Ramsey Farm open mingle

[levelshift]

WHO: Etrayans!
WHEN: Post-mission.
WHERE: Ramsey Farm.
WHAT: An open mingle log for people to hang out and do stuff at Ramsey Farm. See Accelerator's network post for details.
NOTES\WARNINGS: None, please put any CWs in subjects.




An idyllic, well loved little farm house that looks like it has been transported right from the fields of Kansas. The garden in the front has flowers and the back garden is chock full of vegetables. There is a chicken coop and a bale of hay is strung up from a tree like a tire swing for a little goat's enrichment. There is also a shed in the back, designed to look like a small version of the farm house, with a summer outdoor couch set up shoved against the back wall, piled with all weather cushions, and various lawn and small gardening equipment hung on the front wall. Towards the edge of the grounds, in a patch of large wildflowers, sits a large stone acting as a grave marker. Instead of names, it has been engraved with "#1 - #10 031."

The farm is being used as a safe space for children by Accelerator. Kids under 15 are allowed to use it as they wish. Kids over 15 are allowed to use the space if they help with upkeep. Adults who have been vetted by a kid are allowed on the ground to do work. A security system has been added to the farm house that sends messages to Accelerator's ear piece depending on the threat level.

The goat's name is Mena.

Comments

OTA, grave prompt will likely have cws for child murder

[levelshift]

Farmhouse

[The bots have been doing a good job of maintaining the farm, though Accelerator would like to reduce their workload if at all possible. Of course, he's pessimistic enough that he isn't expecting much, if any, help from other Etrayans. Why should he? He's spent the majority of his life either being completely independent or under the thumb of some psychopathic researcher, and he isn't about the let the latter happen again, so that only leaves the former.

Harold is helping with the security system, that one kid seems to know a lot about farm upkeep in general, and he isn't surprised that Damian, despite being younger, wants to assist with security. That's honestly a lot of volunteers already in his mind, so he doesn't particularly care if everyone else stuck here refuses to offer help. This seems like enough to keep the place in order.

He can be found slowly wandering around the farmhouse, a book from the library on home maintenance open in his free hand as he examines the building. Occasionally, due to his crutch, he has to stop, lean against the house, and flip the page to another section. There's an intense look on his face, every so often a tongue click or a thoughtful 'hmm' as he does things like examine the window frames, or give the stairs to the porch a sharp kick.]

Grave

[After Accelerator is finished doing a basic inspection of the farmhouse, he grabs a bucket full of water and a ladle, and makes his way out towards the edge of the grounds. It's nice and quiet out there, away from any noise, kind of woods-y and peaceful. He comes to a stop near a small copse of trees where a little meadow of wildflowers has taken root. There, in the meadow, is a rock several feet tall. From its unnatural upright position and the numbered engraving, it's clear it was moved here deliberately. Accelerator stops in front of it, setting the bucket down and staring in silence for several minutes.

There are probably things he could say, should be saying, but the words aren't coming to him. Instead they're getting tangled on his tongue, swallowed by anxiety and a deep, ever-encompassing sense of shame. Verso had said he could try talking to them, but he hasn't gotten to the point of figuring that step out. He isn't sure if he ever will.

Eventually the silence feels too suffocating, so he leans over and begins scooping the water with the ladle, dumping it onto the gravestone with a methodical slowness to clean it off.]

farmhouse

[thisisontherecord]

( Part of this is making sure she's checking around Accelerator again; she'd nudged Jon his way, but figures the lure of a farm would have done as much eventually. Just feels better having some thread on who Accelerator is (and what, she wonders, is with aliases here anyway) and that sense that one thing he takes seriously is the protection of children.

Lois is not a mother by chosen circumstance, at least at this point in her life. But she is by circumstance, and what she doesn't have in lived experience and decisions that she may or may not ever make for herself, she does have in tenacity. Jon doesn't have his correct Lois here. She's not going to step down just because she's not that Lois. Ergo, Lois Lane, in her early thirties and definitively not married, is a mom now. Standing at the outskirts of a farm, and staying there, because this is a safe space for the kids.

Which means it's from that distance that she waves whenever she figures she has a chance of catching Accelerator's attention. Jon would vouch for her, she knows that, but she also doubt he has at this point. Besides, her knowledge of farm life is how to park a ship in its fields. Also, there might be cows. If she needs to help out, maybe there's... painting. Sweeping? Clark's the one who'd know. )

[levelshift]

[Accelerator doesn't know a ton about journalism, but he isn't sure that a farm is a normal place for a journalist. Does news even happen on a farm? 'It didn't rain enough, the crops are bad.' He supposes that's... some form of news.

God, Academy City's system is a lot easier to deal with than normal-ass farms.

He stares at her for a moment, deciding how serious he needs to be about the whole 'vouching for adults' rule. Does he need to go check with some other kid? He could always just say it's fine for her to come onto the property, they've only spoken once but she seemed okay from his first impression. Unless she's some skilled manipulator, she probably is just some ambitious journalist.

Either way, she isn't actually coming onto the property, so she gets points for respecting that. Turning away from the house, he hobbles on over to her. May as well see what she wants.]

Hey.

[thisisontherecord]

( Lois observes how he's walking, hobbling, over. Feels rude either way, but he'd been clear about what boundaries he wanted respected. Easier to pay attention to those than ignore them when dealing with anyone who starts out with a trust deficit in the world at large. )

Hey. How's the healing been going?

( Or the pain. It's as good a place to start a check in as any. )

[levelshift]

[Fortunately, his ribs are hurting a lot less these days. The pain killers have helped, along with having all this downtime post-mission.

He inclines his head slightly, assuming this is just smalltalk nonsense.]

It's going. This isn't the worst thing that's happened to me. [He shrugs.] How come you're out here?

[thisisontherecord]

( Again, the sort of dismissive deflection she can recognize and not even doubt is true. Doesn't make it better, but it's there.

She holds up a hand with three fingers up, thumb and pinky folded across the center of her hand. )

Three reasons. First, to check in and see how you were healing if you were around here. Second, to see if Jon's been by yet, and if he has, if he's mentioned vetting his dad to you. Third, is there any chance you've seen a large format printer anywhere in Etraya? Couldn't find one in the Daily Planet, though I did find a plastic replica of one there.

( She figures it's easiest to give him a selection of truths and let him choose which ones he wants to believe. )

[levelshift]

[At those answers, Accelerator squints a little.

So... her asking about him wasn't banal smalltalk? Even though she doesn't know him outside of the stuff he told her, which was all pretty much terrible and a great reason to avoid a check-in like this. But she isn't, so he has to conclude that she's just one of those irritatingly nice people who refuse to acknowledge that bothering with him is a waste of energy.

He knows several people like that, so it would be kind of dumb to complain.

The other two answers are more reasonable, so he focuses on them. He knows of two boys around here who have dads, and one of them is Damian, so the other must be —]

This 'Jon' brat go by Superboy?

[ornithologist]

[ It's a rude shock returning to Etraya. Harold had been aware of his morality slipping, but much like getting a new prescription for his glasses, it's hard to see just how much until it's suddenly righted again. Fortunately he hadn't done anything too heinous by his own metrics, but... Accelerator had killed someone. An action Harold is all too aware he would not have taken in his right mind, or at least not so cavalierly. That makes him profoundly worried, not just about possible retaliatory follow-up but about Accelerator's mental state. He has quite a bit of work to do as a consequence.

Setting up the farm's security system makes for a great excuse to check on him, so only a couple days after their return he makes his way over laden down with a bag of electronics. He figures Accelerator will notice his presence and come find him on his own eventually, so he wanders around assessing locations to install cameras.

That's how he runs across the memorial site, and his limping stride slows to a halt. Harold stands in silence, eyes running over the obvious gravestone, wondering.

Somehow this kind of thing has never occurred to him. Maybe because he couldn't ever go to his own father's grave, he realizes, or even Nathan's without careful planning. Harold has learned to grieve without graves. But that doesn't mean they don't serve a purpose, or that Accelerator has to. ]

[levelshift]

[Accelerator does indeed notice Harold's presence eventually. After returning from the mission he spent the day in bed (realizing that both Laura and Fio were gone), and then out of a restless desire to not feel like a useless lump, dragged himself out to the farm to poke around. It's been a while since Willa lived here, so he wanted to see whether the place had fallen into disrepair or if the bots were maintaining it. Even if those two let there are still other kids here, and even when those ones leave he's sure more will filter in. It's better to try and do something about it instead of dwelling on his miserable existence and how poorly the mission went, so that's what he does.

It's when he's swapped over to esper mode that he notices someone else on the grounds, over near the grave he's set up for the clones. Instantly worried that someone has showed up to vandalize it he changes back to normal mode and heads out, only relaxing when he gets out there and sees who it is.

Harold. Just Harold.

He's a little wary as he approaches given the incident (hug) in the hospital, speaking up once he's close enough.]

Uh, hey.

[He hadn't mentioned the grave at all to anyone after he and Verso started putting it together, so he supposes Harold is surprised to see such a thing here in Etraya.]

[ornithologist]

[ Meanwhile, Harold has not thought a single thing about the hug since it happened. He does notice Accelerator approaching, paranoid and perceptive about his surrounding space as ever, so he isn't surprised when he greets him.

He turns to face him, readjusting the bag of equipment he's carrying. ]

Would you like me to place cameras here, or leave it a blind spot?

[ Harold won't make him talk about who the memorial is obviously for, and he'll follow his wishes either way in terms of whether to include it in the surveillance. ]

[levelshift]

[Good question! Difficult question, as Accelerator is torn between the obvious options of privacy versus security. He hesitates, the pros and cons of both speeding through his mind, and shakes his head.]

... I don't know.

[It's meant to be a grave, so some privacy would be appreciated. He isn't expecting anyone else to pay their respects, so it would be more for himself than anything. On the other hand, if some idiot dropped in and destroyed the grave marker and he couldn't figure out who it was, there's a chance he'd go on a whole rampage to find out. Considering these two stances, the choice seems a bit more clear.

He sighs.]

I guess it'd be a better idea to have some here, in case someone messes with.... [He gives a small wave towards the gravestone.]

[ornithologist]

[ Harold can read that dilemma instantly, and offers a solution, visibly sympathetic. ]

I can archive recordings but not monitor them. In case anything happens, we'll have the footage.

[ The we comes naturally from his mouth, without hesitation. As does the assumption that Accelerator would believe him if he said he wouldn't monitor it. ]

[levelshift]

[Oh, that seems like a viable solution. Security while maintaining a certain amount of privacy. He can stop by the grave as much as he wants and not worry so much about any potential judgment. Whether a murderer has the right to visit the grave of their victims feels like it would be a contentious subject if brought up to Etraya at large, and it's something Accelerator is already grappling with internally. He doesn't want to deal with other people weighing in.

He quickly nods at the offer, looking relieved.]

Yeah, fine. That'd be fine.

[At this point he fully trusts Harold on this. If he says he's only going to archive the recordings and not actively monitor them, then he'll believe him.]

Not that I'm expecting anyone to come out here. It'd only be a precautionary measure.

grave.

[brat]

( damian hadn't had any interest in the farm itself. children having a safe and peaceful place to stay is good for them, but he doesn't count himself amongst their number. he does, however, make a stop by decked out in robin gear with the intention of making sure the area is actually safe for the children who wish to stay.

it's then that he notices accelerator and his. . . rock. grave marker. it doesn't take a genius to discern, and once he does, robin doesn't take any steps closer. stays at a distance, observing. )

People do not stay dead here, yes?

[levelshift]

[Accelerator isn't expecting anyone to come by this part of the farm, and he tenses briefly at the voice. It only takes him a second to recognize who it is though, and Damian isn't the kind of person to destroy something for no reason, so he calms down.

Glancing back, he notes that Damian is in his full hero getup. Guess he's here on business (but then, he isn't actually sure of the kid, whatever age he is, goes out around Etraya in civilian clothing very often). With a sober expression he turns back to the stone, scooping up another ladle of water and dumping it onto it.]

No. They don't. This is for people back home.

[brat]

( the uniform is a permanent fixture, a mask to cover an identity damian hasn't decided what to do with yet. robin is easier, robin is lighter, and it's robin who manages to stand quite comfortably several feet back, shoulders lax and body language loose despite the massive amount of weaponry on him. or maybe because of: he is well-armed to face any danger that should come his way.

and it's robin who asks, nonchalantly, because he's nosy - )

Who?

[levelshift]

[This isn't something Accelerator wants to hide. If he did, he wouldn't have taken Verso's advice and build the grave. He would have kept the knowledge of all the clones he killed locked away in his memory, where they could rot in private.

This is better. This gives their memory significance, a physical marker in the world. Even if it's only in Etraya, he still thinks it's something.]

Girls that I killed. Clones. They weren't given graves back home, so a guy named Verso suggested I give them one here.

[brat]

Those who have perished care not for the state of their body after their demise. A grave is more for those who they have left behind.

( this isn't the first he's heard of clones; back home, talia al ghul has a new son developing to replace the one she has grown to consider a failure to her name, but he also doesn't quite understand why one would waste their time grieving over a rock regardless of the person who had died.

then again, he thinks of the graves of martha and thomas wayne. of how his father's grief manifested into becoming the bat.

robin is quiet, for several moments. then offers a quiet, )

I hope their grave is able to bring you some peace.

( but he has interrupted accelerator enough. robin turns around on his heels, and heads back toward the farm itself. )

[levelshift]

[Accelerator bites back the urge to snap that the brat doesn't need to tell him what he already knows, and he doesn't give an answer as to whether it helps or not since he's still trying to figure that piece out, so he remains silent as he drops the ladle back into the bucket. He sighs a little, before picking everything up and turning to follow.]

Why'd you come out here?

[Damian had said he would keep watch over the network, but that's pretty vague and he otherwise didn't seem to have any interest in the farm, so Accelerator wasn't sure if he would even bother to stop by.]

[hexcope]

[Jayce arrives at the farm house, toolbox in hand, and a to-go coffee in the other. It's a little awkward, but he manages to ring the doorbell with his elbow, waiting for permission to enter, since he doubts Accelerator would just leave all this unlocked.]

[levelshift]

[At least Jayce won't have to wait very long. Accelerator has been doing some organizing, making a list of general farm maintenance stuff that needs to be done with or without the help of the bots, and leaves what he's written on the coffee table to go answer the door.]

Hey. [His eyes immediately go to the coffee, though he doesn't say anything, turning away.] Furnace is this way.

[hexcope]

[Jayce follows, but not without retort.]

People usually go with "hi, how are you? Thanks for coming! Is that for me?"

[levelshift]

[Since this is Jayce, and since this is Jayce being sassy, Accelerator doesn't say anything. He just sticks his hand out for the coffee. Give.]

[hexcope]

[He raises his hand higher, far over Accelerator's head.]

Magic words?

[levelshift]

[Goddamnit, even if Jayce is a lot taller he's still reaching for it!!]

Give me the fucking coffee, shithead.