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

[Nill doesn't realize that what she's said has hit a nerve, and if he hadn't continued to talk about it, she might not have noticed at all. But even before he suggests another topic, she picks up on his discomfort, and makes a mental note to not bring up dying worlds again.

There are actually a lot of things she would rather not bring up right now, but there's nowhere to run now that it's out in the open. Not that she'd run away from Riku--this conversation is going to be hard, and awkward, and probably a little messy, but he's her friend (still, she hopes), and he deserves some kind of explanation.]

Yeah. Okay.

[It's not "yeah, okay!" Nill stares down into her cider hard, once again considering using her power to sink right through the bench into the ground. Avoidance is her specialty--she's always been good at boxing things up and just never thinking about them. But she can't do that to him, and she realizes, surprisingly, she can't do that to herself, either. Not thinking about things doesn't mean they haven't happened, doesn't mean they don't change her in some way. She's going to have to face a lot of things sooner or later, and honestly, this may be one of the easier ones.

She takes a deep breath, exhaling through her nose. In her mind, there's only one course this conversation is about to take, so she tries to start off on the right foot:]

I'm sorry.

[A good, solid apology. Something she feels needs to be said. She doesn't look at him, can't bring herself to watch his face and read his reaction, even though that's always been one of her strengths. She doesn't want to see what he's thinking right now.]

I should have been able to fight whatever was in my head on my own. I shouldn't have let it take my feelings and make them into something bigger, and try to fit you into that. I'm sorry you got dragged into it at all.

[She's sorry she tried to hold his hand, she's sorry she thought they were going on a date. She's sorry for a lot of things, especially that she can't seem to stop talking. But she's decided to face this head-on with nothing but honesty, and there's no going back now. He's either going to want to be her friend still or he isn't, and all she can do is tell him what she's thinking.

Her hands tighten a little around her cup, and she adds:]

But I am glad you were there. I don't know if I could have snapped out of it if you weren't. And before you say you were "just there" again, it was enough.

[Because losing Heine had done a number on her, and getting sucked into whatever world Zerzura created for her was easier than facing the pain of her best friend's departure. The very vivid reminder that she still has people here who she cares about and who care about here had been a very necessary part of freeing her from Zerzura's grip.]

I know it's weird, and talking about it is weird, but I still want us to be friends. If it isn't too weird.

[Pull yourself together, Nill. Stop saying weird. You're making it weird.]

[That was a lot. The moment it opens up with an apology, he's left not being able to say much. Not that he would. Riku's used to communicating with Nill: letting her say her piece, letting her get everything off of her chest. But it's obvious from his expression the entire time that he hadn't expected this to be a prolonged apology. Riku's been trying to work out how he, well, feels about everything that happened there, dealing with the emotions it stirred up inside of him.

And the more she talks, the more she expresses anxiety that it might have hurt their friendship (more than anything else)—he feels like a bit of an idiot. He doesn't know what to do with himself, so he works to school his expression from surprised to calm, only halfway succeeding.

He feels like an idiot because he had been dealing with his own feelings, his own concerns, and he never once thought that maybe Nill had been forced to feel that way by Zerzura. He's an idiot. He really is.

Riku's been settled in the fact that he wouldn't bother Sora with his emotions for a while. That protectiveness. What lies at the heart of it. Thinking of Sora and Kairi on the beach, while he seemingly sat alone. He was at peace with it, and happy to help his Replica get what he wanted. Help him to protect Naminé. The thing is, with Riku, it never feels like a major sacrifice. Like something he could have. He knows how he feels, that he's comfortable, and that's it. And maybe he had gotten comfortable in trying to talk out his feelings with Nill, for Nill—

But he skipped too many steps ahead. Actually? That might make this easier. He realizes that slowly, and comes to tip his head.]

[Then his head tilts back up, eyes meeting hers for a brief second before his entire face breaks out into an easy smile. Riku hopes that she doesn't think that he's laughing at her. He's not. He just feels so relieved. It's like they just found themselves in easier territory. Even if he hadn't had confusing feelings for her, ones that he had to weigh in terms of honesty and loyalty in contrast to his feelings for Sora, he wouldn't have wanted anything to happen to their friendship. Not in a million years.

A low laugh forms in his throat.]

It's not too weird. Zerzura messed with a lot of people's heads. I have a new mom and dad, apparently. [Note: that's one he's not dealing with easily, but it's somehow easier than ... this.]

Ya know, I never thought this would be about us not being friends. You're my friend Nill. It's as simple as that. And don't be sorry, though I guess I'm the wrong person to tell anyone that.

[His voice is lighter, easier. Wow, what a load off of him!

(Haha, the magic of default states. That's why he feels so relieved.)]

[If she'd actually been talking, she's sure she'd be out of breath after all that; it isn't that she'd had a speech prepared or anything, but rather that she'd just let her heart do the talking, and it had decided to try and get everything out at once. It's a new experience for her, and it leaves her feeling a little raw, a little vulnerable--but also clean, in a way. She didn't have to fight to find the words, because they were just there, and she could let them out as they came to her.

Nill chances a peek up at him and sees that he's--smiling? That's a good sign, right? Her heart lifts and falls all at once; she doesn't want to get her hopes up that they're still going to be able to hang out without this awkwardness looming over them only to have it all come crashing down around her, but god does she really hope things are going to be alright.

You're my friend Nill. It's as simple as that. Her stomach flips, and a little part of her can't believe that this is going to be the end of it. She's waiting for the other shoe to drop, for there to be a "but" attached to his words.

There isn't. He really means it.

Relief is like a punch to the gut. She visibly slouches, not having realized how much tension was strung throughout her body. It's like the puppeteer that was Zerzura has finally loosed her strings, and she can move on her own now. If she could, she'd laugh. She'd been so worked up, so worried that he wouldn't want to ever see her again, but he said that had never crossed his mind. She can't imagine how, but she believes him.

Nill runs a hand through her hair, idly thinking about how much time has passed since she showed up here; it's nearly down to her chin, and while she misses her longer locks, she can't really hate it. She thinks having it short makes her look older, and that helps her feel more like the adult she secretly, desperately wants to believe she is. Finding the courage to speak honestly like this does, too.]

Good. Okay, that's good.

[And it really is. She doesn't have a lot of friends, and the idea of losing even one of them is nearly unthinkable.

When she finally looks at him full-on, she's got a small smile on her lips, a little crooked but genuine. But there's a small crease between her brows, and she can't help but ask:]

Do I want to know what you thought it would be about?

[She's been so worked up about the thought of losing a friend that she hadn't dug any deeper than that.]

[Does she want to know? Given the elation and relief that Riku very visibly felt because of it, there is a chance that she doesn't. Riku can't take any of that emotional response back, knowing that he had complicated everything in his head by taking it too far. He doesn't know where he stands with it.

But he can't just lie to her, either. His posture becomes slightly less straight, partly because he's feeling awkward. His shoulders slump forward ever so slightly. Riku does, in fact, feel particularly sheepish about this.]

I've been trying to figure out why some people were susceptible to things there and what it all meant. I thought we'd have to talk about that because—[More slumping, more sheepish. It's uncomfortable territory in every way. He can go on for ages (for him, anyway) about what needs to be done, about pretending to be arrogant—but this stuff?

Yeah, this stuff is hard.]

Well, because.

[The change in him is so obvious to Nill that she immediately wishes she could take the question back. She hadn't thought it that strange a thing to ask, but she also doesn't have a lot of social experience with people her own age. Maybe it was a weird question. Very weird, based on the way he's reacted. Most of her friends on the ship had been adults, ones who were practiced with keeping their feelings, especially the negative ones, hidden from her. She could usually tell when they were feeling awkward or trying to sugar-coat some bad news, but they'd rarely been as overt as Riku seems to her right now.

But there's no going back now. At least she's fairly certain that if he wasn't going to stop being her friend because she'd tried to hold his hand while thinking he was her boyfriend, he wouldn't ditch her because of an awkward question.

Still, she looks down into her drink again, trying to find a response that won't make things worse. Because she thinks to herself that he needs some kind of explanation, and she should try to give him one. Eventually, she gives a halfhearted shrug.]

For me, I think it was because I just lost Heine.

[That, at least, hadn't been difficult to figure out.]

It was easier to have a made up life in Zerzura than to come back to the one I have here.

[The one where she'll go to bed every night in an empty apartment, not certain if she'll wake up in the morning. With Heine in the next room over, that had never been something she'd had to worry about.

She shrugs again, blowing out a slow breath.]

But here we are. And I think I'd like to keep moving forward. The person I was there isn't who I am, and that's okay.

[She'd been virtually carefree, had a stable support network, was practically normal aside from the telepathic speech. And those may seem like small things to someone else, but feeling safe, feeling comfortable in her own skin--those are luxuries to Nill. It shouldn't be surprising that Zerzura picked up on them and exploited them as much as it could.]

That makes sense. [It had nothing to do with him or their bond with one another. Riku does feel those same stirrings, but being able to avoid them is a relief. Having to figure them out. Having to hold them in parallel to his feelings with Sora, knowing they're different. He still feels like he dodged a big problem here. This could have gone way worse.

(Perhaps if Riku were better at this and less awkward, he'd try to broach that from a perspective of addressing those emotions. But he won't.)]

I think I avoided it because I'm ... aware of what I'm thinking all the time. How that affects how I feel. I'm always running over things in my head. [That's hard to explain, but even as he speaks, he notices about five new things in his periphery. Riku's mind has always been alert—overly so, in fact. He can't turn it off.

If only it extended to body language and social skills, but he's trying his best here. His best is likely not a very great achievement.]

But maybe it's not that. Maybe I just got lucky, and you didn't. Maybe it's nothing to think about too hard at all.

[Besides, it's not like there are many people he can have that conversation with. He knows Rey was taken, and so was Kylo Ren. Would he have to ask them why they got grabbed away?

Well, Rey might tell him. But not Kylo. No way.

Better to not follow this lead unless it proves necessary.]

[That doesn't surprise her one bit, really. Riku has always struck her as the kind of person who is just... aware of himself and those around him. He's the polar opposite of Heine in that way; her oldest friend had always been more focused on everything but himself. Keeping the Dog chained inside his head had taken a great toll, and looking into himself deeper than that had been too much for him most of the time. His only rare moments of introspection had been when it was just the two of them. There's no better confidante than someone who can't tell anyone what you've said, after all. More often than not, it had been her job to figure out what he was feeling or what he needed, because he would simply ignore what was going on inside his own head in favor of almost any external thing. But she doesn't feel that way with Riku; he knows himself, and a part of her sees that as one of his greatest strengths.

Nill finishes off her cider in one big gulp, savoring the way it warms her up from the inside out. Despite everything that's happened over the past few weeks, her sweet tooth hasn't suffered one bit.]

Maybe it isn't.

[Saying isn't the same as believing, though. Zerzura didn't strike her as the sort of place that just left things to chance. Maybe she's overanalyzing it, but she feels like there had to be a reason for who had their mind warped and who didn't.

But it isn't something she wants to bring up right now. She thought she was about to lose her closest friend in New Amsterdam, and she's still riding the relief that things between them are going to be alright. She doesn't want to spoil it by worrying over the deeper meaning of why Zerzura was able to break into her head so easily.]

I'm just glad we made it back.

[Even if they... died first. Which is another thing she isn't going to overanalyze right now.]

[If Riku were going about this correctly, he would try to take a survey of whose minds were lost and whose remained the same. Was there a specific type of person who was fortunate enough to avoid it? He could leave it all up to them. It wouldn't be unlike that dream survey that Johnny did. But the problem is that Riku's reconnaissance tends to be done face to face, without a lot of thought behind it. He's smart enough to take these steps, but he doesn't have the experience to back it up.

Maybe he'll get there. He needs to get there, probably, to be worth anything as a Keyblade Master.]

Me, too. Was it—did you have to do what some of us did? [Another point where he could collect information.

Riku had been torn up inside at the idea of Rey going. And even when it was clear she had, he knew he had to do it, too. That there wasn't enough. That it was still calling to him, that he needed to take the spear for himself. He died, but he's at peace with it.

He isn't asking her to tell him about dying. Just—collecting data? Or to see what power he has in protecting his friends?

Yeah, probably not enough of it.]

[Her grip on her cup at that tightens so much that she nearly crushes the biodegradable material. But she forces her hands to relax, and does a good job of keeping her face neutral.

Did she have to? She hasn't thought about it like that. The only way she's been able to frame it for herself was choosing to grab the spear, choosing to risk the sacrifice that might save everyone else. She'd felt the spear's pull, yes, but she'd also told herself she could have ignored it if she wanted to. Is that true? She'll probably never know, and she'll just have to accept that. Though it had all worked out in the end, miraculously, she hadn't known it would when she'd died. Though she'd tried to hold on to the peace she'd made with herself, that didn't stop the pain and the fear one bit. She'd nearly died once before, but that had been almost nothing compared to actually dying, and she certainly isn't eager to repeat the experience, noble sacrifice or otherwise.

Would she do it again? That's another thing she isn't ready to think about yet.

Despite the circles her mind is running, she bobs her head in a short nod.]

Yeah.

[More often than not, Nill is glad she can't speak. Inflection gives too much away, and despite how warm she is towards those she trusts, Nill likes to keep her feelings private most of the time. Letting on how shaken she still is after this whole ordeal isn't something she wants to do.]

[The problem is: Riku catches on anyway. She's been more talkative, more frantic today than usual. Maybe it's because he knows the subject matter, too. It's not as if he's in the dark. Riku can find the means to talk himself out of discussing his feelings. That comes easily: the logic sliding together, answering what he needs to know. He stalls his thoughts once he has an idea of what to do.

His mind is at ease, but worried. A simple "yeah" could be nothing. But he won't let himself think that. Riku can be accidentally callous in some ways through his awkwardness, but it's not his goal unless he's mad.

Riku doesn't think he could ever get mad at Nill. That just doesn't compute.]

We're okay. We made it through. [Riku would say that it was "worth it," but he remembers his pain at having to say good-bye to Rey. At realizing it wasn't enough.

Was it worth all that pain? Yes, most likely. But it's hard to say, hard for him to evaluate for anyone else. Heck, it's hard to do it for himself.]

[The second the words leave his mouth, Nill is faced with the realization that she doesn't have as good a grip on herself as she thinks she ought. She needs a moment to look at anything but him, so she tilts her head back and stares up towards the sky; her view is broken only by the laden branches of the new trees surrounding them.

For a few seconds she struggles to find words. "Okay" is a term she's only applied to herself very cautiously. Too much has happened in her relatively short life for her to really think of herself as "okay." But how could she possibly explain that to Riku? He knows the surface of it, had seen her at possibly her most broken point. Even if it hadn't been real, he'd still chosen to help her; she just doesn't think there's any helping the way she feels right now. It's something she's going to have to figure out on her own, preferably when there isn't anyone who's as observant as she is nearby.

Nill finally drops her gaze back to him, forcing herself to meet his eyes. She puts up a strong front, just like she always has, and even if her smile is a little crooked and doesn't reach her eyes, it's still there. That's one step in the right direction, she thinks.]

We did. [And because she spent the past two years under Badou's wing and has picked up some very bad habits when it comes to dealing with issues of her own mortality, she blows out a harsh breath, almost a huff of a laugh, before adding:] But let's try not to do it again any time soon.

[Truthfully, after she responds, Riku begins to question all of it. Was it worth it? Was it worth the pain? They got brought back, but he doesn't know if that was the answer. Rey had seemed certain about it, but he wonders if she really knows now. It's not something that's easy to ask about, either.

He wants to tell Nill that they did it for a reason. They had to die. But he doesn't know. There are changes. Green flora has taken over the city. Is that connected, or is it something else, some way for the world to respond?

He doesn't know.]

I've gotta agree with you on that. It was too hard saying good-bye to who I did. I thought I'd never see them again.

[Never mind the people he didn't say that to. But then, he thinks that's better, too. He never had to let go.]

[The sudden expanse of greenery gives Nill mixed feelings, when she thinks about it. It seems like it should be a good thing, a sign the world is fixing itself. But she knows it's going to make an impact on the lives of the everyday people of New Amsterdam, and maybe not entirely for the better. If things keep growing like they are, it will probably hurt the very infrastructure of the city, won't it? She's seen what a city looks like after tunnels collapse and gas lines explode. She can't help but worry that New Amsterdam might crumble beneath the roots of these beautiful trees.

She nods a little, consciously not shifting with her discomfort. She... didn't say goodbye to anyone. She hadn't been able to bring herself to. Was that selfish of her, or cowardly? Yet another thing to add to the list of things she won't think about for a while.]

Do you have any theories on why we came back?

[Or maybe they hadn't really died in the first place. Zerzura was some kind of dream, wasn't it? Or at least some... alternate plane. Isn't it possible they just kind of... woke up? But it all felt so real; there wasn't any of the uncertainty that had come with the fantasy she'd been trapped in while in Zerzura.]

[The worst part is that Riku is fairly certain that he should have an answer. After everything he's been through, this should feel like something that's within his reach. He doesn't show his insecurity, but he's stumped. Or maybe he shouldn't feel insecure. Nothing about this world functions the way he thinks it should.

So, why did they come back? Why did it feel like they woke up? Why was it next to the river of all places, and not their beds? Isn't that where people appear when they're gone? Does this have to do with the disappearances?

No, actually: this stands apart, so they can count that out.]

I don't know. I think it tells us what doesn't happen when someone like Heine or Dawn leave. It tells us that they aren't going to a world like Zerzura. Look at how we got back here. That's not how it's gone for any of us. And I don't think it was set apart to give us a false lead. It doesn't ... feel like that.

[Riku knows it might hurt to mention Heine, but it hurts to mention Dawn. He hasn't even told anyone what it means for him to be gone. Today probably isn't the one where he's going to change that.]

[It does hurt, and for the briefest of moments, she feels that sharp pain in her soul that has started to accompany thoughts about Heine. But Nill is a master of compartmentalization, so she takes that feeling and shoves it into the corner of her mind before it can do something like make her cry again. She's shed more than enough tears over the past couple of weeks when thinking about Heine; she's determined to stop. Old habits die hard.

A few rapid blinks is all it takes to clear her eyes and her head, and she bobs her head in a little nod as he speaks.]

I think you're right. Whatever took us there and brought us back isn't the same thing that brings us here in the first place. I don't remember how I got to this world, but getting to Zerzura was... abrupt. Like I blinked and suddenly I was in that room. Maybe we got back here the same way, but we were all just unconscious for it.

[Which doesn't explain how they're all alive instead of dead, but it's a start. She hasn't really thought about it until now, and while it might be a little bit of a stretch, it makes sense. Even if they were immediately drugged upon arriving in this world, wouldn't they have some kind of recollection of how they got here in the first place?]

I don't know if you caught wind of it, but people there were worried about the world ending. Some wanted to stop it. Others wanted to make sure it happened. [There are echoes of their previous conversation, but Riku is careful. He looks thoughtful before he goes on. He's presented the beginning of his thoughts, but now he's going through them. His lids are heavy, thoughts pushing around in his head while he looks for the right ones.

His head cants ever so slightly to the side so he can look at her.]

Kinda reminds me of what we dealt with here, but on a different level. I can't help but worry about it now.

[Dying felt right. But what does it mean that it felt right?]

Yeah, I remember hearing about it a little.

[Unfortunately, her mind had fallen to Zerzura too quickly for her to learn much, and after she'd been caught, the only things that had mattered to her were school and her friends. For Zerzura's Nill, things like the end of the world were on the furthest backburner of her concerns.

She's trying to sift through her thoughts as well, though she feels like this is a little out of her depth. Despite everything she's seen over the past couple of years, New Amsterdam keeps throwing her curveballs. She runs a hand through her hair, pushing her bangs from her face.]

They said they were able to connect to this world through us.

[She gestures towards her chest, where the blue light they all share lives.]

Even if Zerzura is gone, isn't it possible the connection is still there? Maybe that's why it feels similar.

They talked a lot about whatever was in us, you're right. The funny thing is, I don't think they ever really knew what it was. [Riku doesn't know this for sure. But after dealing with Ansem the Wise, he has his doubts that they were experts in the ways of the Displaced. He thinks that Nill has a point about the conflict. Was it accidental or intentional? Were they brought there to witness that for a reason, though they don't know what that might be just yet?]

I almost wonder if they were hoping that we knew. Does that make sense? They didn't have all the answers, so we'd provide them. [One thing he thinks is that Sora was right. Those people never tried to bring people into its grasp. Instead, the world itself seemed to be influencing the hold. How everyone just—adapted? That was strange. Riku just missed out on it, but there were people who knew him and knew his parents and—

It was very strange.]

[She thinks back, searching through those few unclouded memories, and nods to herself once she realizes he's right. They only ever got half-answers out of the first people they'd met; the displaced had almost immediately been sent out into the city, and Zerzura had taken it from there.]

It does. But I wish they had. I hate not knowing what it is, or why it was put in us.

[She knows some people don't have a problem thinking of their new powers as gifts, but she isn't one of them. Slowly, she's getting used to the idea of having a power at all, and it does make her feel stronger--it's just that she can't move past how she got it.]

Not knowing is a problem because we don't have any control over it, or what's happened to us, or whether we stay or go. [Riku intends to leave when it's time, but he and Sora aren't the type of guys to leave a world in need. He knows that this world is in need. It might not be all heartless causing problems, but that doesn't matter. The world needs help.]

I wish we weren't so mixed up there. But something about us made them bring us over. They were so sure we were important, even if they don't know why. That means it's a clue.

[It means they don't have nothing. They just don't know what the something means yet.]

[That's the most frustrating part of being here for Nill, of being in any new world; she's had no choice in where she's gone. It's a feeling she holds close to her heart, one that's hard for her to let go of and move past. But she's working on it. Coming to New Amsterdam had helped a little. Being reunited with Heine, even if for a short time, had made this particular displacement easier to bear. And now that he's gone, she has other people to help her along, even if she doesn't realize it.]

I'm sure the people who brought us here could tell us. All we have to do is find them.

[There's a wry hint to her expression as she sends the message. It feels like a pipe dream; not even those of them who have been here the longest have come any closer to finding out how they're all displaced from their own worlds.]

Wouldn't it be great if it was just Zerzura that brought us all here in the first place? [Riku knows that it's not the case, but it's his own wry response to hers. Maybe they could've forgotten, or been absorbed, or—or something. He doesn't know.]

Then again, we might never have made it out of there. [He doesn't like what that would mean for him, and he had been in total control of himself in there.]

[Nill exhales harshly, laughing at that. It would have been something else if Zerzura had been the answer to all their questions instead of just giving them more to answer. She doesn't actually know if they're lucky to have escaped that or not. Still, she does know one thing:]

I'll take New Amsterdam over Zerzura any day.

[At least here she can have her own thoughts, control her own actions. What Zerzura had put her through--well, it isn't something she's going to just be able to sweep under the rug, no matter how much she wishes she could.]

For anyone new who shows up, we'll have to tell them that it's not all bad. We could be living in a weird ... alternate world that really wants us to stay. [That had been Sora's theory, anyway, so he sticks with it. It feels right, and it fits his humor at the moment.]

And New Amsterdam's always got something new for us. [He looks off in the distance, where he's certain three new plants already sprouted out of nowhere.

Since they were just sitting here.

So, that's great.]

EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG

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1/2 because i need multiple icons

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