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meadowlarklogs2019-09-08 12:26 pm
- !event log,
- dceu: diana prince,
- dogs b&c: nill,
- kingdom hearts: riku,
- kingdom hearts: roxas,
- kingdom hearts: sora,
- mcu: daisy johnson,
- overwatch: soldier 76 (jack morrison),
- persona: goro akechi,
- riordan mythos: silena beauregard,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- star wars: jyn erso,
- the 100: clarke griffin,
- the man from uncle: gaby teller,
- the man from uncle: illya kuryakin,
- the vampire diaries: caroline forbes
EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
( a )
But the solstice gives Sora plenty of other things to focus on. He's offered a flower crown by one of the staff, which he wears with little hesitation. It reminds him of something that Kairi would make, which is something he'd like to focus on. Thinking of all his friends back home seems worth doing in light of what Zerzura made him believe.
He manages to get his hands on a few morsels of the goat that's on offer too, the freshly cooked meat a special treat given how rare it is in this world. And so he continues to wander until he spots someone vaguely familiar sitting on one of the couches with a bunch of fruit in hand.
If he's remembering right, he's pretty sure he saw the guy a few times at the safehouse, though only in passing. Sora moves closer, not the type to hesitate in greeting strangers. ]
Hey... that looks pretty good! Where'd you find it?
[ He mainly wants to be pointed in the direction of the right booth. ]
no subject
[ the solstice comes with good timing, reminding him of them in good ways, as well as reminding him in bits and pieces of home. ]
[ when sora comes over, cassian recognizes him too, similarly from the safehouse. he hasn't quite pinpointed a name, which is sloppy work honestly, but the chance has now come around! evidently he is another displaced who has no qualms about conversation. ]
It was tucked away just passed the smoked goat. I think a lot of people keep missing it, or ignoring it in favor of the aforementioned goat. [ but look at it! he's never seen fruit this ripe. ]
no subject
[ Sora's eager to go get some for himself, though as he takes a look around at the other futons scattered here and there, he realizes that most of them have been claimed already.
Thankfully, the solution to that is a simple one. His complete lack of fear or shyness when it comes to strangers continues to pay off. ]
I'm gonna grab some, and then do you mind if I sit here?
[ It seems like the perfect opportunity to get to know another Displaced. ]
no subject
[ the lack of shyness is clear as day, almost as soon as the conversation started. cassian's not social, but he isn't rude when he doesn't need to be, so he just sort of shrugs. ]
There is room. [ he's not going to sit here all night himself, and if he really feels the need to leave, he's quick with on the spot excuses. ]
no subject
[ Sora grew up on an island where meals of fish caught from the ocean mere hours before had been more or less the norm. You could also just pick a coconut off a tree and crack it open, right then and there. It hasn't been that difficult to make the adjustment to this world's cuisine.
With a quick "be right back," he heads off to stand in line at the stall that's selling the fruit, then comes back with a sizable portion of his own. He plops down on the futon next to the stranger and immediately starts digging in.
After he's swallowed his first bite, he's back to running his mouth. ] So... you're one of the Displaced, right? What's your name?
no subject
[ he is quietly enjoying his own plate, waiting for the inevitable conversation. he doesn't need to start it himself for once. ]
Cassian. I assume you are Displaced as well? [ least of all because he already said the fresh foods reminded him of home, implying a home away from this place. it's a confirmation question and an open question! all while still trying to be... casual. this casual business is weird. ]
no subject
Yeah! I'm Sora. We talked on the network before. About the relief efforts?
[ They'd also talked about space travel and how what they were used to differed so much from what existed on Earth, where it took ages to get from one planet to the next. ]
It's nice to finally meet you in person!
[ Sora actually remembers to stop shoving fruit into his mouth long enough to hold a hand out. ]
no subject
I remember, yes. [ admittedly, sora is much younger than he might have anticipated? then again, maybe not, considering the age at which he was involved with all the dramatics of his galaxy. youth doesn't mean much to him in that sense. ]
Likewise. [ ah yes, the Handshake. cassian brings back that generic feeling of calmness, which isn't hard, because he's honestly already in a good mood this evening, which is what sora will feel. when he shakes sora's hand, it's quick and polite, but he doesn't linger. ] Are you still working with those same or similar efforts?
no subject
The empathy bond is something that he almost forgot about until their hands touch, probably because it doesn't bother Sora as much as it does a lot of other people. What he gets from Cassian is mainly a pleasant feeling, but he also pulls his hand back after just a few seconds.
He's back to shoveling fruit into his mouth by the time that Cassian asks his question, though he gives a quick nod while he chews and swallows. ]
I try to, yeah! Things are getting better, so they don't need as many people. I also have to go to my job and... well, it seems like we get yanked somewhere else every few weeks, doesn't it?
[ Whether it's some rescue mission that takes them out of the city or whatever Zerzura had been. Or the dreams. ]
no subject
[ what he gets from sora is almost exactly what he expected and already sees. he does not get the sense that sora keeps many secrets. ]
I admit this pattern of being whisked away is not one I like, but the more it happens, perhaps the more we will be prepared. If only our work situations were more understanding. What is your usual job, if I may ask?
no subject
I work in a restaurant! [ He eats another bite of the fruit, as if to punctuate that point. ] I got some cooking lessons before when I was helping to prepare meals for a bistro, but I'm getting a lot more practice now that it's my job.
[ It's been fun, especially since he's had to adjust to some new ingredients and methods of cooking because of the general lack of meat and dairy. ]
no subject
A bistro here, or back in your universe? There is nothing like hands on experience, especially for cooking. Do you like it?
no subject
[ Sora pauses in his eating long enough to offer up a more involved explanation. ]
I first started learning how to cook at a bistro in a place called Twilight Town, back in my universe. And then I got hired here, so now I'm getting to practice even more.
[ And not just with a rat controlling his movements and "telling" him what to do. ]
And yeah, I like it a lot. It's nice when something you make can make people happy.
no subject
It is quite useful too, especially if you learn how to cook with a variety of foods. [ and when you learn how to cook things on an open fire!! you'll never go hungry! cassian is definitely pro everyone-should-learn-to-cook-even-some-basic-foods. ] For yourself and others.
no subject
That's a good way of looking at it, too. I've definitely had to learn different techniques here since they don't have all the ingredients I'm used to...
[ He eats a few more pieces of fruit, then peers back up at Cassian. ]
How's your work been? Were they mad that you were missing?
[ Thanks for that, Zerzura. ]
no subject
No, I am quite lucky that my boss is a very flexible woman. I do good enough work that she does not want to lose me. [ she seems to suspect he is a Displaced by now, but she never says anything about it to him. ] I did some overtime when I returned to make up for it.
no subject
[ It's different when you're cooking a full meal, but it's not as difficult as Sora had initially expected. And there is some fun in the challenge of having to experiment, even if he's no expert at it.
Sora's relieved to hear that Cassian's job is safe and he smiles at the news. ] Yeah, I think I got off the hook because of my age. [ His smile turns into a grin and he rubs at the back of his head. ] Every now and then that kinda thing comes in handy.
[ Even if he usually hates being underestimated. ]
no subject
[ he tilts his head a little, a gesture of agreement. ] Age can be a very useful tool. You should use it to your advantage when the moment strikes.
[ it's fine, he's just encouraging a youth to to use his youth for betterment. but it only makes sense in a city like this, and if sora has already done some world hopping, it speaks to some level of worldly experience. ]
no subject
At Cassian's suggestion, Sora glances over, mouth parted for a moment as he considers his words. ]
How do you mean?
[ Sora has some ideas of how he could use his age to get things out of people, though that kind of deceit isn't usually in his nature. He's interested to hear what Cassian has to say, though, since he seems like the resourceful type. ]
no subject
You can lean into it. Your age can leave people unsuspecting, if you needed to get somewhere or get something. Instead of arguing with someone who might think you ignorant because of your age, let them believe it and see what it gets you. That sort of thing.
You might not like to be underestimated, but sometimes it can work in your favor. [ like it already did, with his job. ]
no subject
[ Sora holds a fist under his chin as he considers Cassian's words. Playing into the fact that he was some kid who didn't know anything went against his desire to prove that he was mature enough to be included in things, but maybe Cassian had a point. ]
I think I know what you mean. I'll give it a try sometime, if it comes up. [ Sora collects his container of leftover fruit and then jumps to his feet, turning to face Cassian with an easy smile. ]
Thanks for the advice. I should head back, but it was good to meet you face-to-face!
no subject
[ he nods when sora stands up, still wondering if putting the idea of age manipulation into a teenager's head is legit - then again, people did so to him. should he be the better adult?? apparently nah. ]
Likewise. Good luck with all your new recipes. [ he does not offer out another handshake for a goodbye. ]