@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

[strove]

Right now, yes. But surely you can understand the consistency that might be needed, especially since many of us are only just returning from that other world.

As far as I understand it, the UNA (though they're all discharged and are now rather violent these days) and local police departments can see the neural implant identity of everyone. If you passed an officer without that neural implant being registered, you'd stand out. I'm not sure how it works, but it seems to be a sticking point. It's why Morningstar has special masks to scramble identities even on surveillance, because the neural implant can be read by these people through surveillance.

[cognitivus]

Given that we'll only be new arrivals once, and the next batch won't understand that it's consistent, I don't know that consistency is benefiting anyone at the moment.

An alternative, then: restrict new arrivals to designated safe establishments rather than one underground bunker. Your bar, or volunteer displaced who are willing to house them until IDs are created. If they can't open doors, there's no flight risk.

[strove]

We keep a network log. Lance has proved what someone can find if they dig a little. Besides, I wasn't meaning it lightly: a lot of us just got back from another reality. Expecting us to take in newcomers at this time is a bit much. I wouldn't use this excuse otherwise, but I'm going to argue that what's done is done.

Red Wings may be a suitable alternative, as we have a safehouse down below, but we'd need to ensure that we're not being surveyed by any cops or anyone with that implant viewing software.

And finally: I can't believe I'm saying this, but windows do open and people will use them. Some of us are rather fearless, so height isn't a factor.

[cognitivus]

If you're only keeping consistency for the record and because you haven't asked anybody if they're willing to volunteer, you're dismissing our very real distress simply because it's inconvenient.

In terms of long term results, you're alienating a significant number of your new population. So long as this continues, the more people who arrive that are immediately disenfranchised, the higher the percentage of your population will harbor distrust or resentment over time.

If your goal is to foster unity, you should start with a good first impression. As it stands, this has been a particularly bad one for several of us, and for reasons you can't even begin to understand. Reasons that are big enough that dismissing them offhand is causing irreparable damage between those people and your leadership team.

As long as that door has the ability to open, what's done only continues to be done because you're willing it to be.

[strove]

Just so it's clear, I don't maintain the safehouse. Many others are the ones who add supplies, keep it clean, or even help Gaby. Not me. I'm simply a name on the deed. Any objections raised started with Lance a couple months ago. Prior to this, people didn't have a problem because there was always some assurance in getting loose.

I haven't noticed long-term harbored distrust or resentment for reasons other than my personality. For whatever it's worth. You're citing a problem that hasn't been one. Again, I didn't come up with this plan myself, but we decided to keep the safehouse going as a group. That group has had some turnover, but some of us are still here and see the value in a safespace for people like us upon arrival.

I've never dismissed your concerns, however. I'm communicating with you on them. But I won't take kindly to discussing them at length as being seen as "dismissing them." Telling you the circumstances that we have at this exact moment isn't dismissing them. It's also not up to me to come up with every solution for the Displaced. To repeat: objections to this process and seeing it as a jail were only raised by Lance recently, and I can't help but think that his objections have helped foster problems and distrust despite the rest of us trying to do our best by the other Displaced. If anything, I'd argue that's unfair.

I've gone over why this is the way it is, and why we need a plan in place to replace this process. I'm sorry you see that as dismissing the overall concern, or that I've shaken your trust for any reason. But just because I'm arguing in favor of a system that's worked for us doesn't mean I can't see a new one put into place. Those two things aren't absolutely opposed.

[cognitivus]

Once again, I assure you my objections have absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Sweets and absolutely everything to do with my situation. I was miserable long before I started accessing social media. He is, however, an example of the resentment I'm referring to.

Have you asked your population recently? Done a poll to gauge the sentiment overall? While he may be your most outspoken example, he isn't manufacturing the discontent. Given your resolute, uncompromising, and somewhat exhausting walls of text it's possible that he's just the most vocal of an undercurrent of people too intimidated to try and discuss it with you.

I've mentioned a viable alternative for immediate action that would relieve us, you rejected it, ergo - dismissed.

[strove]

As I mentioned to him, I haven't been the one taking part in these discussions. I'm also not the person who decides the end of it. If he wishes to raise a discussion, he should do it in a matter that doesn't seem to sow distrust in our community.

Your suggestion demands a lot of people who just returned from a traumatic situation, or who are helping the community in other ways. Any solution would need to be applied at a better time.

As it is, I appreciate the discussion, but I believe we're done here.

[cognitivus]

In what manner would you recommend he raise this discussion?

If someone like @lance.sweets were in fact willing to lend their couch, or could connect me with somebody who would, would you intervene? If not, Mr. Sweets, I'd appreciate if you could help me pursue this course of action.

[strove]

That's not up for me to decide, but burying it in a comment rather than proposing it as a problem to solve to the community at large seems like a poor way to go about it.

As it is, Lance mentioned got barred from the safehouse, so you might need to find someone else.

I'm not here to have any further objections, as that was never the point in the first place.

[cognitivus]

Thank you for your time.

@lance.sweets

[lifetothefullest]

I would be fine with that, but considering the prospect of taking a new arrival out of the safe house for even a few minutes was what caused this problem in the first place, somehow I doubt it'll be allowed.

[And although it's text and no one can hear his sarcasm or see the air quotes around 'allowed', they're there.]

[cognitivus]

For a process nobody claims to be in charge of, that feels like something performed by someone in charge.

[lifetothefullest]

Honestly, at this point I have no idea who's in charge, if anyone. I thought I knew, and now I'm confused again.

[cognitivus]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but at this point I'd almost rather be back in prison.

[lifetothefullest]

I don't know if I'd go quite that far.

[cognitivus]

At least it's quieter.

@bellamy.blake

[jettisons]

What kind of safe establishments do you mean? Something like Red Wings? What's the plan for when a couple of cops come in for lunch and see five people without IDs wandering around? And why is restricting them to a bar that they can't leave so much better than a safehouse?

I've seen volunteers brought up pretty much every time we have this discussion, but no one seems to be able to explain how having a chaperone is going to keep both people from getting arrested if a cop spots someone who's unregistered.

No one is dismissing anything. The issue is that this is complicated, and a lot of you want to insist it isn't.

[cognitivus]

Given that we all stopped for several hours and a meal in that bar before going underground, it didn't seem like much of a concern to anyone at the time.

You have to understand why a bar is more tolerable than an underground concrete locked vault. A bar has windows. Namely, sunlight. It has the ability to socialize with people other than a dozen emotionally distressed, frightened new arrivals. It has a sense of normalcy in a time when that's desperately needed.

[jettisons]

You're not going to find normalcy right now at Red Wings. It's full of traumatized people from all over the city. We haven't gotten any real normalcy since the monster attack, and considering Red Wings has turned into a place most people go to for safety when the city is a mess, Displaced or not, I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Plus, plenty of us go in and out of the safehouse, especially when the new arrivals are around. Plenty of people stay there long term while they're looking for an apartment. Some people even stay there the first few days the arrivals show up just so they have someone to touch base with. It's not like we shove you in there, lock the door, and don't come back.

You're still not responding to our issue with the volunteers being arrested, by the way.

[cognitivus]

Trauma in a bar is more normalcy than trauma in a sealed, claustrophobic underground bunker.

The un-identified displaced were herded across two cities without a chip in order to get to Red Wings, and then to the safe house. I don't see why a single displaced for an hour or two in a one mile radius is a noteworthy risk by comparison.

[jettisons]

You think dumping a bunch of refugees from a new world into a bar filled with what are basically refugees from this one, who will probably be asking them a ton of questions because people assume anyone at Red Wings is one of the Displaced, is more soothing?

And like Clarke said, it's only sealed in the same way everything else here is sealed, because none of you have IDs. The safehouse has its own bar. It has clothes, beds, free food. I've seen some of us cooking dinner every night for the new arrivals. You're acting like it's a concrete hole in the ground where you have to hunt rats to eat.

[cognitivus]

You did that already anyway. The bar was the first place we stopped. And you've done it before, the last several times. You can explain the concept to us, I assure you we're not too stupid to understand it.

Don't condescendingly belittle the issues I have with this situation when you have no concept of what they are.

[jettisons]

There's a big difference between hanging out in the bar for a couple of hours and hanging out for four days. The volunteer thing is an option, but it's got its own dangers and drawbacks.

I'm not calling anyone stupid. Don't put words in our mouths just because we're not immediately bowing down and throwing out an entire system for someone who's been here two days.

[cognitivus]

I said that we weren't stupid. I didn't say you called us that.

Don't worry, you've both made your positions astoundingly clear. Thank you for your time.

[strove]

Red Wings is where I do have a say, and we're not going to manage the people of this city while spending four days around the clock making sure someone doesn't break a window to get out. Just in case you were wondering. Given that someone else in here is asking me about murder, I thought it was an important point to drive home.