meadowlark | @clarke.griffin & @lance.sweets

@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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm interested.
The important thing is to minimize risk to begin with. Exposure means control of the narrative but it also paints an enormous target on all our backs.
And considering there are people psychopathic enough to slice off an arm and keep it as a trophy among the upper echelons of this society people should be aware of how much danger they're in.

I was under the impression that that problem was dealt with, and very personal. Was I misunderstanding the circumstances?

Where there's one megalomaniac desperate to keep power there are more.

I would agree, but let's not liken a personal vendetta to this. People like that exist in every world. We should be cautious of creating enemies regardless of how it comes about.

Which isn't to blame you, but I want to make sure we're treating those scenarios the way we should. Unless you have evidence that that had to do with our role in this society.

Griffin, my point is that the rich and powerful aim to be richer and more powerful. I have seen enough to know that mentality is present here.

Obviously.

Now consider that we contain shards of Godhood and supernatural abilities uncommon to this world. Meaning we pose a threat to their way of life and an opportunity for them to take out their competition.

I'm imploring you to take me at my word that danger is all around us.

Damian, I know, but what happened to you was still a personal vendetta. And people who can harm others exist in all worlds.

A personal vendetta done by someone obsessed with the Displaced.

Believe what you want.

Obsessed how? That was never relayed to me.

Maybe it would have been if talking to you didn't feel tantamount to shouting at a brick wall.

[ okay. that's not helpful.

but it's also been five years for him. ]

Stephen told me about it, and my impression of it was based on that.

[Which is not answering his jibe with a jibe, as tempting as it may be.]

Stephen wasn't there and this isn't his territory.
It also wasn't his to share.

I'm sorry that he did, but it was after he came under threat and he and I are business partners.

[ pause. record scratch. ]

What threat?

Someone came to Red Wings looking for him. When someone enters your territory, it's typically seen as a threat in my world. In this case, I think that's how it was meant to be seen. Would you agree?

Obviously. Don't condescend to me.
I wasn't informed.
Do you have security footage of who it was?

I'm not. I'm sorry if it seemed as if I was. I was genuinely asking.

Stephen manages the footage, so you'd need to get it from him.

But know that I've taken the threat seriously and am trying to come up with solutions for it at Red Wings and to help our group as a whole. I hear you, okay?

[ oh great. talking to stephen. is... is that why stephen didn't message him? ]

If you hear me then don't try to underplay the threat.
People like this are interconnected.

[ a beat. ]

But if you're in danger because of me then I am truly sorry.

I'll be fine. But thank you.

[She isn't terribly concerned about the risk.]

This happened a while before you disappeared. But I've responded to it by wanting to expand the duties of Red Wings' security to scoping out the area, and I think it's an effort we really need to take seriously given the doubled down response from the UN following the Aerie. We need to be careful.

I didn't realize that the vendetta against you and potentially Stephen was more about our group than just you. I didn't mean to undermine it, but I'm used to handling personal and greater conflicts like that differently. It doesn't mean that I didn't come up with an idea to address it. But getting that going has been more easily said than done, at least in effectiveness.

I suppose its time I start that team.

Yes. But I was under the impression that was more for the people of this world than protecting our group alone.

Dual purpose.
Protecting them is protecting us.

As long as we're able to keep protecting them, right? I see.

More than that.
The corrupt like to punch down when things don't go their way. If they can't hit us, they might go after people who can't defend themselves.
I've seen it too many times.

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