TDM 002. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE.

[headandhand]

» 01. I LIKE TO PARTY AND BY PARTY I MEAN NAPS.

Look at all of these bright, shining new faces! There’s even a few less bright, less shining faces, but hey, this city welcomes all types. Chances are, if you’ve just arrived, you're seeing some pretty crazy things, unless you're used to an eye-blinding amount of neon, robots, weird-ass technology, magic, and an omnipresent police force...and hey, if you are, congrats, you're gonna settle in juuuuust fine. But for the rest of you, the Head knows this has gotta be pretty overwhelming, right?

Well, since your quaint individual processing units are probably having a hard time, why not link up with another one? By which the Head means...

Hello, new citizens of Dualis,
and welcome to your monthly Network Adjacency Protocol~!

NAPs are a monthly community networking event similar to the Earth concept of speed dating! Two citizens (new arrivals and old hands alike) are placed at a table together with a handy cue card of queries to help break the proverbial ice. Ask queries and receive results, or ignore the card and yeet yourself straight into a brand new friendship! But don't be too shy, you've only got ten minutes together, and if you just sit in silence for the whole ten, the Network Admins are likely to come supervise and try to repair the uplink through a mild shock to the ol' central nervous system. You might find yourself saying all sorts of unintended facts about yourself if that happens...probably better to just make friends, right? Who doesn’t like friends?!

This month’s event is held at the brand new RoCocoa Cat Cafe, a sparkly new establishment that caters to children and the young at heart with iced and hot cocoa drinks of all kinds, delicious pastries, age-appropriate live music, and of course many friendly kitties who love to lounge in laps. The cats are of all shapes, sizes, and colors, including some who may look a little different from what you expect, or may look like an ordinary cat but are actually anything but ordinary underneath that adorable fur coat. All cats in the cafe are adoptable, of course, for those who meet a new furry friend and just can’t bear to go home without them!

So pull up a chair, get to know your new neighbors, and enjoy a sugary treat or two with the resident furbabies. You might just meet your new two- or four-legged best friend!

» 02. TO TAG OR NOT TO TAG, THAT IS THE QUESTION.

Welcome, one and all, to a long-running time-honored Dualis tradition: the annual city-wide Dualis Marker Tag Competition! For this entire month, all participants who accept the challenge will be given a marker and set free to tag any other participant in the city by making a mark on their skin, while attempting to avoid being tagged themselves. Careful, though - the ink marks last a very long time, so you’ll have to wait until the competition concludes to wash everything off.

Markers come in all colors, even fluorescent, glitter, and glow-in-the-dark, and you can use however many markers your inner child’s heart desires. These markers will leave marks even on people who have chosen not to play, but you can easily purchase an armband, headband, or similar accessory that says NONPARTICIPANT if you so desire. Marking nonparticipants is considered extremely bad form and wins you no prizes, but "misfires" do still happen sometimes. It’s usually considered polite to offer a mistaken nonparticipant that you’ve marked a small reparation, like coffee or a more adult beverage.

Safe zones do exist! Any establishment can put out a sign that marks it as such - signs in shop windows, chalkboards outside bars, and the like; many do this, just to keep the general chaos and injury/property damage liability down. Tenants of private residences typically agree that their spaces are also safe zones, but that's up to y’all to hash out.

Have fun! And maybe try not to put anyone’s eye out, yeah?

» 03. TRICK OR TREAT, TRICK OR TREAT, THE BITTER AND THE SWEET ...

Looks like the Head’s been clued in to the quaint alien custom known as trick-or-treating. Is today Halloween? Who cares! You get free candy! Free candy for you, free candy for you, everybody gets free candy!

And rather than make citizens work for that free candy by traipsing around in costumes, the Head’s decided to cut everyone a little break and just have bowls of wrapped sugary delights placed strategically throughout the city. You never know where you’ll find them, or what types of candies the bowls will contain - chocolates, of course, and jellybeans and hard candies of every flavor you can think of, and treats you’ve probably never seen before now. Ooh, is that a snoobloo-flavored truffle? Only one way to find out! Eat it.

The treats are not poisoned or otherwise dangerous, but some do have a trick up their wrappers. Candies may cause temporary side effects: minor appearance changes, enhancing or reducing senses, sudden mild development of extranormal abilities, or loss of control over abilities you already possess. Some sweets are just regular treats and produce no effect except maybe cavities, if you don’t brush your teeth. Effects will remain until another candy is consumed that either induces a different effect or nulls the current effect and simply tastes nice. Enjoy!

Comments

[theirondragon]

He chuckled, reaching across the table and giving the other man a pat on the shoulder. He was already starting to see what the other him saw in this guy.

"Don't sell yourself short, big guy. You're still breathing. That's step one."

[skyward_eyes]

"Oh Hyne, don't call me 'big guy'. Because I'm tiny compared to you."

And he's so very, very tiny. But he thinks it works anyway. Bull's definitely got a smile from him.

"I missed you. I miss you."

Sam Winchester l Supernatural (AU)

[crime_stopper]

01: NAPS

Sam sighed and sat down more annoyed then excited or even interested. He was used to weird having grown up fighting evil and then moved to a city where people ran around in masks kicking ass. Weird robots and animals were his normal at this point. Picking up the stack of cards in front of him he tapped them on the table. If he had to meet new people there were worse ways to go about it. At least the coffee was...decent.

O2: Wildcard

Sam explored the city quietly even though he knew people were staring. He was giant compared to most of the people around here and they couldn't help it. That didn't mean he enjoyed the process. He yanked the hood of his leather jacket over his head and hunched his shoulders trying desperately to hide as he walked.

[wickedprayers]

No laughter or chuckle, but a slight brief second smirk at the comment.

"A sound strategy," he says with approval. "Fortunately, with just a bit of observation one can find some kind of logic in the madness, even if just a tiny bit."

The few landmarks that remain a constant in this shifting city, as an example. It's a thought that helps him remain grounded as he tries to figure the city out, form plans, or just prepare for anything. He's also saying this in a cafe with strange cats, some of which the biology doesn't even seem to make sense, but he stands by his flowery worded statement.

[sirentologist]

Yes. The Vaults each have a protector being the hordes of Guardians along the way.

[theirondragon]

The Bull grinned broadly at that, laughing loud enough to draw attention from some of the nearby tables. He has a big chest, alright? He resonates if he's not careful.

"That's the joke, but now you ruined it." He smiles, though it's not fond, not yet. "I can see what the, uh, other me saw in you." And that was something in itself.

[skyward_eyes]

“You mean other than himself when our schedules aligned?”

It was a joke the Bull he had known had appreciated. Perhaps this one too. Because it’s all so similar. The laughter, booming and rich. The smile, careful and Nida hopes that it speaks of appreciation. And the compliment. He’ll take it and run.

“I ruined nothing, not yet. I’m sure I can manage it if I put my head to the task.”

[theirondragon]

Not a tough guy, just really reserved. Bull's known people like him before, Cassandra being one of them, Cullen another. That surface could be cracked, of course, everyone had a breaking point. Of course, he meant that is the best way possible. He didn't have anything against this guy. It was just wise to know how to take someone out if you needed to. This guy, for instance, had the wiry muscles of a guy who was fast, agile, he'd need to be taken by surprise to take him out quickly. The way the skin at his throat vibrated when he spoke suggested a weakness there. Good for a dagger.

"Logic in the madness is better than the crazy." But they also left the city that much more weird. "You been around here a while?"

[theirondragon]

[Yes that does sound like a job.]

Okay. So, you find one of these places, you give The Iron Bull a call. I'm really good at hitting things.

[sirentologist]

Wonderful, I shall keep that in mind.

[wickedprayers]

"Indeed."

Thane would be remiss if he didn't, one, survey the area as he walked in and mapped out all available escapes, possible choke points, cover, etc just in case the Head brought in someone or someones who would react violently to their situation. And two, if he didn't carefully study whomever he was speaking to in order to discern the best ways to evade a possible attack or take them down. For instance, he's sure he would have to make use of his agility and possibly biotics were he and this man to get into an altercation. He wouldn't be at all offended if he knew the other was doing the same.

"Only since the beginning of last month. Dualis is very similar to where I come from, minus the shifting city run by an AI." There are a few troubling parallels. "Settling in is less harrowing for me than most, if I had to guess." Like so...this man certainly looks as if he comes from a completely different type of world.

[theirondragon]

That caught a big grin from the enormous man and a hearty chuckle, rough, promising. "So, you like to ride the Bull, huh?" Nida was the type who needed a release, a deeply profound one, and there were few things the Bull couldn't provide in that arena. He assumed there must be something, but he hadn't stumbled upon it, yet.

"Nah, why do that when there are way better things to work out?"

[skyward_eyes]

"I really did enjoy it," Nida admits. He'd only given it up out of necessity. But that isn't here or there. "I'm not assuming anything about it, though. Would be wrong."

He's not wrong about the better things to work out either. In fact, it makes him laugh.

"Survival is what I'm working on here."

[soulsword]

Illyana has a secret: she really loves these iced coffees. The one in her hands as she sits down is her second since she got here and there's not much left of it. Clearly she should have gotten a third before attempting to participate in this forced social interaction. Unfortunately, the Network Admins seemed to think it would be better for her to socialize some rather than just drink sugary iced coffee all afternoon.

"It is a childish game. And perhaps that is appropriate for some," there's a smirk on Illyana's face at his raspberry. Evidently the Head is not choosing people based on their levels of maturity. "What sort of question would you come up with?"

kyoko sakura | puella magi madoka magica

[wishalone]

[ 01. ]
[This is stupid. Kyoko shouldn't have come sniffing around. But she did, so now she's stuck here playing this dumb game. She'd just leave, but... well...

... the snacks are pretty good, okay?

Still, she's sulking as she drops herself into the next seat. It's a pretty impressive sulk, despite the fact that she has a pastry sticking out of her mouth. She's already been forced to blurt out stuff she didn't really want to say thanks to the stupid shocks, so now, without hesitation, she's reaching for a cue card. Let's just get this over with.]

"Can you think of," [she pulls the pastry out of her mouth with her free hand so she can be understood more clearly, but she's still chewing as she continues reading,] "one reason not to... own... geraniums" -- [That gets her to stop chewing. She squints at the card.] Oi, what kind of conversation topic is this?

[ 02. ]
[A competition means prizes, and Kyoko is in it to win it. Why should she care if she can't wash the marker off? She's confident enough in her physical abilities that she isn't worried about getting too marked up, anyway. Being a magical girl comes with perks, after all, like experience dodging things and being alert at all times. Besides, if she wears jeans with her hoodie, it's not like she'll even have that much skin showing.

She can totally do this.

... buuuuut, she has to admit, this place is full of some pretty weird people. She's one hundred percent certain there's no way an ordinary human would be able to catch her by surprise. But this city has a lot more than just ordinary humans in it. After getting a few marks on the backs of her hands, she's reminded of this. She can't just walk around assuming it's like back home.

So the end result is that she's more than a little paranoid. But she refuses to regret it. Refuses. And it makes her double down.

... and touchy. Anyone who gets close to her, even if they're just walking nearby on the sidewalk, will find themselves on the receiving end of a suspicious, baleful glare. Unfortunately, just walking away quickly won't do; after all, this is a chance for her to mark someone else. So instead of disengaging, she stops dead and declares boldly,] I see what you're doing. And it's not gonna work.

[ 03. ]

[Do you know what free candy means?

Free candy means Kyoko magnets.

Honestly, that applies to any kind of free food, but she really is just a sucker for sweets. And whoever is doing this has just left the bowls out everywhere, and there are no guards, no signs saying "take one" or whatever...

... and therefore nothing stopping a hungry teenager from upending an entire bowl of candy -- in this case, multi-colored jelly beans -- into a plastic bag. Given the apparent weight of it, this may or may not be the first time she's done this today.]

Too easy, [Kyoko says to herself as she drops the empty bowl back in its spot. She doesn't seem too bothered by it. In fact, she's looking pretty damn happy.]

[wishalone]

Technically, this isn't the next table Kyoko is "supposed" to sit at. But this guy actually looks interesting. She means, seriously, he's huge. But he takes up space almost like he belongs, despite the furniture definitely being way too small for him. Maybe it's not that it's like he belongs -- Maybe it's the air of confidence. Yeah, that's what caught her attention, she thinks.

He might be more than two feet taller than her and way out of her weight class, but Kyoko flops into the chair across from him so casually it's almost like she's used to it. (In truth, if she came across him on the street or something, she'd definitely be startled and unnerved by his size. But she's spotted him first, instead of being surprised, and made up her mind, so she's able to act like she isn't phased.)

"Bored," she answers, waving half a pastry before taking a bite out of it. She doesn't wait to finish chewing before continuing to talk. "This whole thing is pretty stupid. What is this, elementary school?"

[ 01. ]

[be_notorious]

[Drifter is mostly ignoring the cats, because, sadly, he's been in the social space where cute cats are more likely to be food than pets. But there is food here! And he's on his third cup of hot cocoa and has six empty wrappers for various baked goods. He's working on a piece of baklava right now.]

[He stares at this girl eating as he does, though. Because, hell, he's rarely run into anyone as hungry as him outside of the Dark Ages.]

Geraniums. They're a type of flower and a good reason not to keep 'em is you gotta like diggin' in the dirt. Which ain't my favorite pastime.

[He furrows his brow, picks up his mug and the cup starts to steam as if the cocoa just warmed on its own.]

Alright, sister. Better question. All the food you want in the world, but it's gotta be the cheap gross an' filthy kind. Or, you can only eat a little, but it's real rich, tailored just to your likin', an' you're allowed only two meals of it. You won't technically go hungry either way, but which would be more satisfyin'?

[Since she likes to eat as much as him.]

[wishalone]

[Annoyance settles onto her face as he explains what geraniums are; she gets it, she guesses not everyone here would know what they are, but even knowing that, the annoyance doesn't budge.

... not until that thing with his mug happens. Her gaze shifts to it, lingering.

But when he says "food," her eyes move immediately back to his face.]

The cheap food, [she answers without hesitation. And then tears off another piece of her pastry with her teeth, and keeps talking while chewing.] It doesn't matter how good the food is if you can't eat as much as you want.

[be_notorious]

[To be fair, his world has been reduced to such a shithole that geraniums might not be known to a great hunk of the population.]

Yeah, I reckon mine'd be the same.

All right, give me a real one. Not one of those, a real one. Nobody can land in a place like this and not be curious about one fool thing that happens here or another.

[wishalone]

[There's something about this guy. Kyoko's not here to make friends, don't get her wrong, but... She thought she'd sensed something like magic when he picked up his hot chocolate. He's got maybe as many wrappers around him as she's gone through herself, and he asked about food. It feels like more than just a hunch, and more like she doesn't have enough dots to draw the picture just yet.]

A real one, huh? Alright... fine. [She leans forward to plant an elbow on the table, turning her wrist to gesture with what's left of her pastry.] Do you buy this whole story about us being brought here to cure some disease? It makes for a convenient story, don't you think?

2

[whosthemonsternow]

South is...taking a little break. She's tagged a ton of people, avoided tags on herself, and even though last time she broke the "safe zone" rules and got kicked out- she's planning to behave this time. For a little bit. This second anyways.

She snags a drink with more caffeine than any human should probably consume, and turns around to find a spot to sit. That's when she notices some chick that is absolutely fucked with marks, causing her to outright cackle before she scoots over to the poor victim.

"Hey, you got a little something there." She gestures to the woman's face then on her own where the mark would be, grinning and unable to help another laugh.

[theirondragon]

"Yeah..." Bull didn't waste his time trying to pretend all this was fine. Besides, the easiest way to get to know people was to wear most of your intentions of your sleeve. It was easier to just be honest than it was to lie, his skill with it be damned.

"You, uh, want to fill me in on what an 'A.I.' is?"

[theirondragon]

"Yeah..." Bull didn't have to remember their time together to know that was true. Bull had confidence in a lot of things, and the bedroom was one of them. "Hey, survival's important, big guy." And he winked. "And comes in a lot of different packages."

[theirondragon]

The Iron Bull was used to people being dwarfed by his size and tended toward casual stances and friendly banter to keep people at ease. He was a big guy even among his own people, and was a veritable giant elsewhere in the world. He'd basically mastered the art if being unimposing.

"Hey, don't wave food in a guy's face if you're not going to share." He was smiling when he said it, though. "And this? This lets the Head get to know us, I guess." He rolled his massive shoulders in a shrug. "Might as well take advantage of it, right?"

[casualryder]

If he weren't already failing at following a strict diet Scott would be surrounded in sugary iced drinks. As it were he already felt as if he would somehow receive a lecturing email from his doctor somehow made aware of his transgressions from across the multiverse after having one.

"Literally anything else," he starts, not appearing to be bothered by the little jab. He knows very well that he's immature as hell, thank you very much! The day someone stops reminding him of the fact is the day when he's likely getting too serious. "Like," he makes a vague hand gesture. "What's your biggest 'oh shit what have I gotten myself into' moment?"