rekindleme | Save Our Parks! (OPEN)

Entry tags:

Save Our Parks! (OPEN)

Who: Everyone
Where: Mostly Districts 2 and 3
When: 20th September
Summary: In light of the new district reopening, there's still a lot to do! This log is open to everyone if they want to see what else is going on in the city, or help with some important tasks.
Warnings: Inbox death may occur. System overload at own risk. SOME NPC RESPONSES WILL BE SLOW UNTIL THE ONE WHO PLAYS THEM IS PRESENT.

I'm only happy when it rains...

Some of the natives have been busy. There's a little stand set up in the plaza that wasn't there before. They have minions, too: people with clipboards are assaulting recent arrivals on the street with requests. It seems that most of the employees are helping with the district reopening, and that means everyone else is incredibly understaffed.

But wait! Don't walk away! If your character helps with some of the chores around the city, they'll get a little money added to their stipend, as well as a coupon to the new store opening today in District 3.

District 2
Residents will be asked to help hang up tiny twinkling lights in the trees lining the streets, nothing so fancy as during the summer festival but something with lasting power throughout the oncoming rainfall. There are water fountains that need to be insulated, gigantic mountains of leaves that should be disposed of, and plants requiring trimming.

District 3
In addition to the winterization chores going on in the second district, the shopping district has their own problems to take care of. Large potted plants need to be moved inside-- that's a job for physically fit characters-- and little tents need to be taken down. Oh, and they need lights in the trees here, too.

New Store
There is a lot of excitable chattering surrounding the new store on the main shopping street. The sign is currently covered in plastic and unreadable.

Boxes
Near the water, groups of trees, or small parks, characters might stumble upon a group of canvas-covered boxes and someone desperately looking for help with them. There are a lot, after all.

YOU MAY NOW REPLY. Thank you for your patience!

NPCs will pop into the last two sections. Otherwise, comment and threadjack at will.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I didn't-"

[She's spared having to come up with an excuse on why she volunteered that information, once she feels that familiar nudge from a teammate. It's easy to spring the psychic link out from hibernating into full activity, as she watches Robin carefully.

And as she listens? Her eyes manage to get wider and wider as he lays out some of his own story. She can't pick out vivid details from his thoughts, of course; and prying for them sounds both rude and painful...But she can get glimpses. The feeling of breath getting sucked out of a space, and the numbing ache all sticks with her.]

"H-"

[She can't even think of a Martian oath to express how much that hurts, or what she's getting glimpses of.]

"I didn't think...I'm so sorry. That's when Bruce-?"

[She cuts off, shaking her head as an alarmed look replaces that hurt one. She didn't MEAN to pick that up, per say, but she caught an echo of the name after that whirlwind of emotion in his head.]

Of course you didn't. What was there to think about?

[His head bows. He can feel her there, at a respectful distance, and it's taking all of his self-control not to jerk back. He's not... he's not used to sharing this. Bruce Wayne is well-known around the world for his business and charity work, but he's famous in Gotham City, for those things and for his own loss. Dick is not famous -- Bruce ensured as much -- but he's just well-known enough within Gotham that anyone who exerts the effort can find out who he is.

The only person he's ever told is Wally. He pushes that fact towards the link, and with it goes a little bit of the trepidation at making that decision to go behind Bruce's back, to directly disobey him, and then the relief, when Wally understood, empathized, and swore never to tell.]

Y-yeah. He just... happened to be there. [Never mind where 'there' was.] And thought that if no one else c-could take care of me, maybe he should.

[There's all sorts of speculation M'gann could launch into as she hears that; his and Wally's friendship, and maybe even conjecture on what this might mean about Bruce Wayne as his adopted parent-

But right now, that doesn't feel important at all. Not compared to what Robin is going through and all the other emotions she can pick up through their link. It's those chokes and stutters that decide her, as M'gann lands on the roof and lets the link go on the quiet side. Instead she shifts her focus to her arms, as she stretches them out and tries to wrap him up in a hug, wanting it to be comforting, strong, and stable]

If we were anywhere else right now, I would not let you do this.

[It's clear from his voice that he doesn't mean it, it's said with a weak laugh and only to save face. This isn't the kind of situation Robin the Boy Wonder likes to be seen in. But he hugs her back, although she's definitely the one holding him.

He gives it about half a minute before he speaks again, and it's normal, now. Serious, but normal.]

I notice you got my foster dad's name out of that. Did you get mine, too?

Edited 2013-10-01 06:16 (UTC)

"Of course not. Good thing for rooftops, right?"

[M'gann doesn't fully buy what he says, at the moment...But she'll also humor him as well as she can. This is a lot better than old emotional scars, and M'gann is more than happy to keep her hug up for a little longer. Once he speaks normally, she convinces her arms that it's okay to relax and give him a little breathing space.]

"N...Not really. I only heard that by accident, and I didn't want to pry any deeper."

It's Dick.

[That he can say without affectation. Still a little wary, but again, both of the Batgirls know. This is... he's not sure if it's the right thing to do, but it's the fair one. It's the one that puts him back in control of the flow of information, and it's the one that'll allow them to interact with others more easily in a group.]

Well, Richard, actually, but that's for official formalities only. I sign it, that's about it. I don't mind if you use it. I mean, I have to introduce myself to people in civvies, too.

[That sudden, second introduction to his civilian ID takes her by surprise, though thankfully it doesn't leave her completely speechless.]

"I-I think it's a nice name,"

[It's not QUITE up there with Megan and Conner as far as Earth names go, but still nice. M'gann is sincere enough when she gives that compliment, and when she continues.]

"And I won't tell anyone, not unless you tell them first. It's your call, after all."

[It was right about at that moment that Piper happened by- not on the rooftop of course, but at ground level. She had her hands in her pockets and she was walking slowly, in part because she was lost in thought and in part because of the initial stages of her withdrawal. She was and is totally oblivious of the discussion taking place somewhere overhead, but does stop by the pile of leaves long enough to look around.

Who just piled up a bunch of leaves and left them here, and why does she feel the sudden urge to jump into them?

Can't remember the last time she did something that silly, at least not since leaving camp for the quest. Sure would be easy to get the drop on her right then...]

[Peripheral vision is a wonderful thing, and he's about to thank M'gann when movement in it catches his attention. Dagger girl.

He smirks slowly, and glances at M'gann over his glasses again. He looks even more diabolical with his eyes able to convey the barely-suppressed glee.]

Looks like someone needs a push to, uh, relive -- or even just live, like us -- their childhoods.

Maybe use a little telekinesis to... help them along?

[He nods towards Piper.]

"Help-? Oh! Right, right."

[She's got this, after a moment of confusion. M'gann stands on the edge of the roof, glancing down and then smiling when she realizes who it is.]

"Hey, I know her! I'd love to help her out."

[And M'gann does seem to think she's doing a favor as she raises a hand, and motions to the leaves below. They give a soft rustle before a few of them lift up, and in a scene that looks like it belongs in an animated family film start to move around Piper in a whirlwind. (Granted, one without a lot of wind, which might look and feel a bit odd.) There's a look of intense concentration on M'gann's face as she does that, before trying to give the leaves, and maybe Piper by extension, the gentlest nudge towards the leaves.

...Or at least she tries to make it gentle. But controlling that many components isn't easy, and she might make it a harsher push than she originally intended.]

[The rustling caught her attention fast, though she spared the leaves a glance and not much more. Some animal hiding in the leaves maybe (never mind that she hadn't really seen any yet though... huh...)? She had this feeling, like a tingle at the back of her mind that she almost wasn't sure was there. Her demigod heritage left her with a tendency to be a little on edge at times and she couldn't help but feel her muscles tighten a bit as inborn battle reflex tried to surface.

Relax, Piper, they're just leaves.

And then there was that whole Disney Pocahontas moment going on there, and at first she was surprised, taking a step back and turning-]

What in the gods na-?!

[And then she was really surprised and, well, what happened next wasn't much of a surprise itself. She was feeling a little weak to start with and then the force of M'gann's nudge sent her stumbling. Backwards, into the leaf pile with an undignified yelp.

At least she didn't go flailing like a mad woman, but she DID go for her dagger, expecting a malicious wind nymph to pop up at any moment. Though it was a little hard to hit something that wasn't there. Gods this would be embarrassing, being taken down by a leaf monster in some weird cuddle prison, of all places.]

Edited 2013-10-02 06:34 (UTC)

Mm.. ahaha...

[ohgodohgodohgod

Dick's hands both slam over his mouth, but it's futile. He tries to hold it in for just a brief second but he's weak, and he just bubbles up, almost a groan of giggles, before coalescing into actual hysterics.]

Should... see your face...

Edited 2013-10-02 06:36 (UTC)

[Oh. Well, that's not exactly the result she was hoping for, but M'gann is still hopeful. Maybe that was a happy surprised yelp, after all. That's right up there with her hope that Robin knows what he's talking about.]

"Did we help?"

[M'gann calls down hopefully, leaning over the edge to look down and wave at Piper.]

"I tried to make sure it was…'Enchanting' is supposed to be the right word, I think-?"

[That's as far as she gets when she hears Robin laughing, and glances over at him with a look of 'what are you doing?' Which vanishes when she considers that earlier glint in his eye. Now she just looks put out with him. And isn't fully sure whether she should yell 'Robin!' or 'Dick' at him in exasperation...So she settles for just frowning.]

[The laughter isn't doing much to put her at ease, though there is a moment of complete confusion when she realizes it's familiar. It wouldn't be the first time a boy she'd met turned out to be a venti, but it seemed unlikely here. Had it been a tri-

I tried to make sure it was... 'Enchanting' is supposed to be the right word, I think-?

... M'gann?

The force stops, the leaves dropping all around her, and the worst Piper is left with is that itchy, scratchy sensation where her skin is exposed. She takes a second to catch her breath and locate the voices, eyes opened fractionally wider. She DOES know those voices, and now she feels incredibly stupid for whipping out her dagger on a bunch of leaves. It doesn't take a genius to discern their dynamic just now, though it would help immensely if she were closer or had the full story.

She moves to get up, swatting leaves out of her hair and off of her clothes. She chooses her words very carefully, given she can barely keep the embarrassment out of her tone.]

I think I missed the memo... [She mumbles, face somewhat flushed as she sheaths Katoptris.]

Glad your friend there got a laugh, at least. [She sends him a look.]

Edited 2013-10-02 07:12 (UTC)

[M'gann's look actually does shut him up. The laughter, anyway, although the giggles threaten again at Piper's look.]

Was more going for fun than enchanting, but it wouldn't be the first miscommunication in the history of ever.

No memo. You just looked like you could use a little fun.

[And he's just glad not to be talking about himself anymore. Yes.]

"...Oops. Sorry. I was hoping you could get a laugh out of this too..."

[She looks away from Robin and down at Piper as she says that, still not looking exactly pleased with the situation...And making sure to keep her features schooled into that almost-but-not-really-Batman-level stony and displeased look. She's about ready to give him a shove off the roof and into the leaves as well; turn about being fair play and all. It's just the distance that makes her stop short of actually doing that. Even if he IS an acrobat, it's a long way to fall.]

Edited 2013-10-03 20:01 (UTC)

It's fine, I was just- [Panicking over a bunch of dead leaves attacking me.] -surprised. [She still seems a little embarrassed, but it's passing.

Give her a second to pick some leaves out from under the collar of her shirt.]

Sorry. I don't mean to sound like a wet blanket. [She doesn't feel quite right, though, and Dick might notice that the next comment seems a little more compelling than it would have been coming from anyone else. Of course, seeing as her powers are a little weaker than usual he might not have any problem shaking it off-]

Are you guys going to come down here to talk?

Edited 2013-10-03 20:12 (UTC)

[Unfortunately, thanks to M'gann's Batglare, he finds himself looking to Piper a bit more closely. If she's hurt or upset, he's pretty sure he's today's telekinetic knife-throwing target.

Not that M'gann would throw knives.

She tends to prefer great mounds of Earth ripped directly out of the ground.

...That is not better.

So he's paying strict attention when he hears the voice, and really, it's not such a bad idea. He'd just jumped down there a second ago, right?

But the leaves have dissipated since then; there's no real pile to land in. And he doesn't take the time to brace himself, or prepare for a landing, and it's not exactly a long drop.]

Good idea.

[And off the building he walks.]

[She's not the least bit pleased with him, so M'gann keeps her Almost-Batglare up and even crosses her arms for good measure. Sure, Robin isn't looking at her, but she can at least-

That glare gets traded out for a horrified look as Robin takes a step off the building. She can't see anything controlled or practiced in that fall, and how he expects to break it with a less than substantial leaf pile, M'gann doesn't know.]

"ROBIN!"

[She also doesn't think; she reacts by snapping her hand out and telekinetically grabbing onto him before he even reaches the halfway point between the roof and the ground. And then stares over the edge of the roof at him in utter confusion and bewilderment.]

'What are you doing!?'

[In a moment of panic, she also shoots that question directly into his head, at a high volume usually reserved for frantic moments in missions.]

[The shock of M'gann's voice in his head brings him back out, and he reaches, instinctively, for a bar or something to pull himself up, but-- air. Nothing but air.]

I-I don't know.

[He gasps, sweat beading on his forehead when he gets a look at the distance between the ground and himself. He looks up at M'gann, then down at Piper with his own confusion and bewilderment, and M'gann might feel a dim echo of the same darkness she sensed earlier.]

Felt like-- felt like Queen Bee, almost. Or what I imagine Queen Bee to feel like.

[All that Piper can do at that point is look on, horrified at what she's just unintentionally done as he just- steps out into empty air. She cries out at the same time as she feels her stomach drop to the soles of her shoes, but then he stops in mid-air. It takes a moment for her to realize what happened, and even when she realizes he's safe her body feels like lead.]

Oh gods, I'm- I'm so sorry!

[She almost croaks it out, her throat feels tight and her heart is hammering. Oh gods of Olympus she just nearly got someone killed...! Maybe- JUST MAYBE -she should start taking this physical contact quota more seriously- MUCH more seriously.]

"What did you do!?"

[Her adrenaline is still hammering, making that question less accusatory and more bewildered...Though she certainly looks ready for a fight or frenzied action, from the way she's tensed on the building ledge. M'gann keeps looking between Robin and Piper, before that apology finally sinks in, and her heart beat begins to die down.]

"I-I mean...Okay, that was an accident, right?"

[Piper did say she was sorry. That shouldn't translate into 'and I'm going to keep making people walk off roofs' as far as M'gann knows. So she can lower Robin the rest of the way-

At least until he reaches the top of the leaf pile. THEN, her telekinesis abruptly turns off, leaving him to drop the rest of the way.]

[You know he was just starting to breathe again when the force suddenly dropped out from under him and the ground suddenly slammed itself right into his backside.

But there were leaves. And he can see his culpability in this.

So he stands quickly, just brushing the leaves off aaaaaaand pointedly not looking at M'gann. No.]

Sounds-- sounds like it was an accident.

[But try as he might, he can't quite shake the creeping willies up his spine.]

Felt like I-- like I'd lost control of myself.

[She sort of flinches a bit at M'gann's question, but still feels relieved when he's visibly fine, if a bit shaken.]

That's because you kind of did.

[She almost muttered it, almost, not looking him in the eye.]

That's my power. I'm a daughter of Aphrodite. It's called charmspeak- but I wasn't doing it on purpose! [And she's mildly frustrated that she apparently can't control it now- so she's picking her words cautiously.]

It's been a while since I touched someone. I guess my powers are doing that destabilizing thing they told us about. I'm sorry.

"It's-"

[She's not sure if she can say it's okay, and be truthful about it. (Even if seeing Robin alright eased that initial panic...And dropping him into the leaves WAS pretty satisfying.) M'gann hops off the roof and floats down the rest of the way, her feet rustling against a few stray leaves when she reaches the ground.]

"It didn't hurt anyone, at least? I didn't even know you had powers, or that you were a...A what you just said."

[She even holds out a hand as she says that. Because IF her powers are on the fritz, physical contact should help.]

"If they're slipping out of your control, then yes...Contact would be good."

[She also glances back at Robin as she speaks, and sends out a brief tendril of thought and concern towards him; a quiet, telepathic 'you okay?']

Save Our Parks! (OPEN)

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Unintentionally charmspeaking Dick with permission from Kaley!

Wile E. Coyote time go!

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okay i'm taking this for dramatic flow I HOPE THAT IS OKAY

PERFECTLY OKAY and I'm sorry this is so late.

YOU'RE ALL FINE.

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