EVENT #11.4 / ARRIVAL LOG #029

[larkers]

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.

> NAVIGATION

Comments

Quentin Coldwater | The Magicians

[filloryfanatic]

New Tokyo/Hello Newcomers

[ Quentin volunteered to greet the newcomers from the Moon in New Tokyo and helped ferry them through the gate to New Amsterdam. He saw no reason not to do the same thing this time. He's been shuttling between New Amsterdam and New Tokyo, helping as much as he can. It's a good distraction from the many things on his mind, although he's been doing better since his friends got back.

Still, he may be one of the first people to greet newcomers at the bakery, having done this for the past several new arrivls. Why fix what ain't broke? ]

Hi, I'm Quentin.

[ He seems like an ordinary person with sad eyes and a kind smile. ]

I'm here to take you through the gate to New Amsterdam, um, if you're ready. Or if you have questions?

Safehouse

[ Quentin helps shuttle people back to New Amsterdam and will help them get to the safehouse. Even if a newcomer isn't one he brought there, Quentin soon becomes a daily visitor, bringing food (although not as much as he used to), and some of the clothes they have left behind from others who left. It makes for good spare clothes for newcomers and it's in all sizes.

At one point he arrives with some extra liquor as he saw that they were running out. He gets some bottles in the mini-bar; if they're stuck there, they might as well have a drink to go with it. Whether he's bringing food, clothes, or liquor, he tries to offer a friendly if nervous smile to people. ]

Preacher and Mural

[ Quentin pauses every time he sees a preacher and stands there listening, maybe the only one who obviously does when others keep walking. He does not interject nor does he talk to the preacher later, but he listens and tries to memorize what they're saying, if there are new details he hasn't heard yet. It's not just one either, he's seen at various preachers no matter what they end up talking about, even if it contradicted the last one.

Quentin spends time memorizing the mural, but he can be found in a back room at Red Wings having brought a mirror there, not a huge one but big enough to get a sized-down version of the mural projected on it. Sometimes he swaps the new one out for the older ones he's seen and memorized, although they aren't as perfectly detiled as the current one. He spends what little free time he has sometimes looking at it, his chest glowing as it's an active use of his power.

When he senses someone there he blinks and the projection disappears back into clear glass again, glancing over. ]

Oh, sorry.


Wildcard

[ooc: hit me with anything you feel like!]

safehouse

[samebito]

[ Kisame is quite practiced in stillness. He wouldn't have survived long as a shinobi if he couldn't master that skill. That said, he's not fond of sitting idly for days on end, nor does he appreciate this imprisonment. (Because it is imprisonment, even if it is "necessary.") He's keeping himself occupied by testing his new power — something he discovered by chance but is grasping quickly enough.

One moment, the nearby area seems to be empty, or perhaps there's just nothing notable about it. The next, that space is filled by a six-foot-five man with blue skin and distinctly shark-like features. His smile is broad and filled with sharp teeth. When he speaks, his voice is cheerful and polite. ]

Goodness, that will please quite a few people.

[ "That" being the extra liquor. ]

[filloryfanatic]

[ Quentin glances over at him and while he startles at the sudden appearance, he isn't easily spooked by size or looks at this point in his life. After a few asshole dragons and gods, it starts to get normalized. Still, he's small and average in comparison, but he offers one of the bottles to the giant blue man. ]

We usually have this much down here, but it got a little depleted with everything going on. I spent my time in here with at least a few glasses a night, so.

[ It helped that at the time he had Eliot, but Eliot also drinks a lot, so it helped slow down both of their anxiety. His boyfriend is now very gone and it means alcohol is his anxiety-fix of choice. What's he going to do? Die again, this time of eventual liver disease? Alright. It'd be less graphic than the other times. ]

Most people complain about not having coffee though. We try to provide it, but it's super expensive here.

[ And right now it's not as if there's a lot of coffee opportunities or easy supplies. ]

[samebito]

[ Kisame watches the other man's reaction closely, noting the lack of any apparent fear or revulsion. There is only surprise, presumably at his sudden appearance. That's interesting. He glances down at the bottle, but he doesn't reach for it. Instead, he declines with a polite, ]

Oh, no, thank you. I'm not drinking at the moment.

[ Better to keep his wits unimpaired and his reflexes intact. It's bad enough that he's unable to use the full range of his abilities. He doesn't want to further hinder himself with alcohol. ]

I've heard a few people mention coffee. I'm more surprised by the selection of tea.

[ Or lack of selection, as the case may be. ]

[filloryfanatic]

[ Quentin nods at the refusal so puts the bottle with the others in the stock. He thinks they'll probably be gone pretty quickly, but that's fine. However people want to handle their situation is up to them. He plans on sticking around and answering questions; with Gaby not available it seems like it would be helpful. ]

Generally, our supplies are lower here than usual, we're just sort of strapped and hurrying to catch up right now. Sorry, I know it's a pain. I can go see if we have more teas.

[ He's not sure if they do but there's no harm in checking. Red Wings does have supplies for the safehouse at times. He smiles at the giant as best as possible. He looks tired and rundown just like most of the older Displaced in Red Wings and visiting here, but Quentin is trying hard to keep an upper lip. ]

I'm Quentin. I've been here like seven months or so.

[samebito]

[ The offer to retrieve tea is unexpected. Kisame's eyebrows rise slightly, but his surprise shows mostly in his lips as his smile briefly falters. It returns quickly enough as he lets out a little laugh — a cheerful sound devoid of mockery. ]

My my, you're quite helpful, eh? [ Like his laugh, Kisame's tone isn't mocking; he sounds intrigued. ] I appreciate the offer, but there's no need to go to that trouble just for me.

[ Besides, Kisame would be suspicious of any tea specifically fetched for him. He's confident in his ability to detect poisons from his world, but he doesn't know what poisons are used here. He'd rather not risk it. ]

I'm Kisame Hoshigaki. It's good to make your acquaintance.

[filloryfanatic]

Well ... yeah. I mean, I do my best. We're all stuck in this situation together.

[ Quentin is painfully earnest. It seems like the most natural thing in the world to him to help out and bring supplies, like anyone would do that. And to be fair, many of the Displaced do. Enough that they do manage to keep on top of new arrivals, but they've been slacking a little, it's true. Quentin's trying to snap back. He also knows there's a lot of confusion around the safehouse as a concept too, so he wants to put a friendly face on being down there. ]

Good to meet you, Kisame. I know this situation isn't ideal, but once El has you set up with a new ID, it'll be easier.

Well. [ He pauses, considering.] Kind of. Things are a little intense out there right now.

[samebito]

[ "All stuck in this situation together" speaks of a degree of camaraderie that Kisame has witnessed but rarely experienced. In his line of work, helping someone out can mean anything from a well-aimed kunai thrown at an enemy or an equally well-aimed kunai thrust into an ally's back. It all depends on the situation at hand. His life has made him suspicious, and so Kisame can't help but wonder at the motivation behind Quentin's generosity. Is it altruism, or is there something more to it? ]

Oh? Are things usually less hectic…?

[ That's a mild enough term for it. ]

[filloryfanatic]

[ Quentin's a team player at heart. He's happiest when he's got a group around him, working out things together. He does best bouncing his thoughts off of others too, he's the opposite of a loner. So the all in this together mindset is just an extension of how he was in his world too. His group of friends survived (present company excluded) by working together. He's not used to people being suspicious of his niceness so it's not even on his radar. ]

Sort of. When I first got here it was practically pleasant in comparison. The simulation, monster attack, and this all kind of happened in the past few months.

[ So it was a whole lot of drama and trauma piling on. Quentin near broke after at least two of those situations, but he's in 'try to be optimistic' mode right now. So those mental breakdowns are locked away. This is Helpful Q. ]

It's a lot right now out there because like everyone on the planet was in another world, and society sort of broke down a little.

wildcard

[gossipkinesis]

[ Margo hasn't woken up this out-of-it and completely displaced since that one time in Ibiza with Eliot and a DJ that shall not be named at this time.

But unlike the aftermath of taking a powerful psycadellic, she doesn't wake up with her mouth feeling like cotton and a need for greasy, greasy food. Instead, she feels... lonely. Alone. As her memories of whatever just happened mix with reality, the reality of her life, she feels an ache. It's like when you have a dream and you wake up, only to try to go back to sleep again to pick up that dream's thread. It doesn't always work and this time... it didn't.

What happened? Was that... real? It couldn't have been and yet...

And as she pulls herself out of bed in search of coffee or maybe answers, she opens the door and immediately snags her robe on the doorframe.]

Fuck.

[filloryfanatic]

[ Quentin came back before the other two, and immediately found himself back in a place he'd been before: alone, traumatized, and terrified. It wasn't the dying again, but he's never been good at being alone. It led him to just walk out of their apartment without shoes on and drink on the floor of Red Wings for an afternoon. So that went great. Luckily he did eventually level out, but he's been only coming back to pass out.

This time he's actually there without being hungover, well mostly not hungover, and it just so happens there's coffee happening. There's not a huge amount of it left, it's one of those things splurged on, but he thinks it's only for him at the moment. He doesn't look great. There are heavy circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, his hair is unbrushed, he has a five o'clock shadow which is very rare on Q.

He thinks he's just hearing things when he hears stirring from Margo's room, but then the door opens and he feels like the wind got knocked right out of him. Then she says fuck and he already has tears in his eyes. ]

Margo? Are you ... real?

[gossipkinesis]

[ Well, Jesus, fuck. Quentin looks fucking horrible and she doesn't even know what happened to him back there, she just knows he was there and married to someone she suddenly realizes she didn't know at all. How can you feel two ways about someone at once?

She tries to shake it for now as readies up for whatever emotional mess Quentin is going to throw her way. Good, something to focus on, something she can try to fucking fix. It's not good he's hurting but it's good that she can focus on him instead of the clusterfuck of emotions she's got simmer under the surface.

She can help Quentin, somehow. She squares her shoulders and stands up straight, moving towards him on what feels like sea legs.]

Jesus, Coldwater, you look like shit... Are you okay?

[filloryfanatic]

[ Quentin probably would've been disturbed but able to move on if Margo and Penny woke up the same time he did, but all he can think about is the terror of waking from a nightmare to being alone. It happened at the worst possible moment after the simulation when Eliot disappeared the first time, and it's scarred him. Quentin's proven he can crawl out of a dark space alone, he just doesn't want to. He's not good at it.

Still, being prepared to deal with the worst doesn't mean it isn't a relief when he's wrong. And yes Quentin knows it's wrong to be so happy to see her, that she does have a life back home she can go to, so wanting his friends nearby is selfish. He gets that. He's also a messy person who is sometimes selfish so he just is giving himself a pass right then to be happy. ]

I died again. [ Yep, again. It's becoming a trend. ] Also like most of the planet was missing. It's empty here, like a fucking horror movie. [ That is the best example, walking down mostly empty streets, amazed when there's a crowd of people. Everyone looking scarred from their experience.

Quentin meets her halfway and while he wants to hug her, he knows if their skin touches his emotions are so intense right then and he doesn't want to throw them all over her. He touches her hair instead, careful no skin, smiling a watery smile.]

I thought I wouldn't see you again.

[gossipkinesis]

[ Honestly, she'd been prepared for a hug, forgetting in her mind fog that he has that whole emotional transfer thing. And for a few moments, she's even more worried about him, given he's definitely the hugging type.

Of course, he mentions dying and she draws in a breath.] In the explosion. [ Somehow the statement is both that and a question as she tries to control the flashes of memories both real and fake coming through her now.

She lets him touch her however as she remembers he can't hug and honestly, Margo's not the biggest hugger in the world so that's fine.] What the fuck... happened? What was... that? Is it normal?

[filloryfanatic]

[ Okay screw it, Quentin has learned the fine art of hugging without enough skin contact to set anything off. It's not a bear hug though, it's a careful hug. Arms around her over fabric, his head momentarily bowing into her hair, just breathing. Margo exists. He can't find it in him to say 'she should go home' because right then he's going to let himself be a needy mess. His emotions are strong but the one he's feeling the most right now is something that would make her cringe as much as the rest: deep genuine love.

He doesn't cling though. He knows how she is. Quentin hugs her briefly and then lets go; he felt her in his arms, he knows she's real and not a fiction. When he got very, very drunk that first night, he kept convincing himself he heard them. It hasn't been the healthiest few days. ]

No and ... yes. Something like that happened before, another world called Zerzura. Everyone had new memories of a life that wasn't theirs, but it was ... apparently a lot fucking better. It was ideal lives, not psycho Hunger Games-esque lives.

[ Now that he's greeted her, Quentin goes to get her a cup of coffee, eager to please, eager to help now that he's no longer alone. ]

I think the only answer is that the gods are doing it.

[gossipkinesis]

[ She lets the hug go for as long as he needs it to and it's not as though she doesn't like being hugged herself. It's just right now, she's more focused on answers and what the fuck happened.]

Jesus fucking--- [ she stops short of saying the whole thing.] There are meddling gods here too? Someone forgot to give me that memo.

[ She follows him.] I didn't die back there but I got good and blown up.

[filloryfanatic]

Yeah, so like, we only vaguely knew concepts of gods before which is why you might not have heard about it. Like, we suspected we might have a connection to something divine with our powers, but there was no proof.

[ Quentin pours her coffee and offers it over. Also, he probably didn't ramble on to her about gods since it's all just vague thoughts before this, and he does try to remember his friends prefer it when he has actual facts, not just his rambling guesses. So while he's been actively talking about gods, it was theoretical. Now, though, Quentin sombers, because it's not. ]

Now we know it for sure. We found out this douchebag called James Henries is responsible for all this shit we're in. He was trying to open a multiverse gate back to some other world and killed one of the gods here to do it. The Blue god, and it broke into pieces and all of us have pieces of it, thus the powers and blue glow.

[ So surprise, they are in fact god-touched and no longer the humans they were. This is something Loki talked about openly and there was push back, but it's facts now. Quentin really wants to talk to Henries but so does everyone here. He knows that Jason will figure out some people to connect with him first, and Q isn't on the short list. He's too squirrely. He tried to put himself forward, but he knew that he wouldn't be picked. He can bide his time. ]

And apparently the Gold god woke up which caused all the monsters, so like, there's gods here. We just know the colors for now, no more details.

preacher

[baltimores]

[ Amos doesn't really have much to do but get the lay of the land, now that the opportunity is finally open to him. (He could. He could help with repairs, but he just isn't feeling that at the moment, like anything he'll try to fix he'll just fuck up somehow.)

A side effect of wandering throughout New Amsterdam's streets is coming across multiple preachers. He actively tries to ignore the actual words they're saying - not because they should be nonsense, but because he's connected in some way and doesn't like that, there's something discomforting there - but uses it as an opportunity to people-watch, silently take in those that do look like they're actively listening.

There's one guy he keeps seeing. So.

At some point, he figures he'll go up to Quentin, ask, ]

Do you know what they're actually talking about?

[ Maybe he is curious, on some level. Or looking for some reassurance that it actually is nonsense and he can brush it aside every time he sees one of them. Either way, question's out there now. ]

[filloryfanatic]

[ Quentin recognizes Amos because he actually knows pretty much all the Displaced, even if a lot of them don't know him. He is always at Red Wings and often in the safehouses when newcomers come in, but he generally lets people come to him if they want and just memorizes their faces otherwise. Not to mention he remembers Amos from the Aerie or the 'other Amos.' Quentin was one of the quarry designers but similarly kept an eye on everyone there too. Some traits apparently cross over.

Quentin himself doesn't stand out much at all, being average across the board. Quiet and unobtrusive. Except when he gets swept up in preachers and murals. He glances over when Amos approaches and back to the preacher, nodding. ]

In a lot of these cases, yeah. There's a lot more of them since the Aerie though. It used to just be the Displaced worshippers on the whole, and that's back when they didn't have any actual proof gods existed.

[ Quentin knows more about the worshippers than most of the Displaced, having intentionally gotten close to them and took chances to talk to them between events. He met Ball too, back when he lived. ]

I'm not so sure they're going to love the competition.

[ This said with a wry smile. This particular preacher is talking about the end of the world. ]

What he's saying is that the gods are going to be pissed about how they were used in the Aerie so come and squash all of us.

[baltimores]

[ Yeah - the only way in which Quentin stood out to Amos is that he kept seeing him listening to various preachers. He has no idea that they're part of the same group, his arrival too chaotic to really take in more than the handful of faces he actually has had the chance to interact with.

Frowns at the notion of Displaced worshippers because while he had an inkling that that was going on, actually hearing it makes it that much more real - and the idea of him being worshipped seems like a terrible one. ]

Is anyone still worshipping the Displaced? You'd think it'd make more sense to worship actual gods now that they know they're there. [ Not now that we know that they're there, because Amos still isn't certain what to think about the whole thing. Anything can seem like a god if you don't understand it, and it's not like anybody back home was worshipping the protomolecule.

He nods in the preacher's direction. ] Especially if they're gonna rain hellfire down on us. [ Said sarcastically because, well. Wouldn't they have done it already?

Though his tone switches to genuine curiosity for what he says next because he did choose to go up to Quentin, and that doesn't mean he wants to argue with him or anything. And the guy seems pleasant enough. Why start anything? ] You think that's what's going to happen?

[filloryfanatic]

[ Oh if there's anyone who knows answers about that it would be this guy right here. ]

Technically they never really worshipped us the way people thought. They thought we were chosen by gods and so it was a more of a representational sort of thing. Still a lot of reverence and that we were special, but more a reflection of their gods.

[ So it turns out that the worshippers were overall pretty right! There were gods, the Displaced are directly connected to them, just maybe not in the way they thought. Blue didn't 'choose' them, Blue was murdered and apparently the shards in them was an accident or some kind of randomness. Yeah Quentin's openly saying 'us' about the Displaced because he's one of the lesser-known Displaced to the public, but a few people are aware of him. The worshippers all know him. ]

They'll still feel that way about us now, so it's not going away. But there's a splinter group now who might start worshipping the Displaced who were Cardinals separately. It's about to get real religious around here.

[ The preachers gaining time and energy can be seen as a reflection on that, but Quentin's also seen shrines and more whispering, more talk going around. They had proof gods were real. Non-believers can have a 'born again' moment now that it's out. Q's not about to call it out as dangerous yet, but they really should keep an eye on it.

He glances toward Amos; it's a good question. ]

I don't think they'll squash us. It's very possible anyone who isn't us could be fucked though. [ It's a dark look at it, but he shrugs. ] When the monster attack happened here, none of them would lethally attack us. Like they had instructions not to hurt us or couldn't hurt us. But they murdered every civilian they could.

[baltimores]

[ Amos catches the us, the we Quentin uses and, alright. So. They're in a similar position. That's good to know. Makes all of this a little easier to talk about.

Still, he just sighs at the whole notion of being worshipped, because... not like he has any problem with religion, especially when it stays out of his way. Which is going to be difficult if he's inadvertently caught up in the midst of it.

Is so fucking thankful he wasn't a Cardinal. ]

Well, that's all a hell of a situation to stumble into. Can't imagine everyone handles it so well. Anything bad ever come of the whole worshipping thing?

[ Or, rather, is there a chance of that happening in the near future. Because Quentin seems laid back enough about it, so as far as early impressions go, Amos figures he isn't someone he's going to have to worry about. But there's no chance everyone in their little group is the same. And people like Amos - anyone wary about the whole thing - aren't ones to watch out for, either. It's prime opportunity for those on the other end of the spectrum, though, those a little too eager to do something with it... and those are the people he's pretty sure he's going to want to steer clear from.

Some of the tension he'd been carrying is released at Quentin's answer though, because. If he's going to be fine, then the situation's alright with him. And the handful of people he's met here so far, the ones he likes - they're all Displaced, too, so if they're going to be okay, then even better.

He doesn't have the grace to feel bad about feeling that way, but at least he does recognize it's not the sort of reaction someone who's a good person would have, so he leaves it at just. Relaxed tension. Flat expression. Not like he's got a whole lot else to offer there. ]

Sounds like it was brutal. They don't have any defences of their own for godlike attacks, huh? [ Who would? ] Just the... preaching about end times?

[ That last part in particular makes no sense to him, is what he's truly baffled by, and it probably shows, if not by the expression on his face then the tone of his voice. He gets that a lot of stuff is going to go over his head, but. Really? Just standing around, telling others about it, not actually doing anything? Seems unproductive. ]

[filloryfanatic]

Most people don't handle it well at all. They hate the idea, some tried to argue with the worshippers, but it doesn't work. They believe what they believe. I'm from a world with gods and dragons and magic and shit, so I kind of come at things a little differently.

[ Quentin's so entrenched with fantastical elements in his old life and this became a weird cyberpunk-fantasy blend for him so he's more at ease with things than most people. The simulation and Aerie still fucked him up, no question about that, but he's already more open-minded to gods and powers and all that. It made him a really easy and natural target to be the person who connected with the worshippers. They have a comfortable relationship and Quentin looks out for them whenever possible. ]

It turns out they were right. We are part god. Not by choice, but it's true all the same.

[ They all have a little Blue in them. So much became obvious after this one little reveal. The dreams or nightmares, the visions which were probably from Blue, the fact they glow. Their power derived from a god here. It doesn't make them gods, but it definitely doesn't make them humans either. He wonders if Amos is someone who finds that unsettling or uncomfortable. A lot of other people do.

His expression sombers and he nods sadly, remembering the monster attack. He spent most of it running around trying to rescue people and not die at the same time, since he has no fighting ability. ]

It was brutal. There were so many of them and so many kinds. There's a bestiary on the shared network Dean came up with if you're interested in looking up details of the kind of monsters we're talking about.

[ They might not be actively trying to murder the Displaced but they still exist somewhere in this world. And if they attack again, the Displaced is one of the lines of defense left. Quentin just assumes everyone will be there elbow to elbow like they did the last time. He wishes they could find that togetherness and team mindset again, in less dangerous times. ]

We were the only defense system that worked for them. Most of the city would probably be dead now if not for us.

[ Quentin folds his arms over his chest and then winces, shrugging. ]

Then again, it supposedly started because of us. That's the double-edged sword of being a Displaced. We sometimes end up fixing what we caused.

[baltimores]

[ There's at least something reassuring in that it sounds like there are other Displaced in his position in not wanting to be worshipped; something much less reassuring in that apparently there's no stopping it.

Amos raises his eyebrows when Quentin discloses those particular facts about his world, though, takes a quick glance around their current scene. ]

So you're kinda versed in this sort of thing, huh? Makes it easier to meet them on their own turf.

[ Which - yeah, he's never going to be the kind of person to do that. He might be leaning more towards open and curious now, but that's purely because he approached Quentin. Otherwise? Standoffish would be a pretty good descriptor; one that should be evident enough outside of this particular interaction.

He does have to frown at the whole part god thing, true as it may be. He will admit, that's a pretty good reason on its own for worshipping someone. The big problem is that it leaves out a hell of a lot of context. Like how Amos is the exact kind of person who shouldn't be worshipped. By anyone. Ever.

... But if people are worshipping Cardinals, knowing who they were and what they did, then there's probably no stopping them on that front. So that's even more frustrating.

It's probably worth asking to find out just how familiar Quentin is with all of this, though. ]

You're not used to it yourself though, are you? From your world. The whole actually being part god thing.

[ The more Amos dwells on it, the more he's pretty sure he hates it. Like someone really fucked up somewhere, dragging him into this.

The whole monster thing is way more interesting to him, if only because it sounds like there actually is something they can do about it, should they come up again. And actually being able to do something is way better, so he perks up more at that particular topic. ]

Thanks, I'll have to check that out. Sounds handy.

[ The bestiary. It doesn't sound like they're infectious. No weird protomolecule shit here, so it actually would be interesting to learn what's what, see what there might be to fight against should it come up again. He still doesn't know what his power is yet or if it'd be helpful in any way, but yeah, he could fight.

Nods at the whole fixing the things you fuck up thing. ]

Yeah, I'm familiar with that. [ None of the protomolecule activity had even started on Ilus until they'd brought it with them. ] Still, like you said, it's not our choice to be part god, right? So not like anyone here wanted to bring on a monster attack.

[ ... Probably, he doesn't know everyone here. He shrugs, like it's obvious. ]

So fighting back and saving people sounds like the right thing to do. Best of a bad situation. Hard to be upset at that.

[filloryfanatic]

The post-apocalyptic cyberpunk setting I wasn't super used to, but the concept of superpowers, the multiverse, gods, monsters? Yeah. That's all pretty familiar. I used to be a magician, a real one. I miss magic a lot.

[ Quentin sometimes has a strange way of talking about things, such as pointing out the cyberpunk setting, and he talks about things like protagonists, the hero's journey, and tropes. It's what happens when the literary concepts are what you know best and then many of them become real. His knowledge of these things have actually come in handy there.

He's very chatty in comparison, albeit with some social anxiety that is always underneath. He cares a lot about people and what they think, and if they are okay. It makes being here complicated at times; caring a lot about the people means letting them down is devastating. The question about being part god makes him pause before responding. ]

My best friend Julia was made into a goddess. I was sort of made king of this other world because of a prophecy. This whole Chosen One thing is not new to me either. It doesn't really get less weird, you just get more used to it.

[ The last thing Quentin seems is a king though, it was something he dreamed about for fun, but in reality it's not really him. He dreamed about being the protag but came to see himself as the nerdy best friend and finding value in that. While Q suffered a lot through all of these ordeals, there is a part of him that's better at adapting than most people. He's already starting out at a ridiculous set of knowledge. This is simply more of it. ]

Well ... technically we kind of poked the bear in that case. We didn't mean to wake up the Gold god, but it didn't accidentally happen. The Antarctica trip led there. We just....

[ He pulls his gaze from the preacher over to Amos, flickering a smile both weary and a little melancholy. It's been a hard time since forever, but there's a lot weighing on everyone these days. Especially someone who takes everything hard. ]

We have a lot of impact on this world. No one asked to be seen as gods, but it's happening whether we want it to or not. And it's not fair but we have power and they don't. We have to take that seriously.

[ After a beat he rubs the back of his head, looking away. Sometimes he's so sure of himself but then he doubts himself.] Sorry, um, I get a little rambly sometimes.