meadowlarklogs | EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

Entry tags:

EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: December 19th to the end of the month.
WHAT: Event aftermath, Winter Solstice, Christmas.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Character death, self-sacrifice, drug use. Further notes at end of log.

> EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

Zerzura's demise is a very near miss. Three out of four of the bombs detonate, with numerous Mycenaean guards' lives taken as a result of the assault. It's probable—even likely—that numerous Displaced were injured as a result of this attack. Just as the last bomb seemed likely to go off, everything stopped. As in: the scene ended, shifting, putting all of the Displaced to sleep. Zerzura won't end. Or will it?

The return from Zerzura will feel like waking up from a long nap. Instead of anyone waking up in their beds, they will find themselves on the ground beside the man-made river that runs down the center of New Amsterdam. The ground beneath them will be moist with recent rainfall. Anyone who was still in the throes of a fantasy and believing themselves to be a part of Zerzura will find themselves tossed out of that existence. Anyone who died at the precipice of the spear will still recall their actions vividly: their mind and body hitting a point in which it was finite, slipping away. There may be some room for doubt regarding their deaths. After all, they're very much alive now.

There are two constants among the Displaced when they observe themselves and others: that all of their chests are glowing with that familiar blue glow, and they'll all experience a feeling of serenity. This feeling won't come from any of the Displaced themselves. Much like the intrusion of the empathy bond, it will feel as if it's coming from elsewhere. The problem is that it's always there: there is no way of disconnecting, at least for now. The good news is that the serenity will begin to fade within the next day, and with it, the blue glow will go away as well.

All of the Displaced can't remain at the riverside. If they linger too long, it will begin to rain again. The rain itself will only be a light misting against their faces at first, before turning into a heavier downfall. If they're wary of returning to their lives initially because of the blue glow, they'll soon find that the people of New Amsterdam seem to look away from them as they trot through the city to return to their lives. This is a temporary sensation, seeming to have overtaken the city's citizens for the time being. Within a day or two, the blue glow will be met with the same paranoia that was fostered by the UN following the abduction of Kurt Fischer.

What can they do now? Aside from the feeling of serenity, little will have immediately changed for the Displaced. The best thing they can do is try to return to their lives as if Zerzura never happened.

Some things to check in with, though?

WORK. Upon realizing that the Displaced disappeared yet again, El worked overtime to make sure that all of the Displaced wouldn't lose their jobs. After all, that would mean they'd likely have to give up their housing, and Morningstar would need to financially step in to help. Not all of the places of employment will accept these excuses, especially since El can't put together a doctor's note without it promptly being verified as falsified. It's ultimately up to anyone's discretion over whether their character lost their job.

CHANGES. Some of the changes will appear out of nowhere: a dream that's shared, or a memory that's passed on rather unwillingly. It's time to explore what's happened, and even theorize as to why this has happened. And those objects that were the core of remembering who they were, back in Zerzura? They're permanent fixtures from now on. And what about those Union Attacks? For now, they may have an interesting place in the fighting rings. Time to convince the people running those shows to start including doubles matches.

PLANT LIFE. All around New Amsterdam, plants will begin to grow. These plants are varied, and they'll make an appearance anywhere that they might be allowed to grow. Is that a sink that's frequently full of water? Now it's mysteriously stopped up by a plant that's growing through the pipes. While all this plant life may seem like a miracle, having plants growing in every part of the city will quickly prove to be a problem.

HOLIDAY SEASON. The good news about everyone's trip to Zerzura is that they didn't miss Christmas—or rather, the December 25th edition of it. The city is still covered in Christmas trees and ornamentation. The stadium is still hosting a holiday market.

> WINTER SOLSTICE

In the days leading up to the Winter Solstice, there will be an uptick of paintings around New Amsterdam hinting as to where this year's party will be held: Sunpeak Garden. While there won't be any official notice, anyone interested or curious is free to visit this location on the day of the Solstice (December 21st) to see what's going on, and it will go on for the next three days, ending on the morning of the 24th. As they draw closer to the location itself, they'll find the botanical garden secured by a large, overarching tent, preventing rainfall from getting into the garden itself. On the air, there will be the scent of something being smoked—which they'll soon learn is a set of goats that seem to have been acquired by whoever put on this shindig.

Unlike many other events around New Amsterdam, this seems to be more private in nature. There is an unspoken understanding that beyond the paintings, there will be no social media posts. Inside of the garden, there will be a lot of plants and decorations carefully molded into sacred geometric shapes. Despite the unofficial nature, whoever put this event together definitely spent their time doing it. This Solstice party isn't a spontaneous thing, and anyone who goes will hear about the previous parties and how the proprietor does his best to make everyone happy.

Anyone who went to the Harvest Festival or Insomniac's Ball will see a lot of the same people working it, complete with some familiar tattoos. They'll be eager to welcome in any of the Displaced, especially any of the ones who tend to be featured in the shrines around the city.

Once everyone's here, they're welcome to enjoy themselves. Under some of the canopies of trees, there will be beds and futons, giving people places to rest. Some of these will be claimed, so anyone who's eager to stick around for a few days might want to get dibs. Otherwise? It's time to enjoy what's been put together:

FEAST. There will be a feast for the next three days. Aside from the smoked goats, there will be a lot of goat cheese and vegetables. These are the people who put on the harvest festival, after all. There will be a lot of pickled vegetables out on tables, salads, and everything else. Aside from cheese for snacking, anyone can partake in some delicious berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries) and nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and almonds—despite the difficulty in getting most of these in New Amsterdam). There will also be figs, because of course there are figs.

FLOWER CROWNS. To go with the more laidback flair of this event, there will be flower crowns available for everyone. They will look more Christmas-like in spirit, like small little wreaths to go on everyone's heads.

ALCOHOL. Of course, what kind of Solstice or Yule event would it be without alcohol to imbibe? There will be mulled wine available, as well as the delicious apple-flavored beverage of wassail. It seems as if these two things never run out. For anyone avoiding alcohol, there will also be some sparkling grape juice and apple juice.

PSYCHEDELICS. Undoubtedly also inspired by Yule celebrations of old, anyone can partake in some species-specific (and at a safe dosage) amanita. Primarily available as a tea, anyone can drink this pleasant beverage and have a good time together.

MISTLETOE. There will be spots all around the botanical garden where the decorators took good care to make the mistletoe stand out. Surrounded by little lights, no one will be able to miss them. That means they can be easily avoided, if that's what someone would prefer!

BALL PROPRIETOR. While he's not hiding that he put this on, he's just as mysterious as before. If anyone wants to catch his eye at this event, they can. They'll need to stand out to get him to talk to them. To do this, reply below! Ball will definitely be interested in any Displaced trying to catch his eye, but it's still up to them to go through the motions.

> CHRISTMAS

As the Solstice party comes to an end, it'll be time to focus on Christmas itself. Around New Amsterdam, this is a deeply commercial holiday. Since most of New Amsterdam's citizens prefer to celebrate Sinterklaas, the day of Christmas itself largely emphasizes purchasing access to Christmas movies and giving gifts to anyone who had been forgotten earlier in the month. For new couples, Christmas Eve acts as a romantic occasion, giving them the chance to spend some time alone. Restaurants around the city will have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day specials and feasts—though these will be very expensive to enjoy.

> GRINCH INTERLUDE

Once reports start to hit the news about the rapidly healing atmosphere, a strange cypher begins to appear in the replies of people's posts on Cooltalk. This misfire appears at random and without a pattern. While some of the Displaced will get hit on their Cooltalks, they won't be among the majority by any means. How to get ahold of 100342? A reply might do the trick, or it might not. Drop a message in the questions thread with ideas!

Then again, this message more of a simple response to a slight than anything else, most likely recognizable to the displaced, who are familiar with the cipher's formula:

200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Welcome back to the world of New Amsterdam proper, Larkers! This will act as the mingle log for the month of September since we didn't receive any applications this month. In order to plot out some aftermath, please head over to the CR Meme for the month of September! Our September calendar and Event #006 Aftermath are also up for perusing.

If you'd like to get your character in touch with Ball, please reply to the comment below with how they'd like to stand out! Ball, like all of our NPCs, will act as a means to an end to uncover plot details. With the gates excursion on the horizon, we wanted to make him available for all of the playerbase. Due to time constraints, this means that Gaby won't be available for this log.

If you have any questions about event aftermath, please hit the thread on the Aftermath Post here. If you have any questions about this log, go to the questions thread on this post!

> NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Back home, the holiday season is more about romantic entanglements. That puts Akechi in a bit of a bind in returning to New Amsterdam right before Christmas when his fantasy life included precisely what it did: a family that loved him despite his self-destruction, a boyfriend who cared for him, and just about everything else. He's told himself time and time again that these aren't the things he wants or needs. And yet: his life there said differently. Was different. It swallowed him whole.

And when he was free, he couldn't burn it to the ground.

Akechi doesn't stick around at the riverfront for long. It's time to go into full on avoidance mode. Get a hotel room away from his apartment with Ren? Yes. Avoid the safehouse where he might run into his fake family? Also yes.

Unfortunately, he finds himself unable to stay away from the Winter Solstice celebration. That's where he'll be for a few days, but clearly unaccustomed to ... partying. He'll drink, but most of it won't go down. And anyone who approaches him will be met with a smile and a nod. Oh, he hasn't been avoidant. Why would he ever do that?]

Should we ask them about Nautilus? [Because that's an important point of discussion.

Very important.]

[ooc: I am open to most things with Akechi! But since he's avoiding like a dummy, we might need to talk about it. Let me know! Or we can assume a text conversation here to find him, or whatever. Let's do it.

I'm here on the CR meme if you want to work something out!]

[ dressed in a pretty pale blue dress and a flower crown of glossy green myrtle leaves and tiny white flowers, silena looks like a snow princess flitting around the party. her avoidance is socializing. ]

The ones with the math tattoos?

[ she takes a sip of her non-alcoholic drink, gesturing to one of the people with a sacred geometry tattoo, falling into conversation easy enough despite being strangers in person. ]

No harm in asking.

Unless we run the risk of running into a thesis about sacred geometry. I don't think either of us are up for that at the moment. [Akechi does motion to head in the direction of a pair of party-goers with tattoos. He might be out of place at a party, but he won't be daunted by social awkwardness. He can pretend that he doesn't have it in the least.

Besides, it mostly comes out through his thinking, as well as believing he's above most people.]

My friend here had a question for you. [Akechi motions for Silena to do the asking. This is a power play in and of itself.

A deeply unnecessary one. Because, frankly, no one cares Akechi.]

Hi! It's very nice to meet you, you've thrown a lovely party. My friend was right, I do have some questions.

[ silena's smile is warm and charming, this is a girl used to making friends with strangers and being the effusive, affable one. children of aphrodite are the diplomats and silena honestly doesn't mind being thrown under the bus. she knows that this is what she excels at; she is happy to do the talking, genuine interest apparent and ostensibly guileless.

side note: does this mean they're friends now? it does. bad move, akechi. ]

I was wondering about your beautiful tattoos. I've seen them across the city on some art pieces and one of them was tagged as Nautilus? I'm just curious if you know anything about this Nautilus? Is is an artist or a gallery or, like, an art club?

[Apart from being excited about meeting the Displaced, the party goers quickly interject that they didn't throw this party. They never could, but they try their best to keep it enjoyable. Soon after, they launch into an explanation of Nautilus in nature, about sacred geometry, and the proof of god in the shells. Akechi's hand raises to his chin as he listens, but he finally puts up a hand as if to pause them.]

I believe she may have less information than myself. Sorry that we weren't more clear. We were looking for a group like Morningstar, but with ... an emphasis on godliness. And the proof of it and all that. Does it ring any bells?

[Again, playing Silena that way isn't entirely fair, but he actually took care to be the more provocative of the two of them.

The two party workers glance at one another with a look of genuine concern. And worry. They begin to stumble over their words.

Akechi looks at Silena.] Do you think they know anything?

I was trying to ease into it, [ silena complains huffily, though admittedly under her breath while the two workers trip and fall over their words. she reaches out automatically, to touch her hand to one of their arms, instinct to comfort when someone seems distressed. ]

I think they might if you would be nicer about it. There is a thing called discretion, you know.

Can you tell me more about that? [In that, Akechi hopes to make it clear that his lack of choosing to exercise discretion comes for a reason. He smiles, and then offers the two people standing there an apologetic smile.]

Sorry, I thought it might suit us best if we didn't beat around the bush. Carry on, Silena.

We recently had a run in with a group that worshiped a blue god, pretty heavily. Like mean Christians protesting abortion clinics levels of very into it.

[ this is the best comparison to come up with. ]

We were just wondering if you guys knew of, like, a super hardcore cult.

[And he sends her a message, promptly criticizing her choice of simile.]

It's 2511 and we're not in America, Silena. Be conscious of that. I only know of what you refer to because I read the news in my time.

[Akechi smiles despite that. He is Japanese, after all, and cognizant of the social differences.]

Her example may be be ... dated, but I believe the point is in zealots taking their beliefs to an extreme. Hence the remarks upon Morningstar. We're looking for the spiritual equivalent.

[ silena shrugs, both at akechi and the tattooed folks, unmoved by being scolded. misogyny is not specific to america and when your main teacher is a millennias old centaur who learned geometry from euclid himself, you get used to being corrected. ]

Do you know of any people like that?

[They both steady themselves and shake their heads. They don't seem to know anything about it. Most of the events they put on, it seems, have to do with pagan holidays like the solstice.]

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us, [he says, making a point of doing proper niceties this time.]

Yes, thank you, you work an awesome party. [ they'd corrected her about not having thrown it already so she will defer to them for that, but she still wants to make it known that they are doing excellent party work.

once they walk off she turns on akechi. ]

You don't get to throw me under the bus and then scold me for not knowing everything about this place.

I'll keep that in mind. [It's an unnecessarily vague statement in response to what she said to him. Why did Akechi leave it that way? Simple: he doesn't think his words acted as a scolding, so much as a reminder.]

While I've heard they've taken well to our kind, it's hard to say precisely how much they know about us. We shouldn't be giving that away freely.

[ in the least he's disoriented, in the most he's traumatized. as he wafts in some combination of the two. when he looks for Akechi at the riverfront, he can't find him. he spends some time there asking, making sure he didn't miss him, before heading back to their apartment to find that he's not there, either.

Ren spends a few days with himself, working through some of the complicated baggage that came with decisions made in Zerzura. Akechi is the only member of his team there, and without him there's a sort of hollow feeling that he had when he first arrived in Tokyo.

but as fate would play them, he spots him at the Winter Festival. ]

...

Hey. I was going to check for you at work.

[ but this made it somewhat easier. ]

[Seeing Ren sends a twist through Akechi's gut. Agreeing to live with him before had been out of necessity. Apartments here were just as, if not more expensive than they were in Tokyo. There, he had his money from working with the police, as well as his allowance for assisting Shido. The life there was comfortable, and when he was in a position of needing to get away, he had somewhere to go.

The funny thing is that being in New Amsterdam acts as another place to go. If he had died like he expected to in the palace, he would be free. But if he lived, he would have no outlet. Being here gives him that outlet. And yet, he wants to escape again: free himself from the bondage of a life that he never asked for.

For once, that life isn't one laden with trauma and unhappiness. Quite the opposite. He had a family. He had a boyfriend. He had a career where he genuinely did good for the world and became famous for it. He could change. Be different. It sits in the pit of his stomach: that life with a sense of justice that was more directed.

It doesn't belong to him.]

Likely better that we ran into one another here. Jovavich's staff isn't fond of distractions.

[His voice is cold. Or rather: flat, uneasy. Trying to conceal. But what with?]

[ Ren has seen Akechi at his worst, and a little coldness is easy to brush off. he's found it's better to push forward, otherwise Akechi will surround himself with barriers. it's a test to find the crack in the foundation, but Ren knows that he's already equipped with the right tools. ]

They'd have to deal with it.

[ he's not one to censor himself, and Akechi wouldn't deter him from it. ]

You haven't been home.

[ then again, Ren's always been direct.

there's a nagging feeling that he has about all of this, but Akechi comes first. he might not know it, but he does. ]

Given the circumstances, I thought that space wouldn't be much of a problem. [That's a way of giving Ren his emotions. Akechi hasn't asked what other people did to get out, hasn't yet begun to investigate. He knows about some sentiments that people have been experiencing, but that's all. He hasn't spoken or referred to more.

And he has no way of knowing what truly likely happened to Zerzura. Not yet anyway.

The memories hang heavily in his mind.]

I came here to investigate. [He moves a hand, indicating the surroundings.] Picking up where I left off there. I'm coming up with little. The connection is tenuous at best, a mere reflection of another world. It reminds me a lot of the palaces.

[ heavy enough on his mind to go from one subject to the next. ]

I don't mind the space, but with the disappearances you should let me know.

[ there was a little fear in there that he'd lose Akechi, again. and while sometimes space is needed to put around what happens to them here. he gets that Akechi still is used to no one being around him, and as much as Ren is here, he's also aware of their situation.

in contrast, Ren is used to being surrounded in people. ]

We need to keep track of each other.

[ it's safer that way. ]

[The suggested detour about his investigation isn't taken by Ren. Akechi isn't in the least bit surprised, but he adopts a sour expression. It's fleeting, holding on for a mere few seconds before he looks away.

We need to keep track of each other.

Akechi could barely handle being beholden to Shido. What praise he received from him was reflective of his long-term goals—or so he told himself. Otherwise, he preferred to paint a vivid picture for people. A foodie, a person who appreciated his surroundings, a person who isolated himself so that no one could see through the window.

Ren is a constant threat to that.

And yet, he doesn't push him away. It's frustrating that he can't, even if he still vividly remembers the moments before, during, and after killing Ren. Killing a version of Ren, right there in front of him.]

I'll make sure you have the handle of my restaurant reviewing account. I add a review every day, so you'll know if I've gone somewhere. [It's a compromise. It's also a fine way to get around the heart of what Ren is saying.]

[ Ren has seen a lot of parts of Akechi, and not all of them would be anything close to what someone would consider "nice." even on his best days, Akechi demanded attention, so it was always a little alarming when he forcefully pulled away. he was probably more predictable than he'd like to think.

they were friends, and even if Akechi thought they were under contract, they were still friends. at least, Ren considered them o be. ]

So I'll know if you're gone, but if I leave, it'll be a mystery for you until you come back.

[ he doesn't sound against it, the statement sounding more like an inquiry. ]

I see the predicament there. [No, it wouldn't be a mystery. Not normally. Their time in Zerzura meant that Akechi couldn't begin to relearn and retrace Ren's routines. What had started with seeing him in passing had turned into needing to track his movements, trying to ensure that he had a grip on what he was doing. Zerzura got in the way of that. And Akechi doubts that his memories of that world can help him here.

Ren was never consumed by the fantasy and all that it promised.

Not surprising, considering. His mask as a Phantom Thief was always more of a necessity, a way to bypass the societal norms. A weapon. But Akechi knows the Phantom Thieves more than he'd like to admit, and he knows they'd fight no matter what now that they were a unit of sorts.

They could risk being revealed. They already did by allowing a "version" of their leader to get arrested and killed.]

That system applies more to myself. What would you prefer...? Next time, it could be just one of us who's pulled over into the mysterious other world, rather than both.

[ Ren absolutely knows where this is going, and while Akechi runs one with it, Ren grabs the reigns and pulls it back. ]

You could just come back, Akechi.

[ when Morgana had run away, they had gone after Morgana. there's no problem with Akechi going, but under the circumstances, it's detrimental to both of them. in some ways, Akechi's an open book, running off at the discomfort, trying to cover it thinly with his deviation from the subject and easy tone. ]

Or tell me what's wrong.

[ because something is wrong, and he can guess. ]

[In truth, it feels like an interrogation technique in action. The fact that Ren has side-stepped Akechi's evasion and problem solving. The fact that he's forcing Akechi to state the obvious. It's akin to finding someone stealing a wallet and then forcing them to admit to the crime, giving them the full opportunity to admit culpability.

There is no crime here, though he can feel his heart beating a touch faster.

Time to turn it back.]

I thought what was wrong was quite obvious. You're too clever to play ignorant, Joker. [His tone is soft, slow, even. Careful. He tries not to betray any emotion, but he knows that his efforts to do that give him away.

Annoying, but a risk inherent in all of this.]

Being freed doesn't mean you forget. But you knew that already.

[ maybe he just knows him too well by now. maybe it's Akechi who's not used to it. he was trying to be mindful of Akechi's feelings, but the situation called for something more straight forward. ]

Sometimes the chains that hold you down are your own.

I thought that you might be running from what you thought we were when you were consumed by the illusion, but that didn't strike me as right.

[ the signs were there, and Ren had danced along with them. he was good at Akechi's game, but that left the truth as something easy to avoid when it was convenient. ]

I thought about it, and I think that what you want is within arm's length, and you don't know what to do with it.

So, what now? Are you going to run from me forever?

[In truth, he wishes it were easier to exit this conversation. To avoid this particular reckoning. It isn't just the Ren part that he avoided. He's eager to point out that this is a selfish notion, that not everything comes down to their dynamic: the thesis and the antithesis.

But he doesn't.

The reality is that it really doesn't come down to Ren, but that he was a more immediate problem. Akechi can avoid Damian, his false father, and Skye quite easily. None of them were Displaced he knew well. Ren was a part of the fantasy that his mind cooked up, and he was a part that remained the moment that Akechi was on the other end of things. He remembers their relationship together, and he can't just remove it from his brain. Can't cut it away, acting as if it never happened. He can't.]

I'm not avoiding you alone, Ren. [There is a hint of regret to these words, a frown overtaking his features. He's oddly candid about it. But it's hard to be anything else after such a question, such a direct approach to dealing with Akechi's evasiveness.] But as you can guess, there is more reason to avoid you.

[Akechi is not going to accept Ren's thesis for his behavior. Not entirely.]

I will say that you've put forth a theory that can't be proven correct. Not by you—or by myself. You claim the chains are my own. Perhaps they are. But I'm not ready to be done with them yet. I've worn them for far too long, and you can't fool yourself into believing that a few words and an enforced illusion can strip them away.

goro akechi | ota

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject