IC Merrow

[wren.]

MERROW, NUNAVUT

the melting pot

Known as the Misplaced City or the Grey City. While it has a Circle System for appearance's sake, that is it. The place is practically a grey area, where creatures live amongst each other even within their loosely divided slices. The majority species is unknown, and even government officials are involved in the debauchery of it all. Most people living here were exiled or sent here as punishment.

FORECAST​

DATE: October 29th, 2035. Friday.

TIME: 5:30 PM. Afternoon.

WEATHER: 19.3°F (-7.1°C). Freezing and snowing.

CITY ACTIVITY​

The city is busy as people leave their jobs and scurry home as fast as they can, most not wanting to get caught out and about in the city at night. Merrow is unsafe as ever; the news is constantly filled with reports of gang violence, corrupt politicians, and hate crimes. Still, nothing ever gets fixed here, so what's the point in complaining?

CITY NEWS​

Another Fighting Ring Busted
A fighting ring has been busted by police in the North Gray Sliver. Officials say that young Were, and even some Saga, were being forced to kill one another by a group of Vampir. The Vampir have been taken into custody and the remaining victims are being relocated and receiving mental health treatment.

Police Commissioner Involved in Prostitution Ring
Commissioner Nikolas Sanford has been arrested after footage was leaked of an orgy taking place beneath The Storyline Vault, a film rental store that was recently discovered to be a hub for prostitution. The Merrow Police Department is working to replace Commissioner Sanford following his removal from office.

UPCOMING EVENTS

- More fun activities will be added later. Can add any of your ideas too.

NOTABLE LOCATIONS​

[See Buildings and Businesses thread]

TIME SKIP LIST

• 1st Time Stamp
• To Be Announced...

 

[rissa]

TALYSTA PLUME

---

It was cold in Nunavut. Freezing, technically, but the specifics didn't really matter to Merrow's residents. Crime was abundant, made worse by the fact it made earning a livable wage that much easier, and violence, unfortunately, was at an all time high. Gangs ruled in their micro-territories and hate crimes filled the gaps between them and the corrupt politicians that held the Grey City in place like setting spray.

It was cold in Nunavut, too cold, but that didn't stop the crime and it sure as hell wouldn't stop the good times that made everything just a little bit better. Somewhere in that grey area of rebellious and reveling happiness, Talysta Plume liked to exist. Some days ago now she sent out a massive missive, a little invitation to half the city for her backyard barbeque. A piece of parchment, a twig of rosemary, and a dash of fairydust was inside each envelope, hand delivered by her giant green moth familiar, to indulge and revel and eat in abundance.

They'd been sent before the snow was scheduled to arrive and now there were fluffy white blankets of snow atop the large swathe of green her backyard comprised of, tucked neatly away but not too far from the heart of the city. It made a good playground for the youngsters; some of children were fae, their wings glistening in the pale afternoon light, driving absolute bombs of snowballs atop their landlocked friends. Some were vampir, playing comfortably beneath the refurbished duck blind she and her papa would bird watch between, playing aliens and hunters or some other silly imaginative game. Others were weres, prancing through the snow, dodging and weaving and flailing dramatically when struck, only to disappear momentarily to kick up giant sprays of snow.

Talys appreciated children. Their carefree mindset, their inability to see too far ahead. The single minded focus on their needs and desires. They were humbling, in ways only a non-parent could experience and though she wanted to adopt one of her own, it would not be any time soon.

Most didn't stay to chat. They arrived, introduced themselves, got a plate to eat and then left. She couldn't disparage them for that. Everyone wanted to get home before it got too dark, the streets alive and menacing once the encourage light of the sun disappeared. Only those who lived close by seemed to stay, mingle about and partake in the festivities. It made her heart swell. Magi-made heaters danced around the edges of her back porch, several which created wisp-like balls of flame that kept the freezing temperatures at bay.

A fire was burning steadily not too far away, being tended to by a small and shy fire fae. He was in charge of smores and snacks for the children, and had a tendency to stutter and repeatedly tuck his long locks behind his ears if spoken to longer than three minutes. They were building a rapport, he and Talys, and was one of the first she'd invited. She hadn't yet seen the other two. The tall, strong, officer of the law and the dark and brooding archivist whom she'd been told was recently back in Merrow. Had she been given false intel?

Or were they both just dragging their feet?

Talys sighed, hoping to get a few moments of entertainment herself. Vicariously syphoning the fun from the giggling mass of children was just plain painful after awhile. She wanted to join them, but she was stuck to her industrial-sized grill by a set of tongs and the delicious scent of beef and chicken and lamb and pork. Not too far away three picnic tables that formed a u-shape were ladened down with side dishes and soups, with disposable and to-go containers stacked at each end. Whenever any of the dishes would get low, she'd replace it with another.

She had ordered dishes from all over the city, mom and pops mostly, but also a few restaurants that she knew the people of Merrow loved. Talys had ordered enough bread and rolls and sweets that she'd be munching on them for weeks if more people didn't start flowing in.

I guess I'll just start tellin' folks to take extra to-go boxes so they'll have food for the week.

---

Location: Her backyard | Tagging: @PavellumPendulum @Dusk / p much anyone in Merrow

 

[PavellumPendulum]

hh

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YAMILET

Merrow was not perfect. At her core, she had been built on wrong and even in the present, the plague still persisted, but one bad apple could not spoil the entire harvest, not in Yami's eyes. There were good people in every nook and cranny of the world, ones that made progress, from the smallest acts of kindness to sweeping changes. She could feel them every time she volunteered to go on patrol during her breaks, every time she stopped crime in it's tracks. Though the problems with her city, with her circle, always persisted, burgeoning growths always rising faster than she could quash them before any damage could be done, she did what she could.

Yami saw the goodness in herself and in people like Talysta Plume.

A hybrid, looking more magi than fae with her lack of wings, Talysta's invitations to fill one's stomach were never offered with expectation. She fed her community, regardless of age, of race, of status. It was rare to find someone who was so open to those around them. Yami had used the twig of rosemary as temporary decoration in her kitchen, while preparing her own offering for the party. There was little that she enjoyed more than a backyard barbecue, a neighbourhood coming together for the simple love of food and connection.

When she'd arrived, in her plain clothes rather than her uniform, she was, for once, not flanked by her younger siblings, Palmira and Marta. She typically brought them with her to every event she was invited to so long as it was permitted, but today, the both of them were working the late shift. She had, of course, promised to bring back leftovers for them to snack on afterwards. The tray in her rough hands was heavy and warm with empanadas, protected from the Nunavut cold only by a few layers of carefully folded tin foil.

Even when not calling attention to herself, Yami felt the eyes on her. Military personnel was not so easily accepted by some in Merrow, no matter how many times they came across her at events. She opted to place her tray on the table of food, removing the foil so that people would be enticed to take some even if it had come from her, sending Talysta a friendly nod as she passed her. "Evening, Talysta. Fresh empanadas to add to the feast." she greeted, before squinting at the array of half-finished dishes, "But it looks like there might be more leftovers than you can handle at the end of the day."

「 @rissa 」

code by wren.

 

[Dusk]

GODRIC

No luck. Godric had had no luck in Turner City. He wasn't surprised, just disappointed. It had been a thin lead from the start, but Godric went anyway. He found the man, but it wasn't him. Dejected, he left Turner City behind to return to Merrow. That had been yesterday.

Today the old woman was talking to him. She was his neighbour and one of the smallest, frailest creatures he'd ever seen. She must've found it impossible to stay warm — and based on the way she shivered, she did.

"Oh, it's just awful. Did you hear? They found a fighting ring. Another one! Can you believe it? Just awful, isn't it?"

"Okay," Godric responded flatly. He did not understand why she persisted in talking to him. She might've just been lonely, as many old people were, which made him feel a little bad about wanting nothing to do with her. She rambled ceaselessly and talked about bad things in a way where it seemed like she was trying to ruin your day. But she was so tiny and old that he couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"It's just awful. Those poor Weres…" said the Magi of a woman. Godric furrowed his brow.

"Look, um…" he gently shook the rapidly cooling pot in his hands.

"Oh, of course, dear," the woman said, sounding so chipper it was hard to believe she was talking about death fights only a second before. "Off to the barbeque?"

"Yes," he inhaled sharply, "are you going?"

"Oh no, not me. I'm much too cold for that," she said, as if she wasn't already standing outside. "I can't seem to stay warm these days. Thank you though."

Thank you? For what?

"Well, I'll let you get going," she said, but did not move.

"Thanks." The woman remained silently standing there to the point where Godric was about to just walk off and leave her standing there.

"Alright, have fun, dear." She said the moment he made to move.

"Okay." He sounded deadpan even to himself. After that, she gave a satisfied nod and turned to hobble back up the path to her little house. Godric all but sprinted to his car, fearful she would come back for him. He had left his house late already, and she had likely set him back another hour.

Despite growing up in Oria, Godric was never the best at handling the heat. Maybe he'd been born somewhere cold and that had had a lasting impact on him. Or maybe the cold was just in his blood. Whatever the reason, Godric far preferred the cold of the north to the southern heat. But Merrow was cold. Freeze your ass off cold. He'd been there for years, and it still sometimes crept into his bones in the deep of winter. But he understood how people made their homes in such a place. What baffled him was that someone would throw a barbeque in freezing weather.

Godric had never been to a barbeque, despite their popularity in Oria, and along with the unusual delivery he found interest piqued. For the novelty of it, he decided he'd go. However, having never been to a barbeque, Godric was unfamiliar with the etiquette. He knew he was supposed to bring something, but he had no idea what. Potato salad? That was a thing people brought in Oria. But that didn't seem right for a snowing barbeque. His dilemma was made worse by the fact that he was not the most talented of cooks — cooking wasn't hard, but he rarely did it. He settled on soup, which rapidly became stew as the ingredients soaked up the broth. The potatoes turned to paste, while the carrots bloated. He'd put the rosemary in it, too, a decision he was less sure of after he had done it. The stew didn't taste bad, but Godric was far from a picky eater. He'd wrapped the pot in foil, thrown on his thick leather jacket, and headed out the door with Laika at his heels. And then Godric had been accosted by the woman.

The dark-haired man knew he arrived at the right place immediately. Cars lined the streets and all sorts of people rushed in one direction or another. Godric killed his ignition and kicked his door open. He leaned over the console to grab his stew from where it sat on the ground — freezing to the touch. He swore to himself and picked it up anyway. They could probably reheat it. Or maybe it wouldn't be so bad cold. He frowned. The man stepped back to allow his familiar space to get out of the car before kicking the door shut.

In the snow, Laika looked up at him with a silent question in her eyes. Godric smiled fondly down at her.

"Go ahead," was all she needed before the Shephard bounded off into the snow.

The man made a line directly for a table covered in food, intent to set his stew down. Within arm's reach, he stopped sharply. What if that wasn't what he was supposed to do? Maybe he was supposed to hand it directly to the host? Ugh, Godric hated things he didn't know. But worse than making a mistake was looking like he didn't know what he was doing, so he moved with certainty he did not possess as he squeezed his pot between two other dishes to the sound of a quiet clink. His became one of many among a truly impressive array of options.

Godric had never met Talysta Plume, which made sense as he had not personally met most people. But he had heard of her. It would've been hard for him to not have heard of her — a gregarious woman known for her gatherings and for her open-mindedness in a city that sorely lacked it. Laika trotted back over and took a seat beside him. Godric scratched the top of her head as his eyes scanned the crowd. He spotted her easily enough, the woman at the grill with pale hair and matching eyes. He'd acquired a picture of her beforehand, not wanting to attend an event without at least knowing who was the host. She was talking to a particularly tall woman who looked vaguely familiar. Godric wanted to thank Talysta but hung back, not wishing to disrupt their conversation. He scratched Laika's ear as he waited.

「 @rissa @PavellumPendulum 」

Code by Jenamos

 

[MaryGold]

TIME STAMP: HALLOWEEN

The first official time skip. There has been a fast-forward of two days later and the city falls on the day of Halloween.

FORECAST​

DATE: October 31st, 2035. Sunday.

TIME: Up to the players for their scenes.

WEATHER: 19.3°F (-7.1°C). Freezing and snowing.

CITY ACTIVITY​

There is no real celebration, except for the makeshift ones the children try amongst each other with their small costumes.