larkers: (pic#12386243)
MEADOWLARK MODS ([personal profile] larkers) wrote in [community profile] meadowlarklogs2019-09-08 12:26 pm

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 [profile] 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!

personalwar: face; <user name="yuutayo" site="twitter.com"> (pic#12083089)

wildcard › el nysa memory share

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-09-15 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ With the remnants of a fake life still floating around in his head and sometimes even assaulting him in his dreams, Jack's been spending a good chunk of his free time at the fighting rings. More than he should, honestly, since any time not at work should be spent working on hunting down more information about how to get the hell out of this world, but being haunted by a fake husband and daughter isn't good for anyone's mental state.

He can't get drunk, so a round (or two, or five) in the ring, bloodying people up and getting bloodied up in turn, is Jack's form of addiction. As usual, he fights with the visor firmly in place over his face, and it's only after he's called it quits for the night and changed in the locker room that people can get a glimpse of how bruised and battered he might be.

His healing factor helps, so in this instance he's got little more than some dried blood under his nose and a swollen right eye to show for his fights. He's on his way out (the place is on the verge of shutting down for the night) when he spots Dutch, getting herself a final drink before the bar closes up.

After giving a wet sniff around the clotted blood in his nose, he speaks up from behind her. ]


You just don't know when to quit, do you?

[ Look who's talking. ]
Edited 2019-09-15 20:26 (UTC)
motivation: (【 170 】)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-09-19 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ dutch was spared the indignity of a fake life, of those memories, but that doesn't mean she appreciated zerzura and what it did to everyone. more than that, johnny's absence eats at her, makes her feel lost, makes her worry about the monster inside her coming out.

the fighting rings are a good way to keep it contained, to give it an outlet that's — not safe, exactly, but at least everyone here knows what they're in for. she's done fighting for the night, though, settling at the bar until closing and then helping her to one last drink before it really can. ]


Says someone with more bruises than me.

[ not that she doesn't have a split lip, not that there isn't some blood on her temple. she's had worse; she assumes he has, too. she's seen him fight. anyone who fights like that has seen worse. ]
personalwar: face; <user name="jieutan" site="tumblr.com"> (pic#12083096)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-09-21 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yeah, he's seen a lot worse. The scars that can be found almost anywhere on his body would be a testament to that, especially given that for the most part, smaller injuries don't leave a mark on him. ]

They'll be gone by tomorrow.

[ He'd already told Dutch that she was enhanced, so the quick healing probably won't come as much of a surprise. He rubs under his nose with his fist, smearing some of the blood onto his knuckles, and then shrugs. ]

I caught some of your fights. You make out pretty good?

[ Not that either of them are actually here for the money. ]
motivation: (503012)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-09-22 08:59 am (UTC)(link)
Well, isn't that lucky.

[ she hasn't forgotten that he's enhanced, but she's definitely still figuring out what it all means, where it starts and ends. it's the kind of information that could make or break her in a fight, the kind of thing khlyen drilled into her to learn, to know, to use.

she isn't expecting to have to use it, but that doesn't mean she never will. ]


Can't complain. Enough to keep the food and drink coming for a while, at least. You?
personalwar: face (pic#11621371)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-09-24 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ Jack wouldn't necessarily protest the idea of getting into the ring with Dutch. It's something that he's already done with Illya, but he'd made sure that the guy knew what he was getting into first. He's aware that he's almost always at an advantage. ]

Well enough. [ He shrugs, as it had been his version of small talk. ] Not gonna go hungry any time soon, anyway.

[ He can see that things are on the verge of shutting down, with tables being shoved into corners and the bartenders closing out tabs. ]

Where you headed after this?

[ To a warm bed, would be the correct answer, but Jack doubts that's what Dutch has in mind. ]
motivation: (【 172 】)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-09-25 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ enhanced or not, she'd go in the ring with him and expect to keep him on his toes in a heartbeat. ]

There's a bar near here that's open late.

[ because of course she knows all the bars in the vicinity. she might have actually gone to bed if he hadn't asked, though.

maybe. probably not. (the apartment is empty without johnny.) ]
personalwar: visor (pic#11621362)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-09-28 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That's more or less the answer that Jack had been expecting, and while normally he would have at least some concern for Dutch's well-being, right now he's also in no mood to go home to a bed that's not his to toss and turn trying to fall asleep. ]

All right, lead the way.

[ Despite his words, he makes for the door and starts up the stairs that will take them back to the street. Alcohol isn't going to do much for him, but a chat with Dutch will at least pass some more time until morning. ]
motivation: (d013)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-09-29 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Really?

[ she hadn't expected that — but she's moving, following him up the stairs and then past him and toward the bar she'd been talking about.

it isn't a pretty place, all neon lights and tables sticky with spilled beer, the music just a touch too loud, but it serves alcohol and no one asks questions and really, sometimes that's more than good enough. ]


You buying?
personalwar: face; <user name="cptzboj" site="tumblr.com"> (pic#12083095)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-10-01 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ Neon lights, a little too loud, sticky countertops? Pretty much just a regular bar, then, as far as Jack's concerned. The fact that it's so late means that at least some patrons have already gone home for the night, and the two of them beat most of the fighting ring overflow here. It means there's still an open table they can sit at, somewhere a little less exposed than the main bar.

At Dutch's question, Jack raises an eyebrow. He doesn't mind paying, honestly, but he does feel the need to give her a hard time about it first. ]


Why, you broke?

[ This is a world without paper, which means there aren't even any napkins on hand that he could use to wipe some of the blood and sweat away. Then again, it's not like most of the people here are paying them any attention. ]
motivation: (【 175 】)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-10-06 04:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[ his eyebrows raise in question and dutch looks back, gaze steady and her lips pulling into a grin. ]

Nah.

[ she's not broke. she just wants him to pay for the drinks. because why the hells not? ]
personalwar: face; <user name="nuqelear" site="twitter.com"> (pic#11621404)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-10-09 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, so it's like that. Jack takes in that grin of Dutch's and rolls his eyes, but he doesn't offer up any verbal protest. Fine, he'll pay. It's not like he's hurting for cash at this point and what could two drinks in a bar like this cost him?

Living in the not so great part of town really does help with rent. ]


Give an inch and they take a mile, I guess.

[ The implants make the need for servers almost nonexistent. Jack interfaces with the bar's digital menu and orders himself a whiskey. ]
motivation: (【 195 】)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-10-10 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
You're the one who followed me here.

[ clearly, that entitles her to taking a mile. or something. does it matter? he's rolling his eyes, sure, but he's not really protesting. ]

I want whiskey, too. Neat.
personalwar: face; pixiv id: 5610304 (old habits die hard)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-10-12 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ So they have similar taste, at least when it comes to booze. It doesn't take long for their drinks to show up, and when they do Jack takes a long swig of his, apparently immune to the burn that hits his chest as it goes down. He leans back in his chair and lets out a long sigh. ]

Let me guess. Zerzura screwed with you too.
motivation: (d029)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-10-15 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Less than with everyone else, actually.

[ it had still been weird. disconcerting to find that people didn't remember their lives. doubting her own mind, for a little. ]
personalwar: face (pic#11621406)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-10-17 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
You mean you weren't affected?

[ Like Gabriel, then. Jack's gathered that there were at least a handful of people who'd been spared the burden of a fake life. ]

Wonder if there's some reason for it, or if it was just random.

[ Had Zerzura been able to tap in to the fact that Jack's life hadn't necessarily played out the way he'd envisioned? That he had regrets? With telepathy part of the package, had that fake world somehow had access to his thoughts? He frowns to himself and takes another swig of his drink. ]
motivation: (【 NINETY-FIVE 】)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-10-19 09:59 am (UTC)(link)
No, I wasn't. I mean. I was still there.

[ so she'd been affected in that sense, but she hadn't had any fake memories. ]

A reason? Like what?

[ dutch's life hasn't exactly played out the way she'd envisioned, either — although she never really had a chance for childhood dreams. ]
personalwar: face (pic#11621353)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-10-19 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jack shrugs, leaning his elbow up on the tabletop and then dropping his chin into his hand. It's probably pointless to speculate, but it's these kinds of thoughts that he's been trying to outrun ever since they got back to New Amsterdam.

He isn't drunk, but apparently he's in the right mood, at the right time and place and with the right person, to voice those thoughts. ]


I don't know. Just trying to understand why some people got pulled into those lies and others were immune to it.
motivation: (016)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-10-20 11:31 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe it's just shit luck.

[ to get sucked in. to have your head messed with like that. dutch is glad that didn't happen to her; she's so sick and tired of people pulling her strings. ]

Or maybe it's some bullshit reason. Did you wish real hard for a different life?
personalwar: face; <user name="jieutan" site="tumblr.com"> (pic#12083096)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-10-23 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ Maybe Dutch is right and it is just shit luck and he doesn't need to dwell on it any more than that. He pulled the short straw, pure and simple as that.

But then she asks that question and Jack rolls his eyes before taking a long swig of his whiskey. He sets down the cup with some added force. ]


Not specifically, no. I made peace with the way my life turned out a long time ago. I made my choices, simple as that.

[ Though clearly, some of those "what-ifs" still haunted him. ]

How about you? Ever thought you wanted things to be different?
motivation: (503014)

[personal profile] motivation 2019-10-26 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ probably it's just shit luck. but the question still tugs at something inside her. ]

I made my choices, too.

[ she smirks, but there's no happiness in it. ]

Doesn't mean some of it isn't still shit.

[ maybe he'll think she's just talking about this place. maybe he won't. she definitely isn't. she's made her choices — running away with johnny, becoming a killjoy, fighting a war first against aneela and then against the lady, chasing the pieces of her past khlyen had stolen from her. she's made her choices, but so have other people and some of that, a lot of that is terrible. ]
personalwar: face; <user name="cptzboj" site="tumblr.com"> (pic#12083095)

[personal profile] personalwar 2019-10-29 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ No, Jack is almost positive that Dutch is speaking in reference to her life back home too. She was a soldier of some sort, a trained fighter, and with that came a myriad of complications. He would know.

So, both of them made their choices. That doesn't mean their lives are great. It doesn't even mean they're good.

His mouth twists into a wry smirk. ]


Point taken.

[ He holds up his glass of whiskey toward her, a quiet proposal of some sad kind of toast. ]