( open ) arrival

[tailorspy]

Who: Garak and YOU!
What: Arrival and exploring the city
When: First few days after his arrival
Where: Some random abandoned buildings and shops, the hotel
Warnings: None expected


I ▹ INFORMATION

[ One thing Garak has learned can be more valuable than virtually anything is information. The bright orb waiting for him upon arrival was useful, but incredibly lacking in many aspects, and Garak finds himself needing more to know what he's dealing with.

Yes, he realizes that a dying species likely had other things to worry about than just how much information they left readily available for others to come, but that doesn't mean some isn't laying around somewhere. He takes to exploring each and every building, pushing through the overgrown plants to step inside, climbing up stairs where he can manage, poking his head into different rooms as he passes them.

He'll approach any computer screen he finds, and he'll promptly open the nearest control panel to try and see what the circuitry looks like, and if there's any chance to get power running through it again. When that fails, he heads back outside and walks towards the outskirts of the city, trying to find whatever path the power might have once followed, hoping to find some sort of energy central.

The same goes for the plumbing system. At least plenty of people seem invested in getting power back up again, but Garak has a feeling they will all be in dire need of a decent bath sooner or later, and things will get rather unbearable if they don't get the plumbing working again.

If he finds anyone else exploring anywhere he happens to go, he'll smile at them, tilting his head all too politely. ] Greetings. May I ask what you're looking for? Perhaps it's the same as I, and we can help each other.

II ▹ CULTURE

[ Garak has found himself a place to sleep in at the rundown hotel. It's far from perfect, and he fully plans on finding something better eventually, but for the moment it has a door, a mostly intact window, and a whole ceiling. The bathroom has a tub that could be filled with water for a bath if need be, and having pushed the bed frame aside, Garak has gathered a few old blankets and sheets to serve as a small bed by a darker, warmer corner of the room.

He's not sleeping currently, however. Door open, he's sitting on those blankets, legs crossed, hunched over what looks like some kind of electronic device in his hands. He runs his fingers over the screen with a frown on his face, tapping and clicking like he's looking for something...

And then music just starts playing. Garak groans, eyes practically rolling back on his head. ] Oh, useless.

((ooc: Garak is new and can be found pretty much all over town, wherever you'd like to run into him I'm game! Feel free to write your own adventure, or friend/ping me @ extreminator if you'd like to plan something out!))

Comments

[tailorspy]

Garak's eyebrows raise minutely, surprised and pleased both with that answer. Despite calling Garak out on his claim, the man still doesn't pry as to what he might be besides a tailor. It is an unusual but nice change nevertheless. Even if he has to admit he rather enjoys talking people into circles.

"And what am I to call my new friend? Mine is Garak, it is a pleasure to meet you."

[tallasaking]

Tyrion smirked slightly, before dipping down into a graceful bow for his newest friend.

"Tyrion Lannister. I doubt you have heard from me, but I'm known to have something of a brain in my skull back where I come from." Just to warn him, and all.

[tailorspy]

Garak tipped his head back, letting out an amused laugh at the comment.

"I will have to take your word for it, then. As I have never heard of you before, nor do I think I've ever encountered your species either," he explained.

[tallasaking]

"You've never encountered humans before?" Tyrion's eyebrows rose together, as he half-turned towards Garak. "Although why am I surprised? I have never met your people either. Are you from this particular galaxy?"

[tailorspy]

The question actually surprised Garak, which was quite a feat in itself. His eyebrows rose and he slowed his steps, as he looked down at Tyrion, studying his appearance intently.

"I've met humans, actually I've lived among them for quite a few years now. Ah, forgive me, I... thought you were of another species. You're very... short, by comparison," he said, looking genuinely apologetic as he tilted his head.

"My apologies, I didn't mean any offense by it. And to answer your question, my planet is on the same galaxy as Earth, just considerably far from it. Cardassia, is its name, and as you might guess correctly, I am a Cardassian."

[tallasaking]

Tyrion blinked, before his lips quirked up, "So you have never met a half-man before? Well, you are in for a treat -- I am just like a normal man -- except much, much smaller. Although I have heard that in other worlds, dwarves are in fact their own race. Just sadly, not where I come from."

He nodded his head with interest, "Cardassia. What sort of planet is it?"

[tailorspy]

"I am afraid not, no. I've lived in the company of humans for the past few years, but none of them are quite like you. Thus my ignorant mistake."

Dwarves, human or from any other race, were something new for Garak. But he would know better from now on, hopefully.

"Warm and humid, with a thick atmosphere. It is a rather beautiful place, in its own way, however limited on resources." Most importantly it was his planet, and Garak both loved it and missed it dearly. But no point in dwelling, now was there? "Is there anything about it in particular you'd like to know?"

[tallasaking]

"Ah-hah - well, perhaps in your universe they answered my father's deepest desires and ended up murdering all of us half-lings." Tyrion mused with a wry little smile on his face. Honestly, all this time out in the universe had given him a much broader scope -- and being accepted by so many had made it much easier to simply let these things slide off his slightly crooked back.

"I see ... then I suppose you are a planet of conquerors, then. Or very good traders." That would be the only way a planet with limited resources could survive after all.

[tailorspy]

Garak let out a considering hum, then shook his head. "I find that hard to believe. Humans in my galaxy are one of the most tolerant and accepting people I've known. They welcome all species, all beliefs, all manners of life, and they see diversity as a valuable asset. Perhaps it is simply that among the few officers assigned to the space station where I lived, none of them were dwarves."

But Julian was here, so Garak could always ask him if dwarves still existed in their century, if only to satisfy his curiosity.

"I suppose it must be so," Garak tipped his head, not actually answering the implied question. "We are well known for our cultural contributions to our quadrant. Our history is filled with great, famous artists, from writers and painters to musicians and writers."

Never mind that history was the only place where they existed. Mostly, anyway. Art wasn't exactly what the Cardassians were most known for, these days.

[tallasaking]

"Well, I suppose that is something of a relief. Perhaps again they are simply so very successful that it cannot be helped but they are just wandering around without getting involved with any space exploration." He waved his hand with practiced emotion, before he chuckled warmly.

"Ah, that is interesting ... my own country is very much like that." He smirked faintly.

[tailorspy]

"Is it now?" Garak lifted his brow, smile perfectly innocent as though he had no idea what Tyrion was talking about. "Now, isn't that just wonderful? The humans I've lived with have taught me to see the importance of finding common ground with other people. Such as we have done now, my friend."

[tallasaking]

"Yes, I rather think so. You actually remind me of a friend I have there. Pleasant fellow. Had a lot of little birds around. He knew a great deal about everything." Tyrion stated with a completely bland tone. "He liked having common ground as well -- it made his job much easier."

[tailorspy]

"Sounds like a smart man, to me. Information can be such a valuable resource, it never hurts to know more." Garak too liked having ears in all sorts of places around the station. It always paid off to know everyone's comings and goings, what the Federation and the Bajoran government were up to at all times. Some people like staying a step ahead, Garak prefers several.

"What was his job, may I ask?"

[tallasaking]

Tyrion kept his expression completely bland and innocent as he answered the other man. "He was a spy - Master of Spies, in fact. He knew every whistle on the street of Westros, and could twist that information into whatever shape he liked, once he had his hands on it."

[tailorspy]

It's lucky indeed that Garak is so skilled at hiding his surprise. One wouldn't know from looking at his face how he finds the coincidences uncanny; that Tyrion would unwittingly compare a spy... to a spy.

Or a former one, in any case. It depends on when it suits him to be one.

"Ah. Quite a useful skill to have. If only he is in the service of the right people, of course." Or himself.

[tallasaking]

Ah, Garak. You are in Varys's league, butt even Tyrion knew that particular score long ago.

"Of course. The ability to find secrets is perhaps the most profitable in the world. Any world, honestly."

[tailorspy]

"Very true, my friend," he hums, smiling wide. "I must say, I am very pleased that we have crossed paths, even if we don't manage to discover what's wrong with the plumbing system. It's not always I meet like-minded individuals, at least in some respects."

[tallasaking]

"That is quite true. To build relationships is what is going to keep us all alive here on this world. Or in space, or the other ones." Tyrion paused for a moment, "I really would like to find the plumbing though."

[tailorspy]

"Then we'll endeavor to do just that! I don't intend on giving up so easily, at the very least I'd like to find out what's wrong with it," he smiles, looking around them to see if he can find any clues that they're headed towards the source of the problem.

[tallasaking]

"The sooner we have fresh water, the sooner we do not die of dehydration. I believe that is a common goal we can all get behind." Tyrion stated with mock-solemnity, as he began to search the ground again for some kind of hatch or sewer grate.

[tailorspy]

"Dehydration and the awful stench of people who have not bathed for weeks," Garak commented with a wrinkle in his scaled nose. Humans did seem to need to bathe more often, and there were plenty of them around there.

Looking around as they walked, he spotted an area on the floor that seemed darker than the rest of the dirt around, and smoother too. He made his way over, tapping the surface with his foot a few times, hearing the sound echo beneath it.

"Ah," he smiled, lowering onto his knees to feel around for the edge of the hatch. "I think there's something here."

[tallasaking]

"See, you truly understand the horrors we're face." Tyrion stated with a complete and totally straight expression. His expression brightened when they found the hatch though, and he knelt down himself to help look for it.

"Hopefully, this won't lead to a tomb or something more awful."

[tailorspy]

As far as Garak was concerned, that truly was a horror. He didn't worry so much about food, now that they were capable of growing vegetables, and they were few and seemed more intent on helping one another than turning on each other. Energy and running water were the next very important steps in making their stay here more tolerable.

"Thank you, I truly needed that thought in my mind," he said dryly, as he managed to dig his fingers around the edge of the hatch. With the full use of his strength, he lifted it to reveal a set of stairs leading down to a very dark underground corridor.

"Ah." Garak tensed, eyes nearly getting lost in that darkness. His heart was already beginning to race, just thinking about being down there. "Wonderful."

[tallasaking]

"Well, honestly, we have to admit that things are going to be quite horrible for awhile. However, this is going to work out much better? So here we go, with more incentive to make things ... liveable." Tyrion turned on his flashlight and proceeded in without pausing.

"Right, let us find where these cables go to."

[tailorspy]

"What a positive way to think about all this," Garak muttered somewhat dryly, but that was only so he had a way to divert the attention away from the panic quickly seizing him when he was confronted by the deep, engulfing darkness at the end of those stairs.

It seemed like a terrible idea now, to agree to this. At least alone he wouldn't have to worry about others seeing him have a panic attack.

But he'd made it this far. He couldn't turn back now, and with Tyrion already halfway down the stairs, he couldn't stay back and let him go on his own either, especially when it would undoubtedly lead to all kinds of unwanted questions. So, with a deep breath and a dry swallow, he followed Tyrion down the stairs, staying close so he could be as near to that light as he could manage.