Repairs and deep cleaning to start. I'll discuss with Morningstar how they want to handle the safehouse but for the rest we should contract in local tradespeople.
[ There are a lot of larger companies they could contact, but there are also bound to be individuals who haven't signed on to the wider recovery effort and need whatever income they can get. ]
The place will need to close for the work so the others don't need consulting, but we'll need to talk to them soon. Given recent and upcoming events, we need to make what's already understood official. I for one wasn't making much of an effort to hide by the end.
[ And he doubts many of them were. The bar is what it is now. Better they take control of that narrative. ]
We don't need them to do repairs, but some of our employees will want to help get the place cleared up. We don't need to take managing that onto ourselves.
I know there are business procedures with that, but we're not working with regular employees, either.
[So, there is that. Clarke knows that they'll want to help, especially given that it's the livelihood for so many of them.]
By what's understood, what's your strategy?
Given everything, whatever we decide can't ignore the worries and interests of the others.
More significantly, things aren't getting better here. Not in this world.
We'll need professionals to deep clean before anything else, given the amount of medical contaminants involved. We can send out a memo requesting help with getting the place ready for reopening.
The opinions of the others will have to influence our actions, but the bar has a reputation now whether we're comfortable with it or not and the world will be more aware of us than they've ever been. The light is already on us. Wait much longer to acknowledge it and our voices could get lost in the clamor. I think we need to action what we've already discussed - talk to the others, get the lay of the land, then look at going public.
As for the world, that's a lot of territory to cover. But you've already laid the groundwork for the bar to be a community hub. The last week cemented it as a place to go for help. We can build on that. Start with what we have.
I think we need to acknowledge concerns without letting the typical discussion over what we will do get in the way. We need to go to them with a proposal and plan, and ask for revisions, rather than ask for ideas. Keep in mind the concerns brought up when I went to them most recently.
We do that with both going public, and with announcing Red Wings as a community hub. We come up with a plan.
I've seen it happen too many times already where we get too caught up in the particulars. You've seen it with Damian, haven't you? Him worrying about whether his pitch will be enough to get people to join him, but what he wants to do is something that others are prepared to help with already.
That all said: how do you propose we go public? What's our pitch? You sound like you have an idea in mind.
[ She right. If they're ever going to get this done, they need a fully formed idea to put on the table. ]
It depends on what we want this to be. As I see it we have a couple of options to get it done quickly - go via mainstream media, approach a reputable newscaster and seek their advice. Good for a wider reach and a more formal appearance but there's the risk of sensationalism or misrepresentation in the first instance. Our image won't be entirely our own and we'd have to be careful to choose a company that has no perceived political bias.
Or we keep it personal. Conflate the two - ourselves and Red Wings. Record a short video with whatever information about ourselves and ourselves as Displaced we agree to share, cite our intentions for Red Wings as a local resource and our commitment to this city and this world, set out any boundaries we might think wise to try and implement, and post it to Cooltalk. Between the two of us and the bar account word will spread quickly enough. And the people who have come to trust and support us locally won't feel bypassed.
There was a time I'd go straight to the media. But it only feels more official because it's more impersonal. We'd risk coming across as spokespeople rather than individuals and would be immediately politicized, sensationalized or both. We don't need to help people come to reductive conclusions.
I think Cooltalk is the best approach. If anyone from the media asks us for answers later, we can make sure to interface with the group before answering any big questions. People will already know that there's something not right about us, so we can come to a way of proceeding with that.
I think our best plan is to use the story Ball gave us, and the one that's visible in the gates. We can use that. It does involve calling on mythological figures, but it means that we hide the fact that we're invaders from this world. We can trace where we came from, and use that as best as we can.
So, to clearly state what I mean: We were chosen. We don't know why or how, but it's happened and we were drawn to one another because of that. We might be able to take ownership in places where we've helped (curing, the EMP and the pyramid, helping with the end of the simulation, and most recently the monster attacks). Some people say that we were chosen by gods, but we're not sure if that's true. Casting doubt makes us seem less like we're buying into something that this world doesn't value. Besides, I know many of the Displaced won't like that approach.
We can decide from there what we can use. What plans we can come up with as a group as a part of our messaging and goals. I have a few ideas, but I'm curious about what you have in mind first. This is, of course, work we'd be doing out of Red Wings, or adjacent to it.
To be clear, you mean that we lean into the assumption that we're native to this world? I agree. But we'll want to avoid stating as much outright. There may come a time when we need to call on the help of the people here in pursuit of answers, or when information about us is revealed without our involvement. That'll be difficult for us if we've firmly established ourselves in a lie.
As for work moving forward I've a couple of thoughts starting out, and provided it serves the people of this city I'm open to anything within our means.
Red Wings has a solid patron base. We're popular and financially stable. While the city's recovering I'd like to propose offering customers the opportunity to exchange community service for food or drink - not as payment, just a small incentive to act or thanks for having acted. We'll need to cost it, put a cap on spending and establish a reasonable rate of exchange, perhaps partner with PRESERVE or any local aid organizations as a means of verifying volunteer hours and focusing efforts. If it's feasible, we'd not only be donating manpower but helping people to establish connections.
Aside from that, provided the original owner of the warehouse donated for use during the invasion doesn't expect it back, I've another building to utilise how we see fit. I'll leave it in PRESERVE's hands for as long as they have use for it, but I've a few concepts for the space if they vacate.
Edited (just removes half the tag don't mind me there were a lot of unnecessary words) 2020-08-14 18:06 (UTC)
Fair point on not embedding ourselves as natives to this world. There are also people out there who know that we're not, and if we act in a way that's not in their interests, that could come to be a problem. I do think we can use the faith-based angle while not explicitly implying we're from here. We need an explanation for some of what we can do. If we don't come forward with it now, we'll have to do that eventually.
I like the idea of community service for food and drink. We may be able to offer some shelter, though we'll need to find a way to keep the safehouse underneath a secret. Repairing that and concealing it again should be our first priority. As for PRESERVE, I can put you in touch with some of their people. Some of the business particulars are still better handled by you. [Clarke would give food away for free forever. Stephen has undoubtedly learned this about her by now.]
As for my ideas:
1. The new underground tunnels could be used to evacuate us. I've already told Cassian Andor my plans, and he was keen to work on it and I believe he started during the attack. He has the ability to bend and move the earth, and he's grown the ability. For the paranoid among us, this could be a contingency plan.
There was a lot of paranoia about what would happen once they "found out" about us. Showing that we're acting on that will help.
Either way, there are tunnels underneath the garage safehouse and Red Wings. We can work with that.
2. I'd like to offer self-defense training to the people of this city. Separate from the classes with us as Displaced. We may be able to make a business out of it in time, but circumstances are dire enough that I don't see a priority for it. Your warehouse could be a location for that.
2b. Along those same lines, we should have a means of offering combat and weapons training to our own without expecting them to go elsewhere.
3. We need to be more forthright with newcomers about what this is, and develop a plan based on that. Too often people fall into wanting to set up bylaws for how to live our lives. I know this is where we've differed in the past, but a better approach is to tell them the truth of what this world is, especially as it stands now that certain factors are undeniable, and tell them the options. We can't control people with different values and belief systems.
4. Finally, for the interior of Red Wings. We should use it as a community space: a means for people to learn and discuss the truth of this world. I've always believed that we should work with the shrine people, and I believe Quentin and Loki started on that (though I can't say for sure). They're still a minority group, and we've done a lot to make overtures elsewhere.
So, we keep the Detroit coloring and decorations, but we should expand to acknowledge our experiences as a community.
I like the faith-based angle. Using the only approximate narrative we've been given about how we are what we are is as honest as we can be. You're right, doubt is a clever and accurate way to establish our humanity. It also gives us cover for a multitude of unanswered questions and we'll need that.
On that note, we're going to get questions about our abilities both specifically and generally - they're our difference, that's what everyone's going to want to know. We need to decide how much we're going to say and how we're going to frame a refusal to respond further. While we don't need to worry about it for the initial release, press and public are going to have easy and open access to us from then on and we need to have a firm grasp on our limits and how to deliver them.
[ Stephen Strange, used to discussing finances with Damian and having to fully shore up his proposals against scrutiny: ah yes, Clarke's the true altruistic problem child of this operation. What a relief. ]
On the shelter note, the function room could be repurposed for now. It's soundproofed, avoids the concern about the safehouse, and we haven't properly integrated it into the everyday running of the place so it won't be missed in the short term. The problem will be we can't take many and the need will be great. I was also thinking about the warehouse for this. We could divide the space between training and shelter.
I'll look into initial planning for the food/drink for service exchange. Any PRESERVE contacts you can offer would be great, thanks.
[ As consistently as he's glad for Clarke's hand in their business partnership, sometimes she gives him extra reminders. This list of proposals is one such time. Not only does she care, she's also a leader. Strategy and forward thinking are as evident as thoughtfulness and reflection in her points. ]
1. We'll need to be sure we're communicating clearly with Morningstar about any additions we're making to the safehouses or the areas immediately surrounding them. While the garage and the bar do belong to us, the safehouses were conditional to the gift.
I'll keep Morningstar in the loop if you can keep me advised of progress.
2. This is good. You're right, it will eventually need to transition into a business model even if we take on outside sponsorship to cover fees and keep it free on delivery. I'm concerned that we have a habit of volunteering our time beyond reasonable allowances and there are many others with that same tendency. They can't all work for free indefinitely and it would be a good source of income for the combat types amongst us.
b. The garage has been empty space for a long time. We can look into kitting it out to make it fit for purpose as a training area for those of us who want to learn. If we can properly secure it we could discuss letting people up to exercise and practice during their quarantine if they so choose.
3. Agreed. We need to be clear about the nature and history of our time here and place in this world as we've come to create and discover it, and provide resources for preparation - combat and medical training available as standard if we can organise it now that we've got a growing pool of people competent in first response. Ideally a group of us available from across varying power sets to help settle people into their own if they need the support. It's almost been a year now. It's time we do more to ease the way for newcomers.
4. If Quentin or Loki have any contacts, they as a group clearly have a lot of artists. We could commission a couple to work with you on the updated design.
[ You specifically because Clarke is also an artist and Stephen's design aesthetic is a window wall and display cabinets exhibiting all of his many achievements or a New York brownstone full of ancient magical artifacts. This isn't his call. ]
I'm glad we agree on the faith angle. I know many of our people don't agree with it and will reject it out of principle, but we'll just need to be prepared to hammer home that it's pragmatism. We don't need to say that we believe it's the case. I believe that there's some truth to it, even if we don't know the whole picture.
As for abilities, perhaps we can be flexible. I'll admit, I'm of the opinion that both of us have abilities that won't dress us up to be particularly favored by society. I think you've seen some of what I'm willing to do to myself, but perhaps not the power set that's come of it. So, I should tell you now, since we're in this together—
Back home, I was known as "Wanheda" to the people in my world. "Heda" means "Commander" in the language that the people there spoke (Trigedasleng). The rest meant "death," essentially. I was known as the Commander of Death because of all the lives I took. Repeatedly. It was war, and I was often backed up against a wall, but I did it. I did it for my people.
[He never had context for the suicidal ideation. Not really. Now he does.]
Our powers are a reflection of who we are in some way, right? So my power all this time has been to steal life from others. Just like you're a former neurosurgeon who can read minds, I can steal away life.
I'll address the rest in a moment. But I needed to be clear on that. Finally.
To say this isn't a direction he expected the conversation to take would be both to state and to understate the obvious. Stephen sits with it for only a few moments. His answer comes more quickly than those before it. ]
We do what we have to to protect whatever it is we've sworn to protect. Those are never clean choices. There's never time for the sentiment that keeps people from doing ugly things. We make the mistake we can live with and we live with it.
[ Wanheda is nothing he can hold against her when he has a body count of his own. Hers seems to be all blood and bone, his fluctuates wildly up and down with time and perspective, but neither one of them has been without a people to stand for and a final decision to make. Not everybody has the luxury of walking the righteous path. Some have to clutter their souls to keep that path clear to be trod or passed up for another by others.
His old indoctrinated doctor's morality has long since stopped having first say in the shape of his actions. He may not condone killing but he understands the necessity of it. He knows, intimately, that every life has a different value to each person given cause to consider it, and that sometimes the value of a life becomes a price worth paying.
That doesn't make it feel any better or weigh any less. Some choices are survivable, some aren't, and sometimes that's all there is. ]
Our powers grow with us. What else can you do?
[ She's telling him this to shine light on her past, show him the shadowed things he needs to see in her to have something closer to the full picture. He appreciates her honesty and the trust that's implicit in it. But it's as she said - they're in this together. And there are other things they both ought to see in her too. ]
[Up to this point, Clarke has also been fortunate that one of her enemies hasn't turned up here. Octavia had an opportunity to put her history out there, and hadn't taken it. There was a time when she feared the same from Murphy, but it's already apparent that he has no desire to do that. He mostly wants reassurance that he's wanted around—which she can easily offer him, if nothing else.]
But you're right. They do. I can choose to cause pain in someone. I can dig around their memories, bringing it into myself. I don't have much practice with this, but the me in Zerzura did. And more recently—I can heal myself, and heal others with my own life force.
It's grown in a way I can't deny.
[A good way, even if the seed of it is still planted in a way that doesn't look good to the external view.]
Only a small handful of people know of my power. But if we're asked what we can do, I think there may be complications when it comes to specifics.
[Putting it on the table, so to speak. Making sure he knows.
She hasn't hidden her past here because she hoped to escape it. She's hidden it because she knows how bad it is, and she's had enough people try to tell her that it doesn't matter. Not in the big picture. But to Clarke, it's always mattered. It will always matter.]
I made a business out of reading minds for months. I'm with you, no specifics.
[ She's absolutely right about that. Between the two of them, they'd be blacklisted in a week. The uglier concern: there may come a time when they need their powers as tool or weapon. Masks won't do them any good if they can be traced back to their power sets.
If they're avoiding specifics, they need an alternative. But Clarke's started a conversation that's more than just two exchanges long - they can get back to talking press release when it's over.
Honesty breeds honesty. ]
It's more than mind reading now. The mechanic of my power allows me to interact with the nervous system directly, both to translate and to alter electrical and chemical communications between neurons. To begin with that meant reading and speaking to minds. Now it also means identifying and hotwiring them. I can manipulate thought, initiate action remotely via direct interface with the central nervous system, interfere with a person's autonomic processes and as of last week I can take total physical control down to fine motor skills, processing their sensory data and/or operating their body as if it were my own moment by moment.
[ It doesn't paint a flattering picture. Each new development is an increasingly uncomfortable descent into assuming control over other lives at the expense of privacy and autonomy.
Clarke's journey carries her further away from her past and Stephen's seems only to cycle him back around to it. Years of growing and he's still not quite able to live by the Ancient One's final lesson. Helplessness steers him, and with it he steers others. ]
If what you did wasn't haunting you we'd have reason to worry. Just so long as it's informing you and not swallowing you.
[ He's not being clear. ]
You'll tell me if it's swallowing you.
[ Things change rapidly here. Pressures build, strains change, regrets ebb and flow. If any one of the delicate pieces in the balance change such that it pushes her out of tentative equilibrium with herself, he needs to trust that she'll make it known.
Hard things can still be brittle. ]
Edited (if what you didn't.......) 2020-08-17 01:33 (UTC)
And we're going to be the faces for this movement.
[It's an intentionally wry remark, even if she's not certain that it'll be grasped in text. All of that really spells out that they could easily be turned into something else. Clarke has done what she could to avoid revealing her powers to others, but there are a few who know. It's important that Stephen knows, lest they end up in a tricky situation where it comes to light.]
I should have died before I got back here. For all terms and purposes, I was dead. In clawing my way back, I got some perspective on things. You saw the way my mind was before. It wasn't easy to see that I deserved life, but I made it back somehow anyway. Bellamy helped, though he doesn't remember it now. That's six years in the future for him.
It doesn't mean I'm immune, but the past isn't likely to swallow me whole anymore.
As it is, the same goes for you.
[During the attack, Clarke knows why Stephen was worried about her. But she's better at knowing her limits now. She's better at knowing when she takes herself too far.
[ It carries. They've known one another long enough now to synchronise with one another's humour - enough to understand if not always to share. He shares this. The irony is something. ]
At least being equal parts right and wrong for the job should keep us humble.
[ As for the rest— ]
Good. I'm glad to hear it.
[ Six years is such a long time in a linear life. To be separated by that much time from somebody who's so physically close and had been so instrumental in your recovery must be challenging.
They seem to be operating fine despite it, she and Bellamy. Stephen'll start worrying again when she gives him cause to - for now, he'll take her at her word.
In a similar vein and in answer to her last statement, one last thing before they move on. ]
My last visit to my timeline covered a catastrophic shift in our universe. It's required the keeping of a lot secrets as people from my world have come and gone and the current assortment may complicate things depending on where in time they fit.
It's nothing that should impact my interactions with the business or others in the workplace. If I'm temperamental or distracted, tell me to snap out of it.
[ Equal parts a blanket apology and a forewarning not to worry if he's off his game. Just home world things he's been sitting on for long enough that he thought maybe he'd never have to address them. ]
Don't worry. Nothing will ever top Loki being upset that I shared his relationship that he and Jason publicly announced with you because some version of you and him have an antagonistic relationship.
[As a person in a highly political world? She gets it. But versions of you don't tend to come into play—thankfully. There's just younger and older. It's all less complicated that way.]
But right. Business, back to the same points (which I had to bring up in a separate window to ensure I didn't lose track):
1. Understood. Do you want me to speak to El or would you rather handle it? I believe that Morningstar has taken advantage of these foundational problems before to move people around, so we can only hope it would help now.
2. Sponsorship would help, wouldn't it? Do you know if anyone made connections inside of the simulation here? We can propose this to the group and see what we come up with at the time.
2b. We might want to look for noise cancellation and shooting range materials. It will be a lot of work, but I have a feeling that El will know how to get us the resources so long as we manage payment for them ourselves. I think that might be out of reach, but it could be a Morningstar-affiliated facility if we're willing to split the difference, too. I'm open to flexibility.
3. I think we'll need to rework the guide either way, largely removing some sections with scarce tactics and being more direct at the same time. (Yes, I'm referring to Damian's section.) We'll need to update what we've been through. I was thinking we could recruit, but I don't want to put you in the position of having to temper Damian.
4. That's a good point. I'll ask them, see what they've found out.
[Clarke is an artist, but she's not an interior decorator.
Mostly because she grew up with silver walls and is a bit more ... rustic in what she prefers. (Which is basically, "I don't have a preference.)]
1. We may as well cover 1 and 2b in the same conversation with El. I don't have much of a personal preference on who handles it, but as I'm Morningstar I may be the more convenient bridge. I'll raise both and advise to go to you for more information about the tunnels. As you say, it's not likely to be a problem.
2. I can guess at a couple of people who may have made the best of a bad situation but I'll confess to losing track. [ Haha... wonder why. ] Let's raise it with the rest, see what we can dig up. I can't imagine we'll have too much difficulty gaining sponsorship once we go public, but if we can do it without selling our souls to marketing departments that would be preferable.
2b. I don't have any difficulty sharing ownership with Morningstar. The space was a gift, we owe more than we're owed. If they're willing to help us with the cost and the work and they'll have it back regardless if one day we all up and disappear, the technicalities of ownership and affiliation don't make a difference. I'll bring it to El, see where we land.
3. The update is a necessity, yes.
In the long term we'll also need named individuals with good knowledge and temperament on call to answer questions personally, perhaps even to help others get acquainted with the city. Not everyone is going to be willing or able to go through a document or process it without help and while usually there are enough safehouse visitors to cover early questions, if somebody doesn't end up making a connection in those first days they need to know who they can contact. We can check if those already making a regular effort to visit and settle newcomers are happy making it more official and put a call out for this too. Ideally not so many as to overwhelm, but a cross-section of backgrounds to provide a comfortable contact for as wide a range of people as we can reasonably account for. Create some kind of a safe contact page for El to automatically forward to each new ID as it's generated.
First, thanks for volunteering to take the concerns to El. I do think it's better coming from you, especially since I was notably against Morningstar as an organization early on. Of course, that was a much younger version of myself.
Secondly, we'll ask. I think we can frame our approach to the Displaced as a framework for how we intend to go forward, as well as a series of questions and requests for assistance. We do still need someone to help us out together a powers and skills database.
Finally, with regards to Damian, it looks like I removed most of the originally inflammatory language already. [Foresight.] So no need to worry there.
I'll draft a write up of what we've worked out here together as well as what I can put into the arrival guide and return to you soon.
[Except for the grieving stuff. That's gonna be in there.]
Thanks, Clarke. I'll get in touch with El and let you know the results of our conversation when we come back together, then we can look to speaking to the others.
[ Some time not too long later so I don't forget to mention it in a post-grief hiatus thread, ]
Ze's concerned about the security aspect of incorporating the tunnels. The presence of a door or other evidently fortified opening would be a telling indicator of something on the other side if anyone stumbled across it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ There are a lot of larger companies they could contact, but there are also bound to be individuals who haven't signed on to the wider recovery effort and need whatever income they can get. ]
The place will need to close for the work so the others don't need consulting, but we'll need to talk to them soon. Given recent and upcoming events, we need to make what's already understood official. I for one wasn't making much of an effort to hide by the end.
[ And he doubts many of them were. The bar is what it is now. Better they take control of that narrative. ]
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I know there are business procedures with that, but we're not working with regular employees, either.
[So, there is that. Clarke knows that they'll want to help, especially given that it's the livelihood for so many of them.]
By what's understood, what's your strategy?
Given everything, whatever we decide can't ignore the worries and interests of the others.
More significantly, things aren't getting better here. Not in this world.
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The opinions of the others will have to influence our actions, but the bar has a reputation now whether we're comfortable with it or not and the world will be more aware of us than they've ever been. The light is already on us. Wait much longer to acknowledge it and our voices could get lost in the clamor. I think we need to action what we've already discussed - talk to the others, get the lay of the land, then look at going public.
As for the world, that's a lot of territory to cover. But you've already laid the groundwork for the bar to be a community hub. The last week cemented it as a place to go for help. We can build on that. Start with what we have.
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We do that with both going public, and with announcing Red Wings as a community hub. We come up with a plan.
I've seen it happen too many times already where we get too caught up in the particulars. You've seen it with Damian, haven't you? Him worrying about whether his pitch will be enough to get people to join him, but what he wants to do is something that others are prepared to help with already.
That all said: how do you propose we go public? What's our pitch? You sound like you have an idea in mind.
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It depends on what we want this to be. As I see it we have a couple of options to get it done quickly - go via mainstream media, approach a reputable newscaster and seek their advice. Good for a wider reach and a more formal appearance but there's the risk of sensationalism or misrepresentation in the first instance. Our image won't be entirely our own and we'd have to be careful to choose a company that has no perceived political bias.
Or we keep it personal. Conflate the two - ourselves and Red Wings. Record a short video with whatever information about ourselves and ourselves as Displaced we agree to share, cite our intentions for Red Wings as a local resource and our commitment to this city and this world, set out any boundaries we might think wise to try and implement, and post it to Cooltalk. Between the two of us and the bar account word will spread quickly enough. And the people who have come to trust and support us locally won't feel bypassed.
There was a time I'd go straight to the media. But it only feels more official because it's more impersonal. We'd risk coming across as spokespeople rather than individuals and would be immediately politicized, sensationalized or both. We don't need to help people come to reductive conclusions.
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I think our best plan is to use the story Ball gave us, and the one that's visible in the gates. We can use that. It does involve calling on mythological figures, but it means that we hide the fact that we're invaders from this world. We can trace where we came from, and use that as best as we can.
So, to clearly state what I mean: We were chosen. We don't know why or how, but it's happened and we were drawn to one another because of that. We might be able to take ownership in places where we've helped (curing, the EMP and the pyramid, helping with the end of the simulation, and most recently the monster attacks). Some people say that we were chosen by gods, but we're not sure if that's true. Casting doubt makes us seem less like we're buying into something that this world doesn't value. Besides, I know many of the Displaced won't like that approach.
We can decide from there what we can use. What plans we can come up with as a group as a part of our messaging and goals. I have a few ideas, but I'm curious about what you have in mind first. This is, of course, work we'd be doing out of Red Wings, or adjacent to it.
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As for work moving forward I've a couple of thoughts starting out, and provided it serves the people of this city I'm open to anything within our means.
Red Wings has a solid patron base. We're popular and financially stable. While the city's recovering I'd like to propose offering customers the opportunity to exchange community service for food or drink - not as payment, just a small incentive to act or thanks for having acted. We'll need to cost it, put a cap on spending and establish a reasonable rate of exchange, perhaps partner with PRESERVE or any local aid organizations as a means of verifying volunteer hours and focusing efforts. If it's feasible, we'd not only be donating manpower but helping people to establish connections.
Aside from that, provided the original owner of the warehouse donated for use during the invasion doesn't expect it back, I've another building to utilise how we see fit. I'll leave it in PRESERVE's hands for as long as they have use for it, but I've a few concepts for the space if they vacate.
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I like the idea of community service for food and drink. We may be able to offer some shelter, though we'll need to find a way to keep the safehouse underneath a secret. Repairing that and concealing it again should be our first priority. As for PRESERVE, I can put you in touch with some of their people. Some of the business particulars are still better handled by you. [Clarke would give food away for free forever. Stephen has undoubtedly learned this about her by now.]
As for my ideas:
1. The new underground tunnels could be used to evacuate us. I've already told Cassian Andor my plans, and he was keen to work on it and I believe he started during the attack. He has the ability to bend and move the earth, and he's grown the ability. For the paranoid among us, this could be a contingency plan.
There was a lot of paranoia about what would happen once they "found out" about us. Showing that we're acting on that will help.
Either way, there are tunnels underneath the garage safehouse and Red Wings. We can work with that.
2. I'd like to offer self-defense training to the people of this city. Separate from the classes with us as Displaced. We may be able to make a business out of it in time, but circumstances are dire enough that I don't see a priority for it. Your warehouse could be a location for that.
2b. Along those same lines, we should have a means of offering combat and weapons training to our own without expecting them to go elsewhere.
3. We need to be more forthright with newcomers about what this is, and develop a plan based on that. Too often people fall into wanting to set up bylaws for how to live our lives. I know this is where we've differed in the past, but a better approach is to tell them the truth of what this world is, especially as it stands now that certain factors are undeniable, and tell them the options. We can't control people with different values and belief systems.
4. Finally, for the interior of Red Wings. We should use it as a community space: a means for people to learn and discuss the truth of this world. I've always believed that we should work with the shrine people, and I believe Quentin and Loki started on that (though I can't say for sure). They're still a minority group, and we've done a lot to make overtures elsewhere.
So, we keep the Detroit coloring and decorations, but we should expand to acknowledge our experiences as a community.
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On that note, we're going to get questions about our abilities both specifically and generally - they're our difference, that's what everyone's going to want to know. We need to decide how much we're going to say and how we're going to frame a refusal to respond further. While we don't need to worry about it for the initial release, press and public are going to have easy and open access to us from then on and we need to have a firm grasp on our limits and how to deliver them.
[ Stephen Strange, used to discussing finances with Damian and having to fully shore up his proposals against scrutiny: ah yes, Clarke's the true altruistic problem child of this operation. What a relief. ]
On the shelter note, the function room could be repurposed for now. It's soundproofed, avoids the concern about the safehouse, and we haven't properly integrated it into the everyday running of the place so it won't be missed in the short term. The problem will be we can't take many and the need will be great. I was also thinking about the warehouse for this. We could divide the space between training and shelter.
I'll look into initial planning for the food/drink for service exchange. Any PRESERVE contacts you can offer would be great, thanks.
[ As consistently as he's glad for Clarke's hand in their business partnership, sometimes she gives him extra reminders. This list of proposals is one such time. Not only does she care, she's also a leader. Strategy and forward thinking are as evident as thoughtfulness and reflection in her points. ]
1. We'll need to be sure we're communicating clearly with Morningstar about any additions we're making to the safehouses or the areas immediately surrounding them. While the garage and the bar do belong to us, the safehouses were conditional to the gift.
I'll keep Morningstar in the loop if you can keep me advised of progress.
2. This is good. You're right, it will eventually need to transition into a business model even if we take on outside sponsorship to cover fees and keep it free on delivery. I'm concerned that we have a habit of volunteering our time beyond reasonable allowances and there are many others with that same tendency. They can't all work for free indefinitely and it would be a good source of income for the combat types amongst us.
b. The garage has been empty space for a long time. We can look into kitting it out to make it fit for purpose as a training area for those of us who want to learn. If we can properly secure it we could discuss letting people up to exercise and practice during their quarantine if they so choose.
3. Agreed. We need to be clear about the nature and history of our time here and place in this world as we've come to create and discover it, and provide resources for preparation - combat and medical training available as standard if we can organise it now that we've got a growing pool of people competent in first response. Ideally a group of us available from across varying power sets to help settle people into their own if they need the support. It's almost been a year now. It's time we do more to ease the way for newcomers.
4. If Quentin or Loki have any contacts, they as a group clearly have a lot of artists. We could commission a couple to work with you on the updated design.
[ You specifically because Clarke is also an artist and Stephen's design aesthetic is a window wall and display cabinets exhibiting all of his many achievements or a New York brownstone full of ancient magical artifacts. This isn't his call. ]
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As for abilities, perhaps we can be flexible. I'll admit, I'm of the opinion that both of us have abilities that won't dress us up to be particularly favored by society. I think you've seen some of what I'm willing to do to myself, but perhaps not the power set that's come of it. So, I should tell you now, since we're in this together—
Back home, I was known as "Wanheda" to the people in my world. "Heda" means "Commander" in the language that the people there spoke (Trigedasleng). The rest meant "death," essentially. I was known as the Commander of Death because of all the lives I took. Repeatedly. It was war, and I was often backed up against a wall, but I did it. I did it for my people.
[He never had context for the suicidal ideation. Not really. Now he does.]
Our powers are a reflection of who we are in some way, right? So my power all this time has been to steal life from others. Just like you're a former neurosurgeon who can read minds, I can steal away life.
I'll address the rest in a moment. But I needed to be clear on that. Finally.
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To say this isn't a direction he expected the conversation to take would be both to state and to understate the obvious. Stephen sits with it for only a few moments. His answer comes more quickly than those before it. ]
We do what we have to to protect whatever it is we've sworn to protect. Those are never clean choices. There's never time for the sentiment that keeps people from doing ugly things. We make the mistake we can live with and we live with it.
[ Wanheda is nothing he can hold against her when he has a body count of his own. Hers seems to be all blood and bone, his fluctuates wildly up and down with time and perspective, but neither one of them has been without a people to stand for and a final decision to make. Not everybody has the luxury of walking the righteous path. Some have to clutter their souls to keep that path clear to be trod or passed up for another by others.
His old indoctrinated doctor's morality has long since stopped having first say in the shape of his actions. He may not condone killing but he understands the necessity of it. He knows, intimately, that every life has a different value to each person given cause to consider it, and that sometimes the value of a life becomes a price worth paying.
That doesn't make it feel any better or weigh any less. Some choices are survivable, some aren't, and sometimes that's all there is. ]
Our powers grow with us. What else can you do?
[ She's telling him this to shine light on her past, show him the shadowed things he needs to see in her to have something closer to the full picture. He appreciates her honesty and the trust that's implicit in it. But it's as she said - they're in this together. And there are other things they both ought to see in her too. ]
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[Up to this point, Clarke has also been fortunate that one of her enemies hasn't turned up here. Octavia had an opportunity to put her history out there, and hadn't taken it. There was a time when she feared the same from Murphy, but it's already apparent that he has no desire to do that. He mostly wants reassurance that he's wanted around—which she can easily offer him, if nothing else.]
But you're right. They do. I can choose to cause pain in someone. I can dig around their memories, bringing it into myself. I don't have much practice with this, but the me in Zerzura did. And more recently—I can heal myself, and heal others with my own life force.
It's grown in a way I can't deny.
[A good way, even if the seed of it is still planted in a way that doesn't look good to the external view.]
Only a small handful of people know of my power. But if we're asked what we can do, I think there may be complications when it comes to specifics.
[Putting it on the table, so to speak. Making sure he knows.
She hasn't hidden her past here because she hoped to escape it. She's hidden it because she knows how bad it is, and she's had enough people try to tell her that it doesn't matter. Not in the big picture. But to Clarke, it's always mattered. It will always matter.]
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[ She's absolutely right about that. Between the two of them, they'd be blacklisted in a week. The uglier concern: there may come a time when they need their powers as tool or weapon. Masks won't do them any good if they can be traced back to their power sets.
If they're avoiding specifics, they need an alternative. But Clarke's started a conversation that's more than just two exchanges long - they can get back to talking press release when it's over.
Honesty breeds honesty. ]
It's more than mind reading now. The mechanic of my power allows me to interact with the nervous system directly, both to translate and to alter electrical and chemical communications between neurons. To begin with that meant reading and speaking to minds. Now it also means identifying and hotwiring them. I can manipulate thought, initiate action remotely via direct interface with the central nervous system, interfere with a person's autonomic processes and as of last week I can take total physical control down to fine motor skills, processing their sensory data and/or operating their body as if it were my own moment by moment.
[ It doesn't paint a flattering picture. Each new development is an increasingly uncomfortable descent into assuming control over other lives at the expense of privacy and autonomy.
Clarke's journey carries her further away from her past and Stephen's seems only to cycle him back around to it. Years of growing and he's still not quite able to live by the Ancient One's final lesson. Helplessness steers him, and with it he steers others. ]
If what you did wasn't haunting you we'd have reason to worry. Just so long as it's informing you and not swallowing you.
[ He's not being clear. ]
You'll tell me if it's swallowing you.
[ Things change rapidly here. Pressures build, strains change, regrets ebb and flow. If any one of the delicate pieces in the balance change such that it pushes her out of tentative equilibrium with herself, he needs to trust that she'll make it known.
Hard things can still be brittle. ]
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[It's an intentionally wry remark, even if she's not certain that it'll be grasped in text. All of that really spells out that they could easily be turned into something else. Clarke has done what she could to avoid revealing her powers to others, but there are a few who know. It's important that Stephen knows, lest they end up in a tricky situation where it comes to light.]
I should have died before I got back here. For all terms and purposes, I was dead. In clawing my way back, I got some perspective on things. You saw the way my mind was before. It wasn't easy to see that I deserved life, but I made it back somehow anyway. Bellamy helped, though he doesn't remember it now. That's six years in the future for him.
It doesn't mean I'm immune, but the past isn't likely to swallow me whole anymore.
As it is, the same goes for you.
[During the attack, Clarke knows why Stephen was worried about her. But she's better at knowing her limits now. She's better at knowing when she takes herself too far.
Better, but not perfect.]
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At least being equal parts right and wrong for the job should keep us humble.
[ As for the rest— ]
Good. I'm glad to hear it.
[ Six years is such a long time in a linear life. To be separated by that much time from somebody who's so physically close and had been so instrumental in your recovery must be challenging.
They seem to be operating fine despite it, she and Bellamy. Stephen'll start worrying again when she gives him cause to - for now, he'll take her at her word.
In a similar vein and in answer to her last statement, one last thing before they move on. ]
My last visit to my timeline covered a catastrophic shift in our universe. It's required the keeping of a lot secrets as people from my world have come and gone and the current assortment may complicate things depending on where in time they fit.
It's nothing that should impact my interactions with the business or others in the workplace. If I'm temperamental or distracted, tell me to snap out of it.
[ Equal parts a blanket apology and a forewarning not to worry if he's off his game. Just home world things he's been sitting on for long enough that he thought maybe he'd never have to address them. ]
Shall we get back to business?
[ Moving swiftly on! ]
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[As a person in a highly political world? She gets it. But versions of you don't tend to come into play—thankfully. There's just younger and older. It's all less complicated that way.]
But right. Business, back to the same points (which I had to bring up in a separate window to ensure I didn't lose track):
1. Understood. Do you want me to speak to El or would you rather handle it? I believe that Morningstar has taken advantage of these foundational problems before to move people around, so we can only hope it would help now.
2. Sponsorship would help, wouldn't it? Do you know if anyone made connections inside of the simulation here? We can propose this to the group and see what we come up with at the time.
2b. We might want to look for noise cancellation and shooting range materials. It will be a lot of work, but I have a feeling that El will know how to get us the resources so long as we manage payment for them ourselves. I think that might be out of reach, but it could be a Morningstar-affiliated facility if we're willing to split the difference, too. I'm open to flexibility.
3. I think we'll need to rework the guide either way, largely removing some sections with scarce tactics and being more direct at the same time. (Yes, I'm referring to Damian's section.) We'll need to update what we've been through. I was thinking we could recruit, but I don't want to put you in the position of having to temper Damian.
4. That's a good point. I'll ask them, see what they've found out.
[Clarke is an artist, but she's not an interior decorator.
Mostly because she grew up with silver walls and is a bit more ... rustic in what she prefers. (Which is basically, "I don't have a preference.)]
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[ He's a special one. ]
1. We may as well cover 1 and 2b in the same conversation with El. I don't have much of a personal preference on who handles it, but as I'm Morningstar I may be the more convenient bridge. I'll raise both and advise to go to you for more information about the tunnels. As you say, it's not likely to be a problem.
2. I can guess at a couple of people who may have made the best of a bad situation but I'll confess to losing track. [ Haha... wonder why. ] Let's raise it with the rest, see what we can dig up. I can't imagine we'll have too much difficulty gaining sponsorship once we go public, but if we can do it without selling our souls to marketing departments that would be preferable.
2b. I don't have any difficulty sharing ownership with Morningstar. The space was a gift, we owe more than we're owed. If they're willing to help us with the cost and the work and they'll have it back regardless if one day we all up and disappear, the technicalities of ownership and affiliation don't make a difference. I'll bring it to El, see where we land.
3. The update is a necessity, yes.
In the long term we'll also need named individuals with good knowledge and temperament on call to answer questions personally, perhaps even to help others get acquainted with the city. Not everyone is going to be willing or able to go through a document or process it without help and while usually there are enough safehouse visitors to cover early questions, if somebody doesn't end up making a connection in those first days they need to know who they can contact. We can check if those already making a regular effort to visit and settle newcomers are happy making it more official and put a call out for this too. Ideally not so many as to overwhelm, but a cross-section of backgrounds to provide a comfortable contact for as wide a range of people as we can reasonably account for. Create some kind of a safe contact page for El to automatically forward to each new ID as it's generated.
Re: Damian, what are your specific concerns?
4. If you need any input, let me know.
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First, thanks for volunteering to take the concerns to El. I do think it's better coming from you, especially since I was notably against Morningstar as an organization early on. Of course, that was a much younger version of myself.
Secondly, we'll ask. I think we can frame our approach to the Displaced as a framework for how we intend to go forward, as well as a series of questions and requests for assistance. We do still need someone to help us out together a powers and skills database.
Finally, with regards to Damian, it looks like I removed most of the originally inflammatory language already. [Foresight.] So no need to worry there.
I'll draft a write up of what we've worked out here together as well as what I can put into the arrival guide and return to you soon.
[Except for the grieving stuff. That's gonna be in there.]
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Ze's concerned about the security aspect of incorporating the tunnels. The presence of a door or other evidently fortified opening would be a telling indicator of something on the other side if anyone stumbled across it.
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