There's usually somebody in the front seat who is in charge of my well-being...

[definitivestep]

Sam has been trying to think, and as sitting at his desk and brooding hasn't helped, this involves a lot of pacing, up and down the halls of the tower, through the empty halls no one's ever really used, and the ones still marked with bullet holes because no one has the time or cares enough to do something about that, and that one rusted hallway

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[chimaerasaurus]

Abby is also wandering the Kashtta, with Rex sitting on her head. She's singing some British indie rock song to him while eating a banana and not really paying attention to where she's going, so when she rounds a corner and nearly walks into Sam it comes as something of a surprise.

"Oh, bloody-- Sorry, hi, don't think we've met." She catches Rex as he loses his balance and falls off her head--sacrificing her banana to the floor in the process.

[definitivestep]

Sam jerks back, a little surprised, and then reaches out automatically as if to steady her - no, she's not about to fall over or anything, but she might've.

"Sorry," he says with a faint, strained smile. "Wasn't exactly looking where I was going... I'm Sam. Sam Tyler." His eyes are fixed on the lizard in her hands. The winged lizard. ...Well, that's interesting.

[chimaerasaurus]

"Abby Maitland. There really are a lot of us around, aren't there?" Of course, she means Brits, but Sam probably left his mind-reading skillz at home today. Abby fishes the banana off the floor with a sigh. "S' a good thing I was going to go to grocer's I guess."

Rex squawks cheerfully at Sam and tries to steal the banana.

[definitivestep]

Sam looks up from the lizard, having decided it doesn't seem... likely to launch itself at his face if he takes his eyes off it, and quirks an eyebrow at Abby. "...Us?"

No, Sam is not psychic. He just collapses if you lie to him too much. Very fine distinction there. ...Sam disagrees.

[stillaboyscout]

Vaughn's out as well, mostly because he's a stupid boy and in part because he can't stand the creepy Tower. But he'll manage if it means he has a job. Or something. He'd rather not feel totally useless anymore, if he can help it.

He's just sitting quietly on a park bench, not really thinking about anything, just enjoying the night air and the fact that he doesn't feel totally creeped out for no reason.

So there, Michael. Have another Michael.

[ducttapewarrior]

Michael recognizes that scent. Which could be considered a little disturbing, but it's not like he can help noticing these things in this shape. He can get away with being in the park alone at night. Vaughn, on the other hand...

Vaughn gets a wolf loping toward him with a skeptical expression. Are you looking for another fun adventure with demons, or just common sense impaired?

[stillaboyscout]

Oh Jesus Christ. Vaughn doesn't exactly know what to expect with a wolf, but he doesn't need this. He really doesn't.

"Please don't eat me," he mumbles under his breath. "That would really ruin my day."

He doesn't, however, move. Because making sudden movements in front of wild animals is just something you don't do.

What you apparently do instead is talk to them.

"Isn't it a little late for you to be wandering out in the city?" he asks, trying to ignore the voice in his head that's telling him he's insane. Last time he met an animal it was Jack. Who knows what this wolf might be?

[ducttapewarrior]

The wolf huffs. That might be a scornful sort of "no". He may have trouble controlling his instincts around the full moon, and an inability to be in human form around them, but he is not going to eat someone who registers as "pack". Idiot.

His ears twitch forward. I was going to ask you the same question. And I'm not the one with chronic demon problems. Not that Vaughn is psychic, or can understand him, so he just shakes his head. That, at least, should make it clear that it's not a wild animal who is going to eat you, Vaughn.

[duology]

The library is one of the few places Dev can go to calm down, even when nothing else is working, even when the need is gnashing its teeth in the back of his mind. He looks a little worse for wear, these days--dark circles under his eyes, hair more ruffled than normal, clothes rumpled.

He's done with the philosophy section for now, and decides that the best way to research this new world is to look at the newspapers. He sits two seats down from Gwen with a sigh and glances in her direction, noting the glazed look in her eyes.

"Treasure map with no X, hm?"

[torchwoodsheart]

"No X, no dotted line, and I'm not even sure there's an island," Gwen replies, sighing and pushing the article she'd been looking at aside before she glances up at the boy who'd addressed her. She smiles over at him, a little tightly but perfectly friendly. "Not that I actually expected any different. Things aren't ever simple in this city..."

[duology]

He smiles back, his own as tight as Gwen's. "Never simple 'round here, no, I've learned that. Looking for a particular island? Don't suppose I could be a help. I have some experience in the area of the printed word."

[torchwoodsheart]

Gwen pauses a moment, but she doesn't have to tell him why she's looking for this information, and it's innocuous enough. "I'm looking for information on a man called Randall Flagg. He's running for mayor, just announced it last week..." It's probably a good thing Gwen was not a member of Torchwood when Margaret Blaine was mayor of Cardiff, or she would be wondering why it's always the mayors.

[abitfoggy]

Reagan does not like libraries, plain and simple. However, on days when his job requires some research done? He has to go back and find the most ridiculous, minuscule detail that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. He really should be doing some work, but he's taken a break and has decided to walk around.

His mind wanders almost instantly and he finds his control slipping a little. Occasionally, as he passes a few people, he can catch glimpses, merely images, of things stored away, but he doesn't notice them right off. It's just a day dream to him.

So, when he stumbles right into someone, he's taken completely by surprise and tumbles to the floor, "Oh, I'm so, so sorry! Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" So maybe he's a little flustered.

[torchwoodsheart]

Gwen starts a little, jumping back in surprise, though she's a bit steadier on her feet than the unfortunate man who ran into her. She blinks at him for a moment in shock before stepping forward, offering him a hand up. "Oh, God, I'm sorry. I'm fine, honestly... fine. Are you alright?"

[abitfoggy]

Taking the offered hand, he stands and laughs a little bit, almost sheepishly, "No, it's not your fault, really. Wasn't paying attention. Happens sometimes," he shrugs, "I'm fine, really. Just clumsy."

He smiles, "And you're sure you're fine? Again, I'm really sorry," he's mind is a little preoccupied, Gwen, but he's trying really. The headaches just get to him sometimes.

[torchwoodsheart]

Gwen helps him up with a smile, reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder briefly once he's up and making sure he's steady on his feet. "I'm absolutely fine. I've had much worse much earlier in the day, trust me." Being bumped into by a stranger... Yeah, that doesn't even register on her "bad day" radar.

"You can stop apologizing now, honestly." She says it with a smile, though, and doesn't sound annoyed - she thinks he's actually kind of sweet, in a "want to scritch" sort of way.

[smithnjones]

Martha Jones runs inside of the library. Water drips off of her and on to the floor, which makes the nearest librarian give her an odd look. The sun is shining through the doors. They must be thinking, why is this wet woman coming into the library and getting the floor wet?

She ignores the look and heads deeper into the library, shluffing her coat off of her shoulders as she goes. Find a place to sit down and get some rest and think about the next step. And do research. On... clouds. Right.

"Gwen," Martha says, loudly, with quite a bit of glee. It gets her another look from a different librarian. Martha Jones: enemy of librarians everywhere. "Sorry."

She walks over and takes a seat next to her. "Haven't seen you in a while. Wasn't sure you got out of the tower." Martha's teasing. "How's it going?"

[torchwoodsheart]

Gwen looks up with a start, and then a smile breaks across her face when she realizes just who it was that called her name.

"Martha!" she says brightly, and also winces at the disapproving glance from a librarian. Right. Quiet. She shifts around in her chair to face Martha, grinning brightly at her. "God, it's good to see you. It's been ages. I've been..." She pauses, and tilts her head to one side. "Well."

Martha may not know everything that's gone on since the whole business with Thane, but she knows enough.

[smithnjones]

Martha tosses her wet coat onto an empty chair beside her.

"Good to see you, too, stranger!" She smiles and leans forward against the table. "It's been much too long. Lets not do that, again, yeah?"

She frowns, sympathetically, at Gwen's answer. Considering all that Torchwood goes through, what Chicago goes through, and the entire situation with Jack... she really couldn't have expected a positive response to that question.

"That's... understandable. To say the least. I'm guessing you're not taking a break from it all by diving into a good book then?" It seems to Martha that Gwen is one of those types that have to be forced to relax once in a while. And she intends to do just that, too.

[torchwoodsheart]

Gwen's lips twitch in a faint, tired smile, and she shakes her head. "No, unfortunately. One of my team mentioned that..." She pauses a second, and then switches tacks abruptly. "I don't want to drag you into anything if you're not interested. Torchwood and all..." No one deserves getting dragged into Torchwood's little (and not so little) dramas unless they signed up for it, and Martha's already had enough of that for one lifetime.