From woodland to wetland

For the first time, Josef felt free from everything, free of responsibility, and now likely free of any other chain that tied him down in Palladol. He hadn't arrived long and had slept his first night in an alleyway hanging from between some loose rebar and jagged bits of metal within this fanciful place which the locals call the Chokes. Given his unsightly appearance, the locals kept far enough away as he didn't seem like an easy enough mark as he smelled of bear scat and musk. His usual cleanshaven face was covered in a rough beard, and dark bags under his eyes due to the weird noises that permeated the city.

Josef wasn't used to it, the sounds of people, machinery, and odd metallic clanking, the creatures rustling within the heaps of trash but not pouncing at him aggressively. Though the constant flow of water and other notes of nature kept him calm, as sparse as that sound was within this concrete and steel jungle. Licking his lips, he took a deep breath and almost coughed due to the foulness of the air, compared to the woodlands in Palladol, it felt and tasted oppressive. But, he was told that this was the smell of progress or something like that, whatever that meant.

So packing up his camping gear, looking like a wildman lost, he headed further into the Gasp Alleys. Holding a piece of scrap paper with markings that said rooms were available somewhere within the massive labyrinth. His duster was wet and muddy, his hooded cowl was pulled high as he began chewing on some oddly colored jerky while looking for a friendly face. Though this was easier said than done, given that the stares he got were like those who either asked what he was doing there or if he was edible. Strange look that he got from humans, but he couldn't quite understand what was really going on in this dark and damp place.

Ira

Work-wise, her day at the diner had been just fine. Coworker-wise, it had been shit. Nothing she had been involved in, but she had spent a few hours having to listen to some never-ending drama between two others up until the point where she straight out left early. Her boss' ire be damned, because she'd much rather deal with that than having her headache grow from listening to any more arguments.

Finding herself with a lot of free time to kill, she spends it weaving in and out of the streets and alleys with no clear goal in mind. Just letting her feet take her forward while trying to filter out the lingering tension in her mind. Her fingers fiddling idly with an unlit cigarette that she every now and then puts between her lips, only to take it away again as if she's having a constant debate with herself whether it's a good idea or not. Reasons says it's a bad idea, the annoyed part of her thinks it doesn't matter anyway.

As she exits one alley to cross the street into the next, someone in a lot of hurry cuts her off, causing her to having to do some half-spinning side step to not walk into them. She manages to avoid that person, but in the next step backwards she feels her back colliding hard with someone else instead. The cigarette falls from her fingers into a puddle of questionable water at their feet and she bites back a curse before quickly turning around and taking a step away.

"I'm so sorry, you alright?" She looks up at the hooded person she just walked into with a bit of a guarded expression, not knowing what the reaction will be.

Though it was dark and damp, the world still went on as busy as day. It was perhaps day but the darkness was always all-encompassing in the Drench, or whatever the locals called it. It would have been fine, avoiding the stragglers trying to locate their way to strange destinations within the world here. City life, Josef wondered if he would ever get used to it, still a little culture-shocked as something or someone crashed into him, making him drop a piece of jerky into the murky water. He took in a deep breath, bent over and picked up the soiled meat, popped it into his mouth, and spat out the filth before he began chewing. Never let anything go to waste, he supposed as he looked over to the woman.

"No harm, no foul..." a strangely angel-like voice came from the gruff and filthy-looking bear of a man. Mud-covered leather duster, a strange metallic glove, and a small glowing jar filled with fireflies at his waist. "Careful, there are strange ones around here. They look hungry" He said as he looked at her indifferently, then glanced left and right. "Yeah, they said the city was dog-eat-dog, so why wouldn't people be cannibals as well? No... not quite" He whispered to himself like someone stuck in the middle of a conversation. Then his clear blue eyes stared back at the stranger. "Sorry to impose, but might you know where..." his tone light and showing that he was most definitely not from the Drench. His off-hand lifted up to show a piece of damp paper with a scrawl on it. "Um... where a traveler could find a room around here?"

He said with a smile under the scruffy beard, his dirty face hiding a young man who has lived a roughshod life. Covered in what looks to be woodland camping gear, including a skillet and some furs hanging from his backpack. Josef didn't really mind if this person would be frightened by his appearance, or put off by the smell of bear scat and musk that permeated his leathers as it kept away the animals. Though, he wasn't quite sure if the Drench had native animals other than rats. He'd have to find out, wondering if it was legal to hunt and eat them or not. His teeth felt something hard and spitting out a piece of gravel that must have stuck to the jerky.

Ira

No shouting or shoving comes her way, so she relaxes a tiny bit and looks the man over, unable to keep the frown from her face when he bends down to pick up the piece of food he had dropped to eat it. "Wouldn't recommend doing that. Water's most likely infected." There are probably plenty of information posters around still from when the algae plague started to get more known, so she won't go into some lecture about it. Besides, she doesn't really care other than just pointing it out. The cigarette she leaves where it is lying, soaked at this point and not one bit more healthier than it was before.

The frown remains on her face as she listens to his mumbling, her eyes quickly drifting over the jar and the very unusual gear. Unusual from what she had ever seen on anyone around these parts, at least, and she remains a bit guarded. Not really from the way he looks, nor the smell (what didn't smell down here?), but the odd mumbling is what keeps her wondering. However, when he does look back to her, some of the frown goes away and she replaces it with a small smile, friendly enough to not seem too tense.

"Let's see..." She says and reaches for the paper to have a quick look at it, showing no signs of reacting in any special way to his accents. "It's a bit of a walk from here, but they might have rooms. If you want nothing more fancy than a damp shoe-box of a room, but might be the only thing available nowadays." She gives him a look over again, though her expression doesn't give away much of what she thinks of what she sees.

What she does give away is that she might have quickly picked up already that he's not a local. "Guess I could show you. Might be easier than trying to explain which streets and turns to take." She adds, chewing slightly on the inside of her lip as if she's not sure herself if she should. The reason she might be feeling helpful enough still is the fact that she did walk into him and caused him to drop his food into water that might get him horribly sick if he's unlucky. Even if he was the one choosing to keep eating it.

Josef took a slight pause, sighing as he spat the meat and any further juices far into the alley away from both of them. Such a waste, that was the look he gave and it showed on the features that he was highly disappointed, crestfallen even but didn't seem to blame the woman. "Recommendation taken, too bad, I guess the rats around here are good eatin'," He said as he glanced about, before his eyes focussed on her again, letting her take the piece of paper. Josef didn't care that she was guarded or fearful, everyone looked like that around here for some strange reason. Like rabid animals put into a cage with each other, skittish and mangy due to the environment. Whispering again, mumbling to himself as he glanced at the ceiling of the Drench. "Spirits be, I hope I don't become like that"

Finally looking around as she began to look him over, then making commentary on how it would be a damp shoebox. "Anywhere with a doorway that I can put a bear trap on for the roaming critters," he said with a grin beneath the rough beard. Josef would live under the stars any day, but since coming here, he realized that there was no sky. "What I mean is, need nothin' fancy. Just a place to hang my hammock" knowing that talking about traps or dangerous things may be a faux pas in this place. Licking his lips, he remembered the comment about infection and spat it against a close-by wall. "Thank you kindly, I've tried to stop people but they keep running or trying to hand me money. Not a beggar, is it a strange habit of the locals or somethin'?" Josef not realizing that the strangers likely thought he was trying to rob them.

" Josef by the way, Josef Hartland. What do I call you, Miss?" he stated cordially, brushing his right hand off his muddy jacket, trying to get it moderately clean before offering the scarred hand to her to shake. If she took it, he'd give her a firm handshake before dropping her hand in a timely manner. If not, after a few moments he would take his hand back and shrug it off as a strangeness of the locals.

Ira

She can give him credit to at least be sensible enough to spit out the meat after her warning, even if he doesn't look happy about it. From what she had seen of what the algae in the water could do to people, she'd much rather waste some food than risk getting ill.

"Maybe if you cook them through enough." Is all she comments quietly about eating the rats instead, her eyes once again drifting over the gear he is carrying with him and there is perhaps a small hint of curiosity now. Though the talk about bear traps has her raise a brow and she huffs out a short laugh. "M'sure they've got some kind of beds, but maybe a hammock is preferable. Mattress probably mouldy too."

The mixed expression of curiosity and mild confusion remains on her face while she listens, not at all used to anymore to run into someone seemingly so unaccustomed to the city and there are many questions popping up in her head. Questions she currently keeps for herself as she gestures for him to follow, but reaches out to gives his offered hand a quick shake before she starts to walk. "Ira. And really not Miss. Makes it feel like I'm some fancy Plater or something." Her eyes narrows slightly in a small smirk. "As for people trying to avoid you, it's just what some do. Especially with strangers. Everyone's just trying to mind their own business."

"Just like home, I suppose" Josef nodded on needing to cook rats through enough, though he swore there was a raw meat trend last he heard rumors of the city. Perhaps tartare meant something else, blinking a little as his thought process began to run a little rampant and noting her incredulous look or whatever it was as she gave him the once over. "Yessiree, I prefer my hammock over something damp or has been slept on by anyone else. Less fleas and lice" he replied, wondering what she found funny about bear traps. Looking away from the woman for a moment and whispering again. "Always mind your bear traps, they could sneak up on someone and the hollering they give out is hell to work with"

Noting her gesture and taking some joy that she took his hand in greeting, it meant that some things hadn't been lost on the trek here. "Being polite shouldn't mean your with the skyhuggers now, right? Do you mind me callin' you Miss Ira then or would it not be to your sensibilities" Josef stated as he began to trundle after her, his many bits of kit clinking or clanging lightly as he was a mishmash of tinker and big game hunter. "Ah, where I'm from, people don't avoid me or mine. Usually they run to us for help, so it'll take some getting used to. You from 'round here then?" asking out of politeness than anything else as he continued splashing through the puddles undeterred.

"I just got to the city, strangest sight to behold. People living under a grand ceiling instead of under the skies. Feels like I'm in a swampland without the land to make it worthwhile, y'know what I mean?" Talking half to himself and to her, as it disliked silence on their walk. Cordial sounding with that angel-esque voice, which was a stark contrast to what he looked like at this moment. He probably needed a deep clean, but he doubted he would be able to get enough soap to take the grime out of his skin and hair.

Ira

She starts walking them along the main street, taking it at a bit slower pace than her usual one to make sure he can keep up with all his gear and the people moving past them in different directions. She could have taken them through a lot of shortcuts, but decides to stick to the crowded streets, not being very keen on going away alone with a stranger. Though it wouldn't be the first time...

"Just Ira's fine, please. Don't mind politeness, but the whole 'Miss' thing feels a bit much." She offers him a softer smile while hauling up a new cigarette from one of the many pockets on her cargo pants, placing it between her lips but doesn't light it. "Yeah, born and raised here. And you..."

She falls silent when her unaired question is answered anyway. That he is indeed not from the city and the fact that he claims to just have gotten here brings some doubt to her face. "I won't ask how you got past the border patrols. The less I know the better, just eh... Maybe don't talk too loudly about you being new around here." She picks the cigarette from her lips and makes a little general waving gesture around them. "If you've not noticed it already, the city is sort of in a lockdown with no one officially entering or leaving."

The small smile returns to her lips, but doesn't quite reach her eyes this time. It's not an unfriendly look she's giving him, just guarded again. Actual newcomers could mean trouble these days, because why on earth would anyone want to wriggle their way into this city now when a lot of people just wanted to be able to leave already.

Josef didn't mind the scenic route straying into the main thoroughfares and the like, it meant more for him to look at and people to eye. Still mumbling to himself as they moved, not really copping that it may be a defensive trait for her to not go down dark alleys with someone like him behind her. "Missy, missing, mystique... yeah, I don't think any will go well with this lass-" then piping up a bit as she pulled out her cigarette and stated that she was Drench born and raised. Poor lass, probably never even seen real starlight. "Ira, just Ira, if that's it I will abide by that. I was wondering why I had to pay a fee and swim half... well, shit" thinking hard to himself on whether or not he needed to keep himself hidden from the police. He'd never been a fugitive, but would people really care that he got in after the lockdown?

"Right, I appreciate the warnin', I'll keep that tadpole to myself. Tho I'm guessin' I stick out like a sore thumb" Chuckling to himself as he did a little jig, his metal, and glass clinking as he looked around at what Ira pointed out. "Do you need a light for that little twig? or you have one of those hype fixations?" He said lifting his metal-bound left hand, it looking like a weirdly clawed gauntlet with scorch marks on it. A heavy-duty cable winding around beneath his jacket to the jar of fireflies. "No need to fear, I'm not going to hurt anyone. It's not my profession to do that... I'm a, well, was a wilderness ranger of sorts. Thought to myself one day to pick up sticks and come up the city" the fireflies in his jar buzzing a little more violently as one in particular seemed to grow a bit brighter.

Letting his hand drop as Josef shook himself, "Gettin' mighty cold and you don't seem to have a wetsuit on, so how far away is this place? and will do you think they are willin' to give someone like me a place to stay" then tilted his head as he licked his lips, his blue eyes focusing on the distance for a second. His mind pulled in a few directions as he thought about how strange the locals kept acting. As if he were a bear in the woodlands, or a mountain cat prowling. Dog-eat-dog world, he doubted it and more than likely it was people-eat-people, with less eating and more stabbing.

Ira

She tries to not give him too many side glances while she tries to listen in to his mumbling, bit by bit managing to wrangle her expression into something more netural and seemingly relaxed. He seems harmless so far, if a bit odd, but the Drench had its fair share of odd people already, so maybe he wouldn't stand out too much. At least if he didn't walk around with all that camping gear all the time.

When he asks if she needs a light, she looks at the weird glove for a second, then down to the cigarette and shakes her head. "Nah, got one. Just still debating if I should or not, so this is a compromise with myself for now." She mutters and puts it back between her lips, fighting the temptation and the voice of reason both. "Wilderness ranger, huh? Don't have too much wilderness around here, but there's some nature just outside the city proper. Got these areas we call the Tangles, which as the name suggests, are these large areas overgrown by all sorts of bushes and plants. Good place if you want some fresher air and actual sky above your head."

She makes a few turns at some intersections, still staying on the streets with people on them even if the shortcuts she knows of would have taken them to their destination by now. "S'not too far and yeah, as long as you've got the lasti and don't cause trouble they'll take you in. They don't ask questions if you don't give them reason to." She seems to suddenly remember something and turns her head to look at him more fully again. "I should also point out that there's a curfew at night. Starts around 10, so if you're out after then, be careful. Usually not too many patrols around these parts, but you never know. Some Forcies love to show you how big and strong they are if they catch you."