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

[thebluewraith]

[Fenris, miraculously enough, manages to skip being pissed off at having been in this conversation for all of two minutes and still having no answers in favor of being flabbergasted. Nutrition what now?

He pinches the bridge of his nose, as if checking to see if this were part of a dream, which would explain the surreality of this stranger saying things to him as if they make any sort of sense.]

I don't know who you are, [he finally insists with frustration.] Now answer the question.

[ishotyouuu]

[He doesn't remember him. That much is clear. Wade's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's practically made a career out of being able to read people. The look in Fenris's eyes now is one of a total stranger-- distrustful, closed-off; annoyed that Wade is wasting his time. There's no recognition there, none whatsoever.

Wade feels his mouth twist in a rictus of a grin, feels a sardonic laugh bubbling up from within his chest. He shrugs.]

Sorry. Guess I must've had you confused for some other grouchy tattooed elf.

[thebluewraith]

[Fenris resists the urge to grab Wade by the collar and demand answers, but mostly from a desperation he hasn't felt in years, the need to know — he's mostly reconciled with the fact that most of his past remains a mystery, focuses on the present and in some instances the future, but being here...and having someone recognize him — he doesn't buy that last bit of backpedaling but he's probably not meant to?

Did he somehow end up here before and forget? Could it be that his amnesia wasn't a one off instance but a side effect of the sarcophagus?]

I've been here before, haven't I?

[His eyes are narrowed and his tone is grim, trying desperately to retain a somewhat calm, but instead comes out with a desperate intensity instead.]

[ishotyouuu]

[There's something that fairly crackles in Fenris's eyes as he looks at Wade now. Something dangerous and intimidating, of course-- Wade remembers all too clearly the conversations they'd had before, and how Fenris was incredibly resistant to opening up-- but there also seems to be an air of desperation there. A plea, almost.

It encourages Wade to be a lot more forthright with his answer than he normally would.]

About half a year ago, I'd say? Maybe more'n that, it's hard to tell. You... really don't remember?

[thebluewraith]

Half...a year ago. Impossible.

[His desperation ebbs away, still there but not as strong now that he's getting answers. His entire body slumps as he sits back in his chair, eyes lowered to the table while Fenris gets momentarily lost in his thoughts. He was here...and he forgot. Somehow, he forgot again.]

I don't remember any of it. It's not even familiar. [And normally he would have flashes — anything!

He looks back to Wade again, intent on proving this man to be a liar. It would be far easier to deal with.] Tell me something. Anything.

[Prove it.]

[ishotyouuu]

I...

[Wade balks at that. Despite his familiarity, despite his hurt at not being remembered, the two of them weren't exactly bosom buddies back when Fenris was still sporting his emo style. For a second he stares off into the distance, racking his brains for a suitable answer.]

We were in this weird camp once. The kind of slapped-together tents you seen in some of those old war movies. All they had to eat was these gross nutrition cubes that tasted like stale plastic. Hell of a time tryin' to get 'em down.

Anyway, I offered to split one with you an' you were... surprisingly reluctant. I mean, what kinda person doesn't want an assault on their tastebuds, am I right? [A sardonic scoff; a quick quirk of his lips and a flash of teeth before he continues.]

You said it still wasn't the worst thing you ever tasted, so I asked you what was. You said fish, left out in the sun for too long.

[thebluewraith]

[Fenris stares, as he often does, trying if discern of Wade's balking has anything to do with his lying or if he's just struggling to come up with something from such a broad demand request. As Wade starts speaking Fenris doesn't think he's going to come up with anything, thinks he's stalling — war movies? He doesn't know what that is. But he knows "wars" and "camps", so a picture starts to paint itself in his mind, stroke by stroke, but he's uncertain if what's happening in his mind bears any resemblance, but it's not triggering any memory, so he doubts it.

It isn't until Wade brings up the "fish left out in the sun for too long" before he starts to believe, a comment that fits with the first familiar joke he made towards Fenris just a few moments ago, and an absolute truth that Fenris always remembers vividly whenever he approaches the ocean, or the docks, where crates of fish get stacked upon one another. The smell —

a plate of fish sat aside for consumption, forgotten until hours later when it's remembered that a stomach still had to be fed, then tossed in front of a small elvhen who had been waiting for hours for a meal—

Forcefully bringing himself back to the present. He appears reluctant but at the same time a resignation washes over him, that example combined with his history of forgotten memories far too specific for him to dismiss. And while he wants to rebuff the possibility because, naturally, he knew where he was a year and a half ago, he also knew where he was before arriving here hours ago, and it was as if he blinked and found himself from horseback towards the setting sun to a boat with a bunch of sedated strangers.]

Who are you? [Maybe if he can get more information, names, places — anything, he can remember. It'll come back to him.]

[ishotyouuu]

[Fenris's eyes brighten a little, and for a moment Wade is filled with a strange sort of hope that maybe he does remember him, but then the elf's expression darkens and his hope is extinguished. So it was merely a realization that they had met, once upon a time. That they had at least shared a rapport before Fenris was whisked away to wherever he'd gone.

And even though they hadn't exactly been the tightest of comrades, Wade finds himself struggling to understand why the lack of recognition stings so much.]

Name's Wade. Or Deadpool, if you ain't into the whole brevity thing. Hey, so... not to poke my nose into personal matters-- because I totally don't do that on a regular basis or anything-- but does this kinda thing happen often? The memory lapses, I mean?

[thebluewraith]

[Wade. Wade. Still nothing, and while a single brow arches at "Deadpool" there is nothing familiar there either — he would definitely remember such a name. But there's not even the slightest hint of familiarity, or even a feeling.]

Why?

[His tone couldn't sound any more suspicious, his eyes narrowing, wondering just how much this man can know of him. It's not the first time he's been in the position but it's not something he ever gets used to.]

[ishotyouuu]

[And at that, Wade's expression softens into something a little more bashful. His hand comes up to awkwardly grip the back of his head, the very picture of embarrassment.]

Yeaaaah so that might've been overstepping my bounds a little. Just curious, that's all. Your reaction just now-- just seems like... I dunno. A little bit more subdued than I expected. Almost like you're not exactly new to that kind of thing happening. Or something.

[He shrugs.]

I dunno, maybe I'm completely off-base here.

[thebluewraith]

[Fenris will admit his reaction is probably not the norm, but the fact that Wade picked up on it enough to ask the question gives him a minor pause. Maybe it's a mistake to write Wade off entirely as a fool. Maybe he notices more than he seems capable, which is a stark contrast to how he rattled on for a good few minutes before realizing that Fenris really had no idea who he was.

But, at the very least, he knows that while they seemed to have known each other previously, he didn't know that much.]

Not entirely off-base. [he admits after a moment, still with a caution to each syllable, as if preparing himself for walking into a trap. It's not as if he's not used to that information being out there. Most know of the Blue Wraith's story thanks to a certain tale.] It's not exactly a persistent problem.

[That doesn't mean he still won't be careful with what information he does offer.]

Yet I cannot remember how I arrived here, or the fact that I've evidently been here before. That is not normal.

[ishotyouuu]

Well, join the club on that front, pal. Pretty sure you can find a whole bunch of people who don't remember how they got here. Me included. I mean, that's not exactly outside the norm for me, but last time I woke up pumped full of drugs with a bunch of armed guards around me was--

[His expression darkens for a few seconds before he snaps out of it with a quirk of his lips.]

Well. Let's just say it was a long time ago an' leave it at that, yeah? Wasn't exactly my proudest moment at the proctologist.

[He sticks a hand across the table.]

In any case, nice to meet'cha again for the first time, pal. I promise not to try an' shove gross nutrition cubes down your throat this time around.

[thebluewraith]

[Unbeknownst to Fenris, this is not the first nor will it be the last time he will be completely lost in the midst of a conversation with Wade. He can't help but wonder if he really did know this man how he managed to keep up. Or did he just resign himself to not understanding a word of what he was saying?

It wouldn't be the first time.

At the very least, he at least has some important information. That being others are unaware of how they arrived here as well. He certainly knew it was the case for those like him who have only just arrived, but now he knows it to be true of the more established as well. Perhaps he needn't be worried about his memory after all.

Fenris watches Wade's hand a moment as if he were expecting it to attack, his gaze moving down to his own hand still on the table, but with no protection. He remembers the stuff he's been told about how direct touch works in this place and he finds himself hesitating before he removes his hand from the table and tucks it safely onto his lap.]

Right. You may call me Fenris.

[Which he's assuming Wade knows, but he's unused to going by that name anymore. Not to mention, it just feels...better, to introduce himself. Like he still has some control.]

[ishotyouuu]

[Hurt passes across Wade's eyes as Fenris refuses his handshake, but only for a split second before it's replaced by a sudden grim recognition. He'd almost forgotten about the empathy bond, even after being in this place for so long, and he's sure that for someone who keeps his cards close to his chest as Fenris does, such a power would promise an intimacy he wasn't altogether ready for. Not from someone who was for all intents and purposes a stranger now.]

Fenris. Got it. I'll try to remember that, but I'm not so good with names.

[A cheeky wink. If they're doing the whole "meeting for the first time" song and dance, might as well have a little fun with it.]

[thebluewraith]

[Fenris watches Wade's expression closely simply because he has to, given the situation. He definitely catches something but it does no better to explain his situation, it only raises more questions. Which is why Fenris doesn't quite follow along with the humor.]

You mentioned we ate together. [Even if it was "gross nutrition cubes" in a strange war camp.] Did we do that often?

[How close were they and how much does he know? Either way, Wade might be one to watch carefully if he's going to figure this out.]

[ishotyouuu]

Eh. [Wade waggles his hand back and forth.] It was only a few times, really. We shared a drink over at the fighting pits once, I think?

[Come to think of it, had he really interacted with Fenris all that much when he was first here? He can't remember now. It had been so long since he'd first come here. Hawke had been here, as had Cassandra. Wade's not sure why it stings to think of them-- he hadn't really known them that long either.

Just another example about how people always left in the end, he supposes.

It suddenly occurs to him that he's been sitting in pensive silence for a good few seconds, and the exuberance with which he speaks up again is very much an attempt to compensate for it.]

Anyway! No reason why we shouldn't start it up again now, yeah? I mean, I'm still on the clock, but I can at least recommend you some things on the menu that I think are pretty good.

[...That's not too creepy, is it?]

[thebluewraith]

The fighting pits...

[He can't imagine what he might have been doing there, but he holds off on asking. Part of him doesn't want to know the answer, while the other part of him wants to know as much as he can in order to remember. But that comes dangerously close to a lifestyle he swore he would move on from, constantly chasing the past, only to regret seeing the things he's unearthed.

Fenris drifts off into his own world for a moment, but he pulls himself back as Wade keeps talking. This entire time he flipped between feeling nothing, to anger, to sick to his stomach, but now that food is mentioned again he can feel his stomach rumble ever so lightly. That doesn't stop him from squinting suspiciously.]

Loaded with more drugs, no doubt.

[ishotyouuu]

[Wade blinks in surprise at that, but he supposes Fenris isn't completely out of line to come to that conclusion. He's still not entirely comfortable with the way the Displaced are brought here, drugged into compliancy and shipped off to the safehouse like so much livestock. He doesn't blame Fenris for being suspicious.

Wade makes a show of casting a glance back at the kitchen.]

God, I hope not. I've been eatin' customer's leftovers for months now. Listen. How 'bout I order you a plate of tacos and we can split 'em? That way one of us can babysit if the other one starts actin' weird.

[thebluewraith]

[This situation is frustrating, but as he thinks about Wade's offer he turns over in his head a billion times all the ways this can go wrong. Perhaps if he lets Wade take a bite first, just to see what happens, and watches him carefully...

Once he's decided on what he's going to do...]

What is a taco?

[Asked with the same seriousness of a man who thinks he may be further drugged.]

[ishotyouuu]

[Well, at least he didn't turn Wade's offer down flat. He grins in a way that he hopes is disarming.]

You'll like it, I promise. Meat and cheese wrapped in a corn tortilla.

[It suddenly occurs to him that Fenris might not have the foggiest idea what a tortilla is.]

A tortilla, that's a... kind of flatbread, I think? Can be hard or soft depending on how you cook it. Anyway, I'll go get some for us. You don't mind bug meat, do you? It's the only thing we got aside from fish.

[thebluewraith]

Ugh. Disgusting.

[The way his face twists and contorts is definitely that of someone who minds, except...]

Bug meat is fine.

[Because the fish is clearly the problem here.]

[ishotyouuu]

[Wade gives him a knowing smile-- from their previous encounters he'd figured Fenris would choose practically anything over fish.]

Comin' right up, sir. Just give me like... five minutes.

[And with that, he's off to the kitchen. He ends up having to fight for a burner to cook the food-- one of the consequences of a bar that caters to the multitude of Displaced that seem to arrive every month-- but it only takes him five minutes to whip up a nicely arranged plate of tacos. Approaching Fenris's table with no small amount of swagger, he sets the plate down in front of the elf with flourish, taking a seat across the table with another one of his incessant grins.]

There ya go. Bon appetit. Unless you want me to dig in first.