multiversallogs | We have this strange obsession / You have the means in your possession

Entry tags:

We have this strange obsession / You have the means in your possession

Who: Rachel Conway and THE ENTIRE CITY, I guess. If you want.
What: Hanging out at the tea house for tea, conversation, and CR.
Where: The Shrove's Wing.
When: Shundi, from midday until well into the evening.
Notes: Note the time of day if it makes a difference to your thread.
Warnings:

Potential for people Rachel knows to get mashed together like Barbies IT'S FUN SHE ENJOYS IT OKAY.

Working the middle shift is a mixed bag. On the one hand, Rachel's day is pretty much shot for anything else; not long enough before her shift for much in the way of adventures, and while her later evening is free it's not like she has a circle of friends or dates or anyone to go out on the town with after.

But the trade-off in being there for this shift is seeing the customer base turn over, from the people doing lunch to the leisurely afternoon lollygaggers, from those arriving for midafternoon tea to the evening dates. A wide range of people, alone or with company, comes and goes over the course of her shift, and she's happy to wait on or hang out with them all.

She can be found manning the tea bar, or sometimes carrying pots, cups, and food to and from tables. Sometimes she even gets to crash at a table or in a booth for a few, or she gets to go upstairs to wait on someone in one of the private rooms. It's a busy day and there are a lot of people to see.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yeah, it is," she agrees, it's nice," but it's sort of a half-hearted assent because she's a bit more focused on what he said at the start. She rests her forearms at her edge of the counter, leaning in a little.

"I'm glad your health's been good. That's really good news. And as far as getting settled in... can I do anything to help?"

"I don't know. Don't know I'm so fond of the idea of being settled in, to be quite honest." He considers her a moment. "You had any luck, hearing about ways people get out?"

Rachel's quiet a moment, watching him. She shakes her head. "I've settled in. I don't like that I have to. And as far as getting out..." She sighs. "I'm sorry, Raylan. I haven't heard of anything yet."

And then, a bit more upbeat: "But I'm not gonna give up. I'll keep asking. Somebody out there's gotta know something, right? It's just a matter of finding them."

He smiles, a little dry, but nods. "If you wanna settle, I wouldn't blame you. I'm already not the militia's favorite person, and I need a way back regardless, but." He shrugs. "Not everyone can go throwing themselves against walls forever."

She frowns, lowering her voice even further after a quick glance around to make sure no one's eavesdropping. "I heard there was some drama with them at the Inn a little while ago. What happened? What did they do to you?"

He waves his hand. "Just a bit of friction, that's all. They were asking questions, looking for some people they think were connected to the animals loose in the city. Not the ants, the ones before."

"The crows." She remembers watching those through the inn's front windows, calling to people on the street to come inside for shelter. "And the monkeys and the--" she waves a hand-- "whatevers that were coming out of the drains. I know someone did it. I can't believe they'd be looking at the inn, though, unless they thought it was a new arrival? Or..."

Rachel bites her lip a moment, thinking. "Or they went for the inn because it was an easy way of rounding up a whole bunch of people at once. I think that's another reason for me to be glad I'm out of there."

She looks up, then, studying Raylan's face. "They just gave you a hard time, though, right? Nothing else happened, you're okay?"

He was inclined to think she was right on her second guess. "I'm fine. I get the sense the militia and the sheriffs... they might be on two different pages. But it's not all sorted out yet."

Raylan leans on the bar a little. "They showed me a couple pictures, told me to keep my eyes open, and let me go."

"I'm glad you're okay."

She falls silent for a few moments, thinking. So the militia and the sheriffs weren't necessarily working together, or toward the same goals. Interesting.

"The pictures. Was it like a photo line-up, pictures of potential suspects? Or pictures of something else? What do they want you keeping your eyes open for?"

"Suspects, but not a line-up. Looked more like snapshots. They want 'em for questioning." He still didn't trust the militia even slightly, but that didn't mean the people they were looking for weren't dangerous too.

"Snapshots?" Rachel raises her eyebrows. "Or surveillance? Do you think they're watching people, the militia? Because I gotta tell you, that's not a comforting thought."

"The thought occurred to me. Hard to be sure though. Frankly - " He taps the pocket with his CiD. "These are more than enough by themselves. Get people used to technology, they give up a hell of a lot of privacy."

"Yeah," she says, with a knowing nod. "Funny, how they were so nice to give us devices we could use to connect to each other. That conveniently gives them a way in, too, if they want. I don't use mine more than I have to. I get on once in a while to meet people or arrange things but for conversations--especially ones like this--" and she gestures at them both-- "I want to talk in person. Not where they could be monitoring my messages."

"Ain't perfect, but in-person's better, at least." He shakes his head. "You'd think one of those pamphlets would be a little specific about laws, if there are any as such. What happens if you break 'em, for one." Law enforcement was around, but he hadn't seen any prisons yet.

Rachel nods. "I hadn't thought of that. Somehow I bet ignorance of the law wouldn't be any excuse." This was worrying--if the militia seemed to have the power to do the things they were doing, and the sheriffs didn't seem to be coordinating with them, what happened to those who ran afoul of one or the other?

"Are there courts? I mean, who even determines what happens to somebody who does something the authorities decide is out of line?"

"I haven't heard, but it'd be worth knowing." Given how badly he wants to get home, it seems likely to Raylan that he'll be pushing the boundaries of the city's unspoken rules at some point.

Rachel nods. She thinks so too--she's under no illusions that continuing to ask questions and dig around for information is going to go unnoticed forever.

"I met a guy a the library--he works there and has access to a lot of information on the city. I could ask him if he knows where we find that."

"Not a bad place to start," he allows, after considering it a moment. "Might give us an idea, too, of what they want."

"Yeah." She's frowning again. "You know, now that you bring it up--I remember that first pamphlet, the one we got in the room, saying that we needed to mind the laws and be good citizens. It seems really unfair that they say that up front but they don't tell you what the laws are so you can make sure you do that. You don't think they're trying to set people up, do you?"

Raylan honestly considers. "Could be. Seems to me more like they're building in an excuse. They're not interested in entrapping people for its own sake, but it'd give 'em a great reason to haul me in if I talk back again, for example."

Rachel's gaze drifts, thoughtful. Then she nods, eyes focusing on Raylan's face again. "I think you're right. I mean, think about it--it gives them more power and gives us less of a leg to stand on, right? If they keep things vague, then they have more leeway for what they can call someone on. And we're less likely to protest or, like, try to fight anything if we're not sure what we can and can't get away with."

"Right. I mean." He smiles, wry. "Do you know any lawyers here? Locals?"

Her mouth curved, her smile mirroring his. "Not yet," she declared. "But I'll see about finding one. Might not be a bad idea to have a friendly one on our side if we're gonna keep poking at this place with sticks and being hassled by the militia."

"If they exist, they're good people to know," he agreed. He wasn't fond of lawyers on principle, but he was less fond of being thrown in jail.

"I'll make it a priority. Better to find one and get him on our side now, and never need him, than to try to scramble to find one if there's more trouble."

She'd just pray they never actually needed one.

"You want me to ask the guy about the laws? Do you want to ask? Or do we just want to get friendly with him?"

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