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

[ silena can handle a lot of thing but watching someone cry (or not technically cry in this case) is not one of them and despite not really knowing what to do in this situation -- what if she slips up and calls him dad -- she has to do something.

that something winds up being silena throwing her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly. ]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to put all this on you.

[ maybe he should tell her about dawn, about how all he wanted to do was be a dad be better than his father and he'd gotten that chance in zerzura. he'd gotten the opportunity to see that he could do it despite not having any sort of person to model his behavior on. ]

You're a good kid and I know I'm not your dad but I hope I can be your friend.

[ silena draws back the tiniest bit, only enough to take his hand. silena is still new to the empathy bond but she isn't new to emotions. children of aphrodite seem to have a better grasp on them compared to their cousins, maybe because they have some degree of control over the most fickle of emotions.

love.

silena doesn't have that magical control anymore, but she has a wealth of warm feelings the float easily from her to marcos like a little boat bobbing on a river. it was terrible waking up and realizing she didn't have that life, feeling like she betrayed her father by loving marcos as her father, but that didn't change the feeling. she still adores him more than just a friend, that comfortable, settled love that is built over seventeen years and countless kisses to scraped knees.

he gets to keep that. zerzura isn't going to take it away. ]

Friendship isn't a one way street. You don't get to care about me if I don't get to care about you. Baggage is easier to carry together.

Your dad teach you that? That sort of philosophy?

[ because it was damn good even if marcos wasn't good at following it. he wanted people to let him help but he was very, very good at keeping his own issues to himself. people wanted to help but he cut himself off and carried it himself until it was impossible to do so. ]

I'm not great at that, letting other people carry what's mine. I'm trying but it's hard.

Charlie did.

[ an eighteen year old boy was very wise. silena's expression softens, but her bright eyes dim with sadness. her fantasy life didn't have a romance because nothing could compare to charlie. ]

It's scary, trusting people enough. But it's worth it, I promise.

I'm sorry.

[ he reaches across for her hand again and lets her feel, through the bond, that he means it. he's sincerely sorry. ]

And I know it is. I've managed that with a few people here. I've just — it's blown up for me a lot recently. I'm wary.

Me too.

[ through the bond he will feel a rush of heartbreak, deep and painful and still so raw. she may only be a teenager, but that didn't mean their love was no less real and powerful and it doesn't make her grief less difficult to deal with.

still, she manages to put a smile on her face because silena doesn't think she deserves to be sad considering she brought most of her problems onto herself. for trusting too easily.

the irony. ]

Good things aren't always easy.

I know they aren't.

[ sometimes, the best things in life were the hardest things to find, to achieve, to get, to sustain. it's hard to get there but so rewarding when you do. ]

Have you spoken to your moth — Bobbi? [ he knows she'd like to see silena too, make sure she was okay after everything. ]

Not yet. My dad was great but my mom sucked, so. [ she sighs heavily, drawing her hands back to drag through her short hair, leaving it adorably disheveled. ]

I was always a Daddy's girl, so it's easier with you because if you didn't like me I still have my dad. What if Bobbi decides she doesn't care about me, even a little bit, at all? I'm not sure I could handle that all over again.

That's not going to happen.

[ he thinks he knows bobbi well enough (especially after all that) to assume that about her. she's not going to not care about someone that was her daughter and she's not going to turn her back. ]

Give her a chance, at least.

[ and ignore how marcos was avoiding her as best he could right now. ]

I think she'll be happy to see you and talk to you. I think we'd both probably like to know you.

[ silena frowns, but it's a frown of teenage unwillingness to listen to basic logic. give her a chance isn't impossible, he didn't tell her to climb mount everest, but honestly climbing mount everest would be easier for silena. that's just physically difficult and chiron made sure they were well conditioned enough to handle that.

giving bobbi a chance might hurt. ]

Okay. I'll give her a chance. Promise.

I don't know what happened to your mom, your real mom, but she's not her. She's a good person with a big heart and I know you might be hesitant but you won't have to be.

[ as much as he wants to know silena, he's certain that bobbi wants that the same amount. ]

But, I've been there, you know. My father was...not great. Which is why I want to be better.

I've never met her, my mom. She left me with my dad after I was born.

[ and that was it. she'd been claimed at camp and waited for her mother to visit or send her a sign or meet her in a dream, but most gods didn't do that. aphrodite had hundreds of children and no one in the cabin since silena had been there had met their mother. ]

My dad threw me out when I was thirteen. I only saw him once more after that when he was dying.

[ and he'd still hated marcos. he'd hated him and despised him and loathed him. and from that, marcos grew to hate him too. ]

I can't guarantee that I won't leave because this place is...unpredictable but I'm here now. And I'll be around if you need anything.

[ her nose tickles, she can tell she is going to cry before the tears even start to pool against her eyelashes. she blinks quickly to push them back, to cut the emotions off before they can spill out of her, but a few tears escape down her cheeks anyway. ]

I'm glad you were my fake dad.

You're a good kid.

[ he smiles and reaches out to swipe a few of the tears off her cheeks with his thumb before smiling at her. ]

I'm glad I was able to be your dad at least for a little while. I won't forget it.

[ the gentle compassion and kindness from marcos -- his dad must have been a monster to throw out such a sweet man who was probably a sweet boy -- only makes it harder for her to hold the tears at bay, a few more spilling out despite his efforts. ]

Sorry, I didn't mean to get all weepy and splotchy.

[ it's all just a lot. a lotta lot. ]

It's okay. I don't mind.

[ he blots out a few more of those tears with his fingers before he pulls back and smiles gently at her. ]

And I meant what I said. If you need anything, you can reach out to me. I want to help you.

[ her head bobs in a quick nods, mustering a small smile on her expression. marcos is being so nice to her and she doesn't feel like she deserves it, but she wants it so much so she accepts it this once.

after this she will be stronger. ]

Can I... Can I have another hug?

Yeah.

[ before she can even finish the question, he's reaching out, curling an arm around her shoulders and trying to fold her into an embrace. ]

Yeah, you can.

[ silena sinks into the embrace eagerly, clinging to marcos with a strength she does not look like she possesses. she wants this comfort desperately, but she doesn't hold on to it very long.

she draws back with a small smile. ]

Happy solstice.

[ before she can lean back in for another hug, she scoops up her mug and scampers away. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

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