MarinaNova Asylum

[ although the morning's rain prevented them from getting an early start on setting up, quinn and rebekah have managed to pull everything off in time for the dance to start. there's tables to sit at when you don't feel like dancing or enjoying the surf, lots of hawaiian-themed snacks and desserts to eat, grass skirts and leis available for those who wish to wear them, lanterns and torches everywhere, with live music provided by quinn, oz, jack, lacus, and anyone else who wishes to get up and sing!

the only thing this party's lacking is the booze, per quinn's intentions of having this be an alcohol-free party. however, that doesn't mean someone isn't going to spike the punch when she's not looking, so if you were planning on doing so -- have at it!

so, go ahead and dance it up with your dates, mingle with some new cr, hop around, and threadjack to your heart's content. festivities will carry on until sometime after midnight when clean up will commence. enjoy! ]

[Classroom #3 of the Education Building has a sign posted on the door that says "Support Group discussion. Everyone welcome. Talking not required. Snacks inside."

Inside the room the long tables used as group desks have been pushed to the sides of the room, some of them with bowls of chips, cookies, and fruit salad in them with cups and drinks on the next table. The chairs are set up in a very loose circle with large cushions in between and some in the center. Miranda had taken the time to drag them and a large space rug into the room so that if people wanted to sit on the floor they could.

Miranda will be going around greeting people and trying to make everyone feel as welcome as possible. On another of the tables there was sheets of paper with notes written on them. Feel free to take one before taking a seat.

( Introduce yourself if you want to. )]

{OOC: Open mingle to anyone who got a postcard invitation two days ago (that would be everyone who was here at the time) or anyone who wanders by and is interested. Feel free to bring a friend (or two)! Mingle, threadjack, just be aware this is all in a small space, so people are likely to overhear each other.}

( Action, closed to Helix )

[ Audio, noon. Open. ]

Hey. [ A familiar southern drawl comes through on the network. Raspy and unsure, like he's not quite sure what to say. ] Th' thing that happened yesterday... did that stick with anyone else? I mean... like a dream or... somethin'.

[ Not quite ready to accept the truth just yet. He could use some reassurance. ]

[ Action, late evening. Open. ]

[ Some days, bad life decisions need to be made. Today is one of those days and that is why Aidan's making his way to Merlotte's for a drink. Several, actually and he knows he shouldn't in the state he's in but he needs to. Just to take the edge off. Just to numb off a little. He's not really interested in talking to anyone (except maybe Sam) but he's also not going to turn anyone away who chats him up.

Hand absently brushing through his short-cropped hair — a standard issue buzzcut that was left to grow — he takes a seat at the far side of the bar. ]

((ooc: canon update is go! You can read up on what he's been going through here since... well. OC. ))

[ welcome to elena's room. it's filled with things. and boxes. some things are in some boxes. she's thought twice about making this video, and then thought twice about making it public (klaus) but on her second thought, she decided to stop hiding in the network.

for the most part.

she's sitting cross-legged on her bed, mister teddy junior in her lap. ] It's kind of amazing how much stuff can accumulate here after a month. [ wait. ] More than. [ she puts him in the box. ] Books, clothes... [ her eyes look out to the space of her thoughts for a only a split second ] people, memories.

I know a lot of us are all working to find a way home. [ her included. maybe. ] I guess I was wondering why any of you would want to stay.


& private to zatanna zatara

I think we should keep our conversations private for now. Even if it's just something silly. It's not a good idea for you to have Klaus' attention. Even if Rebekah's already told him... [ she swallows. it may be a desperate, scared attempt to protect her... but elena's willing to be that, do that. being a witch might attract klaus' attention too, without her help, but... the thing that gives her more pause at the moment is jeremy, jenna - how she kept things from them to keep them safe, and it hurt them in the end. (she lost jenna entirely.) so. ] Is that okay?

& private to sam winchester

I wanted to thank you. For the other day. When we were at the library. [ yeah that's all she's got. it's not about the kiss, or the embracing, but it's subtext. he was there for her when she needed somebody, and he listened. wanted to. and it's more than that - the understanding, and the things they confessed...

subtext. ]

[ amidst the chaos of day 205, there is at least one person who hasn't found time to freak out yet; after all, as far as the pink-haired girl sitting in sector 3's park with a cup of hot chocolate is concerned, today is just another quiet day. she has a warm drink in her hands, cute enough clothing to feel good about it, and she's even shut off her communicator to allow for the perfect relaxation experience.

the bots near her, the ones danging mistletoe ominously? she's just assumed those are decorations. after all, it's not like they could hold any real significance... right? right. so she sits on a bench with her drink, sipping quietly and smiling.

today is going to be a good day - she can feel it. ]

[MOMO was at DF headquarters on dispatch when she wasn't at the Academy for classes during the day. Later in the evening, she could be found walking her dog, Ume, around the park, playing with her and tossing a ball for the dog to chase.]

[There was a bit of a mail delay with PM's disappearance, but everyone on the team should have gotten a letter this morning. By noon the roof of the new Defense Force headquarters is ready for guests. It isn't exactly decked out, but there is a long table with finger-foods: small sandwiches, fruits, and hors d'oevres as well as sweets like cupcakes and truffles. An arrangement of sodas and bottled waters sits on one end next to an enclosed punch dispenser. Sorry, no spiking the punch, kids. There are also small standing tables around the edges. The only real seating comes in the form of benches along the sides. The point is to get to know the rest of the team, not to sit and eat, so this suits Kitty just fine. They can thank Lacus for the fact that there is food at all and that things have been arranged in such a way to promote circulation.

She waits until it seems like most everyone has drifted in and calls for their attention while perching herself up on the wall itself. No fear of heights here.]

( Kitty's state of the force address )

[Once she's done, she hops down. The mixing can continue for as long as people want provided they still handle their sectors.]

(OOC: See marinanova_df for details on the force. Roster. To join. Everyone on the DF and anyone they brought is welcome. Curious passers by likely won't be tossed out. Try your luck!)


[Private video to Dirk, Jake, and Roxy (who isn't here, but she doesn't know that)]
Thanks for the invitation. [Which she read a little late. Sleepovers at Reid's can do that to a girl.]

[You may see Shadow around the shops today, pushing a flat bed cart in the home and bed stores the proverbial IKEA had plenty of things he wanted and needed. A few large dog beds, several bedding sets and pillows galore.

Care to ask what he's doing?]

Happy Anniversary, Marina Nova!

The bots have been busy cleaning up the dome and setting up decorations for this momentous occasion, and by now there isn't a nook or cranny left un-pimped! Bright blue MarinaNova flags wave happily in the artificial breeze together with the colorful ribbons that have been wrapped around poles. The streets are illuminated by strings of lights and paper lanterns and each sector gate has been lovingly decorated with fragrant flower garlands.

Of course, that is far from all! There wouldn't be much of a festival without entertainment and your loving wardens have made absolutely sure that there's something for everyone!

( Let the celebrations begin! )

Enjoy!

[ at this point, it's not nightmares or memories that have been keeping her awake at night - it's bad sleeping patterns. when you don't really get to sleep until two or three for a good three weeks, it really messes up any natural rhythm you might have had. so when madoka's voice transmits over the network, it's quite late - one or two in the morning, at least. she seems apologetic for it - and just a little tired. ]

I'm really sorry if this wakes anyone up. [ it shouldn't wake anyone up who's not already on the network, of course, but it doesn't hurt to cover her bases! ] Does anyone here know any good ways to get to sleep? I tried counting sheep for a while, but that hasn't really helped any...

[ not today, or yesterday, or the day before. after a bit of fiddling, she enables a private channel to homura. ]

( [ private to homura akemi ] )

[Jane comes over the feed. She meant to inform everyone yesterday, but you know how things go here sometimes. You get busy and you really just don't have the time to communicate with the rest of your community.

She's holding up a brochure entitled "Why skipping Group Therapy is Unacceptable".]

So my punishment for skipping group therapy on day one hundred ninety six was to write a brochure stating why my actions were wrong and unacceptable. Anywhere around the prison now you may pick up one of these brochures and give it a read. There are mass quantities placed in the Post Office just in case other places are running out.

[Anyone who picks up a copy will discover that Jane indeed made a brochure. But our of her resentment, and anger towards the good warden Veridical she has made some snide and snarky remarks inside. She will not apologize, and she is certainly NOT sorry for the things she wrote. No worry, it does stick to the theme of "Why skipping Group Therapy is Unacceptable".]

How is everyone? I haven't asked in quite some time.

[Action]
[Miranda's pet vulpix Lee is playing in grass with a few stuffed balls and bells, enjoying himself while Miranda works on the pruning and weeding her memorial garden. She's been at it for an hour or so now, but her distracted thoughts have made it take longer than it normally would.

Still, the thing she has in mind...she wonders if it would do any good. If people would approve or if last week was exactly the kind of reception she would receive. It's been sitting with her for hours and the idea hasn't left.]

[Video]
[She stares nervously into the camera, taking a deep breathing and trying to figure out how to say what she means in the most effective way.]

Um. Good afternoon. I know that things were um...very tense and not exactly comfortable for many people y-yesterday. And I know that not everyone will agree with me, but...I wonder if maybe the problem wasn't...having a place where we could talk about things, but that...well, we didn't have much of a choice in where, when, or what we were supposed to speak of.

[She smiles a little, awkwardly brushing some of her hand behind her ear so it wasn't in her face anymore.]

So I was wondering if...um, anyone would be interested in joining a...group that would meet every few days to just...talk? About anything! What you like, hobbies you had back home, or maybe even things that...others in the group could help you with. [Then she adds quickly.] I-It would be purely voluntary! And we could um...change the location or the topic and you wouldn't even have to talk i-if you didn't want to. You could just come and see that...we're not as different as we think we are.

That's...um...That's it. If you want, y-you can speak with me privately, an-and I promise I won't tell anyone anything you say in confidence. Thank you for your time. [She bows just a bit before cutting the feed.

...Only to turn it back on a minute later looking very repentant.] Oh! I'm so sorry! My name is Miranda Lotto. In--um--In case you want to speak with me directly. Thank you. [And she cuts it again.]

[Zelgadis manages to find himself a not-too-open space in the park in order to finally fulfill his promise to Kitty. Forging metal isn't his specialty, but all it takes is the proper elements: heat and water, a strong arm. And steel, of course.]

[A few words under his breath and he produces a ball of fire over a story high -- then slowly, methodically condenses the power, shrinking it down, super-heating the core. When it's down to basketball-size, he lowers it to the embers of a fire bit he'd built, the steel pieces he'd foraged resting on top, and soon enough they're red hot. Too hot for even his stone skin to handle, so he levitates them from the makeshift forge to where he'll shape them.]

[He couldn't find a proper anvil so he's substituting a chunk of concrete, on which he places the first of the hot metal pieces and blasts it with a concussive spell over and over, sparks flying with each strike as the edge slowly tapers to a point. He does the finer work with a hammer and good old manual labor, but why not be efficient? When the piece is to his satisfaction, he lifts a hand and water rushes down from thin air, causing the cooling steel to sizzle and steam.]

[He sort of hates being out in the open, but only an idiot works with this level of magic in enclosed spaces. It also requires extreme focus and tons of energy, which frankly is fine with him. If he could think about ONLY this for a while, then go back to his basement and collapse into dreamless oblivion, it would be quite welcome.]


((OOC: tl;dr: there's lot of fire and water and sparks going on in the park, courtesy of one (1) stone-skinned man. Quite the spectacle~))

Captain?

[ not picard. janeway. a year and some months change worth of memories came flooding back while she was regenerating, making the ex-drone believe for a split second that she was on a turbolift aboard voyager and not standing in the alcove the wardens had provided her with. she steps off the platform, though in her mind's eye, she's stepping through doors that have just parted-- but then it's gone, giving way to the medical facility her alcove's located in. an empty room with too white walls that contrast against the dark blacks and neon greens of borg technology.

the communicator was activated on accident. she's aware of it being on, and chooses not to turn it off. ] I seem to have experienced... Was I returned and brought back?

[ it feels like she has, yet also like she hasn't. the new sets of updated memories, combined with what she remembers going through on that ghostly-themed day, are somewhat disorienting. she'll need a minute or two to find her bearings before heading out to see to the day's tasks, if there are any. the lack of proper work to be done is beginning to grate, now that commander data's repairs have been completed. ]

If anyone had the chance to meet Kurt Hummel during the few days that he was here, he's gone home. [ he'd probably been sent back when all the ghost nonsense was going on, but quinn hadn't been sure until it was over whether he was missing because of the event or because he was actually gone. ] I'm happy for him. He didn't belong in a prison.

[ with that over, it's time for part ii of this broadcast, which is a big step for quinn. she's been thinking about doing this for a while now, but contemplating it is one thing; actually going through with it is another. ]

I know not everyone went to high school or is from a world as bland and boring as mine must seem in comparison to everyone else's, but when bad things happened, we'd have support groups to help everyone get through the bad and look forward to the better. I don't know how much good that's going to do in a place like this, but I figure, it can't hurt. And... And there have to be other people out there who miss their children as much as I miss my baby.

[ there. she said it. beth isn't a secret back in lima, but getting pregnant and having a baby was something she was ridiculed for during her pregnancy and after her daughter was born. she hates that beth was a notch of shame, when she's something to be proud of. a bright, beautiful baby girl who's going to live a happy life full of everything she deserves, because quinn made the right choice. beth isn't something to hide or be ashamed of, and this is quinn's way of taking back what the halls of mckinley took from her. | BACKDATED TO EARLIER IN THE DAY. ]

[MOMO was alone today, and perhaps that was a bad thing with everything going on. However, she was on her way over to the education center to find out if any classes had changed recently, as people seemed to have been disappearing a lot lately. As she came near the building, she saw a figure standing at the door. He didn't seem to be doing much, and MOMO's sensors weren't detecting him properly. At least, they weren't getting a normal reading. She paused, concerned.

He looked familiar from the back. Then, he turned. She gasped.]

Daddy??!!

[She ran towards him, but he didn't even look at her. It was like he wasn't really there. She reached out to touch him, but couldn't. Her hand passed right through him. Shocked and dismayed, she sniffed, holding back tears, and then ran off.]

[ once upon a time, in a version of voyager's story where captain janeway decided to turn around instead of trying to thunder through borg space, seven of nine became a member of their crew in a very different manner and thus developed into a very different person. gone (temporarily) is the woman robbed of her individuality who struggles with the most basic of human concepts, replaced by the smiling, vibrant person she was in the world of unimatrix zero that she managed to retain upon being disconnected from the collective. except, she isn't smiling right now.

she regards the network feed with an uneasiness that's too open, and a timidness that's not borg-like at all. ]

Hello? My name is Annika, and I don't know how I got here... Or where I got this headset. Captain? My combadge isn't working.

( A prose-y preamble. Not on network. )

[ VIDEO ]

[ The face that pops up on the feed this rainy morning might seem familiar, but even those that just talked to Aidan once or twice will pick up on the fact that something is wrong. His usually wild mop of red is slicked back, the collar of his pinstripe button-up shirt neatly tugged into place. If Aidan owned a tie, you can be damn sure he'd be wearing it now.]

Good morning. [ Smooth, confident and without a single trace of the country-boy drawl.]

This is quite the weather we're having. Awfully dreary… not much one can do on days like this when trapped inside. It's a good thing we have each other to talk to. [A smile, yes he so does love to talk to you. No one needs to know thats not remotely true.] How about we play a game… I'll ask some questions and whoever gives me the answer first gets a gold star.

[ It's around this time that the door to the bedroom slides open behind him and a pissed off Helix wanders in.]

Will you tell me what the fuck I did?

[ There's a shadow of annoyance passing over the man's face, before fading into that deceptively polite smile once more.]

Excuse me. [ With that he tosses the communicator onto the bed. There's a loud noise of skin striking skin before he reaches over to turn off the feed.]

[ OPEN ACTION ]

[ After locking Helix up in the bathroom (you need to discipline your pets, after all) Jethro will take to the streets for a look around. Should you wish to bump into him he's easily found in Sector 2 and 0! While he still looks exactly like Aidan (possession and all) he carries himself with arrogant confidence and he's dressed a lot better than the farm boy ever would be on an average day. ]

((OOC: omg longest post. ANYWAY Aidan is lucky enough to be possessed by an old enemy from home! Video and action replies are equally wanted and there's a good chance that Helix will threadjack as much as he possibly can. Due to hurricanes, things may move slowly but you already knew that. ))

[ Voice ]
[ Subaru sounds rather excited, but it has nothing to do with a new ice cream place opening up, or getting new skates. ] She's back! She's back!!

...

Oh! I was going to have her say something, but she's not ready yet. Eheh, I should have waited a bit, huh? Sorry about that. It'll be just a moment. [ She takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a happy sigh. ] Some of you already knew her, but I just wanted to say that I've got my partner back after all this time in the new dome without her. I can't even tell you how happy I am right now. [ Though one can probably tell from her voice and the fact she's going on about a mile a minute. ] While I'm waiting — who's all going to the party tonight? I was about to check out the costumes, but I'm not sure what to pick.

Kohran, are you free later? What about Jane? PM? Anyone, really! Trying on costumes can be just as fun as the party itself, so I won't mind the company. I'm— [ It's here that a voice interrupts her; female, uniquely artificial, but quite alive with its awkward, formal inflection. ] «Readiness completed.»

[ She gasps, her voice rising in pitch to match an elevated state of elation. ] There you are! Welcome back, partner. [ Subaru's pout is audible. ] I still can't believe that they did that...

«Worry was not needed.»

Mmn, well... even so. It's really to hear your voice again, Mach Caliber.

«I agree.»

Hehe, well we'll talk more in a sec, okay? — everyone, I hope to see you shopping, or at the party. Bye for now!

---

[ Action ]
[ Just as she announced, Subaru is spending the time hopping around various shops in Sector 4 to look for a costume to wear. Maybe a cowboy? Or a knight? Or a nurse? Whatever it is, Subaru is laughing and having a great old time trying on hats and gloves and putting costumes still on their hanger in front of her chest and checking herself out in the mirror.

...also, she appears to be talking to thin air. She has a lot of catching up to do with her friend, okay! Who isn't imaginary why would you think that? ]

((OOC: Voice reference for Mach Caliber and Subaru, both! A little spoiler-y, but won't make much sense without context anyway.))

[The Blood Shack has been redecorated for the evening. The lighting is red and the decor is very Moulin Rouge. The bar has had a facelift of sorts and in the spirit of a costume party is featuring 'candy' flavored shots such as Skittles, Sweet tarts, Caramel Apples, Nerds and Tootsie Rolls. All other 'normal' drinks are available at the bar as well as a selection of synthetic blood. The decor continues in the seating arrangements. The entire room, including the dance floor, stage and platform where Eric's throne sits is bathed in red light. Lording over the entire affair is Eric, dressed as a Viking king. Instead of the helm, he's got a crown made of gold foil and cardboard. His weapons are the plastic sort and he's opted to go bare chested rather than attempting to make any sort of chain mail. He has a faux polar bear throw across his shoulders and is wearing a long, blond wig as well as a fake beard.

Enjoy, mingle and come as you want to be.]


ooc:: Mingle, start threads and make general merriment. This is all pre-blackout. On Thursday evening, I will put up a post blackout thread. Any questions? Let me know