnecessary coaching, given how sharp she is and how intently she'd watched his own throw, but she'd said she wanted to do it properly.

If there's only one thing that makes Loki suspicious of others it's their knowledge of him when he is at a loss. He maintains a friendly smile, though, as he tries in vain to recognize this newcomer. He mulled over the boy's information, and how revealing it was. One didn't study astronomy for nearly a thousand years and not absorb an understanding of alternate realities, at least in theory, and the arrival here proved the theories to be true. This young man was clearly familiar with some other version of him, one who encountered a rather powerful being and whom Loki could not fault his counterpart for trying. It sounded too good to be true.

He took a sip from his drink, shrugging slightly. "The sausages? Hilarious. Less so attempting to steal the powers of a god. Risky, too, honestly. Your...me is rather brave."

Until he saw Nida being turned away from one it hadn't even occurred to Finn to try to get in. He'd been in bars before in the Candy Kingdom. After all, that's where the ne'er-do-wells like to hang out.

He and his small entourage of butterflies stop to watch Nida being bounced.

"Wait, what? Why can't you go in?"

"Isn't that their job?" He was, most likely at least, being facetious. While he did, that one time, attempt to conquer the world with an army, and he murdered quite a few humans before that, he doesn't really do murder simply for death's sake. "Surely they knew what they were signing up for when they applied to staff such an establishment." He makes a motion with his hand indicating the spectacle they were presently watching.

He smiles at the offered hand and nods, taking it with a firm but not intimidating shake. He's here to make friends, not enemies. "A pleasure, Hank Anderson. I am Loki of Asgard."

Loki has spent much time watching those around him, keenly aware of what everyone was doing while appearing demure and nonthreatening. He's skulked the secreted exits to a mythological world, he's slipped from the watchful gaze of the "All-Seer" more times than he could count. He wasn't overly suspicious of this man who was learning their new home, he'd done the same himself, feeling the boundaries of its magic, which were sorely lacking, and attempting to match the stars, get some idea where they were in the universe. That was proving even more difficult.

He had no reason to assume the man before him was offering him a false name, nor did it matter, really. They were all strangers here. He inclines his head, an amicable smile on his face, as he agrees.

"As have I. A pleasure, Tannor Nuara. I am Loki of Asgard."

"Likewise."

That curious pause and tilt of her head doesn't go unnoticed, of course. While he files it away he doesn't dwell on it for too long, though.

"We live on a planet called Kahje, though we are originally from Rakhana." He gives a pause of his own, curious about something someone said to him not too long ago about the people here. "Are you from earth?"

Thane appears to give the other's greeting some thought. His tone conveys a small bit of surprise. "Ah. Earth mythology — at least, that's where I have heard the names before." Specifically, there was a small paragraph dedicated to the subject in a book he read long ago. Just enough information for Thane to find the smallest thread of familiarity, albeit fleeting.

"At any rate," he begins, lowering his head yet again but this time with a slight bow for a more proper greeting. "It is good to meet you, Loki of Asgard." It's only proper to refer to someone by their name and origin of birth if that is what they please. The drell take great pride in where they come from — so much so that they live on a planet that slowly kills them, so it doesn't occur to Thane to do otherwise.

"I mean people that are only in myths? In books? On shows as a fictional character? Guess what? Somehow this fuckin' place... either it makes 'em from scratch or it finds them. I don't know how. But it does. And they're real here, like everybody else."

He saw some of their memories. True, intense ones. That proved it all fucking real.

"Shit gets real weird here. You just gotta roll with it."

"A few have tried and failed so far." He means to say he's been able to stop any incidents from getting out of hand, that is. Luckily he can be very persuasive before some kind of force ever has to be used.

"But the night is still young and there are not nearly enough drunks at the bar yet." He pauses in thought, then quickly adds: "Thank you for not being one of them." Humor laces his tone, subtle, but there.

He really is grateful when someone cooperative comes along, though.

"Why did you have to leave Rakhana?" She never hesitated in asking questions. Maybe she should have. Maybe she should have considered politeness or if someone even wanted to talk about things, but she didn't.

She nods to his question. "Yes Mostly I think I'm from Earth."

"I got some sympathy for shit jobs, and this Head fucks up jobs sometimes. It has a pretty badass kid fuckin' takin' shit from rich bastards at a pompous grocery store. Kid deserves better than that." They all probably do. There are a lot of great people working their way up from shit jobs. "Never know who they got on blood detail here."

When he has his hand back, he gives Loki what's only a marginally incredulous look. "...Loki of Asgard. ...Seriously." He can't even accuse him of being a drunken madman. He's probably actually a damned Norse god.

"Well if I'm in the presence of a guy who can end the world might as well offer to cover a beer. Unless there's some other Loki of Asgard that just works at Vallhalla Thriftway." He gestures to the seat next to him. "Eh, I'd still offer Thriftway Loki a beer."

She bounced from heel to toe as she watched him putting the ax back. It was kind of interesting how so many people at least gave the throwing a toss. Were they all bored here or just all adventurous?

"Of course. I had to teach myself. We have to teach ourselves everything." Which was a frustrating aspect to their powers. "I tried to learn the most. Someone had to." And she'd already been a little messed up, so she had the least risk of getting more messed up by pushing things. She paused briefly and when she spoke again it was much more direct. "There are twelve of us. We were all born at the same exact time on the same exact day with the same exact color eyes and hair. We were also all born psychic. Most of us were kinda wild kids and it didn't take us long to figure out that the more we practiced the more things we unlocked."

Mira absorbs the instructions without saying anything in reply. They're similar to the ones she'd give for a knife. The axe is heavier with different balance, to be sure, but it makes sense that there are only so many variables involved in throwing a bladed weapon. Of course, ask an artillery unit how badly being off on a single variable can screw something up.

She goes through the throwing motion slowly a few times the way he had a moment ago, and then, without announcing she's doing it for real this time, whips the axe at the target. It thunks solidly into the center ring--not a bullseye, but a respectable showing for the first time she's ever thrown an axe.

"Hmm."

Aleifr seems inclined to agree judging by his expression. He looks impressed.

"Keep your elbow straight. Let your shoulder do the work, and trust your eye."

Alone was strange. New. Uncomfortable. It was a lot of things but all the things lead to one conclusion: she needed to know the people here. There was more to all of this than anyone really understood (there always was) and she wanted to figure it out. She had decided she would start small and move her way up. The NAPs provided a small piece of the puzzle by giving her a chance to see the people.

When she sat down at the chair she had an enthusiastic smile on her face. What an interesting question to be asked. It was too specific to not have some sort of meaning to the woman sitting across from her.

"No. I don't think anyone would want to try to narrate for me. They wouldn't get it." She tilted her head to one side inquisitively. "That's not what you mean, is it?"

Connor eyes the man up and down - no, he's not really surprised to hear this isn't his first time with an axe; he's the kind of size where even an android like Connor should think twice about blundering into a fight. He'd have to strategise.

He won't pre-construct anything right now. But he's aware he'd have to.

"So this is a hobby?"

He's still figuring out what he should do for fun. He doesn't think axe throwing is it, but he's still going to ask organics about it when he can.

He's had some trouble since getting here understanding some references people people make, idioms he's not familiar with - things, in short, that he'd have searched online if only he had a functional online. In theory, it should be at least easier talking to Hank just because they're from the same place and time.

It's not. Half a conversation is about navigating without fully understanding what's going on.

"Didn't you save both our lives from an advanced detective prototype android?" He retrieves the axe and gives it back to Hank.

"I know you've got it."

He steps up behind Hank and adjusts the axe's angle again when he raises it.

This isn’t really Pietro’s scene, either. Sure, he’s present, leaning back against the wall, arms folded across his chest, watching the ax-throwing in progress, but some of that is waiting to see if an accident will happen. He’s not actively participating - not yet, at least, though he might spring into action if an ax-ident looks imminent.

Most people probably wouldn’t guess that he has an interest in patron safety, just from a casual glancing over. The closest thing Pietro’s found to his typical athleisure outfits in the shops here is a dark blue tracksuit accented with neon light piping in a lighter shade of blue, so he looks more like an extra from the inevitable next Tron reboot than someone who died protecting people from a homicidal robot. His default scowling expression doesn’t lend much to an impression of friendliness and approachability, so he’s a little surprised that Jane speaks to him.

“Narrating ... like in a storybook?” His voice is soft, with a heavy accent that most people would likely place from somewhere near Russia. Pietro tips his head to one side, like he’s listening intently, then shakes his head. “No. Are you?”

Thane has had his fair sure of overwhelming, disorienting experiences, and despite what his outward demeanor suggests this was absolutely one that ranked fairly high on the list. Things like being brought back from the dead because someone saw fit to use you was something that happened to Shepard, not him. It was a remarkable story to hear the first time...having actually lived it now was a surreal experience. He now has a greater respect for the soldier, if that were even possible.

If he had to guess where he would be an hour from waking up on that stone slab a bar called "The Ax Hole" would not be one of his choices.

But he didn't want to cause a ruckus. He had a preference for laying low whether he was going to be cooperative or not, so naturally he spends most of his time taking in his surroundings and the types of people in it. The forced socialization was particularly unnerving but he dealt with it as he dealt with everything else. Calmly. Though the first question he's asked actually gives him pause.

"Not that I'm aware of." Was that some kind of code? It's such a peculiar question that it must have very specific meaning behind it. "But I imagine that would get old very quickly."

Thane was a very difficult man to completely stump, yet here he was, unable to find the proper response to the information being fed to him. Both sets of his eyelids blink several times before he can formulate a thought worth voicing.

"I suppose the common threads between the vast many universes out there are more numerous than I thought." Those commonalities were comforting at first, but he honestly can't quite pin down how he should feel about this news in particular. It's...strange.

"I admire your ability to...'roll with it'," he compliments, understanding the turn of phrase, at least.

"That would be an ideal order of events, yes."

And he appreciates every person who comes in here and doesn't think that knocking back several alcoholic beverages and then immediately trying to throw sharp axes around is a good idea.

"I'm looking forward to seeing if the scales tip in your favor or not, David." He can't help but be curious why he thinks it would be either one extreme or the other. An odd mix of overconfidence and insecurity, perhaps.

At the very least it doesn't seem like a particularly difficult thing for Thane to talk about, at least on the surface. It's been a long time for his people that it is quite literally history. What would normally be sadness is instead more of an underlying disappointment. "The planet eventually died. The drell were close to extinction, but we got another chance on Kahje. It is a beautiful planet."

Though her answer is really what piques his curiosity. Could she possibly have some sort of memory issue, or perhaps she had been too young when living on her planet of origin to fully remember. "Mostly," he repeats, before adding: "You think."

Admittedly, that caught him off guard somewhat. "A peculiar answer."

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i've been bitten by the bug ...

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Ax Hole

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NAPs!

ax hole

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