CONCORDIA, DAY :025 - :032

[onemind]

CURRENT EVENTS

     CONCORDIA, DAY :025 - :032

The media monster is in full swing in the days following the bombing at the Royal Gaming Parlor. If the bombing at the Ven Diagrams warehouse was enough to kick off a bunch of public furor, this has been that times five. All the usual suspects are on parade: REPRESENTATIVE GORAM SAFFIT OF LARANN has addressed his constituents and the public at large with another message decrying violence and pushing for synthetic regulations; Mind Life has stubbornly published multiple statements similarly discouraging violent protest with the insistence that the only way to head off these attacks is to recognize and understand that the synthetic experience as valuable; Public Security has been in force throughout all blocks of the city, though it again seems like they don’t have many leads to follow. In fact, a large percentage of both media coverage and extranet public opinion has started to take not so subtle stabs at the Public Security Commissioner, Seong-Hye Ngozi. Is she dealing with this threat as effectively as she could be? Is there perhaps a better way to track down the people perpetuating these attacks?

Public Security raids in Subspace has gotten more aggressive and many low-level clubs popular among the young technophile crowds have been all but gutted by security sweeps; there’s a sweeping sense of paranoia among many of the denizens of the underground - no, most of them probably have nothing to do with H+H1 or EXTRAAA, but a lot of them have less than clean records and that’s apparently the only excuse Security needs right now to take people in.

If there’s one good (??) thing to say about all this, it’s that the anti-synthetic sentiment in Concordia has slaked slightly in the days following the attack; most people don’t really mind if androids or chips get blown up, but if these rumored biochauvanist are targeting androids in public venues then that means putting actual lives in danger. Everyone - Goram Saffit, Mind Life, and Public Security - seems united in the sentiment that attacks like this are simply unacceptable; no matter what ideology is being fought for, ending (organic) lives is the wrong way to go about it.

In the meantime, there’s plenty to dig into and the Hosts won’t have to do it alone - one DAY 25, a new batch of hosts wake up back on the Station… including one old friend (welcome back to the land of the living, Jessica Jones). They’ll be arriving on Concordia just after dark on day 26.


     IN OTHER NEWS...

Angel will fall into a coma on day 25. Keep your fingers crossed that she wakes back up!

Private security employment and integration has risen by 7%; it turns out that tragedy is great for select wedges of the Concordian economy.

Many companies looking to protect their androids have increased security protocols on their units. Casual interaction with corporate androids has gotten more difficult to obtain; most service droids (cab drivers, garbage units, etc) won’t engage in conversation with a stranger unless it’s required to complete their assigned tasks.

With the increased security sweeps along Subspace, any host with a flag on their security profile will want to be very, very vigilant and extra careful not to get stopped by Public Security. It’s incredibly possible that they might get taken in for questioning if they get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A candelight vigil is being planned outside the Royal Street Parlor (currently closed for renovations) on DAY 31; it’s very likely that a number of public figures will be in attendance.

In the wake of the Royal Street Parlor bombing, Kun-Kun’s public support has somewhat increased. He’s still getting called a ROBOT FKR in the comment section of videos, but there’s more of a ‘Can you not?’ sentiment in response.

Public Security will release Anakin Skywalker’s remains from the morgue on Day 29.

OOH-LA-LA! You thought some game parlor bombing was dramatic? You won't believe how much more compelling it can get! According to local tabloids, Saffron (a rising star of the stage; if you don't know her, then where have you been?) was spotted on the arm of one of the hunkier Bout It Out contenders at the parlor just before the explosion. Hopefully they're both okay! :''''(

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

DAY :025 (August 14-15) - Angel slips into a coma. The new Hosts wake up on the station to a brave new world.

DAY :026 (August 16-17) - All of the Hosts make it down to Concordia to meet up with their new forced-family.

DAY :027 (August 18-19) - The Host’s combined snooping around has lead to something, as a representative (or multiple representatives?) from EXTRAAA connects to everyone. This log will go up on the 14th, but in-character this contact will only last for approximately one hour on Day 27. Get your tagging in early, because all mod-responses to this post will stop end of day 8/19.

DAY ??? - Kun-Kun’s reps will contact the hosts to organize a meeting with Mind Life’s Sheena Frey; the in-character date on this will depend on host response.

There WILL be a log posted for the events of Day :025-026, as well as a log for EXTRAAA’s contact on Day :027. All other IC logs (including any IC plotting and planning) may be player organized/initiated.

OOC UPDATES

Hi again guys! We want to take a second to thank you guys again for being so great, and for really taking this explosion plot and running with it. There have been a lot of great ideas and IC action happening in the aftermath, including some exciting player-plotesque initiatives; we’ve purposefully kept this calendar light to give space for you guys to slot in your plots and plans accordingly. If you have something that you feel have a larger scope - big open logs, mini-player plots, etc - that you’d like to put on the timeline, go ahead and comment in the appropriate subthread below and we’ll edit it in.

Further, this is a casual reminder for new and old players that if your character is using a fake ID on Concordia, we have a place for you to dump info about them (complete with an excellently ridiculous randomizer - thanks Avali!) over HERE.

As a small side note, we wanted to mention that we’ve made a policy adjustment when it comes to re-apping a dropped character back into a capped cast. We’ll be accepting re-apps into capped casts as long as the character has been dropped from the game for at least two months. This policy may change in the future if we feel the game is becoming unbalanced, but for now this seems like it should work. Be aware that other than re-apps, the MCU and Star Wars casts are currently capped and accepting no new applicants. Additionally, we’re getting close to the game cap?! COOL.

Last but not least, during the application period we made reference to characters feeling incomplete if they belonged to incomplete broods. Just kidding! Due to recent apps trends, all broods are full (or as full as they're gonna get anyway; some of you have some dead weight. GET IT).

As always, feel free to use this space to plot and plan; if you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to ask them below if they’re related to current events and plots, or on the FAQ or the MOD CONTACT posts if they’re more general!

-Abby and Donna

CONCORDIA MISSION: OVERVIEW • DAY :008 - :013 • DAY :018 - :022
NAVIGATION • PREMISE • FAQ • RULES • GLOSSARY • SYMBIOTIC SKILLS • ABILITY POINTS

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

Comments

[onemind]

"Not really." She'll pour Ilde a drink in the second glass and make no apologies for the lack of a third for Mara. The liquor glows in the dark and sparkles gold because #branding.

"Did you talk to your management about doing the show?" Apparently Y isn't very invested in small talk today - though is she ever?

[erbier]

She'll take it, she'll drink it. It seems an easy shorthand for a lack of suspicion her part to accept what she is offered.

"Are you very familiar with the business?"

Pitched to be slightly condescending, cues she has taken from other members of the Host in their explanations of how one would wield their célébrité. She's been coached by Mara besides to try to get Y to talk about herself.

[onemind]

She shrugs, evidently unfazed by the condescension (and now that Mara's been checked for bugs, Y doesn't seem to mind her either).

"Not at all. It just seemed like a good way to get people in the same place," she says, fixing Ilde with an expectant look. "You seemed to passionate about this the other day. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now."

[erbier]

No, she's not, but in 'the business' she's not the only moving piece. Even if she does get the greenlight from such and such and such, it will take time too coordinate.

Is Y in a rush?

[onemind]

She leans back into the sofa, one leg crossed over the other - her foot stirring the air. She doesn't look at Mara, attention solely on Ilde. "You just seemed ready to do something when we talked last time."

[erbier]

"I want to know more," is the bluntest answer. "If I'm going to risk my life."

[onemind]

"More about what exactly?" Y studies her, attention penetrating. "What kind of security I can rally? Who's going to be there? The layouts of the venue? There's lots of possibilities, sweetheart."

[erbier]

Yes, to all of it. But most importantly if she really think this is going to help the android's rights.

Ilde had avoided explicitly stating herself on either side, but now seems to be the time with the proper backup available...

[onemind]

"I just want to catch the people responsible for scaring my friends. If that helps out some androids, I won't cry about it." An easy shrug. She might be telling the truth.

"Anyway, I've got a couple of friends with muscle who can make sure whatever venue works for you is secure. You know what I do, so you know I can tap in to the venue security and the area around it to lock it down and make sure no one goes in or out without me knowing about it. Easy," Y says with a snap of her fingers. "As for the crowd - your fans, right? And mine, of course. Between the two we should be able to pinch anyone who falls outside of that, right?"

[erbier]

The main question is does she know who scared them and just who is she considering friends but the former is more important than the latter.

Uh also that helping the androids is the whole point of this, didn't she have an android for a friend?

[onemind]

"If I knew that, do you really think I'd be trying to set this up instead of doing something about it?" She seems unimpressed by the question - what, does Ilde really think this is some kind of elaborate set up? Then again......: "Yeah, weird isn't it? I wonder where he went off to."

There's something strangely predatory about the question, like it's something she already knows the answer to and she's just looking to see what Ilde's reaction is. And this time she does glance to Mara and asks, "You wouldn't know anything about that though, right?"

[snaphiss]

Mara cocks her head to the side. "I don't know anything about you, miss. I'm surprised to learn you have enough friends to loose track of."

All sarcasm aside, the sense that she gets from Y is someone more interested in playing with her prey than anything else. She sends her assessment along to Ilde: ( This girl is playing with us. I'd press her for information. You have nothing to lose and are well protected. Tell her you think she knows nothing, and just wants to feel important by stringing us along. )

[erbier]

Mara's permission feels good, like the situation has been thoroughly vetted.

"If you have something to say, I suggest you do so," icy in that way only Ilde can be, imperious and unsettling. It is mostly something natural to her, but a thin trickle of her symbiote wouldn't hurt. "But as far as I can see, you are here to play games. Do you long for attention so desperately?"

[onemind]

If any part of that small trickle of fear, that frost of Ilde's tone, touches Y she doesn't show it. But she's good at pretending things, isn't she? Maybe it affects her more than it looks to. She smiles, all teeth. "Oh, I have plenty of friends. Believe me Saffron, you need me more than I need you but I thought it'd be nice to work together on this. Solving mysteries alone is boring. I like having a sidekick and my usual partner seems to have business doing something else."

She shrugs. "If you're not interested in a show, maybe you have a better idea?"

[snaphiss]

Mara sends another bit of advice to Ilde. ( Push her again. We have nothing to lose. Remind her that she has given us no evidence of us needing her. )

...Wait.

( Is her partner her android friend? It's the first piece of actual information she's given us. )

[erbier]

( Yes, the android. Sam attempted to speak with him, but he was resistant. He later came looking for Sam at the bearings. )

[snaphiss]

( We'll deal with the android next. This may actually prove worthwhile after all. )

[erbier]

Her frigid air does not thaw.

"You have all your friends, and I am told you are the best hacker in this city. What is holding you back?"

[onemind]

She takes a drink from her glass, the sparkling liquid leaving traces on her mouth in the dark. Maybe, elsewhere in the dark, Y turns her other hand over and absently flexes the make believe cold from her fingers.

"I haven't been waiting for you, if that's what you're worried about. This is me folding you into my operation, not the other way around."

[erbier]

"It isn't. Now answer my questions."

[onemind]

A small noise in the back of her throat. "I thought I did. No, I don't know who blew up the parlor and I haven't been able to find out using my usual methods. I figured we'd repeat the experiment and see if I can't get some better data to sift through, right?" Y shrugs. "Friends are-- people like you, people like me. Undergrounders sick of being roughed up and scapegoated by PS and these nutjob bombers and everyone else between the two.

"Or did you have other questions you wanted to interrogate me about? Or, better, is this the part where I get to be bossy about you being honest with me?"

[erbier]

"Thank you," short and acerbic, that's a start. "I will tell you anything you'd like to know if it will help this process along."

She doesn't try for Mara's permission, if it goes sour she will have Aoba wipe this woman like a stain.

[snaphiss]

Mara gives it anyway. ( Good. A small nugget, nothing essential, will build trust. )

[onemind]

Mild, deceptively easy, her teeth glittering in her dark mouth: "Is asking you to start with explaining your bogus credentials too much too ask for?"

[snaphiss]

There goes that plan ᕕ( ᐛ)ᕗ time to just lie your ass off. Mara quickly comes up with a semi-plausible cover story, and hopes it doesn't conflict with anything Ilde's said, or the thousand and one cultural things she doesn't know as a non-native.

In short, she hopes the Force is with her.

( First, act like you've been caught. Look conflicted and unsure what to say. Stall. Then send me out of the room. I'll wait in the lobby, and you'll send me memories of what she's saying. I'll still be here. )

( Then, pretend to lose your poise a little, and tell her that your old identity had to be discarded for trusting the wrong people. You were with an organization similar to hers, but it doesn't exist any longer. Imply there's no trace of it. Stay vague on details. Say you're trying to set up or join a similar organization in Concordia, but you want to make sure it isn't a trap like last time. )