20 February 2021 @ 08:22 am
uhhhh

hey there. hiya? i um


[#killingit with the Social Interaction. Guess who was pulled from his home world at ten and has been living on the Edge without any form of social media for almost a decade? Simon may be handy with gadgets and gizmos, but the whole talking to people thing? Not quite his forte.]

sorry, new here

still combin through the info decks or whatever they're called

was just wondering if anybody had any extra cans of paint lyin around?


[and ofc if things couldn't get any stupider]

ps the paint would be JUST for painting NOT for snIFFING

[who is gonna break his heart and tell him that art supplies are extremely expensive here...
plz... wreck his shit
]
 
 
24 January 2021 @ 07:46 pm
Hey.

If we haven't met, I'm Ren Amamiya.
[ Ren, child, your name is right there. ]
I wanted to post about something that's been on my mind for a while. The dreams that we have, and how we might be able to better control them. We have a connection to this world through them that we haven't fully explored yet.

We can start. I propose to whoever's interested that we do a couple of things.

1. Train ourselves to get to know our own dreams, and learn how to control our own subconscious.
2. Train our powers in our dreams. 1 before we can go to 2, but if you can already do 1, let's talk.
3. ????

Showing up here can make someone feel powerless. On top of it, there are corrupt people in high places playing a rigged game. They think they can do anything they want. I think we can take that some of that power back by leveraging what's unique to us.

If you want to work separately, I get that. If you wouldn't mind letting me know if you get somewhere, I'd appreciate it.
I know It'll take some work and it might be uncomfortable, but we could see how far we could go.


[ is this his way of remembering Wu Weixian fondly? maybe, but also he sees this as a way for them to stand up on their own two feet without playing into the rigged games this world has set up. please, ask this boy about his revolution.

note: there's also an explanation on plot engagement to go with this!
]
 
 
23 January 2021 @ 04:59 pm
Think there's connection between Gold god and grief/peace combo. Maybe rage and searching, too.

When Aerie vanished, experienced Blue god shattering.
[ Which he does not want to discuss in detail, thanks. ] Was underwater. Gold-eyed animals around. Felt cold, then rage. Searched for something. Gold eyes dimmed. Then felt grief, then peace.

When monsters attacked in May, some infected people. Eyes glowed gold, turned on allies. Could cure infected using empathy bond. Contact would burn first. Then feel peaceful, then sad.

(Had weird dream before monsters attacked. Pack of creatures searching for blue. More here.)

Wasn't here July 2511. Guide mentions curing unnatural rage with empathy bond. Says it came with intense despair.

Don't know who's making sense of this shit.
[ Hence posting this on the network rather than going to someone directly. ] Seems like pattern.

That's it.


( ooc: please take any private threadjacks to character inboxes. thanks! )
 
 
16 January 2021 @ 11:47 am
@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.
 
 
17 December 2020 @ 07:55 pm
[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.
 
 
19 November 2020 @ 07:14 pm
@ren.amamiya
Hey. With all information going around, Kyna and I wanted to throw something else out there.
It has to do with Riverstone and those experiments that people just came back from. While that was happening, the two of us and a group of others went in. We got some information.

- Riverstone used experiments as a front. Meredith Ling has been looking for a way in with us for a while. They want to control us.
- That means Riverstone has known about us for a while, too.
- Meredith Ling has a grudge against "the man that messed everything up" during Project Spinetail. We couldn't get a name, but I'm pretty sure it's James Henries. (Thanks, @marian.hawke.)
- Half the building was shut down. Everyone was gone except for the guards. I think they were expecting more problems from us.


[since, you know, they had caused quite a lot of problems in the past.]

@kyna.medina found some info about the monsters, and a contact that's been helping out had some follow up. I'll let her talk about what she saw.

@kyna.medina
the samples i found were all easy access, either in unlocked drawers or left out. they must be working on this stuff pretty actively, or they expected us to find it. the parts were:

- angler teeth. it looks like the tests were all trying to figure out their composition.
- multiple vials of arachne venom
- samples of basilisk lungs (trying to harness the venom, i’m thinking)
- quills from the giant boars
- slugs. as in, a lot of fucking slugs. let’s hope they’re not trying to figure out how those things control people, but considering our luck, they totally are.

a contact at riverstone said they’re studying the monsters to develop cures to prevent their effects and see if the world can benefit from them somehow. after they lied to us about the reasons for the tests they ran on us though, i’m not buying it.

i took plenty of pictures, so if you want them, they’re here.


[Kyna includes a download link. There are indeed a lot.]

@ren.amamiya
This is a lot, especially for people who just arrived. There's Sweets' document too. It's here.
I know we all have our own ideas on how to keep going from here, but we wanted everyone on the same page. We've been used by a lot of people, and I don't think we want to be used by Riverstone, too.
They want us for a reason.


@kyna.medina
edit: by the way, riverstone knows that we were poking around. there were four of us, and we were escorted out. we’re probably not welcome back in new beijing anytime soon, but we were the only ones affected by it.
 
 
17 October 2020 @ 08:53 pm
What do people do for hobbies around here? Aside from volunteering for medical torture.

Has Victorian flower languages come back in style yet? Bookbinding and leathercraft seems obsolete by now, but what about backgammon or cards. I once lost a game of trappola to the Duchess of Ferrara, she was shark. Scrabble? Does that work with the translator? Pomme de terre is about twice as many points as potato.


[ please enjoy that this translates to "potato is about twice as many points as potato" unless you also speak french.

anyway joe is bored come talk to him ]


Who wants to bring fencing back in fashion?
 
 
12 October 2020 @ 01:07 pm
I've found a firm that may be willing to represent us. Unfortunately it's becoming clear through my conversation with them that we'd have to disclose the truth about our IDs if we wanted to enter into any kind of partnership with them. In a nutshell, anything legally binding could become nullified without some extremely specific phrasing to accommodate our ID situation. Given that Riverstone finding out about Rey's fake ID is what set all of this into motion, an inquiry into the source of the IDs for the displaced would likely be inevitable. The law firm I was speaking with already started gently probing onto the subject and I haven't even entered a formal agreement with them yet. I haven't given them any information about it yet whatsoever.

This means we'd need to make a group decision to divulge the nature of our IDs to this law firm. We would have attorney-client privilege so this information would be considered legally confidential. Despite that, it's still a big choice to make and I don't have the right to make it for us as a whole one way or the other.

I'm going to put up a poll. Please only respond once. I'll only proceed if there's an overwhelming majority in favor of continuing.

It may be worth keeping in mind that when the truth of our IDs does inevitably come out, having an already established source of legal representation could help us navigate that. It's also worth keeping in mind that the version of the truth we tell doesn't have to be the entire one.

Poll #24692 Legal Representation Decision
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 17


Should we disclose the nature of our IDs to the law firm that is willing to represent us in our future legal proceedings?

View Answers

Yes
1 (5.9%)

No
16 (94.1%)


UPDATE: By overwhelming response, we won't be partnering with any law firms. I'll still have them review the contract provided by Riverstone for any glaring loopholes, but beyond that I'll refund any excess donated funds. We can come back to this idea if/when the nature of our IDs becomes public.
 
 
03 October 2020 @ 08:34 pm
[this is not nill’s bag of chips. she hasn’t addressed the network in... six months? right, not since heine left. so this is a much better thing to talk about than losing her best friend and also the only other person from her world. this is loads better. just asking people for stuff.]

@nill.klein
We need some new supplies for the new arrivals.
[good, solid start. she’s got this.] Any clothes or toiletries you can spare. Some of the things we have are getting run down, and we could use a better variety of sizes for clothing.

And any cloth that can be turned into sheets, too. If anyone knows how to sew, that would also be helpful. I know a little about sewing, but I’m not very good at it. Any sheets I make will probably be a little crooked.


[okay, the hard part is done.

Ren is here for support, so when Nill finishes her thoughts, he steps in to wrap it up.]


@ren.amamiya
It's rough showing up the way we do, so Nill and I thought we could make things better, rather than just limiting it to the basics. She did a good job outlining what we need, but we're willing to take suggestions if anyone has them. Ah--we also have another question.

@nill.klein
What are some things you wish you’d had when you arrived? Or what did you wish was in the safehouse? I don’t think we can do anything extravagant, but we can try to make it more welcoming when everything is up and running again.
 
 
31 May 2020 @ 05:41 pm
My presence in acting as in your aid has been detected. I should have expected as much, in hindsight. The probability of my escape is slim: 0.005612%. Not much, but it is possible.
Please see the attached for your records.


[ There are two things that come with the message: a blueprint of a laboratory that's located on the southernmost tip of South America, and a pin with its location. ]

You're under no obligation to help me, even if some of you have expressed your intentions to do just that. There are genetic mutations that are now surrounding the facility, all on high alert. I figure I'll have around 12 hours. Those within the simulation will need to raise enough chaos to serve as a distraction for those to find me and release me.
I would understand if you don't want to endanger yourselves further, given your current circumstances.

So let me say that I apologize for the suffering that I've caused because of my own cowardice.
Lucifer, I wish you all luck until the end.
Until I'm gone, I'll ensure that I'll do everything within my ability to free New Amsterdam from the simulation.

All of you that continue to fight for this world: don't forget your resolve. I was born here, just as Lucifer was. You are a part of it now, just as I am.
Do what you do best.
Fight.


[ Please see this plotting comment for details! ]
 
 
25 May 2020 @ 02:57 pm
[ after waking up, feeling like crap, having a cup of coffee while holding hands with Tony Stark for a good fifteen minutes, it's time to let go. ]

Hey, since we could all use a little good news, I've got some.
Stark came by to move my body in cafe I'm stuck at in New Amsterdam. When we touched, I got kicked out of the sim. Not for long, but long enough to know what happened. It doesn't work unless you're constantly touching someone outside the sim. I'm back in now.
That means it's possible to break out for a while, even if it's not permanent. I know it's been hard, and we don't have much of a choice but to keep going. It's not much, but this is something we can work with.


[ he'll always remember the time they shared feelings, Tony. ]
 
 
01 May 2020 @ 12:37 am
I don't know if many people from it are left, but last October quite a number of the Displaced experienced one of three dreams. They involved a bridge, a facility, and the first hints of our Avian themed bird projects. A few nights ago I had another dream that seemed to take place in the same facility as described in two of those original dreams.

In this new dream, a device called a Swiftlet was shoved into my chest, right where we light up upon Displaced contact and use of our powers. The point of the Swiftlet seemed to be control. Whoever was using it wanted to control me and what came next for me. Given all the bird themed naming conventions we keep running into, this name does not seem insignificant.

I think I witnessed a facility we as Displaced were kept in, or where we were given these powers, which I suspect now may be more like pieces of a whole rather than individual gifts. Throughout the dream I felt like I was in several places at once. I witnessed flashes of powers: air pockets on fire, the ground moving, and life being stolen from a nurse. They key part is these powers only bloomed after the use of the Swiftlet, when I fought back against it. I wanted to be whole. Immediately after, there was a sense of collective consciousness. Of many people fighting back. It was only stopped by a gas filling the facility, which is about when I woke up.

I would like to know if anyone else shared this particular dream, or any similar. If we are seeing fragments, we need all of them to put it together.

Related and recently with curious timing, it seems as though untraceable messages once again went out. This happened once before, though those messages all came from one source - leaked by Cassius, an AI formerly known as DAWN - the very same AI who caused the EMP in November. These messages were collected in this file, by a Displaced who has since disappeared. For the new messages, we have a second document. Given the source of some is still unclear, perhaps we should keep them separate but still accessible. See if anything is relevant to you.

We are all after different things. But we have to start pooling our information if we want to get anywhere collectively.
 
 
10 March 2020 @ 08:44 pm
Hey, everyone! I had a question.

Now that these gates are active and we can go pretty much anywhere in the world, what's a place you want to check out? I want to see more of Earth but it's so huge and there are so many options that it's hard to know where to start! I'm open to any and all suggestions.

I want to check out a bunch of different places, but somewhere near the coast where you could swim and catch fish and eat fresh fruit straight off the tree would be really nice, I think!


[ It's possible that Sora's feeling a little homesick. He's been here for months now and he's honestly not used to being contained in one place for so long. The idea of getting to explore the world some more might help, or so he hopes. ]

I guess my birthday is coming up kinda soon too, so I'm trying to figure out something cool to do for it. So tell me your plans, if you've got any! I'm curious. Oh, and if we haven't met before, my name's Sora. Thanks for reading!
 
 
01 March 2020 @ 03:02 pm
to whom it may concern

good afternoon. my name is amy march and i am newly arrived so do bear with me for i have a great many questions. most pressingly i am in want of a job. i have never had one so im afraid i dont know what sort of job i ought to look for. i can sew cook clean and perform all necessary household tasks but i think i shall cry if i must play the part of a maid to another woman please pardon my pride. i am educated at least by the old measuring stick of where i came from but here there is so much more to be ignorant about. and i am accomplished in art but with materials so dear i cannot see how this might earn my bread so to speak. all of this is to say what jobs are available for young ladies?

furthermore i would like to leave the safe house as soon as my circumstances allow. however i have never lived on my own and the thought of doing so now is daunting. it seems such a mean and lonesome lot to accept. are there boarding houses in new amsterdam? you know rather like the safe house but much nicer and everyone has her own room but comes together for meals. i think this would be much pleasanter.

finally i am taking recommendations for dress shops. it is nearly impossible to find anything that suits. your consideration in these matters is very much appreciated thank you.

sincerely
amy c. march
 
 
11 February 2020 @ 06:51 pm
[In truth, Akechi wishes he could do a video of some kind to make his point. He's much better when he has an audience, and words don't cut it. Part of the appeal of being the second coming of the Detective Prince had been his looks. But that's fine. He'll manage without that. Besides, he does truly require the assistance of the other Displaced, even if the very idea of it feels like a betrayal to himself.]

Oh, hello.

While we're discussing theories, I'm here to point out a stone that's been left unturned for some time. For reasons that are ultimately beyond me, we've failed to step into a political sphere. Before you jump to comment about how that would expose us, that's not what I'm saying. Exposure could do us some good, but I understand that it's far from what anyone prefers. Well, especially since we all believe we'll be little more than rats to be experimented on. Or perhaps because we already think we are!

But such pessimism isn't why I'm here.

No, I have a proposal. We need to align ourselves with politicians. Several months ago, I joined Katelin Jovavich's campaign. At the time, she seemed like a done deal. Unfortunately, her political savvy has … failed her. But she's still full of information, such as the identity of one JPG. Said set of acronyms showed up in a report that my partner [Bad username or site: ren @ amamiya] turned up as his payment for working for Cassius about a mysterious lab explosion, one that had ties to an alternate world where all of the (present at the time) Displaced turned up in during December.

No, no, now isn't the time to litigate the "Cassius" aspect of that information. As Ren pointed out at the time, one person was already taking the deal, so any stands we could've made were null and void.

While I do intend to leave Jovavich's campaign soon, I believe now is the time to get someone in there with the ability to get her to talk. I know her movements well enough. Consider this a request for help.

And beyond that: consider a political career. I do believe that Joseph Lynch is quite promising, if a bit unimaginative. Perhaps that could appeal to someone else.

The important point is not to let a potential opening go to waste any longer. I believe this group has done it for far too long.

So, what do you say? Surely one of you has lofty political aspirations.
 
 
20 January 2020 @ 08:40 am
hi!! you might not have heard of me (yet ♥) but i'm lottie and i'm a fashion blogger!! it's what i love to do and how i express myself. and it's a bit rough to have to start all my social media from scratch but sometimes a blank slate can be refreshing, right?? my cooltalk is under the same name i use here.

[ Branding! And if anyone were to search her cooltalk an account appears that features a lot of "what I wore" style selfies (featuring some brightly colored wigs) as well as Lottie's quest for the perfect cold brew and some shots around New Amsterdam. She has a surprising number of followers for a recent arrival. ]

anyway i figure a lot of you are in the same boat so i wondered if anyone wanted to do a follow exchange?? or maybe collaborate! i'm always available for photos and i don't know any photographers here. maybe we can share tips on how to work the buzzcut? (lol as if) there's no reason this feed has to be full of serious mission things all the time tbh.

xoxo lottie

p.s. if anyone is a doctor, dm me.
 
 
01 January 2020 @ 07:13 pm
Greetings, fellow Displaced. I'm Trevor Belmont, and I have a slightly different type of inquiry than the sort I've been seeing 'posted' on here so far.

I haven't found a library or similar resource, and am struggling with learning relevant information using the network alone. Not facts about our situation, but about this strange future we've found ourselves in. Most people here seem to be from far further along than I am, enough to work the facilities and use a very different vocabulary to mine... I suppose I'm wondering if anyone has the time and inclination to be a tutor, of sorts? Just to explain some of this technology and catch me up on relevant terms and events from the past millennium or so, hopefully enough that I can stop turning every conversation I have into a game of a thousand questions. Folks have been fairly understanding, but it's not ideal.

My only request is that anyone who responds not treat me as a fool or a child. I'm fresh out of the past, not a crib.

I've no way to pay you, yet, but hopefully we can work something out. And I do thank you in advance for your consideration.
 
 
13 December 2019 @ 09:17 pm
Cassius.
Doctor Grey.
Project Meadowlark facility.

I'm looking for all of them. What do we know?
 
 
03 November 2019 @ 04:06 pm
[ there’s a lot to think about it, between people who took Cassius' deal and those who didn't. for him, the issues are separate: there's Cassius, and there's the UNA. there are too many things that remain hidden for his comfort, even less so when the Displaced are fighting each other. ]

Alright--there’s a lot going on and a lot to say. I want to keep it brief, but I have an idea. We all got the message from Cassius.

1. Cassius offering a deal to find Judas.
2. Judas is at the UNA base in New Beijing.

There isn't a lot for us to go on, but I want to take this back from Cassius and the UNA. We know that Cassius said "free him," but it was vague. We could find Judas and capture him on our own terms. We'll know more when we're able to talk to him.

Forget about the favor. It feels like Cassius is trying to turn us against each other. I know everyone has their own reason for doing what they’re doing, and I'm not here to argue over what we should've done. The UNA already knows that we're coming. That means we're all in danger. I'm interested in what can be done now.

No one has to go. If you took the deal or not, if you're going or not, if you can help us find a way of capturing Judas--let's talk about what we can do.
 
 
09 June 2019 @ 03:14 pm
hi, everybody!

i just wanted to take a minute to say welcome to all of our new faces! in case i don't get to meet you in person, my name is caroline forbes, and i run the displaced welcoming committee with @prom.argentum and @sora.sky! if you need anything while you're getting settled, we'll be around to help in any way we can!

for anyone who's on rescue duty:
  • any of the cots with gift baskets are available for anyone you bring back! there should be fresh towels, a pillow, and sheets on all the open beds. 
  • dinner is at eight sharp — don't be late! if you want to bring anything from the harvest festival to share, it would be really appreciated!!! 
  • we are still trying to get more donations — clothes, linens, food, even activities and crafts for the safehouse! anything that doesn't require an id would be great. anything you don't want anymore but don't think is worth donating to the safehouse can go to the morningstar booth at the festival!
for anyone who's new and just joining us:
  • we have a really helpful new arrivals guide that you can download and read any time.
  • if you have any questions about anything in there, you can tag them in this post (@caroline.forbes will tag me!) and they can come to you. just be sure to give your name somewhere in your comment, or you'll just be anonymous!
  • if nobody told you yet, the first day is kind of a headache. you might feel better if you get some sleep!
xo, 
caroline