Skylar || Aphelion

“Okay—hang tight. I’ll bring ‘em over. Just uh…wait over here?” She’s pointing at the ground just under the fire escape.

“I’ll bring you something.” And off she goes climbing. There should be some leftover noodles and chicken she got the other day…

#TitanSummer

Instead of the diving gear, she’s come up with something she wanted to try.

Hovering on the water’s surface, manipulating the air around her to create a bubble and…down she goes! Instant diving bell.

Great! There’s a trick I’ve been waiting to try out.

I’m up for it!

Fashionably late, but that’s what the flying powers are for!

Holding her hands up. It looks gnarly and sounds even gnarlier…but at least it’s not attacking. So there’s that.

“See? Not gonna hurt you. You wanna find something to eat?” Making a gesture for eating, nice and slow.

Oh, crap. Yeah, that was probably obvious in hindsight.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay. Sorry about the light…off, see?” Turning the light off.

Who knows at this point, right? Either way, Skylar hasn’t connected the dots yet.

“I’m…looking for a dangerous creature. Probably a threat to you and your folk too. Yea high, banana-shaped head, loves stabbing things with the tail.”

Oh, that’s definitely horror movie material. “Hey, you…it’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you.” At least until she’s assessed the situation. Sliding the phone out to switch its flashlight on.

“I…well, I just realized your existence, so no tribute, unfortunately.” At least he seems cordial enough, because she’d hate to get on the bad side of a giant rat and his thousands of subjects.

“So do you rule over this area?”

Oh, that was not a fun sound. She’s still unarmored at the moment, so at least he can probably make her out through thr darkness.

“I…was looking for something else, actually. Who…are you, even?” She’s not surprised this city has a rat king, but this is definitely unexpected.

Too many arms, too many faces. She’s no expert in mutations, but that’s gotta be a mutation of some kind.

And…he speaks? Curiouser and curiouser. Slowly hovering to take her down to ground level, hovering above the pool of sewage.

“Hello?”

Okay…freaky. And yet she’s curious.

Slowly climbing out the window next to it, heading down the fire escape. Trying to go slow and quiet, as to not alert the mystery figure and take a closer look. “Hello?” Yes, this is peak white woman in a horror movie, but she can handle it.

-catch too much attention.

The small ones, no problem. But the big one? That’s something she doesn’t want to tangle with.

One, she didn’t even know this city’s sewers are THIS labyrinthine. Two, talk about the Rat King himself.

That one’s definitely much bigger than a regular rat, and she’s probably better off observing silently, for now. See what these rats are up to, try not to-

She’s gotten her fair share of raccoons, so she knows what they sound like. And this one sounds…bigger.

Quietly sliding the second-floor window of her garage open, where her studio apartment is. Peeeeering out into the darkness below…

Huh…someone’s rung Remy’s dinner bell. Curiouser and curiouser.

Slowly she stalks forward, headed for the convergence point of these rats. Surely that’s a sign for something, right?

There’s reports of a Xenomorph on the loose, and Evie figured getting this solved sooner would be beneficial to all involved, which led to the entire team being sent out.

And her first port of call is the sewers. Great, send the one with wings into a cramped space.

@lineagentics.bsky.social

I’d like to say I do know my way with bikes. Nice meeting you.

More partial to four wheels myself, but I do appreciate a good motorbike.

That’s mine, yeah. I’ll be more than happy if you trust her with me. Skylar, by the way. My card, just in case.

Definitely looks like a Betty. Seems like you’re taking very good care of her.

But well, if something does come up, I won’t mind helping. I run a garage on the corner of Davis and Hunt, across the florist.

Very…vintage of you. Very greaser, shall we say.

And I figured that looked VERY custom. Bet she’s a runner, huh?

Wow, very relevant.

Pretty good bike, though.

// Definitely you!

// A small Dee

A BogeliDee

// Second dinner just like a reverse Hobbit

A tibboh if you will

// It’s time

Do

// Be EVERYWHERE

Everything all at once

Fellow blonde?

RIGHT!

“Alas, that one’s slipped your grip.” She shakes her head.

“I could use one myself, actually. Where’d you get that?”