Liberty City - An RPG

Who: Noah & OTA
Where: The business district
When: Tuesday, September 27th, afternoon
What: Thinking on the new world order



It had been a long day for Noah, and an even longer week. He was one of the mayor's assistants, had been with him since the beginning, long before the McRory virus hit, when metas were just looking for a place to be safe. Having been with the Liberty Project nearly since it's inception, he was able to watch it grow from an idea, to a last resort, to the hope of the future. Only now, Liberty wasn't enough. The entire country was desperate for safe havens, so they were trying to expand, create other towns and cities, repair power sources and make new ones, teach the people to support themselves, in and outside of the city.

Of course, there were still many problems with the system. It was nowhere near perfect, but they were learning by experience. People had long memories and a lot of fear to work past. One of the biggest problems were the nomads. They needed supplies and resources, but didn't trust the system to give it to them. Raiders were making life increasingly difficult for everyone. The world had gotten much more vicious, much quicker than it would have under normal circumstances. It was hard to build when others just immediately tore your work down, and the rest of the people didn't trust you enough to allow you to help.

Still, they persevered. They had to. The mayor sent supplies to the outside, crews and builders, worked with other capitols, lending and receiving aid. Noah felt fortunate. He had joined this project in hopes of doing good in the world, and he got to see first hand that the political leaders truly had it's citizens best interests at heart. There was no room for fame or ego anymore. It was about survival. This meant long, tireless hours on a thousand different projects. He didn't mind. Whatever it took to make the country a better place. Not just for him, or his younger sister, but for everyone, in and out of the city.

So this is what had Noah in the business district at eight o'clock in the evening, trying to get everything ready for the Mayor's speech in a few days. He had to go double check something at an office across the street, but needed a break. He decided to go, grab the paperwork, then get something to eat. He was walking out the building and brushed past someone, accidentally bumping them. Giving the person a smile, he said, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. You good?"

Who: Leila and open (to whoever's place she's broken into)
When: a little after 6pm, Monday
Where: Liberty City - someone's apartment
What: Finding something to eat.



Leila had finally reached the mecca that was Liberty City a few days ago, slipping into the walled city unnoticed and blending in with the crowd. It was easy, something she'd been doing her whole life. She was running on fumes though - even just finding a place to rest her head for a few hours was proving difficult. Finally though, she'd found an empty apartment, with miracle of miracles - actual food in the pantry!

Starving, she got to work, chopping up an onion and garlic and a bell pepper, frying them up then adding the contents of a tin of tomatoes, adding herbs and spices and simmering the whole mixture for a few minutes to get it good and hot, then poaching a couple of eggs on top. When it was done, she scooped it into a bowl and was looking for cutlery when the door abruptly swung open. Leaving the food on the counter, she backed away, moving toward the wall.

Today's date:
Monday, September 26 - October 3rd, 2012

Weather:
Clear skies Monday - Thursday, Friday - Sunday will be slightly overcast

Events:
It's time to prepare for winter! The gardens are being harvested and replanted, people are working on the heating systems, and everyone is getting ready for a cold winter. What are you doing to prepare?

Who: Elektra, Sophie
Where: Liberty City Library
When: Saturday, 11am
What: Making new friends!




Elektra was bored. She had been cooped up in her apartment for the better part of a week. Her foot was finally feeling better, thankfully. She could put weight on it and ride her bike to work. She had only left her apartment to go to there the past two days, and now, she needed to relax. She'd finished the work for the city's newest expansion project, at least for that night. All the rest of her stuff was at work. She had finished reading all of the books she ordered as well. Deciding she needed to get some air, she packed up her books in her backpack and headed to the library.

Riding her bike was always awkward with her crutches, but she had learned how to do it over the past few days. Luckily, she was closer to the library than she was to her work, so she made quick work of it. She hobbled up the steps and inside.

"Hi," She smiled at the girl who was manning the front desk, "I came to return these." She shuffled through her backpack and put down the books she'd borrowed.

Who: Ginny, OTA
When: Saturday, early evening
Where: The site of the fire
What: Ginny is getting ready for her new job


One of the problems with Ginny's power was definitely the fact that she had to know the place she was going to send objects to very well. It wasn't an issue when she was bringing an object to herself, she knew her hands like... the back of her hands. But when she was sending objects away, she needed a clear picture of the destination or who knew where it might end up. She still had a few missing items from learning that lesson.

So when the city decided she could use her skills in a paid capacity by helping to move heavy objects for construction and other purposes, she knew what her first task needed to be. Heading to the newest construction site, a building that had been damaged by an errant fire just a few days ago. Walking slowly around the safe areas, she committed the place to memory, using binoculars to see places she couldn't reach safely. After a few hours spent there, she felt secure in the knowledge that she would be able to move whatever was needed.

It was late, almost dark, by the time she was finished, and she wondered if she'd have enough daylight to reach one of the other sites and do her work there. Pulling out a map to check the distance, she sat at a nearby bench and tried to figure out where she was. When she felt someone sit next to her, she looked over with a curious expression and a smile.

Who: Marlo, Knight, cameo by Jack
When: Monday night
Where: Jack's Diner
What: A friend!date! Yes, that...


Marlo was glad it was still nice out, the air holding just a hint of crispness and nothing more. When she arrived at Jack's a few minutes early and didn't see Knight inside, she decided to wait outside for him. Her outfit was perfect for the weather- her cowboy boots, tights under a printed cotton dress, and a chunky knit cardigan over it all. She hadn't tried to do anything fancy, and that included her makeup and hair, which were just natural and lose. She wasn't trying to hope for anything more out of this. Knight had said friend, and she'd hold herself to it, if only for her own heart's sake.

Still, when she saw him, her heart didn't care what her head was saying. It sped up, and a smile spread across her face. "Hey," she called out warmly, heading in his direction.

Who: Phoebe, Price, NPC Caroline Ellis
Where: The hospital
When: 11:04 am
What: Reunion




It was an awkward day in the Ellis home. Caroline hadn't forgiven Phoebe about the fire yet, and Phoebe was still caught between determination and mourning. They worked around it, eating in relative silence, cleaning up and getting ready for the day. Caroline was off to work, and Phoebe was up, getting ready to pay a visit to the newly forming entertainment committee. However, before either of them could leave, they got a knock at the door.

Phoebe was closer, so she answered it first, but it was so unexpected that Caroline stopped what she was doing to listen. They both held their breath. Last time the Ellis women had had a visitor, it was Jackson Roberts, telling them the news of Parker. What could this be?

"Caroline Ellis?" The young man at the door asked.

"No, I'm her daughter, Phoebe," The younger woman told him.

Her mother appeared behind her a moment later. "I'm Caroline Ellis. Can I help you?"

"I'm here regarding your son, Price Ellis. There was a missing persons report filed for him and we were told to contact you if we had any news of your son."

Phoebe grit her teeth and prayed that he was okay. I would know if he weren't' She thought. She took comfort in that fact. If something were wrong, she would know.

"He came into the city yesterday afternoon and was admitted to Liberty General Hospital last night. If-" The man didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence. Phoebe, hotheaded and impulsive, pushed past him and took off running.

"I'll meet you there, mom!" She called to her mother as she faded from sight. She ran until she couldn't breathe, getting to the hospital as fast as she could. She knew it, she just knew it! She had felt better last night than she had since she got the news of Parker's- well, the mishap with Parker. She still refused to think the word 'death'.

Now she knew why she was feeling better. Price was here! She reached the hospital, breathless, but excited. Her eyes fairly lit with the fire inside of her. "Which room is Price Ellis in?" She asked the nurse.

The nurse did some checking and said, "Room 324. Third floor, take a left, and it's at the end of the hall." Her energy revitalized, she blazed up to the room, mindful not to knock over anyone on the way. She didn't pause at the door, just headed straight into Price's room.

Who: Katerina & Jackson
When: Friday Evening
Where: Out in the woods
What: A flight of fancy



Katerina was moody. Despite the fact she had made it to Liberty City, and secured work as a translator, which kept her days, and at times her nights, busy, she still felt at a loose end. For once, she didn't have a mission to work towards. She was free to do whatever she wanted, and she knew she should be thankful for that, yet all she felt was lost and restless. She didn't have any clue where she fitted in here - she was just as much an outsider in Liberty as she always was.

After pacing her apartment like a caged tiger for half an hour, she gave a snarl, then walked out, climbing the steps to the roof of the building, transforming into an eagle, and taking to the skies. Soaring high above the world, she let the rush of wind carry away her tension, let her troubles fall away. Finally, she felt calm enough to land, though she wasn't ready to return to the city just yet. Swooping down gracefully, she transformed from eagle to woman as her feet touched the ground…

Who: Clay, Alejandro, & Marina
When: Saturday Afternoon
Where: Around a building site
What: How to save a life... x2



With the recent fire, and the housing shortage becoming more dire by the day, Clay was under a lot of pressure to get the Acacia Street building site finished as fast as possible. His crew were working extra hours, even putting in time on the weekends to get it finished. It was hard work, made harder for the fact that they didn't have access to the equipment that they were used to using - the fuel shortage meant they have to make sparing use of the heavy machinery, so they'd reverted to the old ways of doing things.

Clay was looking over the site, checking off what they'd done and figuring what they needed to do next, when he caught sight of a boy wandering around on the site.

"Hey kid! You can't be here! Get out of here! Skedaddle!" The boy didn't even seem to notice he was being yelled at, apparently too fascinated watching some I-beam being hoisted up with ropes and pulleys to pay any attention to people yelling at him. Clay climbed down from the scaffolding and was headed in the boy's direction when he saw it, a chain reaction in the making, A split second after he saw it, it happened: One of the workmen was carrying a plank, which knocked a precariously balanced bucket off the edge of the scaffolding, which fell heavily into a trailer, making it see-saw and catapult a brick into the air. The piece of masonry was hurtling straight for the boy's head. "Crap!"

Wasting no time, Clay picked up a hammer and threw it at the brick, it impacted with a loud crack, deflecting the brick from its deadly course. "Hey kid! You gotta get out of here, you could've died just now!"

He was so focussed on the kid that he didn't even notice his crew turning to see what was going on. He heard a loud clang of metal crashing into metal before a piece of I-beam fell, knocking him down, unspeakable pain ripping through his torso as he was skewered on a piece of rebar...

Who: Chase, Gabe, Sophie later
Where: Just outside the city, Sophie and Chase's apartment
When: Evening, Saturday
What: Finding a home for Gabe




( Chase needed to know he was alright. )

Who: Spencer, OTA, possibly council members
When: Friday, late afternoon
Where: HQ then outside
What: Spencer is being a hardass


Sorting through the housing paperwork that had been laid in her inbox, Spencer shook her head and sighed. They were being too forgiving with their extensions. She was pretty sure any sob story at all would garner an extension at this point. Apparently, no one but her stopped to consider the costs to the city when the citizens were granted leave to live for free past the 30 day deadline. Especially given that they were short an entire building thanks to the fire and new arrivals were coming every day. Soon, they'd have to turn away new people if they kept this up. Or risk being unable to offer the free housing that was so vital to getting as many survivors in one place.

Making marks on a few sheets, she sent them back to the housing department, half of the proposals now rejections. It used to hurt her to do that, back when they were just starting. She'd let a few slip, padding their books with her own personal money. If she'd kept doing that, she'd be homeless herself, though. And really, it wasn't helping anyone to continue on this way. They just needed to be thinking more efficiently. One thing she could do, though, and did, was donate to the rebuilding of the complex that had caught fire. It was a charitable donation, right?

Packing her files into her bag, she clicked her way down the hall, done for the day. Maybe she'd check on the progress they were making since yesterday's fire. She was so focused on her mission, she didn't notice she was on a collision course.

Who: Elektra & Matt
Where: City streets
When: Sunday afternoon
What: A meeting




It was Sunday, but that didn't mean Elektra wasn't working. She was a planner for the city, and liked to see her work in action. True, her powers kicked in better when she saw maps and such, could visualize the whole city, but she still liked to see how things were progressing with her own two eyes. She sighed when she saw the recently burned apartment building. That would set them back a little. They already had people working on repairing it though, but the city needed the space. It was a piece of the puzzle that Elektra saw and she needed every one for the picture to be complete.

She wandered the streets, taking notes, making mental reparations. She was almost at the market, near one of the big bulletin boards. People put missing posters, help wanted, apartments for rent, all kinds of things up there. The city even had begun to utilize them so they could get the word out on certain things.

Elle glanced over at it, then tripped on a rock. "Oh!" She had time to cry out, flailing before being caught, just before she was about to hit the ground. "Oops."

Who: Jackson & Matt
Where: Outside the gates
When: Wednesday, morning
What: Welcome to Liberty




"I think we should rest here," Jackson told his brother as he slowed to a stop. They were close to Liberty, a few miles at least, but he didn't want Matt to burn out before they got there. Who knew what they would find? Gangs? Looters? A pipe dream that had never been fulfilled? Either way, Jackson wanted to be sure they were ready.

He put down his pack and thought about how unfair it was. Matty had things great before the war. He, luckily, never joined the fighting, but Jackson did. He had to. He had been almost normal before, a fresh out of law school, small town lawyer in Charlottesville. Then the meta war broke out, and Jackson tried to ignore it for a couple years. It didn't quite work out.

"How you doing?" He asked, noticing how quiet his brother had been during the last leg of the trip.

Who: Price, Open
When: Friday, afternoon
Where: outside Jack's Diner
What: Price arrives


Price couldn't remember ever feeling as exhausted as he did at that moment. Weeks on a boat where he'd been unable to move without being violently ill, followed by a hike from the coast toward a city he knew nothing about. His companions had touted it as the next Mecca, but he didn't care. He needed to move on in a few days anyway, keep heading toward his family.

He couldn't get into the city without registering, and that registration came with a room, luckily. He was eager to get into an actual bed, but he didn't think he could make it up the required stairs. Leaning against the pillars outside of the diner below his apartment- for the next few days at least- he tried to gather his strength for the last stretch of his journey.

Who: Marlo, Adrian, Arianna
When: After school Monday
Where: The school yard
What: Knight picks up Ari and runs into Marlo


Having returned to the school after being released from the hospital, Marlo finished out the rest of the day, her stomach fluttering more and more as the clock counted down. Had the doctor's statement been innocent or did it mean more? Was she reading into things too much?

Finally, the day ended, and she went outdoors to wait with her students for their parents or guardians to pick them up. The kids usually took it as an extra recess, and it was much better to have the teachers there to supervise, and to make sure the kids went home with the right people. "Robby, slow down," she called, following after the exuberant boy before he could hurt himself or someone else. He turned to see who was calling, but unfortunately he didn't stop running until his little legs carried him into the edge of the playground ladder where the younger students were playing. "Oh! Robby, are you alright?" Marlo hurried over, crouching next to the boy. He didn't appear to be hurt with the exception of a scrape, but she instructed him not to move anyway while she checked him out.

Who: Jack, OTA
When: dinner-ish, Wednesday
Where: Jack's Diner
What: Jack is working


Wiping down the last of the tables before the dinner rush could come sweep him away, Jack looked out at his empty diner and sighed. Not because it was empty, but because it was his- a happy sigh. He'd always loved cooking, ever since his mother had sat him on the counter when he was young and let him play in the flour. It wasn't like he'd set out to become a celebrity, that part had fallen in his lap quite unexpectedly after his second restaurant had launched with great success. He was young, handsome, charismatic, and talented- though the network hadn't really cared at all about his cooking skills. They had just wanted to sell the product that was Jack.

But now, with all of that behind him, he could start fresh, and had. The diner was as much of a success as he could hope. It kept him afloat, financially as well as emotionally. And if he sold his food at cost or lower sometimes in special circumstances, all the better in his mind. It wasn't about being rich, it was about feeding bodies. If only he could find some help who agreed. The last girl had sneered at him after two weeks of working, saying he was stupid and too emotionally invested. Secretly, he suspected she'd just come to realize his past life persona wasn't his real personality. When he hadn't hit on her, she'd been hurt, and left. And he'd had his help wanted sign up for almost a month now with no nibbles.

Walking back behind the counter, he took to the stool back there and opened his books, making notations on recipes and trying to balance his budget while he waited for a guest.

Who: Phoebe & Sebastian
When: Afternoon, around 3pm, Thursday
Where: A construction site
What: Sparks and infernos



They were wrong.

The single thought blazed through Phoebe's mind as she stormed out of the house. She ignored the calls behind her, begging her to stay. It couldn't be true. Parker was one of the single strongest people she knew, sharing the title only with her twin, Price. She refused to believe it, refused to allow the thought that he was dead even enter her mind.

As Phoebe swept down the block, past where they were building an apartment, she tried to rationalize what she'd just heard. The man who came to visit she and Caroline, the man who had been in Parker's regiment, could have been mistaken. Had to have been mistaken. Jackson had only seen Parker go into the building before it was attacked, it didn't mean that Parker had stayed in it. He was a damn strong Meta himself. He could have very well survived and said 'fuck this war' and left.

She reached a dead end on the road, so she turned around, not even sure where she was going. She just needed to run, get away. The city was suddenly too small for her. She found herself inside the future apartment, wandering through the halls. She screamed in frustration and the stack of lumber before her erupted in flames. The building was empty, she could take her pain out on it. Tears streamed down her face as her hands became glowing embers and she pushed the walls, threw things, destroyed anything she could touch.

After a few minutes of this, she sank down to the floor, spent. Absently, she tried to call the fire back to herself, put it out.

And it wouldn't stop.

The flames continued to feed on the building, consuming it in moments. She stood and tried again and again, but she couldn't stop the fire. Then the ceiling gave out and everything went dark.

Who: Adrian & Marlo
Where: The hospital
When: 11am
What: The doctor is in!




Adrian had finally made it to Liberty. It was different than he expected. After living in little townships and camps for a year, living in a city again was an adjustment. He had trouble letting Ari go to school during the day. He hadn't really trusted many people with her to begin with, then his mother passed before her eyes and the world got so much colder. He had to remind himself that things were different here, that she would be safe. They had teachers and daycare workers and people who just wanted to make the world better. He could breathe easy. Yet, for some reason, he wasn't ready to.

He came and relieved the soldier they had on at the hospital once he got there. The guy had field medic training, but wasn't a doctor. He went back to guard duty and helping police the gates and Adrian took over for him. He went to the nurse and asked, "What've we got?"

"Wrist trouble in curtain one. Could be a fracture, but I can't tell. Then Mr. Hadley needs to have his bandages removed today. Pretty slow morning," She informed him. He thanked her and went into the first curtain.

"Hey there, I'm Dr. Knight. Marlo, is it?"

Who: Phoebe & Open
Where: The outdoor market
When: Midday, Thursday
What: Hello again




It had been two months since her arrival in Liberty City, and Phoebe was finally starting to get the hang of things. Yet, at the same time, she felt adrift. Her mother had a purpose. She used her ability to create fuel, clean water, transmute any liquid to whatever the city needed. Phoebe, however? Not so much. What use did a pyrokinetic and circus performer have? Nothing she could think of. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the case of many in Liberty. So she searched, hoped, and worked odd jobs around in the mean time.

Maybe she could put together her own show of some sort. People were starving of boredom in the city. Sure there were a few things to do, but mostly everyone was on survival mode. Entertainment was rare, at best. She toyed with the idea as she walked to the outdoor market. She needed to kill some time, and her mother had asked her to get groceries for the two of them. Sadly, only the two of them. She didn't know where her brothers were, but hoped they were alive. She knew her twin was. They had a connection, a slight empathy. She wouldn't be able to ignore it if he died. However, her elder brother's fate was a mystery, something that scared her more than anything.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't even recognize the person looking at her and coming near. Not at first. Then she felt eyes on her and turned, hope rising in her chest that maybe, just maybe, it was the twin-empathy kicking in...

Who: Aiden and Lou
When: Late night
Where: Aiden's place
What: Lou goes looking


Lou had made it most of the day before heading to the council for more information. She'd gotten her assignment when they'd given her temporary housing, and she'd taken up the time with getting used to the city. But the whole time, her hands were itching for a slip of paper.

"Good news," she was told brightly by the woman taking queries. "He's looking for you, too. We haven't gotten the chance to tell him you're in town yet, so you're saving us a step."

Paper in hand, Lou set off toward a block near her own apartment. Well, as much as it could be hers, knowing she'd need to move soon. They'd explained to her that the housing was only until she got on her own two feet, and that it better be soon. She looked forward to settling in to her own place, though, so she wasn't planning on trying to milk the system.

Bouncing up the stairs, she was full of optimism and happiness. She was about to see the closest thing she had to an old friend. Except, when she knocked, there was no answer. And no sounds to indicate that anyone was home. Crestfallen, she sat at his door, resting her arms on her knees. She'd wait for a little while... just a little while... then she'd go home. She didn't have anywhere else to be, after all.