pglogs | They paved paradise (Open)

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They paved paradise (Open)

Who: Chloe and You!
What: Non-Experimental Shenanigans for September
Where: Center City (Chloe will probably not rove until October due to Hermione's arrival.)
When: Any time in September. Back-dating is fine
Warnings: None at presence, though Chloe is a certifiable creep on the best of days. If you're a girl, expect to be creepily flirted with. It's pretty normal for her.

Options!
A) "Ok, Since When Did She Become a Cop?"
Maybe the work was a desk clerk's work and not anything on the actual beat, but it paid. It also meant that she would need to behave, at least publicly, like a good, law-abiding citizen on most occasions. The uniform wasn't terrible either, so all in all, it wasn't such a bad gig. After the first few days in September, Chloe wasn't hard to spot, traveling at a leisurely pace between the apartment that she had gotten with Hermione and her new job as a clerk at the police station. She was working on getting an actual job as a police woman, but for now she could deal with this.

So, either by meeting her at the station itself or walking to and from work, perhaps even at a bar after hours, Chloe was a somewhat visible sight. Unusual, considering, and if anyone actually knew her they might do a double take to see her in a police uniform.

B) "No, really, she's still Chloe"
Despite the new job, Chloe spent a lot of off-hours when she wasn't with Hermione moving about the city, largely sticking to the rooftops. She could be picked out by those with an eye for the sky or who preferred to stay off of the beaten path dressed in a body-suit, doing borderline insane gymnastics to flip between one building and another via fire escapes, poles and other similar structures. When not doing that, she would set up targets and throw knives at them or people watch from a distance. The old habit of snooping around was never going to get old, and for now she wanted to know Center City like the back of her hand.

C) "Testing a theory."
One of the odder moments in the month, Chloe managed to find some of the parts of one of the AIs that had broken down and not been reclaimed yet in the Southern half of the city. It wasn't much of one, but she had it set up in a back alley somewhere, nailed to a wall. If someone walked in on her, she was concentrating on the object very carefully. It looked like water was dripping from it, ice occasionally crusting.

She was testing to see how much water she needed to get inside of it, how easy it was and just how quick she could pop the hood with an explosive expansion of water changing into ice. These things were harder to kill than she was comfortable with, and she had no intention of playing nice.

D) Anything that you want. Toss up a prompt or toss me a PM.

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Hermione had spent much of her time locked away in the apartment that Chloe had offered to let her stay in, curled up with her knees pulled to her chest, staring out the window and barely seeming to recognize the outside world at all. She had managed to pull herself out of this almost catatonic state to occasionally look through this new network on her new device, trying to be sociable, trying to put herself out there, and often falling short. Sometimes she'd remember to eat. Rarely did she remember to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, those monsters were there again, Poseidon looming over her, laughing, taunting, and worst of all, she could hear the sound of her own voice sometimes begging for more.

These images sometimes came to her, played through her mind, even when awake. She was stuck in one of those moments again, a vivid daydream playing through her head, trapping her in that prison again. She pulled herself back to reality, the weight of it all hitting her like a ton of bricks, and she was glad that she hadn't eaten yet today despite it being well into the evening because at least it meant she wouldn't get sick again.

Tea. Tea was something that could always help, right? She had glanced at the clock, realizing that Chloe should have been home from work soon, and maybe for once she could greet her with something more than a blank stare. Pulling herself away from the window, she moved herself to the kitchen slowly, starting a pot of water and digging through the cupboards for the leaves she'd managed to buy on one of her better days. Two mugs and a small plate of cookies were put on the counter, and she waited for the water to boil, staring ahead at the door, trying to keep herself present as she waited for her friend to arrive back home.

Chloe wasn't trying to push these days. Minimal physical contact where possible, and when Hermione lapsed into silent states, she simply stayed around in case she was needed. Right now, she was banking on time away from Poseidon being a powerful tool. She remembered that both Raine and Sheena, and to an extent the TARDIS had all managed to do better around her the more time away they had, so it made logical sense that days on end where she wasn't at Poseidon's mercy would help drastically in building her sanity.

When she opened the door, dressed in a smart, simple police uniform, she poked her head in and blinked. A little smile came afterwards. "Good to see you up and about. Good day?" she asked, faintly curious while she closed the door behind her.

The domestic life wasn't her cup of tea, sitting in an apartment trying to talk sense into a human brick wall while dealing with things like groceries and cleaning. The only reason her apartment back home stayed pristine was because it was never used. Not that she couldn't clean, there were just better applications of her skills.

So, she roamed... just a little. Yes, she makes a valiant effort to stay out of trouble, but the familiar sound of knives hitting something solid is like a siren's call. She dips and ducks and jumps until she finds the source, surprised to see a familiar face.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a different version of me." She slides a knife out from beneath her jacket, the one she'd pulled out of an AI - an old favorite. "Mind if I join?"

She had a knife held up in her fingers, the blade turned down and balanced there between the digits. Smiling over her shoulder as Natasha came into view, she whipped it at the target with ease. It sped like a shot rather than spinning, barely reaching a half arc before striking home.

"I've been wondering a little, just how similar you and I were," she mused. "Please, feel free. Always good to find another deadly femme fatale roaming around. Makes life so much more interesting."

"Clearly, they're just asking for trouble by bringing us both here." Whoever thought that through must have been hungover or something. Not the smartest plan for the scientists's well-being.

"It's always nice to find someone else with an appreciation for knives." Rolling her shoulders, she steps in front of the target and smirks before taking a breath and aiming. The knife flies through the air, hitting the target with a satisfying 'thud' - incredibly close to Chloe's knife.

She'd just started to pour the water into the mugs when she heard the door open, glancing up for a moment, and offering the slightest smile in return. She gave a small shrug in reply, putting the pot back on the stove and grabbing a sugar cube to put into her own mug.

"A mix," she admitted honestly. Sliding one of the mugs toward her, she glanced over her shoulder back at the bedroom. "I won't say I didn't spend a lot of it not doing a whole lot. But it's getting... easier. I think."

No sugar for hers. She did prefer the bitter taste now and again. Taking hers and letting her hands warm against the ceramic, she rested against the counter and smiled warmly. "I think it just takes time," she agreed. "This place, at least, isn't in a hurry to force us to do much of anything, so we have a little time to try and relax. Get our bearings. Have you met anyone?"

Chloe chuckled. "I was trained in a lot of weapons. I always preferred the elegance of a blade over a pistol. Besides, you can keep much more quiet," she said, flipping another pair into her hands and whipping with her arms. She was very well trained at throwing the things, obviously, though she nodded in appreciation of seeing someone else keeping pace.

"I should warn you," she said over her shoulder as the second sailed, a little smirk on her lips. "I have a thing for deadly women."

Orihime hadn't forgotten Chloe's warning about avoiding the south side. But she'd been there once before, and it hadn't seemed all that bad. Besides, she couldn't help feeling a little anxious each time she realized Chloe's reiatsu was alone in that area. She supposed it might have been more worrisome if there were two spiritual signatures instead of just one, but if the robots really did malfunction in that area, who knew what they might do? Orihime couldn't detect any of them.

Just in case Chloe might feel insulted at being checked up on, Orihime picked up one of the potted plants she'd dug up from the crags and rocky creases around the cave. It was a ruddy little flower with a tight white bud. At night, it bloomed, but it closed up shop when the sun was out. There, she was just delivering a plant, and not at all giving off the impression that she didn't think Chloe could take care of herself.

When she rounded the corner to see something nailed to the wall, Orihime's stomach jumped...until she saw the wires and metal innards. Why did the robots have to look so much like real people? It's a little unsettling! Orihime made sure to make her footsteps audible, since she didn't want to test Chloe's knife-throwing reflexes firsthand.

"You found one?"

Chloe glanced over her shoulder at the first sound of Orihime's approach. The look when she did, at least until she caught sight of her and registered the girl's identity, was a cold, ruthless look. It faded almost immediately, her smile warming a little.

"Part of one," she admitted. "I don't have any clue where the rest of it is, and I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth too much. I'm testing to see how much ice pressure it can take. What brings you around here? Please do not tell me it's to give that a new home."

Oh, that look was chilling! It actually makes Orihime relax, since it reassures her that not many people would want to mess with Chloe after being on the receiving end of such a frightening stare. Good job, Chloe, yay!

"That's a relief! Everything else in this place seems really new, I wasn't sure we'd have much success." At Chloe's question, Orihime blinked, then looked down at the plant. "Oh, this is one of the plants I found near the caves. It blooms at night. Do you want it?"

"Things are broken down in this part of town. I figured I might find something, however small, if I came into this section and looked carefully. It's still a matter of luck." And, as she clenched her fingers, the metal started to buckle in front of her, bending, bowing and then popping. She smiled in grim satisfaction.

They weren't invincible at the very least. "Oh, is that what you found? You were looking for me, just to give me the ... wait, how did you know I'd be here?" And her head cocked. After all, she liked to think she was sneaky, so the fact that Orihime was here surprised her a little.

"Well, you live here!" Orihime laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "There aren't many people brave enough to do that. I guess it doesn't hurt that I can detect people's reiatsu. Anou...their soul signatures? I already know what Elric-san's feels like, and yours didn't match it, so I figured it was probably you. Ha ha, I'm glad I guessed correctly!"

She turned her head to look at the robot. It seemed Chloe had found a way to affect them. That was good. "Oh, you did it! Nice work!"

She blinked and then nodded. Well, that would explain it, wouldn't it? It would be a good idea, though, to keep in mind that she couldn't really sneak up on her. "Actually I got a new place in the main part of town. I'm living with my friend Hermione. We could head that way if you wanted."

A glance at the hand and she nodded. "I do think it's possible, though it's not going to be easy to do it this way in a pinch."

"Oh, I talked to her for a little bit! She's nice!" And definitely harboring some secrets that Orihime didn't dare ask about. She had a feeling she kind of knew what those secrets might be, and if she was right, then it definitely wasn't the sort of situation where she should pry. "Do you live close to the apartment building I'm in?" She hoped so. It would be nice to have neighbors close by.

Orihime followed Chloe's gaze to the robot and nodded. "I'm glad they seem harmless so far. But if that changes, it seems best that no one fights a robot on their own."

"Good, she needs friends," Chloe said, her own eyes taking on a briefly hounded look. Some of those secrets that Hermione was hiding, they were shared secrets, things only the two of them knew about, only the two of them really shared. She didn't want to horrify people, but she'd been calloused before her friend a long time before. It helped sometimes... sometimes.

"We're near to your building, yes. I wasn't quite sure and got one that was nearby instead of the same one. Just down the road." Starting to walk away from the hand, nailed and broken there. "I wouldn't say they're harmless. Some of the ones here will try to hurt you. I know you can defend yourself, but it's best not to be alone here, unless you can get to the roofs."

"That's a good idea. It's best to spread out, but not too far, I think." Orihime wasn't the most tactically-minded person, but she could be more clever than people gave her credit for being. "Feel free to come over sometime together, when she's feeling up to it."

As Chloe turned to walk away, Orihime hastened to follow close at Chloe's side. "Hurt us? Why?" It made little sense. Why would they be programmed to do such a thing, after the scientists had gone through so much effort to capture them in the first place? Orihime glanced up at the rooftops. "...Sadly, I'm not that acrobatic, ah ha ha!"

"Close enough to help in a pinch, but far enough that if something happens not everyone is targeted all the time," Chloe said, nodding in agreement. "And I think we might one of these days. I certainly will, even if she takes a little longer."

"I don't know for sure why the robots in this part of town seem to be doing this. I've been wondering if this is just programmed to be the 'bad part of town' because so many towns have one. It's almost like they're trying to make it all look like a normal city, when it's clearly not."

"They might be broken on purpose? It almost makes me feel sorry for them," Orihime confessed, glancing back. She still had a soft spot for robots. It wasn't really their fault if they were programmed to behave in a terrible way.

"Anou...when people say that robots attack them...it's the regular kind of attack, right? Like shooting lasers out of their eyes, or throwing super punches?" Not that it was normal, but if the robots were programmed to sexually assault people, then Orihime would definitely take Chloe's warning more seriously.

“Guns are great for regular situations, but there’s nothing like the bulge of a hand-gun to ruin the lines of a dress.” She waits until it seems to be her turn again in this game of target practice, smirking at Chloe’s words.

“Surprisingly, not the first time I’ve heard that.” There was nothing wrong with a little flirting, although odds of it going beyond that were rather slim as it wasn’t a mission. She was a natural at playing the game, though. Being the tease no matter the sex because training died hard and you never really knew when that could come in handy. Pull it to earn a few favors.

Once the second knife finds its mark, Natasha is quick to slip another out of its hiding place - this time in her boot - lining it up and letting it fly with a little extra spin.

When her two had struck, she took a step back to let Natasha move in. Between the motions of Chloe's cloak, it would be obvious that she probably carried several dozen throwing knives on her person at all times. A good way to get used to carrying around a decent amount of weight when you ran.

She watched as the assassin made her throws, appreciating the aesthetics of form involved. She was also getting a feel for just how many blades Natasha carried as well. "There's also something so personal about holding the blade in your hand," she said. "Lining up the shot's fine, but I like that personal touch."

She giggled, eyes glancing over at her companion from the side. "Is it something of a running gag that we all flirt with each other while we're dancing with death in the shadows? A shared communion nobody else ever knows?"

Chloe paused and leaned up against a nearby tree while looking over at Orihime. There was a frown on her face. "They claim this is an experiment, a grand one in fact. The whole island is one big experiment, and yet there's maybe thirty of us, and who knows if there's that many actual people in the head offices. They're using the robots to stand in, make this place feel as normal as possible, and most towns have a 'bad side."

She shook her head. "And it's mostly actual guns, knives and punches that are only a bit more than normal. They're not that strong. No more dangerous than a person, but they behave like a person... in every way. I haven't let one of them catch me yet to find out what they do if they manage it." Something about the way she was looking at her. Chloe suspected that yes, sexual assault was a very real possibility in this part of town.

She nodded quietly, stirring her tea with a spoon more for something to do with her hands than to further dissolve the sugar. The clinking of metal against the cup was comforting somehow. A familiar sound she'd missed for too long. "A girl named Orihime, who I think mentioned knowing you, greeted me when I arrived. And I talked to a man named Steve Rogers who seems nice enough. But I haven't talked to either much more than once."

"Orihime? You mean Ishida's friend, right? She's... almost adorably innocent and forgiving. It's kind of painful to watch, but she does seem like a nice girl, yes," Chloe said, blowing on her cup but not sipping yet. The warmth was a nice feeling in her fingers. "I've spoken with Steve too. He does seem well intentioned. Quite the 'going to rescue everyone' sort."

She chuckled, more to herself than anything. "Already, we're running into a few unusual characters here. I'm almost afraid what's going to show up next."

Orihime was quiet, and solemn. After a moment she nodded, to show she understood the subject that neither of them was saying out loud. She still hadn't decided yet if she should hold out for as long as she could until there was absolutely no choice but to have sex with someone, or to make a pact with someone she trusted that she could rely on for intimate situations. She did want her first time to be on her own terms. But she also wanted to believe that her friends would find a way to save her before it ever came to that.

"Well...I'm glad you haven't been caught. I hope it stays that way," Orihime said, offering her best attempt at a smile. "Are you finished in this part of town? We can go scout out a location for a bakery, if you want."

It wasn't exactly an easy decision to make. Chloe gave her a smile and started walking in the direction of a better part of the town. "I don't plan on changing that anytime soon," she said, winking. "In the meantime I think looking for a bakery sounds like a capital idea. Have you seen anything yet?"

"A couple!" Orihime beamed, glad for the change of subject. "Originally I wanted to help as an apprentice, but I don't know if a robot would be willing to teach me. It would be like reading from a cookbook, ne?"

She hugged the plant lightly against her stomach and grinned. "So I'm going to ask if I can run a bakery by myself. Then I can hire other people who arrive too, or even give them sometime to eat if I can afford it."

Her smile softened. "There's something comforting about the smells of a bakery. It makes people feel safe. It's a powerful effect."

Natasha was a little short on her usual amount considering she'd been pulled here shortly after having all of her identities and safe stash spots burned. It left her a little lacking... Something she was working on remedying.

"It's far easier to control than a gun, too." Being able to vary the pressure and make a precise decision of whether or not to inflict harm. Yes, you could make the choice with a gun to not target a vital artery, but either way it was going to hurt. There was a magic with having the power to inflict pain dangling in front of someone's eyes because at times the threat was far more terrifying than the actual act.

"I think it is, keep things exciting and fresh. Something secret and enticing that only those who've gone through the rite of passage get to enjoy."

Chloe had been 'fortunate' enough to generally be free from the need to use hers, so she always seemed to carry around stupid amounts of them. "The control, I think, is exactly what I love about a knife. A blade can be held, moved precisely, kept close like a scalpel, used to slice only what you most want," she said, flicking another knife into her fingers and holding it almost affectionately, eyes trailing over the metal's edge.

"And yes. That's exactly how I feel sometimes. Only the people who live in the shadows know what it means to live on its edge. The adrenaline... it gets so addictive. I get a rush thinking one day I might have to fight the one I'm with. Wondering which of us is faster."

"You wouldn't be the first to think of running a business in a place like this. It has some advantages if you can do it," she said, considering that a little and nodding. "Personally, I don't see any reason why you couldn't do something like that. I know I'd buy my bread there if you did."

Because, really? The robots creeped her the hell out. This whole island did. It was like it pretended at everything, and a human touch never hurt. "You're right, though. Those kinds of smells. Wet earth at a vineyard, fresh bread. It can help people feel at ease."

"I've never been to a vineyard before. I'd like to smell that." She already liked the smell of rain, especially when it first hit a hot sidewalk, or a small wooded glade. There was really nothing like it.

She grinned, laying her fingertips together. "With fall coming, I'll have to make a lot of comfort foods. Elric-san asked if I could bake apple pies, so I'll be sure to put those on the menu too."

Pumpkins would soon be in season, though, so she planned on making a lot of dishes based on that. And chocolate was always popular, so she'd always have a couple of items centered on the favorite sweet.

"It's a lovely, earthy smell. I'd show you, but it would demand so much effort here. Perhaps one of the people outside of town has one," she said, musing to herself while she walked. "You're right, though, about comfort foods. In this place? I can almost guarantee that those will please people."

After all, people needed comfort in a place like this.

If Chloe weren't already taking on a job as a police officer, Orihime would suggest signing up to run a vineyard. Then Chloe could get paid to smell her favorite scent all of the time!

Maybe she could get two jobs...

"I hope so. I'm not sure if I'll be paid just for running the bakery, or if I'm supposed to sustain myself with my own profits. If I get a weekly paycheck, then I won't have to charge very much." She lays her fingertips together with a pleased smile. "I'm going to offer lots of free samples, too!"

It would have been a thought, but only if she were willing to live outside of the city center. For now, that wasn't on the list of things to do, so she'd just have go for her second and third favorite smells. She definitely wasn't doing multiple jobs. She'd been down the 'inheriting businesses' road, and wasn't in the mood to start that all over again.

"I really don't know how they handle that here, so we will see," she said, frowning a bit to herself. "I'm kind of hoping that they handle it more like a paycheck. Robots don't need food after all." But yet the groceries kept going, so they were buying, which ...

This place was just weird.

"It's nice to see someone who still has the energy to try and be a hero." It had been so long on Atia, hadn't it? People getting run down and discouraging newcomers to not even bother to try a way out. It was refreshing to see people still plotting, still fighting. Cynically, she wondered how long it would take this place to break his spirit, but she didn't voice the thought.

She laughed softly and shook her head. "It is. The innocence... it's weird. I think you know how much I like corrupting innocent souls like that," she said to herself, sighing. "I almost don't want to this time around. Just to see if she can stay innocent. I wonder if I'm getting soft."

The smile that comes to her face at that is one that is rather genuine, and she goes to point teasingly at her, waggling her finger. "Don't tell me I went and rubbed my good girl charms off on you, Chloe. I'll start to not be able to recognize you anymore if I'm not bailing you out of trouble."

"Only a little," she said, smiling back and winking at her. "I'm still just as wicked as ever. But sometimes... there's an urge to protect I get now and again. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing for me to go just a little bit soft."

She sighed and giggled. "Besides, I've had a good and very patient teacher."

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