the_campus | Have a car thief with no cars

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Have a car thief with no cars

[Do you know what happens when you put a confused Serb Yugoslavian expatriate in the middle of a strange building in a strange place while he's in the possession of his favorite carbine rifle? He skulks through a hallway quietly, looking for a way out.

Niko nears a window with his back to the wall. And off in the distance? That jungle? That sure wasn't Middle Park. Not long before he heard something that sounded like the most fucked up war-zone he's ever been near. More rushing fire, less bullets. So he's just playing it careful until he finds some sort of damned map.

First he finds a soda machine, though. And that soda machine is not a Sprunk soda machine. He ventures closer, pokes it with the gun as if that's going to help anything, and moves to look behind it as if he's searching for the mechanism for a bomb in an obviously fake piece of inexplicable equipment. Surveillance maybe?

He's pretty sure he's not in Liberty State, anymore.]

Oh, here we go. [Traces of his Balkan accent in those sarcastic sounding words he goes back around to the front of the soda machine, not creeping along for the time being and with his rifle lowered at his side. He's ready to hop behind that thing defensively though.]

((OOC: New person, new character. Niko Bellic from GTA IV. Snarky bastard but pretty friendly and easy to reason down.))

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[He wishes he could comment on that she should stay out of danger but he was using guns like the one he was holding by the time he was fourteen. So he can't really say much.]

You are keeping safe? Nobody that took you is hurting you?

[Heaven knows why a man that rips people out of their cars worries about these things. But he does.]

[She blinks a little at the question, but just smiles gently and gratefully, shaking her head a little.]

...Thank you for the concern. Really, I appreciate it. [She does. She's still not used to perfect strangers actually giving a damn.] I'm okay, though. The person we guess took us only ever talks over the intercom. Some of the people here aren't... the best, but I haven't been hurt or anything, no.

[She'll neglect to mention that she can take care of herself. It's nice to have someone worried about her.]

Well, at least the soda machine seems to get on with you.

[He'll never be able to keep from being snarky in any situation.] Me, I do not know it so well yet.

[But he's pretty sure it's not some sort of armed obstacle.]

Oh, it's nice enough when you get to know it! You just have to talk gently and move slowly and it'll let you get close enough to touch it.

[Yes, she's being a little snarky right back, but it's more playful than anything.]

[He just grins at that. Sadly, not a friendly grin, but it's not intended to be a mean one. He's just not got a face made to look anything other than a little mad.]

I'll keep it in mind. I will chalk this problem up to cultural differences. [He motions between him and the machine.]

[The idea seems to get across anyway, if her smile is any indication.]

Well, you have to start somewhere to solve culture problems, don't you? Should I act as a mediator and make sure you get a good soda?

Uh... Sure. Why not. [He's the sort of guy who doesn't like to impose, the type that gives $500 to strangers in need or goes out of the way to beat up abusive boyfriends.

But he also murders people for five grand a pop so it sort of cancels that out.

Still. He doesn't know where the money comes from and sometimes even change is a worry for people trying to get by.] As long as it's no trouble.

It's not. There's not a lot that's charged for here, food and room being free, so I've got plenty to spare.

[She'll pick out a Dr. Pepper, then, and offer it to him.]

Try this.

[The soda that Niko is used to is much like Sprite, so he stares down into the dark caramel liquid. Then with a shrug he takes a swig.

Said prune soda isn't terrible, but it's surprising.]

I definitely don't know this brand.

I'm not surprised. But there's a lot more you can try, if you want.

[She nods at the list on the side.]

Anything specific you'd like to try?

No no. This is okay. [For a fellow kidnapping victim, he doesn't want to be more of an inconvenience than necessary. He'll find out about those odd familiar green ones later. For now he'll drink this.]

How long have they kept you here?

About... five or six months now, I think.

[She swishes around her own soda thoughtfully.]

I'm probably one of the few people who doesn't -- didn't -- actually mind, though.

[Niko's mother was a wonderful woman, but his father was a terrible person. Even a small statement like that can set off a lot of warning signs for him (even if they're misleading since she comes from such a different place).]

What made this better than where you were before?

[Hey, at least she hasn't yelled at him like some people he's asked what's wrong to.]

My father died a long time ago and... well, let's leave it at my mother and I never got along. So back home, I lived alone, and for various reasons, I didn't really have anyone to turn to.

Here, that's completely different. I have friends, people who care about me, and it's thanks to them that I actually feel alive and happy for once. Some of those friends live where I do, in fact, so going back home isn't a thing I'm afraid of anymore... but this place, for the longest time, was basically freedom to me.

...Ironic, huh?

Yes, I get that.

[Some new places, running away from things, is an escape. He does get that all too well.

It doesn't sound like her mother was a charming person. No horrible mob boss, he's pretty sure, but someone that a girl would rather be trapped in a far off land with than having to face.] Not very ironic. But now you say you don't mind home so much? If you have to go back to it.

That's right. A few of the friends I've made here... it turns out, they live in the same city I do, the same universe and everything.

They promised... that we could meet up again whenever we returned home. That we'd still be friends. So knowing that I won't be completely alone if I go back... even if I'm still more comfortable here than anyone else, it's at least comforting knowing that if a way is found, I'm not stranded again.

If that makes sense.

Well-

I have a cousin. And he's a good man, a friendly man, but he is a bit of an idiot and gets himself into trouble. I don't like knowing that I'm where I can't watch over him.

So if any of your friends have a clue how to get back, or has gone back, can you let me know?

Heheh... I'm a little jealous. He must be grateful to have you watching over him.

[She nods a bit firmly, giving that gentle smile again.]

Don't worry. It seems that time is... "frozen," sort of, while you're here. Everything thinks you go back to the same point you came from, so to him, you'll have only been gone a few minutes at most, I think.

But as soon as someone knows how to get back, if I know it before you, I'll tell you. Will you do the same for me?

He is the type of guy that is grateful for everything. An optimist. Only sees the best in things. [And it's obvious from Niko's expression that he thinks he's crazy for it. The man's a cynic, through and through.

But that's a strange thing. He's sure it somehow didn't filter through his understanding the right way.] Yes, ah... sure. But that first part, how do you know this?

I try to do that myself. I guess that makes me strange?

[She blinks a bit at that, giving him somewhat of an apologetic look.]

No one knows it for sure, but for a couple of people that have gone and come back, that seems to be what happened.

It's the best guess we have so far.

Edited 2014-02-11 10:43 (UTC)

No. I suppose not. Probably better that you are one, because I think some of the things Roman has been through would break him if he were not such a good-natured man. But in my world, it can get you in a lot of trouble, too. It gets you taken advantage of.

[He does love Roman but Roman's ability to find trouble in his optimism ~~aka gambling~~ drives him insane.]

Who has managed to come back so far?

I've been told that before. That I'm a little too "naive" for my own good. But... I think I'd rather be this way than any other way.

[She frowns, the look getting a bit more intense.]

I'm sorry... I couldn't tell you. It's just what's being said around, but considering everything else about this place, it seems as likely as anything else.

Then I'll have to do some more asking around. Even a little while can make problems for me back home.

[Though he hates to admit, maybe Roman's life was better off without him in it. But Roman is very attached to him, so he can't think that way and keep his best interests in mind.]

I'll let you get back to your soda and uh... I will get back to figuring out where I am maybe. [He makes a face as he stares into his can, but it's more out of unfamiliarity than dislike because he's still drinking it.]

I hope you figure it out. Let me know if I can help, okay? I'm always glad to do anything I can if it helps out.

[She flashes another smile, sipping her own drink.]

We're in this together now, anyway, right?

Yes, exactly. [He smiles as he goes to encourage her, and really this man's face shouldn't smile. He shouldn't. It's not made for it because any smile looks a little mean. But it's not badly meant.

He just sort of hold up his hand in a half-effort wave, at least a touch less likely to pull a gun on someone that looks like a threat. A smidgen.]

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moderndaydragon - 2014-02-12 04:23 (UTC) - Expand

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Have a car thief with no cars

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Randomly, Niko's got a CR entry, if you care. XD

I had responded to this and then rather than hitting send I left the tab open.

Good job.

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