EVENT ★ WELCOME TO LERAMZEN

[futurologists]

WELCOME TO LERAMZEN After nearly three weeks of "relaxation" in Oska, Audentes is given 48 hours to prepare for their next mission. Right on time, they are rifted to a different dimension, landing them in the futuristic city of Leramzen. Instead of appearing in a large group, recruits are spread throughout the city center so as not to draw attention to themselves, arriving in isolated areas: behind buildings hidden from the street, in public restrooms, stepping into the street from behind parked cars. The key is to blend in, though the metropolitan nature of Leramzen allows for some wiggle room; the locals see enough country bumpkins from all over the galaxy that they're willing to overlook a faux pas here or there from an obvious tourist. Recruits have two weeks before the day of the museum heist. During this time, they should contact their mission analyst, George, but the rest is up to them -- a perfect time to explore the luxuries that Leramzen has to offer. CITY LIFE Leramzen is a highly cultured city, with many museums and theatres, including its prized Lyushny Theatre which homes the galaxy famous Lyushny Ballet. While the natives of this planet are human, recruits will see a wide variety of other life forms in Leramzen, some humanoid and some most definitely not. Try not to stare! The generous stipend will more than allow recruits to take in the sights and treat themselves to a luxury meal or two, but of particular interest should be the clothing and jewelry stores found in the city center. There are shops that cater to any style and taste, including a few bespoke tailors that have a convenient turnaround time of two weeks. In addition to shopping and cultural pursuits, there is an ice rink in the city center, maintained for the long winter season, and horse-drawn carriages that will take passengers on a ride through Leramzen's historic Old Town. This is also a good chance to observe the State History Museum to get a lay of the land before the mission begins. But remember -- don't draw attention to yourselves, so going in all together might not be a good idea. Settle in and take in some sights, and get ready -- because when the mission begins, you never know what you'll be in for. OOC NOTES Welcome to the new mission! Heist sign-ups are now closed for current players, but all characters accepted after May 21st will still have the opportunity to sign up. For more information on the mission, please check the dossier and direct all questions about Leramzen to this thread. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ and you may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Comments

b.

[controlling]

Should you even be there at this hour? [ hands in his pockets, bruce cants his head. there is no real censure in his voice. he regards lance with faintly raised eyebrows.

bruce hesitated on the path when spoken to, but with lance having approached, he completes his trek to a snow-covered bench nearby. he sweeps the snow off it in long strokes. ]

[competing]

[ lance's initial response is a faint shrug of his shoulders, somehow made elegant in combination with the faint curve of the path he weaves through the ice. ]

I don't see a sign or hear a siren, so I think I'm pretty safe for now.

[ he winds his way a little closer towards the edge of the ice, stopping only when he sees bruce move towards taking a seat. ]

Aw c'mon — not even one lil' spin?

[controlling]

I'd rather not risk it.

[ who the hell knows if he can skate. certainly not bruce. risking a possible fracture or strain doesn't appeal to him at the moment. no, he's good on his bench. he had been hoping for a little time to himself. force of habit trumps even the chill of the air.

seated, he nods to the empty expanse of the rink. ]

Enjoy it for both of us. Be careful.

[competing]

[ lance cants his head at he man; the rink isn't all that well lit now that most (read: all) of the traffic has died down, but his eyes aren't exactly weak, and while the man is definitely older than your usual skating rink patron, lance has to wonder what it is he'd rather not risk. then again, he's definitely had his share of falls as he began learning, so maybe the fear and pain of it just no longer means that much to him now.

in any case, he responds to bruce's words of caution with a thumbs up. ]

Nah, don't worry about me. I'm a lot more durable than I look!

[ maybe the term should have been "graceful".... ]

[controlling]

[ kid… ] Still. I'd rather not have to peel you off the ice.

[ a friendly jest even as he leans back. bruce lifts his head to the sky, not expecting a vast array of stars and not disappointed when the light pollution drowns most of them out. in a strange way, it makes for a comforting sight; it reminds him of home.

some part of his attention remains on lance. it's the same part that takes notice of everyone when he first comes into a room or searches out the source of a sound or a shadow. it is something he regards separately from the rest, as he does each of his traits and habits. bruce peers closely at everything and everyone except himself.

it's second nature by now. ]

[competing]

[ lance's response is another shrug, and some fancy footwork that involves creating a bit more distance between them by skating backwards. it's definitely nice, having more of the space to yourself to do what you'd like, but he won't lie and say it wouldn't be better with some company. most things tend to be, at least in lance's opinion. then again, it's what he's grown up used to. ]

Sitting around watching me doesn't sound very fun, [ he ends up calling, after a time. he's making a large loop around the whole rink now, but his movements are idle, lazy. ]

[controlling]

[ faintly colored with amusement — ] I'm not. I'm watching the city.

[ someone thinks highly of himself. bruce doesn't begrudge him the attitude. and it's easy to guess where the kid means to follow his line of questioning so bruce attempts to head him off. ]

If I thought I could skate, I'd strap on some shoes, but…

[competing]

[ c'mon, who wouldn't wanna watch the epitome of beauty and grace float around frozen water?? bruce, you trippin. ]

Yo, wait — you never learned?

[ he comes to a stop once it occurs to him, surprise written clear all over his face. the following offer comes pretty much without thought: ]

Do you wanna?

[controlling]

[ he met wonder woman. ( volunteered to be ) lassoed to a chair by her. all your arguments are invalid. ]

I doubt my health coverage extends outside of Earth.

[competing]

[ ...fair... ]

—Earth?

[ SO MUCH FOR CALM AND COMPOSED AND ~BLENDING IN~ lance practically trips over himself at the mention of ol' blue (the other... ol' blue...) ]

You too...?

[controlling]

[ bruce props his elbows on his knees. he leans his weight on them. ]

I'm going to need a verb.

[competing]

[ if this guy's worried about hurting himself while ice skating, he can at least take comfort in the apparent fact that his funny bone is in tact. ]

Are you from there too?

[controlling]

[ the "funny bone" is not a bone, at all. it refers to a nerve: the ulnar nerve. striking the axon near the elbow results in an action potential, which depolarizes the membrane. this signal travels up to the brain, which interprets it as dysesthesia in the regions of the arm and/or hand innervated by the nerve.

all of which to say he is very funny, thanks for noticing. ]

As far as memory serves. Ever been to Gotham?

[ in any other setting, a way to bring up one's home. here, a handy way to determine which universes are likelier to be bruce's or similar to his own. ]

[competing]

No. [ lance is back to gliding through lazy circles again, but they are much smaller, keeping him well within speaking distance to the stranger. ] But I haven't really been around much. [ he had to travel quite a bit to attend the garrison, but other than that... ]

What's it like?

[controlling]

[ if he must ask, then their worlds share a name and little else. gotham needs no introduction. gotham is. it stands apart and it stands alone, a creature of its own making. ]

It's unaffordable. Overpopulated. It rains all the time. There is never quiet. And it's dangerous. [ his parents. his son. his memory of them and the rest of his thirty-six years. ] It's not an easy place to live. More than any other city, Gotham will try you.

[ gotham is the cautionary tale. gotham is the monster with which other places scare themselves in the light and in the dark. gotham is a beast, unforgiving and merciless.

the self-deprecating humor with he began faded as he reached the risks. bruce looks past lance to the illuminated city behind him. the image is frosted over as if made of glass. gotham is not nearly so pristine. gotham does not pretend to be anything but what it is: the heat of the fires by which they can be annealed. ]

But if you stay, if you rise to its challenge…you come out changed on the other side. Tougher. Defiant. Able to weather whatever comes your way because you already have.

You come out triumphant. You come out proud.

[ turning the reminder of a horror into a testament of your survival. a trophy every man and woman, child and adult can point to and say I wasn't beaten. I'm here. and you don't scare me.

he finds the kid again, and smiles faintly. ]

That's what Gotham is like.

[competing]

[ lance realizes about halfway through that he probably lost this man, in what seems like some pretty heavy and wistful memories, and he has to wonder if the reason he speaks with such weight in his words is because of how long he's been away from the place, or how recently he's just been taken away from it. or maybe it doesn't matter, when home is so ingrained into your very veins.

by the end of it, lance lets out a low, long whistle. ]

Sounds like a wild ride.

[controlling]

[ bruce chuckles. ] It is that.

[ leaning back into the bench, he makes a little moue. ]

Ignore me. It's late. I'm in a contemplative mood.

[competing]

[ it isn't typically in lance's nature to choose solitude over company, but he can recognize enough the earnestness in the older man's words that he can think of noting else but to respect the request. he supposes he'd triggered something with his questions of home, and someone as homesick as lance himself can certainly understand the desire to indulge, to remember.

so he tips his head with a faint smile, shifting his feet so that he's already begun to drift away. ]

Enjoy the sights, man.