@clarke.griffin & @lance.sweets

[strove]

@clarke.griffin
Hi everyone. This is @clarke.griffin and @lance.sweets. We wanted to give everyone an update, as well as give a rundown on some things moving forward.

First off, I know some of you just made it back from the Aerie, while others have been back for a while. For anyone who hasn't heard yet, the Aerie was a separate world where everyone was brought to it and given a new life, new memories, and new relationships. It wasn't an easy place to live, and some of us have only gotten a headstart in coping with what we went through. Still, not everyone's figured out the particulars, and a lot of us just got our loved ones back.

Perhaps most importantly, while we as a group tend to have weird things happen to us, this is the first time that the entire collective world has had a shared experience like this. Many of us came from situations where we were more prepared for this than most of the population of this world. Even if you're new, I'm willing to bet that this is the case.

Being in the Aerie changed us. I believe Lance can put this better than I can, but it's important to remember that you're far from alone in any of this. I'll let him delve deeper into this now.

@lance.sweets
‘Complicated’ is not even close to a strong enough word for the situation we’ve all found ourselves in, and there’s not really any sort of established framework for how exactly to deal with it. We’re all going to be figuring this out as we go along, but there are some key points to keep in mind.

The first is to remember that, for any similarities or differences there might've been, the people we were in the Aerie are not exactly the same as we were here before, or are now. Some patience and understanding with each other will go a long way in navigating what's happened. Additionally, the way in which each of us--including the native citizens--deals with this will be different, and so it will help if everyone can remember that and have no expectations for what others might do or how they may feel, or in what timeframe those occur. There’s no right or wrong way to come to terms with everything that happened, and that includes reconciling two entirely separate lives; some may treat who they were in the Aerie as another individual entirely, some may try to blend the two, and some may prefer the person they were in the Aerie.

But as Clarke said, none of us are alone in this, and that’s something that shouldn’t just be sentiment. As difficult as it can be, reach out to others if you need help; likewise, check in on each other whenever possible. It's very easy, in the midst of something of this scale, for individuals to get lost in the chaos if there isn’t a concerted effort to make sure that doesn’t happen. On that note, we also have people here who had arrived only days before the Aerie began and so had no time to establish any sort of support network, as well as new arrivals who can’t be forgotten about in all of this.

For those of you who have just arrived, hopefully you've found the network; although you'll be anonymous until your IDs are registered, you can still participate in discussions and read through older conversations, as well as access the new arrivals guide and the information compendium, the latter of which I believe is updated but I may have missed something. It'll give you something to do as a distraction from the current situation, at least. Additionally, if you have questions or need something brought to you, someone may be able to help with that.

[Lance probably more with the former than the latter, since he's not entirely sure if he can even get into the safehouse right now and doesn't care to test it.]

@clarke.griffin
If you're looking at the arrival guide and noticing that we need some updates, they'd be welcome right now. I usually handle it, but I'm not of a mind to be able to do so at this moment. [Which will be apparent soon for a particular reason—but also, she was doing a lot in coming back from the Aerie. Clarke always has her hands full, but she also knows she has to make good on her "I delegate I don't do everything" word. See, Gene—she can commit to her nonsense.]

Finally, our group has a bar named Red Wings. Both @stephen.strange and I run the establishment, though it's going to fall mostly to me for the time being. If you would like a place to help you get started here, or even get familiarized with the world, Red Wings is a good place to get started. We offer jobs to all Displaced, and we're only staffed by Displaced, making it so that it's a place where you can settle in on your terms. [Unsurprisingly, she isn't mentioning any code of conduct or her firing someone rather publicly. No need to draw attention to it.] And if that doesn't appeal, we do give free meals (and sometimes drinks) to our own on a regular basis.

Right now, just as we've done before, Red Wings has been converted into a community center to provide outreach and resources to our community. If you come and help out, you'll still be considered an employee and paid wages for helping out.

As a note, I'll be in charge of operations for the time being. If you helped Stephen with any of his responsibilities, let me know. I could use some help. [The point being to take the onus off of Stephen. This is how they manage things.]

We believe that covers everything. We know this is a lot to digest, so please feel free to ask any questions. Lance and I are here to help.

Comments

[coalitions]

Congratulations.

I think if that were the case, using that and the past other universe as an example, we would all have experienced our separate lives more closely together.

[plainsimple]

Thank you, my dear.

And that is a fair point. There is more scattering here than there was in the Aerie. What I'm hearing suggests it's more likely this is simply an odd reality. I will live as if that's the case and be open to the possibility of needing to shift.

[coalitions]

This is the second time this group has been in separate lives together. But our initial worlds are different. I think perhaps there is a greater purpose to these incidents.

[plainsimple]

Do you have any theories on what that greater purpose might be?

[coalitions]

Yes, I think the other gods are not as asleep as we think. They are here. I saw them in the Aerie. We released them. But I do not think they were bound here. Perhaps they hold us responsible for what happened to the blue one.

[plainsimple]

Fitting then that they pitched more than a few of the Displaced as their jailors. Perhaps it's a message of sorts on top of that.

[coalitions]

One of their own was murdered by this Henries man. We all have pieces of it within us. I can see how that would lean us to seem like the enemy. Perhaps a warning not to attack them again. Or perhaps showing us what happened to them, a version of it. Either way, I believe they are here, and may be behind these other world events.

[plainsimple]

Surely we can't be seen as threats to gods who can pull us here and alter our memories. The latter seems more likely... then again, I hardly know what deities are prone to doing. My people don't have any, and even the people that do in our universe don't seem to understand them in the least.

[coalitions]

A human murdered one of theirs. Anyone could potentially be a threat. I am skeptical they will harm us; I have noticed a decidedly lack of real damage and consequences by our group. Much of us have come back. The ordinary civilians of this world have died. I think we owe that to the part of us that is a god. But these gods, if powerful, could be useful.

[plainsimple]

Very useful. If we can figure out what they could perhaps want from us. Are they the sorts to desire worship or sacrifices, do you think?

[coalitions]

If they did they would put more effort into it, I think. If they were sleeping or trapped, however, and start to come back, they may prove to want both of those things. But some of us freed them in the Aerie. They may remember that.

[plainsimple]

And I attempted to stop people. I rather hope they don't remember every detail. While I've been quite fine incurring the wrath of some people when need arose, I'd prefer not to anger gods. They're a little harder to kill.

Incidentally, I don't suppose there's anything on how the other god was killed? I don't recall it in the guide when I read it last, but I admit I wasn't exactly looking for deities.

[coalitions]

It was information just given while we were gone. The man who is responsible for us being here was revealed, he experimented on the god and caused it to be shattered into pieces. We have shards in us, that is why we are here.