[open] Welcome to the home of tradition and progress!

[theearth]

Who: EVERYONE! including Mrs Kaufmann and Rose Bonbright
When: October 11th, starting 6 p.m.
Where: The museum that is attached to the town-hall of Füssen, specifically the Kaisersaal.
What: Mingle and happy welcome!

Through the usual channels, the mayor of Füssen has invited any and all numbered - no matter if they are only visiting for the evening/weekend and actually reside in Locke or Vegas or if they are staying for longer - to attend a little reception at the Kaisersaal in the town museum which is attached to the townhall.

Aka this snazzy room just with the chairs grouped around tables and no stage, though four musicians play quartets on a low podium at the side of the room. It's a very distinguished affair don't screw it up, you can do it, numbered! No, we don't know who believes that, either.

Mingle and eat and have fun!

And a note: Drinks are free! But the youngsters will get carded, and alcohol like beer will only be served to 16+ people, while spirits and other higher percentage booze will only be served to 18+ people.

Comments

[merchants]

Well, that's still closer than over the big pond - and distances grow kind of muddled when you're in Europe for a while. My flatmate thought that Las Vegas was in California until I told her otherwise.

Well, so far no ghosts have shown up, but who knows what'll happen over the next weeks. [There is a moment of serious in her words as she continues.] I will just hope that things won't end in as much destruction as in Locke and Vegas.

[espigeonage]

Yeah, I've heard you can cross countries in a few hours here. Sounds like fun!

Mmm. Same here. [Julien smiles sympathetically.] We're trying to figure this all out, too.

[merchants]

Less than an hour, if it's Liechtenstein. You'll enter at one and and before you know it, you're in Switzerland.

So you guys have no clue at all, either?

[espigeonage]

Oooh... man, I really do have to get my passport updated. I haven't left the States in like ten years.

We've got very little on the clue front! Sorry. Being numbered involves a lot of trying to put things together and not knowing if we've got anything right.

[merchants]

[She leans forward to be able to speak lower and shrugs.] They usually don't check your passport, as long as you stay in the EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein... except for when they check traffic, then you'll need it.

And what is that very little that you have?

[espigeonage]

Why must you tease me so? [He smiles, though.]

[And then settles back a bit.]

Well... Personally I don't think I know anything that special. But the pink lights and big and little monsters are related to whatever it is that keeps changing us [he fans his tail out part of the way], and all that seems to be limited to zones, like the new one here. We think that's all related to some of our human-shaped unfriendlies, who're sometimes mutants too, but aren't networked and changing in the same way. I think.

[merchants]

Do you know what the boundaries of this zone here are yet?

And what happens if you leave the zones? [Julien spoke of travelling as if he expected it, but this doesn't sound like it...]

[espigeonage]

Nope! Not yet.

All of us, or me? [He shrugs a feathery shoulder, smiling.] We become more normal. Not all the way, but it's there. A lot of this stuff is harder to keep straight, the memories relating to any of this get fuzzy. I don't quite look normal - I have claws and like ape feet, and my arms look like I'm a yeti, or something.

[merchants]

Then travelling will be harder for all of you ...tell me when you know how far the boundaries of this zone go, and I'll see if there is any interesting touristy stuff here.

[espigeonage]

It's fun to do sometimes! But, thank you. I'd like to see what I can while I'm here. Always wanted to go see places outside North America.

[merchants]

You have never been outside of the states?

[espigeonage]

I was born in Canada! And I've been to Mexico. But it's been mostly the states, yeah. I've been all over those, at least.

[he thinks he was taken on a trip to Spain or something when he was like two or three, but doesn't really remember it, so it doesn't count.]

[merchants]

Your family moved a lot?

[She's also looking at him as if she's trying to figure something out (how he looked as a human, that is, but she's not going to ask, that would be rude).]

[espigeonage]

That's right!

[Julien used to look a lot like his father, who has a certain degree of power and a lot of wealth - it's still there in his face and the suggestion of a smile that is his default expression. He looks down at Rose, wondering what she's curious about, unwilling to say why they moved.] The longest I'd been anywhere for a long time was Locke, but - nothing lasts, I guess.

[merchants]

You've left the city permanently now?

[Sure, she knew things were getting bad - it is hard to miss the disdain of the community around her whenever new news of how the persecution there is getting worse come up - but to completely forsake a city with all the ties that it has...] Though I guess that even if it gets better again it'll still have been a city that caused you harm.

[espigeonage]

Sort of. There are people I care about there, and a place I can stay which is safe - but unless things change, I'm only going to be visiting here and there. [He shrugs feathery shoulders, helplessly.]

[merchants]

What kind of place is still safe for you in Locke?

[She's not heard of that yet.]

[espigeonage]

I've got friends with their own property, and they've been willing to put me up before. [Another shrug. He's not telling that one's out in the countryside and has a wall.] It can get a little difficult to share space with me and I don't want my friends getting too much negative attention, though.

[merchants]

Well, you are rather large now.

Are you staying in the Hotel over in Reutte?

[espigeonage]

I know! I have to duck to get under doorways, it's ridiculous!

Is... that's the one being covered, right?

[merchants]

It is. I dropped by there earlier today and they said that a couple of people had already booked in.

[espigeonage]

Then I probably am! Hopefully there's a place I can bathe. - ah, should I thank you, Rose?

[merchants]

Probably. To both of that.

[She grins.] Though technically it's my mother who is paying, so she might be the better option. Do you have her number?

[espigeonage]

[He shifts a folded wing to press against his chest and bows low, half-opening the other wing and fanning his tail out behind him as he does. It's a very dramatic gesture; some people standing nearby shift to make certain his feathers won't hit them.]

Then, thank you, beneficent hostess.

[Julien straightens again, amused.] I don't!

[merchants]

[She smiles and almost laughs while he does the bowing, and still grins when he straightens up again.

Let me...

[dig dig dig She'll have to go through her purse for a moment, but then finally she pulls out a business card.]

This is my mother's.