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meadowlarklogs2019-09-08 12:26 pm
- !event log,
- dceu: diana prince,
- dogs b&c: nill,
- kingdom hearts: riku,
- kingdom hearts: roxas,
- kingdom hearts: sora,
- mcu: daisy johnson,
- overwatch: soldier 76 (jack morrison),
- persona: goro akechi,
- riordan mythos: silena beauregard,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- star wars: jyn erso,
- the 100: clarke griffin,
- the man from uncle: gaby teller,
- the man from uncle: illya kuryakin,
- the vampire diaries: caroline forbes
EVENT #006 AFTERMATH LOG
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: December 19th to the end of the month.
WHAT: Event aftermath, Winter Solstice, Christmas.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Character death, self-sacrifice, drug use. Further notes at end of log.
Zerzura's demise is a very near miss. Three out of four of the bombs detonate, with numerous Mycenaean guards' lives taken as a result of the assault. It's probable—even likely—that numerous Displaced were injured as a result of this attack. Just as the last bomb seemed likely to go off, everything stopped. As in: the scene ended, shifting, putting all of the Displaced to sleep. Zerzura won't end. Or will it?
The return from Zerzura will feel like waking up from a long nap. Instead of anyone waking up in their beds, they will find themselves on the ground beside the man-made river that runs down the center of New Amsterdam. The ground beneath them will be moist with recent rainfall. Anyone who was still in the throes of a fantasy and believing themselves to be a part of Zerzura will find themselves tossed out of that existence. Anyone who died at the precipice of the spear will still recall their actions vividly: their mind and body hitting a point in which it was finite, slipping away. There may be some room for doubt regarding their deaths. After all, they're very much alive now.
There are two constants among the Displaced when they observe themselves and others: that all of their chests are glowing with that familiar blue glow, and they'll all experience a feeling of serenity. This feeling won't come from any of the Displaced themselves. Much like the intrusion of the empathy bond, it will feel as if it's coming from elsewhere. The problem is that it's always there: there is no way of disconnecting, at least for now. The good news is that the serenity will begin to fade within the next day, and with it, the blue glow will go away as well.
All of the Displaced can't remain at the riverside. If they linger too long, it will begin to rain again. The rain itself will only be a light misting against their faces at first, before turning into a heavier downfall. If they're wary of returning to their lives initially because of the blue glow, they'll soon find that the people of New Amsterdam seem to look away from them as they trot through the city to return to their lives. This is a temporary sensation, seeming to have overtaken the city's citizens for the time being. Within a day or two, the blue glow will be met with the same paranoia that was fostered by the UN following the abduction of Kurt Fischer.
What can they do now? Aside from the feeling of serenity, little will have immediately changed for the Displaced. The best thing they can do is try to return to their lives as if Zerzura never happened.
Some things to check in with, though?
WORK. Upon realizing that the Displaced disappeared yet again, El worked overtime to make sure that all of the Displaced wouldn't lose their jobs. After all, that would mean they'd likely have to give up their housing, and Morningstar would need to financially step in to help. Not all of the places of employment will accept these excuses, especially since El can't put together a doctor's note without it promptly being verified as falsified. It's ultimately up to anyone's discretion over whether their character lost their job.
CHANGES. Some of the changes will appear out of nowhere: a dream that's shared, or a memory that's passed on rather unwillingly. It's time to explore what's happened, and even theorize as to why this has happened. And those objects that were the core of remembering who they were, back in Zerzura? They're permanent fixtures from now on. And what about those Union Attacks? For now, they may have an interesting place in the fighting rings. Time to convince the people running those shows to start including doubles matches.
PLANT LIFE. All around New Amsterdam, plants will begin to grow. These plants are varied, and they'll make an appearance anywhere that they might be allowed to grow. Is that a sink that's frequently full of water? Now it's mysteriously stopped up by a plant that's growing through the pipes. While all this plant life may seem like a miracle, having plants growing in every part of the city will quickly prove to be a problem.
HOLIDAY SEASON. The good news about everyone's trip to Zerzura is that they didn't miss Christmas—or rather, the December 25th edition of it. The city is still covered in Christmas trees and ornamentation. The stadium is still hosting a holiday market.
In the days leading up to the Winter Solstice, there will be an uptick of paintings around New Amsterdam hinting as to where this year's party will be held: Sunpeak Garden. While there won't be any official notice, anyone interested or curious is free to visit this location on the day of the Solstice (December 21st) to see what's going on, and it will go on for the next three days, ending on the morning of the 24th. As they draw closer to the location itself, they'll find the botanical garden secured by a large, overarching tent, preventing rainfall from getting into the garden itself. On the air, there will be the scent of something being smoked—which they'll soon learn is a set of goats that seem to have been acquired by whoever put on this shindig.
Unlike many other events around New Amsterdam, this seems to be more private in nature. There is an unspoken understanding that beyond the paintings, there will be no social media posts. Inside of the garden, there will be a lot of plants and decorations carefully molded into sacred geometric shapes. Despite the unofficial nature, whoever put this event together definitely spent their time doing it. This Solstice party isn't a spontaneous thing, and anyone who goes will hear about the previous parties and how the proprietor does his best to make everyone happy.
Anyone who went to the Harvest Festival or Insomniac's Ball will see a lot of the same people working it, complete with some familiar tattoos. They'll be eager to welcome in any of the Displaced, especially any of the ones who tend to be featured in the shrines around the city.
Once everyone's here, they're welcome to enjoy themselves. Under some of the canopies of trees, there will be beds and futons, giving people places to rest. Some of these will be claimed, so anyone who's eager to stick around for a few days might want to get dibs. Otherwise? It's time to enjoy what's been put together:
FEAST. There will be a feast for the next three days. Aside from the smoked goats, there will be a lot of goat cheese and vegetables. These are the people who put on the harvest festival, after all. There will be a lot of pickled vegetables out on tables, salads, and everything else. Aside from cheese for snacking, anyone can partake in some delicious berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries) and nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and almonds—despite the difficulty in getting most of these in New Amsterdam). There will also be figs, because of course there are figs.
FLOWER CROWNS. To go with the more laidback flair of this event, there will be flower crowns available for everyone. They will look more Christmas-like in spirit, like small little wreaths to go on everyone's heads.
ALCOHOL. Of course, what kind of Solstice or Yule event would it be without alcohol to imbibe? There will be mulled wine available, as well as the delicious apple-flavored beverage of wassail. It seems as if these two things never run out. For anyone avoiding alcohol, there will also be some sparkling grape juice and apple juice.
PSYCHEDELICS. Undoubtedly also inspired by Yule celebrations of old, anyone can partake in some species-specific (and at a safe dosage) amanita. Primarily available as a tea, anyone can drink this pleasant beverage and have a good time together.
MISTLETOE. There will be spots all around the botanical garden where the decorators took good care to make the mistletoe stand out. Surrounded by little lights, no one will be able to miss them. That means they can be easily avoided, if that's what someone would prefer!
BALL PROPRIETOR. While he's not hiding that he put this on, he's just as mysterious as before. If anyone wants to catch his eye at this event, they can. They'll need to stand out to get him to talk to them. To do this, reply below! Ball will definitely be interested in any Displaced trying to catch his eye, but it's still up to them to go through the motions.
As the Solstice party comes to an end, it'll be time to focus on Christmas itself. Around New Amsterdam, this is a deeply commercial holiday. Since most of New Amsterdam's citizens prefer to celebrate Sinterklaas, the day of Christmas itself largely emphasizes purchasing access to Christmas movies and giving gifts to anyone who had been forgotten earlier in the month. For new couples, Christmas Eve acts as a romantic occasion, giving them the chance to spend some time alone. Restaurants around the city will have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day specials and feasts—though these will be very expensive to enjoy.
Once reports start to hit the news about the rapidly healing atmosphere, a strange cypher begins to appear in the replies of people's posts on Cooltalk. This misfire appears at random and without a pattern. While some of the Displaced will get hit on their Cooltalks, they won't be among the majority by any means. How to get ahold of 100342? A reply might do the trick, or it might not. Drop a message in the questions thread with ideas!
Then again, this message more of a simple response to a slight than anything else, most likely recognizable to the displaced, who are familiar with the cipher's formula:
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
200805 02011414051819 1506 200805 11091407 1506 08051212 04180123 031215190518
Welcome back to the world of New Amsterdam proper, Larkers! This will act as the mingle log for the month of September since we didn't receive any applications this month. In order to plot out some aftermath, please head over to the CR Meme for the month of September! Our September calendar and Event #006 Aftermath are also up for perusing.
If you'd like to get your character in touch with Ball, please reply to the comment below with how they'd like to stand out! Ball, like all of our NPCs, will act as a means to an end to uncover plot details. With the gates excursion on the horizon, we wanted to make him available for all of the playerbase. Due to time constraints, this means that Gaby won't be available for this log.
If you have any questions about event aftermath, please hit the thread on the Aftermath Post here. If you have any questions about this log, go to the questions thread on this post!
no subject
If it draws him out, so much the better. That admission is a promising start -- the wrinkling of the nose, the words themselves, the head shake. She answers them with a smile, warm and genuine, and a nod.]
Mm. Yeah. The burden is ours. Some days it seems like maybe the only thing that really is.
[She understands, that is to say. Viscerally, intimately. More than she lets on, in the same way that there are so few leftover tells of her years of blindness. They're there -- less in the way she moves through the world now than in the way she interacts, how she sometimes listens with one ear tilted towards her conversational partner rather than meeting their gaze, how sometimes her eyes go unfocused or close entirely when she's paying particular attention to what they're saying. Jack hasn't been around her long enough to see much of that.
It's strange, actually, being here. Here among people who don't already know, or think they know. You're the Michigan Miracle, right? Prairie Johnson? Here she decides how much of her story gets out, and to whom. It's... freeing.]
I don't think we can forget. I don't even think we should. But we don't have to hang responsibility on it too. This thing that happened to us, Zerzura; it wasn't our fault. Even if it were, we can't change it now. That we can set down, and the rest...
[OA executes an eloquent shrug. That part is harder.]
The rest we share. Nobody survives anything alone.
[A beat.]
Honesty helps. Calling it by name. Sometimes I think it's like physics, you know? Energy. One person can't carry all that complication, and people... not everyone, but sometimes people want to help carry it. Somewhere in the transfer, some of it gets lost. Bleeds away, like... radiant heat, until it's too diffuse for any one of us to feel it anymore. And the person you talk to, sometimes it hurts them, sometimes it's more than they thought they were asking for, but... then they have a part of you, a bit of your trust. You let them help.
no subject
To anger, to pain, and to the act of sharing that with others. Two people could endure more than just one. It isn't even that OA is wrong, but that doesn't mean Jack wants to listen to reason.
If he'd wanted help, he would have sought it out a long time ago. Even with Ana, she'd been the one to find him. She's the one person who could truly share his burdens with him, to take some of that crushing weight onto her shoulders. But she's been gone for a while now, since El Nysa, and Jack has no idea what happened to her. If she's alive. If she got back home, even though their world was apparently gone.
Nobody survives anything alone.
His pace picks up as the conversation turns and his back straightens, small signs of discomfort that he doesn't hide in his response. ]
Not interested.
[ In opening up, in letting people help, in any of that. Not with anyone here. Even Gabriel comes packaged with too many complications for Jack to be entirely honest or open with him. ]
no subject
Yeah. I know; nobody is. I wasn't.
[She's registered his discomfort; of course she has. She understands it. Shares it, even, in the part of her that's still caught up in the need to maintain the illusion of independence, the part of her that still wants desperately to do everything alone.]
I didn't want anyone to know what happened to me, the ugly things I survived and thought and felt. Did. I was ashamed. Guilty. I didn't want to hurt anyone else, didn't think I deserved the indulgence of setting those concerns aside.
[Another of those earnest little smiles.]
Your story is yours. You get to decide who and when. If. I'm not trying to suggest it should be me.
[She looks away again, down at the pavement, glistening with rain. The lights of the city in bleary mirror, their side-by-side silhouettes floating along. Homer would know what to say. He's better at this, at drawing people back to themselves, at that kind of relentless compassion that seems so utterly guileless in a way she doesn't think she can match. Or... or maybe he wouldn't. Maybe neither of them knows how to operate outside of their cage. Maybe living in that microcosm for seven long years would leave them both floundering here.]
Sorry, all of this; I... you showed compassion, talking to me. I'm trying to understand why.
no subject
For all that Jack might be rebuffing OA's attempts to help, it's not as if he resents her for it. He isn't so far gone that he can't recognize that she's trying to do a kind thing for someone, even someone who's a stranger. If anything, she seems to be overflowing with that kind of compassion.
It's probably going to come back to bite her, one day.
But she accuses him of that same compassion, and he shoots her a mildly confused look. Asking after someone wasn't the same as compassion, was it? Or maybe there are just some habits he still can't break. ]
I didn't know what you were doing, back there. That... weird dance. Guess it just felt like someone should check in on you.
[ He shrugs and lets out a breath which mists in the cold air. There's no need to make a big deal of it. ]
no subject
That wouldn't have occurred to everyone. Of those to whom it did, only a few would have decided it's their responsibility.
[She says it gently, voice soft and even, but the set of her brows is a little wistful, a little sad. She knows. She knows because she's been in far greater distress and found herself thoroughly ignored.]
Indifference is easier. It's safer. No risk if someone using you, hurting you. No risk of getting tangled up with someone who's going to follow you around asking uncomfortable questions.
[She shoots him a wry glance, a crooked smile.]
Indifference is an action, but it doesn't feel like one. All you have to do is lean into the choice to do nothing. Look away.
[OA sounds increasingly distant as she slips into uncomfortable memory. This is a sore spot, one her mind worries at like a tongue at a sore tooth. She understands it, has compassion for it, that need to protect oneself by averting one's gaze. One person can only bear so much. Part of her is still on that road though. Part of her is still on the bridge. Nobody is stopping.
She pulls herself back to the present with a sharp intake of breath.]
Kindness is an action too. People talk about it like it's a feeling, and there can be one, but that isn't what kindness is. You were kind; you can own that.
no subject
A responsibility to Earth had been his job for so long. While he's left most of that behind, apparently there are old habits that still stick to him no matter how hard he might try to shake them off.
And yes, speaking with OA had invited a lot of strange questions. Jack actually finds it in him to return that crooked smile with a wry one of his own.
It sounds like she's had people be indifferent to her problems before. Or maybe she's been the one to do it to others, and she regrets it. He can't quite accept her labeling him as kind, though. It's a designation he's worked to distance himself from. ]
Well, I can't change your mind or what you believe. [ He shrugs, hands lifting slightly in front of him with a 'what-can-you-do' gesture before falling back to his sides. ] But it's not something I need to own.
[ They've been walking for long enough that they're back in the urban jungle proper, surrounded by skyscrapers and neon lights and people rushing past going about their day, oblivious to what the two of them just went through. Jack heaves out a sigh, then looks back to OA. ]
I should get back to my place, take a shower... see if I still have a job.
[ How much time has passed? ]
no subject
I guess we should get back to the world. This world.
[She can't feel any more a part of it than when she first arrived. It disturbs her. Even the surreality of returning to Crestwood can't quite match what it's like being here. It's so alive, so vital, and yet so cold and artificial. So little is green, so little is wild -- at least of what's accessible to her.
There are, at least, the others. The other displaced. She enjoys their company, even the gruff and difficult ones. They have something in common. It puts limits on the loneliness. The people who are here cannot fill the spaces left by the people who aren't, but they do fill in other ones, stand out bright against the void.
For his part, Jack has clearly been here a lot longer than she has, and she has to wonder if that isn't part of why he's so closed off to her. Some of it is surely just the way he is, but perhaps he also doesn't care to be reminded of what it's like to be adrift. To want more and elsewhere in a way that's open, raw.]
I'm glad to have met you.
[One of those strange, faint smiles, genuine but tired, sad. Old. The smile of someone who's seen a lot more than someone else her age normally would have.]
Jack, who isn't kind.
[After a moment's hesitation, she holds out a hand into the space between them as they walk, offering it for him to shake. A subtle flicker of fear passes reflexively across her features, something wary in the eyes: touch is a complicated thing for her, even without the empathy bond. She can only assume it is for him too, whether because of that bond or otherwise, and so waits until he looks to her again, meets her gaze. Her expression is... indulgent. Forgiving. It's okay. You don't have to.]
no subject
If there's still a home to get back to, but he's grown more and more skeptical of what the Natha told them.
Shaking hands upon a meeting is something he's used to do, something that he normally wouldn't think that hard about even now, but the empathy bond does add something to it. He hesitates for a moment, but there's something about the look on OA's face that pushes him to reach out. Maybe it's also knowing that she's approached this entire interaction with little in the way of judgment.
It's that serenity that passes between them first, but underneath she'll find the anger they've already discussed; the frustration; that feeling of an animal thrashing against its cage. ]
I'm sure we'll see each other around.
[ For better or worse, the Diplaced are a group, a community, bound together through their shared misery. Jack's already used to that after all the time he'd spent around other refugees on El Nysa, so he doesn't protest it the way he once did. If they're going to try and get home, it's only them that are going to be working on it.
At one time in his life, this kind of teamwork is what he championed. ]
no subject
She feels nothing small or uncomplicated, hides nothing from him, but what she seeks to give Jack most of all is the balm of forgiveness. For what happened in Zerzura, she forgives herself, forgives her own weakness in succumbing to the fantasy. For older things, for her own cages, her own thrashing. It isn't painless, but it does leave her lighter. He doesn't have to forgive himself, whatever she thinks of what he should do, but she can at least allow him to know what it feels like. Just for a moment. Just for as long as they're in contact.
It's one of the small miracles of this place. As much as she hates being trapped here, she can't help but appreciate the ability to confirm for other people that someone else really does ache for them. Whether or not they're receptive to it, whether or not their immediate reflex is to ruffle at compassion, she can prove that she means what she says: nobody survives anything alone.]
Yeah. It's kismet.
[She's teasing -- demonstrates as much with her smile, with the warm swell of fondness. Her other hand comes up to rest against the back of his; for a moment she clasps his hand gently between her own before she lets him go.]
Go get warm.
[There's that warm little smile again, and then proof that Nina Azarova hasn't left her entirely, that she hasn't come out of her experience in Zerzura unchanged: she tries a joke.]
And good luck with work. If it helps, in my experience people are usually inclined to forgive a lot of things when the excuse for them is kidnapping.
no subject
Despite the sheer amount that Jack experiences through the bond, he's well aware that he has no true idea of what this woman has been through, just as she couldn't learn even a fraction about him with a single touch.
That sense of forgiveness, though -- it seems to linger even after they've drawn away from each other, a tingling sensation that warms the tips of his fingers. It won't last, but it's there for now.
The joking remark earns little more than a shrug and a shake of his head from Jack. ]
You're assuming they'll even believe something like that.
[ He'll make up some more mundane excuse and hope that he gets away with it. But that's that, and with one more parting nod, he turns and continues on his way. Back to real life. ]