Final pass on motes, Marsh anthology

marsh/stories/nye.tex

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+\section*{Limited feed: Au Lieu Du Rêve Friends and Family}
+
+\subsection*{New post: New Year's plans?}
+
+There have been debates and arguments and (frankly baffling) Socratic discussions on which date should be memorialized: do we remember the attack on New Year's Eve or do we remember the date we came back on February 10?
+
+I do not care.
+
+There have been discussions and fights and (equally baffling) Socratic discussions on whether our tone should be happy or sad, regardless of which date we celebrate: do we rejoice in being alive or do we mourn so many billions of deaths?
+
+I do not care.
+
+I do not care what society winds up deciding, one way or another. I do not care whether we dress all in black or our most festive colors. I do not care for speeches or monuments, not right now.
+
+What I do care about is my community. I care about my friends. Every single one of you weirdos and nerds and absolutely beautiful people.
+
+What I care about is what you — yes, you! — will be doing this New Year's Eve.
+
+Tell me your plans. Not your clade's, not what you think the world should do or who should say what to whom. What will you be doing in just a few weeks' time?
+
+I will hold off on answering until a few people weigh in; you know my thoughts on spoilers!
+
+— Where It Watches The Slow Hours Progress of the Ode clade
+
+Script manager, Au Lieu Du Rêve
+
+She/her
+
+\secdiv
+
+Rhf, I think I'll be staying at my Home Sim... when I was in my youth Phys-side we would always travel to the family cabin at whistler and bring fireworks. Or arrive Christmas (since we celebrated it) which so happened to coincide to my late uncles birthday as well. It was quite the busy two weeks usually!
+
+But uh, that was a long, long time ago. And we haven't owned the property in over a decade now. So, this is something I've been missing and look forward to reliving. Though, I may exchange the fireworks for lanterns... To both accommodate my new lack of noise tolerance and respect to the century attack. Whether I'll have others join me... that'd to be seen. I'm doing this for myself first and foremost.
+
+— Nat of the Critter Clade, Creature Incarnate 
+
+\secdiv
+
+...certain branches of the Stars clade usually gathered at this time of year. But after the attack the gatherings will be far less crowded. Myself though, I always chose to read a nice book in my library and gaze upon the simulated stars of our galaxy.
+
+— Sol, True Sol of the Stars Clade. 
+
+\secdiv
+
+\begin{quote}
+"Fuck yeah, stars and books."
+
+-- Caela Argent, Tarot Clade (They/Them)
+\end{quote}
+
+\secdiv
+
+"Chilling, mostly. Gonna make cookies, probably, and watch a movie or two.
+
+And I'll be quiet. Think about the folks I lost during the century attack. Hell, the folks I lost back before I realized I'd even lost anyone. My parents. My friends, who didn't come along for the ride. The folks who ran blogs I used to follow. My family.
+
+Coming so very near to losing everything... it certainly puts you in a contemplative mood. And... I know you said to not bring up the clade's plans, but they're so much a part of me that it hurts to not mention them; I'm hoping they'll be here with me. I'm glad they're still here, regardless, and putting up with the madness.
+
+And if Casey Flynn comes over, I'm throwing hir off the fucking roof for the "amazing disappearing cow" stunt."
+
+-- Caela Argent, Tarot Clade (They/Them)
+
+"Arrives Precisely When They Mean To" 
+
+\secdiv
+
+I am not entirely sure. I have been quite busy helping Seraphina write a new song in respect to the lost on that tragic day... perhaps we should both take time off however as its been a growing toll on the two of us.
+
+— Sarah Bloden of the Lan Clade
+
+"Under miserys' travail comes terrific minstrelsy unparalleled" 
+
+
+\begin{quote}
+Frustrated and furious, finicky feels and emphasis on sorrow and loss lead ones mind to muddy mires full of misery and mourning. My screams feel lost like the souls taken on the fateful day.
+
+— Seraphina of the Lan Clade
+
+"Let pain be your muse, and misery your instrument" 
+
+
+\begin{quote}
+... yes, perhaps time away would unwind our weary hearts. Karaoke anyone?
+
+--- Sarah
+
+
+\begin{quote}
+Fuck yes!
+
+--- Seraphina
+
+
+\begin{quote}
+That sounds- Rather fun actually! I was thinking of tending to my personal garden, but time out at a bar to sing while drunk sounds pleasent too! 
+
+--- Millie 
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}
+
+\secdiv
+
+Beholden of the Ode clade
+I am going to fork. One fork is going to go to a club and get hammered, flirting with anyone or anything, and if boss comes with, I want to stake out a booth in the corner where we can make out and revel in still being alive and still having each other.
+
+The other fork is going to go to Beckoning and Muse's house and cry her fucking eyes out. If boss comes with, I will have her tell me stories about plants in the abandoned yard.
+
+What I have not decided is which one of these will get the root instance. Do I go party while my up-tree cries so hard she throws up? I can choose to temper that sadness by only accepting bits and pieces, yes?
+
+But then I think to myself, maybe I should stop being a coward. Maybe I should send my root instance to the house and a fork to the party so that I am confronted with the immediacy of Beckoning's death and Muse's suicide in a way I can never forget, and then use the memories of the party like some over-rich digestiv.
+
+Who fucking knows! I know a club, though, so if any of you want to join...
+
+(PS - hit me up with details for karaoke! I am always up for singing cringy ballads to A Finger Pointing.)
+
+— Beholden To The Heat Of The Lamps
+
+Lead sound tech, Au Lieu Du Rêve
+
+She/her
+
+
+\begin{quote}
+If you ever call me a "morbid bitch" again, I am pulling your whiskers and shaving your tail. Christ, Beholden...
+
+(In all seriousness, let us know how we can support you through that. The whole troupe and all of your hundreds of friends are here for you.) 
+
+— Slow Hours
+\end{quote}
+
+\begin{quote}
+Sarah and I were thinking of a bar Sim of some varity. Nothing to fabulous, hell I love the grungy places. If I'm going to rip myself away from my work just to be reminded of it, I'd best be shit faced and screaming into a mic at the bare minimum.
+
+--- Seraphina
+
+\begin{quote}
+You do always sound better when you have a few whiskey sours down your gullet~
+
+\begin{quote}
+OH SHUT UP ♥
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}
+
+\secdiv
+
+"I am going to be working on projects. Probably. Or visiting Caela's thing. Or trying to not stress out. Or trying to not blame myself. Or blaming myself regardless. Or wandering around. But what I am definitely going to do is eat a lot of food out of sadness, flop onto the couch, and watch films about mad scientists until I fall asleep."
+
+"Or crash. I haven't ruled that out as a possibility yet."
+
+"Wait, shit, I can't crash. Rensy would be sad. Okay, I'm falling asleep then."
+
+-Simon "Clank-of-Many-Gears" Knight, Tarot Clade (He/Him)
+
+"Nothing is impossible! Not if you believe in it. That's what being a scientist is all about!"
+
+\secdiv
+
+I am going to hunt for game sims! I want to rope What Gifts into showing me all the ones that were super popular but maybe I missed when they were the big thing.
+
+I was thinking of this because there was one Warmth found that involved making these surreal-shaped keys to fit in weird locks to solve puzzles, and it is way better at that than me! Ey cleared the levels before I even found the puzzle, sometimes. I want to see if they know of any others.
+
+What I really do not want to do is go to any parties or memorials or events. I do not want to be around people gathering specifically for something, I just want to go play so that I am not stuck with other people's feelings!
+
+(PS - Bee, I am going to beat you up for making me cry, and then I am going to make you take one of my forks with you to see Beckoning's garden so that I can cry with you.)
+
+— And We Are The Motes In The Stage Lights of the Ode clade
+
+Paintbrush manager, sets and props, Au Lieu Du Rêve
+
+She/her or they/them
+
+\begin{quote}
+
+Confirmed, she beat the the fr*ck up (she kicked me in the shin) and now I am laying on the floor (sitting on the couch) bleeding out (laughing) while she does a cute little victory march around the room. I will be bringing an instance of her with me to the cottage.
+What Gifts We Give, We Give In Death
+\end{quote}
+
+\begin{quote}
+"*OHHH my gosh there is actually one I have been meaning to show you! A good friend showed me a fairly complicated open-world exploration sim, based around traversing ruins with a grappling-hook."
+
+-What Gifts We Give, We Give In Death of the Ode Clade
+(She/They/It)
+
+"Roll for Initiative"
+\end{quote}
+
+\secdiv
+
+
+Stars, I hadn't thought of plans... So much of the day is passed at a whim that I'm hard pressed to think of plans... Without them! 
+I'll definitely be spending a bunch of time with Nat my critter, in one instance if one goes thither... Wintery hinterland and lanterns sound grand. 
+
+-Kaelan Tanebo of the Lan clade
+
+"Motherforker supreme, XL with no meme"
+
+\begin{quote}
+Rhhr! I'd be honored!... It'll be nice to have another present in the cabin after so long. 
+
+—Nat
+
+\begin{quote}
+I wouldn't dream of being away when you are planning on fun and play! 
+Far too much do I love you so, to be callous and leave you alone.
+
+Ps: burn me I needed to change that sig.
+
+Kaelan Tanebo, Lan clade
+Ve/Ver/Vis
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}
+
+\secdiv
+
+I will be performing something similar to the plans of Beholden, I think. The former of the two, anyways, I do not think I can handle any more introspection than I have already done of late! A nice bar, or an awful one, or maybe even... I might visit Fork and Knife. I have not eaten there in so very long!
+
+What Lives We Lead We Lead in Memory of the Ode Clade
+
+She/They/Him/It
+
+\secdiv
+
+I am going to plunk Ioan and Sasha down at the table and we are going to have some sushi. No restaurants (I think Sasha might explode), no crowds, no parties. Sure, we might each send out a fork or three or twelve to visit with others as we did in 2399, but also it will be just us. Just a quiet dinner with loved ones.
+
+After, I will make Ioan cycle the seasons around the house to late spring and we will sit on the deck and do as we have done for the last fifty years, and talk about all of our favorite parts of the last year, telling all of the bad jokes we learned, laughing about performances good and bad, sighing over all those lovely, dreadfully boring days we somehow still managed to live through. There will be tears, of course, and that will be okay.
+
+Finally, come ten when it is dark outside, we will head back inside and pile into bed. Ioan will fork as ever so that Sasha and I each get a Bălan, we will share our kisses, and we will sleep. Just as we always do every other night of the year.
+
+If the end of the world comes once more, at least we will be dreaming of and with and for each other.
+
+— May Then My Name Die With Me of the Ode clade
+
+Performer, Au Lieu Du Rêve
+
+She/her
+
+\secdiv
+
+I'll be in my lab, setting up some spectacular explosions, so I can burn it all down and start anew in the next year. 
+
+I'll also be streaming the feed, if anyone wants to watch. Everyone loves fireworks on the turn of the year. 
+
+Lai Coil
+
+\secdiv
+
+I'll be offering warm and intimate comfort to anyone who needs it. No strings or relationships attached.  Come by the Beautiful Artifice sim, I'll have a fork ready to greet you.
+
+-MN-825 aka Emanate 
+
+\secdiv
+
+I just want yo be with people, doing the usual people things. 
+
+I...can't handle all the mourning and grief right now, for reasons personal to myself that probably nobody wants to hear. (In the face of so so much loss, my own experience with the attack is insignificant and irrelevant.) 
+
+I am grateful to have stumbled into this strange and wonderful group of friends and clades. 
+
+Motes, I totally feel you, I  don't want to be stuck with other people's feelings either.  And I love puzzle games! Would you allow me to join your expedition? I've heard there's some really good fan-made ages in the Myst milieu--I've even crafted a few. 
+
+Yori Ashdown
+
+\secdiv
+
+You all are precisely as lovely as I predicted. I am sure that many will still attend the memorials and larger celebrations — I will certainly be sending a fork to a fireworks show! — but I am not at all surprised to hear that so many are planning on quiet nights with loved ones. We deserve peace, too, yes? Not just stress?
+
+I mentioned that I would hold off until I heard from others, and given the slew of responses, I suppose that is my cue.
+
+I plan on spreading myself quite thin. My root instance will likely hole up with a good book and just enjoy some reading, a glass of wine, and a plentiful array of snacks.
+
+I will also be forking out 100 additional instances. Each of these I will send to go do something horribly dangerous. I will go skydiving! I will go try to swim across the ocean! I will wander the back-alleys of one of those dilapidated city sims, looking for a knife fight! Maybe I will even let Beholden talk me into coming with her to karaoke.
+
+I expect that at least one of me will die, whether by crashing or by– well, we are told that CPV is no longer a thing. Or perhaps I will simply fall unconscious and sink to the bottom of the sea, and my instance will linger there until the end of time. So be it! I will die! But I will die the honest way, the earnest way, by my own sheer stupidity rather than some godawful lunatic deciding that we needed to die, to cease existing to...what? Ensure their entry to heaven? How selfish! How cruel.
+
+I will have my joy and my peace, but I will also have my fun. I will reclaim death itself. This is absolutely why Beholden calls me a morbid bitch.
+
+I hope that you all have the peaceful, fun, loving New Year's Eve that you so richly deserve, and may 278 all treat us better.
+
+— Slow Hours 
+
+\begin{quote}
+fuck yeah, I'll go send a few forks to find fun ways to die with you. And if you want to see the fireworks show up real close, lemme know.
+
+---Lai
+
+\begin{quote}
+Hm, maybe I'll fork myself your way as well, fireworks would be a pleasant show. And I would enjoy watching Slow Hours get strapped to a cartoonishly large explosive.
+
+---Sarah
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}
+
+\begin{quote}
+Okay, not going to lie, that sounds amazing. Sorry not sorry, Slow~
+\end{quote}
+
+\secdiv
+
+I'm still working out the NYE plans, honestly. I'm definitely forking out to the SERG-adjacent events, but I don't know if I'll be doing more that hovering around the edges of the chatter.
+
+So there's a decent chance I'll end up at home with a game or something. Especially if the project instance merges I've got planned for next week take a while.  (On that note, @Warmth , that sim I told you about last week's gonna be a while - my up who's been building got onto a baking kick)
+
+But I've also been thinking to take a wander around the System and visit the Scouts just to see how they're getting on. Could be nice. Good excuse to make sure nothings's collapsed too hard.
+
+So yeah, the plan is that I'll figure out the plan later.
+
+--- Tomash
+
+\begin{quote}
+Best laid plans of dogs and men~, if you still can't figure out what to do, I'll send an invite your way as well. Whether you reply to it or not is up to you, Tomash. 
+
+---Sarah
+
+\begin{quote}
+Thanks!
+
+---Tomash
+\end{quote}
+\end{quote}