a little dream of her | part i

[groundrules]

A LITTLE DREAM OF HER

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This is the first of two logs covering the Dream county travel Arc — it stretches until 23 April OOCly and covers roughly one IC week. There is an entirely optional wedding mystery plot, which will depend heavily on information gathering, sharing and deduction, rather than on supernatural powers.

Boarding scenarios for existing and new characters are covered under the Old Timers and New Arrivals header, respectively. Click on the tabs for details!

OLD TIMERS

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Absorbing Wrath, Licyn and Yelena’s feedback, King Deimar of Alem decides against joining his brother Haiva in ‘noble sacrifice’ to hell. Good news for the party, who depends on royal savvy to reach Alem’s otherworld transport beacon, buried in the labyrinthine tunnels beneath crumbling Alem.

■ Deimar and his paladins guide small groups back to the beacon — but the keypoint’s war-drained energies only let a handful of party members out. Characters who have dropped or been swept by AC during Arc VI go home. You can also canon update your character now.

The party must heads onwards east, boarding a dreamy train at a station near Hassir. Here, find exotic stalls with wares once intended for Alem — from the latest travel fashions, to unlucky artefacts, heavy alcohol and narcotics. You can even purchase a domestic ghost.

Whether the Merchant supplies a ticket or false staff uniforms for you to proactively sneak aboard, don’t dally — this train runs like clockwork.

NEW ARRIVALS

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You wake up to claustrophobia, ash and gravel in your mouth — and a sense of urgency: run. Midway through a slovenly, rattling underground corridor, you meet an irritable woman, who leads you out, at the foot of a serene, smoke-topped mountain.

The woman passes you a pendant that allows you to understand her and to communicate with others like you. You are one of many otherworlders brought into Akhuras by undead lords who seek to weaponise you, as they battle humans and each other for dominion. Don’t believe her? Look up. The holy citadel Alem yet burns before the dead armies of Rahakku.

The woman is Karsa, an associate of the elusive Merchant, who collects and leads otherworlders east, where ancient beacons can transport them home.

Regrettably, you’re late — you arrived with the unexpected last gasps of Alem’s dying beacon and must now catch up with the others, who’ve departed on the Sandman train express.

WHY THE LONG FACE?

Karsa barters for a carriage led by two nightmare horses, along with several such steeds for confident riders. These are mercurial mounts and dizzyingly fast — your only shot to reach a train travelling through Dream county.

■ Karsa warns you must not fall asleep during travel. The horses will invade your nightmares, consuming your vital energy while you suffer asleep.

■ Talk at all times or sound the shrill silver bells Karsa provides to wake up any sleepers.

You reach the seaside village of Kyari, where you must board the incoming Sandman express. Regrettably, the horses have left Karsa with just enough coin for one ticket for the wounded Dean Winchester. Everyone else: make do.

You must also help Karsa sneak in fist-sized, forbidden dream boxes. Try to avoid the Sandman’s guards and their canine sentries, who scent newly boarding passengers for such contraband. Return the boxes to Karsa once on the train.

You’ve got 45 minutes to board, once the Sandman reaches its rustic station. Some options?

■ Play stowaway and break the rustier locks of the economy class cars.

■ Sweet talk the depressed Conductor. You bought, but just… forgot your ticket.

■ Distract the guards while your group boards, so they can sneak you on after.

■ Plant dream contraband on another would-be passenger, when the dogs draw close.

■ Ride one of those god-forsaken horses and jump on top of the train once it starts moving, then make your way in through ceiling hatches. God help.

A fully veiled young woman might lend you a hand.

THE SANDMAN

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All aboard… the Sandman, a majestic 100-car train that gallops on an emaciated railway across Dream county. Ghosts and dream residents wave as it passes by.

The Sandman stops once after leaving Alem, at seaside village Kyari, before crossing the abyss of the Cradle — the turbulent, storm-prone birthplace of dreams, where it is constantly night-time.

Some say the Cradle is only a cauldron for those who steal dreams or make them into living things. Others say the Cradle has its own mind.

To avoid igniting dream storms, passengers are strictly prohibited from carrying dream tokens and performing dream magic. Characters find their powers are significantly reduced while travelling on the Sandman.

New arrivals join the Sandman at Kyari with group caretaker Karsa, who introduces them to the old party.

■ The Sandman offers exquisite single-person compartments with en-suite bathrooms for First Class passengers, while Second Class travellers share generous cabins in pairs, and up to four voyagers can bunk up in… cozy Third Class cabins. Shared bathrooms and a small sauna cabin are also available.

■ You can hide in the staff, luggage or coal stock rooms.

■ You can decide your character’s First/Second/Third Class, staff or stowaway status. (Pick a job for staff!)

■ The LOST & FOUND booth contains an assortment of clothes and items forgotten by passengers, which you can raid (within reason). Latest findings: cigarettes, medical-grade opiate powders, a a beautiful green dress and pink striped men’s suit, all brought in after the Sandman leaves Kyari.

■ Amenities range from dining & bar carts to game, exercise and cinema halls where the (PG-13!) pleasant dreams you’ve gambled away can be viewed freely, or passengers can hold recitals or seminars.

■ You can gamble in regular currency or pleasant dreams (not memories).

■ Travellers are polite and social. You learn early on that you share a voyage with renown heroine and First Class passenger Firo, who, alongside her friends and sister party, picks up her bride Prassenze from Kyari.

■ Within two hours of leaving Kyari, the sky begins to darken, becoming pitch black and occasionally loudly stormed. It stays a starless night time throughout your journey over the Cradle.

■ For communal safety, windows and doors are locked and magically enforced shut after the train departs Kyari. The nightmare storms within the Cradle region crackle with highly chaotic energy that can (re)shape reality, endangering passengers. Deputy conductor Michel Bauc holds the window and door keys. An irritating, tinny, train-wide alarm sounds if anyone tries to force a window open.

■ You might sometimes find fellow passengers trying to exit the train or open the windows to join the storms, while they nap. Do wake up them up.

■ Whether you’re an insomniac or don’t typically need sleep, you find you fall instantly asleep at midnight and awaken refreshed by 8 a.m.

■ A skeletal crew serves the Sandman at night. The most authoritative figure is gloomy Conductor Rossakoff, who slinks silently across the train.

THE MENU

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Trot down to the dining carts for an unforgettable meal included with your ticket. Formal evening attire is expected during dinner. Some courses are lightly sparkled with stimulants that deepen certain aspects of diner’s emotions during the meal — this is not disclosed ICly, but visible to you OOCly in the menu. (ex: the Ham and Laughter Eggs triggers roaring laughter and a good disposition ).

   BREAKFAST

   SUPPER & DINNER

   SNACKS & BEVERAGES

DREAM SMUGGLERS

The new arrivals helped Karsa bring contraband aboard, but they’ve steps to go to their final destination. The sorceress doles out fist-sized boxes containing precious dream fragments of happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, anger, guilt or disgust — explicitly prohibited cargo that regains its magical properties once aboard the Sandman.

Each box comes with instructions for drop off under a dining hall table at midday, under a roulette table by 6 p.m. or in the coal room by 8 p.m. Karsa says the deliveries are an explicit favour from the Merchant to an old (dream thief) friend aboard the Sandman.

■ Pair up for your run! Those who hold dream boxes feel their emotions to a player-chosen degree of intensity, throughout their adventure.

■ Beware the vigilant guards of the Sandman, who run frequent searches for illicit dream artefacts. Some bring dream-catching dogs who catch the scent of the dreamed things.

■ You may feel unusually sleepy while holding dream boxes. Doze, and you wake up to find your dreams have summoned a wo/man, child or animal whose temperament embodies the box’s emotion. They can’t help drawing attention, but slowly disappear within 30-60 minutes — wait, are those the guards?

■ Caught smugglers are locked into ‘jail’ cabins, while their contraband is placed in the office of Conductor Rossakoff. First-time captives can be bailed out at ludicrous expense or in exchange for maid service, but repeat offenders are jailed
for the rest of the voyage. Liberate your dream box back from the Conductor’s strangely barren, otherwise untouched compartment.

■ Successfully delivered boxes feed into the mystery of the missing bride. You mysteriously fall asleep to a sweet dream if you wait to meet the collector — and wake up to a feeling of wrongness, as if reality is mute and diffuse around you, before your hearing and vision resettle.

THE GROUNDHOG WEDDING: A MYSTERY

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Firo’s bride Prassenze boards the Sandman from Kyari. She comes alone, veiled head to toe, and only brings a modest case. She is short, thin, pale and shy, prone to silence and retiring to her cabin at the earliest opportunity — a far cry from boisterous Firo.

…so much so that Firo’s sister Lita and friends Dulcinea, Maiza and Attru tell anyone who’ll listen that Firo is marrying this girl after courting her for six months through correspondence. Even bashful Hugo admits the pair is… perhaps a little mismatched. This is their first in-person encounter.

■ The wedding party members plead or offer coin for you to coerce the loving pair to delay their marriage — or to sabotage the wedding, due to take place in two days.

■ An enthusiastic Firo meanwhile asks if you can help with celebratory clothing or wedding ornaments.

■ Shortly after, Lita appears lost in her thoughts and altogether not there, clutching a letter in hand, the day after the Sandman departs Kyari.

HERE COMES THE BRIDE... AGAIN

1.0

No one forgets their wedding night — least of all brave Firo, who, vows performed, makes merry with her group and timid bride over a magnificent feast in the dining halls. Everyone is invited.

The blushing bride is visibly infatuated with Firo, but overwhelmed by the loud, relentless social activity. She hardly speaks to anyone, other than Firo, whose friends complain increasingly loudly that Prassenze is aloof, a cold fish, and thinks herself above them.

Prassenze excuses herself to freshen up in her cabin. Nearly an hour’s absence later, a worried Firo checks up on her — finding the bride’s compartment locked from the inside. Once the door is forced open, the partygoers — and you? — discover the inside stormed, bridal veils discarded on the floors, and windows widely open as the Cradle’s nightmare tempests rage.

The bride has vanished.

Terrified, Firo questions everyone in earnest, accepting your assistance to find Prassenze.

2.0.

You wake up next morning to find everyone reliving the same wedding day, which only fellow otherworlders recall. Squinting outside, you see new landscape — suggesting the Sandman has covered a day’s journey.

The bride Prassenze is present again, but sharply different in appearance and manner. Now, she is closer to Firo in size, her build athletic. Her manner is brusque, assertive, commanding. Some in Firo’s group are put off, others frightened. Firo appears a little taken aback by her bride’s domineering nature.

During the second wedding, a drunk Maiza and Dulcinea quarrel with Prassenze, who doesn’t back down. A frustrated Firo tries to break the fight, verbally lashing out at her friends for drinking and at Prassenze for stooping to their intoxicated level.

Prassenze storms to her cabin. She is once more found missing, when searched. As before, her compartment was locked from the inside, the window is wide open, and her veils have been abandoned.

3.0.

You wake up to a third wedding day, with only party otherworlders recalling the past two days. Prassenze looks and acts differently from the first and second wedding day — now she is of average build and height, with an especially jovial, overly friendly manner, prone to laughter and pranks. This time, she drinks with Firo’s friends, plays (and wins!) at many of their card and dice games, humours their stories and even flirts — but is so devoted to Firo’s group that she accidentally neglects Firo herself throughout the day. Firo repeatedly tries to coax her to spend time together, but fails, and abandons her during the wedding feast — perhaps meeting you for a drink instead?

Realising she has driven Fire away, a distressed Prassenze once more withdraws into her compartment at the end of the (third) wedding night — and disappears, leaving the same clues behind as on the first and second wedding day.

There are no further repetitions and time passes regularly after the third wedding day. The morning after, apothecary passenger Rigolante mentions asks Conductor Rossakoff to conduct a search, as some of his herbs and measuring tools have gone missing.

■ Player characters can change events and investigate during the second and third groundhog wedding days. Regrettably, Prassenze still disappears.

■ Non-PC characters and the Sandman’s crew only recall the third wedding day.

■ Conductor Rossakoff says the number of dreamers whose dreams help propel the Sandman during the obligatory midnight-8 a.m. nap — what do you know, you were helping all along! — has stayed the same since leaving Kyari, meaning the bride is alive on board. No one seems able to find her… help a distraught Firo find her missing wife!

CAST & CREW

	FIRO Good-humoured, sincere and just heroine, renown for her many feats of bravery — from rescuing villages to outwitting sphinxes and challenging immortals. Loud and prone to laughter. Quick to tell everyone about her beloved Prassenze.
	CONTESSA LITA Doting older sister of Firo, married to a Count who prefers a quiet life at his countryside estate. Preposterously wealthy and fashionable. Life of every party.
	MAIZA Once a gifted mathematician, Maiza quickly realized there is more money for the modern man to make from his brawns than his brains. After retraining as a barbarian, he served as muscle (and accountant) during many of Firo’s adventures..
	ATTRU The prince of a distant land, some say descended from wolves. Walks among men to learn their ways. Looks young, but will mention at least three wives and five children in the first five minutes of conversation. Smooth.
	DULCINEA Redeemed mercenary, who once used to sell her sword to anyone with the coin to spare — some say, even the dead! Turned an honest leaf after meeting Firo, of whom she is very protective. At times still sinister at her edges.
	HUGO A pilot turned priest, or a priest turned pilot. Met Firo during his many travels. Soft-spoken, mild-mannered, but jittery, with the kind of thin nerves that suggest he has survived numerous fraught circumstances.
	RIGOLANTE An apothecary of exotic drugs and herbs. He had hoped to make his fortune in Alem, but arrived just as the fortress crumbled, before he could sell enough of his wares. Prays he will find better fortune east.
	CONDUCTOR ROSSAKOFF The gloom and doom of the Sandman, eerily tall, slinking and silent. Passengers prefer to deal with deputy conductor Michael Bauc because of Rossakoff’s intimidating and discouraging presence. Takes a hard stand on smuggling or passenger misbehaviour and all but worships the Sandman.
	PRASSENZE The all-veiled bride of Firo, boarding at Kyari. Not once, not twice, but thrice disappeared.

IC TIMELINE

Day 01: Boarding at Hassir/Alem (morning)

Day 03: Boarding at Kyari (midday); within two hours of departing, the Sandman starts journeying on the railway above the abyssal Cradle — the sky is pitch black at all hours, nightmare storms rattle the train.

Day 04: Lita begins to behave airily, as if she’s not quite present.

Day 05: First wedding (16:00) and wedding feast (19:00)

Day 06: Second wedding (16:00) and wedding feast (19:00)

Day 07: Third wedding (16:00) and wedding feast (19:00).

Day 08: Rigolante asks Conductor Rossakoff to enforce a search for his missing herbs and recipients.

QUESTIONS

NPC THREADS

Comments

Jesse Pinkman | Breaking Bad

[yeahmagnets]

WHY THE LONG FACE?: Part 1

Jesse is not a confident rider. He couldn't even conjure up the word "corral" or "pasture", opting to call it a "cowhouse" instead, when spotting a herd of cows in their desert enclosure while scouting an area to park his RV for illegal purposes that we won't talk about now. But as Karsa's carriage gets more and more crowded, Jesse cringes at the prospect of being stuffed in like sardines. It's not only that--as someone offers him the reins of a particularly rowdy horse, Jesse most of all does not want to seem weak. He works best while flying by the seat of his pants through life, leaping at opportunities given to him no matter how bleak the outcome might seem. No, he doesn't have a death wish, but he's ridden that creaky mechanical bull at the local bar enough times to know he's at least decent at holding on for dear life. Is there much more skill required than that? He'll just have to find out because, moments later, he's grabbing onto the pommel and the back of the saddle and heaving himself up onto that horse. It's anything but a graceful mounting process--all scrambling limbs and huffed breaths, probably several expletives grunted out as he struggles, but he makes it, and that's clearly the most important point, accentuated by a loud 'whoop' and his triumphant fists raised into the air. Yeah, he almost loses his balance in the process, but let's pretend that nobody saw that part.

Jesse's good at staying awake. It helps that the horse is bolting so fast that he has to cling to the thing with every limb he has, wishing he would sprout more. The thing's mane keeps whipping him in the face and he's got dust and dirt flying into his eyes and he is every bit Not Meant For This, but it's what's happening and if anyone's good at rolling with the punches, it's him.

"This shit is crazy!"

Jesse screams to the next person over. Eloquent, as usual.

[ ooc; Jesse will definitely wake up anyone he sees falling asleep. He's a nightowl, and most nights an insomniac even when he tries to sleep, so staying awake won't be an issue for him. He'll help anyone who needs help onto their horse. He's not the strongest guy, but he knows how to lace his fingers together and use his quads for boosting power. ]

WHY THE LONG FACE: Part 2

Jesse is not amused by the fact that after that hellacious horseback ride, there's still a very real possibility he'll get stranded here once he realizes they're actually asking for tickets to board this train, which appears to be the only way out of whatever this place is (he already forgot the name...something with a K? Or is that the name of the lady who explained the whole situation a little too hastily while his head was still spinning and he was still spitting out gravel from his unfortunate arrival?) Whatever the case, Jesse slowly eases his way backward through the throng of people, trying to come up with a game plan.

"Oh, this is totally perfect, yo. Just...awesome. Yeah, hows about I just toss you onto this horse that happens to be...I dunno, some kinda beast from Hell, almost kill you on the way here just for you not to be able to get on the train anyway? Yeah, that'd be hilarious.

During his distracted monologue, Jesse doesn't pay any attention to where he's going and he finds himself bumping directly into a fellow hopeful passenger who is in some kind of heated discussion with someone holding a dog, apparently searching for contraband. Unfortunately for them, Jesse's jostle sends several pieces of contraband scattering to the floor. The person is detained and several people scramble, some grabbing for fallen items, some running away from the entire ordeal, and yet others taking this perfect opportunity to climb aboard. Jesse manages to grab a piece of contraband. He's already holding onto a dream box for Karsa. In the midst of the chaos, he finds an opening to get onto the train without being noticed (hopefully). Looking back to the crowd, he notices someone nearby, looking a bit lost in the shuffle. He reaches a hand out, trying to get their attention.

"Hey--over here. Get on."

[ ooc; Jesse will offer help to several nearby passengers, ushering and/or shoving them onto the train before he gets on himself. ]

THE SANDMAN

Once aboard the train, Jesse decides on a second-class cabin. Being in first-class might draw unnecessary attention to himself, but he doesn't exactly feel like being crammed into a tiny room with three strangers, so second-class is a happy medium. He finds a cabin that seems empty, not entirely sure if he'll have a roommate. It's likely with the number of people who he spotted outside of the train, but maybe if he claims a spot first he'll have some kind of a say in who else rooms with him. He doesn't have many possessions. The contraband items get tucked away--one inside of his pillow. Not just in the pillowcase, but within the stuffing of the pillow for safekeeping. The other he slips into a pocket until he finds a better hiding spot. He leaves his dusty beanie on top of the bed he's claimed for his own. Hearing the door to his cabin open, he spins around towards the sound.

"Is this cabin taken?"

THE MENU: BREAKFAST

Still a little bleary-eyed, but feeling suspiciously like he actually got a good night's sleep, Jesse emerges from one of the cabins to explore the train and hopefully find his way toward some breakfast. It's not often that he has access to three square meals a day. His refrigerator at home stays empty more often than not, mainly by his own fault. Grocery shopping is an entire inconvenience, apparently. In the process of figuring out where to go, he backs up and bumps directly into someone. Jerking away, he raises his hands, palms out in an apologetic gesture.

"Sorry. I'm a little..." He trails off, gesturing. A little out of sorts. "You know where I can get somethin' to eat? Some breakfast? I'm starving."

DREAM SMUGGLERS: PART 1 (SUCCESS)

Not quite the greenhorn in illegal activity that he'd started out as some months earlier, Jesse manages to hang on to the dream box that Karsa had given him. There's still one tucked into his pillowcase in his cabin, which he has to figure out where to bring, and he's managed to score a dream token dropped by someone he'd bumped into before boarding The Sandman. This particular dream box is meant to be dropped off in the coal room by 8pm. The longer he's carried the box, the more disgusted he's been feeling about this entire situation. The two meals he's had were barely able to be choked down, everyone around him seems off-putting and frankly, he's tired of this entire ordeal. But let's focus on that tired point for now. The longer he waits, Jesse's inclined to find a place to make himself comfortable and, while comfort is few and far between in the hot and dusty coal room, he manages to slump against a burlap bag of coal and drifts off with the box in his hands, waiting for its collector. The movement of the train jostles an open bag of coal above him, causing some of the bag to spill out on Jesse, waking him. He coughs, clapping the black dust out of his clothing as he gets to his feet. Rude awakening. He emerges from the coal room looking like he's just worked a double shift in a mine, face and hands smeared with black. He's trying not to touch anything, his arms stretched out comically in front of him as he searches for someplace to get washed up. Unfortunately for you, he rounds the corners hands-first and plants them right on your torso, getting the charcoal all over your outfit.

"Shit! I uh, sorry. Hang on, I'll just--" Jesse stammers, grabbing a towel off a nearby cart. He tries earnestly to clean up the mess, but he can't really tell if it's working or just smearing everything around.

DREAM SMUGGLERS: PART 2 (CAUGHT)

Unfortunately for Jesse, while he's out and about the train trying to get his bearings, one of the guards, led by a search dog, is directed toward his cabin. The hidden contraband is found in spite of him hiding the thing inside of his pillow. Perhaps he should have left it in the pillow on the empty bed and not on the one where he haphazardly tossed his beanie. Of course the beanie was snatched up and given to the search dog to sniff him out. It doesn't take long to find him and Jesse finds himself being dragged away (whilst protesting, cussing, and literally going limp and forcing them to drag him. He's a little dramatic, so sue him.) Upon hearing his bail, Jesse is about ready to give up entirely, but then they mention that he can work off his offense by doing maid duties. It's not something he'll happily do. He barely cleans up his own place, let alone other people's shit, but if that's what it takes to gain his freedom, he'll do it.

Find Jesse, dressed in an embarrassing maid's outfit. Maybe that's part of the punishment. It's definitely part of the punishment. He's forced to wear some frilly apron with lace all around the edges and some type of frilly hat. He dons it all over his oversized hoodie and sagging jeans and probably is making himself look even more ridiculous for that fact, but he's just trying to work off his time as quickly as possible. He pushes along his cart, stopping at a cabin and raising a tattooed arm to knock on the door firmly.

"Housekeeping, yo. You need towels or a clean up? Anybody in there?" Jesse waits for an answer.

[ ooc note; I wrote this in prose, but I'll match your style if you prefer brackets. I'm pretty late to the party due to some unforeseen circumstances, so I'm not going to be super involved in the groundhog wedding mystery side-mission, however, Jesse would be willing to join the search party and help look for the missing bride. He'll also definitely be up for joining the wedding party and making use of the time to try and acquaint himself with his fellow passengers. That being said, I'm up for any and all interactions with your characters. If none of my above prompts feel fitting or you have something else in mind, feel free to toss up a wildcard starter of your choosing! If you'd like to plot anything or discuss things more, my plurk and discord handles are on the "taken" page, or you can PM this journal. I've been missing writing a lot, so I'm excited to dive in here and have things to do! I'll definitely be tagging out over the next couple of days as well. ]

DREAM SMUGGLERS: PART 1 im sorry this is too funny, have your milf moment jesse

[saintclaire]

Let it be known that six months on a cross-continent adventure fleeing the undead has not improved Kim's reflexes any, nor has it imbued her with the sort of combat-readiness that would have many eastbound travelers responding to an impromptu groping with a suplex or a right hook. In fact, this time has only made Kim more inclined towards diplomacy: she has no more desire to fight people than she does to be manhandled.

She certainly does not want to be manhandled. This is clear to her the moment he bumps into her, and crystal the instant he tries to amend things by making it worse. (Is it anal to care as much about the soot now embedded into her white blouse as she does about being touched at all? Probably, but it's all a black mark, in her books.)

"Stop," she orders, and then repeats, reaching for the towel to stop him, taking a step back, her eyebrows furrowed. "Stop that. What the hell is wrong with you? Personal space."

i'm so sorry for this idiot (but not really lol)

[yeahmagnets]

If Jesse knew of other travelers' propensity for violence, he may have been more careful. But, he's as green as they come here. Straight out of Gustavo Fring's superlab after an entire 24 hours of chasing a goddamned fly around, dosing his partner just to get him to sleep, and then cooking the rest of the batch himself. He's tired, which doesn't help his tendency towards clumsiness any. If he knew anything Kim was thinking, though, he'd be grateful it was her he'd run into instead of just about anybody else. Plus, she's kinda hot. Y'know. In that MILFy sorta way.

He's trying to scrub the charcoal soot out of her shirt before he even realizes who it is he's run into--before he even fully realizes that this person has breasts that he most definitely should not be touching. But he's trying to help? It's clearly out of trying to fix things rather than being some kind of perv, with the frenzied way he's trying to brush away the black soot and the stammering in his voice as he explains his actions.

Jesse freezes at the first 'stop', his blue eyes going wide as he suddenly realizes what he was doing, the added 'personal space' making him take a literal step back, his hands raised.

"Hey, whoa, no. I wasn't--' he begins, before his face screws up in an offended kind of expression. "No, yo. It's not even like that--ugh--I-I was just trying to help. Y'know. Clean up." Jesse says, a scoff leaving his lips. He's flustered, but also defensive.

"Here." He says, tossing her the towel. Probably best she does that herself, though at this point it looks like changing clothes might be the only real solution. It's then, in the pause between dialogue that he really gets a chance to take a look at Kim. It's been several years since he'd seen her outside of Saul's office, so the recognition doesn't quite click with him beyond her looking really familiar. He's probably even less recognizable than usual, what with his signature beanie left behind in his room, light brown hair sticking up all over, face and hands smeared with charcoal. His left eye is still a little swollen, a few healing cuts scattered on his forehead and over his left cheekbone, thanks to a run-in with Hank Schrader.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

[saintclaire]

Kim listens to this stammering with raised eyebrows. It's obvious to her it wasn't ill-intended, but the defensiveness ratchets her personal irritation down to where she can swallow it and move on.

"It's fine. Just... stop and think first, next time."

The beating he's taken to his face gains him the barest amount of sympathy points, too. Kim scrutinizes him in turn, squinting at him like it might come to her –– nothing –– and then turns her attention to her blouse, pulling it away from her chest with pinched fingers to assess the damage.

She is going to be scrubbing it out over a sink tonight.

"Are you from Albuquerque?" It's meant to be as dry as it sounds, but it's not entirely outside the realm of possibility, either; Ignacio had been a surprise third addition, and someone Kim had tangentially known. But what are the odds?

[yeahmagnets]

"Yeah, totally. Stop and think. I can--I can dig it." Jesse says, breathless, filthy palms still raised and blue eyes still wide as saucers. There's a sense of déjà vu blanketing this interaction, bringing him back to a time when his partner's wife, Skyler White, had nearly caught him moving Emilio's body after a botched drug deal.

Jesse quirks up an eyebrow as he feels Kim's eyes scanning over him, scrutinizing every detail. Fuck. Is she someone he's screwed over somehow in all of his clumsy business deals so far? Who is she? He can't quite put his finger on it, but that inkling that he knew her from somewhere is obviously right, as she asks if he's from Albuquerque. He pauses for a few moments. His initial instinct is to be excited. He's here, traveling on some fuckin' dream train in the middle of who knows where, so someone relating to where he comes from is a welcome thing, to say the least. But at the same time, he's trying to mill over his thoughts quickly, flipping through his mental Rolodex to figure out if Kim is someone he should be worried about.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm from the ABQ. Like, born and raised, yo. Well. Born in Santa Fe, but like, my folks lived in Albuquerque when I was born, so. I...you look really familiar but I can't put a finger on it. I, uh, take it you're from there, too, though? What'd you do there?" Jesse asks, the whole charcoal dilemma entirely forgotten. At least for now.

[saintclaire]

Of all places in the world to let people slip across space and time, Albuquerque, New Mexico did not seem like a likely candidate, but then again, where would be? What does she know about wormholes or fantasy worlds? She doesn’t even like fantasy movies. Still, there are greater immediate concerns, and his jumpiness pulls a long breath from her, patience gathered.

“I’m a public defender in Albuquerque,” she explains. It does not feel like the sort of profession that would make her recognizable, at least not to anyone beyond the circle of her clients, and she is certain that she would recognize him if he was one of them, or even just someone she’d met with. That he’d recognize her perhaps isn’t beyond the realm of possibility –– she quietly considers that her male colleagues outnumber her as many as four or five to one, at least within the realm of public defence –– but only if he makes a habit of hanging around the courthouse or the various low-budget restaurants she meets with clients.

“I’m a regular at the El Camino dining room,” she adds. “If that’s any more likely.”

She is guessing he doesn’t have a taste for pretentious white-collar lounges or the Guild Cinema.

THE MENU: BREAKFAST

[nachocheese]

Nacho can sympathize with Jesse's bleary-eyed, doubtless partially hunger-driven daze. Eating isn't always second nature to him either, although that's usually more out of stress than anything else.

"It's cool, man," he says, when Jesse bumps info him and his waiter card. "You rammed into the right person." A small, wry smile. He grabs something off the cart without paying too much attention to what it is, figuring this guy probably won't care too much. "Here. Take this one. On the house."

[yeahmagnets]

Jesse's immediately wide-eyed, at first, trying in earnest to read Nacho. Jesse has a couple of inches on the guy, but he's got an air about him that's making his gut tell him he's not someone to fuck around with. Maybe that's just hunger pains, though. Nacho's smile puts Jesse at ease, as do his words, and the tension melts out of his shoulders as he lets a half-scoff, half-laugh out, a smile lingering on his face.

"Good, 'cause I'm pretty sure I'm in enough trouble already. What with the, uh, waking up having no fuckin' idea where I'm at or how to get back to Albuquerque." He says, reaching for the muffin that Nacho affords him. It's not much, but it'll do.

"Thanks, uh..." Jesse draws out the sound, waiting for Nacho to interrupt him with a name.

[nachocheese]

"Ignacio Varga," he supplies on cue, when Jesse prompts him. "But Nacho's fine. And you are...?"

He can feel the tension in Jesse, and he feels the slightest twinge of guilt. Yeah, he knows why it's useful to be intimidating, even scary. But Jesse's new and lost and seems uneasy, and frightening somebody like that makes him feel like something is poking his heart with a needle.

So feeling that tension melt off of Jesse is welcome for Nacho, too.

But then the guy says it.

Albuquerque...?

It's subtle, but the flicker of recognition is immediate and obvious if you know what to look for. The twitch of a brow. The flicker of something lighting up behind eyes that pop open a little wider. He gives a very quick, subtle glance over his shoulder to make sure none of his bosses are watching him.

Sure, Nacho doesn't recognize this guy, but that doesn't mean anything. Albuquerque is a big city. Nobody knows everybody. There's no guaranteeing they're even from the same time, or the same Albuquerque. Versions of the same city seem to exist across multiple worlds and dimensions with some regularity.

And yet. Still. Still. Jimmy is here, Jimmy's wife is here, he's here... the odds would say it's not impossible for somebody else from their neck of the woods to show up here, even if it's somebody Nacho doesn't know personally.

Nacho sucks in a breath. "Hey. Uh. This is gonna sound weird, but... you got a minute to talk?" There's an intensity to him that might read as threatening, but he tries hard to tamp it down, give Jesse space, leave room for Jesse to get away or refuse if he wants to. Jesse's young, not a kid but young, gotta be younger than Nacho, and Nacho doesn't want him to feel trapped or scared.

But if he is from the same place as Nacho, then Nacho can't help feeling a strange sense of responsibility for him. The guy gives off an aura that's friendly, almost innocent, in a way can't be just about his age.

Not the kind of guy Nacho wants to throw to the wolves, if he can help it.

[yeahmagnets]

"Nacho. Got it. I'm Jesse. Some people call me Pinkman, but that's my last name. I don't really mind either way." He says with a shrug. It's all the same to him. Yeah, he's tense, but it's more this entire situation and shitshow of a day than anything having to do with Nacho directly.

Being as observant as he is, that flicker of recognition doesn't go unnoticed when he mentions his hometown. It could mean anything, but at the very least it means this guy's at least from a universe where Albuquerque exists, and even that is kind of a relief. It does give him some pause, though--the fact that he's already come across two other people from back home. He wonders if there are more people here--anyone he knows who might actually remember him. It's a bit of a reach; a shot in the dark, but the intrigue is there. Maybe he'll be able to ask around once he gets a lay of the land; gets settled a little more.

"Uh, yeah...I take it you don't mean here...?" Jesse asks, figuring whatever Nacho wants to discuss needs a little bit of discretion; a little privacy.

"I'm in cabin 208 down the hall unless you know a better spot..." Or unless right here's just fine. He doesn't know what the conversation's about, but Jesse's been learning to trust his gut instincts about people and this guy isn't sending up any major red flags.

[nachocheese]

It's cool, man. Nacho gets it. He's had his tense days, too. He just buries it deeper, that's all. Plus, he has the shock of suddenly being alive again after literally killing himself to hamper some of his emotions. Some days, he feels like he's living with all of his feelings behind a glass wall. Like he knows what he should feel but can only actually feel the whisper of the ghost of the emotion he should be experiencing.

Other days... well, other days he's as tense as Jesse is now.

He nods at Jesse's introduction. "Pinkman it is," he says with a shrug. He can't explain why, but using Jesse's last name just feels right somehow. Maybe because he can't help feeling drawn to this kid, wanting to look out for him, almost feeling like maybe they have more in common than just a potential shared relationship with ABQ -- and his brain's natural trauma response screams silently to create distance, and to hold onto that distance like a security blanket, even though Nacho's not sure that's what he really wants to do.

"Uh. Yeah. It's not sensitive info, but" -- Nacho looks around again, and then looks down, gesturing with only his eyes to the nametag he wears that bears a fake name on it -- "I don't wanna get caught goofing around. I've already been reprimanded once already."

Here he gives Jesse a small smile, almost conspiratorial in nature.

"Nah, man. Your room's good." It always surprises Nacho how willing people are to trust here, at least when it comes to the others within their group. It would never occur to him to invite a random stranger into his quarters, even one as friendly and harmless-seeming as Jesse. But it occurs to him too that maybe his surprise is a sign of something wrong with him, not them.

Going two years with only one person you can trust really takes a toll on a person's mental state, after all.

Going to Jesse's room with him feels, to Nacho, not unlike jumping off a cliff, plunging straight into frigid water below. It's not that he thinks Jesse's going to do anything. He's more worried for Jesse than worried about him, if anything. But it's the act of going somewhere alone with a stranger, somewhere as isolated as said stranger's room, that feels like a huge step.

A step he's going to have to take eventually, though. Might as well be now.

He follows Jesse to his cabin, and again looks both ways before they duck inside. The consequences for getting caught aren't dire, not the way they were back home. He'd just get yelled at, that's it. But the paranoid urges haven't left him yet and anyway he's not in the mood to get talked down to by some stiff supervisor.

When they shut the door, Nacho hesitates, unsure how to broach what he wants to say. Unsure how to explain it.

"So. Albuquerque, huh?" He pauses. "What year?"

Sorry for his bluntness, Jesse! He's not trying to break your brain or anything. Seriously.

the menu: breakfast

[westviews]

Wanda grunts when she's bumped into, but he stays her irritation when he's quick to apologize. And then he mentions food. She's also hungry, having passed on food when Pietro had first offered because she hadn't been hungry yet. Now's the time.

"The dining car should be this way," she says. "I was just heading down there to get breakfast."

So. He can come with. If he wants.

[yeahmagnets]

"I-I'm sorry," he still utters after her grunt, hands raised in a fashion that would suggest he means no harm. He relaxes some when she mentions the dining car, and he looks down the hall where her gaze stays momentarily before he nods. Once she gets a good look at him, she'll see his blondish brown hair is disheveled, sticking up all over a bit. His left eye is a little swollen, though not swollen shut as it had been a couple of weeks ago. There are some healing gashes over his left cheekbone and forehead--above his eyebrow.

"Okay, yeah. I'll, um, I'll just follow you. I'm Jesse." He says his name, finally. He's not very good at introductions or formalities, but he's the most loyal person you could wish for if you get him in your corner.

Jesse starts after Wanda, keeping enough distance to keep an eye on both her and their surroundings, but still staying close enough not to lose her. His empty stomach is a rumbling reminder to stick close by.

[westviews]

He's a little skittish, isn't he? Wanda glances back at him, frowning a little when she notes the state of his face.

"I'm Wanda. Did something happen to you, Jesse?"

She's not one to beat around the bush. She slows her initial pace, an unspoken invitation for him to walk beside her rather than behind.

"Did it happen here?"

[yeahmagnets]

"Wanda, okay. It's um, it's nice to meet you." He replies and offers her a sheepish smile. He really feels out of sorts here, still adjusting to the fact that he's got no idea where he is.

"Happen to me? I..." Jesse starts, but he notices where her gaze lingers, a hand coming up to brush over his still bruised and swollen cheekbone.

"Oh...nah, this didn't happen here. Back home? This cop...he thought I did something that I didn't. Kinda lost his mind and came to my house. Beat me 'til I got knocked out, and didn't stop there. This is nothin'--you shoulda seen me a couple weeks back." Jesse explains, seeming a little bit proud of that fact. Like it's a testament to what he can handle.
It's true, though. His face had been an absolute mess then, and he'd needed to spend a few days in the hospital because of it.

"You been here long?" He asks, curious.

DREAM SMUGGLERS: PART 2 (CAUGHT)

[makemeasong]

After nearly dying twice—three times?—Clara is basking in the luxury of first class, with a legitimate ticket and everything. She's fresh and clean thanks to the bath, and she pretty much wants to roll around on her huge bed as much as she can before the train ride ends and they're in hell again. Or something.

Maybe she should be more concerned about the whole mandatory sleep thing, but why look a gift horse in the stomach. Or is it eyes? Mouth? Whatever it is, she won't question it. Which is why her bed is messy and looks like it's been lived in. She's definitely left towels on the floor. A room refresh would be nice. There's a bowl of fruit she swiped sitting on the nightstand, and 16 roses with gold-edged petals. Keeping track of those has been a nightmare, but the invisibility they offer is too good.

A woman who looks about the size of a twelve-year-old boy and still has a bit of bedhead opens the door. The tattoo doesn't even register because she doesn't care he has one (or any), it's the outfit that makes her press her lips together in an effort not to laugh.

"Oi, mate. You look like you're playing a gag in a movie and the real maid's tied up somewhere."

[yeahmagnets]

Jesse tips his head back, staring slack-jawed at the ceiling. Of course the universe would twist this so he knocked on the door of some attractive young lady instead of tending to an empty room or dealing with some ball-busting by some of the guys on board. Such is his luck, apparently. He shakes his head and then looks down at his outfit before looking back at Clara, blue eyes narrowing a bit, though he can't help but laugh a little at her suggestion.

"Yeah, I guess it does kinda look like that, huh?"

Jesse leans against the cart, a slick smile on his face, that is, until the cart suddenly lurches forward (did he forget it was on wheels?) and leaves him scrambling a bit. He lets out an apologetic laugh. Wow, great first impression, Jesse. Keep it up.

"You got me. I uh, I got busted with some contraband and I guess this outfit's their way of adding insult to injury. Said I could work my time off by taking up a housekeeping shift. Instead of, like, paying bail or sitting in a cell or whatever."

He peers behind her at the cabin, which, seems a little bit disheveled, but he's pretty sure he's not supposed to clean the rooms that have anyone in them at the time--unless they're okay with that. At least that's what he knows from hotel etiquette back where he's from. He has no reason to believe things work the same here, though.

"Want me to pick up a little? Change the bedding and get rid of the trash or, um, should I come back later?"

[makemeasong]

There is a desperate attempt from Clara not to laugh, and she covers her mouth with one hand. Recovering quickly, she steps aside and gestures into the room.

"By all means. If it helps you work off your sentence. Or whatever." She smiles good-naturedly at him. "Do they have you on a time limit or something? Because you could hang out here for a while. There's always cheating the system and helping you, too. Anyone say anything about that in the rules?"

He has the new person vibe about him and if that's the case, why leave him to the whims of the weirdness on the train?

[yeahmagnets]

Jesse rubs at the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face. It's okay to laugh, Clara, really. He probably would, if the shoe were on the other foot, though he appreciates her efforts to preserve whatever dignity he has left.

"Sweet. I'll, uh, try to stay out of your way." Jesse says, though that'll be easier said than done. The first-class cabins aren't nearly as cramped as the cheaper ones, but it's still readily apparent that there's limited space considering they're on a train. Jesse pulls on a pair of gloves and then starts picking up whatever trash or empty dishes he can find, turning his head to listen when Clara speaks again. His expression brightens up before a sly, knowing smile spreads across his face.

"That sounds like a great idea, actually. They said I had to work the night shift, so I'm guessing from now 'til breakfast or whatever, but I mean--it's totally okay for you to tell me to kick rocks, y'know, whenever you want to get some shut-eye." He explains, stumbling over his words a little. He doesn't want to impose at all, even though he's been invited.

WHY THE LONG FACE: Part 2 lmk if this works

[starlingroad]

America had managed to dodge dogs, guards, and lead a few people through, using her experience of having to blend and go places she might not be welcomed for a while. Running helps with so much of this! But when she gets closer to the cars, she can't find one that isn't locked.

She hears a voice, sees a hand in her peripheral vision - oh look! This guy found a way in.

Quickly, she slips inside, just giving Jesse wide eyes.

"I saw you on the way over." She hadn't really been able to sleep, so distraught by their situation, but she really only talked to people who looked like they were going to nod off.

works for me!

[yeahmagnets]

Jesse searches the crowd, trying to find people to help inside while the guards are distracted. He sees a girl to the side of him, trying to get into some locked cars just as he's leaning out and offering his hand to anyone he can grab and pull up into the opening he's found. She jumps in beside him and he notes the wide-eyed look on her face. She seems young and, immediately his heart softens. Not that she can't fend for herself--she's made it this far--but he has a tendency of taking younger folks in under his wing, looking out for them. Maybe it's because he wishes he had someone like him looking out for him.

"Yeah? I, uh. Those horses were crazy, huh? Were you riding one, too, or in one of the carriages?" Jesse asks, hoping he hadn't made too big of a fool out of himself with that whole horseback fiasco. He hadn't ridden one since he was a kid, and even then, these horses weren't anything like the ones he was used to.

"I'm Jesse, by the way." He offers a friendly smile, trying to at least ease her mind that she hasn't just gotten on the train with some creep or someone with ill-intentions.

[starlingroad]

America can take of herself, but she isn't going to turn away help, either. And Jesse should have had someone looking out for him. If nothing else, in return for helping her, he's got her gratitude and someone to watch his back.

"The horses -" she's abut to agree with him, then finds out he was riding one. America's eyes widen. "You're the crazy one! I was in the carriage."

She doesn't think he's creepy or has ill-intentions with that story. He seems open, and America is already ready to trust him. Just, maybe not trust him not to do something dangerous. Like get on strange horses that you can't sleep around.

"America." She looks around, doesn't see anyone too close, then whispers, "You get one of those boxes?"

[yeahmagnets]

Jesse just laughs when America calls him crazy. It is kind of true.

"People were crammed into that carriage like sardines! Plus, somebody just like...handed me the reins. I couldn't just wuss out." Jesse shrugs. He very much could have wussed out, and, had he not been surrounded by strangers he was trying to gain acceptance from, he most likely would have. But that's neither here nor there--the ride is, thankfully, over and done with.

"America. That's a cool name." Jesse says, leaning in when America whispers to him, the smile falling from his face.

"Yeah...that Karsa lady was kinda pushy with gettin' people to bring 'em on board. You should stash that someplace, like, not on you. I saw dogs that were sniffing that stuff out. I could take it for you if you want..." Jesse offers, not wanting to see someone young get into any trouble. He'd gladly take the fall for her if it came down to it, even though they just met. He has a soft spot for kids.

DREAM SMUGGLERS: PART 2

[matermali]

In one of the first-class cabins sits Vanessa, though she may look as though she stowed away rather than acquired her own ticket. Her dark hair is loose and unkempt, and the clean trousers she's wearing of the local fashion do not fit her, nor match the dirtier, slightly blood-stained silk blouse hanging off her wisp of a frame. If nothing else, her skin is clean, though it would be easy to miss with the sight she makes.

The announcement draws a hard stare from where she sits, but after a moment there's noise from within the room as she shifts from the bed, an open bottle of brandy falling to the floor to spill without much care.

The door to the cabin slides open just a crack, and pale blue eyes over pallid skin blink out at the stranger. Any strangeness to his garb draws no reaction; only the light bothers her any, which seems to make her flinch. It's dimmer in her cabin.

"...Towels?"

Vanessa's low voice scratches at the slip of air between them. The tone is one of confusion, as if she may need a moment to process that someone is actually offering her things. As if she didn't belong to the upper class, despite being born to it. But then, that was how many lifetimes ago? And this is not London. Worlds away.

"Do I..." Her knuckles tighten as she grips the door with a glance beyond him, as if expecting someone else to pop up behind him at any moment. "Am I to pay for your services?"

[yeahmagnets]

"Uh...pay?" Jesse raises a suspicious brow, taking in the sight of her and, more pointedly, the sight of the room beyond her. It's certainly in a state. He glosses over her once more, noting the bloodstains on her shirt, but it's not like he's never been in that situation before. It doesn't make him immediately peg her as some murderer. What you see isn't always what you get. He's well aware of that.

"I mean, I guess some people leave tips, but really that's up to you. Your um--drink is spilling." Jesse gestures over her shoulder to the bottle of brandy that's glugging out onto the thin carpet of the room, a darkened circle slowly spreading outward.

"I'm just here to pick up a little. If you want. I dunno how it's done around here, but where I come from, um, maid service usually waits 'til the room's, like, unoccupied or whatever. I could come back if you want. But I'll be quick if you'd rather stick around. Just, um. Get some stuff out of your way, change your towels and bedding and whatnot. Y'know?" He seems as lost as she does, even though he's doing a decent job at putting on like he knows what he's talking about--like he wasn't just ripped from his universe and set down in some completely foreign place. Perhaps his eyes give him away--too blue not to notice, and wide like saucers, like he's still in disbelief over, well, everything.