Madison Valley Role Play

"You've been here for sixteen hours, go home Vance. Get some sleep in an actual bed. It'll be fine. The world isn't going to stop. Mountains aren't going to fall. And your patients will still be here when you wake up."

Otis. Otis, you fucking liar. You got everything wrong but the buggery bloody goddamn mountains.

I hope whomever is responsible reads this. Do you? Who is taking care of Mr Rebeck when I don't show up for work? It had best not be Glasses Trainee. Have you an ounce of decency you'll remove Glasses Trainee before she's permitted near any ailing patient with wand or vial.

I like Mr Rebeck, his wife brings pies.

Here's a thought. The children who are my age in this time were born in the year 2000. It's enough to make one feel dizzy. Even a Time Turner mishap couldn't account for all those years.

Shopping here is uncomfortably reminiscent of being shut up in a large warehouse inhabited by disagreeable and noisy creatures. I'm curious; is that a product of muggle society, or of the times?

[Filtered to Hogwarts witches and wizards]

One of you needs to at least attempt to make a Portkey.

Who: Cassi and Pollux Black
What: A difficult conversation
Where: Pollux's study
When: Saturday afternoon
Warnings: None so far

( Read more... )

As there have been many new arrivals, I will address this to all of you, instead of contacting you separately.

My name is Marius Black, and I am the physician who has been in charge of the medical care of the vast majority of the refugees. For those of you who are comfortable with the idea, I would request that you stop by my office for a routine, baseline medical exam. This is not required in any way, but it would allow me to better care for you should you fall ill while you are here.

Secondly, I would like to warn any of you who have arrived from a significant time in the past that you may contract an illness rather like a severe respiratory infection in the next few days. While it will certainly be uncomfortable, it will not be fatal, and you may come by the clinic in order to receive drugs that may help alleviate the symptoms.

Also, if you have come from before the late 1970's, I would like you to come receive a series of vaccinations, including the vaccination for smallpox. It would not do to have an outbreak of any illness in so small and confined of a space.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me in person, or via this device.

[Filtered to Hogwarts witches and wizards]

I am well aware that the vast majority of you deny my existence, but I should like to introduce myself to those of you who will allow me to exist.

My name is Marius Black, I am the younger brother of Pollux and Cassiopeia. If you haven't heard of me (as I assume you haven't), it is because I am, indeed, a squib. But I should like to introduce myself to you nonetheless, and I wish you good day.

I think that I should like to host a proper dinner party and hear the stories that you have from your times.

People here certainly aren't very polite, especially the men, and especially the police officers.

I would only be 'truant' if I were supposed to be somewhere. So clearly I was not.

Who: Pollux Black
What: Feeling sorry for himself
Where: His study
When: Evening, 12/4
Warnings | Status: None | Narrative | Complete

( So much hate for the ones we love. Tell me, we both matter, don't we? )

I can't imagine why we're all being pulled in here. It's full of muggles and Mudbloods and other inconsequential people.

Cassiopeia gave me a copy of the family tree. You aren't all my descendants really then, but Cygnus's. That makes it a tad less strange. The house is alright but I can't see why it's so difficult to acquire house-elves here; London is practically crawling with them.

I expect whoever did this will have their fun and then we'll all be home for Christmas.

(OOC: Arcturus fails at filters. Sorry, muggles! ;) )

Hello?

Hello? What is this wretched thing? Whoever is listening...

I never did believe all those stories about muggles stealing badly-behaved children. Whoever you are you had better send me home right now. I demand that you do, otherwise...

Well. You know who I am, don't you? What do you suppose I'll do to your muggle friends who tell preposterous stories?

Like, how long do you think we'll be here? Will we have time to get used to it?

It's not bad, really, but I kind of miss the angst. It's a lot easier to write depressing angsty romance or poetry in the zombie apocalypse than in this...pre-rising ennui. Although maybe I could use the ennui.

Or maybe I'll just write more porn.

The map didn't say anything about Port Keys. Or hallucinations. So did Salazar Slytherin make a chamber and Rowena hid Port Key Time Turners? I don't understand. I don't think I should say that, the Muggles said it was a network, so there will be other Muggles on it? Like the radios?

If I'm poisoned, none of you would be able to tell me, would you? Or if I were hallucinating?

I don't remember the tests for hallucinating.

I think I lost people.

When I said I wanted just a little break from changing nappies, this wasn't exactly what I meant.

I think I'm finally starting to accept that I'm never leaving this place.

[Filtered to Pollux]

Sirius is back.

He appears not to remember anything, but he's also very probably intoxicated.

I miss magic.

First Thanksgiving without my dad. I won't say it was a happy day, because I don't think that's even possible, but I'm grateful that I could at least spend it with my friends.

I still can't believe he's go-

I have learned that a package of cigarettes in this time and place costs five dollars and eighty-eight cents. I then learned when I tried to convert this to Francs that Francs no longer exist! Instead in France they now have something called the Euro. Well, at least Enjolras, you will be pleased at such a display of unity.

I however will remain aghast. How on earth do people in this day and age afford their vices!? It pains me to know the cost of other such items. I require immediate tutelage.

I was just very curious - those of you who come from other 'magical' worlds; what are the laws surrounding your 'magical' usage? For instance, are there punishments for malfeasance? I suppose I'm not familiar with all the things your different worlds are capable of doing, but I've very curious how your worlds deal with what you can do.

I wish to retract my earlier statement.

This is not a nice place to live, it's beastly, and I was being childishly optimistic and naive when I said otherwise. I apologize to any decent people who were misled by what I said.

Who: Pollux & Cassiopeia
What: Siblings, discussing Cassi's problem.
Where: Their home
When: Evening, after Cassi's network.
Warnings | Status: TBD | in progress

( Read more... )

((backdated, on the night of the 21st!))

[Filtered to Pollux]

Something's happened. Don't be angry-

I don't know what to-
You have to come and help or otherwise-

Merlin, I can't-

((a little later))

Pollux?

Are you still awake?

I have heard much talk lately of the fae, and the dangers people face when they come up against them. If you've a moment, I'd very much like to tell the tale of my own experience with the fae, and the dangers, pleasures, and mysteries that surround them in their land; so close to ours, and yet so far away.

It was not very many months ago, when I went away from University, to the service of Maer Alveron, a particularly powerful Vintish noble. He wished for my skills at tales and music to help him court the woman he loved, which I aided him with very ably and successfully. I shall not go into detail at the moment of how I saved his life from a murderous alchemist, or how I won him the love of his life only to be cast aside by the both of them...

But alas, those are tales for another time.

The Maer sent me, with a motley crew of soldiers, deep into the wilds, to capture a bandit who had been stealing great sums of money from him. Indeed, much is to be told with this tale as well, and perhaps in time I shall tell you of our daring fight, and how I called down the lightning to win the day, but for now, our story goes elsewhere.

On our way back home, we came by a vision of feminine beauty; a woman lovelier than any other, bathing naked in a pool as she sang. Most of the men were enthralled, and had to be held back from rushing to her, and to their certain deaths! For this was Felurian, an insatiable fae seductress from whose arms men have never returned with both their lives and their sanity. We were able to restrain them, but I...enraptured - but not enthralled - by her music, and the beauty of it and of her, made a conscious choice to follow her. And so I did, into the faen realms. I, like others, spent many days in her arms - or was it weeks? or months? or years? Time passes differently in the faerie realms, and I know not how much time I spent with her, drunk with the touch of her, learning all it was she had to teach me about love, and sharing music with her in more ways than one.

But in all my time with Felurian, she was unable to bend me to her will. She tried - oh, what a prize I would have been to her, indeed - as I was far from being one of the hunters or farmers she usually ensnared! But she was unable to control me, as I found her Name, and with it bent her to my will.

In time, my wish to return to my land, to my home, and those I had left behind grew stronger. Felurian had never faced such a thing before, as all men before me had either died or been driven mad in her embrace. But through music, a little bit of trickery, and the power of my magic, I was able to convince her to allow me to leave - on the condition that I would someday return to her. For, I told her, how was I to call her the best of all women at the art of love when I had known the touch of no other women?

And so I, alone of all men, left the faen realm, and escaped the arms of Felurian with my life, and with my mind intact.

And I warn all of you to heed Mr. Dresden's words of their danger; no matter how lovely they may appear. Always remember that there is an alien otherness beneath whatever charmed words they may tell you, and whatever sensual pleasures they may promise.

I've been contemplating the matter and having been here for several months now I have to say that living here doesn't seem nearly as awful as it did at first. There are still distasteful elements, of course, but I am quite able to separate myself from them.

It isn't the worst place to be.

Hey, everyone.

My name's Peeta Mellark, and I wasn't in the best shape when I got here didn't greet all of you as I should have.

When we introduce ourselves at the games

So, I guess what would be interesting to know, since we're all from different places - what's the thing that's most different between this place and your home?

For me, there's so much food, and everyone has so much money. My father owned the bakery in our town, but I could hardly ever afford cookies or cakes, because the cost of sugar was so high. But here, I see kids coming in the morning before school every day and buying two or three doughnuts. It's crazy.

So, what about everyone else?

[Filtered to Pollux Black]

I'm having a tree delivered for us next week! We can see about the decoration then.

Also. I've been thinking, Pollux. Do you think I might try out some of the more difficult spells you've been teaching me - on muggles? I'd make sure they didn't remember a bit of it, of course. It's getting to the point where I need the extra practice, really. I know it's an awfully risky thing to do here and that's why I'm asking your opinion; I shan't do it if you think I shouldn't. Only it's one way to see what I've truly learnt.

So, it's pretty obvious that a lot of us have wildly different opinions about what's appropriate to post on the network and what isn't. Obviously we can't please everyone, but maybe we could come to some sort of agreement on what should and shouldn't be posted on the network (at least without an Over 18 filter)?

These are my suggestions, but feel free to offer your own.

Please Filter the Following to People Over the Age of 18
1. Graphic talk of sex.
2. Requests for sex.
3. Complaints about lack of sex.

Anything else? This isn't telling anyone they can't talk about this stuff, just trying to make everyone a bit more comfortable.

[Filtered; Cassi]
I was thinking it might be nice if you decorated the house for the holiday, Cassi. I've seen the .. lights they put out for it.

We'll get a tree, of course. It'll be a quiet year without all our cousins around, won't it?

Okay, I am trying to make up this pamphlet for newbie arrivals and have some questions for all of you.

What was the most helpful thing someone told you upon arrival?
What was the least helpful thing told to you?
What information would you have liked to have known upon arrival that you didn't find out until later on?

Answers, go!

[Filtered; private]
Everyone appreciates that their family or friends have come to this place, in some form or another. I don't understand. I rather dread mine showing up in larger numbers.

I don't want Irma or the children here. I'm glad they're not. Merlin, for the first time in five years I'm free of them.

Does that make me a bad person? I suppose I'll live with it.

Refugees of Madison Valley,

I am treating a patient at the moment who is very ill with a chronic illness, and the blood tests I have taken have come back extremely odd. I am in need of blood samples from anyone willing to give, for comparison - this is absolutely voluntary, and those of you who have made it clear that your blood is dangerous to public safety are not asked to give.

For those of you who are healthy and willing, you may stay with me while I test the blood, and watch me put the samples in the autoclave to destroy them. You may even have the sterilized tube back, if you wish it. I have no magical abilities to do malicious anything with your blood, and I have no wish to keep it; I simply wish to find out what is the matter with my patient.

I thank you in advance, and again I reiterate that this is absolutely voluntary.

I'm not the speaker Cuthbert is, say true, but I think I need to gather my words and say a piece in defense of us. It's proper confusing to me, but it seems that some of you think that Cuthbert and I see ourselves as above you, which is not the least bit true. Aye, we come from a place not the least bit like this, and I know we've said some things that you've not liked, say sorry. But all we want is to use the talents we were born and trained to in order to provide some degree of security that doesn't seem to be forthcoming from the local peacekeepers. To protect you, to follow the White, to provide aid and succor if necessary - not to rule ya, say true.

I know also that in the reckoning of this place, I'm but a boy. But at home, I'm a gunslinger, tried and tested, and have all the responsibilities and duties of a man. I don't look through my eyes as a boy does, and I haven't for some time. I know most of ya don't know what a gunslinger is, or what we do. And I don't expect ye to. You're not from Gilead, so's the shame, just as we're not from here. I do realize that this isn't Gilead, and that we can't expect things to work the same here as they did there. It's a hard bit to swallow, but I'm trying, and I'm sure Cuthbert is, too. But ya can't just dismiss our experiences because this isn't Gilead. Our experiences make us, so they do, and how we react to things here is going to be based on how our tutors and how our fathers taught us. To act in another way would be to forget the faces of our fathers.

Aye, I've likely said too much, so I have. Words don't come so easy to me as they do to Cuthbert. But I hope some of what I said speaks true to ya, and explains us just a bit more.

~Roland Deschain, son of Steven

So there are a lot of us here now.

And there's been a great deal of focus on our differences, the things we don't like about each other, the things we fear about each other and the council.

But what there hasn't been is much discussion about things we may have in common. Things we may have in common include missing people or things from back home. Here's my challenge to you: what do you miss most about home?

I miss my mother.

WHO: Marius Black and OPEN
WHAT: Feeling left out
WHEN: Friday morning
WHERE: On the streets and outside Cassi and Pollux's house
WARNINGS: TBD
STATUS: Open/Ongoing

( ~+~+~+~+~+~ )

I'll say this publicly because it's important.

I've been reading the debates and trying not to comment on things because I know this world is not mine and I'm not a politician. We nominated three people to be our political voice and I believe that they will do their best to make this a better place for us and keep us safe. They can't do that if we get in their way.

Now then, I cannot and will not vote for gathering a protective force. I also will not advocate everyone keeping to themselves or their different worlds. We have to find a middle ground and find a way for all of us to work together.

I'm from a world where people separated into different factions and swore to be against things that they thought caused the downfall of society and humanity.

And do you know what happened? Less than two generations later, there is all out war in my world because the faction with all of the technology decided that the faction with the least material goods were getting too much food from the ones who enjoyed life and drugged the faction that had all of the weapons to slaughter the peace keepers and the ones that were expelled from any of the factions.

Oh and guess what? Most of the ones fighting in that war are people half of you and the damn council would consider to be children. I'm barely sixteen and I have had to kill my friends to keep them from killing me. I've watched families being slaughtered over the fact that they support one faction instead of another. I'm watching all of the debates on the network and it's not this place that scares me. It's the people that should be working together because we are all in the same damn situation.

I won't give you all of my information for the same reason I won't give the town's leaders all of my information. Because no matter how many people in power say it's harmless information gathering, it only takes one person to twist all of that and ruin everything by using it as a hit list.

This, I know from experience.

~Tris

Let's have a discussion.

Roland seems to have touched a nerve, so I'm officially asking everyone here:

1.) Do you feel unsafe? If so, who/what group are you worried about?
2.) If you do, why? Please mention whether or not this feeling is colored by previous experiences in your own timelines.
3.) What are some ideas you have for alleviating this problem, that you think could be implemented? We all have ideal solutions, but let's focus on pragmatics.

If you don't feel comfortable addressing some of these questions publically, feel free to either tell me privately in some way or say you don't feel comfortable. It's fine, but if you don't say anything at all, even to abstain from answering, we can't know your thoughts and consider them.

In terms of ideas, so far there's been Roland's suggestion of a protective force (which I object to, but I'm one vote). I'd also like to suggest the idea of escorting people, or setting up checks of some sort within the community for those who are interested.

I wish to clarify that I don't actually consider dying here to be a solution to any of the problems we face. I'd so hate for anyone to take seriously what I said in a rather fevered state.

To those concerned: I'm feeling a little better today. I still haven't witnessed any torture or other reprehensible behavior at the clinic, although I took the necessary steps to ensure I wouldn't be a victim in any case and I did manage to stay lucid enough that I haven't got any gaps this time.

I'm hoping to return home by midweek, and visitors will be welcome from then onward; please do telephone ahead

Has anyone seen my spaceship? It's a silver RW6, the very newest model I stole it from I hope nobody's borrowed it for research.

Also, does this planet have a single computer terminal?

Don't get me wrong. It's great to see other humans. Really. And this is - bloody hell, this is Earth, isn't it, I'd just expected it to be a little less boring. Maybe I'm in the wrong place? How far away is Islington?

That lady who only just arrived, Rose? She said that she was shot. That she died. So did Jeremy Gilbert, before he arrived here.

We're not all dead, that wouldn't make sense, but I do wonder. Do you suppose it works the other way? If someone died here, would they disappear and end up back home as if nothing had happened?

[Filtered; Marius]
Did you get that package I sent you?

[Filtered away from Marius Black and Georgia Mason]

I ought to tell everyone this.

I'm unwell and I'll be at the clinic a while. I want to confirm, for those of you concerned about such things, that the muggles from this town who are volunteering their time there have been very polite. Nobody has tried to restrain me or to hurt me in any way, and I've asked them clearly and had them explain to me just what their medicines do.

It's not a particularly pleasant place, but it's not that hospital either, so if you're ever in a similar situation you can take that into consideration.

I'm not going to be receiving visitors of any sort at the clinic, they've told me that's my decision to make. I'd very much appreciate if anyone thinking of doing so can wait and then call on me when I return home. Thank you.

Who: Pollux Black & Open
What: Discussing family, responsibility. Things.
Where: A playground and possibly elsewhere
When: Midday, before he leaves to meet Cassi. 10/15
Warnings | Status: TBD | in progress

( Read more... )

[Filtered to Pollux]

I'm sorry I couldn't keep from
Please don't make me

I'm taking to bed for a few days, Pollux. I don't expect it'll come as any particular surprise to you, really. I was hoping it wouldn't get bad enough that I'd need to.

You won't need to do anything. It's about time I learnt to manage these things on my own, isn't it? I've got medicines with me and I'm sure I'll recover just as I always do.

If you wanted you could keep me company for a while when you get home, it's rather dull being alone when I'm unwell, but I'll understand if you're too busy.

[Filtered; Georgia Mason]
Good evening.
You have
I don't mean to trouble.

Hello, Miss Mason,

Do you have, by chance, a record of my sister's [...] illness as it occurred last? I need the notes, if you do. She's falling ill again and I've got to take her to the

Thank you.

Good day.

As apparently the only licensed doctor among the refugees, I should like to see all of you for a baseline medical exam. The results will be kept in strictest confidence.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions or concerns.

There are so many different muggle medicines in this place. They're almost like potions, aren't they? It's the same idea. Only the names of potions are usually that bit more helpful in indicating what they'll actually do.

[Filtered to Pollux Black]

We did rather well, didn't we?

[Filtered; Cassi]
Cassi?

I've heard back from the agent about the house. Isn't that nice? I've got to go in and sign papers on Wednesday, and then it's official that we've got it.

Don't tell Marius
What if he wants to move in
We shouldn't tell him that it has a spare room

We're finally moving out of these flats. Thank Merlin.

Public Announcement

The spatiotemporally displaced young people now living in Madison Valley have determined their chosen representative. The winner of the election is:

Lissa Dragomir

Future world problem #33. The laundry doesn't wash itself. Wtf House?

It's not feasible to buy new clothes everytime I mess these up or run out of clean underwear, but doing laundry is such a pain in the ass.

[ooc: warning! there's an actual link to porn in the comments.]

[Filtered to Pollux Black]

A few points of note:

- Lissa Dragomir is a magic user. We couldn't have anticipated that, but doesn't it work well?

- Cuthbert hasn't stepped down to offer support to Cesare. It should have happened by now, Pollux. I wonder why he hasn't.

- Leisha Camden is going to vote our way. I was careful and subtle about it and I don't think she even suspected.

- Harry Dresden is an awful man.

Did you get anywhere in speaking with Ciel Phantomhive?

[Filtered to refugees under the age of 20]

Further to discussion after my previous message, the nominees for youth representative candidate are:

Cuthbert Allgood

Lissa Dragomir

Kvothe

Voting is now open. I've attached a link to a secure site where you can cast your vote. You can only vote once, and your vote is secret. If you're a candidate, you can vote for yourself. In fact it would be odd if you didn't.

Voting closes in 24 hours at which point we'll offer official support to the successful candidate.