That was a hell of a nap!

[gadaboutdetective]

Who: Llewellyn Watts and anyone!
When: Through the month of October
Where: Watts’ Private Investigation Ageny, The Market, Dorm Dome 2
What: Open Logs!
Warnings: Nothing yet, but there will probably references to the last couple months with the plot? I will update with anything major!



(OOC: So here are a few general starters, personalized ones will be added below in the comments! If you want something personalized I can write something up too! Or if you want to throw something at me, go for it! Basically, I’m back from hiatus and I missed you all! I want to get threads going! ALSO, if you’d rather something with action brackets, I can match! Message me on Plurk or WhimsicalSpook#8219 on Discord :D)

The Dorms - OTA at Dorm Dome 2

It had been weird, waking up in his pod like the last couple months hadn’t even happened. Weirder still when his last waking memories were... What they were. He shuddered inwardly, the entire thing had been a little too reminiscent of other experiences in his life. It hadn’t taken long to realize just how long he’d been out for. The signs were obvious enough, even if what he’d missed specifically were not.

Llewellyn ran through the networks backlogs with a growing sense of dread, he’d missed so much. How much had he missed beyond what he could find there? All while he’d been out cold for a whole month?

How could he have allowed himself to mess up this badly...? How much of a burden had he been on people, injured and out cold in the middle of a crisis?

Nope... No. Not time to shut down, he’d been shut down for long enough. He needed to move, to do things and find people and... He wasn’t sure what, but sitting there wasn’t going to be productive.

A glance around the dorm suggested that everyone was fine (did that extend to everyone, though?). The domes were back, the lights were on, the air wasn’t thin anymore...

He needed to get moving...

Anyone paying attention would either have seen Llewellyn sitting at his pod looking a tad lost, possibly pacing a bit, looking for his puppy Pretzel, or looking for snacks in the kitchen area to get his brain jump started...


Watts’ Private Investigation Agency - OTA

If anyone wanted to find Llewellyn when he wasn’t otherwise occupied by those he cared about, or at the market getting something to eat, they could find him at his office. Pretzel was tucked away in his bed, gnawing on a shoe that the detective had forgotten about until he saw the dog with it. Did he have the heart to take it away now? Nope. It was just good to see his puppy acting normal again.

The office was just as he’d left it, more or less. A cluttered mess of papers, notes and assorted books that he’d been in the middle of sorting through and cleaning up when everything had started disappearing. He was going to have someone else working with him, and Llewellyn had wanted to at least try to make the space a little nicer.

Which was how anyone would find him if they entered, picking up papers and trying to put things in a vaguely neater order that he could still find what he needed when he needed it. He almost missed the door opening, but an excited bark from Pretzel made him look up, “Oh uh— hello, don’t mind the mess...?”

As if the mess was new... Ha!

The Market - OTA

Llewellyn was, admittedly, a stress eater. So waking up after missing an entire month of a crisis with very little idea of what he’d missed? He sure was taking advantage of there no longer being a shortage of food. Was anyone surprised by this? Probably not. If anyone was surprised, then they just needed to get to know him better, which meant now was an excellent opportunity. While he was eating and distracting himself from his guilt over being asleep for a month and the many questions still buzzing in his head.

Besides that, the detective always found you could learn a lot from the people around the market. So he bought food from the vendors, ate and sometimes halted his energetic walk around the market to talk to people, those he recognized or those he didn’t.

And yes, the detective had noticed the severe decrease in this place’s population... It was just another thing that was nagging at him.

Comments

First Stop - Closed to Rhy Maresh

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn wasn’t really sure what to expect. Part of him had considered contacting Rhy via the network but... Well that seemed a poor way to check in after he’d been out for a month. Who knew what Rhy had been dealing with while he was out cold, and by the sounds of things? It wasn’t going to get much less stressful for the man. Word around was that members of the council were missing.

Yes. The detective had experienced a small panic attack when he’d heard that. If only because for a moment he’d been afraid that meant Rhy was gone as well. But no, it was only the original council members. Not that it was good or anything. His next stop planned had been to thank Lauri for taking care of him after all.

It was only... Well, as selfish as it might be, he was grateful to know that Rhy wasn’t gone too.

Thanks to the fact that everyone had woken up in their pods, and the domes being back, at least suggested that Rhy’s personal dome was a safe bet to start... If he wasn’t there, then he’d check where the council was held.

With more than a little anxiety, he knocked on the dome’s door and silently hoped for a little luck on the matter.

[unbreakable_king]

He was, in fact, in his dome. A dome that had been converted to a bit more a temporary office for him, and he was so damn tired. Since coming back there had been so much work that had to be done. Including managing everything now that the rest of the council was gone.

If Rhy knew he’d be in charge with them gone, he never would have run. Really, he needed to stand up and ask Richard for help, but he wasn’t ready yet.

The knocking earned a grumble for him. He threw back the last of his tea before rising and going to the door. And when it open, he stood there, staring. Trying not to cry.

“My dear, I have missed you so.”

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn waited awkwardly, almost deciding he probably had guessed wrong and should try the official council office after all. Then the door opened, and he found himself standing there rather awkwardly while Rhy stared.

He had expected something of a reaction from the man, perhaps surprise or maybe some form of admonishment for his clear lack in ability to handle himself when things got rough. Llewellyn hadn’t expected to see that expression though, and it made the guilt he’d felt since waking heavier somehow.

Swallowing a little anxiously, his brow wrinkled a bit in concern. “I— I’m sorry I was... away, Rhy.” He responded a bit clumsily, not really sure how to put it other than away. It was a weird gap in time that he supposed he just... slept. Considering how different everything was from his last waking memories? It certainly felt like he’d been away.

[unbreakable_king]

Rhy moves forward and throws his arms around Watt’s neck. Holding him close.

“I don’t suppose I can convince you to, you know, stay here for a bit. And then investigate for me?”

[gadaboutdetective]

It throws him off balance a little, so he leans down and draws his arms around Rhy firmly. It’s very comforting, and yet a little confusing. Llewellyn didn’t feel he deserved it particularly much, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Smiling into his shoulder despite the thoughts rolling around in his head, he responded quickly. “Of course— Whatever you like? I’m mm... at your disposal, dear.”

Honestly, how could he ever say no to the request? Especially now?

[unbreakable_king]

He deserved it because he was one of Rhy’s loved ones. And he’d been without them for so long. And he hates it.

“Stay with me for now. Talk to me. I have missed you so much.”

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn nodded, drawing back from the embrace finally. “I would like that, I... know I don’t really have much of a concept of time from my last memories till now, but I uh— I believe I still feel the lack from the last month myself.” He smiled sadly, not drawing away entirely. So yes, he’d missed Rhy in a way. There was a small sense of longing, contact and time was missing and he felt that more than he would have expected.

Instead, he lingered and moved into the dome with Rhy, hoping to find somewhere to make the man comfortable. He didn’t miss how tired the other looked, it worried him. Llewellyn couldn’t have helped but feel that he should have been there to help lessen that somehow.

dorms!

[wheezed]

( It's been...a month. Eddie doesn't really know how to pull apart everything that happened since the domes started disappearing, so he just doesn't. Instead he's been rearranging his space in the dorm, unpacking and tidying and re-shelving his belongings – a few times, actually. They won't all sit right, and it's getting frustrating.

A save comes in the form of Eddie's temporary adoptee, Pretzel barking excitedly to be taken out, and Eddie might be hyperfocusing a little on the arrangement of his tiny comic collection, but the needs of a living breathing creature definitely takes priority. He's sure to make a big, huffing deal out of it, but Eddie heads out to figure out what the hell the dog wants, and– )

Llewellyn!

( Whether that's why Pretzel was barking or not, the dog clearly has spotted the other man now because he's half-dragging Eddie over to where he's sat in his pod. Eddie quickly waves, grinning, and when they're near enough that it seems a good idea, he just lets go of the lead and lets Pretzel run wild. It's pretty clear that there's only one place the puppy wants to go. )

Are you okay? What happened? Do you know what happened? It's been like a month, man! Holy shit, it's good to see you.

Eddie!!! ;w;

[gadaboutdetective]

[As disorientated and jarred by waking up here like everything was fine was, the sound of Pretzel barking excitedly was just the familiar sound he needed to pull him out of his panicked thought spiral. Turning quickly, he shifted a bit to settle his feet on the floor so he could reach down and scoop the puppy up when it started scrabbling at him for attention.

Gosh, he missed that pup, and it was obvious as he settled Pretzel on his lap and let the dog fuss at him while he administered so many ear scritches.

Then he spotted Eddie, and he tried a smile and a short wave in response, though an answer to his younger friend’s questions take a little more time to get out.]

Eddie! I uh— hello, it’s good to see you too. Mm... Well... I’m fine? Yes. Yes, I’m fine.

[He was physically fine, which was another bit of strangeness considering what his last waking memories had been in August.]

I’m afraid that I can’t really say, I don’t know what happened? I remember the lights going out, and...

[And being in the middle of some kind of altercation, and then pain... and vaguely he recalled Lauri telling him or someone that she was putting him under for his own good. No, he isn’t going to bring that up to Eddie.]

Do you know what happened? Were you alright? Are you?

[Slow down, Llewellyn. Pick a question, one at a time.]

（っ＾▿＾）❤

[wheezed]

You literally disappeared, dude, you missed so much! Pretzel didn't eat Hopper so that was good, but I still don't think she likes him much. He kept trying to sit with her but she'd just hide, it was pretty funny actually he always looked so sad after. Bet he knew he was being shut down, he's so smart.

( Naturally Eddie babbles on about anything other than the meaty details of the last month or so – not even out of avoidance, it's just nice to talk about one of the few good things he's been able to focus on since people started disappearing. Earlier than that even, probably.

But as much as Llewellyn loves Pretzel, Eddie's willing to bet he doesn't actually need those details quite as much as the actual events during his time away. He pulls back in with a laugh, a shake of his head, a vague, semi-complicated little flap of a gesture. )

It got so fucked up, all these people went on these missions to fix the power and the air 'cause it was getting, like, real bad. Me and Rich stayed back 'cause I figured I'm no good at fighting and Richie– ( hang on ) Well I don't know, he wanted to stay back too. Anyway, point is even more people disappeared and then that Annie lady came back and was all like 'ooh we gotta go talk to The Sphere' which was news to me 'cause I didn't even know it could talk. But– I mean I guess it can 'cause a buncha people went to chat to it and now all the domes are back? I think, anyway. I haven't looked at them all.

( Any questions, Watts? )

[gadaboutdetective]

[Llewellyn was happy for another moment or two to try to get his thoughts in order while Eddie babbled on a bit about Pretzel’s behaviour while he was... away. He doesn’t believe he disappeared though; he was reasonably sure Lauri had been keeping him in the medical tent. The point was, it was nice to hear about Pretzel, to know the little dog had behaved himself and that he had probably been a good distraction for Eddie.]

Ah— tried to make friends and didn’t quite manage it, Pretzel?

[He grinned a little, because didn’t that just sound familiar.]

Thank you for keeping an eye on him for me, Eddie. I appreciate it. I never anticipated the possibility of uh— disappearing.

[Does he have questions, Eddie? He had so many that he really wasn’t sure where to start. He just sat there on the pod for a minute, his brows raising and forehead wrinkling a little more with every new thing thrown into the rambling rundown of what had happened while he was out. He was glad Eddie and Richie had at least tried to stay out of trouble? At least that’s how it sounded.

Clearing his throat a little, he picked a starting point and went from there.]

I’m glad you stayed back. Those missions sound... well, they sound like they would have been difficult. What do you mean people ‘disappeared?’

Dorm Dome 2 (low-key stalking)

[blindpuppet]

Enis knew the instant that her friend was awake. It wasn't a difficult task since they were all mentally connected to each other through the sphere's nero-connection and she'd been paying close attention to those she'd lost communication with over the last month. After everything that's happened, even a few days was cause for worry.

She didn't say anything to him but moved from her pod in dorm one to dorm two. It was both lucky and unlucky that the two dorms were fairly close together.

Enis came across Llewellyn by the time he reached the common area and with a swift motion, she slapped him across the face.

"You bastard. Do you know how worried I've been?" She was pissed. He'd been on her case since Rhys left, telling her to take care of herself, and it felt like he hadn't been taking care of himself in return.

[gadaboutdetective]

Now let it be known, this was the reaction that Llewellyn was expecting from people seeing him again. Well, that or admonishments for his clear inability to handle himself in a more physical confrontation that had led him to ending up as injured as he had been.

That didn’t necessarily mean he was prepared for it though, even if he had been trying to mentally prepare himself for it once he woke up and recalled what had happened. He had been moving through the common room post conversation with Eddie, on a mission to go out and get the possibly unpleasant encounters out of the way. He had a list of people who he knew he needed to check in on. Rhy and Enis were, unsurprisingly, at the top of the list.

He had not expected the latter of the two to come find him.

The slap left him a little startled, a bit dazed, and his expression said as much as he reached up to rub the side of his face a bit. “E-Enis? Uh...” Yeah, give the man a minute. He’s been out cold for a month, and you just said you were worried about him.

That does not compute.

Because Llewellyn, for some strange reason, was always surprised and vaguely confused when people worried about him. It was a bit hypocritical perhaps, considering how worried he got about everyone else. He was used to watching out for other people, not nearly as used to people watching out for him.

Clearing his throat, he blinked owlishly with raised brows. “You were...? I’m uh— I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen. That’s an excuse though— A poor one... I know it was probably inconvenient.”

[blindpuppet]

There was a super awkward pause before Enis stepped forward and pulled Llewellyn into the most stiff hug he's likely ever experienced. She didn't hug people. The last person and only person she'd hugged had been Rhys but she was hugging him and it was weird.

After another pause she released him and stepped back to put a professional space between them. "Shut up. Just-" She cleared her throat. "If I have to take care of myself then you also have to take care of yourself."

She was feeling awkward and uncomfortably vulnerable.

"I made the choice to live. For all of us. Annie came to me and told me that it was up to me. We're here. And if it wasn't for you, I don't know if I would have made that choice. So take responsibility for that." Or else she'll find you. "And that's all I am going to say! No apologies. No gushing." It made her very uncomfortable.

[gadaboutdetective]

To be entirely fair to Enis, Llewellyn was still getting used to hugs himself. They were not something he was accustomed to back home. If it weren’t for the way things had been progressing while in this world, he would have been even more awkward about it. It was, of course, still a stark contrast to the slap from moments before. So he was a bit befuddled and clumsy as he returned it briefly.

He did shut up though, at least for long enough so Enis could get out what she wanted to say to him. That didn’t stop his expression from doing a complicated series of shifts between alarmed, guilty, and surprised.

Enis was right, it was a two-way street, and he’d been very reckless. Which was why he was half-way to an another awkward apology when he remembered she’d just said not to. So enjoy the small opening and closing off is mouth as he tried to figure out what to say to all that.

“Um... Right. You’re right... I—” Deep breath, Llewellyn. “I’m glad to see you, that you’re mm... okay? You are alright, aren’t you?” He added, brow furrowing a bit as he tried to get an idea of her condition. As if he hadn’t been in a medical coma for a month.

[blindpuppet]

She didn't want to talk about the past. The past sucked and feelings were complicated and stupid. Llewellyn knew her disposition and she hoped that he might understand where she was coming from. Even if the combination of a slap and hug didn't make sense.

"I'll be fine. Recovering, you could say." She exhaled a huff and ran her fingers through her hair. Now that it was out there, now that he was back, she felt the tension in her shoulders relaxed.

She wondered: when had she start caring about this clusterfuck of a detective?

"This is so messed up." She said after a second. "I'm just so glad that you're back." Enis was happy that he was trapped here. "I didn't know what to do. So much has happened. The sphere is back though. I guess that's good." Even if she felt like she was a horrible person for pulling Llewllyn down with her.

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn did understand, which was what helped him bounce back from the initial slap. It was complicated though... and he certainly wouldn’t mind if they moved on and didn’t dwell on the past. Because he couldn’t make her promises, if only because he wasn’t sure he could keep them. She’d probably get a better sense of that once she started working at the investigation office more and saw that his schedule was decidedly lacking in the ‘self-care’ department. Unless you counted snacks every half an hour to an hour.

Smiling wryly, he gestured a little while he spoke. “It is... very messed up, at least it sounds it from what I’ve been able to gather from things I’ve heard in the short time that I’ve been awake.” But it was good to be awake, he just needed to fold up the guilt sitting in his head and shove it behind some productive thoughts. Like looking in on people and trying to help after the fact, somehow... “I’m glad to be... back?”

He’s still trying to figure out how to refer to it, it’s just very strange and hard to comprehend. “It’s good that things seem to be uh— back to somewhat normal. At least in a way... for now.” He shook his head a little, “It was a little jarring to wake up after what I recall last. I went through the network backlogs, you went to fix things?”

[blindpuppet]

Enis will likely start getting on his case about self-care but it was for an entirely selfish reason. She needed Watt's and while she wouldn't say how she felt directly, she hoped that he knew how important he'd become to her.

"Normal is a very relative term detective." She exhaled a huff and nodded. "Yeah? You should be thanking me. I put the system back online that brought you back." Which was big for her, Enis had wanted to die but she'd never make that decision for others. No one deserved to lose the control of their future like that.

"Do you remember anything? Like how it happened?"

Detective Agency

[harrythelizard]

Never let it be said that Harry Dresden left a friend, even a new one, hanging (even though he's done it in the past, it was never out of a desire to do so). Watts seemed like a good man, and it was time to get to know everyone in their natural environment, until such time as the Sphere decided again to screw with them for no other reason than "It seemed like a good idea at the time". There was no way Harry was going to go anywhere without his staff and his blasting rod, not with how nuts this place was, apparently, and so a very tall, very lanky, and very armed wizard makes his way into the agency office with a sardonic (for lack of a better one) smile on his face.

He doesn't bother to ask for an invitation, seeing as this was a place of business and the threshold didn't pose much of a barrier to his magic, but he does nod at Watt's apology. This office reminds him a lot of his own back in Chicago and he's hit with a surprise bout of nostalgia.

"Don't worry about it, Watts. I'm glad to see you're still kickin'." His smile turned mischievous at the joke. Get it? Kickin'? Because he broke his leg?

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn was actually pleasantly surprised to see Harry, shuffling a small stack of papers into a vaguely neater pile before he tossed down to rest next to him on the desk that he was currently sitting on. Harry was a new friend, but a new friend was as good as an old friend to the detective. That meant just as important and very appreciated. “Harry, It’s good to see.” Which is the honest truth, he knew vaguely what had gone down in the last month through what little people had told him. Not everyone wanted to dwell on it, and he was trying to respect that while finding out more.

He paused for a moment though, he could tell what Harry said was probably meant as a joke, but... Well, it takes a moment for him to figure out why. He squints thoughtfully before he remembered his leg. “Right... Right, you mean my leg, that’s funny!” He finally responded with a slightly awkward, amused smile. 

“Definitely still kicking, thanks to Laurie.” He added, his smile just a little sadder. It was frustrating to not know where she was. He wasn’t sure if he would have survived the month without her help. “Mm... I meant to find you, see how you were doing after uh— everything...? Got a little side-tracked though.” He gestured a little to the mess, before sliding off the edge of the desk and waving at the chair. “Make yourself comfortable if you want?”

He does eye the staff curiously, Harry seemed ready for action. Not a bad idea, all things considered... Llewellyn certainly should take a page from that book, if he were smart. Which, he supposed, was not the case.

[harrythelizard]

Trying times went a long way to solidify someone's allegiances, and Harry was firmly loyal to people who were downtrodden and under the thumb of things bigger and badder than them. It was needless to say he was not a fan of the Sphere, and he'd be a thorn in its side as often as he was able from here on out.

A slow smile spread across Harry's face as his joke sunk in, and he was glad to know Watts could appreciate his particular brand of humor. Lord knew his brother and his friends rolled their eyes more often than not. Maybe Harry would keep Watts around more often. You know, for ego-boosting purposes.

He did have the seat offered, giving a look around the office. Disheveled as it was, there was a certain order to it he could pick up on if he focused. This wasn't the casual lack of concern typical of such disarray, but just an extension of how Watts' mind worked. It was familiar, too, Harry thought the same way, grabbing at ideas as they shot across his vision without taking the time to file them away in uniform little mind drawers. He could appreciate it.

"I'm doing okay for a guy who got kidnapped into a reverse aquarium at the bottom of the ocean. How about you?"

[gadaboutdetective]

“A reverse aquarium...” He responded, sitting on the arm of a different chair absentmindedly. “That’s actually a very good description for this place. Never thought of that one.” He folded his arm lightly, glancing at a stack of notes as he continued. “Makes you wonder about the fish kept in an aquarium, doesn’t it? What must they think of the big strange creatures that keep them contained? Though... in this case, it’s not fish keeping us here.” It’s just a random musing, he’s prone to them. Especially when he’s thinking a lot about something, which was definitely often since waking. So many specific things...

“I’m fine, all uh— recovered since waking up like everyone else, right?” Rising with some energy and moving back towards the desk. Maybe it’s because he was out cold for the better part of a month, or maybe it’s just how he is, but he’s definitely fidgety. “And I was asked to look into the council’s disappearance, so I’ve been staying... busy, I suppose.” As if he even knew where to start with that one, when it was becoming increasingly clear that understanding how this place worked was beyond him. He was pretty sure the only logical answer to where they were was still with the sphere, and they weren’t coming back until it was finished with them.

Investigations were what he did though, and he couldn’t have said no. Not when it was a matter of missing people, that was a subject that hit a rather sore spot for him. Plus Rhy had asked, and Llewellyn wouldn’t have dreamed of saying no considering how stressed the man was to suddenly be in charge. “I suppose everything being back to some’s definition of normal here is an adjustment, though? After all, you were dropped into this place in the middle of everything.”

[harrythelizard]

"Not really." At least he was steadfastly refusing to think about them. Who didn't appreciate a tuna steak or smoked bream? It was true enough humans weren't the top of the food chain, no matter how hard they tried to believe it, but that didn't mean any of them, himself included, wanted to look at that fact all the time.

Instead, Harry opted to nod along with what Watts had been tasked with. "I can help with that. I was looking into some weird things that happened while we were in lockdown. Finding lost people is a specialty of mine."

[gadaboutdetective]

The offer of assistance is definitely a welcome one. Considering how much he’d missed in the last month and the fact that waking up had almost felt like some kind of strange reset, he was still more than a little lost trying to sort through it all. “I’d be grateful for the help, Harry. I admit, I’ve only been able to put a little together going through the network backlog and getting a few sparse details from people.”

Not everyone wanted to talk about what happened, and he could understand that. It just made figuring out the specifics on what he’d missed a little more difficult. “I heard a little from Rhy about talking to the sphere, and a little from Enis who went to repair the air system.” Gesturing vaguely, he finished with a small shrug. “I need to fill in the blanks? I have a few ideas but... nothing solid enough to be more than a guess.” Nothing he liked anyway, and he would be jumping to conclusions without more information.

[harrythelizard]

Harry nodded at that. He'd been down for the count himself, before, and he felt like he was still playing catch-up with regards to what this place offered a guy on a normal day. There was the more mundane stuff, like the lack of coca cola and the fact that he was pretty sure the "meat" wasn't actually meant and the more existential problems of how the hell he even actually ended up here in the first place.

"I wouldn't mind hearing your ideas first. We can build from there." His voice sounded tired in his own ears and he frowned.