@cjk [ audio ]

[signifies]

Hello everyone. My name is Clark. I'll try and keep this brief.

Firstly, I've drawn up a blank list and placed one on the bulletin board on each housing floor. If those with medical expertise feel comfortable, they can put their name, residence here, and — if they have one — specialisation, in case of an emergency. We have several residents who aren't from the same point in time, so if you'd like to volunteer to update someone's medical knowledge, please mark your name with an asterisk.

Secondly, ah-- [ a bit of a laugh. ] I'm from Kansas, which some of you might recognise as being host to some pretty bad weather. Now, I'm not going to say I'm paranoid, but-- I like to think ahead. So, I've made up some kits with some of the usual survival paraphernalia back home and distributed them between floors. Feel free to help yourselves if you need them.

[ No one has to use them, but he’d rather everyone knows they're available. ]

Thank you for your time.

( all replies in audio unless otherwise stated )

Comments

[signifies]

2013. I'm from Metropolis, have you heard of it?

[dust_of_life]

[Sometimes, Fatima feels the need to add "and I'm not a terrorist" to the end of any introduction. But farm boy seems halfway decent. And she breathes a sigh of relief when he doesn't say anything about her name.]

Los Angeles.

It was, uh, 2009 last I checked. But I guess that's not a constant around here.

[signifies]

No, it isn't. I'm from 2013. Metropolis?

[dust_of_life]

Metropolis?

Not familiar. But I've never been to Kansas.

[signifies]

[ 'Evil aliens'. The only kind that no one's guilty about fighting, hurting, or taking trophies from.

Plenty of people hate Zod, but they didn't see how the loss of Krypton had torn him apart, or understood what kind of pain that was. In a life without the Kents, Clark wonders if that's what he'd be. ]

I'm not familiar. What's it about?

audio ☂ un: liches.get.stitches

[spellslots]

I sure as hell hope you made enough of those kits for everyone, I doubt they'll last long.

[The assumption here is: people aren't going to be nice and share, because people are jerks.]

[signifies]

[ People are jerks, but Clark defaults to 'wait and see' before thinking about that. ]

There's enough for some more kits.

[signifies]

No? Gotham City? New York?

[starspangled]

It doesn't ring any bells, but I've stuck pretty close to the east coast.

[still, a place called 'metropolis' doesn't exactly sound like a small town. he should at least know of it.]

Have you heard of Brooklyn?

[signifies]

New York? Yes.

[ Tall and blond. This might be the man 'Simon' told him about. They're both from Brooklyn. ]

[spellslots]

Should get on that, pumpkin. [Surprisingly, the "pumpkin" isn't meant to be condescending, that's just how he addresses like, everyone.] You're gonna find one asshole with all of them stashed under their bed.

[signifies]

[ He's just going to assume Taako calls everyone 'pumpkin' or some variation. There's always that aunt. ]

I should hope not.

[ They might have to deal with a displeased Kryptonian. ]

[spellslots]

Then don't just leave shit lying around.

[This is 101 on "not having things taken by assholes"]

You're putting a lotta faith in a bunch of goddamn strangers.

[signifies]

[ The priest's words have stayed with him. Sometimes the leap of faith is first, and trust comes later. It's not Clark's natural state either. ]

I'll take my chances.

[ He hasn't raised his voice, nor made this a very firm declaration. ]

[spellslots]

Your loss, my dude.

[You can't save people from themselves.

But in the interest of actually being ever so slightly helpful:]

You want magic on that list of yours? I got no healing spells but I can undo curses and - now this is gonna sound whack but bear with me - freeze sick people so they don't die until they can get a cleric or whatever to help.

[signifies]

[ Again with the magic. It sounds... actually, useful. ]

I don't see why not. What does a cleric do, if you don't mind my asking?

[pundemic]

Oh, you know.

[She flaps a hand, thumbs at her nose as she steps quickly past an alleyway, her other hand resting against the small of her back like she's half-assing some kind of parade rest military pose, but really she's just ready to reach for that gun.]

You can read them if you want. They're in my backpack. I just thought the exploring was cool, you know? Seeing other worlds.

[Ones that aren't a gutted, rotting husk of what they used to be. Ones the Infection has never touched.]

[signifies]

We can look through them after we're finished with the kits.

[ Her enthusiasm hasn't been tainted, though the rest of her is scarred from her experience. Clark found a lot of joy in Lois' wonder at his world, when the sky was done falling, and he sees this as no different. ]

You know... you can ask about my world.

[ Whatever humans have done or will do, he loves Earth. ]

If you want.

[spellslots]

[Man he wants to make a joke about shitty his cleric is but it's no fun if Merle isn't actually here to get annoyed.

:( ]

They're like, agents of their god or whatever, they know healing spells.

[signifies]

[ welcome to dnd, clark. ]

You know your gods?

[starspangled]

So we might not be from the exact same reality, but close enough.

[it isn't quite as hard to wrap his head around now. after some of the things he's seen over the past few years, maybe nothing should surprise him at all.]

You got family back there?

[spellslots]

Oh, shit yeah! I mean, Istus has got our back and Pan ain't so bad! Not sold on the Raven Queen yet but her bounty hunter is fine as hell so I'm not complaining.

[Taako this makes sense to no one but you.]

[pundemic]

[She had a thousand questions, once. A million. But it all boils down to this: people like David were made by what the world used to be. Which means, when you peel back the fresh coat of paint and the bright city lights, how the fuck could it have been any better really? People just hid their ugliness. Joel and his 'I've been on both sides'. She doesn't like to think about the fact that the one person in the world who gives a shit about her has done awful things, but she can't escape or ignore it, either. Joel's a killer. So's she. Endure and survive.

She scrubs a hand through her hair, straightens her off-center ponytail.]

I dunno, dude. What's to ask?

[And what difference does her knowing it make?]

[signifies]

[ okay then ]

And... magic? This is normal?

[signifies]

[ He shrugs minutely. ]

Pumpkin pie.

[ Pumpkins take up a lot of space. In a world where resources would be scarce, Clark can't see anyone justifying growing them. ]