Post-Event Blues

[lucetimods]

Who: Everybody, everybody!
What: The battle is won. Now what?
When: The eleventh, twelfth, and onward
Where: Luceti
Summary: With Zompano dead and the cultists routed, Luceti is restored. Kind of.
Rating: F for Feels

On the eleventh, things were slowly breaking down. Memories of their true lives were breaking through. The village, scarred by the battle with the cultists, began to rebuild itself. Community buildings that had vanished were returned to their rightful places. The battle dome was uncovered from the earth that had covered it. Hundreds and hundreds of fake homes slowly faded away. Paved roads gave way to trees and grass. It was an incredible sight for anyone who was willing to sit aroun and watch it happen.

Things wouldn't be easy for the villagers, though. The memories perpetuated by the last ten days would not be easily removed. The feelings and hatreds it had created would take time to conquer and remove. Perhaps, in a way, that was Zompano's nastiest trick of all. The village itself may heal from his invasion, but it would take far more than a few Shifts to fix the people left behind.

Towards the end of the day, their wings returned. Much like some of the buildings, they seemed to just reappear, as if they had never been gone. Their barcodes became visible again as a singular reminder that they were, ultimately, just the property of another entity who as a whole were not much better than Count Zompano.

By the twelfth, the village looked as though nothing had ever happened. Sure, the contents of buildings might have been messed up or destroyed during the battles, but things were otherwise as they were supposed to be. The night before, people would have had to find their old beds to go sleep in, as they no longer possessed the old ones granted to them in another life.

The village was peaceful.

Modly Note: That wraps up the event. As noted in the prose above, you have the option to play up the after effects of the event more than in other ones. While it won't have the same impact universally, the Shift was constructed in such a way that people may have difficulty shaking off the emotions they developed during the event. In effect, it was a cruel send off to Luceti so they would have to deal with the loathing and hatred that came with the less desirable parts of it. Of course, that means the feelings of familial bonds will also persist for awhile as well. It's up to you, as players, to decide how much or little to play with it!

Comments

[windandrain]

The why? He...sounded like it was revenge. Claimed we...as a community...had done something to him. But then, he also screamed and howled like a lunatic.

[therewerefifty]

It seems many things come down to revenge. The screaming and howling, also.

I haven't been here long enough to know if there's any truth to his claim, of course.

[The question unspoken: have you?]

[windandrain]

[She picks up on that one.]

Nor me. I've heard his name in passing a few times, as a renegade Malnosso working with the Third Party. But I have no idea if he's come into conflict with us before. It's probably true, in some warped way. I don't know how well someone like that can distinguish reality from his own ego.

[therewerefifty]

Do you think he holds personal grudges?

[windandrain]

Possibly. But he seemed intent on the idea that I was somehow less than him.

[And she can't help but snort at the thought.]

[therewerefifty]

Perhaps he believes he is a god. These cultists do behave as fanatics.

[windandrain]

Perhaps so. Mortals often delude themselves in such a fashion.

[Which, of course, gets another snort.]

But those sorts of people, the fanatics, are the worst sort.

[therewerefifty]

[And yet this non-god broke both of Saori's legs. Someone to be extremely wary of. She's certainly not wrong about fanatics.]

Yes. They always come back. They can't be reasoned with. They are driven to madness. All dangerous things.

[windandrain]

[Well, when this god doesn't have her full faculties available to defend herself...]

Well, you don't need to worry about them. I'll deal with them if they come back. With my memories intact...I won't be injured like this again.

[therewerefifty]

[She knows. It makes you vulnerable.]

I would nope not. Broken legs take a long time to heal.

[windandrain]

[Saori lets out a little, slightly amused sound.]

A few weeks, but it serves me right for just rushing in without a plan.

[therewerefifty]

Sometimes there isn't time for plans.

[The town went crazy. People were getting killed in the streets.

...granted, mostly cultists, but nevertheless.]

If I can ever be of assistance, please let me know.

[windandrain]

[Saori nods, grateful for the offer, but at the same time hopeful that it won't come to her needing to ask Makie for help in a fight. Not in her condition.]

How are you, Makie? Your treatments have resumed, yes?

[therewerefifty]

Yes. [She smiles a little wryly.] The proper kind, this time. That's how I came to find you here.

I exerted myself a little too much in that last day, but certainly nothing serious. I will rest for a while.

[windandrain]

Good, that's good. When I saw you I was a little worried, but you look in better shape than I do at least.

[Saori leans back and looks up at the dull, boring ceiling fan spinning over her bed.]

Did you fight, then?

[therewerefifty]

Yes. Mostly through instinct. [So strange to think of how terrified she felt at the time. She's not sure whether she misses it or not.] My house was burning down and the police arrived to arrest Mr Vash. They opened fire on me.

It was certainly an interesting experience.

[windandrain]

It...was the same for me. Vegeta and I discovered our abilities when the police tried to arrest us. At the time, I admit I was somewhat terrified.

[She laughs faintly at the memory.]

Bullets...heh. You weren't injured, were you?

[therewerefifty]

No. I was lucky.

They had... interesting guns.

[And by that, she really just means: newfangled technology is interesting.]

[windandrain]

Interesting how?

[Guns...a weird.]

[therewerefifty]

Much smaller than I've really seen before. And a lot faster. I'm assuming they're just more technology from after my time.

[windandrain]

Likely so. I don't know a lot about guns, I've never had much use for them honestly. But I do know that pistols...the little ones...are only a century or two old. Fairly modern.

[therewerefifty]

[She nods. That's about what she'd figured.]

How long must you stay in this place?

[windandrain]

Another day, maybe two? I'll heal faster naturally, on my own. I'm just here for observation and extra rest, today.

[therewerefifty]

That's good to know.

Is anyone...helping you home?

[windandrain]

Yuuna, I expect. But I would not be unwilling to have more escorts.