open; leaves of yellow and red;

[aloadeddie]

WHO: Arthur and YOU!
WHERE: Various open prompts; closed starters in comments.
WHEN: November
WHAT: Various!!!
WARNINGS: Possibly some squidgy things as Arthur runs around in people's dreams! Will update as necessary.

[01; Maurtia Falls bar]

[ It's late evening when Arthur enters the rather seedy bar in downtown Maurtia Falls. It doesn't necessarily seem like Arthur's usual scene, but he's dressed a bit more for the setting than usual - soft leather jacket, a pair of jeans, simple button-down shirt. Still pretty upscale, but he doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, either.

He seems comfortable enough as he settles at a small table in a corner with a good view of all available exits. He orders a drink but only just sips at it. Is he meeting someone here? A business contact, or a date? Or is he just looking to relax by himself? It could go either way, at a glance. ]

[02; Shop till you drop]

[ Arthur doesn't think of himself as a big spender, or necessarily the height of trendy fashion. What he likes is practical, and high quality. He'd rather spend a little more now, on something he knows will last a long time. After all, he's used to living out of a suitcase.

What he didn't arrive with, however, was a decent pair of shoes. He'd arrived in his business attire from the flight to LA, which included a really slick pair of oxfords. Good shoes for that particular ensemble, but not what you'd call a practical, everyday pair. He's been getting by, but now that he's saved up a bit he's looking for something that'll last.

Which brings him to this somewhat high-end shop, and finally, finally, his eyes alight on the perfect pair. ]

There you are.

[03; Supermarket sweep]

[ Arthur might be a bit of a workaholic by nature, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have any hobbies. In fact, his hobbies are all pretty mundane - likely a consequence of his job being so exciting (and illegal). He likes to cook. He's a bit of a foodie, and he spends a fair amount of time in local supermarkets, poking around for interesting ingredients.

Today, he approaches someone in the dairy section, a bit of a frown on his face. ]

Do you carry creme fraiche here?

[04; wildcard]

[ Feel free to come up with your own prompt or give me a holler at frodabaggins if you want a prompt just for you!

Comments

Bela Talbot;

[aloadeddie]

[ Arthur has, for obvious reasons, been concerned about Bela since... well, since she got tortured and murdered by a psychopath. He doesn't pretend to have much expertise in the area of psychoanalysis, but he does have some tricks up his sleeve and he feels like maybe having a friendly face nearby might work better for her anyway.

So here he is, knocking at her door again - this time, with just himself and his knowledge, to see if maybe he can help. ]

[cleptes]

[ He wasn't the only one who had expressed concern towards her, weeks after what happened. The little sympathetic looks from others and kind words. Bela knew that everyone meant well but she also wanted to try and move on from last month's ordeal. She didn't want to be treated with kid gloves for the rest of her time here.

Bela does open the door though, surprised (again) to see Arthur standing there. She waves him on in and closes the door behind her.]

To what do I owe this pleasure, Arthur?

[aloadeddie]

[ Arthur hasn't quite decided how to broach the subject, so when he steps into her apartment he just... kind of goes for it. ]

I have a particular... power I think you might want to experience. Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming?

[cleptes]

I have heard of that before, yes. But I don't know an awful lot about it. [Hopefully he'll explain.] Do you think that this power of yours will help me in some way?

[aloadeddie]

It might. My power allows me to share dreams with people. If you know you're in a dream, you have a lot of... control over things. So instead of, say, being forced to relive a traumatic memory, you can... confront it, if you want. Deal with it, in a way that won't actually cause any harm.

[ He shrugs a little. ]

I thought I should at least tell you about it, in case you want to try it.

Count Dooku;

[aloadeddie]

[ He's getting a better grasp of his abilities after a couple months here. He now rarely finds himself accidentally wandering into someone's dream, which is a relief. He doesn't mind dream sharing - obviously, he did it for a living back home - what he has a problem with is not being able to control it.

So he's conducting some experiments, and what better way to do so than vetting prospective clients? It's like killing two birds with one stone, in a way. Dooku is a good place to start, given his radio show and overall reputation here.

He uses a layout he's already familiar with, but keeps the details vague so that Dooku will fill in things himself, still allowing Arthur to know his way around. He won't make the same mistakes as he did with Crane, that's for sure. Arthur finds himself curious, as well, as to what he'll actually find when he goes into Dooku's mind. Of course, he knows it might not be pleasant. ]

[dun_moch]

[Welcome to the palace of Serenno, Arthur. This vast, high-ceilinged structure is Count Dooku's ancestral household, located on his home planet of Serenno. It is dark, cold, and empty in here, lit by a sickly green glow.

It is also well-guarded. Count Dooku has strong mental defenses, and in this dream they manifest as projections of clanking commando droids patrolling the twisting halls of the palace. They are vigilant, alert, and swift. If they realize his presence, there will be trouble.]

[aloadeddie]

[ Arthur, of course, expected a certain amount of paranoia, if not full out militarization. He wasn't necessary expecting the defenses to come in the form of robots. That's a new one, in his experience.

Still, the layout should be the one he made, even if the setting is completely alien to him, and that gives Arthur an advantage.

He quickly climbs up into the duct system and begins moving toward the center of the layout. As quietly as possible. ]

[dun_moch]

[The droids clank past below Arthur, none the wiser. The duct system is just as he designed it, and he should have no trouble crawling through toward the center of the palace- toward Dooku's command room, with its vast ornate window and large desk.

But before he can reach it, Arthur will encounter one more obstacle: a flickering red ray shield obstructing the duct ahead, deadly to touch unless circumvented or deactivated. Another modification tossed in by the subconscious of a mind well-honed in paranoia and mental warfare.]

[aloadeddie]

[ Mostly, what Arthur thinks when he encounters the weird shield thing is, this is some Blade Runner sci-fi bullshit.

But, ever adaptable, Arthur waits until the latest patrol of droids passes below and then drops back down to the floor to seek out a circuit panel or breaker or something. There's gotta be a kill switch. Or a maintenance hatch. ]

02;

[exceptionalthief]

When it comes to clothing, the name of the game is Spend More as far as Hans is concerned, being willing to pay what might seem like an excessive amount for top-of-the-line quality; bespoke designer suits, linen shirts, silk ties and so on, reverting back to his wealth-laden childhood and adolescence after the last couple of decades wearing mostly urban guerrilla-style fatigues.

He isn't quite as particular about shoes, so no special orders in that respect. High quality is still a prerequisite however, even for practical everyday footwear and on the recommendation of an acquaintance, he's currently checking out this particular store at the same time as Arthur, inspecting a pair of classic oxford wingtips when he hears a familiar voice coming from behind him—There you are—presumably addressing him.

He turns his head and recognizes Arthur, wondering why he might be specifically seeking him, only to see the younger man actually addressing that remark to... a pair of shoes. "Have they been avoiding you?" he asks, his tone and expression somewhat impish.

[aloadeddie]

Arthur glances up, not having expected anyone to respond to his words, and gives Hans a bemused sort of smile. Woops, caught talking to the menswear again.

"Ah, something like that," he agrees with a shrug. "I had a pair a lot like this back home, but they didn't arrive here with me. I'm pretty particular about my shoes."

[exceptionalthief]

Not being cognizant of the 'again' part, it isn't immediately apparent to Hans that being caught talking to menswear may or may not be a frequent occurrence for Arthur, but he'd just as soon assume this is a first, giving the man (specifically his sanity) the benefit of the doubt.

"So, just an acknowledgement of a resemblance, as opposed to you suddenly discovering their presence," he surmises, sparing a glance at the shoes in question, which do indeed look brand new, thankfully.

[aloadeddie]

Arthur nods in acknowledgment. "Frankly, I was getting worried I wouldn't be able to find anything like this here. That would've been a shame. They were some of the most practical shoes I've ever owned."

[exceptionalthief]

"They do indeed look very practical," he agrees, even if the way he says the word has a mild 'not necessarily a good thing' inflection to it. Which is not to say he'd sacrifice comfort for haute couture, but it is possible to have both, provided one's willing to shell out the money for it, any pair that actually looks practical not something he'd personally consider.

"Spending a lot of time on your feet lately?" he asks, still looking a bit mischievous. "I would've thought the casino would provide a stool."

3

[h2no]

[archie frowns back at arthur, clearly a bit put out.]

Yeah, I know I didn't take the suit thing seriously but I don't work here. They're the ones wearing bright yellow!

[his own fashion has not improved, despite the advice.]

[aloadeddie]

[ Oh, of course, it's this guy. ]

My mistake. Your khakis all look the same.

[ Khakis are terrible why would anyone choose to wear them. ]

[h2no]

[he grumbles, flushing a little red. he knows they look awful, thanks.]

...I didn't pack extras before diving.

[aloadeddie]

You could always try something a little more interesting. I'm just saying.

[ He glances back at the aisle and - oh hey, look, there it is. ]

Aha. There it is.

[h2no]

[he folds his arms: tilted.]

It was this, a skin-tight wetsuit or naked. I didn't feel like getting arrested.

01

[prostheticbody]

[The Major is no stranger to the seedy bars of Maurtia Falls. It's always good to keep an ear to the ground, and bars were havens of questionable characters with loose lips. She doesn't have a particular mission tonight, and as such is in her casual attire: a leather jacket, black jeans, and a low-cut gray leotard. Probably eye-catching and unusual and practically screaming 'I'm an ImPort.'

Arthur catches her eye as someone she hasn't seen around the Maurtia Falls seedy bar scene before. He certainly chose his seat carefully, almost like someone who wants to be able to be able to see trouble coming and get away as quickly as possible if need be. She picks up her drink and approaches him, pausing beside his table.]

Prefer to have your back to the wall?

[aloadeddie]

[ Arthur, frankly, can't complain about being approached by an attractive woman in a bar. Well, he might complain if she turns out to be a murderous psychopath, but wait and see. ]

What can I say, old habits die hard. What about you?

[prostheticbody]

[She briefly glances around, as if taking in all the sights the seedy joint has to offer.]

In this place, I guess I can't blame you.

You don't exactly look like the usual clientele. [That is, not a thug or a corrupt cop. Though there's only so much you can glean from appearances alone.] Meeting someone?

[aloadeddie]

[ Arthur shrugs faintly. ]

Tonight, I'm just taking in the local color. Sometimes the fancier places get a little too pretentious, you know?

[prostheticbody]

[She smiles slightly.]

You're certainly more likely to get involved in a fistfight, gunfight, or drug deal gone wrong here, if that's what you mean.

[She tips her drink toward one of the empty seats at his table.]

Would you mind if I have a seat, or do you prefer to drink alone?