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[bleakmidwinter]

Lately, Caitlin's duties at STAR Labs have primarily consisted of maintaining the main facility, helping Dr. Wells shut down any locations no longer needed (or wanted, such as the warehouse in Starling City), and monitoring their coma patient. She still manages to be the last person to leave the building some nights, as is the case tonight. It's not always that she's busy so much as that she's not ready to go home and sleep alone in an empty bed.

She's just finished doublechecking that the facility is shut down for the night when she opens the door leading to the parking garage and finds herself stepping into - a bar.

Her eyes narrow and she glances behind her. STAR Labs is still in full view, it's just that what's ahead of her isn't... right. She steps back through the door and into Milliways a few times before finally letting the door shut. "I'm dreaming." It's the only thing that makes sense.

__

After the basics have been explained to her, Caitlin will be found sitting at a table, still looking more than slightly shell-shocked and lost.

tiny tag: Caitlin Snow

[ooc: Only the first thread for full welcome to Milliways explanations, please! ♥]

Comments

[igetthatalot]

"Pretty sure you're not," says the short, broad fellow in the borderline Ren Faire garb at a nearby table. "If only because I keep finding myself here on a regular basis when all I'm looking for is my usual tavern."

[bleakmidwinter]

Caitlin crosses her arms, eying him in a distinctly dubious manner. No part of this man or what he is saying is making her less likely to believe she's having a dream.

"I feel pretty certain that your inability to find the right tavern is not proof of any kind."

[igetthatalot]

"Well, it has more to do with the fact that I'm renting a room above the main drinking area. You generally find your way home more easily than anywhere else," says Varric. "But if you're really fixed on this dream thing, I've heard most humans who think they're dreaming like to pinch themselves to verify it. Or try to read something the same way twice. I understand that's popular."

[bleakmidwinter]

"Of course."

She nods sharply and goes digging through her purse. "I have something in here..." After a moment of shoving aside unrelated items, she pulls out a small paperback, which she scans quickly twice.

A little furrow develops between her eyes before she glances up at him again and offers over her book. "Could you read the third word on page 22 for me, please?"

If it matches up, then she... honestly has no idea what to do.

[igetthatalot]

"Sure," says Varric, flipping through the book and finding the requested page number. "That would be... 'favorite'."

He hands the book back with a small smile.

[bleakmidwinter]

She... really needs to sit down, actually. "Thank you," she says, her voice somewhat faint.

[igetthatalot]

"You're welcome. If it helps at all, the first drink's free," says Varric. "I suspect because a lot of people have about your kind of reaction."

[bleakmidwinter]

It may not actually be the best of ideas to mix alcoholic beverages with her, the way she looks right now, but that actually sounds like an excellent idea. "I'm... I'm going to go get one."

Beat.

"Can I... ask you some questions? After."

[igetthatalot]

"Sure," says Varric. "I'm not going anywhere."

He's got a pile of... well, can you really call them papers? More like sheets of parchment... that he's been going over, so he'll be busying himself with that.

[says_the_booyah]

Cy is at the bar, nursing a milkshake. He waves a friendly hello to a new face.

[bleakmidwinter]

That man is... definitely a cyborg.

What.

What.

Caitlin's thoughts are caught somewhere between oh my god and oh my god that could do so much for medical science! She waves back and, after a moment, approaches him. "Are you human?" she asks, clearly curious and kind of excited.

[says_the_booyah]

"Yeah. A lot of robot parts, but still human." Totally not a weird question, after all these years.

[bleakmidwinter]

She's not bouncy, because - well, that's not really something she does yet, but she does look a little giddy. "How did - is that normal, where you're from?"

[says_the_booyah]

"Not to this degree. There are a few soldiers who've been given new legs or arms similar to mine. But I'm almost the only one like me." Him and Robotman, as far as he knows.

[bleakmidwinter]

"Are they prosthetics or built into the pre-existing framework of functioning body?"

Let her crack you open and learn all your secrets!

Beat.

It occurs to her that might be a... sensitive question to ask. "If you don't mind answering."

[says_the_booyah]

"You gotta be a scientist, asking that." Which is a bit unusual but not a problem. Yet. "After the accident, a framework was built around my body, and the prosthetics were attached. In theory I am modular."

[bleakmidwinter]

"I am. Dr. Caitlin Snow. Primarily a geneticist, but I have... other areas of interest."

Thank you, STAR Labs. It's not that she was particularly narrow-minded to begin with, but Dr. Wells has a habit of... expanding the horizons of his employees. "In theory. But not in practice? Or you just haven't had the occasion to test it?"

Beat.

Her eyes soften a little. "Or it would put you at risk to test it."

[balancingminds]

Charles is on his way to the counter when he passes Caitlin and stops as she looks like she's not adjusting well,

"Hello, are you okay?"

[bleakmidwinter]

Her thoughts, still, are more or less along the lines of oh my god oh my god.

"I'm... okay?"

That was not her most decisive answer.

[balancingminds]

"What's wrong?" Her thoughts are panicked enough that he can't pick out a clear source.

[bleakmidwinter]

She swallows - no, she's really not doing very well at deflecting concern right now. (Ronnie would have seen right through her - that thought is accompanied by a twinge of deep sadness.)

"I... culture shock?"

[balancingminds]

"Ah yes, Milliways is awful for that. Perhaps I can help. My name's Charles Xavier. Would you share a pot of tea with me and then you can ask me any questions you have?"

Tea is always a good place to start, its comforting.

[bleakmidwinter]

Well, whatever else he is, he's certainly polite. And extremely British.

(She had a professor like that in med school. It's kind of nice, honestly.)

"I'm Dr. Caitlin Snow. And... please."

[balancingminds]

"Doctor of what? I have a doctorate in genetics from Oxford, thank you,"

He sits down and looks for a rat to order some tea.

[bleakmidwinter]

The look on her face brightens a touch. "I'm a geneticist." Though lately, she's been more of a physician and/or anything else Dr. Wells asks of her, but that's neither here nor there.