the times they are a'changing

[retropolis]

WHO: NELSON GARDNER and YOU
WHERE: Around the City! Locations specified.
WHEN: January 28th - February 2nd
WARNINGS: Will edit if needed.
SUMMARY: Nelson copes with the unpleasant surprise of arriving in faux-New York almost fifty years in the future the rational way: varying levels of hysteria and despair.
FORMAT: Tagger's choice.



It wasn't often that Nelson's asthma acted up -- not noticeably, not for years -- but he had been having on-and-off hyperventilation attacks of increasing severity since he arrived in this... wherever he was. He coughed and gasped and the pain in his chest seemed to tell him (scream to him) that whatever this was, it at least wasn't a hallucination. He knew plenty about pain, after all, and you didn't feel it from simple fantasies. That knowledge didn't help his confusion any.

In a way it was both everything he wanted and everything he didn't want all in one (hah) breath. A team of heroes could protect the world (a team of the right heroes), but what good did a whole city of them do? How could they do more than stumble over each other and cause more problems for themselves and everyone in their paths? It was tactically clumsy, at least from Nelson's perspective. More than anything it was overwhelming. How could anyone stand out this way? But that was a selfish thought. He was old and he was out of shape -- really, if he hadn't been obsolete already this seemed like the final nail in his coffin, and the worst of it was that this city looked like every social ill Nelson could imagine multiplied by ten; where was he? What had happened to New York? Just looking at the communicator in his hand perplexed him. It was apparently some kind of combination telephone and walkie-talkie, which was already beyond his comprehension.

Get ahold of yourself, he coached himself, willing himself the confidence to stand up straight again and walk steady until he could find somewhere to sit, or someone that could help. Of course he could do this -- with his USMC experience, he could do anything if he stayed alert, confident, optimistic… and strong. He was going to put his best foot forward and try to meet this situation with all the dignity he could muster.

Or if not dignity, at least steady breathing.

( I can be contacted on PM or plurk if further planning for any thread is wanted. Obviously most of these scenarios are pretty flexible; I'm open to location changes and/or time jumps occurring (e.g. they meet at coffee, then go to a movie, or the tag-in doesn't occur directly after the specific moment the set-up implies but rather an hour later) after the initial set-up unfolds, or if someone else has tagged and using a different time of day or slightly different (but nearby) location makes more sense. Tagging multiple days is also totally fine if desired! )

Comments

THURSDAY (31st) OTA

[retropolis]

[ Getting out and about helps clear Nelson's mind, because staying in makes dwelling on the despair of this new situation far too easy. On Thursday he goes to a bookstore, not caring whether or not he actually found something (though a book would also serve to keep his mind off his predicament, distractions were good where he could get them) or if it just passed the time. Besides, the MAC was a far cry from what he was used to when it came to housing, and getting out of his shabby apartment helped his mood as well.

Choose your own adventure, do you run into him while he's:

A: Wandering through the History section and flipping through texts here and there -- recent books, political books, etc. -- and getting progressively more and more distressed at the current state of the world and how much has changed, almost (but not quite!) to the point of hyperventilation.

B: Attempting to use one of the computerized search systems, failing, getting frustrated, taking it out on an employee: ] What do you get paid for if these shabby devices are supposed to do your job for you? And they don't even work--

[ C: Double-taking at and meandering around the Gay/Lesbian section, fascinated and terrified that it even exists. Scrutinizing it from a section over. Refusing to be seen near it.

D: Barging into you someone on his way out, totally not paying attention at all. Whoops.

E: Other! Whatever the heck you want. ]

[invoking]

[ Although Gemma has informed him about the device called a "Nook" (why is it called that he has yet to understand) and the hundreds upon hundreds of books it can store in itself, Gil still very much prefers the old comfort of a physical copy in his hand. A Nook is a good investment in the long run from what he understands, but he doesn't mind the feel of paper between his fingers and the old and new smells of several books piled together.

No matter which store he enters, he can never find a single copy of Holy Knight, even when he asks. During his own inquiry, he and the female employee overhear an agitation confrontation, but the employee rolls her eyes and whispers to Gil someone has come into the store and has been acting "weird" since his arrival so she's been avoiding him.

It's not really his place to intervene, so he lets it go. He gets himself a new recipe book from the Food section, pays, and heads out of the store, only to be blindsided by someone else moving in the same direction. He falls forward, landing on one knee. ]

[retropolis]

[ When Nelson finally leaves he's relatively huffy and frustrated, having found the employees unhelpful and no books that caught his eye. Most of them were too modern or flashy or liberal sounding.

So he's not really paying attention when he leaves the store, and bumps rather bodily into someone. ]

Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. [ Enough to have knocked them over, that's embarrassing. He offers his hand to help the man up. ] You aren't hurt, are you?

[invoking]

I'm alright. [ He... thinks. He doesn't think anything popped or is sprained, but it does hurt to fall on one knee even with the carpeted floor. He's sort of just sitting there, needing a moment to get to his feet. ] I should have looked up...

[retropolis]

I should have been watching where I was going. Really, let me help you up.

[ Still offering his hand, looking a bit guilty. ]

[invoking]

That's quite fine. I can man-- [ he tries to move but there's a sharp pain that keeps him glued to the floor ] -- age...?

[retropolis]

[ Fretting. Shooing onlookers away, MYOB assholes. ]

Are you sure? You look hurt.

[ What did he do to deserve this!! ]

[invoking]

[ It's temporary. It'll go! But he feels rather stupid for just sitting here on one knee like he's about to propose to someone. Reluctantly, he takes Nelson's hand. ]

S-Sorry...

[retropolis]

[ Nelson helps him up, still fretting. The points to a nearby bus bench. ]

Maybe you should sit down. Is it your leg?

[invoking]

It should be fine in a second. [ He doesn't want to worry this man any longer. He waves his free hand, as if letting go of the subject. ] Uh, thanks.

[retropolis]

[ Nelson looked him over, as if deciding for himself if he was okay or not. ]

If you're sure. I wasn't paying any attention at all, I confess, I was preoccupied thinking about a conversation I'd had with an employee. [ Huffs slightly. ] I am sorry.

[invoking]

[ Now that he thinks about it, this guy sounds a lot like the one who had been yelling earlier. Gil gawks at him for a second. ]

That was you?

[retropolis]

[ Nelson raised his eyebrows. ]

What? Oh -- you heard that? [ He shakes his head, exhaling a little as he remembers his frustration. ] I don't usually like letting my temper get the best of me, but those employees were so utterly unhelpful I thought they deserved a piece of my mind.

[invoking]

Were they? Admittedly, I haven't been to that store in a while... [ They're always nice to him. Particularly the young ladies. ]

What was the problem?

[retropolis]

Absolutely. [ He frowns. ] They tried to insist to me that their faulty product was working properly when it was obviously broken. That's the real problem with modern technology. Bookstores shouldn't be so reliant on all this new, unreliable merchandise.

[ And a sad head shake. ] I don't think it's right at all.

[invoking]

[ Suddenly, Gil's taken a renewed interest in Nelson. ]

You're not familiar with this time either? [ Well, he is older than Gil. He could be assuming... ]

[retropolis]

[ Nelson raises his eyebrows again -- Gil is the first person so far he's spoken to that has alluded to being from a different time. He nods slowly. ]

I'm nearly fifty years from when I'm, er, from.

[invoking]

[ That explains a lot... but not why he had yelled at the other employee. There's no need for that, he thinks. ]

The technology here does take some time to get used to. It's always... changing, too. [ Updating? Is that the proper word? ]

[retropolis]

[ He looks a little distressed at the thought. ]

Always? As if it weren't complicated enough. [ He wrinkles his nose. ] It's unnecessary -- purely indulgent, if you ask me. We got along just fine before.

[invoking]

It is excessive, I agree. [ Hence why he doesn't bother with most complicated devices-- iPads, laptops, tablets, etc. Even with the communicator he can't private conversations properly yet. ]

Some of it is useful. Things for the home or the current transportation systems.

[ He pauses. ]

Are you new here?

[retropolis]

I never needed anything more than a radio. All these... televisions and computers... [ Well he'll save his ranting about them, but. ] For hospitals and transport I could understand. Otherwise it all seems completely imprudent.

[ He nods again. ]

Yes. I suppose I am.

[invoking]

[ He nods along, silently agreeing to everything. It's excessive and reminds him a lot of the way high society back home shows off whatever expensive fashion is trending, jewelry or even manors they owned. Trying to make personal statements for no real reason. ]

I see now. The employees at the bookstore are only used to whatever they must work with in this world. I'm sure they didn't mean to slight you.

[retropolis]

This whole situation could have been avoided if they just stuck to tradition instead of complicating the process with their slick computer programs. [ He's hardly apologetic about his outburst because he still thinks he was right. ] I'll just try another store next time.

[invoking]

[ He adjusts the small plastic bag in his hand, his eyes idly checking it over to ensure the book's still in place and didn't slip out when he tumbled over. ]

There are some antique bookstores you can find throughout the City. Their selection is a lot smaller, however, so I don't know if you'll find what it is you're looking for.

[retropolis]

I'm not looking for anything in particular. Where it comes to fiction I don't mind the classics, but I just wanted something to occupy my mind a bit.

[ He smiles a little, though it's a touch weary at the whole predicament. ]