EVENT ∞ LOG — July 125

[thediadem]

Event ∞ Log

In the Flesh

Jump ⇅ :: Visits — First Contact — Hitchhikers — Notes

∞ Prologue ∞

It's not real, it's not real.

Somewhere in the Blocks, late at night, a young woman repeats the words over and over, fumbling with her room key. She doesn't dare look over her shoulder again, begging her hand to obey. Her fingers are stiff and smooth, and it makes each movement more difficult. Eventually, the door gives way. She stumbles into the apartment, slamming it behind her and locking several bolts.

Leaning back on the door, she lets her key ring fall to the linoleum as she holds her hand up to her face. It isn't just her fingers now. Painted plastic has taken over her entire right hand, spreading up her forearm toward a ball-jointed elbow that creaks painfully. She grabs her neck with her flesh hand, sucking in a sharp breath as she tries to steady her heart.

It's not real, it's not real...

She takes another breath, then turns on the light. The bulb flickers. Hazy light flood the room with an incessant buzz.

She freezes.

A figure stands in the opposite doorway. It doesn't move, stuck in a pose with an outstretched hand—one made of flesh and bone. Her hand.

She screams.

Info & Mechanics — NPC Forum Post — Event Interaction ::: ⇅ Top

Strange Visits

Panorama

For the first week or two of July, life goes on as usual. You have a lot on your plate—jobs, loans, rent, that creep who won't stop staring at you when you're filling up your car—and the last thing you've got time for is other people's problems. Or maybe you find room to listen, anyway? Whatever the case, it's mostly a lot of stories and pointing fingers: a shopkeeper accuses his friend of stealing from him, somebody claims their boss must've skipped town to avoid paying the employees, and a woman is frantic about her missing husband. He never goes anywhere without telling her.

If you decide to look into it, none of the incidents seem connected. After all, people frequently go missing in the Diadem, friends betray each other, and businesses often go bankrupt, leaving their workers to pick up the pieces. Funny thing, though: here and there, you swear you glimpse a figure who isn't entirely flesh. Their features are just...a bit odd. Is it your imagination? When you move in for a closer look, something gets in your way and the figure disappears.

On the other hand, you think to yourself, it's not as though everybody on this planet looks standard. If a man can have horns, why can't his skin also be a bit plasticky?

Use the Event Interaction comment any time you need specifics or some direction for an element you're engaging within the event. This can be an NPC victim your character is questioning, an aspect of the diffusion zone your character is testing, or anything along those veins. While you're encouraged to make things up on your own, too, if you're ever unsure of the results or the answers you might get, approach us there!

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First Contact

The Fringes

Inevitably, you take the risk and head back into the Fringes. It has what you need, and the bizarreness in Panorama isn't making the city feel like much of a refuge, either. Besides, long trips aren't unusual for anyone in the Diadem. As you drive, you might even find yourself reluctant to return to the city. After all, there's so much across the multitude of diffusion zones that regardless of how dangerous it can be, perhaps some part of you is attracted to the thrill of the unknown.

If the promise of loot isn't enough, a note on the Forum might be. Here, you'll scroll across a brief message from who else but the ever-eager Felix Bjurstrom, joined by his daughter, Olive "Ollie" Bjurstrom. (Looks like he's got a new phone again!) If nothing else, the investigative or curious nature in you gets you going. What if this is a piece of the puzzle you need to go home?

If you want your character to scavenge items, check how that works. The Map identifies where each Quadrant is located.

Among the Shadows — Abandoned Mall

©

In Quadrant 1, about a 10-hour drive from Panorama, a standard American shopping mall rises through the cracked and broken highway. A portion of its vast parking lot melts into the road ahead and behind. There are cars in the parking lot, each one perfectly preserved: no rust, no dust, nothing.

The mall's lights are on. The moment you step inside, you'll notice that you're not alone. Inside, shadow corpses are everywhere, frozen in time. Their bodies show no signs of distress. If you try to touch them, a dark, ashy residue coats your fingers. You see a young couple linking arms, a mother bending over to pick up her child, and a man ordering his last meal at the KFC. It's as though they all just...stopped. While eerie, whatever force swept through here is long gone.

The upside is that nobody will bother you while you look around—aside from other fluxdrifts, of course. The shops and their offerings are stuck in the 90's. Big electronics are cosmic touched, rendering them worthless, but smaller electronics like cassette tapes, CDs, and Walkmans are all viable. You can also grab clothes, snacks, and (cheap) jewelry.

And, as you pass by the store windows, you see many mannequins on display. That's normal, so you don't think twice. At least, until you swear one of them keeps moving around the store. Though its pose never changes, it almost appears to...follow you? That can't be right. You must be seeing things.

Zone Effects
Touching any of the frozen shadows will cause the victim to believe that their companion(s) have transformed into monstrous creatures. Attempts to approach you will only register as an attack rather than placating gestures, while words will sound like snarls or spoken threats. An induced panic will make it more difficult to think logically and see through the hallucination. The illusory creatures can take the form of anything that might frighten or threaten you the most.

You can break free of the illusion through a variety of methods, including your own willpower, being knocked out by your friends, or seeing/hearing something that makes you realize it isn't real. The hallucination isn't overly intense, but it can cause a bit of havoc among you and your companions...and increase the likelihood a mannequin might make contact unnoticed.

Wall of Refuge — Strange Temple

©

In Quadrant 1, about a 6-hour drive from Panorama—and on the way to the abandoned mall above—stands a geometric structure made of metal and stone. Sharp angles shoot up from the ground to form a distorted hexagon. The gateway is littered with sigils: some weathered by time, others freshly carved into the rocky surface. They glow when you drive forward, beckoning you closer. Come in, whispers an unknown compulsion in your mind. You are home.

You may succumb to the whispers for any number of reasons: sleep deprivation, desperation for a place to rest overnight, or a need to hide from raiders or dangerous creatures lurking in another nearby zone. Regardless, you give in and enter the triangular entrance. The stone gate lifts to grant you passage, revealing an effigy of a multi-limbed being. A deity? A symbol of power? Though you're unsure, you continue deeper. Your footsteps echo across the cavernous halls.

Behind you, the heavy gate slowly closes with a rumbling finality. Despite the chilly entranceway, the interior of the temple is warm and inviting. Candles line the walls. Fountains flow peacefully. You can enter one of the many rooms to find a soft bed, fresh cakes, succulent meat, and fine wine available for you. Behind a silk curtain is a steaming bath lined with soothing floral herbs and oils.

Meanwhile, throughout your explorations, you might sense a figure or a shadow in the passageway. A glimpse of shiny plastic appears oddly out of place in a temple of this kind.

Zone Effects

• If you are a believer and decide to trust the gifts bestowed upon you, then you may safely indulge. The wine will warm you up, the food will fill your belly, and you can sleep through the night. When you awaken, you can safely leave the temple refreshed. Your vehicle will be outside, untouched, as if some power within was protecting your belongings.
• If you are a heretic and doubt the offerings you've been graciously given, the gifts will begin to rot and all amenities will crumble to dust. The more your cynicism betrays you, the more the temple will take until nothing remains except the oddly textured walls bearing down on you. As you examine the surface, you realize the stone is built from a manifold of dozens—no, hundreds—of twisted bodies. Their arms are raised in reverence, piled upon each other like human bricks. Their gaping mouths are frozen in a silent scream. As for you and your companions...what fate will await the nonbeliever?

The Last Stop — Foggy Town

©

In Quadrant 4, about a 3-hour drive from Panorama, east of the currently unused train tracks, a thick mist rolls through the highway. Here, the sky darkens rapidly into night and the temperature drops. If you've traveled unprepared, presuming the heat in Panorama spreads into the Fringes, you'll find that's not so. A chill spreads into your bones and creeps up the back of your neck.

Then the ground rumbles. The tremors shake your vehicle. Maybe it even makes you lose control briefly or sends you swerving off-road, straight into the fields. And in the middle of the fog, you see it: a figure standing in the middle of the field. Behind it are a few houses, making up a tiny rural town. The houses are dilapidated, many crumbling. Supplies within are minimal, and many items are broken or spoiled.

Do you approach? Do you drive past? Merely staring for a second too long will be enough for the hitchhiker to choose you as its ride, but its appearance may not be all that keeps you in place. In the distance is another bigger shadow. A much bigger shadow. It looms in the distance without true mass or form. Within the void of its body, a searchlight sweeps over the misty town. It does not move. It simply looks while the ground shakes. Each time its light catches a glimpse of something that doesn't belong—an animal, a vehicle that drove too deep into the tall grass, a raider that went too far into town—a sonorous howl reverberates through the zone.

Then the shadow will teleport to its target and crush the intruder without mercy before retreating back to its watchful post. And the intruder is indeed crushed: any living organism caught by the Light Guardian will be flattened with a horrifying crunch of broken bones and squished organs.

Zone Effects
While the Light Guardian can't be defeated or confronted, you can outrun or hide from its sweeping beam. If you stop far enough on the side of the road, it won't notice you...but you can still watch as it mangles an unfortunate raider or traveler. Possibly, you see the spray of blood or hear the screams before you run. Perhaps you realize how easily you could've met your own gory fate.

If you've left your car and gone too deep into the town before you realize the danger, you can do one of two things: you can risk hiding in an abandoned house in the town and hope that the sunrise comes. In zones like this, the day/night cycle is unpredictable, and many places are permanently cast in darkness. Or, you can try to run back to your vehicle and pray you don't get caught.

Alternatively, you've plowed directly into the field when raiders in pursuit force you into the zone. Should fortune favor you, they'll be obliterated by the Light Guardian while you flee. The beam tracks quickly, but can only shine in one direction at a time so the key is to bob and weave.

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Hitchhikers

Anywhere

Not everyone who enters the diffusion zone will pick up a mannequin, but the possibility is there. Once you make first contact, you will gain a hitchhiker. Unlike most aspects of the diffusion zones, this one has gathered into a storm, meaning the effects will breach even normally stable and anchored strongholds like Panorama.

Some fluxdrifts will brush off your problems while a few might believe you. Others will offer solutions in their own way, including a doctor who'll pay to obtain strange plastic limbs. Not everyone will pitch in to help. The city's big, populated, and somebody on the street turning doll-like doesn't affect them (...until it does). They've got a job to get to and mouths to feed.

Unwanted Passenger

When do you first notice your passenger? At any point, really. Perhaps it goes like this:

You glance in the rearview mirror and glimpse a figure in the backseat. When you spin around, there's nobody there. Then it happens again. This time, you realize it's not a person, but a dummy. A mannequin. It's sitting upright. And is it...wearing a seatbelt? Or maybe it's thrown itself across the back bench as though somebody tossed it there, uncaring.

This time, when you look back, it's still there. You pull over and dump it on the side of the road. That's taken care of, you think. You drive some more. For a few hours or even a day or two—depending on how long you've traveled—you don't think much of it. Then suddenly, it's back. And it keeps coming back no matter how much you try to get rid of it.

Or it goes like this:

You return from a standard trip into a diffusion zone. It went pretty well, you think. You found some clothes at a creepy mall and now you're ready to get some sleep. When you open your trunk to retrieve your belongings, you notice a mannequin stuffed inside, limbs bent at odd angles. You're a little weirded out, but you decide to dump it on the street and move on.

You shower. In the bathroom mirror, the mannequin suddenly appears behind you. Over the next few days, this continues. The mannequin appears in a booth across the diner as you're eating your eggs. It's behind a shelf in the corner store. It's in your closet. Each time you check, it vanishes...but then, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's right there in plain view. It'll even let you throw it away, burn it, anything you can think of. But it always comes back.

However it plays out, you realize that people around you do notice it...sometimes. That doesn't mean anyone will believe you that things are just that weird. Most people have better things to do. They don't know you, after all, and even if they did, well, this place does have a habit of driving people a little crazy. Witnesses casually push the mannequin aside and tell you that's a funny prank. Your regular waitress pats your shoulder and suggests you get some sleep. You're not looking well. The shopkeeper demands you take that thing before you go. He's not responsible for your junk.

But there's a small chance you run into someone who seems to be going through what you are. Unfortunately, they seem to actually have it worse and aren't making much sense. Still, you can try questioning them and see what answers you get. At least, before you lose them for good. For some of you, the victim you run into is in especially bad shape...and you have to wonder how long before you end up the same.

Trading Places

For some of you, the mannequins might not do more than be a nuisance. While that's not ideal, either, it doesn't completely upend your life. Others are less fortunate. If you're one of the latter, you'll begin to notice symptoms.

The first time it happens, you're startled to hear the mannequin speak. To begin with, its voice might be guttural and unnatural, incapable of stringing more than a few words together. Then it seems to learn. It talks in full sentences. Its voice smooths out. It starts to sound more and more like you...right down to your speech patterns and accent. As symptoms progress with varying intensity—over days or weeks—you realize with dawning horror that you're losing parts of yourself. When you wash your hands, you notice a part of your skin is smooth and shiny. The next time the mannequin appears, its previously plasticky appearance is more flesh and blood.

Eventually, the mannequin becomes independent. It shops with your money. It steals while wearing a face that looks nearly identical to yours, especially from a distance. It calls your friend and says the things you would never say out loud to them. They're thoughts you've had, sure, but you know better than to hurt your friend's feelings...except apparently, you have. And now you can't even use your own voice to explain yourself. Your leg has been getting stiff. Your joints don't bend properly.

Meanwhile, the mannequin is now striding around smoothly. Its appearance is still uncanny and odd if anyone pays attention, but at a glance, it easily passes as a part of the crowd. As its final act, it's even absorbed small bits of your abilities if you have any. Not all of them, but enough to cause trouble. Throughout everything, you cannot harm your hitchhiker. Some unknown force stops you any time you think about it. You simply can't.

Related Incidents

The impact isn't contained only to those directly affected. The hitchhikers' influence spreads through the city. For some incidents, it's difficult to trace back to the source. For others, that's a little easier. Regardless, these occurrences could help you determine how to solve your own situation. Alternatively, if you've escaped unscathed, you can still find yourself dragged into a situation involving someone else.

Return to Sender

July 11 — The Forum: An anonymous poster contributes this bit of information that might catch the eye of those affected. You can try the same method, but it's a risk going back into the diffusion zones. No one can guarantee the specific zone you found the mannequin in is still standing. Further, you have to remember where you made contact to begin with.

If you decide to try it, be sure to take a friend. The less independent the hitchhiker, the more likely it will stick to your side even as you return it home. If the assimilation has progressed too far, though, you might have to utilize methods such as duct taping inside your trunk or strapping it down with ropes. It may struggle and say vile things to you or your companion.

Victimless Burn Victims

July 14 @ 03:00 — The Pavilion (East End): A handful of troublemakers grabbed some freaky mannequins wandering the street and, in a drunken stroke of genius, set them all on fire for no reason other than that they wanted to. Not only has this resulted in damage to the corner store nearby, but Enforcers have linked the incident to four hospitalizations at roughly the same time. Doctors from Saint Margery's Hospital (located in the Blocks) report that all four individuals suffered massive shock and claim to have endured unimaginable agony as if they had been "set on fire."

Curiously, none of them bear any physical wounds and, by all accounts, are completely fine (trauma aside). Notably, all four individuals were also suffering from various stages of "joint stiffness" and "hallucinations"...which have since completely vanished. You might wonder, is this the solution? Or perhaps the better question would be, is it worth it?

The Sculptor

July 15 — The Pavilion (Medical Clinic): Around July 14 onward, word begins to spread that a Dr. Maggie Wright (who insists on being called the Sculptor, though nobody seems to heed this request) will not only do an amputation for free, she will pay you for your limb if you are boasting an "unusual trophic change to the skin, resulting in a smooth and shiny texture." All she asks is she gets to keep the sample. Her promise is that she will study it to find a more permanent cure and, if she does, she will return the limb to you for reattachment.

Some end up trusting her. You wonder, maybe she could help? Dr. Wright will happily accept you as her patient if you agree. Her methods are indeed proper and sterile: she'll put you under and provide you with plenty of pain meds. She appears to have all of the equipment required to preserve the limb, too.

If you're suspicious, you can also pay her a visit, but you won't have much luck getting her in trouble or sniffing out any evidence of nefarious deeds. Her office hasn't got anything strange, she is indeed a real surgeon, and there are testimonials from patients who've had success under her care in the past. Plus, nobody's going to her who isn't doing so voluntarily (they've signed waivers)—even if you could argue how much desperation plays into their decision. Still...the thing about her "title" is a bit weird, right?

Dr. Maggie Wright is 5'2, Caucasian with a light Northeastern accent and silver hair often worn in a bun. She's in her 50s and looks fairly good for her age. Her voice is soothing. She has intense, wide blue eyes, which some might find unnerving, but that's not necessarily her fault.

∞ Notes ∞

• Mannequin contact is not required. Not everybody who goes into the diffusion will make first contact, and many won't. Characters can explore the mall, the temple, and the foggy field without ever picking up a hitchhiker.
• The diffusion zones described are only examples. Others will exist where mannequins can be found, including grocery stores, gas stations, abandoned parks, and more. You can make up your own, but check with us if you have any questions about limitations!
• The speed and intensity of all mechanics are entirely up to you. Generally, the earlier a character makes first contact, the more severe their consequences.
• Investigating the zones or helping others are perfectly fine ways to participate! Since the hitchhikers are meant to be more insidious, it won't be strange if your character isn't in the middle of the action right away or notices things a bit late.

Questions? Ask here

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Comments

[pagings]

You're Canadian? I had no idea.

[ the sarcasm is entirely because she's feeling pretty confident after his laugh, liking the fact she feels like she's surprised him. but also she's glad she agrees with just how fucking incredible a lot of gravy and fries and sqeaky cheese can really be at three am in the middle of the forest.

now she's laughing, watching as he moves around the kitchen and watches his hands. she moves to the side, leaning up against the table as he gets busy, watching his process, and may be or may not be also checking to make sure he's not going to break any non-existence FDA rules. when she notices he's getting close, she steps out of the kitchen and moves to the counter, sliding into one of the empty bar stools.

my girl's favorite he says, and karen looks over to him with a smile, a little softer than before as she grabs a fork from the mason jar on the counter. ] I might hold off on the hot sauce for now. But noted. [ she ends up cutting herself a bite and - while she didn't necessarily think he would be a bad cook, she also wasn't expecting anything extraordinary - they're working out of a diner with already limited supplies.

still - her eyes widen a little at that first bite, her hand lifting a bit as she chews. ] This is really good, Wade. It feels a little like you undersold your skills.

[primepool]

C'mon, it's practically plastered on me.

[He swings around the counter and hops up on a stool next to her, head propped up on a hand. Place isn't exactly quiet when there's no customers -- nearly every machine in here is squeaking or has fans blowing hot air out, and there's the rustle and bustle of misfiring cars outside the front window -- but it still feels a little private.

What's he care if a pretty chick likes his omelette? Maybe 'cause she's gonna say Vanessa has bad taste if she doesn't.

But he grins. Not often he gets compliments. And from a stranger. Considering all that, he figures it's pretty genuine.] Well, my skill tree isn't mainlining cooking, but I had practice. [Girls gotta eat. And there was a time he was... he was practising, you know, when it wasn't just gonna be two of them. It was gonna be three. Maybe four, if he was lucky. Kids gotta eat, too.] Just don't tell the boss, huh? Like I need something comin' out of my paycheck the first day. It can be our little secret.

[pagings]

[ internally, she feels a too-familiar, completely inappropriate response bubble up. is that what that it? even just thinking it makes her feel bad, and she ends up just shaking her head, turning her attention to the food.

he hops onto the stool next to her and she laughs, guessing she probably doesn't need to be a hardass about them working when there isn't a single customer to be seen. usually she'll see a couple trickle in in about an hour or so, so for now? they're safe. ]

I'd never. As far as they know, someone changed their mind and asked for it to be remade.

[primepool]

[Look, the demo's more important than actually working for the moment, right? Gotta make sure he's up to the task. Apparently, yeah, he is. It's not much, but it's sure as shit better than selling cars. Talk about soul-sucking.

Besides, he's got a pile of dishes waiting for him now. Joy.]

Thatta girl. [He gives her a squeeze around the shoulder without thinking much about it -- something Karen's gonna learn is basically everything Wade does.] So, while we're draining money on the clock, what's home for you? Figure all the freaks I've been meeting lately, you're feeling so... human. [He smiles, grabbing a fork to steal a bite off the plate. Yeah. It is good.] But I get the feeling you're not from here.

[Well, guess not many people are, that's the point.]

[pagings]

[ a pile of dishes that she doesn't have to do. remember how excited she was to see him when he walked in? this is pretty much exactly why. the thatta girl has her grinning, and she doesn't think twice when his arm goes around her shoulder to squeeze. she just leans into it, leans her head against his shoulder before sitting back up again.

when he steals a bite, she lets him, sliding the plate more obviously between them instead of just her own. his question makes her cough through her next bite because she wants to laugh. how he makes such a weird question sound so casual, she does not know. but she does appreciate. ]

Well- yes, I am very human. But I did wake up out in that med tent only a few weeks ago. Home is Hell's Kitchen, but until I can figure out how to get back, the motel block six blocks down the road. [ she...really doesn't lock how that feels, separating home and this place she's been staying. it's a little naive of her to still be waking up each day thinking she might find a way back, but it also doesn't... it doesn't feel like her's. none of this feels totally real.

she takes her next bite, god it's good. ]

What about you? Before you got here.

[primepool]

[Okay, this is nice. See, Wade had spent a lot of his time at DriveMax systematically planning on how to kill himself and every single one of his coworkers (minus Peter; sue him, he's got a soft spot) in a Groundhog Day-like montage that flitted in the back of his thoughts just about every time he had to explain the difference between a Honda and a Civic.

Now, he's thinking -- oh, right, sometimes you don't have to do that between every paycheck. Sure, it's his first day and he's absolutely not made a damn thing for a single customer, but like they say, the only way he can go from here is up!

And there's free burgers involved, so.]

Hey, Hell's Kitchen! We're practically neighbours. Same city, different neighbourhood. [Probably. His specific address will remain undisclosed and random but it's definitely, probably, somewhere in NYC.] I mean, if we're not alternate universe-neighbours. Or you live in Ramsay restaurant. [He raises his hands.] I'm not judging! Sounds like you're not from the Earth with the giant robots killing people, though, so that's probably a bonus.

[pagings]

[ it is nice. so much that karen can almost forget where they are, or the circumstances that have brought her here. so much that if she really wanted to, they could easily be in a corner diner somewhere in manhattan. except for the fact the place is empty.

or, rather, less empty now. he says hell's kitchen with just enough familiarity that she brightens, just as she has every time someone recognizes new york. ]

New Yorkers gotta stick together. [ she holds out her fork like a kind of cheers, assuming he'll... what? cross forks with her? god, now she can't take it back. even as her smile falters a little in confusion. ] Sorry- alternate-what?

[ and then she's going to have another bite before standing, wiping her hands on her apron and walking around the bar to get them both a drink. ] Um... there were some, some aliens too, a few years back. Wait- [ she pauses, tilting her head at him. ] Were you in the city during the battle? The Chitauri invasion?

[primepool]

[Well, he's still Canadian, but sure. He's got the soul of a New Yorker, if she wants to see it that way.

He does, in fact, ting his fork against hers with a grin. There's not a chance in hell he won't rise to any embarrassing bit of camaraderie she offers. It's... easy. Sure, it hasn't been long, but there's an ease in the air that Wade doesn't get often (mostly because a lot of the women he meets want to kill him). Karen has the kind of reactions you don't see often anymore -- the kind of gal who doesn't know what to think about the term alternate universe. Precious! That kind of innocence is so rare these days.]

Ohh, that New York. Wow. The OG. [Goddamn, what are the chances he'd meet a woman from the Sacred Timeline? Disney was right. It is a small world(s), after all.] God, wish I was there. [There's a real wistfulness to his voice as he says it, stirring his fork over a plate that doesn't have anything on it. Well. Maybe not. Probably would've gotten clipped by a Chitauri before the cancer ever got him.] Crazy to think I was just an innocent little merc back then! Completely off-screen, of course. Nope, I'm from a whole other New York. [He recognizes that look.] Ah, no one's briefed you about the whole timeline thing, huh? Don't worry about it. It won't be important once the end of Phase 6 hits. [He suddenly jerks back to her with a start.] Hey, that means you were there for the Avengers! How was that? I mean, besides the mass invasion of aliens killing people, that was probably cool, right?

[pagings]

[ and she's technically a vermonter. but don't tell her that. her memories of the state are less than grand. but ner yorkers she feels closer to. new yorker, by any sense of where you chose to settle. it's a particular brand of person who actively chooses to live in the city that is getting a reputation for being destroyed every few years.

he tings the forks, and karen's smile turns a little giddy, feeling... well. good. feeling good in a way that this place hasn't really helped her feel. thankfully she doesn't get the vibe that wade is calling her innocent or precious, because that would be a whole different conversation, but still.

the og. she tilts her head a bit at that, equal parts curious and confused. off screen? phase 6? ]

You know- you sound like you're trying to make a bunch of references that I am not following. [ but it's that last part, where wade jerks up a little and mentions the avengers and karen nods. it feels... not weird, exactly, because the invasion and the battle and the avengers are kind of a global thing now. karen's followed some of the stories, knows that they're dealing with a lot more in terms of international politics, but seeing wade get so excited about it makes her wonder if there's something else she's missing. it wouldn't be the first time, but still- she shrugs. ] Yeah- I mean. It's not like I've run into any of them, but they were in New York for a little while. And I've been by the tower before- it's just a lot further downtown than I usually go.

[primepool]

[Wade grins, in that kind of oh-she-kinda-gets-it way.] That's exactly what's happening. [It's like her own personal little fourth-wall moment, except it's maybe, like, a third wall. Considering 99% of his commentary is ignored by the general population.

You know what? He likes Karen. She listens. Really listens.]

Oh, the... it's still the Avengers tower for you? [His browbones raise in surprise. Oh, god. That sort of dates her, doesn't it?] Must be wild. Living your whole life like everything's normal, just Sex and the City, full Carrie, not a thing wrong in life except your relationships, or maybe your boss at work is a dick or embezzling company funds, or your parents are dead, and then -- bam. Fuckin' aliens.

[pagings]

[ his smile makes her smile in turn, even if she still doesn't get it. doesn't know if she will get it. but a part of her is coming to terms with the fact that might just be how things are between them, and until she has time to sit him down and make him explain any part of it, she thinks she can be okay with that.

he says still and she shrugs. ] I heard they moved out to the compound, but after everything in Germany at that airport, it's hard to tell what they're doing these days. We don't see them around the city much, that's for sure.

[ he says normal and then embezzling company funds and karen's expression stills, because while part of her knows that he's just making grand comments about things, generalizations, it suddenly feels a little too much like he might know about fisk. about her.

fuckin' aliens. that breaks whatever tension had flashed across her eyes, and she's smiling again, though it's a little tired. a little battle worn. a little too 'i live in NYC during the mcu'. ] Yeah, well. It's New York, you know? It's not like it was Sokovia. That was awful.

[primepool]

So just Spider-Man keeping the place together, huh?

[Or maybe they don't remember him anymore. Look, their timeline is already a living hell to try to wade (hah) through, and he's been living his own life and caught up in his own drama. Which continues to be... dramatic, though admittedly the plot's moving a little slow on his latest kidnapping. Where's the big bad at the end of it? And there hasn't even been a bald cameo yet!

Even if Wade notices her tension (he does), he's not really one to pry unless something really catches his interest. It's enough to nail down where she's from, to nail down that her company is about as easy and comforting as sitting under an AC unit after a summer afternoon outside.

Wade gives her a pat on the back. Tired. Yeah, he gets it.] We'll be here all night if we start a Marvel-themed misery Olympics, believe me. Besides, sometimes you wanna think of the good stuff, right? [Sokovia was bad, but it wasn't his-side-of-the-canon bad. Man, the Avengers weren't really that great at their jobs when you think about it. Imagine being put to shame by the X-Men.

Not that he's got any high hill to shout down from. He's did just as bad in the Special Forces.]

Like how my first real shift's tomorrow. You workin'? I'll bring us a little something special.

[In the good ol' days, when he had a supplier, that'd be a baggie of snowdust. As it is, he's thinking the equivalent of a Costco cake -- which is probably gonna be a pair of real greasy breakfast sandwiches he found at this whole in the wall near the motel. Almost New York-good.] Promise, if I know anything about women and eggs, you'll love it.

[He looks away for a second.]

I meant, like, fried eggs. Not -- didn't sit on that one long enough. Hah! Get it? Egg pun. For the... it'll just be breakfast, don't worry.

[pagings]

You mean that kid out in Queens? I mean, he's not the only one, but I did hear he got sent to Germany when the airport thing happened with the Avengers.

[ she remembers him - but she's also from a pre-snap kind of world. her twenty-eight-teen brain might not be able to keep up with a lot of what he's saying, but at least she has that! and the more that he talks, and mentions people she does recognize, the more she feels comfortable in feeling like she hasn't gone completely insane.

maybe there's a world we can work up to multi-verses. maybe. slowly.

for now, every time he says something that she does not recognize, there's going to be a little scrunch up of her face. like how he says marvel, and how he'll probably say.... everything else. for the rest of their friendship.

but he does have a point - trauma olympics, the feeling of trying to compare awful situation, none of that benefits anyone, and karen ends up nodding to herself in agreement as she kind of straightens back up. and a lot of the time she does want to think of the good stuff. ] No, you're right. There's enough shit going on, we have to focus on the good.

[ a beat, and then she huffs a laugh. ] You definitely said this was your first shift. Is it really tomorrow? [ the tone is very much entertained, not surprised, rolling with the punches. she even stands, picking up the plate he'd made for her and their used silverware, and heading back around the bar. ] But I will be working tomorrow, yeah. I tend to do the day shifts, but am pretty much up for whenever they'll schedule me. [ she ducks back into the back, drops the dishes into the sink, and pops back in - she's comfortable in how she moves around the diner, but that's no surprise. she grew up in a restaurant just like this. ]

Something special is exciting. But- [ and then wade talks himself into a hole, and her brows just sort of lift. her mouth tightens into a smile, like she's trying not to laugh at him as he just keeps talking. it's only when he gets to don't worry that she finally lets the snort escape her, waving her hands around a bit. ]

Okay. Okay. Breakfast sounds great. And not... whatever else you were implying. [ she makes her way back around to where he's sitting. ] Well, even if you're not working today, I probably should get back to it. It was great to meet you, Wade.

[ she might hold out her hand for a shake, or she might hug him, it's still a bit up in the air depending on his reaction. ]