i've been bitten by the bug ...

[headandhand]

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?

Comments

[wickedprayers]

There's a delay in Thane's response. It clearly wasn't a subject he was even slightly familiar with.

"Magic." He was normally good at preparing for unexpected variables, but that opened up a whole new can of complicated worms. "I'm afraid that's an area of expertise I know nothing about, considering it was not something I even thought existed before I arrived here."

He's still trying to wrap his head around it.

[morethanatrickster]

A smile touched his lips then. There it was, their mutually beneficial arrangement. "I am a master of magic, and you are quite adept at security."

He inclined his head in a nod of appreciation. "I believe we may be of use to one another, Tannor."

[wickedprayers]

There it was indeed. A song and dance Thane is very familiar with. He gives a small nod in return.

"So it would seem." He won't deny the usefulness in working with the other detainees in the city. Contacts were very important, after all. "What did you have in mind?"

[morethanatrickster]

"There are many means of concealment which are beyond the mundane." He smiles. "You have noticed the city is in constant flux, have you not?"

[wickedprayers]

"I have. It's impossible to completely map out because of it. Though there are some points that remain a constant."

It took him a while to accept the fact that there was something he couldn't explain going on with the city. Though even then he held on to the vague idea that there was something going on with holograms and some such. But ultimately, he knew that could possible be untrue.

[morethanatrickster]

"Indeed, such as this place." Which he assumed was by design. "Which begs the question: why? If this place is held at a point in time and space, as are others, why shift the rest? Are they hiding something?"

[wickedprayers]

Thane shifts his gaze towards the entrance of the lobby, as if staring past the doors and out into the city.

"I would think so. If they control the pathing of the streets they could easily redirect us away from areas they want unexplored. That would make the most sense."

[morethanatrickster]

"It would be useful to discuss this further away from prying eyes." He smiles. Somewhere near the shifts, but not in them. No one could guarantee they would remain together. "Do you fancy a stroll through the park?"

[wickedprayers]

"That would be wise," he agrees. The park so far has been a decent enough place to go and have a discussion about would-be important things. It was out in the open, public enough yet private enough — and not subject to shifting, as far as he knew.

"The park is suitable." He nods his head, already resuming his put-on casual stride to the exit.

[morethanatrickster]

"Good." He nods and a shimmer of greenish haze moves over his form from head to toe for a moment, and then there are two Lokis, one moving back to his position on the sofa and resuming his reading, and the other remains standing near Thane.

The one standing next to Thane speaks. "I'd like to test something, if you'll allow me to accompany you in this fashion."

[wickedprayers]

It's difficult for Thane to physically look surprised. His expression scarcely changes too drastically, but with the way he glances between the Loki going back to the sofa and the one still standing beside him is a pretty good indicator that the man is surprised.

"I would ask if you're using a hologram, but I'm quickly beginning to learn there are some things in this city I can't simply explain away." That and the man professed himself a master of magic. Still a strange thought to have to process. That being said, "I'm curious." In other words it's fine.

[morethanatrickster]

Loki's projected illusion, his astral form smiled and nodded. "Splendid. Now, this is already more taxing than usual, of which I was warned. If you suddenly find yourself alone, you'll understand why."

He motions for Thane to proceed, then folds his hands before him. "After you."

[wickedprayers]

"Of course. I've heard about the dampened abilities."

Naturally, he tested this out for himself as well. He can still use his biotics well enough but it's certainly more draining than usual. Especially considering his condition.

That being said, only after giving it a brief thought (going or leaving anywhere first was always a little risky, but he's a professional) he nods and proceeds through the front door.

[morethanatrickster]

"A warning, I can't affect my physical environment in this form. It's a projection, something rather like a hologram, though I can see and hear through the eyes and ears of it," though he continued to walk beside Thane after he fell into step beside him, hands still folded before him.

"More than anything, this experiment will determine how far I can project."

[wickedprayers]

"Does that not leave your physical body vulnerable?"

That's a curious question than anything. He's intrigued as to how it works — if he's seeing and hearing out of this non-physical form then is he more likely to be taken off guard should someone attack his actual form? Can he remain aware of the surroundings in both of his forms at the same time, etc.

[morethanatrickster]

He smiled mischievously as they continued toward the door. Loki had nearly a thousand years of practice at his disposal and quite a few tricks up his sleeves. "It would if they could see it," and Thane would notice, if he glanced back, that for all intents and purposes, Loki's physical body was gone. "But I've also spent several decades perfecting paying attention to several perspectives at once. I have honed the use of this skill in battle, after all." And that smirk turned wicked. "It's difficult to fight a foe on equal footing when you have to find the real one."

[wickedprayers]

Naturally Thane glances back to confirm the lack of physical form. "Hm. A useful skill," he appraises with a nod of his head, taking note of the obvious pleasure Loki seems to derive from the thought of his strategic deceit. With no judgement, of course. This kind of thing was an art form.

"For decades," he mulls over thoughtfully. "Then you are an artist of camouflage, it would seem." He is clearly proud of his skills, and with that kind of pride tends to come a particular way of execution — smooth like a thick layer of paint over a canvas. Granted pride could also cause one to barrel ahead ungracefully like a drunken Krogan, but Loki didn't seem the type from what he's observed thus far.

[morethanatrickster]

And over the hundreds of years, Loki had perfected his abilities to just such an art form. The humans had long ago dubbed him the God of Mischief for his skills at deceit and his inclination to trickery, and he'd decided to make it a badge of honor rather than an insult.

"It would be more accurate to say 'centuries' really, but that's neither here nor there. I am God of Mischief. I should hope I'm good at it." He looks over to the other man, eyebrow arched questioningly. "And what of you, Tannor? What is your specialty?"

[wickedprayers]

Thane considers his answer carefully. While he now knows his paranoiac level of caution isn't as necessary here there's still a level of privacy he wants to keep. There are some things...or at least the one thing that he probably shouldn't be so forthright with. However, it's important for others to know his skills should be start to form working relationships here.

"At a young age, I was trained in the martial arts. It's a sort of...rite of passage, for my people." Truth stretching here. Or bending, rather. It was indeed a great honor and a common thing for young drell to be given to the hanar and trained the way he was. "I am also a biotic. In short, I can manipulate the mass of an object, which provides a great many opportunities in combat. These two skills together make me exceedingly proficient in battle."