[Open]

[namednothing]

who: Odo & OPEN
what: Checking out his new environment
when: October 13th
where: Some park near the residential area
warnings: None, will update if needed.



For how many years he spent living on Deep Space Nine – or Terok Nor, as it once was – Odo was almost intimately familiar with its corridors, shops, and cargo bays. Criminals always knew the secret ways through vents or hidden deck plates to conduct their business – and therefore so did the constable.

However, here the buildings and roads were a mystery – a mystery that had to be solved if he had any chance of finding out exactly what had happened to him.

Not being familiar with the native fauna, Odo took the form of a Tarkalean hawk to take his impromptu aerial tour. He did his best to make a mental map of the area, but soon it would be too dark to make any more progress.

He looks for a suitable place to land, and finds one on a stone bench on the cusp of a street light. Anyone looking would see the bird turn into a shimmering liquid before growing in size and changing in shape to something much more human in appearance.

Comments

[franciscoramon]

[ The streets are oddly empty at this hour - there's been an awful lot of nonsense involving ghosts, recently, and quite a few of the residents of the quarantine have learned that dusk is a time when the spirits have a particularly easy time manifesting and making a nuisance of themselves. So most people avoid being out and about at this hour. Cisco, though, is lucky enough to have powerful friends, and Lucretia had put a ward on him just this morning to keep the ghosts at bay.

All of which means that the street is entirely empty, when he sees that hawk land on a bench not ten feet away and start shimmering and distorting oddly. Cisco stops in his tracks, watches as it turns into some kind of gelatinous, colorless substance before re-forming into... a person. Of some sort, anyway, but he (possibly?) doesn't look human.

Cisco realizes that he is standing too close for the shapeshifter not to notice him, and that it will be all too obvious that he's witnessed what just happened. Here's to hoping that the guy isn't hostile, or that if he is, he's not a fast runner. Cisco raises one hand in a supremely awkward little wave. ]

Uh... hey, there. That was really dope.

[namednothing]

[The empty streets had been partially why Odo had chosen to take his winged investigation at this time. He was not ashamed of what he was - in fact, he had learned to embrace it - but changing form in public could have unintended consequences. It's only when he's fully formed as a humanoid again that he notices the person speaking to him. The concentration it took to change forms had directed his attention elsewhere.]

...Dope?

[He repeats the word questioningly, unsure of it's meaning. Short for dopamine, perhaps? Context suggested it wasn't. It's another moment before Odo realizes that he's still standing on the bench. He steps down.]

Oh... excuse me.

[franciscoramon]

Oh, um. Yeah. It means cool? Awesome? Neat? Fascinating?

[ Hard to know which of those terms this guy might know and which he wouldn't. Whatever system is in place here for translation, it works fine a lot of the time, but Cisco forgets sometimes that it doesn't quite stretch far enough to cover his considerable vocabulary of slang. He makes a mental note to himself in advance to try to keep the pop culture jokes to a minimum as if he ever managed to follow through on that kind of decision.

Cisco's fear that this might be a dangerous situation gradually lessens as Odo answers politely, doesn't show any signs of attacking him to try to keep his secret or whatever. So Cisco starts smiling, coming a few steps closer and asking with bright curiosity: ]

So are you a dude who turns into a bird or a bird who turns into a dude?

[namednothing]

[After the sudden vocabulary lesson, Odo nods once and let's out a small hrmph. The informality of this first encounter was making him a bit uncomfortable.

...Ah yes, the inevitable "what are you?" question. He recognizes it immediately, no matter how it's phrased.]

I am neither a dude nor a bird - I am a Changeling.

[Odo straightens up, trying to posture himself to dissuade any follow up questions, even if the effort was probably futile.]

[winscenario]

One gets used to seeing a lot of strange things, in this place. Couple that with the kinds of things Jim's gotten used to in his own universe, and a large bird morphing into a humanoid of sorts really isn't that much of a shock. It intrigues him, though— enough for him to pause his stroll through the park and try to approach this stranger with a friendly smile.

"Neat trick you've got there."

[namednothing]

Such a casual response from a first-time viewer of his shapeshifting was unusual. Not that Odo minded too much - it was better than having to deal with the usual over-enthusiastic curiosity. He steps down from the bench.

"It's not a trick,"

It takes Odo just an extra second to remember that he was the recipient of a compliment.

"...but thank you."

[winscenario]

"Oh, I know. It's just a manner of speech," Jim nods, gesturing vaguely. "Some kind of matter manipulation? I assume your species are capable of that. Shapeshifting at will."

Jim isn't a scientist by any means. Maybe if Spock were here, he'd be able to offer a more elaborate hypothesis, and possibly pry a little too much without even being aware of it. Jim prefers leaving it to the man (if he is a man) to say as much or as little about himself as he would like.

"You're welcome, by the way. Are you new around here?"

[namednothing]

"My people have a morphogenic matrix that allows us to take other forms."

He almost continued to say more, but stopped himself. In truth and under the right circumstances Odo was glad to have a chance to speak openly about his abilities - something that would have not been the case several years ago. Still, he didn't know or trust this man. Best to keep certain things to himself.

To the last question, the constable nods once. "I arrived early this morning."

[dancingmd]

Beverly is surprised at what she sees, that's for sure, but it's not necessarily because of the shapeshifting - though that certainly caught her attention. This humanoid form looks vaguely familiar to her, so of course she moves closer to investigate. It takes her a moment, since they didn't exactly interact all that much, but then Odo is a very... distinctive person. It's hard to forget Deep Space Nine's security officer once you've seen him.

"Pardon me..." She hesitates, not sure if he'll make the connection here. After all, she hasn't worn her uniform in months. "You're Constable Odo, aren't you? From Deep Space Nine?"

[namednothing]

There's a flicker of surprise on his incomplete face at being addressed by name. He covers it quickly and steps down from the bench. He was all too aware that his humanoid appearance was not one easily forgotten, so there really was no reason not to answer in the affirmative.

"Yes."

Odo studies her, arms crossed. She was familiar. He was an observer by both nature and profession, so it doesn't take him too long to reach into his memory to place a face with a name. Someone from years ago, in a Starfleet personnel file, a doctor...

"Doctor Crusher," he says, gesturing towards her hesitantly. "Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise?"

[dancingmd]

"Yes!" She responds, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, a huge smile on her face. It's just been so long since she's seen someone from home who knows her. Or... knows of her, anyway. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you! When did you arrive?"

[namednothing]

The enthusiasm has him slightly confused, and he barely stops himself from asking why she was happy to see him.

"Earlier this morning," he replies, still a touch bewildered. "You've been here longer, I take it?"

[sweetlies]

Ciel had made a living by being observant, even if he only had one working eye. One could imagine what he'd catch if he could see with both but, for the moment, his eye did catch sight of some kind of bird turning into a man. It was almost like Noah's Ark Circus all over again, a reaper being incapable of keeping his own cover. That wasn't an issue in Riverview though, was it? This place made a habit of bringing anyone, everyone, who needed a new place.

That kind of skill would have been of incredible use to him back in England, he could have gotten plenty of information and finished cases much quicker if he'd hired someone who could do that. Alas, his experience with the supernatural was limited to reapers and demons, and neither could do that. Neither would for him either.

"Interesting skill." The teen puts on his friendliest expression. "I'm not sure I've heard of anyone who could do that before."

[namednothing]

Odo had a bit more patience for the young, despite what Nog and Jake Sisko would tell you. They were curious by nature, and sometimes less fearful of the unknown, so the teen's casual behavior does not ring any alarms.

He's not exactly off his guard, but the constable's posture is a bit more relaxed as he steps down from the bench. He was aware of how intimidating he could be otherwise.

"I would be surprised if you had. My people are a secretive race."

[sweetlies]

He really wished there was a class on being friendly. He'd managed, so far, but only barely. Ciel had never gotten as used to socializing as his brother and now he has to try.

"Your people?" Okay, he definitely had the curious nature still but Ciel liked learning. If there was something knew he could try to understand, hea'd reach for it. Unless it involved dancing. "Unfortunately, secrets may be hard to keep here."

[namednothing]

"Oh?"

That was something interesting to hear. This person was young and might not understand what they could have implied, but even so, it rang some alarms. Various surveillance methods and sprang to mind.

"What makes you say that?"

Any questions the youth might have about the Founders would have to wait now that Odo's curiosity was piqued.

[thisisamazing]

Even in a city like this with modern transportation, Hiccup has found that the fastest way to get just about anywhere is still on dragon-back. And anyway, Toothless needs to exercise, stretch his wings. It's not good to keep a young dragon cooped up, cramped within city limits. They're taking a lazy flight over the city toward evening, jet black wings stretched out to catch the air, bright red tail-fin like a beacon. Hiccup is hooked into the saddle, laying back along the dragon's powerful body as they glide together, fin locked into place.

He sits up properly when he spots the bird not too far out, and leans curiously forward in the saddle, chin between Toothless' ear fins. "That's a big bird, huh, bud? I wonder if we can get closer-"

Hiccup spots it finding a landing spot, and then... "Woah!" Toothless makes a startled sound himself, head cocked, wings flapping again to take them down.

[namednothing]

The sudden noise surprises him, so Odo reflexively takes a few steps backward after his legs were finished forming. Living and working on a space station meant that usually he did not have to worry about aerial traffic while in a flight. Obviously he would have to get used to shairing airspace.

The constable watches as the creature and its rider set down. Once it's apparent that he's not being attacked, he lets of an expressive huff of air in attempt to cover how shaken up he was. When he speaks, he's not sure which of the two he should address first.

"Do you always make that much of a racket when you land?"

[thisisamazing]

Hiccup slides out of the saddle as Toothless lands, unhooking the prosthetic foot from the saddle device to do so. It's a smooth, practiced motion by now, the product of a million stumbles and falls before it. He keeps a hand on Toothless' head, not that the dragon seems particularly aggressive. Startled, maybe, but curious more than anything. Inside the city, they haven't encountered any dangers, and Toothless doesn't feel the need to be on guard. He seems to understand 'making a racket', though, because he snorts and sits back, looking away huffily.

Hiccup is the one that answers. "Uh, well, usually just when we see a bird turn into a man."

[ragnarsson]

Ivar is going home after an mid-shift on the Perimeter Guard. His mind is preoccupied with thoughts of Winter. He just wants a quiet evening of playing with his daughter, telling her one of the legends from home. She's not old enough to understand them just yet, but it's best to get a child started early on properly worshiping the gods.

When he sees the bird start to change shape on the bench, he stops his wheelchair to watch, as the form changes into that of a man. It's different from the way that Marco shapeshifts. Where as that is a physical mash of characteristics all being changed at once, this is much more fluid. A fitting description, considering the middle form taken appears to be a liquid.

When Odo is finally done changes, Ivar continues to stare, mainly at his face. It's a little uncanny, almost human, but with the features not quite right. He wheels over to Odo. "So. You are a shapeshifter, yes?"

[namednothing]

The instant recognition is a bit unusual considering the environment he now found himself in, but if Odo is surprised he does not show it.

"That's right."

He steps off the bench and notices the lingering disparity in height. It takes him a moment to recognize the reason. A wheelchair was not something he saw regularly. Medical sciences throughout most of the Alpha Quadrant was advanced enough to render them almost obsolete as a daily need, except in rare cases.

Odo considers sitting down, unsure if maybe it would make the person more at ease... but then putting people at ease was never his strong suit.

"I'm a Changeling. You've heard of my kind before?"

[ragnarsson]

Ivar would likely bristle at any attempt to put him at ease. It's easier dealing with people's discomfort than with what he often misinterprets as their pity. He's a proud and independent sort, a creature molded by hardship and being born in an era where physical prowess was everything.

"No. But I have a friend here who can do something similar, though not nearly so fluidly." His cheeks flush a little bit at the word 'friend', indicating there might be more on Ivar's mind then just friendship. "He calls it morphing." There was a term Marco called himself, but Ivar could be damned if he could remember right at this minute.

[somnioergosum]

Ronan had his eyes on his raven. Chainsaw had taken some interest in the hawk, but being too large to be concerned about most predators, she paid it no mind. Ronan was unprepared for his bird taking a sudden interest in Odo shapeshifting. Instead of lazily circling overhead she flew over for a closer look.

One of the things with ravens. They were far too smart for their own good and far too curious by anything odd and shiny.

"Chainsaw." The name on its own was a command and Chainsaw landed on the street light itself.

Ronan was half afraid the weird slime thing would pull some horror movie stunt and snatch her, but then it turned into a guy. The display didn't stop him from walking. He needed his bird back.

"Haven't seen that trick before." His voice was cool but his eyes were sharp as his cheekbones.

[namednothing]

Just as Odo takes a fully humanoid form once more he looks up to the street light and at the raven. He hears the man nearby speak, but he takes a moment to nod to the bird in a mix of apology and greeting. Animals were often more intelligent than most people gave them credit for.

The constable looks back at the man who spoke to him. "It's not a trick," he says, returnung the other's gaze cautiously. "Mimicing other forms comes naturally to my people."

He steps down from the bench and looks the man over, trying to get a read on him. He had the eyes of someone potentially dangerous.

[somnioergosum]

"Hey," Ronan called to his bird. He held out his hand and Chainsaw flew over to land on his arm. Multiple ugly scars ran across the inside of his arms, but he was less concerned with hiding them and more worried about making sure Chainsaw stayed put. She finally moved up onto his tattooed shoulder.

Good. His raven was secured. He'd barely taken his eyes off of Odo but now he could give him his full attention.

"What people? Are we talking fairies, demons, aliens, all of the above?" There was nothing cautious in Ronan's response. He'd erased the word from his vocabulary.