Luceti Valley - The Second Log

[lucetimods]

Who: Everyone
What: The second part of the experiment. Things begin to unravel.
When: August 7th - August 10th
Where: Luceti itself
Summary: Check out the mod post for more. This covers Day 6-9!
Rating: Varies with thread. Please move explicit stuff to appointments post with appropriate warnings.

Luceti Valley continued in its own merry little way. The rich got richer, the poor got poorer. A new tax hike had ensured increasing animosity between both groups, despite the protests of the every charitable Lord Mayor. But on the sixth day, something happens and people begin to notice things are unusual. Idle thoughts that if thought about too much is bound to get you a visit to the police station for an hour or so. Or worse, it may just get you committed.

Meanwhile, the asylum continues to gain more and more patients. Those that are trapped there will find escaping difficult, but there may be more to this place than they first assumed...

On the tenth, battle breaks out across Luceti Valley. People begin to exhibit powers and abilities they didn't know they had. The police begin rounding up these people to lock up. If they resist, its bound to come to blows. Even though no one has regained their memories of their true self yet, it becomes apparent that some trickery is afoot, even if they might not know the source or why.


Note: This is the second log! There will be a third and final event log for the aftermath. There will also be two separate logs specifically for finding John and defeating Zompano. For those of you that signed up, we'll be randomizing the results and replying to the selected characters later tonight. In the meantime, keep enjoying the event! If you have questions, direct them here.

Comments

7th!

[therewerefifty]

[His distraction hasn't gone entirely unnoticed. Makie attributes it to ongoing stresses with the strike, and checks her watch as they both slide back into the front seat, speaking lightly.] It's only eleven. What time did your shift start?

[The car practically purrs to life. Derek did some excellent work. She can count that as a blessing.]

[endgames]

Two. [He gently closes the door, turning to her with a grin that stretches from ear to ear.] Told you we'd have time to put everything away.

[therewerefifty]

So you did. We've also time to get some lunch somewhere if you like. [Not that budget really stretches to more than some noodles or something, but :| Lame offer is lame?] It's a lovely day for it. [And the groceries will hardly spoil over an extra twenty minutes.]

[endgames]

Eh, the house is fine.

[He splurged on Sakura's dress. With the dance over, it's back to being a penny pincher. Especially in light of recent events.]

[therewerefifty]

[She's trying to pretend those recent events didn't happen, you know. At least for a few days longer. It's... given her some time to think on some things.]

Home it is. [Well, she supposes she still has-- oh that reminds her.] Also, Vash is trying to get me out of the house again. [Vash likes living with a healthy case of denial.] He's taking me out for a picnic in a few days. I said I'd extend the invitation to you and Sakura.

[endgames]

[He visibly winces at the name. Not just because his mother's ex-boyfriend gave him no shortage of annoyances with his nickname for him when he was a kid, but because he talked to the guy the other day.

Seems like Vash threw caution to the wind anyways. He kinda has to admire him for that...]

Mm... [He frowns, looking out the window as the streets go past, focusing on the invitation.] You should take Sakura. That'd be nice for her... I don't know if I'll be able to make it. I was gonna pick up an extra shift, but Logan'll have my hide if I don't start papering the streets for other work this week.

[therewerefifty]

[You wince, she winces. She should have expected that, after their conversation.]

He came to see you? What happened?

[endgames]

[He waves a hand.] It's not as bad as you think.

[Not as bad as he thought, even if he expects that as the days get closer, Logan will stop pulling his punches.]

He didn't hurt me, we just put on a show for the squares watching. He wants me to have a new job in a week, though.

[therewerefifty]

[...

...Logan. How much pride had it cost him? There's an initial rush of gratitude; relief, and love, yes. It's quickly overturned by shame.

This is not where she would see either of them, if she had a choice. One that was acceptable.

She's quiet for long moments before replying, because she doesn't until she can keep her voice casual, eyes locked on the road.]

I suppose a week is gracious.

1/2

[endgames]

[This face.]

[endgames]

[Taking off his hat, he runs a hand through his hai-- why does he keep his hair so long anyways? It's troublesome.

But whatever. He sighs.]

There's a not a lotta people who'll be jumping to hire me in a year, much less a week.

[therewerefifty]

If...

[...no. She should quash that thought. Makie's jaw tightens.]

Logan can't find other work either. He should know how impossible that is for you.

[endgames]

[Well there's always one way. And Logan made that his ultimatum, if nothing pans out in a week. Maybe that was intentional.

...He thinks of the argument he and his father had, yesterday. The one person who could help her, to summarize Tony's words.]

...what if I worked for him?

[His voice is uncharacteristically small.]

[therewerefifty]

[No need to ask who him is. Makie's gaze flicks sideways a moment, then back to the road. Her voice is almost as quiet.]

Do you want to?

[endgames]

Not really.

[Especially after yesterday. Still leaning his chin upon his head, he again turns to face the window.]

But if I'm going to be doing something I hate, I might as well have more than two pennies to rub together for it.

[therewerefifty]

[...

It's not that she has anything against Tony. Far from it; they live their own lives out, that's all. Time has passed. Things move on.

But.]

I'm not going to judge you for any choice you make. It's... your life. If you can live with that option, then...

...I don't know, Shikamaru. I hate that you get stuck like this at all.

[endgames]

It's the way things are. It'll get better, mom.

[He shifts a little, nervously. Stuck? Yeah... Some of that was unavoidable. Part of it he's dug his own grave for.]

[therewerefifty]

When? [She's been hearing that so often, lately. The tax hike is just another nail in denial's coffin.] You and I both know that's not true. Or at least, it won't get better in any way that's good.

[Which sounds sort of comical, actually. Her small laugh is anything but.]

[endgames]

[That's as good as telling him everything he's worked for in this last year will be fruitless. That stings more than anything else could.]

As soon as I get a new plan together. I'm not letting it get worse.

[therewerefifty]

[She realises after she's said it, of course. If you can't say anything hopeful, Makie...]

I know you won't. [You don't have a choice.] But you have so much on your plate already. It's not fair for you to get so trapped dealing with a burden that should be mine.

[endgames]

You're my mother. That's not a burden.

[therewerefifty]

That's not what I meant.

[Deep breath. It stresses her, this tax hike. Heck, it stresses everyone. But now is not the time to let it bleed into the conversation. (Deep breath, to a point-- it's a half breath, because deep breathing just causes problems in dying people. Go figure.)]

It's... I'm a mother. Your mother. It's meant to be my job to provide for you. You're not mean to provide for me until I'm old and grey and need to be spoonfed, or...something.

You have a wife, now. I want you to be happy.

[endgames]

[It's true that he wasn't expecting to have to look after her until she'd gotten along much farther in years, but... It doesn't make a difference, he decides. You can't choose when you need help.]

There's not a chance I could be happy, knowing it was at your expense. I'd regret it every day.

[He sighs. They could argue back and forth like this for an hour. Neither one of them are wrong, necessarily.]

Maybe we're going about this wrong.

[therewerefifty]

Maybe. [But they've been over this so many times. She chews on her lip. Nervous thinking habit. Life doesn't work as simply as that, she knows; casting her off certainly wouldn't make her son's life suddenly all roses.]

So what are our other options? Have you... have you asked your father about this already? [It's said quietly. But when it comes down to it...

A tax hike isn't the only thing that could go wrong with money.]

[endgames]

[Well that saves the problem about how to bring it up. He fidgets.]

I didn't ask... but he's offered. He found out what was happening.