EVENT | SETTLING IN

[historiadores]

SETTLING IN

Initial quarantine period is over, but the newest arrivals in Llave, known colloquially as “Los Aparecidos” (The Appeared), remain largely restricted to the shelter for two primary reasons: one, as they are currently stateless, meaning they have no rights to citizenship anywhere, what to do with them continues to be debated; and two, it has become rapidly obvious that many have zero knowledge not just of the nation they find themselves in, but of the wider world around them.

The former has been explained to them via the lawyers who have taken their collective case, and further clarified by the prime minister, Rosario Alonzo de León, when she and several members of her government return to speak again with the arrivals. A highly intelligent and capable woman in her late forties, she makes a point of sitting with each newcomer to Llave to converse about their experiences thus far and what concerns they have.

As for the lagoons in characters’ knowledge, steps are being taken to address these.

Classes are being held now, in order to prepare the arrivals for whatever happens next. Characters will be taught a variety of skills, including but not limited to communication methods such as mail, phones, television, radio and the Internet; use of appliances, including basic lessons on modern utilities; and general safety rules both inside and outside the home. Characters can request specific classes or volunteer to help teach their companions. (And for anyone learning or helping to teach how to read and write, a reminder that the Spanish alphabet consists of 27 letters: ‘ñ’ has its place after ‘n’. And ‘ll’ and ‘rr’ have their own sounds.)

The woman organizing the classes has become well-known to the arrivals: Evelyn Burgos Peña was a clinical social worker before leaving her previous work to assume the duties of First Lady when her wife was elected. Aside from spearheading the new education efforts for the arrivals, she has also been working diligently with the Bajari Bara to establish the second change in the daily routine.

Due to the generally acceptable behavior during the Day of Heroes, characters are now sometimes permitted to leave the shelter to visit Old Nona. These group excursions are not every day, and last only a few hours. One of these excursions is tied to a class to which all are invited. Rather than make learning more about Llave itself a tedious lecture, on the week of November 22nd, the museum characters arrived at has opened its doors to them for a special exhibit on the island's early history. Characters are accompanied as they were during the Day of Heroes by a guide and an escort of Bajari Bara.

Characters are reminded being permitted outside is a privilege. Until the matter of their legal status is resolved, they have few rights and fewer legal protections. Behavior and curfew are both strictly enforced, and violations will result in the loss of this privilege.

Otherwise, the routine in the shelter remains the same. Caseworkers still check in daily and will refer those who present a need or who request it to the appropriate mental health professionals. Hot meals continue to be provided three times a day along with snacks. A projector was brought in and a different movie is aired every night (General Audiences only—remember, there are children present), with the shelter staff providing snacks to make it a movie theater experience. Entertainment items—books, games, sports equipment, art supplies, etc.—are available and can also be requested (though no promises are made that characters will get exactly what they want, especially if the item can double as a weapon).

Possession of weapons remains strictly prohibited and any visible weapons will be confiscated. Any who attempts to flout this rule, starts fights in the shelter or in Nona or attempts to break out will be swiftly separated from the rest by the Bajari Bara. Further violence will result in consequences according to their actions.

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THE MONTH'S HEADLINES

• Red chickcharney seen celebrating during the Day of Heroes.
• Tombs found disturbed in Nona's Old Cemetery.
• Santa Cecilia cattle farmers on high alert after cows, sheep found mauled.
• Unidentified flying object spotted off the coast of Bimini.

OOC PLANNING POST • NAVIGATION

Comments

[lordofdarkness]

Hey! [He tosses some sand back her way and draws the shadows up around his front like a shield, emerging only to flick more sand at her.]

[inkings]

Oh!

[ the girl who started the sand fight is very offended that the boy she was in the process of burying would respond in kind. shocking and appalling turn of events.

grabbing a handful of sand, she shoves his shield aside in a bold attempt to shove sand down his shirt.

consider this war. ]

[lordofdarkness]

[With a yelp, he rolls away, years of fighting instinct apparently put to work to protect him from handfuls of sand. He also pulls his shield back up a second later, stretching it wider around his front.

He clumsily swipes the sand between them in an effort to send a spray of it over her.]

[inkings]

[ with a squeal, she flinches back. the parasol jumps to her hand. she brings it up to protect her from the onslaught. from behind its open top, she throws more. the only care she takes is to avoid nico's face. everything else is fair game. torso, arms, legs.

his feet seem like a weak point. ]

Through the gap, follow the map, my brother's feet to trap!

[ vines spring out of the sand, and coil tightly around nico's ankles. ]

[lordofdarkness]

Hey! [He yelps for the second time in as many minutes, watching as his feet get tangled in vines that appear out of nowhere.]

That's cheating! [He tugs at his ankles and considers bringing his sword out to cut them, but in the end decides to pull a shadow into his hand instead, eyes narrowed in focus as he works it into a sharp edge to slash at the vines with.]

[inkings]

Word to the wise, Nicolino!

[ in her hand, mal holds a strange blue rock. a pale blue light shines in its interior. where the light touches her, her bones glow pale through her skin like a negative image.

in her fine gauzy gown and her golden diadem, with her eyes lit green and the ember in her hand, she looks something primal. a force of nature restrained, barely, within the delicate guise of a girl.

she smirks at him. ]

There's only winning.

[ the sand beneath his feet shifts. a shadow falls over him. a wave of sand looms above him, and comes crashing down. ]

[lordofdarkness]

[Nico lets out a loud yelp before promptly being buried in sand. It is several moments before he resurfaces fully, brushing sand out of his hair and spitting it out of his mouth.]

Ugh! Mal! [His voice is a high pitched whine and he might be glaring at her. It's honestly hard to tell with all of the sand. After a short pause, he rolls towards her, intending to wrap his arms around her shoulders in a hug and get her pretty hair and shiny dress full of sand so that she can suffer with him.]

[inkings]

[ aware of nico's intentions (because she grew up with jay, and jay would do the exact same thing), the ember glows in mal's hand. ] I wouldn't try it.

[ in the deep recesses of her fairy heart, however, she dearly hopes he'll try it. ❤️ ]

[lordofdarkness]

[HE DEFINITELY TRIES IT.]

[inkings]

[ unfortunately for nico, it did turn out to be a much bigger problem. ]

[lordofdarkness]

[This is why you're in goodness classes, Mal.

Groaning loudly, and still half blinded by the sand falling from his hair, Nico heaves one arm out of the sand trap, placing his fingers on the ground and pulling the nearest shadows towards him with one quick reaching gesture. With one last glare at Mal, he tucks the shadows around him and disappears with a soft sounding pop.

Moments later, he appears several dozen feet away up the rocky beach, stepping out from behind a tree.]

I'm not coming back over there until you stop burying me!

[inkings]

[ she passed that class 😌

mal laughs. ] Stop picking a fight you can't win!

[lordofdarkness]

You started it!

[Productive line of reasoning over here.]

[inkings]

[ mal laughs again, and turns away from nico. she wanders closer to the shoreline before reconsidering. after setting the ember carefully atop the half-buried trunk of a palm tree, she returns to the sea. the waves break over the toes. she digs her feet into the warm sand. the breeze picks up the fine material of her gown, drawing it like liquid against her. ]

A day like this, back in Auradon… [ she smiles up at the clouds. ] You couldn't get me out of the sky.

[lordofdarkness]

[After only a minute or so, Nico sneaks out from his "hiding" place, making his way down to where Mal is dipping her toes into the water. With a wary glance thrown her way, he shuffles closer, tossing his sandy shirt aside and toeing off his own socks and shoes so that he can step into the cool water a few feet away.

There's still sand in his hair and he leans over with a groan, batting at his head in an effort to shake it all loose. He's pretty sure it'll be there for the next couple of days though.]

You try that at Camp and Zeus would strike you down before you even stretched your wings. At least unless you're on a quest to save the world or something.

He really doesn't bother you there?

[inkings]

[ mal frowns. ]

Why would he? He didn't exactly create the sky. Doesn't have his name on it, either.

[lordofdarkness]

[Nico snorts, shaking his head, but his usual anger on the subject is absent. He's here with his sister, free of Zeus's influence apparently. He isn't going to waste his energy on him.]

Might as well where I'm from. Me and Percy—he's a son of Poseidon—can't even take an airplane anywhere. He'll shoot us down.

It was worse for Percy, but he's not exactly happy my dad had any kids either. You know, Olympian drama. [He straightens then, giving up his hair as a lost cause.]

[inkings]

[ mal cards her fingers through nico's hair. a simple spell and the remaining sand slides out. she dusts off a few grains from his bare shoulder, and kisses nico's cheek. ]

Maybe I can cut through your universe en route to mine.

[ returning to the palm, she picks up the ember. raised by her mother, she proudly owned her fae nature. not so for the other half of her. what did being the daughter of a god win her? a father who never wanted her. the potential for greater fear and more scorn. but she can no more tear by the root her divine nature than she could suppress being a fairy.

her mother was a fairy queen; her father, a god. she shrank the one into a lizard; she forced the other back into his prison.

when mal tips her head sweetly in nico's direction, her eyes burn. ]

Being stripped of his powers might teach old weather boy some humility.

[lordofdarkness]

[He laughs and shoots her a grateful smile for the clean head of hair, eyes landing on the giant ass jewel in her hand that he'd noticed before but had been too busy being buried in sand to ask about.

He doesn't comment on the impossibility of what she's suggested, mostly because it's a very nice thought, even if he doubts even someone like Mal could do it. Zeus is the king of the gods and all. Still he meets her eyes with a curious look of his own.]

What is that?

[inkings]

Hades' Ember. My father's one gift to me. Will only respond to Hades himself or one of his descendants, which back home is just me.

And— [ she holds it up for nico to see, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth— ] it's capable of draining the power of any being. Including a god.

[lordofdarkness]

I'll take ten.

[inkings]

[ BURSTING OUT LAUGHING. ]

There is only one, I'm sorry, [ she manages between giggles as soon as she has regained control.] But I tell you what.

[ stepping back toward nico, mal fondly tucks his unruly hair behind his ear. she clasps the ember against her chest. the interior of the stone glows, strangely. ]

As soon as we've found the way back, I'll make a pit stop by Auradon to pick up a few helpful items. [ evie's mirror, evie herself, fairy godmother's wand, her mother's scepter. you know. common, helpful items. ] Then we can swing by your world and…upend the established order.

[ she playfully wrinkles her nose at him. a brother and a sister, casually plotting high treason— ]

[lordofdarkness]

[He loves her. A lot. Nico leans his head into her touch and smiles brightly, a long way from the melancholy expression he'd been wearing when she found him.]

Sounds like we're going on a quest. [The most noble of quests for the most noble of sisters. He snickers under his breath and shakes his head, reaching over to hook one arm around her waist and tuck his head on top of her shoulder.]

Yours too. Let's do some upending there too.

[inkings]

[ wrapping her arms around nico, mal squeezes him. ]

You know, someone once told me Ben would never make a villain a queen. And as it turns out…

[ laughing, she hugs nico again. stepping back, she lets her hand slide down to his. she threads their fingers together, and slightly swings their hands. ]

I can't wait for you to meet Ben. He will love you as much as I do, I'm sure of it. There is going to be a room in the castle just for you. Oh, if you're going to be part of the court, you'll need a title. Duke, I think.

Your Grace, Duke Nico di Angelo, brother to the Queen.

[ she beams at him brightly. for the moment, her failures are far away. they are young and they are powerful and they are going to right the world's wrongs and carve a place and a name for themselves in the land and in history. ]

[lordofdarkness]

[He pulls back from her just enough so she can see the playfully horrified look on his face. He isn't even sure why it's there only that the thought of a title is horrifying.]

How about, "your-[Nope, he's noping out of that. Is it literally just a commonly used word? Yes. Does he still not want to hear it? Also yes.] highness, the Ghost King? That's my actual title you know.

I took it from Minos.