maskormenacelogs | (no subject)

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: Jeopardy -> Heropa
WHEN: Nov. 19
WHAT: A resolution and a swear-in
WARNINGS: Please label threads

Somewhere, in a place that is and is not Jeopardy, time has passed. To some, it may have felt like mere hours; to others, days. For time doesn't truly touch this place. Only fate exists here, for imPorts to change or allow to proceed as it will.

Somewhere, the sisters look into the hearts of those with the power to decide the fate of this entire world and know their choice. A blinding light grows, forcing even the strongest to close their eyes, and as they do so, a vision of what could have happened appears in their minds. A world wreathed in flames, fire and screams echoing ceaselessly as they depart; a peaceful world, healed and whole and well—and a certainty that another world has paid a heavy price.

And then there's the sensation of three powerful forces leaving, two taking an unwilling third with them to wherever they are going. This world will be left as it is now, and its future will be whatever the people here make of it.

MEANWHILE, IN HEROPA

One week into the mysterious storm that has enveloped much of Jeopardy, citizens across the nation are losing hope. The government continues to monitor the situation at a safe distance, but cannot enter the affected part of the city, though one SEAL team did make an attempt, only to become lost in the wind for hours before emerging without ever making it through. While the storm hasn't grown, neither has it shown any sign of changing.

The heroes who bravely charged into the storm have not officially been given up for lost, but with no news coming from Jeopardy, few believe they will emerge unscathed. To honor their sacrifice (?) and offer sorrowful natives a means of coping, a candlelight vigil kicks off outside Heropa City Hall at 4:30 PM EST.

Speeches are given. Commemorative t-shirts are sold. It is at this point that a large portal of light opens up in front of the building and deposits all imPorts who entered the storm, as well as a confused but unharmed Layla and Sally Clapp. A stunned silence falls over the crowd — followed shortly by an eruption of cheers.

Organized chaos quickly reigns over the occasion. Medical personnel are quickly called in to aid any imPorts who might need it, and government officials quickly descend, one thing on their mind: what the heck happened, heroes?! ImPorts are asked to state, for the record, exactly what they experienced — which leaves a lot of room open for the more creative among them. Just what each imPorts is willing to confess to or lie about is up to them, but there are other imPorts at hand to refute or support all statements.

While imPorts are technically free to go, all are encouraged to enter the building for a debriefing with government officials. Those who care to share their story begin to paint a picture of what happened, and a flurry of transportation begins to move between City Hall and the local porter outpost, as Jeopardy will certainly require some aid now that it is fully accessible. Reports begin to filter back that while there have been some casualties and collateral damage to the city, it is far less of a disaster than the government anticipated during the storm, no doubt due to imPorts' efforts. Additionally, news from other porter cities begins to arrive; with the dissipation of the Jeopardy storm, all dimensional anomalies elsewhere have ceased.

Following the briefings, ImPorts may go home and get some rest, although they may have trouble shaking off the crowds — which are largely ecstatic that the people who apparently saved the world are in front of them.

While imPorts were occupied with the post-disaster debriefings, locals have used the time to launch an impromptu celebration of their defense of this world. Local restaurants, breweries and nanas have hustled their finest wares over, and free food and drink are flowing for the homecoming heroes. A local party & events organizing company has strung up some lights and tents in the park across the street from City Hall, lending a festive atmosphere to the area. T-shirts being sold to honor the assumed-fallen heroes have been 'edited' with permanent marker, going from 'FALLED HEROES' (there was an error in the print run, given the notice of less than a week) to 'RISEN HEROES' and are, regretfully, being given away for free.

For those who stay, an impromptu party breaks out, and the occasion quickly becomes the latest swear-in, albeit with a more casual emphasis on the actual swearing-in than usual; a card table is set up with the usual seals and documents, but it's a bit haphazard.

Along with tasty libations, local musicians start jamming on acoustic guitars in the park's gazebo, setting up some cheerful background music—or maybe you're not too tired to dance? A local physical therapy school has rolled in multiple portable massage tables, with free sessions for sore heroes!

The locals who haven't dispersed yet are also around, likely to seek autographs from the world savers, while podcasters, BlueTubers and regular nosy nellies might lean in with a recording device, asking for the real story of what happened. For imPorts who become too intoxicated or exhausted to porter home, many locals are offering couches to crash on — although the pillows they use may later show up on ePay.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ This strikes him as a stupid chance Rupert is taking. He'd never use the portals this way, it would be too easy to get caught somewhere you can't afford to be. Doing things above board is almost always worth the hassle of paying. (Then again, he has to grant that Rupert doesn't seem like a man to mind having the police called on him over some trespassing, so maybe the risk is a moot point to him.)

But either way, he pretends not to see that business with the lock, and steps through the room with an admiring, appreciative eye. Everything else aside, really, what a place to be. What magnificent light fixtures. ]

This is a hell of a suite. Do you take advantage of it often?

Often enough, [ Rupert replies with a satisfied grin, sliding into a luxurious couch with the same colour and richness as double cream. ] It's practically a second home.

[ Perhaps maybe a third, fourth, or fifth home, considering how many places Rupert bounces between nowadays. He picks a speck of non-existent dust from his trouser knee, flicking it aside with airy nonchalance. ]

That's the curious thing about this portal business, I suppose. I'm no longer so attached to the idea of one fixed place being 'home'...

[ He smiles blithely. ]

And why should I? The whole world has been opened up to me and I'm determined to make the very most of it. All kinds of interesting places are home to me now.

[ Whether the owners like it or not. ]

[ He makes a thoughtful noise, trailing after Rupert. He really should do something about the state of himself, but without a change of clothes, he doesn't feel like resigning himself to the bathrobed lifestyle just yet. He leans against the back of the couch above him, watching Rupert thoughtfully. ]

That makes sense ... I could never, though. I like the comfort of a home, too many homes is too many places to misplace things. [ All lies, he's been living for squirreling various things away in various places with Rupert's power; his room in Maurtia Falls is as barebones and impersonal as a room can be. ] But I'm glad you make use of it. It's a pretty fitting power for you.

[ See, Rupert rather likes being one of the misplaced things. Difficult to find unless he wants to be. An emotional vagrant, living lightly but not meanly, flitting from place to place. Enjoying an hour here, a day there, rolling out of bed in the morning and stepping out into a different timezone. He grins boyishly up at Damian leaning over the couch above him. Yes, it is a pretty fitting power. ]

I do wear it rather well, [ He agrees. The idea that his power is no longer strictly just his is an ugly little canker festering in the back of Rupert's mind, but that's an issue to be dealt with another day. There are prettier things to focus on right now. He regards Damian thoughtfully for a moment, scrutinising the planes and curves of his features. The colour of his hair under this ridiculously opulent lighting fixture above them. Redheads are mostly awful, in Rupert's experience. He pats the couch beside him. ]

Come on, if you're going to smear your suit all over the back of the upholstery then you may as well do it properly.

[ Damian is happy to take that moment to regard Rupert in turn, and does it with a small, faint smile. He is a good looking man, that's certainly true, but Damian can't help but appreciate the other aspects of him. The current cluelessness, the temper he knows resides somewhere in there, and the way it would undoubtedly flare if he knew the full context of this meeting. His small smile curls up just slightly, and he wonders how that stab at his side has fared. It must have been healed by someone, surely. It would only have been lethal if left absolutely untreated, but he'd definitely be favoring his side without some kind of powers-based intervention.

Rupert's invitation pulls him out of thought, and the smile fades into a well-practiced faintly embarrassed look. ]

Before anything else, I should mention there's a caveat here. And frankly I'll understand if it's something you don't want to work around.

Oh? A caveat, you say.

[ Rupert isn't sure that there's anything back in his time that could shock him or put him off his game entirely. But here, in this very modern world with these very modern people, there's still an edge of the unknown. Kinks have only gotten kinkier, dirty minds have only gotten dirtier. A caveat could be anything.

He sits a little straighter and folds an arm over the back of the couch, giving Damian his full and undivided attention. ]

This is either going to be terribly exciting or terribly annoying, isn't it?

[ He sighs, a long suffering look coming over him, as he lifts a hand to inspect his own open palm. ]

It took a while, but I developed another power here. It's a sort of telepathy — with skin-to-skin contact, I can sort of faintly sense another person's power. [ Just enough truth for the improbable seeming event that Rupert asks him to prove it by touching any imPorts. ] It's not the most useful thing I've ever heard of, and it comes with a migraine penalty for too many distinct touches within a short span of time. Sustained is fine, but ...

[ He offers a shrug. It's doable (he would know), but a sometimes ridiculous-feeling obstacle to work around. ]