abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] an informal event.

[ OPEN ] an informal event.

Who: the summoned of cadens
When: beginning of february
Where: the sarstina inn and tavern
What: sam is hitting two birds with one stone - his February (or whatever February means in abraxas time) family dinner AND a kind of new-summoned-social event. he even had hilda help spread the word!
Warnings: will update if needed!

THE DINNER

As per Hilda's invitation, if any of the Summoned come by Sarstina's that evening, they will find it set up a little differently than it's normal tavern sprawl. There is a large long table set up near the bar that has plenty of food spread out across it - which appears to look very southern-inspired in its intention, limited only by the kinds of ingredients a certain Sam Wilson can get his hands on. Behind the bar is Mag, who will serve whoever it is that comes up to ask for a drink - it appears someone is covering the tab tonight.

There are various tables and chairs set up around the place, as well as a stage on the corner for some live music from one of their very own later in the evening. The vibes is definitely low-key and casual - come get an ale, come eat some food, and if you're a new face there is a very good chance you'll end up (gently and in the most friendly way) cornered by either Sam, Hilda, or one of the other Summoned here to help answer questions and give a bit more background on what the hell is going on and also let you know about Mag's whole deal. Aka, if you're looking for a room until you're a little more on your feet, you are welcome here. Room and board in exchange for work. Not a big gig, right?

And if being social isn't your vibe, Sam's kind of betting on the fact there aren't many here who would turn down free food and drinks. And believe him - the food is pretty damn good.

OOC INFO

- this is a totally open post! I've got a TL below for various scenarios you can find Sam, but otherwise have fun, meet some people, put up a TL of your own! there are various places to run into people in the tavern, and if you find someone who is willing to help you into the Horizon, Sam's been letting people know they can use his room upstairs.

- Sam's only Rule is there will be no fighting. You want to duke it out? Take it somewhere else. There will not be warnings or second chances. Don't be an ass. He has lived in this Inn since he first got here and considers this his home, and if ANYONE is seen giving Mag a hard time, he will not hesitate. He's not afraid of squaring up, but you will not be invited back if you cause too many issues. :)

- this is open to any and all Summoned in Cadens, no matter loyalties or factions. Sam is going to be going overboard to be welcoming, especially to new faces. Even if your character didn't see the big invitation, feel free to have them invited by word of mouth.

- Mag is an NPC who you can read a little more about in the NPC section of the Cadens setting page. Feel free to have her come in and out of your tags as needed!

- any questions? message me at disarmingly

THE INN

Magmara (or Mag) has run the inn for years and has been a familiar face in that neighborhood as a woman who always made ends meet, almost in spite of the way she took care of her friends and neighbors above all else. Most weren't always sure how she managed to run the place on her own, but she made due, though she always seemed a bit overwhelmed and exhausted. When the Summoned arrived in the Cadens through that first portal, Sam managed to stumble in and make quick friends with Mag. In exchange for manual labor, fixing up and cleaning up the inn, as well as whatever other various tasks Mag needed to be done around, Sam would be given free room and board (a deal she now offers to any Summoned that arrives in the city for as long as they need it).

The inn itself is 4 floors tall, with the top three floors making up the 15 or so rooms (around five rooms per floor), and the entire bottom floor reserved for the restaurant area. The tavern makes up the entire first floor and is a large open floorplan, with a small stage in the corner, a walled-off area for the decently sized kitchen, and a large wooden bar where Mag does all her business for both the inn and tavern (where can almost always be found standing behind). It serves drinks of some variety (though not nearly as large a selection as some of the more well-known taverns) and some food (usually a single, large meal that will be served to the tenants and whoever comes in throughout the night for a moderate price). It can be busy some evenings, but in general tends to keep a more 'dive-bar' kind of feel, filled with more locals and regulars than a casual dinner-going crowd.

The rooms themselves vary from fairly simple, single-bed inn-style rooms with a small bathroom and little else, up to a two 'bedroom' suite style with small kitchenettes and spaces for sitting rooms. Each bedroom has its own small bathroom for the tenants, with cleaning, washing, and chores left to those who live there. What used to be more of a working inn now serves as a kind of boarding house for newly arrived Summoned (or simply those who won't leave), and Mag has found herself quite okay with that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's Jayden's second day in this world when he sees the invitation, and by this point he's kind of just going with the whole thing. It's for that reason that text appearing out of nowhere is taken in stride, and having already found the Sarstina the night before, he quickly decides he'll attend.

He can easily be found throughout the night lurking around the edges of the room or at a table in the corner, and although he spends most of the time quietly observing people, he's entirely willing to talk to anyone who might approach.

But if you happen to just be nearby, or even not that nearby, it's probably easy enough to notice when he abruptly drops his glass; despite a valiant attempt to catch it with his other hand and then a foot, he's nowhere near graceful enough to pull that off and soon there is the distinctive sound of glass shattering.]

Shit.

[It's said in the tone of someone who is equal parts dismayed and resigned to his fate, and he immediately shoves his hands in his pockets and starts sliding the shattered glass into a pile with his foot.

In a tone that is a little forced casual, he directs at the nearest person observing--]

Know where I can find a broom or somethin'?

[[ooc: Please feel free and wildcard if you want, or hit me up at

amiasha or Ami#8741 for plotting! Also if we had a TDM thread and you wanna handwave it into canon (whether for this party or for the previous day) I'm down for that. c:]]

[ laura isn't observant so much as nosy, and this whole gathering is satisfying that urge in a way she's missed out on for years. new faces, new patterns, it's all fascinating and she's loving every moment of it — even seeing the lurkers, they're interesting in their own right. there's a guy, and he's a lurker, and laura's half paying attention in a curious sort of way as she shovels food into her mouth, watching him hang back. even the uninteresting is fascinating, in its own right.

of course then he goes and drops a glass, and then it does get a little interesting, actually. ]

Here, I bet I can find something. Hold this.

[ she hands over her plate, and promptly disappears. off behind the bar, if jayden's following her movements, and engaged in animated conversation with the barkeep before she makes her way back. the look on her face is clearly one of pleased, self-satisfaction as she comes back.

she's found a broom. ]

Told you.

[Bold move entrusting him with her plate, but thankfully it's still safe by the time she returns with the broom. He does keep half-track of what she's doing, and can't help a tiny hint of a grin of his own at her expression.]

You sure did. Thanks.

[He holds her plate out a little with both hands.]

Here, trade.

[Please take this before something happens to it. And once he has the broom and is glancing around for a suitable bin he can sweep the glass into--]

You been here long?

[ she's more than happy to make the trade — laura is helpful but not that helpful, after all. plate safely secured back in her hands, she steps back a little to give him room, nudging a shard of glass over towards the pile with the toe of her shoe.

see? helpful. ]

Not even a little bit. I am what they call fresh meat.

[ this is a fact that doesn't seem to bother laura much, who seems happy enough as she chews her way through the contents of her reclaimed plate. ]

How about you? You have a brand new vibe, too.

[Helpful enough as far as he's concerned, and he extends the broom out a little to help the glass she's nudged into the main pile.]

Yeah, yesterday. I'd say I'm glad it's not just me, but that seems like it'd be insensitive.

[Except--]

You don't seem to upset to be here, though. Nice vacation?

Nah, it's totally normal to seek out common ground in shared experiences dude. That's like, Psych 101.

[ said with all the confidence of a girl who did not in fact attend college — though in her defence, that was more to do with the world-ending event than her prospects, but even so. the question has her shrugging, an openly thoughtful sort of expression on her face as she chews.

laura's already decided that she will lie, you see, so she's not caught off guard when the topic comes up. for all that she knows it doesn't matter, no one cares what the world was like for some random stranger that's just appeared all on her own, it's an opportunity. laura hasn't been a normal girl with a normal life for years, and she's relishing the chance to live it once more. ]

I don't know, I'm from kind of a small town. I never would have seen half of what they have here — I mean, magic. Crazy, right? Do you have that?

Yeah, sure, but there's a fine line between finding common ground and being happy for someone else having shit luck along with you.

[But although he delivers the comment somewhat dryly, he's clearly not serious; if she's not offended then he's not going to argue. He also doesn't have any reason to pick up on her lies, so he just shakes his head at her question as he finishes sweeping up the last of the glass.]

No, no magic for me either. Definitely the weirdest part of being here so far, though I've been told there's even weirder things, like an entire other dimension only we can get to or somethin'.

[Which he supposes could be arguably less weird than magic, or even fall into the same category, but it feels like it really deserves to stand on its own.]

[ Claude's on his way back from the bar with another drink in hand for himself, having made the rounds around most of the gathering and now is determined to head to the other side of the room he's not made it to yet. As he walks there's a flash of movement he catches from the corner of his eye and at the telltale sound which follows he stops in place.

One glance to his side confirms that yes, that's a broken glass and right as he's about to wonder if he accidentally brushed closer to a table than he realized there's a request for a broom and he flashes a grin. ]

Hey, don't worry about it. That happens here more often than you'd think and I might've been responsible for the demise of a few glasses here and there myself while I was getting the hang of serving.

[ With a finger held up on his free hand to say one moment, Claude heads back the way he came from with his own drink still in hand to where the cabinet of cleaning supplies is located, having had to use them both to clean up his own spills and from working here, and returns with the vaguely promised broom. ]

I think that means you're officially initiated into being here, if that also helps.

That does help, thanks.

[A pause as he takes the broom, then he clarifies--]

Both what you said and the broom.

[Nailed it; master of communication here. He locates a trash bin that isn't too full to tip over and use as a dustpan, and begins sweeping up the shards.]

Nice to hear breaking a glass isn't a jailable offense around here or somethin'. Everyone seemed a little too relaxed for that, but you never know.

[He's half-joking, but really, stranger things have happened. Like ending up in a different dimension.]

Nah, it's hard to picture this being something that'd bother this crowd. Or even Mag since she puts up with most of us not knowing what we're doing when we get here and help out, so it'd be a first if anything happened now.

[ That's reassuring, right? Right. Claude says it with a smile and a shrug of one shoulder like that'll clear any residual uncertainty up about potential glass crimes. Belatedly it occurs to him he could've perhaps offered to help clean up with a glance down at the floor beneath his feet, and with a few shards having landed a bit away he sets his drink down to crouch down to retrieve them. ]

As far as I've been able to tell, only the usual things lead to jail time around here. Murder, very noticeable theft, that sort of thing. Not that I'm recommending anything else to test that theory, but I think you'll be alright.

[ Slight pause as Claude stretches beneath the table nearby to pick up more glass he's spotted, and then - ] I haven't seen you around before. I'm guessing you've just arrived recently or close enough to it? If so, welcome. I'm Claude.

[That is indeed reassuring and he'll take it. He almost tells Claude he's been helpful enough and doesn't need to go spelunking under the tables, but decides not to; he appreciates the help and maybe Claude just likes being useful, in which case Jayden won't discourage him.]

Nice to meet you, Claude. Norman Jayden, and yeah, you're right; I got here yesterday.

[Which is still a whole surreal thing to think about, so just brushing past it--]

I'm guessin' you've been here awhile yourself?

[If not having seen someone around before indicates they're new, then perhaps Claude's been here long enough to be sure he knows most Summoned.]

[ That gets him to glance up from his glass retrieval, though this time it's with a slight smile of understanding. ]

Just yesterday, huh. I'd ask how that's going for you so far but I remember arriving here like it was yesterday for me as well.

[ Said rather dryly because - well, that's an understatement, isn't it? Though some of the details about the arrival itself have become a little fuzzy in his mind thanks to time, there's parts of everything following which still stand out. ]

I've been here for a few months shy of a year, now that I think about it. I'd say that things become less strange around here but that's not entirely accurate. It does get easier after you settle in.

[ Which also brings the question of where, and since he'll always encourage everyone to make their way into Cadens, ] Has anyone told you about being able to stay here rather than the barracks yet? That's something that helped me out considerably.

A year's a long time.

[An almost unfathomably long time, and so he tries not to think about it too much for now. It's not going to help, and as weird as it is to have just arrived, he thinks he might prefer being in this situation than Claude's.

At the last question he nods, glancing around and noticing another errant shard of glass, which is soon swept into the pile and then the bin.]

I heard a little about that. It really is that simple? Just help out around the place and you can stay?

It is, isn't it.

[ Partially as an answer, mostly as a mumble to himself. There's still a few months left before it's a year proper, and yet he'd thought the same thing about others who told him they'd been here for a year or longer when he'd arrived. Time is a strange thing which only becomes stranger, really.

And speaking of just getting here - Claude tosses his collected glass into the bin before flashing a smile in the other man's direction. ]

It is, yeah. For what it's worth I also thought it was too good to be true by the time I stumbled into Cadens after making my escape from the outpost, but there's no strings attached. Well, besides the one of where you don't get to stay here if you don't help, but that hardly counts.

[ Standing up after brushing his hands off on his trousers, Claude nods in a gesture meant to encompass their surroundings since curiosity on his end also wins out. ]

Wherever you're from, do you have anything like all of this?

[Jayden finishes his own glass collection at the same time, setting the bin upright and the broom aside, leaning the latter carefully against the wall. It immediately starts to fall to the side, but he catches it and steadies it more successfully this time.

Nailed it.]

By 'like this', d'you mean a tavern? If so, yeah. If you mean everything else, not exactly.

[Aside from the very basics, anyway.]

Technology's all different, and the magic stuff is definitely new, so it's kind of a culture shock.

[Putting it mildly.]

What about yourself?

[ There's a bit of a sympathetic smile from Claude, if only because it sounds like Jayden might have any number of new things to get used to. And fortunately: ]

Ah, if it helps any? You're not alone in feeling out of sorts and there's quite a few people who are in the same situation, what with adjusting to everything about this place. Magic's not unfamiliar to me as it's used quite a bit where I'm from, but the technology here is nothing like what we have as it's far ahead.

[ To say the least; he is curious about what all's new for the other man, but first he glances around to find a pitcher that looks to contain the same as what he's drinking and some clean glasses waiting for people to imbibe on a nearby table. With a nod towards that table as an invitation to sit, he'll head over to take a seat if Jayden does as well. ]

For whatever you might be used to there's likely someone here who'll know what you're talking about, if all the different worlds I've learned about from them are any indication of that. The other benefit of staying here at the inn, if no one's mentioned it yet, is information.

[He offers a faint smile of his own at the first comments, appreciating the attempt at reassurance even if he's not entirely sure if it's working or not. The sentiment is worth enough on its own.

He does take the invitation, following Claude to the table and taking a seat, though he doesn't pour another drink just yet and instead keeps his hands under the table.]

No one's said it outright, but I've been getting that impression.

[About the information. The Summoned he'd spoken to so far had been very helpful and informative, which Jayden appreciates.]

And on that subject, is there anything specific you think a new arrival should know? Especially somethin' that might be hard to find out on their own?

[ He'd figured as much, given his own memories of how eager others had been to share the state of things with him after his arrival and that it'd been the same when first one set of those he knew from home arrived and then another. But - it's still a good thing to hear Jayden confirm this given there's even more for the other man to learn, it seems.

Claude had been idly tapping a finger against his glass while thinking, but at that question he pauses. Ah. ]

There's a couple things actually, and I want to preface this by saying I know how it all sounds the first time you hear it. And that while everything else is strange I can appreciate this is on yet another level of it, but also that I'm absolutely not teasing you with what I'm about to say.

[ Totally reassuring! But he's been through this a couple times before, so he sits back in his seat to get comfortable. ]

There's something here called the Singularity and it's more or less a giant magic rock. We can get into that part in a second, but the important part is that it's likely responsible for helping bring us here and we have ties to it that the locals somehow don't. That includes being able to send messages with your mind to other Summoned, and also a... different plane we can all visit after someone else brings you there for the first time.

[ A beat or two to let that sink in, then - ] I can prove both of those, but the writing one's a bit easier than the other if you'd prefer that one first.

[Definitely always a reassuring way to preface a conversation. But Jayden's doing his best to take things in stride at the moment, because if he doesn't then he has to really think about all of this and what it might mean, which is a slightly horrifying prospect.

So he just nods a little, to show he understands, and listens as Claude explains. He's not totally sure if's good or not that much of this is familiar, having heard some pieces of this from the others, but at least it's consistent. Corroboration that apparently this is how this place works, that these are just facts of being here.

And despite having heard a little bit of this, and resolving not to think too hard about it, he does still need those beats to let it sink in before he can respond.]

Is that how the invitation for this get-together was sent? Because I wasn't totally sure if I was seein' things or not.

[ He'll give Jayden as long as is needed to absorb that since it's not the simplest thing to explain or to figure out. Hence the offer to show the other man, and while he waits to see if that'll be accepted he watches a card game going on at a nearby table while taking a sip of his drink. When the invitation is pointed out, Claude merely blinks for a second over the rim of the glass while considering that before setting it down with a grin. ]

Well, now that you mention it - yes. [ There's a sheepish laugh from him here for overlooking the obvious. ] I'd forgotten about that invitation since you get used to the writing being in your face a lot faster than seems possible when you're first here. It's a very useful way to communicate given there seems to be no limitations on it, and you can reach out to everyone like Sam and Hilda did or to just one person. Like this.

[ Sometimes a live demonstration solves the problems of having to explain, so here comes another one on top of what was sent out earlier. A second later, neat script will appear in Jayden's line of sight: ]

The obvious benefit of this is sharing things quickly and without the risk of being overheard. The Horizon's also helpful for that, if you'd rather put a face and a voice to the words.

[Jayden grins just a little himself at the sheepishness, but is absolutely not judging; it makes perfect sense to have just gotten used to it, as that sort of thing happens all the time even with things that seem like they should never feel mundane. He's more than a little guilty of having done that before himself.

The words appear on the corner of the table and okay, now that he both knows what it is and is seeing it with that knowledge this time, it's... Actually really cool, and he brightens a little with some newfound enthusiasm.]

That's awesome. How d'you do it? Is it tough to learn?

[He'll come back to the Horizon thing in a bit, but he's heard more about that--and it's slightly intimidating--and so he's happy to focus on the writing for now.]

[ That brightening of the other man's expression gets a smile from him, mostly because Claude has a feeling it resembles what everyone looks like when they get here and discover something. And - fortunately - this particular something is a tool that's infinitely useful. ]

When I arrived someone explained it to me as a connection we all have thanks to the Singularity bringing us here, and that certainly seems true. The Abraxan natives don't have access to it as far as I know, and given that there's a limit to how often we can see others from Thorne and Solvunn in person this is one way to get around that.

[ None of that addresses the part of doing, however, so Claude considers that for another few seconds. ]

I found it easiest to send a message to just one person at first. It's still my preference, mostly, but mostly it's as simple as if you just think of who you want to send it to and what you want to say in it. It should send from there and doesn't seem particularly limited in what you can send. You can try it out on me, if you'd like.

[Jayden listens carefully, sitting up a little straighter as he's now focused more on this than nerves or awkwardness. The comment about this being communication that only Summoned have is good to know and goes with what he'd learned about the Horizon, and although he'd had no reason to--and hadn't--distrust what he'd been told about it, further confirmation that matches up is always reassuring.

As far as using the network goes, it sounds simple; almost too simple, if there weren't something about that which feels familiar. It's not quite a parallel, but he wonders for just a moment if it might still carry over.]

Okay. Lemme give it a shot.

[He concentrates, tapping into the part of him that could so easily integrate with virtual reality environments he used at home, and hopes the same sense of mental connection and command carries over.]

Testing. Do you read? Literally, in this case.

[A masterfully worded message, clearly, but it does at least show up.]

[ Claude leans back in his seat while he waits, absently turning his glass in place with a couple fingertips as he watches that table from nearby again. Better than staring at someone attempting to do something for the first time since he's never found that helpful when he's been on the other end of it, and it's while the card game comes to what's apparently an exciting finish new writing comes to curve along the back of one of the chairs. ]

Well, would you look at that. Probably not literally for you when it comes to looking at it since I think I'm the only one who can see it, but more importantly I do, in fact, read.

[ While speaking, Claude looks back with yet another easy grin at his own poor joke since, well. Gotta find humor wherever you can sometimes, honestly. ]

Now all you need is a little practice with it and you'll be all set in no time. Oh, and I should probably warn you that sometimes there are... all kinds of discussion that are sent to everyone. You might end up with an eyeful of whatever's going on, and that I do mean a little more literally.

[Jayden does appreciate not being stared at; he's quite content with not being perceived in general while working on something, and especially so when learning something new.

But he grins a little as well at confirmation that it was a success, a little surprised at how easy it was, but at least it's a good surprise. He almost remarks on it, but then he hears that last part, and okay he has to address that first.]

What d'you mean by "all kinds" of discussion?

[Receiving general messages--like the invitation to this meeting--is no problem, but with the way Claude put it Jayden is now wondering if this network is used for scandalous gossip. If that is the case, he's not sure if that would be annoying or entertaining.]

[ OPEN ] an informal event.

Jayden | OTA

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we can wrap here if that works!

sounds good! c: