Containment: An Original Roleplay: Scenes/Logs/Threads

Who: Rae and Miles
Where: Outside Rae's trailer
When: Late night

( There's a bad moon on the rise )

Who: Rémy and OPEN
Where: Black & White movie night at the theater in the West District
When: Night, after Citizen Kane

( Rosebud )

Who: DeWitt & Ezra
What: All this tension in camp.
Where: The crew corral.
When: A little while before sunset.


( There was a bottle of whiskey in one hand. )

Friday, February 3^rd, 2215

Weather: Bright and sunny, with a brief flurry in the early afternoon.

Events: It's Friday night, which means there's lots to do in Haven. Of course, Otherworld is still all the rage, but there's always other options out there. A movie theater in the west district is having a black and white film festival tonight, with half off concession vouchers to anyone in costume. A bar across the street promptly mooches off the idea, offering no cover charge to those with ticket stubs.

Things in the Diaspora camp are pretty tense. The elders still haven't made it known if they've decided what they're going to do about the situation, and the people all have some pretty strong and varied opinions. A large-sized group starts preemptively packing, running on the assumption that camp will have to move in the very near future. Many are saying the soldiers should simply be killed, because were the tables turned, it's what the Havenites would do. And of course, there's always the odd doomsayer or two. One parks himself outside the communal dining tent before breakfast and starts ranting about how it's all a sham and that Haven is trying to lure them into a trap with false information. At some point, someone knocks him out just to shut him up. No one seems to know (or care) who. Things are slightly worse come sunset, when another guy gets drunk on some bad moonshine and starts running around and shouting about how the only way to survive is for everyone to leave the Diaspora and go their separate ways. That actually triggers something of a panic in sections of the camp, and it's quite the pain in the ass for rational, empathic souls to calm things down.

Placeholder!

Who: Natasha, Teddy and Elizabeth and Adam Weyland (NPCs)
What: DINNER!
Where: Osteria Salina (Upscale Italian Restaurant)
When: Thursday Night

( Bellissimo! )

Thursday, February 2^nd, 2215

Weather: The sun comes out, adding to the general slushyness of Haven.

Events: Haven's still all buzz over Otherworld. It's all anyone seems to be talking about. Besides that, the old pre-cat film Groundhog Day is playing today only at a theater in the west district. Groundhog Day isn't observed in Haven - it's one of those things used to laugh at the silly superstitions of pre-cat society, but fun films are fun films.

Things are very busy at the Diaspora camp. Around noon a scout enters the communal dining tent, and says he has the whole story - because he was one of the scouts that brought them in.

This scout - a man in his early 50s by the name of Flint - has a really good reputation in the camps. He’s a hard worker, and a dedicated scout, known to have a good head on his shoulders. He also likes to talk though, and talk he does. Flint tells a tale of coming across two heavily wounded men while patrolling with a few other scouts. Initially, they had no idea who the men were - their conditions were so poor, their wounds so grievous. Flint describes them as being covered in wounds and burns, drenched in blood, and improperly dressed against the elements. One of them was missing several fingers, with the wounds cauterized shut. Upon encountering other human beings, they simply collapsed. At that point the scouts began tending to their wounds, mistakenly assuming them to be fellow Diaspora. At one point one of the men woke up and announced himself to be Haven military - a mere breath before begging for help. Flint made the decision that they should be brought back to the elders. There, the one coherent soldier tells the group that he and his unit had been scheduled to return to Haven on the day of the maelstorm. They tried to take cover as best they could, and all experienced a great sense of disorientation. When it was over and their heads cleared, they found they were in unfamiliar territory. Shortly thereafter, the entire unit was attacked and captured by NYC bandit gangs.

At that point, the story gets a little unbelievable - at least to the average Diaspora. The soldier insists that there is an actual army of bandits in the city that have taken over Manhattan. Many different gangs have banded together, with a mind to set out and conquer new territory. From that point out, the unit was subjected to a constant stream of torture. Flint refuses to repeat some of the ‘atrocities’ described, but it was apparently pretty brutal, even by city gang standards. The soldier insists that the army is planning to march on Haven, and anything that stands in their way. And yes, this includes the Diaspora.

Apparently a scout called bullshit on the idea that two wounded soldiers could escape, but Flint put forth the idea that they could have been intentionally allowed to escape to tell people what was going on. At any rate, from that point on the elders dismissed all the scouts.

Flint’s story makes the rounds pretty quickly, and finally the elders call everyone to an announcement at about 6 PM. They confirm Flint’s story to be true, and announce that they have decided to help the wounded soldiers and send them back to Haven when they are well. Nothing else regarding the story the soldiers tell has been decided, but they’re sending out every available scout in parties to try and confirm the information.

Who: Cam and Alex
What: Playing Paragon's Epoch
Where: Otherworld
When: Late Afternoon

( Let's play a game.... )

Who: Erik and Sasha
When: afternoon
Where: West District
Warnings: language? IDK. Will update if needed!

( running to nowhere )

Who: Rae and Ezra
Where: Meal tent
When: Around 2pm

It was a rare thing for Rae to be like this, even more so when everyone was unpacking and setting up their new camp, and people needed help. She had done a lot of heavy lifting already, setting up her trailer as well as her grandfather's, the chairs outside, then helped a few other people with their set-ups before moving onto the supply storage. All that in one morning, and now Rae found herself not just exhausted but quiet and withdrawn despite her seat outside her trailer. She had become deeply suspicious of the recent turn of events. The only people Rae trusted even less than Diaspora, the only people she probably hated more - which was debatable, of course, but still - were here. Haven soldiers. The council wasn't saying much, no one had any information when she had asked about it in hushed whispers, and now Rae found herself seething at the very idea. Actually seething.

( a world of nope )

Who: Liese and Kaylan
Where: Otherworld
When: Evening

( I could be reading. )

Wednesday, February 1^st, 2215

Weather: The rain’s stopped, but things are still very slushy and sloppy in Haven.

Events: The grand opening of OTHERWORLD!

OTHERWORLD is Haven's first and only 24-hour Virtual Reality playground. Located in the first five floors of the downtown Stradford Building, OTHERWORLD is designed by Haven's best and brightest, and is a technological and entertainment marvel.

OTHERWORLD hosts over a hundred game rooms, each room holding six VR Loungers. Loungers are reclining, full-body seats designed for perfect relaxation and comfort. Through the most cutting-edge technology, Lounger is loaded with non-invasive sensory devices that read patterns in eye movement and subtle electrical signals from the body, allowing players to maneuver their characters and perform commands without the use of a controller. Loungers are positioned in a circle, facing the large, circular Omnibox in the center. The omnibox projects the desired simulation into the Loungers, creating some of the most realistic high-definition simulations ever generated in a virtual space. Patrons may tap into a variety of pre-designed worlds of their choosing, take on a nearly unlimited number of roles, and gain prizes and recognition among the OTHERWORLD community for tasks and achievements.

OTHERWORLD is also the only place where Havenites can experience the thrilling real-time adventure of Paragon's Epoch (PE), the most immersive and addicting MMO ever created. Create and save your characters to your OTHERWORLD profile. Level and continue your progress from one visit to the next. Play with friends, create clans, and destroy your enemies! Choose from six races (elf, dragonling, felid, dwarf, wolfkin or human) and six classes (barbarian, cleric, wizard, archer, assassin, or druid), each with unique, customizable traits and abilities! Loot for money or thousands of different types of gear, including customizable weapons and armor! Gain ranks in a worldly skill of your choosing, such as blacksmithing or mining, and increase your clan's social standing! Don't forget to sign up for an account at ParagonsEpoch.net, and download the comm application to keep an eye on your clan's status, and your own rank on OTHERWORLD's leaderboards!

Game rooms are rented out to users at a rate of $10 an hour, regardless of how many players are logged in. Come forget reality! See our customer service representatives for kids, senior, and military discounts!

Disclaimer: While OTHERWORLD hosts content for visitors of all ages, Paragon's Epoch is rated 16+ for mature content.

The Diaspora camp is full of buzz today. Initially it’s a lot of gossip, with a lot of the circumstances changed around one core fact - there are Haven soldiers in the camp. How and why that came to be is up for a lot of discussion at first. There are all kinds of rumors - everything from how it’s the start of the rebellion, a mutiny in the armor, or lost soldiers with amnesia due to the latest maelstorm. There doesn’t seem to be anyone with solid information, and the elders are NOT commenting on the situation yet.

Who: Axel and Open
When: Late afternoon
Where: A park in the city
Warnings: TBD

( All was silent as before — All silent save the dripping rain. )

Who: DeWitt, Ezra, and Ro (aaand NPC Diaspora)
When: Late afternoon
Where: new Diaspora camp
Warnings: Language, innuendo, God knows what else to come

( Looking for a fight? )

Tuesday, January 31^st, 2215

Weather: The rain continued through the night and most of the morning, making it a dreary, slushy day.

Events: In the news today, the body of Maxwell Wallace was found by a relative this morning. It is made known that he appears to have died of a suicide, but no additional information is being released to the public at this time.

Beyond that, it’s business as usual in Haven. The Council releases a statement that they have exciting plans for the coming year, and promises to release additional information ‘in the very near future.’ No one really knows what this could mean, though.

The Diaspora are busy today, as they are packing up and moving to a new campsite. It’s pretty routine for them - every couple of months they move to a new location. This one is a bit earlier than anticipated. Usually they stick to one camp for the majority of the winter, if at all possible. With Rika on the inside and Ricky dead, however, the elders have made a call that it’s probably better to move now. No one really imagines Rika of giving them away, but the sad truth is they still have no idea how Ricky died, and if anything incriminating was found on his body by Haven soldiers. Most of the morning is spent packing up, and then the Diaspora travel together in a caravan. A small group stays behind to cover tracks and make sure nothing important is left behind. The new camp is some fifty miles to the north, and just slightly to the east. Strategically, it offers pretty good cover and concealment. There’s a lake, a large clearing, and forests all around. Without crossing the lake, there’s only one point of entry - a path that must have once been a road through the forest, and it can be guarded very easily. The rest of the day is spent settling in - putting up tents, doling out resources… all pretty standard stuff.

Monday, January 30^th, 2215

Weather: It’s a dark, cloudy day. The overcast skies finally give in to freezing rain shortly after noon, and keeps on until well into the evening.

Events: To the surprise of some, elections continue. Starting at 7 AM citizens of age are encouraged to go to their designated polling places and vote on the Council elections - despite heavy pressure from some groups to see Maxwell Wallace investigated and prosecuted. Wallace, for the most part, is MIA. Gossip is that he asked a relative to watch after his daughter, and no one’s 100% sure where he is for the remainder of the day. There’s a few picketers outside of his home, but lights never come on to indicate that anyone is inside.

The polls close at 7 PM, and by 9 officials are able to confirm: Kieran Sullivan keeps his seat, by a landslide. Shortly thereafter Sullivan throws a raging party at the Dovetail Club, accompanied by Piers Abrams and Rollin King. It’s considered by many to be slightly inappropriate considering current events, but something of a tradition for the three all the same. The three are known to favor the brothel, and on election nights they throw amazing parties - with free drinks and other, ah, entertainment for anyone lucky enough to get in the door. Expect the club to remain packed to capacity until the early morning hours.

Who: Teddy and Elizabeth Weyland (NPC)
What: Talking to Ma on the phone
Where: Teddy's apartment
When: Sunday, January 29th (7pm)

( Thanks, mom. )

Sunday, January 29^th, 2215

Weather: No changes.

Events: Anyone waiting for Julia Burke to go public with what information she has on Elena Maxwell will not be disappointed. On today’s news, she drops a bombshell on Haven: she has Elena’s suicide note. It is explained that Elena gave her the key to a locker room, and told her to open it after work. When Julia did, she found a letter, which she reads on-air.

“By the time you read this, I will be dead. I have lived a life of private misery and guilt, my shame and loathing being saved for times behind closed doors. I find I can no longer bear it. It has to end, and this is the only way I know to end it.

It is selfish, what I’m about to do, but I can no longer bear the burden of living with what has been done. What I allowed to happen. What I pretended not to know.

In July of 2207, when my son was only seven weeks old, an old friend of my mother’s visited my home with a gift. What she gave us instead was a curse. Henrietta Crosby had the power of gift detection. She held my son in her arms and said in passing, ‘it’s a shame that he is ungifted, but a great blessing that he should have parents such as you. At least you will see that he is well taken care of.’ My husband was beginning to make a name for himself as a ‘champion’ of the underdog, and I know she meant well. She did not see the darkness in Maxwell’s eyes when he learned his son was ungifted.

For the following week Maxwell was cold and distant. He lashed out when approached, and accused me of adultery, for no son of his could be a ‘weakling.’ He raged on about the stain to his family’s honor, and how this would ruin his political aspirations. I urged him not to fear our son’s condition but embrace it. If Max was truly ungifted, I said even that could work in his favor. He could campaign for greater rights for the ungifted. Perhaps our son, my precious boy, was a stepping stone towards equality. And then my baby was found dead in his crib, and they told me ‘sometimes these things happen.’ But I knew the truth. I knew in my heart that Maxwell had killed him. He refused to speak with me on the matter for weeks, until we fought and he insisted ‘whatever I did, I did for the good of the family.’ He struck me then, and from that day on I have lived in fear of him. He told me to hold my tongue for the good of our daughter, and I did. But he is a monster. He has abused me in every way a husband possibly can abuse his wife, but I would suffer a thousand deaths if it could bring my son back.

Lacey’s powers manifested this year, and I know she will be safe. I can no longer live with the guilt. My husband is a hypocrite, climbing to power on the backs of the people that disgust him. This is the best way I know to stop him.

Please tell my story. Have my ashes mixed with those of my son, though I am unworthy. I could not protect him in life. Perhaps I can do so in death.

-Elena Maxwell”

Julia turns her information over to the police after her broadcast, and it seems one of the first tasks is confirming that it is written in Elena’s handwriting. But honestly, from there things are a bit chaotic. Maxwell Wallace has just been accused of an unspeakable crime, and the only witness is dead. Henrietta Crosby has been dead for several years, so even she can’t confirm whether she ever told the Maxwells their son was ungifted. To make matters worse, Maxwell II’s body was cremated, so there’s no hope of finding anything there. By the end of the day Maxwell Wallace is in hiding with his daughter, and the officials still can’t say if they’re going to prosecute.

Elections are tomorrow. What will this mean?

who: Miles and Ro
Where: Diaspora Camp
When: Early afternoon

( Did it belong to someone? )

Who: Olivia and OPEN
When: Evening, 9 pm ish
Where: The Stone Maid
What: Drinking, duh

( Lots of drinking )