Settling in, however reluctantly

[telepathicignorance]

Who:Sidestep and ...you? (+closed starters for Kaveh and Red)
Status: Open
Where: Eltrut
What: Adjusting to the idea of living here permanently. Purchasing supplies and necessities. Being depressed.
Warnings: Mention of gore in one prompt. Also Sidestep is very mentally ill, deeply depressed, and swears a lot in general. (I'll warn for specific things that come up in threads.)



Clothes shopping (For Kaveh)

(They were gonna be here for a while, weren't they?

Possibly forever, going by what they'd learned. So many lifetimes had passed without finding what brought people here, they probably shouldn't expect theirs to be any different.

Figures Ortega wouldn't be here. She never was when they needed her.

Anyway, if they were stuck here, they needed more than one outfit + the clothes they were given. Blending in wasn't as much of a concern--this world was used to strange things and strange people--but even if they didn't have to worry about sticking out having such a limited selection really wasn't practical.

They're doing something about that now. Though some people (read: anyone possessed of good taste) will likely be aghast at their purchasing decisions.

They've got various long sleeved shirts of the type intended to be worn under other clothing, in darker colors such as near blacks and deep indigoes, without the button up fronts--too easy to pop open--slung over their shoulder and they're browsing through a selection of ruffs, jabots, and similar neck accessories that would give them an excuse to have an extra layer covering their skin. They appear to have totally ignored the waistcoats that would typically go over their shirts. They're already wearing a perfectly nice vest. It's the fisherman vest they're already wearing, which is not only completely clashing in material, style, and era, but also the sort of fashion favored mostly by utter douchebags even in the time it's actually from. Yes, really. They like the pockets.

Back to the neck thingies. Sidestep is currently looking at several options in their preferred shades of gray, black, blue, and teal, a truly riveting array of colors. At least with such a limited palette the colors are unlikely to clash?

They're already a fashion disaster and they're gonna be an even worse one by the end of this.)


Snacking Binge

(Another concern is food. Sidestep knows basically shit all about foraging and their cooking skills leave a lot to be desired: confronted with a range of ingredients and cooking methods they're unfamiliar with they've decided it's probably better to to leave any advanced food prep to someone else.

Unfortunately, taverns, restaurants, and food stalls aren't always available in the places they want to explore, so they gotta stock up on more portable options.

Also they really miss their candy bars and snack cakes.

People can find them wandering around the markets sampling various items, such as:

Candied rose petals - a popular old fashioned treat. Sidestep seems a little weirded out by them, delicately placing one on their tongue and making an expression partway between confusion and consternation as they try chewing it.

...They'll end up buying an entire jar.

Dried fish - They actually grimace when they try these but they can't just eat candy all the time so they'll buy some of this too.

Fruit leather - Yeah this one they just roll an entire sheet up and start eating it. Don't worry, they paid for it.)


Lunchtime

(They don't know this place well enough to have any favorite haunts just yet, but they've found some sort of restaurant type place and have decided to enjoy lunch there.

It's a little brighter, a little airier, and a lot nicer than the soulless diners they so often favored at home, but what's really important is that is serves sweets, which is what they're enjoying. Sort of. Biscuits drizzled with honey, berries in cream, some sort of flavorful spiced drink...

The table they're sitting at is outside but shaded and there's a nice breeze hitting them. There's a denser crowd than they'd like but their thoughts are placid, well fed, easy to tune out.

This is a luxury they can enjoy now. Sugar that isn't part of a nutrient slurry. Fresh bread without having to appease cruel masters.

They keep their mind alert to any possible signs of danger. Anyone who approaches them or is feeling something too intense will likely be surreptitiously watched like a hawk.

Unless you're immune to their mind reading. Then they remain blissfully unaware.)


Night Terrors (CW: Gore, death)

(They'd been doing what they could to avoid the dreams, but skipping sleep and rationing what remedies they had could only go so far.

You're fleeing the building with it in hot pursuit. You don't dare to look back but you can hear it, can sense it, the rage and the screeching and the intent to catch and kill and taste-

As usual, the dream leaks out of their skull and into the minds of others staying at the inn they're staying in, as well as those simply partaking in meals and drink on the floor below.

You feel it as much as hear it when Ortega gets the drop on it, the sudden shifting of murderous intent. It screams as she shocks it but it doesn't go down, and they fight viciously as you slip away.

The plan was a classic, you taunt and lure the Catastrofiend into chasing you and Ortega gets the drop on it while it's distracted. A tactic you've repeated time and again, but it's gone wrong now, Ortega's powers are doing almost nothing and now she's the one running and all you can do is try to keep up but they're faster, so much faster.

You know how it goes next. Ortega is forced to take a stand when the Catastrofiend manages to hit her leg, destroying any chance of running. The fight goes poorly for her, and it's only the Fiend's desire to tease and play with its victims that allows her to last long enough for you to... for you to...

That's not what happens this time. This time, the Catastrofiend doesn't hesitate, and you find yourself arriving in time to see it wrench her nearly in half, blood and guts and bits of her mods spilling to the ground-)

No!

(Anyone nearby who wasn't affected by the dream probably heard the scream as Sidestep bolts upright.

It takes them several moments to remember themself, to sort terror from reality. The Catastrofiend fight was years ago. They aren't Sidestep anymore. Ortega is... Ortega isn't here.

Something about that thought in combination with the dream they just had makes them tear up, and they bury their face in the blanket to muffle the wail threatening to spill from their lips.

Charge is gone. They're stuck here, likely forever, and she didn't come with them. They let themself fall in love with her, let her touch them in ways no one has ever touched them before, and now she's left.

Figures, she's never there when they actually need her.)


Sleepless Wandering

(After their cry they know they aren't getting any more sleep for the night. Instead, they indulge their restlessness by wandering the city in an entirely aimless manner.

They're not particularly interested in socializing and will likely use their telepathy to help them actively avoid people... but that doesn't work with everyone and it isn't always effective, especially when their actual eyes are focused mostly on the ground, so feel free to run into them.)


Depression Day (For Red)

(Well their mood is a lot more depressed and sullen after all that. Normally, they'd go to the dog park to decompress and recover, but they don't think there are any dog parks here. No Chen and Spoon either.

Still, they find themself in need of something, and so they opt to spend time in a tranquil little park/public seating area they find. There's a ...lion? Wolf? Hanging out near one of the benches and Sidestep finds themself gravitating toward that one. They're familiar enough with wildlife to see that it's not aggressive, though they're pretty sure it wouldn't be allowed to be in the city to begin with if it were.

Anyway, they're just gonna plop tiredly on the bench and rub their aching forehead. They're pretty sure they've got another headache coming on.)

Comments

sidestep baby oh no

[empyrean_mirror]

[Aghast is certainly a word for it.

Concerned is another word, as Kaveh becomes more and more thoroughly distracted from shopping for work clothes by....whatever the hell is going on here. The choices being made are so bizarre Kaveh has gone from appalled to fascinated to deeply worried for this person's mental health. This many layers? In spring? They are going to die of heatstroke. Not to mention how absolutely miserable they're going to be when they get wet. Which they will. Because this world is 90% water.

The neck ruffles are what finally causes Kaveh to snap. He clears his throat, a little awkwardly, and speaks--]

...Sorry, do...you want help finding anything?

[He can't bear to WATCH this anymore. Please let him help you find a nice sensible scarf or something, oh my god.]

[telepathicignorance]

(Honestly worrying about their mental health is pretty valid: Sidestep is extremely ill despite having shown some improvement in the months before their arrival. Their body image issues--a result of trauma and the danger posed by people seeing them--result in them prioritizing hiding themselves even over practicality, their usual topmost concern.

They startle, looking at Kaveh with wide eyes, before smoothing their expression into something more neutral as best they can. At first they think he's some kind of salesperson and prepare to deal accordingly, but he's ...not a ...salesman.

They blink. Then they reach out with their mind to find out what's really going on. Oh. He's judging them for being weird. Kaveh will probably be able to see the slight furrow of their brow, the beginnings of a frown gracing their lips.)

I'm fine, thanks.

[empyrean_mirror]

[...Is he being too nosy? Well, he probably is, that much is fair, but...

No, seriously, those ruffles are going to be just AWFUL if they get wet?]

Are...you certain? I really don't mind...

['If nothing else, maybe we can find clothes that aren't a drowning hazard???']

[telepathicignorance]

(Don't worry Kaveh, the only way to drag Sidestep out of their shell--something they desperately need--is to be nosy and pushy about it.)

I doubt they're any more of a drowning hazard than what I usually wear.

(They freeze. Wait. That wasn't out loud. Fuck.)

[empyrean_mirror]

That's still a significant drowning hazard, which is a problem in a world that is ninety-percent water!

[Kaveh responds before it clicks to him, wait, he didn't say that out loud...

...He pauses. Blinks a little bit. Tilts his head...]

Would noise cancelling help with that or make it worse?

[Kaveh why is your literal first thought upon having your mind read how to help someone with telepathy? Why are you like this?]

[telepathicignorance]

(...

Their thoughts come to a halt as they try to process what just happened, what he just said. It's something like a train going off its tracks... or, more accurately, a computer overloaded with too many tasks at once since their mind is composed of an AI integrated with and allowed to grow into a human brain.)

It's not my ears that hear it.

(People never seem to really get telepathy.

Anyway, looks like they're not getting rid of this guy for the momemt so they go back to browsing, holding up one of the jabots.)

These are less ugly...

(Instead of just ruffles sticking out around the neck it's more like a choker with ruffles hanging from the front.)

[empyrean_mirror]

Oh, well that would track...

[He doesn't know too much about telepathy in general! The only person he knows who can read minds is the literal god-ruler of his nation, and he's not sure how it works for her either. It's not like he can just ask. Now that he's thinking about it, if it's not heard with ears, cutting out external sound might make the stimulus more overwhelming, wouldn't it? That'd be no good...

His attention is caught by the...garment.]

...A built in cravat. Well, it's...better. The issue is when the fabric gets wet and heavier, it'll constrict around the throat.

[It's also a horrific fashion abomination that pains him in his soul but we're gonna focus on safety concerns first and fashion second, okay?]

CW: Sidestep has a fucked up view of themself

[telepathicignorance]

That's gonna happen anyway, I have to keep covered. (A bolt of inspiration strikes them.) I have a skin condition.

(It's even true in a way--their skin has a condition of being permanently branded--just not in the way this guy is likely to assume. It's also way uglier than any of these things he considers fashion abominations.

They're just going to stop talking about the telepathy for now and hope he stops thinking about it.)

[empyrean_mirror]

[Kaveh's mind flickers to Collei, and the bandages she'd used when the Eleazar's scales were at their worst. She dislikes being touched for more reasons than that (It had been, and remains, none of Kaveh's business) but right now he thinks about her, and her bandages, and the styles of clothing she'd used to keep her skin covered without slowly overheating in Sumeru's punishing humidity.

...He does not think Sidestep will go for the thigh-highs, for obvious reasons, but perhaps the gloves...]

Of course, but even if we cover all the skin, we can still pick things that are more or less safe. [...] I think I've seen undergarments that are meant to cover and insulate the body in the water. They'd have to be worn under clothes, but...

Snacking Binge

[fractales]

[Turo was out running a few errands, a mix of personal and with thoughts of some others in mind. A reason there was a bag rested over his arm with a few packaged good already filling it; most of the items leaned savory, but also held vitamin C given he knew someone not fond of sweets that still needed some way to consume it.

For the moment he was stopped, at a 'stall' of sorts boasting colorful treats. Salt Water Taffy? He wasn't sure if he could recall any--

That was a handful of a mix in a bag shoved at him in a way he did startle with how engrossed in trying to think he had grown. Good enough a free sampling will have you coming back for more!]

I, ah.

[A little bewildered and holding a bag of sweets, the man selling them having gone on to some other customer.]

[telepathicignorance]

(The sound and thoughts of the stall owner offering free samples has caught their attention. They almost don't notice Turo at first, their mind not picking up enough to fully register that there's a person there without focusing or looking directly at him. The stall owner's thoughts are right there though, and they're focused enough on the other person at the stall for Sidestep to barely contain a double take at the discrepancy.

They glance at Turo, blinking. This guy? Their eyes narrow a bit.)

The peppermint ones are pretty good.

[fractales]

Peppermint?

[He could at least guess which one that could be, given most peppermint flavored things tended to be a mix of red and white striped. Plucking one of the wax paper wrapped ones of that color, holding it up somewhat between fingers-]

It is a pleasant flavor most of the time. I do not believe I've ever had taffy before, of any sort.

[... not in any memory he could pull up, at least.]

[telepathicignorance]

Taffy's one of the only sweets here that I have tried.

(They turn briefly to talk to the salesperson manning the stall, requesting half pound bags of no less than three different flavors before they return their attention to the conversation.

Someone's got a sweet tooth.)

It's pretty great.

(His mind feels like a void, almost. Less visible to them than a fellow Re-Gene, though the texture is similar.

He could be epileptic like Ortega, but that doesn't feel right. And they don't think telepathy blocking drugs are even available here.)

[fractales]

[There was quite the variety of flavors to choose from. Turo had at least two or three of each flavor in that 'free sampling' bag he had been given; likely meant to share with others and draw in more customers.

Not a bad business plan with how much they seemed to sell.]

I must admit I have not had many sweets. Not out of dislike, back lack of availability.

[Turo did carefully remove -and pocket- the wrapper before the peppermint taffy was slipped into his mouth- Ah. Sweet and the texture softened slowly.]

I can see why I was given such a large sampling now.

[telepathicignorance]

(They blink at that. Was he not allowed to have sweets growing up, they wonder? It could also be possible that they were rare or hard to get in his world.

It's something he should rectify, they think.)

The candied flower petals and citrus peels are pretty weird, but they're good.

(Also sold at a different stall, but if they stick together for a bit maybe Sidestep can figure out what's going on with this guy's head.)

[fractales]

I have read those are at times used to decorate cakes and the like, while also enjoyed on their own.

[Even if some children disliked them, or so some memory likely informed him. A tricky balance of trying to keep things from being too bitter, or taste like swallowing perfume/potpourri.

Of course it was said while he was picking up a wrapped taffy that looked a blend of yellow and an almost purple shade of blue due to that.]

They do sound as if they would be quite the taste experience, even more so if done well.

[telepathicignorance]

I've never had a cake with them.

(A travesty. They've liberated enough finances from the corrupt and fellow criminals, why not indulge in higher quality fare than diner served pies and dollar store snack cakes?

Perhaps they will start here.

Oh look, the stall owner has got their requested bags of candy. Sidestep will take a moment to pay before unwrapping one of the candies--a nice pink strawberry flavored one--and popping it into their mouth.

They watch Turo and try again to poke at his mind but ...nothing. Not an absence but an almost literal feeling of nothingness with a touch of static. They decide to stop trying for the time being: pushing too hard might alert him to something being off even if they don't think he knows how to detect telepaths.)

[feralhumanity]

[Is it a lion? A wolf? A monster? He is that which you see before you, nothing more.]

[The large feline-like beast is indeed resting on one of the benches, laying across it with his paws crossed before him like a lazy, loafing cat. He's careful to keep his burning tail tip away from the bench, but otherwise he seems rather calm, just taking a moment to rest.]

[Still, he does notice the one person moving to sit near him on another bench, and notices the way they rub their forehead while looking at him. He turns to look at them, one ear flicking.]

Are you alright?

[telepathicignorance]

(They stiffen, staring and blinking at the lion wolf creature.)

...I should have expected that.

[feralhumanity]

[Nanaki's ears angle down a bit, and he lets out an unamused hum.]

And I should have expected that.

[Is that a bit of snark? It just might be, just a little.]

[telepathicignorance]

(And this is actually something where Sidestep has enough awareness and understanding to be embarrassed and apologetic!)

Sorry. That was pretty rude of me.

(There is a visibly red tint to their brown face.)

[feralhumanity]

[Huh... Well, at least they're apologetic about it. Nanaki flicks his tail, but gives the other person a searching look.]

You look like you've had a rough day.

[telepathicignorance]

Something like that. (They lean back and relax into the bench, letting their head loll. It's not the most comfortable of seats, but they really don't care right now.)

I don't want to talk about it.

[feralhumanity]

[Nanaki lets out a little hum at that. He can understand not wanting to elaborate on a rough day, and can respect someone's boundaries. So he rests his head on his paws, settling a bit more on the bench.]

If you're needing something for your headache, I would recommend a good meal and something to drink.

[telepathicignorance]

You're probably right.

(Food: the solution to all problems, apparently.

Notice that they're not moving.)

Nice weather today.