meadowlarklogs | ARRIVAL LOG 007

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ARRIVAL LOG 007

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: Night of September 20 to night of September 23
WHAT: The seventh arrival
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion and loss of autonomy. Further notes at end of log.

> ARRIVAL #007

Awareness comes to you in blurred snatches, cloudy fragments of sound and light, color, sensation. Hazy and difficult to grasp on to, but slowly aligning into focus. A series of regular, rhythmic beeps. A medicinal, astringent smell. The sensation of movement, a low hum and accompanying vibration under you. Your eyes are heavy, hard to keep open, but in the glimpses between slow, dark blinks you see four people in black body armor seated opposite you, as well as a man in dark gray scrubs.

You realize there are others next to you. All of you are dressed differently: each in a cheap, clunky bodysuit of different colors. Red, blue, yellow, green, black, pink, purple, teal. It's as if you were put into a costume, the blurry shades of the outfits moving in and out with your hazy recognition. Your hair has been recently cut, and is at various stages of growth, and you're restrained across your arms, chests, and feet, left firmly attached to the softly cushioned seat beneath you. To your left, an armored interior door, two more people visible, the movement of streets passing through a windshield. You try to open your mouth to speak, but it's as if your tongue is coated in tar, and you manage nothing more than an empty parting of lips.

The vehicle stops. The guard opposite you stands and comes to unbuckle you from the bench, helping you to your feet. Your limbs feel wooden and heavy, slow to move. One guard opens the back of the vehicle, and there is a clutter of sounds and lights outside, children and adults milling about, with giddy cheerful music accompanying the pitter patter of sounds. The warm air is dry but cooling, and you'll likely wish you weren't in whatever overwrought attire you were dressed in for the occasion. Before you're let out, the nurse moves to check each passenger, releasing them from their restraints just before they're helped out of the vehicle. The nurse doesn't follow, instead moving to sit as the last passenger is unloaded.

The guards keep their heads down. Their actions are quick and firm, but not unkind. Once the passengers are out, the guards place a mask in each of their hands that matches the color of their clothing, and from it hangs a metal card that will grant everyone entrance to the party up ahead. Then the guards climb back into the vehicle and close the doors. The engine powers up again, and then the bus is gone.

You're left alone at the large entrance of a festival of some kind, with many people milling about in costumes while loud music plays from speakers. The festival itself undoubtedly looks like some kind of costume party, though you'll come to notice that your costumes aren't unique.

Though entirely capable of independent action and thought, new characters will find themselves completely, unquestioningly compliant to any verbal statement which could be taken as a command or request.

> ANIMATION NAEXPO

The message from El comes the same as usual: insistent, not waiting for any active attempt to open it. Scrolling within your vision as if being written while you're reading it.

Wow, I have to say – the guys behind this? They're getting creative. I'm sure some of you are already aware, but Anime Naex is on, and arrival #7 is there waiting for you in some rather unfortunate getups. Make sure you look up the Vestica pilots on the way so you can pick them out. Have fun and pick me up something there, will you? I never get to go.

Animation Naexpo – which is more coloquially known as Anime Naex – is a popular annual convention, born out of a subculture of video game and animation fans around the city. Since our time, animation has become a world-wide sensation, and is distributed out of numerous megacities, with each one specializing in their own flavor and genre. There are many smaller conventions that are held every year in New Amsterdam, but this is the largest of them all, complete with the most competitive cosplay competitions, as well as the most popular guests who travel from other megacities around the world to meet and interact with their fans. It also has the hottest venue: set in the tallest hotel in the center of the financial district, it's a place that many of the con attendees could never dream of entering without having the convention as their annual ticket inside.

The streets leading up to the hotel are lined with booths, all trying to sell handmade wares. These booths act as the artist's alley for the convention, allowing people to set up within rented spaces. Many of the artists craft their own supplies – T-shirts, shoes, and other articles of clothing – while also having a code that will allow someone to access their digital gallery if someone might want to commission anyone on their way inside. There won't be anything like the ubiquitous keychains, prints or stickers of today, but there are many an enamel pin for someone to show off their particular allegiances.

Just above these booths and on the way inside, there are numerous AR displays paid for by multiple streaming companies. Any of the new arrivals won't get a read on these displays because their implants aren't registered yet, but the previous arrivals will be able to see targeted advertisements featuring a wide array of different cartoons and animation programs meant for all different types of audiences. These advertisements are often fairly generic, inviting someone inside so they can learn more.

Once inside, it seems that there's a lot to do. Anime Naex is a three day event, and everyone there working the event is dressed up in the same dark blue period costumes, celebrating the biggest show at the moment: a moody noir show that's set in the late 1990s. Each of them have a different pair of gaudy sunglasses, and their pants have numerous pockets, signifying the long-forgotten cargo pants of the past. While these workers are dressed up, they are the hotel employees, and they won't be happy to be there. Try to treat them kindly?

The program for the event is full of a great deal of things, so try to have fun.

> CURRENT HITS

The two top shows that are getting the most attention are Hot Case and Vestica: Aeon. Hot Case is the aforementioned noir anime set in the late 1990s, involving a snarky, too smart for his own good detective as he tries to solve the unsolved mysteries of the previous centuries. He's a cynic who often believes he's chasing urban legends down blind alleys. Vestica: Aeon is the most recent addition to the popular mecha franchise that's been around for well over a century. This particular addition has been running for five years with no end in sight, featuring a rotating cast and different mechs tied to various animal and nature spirits. Otherwise, the current trends vary a lot: many are historical in nature (set in the 20th or 21st centuries, often with an emphasis on traveling to prevent this future from happening), while others are high fantasy and worlds that could never be, free of the constraints of technology and filled with magic and great wonders. There are also plenty of aliens, ready to intervene and keep humanity from destroying itself further. Some shows are more generic than others, and they're typically meant for varying ages rather than genders, with a lot of the modern-day fanservice and tropes left behind as society evolved. But don't worry: there are still magical girls.

> COSTUMES

Much like today, there are a few of the lazy people who haphazardly put together a costume at the last minute or buy it online. But then there's everyone else. Anime Naex is the convention to show off someone's hard work and ingenuity when it comes to the costuming scene. Many of these costumes are high tech in nature – and many involve various inspirational spins on classics, showing the creativity behind the design. Some of the more committed cosplayers have cybernetics to help enable their costumes, helping them replace certain aspects so that it can best suit their appearance for the event the following year. The goal for these cosplayers is always the same: win the big prize at the show, which is a hefty amount of credits and an internship with a top costume designer who's worked on some of the world's biggest blockbusters.

> EVENTS

The three day schedule for Anime Naex is jam packed, with certain panels running around the clock. No matter what, there will always be a steampunk or traditional tea ceremony of some time going on – albeit with leaves that leave a lot to be desired, grown in gardens around the city (don't expect much). Otherwise, there are lots of panels led by guests or con attendees hoping to convince someone to watch their favorite show, or to discuss some of the more involved pieces of subtext. Yes, there are still awkward shipping panels with involved, AR powerpoint displays and clips often taken wildly out of context to prove what they have to say. These panels can get rather heated, often bringing people who discuss and debate online into the same room once a year. There are also many game rooms and amateur gaming competitions.

> THE DEALERS

Like with many different events around New Amsterdam, Anime Naex acts as a hot spot for consumerism. There are numerous booths set up throughout the many floors of the hotel, selling different wares, including various pillows, stuffed creatures, and – while often more expensive – robotic versions of mascots from the shows. These robots lack any artificial intelligence, but function and work rather similarly to appear as if they've come right out of everyone's favorite shows. For anyone who's lacking a stellar costume, there are numerous booths set up to help people buff up what they want.

> THE BALL

There is, of course, a ball. Titled the Dawn Ball, it's held on the Saturday of the event, providing numerous con-goers an opportunity to wear a fancy version of their costume to dance. These balls are opportunities for people to show off their cosplay partner and relationships, and even show a different kind of ingenuity, as they maintain their character in question while wearing formal wear. Admission does require formal wear, and most of the people who go are on the younger side.

> MISCELLANY

Like any convention, there are always those people who stroll up to stay in a hotel without knowing what they're getting in to, and that'll happen here. Unaware of why so many rooms weren't available, there will be the occasional individual who doesn't know what's even happening. Life outside of the hub of the convention will go on as normal … but with a lot more strangely costumed people walking the streets as they go out to get food or head home after the day's events. Many of the restaurants nearby will have restaurant week deals with special menus designed for con goers. Prove you have a badge to get another discount – and try out your favorite Vestica pilot's favorite snack!

> THE SAFEHOUSE

Access to the safehouse is a hatch hidden behind stacks of empty storage shelves in the back of an abandoned supermarket in an outer district of the city. The immediate area is similarly abandoned, empty stores, flanked by several blocks of dive bars and clubs which cater to more niche tastes. A place where people can come and go unseen, or, if seen, not spoken of. A dark haired woman called Gaby is ready to greet the new arrivals and get them settled in, brusque and no-nonsense – she'll be open for in depth questions later, but will advise everyone to ask the people who brought them in for the beginning bits of information.

◉ The safe house is a large open space, filled with rows of basic cots set up to sleep a large amount of people. Basic, but outfitted with everything necessary for daily life. A few doors lead to back rooms for storage, medical care and a large communal bathroom, and past the long rows of cots there is a communal kitchen, fully stocked, and an eating area. Privacy is at a minimum.

There is a sign of some things being in disarray, with numerous metal containers meant to help stock things, as well as be moved out. There will be Morningstar agents moving in and out of the safehouse, helping prepare for the next step for their lives.

◉ New characters will be asked to pick their beds, and provided with a change of (second-hand, mismatched and somewhat threadbare) clothes and basic toiletries.

◉ While there were previously also NPC occupants of the safehouse, natives to New Amsterdam, these people have now been moved on to somewhere safer. A few of their belongings remain, discarded or accidentally abandoned.

◉ Gaby will make it clear to all new arrivals that if they have any requests or queries, they should contact her or El.

◉ The drugs making new characters compliant will remain in their systems for a few hours after their arrival at the safehouse before finally beginning to fade. They will be gone entirely after a night's rest. In the meantime, they may want to be careful of what others say to them.

◉ New characters will be given rudimentary access to the network on arrival in the safehouse, but will not have their ID set up yet. They will be able to make posts and replies, but their messages will be anonymous and they do not have inboxes yet.

◉ New characters will not be allowed to leave the safehouse until SEPTEMBER 24. These 4 days are for them to adjust, learn about the world they've arrived in from their fellows, and for El to speak with them and work on setting up their IDs.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Welcome to Meadowlark, newbies! You're now free to post to the network and logs comms. To reiterate, your characters will have no IDs or inboxes, nor be allowed out of the safehouse until September 24 (February 17). At that point it's expected they'll have gotten a good idea of their new situation from their fellow characters, and will have discussed their background and job potentials with El in order for their false IDs to be set up.

If you have any questions or ideas about how you'd like to get your character involved in the world, please head over to the plot engagement post and drop us a comment! For questions specific to this log, there is a thread below.

Please check out our February calendar rundown for a look at things happening this month, as well as some additional notes from the mods. We made a couple of revisions/corrections to the calendar since it was first posted, so please have another look at it!

As a reminder, AC for new characters accepted in February will be 10 comments across 2-4 threads, while current characters will need to provide the full AC of 20 comments across 2-4 threads. AC will be posted on March 1 and close on March 7. If you do not reply to AC, you will be considered idled and dropped from the game. We will not post a warning list.

> NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i ➣ ➣ ➣ naexpo

[ everything about this is ridiculous. from the people in costumes to the people that think he, out of everyone that walks by, would like to buy a weapon with a name that he cannot even pronounce. perhaps if it was an actual weapon, he would consider it and just get someone to show him but these are all fake.

he does not want something fancy to display.

and he really doesn't want people coming up to excitedly chatter to him about television shows and why isn't he in costume and does he want to borrow their cape? the answer to all of that is no, something he snaps at several strangers that get a little too close.

maybe he is a little more irritable than usual. ]

ii ➣ ➣ ➣ city

[ he spends a lot of time at the fighting rings lately, deciding that no challenge is too small and no fight is too much. he wins most of the time but he does suffer a loss or two just because he chooses to not really rest in between matches.

but those instances are few and far between and he always makes up for it the next time the fights. he still hasn't gotten any direct interest from the petrovs but he knows their eyes are on him and he knows they are winning a lot of money because of his matches as well.

when he isn't fighting, he stops into various bars and has a few drinks. he's allowed himself that luxury since his arrival here though he's been careful to not overindulge. well, for the most part. perhaps a slip up is due, yes?

otherwise, he can be out on early morning jogs or late night walks because restless energy is a terrible thing. ]

iii ➣ ➣ ➣ wildcard

[ feel free to choose your own adventure. hit me up at

spoonishly for plotting. ]

[ It's the night of the first day of the convention, and Rey has only barely convinced herself to take the time off to engage it. All she wants to do is bury herself in work and distract herself from the mess of her chronic abandonment — one loss, just her parents, is a tragedy; five or more is a pattern, which she is at the root of.

But she has been persuaded, so despite her surly mood, she is in downtown, passing by some of the bars when she sees a familiar face staggering out at the bouncer's behest. Rey hastens up and when the bouncer warns her off, shakes her head. ]

No. No, it's alright. I'll see him home. We're friends. [ And she reaches for Illya's arm. ] What happened? [ He's bruised from the fighting rings and hammered??? ]

Nothing.

[ is it a surprise that despite his indulging perhaps a little too much, his pronunciation is still quite precise? it shouldn't be. ]

I paid for the drinks and yet they asked me to leave. It makes no sense. [ while he'd been trying to rip his arm out of the bouncer's grasp, he lets rey take it with a minimal amount of resistance.

truly the sign of a friendship. ]

You stink.

[ She coughs as soon as he starts to speak. It's like a wave of rubbing alcohol just poured out over her. ]

How long have you been here?

I do not know. Not long.

[ maybe longer than that, though. long enough to drink too much, at least. ]

You are not being very nice. I don't stink. You are smelling the city.

It doesn't look like you've been getting along with people yourself.

[ She reaches up, gets hold of his chin so she can scope out the bruises he's sporting. ]

Who hit you?

I didn't ask for their name. It was a random match.

[ and he'd won. ]

I came here to celebrate. I won a lot of people a lot of money. Does that not deserve a little celebration?

You don't look like you're celebrating. You barely look like you can stand.

[ She huffs out a disappointed, sorrowful noise. ]

Where are you staying? You need to get home.

Why do you make that noise? I am fine.

[ he was just a little wobbly. but, his vision is not doubled and he can walk if just focuses enough. hell, he could fight right now if someone pointed him in the direction of the rings. ]

I was planning on taking a walk.

illya kuryakin (tmfu)

ii

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early morning jogs

what's up, son

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i

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