( 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

[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.

[tallasaking]

Tyrion, for his part, didn't seem affected by plunging into the deep darkness at all. Honestly, once you have crawled through the sewers of King's Landing to escape to your own freedom, you get over any sort of paralyzing fears you might have over dark and enclosed spaces.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, and began to swung the light around. "Let's see - right or left ... I would guess left, since the fountain was to our right."

[tailorspy]

Some fears were harder to work through. Despite all the dark and cramped up spaces Garak had found himself in, he was yet to surpass his nearly crippling claustrophobia. He would do it when he had to, such as right now. But even as they made their way deeper down the hallway, he had a feeling that it would not be very long before his quick breathing and uncontrolled heart rate would get the better of him and he would have to make his way back outside.

"Ah... yes," he nodded, swallowing down the lump in his throat. "Well then, let's not waste time. Left it is."

[tallasaking]

Tyrion nodded, and started down to the left. Lifting his flashlight to follow the pipes, he kept hobbling along until they reached the end of a long and dim looking corridor, where a metal door awaited them. A giant lock-wheel barred entry, so Tyrion immediately put down his flashlight, to try to move the damned thing.

"...why can't anyone ... ever put anything ... behind a reasonably locked door?" He huffed, pulling on the wheel.

[tailorspy]

Garak stood behind Tyrion a few steps, feeling useless in his frozen panic while he watched Tyrion trying to force the door open. Eventually he let out a long, shivered groan, rolling his eyes and forcing himself to step up to that door, a hand resting on Tyrion's shoulder.

"Please, allow me," he asked, waiting until the other stepped back, then taking hold of the wheel and giving it a first more forceful yank, then easily rolling it open.

"There," he sighed, pushing the door open and gesturing for Tyrion to take the lead.

[tallasaking]

Tyrion looked up at the other man, a frown coming over his face as he took in the sharp and almost pained expression on Garak's face. He watched him, with the wheel turning abruptly and with some force behind it, then rolling it with absolute ease.

"...I could say you loosened it for me, but honestly, I probably would have fallen over first. Are you quite all right?"

[tailorspy]

"Cardassians are stronger than the average human," he pointed out. "And you are rather shorter than the average human."

It wasn't a jab so much as an observation. Tyrion's arms and legs were also shorter too, and limited reach didn't work to his advantage in this case.

"I... am quite alright," he breathed out, ignoring the cold sweat pooling high on his forehead. "I'm simply not very fond of dark and enclosed spaces, but don't concern yourself over it. I can handle myself."

[tallasaking]

"Oh, well, if it is simply a matter of superiority in physicality, then I concur. You are much better suited for this than I am." Tyrion smirked as he stepped in, but stayed close so Garak would not be left in the dark.

"Give me the mechanics, and I shall flex my own muscle." He looked over his shoulder, "To add to that - if you need to leave - leave. I will not have you suffering on my account, ser."

[tailorspy]

Normally Garak would have a witty remark to that, but as it was he was seized by the panic he was trying so hard to suppress. He wasn't succeeding, however, and he knew that soon his presence would be useless to Tyrion.

Indeed, he would only become one other problem for him to deal with.

"Ah, I think... I will do that, yes. I'll be useless quite soon," he admitted, letting out a shivered sigh. "I'll wait for you just outside. If you don't come back soon then I will fetch someone to come down and help you."

[tallasaking]

Tyrion nodded his head, once, before offering his hand out to Garak. "Anyone who is willing to come this far, to do something that is not completely self-objective? Can call themselves my friend. I shall see you in an hour or two, regardless of whether or not I get this working."

[tailorspy]

Garak let out a sigh, shoulders dropping. He didn't say anything but his gratefulness was clear on his face, and he nodded at Tyrion. "I will be waiting, then," he said, and with that he started walking the way back, his steps a little hurried. He couldn't wait to be back in an open area again.