overjoyed_logs | Chapter 2

Entry tags:

Chapter 2

Who: OTA
Where: Quad
When: Week 2, Day 5 - Week 4, Day 6
Summary: Chapter 2 prompts!
Restrictions/Warnings: Violence, blood, et cetera. For anything surpassing 'R' on a rating scale, please create your own log.
Notes: Please title your subject line in the following format -- Open / Closed | Date. OOC event information can be found here.

Quick Navigation
The Nine
The Company
Westies
True Leithians
Leith
Resistance
The RAC

The Nine: Poisoned Well

With the heir delivered and Lady Derrish returning to health, balance has been maintained amongst the Nine. Swift and efficient - and, some would say, unbelievable - medical attention administered may have steadied the Lady's life, but for those in the ruling houses, the atmosphere of tenuous peace only grows thicker.

Land Kendry has launched an investigation - with particular focus on Land Hyponia - into the source of the 'attack' on Lady Derrish's health. Of course, that is only the surface, and some suggest, with hushed voices, that there may be more to Land Kendry's goals than to weed out an assailant.

Land Hyponia has long since been in support of maintaining the Seventh Generation Accords, which it defends staunchly against any opposition. One of the most agitated among those in disagreement with the Accords is Land Kendry. Now is the perfect opportunity for them to rearrange the pieces in their favor, and with the information they've fabricated, they'll be able to replace the head of Land Hyponia with someone who is - at least hopefully - more pliable to their agenda.

The Derrish have their own suspicions, the cure surfacing all too conveniently timed to have been a coincidence. When Land Kendry's investigation procures evidence pointing to Land Hyponia as the culprits, inflaming the crime with implied - yet vague - ties to the resistance, the Derrish publically accept the accusation. Behind closed doors, the solution seemed to have come as uncannily easily as the cure, and suspicions only rise. But for now, the two houses remain allied - ready to use one another for their own interests.

For those among the nobility, it's the time to reevaluate alliances, assuring the old and gathering the new. The more support you have, the safer you are - unless, of course, you chose the wrong friend. Some turn to other members of the nobility, some to the RAC for hired guards, some to the Company to mandate investigations unsuitable for Killjoys, and some may even turn to the underbelly of society to accomplish anything necessary to stay on top.

Or to simply stay alive.

The Company: Cleaning House

There will be no accolades, and no rest, for the hard working Company officials following the response to the True Leithan attacks. Assignments shift from one thing to the next, moving from bureaucratic nightmare to bureaucratic nightmare. While there’s always busy work to distract from the intrigue behind the scenes, it’s not liable to be any safer.

Some officials will be charged with maintaining peace and order on Leith, as the outbreak of a pandemic slowly spreads over the moon. From helping the afflicted find their way to a place of treatment, to safe and efficient body disposal—burning corpses by the hundreds—to attempting to track down the source of the virus, it's best anyone assigned here take heed ‘lest they find themselves falling ill as well.

Westerley, on the other hand, is a different kind of headache. With Harvest Week in swing, most company officials will be reaching for a drink of their own at the end of their shifts. Rowdy workers celebrating their time off, spending their hard earned Joy frivolously, and citizens whisked away by the atmosphere of celebration all mingle throughout Old Town. Property damage, fighting, less than subtle illegal activity, and crowding all become more of an issue than they usually are during this time. It's the perfect setting to lay down the law, or to not be noticed by it.

On top of it all, each and every member of the Company's workforce can expect to have their documents double and triple-checked. Those with any suspected ties to Leith are likely to undergo a more serious investigation. One-on-one interrogations become common practice, and whether you're trusted or suspect, you may come face to face with a companion in your duties. True Leithan sympathizers are what the Company review is after, but anything else unturned will surely not be ignored. Cover your bases.

Westies: Harvest Week

Harvest week is in full swing throughout Westerley - visa workers have been shuttled back in droves from their time on Leithian farms, many of whom were willing to take some of their observations to information brokers for a price. Most had superficial information to sell (the state of unease on the average farm due to the impending Accords, the increased suspicion that the migrant workers were forced to endure, the fear of retaliation by the rebellion for the True Leithian attacks), others with reports of increased security and weapons caches on the farms of those whose sympathies lie with the “heroes” of the attack in Old Town.

Old Town, however, is even more of a chaotic mesh of humanity with the mass influx of returning bodies. Bars stay busy day and night, the hokk and ale flow almost faster than most can keep up, and many Enforcers and Killjoys alike can make a good bit of extra joy (or free drinks) by moonlighting as security at the more popular locations.

Despite all of the fun to be had, there is still the undercurrent of unrest, because Company checks have increased even more and Intake has become a revolving door of petty criminals being held for the smallest infractions. Everyone is on edge as the Resistance grumbles and the Nine search the shadows for something or perhaps someone.

The unrest only worsens once Leith is placed under quarantine.

And through it all, criminal activity is on the rise. Somehow, despite the strict regulation and transport of migrant workers, there is an increased access to Jakk and Bliss. Norn has an ever growing market, and weapons dealers are in high demand both in Eulogy and by private buyers alike.

Something is brewing beneath the revelry, and no one wants to be caught unable to defend themselves, it seems. Not that any amount of firepower can defend against disease when P43X shows up on W3D7--but it can certainly make the symptoms worse.

True Leithians: Second Stage

Wounded and pressed to a corner, the beast rears its head and bares a maw of teeth and ruthless pursuit. The True Leithian organization does not take pause to mend wounds left in the wake of last week’s retaliation, no. They do not seek the comfort of safe haven and recovery.
Instead they turn their anger and fear inward, sacrificing their own for what they believe to be the greater good.

On Week 2, Day 6, three individuals slip into the crowds of Leith, mingling with the revelers and the families celebrating Harvest Week. They share smiles and laughter, they share conversation and drinks, but most importantly, they share infection. Each of the three is responsible for disseminating P43X, a viral bioweapon designed by Zan Nikora on behalf of the military in years past. During its conception, the aim of P43X was simple: to create a weapon which could demoralize and destabilize an entire population within a matter of days.

To create madness that builds in the blood and eats into the brain, spreading through every tier of society.

And though its use has long been out of commission, its engineer has lingered. Zan Nikora, kidnapped and held under threat of death not to himself but to those he holds dearest, is made to choose between the lives of his family on Westerley or the strangers on Leith.

His choice is obvious, though far from easy.

Reassembling the buried curse takes time, supplies, and testing. He is provided amply with the last two but scarcely with the first.

But still he complies. When his madness maker is complete and his existence becomes a potential loose end, it’s not freedom that Zan Nikora tastes, but the poison of his own medicine.

Only once the voices in his head have risen above whispers and turned to screams, when his mind can no longer hold secrets worth sharing, does he see his family again.

It takes six days*. Six days and Zan Nikora stumbles through Old Town, eyes unseeing, mind riddled with disease—infection spreading.

Mod Note: *W3D6. Cure and vaccines will be developed and disseminated beginning on W4D3, but will not be fully administered to all locations until W4D5.

Leith: Pocket Posies

Harvest Week in Leith marks a period of joy and relief. Bazaars are open longer, the ordinary bustle of the business day replaced with celebration and festivities throughout the evening hours. Vendors offer games for adults and children alike, the sky is a constant wash of soft pinks, purples, and greens from holographic firework shows, and music fills the air from different stages. All walks of life are welcome to join in the merriment, just so long as they have the right to be there. Anyone suspected of an invalid visa or citizenship papers are dealt with harshly, but quietly. Tucked away into the darkness of a holding cell like all of Leith’s more problematic elements.

It is a time of peace and relief, this week, and they will not abide disruption.

But within the hallowed days of celebration, a sickness grows, incubating. Spreading.

First, it begins with an ache deep within the muscles. The body tires too quickly, the flesh burns with a blanket of rising fever. Whispers skirt at the edge of hearing, unintelligible but audible, filling the audio cortex with illusions and lies. Food loses its appeal, though the body yearns dearly for energy it cannot hold, and breathing becomes tighter, harder.

Next the tide of high fevers, of lethargy. The brain devolves into paranoia and mania, the mind races with delusions and hallucinations. Pain follows, a pain that seems to emanate from every nerve without relief or pause, seeping through the muscles and aching within the very bones of a person. Some may wish for death, and for many, that wish will be granted in an unending sleep when the fatigue pulls darkness across the mind, plunges the last thoughts of a person into static slumber.

But not all will succumb so readily, and therein is the weakness that ultimately shelved P43X during its initial creation. Its impacts are not uniform—while much of the population suffers dearly, most are sustained with timely medical interventions, and many others recover with the prowess of their own immune system.

For Leith, bountiful in money and supplies, most of P43X’s more fatal properties are circumvented or delayed. But even in this lush world of affluence and peace, there are the poor, the underprivileged, and the weak. They are not afforded the same haste of care, the same salvation.

Instead, they’re given graves of sanitizing fires, and their bodies turn to ash.

Resistance: Sleeping Dogs

The chaos of the festivities that go along with Harvest Week provides the perfect cover for the Resistance to begin moving once again.

New cells need to be formed in the wake of so many executions and new members need to be recruited. Info brokers with Resistance-leaning sympathies have an opportunity to make a little extra joy by putting the disconnected sympathizers in contact with one another, aiding the vetting of Company insiders that need new handlers within the organization.

For Resistance members already embedded within, they need to work now to find new locations to store what supplies remain and to begin rebuilding the stockpiles of weapons and supplies re-confiscated by the Company. Some may have heard of abandoned mines or facilities that can be retrofitted out in the Badlands while others are needed to track down rumors of Company made fallout shelters located within the under-city tunnels. For this, Company moles are essential - the only hope of accessing these shelters is with long forgotten Company passcodes.

And the Scarbacks, well. Everyone’s heard rumors that there are many within their ranks willing to help with recruitment and contraband transportation, though there’s little the Company can do to restrict their movements at this time. Because of this, Scarbacks may also be the only ones that have a chance of getting into Leith once the quarantines go into effect. Those already aligned with the rebellion will be tasked with coordinating supply movements, making a deal or three with the devil on behalf of those unwilling to back down from the promises of the Accords.

Caution and purpose should drive their movements because if the True Leithian attack is any indication… those nationalists are not going to let go of their precious land and status without a long, bloody fight.

The RAC: Holding Pattern

Warrants still flow in with a regular consistency - enough to keep the average team or agent quite busy. Every harvest season there are visa jumpers that need to be caught and low-level warrants claiming petty theft from farms by Westie migrants. The increasing number of disturbances and crimes in Old Town guarantee a plethora of local warrants to capture criminals across the moon or those that managed to escape an Enforcer’s arrest.

Some, however, have either been requested by Seyah Kendry herself or volentold by their seniors within the RAC to conduct investigations into the attack on the Nine. And not all of these investigations are on the Lady’s behest. Some of the Nine aren’t quite willing to take Land Kendry’s word as law and have quietly requested their own investigations into the attack in Old Town and the Land Derrish misfortunes.

(MOD NOTE: There will be a comment thread for teams to sign up for the specialized plot related warrants on the monthly warrant post, located HERE. Once teams have posted for a plot warrant, the mods will give them a location and focused assignment.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I ➤ HE WAS THE CONGREGATIONS VAGRANT
[ things have been… peaceful these past few days, but with the harvest week shining upon the quad, leo's been busy. the cafe he works at opens at an earlier time and closes at a later time. of course, this gets him more money, but it's also a bit difficult to handle when the other employees don't like him or trust him so much that they refuse to work with him. he's almost always alone during his shifts, and it sucks ass.

he's even more stressed because he suddenly feels a wave of dizziness hit him on his way to the bazaar. he actually has to stop and lean back on the wall to just get ahold of himself. he feels like he's going to pass out, and when his nose starts running blood, it just makes things worse.

a vision in his head appears and he's absolutely certain that what transpired in the vision has never happened. nor will it happen, but it seems so real. his brother, fred, contacts him and tells leo to meet him at the museum that "father has always talked about". what is going on…

eventually, he just wipes the blood off his face with his sleeve and marches on. though considering how busy the leith bazaar is, he's going to have to fight his way to get to the cafe. in some instances, he might accidentally touch someone on the shoulder and get his hand print with blood on their shirt. ah… ]

Sorry, I didnt'—let me get you a new shirt.

II ➤ I'M GOING NUMB, I'VE BEEN HIJACKED
[ news gets to leo fast, thanks to his underground connections. this time, the information he gets isn't something he'd give away to people in exchange for money. he'd willingly give it to them.

to those people he knows who are from westerley, they'll receive a text: A SICKNESS IS SPREADING IN LEITH. DON'T GO HERE IF YOU WANT TO CATCH THE VIRUS

but to those who are sick in leith, he'll try to help out as much as he can. he isn't aware of all the symptoms just yet, but he is on the lookout for people who seem to be struggling to breathe and whatnot. if and when he spots someone who seems to be in need of assistance, he runs to them immediately. ]

I'm here to help. You're going to be okay.

[ … and if they really look like they're struggling, he'll pull them into a hug. sorry about your personal space. ]

III ➤ BANG BANG INTO THE ROOM—wait
[ leo thought he wouldn't get affected, but here he is, having caught the virus. the paranoia has set in which is why he's walking as fast as he can on his way back to his apartment. if there's anybody close-by, he immediately takes a sharp turn and waits until that person passes him.

then he grabs them by the shoulder and shoves them to the wall. a key is held and pushed to their neck. as it's dark, it's difficult to tell what it is that leo is holding against them, but it's metal and it seems sharp. ]

Why are you following me?

IV ➤ WILDCARD
[ hit me up with anything! he'll only be at leith, unless somebody invites him to go to westerley. ]

[He's seen this guy a few times before, but it takes Noctis a few moments to process the how and where. His face is synonymous with the clinking of glassware and smell of fresh coffee and- inexplicably, the weird kink Noctis always gets in his back from sitting too long at one of the tables. The pack slung over his shoulder sways with the sudden contact, the press of a hand trying to navigate through the crowd.] What?

[Noctis' brows crease and his mouth is open, ready to dismiss the apology as unnecessary right out of the gate- until he registers the blood. The blood underneath the guy's nose. The blood on his sleeve. The blood now on Noctis' shirt. His posture shifts immediately. He doesn't fold in or start cocooning the guy, but there's a definite change to the set of his shoulders and the line of his mouth.] Hey- maybe you should worry about yourself first.

[It's too crowded for them to be able to just stop and have a chat right here, but he'll take his cues from the way the other man moves. It doesn't look like the kind of bloody nose he'd expect from a fist to the face. This is probably something else.]

What happened?

Edited 2017-01-12 22:36 (UTC)

What?

[ leo immediately makes a face at the... seeming show of concern. it's not something he's used to receiving, especially when he's in leith, which is most of the time. things have just been very difficult for leo ever since his father passed away.

as if following his instinct, he wipes some blood off his nose again with his sleeve before responding properly. ]

It's— It's nothing. [ the hesitation in his tone is telling that he has no idea what exactly is happening. but he can at least try to lie his way out of this. (he is a terrible liar.) ] I got into a fight.

[Noctis isn't exactly unpopular, but he's seen his fair share of fights. His gaze moves from the guy's eyes to his nose- for added punctuation, he repeats the circuit. It's the closest he's going to get to calling the lie what it is and Noctis' shoulders sag, nodding to a row of stalls off to their right.]

Well. Bring your nothing over here for a minute.

[There's enough space between them now that he's taken the lead that Leo could, theoretically, make a run for it if he wanted to. But there isn't enough space to ensure that his getaway would be unnoticed. Noctis isn't one to nag and he's definitely not the nurturer in a group setting, but it's not in his nature to see someone that needs help and just ignore them because it would make his life easier.

He's got a spot set up for himself a few tents away- everything's still closed down but it'll give them enough privacy for the guy to get cleaned up. And maybe borrow a shirt or something.]

[ um??? leo merely gives noctis an unsure look before looking behind him and pointing that way. ]

I'm late for a work, so--

[ well, technically, he isn't late for work yet, but he will be if he keeps dilly-dallying. but given how dizzy he feels now because of the loss of blood, he probably shouldn't be handling drinks and working. ]

[Noctis isn't a guy who muscles people into things, but he's never really had to either. The company he keeps usually has some kind of self-preservation instinct so he can skip the there is a fountain of blood coming out of your face talk and move into the first aid and let's not do this again part of the exchange.

He sees that moment of hesitation and his shoulders sag on an exhale. Hard ball it is then.]

Look. I can follow you and make this really awkward, or you can come with me to get cleaned up and be on your way. Won't even ask you anything.

[ that only makes him wince, totally uneasy now. if noctis wants to play it this way, then he'll keep playing hard to get. ]

You want to bully me just to be help me? That makes no sense at all.

[His gaze moves to the bloodstain on his last clean shirt, then back to Leo.]

Yeah. Probably makes as much sense as blaming that on a fight.

[ leo just about opens his mouth for a comeback, but he's got nothing good to say. good, in this case, would be something sensible. ]

What's it to you?

[ he's going to surrender any time soon. he just doesn't understand what it is that noctis actually wants. ]

I don't- [A beat. Noctis' act at hardball is often just that- an act. He plays at disaffected apathy, only to be called out in the act- caught like a kid with his hand in the metaphorical cookie jar. His face turns away, an attempt to smooth over the creases in his expression only to wind up dragging a hand over his face in defeat.

What does he say? He hopes someone'd do the same for him, despite knowing how unlikely that is. He knows some part of him would be stewing on it if he didn't at least try.]

It'd just make me feel better. Alright? [His arms fold over his chest: defensive, accusatory.]

[ hm.

he gives noctis a long and hard stare for a few good moments. what's with this guy? he's going to feel better if he patched leo up? ]

You try something, and I'm calling someone. Got that?

[ it's too much to suddenly threaten noctis like that, but he can't help it. he's done getting hurt. ]

[It's only a surprise in the sense that he expects the threat to be a gun to his head and not a call made to someone else. His hands raise, a gesture that's part surrender and part agreement.]

Do what you gotta do.

[And then he's leading the way, space enough between them that the guy would be able to bolt at a moment's notice. The space they're headed to is small- clearly intended for storage and maybe the odd unsavory exchange, but he knows there's a first aid kit floating around somewhere, and a change of clothes in that same in-case-of-emergency pile. Noctis leaves the door open and sets to rummaging- resolutely trying not to think about turning his back on a relative stranger. This is where a friendlier personality would start conversation, an attempt to ease the awkwardness out of the silence. Noctis doesn't. This is mostly because Noctis is terrible at interacting with people he doesn't know.]

[ leo follows, but he's feeling just as awkward. he was thinking that this guy had an actual place for helping people, where he could be treated properly. it just feels as if he was led to noctis' mother's home and into her basement where noctis dwells. it's. not at all cool. ]

I hope this isn't where you live.

[Noctis squints back over his shoulder- and continues squinting right up until his hands are on the medical kit and the tin is sliding across the table.]

Why would I take you to where I live? I don't know you.

[He's not sure if he should be insulted that it's presumed he lives here, or if he wants to petulantly point out that their distrust goes both ways. Instead of doing either, he cracks open a bottle of water and douses a cloth from the pack- holding it out into the space between them.]

Here. You still bleeding or is it mostly dry now?

[ noctis might want to be insulted, tbh. it wasn't meant as an insult. leo was just curious as to whether or not this was actually his home. because he would actually bring somebody to his own home if they were injured.

he just wants to help.

in any case, he uses the back of his hand to wipe his nose again. ]

It's dry now.

[ leo then takes the cloth and wipes the blood off his face. his hands, too. he really looks like a mess. ]

Edited 2017-01-21 04:34 (UTC)

leo elster | throughout the chapter | ota

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