aw, poor baby don't worry, if you fall over i'll carry you up shishapangma
[ When he reaches the cave he waits just inside the system, rather than out at the mouth. Seems a bit less conspicuous and while there's no one this far out from the city it still pays to not wave a bright red flag that says "I can travel between municipalities instantaneously and without paying for a train ticket." ]
Nate does actually beat him there, but it isn't by much. It's his first time seeing a gate since the first week he arrived months ago, and he'd been in kind of a weird state then. Too much to take in, too urgent to appreciate it properly considering the reason he was there. As such, he ambles in kind of slowly, eyes flicking about the place in a healthy mix of interest and caution. He seems appropriately prepared for whatever it is they're about to wander into, with a bag slung over his shoulder and the strap crossing his chest.
[ His grin is bright and wide, shifting his duffel bag over his shoulder and offering a small wave with his free hand.
Nate had given him a small list of things he should bring, clothing-wise, what with the weather being unreliable but on the somewhat chilly side thanks to the altitude. Consider him relieved to see Ian in a sweatshirt, though he hopes he has an actual coat stored away somewhere or they'll be paying a premium in Lhasa.
He jerks his head in a clear gesture of invitation toward the dark recesses of the cave. ]
[ He does not, in fact, have an actual coat stored away. He's got a blanket stuffed in there in a super nerdy, awesome little thing he put together specifically for the trip — portable vacuum sealer. It's small, it sucks out the air, and it compresses things down to like a sixth of the size. Can't wait to see Nate's face when he whips some of that shit out.
The good news is, you know, matter bending. What is a blanket but an un-bent coat, really?
Spotting Nate slaps an immediate and unselfconscious smile onto his face, and he strolls right on up with his hands wrapped around his chest strappy thing. ]
Hey, man.
[ You know, just to be a polite human before giving someone shit. ]
[ Nate squints at him, sidelong and speculative. ]
Was it, though?
[ Rhetorical. Doesn't matter either which way, as they head into the tunnel. It's been a while since Nate even came down here, partly because of how busy things got and partly because he simply didn't have the inclination. Traveling by himself is fine - he used to enjoy it a great deal - but these days it's a fairly lonesome endeavor. ]
How's your Tibetan?
[ Nate asks conversationally, as though any language won't be automatically translated by their implants. Really takes the fun out of learning. ]
[ Answered pleasantly, with the unabashed implication that he doesn't speak a speck of Greek. Fortunately, it doesn't matter in the slightest. He trails along at Nate's shoulder, just an inch or two behind to take directive. No idea where he's going here, please lead on.
The last time he followed Nate like this he's pretty sure Nate was walking backwards, and — ]
It is so much better to be doing this on the ground without the threat of terrifying death, by the way.
[ The laugh bursts out of him, surprised and delighted, because while Nate is accustomed to being called out for his bullshit it's so rarely done with the same kind of characteristic aplomb. Sixty stories up was pretty extreme for a first excursion, and he won't argue that.
Ian still made it, though. Lived to complain another day. ]
I can sprinkle in a skyscraper if you're feeling frisky.
Skyscrapers are almost the exact opposite of what I think about when I'm feeling frisky.
[ A pleasantly deadpan drawl accompanied by a sideways look at Nate — less I'm hitting on you and more Jesus Christ you're nuts.
On cometh the gate in all of its crazy glory, something straight out of Ancient Aliens. Pillars and gold, impressive enough that Ian's eyes track over it intently despite having seen it once before.
The vague thought springs at the back of his mind: wonder what would happen if I tried to bend this? Followed by the mental image of fucking up the entire gate and then the cave crashing down around them like Indiana Jones. Check that curiosity immediately in the overhead compartment. ]
[ Nate tsks with a quiet you're no fun and grins nonetheless, something briefly wild and unrepentantly incorrigible in the expression that sobers as the gate looms into view.
He doesn't remember a lot from the monster attack outside of the bullshit he pulled to keep them from traveling between gates and better facilitating their mayhem - outside of Ian's bafflement that he'd make them cross a makeshift bridge over the city - so seeing it without living nightmares is seeing it with entirely different eyes.
Nate whistles lowly in appreciation, stopping short a few yards away and absentmindedly reaching for something in his duffel. He hadn't gotten to indulge in any artistry the last time he was plugging giant animals full of bullets, and his sketchbook is in his hand in seconds. ]
[ Nobody should be able to wear an expression like that and look so appealing doing it, it's absolutely disgusting. It's kind of like when creatures in nature have vibrant, eye-catching colors, but it's hard to say whether it's the kind that means they're venomous or if it's a mating thing, like peacocks. ]
I don't know, I've seen the back of some pretty impressive heads.
[ It's said with an absent sort of air as he ambles, distracted, around the base of the thing.
Witty commentary aside — ]
It's a very different kind of alien than... alien. Or, at least the ones where I'm from. With them... I don't know, it's hard to explain, but it's kind of... You can just look at it and tell that it's wrong, that it doesn't belong in the world. That it's nothing that came from us. This seems a little more...
[ Por que no los dos, amigo? With a resume and reputation as storied as the ones Nate has in his possession he's been accused of both and the accusations are equally valid.
He completes his scribbles with a brief note and tucks the book away, hands settling on his hips as he appraises the structure. Same as the last time he saw it, looking like something out of Ubar with a gleaming finish and decorative elements that could be attributed to a number of origins - or be the inspiration thereof. ]
Based in the ancient cultural norms of our world?
[ Nate finishes helpfully, tipping his head in Ian's direction. ]
[ Breathed out peaceful-easy, exhaled more than spoken. That's pretty much bang-on the description he didn't know he was looking for.
He tucks his hands in his pockets, elbows akimbo. His eyes scope over Nate now that he's had his fill of ogling the gate. Something wry tugs at his lips. ]
[ Right. Not everyone is so accustomed to the few physical habits that he has, particularly here. Usually people only see Nate in the bar, only see him wearing the same bright attitude and cheerful disposition while he's sliding them another drink.
This is a bit closer to his typical "natural environment." ]
I...uh, keep travel journals? Been doing it since I was a kid, just notes and drawings and stuff. Things I see or might want to remember for later.
[ Pretty useful if he ends up running into some kind of giant puzzle in an ancient city full of death traps. ]
[ That's actually one of the things he's looking forward to -- seeing Nate in a different environment. Seeing him in what he's assuming is his niche. Honestly, even if it weren't you can learn a lot about a person by how they act when they travel. Some get high-strung, some get tourist-y, some people turn into control freaks. Not that he knows this for personal relationship type reasons, so much as coworkers and conferences. People watching.
Ian's expression goes a little more wry. ]
Oh, right. That makes sense. I was wondering whether or not we go to add tortured artist to your resume.
[ But now that he knows, he's gonna keep an eye out for that notepad coming to join them again. See if he can get a glimpse at Nate's drawings. ]
[ Nate nods sagely in acknowledgement, because he's starting to get accustomed to the little boxes Ian keeps trying to put him in. At this rate it's like a moving truck's worth of cardboard. ]
Not an artist. [ He pulls a face. ] Just tortured.
[ The grimace slips into another indulgent smile as he bumps shoulders with Ian before sidling down to the front of the gate. ]
[ If anything, he seems faintly encouraged by the passive acceptance — such is now the Way of Things. Rather than answer out loud, Ian ambles tentatively over toward the front of the gate himself. When he reaches out, his hand hesitates not because he's uncomfortable rather because he's unfamiliar, can't remember exactly how this is supposed to work.
When in doubt, wing it, right?
Wing it with an ancient magical teleporting gate under the earth that they don't even remotely understand.
Good call.
At any rate, whatever he does seems to work; his chest lights up blue, the gate follows suit, and in theory they should step through to the gate in a remote, sheltered area in Tibet.
Or maybe they wind up on the fucking moon, fingers crossed. ]
[ Wing it works for things like horseshoes, and hand grenades, and Nate would know given his experience using the latter in high stakes scenarios.
Getting sucked through the gate feels about the same way it has multiple times before, so a little like falling off a short drop when your stomach does one of those flips before you hit solid ground again. Disassembling and reassembling pieces of people like a machine that belongs in Willy Wonka's factory, or so Nate would assume from the one time he watched that movie in dubbed form in Brazil.
It's another cave. A different cave, but a cave nonetheless, and Nate emits a quiet huh as he scuffs the ground with his boots and glances at his side, relieved to see Ian. ]
You were thinking Lhasa, right? Might suck to walk outside and realize we're in Siberia.
[ Yeah, he did not remember that sensation from the first time around. It's the kind of thing that brings your bladder up to your lungs practically, and he has to shake it off with a quick exhale for a second after they step off. ]
I was thinking Tahiti, actually.
[ He breathes, an airy joke, a backwards glance at the gate. All seems right with the world so far, so he adjusts his bag again and shoots Nate a bright look. ]
It was between that or Everest. Forgot where we were going, took a shot in the dark.
[ Anyway enough with the hilarious bullshit. He nudges Nate's bicep with his elbow. ]
[ The nudge is all it takes. No sense in loitering over what-ifs when they can just as easily follow the path up through the cave, the tunnel narrowing at the end to a tidy, well-arched shape. Almost manmade, but without any distinguishing marks to suggest as such. Upon emerging from an outcrop into the early morning he's at least relieved to see the cave is hidden in a small cliff, something mistaken for a shadow behind a building he actually knows.
It's a dark, blood red color, with several levels of flat roofing and decorated with flags that bear the seven auspicious symbols. Beyond it is the valley in which Lhasa is nestled, a sprawling place with more futuristic buildings than he anticipated, but most of them seem to cling lower to the ground, the most outstanding structures being the monasteries.
With a faint exhale Nate identifies as one of relief he's glad to see the place not so far diminished, and pale light reaches over the mountain ridges to the south and east. He doesn't realize it, when the almost wistful smile reaches his face. ]
[ Ian hasn't traveled much. He's barely left the western half of the United States. He flew out to the midwest or pacific northwest for jobs back when he did hands-on full time, went to Canada once, but never anywhere even close to Tibet. Future, no future, apocalypse or not, this is an impressive and completely new sight for him. The architecture alone differentiates it from anywhere else he's been.
He's also pretty suitably taken in by the expression Nate's wearing.
Nechung. ]
Where are we headed?
[ Which is curiosity, not impatience. To make sure that's clear, he'll tack on a little something right after. ]
Or are we hanging out in Nechung?
[ In terms of what breed of traveler he is, Ian's not the high strung sort, the efficient sort, the overly-eager tourist sort. His approach is much like his demeanor often is — calm, flexible, content in the moment. He's the embodiment of those shirts that say 'it's about the journey not the destination'. ]
[ That smile turns a hair crooked just as Nate shifts to look at him, explaining the minor confusion that he should have clarified from the start. ]
The city's Lhasa. The monastery- [ One of his hands drifts toward the red complex. ] That's Nechung. And that-
[ He nods further, past the temple and its steps, into the center of the city. What Nate indicates is difficult to miss because it's massive: sitting on a hill higher than the rest of its surroundings is an enormous white structure with a red middle, spotted with dozens of windows and illuminated with site lighting. ]
Is the Potala Palace. Dalai Lamas used to live there from the early 1600s up until the 1990s. It's a fortress, I figure we could check it out first?
[ Cool, cool, cool. Nailing it already. Professional traveler & Tibetan expert Ian Fowler is on the scene. His nose scrunches up just a little, wordlessly wry and self-deprecating.
Anyway, cool, now he knows. More importantly, there's an absolutely intense palace to worry about, and he nods sagely. ]
Sure, they probably have a cool gift shop.
[ The vaguely guilty thought that crosses his mind may be something along the lines of what awesome stuff they could probably do, considering his being able to move walls and everything. It dips briefling into whether or not it's a travesty to mess with something that old if he puts it back exactly the way he found it — guaranteed better results than that woman who tried to restore that painting of Jesus.
Maybe... keep that to himself until an opportunity presents itself.
More importantly — ]
Are you gonna give me interesting facts along the way? Because I specifically remember signing up for the tour guide package. This is an educational outing.
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i've seen you run
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don't worry, if you fall over i'll carry you up shishapangma
[ When he reaches the cave he waits just inside the system, rather than out at the mouth. Seems a bit less conspicuous and while there's no one this far out from the city it still pays to not wave a bright red flag that says "I can travel between municipalities instantaneously and without paying for a train ticket." ]
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[ Rassum frassum etc.
Nate does actually beat him there, but it isn't by much. It's his first time seeing a gate since the first week he arrived months ago, and he'd been in kind of a weird state then. Too much to take in, too urgent to appreciate it properly considering the reason he was there. As such, he ambles in kind of slowly, eyes flicking about the place in a healthy mix of interest and caution. He seems appropriately prepared for whatever it is they're about to wander into, with a bag slung over his shoulder and the strap crossing his chest.
Adventure Time, Nate. Adventure Time. ]
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[ His grin is bright and wide, shifting his duffel bag over his shoulder and offering a small wave with his free hand.
Nate had given him a small list of things he should bring, clothing-wise, what with the weather being unreliable but on the somewhat chilly side thanks to the altitude. Consider him relieved to see Ian in a sweatshirt, though he hopes he has an actual coat stored away somewhere or they'll be paying a premium in Lhasa.
He jerks his head in a clear gesture of invitation toward the dark recesses of the cave. ]
Sashimipangea, huh?
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The good news is, you know, matter bending. What is a blanket but an un-bent coat, really?
Spotting Nate slaps an immediate and unselfconscious smile onto his face, and he strolls right on up with his hands wrapped around his chest strappy thing. ]
Hey, man.
[ You know, just to be a polite human before giving someone shit. ]
I'm like 99% sure that's what you said.
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Was it, though?
[ Rhetorical. Doesn't matter either which way, as they head into the tunnel. It's been a while since Nate even came down here, partly because of how busy things got and partly because he simply didn't have the inclination. Traveling by himself is fine - he used to enjoy it a great deal - but these days it's a fairly lonesome endeavor. ]
How's your Tibetan?
[ Nate asks conversationally, as though any language won't be automatically translated by their implants. Really takes the fun out of learning. ]
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[ Answered pleasantly, with the unabashed implication that he doesn't speak a speck of Greek. Fortunately, it doesn't matter in the slightest. He trails along at Nate's shoulder, just an inch or two behind to take directive. No idea where he's going here, please lead on.
The last time he followed Nate like this he's pretty sure Nate was walking backwards, and — ]
It is so much better to be doing this on the ground without the threat of terrifying death, by the way.
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[ The laugh bursts out of him, surprised and delighted, because while Nate is accustomed to being called out for his bullshit it's so rarely done with the same kind of characteristic aplomb. Sixty stories up was pretty extreme for a first excursion, and he won't argue that.
Ian still made it, though. Lived to complain another day. ]
I can sprinkle in a skyscraper if you're feeling frisky.
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[ A pleasantly deadpan drawl accompanied by a sideways look at Nate — less I'm hitting on you and more Jesus Christ you're nuts.
On cometh the gate in all of its crazy glory, something straight out of Ancient Aliens. Pillars and gold, impressive enough that Ian's eyes track over it intently despite having seen it once before.
The vague thought springs at the back of his mind: wonder what would happen if I tried to bend this? Followed by the mental image of fucking up the entire gate and then the cave crashing down around them like Indiana Jones. Check that curiosity immediately in the overhead compartment. ]
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He doesn't remember a lot from the monster attack outside of the bullshit he pulled to keep them from traveling between gates and better facilitating their mayhem - outside of Ian's bafflement that he'd make them cross a makeshift bridge over the city - so seeing it without living nightmares is seeing it with entirely different eyes.
Nate whistles lowly in appreciation, stopping short a few yards away and absentmindedly reaching for something in his duffel. He hadn't gotten to indulge in any artistry the last time he was plugging giant animals full of bullets, and his sketchbook is in his hand in seconds. ]
Really puts business class seats to shame.
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I don't know, I've seen the back of some pretty impressive heads.
[ It's said with an absent sort of air as he ambles, distracted, around the base of the thing.
Witty commentary aside — ]
It's a very different kind of alien than... alien. Or, at least the ones where I'm from. With them... I don't know, it's hard to explain, but it's kind of... You can just look at it and tell that it's wrong, that it doesn't belong in the world. That it's nothing that came from us. This seems a little more...
[ Shrug. Not sure how to finish the thought. ]
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He completes his scribbles with a brief note and tucks the book away, hands settling on his hips as he appraises the structure. Same as the last time he saw it, looking like something out of Ubar with a gleaming finish and decorative elements that could be attributed to a number of origins - or be the inspiration thereof. ]
Based in the ancient cultural norms of our world?
[ Nate finishes helpfully, tipping his head in Ian's direction. ]
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[ Breathed out peaceful-easy, exhaled more than spoken. That's pretty much bang-on the description he didn't know he was looking for.
He tucks his hands in his pockets, elbows akimbo. His eyes scope over Nate now that he's had his fill of ogling the gate. Something wry tugs at his lips. ]
What's with the--
[ A vague nod at Nate's hips. ]
Note taking?
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[ Right. Not everyone is so accustomed to the few physical habits that he has, particularly here. Usually people only see Nate in the bar, only see him wearing the same bright attitude and cheerful disposition while he's sliding them another drink.
This is a bit closer to his typical "natural environment." ]
I...uh, keep travel journals? Been doing it since I was a kid, just notes and drawings and stuff. Things I see or might want to remember for later.
[ Pretty useful if he ends up running into some kind of giant puzzle in an ancient city full of death traps. ]
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Ian's expression goes a little more wry. ]
Oh, right. That makes sense. I was wondering whether or not we go to add tortured artist to your resume.
[ But now that he knows, he's gonna keep an eye out for that notepad coming to join them again. See if he can get a glimpse at Nate's drawings. ]
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Not an artist. [ He pulls a face. ] Just tortured.
[ The grimace slips into another indulgent smile as he bumps shoulders with Ian before sidling down to the front of the gate. ]
Would you like to do the honors?
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When in doubt, wing it, right?
Wing it with an ancient magical teleporting gate under the earth that they don't even remotely understand.
Good call.
At any rate, whatever he does seems to work; his chest lights up blue, the gate follows suit, and in theory they should step through to the gate in a remote, sheltered area in Tibet.
Or maybe they wind up on the fucking moon, fingers crossed. ]
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Getting sucked through the gate feels about the same way it has multiple times before, so a little like falling off a short drop when your stomach does one of those flips before you hit solid ground again. Disassembling and reassembling pieces of people like a machine that belongs in Willy Wonka's factory, or so Nate would assume from the one time he watched that movie in dubbed form in Brazil.
It's another cave. A different cave, but a cave nonetheless, and Nate emits a quiet huh as he scuffs the ground with his boots and glances at his side, relieved to see Ian. ]
You were thinking Lhasa, right? Might suck to walk outside and realize we're in Siberia.
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I was thinking Tahiti, actually.
[ He breathes, an airy joke, a backwards glance at the gate. All seems right with the world so far, so he adjusts his bag again and shoots Nate a bright look. ]
It was between that or Everest. Forgot where we were going, took a shot in the dark.
[ Anyway enough with the hilarious bullshit. He nudges Nate's bicep with his elbow. ]
Let's go.
[ Show him fucking Tibet already, man. ]
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[ The nudge is all it takes. No sense in loitering over what-ifs when they can just as easily follow the path up through the cave, the tunnel narrowing at the end to a tidy, well-arched shape. Almost manmade, but without any distinguishing marks to suggest as such. Upon emerging from an outcrop into the early morning he's at least relieved to see the cave is hidden in a small cliff, something mistaken for a shadow behind a building he actually knows.
It's a dark, blood red color, with several levels of flat roofing and decorated with flags that bear the seven auspicious symbols. Beyond it is the valley in which Lhasa is nestled, a sprawling place with more futuristic buildings than he anticipated, but most of them seem to cling lower to the ground, the most outstanding structures being the monasteries.
With a faint exhale Nate identifies as one of relief he's glad to see the place not so far diminished, and pale light reaches over the mountain ridges to the south and east. He doesn't realize it, when the almost wistful smile reaches his face. ]
Made it. This is Nechung. North of the city.
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He's also pretty suitably taken in by the expression Nate's wearing.
Nechung. ]
Where are we headed?
[ Which is curiosity, not impatience. To make sure that's clear, he'll tack on a little something right after. ]
Or are we hanging out in Nechung?
[ In terms of what breed of traveler he is, Ian's not the high strung sort, the efficient sort, the overly-eager tourist sort. His approach is much like his demeanor often is — calm, flexible, content in the moment. He's the embodiment of those shirts that say 'it's about the journey not the destination'. ]
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The city's Lhasa. The monastery- [ One of his hands drifts toward the red complex. ] That's Nechung. And that-
[ He nods further, past the temple and its steps, into the center of the city. What Nate indicates is difficult to miss because it's massive: sitting on a hill higher than the rest of its surroundings is an enormous white structure with a red middle, spotted with dozens of windows and illuminated with site lighting. ]
Is the Potala Palace. Dalai Lamas used to live there from the early 1600s up until the 1990s. It's a fortress, I figure we could check it out first?
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Anyway, cool, now he knows. More importantly, there's an absolutely intense palace to worry about, and he nods sagely. ]
Sure, they probably have a cool gift shop.
[ The vaguely guilty thought that crosses his mind may be something along the lines of what awesome stuff they could probably do, considering his being able to move walls and everything. It dips briefling into whether or not it's a travesty to mess with something that old if he puts it back exactly the way he found it — guaranteed better results than that woman who tried to restore that painting of Jesus.
Maybe... keep that to himself until an opportunity presents itself.
More importantly — ]
Are you gonna give me interesting facts along the way? Because I specifically remember signing up for the tour guide package. This is an educational outing.
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