[ september / open ] shattered windows and the sound of drums

[princessvegas]

Who: Julie + open
When: post-bombing of Libertas
Where: Libertas, Cadens, Horizon
What: Sept catch-all
Warnings: TBD

[ bitchcraft or bitchcraft#2753 for a starter ]

Comments

Libertas / open / hounds

[princessvegas]

[ Julie is not someone who has ever been labelled as "useful in a crisis". She doesn't particularly enjoy being responsible for important things -- it feels overwhelming and she gets frustrated whenever her efforts don't work out. Not to mention, she has truly lived through her share of dire situations, and she has become sort of detached from the kind of grief that drives these rescues. When you've been surrounded by thousands and thousands of corpses, with no hope of finding anyone else alive, you stop looking for other survivors.

She's also extremely distrustful of the government, and will go out of her way to avoid anything they're involved with.

But one of the few things she's actually quite good at is dealing with animals. A side effect of growing up in farm country, where animals are plentiful and it's considered basic knowledge to take care of them. She has pets here, in Abraxas, and even more of them in the Horizon. It's something she feels confident doing.

So when it was announced that the government needed volunteers not just for supply runs and rescue attempts, but also to take care of the hounds being used to look for bodies, she actually decided that this was going to be her one-time exception to her rule of not helping the Free Cities do shit.

It's easy to justify, in her mind: she would take care of any dogs that needed it. Thorne's, Solvunn's, Nocwich's. Do werewolves need cadaver dogs? Probably not. But dogs don't follow ideologies or politics. They're just dogs. And that's enough for her.

Each morning, when the others go out to deliver supplies or dig through rubble, Julie goes through the portal to Libertas with them. She enters the base like the others, but she doesn't leave shortly after with marching orders -- instead, she stays behind in the kennels. There, she spends her day with a clipboard, checking dogs in and out by name as they return from their shifts. She learns all their commands and dutifully instructs those taking a hound in how to use them. She feeds them, tends to their scrapes and debris that sticks in their paw pads. When they come back tired, she sits with them and strokes them until they doze off. For dogs who aren't out on the job, she entertains them with rubber balls and tug-of-war over chew toys. She can wrangle three dogs at once, thanks to her extra hand (it can be sort of unnerving to watch a dog on a lead held by seemingly thin air).

If you're looking to take a hound with you for your own volunteer efforts, she's the one to talk to. ]

[cointosser]

[Luckily, "not useful in a crisis" has company. Jaskier has long been told he is exactly that -- though with far ruder terminology, of course.

On the other hand, as useless as he may be, he is no longer content to sit back and do nothing. He must do something, no matter how small the aid he offers is. And so he inquires into what he can provide to Libertas -- something that is far from where the fires may still burn, which turn his heart and stomach so much he can barely swallow the idea of approaching them.

It is still too fresh a wound.

However, a host of hounds that need care between their exploits into the disaster... that feels like it is made for Jaskier. Even if he is clearly more of a gryphon person.

Jaskier finds himself more attached by the day to a smaller off-set kennel of dogs being "untrained" -- hounds that have failed to achieve the level of training that is apparently needed for theses missions. And it is these hounds that Jaskier is teaching to howl at his command, as he sings the chorus: Toss a coin to your Witcher...

There's a general grunting from the hounds. They're getting there!

The bard has his favorite hound (a female he's affectionately named "Petunia") on a lead when he notices the pink hair that is unmistakable. Taking care of hounds, the same as him.

He should've expected as much. It is not many, he finds, that keep pets in the Horizon. But Jaskier and Julie guard theirs jealously, and take lovely care of them. (Even if her peacock still destroys his chairs and pecks his boots.)] Julie! How fun to see you here. They're lovely creatures, aren't they? I've found myself ingratiated with the misfits. Look here! This one's afraid of sudden noises. Couldn't get her to dig for very long where anything was moving much, poor thing.

[princessvegas]

[ Julie has just finished checking another set of dogs in and out -- every four hours, like clockwork, the various search teams rotate through them. She's sitting cross-legged on the floor, clipboard at her side, with one of the dogs lying half across her lap as she tends to his front paw with some salve. Despite the fact that he seems to have stepped on a bit of glass while he was out, he's calm and quiet, his head resting on her thigh.

She glances over her shoulder at the familiar voice, and smiles. Every other room can certainly hear the oddly-timed bays and barks, but there's not exactly an abundance of time to double-check on the "rejects" when they have their own keepers. ]

Hey Sugarplum. Surprised Nadine let you set foot through the portal. [ She cooes at the hound that approaches her with him, reaches out with one hand to scratch her ear. ] Nothin' wrong with bein' a little skittish. Plus, you'll never get your little feets all ripped up like these guys, will you? No.

[ She glances back up at Jaskier. ] Careful you don't fall in love. Y'all's place can't handle an animal her size.

[cointosser]

[Sugarplum is simply one more nickname he's become accustomed to, especially with the affectionate note in it. He gives a laugh. She's right, of course, but.] Nadine wanted to help their efforts. She's a bit too busy right now to babysit me, I should think.

[And perhaps he insisted on being helpful himself. What good would he do being alone at home? With a few guards outside the door? That was never a life he meant to live, thank you. Even if after near-death experiences.

If Jaskier can do anything, it is bounce back.]

Oh, believe me. I understand what it means to be a little skittish. [He takes a seat beside her, finding invitation enough there, and lets Petuna flop down next to him, nudging him with her nose to invite a second pair of hands for scratches. He does so, right under her head.] It's a fair warning. [He heaves a sigh.] I adore Mog, but I do not think he would appreciate having to share my affections. Even if I am sorely tempted. The only hounds I've met were often feral, wild ones, and often they were preoccupied with attempting to steal whatever food I had on me on the road.

[princessvegas]

Yeah, busy ain't the half of it. [ Nadine is probably doing too much, at least in Julie's opinion. When she's not sleeping or doing searches out in the destruction, she's either preparing more tonics or hovering over Jaskier. It's... somewhat concerning. ] She's gonna burn out if she don't stop to take a breath.

[ But Nadine is also an adult, more than a decade older than Julie, and Julie doesn't feel she has much right to try and make Nadine slow down. So Julie just sort of monitors, makes sure that she appears to be getting enough sleep, that she eats. Bare minimum things.

Julie's hound (his name is Boris), raises his head and gives a little boof of demand for attention over Petunia. This is accompanied by a light slap to her leg with his paw. Snorting, Julie returns to rubbing salve into his paw. ]

Mog's a spoiled brat. [ Which is said with no venom whatsoever, and is also coming from another spoiled brat. So Jaskier can take that with as many grains of salt he pleases. ] See, back home, we have all different kinds of dogs. These guys remind me a little of German Shepherds, which are real smart and they use 'em for all kinds of different stuff. But we would usually use the word hound for like, hunting dogs. Coon dogs and breeds like that. Dogs trained to hunt specific animals.

[ After a thoughtful pause, she adds, ] We'd call Mog a yap-yap dog. Or a purse dog, same thing.

Horizon / open

[princessvegas]

[princessvegas]

[ Cadens is a stressful place to be right now. Julie assumes that goes for the entire territory, but she only lives in Cadens so it's the only one she can attest to. The search efforts, supply runs and resettlement of refuges, they loom large over over the entire city -- almost everyone seems to be involved with some kind of volunteerism, and while that's great, it's also... a bit of a drag.

Julie, more than most, has always sought comfort in the Horizon. Being there is healing for her in a way she doesn't care to examine all that closely, and it's never been uncommon for her to spend days on end with her mind separated from her body. She has less reason these days to be there for such long periods, but right now, it's still much more relaxing to try and decompress in her club, her loft, than it is in the city.

In the evenings, after the hot desert sun has set and the scent hounds have all been put in their kennels for the evening, she returns home from Libertas and trudges upstairs. She cares for the moth kits, takes them outside for a walk around the block, then she comes back up and quickly showers before she lies down in bed. One would be forgiven for thinking she's just tired, how quickly she seems to drift off.

When she opens her eyes, she is greeted with cheers from her partiers, a drink from her bartender. The evidence of ever not having been in glamorous clothing and makeup is fully erased. She spends hours lost on the dance floor, head blissfully empty of anything except song lyrics.

On the nights she feels less need to completely forget, she can be found lounging on sofas instead, or else in her loft doing various things. Halloween is next month, and she still has multiple aspects of the party to finish planning, to work out the kinks on. (There may or may not currently be an entire room devoted to this task up there.) She watches comfort movies and television shows, soaks in the bathtub, eats every kind of indulgent junk food. It's a good time.

When you enter her club, you'll immediately be greeted by name, with your favorite drink. It doesn't matter what drink that may be -- cocktail, cheap beer, bottled water, milkshake. Any drink. It will be delicious and Insta-worthy. The bartender, an approachably handsome man named Steven (with a V), shows every indication of having already met you. There are about a hundred partiers spread across the club. They are all well-dressed and attractive. They are also notably lifelike, with distinguishing characteristics and the ability to conduct themselves realistically (and independently). Every single one of them has a iPhone and they love taking selfies.

The loft doors have the ability to filter out guests based on her current moods and goings-on, so don't worry about interrupting; if you can open the doors to ascend the stairs, you're welcome at the moment. And if you somehow break through when you're not, there are three teacup Chihuahua-sized (but extremely protective) animals waiting at the top of the stairs to ward you off: a tiny Tyrannosaurus, a miniature dragon, and the most aggressive, a bitty unicorn. They'll make sure to send you running. ]

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine has been throwing herself into volunteer work, keeping busy being her form of coping. When she hadn't been busy with that, she'd been with Jaskier as he recovered. It has been a very, very long few weeks with little true break. That's just how she handles this sort of thing, going and going until she can't anymore.

But that, she realizes, isn't actually a help to anyone. It's hard, though, making herself take a break and turn her attention to anything else. At least she knows one person who always helps give her much needed perspective, and one place that always pushes away the outside world. And luckily they go hand in hand. Nadine has never met anyone who does self-care and stress relief quite like Julie. Sometimes she questions how healthy the other woman's coping mechanisms are, but not right now. Right now she feels like Julie probably has it exactly right.

It's been a particularly long day, and after washing up and falling into bed, she heads right to the Horizon. And Julie's domain. Which is a lot louder and more crowded than she'd prefer at the moment, but there are quieter places within the club. Hopefully Julie won't mind hanging out in one of them. Knowing the other woman's views on clothes and fashion, she's even attempted to dress for the setting. Sort of. She's in black fitted jeans and a white silk t-shirt with scoop neck and asymmetrical hem.

She tried.

Drink in hand, she looks about the club for Julie, unsure of exactly where to find her at the moment.]

[princessvegas]

[ It's been a long day, but it hasn't been one of the ones that leaves Julie entirely drained -- instead of the lost in the crowd, she's sitting in a back booth with an iPad, slowly scrolling through a music library comprised of every single song she has ever learned the lyrics to. Unsurprisingly, it's an extremely large library. There's a notepad on the table next to her drink, and her invisible hand is scrawling song titles down in a list.

Compared to her normal outfits, she's actually a bit dressed down, if that's any indication of where her head's at, and her hair is pulled up into little space buns that are dotted with small crystal pins. Even her jewelry is pretty simple, for her: just fine, gold dangling earrings and the wyvern tooth she always wears around her neck. Her arcana dangles as a charm on her bracelet, swinging in the air as she reaches for the swizzle stick in her drink, smiling up at Nadine. ]

Hey sweetie. What's goin' on? [ She bites a piece of watermelon garnish off the stick and chews. ] Did you eat dinner?

[nadine_he_loves]

I've eaten.

[Maybe not what could be called dinner, but Nadine has eaten within the last few hours. She figures that counts.

She slides into the booth across from Julie, shaking her head a little. None of what's actually going on is anything she wants to talk about right now. Nor does she imagine Julie wants to hear it. They're both surrounded by the reality of what's going on every day, this is the only place to actually get away from it.]

But I just needed...to get away, for a bit. Somewhere a little brighter and cheerier with good company. Where I can drink and whatever without it actually affecting me in reality. It was a long day.

[The details of which don't need sharing. It's all just the same, day in and out. And she's glad she's doing her part - probably more than, if she's honest - and there's a fierce sort of pride that comes with being on the right side of things for a change, but it takes a toll.]

[ushiri]

[ This next place he wanders into flashes and shines and pounds against his senses in contrast to the Roadhouse's comparatively laid back mood. A stranger calls his name and hands him a glass of what he quickly finds to be slightly watered down Arizona tea as he weaves through the bodies. It's difficult to move though, as everyone seems to want to stop him to take a photo on the fanciest cellular phones he's ever seen, all shiny dark glass and glittering cases.

These can't all be Summoned, can they?

After a few minutes they seem to stop crowding him, and he's left to his own devices at the bar with a handsome man named Steven, who offers him something with alcohol in it. He aggressively avoids eye contact with bartender, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people who were just fixated on his arrival.

He stands out, at least, in his lack of movement and excitement. His dark hair is pulled back and the small scars at both corners of his mouth seem more pronounced tonight than in the real world. ]

[princessvegas]

Well, howdy there, Tootsie Pop.

[ Julie appears at his elbow from the crowd, and if Kyle had thought she was glamorous in Nocwich, then he was sorely mistaken -- her dress is tiny, appearing to be made entirely of crystal beading, matches the crystals dotted around her eyes. Her heels are pin-thin and high, and the drink she's carrying is large and bright pink.

But even more than that, she looks brighter than everyone else here, like she was isolated and the color saturation was turned up on her, just a little. In her own domain, she is always the center of attention; she draws the eye, and she can be heard from anywhere in the club as if she is standing next to you.

Despite never having left the bar, Steven follows just behind her, slotting himself back where he was. Julie winks at him as she takes a sip from the cocktail straw in her glass. ]

What brings you by?

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil has never in his life seen a dress that short, or that sparkly. It's disorienting and beautiful at the same time, and he has trouble for a second dragging his gaze away from the glittering crystals to meet her gaze, blinking a few times as if to clear his sight. ]

Exploring. [ He shifts from starstruck to an easy going smile, holding his index finger up to his lips as if telling her a secret, his tone a little wry: ] I try to get my wandering here done all at once when I can - I don't think they like us coming here.

[ They being Thorne.

He lets his gaze sweep across the flashing lights and wave of bodies, then back to her, curious: ]

Is it always like this here?

[londonbound]

[ He appears, as always, in front of the Singularity. Doesn't walk up or even teleport over. He just opens his eyes and he's there, inside the crater.

He should probably stop expecting to be alone, these days.

Still, seeing her, Rhy looks only relieved. ]

Julie. I see I'm interrupting once again.

...are you all right?

[princessvegas]

Hey.

[ Julie does not look particularly surprised to see Rhy. What she does look a bit nonplussed by is the fact that he pops out of nowhere into this space. She is aware that at least one other person has chosen to show up in specific places, and she has no reason to believe that she herself couldn't do it. She just... doesn't. And if she did pop into a specific location, she doesn't think she would choose close proximity to the Singularity, simply because it would be more prudent to first see from a distance who might be lingering around.

But either way, he does appear, and this time, she's not doing anything. There's no twee little scene set up -- she's still dressed the nines, all sequins and gems, but there's a distinct feeling that she put way less effort into her appearance tonight. Her hair is in a basic bun, her jewelry is simple and uninspired. The overall vibe is that she threw on the first outfit she grabbed, and it just happened to be really glittery.

She's sitting on the ground, her legs folded lotus-style, her back against the Singularity. This time, she doesn't even have the excuse of magic, because she doesn't seem to be doing anything at all. She's just sitting there, staring into space.

Of course, that's not what's happening at all. Inside, there's a whole conversation going, at least in terms of what actually constitutes a conversation with the Singularity. Which is mostly Julie talking about all the thoughts and feelings that she doesn't tell other people about, while the Singularity just sort of listens. She's positive that it does listen; it winds around her consciousness like an ethereal snake, and she can feel its body shift and squeeze as she tells it things. When she asks questions, there usually some sort of response, even if it's just palpable confusion or indifference.

And there is, of course, the endless want, deep enough to drown in.

From where she sits on the ground, she just peers up at Rhy blankly. She doesn't have a good excuse for why she's here, so she simply doesn't address it at all. ]

What's up?

[londonbound]

[ Of course, she always looks nice, though Rhy is the sort of person who pays attention instinctively to the way people present themselves, and he notices the difference even if it's not overt. The lack of sparkle to her jewelry, the simple hairstyle, even here it gives the sense she is too tired to do more or too distracted to think of it or bother.

He doesn't comment. He himself is usually dressed in some combination of red and white or red and black, and this holds true today, but it's not a particularly inspired outfit either-- a tailored but otherwise simple white set of shirt and trousers, with a dark wine waistcoat embroidered in gold leaflike patterns. As always, his Arcanum of The Lovers is on one lapel, and on the other is the Maresh family crest, the sun rising from a golden chalice.

Her casual question leaves him taken aback in a way it shouldn't. He balks, momentarily. Shakes his head and shrugs. ]

I think you know as well as I do.

[ The situation in the outside world right now. But that isn't what she's really asking, so he continues. ]

I've been using a lot of magic. I thought it might help to come here and... rest, perhaps. Near it.

[ He comes closer, since she doesn't seem to be busy or trying to get him to leave this time. ]

You're safe, out there?

[princessvegas]

I'm okay. The attack happened in Libertas, so it's pretty far from us. Y'know, in distance. We're just dealin' with... everythin'.

[ Rescue efforts, clean-up, helping thousands of displaced civilians. Increased military presence in every inch of the city. But she's safe. All the Summoned are safe, at the moment.

She nods as he comes closer. Inside her, the Singularity raises its head, inquisitively looking toward Rhy. She can feel it, this reaction she's never felt it have toward anyone else. Just herself and Rhy. Even the others she's met who seem to be able to feel something, or to hear the noise within it, they don't warrant so much as a slanted glance.

A plush armchair with an ottoman appears near her. An offering for him to be comfortable. ]

Do you feel a difference?

Cadens / open

[princessvegas]

[ Julie is pretty sure that everyone in Cadens is going through much of the same exhaustion right now. When she returns from Libertas in the evenings (she really isn't a fan of portals), the streets seem sluggish and the people quiet. They may be hundreds and hundreds of miles from the aftermath of the attack, but mentally, they all seem to be right there, even those who can't spend their every day on volunteering efforts. She's certain that the people of Aquila feel similarly.

It has surprised even herself how deeply she feels the effects of what's happened. Julie has been vocal since her arrival about keeping herself and the other Summoned separate from the natives and their quarrels -- as far as she's concerned, the Summoned need to defend themselves.

But she was also raised in the age of the War on Terror; she has vague memories of the day the Twin Towers fell. She was too young to understand what it meant, what was happening, but she can recall the adults standing around televisions, crying over something that happened fifteen hundred miles away. People who died only because they happened to be American, not because of anything they'd done. A day that changed the world forever.

None of those things can ever leave you, even when you're barely old enough to understand the concept of intentionally hurting people. They shape everything you ever know after that day, they mold everyone you'll ever meet. And now, a world away from any of those things, she sees the echoes of Ground Zero spread over Libertas. She feels the same air in Cadens that was in Kansas in the weeks after.

She's not sure that she's comfortable with the idea of being part of this, being a Free Citizen in the face of this violence. She tries not to think about it. But she can feel it.

In the dim light of dusk, she spends the evening taking care of the chores she's abandoned to spend her days helping the dogs. She checks in on others, she stops for the occasional drink downstairs in Mag's tavern. She visits the shops for groceries and various supplies. And, most reliably, she can be found taking two very small flying bunnies on a walk around the block, their leashes twisting and tangling around her as the moth kits dart to and fro, unaware of how out-of-place their enthusiasm is.

She tries her best to smile at people she knows. ]

[wiedzminka]

[ It's been a grueling few days for everyone, since the portals opened to Libertas and they've been able to go in person to offer hands-on help. It's not unusual for any of them to come back dirty, sweaty and exhausted.

One of those evenings, Ciri returns looking particularly disheveled. Soot-covered and bloody, prominent rips in her breeches and skinned knees beneath. She's just portalled back to Cadens when she spots Julie. Maybe barely missed her on the other side, or maybe Julie's been home all day, tending to work still needed to be done in Cadens.

Ciri hurries to catch up to her, with a gait not quite a limp but somewhat off. ]

Julie?

[princessvegas]

[ Julie's been back in the city for a few hours now -- she and Nadine were running perilously low on all of their basic necessities, so she cut out slightly early to go shopping for the two of them. She's coming out of a shop when Ciri calls, carrying two bags full of produce, and she looks over her shoulder to smile in greeting. ]

Hey, sug. [ While she's been back for long enough to clean up and make herself look just as presentable as she usually does, there is a certain exhaustion evident on her face and in her voice. ] Christ, what happened to you? How'd you get that cut up?

[ Julie is... concerned. Sure, filth and sweat and scrapes are to be expected while digging through the rubble, but Ciri looks like she fell down a hill. ]

[wiedzminka]

[ It's a bigger relief than it has any right to be. Julie's familiar accent, the concern furrowing her brow. Ciri falls into step beside her, and puts out an arm to grab out of the bags if Julie wants to hand it over, the gesture automatic.

She doesn't answer yet, but instead lets out a groan, leaning in to gently nudge Julie's shoulder with her own. ]

Can I come home with you?

I need a fucking drink.

[princessvegas]

Sure.

[ The concern doesn't go away, although Julie doesn't say anything else for the moment. Instead, she hands Ciri one of the bags before setting back off down the street. The crowds are thinner than normal; many people have yet to return to Libertas, and far more are keeping indoors these days, even before the sun fully sets. It's off-putting, when one is accustomed to Cadens's usual constant bustle.

They're only about a block from the Sarstina, and Julie takes a quick glance around the tavern before she heads up the stairs and opens the door into her apartment. ]

You can just put that in the kitchen. [ She says it as the various oil lamps and candles dotted around the living room magically light themselves. Opening a cabinet, she takes out a bottle of vodka while her invisible hand retrieves glasses and carries them over. ] I'll unpack it all in a bit.

[catholica]

( this time, it's matt who finds her downstairs. he'd been on his way back from the library, files and books tucked underneath his arm and walking stick sweeping out in front of him when he catches her voice nearby.

and while he's tired, he still detours over and settles onto a seat, dropping his things down and stretching his neck out. )

Think you have the right idea. I was going to just go to sleep but a drink sounds better.

[princessvegas]

Hey there, sunshine.

[ She hails for another ale, which is quickly dropped off simply because there's fewer patrons than normal. Julie's been with the search dogs for twelve hours -- she knows because they rotate every four hours, and she went through three rotations -- and while it's not the hard labor of going out in the rubble, it's still a lot of work. Particularly because she's capable of working with three dogs at once, thanks to her extra hand, and is therefore often wrangling more than large dogs than she really has the strength for.

But it's work she doesn't mind doing, which is saying something, because Julie hates work as a general rule. Especially work that's in cooperation with the government.

She watches Matt take a load off with a smile of understanding, and hums softly. ]

Can't go straight to sleep, or you'll just dream 'bout it all. It's times like these that make you miss TV more'n anythin' else. We could all use some brainless shit to zone out in front of.

[catholica]

That's a new one.

( most people thought the exact opposite of him when it came to nicknames but he wasn't going to argue. sunshine sounded kind of nice.

he sighs, getting off his feet and taking his glasses off for a moment to rub at his eyes before he slides them back on. )

Would you believe I didn't own a television back home? Didn't really watch for a few reasons but I did listen to music. Put some earbuds in and just lay there while I tried to sleep. Didn't always work but sometimes I got lucky.