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Caelan ([personal profile] stickyflippers) wrote in [community profile] aterat2020-09-30 08:36 pm

Logs for October

Who; Caelan and you!
What; Phone troubles, pillow forts, discussions on the weird goings on, and a seal in the tub
Where; Red building, and the docks.
When; End of September / Early October
Warnings; Mentions of nudity (Not descriptive, shape changing just doesn’t work with clothes), references to alcohol abuse (marked in thread with Nida), references to suicide (marked in thread with Nida)



What Do You Mean It’s Not Water Proof?

Caelan was experiencing some very obvious levels of confusion and frustration as he wandered up from the docks post swim that evening. His hair was still dripping and damp as he walked, eyes glued to the tell-phone that was looking rather... Less functional than it was meant to be. He hadn’t even bothered to button his shirt all the way, after the damn thing slipped out of his pockets and into the water when he was getting himself dressed and presentable by human standards.

At first, he’d only been annoyed because he’d had to stop what he was doing to fish it out of the water. Now he was doubly annoyed because the screen wasn’t lighting up. It was like the damn thing didn’t have any life in it...

Weird and very inconvenient if he had anything to say on the matter.

Which he was... At length, muttering under his breath and his accent growing a touch stronger than usual as he forgot himself. “The bleedin’ hell kind of joke is this? Really? Give the man who spends copious amounts of time near the water something that up and dies just because it gets a little wet. Can’t handle your drink at all, can yah? You finicky little box of nonsense.”

Speaking of a drink, he had a feeling he was going to need one very soon. Between that weird energy pulse a while back, the nightmares and now this? He was willing to admit he might need several.


A Fortress Fit for a Princess

Caelan wasn’t asleep when a mist slipped under his doorway, he’d come to expect at least one interruption a night since a few prior when something exploded somewhere and released a shockwave of mysterious energy. It had upset a whole lot of people (him included, for all he said he wasn’t bothered). Holly had become the most frequent guest, especially when the nightmares had begun.

Tonight he was ready though, and hoping to get the kid to talk a little more rather than the sullen insistence that she was completely fine and whatever other absurd excuses she came up with for her visit that night. Because honestly, she wasn’t the only one having nightmares, and he was starting to worry more about what they actually might have meant.

Hard to tell though if there were any connections or similarities if you weren’t talking.

Thus, tonight he was more than prepared for the visit. The living room space in his apartment had been entirely disrupted, cushions and pillows moved to the floor along with some of the chairs from the dining area, the sheets from his room and the pillows for good measure. All because he’d gotten it in his head that he was going to try one of those ‘Pillow Fort’ things that Holly had mentioned once or twice in one of her super-fact-filled-rambles.

When Holly materialized into a solid form again, she would be greeted by the sight of a very large, very chaotic looking fortress of pillows and blankets. If she ate food, there would have been all manner of sweets and snacks. Unfortunately, as happy as he was to make sure she could feed safely, he wasn’t confident in grabbing a random person off the street for her to snack on.

Someone would be bound to ask questions if they saw him lugging an unconscious body up and down the stairs... right?

So... No snacks, only a structure that was only slightly stable, but magnificent to behold (in his personal opinion).


Splish-splash

If there were any human creation that Caelan favoured over any other (aside from motor cars, they were fun) it was most decidedly the bathtub. A place to soak and relax at the end of a long day? A place where you could safely just splash around or doze off for a little nap without worrying about a predator?

It was brilliant. A private bath was practically a requirement when he was staying somewhere on a job. It wasn’t a replacement for the ocean by any means though, it did little to quiet the call in the back of his mind. It was, however, the nicest substitute on days when the call wasn’t loud, and he couldn’t be fussed with sneaking down to the shore.

Even the Lighthouse he’d purchased had a nice one installed, despite the fact that the ocean was just down the cliff side.

So after he’d finished a day busking in the market he hadn’t taken long to run a nice hot bath, grabbed his pelt, and slipped into the water like the delighted seal he was. It wasn’t as though he didn’t have the time, he wasn’t expecting any company for a while yet. Usually his visitors tended to show up slightly later.

Wildcard!
Have something you want the seal boy for in particular? Throw it at me! Also, if anyone wants something specific in a starter they should let me know. I can totally write one. <3

abreedapart: (pic#14229253)

[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-06 11:18 am (UTC)(link)
"They downgraded?" That was weird. "Maybe if we find the Aspects we can ask about that." At the very least she'd be curious to ask, but then again, what cat wasn't curious? An amused chuckle slipped her lips at his whining. Couldn't really blame him for being frustrated, but there was no denying it was a bit amusing.

"Might be a suggestion to make. Maybe give us a manual along with the welcome package," she said with a casual shrug. Honestly, she meant it. At least then everyone would be on an even page. Didn't seem like this place really wanted people on the same page though.
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-13 08:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Isn't that how it always is? People try to improve things and just make it worse somehow Too bad I missed out on the original." Definitely made her curious about why they changed what it was though. Did the Aspects make the change themselves? Or did this show that this place was more influenced by them than they realized? Now that was something she was suddenly extremely curious about. Maybe these all powerful Aspects weren't quite as powerful as they wanted everyone to think.

"Seems like they're avoiding that," or maybe she was just paranoid. For the moment though it looked a lot like they were avoiding being confronted by them. Didn't make much sense as to why, unless they were trying to hide something.

"Might assume we're all familiar with the tech and what weaknesses they might have," she shrugged. "We have them back where I'm from and most aren't waterproof. Some of the stuff I'm used to is, but that's different." Not everyone was capable of making the technology that Adam could back home. What she wouldn't give to have him here. He'd know what to do. Or, at the very least, he'd know more than she did. She shook her head to try to throw the mounting loneliness off.

"What made you take it with you into the water anyway?"
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-14 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
"Guess fashion wasn't their top priority." She shook her head as a light laugh escaped her lips. "Sounds like you'd appreciate Adam's designs," she lifted her hand and pointed to the silver ring on her middle finger. When she gave it a tap it began to glow for a few seconds and a bunch of symbols appeared around it. "We used these back home for communication. Had video, audio, recording, and uploading capabilities. Lot more than these...improvements," she rolled her eyes at the word improvement. Nothing about these phones screamed improvement to her. Actually, seemed a lot like a step back.

"Interesting. It's like this place is catching up with the technology of the people it's bringing in?" At least that's what it was starting to look like to her. "Question is, does it do it on it's own, or are our Aspects in hiding responsible for keeping up with the upgrades?" Question after question. If only they could just ask them. That thought caused Shalimar to scoff aloud. Like they'd answer honestly even if they could ask them. Everything about this shit just came off as more and more frustratingly shady.

"You know, I didn't take you for someone so accident prone. Might want to leave it back in your room next time you come out to the docks if you drop things so easily." She tilted her head. "Guess you're lucky there isn't anything in the water and you were able to fish it back out so easily."
abreedapart: (pic#14229104)

[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-15 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Adam designed impressive things. Fully weather proof and can only be activated by the individual it's matched to. As long as you're alive it doesn't slip off either." Death deactivated the DNA sync though and they fell off then. That'd been something she'd seen happen all too recently. The tone she held when she spoke about the ring held a certain degree of pride to it. Even after all the lying and hiding Adam had done, she couldn't help but think of him as someone larger than life worth respect. It seemed impossible for her to do anything but love him.

"You'd think," she said in response. "Unless they know what caused it and don't want to admit it. Seems a lot like they're hiding from questions." In the back of her mind she knew that sounded fully paranoid, but it was hard to deny that's how it looked. "Might even be they're the one's responsible. Doesn't sound like they understand much about this place themselves." The one thing she couldn't get out of her mind there was the curiosity of if they caused that pulse on accident. It'd definitely explain where they disappeared to. Reminded her a bit of Adam. Make a huge mess and then disappear because you couldn't explain how you managed to mess up that badly.

"Lucky you. Wonder if there's anything further out there. Been to the sewers and there's a lot of shit down there." Giant roaches. And a lot of scents that almost overwhelmed her Feral senses. Not that she was going to bring that up with a stranger. Everyone had to have their secrets and she had no idea who to trust in this place. "Be surprising if there wasn't something dangerous in the water somewhere."
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-19 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Beyond impressive," she replied with a strangely sad little smile. "He pushes the boundaries on everything, for better or worse." Worse in most cases. There was no denying how many problems Adam's push for discovery had caused in her own world. "We can take them off ourselves." She twisted it, causing the marks to glow again and then slid it off briefly before sliding it back on. "Just like that. They react to our unique DNA strand." That was usually something she'd keep to herself, but there didn't seem like any harm in sharing it with him. Hopefully this would be the one time that thought process didn't come back to bite her in the ass. She shrugged at his question. "Rain. Snow. Electrical interference during a storm could be a problem too. Used to be a huge thing with older tech." Who knows what else could be a problem with these things.

"Based on my experience, I think they're hiding," she replied with a frown. "My best guess? They did something that's caused whatever's happening now. Now they're hiding while trying to figure out some way to fix it on their own. People who set themselves up to be worshipped aren't going to want to admit they aren't all they're built up to be." That she had more than enough experience with. Maybe that experience was making her too cynical and paranoid though. Not like she'd directly spoken to either herself to try to get a feel for what they were like.

"You been doing that on your own?" She quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head curiously towards him. Guess there was a lot more than meets the eye about Caelan.
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-20 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
"You don't know what DNA is?" That was unexpected. Even people who didn't know the detailed science behind it at least recognized the word. Well, this was a subject she was going to try to quickly steer away from. Long scientific explanations weren't her job and she wasn't exactly good at it. "It was all about the convivence of the item when it first came out. But models like these came out a long time ago." Really made someone wonder why they'd choose to adopt these for communication.

She shrugged at his question and put her hands into her pockets as she moved alongside him. "Got a lot of experience with people that think their power makes them a god." Too much experience. She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head. "Get rid of one and another shows back up. It's like a never ending cycle. The one thing they all have in common though is they don't like being available for questioning." Seemed like they all preferred to hide in the shadows until they decided it was the right time to come out and explain. Or monologue.

"Might be a bit impressed. At least I was until the name. Gullwings?" Definitely an...interesting name to say the least. Then again maybe someone that belonged to a group that called themselves Mutant X shouldn't throw stones. She rolled her shoulders and gave a light chuckle. "Foolish huh? I feel like I should take some offense here." But there was no denying she was foolish.
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-21 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
"You're not really missing out on much by not knowing," she said with a casual shrug. There were times she wished she knew a bit less about it all. It'd mean she didn't know her childhood had actually just been one big experiment. Couldn't change the past though.

"Not sure if it's that they forget, or that they just don't care," she said with a vaguely bitter sounding scoff. She ran a hand through her hair quickly before sliding it back into her pocket as they walked. "Never a dull moment for us back home, that's for sure." At this point she wondered what she'd even do with a break. Then again, maybe she was figuring that out here. Compared to everything else in her life this was a walk in the park so far.

"Never been much of a bird person myself," she said with a laugh. Cats and birds just never mixed too well. She turned her head to look at him and tilted her head. "That the goal then? Be as annoying as possible?" There was something amusing about picturing him doing his best attempts to be as annoying as possible.

"Can't take offense to the truth," she said with a wide grin. "I'm used to tracking alone. With my team back home I get sent in first a lot." She flashed another quick smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, I'm faster than I look if I do run into trouble."
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-22 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
"Hm, guess so." There was a dismissive quality to her tone. He probably wasn't wrong, motives changed from person to person, but she couldn't say she really cared that much. It was easier to just write them off as arrogant than to try to figure out the underlying motive.

"Might just not be in my personality type to get along with them," she replied with a laugh. Though she did actually find herself pretty curious about his comments about swans. "You got a grumpy swan story?" She really hoped he did at least.

"My fair share of it. I used to be on my own a lot." She shrugged a shoulder and shook her head. "But I'll be sure to stop by in the next week. It'd be useful to have a map of some kind. Plus, I'd be curious to see what you all have found."
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-22 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Swan strikes," she laughed and shook her head at the mental image that came along with that. "Gotta wonder what you did to piss that particular swan off." If she ever got the chance to ask the swan, she might have given it a go. There had to be something there and she couldn't help but be a kinda curious about that. "Not surprised that they can pack some sorta punch though. Beaks look like they pack a punch."

She matched his grin with one of her own. "Generous of you, now I feel like the pressure is on to step by. I'm going to hold you to the tour though. Nothing more exciting than seeing office workers in their natural habitat." Her tone took on a more serious edge. "You guys found anything [particularly weird down there?"
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-23 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
"Maybe you pissed her off in a past life." Based on her tone she meant it as a joke, but anything was possible. "Sounds like you have some interesting stories." That he wasn't too interested in going into details about. That in itself made her a bit more curious than she'd been before.

"I'll take it as a personal insult if you're not there when I come in," she said with a quick smirk. "Must be where the smell comes from. Something turned my stomach the further down I went." It'd been strong enough to put her off from trying to figure out what it was. She was foolish, but not that damn foolish. At least not for the time being. "Sounds like we're all just finding one mystery after the other."
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-10-24 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
"I think you'd be surprised what I can believe," she said with a laugh. There was nothing that could possibly be too fantastic for her at this point. A sly grin tugged at the corners of her lips though. "Guess I'll just have to wait to unwrap the mystery completely. Lucky for you I happen to like when a man gives me something to look forward to." There was clearly a lot he wasn't saying and she liked that. It made her curious and a helluva lot more interested in him than general.

"They're not pleasant smells, but not much different than any sewer. Until you go further down." The fact that she could say that just told her she'd spent way too much time in sewers. Someone had to do the dirty jobs and who was better equipped than someone that could innately track? "You know, ghosts and undead are the one thing I've never dealt with much." People she thought were dead coming back? Sure. She'd dealt with that a lot. But actual ghosts or undead? That'd be new. "This Yuna got any idea what or who the something is?"

She chuckled at his last statement and gave a nod of her head. "Sounds like we'll find plenty of trouble to get into after all."
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[personal profile] abreedapart 2020-11-03 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
"Same here, I always hate being disappointed when I've built up an expectation," she said with a grin. She'd definitely built up an expectation when it came to him. There was something about his vagueness that gave off the distinct impression he was keeping a lot to himself. Not that she couldn't say the same on her end, but it definitely left her interested to say the least.

"You could say that," she said with a light chuckle. If she knew him better she might admit the truth or at least hint more at it. The problem was she had no idea how anyone here might react to what she was. It wasn't a risk she wanted to take. "A Lich? I thought those things only existed in fantasy." Then again half the shit here looked like stuff that only existed in fantasy.

"Well, if you need some help in the sewers, feel free to let me know. I can probably offer a hand."