lucetilogs | Luceti Valley

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Luceti Valley - The First Log

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.

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Let's hope. It's held up so far. [A twinge of unease settles in his stomach as he tries to remember how long ago his father first got this truck.]

You're pretty good about keeping her going, too. [His dad had always had a talent with machinery, though.]

You think so?

[Of course he did. It was why he worked in Vegeta's shop in the first place. Automotive maintenance was his thing, and the job gave him the resources to develop new things...which he let his boss hold the rights to.

It wasn't a bad set up, overall.

He leaned back against the bumper and wiped his hands off with a nearby rag, getting off most of the grease but not all of it.]

So, what's up? I've gotta feeling that this ain't just an excuse to eat some of your mother's cooking.

Of course. You're one of the most talented people I know with machines. [He grins a bit, the tone of his voice taking on a bit of good humor.] Mom's a good cook, what can I say?

[He trails of, though, deciding to broach the topic he'd come about.] I was just wondering how you two were doing, actually. We've been so busy since we moved into our new place, I've barely visited.

hmm...

[Cliff glanced at the sky just beyond Fayt, but it was clear that he was looking at something beyond the clouds while he hummed thoughtfully at Fayt's commentary.]

Well. With Nel and the new house...its understandable that you two would want some alone time.

[The mood that filtered its way in quickly disappeared, like the scent of summer caught on a breeze. Cliff grinned rougishly. He saw no reason to be subtle.]

You two must have been busy. I know your mom and I have been.

Yeah, we're still unpacking, but so far, so good.

[Fayt frowns a little, wondering if his father was playing it cool like he always did. It was one of the many reasons Fayt looked up to him, a trait he'd taken after his father in..... to a point.]

Did you read the paper today?

[Playing it cool was the entire point of the game, in Cliff's mind. No one would worry too much if he didn't seem too worried himself.]

Yeah. I did. It's a bad situation alright.

They're trying to cut their losses from the strike, it seems like. [At the expense of people like his family. It burned that there wasn't a lot more they could do.]

It's only sound business, really. [He sighed, weary.] It doesn't sit right with me, but storming Town Hall ain't gonna help the situation a bit.

[He needed to stay practical. As much as he wanted to punch out the bureaucrats that ran the place, he still needed to take care of things. Problems needed to be discussed, deals needed to be made, and people needed to coordinate instead of let themselves slide into anarchy. He would have a talk with Vegeta later, to come up with a back up plan for his family in case bad turned to worse.]

Sound business, maybe, but poor everything else. [Poor everyone else. They were going to suck the town dry, starting with the working class families first. His expression is slightly grim.]

They won't give an inch, you know. Something is going to give eventually, but it probably won't be them. [And while they waited.... his family was going to suffer.]

Edited 2013-08-08 02:28 (UTC)

[Not if Cliff could help it.]

I'm just saying that storming Town Hall might make the situation worse, but that doesn't mean I don't wanna. Lots of the boys are gonna try, I think...but, really, I think we just oughta cut off from the whole thing and work on our own again. Separate from what the bigwigs say.

[That's right. Everyone quit their sound jobs and work under the table. It was a good idea in theory, but Cliff knew it had it's flaws. They just needed something to make a point that didn't involve arson.]

[Riots... No, he didn't want that to happen, either.]

That's easier said than done, you know. [The aristocracy had a pretty firm hold on a good portion of resources in town.]

Things are going to get bad regardless. [He pauses, trailing off a bit, before venturing a question.] How are you and mom going to hold up?

Edited 2013-08-08 02:44 (UTC)

[He knew that, which was why a part of him wanted to revert to straight up bartering for a while. Car maintenance in exchange for kitchen supplies. Tutoring in exchange for eggs. It would be a good fix for the short term, if things fell through.

Cliff hoped that they wouldn't.

Fayt's question gave him pause, made him wonder how much he could and should say to the young man. Fayt was a man, grown and married, with a house and job of his own. By rights, he should know...but, pride was a factor.]

You mom's got her projects. I've got mine. Between everything, we'll be fine.

Dad.... [He trails off, his tone questioning, and his expression says enough about his thoughts; He knew Cliff was lying, and he was disappointed..... and yes, a little worried. His parents had paid for his tuition somehow, after all, but he knew his father couldn't possibly have enough money to make it through this, if he didn't have some sort of side job Fayt was unaware of.]

....Be careful, alright?

[He hated seeing that look. Hated it and everything that it represented, everything he always strode to work against. Perhaps he had failed in that endeavor in some way, but there were always going to be certain details that were best left unsaid. They would make life more difficult and complicated than it needed to be which just brought trouble for everyone.

Cliff patted Fayt's shoulder with a grease stained hand, careful not to transfer the goo yet still make his point. They were fine. They were always fine.]

When am I not?

[A small shake, for emphasis, before he let go.]

Don't worry about it, okay?

Yo're my family, of course I'm going to worry. [He smiles tightly, but tries to shake off his worry for his father's sake. He'd find a way to help out, somehow. Mom would be more agreeable to it than dad would, at least.] But you're right. We'll all manage somehow.

[Atta boy.

Cliff returned the smile. It wasn't nearly as bright as his usual smile, but it was firm and strong. No matter what was going to happen to him or what's his, he wouldn't give up.]

Don't we always? Just watch. In a few weeks, this whole mess'll be behind us and we'll probly be in the bar laughing 'bout it. Life works in funny ways, and you just can't force it to work how you want it to.

Edited 2013-08-08 03:41 (UTC)

[He wasn't so sure about that.... if this was the response to three months of striking, it could only get worse before it got better. A lot worse. He decides to leave off with one last reminder-- something he knew didn't need to be said, but he felt needed to be heard, anyway.]

You and mom both know you can trust me with anything, too, right?

[That stung.

Cliff could see it coming from the other side of Hightown, and it still hurt. He glanced over the house, unable to look Fayt in the eyes for the moment.]

I know.

[He let it hang in the air before continuing.]

But, this isn't your mess. I intend to clean up as much of it as I can so that, hopefully, you won't need to deal with it when you're my age. It's not just fair-- it's the right thing to do.

You're smart. Very smart, and I've got a hunch that you're going to move onto something big one day. But, to reach that potential you've got, you can't be worrying too hard about your mom and I.

There's alot of things in this world that I wasn't able to have...but that's no reason why you can't.

[His father's words made his heart clench a bit.... but they also stung, almost as bad as his own words to his dad.

He wanted to become someone his parents could be proud to say they raised. He really wanted that, but...] Dad..... I'm not going to be a person I'd be proud of being by getting further in life if I can't be there for my family while I do it.

[What was the point? It'd be empty.]

Edited 2013-08-08 04:09 (UTC)

[Cliff couldn't look at him. There was no way. He shook his head, trying to clear the agitated uncertainty that Fayt's words brought on.]

Gah-- you're making this hard!

[He didn't scratch his neck, lest he get grease everywhere. What was there for him to say?]

Not really. [He sighs, glancing away and running a hand through the back of his hair. It was a habit he'd take after his father in maybe, but it was clear he was agitated... and disappointed.]

Nel and I are doing swell. I just want to make sure you and mom are doing the same.

[And to be honest if they weren't.] That's all.

[Unspoken or not, Cliff understood Fayt's meaning as clearly as if it were made plain. He sighed as well, for once boxed in...by his own son.]

We're doing alright enough, I s'pose. Things are a bit tight though.

[More than a bit tight, given what he suspected of Souji's not-so-subtly hidden side activities.]

'A bit tight'? [He frowns a bit more, wishing his father would be clearer. At least he was being honest, though.]

Yeah, it's nothing too terrible. We're eating alright...

[But the fact that he was having a hell of a time getting parts to repair the truck was evidence enough of how tight things were.]

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Luceti Valley - The First Log

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