You smile, mention something that you like

[restingstitchface]

WHO: Open to all!
WHERE: All cities and elsewhere.
WHEN: 14th - 23rd April.
WHAT: One catch-all for the rumormonger event.
WARNINGS: Small chance threads will contain traumatic material. Please mark any threads with content warnings and spoilers when appropriate.
NOTE: Players are not bound to tagging this catch-all for the event! Feel free to create your own logs and posts. Plotting and information can be found here.





"SHOCKING! ImPort in Maurtia Falls uses their powers to PULL OFF SCAMS!"

"Exclusive! Jaime Reyes CAUGHT making out with unknown person!"

"Percy Jackson's a fucking liar. Oh, AND he's an asshole!"


A deadly boredom. It tears through the Import community, budding in the minds of those in De Chima and branching outwards until others feel it inside their skull. The weight they carry with them; everything that makes them inferior; a doubt of their decisions; the sinking thought of living below one's level. They might be celebrating with friends in Heropa, visiting a supermarket in Nonah or driving in any of the other cities, but all the while they're feeling misunderstood. Thoughts blur and dissolve and some dark half just wonders why don't they tell those so-called friends to piss off

Friday night rolls around and rumors spring up just like germs. Tall tales with truth in them. They spread and multiply in gossiped breath and find their way into Saturday's tabloids and broadcasting - acquired from emails, chatrooms and networking sites. Imports will deduce these topical stories are becoming startingly truthful, and more unambiguous, throughout the week.

Shouldn't they maybe... do something about that?

Comments

De Chima, 15th

[dreamkid]

[ Well this is... curious! That's the word he's going with. Matthew's first doppelganger finds himself in the middle of downtown De Chima, rather unexpectedly, and for some reason not too particularly upset about the fact. There's some information stored in his... whatever can be called the brain of a doppelganger whose original person might not have a brain either, and that information tells him not the specifics of the situation, but at least this much: everything is fine. There's a home place here. It's not D.C., and he's not with Declan, but he doesn't have to be afraid.

He's just got to find the home place. Sooo, you there! Hello! ]

Hi! I'm kind of lost. Can I borrow your phone?

[ Whether you choose to trust it or not, this curly-haired dimpled brightly smiling boy emanates harmlessness. ]

[aberrant_type]

[Hange is on her way to the Meadows (more horse and wilderness time) when she hears that familiar voice. She looks at him, smiling in recognition, and then that smile changes to a look of mild puzzlement.]

Matthew? Where are you trying to go?

[dreamkid]

[ Hey! This lady knows him! That means he should probably know her too, right? And he does, maybe, haha. ]

Yeah! Hi! I'm going... [ He touches two fingers to his lips and lifts his eyes, searching for the answer, and all without losing an ounce of his carefree cheer. ] Home, I think?

[aberrant_type]

[He thinks? Hange stares at him for a moment. They just let this kid out to wander without printing his address on his shirt?

Teenagers.]

You know, I happen to be headed that way myself. Why don't you come with me?

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew is oblivious to her reasons for staring; he just continues to smile at her, rather airily, and then bursts back into enthusiastic life at the offer. ]

Ohh, really? Perfect! Thanks! [ And then, while looking about as though it might just appear in front of him-- ] Where's your car?

[aberrant_type]

I don't have a car. I walk part of the way, then catch a cab.

[She gestures in front of them as if to usher him forward, then starts walking herself without further ado. Is he... okay...? She's a little concerned he'll simply wander off.]

Ronan has given me permission to give riding lessons to a young woman, so I've been at the farm more lately.

[dreamkid]

[ He trots after her obediently, but it's true that the thread of his attention does seem very thin and easily blown about. Like a dandelion in the wind. ]

Ohh, a cab! Smart! I didn't think of that. [ Haha, silly Matthew. ] Back home I usually get a ride with my brothers or one of the guys from school. I used to, I mean. I'm moving now, so I guess I don't go to school there anymore. Hey, thanks again for helping me out!

[aberrant_type]

[Good thing she's at least somewhat experienced working with teenagers. Mentoring the next generation of soldiers is important work, after all!

For now she just listens, takes in everything she says and the strange sensation that something is a bit off about this interaction, and behaves herself pleasantly.]

Of course, of course... I couldn't leave someone to wander around lost. Where are you moving to?

[??? is he moving away from the Meadows? Back to the Meadows? Didn't he live at the Meadows already? Why would Matthew move away?]

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew doesn't even realize he's said anything confusing. In his own mind he knows he's talking about his own universe and it doesn't quiiiite occur to him to clarify that much for her. Haha, whoops!

He carries on quite cheerfully. ]

I'm moving to D.C. with Declan. It was Ronan's idea. Well, I guess it was both their ideas. I don't know. I was supposed to pretend I couldn't hear them talking.

[aberrant_type]

I see... [She wasn't aware that that was a city where imPorts lived... the outworlders seem reluctant to strike out alone from their communities permanently, which makes some sense both on the government's and the imPorts' side.]

When will you be leaving? [??? the fuck is Declan? What is happening?]

[dreamkid]

[ Don't worry, Matthew will clear up everything! ]

Oh, we already left.

[ Wait no, sorry. He will clear up nothing. That was supposed to say nothing. ]

Last night. Or was it... The last night I was there. Whenever that was!

[aberrant_type]

Ah, I see... I see.

[She sees jack shit, but gestures him closer anyway.]

Matthew, be a dear and bend down a bit, would you?

[dreamkid]

[ Haha, why? ... Is not a thing he asks. He trots closer and leans down without question, eager to be a dear and trusting as a newborn. ]

Like this?

[aberrant_type]

Just so! Now hold still.

[She reaches up and starts gently running her fingers over his head, searching for any lumps or hidden cuts or anything that might indicate he took a blow to the head and is behaving so loopily as a result of a concussion or some such.]

[dreamkid]

[ He's still and compliant for the first second or two, and then he starts to giggle. ]

That tickles! [ And only now does he think to ask: ] What are you doing, anyway?

[ He tilts his head to give her a curious look, forgetting that he should probably stay still so she can finish whatever it is. There are, of course, no bumps or other wounds on his head, or anywhere else on him, no explanation for his behavior. ]

[aberrant_type]

I'm just checking to make sure you're all right.

[... and... she thinks he is? Ronan, what a bad brother you are, letting this drifting cloud out of your sight. The kinds of trouble Matthew could have wandered into if Hange hadn't happened across him! She hardly even likes to think of it...

Hange reaches out and takes a gentle but firm hold of his elbow.]

Well, I'm going over to the farm. Would you like to come with me?

[dreamkid]

Ohh. Okay! [ He feels fine, not really sure why she had to check, but oh welll.

Then she takes hold of his elbow and he looks down for a second, as though perhaps he's going to question that, but... nope! Nothing to say about that either. ]

Sure! Definitely! I'm ready whenever you are. Hey, it's kind of like the Barns, isn't it?

[ How would Hange know about the Barns? ... is not a question he considers. ]

[aberrant_type]

Perhaps? There are certainly barns there.

[Good thing that over the course of her storied life, Hange has seen so much weird shit, rolled with so many weird situations. She might be a little confused on what to do otherwise. As it is, holding his elbow gently, she just steers both of them towards the street corner, where she knows drivers wait for fares.]

What are the barns like?

[dreamkid]

[ He allows himself to be steered, thoroughly cooperative. ]

No, no, not barns. The Barns. [ You're just saying the same word, doppel-kid. The same word. ]

The Barns, it's where we grew up. In the real world. Wait. I should say our world instead of real world. [ He shrugs. ] Anyway, I think it might be like the place we're going now. Hey, is one of these our ride?

[aberrant_type]

[Keep him moving, keep him talking, keep him moving while he's talking, keep him calm, keep him moving. That's the aim here.]

Yes.

[Hange picks the first cab in line and opens the back door, nudging at Matthew to get in first.]

Was it a very large farm? The Meadows are a very large farm.

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew folds himself into the back seat of the car, greeting the cabbie with a bright "Hey!", a grin, and a wave, though he leaves the driving instructions completely to Hange.

Simply climbing into a car and smiling at another person is enough to interrupt the thread of conversation, at least for him, and he has to think, circling back to her question. ]

Oh! Yeah. It's big, real big. Maybe the same size. I've only sorta been there.

[aberrant_type]

[Hange took Matthew home, turned him loose in the Meadows, and basically learned that he is soooo much smarter and more self-aware then he used to be. Wow, kiddo, she likes you a lot, but thank goodness for your survival chances that you're not like this anymore!]

[heisenbitch]

[ Well, it's not like Jesse knows who this kid is. Knowing there's some weird ass shit going on in the cities at the moment, however, the kid piping up with that question cuts an assessing from Jesse while he's stepping out of a corner store with a Slurpee and a fresh pack of smokes. ]

Uh, sure. [ Juggling his Slurpee and smokes to free up one hand, he digs that hand into his jeans pocket to fish out his phone. ] Lookin' for some place in particular?

[dreamkid]

Thanks! [ Matthew beams at this good Samaritan, politely waiting for the phone to be procured. He's not in any rush, having been brought into existence with only the barest ability to worry, and feeling no need at the moment to bother with it. ]

I'm going to try to call my brother. He'll know what I should do. [ He laughs. ] If he answers. He hates phones.