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Dariusprime

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Freedom City Guidebook

Freedom City PBP: A How-To Guide

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  1. Dariusprime
    Nick left straight away after breakfast and chores. The hike to the seacoast intrigued him the most, and off he set into the brush. The hike took him nearly three hours. Leisurely walking and frequent pauses under falling leaves ate up the time. Classmates heading to the sea likely spotted him dozing under a tree. Eventually, his path emerged onto the rocks where he overlooked the sea. A sea he had never seen before. Today the topic centered on the theme of the trip: birdwatching. He spent hours with his arms wrapped around his knees watching the seabirds. His mind processed the sounds as it always did. The quiet however shifted the process from a frantic search for understanding to a tranquil inquiry. One of the few conscious thoughts the entire day came as a mental note to thank Lulu for the meditation lessons. This must be what serenity felt like. In the late afternoon, a parakeet landed on a rock near his perch. The bird studied him. He studied it back. It chirped. He listened and smiled. Only days later would he learn about the species and its extinction. In this moment, the birds, whales, and the deep rumblings of the sea were about perfect solitude. Until the radio signal came. Slowly his head turned toward the source. Davyd needed help, and his calculations suggested a location down the beach. Turning back to the rock, the bird was gone. Nick smiled, stood up without aches or pains, and stretched. A quick check of landmarks, and the location of his rocky perch, followed. Once confident of his navigation, Nick scrambled down the rocks and jogged along the beach hoping to spot Davyd.
  2. Dariusprime
    As the stories began, Nick began looking more ill-at-ease again. In this case, the awkwardness began creeping back into his shuffling in place. Eventually, he steeled his courage and began signing. Realizing the obvious issue, out came the battered tablet he usually carried. Frowning and shuffling, he held up the tablet like at chest level. The framed message and stance looked like a mug shot. The tablet read, "I haven't spoke to my favorite cousin since I was eight. My family cut off contact." The message only displayed for a few seconds. Tablet on the table, Nick held out his arms in offer of a hug to Lulu. Looked like she needed one. Then he offered to Mia, Ashley, and Àjàṣorò. Àjàṣorò hadn't shared yet, but her earlier round of introductions keyed her as a hugger. Nick had been otherwise engaged with cupcakes at the time.
  3. Dariusprime
    Nick cocked his head to the side as his face scrunched up in thought. To Lulu, and perhaps Aquaria, he looked quite confused. Vague hand gestures, half-formed ASL words, punctuated his thought process. Finally though, he typed a reply and held up the tablet. Now looking both bashful and curious. "How could a language have such a profound effect? Your Lemurian was translated in real time, and I can hear the components outside of normal human range." He didn't add the tongue-in-cheek rejoinder about going mad from the revelation. Once they finished reading, he turned the tablet to begin typing but stopped. One thing at a time as he concentrated on Aquaria for her answer. So many more questions.
  4. Dariusprime
    Nick shifted uncomfortably at being the center of attention. He looked back-and-forth between Lulu and Aquaria. Now that the opportunity presented itself, all of his questions fled his mind. Quickly, a review of his thoughts were conducted. Standing there, he seemed to be staring off in thought for a moment or two. A lot of them focused on convincing himself to even ask Aquaria anything. Probably one of the reasons for his vanishing act. Others approached from the angle of what sorts of questions to ask. He didn't want to focus on trivial, though to him very interesting, things lest he annoy her. Conversely, he didn't want to get lost in the clouds with big picture questions. The central thread was that he had a lot of questions. Taking a slow breath, he began typing on his tablet. He held up the resulting question for them to read, looking a bit bashful. "Why exactly is Lemurian unhealthy for Surfacers?"
  5. Dariusprime
    Nick somehow dragged his attention from Ben and gave Mia a thumbs up before moving his seat so she could join the group. He looked at Judy for her preference before focusing back on Octo-Ben. His shenanigans were already the stuff of legend and very endearing, if he was honest. Seeing him on the ceiling, calling out for telepathic(?) assistance, didn't really phase Nick. Hearing Heroditus not only volunteer but possibly suggest the perfect interface between the cube and Ben's computer filled him with dread. Now Nick had enough self awareness to know he was a bit of a scaredy cat. Well, more like cautious in his own opinion. Still he only needed a few seconds to realize he didn't like this idea. Combining Ben's mad skills and programmable matter should be done under...more controlled conditions. Not that he distrusted Ben. He seemed like good octo-people. Heroditus, although he didn't know him well, seemed generally quite level-headed too. But this was ill-advised. Benny spurred him into action. For the most part, Nick had been polite and inclusive with Benny as anyone else. After all this was Claremont. Looks really didn't mean much here. Benny though had the look of someone that had seen or started some stuff. If he was nervous, something was afoot. Now he just had to deal with the situation in a productive manner. His face furrowed in thought. Typing on his tablet, he held it up for Judy and Mia, "Would you excuse me a moment please?" After which he moved quickly. A big circle around the cube landed him next to Claude. The tablet passed to the Bostonian, reading in small font, "Would you make sure they don't blow up the school or call forth Dagon or something? You're trained for this weirdness. Please?" He didn't want to plead, but the small teen looked worked up and kept glancing at Ben's cube.
  6. Dariusprime
    Nick figured out a couple of things between cupcakes. One, the cupcakes were among the best he ever had. Barring his grandmother's, but bias may have been in play there. Two, the room had a certain tension. He couldn't put his finger on it precisely. Judy played a gracious host and tried to break the ice. Yet the arrivals felt rather awkward. Hesitant even. Àjàṣorò tried valiantly. Nick knew Lulu would likely try the same. How then to get the ball rolling? Thankfully, the other cupcake brought his fidgeting under control. Still his gaze crossed the room looking a little confused as well as out-of-place. He really had no clue how a meeting like this should proceed. Although unknowing, Lulu and Nick came from similar situations. The Iowan may be coming out of his shell a bit, but this situation came completely uncharted. During his musings, Nick gave a thumbs up at Elizabeth's praise of the cupcakes. Nick's enthusiasm seconded their high quality. Pie beckoned though. Nick moved away from the snack table to make room for Lulu and Mia. Lulu didn't need telepathy to know the target of his next snack attack. He smiled and nodded in greeting to Mia as Lulu set down the pie. Letting things develop naturally was the safe bet. That thought seemed to placate him a bit, judging from his shoulders relaxing.
  7. Dariusprime
    Nick froze at receiving a new signal. The signal felt...strange...to say the least. The analysis rang strongly of matter-anti-matter and sounded like what he would guess a black hole would sound like. He slowly turned and watched wide-eyed at Leroy's display. Yes, the prince impressed him. Especially given the effort required! Once the strange object emerged, Nick pursed his lips to whistle but managed to clap his hand over his mouth in time. The energy signature from the block pulsed alongside the glow, an eerie, cosmic chant that was at once mesmerizing and sending chills up his spine. He decided, for his own sanity, to study it at a respectful distance. That Judy had another block of the stuff on her desk made Nick blink. Now while it wouldn't put out anything dangerous, particularly to Judy, the "programmable matter" thing still made Nick nervous, and he looked it with a bout of fidgeting with his hands. Part of him was curious as to what the "thing with the lights" entailed though. Thankfully, his conversation with Judy picked back up. Typing away, the tablet read, "No sleeping or eating? Lucky! Seriously though, how about Tuesdays and Thursdays around 4 pm? We can practice until dinnertime. Add time/days as needed." The follow up message, after glancing around the room and ignoring the creepy Lego, read, "I'll see if I can scavenge up some old computers and other electronics. If you fry them, they go into the recycling." Surely Claremont had at least a closet of old office devices, or failing that, the local thrift shops had to have a few Windows 98 PCs languishing in obscurity. They would go to a good cause or go out in a blaze of glory! Maybe their new teacher would know a cache?
  8. Dariusprime
    Nick returning to the group of Mia, Micah, and Claude was the original plan. As noted though, herding cats.
  9. Dariusprime
    The peace reminded Nick of good memories. Going down to the creek by his great uncle's house and fishing all day. And sometimes all night. Watching the stars. Setting campfire food ablaze. Laughing at his uncle's corny jokes. Good times. Better days. Up until that point, Nick pitched in with enthusiasm. One couldn't call him a survivalist, but he knew enough to pull his own weight whipping the camp into shape. All the while he listened, listened, listened. Every once in a while he'd freeze in place and stare off. Occasionally, what interested him was readily apparent. Like the very large tom turkey that studied the camp in the late afternoon. Other times he seemed to stare off blankly into the trees. Though loathe to admit it, the whales singing lower than human hearing intrigued him the most. While he couldn't sing along with Snow White, Nick did clap along with the song. Before the delicious campfire cookin' put him out, Nick could be spotted stargazing across a sky that had never known human pollution. Jupiter sang loud and clear, and if he concentrated, he swore he could hear the rumblings of Io's volcanoes. The cosmic microwave background stole the show though. As the soothing echoes put him to sleep, he felt like he was listening to the divine.
  10. Dariusprime
    Nick shuffled into the classroom with his hands in his pockets. His usual attire remained with the first appearance of a Black Sabbath t-shirt. The kid really must have a stack of band shirts. He didn't look so much nervous or fidgety, his default state if not focused on some project or another. Tired described him better. Classmates knew he didn't really do much in class besides doodle and daydream. He must still be losing sleep. Seeing him at GSA was interesting for the obvious reason. Him popping up at yet another club came as another. Being from the flat desolation of central Iowa, no secret on his part, must have motivated him to see what he could. In any event, he looked like a fish out of water. Which definitely defined his default demeanor. Stopping just inside the door, Nick assessed the room. A look of surprise crossed his face. Not at any one person it seemed but the general number of visitors. Whether higher or lower than anticipated, only Lulu could say. He smiled warmly and waved to Judy as he bee-lined to the cupcakes. Before snagging one for each hand, Ashley's shirt prompted another smile and the sign of the horns in her direction. Metal, the universal language. For the moment, he looked content to nibble on the cupcakes and nod greetings to his classmates.
  11. Dariusprime
    Nick slowly nodded once in recognition of her sympathies, and nodded again at her answer. He didn't believe it for a second but appeared to accept her answer at face value. The brightening of her smile seemed to please him though. Before he could write a reply, he caught Ashley's look and made eye contact. It lasted a second or two. Long enough that his smile slipped a bit but still felt guileless. Quickly enough he went to his tablet and typed. Probably to keep from fidgeting. Holding up the tablet, it read, "I did. Having someone to talk to can make a huge difference. Would you like to set up a regular practice time? I could use the practice too." Scratching his head, he erased the message after she finished, and posted another one, "We could meet in one of the common rooms. I live on campus and am free most evenings." As to her question, Nick leaned back in his chair, slowly turning the tablet end-over-end. His gathered thoughts translated into another message, "Little of everything. I tinker. Code. Figure out how things work. I'd like to find a project car to rebuild." He continued shortly, "I really like astronomy, but the light and radio pollution here means I'm out of luck. Why I came here today: to find another hobby." His face lit up as a thought occurred to him. Perhaps it was obvious in hindsight. He added one last message, "Maybe I can help you learn to talk to computers?"
  12. Dariusprime
    Nick, despite his small size, returned a good, firm handshake. The smile widened as he nodded one, twice, and then shook his head. Once his hand was free, he accepted the pad back and tapped his mouth with the back of the other hand. Writing, the pad read, "I hear fine but can't speak. Thank you for asking." Looking around at the assembled group, he wrote, "Have you been birdwatching before? I am out of my element here." He didn't add that, aside from watching prairie chickens stomp at dawn, most of his avian interactions were based on culinary qualities.
  13. Dariusprime
    That's when Nick did something really unexpected. Aside from going crossed eyed looking at the illusionary fish. He smiled brightly, stood up straight, and almost jogged the short distance to the two. Was this all part of his plan? Nah, probably not. He did offer the plate of cookies to the two though. The plate proffered with one hand, Nick reached under the back of his shirt, withdrew a battered tablet, and held it up. The pre-typed message read, "Thank you." He hesitated at further introductions, and his demeanor became more somber. His appearance, after all, was mid conversation. Probably thought it best to let them continue.
  14. Dariusprime
    Nick sat and listened politely. He nodded at appropriate moments and generally tried to be a good listener. Once she finished, his reply took a bit to type into his battered tablet. Turned to Judy, it read, "Apology accepted. The experience was a bit jarring, but I'm sensitive to such things. I did receive your message though." To keep the text easily readable, the font was larger than normal and necessitated shorter replies. Another round of typing, and it read, "That's really fascinating! That would explain why your message was mostly in the UHF range. At first I thought a router was glitching. Impressive use of multiple frequencies!" He looked off in a thought a moment, looked to start typing, and stopped. Instead of facing the elephant in the room, Nick decided to answer her question first. Assuming she framed her question around his powers. He ran a finger around the tablet's case in thought and eventually typed away. "I detect all frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, particle radiation, and sonic frequencies." Once that was relayed, he tapped the tablet, looking a bit hesitant, before shrugging and typing, "The things I have heard altered my vocal patterns. So my voice destroys things when I speak. A whisper would destroy delicate objects nearby. A shout could level the building." The weak smile matched Judy's smile well. "Sounds to me," he held up the tablet, "like we both have had bad experiences and are ill-at-ease with our powers. How are you feeling?" A more genuine smile and silent chuckle accompanied the message.
  15. Dariusprime
    Nick pulled a disappearing act soon after the finale. Sharp-eyed observers noted his brief reappearances and equally quick departures. Each time he snagged something from the snack table, glanced at Aquaria uncertainly, and was gone. Now that the crowds thinned he appeared again. He hit the snack table for another round about the time the Christmas Frog topic began. He looked over in confusion but didn't approach. Now the funny part came bit-by-bit. Slowly but surely, Nick edged his way around the snack table. Oh, he'd stop and graze a cookie or two. Soon enough though he'd turned the corner across from Aquaria and Lulu. A minute or so later he'd reached the halfway point. At that point he was close enough to easily listen, but conflicted about not being rude for eavesdropping, so to speak. He settled on having another double-chocolate cookie and tried to avoid being noticed. Standing right out in the open.
  16. Dariusprime
    Once his head cleared, Nick took a moment to take stock of what Mia correctly called chaos. Felt a lot like the day he moved into the dorms. Well, no time like the present. Pulling up his tablet, Nick considered Claude's ideas. They were solid ones... ...but he needed to take a moment. A quiet scan of the room, visual and auditory, made him reconsider his course of action. Admittedly, some of the ideas he considered seemed frightening, but as he already pondered, no time like the present. So he went about the situation in a series of tactical decisions. The anxious Atlantean's tablet(?) would wait for now, but others went into action. First, he signed to Claude, "Why don't we invite her," pointing to Mia, "and him over? They could use the company." Especially after Mia's headdesk-ing. Not waiting for a reply, Nick stood up, twirled his tablet under his arm, and headed off toward Mia. The shift in his demeanor felt significant to Claude, but not unexpected, as the small teen felt most confident when set on a goal of some sort. Stopping beside Mia, he gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder and a warm smile. Those gestures came before an open-handed motion toward where Claude and he were sitting. A quick nod that he was, indeed, serious, Nick shuffled over to Micah and offered a fist bump. Nick hadn't met Micah either, but extended the same silent offer to join Claude and himself. All this in perhaps less than a minute. He didn't return to the group though. His path bee-lined to the trio of Judy, Ashley, and Ben. A bit of typing and the tablet faced them, "I'm Nick. Nice to meet you all. May I join you for a moment please? If you are interested, I would enjoy chatting about your powers a bit, Judy." The kid was obviously a bit nervous and fidgety but holding himself together. The smiled remained, and he offered a handshake to any takers among the trio. He was, if nothing else, forthright when motivated.
  17. Dariusprime
    Vox: 33 posts = 3pp + Vignette 1pp = 4 pp Crime Doesn't Pay (2) Extradimensional Birdwatching Club (8) Here & Now & Then (3) It's Mov(in)g Day! (1) Left You Here Above (6) Rainbow Connection (4) Tech Compliance (9) Extracurricular: Vignette (1pp)
  18. Dariusprime
    It's so quiet... Nick brought up the rear of the expedition, and stood at the portal looking around in child-like wonder. Like Judy the radio quiet was the first thing he noticed. For Nick the quiet extended outward along the electromagnetic spectrum, and the near total lack of human-made emissions felt like a weight off his chest. Pinpointing the two signals: something Judy was carrying, and a radio transmitter, Nick let out a long sigh of relief. Mentally, he opened the other half of his psionic senses to the world around him. The snap of twigs, the rumble of beetles in the earth, the subsonic calls of animals through the trees, all of them echoed loudly now that the barrage of signals were gone. He smiled. Not wanting to be left behind, he hurried along with the group. His attire consisted of what one would expect from a Fall expedition. His usual jeans and shirt, of course, but also an insulated red jacket, hiking boots, backpack with light camping gear, and his cowboy hat. Oh, and a notepad and pencil for communication issues. No need to bring an electronic device to such a pristine place. Speaking of communication issues... Once Mr Jorgensen gave the okay, Nick picked out a spot and dumped his backpack with a thud. "Enthusiastic" was probably a good term for the skip in his step. A quick scribble on his notepad and he walked up to the first person he didn't yet know. In this case, Danica. The pad read, "I'm Nick. Nice to meet you," and was accompanied by an offered handshake and smile.
  19. Dariusprime
    Nick dozed into the chant-like drone of the electronics. Suddenly a pulse of chaotic energy hit him like a hammer, and he jumped upright in his seat. The desk tipped back but didn't fall. Which gave Nick time to whip his head toward Judy. That turned out to be a mistake. Reflexively, the electromagnetic oracle pushed back the Cacophony, the overlapping electromagnetic and auditory signals he constantly received, and focused entirely on Judy. His mind had already triangulated the multiple signals to her and analyzed each one. They were a jumble across the radio spectrum including wi-fi and local amateur bands. All signals translated as Hey! If that was all, he'd only be confused as Judy stared through him. Then the second half of her message hit. He grimaced and nodded absently through closed eyes. Thankfully for Nick, other arrivals, particularly Leroy and Octo-Ben, threw some cover his way. Eyes watering a bit, Nick waved to the Ben and signed, "Wassup tentacled teen terror fuzzy soda tank?" Yes, Ben, Claude, and he were having truly meaningful conversation. Quickly as he arrived though, Ben moved on and left Nick rubbing his head. The sharp sensation Nick had been feeling slowly passed as he watched the scene unfold. Finally, he nodded to Claude as a way to clear his head.
  20. Dariusprime
    Goodbye... The sudden emotional silence inside his head told him the connection was gone. To be honest, Nick wanted the conversation to continue. Lulu had other duties and was no doubt greeting other new students. He liked her. She was good people. He made a mental note to seek out Lulu, and by extension, her boyfriend, Adam. With a silent sigh, Nick hauled himself vertical and sat the guitar on the amp. Room 102 was quiet although he could pick up sounds in every direction. Claude must have vacated. Curious fellow that one. Chewing his lip, Nick considered what to do next when the obvious struck him. Slapping his own forehead, Nick peeked out the door, left and right, and headed down the hall during a quiet moment. The crowds had thinned considerably much to Nick's relief. He stood before the empty cart blinking. After a pause, he shuffled back to his room. He smiled at the armload of goodies. Claude was probably good people too. Moving in didn't take long for Nick either. A drawer's worth of clothes, toiletries in the bathroom, and a couple pairs of shoes slipped under his bed. Various and sundry school supplies were dumped unceremoniously on his desk. Three framed pictures were in his hands when he spotted Claude's photos. He examined them for a moment with a wistful look on his face. Two of the three of his own photos were tossed in the empty bin. The third was placed on his desk. The subjects were a younger Nick, proudly holding a trout, and an older man holding a fishing pole. Both sported big smiles.
  21. Dariusprime
    Nick shuffled quietly into the classroom. He was in his usual attire: jeans, band t-shirt, and sneakers. Judging from yet another, different shirt, the kid's wardrobe must have been all concert souvenirs. In any event, Nick gave a little wave to the assembled group and an equally shy wave to the teacher. It wasn't that he was aloof. On the contrary, his eyes darted about like he wanted to interact and didn't know how. How much was his powers and how much was his personality was a mystery. The silent greeting gave him a chance to assess the room. Giving the Smith sisters a wide berth, he sat down next to Claude and gave him a thumbs up. His roommate didn't need to prod Nick to the tech lab. This topic made him eager to attend. A tablet was produced from under the back of his shirt, and the petite Midwesterner leaned forward in anticipation. Well, once he thumped the tablet to make it boot properly. Mentally, he tuned into the background hum of electronics. The predictable electromagnetic signatures were sort of soothing. A small smile crept onto his face as he looked around.
  22. Dariusprime
    Nick is interested if there is still room!
  23. Dariusprime
    Mona's grin widened after sampling the alluring elixir. Deemed a health hazard by caffeine levels, the coffee had firmly established itself as one of Mona's favorites. For the moment, she was satisfied with her coffee and a tale of occult foolishness. Which Selena's story delivered in full causing her to giggle. Yes, giggle and almost splash coffee. After a more few sips, she nodded to Claude's response. "Fair enough, fair enough." Another sip. Contentment. "We very much are. Forget I asked. Though between us, there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that he hasn't heard worse opinions." Her tone slowly shifted from her usual mellow to a decidedly serious one. A tone that spoke more of weary acceptance. Smile returning, Mona glanced at Selena's coin before replying. "I know very little about magic. My world is super science and cosmic horrors from beyond space. But even by my limited knowledge, those mages sound quite foolish." She said after a pause, and as a massive understatement. "Salvo is another heroine I take it? Sounds like a woman after my own heart!" In an off moment, she texted Viktor back. To: Snugglypuff (Viktor Archeville) No, we can talk later. Thanks, sweetie. Organize alphabetically.
  24. Dariusprime
    Nick turned a bright shade of red and slid down in his seat. He was listening, yes, but beyond a thumbs up to Lulu tried to disappear. In that position he remained well into Aquaria's answers. Not wanting to appear rude, he slowly poked his head up. His gaze flicked between the subtitles and Aquaria. The dumb grin on his face moved his situation from mesmerized to enraptured. Beautiful! "Lemurian". It feels so ancient and fierce. Like the sounds I hear from space. Echoes in the dark..., at that point he pointedly buried the thought and its implications. Nick joined the clapping only for a bigger issue to arise. Ben's reaction somehow made him redder than the first time. After slapping his forehead, Nick signed, "Sorry. I looked and completely missed the people around me. No slight intended. I'm sorry, Ben. Next time. My bad." The signing came out a jumbled mess but got the point across. He hoped. He really had just overlooked Ben in the moment. Terribly embarrassing but well within his current repertoire. Besides a contrite apology he was at a loss for what to do. Rubbing the back of his head, the visibly embarrassed student tried his best to focus on the Q&A. 'The sounds are very powerful and it can hurt their brains'? Now I have learn more. He nodded as he thought before pausing, and the pretty redhead has heard of all of this and what you just called her. At which point his train of thought derailed. Instead he focused on listening. There were surprises aplenty, but he couldn't help but feel more sympathy for Aquaria than the Atlanteans. That penultimate line though... What does that mean?
  25. Dariusprime
    Nick did not, in fact, take Lulu up on her offer. Though he in no unconcern terms loved the idea. That coaxed a toothy grin out of him. With a wave to Heroditus, Nick settled into his seat a row behind Octo-Ben and the Atlantean. The lights were just beginning to dim. Mesmerized was as good a descriptor of Nick's situation as any. From the moment Aquaria stepped on stage, he followed her every move and utterance with slack-jawed attention. The plate of snacks sat uneaten. The students at the school were a diverse lot, but something about this Deep One truly piqued his curiosity. Particularly her voice. It sounded...familiar. As was his way, his mind was busy studying her bioacoustics. She was fascinatingly different not only in voice but biology, and her sounds echoed those differences. Of particular interest were the infrasonic properties of her speech. Nick knew whales and some other animals used frequencies below human perception for long-distance communication. The frequencies she used suggested similar capabilities. He glanced around clandestinely while wondering how greatly she was modulating her voice for Surface language. If that was the case, what did her native language sound like? Once that first question came to mind, Pandora's box opened and flooded him with inquiries. He finally leaned back and silently cursed having left his tablet in his room. Looking around the room, several options came to mind. He appreciated Lulu breaking the ice, but she seemed uncomfortable. Not wanting to impose further on her hospitality, his attention drifted across the faculty section, assembled students, and the big screens. Some students didn't seem to have an issue asking questions, and good ones at that.
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