[action]

[faterecanted]

[It's been a few days since Van arrived, under less than ideal circumstances. During that time, he felt it was probably wisest to remain incommunicado. The easiest way to assure the others from Auldrant that he was doing nothing threatening was to appear to be doing nothing threatening; and he wasn't... strictly speaking. For the most part, all he'd done was study Ms. Sage's guide -- no, memorized it. He'll have to thank her, if they ever meet. She provided him with so much valuable information; including a list of exploitable thugs.

Someone should really do something about that.

But as enlightening as Ms. Sage's writings are, man cannot live on words alone. The supplies he gathered after leaving Asch and Luke's building (...and later returning to it) were starting to run out. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the clothes he'd grabbed, either. He'd rather not wear his Oracle uniform all the time, and the rest were a bit... lacking. He'd like to think he was a striking, well-dressed man; and appearances were so important to a favorable first impression. He'd get to that later in the day. And then the library, perhaps. It was always an advantage to have more information. His first stop, though, was something he could no longer put off: the medical facilities in the battle dome. He'd have to hope he could find what he needed there.

Despite his long list of errands (and the vague concern that he'll run into people he knows and would rather not deal with yet), he'll be perfectly willing to exchange a few words with anyone else out and about. In fact, he'll make sure to at least make eye contact and give a polite nod to every person he sees. The charisma is turned up to 11 today.]

Dist: Something to discuss with you. CH#7. Tonight.

(TL;DR: Meet him in the library, the clothing shops, the battle dome, on the street... And fill this out if you would, plz)

Comments

[pigtailed-loli.livejournal.com]

[Guess who made the bad, awful, terrible decision to poke around the clothing shops today? Yep, that's right, Anise is here and staring at you in horror.]

[Ion hadn't been lying. Van is here. Van is here.]

[And she doesn't have Tokunaga.]

[Shit.]

[faterecanted]

How [excellent] distressing. The sort of place a man needs friends he can count on, then.

[faterecanted]

[And he'll have to go through all of those, won't he? What a production. But if he waits too much longer, the pain will reach a level he can't simply ignore. Nothing for it, he'll just have to look. So he does, although with exceptional precision; everything he picks up goes exactly back where it came from.]

How long have you been here? If I may ask.

[faterecanted]

Very true. Goals are always simpler to meet with ample cooperation.

[And this man strikes him as a man with goals.]

placeholder for as long as you need

[faterecanted]

[...Is that girl staring at him?

No, that really shouldn't surprise Van. Even without being known as a leader in the Order, he's still a man with natural presence. Natural presence that he intentionally adds to with his hair, his grooming, his clothing choices... He spent a lot of time and effort making Van Grants a man that people paid attention to.

So that was still working. Good.

Among the books he's looking for in this pokey little excuse for a library are anything with information on miasma toxicosis. Which means he'll end up at her table sooner or later, as she's clearly pulled most of the medical texts off the shelves.

He glances at a chair across from her, and then back at her face.] May I?

[faterecanted]

Asch and the replica. [Dist isn't the type to let a little setback like abduction and imprisonment stop his research. Van has a very hard time imagining a situation that would dissuade Dist from his research. That's part of what makes him useful.

And with a matched set of specimens, unable to get away from him, well...] I assume you've been making observations?

[Or wanting to, at the very least.]

[seleniahymn]

[Guess who is also in the library when you arrive there, Van? It seems that even in this life she thinks she leads, Tear still has the habit of gathering information in the same way her brother does, especially now that she is well enough to go about on her own. There are, however some fairly fresh scars on the visible skin close to her neck.]

[fallenambitions]

[He isn't sure what you're looking for, so yes. Although he can see you that you seem to know what you're doing.]

A little over eight months now. There are others who have been here for much longer though.

[faterecanted]

[Yes. Yes he is; but he's not going to catch flies by snapping at them.

After a split second of deliberation, he flashes her his charming, confident "Master Van" grin.]

Not exceptionally so. [If he said 'not at all,' taking time to answer her wouldn't seem as gracious. If he said 'very,' she might change her mind about whatever this is. Time seemed most valuable when people gave it from limited amounts.] Something you need?

[faterecanted]

[Van is indeed there, breaking all laws of known reality by going calmly through the stacks and racks of clothing.

He knows she's there. However, he has decided on a firm policy of Not Starting Anything (Yet). So he does nothing except, after taking a moment to savor the tension, look up from the shirt he is considering (which is, for the record, a lovely shade of blue to complement his eyes).]

It's impolite to stare, Sergeant.

[faterecanted]

[Life has a sick sense of humor.

He isn't ready for this. He's never going to be ready for his own sister to not know his face. Yet... The fact that she's there, that she might have been hurt, draws him over like a magnet. Oh, Mystearica. This isn't what he wanted for you.

He can't help it. He has to. He intentionally bumps her with his shoulder on the way past. Just a little. Just enough to jostle her.

He'll let her set the tone for what happens next.]

[faterecanted]

Is that... usual? [He needs a time-frame. How long term should his plans be? How long did he have to simply survive here? It's pathetic. He hates the Score more than anything, and yet he's almost lost for what to do without its looming deadline.] Is there a pattern to it?

[inabook]

[If Van is in need of assistance when he reaches the library, there's someone generally helpful-looking sitting behind the information desk... though she does seem to be absorbed in a book at the moment. If he approaches, however, she'll look up.]

[mythmaker]

[She smiles right back, though it's hesitant. She's always embarrassed when she has to ask strangers for directions, even though she knows she'll never get anywhere without them.]

I'm just a little lost. Is there a clothing shop around here? I was told there was, but I can't seem to find it...I seem to be somewhere else entirely.

[ever-deceptive.livejournal.com]

Indeed. _{[And Van strikes him as the type with quite grandiose ambitions. Which translates to high expenses. Which draws Yeager's interest like a moth to the flame, if only out of habit.]} You know, it's pleasure to meet someone of your status, even if it might not mean much in this world. I had quite a few military men as friends back where I come from.

_{['Friends' not being the most apt description, but he likes the sound of it.]}

[fallenambitions]

Considering we don't have a known way of leaving, I would say so. Eventhough we've been here for a long time, I've heard that things remain unchanged back home when you do happen to return somehow. [He figured he'd add that, just in case he was wondering how things would be back home.]

And the only noticeable pattern, is when New Feathers like you show up here.

Bah, what do they know

[consultmybooks]

Common ground for the injured masses, on truly unfortunate occasions. The clinic in there is better than the one we have at the, um, at the clinic.

[seleniahymn]

[Tear hadn't been aware that someone had been so close to her until Van bumps into her, forcing her to drop the book which she had been looking over. She makes a slightly exasperated sound but moves to pick it up anyway, not yet getting a proper look at the man who had bumped into her just yet as she turns around and inspects the book for damage.]

I'm sorry, was I in your way?

[faterecanted]

No, I should have paid more attention. [As he speaks, he unconsciously lifts one hand to trace the position of her injuries on his own body.] Are you alright?

[faterecanted]

[Van will eventually admit defeat and come back to the information desk. He has no clue how this library is laid out yet.]

Are all your medical texts on the same shelf?

[faterecanted]

[How very impressively lost she's gotten herself! Well he... was going to that shop anyway.]

There is one. ...It's at the other end of town. [If he finds her predicament laughable, he's certainly not showing it.]

[mythmaker]

[Well, that's embarrassing...but she's not entirely surprised she's lost. This does happen on a regular basis.]

My, my...I'm really lost today, then, aren't I? I'm so sorry, but do you know which way it is? I've never been there before.

Nothing. They know nothing.

[faterecanted]

[Anticipating that this might turn into an actual conversation and not just a passing exchange, Van takes a sidestep out of the path. He almost crosses his arms, but -- no. That projects disinterest. He covers it up by hooking one thumb in his pocket, and checking that his hair isn't coming loose with the other hand. Concerned about impressions, but casual. Perfect.]

I'd hope you don't know that from experience.

[faterecanted]

An intelligent officer keeps touch with a wide variety of men, military or not. You never know who you need to know. [If Van has learned anything at all from live, that lesson is near the top. And naturally, he considers himself rather intelligent.]

[ever-deceptive.livejournal.com]

There is a lot of truth in that. _{[And that said, he abandons the suits for a moment and steps over to Van, offering his hand.]} I'm Yeager, by the way.