No better time// Open

[Tara Allen]

There was a breeze today, a much stronger one then Tara would have liked. She wore a long sleeve white shirt, a black vest and jean pants today. It was chilly enough to warrant a pair of grey gloves and matching beanie. She cursed softly as she held onto her clipboard. She glanced at it tapping her finger against the side. The boat would be arriving any minute now with an unknown amount of new people... Unknown because you never knew how many stowaways managed to jump on board. Why The Mayor let them stay at all was beyond her. But, he so far there hadn't been an issue. Though now that she thought of it she hadn't seen the last stow away in a few days. She glanced around the pier. She couldn't place why, it's not like she expected the guy to be here. She sighed and tilted her head back to look at the sky, it was clear enough yet she could feel the rain moving in.


She only hoped the boat made it before then, the last thing she needed was rain. She had spent all morning setting up tables and welcome signs around. She even convinced a few people to make food and come help her greet the new boats, but most everyone had dropped off food and left. She stood alone now, which wasn't new. Everyone was always hesitant to see a boat arrive. She didn't blame them, how long till a Maton made it's way to the island? She shuttered and pushed the thought away and picked her pin up and tapped it against the clip board. She turned around and looked at the 8 tables set up.

one to pick a house at
one to see the available jobs, which was most everything there weren't really people here yet.
three filled with food
two with clothes (just in case)
and one for the stow aways.

She nodded, everything was in place. Then she heard the sound of the boat, a weird static sound that almost sounded like a warped lullaby, anything that came through the force filed made that sound. She shivered and adjusted her vest. Time to see who made it on. She put on a smile and watched as the boat pulled up to the pier and people started to unload.


"Welcome to Aegean! I'm Tara Allen and I will be your host today, and most every day to follow" She gave a bright smile. "If you will all please line up so I can get your names that would be great." She freed the pen from the clipboard and waited for the first person to speak.





((ooc; I'll have to fix my posting template another time it broke :<)

[Marxis Grimke]

As soon as he heard the announcement that they drew close to the shores of Aegean, Marxis slid his gray frock coat over his lighter deep burgundy hooded jacket. The weather may not have warranted the use of layers just yet, but it was more practical to wear the coat than it was to pack it. Besides, he did not want to risk being cold when his ribs ached if he shivered. He slipped the brass buttons into place methodically, collecting his thoughts. This was it. A new place, a new beginning. And he had been an underdog for long enough that the tremors of anxiety were impossible for him to avoid. He rolled his shoulders gently, trying to dislodge the unease without aggravating his damaged rib cage. Then he tugged the hood of jacket free of the frock coat, pulled it over his head, and slipped his leather messenger bag over his shoulder. Now he was ready. He grabbed the handle of his much larger luggage trunk and wheeled it down a ramp and onto the main deck of the ship.

He paused briefly at the railing and took the island in. There were none of the signs of trouble he had grown used to in the city. Not one broken Maton (or worse, a functioning one) in the streets. No smoke, no doors of recently abandoned buildings creaking open ominously in the breeze. He witnessed no signs of devastation; only homes and buildings in good repair within the setting of a prosperous town. Perhaps this place was what it promised.

With that spark of optimism, Marxis stepped off the ship and glanced to the young woman with the clipboard. Tara Allen, as she announced. He noticed that her friendly demeanor didn't entirely mask the sense of authority with which she spoke. As instructed he lined up with his fellow passengers and jumped on the chance to speak when she gave them an opening. "Marxis Grimke." He answered clearly, letting his voice carry so that it could be heard over the tired murmur of the crowd. Then, with a warm smile, he added.  "Just point me in the right direction and I'll get out of the way." The cheerful glint in his eyes made it clear that he didn't believe for a moment anyone would want to be rid of him. It was all bravado this early on in a new world, but he was not so transparent as to be easily caught in the act.

[Tara Allen]

Tara watched silently with a smile as everyone filed off. There appeared to be less than called for this was strange. This was the fourth boat, and the other three had been filled to the brim. Where... Her thought was caught off guard by the first guest. She ticked the name and gestured to the table to the left. She arrived to Marxis and chuckled "Well, you happen to be the last person in line." she said but still gestured to the table.

"Marxis..." He seemed the least terrified out of everyone, he seemed approachable enough. "By chance do you recall when you were on the mainland if the boat left earlier than originally scheduled?" She questioned but kept her voice even and chipper. She glanced down at the clipboard they were short 16 people... She wasn't really sure if that mattered but if 16 people were left behind to catch the next fairy she'd be the one they were angry with. Her gaze shifted up to him her smile never fading. After his answer she moved on, she wasn't really to talk much of the matters of arrivals. Even if he were to ask a question she'd dismiss it.

She gestured to the table again and turned. "Marxis, you'll find you will love it here. It's beautiful and there is even some land untouched. Though I'll urge you to explore carefully, we've lost a few people to the woods and we just haven't the manpower yet to find it." She paused as she raised her hand pointing with an open hand. "You will find The Mayors house there, he is a very busy man so you will probably never speak with him, if some issue does arise you may find myself or John Clancy... who happens to be absent today due to the weather" her hand dropped and she glanced at the Mansion herself. The building was massive, it stood on the far back of the fair grounds. Yet even at the distance it looked massive. She still couldn't imagine The Mayor living there by himself...if he lived by himself.. She shook her head to push the thoughts away.

"On the tables you will find food and information. You may pick any house listed and it is first come first serve so if you are picky about colour and layout I suggest you make your way there now." She waited as people shuffled around. Her gaze shifted back to Marxis. Something about him kept catching her eye, she wasn't sure why but she forced her eyes to move on. "If you need anything please feel free to ask. Otherwise mingle amongst yourself or follow signs for your new home." She smiled one last time, bowed and then finally fell silent. She watched as people shuffled around, afraid, cold and unsure. It was the same with every boat. She wasn't surprised, but every time it made her feel sad. Her eyes fell on Marxis again and she half smiled.

[Marxis Grimke]

When Tara asked him if the ferry had left early, Marxis wore an expression of faint bemusement. "Not that I can recall," He answered carefully. "Of course, I arrived an hour early myself so it didn't feel to me like that ferry was in any kind of rush to get anywhere." To him it had seemed as though the time crawled weakly by while he sat idly on a perfect Maton target. If the aim of the automatons was to spread throughout human civilization, Aegean could be next and the ferry was the most convenient way to get there. He mulled it over, looking somewhat distant, and decided that he and his friends had lingered over the subject too doggedly for their own good. He needed to just let it go for a while.

To Tara, he revealed only the briefest glance of his own worn spirit in that distracted moment. The evidence was in the worried lines that creased the corners of his eyes. Yet he bounced back from the reverie with genuine good humor that seemed effortless. He listened actively to her introduction for Aegean, nodding to her advice about the woods (even as he immediately locked it down in his mind as a place to look into) and turning his head to follow the line she traced in the air to the mayor's house. Not that he could imagine a scenario where anything short of trouble would urge him there.

As her introduction closed, he grinned and said "Well, if it's first come first serve I suppose I should see what's available before I get it in my head to take an impromptu tour." He held up an index finger. "I'll be back in one minute with questions." 

With that, he turned and moved toward the tables, pulling a blank sketchbook out of his bag to take note of the available jobs he was interested in. Ultimately he chose a house that was open and spacious like a studio and took note of an available factory job that would involve working with brass and another job as a street cleaner. Both would likely give him access to raw materials and/or strange finds with which he could design and create the gadgets that interested him. Once finished, he grabbed a small plate of food and cup of hot cider before returning to Tara.

"Well, I've got a house and I'm moving up in the world." He announced as he approached. "It's hard to believe it's so easy. How can the houses just be waiting? Who lived here before?"

[Tara Allen]

Tara watched silently, she'd get a mousey question here and there about a particular house number, but for the most part people were to shy and scared to speak up much. Hence why it startled her briefly when Marxis came back and brought up some actual questions. She cleared her throat and gave a smile. "Sorry, I was day dreaming a bit." she waved her hand in front of her face slightly as if to shake the dream away. She gave brief pause as she dropped her hand and better adjusted herself to face Marxis, nothing to hard to answer. The Mayor had several books ready for her in her house before she even arrived. It was mostly creepy the way he seemed to know exactly who would be here first.. she didn't dwell on that. Instead she jumped right into the back story.

"Well, The Mayor has always lived here with his family. It's been generations upon generations. Originally the farm houses on the far west side of the island were the only ones used. When first settled upon Aegean was inhabited by three or four different groups, there's speculation about which ones per say. But this was way back in the early 1600's. They didn't have much going for them so they didn't explore much of the island. As time past a war broke out between two families, over a woman go figure, and two tribes moved east." She gave a nod. That's all she remembered and even as she spoke it she noted she said it rather out of order. She made a mental note to work on that. Carefully she pulled the beanie down over her ears and shivered faintly "In short, Aside from The Mayor's grandfather down to The Mayor, no one has lived here. Though, we aren't the first on the island. Commuters would travel often, especially when The Mayor saw the crumbling mainland." She gave a sure nod.

"Have you a job in mind?" She asked changing the subject. The Mayor was always a tricky subject and she found it best to just avoid it. She glanced around the area and watched as most the people were filing out. She smiled faintly then turned her attention back to Marxis. "Jobs are very important here after all, everyone has a place here on Aegean." She was pretty sure that was a line from one of the first fliers she ever saw about the island.

[Marxis Grimke]

Marxis picked at the cheese and hard salami slices on his plate while he listened, chewing slowly. Tara's account of the past history of the island did not seem entirely complete, but he realized that was to be expected. It was difficult to rattle off the history of a place off the top of one's head when abruptly asked. Nonetheless, it still seemed strange that the houses had simply been abandoned. The ancestors of the island would have had to have been very rich if they could toss aside a house the way he discarded a ripped up jacket.

As engrossed as he was in the possibilities, Tara's discomfort in the cold did not escape his notice. He set his plate and cup down on the top of the sturdy traveling trunk beside him and casually slipped out of his frock coat. Moving in close to Tara, he slid his arm across her shoulders and draped the coat across both of their backs, curling it around their arms to block some of the wind and keep what warmth there was close. If he wasn't still in fairly rough shape he would have surrendered it entirely, but since he was he hoped the small gesture would be enough.

He didn't even miss a beat as he answered her question. It wasn't his way to play up small acts of kindness as though he were some knight of legend to be praised. "I'm looking into a job at the brass factory that manufactures sheets of the metal and small fixtures, as well as the street cleaning job. Nothing too glamorous, but both would give me access to cheap materials. For an artist, that's a godsend." He smiled wryly. "If you know artists well, you find out quickly that we're not only builders and creators, but also scavengers and opportunists when the occasion strikes." 

He had been watching his fellow passengers mill about the tables as he spoke, but he now turned his head to look directly at Tara. "Of course, the job I ultimately choose will depend on how physically demanding it is. I was strictly told by my grandparents that I need to take it easy until I heal up." 

[Tara Allen]

Tara was caught off guard by the sudden gesture, a warm rosy colour spread across her cheeks but she didn't object. It was entirely too cold for her small stature to be out here. She bit her lip faintly but held her place. It had been a fair amount of time since she had been this close to anyone, it wasn't unwelcome just almost forgotten. He was close enough now she could feel the warmth coming off him. Her heart was racing and she couldn't exactly figure out why. There wasn't any real reason for her to be so flustered by the situation. She didn't say anything against it, and did her best to keep her composure "Thank you" she said with a soft nod and then let him speak of his job. She nodded softly a few times.

"An artist hm...?" she paused to think. "I do believe you will be the first artists here." She mulled over the thought her hand coming to rest under her chin as she thought. "Well, at least that I know of. A lot of people are still too hesitant to get out much it seems. Not that I blame them." She was quiet again but only for a moment. "And what's this about healing?" She questioned her eyes going to meet his directly. There was a hint of worry but mostly curiosity in her eyes. Had he been attacked and managed to live? It wasn't unheard of but it was rare. It was very curious to her the situation, then again any time someone new came in she was very curious. "If you are unwell you may look into visiting Kagallie, she's not the most traditional of doctors but she seems to be able to fix most things." Tara thought on it a moment. She hadn't spent much time with the girl but the time she did spend she was very sick. Sudden fresh air seems to get to random people. Tara turned her attention back to Marxis. Even though almost everyone was gone now she still had a lot to do... It left her in an odd situation where she couldn't decided what to do. She didn't really want to move on, she was quite enjoying the conversation with him. And if she left she'd have to deal with grumpy John and that just wasn't any fun. Slowly she dropped her hand back down from her chin still awaiting the reply.

[Marxis Grimke]

Marxis was not surprised to hear that he may very well be the first artist to arrive. While many people pursued art on the hobby level, very few dedicated their lives to fine art as a career. It was quite understandable, really. Surviving on art meant endless hours dedicated to the creation of new designs, new items, new images. It meant keeping hours that well exceeded the forty hour work week and having to learn to be the driving force behind one's inspiration rather than waiting for it to arrive. It also meant having connections. This is why he was going to start his time here with a more standard job, even though he had been able to scrape by on the merits of his own work before he'd been attacked. Though there was good money in the art of designing and hand-printing posters and fliers in the city, Aegean didn't appear to be populated enough for him to make a full-time living off of that aspect of his trade skills. 

Normally he'd be very frustrated by this, but not now. He had other projects to pursue and he'd have to alter his lifestyle to do it. The desire to design a machine run by the people, for the people so that they may take on the Matons had begun to consume him ever since he'd realized how powerless he was against them.

He took as deep a breath as he could get away with and told Tara part of the story. "Something about me that you will soon know is that I have this tendency to involve myself in matters that don't directly concern me. I have it in my head that if I don't solve a problem myself, no one else will rise up to the task." His gaze wandered off, briefly distracted by a familiar pigeon. His grandfather's. He took one of the crackers off of his plate, crushed it, and tossed it in the direction of the bird who strutted over and pecked at the crumbs. Then his gaze slid back to Tara's. "My grandparents phrase it as 'sticking my nose where it doesn't belong'" He chuckled to himself about that. He never heard the end of it. How many times had they told him he would be killed or assassinated if he didn't keep his head down? Yet he'd never believed he was an important enough person to be in such danger. Maybe he still wasn't, but status didn't matter much to the Matons anymore.

"When the Matons turned, my colleague friends and I believed that it was our responsibility as fellow human beings to help those who still remained in the city with us. We armed ourselves and traveled in small groups. There were people we saved, people we couldn't. Mostly, we made such a nuisance of ourselves that the Matons would lose interest in whoever they were targeting. Then we were smart enough to run. But the thing with being on the defensive all the time is that you only have to slip up once for the offensive party to win." He sighed. He talked about it because he always loved a good story, even when the telling pained him, but the anxiety that came in the aftermath of the attack was still close. "One day, a Maton caught me by surprise. I was walking too close to a vacated building. A blind spot. It beat me into the ground. All I could do was protect my head. My friends beat it back with iron pipes and axes, but even then half of us wound up injured. I collected a body full of bruises, a couple cracked ribs, and a collapsed lung. That was a little over a week ago."

He tossed the pigeon a few more bread crumbs. "The doctor's have already done their job, but if I run out of painkillers I'll be sure to check in with your Kagellie.  I have to be one of the least gracious people anyone could have the misfortune to meet when I'm in pain." Another amused smile. A person would have good reason to suspect by this point that Marxis used good humor to mask the darker sides of himself.

[Tara Allen]

Tara remained quiet as he told his story. He was a troublemaker, mayhaps telling him to see Kagallie was a bad idea... No, it was a bad idea. If anyone could find trouble it was Kagallie, it was her own art form. Tara and her didn't see eye to eye and now see feared for the results of two and the Lord only knew what it would be like when Kaga's lady friend made it over... She forced herself to swallow the thought. Whatever happened it'd sort itself out. There wasn't really that much they could get into.. She dismissed it now and focused on the story. She gave a soft nod as he finished.

"Always trying to be the hero then?" she gave him a soft smile. "Well, I'm glad you did your best to help as many as you could. It is a very noble thing to do." she gave a soft nod. He spoke of the doctors back on the mainland and she chuckled faintly. "Well, Kagallie is far from a traditional doctor..." her voice trailed off into hesitation. She wasn't sure what Kagallie meddled with, aside from everything, but Tara felt her practice was 'unhuman'. Not that she'd bring it up, it wasn't her place to say things like that. And Kagallie had made her better... "Regardless, don't worry about being a 'misfortune' to meet when in pain. Kagallie is pretty much just a 'misfortune'." she shook her head and wrapped her arms around her body. Her gaze shifted to the pigeon. She needed to get off the topic of the girl it was enough trouble she had been brought up. "Is that your bird?" She asked nodding to the one he was feeding. They didn't get many birds here, randomly a few would stop by but it was like every animal wanted to be off the island. She watched the bird with a soft smile.

[Marxis Grimke]

In response to Tara's hero comment, Marxis gave an involuntary snort. "Try anti-hero" he muttered, characteristically unfair to himself. He may have courage and was driven by a desire to make the world a fairer, safer place, but he also believed that heroes were spun of sunshine, rainbows, and optimism.  He was none of those things. Most of the time he was just plain broken, but doing the best he could anyway. He was stubborn to such an extreme that the trait became both flaw and strength in one. Nonetheless, he flushed when she told him his actions had been noble. It always felt good to hear. No one could ever say that he didn't strive toward being exactly that.

He wondered at Tara's somewhat dark tone when talking about Kagellie. If she could really be described as a 'misfortune' then he likely had something in common with her. This also meant he must be extra cautious. He had an unfortunate tendency to cut haunted, troubled people so much slack that he got burned for the goodwill. Not every troubled person made being kind a primary objective. It was difficult to be something more than the sum of one's past.

He shrugged it off and decided to just talk about the bird for a little while. "My grandfather raises pigeons. He calls this one Scout, and sends him to new addresses to get the coordinates. He has this hobby of sending mail by carrier pigeon and claims they're faster than all other methods. Which is true, if they know where they're going." He stared thoughtfully at the crumb-eating bird. "I can't believe he's only shown himself now. I'd nearly forgotten about him. And I just know he was sitting on top of the ferry the whole time. Anyway, I'll be sending him on his way once he knows where my new residence is. Then my grandfather will send him back with my personal pigeon in tow and I'll have a good way to keep in touch with my family."

[Tara Allen]

She didn't push the Anti-hero statement. If that is what he felt that is what he felt. There wasn't really much she could do to say one way or another, she had just met him. She knew little about him so maybe he was the anti-hero, she couldn't speak one way or another for it. She noted that he let the Kagallie conversation go pretty easily and she tried to dismiss it herself. They were on the subject of a pigeon, a currier pigeon none the less.

"Being able to keep touch with your family will be brilliant." she smiled to him and she meant it. Sure there was regular mail, but that only left the island if a ferry came in..and she wan't really sure anything ever made it back...She wasn't really sure anyone here had anyone to mail stuff back to. She dismissed the thought. "I always thought currier pigeons were brilliant..whoever figured that out must have been either very smart, or very desperate to have realized." She shook her head. The entire thing was weird to her. "Well, if you're waiting on a location why not head to your house? Did you choose the farm or the city?" she asked with a smile. "I'm going to guess...the city" she said with a sure nod. She chuckled faintly then spoke again "Myself, I picked the farm. My life is busy enough without having to deal with everyone constantly roaming the streets. Well, that and my house was picked out for me. It's a little larger then most but it is cozy." She thought for a moment about the two story farm house, it was one of the larger ones out there she couldn't deny that. She wasn't complaining. She loved it, there were so many books and so much space. "I hope to get a dog, eventually.." she said then chuckled.

"Right now it's just people on the ships, but I put request in to get a dog or two sent over to come live with me so it isn't so lonely" she thought about it a long moment then shook her head. "Sorry, so where did you pick?" she asked this time letting him have the space to actually answer her.

[Marxis Grimke]

His grandfather's carrier pigeons were quite fantastic birds. He had great respect for the hobby, so Tara's appreciative comments won a pleased smile from him. Though he wasn't as good with the birds as his grandfather was, he nonetheless took pride in being affiliated with him.

As for choosing the city, his expression became chagrined even though he held onto the smile. "My family gravitates toward the country  and the smallest of towns as a rule, but I am the exception in this case. I found opportunity and personal salvation in the city, so that's where I gravitate. The country does have the monopoly on clean air, open spaces, and peaceful nights, though. There is no arguing that one. And sometimes dogs are just better company." He shrugged.

"I live on Main Street, above a cafe I believe. I always wanted to live in a residence above a shop." He fell quiet for a moment then. It felt like their conversation was reaching its natural conclusion but he was having trouble with the transition. "I suppose I should bring Scout there before he wanders back prematurely. We aren't heading in the same direction, by any chance?" It would be nice to have some company, but he didn't want her to feel obligated.

[Tara Allen]

Tara gave a weak smile. "Sadly, I am not. I have a lot of paperwork to do and a lot to clean up here" she gestured around then chuckled "But go, take the birdie. You're bound to run into someone. If not just send word and we can meet up again. I can give you a grand tour." she chuckled and stepped back from here, carefully handing back his coat. She smiled warmly to him. "But welcome to the island. I'm very glad to have some social people finally arriving. Keep your eye out, as well, we will be having a carnival in a few weeks." she smiled happily "Maybe you could do some art for us?" she offered with a little nod.

Most the preparations hadn't been made yet. But she knew it would somehow happen. And they'd need advertisement. She looked around again it was just the two of them. Her gaze drifted to the sky "..It'll rain soon, best we get going. We will meet up again later this afternoon how does that sound?" She smiled hopefully to him. His unique eyes capturing her fully this time, for this time she was really paying attention. A soft rose colour warmed her cheeks and she averted her eyes to the bird "And you make it home safely" she said gently to it then giggled.

[Marxis Grimke]

Marxis slid back into his coat as it was handed to him. "At least paperwork can be done somewhere warm." He murmured, looking at her. He wanted to offer his help in cleaning up. An extra set of hands made anything go faster, but he was beginning to feel anxious about the pigeon. It had been a long trip for the bird as well and he might still choose to fly back. Marxis wondered if he'd be able to rig up some kind of coop for him tonight so that the bird could rest instead...

He still had a lot to set up himself. Quickly, he gathered the few things he had, tossing the plate and empty cup. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and held out his arm to Scout, who promptly proceeded to land on his trunk instead. "This is why you're not my favorite." He muttered, shaking his head.

To Tara, he said; "I would be glad to help with some promotional art for the carnival, but those plans can come later. Where do you want to meet?" He watched her watch the bird and smiled.

[Tara Allen]

Tara chuckled at the bird then set on her way to start cleaning up. "Mm Meet me tomorrow in the shopping district, it's large, but it's only one street. It shouldn't be that hard to spot you, there really isn't very many people here yet." she said as she started to pack up the food "Take anything you like, it'll just go to waste if left here." She smiled to him and left the food table and started gathering the extra house keys and paperwork. A soft sigh passed her lips and she shook her head. After she gathered the papers she looked at the tables. Everything else would be good.

She gave a nod, trash would be round in the evening to pick everything else up. " For now, I bid you ado. Paperwork must be filed before the end of the night or it's my head they'll have" she chuckled and gave a soft nod. Once she was sure he was done and on his way she sat down at a table and pulled up the clipboard, a shiver ran through her, but she started to write. No use walking all the way home to walk all the way back to deliver it.