meadowlarklogs | EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

Entry tags:

EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: December 19th to the end of the month.
WHAT: Event aftermath, Winter Solstice, Christmas.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Character death, self-sacrifice, drug use. Further notes at end of log.

> EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

Zerzura's demise is a very near miss. Three out of four of the bombs detonate, with numerous Mycenaean guards' lives taken as a result of the assault. It's probable—even likely—that numerous Displaced were injured as a result of this attack. Just as the last bomb seemed likely to go off, everything stopped. As in: the scene ended, shifting, putting all of the Displaced to sleep. Zerzura won't end. Or will it?

The return from Zerzura will feel like waking up from a long nap. Instead of anyone waking up in their beds, they will find themselves on the ground beside the man-made river that runs down the center of New Amsterdam. The ground beneath them will be moist with recent rainfall. Anyone who was still in the throes of a fantasy and believing themselves to be a part of Zerzura will find themselves tossed out of that existence. Anyone who died at the precipice of the spear will still recall their actions vividly: their mind and body hitting a point in which it was finite, slipping away. There may be some room for doubt regarding their deaths. After all, they're very much alive now.

There are two constants among the Displaced when they observe themselves and others: that all of their chests are glowing with that familiar blue glow, and they'll all experience a feeling of serenity. This feeling won't come from any of the Displaced themselves. Much like the intrusion of the empathy bond, it will feel as if it's coming from elsewhere. The problem is that it's always there: there is no way of disconnecting, at least for now. The good news is that the serenity will begin to fade within the next day, and with it, the blue glow will go away as well.

All of the Displaced can't remain at the riverside. If they linger too long, it will begin to rain again. The rain itself will only be a light misting against their faces at first, before turning into a heavier downfall. If they're wary of returning to their lives initially because of the blue glow, they'll soon find that the people of New Amsterdam seem to look away from them as they trot through the city to return to their lives. This is a temporary sensation, seeming to have overtaken the city's citizens for the time being. Within a day or two, the blue glow will be met with the same paranoia that was fostered by the UN following the abduction of Kurt Fischer.

What can they do now? Aside from the feeling of serenity, little will have immediately changed for the Displaced. The best thing they can do is try to return to their lives as if Zerzura never happened.

Some things to check in with, though?

WORK. Upon realizing that the Displaced disappeared yet again, El worked overtime to make sure that all of the Displaced wouldn't lose their jobs. After all, that would mean they'd likely have to give up their housing, and Morningstar would need to financially step in to help. Not all of the places of employment will accept these excuses, especially since El can't put together a doctor's note without it promptly being verified as falsified. It's ultimately up to anyone's discretion over whether their character lost their job.

CHANGES. Some of the changes will appear out of nowhere: a dream that's shared, or a memory that's passed on rather unwillingly. It's time to explore what's happened, and even theorize as to why this has happened. And those objects that were the core of remembering who they were, back in Zerzura? They're permanent fixtures from now on. And what about those Union Attacks? For now, they may have an interesting place in the fighting rings. Time to convince the people running those shows to start including doubles matches.

PLANT LIFE. All around New Amsterdam, plants will begin to grow. These plants are varied, and they'll make an appearance anywhere that they might be allowed to grow. Is that a sink that's frequently full of water? Now it's mysteriously stopped up by a plant that's growing through the pipes. While all this plant life may seem like a miracle, having plants growing in every part of the city will quickly prove to be a problem.

HOLIDAY SEASON. The good news about everyone's trip to Zerzura is that they didn't miss Christmas—or rather, the December 25th edition of it. The city is still covered in Christmas trees and ornamentation. The stadium is still hosting a holiday market.

> WINTER SOLSTICE

In the days leading up to the Winter Solstice, there will be an uptick of paintings around New Amsterdam hinting as to where this year's party will be held: Sunpeak Garden. While there won't be any official notice, anyone interested or curious is free to visit this location on the day of the Solstice (December 21st) to see what's going on, and it will go on for the next three days, ending on the morning of the 24th. As they draw closer to the location itself, they'll find the botanical garden secured by a large, overarching tent, preventing rainfall from getting into the garden itself. On the air, there will be the scent of something being smoked—which they'll soon learn is a set of goats that seem to have been acquired by whoever put on this shindig.

Unlike many other events around New Amsterdam, this seems to be more private in nature. There is an unspoken understanding that beyond the paintings, there will be no social media posts. Inside of the garden, there will be a lot of plants and decorations carefully molded into sacred geometric shapes. Despite the unofficial nature, whoever put this event together definitely spent their time doing it. This Solstice party isn't a spontaneous thing, and anyone who goes will hear about the previous parties and how the proprietor does his best to make everyone happy.

Anyone who went to the Harvest Festival or Insomniac's Ball will see a lot of the same people working it, complete with some familiar tattoos. They'll be eager to welcome in any of the Displaced, especially any of the ones who tend to be featured in the shrines around the city.

Once everyone's here, they're welcome to enjoy themselves. Under some of the canopies of trees, there will be beds and futons, giving people places to rest. Some of these will be claimed, so anyone who's eager to stick around for a few days might want to get dibs. Otherwise? It's time to enjoy what's been put together:

FEAST. There will be a feast for the next three days. Aside from the smoked goats, there will be a lot of goat cheese and vegetables. These are the people who put on the harvest festival, after all. There will be a lot of pickled vegetables out on tables, salads, and everything else. Aside from cheese for snacking, anyone can partake in some delicious berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries) and nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and almonds—despite the difficulty in getting most of these in New Amsterdam). There will also be figs, because of course there are figs.

FLOWER CROWNS. To go with the more laidback flair of this event, there will be flower crowns available for everyone. They will look more Christmas-like in spirit, like small little wreaths to go on everyone's heads.

ALCOHOL. Of course, what kind of Solstice or Yule event would it be without alcohol to imbibe? There will be mulled wine available, as well as the delicious apple-flavored beverage of wassail. It seems as if these two things never run out. For anyone avoiding alcohol, there will also be some sparkling grape juice and apple juice.

PSYCHEDELICS. Undoubtedly also inspired by Yule celebrations of old, anyone can partake in some species-specific (and at a safe dosage) amanita. Primarily available as a tea, anyone can drink this pleasant beverage and have a good time together.

MISTLETOE. There will be spots all around the botanical garden where the decorators took good care to make the mistletoe stand out. Surrounded by little lights, no one will be able to miss them. That means they can be easily avoided, if that's what someone would prefer!

BALL PROPRIETOR. While he's not hiding that he put this on, he's just as mysterious as before. If anyone wants to catch his eye at this event, they can. They'll need to stand out to get him to talk to them. To do this, reply below! Ball will definitely be interested in any Displaced trying to catch his eye, but it's still up to them to go through the motions.

> CHRISTMAS

As the Solstice party comes to an end, it'll be time to focus on Christmas itself. Around New Amsterdam, this is a deeply commercial holiday. Since most of New Amsterdam's citizens prefer to celebrate Sinterklaas, the day of Christmas itself largely emphasizes purchasing access to Christmas movies and giving gifts to anyone who had been forgotten earlier in the month. For new couples, Christmas Eve acts as a romantic occasion, giving them the chance to spend some time alone. Restaurants around the city will have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day specials and feasts—though these will be very expensive to enjoy.

> GRINCH INTERLUDE

Once reports start to hit the news about the rapidly healing atmosphere, a strange cypher begins to appear in the replies of people's posts on Cooltalk. This misfire appears at random and without a pattern. While some of the Displaced will get hit on their Cooltalks, they won't be among the majority by any means. How to get ahold of 100342? A reply might do the trick, or it might not. Drop a message in the questions thread with ideas!

Then again, this message more of a simple response to a slight than anything else, most likely recognizable to the displaced, who are familiar with the cipher's formula:

200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Welcome back to the world of New Amsterdam proper, Larkers! This will act as the mingle log for the month of September since we didn't receive any applications this month. In order to plot out some aftermath, please head over to the CR Meme for the month of September! Our September calendar and Event #006 Aftermath are also up for perusing.

If you'd like to get your character in touch with Ball, please reply to the comment below with how they'd like to stand out! Ball, like all of our NPCs, will act as a means to an end to uncover plot details. With the gates excursion on the horizon, we wanted to make him available for all of the playerbase. Due to time constraints, this means that Gaby won't be available for this log.

If you have any questions about event aftermath, please hit the thread on the Aftermath Post here. If you have any questions about this log, go to the questions thread on this post!

> NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's my bedroom.

[ she offers her correction in a snide voice, taking the box from him. the only real knickknacks she has are pots and vases, and those will have to go in the living room. ]

The mattress will fit. [ she's stubborn on this point. ] We just might have to encourage it a little.

Encourage it how?

[ if he sounds incredulous it's because he is. the room barely looks big enough to contain her, much less the both of them.

his gaze strays to the (predictably low) ceiling. frowning, his attention snaps back to rey — who has plucked up the box and is circling around him, heading out of the room and toward the living room. he follows after her.

the living room is bigger, at least. spacious, even, though it's in dire need of a paint job and a comfortable carpet. his toes curl in his boots, absent-mindedly thinking about his own apartment and how she left him for this.

exhaling, he shakes his head. pushes down those thoughts and focuses instead on the possibilities. ]

Are you sure you don't want anything else from the apartment?

Edited 2019-09-25 21:21 (UTC)

Your bed's not any smaller than mine. [ she notes this as if it had been his bed he was offering. as far as she could tell, they'd moved everything that belonged to her. she settles the box down in the living room. there's no couch yet--a work in progress--but there will be eventually, and in the meantime, the plants can fill the space.

she starts unloading them. ]

Will you bring the mattress in? I'll help you get it settled. I did the measurements. [ the space is exactly one quarter inch wider than the mattress, which means it'll be a saga to get it settled into that space. she has faith in them. rey doesn't share that part. ]

[ he would offer it if he thought she'd consider accepting it ㅡ he might offer it, anyway, depending on how dubious her new mattress might appear ㅡ but since this is all about her desire for independence, to have her own space and things, he doubts that the offer would be met with anything more than indignation. ]

Fine. [ a sliver of petulance might have crept into his tone, like a child being sent away to do chores.

she'd asked him to be here. to help, specifically, but he's sure that part of it is her attempt to assure him that her new apartment will be safer than the last. and while he's dubious ㅡ because of course he is. because it's still difficult to shake off the image of her strapped to that chair, her chest bared, drugged out of her mind.

but she needs this.

she'd told him that she'd needed this and he was attempting to be the sort of man that could give her this. even if it means that he's stuck wrestling a mattress down several steps (nearly tripping at least once) and depositing it onto the floor of the living space. ]

[ moody.

she frowns at his back as he heads out to get the mattress. she'd figured it would be a risk in him helping -- he didn't like that she was moving back out of his place -- but she'd hoped it would get by without incident. rey has the box mostly unpacked when he returns, and by then, she has worked herself up to offering him a way out.

it's a big deal for her, confronting his displeasure instead of avoiding awareness of it: ]

I can take it from here on my own, if you want.

No, it's — fine.

[ it isn't. not exactly, but. ]

It's just harder than I expected. [ an offer of context. they're trying this exciting new thing called communication, which means admitting that this isn't something that he really knows how to handle, but pushing through and getting over it. ]

It was easier when you were running from me.

I should have stayed in the safehouse.

[ that's the takeaway, here. her mistake was in letting him think that her living with him was ever an option. she'd let herself need him, depend on him. she'd clung to him because she was panicked and afraid and now going back to normal feels like a punishment as a result. but she can't just keep holding onto him instead of standing on her own. ]

It wasn't fair. [ now he thinks she's running away instead. ]

Maybe.

[ hindsight is twenty-twenty. ]

But I'm glad that you didn't. [ there had been safety in knowing that she was with him. something he couldn't have had if she'd remained at the safehouse. ]

And I can visit, as you said. [ promised. it had felt like a promise and so he was taking it to mean that it was. it would be nice, though, if that invitation (tentative such as they were) were genuine — otherwise he might make this that much worse by, say, hovering. ]

My new work hours are consistent.

[ so he'll know when she's around, when he can drop by and expect her to be here. certainly she doesn't go out into the city proper unnecessarily around this time. it's terrible out there, the crowds and the noise. ]

I saw you plenty before I started staying with you. [ he's being just a little dramatic about all of this, she thinks. but she's being unnecessarily stubborn about it too, leaving when things had been fine. ]

Good.

[ it’s not that he doesn’t enjoy daenerys’ company – because he does, rather more than he typically enjoys people, in general – but there’s no getting around the fact that he’d much rather spend that time with rey.

so, perhaps he’s being a little dramatic but really no more dramatic than is usual for him. ]

That was different. [ not by much but still. it had definitely been different. more often than not they were forced to be together out of some kind of necessity.

seeking each other out is still a relatively new concept. pleasant but new. and perhaps that was why he clung to it so hard; pleasant things were a novelty when you spent most of your life mired in misery and shadow. ]

But I appreciate the intention.

Hey.

[ she frowns, dissatisfied with that. why, she can't say. maybe because it ignores the ways in which she had sought him out, and he had done the same. or maybe just because she doesn't want him resenting her for wanting space. she reaches for his arm, stubborn. ]

I'm not running away from you.

[ that's not what this is.

right?

there's a moment of uncertainty, trepidation that leads to her taking a breath for another sentence, then watching the sentence fall apart on her tongue. she can't follow it with anything because she can't properly explain how overwhelmed she is by how much she'd needed him and how dangerous that is for someone who's been through what she's been through.

so maybe she's not being fair, either. ]

[ a slow exhale. it takes some of the tension with it, at least, though there's enough lingering in his frame to suggest that he, too, is unsure of just what to do with himself and this sense he's being left again even when he knows that it's to the contrary.

so rather than try to find the words — words were never his strength, not like his mother or even his father — he simply nods and then, carefully, tugs her closer. ]

All right.

[ she'd already done her part, had opened herself to him despite it going against her every instinct, and now it was his turn. ]

All right. I believe you.

[ their clothes protect them from the empathy bond, and privately, selfish, she's glad for that. rey buries her face against his chest, holding him close. it's easy, like this. the comfort. but they're also standing in the middle of the living room, and rey's not the only one trying to move in, so --

it doesn't last as long as she wants it to, even though she's ultimately the first to pull away. rey looks down at the mattress. ]

If we get the bed set up, you could stay over tonight. If you wanted.

[ in her closet. ]

[ the embrace ends almost as quickly as it starts and, regretful, kylo nonetheless lets rey pull away — though never so far that he couldn't pull her back, if necessary.

her offer prompts a brief, twitching sort of smile. it flickers across his features but doesn't settle there, because for all that things are easier with her now, there's still that part of him that doesn't know what to do with too much of a good thing. even if the other part, a tentative but growing part, wants to bury himself in it and forget that there was ever anything else. ]

All right. [ if this is an offer of placation, he'll accept it. ] But I still don't see it fitting.

I've heard that before.

[ she arches her eyebrows at him meaningfully, then goes to pick up the mattress and slide it on its side towards her closet-sized bedroom. ]

[ a click of his tongue, eyes tracking her as she heads back toward the bedroom, and then he's moving. large, quick steps that take him to her side. ]

With any luck this won't require half as much preparation. [ but it's all fond, even with that edge of exasperation. he hoists her up and over his shoulder, the other hand settling on the mattress.

pushing it slowly back toward the room as she'd been doing. ]

[ she makes a surprised noise as he hauls her off her feet. ]

Hey! [ but aside from a firm pound of her fist on his shoulder blade, she doesn't put up a fight. ] As I recall, you enjoy the preparation.

[ at least, the faint blush in her cheeks suggests that she would like to assume that's true, and will declare it as fact until proven otherwise. ]

Of course — I enjoy any excuse to touch you.

[ and he's getting better at sex in general as a result. though it helps to have someone willing to indulge even his more peculiar foibles.

the mattress stalls at the edge of the bedroom threshold and he pauses, considering. he should let her down so she could help him. he should do that but if he just gives it a little bit of a shove — ]

[ rey is not so far from the trembling, cautious moment in the hut on ahch-to that she has forgotten what a relief it is for him to be eager for her touch. she's grateful to hear that. it soothes some of the tension in her chest.

the mattress slots awkwardly, re-angling itself and sort of flopping to the side as it slides into the bedroom -- inasmuch as it can be called that. the ceiling is low enough on one side that it keeps the mattress from flopping fully that way, which winds up nudging it in the other direction by sheer virtue of gravity. the space is too narrow, even once the mattress is all the way inside, for it to lie flat. rey, at least, has only laid out some containers to prop it on -- open cubbies, so she can store things beneath it. it will keep the low ceiling from bothering her, at least.

so there it flops. just barely unwilling to make the difference and settle flat in the room. ]

If you'd give up your excuse to touch me right now, I might actually be able to help you.

Only because you asked so nicely.

[ and because they'll be more than making up for this moment later. but to be able to do that, they need to get the mattress settled first. no small task judging by the way the thing tips but doesn't quite fall.

once rey is settled back on the ground he'll wave a hand in the direction of the karking thing. ]

Well?

Stay here. You have to press it down.

[ a little wave of her hands dismisses him in the doorway. which is fine, really, because the foot of the mattress just about reaches that doorway. she slips under the elevated side of the mattress and starts picking up the other side gradually, trying to wiggle it into place.

with rey under it solidly on one side, trying to level out the awkward tilt, she says -- ]

Okay, push down the other side. [ she points to the higher tipped side. he's tall. it'll be fine. ] We just have to level it out and then ... [ it'll fall right into place. right? ]

[ you have to press it down, she says, like it's easy; he follows her direction and the mattress, predictably, only complies to a certain point before it refuses to budge.

so he tries it again, firmer this time, and while it moves another inch it stubbornly refuses to settle properly. a curse, low but vehement, beneath his breath, followed by him throwing his whole weight into the thing. ]

I -- Hey!

[ she's wiggling the mattress and pushing upward as he pushes down, trying to get it to level out by applying pressure to both sides. basic engineering, really. but then he's pushing down hard just as it settles into place and the whole thing starts to drop on rey -- fast.

it would be a really embarrassing way for the last jedi to go out, but here she is, crawling out from under the mattress anyway and shooting him a sour look. ]

Watch it. [ she navigates between his legs to get into the hall and the mattress settles very precariously onto the storage containers she had set up for it. sure, it occupies almost all the space in the room, but it's in. she gets to her feet, dusts herself off, puts her hands on her hips and proudly declares: ] I told you it'd fit.

( the look he casts the mattress' way is dubious at best. rey's offer to stay the night, and the deeper implications, echo in his head.

that mattress doesn't look like it'd be capable of bearing the weight of one of them much less two — much less doing the sort of thing they generally do when left alone in bed together. )

You did. ( he doesn't want to kill her buzz, particularly knowing how much she seems to need this to work, so he leaves it at that, slinging an arm across her shoulders. )

[ she manages to keep her scrunched-nose look of offense that he'd dropped the mattress on her for all of a few seconds before, reluctantly, she leans into him, slowly swiveling her head up towards him, with a look both wry and appreciative. ]

That's the worst of it.

EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

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wrap here?