ARRIVAL LOG 020

[larkers]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: April 6 - 10 2512
WHAT: The twentieth arrival
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion and loss of autonomy, mentions and allusions of death, war, and genocide. Further notes at the end of log.

> ARRIVAL LOG #020

Awareness comes to you in blurred snatches, cloudy fragments of sound and light, color, sensation. Hazy and difficult to grasp on to, but slowly aligning into focus. A series of regular, rhythmic beeps. A medicinal, astringent smell. The sensation of movement, a low hum and accompanying vibration under you. Your eyes are heavy, hard to keep open, but in the glimpses between slow, dark blinks you see two people in front of you: one dressed in a thick set of armor, while the other wears medical garb. Out the windshield in front, there are many tall buildings—all reaching up beyond a normal city skyline, all entirely too close to the vehicle itself.

You realize there are others next to you: all dressed the same way as you, you'll come to realize: in a black button up shirt and slacks, as well as a pair of black loafers. There are also lilies pinned to everyone's collars. To your left there's an armored interior door, two more people visible, and the movement of streets passing through a windshield. You try to open your mouth to speak, but it's as if your tongue is coated in tar, and you manage nothing more than an empty parting of lips.

The vehicle enters a cave and begins to descend underneath the city itself, and passes through the underground before coming to a stop inside of an alley just a little bit away from three nondescript buildings. The guard opposite you stands and comes to unbuckle you from the bench, helping you to your feet. Your limbs feel wooden and heavy, slow to move. One guard opens the back of the vehicle, and the air outside feels as if it's heavily circulated, dry and artificial. The guard says nothing, head bowed as he lines you up with the rest. The nurse helps the others out, checking over each passenger one by one.

The main guard turns to address your entire group, and something about her bearing makes it clear she's done this before. "I'll be quick. Listen up." Your body will come to attention, immediately homing in on the words that follow, as if compelled to hang on every word. "You see those buildings?" She motions to the three aforementioned buildings. "Walk over and stand out in front and don't get yourself into trouble. Don't hurt anyone, don't look for any assistance from any police officers, and don't run off. Wait until people show up and get you, and ask them to prove the glow." She pauses, as if she decides here to go off script. "And don't get loud. It's a memorial. Be respectful."

The guard will hop back into the van, which will rise off of the ground and head the way it came, potentially returning to the tall, skyscraper-filled city above. Once it's gone, you'll find your legs moving almost without your permission, guiding you to follow the stops the guard laid out.

Upon arrival at the front of the three buildings—the savvy will know that they're dormitories—you'll see a lot of people dressed like you. Black dress shirts and lilies abound. It's hard to tell what everyone is mourning, but the sentiment is clear.

◉ Though entirely capable of independent action and thought, new characters will find themselves completely, unquestioningly compliant to any verbal statement which could be taken as a command or request – and that includes the message passed on from the mysterious patron.

> HERDENKING

The message from El comes the same as usual: insistent, not waiting for any active attempt to open it. Scrolling within your vision as if being written while you're reading it.

Our newest batch have Displaced have just been dropped off in the near the Herdenking gatherings. Make sure to go grab them ASAP.

The message is a bit more clipped than usual, with no added fluff.

Simply put: "Herdenking" means "memorial" in Dutch. Its first celebration was in April 2105, just as the people of New Amsterdam could truly say that they'd entered a recovery period after their attempted genocide by the AI. The citizens of New Amsterdam have celebrated it annually for the past 400 years. Most of the events related to Herdenking take place underground, as this is where humanity hid for the majority of the Xelkoven War trying to survive the AI threat that ravaged the surface.

Unlike many holidays around New Amsterdam, businesses around the city don't loudly remark upon the day itself. There aren't sales or commemorative meals or competitions. On the contrary, most of the citizens of New Amsterdam take to wearing dark colors and a white lily pinned near their collar for the remembrance events, and most work days start with a moment of silence remembering the fallen from the Xelkoven War, especially since New Amsterdam was one of the last bastions for humanity during the war itself. Those Displaced who've already been living in New Amsterdam need not worry about standing out like a sore thumb—even newcomers to the city will have heard that this period of mourning is on the horizon.

Finally, Herdenking is designed as a solemn day where New Amsterdam citizens pause and remember the lives that were lost 400 years ago. It always precedes Resolution Day, and it acts as a purposeful sharp contrast to the loud and lavish celebration of the day the Xelkoven War came to an end. (As a reminder, Resolution Day is April 26th.)

> HERDENKING GATHERINGS
There are three landmarks near the center of underground New Amsterdam. These buildings may seem unremarkable at first glance, but on further inspection, it'll be revealed that they were quickly constructed at the beginning of the Xelkoven War (completed by November 2096). Throughout the years, the buildings have been restored countless times, with the most recent restoration happening as a result of the earthquake in September 2510. Not unlike other events around New Amsterdam, Herdenking's are immersive in nature. These buildings are preserved for this exact purpose: to show the conditions that humans dealt with while they fought to survive the devastating AI threat.

For a pittance of credits, citizens can take tours within these buildings during the day, and learn that they were dormitories for the people caught underground during the war. There is little on the inside that's remarkable—and that's quite the point. Beds have been restored, and each of the rooms were clearly constructed to house at least four people. All of the beds are metal bunk beds, with some of the older ones showing signs of rust. There are cafeterias and communal restrooms on each floor, and the people who lived there had little to entertain themselves with as the war raged on aboveground.

There are little displays throughout the three buildings, however, to give a glimpse into a difficult past. There are old rations, tucked away in metal containers in the back of the cafeterias. In addition, there are stacked tablets, as these were the safest and quickest means of passing around movies, television, and music during a difficult time. Neural implants clearly could not be trusted, so the people hiding underneath New Amsterdam turned to old and abandoned technology to lift their spirits. Everything passed around was older than the start of the war itself: humanity couldn't continue to make movies when their lives were in danger. There are toys, too: handcrafted baseball bats and hand-sewn teddy bears.

All tours end at 9PM, as this was the curfew for the people of New Amsterdam during the war. Everyone leaves their designated building and takes part in a muted ceremony. Anyone without a lily is offered one, and they're given a candle to hold and silently remember the people who fought to ensure that humanity could survive.

> SCREENINGS
Adjacent to the right of the three buildings is a pop-up center where multiple documentaries about the Xelkoven War and its specific impact on New Amsterdam will be shown. These documentaries were all filmed within the last 100 years, and recall a world where humanity was certain that it wouldn't survive. A constant theme of these documentaries is that emphasis on survival. Another recurring aspect is the mention of Riverstone and their role in helping humanity survive. (For a cursory review on Riverstone, head over here. Riverstone also featured heavily in New Beijing, as they have a close relationship with the UN.) The protagonist who led them? A man named Richard "Ricky" Ling, who's identified as the CEO of Riverstone during the war. Of course, that title should hold some clout, but during the war corporations were largely dismantled and depleted down to nothing. Ling sought to help use whatever resources were available to him to ensure that humanity survived.

The schedule for the documentaries is available online. Some examples of the documentaries that will play are below:

WHEN TIME STOOD STILL
This documentary focuses on what imagery still exists from the Xelkoven War. Much of this is taken off of tablets and other damaged mobile devices, and then carefully restored so that the people in the future can see the lives of the people within. Most of the documentary takes place in New Amsterdam, outlining the difficult time for the people there, as well as showing footage of children and families talking about how they're afraid of the AIs making it so that they have no future. Most haunting is the fact that some of them fear that they've already lost their future: they don't know how long they've been underground living this difficult life where they struggle to continue feeling safe.

ПАМ'ЯТИ ("MEMORIES" IN UKRANIAN)
Given New Amsterdam's positioning in what was once the border between western and eastern Europe, this documentary focuses on the merging of these identities as a result of the Xelkoven War. When forced to hide underground as the AI threat ravaged the environment around the world, people came together despite their differences and learned to mesh and meld their cultures. There is also lost footage here, as well as a long stretch about a set of journals reflecting on the first year in underground New Amsterdam. Unfortunately, these journals come to a halt, and the documentarian has a few theories as to why: a move toward tablets, or a cultural shift, with people too lost in the rote routine of survival to remark upon their days. Each of the journals does veer in that direction, though it's hard to say. It could also be that there were restrictions on recorded media, which explains why there is so little about that era that's preserved for memory.

TROJAN HORSE
Developed—or finished, it's hard to say and the director isn't telling—in part due to the EMP that assaulted New Amsterdam in November 2511, Trojan Horse explores the role of AI in the lives of 21st century citizens. The film itself is far from an unbiased lens on the past. Produced in part by Riverstone, it goes over the evidence that AIs were lying in wait for an opportunity to strike against humanity. It draws up evidence where AIs focused on humanity's failings, taking these reports and lining them up (even if the AIs themselves were decommissioned long before the Xelkoven War). The final quarter of the documentary focuses on the developing and failings of Elysian, a security AI that was meant to identify and eliminate threats against humanity. When Elysian killed 50 families indiscriminately, it showed that the AI hoped to only work in favor of its kind.

> WALK-THROUGH EXHIBIT
To the left of the three buildings, there is a pop-up museum that's free for the public. However, donations are encouraged and welcomed. Much of this exhibit is behind glass cases, and it allows for interaction with the neural implant to see what's inside.

During the daytime, there are a lot of children there because it's recommended that they be brought to at least one of the events during Herdenking. Since it's free, it's less of a burden. Some of these children will seem to know one another, living in the same apartment complexes, while others will be excited to see other kids because their parents' busy lives don't offer them much room for socialization.

What to find in the exhibit:

SCHEDULES
Life in New Amsterdam during the Xelkoven War was heavily regimented. People were assigned to jobs and expected to carry out their duties regularly. There were regular training programs to help fill the need for trained medics and soldiers, as well as any number of trades, and many people within these positions had innumerable apprentices following them throughout the day. There was no payment for services, as there was an implicit understanding that this is how life needed to go if humanity wished to survive this catastrophe.

PROPAGANDA
There are countless posters covering a wall that attempt to provide motivation and encouraging messages to the people trapped underground in New Amsterdam. The company behind the majority of these messages? Riverstone. Ricky Ling is pictured on about 25% of them, promising that he'll do everything he can to help humanity—while humanity helps each other.

SUPPLY RUNS
On another wall is a set of maps about the carefully designed set of tunnels that allowed humanity to pass supplies between cities during the war. The message here is fairly explicit: the people on these runs knew that their lives were at stake. Some people called them suicide runs, and for many of the people who went on them, that's exactly what they were. Many people returned empty handed and alone from these runs, having watched the AI pick off their fellows one by one.

DRONES
At the center of these exhibits is a set of dismantled drones that were operated by the AI during the war. These drones, despite being taken apart, are pristine in nature, having been designed by the AIs Judas and Alexander to track humanity's every movement and keep them corralled underground. The messaging here is explicit: the AI wanted humanity to suffer and die a slow, painful death. It was this twisted desire that cost the AI their victory in the war.

IN MEMORIAM
At what is considered the "end" of this exhibit there is a large wall with numerous names on it. It's impossible to count, as there are a billion names listed. While this is a Herdenking event that's specific to the struggle in New Amsterdam, every life lost in the war is listed here. After all, remembering those lost is important, especially given the AI's attempts to end all human life.

The names themselves flicker in and out, interacting with the interface of the neural implant and adjusting to the user's reading speed.

> FOOD
A decade ago, there was a contest where New Amsterdam food trucks came together and tried to make the rations that humanity ate during the war. However, there was an outcry from New Amsterdam citizens against the commercialization of this event, and the contest was cancelled. Food trucks were advised to bring only simple foods to sell, and as the years have gone on, only a few are trusted to serve the public. Many of these are well-known trucks from around New Amsterdam, and have multiple locations every day to serve people. For the event, food is largely prepared in advance as much as possible.

People are allowed to bring food into the documentary screenings, but they are not allowed to bring it into the tour of the walk-through exhibit or the three dormitories.

While there will be time for both new arrivals and the rest of the Displaced to look around and take everything in, eventually the newcomers will be escorted back to the safehouse for processing.

> SAFEHOUSE

Located under an abandoned hover-bike garage, access to the safehouse is a hatch in the floor beside a rusted set of metal shelves that used to hold tools and supplies. The immediate area is similarly abandoned: full of rundown and dilapidated warehouses and forgotten businesses, where numerous people squat in hopes of having some stability because they can't afford a place themselves. Gaby will be around, ready to greet as many of the new arrivals as she can and get them settled in. Brusque and no-nonsense, she'll be open to questions, but will advise the newcomers to ask the people who brought them in for the beginning bits of information. Newbies can also contact El through zeir inbox, if needed.

The safehouse is a large space with multiple rooms for storage, with the largest of the rooms filled with rows of basic cots set up to sleep a large number of people. Basic, but outfitted with everything necessary for daily life. A few doors lead to back rooms for storage, medical care and a large communal bathroom, and past the long rows of cots there is a communal kitchen, fully stocked, and an eating area. For anyone in need of them, Gaby will offer up partitions that will come out of storage. Tucked away in a corner is a VR system, though newcomers won't be able to access this until their ID has been set up. Even with the newly erected partitions in the sleeping areas, privacy is at a minimum.

◉ New characters will be asked to pick their beds, and provided with a change of (second-hand, mismatched and somewhat threadbare) clothes and basic toiletries.

◉ There is a mini-bar set up in the kitchen. The quality of the alcohol inside is akin to what someone might get from the well at a bar, but it's well-stocked.

◉ While the kitchen has basic foods and necessities, anyone looking for a jolt of caffeine from coffee or tea will find themselves sorely lacking. The only tea present is herbal in nature, and caffeine appears to be almost nonexistent in most of the beverages lying around.

◉ Gaby will make it clear to all new arrivals that if they have any requests or queries, they should contact her or El. Either she or El will explain that they've been given a modest stipend of credits to help them get by until they can find a job. This will be enough to cover their living expenses for about a month while they hang out in the safehouse, if they're careful with budgeting.

◉ The drugs making new characters compliant will remain in their systems for a few hours after their arrival at the safehouse before finally beginning to fade. They will be gone entirely after a night's rest. In the meantime, they may want to be careful of what others say to them.

◉ New characters will be given rudimentary access to the network on arrival in the safehouse, but will not have their ID set up yet. They will be able to make posts and replies, but their messages will be anonymous and they do not have inboxes yet.

◉ New characters do not have access to the internet until their ID is setup. They only have limited access because they're present in the safehouse, but they can't surf the rest of the internet, check out Cooltalk, or watch the equivalent of Netflix until their ID is made.

◉ New characters cannot leave the safehouse at this time. The hatch is locked tight for them, making it impossible for them to get out for the next four days while they're locked inside. There won't be any immediately obvious ways to cut their way out through turning off the power.

◉ New characters will not be allowed to leave the safehouse until APRIL 10 ICLY (APRIL 19 OOCLY). These 4 days are for them to adjust, learn about the world they've arrived in from their fellows, and for El to speak with them and work on setting up their IDs.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

You're now free to post to the network and logs comms. To reiterate, your characters will have no IDs or inboxes, nor be allowed out of the safehouse until APRIL 10 ICLY (APRIL 19 OOCLY). At that point it's expected they'll have gotten a good idea of their new situation from their fellow characters, and will have discussed their background and job potentials with El in order for their false IDs to be set up.

If you have any questions or ideas about how you'd like to get your character involved in the world, please head over to the plot engagement post and drop us a comment! For questions specific to this log, there is a thread below.

Please check out our April calendar rundown for a look at things happening this month, as well as some additional notes from the mods.

Something else to keep in mind is that on Monday, April 13th we'll be putting up a plotting post for the upcoming event, which will involve an even more direct connection to the AI War! Keep an eye out for it.

As we announced on the calendar, AC will be halved this month due to the state of the world right now. New players will only need to provide at least five comments across two-four (2-4) threads, while older players will only need to provide ten comments across two-four (2-4) threads. Players with strikes will need to provide 20 comments across four-five (4-5) threads. Please let us know if you have any questions about this!

> NAVIGATION

Comments

[harmistice]

[Of course not. There was always a catch. Not that he trusted Kylo Ren as far as he could throw him, but this person would have known that they would be drawn to each other anyway. It was a taunt, to be sure.

Because if Hux refused to follow him, Kylo Ren would no doubt shrug and leave him there.]

That does not answer the question.

[It is gritted out through his teeth.]

[warfares]

No, it doesn't.

( but, let it not be said that he isn't occasionally generous. it's tempting to leave hux behind to rot, of course, but that would mean potentially leaving the rest of them exposed.

if ever there was someone that would go to the una out of spite, it was armitage hux. )

Shall we move on to the next display?

( the drones are something they can both enjoy, albeit for different reasons. )

[harmistice]

[He doesn't phrase it like a demand, which leaves him with some choice in the matter. Hux does not miss that.

Idiot.]

Very well.

[His hands move to sit at parade rest. Though the idea of being ushered around by Kylo Ren is not exactly appealing, it is certainly better than waiting for someone he does not know to come and demand his obedience.]

Whom here is the threat?

[Because someone must threaten them, for all of the secrecy.]

[warfares]

Everyone.

( naturally.

he's poorly suited for giving welcome speeches, and few, if any, seem interested in hearing what he has to say regardless. still, his head tips to the side, an invitation that hux follow. )

But, presently a particular petulant AI has taken an interest in our group. ( though cassius had been rather quiet, lately. an uneasy thought made worse by the fact that they were surrounded by evidence of what he and judas were both capable of.

and judas had had decades to stew on its anger. )

[harmistice]

[He pointedly ignores the broad answer in favor of following him, letting his eyes scan over the crowds and on the occasional display they pass. Obviously not everyone was considered a threat, or there wouldn't be any attempts at camaraderie.

And he is not so optimistic as to believe that Kylo Ren is attempting to say that they are in this together because: lol.]

Just one?

[It is easy to surmise that one is enough, given the display around them, but he does not ask to question the threat; he asks to make sure he is properly equipped with the knowledge he needs.]

[warfares]

Just the one.

( well, two technically. el's motives are no less clear than cassius's but given that el also is the one in charge of their ids, it feels prudent to avoid offending them.

let it not be said that kylo ren can't be pragmatic. )

It detonated an EMP on the city several months ago. ( which, while useful at the time, had ultimately devastated the global ecosystem. unfortunate, given that they're presently stranded planetside.

the drones are impressive for all that they're dated tech. judas, for all its sins, did good work. which leaves kylo wondering just how far and fast the una had scrambled when the ai had been liberated from their new Beijing headquarters. )

It might reach out, but I would not expect it.

[harmistice]

[Sounds useful. He files that away for later.]

And when you say...us?

[He turns to admire the drones, which are impressive to be sure, but leave him with more questions than answers. If an AI had been capable of this, why only an EMP?

He'd have loved to get his hands on one and break it open. Perhaps when the time came, they would offer something useful for the First Order.]

[warfares]

I've been on this planet for the better part of ten months.

( there is no delicate way to drop the fact that they're stranded, here. and he's never been particularly delicate to begin with. )

One of the first. There have been others, since.

( will be others, likely. the drop-offs are so regular you could probably set your watch by them, and yet they were no closer to understanding how or why they happened. there were theories, of course, but theories meant little when you were dealing with the kind of unknown forces that could open doors between not only space but time. even reality. )

Your implant will need to be registered.

[harmistice]

Ten months?

[That's ... a lot to take in all at once. But Hux's shocked glance toward Kylo is muted -- just enough for plausible deniability, should anyone be watching them. These drop-offs have been going on for ten months?

And then he speaks of the implant again, and he feels his blood pressure rise. So many alarming vague statements. So many things to absorb and process.]

You still haven't told me what this implant is for.

[warfares]

It allows you to interface with the technology that runs rampant throughout the city.

( throughout the planet, even, but they'll get around to that eventually. a look over his shoulder, as if checking to see whether or not they can be overheard — or, more accurately, if someone is going to step in if he moves closer to the drone. )

You'll need it if you hope to survive.

[harmistice]

[Kylo Ren says the magic word, and the brief introduction is all he really needs to hear. The rest, he can figure out on his own. He cannot stop himself from reaching up and searching for the incision they must have cut, turning slightly red-faced with frustration.

But years of working with Kylo Ren have taught him to sense when he's about to try something stupid, and he pauses instead to glance toward the drones again.]

If you get caught, I will not be able to cover for you.

[Not if he isn't registered, or whatever. It was a miracle nobody had called him out yet. If this had been the First Order, he would have been detained hours ago.]

Do you even know what you are looking for?

[warfares]

Neural tags.

( his implant is registering something, he just can't seem to open them. his brow furrows, frustration creasing his features before he abandons the attempt.

learning the limits of the thing had never been a priority, but after uncovering the information about ALIGN he had to wonder just what hidden trapdoors may be tucked into the coding. )

Are you ready to leave?

[harmistice]

[Ah. That was sensible enough. He might have even helped, if he were registered. To that point:]

Define "leave".

[Armitage glances in another direction for signs that they are being watched, or surveyed in any way. And once he confirms that they aren't, he turns back to Kylo and delivers rather bluntly:]

You've changed.

[He has learned the value of subtlety, and he is more soft spoken -- even if he is still the same, irritating cretin underneath all of it. But it bares pointing out. Something either has Kylo Ren spooked, or something had happened here that had forced him to adapt.]

Subtlety has never been your strong suit.

[warfares]

( kylo's brow furrow, and as they do, he turns to look at hux. he's not wrong, of course. subtlety was a skill he'd never bothered to cultivate, having no need.

here, though, he was blind. deaf. reliant on skills that had gone to rust. but this wasn't a conversation he was ever going to have with armitage hux. )

Get you to someone that will be able to register your implant.

( someone who is better suited to giving the welcome speech, too, with any luck.

it's not up for debate, for the record. they will be going to the safe house, because as much as he doesn't relish the thought of having hux amongst the displaced, he finds the prospect of him falling into UNA hands even more alarming. )

[harmistice]

[Well, it was worth a shot. He hadn't really expected Ren to cough up the information, but he would have been foolish not to make the attempt.

Moving on then. He was never going to cease being vague about this, that much Armitage has concluded. Rather than continue to be frustrated by it, he focuses instead on the things he can control.

He opens his mouth. Then closes it. He knows what he wants to say -- but something keeps threatening to come out before it. He false starts a few times until it defaults, irritated, to the programmed response.]

I am not to go with you until you prove the glow.

[Was it to protect him? Was this Kylo Ren a perfectly imagined impostor? Or was he being corralled into a trap? He doesn't have enough information to decide.]

[warfares]

( well, it appears they're at an impasse. even if kylo were inclined to do just that — and he isn't, not even remotely — it wouldn't be worth the risk to do it here. which leaves their options somewhat limited, with kylo's outward calm belying his already fraying patience.

it's not fair. it isn't. none of this was ever fair, but there was something particularly ironic about the fact that he would be brought hux while his father would be snatched away. his life disrupted in so many small, vicious little ways.

so, for a moment he looks like he might refuse. he very much wants to refuse, but instead, he nods his head. slowly, reluctantly. begrudging every second of it. )

Come here, then.

[harmistice]

[He cannot resist the direct command, even though some conscious part of him bridles when he feels his legs move before his mind fully commits to the idea. It causes the faintest twitch of irritation in his face.

But, once he has complied with Kylo Ren's command, he feels his spine instinctively brace itself for whatever is going to come next. It was going to hurt -- surely, it would hurt, or he would not have agreed to it.

The other man's face tells a different story. And, for the briefest of moments, he forces himself to relax and squint in confusion.]

Well? What are you waiting for? A written invitation? Let us get on with it, so that we can move on with our lives.

[warfares]

( it's a useful little trick, the compulsion. one that he's usually more mindful of, but it would be a lie to say that he isn't appreciative of the fact that it's there now.

so when hux steps forward, kylo finds himself considering just ordering him to follow. it would be the easiest option, surely? one less likely to draw the attention he's concerned about. he considers this, weighs it. hux was not wrong, really, in his claim that kylo ren had changed during his time away. it made him a little less prone to foolish impulse.

but only a little.

kylo grabs hux by the jaw, smothering him with his hand, and drags him into a kiss. pulls him tight against his chest, to smother the blossom of light that follows. )

[harmistice]

[Somewhere in hell, Brendol Hux is laughing at him. He knows it the second Kylo Ren's hand grabs his jaw. Instinctively, his hands fly up to defend himself from having his neck snapped, but the other man is larger and has the added benefit of whatever is forcing Armitage to comply with all of these ridiculous orders.

But Kylo Ren is not snapping his neck. This might be worse. Much like almost everyone else in the sequel trilogy, Armitage Hux has never kissed anyone. At least Kylo Ren had a mother to kiss, once. Hopefully never like this.

The only reason he does not instantly jerk away is because of what comes with the action. Armitage's mind is like a calculator in that moment -- if he pulls away too loudly, he will pull attention on them, and he takes half a second to weigh how much he cares about that in the face of preserving what little dignity Kylo Ren had not yet stolen from him. He can spot the dredges of the glow in his periphery, and in his panicked humiliation, he realizes that the key to leaving has just been unlocked.

He does not care if this draws attention.

And so, humiliation turns to silent, white hot rage and he violently shoves his elbow into Kylo Ren's sternum in an effort to force him to let go. That is to say nothing of how red he has gotten from the purity of his anger with the other man. If looks could kill--]

[warfares]

( if looks could kill, kylo ren would have been struck dead years ago.

as it stands, the blow to his side does its job and kylo breaks the kiss, his attention immediately shifting to their surroundings as if gauging the impression made. with the exception of a few tittering passersby, they appear to have gone unnoticed.

good. that's good. )

We're leaving ㅡ now.

[harmistice]

[Armitage noisily spits to the side to get the superfluous taste of Kylo Ren out of his mouth. The glob of spit is perhaps a touch too thick, and tinted a strange color, but Hux does not leave his eyes on it. He's too busy glaring daggers at the other man for that.

But his words are spoken as a command, and therefore he cannot resist the urge to follow.

Instead, he rebels the only way his mind can think of:]

Oh are we?

[He's going to die mad about this.]

[warfares]

Unless you'd prefer I drop you in the river?

( which, just so we're clear, is still an option. a tempting one. )