larkers: (WARBLER)
MEADOWLARK MODS ([personal profile] larkers) wrote in [community profile] meadowlarklogs2020-11-21 12:11 pm

EVENT #011

WHO: Everyone on Earth in Meadowlark's world.
WHERE: The Aerie, a different world.
WHEN: Late July 2512.
WHAT: The first log of our AU event, taking place in an AU world that puts on battle royale events to cull the massive overpopulation.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Overwritten minds, horrible dystopian conditions, and more!

> EVENT #011

On the morning of July 26th, every living person on Earth will be spirited away from where they were mere moments before. Just like that. Hover cars will descend slowly in transit, trains will come to a stop without a screech of their breaks, and the streets throughout every single of the 104 megacities will be left barren, empty, and lifeless. Even those lost and hidden, not seen for months, are swept gently away with the rest of their brethren. No stone will go unturned.

The world upon their return may pick up where it's left off, or it will be changed in some way. Will it be July 26th when everyone finds themselves back where they were standing before? Or will something else happen during this time? Now that the supposed lifeblood of this planet is gone, what will happen in their absence? The world may not be able to go on how it had been.

Perhaps the more terrifying question is this: if something is powerful enough to steal away every person, every single one capable of thought, ideas, conflict, war, and more, what else could happen?

Perhaps it's for the best that it may be awhile before anyone has to worry about that.

For now, they've entered a world that's one week away from its next Quarry event: a place where The Aerie's criminals fight to prove they deserve to keep their life.

> THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU (THE AERIE)

The Aerie is a structure that should not exist.

Made of steel and concrete, it gives off the impression that its guts were arranged haphazardly, as if an amateur surgeon had pulled them out and tried to put them back in again. Steel beams stretch out between buildings, connecting them together. There may have been a wall of concrete around this beam once upon a time, but it splintered and fell away, exposing its insides and opening up a pathway that people have taken for granted in the past fifty to a hundred years. Power lines hang in loose tangles throughout this little world, ready to fall away at the slightest breeze, then splinter and spark.

Most of the insides of The Aerie are barely preserved. Trying to do that would be an impossible task: there are too many people, too many who live in concrete layered on one another like stacks of broken shelves, too many who pass through open maws of ruptured pathways, crawling up onto the roof of a business for what they think is a shortcut to a higher level. Brittle walls that splinter off into clouds of chalky white dust are everywhere and anywhere.

How The Aerie came together was once a majestic feat: a place for people to live, thrown together as extinction surged forward like a towering beast on the horizon. There was a mix of minds behind the action, as well as a hollow sense of desperation. Even those who brought The Aerie into being knew that their lives were on the line. It was a matter of "make this work" or die. So, they made it work.

What's truly impossible about The Aerie isn't the hulking structures merged together at all manner of impossible angles, but the outer layer of this little world, looming overhead in shimmering, constant glory. The people of The Aerie are protected, safe; the world outside is a nebulous, uncertain mess of greys and greens and reds and blues. Storms surge just outside of the wall of The Aerie with sharp, constant bolts of lightning that batter the surface overhead. Once upon a time, the people of this little world feared those bolts cutting through and destroying their home. But it's been long enough now. No one lives in fear of what's outside, and no one wonders, not anymore. After all, the people who made it outside were never seen again. For a time, some people could watch through the clear walls as these escapees' bodies turned to irradiated mush with only bones left behind. In time, those bones withered away to dust. And with them, their memories were forgotten.

Within The Aerie, life goes on, just as it must: riddled with fear, with survival often depending on the ability to escape notice.

Only two parts of The Aerie remain unscathed, untouched by the passage of time and haphazard construction of this refuge:

The Volary, which stands tall and pristine at the heart of The Aerie. Lights burn within The Volary all day and all night, showing signs of life that most of the people outside of its walls will never see for themselves.

And then the Quarry, a structure built in haste and out of necessity. The same people who brought The Aerie together also made the Quarry. At its base are a series of office buildings, setting up monthly arena events where the guilty fight to show that they deserve to survive.

These two things are the source of all the fear in The Aerie. It's what keeps everyone's mind off the crumbling walls, the storms outside, and the miserable, unending passage of time.

> SOAK UP THE GLORY (THE VOLARY)

When The Aerie came into being, so did The Volary. Far from fragmented like the rest of this tiny, tiny world, it stands pristine, with brown bricks lining its exterior, and strong steel beams holding it strong within. Either through its making or its care, The Volary hasn't suffered from the hands of time like the rest of the world. Anyone outside of The Volary doesn't know the truth, though they could likely guess.

Inside of The Volary lives the members of Parliament: the newly-joined Magpies, the comfortable Rooks, and the looming and most powerful, the Cardinals.

The Cardinals live at the very top. Even after over two hundred years, the Cardinals remain impenetrable. New members are accepted into their ranks from time to time, granted secrets of a bygone era, but the rest of the world remains ignorant to their knowledge. At the heart of this structure is a cult, a belief system; they are the ones who decide if The Aerie lives or dies. For now, it continues to live. Of course, any other path would lead to their devastation as well. They may be nearly immortal, but they aren't truly untouchable and eternal.

Beneath them are the rest of Parliament, cocky in their comfort. Many were born into it, but some were raised into the ranks, finding their own footholds. Sometimes these elevations seem random; sometimes these promotions happen with purpose, with someone driving to catch the eye of a Rook who's looking for someone like-minded to have around them.

Outside of the Magpies, the Rooks that were once Magpies, and the once-members of The Congregation outside, everyone seems blissfully ignorant of the dilapidated world outside. There are some workers from the outside world who know, and some Carrion lucky to have their place among the elite—but there is a sense that some things shouldn't be spoken about, or else they may need to be responsible for it all. While the outside begins to age without any sign of renewal, this compound lives on—untouched, unbothered.

The Volary is set up in levels. The very bottom is where all the businesses that serve the people up above are located. It's where animals are raised and butchered, and where food is prepared before it's brought up to the upper levels. There are numerous common areas, but these can be rented out for any whim of any members of Parliament. Even the businesses themselves can be shuttered for the day, with preferred chefs invited to the upper levels to prepare meals to deal with these circumstances. (Someone from the Congregation can train as a chef in the Cotillion, even if they've never handled food of this nature their entire lives. It's a good job to have, as a number of favored chefs have been elevated to Magpies.)

Beyond the shops is the first level of living quarters for the various members of Parliament. Many Magpie and Rook suites are side by side, though some Rooks prefer not to be housed next to a newcomer and have made their preference known throughout the years. These suites are designed and adapted to its inhabitant's every need, and if someone is born into the family, they inherit their family's suite once someone dies. How is it that there could be space for all the members of Parliament, and so little room outside of the walls of this compound? Consider that yet another question that members of Parliament don't need to concern themselves with.

At the uppermost levels are the suites belonging to the Cardinals. Unless explicitly invited, no one is allowed onto these floors. Numerous Carrion have died throughout the years because they wandered up the wrong set of stairs, knowing that risk was looming over them.

And at the very top is where The Conclave meets. Newly elected members of Parliament visit this room once to receive their powers, only they recall nothing. No one knows what happens within the inner walls of The Conclave. Some have attempted to spy throughout the years. Needless to say, that didn't go well.

The Volary is the home of the pampered, the rich: the people who can ignore the dying world beyond them. Even those inheriting a sense of importance feel as if they've done enough—when they clearly don't do enough. At least those stuck outside may find themselves walking through the heavy front doors of this compound one day. Too bad it's based upon the powers of Parliament, and whether they deign to let someone inside. The only good news is that someone can be buzzed in via their power. That gives a real personal touch, right?

> NO WAY TO LIVE (THE CONGREGATION)

Outside of The Volary, The Aerie is set up in sectors, these sectors acting like rings that move further and further from The Volary up and down throughout The Aerie. Almost by necessity, the rings closer to The Volary are populated by Parliament's favorites. The upkeep around here is better: not pristine, but far from as bad as it gets as someone travels to the outer sectors. Many who have made a name for themselves in the Quarry live in these inner sectors, close to the people of Parliament. Many believe that the inner sectors are still tended to because members of Parliament would hate to face up to the fact of their world dying, and it may not be far from the truth.

In addition to better upkeep, the inner sectors experience less Shrike patrols, with the people allowed to live a life that allows them to remain ignorant to the world around them. They may not be Parliament, but their life in these sectors affords them the feeling of comfort. They don't have to fear their ceiling caving in; they don't have to fear a pipe bursting at an unfortunate moment; they don't have to fear wrongful arrest because they looked at someone the wrong way. It takes a lot for those from the inner sectors to have their lives ruined—but it's not exactly impossible. Of course, this is also where The Cotillion is kept, with numerous buildings and dormitories maintained for its students.

The further and further someone goes away from The Volary, the more life within The Aerie becomes difficult. The worst part is this: no one knows any better. They know the crumbling walls, the faded and peeling wallpaper, the revealed steel beams. They know the frequent Shrike patrols. They know that if they commit a crime, it's on them: they deserve whatever comes their way.

How does someone work in order to get by in these outer sectors? They can help man the bars, because drinking is as much a way of life here as it is back in the regular world. They can help upkeep of The Aerie. Someone can easily enter a trade alongside their compulsory schooling, especially if they aren't special enough for Cotillion training. Electricians are needed throughout. Maintenance of trains is needed throughout. Plumbers are needed throughout. And rations? They come by way of processing plants connected to hydroponic farms. More than a few times throughout the years, these plants have suffered breakdowns, and there have been ration shortages. But don't worry: Parliament continued on eating as if nothing changed outside.

Rations are given out three times a day through numerous rations checkpoints in each sector. These rations are like tasteless protein bars: enough to provide someone the meal they need, a bland mixture of carbohydrates, protein and fat sprinkled with essential nutrients, and little more. Attempts to make them more flavorful throughout the years have failed. Badly. It's probably better that they're bland little morsels. The good news is that they're filling. That may be the only good news.

Life isn't all misery and pain, even if job prospects are largely unfortunate if you're nothing special and the food is literally nothing to talk about. There is a thriving popular culture within The Congregation. There are numerous television shows and movies depicting the distant past, or even a brighter present: one in which the people of The Congregation managed to come together and make their lives better. Oddly enough, these don't tend to act as propaganda. They're just badly written, but done with an eye on hope and perhaps a better life. There are sports and games, though no official leagues have started up, almost certainly because they would compete with the Quarry for airtime.

Members of the Congregation are able to travel anywhere they like within The Aerie thanks to trains, with the only sector the train lines don't access being The Volary. They can peer down over the city, seeing a blurry line of grey all merging together, with people living their lives as best as they can. These trains go near the surface of The Aerie, too, granting someone a close up of the world outside, and reminding them that life could be much, much worse. It could be gone altogether.

> SO SHALL IT BE (QUARRY PREPARATIONS)

With one week remaining until the next Quarry event, preparations continue within The Company's headquarters. Located at the base of the arena out of necessity, The Company's offices are pristine and lifeless in nature. White walls, white ceiling tiles, and white chairs: nothing varies from anything else. How does it remain so surgical at all times? One can only wonder.

Numerous Quarries are being prepared at any given moment, with the televised sensations planned months in advance. Some plans are scrapped depending on competitors. Given the recurrence of Snipes, there are moments where plans need to be changed, where tension needs to be brought in. An arena designer may have to scrap his entire vision for a backup plan.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—The Company is a well-oiled machine. Need some crunch time to make sure a Quarry event is ready on time? The underlings at The Company are used to working long, long days to make it work.

The Quarry this time around is unknown, though there are suspicions of what it might be.

As for those waiting to enter the ring: they're free to live their lives, but many of them are undergoing talent training and preparation for the big event. They're going through interviews, getting sized for any costumes, and being asked to tell their stories. Some of the Snipes may be more than ready for this, while the Guineas will need to figure this out for themselves.

> A WILL TO FIGHT (THE KESTRELS)

Littered throughout the Congregation is a group that's been budding for a while. As much as this world is all they've known, there are some who believe that they deserve something better. The Quarry is unfair, and all throughout the many sectors, there are signs that The Aerie is breaking down and dying, barely keeping it together. These are people who may be afraid, but want to fight despite that fear.

Some of them have made themselves known: bearing a tattoo of a kestrel where others can see. Others hide who they are, but they're waiting. Planning. They strike when they can, but they know that time is running out. There are tiny safehouses throughout, typically through hatches underneath small local businesses that are sympathetic to the kestrels themselves. These people aren't members, but they put themselves at risk every day to protect this movement.

So, they have their sights set on this upcoming Quarry. It's time to bring change to The Aerie—or die trying.

> GOALS FOR THIS LOG

Either through talking ICly or OOCly, we'd like to have the following goals outlined and submitted to our comments below:

What is the Kestrels' plan in all of this? What do they intend to do?
This can include trying to find and meet with Prometheus, just as a note! Overall, we'd like an idea of what they'll be attempting with the upcoming Quarry so that we can work it into the next log.

What is the theme for the next Quarry arena?
We'd like to have some idea of a theme, as well as some submitted puzzles! We know that we're the kings of Vague Ass Puzzles, so feel free to be vague. We just want to give our Quarry participants something to look forward to.

Are there any other factors we need to consider?
Parliament upheaval? Plans to find out what Parliament is doing? Anything else that might come to mind? This is more loose!

We're giving a loose deadline of DECEMBER 7 with the next log going up on DECEMBER 12.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Welcome to part one of our year-end AU event! We meant for this to be primarily be a description log to start play, especially since we feel that most of our critical information is in our Planning Post. We suggest that you do any necessary planning there for your select crews there, as well as use the "DM" system on Warbler for private stuff.

Of course, our questions thread is still open.

Since it's come up in the past: since all characters are in the AU, please feel free to do a catch-all post of anything you might want! Flashbacks! Anything open prompt-wise! Go wild with this stuff. This is always available during events, but we wanted to be explicitly clear here given the nature of this event.

As for mod-run social media, we have a post here on the network where we'll be steadily adding things throughout the event!

Our November Activity Check goes live on DECEMBER 1. AC for the month of December will be check-in only. It's a weird holiday season, but it will undoubtedly still be stressful for all of us.

Our next reserves will open on NOVEMBER 23 and our next application period will open on DECEMBER 1. We intend for all new or returning applicants to be kept outside of the AU. We have a special plotting opportunity and NPC ready for this scenario to help people integrate. However, if you have a friend who's apping to tap into the AU, let us know—we're not 100% married to our plans, but we worried about any new players apping into such a convoluted scenario after so much plotting has already taken place.

That's all for now. Have fun and for those of you who celebrate, have a Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

testflight: (l038)

larry trainor | doom patrol

[personal profile] testflight 2020-11-21 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
soak up the glory
[ there's luxury and comfort in the volary —privilege, too, yes, but it's easy not to realise that, not to notice it here. if larry is aware of the fact that the world outside is crumbling, he excels at putting it out of his mind.

there are better things to focus on, after all.

things like dancing with handsome men at parties, smiling at a friend or a lover over drinks or dinner. things like inviting someone back to the suite he now inhabits on his own. things like revelling in the joy of simply being himself, unapologetically and without restraint. ]


dish out the gossip (@ x15)
01. if you had to rank them, who'd you say are the top five hottest shrikes at the moment?
02. i could use company for dinner tonight. interested?


[ aka texts from the volary; private messages larry has sent. ]


( ooc: what larry currently looks like & his plotting comment. this vague tl is here to create a space for consensual shippiness and smut and flirting and larry being gay and okay, a space for happy and joyful things. yes, this is a dystopian au but damn it, larry trainor deserves A Good Day. threads might get nsfw if i have anything to say about it ]
Edited 2020-11-21 20:58 (UTC)
wittingly: (ʜᴏᴡ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴡɪʟʟ I sʟɪᴅᴇ? Sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴍʏ sɪᴅ)

[personal profile] wittingly 2020-11-21 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Quarry arena puzzles!

"teamwork" puzzles, where groups of >1 trigger some kind of cage/cell/trap door or whatever, and they have to work together to use clues to figure out how to get out.
→ a cool example of this is a rune puzzle, where character A and character B are in different rooms and can't see each other. They each have a set of symbols on a wall, and some of those symbols have a letter of the alphabet beneath them. They have to describe the symbol to one another to assign an alphabet letter to it to decode the message.
→hilarious twist of fate, one of the messages is like "kill your partner to get out", "press this button for murder", you know, post-bonding betrayal.
→or just regular actual working together to survive puzzles where if you betray your partner you die too. it takes two people to open the door / turn off the rising water levels / whatever

"incentive" puzzles
haven't found food or water in a few days? get bit by something poisonous? have a gaping wound and need medical care? good news, there's an incentive puzzle. if you solve it, you get what you need.
if you get it wrong you get a lovely metal punishment spike shot at you at high-speed.

good old fashioned "you weren't paying attention" traps
oops didn't notice that pressure plate before you stepped on it didja, well here's like the lethal equivalent of when people step on rakes in cartoons
myfavoritemurder: (that was so weirdly erotic)

Callisto

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2020-11-21 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
no way to live

[Maybe this is just how life is going to be from now on, she thinks - waking up in different places, on different worlds, dragged around by the will of gods who aren't even bothering to tell her what they want from her. It's enough to make a girl miss Hades and Tartarus.

This time, she's in a small but homey apartment - smack dab in the middle of the Aerie, she'll later learn, in a sector that's not exactly close to the Volary, but isn't in the outskirts either. The furniture is worn and the floors creak, but it's still far cozier than any place she's stayed since she was a young child. The strangest thing, though, is that it appears to have been created with her in mind. She doesn't know how, or why, but it's unmistakeable: all the clothing fits her perfectly, her name is everywhere (on things that she'll later realize are bills, letters, post-it notes, text messages), and she has a key to the front door in her pocket. There are even little paper images of her with others stuck up on the refrigerator. She spends a long time standing there looking at them - at the happy, open, utterly foreign smile that always appears on her own face. And then she leaves, taking to the street, not bothering to use the key to lock the door behind her.

It’s not until someone greets her with a cheerful "Hi, Callisto!" that it fully clicks. She drops to her knees right there on the street, and bursts into hysterical peals of laughter.

After a while, after she's had time to collect herself, she tells herself that she won’t stand for this. She impulsively makes a decision to strike back anyone who tries to call her friend, or who acts as if they know her in any way. A hit with her open palm for one offense, she thinks, and a broken bone for two. Maybe outright slaughter for anyone who dares go for three. And when she finds her way back to that apartment, she'll rip down all the images from the fridge. She'll tear to pieces that happy-smiling Callisto, and with her all the people around her who had made her look like that.

She does not, it turns out, do any of that. She ends up doing something very different instead.

It's not quite a decision that she makes - she doesn't sit herself down and come up with a plan to live this life that's been thrust into her hands. If confronted, she would in fact deny that that's what she's doing. But it's born of impulsivity, of curiosity, of - and this is the part she touches on, and then immediately skitters away from, unable to fully admit it even to herself - a desire to be anyone else but who she is, and to life any other life but the one she's known. And so she'll smile when people greet on the street, even though it never reaches her eyes; if they stop her for a chat, she'll go along with it. She'll nod along with what they say, filing away the information they inadvertently give her, so that she can trot it out with others later and act as if she knew it all along. She'll learn, with some fumbling, how to use her phone for calls and for Warbler, and she'll respond when people reach out.

She hates it. She loves it. She wants to tear it all down, scream at them all, hurt them all, do whatever she can to drive them away from her and keep them from ever returning. She wants to grab hold of all of them tightly, dig her claws in, and never, ever let go.]


[OOC: Plotting here (tl;dr: she has her full memories and non-AU personality, but will be kind of trying to play along regardless), info here and here! I'm still making my way through the OOC plotting post, but if your character is a Kestrel you are free to assume that they at least knew each other by sight, and I'm very open to plotting out AU CR beyond that!]
Edited 2020-11-21 21:59 (UTC)
frontierbashir: (julian-114)

Julian Bashir!

[personal profile] frontierbashir 2020-11-21 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
So Shall It Be

"This isn't going to work. You have to give people a chance to actually find and create their own antidote and this bacterium's toxin is deadly within the first 18 hours. That's barely enough time to brew it, not to mention you can only find the herb in one small patch." Julian does his best not to raise his voice. He is not frustrated with this bit. Not exactly.

It's that he's the medical consultant for the Company and thus the Quarry. It's that his direct input leads to the deaths of so many.

Though even without his input, they would still die.

"You can either make the herb more accessible, or eliminate the bacterial involvement altogether, as I see it."

He struggles with this day in and day out. A physician responsible for so much death--but he knows he contributes to healing as well, and so being caught and found out as a kestrel and sent into the Quarry would simply be a waste.

It's the only thing that carries him forward, being able to treat patients like a normal doctor outside of the Company.



A Will To Fight

There's a small safehouse for the Kestrels that Julian has set up his tiny, covert clinic underneath a distillery. He joined the movement for this--the simple, no-strings-attached pleasure of healing the way he was taught, and, in his opinion, born to do. For anyone that gets hurt or injured or sick that doesn't feel comfortable for whatever reason wandering around in an attempt to get proper medical care, Julian is there--particularly for kestrels that are getting themselves into trouble messing with any shrikes, no questions asked.

That's a lie. Julian needs to ask some questions, but only as related to medical care.

If you're a buddy of his in the kestrels, you will find him here most evenings.


Other

Every once in a while, Julian just needs a drink to, counterintuitively, clear his head from a day of working with the callous people of the Company.

He can often be found in a corner of a dingy bar near where he lives in the mid-rings of the Congregation, drinking either a beer or sipping on the awful distilled spirits available near them. It's no secret that he works with the Company and is Cotillion-trained, but the good doctor prefers to live out here, where people need him the most. For those that know the Kestrels or are known Kestrel sympathizers, they'll recognize that Julian is one of them.

However, someone could always mistake him as a sympathizer for Parliament and get upset at him too.

[ooc: If there's anything else you want to play out, let me know! Totally open for it!]
Edited 2020-11-21 22:13 (UTC)
plainsimple: (But of course)

gossip - 01

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-21 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
1. Myself, obviously, I do hope you agree.
2. Amos, devastatingly confident in who he is
3. Lance, quite the lovely pout
4. Marcos, so very pretty

The other choices get so very difficult. I'm surprised you aren't simply posting your list of favorites.
plainsimple: (Smug)

Other

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-21 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"I see you're out here pretending to be of the people," Garak drawls, coming over to Julian. It is not the safest of things to do. He has his suspicions and he knows that Julian has his own, but there's something alluring about the threat the doctor might pose. Intoxicating, even.

He trails his fingers lightly over Julian's back as he scoots around behind the man, smirking by the time he sets his cup on the table and fully joins the man.

"How has your day gone, doctor?"
hiyakai: (145)

kai parker | tvd

[personal profile] hiyakai 2020-11-21 10:46 pm (UTC)(link)
SO SHALL IT BE
[ only a week away before the quarry officially begins.

he has participated in the event enough times to go through the process without much thought. it's usually the same old shit — training, backstage preps, and interviews on rotation. it has never been hard for him to garner attention. labeled a murderer for killing his entire family in his early teens, kai parker is a repeat snipe with an established root as a renowned criminal in the sectors. his outwardly sociable and affable personality only makes him more noticeable on and off camera.

it's a genuine wonder whether the guy's here to sate an unquenchable bloodlust or he just simply has a death wish because it's pretty evident that he's smart enough not to get caught without meaning to. but really, where would the fun be if he didn't keep people guessing?

whatever his truth may be, he doesn't hide his enthusiasm from the others, a friendly and carefree smile almost perpetually on his face. he's relaxed and unfazed, and he isn't shy about approaching any of the other participants for a hearty chat. some of them he recognizes from previous quarries; others are new and exciting.

throughout the week, he will be leisurely going through the routine, working with his stylists and charming the crowd onscreen. he will also be actively trying to get to know everyone whether they be a participant or otherwise. he might even offer up some tips and tricks to the guineas because he's nice like that.

when he isn't going around spreading his version of joy, he will either be busy tapping away at his phone or he will have disappeared entirely, most likely returning to the sectors for work-related purposes or whatever the guy gets up to on his spare time. nothing for anyone to worry about though.
]

NO WAY TO LIVE
[ shouldn't you be preparing for the quarry?

it's both an excellent and legitimate question. he should be busy with the quarry preparations right now, but it isn't like he can just put a stop to his life for one life-or-death event. he can squeeze some productivity (and me time) in between! no point in staying still fidgeting over what may or may not happen next week.

no, it's not really his style, is it?

his, let's call 'em, assignments aren't nulled just because he has landed himself in "hot waters" again.

besides, if he doesn't make it out this time, then he needs to make sure (again) that his last will will be carried out. otherwise, he'll be leaving behind a lot of unfinished business and he really hates not tying up loose ends. his reputation as a totally reliable and top notch criminal would take a considerable blow, dead or not.

it's called having a smidgen of accountability.

also, he wants to drink and party a little. hit up a bar, sing some karaoke, maybe meet a nice guy or girl who he can have some fun with.

point is, kai parker is still open for business. if someone wants to hire him, he is available for a chat. if somebody wants to befriend him, he will never say no to new friendships. if someone wants to ask him where all his bells go towards, well, maybe mind your own beeswax, man. that's personal information!
]

WILDCARD
[ ooc; i made the prompts pretty broad, so feel free to get creative with them! overall, kai will just be traveling back and forth between quarry prep and personal work/life things. his plotting comment/history can be found here. he is also open for network/inbox stuff, so don't hesitate to touch.

if you want to do something else or you have a specific idea in mind, you can contact me at [plurk.com profile] voicelog or pm.
]
plainsimple: (But of course)

Just outside his shop?

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-21 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
He's straightening up his displays, as paltry as they are, when she comes by. Garak looks up to offer her a smile.

"Callisto. How's the shop today? You're getting a later start than usual." There's a fine line to walk between being friendly and being a shrike - he can only show off so many observations at once but that seems casual enough. Things are just a little more charged right now, as the Quarry announcements are starting to go out.
realists: (ml » converse)

life is great without a care

[personal profile] realists 2020-11-21 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ jyn sinks down on the loveseat next to larry with two glasses in hand. she passes one off automatically and assumes that will make up for taking a seat some future lover could take. jyn loves larry, he is very dear to her and she would personally and gleefully eviscerate anyone that ever so much as thought to cause some harm to befall him, but they are neither of the other's type. ]

Hello darling. [ she leans over to kiss his cheek before she seems to melt into the sumptuous pillows decorating the back of the sofa, heels falling off so she can tuck her feet up under her.

larry won't be getting lucky in the next quarter hour at least because jyn looks very comfortable, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder. it's her first big party since her father died, but she is just ignoring that entirely as if it didn't happen. ]


Who are you looking at tonight?
myfavoritemurder: (we want to confuse everybody)

sounds good!

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2020-11-21 10:54 pm (UTC)(link)
She stops, staring at him for just a little longer than is probably comfortable.

"Yes," she says finally, lips lifting in a smile that looks pasted on. "Yes, I am. I was feeling sick. I almost didn't come in at all."
frontierbashir: (julian-112)

[personal profile] frontierbashir 2020-11-21 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah yes, Julian's favorite likely-Shrike. One that keeps him on his toes and reminds him not to get sloppy. At the same time, he doesn't dislike their interactions. In fact, he enjoys how many different layers their conversations can take on.

Julian pointedly takes another sip of his drink, wincing slightly at the burn of the alcohol before he turns a pleasant smile on his uninvited guest.

"'Pretending'? Because I'm like many others and simply wish to have a drink after a long day of work?"
plainsimple: (I was respected once)

Elim Garak | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-21 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[In Wait]

There's an almost meditative quality to lying in wait, ready to strike and bring someone in. It's his favorite part of the job, really. He's done the groundwork, is in position. Soon comes the fight and the state will be served. He hears movement and braces. They're here.


[Plain Simple Gardener]

Due to the dual patronage of Marian Hawke and Homelander, Garak's able to run a business he loves as a cover. Sometimes it's a little mundane, creating delicate floral displays and breeding various addictive plants to make new variations by himself. There aren't a lot of customers, after all. Any visitor breaking up the routine gets his full attention both because it means he's less bored and it might mean he gets a little information...and he can't say for certain which he likes the most. It's a good thing no one asks that.

[Wildcard me]

[[ooc: I have a plotting post here, and feel free to toss me something!]]
plainsimple: (Does not bode well)

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-21 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)
The stare is... odd. It's like she's seeing him anew, or really with new knowledge. Is his secret out? Do people know he's a shrike? Her smile doesn't exactly tell him either way due to how sometimes their rivalry can be strained.

"I'm glad you're feeling better now," he says, smile smooth as ever. "If you are?" Careful. He needs to be careful here. If he's been outed, he needs to know.
plainsimple: (Handsy)

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-22 12:08 am (UTC)(link)
He chuckles, resting his elbows on the table before he takes a drink himself.

"Pretending, because you have the means to gain enough favor to get out of this situation and yet you remain. Unlike many others, you care." It's accusation and observation both. He finds this man befuddling as well as attractive and dangerous. How can someone care and survive? Obviously he must soothe his conscience some by helping in other areas. Garak just doesn't know where he's helping, or who, just yet. Not for sure.
myfavoritemurder: (is this what it's like to be Solid Snake)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2020-11-22 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
"I feel just fine. All better." Trying to say that without a heavy sarcastic lilt feels weird, and she makes a face.

"And you? How is your... business today?"

What is smalltalk.
frontierbashir: (julian-18)

[personal profile] frontierbashir 2020-11-22 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
"Mister Garak, one doesn't stay in medicine long if they don't care. Is that a crime, to care?" An intentional jab here, knowing full well Garak has the authority to arrest anyone...essentially for whatever he wants.

"I stay here because people need me here. It's a simple concept. 'Where can I do the most good?' And the answer is outside of the inner circle." And he wishes it could be outside of the Company as well. At the very least, he can subtly try to change some of the more deadly traps to make them less agonizing, less painful in some way for those forced into the Quarry.
plainsimple: (But of course)

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-22 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
It's the little jabs that make Garak so certain Bashir is a Kestral, the way he challenges and pushes on top of how he cares. It's also the little jabs that keep Garak coming back.

"The most good is a complicated, subjective matter, though." He leans forward, still smiling. Always smiling. "A man of your talents could help so many inside said inner circle, and they're what keep civilization going, are they not? If we're to speak of civic responsibility and crime, we could ask the question of when denying your services to them might actually be harmful."

His voice isn't as loud as it could be. He doesn't want anyone else to think he's actually accusing the doctor of a crime. He wants to keep this little bit of joy in his life, these argumentative bright spots.
jarnbjorn: (06)

Thor / Cardinal

[personal profile] jarnbjorn 2020-11-22 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
1. 'cause we are living in a material world
a party held in the parliament, open to all. feel free to use in your own prompts

[ Life's hard when everything's been handed to you on a silver platter and suddenly this one single thing isn't.

Thor's father (who didn't get him into the Cardinals, why would you even say that, Thor got in all by himself!!) is hosting a dinner party and Thor has to be there instead of literally anywhere else more exciting. He doesn't try to hide it, spending most of the evening slouched in his chair at the table, or staring glassy-eyed at the door.

Most of the Cardinals are old and boring, after all. Thor doesn't give a shit about nonsense like maintaining alliances or being seen to be worthwhile patrons for the lower classes looking to rise. He just wants to do what he wants and have fun.

But every once in a while inspiration strikes and he'll start up a conversation with whoever's nearby: ]


The Quarry had better not have some piss-poor theme this time. I still remember two rounds ago I just about fell asleep with how uninterested I was in the thing. It felt old and stale. The only exciting part was when that one man ripped his own arm off to use as a weapon.

[ or, if you're someone he actually likes-- ] Can you believe my father had the audacity to threaten to cut my allowance if I didn't stay he whole night? He's so old and out of touch, I hope someone poisons him.

[ and to any handsome young men or women he'll turn on the charm ] You're far too lovely to be in a dull place like this. What do you say we leave and find somewhere a little more intimate to talk?

2. and i am a material girl
out and about

[ Sure, Thor uses his powers to help maintain the atmosphere in the aviary. He helps water the crops, keep the humidity levels in check, purify the air. It's a good look for the family, he keeps hearing.

....but when he's not otherwise busy, he enjoys heading down to the lower areas of the city to find other ways to use his atmospheric powers. Making it rain on a shopkeeper's stall and ruining all their goods is a particular favourite of his, as is turning puddles to ice and watching people skid about on them.

But today he's picking passers-by at random and using his power to remove the air from the space around their heads until they pass out.

Join him in his fun? Find some way to stop him? Or are you the unfortunate one he's picked on? ]


3. experience has made me rich
warbler posting in the week before the arena

@dtf
just a heads up, if you're the lead arena engineer and this quarry SUCKS then you better have a good explanation
the last two rounds were b o r i n g as all fuck

--

any rooks out there looking for some work, let's help each other out

--

everyone saw the list of guineas? my money's on malachi

are there bets on which one of the lovey dovey couple gets offed first? HEY GUINEAS. SEE IF YOU CAN KILL ONE OF THEM IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
Edited 2020-11-22 00:57 (UTC)
realists: (ml » look)

jyn erso ✧ open

[personal profile] realists 2020-11-22 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
soak up the glory
[ it's been a couple months since her father died and jyn became the last remaining erso in the aerie. she hasn't been mourning really, she wasn't particularly close to her father but there are a lot of complicated emotions she doesn't want to think about and so for a while she's been squirreled away in her now too large quarters — it was built for three and now it holds one — with only her dearest friends visiting.

but a new quarry is starting and it's time to get back in the swing of things. luckily the volary is never lacking for parties and jyn finds herself easily slipping back into one already started, all dressed up, snagging a glass of something shimmery green she doesn't even question. it'll probably be good.

she glances around, trying to find a friend she can wile away a few hours with. ]

no way to live
[ jyn was born and raised in the volary, but when she was very tiny and couldn't sleep, her mother would take her for walks through the rest of the aerie. after her mother died, jyn took up the habit herself as a way to feel close to her mother and to attempt to stay close with her father, working away at the company. it isn't as if anyone can stop her now, they'd given a five year old the power to control people, they can't be surprised when jyn absolutely uses her power to let herself in and out of the volary.

she looks out of place in the aerie proper, well fed and neat, flush with bells, but she walks with the air of someone who has never felt out of place in her entire life. there's shop selling fruit chips that she stops at, buying a packet to munch on as she walks.

despite being a born rook, she's an easy target for children. jyn is an orphan, she doesn't relish standing by and watching another child become an orphan because they'd stolen an apple and their parent was sent to the quarry. not when she could toss a few bells their way before any shrike could intercede.

she's done just that when she looks up to spot someone watching her. ]


What?

wildcard
( go where your heart takes you. BACKGROUND and PLOTTING for your perusal, jyn is a whole ass babe and you are free to TEXT HER @ stardust )
Edited 2020-11-22 05:37 (UTC)
reproached: (158)

John Murphy | The 100 | Cardinal

[personal profile] reproached 2020-11-22 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
reproached: (165)

CLOSED to Homelander

[personal profile] reproached 2020-11-22 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's an old trick. Murphy's been entertaining his godson with this game since John was just a boy, and even a century later, neither of them have tired of it.

It begins, as always, with the two of them mingling among the commoners in the lowest level of the Volary. This is as close to adventure as Murphy typically gets nowadays, as it's been ages since anything gave him reason to abandon the comfort behind these walls. This is the level where fresh blood tends to circulate, however, which makes it thrilling enough to him. The people who don't know him also don't know what to expect from him, which is key to this particular form of amusement.

He and John have taken seats at their favorite spot, an exclusive joint that caters to the highest among the high and therefore employs the lowest lows, the ones who won't be missed when tastes run a little deadly. Drinks in hand, settled into their plush booth, Murphy surveys the various staff before pointing out one young waitress and murmuring to John: ]


That one looks feisty. I bet she bites.
plainsimple: (Hang on now)

[personal profile] plainsimple 2020-11-22 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
The face she's making is odd too. She may indeed know. Garak takes a slow breath, remaining as calm as possible.

"As well as it ever is. I don't expect too many customers today. What of you? Are you finishing any interesting commissions?" Her clothing business was of mild interest to him; the patterns and fabrics had so much potential. But he was fine with his cover job. Especially when he got to sample his own products.
frontierbashir: (julian-3)

[personal profile] frontierbashir 2020-11-22 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
"Is it? Contrary to popular belief, every life matters." And that is a firm core belief of his. Even though most around here would also disagree.

Julian is careful to keep his voice loud enough for Garak, but only Garak.

"And Mr. Garak I have never denied service to anyone that requires it. There are simply more people outside of the Volary than in it, hence why you see me here, and not closer there. Also, a counterpoint--" This time he leans in and ensures his voice is lower. "If all the Congregation fell ill and there was no doctor around, who would Parliament exert influence over?" This is quite a dicey conversation with someone Julian is 99.9% sure is a shrike, but they've had this kind of antagonistic, yet...friendly? banter before and Julian hasn't been arrested yet.

Perhaps Garak was only biding his time. Julian certainly doesn't think Garak knows for sure he's a Kestrel. He leans back in his chair again, taking a large sip from his glass and watching Garak's expression.
jettisons: (bellamy00091)

wildcard-y

[personal profile] jettisons 2020-11-22 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
[It shouldn't be a surprise how quickly the word spreads. They announce the participants promptly and publicly just like always, but somehow seeing Rey and Clarke's names just twists the knife. In Bellamy's memories, he's already told Callisto, given her fair warning so that she doesn't have to find out like this. He's had his breakdown with her, too, one of the few people he'd trust with all that emotion and grief.

Now he's back, waiting at her tiny kitchen table when she gets home. He has no idea how long he's been waiting, just that he keeps swinging from helplessness to rage to nothing in a constant cycle. Right now, she's the only one he wants to see, and when he hears the front door open, his head snaps up.]


Callisto.

[His voice is rough, shoulders locked and tense. Still, it seems like he's used to being here, and used to her.]