[open]

[standardization]

WHO: Asami Sato and various/open!
WHERE: Various cities.
WHEN: The month of March
WHAT: Various tasks for the month.
WARNINGS: References to everything that happened in Heropa! There may be Korra spoilers if you aren't caught up.

a: activities at de chima 003—open to 003 residents and friends!

[It's difficult to miss that Asami has been busy for the last couple of months. What's most significant is that she's trying to play catch up on years and years of technological advancements, but she's plowing through the necessary texts. Every other week she finds herself returning a large amount of library books to the De Chima library, and then she comes back with more. Above all, she's clearly trying to sort out what she's meant to do with this knowledge. Back home, it was easy for Future Industries to be involved in a wide variety of things, as they had the ability to get in at the ground level of the industry.

Now, things are different. She's well aware of the fact.

As such, she's busy trying to make up for it. While she's worked through and figured out most of the pieces of technology and even fixed the house computer, she's trying to figure out what next. Does she switch to working for a hovercar company, or does she look into a job where she can do architecture and various types of civil engineering?

In the evenings, this debate is on display as Asami keeps herself either in the kitchen or the living room surrounded by relevant books (books on civil engineering and its impact on a city's identity are the flavor of the month, especially following what happened in Heropa). She's also acquired a laptop, and right now, she's teaching herself how to create models in a program.

But ... naturally, she looks a little frustrated.]

I really don't understand why they switched to these ... programs instead of building the models themselves. [Well, it's what she says, but she doesn't openly believe it. She knows why they did, but it doesn't make her any less fussed about it. Technology is still an uphill climb for her.]

b: hiccup's apartment—closed to Hiccup

[While Asami managed to use her downtime at the end of January and throughout the hectic month of February to get through each of the devices that people had plied her with, it doesn't make her any less likely to help Hiccup out. She knows where he's coming from, and she knows enough about the slow advancements in her world to be able to bridge the gap. At least, that's her hope.

It's with that in mind that she goes by a nearby Goodwill-like store and picks up a box of small devices. Some of them work, they say, but many don't. If Asami is able to fix them, that would be a great help. She's already given them some once-broken televisions and the like to sell, so they're eager to take her assistance.

With the box in hand, along with a tool box planted on top and a bag of the various items they need to replace everything, she finally shows up at Hiccup's door at a designated time and awkwardly knocks.

The awkward "knock" sounds more like a box shuffling up against the door.

Well, she tried.]

c: libraries (maurtia falls, de chima, nonah)—open

[In order to keep her stock of books up, Asami has to visit libraries on the regular. There are some times when she enters to pull a book off a shelf, read it in a quiet nook of the library, and then put it back. Other times, she shuffles through the library with a cart behind her, as she's learned she needs something more to get around.

What is apparent is that during these moments, she looks a little more frazzled and less composed than usual. While her hair is in place (she has far too much practice for that), she's less aware of people's eyes on her as she wanders in-between shelves trying to seek what she's looking for. What's also apparent is her interest in scientific subjects. She never wanders toward fiction, even though she does sometimes stop at the DVDs to read the back covers from time to time.

After all, the movers in this world really are something!]

d: visiting an auto shop—closed to Jaime Reyes

[In all her keeping busy, she does find time to visit an auto shop. A part of it is because she calls in to ask if she can see some of the hover technology first hand (though she uses much, much broader terminology). While she's fiddled with her hovervespa, it's hard to do much more with it. For that reason, she comes to this auto shop, and it's clear from her appearance that she'd like to have a good look at some of the cars. It's why she requested the opportunity, after all. The auto show hasn't granted her many chances, and otherwise, she hasn't had to acquire a car of her own yet. Her vespa does half the work it needs.

After arriving there, she stops near a set of tools and waits for the men inside to finish what they're doing before they take notice of her.

She's patient, after all.]

e: helping clean up heropa—open to all interested!

[On the weekends, Asami dedicates herself to one cause: helping out Heropa. She had been there the night that everything went down, and now she finds herself wanting to help in a different way. While she knows imPorts are imperfect, she can't help but resent and want to remove all signs of what the Hornets chose to do in the city. If they wished for change, they could have pursued it in a better manner. It's how she always thought of the Equalists, and it's how she views Heropa. Some part of her is aware that her actions will help out the way imPorts look, but she's not as concerned about that. She wants to help.

For that reason, she takes to the different areas with some guidance. Clean up is important. Trying to help the various burned down homes get back into shape is important. She helps put in windows and do whatever she can.

Every now and then, she takes a break, sitting not far from one of the catastrophic scenes to look at what they're doing with a bottle of water in hand.] I still don't understand why they had to go about it this way, [she murmurs to herself. But she's been wondering the same about her father's approach for years, and that's why it took her so long to come up with a way to "get him back." She is fully cognizant that her approach to things will never align with people like the Hornets ... or the Equalists.]

Comments

e.

[hot4engines]

[Kaylee had been helping out where she could, too. Though her passion was still machines, she'd gotten pretty good at other various handy tasks through her job, as well- sawing, gluing, hammering. Spotting Asami one day, Kaylee smiled and plopped down next to her, then thought about her question.]

They may've felt like they didn't have no other choice to make their point. Of course, there's ways and ways of gettin' your message out without blowin' people up.

[Having been on the side of the "rebels", even if she had been young at the time of the war and thus hadn't directly participated, Kaylee could see both sides of the situation, even if she didn't agree that it was right to go to that big an extreme. The longer it took for voices to be heard, the more desperate people could become.]

[standardization]

[Sometimes seeing Kaylee is always so startling. Minus her accent, Asami knows that it'd be almost impossible to tell her and Jennifer apart. Of course, her disposition and mannerisms are entirely different, so ... it's a learning process.

Still, there is that split second "wait for her to speak" before Asami tunes in to the conversation fully. She'll get past it, but she hasn't had much experience with twins outside of Korra's rather ... eccentric cousins.

Even if Jennifer and Kaylee technically aren't cousins.]

It's possible, [she says to the words themselves, considering them carefully. She's seen that behavior before. She's no stranger to it, in truth, but it never makes it easier to swallow.]

But it does make me worry about what pushed them to it.

[hot4engines]

[Kaylee was quiet again as she digested that, nodding.]

It does make ya think, doesn't it? I mean, all I've heard since I got here is how much people appreciate us imPorts and all, but... clearly some folks don't. And the government don't really seem keen on letting us know about the bad parts.

a.

[forsometimenow]

[Asami's studies hadn't escaped Jennifer's notice- and she was glad that her housemate was taking the time to learn, rather than become frustrated at all the advances she'd have to catch up with. Being someone who believed her education never stopped, Jennifer could appreciate her efforts.]

It's supposed to make things easier- in theory. In practice, it doesn't always seem to work out.

[standardization]

[Though Asami has been working here for much of the day, she doesn't mind the interruption. Asami moves to grab some of her books to stack them, just in case Jennifer would like to take a seat. The action is followed by a nod, after all, to invite her to sit.]

I can see that much. You can also duplicate the file, but ... [She turns her screen toward Jennifer.]

It looks lopsided. [The model does, in fact, look kind of like a deformed child's playground set.

Nothing like a building.]

[forsometimenow]

[Jennifer takes the invitation to sit, peering at the screen.]

That's... kinda crooked, yes. [She smiles.] Sometimes doing it the old-fashioned way is better. So how're your studies going otherwise?

e.

[starbuckaroobanzai]

Because it's frightening. Because fear is the easiest way to get people to listen.

[Scully only worked briefly with the domestic terrorism unit of the FBI, and even then only long enough for the routine -- background checks, verification of fertilizer shipments, all of it deeply uneventful (which had very much been the point), but it was still long enough to have learned something.]

The fact that it isn't an effective method for earning people's loyalty doesn't seem to matter. And I don't know, maybe they're frightened themselves.

[She's not the profiler, that wasn't her role to play, but isn't that why reactionaries react? Isn't outrage only a step and a hop away from fear? And it's an understandable fear, which is the worst of it.]

I'd say in this case they probably are.

[She bends to pick up a discarded splinter of charred wood, turning it over in her hands.]

I'd even say they have reason to be, but I think it's probably a good thing if you can't understand how they got here from there.

[There she glances up, aiming a sad smile at the woman next to her. That she's seen a great deal, seen things in their way as awful as this, as gruesome, is made obvious by the weariness in it. No shock. There's no room for shock, not when ugliness, human or otherwise, becomes commonplace in one's life. Even here Dana Scully handles the dead: some of those, inevitably, are violent deaths. She doesn't have the luxury of distance. Days like this one make her wish that she did.]

[standardization]

I wish I could confirm that last part. I've seen that thinking before. Even after four years of mulling over it, I can't bring myself to understand it. [Even after four years, indeed. Asami lets those words settle in, because while she's able to respond quickly to the last part, she wants to process the rest of them. All the woman had to say to her was important, and she realizes, somehow, that she appears naive. Or perhaps she's selfish? Has she clung to her ideals so strongly that she can't push herself past the necessary bring to understand? Has she so thoroughly dragged her heels that she doesn't want to know how someone can do that?

In a way, she does feel like she knows it. She knows that it had been fear that pushed her father to that brink. He hadn't wanted to lose her, his, by his own admission, "greatest creation." The other Equalists had found it easy to look at what Amon preached to see that they were in a position that didn't empower them much. She imagines that it was the same for the Hornets.

Change is a necessary thing, but Asami has too often seen people bring change in the most extreme way possible. Is that always good?

She thinks not, but she's seen too many people suffer for it.]

But it might be just because I wouldn't do that. Since I can't understand, I can't ... see through their eyes. [She gives a slight shrug, uncertain.]

[starbuckaroobanzai]

You have decency.

[Scully has seen and done plenty of illegal, dangerous things which have arguably been justified under the circumstances in which they were committed. She's seen people get hurt for those things, die for them. She understands strength of conviction, has stood next to it day in and out for years, but Fox Mulder was never like this. She'd doubted him a handful of times, and never again. Even then she hadn't wanted to believe, had been glad to be wrong.]

A belief in people's right to life, in their autonomy, even if they disagree with you. Not understanding reflects well on you, I'd say.

[And people forfeit their lives sometimes, and sometimes lives are taken. She herself has taken more than one. Again, she felt those thefts justified. Self-defense. It's just... this probably felt the same way to the people who committed these crimes, and that thought is chilling. She can understand it, that far through the process. She just can't see where it becomes reasonable, blurry as the lines can be, and she has to believe that it isn't.

That thought evokes a sigh, and Scully looks out over the mess, gaze distant, thoughtful.]

The worst part to me is that I don't think too many of us really want to be here either.

[But they'd been targets like these people had been targets. Not meaninglessly: for impact. But the loss, the loss is meaningless. Nothing changes and nobody learns anything, except to trust less and to fear more.]

It's senseless. Violence always is, but this...

[Was there no other way? Of course their was. This was chosen. Whatever else these people may believe, whatever portions she may agree with, this should never have been in the cards.]

e.

[oathkeeping]

[This isn't the way of helping the city that Roxas thought he might find, but like he said to May—there are other ways of being heroic.

Besides, he still doesn't have a costume.]

Some people...I think they just don't know any other way. Or they don't believe another way will work.

[He's wandered over with his own bottle of water, glad to see a familiar face but sorry she looks kind of sad.]

Or they just think they're right. Or they don't care.

[standardization]

[Though she's distraught because of the scene at hand, she finds it easy to look up and offer him a smile. They still need to get him something to fight in, don't they? In the wake of everything that's happened, helping those who hope to protect others seems like a good plan. She'll have to mention that before he departs today.]

I think it's a matter of them caring too much, but being blind to their other options.

[She's thought about it, but Asami doesn't stand by this thought with much certainty. What is keeping them from other options?

She doesn't like the answers available.]

[oathkeeping]

That sounds like it should be a good thing. If they actually care and just can't see anything better, isn't it just a question of how to open their eyes?

[It sounds good. Noble and well-meaning. Except, there's nothing good about the mess that still needs a lot of work.]

But look at all this. Look at what they did to people. It might not even be possible.

[He sighs, and takes a big gulp of his water.]

Like I really know anything about that kind of thing.

c.

[notyourfathersosborn]

[Thanks to his job as a Family Genealogy Researcher, Normie's been spending a lot of time in various libraries, usually spending hours at a time hunched over the microform machine. At the moment, however, he's browsing the DVD section for something to bring back home. With his leather padfolio, stuffed full with papers that, due to the fact the folio isn't zipped, is sticking out at various parts, under his arm, he pulls out a copy of "Lilo and Stitch" and smiles... until he realizes someone is standing next to him. Normie quickly stuffs it back and pulls out another DVD at random, an incredibly gory horror movie that he wouldn't watch in a million years.]

Oh, Ms. Sato. Hey.

[standardization]

"Night of the Living Bloody Thing," [she reads out loud. The cover of the movie is a big splatter of blood, and she's certain that she's supposed to make out some kind of shape, but she's not certain what ... kind, exactly. She tries to hide the squeamish expression she has, and she only succeeds after looking up.]

Ah ... what an interesting mover. It's nice to see you, Norman. [She tries to smile in way of her usual greeting, but she's still feeling that cover.]

[notyourfathersosborn]

[Wait, huh? What is she...

And then he looks down and at the cover of the DVD he grabbed, dropping it as though it had suddenly caught fire the moment he processes the cover. He manages to catch it before it hits the ground and he quickly jams it back into its original spot... or close enough.]

That's... not the right movie. [Jeez having his secret love of Disney exposed would have been better. Why do people buy that garbage?

Ahem. Now to pretend like that never happened... He is clearly the most smooth.] Looking for anything in particular?

e.

[bestversion]

[ Kamala never saw herself as being strong. At least, not like Captain America strong or Hulk Smash strong. So she liked to have giant fists and pound robots with them, the experience itself was scarier than it seemed. Now, moving debris and clearing up streets with her giant fists felt fulfilling. Every little bit helps, her father had told her, when they donated to charities or helped someone in need. For him it was never about power or responsibility, it was just simply the given thing to do; help others.

She never saw herself as strong, but now that Kamala thought about it, she was lucky ]

Here, let me move this for you. [ She gestures to some rubble and without prompting, starts moving it away from the pavements and streetcorners ]

[standardization]

Oh, wow. [Asami has seen a lot of amazing abilities since arriving here. Benders were common around Republic City. While many of the most popular and visible benders participated in pro-bending, which was a rather controlled sport, there were some who went around the city openly using their abilities. Of course, there was also the police force ... and then her time with Team Avatar. She's really seen what bending can do.

But still, everything here is so different, and she can't help but hesitate for a moment to watch this girl's movement of the rubble. It's amazing.]

That's a really handy power. Can you move just about anything? [Because Asami has an idea.]

[bestversion]

[ Kamala glances at her, surprised at the attention. Most powers are flashier than hers, so she never expects people to find them interesting. She moves the rubble to the side before turning to address Asami ]

I'm not super strong but having big hands help with almost anything. Do you need help?

e; hello again

[glampop]

Are you sure that's all you want?

[Caesar isn't normally a philanthropist to this extent. His family's honor has been a motivator for some time now, but that's all very personal. If it made him a 'hero' at times, it wasn't truly on purpose and hardly selfless. He doesn't imagine this woman has the same guiding principles. To be honest, he doesn't know exactly why he's in Heropa like this. There are plenty of others taking part in the clean up effort, and he should be at home in these quiet hours when he knows his roommate is out.

Ever since that damned lightning fried his brain... embarrassment isn't something Caesar lets go of, easily. Could this be off-handed penance?

He's fortunate he never crossed paths with Asami while under the impression he was a pirate king. Talk about humiliation!

Regardless, he is gesturing to the lady's water bottle as if it must be a mistake, while offering her a half-empty bottle of red wine. Yes, Caesar is here to help. No, nobody told him he had to be completely sober for it. Dare she partake? ]

yooo

[standardization]

[It's not that it takes her overly long to process what is happening. No, it's not difficult for Asami to see the wine, see the man offering it to her, remember him from before, and piece together why he says that. She's always been quick on the uptake. It's more that she finds herself seeking some other reason for him to offer that, or why he would bring the wine in the first place.

Given her age, she's no stranger to alcohol. She doesn't mind wine (even if she's found it tastes very different here than it does back home). It's more the level of inappropriateness. Though his rather complimentary approach the first time they spoke had been something she carefully overlooked, she doesn't find herself doing that now.

The look on her face makes it clear: her eyebrows narrow and her mouth pinches up.]

No, thank you, [she says clearly.]

And is that such a good idea? [Though it's phrased as a question to keep up with her typically indirect way with handling these things, it sounds like she's actually saying "that's a really terrible idea." Sometimes, tone says enough.]

this is what you've always dreamed of, right

[glampop]

[Were they to bring up the differences in wine here versus back home, that could be a discussion worth having. Caesar's experience with alcohol is an ever-evolving one, and gosh it's been difficult to catch hold of it out here. Being twenty, he's not quite of age. Being a decent model, he's able to gamble a certain amount of morality versus older women's interest in entertaining him for a while. Most figure out he's full of shit in a few minutes, but he has a good heart deep in the cavern of his chest.

That's why he's here, even if he is drinking on the job.

Based on Asami's expression and words-- she must think him playing around!]

I don't plan on slacking. I can't stand men like that. But...

[A glance over the horizon of all the work left to do.]

This will make it easier.

D

[khajidont]

[When it comes to work at the autoshop, Jaime's not getting paid yet. Which sucks, but it's a sacrifice he was willing to make when they assured him that once he's through with his exams, he's got a guaranteed position just waiting for him, and that it'll pay a heck of a lot better than the other opportunities he saw hanging around.

(Dishwashing, bagging groceries, stocking rooms... yeah, he'll take cars.)

Once he sees a young woman standing patiently by the entrance, he straightens up and walks over to her, wiping his hands off on a rag, though that doesn't do a lot more than move the grease around. It's not the cleanest work in the world.]

Hi. [He glances behind himself, a little inquiringly, but his bosses have their heads down and their noses to the grindstone.] You waiting for something?

[standardization]

Hi there, [she says, brightening considerably. She draws her hands together and takes a good look around. Thanks to the weather, she's not surprised that they're almost too busy for her. That's fair and a good sign for the business.] I called a few days ago to set up a chance to do some work on an actual car here. [Asami has basically trained herself into using the word "car" without hesitation. Too many people pick up on it, and she doesn't want to explain her experience in the industry at every opportunity.

That will come later if she decides to open a business, she's certain of it.]

I haven't had an opportunity to really work with any here. They said there was one set aside...?

b.

[flightsuit]

[It'd been almost two months since his arrival, the days passing rather quickly as Hiccup took to study. It certainly wasn't quite easy to start, accustomed to using being the one to know how things worked better than practically everyone in a village. So the sudden jump into a new time period had really put quite the shocker on his perspective.

But that didn't stop him from trying. Between scolding kids not to dive into swimming pools and taking time off to take Toothless into flight, Hiccup did plenty of research, learning terminology for common modern day objects and their uses. It took a lot of time for sure, with advancements of over a thousand years needed to be learned, but Hiccup never stopped reading, never stopped studying.

Agreeing to work with Asami had certainly thrilled him, rather excited to work with someone who, not only understood his position, but would be willing to work with him together on it. That day, he scolds Toothless to be on his best behavior and to remain generally in his corner of the apartment. A boy and his dragon already made the place crowded enough that adding guests usually kept them rather cramped.

He hears the almost knock, the shuffling still audible even with Toothless' soft whining. Stepping to the door curiously, he peeks out a crack before opening it wider.]

Oh, hey, it's you! Uh, come on in. Mind the dragon.

[standardization]

Hey there.

[The moment the door is open and she's not trying to knock with the box, everything's a lot easier. She hasn't had the opportunity to meet Toothless yet, and truthfully, she's a little excited about it. Of course, that process happens quickly given the size of the apartment, and she's moving around both Hiccup and Toothless to find a spot to rest the box before long.]

I brought a lot of stuff assuming you've been doing some reading already, [she explains, already beginning to draw out some of the tools.] Though I don't mind covering them. Sometimes it's nice to hear it from someone else and not a book.