multiversallogs | It's empty in the valley of your heart [OPEN]

Who: Olivia Dunham and YOU!!
What: Just a little reconnaissance
Where: On the street, not far from the Valhalla Inn
When: Backdated to this afternoon, because even Olivia isn't going to wander around a strange city unarmed after dark
Notes: Olivia is not wild about the idea of announcing herself on the network before she gets a feel for the place. So, in-person intro! And a weirdly familiar face for anyone who knows Fauxliv!
Warnings: None at the moment!

Olivia barely waited to leave the inn after being let out of the arrival room. She took just a few moments to stow the lightbox in the room she'd been given - kicked under the bed, where she won't have to look at it unless she needs it for some reason - and then headed out onto the street. If you asked her, she'd say it's to get a feel for this place, wherever the hell she is, and she's even half-convinced herself that that's the only reason, but in reality...

She needs some air. She needs to not be locked in a small room with that damn lightbox. She needs to keep moving, to have something to focus on that's not Peter or Jones or her powers or all the memories in her head that may or may not be real.

She needs to find a way home, and even that thought stings like salt ground into skin scraped raw. It's too familiar for all the wrong reasons.

When she leaves the Valhalla, she has no particular destination in mind, nothing in particular that she's looking for. She picks a random direction and starts walking; when she hits a cross street, she turns, making a mental note of the direction so she'll hopefully be able to find her way back.

That, along with observing the people on the street, gives her something to occupy her mind for the time being, at least. She's tired and looks it, dark circles under her eyes, her hair slipping out of its ponytail, and she moves like her entire body aches, but she's fine. Or she will be, just as long as she keeps moving.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kaitlyn hasn't been getting out of her apartment quite as much the last few days. No particular reason, really. She just mostly wants to keep herself from spending what little money she has at the moment, and she knows if she goes out, she will. Proven by the fact taht she's walking back towards the inn with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. She looks tired herself, having been out late last night and not really slept well today thanks to the pain in the ass that is her cat.

But what can you do? Not much her case. Or at least, she can't think of anything. SHe's pretty out of it, thoughts preoccupied by the same things they always have been over the last few weeks. Preoccupied enough that she just manages to catch herself before what would have been a really unfortunate collision with an un familiar blonde woman.

"Oh! Jesus. Sorry," is a quick apology accentuated with a nervous laugh as she eyes Olivia. Getting coffee all over someone probably wouldn't have been the best way to endear herself to a stranger, and probably the last thing she wants to do is piss anyone here off. "I didn't get any of my coffee on you, did I?" The lid is slightly a jar from her hand squeezing the cup on reflex when she ahd screeched a stop, but as she looks at her cup and then Liv, it looks like she manged to avoid spilling any of it.

Thank god for that.

Olivia pulls to an abrupt halt, more on reflex than conscious decision - much as she might be trying to pay attention to her surroundings, she can't help but be pulled into her own thoughts. She blinks at the other woman in surprise for a second or two before shaking her head, glancing down at herself just to be sure.

"No, no, it's fine," she assures her with a quick smile - friendly enough, tired though it may be. "I should have been paying more attention to where I was going. I'm working on getting my bearings around here."

Kaitlyn smiles, taking a long sip of her coffee. A chuckle escapes her lips, followed by a shake of her head. "We should probably both be doing that," she notes with amusement. "Paying more attention, that is. So, getting your bearings?" The smile turns up a bit into a smirk, she hasn't checked the cohort today, but she remembers what it meant when she said she was getting her bearings to Steph.

"Just get here recently?" she inquires, turning to look back at the way she came, then back at Olivia. "It's not that hard, once you realise these things have a map," she remarks, holding up her CiD. "I'd recommend startin' with the coffee shop back that a' way." She doesn't say it out loud, but it looks like Liv could use it.

Astrid is on her way back from signing the lease on her apartment, which she'll be moving into tomorrow, after one last night's sleep in the relatively-familiar Valhalla. She gave it serious thought and has come to the decision that she has the energy to go for coffee, and that she definitely deserves a treat because she has managed today rather well thus far.

She's walking with her head down to try and avoid any attention, so she doesn't register that the build and presence of the blonde woman she slips past is somewhat familiar.

Luckily for her, said blonde woman is people watching.

Olivia almost misses her. Oh, she sees her, but she's not exactly expecting to see any familiar faces around here, and as drained as she is, it takes a second or two for her brain to process what she just saw.

When she does register it, Olivia stops and swings around sharply, frowning. "Astrid?"

God, she hopes she's not seeing things. That's the last thing she needs right now.

Astrid stops and turns, expecting to see her own Olivia and being faced with... well, the other Olivia. Not that she particularly minds - the other side's Olivia had seemed kind and competent when Astrid met her.

"Hello, Agent Dunham," she says slowly. "I was not aware you were in the city."

This is Astrid-speak for 'Holy shit, you're here too? When did you get here? Does Fauxliv know you're here?' Not that she's expecting Olivia to be able to read her that well.

She'd hoped it might be her Astrid, though the style of dress isn't right; now that she's turned to face her, the red in her hair, the wide eyes, and the stilted speech make it quite clear that that's not the case. Even so, seeing someone she knows here - someone she likes, for all that they've only met briefly - is a relief.

"Agent Farnsworth. I actually just got here today, so I thought I'd have a look around." Olivia offers her a smile, and asks gently, "How long have you been here?"

"I arrived twelve days ago." Astrid shifts very slightly, her fingers rubbing against her thumbs, before continuing. "I was on my way to get coffee would you like to come." It's a question, but she rushes through it somewhat, and it sounds more like a statement the way she says it.

She flicks her eyes up to Olivia's face after asking - she likes Olivia, and would not at all mind sharing her coffee time with her. At the very least, it will give her more data on the differences and similarities between the two Olivias

Olivia hesitates for a second, somewhat bemused by the tone of that question, but it's only a momentary pause before she smiles a little more brightly and nods.

"I would like that, yes." She gestures for Astrid to lead the way to wherever they're going. "It's been a long day for me, even before I got here. Next to a strong drink, coffee sounds like the best idea right now."

Astrid begins walking again, head down, arms at her sides, but at a slightly less speedy pace. She thinks that Olivia will like the coffee at the coffee shop. Of course, Astrid really just likes coffee, so she may not be the most objective, and she's aware of that.

"I do not know where you would find alcohol in this city," Astrid says, a little uncertainly. "There certainly must be places to purchase it, however." She hesitates, then adds, "I can look into it if you like."

It's a tentative offer of friendship, in her own odd way. She half hopes that Olivia sees it as such.

"Tempting as it is, I think maybe I should hold off on the alcohol until I'm a little more settled here," she says with a grin. Translation: nothing that's going to alter her perceptions, inhibitions or reflexes until she's been here long enough to feel safe letting her guard down that much. God knows how long that's going to be.

She falls silent for a few steps, studying Astrid before she speaks again. "Are you? Settling in here, I mean? The last time I saw you, you were... having a rough time of things. I hope things are a little better for you now, even if it is here."

Why no, she's not subtly prying to sort out when the last time Astrid saw her was, or even which timeline she's from. She wishes she didn't have to. Olivia's life was more than complicated enough when she only had two universes to worry about.

It's empty in the valley of your heart [OPEN]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject