THE THINGS I GAVE YOU.
» THE BANK — INTRODUCTORY NOTES
District 2 is open, bringing with it access to new and interesting locations—including the city's main bank branch. The bank is a large building with a stone exterior, wrought iron grating on the windows, and large, heavy metal doors that take surprisingly little effort to open, their hinges silent and well-oiled.
Early in the day on July 19, characters in the vicinity of the bank will hear first a low, metallic creaking sound from inside the building, like metal straining against metal. This is followed by the sharper noise of locks disengaging, and then the large, heavy doors on the front of the building swing open slightly, enough to let a person through.
Directly inside the doors is the bank lobby, and beyond that is the main banking floor, with elegant marble flooring and dimly lit chandeliers. It would appear that this was once the main commercial bank of the city, although it is now completely empty, with no tellers behind the counters and no cash in any of the drawers.
You may rifle through the tills and filing cabinets to your heart's content, but similar to the files in City Hall, there is no useful information to be found—all the papers are blank, or are empty forms without any personally identifying information. There are no monetary devices to be found either; this is, after all, not a city that operates on a cash system, so there are no coins or paper bills in any of the tills or, indeed, anywhere within the bank.
What you might be able to find, though, is a rack of delicate, burnished brass keys on a wall toward the back of the main banking hall. Each of these keys is attached to a stamped metal keychain bearing a name on one side and a number on the other. Some of these may be names you recognize, and some of them may not, but they are all names belonging to current residents of the city, and each key corresponds to a safety deposit box within the vault at the back of the building. Can you remember what you stored in that box for safekeeping? Maybe you had better go find out.
At the back of the main banking hall is a vault secured with a large circular metal door. The door is currently unlocked and propped open; it can be closed, but cannot be locked (intentionally, anyway) from either the inside or the outside. The vault contains row upon row of safety deposit boxes, each locked. Participating characters who are in possession of a key can open their own safety deposit box, but it is not currently possible to force open any safety deposit box that does not belong to them. After August 1, players will be able to use their safety deposit boxes to store their own belongings, and break-ins will become possible with prior player permission and appropriate consequences.
Below sections detail the safety deposit boxes for both choose-your-own-adventure players and randomized players! Please see the randomized matches for this event HERE.
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IT'S TRUE, PEOPLE TAKE THINGS BUT RARELY.
» SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES — A SELF-GUIDED TOUR
For some of you, getting into your safety deposit box is quite straightforward.
You take your key from the rack behind the teller's counter and make your way back through the building and into the vault. It's cool inside, the temperature well-regulated and the air dry. On the walls are rows upon rows of safety deposit boxes, and it may take you a moment to find the one that corresponds to the number stamped on your key. Does that number mean anything to you? It may, or it may not.
When you find your box, it takes very little effort to open it. A slide of your key, a quick turn, and the safety deposit box's door springs open to reveal the metal container within. You remove the metal box from the wall and bring it over to the table in the center of the room, clearly placed there for this express purpose. Maybe there are others around, or maybe you're alone. Do you remember yet, what it was you put in here? Well, there's no time like the present to check.
You open the safety deposit box to find—something that shouldn't be there. It's yours, that much you're sure of, but you didn't bring it with you to the city. You reach into the box to pick it up, and the surge of memory is immediate, sending your mind back to your strongest memory associated with the item in your hand.
Then the vault door swings shut, trapping you inside with whoever else has the misfortune of sharing the vault with you right now. No matter what force you try, the door won't open again. There doesn't appear to even be a mechanism that unlocks the door from the inside, and from within several feet of metal and stone, no one on the outside will be able to hear you shout. It seems hopeless—how long can anyone last, trapped in a place like this?
Should you turn back to the open safety deposit box, you might notice a slip of paper resting on the bottom. The paper looks aged, like it's been in the box for quite some time, and in printed text it reads: "Nothing is yours. It is to use. It is to share. If you will not share it, you cannot use it."
Maybe it means you should let another hold the item you've retrieved from the box… or maybe it means you should share the weight of memory. Try to interpret the meaning in whatever way you can. But should you decide to unburden yourself, and share with someone else the weight of the item you're holding in your hands, you may find that there's a means of escape after all.
Once you free yourself from the vault, for the next several days you find yourself feeling rather honest, like you may not be able to stop yourself from confessing the truth about the item you now carry…
Characters who wish to participate in the event, but who do not wish to randomize the contents of their safety deposit boxes, can open their safety deposit boxes to find an emotionally significant item belonging to the character—player's choice as to what the item is. The only guidelines are that it should be small enough to fit reasonably in a pocket and may not have any magical or weapon properties. Similarly, players are able to choose the memories associated with the items in the safety deposit boxes. The vault door will remain closed until the characters in the vault explain to each other the significance of their items and the memory associated with them, at which point it the vault mechanisms will disengage and the door will swing open as if it had never closed to begin with. However, for the four days following the event, characters who carry their safety deposit box item on their person will feel oddly compelled to tell other characters about its significance and meaning.
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A CRASH-SITE IS SACRED, WE'RE FAITHFUL.
» SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES — A JOINT VENTURE
For others of you, the contents of the safety deposit box may be considerably more disconcerting.
You also take your safety deposit box key from the rack behind the bank teller's counter and make your way back through the building and into the vault. It's cool inside, the temperature well-regulated and the air dry. On the walls are rows upon rows of safety deposit boxes, and it may take you a moment to find the one that corresponds to the number stamped on your key. Does that number mean anything to you? It may, or it may not.
When you find your box, it takes very little effort to open it. A slide of your key, a quick turn, and the safety deposit box's door springs open to reveal the metal container within. You remove the metal box from the wall and bring it over to the table in the center of the room, clearly placed there for this express purpose. Maybe there are others around, or maybe you're alone. Do you remember yet, what it was you put in here? Well, there's no time like the present to check.
You open the safety deposit box to find—wait, what is that? It certainly doesn't belong to you. Tucked inside the safety deposit box alongside the item is a slip of paper with another name on it, as well as a cryptic message: "Nothing is yours. It is to use. It is to share. If you will not share it, you cannot use it." The item isn't yours, but it does appear to belong to another resident of the city. Maybe your safety deposit boxes somehow got mixed up? It seems like it would be a good idea to find this person and return their property to them.
Whether you encounter the owner of the item in the vault or elsewhere in the city, when it comes time to hand the item over, two things happen. One—the doors are locked tight, refusing to allow either you or the item's owner out until you both understand what the item is and what it means to the other. To unburden your heart is the only way to free yourself.
And two—as the owner of the item explains its significance, you find yourself oddly captivated, resonating strongly with whatever emotion the item's owner most closely associates with it. You may not be able to see the memory that the other person describes, but you can certainly feel the emotions they felt—after all, the easiest way to unburden oneself is to share the load with another. Isn't that right?
Once you free yourself from your enthralled state, and once you have your own belongings returned to you, for the next several days you find yourself feeling rather honest, like you may not be able to stop yourself from confessing the truth about the item you now carry…
Characters who opted to randomize the contents of their safety deposit box during the plotting post, or who plotted a joint experience with another character, will open their safety deposit boxes to find a small, non-magical but emotionally significant item belonging to another player character in the city. They will need to find the owner of that item and return it to them—this can either be inside the bank vault or in another location within the city. Regardless of where the meeting takes place, the character holding the item will find themselves unable to leave until the character who owns the item explains its significance; as they do, the holder of the item will find themselves swept up in the emotional highs and lows of the memories associated with that item, allowing them to share all of the feelings, regrets, joys, griefs, and rages that the owner experiences in the telling. Additionally, for the four days following the event, characters who carry their safety deposit box item on their person will feel oddly compelled to tell other characters about its significance and meaning.
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WILDCARD.
The city is by no means small, and there are plenty of things for you to see. There's no rush in exploring, so feel free to take your time looking around and peering into various nooks and crannies and alleyways—and don't worry, you're not very likely to find anything peering back.
If none of the above prompts appeal, feel free to check out the Locations and Maps pages and write your own freestyle prompt using one or many of the available locations.
This month's event headers come from "The Things" and "The Gatherer," two poems by Brendan Constantine. The text of the paper slip comes from Ursula K. LeGuin's The Dispossessed.
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citylogs2023-07-19 08:45 pm
no subject
Please, sit. Here, your drink—
[ He takes one of the filled glasses and places it at his dream stranger's elbow. He leans on the bar to do so, hand still pressed against the envelope. ]
You did nothing wrong. I should actually thank you. This was something I'd thrown away long ago, but my decision to do so was.
[ Midnight pauses. It's uncharacteristic, a strange roadbump in the calm sea of his usual demeanor. (This whole incident, actually, is rather like tossing a rock in a clear spring.) ]
My decision to do so was made out of cowardice. It was... simply jarring to be reminded of that decision. That's all. Please, drink.
[ And while his dream makes his decision whether to do so, Midnight will take his letter, pause lightly, then put his finger under the flap and open it, the envelope tearing slightly crosswise from the decisiveness of the movement. He takes it out and reads it quietly to himself. ]
no subject
But he's curious. Curious, and concerned, and he can't help stealing glances every now and then as he tries to distract himself with the drink. Which is probably a mistake, since after a few healthy drinks of the wine, his cheeks are already flushed pink and his eyes are unfortunately fixed on Midnight as he reads the letter, mesmerized. ]
Is... it all right?
[ He shouldn't be interrupting, but now he can't help himself. ]
no subject
Ah.
[ Midnight looks down at his letter. He knows that in order for this to end, he'll have to get rather vulnerable... He'll have to talk until something hurts. He's accustomed to talking around such things. He doesn't like pain much. There are far nicer parts of his past to discuss.
Well. No way around it. Might as well start while his dream man is only one cup in. ]
It's... as all right as it can be. Ameliorating the circumstances surrounding this letter is far beyond my ability now, seeing as how we're trapped in this city.
[ Midnight sets his drink safely aside, puts the letter and its envelope in his pocket for a moment, then hops back over the bar, settling himself on a stool next to his dear stranger. ]
It's from my mother. I haven't seen her in twenty years. Not since I ran from home.
[ Might as well start from that. It's a pretty deep cut. Surely something must bleed if he presses down on this particular wound hard enough. ]
no subject
You ran away... How young were you?
[ That's probably not something he should ask, but it's too late now. The alcohol isn't helping Xichen control his racing thoughts as he lays a hand on Midnight's arm. Whatever the circumstances were must have really been awful to make him flee, yet his mother had sent a letter. Didn't that mean she cared for him? ]
I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was bringing you something painful.
no subject
Around, oh... 16? 17? It was twenty years ago. No reason to apologize. The pain's long gone.
[ He shakes his head. The door is still locked. If the challenge is to unload something painful... This might take a bit of doing. (And... perhaps one fewer drink. That really did make the poor man tipsy...) ]
I miss her deeply. I can't say my home life was perfect, but she did her best to keep us all together. More than her best... Too much, I think.
no subject
Lan Xichen knows about that too well. All of the things he wished he understood or had the answers to regarding his own parents carry too many scars to want to pursue, and both of them are long gone. Still, what remains remains, and he squeezes Midnight's arm under his grip. ]
Do you regret having to go? I feel I have done something cruel to you, and I should not have returned that.
no subject
I've lived my life in perfect freedom, and I owe that to my determination to run. There are no regrets to be had, my darling.
[ ... Ah. There's the key out. Midnight turns toward it rather than away. They need to leave eventually, after all. ]
I live with the consequences of my actions, and no matter how much accounting one must do for such consequences... Well, I can't regret any of it.
[ Midnight pauses. This is difficult, actually. He usually talks right around these sorts of things, giving them shape in his head, then letting them go. Picking them back up is a very difficult exercise. ]
It... does get heavy, I suppose. Not on account of any cruelty you've laid upon me, mind. The heaviness is always there. It's just... very rare for me to reflect on it. Or rather, to speak of it to others.
[ ... Ah. Midnight reaches out and seizes it. ]
I find talking about my hardships... dull. Or rather, it's never been the sort of thing that others like to see when it comes to me, so I never get around to it. So it just... sits there, I suppose. It's hard to get free.
no subject
You never speak of hardships, but you must have them. If others will not listen, then at least come to me.
[ He vaguely realizes he's sounding more absurd, possibly affronting, as he goes on, but it's too late and the alternative feels so much worse. ]
Even if you must bear it, it doesn't have to be alone. Your love and burdens are important. We live with our actions, however sad or painful, and we cannot escape them. But isn't it important that we have someone to rely on when we need to?
[ He doesn't believe Midnight feels no regret. He just can't speak of it, like his brother could never talk about his guilt in public. Like he can't talk about his own shame. It's unsightly, yes, and most people turn away. But Lan Xichen suddenly finds himself needing to push forward. ]
I don't want you to hold back.
no subject
[ Said with a sigh, a smile, a hand over the hand at his jaw. Ah, that redness, that soft attitude after all that stiff bitterness. Midnight's seen a thousand men like this, been promised a hundred thousand different kinds of love and devotion. It's very sweet. Drink, at its best, tends to show a person's kind parts.
Midnight's been several different kinds of drunk, has seen several different kinds of drunk. He's grateful for a kind drunk. ]
Let me get you a glass of water, love. We'll go and have a bit of a liedown, hmm? You're being very lovely, and I appreciate it, but we can't very well let you say things your mind can't keep track of.
[ Midnight pats that hand, hums, then drops it, leaning to pull another glass to him and fill it with water. He doesn't mean to reject this poor thing, really... He's just used to herding tipsy people, understands that their warmth and sweetness isn't always in line with what they can actually promise. And that's fine. He's used to that, too. ]
no subject
[ Lan Xichen echoes that with the shame of a child caught sneaking out after dark. He recognizes the shame, feels guilty for presenting himself this way in front of anyone, let alone a man trying to have a serious conversation with him, but that streak of something else at his core makes him straighten up in his seat more insistently. His cheeks and ears are bright red, but he sets his jaw in a hard line as he meets Midnight's gaze. ]
I am, but I mean what I'm saying. I don't want you to face these things alone, without being understood or having someone to listen to you. I want to understand. I may not be the one you are looking for, but I can't let you carry such weight without anyone to stand by you. Freedom is...
[ He trails off, not wanting to go too far or assume too much. But his own experiences, far from any idea of freedom, showed him how much it cost others to live for it. Lan Xichen can't allow another person to bear that kind of burden right in front of him. That much he's already decided. ]
It's not something you should fight for alone.
no subject
He laughs. It's not indulgent, but it's a close cousin. The laugh of someone who enjoys affection, but trusts very little of it. ]
Love, you realize I still haven't given you my name? It's Midnight, by the way.
[ He laughs again, but this one's much softer. A contrast from that ragged smile from earlier. He likes drunks. ]
I've lived a full life chasing my own freedom, darling. I fought for it the best as I can, and will continue to do so until I can fight no longer.
[ He smiles. A closed mouth little curve of a thing. ]
Don't burden yourself overmuch with my problems, mm? Especially if you've given yourself a handful of them, what with your one glass of wine.
[ He laughs again. It really is sweet that he's such a lightweight. Too bad he doesn't seem the sort to really have fun with it... ]
I've learned to keep myself company. Once you're sober, we'll see how willing you are to put yourself to task, hm? But for now, a little loneliness has never killed me, love.
[ ... Oh. He looks directly at the door lock. This will do it. ]
Can't say it's never hurt, though. Now drink your water, please.
[ And with a distant, heavy clunk, the door unlocks. ]
no subject
I can do it. I know we don't know each other well, but I can protect you.
[ Bold, dumb declarations come spilling out, but he doesn't stop them. ]
I am Lan Xichen of Gusu's Lan sect, dedicated to righteous conduct and defending those in need. Whatever burden you have, I will hear it.
[ This time he can do things differently. He bows low in front of Midnight, raising his arms to encircle his head with a formal salute. When he straightens back up, he looks even more determined. ]
If I cannot ease your loneliness, then I can aid you in other ways.
[ Which, as far as he remembers, is making sure the man takes care of himself and doesn't get injured alone on the streets. That seems like an easy enough task for a Lan, and he takes the glass in hand almost like he's swearing an oath over the water. ]
Whatever you need.
[ He takes a long drink, holding Midnight's gaze with his. And then he turns awkwardly to look at the now unlocked door. ]
...You shouldn't disappear again. I will want to find you, and if you vanish, you'll just forget me.
[ It makes sense to him. ]
no subject
A noble order of some sort, I'm assuming. [ Midnight laughs, looking over at Xichen with fondness, some bewilderment. ] Well, all the more reason for me to be mindful about such a kind offer. I can't say I've done anything to deserve such attention... although I do enjoy a good bit of attention.
[ He laughs again. He is aware of his own tendencies to want for attention, but he likes to think that he works for every admirer he has. To have one offer himself up out of the blue is a bit... odd. ]
I only forgot your name, you know. And your face, somewhat.
[ Midnight closes his eyes, sighs in reminiscence. ]
You were very warm. And kind. I feel very blessed, you know, to have met someone who would be so kind to a stranger. Grateful. Never once considered that I'd have the good fortune to come across such a person again. I... rather thought that you might have been relieved to be rid of me.
[ He's aware of himself. Understands the way he conducts himself more carefully than most expect. He doesn't live life expecting others to stay with him. When they do... It's unexpected. Not bad, but certainly a surprise. ]
no subject
He sighs, finally accepting defeat as he drinks from his water glass, but he looks sad. ]
Then I came here and reminded you of difficult things. I'm a stranger intruding on your privacy.
[ One that sounds familiar in some ways to his own. A hard relationship with a mother placed in a position she didn't ask for, trying to care for her children as best she could. He drinks the water in long gulps, setting the glass aside once it's clean so he can face Midnight directly. His face is still flushed, but determined. ]
I wanted to find you. I was worried you would be in need and I wouldn't know where you were. Even if you have your friends to watch out for you, I wanted to see you again. I thought you might have been wandering again, drinking and getting lost.
[ Which doesn't quite explain his worries. Xichen draws as much of his thoughts together as he can and comes up with a simpler sentence: ]
You don't take care of yourself. I couldn't sleep.
no subject
[ Said very gently, with a lot of sympathy. Well, why not? Midnight knows well enough that his own curiosity about other people can be stymied by their secret troubles, an unwillingness to look weak. In return for being a bit of a pest, he can relinquish a bit of privacy, as far as he's concerned.
The statement at the end is what changes Midnight's expression a tiny bit. From intent, patient listening to... perhaps some startled curiosity. Maybe only surprised. Less than bewildered, just... He wasn't expecting that. ]
You met me once during a very confused bit of experimentation. I think your concern for me is lovely, I really do, but to lose sleep over a single meeting...
[ Midnight frowns a tiny bit. It's not that he doubts Lan Xichen's sincerity at all... He's just bewildered. ]
What did I do to convince you that I am such a worrisome character? Surely it wasn't simple inebriation.
no subject
I met you once, but you were kind and needed company. I thought that it would be a shame if you continued to wander and put yourself at risk like that if I were never to meet you again.
[ Isn't that something frightening enough to keep him up? What if Midnight ended up hurt and had no one to call? ]
You are a warm person and you spoke of bearing things all alone. I didn't want to find out you were in trouble and I hadn't been able to help.
no subject
(Is he also underestimating his own charisma? Well, not really. He's just not considering it as a deciding factor. This person is worried about him, after all, not charmed. Not necessarily.) ]
I almost feel as though I should be the person you think I am, but I'm not sure if that man is someone I remember, or if I can rightly say I'd stand by everything I said.
[ He doesn't remember more than faint impressions of that night, after all. ]
I do want to put you at ease somehow. Midnight pauses, takes a sip of his own drink, and sets it aside. ] I can't say that the experience of being at my side will always be satisfactory, though. I do tend to frustrate others with my rather laissez-faire approach to life.
no subject
He smiles when Midnight offers a gentle disclaimer. He can't be upset anymore. Isn't this proof of what he thought on his first impression? ]
You can be whoever you are. I will not hold you to anything spoken but not remembered now. I was hasty, wanting to make sure you had recovered, but I should not have expected so much right from the start.
[ That was entirely his fault, always trying to be too stubborn and too formal. The booze might have actually done him a favor by distracting him from his own frustrating thoughts. Lan Xichen has a bold moment where he reaches out and touches Midnight's hair with his hand, brushing his fingers through it. ]
As long as I can be of some aid, then I am happy to follow you. At least to make sure you get back to your rooms safely.
no subject
So Midnight shifts closer, letting Lan Xichen know that the touch is welcome, but doesn't reach out himself, watching closely to make sure nothing goes too far out of hand. This is fine, for now. Midnight enjoys being touched. ]
Follow me, then. And tell me more about yourself. We never did get to that part, did we...? I am still wondering about my dream man, you know. Now that he's real, I'd like to see what sort of person he is. What he likes, what he doesn't like... Outside of escorting beleaguered strangers back to their homes out of the kindness of his heart, of course.