strove: (i could let bellamy borrow my pants)
thanks clarke ([personal profile] strove) wrote in [community profile] meadowlark2020-09-13 01:46 pm

@clarke.griffin

Hi everyone. I know we just got newcomers, so I apologize if any of this seems new to you. I recently updated our Arrival Guide, so take a look at that. If you have any questions, I'm sure one of us can help you out.

Before we get started, I'm Clarke Griffin and my partner in this is Stephen Strange. We've been running the Displaced-owned bar, Red Wings, since February. We're two members of the small handful of Displaced who have been here since the very beginning.

I've mentioned this in a few places, but Stephen and I are working on a proposal for our group. It's one that we hope that works for everyone, and it also doesn't expect anyone to adhere to any codes or guidelines. I don't think we can set up rules, bylaws, or committees for our group when we have turnover like we do. It would be unfair to anyone coming in. I've stood by this position from the very beginning, and I do think it helps us.

As for our proposal, there are a few parts, so bear with us.

What do we tell the world about us?
The general consensus is "very little," but we're unique and we stand together more times than not. It helps that we have a private means of communication. Even if we might not have a single mindset or goal, we are a unique group.

So, what are we going to say? Stephen and I want to tell the world that … as far as we know, we may have gotten our powers from some kind of gift from "god," as that's the only explanation we've gotten so far. Our ties to the gates will help us explain that, though we don't need to go into detail there. We also don't need to believe in these being gods, so much as that being what we've heard from the people who build the shrines.

When we talked about putting this proposal together, Stephen pointed out that while it's better that we don't say we're not of this world, it's important that we don't say we are from it, either. I'm sorry if that's confusing, but we don't want to get caught in a lie. Nobody's going to assume we're from another world, so it's better if we don't mention it at all. Anyone who might have proof one way or another would need to expose themselves to us. Down the line, leaving that open-ended may prove useful in knowing why we're here and how to get off this world.

We do intend to announce ourselves publicly soon as two people from our group, but we wanted to let everyone know about it first. If you're new, let me make it clear: people know about us. They know we glow. They know we run Red Wings. This is more of a formality than anything. It's a matter of taking control of the narrative. If you're employed with us at Red Wings, I understand if you want out. We can do our best to help you find other employment.

Red Wings as a Base
Moving forward, Stephen and I want to help the community with Red Wings. We've gotten the place mostly back in working order, but there are a few more concerns about the safehouse and the tunnels built in that I'll cover below.

As a base, we want:

  • To help grow a sense of community outside of times of crisis, encouraging connections between local people in the city.
  • To provide food and shelter to people in need, especially during crises
  • To work with PRESERVE to have a spot for people to rest up during these crises, as well as provide medical care if hospital workers are overworked.
  • Offer people a place to stay temporarily, especially if they're helping with the above causes.

  • We'll expand from there. The goal is to continue what we started during our recent monster crisis.

    Protecting Ourselves
    One major concern that @adora.weaver brought up during that crisis is that we're not learning self defense or preparing for a situation that is, quite honestly, only getting worse here. While we will not be instituting obligatory self defense, we've spoken to El about setting up the abandoned hoverbike garage as a training range. This will include any and all soundproofing that would be necessary, as well as other facilities on site. We feel that it's a good space for it.

    As for weapons and combat training, we'd leave that up to anyone who wants to do it within that space. I know that having a space for it has been hard, so having one dedicated to it moving forward will help. If you're interested in helping with construction on this project, let us know.

    The big thing is that Adora was concerned that we aren't approaching our situation with the seriousness that it needs. I've updated the guide to better reflect where we stand.

    In addition:

    One of the concerns with "outing" ourselves is how we'd be able to protect ourselves if people turned on us. I see the tunnels under the city as a means of working this to our advantage. However, we need a way to conceal these from the common people. If we can't, we'll need to abandon this plan, but does anyone have any ideas?

    Protecting the Citizens
    Stephen procured a warehouse that we believe will help us provide similar training to New Amsterdam citizens. We believe that we can look for local sponsorship for this activity. Weapons training will need to be off the table because of the legality of it, but any other training will be allowed.

    My hope is that we can have Red Wings security help train the people of this city in how to fight. In time, we'd like to be able to make a secondary Displaced business out of this service, one that can outlast Stephen and I. We'd also be happy to let someone take this off our hands, but we'd likely help oversee getting it up and running, as well as procure sponsors.

    I saw that someone wants to help release information that we learn, as well. I don't know how we can do this or how we can get it setup, but if you have an idea, I'm all ears. I'm still hesitant to assume that everything we experience is relevant to the world as a whole, so we may need to come to some decision on that.

    Welcoming Newcomers
    I'm happy to keep up the Arrival Guide for as long as I'm here, especially since its original creator was my friend. But we do want to look at putting together a group that handles helping newcomers get situated, especially one that can be handed off between Displaced when turnover happens in our group. Does anyone have any proposals for how to manage this?

    Powers and Skills Listing
    The Arrival Guide has a short listing of people with skills that may be immediately needed during a crisis. Feel free to add yourself there if you think you can do some good. It's been out of date for a while.

    However, we've been throwing around the idea of an official database for skills and powers, but it's not something that any of you would need to be obligated to be a part of. I'm wondering if anyone would like to take this up. Personally, I'm happy to list my skill set, but when it comes to powers, I won't be included. Just to give people an idea of where this stands.

    Final Thoughts
    Obviously, this isn't something that we can do ourselves, but we think this speaks to a lot of the concerns that people have had. Our hope is that we can hand most of these projects off to people.

    If you have any ideas for changes, we welcome them. But we'd like to start moving forward on them as soon as we can.

    Thanks for reading, and we look forward to what you have to add.


    [ooc: Clarke and Stephen have been crowdsourcing and listening to What to Do for a while, so this is a proposal they came up with together! It's the result of months of IC discussion among the Displaced and between one another, especially after the last two events really putting the Displaced to the forefront of public attention. Both Stephen and Clarke are open to listening, but also want to move forward after a lot of discussion. However, we don't have the ability to run ahead with most of these projects ourselves (and have little interest in doing so because it's A Lot), so we were hoping something like this could be delegated via a post like this, with revisions made by characters along the way. The only thing they'll definitely be spearheading is anything to do with the Red Wings HQ (as in the bar itself), as well as using their Displaced-gained fame to get sponsorship for the self-defense center Both Stephen and Clarke are willing to delegate and put people in contact with one another as needed, so just let us know.

    We'll also be submitting a plot engagement with the information about "coming out" once the discussion around this post ends. We'll mostly be focusing on that + the HQ, and we're happy to provide starting details for the other projects (since some have been run by the mods already) to get you moving in that direction.

    Thanks!!]
    rehandle: (pic#12484742)

    @stephen.strange

    [personal profile] rehandle 2020-09-15 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
    We aren't claiming that they are. Only that we don't for certain where they come from, and that a gift from this worlds gods is the only explanation we've been given so far for what they may be.
    stabsbooks: (pic#9976377)

    [personal profile] stabsbooks 2020-09-15 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
    These are not gifts. They are a curse, and they do not come from any god.
    rehandle: (293)

    [personal profile] rehandle 2020-09-15 11:08 am (UTC)(link)
    That's as may be, but it's the only lead we have. Semantics won't change that. Stating it as an uncertainty is purposeful.
    stabsbooks: (pic#9659233)

    [personal profile] stabsbooks 2020-09-19 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
    You are still suggesting what cannot be true. Encouraging people to believe it.
    rehandle: (pic#12284577)

    [personal profile] rehandle 2020-09-19 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Spare him the faithful... ]

    No. We're telling a story we've been told and stating that it's a story we've been told, one that comes the closest to making sense of what we are. It's just as likely that we'll be ridiculed for it as not.

    Before you speak in absolutes for every god in every corner of every realm and dimension in the multiverse, I advise you talk to our resident gods. We don't have the luxury of being narrow-minded here.
    stabsbooks: (pic#9976404)

    [personal profile] stabsbooks 2020-09-20 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
    [ sorry she's just Like This

    Narrow-minded? Cassandra splutters, stung and unwilling to admit how close that one hits to home. ]


    You are spreading tales even you know may not be true, and for what purpose? Would it not be better to tell the truth? That we do not know where these powers come from?
    rehandle: (frathouse26)

    [personal profile] rehandle 2020-09-20 11:59 am (UTC)(link)
    Either you are wilfully misreading us or we've been repeatedly unclear. We are not stating this as fact. We don't know definitively where these powers come from, we will tell them as much.

    However, that they are a result of a connection to this world's gods is the closest thing we have to an explanation. It aligns with the religious lore of the people building our shrines as corroborated by our experiences with the gates, our occasional prescience, and the world-changing capabilities we have had in dreams and other worlds connected to this one. It won't be a lie when we tell them we do not know for certain but we may have received these powers from gods. It's the only evidenced possibility we have.

    As for the purpose, people will ask questions and we will not have clear answers. This has been tied to us publicly for a long time by shrines that bear our faces and deeds. If we don't acknowledge that we'll appear either to be hiding from it or to be inexplicably ignorant of it, and we will lose all control of our own narrative. We're already the subject of speculation. If we demonstrate no familiarity with or willingness to discuss the possibilities of our own origins, we'll cut ourselves out of the conversation. We'll lose all centrality in our own public image.

    Nobody else who decides to go public is obliged to say they believe this one possible explanation. But we have to make it clear that we're aware of it, and have our finger on the pulse of our own existence.

    If you can disprove it as a possibility with anything other than your world's doctrine, we'll of course do what we can to put an end to the spreading of misinformation. Otherwise, it needs acknowledging.
    stabsbooks: (pic#9976385)

    [personal profile] stabsbooks 2020-09-24 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Why is this happening? Words have never been Cassandra's strength and she finds herself feeling utterly lost in the face of someone who clearly has such control over them. Certainly she can't argue back with any skill, nor does she particularly want to. ]

    I cannot disprove anything. But I do not see how it is so wrong to say simply that we do not know where these powers are from, without attempting to provide some other explanation.
    rehandle: (pic#12294218)

    [personal profile] rehandle 2020-09-24 09:43 am (UTC)(link)
    I've explained why. If you'd like to talk about it in person, I can make time, but there's no point going back and forth about this any more here.
    stabsbooks: (pic#10231022)

    [personal profile] stabsbooks 2020-09-30 06:44 am (UTC)(link)
    Is there any more point to going back and forth about it in private?

    I have no interest in continuing a debate that cannot be resolved, and will only cause further frustration.