[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

[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.

[excaliburden]

[!!!

And with that, off she goes.



It takes a worryingly long time for the shower to turn on, and then there's a light yelp when she steps into too cold water.

And then another yelp when it's too hot.

But eventually, it settles into standard Shower Noises of just the spray of the water.]

[fanstheflames]

[ She's... admittedly a little concerned, listening in, but yelping is not Screaming in Distress, so she's going to assume all is well (eventually) and just let Altria have her calming(????) shower. ]

[excaliburden]

[It's fine, probably. Eventually, Altria does re-emerge, once again in her clothes from before since she doesn't have anything else to wear, but looking absolutely mind-boggled.

She is also trying to dry her masses of hair with a towel.]

That... was so nice... [uwaaaahhhh]

[fanstheflames]

... Okay, sit down on the bed. I've got this.

[ What she's got remains unclarified as she trots off, but she's returning with a hair dryer because towel-drying very long hair is a pain in the butt. She can relate. ]

[excaliburden]

[...?

Well, okay! She's smiling blankly, but obediently she sits on the bed, still toweling at her hair.

WHATEVER YOU SAY, NEW ROOMIE.]

[fanstheflames]

[ Then she's gonna wait until Altria moves the towel before she turns the hair dryer on to start working on her hair.

Maybe she should have warned her. It's fine. ]

[excaliburden]

[ABSOLUTELY SHE SHOULD HAVE.

It's fine. Altria just remains very carefully still, and, after a few moments, carefully says:]

... Thank you!

[...]

For... whatever you are doing. [She trusts Tsuruno is Helping though!]

[fanstheflames]

I'm drying your hair! It's louder, but faster.

[ And Altria has sooooo much hair, so speed is important. ]

[excaliburden]

[sugoi...... she remains still for this.]

And I thought Norwich was impressive when it came to technology... but this place is on a totally different level!

[fanstheflames]

Norwich? [ She blinks, fluffing Altria's hair as she goes. ]

Is that where you're from?

[excaliburden]

Hm...? Oh, no, it's just a city in Faerie Britain. I'm from Tintagel.

[So casually.]

But you're from Proper Human History, right?

[fanstheflames]

... Um.

I mean, I'm human, but I'm not sure what "Proper Human History" means?

[ Faerie Britain? ]

[excaliburden]

[don't worry about it]

Well... you don't live in Britain, do you? [Tsuruno isn't a very British name.]

[fanstheflames]

Right, I'm from Japan.

[ A low hum. ] But I've never referred to it as being "Proper Human History" before.

[excaliburden]

[Japan, Japan... it sounds so familiar for some reason. Is it where Fujimaru is from...?]

Just the fact that there are other countries where you are from says that you are.

[She's still smiling, at least.]

It must be such an interesting place to live!

[fanstheflames]

I think that's pretty much anywhere you haven't been to before! I'm sure Faerie Britain would be interesting, too!

... But wait, so Britain's the only country where you're from?

[ Even though it's Britain?? ]

[excaliburden]

[don't question it]

That's right. But I do enjoy hearing about the other countries that exist in Proper Human History.

They all sound so interesting.

[fanstheflames]

[ she's questioning it. ]

Well, I haven't been to any of 'em, but they definitely exist...

I'm not sure I like that way of putting it, though.

[excaliburden]

Hm? What do you mean?

[???]