[Simon realizes all too quickly that this is the first time he's actually spoken to anybody about his life in more explicit detail. It was more of a Freudian slip, an admittance of the mindless, casual sort. The only reason this sniveling, selfish brat hasn't boasted about his time there is because he's been relying on the fact that he appears unassuming and harmless, the kind of person adults would gladly give support to, provided that they were stupid enough.]
It's um, where I'm from? Well, not where I'm actually from or where I was born, but
[He needs to stick to his strategy. Adults never responded well to the promise of the Apex anyway, and these ones would probably be no different. In order to make connections, hone his abilities, and then potentially seize power either here or back home, he needs to continue pretending.
Luckily for Simon, he almost always is.]
It's where I've been for most of my life?
[Divert, divert. Change the topic of the conversation.]
What's this about sleep pods, now?
You're not gonna gas the newbies, are ya?
[SIMON???? The gas he is referring to is the drug that was placed in his system when he touched down. It's a pretty horrifying thought, even for him, ngl.]
( Frankly, Simon could flat out say he's being selfish and using Ian and Ian would do just as much for him regardless. He's helpful to be helpful, his ego gets off on it. )
You know what I was gonna put in one of those cool mist humidifiers I'm not sure that counts as gassing, though
No, they're just gonna be normal private places for people to sleep instead of being out in the open on public cots
[He thinks so too, but as with anything Safehouse or new arrival related, there's always some kind of limitation.]
D'you think it'll work for the folks who aren't too keen on bein' holed up in small, dark spaces, though?
[...Mostly because he could see himself being suspicious of anything vaguely pod-shaped. Like, for all a new arrival could know, it could be a torture device.]
I know a lotta people here treat it like it's no big deal, but the whole new arrival thing can be pretty traumatic if ya ask me.
I thought of that, actually. On the other side of the room I'm actually doing boxes. Bigger than the pods, kind of like small private rooms. They still won't be spacious, we're working with limited room, but I figured it would be better than pods only.
I think lately people have been a lot more willing to vocalize just how uncomfortable they find the beginning stages of integration after arrival. You're not alone at all, it's just easier for those who can brush it off to speak up than it is for people who are struggling to admit it in a public space.
Honestly, I'm really not the best example I came from a world that went through a fucking apocalypse, so I was unnaturally stoked to be here It was like walking into a dream, everything got better for me, and I didn't have anybody back home that I felt like I was leaving behind. Everyone I love I met here. That's not usually the case
The safehouse also wasn't in commission when I got here, there was a kind of global incident at the time. If you've ever heard about anyone talk about the simulation, it was... something. In general, though, it's been a thing for a long time. Not from the very start like when Clarke first showed up, but shortly after.
[Simon is reminded of a conversation he had with John not too long ago, where he himself had struggled with the idea that any other place could be worse than this one. Note to self, it could always be worse. He'll remember that.
There is another part of Ian's message that Simon's lonely little heart latches onto- Everyone he loves he met here?
Oh, boy, what would that feel like? To be loved by someone who didn't have to love you even, like a sister or a parent-]
So for you
[How badly he wants to know.]
This place must seem like paradise, then.
Yikes.
[But Ian is smart, capable. During this brief exchange he has managed to present himself as affable and charming, easy to talk to. Funny even.
Simon knows full well he can't come close to saying anything like that about himself.]
Comparatively? Yeah, absolutely. If they ever figure out a way to send people back, I'm gonna be one of the people that chooses to stay behind. This is home now, for me.
But like I said, I'm a terrible example. Most people struggle with it from the start. Accepting their lack of autonomy those first few days in the safe house, adapting to the world outside of it. The god stuff, the supernatural abilities, the technology. It can be extremely daunting.
If that's what you're feeling right now, any part of it, trust me, that's waaaaaaaay more normal.
You're right, and I think Lance has been trying. It's better than it was when I first got here.
I met them right away. I just didn't know they were my people for a few months. It grew, slowly but surely. Not perfectly, and not always easily. It was a struggle for me to let it, and not pull it out at the roots, but.
[Simon and Grace hadn't had an easy time the whole way either, but somehow, their friendship had just been a cinch from the start. What Simon doesn't realize, though hopefully with time and a little distance he will, is that was exactly the problem. Perhaps they were too easy on each other. Too willing to stand by each other's sides no matter what atrocities they committed.
Ian's words don't fall on deaf ears. Simon is pretty sure he's assembled a great team so far boy is he in for a rude awakening, and he could grow to see himself being really close to them. After all, they have shown him more kindness in this short span of time than he's really received from anyone other than Grace for almost a decade.]
That sounds pretty rad, not gonna lie.
Here's hopin' things look up for
[Me.]
everybody, someday. 🤪 👍 🎉 ✨
Uh, if you need any more info re: the electric sneaks(⚡👟), feel free to drop me a line! I figure you'd at least need my shoe size because those're probably pretty different between universies. U-uh! Universes.
I'd actually love some exact measurements of your feet if you could! Shoe size standards vary. I plan to try and make them adjustable regardless but it could be incredibly helpful.
Things will get easier, I promise. I won't lie and say they'll be perfect, they might not even necessarily be Good depending on what your train was like. There are monsters, environmental problems, political problems, it's far from paradise, but.
[...Sounds a lot like the Train, to be honest. Same old, same old.]
No sweat, Mr. 🧠! I'll see if I can find myself some measuring tape or whatever holographic phatooey they've got in place of it here and send 'em right over! You're doin' me such a solid.
If anything, gettin' my gear in place is one part of making things feel, well, easier- Like you said.
At the very least, I do feel like I'm part of a team, kinda sorta.
[An extremely disorganized one with many belligerent and/or useless imbeciles clogging the roster.
But then there are the others, the people that Simon actually likes. And the fact that there's more than one? Well, that's particularly unusual.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Simon realizes all too quickly that this is the first time he's actually spoken to anybody about his life in more explicit detail. It was more of a Freudian slip, an admittance of the mindless, casual sort. The only reason this sniveling, selfish brat hasn't boasted about his time there is because he's been relying on the fact that he appears unassuming and harmless, the kind of person adults would gladly give support to, provided that they were stupid enough.]
It's um, where I'm from? Well, not where I'm actually from or where I was born, but
[He needs to stick to his strategy. Adults never responded well to the promise of the Apex anyway, and these ones would probably be no different. In order to make connections, hone his abilities, and then potentially seize power either here or back home, he needs to continue pretending.
Luckily for Simon, he almost always is.]
It's where I've been for most of my life?
[Divert, divert. Change the topic of the conversation.]
What's this about sleep pods, now?
You're not gonna gas the newbies, are ya?
[SIMON???? The gas he is referring to is the drug that was placed in his system when he touched down. It's a pretty horrifying thought, even for him, ngl.]
no subject
You know what
I was gonna put in one of those cool mist humidifiers
I'm not sure that counts as gassing, though
No, they're just gonna be normal private places for people to sleep instead of being out in the open on public cots
no subject
Wow that
[Would have helped him sleep a lot better when he was there.]
That actually sounds pretty awesome
no subject
I really think it'll help.
no subject
D'you think it'll work for the folks who aren't too keen on bein' holed up in small, dark spaces, though?
[...Mostly because he could see himself being suspicious of anything vaguely pod-shaped. Like, for all a new arrival could know, it could be a torture device.]
I know a lotta people here treat it like it's no big deal, but the whole new arrival thing can be pretty traumatic if ya ask me.
no subject
I think lately people have been a lot more willing to vocalize just how uncomfortable they find the beginning stages of integration after arrival. You're not alone at all, it's just easier for those who can brush it off to speak up than it is for people who are struggling to admit it in a public space.
no subject
He hates being so weak. The safehouse should've been no problem, he was on the Train, he had survived for so long and got his number up so high-]
What was it like for you?
Has the Safehouse always been a thing?
no subject
I came from a world that went through a fucking apocalypse, so I was unnaturally stoked to be here
It was like walking into a dream, everything got better for me, and I didn't have anybody back home that I felt like I was leaving behind. Everyone I love I met here.
That's not usually the case
The safehouse also wasn't in commission when I got here, there was a kind of global incident at the time. If you've ever heard about anyone talk about the simulation, it was... something. In general, though, it's been a thing for a long time. Not from the very start like when Clarke first showed up, but shortly after.
no subject
There is another part of Ian's message that Simon's lonely little heart latches onto- Everyone he loves he met here?
Oh, boy, what would that feel like? To be loved by someone who didn't have to love you even, like a sister or a parent-]
So for you
[How badly he wants to know.]
This place must seem like paradise, then.
Yikes.
[But Ian is smart, capable. During this brief exchange he has managed to present himself as affable and charming, easy to talk to. Funny even.
Simon knows full well he can't come close to saying anything like that about himself.]
no subject
But like I said, I'm a terrible example. Most people struggle with it from the start. Accepting their lack of autonomy those first few days in the safe house, adapting to the world outside of it. The god stuff, the supernatural abilities, the technology. It can be extremely daunting.
If that's what you're feeling right now, any part of it, trust me, that's waaaaaaaay more normal.
no subject
There hadn't been a Grace back home, either.]
Geez.
I wish we all talked about it a little more. Maybe then at least some of us would come out feelin' okay.
[the irony of this little rat twink saying they should Talk about their problems is2g...]
How long did it take you?
[Oh, shoot, backtrack, backtrack.]
To find your people here.
no subject
I met them right away. I just didn't know they were my people for a few months. It grew, slowly but surely. Not perfectly, and not always easily. It was a struggle for me to let it, and not pull it out at the roots, but.
It grew.
no subject
Ian's words don't fall on deaf ears. Simon is pretty sure he's assembled a great team so far
boy is he in for a rude awakening, and he could grow to see himself being really close to them. After all, they have shown him more kindness in this short span of time than he's really received from anyone other than Grace for almost a decade.]That sounds pretty rad, not gonna lie.
Here's hopin' things look up for
[Me.]
everybody, someday. 🤪 👍 🎉 ✨
Uh, if you need any more info re: the electric sneaks(⚡👟), feel free to drop me a line! I figure you'd at least need my shoe size because those're probably pretty different between universies. U-uh! Universes.
no subject
Things will get easier, I promise. I won't lie and say they'll be perfect, they might not even necessarily be Good depending on what your train was like. There are monsters, environmental problems, political problems, it's far from paradise, but.
Easier. Definitely easier.
no subject
No sweat, Mr. 🧠! I'll see if I can find myself some measuring tape or whatever holographic phatooey they've got in place of it here and send 'em right over! You're doin' me such a solid.
If anything, gettin' my gear in place is one part of making things feel, well, easier- Like you said.
At the very least, I do feel like I'm part of a team, kinda sorta.
[An extremely disorganized one with many belligerent and/or useless imbeciles clogging the roster.
But then there are the others, the people that Simon actually likes. And the fact that there's more than one? Well, that's particularly unusual.]