MINGLE LOG: OCTOBER

[expiationmods]

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.

Comments

[izanagis]

[... huh. He wasn't expecting to have that bluff called, but maybe he should have been. 'I like being carried.' Of course he does.

Well, nothing for it now. Mikey's not big, so he scoops him up princess-style.]

This okay?

[invinciblemikey]

(ok, this looks absolutely ridiculous, but you know? he's using it to see if he struggles. mikey's short, but he's pure muscle, it weighs.)

... Let me on your back, dummy.

[izanagis]

What, like a koala?

[Somehow that seems less cute, though...]

[invinciblemikey]

Exactly like a koala. I can sleep while holding someone easy.

(because, monster.)

[izanagis]

Hard to be scared of a haunted house if you're sleeping through it, I guess.

[invinciblemikey]

Weird to have this conversation in a haunted house as you are carrying Red Riding Hood, I guess.

[izanagis]

It'll make for an interesting story, at least.

[invinciblemikey]

Definitely.

Come on, let's keep moving. I don't wanna die of old age here.

[izanagis]

Okay, okay.

[A little laugh before he starts heading up the stairs.]

Hm...looks like an attic.

[invinciblemikey]

(short arms reach, tiny hands push. it's fine.)

... 'K. Doesn't look alive. Were you also expecting people jumping from the corners dressing like clowns or some shit?

[izanagis]

[There's a tug of smile at that.]

Oh yeah. Those terrifying clowns.

[But there is something ominous about the shadows of the room, too. Gently, he sets Mikey back down so he has hands free to explore the room. It's pretty eerie -- a feeling like being watched, or something like that.

At least there's no TVs.]

[invinciblemikey]

I ain't mad at them.

(because why would he!! so many webs, though. there's a chest there though, and his curiosity is more towards whether yu will go for it first.)

[izanagis]

[... of course he goes for the chest. He's a JRPG character, he can't very well leave a treasure chest alone. He does have the decency to examine the surroundings before he touches it, though. Wouldn't be the first trapped chest he's ever seen.

Inside is a hospital bracelet -- a very small one. Printed on it is a name: Dojima, Nanako.]

This is...

[... some kind of trick, right. His expression sets in a very purposefully neutral frown.]

[invinciblemikey]

(he remembers the first talk they had - the first real one, at least. he sits nearby, there need no words. nanako is his cousin, and if there's something he's familiar with, it would be hospital gear and items.

he'll wait till yu recollects.)

[izanagis]

[After a moment, Yu becomes keenly aware that Mikey is still in the room, too. That he's not alone for this. It's a sort of unsettling feeling, the rush of emotion that comes with the bracelet. Almost as tough as seeing it in Yosuke's memories.

...

He takes a moment to compose himself and examines the surroundings. Is this some sort of trap?... He almost doesn't take the bracelet at all, half-closing the lid before he reconsiders.

It flakes apart into dust in his hand, leaving him with nothing but an empty chest.]

...hmm.

[invinciblemikey]

(no words are needed, after all, so he stays silent. if yu wants to talk to him, he can, but he finds little value in bothering him for it when the truth of the matter is so clear for both of them to see. some things need not be explained - he knows the pain of losing, intimately, closely, desperately.

so, manjiro'll take the dusty hands into his, helping him stand so they can get out of this stupid place.)

[izanagis]

[A small but grateful smile. A squeeze of fingertips. Yu doesn't argue, knowing he's right to want to get out of here. He closes the chest before they leave, and out they go.

"Curiosity killed the cat," as they say.]

[invinciblemikey]

(he won't utter words out of the house either - but he's not leaving quietly. temporarily, he lets go of the hand that hold his, to kick the frame they confronted in the beginning. the glass that keeps it safe shatters under his shoe.

now they can go. mikey'll just return them to the in, hand-in-hand, his buckets of candy taken from the place he left it last.)

[izanagis]

[...!!

Mikey kicked the mirror...

After the surprise wears off, another subtle smile tugs at Yu's expression. He can understand -- sort of. The mirror had seemed...a little ominous, almost. He wouldn't say he, Yu, was ready to smash through that chest...but some people find that sort of thing therapeutic. It reminds him fondly of Kanji, a bit.

He's more than happy to leave the house behind.]

[invinciblemikey]

I need out of this dress, and I need sugar. You're coming.

(he's not... a person who tends to ask, if one sees. not when they're already halfway through, anyway. the inn's pretty close, at least. if yu does come, he'll even run up the stairs once they arrive, the room-- at least somewhat clean, and he'll facepalm to what isn't, a pained exhale leaving him.)

[izanagis]

[Does that mean another post-sugar nap... Is he going to regret not bringing a book...

Anyway, between the look of the room and that exhasperated exhale, Yu connects some dots.] Roommate?

[He looks sympathetic.]

[invinciblemikey]

Yeah, Takemitchy. I grew up in a dojo, so I'm disciplined in organization and all. It's fine, he'll tidy when he gets home.

(IT COULD BE SO MUCH WORSE... some things are misplaced, the bed isn't tidy, and some things definitely belong in the dresser or in the sink, but alas. it's fine. a wave of hand implies to make himself at home as he steps towards the dresser, his baggy sweatpants first under the dress and then it's out.)

I'm never wearing a dress fucking again. Anyway, do you know a chick named Kotone? She said she could make anko for me. People here that nice?

[izanagis]

Mine is a little like that, too. He tries, but... [disaster sidekick. You get it right. Still, his expression is fond.

Takemitchy, though...he's mentioned him before. Yu makes a note to ask another time.

In this case, he takes the "make yourself at home" wave as an opportunity to look around the room. He's no snoop, but he's always curious about how other people live.]

Kotone? Mm...that sounds like her. Not everyone is, but -- definitely her.

[invinciblemikey]

Didn't even know you had one. Who is it?

(the abs make a very quick appearance before he puts on a shirt that is three times his size, long-sleeved, and he flops on the One Bed in the room. his buckets, though... he giggles as he holds them, dearly, like they are the most precious thing he's ever seen.)

... Huh. Who ain't?

[izanagis]

My partner, Yosuke.

[Woah. He's not sure whether he's more surprised about how built Mikey is or how he keeps wearing ginormous clothes to cover it up. As to the question, he pauses to think about it.]

I don't have anyone specific in mind. But there are plenty of people who really did commit the crimes they've been charged with.