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

[ Well that's. Odd. Both whatever the heck is being offered at this stall and the supposed shopkeep asleep on duty. He recognizes this shopkeep, though--hard not to, when her look is so distinctive, but he's hardly one to talk there. She was a little intense back in the maze but there's little doubt in his mind that she was trying to help him back there, and though she told him her name he'd never gotten to find her again and thank her now that he's back in his right mind.

Now, when she might be working and he's dressed much differently might not be the best time, but there's also no telling when they might cross paths again.

Hoping it'll be a nice, non-jarring alarm or something, Sigma gives the monkey head a generous press. ]

( once tapped, the monkey springs to life -- head cocking around a few times before looking upward-ish. the eyes might not be looking directly at him, but in a general sense. the toy is programmed to know someone is way taller than it, so. with the wind up key turning from it's back, it pivots to walk behind the machine. what could it possible be doing back there? the answer becomes quickly clear when something gets pressed -- the front of the machine's door open to reveal some treats behind a glass window!

there's a few selections to choose from. some drinks, chips, small bag of cookies, and then some. but that's not all this machine carries. few rows down, there are other every day items such as: a toothbrush, travel size empty bottle, travel size bottle of shampoo/conditioner, small box of tissues, roll of bandages, and other miniature items. last but not least, there's some good old honey fruit that could be found in aldrip way out in the waters. these things are actually pretty hard to retrieve given the fact razorfins prowl around near the waters. the robotic monkey returns back to its post and extends out his metal hand. )

Please feed me a coin to have an item.

( and in case, sigma didn't hear it the first time, the monkey will repeat the sentence one more time. yes, literally everything in this machine costs a single aldrip coin, which is rather cheap all considered. bet all those shops charge the things for more huh? definitely a good deal! )

Edited 2023-10-25 03:53 (UTC)

[ Oh! What an interesting gizmo. He's fascinated watching it do its thing, and pleasantly surprised when the shop's stock is actually revealed. Standard things, but perhaps not so standard to find easily at an outdoor festival, so he can't help but appreciate the practicality of it all. Points for that.

And then, there's the fruit he's never seen before. It's way too big to be grapes, right? Does it taste anything like them? Or something completely different, like persimmons and tomatoes? His curiosity's piqued, so of course that's something he needs to get.

As he's rummaging for a coin, though, there is something else in there he'd want, but...if it's one coin per item, would he have to press the monkey twice? Can he give it two? Hm. Making it go through its whole thing one more time seems kind of inefficient, so...

He'll see what happens when he carefully stacks two coins into the monkey's little hand. ]

( the monkey calculates the weight in its little hand and although the expression doesn't change, you can kinda sense its confusion. but regardless, it'll shove the coins in his mouth and then.... nothing. well, maybe like three seconds of nothing and then it says: )

Please say a number.

( each item has a number. the first row stops at five, next row stops at another five (which will be number ten), so on and so forth. you get the idea. so please, say the number. all the while, jinx is stirring a little in her sleep, but doesn't do much else beyond that. )

[ Oh dear, hope he did it right. Not like doing it wrong would be too unlike a vending machine taking your money, and really, there are worse things that could happen. Losing one coin isn't the end of the world.

So he'll give the monkey two numbers: the bag of cookies, and the honey fruit. ]

( it's going to malfunction in the long run because its creator didn't think about... you know, what happens if people shoved a lot of coins in it and it got super full. a problem for the future. right now, two coins will be alright since it's been sitting here for quite a bit.

it registers the two numbers and it makes its way to the back of the machine again. the monkey presses the sequences that it needs to do and the machine comes alive! sigma should probably step back a little given the whole contraption is rumbling.... for some unknown reason. is it concerning? probably! it's enough to wake jinx up at least, as she sits up suddenly -- blinking twice in a "i'm awake, i'm awake!" type of fashion. anyhow, the bag of cookies and the honey fruit drops from its slot and slips away... somewhere. the monkey walks back around with the two items in hand -- extending them out. )

Come again!

[ Cookies and fruit! Hooray! He'll be taking those, but now that the sleepy shopkeep has jolted awake his attention will be more on her than the helpful little monkey with his snacks. ]

Ah, hello there. Sorry to wake you up like that.

[ Not really. He's disappointed from a professional standpoint, but he's not here to scold her on work ethic right now. ]

Jinx, was it?

No, no. I gotta be up anyway. ( she says through her yawn as she stretches. jinx rubs her eye before peer up to the stranger -- but then recognizes the long and mismatch locks. oh, it's that person she helped in the maze. she'd be a liar if she said she wasn't curious what happened to them after their encounter. )

Yeah... ( she confirms, blinking to get more of her focus back. ) — I see you haven't been gobbled up yet, Rabbit.

[ Rab--ah, right. That's what she called him when he hadn't remembered his name. He's. Sure it means nothing in particular. ]

It's Sigma, actually. I wanted to thank you for your patience when I wasn't quite myself back there.

Sigma? ( there's a brief pause as she thinks his name over. ) Sigma the Rabbit then.

( at least she's being somewhat cooperative and not just flat out calling him an animal. kinda. moving the blanket away and gathering up to her feet, she straightens out her wedding dress costume while speaking: )

No big. I don't really mess with small fries much. They get a lil' boring after ten seconds.

[ Good thing even with all his faculties in place he knows full well he's a small fry, so there's no offense taken. ]

With what you were packing back there, [ and are packing right now, he can't help but notice ] I'm curious who you actually would consider a threat.

Anyone with a pistol.

( she says socasually and without giving a second though. although, jinx doesn't end her statement there as she flicks some of her strands away from her viewing. )

But that's a lil' boring too. I mean, what kind of moron would pull out a pistol against someone with a rocket launcher?

( jinx snorts at the very idea of anyone thinking a little gun like that could ever put a stop to her. the only person who seems to put a halt in her step so far is jerry and that's only because she hadn't tossed any of her explosives at him yet. )

A pistol. [ He repeats, incredulous. Because, yeah, that feels a little like shooting an arrow at a tank as far as he's concerned. Why even bother? ]

Can't say I've ever seen someone try their luck against odds that drastic. And I ran an upscale casino.

Hopefully you haven't seen any action like that from the people here.

Then I'll be stupidly boring. ( she peeks her attention over at the items in sigma's hand curiously. )

So! Whaddya get? Did my invention work okay for you?

Invention? You made this?

[ He takes another look at the vending machine, impressed. Plenty of simpler mechanisms have stumped him before, he can't imagine actually making something as complicated as this.

Oh! And a second after that thought, he'll hold up his spoils. ]

It worked without a hitch, as far as I could tell. I couldn't help but notice how practical the selection was, but at the moment all I am is hungry.

Yeaaaah, well! — While I do get a kick outta you whimps being pathetic, the whining breaks my eardrums. Unless ya'll are screaming in agony caused by me, it ain't music.

( she kneels back down to her robot vender monkey and detach him from the machine for further inspection. )

So I jammed some crap in it that'll be useful for all the little creatures when they go against the big and baddies.

Edited 2023-11-07 17:45 (UTC)

[ Y'know, if he hadn't preemptively named himself as a non-threat he might consider 'pathetic wimp' a little offensive. Even if he did, what was he gonna do? Argue with the girl and her giant gun?

He's heard worse anyway. ]

Ah, I see. That's actually very considerate of you, Jinx.

Yeah, it is! ( she agrees with her confident tone being rather obnoxious. )

Super considerate. So these locals better start treating me better around here or I might get a lil' testy.

( and will she do something about it if it came to that? she knows the council has a hold on her ability somehow and if she did something, it'll be back to square one. )

[ Far as Sigma knows, she's still capable of destruction, and has heard obnoxious threats of violence plenty enough times to never be entirely sure when they're just hot air or plans.

So he's still cool as a cucumber, gently suggesting, ] Well, has your machine been seeing a lot of use tonight? I'm sure once word gets out they'll be grateful.

I can even spread the word about it around the festival here.

( she opens her mouth but only to shut it rather quickly. the answer is: no, it hadn't seen been getting a lot of attraction. it's hard when the competition is a little steep -- right smack in the middle of market place where they're offering way more delicious treats than hers. but when sigma offers to spread the word, a massive grin dances on her face before she bounces on closer to the other. )

Now THAT'S what I call being useful, Rabbit!

( and the teen smacks her hand behind his back just to show how proud she is of him. good fuzzy bottoms! )

Thanks! ... And you better keep that in your memory bank 'cause I'm not saying it again.

[ Thank goodness he's not too easy to bowl over, but dang she's got a smack on her, doesn't she? He recovers quickly enough to keep the conversation going. ]

Consider it thanking you in more than just words.

[ A short moment's thought, and he holds up The Goods again. ]

And partaking in your services. I'm not sure that really counts.

It does count! In faaaact, I'm thinkin' maybe adding ya to the INX Club. You interested?

( what is the inx club? sadly, it's something she didn' make up but she is taking back the lame-o property and making it more awesome and wonderful! )

[ Well he's never heard of either, so, ]

The...what club?

The INX Club. ( she repeats with such a know-it-all manner. of course, sigma should know what the inx club is! in fact, everyone should know about it. but it seems she has to give him a run down instead. )

I'm only gonna explain this once, so listen up! The INX club was made by a buncha wannabes back home who wanted be exactly like me. Took my look, tried to get my attention, pull off concerts, yaddayadda -- the whole thing!

( the teen waves her hand in such a disinterest way. )

— But they were all clowns and I ain't into copycats. The only good they've done was made a song about me. I wanted to blow 'em up to give 'em a new style buuuuuuut yours truly got a lil' busy with other things.

( as she rocks back and forth on her heels, she grins excitedly with a twinkle in her eye. )

So! I've decided to disband them and make a NEW INX Club. A club where only my special people are in. People that I find interestin' and outta this world.

Edited 2023-11-27 05:50 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

MINGLE LOG: OCTOBER

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