[OPEN] OUTPOST HAVEN [player plot]

[distant_one]

Who: Anyone and Everyone
What: Open Post for Player Plot Outpost Haven
When: September
Where: Staging Point in Crenshaw and Outpost

Content Warning: None in the main post

[Ooc: This is an open log place for the Outpost player plot, plotting post here and location post here. Feel free to post starters here and tag one another.]

Defensive Measures

After the presence of massive monster crawling out of the sea last month, measures have been taken to ensure even those without abilities to handle large foes can take them on.

These come in the form of multiple ballistae made from bone mounted on the walls, sized more for shooting small trees as ammo than anything more traditional. D has rigged the swivels they sit on to keep them from aiming at other ballistae or inside the walls.

All have stacks of crude 'ammo' set near them, but one in particular has been set up with more. At the edge of the cleared forest is a large ten foot diameter hoop set up to use as target practice.

Great Hall Construction

Excavation went much more quickly due to the big help of Falco Grice, so the basement has been finished ahead of schedule. The center of the walled area will now see construction begin on a large great hall, big enough to shelter the sleeper population of Trench in an emergency although it will be tight quarters.

Use of blood mortar will continue, and multiple hearths will be built for warmth. More of the trees felled during last month's tree clearing efforts will be used as scaffolding.

Barracks Addition

The makeshift drainage from last month is at last replaced with a proper system, and now rather than just sinks and bath tubs the rest room and makeshift changing area of what will eventually be the barracks is going to be complete.

Sleeping is still bunk style in a shared room, but there's now a fully functional kitchen and everything one needs to live cleanly if not comfortably without leaving the outpost.

Supplies

Most of the food and medical supplies previously kept at the staging point are moved away and a vast majority end up in carefully prepared storage rooms in the outpost basement. Joining them are barrels for storing water and kits for starting mushroom growing.

There's still no ready supply of safe water at the outpost itself, but supplies are brought in regularly along with rain water catchers and filters.

Sashes with the outpost sigil are available for anyone who wants them, and there are now banners hanging by the completed gate with the red sun over blue waves.

Comments

D | Vampire Hunter D

[distant_one]

Staging point

D can still be found at the staging point, but he doesn't ever seem to come or go through the door. He either descends from the stairs or just seems to be there when someone turns around when he wasn't there before.

More often his omen is there, a crow with a scar running down its back perched on the back of the chair with all the plans and supplies lists laid out.

Eggs, Baskets

Most of the supplies went to the outpost and some remained behind, but Manabu, Duty, and Felwinter will all receive notes from D that he's also stockpiling supplies at an unaffiliated location. The note details the amount to account for the inventory discrepancies but doesn't include the location, just that Nico or Sharon will know where to retrieve them if necessary and D is unavailable.

Outpost at Night

D continues his task of guarding the outpost for the entire night from sundown until sunrise. He's usually there a little before the sun fully sets along with his nightmare steed, but stays in the morning only long enough to hand off his guard to the day shift.

He's also started to keep frack of what time beasts attack and how many. D had noticed they were becoming less frequent and fewer in number than previous months, but didn't have information from the day to compare it to.

But less wasn't enough for him to be comfortable bringing more people in just yet, particularly people who wouldn't reincarnate if the outpost was overrun. It could just be a slight dip, or part of a larger trend.

Closed to Snow and Vi

D's schedule was complicated and with a lot of moving parts, but he was able to arrange a meeting with Vi and Snow White. For once D was visible out in front of the staging point in Crenshaw. It was a slightly deteriorated two story house with a red door, but the most obvious sign were the large banners of the outpost sigil. The red sun rising over blue waves.

Jarem was with him as well, the large nightmare steed saddled up and looking particularly pleased in a way he usually didn't except when it was time to head out to the outpost.

[faceblocks]

Vi's expression is notably pleased when she sees them - and for once, it's only indirectly related to D - it's the sight of Jarem, saddled and ridden, looking neither sullen nor murderous - a look she wonders if she might see, someday, on a different nightmare ...should this turn out favorably.

Of course she's a little early. Her stomach's in a bit of a knot - it's not bad, it's just ...a lot is riding on this, horse puns notwithstanding, and she's been talking herself down (up) for fifteen minutes before she arrives.

She is going to stick to the script, and stare at Jarem, not at D. Hell, she'll even stare at Snow, who must be a Person to Behold - the reputation precedes the name. Maybe she's so ice cold she can intimidate beasts with a stare, maybe that's why she's called Snow.

"Hey." Vi might be speaking to D, but she's looking at Jarem when she does. It only helps a little.

[onebadapple]

Snow arrives exactly on time, surrounded, as always, by her animal friends and her Omen, the giant stag, Faramund. She sees D, quite easy to spot at this point.

When she sees Vi next, she smiles and waves to her as well before she stops right beside Jarem, immediately reaching out and the giant nightmare met her hand with a nuzzle.

"Well hello, D, Jarem. And you must be Vi! It's so very nice to meet you! My name is Snow White, and this is Faramund," the stag nodded his head to Vi and glared at Jarem who was more than content to glare back. Several birds have moved to rest on Faramund's antlers and a brave little baby bluebird had the audacity to sit on Jarem's horn.

"Oh now now, no sitting on his horn without his permission, naughty thing," she giggled as she held up her hand and the bluebird jumped off the horn to her.

"Now then, D mentioned you'd like to befriend a nightmare, Vi, isn't that so?"

[faceblocks]

Vi wonders if the stag is, in fact, Snow, as it's formidable looking as it comes into view, a spread of antlers very majestic (doesn't rival D, but what does? also no, no that's an Omen) but it's earthy in color, and she's quickly disabused of this notion first when the young girl reaches out to touch Jarem and it ends in a nuzzle.

And second when she speaks, in soft, dulcet tones, because there's no way to confuse the issue: she gives her name as Snow White.

This delicate slip of a girl who looks younger than Jinx, younger than Sansa, than Luz - perhaps somewhere closer to Jun or Falco's age, is Snow White: Intimidator of Nightmares, Motherfucking Ice Cold Badass. Pardon Vi as she stares, open mouthed for a moment, at the dark haired girl and her animal minions. Army of birds? Perhaps she could also do something like what Sansa does only ...woah.

She's going to have to re-think this, but she isn't sure how. It's not impossible for any number of these things to co-exist - she could be a very powerful witch. Or even a goddess of some sort, and all of this is so surprising that it not only steals her immediate words, it causes her to momentarily sidestep the urge to even look in D's direction.

"I..." She blinks, laughing into her surprise, and very belatedly raises her hand to wave at Snow, the stag, and every bird in attendance upon his antlers. That's. That's a bluebird on Jarem's horn - that's what she's looking at - from steed to girl to bird and back. "I would. I did. I mean, I tried. I..."

A frown, "It didn't go to plan. I messed it all up because my blood was weird."

Vi remembers very clearly being told that the nightmares only respected brute force, power, fearlessness. Well, this girl might be the third one - but she is having a hard time picturing Snow punching one of them into ...friendship? She's eyeing Snow warily, because she's definitely more than she seems.

Staging Eggs in Baskets

[martyrofduty]

A couple days after Duty receives D's note, he stops by at the staging point on the way to the Outpost. D's omen sits near the papers, a secure enough measure as far as Duty's seen. Then again, it's more likely someone might steal an inventory list as a beloved artifact with the dhampir's handwriting on it than to falsify the records.

He holds out a small note to the crow. The paper is folded, thick enough not to be read the contents from the outside. Wrapped around it is a friendship bracelet in the pattern of blue and white waves fastened by a red sun bead. The note itself contains two locations and is signed —Duty.

[distant_one]

It takes a few days before Duty simply receives a scarf handed over during their regular shift-change as D arrives for the night. It's a knit scarf made in a similar pattern of blue and white with a vaguely sun-shaped reddish orange circle in the middle of it, wide enough to be comfortably wrapped over the head and ears for warmth if needed.

[martyrofduty]

Duty raises an eyebrow at the handknit scarf. He hadn't known D could knit. It's quicker than he expected anything, if anything happened at all. "Thank you," he says—imparting sincerity and depth to the simple words. Anything but perfunctory.

Immediately, Duty wraps the scarf around his neck, one end draping down his back and one his front. The bright blue and white contrasts his dull work clothes. The evening is crisp, and this month warmth is all the more important for Coldbloods.

Duty | The Locked Tomb | Open

[martyrofduty]

Bring Your Spouse to Work Day (Defensive Measures)

Note: Touch base with Rona for interactions/handwaving with John.

The bone ballistae accompany Duty one morning, along with their maker. You may have heard of him or seen his face or read the hot takes on him back in July—John Gaius, previously known as Teacher. Duty works with the guards on duty to get the ballistae set up as D wishes. After checking everything and firing the first shot (dead on), Duty nods and returns to work for a normal day—

ish.

John sticks around. Even while holding his work to the same caliber, Duty's attention tracks his visitor. He spends his breaks with him, the way he might with any of his crew any given day. No one blows up the outpost. No one dies. Nothing so dramatic. Awkwardness infuses into most activities.

Duty leaves promptly that day, returning to Sanctuary with minimal chatter.

The next day and the ones after that, everything returns to normal but better—with ballistae.

Legos (Great Hall Construction)

At the end of each day, once the main work is over, Duty sets up the scaffolding for the next day. A section here, a piece there. Most people set things away for the night, grab a drink of water, and otherwise mosey about until the group is ready to return to Sanctuary, still a group activity.

Tonight you're unlucky enough to be the one he points to as his head tilts to the scaffolding. He motions the volunteer to help lift one end so he can move it with a simple dolly.

Sweater Weather (Barracks Addition)

As the weather cools, Duty takes to making tea and coffee during breaks. Before the kitchens are complete, he often heats the water himself, using Coldblood magic to make even the simplest mug act like a thermos. He makes enough to share and offers it to those that seem affected by the weather or its associated magic.

Whether you're cold, sticking out like a sore elbow, or simply going toward the barracks at the same time as Duty, he motions toward the tins of coffee and tea in silent offering as he gathers water from a barrel to boil with magic (early in the month) or over one of the hearths (late in the month).

Precooked Crab (Supplies)

Once to twice a week, Duty brings a supply of cooked crabs. They store well and only require reheating. An occasional crab is a touch overcooked, but overall they're fine, simply plain. The preparation clearly hasn't added much in the way of herbs or spices. The crabs are no threat, the hallucinogen inactive.

Though Duty usually eats some cold food brought with him for lunch, Duty partakes in the crab on particularly long or difficult days. Protein always makes a difference. He sits with the others quietly but can get pulled aside for conversation.

Legos-- because this is comical

[slightlytaller]

He had only come out here to see what was going on.

Professor Waver Velvet, Lord El Melloi II of the Mages Association and Head of the Modern Magecraft department at the Clock Tower, knew very well what the ramifications of his own status within Trench could mean for his own safety in the long run. As a Vileblood, not even standing beside the charismatic Iskandar-- whose Paleblood ran so hot that everyone around him felt a boost of confidence-- might not be enough to keep him free from judgement and unnecessary punishment from the regular Trenchies. While he had not committed any Vampire Crimes(tm), he did develop a habit of chewing when he was stressed. Be it pens, quills, or whatever he happened to be holding in his hands at the time, nothing was truly safe.

He had only come to investigate-- so, being called upon by Duty to help move anything was a surprise. Waver, with an unlit cigarette held between his lips in a poor attempt at keeping his chewing impulse at bay, cast him a quizzical look.

With an arched eyebrow, he lifted one skinny arm as if to flex. The resulting lack of muscle that showed from the gesture only served as a comical indication of his own poor dietary habits that were result of a nervous stomach. His twig-like, bony resemblance to a Necromancer was also painfully obvious.

"You sure?"

[martyrofduty]

Duty shrugged at the arm, not moved either way. Theirs was not a first meeting. Waver was the adept in his relationship well enough, but he completed plenty of tasks himself from helping new Sleepers to scrambling free of the sewers. Even House necromancers could develop something of themselves.

"Can you do it?" Duty asked, instead of answering. That call was Waver's own. Whether that involved his arms, his magic, or anything else.

[slightlytaller]

"...That depends. Is there a box cart around here that's free?"

He was built like Palamedes, and indeed could probably even share wardrobes with the Warden if not for the Warden's affinity for all of his textiles being gray.

Grumbling, he tied his loose hair back and took off the glasses he had taken to wearing around Trench. He didn't expressly need any prescription, but finding a replacement for the lenses would be hard if they were damaged. Next, he rolled up his sleeves before walking over with long, brisk strides.

"I'm not normally the one people call for moving, but I might have a trick that can help."

Bring Your Spouse To Work

[distant_one]

It's another rare occasion where D is at the outpost during the day. He doesn't plan to stay the entire day, not when he'll be out there all night once the sun has set. Duty can handle the installation of the ballistae, there's no question about that.

D is much more concerned about other people starting trouble because John Gaius is at the outpost. There's a distinct possibility D being there will be the start of said trouble, but he thinks that Duty being there mitigates the chances anything will turn violent between them.

For his part, D no longer has any reason to want John dead so long as he's not actively doing something that needs to be stopped. D is less clear on how John views him.

[necrolord]

The answer comes clear pretty quickly, all told: John views him as a fascinating novelty.

In conversation with Duty, he cranes to get a better look at D behind her. He doesn't seem on-edge so much as openly intrigued, brow furrowed a little in thought. John carries no weapon, but then, D already knows he has no need of one; when he finally ambles over, he looks like no one much, aside the eyes.

"Impressive setup," he says, tone mild as the moment they met, before all the blood and death and soul-cutting. "Duty's spoken highly of this operation."

She hasn't spoken badly of it, which is the same thing.

[distant_one]

D looks at John the way he does almost everyone else, without much interest or any expression on his face. Duty takes his work and keeping Trench running seriously and has earned a level of trust in his judgment that in this case extends tenuously to John.

"We're doing what we can." There's none of the coldness or killing lust in the air that D had for the fight against John.

"Duty's experience with construction has been helpful, I thought I'd be leveraging magic and abilities over any actual knowledge in this area." Duty was really a blessing, with the experience, ability, and willingness to coordinate people and follow a plan. A plan that's a mix of architectural knowledge and techniques favored by the Nobility and their love of all things from a particular period of earth's history and adaptations of magic and abilities available to Sleepers.

sweater weather

[fogsong]

Sharon pulls a second sweater down over her head as Duty enters the barracks. She's still in her leathers, bloodied from her recent guard shift, and it's hard to say if she's feeling too lazy and exhausted to remove them or if the chill she's feeling has made the very idea too daunting to risk.

When he offers her tea, she lets out a grateful, "Please." as she peels her gloves off, tossing them onto a chair she's claimed for the time being. She breathes onto her fingers and then flexes them experimentally.

"The weather is killing me this month."

[martyrofduty]

Preparing tea is an old habit, and he goes through the motions comfortably. Hot water into a large pot, tea leaves in a strainer, and quietly timed steeping. He gets out the mugs. Each one is held for about fifteen seconds before set on the table slightly warm. The magic preserves heat, and his hands aren't nearly as warm as tea.

"Coldblood?" Duty asks. He supposes people can come from any climate, and the cooler weather could be unexpected on its own. However, the problem is less the weather than the magic tying them to it. At least for Coldbloods like him.

sweaters

[siriusly]

Manabu Yuuki is a hard worker in the best and worst of times, and whether it's the best or worst of times dictates precisely who he's working for. With things this uprooted and terrible in his personal life, having a task to utterly immerse himself into and help him keep a few paces ahead of the despair welling up inside of him, threatening to drown him and leave him catatonic.

To that end, he and his omen appear at the lamppost early. His breath leaves in a steam of vapor in the early dawn's chill, and he shivers while he takes a moment to look around at the gradually-improving state of the broken church site. He moves to the barracks, popping his head in.

"D?" He calls. "Are you still here?" Or did he already leave, trusting the dayshift to show up on time?

[martyrofduty]

The sound of Manabu's voice speaks to something going on, though Duty doesn't know him well enough to say what. He pulls out another mug and pours a cup of tea from the pot he's already made.

"D left for the day," Duty says. They handed off, though D could still be reached for emergencies, presumably. "May I help?" He holds out a steaming mug.

Re: Duty | The Locked Tomb | Open

[xiaoxiuya]

Shen Yuan does a double-take when he comes out of the new barracks and sees exactly who is helping Duty set up the new ballistae, but he doesn't decide to comment on it until after he sees Duty peel off from the rest of the crew to spend his break with the guy, because...well, it's just not what he does, is it? It's not his normal routine. Honestly, he's so focused on the crew and the outpost that Shen Yuan's not sure he knew Duty actually had a social life outside the outpost before this. So to see him on apparent good terms with that guy is...

Well, it's a little problematic, isn't it?

"...Boss," he finally says diffidently, while he and Duty are in the middle of mixing another batch of blood mortar, "that guy you were sitting with earlier...wasn't he the one who pissed everyone off last July?"

Bring Your Spouse to Work Day

[martyrofduty]

Duty glances over at Yuan at the tone in the voice. It's a 'something is wrong' voice, and on today of all days he can guess who it's about before Yuan opens his mouth. Everyone has been aware of John Gaius's presence today, some of them hyperaware. Even when John is out of sight, Duty has a solid grasp on what he's doing (if not what he's saying). Their bond is useful like that.

"Yes," he answers, continuing to stir the thick mixture. "He's still here." Even though he died three times in July. That's the thing about Sleepers; they keep coming back. No matter what happens, they all have to live here together.

Darth Maul | Star Wars | OTA

[survivalthroughhate]

I. Great Hall Construction

Maul's not much of a team player. But he promised to help D and he always tries to keep his promises. The debt he owes the dhampir has a long way to go before it is paid. He'll work tirelessly and without complaint for however long the mood strikes him. Asking him to do just about anything while he's like this is a good idea because he'll he willing to help.

But when Maul has had enough of being productive for the day, he just abruptly stops what he's doing and wanders off. Attempts to get him to come back will be met with a warning growl, a Force Push that sends the other person flying across the room, or Maul making a large leap to land on part of the scaffolding and swiftly ascending to the top, where he'll stay like a sulky cat.

II. Supplies

After Maul hears that there is a short supply of clean water at the outpost, he goes back to his home to fetch two items. When he brings them back, he gathers up as many people at the outpost as he can with instructions on how to use them. "This is a holy grail," he says, holding up the ancient-looking cup. "It has been a while since I used it but it should still work just fine given it was created with magic by a half-Pthumerian. It will make any water clean and able to be drunk." Then he holds up the second item. "This is the canteen given with the Welcoming Bag when Sleepers arrive. It will purify any liquid, not just water, but the more filthy it is the longer it will take. Usually that is somewhere between five minutes to an hour."

If someone tries to tell him to keep either of the items, he'll turn stubborn and shake his head. "Nonsense. They have been sitting around my home gathering dust. Better they be of use here than not serving any purpose whatsoever."

So now the Outpost has at least two (small) sources of being able to get clean water to use.

III. Removing Corruption

Maul is well-aware that working out here on the Outpost can cause corruption levels to rapidly rise. While he may be a pain in the ass for people to deal with and also not a team player, Maul can at least do something good for people here that have more selfless attitudes than he. His Vileblood powers allow him to remove corruption in people if he can access them properly, though it doesn't always work properly.

If he sees anyone who looks like they're starting to feel the affects of corruption more than usual, he'll approach them and just start in abruptly. "You need help. And I can provide it. Come, sit, and let us discuss things."

I. Building Boundaries

[martyrofduty]

When someone reports Maul's presence on the scaffolding where someone needs to go, Duty hears the hesitation in their voice. The concern. They need to use that section of the scaffolding, so Duty climbs up slowly, with more than enough noise to ensure that the man can hear him coming. He stops at a comfortable conversational distance, while still giving Maul some room for himself.

"Afternoon," Duty says from his perch. He's slow and steady as ever, deliberate. "May we talk?" They can discuss his habits another day, but Duty needs that perch free today.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul should have thought to grab a robe or coat before he went off to be moody. It's cold up here and he's not dressed in layers since those restrict his movement too much when he needs to move around a lot. Instead, the Sith Lord is only in one of his usual black outfits. He's been up here long enough that he's starting to feel the chill. But still he will not come down.

He's got one knee curled up towards his chest and the other one dangling down off the scaffolding. There's no fear of being up this high. Maul likes to be able to put physical distance between himself and other people because so often he still can't articulate when he wants space mentally from people instead. He watches as Duty comes up and folds his arms across his chest, golden eyes watching the other man without blinking. "Yes," he says laconically, not inclined to say anything else just yet.

iii

[fogsong]

Sharon has just finished a guard shift when Maul approaches. Her leathers are spattered with blood and there's a nasty bruise forming along her left cheekbone. Corruption happens quickly out here, she knows that, but she often ignores it until it's no longer an option.

"Oh?" She peels off her gloves at his statement, "And what are we gonna discuss?"

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul's not one to beat around the bush for too long, so he just starts right in with why he's singled Sharon out. "You're starting to show some signs of corruption. My blood powers here allow me to remove it from people."

It works only about 75% of the time Maul tries to use it but that's more due to inexperience on his part and his Force powers being the stronger of the two powersets than anything else. He knows he'll also never improve them unless he keeps practicing when he can. Better to do it now than in a life-and-death situation.