@lance.sweets

[lifetothefullest]

[He was so not planning to make a post any time soon, but this is all a mess so whatever.]

First off, to the people who have newly arrived, hello. Waking up in another world isn't exactly the easiest thing to deal with, and you've arrived at an even more tumultuous time than usual, but I have some resources for you that might help a little; you might've already found them, but here are the welcome guide and the information compendium.

I need to update the latter with everything that just went down, but the short version is that everyone on Earth was--or still is--in another world, or reality, or something. They're only returning upon death, which may help explain why everyone seems particularly difficult, if you've been reading the network. If you have questions about it all I can try to help, but I was one of the earliest to return so I'm missing some pieces.

[Just don't ask him about anything other than the general situation, he doesn't know any of the cool secret lore. Got murdered too fast and all that. But shifting subjects--]

You may have also noticed some of the discussions about the moon, and how those on Earth could get back and forth; one of those potential methods, which would be long term, would involve one of you who just arrived doing those of us stuck on Earth a favor. If you're interested, please let me know.

[And lastly, but also very importantly--]

As for Displaced who are returning from the Aerie, I think Red Wings is being set up as a meeting place as usual, though be careful traveling through the city. Most importantly, though, try to check in on each other, and try to be patient with each other. We've all just been through a lot, and just because we're easy, safe targets for each other to take out our emotions on, that doesn't make it right and it doesn't actually help anyone. We're all in it together, and we can get through it.

Comments

@clarke.griffin

[strove]

Red Wings has food, supplies, and beds if it comes to that. We typically keep our safehouse separate, but I'm thinking it's better if we keep it all under one roof for the duration of this.

We have weapons, too, if it comes to that. I hope it doesn't.

[lifetothefullest]

Yeah, like when the monster attacks happened, there are a lot of native citizens who need help too and might know to go to Red Wings. We're going to have to be careful with people who might be recognizable, though.

[Since some of the Displaced were on the... Unpleasant side of things and might not be the favorites of some of the people who might be returning, Displaced or not.

He won't remark on the weapons, because yeah, he hopes that's not necessary as well.]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

Any non-perishable foods would be great.
But we'll provide what we can.

You're coming by still, right?

[lifetothefullest]

Yes, sorry, I got distracted; I'll be there soon.

[You know how it is when you're awake for most of a few days straight and lose all ability to remember anything for more than a few seconds? He's totally at that point. Writing this post was a struggle.]

As for nonperishable foods, is there anything at the safehouse? Since the new arrivals are on the moon, we don't need the stockpile for this arrival cycle.

[variate]

I can see what I can salvage.
Hopefully something to make this all taste better.

[ 💧 ]

[lifetothefullest]

If there's some sort of future ramen left there and we're not worrying about one's sodium intake, you can use the seasoning packets for other stuff.

[Is it obvious Lance spent eight years in college? Probably.

And he's not that far from Red Wings, so he arrives a short time later, glancing around to make sure the place is mostly quiet before wandering up to the bar.]

[variate]

[ wow Lance that's

bad.

well, at least Red Wings is quiet, for now at least. the booths and the bar look cleaner, and some of the greenery is cleared away. he's been hard at work trying to get things in order—it's easier than thinking about other things.

on the bar is a kettle and a pour-over style glass coffeemaker, complete with reusable filter and a few tablespoons of ground coffee. Ren's wiping down one of the tables, and he finishes completely before he looks up. ]

Hey. You look bad.

...

Want some coffee?

[lifetothefullest]

[The change in the place is apparent even if it takes him a moment to register what exactly has changed, and it definitely looks like a lot of work has been done in a short time.

Lance lifts his sunglasses up to sit them on top of his now very curly hair, turning his attention to Ren at his remark, and then fixes him with a flat look; it's made even easier with how utterly exhausted and pale he looks at the moment, but it's also clearly affected and not really genuine. That's made even more obvious by that it immediately disappears at the offer of coffee, a little light sparking in his eyes even if his eyebrows furrow slightly at the same time.]

You have coffee?

[Wait, give him a second, and he'll notice the coffee pot, staring at it a moment before muttering to himself--]

...Right. Clearly.

[That aside--]

Um, yes, thank you.

[variate]

[ hm. ]

Some.

[ it's been at least two weeks since he's seen these beans, and while he isn't too confident in how they've held up, he also doesn't want to waste them. they're not stale, so he puts them to good use. there's a grinder that he petitioned Clarke and Strange for, and the beans in the maker are newly ground.

he picks the rag that was in his hand and heads to the bar. Sojiro had taught him that making coffee was a particular process, one that every intention was focused into. Lance sits, and Ren goes to work. he's quiet, heating the water and brewing the pour over. his steady hand ensures and even stream of water, and a decent cup of coffee.

he pushes the mug to him. it's not a lot, eight or ten ounces at the most, but it's a thick brew. ]

Here.

[ from working at Leblanc, he knows how rejuvenating a single cup of coffee can be. ]

[lifetothefullest]

[Although he does sit at the bar, and he's exhausted enough that he can't hold too much tension, he still has the posture of someone subconsciously ready to move at a moment's notice. But primarily he's just focused on watching Ren make the coffee, taking in how the pour-over is done--he knows of the technique, but not really much about how to actually do it--and then soon there's coffee and he accepts it with a quiet thank you.

It's too hot to drink just yet, so he taps his fingers idly against the side of the mug and comments--]

Did you do all the cleaning up in here? It looks like it was a lot of work.

@ian.fowler

[wittingly]

I'm pretty sure this post is what's gonna finally earn you that Nobel peace prize

[lifetothefullest]

Finally; I've been doing my best to win it for like two years now.

[wittingly]

You have to stop hopping universes, you're making it really hard for the committee to keep up

[lifetothefullest]

I'm giving them a challenge. Besides, inter-dimensional network posts full of half-useful information and reminders to not fight with each other are my special area of focus.

[wittingly]

Gotta make sure they're really fucking committed to the ceremony before you'll accept it.

I respect that.

@jason.todd

[reneger]

i said this once
and i'll say it again

fuck off, leave the newcomers out of this bullshit
and if any one of them, or you, start pulling shady shit around the moon right now when we're already strapped

i will kill you / them

[lifetothefullest]

I'd say that I think that's the fastest I've ever gone from meeting someone to murder threats, but I'm not entirely sure that's true.

[It's in the running, though. Maybe tied for first.]

What exactly are you concerned is going to happen?

[He's genuinely interested.]

[reneger]

one: no transport records to or from the moon, and free access for any one of us who arrives and finds the gate
this means undocumented travel to a goddamn space rock
this means eyes on us even more so than usual
two: the asshole up here most of you are eager to get at isn't used to people
and i don't trust any of you not to start crowding him and tapping on the glass when he's already willing to answer shit for the most part
three: again. open door to space whereas no one else aside from us will have it
four: people with the kind of money to come to space aren't going to like a bunch of us just showing up
five: if there was someone who didn't know where jimmy is, the gate and us popping up there sure as hell is going to lead them right to him
six: i don't like the amount of asshats focusing on the goddamn moon instead of what i assume are hundreds of traumatized people waking up from dying down on earth
seven: i specifically hate all of you constantly talking about the goddamn gate

[lifetothefullest]

Pretty much all of those issues could be avoided if Henries would be willing to just talk to us, so if you'd like to work on that, that could solve the entire problem very easily.

Otherwise, people are going to have to continue pursuing the options available to them, which are the more drastic ones.

[reneger]

i said i was working on it
multiple times
i said give me a week
this shit isn't my field and you all are acting like impatient angry toddlers reaching for the last cupcake at a birthday party and i'm really getting sick of it
leave the poor goddamn, freshly shaved new group out of your idiotic pull for a stupid moon gate
give me some time
and shut the hell up before i decide i'm just going to stay up here and have a nice vacation with my good pal jimmy, sipping at a nice cup of tea while beating the shit out of whatever poor saps you con into your game

[lifetothefullest]

I'm not involved in every single conversation everyone has; I've been kind of busy with the aforementioned traumatized people waking up from dying thing. I doubt we'll put anything together before a week is up, so hopefully that will all just work out and this will be a non-issue, but if not then a week of planning won't have been lost waiting.

I appreciate that you care about the new arrivals, but they can make their own decisions. If none choose to be involved, that's fine, it's up to them.

[And he's just completely ignoring the last bit of that response because nothing he would say in response would be helpful, just satisfying.]

[reneger]

please take a moment to imagine:
you wake up on the moon. no idea how you got there. a few faces around you, all experiencing the same fucked up crap you are
you get access to a network that connects you to others like you

and all they're doing is saying "hey, you guys, do this thing for us"

a good few of them are teenagers
some of them are tired
others don't know what the hell is going on and are still trying to wrap their heads around it

and here you assholes are, trying to shove them into doing shit
how would you feel, as a new arrival, still trying to figure out how your new brain piece works, if you did something to try and help out and suddenly it all turned to shit?

[lifetothefullest]

Again, I appreciate that you're concerned about all of this and what could go wrong, and how that might affect the people involved, but I do understand what you're saying. I don't need it explained as though it's incomprehensible.

If you're worried that the new arrivals won't be aware of these risks, then if one should volunteer I'll direct them to this conversation, and then they can make their own choice with full disclosure.

[reneger]

if you get one of the kids involved

i'll strangle you to death, bring you back, then do it again

[lifetothefullest]

I've heard that before.

[Basically 'fuck off', as nicely as possible, though he will add--]

But I'm not going to get any kids involved.

[That's on sheer principle, though, not because of the threat, and he's vaguely annoyed people keep trying to pull that sort of thing on him.]