(no subject)

[camwyn]

Dreamed the other night that I had traveled four hours' distance up the New England coast and found myself in a town full of Deep Ones, or at least Deep Ones' human kin and people in the process of becoming Deep Ones. This was not the problem; they did not particularly seem to notice me as long as I didn't stare or make a fuss.

The problem was that I had to stay in the area or somewhere even farther up the coast for the next five to seven days, possibly for some kind of a convention, and somehow I had made this trip without making sure someone was going to be able to check on my cat.

And while agoodshinkickin would be willing to go into my apartment and feed her, I hadn't left a key with her, and the Deep Ones didn't have a Fedex store or dropbox- and not only was I not sure that they'd actually get a next-day service package to Boston by the next day if I used the town's post office, there was a little old lady customer ahead of me at their counter and she and the guy working the counter were doing the Small Town Why How D'you Do We're Going To Talk For Ten Minutes Now Before Getting To The Point, Ayuh thing- and like I said, the Deep Ones only ignored me so long as I didn't kick up a stink.

Honestly, I was more concerned about getting my cat fed than I was about the inhuman fish-men or whatever they were supposed to be. They seemed pretty chill, they just KEPT TALKING WHEN ALL I WANTED WAS TO SEND MY KEY TO BOSTON SO THE CAT COULD EAT.

Comments

[leeshajoy]

Clearly you needed to send Bing links to the Lock-Picking Lawyer on YouTube so she could pick your door lock and get in to feed your cat.

[ymfaery]

You definitely know how to keep your priorities straight. :)

[camwyn]

I'm from New York. I'm USED to being among people who are best not provoked or engaged in any way, shape, or form. No sudden moves, no eye contact unless they attempt it first, don't raise your voice, don't wear or wield or carry anything visibly outstanding or unusual, no commentary on the disturbing nature of the people around you, you'll get from Ditmars to Times Square and back just fine. Same deal with a town full of potentially but not necessarily murderous human-oceanic biped hybrids. It's workable. But the cat needs to be fed. And frankly, I should've made the arrangements BEFORE heading north into hybrid country.

[derien]

Yes, understanding that it really is your own fault that you didn't already make arrangements, and in fact the key will probably get there next day whether you send it in the next two minutes or twenty, very good. Patience is a virtue that will get you everywhere with our local human-oceanic hybrids.

You're spot on with the behavioral do and don't list. Raising your voice shows too much emotion or agitation, that's embarrassing and makes the locals uncomfortable. Eye contact is aggressive. I strongly suspect that if you use someone's name it's a power move - save that for when you really need it. 'Deah' is fine for most conversations, and nicknames for references to another.

[camwyn]

Many life lessons can be learned from the example of Nuclear Submarine*, but the one that will carry you farthest in the widest variety of situations is run silent, run deep. Avoiding drawing unnecessary notice to yourself and your actions is a valuable survival skill whether you are in Lovecraft country or on the subway, and is more respectful to potentially touchy locals than loud attempts at potentially unwanted interaction.

You can always make a fuss later if it's needed, but once everyone is looking at you suspiciously because you did something only somebody from Outside would think was okay, you're not getting your cover back.


*I do not see any reasons why machines cannot have archetypal presences if they are common enough or potent enough, or important enough to a profession

[eor]

It's the warmer water in the Gulf of Maine waking up all sorts of things.