meadowlark | @ian.fowler

Entry tags:

@ian.fowler

I've put some plans together for some safehouse improvement. One of the biggest complaints was a lack of privacy & nowhere secluded to withdraw to, particularly when trying to sleep. Some people mentioned not being able to sleep whatsoever around strangers.

I'm thinking one wall of stacked sleep pods, and then the opposite wall with (fewer) sleep boxes for people who might be more claustrophobic. We should net out to having more beds than we started with thanks to the vertical space sleep pod stacking.

I know this doesn't solve the overall issue for people who don't want to be stuck in the safehouse to begin with, but I think it might make things a little easier.

Does anyone have any issue with me starting construction this week? I'll only be doing one wall at a time, so everyone currently staying there should have minimal disruption to their sleep.

A few features I plan on incorporating, in case anyone's curious about the functionality:
-interior locks & curtains
-exterior emergency release in case of fire etc
-temperature control & vented airflow
-personal lighting
-noise cancellation

I'm open to suggestions, but I may or may not be able to incorporate them in version 1.

( feel free to collaborate with anyone, but please take private threadjacks to personal contact posts for the sake of my inbox, rip. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tonight works.

[Mornings are the worst and the safehouse is somehow worse than that.]

I'll see you in a little while.

[And he'll show up later as promised; he's already forgotten whatever the password was supposed to be, so Ian unfortunately won't get the fun of that.]

( SLAMS FISTS DOWN
WHY DOES NOBODY MATISYAHU
TAKE YOUR DAMN COFFEE LANCE )

[SORRY IAN BLAME THE DEPRESSION FOR HIS TERRIBLE MEMORY

Though he's in a pretty good mood today, all things considered, and he shoves a container of muffins at Ian in return for the coffee.]

Thanks. I was so not expecting coffee today.

[Or tonight? Who cares. What is a sleep schedule.]

( Lance is getting a twofer on his coffee - one already made mug, one small tin of it to take with him. Like, pathetically small compared to the ridiculous bags or plastic containers from the days of yore, but such is the nature of coffee these days. )

You're welcome. I got a bonus for this design I made. Giles Bell picked it up, and they were... really fucking hype about it. I thought about buying a tree, but the math...

( Said with distracted consternation as he ambles toward his kitchen table breakfast bar counter thing, attention on these potentially lethal muffins. What are you all about, Muffin? What secrets do you hold? )

[The tin of coffee is going to be hidden very carefully in his room, because although Lance is very generous and all that, he has limits. This will be secret coffee.

The muffins are very unassuming, and are blueberry because now that blueberries are available again, of course Lance had to use them. He's figured out how to work with the ingredients available in this world, the correct substitutions to make and that sort of thing and so the muffins genuinely are very good.

Lance follows Ian, more on autopilot than anything else.]

What did you design?

( Don't worry, man. If he didn't live alone he'd have Secret Coffee too. He's kind of glad El's going to be clearing the safehouse out, he doesn't have to be quite so secretive with his thermos while he's working. )

I think I might have pitched the idea to you before, it's like... a mask, basically, using the technology that shoves those projected advertisements in your face. A hologram of someone else's face you can wear in public so you don't get recognized. Apparently default-on broadcasting like that takes licensing, but I have an opt-in prototype I can show you if you wanna check it out.

( All of it said to a muffin as he frees it from a container and unwraps the little paper.

Muffin bite.

Oh, that's surprising. )

What the fuck, Lance? How do you burn water but make perfect blueberry muffins, where is the logic in that? That makes no sense.

[That sounds vaguely familiar, now that Ian mentions it, though Lance isn't actually sure if he'd told him before or not. Doesn't really matter, and he nods in understanding as Ian describes it, as well as the idea of seeing the prototype.]

Yeah, I'd love to see it.

[And Lance is always delighted by compliments, especially ones he actually deserves, so he brightens a bit at the comment even though it's also an insult all at once. A fair insult, though, so no offense taken, and Lance gives a very dramatic shrug.]

I have no idea. I don't even have like, some ridiculous backstory of baking with grandma on the weekends as a small child and somehow developing the skill by osmosis.

[He also didn't have a grandma, but that only makes the point stand more. There's no explanation for this at all and he's just as confused as Ian.]

You should absolutely come up with something really heartbreaking to tell people.

( He says it around a mouth full of muffin, half of it abandoned in favor of walking over to his desk to pluck up a pair of small black nodes. He starts affixing one to either temple while he talks. )

So you're gonna have to... turn it on the same way you do like a TV in a bar, you know? But on the finished product it'll be on by default, and people will have to notice it's not real in order to disable it. It won't hold up under super intense scrutiny, especially if you start talking because the mouth's not gonna... move in time with whatever you're saying.

( Once Lance enables it, the projected face of one of the advertisement actors will flicker into view over his. It's a pretty selling recreation unless you get up close and see where the jaw tops matching quite right and the hairline seems odd. )

[Lance gives an amused raise of his eyebrows at the first comment, because he could really take his pick as far as heartbreaking stories that he'd only have to moderately twist into an explanation, but he won't say that. Instead he watches Ian, following him a little, nodding as he listens to the explanation and mentally looking for the option to turn it on as directed.

And... Huh. That's pretty cool. Lance is particularly sensitive to little changes in expression and so the inconsistencies become apparent soon enough, but that doesn't take anything away from the accomplishment or how impressive it is. It'll definitely work for its intended purpose, and that's amazing.]

That's so cool. It looks really good.

[And it's also coming back to him that he definitely discussed this with Ian before, specifically about the uncanny valley issue, though it seems like that was mostly avoided which is an achievement on its own.]

That'll be really useful not just for Displaced, but for other people like celebrities who just want to live their lives a little.

That was actually the basis for my pitch!

( Probably a little hilarious hearing so much enthusiasm from behind an otherwise neutral expression, particularly since the mouth doesn't move. He boops off the mask, delicately detaching the nodes. It isn't a particularly huge deal, this one's just the prototype, they're already in production. )

Well, it was more around politicians and corporate figures considering... all the shit that went down, but still. Basic premise. Not that I give a shit about them, I just wanna keep Nate from getting mugged trying to buy a hotdog.

( And by natural extension all of the rest of the displaced, but his inspiration came from a specific source. It hit him almost immediately after Nate showed up in New Amsterdam again while Ian was still riding very high on the memory of a ten year relationship. He's been working on it for... way longer than he'd like to admit, considering how casual he tried to be about the nature of their dynamic before now. )

[He can't help but smile a little at Ian's enthusiasm, even if it fades at the mention of Nate. Or, more specifically, Nate's situation.]

Yeah, definitely. He has enough to deal with.

[On so many levels. Judgemental looks and paparazzi don't need to be added in on top of everything else.

But speaking of one of the things he's dealing with, though probably on the more positive side than most of the others--]

How are um, you two doing, by the way? With everything.

[You know, 'everything'.]

( Tech kindly stowed, Ian settles back at his little kitchen island breakfast bar situation so he can live his best muffin and coffee life. God bless you, Lance, it's such a minute thing but it makes his day a little.

Probably totally the muffins and coffee that got him looking so pleased rather than his actual answer, don't look into it too much. )

Good. We're good. We, um-

( He curls fingers around his mug, not quite committing to drinking it even though when he picks it up. )

I asked him on a date, actually. And he said yes, so we... went on a date. Together. So that was cool.

[Lance catches himself before he follows Ian back to the kitchen this time, and instead just wanders the small distance necessary to be in appropriate speaking range. He takes a sip of his own coffee, allowing himself the moment of enjoying the flavor and the warmth of the drink before he refocuses on Ian's answer.]

That's great, I'm glad to hear that.

[He very much means it, because he wants both of them to be happy, and it sounds like this is a good step in dealing with their very complicated situation.]

What'd you do for the date? If you want to say.

[He'd love to hear all the gossip, but he'll manage to be respectful with great effort.]

Edited 2021-02-28 06:12 (UTC)

Oh yeah, I definitely wanna brag about it, I'm pretty sure I nailed it.

( Answered pleasantly, that nice calm shade of amused and self-mocking he gets sometimes. A little sincere, a little aware that he's an idiot for being smug about it, totally fine with both those things. )

There's this architecture museum downtown, it has these... really immersive hologram displays of historical buildings and significant locations, it's kind of like a maze. It's shut down because of... you know, everything, so we broke in. The whole place was empty, it was... really cool, actually.

( He lowers his cup, raises up an empty hand. )

You wanna see part of it? I'd love unbiased confirmation that I won at Date.

That sounds really cool.

[And like something Nate would definitely enjoy; something to explore is definitely a good choice, and breaking into it just adds to that.

The question is unexpected and Lance gives the offered hand a blank look for a moment before he snaps out of it, hesitant but knowing he shouldn't be. It'll be fine, as long as--]

Do you think Nate will mind?

[He's not totally sure if Ian's offering to show a memory of the actual date itself or some previous experience at the museum, but this'll clarify either way.]

Edited 2021-02-28 06:37 (UTC)

I'll leave out the part where we strip naked and do weird things with a statue of St. Christopher.

( Obviously a joke, but the sentiment is serious: he doesn't plan on flashing anything particularly intimate. Just a glimpse of the first five minutes of the date, which provides a good enough example that Lance can pretty much get the gist about how cool the rest of the exhibits look. )

Except—

( That hand lowers a little, cautiously. )

You just made a face. What was that face about?

[Lance scrunches his nose a little in a show of vague disgust at the first comment, going along with the joke by playing into it, though that fades as soon as Ian calls him out. He gives a weak shrug at the question, and offers a very vague--]

Nothing, it's fine. It just took me a moment.

[Which is not an explanation, and he knows that, so he hesitates briefly before trying again.]

The empathy bond and memory sharing are a little risky, so I was just weighing the pros and cons.

[Still not entirely truthful or a great explanation, since the hesitation was not that deliberate, but whatever. It really is fine; that part he was being genuine about.]

( They've talked about it before, maybe that's what makes it stand out a little. Granted, it had been under slightly more serious circumstances, but he doesn't remember quite the same kind of hesitation then. Could just be totally circumstantial.

He doesn't know for sure, and he doesn't wanna make it a big deal if it isn't. He also doesn't wanna sweep any red flags under the rug knowing how not okay Lance has been the last few weeks, so-- )

I'm gonna take your word for it, but I'm gonna do it by guilting you first and reminding you that we have like... an open... bonding... sharing agreement trust-y thing we're doing. This is, like, an honor system moment.

( Just checking. )

[Lance hesitates a few moments further at that response, partially because of what Ian says and partially because Lance is figuring out more specifically what had caused his own hesitation and so can give a third try at articulating it.]

I've been thinking about what we talked about before.

[Specifically those more serious circumstances, when they'd discussed using memory sharing to deal with particular issues.]

I'm not um, quite there yet, but it's just... It's on my mind, and I was worried about the risk of accidentally getting into that. But I don't think it's going to be a problem, I've got it under control.

[That, at least, is mostly the truth. He does think it'll be fine, as long as he's careful.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to go all weird on you.

( You know what, the answer's actually a really good one. It wipes that uncertainty and skepticism clean out of his body language, replaces it with a comfortable and easy understanding. )

Don't worry about it, you just helped me figure out guilting people is a flawless strategy that totally works one hundred percent of the time, so. We both learned something today.

( Totally, totally joking. Probably a response that would earn him an exasperated look from a few parties who shall not be named, but dismissing things easily and lightly is a habit. He's probably never really gonna break it.

The hand comes up again, his fingers wiggle. )

Please come spy on my date, weirdo.

[Don't worry, Lance will make up for the lack of presence of others who would give Ian looks by giving him one of his own at that first response. But he's glad for the understanding and the easy shift off the topic, back to the lighter one.]

Only if you promise me this isn't some sort of weird exhibitionist fetish you're involving me in.

[But he makes the dry comment while moving closer, setting his coffee carefully on the counter. Probably best not to risk holding anything while memory-sharing, especially not something as precious as coffee.]

( Ah yes good, the pattern continues. He seems way too amused by that look, more pleased with himself than chastised. )

I swear on my toolbox.

( Which is, you know, the most relevant thing that popped into his head that could replace the bible for him. Leave him alone, he loves them.

He'll leave his hand up, elbow propped on the table arm-wrestling style, and let Lance be the one to initiate. When he does, as promised, he only gets about two minutes of memory. The descent down transitioning stairs, Nate admitting he'd never been to the the place recreated around them, and Ian's quiet pleasure at having been able to give him some version of that experience. Short and sweet, and he thinks it's a pretty decent, succinct look at the overall feel of how it went.

In the split second between the memory ending and Ian retracting his hand, Lance might recognize the flash of feeling buzzing somewhere under Ian's comfortable calm, under his curiosity, his optimistic contentment about the whole thing — an underlying touch of nervousness. He can't really shake that background insecurity, that constant question; am I doing it right? )

[He mouths the word 'toolbox?' with an incredulous look, the whole thing for show, and after a moment of amused contemplation at Ian's arm-wrestling posture he copies it, making sure to clear his mind before making contact and allowing the memory share to begin.

The memory is very cute, and when he comes back to himself and out of the memory the first thing he really thinks is just what a nice moment it was. He's happy to see people he cares about happy, and that very much seemed to be the case.

He also hadn't missed that little bit of uncertainty through the bond, and so he very purposefully confirms--]

I think it's fair to say that you did win at Date.

I knew it.

( Mused aloud like he just proved someone wrong (you totally CAN win at Date, Nathan) but it's really just for the bit. Stupid, how his brain works — joking to make it seem like it's not actually a big deal to him, but he finds a little node of genuine relief in the reassurance.

Hands go back around coffee cup where they belong, thumbing absently at the texture around the rim because he can't keep completely still.

That's probably not the caffeine kicking in. Totally not that.

He slips back into something a little less jokey. )

So yeah, we did that, then we went to that... ball... rave... party earlier this week. I think it's going... bizarrely well, somehow.

[Lance rolls his eyes at the first comment, but he's smiling a little all the same; he's happy to let Ian enjoy his victory, especially if it means both he and Nate had a good time.

He is slightly concerned at the mention of the Ball, if only because he's sure heard some stories about that, but Nate and Ian are both adults and can make questionable choices all they want. Besides, obviously it went fine by what Ian's saying, and Lance retrieves his own coffee to help keep things casual as he replies.]

I know you were probably prepared for the worst, but 'somehow' isn't giving either of you enough credit. This must be an incredibly weird situation for you two to navigate, but you obviously care a lot about each other, and that's the important thing. Everything else you'll figure out as you go.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject