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MEADOWLARK MODS ([personal profile] larkers) wrote in [community profile] meadowlarklogs2019-08-24 11:27 am

EVENT LOG 006

WHO: The Displaced
WHERE: Zerzura
WHEN: December 12 (?)
WHAT: A visit to another world.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Loss of autonomy, some psychological horror, references to self-sacrifice (and the inherent implications therein).

> EVENT LOG #006

No matter where a member of the Displaced is, the pull to another world comes at once. One moment the Displaced may be working a job, and the next moment they'll find themselves in a white-walled laboratory, fluorescent lights a constant overhead. There's no transition at all. The only indication of where they are is a metal plaque on the wall next to a door that reads: "Project Spinetail: Arrival Station." Unlike any of the doors in New Amsterdam—or anywhere else in Meadowlark's world—these doors have handles, and a physical lock.

About five minutes later, a nervous woman walks inside carrying a clipboard. She seems to hide her face behind it, and an accompanying guard looms behind her, nearly a whole foot taller. He doesn't give away much of how he feels, expression impassive. The woman begins to speak soon after:

"I'm sorry for the abrupt arrival, but getting you here was urgent. My name is Angelica Crane, and I'm the lead scientist for Project Spinetail. I know that bringing you here with no warning, against your wills is unfair, but this was the only way to speak with you—and to save you. I confess, we seek salvation for ourselves as well. Our world is new and growing; we don't know how we came to be, but we know we're in danger of disappearing. We have studied the world you've come from, and we know that it's dying. There is no helping that world—but ours has a chance to survive. We believe that you may be the key to that. We want to work with you to harness the energy inside of you and find a way to help this world. We've been watching, and we think that energy will be what saves us. Saves our city, our world, and our families.

We won't force you. We can't force you. But please, there's nothing you can do for that other world, and there is so much good you can do here. You can make this world real.

Let us show you our world. After that, we'll make our real pleas. We hope that you'll understand why we went to such extremes."

Soon after, the door opens again, and another set of guards await on the other side. Doctor Crane seems intent to lead this parade of newly re-Displaced individuals through her world, and she marches forward.

Where she leads them is through an open door, beyond which a large sight-seeing double decker bus waits. On the side, there is a splash of orange and gray, with the logo of Project Spinetail at its center. For anyone who visited the spear or the underwater facility in the Dreamscape, the walk outside is undoubtedly eerie. The outside of the building the Displaced arrived at bears many structural similarities to the underwater facility they encountered in the dreamscape. And the bird—the spinetail—is the same type as the four singing birds that were once on the spear.

As the tour proceeds, Doctor Crane will be happy to answer most of the questions headed her way.

How did they transport the Displaced over to Zerzura?
"Well, this is a bit odd, but we found that our world thrums with a quantum signature that we then identified in readings from your world. That's the blue energy, or power, that exists in each of you. We locked on to it and drew you through the barrier."

What do you mean by blue energy? Quantum signature? How do you intend to harness it?
"This is just a theory, of course, but I believe … well, we hope—that by being here, you'll end up helping strengthen our world. By adding more of that power, by having you here and utilizing your abilities, you'll be able to help fortify our world. I'm sorry that it sounds a little—ah, unscientific. Consider this a leap of faith."

If that doesn't work out, what comes next?
"Unfortunately, we can't just—we can't replicate the process here to put you back. It was a one way trip. We hope you can understand the need to get you out of there."

So—what happens next with us?
"We hope you'll make your home here. This is truly a wonderful world—you'll see."

And how do you know that world is dying?
"We get—sometimes the lines between that world and ours … blur? Not as if they are one and the same. Don't misunderstand me! It's—we get readings. Something happened there, very recently. It's … accelerated. We saved who we can."

And what about Governor Henries? He's mentioned time and time again in this tour. Can we meet with him?
"That's—Governor Henries is a private man. And he's often … he has a lab, one that even we don't know the location of. He gets up to his work alone, and demands a great deal of privacy. So … you see—he'll be rather busy. Not with you all. That's … he's leaving that to us. It's just—you see—" Doctor Crane doesn't finish her thought, flushed and awkward. She turns and draws everyone into their next location, speaking loudly to ensure no one can follow up at the moment.

There are sure to be other questions. Any questions about the links between this world and the dreamscape—even if not put in that context—will be met with a blank stare. Clearly, Project Spinetail is not an underwater facility, and no, none of their scientists have recently met an untimely death! There aren't any ghosts—despite the … unique nature of all of this, there isn't anything supernatural going on, at least as far as any of the scientists can tell. Project Spinetail is a scientific institution working for the people of Zerzura! But what day is it? Well, they haven't worked out a calendar yet. Everything is evolving. Everything!

Zerzura itself is a wonder: every building is made out of limestone, with a cross of modern and Greco-Roman architecture. The buildings are never too tall, never too gaudy, and meant to be welcoming. Every place in Zerzura has an open door policy, inviting someone inside at any hour. The people of this world have a universal basic income, and when that's not enough, no-one is stingy about extending credit, or strict about collecting on it.

Despite the weird nature of Zerzura—in many ways, it does seem to be a very, very new world—there are families with multiple children, and the people here thrive in idyllic splendor. Though there is a governor, he doesn't seem to be particularly involved in governing the world beneath his purview. There is no signage with curfews or laws, and though there is a citywide guard, they have limited facilities to keep someone in holding.

Zerzura is a perfect world—an oasis, one that is small in stature but large in ambition. Of course, is it that bold of an ambition if someone simply wants to live?

> WEEK ONE

Once the tour is done, each of the Displaced will be set up with their very own basic universal income, as well as a spot in a dormitory that's connected to Project Spinetail's facilities. They're given free reign over Zerzura, allowed to explore every inch that they may like. The dormitories themselves are like little apartments, with a small kitchenette and bathroom connected to each room. No one is expected to share their room, though there are some that are conjoined for anyone who might be seeking a more intimate experience with a friend. To get these rooms, they need only ask. The beds in each room are full sized beds, giving everyone a little more room to be comfortable.

With the rooms divided among the Displaced, it's time to settle in to Zerzura. After all, as Doctor Crane insisted, there's no way out.

> WORKING IN ZERZURA

Work in Zerzura is done by committee. While there are some people who maintain businesses, they're given leave to take a break when needed. Some people prefer manual labor: construction, planting crops, and even picking up around the city. Others like to run businesses and manage the people under them. There is a good mix of everything that someone might want in Zerzura: noodle shops, plenty of frozen yogurt places (all vegan, of course), and pizza (no one would ever guess that the cheese isn't real cheese). On top of that, anyone looking to buff up their wardrobe will find many of the clothing stores overtly welcoming. "Credit" won't even be mentioned. Come right in and spruce up your wardrobe. Unlike the cyberpunk attire in New Amsterdam, clothing here tends toward bright colors and styles are as widely varied as the number of shops, though materials and cuts tend toward natural and simple.

> PRAISE IN ZERZURA

Before the assimilation truly begins, the people of Zerzura will be all too happy to help the Displaced adjust. Need directions somewhere? Hoping to learn more about Governor Henries? They'll be up for talking about anything. Yes, Governor Henries is a bit … strange, and even rumored to be unethical with his experiments—but that's all conceptual! He doesn't hurt anyone. So, maybe unethical is the wrong word? The only group they'll be less keen to talk about is Nautilus.

> CAUSING PROBLEMS IN ZERZURA

There was always a risk in bringing over a handful of unknown people to Zerzura. However, it doesn't seem as if there is any great punishment in mind for anyone who tries to cause problems. Any property damage—ranging from graffiti to destroying large swathes of grass in public areas—will lead to an arrest. Being arrested here doesn't mean much. No one has a record. They're simply locked away for an overnight and then let go. There's a warning that they'll be locked away for longer. The beds in the jailing unit are comfortable, and the food is great.

> INVESTIGATING PROJECT SPINETAIL

Naturally, being pulled into Zerzura is an unsettling experience, and it makes sense that a good number of savvy Displaced will want to know more about the group that's brought them in. While Doctor Crane will be keen to answer questions early on, being pestered for them will make her irritable and uncomfortable. The people of Zerzura aren't this cynical—there will be the sense that she's unaccustomed to not being taken at her word. Telepathically—in other words, if anyone gets a mental read on her with Doctor Strange's assistance—she may be talking herself into patience, telling herself that it makes sense that they wouldn't trust her. The thing is: she is telling the truth. The only uncertainty will link back to an image of a spear: flickering in and out of existence in an underground part of Zerzura. No one from Project Spinetail will be volunteering information about the spear, or even admitting it exists.

It seems that this spear is the only contradiction to Spinetail's stories. Crane will always be happy to meet with any of the Displaced, and anyone working around her will be eager to answer questions. It seems that Governor Henries is out of reach, which is an oddity in and of itself. They won't be eager—or able—to put anyone in touch with him.

What they'll learn is that the appearance of the spear was the tipping point. It's what drove the scientists to bring over the Displaced. Everything about the spear's location seems to be degrading. A number of scientists have been hurt by the spear while reporting findings, so it's kept hidden away.

The odd thing about the spear is that none of the scientists will be able to pinpoint its location. They know it exists, but almost as if it were a myth, and it seems as if it's never a constant in Zerzura.

Whether it makes sense or not, Project Spinetail seems to be keen to tell the truth. Obscuring the existence of the spear seems to be done for the safety of all Zerzurans—both new and old.

> NAUTILUS: FIRST CONTACT

While no one at Project Spinetail will be keen to point the Displaced toward the rebel organization, Nautilus will make themselves known. Sometimes this will come as a symbol graffitied on a wall. Other times, they'll be working at a business, and keen to reach out and ask for a Displaced to meet up with them later. Their aims and goals are simple: they want to preserve the world where the Blue God came from, and that means that Zerzura needs to die.

However, the deeply self-sacrificing and genocidal tendencies of Nautilus will seem contradictory to their reverence for their god. While the Blue God seems to lord over the sky and water, believing in the mercurial and constantly changing nature of life, Nautilus pushes for self-sacrifice and death. They know that many people will die, but they hold strong to the belief that Zerzura is an unnatural world that needs to be gone so that the world that came before it can survive.

Early on, Nautilus won't be keen to tell the Displaced any of their plans. But for those who pry deeper, they will be able to find some answers. Nautilus aims to seek out four critical points within the design of Zerzura, but they haven't been able to identify them yet. These four points won't be related to the spear, and if asked about that spear, they will respond with confusion and uncertainty. They believe that the Displaced will be able to help them identify the four points, but they don't yet know how to do that.

As for why they know that Zerzura is a false world, they seem to simply know. Their god is an expansive power, and not one that would be confined to such a limited space. In addition, it seems that they have gained access to some contradictory materials from Project Spinetail. A small number of people from Nautilus will be former Spinetail scientists who went on to reject their aims. While Spinetail has research that they believe supports their aims and theory, Nautilus will have seen the contradiction to that, and will believe that the expansion of Zerzura directly correlates with the rapid degradation of the world on the "other side." Whether this research confirms what they know or was sought out to do that, they seem justified in what they believe.

For some, the assimilation to being a part of Zerzura will start in this first week. People may fade in and out of their new versions of their identities, while others will slide into that life and never return. Either way, it doesn't seem as if there is any external trigger to this assimilation.

> WEEKS TWO AND THREE

The odd thing about Zerzura is that little changes from week to week, at least on the surface. People swap jobs and stories, living their perfect lives. Some of the people of Zerzura eagerly welcome the Displaced into their homes, and anyone who's beginning to assimilate will find that these people treat their neighbors the same way. In time, there will be blurred lines between the new arrivals—the Displaced—and the Displaced who have adapted. As the story evolves, Project Spinetail's motivations will evolve with it. The new story will be that they had some people imbued with the quantum signature that is tied to the world of Zerzura, and they became aware of some people on the other side. Using what they knew about their own citizens, they adapted and brought over those new people.

Once the assimilations begin to settle in, it seems as if it's unlikely that Project Spinetail's story will change on this front.

> INCONSISTENT ASSIMILATION

Little about the adaptation of the Displaced to this world is tidy, but one thing is clear: no one—neither Spinetail nor Nautilus—will be aware that they were going to change and become one with their surroundings and their world. On the contrary, they will find it strange that some of the Displaced may insist that their friend or loved one came over with them just a week or two prior. They understand that the quantum signature links them up, but they won't be able to offer an explanation for this evolution.

Further prying won't provide a more satisfactory answer on this front. Whatever is causing the Displaced to adapt and be absorbed into the ecosystem of Zerzura, it doesn't appear to be a part of anyone's plans.

> COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Life will proceed as usual in Zerzura. Hydroponic farmers come together once a week to discuss the future of agriculture in Zerzura, as well as go out and test the soil for nutrients to see if they may be able to expand their reach. When it's suggested that some of the changes in the Displaced may be because of the nutrients in Zerzura, they'll be able to bring their research to Project Spinetail and get access to state of the art facilities to find out if there is anything to support this suspicion.

Otherwise, there are classes at Zerzura College that anyone can attend to expand their knowledge. There is a biweekly meeting at Dante Sparda's music shop that anyone can attend, learning as much about the guitar riffs from other worlds as possible. It seems as if there is some bleedover of other cultures—whether they were there before the Displaced arrived is hard to say, as it seems to be assumed they were there the entire time.

> FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF SPINETAIL

Anyone who's hoping to get more access to Project Spinetail will be able to use the excuse of the community findings around agriculture, or even the work of Gaby Teller-Parker to get inside. Once they're in there, they'll be able to sneak around and peer through windows, trying to find out whatever information they can. They'll be able to find physical findings of the research: that Zerzura is expanding a few inches every day, with the rate of growth increasing once they brought over the Displaced. They'll be able to track the degradation of the world they came from, as well as the sudden uptick of indications that that world is dying. The quantum signature is inconsistent there. The atmosphere is rapidly getting worse, making it so that that Earth won't be able to sustain human life. Humans won't be able to breathe without assistance on the surface, and it appears that the colonies have limited capabilities of managing human life.

As for the spear that came up in the minds of the scientists in week one, they'll have some collected findings on it. The same devolution of the world that the Displaced came from will be present in the spear: a splintering of readings, always inconsistent and unknown. By the end of week three, Doctor Crane will be leading a handful of scientists to a series of three different sites, hoping to identify where the spear is likely to turn up. Using readings gathered from before, they will be trying to investigate when and how the spear will appear, and how to try to keep it in one place.

The entourage on these excursions always includes the Myceneans, who are there to protect the scientists. Any Displaced who hope to tag along will be encouraged to not do that—for their own safety!

> WORLD ADAPTATIONS

As the Displaced settle in and either become consumed by their surroundings or find themselves able to reject what's going on, the world will adapt to their existence. If someone read a book as a child and it wasn't there on week one, they'll be able to find it by week three. Whitney Houston, Black Sabbath, and The Who will be on regular rotation once someone thinks about how much they miss these old artists, and the people of Zerzura won't be able to grasp what's happened.

Pop culture will be a mish-mash of things that exist in various Displaced's worlds. Spider-Man's Christmas album will be available, despite the fact that Christmas doesn't exist. Many of the arcade games from Eos will pop up in various businesses, giving a chance for someone to kill time on them while they wait for their meal to arrive. There will be long pseudo-histories about famous people from the Displaced's worlds, but they'll all be—quite oddly—treated as fiction.

Finally, the internet won't be as expansive as it is today, and many of the searches won't necessarily come up with what people know to be true. Ozzy Osborne, for instance, is a famous Zerzuran citizen in all black who did some very strange things with the Spinetail mascot that earned him infamy. And if anyone searches for Governor Henries, they'll get a biography that describes his long service as a citizen of Zerzura, along with a series of degrees that he (somehow) received from Zerzura College. Strangely, there won't be a picture of the man.

> WHERE IS GOVERNOR HENRIES?

Given his repeated involvement in every aspect of Project Spinetail—and Zerzura itself—it seems odd that Governor Henries would be out of reach. Anyone who's trying to find him will come up empty. None of the scientists at Project Spinetail seem to know where he is, and they've never been in his lab themselves. If anyone pries further—even in their minds—they won't be able to find more satisfactory answers. Just as his website biography lacks a clear image, none of them will seem to know what Governor Henries looks like.

They will have mental descriptions of the man: he's eccentric and loves to talk a lot, and seems to find Nautilus' efforts to be rather hilarious. Some of them think he might be trying to counteract Nautilus' efforts, but it doesn't seem to strike anyone as odd that he wouldn't do it with Project Spinetail.

In every way, Henries is illusive. In fact, some might even begin to wonder if the man is even real.

> MORE ON NAUTILUS

During this time, more and more people are likely to reach out to Nautilus to join their efforts. Some members of Nautilus will begin to bring the Displaced into their plans, but they won't tell them how they intend to pull it off. On the contrary, it seems as if they're afraid that they might be stopped. If asked why they think this could occur, Nautilus' members won't be able to give a clear answer. It all boils down to the importance of saving the world outside, and they always diminish the importance of the people within Zerzura. That includes themselves. They treat themselves as if they're fabrications of people, but there is no basis for or clear and sustained root to this belief.

By midway through week two, Nautilus will eagerly ally with anyone who wants to help them find the four points to end Zerzura. Since they've had little luck themselves, they realize they need the Displaced to help find these points, as being close to them will make their chests glow blue. It doesn't matter if the Displaced individual has been assimilated or not: their chest will respond the same way. By accessing these points, they believe that they'll be able to detonate explosives that will bring down Zerzura, causing it to collapse in on itself. Finding these locations won't be easy, but anyone who's working with Nautilus will find themselves hitting the pavement to locate them.

For as fatalistic as Nautilus is, they're also complete fanatics for their god. If anyone goes to them for answers about the spear, about the power they've been given, or even about the odd blue energy, they'll be ready to launch into how the Displaced happen to be the Blue God's chosen ones. Again, some of this rant and ramble may not make sense, and it will seem as if they are blinded: believing that the Blue God is a figure of the world outside whose resources are being stretched thin and need to be returned to the world outside. In conjunction, the Displaced are simply its avatars in improving the world that the Blue God helped create. Zerzura is not and cannot be that world.

Anyone who supports Nautilus but points out the flaws in the fantasy will, again, find that Nautilus is just as much a result of this world. They're the cynics meant to poke holes in the idyllic life, but it's as if they were shaped from an incomplete cloth.

Anyone who supports Nautilus but rejects the god will be met with irrational anger. If anyone pushes this issue, they'll find themselves to be the enemy of Nautilus. No one can support Nautilus but reject their god. It seems as if in their minds, it is impossible to believe in what Nautilus hopes to accomplish, yet act as if the god they support and revere is meaningless.

By the end of week three, members of Nautilus will promise that the Displaced—even those who reject the god who favors them—won't die if Zerzura does. How they know this won't be clear—and it may turn out that by ending Zerzura, the Displaced may very well be ending themselves. Also by the end of week three, they will have dismissed numerous locations as part of the four, and will begin to narrow in on where they need to be by the end of the month.

> RELEASED FROM A FANTASY

As people slip into their fantasies, there will come the risk of them being unable to return. Anyone who's hoping to bring a friend to their senses and bring them out of the fantasy that's stolen them away may be inclined to reach back into their memories to think of previous problems like this, or they may simply try to grab their friend's hand to try to shake them out of it. Whatever it is, the Displaced will be able to be saved. The task to do that is simple, as least for now: whenever they hold on to their friend, they will see that their chest seems to "open up," offering forth an object to withdraw. Once they pull it out, they can hold on to it and get a sense of their friend's essence, borrow their power, or eventually just hand it over (because that object seems to be their lost friend).

Someone can only be pulled out of their fantasy once—once they're free, they're free.

> WEEK FOUR

By the time the final week of the month rolls around, many people will fight to maintain their fantasies, rejecting any notion of freeing them, while others will be angry that this world absorbed them and stole away their autonomy. Why is it that this was able to happen? No matter where the Displaced look, it will seem as if there is no immediate answer available to them.

Either way, this is the week in which some decisions will have to be made. Should Zerzura survive? Should it end? Or should everything equalize, with everyone given a shot to live on? One of three paths remain for all of the Displaced, and it's up to them to decide.

> A: NAUTILUS: ENDING ZERZURA

With the help of the Displaced, Nautilus will eventually locate the four positions within the city that will end Zerzura's existence. Each of these locations is underground, needing to be reached through the sewage system. Thankfully, much like everything else in Zerzura, it doesn't smell as bad as it possibly could down there.

Each of these locations will be neatly located at four equidistant points in Zerzura, with the spear itself located at the center of them. The way the points look is strange. Reality around them is shifting, evolving, moreso when any of the Displaced are present. The firepower that's meant to destroy these points is massive, as Nautilus doesn't want to risk their plan falling through.

At the entrance for each of these points, Nautilus will ask that the Displaced help stand guard. They're certain that Spinetail and the Myceneans will find them, and they want to be sure that they won't be able to stop their plans. Of course, those very same Displaced could be having second thoughts … Either way, Nautilus seems certain that the Myceneans won't try to hurt the Displaced, so they're there for more than one reason.

> B: PROJECT SPINETAIL: SAVING ONLY ZERZURA

As time passes, Spinetail will begin to track Nautilus' movement, paranoid that too many of the Displaced will wish to follow their plan. The scientists at Spinetail don't believe in a third option. Too grounded in what they believe to be true, it seems as if they reject anything that otherwise presents itself to the world. They believe that the Displaced need to live here and be happy, and will ignore any contradictions to the contrary.

In order for them to carry out their plan, they will need to completely stop Nautilus, and find a way to prevent them from destroying the four points. To do this, they will need at least four Displaced assisting them to maintain the fantasy. They'll need to get in to the four points with the Myceneans, take down the Displaced and Nautilus there, and connect with the fragile point in reality. By interacting with it and asking it to close, they will take away one of the unstable points of Zerzura, and will be choosing to let go of all life on the other side.

No Displaced will be able to close more than one point. When they interact with the fragile point, they will seem to exist in a space between Zerzura and reality. They'll see a large piece of technology, clearly native to the world of 2511. Its shape is hard to make out, as if fatigue obscures it, but as it stabs downward, it seems to be spear-like in nature. The sensation of this technology is painful: and they feel this pain all at once, splintering them in two—and then into thousands upon thousands of pieces. They'll see glimmers of colors in the corner of their eyes that will then fade into nothing. And in that moment, they'll feel a small part of New Amsterdam's world break, and they'll be filled with a flood of blinding grief.

They won't be able to do this accidentally. They will need to make a conscious choice in the process, knowing that their decision at this point will allow billions of people—and the world under their feet—to die.

> C: LOCATING THE SPEAR: THE TRUST FALL

At the heart of everything that's been inconsistent or unknown about Zezura has been a spear. The Spinetail scientists were thinking about it, and some people knew to seek it out, recalling that it had been a centerpiece of the facility from the dreamscape. Its location was unknown, only taking shape as the Displaced managed to help Nautilus find the four locations that would end Zerzura completely. Equidistant from all four points, the spear would take shape above ground, near the center of Zerzura itself.

Anyone from Zerzura won't be able to interact with the spear without feeling themselves fraying at the seams. Only the Displaced—either back to their normal identities, or subsumed by the fantasy of Zerzura—will be able to get close to the spear. In order to protect Zerzuran citizens—and perhaps the spear itself—Spinetail asks that the Myceneans stand guard around the spear. In order to get to it, the Displaced will either have to be very convincing, or up for a fight. Or both—depending on how they go about it.

Once they're within a ten foot radius of the spear, each of the Displaced will be hit with a feeling of grief, betrayal, and sadness. They'll feel as if they're both underwater and not, but easily able to breathe. As they draw closer, they'll have a sense of knowing: knowing that this spear is the source of the pain behind this world and all of its grief, and that Zerzura itself was never meant to exist. But it does exist. The people here have the potential of being real, of being brought to life. No matter the reasons for the conflict between Spinetail and Nautilus, it seems as if that conflict was the source of pain in some way. Someone's pain, at some time, even if it feels nebulous, divided, unclear.

The next step won't be unclear, however. As they get closer, they'll get an image of three individuals trusting the spear and what it offers them: Rey, Kylo Ren, and Cain. Their clear thoughts and hope as they remove the spear will show them the way. But they need to trust and hope; they need to wish to see these two worlds to a better place.

In doing so, any Displaced will know they could die. That they will die. But it could lead to something better, something more whole. It could—should, will—be healing. They just need to trust: trust themselves, trust those who did a similar act before, and give themselves away.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Please refer to the OOC EVENT POST for this event for all OOC info, including suggestions for directions on how to engage with the event. Any additional questions about the log will be taken below, as we want to keep that in one place, and we used the planning post quite heavily in developing the log itself!

The outcome for this event will depend on character decisions made as the event proceeds. In order to let us know which outcome your character will ultimately choose, reply to the OUTCOMES CHOICE thread below. You will have until SEPTEMBER 7 to reply. Each character gets to have a unique outcome.

In order to play out movement toward these outcomes, players can begin as soon as they want. They can thread out working to help Nautilus find the four points, or even seeking out more information about the spear. For anyone working in conflict for options A and B, we recommend planning anything out together, but characters pursuing and ultimately ending up on option C can end up there however they might like. In addition, characters can take option C even if it isn't the majority outcome.

Please do not begin to thread out any aftermath until September 8th, which is when we will put up the aftermath log and OOC post.

As a reminder, there is one power level up available for this event. This will be granted for a thread of at least 5 action/log comments containing your character saving someone from their fantasy by removing an object or by being saved. They will need to reach the 5 comments required by SEPTEMBER 23 to be eligible. Submission will be handled on the wrap up post.

Our Activity Check will be posted SEPTEMBER 1 at 12 AM UTC. It will run for seven days and close on SEPTEMBER 8 at 12 AM UTC. We will not post a warning list.

end_recording: (Default)

Jonathan Sims [open + closed]

[personal profile] end_recording 2019-08-24 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I. AU - The Library [open]
The library of Zerzura is a building filled with light, let in by expansive windows.

Jonathan has been at the library long enough to be considered part of the institution (somehow, despite him being only 32. Not that anyone would believe he's so young.). No matter how obscure the book, Jonathan knows where it is—a walking card catalog. And somehow he always knows when someone's breaking a rule, appearing out of the non-existent shadows to deliver admonishment. The clash of his fastidious, academic mien and penchant for the occult taken with his inexplicable assortment of vivid scars combine in the form of ominous rumors tittered between younger patrons. Nothing too serious: Jonathan may be a curmudgeon but he's too stodgy to be anything cool like an actual cult member.

To regular patrons, Jonathan is an active and interested audience who will listen to anyone go on about their specialty. He can be found at the information desk, wandering around the stacks or perhaps if you are breaking a rule, Jonathan will find you.

-------------------------------

II. AU - Dante's Shop [closed]
No-one who knows Jonathan, either personally or by reputation, would expect to see him in an establishment that reeked of beer and grease. It was not, as the kids would say his scene. If not for the proprietor, Jonathan very likely would have never set foot here, but by now he could almost be called a regular.

If Dante was a little more efficient about his statements, Jonathan might not have to make so many trips. But however disorganized, Dante had an extensive amount of knowledge, and as a researcher it was Jonathan's job to collect it. Guitar riffs and all.

Today, he's almost eager as he enters the shop. With everything going on—Nautilus, Project Spinetail—well, Jonathan's hoping Dante will have some perspective on things. And if not... at least he'll get a good story.

He clears his throat. "Dante?" He had long since stopped with 'Mr. Sparda', unless Dante was being particular aggravating.



((I'm also fine with small text! If you are interested in a particular scene my plotting comment is here or you can reach me on plurk [plurk.com profile] praecipitanter))
Edited 2019-08-24 19:14 (UTC)
deicider: (kNL7Oy7)

Ojiro Juniper (Sniper) [open + closed]

[personal profile] deicider 2019-08-24 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I. AU - Public Figure
With as small as Zerzura is, finding Ojiro is never hard. Attention follows them like a wake follows a ship. They can frequently be found doing impromptu question and answer sessions in cafes, street corner interviews, or having open informational sessions in the front room of their offices.

Ojiro's is a presence that belittles Nautilus's dire warnings through sheer optimism and passion. Unfailingly they make the prospect of Zerzura's rapid expansion sound like a privilege and a dream. They never bad mouth governor
Henries; instead they speak of what a gifted scientist he is, and emphasize that he should be freed to devote all his time to the practice, which will be sure benefit Zerzura. They offer themself as a candidate not as the answer to Zerzura's problems, but as a tireless advocate for flourishing and stability through these critical times.

-------------------------------

II. AU - Meeting Dr. Strange [closed]
Ojiro Juniper's campaign offices are located on a busy pedestrian street, ground floor, well-marked and busy with a sense of organized chaos. As for actual 'campaigning', Ojiro handles that themself; the majority of the staff on hand are researchers, constantly collecting data on Zerzura's expansion and how to translate am exponential increase in world complexity into policy.

Someone pokes their head into the back office to let Ojiro know Stephen is there, and only a moment later Ojiro themself half-jogs out to meet him.

Looking at Ojiro, it's easy to where their detractors get air-headed from. Besides their youthful looks, there's a slightly roguish tilt to their smile, and a sense of bright, irrepressible energy that translates into quick and springing movements. Their eager delight at meeting Stephen is plain on their face, but so is the keen sweep of their eyes as they size Stephen up.

Stephen will find a mind as disciplined and precise as the body that had netted Ojiro athletic infamy as a record-breaking gymnast. Ojiro easily processes in parallel: Wondering about Stephen's character and motivations, breaking down his usefulness, evaluating the potential amusement Stephen might bring their restless, curious mind. All of their impressions are slotted neatly into these categories, weighed for importance, immediate relevance, and necessary follow-up. At the center of the flurry of activity, there is a fierce, passionate longing for Zerzura and it's people to flourish, to be better. The whole contents of Ojiro's mind circles this one ambition like the planets circle the sun, enthralled by its gravity.

-------------------------------

III. nonAU - Around Town and The Spinetail Dorms
Sniper will only be in the dorms during the first few days; after that, they find their own place in town. To anyone who asks they'll explain they don't like being in Spinetail's facility. With Zerzura not being very large, Sniper's easy to find around town.

On the first night, they can be found wandering down the dormitory hallway, poking their head into the suites. Maybe even yours.


((I'm also fine with small text! If you are interested in a particular scene my plotting comment is here or you can reach me on plurk [plurk.com profile] praecipitanter))
Edited 2019-08-24 19:14 (UTC)
heliophilous: (【ONE HUNDRED TWENTY ONE】)

marcos diaz ( ota )

[personal profile] heliophilous 2019-08-24 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
▶ 01. ARRIVE

[ it's getting a little tiring to be taken places without his consent but it's not like he can do anything about it. not after the fact, at least.

after listening to the spiel given him to everyone by crane, he steps out into the bright light of zerzura and sets about trying to figure out a way home.

he spends time in the dormitory, settling himself down and meeting those in the rooms around him. he checks on those he knows to make sure they've come over with him. he spends a lot of time in his room, trying to avoid getting involved with things.

but, as the days pass, he ends up with a job at a small garage that barely gets any customers but keeps him busy. when he's not minding the front desk, he's tinkering around on some of the old beaters the owner does keep around.

at night, he walks. he goes up and down the streets of zerzura, stopping when he finds the graffiti of what he guesses is some organization trying to opposite spinetail. he touches the lines of the creation before moving on. he doesn't know what to think.

he feels very far away from everything he knows. ]


▶ 02. ASSIMILATE

[ it happens seamlessly. one day he remembers being from a completely different place and the next, he's settled into a life that he loves, with all memories of the past packed away.

he works hard during the day, mostly as a mechanic at one of the local garages, and comes home at night to relax. sometimes, he goes out during the evening hours if he wants a change of pace and sometimes he makes house calls to those that can't get their vehicles to him.

it's a simple, quiet life and he keeps to himself, for the most part. he doesn't make waves, letting spinetail and nautilus do what they want to do. he refuses to call it burying his head in the sand but he has what he likes.

he doesn't want to ruin that by making waves. ]


▶ 03. REJECTION

[ it's...difficult to realize what he'd thought true had been a life. difficult and painful in a physical way. he hates it and finds himself wanting to go back even though that brings about feelings of shame because he knows what he'd be giving up.

he's angry at both groups. he's just so tired of being used by people to get what they want.

marcos ends up back in the dormitory eventually, trying to figure out what the hell was going on and how the hell he could just get out of this place with his sanity intact. ]


▶ 04. WILDCARD

[ feel free to throw anything at me! [plurk.com profile] spoonishly for plotting. these are just some ideas to get going but i'm with anything. ]
Edited 2019-08-24 19:47 (UTC)
resleeves: (S I X)

takeshi kovacs ( ota )

[personal profile] resleeves 2019-08-24 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
▶ 01. OUT OF THE FRYING PAN

[ you know who doesn't give two shits about the lectures and the pleas to help this fucking world? it's kovacs. he doesn't care especially considering he'd been dealing perfectly fine in new amsterdam and now he was in this bright fucking place with new people and he had to, once again, adjust.

he does that by finding the first place that sells weed that he can and sets up shop there. more likely than not, that's where you're going to find him. sometimes, he leaves and causes some trouble, letting the fucking authorities drag him in for a night in jail before they pat him on the shoulder and let him go the next morning.

lather, rinse, repeat. that's his life on this stupid fucking planet. let it die around him or whatever. he's not lifting a finger to make shit work. ]


▶ 02. INTO THE FIRE

[ he lives alone and that's how he likes it. he lives alone in an apartment with as many locks as he has fingers and he doesn't let anyone in. not even his editors.

he'll fucking go to them. and when he's ready, he does. people know him because of his many books about the conflict between spinetail and nautilus. he's always taken a biased look, exploring their histories and why things are the way they are but lately, he's been leaning more towards one side than the other which brings him more attention than he wants.

when he does leave his apartment, it's to buy groceries for a few weeks or to buy more weed. sometimes, he'll have a drink at a bar and sometimes (though rarely), he'll have a meal out but he does that less and less as more and more people read his work.

he should have worked under a fucking pen name. ]


▶ 03. WILDCARD

[ feel free to throw anything at me! [plurk.com profile] spoonishly for plotting. these are just some ideas to get going but i'm with anything. ]
Edited 2019-08-24 20:01 (UTC)
kgbs: (T H I R T Y N I N E)

illya kuryakin ( ota )

[personal profile] kgbs 2019-08-24 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
▶ 01. IS THIS JUST REAL LIFE?

[ the dormitories are small and cramped. he's reminded of some of the places he'd stayed when he'd first started with the kgb. the difference is that here, people talk to each other, discussing what has happened and what to do. that had not happened during his training.

he doesn't talk much. he listens but he doesn't talk.

when daylight dawns, he is out of bed to figure out what this place is. even though he does not want to, he knows that speaking to people is the best way to understand this place. most people are receptive to his questions even in the gruff way that he asks them. they tell him what he wants to know and they answer for as long as he has questions.

he comes away curious but not satisfied. while he wants to know more about spinetail and nautilus, it's nautilus that that finds him. they talk to him in hushed tones while he's getting coffee and then leave.

at least they have not tried to kill him. they are, in that vein, better than the una. ]


▶ 02. OR IS THIS JUST FANTASY?

[ teaching his is passion and anyone that meets him will know it. his students love him, his coworkers respect him and he goes home happy and fulfilled each night.

most of his lectures occur in the morning because he's always been an early riser and he finds that most students are at their best then. they're less likely to blow something up in the lab, at least. during the afternoon hours, you'll find him in his office or meandering around the campus, reading or enjoying the fresh air.

when the work day is over, he grabs a bite to eat on the way home and then spends his nights reading or making lesson plans. the next day is more of the same and illya wouldn't change it for the world. ]


▶ 03. WILDCARD

[ feel free to throw anything at me! [plurk.com profile] spoonishly for plotting. these are just some ideas to get going but i'm with anything. ]
forcevisions: (the boys and girls)

rey (open + closed pieces)

[personal profile] forcevisions 2019-08-25 12:26 am (UTC)(link)
florist shop (ota)
[ starting early into their stay in zerzura, rey takes up work with a florist. dressed in all the bright colors she struggles to find in new amsterdam, breezy and comfortable, hair long enough now to be piled on top of her head.

in the first week, the florist has kindly offered to teach rey everything that she knows about flowers, and rey can be found flitting from flower display to flower display trying to scribble cards with labels and getting corrected gently by her supervisor.

by the third week it's clear that she's lost sight of needing to be outside the shop. rey--or kira solo, which is now the only thing she's responding to--has slipped completely into the comfortable persona that makes her feel like she belongs here. she spends her time in the shop growing the plants with her power, chest glowing blue, reshaping them and singing along with the radio. it's hard to find her anywhere else that week because she's seemed to have forgotten all of her intensity about figuring out the link between zerzura and new amsterdam.

in fact, anyone who asks her about the dreams gets met with a fluttery look of confusion. this is especially a problem, now that the spear she wouldn't shut up about has been located and the image of her face greets any who draw close to it.
]


spinetail facility (ota)
[ when not helping out at the local flower shop, rey can be found making life difficult for the employees of project spinetail. she asserts herself with all the focus and drive of a doberman, sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, trying to get into areas of the facility that they've decided are off limits.

it's possible to find her getting ushered away from one of the lab spaces, but it's also just as likely to find her interrogating one of the scientists about Governor Henries.
] I just want to talk to him. Maybe he's seen these things.

[ regardless, all she can seem to talk about is the spinetail itself, and the fact that its facility looks identical to the dream landscape, that its name is taken from the bird, and that she knows the spear and the bridges must be here somewhere. ]


the spear (for anyone interested in part c, esp cain or kylo ren)
[ after jyn wakes her up, reminds her of who she is, rey knows where she needs to go. the trouble lies in getting close to it. the myceneans put up a good fight, and they've made it hard for anyone else in the city to go against them. in the same way of new amsterdam, they have a way of assuming that a disarmed populace is a harmless populace.

rey disagrees.

she uses the same power they'd venerated the displaced for, using her gravity to throw a fist of guards aside, her hand outstretched. anyone else who's thinking of keeping the rest of the displaced away from the spear might be liable for the same treatment.

once she's close to it, the grief of before returns. it seems centered around the spear, just like in the dream. she wonders, now, if it was a vision all along. leading her to this place.
] We can help them. [ her voice is filled with a warm, unerring hope, even as something sad cracks into it. ]
watcherless: (Default)

faith (ota)

[personal profile] watcherless 2019-08-25 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
week one - causing problems (ota)
[ the people of zerzura think they're some kind of saviors, but this whole beautiful, perfect place just makes faith want to puke. it unnerves her like nothing else, made worse by the fact that she's been jostled into future earth and then to this half-place that she's got some kind of jet lag-vertigo-anxiety going on that makes her skin buzz and itch.

everything's so easy for the people here. it's too perfect. it's wrong.

that's what faith settles on, and that's why she heads away from project spinetail and into the city proper with her sights set on causing some destruction. she waits until after dark.

a. the first thing she does is start a bar fight. to hear faith say it, the guy's hand was on her ass, but he's there with another guy, and he insists that nothing of the sort happened. faith's shouting that he should keep his fucking hands to himself when the bartender gets involved, putting himself between them, and faith tries to deck him too. except her strength's not in it. her whole slayer mojo seems to be gone here too.

b. after she's kicked out of the bar, she takes it upon herself to cause more problems, getting a trash can from the side of the street and throwing it through a store window so she can climb inside while the alarm rings and steal a nice new leather jacket. nicer than anything she'd come out of the safehouse at new amsterdam with.

c. the myceneans, of course, show up and arrest her. faith thrashes against them the whole time, spitting, headbutting, and generally making things harder for herself. but she seems content, somehow. like spending the night in jail will prove something she's been trying to prove.
]
week two - philosophical discussions about nautilus (ota)
[ once she's run her head into the wall enough times, faith gives up being a wrecking ball. she gets in her head that maybe, just maybe, it's true what they say: that new amsterdam is dying, and that this place could save it.

that's around the time she learns what nautilus is. she's at the bar, grappling with the idea, when she asks after the symbol. the bartender asks her to stick around. faith lingers.




later, after learning of nautilus and their blue god, faith's convinced. they're the bad guys. they're trying to recruit because they have designs on destroying this place, and the path forward is clear: protect it. that's what a hero does, and maybe if she's here, maybe if she's really got a fresh start, that can be her. so she shows back up to spinetail, and any displaced still lingering around the facility, genuinely interested in helping:
] The word 'Nautilus' mean anything to you?
week four - raiding the four nautilus locations (ota)
[ faith heads out with a squad of myceneans, laughing and joking and talking about how they can't wait to catch a smoke break after this, and it might be the closest faith's ever come to feeling a part of something — herself. not in buffy's body. and it feels good. right. ]

You know where we're going? [ and one of them—one who had also been involved in arresting her, actually—does. they head to the location in the dead of night, where nautilus is said to be fucking off, planning to hinder spinetail. faith watches from a distance to try and scope out what's going on, strangely patient. ] You seeing what I'm seeing?

[ hell, spilling over into this perfect place. reality shifting. it doubles her down. when she sees signs of nautilus movement — or any of the displaced helping them — faith runs in to stop them. damn the consequences of her lacking strength. she's ready to be the hero. ] HEY!
Edited 2019-08-25 00:45 (UTC)
impede: (restrained without a nose.)

goro akechi | mostly ota

[personal profile] impede 2019-08-25 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
investigating (pre-AU)

[Early on, Akechi won't trust the scenario that's being sold to him. He's not a naturally trusting individual in general: believing that the world wants nothing to do with him, he feels as if there are gaps in the logic of what Project Spinetail tries to sell the Displaced as a whole. And—he notes—it's no different from what he feels that Cassius was trying to do: play to their sympathies, offer them a "better way," and then let them flounder in a rush to make that happen.

The thing that strikes him about all of it is the lack of justice. No justice for the people outside—and little room for it here, as this world is perfect and idyllic, giving little room otherwise.

So, it's time to investigate. One of the first things he'll do is happily accept a change in wardrobe. If one of the other Displaced are present when he does this, he'll say something along the lines of "needing to fit in" because "this is where they'll live from now on." Akechi is keen to give off the impression that he's now accepted this life.

But he'll be peppering people with questions: who is Nautilus? What "threat" do they pose to Zerzura? How would someone "stop" that threat, as he's very interested?

Eventually, he'll end up with Nautilus, happily seeking the four points in the city.

Akechi isn't here to play to someone's whims and be the hero. That means Zerzura needs to end.]


family matters [ locked to the strange family borg ]

[Desperation has always been Akechi's weak point. It's the name of his power for a reason, the name of the effect that he uses to drive people toward madness. As much as he remains cynical about his surroundings, he begins to slip. He rejects everything about it, which means that he can't help but be a part of it soon enough. Sometimes, someone does protest entirely too much.

In his alternate life, Akechi is the unwanted child who's done nothing to cause problems. At least: that's what his teenage angst has developed for him. Whether there's a basis of truth in that, it's hard to say. Akechi feels most at ease when he's unhappy in some way. Clever, a bit of a celebrity, and eager to stomp out the Nautilus problem, he returns to the Strange family abode with a briefcase in hand and a sense for interrogation. He doesn't knock, believing that—despite everything—this is still his home in a way.]


I need to speak with all of you. It's a professional matter, so there's no need to be all ... sentimental. I'm hoping to prevent Nautilus' future success here. [His voice is loud and carries, intending to draw out anyone else who may be there. As far as he knows, this is the night they do meals? But then, he hasn't made a point in trying to find them.

He does, however, reach out telepathically—seeing if anyone's home. Nudging anyone with a quick "hello." Akechi has always hated his family being in his head, so that hasn't changed.]


destructive tendencies (post-AU)

[Once he's released from his "fantasy"—a family that still shuns him, or that's how he interprets it after the fact—he's enraged. Though his advanced power allows him to do more than cause people to go berserk, he uses that power for the most part, driving people into waves of insanity, setting up little triggers for the people of Zerzura so they can act out when they least expect it.

Akechi will be subtle when he does this. Still playing the part of the celebrity detective, he'll be uncomfortable, uneasy. But charming, smiling. Happy to take someone's hands and set them in motion. He wants to show how easy it is to make Zerzura play to his whims, especially when he seeks to destroy it.

He'll be at one of the four points when it's time to do just that, armed with his abilities and a devious, crooked smile.]


Let the Myceneans through. They won't be themselves once I'm done with them.

[Annoying that his power still involves contact, but he'll deal with it.]

wildcard

[Akechi is a celebrity detective who works with the Myceneans in his AU. He resents his family and has a lot of the same narcissistic tendencies as his father, but without any real desire to do good. While in his AU, he'll investigate the Displaced who have been brought over, but he'll be unstable once he's brought back to himself. In his AU, he'll be happy and a bit of a food snob. His issues will only revolve around his family, and that's because that's where he feels most comfortable.

I'm happy for him to work with anyone to cause chaos with his power, change people's mindsets, or whatever. I'm happy to have him use that on any Displaced maliciously! Hit me up in PMs or in Discord at alison#8996 to hash that out.

I also have a post for him here from early on in the event.]
inherited: (this is happening to me)

riku | ota

[personal profile] inherited 2019-08-25 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Although Riku won't be absorbed into Zerzura's consciousness, he'll learn that there is one waiting for him in time. A jock who loves running around the city in the morning, who helps out at a bunch of shops after school every day, and who has a loving family and a cute girlfriend named Nill. His dad is Peter Parker of all people and his mom is an awesome scientist named Gaby Teller-Parker. To these people of this world, he's their nice kid. All of it would be nice, and as the people come to recognize him, he'll feel uneasy.

After all: how long until he slips and becomes someone he's not?

(It wouldn't be the first time.)

In reality, Riku will never slip. He'll always remain himself. That means he'll want to figure out the mystery of what's going on, and find a way to help the people of this world without sacrificing the people outside. That means he'll be reticent to help out with Nautilus: their aim doesn't suit him. Time to be a rebel and try to save everyone.

His goals moving forward will be simple: stop Nautilus, save his friends from their fantasies, and keep anyone from hurting anyone else they might care about because of their fantasies. In order to be successful, he'll try to find other people like him—those who haven't slipped into their fantasies—so they can work together with clear minds and find an answer for what's going on.

When it's all nearing an end, Riku will be taking the third path: option C. He'll stand at the spear, ready to go. The moment someone's beside him, he'll nod toward them as if to indicate, "Let's go."]


[ooc: since this is all one big wildcard prompt, Riku is here for any needs! Saving? Healing? Fighting Myceneans? He'll be down to do what he needs for anyone.]
strove: (i just do crappy things)

clarke griffin | ota

[personal profile] strove 2019-08-25 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[So much of what Clarke has always wanted is a place where her fight can truly be over. That's not because she's not a fighter. That's a lie in every way, because even when she's been keen to give up, her subconscious has stepped in to remind her that this isn't truly what she wants. No, what Clarke wants is a place for her to be with her loved ones. To be at peace. After her time in Sanctum, Clarke trust Project Spinetail and will let anyone know at first.

Unfortunately, Clarke's innate goals and hopes for peace for her and her people make her ripe for the assimilation here in Zerzura. At the transition between weeks one and two, she'll already be Clarke Griffin: wife of Octavia Blake and mother of Madi Griffin-Blake. She'll be a community leader, a pain in Project Spinetail's sides because bringing in outsiders to rely on them is questionable, and generally a major promoter of good things in Zerzura.

In the end, Clarke will be working toward these goals:

1. Stopping Nautilus. Always a bit reckless, Clarke will take to the streets and do something as little as ripping down their posters and as big as accosting anyone with the tattoos. She'll demand answers on what they have planned.

2. Working toward saving only Zerzura. Believing that only Zerzura can outlast this entire conundrum, she'll be trying to follow anyone who's working with Nautilus. Be ready to be harassed by an angry Clarke Griffin (who will be embarrassed about this later).

3. Protecting her daughter and her wife. Madi and Octavia mean the world to her. While Madi will be mysteriously absent, she'll still be on Clarke's mind. There will be some domestic bliss between all the chaos.

4. Nosing in on people's investigations. Asking questions? Testing soil? Being generally Suspicious? Clarke doesn't need an excuse. She'll cause problems for the Displaced and the adapted Displaced who still want to combine the two worlds.

5. Trying to make option B play out correctly. The problem is that Clarke—while a decent fighter with a power set that can devastate in Zerzura—won't be in her right mind. Cunning? Yes. But when she's this blindly determined, she can see literally nothing else. When it's time to make a choice, Clarke will be there to destroy the world outside. But she needs to be stopped and brought to her senses before it's too late.]

[ooc: Clarke plans are here! Let Clarke be the annoying neighbor trope who shows up whenever she thinks someone is being Suspicious (IE trying to stop Zerzura's longevity). I don't have anyone in place to tackle her and keep her from going for choice B, but that's the thing I most want to have happen! Hit me up in the plotting comment, on Discord at alison#8996, or in PMs to figure anything out if you're not sure. I'm down for comedy or anything else. I'm also down to have Clarke viciously hurt someone who tries to save her before the end.]
myownwoman: (♕ sehen)

gaby teller » open

[personal profile] myownwoman 2019-08-26 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
come on and slam.
[ gaby is uncomfortable with much of zerzura, but chiefly the praises being heaped on her. on the displaced as a whole, for saving them, but it makes gaby's skin crawl having it directed in any way at her specifically. this world feels wrong. she'd barely gotten used to earth in the future, adding in a new, still growing world is not what she had in mind.

before she can tamp the telepathy down, her mind is a mess of mostly frustrated thoughts. she hates being pushed around, she hates feeling out of control, she hates feeling like she is being used as a pawn. she did not escape from behind the iron curtain for some higher being or some elusive scientist to decide that she doesn't get a say in her own life anymore.

she is not good company in the dormitories, especially as time passes, but at least her disquiet is silent. ]

and welcome to the jam.
[ and, yet, gaby easily finds herself succumbing to the fantasy of a life lived without war, of following in her father's footsteps, not of betrayal and lies, but of science. it doesn't occur to her to question being married or a parent even though she has never met peter parker and she is far to young to be the mother of a teenager. she's too young to be the mother of someone in the double digits, period. but none of that matters because it is real to gaby -- she has mom friends, she and her husband have a date night, she has a job that she loves and is good at.

the gaby of zerzura is far different from the real gaby teller, not at all as standoffish as a lifetime of war and cold war has made her. she is open and effusive and proud of her family legacy of science and knowledge. (of course she would marry peter parker.)

find her on her way to or from work, at the grocer's shopping for pizza ingredients for her husband, or standing in the front garden, hands on hips and muttering: ]
Where the hell is Riku?

[ have you seen my son, nemo? ]

here's your chance.
[ when prompto manages to pull her out of her fantasy it hurts. she's never thought of herself as someone who wanted the domestic life, mainly because it was so far out of her realm of possibility. life went on behind the iron curtain, sure, but not so much for gaby.

since hurt is not something she particularly wants to feel, gaby doesn't. she shuts it down, shoving it aside in favor of cold fury -- sometimes literally cold, considering.

this world doesn't deserve to exist, is the conclusion that gaby comes to, but she is smart enough to tear down the in she has; she continues to go to work, she continues to exist in the sphere of life that zerzura decided she should lose herself in, because if she has that in she can get other people in. she isn't subtle about it amongst the displaced, even going so far as seeking out nautilus to perhaps help them along in their destruction.

regardless of interacting with gaby, watch out for huge, towering spikes of ice or fields of penitentes when her temper gets the better of her. ]

wildcard.
( do yo thang. come at me with any au things based on her plotting. )
lighthearted: up, thinking, neutral (and what is what))

sora | ota

[personal profile] lighthearted 2019-08-28 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
i. assimilation (AU wildcard)
[ It doesn't take long at all for Sora to become assimilated into the world of Zerzura. The new life and its perks take him over just a few days into the Displaced's stay in this strange new world, and he falls into it as easily as one might fall into a dream.

He has, of course, been in this situation before. This time, though, there had been no warning. The change hadn't been gradual, and part of that is because Sora's personality and general outlook on life remain generally unchanged.

At first it might be difficult to even tell that there's been a change, but Sora will be seen around the Project Spinetail dorms less and less often, instead busy running around with a group of friends. He seems to always be at the center of that group, regardless of who's with him, whether it's Zerzura natives or other Displaced.

He can be found anywhere around the city, though he never seems to be in school. Is there some kind of break right now? That certainly seems to be the case, at least in his little world. He makes frequent visits to Dante's music shop and will also end up staying with Diana, his adoptive mother.

Life is carefree and simple, and Sora seems to excel at anything that he puts his mind to. But the concept of some other world that needs saving or what his role might be in that seems to have been completely forgotten. ]

ii. post-AU
[ With Roxas' help, Sora comes to his senses toward the end of the third week spent in Zerzura. It's disorienting to realize that he'd spent so much time living another life and discouraging to accept that he'd once again been manipulated by forces that had taken hold of his heart.

Now that Sora's aware again, he feels like he's got a lot of catching up to do. Riku's able to get him up to speed on most of it pretty quickly, but he's still left asking a lot of questions. Even if this world might have drawn him in and tried to keep him for itself, that doesn't mean that it should die. Even if those friendships he'd experienced hadn't formed in a normal way, he still doesn't believe anyone who lives here deserves to no longer exist.

a. He can be found lingering outside of the Project Spinetail building, wandering around it and sizing it up. He hadn't spent much time here while assimilated, so he's seeing it in a whole new light now.

If someone approaches him, he'll turn toward them and ask: ]
It looks like the place from those dreams, doesn't it? [ Who would have thought that the clue they were looking for would be here?

b. Once information is uncovered about the spear and it shows itself, Sora makes a point of trying to get close. Unfortunately, there's a whole set of guards surrounding the spear, and while he knows that they're only trying to keep people safe, he wonders if there's something more to it too.

This could be the final piece of the puzzle, and while Sora knows that deep in his heart, he also knows what happened the last time that people tried to handle that spear and take it for themselves. Their hearts had almost been completely lost, and that had been a dream. Maybe this is too, they can't really be sure, but it makes him wary. ]


I don't know if touching it is the right answer, but I'm not sure what else we could try... [ He turns to whoever's with him, brow knit with concern. ] What do you think?

iii. wildcard
[ Anything that isn't covered by these prompts is fair game! My original plotting comment is here. Feel free to hit me up on Plurk ([plurk.com profile] demonology) or Discord (demonology#1725) if you want to plot something. ]
Edited 2019-08-28 02:10 (UTC)
hierophante: (107)

The OA / Nina Azarova (AU) | OTA

[personal profile] hierophante 2019-08-28 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
i. lead me through the light

Is this how it’s going to be now? Every time OA starts to find her footing again, every time she starts to grasp at the edges of… of everything, of all of it, of her place in the unfolding of all things, is it going to be pulled unceremoniously away again?

She drifts through that first day in a strange haze, numbness gnawing down and blunting the sharp edges of a desperate frustration. It keeps her calm enough through the orientation process, watchful but otherwise impassive. It’s once she’s been left alone in her dormitory for the first time that it all really washes over her. The silence, the solitude. It’s a comfortable place, but that’s almost worse, because she’s in it alone.

The sharp-edged polygon of light just visible through the door, slightly ajar, loses coherence as tears well up in her eyes. She succumbs to it, sinking to sit at the edge of the bed; there’s no fighting anymore: for the first time since being abruptly ripped from the Earth she once knew, OA allows herself unrestrainedly to weep.


ii. pull me from the water

Nina Azarova has had unusual dreams of late. They carry unusual potential, hint at strange portents; she’s never been one to take these things lightly. The mind works over what it knows in what ways it can: thought is not always conscious and understanding is not always plain. Perhaps there’s no such thing as prophecy – perhaps the question of its existence isn’t even relevant – but she trusts that the dreams are the language her psyche uses to tell her about herself. It doesn’t make her special: this is true of everyone. That certainty has carried her far, and it makes it all the more remarkable that she should find herself now unsettled.

She rises from her bed and dresses quickly, gathering up a notebook and pen before she slips out into the early morning. Nina needs space, open air; a place to sit and think that isn’t the suddenly oppressive stillness of her own room. She cards her fingers through her hair as she emerges into the dawn light, ensuring distractedly that it’s all in order. In spite of her preoccupation she manages warm smiles for passers-by.

The dreams mean something. She can feel it, even now, fully awake. They feel strange, almost like memory, like something in her trying to get out.

There’s an urgency to Nina’s movements as she finds a seat on a park bench, opening her notebook on her lap and uncapping the pen. A nosy passer-by isn’t necessarily likely to find much of use in her initial notes, should they stop to read them:

There is glass tank separated into five segments. I am standing outside of it in a darkened room. The tank is filled with water, which is suffused by a gentle glow whose origin I cannot find. Things are moving through the water; I reach out to touch the glass, to clear away condensation so that I can see inside. As soon as my fingers make contact, suddenly I am the thing in the water, and I am drowning. Through the glass where once I stood, there is now the shape of a man watching me.

the predator dream

the underworld instinct, she-who-knows, life/death/life?

I did not see any others but I knew they were there!


Of greater interest, however, are the things she begins to sketch below and betwixt the notes as they come to her. Strange shapes, strange creatures for a world without animals: Nina Azarova is, clumsily but unmistakably, drawing fish.

She glances up abruptly, catching the gaze of another early-morning wanderer and offering a small, uncharacteristically sheepish smile.


iii. hold my hand as something turns to me, turns me into you

Whether through the influence of the dreams or otherwise, Nina finds herself out and about even more than her perceived usual over the course of the week. Wherever they find her – sat at a terrace table in a cafe, watching the world go by with ever-present notebook in hand, poring over the goods on offer in a clothing store, leaning against a railing on a smoke break with her face upturned to the sun, hard at work in the library, or perhaps most surprisingly of all, out of an evening to drink and dance – those among the displaced who might recognise her will no doubt register the change immediately: unlike the OA, Nina Azarova is not afraid. Gone are the caution and the wariness; her warmth is unrestrained now. No distance save that of gentle distraction, no guile.

She even looks different, not just in the greater ease of her posture and confidence in her movements through the world but also in the fact that she seems to take greater pains in her appearance – not a great deal, but anything is more than none at all. Her clothing, while still simple, leans slightly further towards adornment as opposed to her usual, strictly practical wont.

To those who know her from her place in this world, from the photographs of the author gracing any of the modest handful of books she’s written perhaps, this openness and easy graciousness will not seem new at all. Her audience is fairly limited – her books might not be hefty tomes, but not everyone can be expected to take a great interest in her densely-penned musings on the psyche – meandering but thoughtful discussions of archetypes, symbology, the collective unconscious, dreams.


iv. wildcard

(( Surprise me, or hit me up via pm or at [plurk.com profile] v__ for something tailor-made! Also, here’s a link to my plotting comment for reference. Also, I’m fine with brackets if that’s your preferred method of playing, just respond as you like and I will happily follow your lead. ))
batricide: (Default)

damian wayne

[personal profile] batricide 2019-08-28 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
ASSIMILATION

[ Damian Strange is in A Bad Mood.

That's not new. He's usually in some kind of mood. It happens when you're the middle child, either you cause trouble or you get ignored, but he's in a mood and that mood means he's throwing himself wholeheartedly into whatever work means he doesn't have to talk to anyone. The young man's dark hair is pinned back from his face, a grease stain on his cheek, and a scowl etched deeply into his features.

What is his girlfriend disappearing has been re-remembered as a nasty breakup with a mutual agreement not to speak to each other. One he isn't keen to break. Even if he's very plainly hurting over it. damian is positively moping as he makes rounds around town.

When he's not in the mechanic shop, he can be found browsing through the stores for some much needed retail therapy - not that he'll admit that's why he's there. this jacket catches his eye and gives him pause, staring at the symbol on the chest for a little too long before he shrugs it off as too expensive and opts for something with slightly more protection. catch him grumbling to himself as he tries to find something that could, say, protect the wearer for some serious road rash.

eventually, he'll head home to the strange family home. the mood he's in intensifies a hundredfold and he'll try to duck around his siblings and father with as few words as possible, opting to retreat into his room. ]
Edited 2019-08-28 18:42 (UTC)

Alex Benedetto ( ota + a few closed)

[personal profile] windowsills 2019-08-29 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
➥ DOWN DELUSION LANE

THE PREMISE
Over the next few weeks the change in Alex becomes more and more apparent. It begins with small things: mentioning her favourite coffee shop she’s been visiting for years, what stores give the best discounts, rumours she’s read about the governor in some gossip rag or another. Almost like she is intimately familiar with the comings and goings of city. Then it becomes more elaborate: mentions of her brother and her parents waiting for her at home ( only to shake her head sheepishly and say that isn’t quite true, is it? She doesn't have one. But she could have sworn… ), and then suddenly she’s in it deep. A new identity is cemented and it’s got a vice like grip on her. She’s fully immersed and it will be very hard to shake.


➥ CHAPTER ONE: worick

[ Alex sits in the auditorium with about eighty other students. Most of them full time undergrads (and a slightly disproportionate amount of them women, Alex notes) but that’s not so surprising. Professor Arcangelo has a certain draw to him. A charismatic way of speaking and explaining clearly the basics and more refined elements of sign language. He is obviously the best and that’s why Alex is here taking one of his classes in the name of research. (and absolutely nothing to do with how the sunlight catches his long silvery eyelashes, or the sharp cut of his perfectly tailored blazer).

She’s more than content to sit and listen in the background and let everyone else participate, but this time, something makes her slowly raise her hand when he asks for a volunteer. She’s fairly sure she knows the answer, even if her face is warm in a self conscious flush. ]


➥ CHAPTER TWO: jiang cheng

[ they’re beautiful. The little white and purple and yellow buds nestled in pretty crisp wrapping around the stems. It’s a lovely and elegant bouquet, completely at odds with the classical aesthetic of the venue at alex’s meet and greet. She’s doing a reading today and as always, she’s surprised and delighted by the turn out.

The bouquet even more so, delivered by a serious and intense looking man. She glances up at him, a small smile on her lips. ]


They’re beautiful. Who did you say they are from again?


➥ CHAPTER THREE: el zio diablo (OPEN TO ANYONE)

[ Alex sits at the bar at Dante’s music shop, only now at this hour it’s a full on bar scene. People mill around, mingling, dancing and laughing as their night continues to get better and better. Alex watches carefully, one hand casually curled around the glass in front of her. It’s an electric blue colour and very sweet. Even more, fake sugared cherries bob along in it with the large chunks of ice. Alex suspects it's more a sugar rush she's feeling right now than a tipsy trip, but it's good all the same. It makes for good people watching.

The atmosphere is laid back and relaxing until a glass smashes to the ground, a drink spilling everywhere. ]


O-oh!

[ Alex is a frequent enough customer that she doesn’t hesitate to get to her feet with some napkins to help clean up the spill. ]

It’s okay, it’s not that bad. Dante probably has a mop somewhere...

➥ CHAPTER FOUR: wildcard

[ for anything else! Original plotting comment is here if you want to pitch an idea. Alex can be seen around the city living a blissful charmed life. Feel free to pop the bubble or join in to the fray, etc ]
monomachy: baobabble @ ij (sucker)

diana prince | ota

[personal profile] monomachy 2019-08-29 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
i never leave well enough alone [ASSIMILATION]

[Diana is, of course, suspicious about Project Spinetail's motivations for bringing them here. And while those suspicions linger through her assimilation, they aren't quite enough to keep her from falling into the trap after a week or so in the city.

During the first week, Diana will spend a lot of her time snooping around at night, trying to find out more about Project Spinetail and how they've managed to bring the displaced to Zerzura. When Nautilus reveals themselves, she'll be doing research on their Blue God, trying to find out any lore she can.

By the second week, she'll have fallen mostly under Zerzura's spell. She'll have three children of her own (how doesn't matter, all she knows is she loves them), and be a veritable socialite of the Zerzura world. Between owning an art gallery that is regularly rented out for private events and parties, her job as a professor of art theory at the city's university, and the women's self-defense class she teaches on the weekends, her schedule is always full. Still, she makes time to swing by the local bars every now and then to catch up with old friends and meet new acquaintances.]


and trouble's gonna follow where i go [WILDCARD]

[ooc; i'm down for anything! diana will eventually be pulled out of the fantasy, and will be feeling hella guilty about it. feel free to pm me or hit me up on plurk at [plurk.com profile] watchet for anything specific!]
warfares: <user name="na-i-cons"> (pic#12152397)

kylo ren - ota.

[personal profile] warfares 2019-08-29 04:26 pm (UTC)(link)
» ѕpιɴeтαιl ғαcιlιтy - weeĸ oɴe

( it's a lot to process.

once the bewilderment passes, a sense of déjà vu settles into its place, bringing the realization that he has, in fact, been here before. the dreamscape is not a pleasant memory but it's not one he's inclined to forget.

certainly not when he'd died here, caught in the thrall of that karking spear.

speaking of the spear, when the doctor — crane, her name is crane, offered up with an awkward duck of her head that is far too apologetic — explains where they are and how they had been brought there, his interest is certainly piqued. there had been a theory, back in the early days of their arrival in new amsterdam, when something similar to this had been ventured; the harvest festival's volunteers adding another layer, another dimension worth considering, and he knows that there is a connection somewhere. somehow. he just needs to pause, to think, to find it.

but there is no getting around the fact that her answers are also vague. unsatisfying. there's a desperate sort of optimism that suggests that she's holding more than a few things back. )


They want to use us. ( obviously. how they intend to do that, what risks they might face if they agree, has yet to be disclosed, and el's deception is not so far removed from the present that he's about to agree. not without more answers. answers he aims to find for himself.

starting with the spear. )



» zerzυrα - weeĸ oɴe/тwo

( say what you will, the city is a marvel. much of the first week in zerzura is spent walking the streets and taking in the limited sights. there's something unsettling in its beauty. something he cannot quite place a finger on.

he finds a noodle shop where he orders himself a red bean bun and a mug of something that's close enough to the mushroom tea of new amsterdam that he isn't immediately repelled. he asks a lot of questions. governor henries, in particular, is a point of interest. just what are these unscrupulous experiments? and where, exactly, is his lab?

this is also how he comes to learn of nautilius and their goals. he catches sight of a familiar looking tattoo, which leads him to ask after its meaning. the person — a boy not much younger than himself — finds his interest curious, something that deepens into delight at the revelation that there are people from his world that had shared a similar sense of taste.

curiosity will eventually lead him to the university, to their library, in search of whatever he can find of the blue god. to ask after henries and his surprising collection of degrees. )


One wonders where he found the time.


» zerzυrα colleɢe - weeĸ тwo/тнree

( it's difficult to pinpoint precisely when the change happens, only that it does. kylo ren is shucked like a snake skin, discarded on the ground, as ben solo takes his first breath in close to a decade.

ben solo is a student at the local college, an aspiring artist that could stand to not take himself quite so seriously. often he can be found tucked into a corner somewhere, working; paint is smeared across long fingers in a riot of color.

gradually, an image takes form: a spear suspended mid air, its head topped with four birds. copper and grey. next come the thick, white roots that crawl along the haft. and there's something very purposeful about them. an intent. like they will drag the spear down, down, down into the earth with them given a chance. draw it down until it is consumed entirely.

eventually his brush is set aside, hand brushing across his mouth as he surveys his work, brows furrowed. )


Is it just me or does this seem ... familiar?


» wιldcαrd.

( i'm open to pretty much anything, including helping people out of their au. here is his plot comment. feel free to hit me up there or at [plurk.com profile] resurrectionist if you'd like to hash out anything specific. )
wangxian: ( sᴇᴋᴜʜᴀʀᴀ. ) (ɪᴛs ʙʟᴀᴄᴋɴᴇss ʙʟᴇɴᴅs ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴋʏ)

lan wangji ( ota. )

[personal profile] wangxian 2019-09-01 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
evasives: (231)

cassian andor | ota

[personal profile] evasives 2019-09-02 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ cassian doesn't trust this place for one hot minute. everything about it is too good to be true, literally. it's too perfect to exist without a cost, even beyond the idea of the earth and new amsterdam being destroyed. rather than enjoy it, because he doesn't know how to enjoy anything, it's easy to fall into the routine of investigation. he and jyn begin with a focus on spinetail itself, joined swiftly by others as the days go by. ]

[ he likes to think he isn't susceptible to the pull of this world. but maybe he's craved a sense of normalcy more than he thought. or maybe a part of him just always wondered what it would be like not to have all that blood on his hands. ]

[ because one day he wakes up, and he doesn't understand why he's in the dorms? he's supposed to be meeting his parents for lunch. he's got the day off from work, but maybe he was doing some repairs down in the dorms to help these new arrivals and fell asleep. he does have a tendency to overwork, something his mother often chides him on. ]

[ there's a woman sleeping in the bed beside him; they're both fully clothed, and he thinks he would remember sex, but he's feeling too awkward about it so he just... quickly climbs out of bed and flees the room. yeah, that checks out. ]

[ a part of him still feels like this is wrong, somehow, but he can't pinpoint it. but he also can't remember where he's supposed to meet his parents to eat. maybe they never actually decided. he's still got a few hours though, so he just hangs out in a nearby park for a while, because he has nothing else to do, and it doesn't make him feel unsteady. he just feeds some ducks and basks in the leisure of time. ]
evite: (aos313_030)

daisy (" skye strange ") johnson

[personal profile] evite 2019-09-03 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's ironic, really. daisy johnson should know better. she's lived through the framework, seen firsthand the mental trauma of living another life and of giving in to too-good-to-be-true fantasies — and yet, when the bait of supportive family and stable homelife is dangled in front of her, she opens wide, hook caught in her cheek like the stupidest fishing trophy.

she only lasts one day. one short day in the glittering city of zerzura, followed by one blissfully deep sleep, and daisy johnson is forgotten, cast aside, in favor of someone new. when she wakes, it's with a head full of impossibly clear memories and a name she hasn't answered to in years.

skye strange, nice to meet you. the eldest daughter of the doctor stephen strange, older sister to whirlwind geniuses and terrors both, impossibly brilliant and deceptively charming — a mind like a supercomputer, her father had once told her, awe and pride mellowing what might otherwise have been judgment. she's good at a great many things (pattern recognition, ciphers, behavioral analysis, autonomic prediction) but people? people have never been her strong suit. ]


› you are something the whole universe is doing
[ if you ask her father or her brothers, skye is a credit to zerzura. a member of project spinetail's behavioral analysis unit, skye monitors the city and its citizens, ensuring that those on the streets are adhering to the laws of the land, guaranteeing a future that project spinetail has worked so tirelessly to create. she also spends a particular number of hours ensuring that any rumors of her father's involvement with nautilus are quickly and efficiently squashed. he's a brilliant man, and certainly not stupid enough to get roped up in that mess.

in her off hours, find her in the everyday places that all good citizens visit: the grocer's, where she can pick up her brothers' favorite fruits for an after-dinner snack; the park, where she can enjoy the echo of her feet against the pavement in a late-afternoon run; or the front yard of her family home, where she carefully tends to a neatly-plotted garden of all her late mother's favorite flowers. ]


› a wave is something the whole ocean is doing
[ computers and coding and careful monitoring of civilian life might be the cover story skye has conveniently weaved, but it isn't the whole truth. while she does work for project spinetail, and while she does play a pivotal role in behavioral analysis and crime prevention, she's mostly someone very different.

she's been given an opportunity. to infiltrate nautilus from the inside, to plant her own hooks in the organization, so that spinetail and the myceanaens can take it down before it can do too much harm. it's not an opportunity that comes often, but it's one she's taken to with equal parts selfish interest and selfless zeal, and so she's devoted to doing it right. ]


› wildcard
[ choose your own adventure. drop me a line at [plurk.com profile] semicolons / quake#2740 or via pm if you have questions/concerns! ]
gasping: (348)

caroline forbes

[personal profile] gasping 2019-09-03 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ caroline forbes, for all her trauma, does not have much need for a fantasy life. her life so far has been pretty good, after all — she was miss mystic falls, she had two excellent best friends, a mother who loved her, a father who tried. even in new amsterdam, she had a life, friends, a boy who smiled in the way that made her stomach do funny flip-flops when she saw him... well, what else could she want? ]


› my fantasy life is killing me
[ as it turns out, it's really about what she needs — or rather, what caroline secretly wishes she didn't need. blood, specifically. with each day that passes in zerzura, caroline slowly but surely forgets herself. the ring on her finger becomes a beloved family heirloom, passed down from mother to daughter over the years, old-fashioned and yet eternally on trend; the pale coloring to her cheeks is a symptom of an unknown disease, one she's battled for her whole life but one that has somehow defied modern medicine. no one knows what it is, or how to cure it... so why think about it?

the more caroline denies her cravings, and the more she slips into the fantasy of being human again, the sicker she gets. it's a slow process, but by the end of the third week, caroline will be frail, hollow-cheeked, and impossibly pale — looking more like a zombie than a girl, and moving as staticky and stumbling as any brain-eating shuffler on a hollywood movie set.

if she's not (force-)fed by the end of the fourth, caroline will be bed-ridden, unable to support her own weight in order to shuffle through the city — but she'll be happier than ever, fully sunk into the false life of a human girl with but one life to live. ]


› wildcard
[ if you want generic stuff, caroline's going to school in zerzura and working as a barista! she has a fully npc family where she's the doted-on only daughter of two high school sweethearts. love her. drop me a line at [plurk.com profile] semicolons / quake#2740 or via pm if you have questions/concerns! ]
gravemistake: (Default)

gabe reyes | ota

[personal profile] gravemistake 2019-09-04 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
i. week one
[Reyes doesn’t think he can go through this again.

At least this place seems to have some connection to the old place—when he’d first woken up in New Tokyo, nobody but Jack and a few stray others had been familiar with El Nysa. This seems different in the sense that the people here know about where they came from. Gabriel’s pretty sure that makes them complicit in whatever conspiracy (and there is a conspiracy, there always is), which means that everyone here is his enemy. He listens to what they have to say, but he certainly doesn’t buy it, and he hopes he’s not alone.
]

This isn’t right.

[These labs aren’t right—the answers they’re getting aren’t right. He’s not afraid to voice it to the nearest displaced, either, not caring whether they’re still in earshot or being monitored as they’re let out of the lab and into Zerzura proper.]
ii. weeks two/three
[Because this isn’t right, Reyes decides very early on that he’s going to refuse to play along with whatever’s going on here. He’s got no real attachments to New Amsterdam, but at this point, he’d rather deal with the enemy he knows, rather than the enemy he doesn’t. He sets his sights on Project Spinetail, as that seems to be a logical starting point.

Gabriel can be found doing what he does best, which is snooping, mostly. Perhaps you encounter him at community meeting, towards the back, arms folded with a scowl on his face. He brushes up against Nautilus too, though he’s not sure he trusts them, either.

They're stuck in Zerzura for the time being, and soon enough Gabriel realizes that something is very wrong—he’d made a point to keep his distance from most people not named Jack, but he’s passingly familiar with a handful of Displaced, enough to know that Zerzura is doing something to them. Not him, somehow, though given what had happened to Jack, he’s not even sure he can trust his own thoughts. He’ll react with outright hostility if approached at all--as the days go on, Gabriel is ready to tear the place down.
]
iii. wildcard
[I’ll do whatever you want! Gabriel is unaffected by the assimilation so if you need someone to punch you out of it, he’s your guy. Hit me up on plurk at [plurk.com profile] whitticus.]
redload: ❥shithouse ❬ ᴅɴᴛ ❭ (234)

dante "el zio diablo" sparda | OTA

[personal profile] redload 2019-09-04 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
🍕 any special orders?

[one has to wonder if dante ever escapes his music shop at all, but why would he ever leave the place for anything other than errands when he lives there? an area at the back doubles as a bachelor's pad—bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette and living room available—and the best view in the whole city: a brick wall from the alley out back. it's an ignored annoyance in favor of spending his time up front in the shop, a lavish-looking place with tall walls lined up with guitars, a modest showroom in the middle with drum sets and other instruments, for whenever he feels like it's a little too quiet in the shop, and for amateur and professional artists to showcase their skills or lack thereof. it's, overall, a friendly place, losing the vibe of an intimidating music shop and exchanging it instead with that of a "community" feel (to dante's absolute displeasure).]

[but, he's taking it on like a champ and resigned himself to the familiarity that others feel upon walking in, to share their enjoyment and passion for music. dante is a people's person after all, and he relishes the company more than he would care to admit. food and drink are available from over the counter (pizza delivered pretty much every day), and whenever music is playing either from the jukebox or from dante's guitar, it's clear that he's in a good mood and anyone who turns up is going to be met with a good time.]


[dante can be found most days at the counter, feet up, tenderly embracing a guitar and picking at the strings, playing a song on loop and balancing precariously on his chair—or maybe placing an order for pizza (it's lunchtime somewhere), or anyone who is his 'friend' can totally invite themselves to his living area, or—more comically—he can be walked in on kicking a bunch of cymbals off the wall and to the floor, creating an annoying klaxon of noise.]

Yeah, stay on the floor then!

[he probably has a good reason for yelling at inanimate objects.]

🃏 wildcard!

(dante is available for anything from week 1 to week 4: be it roommate things, causing trouble, or anything related to being fully immersed in that good fake-life au. this is probably the most human dante will be without a flavor of cynicism lol. here's his plotting post.)
Edited 2019-09-04 18:06 (UTC)

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