A handkerchief held all my gear (OPEN LOG Catch-all April)

[bindlestifflost]

Who: George Milton and ???
When: Most of April
Where: In ADI, on the grounds, and Gloucester proper
Summary: George is familiarizing himself with his new environment and is never content to be in one place for too long.
Warnings: Possibly some of the eye flower weirdness if anyone wants to do a fair/festival prompt, possibly drinking to excess, will update if needed and also warn in individual thread headers.

1. Home Sweet Home?

It's weird, having such a huge space just to himself and maybe two other folks. For now it seems like it's just Nick, and well, he could have done a whole lot worse. Settling in is always a little awkward. He didn't have much of anything to put away. That took no time at all.

So now he's sitting on the sofa in the common room fiddling with the phone, not because he likes it or particularly wants to but because it has been emphasized so much as important, he'd be a fool not to keep at it. He's less outwardly or visibly frustrated working on it alone, just grunting and muttering to himself off and on as he fat fingers his typing or has trouble making one of the apps do what it's supposed to.

He doesn't know how long he has been at it. Long enough for his butt to be sore and his legs to feel like they could use a good stretching when there's a knock at the door. Immediately, he tucks the phone in his jacket pocket as he stands and crosses to it.

"Who's there?" His voice is deep and sharp enough to carry through the wood just fine.

2. The Library

The short guy sitting at the computer terminal doesn't much look like he belongs there. He's staring very intently at the monitor, his typing a painfully slow hunt and peck style. He seems to be trying to research basic history of the region, currently on one of the local government pages of helpful links.

Every now and then he awkwardly moves or clicks the mouse, often followed by a low, "Dammit," or, "No, not you. I want...you." He's so engrossed in the work that he doesn't react at first to the person who comes in behind him. It's only when he hears a definitive noise that he jumps a little and whips his head around, looking almost guilty.

"Sorry. Did you need this?" He's not completely sure he ought to be here, and it shows.

3. The Grounds

At various locations around the grounds, a short, slight man in a brimmed work hat can be spotted wandering and familiarizing himself with the area. He has a fast, no-nonsense gait, like somebody used to being on his feet, and he's never in any one place for very long. When spoken to, he touches his hat brim and gives a nod. He's fine with stopping to chat, especially if he has already met you, but even if he hasn't, he won't brush off a friendly overture.

4. The General's Store

George's voice is increasingly strident as he argues with the beleaguered cashier behind the register. "An' I'm tellin' you 50 bucks for a plain ol' fishin' pole is highway robbery. Not to mention you ain't even including tackle or bait in that. I ain't gonna stand here and let you swindle me. You been swindlin' everybody who works at ADI? That it?"

"Sir, if you'd just..."

"Don't you sir me. Do I look like a sir? Jes' admit you're doing people dirty. I'll tell you what. You put all a' that mess back on the shelf. I don't want none of it. I wouldn't take it if you paid me." Without another word, he's storming for the door.

5. A Bar at the Docks

It took long enough to find the kind of place with the vibe he was looking for, nothing too fancy, just a hole in the wall with beat up barstools and an older woman behind the bar who seems happy enough not to ask too many questions. Like everything else in this damned town, the price of the drinks is sky high. By this point he doesn't care.

He's seated belly up at the far end of the bar pounding gin like there's a run on it, and he may have found the last bottle. There's a certain fixed quality to his thousand yard stare. Hard to tell if he recognizes you or not if you approach.

6. Wildcard!

((OOC: Bring your own prompt, or feel free to use some of the fair prompts from the TDM. George would be playing any number of games there. If you have any questions or want to run something by me, you can hit me up at velocinapper, PM, or Disco. Brackets are also fine!))

Comments

[canofmanji]

"A robot!?" Says the man not realizing he's been chatting with those who aren't human half the time. "Pulps? What kind of fruit gives you pulp that looks like a robot?"

[bindlestifflost]

George's laughter isn't unkind, just a little startled. "Eh? Sorry about that. Naw. Lesse how to describe this. Back home they got these magazines, see? Hell if I know why they call 'em 'pulps,' but they do. They got all kinda crazy stuff. Robots, Draculas, mad scientists. I don't really like none a' them. I'm more a Western man, myself. Anyway, where I'm from, robots only exist in those magazines 's far as I know. Meetin' a real live thinking, talking, feeling one has been the cat's pajamas."

[canofmanji]

"I don't have anything like that where I'm from, but I've seen the magazines around here. Bunch of mostly naked skinny people on them." He likes this world's version of a "swimsuit" if he was being honest.

"Here, this is me." Manji's apartment is like the others. Shared between him and two other people. Both Manji and Garner who have been living in the place the longest don't have too many personal effects laying around. In fact he makes his way straight to a closet where the fishing poles and a small tackle box is. Although they're not store bought. These are ones that Manji has found suitable sticks for and whittled away what he felt was necessary. Clearly not a professional job, but not terrible either. "Here, we'll head to a spot I heard was good."

[bindlestifflost]

"Izzat so?" He doesn't look like he approves too much. He could say the same about how much skin he has seen flashed all over town.

He walks in with him, taking off his hat before crossing the threshold and holding it in front of him in one hand while he waits. Once he comes back with the gear, he takes whatever is handed off to him, nodding. "Sounds like you's the Manji with the plan." He shoots a quick grin and steps back outside again, replacing his hat.

Sorry for the delay. Life happened.

[canofmanji]

The pun has Manji tilting his head back with a quick bray of laughter. "Yeah! I guess that does make me the Manji with a plan!" He wasn't sure what it was, but he liked this guy.

"Come on, I'll show you where I've been getting at least some bites. Probably some better spots now that the water isn't iced over, but I haven't found them just yet." He'll lead them down to a quieter spot off some docks where they'll be able to cast there lines without too much trouble.

<3 <3 <3

[bindlestifflost]

"Think we may have found you a new nickname." Maybe not all the time. That would be obnoxious, but occasionally? Sure, why not?

"Can't wait. I love fishing. More 'n that, I love eatin' 'em." He follows along, amiable, energetic, and when they reach the spot, he finishes rigging up the pole and getting settled in for the fishing.

"Where you from originally? Every time I ask this, I feel like the answer's all over the place. You know, I met one guy from somewhere they got...some sort a' space station thing?"

(They have space stations here, George. You just don't know it yet.)

[canofmanji]

"Shouldn't a nickname be shorter?" He says in a curious way. More to make conversation then agreeing or disagreeing to the nickname. "Although not sure how you can get much shorter than Manji."

Making himself comfortable he casts his line out into the water. Despite only having the one arm there is a trained grace to his movements. "Japan. 1782. And yeah, I've heard people talking about space travel too. Don't think I'd believe it back home, but it doesn't seem so far fetched after I was hit by one of those cars they have." He says he was hit by a car so casually. As if it's a normal, every day occurrence for him. Truthfully it's only really happened the once. After that he hasn't forgotten to look both ways before crossing the street again.

[bindlestifflost]

"Sometimes. Sometimes it's jes' more what the person is like." He's grinning fit to fifty.

He lets out a low whistle and shoots him a sidelong glance. To think he'd been feeling displaced and out of sorts from 1936. The 1700s? A whole other country? "This must be a helluva thing. You didn't get hurt too bad, huh?" He wouldn't want to be plowed into by a car, especially not as fast as they drive here.

1/2

[canofmanji]

He turns towards George, all humour suddenly gone from his face. His mouth set in a grimace.

"Lost my arm and my eye." He stares for a good long second.

2/2

[canofmanji]

Before suddenly he breaks into laughter like a jackass. "Kidding! I lost those back in Japan! I was fine! Going to take a lot more than that to put me in the ground!"

[bindlestifflost]

Most of the color drains from George's face, his eyes as wide as they go. He really shouldn't have asked. His mouth is open to say...something, anything, when he drops the other shoe.

His bark of laughter is probably as loud with relief as it is at being had. "You canny sum'bitch. You had me goin'. Jesus Christ. You jes' about dropped me flat."

[canofmanji]

"If I have to be missing an arm and eye I should get to have a bit of fun with it." Or so he thinks. "But yeah, lost the eye in a sword fight and the arm some time later escaping prison."

[bindlestifflost]

He snorts a few more chuckles and shakes his head. "I ain't gonna be the one to try and stop ya."

A real, honest to God swordfight. It's hard for him to imagine. "You get in a lot of fights like that?" He isn't touching on the prison comment yet, but it's probably coming. It's too interesting to leave alone altogether.

[canofmanji]

"Of course I do." He speaks casually. Pulling out a pipe to hold between his teeth while carefully filling one end with tobacco. It wasn't as good as the stuff he usually smoked back home, but it would do. "I'm a wanted man back home, killed over a hundred people by now."

This time he doesn't follow thst up with a joke while speaking with the pipe between his teeth. Getting it started with a couple puffs before holding it out and offering it to George to take a turn if he wants to.

[bindlestifflost]

He waves his hand in a gesture of No thanks. The joking has gone out of his demeanor, too. He eyes him a little sideways, keeping the rest of his attention on his pole. "Was that why you was in prison?" he asks, sounding more cautious now.

[canofmanji]

Resting his pole next to him Manji keeps an eye on it while taking a lazy drag from his pipe. "It certainly was a convenient excuse for the arrest, but no." He takes another hit and tries to blow out a smoke ring, but it doesn't work at all.

"I'm immortal. They wanted to figure out how to make others immortal to by studying me." He says it so calmly. Like it was a normal everyday thing.

[bindlestifflost]

He's so not sure he wants the answer to this. They've come this far. He has to ask. "So...how'd you find that out? You...go through worse things than your arm to find out?" It's hard for him to imagine how else anyone would know they couldn't die.

CW: Mention of worms and losing a limb

[canofmanji]

"Oh, that was easy." He says with a bit of a smirk. Setting down his pipe to pick his pole back up. Thinking he might have seen a nibble and wishing to be ready should something bite.

"I was bleeding to death; dying like I was supposed to do after a big fight. When this old crone came up and decided to put some holy worms in my body that fixed me right up and now they won't let me die." Seeing no further action on his pole he switches it back for the pipe once again. "The scars on my face and body are from before the worms. They don't seem interested in fixing injuries I had before they got put in. The arm I lost while they were studying my immortality. I cut it off to escape the chains I was in. Place was flooding and I lost my grip on it." That was indeed a pun. "Haven't felt much like chopping off someone else's arm to replace it. At least... not yet."

[bindlestifflost]

Yeah, he just...he's just going to sit there and absorb all of that about as successfully as a hosed down piece of vinyl. He's bobbing his fishing pole a little on reflex, but George.exe has stopped running. Would you like to wait, or shut down?

"Thank God for small favors, I guess." He has no idea what else to say.

[canofmanji]

Manji still laughs as if he hasn't just caused this man's mind to stall out. "Yeah! So don't worry! You got nothin' to worry about. I think I like ya so I'll let you keep your arms." And just in case George still looks shocked he relents just a little.

"I'm kidding. I have no intention about stealing anyone's arm." A beat. "Although I am immortal."

Wait, is this a chance to 'scare' someone? Should he feed his patron a little? Is this how it works? Manji isn't quite sure, but he decides to lean into it a bit more. "You wanna see 'em?"

[bindlestifflost]

"That's a...relief?" He jiggles the pole again a little harder. He's starting to get the feeling this fella's turning from fun poking to mean, and well...that's going to be a whole other can of worms in another couple of minutes or so. He can already feel his mood shifting darker.

"See what?" It's wary, with a hard edge under it. His squint sideways is narrowed.

[canofmanji]

Manji is indeed some kind of can of worms. He continues to smile slyly. "The worms. Most people don't believe the immortal thing without seeing proof of it themselves. So, you curious enough to want to see?" He'll give George the choice to see it as he does like the guy. If he doesn't want to see and possibly be freaked out then Manji wasn't going to force the issue. Still, it would be good to test and see how much of a 'scare' he needs to give people.

[bindlestifflost]

"Nah. I'm good." It's flatter still. No part of him wants to see that in any way. He has a somewhat dogged focus on the cork out in the water, body tense in every line. Whatever vibe he's giving off, it's not fear.

[canofmanji]

He gives his shoulder a lazy shrug. "Alright then." He'll let the subject dropped now. "Just take my word for it. If some old lady offers you immortality: say no. Not that she gave me much of a choice."

[bindlestifflost]

"Yeah, I'll sure keep that in mind." No part of him has ever wanted to be immortal no how. It sounds horrifying, never to grow old, never to die, just hanging around as everything changes around you. Being here has shown him just how not great that can be already.