Date: Wednesday, March 2nd
Time: 4:30 PM
Another casual date in Arcadia. We decided to pack a lunch and make a picnic out of it. I think the reason my last relationship ended so terribly is because we let things get too complicated between the two of us… Things with me and Maggie are so simple that it's like we don't even need to try… Maybe it's because we understand each other so well, maybe it's because we've supported each other… Whatever the case, thanks to her, I'm starting to like Rapture. Weird huh? That Civil War so many years ago turned this city into a warzone, add the splicers to the mix and that's a recipe for disaster… Then there was that sheep lady that made Bellwether look sane by comparison… I don't really care how or why but Rapture is being rebuilt and it's being offered as a safe-haven for people who want to start over…
Rennart DeWitt
Time: 6:20 PM
As we're packing up our picnic, another tod approaches us and asks us not to pack up just yet. He wants to paint us, says he'll pay for our time. He speaks with a thick Asian accent. I'm about to refuse but Maggie gives me that adorable smile that I can't say no to… So, we sit back down and let this guy do his pre-painting sketch. He lets us see it before paying us for our time, then promises he'll let us see it when he's done painting it. I can tell two things about this guy, first he's serious about his artwork, and second he must be pretty athletic.
Rennart DeWitt
Date: Thursday, March 3rd
Time: 3:48 PM
Maggie loves Arcadia, I can't blame her… This part of Rapture is very quiet and serene. We actually formally met our artist friend. He introduced himself as Yusuke Sakamoto, an aspiring Japanese artist. He apologized profusely for his attitude yesterday but he gets so enthused about his artwork that before he knows it, he's done something insensitive to someone else. From all I can tell, he's a nice, laidback, well-meaning guy who's just passionate about painting... He told us about a muse he wants to paint more than anything in the world… A woman he says is more radiant than the sun. Sounds to me like he's in love with her…
Rennart DeWitt
Time: 5:18 PM
I decided while Ren 'as talkin' t' our new friend I'd go an' meet this lady Yusuke 'as bendin' our ears 'bout. I'll admit, she's a lovely lass… Prolly shouldn' call 'er a lass, she's at least in 'er right early 20s 'r so… Out at Farmer's Market, sellin' some pretty flowers. Says she grows 'em 'erself, right here in Arcadia… Sells honey too, mus' be keepin' bees as well… Me an' her gets to talkin' introduces 'erself as Alison Gainsborogh… She's not like me 't all, when I came down 'ere I didn' know a thing 'bout survivin' on me own but she got things figured out for 'erself… 'Ventually, Ren an' Yusuke do catch up with me an' with some encouragement, Yusuke manages to ask Alice to model for 'is paintings. She took offense t' it at first but bein' th' patient sort, let 'im speak 'is peace. She did 'ventually agree…
Magnolia Kaldwin
Date: Friday, March 4th
Time: 7:44 AM
Another night spent together… We have to stop passing out on the couch together… I feel wrong and dirty about it but it feels amazing in the moment… I go back to full-duty today. Yay, back to putting extra holes in murderously psychotic drug-addict mutants… On the bright side, I found out where they're sending me… The former HQ of one Augustus Sinclair, from all the recon sweeps in the area, the talking heads aren't expecting too many splicers… But we're being sent in to be sure… Maggie seems worried about me going along but I reassured her that I'll be careful…
Rennart DeWitt
Time: 6:55 PM
Ok, I'm starting to think that they're aware of something going on… They seemed coordinated and the recon information we had didn't account for even half of the number of splicers we encountered today. Thankfully, we managed to rout them and not lose anyone… Unfortunately, we couldn't establish a foothold in the area. I told Mr. Fisk about how I think the splicers might be better organized than we originally thought, he actually took me seriously and seemed concerned. He told me he'd bring it up with the other talking heads… There's no way in hell I'm telling Maggie about this…
Rennart DeWitt
Date: Sunday, March 6th
Time: 12:22 PM
Today I talked to Maggie, Yu, and Alice about my plan to start a bakery. Yusuke seems to think a sandwich shop would be better. Maggie has an idea about where to start it up. Alice said she'd help in anyway she can but she doesn't know anything about baking. Maggie talked about her coworkers in Adonis who often get off work hungry and have talked openly in the locker rooms about finding something to eat after work. As good a place as any, especially since my lovely Maggie offered to introduce me to my clientele… I just need to approach the talking heads about getting my sandwichera started…!
Rennart DeWitt
Date: Wednesday, March 9th
Time: 3:47 PM
I told Mr. Fisk I wanted to open up my own sandwich place and he brought me before the others to talk about my plan. There was some grumbling from the guys up top but Mr. Fisk seemed to have my back. "Rapture," he said, "Where the sweat of a mammal's brow belongs to them! Rapture, where greatness can be seized by anyone if they have the drive to grasp for it! Even if Mr. DeWitt's restaurant fails, who are we to deny him his chance for greatness? Wouldn't Andrew Lyan give Mr. DeWitt a chance? That's why we decided to try to rebuild Rapture, to honor a once great man and his ideals!" They gave me my business permit and a "business grant" to pursue this restaurant idea. It was awfully nice of Mr. Fisk to stick his neck out for me, maybe I misjudged him. I went to thank him and he smiled at me and told me that he honestly believed every word he had spoken in that meeting. Andrew Lyan, I always thought he was just a madman that stumbled into a brilliant idea that collapsed from its own weight…
Rennart DeWitt
Date: Tuesday, March 15th
Time: 6:42 PM
Got our location and started cleaning it up. Took us all week to get it presentable. Some of the windows were busted out had to shell out to get them replaced. We got the kitchen in working order in time for the health inspector's first visit but we've hit a bit of a speedbump. After spending an hour and a half staring at a blank wall in the dining area, Yusuke ran off and came back 2 hours later with buckets of wall paint. Then starts up on that wall like a madman. I will never understand how artists think…
Rennart DeWitt
Date: Sunday, March 20th
Time: 5:22 PM
Busy week. Mine and Maggie's coworkers volunteered their time off to help out. Alice came to help out once in a while but with Spring having just started her bees are keeping her busy. Yusuke is still working on that wall. In spite of any noise around him, he's still going. Rapture could fall apart again and he wouldn't notice at this point. We'll be ready by next Sunday, I think…
Rennart DeWitt
Date: Monday, I think…? Sometime in March
Time: Unknown
I have been hearing that Rennart is planning his opening for this upcoming Sunday. My timetable to complete this work is closing. I must have it done by the end of the week, it must be completed by this weekend. This concept is difficult to fully grasp, it is an abstract thing "friendship", abstract and yet beautiful, and never in my life have I worked with such a large canvas as an entire wall. Rennart continues his work to ready his restaurant with his dear Magnolia at his side, both are curious as to my actions but neither have disturbed me. Alison on the other hand, she appears quite upset with me. I will hear her harsh words for me when this masterpiece is completed. I must hurry, even if it means forgoing sleep. I must complete this work and be there to gauge my friends' reactions to it when it is done. Rennart has also expressed his desire to see me at the opening ceremony. I shall endeavor to meet his desire and to complete this mural.
Sakamoto Yusuke
Date: Thursday, March 24th
Time: 8:30 PM
That Yusuke! He won't help out around here! He just keeps going with making a mess on the back wall and I think he's been neglecting eating and sleeping…! I try getting him away from it, but it just goes in one ear and out the other! Ren laughed and told me to just let him be… But still…! *sigh* I'll leave him something to eat again before I leave for the night… I swear… I thought only my ex was this stubborn about anything…
Alison Gainsborogh
Date: Saturday, March 26th
Time: 8:22 PM
I'm actually excited about this… More excited than when I graduated from the Police Academy as Nick Wilde… I've heard Maggie giggle at my childlike excitement but I can't help it… I also find that giggle intoxicatingly adorable… Tomorrow is finally the day, I talked to Mr. Fisk about it as apparently, one of the talking heads needs to be present to cut the ribbon and make the dedication speech… He once again agreed to be my second. Also, he said that the council was seriously looking into that issue I brought up about the splicers being organized… Turns out, they're getting desperate, desperate enough to work together… Hope everything will be alright... He reassured me that if worst comes to worst, they're gonna' quarantine the hotbed areas and flood them with seawater…
Rennart DeWitt
Date: Sunday, March 27th
Time: 9:42 PM
Today was amazing! We finally opened and I was taken away by how popular our restaurant is already…! *Maggie giggles in the background* "You're so cute, Ren…" You're calling me cute? Have you looked in a mirror lately, hon? *laughing* The cherry on top is that we finally see what Yusuke has been painting all week. It's a mural of the Lighthouse with a boat parked at it's stairway. In the mural are four people getting off the boat and onto the stairway. From what I could tell, me, Maggie, Yusuke, and Alice. He calls it "New Life, New Friendships, New Rapture". He had his chest puffed out during opening and throughout the day, even though he looked tired. Some art critics came to have a look at it and had some tea and-... Maggie, what did you call those things? "Crumpets" Yeah, crumpets… Apparently, Maggie had them a lot back in Britain and apparently Alice knows how to make them and taught Maggie… "Alice has been me best mate…" What about me? *silence, presumably kissing* "You're me love… 'At's different…" Anyway, Alice lectured Yusuke a bit about not helping more and not taking care of himself but he didn't seem to care. He was just so proud of his work. It really is a beautiful mural…
Rennart DeWitt "and Magnolia Kaldwin"
Date: Tuesday, March 29th
Time: 6:22 PM
Just a minor note today, apparently the Rapture communication grid is finally online. I got 157 new texts on my cellphone. I knew I was forgetting to throw that thing away. All of them from Judith... Again, she can drown...
Rennart DeWitt
Extra bit:
Dedication speech by James Fisk
"Today we acknowledge the efforts and vision of the esteemed Mr. Rennart DeWitt. Today he opens his sandwich restaurant, here in Adonis, a story retold countless times, that all men and women of all races have vision but only a few ever have the drive to reach for it. I am pleased to be the one to declare Mr. DeWitt's restaurant, "DeWitt's Sandwichera" open for business! May he prosper in his endeavors!"
Attached photo by the New Rapture Times newspaper
(AN: I don't own the sources of my reference characters either. I don't want to spell out which companies own those sources so as to not ruin the reference for those who haven't caught on yet...)
