EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

[larkers]

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

Comments

[realists]

[ she is taking a break.

there is something different about this time. no recovery period, no injuries outside of the ones she already had, no sand. she's sprawled across the wet riverbank, feeling the cool, damp ground under her weary bones, letting the sound of the gentle moving water calm her until she is jarred out of it by cassian calling her name and the sound of him scrambling across the muddy bank until he is next to her, cold fingers ghosting across her cheek and trying to shake her awake.

calmly, without opening her eyes: ] We're covered in mud.

[ she is pretty sure he got mud on her cheek. ]

[evasives]

[ now is not the time for a break! ]

[ good thing she answers verbally though, even if she doesn't open her eyes or otherwise acknowledge his panicked existence. it's good enough for him that she's responding. ]

[ relief fills him, and he definitely got mud on her cheek, but they're about to get a whole lot muddier because cassian just sort of... sinks down until he can gather her up in his arms in a very tired, very whole, and very heartened hug, right there laying down in the aforementioned mud. it's almost soft in it's near desperation, but there isn't anything else that seems to matter except the soothing sound of her just breathing. ]

We are absolutely filthy.

[ but alive. he'll take the mud over sand. ]

[realists]

This is what Lah'mu was like.

[ sans the man smooshing her into the mud, but the mud and general dampness reminds her of home. it doesn't hurt that cassian is her home, it's no wonder she is reminded of her childhood home as well.

despite her flippancy, cassian isn't the only one relieved. jyn feels weak from the feel of his heart steadily beating against her shoulder and his breath against her cheek. the reason she hadn't moved was bred from fear that he wouldn't be here with her. her arms slowly curl around him, muddy fingers in his hair because fair is fair. ]

Let's not do this a third time.

[ twice is enough. ]

[evasives]

Muddy and wet?

[ if he couldn't feel her relief when her wrist brushes against his neck, he would be more insulted by her flippancy, but he's come to realize that's how she deals with a lot of things regardless. her arms around him are warm and he relaxes with the physical proof she is still with him, moving and alive under his weight and his embrace. he can't picture another life without her, doesn't want to. told her already he didn't want a place without her. ]

[ everything is mud but he doesn't want to move. ]

Agreed. I do not care what kind of world it is.

[ let them Rest! ]

[realists]

[ jyn knows they'd both make the same choice again, if not them than who is a strong motivator, but she chuckles in agreement regardless. the relief at waking up to him is mind-boggling, right now she feels like she could do anything.

she breathes out a slow sigh, pushing down the remaining anxiety and letting the solace of cassian's embrace wash over it and soothe her frayed nerves. ]

New Honolulu is looking better and better.

[ time to start saving. ]

[evasives]

[ they're laughing about how stroppy and dirty they are beside the riverbank, so they really should move, but cassian is still just basking in the relief of being alive with her. the longer they lay there, the more relaxed he feels. they keep getting chance after chance after chance, and he thinks he really needs to start taking even better advantage of that, when it comes to her. ]

[ a lot of things are much clearer to him now than they were before. ]

Let's start planning that trip now, before another world decides to yank us over to play hero.

[realists]

[ he's half on top of her, which is fine, honestly, but she is covered in mud and he is not as much and that will not do. which is why she rolls them over so cassian can get as covered in mud as she is -- except the riverbank is at in incline and jyn underestimates her own momentum and before she can stop them, they are rolling the few feet right into the river with a splash and a sharp yelp of surprise when jyn feels the cold water hit her.

whoops.

after about three seconds she starts laughing, standing up in the couple feet of water, mud dripping down her arms. ]

I was going to suggest a shower but this works.

[evasives]

[ ♫ end of the earth - marina ]

[ really, he knows what she is doing the moment she starts to roll them over, but cassian just lets it happen because fair is fair. he doesn't even try to stop it when they slide down the riverbank towards the water, rolling into the river and soaking through instantly. ]

[ cassian pops out with his own little laugh, sloshing through until he can sit down on the bank, still half in the water listening to the sound of jyn's glee. ]

[ she's muddy and smiling and alive, and cassian looks up at her with softness, view briefly obstructed when mud drips down into his eyes; he wipes it clean with an amused sigh before his gaze lands on her again. he really does love her, doesn't he? he loves her and they are here, with yet another chance. he's finally going to take it. ]

No, we definitely still need a real shower.

[ tomorrow, after a shower, when he can figure out how to tell her. ]

[realists]

[ the water squishes through her boots as she makes her way over to cassian, sitting on the bank with him. there are things to do, people to check on, showers to be had, but for the second time, jyn has woken up alive with cassian and she wants to treasure it this time.

the galaxy may have taken everything else from them, but seemed in capable to taking them away from each other. jyn twists their fingers together, leaning her head on his shoulder. from afar it probably looks very romantic: a soaking wet, muddy couple holding hands while mud and river water drips off their clothes. ]

Good thing we have those bloody towels already.

[ the dirty towels for when someone comes home covered in blood, stained black and rust red from jyn's adventure outside the wall. now they can be stained with mud and dirt. it will keep the nice towels soft and fluffy. ]

[evasives]

[ he closes his eyes very briefly when she leans her head against him, giving her hand a squeeze and not caring if she can feel what he's feeling. it isn't like it's changed, he just knows what it all means now. ]

[ without letting himself overthink it, he lets his head drop to rest against hers. this is a much better view of a waterfront, with skylines alive with people rather than a skyline on fire. maybe it's a soft reset, a reminder not to let this life go to waste. ]

[ a life that allows them to have two different kinds of towels, not a single purpose one. towels and a home he shares with her, one they made comfortable for themselves. where they found home together, in each other. ]

They will have to be deep-cleaned if we ever need them for something else. [ he pauses. ] I am glad we are here.

[realists]

[ jyn hums an agreeable noise, comfortable in their little bubble. it'll have to burst eventually but right now she can soak in the comfort of surviving and existing together still. ]

I am glad we are together.

[ she relaxes almost to the point of being a boneless dead weight next to him, finally giving in and murmuring: ]

Let's go home.

[ time to shower and hug daisy and go to bed to sleep off the grief hangover. ]

[evasives]

[ even though cassian also knows that it'll have to burst, he thinks about the possibilities of after. of more bubbles just like this one, where he and jyn get to sit and just be. ]

[ she says let's go home, but he already feels home. mud non-withstanding. together is the most important part. ]

[ he tilts his head slightly, letting his lips brush over the top of her head. it's so faint, almost like he doesn't want to draw attention to it, as though she can't feel it to begin with. ]

Home with take out along the way?

[realists]

[ another hum, she squeezes his hand before letting go to shove herself to her feet. she wipes her hands on her pants but she's so muddy that it really doesn't work and she has to stoop to wipe her hands on the grass.

once cassian is back on his feet, she takes his hand again, unwilling to let go of him for very long. ]

You read my mind, Captain.

[ homeward bound. ]

[evasives]

[ realistically he knows they have to move, but he still sighs when she parts to climb to her feet, though it ups the motivation for him to do the same. when she takes his hand, he winds their fingers together without hesitation. ]

[ that'll be enough for now. he smiles at her with a promise of tomorrow, and they trudge out of the mud towards the city, together. ]

[ it's much better than sinking through sand. ]