expiationlogs | MINGLE LOG: OCTOBER

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MINGLE LOG: OCTOBER

TRICK OR TREAT

Aldrip locals are buzzing with excitement as the end of the month draws near. According to them, two beloved traditions are just around the corner: the gathering and the witch hunt!

Let's get started!

WE GATHER HERE

I. EVERYBODY MAKE A SCENE

Those who come from worlds with trick-or-treating will find that this sounds pretty familiar: dress in costume, get treats. Rather than going door-to-door, however, the locals have set up a whole line of booths in the bustling marketplace. Participating locations will have pumpkin-shaped lanterns over their stalls, and will hand out various items: candies are traditional, of course, but pastries, treats, and even savory foods may be available. Some booths may also offer drinks (alcoholic or not) or small trinkets like pins, stickers, or scarves.

What's the catch? You must be in costume, of course! Some Chosen may welcome this as a fun activity—costumes are available at Rin's Shop from now until the end of the month. A number of traditional costumes will be readily available, of course, but the Tresed locals who have taken over the shop also have some...let's call it "eclectic" original designs. They also take requests. And they seem even more excited than the Aldrip locals, if you can believe it. Some reluctant Chosen may find themselves bullied into participating, if they're not careful.

We leave these costumes entirely up to you: they could be generic costumes like "witch" or "ghost," or something from your character's world. The tailors currently operating Rin's shop are capable of making mostly anything.

At various points during the night, Chosen could discover that they've been either TRICKED or TREATED by participating in this tradition. Comment in the thread below if you'd like to participate, and we'll roll you a random effect.

A WITCH! A WITCH!

The Aldrip Witch Hunt is a symbolic tradition that, according to locals, goes back by countless generations. Local opinions seem to be mixed on whether there is a real witch to speak of: some claim that the Council has chosen someone to act as the witch every year since its inception. Others claim that it's all conceptual. Either way, with a small number of frightening fruits still on the loose, locals are willing to let the Chosen deal with any dangers.

Those intrepid Chosen who wish to seek out the witch are told to head into the forest, where small electric lanterns will show the way. These lanterns seem to be scattered across the forest, in some cases leading Chosen off course or off the beaten path. Some may end up lost in the woods. But some lanterns do seem to light the way to different locations. Visiting these locations may yield some…interesting results. If you’re interested in investigating these areas, leave a comment in the thread below to let us know which location(s) you visit, and we’ll roll something for you.

II. THE UNDERGROUND GROTTO

Following a stream in the woods eventually leads to a cave opening. The floor of the came is wet and a little slippery, so take care where you step. The cave is deep, and as explorers move through it, they're going at a gentle descent, the Chosen will uncover old cave paintings, faded and worn with age. Most of these are little more than marks upon the wall, but occasionally some may find images that look almost like worship, figures captivated by strange boxes, hands in the air as if in veneration.

Occasionally, items from other parts of Expiation can also be found. The odd tablet part, an old-looking shoe, a piece of rusted jewelry or a shell that looks like it belongs more on the beach…these don't seem like they should be here.

The Chosen who explore this cave ought to be wary of the time. As the tide comes in, water begins to slosh around their ankles, filling the bottom of the cave and rising quickly.

III. THE BUNKER

Those who took it upon themselves to investigate the strange chimera creatures from earlier in the month might have seen this weird little bunker before, but the turrets that seemed to protect it at the time are now powered down, allowing access inside.

That said, whomever was there seems to be long gone, leaving behind a flurry of documents, diagrams, and other miscellaneous work in their wake. The bunker has two levels, connected by stairs. The first level seems to house medical experiments, ranging from various herbal concoctions (if you get my drift) to precise surgical work. Things have been meticulously cleaned up on that front, so they won't be walking into a bloody mess. Everything has the faint smell of rubbing alcohol and bleach. Notes on this level are mostly medical in nature and quite rudimentary, some aspects bordering on pseudoscience or magic. Near the stairs, the Chosen will find cages, all empty. Strangely, even though the animals were only recently released, things are coated in a deep layer of dust, as if this place hasn't seen activity in a long, long time.

The second level seems to be comprised of mechanical experiments, builds, and engineering work. There's all sorts of different types of technology down here: some looks familiar, in a similar style to the tablets. Some is quite advanced, from the look of it…but it all seems to have been taken apart, cannibalized, and put back together in ways that make no sense. Glass screens drilled onto metal casings, keypads that don't seem to attach to anything, engines tied to attempted vehicles with rope. Most of these elements have been damaged beyond repair with hammers and staple guns.
Something interesting of note is that some areas within this bunker still seem to have power. Among them, a small block of video screens that seems to be used as surveillance. Most of these screens show areas just outside of the bunker or within the entry way. Other screens seem to flicker, occasionally showing static, but sometimes showing something that seems like faces within the static, figures moving in some way.

IV. THE HOUSE

This abandoned house sits derelict at the edge of town. Has it been there this whole time? It certainly doesn't look new…

A graveyard stands just beyond its gate, in front of the house, warning away trespassers. These graves don't look terribly worn with age, and have no years carved into them, but have names and some even list cause of death. "Threatened the wrong scoundrel," "may Those Who Were There have mercy upon their soul," or "charged with a crime they did not commit" are not uncommon claims. There are dozens of them, daring intrepid Chosen to pass them and enter the house.

Said house is old, creaky, and creepy. Inside, the already-spooky effects of the forest seem to be more pronounced: one may occasionally hear voices or see visions from the corner of their eye, only to look and find nothing there. Peculiar things seem to happen in this house, though. Mirrors still hang in some rooms, and while they often show a true reflection of those who look at them, they occasionally show others as well: shadowy figures, strange people the Chosen have never seen before, even some faces of Aldrip locals, distorted and sometimes missing parts. The shadows within the house seem to shift, as if they can't quite decide what they should be hiding. Portraits also hang in the hallways, faded and dusty. Mostly they show unrecognized people in old-fashioned clothes, but occasionally one might think they see their own face, or the face of someone they knew from home.

The attic is of particular interest, containing among its many cobwebs a single large chest in the middle of the room. Opening this chest reveals an item of great importance to the person who first touches it, something sentimental or meaningful to them. Upon touching this item, it seems to crumble away into nothing.

V. THE STONE CIRCLE

Some lanterns lead past the forest, out to the meadows and fields where most of the Aldrip locals plant their crops. On a hill beyond those fields stands a circle of ancient-looking stones, their edges dulled with age, covered in moss and lichen. This stone circle stands within a large earthen barrier, little more than a hill beneath the grass. Opening doors within this barrier reveals what looks like ancient offerings: broken pieces of earthenware, bits of metalwork or broken pieces of armor, even the occasional rusted, useless weapon.

The stones themselves encircle a paved circle with markings at regular points. It almost looks like a clock or a sundial. Standing within the paved circle, one may imagine that they hear voices of people they don't recognize, along with a faint ringing in their ears. Within this circle, the sun always seems to be directly overhead, during the day. At night, the stars twinkle, but seem to move in their nightly pattern much faster than they normally would.

WILDCARD

Go wild! If there's anything that you'd like to do in the Trick or Treating portion especially, go right on ahead! Other than that, anything else that you may think of may go!

A Note: The festival will be available every night, and the lanterns will be visible until the next State of the Game post.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Of all the people that Scott wants to see right now, Yu ranks pretty low on his list-- even though he's his friend, even though he likes him normally. But he doesn't care (he doesn't!!) and just, why can't people leave him the fuck alone right now?? He's fine, he's doing helpful shit and dealing with things on his own.]

It's nothing.

[He nearly spits that last word out, finding himself lashing at the other teen despite his attempts to remain cool. Why is he here anyway? Shouldn't he be having fun with Kotone-- she's probably on a date with someone else, huh? He feels his fist clench and Scott kind of wished that the stupid glass actually hurt, be a distraction from the stupid crap he's feeling.]

It'll heal.

[It's nothing. It'll heal. You can't kid a kidder, and Yu knows way too much about masking his own feelings to buy into the BS that Scott is trying to feed him. But Scott is clearly mad, and while Yu has no idea what's got him so worked up, he does know better than to add to it. So he puts real effort into keeping himself calm. Not stoking the fire, so to speak.]

Not like that it won't.

[... doesn't mean he's going to be a pushover, though. He gestures at the shards of glass still in Scott's hand, taking a tentative step forward.]

Let me help. It'll be faster if we do it together.

[His jaw clenches and Scott feels himself fall back into his old habits of coping, back in his old school when he just told others to piss off or leave him alone. Or when he first got here and was mad at everyone. It feels a little nice lashing out anyway, instead of just stewing in his own hurt and anger for the past day or two.]

Look, I don't need your fucking help. It doesn't even hurt. [As if to prove a point, he pulls one of the shards out of his hand without flinching, even if more blood starts to well up from the action. Hopefully this won't get infected NO WORRIES THERE...]

I can do it on my own. Go worry about someone who needs it.

[Woah. Woah. Scott is lashing out as if wounded, and apparently the slices of glass in his hand don't even hurt, and-- Yu doesn't entirely get what's going on, but something clearly is. Unfortunately for Scott, Yu is one of those meddling kids that doesn't let people get away with shit. Even if it's something like this.]

Not hurting doesn't mean it's not a problem.

[But this isn't even about the glass lodged in his hand, although Yu is twitching to either grab something to wrap it with or use a Dia spell on it.]

What's going on? Talk to me.

[It's less fun when he's not the meddling teen and instead, at the opposite end of it.

Scott doesn't have enough self-awareness for something like that though, so his mouth just tightens, clearly still on edge and not really ready to talk about his problems, especially not to Yu. What's he going to say? 'I'm angry and pissed that you went out with Kotone, even though she said that things will always be casual but I thought things changed these recent months and is an idiot for thinking that?'

Hard fucking pass.]

....It doesn't matter. [Some of the anger tampers off, even if his posture is still stiff, as if ready to snap, with his stare turning sideways to glare at the wall. Maybe he won't do something he'll probably regret later, like punch his friend, if he doesn't look at him.]

It's not your fucking fault. [Despite his words, it almost sounds like Scott is blaming him for something.]

What's not?

[He feels the challenge in those words, anger pressing on on him, and he sighs, exhaling some of his own tension. He's usually the composed one in a situation. Sometimes that annoys people, but...sometimes it's what they need, too.]

It's not like you have to tell me. But whatever it is, don't brush it off as if it doesn't matter.

[Because clearly it does. He chances a step forward, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket --listen, it's a habit-- and gesturing at Scott's hand.]

Even if it doesn't hurt, we have to get that taken care of. Please.

I said it's nothing!

[He retorts almost immediately. Everything is stupid, okay!! This world, his feelings for Kotone-- all of it is dumb.]

.....It really doesn't matter, okay? [Ignore how his voice cracks at the end, thanks buddy. And look, maybe if he says that enough times, he'll believe it, just like shouting that 'he's fine.'

Eventually, however, Scott turns his gaze back on Yu, extremely glad that he has a reason to wear sunglasses at all times. Sometimes he hates his powers, sometimes he's fine with them, and sometimes, he's really glad for them, like right now. Of course, the ruby quartz can only hide his eyes, and he's trying his hardest to keep up this anger. It's better than crying in front of him. He bites his lip in an effort to stop himself from doing just that or breaking down in front of him.

He holds his hand out for Yu to bandage.]

F-Fine, if you're so insistent on being the hero.

[If Scott is trying to convince him, or to convince himself, Yu isn't sure it's working. Certainly not in his case.]

It's alright if it does. [Matter. This time, maybe Yu is projecting a tiny bit. In his case, at least, it's hard and scary to let things be important. Easier to just push them away and keep them at arm's length. But in the matter at hand, he doesn't really feel like Scott needs to --or should, really-- talk himself into believing something that's bothering him just doesn't matter.

He stops pressing on everything else once Scott holds out his hand, offering a quick, grateful look. He doesn't even respond to the comment. As much as he'd like to call on a Persona --Kikuri-hime is the one who has Diarahan, he thinks-- he doesn't even really want to seem like he's showing off. So he does this the old-fashioned way, so to speak, dabbing blood away from the cuts and pulling out whatever slivers of glass Scott missed before wrapping the handkerchief around in a makeshift bandage.]

... It really doesn't hurt at all?

[He sounds a little incredulous; maybe even slightly concerned.]

[He remains silent at Yu's reassurance. If he gets into it, he probably won't stop talking and he doesn't want that. He doesn't want Yu to know about his feelings for Kotone, because... he'll just sound completely pathetic, probably. He doesn't think Yu would laugh at him or anything, but knowing that the other teen also went on a date with her doesn't help either. Actually, the thought of that kind of makes Scott want to punch him again, maybe with the hand he's currently bandaging, but the mutant stops himself. He still tenses slightly, but doesn't pull away.

At least he can answer the question about his hand just fine.]

No, it doesn't hurt.

[Hah, maybe he's awakening some new power? Although, didn't he have a similar thought when he as at the casino? Whatever. It's not like he wants to really remember that night either.

But once Yu's done, Scott pulls his hand back, not bothering to offer him any thanks for his efforts.]

Kind of cool, huh?

[He doesn't mean it at all and doesn't even try to play it off.] Maybe I should see how far it goes.

[Yu has made a habit out of noticing the little things. It's how they found a killer back home, and how he's become so good at becoming what the people around him need in the moment. So he notes the tension in Scott's hand with an acute eye, but what can he possibly say about it? If there's anything he's learned from the last year of his life, it's that you can't force honesty out of people.]

Did this just start happening...?

[Despite Scott's assurance that it's "kind of cool, huh," Yu mostly sounds worried. Something like that is not normal, and since he's clearly not invincible to go along with it, it sounds less like some neat new power and more like a recipe for disaster. But it's not until the last part that he actually frowns.]

Only if you want to end up in the infirmary.

[Scott, are you absolutely out of your mind]

Yeah.

[He doesn't really get it either, honestly. Maybe this place is fucking with him still, like how it just taunted him by showing Alex. God, he hates it here. Scott raises his bandaged hand closer to his face and looks at it, before snorting slightly and lowering it back down to his side.]

Shouldn't I test the limits of what I can do?

[He almost shrugs, acting like the thought of getting hurt doesn't really bother him. Stupid thoughts that he'd definitely regret later if he did end up majorly injuring himself, but Scott really doesn't seem to care right now. Being self-destructive is what all the cool kids do--]

That's what everyone always tells me. [He smiles at Yu, but it seems almost sharp and unlike himself.]

[The pieces aren't all there yet, but enough of them have come together that Yu can formulate a vague picture of what's happening. Something has him really upset, something that's got him all but ready to self destruct, something that may or may not be directed partially at him. He seems like he cares about everything and nothing all at once, like he's trying desperately to act like he doesn't even have feelings.

...

Scott is usually smarter than this. Is it possible he'll do something he might regret...?]

Not right now, you shouldn't.

[No beating around the bush with this. It's too important, especially when Scott seems to be daring him into something with that pointed smile.]

Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean you can't get hurt.

Geez, don't you have all the fucking answers.

[It's getting really tempting again to punch Yu, either that or just blast this stupid fucking house to the ground. He'll definitely get in trouble for that, and he's pretty sure that if the roof collapses on him, he'd get seriously injured if not worse, but the thought is still there. Because fuck this place.]

Would you actually stop me?

[That first part is bait, as far as Yu can tell. He doesn't take it, instead giving Scott a quiet but pointed look. This is not rocket science, Scott. But the anger in his voice has Yu wondering if he should be preparing for a hit or something; Scott sure looks like he wants to punch him.]

I would. [In fact, he's mentally shuffling through a list of skills that might come in handy for something like that. Just in case this escalates.] You're my friend, Scott. I can't stand by and watch you hurt yourself.

Yeah? What if I try to hurt you?

[He threatens, or well, he tries to, because even though he raises his hand to his shades, almost looking like he's ready to pull them off, his hand trembles slightly, because the thought of using his optic blats on a friend, even one that he's pissed at, makes him queasy. He just hopes that Yu doesn't see through his bluff and fucks off.]

Just gonna stand by still?

[Is this...really happening? Yu gives him a long look, analytical and thoughtful. The earlier bait was easier to spot; this time, he can't tell whether Scott is bluffing or not. If he wasn't so angry, maybe this would be easier to figure out...but when he's in this state, Yu has no idea what he's capable of.

He doesn't notice the card in his hand until he words his response.]

Is that really the way you want this to go?

[Either Scott is bluffing, and this will all blow over...or he's going to have to put up some defense really fast.]

[Hearing that taunt, even if it's not one to Yu, feels like one to Scott and he tenses, his fingers tightening around the frames of his glasses. Yeah, sure, this is how he wants it go. The other teen may notice that a spark of red flashes behind the lens, really looking like he's about to pull them away.

But before anything happens, with the silence between them stretching taunt, Scott suddenly freezes and looks almost stricken, his hand snapping away from his frames as he backs away from Yu. Because even though he's pretty mad at him, he'd... he'd never want to seriously hurt him. And he was just about to. He was just about to use his powers, and he's seen firsthand what it can do to regular people.

He feels like he can see Alex in the broken shards of the mirror, looking disappointed in him.

His lips trembling, Scott hastily turns away and darts from the room. Running away sounds great right now. Hopefully Yu won't follow him.]

[He's holding his breath, watching those sparks with a keen, wary eye, tense and at the ready in case of the worst--

... And then it's done. Yu exhales as Scott backs away, torn between the twin urges to let him go and chase after him.]

Scott-- Scott!

[But it's the former that wins out. Later, he'll conclude that it's for the best; if Scott was already so close to using his powers, then there's no telling what could have happened. Or how much either of them would regret it.

For now, he watches Scott go with a worried frown, the card disappearing into the ether.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

MINGLE LOG: OCTOBER

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