kjrosetti (kjrosetti) wrote in downfallrpg, @ 2010-04-14 23:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | # backdated, 2015-08-31, joyce, kj, kj and joyce |
WHO: KJ and Joyce.
WHEN: Day 11 (placeholders are for fools?), mid-morning.
WHERE: Lobby then kitchen then lobby.
KJ scowled a bit, tying the laces on her shoes tight before straightening and tying back her hair. The flier had gone up on the kitchen door two days ago, and so far no one had offered anything. While KJ wasn't really expecting anyone to let go of their sentimental possessions, she had still hoped someone would have been willing to donate something. Frowning at her reflection in the mirror, she wondered briefly if it would have been possible to find an old, polaroid camera, and hopefully a lot of extra film. That way she could at least take pictures and scribble brief histories of the objects on the back of said pictures. Digital cameras were more popular, sure, but she wouldn't have been able to charge it, much less print off the pictures. Polaroid seemed the way to go.
Deep in thought about it, she left her room, stroking her chin in thought. She also wanted to visit a library, get some more textbooks- and, considering what she had heard about this other group, KJ wanted to make sure some of them had to do with security and military strategy. It couldn't hurt. She also wanted to see if it were at all possible to find instructions on how to make a sun dial. Perhaps she could somehow make her way back to campus... She paused, her mind running over the memory of Charlie briefly, before she shook her head. There was no use dwelling on that. Dangerous, perhaps, to just push it to the side and let her feelings fester, but KJ wasn't willing to deal with them right now. Right now, she wanted to leave the hotel on a scavenging adventure, wheeling her rolling luggage bag behind her as it bumped awkwardly down the stairs, making her way to the lobby. She didn't really know the area, however; where would be the closest place to find some books? Polaroid cameras? Hell, she might as well make room for candles, batteries, more flashlights...
KJ shrugged. She wouldn't be picky. Whatever she could get.
Joyce had found a slightly stale bagel and possibly questionable cream cheese, but she didn't care. It wouldn't kill her. She was pretty sure of that much. Spreading a thick amount of it onto the bagel - which she'd 'toasted' a little over a gas burner - when she heard something bumping down the stairs. Joyce turned her head, located the direction and decided to investigate. Bottle of water under one arm, she put her breakfast on a small plate and wandered toward the lobby. She was dressed in her usual - T-shirt, shorts, running shoes - and had her hair back in a clip. The heat had made it curly and awkward to deal with. She didn't wear any make-up and her supply of face cream was getting low, but she was clean.
"Hi," she said to the woman with the luggage. "Going someplace?"
Oh look, a woman. Waving, KJ shrugged and looked down at her bag. "Sort of. Going on a gathering trip for my collection, bringing this so I can bring as much back as humanly possible and still have my arms free for defenses." The poor bag was starting to look a little tattered, having gotten more wear in the last week than these bags were normally used to, but it was still good. She patted it, almost as if thanking it for a job well done, and then eyed her bagel. Bagel... KJ's stomach grumbled, but she ignored it. Right now, she was missing her big, Jewish dinners with her family. Brisket, matzah ball soup, pickles, bagels... Lox! Oh, lox. "Are there any more of those?"
"Uh-huh," she said. "To paraphrase a song, the weather outside is frightful, so I wouldn't recommend you go out in it. The suitcase is a good idea, but maybe not today?" It was said as a suggestion, but Joyce really didn't think it was wise. "And I don't recommend going out alone, either." Maybe people like Tayne could do that. He seemed to be very good at solo patrols. Maybe it was his tiger side that helped keep him alert and safe. She glanced at her bagel, cut in half with the cream cheese and said, "Yes, but they're a little stale. If you haven't had breakfast yet, you can have half of mine right now. No waiting. And I don't think we've met. I'm Joyce."
KJ looked outside and frowned. It was a rather cloudy day out. She paused, considering. She could take care of herself with her powers now, but the chances were that there would possibly be more monsters out, which would just be annoying. She just couldn't stand being cooped up inside the hotel, already having gotten adjusted to her schedule of getting up and moving. Now she was stuck in one place. "KJ. You can have your bagel, it's yours," she said, waving her hand and thinking. "Maybe I can find some more somewhere... Or learn how to make them, mm. They made bagels before power, you know."
The other woman contemplated her suggestion, as if she might just barrel out into the rain and monsters, regardless, but she changed her mind, which was fortunate. Joyce didn't want to have to tackle her. "Nice to meet you, KJ. There are a few more bagels in the kitchen, they're just a little stale." She nodded behind her a little. "You can help yourself. Cream cheese, too, though it hasn't been refrigerated for a few days. I'm still eating it, though... And yes, they did all kinds of things before power. Food prep is one of the things we have to relearn."
"Which is why I wanted to go out," KJ shrugged. "I wanted to see if I could find a library..." She scowled a bit, looking out the window. It would help if she knew exactly where she was in the city, but she hadn't been able to find a map. Disheartening. "Or at least a map of some sort," she voiced aloud to the Joyce. "I have no idea how far I walked the last week, I don't really know where I am. It would help to gather supplies if we knew exactly where everything was. Although I supposed in order for it to be any use we'd have to gather several different maps and try to overlay them," she frowned, thinking more on the subject. Any general maps wouldn't show stores or buildings, and most buildings only showed outlines of city streets.
Joyce nodded and bit into one of her bagel halves. "Good idea. There's one not far, though it seems father away right now because of lack of transit and all the creatures you have to look out for." And the Humans who were, apparently, doing the Survivalist thing and only helping their own, but she didn't go there. "You know, a map would be a good idea. We could post one in the lobby and pin where things are located, you know? Have a list we can add to on the side, with numbered flags or something. As we discover new things, we can mark them." She tilted her head a little to one side. "Are you a cartographer?"
"And then list things that people need, specifically, but also things people want so that when others go they could keep their eyes open," KJ shrugged, looking back down at her bag again briefly. She wanted everything, but alas she knew she didn't need everything and therefore was trying to keep her desire to constantly be out and about gathering restrained. It was hard. "Who, me? Oh no," she laughed, tucking some hair behind her ear and looking up at Joyce. "Just a history student. It would be interesting to learn, though."
"Yes. That's a very good idea. Then the people going out know what others might need." Joyce shrugged. "I can usually find my way around with a map, but I wouldn't be able to read one that has elevations and amount of precipitation per year and all that marked out on it. I just need to be able to find my way around. Maps that show the bus stops are good." She smiled. "Would you like to go to the kitchen and get a bagel? I have a movable feast with me here. We can keep talking."
"Oh no, I wouldn't be getting one of those. It wouldn't be generally useful." And then KJ paused, considering. "Well, I wouldn't get one for the group. I'd keep that for myself." It fell under the category of general knowledge, after all, and she would likely get multiples of any map she was going to use for hotel group purposes, anyway. Pausing, she looked from Joyce, to the window, and back to Joyce again, before her eyes fell to her bagel. Her stomach chimed its input, and then she nodded and shrugged. "Sure, okay."
KJ seemed easily distracted. Joyce didn't mind. The woman had managed to live long enough to reach the hotel, with her luggage, it seemed, so she obviously wasn't so distracted that it got in the way of survival. That having food wasn't the highest priority for her was interesting, but not alarming. Joyce smiled. "To the kitchen. Let's see what we can scrounge up for you." She knew there were a few bagels and the cream cheese. Was there any protein left?
She let her bag roll behind her, not really minding it now and almost forgetting it was even there. Still, KJ's mind wandered off to whatever she would find outside the hotel. She really wanted to find that library that Joyce had mentioned. She wondered if she could somehow get Joyce to draw her a decent map, since they were on the topic, but KJ wasn't sure she would've been able to find it. Oh well! Getting better at her power would certainly make any exploratory mission she was on more interesting. And then an idea hit her, and she paused, frowning. "The ovens... I haven't really looked at them, but there are no brick ones like you would find at a pizzeria, yes?"
Joyce realized that the woman had stopped when they had almost reached the kitchen. She turned and answered, "No, they're gas ovens here. I'm sure there're pizza ovens out there, somewhere. Did you... need a pizza? I know baking is on the agenda, but I don't think we've made any dough yet. I haven't, anyway, and I don't think Tayne has, either." She smiled. "He's very good in the kitchen. Toppings would be another issue..."
"No, no... well yes, I do like pizza, but I was thinking I could probably make one and then perhaps we could use it to cook with. I'd have to see a plan on how to make one, of course, but it shouldn't be too hard, right? Setting the flame might be the hardest part about it. Are there any matchbooks? We should find some matchbooks..." KJ didn't realize that she was speaking her stream of consciousness aloud, nor that Joyce didn't know about her ability. She was so engrossed and trying to figure out the problem and the realization that had dawned on her that she didn't think to clarify.
Joyce had another bite of her bagel while the woman did her best to express what she was really trying to say. "Okay, you want to build a pizza oven. Got it. It would certainly come in handy. I don't know how long the gas will be available." She nodded to the door to the kitchen, indicating they should keep moving, and placed her plate on the counter. "We have matches and those little Sterno things and I think there's a can or two of gasoline around here." One was for Verity's motorcycle. "There's gas we can siphon from pumps, too. Not ideal, but it can start a fire. Wood, of course. Something not found much in the city unless you've got a fireplace you actually use. Still, it should be easy enough to find." Getting it back to the hotel was another matter. "The bagels are in the bread bin on the counter. I'll get you the cream cheese..."
"What?" KJ asked, jarred out of her reverie at the word build. "Oh, yes, build, I suppose I would, but I can do stuff with rocks. Move it and whatever with my mind. I'm sure with a bit of practice I could shape it as well. Very crudely, but practice makes perfect." She scowled again, thinking about it. How much practice would she need to get to the point where she could make a workable stone oven? She would also need plans and the like. "Maybe I'll just make a barbecue pit. That might work," KJ nodded, going over to said bread bin and inspecting them before grabbing a cinnamon raisin. Mm... "I would need plans of course, and maybe we could find some of those easy starter logs... Lighters, lots of lighters, we need lighters..." KJ frowned down at the bagel, sorting it out in her head.
Had Terry mentioned something about her ability? Rocks. Right. "Really? How did you find out that you had this ability?" KJ seemed distracted by thoughts of lighters, but Joyce placed the container of cream cheese - or what was left of it - on the counter next to her. She had another bite of bagel and waited to see if the other woman would continue. When she didn't, Joyce said, "A barbecue pit would be a good idea." She still wanted to get a propane-run barbecue from one of the hardware stores, along with a canister of propane, of course, but the logistics of getting something like that back to the hotel were awkward.
She startled again when the cream cheese was placed down, and busied herself finding a knife so she could first cut the bagel and then spread the cream cheese. KJ really wished that there were cows, it would have made things much easier. Once finding it, she started to cut her bagel and shrugged. "I don't really remember. I think it was on the first day? A monster was coming and I flailed a bit and a loose brick flew out of an alley and hit it in the head. It was all practice, practice, practice from there." KJ had very easily lost sense of time, which was somewhat disconcerting, but she had neither the tools nor the opportunity to keep track of days while she had been on the move. Now that she was here, perhaps she would see if she could start it up again. She would need it for the little history she was going to be keeping on the whole subject, as it were.
KJ paused as she spread the cream cheese, wondering if it would be a good idea to gather stories from different peoples, but she shrugged. Even she felt some pain thinking of the past, and she was sure others would, too, especially considering their lost loved ones. Perhaps over time...
Joyce finished her bagel and nodded as KJ shared her experience. It was certainly a very dramatic - and timely - way of discovering your new-found ability. "So you have some sort of... telekinetic ability, but only with rocks?" That was very specific, but handy. "Do you know ow much weight you can lift yet?" Then KJ seemed to be elsewhere again. The spreading of the cream cheese had stopped and her expression looked distant. Lost in memory, perhaps. "KJ?" she asked softly. "Are you okay?" Maybe the other woman was caught up in something that Joyce could help her with, assuming she wanted to talk about it at all.
Blinking, she came to and smiled gently at Joyce. "Oh yes, I'm fine. I guess that's what you'd call it. I have to guide them with my hands, though, and I feel like I'm actually lifting it." KJ nodded a little to herself, putting the knife down and taking a bite of the bagel, closing her eyes. Mm... She sighed blissfully as she chewed, and then swallowed. "Yum. Not sure how much, anyway. Only small little things. Perhaps ten to fifteen pounds at the most. But I'm working on it."
"Okay, so no moving the building. Still, that could come in useful as a survival tool. It's interesting that so far, just about everyone who has survived becoming one of those... creatures seems to have developed something else. Like the comics my kids used to read. 'The Fantastic Four' and all that." Joyce leaned against the counter and wiped her fingers on a cloth. "You know, they were exposed to radiation and all developed super powers. Now, for you, this would probably mean the more exercise you do, the stronger you become and the more rocks you can lift with your mind." It made sense to Joyce - as much as anything did these days.
"Why would I want to move the building?" KJ asked, completely confused by that. Who would want to move a building? Perhaps one of the Fantastic Four, but KJ had never really been into comic books. "I was thinking that, too. I've felt it in my arms."
Joyce chuckled. "You probably wouldn't. It was just a way of clarifying what you can do, dear. Don't worry about me." She had a sip of water. "Too many comic books..." As if that would explain everything. Maybe it did. "Then regular workouts would be beneficial. They have a fitness room here. It isn't phenomenal, but it has some good equipment and space. Are you used to exercising?"
She frowned, her mind now focusing on the idea. Moving a building... "That would be pretty handy, although I can't imagine how much more practice I'd have to do to be able to move a whole building... But think about it! If I could, we could move the hotel to the middle of a field or something, where we'd have plenty of farm space!" KJ was a bit excited about the idea now. She realized it most certainly wasn't a feasible option, but if they could grow super powers, she was sure in time she could get it to that point. It would probably take years, years they may or may not have had, but as an option it was an attractive one. "What do they have there? Any weights? I never really went to a gym, I worked out at home..."
She nodded slowly. "Yes, it would... certainly be handy, but so is being able to throw rocks, so..." Moving the hotel? That would be quite the feat, though likely impossible. Of course, none of their abilities had been possible before the Apocalypse... "They have weights and some equipment. Not all of it will work without power, but some of it will. It's a nice space." She didn't usually do her Tai Chi down there, though. She preferred being about to look out and see sky rather than the chaos that was clearly visible at a certain level.
"Hm," was all KJ said, munching on her bagel thoughtfully, surprised when it was suddenly gone. The bagel was gone! Oh no wait, there was another half. Nodding to herself, she picked it up and began to eat it greedily, before frowning down at it. "I wonder if there's a kosher cookbook floating around. I'm sure there is. I should find it."
KJ seemed to drift again and almost forget about her breakfast. Joyce didn't comment, wondering if this was a condition brought on by the Apocalypse or if she had always been a little distracted. "I'm sure there's a kosher cookbook around somewhere. Might not be in the hotel, though." Maybe they should make a trip to the library. Maps, books on cooking and pickling - to refresh her memory - and the like. Engines. Books about simple mechanics. She'd suggest that to Terry.
"No, I'm sure it's not. Either a bookstore or a library. I'd hit a bookstore first, just in case. That way we'd be more likely to grab multiple copies of everything we want," she shrugged, taking another bite of her bagel. Oh what KJ wouldn't give to go to a bookstore right then...
"Libraries might have multiple copies of a book, too, but likely they'd just have a wider range of topics to choose from. Depends what we're looking for. Also, remember we have to carry them all back. Variety might be the first choice." Joyce sighed. They'd need more that one bag of luggage for all that, and they wouldn't be the swiftest moving convoy, either. Having people who knew how to defend the group, just in case, would be prudent for such an expedition.
"Well we're in a hotel, how hard could it be to find more rolling luggage or backpacks? You can travel quicker with these things than you might think, and depending on the size of the bag you can fit quite a bit in there." KJ leaned back and patted her bag, as if thanking it for doing such a wonderful job over the past ten days. "Lots of pockets and such."
Joyce smiled and nodded. "All of this is true, but as I'm sure you know, running with luggage, even when it's got good wheels, isn't the easiest thing to do. Small, hit-and-run type trips might be best. I know it's annoying to consider multiple trips... Maybe a group could go, have some focus on protecting the group while other focus on gathering foos, books, whatever it is we're going out for."
"Hey, we have all the time in the world for multiple trips," KJ shrugged, finishing off the last of her bagel and sighing as it went. She would really have to find a kosher cookbook now, and hope that she could make some. Otherwise her life would feel very, very empty. Oh no, no more lox! KJ sighed audibly and shook her head. "A group might be nice. Or two groups, I guess."
They might have all the time in the world from the perspective of not having to punch the clock anymore, as it were, but to keep up with supplies, like food, drinking water, medicine... If they didn't get more of all of the above and better organized to restock... And didn't make sure the hotel stayed secure... "We'll see what can be sorted out. I know a few people would like to go on a run." Though she hoped they didn't have to actually run from anything.
"That would be cool," KJ smiled, looking back down at her bag again. "I can bring this. I want to find a backpack, anyway, so I have more room to bring stuff back." Sure, she had just agreed that it would be better to go on multiple runs, but that didn't mean that KJ wouldn't rather have gotten as much as one trip as humanly possible. Plus, so long as she had her hands, she could do her rock thing. She wasn't so worried about it.
"Its always good to have more bags," Joyce said. "Whether you use more than one at a time doesn't matter. It's good for carrying and good for storage. I have a bag I use to keep my personal items it, something I'd grab if we had to evacuate." There were some things she just wasn't willing to leave behind yet. Photos, momentos, the last vestiges of something like a normal life...
She scowled heavily. "Why would we have to evacuate?" Crap. Now she was going to worry about her collection.
Joyce smiled and hoped she looked reassuring. "I have no idea why we'd have to evacuate, KJ. There isn't any sign at the moment, that we'd have to. I just like to be prepared." Pause. "I was one of the leaders for my daughter's Girl Scout troop at one point, so I just think about things like that."
"You had to evacuate for Girl Scouts?" KJ asked, a bit confused by the reference. Preparation, sure, but evacuation? Not so much. Now KJ really wanted to get extra luggage so she'd have room for her collection. Sadly, she'd probably have to leave some of it behind, but if she had a system hopefully she could take as much as possible; especially if it grew.
Somehow, Joyce managed not to sigh. "Not officially, no, though we practiced. Whatever building we were having our meetings in? We'd do a fire drill every now and then, so everyone would know what to do in an emergency."
"Ah... I could see how that could come in handy with little children," KJ shrugged, before tilting her head. "I'm assuming people were staying here before The Fall, yes? What happened to their luggage? Both the items in it and the bags themselves? I'm sure people have scavenged the items, but we could keep the bags and use them to help us."
"I should think people were staying here." She shrugged. "I guess their luggage is in... whatever room they were staying in at the time... Mine didn't have any luggage. The room, that is. I don't know if anyone was staying in it or not before... things went weird... We should check all the rooms. Good idea."
"Is there some sort of master key or whatever? Otherwise it might get confusing. Plus, there are plenty of people living here now, or so I've gathered. It'd probably be better to ask them about it before just barging in." Well of course it would, she reasoned to herself, and KJ was sure Joyce had thought of it already. Still, she didn't have much of a filter on her thoughts. "Oh, I wonder if I could find anything to add to my collection! That would be nice."
"Terry has the keys," she said. "The master keys, in case of emergency." At least, Joyce was pretty sure he did. "Well, I was thinking of the vacant rooms, dear. We'd ask around, too, of course." She frowned slightly, wondering what the other woman meant, then remembered something about - "Your collection? Oh, right. The notice. What sort of things are you looking for? I wouldn't want to duplicate..."
"Oh no, duplicates would be lovely!" KJ said, smiling and perking right up. "I'm looking for anything, really. I mean, I'm sure some things are more important to document than others, but everything helps!" She became much more animated when she talked about it, sighing wistfully. "I just wish I had room for everything."
That brought a spark to her face and she was more animated than Joyce had yet to see her. "Some things you'll just have to make notes on," she said. "One of everything would be... a little difficult to contain in one building..." She thought of what she'd brought with her and aside from personal items, her clothes and things associated with weapons, she wasn't sure what she could contribute. Maybe she'd find things to add on an outing or something. "I have some photographs, but I'd rather not part with them. I'm sure I have something, though..."
"Oh well, yes I know. I wish I could someday move into a museum or something. They'd have lots of empty space there, not to mention all of the things down in storage? It would be great! And then I could add onto it, you know, my own museum inside of a museum..." KJ sighed, thinking about it. That would've been nice. There was no way that KJ could defend a museum all by herself, of course, but oh well. "I'm not asking anyone to donate anything sentimental, that would be obscene."
Joyce tried to picture the group they currently had at the hotel living in a museum. Some of them, like Terry, wouldn't know what was safe to touch or where to sit. Some, like the younger members, perhaps, and Penny, would be playing with things they shouldn't be. Or they'd be checking out the practice weapons in the Roman wing - like Tayne and Zane and... "Well, at least I wouldn't be the only 'mummy' then," she joked quietly. "Obscene? No, just... Some things should be private, I guess."
"Mummy? You're not a mummy." KJ looked her over briefly and shrugged. She certainly wasn't elderly, if that's what she meant. In fact, she seemed to be in very good shape. She wasn't sure why she'd mention it. "I guess. I know I'd be offended if anyone asked me for them."
There was a slight pause as Joyce decided whether or not to try to explain something that had been intended as a joke. "I'm a mother. Mommy. Mummy." She smiled. "Don't worry. My humor can be a little... obscure sometimes. And I have a lot of photos on my digital camera and no way to get them printed... sadly. I have some that I carry around in my purse, but... Mostly, did you want things that people feel are important? Something we should remember our civilization by?" She could think of some books that would be worth putting in a collection like that.
"Oh. Oh! Sorry, my head wasn't there," KJ grinned, and nodded. Thinking about the question, she paused, and then started on a hunt for another bagel. Might as well eat them before they wasted... "Sort of? I wanted a collection of things as a whole, really, whatever I could get. That includes our discoveries in science, medicine, technology, even archaeology, things that we know, but also things that we would consume. Games, and books, and even porn," KJ shrugged.
I noticed, she thought, but said nothing further about it. "I'm sure we can find items that represent us at our best and our worst. Commemorate it all. The thing is, where do we store such a thing? It'll be quite the archive..." Joyce had another sip of water, imagining sections of the hotel being filled with... stuff.
"Hence my dilemma," KJ scowled. "I was thinking of trying to find a polaroid camera at the very least. Things of interest that have sentimental value I could take photos of, not to mention there are plenty of things I physically cannot take back to the hotel. That way at least I have a visual record of the object that will hopefully hold up, and I can take notes on it. The only problem would be finding one and plenty of extra film for it."
"Oh," Joyce said. "A Polaroid camera isn't a bad idea. Like in the Terminator movie. That scene at the end, at the gas station?" Did KJ watch science fiction movies? "Anyway, there must be a photo place around here, somewhere. We should get that sorted out..."
"I've never seen Terminator," KJ shrugged. Mostly because once Arnold Schwarzenagger became a governor, she wanted to believe he could actually govern and did not want to see any movies with him starring in it. Lest she have even less faith in the American public than she already did; if he was a bad actor, how would he be as a governor? "Do Polaroids take batteries?"
"If we get the right camera, no. The film pack is the power source... though that was an older model..." Whether or not they'd find something like that, even at a camera shop with a section for photo buffs, was another matter entirely. Joyce sighed. "We might need to visit a museum to find one of those." She was only half joking.
KJ grinned. "Possibly, do they have a photography museum here?" She shrugged, thinking about it. "I haven't seen a Polaroid camera in quite some time, I'm not even sure where to go looking for one."
Smiling back, Joyce said, "I have no idea. I've never had the need to look it up, but there must be a Detroit phone book around here, somewhere. We should look it up." The idea of being able to take photographs of the survivors, something each of them could have a hard copy of to remind themselves that they weren't alone, sounded really good.
"Where would they keep that? Would that be in the front desk?" KJ found her feet moving out of the kitchen and back towards the lobby, excited to try and find it. Of course, being able to locate the store once they found one in the phonebook would likely be a whole other issue, but she didn't concern herself with that for the moment. KJ didn't really notice if she had left Joyce behind or not, so excited was she to find the phonebook, and when she approached the desk she started rifling through drawers until she found one. "Ah ha!" she cried, sitting down instantly and flipping through it before pausing. What would it be under? Camera or photography? KJ flipped back to the P's, thinking that would be the more logical choice.
That got her moving and focused. Good. Joyce smiled. "Probably. Front desk makes sense, doesn't it?" She followed KJ, pleased to see some energy in her, some spark. She was even more pleased that a phone book was actually there. Leaning against the counter, she looked at the page and said, "Photography. Makes sense." If they found anything that sounded promising, would they be able to get there? One thing at a time.
KJ nodded, although she hadn't really even heard Joyce. She was too focused on combing through the book. Finding one nearby would've been the best option, however, KJ had no idea what street she was even on to know where one was nearby. Spotting one shop, at least, popping up and putting the book on the counter, pointing to it. "Is that close?"
Joyce took a look at the name and sighed. "I live just outside Detroit and though I know a few areas of the city, I've never needed a photo place. We'll look it up and see what it'd take to get us there and back again." Maybe they wouldn't have the right equipment KJ was looking for, but there could be other things there of use, perhaps.
Frowning, KJ looked around. "Is there a map anywhere in this hotel?" She started looking around at the desk again, seeing if she could find anything. No such luck so far. She opened drawers and looked in cubbies, but couldn't find one. KJ scowled. "Weren't hotels supposed to have maps of the area around? For concierges to give out and stuff."
"Yes, probably, but the lobby was... trashed, I think. What you see was tidied after." That was how she understood it, anyway. "And maps and brochures and so on were likely destroyed, cleaned away..." She shrugged. "We'll find one. Next person who heads out. We can add that to the list."
Her brows furrowed more at Joyce's story. Of course all the maps were destroyed, it wasn't like those would be useful or anything. Oh well. Usually convenience stores and even gas stations had maps, if not bare bones and generic ones. It was better than nothing. KJ didn't like not knowing where in the city she was. She wished she could go back to the university, even for a little bit. There were probably other students there (she hoped), not to mention many things to add to her collection. And KJ would know where she was going. Picking up a pen, she circled the store name and then stuck the pen in the binding, trying to keep her place.
The woman seemed a little frustrated by the lack of a map. Joyce couldn't do much about that, other than find at least one when she headed out next. She saw her mark her place in the book and said, "You could take that with you, probably. Someone needs it? I'll know where it is." Then KJ could go through it at her leisure.
KJ looked up at her and then smiled a bit, looking back down at the phonebook. "I could probably identify a whole bunch of other places we might need in the future. Who knows, maybe there's a rudimentary map somewhere in here we could expand upon."
"A very good idea. If you're okay with doing that, I think it'd come in very handy." Joyce checked her watch. It wasn't as if she had to get back to work, per se, but there were things to attend to. "And I should get myself in gear and check on a few things. I hope we get our excursion soon, KJ. It was nice meeitng you." And with a smile, Joyce headed for the stairs.