((CW: Mentions of pseudo-cannibalism))
The city Palmerthing has found itself in is strange. Strange that it exists at all, really, that he's here instead of freezing in the snow a world away. But mostly strange because it's a melting pot of universes. And a melting pot? That's the Thing's favorite. Feed? Feed. Where? What? Bird, gecko, rat, bug, humanoid, bird, rat, bug, bird . . . So much to try. Some of them don't match anything in the old Palmer's memories, and those are the most exciting at all.
It can't eat just yet, of course. First he has to figure out if he can join that agency that found him and brought him here in the first place, because that sounds like the kind of job that would let itspread study to his heart's content. Then somewhere to live, assuming that doesn't come with the previous task. And at some point he'll have to make friends with some of these people, give itself allies that will vouch for it. Hmm, maybe no eating anything that can talk then. Most humans don't like that sort of behavior and he is trying to blend in.
It's while the Thing is musing on such topic that it bumps into another man, shorter but stouter than its favorite form is and seemingly in a hurry. But then most people are, compared to an old hippie that's also an ambush predator. What does it have to worry about? Well, aside from the usual petty stresses of living somewhere new. That's damned well better than fighting paranoid lunatics in the dark, unending Antarctic night.
And hey, maybe this guy could be a useful resource. Palmer smiles a bit sheepishly at him. "Sorry for bumping into you, man. Uh, I don't suppose you know your way around here well enough to show a newcomer around? Or have the time, for that matter." It smiles his most self-deprecating little smile. "I'm a bit lost."
The city Palmerthing has found itself in is strange. Strange that it exists at all, really, that he's here instead of freezing in the snow a world away. But mostly strange because it's a melting pot of universes. And a melting pot? That's the Thing's favorite. Feed? Feed. Where? What? Bird, gecko, rat, bug, humanoid, bird, rat, bug, bird . . . So much to try. Some of them don't match anything in the old Palmer's memories, and those are the most exciting at all.
It can't eat just yet, of course. First he has to figure out if he can join that agency that found him and brought him here in the first place, because that sounds like the kind of job that would let it
It's while the Thing is musing on such topic that it bumps into another man, shorter but stouter than its favorite form is and seemingly in a hurry. But then most people are, compared to an old hippie that's also an ambush predator. What does it have to worry about? Well, aside from the usual petty stresses of living somewhere new. That's damned well better than fighting paranoid lunatics in the dark, unending Antarctic night.
And hey, maybe this guy could be a useful resource. Palmer smiles a bit sheepishly at him. "Sorry for bumping into you, man. Uh, I don't suppose you know your way around here well enough to show a newcomer around? Or have the time, for that matter." It smiles his most self-deprecating little smile. "I'm a bit lost."
It was true that Roy wasn't particularly busy. He'd just finished up a delivery to the local bookstore and knew there were no others he had to worry about right now. Such a thing, books, were a rare commodity around Sanctuary, given the scarcity of paper. Many of these books were passed down secondhand or retailed from other worlds. That just meant their increased prices made even more sense, though some newcomers might complain.
The one he bumped into didn't seem to, though, or even seem to have a purpose on the street outside of the shop. Rather than interrogate the taller man, Roy started to stumble into apologies.
"Gosh, sorry, dude. Didn't see you when I opened the door." Roy brushed himself off, as though he had remaining snow on him after being indoors. He brought his gaze upwards, cocked his head, and then scratched his stubble. "Oh, uh, sure. Where is it you want to go? I can probably take you there. I can tell you where all the important stuff is at. Right now, you're at a street near the plaza. That's where the noticeboard and community garden and stuff are at."
He made a point to shuffle to the side, so that he was out of the way of the bookstore's entrance. He used this opportunity to glance over the other man to see what he was wearing. Was it even suitable for the cold weather? Was he that new? He could have already come from a cold area, but he had to be sure.
"Oh, my name's Roy, by the way. I'm a delivery guy here, so you're lucky you ran into me. You'll find me all over." Sanctuary was still a city, but he could give someone new a tour. However, there was yet a glaring issue. "Oh, wait. Did a Guide get to you yet? Gave you your stuff? Those usually come with maps of the city. I can take you to the town hall first so you can get your things."
He was probably stalling if new deliveries came up, but he believed it was for a good cause.
The one he bumped into didn't seem to, though, or even seem to have a purpose on the street outside of the shop. Rather than interrogate the taller man, Roy started to stumble into apologies.
"Gosh, sorry, dude. Didn't see you when I opened the door." Roy brushed himself off, as though he had remaining snow on him after being indoors. He brought his gaze upwards, cocked his head, and then scratched his stubble. "Oh, uh, sure. Where is it you want to go? I can probably take you there. I can tell you where all the important stuff is at. Right now, you're at a street near the plaza. That's where the noticeboard and community garden and stuff are at."
He made a point to shuffle to the side, so that he was out of the way of the bookstore's entrance. He used this opportunity to glance over the other man to see what he was wearing. Was it even suitable for the cold weather? Was he that new? He could have already come from a cold area, but he had to be sure.
"Oh, my name's Roy, by the way. I'm a delivery guy here, so you're lucky you ran into me. You'll find me all over." Sanctuary was still a city, but he could give someone new a tour. However, there was yet a glaring issue. "Oh, wait. Did a Guide get to you yet? Gave you your stuff? Those usually come with maps of the city. I can take you to the town hall first so you can get your things."
He was probably stalling if new deliveries came up, but he believed it was for a good cause.
Roy is very lucky that they didn't make any actual skin contact. Sure, it's hardly a guarantee that just touching Palmerthing will cause problems, but better safe than sorry. But it isn't about to try again, it finds itself enjoying the stability that comes with not invading. Palmer is fun to play, for that matter, and that's hard to do without humans to play off of.
"It's fine, man, don't worry about it. I've met people in worse ways." Far worse, and it's so often to blame. "Just don't run into me again, okay?" It would rather not kill someone by accident. Especially such a helpful someone.
"The plaza sounds good, but town hall should probably should go first. I got bored while waiting for a Guide to be free and went to take a breath of fresh air, which is lasting longer than I'd have preferred. Shouldn't have wandered so far, for all that it was going to be a long wait." Technically it's also that it went looking for a snack, preferably somewhere dark enough that no one would spot a guy unhinge his jaw to eat a pigeon.
And yeah, he's still in nothing but a rather ratty denim jacket and trousers. Both look distinctly worse for wear, at that. But he doesn't seem to mind how cold it is, at least?
"Oh, and I'm Palmer." No one ever used his first name at the base, where it learned to be him, so it doesn't bother to add it very often. "Nice to meetcha, man. So, onward?"
"It's fine, man, don't worry about it. I've met people in worse ways." Far worse, and it's so often to blame. "Just don't run into me again, okay?" It would rather not kill someone by accident. Especially such a helpful someone.
"The plaza sounds good, but town hall should probably should go first. I got bored while waiting for a Guide to be free and went to take a breath of fresh air, which is lasting longer than I'd have preferred. Shouldn't have wandered so far, for all that it was going to be a long wait." Technically it's also that it went looking for a snack, preferably somewhere dark enough that no one would spot a guy unhinge his jaw to eat a pigeon.
And yeah, he's still in nothing but a rather ratty denim jacket and trousers. Both look distinctly worse for wear, at that. But he doesn't seem to mind how cold it is, at least?
"Oh, and I'm Palmer." No one ever used his first name at the base, where it learned to be him, so it doesn't bother to add it very often. "Nice to meetcha, man. So, onward?"
Roy couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at Palmer's request - demand? - not to run into him again. Maybe he didn't like being touched? Aluel was sort of like that. Gyeon certainly didn't like it much either, especially since he oftentimes couldn't tell when people were about to grab him due to his blindness. He especially hated being 'guided' or having things brought to him when he didn't ask for it. It all made sense to Roy. People's touchiness with touch wasn't something he found odd.
"For sure. Sorry about that."
He cleared his throat with one short noise, more so due to the dryness of the air than trying to dismiss awkwardness. It happened to start snowing just now. Bright clouds overhead in the afternoon started dispersing their flakes to inevitably form a layer of ice on everything. This was not a soft snow and it was far from the first of the winter.
Roy waved a gloved hand, gesturing for Palmer to go onward in the direction across from Roy.
"I know where it is from here. We'll just go back to where you came from then." He started on his way, snow and stone crackling underneath his boots. "What planet or dimension are you from? I mean, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Just for me, that stuff's so fascinating. Always has been. In our world, there are two dimensions. Nobody's come here from the second one though. I wonder why that is. . ."
"For sure. Sorry about that."
He cleared his throat with one short noise, more so due to the dryness of the air than trying to dismiss awkwardness. It happened to start snowing just now. Bright clouds overhead in the afternoon started dispersing their flakes to inevitably form a layer of ice on everything. This was not a soft snow and it was far from the first of the winter.
Roy waved a gloved hand, gesturing for Palmer to go onward in the direction across from Roy.
"I know where it is from here. We'll just go back to where you came from then." He started on his way, snow and stone crackling underneath his boots. "What planet or dimension are you from? I mean, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Just for me, that stuff's so fascinating. Always has been. In our world, there are two dimensions. Nobody's come here from the second one though. I wonder why that is. . ."
"Thanks, man." Touchiness with touch indeed. He'd rather not eat the first person he meets, thanks. And since it's playing him well it does its best to share that opinion.
The snowfall is still beautiful, even it can recognize that. Maybe even moreso, since it need not worry about the cold. He smiles up at the sky for a moment before following.
"Uh, Earth? Or at least an Earth, there seem to be a lot of them. They gave it some long number, what was it again?" After a moment of thought he haltingly comes up with "Uh, 198231XSL. Funny, really, the year was also 1982 . . . doesn't matter much now, though, the whole place was eaten up." Twice over, even. The rescue team at the outpost really shouldn't have tried to bring back the corpses. "Dunno if anybody else got out or if I'm alone, but that's okay. I was a bit of a loner to start with." At least when he was it, but then this Palmer was always it.
The snowfall is still beautiful, even it can recognize that. Maybe even moreso, since it need not worry about the cold. He smiles up at the sky for a moment before following.
"Uh, Earth? Or at least an Earth, there seem to be a lot of them. They gave it some long number, what was it again?" After a moment of thought he haltingly comes up with "Uh, 198231XSL. Funny, really, the year was also 1982 . . . doesn't matter much now, though, the whole place was eaten up." Twice over, even. The rescue team at the outpost really shouldn't have tried to bring back the corpses. "Dunno if anybody else got out or if I'm alone, but that's okay. I was a bit of a loner to start with." At least when he was it, but then this Palmer was always it.
"Wow. . ."
Roy's hands raised, stammering a bit as he walked and spoke.
"But, no. I mean, like- wow, that's not easy to go through. I'm sorry to hear that, dude. I know you said you're a loner, but you're not alone on that front. A lot of us have had our worlds. . . well, 'eaten up.' My world had that happen, too. I feel for you, man."
He had half a wit to place a hand on his shoulder, but he immediately caught himself and decided against. Luckily, he didn't even make the motion to do so to begin with.
"The Guides in Sanctuary are here if you need, like. . . someone to vent to or some guidance on what to do next." Then, he gestured inwards, fingers curled towards his chest. "I live with a housemate and it's likely you'll get your own, too. But me and him, we're here for you if you need anything, like help getting groceries or sending mail or what have you. I know he'd say that."
He probably shouldn't have mentioned the housemate part, but it was an innocent enough statement to him. . .
"For real, though, your world sounds really cool. I love stuff from the 80s. The fashion. . . the music. . . especially the music. Did you have the band Journey in your world? Did Stevie Nicks exist, too?"
Roy's hands raised, stammering a bit as he walked and spoke.
"But, no. I mean, like- wow, that's not easy to go through. I'm sorry to hear that, dude. I know you said you're a loner, but you're not alone on that front. A lot of us have had our worlds. . . well, 'eaten up.' My world had that happen, too. I feel for you, man."
He had half a wit to place a hand on his shoulder, but he immediately caught himself and decided against. Luckily, he didn't even make the motion to do so to begin with.
"The Guides in Sanctuary are here if you need, like. . . someone to vent to or some guidance on what to do next." Then, he gestured inwards, fingers curled towards his chest. "I live with a housemate and it's likely you'll get your own, too. But me and him, we're here for you if you need anything, like help getting groceries or sending mail or what have you. I know he'd say that."
He probably shouldn't have mentioned the housemate part, but it was an innocent enough statement to him. . .
"For real, though, your world sounds really cool. I love stuff from the 80s. The fashion. . . the music. . . especially the music. Did you have the band Journey in your world? Did Stevie Nicks exist, too?"
"Yeah, so I'm told. Not exactly uplifting, is it?" Palmer smiles wryly. "We can be post-apocalypse buddies or something, man. Although I'm thinking of joining those guys that brought me here, so I might not be around too much." Assuming it can partition its mind enough to hide the worst of what it is from the mental exams, at least, he'd rather not terrorize anyone and be declared too dangerous.
"What's your housemate like? Aside from helpful, apparently." As well as somewhat unhelpful, what with making any fight two against one, but it doesn't actually want to fight to begin with so that's okay. As for it getting a roomie would end up getting someone killed, quite possibly by accident.
"Yeah, Journey's a thing. Has been for ages. And Stevie Nicks is part of Fleetwood Mac, right?" A pause. "What year was it for you, then, man?" Probably worth knowing, since it sounds like the human is from the future. Definitely a different universe, right. Probably best not to mention what actually happened to its Earth, then, at least until they're much better friends. Assuming that ever happens.
"What's your housemate like? Aside from helpful, apparently." As well as somewhat unhelpful, what with making any fight two against one, but it doesn't actually want to fight to begin with so that's okay. As for it getting a roomie would end up getting someone killed, quite possibly by accident.
"Yeah, Journey's a thing. Has been for ages. And Stevie Nicks is part of Fleetwood Mac, right?" A pause. "What year was it for you, then, man?" Probably worth knowing, since it sounds like the human is from the future. Definitely a different universe, right. Probably best not to mention what actually happened to its Earth, then, at least until they're much better friends. Assuming that ever happens.
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