(Untitled)

[laws_of_nature]

Who: Count D; absolutely open!
Where: The deck, elsewhere
When: Today, mid-afternoon onwards
What: Gettin' acquainted with the Barge.
Note: Multiple threads encouraged! D's going to be wandering so feel free to bump into him in pretty much any of the public areas.

Comments

[villageson]

11-12 was just making his way to the deck. He looked happy until he spotted a figure there and for an instant he was worried it might be Judas, trying to jump off the Barge again. He was relieved when he saw that it wasn't.

"Um. Hello," he greeted a litle cautiously but gave a smile. "Are you new here?"

[laws_of_nature]

D inclined his head. The boy was young, but he had no judgement to pass on the fact; he knew full well that age had no relevance to character. Not really. Still, he mustered the friendly smile he used for his more youthful customers.

"A recent arrival, yes."

[villageson]

"I'm 11-12," he held out a hand politely. He pronounced his name indeed just like the numbers: Eleven-Twelve. "What's your name?"

[laws_of_nature]

He took the offered hand and shook gingerly, wondering idly at the sort of home environment that would give numbers instead of names to its children. "I am Count D. It's a pleasure, 11-12."

[buywithme]

Prefect had been in the kitchen for the last hour and a half going over the inventory. The repetitive, mechanical recording process was familiar enough to relax him somewhat without reminding him how far he still was from home. He was just tucking what he considered a reasonable payment for his work (three packets of instant chicken noodle soup) into his suit pocket, as he stepped out of the dining room and came face to face with D.

Prefect took a very quick step back, and cleared his throat, tucking the dried soup packets a little deeper into his pocket to conceal them.

"Excuse me, Miss."

[laws_of_nature]

D considered the somewhat furtive manner of the man he'd encountered, and the movement of a hand in a pocket. His eyes narrowed minutely although his expression was cool.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. I am a Mister."

[buywithme]

It'd be pretty easy to assume that his theft of Chicken noodle soup was related in some manner to Prefect's apparent unease, but the truth was a little less interesting. Prefect had been stealing soup for over a year now with a complete lack of guilt. However, he'd also been living on the barge for almost a year, and his default response towards sudden encounters with new people was to put just a little more distance between himself and them than was necessary. At the revelation of the strangers gender, Prefect looked surprised,

"Oh, I apologise, Comrade." He gave D a surrepticious once over, confirming that yes, the man had no boobs before clearing his throat a little uncomfortably, "You're dressed very elegantly, Brother."

[laws_of_nature]

He allowed the compliment to placate him and smiled sedately, stepping back from the doorway silently. "How very kind of you to say so. May I ask your name, sir?"

D didn't particularly want to know - he didn't want to know any of these humans, or share in their company, or so much as breathe the same air - but he was aware that he could do nothing but succumb to the inevitable. He was aware that he had been stripped of most of his power. And the more information he had about these people, the better a position it placed him in.

[laws_of_nature]

D had been distantly aware of some movement in the air above for a while, the beating of wings like a bat's, but only when it came closer could he identify it. The cold presence, the unbeating heart...it was not something he had not encountered before, but like any competent businessman he added her to a growing mental catalogue of the Barge's populace.

Looking up at her, he said nothing, but bowed his head in a show of respect for an elder creature.