✘ Round 6 | [Audio]

[glacius]

Greetings, all of you. In light of the... unfortunate losses that this cave has suffered recently, I have been working on a few things in conjunction with other like-minded individuals in this cave. For the first announcement, I will allow Curufin to explain what we have planned, as it was his idea.

[Glacius' introduction is quick and to the point; while this cause is near and dear to the alien's heart, it's clear from his tone that said losses have been hard on him, have left him tired and not really feeling up to being the focus of so many people right now. So without further ado he hands the phone over; there's a brief pause as the device is shuffled about, and then another voice comes through the feed. Those who know the man will recognize it as belonging to none other than Curufin, another member of the Guard.]

We're here to announce a benefit event for the clinic, held in honor and memory of Kate Galloway!

Make a donation if you can, but if you can't, come anyway. Everyone is welcome, friends of Kate, clinic staff and helpers, well-wishers of the clinic, anyone who has ever been a patient there and received kindness and healing, and anyone who is just passing by and could use a square meal.

PICNIC ON THE LAWN:
Since this is a benefit, you get wined and dined. Bring a potluck dish if you like, but food will be provided as well -- sandwiches, salads, fruit, and deserts. Wine and whiskey courtesy of Rey and the Speakeasy.

DONATIONS:
if you can find any of the following, these would really be helpful! If you are into scavenging, Hadriel's unused buildings and shops can be unexpected treasure-troves. And if you happen to have any of these items and would be willing to donate them, then we would all be grateful. Here's the list:

Gauze or any thin cotton fabric -- these can be washed, cut into squares or strips to be used for sterile pads and bandages.

Canvas fabric of various weights -- can be used for slings for arms or legs that are in casts.

Sacks of plaster in powder form -- can be used to make casts for broken bones,

Crutches, canes, leg or arm braces.

Disinfectants -- alcohol, iodine or Betadine solution, peroxide solution.

Soap -- liquid or bar.

Terrycloth -- for washcloths and towels.

Bedding -- blankest and sheets.

Furniture -- cots, beds with metal bedsteads, chairs, tables, benches, cabinets.

Medical instruments -- if anybody happens to find any surgical kits, or spare instruments such as scissors, clamps, scalpels, etc., these things can be sterilized for for use.

Scrap metal -- Curufin and Celebrimbor will be carting this away to melt down and cast or forge surgical instruments and other medical equipment that the clinic does not already have.

LOCATION:
The picnic will be held on the grass near the clinic and the pawnshop. There will also be a sorting area for the donations, where you will be directed if you are bringing any items.

[Glacius clicks approvingly, taking the phone back.] Thank you, Curufin, for announcing all of that. I know it is a lot of information to process at once, so feel free to respond to this with any questions. We will both be present at this event to oversee donations and make sure everything goes smoothly.

Now: one final thing. I have also been working with Sharon to erect a memorial site in the forest. I have carved wooden markers that are individually shaped according to things that each person would have liked, and are engraved with the names of those that have been lost to us; she has been decorating the sites of those that we knew personally with portraits and tributes.

We will need your help to fill in the remaining markers, however. Feel free to reach out to either of us if you have lost someone and you have a special request in mind for their marker; I can be contacted here, or in my personal inbox if you wish the exchange to remain a bit more private. You can also stop by the memorial site at any time, and if we happen to be there, feel free to reach out to us then.

It is time we move forward, and make an active effort to honor and remember those that have left this place. Thank you for listening to all of this; I know it has been a lot, but the cause is important.

[[OOC: Feel free to have your characters either respond to this network post with any questions or letting ours know what your character is bringing to the drive, or strike up an action prompt to come interact with Glacius or Curufin in person! You can specify whether they're attending the donation drive or the picnic or both, and which character you want them to interact with. Questions or action prompts for the memorial site that he and Sharon are working on are also welcome. Feel free to ping either of us on Plurk with any other questions!]]

Comments

[Video]

[drabsolutelynot]

[Rosen is smiling, though it is bittersweet]

What a wonderful idea.

[He's not sure what else to say]

[Video]

[glacius]

... Thank you. Hopefully others will feel the same. I know it is a difficult subject, and everyone grieves in different ways, but... it didn't feel right to not try to do something for those that have left this place.

Video

[knifecollecting]

This is a really good idea. [Both the picnic and the markers.]

Are the markers hard to make?

[video]

[glacius]

[Glacius is always a bit wary of switching to video--especially when he's not quite feeling like himself--but he'll go with it here.] Thank you. [Then, he shakes his head.] No, not particularly difficult given my particular talents and precision. It is time-consuming more than anything else, to be sure that I am getting all the details accurate--especially with subject matter that I am not familiar with.

[text]

[readytobe]

[It isn't something of interest to him - he doesn't miss anyone who's left, and doesn't have much experience with missing the company of others anyway - but he can tell that the memorial and the picnic have been planned....with sincerity, and care, so he will try to be empathetic about it.]

Should you not celebrate when someone has escaped this place?

[text]

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Responds to the text message while Glacius is wading into the donations pile and beginning to sort it. ]

Indeed we should, especially someone as central to the community as Kate was. She'll be greatly missed, but she wanted to go home, and we wish her the best.

[ With a little more personal feeling ] I like to think of her celebrating her freedom, in some beautiful place.

[Audio]

[einselective]

[Marian recognizes one of those voices... and is very glad the post is audio only. Still, it's a good goal, she just wants to avoid any more, well, 'trouble'... and maybe, just maybe, feels a little bit bad after her last interaction with Carlisle.]

There's some metal we won't need here at the lab. I'll leave it outside the door.

[Audio]

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin does not recognize Marian's voice, but she is asking about metal, which is his department. ]

This is Curufin, and I'll be here to collect it. Thank you, this is much appreciated!

[text]

[glacius]

[He sees Curufin has already responded to this, and that suits him just fine. Glacius does not particularly want to talk to Marian, and he can only imagine that the feeling is mutual.

... Still, she must have known that there was a chance of conversing with him if she responded to post that he made. She doesn't necessarily deserve accolades for managing to choke down her racism just long enough for a simple audio response... but the fact that she's still willing to contribute to a cause that's so important to the alien cannot go ignored.

So he goes with a simple text, attempting to convey his appreciation for the help without roping either of them into a prolonged and more than likely uncomfortable conversation:] Thank you.

[ Video / Action ]

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin is bartending at the same time as he is greeting people in person or by phone and directing them where to put their donations, or where to bring them if the person is not on site. He is dressed casually but well -- which is to say, in freshly washed and ironed jeans and his swashbuckling black velvet shirt with the gathered sleeves and narrow ruffed collar. His grim warrior's face is not grim today, but quite cheerful. ]

[ Besides him is a table full of glasses and pitchers, bottles and decanters, and lined up are the various alcoholic options: beer, wine, and whiskey. Nearby, also, is the table full of food, with plates and silverware. Behind him is yet another table for the smaller donation items, and there is a space on the lawn for the larger ones. He has a handcart drawn up near the large-items donation area, for items of scrap metal that can be hauled off to the forge. ]

[ if talking on the phone ] Hello? Kate Galloway memorial clinic benefit event! How may I help you?

[ If greeting a person who is here in person ] Nice you could come!

[action]

[synthedick]

[Nick gives Curufin a smile as he walks up, setting the bag he's carrying on the table.]

I wouldn't've missed it for anything.

[Well, save for the gods ruining the party, as they tend to do. He opens the bag, revealing an assortment of fabrics.]

I cleared out the stores on my patrol of anything that could be used for bandages. It's not much, but I figure every little bit helps in a place like this, where we never know what'll be thrown at us next.

[ Action ]

[fracturedbeauty]

Yukari comes in, carrying what appears to be two folded blankets with a box on top containing some bottles of disinfectant, and a small array of coloured cloths, cut carefully into bandage-applicable stripes and coiled neatly.

"Yes, well, I heard you needed donations." He flashes a small smile. "I certainly can't give all of my accessories away, but parting with these shouldn't hurt."

He heads for the table behind Curufin to place the donations on.

He looks Curufin over when he's done, moving back Curufin's front.

"You look nice." It's said lightly, almost superficially; the attempt at small talk. He still feels bad for his overreaction a handful of days ago. He knows Curufin probably doesn't blame him. But it doesn't stop him from feeling guilty for starting an argument over his own securities. An argument in which he was the only one yelling and making accusations. Curufin was, of course, gentle as always.

Why is it so much harder to accept an argument when you're the only one who's blaming you?

Still, Yukari tries to keep his features relaxed. He's in the public eye, and Curufin has a charity to function. He can always reaffirm things with Curufin until he feels better time and again when they're alone.

voice;

[closerift]

[ Cecily struggles with how to respond for a long time. Eventually, she sends out a message to Glacius, trying to keep her voice light and even. ]

I have a few people that I would like to... remember, if you can help with that. I can tell you what kinds of things I'd like for the markers, though I'm really no good with my hands, at least not enough to make anything halfway decent...

voice;

[glacius]

Of course, my friend. You needn't worry about the carving; I can take care of that, though I am sure with practice you could get to be just as good as anyone else here. If you ever want me to assist you in learning, I would gladly do so--in the mean time, feel free to show me what you had in mind for these markers.

video

[survivethis]

[Jill can't help but smile at this.]

That's a great idea. Thank you for organizing it all.

[She'll be sure to drop off a couple of spare blankets she has, some bandages, and some soaps. It might not be much, but every little bit helps.]

video

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin smiles back; he's always pleased to see her. ]

Thank Glacius for the inspiration and the energy! And thank you for the donation, Jill. When you get here, you can put it over there. [ He turns the phone so that the screen shows the organizing area, where Glacius is sorting everything with great efficiency. ]

voice

[unknowable]

This is a really nice thing you're doing. I can help organizing any donations you get, if you'd like - I do a lot of organizing the supplies at the clinic.

voice

[so_dark_a_road]

We'd greatly appreciate the help! Pleased to meet you, by the way. I'm Curufin Fëanorion.

[Action] donation/picnic

[dragonsgrasp]

[Well, he had been challenged with getting out and meeting more people, after all, hadn't he? When Kain heard the message, it seemed an appropriate sort of event for that sort of thing. Not to mention, he ought to support the clinic given how often he's bound to end up there. So he comes along with some stuff in hand to donate. There's some salvaged scrap metal, and also some other random supplies- bandages and such, things he's convinced himself he won't need.]

Where should I put these things?

donation

[glacius]

[Despite describing it as being largely Curufin's idea, the towering ice alien seems to be the one overseeing most of the donations. Maybe it's because it's a cause near and dear to his heart, or maybe it's because recent events have left him not quite in the mood to sit out among the small crowd quickly gathering out on the lawn. Either way his head cocks up as Kain enters the room with an armful of supplies, looking over each item.]

The metal can go to the side--that is Curufin's area of expertise. Everything else, you may hand off to me. Thank you for bringing all of this in. [He spent enough time in the clinic with Kate, either as a patient or overseeing operations for her, to know where everything goes. He'll take good care of it, just like she would have wanted.]

audio;

[hotspurred]

I will see what I can find.

audio;

[glacius]

Thank you. For a lot of things, really. You have been very understanding of me as I attempt to... deal with all of this.

[voice]

[circumitus]

We don't really have much at the Speakeasy that could help, except... maybe we could make alcohol to use as disinfectant, if you need any.

[voice]

[glacius]

Anything helps. [And he'd much rather alcohol go to this than to the primary purpose for which the Speakeasy was established. As far as he's seen, humans are far too quick to drown themselves in drink, often to highly undesirable, sometimes harmful or dangerous ends.]

(voice)

[utulien_aure]

I've little at hand, but I can take a look around.

(voice)

[so_dark_a_road]

Thank you, Findekáno! The shops and the empty towers are good places to look. And don't forget to indulge in the picnic food and drink whenever you get here. We're going to keep the event going for a while.

Audio

[blessedmaiden]

[She doesn't really miss anyone at this point but....]

That's a wonderful plan... I do have some spare green fabric and I can get one of the beds from my apartment- even if I dont' think I'm strong enough to carry it on my own.

Oh, and of course, I can try to scavange.

In case you need white books for inventory purposes I also have some, spent mose of my time in the library digging for them

Audio

[so_dark_a_road]

One or some of us can come and get the fabric and the bed, if you like. And anything you can scavenge would be most welcome.

[ He thinks he recognizes the voice. ] Rydia, is it? We spoke briefly on the network at the end of January when you were proposing an appreciation meme.

And oh, the whitebooks! I'm sure the clinic could use those, too.

text

[leashed]

I'll attempt to locate supplies for this, if it is needed... though I'm not sure if it would be appropriate for me to attend the picnic. Please let me know what food items we need and where to bring it and I will help you prepare.

text

[so_dark_a_road]

Anything you can scrounge up would be helpful, and thank you!

[ Glances over at the buffet table, where people are clustering, and at the lawn where people are chatting and spreading blankets to sit on and eat their sandwiches and picnic dishes. ]

The picnic's already in progress, but we're definitely going to run out of food and drink at this rate. Whatever you'd like to bring would be fine. I made sandwiches and some other people brought salads and fruit, and somebody even brought some pies. But anything would be good.

Why wouldn't it be appropriate for you to attend?

[Video]

[lifetothefullest]

I'll see what I can find.

[This is good incentive and excuse to go exploring again; staying active is a lot better for him than having nothing to do but think about things. Although, as important as keeping the Clinic stocked is, he's actually more interested in the rest of this post.]

The idea regarding the memorial is a really good one, too. Having a specific location and community support can be incredibly helpful in mourning a loss.

[Whether that person's dead or just gone, like happens here.]

[Video]

[glacius]

Thank you. Every little bit helps this cave be more liveable for all of us... and it helps to honor the people that put hard work into making sure it stays running. [Even the ones who aren't there any more. In Glacius' case, all of the different points of this post are interlaced. Maybe he should see to the needs of the sewing shop next...]

[ video ]

[pellameno]

[ He already brings everything he can find to the clinic, but will definitely be at the benefit. As for the rest... ]

It's a great idea, both of you. I think... I'll need help carving markers, but I have a few in mind.

[ video ]

[glacius]

Ah, Pell. It has been some time since we have last spoke. I... hope you have been well, besides all of this. If it makes it easier to bear I will certainly help you with markers... what did you have in mind?