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

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[ not knowing isn't exactly reassuring, but watching her movements, listening to her tone, he believes her. it lets him lower the blaster away from her, even if his finger is still on the trigger. he holds the weapon like an extension of his own arm. ]

Stormtroopers are coming. [ there are already a few stormtrooper bodies nearby at the end of the little alley nook, but they're blurry, dead, and unimportant. he forgets about them often, because he doesn't care about them dying. they're not prominent in this dream. ]

[ he realizes that might not be much of an explanation, but he doesn't know how to explain why tivik is dead without having daisy think him some kind of monster. it wasn't mercy or messy, it was ruthlessly cutting off a lose end. that's the only way he's thought of it, regardless of reality. ]

No one is going to fall into their hands.

[ she has never heard of stormtroopers. not from jyn, not from cassian, not even from rey or kylo in passing. she doesn't understand the conflict they present, nor the danger in their arrival; she wouldn't recognize the blurred bodies in the background even if she'd noticed them.

confusion is obvious, her brows furrowed as she steps closer to him, one foot in front of the other in careful, gentle steps. it's like approaching a wild animal, trying to not breathe too loud in case she were to spook him. ]

Who are the stormtroopers? [ she can guess they are some kind of army, but whose? cassian's? someone else's? the — what did jyn call it again? the empire? ] Are they after you?

[ is she here to save cassian, the way she tried to save illya's father? is that even something she can do? or is cassian meant to save himself? she doesn't know, and the uncertainty is more discomforting than any blood on the ground. ]

[ there's no fixing this situation. killing tivik was necessary. it allowed cassian to escape, it allowed him to bring information about the existence of the death star into rebel hands. it doesn't mean he can unsee how terrified tivik was by the appearance of the stormtroopers, the fear for his life that cassian only expedited. he'd been a very loyal informant for quite some time. ]

[ cassian gives his blaster a quick check, still holding it like he is ready to fire again any moment. he is hyper aware of the way daisy moves in closer, but he doesn't seem bothered by it. ] Stormtroopers are the Empire's army. Cannon fodder, easily replaceable, but still dangerous. They are always after anyone who opposes the regime.

[ and he knows he's told daisy about the empire in his tirade against the jedi. ]

[ he gestures idly at the white armored bodies to the side. he is very blasé about their murders. he's been killing stormtroopers for over a decade. ] I killed them, but the disturbance will summon more.

[ a beat, because he doesn't miss the concern on daisy's face, the careful way she comes closer, like she wants to help. ] There is nothing to be done. This has already happened.

[ yes, she knows of the empire. that, she does know. she knows much about the empire and its forces — and of the men they collect, the jedi, those with abilities that have been squandered from good use and placed on pedestals to collect dust. she knows of the jedi from words of scorn and disgust from jyn, from tirades of bitter frustration and disapproval from cassian.

daisy wonders, sometimes, what jyn and cassian would make of her. of what she can do, outside of the siphoned strength that new amsterdam presents. she does not have a blaster to lower, but she does have her hands; when they clutch at her sides, the ground trembles beneath her feet, rubble bouncing along the stone. power, left dormant, now desperate to find its way out. ]

How many are there?

[ here, in whatever place there are; but also, wherever they may be. how many, she wonders, could they destroy? ]

[ cassian is not without his biases, but his biases are his entire life. he hasn't hid the fact that he was a soldier from daisy or anyone in this world, but his intelligence work he likes to keep wrapped up and sealed tight. ]

[ when daisy activates her powers, he frowns, but it isn't because of what she can do so much as the reminder that this scene has already happened. it's happened many times in his head, but he's never done much about it before. he doesn't seem bothered by what she can do here. ]

I never counted here. I left before they arrived. [ left them to find tivik's body alongside those of their compatriots. he doesn't like to think about what became of tivik's body. did they leave it there? did they take it back to search for information? he did not leave his long time informant with a very happy end. ]

I have never been caught on any planet. [ he never would be either, thanks to the lullaby. ] But in the entire galaxy, their numbers do not seem to have an end. Numbers depend on what the Empire wants out of an occupation. How strong the rebellion presence is.

[ the rebellion. daisy has never been part of a rebellion. not like this, at least. not the effort of devoted men and women, true davids against an ever-reaching goliath, desperately willing to give anything and everything of themselves for a hope that seems but a faint light in the dark.

she can feel that. cassian's determination — and his inability to be anything but — comes off him in waves, evident in everything from the tight set of his jaw to the way he holds his blaster. experienced enough not to think about it, and yet constantly re-adjusting, minute movements, just enough to be alert.

this is his dream. it's his war. but daisy is here for a reason, and she wants to help. ]

Where do you go next? Are there more of them?

[ if he did not have to fight, what would change? ]

[ cassian has been rebelling in some form for the vast majority of his life. he's fought in all kinds of ways since he was six, from rocks to assassinations. it hasn't been a lot of open warfare, but he doesn't think that would have made it any easier. it's all fucked up. ]

[ his determination has been with him for two decades too; it makes sense to exist even in his dreams, even when this war is behind him. he can't do anything else for it now, but his choices don't stop haunting him just because he won't get back to his home galaxy. ]

[ he jerks his head upward, towards the wall of pipes and plumbing that extends up higher than either of them can see; was it that high in reality? he doesn't remember right now. all he remembers was climbing as fast as he could like he was running from the body at the ground. ] Up and away. There are always more of them, but the information I have must get out at any cost. So I fled.

[ fled and killed a man. ]

[ the wall is impossibly high. she thinks she might fall if she tried to climb it, her limbs giving out from sheer exhaustion well before they ever reached the top. but daisy doesn't have to climb it — not in a dream, anyway. not when the familiar trembling still resides in her bones, not when she can use that energy to push herself upwards and over any obstacles in her path. ]

Come on. [ much like a hero in a comic book, daisy extends a hand to him, an unmistakable gesture that she'd once given his better half in another dream. a nicer dream than this one, to be fair; in that one, daisy had gotten to take a nap and eat chocolate. she doubts either of those things will happen here. ] Up, up and away, right?

[ let's blow this popsicle stand. ]

[ cassian won't fall from this wall. he's climbed it so many times in his dreams, but he never slips from this one. sometimes he wakes up as soon as he starts climbing. the dreams tend to focus more on tivik than his escape, because even when he gets to the top he gets to look down at the man's body. ]

[ he regards daisy's hand cautiously, not quite taking it. ]

I need both hands to climb, Daisy.

[ that's the whole reason he shot tivik. the man couldn't climb and facilitate his own escape. ]

[ she fixes him with a look. it's the sort of look jyn gives her when she asks if jyn wants seconds at dinner. what a stupid question. ]

We're not climbing, Cassian.

[ her hand, still extended, wriggles enticingly in his direction. if what he says is true, if the empire's soldier dogs are planning on rushing in this direction sometime soon, they don't have time to debate the merits of transportation methods.

he's out of his mind if he thinks she wants to exhaust herself when there are better options, though. ]

Holding out your hand expectantly explains nothing. You do know this, right?

[ it's not a stupid question when he doesn't know what she is capable of! she's never told him, he hasn't thought about her powers outside of what this world gave her. ]

[ at least it's mildly distracting from the crushing guilt that comes with tivik's corpse. always good to shove that aside!! ]

Are you telling me you can fly?

Flying is probably a stretch, but yeah, basically.

[ in the distance, the sound of stomping in unison echoes in the streets; with it, the rise of voices, shouts, people scurrying out of the way as danger approaches. danger, in this case, in the form of a patrol. stormtroopers out to investigate the situation, and eventually, to investigate them.

she knows this is a dream, but that doesn't mean she wants to be shot in a dream. or, you know, tortured by space fascists. ]

Do you want to get out of here or not?

[ cassian knows he gets out of here. he made it off the ring of kafrene and back to base one. he has seen himself escape at the cost of tivik repeatedly. it won't change anything, but curiosity gets the better of him moreso than the encroaching threat. ]

[ he reaches out for her hand. ]

We have to reach the top.

Yeah, duh.

[ and they will, in short order, now that cassian's done the thing and closed the gap. she gives him just a squeeze as acknowledgement before she tugs him in, close enough to pull an arm around him for support, and lets her other hand splay out parallel to the ground. it only takes a moment before a surge of vibrational energy spills out, creating a buffer between the ground and their feet that lifts them up, slowly at first and then dizzyingly fast, a roar of wind in their ears as they soar up and up and up.

for cassian's sake, daisy doesn't just drop to the ground in a superhero kneel. instead, she's careful about lessening the force of the rumbling until they're safely standing on the top of the building, the skyline sprawled out in all directions around them. only then does she let him go. ]

So. Now what?

[ it is certainly an experience, one he doesn't really know how to describe yet, but he'll be able to process it a little more once he's out of this dream and this moment. holding on to daisy and flying upward is a slightly welcomed distraction at least, even when they land and he looks out at the familiar rooftops. he knows the exact path to his ship, where k2 is waiting, where they fly off planet to rush the news from jedha back to base one. ]

[ he doesn't answer her question, because usually at this point in the dream in turns into something else terrible, or he wakes up. it's just uncharacteristically quiet now, even the hum of the busy city feels muted. ]

I leave and I escape with my life. I have a ship docked in one of the ports. [ he looks at daisy, focusing on her more than he has since she appeared in the dream, frowning when he realizes he's transferred some of the blood onto her clothes and her hands. ] This was a mission and I succeeded. The worst of it is over.

[ daisy hasn't noticed the blood. it isn't much of a reassurance, really, or even meant to be one; it's simply fact, that she's been on enough missions where blood (hers or someone else's, it never seems to matter) smears across her skin and soaks through her clothes that it no longer catches her attention. it's just a fact of the life they're leading right now, and so daisy doesn't look at her hands. she wipes the sticky residue against her jumpsuit as he pulls away and doesn't miss a beat. ]

When do you wake up?

[ she knows this is a dream. it is a memory and a dream, a strange combination of the two where reality and possibility blur together. this feels like a personal prison in the same way that illya had been imprisoned in the gulag once, and daisy isn't sure where or what would qualify as escape.

does cassian escape in death? in causing another? or in simply walking away, the worst of it over and done? ]

[ in a way he is glad daisy pays the blood no mind. it's common enough in his own reality and his own dreams that he barely thinks about it anymore either, except when he does. it's not much of a relief that dreams are where he finds the blood on his hands more often, simply because he's by nature much cleaner about it. ]

It varies.

[ she's not wrong. cassian has never been arrested before, but chirrut was right about there being all sorts of prisons. his own keeps him trapped even after death. ]

Sometimes I wake up in my bed. Sometimes it's on another planet. Right now we are on the Ring of Kafrene. I am not used to having a level of control like this.

Do you want to wake up?

[ they can do that. they can walk out, they can open a door; they aren't imprisoned here if they don't want to be. she's learning how to do that, night by night, dream by dream. ]

Or is there somewhere else you want to go?

There isn't anywhere else I want to go.

[ his dreams are not a pleasant place. he's sure there is plenty more his unconscious could take them both, but none of them are places he wants daisy to see. this new trick the displaced have been given isn't one of his favorites. ]

Have you figured out how to wake up from these? On purpose?

So let's wake up.

[ maybe that will answer his question. she pauses for a moment, turning this way and that to get a better look at their surroundings. it's not exactly a hallway filled with doors, but there are archways and entrances around them. ]

Pick a door, and decide you're ready to go. It's your dream.

[ and when he wakes, daisy will too. she can't linger here without him. ]

[ kafrene is a tall city, with buildings and nooks and crannies everywhere; there's a reason it was easy for cassian to climb up and out in reality. even now, the doors present themselves like they've been there all along. maybe they're part of the original architecture, but when cassian looks at them, he feels a pull towards one of them. maybe it's just his dream, maybe it's relevant. ]

[ he doesn't care for the reasoning right now, he wants to get up. so he gestures towards it, trusting she'll follow, and steps through. ]

[ and then he wakes up. it takes him a long few seconds to get his bearings, but he has to admit - being able to wake himself up out of a dream like that could come in handy. ]

[ he can't sit here though, still feeling the rush of adrenaline from the dream, so he very carefully climbs out of bed, always trying to avoid waking jyn; she stirs often, but he gently touches her hand when she reaches out, so she rolls over with that comfort and he slips into the kitchen for a glass of water. that's normal after nightmares. he can only hope daisy hadn't woken up too. ]

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EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

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