AND DAYS OF AULD LANG SYNE, MY DEARS...

[maskormods]

WHO: imPorts!
WHERE: Heropa's Convention Center
WHEN: January 9th.
WHAT: Swearing-in in motion! To kick off the new year, imPorts and locals alike are invited to share their resolutions and goals for the new year, big and small -- and some of the locals would like to talk about what they'd like to see from YOU, imPorts! Individual threads for examples of each speaker may request can be found here:

CRIME
CHARITY
DISCOVERY

WARNINGS: None anticipated; let us know if this should be changed.



Another year over, a new one just begun. Welcome, imPorts to the first swear-in of 2017! The past twelve months have been a heck of a ride, haven’t they? In honor of Werriam Mebster picking ‘power’ as the word of the year for 2016, this gathering focuses on just what the word means for the future. Or more importantly, what it is people, imPorts and natives alike, wish to see power used for in 2017.

Today’s gathering is in Heropa in a rented out convention center. The main large room is reserved for imPorts only, spreads of food and drinks available along with small tables scattered around for individuals or groups of up to 5 to gather around and (maybe slightly annoyingly) bright and optimistic music playing softly but endlessly in the background. Throughout the event, they'll also be giving away ImPort Calendars for 2017, so be sure to open them up and gawk at all your colleagues and friends as much as you like!

The star events, however, are in the side rooms. In conference rooms labeled ‘Crime’, ‘Charity’ or ‘Discovery’ natives have gathered to present their case to the imPorts and ask you to make your New Year’s resolution to be helping the native population that counts on (and financially supports, a few more bitter residents may point out) all of you.

In each room natives take their turn to specifically outline their request, based on the theme of the room. The Crime room will have people pointing out specific gangs in their neighborhood that need to be looked into, or ask for heroes to come help train their neighborhood watches to be more efficient. Charity is asking for donations of time, energy, and/or money for specific causes or buildings. Helping kids to read, replacing that museum one of you burned down, getting little Sally that red sled she always wanted. Discovery related to inventions or developments the natives would like imPorts to focus on in the upcoming year. Anything from a moon base to free androids for all to specific medical advancements. Many of these requests may seem impossible, but like a kid with a wish list to Santa they’re all going to give it a try. Who knows what imPorts may be capable of when they put their heads together? Some of these presentations are simply someone reading from a piece of paper on stage, others involve flashy light shows and how YOU can benefit from helping. Some are sung, some have dance numbers, any way the natives can think of making their request stand out, they are willing to do.

So go to one or all of the request sessions, either to genuinely help, to mock, or just to get an idea of where you stand in the native’s eyes. Then take a break in the imPort only social to discuss the brilliance/insanity of the requests, form groups to work together in the New Year, or just get drunk in the corner on the government’s dime.

On the other hand, everyone wants to hear from you too, imPorts -- what do you want out of life, personally or professionally? They're encouraged to share with the public and their friends alike with a cheerful - if not entirely correct - reminder that it's easier to keep to resolutions if you share them! And if you do volunteer your resolution, you will be rewarded with a little gift bag filled with goods and coupons from the event's sponsors (cookies, a certificate for 50% off a wheel change, a gift certificate for one free froyo at a local business and a free coffee at a differet local business as well as a chinese finger trap, a whistle, and a child's handheld puzzle... not all events are all glam, imPorts!). What's the message you want to spread to these people who have such great hopes for you?

It’s a whole New Year, kids. What will you do with your power?

Comments

Robbie Reyes | OTA

[quemar]

Robbie spends a lot of time in the Crime room. Probably too much time. He's taciturn, but not completely unwilling to talk with other imPorts who are there for the same reasons, and honestly those reasons of his are fairly obvious. He scrutinizes the gang presentations way too closely, though even while gathering as much information as he can he does his level best to avoid eye contact with the natives. The kind of help they're asking for is not the kind of help he gives, see. The demon under his skin doesn't deal in rehabilitation, in improving neighborhoods, only in blood. It is hungry now, angry, restless. He's been around for a couple days and done nothing for it, even though they'd made a deal fair and square. He agreed to settle all of its scores, every last one.

But regardless for the devil's distaste for his inaction, he eventually manages to pry himself back out of that particular presentation area and into the imPort room, feeling somehow that he sticks out like a sore thumb both less and more in the pleasant, party atmosphere with his fellow tourists, picking sullenly at the food selection and being generally a total buzzkill.

But, hey. He's still here. He Registered because he's not really sure what else to do and he figures that at least he has an out here, because unlike at home with SHIELD, they've got no leverage and nothing he needs. His brother's not here, so he has nothing to lose. It's just that he'd just like to have some kind of monetary cushion saved up before he does anything too crazy—even the Ghost Rider isn't too down on the idea of securing a car, before they begin.

Either way, Robbie stares dubiously (maybe slightly judgmentally) down at the imPort calendar which had been generously thrust at him as soon as his hands were freed up from plates of food or drink. Christ. "... How long are we supposed to stick around?"

[devoutish]

As far as Alfie is concerned, there are only really two likely reasons why someone might be paying this much attention to the presentations - either they're a crime-fighter, or a criminal themselves. He's curious to find out which.

After a particularly long presentation given by an ex-gang member who now works for a neighborhood watch-style group, Alfie gives a little lean in Robbie's direction. "That's an inspiring story, innit? He's certainly moving up in the world."

His tone is just the slightest bit dry.

[quemar]

Robbie is more serial killer than crime fighter, but he does toe that line in one very specific direction.

When Alfie leans over to talk, his accent throws Robbie off enough that he almost does a double take, switching from flicking a sideways glance in the man's general direction to actually turning entirely to look at him. His brow creases for a split second as his eyes immediately jump all the way down and back up Alfie's out-of-place attire, but after taking the briefest of moments to find his tongue, he doesn't comment on any of it. Yet.

"He seems. Penitent." Sometimes that's enough. Sometimes it's not. Robbie could look—really look—and know for sure, but he wants to at least get through a the meeting itself without causing a scene. Or, you know, a death. "You not buying it?" He hasn't even thought to ask you don't approve?

[devoutish]

"Oh, I believe he's had his change of heart, yeah." He clucks his tongue. "The man speaks sincerely enough for it."

And really, as far as Alfie's concerned, there are worse places to defect than to a crime prevention organization. At least he's honest about his change of heart, rather than trying to play undercover informant.

[quemar]

Robbie shrugs in a bid to look noncommittal, his attention returning to where the man is retreating back out of the spotlight.

"You're optimistic about his place in the world." Maybe Robbie has just lived too long in the shittiest parts of East LA, because he's got different ideas about the life expectancy of guys who leave their gangs. "Most people don't like snitches."

[devoutish]

"But look at him, he's still alive and breathing." Alfie gestures towards the man, who's now heading back to his seat. "Might be he didn't know enough to make anybody worry. Might be he's smart enough to keep his fucking mouth shut about some things."

[quemar]

"Ain't about that though, is it?" Thing is, it's not like Robbie never thought about becoming a banger like the sadsack settling back into his seat a few rows away from them. Living in the neighborhood he did, it was impossible not to think about that. And he gets the appeal, maybe more than he's entirely comfortable with, it's just that he had a little brother to raise. He had to worry about keeping a job and feeding them both, keeping CPS off their backs, keeping Gabe safe, and by the time he'd gotten older and wiser he'd had different reasons for not needing that sort of group support.

It's just easier to pass judgement without ever having tried on the shoes, is all, and god knows Robbie is nothing if not judgmental. "Talking at all, even if it's about nothing, sets a bad precedent." He's not going to shed a tear if the guy gets taken out by the same people he's here to halfway defend (with the sufficiently sad picture he'd painted of the conditions that shaped him and his former fellow gang members) or anything of course, but he does sound awfully derisive about the whole practice all the same. "Snitches get stitches, and shit."

[devoutish]

Alfie hasn't heard that particular turn of phrase before, and it makes him chuckle.

"Well, clearly you don't approve, eh? What are you, some sort of gang member yourself?"

He doesn't really expect an honest answer, and he asks it playfully enough that it would be hard to read it as any sort of real fishing attempt. But he is curious, all the same.

[quemar]

"No." The answer comes a little sharply. Robbie's problem is that he's much more honest than a violent murderer who expects to keep getting away with it should actually be. "I just grew up in—" he's about to name the city, but he reminds himself that anybody who sounds like Alfie does can't really be expected to know what he's implying by it. It's not like he knows any dangerous English areas by name. "A rough hood. You see things." Says the man responsible for his share of gangbanger deaths, former or otherwise, casually shrugging the blame right off his own shoulders.

[devoutish]

"And so you're familiar, without having been inside the life." Alfie arches his eyebrows at Robbie, leaning in a little.

"Have you gone the other way, then? Policeman, law enforcement, hero...?"

[quemar]

"No," he repeats, and for what it's worth he does believe that one. Nothing about what he does as the Rider is heroic, after all, and it's certainly not in keeping with any law. Still, he is at least less snippy about that one. Not that he's particularly a big fan of the police or of heroes, categorically. "What about you?" He's gotta have a reason to be sitting here, listening to all this, too.

[devoutish]

"No, no." He waves a hand. "No, I don't trust the police. But it's interesting to hear what people have to say about them, eh?"

He gestures up towards the stage.