Not!Temba: better mind how you walk through

[kyley_b]

WHO: Kyle "ky-el" Broflovski and YOU!
WHERE: Not!Temba
WHAT: Exploring the Agricultural Building, University/Library and Alien Target 2: Electric Boogaloo.
WHEN: Latter half of July
WARNINGS: Bad language, general outlandish idiocy



Agricultural Building

In spite of every plan he ever had growing up in a redneck mountain town, Kyle has basically become a farmer. It's almost laughable, really. Still, he takes his job seriously and so he'll often be found systematically working his way through the Agricultural Building cataloguing plants, taking sample, and eventually harvesting things to take back to Temba.

He's easy to spot amongst all the green - a pop of red against the leaves and vines. Plus he'll wave at you if he sees you.

At some point he'll also be peering into the tubes that lead to the livestock nursery, clearly intending to investigate. Weaponless.


University/Library

Creeping through what's left of library requires some caution considering the state of the place. Kyle's inside, looking for books or some sort of readable data, and likely to be scared to death if you come up behind him. Hopefully he doesn't trip over something and conk himself on the head.

Inside the university he can be found prowling the halls, peeking into classrooms. "Dude," he mutters half to himself and half to anybody around. "This? This shit is how Japanese horror games start."


Alien Target 2

Fashion has never been his strong suit. Not that it should be a priority on an abandoned alien planet, but even if it were he'd be hopeless. As it is, he's wandering the aisles looking for clothes reminiscent of earth. There's what appears to be a changing room and for whatever reason he feels compelled to use it instead of just trying alien!sweaters on in the aisles. Alien!sweaters that are less alien than usual...

He also goes in search of gardening tools, which means he winds up in another aisle hefting rakes and shovels, occasionally swinging them like a baseball or imaginary sword. Because, you know. He's easily amused.

Comments

[deal_me_in]

"There's just a lot more trees in general. It's like they wanted a mini-forest and then went for the natural look in the city to match." The Exo slows his steps. There's something there, something familiar about all this. It's been nagging him.

"Huh? Oh pff. Not stupid. Fair enough question. But actually? I do. Don't have to, but I enjoy a good meal now and then. Hoping one of these days Starling and Vanth can work out how to make some ramen between their cooking skills."

[kyley_b]

Kyle slows as well, looking at Cayde with his eyebrows raised. "You okay, dude?"

He grins. "Dude, I'd love some ramen. Tell you what, once I perfect a version of my mom's knishes? You can try some."

[deal_me_in]

"I have no idea what that is but I'm all for trying some. The food at the beach party? Fantastic."

He circles back to the previous train of thought, chasing after those little details. "I just keep thinking I've seen stuff like this before. No, I know I've been somewhere similar." The Exo drums his fingers on the box before snapping them at a thought. "Graq!"

[kyley_b]

"It's a traditional dish, I kinda wanna make it for Tommy especially. And Billy," he adds quickly.

Kyle watches, then blinks. "Graq?"

[deal_me_in]

"Yeah! They're these...dog...bear-looking people. Kinda on the squatty side. There was this whole thing where the Agrii thought they were under attack on their ship and stuff? Had us all fly out to them to save them."

With only one hand to gesticulate, Cayde does so with fervor. "Anyway, I'll come back to that. But these guys- the Graq? They lived in places made of stone that they stuck to trees. And they made stuff with stones- that they melted with their spit. They could make weapons and tools like that- I got a Graq knife I got just for kicks and that thing is heavy but sturdy."

[kyley_b]

"Oh my god, Cayde, you're a GENIUS! And they only had two arms? Dude. DUDE. If the Agrii knew them - and well enough to want to have you defend them - it's entirely possible they shared the planet."

He pauses, thinking. "That still doesn't explain why they didn't seem to know that the train came here, but... The time issues could still be at play. Still, it's something. ...gross, I wonder if my rake was made with spit."

[deal_me_in]

Kyle you're going to make his ego explode.

"Nonono- that's the thing! They didn't seem to know anything about these guys! And vice versa! See, the thing is, the whole incident was staged! The Graq lived on this nearby planet- which now I wonder that it was out of convenience that they were chosen for this- but they were dropped off on the Agrii ship and armed with guns they didn't know how to use. The Agrii freaked out because they thought they were under attack, and most of them ended up getting transported into some kind of stasis? on these two ships we find floating outside of their homeship when we arrive."

It's still a wonder things hadn't turned out terribly, but there had been a lot of fishiness the moment they'd set foot on the ship. "This was all like...months ago now that I think about it. But thankfully we didn't end up killing anyone, we saved the Agrii, we had to take the confused Graq home- which is where we were introduced to their wonderful saliva-filled culture."

He does smirk a little as Kyle considers his rake. Okay, that's a funny thought. "Yeah, my glimmer's on time hijinks. Otherwise, I still have no idea what the significance is. Just more pieces to a puzzle that we don't know the size of."

[kyley_b]

Kyle listens, eyes growing wider and wider. "Ohhhhhhhhhhh," he says. "Okay, I follow. Jeez, I really should have asked more questions when I got here... Okay. Okay."

"So. I've learned today, then, that the Agrii are definitely being manipulated probably more than we would have guessed initially. I think it's likely whoever was behind all the recent fuckery was behind that, too. The Atroma, or whatever, right?"

He considers his rake again, nodding. "So this city being here... there's a good chance it's all a trap, huh?"

[deal_me_in]

Cayde shakes his head. "Nah, I don't think this would've come up with any questions people'd usually think to ask on arrival. And we're still trying to figure things out so I think dumping all that info on a newcomer would just confuse them even more."

He's not too sure when the Atroma became a household name that most everyone had come to be familiar with by now- mostly on the account that he'd skipped that town meeting- but it sure does make things easier. "That's my best guess. You know Gary offered to send us home after we 'saved' them? But then of course the thingy they apparently would've used to do that disappears. And then you cue the mysterious voice on the comm system basically congratulating us on making things interesting to watch." He would've shot the speakers then but that probably would've just scared the Agrii.

He looks less enthused about the possibility that the city they're in is a trap. "Ugck. I hope not. I mean... obviously we keep our guard up. If it's a trap, we roll with it. It has been pretty effective in splitting our group up some..."

[kyley_b]

"Yeah, I guess. I dunno, I feel like I've been so focused on trying to help with stuff and getting to know people... maybe that douchebag doctor has a point, maybe we ARE letting ourselves get a little distracted."

Kyle shakes his head. "No, I didn't know that. This is painting a way more sinister picture. As well meaning as the Agrii are, I feel like maybe they aren't much in charge at all."

His eyes widen. "Oh, fuck. Even here, we're all sort of checking different shit out. Although I think most people are trying to use the buddy system. ...Tommy better be using the goddamn buddy system."

[deal_me_in]

"Nothing wrong with that. Better to get to know people, and it's not like we've been able to solve the problem we're supposed to in one day. We can't ignore the other stuff we need to do to survive." Cayde smirks a little. "That includes a little break time."

He does have to agree with Kyle there though. "They might be prodded along in all this, but that doesn't mean they don't need the help either."

There's a slight tilt of his head, an arch of his brow then. Neither of them had exactly been buddying it up before they ran across each other in this store, after all, not that Cayde's prone to doing so most of time either way. He'd argue he has a buddy with him all the time technically. "Most," he says thoughtfully, grinning crookedly. "I dunno. I think we sort of run off in different directions, and who knows who's come in after us if that train's headed back."

[kyley_b]

Kyle's shoulders visibly relax. He worries. A lot. "Thanks."

And here is the truth: Kyle's a hypocrite in many things. He's extolled the buddy system constantly but yes, here he is, secretly shopping in alien Target for pants that make his ass look cute.

"Fuck," he says moodily. "Man. Okay. Well, no man left behind and all of that - we'll make sure everybody makes it back in one piece." He hopes. "We'll have to tell everyone who stayed in Temba about all of this. I, uhm. I think YOU should. I kinda... uh. Alienate people, sometimes."

[deal_me_in]

As the most laid back of the Vanguard Cayde considers it his job to make sure people don't get too caught up in details that they forget they need to breathe. He grins, giving Kyle a nod.

His laugh is cut short when he's volunteered to give a report. "Why me? What's that even mean- you don't seem to have any problems talking to people. At least I have no problems talking with you. Might not wanna get caught swinging around garden tools though- I can see how that might be a little off-putting." He winks- totally just messing with you Kyle but he still thinks it was funny.

[kyley_b]

"Dude, I manage to piss off the Jedi like, every other week, I think." He sighs and swings his rake a little.

"Anyway, you're the one who's actually seen those other aliens and stuff."

[deal_me_in]

"Eh, don't let it get to you. They've got a lot of stuff they've been dealing with, I think. Being here may be a breath of fresh air but it doesn't wipe out everything. They needa learn how to relax some."

Cayde almost scowls at the point made, instead sighing, a believable gesture despite his lack of the necessity to breathe.

"Okay, okay. True enough. I'll see what I can throw together. Ugh. Just like write-ups back at the Tower. At least I get out more here. It's easier summarizing things you experience firsthand than doing it from stuff you read from other people."

[kyley_b]

"Yeah," he agrees softly. "Yeah, you're right."

He perks up when Cayde agrees to speak to people. "Thanks, dude! I mean, I'll back you up, I just don't have the same level of experience with all of this space shit. What's the Tower, anyway?"

[deal_me_in]

"Hey, the space part is just like another layer of things. Although I guess in this context it's kind of important..." he has to concede.

"The Tower? Oh, it's kind of like our base of operations for Guardian business. Overlooks the rest of the Last City. Granted we're still in the process of rebuilding a lot of things, and the Tower's not exactly the same as it was a few years back, but it's still standing."

[kyley_b]

"Just a bit."

Kyle listens with obvious interest - he never gets tired of hearing what things are like for the other people stuck with him. "Any idea where the Last City would have been? Like North America or Europe or is all of that information lost?"

[deal_me_in]

Cayde holds his hand up, finger and thumb pinching the air between them. "Tiny bit."

He calls up mental maps in his head. "Not Europe, that's for sure. Definitely not Old Russia." He laughs. "You'd think I'd point it out just like that with all the maps I have. I needa get back out there again, refresh my memory."

[kyley_b]

"I'm gonna pretend it's Las Vegas," Kyle decides. "Just because I think that would sort of be funny in a really terrible way." He lifts his eyebrows. "Would you want to go back right now, if you could?"

[deal_me_in]

"Well who am I to say no," the Exo says, grinning crookedly. He blinks then, the question catching him off guard for all of point-two seconds before he gives a little laugh.

"Earlier on? I would've said no right off the back. I mean, this is the longest I've been anywhere outside of Earth in...what, centuries? It's been nice, cutting loose, do my Hunter thing. Still helping people while we make the most of this weird situation. Exploring unknown territory? Scavenging long forgotten things? Right up my alley. Just give me something to shoot at on occasion and I am happy as a clam."

[kyley_b]

"How old ARE you?" Kyle asks hesitantly, suddenly aware that this might be one of those questions that makes you swear when you find out the answer.

[deal_me_in]

Cayde's train of thought hits the brakes with that. "Buh? Oh, um...over three hundred at least," he says, looking cautiously at Kyle the way one might look at something they expect to explode.

[kyley_b]

Kyle stares at Cayde a moment, then nods. "Okay. Okay, that's... huh. That's pretty cool. I can see why you'd want to get the fuck off the planet a while."

[deal_me_in]

"Heh, yeah. But you also get kind of attached. Being in the city has its ups. And you're reminded of why you stick around and do the job no one else does."

He shrugs. "So yeah. I miss home. Who doesn't? If I had the option I'd like to pop in, make sure no one else has tried to blow it up, and then come right back and keep picking at this puzzle with everyone else."