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[embraceyourhell]

Alex Shepherd hasn't had a very good day today. He's been fighting monsters, figuring out what happened to his home town, and being betrayed by some people he used to know. He's also just recently learned that he killed his younger brother; granted it was an accident, but still. But, he's made his amends to his brother, and all he wanted to do

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[smithnjones]

Martha Jones is far too used to people coming in from other universes and landing in this one. She has given the speech enough times that she has half considered creating pamphlets and handing those to newcomers as she leads them to the Tower.

However, there is a level of impersonality that comes with a pamphlet, and she is not comfortable with it so there are no pamphlets. There are just the same words over and over, given by her face and not a piece of paper.

Not that she knows that the man who bumps into her is new to the universe. Not yet.

He bumps into her, and she takes a step back and looks up at his face with a small smile. "It's alright. Sidewalks are always a bit on the busy side, yeah?" A second later, she has taken in the nervousness with which he worded his apology. "Are... you alright?"

[embraceyourhell]

At least she's not freaking out, and that in turn sort of calms Alex's nerves. Of course he tells himself that he really needs to watch where he's going, and stop bumping into people. So far he's been lucky, but it might not be long before he collides with someone who isn't so friendly.

"Yeah, they really are," Alex answers back. He's not used to busy sidewalks though, and looks just slightly bewildered.

"Oh yeah, I'm good," he says with a smile. "But, hey, umm, I kind of just moved here, and I was wondering if you could give me the name of a cheap hotel?" he was going to ask her about the job situation, but he figures he can look that up later.

[smithnjones]

Martha can sense that he is more calm than he had been which is good. If he is new to the city, it makes sense that he would be nervous but she wonders, as she wonders with every new person that she comes across who is clearly new to these sidewalks as well.

"I know a few," she says quietly as she looks at him, studying his features and the expression on his face. There isn't much to read in it as he is calmer than he was. It won't stop her from asking. Just in case. "This might sound insane, and I'm perfectly fine with that as it's important for me to ask, but have you been planning to move here or did you... just sort of show up against your will?"

[embraceyourhell]

"Hey, that's great!" he exclaims with a hint of relief in his voice. This, however is quickly replaced by a slight expression of worry when he hears her next question.

He looks at her face trying to read her, but unfortunately he's never been all that good at doing it.

"Okay, so I showed up here without wanting to. Look, I don't want any trouble, so I'll make my way out of this city tomorrow," of course he doesn't know that he won't be able to get out of this realm, but that won't stop him from trying.

[smithnjones]

Martha barely manages to hide the wince at the sound of the relief in his voice. She doesn't hide it at all when he says he'll be leaving the city tomorrow. This speech has been given so many times. One would think that it'd get easier. It doesn't, not completely.

It is still hard, and she is not immune to the emotions associated with them hearing the truth.

"This city is Chicago," she says quietly, and she motions for him to step away from the crowded sidewalk to the wall where there is a little more privacy. "I'm afraid that there isn't a way out, at least not back to wherever it is that you're from. Not back to your universe. You fell through what's called a Rift."

[embraceyourhell]

Well, he's sort of used to being tossed around different 'universes', and it's not like he's entirely anxious to go back home. When he hears the news his expression is more one of disappointment than fear.

Even though they're in a more private spot, Alex is actually attempting to place a filter from his thoughts to his mouth. "So, can you tell me who did this? Or should I just accept the fact some god decided to mess around with me?" he asks.

Well, there's a chance that it was a god that decided to screw things up in Shepherd's Glenn, so why not here?

[smithnjones]

Martha notes the expression on his face. She has seen a myriad of reactions to receiving that piece of news. It's in that reaction alone that she can learn a lot about someone else.

She offers him a small, sad smile and shakes her head. "Don't know that I believe in the gods, but there isn't anyone specifically to blame for your being here. It seems to all be chance if you can believe that. Bloody, terrible chance. Like say lightning. It's a bit like being struck by lightning. The clouds don't pick you out specifically over a tree or another person. You just get struck."

It's the best comparison that she has though she realizes that it is hardly accurate. At least a lightning strike doesn't take someone to a new universe against their will. It may kill them, but sometimes death seems like a better option to the one Chicago can provide a person with.

[embraceyourhell]

Alex shakes his head. He really doesn't want to get into a discussion about gods, and other worlds, and weird towns. "I don't know. Think I'd prefer being hit by lightning. It'd be a hell of lot more believable than this."

Says the man who just fought a giant pregnant spider hours ago.

He looks back at her, and decides to ask, "So, how do I go about finding a job? Don't exactly have papers on me."

[smithnjones]

"A hell of a lot more believable and a hell of a lot less complicated," Martha agrees, and an almost smirk pulls sideways across her face.

She folds her arms across her chest. Yes, there are times she really does wish being struck by lightning had been the alternative to falling into Chicago. The times aren't as common now, not after all she has been through and how this city has become home for her.

"There are people who can forge the documents for you. You can actually stay in the Kashtta Tower. It is for wanderers like you... and me. It's free room and board, and there are jobs available there as well if you know the right people to ask."

[embraceyourhell]

He smiles back, more as a friendly gesture than anything else actually. When she mentions the forging of documents, and the Kashtta Tower, he looks a bit more relieved than usual. "Well, hey, sounds great. But, what's the catch?" he asks.

He expects that the free room and board will only last for so long, or that there's a huge waiting list.

"I'd be willing to do whatever I could around the place, you know, to make myself useful around here...there," he tells her.

[smithnjones]

"There's no catch," Martha informs him and then she grimaces slightly as she thinks of the potential catch. "Well, it is not exactly an ordinary place to live. People have disappeared through walls to Narnia before. There are ghosts as well, but it's run by people who know what you're going through. It's run by me, for one, but a whole host of people like us. People from other universes who had nowhere to go."

The ghosts seem to be friendly at least, and no one has been taken to Narnia since everyone has moved in. At least not so far as she knows.

"Glad to hear it," Martha says and then motions in the direction of the Tower and starts to walk. "We could use the help. What's your specialty?"

[embraceyourhell]

And Alex just sort of stares at her for a moment. It's not that he doesn't believe her, it's just that he thought maybe this would be the last time he'd have to deal with being transported to some weird location. Finally he says something. "Wow, so how often does stuff like that happen?"

He walks with her, "My dad used to be a military man, so my younger brother and I grew up in that sort of environment. I learned how to hunt from him, and a few basic combat skills," he explains to her. "I guess, if you need some sort of security, well that's about where my job skills lie."

ohey LJ way to not notify me :| sorry about the delay :<

[smithnjones]

"It happens often enough," Martha says, shaking her head as she lets out a long breath and folds her arms across her chest. "Far too often. It seems the frequency increases with every year that passes. We usher in a number of wanderers every month, every week sometimes. That's not counting the number of people who never make it to us or the monsters that also fall through the Rifts."

She glances at him as he explains his home life.

"We could always use security." Martha's steps are quick on the sidewalk. It isn't that she means to walk quickly but it's the pace that she's become accustomed to after years and years of needing to get places quickly. "There are plenty of dangers in Chicago, and I like to keep security tight so at least the Tower feels safe. It isn't much but... it's something."

That's okay! :>

[embraceyourhell]

Alex nods his head as if he understands, and while maybe he doesn't understand the full extent of it, he at least understands some of it. It's when she mentions the monsters that he looks disgusted, skeptical, and nervous. "Monsters? What kind?"

He just hopes that she doesn't ask him why he wants to know, but if she does, he's prepared to give an answer.

That's okay Martha. Despite Alex's leg he's still able to keep up with her fairly easily. "What kind of dangers are we talking about? Other than the monsters that is," Alex asks.

[smithnjones]

Martha glances at him, taking in a breath at the question. It's hard to answer it. "Every kind. Any kind that you can think of and any that you never could. Any fictional monster that's ever been created. The Rifts connect us to every universe in existence anywhere, and it's not only sentient beings like you and I that fall through. It's... everything."

She thinks that wanting to know what kinds of monsters he might run into is something that any wanderer would want to know so she doesn't think to ask why.

"I wish I had a better answer than... anything but I don't. We've had plagues, earthquakes, tornadoes, the devil as our mayor, a giant armadillo... The possibilities are endless. It's not an easy city to live in."

[embraceyourhell]

Alex sort of grimaces at that, and mutters, "Great." He was hoping that he'd be done with monsters, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. "Guess I shouldn't be too surprised if I see some man with a pyramid for a head," he half-heartedly states mostly to himself. If Martha asks, he'll just say he's referring to a monster that parents used to scare their children with.

He doesn't need to tell her that he's met one.

"Wow. That all sounds very fucked up," Alex answers back.