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expiationlogs2023-09-11 06:30 am
- !event,
- ai tsf: mizuki date,
- arcane: caitlyn kiramman,
- arcane: jinx,
- arcane: silco,
- arcane: violet / vi,
- blazblue: ragna the bloodedge,
- bungo stray dogs: nikolai gogol,
- bungo stray dogs: sigma,
- final fantasy xiii2: noel kreiss,
- fire emblem three hopes: marianne,
- fma:b: pride,
- magia record: mitama yakumo,
- original: astralin turnont,
- persona 3 portable: kotone shiomi,
- persona 4: yosuke hanamura,
- persona 4: yu narukami,
- persona 5 royal: goro akechi,
- umineko wtc: ange ushiromiya,
- x-men movieverse: scott summers
{EVENT #4} ADVERSITY 2933165.9475
| MOD NOTES: Please direct any questions to the corresponding comment below. Note that character decisions and actions taken on these prompts will affect future events, storylines, and relationships with other peoples of Expiation. You can find the OOC poll here. Please pick from the corresponding options with the appropriate character journal. If you use a personal journal or a journal not part of Expiation, your votes will not be counted. Remember that if your character did something different than what is in the prompts given, leave a comment in the OOC poll entry and link to your comment in the option made available. We will provide an IC post in exactly ten days with the results of the poll that will wrap up the event. You may mingle on it if you like, but the most important purpose is to share the effects of character decisions on this event. The various prompts are, of course, optional. |
WHEN THE FOG ROLLS IN
On the night of September 10, an impenetrable fog covers the town of Aldrip. When characters wake in the morning, they find that Aldrip has disappeared, replaced by a large, enclosed maze.
Characters will wake up in one of three different levels of this maze, and they may—but don't have to—find that they are not alone. As they explore the maze, they will encounter trials and stumbling blocks both physical and mental. It seems the maze is testing them, poking at their fears, their past, their feelings. Confronting these questions about themselves and their very nature will allow them to progress through the maze in hopes of eventually finding the exit—and hopefully the town along with it.
While they do not all wake up in the same level of the maze, all characters do, in theory, have to complete all three trials in order to leave. This may not be so easy to achieve; due to the nature of these trials, if someone cannot get past one area, they may remain stuck there. Other characters are able to help them confront these issues, and may instead (or in addition) pass through that way if they choose to. Aside from the level where they wake up, characters may approach these levels in any order as they so choose.THE GROUPS
GROUP A:
Serah Farron
Elidibus
Nakahara Chuuya
Tsunayoshi Sawada
Rei Suwa
Caitlyn Kiramman
Ragna the Bloodedge
Kotone Shiomi
Monkey D. Luffy
Yuja Wightshade (WoL)
Yosuke Hanamura
Astralin Turnont
Dazai Osamu
Ange Ushiromiya
Hythlodaeus
Ethlyn
GROUP B:
Violet (Vi)
Silco
Mizuki Date
Claude von Riegan
Noel Kreiss
Kazuki Kurusu
G'raha Tia
Jinx
Marianne von Edmund
Goro Akechi
Sooyoung Han
Saito Sejima
Nikolai Gogol
Erichtonios
Emet-Selch
GROUP C:
Yu Narukami
Pride
Sigma
Usagi Tsukino
William G Maryblood
Scott Summers
Gundam Tanaka
Quentin Quire
Akira Kurusu
Mitama Yakumo
Med'an
Ken Amada
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Izuku "Deku" Midoriya
Echo
EXPLORING THE MAZE
The walls of the maze are made of stone slabs; tall, solid, and imposing. As far as one can see, there seem to be no cracks or seams in the wall. They're cool to the touch, perhaps a little dampened by the foggy weather. Some of the stones seem to glow with a dim, inner light. Most of the corridors are stable, but some are a little more risky. Walls or ceilings could collapse, leaving passages blocked and some Chosen trapped within tunnels or rooms of the maze.
Some corridors within the maze are less built up, as well, more like dug-out caverns that look somewhat like mining tunnels. In these tunnels, you can find the raw form of those glowing stones, which seem to light the darkness, allowing the Chosen to see at least a bit. They're enchanting, and some may have a hard time resisting trying to pull them out of the walls.
Occasionally, characters may find larger rooms with small tables of food, equipment, and supplies set up. These areas seem to be safety zones, untouched by the trials, where Chosen can eat, rest, treat any wounds, and replenish their energy.
ii. PERILS IN THE DARK
As the Chosen progress through the challenges of the maze—both illusions and real—the air itself may begin to feel more oppressive and heavy, making movement feel very difficult at times. As the week wears on, characters may find themselves worn out faster or feeling more sluggish than normal. More than that, they may find that their emotional lows become more intense: characters may become more easily frustrated, paranoid, scared, or impatient. In general, this seems to exacerbate the worst parts of their personalities.
On other occasions, Chosen may feel as if they are being watched. They get the feeling that something lurks in the shadows of the maze, that they are being watched or followed. They may hear something scratching or skittering across the walls. When they look…there is nothing there, nor any evidence of creatures stalking them through the halls. Characters who had bad luck in the Casino are particularly prone to this feeling; occasionally, they may feel as if someone—or something—is tugging at their hair or clothes, or breathing against their neck. Try to keep your head, Chosen. The hardest part is yet to come.
THE TRIALS
iii. A DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL [TRIAL A]
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what location or event triggers the beginning of the trial; it seems to be different for every character. Chosen will find themselves in a long corridor, laced with fog. As they progress down this corridor, they begin to see and hear hallucinations and illusions that highlight their greatest insecurities: their flaws, their weaknesses, the darkness they suspect dwells within their soul.
These illusions may come in a variety of different forms. Perhaps they experience voices or images of peers issuing criticisms that they fear are accurate, or they may face a shadowy figure that bears their appearance that embodies all of their worst qualities. The form these illusions take is up to you, the players, and whether other characters are able to see those illusions can also be decided between players. Confronting, challenging, debunking, and/or accepting these criticisms and claims is the key to exiting this level.
Once they have confronted this challenge, the illusions and hallucinations stop immediately. The fog lifts, revealing a turn in the maze they didn't notice before. They may progress in their exploration.
iv. THE SHAPE OF YOUR FEARS [TRIAL B]
Similar to the first trial, this seems to trigger with little warning or fanfare. At some point in their exploration, characters will find their way blocked by something representing their deepest fears. This can be literal—a dark hallway for those who fear the dark, as an example—but can manifest in a myriad of other ways, too. A character could see someone from their past that represents this fear, or a monster, or an object or memory of something that connects to that fear. These fears will be made tangible and visible to anyone around them, leaving them exposed and vulnerable. In order to progress, they must be able to pass by these fears, and may do so in any way the player chooses, whether it requires fighting a monster, negotiating with an authority figure, finding a light in the darkness, or anything else players and characters can imagine.
The nature of this trial can be as massive or mundane as you, the player, chooses. Whether they need to simply turn on a light to abate their fear of the dark, or whether they need to take down a massive beast to confront something bigger, the area they find themselves in seems to accommodate the size of their trial. Once they have confronted this fear, it disappears, revealing a hallway that might not have been there before, allowing them to progress.
v. IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE [TRIAL C]
As with the first two trials, this one seems to emerge from the darkness when a character is ready to face it. They enter a room lined with obsidian mirrors. When they approach these mirrors, characters are confronted with memories related to the crime they have been charged with. This can be a specific moment or a series of moments related to their crime either directly or indirectly. Characters may become lost in these memories and may need help navigating through them from other people: the longer they remain lost in these memories, reliving them again and again, the more they run the risk of losing those memories entirely, either permanently or temporarily. Only by addressing the crime, the way they feel about it, the relationship that crime has to reality and to who the character is, can characters be free of this particular trial.
Once they have surpassed this trial, characters find themselves able to step back through these obsidian mirrors back into the maze, where they can continue their journey.
Navigating all three trials elicits no special fanfare or celebration. Upon completion of the third trial, they find themselves in a foggy corridor, where they will find an exit from the maze.
OPT-OUT AND AFTERMATH
Those characters (or players) who do not wish to interact with the maze will occasionally find quiet corridors that mysteriously place them outside the maze, unable to reenter. They will find that the town is, indeed, gone, as are their living quarters—hope you don't mind roughing it for a while. However, thanks to recent efforts to bolster the town's supplies, some of the underground storehouses organized by Claude and Marianne seem to remain intact and are available as temporary emergency shelter, should your character choose not to camp out.
After one week, the maze will disappear and life in Aldrip returns to normal. As for the locals? They don't seem to notice that anything strange has happened at all. Maze? What maze? Strange weather we're having this week, eh?
Just because there’s not a prompt for it doesn’t mean that your character’s actions aren’t acceptable. If you wish to do anything that hasn’t been directly addressed by the prompts, leave a message for the mod team to say what your character would do. If you choose to go down this path, note it as a comment on the OOC poll when it goes up, and leave a link to your threads so that we can take all actions into consideration for the next State of the Game.
trial a
This one is new, though. And even if it wouldn't be new, it would stand out to her just for who's involved in it.
So of course she's going to get herself involved.
Ange moves to quickly step over through the maze towards the two Scotts, raising her voice as she speaks up, like she isn't sure if he'd snap out of it if she'd just talk normally. ]
Scott!
[ It's not even that she disapproves of the idea of punching yourself, since he sure looks like he wants to do just that, it's just-- ]
I get that he's probably saying something annoying, but the whole point is that it's trying to annoy you.
no subject
So, what am I supposed to do about that?
[He makes a semi-frustrated gesture at the phantom, who's mostly just standing there and watching their conversation. He's not dangerous at least? Small mercies in this stupid world.] Maybe I should punch him, usually that gets me to shut up for a few seconds.
[He's not talking from experience what do you mean]
no subject
The pause is mostly because she's thinking. Considering this. She's a little worried about this situation potentially escalating, but on the other hand..
Could it really hurt to let Scott punch the other Scott just once?
It might help him process all of this.
So even though the girl looks just a touch sceptical, she stares at the actual Scott as she asks: ]
Do you really want to?
no subject
[Unless he just punches himself, but that's not nearly as fun and it would probably hurt. Of course, punching his fake may also hurt in some weird way, but Scott isn't going to think about that. He'll just stop if something goes wrong. Yeah, great plan. Besides, maybe it will actually stop talking and telling him how much he sucks. Isn't it important to get rid of things that bring you down? He's pretty sure he read that somewhere.
His right hand forms into a fist and he walks up to his other self, only taking a second to hesitate before swinging his arm forward--
Only for it to get caught by the phantom, its hand squeezing Scott's wrist with that same stoic expression. It doesn't stop, because Scott suddenly starts struggling with a pained yell, unable to pull away.]
F-fuck, let go...!
[The phantom, the one with unguarded glowing eyes, stares at Ange for a moment, before looking back at Scott. Finally, its words can be heard by everyone.] Why can't you control your powers?
no subject
But what the girl was expecting was more for the punch to somehow end up directed back at Scott, experiencing his own pain-- not this. Not the other Scott seeming to act in return, holding onto the Scott she knows enough for the boy to actually seem in pain. ]
... [ It leaves her speechless for a moment, even as the other Scott speaks up, but not for long. Wit is Ange's thing, after all. Her own weapon to fall back on in tense situations.
(And she'd definitely count this as one.) ] What, of all things you're going to question him about not being able to control crazy powers that most people don't have and would have no idea how to handle?
[ It is said with her usual dry tone, but her actions don't seem quite as uneffected. Ange reaches over, after all, her hand landing on the other Scott's arm to try and pry him off the one she knows. ]
no subject
Ange, I-I'll be fine, don't come any closer--
[He's cut off by his own cry as his wrist is squeezed even more, and maybe he should just fire his optic blasts at himself. Will that even work? Scott slowly reaches a shaking hand to his shades, only hesitating when he feels Ange's hand on his arm, trying to pull him away. He manages to get back on his feet, but he can't still fight off its grip, so the distance between them remains small as he stares into his own face.
Its expression, in turn, slowly changes to one of disdain.]
Hasn't he mentioned? Other mutants his age have at least some control of their powers, but we have nothing. What's wrong with him? Can't turn them off, can't change the intensity, the only reason he can even function is because of another mutant's genius.
Unless you're saying that telepathy is so much easier to handle?
no subject
She wants to hang on to him like this. Maybe to prove he's not alone. Or maybe to feel like she's got at least some control over this situation, rather than abandoning Scott to--
Well, it's not like this is an evil Scott, right. Ange knows what this is, or she at least figures she does. So rather than saying more than those two words to the Scott who spoke up last, she looks over at the one she knows. ]
You're not like that.
[ That's what this is, isn't it?
Scott's own insecurities given shape. ]
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't even tell yourself otherwise. You're just fine the way you are, Scott. Other people wouldn't immediately get into as much trouble as you do if their powers went haywire. You got the hard thing to deal with from the get-go. So what then if it takes you a little bit longer than other people?
no subject
Unlike his other self, Scott clearly isn't having a good time, his jaw firmly clenched as he does his best to believe what Ange is telling him. Is he fine the way he is? To rely on his glasses until he learns how his powers on his own? And what if... what if...]
...What if I can never control my powers?
no subject
Ange sure doesn't feel like there is. Despite everything she's saying here, she can understand why he might be nervous or scared about that. It's a big deal when you can basically destroy anything just by looking at it, even if you don't mean to do so.
Maybe it's why she looks a touch troubled for a moment, but Ange doesn't let it stop her from speaking up again. From still trying to convince him. ]
So what if you never can?
[ It's not really a reassurance, but maybe it's just-- ]
What would the consequences be?
[ -- maybe she wants to make him think about it. ]
no subject
I'd have to worry about my shades getting knocked off... or never seeing anything in full color again.
[Which, does kind of suck, but it's not the end of the world either. Scott's ready to accept that part, at least more than the possibility of hurting someone just because someone bumped into him too hard or something stupid like that. However, that never has really happened, not even in this crazy place.]
no subject
[ The glasses already seem like one solution, after all. Ange never bothered to ask where they came from, but once she learned about Scott's powers and how little control he has over them..
.. well, it made it pretty easy to assume someone back home made them for him, just to prevent accidents like that in the first place.
And if someone found a solution once, that only means there's even more possible solutions out there. Better ones. Ones that might help Scott worry even less. ]
.. I mean.. [ Look at Ange. Hesitating. It's a little embarrassing, after all, but.. she can't let a little embarrassment stop her from helping out a friend during such an important moment. ] Isn't this the point where usually you'd be saying something about how we can all find solutions together, or something equally sappy..?
no subject
[Worst case, he can wear a stupid helmet that provides the same function. It'd look completely ridiculous, but less likely to get knocked off. Scott doesn't feel too thrilled by the idea still, a certain glum about him, even as his phantom starts snickering, as if it's hearing his thoughts.
He'd try to punch him again if his wrist wasn't still tightly gripped.]
Huh? [Both Scott and his other self both stare at her with a slightly dumbfounded expression.] Do I really say stuff like that?
no subject
Ange isn't entirely sure, but she doesn't think it's a bad development, at least. The less the other Scott is busy with ridiculing the one she knows, the better. ]
Of course. You're so annoyingly wholesome.
[ Only Ange can make a compliment sound like an insult. Or the other way around. Whichever it is here, honestly. ]
You shouldn't worry so much about the things that are wrong with you. You can always work on those, or change them, or whatever. Instead you should give yourself credit for your good sides.
no subject
A part of Scott is insulted, because he's not wholesome!! He's totally a maverick and everything!! But also, he doesn't find himself really all that mad either, because it's clear that she didn't really mean it in a bad way and the mutant finds himself a little embarrassed. So much for his super cool reputation that definitely exists.
Okay yeah, even he's not believing that.
But the smallest smile emerges on him, suddenly feeling a little better and encouraged despite himself.]
You think I have a few good sides? [As if sensing Scott's improving mood, the doppelganger releases his wrist and takes a step back, but it doesn't disappear completely, not yet.] I mean, I guess I am pretty cool and everything...
no subject
But she's being good, keeping it to herself, especially as she notices the other Scott starting to retreat now Scott is talking about himself in this sort of way instead. ]
You're just fine the way you are.
[ Ugh, so-- so cheesy!
But whatever. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? ]
I think you're the only person that doesn't see that, you know.
no subject
Scott feels a smile develop, the anger and self-doubt from earlier just about disappearing-- it probably won't fully go away, but he definitely looks more like his normal self.]
...That must have taken a lot out of you to say.
[Even if he hasn't admitted anything out loud, it seems that he's internally accepted her words, with the doppelganger inclining his head just slightly with a small smile, before disappearing.]
no subject
[ H-HUFF. Ange definitely sounds a little embarrassed as she's saying it, especially with the way her voice is actually rising in volume, rather than staying as flat as it usually tends to be.
Because he's right. That absolutely took a lot out of Ange to say, but having it pointed out only makes it even more embarrassing. Even if it was worth it to see the other Scott disappear, meaning that maybe this maze will stop trying to mess with Scott for at least a few moments. ]
If you tell anyone at all I told you this stuff, I'll shove you down a cliff! [ No, she won't.
But a heavily embarrassed girl has to say something to try and make things feel a little less embarrassing, right. ]
no subject
As tempting as it is tease Ange further, he decides to give her a small break, because you know, she just helped him through all this shit. It's truly a relief that the doppelganger is gone, leaving him alone with just his friend now. Definitely a weight off his chest and the mutant closes his eyes for a moment, before smiling brightly and unabashedly at Ange.]
Of course. [He'd honestly hug her, but Ange might really push him down a cliff.] ...Thanks, Ange.