larkers: (pic#12386246)
MEADOWLARK MODS ([personal profile] larkers) wrote in [community profile] meadowlarklogs2021-01-15 04:04 pm

EVENT #11.4 / ARRIVAL LOG #029

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: The Aerie as it ends in an anime-like fashion, New Tokyo, and New Amsterdam
WHEN: August 23, 2512 onward.
WHAT: Event ending, arrivals, and a lot of changes.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion and loss of autonomy, religious themes.

> EVENT #011.4 / ARRIVAL #029

As suddenly as they all vanished, the people who remained in the Aerie begin to return. These people have not died: instead, they seem to return peacefully after an extremely unusual experience. As the gods are freed, the Aerie begins to take on a different form, radically altered by this decision. The very fabric of reality unravels. It's not that the city continues to grow more and more dilapidated by the moment—instead, the Aerie ceases to exist, dragging everyone who remains within into a joint, out of body experience.

At once, everyone's memories return in full. As they float in what is an open space, they'll recall who they were once before, right alongside their alternate life in the Aerie. Even if they can't see them, they'll begin to feel the others there: not just that they exist, but their emotions: wonder, surprise, irritation, anger, fear, guilt. Somehow, they recognize that they're connected to the billions of living souls there alongside them.

What once seemed like a wide, open space comes to be recognized as a large, vast ocean. They float in the deepest depths of the ocean, and they begin to see sea life swirl around them. Whales. Sharks. The glint of a dying star? There are constellations in the distance, too far to reach. It's hard to say where they are, and impossible to communicate to ask, to try to reach one of the billions of other souls there. When they open their mouths to try, they only make an unintelligible sound. Have they, too, been transformed into those creatures? It seems, at least for a moment, like they're communicating via echolocation.

The constellations begin to burn brighter and brighter. As they touch the people there, they're able to see more clearly around them. There are hundreds upon thousands of animals, all with bright golden eyes. They push through the water quickly, and the gold in their eyes fully illuminates the space around them.

Once that illumination meets a critical mass, everyone begins to experience a different joint vision. From the very start, the experience itself is excruciating: they feel an object, vaguely comprehended, but perceived to be spear-like in nature, slicing into them, tearing them asunder. The misery results in a complete and total division of self: splintered and incomplete, scattered into trillions of tiny pieces.

An indefinite amount of time later, there is a stirring. Everyone feels frigid and cold. The chill is excruciating, but different from what it was before. And then, as if a physical feeling can become an emotion, that chill becomes anger. And then that rage starts searching, wandering—

Until it adapts and connects with the ocean around it. The gold in the eyes of the sharks and whales begins to dim. A feeling of grief and eventually peace washes over everyone who remains.

And then everyone begins to shift in their beds, awakening as if returning from a terrible nightmare. Of course, given that they recall all of it, it's likely not much of a nightmare. At least not in a literal sense. When they wake to check in on the world, they'll find it in much the same shape—with the changes being far less obvious at first.

> 30 SECONDS FROM TOKYO

At first, you'll hear the buzz of a motor, as well as smell the splash of ocean water not so far away. You'll find that you're on a boat, passing swiftly over the Pacific Ocean to come into contact with a large, man-made structure in the distance. While you're drugged, you find that you're unable to move much. An IV protrudes from your arm, keeping you sedate. When one of the guards on the boat turns to check on you, they'll find your eyes open. "Sit tight and don't move. We have to be welcomed inside." Even if you're naturally defiant, you find yourself forced to comply.

Eventually, the boat pulls onto a dock that extends from the city itself to welcome your arrival. The mechanisms are complicated and hidden. Unlike a drawbridge in our modern times, the dock extends swiftly and completely, welcoming the boat next to it. After the boat seems to anchor itself into place, the guards present begin to move each of the passengers one by one off the boat. You'll notice others like you: dressed in white, long-sleeved scrubs, with recently shaved heads, and a pair of white tennis shoes. Or most of them are.

There are two exceptions: Eames and Aeryn, who have their hair still, but are just as drugged and kept under. They went through a similar arrival process before the Aerie stole them away, and arrived back after the Aerie ended in a similar manner to Max. Their return to society is just less personalized due to the circumstances.

Eventually, you're taken through the city—a wonder in and of itself, as it's a complex system of elevators spanning both vertically and horizontally through the large, metallic structure—and eventually through the back door of a business.

"All right, listen up everyone. There are people coming to get you. We've got this place for the day, so sit tight." At this, everyone's forced to do as they're commanded. Even if you don't want to sit, you have no choice. "We'll direct the people to bring you water, but that's all. Ask them to show you the glow. And—from me to you?" The guard sounds … tired all of a sudden. Her voice is strained as she adds: "Try not to fuck more shit up."

At once, the guards start to filter out through the back door. As much as everyone left behind can't go anywhere, they sure can talk.

As this process begins, a message is sent to all of the Displaced in New Amsterdam via a private broadcasting channel, one that's meant to only reach a limited number of people. It seems Jimmy's found a way to hack it for his own use, but trying to trace this back to him will prove impossible:

Sorry everyone. Couldn't do an official drop off. I barely scrounged up the people I did to get them to town. They're sitting tight at a bakery called Sweet Omakase in New Tokyo. Just go in and tell the people up front that you're there to pick up a package.

Oh, I forgot to mention: I'll be reaching out to a few of you soon. So … yeah.

JH

As for that compliance drug?

◉ 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.

> NEW AMSTERDAM

Though the Displaced can make the choice to keep the newcomers in New Tokyo for longer than a few hours, it's generally not recommended. Morningstar in New Tokyo is in just as much disarray as the rest of the world, and El doesn't want to disrupt their recovery in these trying times. As such, it'll be necessary to take them on a secure route back to the New Tokyo gate, bring them to New Amsterdam, and start to get them ready for their new lives. Of course, they may see a little bit of New Tokyo along the way, but not much given the urgency. (The link is provided for brevity purposes—please see the "New Tokyo" section for a summary of the city itself!)

The abbreviated trip between New Tokyo and New Amsterdam will bring the newcomers back to a city that's been through … a lot. That means it's probably a good time to have a quick catch up, right?

> LAST TIME ON NAMSTERDAM!
Although a year isn't very long for even a human being, the Displaced have managed to make their mark in this unusual world. Having first been released out into the world in mid-June 2511, they started touching the world around them. Whether it was fighting a giant monster or curing people from the sickness caused by inhaling smoke from that giant monster's parts (as well as any tiny little monsters it brought with it) or taking on the UNA when they tried to wipe out an entire chapter of a rebel organization, the mysterious Blue-glowing people were there.

After over a year of interventions left and right, the Displaced finally came forward as a united group—one that's uniquely tied to a business they opened. No one knows they're from another world. They don't even know what the Displaced's powers are, though they've certainly seen them do fantastical things. One thing became apparent: while the Displaced were spotted in other cities around the globe, their influence has been most felt in New Amsterdam. And even if the world's governing body doesn't like it, the people of New Amsterdam have claimed the Displaced as their own.

Most recently, the entire world found itself dragged into another reality called the Aerie. The Displaced had gone through this before on a smaller scale, but this brought everyone present on the planet Earth to this other world. The Aerie was a miracle world: in order to prevent the death of humanity as everyone knew it, a group of heroes chosen by a handful of gods chained said gods and harnessed their power to create a safe haven for all of humanity. As a result of their actions, these people created a major class disparity in order to maintain the secrets of how they created the Aerie. Since billions of people were saved in the process, the Aerie ended up having an overpopulation problem. The answer? A battle royale for anyone who's committed a crime, held monthly.

Well, as these things go, about two hundred years into this horrible experiment, the Aerie started experiencing some challenges. Rebel groups and bombs and more! Eventually the gods were set free, and with it, the Aerie vanished into nothing.

Though the Aerie (and its smaller-scale predecessor, Zerzura) was undoubtedly brought into being by divine intervention, it doesn't help that the Displaced claimed that their powers seemed to be caused by interacting with gods. Troubling much? So, some of the world is divided, with New Amsterdam being the only pro-Displaced left after the Aerie. Of course, it's a touch more complicated than that.

And it doesn't all fall in the laps of the Displaced. After all, they didn't choose to have this happen to them.

An important thing to note is that New Amsterdam is a very, very green city. We don't mean recycling. As if powered by weird god magic, plants grow a-plenty in the city, leaving numerous trees and thousands upon thousands of credits in plumbing issues. Animals came into the city thanks to the absence of humans to start settling in. It's a beautiful city, one that seems as if it's actively fighting against being reclaimed by nature.

With the worldwide trauma, current singing events are currently on hiatus. This likely won't be permanent, but it's not as if anyone is looking to become a pop star at this exact moment.

But that's where New Amsterdam is currently, anyway.

> SUMMER PROBLEMS
Ah, water rationing. That's right: one of the tried and true traditions in New Amsterdam summers is water rationing. During the hot summer months, the city puts out water rationing warnings, and the city also answers the intense and extreme heat by making it so that businesses are open throughout the evening, with everyone sleeping during the daytime. However, the Aerie shot a lot of that preparation in the foot, so the city won't be able to reverse the clock.

Expect a lot of hot, miserable, and extremely humid days ahead. Thanks to the nearly tropical nature of the city at this point, humidity is a natural side effect of it all. The temperatures will be reaching from around 105 F to 115 F during the daytime. The evenings cool off, but certainly not by much, as they dip to only around 90 F to 95 F when the sun goes down.

Oh, and water rationing is most definitely in effect.

> RED WINGS
In February 2512, the bar known as Red Wings first opened. Positioned adjacent to the New Amsterdam stadium, where a wide variety of sporting events occur year round, it's the only business in New Amsterdam that's currently run entirely by the Displaced. However, a few other businesses are set to open in the near and distant future, all tailored to cater to the city that most of the Displaced call home.

On the inside, Red Wings is very, very red. There is a neon sign that's been recently repaired of the Great Lakes state (Michigan). In terms of being a watering hole, the bartenders are all Displaced and all very sympathetic to any newcomers headed their way. Need some free food or a chance to play pool to clear your head? Red Wings is the place to do that. There are tables throughout the bar. There used to be booths, but most of them got shredded during a recent monster attack and … well, tables are easier to replace.

It's likely that all of the newcomers will be brought to Red Wings first for a full meal before being taken to the safehouse across town.

And while there are blank projection screens around the bar showing news broadcasts of what just went down, none of the newcomers will be able to see any of them.

> MURAL
Throughout the past year, multiple murals have gone up around New Amsterdam by a Banksy-like figure. This figure is known to the people of New Amsterdam as Legion, and they tend to commemorate both the Displaced and their ties to the gods. In the Aerie, it was revealed that Legion was a wealthy woman by the name of Nirvana. Upon returning from the Aerie, another new mural goes up in New Amsterdam.

Legion's new mural explodes in color in the large corporate buildings that connect in New Amsterdam's financial district. It depicts the whole story of the Aerie from beginning to end: the conception, the Quarries, the attacks on both the Quarry and the Volary, and then the return. The imagery is woven together like a full story, each picture moving seamlessly into the next. Below are the colors of the gods, painted in vibrant colors that can be seen for miles.

There's specific imagery woven in as well, including the birds that represent the different groups of people, the eclipse and different phases of the moon to signify the timing.

It seems to say never forget.

> HELPING OUT
All around the world, returning members of Morningstar, PRESERVE, and even the cultists who once followed the leader, Ball (though the cultists are only working in New Amsterdam), all spur into action to try to help. Everyone may be traumatized, but they also likely prescribe to the notion of wanting to keep busy. Recalling the Aerie won't be pleasant, and the world needs help. New Amsterdam already has a head start thanks to the resource acquisition and work by a small group of Displaced, but now everyone is back to work.

The work in question? Feed everyone, first and foremost. Countless people are without fresh food. Working in conjunction with both the Red Wings employees and the cultists, PRESERVE will be putting up food banks all around the city. Marcos Diaz's food bank is likely to be fully stocked as a result of this, should he want to get that running again.

Other work that needs to be done involves plumbing, as the plants seem to have very much taken on a life of their own. They're absorbing most of the available water in the city, and have even made the water level decrease in the river (just a bit, though). Water rationing is even more important right now, but it may prove to be a futile effort if the plants aren't held back. Time to get moving. Anyone who wants to be an impromptu apprentice to a plumber is likely going to be welcomed onto the job. They need all hands on deck.

Finally, there are just the people who need help. Roaming bands of former UNA soldiers caused problems even before the mass return. Now they're meeting up and moving as if they're a gang of their own to return order to the land. However, these people are truly traumatized, and it's as if they're calling upon an old order that they can't quite recognize. The problem is that they're extremely dangerous. Though their weapons are mostly makeshift ones, they can fight with them. Along with these roaming bands, there are the catatonic and the confused people, all who could use some assistance to get back on track.

Sadly, the hospitals are not ready to be staffed by typical personnel. If anyone wants to take the lead on this and commandeer those medical centers, they can feel free to! Again, all help is appreciated, even if it might involve some slightly illegal choices.

> SPIRITUAL RECLAMATION
One thing that was significant in Meadowlark's world before the Aerie was a complete lack of religious or spiritual devotion, at least on a major scale. Smaller sects like the tiny cult in New Amsterdam were exceptions that ultimately proved the rule. After all, they didn't even have any written doctrine about their belief systems.

Things begin to change. Some of those changes are obvious, while others are less so—at first.

The first sign of this is in various preachers who take up spots on street corners to preach about the end of the world. With a muddled and confused ideology, these people build little podiums for themselves to speak about the end times: the Aerie was proof that humanity is only buying itself time before an inevitable end—and eventually, the gods will punish them for what they did. While the initial preachers will not have a clear messaging system, this will change in the coming weeks. In fact, it'll seem as if they're all deriving their ideology from the same place—even while located in different megacities.

Quietly, tiny religious communities begin to spring up. With real estate already in shambles before the Aerie, much of the construction has come to a halt in order for people to begin to psychologically heal. As a result, various warehouses throughout the megacities begin to be converted into spiritual centers. At first, these locales will be innocuous in nature, but in time, there will be a clear set of imagery connected to them. Some of that imagery will link back to the Aerie (with a lot of birds, as well as ties to either the Cardinals or the gods), or to the sacred geometry imagery that's been connected to the Displaced for some time.

These spiritual centers may simply be people squatting illegally, but it's not as if any of the various local police departments have the resources to stomp them out. It seems that the UN also views this religious devotion as harmless, at least compared to the other problems that could arise.

> NATURE'S RECLAMATION
Plants and a handful of animals have been at it for a while, but the world is definitely in the process of experiencing a second coming of … fauna? Some are springing up unexpectedly outside of walls, while others are inside of the walls themselves in many megacities. Did you know that pigeons were an uncommon sight in 2512? Well, were is an appropriate word for it. They're no longer uncommon. And what about that river in New Amsterdam? Never one to be a place for fishing, it's now filled to the brim with freshwater fish.

Want to go fishing? New Amsterdam will eventually require a license for it, but it's still early days. There aren't any fishing poles around to purchase, but someone can probably fashion one themselves if they have the know-how.

There will also be more wild insects. Pest control was a thing of the past for this world, but with all these new creatures showing up all over, that's going to be a concern once again. Unless, of course, it's prevented.

> SAFEHOUSE

Not long after their arrival, the new Displaced will be brought across the city to an abandoned hover-bike garage in a neighborhood that's clearly seen better days.

Located under said 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. The inside of this safehouse looks better than the outside, as it was beginning to be transformed into a training center by Ian Fowler. Once everyone is brought into the safehouse down below, they'll find no one waiting for them. Though Gaby, a Morningstar agent, is typically around, she's absent at this time. Any newbies will need to be filled in by their fellow Displaced, though they 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. Privacy is mostly nonexistent in the safehouse, with any past efforts that were made to change that destroyed by numerous attacks along the way.

◉ New characters will be asked to pick their beds, and be 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, though it's running low because it hasn't been restocked since before the previous set of arrivals.

◉ While the kitchen has a lot of dried foods to cook, as well as canned and preserved vegetables, most of what's left in the fridge will need to be tossed. In addition, 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 pretty much nonexistent in most of the beverages lying around.

◉ Along those same lines, newcomers will find that this is a world that is steeped in sustainable choices. Paper is a thing of the past. Ever used a bidet regularly? This world gives everyone a crash course in exactly what that feels like if they haven't done that before.

◉ Everyone will receive a modest stipend of credits from Morningstar 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 upon arrival to 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 also 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, either. Time to sit tight.

New characters will not be allowed to leave the safehouse until AUGUST 27, 2512 (JANUARY 23, 2020). 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

Welcome to Meadowlark, newbies! You're now free to post to the network and log comms. To reiterate, your characters will have no IDs or inboxes, nor be allowed to roam free once they enter the safehouse. Meaning: they'll have to sit tight until August 27, 2512 ICly.

All characters will appear as @anonymous on the network. While sitting tight in the safehouse, it's expected that 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 pertaining to this log (and because we accidentally forgot to drop a questions header here, our bad!), please refer to our questions thread on the OOC post.

The January CR meme for the month is here.

Please check out our Event #011 Wrap Up Post for a rundown of all of the changes brought about through the AU, as well as any world changes that will be apparent moving forward.

As we announced on the wrap up post, AC will remain halved until at least June 2021. That said, for the month of January, we're making things check-in only because of the state of the world.

Finally, we'll be back to our standard planned calendar and AC (halved, just to be clear) on February 1, 2021. Reserves will open on January 23, 2021.

wrend: (Default)

aidan kaase | original

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-16 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
ARRIVAL
( his hair's short, but not short enough that it keeps the bit of brown that's managed to grow back in from curling. there's a try not to fuck shit up, and a sit and there's not shit else he can do than to follow along with it. which is fine. ish.

okay it's really not fine at all but it's whatever, nothing he can do about it now. so instead of getting tense and freaking out, aidan sits down. raises the class of water he's got in hand and takes an easy sip out of it like he isn't sitting here in clothes that definitely don't belong to him with who the fuck knows what running through his veins and causing him to not be able to do jack shit. )


So, ( voice light, airy. without a care in the world and all that shit. ) you come here often?
SAFEHOUSE
( there's the journey out of new amsterdam. the trip to make their way into the safehouse, the mess in between. a bunch of stupid important crap that he can't really say no to but he does follow along with.

the safehouse feels comfortable; familiar. a nice little hovel full of beds and miscellaneous bullcrap laying around. except it's also an enclosed space with no way out and nothing he can do on the outside which is another all too familiar concept to him. the tech isn't new. the lack of an ability to do shit without it isn't new.

so aidan can be found in one of three places:

fucking with a bunch of spare parts he found in various places (/broke other things for) by ripping them even further apart and trying to piece them together into something else.

with the alcohol, because that's a good step two when step one doesn't work in his favor.

and then digging into medical equipment, sifting through various bags of whatever painkillers he can find laying around, while starting a pile with pliers and other basic first and shit. )
WILDCARD
( hit me up with whatever, or contact me at [plurk.com profile] sharkly for something more specific. )
kestrels: (pic#14569047)

cws for addiction struggles/ptsd/emeto/assorted traumas

[personal profile] kestrels 2021-01-16 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
you know, you'd think he'd be used to kidnapping by now. waking up in strange places, sometimes in restraints, sometimes with a hood over his head, sometimes both. the drugs aren't new, but they do make his stomach clench uncomfortably because he fucking — hates it, hates feeling like this, loose and warm and careless, pliant. when one of the morningstar agents tells him to get inside sweet omakase and he can't fucking refuse it's even worse.

he fights it. of course he does. but he still goes inside, very calmly, finds the nearest bathroom and spends the next few minutes dry-heaving on an empty stomach because of how fucking revolting it feels to just — obey, with no chance, no choice. his skin crawls, and the spot where the iv was taken out gets scratched raw, all those other scars stark white in comparison. he swore — he swore—

he gives himself a few minutes. paces. douses his scalp in water. blots the blood away at the crook of his arm, and then tugs his shirt down so he doesn't fucking have to be reminded of it every time it catches at his peripheral. when he slinks back out of the bathroom he looks absolutely mutinous, his expression drawn and taut, a frown creasing both his brow and one corner of his mouth.

aidan isn't — he's not a surprise. but jai sure as hell beelines right to him, grabs him by the scruff and bodily drags him over to a booth that's got clear sightlines to the doors and is further back from the windows. he — moves different. more deliberate. like he's got more command of his body than he's ever copped to around aidan normally. and he seems to have developed the curious habit of constantly being between him and the other people in the (bar? restaurant? whatever.)

once they're situated, he leans in and hisses in an undertone:


Shut the fuck up. This isn't the time for jokes.
wrend: (pic#14572045)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-16 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
( aidan's presence may not surprise jai, but jai's catches him off guard. because, see: jai's the one who is supposed to get him the hell out of these messes. he's supposed to swoop in with his fancy suit, figure out what the hell is going on here, and figure out how to get aidan the fuck out of this place. back home, to the old familiar bullshit where his implants function like they should be and everything makes sense.

a shit knight in shining armor he's proving to be, when he scruffs aidan and drags him across the room. it probably looks hilarious from the outside: jai's small frame pulling aidan's along like it's goddamn nothing. but aidan also doesn't fight it, aside from a stupid "let me grab my water, asshole" comment that seems to go mostly ignored.

it's fine. the new table has silverware laid out on it, which is even better for him to fidget with. a decent replacement that'll do it's job just fine. jai opens his mouth, speaks, and--

completely prevents aidan from opening his own when he gives an order to shut up. it's whatever the hell is in his system, he's figured that out by now. but jai has also taken away his ability to properly express that so instead he--glowers. slouches back into booth, the picture of comfort and ease and raises his hands up.

makes several gestures familiar to anyone who grew up on his side of the hollies, but jai is clever enough to get it. he's hoping, anyway. fuck you, cocksucker(to be fair, anyone should get that one), then fingers up to his mouth before he's pointing at jai and following it up with an easy caution, follow my lead which he's hoping jai knows how to use his brain enough to understand.

given their situation and where they're at, he'd get jai's head being a little jumped up. but also: it'd better not be, because he's not dealing with that crap on top of the rest of it. )
kestrels: (pic#14568975)

[personal profile] kestrels 2021-01-16 05:30 am (UTC)(link)
when he registers the way the command affects aidan, there's a — there's a flinch at the crook of his mouth that transmutes immediately to a downward jag of apology.

Sorry. Please, speak if you want to.

that's phrased more carefully, his tone a perfect neutral that's at odds with the ache to his expression.
wrend: (pic#14572158)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-16 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you.

( too dry to be considered a real attempt at humor, but aidan at least doesn't look too bothered by it. it burns somewhere in his gut, a distinct feeling of wrong. jai's an asshole, but he's not that kind of asshole; it wasn't intentional. so aidan keeps it locked deep. )

Seems like as good of a time for jokes as any.
kestrels: (pic#14569019)

[personal profile] kestrels 2021-01-16 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
verbal apologies don't matter much, and aidan knows how much he hates touching people — so he lets his next action speak for him, reaching out to curl his fingers against the sleeve of aidan's shirt. it doesn't last more than a few seconds before he pulls back, but it means something. it matters.

Being kidnapped? Yeah, love it.

but he's here, and aidan's here — he can only assume it's because of him somehow. no one's immediately chomping at the bit to torture answers out of them, but that doesn't mean it isn't coming. no one drugs other people for a good fucking time.

his jaw tenses. if it's between his identity and aidan's safety, he knows what he'll pick every time. galeya can just — she can deal with it.


There's something I need to tell you.

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realists: (au » toast)

safehouse

[personal profile] realists 2021-01-17 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
Hey.

[ leant against the wall, casual as anything, jyn chews thoughtfully on her jam on toast and watches this guy pawing through the medical closet. she has stolen so many supplies for the safehouses over the months that she is going to be real annoyed if this rando is stealing her stolen stuff. ]

Whatcha doin'?

[ it hardly comes off as threatening considering jyn is the size of a twelve year old boy or a very tall jawa. ]
wrend: (pic#14571905)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-17 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
( definitely not intimidating, except for the fact she's clearly a little more familiar with all of this than he is. the hair is a dead giveaway.

so aidan, as always, opts to bullshit his way through it and gestures down to his left thigh while shifting all of his weight onto his right leg. )


My leg hurts. I'm looking for painkillers. These shit, off-brand replacements really don't take kindly to being on large bodies of water. Something in the air.

( he's fine, actually. but. )
realists: (ro » curious)

[personal profile] realists 2021-01-17 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ she makes a considering noise, chewing thoughtfully, bright eyes calculative as she watches him shift about. it sounds fake considering cassian's entire spine has been replaced and he has no reaction to water. ]

It's waterlogged?
wrend: (pic#14553877)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-17 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
No. It's just the bone, it aches.

( it is bullshit, but it's reasonable bullshit. kind of. but since she's watching, he does turn around. leaves the supplies alone for a moment and cocks a hip up against the counter. )

You got a problem with sharing?
realists: (ro » curious)

[personal profile] realists 2021-01-18 10:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ she doesn't believe him but she's not a doctor so she can't back it up with facts and that's annoying. she lets it go. ]

Nope. I've heard sharing is caring. [ or some equally dumb shit. no, jyn will only spill her guts if she is disemboweled. ] Just don't take 'em all. I don't mean all at once, I mean leave some for other people.

[ maybe leave a note. ]

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halfbloodhatchling: (elfin)

arrival

[personal profile] halfbloodhatchling 2021-01-17 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Kai snorts, an inelegant noise that manages to do a decent job of expressing his complete disdain for everything that's happening. He usually tries to keep his hair long enough to have half a chance of covering his pointed ears, but with it shaved it doesn't do that at all. There's a notch in one of the ears near the tip. ]

The end of the world? Could call me a regular.
wrend: (pic#14572313)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-17 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, good. Glad to hear it.

( idly, as he tips his fingertips into the water and swirls it around a bit. raises eyes to kai with a slight curl to the corners of his lips. playful except. it never reaches his eyes. )

So you've got this all under control then, right?
halfbloodhatchling: (thinking)

[personal profile] halfbloodhatchling 2021-01-18 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
Sure.

[ Kai flashes a not-quite smile that shows off his fangs. ]

Assuming that question is actually if I'm screaming inside.
wrend: (pic#14553910)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-18 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
First time under mind control?

( he's being dramatic. but this seems like the kind of situation that would call for dramatics, doesn't it? )
halfbloodhatchling: (Default)

[personal profile] halfbloodhatchling 2021-01-18 11:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ Kai grimaces, shifts his attention to the water to frown deeply at it instead. ]

No, not remotely. What about you?

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myfavoritemurder: (is this what it's like to be Solid Snake)

safehouse

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-01-17 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Callisto has no real reason to be here, but sometimes she wanders in anyway, most often to raid the fridge. She's mercurial even on her best days, so she's just as likely to completely ignore everybody around her as she is to approach anyone for a chat - but today, Aiden catches her interest, and she stops to lean against the wall and watch him rip apart whatever he has in his hands.]

What are you making?
wrend: (pic#14572039)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-17 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
( it's a legit question, isn't it. there's some guy wandering around clearly with no idea what the hell he's doing in a new place but fucking around with whatever mismatched pieces he manages to scrounge up. what is he doing, is he planning to cause a mess or break shit? should he be someone to worry about?

but aidan just lifts his shoulders. a half-shrug. a filler gesture. )


Nothing exciting.

( he's trying to burn a new ID onto his stupid, shitty, empty implant but that's a little hard to do without the ability to connect to anything. therefore-- )
myfavoritemurder: (my bloodlust is carrying me through)

smh this lack of notifs

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-01-20 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
You're doing something.

[She insists, taking a step closer to try to get a better look.]

Something secret?
wrend: (pic#14572083)

dw stop eating notifs

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-20 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
I'm an open book, ( a lie. aidan is nothing but secrets wrapped in blankets of--you guessed it, more secrets. ) and this is absolutely nothing interesting.

I like to tinker.
myfavoritemurder: (my bloodlust is carrying me through)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-01-20 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
There are machines in the kitchen.

[Go disassemble a microwave, Aidan; it'll be fun.]

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cw: drugs, addiction, mild gore

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hiyakai: (065)

safehouse | medical equipment—

[personal profile] hiyakai 2021-01-18 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ there are like way too many people packed into one safehouse now, like they've all converged into a single hidey hole and they're all supposed to be fine with it. well, kai isn't fine with it. the only perk is that he doesn't need to stay here anymore. he can go wherever he wants to, do whatever he wants to, except— except plans require patience and time.

money and resources don't just fall out of the sky and sometimes waiting for the right moment to reap what you sow is everything.

so, he's staying at the safehouse for now and, while he's here, he may as well make some new friends. for example, the little raccoon currently digging his way through the medical equipment, forming an ever growing pile on the floor. he has a glass of vodka in his hand as he comes to a stop and leans against the cabinet.
]

Either you're planning to torture yourself or you're planning to torture someone else. [ he nudges a first aid box with the toe of his boot. ] So, [ he lifts his drink to his lips, taking a sip. ] which one is it and can I watch?
wrend: (pic#14571962)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-18 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
( aidan isn't exactly being sneaky even if it would probably be significantly safer to do so than. sitting out here in the open sifting through the stockpile of supplies others probably worked hard to get together.

so this guy's presence in his space isn't surprising at all. he pauses with a pair of tweezers between his lips, tilts his head over towards kai and--considers his response here. )


Be stupid to fuck over someone else when we're all stuck in here together, wouldn't it?

( he grabs onto a scalpel he'd managed to scrounge up, raises it to point it towards a spot just below his left ear where there's a very small bump under the skin. )

Subdermal implant. It's useless here, so I was planning on pulling it out.
hiyakai: (010)

[personal profile] hiyakai 2021-01-18 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
You could always torture them after you're out of here.

[ he leans down slightly to get a better look at where he's pointing before interest lights up his face and he's settling down on the ground next to him. ]

Oooh. [ he rests his arms on top of crossed legs. ] Go on then. Do it. [ he glances over at the heap nearby. ] Do you want me to hold up a mirror for you or something?
wrend: (pic#14572079)

[personal profile] wrend 2021-01-18 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not going to turn down an offered hand.

( okay usually he might but he's not going to at this point in time. so he grabs onto a small mirror and offers it over to kai, sits his ass down on the ground with his pile of collected items.

most of them probably aren't for this. but since he's here anyway, he may as well. his chin tips up again, index finger tapping against the implant. )


Mirror here, if you don't mind.

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