[IC] Code Vein (Closed)

[Exit]

Removed due to changes.

[FunnyGuy]

---

Location: To the Strategy Room!
Interactions: Lys @Force and Fury, Desmond @Theyra, Poppy @dreamingflowers, Akaia @Exit, Ajax @DClassified, Vincent @Daxam, Dallas @pantothenic
Mentions:

---

“STRATEGY ROOM! YES, EVERYONE, COME TO THE ROOM OF STRATEGIZING!!!”

With his tone more obnoxious than aggressive, Erik shouted using the fourth makeshift megaphone he had constructed during his time at the Commune. Made out of leftover junk uncovered during expeditions, it too might vanish into thin air just like its three predecessors. Erik was loud enough as is, so anything that could magnify his volume needed to go… immediately.

“REVENANTS! SIDHE! HUMANS! TO THE STRATEGY ROOM! EVERYONE! DON'T CARE HOW YOU GET THERE! WALK, FLY, ROLL, SKIP, CREEP IN, HOWEVER! JUST GET THERE!”

The aged revenant continued down the long hallway marching over to the Strategy Room. Once he entered he took his place behind the table with a map on its surface. Instead of the Ruined City, there in front of him was a patchwork of several maps that Erik had put together to follow a trade route routinely utilized by the Commune. The route ran mostly on a two-lane road that avoided any unwanted traffic. The Lost and even the Provisional Government had little presence on it. The former, due to the population of revenants and humans being so low along it. The latter, due to it being perceived as not being worth the venture. The road itself did not have many stops for resources and was viewed as a chokepoint anti-government sorts could use to hit their convoys.

However to the Commune, and a few other groups that chose not to live under the Provisional Government’s thumb, the road was an opportunity to meet and trade at locations where the threat of being swarmed by Lost was nearly nonexistent. So why was everyone being gathered? Erik could simply send a few members of the group to go investigate. Pick three and then it would just be business as usual for the rest. There was something he needed to share with everyone. Erik had been in the business of keeping certain things buried, but he owed all of them this.

As each member entered, they were met with Erik’s forever smile. A mask he was using to create a positive atmosphere before delivering the bad news. For some, the news might not mean much, but there were others he was sure would be struck as deeply as he had been.

Cerise…

[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions: Erik (@FunnyGuy)}

---

Vincent had drank way too much the previous night. Though he was a revenant and had a tolerance that allowed him to drink practically anyone under the table, even he still had his limits. The sleep had been a deep, peaceful one, thanks to the alcohol...at least, until he was woken up by the sound of someone shouting.

“REVENANTS! SIDHE! HUMANS! TO THE STRATEGY ROOM! EVERYONE! DON'T CARE HOW YOU GET THERE! WALK, FLY, ROLL, SKIP, CREEP IN, HOWEVER! JUST GET THERE!”

This made Vincent jump out of his bed as he shouted, "HOLY MOTHER OF SHIT!!" only to fall, entangled in his blanket, to the floor. Now laying upside down off the side of his bed, he glared at the door and growled, "Someone wants to die this morning..." He disentangled himself from his blanket and stood up, clutching his head as it pounded. He waited a moment, listening for the voice he heard the other day. Hearing nothing, he decided it was simply a hangover and sighed as he picked up some clothes from the floor.

Once he was dressed in jeans and a sleeveless shirt, he left his room, still rubbing his temples as he made his way to the Great Room, where he found Erik peering at a map on the table. When he saw the megaphone on the table next to him, he thought, I thought I recognized that voice. Deciding to get revenge for the wonderful sleep that had been stolen from him, Vincent approached the table. "Mornin'," he grumbled as he picked up the megaphone and looked at it, as if curious about it. Then, as easily as if he were crumpling an empty soda can, Vincent squeezed the device and shattered it in his hand. He looked at the bits and pieces as they fell out of hand, then at Erik. "Oops...sorry," he said, though he couldn't bring himself to sound too apologetic about it.

He dropped the remains of the megaphone and looked at the map on the table. He let out a yawn and asked, having already pushed his willful destruction of Erik's megaphone out of his mind, "I take it this is where we're going next?"

[Exit]

A K A I A

A K A I A

_{The Crow's Nest · Early Morning
___________________________________________________________________________________________}

Akaia entered shortly after but refused to greet either of the men or meet their eyes. Although the silence wasn't unusual, the Sidhe was very clearly unlike herself and instead, seemed particularly downtrodden and unkempt. Her hair was disheveled. Her eyes red and sunken with bags forming underneath. Her clothing, dark jeans and a simple top she typically only wore while out, was dirty as if she had been out. A Strange thing considering there were no missions the day previous and she had not been on a scouting run. Not to mention it was still the early hours of the day. Everyone was barely up but it was obvious she'd been awake for a while.

She moved rather slowly, turning immediately after entering the room to find a spot on the far side against the wall. Cradled in her arms was a pot with soil that looked to have been freshly packed and watered. As she stood there waiting for the others to arrive, she continued to stare into it as she held it against her chest.

[pantothenic]

---

Yesterday night, approx. 12 AM

---

It was midnight now. The party ended a few hours ago. Most of the Commune had gone to bed, and the Crow’s Nest was eerily quiet. Dallas was still lying awake in bed, which was uncommon for him given that he was the type to wake up almost as early as Erik. There was a simple reason for him to be up so late. It was because he knew what he was about to do and didn’t want to wake anyone if he started screaming in agony.

Dallas rolled off his pile of mattresses and opened the drawer underneath his little end table. There was only one thing inside of it which was the vestige he’d received during today’s mission. At least, he assumed it was a vestige. He’d never unwrapped the cloth and actually looked at it. He grabbed it and quietly slid the drawer closed. The voices were coming back again. They were too faint to make out anything coherent, but it was disturbing to have someone talk inside your head. Dallas honestly wanted to take the thing and throw it as far away as possible.

Dallas put the object on his bed and carefully unwrapped it. As expected, it was truly a vestige. The crystalline mass wasn’t nearly as smooth as it appeared to be. There were flat sides and jagged edges that had been concealed by the thickness of the cloth. It was like a mineral freshly dug out of the ground. It was a dark red color, and even though the lights were off it glowed brightly in his presence.

Vestiges just give you your old memories back. They don’t erase the person you are now. It should be fine as long as I wasn’t a serial killer or something. Dallas psyched himself up and moved his hand towards the crystal. There was no point hesitating. He laid his palm over the surface and waited for the pain.

Spikes shot out of the vestige explosively, impaling Dallas’s hand in several different places. He tightened his diaphragm and tried as hard as possible not to cry out in pain. It was like lightning was traveling straight through his blood vessels. Dallas grabbed his wrist with his other hand and braced himself. The images were already beginning to flood his brain, and he went into catatonic shock shortly after.

---

The operation was burnt. Hosmann never should have planned an excursion based on week old intelligence. This sector was not a green zone as they previously believed. The expedition had brought enough weapons and soldiers to fight maybe thirty or forty Lost in the worst case. In a domino effect of bad luck and poor decisions, the forces of Shadow Glen were forced to fight over a hundred of them. It was impossible to know how many people had survived during the mad retreat to the rally point, because an infernal destroyed most of their radios with an unknown energy attack. Humans and revenants were still filtering into the makeshift perimeter of tactical trucks and humvees.

Dallas was sitting on the hood of one of the transports. He was one of the few people to make it out without getting hurt. He unscrewed the cap of his canteen and poured the last of its contents straight down his throat. It was like swallowing liquid fire. The dirty moonshine tasted like rubbing alcohol mixed with sugar cubes. He coughed for several seconds and clipped the canteen back onto his belt.

Sergeant Magnus was approaching him now. With his hearing, Dallas could tell without looking. He still turned his head properly out of respect. The six foot five nordic giant was less a man and more a walking, talking slab of beef. Despite his chest being covered in lacerations, the sergeant was smiling from ear to ear.

Magnus slapped his hand on the side of the truck. “Dallas! Good to see you made it in one piece.” Dallas nodded and slid off the hood so he could speak to the sarge properly.

“Yeah, barely. I nearly bit the bullet dragging Garza out of that ambush. He wouldn’t stop crying all the way to the convoy. It makes me wonder why we keep taking humans outside like this.”

The sergeant sighed. “Now’s really not the time Dallas…”

“Why do you keep making excuses for bringing them with us? We shouldn’t be using our food supply as soldiers. They’re too weak to be of any use anyways.” Dallas spoke low enough that the humans in their midst wouldn’t overhear.

“I’d love to discuss the human condition with you Dallas, but I really need you to put your game face back on. Part of the horde has split off and is slowly advancing on our position. The convoy is moving out in five and I need you to drive this truck.”

Dallas shrugged. “Sure. Whatever. Does this mean we’re leaving Tiana’s squad behind?”

“No. I’ll take some revenants with me and head back into the city to bail them out. Last I heard before radio silence, they were retreating towards the secondary extract. There was a pack of infernals between them and us. Owen will direct the convoy home.” Sergeant Magnus clipped his respirator back on and donned his black ballistic helmet. “Let me borrow your weapon. I left my sword in the back of a tentacle earlier.” Dallas wordlessly tossed his fire axe at the wounded soldier. The latter caught it in midair and went to link up with his team. Dallas noticed the aggression lurking underneath his calm exterior. The sarge became an entirely different person when his people were in danger.

Dallas pulled open the door of the truck and scooted himself into the driver seat. As he did so, he noted the person napping in the passenger seat beside him. Garza had been bawling his eyes out while running from a dozen thralls less than an hour ago. Now he was sound asleep with a jacket over his head. The stone faced revenant shook his head and started the engine. Humans were incredible at times.

---

Dallas’s eyes shot open when he heard the sound of Erik’s voice booming in the distance. He raised his head off the mattress and looked around. Did he black out?

“REVENANTS! SIDHE! HUMANS! TO THE STRATEGY ROOM! EVERYONE! DON'T CARE HOW YOU GET THERE! WALK, FLY, ROLL, SKIP, CREEP IN, HOWEVER! JUST GET THERE!”

Fuck! I slept in! Dallas swiftly sprayed on some cologne he had sitting on the table and threw on his fireman jacket before bursting through the door. It took him less than a minute to reach the strategy room in a dead sprint.

When Dallas presented himself for roll call, his head was a mess. It wasn’t just the alcohol either. His head was uncomfortably full of new information. Aside from the visible memories, names and concepts began to return as well. The names of people he knew. The names of places. He was vaguely starting to remember some of the locations he’d been to. The name Shadow Glen meant something to him, but he couldn’t say what. It was still difficult to piece together anything specific. Perhaps his brain needed more time to process everything.

Dallas saw that not everyone had arrived yet, so he relaxed a bit and allowed his eyes to wander. The number of maps on the strategy table had apparently quadrupled. As a newcomer he didn’t know much about the Commune’s logistics. Was this a trade route of some kind? He studied it out of curiosity while waiting for the others.

[Theyra]

Desmond Mores

---

Desmond's tired eyes jolted open as Erik's amplified voice rang out throughout the compound and he quickly rose halfway out of bed. "What in god's name is going on?"

“REVENANTS! SIDHE! HUMANS! TO THE STRATEGY ROOM! EVERYONE! DON'T CARE HOW YOU GET THERE! WALK, FLY, ROLL, SKIP, CREEP IN, HOWEVER! JUST GET THERE!”

"What is happening now?" Desmond remarked to himself in a tired tone and slowly got out of bed. Needless to say that Desmond did not have the best sleep last night. While yes, Poppy, their medic, was tending to Amelia, and he should relax a bit about it. Desmond still worried about his sister, and sleeping with a sister of an unknown condition did not do wonders for his sleeping schedule. Since he can't just not think about it when Amelia is in the same room as him.

Either way, Desmond quickly shook himself awake and got up and put on some clothes. A black t-shirt and some grey pants. Not caring about his hair which was a mess and took a small moment to check up on Amelia. Who as far as he can tell, she has not changed. Which is a good and bad thing, but, at least she is not getting worse. At least right now, and that could change. So with one last look at Amelia. Desmond left his room and went to the strategy room.

Once there, Desmond quickly noticed that not everyone was here yet, some maps on the table along with the crumbled remains of what looked like a megaphone. I guess someone did not like Erik's voice this morning, he thought as he turned his gaze to the table. So more than one map, which is curious and what can that mean? Are they tracking something or something else? He thought as waited for the others to arrive.

[Force and Fury]

---

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_{Location: The Crows' Nest // Date: February 25, 2057 // Time: 8:16 // Interactions: Everybbody and nobody}

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The sun hit her across the face and Lys barely stirred. Willing herself back asleep, she managed another indeterminate amount of time lost to its embrace. Then, Erik happened.

She'd been running and jumping from concrete slab to slab in her dream, down by the old collapsed Bank of America tower. Then, a voice had invaded her dreamscape so loudly that it hadn't even gently pulled her out. Lysandra was awake, lying on her back, hating herself. She remained there for what could've been a moment or minutes, unready to sit up or even look down at her legs, which were probably tangled in the covers. Others were stirring, though: getting dressed, opening doors, walking. Fuck off, she thought. Just fuck off. Cerise wouldn't be there. She wouldn't be there because of Lys: because she'd given in to Ajax instead of... What? Standing up for myself?

There were some people who came and went, but Cerise wasn't supposed to be one of them. She was one of the originals: a bedrock and foundation. It was... surreal that she was gone. Even more so that Lysandra had played a role in that. Some part of her mind rejected it - simply would not comprehend or acknowledge it.

She was lying on her back, she realized. She'd forgotten to wake up and turn herself over. Lys let out a groan and pushed herself up, scooting backwards. Her stupid legs were all tangled in the blankets. She'd need to untangle them, sitting here and dwelling on things she'd rather not dwell upon. She'd need to check for pressure sores too because of the way she'd slept. That filled the next few minutes. She let herself be numb to anything deeper, but it was still there, hovering just out of sight but known and dangerous, like a crocodile under her bed.

If she hadn't brought that stupid vestige back, none of this would've happened. Yet, Lysandra hadn't been able to help herself. She'd told herself that it would eventually be good for Cerise to know, helpful even. Lys had assumed that, because she was the most educated person here, it also made her the smartest. She'd made a decision on someone else's behalf and the consequences had been disastrous. To be sure, she blamed Ajax too but, as much as he always tried to act cool, she knew that he was also hurting, deep down. He'd honestly thought that he was helping, like she had. He'd thought that he knew better, like she had. She wasn't going to beat up on him not only because it would make her an awful hypocrite, but because she knew that, beneath his suave surface, he was already doing just that.

The Lysandra that closed her door behind herself and rolled down the hall towards the Telescope Room was a muted one, with none of the sass, goofiness, or assertiveness that she was known for. If there was a mission, she would not impose her deadweight on it. She would bury herself in her actual jobs at the Crows' Nest: building and repairing useful things, caring for the ill and injured, and researching the mistle. She had a live one now. She had no excuses for going off and playing crippled adventurer.

She entered the room and wordlessly took a spot leaning back against a wall some ways from the others, arms crossed protectively, feet and front wheels up off the ground. She waited.

---

---

[dreamingflowers]

Location: Strategy room
Interactions: Dallas

---

Poppy stood to the side, quietly reading the room. Cerise's unexpected and seemingly permanent departure from the Commune affected everyone. Cerise was facing her past. A past she tried to ignore at every twist and turn. It finally caught up to her. Was it brave or stupid to face it alone?

There wasn't a tonic, pill or ointment she could create to relieve heartache. If something like that existed she would be the first to take it. There was no other way to deal with the loss of a long standing member of the Commune other than to face it head on. Poppy felt what she expected to feel. Her sense of loss was numbed.

Despite knowing she wasn't going on this mission herself she studied the maps closely. Dallas was also looking at the maps. Poppy studied the winding trade route.
"Are you staying or going?" She simply asked, keeping her eyes on the map.

[FunnyGuy]

---

Location: To the Strategy Room!
Interactions: Lys @Force and Fury, Desmond @Theyra, Poppy @dreamingflowers, Akaia @Exit, Ajax @DClassified, Vincent @Daxam, Dallas @pantothenic
Mentions:

---

Erik was in the middle of counting the members as they entered when Vincent approached. Keeping in mind to subtract even one person always stung. Many had come and gone, but nothing like this. Not someone who had been here so long and contributed wherever she could. Taking in the faces of everyone present, it was easy for Erik to figure out who knew of Cerise’s departure versus who hadn’t yet. After Ajax and himself, Cerise was the most senior member of the Commune and during her time here, she treated everyone with nothing but kindness.

I’ll start without Ajax. I’m sure-

The sharp sound of Vincent ruining his fourth megaphone snapped Erik away from his thoughts. He glared for about a second before chuckling.

“It’s all good Vincent! I know that sometimes you ABs don’t know your own strength. Just means I need to make the next one more durable, right?” His words lacked the flavor of a comeback, and instead rang with genuine enthusiasm at the new tinkering opportunity Vincent presented him with.

“And as far as the map… Some of us will be heading out there today, BUT FIRST…” Erik snatched the map up from the table and placed it faced down. He looked around the room, counting everyone again as his smile dropped. There was no moseying around this.

“I must inform everyone of Cerise leaving us. As of now, she has no plans of returning to the Commune. We-” His eyes instinctively searched for the one who had always helped keep his spirits high with her pleasant heartwarming smile. Her absence was already getting to him. “We usually throw a small going away party but she left us with something just as memorable. Just as precious.” He turned away from the others to he could grab a stack of five white envelopes on the marker tray of the whiteboard. Turning around, his eyes searched for her again, and in his failure to find her, he remained strong. At least that’s what he believed being strong for the others was. “In these letters, Cerise leaves us with her love. And in this one, she addresses the Commune.” Erik set the other four envelopes down on the overturned map. “So I think it’s only right that I read it in her absence to everyone gathered here right now.” He carefully removed the neatly folded paper from the envelope and unfolded it. His face didn't show it, but he was afraid he might not be able to read it because of how he might feel. His composure was already compromised and he was so sure the contents of the letter would only break him.

As Erik’s eyes found the first sentence, he smiled. There you are, Little sis. As he read it in his head, he could clearly hear her voice speaking her written words. Words that did not break but strengthened him.

“Ehem!

‘To everyone in the Commune. My friends, my family.

First and foremost, I'm very sorry for doing this so suddenly. That is, I mean, leaving without saying anything directly.

Secondly, I'm sorry for taking some supplies without permission. I tried to take as few as I can. Aside from my own personal effects, I took 3 clips of ammunition for Lariat and a single blood bead. Again, I'm very, very sorry. I know the most important is to explain my reasoning for leaving... It's the really difficult part. It took me quite a while to decide how to even explain it. My mind... doesn't feel like it's entirely mine as I write this. But in the end, I think the best way is to just get directly to it.

I touched a vestige. My vestige. I'm still wondering if that was a really big mistake or not but what's done is done. I blame no one but myself and my own curiosity... The vestige revealed to me things about myself and my past. Bits and pieces that I really really wish I've never gotten to know. I guess the instinct that had always told me not to ever touch my own vestige was right after all... But yes, what's done is done, and I believe it is truly for the best that I leave this place. As much as it really really pains me to even just think of leaving, it is more frightening to think of staying only to end up hurting any of you, my beloved friends and family.

I'm not who any of you think I am. Not who I think I am either. It's such a weird feeling. I'm now wondering which is the real me, and that's a big part of why I'm leaving. Now that I've started this, I can't stop. I have to keep seeking the fragments of my past. I need to if I ever want to understand who I really am. And I have to do this alone, without endangering any of you.’

…

The other envelopes have more, each addressing some of us specifically. I’ll give you all as much time as you need to read them before I begin the mission briefing. Unlike the last one, we’re only taking those that want to get out there and investigate a missing group. However, if you do remain here, Poppy may need some extra hands as she’s already chosen to stay.” With that, Erik grabbed his envelope from the table and proceeded to walk away from the overturned map with the envelopes laid on top of it. He strode over to where Akaia was standing and leaned his back against the wall beside her. Erik did not believe he could imagine how she might feel right now. The two were near inseparable. Sisters.

Not saying a word, Erik removed and unfolded the letter addressed to him from Cerise.

To Erik

"Big bro, please take good care of 'Kaia, Ajax, Poppy, Lys, well, everyone. I know you will, of course, but I want to ask you to do so regardless. Everyone in the Commune will need you, even if some might not look so. I know I needed you, that had always been the case. But now, I have to go on this journey on my own, without your help. Still, I'll always remember you, your smile, your kindness. Memories of you, my big brother, will bring me comfort and give me the fuel to keep going.
Please continue being the wonderful sunshine that you are... I hope we will meet again someday.

With love, Cerise."

_{“Thank you.”}

The words were spoken so softly that he practically mouthed them. A sigh escaped the revenant, wishing things did not have to be this way, yet a smile graced his face as he knew absent or not, every member of the Commune carried one another forward. Through presence or through memory.

---

The Other Letters

Ajax

"Ajax, you have always protected me. I sometimes didn't understand it, sometimes wondered if you're being too protective of me, but in the end, I know that you always had my best interests in mind. You're probably disappointed that I left so suddenly like this... But for this one, I feel I need to be the one to protect you and everyone else in the Commune. Protect you all from the... thing that I might be. I can only ask for your forgiveness and your understanding. Know that everything that you had taught me, all the advice and its of wisdom you had imparted to me, will also give me the strength to go on this journey. Perhaps, it will even be enough to allow me to survive on my own, and I cannot thank you enough for that.
I wonder if things would have turned out differently had it been a wonderful person such as you that was truly my father, instead of the what the vestige showed to me...
I hope I will see you again one day. Please be safe.

With love, Cerise."

Poppy and Lys

"Poppy and Lys. We didn't always see eye to eye, but to me, you're my precious family nonetheless. Without you both, the Crow's Nest wouldn't be the admirable safe haven that it is today. All in the Commune, me included, will always be indebted to the hard work and sacrifices that the two of you had done for us all. And for that, from the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough. The journey I'm taking will be all the more difficult without any of you to help me like you always did.
I hope I will see both of you again, when things are better. If things turned out better for me. Please stay safe.

With love, Cerise."

Dallas, Vincent, and Desmond

"Dallas, Vincent, and Desmond. We only knew each other for a rather short period of time. But even in that short amount of time, I've considered you all my friends, You're all precious parts of the Commune nonetheless. I wish there had been more time to get to know each of you even better... Maybe that will come true one day, if I ever return.
Desmond, I wish you the best with Amelia. I hope she will wake up soon...
I wish you all the best, and know that everyone in the Commune are people each of you can rely on. They will never forsake you. For now, goodbye.

With love, Cerise."

[pantothenic]

---

@dreamingflowers

Dallas was the first to get his hands on the letter addressed to the newcomers. It was exactly what he expected. Kind and well meaning, but businesslike in nature. Given that he'd hardly known Cerise, he didn't have any strong feelings about her departure. What was there to say to a mere acquaintance? Despite that, he also felt somewhat empathetic towards the more senior members of the Commune. He didn't know Cerise, but he knew what it was like to say goodbye to a long time friend. Wounds of the heart did not heal quickly, for a human or a revenant. This would affect the team's morale in a bad way.

After reading the brief missive, Dallas gently laid the paper on the table for Vincent and Desmond and turned towards Poppy. He decided to keep his words brief and not insult her with half hearted platitudes regarding losing Cerise.

"I'm not exactly the sleuthy type. I'll stay here this time and help you with whatever needs doing in the Crow's Nest." Dallas said with his arms crossed.

[Theyra]

Desmond Mores

Interactions: Erik

---

Desmond was not sure of what to say really. True that he and Cerise were not close and did not hang out much while he was at the Commune. But, she was still a member of the Commune, and she seemed like a good person to him at least. While he feels some loss about her leaving so suddenly, Desmond has to think about how the others feel about this. Loss is something that he had to get used to when living at his home settlement. Sometimes someone does not come back from salvage or supply run, and you have to live with that. That does not mean feeling nothing when someone you know dies or simply leaves. Just Desmond is more used to it than most, though that thought of losing anyone else close to him again... He would rather not think about that.

Still, silently, he walked over and picked up the letter from the table that Cerise left for him and read it. Letting out a sad sigh as he finished it. He is going to miss Cerise despite the short time they have known each other, and he does wonder what exactly she saw in her vestige that made her do this. Though that is something he will probably never find out, so he will not dwell on it.

Putting the letter down on the table for Vincent to read and turned to face Erik."Well, this is.... unfortunate and for the mission. I think I will be staying back just in case Poppy needs a hand with Amelia. Unless you really need people for the mission."

[dreamingflowers]

Location: Garden
Interactions: Dallas

Ambience

---

Poppy nodded in agreement.
"Good, I can use your help."The medic didn't wait around for everyone else to decide whether they were staying or going. There was a long list of tasks waiting for her back at the medical area. She looked up at Dallas.
"Follow me..."

They walked into the direction of the garden. Poppy's walking pace was characteristically brisk, but easy to keep up with for someone of Dallas's stature. On the outer edges of the garden there was a rough looking patch. The bottom half of some kind of bulbous plant was partially sticking out of the soil. It was difficult to tell exactly how much of the roots were still stuck in the ground. It looked like someone had tried to uproot it. A shovel was set up against one of the stalks.

Poppy grabbed a large round basket and set it down next to it.
"The roots of these plants are ready to be harvested. I started myself, but I couldn't manage it. I need the entire patch."
She grabbed a large knife from a rack of gardening tools nearby and hacked off the exposed part of the roots. Poppy moved towards her working station, giving Dallas space to start digging.

[Force and Fury]

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_{Location: The Crows' Nest // Date: February 25, 2057 // Time: 8:45 // Interactions: Everybody and nobody}

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---

People talked. Some had good things to say, but Lysandra found herself short on any appetite for knowledge or investment. She was doing it, she knew - what she had always done when feeling guilt: running from it and hiding. No Cerise. It just sat atop her stomach and wouldn't go away. You did this, Lys. You thought you were so smart, going for that vestige. In truth, the greater part of her wanted desperately to go on that mission. She burned with curiosity and longed to be away from the cavernous emptiness of the Crows' Nest while most others weren't there but, all inspirational bullshit and encouraging words aside, she knew that she would be a liability: drawback as opposed to boon. The allure of burying herself in her work - going through all of the salvage from the last mission and Akaia's earlier run and making new things with it - was not inconsiderable, as was the fact that she had a live Mistle to study and experiment upon. Then there was The Federation, which she'd been working on as best she could, ready to replace the Four Immortals and an improvement by virtually every measurable parameter.

The truth was that she felt herself genuinely neutral on this one. She just needed a distraction, whatever form it took. Choosing a break in the proceedings to interject, Lysandra uncrossed her arms, thumped back onto four wheels, and made a simple statement of dubious fact. "Don't ever let it be said I'm not a team player," she began, "I'll go wherever I'll be most useful." She wrapped one arm around her waist again, the other flicking some hair over her shoulder. She controlled her eyes. The maps looked interesting. Her eyes wanted to pore over them. She denied their request and sat poised, professional, and distant.

---

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[Exit]

A K A I A

A K A I A

_{The Crow's Nest · Early Morning
___________________________________________________________________________________________}

"Wwww-." Akaia began weakly. Although her face was hard to see, what with the way she kept her head down and continued to stare at the pot in her hands, her body wincing as if it were in pain was sign enough that she was struggling to capture a thought. There were just too many emptions fighting for space in her chest and while a part of her wanted to sit down and sort through them, another part of her was reaching for something, anything to distract. She knew it wouldn't help to dwell. She'd fallen into that trap too many times before and every time it'd leave her more hurt than healed. She knew moving on and moving forward was the best way to handle loss... and yet...

"Wwwhy. W-we going there."

She'd forced the fragmented question out of her before the doubt sinking into the back of her mind took hold of her and threw her into some darker place she didn't want to be.

[pantothenic]

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@dreamingflowers

Seeing the partially uprooted plant, Dallas could see Poppy in his mind's eye trying to desperately pull the vegetable out of the ground. The imaginary picture filled him with amusement. He grabbed the shovel and stabbed it into the ground with his foot, then effortlessly heaved the bulb out of the dirt. He might as well have been digging through pudding. The plant was quickly deposited in the basket, dirt and all. It was the first of many.

The job was a surprisingly nice change from getting chewed up by monsters all month long. Dallas eventually settled into a rhythm and soon his body was on autopilot, leaving his mind free to think about other things. The throbbing headache was starting to fade away as his body processed the hangover and a vestige's worth of new memories. It was getting to the point where he could recall the new information naturally.

Dallas occasionally looked sideways at Poppy to observe her as she worked, noting how dexterous her hands were with a knife. The two of them had never been chatty with each other, but it never hurt to keep trying to close the gap. With that resolve in mind, he called out to her while poking his shovel under another bulbous plant.

"Are these beets or something? What are you going to use the roots for?"

[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions: Everyone in the Great Room}

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Vincent crossed his arms and silently listened as Erik read Cerise's farewell. He hadn't known her long, but she had struck him as someone he could've gotten along with. Hell, he figured she'd be able to make a thrall a friend if given the chance. He could also tell from Erik's unsteady voice and the expressions on everyone's faces just how much it was affecting them all. He couldn't help but feel bad that he couldn't feel stronger toward her departure, since he had known her for less than a week, but on some level, he could understand why she felt she had to leave. She had something she had to do and he respected that.

He glanced at the letter that Dallas had set down and noticed his name written on it, surprising him. He picked it up after Desmond and read through the short message. Though there wasn't much to read, he was able to get an even better understanding of the kind of person Cerise was. As he set it down, he let out a sigh and found his resolve bolstered even more. If there was a chance she would be back, then Vincent would do everything in his power to make sure everyone was still there to welcome her back. He stepped over to stand next to Lysandra as she stated she'd go wherever she was needed. Over the years, or at least from what he could remember, he had left friends behind on his journey and had been left behind by those who fell or wandered off. In that respect, he could understand what she and the others felt, even if some of them didn't outwardly show it.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a brief, gentle squeeze before he crossed his arms. He glanced over at Akaia as she spoke and made a note to check in on her, as well, as he said in an attempt to lighten the mood, "Well, it goes without saying that I'm in. I've been stuck inside for over a day, so I'm getting a bit stir-crazy." Slightly more serious, he added, "So, like Akaia asked, what's the job?"

[Khryptid]

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I N D I G O

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Location: All over, & Outside The Crow's Nest

born again

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It had been six months since Indigo had woken up in the middle of a crumbling street, their body aching and their head pounding. As soon as their vision cleared, however, the pain was gone, replaced with an irregular-feeling heartbeat and a hunger so intense that they felt their stomach would start digesting itself; they quickly found out how to make that go away as well, however the solution had left a rather bad taste in the revenant's mouth. They'd never forget the faces of the corpses that provided them sustenance.

They had spent most of their time scavenging ruins, coming upon countless bodies along the way, all in different phases of decomposition. Some of them were so shredded that they couldn't even be immediately recognized as bodies, but rather hunks of flesh torn from their origins and strewn unceremoniously about the place. It was a gruesome sight, one that Indigo forced themselves to get used to. Get used to it, looks like this is the norm, now.

On top of the human corpses were stranger ones, ones that looked...wrong. Amalgamations, humanoid-looking things that had off colours and incorrect anatomy. Something that might've been human at some point, but lost such a role to...to what, Indigo wasn't sure, but they didn't want to find out.

It had only been a few days into their revival that Indigo had killed their first Lost, and the adrenaline it had provided fueled the poor starving body to its next meal. It was a small one, smaller than them, but it had a bite that ripped a nice chunk of flesh from Indigo's arm. With strength that had startled them, Indigo grabbed the small goblin of a creature and smashed its head into the floor until it was no more than a weird, pulpy black substance. The small break that the creature's death had gave Indigo just enough time to see the bite heal good as new, not even a scar left behind.

Weird.

What was weirder was the fact that the creature had also seemed to begin its own healing process, and Indigo watched in disgusted fascination as its weirdly-shaped head began to stitch itself back together. I suppose that's my cue to go, then.

The first months of Indigo's new existence was spent in this state of limbo, fighting unkillable monsters, scrounging up blood from corpses, looting deserted buildings, and trying to remember exactly how they got in this situation to begin with. When they realized just how much of their memory was missing, Indigo had a cocktail of mixed emotions inside of them. Part of them wondered if it was for the better, maybe their past was just as gruesome as their present, and who would want to remember that? The other part was mad. How could they just....forget? The longer they dwelled in their head, the more they realized how they seemed to have far fewer memories than gaps in them.

Maybe it's better if I just...don't think about it.

~

Early morning had snuck up on the insomniac who had been trudging along a river that stretched for-seemingly-ever. Something in the back of their head told them that following rivers was a good navigational tactic, but for what reason, they weren't sure. All they knew was it was a path to take, and anything was better when it didn't have as many hordes of Lost as the cities seemed to. They took a moment to rest, splashing their face with the fresh babbling waves and watching the blood on their face wash back into the waters. They were covered in blood, from head-to-toe. Bathing had been a rare thing to come by, especially in the last two weeks leading up to them finding this river. Even with a water source, Indigo felt way too exposed and vulnerable attempting to clean themselves, so instead, they simply dealt with the stench of old blood and death on them. It was a sour smell that made their eyes water, but it was better than being killed while naked, so at least they had that.

They wouldn't admit it, but Indigo was terrified of what had been happening. Disassociation was one of their strongsuits, but without help from an outside force, one could only step out of reality for so long. Every time they had to look upon the ruined place around them, Indigo felt like they were missing something. A stranger in a world that did not want them. Someone who shouldn't be alive.

Why did I wake up when none of those others did? Of all the countless dead bodies they had come upon, not one was rising from its grave as they had. Indigo couldn't figure it out, and it bothered them severely. Why them? Why was this happening?

After Indigo eventually continued their journey down the riverbank, something started to become visible in the distance. It looked like....well, actually, they weren't sure. The word "observatory" came to mind, but what exactly that was and how they knew what it was evaded them. Perhaps it was a fragment of a missing memory. Indigo scowled inwardly. I just can't seem to escape every damn reminder that I don't know shit... They continued to study it as they approached, furrowing their brows when the realization hit that there was light coming from some of the visible windows. It had a large metal door that Indigo assumed was the entrance; that paired with the barricades looked mighty unwelcoming to an outsider. They wondered if there were others in there. Until now, Indigo had assumed that the power grid of this place had been completely blown or shut down. The only other time they had seen a lit window was....

Pursing their lips, the tall revenant took note of the appearance of this observatory, how it seemed...taken care of. There wasn't much dilapidation around the entrance, and as they wandered around the back, Indigo began to lean even more into their suspicions that someone lived in there. There was no way a building like this was well-taken care of and lit -- when everything else around it was in shambles -- without someone being in there.

But if someone was in there, what would they do? Would Indigo even want to risk meeting someone who might not take kindly to strangers? They had survived just fine on their own for this long -- 'just fine' was giving them way too much credit -- so why would they risk it?

Their stomach growled.

Indigo frowned and wandered back to the entrance of the observatory. They couldn't seem to make up their mind, pacing back and forth, going through different situations in their head. Perhaps they could just knock? No, what if whoever was in there wasn't looking for visitors? They couldn't just act all neighbourly and expect the same out of someone who had to experience similar horrors that Indigo had.

Perhaps they should just...move on. It wasn't the most interesting option, but it sounded to be the safest one at this point. They took a couple steps back, staring at the observatory with an unreadable expression. Their grey shirt was torn in multiple places, brown with the amount of blood and guts soaking it. The pants they had on were black and did well to hide the filth that crusted them, but not the rips. The individual's hair was a mess of semi-matted curls that had a burst of white-blonde also stained brown with filth. Their face was smeared less with grime thanks to the river water, but the grime sticking to their arms was steadfast. Thankfully, their jacket hid those parts well; It was hard to tell what was ink and what was blood on their arms. Their tall frame slouched slightly, a defeated stance that did nothing to make them look anything less of a looming, blood-stained vagrant.

Slowly, their feet began to take them backwards. Hesitant and full of what-ifs, Indigo couldn't turn fully around to begin exploring somewhere else. There was just something about this building that drew them in, despite its unknown occupants with unknown intentions.

Perhaps it was the idea of possibly finding a sanctuary in the hell they had woken up into.

[FunnyGuy]

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Location: The Strategy Room!
Interactions: Lys @Force and Fury, Desmond @Theyra, Poppy @dreamingflowers, Akaia @Exit, Ajax @DClassified, Vincent @Daxam, Dallas @pantothenic
Mentions:

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“Ready are we?” Erik said as he folded and tucked the letter into his pocket. His passion was seemingly reignited as he quickly pushed off the wall with his shoulder blades and walked up to his favorite tool in the strategy room. The whiteboard. Grabbing his prized black marker he started to draw out the team breakdown while conducting the briefing.

“Alright! So, we’re going on a bit of a road trip. Anyone who’s been here long enough knows the Commune has plenty of cool things and resources here at the Crows Nest, but we don’t have it all. We trade with other friendly groups so we don’t have to rely on the Provisional Government for support. We trade supplies, information, and-” Erik held back a chuckle so he could remain as formal as he could. “-I’ve heard there are fun little playing cards being passed around. Anyway, one of the groups has gone missing. A revenant exclusive group that makes their living off of trading human necessities… mostly meats and cheeses for blood beads. We were supposed to trade with them a few days ago but they turned out to be a no-show. So the plan is to go investigate the trade route, follow up at their safehouse, and hopefully trade with them. If not, we might have to take whatever we find.”

Erik proudly turned and stepped away from the whiteboard with his poor scribbling on full display.

“We’ll load up one of the vans and make a stop or two along the way. We’ll head out within the hour, so stop by the armory, charge your batteries, and pack a snack! Questions?!” Erik appeared as excited as ever.

[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions: Everyone in the Great Room, @khosmik}

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Vincent arched an eyebrow at the...drawing on the whiteboard. It wasn't his first time seeing Erik's "artistic skill" in action, but like before, it left him with more questions than answers. He leaned forward to get a better look at it as he tried to figure out who was whom amongst the stick figures. He pointed at the one that looked like it had balled fists and asked, "Why do I look...angry? I don't think I'm an angry person...Well, that angry, at least."

Vincent's focus on the drawing was pulled away as a sudden, loud sound suddenly split the air and filled the Crow's Nest. He didn't remember much, but that sound put him on alert as easily as if it had simply flipped a switch. An alarm. He thought about why an alarm would blare out like that. Fire? I don't smell any smoke. Was he asleep and his alarm was cutting into his dream? I'm awake, though...At least, I'm pretty sure I am... Was Poppy cooking, again? No, still no smoke. Then, it suddenly hit him.

An intruder.

He grinned. Did the Lost find them? Or maybe it was a group of thieves looking to get their hands on whatever food or blood beads they had. Or...No...not my comics! He shook his head. He didn't care what they might be after. This was his home, now, and he was going to defend it and everyone in it with everything he had. He sprinted out of the Great Room and made a beeline for the heavy metal door that sealed the front entrance. In true Vincent fashion, he didn't stop to think and threw his fist at the door. A loud thud sounded out followed shortly by a yelp of pain. "Who the hell makes a door you can't break down?!" he yelled.

He looked around for another quick exit. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't any time to waste opening the door. His eyes settled on one of the windows flanking the door and he took a few steps back. After he gained some distance, but before he could be stopped, he sprinted forward and leapt through the window, his arms crossed in front of his face. Shards of multicolored glass flew out with him as he crashed through the beautiful stained glass, surely making any surviving historians around the world weep with grief. When he landed, he skidded down the road before stopping a few feet behind the new arrival. He straightened up, looked around for any thieves or Lost, then turned, ready brawl, only to meet eyes with a rather disheveled individual.

Vincent took a moment to take in the person's appearance and, when he decided they weren't much of a threat, he sighed, his shoulders visibly sagging with disappointment when he realized he wasn't going to have any fun. Seemingly unaware of the shards of glass in his forearms, Vincent asked, "So, who are you and why're you here?" He sniffed the air and added, "You need a bath."

[dreamingflowers]

Location: Garden
Interactions: Dallas

Ambience

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Poppy looked up from her work and put down her tools. Small piles of the roots were starting to form on the workbench. They were all cut or processed differently. Some sliced extremely thin, others roughly chopped. It all seemed to serve some kind of purpose. Something Poppy usually kept to herself.

"They're edible roots, very high in iron. I add them to most of the food I prepare."

She searched for her notebook, her eyes passing over something familiar. A cheerfully decorated journal dotted with painted flowers, hearts and ladybugs. She opened the journal on the first page and started to read through the notes. The first few entries were clearly of an inexperienced gardener. Poppy turned the page to the next one, and the next. The writing was loving, at times it felt like the writer was describing the care of humans. There was only one of them who was capable of showing love of that kind. A faint smile tugged at her lips.

Poppy traced over the final entry, absorbing the words. It was a worried paragraph. The condition of the plant in question was fragile. It had trouble flowering. The Sidhe held the notebook and fluttered over into a different corner of the garden. Mellow green eyes searched for something particular. Poppy spotted it, hanging slightly limp with a single struggling bud. She knelt down next to it and touched it gently.
You probably miss her too....

Poppy lowered her face to the ground. Her hair fell onto the dirt, surrounding the small plant in a sea of red. She breathed carefully, focussed and with intent. Slowly the plant started to regain strength. It straightened itself out and the small bud unfolded its petals until a flower bloomed. It was a bright cherry red. Poppy plucked one of the inner petals, one you wouldn't notice was missing.

Minutes after she reappeared at the workbench. The petal was pressed into the journal. A new entry was written with the current date, in Poppy's sharp handwriting.
"Don't worry, it's in bloom
With love Poppy."

Poppy hid the journal in a drawer and continued with her tasks. She retrieved a cooled pitcher of blood laced lemonade, pouring a tall glass. She was on her way over to Dallas when the alarms sounded. Poppy drew in a sharp breath at the harsh sound, disturbing her short lived sense of peace. Vincent rushed through the halls followed by a loud thud and a yelp of pain. Shortly after she heard the sound of shattering glass.

Unbelievable...

She forcefully put down the pitcher, spilling the liquid everywhere. Poppy then grabbed the knife, sheathing it behind her back. With a buzz of her wings she was gone.