[He's waking up as he receives this, late in the morning after a bar shift last night, groaning as he moves on his makeshift floor-bed. His muscles have been quite sore from corruption, which is made worse by sleeping on the hard floor. His bed is too small, so this is what it is. Slowly, he pushes himself up to sitting, scrubbing his face. He's at least not hungover- a few people have given him a wake-up call about his drinking and he's been trying to do better.
He didn't expect to hear from Mel like this. He'd honestly thought she gave him her contact information just as a platitude because he was down when they met, or maybe just as one of those things politicians do for networking. Never know when a connection might come in handy, et cetera. He didn't think she'd call just to check in- and so he gets the feeling this might be more than a check-in, anyway.
His voice is still thick and gruff with sleep when he answers.]
Oh. Mel. [He clears his throat.] Yeah, I can talk. I'm... Still kicking, at least. How're you?
Oh, forgive me. It wasn't my intention to wake you.
[ She hadn't realized he might've been sleeping in or catching up on rest. ]
Things are as well as one can expect in a place like this. [ Not bad, not good. ] But I imagine that's par for the course.
I wanted to know if you had some time this week to meet briefly. There are a few things I'd like to speak about. [ More that she wants to check in but, hey, there's plenty to talk about too. ] Do any days or times this week work best for you?
[ She sends him a file that's just a pinpoint on a map in Karteria, specifically in the East Sophia district. It's outside of a small grocer that carries tea and coffee, but it's not a 'coffee shop' technically. Just a place to buy goods, but it's a pretty well known street. ]
[Don't mind him, shutting off the recording to poke at the device with too-big, clawed fingers. He grumbles to himself about it. Oh- that place. Why didn't she just tell him the name? Anyway, after a couple minutes he manages to get back to the voice recording.]
Sure. See you then.
[And he shows up, on time, out front of that shop. It's convenient, since he works in this area anyway. He looks tired, and it's possible he's even bigger than he was the last time she saw him, and more wolfy. Some grey fur lines his face, tufting in his beard and hairline, and spreading down his arms. His fingertips each have band-aids around them, where his nailbeds have cracked due to claws sprouting.]
[ She's already there, actually, but is engaged in a discussion with the shopkeeper about...coffee brands and flavors, of all things. It's not a particularly riveting conversation but Mel is doing almost none of the talking, simply listening and taking note of the stock. When she sees Vander outside, she offers a faint smile that is more polite than warm, and then heads out to greet him. ]
I appreciate you meeting with me.
[ He looks...almost as if he's aged since she's seen him, more grey, but she doesn't notice until she's a bit closer that he even seems a bit taller. And the grey isn't from his beard, necessarily, but fur. ]
Do you want to take a look at any of the wares? Or would you prefer to walk?
[He wonders what she's talking to the shopkeep about, and wonders again why she wanted to meet with him, especially as she's being so formal. Professional. It puts him a bit on edge, honestly. Are they not just two people from the same world who can speak casually with each other? What does she do in this place, exactly, now that she isn't a Councillor in Piltover? And what does he have to do with it?
He shrugs. He doesn't have much interest in the wares.]
May'sle walk.
[He picks a direction at random and starts walking, slowly. It might better be described as lumbering.]
What's this about, then? Do you have some sort of news?
[ Mel follows him, though there's a moment's pause where she realizes she's...probably given the wrong impression now, and she frowns. ]
Part of this was to check in on you, frankly.
[ And to just be out, because she knows it's easier for her to continue to hide behind texts and a device and keep things at a distance, but she wants to try to be more personable. ]
I do have information to catch you up on, certainly, but most of this was just to see you. It's been some weeks and we left things off in a way that I wanted to ensure you were doing all right.
[ She doesn't want to say acclimating because this place is horrible, and no one should need to get used to anything here. And yet. ]
I apologize, I've...possibly come across too seriously.
Y'think? Come on, Councillor, loosen your tie a bit. This ain't office hours.
[He nudges her elbow gently with his. Chill the hell out! He's just a guy!]
Appreciate you checkin' in and making the effort to see me, though. I'm... Alright. Was in quite the funk and made it worse with my drinking, but I'm doing my best to clean up my act now. Corruption's kicking my arse a bit, but I got a job and I'm trying to help those folks out with their farming and food distribution.
[Some of his enunciation is a bit off because of the large canine teeth that are now noticeable when he opens his mouth. Sort of like a lisp, but with consonants like f and v.]
[ She actually manages to look a little surprised by the nudge, though there's a faint smile that follows. ]
It's difficult to step out of the role, I'll admit.
[ Even though she knows she'll never be a part of Piltover's council again, it still feels too difficult to put down the mask she wears. It's her armor and her defense, even if she wouldn't attribute it to the council itself. Still, she offers a little bit of a shrug, somewhat more at ease as they walk. ]
I wouldn't blame you for struggling. I think all of us had our difficulties the first few weeks in coming to terms with a place like this.
[ It's said somewhat neutrally, as they're out in public, but the set of her mouth suggests an undercurrent of anger. ]
But tell me about the farm and food distribution. That sounds exceedingly promising. There have been so many people here struggling for food, especially in East Sophia... Resources are spread so thin.
[She seems to have a ton of pressure on her shoulders, whether that's from her job at home, expectations of others, pressure she's putting on herself, or some combination. He can see her need to be professional, to be perfect, not a hair out of place, not to seem too human, because humans make mistakes and have weaknesses.
So, he knows better than to ask if she's had her own difficulties. He can tell they're not at that point yet.]
Don't know a ton of the details yet. There's some Gojo lad who's organizing the farms, and he's given Tifa money to start an operation cooking and distributing free meals out of the kitchen of the bar we work at. Also chatted with a young lady named Konoha who's trying to get a farm up and running. Offered my help a couple days a week with anything that needs brute strength in exchange for a meal.
Oh, I've met Gojo and Konoha. She's very kind, though quite humble. And Gojo...
[ Well, uh, he's. He's a guy. He's a weird guy, actually. Mel's at a loss for words on how to describe him, frankly; he's blunt and direct, but it's clear he has a good head and he seems to want what's best for people. It's hard for her to see the shape of him so clearly, though she wants to say he's trustworthy. ]
Those initiatives will be incredibly important if we can make them sustainable. Alleviating food insecurity here will start to turn things around. ...Or so I hope.
[ She's out of her depth here, though she won't say as much. ]
It's wonderful that you're able to do that. [ She smiles a little. ] I've wished, sometimes, that I was stronger — to offer something like lending a hand in the fields or on physical projects. It's not in my wheelhouse, unfortunately. But I think it eases some of the burden on the people in the city, especially with how some of them are so ill.
[Vander's somehow had absolutely no contact with Gojo yet. God knows what impression he'll get of him.]
Agreed. We need to get people out of dire straits. Take care of each other.
[He looks at her, thoughtfully. An interesting admission, that she wishes she had more physical strength.]
We've all got our strengths. God knows we need diplomatic types like you, too, for the hairy situation we find ourselves in. The city folk don't know what to make of us outsiders, and I'm not blind to the tensions we cause here.
[ It’s crucially important to take care of this city if they want any kind of better quality of life, if they want any of these people to improve. She thinks, briefly, to suggest that it might be some time before they are able to return home and reconsiders — some of them, after all, might not be able to return at all. So Mel nods her agreement, offering a quiet sigh. ]
Negotiations prove rather fruitless when we have enough of our number trying to rattle the cage. Not that I blame them.
[ In her darker moments, when she knows the bird-soul is at its loudest, she wishes she could strike out and do something, even when her rational mind knows such a thing would be foolish even on the best of days. ]
I fear we don’t have enough time for it. I am…quickly changing, and I no longer know how palatable I can be for the people here. [ It’s frustrating. It shows in her eyes, that harder edge of glinted hazel. ] We’ve been brought here to help them, to help this world, and surely Patho-Gen knows what we’ll look like before all of this is over. And still…
[ And still, people will fear them. How much longer can they even stay in the city? ]
[There are definitely Augmented folks who are rightfully angry at Patho-Gen and the situation they've all been shoved into. And then there's Augmented like Vander who aren't helping their reputation by shifting in the streets.]
They'll just have to change their palates then, won't they?
[ There's a quiet little laugh as he says he may have contributed. Mel shrugs and, finally, lets down a bit of the wall. ]
I'm sure it was deserved, whatever you did. And plenty of our changes are not things we can hide, suppress, or stop. The very idea that we can control these things—
[ It's just irritating, frankly. She has so many issues with how Patho-Gen does their work. Their choice to withhold information from the Augmented and the people alike feels deliberate, like it might eventually build towards real strife. The emotion is reflected in her voice at last. ]
They should've been warned ahead of time. I don't much care if Patho-Gen doesn't know how we'll all be changing; they've done no preparation to adequately warn anyone of what's to come, and I worry that it'll inevitably lead to more and more problems with the populace. [ And then, a shrug. ] ...Frankly, they will need to change their palates, one way or another.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voicemail. (idk, mid-late month?)
[ What a way to start a voicemail. She's not good at this cold-calling thing. ]
When you've a moment, let me know.
voice
He didn't expect to hear from Mel like this. He'd honestly thought she gave him her contact information just as a platitude because he was down when they met, or maybe just as one of those things politicians do for networking. Never know when a connection might come in handy, et cetera. He didn't think she'd call just to check in- and so he gets the feeling this might be more than a check-in, anyway.
His voice is still thick and gruff with sleep when he answers.]
Oh. Mel. [He clears his throat.] Yeah, I can talk. I'm... Still kicking, at least. How're you?
no subject
[ She hadn't realized he might've been sleeping in or catching up on rest. ]
Things are as well as one can expect in a place like this. [ Not bad, not good. ] But I imagine that's par for the course.
I wanted to know if you had some time this week to meet briefly. There are a few things I'd like to speak about. [ More that she wants to check in but, hey, there's plenty to talk about too. ] Do any days or times this week work best for you?
no subject
[He makes a strong hum of agreement. As well as one can expect, yep, that sums it up.
She's so formal that he wonders if she has some sort of proposal for him. Not that he can think of much he'd be of use to her for.]
Sure. I work a few nights but I'm always free in the afternoons. Just say where and when.
no subject
[ She sends him a file that's just a pinpoint on a map in Karteria, specifically in the East Sophia district. It's outside of a small grocer that carries tea and coffee, but it's not a 'coffee shop' technically. Just a place to buy goods, but it's a pretty well known street. ]
About two?
-> action
Sure. See you then.
[And he shows up, on time, out front of that shop. It's convenient, since he works in this area anyway. He looks tired, and it's possible he's even bigger than he was the last time she saw him, and more wolfy. Some grey fur lines his face, tufting in his beard and hairline, and spreading down his arms. His fingertips each have band-aids around them, where his nailbeds have cracked due to claws sprouting.]
no subject
I appreciate you meeting with me.
[ He looks...almost as if he's aged since she's seen him, more grey, but she doesn't notice until she's a bit closer that he even seems a bit taller. And the grey isn't from his beard, necessarily, but fur. ]
Do you want to take a look at any of the wares? Or would you prefer to walk?
no subject
He shrugs. He doesn't have much interest in the wares.]
May'sle walk.
[He picks a direction at random and starts walking, slowly. It might better be described as lumbering.]
What's this about, then? Do you have some sort of news?
no subject
Part of this was to check in on you, frankly.
[ And to just be out, because she knows it's easier for her to continue to hide behind texts and a device and keep things at a distance, but she wants to try to be more personable. ]
I do have information to catch you up on, certainly, but most of this was just to see you. It's been some weeks and we left things off in a way that I wanted to ensure you were doing all right.
[ She doesn't want to say acclimating because this place is horrible, and no one should need to get used to anything here. And yet. ]
I apologize, I've...possibly come across too seriously.
no subject
Y'think? Come on, Councillor, loosen your tie a bit. This ain't office hours.
[He nudges her elbow gently with his. Chill the hell out! He's just a guy!]
Appreciate you checkin' in and making the effort to see me, though. I'm... Alright. Was in quite the funk and made it worse with my drinking, but I'm doing my best to clean up my act now. Corruption's kicking my arse a bit, but I got a job and I'm trying to help those folks out with their farming and food distribution.
[Some of his enunciation is a bit off because of the large canine teeth that are now noticeable when he opens his mouth. Sort of like a lisp, but with consonants like f and v.]
no subject
It's difficult to step out of the role, I'll admit.
[ Even though she knows she'll never be a part of Piltover's council again, it still feels too difficult to put down the mask she wears. It's her armor and her defense, even if she wouldn't attribute it to the council itself. Still, she offers a little bit of a shrug, somewhat more at ease as they walk. ]
I wouldn't blame you for struggling. I think all of us had our difficulties the first few weeks in coming to terms with a place like this.
[ It's said somewhat neutrally, as they're out in public, but the set of her mouth suggests an undercurrent of anger. ]
But tell me about the farm and food distribution. That sounds exceedingly promising. There have been so many people here struggling for food, especially in East Sophia... Resources are spread so thin.
no subject
[She seems to have a ton of pressure on her shoulders, whether that's from her job at home, expectations of others, pressure she's putting on herself, or some combination. He can see her need to be professional, to be perfect, not a hair out of place, not to seem too human, because humans make mistakes and have weaknesses.
So, he knows better than to ask if she's had her own difficulties. He can tell they're not at that point yet.]
Don't know a ton of the details yet. There's some Gojo lad who's organizing the farms, and he's given Tifa money to start an operation cooking and distributing free meals out of the kitchen of the bar we work at. Also chatted with a young lady named Konoha who's trying to get a farm up and running. Offered my help a couple days a week with anything that needs brute strength in exchange for a meal.
no subject
[ Well, uh, he's. He's a guy. He's a weird guy, actually. Mel's at a loss for words on how to describe him, frankly; he's blunt and direct, but it's clear he has a good head and he seems to want what's best for people. It's hard for her to see the shape of him so clearly, though she wants to say he's trustworthy. ]
Those initiatives will be incredibly important if we can make them sustainable. Alleviating food insecurity here will start to turn things around. ...Or so I hope.
[ She's out of her depth here, though she won't say as much. ]
It's wonderful that you're able to do that. [ She smiles a little. ] I've wished, sometimes, that I was stronger — to offer something like lending a hand in the fields or on physical projects. It's not in my wheelhouse, unfortunately. But I think it eases some of the burden on the people in the city, especially with how some of them are so ill.
no subject
Agreed. We need to get people out of dire straits. Take care of each other.
[He looks at her, thoughtfully. An interesting admission, that she wishes she had more physical strength.]
We've all got our strengths. God knows we need diplomatic types like you, too, for the hairy situation we find ourselves in. The city folk don't know what to make of us outsiders, and I'm not blind to the tensions we cause here.
no subject
Negotiations prove rather fruitless when we have enough of our number trying to rattle the cage. Not that I blame them.
[ In her darker moments, when she knows the bird-soul is at its loudest, she wishes she could strike out and do something, even when her rational mind knows such a thing would be foolish even on the best of days. ]
I fear we don’t have enough time for it. I am…quickly changing, and I no longer know how palatable I can be for the people here. [ It’s frustrating. It shows in her eyes, that harder edge of glinted hazel. ] We’ve been brought here to help them, to help this world, and surely Patho-Gen knows what we’ll look like before all of this is over. And still…
[ And still, people will fear them. How much longer can they even stay in the city? ]
no subject
[There are definitely Augmented folks who are rightfully angry at Patho-Gen and the situation they've all been shoved into. And then there's Augmented like Vander who aren't helping their reputation by shifting in the streets.]
They'll just have to change their palates then, won't they?
no subject
I'm sure it was deserved, whatever you did. And plenty of our changes are not things we can hide, suppress, or stop. The very idea that we can control these things—
[ It's just irritating, frankly. She has so many issues with how Patho-Gen does their work. Their choice to withhold information from the Augmented and the people alike feels deliberate, like it might eventually build towards real strife. The emotion is reflected in her voice at last. ]
They should've been warned ahead of time. I don't much care if Patho-Gen doesn't know how we'll all be changing; they've done no preparation to adequately warn anyone of what's to come, and I worry that it'll inevitably lead to more and more problems with the populace. [ And then, a shrug. ] ...Frankly, they will need to change their palates, one way or another.