[open] welcome to the city

[excaliburden]

WHO: Altria Caster (excaliburden) & perhaps you!
WHAT: Help out a gal who just got here and is still getting used to magical city things like powdered sugar
WHERE: Across the city! Namely: a convenience store, park, subway, etc.......
WHEN: Early November
WARNINGS: N/A! Will update if necessary


a. local victorian orphan discovers convenience stores

[You're probably popping into the local convenience store for sensible reasons, like to buy a soda or to grab a few things you're missing for your dinner. Maybe for one of those hot dogs. No judgment.

Either way, you're getting interrupted by a gremlin in young woman form, who comes right up to you as soon as she makes eye contact, holding up... one of those small little packs of powdered sugar donuts.]

Have you ever tried one of these?

[She sounds awed.

There is powdered sugar around her mouth and on her fingers. She seems to have already eaten three of the five in the pack. It's a little bit like a religious experience, honestly.]

b. park break

[There's only so much walking around the city she can do before she gets tired. Even a few days in, it's still a pretty overwhelming place, and despite making many plans with many helpful people upon first arriving, she... has not acted on any of them.

So it is that even though it's either very early in the morning or very late at night, Altria can be found seated on one of the benches in the park, shoulders hunched and hands in her lap. She doesn't seem to be asleep, just... thinking very, very intently.

Of course, if she notices that someone's near, she'll immediately straighten, lifting a hand to wave--but with how deep in thought she is, it isn't hard to sneak up on her, either.]

c. subway

[Using the subway today to get across the city? That's a perfectly normal thing to do.

There's a young woman there as well, nose pressed to the window as she stares out as the train moves, even though it's, you know, underground and there's nothing to see. It's fine--she still seems amazed.



Also, if you hop back on the train a few hours later to go elsewhere, she's... still there. She might be leaning back in the seat, staring at the ceiling, or moving from seat to seat idly, or, in particularly empty times of day, sprawled along two seats at once.


Don't worry about it. Everything's fine here!]

d. wildcard

(Wanna tag in but these prompts don't work? Totally fine, hit me with whatever--or poke me over here to plot something out!)

Comments

[fanstheflames]

Not a lot. But probably more here than back home.

[ it's an honest answer, a little rueful, and she moves to plunk herself down on the bench beside Altria. ]

Aren't you cold?

[excaliburden]

[Such an honest, earnest answer...

In return, Altria considers her current circumstances and nods.]

Yep, pretty cold! [It's frigid. Not the coldest she's ever been, but pretty cold nonetheless.] I guess it's only just sinking in now.

[fanstheflames]

... C'mon. I can at least walk you back to your place?

[ Because clearly you're a smart teenager who isn't sleeping on a bench or the ground or in a tree, right???? ]

[excaliburden]

[........

The silence is so, so heavy.]

... So I heard that we can just... take any open room and live there. It's just...

[It feels so weird to do that? She--doesn't really know how, even if that sounds absolutely ridiculous.]

[fanstheflames]

Oh... yeah, it took me a while too. Even when I found a place, I slept on the floor for like a month because it felt weird using a bed that might be someone else's.

[ A pause. ]

For now, would it be easier if you came to my place?

[excaliburden]

You... really don't mind?

[She is all wide eyes and awe. That's so nice!!]

[fanstheflames]

Of course I don't mind! Don't tell anyone, but I don't do so hot living by myself.

[ And yet she has done it for almost six months by now. Amazing. ]

Oh, uh--not saying you have to stay, but I don't mind if you hang out there for as long as you're okay with.

[excaliburden]

I would love to stay!

[Immediately, confidently, without having stayed with Tsuruno at all yet. It's fine. They're just like this.]

Thanks so much for inviting me!

[fanstheflames]

Oh! Great! Okay, then! Do you have anything, or should we get going?

[ WE'RE JUST GONNA ROLL WITH IT ]

[excaliburden]

I don't have anything!

[Chipper!]

So we can go right away!

[ONWARDS, FRIEND AND NEW ROOMMATE.]

[fanstheflames]

Okay! Off we go! At a jog, because it's good to stay warm!!

[ ... Thankfully, her apartment is not far from this park, so two shorties can go jogging back without it taking forever. ]

[excaliburden]

Okay! Let's do it!

[She can jog and keep up, she's got this! She's in peak form right now! (20% version).

When they make it, Altria is definitely peering around curiously, trying to determine what makes this apartment building different from the others.]

What made you pick this one?

[fanstheflames]

Mm... I liked the area and I liked the vibes?

[ Hm. ]

And the room I found didn't have too much personalization, so I didn't feel as much like I was breaking in?

[ SLIGHTLY LESS GUILT-- ]

[excaliburden]

[Okay yeah she totally gets that. It's weird to think that they're living in a place that was once someone else's home, that they may not have chosen to vacate...

... Ahem!]

That sounds reasonable to me.

Lead the way!

[Let's go on insiiiide.]

[fanstheflames]

[ They go inside! It doesn't look entirely lived-in, but there's the basics for furniture and Tsuruno's added bits of color with oranges and yellows where she can, like rugs and pillows. ]

There's a spare room, but we'll have to find you a bed when it's not this time of night. So you can share my bed if you want!

[ Just like a sleepover! ]

[excaliburden]

[That... sounds so nice!! Altria is definitely looking around with clear interest, wandering around a little despite herself. Oooh!

It may not be much, but the little touches Tsuruno has added, plus having another person here? That goes a long way to making all of this feel much less strange.]

Oh, I can sleep on the floor, too. I'm used to camping out, so this is already nicer than usual.

[But--she's not opposed to sharing the bed either! Just gotta throw out there that the floor's perfectly acceptable.]

[fanstheflames]

Bed it is!

[ Yeah, we're just gonna gloss right over that, apparently. ]

It'll be fun! Also the fastest way to stay warm.

[excaliburden]

[Well! That's fine with her. Tsuruno seems sure, so... they can share the bed, and keep warm that way.]

I suppose it was getting pretty cold outside... is the weather always like that?

[fanstheflames]

No, it's kinda...

Well, I'm not sure where you're from, but it seems like it changes with the seasons? It was pretty warm a few months ago, but it's Autumn now.

[excaliburden]

Oh, I see. It's approaching winter now, here.

[...]

I suppose it will only get colder from here, then.

[Boy, good thing Tsuruno invited her to be her roommate.]

[fanstheflames]

Yeah... I'm glad I found you!

[ though surely Altria would have found somewhere else to be warm in. Surely. ]

Do you want to shower first or just crawl into bed?

[excaliburden]

[... Shower???]

That's an option?

[fanstheflames]

Yeah? I think all the apartments come with them.

[excaliburden]

Wowwwwww...!

[IT'S JUST SO IMPRESSIVE. THIS PLACE GROWS MORE IMPRESSIVE BY THE DAY.]

In that case, I definitely want to try out the shower! ["Try out". Good luck. RIP bathroom.]

[fanstheflames]

Sure, it's down the hall! Towels are in the little closet right before it.