nexus_crossings | Lost psychic, meet Nexus

Lost psychic, meet Nexus

Another unsuspecting visitor has stumbled into the Nexus today, not ever realizing that their usual pathway has changed into something unfamiliar. There's a man in his late 20's, dressed in a suit and cravat, channeling portions of the 70's and 200o's alike with his fashion sense. His gaze is aimed downward at the phone in his hand, a pair of earphones blocking out the loud noises of the Nexus. It's only after a few minutes of wandering forward that Ethan realizes something is different about his usual pathway.

"The Metro is stupid busy today. Maybe I should've paid an Uber to take me home...?"

It takes him only a second after prying his attention away from the cell phone to notice that the people walking past him are a variety of shapes and sizes, some of which aren't human at all. Annoyance turns to concern as he removes the airpods from his ears, forced to stare at the new scenery like a deer exposed to headlights. Okay. This isn't the D.C. subway station at all.

The initial shock doesn't wear off for at least an hour, after seeing the introduction video and reading the Nexus pamphlets, the man is still thoroughly confused. He gets it that this place is a hub, but does he need to ask a question in order to go home? Does it have to be personal? Sighing loudly, he takes a seat on a nearby bench, one hand grasped tightly around his messenger bag handle.

"So asking questions to random people isn't exactly something I usually do. However, I'm starting to suspect that if I want to find a way back home, I'll need to do whatever this Nexus place asks. So, let's start with something easy..." He takes a deep breath, trying to get comfortable. "What's you favorite musical album, vinyl or not. I'm kinda curious if this Nexus shares similar music tastes to my world, or if other artists and genres exist."

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[Two things that Ethan will most likely notice when he sees someone heading towards his direction. The first being that Charlie is just a tad bit taller than him in height -- with her being a demon and all. And as for the second, on each side of her are these little goat demons in winter clothing like her. She had just got done having a little happy reunion with them before he stumbled upon the Nexus, thus she appears to be in a lot better mood than how she was prior.]

[Charlie tilts her head to the side when she hears his question, hums a little to herself in thought.]

Favorite music album?

[She plants a seat across from him as her goat bodyguards huddle close to her for warmth. Charlie strokes one (Razzle) along the head, leaning back to make herself comfortable as well.]

-- Weeelllll, we're a big fan of musicals...! I tend to always express myself better through songs.

Ethan is taking his time getting acclimated to the oddities of the Nexus, from the mystical to the unusual, it's not getting any easier. He's on edge, not even noticing that Charlie is a bit taller than him. However, it's impossible for him to ignore the goat creatures, becoming slightly nervous around such strange creatures.

"Y-Yeah, musicals are pretty good. I don't really have the money to pay for live shows, but I've picked up quite a few vinyl albums. Hamilton. Les Miserables. The Phantom of the Opera. So many good choices, not enough time to listen to them..." He nods, trying not to come off as a scared shell of a man, but the animals seem friendly enough. They aren't attacking him, after all.

"So you're the kind of person who likes singing in the car, radio turned up full blast? Or the person who gets the office together for a trip to the karaoke bar?"

[She can tell by his body language that he seems to be a little bit nervous. And judging by the fact that he is human (from her assumptions so far), it's not all too surprising. Charlie had three weeks to get use to seeing humans and she was able to let all of her 'squealing' out, but even so - she still finds them so fascinating. She hopes she can learn more in time.]

[Wanting to set him more at ease, Charlie digs in her pockets for some change and hands it over to her goat creatures. They both perk up and together, they trot off to the nearest cafe. She half wonders what they will get for themselves but knowing them, probably sweets.]

Both, actually!! Although, not a lot of my people back home are too big on singing.

"Is that so? Sounds like we have similar work environments then, as a lot of my co-workers are very serious and straightforward." Ethan suspects psychics have their own after-work activities, but few of them involve wild forms of expression.

His hesitant gaze is on the goats, even as they happily wander off into the depths of the Nexus to do whatever they like. This is going to take some getting used to, but he takes a deep breath and manages to calm down, unaware that the blond in front of him is a demon. She seems nice enough and he's more than willing to make an effort towards the conversation.

"I collect a lot of music in my spare time, part hobby and part relaxation. Music is something that helps take the edge of everyday life." He pauses for a moment, worried about taking over the conversation or boring her. Instead, he extends one gloved hand to the woman politely. "Sorry, sorry...I guess I'm not used to having people to talk with outside of work. I'm Ethan."

[Work environment... sure, we'll go with that. This is usually where she comes in to explain more about her world and that, well, actually - she is the Princess of Hell. And the closest thing to work for her (besides managing the hotel) is attending to political dinner parties and other royal things. But she decides to not to, for now. This human seems so shaken up about her little bodyguards that maybe discussing about how she's in Hell and the princess of it would be too much.]

[And besides she wants to give him a good impression, first. She's been hearing stories that people's perspective of demons are that they are all evil and unkind. Yes while that is partially true, it's not fully.]

I agree. Music does help take the edge off of things. -- Especially when the days are particularly bad.

[Charlie smiles and grabs his hand; shaking firmly.]

It's nice to meet you! I'm Charlie.

[And it wasn't too long until her goat demons return back to them. Two of them carrying their own separate doggie bags.]

And this is Razzle and Dazzle. -- They're my little bodyguards.

[They both nod over at Ethan's direction as their way of saying "Hello". Razzle approaches closer to Charlie to hand her the leftover money they spent which she just shakes her at him to decline it. She's not going to fret over a few cents. Besides, they need to learn how to save, anyway.]

[As for Dazzle, he gets a little closer to Ethan while digging in his doggie bag. He pulls out a glaze doughnut in his way of asking if he would like to have one.]

It's probably for the best that he doesn't know about her questionable heritage yet, given the overwhelming nature of the Nexus on first-timers. His guard is quickly dropping, settling into the conversation over any sort of fears regarding getting home. It's been a long time since he talked with someone on a casual level, instead of discussing work-related topics.

"It's also good at keeping your mood up when the day is going strong." The strength of the handshake is noted, along with Charlie's infectious smile. "Nice to meet you Charlie. You're the first person I've talked with since arriving here."

And the goat twins are back, but this time around, Ethan isn't immediately jumpy. Instead, he watches them interact with Charlie calmly, observing their behaviors and manners. When Dazzle offers him a donut, he politely shakes his head no. "I appreciate the offer, but you should enjoy the treat."

He'll worry about food in a bit, given his evening trip home on the subway was interrupted by the Nexus turning the hallway into a gateway elsewhere. "They seemed scary at first, but I guess I'm not used to all these new things here. Sorry if I came off as a little jumpy earlier..."

Edited 2020-01-03 01:08 (UTC)

[He doesn't have to tell Dazzle twice as he shrugs and almost immediately munches down on the donut -- plopping himself back next to his partner-in-crime. Charlie giggles and shakes her head.]

Oh, no need to apologize! They can get scary in their own way. But it's only when someone hurts me. Y'know, they were actually my stuff animals at one point. But my dad decided I needed bodyguards sooooooooo poof...! -- He brought them to life for me.

[She wiggles more in her bean bag chair to get more settled in.]

But I know exactly how you feel. I'm new to the Nexus too and uh, I'm... still kinda adjusting.

"Dad? Bodyguards?" The goats seem harmless enough and he's heard of people manipulating objects with psychic powers back home. Still, Charlie has to have a really serious father is order to do something so extreme. He'll pass on asking anymore questions, realizing suddenly how rude his first two might've seemed.

"Yeah this place is daunting, but it feels good coming in with a fresh outlook. It's really just the unusual stuff that I'm still trying to wrap my brain around, but..." He nods, looking around and all the different passerby people. "No one's judging me right off the bat."

"You don't want to ask something like how to get home?" The goblin shrugs.

"Uh, I listen to what comes on the radio."

Ethan has to pause and blink rapidly at the goblin, as if mentally working past his fears of non-humans. Finally he looks down at one of the Nexus pamphlets resting near him, shaking his head. "I just thought the rules of this place were pretty lines up: ask a question, go home. Then again, maybe I'm not 100 percent confident that I'm ready to go back yet."

For someone who was stressing out earlier, he's accepting of the fact that the Nexus and it's unusual nature exists. "If you're okay with random genres, then I can definitely see the appeal of radio listening. It's a fading form of media where I'm from, given anyone can access music via cell phones."

Peter looks sympathetic at the blinking: maybe the guy has something wrong with his eyes.

"Sort of. You might need a Pinpoint to help you find home again." He holds up his own phone.

"Radio, internet radio, it's all the same" he shrugs. "Just not, you know, too loud."

"A PINpoint? I didn't read about that in the brochure." The sight of the phone does catch his interest, as does most technology this place has to offer.

"If you think so, sure. I can't stand listening to long winded podcasts or talk shows on the radio, so it's all music for me. I get enough conversations at work as is."

"Yeah! It's set up to help you navigate and reach different dimensions. Not great for internet service from specific places yet, but wouldn't it be something if you could access anything from any different world that has something compatible?"

My favorite, album?

[Madotsuki had been watching him for the past few minutes—it was hard not to with how uncomfortable he looked—and with the thought, he must be new here too, she takes a seat next to him on the bench.]

I don’t, really listen to albums, but, a friend of mine…!

[She perks up suddenly, a smile playing on her lips.]

He’s really good at playing the organ. Oh! And I can, play the flute, too… We sometimes, play together…

[Her burst of enthusiasm fizzles out as she becomes nervous, embarrassed, and her voice trails off. She stares down at her hands, fingers fiddling with the hem of her skirt.]

Ethan smiles, not at all bothered at the sight of new company, especially since Madotsuki seems nice enough. Based on the way she talks and expresses herself, it's easy for him to become relaxed and focused on the conversation. "That's a wonderful skill to have, especially if you have a friend to create music with. You should be proud to have such a talent."

He notices how nervous she's become, simply choosing to smile at her in an attempt to keep things calm. "I like listening to music when things get difficult. It's as if the songs take me away to different places or stories, similar to reading."

[The sudden praise catches her off guard, and Madotsuki’s cheeks turn pink. She folds in on herself, trying to appear smaller. Don’t take her reaction the wrong way though, because she’s really quite happy right now, if her smiling expression is anything to go by.]

I don’t, read many books.

[Even though she’s still rather anxious, she’s gradually getting her confidence back.]

But, I like to write. I have a notebook, that I write in a lot. Sometimes, I’ll even draw pictures, to go with the words.

You are just collecting all the non-humans today, sir! This one is decidedly non-threatening, though. He's slightly over four feet tall, with smooth brown hair, dark eyes, and pointed ears. The style of clothing he's wearing is oddly halfway between modern Earthly kurta-and-salwar outfits and the heavier, more ornate style of a Renaissance Faire.

"I don't think it's a requirement that you ask questions," he says. "It's just kind of a social norm? I've been hanging around without really asking anything. Just answering."

"...and I'm not sure what you mean by vinyl? Our music is usually distributed digitally over the comms or sat-nets. It's probably not quite the same as what you're used to if you're Terran, but maybe similar. Arraka'aran voices have a different kind of resonance than human ones because of differences in facial structure and hearing capability. There's a much wider scale, for one thing."

If this visitor isn't used to seeing aliens and the like, perhaps the raccoon that approaches is a bit more familiar. Well, besides the fact that he's wearing a tailor-made jumpsuit that looks like a cross between a mechanic's uniform and a space-age rogue. And the gun strapped to his back that's almost as large as he is.

Well, and the part where he talks.

"Best kinda album's the one you make yourself," Rocket answers casually. "Mix tape kinda thing. I asked for recs a while back and got a hell of a lot of stuff to listen to, but I think the Mötley Crüe stuff's gotta be the winner for me."

Kam Loong is at least outwardly human at the moment( though depending on what kind of psychic Ethan is, he may notice some indications to the contrary), a smallish Asian man in jogging gear, perhaps slightly older than Ethan but not by much. He's probably not terribly intimidating to look at---at least if you can ignore the blackened steel nunchaku tucked discreetly into the back of his waistband and the fact that he really is exceptionally buff for his size under that track suit---and he seems to be in a friendly mood at least.

He speaks in fluent, though strongly accented, English,

"Oh, hey, nice suit! I had one almost like that. Different color though."

"Anyway, to answer your question...I like pretty much anything I can dance to...Where I came from that mostly was Latin-style music, I even entered some dance competitions of that kind as a kid and it's really fun. But since I've come here I found some really interesting newer stuff that isn't like anything I ever heard but it's wonderful for setting a pace for my workouts. I think I might even be able to use it to help some of my students learn some things..."

He pulls out his PINpoint and begins pulling up some songs. (Apparently he's mastered modern smartphone use pretty quickly for someone whisked from 1973 a few weeks ago).

YouTube link

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Lost psychic, meet Nexus

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