Trouble coming in the dead of night

[demjiin]

WHO: Kaz and various
WHERE: All over Temba
WHAT: Kaz is talking to people about going outside the city limits
WHEN: Early December
WARNINGS: None anticipated


Civic Center(For Lauri-El)

Kaz had not been here yet and was mildly surprised to find it so colorful. He was expecting to find it as grey and boring as the rest of Temba. He did slow when he passed the fence. But he was not here to look at a mural. Passing it by he went deeper inside to look for a certain person. A certain person with blue skin.

Library(For Jon)

It was he remembered it, it was still with a library's hushed feel despite not having books on the shelves. Kaz had also come here with a purpose in mind and didn't bother to silence his cane. He wasn't planning to stay very long though so he didn't bother to take his winter coat off though it was warmer inside. Instead, he looked into the isles, the empty shelves on either side.

Diner (OTA)

Kaz had made use of diner's services before. And this time like last time he had a single mug of black coffee. He felt that the coffee here was never quite bitter enough for his taste, though. He had a notebook with him and was writing notes by hand in it in a cipher, of which only he had the code word. Since he was already sitting down he had his bad leg propped up next to him on a chair, the same chair that has his winter coat was draped across and his cane was propped against.

Comments

Library

[beholding_archivist]

While Jon is well aware of his visitor, he doesn't actively move to seek Kaz out, instead leaving it to the other man to find him. The Archivist is on the second floor of the library, up the single set of stairs and its uncomfortably high steps. It's their height originally meant for much longer Agrii legs that has Jon not coming up here that often. But today he is, just sitting on the floor and overlooking the empty library shelves.

He is not going to address Kaz or acknowledging his presence, but he is, of course, watching.

[demjiin]

Of course Jon was upstairs. After Kaz looked through each of the aisles on the first floor, he was a bit annoyed that he couldn't find Jon anywhere. It was one of the moth-cat's kittens flying by to the second floor that tipped Kaz off.

With the stairs a longer length meant for longer Agrii legs, they were a little awkward to climb, but Kaz managed. When he did find Jon, Kaz had a frown for him.

"Upstairs. Really?"

That just seemed petty to Kaz.

[beholding_archivist]

"Yes." The Archivist answers flatly, not bothering to get up from where he is sitting. "No one forced you to come up here." That was alone Kaz's decision.

Now he could of course, ask why Kaz even came to the library, and part of Jon wants to ask, but he refuses to give his visitor that satisfaction.

[demjiin]

Kaz said nothing about the stairs in return. Instead, he just stood and leaned on his cane.

"Look, I suck at small talk so I'll get straight to the point. I don't like you and you don't like me, but whether we like it or not we are both trapped. I know that you don't care whether you are trapped here or not. But even you have to admit things are escalating. First with Billy's magic, and I will admit that October was probably inspired by you. You may not care if you're trapped here or not, but a lot of other people do care and some of those people are friends of mine. So will you actually help us Mr 'sees-all-things' or will you just do your ostrich impersonation and stick your head in the sand?"

[beholding_archivist]

"Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in sand to avoid danger. The myth goes back to early observations of their nesting behavior of having to rotate their eggs laid in nests dug into the ground." Because clearly Kaz has come here to learn about ostriches. And if he hasn't, well. Tough luck.

Setting any further ostrich information aside for now, Jon will, however, get up from the floor and back onto his feet. "Also you failed spectacularly at coming straight to the point by leaving me none the wiser regarding what you even want from me in favor of wasting a lot of time and many words to be judgemental of me."

[demjiin]

Kaz just rolled his eyes at Jon, then scowled. Fine then just call the ostrich thing a metaphor about a myth. Yes, he was judgemental of Jon, but this was about a lot more than him or his opinions. The enemy of my enemy and all that. Well in this case it was more about an annoyance than an enemy.

"I didn't think you needed it to be spelled out. But if you want specifics, then fine. You can see much more than any of us, which means you would be able to see dangers - like storms - before anyone else did. Seeing them you would then be able to find a place that was structurally sound enough where the storm could be ridden out. More than that we don't know what sort of writing we'll find when we go looking, and you already translated the Graq writing on those columns."

[beholding_archivist]

Jon scoffs, then goes to move past Kaz and back towards the stairs to head back down. "You misunderstand how this works. I can't see into the future, meaning I can't see a storm before it happens. And once it happens, my abilities are just as disabled as that of everyone else. If you want to hide at a safe place, you can stay at the building the replicator is located in. So far the Agrii have been able to maintain a safe zone there. As for the translations, those have been a joint effort. It takes more than plain being able to read a text that is written." He pauses halfway down the stairs to turn around and look back up. "None of this is information I have been withholding from anyone and I have never refused to assist or help finding answers to any of our problems. And yet that's what you're accusing me of. If you want to judge me for something that badly, at least try to find something plausible."

[demjiin]

Oh so now he was going back downstairs? Figures. Kaz still followed Jon downstairs anyway. He also noted how Jon was preoccupied with feeling judged.

"Yes, I am aware you can't see into the future. I'm not suggesting you should, I was more thinking about distance. And hiding in the same building as the replicator may work for the people that are left in the city. But if you still need me to tell you another place that we will be exploring I would also say the mountains or trying to reach the second blinking light. The point still stands that your powers would be very useful. I wouldn't be here if they weren't."

Jon was trying to make the case that he was still normal, but Kaz wasn't buying it for a minute. Because Kaz had so little experience with what happened during the energy storms, he was thinking of them like normal storms that gather and move across the landscape.

[beholding_archivist]

The Archivist pauses a moment, frown deepening as he pulls up a single brow. "You didn't mention you are planning to venture past the city limits." Which isn't an accusation, but merely Jon stating the fact that he has just acquired these new information. Sure, he can read minds, but it remains something he works hard to avoid.

Diner

[burnyoudown]

It'd been a while since he'd last seen Kaz, and Kavinsky hadn't exactly been avoiding him, but he hadn't been looking for him, either. He still didn't know how he felt about Kaz knowing his secrets. He didn't even know if that was something that had carried over to after...whatever the fuck had happened.

His right forearm was still wrapped up in a cast but he didn't look too bad off besides that. He'd recovered pretty well from the events of however-long-ago that'd been, with nothing but a slightly raised scar on his left forearm.

His expression went through a range of emotions when he stepped into the diner and saw Kaz. Recognition, surprise, a little bit of anger. Then his expression smoothed out and he headed over, dragging over an unoccupied chair and plopping down.

"What's up, fuckface?" Despite the insult, his tone was amiable enough.

[demjiin]

Kaz set down his pencil in his notebook and raised an eyebrow after he looked up at Kavinsky. He was the last person Kaz expected to see today. Or ever really.

"Nothing good, jackass."

Despite the insult, he did not seem to have any lingering animosity toward Kavinsky. After the way that Ronan had reacted, Kaz fully expected never see Kavinsky again.

[burnyoudown]

Oh no. He kind of appreciated it when people greeted him back with an insult. His lips twitched into an almost smile and he pressed his knuckles against his mouth to hide it. He was supposed to be upset still, or something. He didn't know what Ronan had done.

"Figures," he said, moving his hand away from his face. "How've you been since, you know, all that shit happened?" He didn't really care, but he was making an opening to ask about something more specific.

this was handwaved, sorry

[demjiin]

"Your friend Ronan broke my arm."

He didn't know if Kavinsky had warned him to stay away from Kaz or not but he hadn't that warning if so. Kaz was never good at small talk, either. This was delivered in the same blunt fashion as everything Kaz said.

it's okay! I knew it was in the works just not the specifics

[burnyoudown]

Kavinsky laughed. "No shit?" He felt a rush of pride and only a little bit of irritation. He had told Ronan to be careful...hadn't he? It was easy for the irritation to get lost in the pride though. A dozen different moments in time came to mind; the first time Prokopenko had beat someone up for him, the first time Swan had stepped up to defend him. Ronan wasn't much different than they were, whether he acknowledged it or not.

"I guess he's always had a violent streak."

also please forgive missed words, I have to use speech to text

[demjiin]

"This time I'm giving him a pass, or rather that it was something that was already canceled out."

Whatever Kavinsky might think, Kaz was only made one way. It wasn't easy for anyone to be his friend.

"Whatever happened to me, that is not a good trait to have. Actually, it's a dangerous trait. I may not be interested in revenge this time but regardless of why he does it I will be interested next time."

No worries at all!

[burnyoudown]

Kavinsky grinned, but it wasn't exactly a pleasant expression. "We won't fuck with you if you don't fuck with us. Simple as that." He hoped, at least. He knew he was speaking for Ronan too, right now, but he didn't think Ronan was petty enough to go after Kaz again now that everything was said and done. Either way, Kavinsky would absolutely not stand for someone hurting Ronan, if it came to it.

There was no easy way to edge into what he wanted to ask about, so he was just...going to dive into it. "So, all of that shit you said you knew about me before--did that go away with the rest of the weird shit or what?"

Also sorry for the delay

[demjiin]

"Are you talking about the part where I knew about your dreams or the part where I knew about your death?"

There were things about what had happened in October that were hazy in his memory but that much he could remember. In this Kaz was as blunt as Kavinsky.

Civics Center

[kree_soldieress]

Yes, colorful. Lauri was very happy with the new mural that so many had come together to make. It cheered her up whenever she came downstairs from her living space. In fact, Lauri went out of her way to look over all the murals before she began her daily routines, and it made her gleeful.

Art wasn't something she was used to as a Kree.

So truly, Kaz wouldn't have to go too far to seek the woman out, because she was standing there, regarding one, smiling as she looked upon it, her hands folded upon her hammer as she stood there, basking in art.

[demjiin]

The closest that Kaz ever got to looking at artwork was cutting an oil painting out of its frame and stealing it. He wasn't much for art.

"I wasn't expecting it to be so colorful here."

He said as he walked up beside Lauri-El.

"I was under the impression that this was only used as a gym."

[kree_soldieress]

"I like it," Lauri noted with a smile, not turning her attention from the creations. Whether her people had art or not was less the matter than her limited experience.

"Things can change. Often they do."

[demjiin]

"Funny you should mention change."

Kaz said without looking at Lauri-El.

"I'm thinking about changing our collective situation."

At the moment he looked at her sideways.

"But it's going to take a collective effort, which is what I want to talk to you about."

[kree_soldieress]

Funny she should mention change? He wasn’t laughing, so clearly it wasn’t funny.

“You have a request of me. Please offer it. I do not like it when people dance around these things.”

[demjiin]

Kaz inclined his head to her.

"Fair enough."

He straightened and he had to look up to do it but he looked her in the eye.

"I'm putting together a few teams to explore beyond the city limits. You're intelligent and durable so you would make an ideal addition."

Maybe Kaz was stretching things to call Lauri-El 'intelligent' but throwing in a little flattery didn't hurt.

[kree_soldieress]

Explore beyond the city limits? The woman turned to truly regard him at that, crossing her arms over her chest.

“And just who do you have in agreement with this adventure of yours? Do any of you know how to face a wilderness? I believe you are setting yourself and others up for danger and pain. Your statement of ‘a few teams’ implies to me not moving as a proper squad, and that puts you at higher risk.”

The woman would require far more details before she would even begin to consider such a venture.

[demjiin]

One of his hands joined the second so that both were folded on his cane.

"First my idea involves every group going in a separate point on a compass rose, save one because it quickly turns into an ocean. Because we don't know but we'll find I can't say much more than the direction they leave in. Second the idea I had means that there will only be about two people per group. There just aren't enough people here, so we'll have to make do with what we have. Third, I've talked to a few different people about this. Cal is in, and I've told Stark, Sims, Kyle and Billy."

But since he had not gotten any specific yes or no he was only mentioning them in passing. Yes, it was a devious thing to do.

"You have military experience so I'm here talking to you. There are a lot of factors that are not being covered, which I normally wouldn't add to any plan, but I don't like being held captive. And I especially don't like it when our captors can do whatever they want to us whenever they want it. First with Billy's magic then taking inspiration from what's in Sims' head."

Even if it's rash it's the best he can come up with at this moment, since not doing anything was letting things escalate.