OTA - First Things First

[super_seal]

WHO: Steve McGarrett and YOU
WHERE: Fountain, Forest, Village (behind and in between buildings)
WHEN: September 3rd
OPEN TO: All
SCRUB COLOR: Hunter Green
WARNINGS: None to start
STATUS: Open

[ Fountain ]

Coming to, Steve knows instantly that he’s underwater. Fighting the upwards momentum, he opens his eyes and tries to get some idea of what the hell is going on. All he sees is darkness with light shining down from above. He knows which way to go and after confirming he’s alone without any detectible threat in the water he kicks up.

Slowing just before surfacing, he eases his eyes and nose above the water with barely a splash. SEAL training coming in especially helpful at the moment. He scans his surroundings, only to find that nothing looks familiar.

The last he remembered was taking Wo Fat prisoner and flying a chopper from an island not far off Hawaii. They’d been over the pacific, he remembers that, but then nothing until coming to in the water. Had someone shot them down? The chances of him landing in the fountain he found himself in was extremely slim, but it is possible someone attempted to dispose of him there. The landscape doesn’t look familiar and he doesn’t think he’s on the islands anymore. Which makes him wonder how long he’s been out and where exactly he is.

But first things first. Easing up high enough to see over the edge of the fountain, he sees what looks to be... a park?


[ Forest ]

Out of the fountain, he makes quick work of getting some distance between him and it. It’s not till he has some cover in the trees does he notice what he’s wearing. It strikes him odd to find himself in scrubs and instantly he misses his cargo pants and everything he normally keeps in his pockets. What he misses most though is a weapon.

Taking inventory of what he has in the backpack, he decides against changing at the moment. Changing may help him fit into whatever mess he’s found himself in, but until he has more intel he’ll stay as he is. Instead he removes only one sock from the backpack and with a quick look around him he picks up a rock about the size of his fist and slips it into the sock. Not a great weapon, but it’s better than nothing until he has time to either acquire some or make something better.

With the backpack secured to his back, he carefully scouts out the forest staying as concealed as possible while also gathering as much information as he can. As he moves through he does some light tracking of any animal trails that he might find as well as notes any vegetation that could be useful for food, weapons, tools or anything else he may need. He may not need any of it, and doesn’t waste time lingering, but if he needs it later he’ll know where to find it.


[ Village ]

Once he ventures out far enough from the fountain, he sees the buildings. With the fountain he had figured there was a settlement of some sort not far off and now that he finds it, he’s curious to see what he’s up against. Attempting to keep as concealed as possible, he peaks into windows and around corners.

The town isn’t what he was expecting and he’s still confused about where he is and why. His leading theory is that Wo Fat somehow managed to get the upper hand, knock him out and brought him here, but seeing the village and the people walking around without weapons he realizes that doesn’t seem likely either.

After watching for a bit he slips his ‘rock-in-a-sock’ into his backpack and ventures in closer. He can only find out so much information by remaining hidden and so far he’s not detected a specific threat. Still, he came to by almost drowning in the fountain and as far as he knows, any one of these people could have tossed him there... Along with a backpack with three days worth of clothing. Whoever put him in the fountain hadn't expected him to die there. So, he’s ready for anything.

Comments

forest

[71st_victor]

Now that Johanna has a few weapons in her possessions made of the fallen trees, she's back out at work because the chill at night is enough to let her know that it's going to be fall soon enough and they'll need the firewood to keep things burning. She's also making sure that she's going around to check on how many trees they still have, because it's not like they've been getting many opportunities to plant more and she hadn't really thought about it, earlier in the season.

Last thing she needs to worry about is being fucked for wood at some point, but that's a bridge to cross later. She's working on one of the larger trees that ought to provide the whole village with something for a while when she hears noise in the forest. With one hard drive, she gets the axe in the trunk of the tree, easing back to wipe away the sweat and looking towards the disturbance, seeing a man in the distance. He's trying to conceal himself and he's doing a good job. Shame of it is that she's so far away and at a weird angle, so he probably hadn't been looking down her way.

"Are you lost?" she shouts towards him, hoping her voice carries across the distance.

forest

[super_seal]

Hearing the voice, Steve's head quickly whips around to where he believes the sound to have come from and he starts scanning. It's fairly clear when he spots her as he starts making his way to her. He's watching her carefully, looking for weapons as he comes closer. The 'rock-in-a- sock' hangs from his hand, ready to be used if need be, but he's really hoping that it won't come to that.

There's no use denying that he has no clue where he's at, it's not like he can fudge it. "Not in the sense that I just wandered in, but... Where am I?"

[71st_victor]

Great, he's actually lost. Johanna hadn't really banked on getting an answer, had more been hoping to dissuade the man from fucking up what she's doing, but apparently that's not happening today. Eyeing him dubiously, her gaze slides to the sock, and as she leverages her foot on the tree, she digs out her axe as if in warning.

Hers beats his, not that she's counting (not out loud, anyway). "You crawled out of a fountain, right?" she guesses, as if she's got some deep, secret knowledge. "Turned up here in a pair of scrubs?"

[super_seal]

The ax is only useful if she's skilled in using it in a fight and while he doesn't know if she's skilled or to what level, he's really not looking for one. That being said, he stops out of swinging range of the ax. No reason to push his luck with so much still unknown.

Tilting his head, he narrows his eyes slightly. "So I'm not the first." Useful to know but at this point doesn't tell him much. The scrubs she's mentioned, he's still wearing. They're hunter green under the mud and grime from skulking around wet in the forest. "To what purpose?"

village;

[repressings]

He's new.

Credence spies him, scrubs and all, on one of his daily walks. His eyes widen slightly and he stops suddenly--New, new person, his mind is racing--before he quickly ducks out of the way and between a few buildings, winding back, looping around and retreating back to the house he shares with Percival Graves.

They come in waves, he's noticed, though how big the waves, how many people, when they come he doesn't know. What he does know is that all at once there's a crowd rushing from the fountain sometimes only hours apart, and then there's silence. He's mostly upset with himself for forgetting his journal in the first place. This is an important task he's set himself to do, and he feels like he's already messed it up. Credence messes a lot of things up, though it hurts each time, and he bites down any uncomfortable feelings by the time he gets back to the village with a pen and journal, purposely seeking out the incredibly tall and square jawed new arrival.

This isn't about him, or how much he fails. This is about trying to claw his way out of he village and maybe--just maybe--it's about trying very hard to be social. He's still skittish, and it takes him a while of watching the new comer carefully before he speaks, holding the homemade journal with the encyclopedia cover close to his chest, treating it like some sort of shield.

Credence counts to five before calling out, and is gaze quickly sweeps to the floor.

"Sir?" He asks. "May I have a moment?"

village;

[super_seal]

Turning, Steve immediately tenses but then seeing the young man there he forces himself to relax, and loosens his limbs. In order to figure out what the hell is going on, he needs to interact and talk with the locals.

Upon a closer look at the young man in front of him, he can see that he's nervous and uncomfortable. Steve's not always great with social interactions himself. Prior to leaving the military he didn't really care, it didn't matter overall or slow him down from completing his missions. Since then though, the last couple of years, he's found that it's not something he can really ignore. When he's knowingly out of his depth, he gets nervous and uncomfortable too. Able to somewhat relate to the young man, at least with this, Steve's features soften slightly from the harder military SEAL face. The least he can do is make this easier, likely for the both of them.

The fact that the young man referred to him respectfully also helps.

"Uh, hello. Sure. I don't see why not." He offers a small, hopefully encouraging, smile. "What can I help you with?" And with any luck after Steve helps him, the young man will be willing to help Steve out in return.

[repressings]

He's tall, and even though Credence has already made the observation, it bears repeating: he towers over him without even trying to. Not that it's hard, Credence is always slouching, always trying to be as small as possible. He looks up and finds he has to squint. He looks long enough to catch the smile, and tugs the journal that much closer to him.

His mouth is dry, for some reason, and it takes him a small moment to speak. When he does, his voice cracks a little in the beginning.

"Sorry to bother you, but I've never seen you here, and I was wondering if I could perhaps ask you a few questions?"

[super_seal]

"It's not a bother, and yeah, I'm new." His voice is purposely relaxed and casual. "Just crawled out of the fountain, you could say." It's a poor attempt at a joke that he hopes will hope put Credence at a bit more at ease.

Whatever has happened in his past that made this young man timid and unsure clearly left it's mark, but that he's willing to approach a stranger, a potential threat, tells him that it's not likely from this place - at least not from those who arrive here in the same fashion or dress as Steve is. Unless it's an act, a misdirection, a way to get under Steve's radar and get him to drop his defenses. Which may work on some, but Steve is well trained and never fully lets his guard down. Still, until he has evidence to the contrary, it's in his current best interests to make friends with the locals.

"You can. I'm happy to answer them if I can." He offers another smile. "And maybe you can help me some in return? As you pointed out, I am new, and I'm not fully certain how I got here or why."

fountain

[underpinnings]

There are two places for new arrivals to get their shit sorted, as far as Owen's made note of: the fountain-side inn, and a brick house a couple rows behind it. The owner of the latter seemed like a good lead--might know more about the scrubs, about the breakdown of times and places people came from. He might even corroborate stories about the fountain itself, but it's Owen's luck that he went looking the day the guy decided to take some leave of absence.

I will be away for an indefinite amount of time,, the note read, tacked down under a mug on the dining room table. Nice handwriting, proof of certain supplies existing in the space. Please continue to use the rooms until housing can be arranged for you, and stick with the villagers in case of further emergency. Linens are in the hall closet, maps are in the china cabinet.

At least he'd gained that much, lips twitching at some of the descriptions. Certain kinds of people would appreciate knowing which house grew weed, and Owen would figure out the meaning of wizards written along a row of houses at some later date. In the absence of his desired contact, and probable absence of the welcome-wagon, he'd taken the map and its notes out to the fountain to study, perching on the edge.

He doesn't even hear the man break surface over the splash of the fountain's waters, the voices carrying along the paths. It isn't until he hauls himself up, near to the opposite side of the central pillar, that the movement catches Owen's attention and startles the map out of his hands.

Leaving it in the safety of the dry dirt and grass, he moves around the fountain's edge, hands out in a placating and ready posture. "Whoa there," he says, like treating a person like a spooked horse has ever waylaid a panicked ass-kicking. "You want a hand-up?"

fountain

[super_seal]

Seeing the movement coming from around the other side of the fountain, Steve stays crouched from his transition out of the water - smaller target, easier to avoid or attack if need be. With the man in view, Steve's eyes quickly scan over him, looking for weapons or any sign of a threat, before noting the hands out gesture and then moving up to meet his eyes. He's more than capable of delivering an ass-kicking, but only if the situation deserves one, Steve's not really the type to panic.

If there is a threat, it doesn't appear to be immediate, but erring on the side of caution, he shakes his head at needing a hand as he straightens. "But, thanks." Tilting his head towards the fountain, eyes never leaving the other, he asks, "You know how I ended up in there?"

[underpinnings]

"Not yet" is the answer Owen prefers to no, his gaze passing over the man to the fountain's cascade. "But I know a decent number of people came out of it before you--myself included."

No one had bee standing immediately by to greet him, and he'd wandered in several directions--and climbed several trees--before being spotted and given the Cliff notes on the subject. He wonders how people usually handle it: he wonders how the man he'd been looking for handles it, having made it something of a job.

Owen's less concerned with handling new people than he is information. He's never going to get to the point of saying yes to their questions if he doesn't keep at it. Ends; means. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his now off-white scrubs, he focuses back on the man. "Where did you wind up coming from," he asks, and to soften the question offers his own: "I was on a street corner in Los Angeles. Felt like--falling asleep, then I was in there."

[super_seal]

Looking down at the water in the fountain, Steve frowns. "So this is a regular occurrence?" One without knowing why or how it happens. So far he's not liking how this is unfolding.

At the question Steve looks up at Owen. If Owen wouldn't have answered the question himself first, Steve likely wouldn't have given him a straight answer. As it is, with information given he doesn't see the immediate danger in providing an honest answer in return. Although, he will be leaving out a couple of the details. "My last memory before waking up down there was flying a chopper between islands in Hawaii." The frown deepens. "I don't think we crashed, at least there was no indication of that about to happen from what I remember." Although it's troubling that he can't remember anything.

Bringing a hand up he rubs it over his ribs before reaching up further to touch his face, first his jaw and then up to his left cheekbone and eye. They don't feel cut or bruised, but they should. He'd been in a plane crash, hand to hand combat, and a firefight before taking off in the chopper. He doesn't feel stiff or sore and the headache he could feel coming on while he was flying is gone. "But, some time has definitely passed. Do you know what the date is?"

village

[enterprisingheart]

As far as Jean-Luc is concerned, the village isn't anything that anyone has been expecting. Admittedly, he's only really basing that on a handful of discussions at best, but even so he hasn't directly heard anything to contradict the theory. Which is at least good enough for a start, although he's willing to make changes to said theory if it should turn out that there are some people who would genuinely prefer to remain in the village even despite the fact that it would mean remaining under the Observers' gaze.

That said, for all that he's still getting used to the village, he's started to recognize at least the people who are most commonly out and about. Perhaps not all of the people in the village, but it's enough to have Steve's face stand out as not being familiar, and given the confusion in the man's expression he figures that it's at least a reasonable guess that he's only just recently arrived.

"Looking for something in particular, or just looking?"

The tone of his voice is one of polite curiosity. The sort that suggests at a willingness to be helpful, rather than anything else.

village

[super_seal]

There's a lot to take in, and Steve has been trying to take note of it all. The layout, the design and architecture of the building the different people and the way they dress, all the while doing threat assessments on each person and the best places to gain tactical advantages. His military mind kicking in and demanding Intel and answers he simply doesn't have.

The tone of Jean-Luc's voice registers with Steve before the meaning of the words do. Friendly. Casual. At ease. It's enough for Steve to nod in greeting as he takes a step closer - but not too close.

"Honestly, both. Mostly... I'd just like to know what is going on here."

[enterprisingheart]

Even at ease, there's a military sort of air to his bearing. Not necessarily one that would suggest sternness - or at least, not now - but one that suggests that whatever sort of military endeavor he's involved in he's been at it a long time. Still, it's more something that's part of him, rather than anything he's trying to deliberately invoke - he wears it as naturally as anything, even despite the less than flattering clothes he happens to have been provided with.

"I can't promise to have all the answers - I'm still fairly recently arrived myself. But I should be able to manage a basic rundown, if that's of interest?"

It's not necessarily an explanation that's going to be comforting, admittedly. But it will at least cover most of the basics, and should Steve want further information he can also point him at people who are more likely to have that information.

[super_seal]

"It would be. Yes. Thank you."

A basic rundown would help pull together the small amount of information he does know. Some of what he's heard, he simply finds hard to believe, like people from various time periods or planets... That just isn't possible. As far as Steve's concerned that has to be a trick of some sort. Although if these people are as sure of who they are and where they were from as he is... He simply doesn't have enough information. As far-fetched as it sounds, he's not willing to fully discard anything but he at least needs some unprovoked collaboration.

Extending his hand, Steve figures it's best to introduce himself as this man seems kind enough to help him out. "I'm Steve McGarrett, by the way."

Village - Outside of House 20 near the edge of the village

[scepterschild]

A bowl of finely chopped roots was in her arms when she spotted Steve meandering between the flat piece of land between the forest and the village. Her fingers sank into the collected food and then tossed a small amount out for the chickens to eat. Wanda's hair was up and she was dressed in a pair of green cargo pants and a sports bra. She had long since discarded her scrubs, not wanting to feel like a test subject.

"You're new." It was a guess but spoken as a statement, her accent rounding and tugging at each word. Wanda didn't know everyone in the village but most of the people she met wandering around her home were new. It was at the furthest reaches of town and she was used to seeing people wander past as they made their way to or from the woods.

Before Wanda could say more a very large dog rose from his sleeping place on the porch and went running towards Steve. His tongue lolled out as the massive puppy ran towards Steve for attention. "Arado!" Wanda shouted making the dog stop before reaching Steve. It was well trained but whined softly for permission to inspect the new comer.

Village - Outside of House 20 near the edge of the village

[super_seal]

Seeing the house from a distance, Steve had expected he'd find people as well. The concern there would be what kind of people and what their opinion of him would be. That she's seems to be friendly, calling out to him and in doing so inviting him closer speaks volumes to him. She's not expecting him to be a threat, or if she does, she's prepared in some way to handle it.

Nodding in greeting he starts to come forward to speak with her more easily but when the dog comes running he stops and takes a step back. The dog for it's own part looks like a huge puppy that wants to play, but Steve's more accustomed to attack dogs. Turning sideways, giving the dog less of a target should it decide to attack, he's relieved to see it stops at Wanda's call.

Still leery of the dog, he looks up at her. "He friendly?"

Village - Outside of House 20 near the edge of the village

[scepterschild]

Wanda looked up at Steve, a smile twitching at the corner of her lips. He was a big puppy. She didn't blame him for his reservations. "Yes. Easily excited." She replied, her accent thickening slightly.

There was always the real danger that someone was going to attack but Wanda wasn't worried about it. She could defend herself and while Arado didn't look particularly vicious, he was being trained to be a hunting dog for Clint. At first, she'd always been alarmed by strangers but now she found that most of the people here were hungry or lost or both.

"Do you want something to eat? I have some salted meats inside." It was the easiest way to store things though the salt supply wasn't limitless.

forest

[majorlyugh]

Whenever Major attempts to go "hunting," it almost always ends with him enjoying a casual, leisurely walk through the forest, admiring the wildlife. If he ends up spotting something - a deer, a rabbit, a squirrel, anything in between - he usually falls silent and slowly crouches to the ground. It isn't to get a better vantage point or to try to go without being seen or smelled in order to whip out a gun and shoot the creature for dinner. It's often to just ... look. Watch. Entertain himself with creatures he didn't get to see all too often amongst the concrete streets of Seattle. And maybe there's a part of him that's trying to cling to the memories of when he'd leave the city limits, go out into the wilderness and go on hikes, camp for days on end, lay out underneath the stars. Major's been a lot of things in his life, but a hunter he is not.

It's as he's laying belly-down in a convenient division between two bushes that he hears the approach of footsteps - distinctly human, that much he can tell. He's vaguely hoping it's Ravi, out trying to Daniel Boone it in amongst the trees, and is already trying to come up with how best to scare him when the stranger comes into view. He's a little disappointed that his prank won't get to see the light of day, but he's interested in what's obviously a newcomer, and Major can't tell if the guy's scrubs are black or only look that way because of being soaked. He shimmies back a little bit so as not to just launch on the guy like a Jack-in-the-Box (worst toys, ugh), but then slowly gets to his feet, standing behind the bushes instead of between them.

"Hey," he says, holding both hands up in clear view to show that he's completely unarmed. "You new?"

forest

[super_seal]

Steve is aware that there is someone in the forest with him, although he has no idea who it might be or why they are there. From the situation he came from just before here, he's in SEAL mode. The Yakuza could be all over this forest and as far as Steve's knows, the person hiding could be one of them. Or Wo Fat, just waiting to get the upper hand. He still doesn't know how he got here, or why he was in the fountain. With the information he has being inconclusive, he's prepared for the worst.

'Rock-in-the-sock' ready just in case, he continues to move forward. It's not the best weapon but it can still do some damage in the right hands.

It's the slow movement of the person getting to his feet that has Steve holding off from attacking. If someone was set to attack him, he expects them to do it suddenly and with speed in order to utilize the element of surprise. When he sees raised hands, Steve eases off his attack mode and takes a step back. Eyes sweeping over the man, he notes that he's not armed.

"Is it that easy to tell?" He asks in return instead of answering the question. Then he looks around quickly without his eyes really leaving Major. "Why are you hiding in the bushes?"

[majorlyugh]

Major knows when he's just dodged a bullet - literal or otherwise - and he's aware of the fact that he just did so. The shift in posture and tension in the stranger's body is proof enough of that, and Major can't help but let out a little sigh of relief. He can take down a thug or two, he's done it before, but this guy ... looks trained. Skilled. Like he'd maybe been in some branch of the military for an extended period of time. Major hadn't had the chance to go all that far in his mercenary training, so he'd be like a wet noodle against a katana if it came down to it.

Okay, maybe slightly better than a wet noodle.

Like ... an uncooked noodle.

Major gestures to the man's sopping wet scrubs as his answer before adding:

"Everyone wakes up in the fountain. Unless someone's figured out how to have a water balloon fight, being soaked from head-to-toe is usually a pretty good indicator that you've just gotten here." At the mention of the bushes, he glances down at them as though he might find an answer hidden in their branches before letting out a laugh. "Honestly?" he starts, looking back to the guy, "I was admiring a family of chipmunks. I'm supposed to be hunting or something, but I can't really bring myself to kill most of the wildlife here. I turn all like, Bob Ross with happy little trees and their friends when I'm out here."

village

[learned_to_die]

Ned has been taking the opportunity to traverse through the village from one end to the other and back again in order to try and regain some of the strength he'd lost while he was ill. His memories of the time are still vague and mostly piecemeal, though he knows - from having seen it in his daughter, as well as Jon - that hallucinations were a common occurrence. He finds that quiet, contemplative walking has helped retrieve some of them, though he is mostly focused on the physical benefits that walking brings him.

He carries one of the communal multi-tools, as well as two of the communal daggers, in the event there's something in a trap or he finds himself fortunate enough to cross paths with something edible. He hasn't had any luck in that regard, though he does catch sight of something moving up along the path ahead of him: a person, though not one he recognizes. As he draws closer, he notes the apprehension in his movements, the way he seems to be gathering information, as though a scout for an enemy camp. Signs of someone who has only just arrived, or has arrived rather recently.

Mindful of the daggers and multi-tool, he keeps all three very obviously exposed on the outside of his white scrubs, at the waistband of his trousers. Once close enough, he calls out:

"Well met! Might you be in need of assistance? I do have two daggers and a multi-tool with me, though they are for the woodland creatures I am hoping to sup on later this evening, not for the villagers themselves."

village

[super_seal]

At the call out, Steve stops and turns. The daggers and multi-tool are quickly searched out and noted when Ned mentions them, not seeing anything to indicate hidden weapons Steve's more military stance relaxes slightly. He's still on edge, waiting for a threat to come out of somewhere, but so far he's found nothing alarming. Enough that his only make-shift weapon has been put away in his knapsack for now. Not that he's defenseless, he's well-equipped at hand-to-hand combat if need be, but from the friendly greeting he's not expecting that to be the outcome here.

"Hello and possibly, yes." His voice is casual in timbre but there is a tension still running through it. The need he finds himself in isn't urgent, but he's still looking for answers. Ones he's not expecting to like, although not for the same reasons he suspected originally. He holds up his arms and hands so Ned can easily see he has no weapons on his person. "I'm not armed. I've just recently arrived... Is it just the one village?" And since Ned kinda-sorta brought up weapons. "I've not seen much in way of defenses, is there no threat of attack?"

[learned_to_die]

Ned approaches in a way to show he's familiar with the delicate dance of diplomacy - his features and stature are soft and rounded, purposefully warm and inviting, yet firm underneath the gossamer cloak to indicate his ability and strength. The way in which he handles himself would be a clear indication that the man has had some sort of military training, even if it is a bit foreign to a person from outside of Westeros, and that he is more than likely someone high-born, or well-bred. Despite the aged appearance of his face, there is no doubt that Ned is in prime shape and condition.

He keeps himself a respectable distance from the newcomer, though not far enough to make him seem apprehensive or afraid.

"It has been just the one for quite some time, as far as I know; I have been here for more fortnights than I can currently recall. It was not all that long ago, however, that a quake broke apart the canyon wall and revealed to us a second village, almost a perfect mirror image to the one in which you currently find yourself." His latter question gives Ned pause, and though he is not quick to trust those he does not yet know, he is also motivated by a distinct urge to be as helpful as possible. "It would depend on what it is you mean by 'threat of attack.' But you are generally safe here, yes."