[ video ; open ]

[how_i_tease]

They said this isn't the end of the world. Sure had me fooled.

[ The image hovers strangely, like the device is floating in front of him as he lights up a cigarette. The man in the feed is scruffy and pale looking, with thick coke-bottle glasses. He runs a hand distractedly through dark, shaggy hair as his gaze flits to the side to take in the ruined city around him, peering this way and that. ]

Woke up to worse, though.

So any word yet on what that's supposed to be?

[ He turns the camera to point towards the domes in the distance. ]

Comments

[seesobserves]

A poor substitute. A cheap imitation. Never gets the job done quite as well.

It may be presumptuous of me, but [He points at the camera, and thus at Tyki and his cigarette.] I don't suppose you've brought enough to share with the class?

[how_i_tease]

Oh, these?

Sure, you want some, I can roll a few more.

want to go to a log, or actionspam?

[seesobserves]

I would be grateful. End of a world, after all. May as well go out smoking.

action works fine

[how_i_tease]

My thinking exactly.

...is there a way to give locations with this thing? Ah. Anyway. I'm around all this...

[ And he gestures to the background. ]

Think you can find me?

lights, camera, etc.!

[seesobserves]

[That brings a smile to Sherlock's face. There hasn't been enough time to acquaint himself totally with the Old City, but if he goes by Tyki's relationship to the dome, the angle of the shadows...]

Ten minutes.

[It takes him a bit longer than that. Slight miscalculation on travel time once he'd worked out where he needed to go. He emerges from behind a ruin, approaches with a glance at his watch.]

Eleven minutes, ten seconds. [He pulls a disappointed face, but it's not serious - he's actually not so broken up about it. Still getting acquainted.] Appreciate that you waited.

[how_i_tease]

Hey, you're only human. I wasn't counting.

[ Tyki's lounging on a broken bit of stone, lodged against a wall. It provides a comfy, bench-like perch...or as comfortable as it gets, anyway.

With a crooked grin he brings out a freshly rolled cigarette. ]

As promised. Need a light?

[seesobserves]

No.

[Sherlock may not have his own cigarettes, but he does have a lighter, which he produces before moving to lean against the wall next to Tyki's perch.

He closes his eyes on the first drag, making it slow and controlled. His relief is still obvious.]

[how_i_tease]

Looks like you've been in need of one for a while.

[seesobserves]

Weeks.

[Of course he'd been using patches during all that time, but now he's been deprived of even those for forty-eight hours.

He supposes he could make some attempt at conversation. Part of his expression of gratitude.]

You say you've woken up to worse?

[how_i_tease]

When I say 'worse', I think I mean 'weirder'. Not 'in greater ruin'. Just so we're clear.

[ He scratches idly at his chin, head tipping up with another puff of smoke. ]

Thinking of heading down after a while, sniffing out a good place to hide. Maybe some food. Figure out what's what. What about you?

[seesobserves]

Food and shelter. Take care of the necessities first.

[The next drag he takes has a thoughtful air.]

Whole new culture to learn. Apparently they run on a barter system. Not surprising for post-apocalyptic...

[how_i_tease]

And cigarettes. Won't have these forever.

If barter's the system, it'd be good to get in touch with the right people. Work for them, get whatever's needed. Supplies. Information. That sort of thing.

[seesobserves]

[That first point gets a nod of agreement. Sherlock examines the cigarette, rolling it between his fingers.]

Skill is the greatest bargaining chip one could have, at the outset.

[how_i_tease]

It's all we really have. How useful we can be to someone else.

[ He clucks his tongue. ]

Dull, but hey, just starting out we don't have much of a choice.

[seesobserves]

[An incredulous chuckle.] Dull?

[But then he thinks about it.]

...Depends on the task. Pity if the only use they can find for us will be laying brick, only to have it bombed down again.

[how_i_tease]

Well, I don't mind doing grunt work, as long as it gets us somewhere.

What about you?

[seesobserves]

I'll do what I have to. [Though it's said through half-gritted teeth.]

[how_i_tease]

[ Tyki smirks faintly at that, almost looking sympathetic. ]

Don't we all.

[ He's done his fair share of 'what has to be done'. He's quick to drop that topic, though, tapping the end of his cigarette. ]

So what's your name?

[seesobserves]

[As he taps some ashes onto the ground:]

Sherlock Holmes.

[how_i_tease]

Tyki Mikk. Pleasure to make your acquaintance then...wait, you prefer Holmes or Sherlock?

[seesobserves]

Oh, we've been through an alien abduction together. I think that qualifies us for a first-name basis.

[how_i_tease]

[ And he laughs openly at that. ]

That what it is, then? Well, then I'd say so.

I'm still not sure what's going on. Though if this is some kind of trick, I don't know what more they'd have to gain from it. Maybe less people trying to escape.

[seesobserves]

Setup would be too elaborate and too difficult to hide. Someone would have had to have noticed either the ship or the dome via satellite.

[He looks up at the dome.]

Brave new world.

[how_i_tease]

[ Tyki follows his gaze, pensive for a moment. ]

With such people in it. That's how it went, isn't it? Truer words never spoken. There's an interesting collection of people coming off of that ship, from the look of it.

[seesobserves]

And most of them out of their minds. Although so far we seem to have avoided the criminally insane.