OPEN: Hiding in a crowd

[kinesia]

WHO: Grey and OPEN
WHERE: Around Heropa
WHEN: Within the first few days that he arrives
WHAT: Grey explores his new surroundings and gets used to life in the city.
WARNINGS: Probably none! If you anticipate a thread needing warnings, please add them to your sub-header. I will update this if necessary.

Watching Nature

[ Grey doesn’t like his apartment. It’s clean and bare, and carries with it the feeling that no one has ever lived there. The world he had known had been full of people pressing in on every side, because there was never enough space for anyone to move without brushing past ten others. Nothing had ever been clean or new, and no one had had their own room. Now Grey has several, including a kitchen that he doesn’t know how to use, and a bedroom that’s far too empty and quiet for him to sleep. Staying there at night is enough of a struggle. He leaves as soon as the morning comes.

Work doesn’t go well. First he’s late because he can’t find the place, then they send him home because of the clothes he’s wearing – an old coat and track pants, both so faded and dirty that they look like trash to anyone who’s not Grey. They don’t like his unruly mass of hair, either, or the number of tattoos that he uses to try and explain. When they discover he’s not registered, they lose their patience, and tell him to go home. So the milk doesn’t get delivered, and in fairness, he’d have struggled to find where it should go anyway.

He walks away, and keeps on walking, because the city has plenty to distract him. Eventually he finds himself in a park, sitting on a bench, and just staring at it all. It’s green. Grass both looks and feels strange. He’s picked a few blades to look at them more closely, but it’s not long before the breeze catches them. The breeze itself is just as strange. Grey closes his eyes every time it hits him, savouring the relief it brings from the sun’s heat. He watches people move through the place, eyes on them as they run, walk, exercise, guide small, furry creatures on leashes, and mostly fail to appreciate how beautiful everything is. He quickly forgets about what happened in work. There’s so much to look at here that he could stay here for hours and still not take it in. These are sights he never even imagined he might see. ]

Watching Urbanity

[ The city itself is a different prospect. The streets are an equal balance between comforting and terrifying. At least his eyes don't hurt in the light anymore. Grey walks with near silent precision, used as he is to an environment that was always in motion. He’s not yet used to walking on ground that doesn’t move, and the people around him seem careless by comparison. He’d come here because the larger crowds had drawn him; eventually even the park had felt lonely, and it had made a ball of anxiety grow in his chest. Just being in a crowd helps to chase that back, but…

But the city itself is huge. It feels like there’s too much to take in. He can bear it for a while, but it’s never long before his head starts to hurt. There’s too much to see and hear and it’s all so big – wide and tall and it seems never-ending. He has frequent impulses to flee from it, except that he only knows to go to his apartment, and the thought of the silence and solitude there brings his anxiety back with a bang. Finally he ducks into the nearest store, a pet store. He only notices that once he turns and comes face to face with a rabbit, which sends him skittering back across the floor in surprise. He stares at the weird, fluffy white thing in the cage, and slowly inches towards it again. He’s at a loss, with animals. He has no idea what to do, but he doesn’t like that it’s trapped in a cage. He pokes a finger through the bars, and the rabbit inches forward to investigate. The feeling of its wet nose against his finger draws his first smile of the day. He wishes his friends could be here to see this. ]

Comments

Closed to April

[kinesia]

[ It takes Grey a while to be hungry again. He’s used to protein bars, which had never been huge, and had never made him feel full. It means he’s used to subsisting on very little. He hadn’t called April because he was after food, but because he’d finally gone back to his apartment, and found the solitude there was as oppressive as ever. When she’d offered to meet him, he’d jumped at the chance. And besides, if she wants to get more ice cream, he’s not going to complain. He already knows that there aren’t regular meal times here, and he’ll need to work that out for himself. Better now than when he’s desperate.

He waits outside the apartment building for her, preferring the noise of the street to the apartment. She’ll find him in a similar position to how she first met him, crouched on the sidewalk with his back to the wall of the building, his eyes constantly drawn upwards as he tries to take everything in. ]

[aggressiveapathy]

So you picked adorable hobo, huh.

[ It was the only real explanation for meeting him in the same position he'd been in before, crouching and too cute to be mad at him for it. She didn't have ice cream in hand this time, didn't have anything. The plan was to show him the wonders of buying things on his own.

She could still plant her hands on her hips, however. Still stare down like he was a first grader barely passing the grade.]

[kinesia]

[ Grey straightens up at April's approach, and a smile breaks over his face. He's so glad to see her. She's been someone he could rely on here from the very beginning.

She looks disapproving now, though, so he stands up neatly and raises his hand. Hello April. He has no idea what to say to the adorable hobo things, so he'll just accept it. He doesn't mind what she calls him.

Instead he moves forward, pushing up his sleeve to show her he word 'how', and then lifting a smile up to her. How are you? ]

[aggressiveapathy]

[She can't help it. Even after living with a literal talking dog, his response is too cute for her not to smile back, her arms falling into a far more relaxed position along with it. Between the clothing optional stance on life his 'talking' required and that trait, he was going to be trouble for the neighborhood teens.]

Mm, okay, I guess. Figured out how your house works?

[kinesia]

[ Grey glances back at the apartment building as soon as she mentions it. His doubtful look is a hint that no, he has no idea. He looks at her and spreads his arms wide, trying to tell her that it’s big – too big, and far too empty. The bed is comfortable and there’s a shower (it’s why he’s cleaner today), but there are whole sections of that place that he just avoids. Like the kitchen, for example, because pushing its buttons had made it do alarming things. He’s not a fan. Let’s not go in there.

He nods out towards the street, instead, and looks hopefully at her. He wants to be where there’s people and sound, and also where there’s ice cream because he hasn’t forgotten about that. Outside is big too, of course. He has a tendency to get distracted by how much there is to see, but on the whole he prefers it to being home alone. Can we go walking? He thinks he’ll like it better if she’s with him. ]

in the city

[fistofthejoestar]

[to say that Jonathan actually knows how to get to the pet store wouldn't be entirely true. it branched off from the route he had managed to discover (with so small amount of pride) that included both the library and the grocery store; whenever he wandered from the beaten path he seemed to pass by it at least once. he's been in here a couple times now, because while he knows it's not responsible to get a dog at the moment his heart is mushy and weak. visiting is a totally fine substitute, ok.

he looks up from the puppy playpen at the sound of Grey sliding away from the rabbit enclosure, although his look of concern quickly morphs into a smile. it was sweet how easily animals could win people over.]

Keep your motions slow - rabbits startle easily.

[kinesia]

[ Grey looks up, almost as startled by this boy as the rabbit had been by him. It doesn't last, though. He nods, a little smile flickering on his face, and then he looks back at the animal that he now has a name for.

Rabbit. This is a rabbit.

He knows them from stories, of course. He's heard people talking about them, but he's never seen one in the flesh until this moment. He glances up at the boy, his expression quizzical as if to ask, is this all right? And he moves his hand slowly, very slowly, to reach into the cage. He lets the rabbit see his hand coming, and very carefully, he lowers his hand to touch its strange long ears.

It's soft in a way Grey has never known soft. He looks up at the boy again, wanting confirmation that he's doing it right. His head tilts towards the cage. Do you want to come and see? ]

[fistofthejoestar]

[never one to refuse a polite invitation, he gives the dogs he'd been playing with one last fond pat before slowly approaching Grey and the rabbits. Jonathan isn't certain if the boy is simply mute or unwilling to speak for some other reason, but the answer doesn't matter. Jonathan's responses would still be the same regardless.]

Yes, exactly like that. [his smile widens encouragingly] I think he likes you.

[he leans in a little bit (not enough to frighten the animals) to watch the rabbits better, but doesn't make any motions to do any petting himself. he laughs, explaining himself soon enough.]

I don't think they'd be quite as fond of me right now; I probably still smell too much like dog.

[kinesia]

[ Grey seems comfortable enough with Jonathan. Knowing that he’s coming, he turns back to the rabbits. The one he’s petting hops closer to the cage. It doesn’t seem frightened.

His head lifts, though, when Jonathan talks about the dogs. Grey glances back at them. They’re bigger, less calm. More teeth. He takes note of that, and then shrugs his shoulders. Why would the rabbits not like the dogs? They’re from the same shop, aren’t they?

He withdraws his hand, and then motions towards the cage. His smile is very slight, but it’s there. You should try it. Maybe they’d like you too. ]

city!

[shittybirthday]

[ Something that startles Joel almost as much as sudden loud noises or people approaching him from behind, is sudden movements. Back where Joel is from, sudden noises, sudden movements, people backing away from something quickly and urgently like something bad is about to happen always means something bad is about to happen.

When the guy in the pet store suddenly does exactly that - hurriedly backs away from the rabbit cage like he's just spotted an Infected person - Joel, who is standing only several feet away by the shelf of pet food, catches the movement out of the corner of his eye and very nearly drops the bag of dog food in his hands to reach for his pistol tucked into the back of his waistband.

He doesn't drop the bag of dog food, though, and he doesn't grab out his pistol, but he looks away for a moment with his jaw clenched tight, trying to will his heart rate to slow down. Jesus Christ, doesn't matter how many months he's been in Heropa, he still can't help instinctively expecting bad shit to happen. Still finds himself always anticipating to be confronted with Infected or fucking Hunters.

Letting out a steadying breath, he throws a hard look over at the guy, who is now curiously poking a finger into the rabbit cage. When Joel speaks, he sounds a little tense, a little pissed off. ]

Better watch it there, buddy. Startle it and it might bite you.

[kinesia]

[ Grey's head jerks up and keen, concentrated eyes turn to look at the man. It's more of a reaction to his tone than to his words. Grey is used to aggression, used to anger. They don't tend to come from anyone friendly, unless a fight is about to happen. He withdraws his hand from the cage, just in case. The little animal is going to have to wait.

He lifts his shoulders in a shrug at Joel's words - because it might bite him, but it's only little, and he hadn't meant to hurt it - and then he frowns. A familiar tension creeps into his shoulders. On the Train he always knew who was his enemy and who wasn't. Here that's far from the case. His lips press into a line and he upnods at Joel, before pushing up the left sleeve of his coat. He finds the word 'who', tattooed against his upper arm, and he points at it, before sliding his eyes back to Joel again.

Who are you? A name would be good; certainty about friend or foe would be better. ]

[shittybirthday]

[ At first, Joel thinks the guy is going to reach for some kind of weapon inside his sleeve - another thing about spending twenty years living in post-apocalyptic America that only a few months of living in Heropa still hasn't eased - but upon seeing that the guy is just pushing his sleeve up, he peers at the tattoo on his arm and gives the man an assessing look. 'Who'? What, is the guy asking who he is? ]

What, you can't talk?

[kinesia]

[ Grey’s still not sure about this. Thus far, most of the people he’s met have either ignored him, or been friendly enough. He’s not fool enough to think it’s always going to be that way, and this man looks like he’s sizing him up. Grey’s jaw sets at the question, and he gives a minimal shake of his head. No, he can’t talk.

He moves, slowly – inching to the side, to put himself in more space. His eyes stay watchful. Just in case. ]

nature!

[setright]

[Fetch is a city girl through and through, but that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy the occasional speed out into the wilderness and the change in scenery. She comes to a halt on one of the paths in the park, catching sight of an ice cream vendor in the distance. She's not quite sure if that's what she wants, but she can hoof it like a normal person for a few minutes while she decides if she wants to drop some change on a cone.

She catches sight of the guy who looks homeless. She feels a mix of wariness and sympathy, because she's been there before. And while Fetch usually isn't one to shoot the shit with strangers, she can't help it in this moment. Must be feeling generous.]

You're gonna melt with that coat on.

[kinesia]

[ Grey sits up straight, alert and wary at the stranger’s approach. He looks uncertain at what she says, and glances down at his coat. He lifts an eyebrow at her. Does she want him to take it off? It’s not that he’s modest – he goes shirtless frequently, since it’s easier to fight that way, and it makes it easier for him to show the tattoos he uses to talk to people – but he finds it strange she would worry he’d be too warm. Warmth had been coveted, on the Train. The heat here feels like a luxury.

Uncertain, though, he slips the coat off his shoulders. Beneath it he’s lined with muscle, yet thin enough to look underfed, and his chest, shoulders, arms and back are covered with words and numbers, tattooed over him in cursive script. He rolls the coat up in his hands, keeping a hold of it, and looks up at the woman quizzically. Is this better? He holds out his arm, pointing out one word in particular – ’who’ - and then he looks at her again. He’d rather she wasn’t a stranger. ]

[setright]

[Florida was still warm despite it being autumn, but in retrospect, she could understand wanting to keep your only source of warmth where someone would have a hard time ripping it away from you. She's about to say as much when he shrugs it off to reveal that he's not only shirtless, but inked. Very inked, and in need of a burger.]

That's convenient. [She nods at the tattoo he displayed, not understanding.] Not afraid of talking to girls, are you?

[kinesia]

[ Actually, he’s not all that used to being around girls. Especially not girls of her age. The tail section had been maybe 80% men and 20% women, and young women had been a very rare sight, unless they were working for Wilford. He already understands that it’s different here. Either way, though, Grey’s not shy. He shakes his head, and then lets out a soft, soundless breath of air. Stretching his neck out, he taps two fingers against his throat, and then shakes his head again.

He’s not afraid to talk to girls. He has equal opportunity mutism. Trying a different tactic then, he holds out his other arm and shows her the word Grey, on his right forearm. It stands out above the others – it’s written in larger script. He touches it, and then taps his own chest, trying to show her that it’s his name. Does she understand now? He looks at her pointedly, eyebrows lifting in question. ]

natuuuuure

[shuckit]

It's weird, you know?

[ thomas mutters as he plops down next to grey in the grass, the middle of one of the city parks. they're being cast some odd looks for not sticking to the benches or sidewalks, but thomas could really care less. he likes the grass better, and he likes grey. he slouches forward, looking around, at the trees, the sky, the buildings, a slight frown on his lips. ]

Nothing horrible going on, no imminent threat, no struggle to survive. [ there's a hollow laugh, and he turns to look at grey. he knows he's been through something similar, like thomas and the gladers. he knew when he saw his clothes and when he stared up at the sky like he was going to fall into it. he figures he'd understand. ]

The school wrote me up for having these. [ he taps a hand, still wrapped up in leather and cloth (he likes them, it's useful and comfortable), at the two roughly made knives strapped to the vest covering his upper chest. they're the minimum of what you would've wanted on you in the maze. ]

[kinesia]

[ Grey looks up, but smiles a silent greeting as soon as he sees it’s Thomas. He feels familiar around very few people here, but Thomas is one of those he feels best about, so a line of tension seems to leave his shoulders.

Thomas doesn’t have to wait long to see if he understands. He’s already nodding. People just go about their business here. No one seems overly worried. No one is hungry. That’s the strangest thing of all. Grey wonders if Thomas has had ice cream yet, and then decides he’ll show it to him later just in case.

A strange shadow crosses his face at the mention of a school, but he reaches behind him all the same, and pulls out his knife from where it’s hidden under his coat. He holds out his arm, turning it to show Thomas his ’surrender’ and ’die’ tattoos. He gets it. But the knife is quickly hidden again, in case anyone notices. He hasn’t been here long, but he’s already aware that it would draw the wrong kind of attention. He’s not letting anyone take it from him.

He nods at Thomas, then, his expression quizzical. Why is Thomas at school? Did someone make him go? ]

[shuckit]

[ he watches what grey's showing him, and it becomes clear when he shows up the words 'surrender' or 'die'. thomas wonders for a moment, what grey had to kill for. he's never been a fan of violence, and certainly not death. not if it was necessary. it strikes him that he doesn't really know grey that well. but he wants to. ]

It just seemed like the fastest way to learn about this place. [ he shrugs. thomas isn't really sure if he's going to keep going, but he did get in trouble for skipping classes this week as well. they can't really force him to do anything, thomas doesn't think, so he's not worried about it. ] They're so... normal here. I don't get it.

[ doesn't get why they'd need people like steve, or kanaya. 'heroes'. why here, when the biggest threat looks like it's just a war? why not someplace like his world? like grey? there's a shallow bitterness in him for that, and thomas tears at a blade of grass in his hands. ]

[kinesia]

[ Grey makes a face at that, his eyebrow lifting and his mouth flattening. Normal?

This place doesn’t seem normal to him. He shifts closer to Thomas, shaking his head. It’s weird here. They kidnap people from other worlds and do things to them, give them abilities and then try to conscript them. And meanwhile, ordinary people wander around as if there isn’t any war, as if there’s nothing to do but walk through the streets and shop or buy a wide range of food products that Grey just finds incomprehensible. There are so many things to choose from here. And there’s so much space. None of that is normal to him.

He touches Thomas’ hand, stilling it, concerned at the way he’s shredding the grass. Then Grey takes out the phone he’d gotten here. He types a message and then sets it on the ground between them, on the grass. Grey’s fingers trail through the blades for a moment, showing Thomas that this is what he’s talking about. ]

i dont know what it is . there was none on the train

its not normal here . this world was dead . here its alive . thats not normal at all .

watching urbanity

[lyingheart]

[ A cat toy. Aracely has a kitten, and it's tearing through everything, because that is what tiny mammals are set on doing: tearing through everything. Annie had the vague plan of finding some kind of toy that can help spare things like her bed and clothing and her shoelaces, all suffering at the cause of tiny paws and needle-sharp claws.

She's examining the laser pointers, trying to figure out what the pictures on the label are denoting happens during the use of this strange looking device, when she hears someone moving fast, out of place with the rest of the sounds in this store. She looks back around, taking a step back in reflex. Preparation. Whatever she needs to be just in case...

... She's watching someone approach a rabbit in a cage. She wanders closer, laser pointer in hand without thinking too hard about it. She generally avoids most the live animals, still not precisely sold on the concept of pet ownership. It's just more odd to see someone this man's age acting so oddly with an animal as innocuous as a rabbit that isn't in a garden. Not to mention the curiosity of his look - not one that screams imPort so much as different. ]

Did the rabbit startle you?

[kinesia]

[ Grey looks up, registering a woman there. It hadn't really been the rabbit's fault. He hadn't expected anything to be living in those cages, rabbit or otherwise. But he nods, all the same, and winces. He knows it's probably stupid to have done that. Most people here must be used to rabbits in cages. He probably made himself look new, like he keeps doing in so many ways.

Turning his attention back to the rabbit, he rubs its head through the bars, and glances at the woman again. He knows. It's a gentle thing, he shouldn't have been startled at all. His eyes fall to the laser pointer in her hand, though. Unsure of that, he nods to it, and then lifts a pair of curious eyes up to her face. What is it, why do you have it? It's not going to hurt the rabbit, is it? ]

[lyingheart]

[ She cants her head to the side, watching him as he moves. He's not verbalizing - it's a detail that stands out to Annie, when it's been anything but a world filled with silence. ]

How long... have you been here?

[ It's a non sequitur, and an assumption on her part. Annie holds up her left wrist, tapping the laser pointer against where her tattoo would project in low to no lighting. ]

I arrived a few months ago, myself. Toward the end of the month of April.

[kinesia]

[ She's pointing at where the tattoo would be. Reflexively, Grey touches at his own wrist. He's covered in tattoos - both arms, his chest, his back - but the one on his wrist is unwelcome. He'd never asked for it, and for all that he's tried, he can't remove it.

In answer to her question, he holds up three fingers. He means days, not weeks or months, but he has no ready way of conveying that. So after a moment, he pulls out his phone, types a message, and then hands it to her. ]

3 days

im new . hello