Mamet's sitting against a tree, going over chords and practicing the song Joe gave him, when he hears someone coming. He pauses and looks up along the path, head cocked.
"Hey," he says politely to the guy when he doesn't recognize him.
Cain stopped, fingers tensing and going for his gun and the calluses on his fingertips brush against the cool and familiar metal. Zero, was the first thing he could think to say and not get out and under the brim of his hat, Cain's eyes went slightly icier.
"Where in the Realm did I end up?" Cain asked warily, because even a cursory study of the man showed that something was definitely awry. Sure, Zero might pry those boots off some poor sap in Central, but the guitar?
Funny, he never pegged Zero for a Music Man.
Besides, if he did get caught up in a Travel Storm, he'd be on the otherside. Gods, did Zero come through with him? Did he get released?
"Realm?" Mamet repeats blankly. A long moment passes before he realizes the situation for what it is, too distracted by the way the man's touching his gun. He doesn't know if he should be worried or not.
"Oh, oh, did you just get here?" he asks when that realization comes, and gets to his feet, holding the guitar by it's neck.
Cain just arched a brow beneath his hat, almost imperceptibly. He wasn't about to give off any sudden moves and he was keeping an eye left and right for any Longcoats that might be lurking, waiting to take hold of them.
Now I know why they call you Zero. Still can't fight your own battles.
Cain's feet were in a ready stance, just in case. Always just in case. "Just came from the O.Z., yeah," he answered carefully. "Why, you know what this place is?"
Beverly had figured she could at least get something productive done, even if there weren't bizarre weekends to handle. It was true that 21st century humans would probably be a little dubious about replicated drugs, and there was only so much the machine she had could handle at one time. Any emergency would still be problematic. And one never wanted to (and here she begged silent pardon from the late Data) depend on machines alone, especially in a volatile situation like this one.
So she was in the woods with a basket and her tricorder, feeling something like Little Red Riding Hood about to be eaten by the targ. It hadn't been more than twenty minutes and two usable samples, when she heard the voice. It was vaguely familiar, but she approached with caution.
It was evidence of the good training one got in Starfleet that her only sign of surprise was her eyes widening and a slight gulp. "Lieutenant?"
Cain was rubbing at his injured shoulder. Raw'd done his best to patch it up and it wasn't as bad as a gunshot could be, but that didn't mean he wasn't having a tough time getting used to it. Not to mention the part where he was on a strange Island. He always knew Travel Storms weren't reliable, but he hadn't figured himself for getting scooped up in one.
"Not a Lieutenant, Ma'am," Cain answered politely, tipping his hat to her. Once, he'd been an unofficial Detective, but it was an official name, one he never took to.
Beverly had heard about seeing people from one's past here, people who arrived that were long dead. Or in this case, assimilated then killed, seven long years before. She cleared her throat, attempting to gain some kind of professional equilibrium. "You're not Lieutenant Sean Hawk, then," she said.
Though Hawk had probably never worn a hat like that in his life.
Cain tipped up his hat with his thumb, just enough so she could get a clear look at his face while he stood in the sun. The one sun, which he was having a bit of trouble getting accustomed to. "Wyatt Cain," he answered with a nod of deference. He had his own reputation in the O.Z., but whatever Realm this place was in, he had the feeling he wasn't going to be as feared anymore.
"Sorry to disappoint," he added. "If this Lieutenant Hawk of yours is someone close to you."
Maladicta came out of the woods, hair down and jacket sleeves forced to her elbows, wearing shorts and her boots and her sword at her hip. She was somewhat preoccupied. There was a man she didn't recognize, though, so that stole some of her attention, and she looked him over, sizing him up, as she approached the compound steps.
"Lost?" she offered, only half-wry, and subtly so at that.
Cain let out silent exhalation of relief as he let his whole body settle and made his way over to DG, glad to see a familiar face on this side of the Realm, even if he'd stumbled to the Otherside by accident. "It's good to see you, Princess," he greeted, taking his hat off and pressing it over his heart. "Didn't figure I'd find you here. Didn't think I'd find any of you here."
He wanted to ask about Glitch and Raw, but only so much information could be processed at once.
Cain took a moment to look closer. Well, the height was the same, eyes were, the hair was roughly the same style, but Cain never had it in him to decipher a woman's way with her hair. But when she spoke...
His eyes narrowed slightly, catching sight of something to her teeth that DG didn't have the last time he'd checked. And if she did, then she and Raw were doing something he didn't even want to know about. "You're not DG," he stated evenly. It wasn't a question.
Glinda had spent her morning on the beach. It was a lovely day for it, though she'd thrown her sundress back on and was heading back for the compound for a shower. there was no need to be all sandified when she could go take a shower and cool herself down.
She almost didn't see the man til he was upon her. "Oh! I'm sorry. Was I in your way?"
Cain spun, not drawing the gun because the feminine tones were polite and though he still had a habit of not trusting anyone, he wasn't about to get himself into a spot of trouble over a trigger-happy finger. "Not at all," he answered. "I don't really think I have a way yet, seeing as I just dropped out of the sky."
Or ran through it. Whatever you wanted to call his arrival.
"Not in a house?" For anyone else it may have seemed an odd question, but not for Glinda. Her tone was slightly panicked as she stepped nearer to the man. "You didn't just drop out of the sky in a farmhouse, did you?"
Cain tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. That was history. No, more than history, it was myth. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about a Travel Storm, would you?" he asked carefully, bracing himself just in case the answer was 'Yes'.
Elphaba hummed to herself as she left the compound, a basket of books in tow. She was planning on going to sit in the sun and read for a while. The upcoming holiday required inspiration and she needed a good way to apologize to Glinda for over reacting about the marriage discussion. Of course she wouldn't give in, the idea of it was ridiculous but Glinda couldn't help being so soft hearted.
The man on the path knocked her out of her reverie by simple virtue of being in the way. "Oh!" Elphaba stopped short and then stumbled back. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. I was...thinking."
Cain was immediately spun around and he was on guard, almost immediately. It wasn't that you saw people everyday with that tone of skin was all, but really, you never really saw many people here with zippers in their head or wounds from having the second-sight sucked out of them.
Cain wasn't sure yet what kind of place this was. "I'm sure I was in the way," he said very carefully, not moving a single inch as he looked her up and down. "Can't seem to move my feet anywhere but here."
She was used to the scrutiny, the suspicion. It didn't happen very often here, of course. But some things you never forgot and her chin lifted automatically in defense. "As I said, I'm sorry. I was distracted." She folded her arms and refused to give in to the need to glare. Her voice was sharp and clipped, she couldn't help that, "Is there something wrong? Do I have something in my hair? Is my dress torn?"
Cain wasn't one to really pussyfoot around the truth of the matter and he kept his hands casually by his sides as he looked at her impassively, an icy look coming from deadened eyes. "Never seen skin that green before," he admitted freely. "At least, not outside the seedier parts of Central City."
Comments 189
"Hey," he says politely to the guy when he doesn't recognize him.
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"Where in the Realm did I end up?" Cain asked warily, because even a cursory study of the man showed that something was definitely awry. Sure, Zero might pry those boots off some poor sap in Central, but the guitar?
Funny, he never pegged Zero for a Music Man.
Besides, if he did get caught up in a Travel Storm, he'd be on the otherside. Gods, did Zero come through with him? Did he get released?
Reply
"Oh, oh, did you just get here?" he asks when that realization comes, and gets to his feet, holding the guitar by it's neck.
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Now I know why they call you Zero. Still can't fight your own battles.
Cain's feet were in a ready stance, just in case. Always just in case. "Just came from the O.Z., yeah," he answered carefully. "Why, you know what this place is?"
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So she was in the woods with a basket and her tricorder, feeling something like Little Red Riding Hood about to be eaten by the targ. It hadn't been more than twenty minutes and two usable samples, when she heard the voice. It was vaguely familiar, but she approached with caution.
It was evidence of the good training one got in Starfleet that her only sign of surprise was her eyes widening and a slight gulp. "Lieutenant?"
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"Not a Lieutenant, Ma'am," Cain answered politely, tipping his hat to her. Once, he'd been an unofficial Detective, but it was an official name, one he never took to.
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Though Hawk had probably never worn a hat like that in his life.
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"Sorry to disappoint," he added. "If this Lieutenant Hawk of yours is someone close to you."
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"Lost?" she offered, only half-wry, and subtly so at that.
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He wanted to ask about Glitch and Raw, but only so much information could be processed at once.
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"I'm sorry, Princess?" She took in his expression, and the hat, and looked back to his face, uncertain.
Either we have a big time inconsistency or I'm not even remotely who you think I am."
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His eyes narrowed slightly, catching sight of something to her teeth that DG didn't have the last time he'd checked. And if she did, then she and Raw were doing something he didn't even want to know about. "You're not DG," he stated evenly. It wasn't a question.
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She almost didn't see the man til he was upon her. "Oh! I'm sorry. Was I in your way?"
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Or ran through it. Whatever you wanted to call his arrival.
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The man on the path knocked her out of her reverie by simple virtue of being in the way. "Oh!" Elphaba stopped short and then stumbled back. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. I was...thinking."
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Cain wasn't sure yet what kind of place this was. "I'm sure I was in the way," he said very carefully, not moving a single inch as he looked her up and down. "Can't seem to move my feet anywhere but here."
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