OPEN LOG

[khajidont]

WHO: YOU! Please feel free to put up top-levels and tag around!
WHERE: The Ted Kord Memorial Centre
WHEN: September 11 to the end of September!
WHAT: The Ted Kord Memorial Centre is being built as a place of remembrance and solace for imPorts that require it! This is an open log for anyone who wishes to help with the building efforts, wants to play out remembrance or contributions to the centre itself, or who just want to use it as a handy dandy location for characters to meet up with each other.
WARNINGS: None anticipated! But if you'd like to formally log your characters' contributions to the centre, please do so at THIS POST for archiving purposes.



THE CONSTRUCTION

Luckily for Jaime - who is, despite his best efforts, not a professional construction worker - he has plenty of professional construction workers on-site. But whatever locals can do, imPorts can do better, and he's happily accepting any and all volunteers on-site, whether people wish to help construct the building itself, assist with the gardening (as directed by one Haru Okumura), or simply want to laze about and watch others work. There's plenty to get done, so get doing!

THE BUILDING

In the midst of one of Heropa's public parks is a two-story building titled the TED KORD MEMORIAL CENTRE, created by Jaime Reyes (with Ted Kord's money & bountiful assistance from the government) as a place of remembrance and solace for those that have been lost over the course of the years. The outside wall has numerous slots for the public and imPorts alike to hang up plaques, store flowers, and otherwise present mail, art, photographs or anything else that they wish to be accessible to the public.

The inside is a different story. In order to gain access inside the building and the adjacent garden, you must scan your imPort tattoo, ensuring privacy for those that need it. The most obvious thing when you step foot into the memorial centre is a large tree the entire building was built around, now surrounded by a circular bench. There are a small assembly of chairs and tables for imPorts to sit at with an even assembly of soft, squashy chairs, wicker chairs, couches and stools. In the entrance, there is a donations box. Half of the proceeds will go towards upkeep of the building, and half of the proceeds will go towards an imPort-run charity.

Along the East wall is a displayed digital photo album which imPorts are welcome to add onto at will. The photos will be processed at the end of each day, at which point they will be vetted by Khaji Da to ensure that nothing obscene will be displayed; this is a place for remembrance and, as such, anything that's not fit for minors to see will be denied.

There's room for other ways of imPorts memorializing others and expressing themselves. In addition to shelves and slots where people can hang plaques, leave keepsakes and flowers or display anything else they see fit, the back wall is entirely blank, meant for existing imPorts to share what they would like displayed in the event of their port-out. Suggested pieces of art include paintings, poetry, stories, photography and fabric arts, but anything within reason is allowed to be displayed!

Out back is a garden, fully decorated with trees and flowers save for one empty patch of land, where imPorts are encouraged to grow what they so please. The garden has plenty of benches available to sit on, but is otherwise just a garden; this is an area that's rife for expansion if any imPorts wish to make larger structural art to be displayed or contribute towards a fountain or other such decorations. Lanterns will be automatically turned on after nightfall each night, as the facility will be open 24/7.

Comments

haru okumura | OPEN

[girlybruiser]

GARDENING

[ For anyone who wants to get their hands dirty and help out with gardening, Haru is already working on a patch of the area, diligent in her efforts and occasionally so focused she forgets the others around her. She might not hear anyone speaking to her unless they meander closer for her to catch on, otherwise they may have to poke a shoulder to seize her attention.

She's already gotten a bit of soil on her face, oops. ]

BREAK TIME

[ Despite her focus, at some point she does require a small break from all that squatting and getting down to her knees. Her legs and heels feel sore, as do her shoulders from leaning down in one position for so long, so she finds the circular bench to rest on. Haru has also brought a small bag with her, packed with a lunch she's starting to help herself to. ]

[khajidont]

Hey, [ Jaime says, crouching in front of where Haru's working, looking curiously at the expanse of plants she's already planted and everything that has yet to be planted. ] I don't have an eye for this kind of thing, but if you can give me a few directions, I'd be happy to help.

[ After a moment, he plops down on his ass, sitting cross-legged in front of the plot. ]

And thanks again for doing this. It means a lot more to have an imPort working on this place, y'know?

[girlybruiser]

[ Haru doesn't jump at Jaime's sudden presence, but she does look at him in surprise. The soil on her cheek has now spread to her nose somehow. ]

There's a watering can over there, if you don't mind.

[ Her face grows red, smiling shyly back at Jaime for his comment. ]

You're welcome. I'm really happy that I can help with this, especially if this is important to someone.

[khajidont]

'Course not!

[ As Jaime trundles over to grab the watering can, he says, ] And honestly? I'm hoping that this place will be important to everyone who needs a place like this. But right now, it's really important to me.

[ He holds the watering can over the planter, obediently waiting for future instruction; the last thing he wants is to drown the dang things. ]

I mean, this place'll be here even after I'm not. And if we do it right, same goes for you and these plants.

[girlybruiser]

It's really amazing that you were able to put something like this together.

[ And it's so well done; Haru has to give him points for that. ]

Was this all your idea?

[ She nods, gesturing for Jaime to begin watering the soil with the seeds planted. She motions with her hands for a gentle stream, not a heavy hand. ]

[khajidont]

I had a lot of help figuring out the logistics and whatever - and of course I asked a bunch of people for what they'd want from a place like this, 'cause I already have a place to go.

[ Church. He'd never understood it before, but when the going got tough? He found it easier to see how his father sought out solace in its walls, after the war. He looks down as he rains water upon the newly planted seeds below. He's not much of a gardener, but he's looking forward to watching them grow. ]

But... yeah, the concept itself was mine. I've been here for so long now that it just seemed like something that was way overdue.

[girlybruiser]

It's kind of you to take others' feelings into consideration when putting together this place.

[ She finishes smoothing out the soil before her, stepping aside to allow Jaime room to pass so he can spread some water on this end, too. In the meantime, Haru digs around for the hand towel she brought so she could wipe her hands off. ]

You're the sort of person who cares about others a lot, aren't you?

[ While they may not know each other well, Haru's gotten what she thinks is a good surface level introduction to Jaime: he's someone with a lot of heart. ]

GARDENING

[photophobic]

[ Kylo doesn't know anything about gardening, really. And he feels more than a little ridiculous, stalking into the centre with his arms full of shrubbery. He's carrying a small magnolia shrub he chose at a nearby garden centre (which was an adventure in itself). It doesn't look like much, at the moment– a few sturdy branches covered in broad leaves– but in the spring, before almost anything else has emerged from the chill of winter, it will be transformed. An unexpected and unrivalled explosion of beauty.
The idea pleases him for reasons he doesn't care to investigate closely. It's enough that it does.

Black-clad and grim-faced despite the armful of greenery, he strides through the garden with single-minded purpose, aiming for a clear, empty patch.

But then he pauses. Padmé wouldn't have set herself apart like that.

He turns, looks over the garden, and chooses a more suitable location for the plant in his arms to put down roots and spread out its branches. Here. By the edge of what he assumes mst be an ornamental stream. This is where he will put her.

Placing the shrub down, he glances around for-- a spade, he supposes. Does this place provide tools? He should have checked. And as far as he can tell, there's only one person here working on a flowerbed not far from where he's standing– a giant hulk of directionless menace, awkwardly out of place. He clears his throat. ]

[girlybruiser]

[ Haru is essentially done, all that is left is watering the flowerbed. A quiet sigh laced with exhaustion escapes her throat and her shoulders seem to slump after having to strain her arms and back for so long. A hot bath with some bath bombs thrown in is sorely needed after they have all finished here.

She almost doesn't catch the throat clearing, but something nags her to look over her shoulder—

And she startles a little bit, her neck craning to see this large, imposing figure looming nearby. Was he the one who made that noise? ]

Yes?

[photophobic]

[ Kylo doesn't do asking for things well. At all, really. But-- he's trying. He glances at the shrub beside him, before refocusing his attention on Haru's face with a slightly unnerving stare. ]

I want to plant this here. Are you- do you work here.

[girlybruiser]

Oh!

[ The staring is most definitely getting the hairs on the back of Haru's neck to rise slightly. It's difficult to discern whether this man is socially awkward or potentially someone creepy (or both), but so far every volunteer she's met today has been alright. Maybe he's just shy...

So she smiles back at him, trying to push past the terse atmosphere. ]

I'm just volunteering to help Jaime with the gardening portion. [ She then eyes the shrub, her smile widening. ] A magnolia? That's going to be beautiful.

[ Wait, does he have an actual question? ]

... sorry, did you need some help?

[photophobic]

[ His eyes narrow slightly– Ah. He remembers where he's seen her before. And with that, the intensity of his gaze falls away, approaching more... normal levels. He looks back at the shrub again. ]

Yes. A magnolia. I-

Do I need to do something, to borrow some tools? A spade. I didn't bring one with me.

[ Which is probably just as well. This guy, walking around with a shovel? ]

[girlybruiser]

[ A magnolia tree is such an exquisite piece to plant; Haru can't help but wonder if he chose that one specifically. He doesn't seem to know a lot about gardening, but to be fair, it's not a hobby everybody picks up or enjoys. ]

Yes, you'll have to use a flat spade. I have one... [ She shuffles around, digging through to find the tools. ] ... here it is.

[ Rising to her feet, her knees shake slightly as she's been squatting for much too long. She waits a moment until she feels comfortable walking, then steps toward Kylo with the spade.

(Darn, he's tall.) ]

Have the roots already been pruned?

jaime reyes | OPEN

[khajidont]

[ Being the one who's arranging this whole thing, Jaime can be found on the premises from start to finish. Even if he's not much in the way of a construction worker, he's happy to be on-site, answering any questions, making any decisions that need to be made (never an easy thing; you may find him hemming and hawing about what shade of stain they should be painting the wood), and generally making himself useful.

If you're helping out, he may come up to you on his own or bearing some much deserved free lunch and a smile. ] Hey - thanks for coming and helping out. It means a lot.

[ Or, once it's done, you may find him sitting out in the garden, looking at all the flowers and vegetation that's been planted, a pleased expression on his face.

Or, perhaps, you find him dwelling by the back wall, looking at the empty space for imPorts to hang their own art up as something concrete and long-lasting. You may hear him remark, ] I'm not gonna put anything up, but I bet that this'll fill up quick.

[lempereur]

[ Yusuke's been helping out a lot. Jaime is hopeless with the decorating, anyway, so he's practically obligated to, he can't have his friend make a fool of himself with the wrong stain color.

But even more importantly, working on the memorial together is a way for them to honor Shinjiro. Whether it's spoken or not, that's what's on Yusuke's mind as he helps to tidy things up, arrange comfortable furniture, put the last touches on his mural full of old faces. Eventually, lunch time arrives, but instead of eating, the artist is looking through his phone...there it is. ]

We should add this one.

[ He hands his phone to Jaime, a picture displayed of Shinji picking up Koromaru and looking very happy doing it. It's clear that he was not aware he was having his photo taken, but still, it's a nice one. ]

[khajidont]

Oh.

[ Jaime's gaze softens. Of course it does. This is the second time he's had to say goodbye. He'd known that welcoming Shinji into his home and his heart, of course - and he had done it anyway. Jaime gets to know everyone with the expectation that one day, someday, they'll leave too. If that means having to go through this over and over again, then so be it. All he can do is hope that they made Shinji's life here happier than it would have been otherwise.

That doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt. It does, though not as bad as it did the last time, knowing that this version of Shinji isn't dead where he's from. You give part of yourself away to every person you make room for.

Somehow, Jaime still finds more to give. He hopes that never runs out. ]

Yeah. Yeah, we should. That's a great photo. [ Jaime pauses. ] You think he's gone for good this time?

[lempereur]

[ Yusuke, for one, is glad that he does. Jaime making room for him, not just in his home, but in his heart, is one of the biggest blessings this world has given him. He smiles wistfully at the phone between them. He was lucky to know Shinjiro too, even when he was met with resistance, even when they both found out things they never wanted to know. ]

I hope not. I miss him. Koro-chan, too.

[ All he can do is hope not, right? There's no way to predict these things. Some people get whipped back and forth, some people come back without their memory, others never come back, some people, it seems, will never leave. ]

It's been quiet at home.

[khajidont]

[ Jaime sighs. ]

I know. Even if he never talked much, it just feels different. I didn't realize how much I got used to having him around... again.

[ At least the last time Shinji ported out, he'd already moved out and into a different city. It had been awful, and it sucked, and he missed him terribly, but it wasn't in his face every time he came home to a house now in possession of one less person. ]

There's still a chance that he can come back. [ He glances over at Yusuke, a half-hearted little smile on his face. ] Honestly, I owe you one. Without you, I dunno if I would have had the balls to do it all over again, but I'm glad I did. This way, we don't have any regrets.

[lempereur]

[ Different. That's really the only way to describe it. The sort of quiet emptiness that comes with port outs is familiar to them both by now, but Yusuke never expects it. He smiles back with a wistful sigh. ]

I could not have done it on my own. Hopefully, if he returns, we won't have to reintroduce him to sleeping indoors again.

[storyseeker]

[Elena's been slightly completely crushed at work lately, but she makes a point to come by the Centre and lend a hand. She's might not appear terribly buff, but she's stronger than she looks and is able to help rather than hinder. The prospect of free lunch isn't the main draw, but she doesn't object to it, especially when it's delivered by a familiar face.]

Hey you. Have I mentioned that I think it's a really great thing you're doing here?

[khajidont]

[ It means a lot that anyone's come out to help him with this project. Not many have - it's a complicated, draining thing, building a memorial - but that just makes the people who have shown up all the more important, especially someone with as busy a schedule as Elena. He grins at her, setting the take-out down on an overturned crate everyone's been using as tables for the last few days. ]

Aw, shucks. [ That grin's just a mite mischievous. Don't worry, Elena, he doesn't unironically say aw shucks... most of the time. Then, more genuinely: ] Thanks. I really hope it gets somewhere. You know this is probably the most nervewracking thing I've ever done, like, in my life?

[storyseeker]

[Even a busy reporter always makes time for a good cause and a good friend. (And good food.)]

Really? After all the crazy things that have happened here?

[She doesn't know about any scary events he may or may not have experienced in his home world, of course, but she's been here long enough to think of two or three fairly frightening occurrences.]

What makes this so scary?

[khajidont]

It's different than having crazy things happen to me! This is a crazy thing I'm going out and doing all on my own.

[ Jaime grabs another crate to sit down on. If they're having a break, they may as well be comfortable as they chow down. ]

There's a lot of money being spent on this thing. If it doesn't go right, I'm not the only one who's gonna be disappointed - and if nobody uses it at all, then it's a waste of everyone's money and time. And of Ted's name.

[ He looks over at the building. It's still in-progress and it's impossible to see what the end product is going to wind up looking like. He wishes he had a vision for it, but all he can do is trust in the builders. ]

Give me a giant robot to beat up any day.

[storyseeker]

[A fair point. Elena nods, and grabs a seat as well. Easier to chat, easier to eat this way.]

You want it to be worthy of him, huh? I get that.

[It's one thing to take a risk under one's own name. Under someone else's? Something meant to be an honor could become something else entirely.]

Do you ever feel...I don't know, a greater sense of responsibility, because you've been here so long?

Ryūji Sakamoto -- Open

[imaphantomthief]

Outside
[As if every porter linked city weren't plastered with them just a few weeks ago, Ryūji solemnly glues up another poster for the public at large to see. He's had a few calls, some were pranks, and a few were just about ordinary cats people had found.

There were a few that looked enough like Morgana he'd even tried addressing them by name, but none of them were him. He gets a few dirty looks, honestly, for having the nerve to hang a lost cat poster on a legitimate memorial site. Well, forget those people. They just didn't understand.]

Inside
[The tree clearly isn't an interactive part of the memorial site. Clearly to most people, at least. Ryūji, on the other hand, steps boldly up and hangs a paper charm from it. The paper has something written on it, but only those who can fluently read Japanese will know that it's a prayer for his mother. He only hangs back a second after fastening it to the branch, to make sure it'll stay where it is, before he starts to walk away again.]

It just keeps happening
[Inexplicably, Ryūji staples his gym bag to the back wall. It's not the sort of thoughtful, heartfelt goodbye that the wall deserves. It's just got a change of clothes and what would honestly seem like trash to most people inside. A few dollars, a coupon for a free soft serve at the Big Bang, a water bottle, a key chain compass, and a print out of a post card of Chicago. Someone should probably kick him out right around now.]

Wildcard*
[Wanna talk to Ryūji without razzing him about his mommy, his littering habits, or his truly embarrassing graphic design skills? He's around! Hit him up wherever.]