sheets all on the floor just like an ocean ...

[headandhand]

WHO: All y’all!
WHAT: Your regularly scheduled NAPs event for the month
WHERE: Fort Pillowtown
WHEN: Oct. 7-10
WARNINGS: Please use these if applicable!


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 a new, super-comfy all-ages establishment called Fort Pillowtown. As the name suggests, it’s a large indoor space filled wall to wall with permanent pillowforts. There are a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, with each individual fort constructed of gauzy hanging sheets, strings of soft lights, warm blankets, plush toys, a mini television with on-screen menu for choosing movies to watch and video games to play, and yes, lots and lots of pillows. Snacks and drinks of all sorts are available for purchase, as are whimsical onesies and comfy slippers to wear. Board and card game sets are also available to borrow or buy. Sounds like a dream, right?

So pull up a pillow pile, get to know your new neighbors, and enjoy a well-earned and comfy chill-out session. And hey, if you end up napping at NAPs, rest assured that it’s absolutely allowed.

Comments

[be_notorious]

"Water usually does the trick. Cain't smoke 'em once they're already riled up, they'll tear you right up. Or grab the nearest sheet and put over your head til they get bored."

He's tried to sleep in places that turned out to have hornets. Of all the things to survive the collapse, he doesn't know why it had to be those guys. Made rooting out places to rest uncomfortable. Made aliens unfamiliar with the wildlife finding a nest funny.

"Alright, you go."

[ferrokinetically]

"Do you just carry sheets with you everywhere you go outside?" She laughs and shakes her head. "Evidently you're more prepared for anything than I would be." Maybe she needs to work on that. Develop a backpack of supplies for emergency hornet attacks.

She leans back and tries to think about something creative to come up with to ask. "Would you rather be famous or live a normal calm secluded life?"

[be_notorious]

"There used to be a lot of bombed out houses. Broken buildings and stuff. I forget not a lotta places have those. Or, you know, the occasional big ass alien you can run by yellin' 'Sting him not me!'"

He picks up a mug of hot chocolate he put to the side.

"Kinda weird how you start gettin' used to that kinda thing."

The cup starts steaming after he's held it for a few good solid seconds, and then he takes a drink before putting it down.

[ferrokinetically]

That's interesting to hear about. "Sounds like you come from a charming world. Aliens. That's one thing I haven't seen yet." At least as far as she's aware of. Then again she's just become aware of clones being a thing, so who really knows anymore.

"Seems like people can get used to just about anything." She watches the cup steam with clear curiosity but doesn't make a comment.

[be_notorious]

"I'd say it grows on you. But it really doesn't. Weren't exactly the friendly sort." Now, according to most people, the Traveller was actually a good extraterrestrial influence. But it was a little like bringing a wanted criminal into your house, chased by everything it pissed off.

"Some of 'em you can talk to, if you can figure out each other's language. And humans kinda split off into different sorts. A couple of directions here and there. So there's all kindsa people you can get to know now. But as far as aliens go, the Fallen are probably most personable. Not a lot of 'em, but a few of them bug lookin' fellas can be good company."

He looks into his cup. "Man, I never thought I'd run into this again. I think I even saw some marshmallows over there."

[ferrokinetically]

"You know, I find it hard to believe a group called the Fallen are the most personable. Just doesn't make it sound very promising for the rest of them." A smirk accompanies the comment. She's brought a plane down with her own natural abilities but somehow aliens just seem like an entirely different playing field.

"So you can talk to aliens but not get hot chocolate?" See? That right there makes it all hard to believe. How does someone live in a vast universe without hot chocolate?

[be_notorious]

"I love chocolate when I can find it. Most of it's dark chocolate now. Milk is hard to come by with the lack of cows. I think there's a few in the City. It's been.... A while, since I settled in one place."

From the way he rolled his eyes it's obvious that he was counting in his head, and then just gave the hell up on it. Or didn't want to say it.

"The Fallen usually go by 'Eliksni' to each other, or the best our jaws can manage. They just got saddled with the nickname when they showed up makin' a bunch of mouth noises our faces couldn't say."

[ferrokinetically]

"Well, guess you gotta make the best of your time here then. Get all the hot chocolate you can drink." For some reason she's convinced that's probably a lot of hot chocolate. "I can relate. On a less big scale, but it's been a while since I've really settled anywhere."

Her expression doesn't give away whether or not the not settling down thing bothers her. It does bother her but she's not sure how much to let other people know about her here. Not yet at least.

"Why'd they get saddled with that as a nickname?" Surely there's a story. Or at least she hopes there is one.

[be_notorious]

"I dunno, really. Somebody thought they were clever, I guess and everyone went with their in-joke. By the time it got to me it was just what they were."

He does have some idea. Like the Traveller is some sort of human, and the humans are angels gifted by it. And the Fallen were rejected. But nah. That's not how it is at all, but it's more nonsense and ranting than he cares to go through at a meet and greet. The only bit of the Traveller that's with him is what's in him now.

Glad to be rid of it at the moment.

"Nothin' too bad about roamin'. I mean, I've settled a few times. People act like settlin' should be their endgame. Sometimes it ain't rest. Sometimes it's just fightin' over and over and over for your little patch of land. Nothin' very homely to it."

[ferrokinetically]

"Everybody does love a good in-joke." That much she was familiar with.

"I'm used to fighting over everything." Including places to stay. Everything in her life was a fight anymore and it got damn exhausting. "It'd be nice to have an actual home. Peaceful place to settle down and be safe in." There was just a hint of a wistful quality in her voice. It was a silly thing to think about but it was a dream. A dream that would never happen, but still somewhat nice to think about.

[be_notorious]

"What kinda place do you come from? Hopefully still one with hot chocolate."

Again the cup steams when he takes a drink. "Good thing is, probably makes it easy to adjust to bein' dropped in a strange vaguely ominous place."

With decent food, he thinks again. Food is always the priority.

[ferrokinetically]

"Makes it less overwhelming. At least I'm used to ominous." She chuckles. Her entire time in the Inner Circle had been filled with a lot of ominous undertones.

"We've got hot chocolate. Can't actually remember the last time I've had any though." But now he's really made her want some. "The place I come from has a lot of tension and a lot of racial divides. Normal cities filled with political unrest and Starbucks on every corner."

[be_notorious]

"Shame those things happen in good times and in bad. Is it the good old fashioned racial problems-" he gestures in front of his face, as he is a very Chinese man with a very cowboy accent. That sort of thing became more of a 'back in the old times' sort of story, mostly in books, but it is something he remembers having happened in that amnesiac, clogged, stuttered sort of way. "-or somethin' else?"

[ferrokinetically]

"Something else." Her words hold a sardonic tone." The people with old fashioned racial problems finally found a common enemy to bring everyone together." It's almost twisted to think about. Those people who were the targets of old fashioned racial problems all came together against this new target.

"Enemy of my enemy in action."

[be_notorious]

"Yeah, well. Hate to say it, but that sounds like people."

He doesn't sound particularly upset by it. Just like it's an expectation at this point. Humans do as humans do. But unfortunately those special types do as they do, too.

"But speakin' of which, let's say you had one of them grimy jobs no one wants. Food service or maintenance. You know somethin' bad is comin'. Which would you rather have? Food service, so you can save food an' supplies? Or maintenance so you can have places to hole up."

[ferrokinetically]

"Yeah, I gave up hoping for anything better from people a while ago." Right around the time she got herself thrown into a prison with a power suppressing collar. That does a surprisingly good job of pushing someone to realize there's really not much good in humans.

"You keep asking the difficult questions." She thinks for a second. "Most people say I don't have the temperament for food service." She's liable to wreck a place if customer annoys her too much. "So I guess maintenance."

[be_notorious]

"People without the patience for food service are usually the food service that customers deserve. But I'm pretty satisfied by everything. I don't get picky people." He puts aside his now empty mug.

"Alright, alright. So. Last question. Lets say you came with a special ability. You either fly, never worry about heights. Or you never have to breathe, never worry about drownin'. Which would you pick?"

[ferrokinetically]

"Some people just like having something to complain about. Makes them feel better about themselves." It's pathetic but the truth about people often is just that.

She lets out a quiet laugh. "I came in able to fly." Or at least get very close to it. "So I guess that means I can pick the never having to breath one and keep both?"

[be_notorious]

"Can ya?" He sounds interested, tipping his head as he looks at her and squinting his gray-blue eyes some. She doesn't seem like a Lightbearer. Probably would have had a ghost more 'social' than Drifter's has been in quite a while.

But the little asshole drone can't even talk anymore so what's the point in it showing its lying face, anyway.

"Let's switch it up then. Not needin' to breath, or bein' invulnerable but heavy as hell. Meanin' you fall into the water or somethin', they're gonna need a crane to drag you out."

[ferrokinetically]

"Have to have the right shoes for it. Figured it out when I was around 16." She smirks proudly at the comment. It's always been something she's been proud of figuring out for herself. And something she enjoys doing, not that she gets do it much. Humans were never really happy about displays of power that blatant.

"Not needing to breath. The other one sounds like a disaster."

[be_notorious]

"You got the right footwear for it now? Or do I get to be surprised seein' a woman float off like a balloon sometime? Come on, Sister. I'm sort of a combat judge back home. I live to be impressed."

He puts his coin away (and by putting it away, one means he made it disappear somehow) and leans forward to see if she's into putting on even that little show.

[ferrokinetically]

"I almost always wear the right boots," she smirks. "And I do live to impress." That is not an untrue statement, she loves the chance to show off, especially to people that actually respect it. That's rare where she's from, for the most part humans are just afraid of mutant abilities.

She looks around quickly to see if anyone's watching then moves her hands under the table. A green mist swirls around her hands, weaving in between her fingers like a snake and then she moves off the ground and out of her chair. "Sideshow trick. I could do more but..." she gestures her head around to other people as she sets herself back down. "Don't wanna freak anyone out."

[be_notorious]

Nice performance. It's not like the powers he's used to, they're their own thing. A damn helpful thing, if he can make some friends here like that. "Here's hopin' we meet in a more open area. But you're right, nothin' good ever came of upsettin' the locals." He adds grimly.

Something they probably both know to be true.

"So, okay. One more of those hypotheticals, and speaking of judgin'. You're given a large sum of money and told to place a bet on a contest. Now, this ain't gonna be you fightin'. It's other people. Would you do it on intellect? Chess, or go, or cards. Would you do it on physical? Two sides just brawlin' it out. Boxing, a ball game, that sorta thing. Or somethin' based of manhandlin' reflexes. Vehicle races, fighter ships. That sorta thing.

"You can't interfere. All you can do is take this money and bid it in somethin' you think you can make a good call on."

[ferrokinetically]

"I'd love to. Don't get to show off too much back home." Here and there but when powers got outlawed it made things a lot more difficult. She's still got hope that maybe someday they'll live in a world where people can freely use their powers but that's a long way off.

"Damn. Another intense one." She has to think a bit more about this one. "If you hadn't added the bit about interfering I'd have gone with a vehicle race." And cheated. "You're killing me with the interference thing." She scrunched her eyebrows up as she tries to think about which would be easiest to win. "Maybe fighting. Ring match. Even if I lost it'd be interesting." She leans forward. "You have to give me an answer to that one now."

[be_notorious]

"To your credit, doin' it somewhere private also lets it be somethin' of a surprise fo everybody else. People keep sayin' they got their abilities watered down. A damn shame."

But an understandable one, on the part of the High and Mighty that deemed his task more important than any of theirs. Sure, fella. Bring ol' Drifter here where a Worm God can still see him. His screening policy could use some work.

"I'll say that vehicle race sorta thing." That gunfight sort of thing. "I know how the quality of equipment can throw a match in your favor."