6019/Foreign Affairs

From Heroes Assemble MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Foreign Affairs
Date of Scene: 22 April 2021
Location: Lisse Windmill
Synopsis: Two immigrants met by chance, depart as friends and possible future allies.
Cast of Characters: Nazo Sarwani, Aisling Caroll




Nazo Sarwani has posed:
The hardest part of the move is adjusting to the new place. New York is too cold and damp. The people are too talkative even while being standoffish. And nothing works like it should. I mean really, why was asking for a better price grounds to get shouted at!?

Still, it's her new home and she's got to make the best of it. And that means learning the lay of the land. Seeing what was to be seen and finding what was to be found. That's how Nazo found herself in the strangest park she'd ever seen, with a ... contraption of some sort that turned in the offshore wind and more like it, but smaller around it.

And then there were the scarecrows. Lots and lots and lots of scarecrows.

The black-clad woman, head and face covered but for the small gap around the eyes, stands and stares, taking in the place and trying to make some kind of sense of it all. In the middle of the pathway. Right around a small blind curve.

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    "I never thought I'd run in to someone else out here" the accent is Irish, very obviously so and it's coming from an auburn haired young woman who also seems to love black standing behind Nazo. A pair of heterochromic eyes, one blue and one green, stare at the other. She's taller, and very obviously well built and athletic or at least obviously as much as the jacket, leather pants and tucked in shirt will show. She folds her arms and cants her gaze up towards the windmills, "They're pretty."

Nazo Sarwani has posed:
The woman is momentarily startled, spinning in place, her outfit twisting from inertia as it turns belatedly. It's not really possible to tell the stance under it, though the lowering of her height a tad suggests something of a crouch. A brief once-over and the woman relaxes somewhat.

"I ... don't quite know what to make of it," she says, looking over her shoulder at the field of scarecrows. "It is striking to be certain, but ... what's it for? What does it mean?"

The voice is accented strongly, like someone who learned English from another person who learned English from another person who learned English from another person who learned English from a book and some poor-quality audio tapes.

"I'm new here," she says unnecessarily. "So all of this is still very strange to me."

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    "I can imagine it would be" Ais replies rather planly as she stapes forward placing her hands in her jacket pockets. "It's a bit new for me as well, I've spent most of my life in Gotham" though that accent gives away she's probably not from Gotham. "Far as I remember, these windmills have been present in New York for centuries. They have, a history, though the fullest extent of that history I don't know."

    Taking a moment to stop and reflect, she turns slowly and forms a smile, "I'm Aisling."

Nazo Sarwani has posed:
"I'm Nazo. Nazo Sarwani." Nazo doesn't seem inclined to talk much more about herself, like where she comes from. "I'm pleased to meet you," she adds, after visible concentration, apparently seeking the words. "Gotham...? That's ..." She points (with surprising accuracy) across the island in the direction of Gotham along the hyperloop tunnel. "That way? I've never been."

A small laugh escapes her. "I've barely been in New York proper either. Mostly to just get papers filled and filed and stamped. Never for visiting. I thought I should learn my local home first."

And again her eyes stray to the windmills and scarecrows. "There's more than enough to puzzle me even here."

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    "It's a pleasure to meet you Nazo" the reply comes rather quickly as she holds a hand out with a slight smile. She nods, "Aye, it's that way" she replies thumbing behind her, "Rode my bike over" she adds giggling a little while keeping the hand out stretched. "Papers? Newly immigrated I take it?"

Nazo Sarwani has posed:
"Long enough to get a job that was pre-arranged from afar, then arrange an apartment, fill out papers, arrange a telephone, fill out papers, arrange electricity, fill out papers, arrange water, fill out papers, ..."

Nazo slumps in feigned frustration and giving up. Only the frustration isn't completely feigned. She is in well above her head and she knows it.

And she missed the part about signing up at the local high school for her GED. Starting off in the lowest level possible for an adult student...

"But it's all for the better. This place is so quiet." Screams of pain echo in her head. Not hers. "And my boss is very nice and considerate. He gave me two months' salary at the start and will be having me repay it ten percent each paycheque." Small hands that knot delicate rugs growing into adult hands that do the same. "I'm now a buyer of all 'oriental' rugs in his import company."

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    Aisling head tilts slightly as she listens, folding her arms and canting one hip to the side as she shifts her weight and stance. "You need help" and it's a very honest and sincere statement from her, "I needed help" she adds with a slight exhale. "You'd be surprised how hard it is to get a GED alone in this country as an immigrant, let alone do most of anything else." Where'd that come from?

Nazo Sarwani has posed:
"I've been ... worse." Cramped factory, chained to a table, hooking rugs. "Here at least I have a job that pays." People ... getting torn apart in a sandstorm? The image is hard to read. They look like soldiers, however, in barren mountains caught in a localized storm. "And there is inschallah no Taliban here." Bearded men casually slinging weapons around as easily as they sling looks combining contempt and fear at her. "I can do hard work. I have no distractions. I will ... be alright."

Now, finally, the hands come out, reaching for Aisling's in a gentle double-handed grasp.

"You are very caring, however. A testament to the wiseness of my choice."

Surrendering to men with guns. Men who encircle her, guns aimed at her. Fear in their eyes.

"I know no nation is perfect, but this one is my new home."

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    These images, it's a good thing she's used to seeing everyone's darkest secrets and desires. Otherwise she'd no doubt be having a much harder time controlling her own emotional state, joys of being an telepath with empathic abilities. Their emotions become your emotions if you're not careful. Aisling relaxes a bit more and forms a slight smile, "A new home is a good place to start over" and she locks her heterochromic eyes o nto Nazo, "a good place to make ammeneds and better yourself."

Nazo Sarwani has posed:
If it weren't for Aisling's ability to go straight to the source, Nazo's niqab would be a perfect way to ensure a poker face. The word "amends" strikes deep and hard, but the only clue in nonverbal communication is a slight tightening around the eyes.

Her mind is a different story. A torrent of images flicker through it with practiced ease. This is something she does to herself a lot. And with it comes intense pain.

"Yes," she says, her voice slightly muted. A little tight at the throat. "That it is." Of course she doesn't know that Aisling can read the truth of her state so she fronts like a professional. Like someone who's been forced at the point of violence to learn how to control emotions and expressions. To hide what she really feels from people who would do her harm. "There are plenty of opportunities to better myself here than in the backwater village I came from."

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    "Well, if you have a meens of contacting people" ais reaches in to her pocket and pulls a phone out, "you can call me?" she adds smiling warmly. "I've always thought us immigrants should stick together and help each other get our footing in America." She doesn't mention she immigrated when she was about 6.

Nazo Sarwani has posed:
The is looked over with recognition, but not familiarity, Nazo nodding as she figures out what it is and why Aisling is producing it. Her hands disappear under her black outer gown, coming out with a notebook and an "eternal pencil", poised to write, and indeed starting. "Here is my telephone number for you and I can write down yours because sticking together goes both ways, does it not?"

A small laugh escapes her niqab.

"So if you need a good deal on an oriental rug, give me a call. Or an appraisal of one."

~Or if you need a sandstorm.~

Those words, of course, not openly said.

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    Aisling smiles and saves the offered number in her cellphone. With that, she hits a button and turns the phone around to show Nazo the phone number, "Here" she adds keeping the warm smile. To the rug and sandstorm, she just smirks. "I'm glad I met you" she adds putting her phone back in her jacket pocket. "Are you going to be safe getting home?"

Nazo Sarwani has posed:
Amusement fills Nazo's mind, but it doesn't spill into her eyes. "I am quite safe, yes," she says. "This is a nice part of the city and my home is not far. This will be one of my last nights out looking around, however, since my GED classes start soon and then ... as you said. Lots of work."

With another double hand-clasp, brief, but with feeling, she inclines her head and murmurs something that sounds distinctly like a blessing or a prayer or some such. "Thank you for making me feel more at home in this strange land, Aisling."

And with that she turns to leave, heading to the park entrance, standing, it seems, perhaps a little taller as she walks. Not looking, like the first sight, bent under a weight.

Aisling Caroll has posed:
    Aisling, for her part, smiles and heads to her bike to head back home. This was a good day and perhaps a new friend has been made.