citylogs | [ OPEN ] July Catch-all!

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[ OPEN ] July Catch-all!

WHO: Midnight (

unreserving) & You (you)
WHAT: Midnight, please calm down, it's only been a week, you can't be this much of a disaster already.
WHERE: Lots of places! Mostly in outdoor or public spaces he hasn't been to yet. If you would like a closed or specific prompt, please PM me or take a peek at my OOC intro so I can get you set up!
WHEN: Pre and post Sylvain's shitpost. Probably mostly pre-event!
WARNINGS: Most definitely alcohol use! Some references to death and terminal illness. Will update as necessary, please see Midnight's content warnings for possible canon-typical content.

a. day (a local gym)

[ Generic workout routine. He does arms and legs on alternating days for about two to three hours there starting at about 7 am, then an hour (or however long he has at the end of the day until, uh, midnight) before showering and going home. He may also steal a practice room and swing around a stick he's found in lieu of his sword... He should probably think about getting a practice sword made, huh.

He's friendly, cleans up after himself, and will spot for anyone, but also feel free to accost him walking in or out of the facilities! But also, if your character needs... well, less of a personal coach and more of a cheerleader, he's there for you. Why'd you ask him for this? I don't know, but he's so there for you at this lateral press, bench, tiny silicone dumbbells, whatever. He is rooting for you! ]

Two more in the set and you're done. Don't think about it, just do it!

b. day (shopping center)

[ Midnight just needs to go clothes shopping. That's it. He'll carry bags for people, he'll help out with menial tasks. Look at this guy, do gooding.

Okay, specifically: ]

Do you think anyone would mind if I procured that?

[ He points at a neon sign, a bright Edison light, a small discoball, a chandelier. Something very bright, flashy, and... probably not intended for sale. ]

I mean, I don't suppose there's a manager, and I wouldn't like to interfere with their marketing, but I quite like it.

[ ... He rolls up his sleeves, drags over a chair, and begins climbing. He's decided he doesn't need an opinion anymore, or just straight up didn't wait for an answer. Look, sometimes a guy just desires a lava lamp. ]

c. evening (town hall)

[ Once the dust settles and everyone is perfectly happy with the distinct lack of helpful information in the help center, Midnight will still arrive there in the evenings, haul out a bunch of books into an empty side room, and flip through them, a plastic bag of assorted drinks at his side. (Mostly alcohol and water.)

Weird nightclub looking vampire here, books open on his lap, spinning a pen between his fingers. Occasionally, if someone walks by his room and doesn't look too busy, he'll get up, go to the door, and gesture to them, an open book in his hand. ]

Hello, love. Do me a favor and write anything you like here.

[ He clicks the pen in his hand and offers it. Man's doing some experimenting! ]

d. night (the park)

[ Remember the stick he has at the gym? He needed to find it at some point. During the evenings, but honestly any time he isn't doing something else throughout the first three or four days, he'll be poking around the park, searching for fallen branches long and straight enough to do the trick. It'll take a while, and he definitely looks like he's lost something! (Or feel free to assume that you've already joined the hunt. Find a bird's nest with no birds! An odd little gravestone! Get stuck up a tree! Help!!!)

If that is overly gung-ho Boy Scout behavior, feel free to catch him a little later in the night, either from 9-10 pm or 1-2 am, sitting at a bench, workout bag sitting at his side, his running shoes neatly tied by their laces and looped around the strap.

He stares out into the darkness. That's... sort of it. It still seems like he's looking for something, but not to the point where he's about to get up and look for it. If one would like to sneak up on him using the cover of darkness, his eyes will slide over and lock on a little more quickly than what should be natural. He sees you.

He grins. (Even if he isn't surprised, he grins.) ]

Hello, darling. Having a pleasant walk?

e. morning (everywhere!)

[ Remember when we said Midnight starts his workout routine at 7 am? He actually starts at 6 am with a jog. He'll be everywhere, just exploring, and he'll use most of the subway systems to make his way back to his gym of choice. He is... not shy at all about his body, so he'll probably pull off his shirt once the sun comes up so he can cool down a bit.

He is truly minding his own business here, but he'll pause his run for anything, even if it's just a short conversation. Or just feel free to wonder why there's a shirtless, sweaty vampire on public transportation at like 7 am. Where does he need to be? Where does anyone need to be??? ]

f. day (city hall, again, late July)

[ Midnight has a seat he's pulled up to the information kiosk, but he doesn't use it all that often. He only sits to add to a growing list in a book he keeps on his person. If one would peek over his shoulder, the list is composed of questions, some pertinent, some less so. Please feel free to make one up, but the first on the list is definitely "Are you single?", which should tell you how seriously he's taking this endeavor. ]

g. evening (shopping district)

[ Not much to this prompt either, he's just poking around. Poking around at the restaurants and bars in the area, his planner occasionally out as he takes notes on... something or other. He tries to choose establishments that see less traffic, so it's very likely that wherever he finds someone, they're the only two in the building. ]

Sorry to interrupt your meal. Mind if I ask you a few questions?

h. wildcard

Feel free to make your own starter, or PM for one! Will match prose and bracket text, please start however you like.

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[ Bold of him to trust an old man wearing glasses to toss him anything. What if he aims wrong and bonks the guy on the head? But thankfully there's no injury immediately forthcoming, Welt tossing over the screwdriver with surprisingly good aim; so long as Midnight makes a smidgeon of effort, it ought to be a successful relay.

There's a lot he could say in reply to that question. When previous consequences have resulted in both the loss of his physical body and years spent in an imaginary dimension, a simple set of handcuffs doesn't seem so bad. But all that is probably too much to unload on a first meeting. ]

Not like I really have anywhere else to be. [ Well— ] I suppose there are people waiting for me back home, but there's no point in rushing things when we know so little about our circumstances. Besides—

[ and here he shoots Midnight a lopsided smil,e ]

Time learning more about the rules of this place and what we can and can't do is still a pretty good use of time.

Right you are.

[ (A good smile. Midnight thinks this grandpa is pretty all right.)

Midnight is very fortunately gifted with some stellar spatial awareness. (Vampire stuff. Nerfed at the moment.) He grabs the screwdriver, looks at it carefully, then reaches up and tries it with the disco ball. Just too small for it to work, although he keeps fiddling with it, trying to make it work. ]

Could you look for another? The same shape, but I think this might only work for the spotlight.

[ He switches over, still chatting away. ]

People waiting at home... Your little flock, then? Is it right to call it a flock? You seem a bit mother fowlbeast, if I may say so.

[ He laughs good-naturedly at the description, turning back to the eclectic selection of tools on display to do as told, the clang of metal against metal echoing through the air. ]

Is that how I come off? [ He can see it, when he leans back and thinks about it. ] Technically speaking, I'm a father, but I suppose herding youngsters around is more stereotypically the role assigned to a mother figure.

[ In which case, he definitely qualifies for the role of mother fowlbeast. ]

[ One screw down, four to go. He sticks the screw and washer in one of his pockets before continuing his crimes. ]

A father, huh... [ He glances over, nods, and returns to work. Yeah, he can see that. ] Perhaps it's the calm you have while witnessing and then abetting my crimes? The air of a man who has seen worse while watching over others. Your children have already put you through everything.

Speaking from personal experience?

[ Or just simple observation? There's always a bit of a flair for the dramatic in the other man's words, but thus far it's been a pleasant addition to the conversation, easy to listen and respond to.

Welt finally finds what he's looking for - a bigger screwdriver - and tosses it over with a quiet 'catch'. ]

My son has never been much of a handful though, surprisingly. He's always been on his best behavior. [ Maybe it's because the person he'd been cloned from had always been more on the quiet side. ] As for his supposed role models...I can't quite say the same for them.

[ Lookin' at you, Tesla, wherever you are out in the universe. ]

Ah. The kind of mischief that runs in packs.

[ Midnight does fumble the catch a bit, but only because he's so used to not having to look for these things. He reaches down and swipes it from where it fell, stares at the tool a bit, a bit too bewildered to give it a good look. He then shakes his head, actually peers at the size, then sticks it in his pocket and climbs back up to the spotlight again. Three more screws to go. ]

As for me... Well, no, but a certain member of my team's quite young. We don't know how young, but around the age where ice cream and storybooks are the best things that happen in her day. She causes problems in her own way, but she's a good girl. Always makes her mind up to do better the next day. Does it too.

[ ... Just talking about Miss Popukar in that way is enough to make him pause a bit. ]

I suppose... Yes. Maybe a daughter. Didn't really think about it like that.

[ ... He laughs and returns to working. ]

They do run in packs, though, don't they? Her little friends — Miss Shamare, Miss Suzuran, Miss Bubble — well, Miss Bubble does the most to cause trouble, and I think the other three tend to keep an eye on her. A handful, that one.

[ —Ah.

It's not that he dislikes hearing about young people - quite the opposite, in fact, especially when so many of them are so bright and inquisitive about the world - but there's something about the world 'team' that gives him pause. Maybe there's nothing to it, and this easygoing and charming man is simply part of some interior decorating service.

On other hand...

He doesn't remark right away, though his face softens at the gaggle being described. ]

They sound like quite the handful. But children [ assuming they're all around the same age ] should have the freedom to explore and come to conclusions on their own while they still can, no matter how much it might stress their guardians. It's the least we can do as adults, to pave the way for them so that they can make their own choices instead of having choices thrust upon them.

[ But now he's just getting sentimental (and truthfully a little unreasonable, with how dark the world can be sometimes). Time to move on. ]

What is it your team does?

[ Midnight hums in agreement. It's true. He can't begrudge Popukar anything because of it. Most young ones in general as well, if he's being honest. He has such little time left to make sure they have a path forward. He's trying to make every breath count. ]

Hm? We're combat operatives. Reserve Ops A6, of Rhodes Island Pharmeceuticals. Paramilitary.

[ ... He looks back. ]

Can you hit the lights? I think this next part requires detaching this from the wiring.

[ He taps the spotlight. He's expecting a follow-up question, but only because the conversation seems to be proceeding to an elaboration phase, not because he has anything specific to say. (He has many general things to say, of course, but he's never been in the habit of jumping the gun in conversation if can help it.) ]

[ Combat operatives....?

The smile freezes momentarily on his face, his eyes going wide for a moment before he blinks away the surprise. It shouldn't be surprising especially given how many youths he's had to watch fight on the front lines, but it's still a fact of life that fills him with unhappiness deep down. ]

Sure, no problem.

[ It's a temporary pause in the conversation rather than a complete end to the topic, though the way the darkness floods through the store is distracting in and of itself. ]

It certainly looks like a different place in here without the lights though. Someone could turn this place into a haunted house if they wanted to.

[ Midnight, fortunately, can still see quite well in the dark at quarters this close. He starts taking the spotlight down, picking the wiring apart to unhook the plastic connectors. (He doesn't actually know how this works, but he's picking up on the basics of what he should and shouldn't be disconnecting quickly enough.) ]

You know, this place has about the same effect in the day, if I'm going to be honest. It feels like something just happened, or is about to, and we can't quite move forward or back.

[ Let alone the watchers in the bowling alley... Midnight still thinks about those sometimes. ]

You think so?

[ It's true, the whole city does give off something of a slightly eerie vibe, if not in the whispers of eyes constantly on you then in the way nothing else living exists apart from them. (And the friendly neighborhood plants.)

He can't say he disagrees, but at the same time there's not much he can do in a situation like this, other than theorize about their presence here. ]

Then you don't think we've all been brought here for a nice little vacation.

Do you? [ Midnight laughs, then braces the spotlight in his hand as the whole thing comes loose from the ceiling. ] I confess, I was planning on taking a short vacation from my day job fairly soon, but this wasn't my intended destination. Can you come here and hold on to this?

[ He wraps the spotlight's wiring neatly around its base and holds it out for Welt to keep track of while he works on the disco ball. Very efficient system they have, here! ]

I'm usually given more of an advance notice when it comes to impromptu vacations.

[ Said dryly.

But amble over obediently to Midnight he does, hands held out to receive the pile of wiring waiting for him. It feels more like they're committing some sort of unsupervised crime now that there's physical evidence of their tampering in his hands, but it's exciting in a way. A break from the steadfast routine he's set for himself here so far. ]

Truthfully I haven't had a day off in so long I wouldn't even know what one feels like. [ When you're a workaholic who struggles to take a break. ] Still, it probably doesn't quite feel like this.

[ The dry comment gets a laugh. Advance notice for an impromptu vacation... That's funny. Mr. Yang is a funny guy. ]

I've never been incarcerated before, but I think it's the lack of freedom that defines the finer distinctions. After all, one can end a vacation early if one so chooses, even if it's at one's own expense.

[ Imprisonment takes that privilege, even if room and board happen to be free. Midnight places a hand to the ball's base and begins the slow task of unscrewing it from the ceiling. ]

What work did you do, if I may ask? Just looking after your little flock?

[ At least give him 30 minutes to pack a suitcase. 😭

Thankfully it's an easy enough (and common) enough question that he doesn't hesitate in answering, idly twining some of the wire around one finger. ]

I was an animator for some time. Before that, I taught. [ The logical connection here would be to infer that he taught some sort of course related to the arts, and yet he was really out there teaching astrophysics to a bunch of kids in California. ] A rather abrupt job change, some would argue, but one does what one must to pay the bills.

[ He says this, but he never had to worry about the plumbing being shut off a day in his life. ]

Explains how you've gathered a little following in the first place, I suppose.

[ A pause, interspersed by small clicks on metal. ]

If you switched to teaching to pay the bills, did you at least enjoy it?

[ The shift in the conversation may not be obvious, but it's somewhat deliberate on Midnight's part. He was making conversation before this. Teaching, though... He's spoken to plenty of teachers before, of course, but that was before his last job change. He's done some thinking since then. ]

[ While he may not be happy to talk about the darker parts of his past, steeped in misery and loss, this is a snippet of his life that he's all to happy to dive into, a spark of enthusiasm creeping into his voice. ]

I did. I was actually stepping in to fill in for a friend initially, but teaching itself was more enjoyable than I thought it'd be.

[ Maybe it'd because it's a route close to what his father had done - something deeply rooted in learning and sharing - or maybe it'd been because seeing a herd of bright youthful faces every day had been a good reminder of all the things he'd liked about the world, a reminder of all the things he'd spent his life fighting for. ]

Not that it wasn't challenging in its own way, of course. Children are a rowdy bunch and young adults even more so. I may as well have been herding dogs trying to keep their attention on the lesson rather than elsewhere.

[ It's lovely to hear the warmth in the other man's voice. It's rare for Midnight to meet someone at around his age (?) who's both grounded and forthcoming about their humanity. It's odd to know that Midnight's the one being put at ease here, not the other way around... Not that Welt's doing it on purpose, of course. Midnight just understands when he's safe. Values it quite a bit. ]

And then you arrived, somehow into... Space? Is "Astral" a literal decriptor? Only to do the exact same thing as before... Well, at least you were prepared.

[ It's easy to talk about his day-to-day life of the recent past, a time of (relative) peace and stability. It's nice, too, to be able to share what he can of those experiences with others, both just for fun and as a learning experience. ]

Well, it was a train that traveled through the stars of the galaxy, so 'Astral' was quite literal in that sense.

[ Don't ask him what the traintracks are made of out there, that's truly a mystery. ]

But something like that, now that you've put it that way. So much for going on a grand adventure.... Though I guess stealing [ hang on— ] sorry, "borrowing" this lamp could be its own adventure. If only there were a police force here to prompt a chase scene.

[ ... There is something to be said about wanting to end up in cuffs, and willing parties, and — oh, Midnight's going to have to figure out this kind old (?) man's threshold for this sort of thing quickly, he can only pretend to be a completely normal human being for so long. ]

Well, as a seasoned criminal yourself, what's stopping you from inciting a bit of anarchy? Or were the crimes you've committed the sort that don't invite a second round.

[ Sometimes you just SAY things without thinking through the ramifications of your words. Nonetheless, Welt is imminently grateful for Midnight's normie cosplay, and continues innocently contemplating a future life of crime in the least kinky way possible. ]

I'm more keen on not inviting any potential punishment from this city for recreational purposes.

[ Even if better him than other people. ]

But I suppose I could also take a look for something to decorate my place with.

[ His place that he is borrowing from some mysterious stranger who may or may not have lived in the apartment before him. ]

[ Midnight's normie cosplay is very well practiced, one he can keep up with impeccably. Respectfully. He Is Looking Respectfully. (Punishment for recreational purposes — oooooooh) ]

You could. You could even get it from the hardware store, via the regular, safe sort of theft. Don't suppose you'd have anything in mind? You did say you did animation... Surely you have some conception of what you'd like your space to look like.

[ Haha, about that.... He looks a little sheepish as he replies, attention wandering around their little store as he searches for something to call his own. ]

I never really had a place of my own. It was more of a...base I shared with other people. [ His gaze drops to the floor, a little wistful. ] Even the animation job was more of a necessity than a choice—though I did enjoy it, to be sure.

[ Imagine being able to choose your own job and your own house and your own fate and not be forced into a very specific path by a man you'd only known for two weeks. It's fine though. He's Fine. ]

[ Midnight lets that statement rest for a moment, then the disco ball comes loose in his hands, almost by accident. Oh! ]

Good. Just the wiring now.

[ He sticks the screwdriver in his pocket and starts picking at the wires. Hopefully he won't need wire cutters... ]

No chance to put together something for yourself, then... Were you thinking about it? You should, if I may say so.

[ Your faithful gopher is here at the ready if you do in fact need a pair of wire cutters, Midnight. Just say the word. ]

No chance back then, so I suppose I should take the opportunity now.

[ Even if it feels weird, to pick something for himself. Maybe he doesn't have to pick for himself though...? ]

What else would you suggest from this store, if you had to choose?

[ He will take the suggestions under consideration. ]

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[ OPEN ] July Catch-all!

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