Luceti Valley - The First Log

[lucetimods]

Who: Everyone
What: The start of a new experiment... or is it?
When: August 2nd - August 6th
Where: Luceti itself
Summary: Luceti has become an idyllic and peaceful 50s-esque village. The first few days are just business as usual, right?
Rating: Varies with thread. Please move explicit stuff to appointments post with appropriate warnings.

August 1st had seemed like an ordinary day in Luceti. But late in the evening, for those night owls who had not turned in yet, they were witness to strange fluctuations in the barrier. Beautiful, really, almost like Luceti had received its own 'Northern Lights', even though it seemed to come from the far east, across the ocean. This ominous light show lasted for all of fifteen minutes before it ceased all together. Skimming the ocean waters, a horde of cultists entered Luceti, cloaked by darkness. Upon reaching the entrance to the tunnels, their leader stepped inside and was followed one by one by his fellow cultists. When the last had entered, the tunnel entrance closed. Across the mountains, the entrance to the tunnels in the village did the same.

Midnight passed without incident, but by three in the morning, the change suddenly came. Minds were altered, forms were changed, and buildings sprang from nowhere.

Much later, on August 2nd, morning settled on a changed village, the new mayor made his way to his mansion with his pair of adorable dobermans at either side of him. The sun shined bright. It was a good day to be a Lucetian.

Note: There will be a stand alone log for the homecoming dance. There will be another log for the second stage of the event.

Comments

[neversurrender]

[Steve Rogers lives a very normal, yet busy life. He's married to a wonderful woman named Peggy and they have three beautiful children named Mia, Teddy, and Primrose.

He begins his days by getting up early, getting ready for work, and then hustling his children out of bed and off to school. He's a terrible cook so he typically relies on his loving wife to hand out the breakfast and lunches. For the safety of everyone.

Once at work he has a schedule that splits down the middle, half of his classes being history, and the other half being art. He has one free period in the middle where he tries to eat lunch while helping out any students who happen to come by with questions or need help on an assignment. Some of the easier jobs he leaves to his TA Mavis.

After school he packs up his things and heads for the PE coaches' office. After putting his things down and donning his whistle and jacket, he heads out to the football court to assist Coach Kakashi with practice.

Day 2 goes much the same as the previous day, except that after work he runs by Pepper's Art Gallery to turn in his latest piece. Friends, students, people who recognize him or are just fans of his art are free to intercept him on his way to Pepper's office.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ It's rather nice to be a football coach in a school that really quite values its football. They give you things like a nice, cushy office with large windows facing the football fields, comfy seats, and even a small kitchenette with a small icebox for cold drinks and snacks.

At present, Kakashi is finishing grading a stack of new papers. He likes working in here far more than in his classroom, where anyone can just decide to walk on by and interrupt him. (And who knows what they might walk in on -- maybe he might just so happen to be reading a dirty rag or equally dirty literature.)

He adjusts his medical mask, which he wears year-round (allergies, poor health, he tells them, but really, he just doesn't like people looking at his face and knowing what he's thinking) and looks up just as Steve walks in. Practice isn't for another hour or so. ]

Afternoon.

[ Have a nod hello, Steve. ]

[neversurrender]

[Steve steps into the office, immediately heading towards his own desk which sits across from Kakashi's. He lays his bag on top of the desk and scoots out his chair to sit down. He's aware that he's a little early for practice today, but he had wrapped up early with the students who stayed behind after class and there was no point in sitting around his classroom alone for another hour.

Not when he found the presence of his old friend and co-worker a much better solution.]

Hello, Kakashi. How was your day?

[ue_no_ue]

[ Sometimes, Kakashi really wishes that they could get away with stashing some good Scotch under the table to unwind between teaching and coaching. Just something to take the stress of having to herd some twenty-something unruly teenagers into some sort of meaningful order whilst stuffing knowledge into their heads.

Some days it's more like herding cats. ]

You know, sometimes I'm not sure if they're just pretending to not understand the material, or if they really are just that stupid.

[ The response comes out rather flatly, paired with a bit of a sigh as Kakashi taps the end of his red pen against the top paper on the stack he's grading. There are glaring red marks all over the sheet. ]

[neversurrender]

[Steve opens up his own bag and begins pulling out stacks of papers and his trusty correction pens, three identical red pens. He likes having back-ups in case he gets a batch of really terrible assignments that runs his ink out.]

I think most of them just care more about other things. Like now, for instance, it's all about dresses for the dance and who is taking who. Don't you remember how hard it was being a teenager? [He grins in good humor.]

[ue_no_ue]

Maa, can't say I had the normal teenage experience... I'm not sure if I ever told you, but I enlisted when I was fifteen. We were able to get a hold of some papers that got me in earlier.

[ Kakashi caps the pen in his hand and sets it aside, since it doesn't look like he's going to be doing any grading at present. Besides, any excuse to not grade is something he'll jump on. Grading sometimes feels a little like repeatedly banging one's head against a very hard surface. ]

[neversurrender]

[Steve glances up from his stack of papers with surprise. He hadn't known that Kakashi had been that young when he first enlisted. They had met a few years later after the war had broken out and was in full swing. Steve himself had been in his later teens.]

No, you didn't. Why did you do it?

sorry for delay; was ill :(

[ue_no_ue]

[ Kakashi shrugs a little. ]

I guess I thought being a soldier would be fun. I mean, I was just a stupid kid, anyway.

[ Actually, that's not true at all. Kakashi enlisted because he couldn't bear the thought of being without his brother. He was afraid that Minato would enlist in the military and never come home. And even if Kakashi was only fifteen years old, he wanted to protect him. ]

Besides, my older brother enlisted at the same time, so I though it'd be a good idea to stick with him.

[neversurrender]

Fun? [His tone is colored in disbelief. A stupid kid he might have been, but why did no one stop him?] I guess it came as a shock what the experience is really like, then?

[Following his older brother. It makes him think about his own younger brother, Bucky. What would he have done if Bucky had wanted to follow him.]

If it had been my brother I would have stopped him. Being drafted to fight is one thing. Volunteering to go out and put your life on the line-while noble-is such a waste. You were so young so much time to go out and get some life experience first.

[August 5]

[complicatedliar]

[It's not so much a two martini lunch as a three heading to four and maybe five lunch. And Loki's eating by himself, a book on the table in front of him.]

[August 5]

[neversurrender]

[Steve had stepped into the diner to grab a quick bite to eat before his next set of classes. He'd forgotten to bring his lunch, and figured it would be quicker to order a sandwich and go back to the school then go all the way back home and eat an sandwich that had been sitting around for hours.

He hadn't expected to suddenly come across his cousin. It had been a number of months since they had last spoken. Or, well, they had done very little speaking and much more screaming and embittered silence.

Still, it would be impolite to ignore Loki's existence. So he finds himself walking over to his table almost without realizing it.]

Hello, Loki. You're looking well.

Re: [August 5]

[complicatedliar]

[He had been caught up with his book; he doesn't even notice Steve's approach until he's right there. His immediate thought is: What did Peggy tell him?

And then: I don't care. ]

How curious. I suppose being a lawyer has agreed with me after all.

How are you, Steve? [His tone is a little too flat to be friendly.]

[August 5]

[neversurrender]

[Well this false politeness is about what he'd been expecting. Good to know nothing has changed. Right. As if Loki would throw away all the time and energy he's spent hating him just like that.

The lawyer comment has his narrowing his eyes, but that's all he'll give away. He knows how Loki likes to goad him.]

I'm quite well. As are the children. They've asked about you. Wondering why you haven't stopped by recently. [Okay that might be a tiny stretch. But Loki is likely to react better to the mention of Steve's children than his own inquiry.]

[August 5]

[complicatedliar]

Have they? [He doesn't believe that for one minute, really.] Peggy didn't mention that.

I've been very busy. Work, you know.

[August 5]

[neversurrender]

Perhaps they only mentioned it to me. [An easy save but he figures Loki doesn't believe him. And he can only hazard a guess on what Peggy has been telling him.]

Yes, understandable. But even so you should try to make some time to stop by. I'm sure the children would love to see you.

Re: [August 5]

[complicatedliar]

Perhaps. [Not buying it. Shame on you for using your kids as an excuse. Even if Loki really does like them.]

I don't really see how they would be served by an awkward dinner. Why are you and your wife so eager to have me over?

[August 5]

[neversurrender]

It's the polite thing to do. We are still family, you know. No matter how much you'd like for that to change.

[rightfootforward]

[Morning time. Breakfast is done and the kids are off to school and such and she's made the lunches. Peggy has her hair up, makeup done and with an apron tied around her waist like usual. She hears Steve getting ready to leave and she finishes his lunch, adding a snack for later during his football session.]

Steve? Are you almost ready?

[neversurrender]

[Steve comes out of their bedroom on the tail end of her question, working on slipping his jacket on. He's known to dress more casually than many of the other teachers, choosing jeans over slacks, and a soft, white button up. But when you're teaching an art class, you learn to wear clothes you can spare and easily replace.

He comes up behind Peggy and wraps his arms around her waist, and gives her a peck on the cheek.]

As ready as I'll ever be. Are you finished with my lunch?

[rightfootforward]

[She smiles at the affection and turns her head a little to give him a kiss in return.]

Just finished. Will you be heading to the gallery today?

[neversurrender]

[He takes a long moment to enjoy the kiss before slowly pulling away.]

Yes. I thought I would stop by after practice and drop off my newly finished piece. It's one I think Pepper might be interested in hanging up.

[rightfootforward]

Oh? Is it one I've seen or something you've kept hidden away? [She's teasing him and it shows in her smile as she turns around to hand him his lunch bag.]

I was simply wondering when you'd be back tonight - if dinner should be a bit later or at its usual time.

[neversurrender]

[He accepts the bag and grabs her hand with his free one. Raising it to his lips, he places a quick kiss on the back of her hand.]

I have not kept it secretly hidden away. But I don't believe you've seen it. Yet. But if things go accordingly you'll be seeing it hanging in the gallery.

I shouldn't be too late. I'll call ahead if something comes up.

[rightfootforward]

[She'll never stop thinking his gentlemanly manners are cute, even after being married for so long. His boyish charm was one of the reasons why she fell for him after all.]

I'll be sure to drop by the gallery soon then. [Since she has all the confidence that his work will be accepted and hung up.

Although now that he's heading out, she wonders if she shouldn't say something about her chance meeting the other day. She knows how hard things have been between Steve and his cousin, but wouldn't he want to know what was going on? Peggy squeezes his hand and gives him a kiss on the cheek.]

...Oh, and I met one of your relatives the other day by chance. It was a bit of a shock, seeing them on this side of town.

[neversurrender]

Good. You can tell me what you think then.

[With that said he's already preparing his spiel for Pepper about his latest project in his head when Peggy kisses him. He smiles, but her following words freeze his expression. She doesn't have to specify which cousin she's talking about. Somehow he already knows.]

...Oh? How is Loki doing?