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f20202020-09-15 12:53 am
- allison hargreeves ⧓ krakoa,
- anders ⧒ the white tower,
- beckett mariner ⧓ twin cities,
- cecelia ardenbury ⧓ olin vale,
- count dooku ⧓ the white tower,
- david alleyne ⧓ krakoa,
- declan lynch ⧓ sanctum aurorae,
- finn onaru ⧒ the white tower,
- fuu hououji ⧓ eden,
- jin bubaigawara ⧒ twin cities,
- jonathan walsh ⧓ northwestern imperium,
- kang ⧓ seekers of the new dawn,
- kylo ren ⧓ sanctum aurorae,
- lucina ⋈ ␣,
- luther hargreeves ⧓ krakoa,
- midnighter ⧒ the white tower,
- number five hargreeves ⧓ krakoa,
- padmé amidala ⧓ luminary,
- pepper potts ⋈ the white tower,
- rey ⧓ the white tower,
- ronan lynch ⧓ sanctum aurorae,
- rude ⧒ olin vale,
- stephen strange ⧓ the white tower,
- tony stark ⧓ the white tower,
- wei wuxian ⧓ house of m,
- wen ning ⋈ house of m,
- xue yang ⧓ sanctum aurorae
SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2020: THE SYNOD IS CONVENING.
THE SYNOD
While the Gates are the simplest form of transportation, those making the journey to the Synod from the White Tower have the option of travelling by train, if they wish. Despite the playfully grim moniker, there haven't been any recorded fatalities on board the Death Train in many years. Or ever, really. Raw, untamed entropy doesn't do anything as simple as kill.
For that delightful reason, passengers will be reminded at frequent intervals not to attempt to leave the train once it enters the active zone of the Porter's defenses, or to do anything that could jeopardise the integrity of its shielding.
The journey is relatively comfortable and takes approximately two and a half hours. A limited menu of pastries and alcohol is available from the buffet car. The smallest tables seat two.
As the train passes through the entropy-saturated wasteland of the Deathdome, the view from the heavily tinted windows of each of the train's four-person cars is impossible to comprehend: every atom of the landscape is in a constant state of flux, scattered in endless possibilities across the multiverse.
WELCOME CARPET
Inside, you get the impression of three towers; no view from outside is possible. You're totally sealed inside for the week, by the same Fate-built tech that shields this place from the ravages of cosmic radiation— the train station is built into the structure, entrance tunnel hermetically sealed.
You're greeted by welcome robots, primitive little things full endless enthusiasm and covered in dents. What they lack in intelligence they make up for in persistence and durability. Each and every ImPort is assigned their own personal robutler.
Though they tend to hinder more than help.
Boop boop boop boop. They provide you with a complimentary swag bag. Inside is one (1) t-shirt, one (1) top of the line tablet (pre-loaded with this year's Agenda and a simple game app that looks suspiciously like 2048), a stress ball, personalised souvenir pen and eraser (but no pencil), and of course, a lanyard keycard for accessing the comfortably adequate accommodations provided for all attendees.
Given the week-long Synod, your room itself is a decent suite, furnished with dark colors, redolent with a smell you can't quite place. You may find yourself assigned an unexpected roommate, which may feel awkward considering you'll find arrayed on the beds, a half-dozen complimentary tickets to the spa, restaurants and the power gym, with its preternaturally durable equipment.
Robutlers constantly remind: do not attempt to leave the Porter facility or do anything to jeopardise the integrity of its shielding.
Talks and panels take place in the convention area, which feels like a miniature city within the Porter's defenses, a hive with padded audience seats, wide stages, and complete with holographic audiovisual equipment that's curiously compatible with presentation software from every city.
Here, ImPorts will present and debate various topics regarded as major concerns for all. [OOCly, players are invited to suggest topics! Scroll down; they will be added below.]
This is also something of an expo, where cities practically demonstrate— or show off their good works. From the latest hovertechnology models to demonstrations of healing powers, playful duels in the forcefield-enclosed stages to magical books that temporarily transfer skills on touch, this is the place to pretend you're showing off your cards... while playing the most important ones close to your chest.
PANELS AND DEBATES
Every night of the Synod, ImPorts gather to dine in a grand hall with a ballroom party. Each dinner is hosted by one ImPort city, gruntwork complete with robutlers-- which guarantees food safety, and complete with multiple cuisine options, cultural decor, and entertainment.
Given the range of cities represented, food options vary from greasy burgers to six courses of seafood and blue venison, and rarefied vegan fare.
When ImPorts aren't here eating, they're most often talking. Ergo, it's not uncommon for low-key drama to break out, but this year, the majority of Synod days seem to be passing uneventfully.
Fortunately, speeches are reserved for daytime. After dinner, it's time to dance.
The last song of the night is always obscure music no one can quite remember the words or melody to afterward. It's a slow dance song meant for two or more partners; the ballroom grows dark and the world seems to fade away. Or rather, it just fades back into one's hotel room.
On Monday, September 21st, shortly before the Gates are due to resume ordinary function and allow attendees to leave, the Porter building suffers a power cut.
Abruptly, all the lights cut out. Music stops. Your faithful robutler freezes in place, unresponsive— though its internal systems appear to be running, the centralised command hub that it relies on has fallen silent.
Though the robutlers are out of comission, technology-minded ImPorts and their tech drones hasten to reassure that systems analyses are underway. Within a few hours, repairs begin, the estimated time being two days.
In the meantime, thanks to the diversity of powers on hand, there is enough food and water. Candles start to circulate. It might even be a little romantic, if it weren't for the chaos outside. Characters might find themselves trapped in an elevator for a few hours, or compelled to seek comfort from one another.
I.
He was examing various technology from the gym equipment, the cars, the robots, the gadgets. Then when he's close enough, he remembered him and recognized back home. Wen Ning is unmistakenable.
"Wen Ning...?"
sneaks a reply in before bed
"Young Master Lan?" He hadn't even known the other man was here, which is surprising given that he's been staying with Wei Wuxian. Perhaps he was a new arrival and their mutual acquaintance just wasn't aware yet. Otherwise how would he be told about Xue Yang, but not Lan Wangji? (Granted, the former is arguably more of a threat.)
He gives a proper, but awkward, bow. "I didn't expect to see you here."
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"Mn. Most of us from our world are here. Did you just arrived?"
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"But it seems like everyone else has been here a while. Is it the same with you?" If the other man is already aware of all the others here, then he can assume it is.
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"Have you met anybody else from our world? So far, I have seen my brother, Lan Xichen. There's Lan Jingyi. I had seen Sizhui a few days ago." But lost contact. "Jin Ling, and his mother and father is here. Wei Wuxian, I had seen a few days ago. Xue Yang, I had seen last month." Just to give Wen Ning a list.
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"I spoke with your brother. A-and Jin Zixuan." Which had been very awkward, but at least he's able to live a happy life with his family here now. Wen Ning intends to stay as far away from them as he can so that it will hopefully continue to be that way. "A couple of the others I only heard about."
He leaves out any mention of whose roof he's currently living under.
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At least, the Hanguang-Jun gave him permission to come over and stay with the Lans should he needs a place to go.
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"But I'll keep the offer in mind!" He looks back at the vending machine, hoping to veer the conversation away from that particular topic. "Does my lord know how the box with the packaged food works?"
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"Hm? Vending machine? Oh, it works like this." Lan Wangji searched his pouch to take out a few coins and bills to insert into the machine. Then he punches a few buttons and the food and drinks dropped and he takes it out through an opening in the slot. "Once it drops you pick it up, just like that."
He hopes he follows. "Do you want anything from the machine?"
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He feels immediately guilty when the other man puts money in. "A-ah... you don't... I'll have to pay you back, I'm sorry." He pats around on his robes until he finds his coin purse. He has some money, just a small amount provided by the government for expenses, but he's been hesitant to use too much of it. He's not used to Wei Wuxian not being broke - what if he needs to loan him some?
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Seeing he is searching for money to pay him back. "You can have it, Wen Ning." It's not a problem for him to spare some change.
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He takes the offered items carefully. "I don't even know what's in these. I-it's like surprise food." At least he thinks it's supposed to be food.
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As he hands the snack over, "It is food. And the drink is soda. I don't the food is healthy. They are junk food. But I think it's something you should try just once."
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But how's it going to hurt him, really? He's already a puppet.
Though he's still standing with them a moment later, turning bot items over in his hands. "... Master Lan. How do I open them?"
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He waited to see if he follows. "Any questions, Wen Ning?"
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"O-oh." He shakes his head in the negative after the demonstration. That had looked embarrassingly easy, but he still had a feeling that if he'd tried there would be snacks all over the floor by now. "I think I've got it now... thank you."
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With a nod, now that he gets it hopefully. "Mn. You're welcome."
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He then spends the next couple moments coughing after drinking from the soda and being assaulted by unexpected sweetness and carbonation.
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After he managed to even drink it down, "Drink slowly."
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"Why are there bubbles?"
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It's too sweet and too difficult to get down. Not refreshing at all. He doesn't see the appeal.
"T-thank you, Master Lan."
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"You're welcome, Wen Ning."