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.

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[Yeah, it had hurt, but she hadn't even realized she'd been hurting Scott for the past several days, so it only seems fair. She can't be angry at him for that when it's her fault he was upset in the first place. Besides, they're just stupid nightmares.

But wait, all the stuff about the parchment aside, she suddenly has something else to focus on that's more important than her problems. Her brows furrow in alarm, and she looks back to his injured hand, reaching to take it in both of hers.]

What do you mean, you can't feel pain? How long has that been happening?

[Forget the parchment! This is way more important! And also, the way he says, "just be honest about her feelings," is way more difficult than he makes it sound, so maybe she can just Not.]

[Just be angry at him later when she finds out that he threatened Yu with his optic blats--

Wait, what, no they're focusing on her!! That's how that goes!! While Scott lets his hand be taken by hers, not wanting to pull it away, his cheeks puff up slightly because he's not letting her slide by this...! Even though worrying about his lack of pain is probably important too.

When two stubborn people meet that constantly try to put other people before them...]

It's only been a few days! [Besides, he felt that pinch just now, so maybe that's a good sign?? Unless the pinch just doesn't count, which, possible.] And don't change the topic. I'm not the one on a time limit.

[Oh, she Will Be. Hell hath no fury like a sad and disappointed Kotone.

Anyway, that's a long time not to be able to feel pain! She frowns at him, unimpressed, and starts trying to unwrap the bandages to check and see if it's infected or worse than he thinks. Look, if he can't feel pain, he has no way of knowing, right? Especially since everything looks red, it's probably easier for him to miss inflammation.]

How did you hurt your hand? [she asks instead, again, completely breezing past the topic he said not to change.]

[Not the disappointment.......

As Kotone unwraps the bandages around his hand, she'll find visible cuts, but they look like they're slowly healing and won't leave any visible scars. No infection or anything, thankfully. How dumb would it be if his hand got infected from punching a mirror... because he was upset about the person that's now gently holding his hand with care.

Very dumb.

Still, Scott squints, because she's definitely doing the Focusing on Him bit.]

If I tell you, then I get to ask more about your sentencing.

[Okay, she doesn't like that deal, but she'll take it, giving him a bit of a look, but exhaling a sigh.]

Fine. [But she keeps carefully unwrapping his hand, noting with some relief that it does seem to be healing properly from... whatever he'd done to it. A bunch of cuts, obviously, but...]

Did you break a window? [she asks, very gently running her fingers over the scabbed-over wounds to feel for any flinching or signs that he might be in pain.]

[...It's a little hard to stand with what he said when she gives him a look, but this is important, so he doesn't back down. This time.

Scott shivers lightly when her fingers run over his wounds, but otherwise, he doesn't flinch or look even minorly discomforted by her actions. It's nice, honestly, and he's extremely thankful that he hasn't like lost all sensation of touch. That would've been fucking terrible.]

A mirror. [He softly admits.] At that haunted house. I saw an image of my brother and got kind of mad...

[...That's not the full truth, but it's definitely part of it. Scott bites his lip, wondering if he should tell her everything. He said he'd be honest with her, but does he tell her that he kind of injured himself because of how hurt he felt?]

[She hums, not fully understanding, but accepting the answer as it is. The house had been... creepy, and if the house had showed him something that made him angry enough, well.]

Next time you break a mirror, try using a weapon instead, [she says with a small quirk of her lips. She'd had to break quite a few mirrors during one Shadow encounter back home, before they'd figured out the trick to defeating it. Still... she frowns thoughtfully again, taking his hand in both of hers and running her thumbs gently over his skin.]

I wonder if... it's like an ailment. Shadows would get us with things that would poison us, or charm us, or make us dizzy... I wonder if it's like that. [She lets go with one hand and reaches for the Evoker hidden beneath her skirt.] Can I try something?

Edited (brainwash is NOT a status ailment in persona 3 my ass was not paying attention) 2023-11-02 11:10 (UTC)

And add another seven years of bad luck?

[He responds lightly, a small smile of his own growing despite the topic. It really was stupid that he punched a mirror, but... guess it could've been worse. The glass could've really cut into him, but he lucked out with just a few minor scrapes. Which might be a little ironic looking back, since he thought everything was crap and nothing was going right in his life.

Now it's the exact opposite, for the most part.

When she brings up Shadows, Scott's eyebrows visibly furrow because he knew they were pretty dangerous and all, but they poisoned Kotone and her friends? What does charm even mean?? It's hard to imagine monsters or whatever batting their eyelashes and that somehow works. ~~Kotone is a monsterfucker??~~]

Uh, maybe? I don't feel sick. [It's clear that Scott doesn't fully understand, but he's trying to wrap his mind around it. A little bit of an unspoken 'you sure that you're okay' hangs between them, but he keeps quiet as he watches her pull out the Evoker that's normally hidden. Sometimes, he forgets that she has that weapon on her at all times and while it's not intimidating, not fully, it definitely draws his attention.]

Sure, of course. [He trusts her, so much, even with the past few days. Scott squeezes the hand that's still in his, before nodding.] But then we're talking about you.

[Status ailments are just magic, don't worry about it too much! ~~Yes.~~

Her lips thin a little bit, because talking about her? That's so lame. But also... if she's going to talk to anyone about this, it's going to be Scott. She doesn't want to burden the other wildcards or Astralin, and Dazai has fucked off to who knows where, so... yeah.

Anyway, she takes a few steps back to put some space between them, bringing one hand to her heart and mentally spinning through her available Personas. Salvation is kind of overkill for a wound that small, but it's the only skill she has to cure status ailments. It's not like she'd had the chance to swap around her Personas after the final battle or anything!

In a quick, decisive motion, she brings the Evoker to her head as her hand grips her blouse and pulls the trigger.] Helel! [Her head snaps sideways with the impact, wreathed in blue flame for just an instant as a large, almost entirely naked horned angel materializes behind her. Almost as quickly, a light green mist envelops Scott, a wave of healing energy that, theoretically anyway, would heal any of his wounds completely and cure any afflictions he's suffering from. That's how it works in Tartarus, anyway.]

Edited 2023-11-02 22:06 (UTC)

[Scott still hasn't fully gotten used to seeing Kotone bring the Evoker to her head, the image startling and causing him to flinch when she pulls the trigger. She makes it seem so effortless, was she scared at all when she first had to do it? It's hard to say and maybe he'll ask more a bit later, after they're done with the whole sentencing bit and life is a little more normal again. As normal as it can be here anyway. He's a teen that shoots optic blasts dating a girl that can use Personas and has Thanatos as part of her soul, so normal is a bit relative.

Look, there's a giant naked angel hovering behind Kotone, so yeah, normal is extremely relative. He stares almost in awe at the large figure and his multiple wings, because it's fascinating that this Persona came from her soul... or whatever. However all that works. Helel, though, he's not sure he's familiar with that name at all, unlike Thanatos and Orpheus.

But he lets his eyes slide shut behind his shades for a moment as he feels the energy course through him. Scott's not sure if he feels all that much different, but reopening his eyes and glancing back at his hand, the cuts are entirely gone, so that's pretty sweet. He brings his hand up as if to show Kotone that it's fully healed.]

It's definitely healed now. [A slight smirk.] Thanks. And uh, thanks Helel? Is he from mythology too?

It's the strongest one I have, so I'd hope so!

[Helel gives Scott a regal nod of acknowledgement before vanishing as if he'd never been. Salvation picks people up from near-death -- she'd had to use it to save Dazai's stupid life a few months ago. A few cuts should be nothing for it! But the more important question is if it fixed whatever was wrong with his sense of pain. Holstering her Evoker, she steps in and takes his hand again, digging her thumbnail into the back of his just-healed hand. Does it hurt?

Whatever the result, she hums and shrugs. At what point does religion become mythology...? That sounds like a debate for people who care more than she does.] Judeo-Christian! He's the angel who rebelled against God in the stories and got kicked out of Heaven.

[Unfortunately, even with her strongest spell, the 'aliment' that's been plaguing him doesn't disappear, and while he gives Kotone a grateful little smile, he shakes his head as if to confirm that he doesn't feel that small dig into his hand. It's okay though, because at least he can still feel other things, it's not like he lost his sense of touch completely. That'd be horrid on many levels.

He twines her hand into his and rubs the back of her hand with his thumb, maybe in some comfort for himself and her. It will probably go away at some point.

Scott listens as she talks about Helel and wait a minute.]

Uh, are you talking about Lucifer???

[Kotone, what the hell!! Not that Scott himself is really religious, despite growing up in 1980s suburbia, but uh. Lucifer is still Lucifer??? And he is a Persona for her, as in, a reflection of her soul. He just stares at her with his jaw slightly open and it looks like he's going through multiple stages of acceptance before his mouth finally closes.

And--]

It's fitting.

[He teases her. Look, she can summon Satan or Beelzebub at this point and his opinion of her won't really change. It's kind of hot actually--]

[She frowns down at his hand as if it's betrayed her somehow, her own thumb mirroring his motion to rub against the small crescent-moon left by her nail as if to soothe a pain that doesn't exist. If Salvation can't cure it, then she doesn't know what else she could try other than keep paying attention and make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid to hurt himself.

A glance up, and she watches him trying to figure it out. Really, she doesn't get what the big deal is!]

Not exactly, Lucifer is a different Persona-

[Wait, huh? She pouts at him, not sure if she's getting made fun of or not. She doesn't get it!!]

What's that supposed to mean?

[Scott chuckles lightly upon seeing the pout on her face, clearly having fun now. As official boyfriend now, he's definitely going to tease her whenever he gets the chance to.]

You know, angelic face, but just a bit rebellious inside. Maybe a little evil.

[Okay Lucifer is usually definitely evil in most depictions, but he's not going to say that, even though he's 100% teasing her. Plus, he just got healed by the guy, so Scott's gonna give him some credit.]

That doesn't sound like you?

[She sticks her tongue out at him! Mean to her!! But laughs after a moment anyway, gently squeezing his hand. It's nice to still be able to joke and laugh with him, even after she'd hurt him so badly without realizing. It's something she's missed over the past few days -- even if it was only a short time, it's hard to overstate how much she likes it.]

I told you, Lucifer's a different Persona! So is Satan.

[Never mind that her ultimate Persona is Messiah, that's not funny. What is funny is stepping in closer to him to give him a slightly mischievous smile, the kind she hasn't been able to give him in a while.]

I don't think you'd like me so much if I was just a boring good girl, would you?

[Okay, but she can't hold that expression while saying something so silly, laughing almost immediately.]

[Seeing her reaction to him, with her smile and laugh, it's... really nice. It's almost like they didn't have a few days of awkward silence and hurt between them, even though they definitely did and probably won't be forgotten. I-It's fine, because they're even closer now, right? Like after the casino, after the maze, after their first date... Scott feels that their relationship have evolved. Well, besides the obvious official dating status between them.

He grips her hand back, his teasing look turning into a soft little grin, clearly affectionate. It remains, even as she explains the differences between Lucifer and Satan because it doesn't really matter to Scott, Kotone is still Kotone.

It only falters when she steps forward with that smile and what she says only adds to it.]

The type of girl that sits in church every Sunday and is home by 6 pm? Definitely not.

[His cheeks can't help but redden slightly because uh, they've definitely done things that probably wouldn't be approved by the church, but her laughter is infectious, with Scott soon joining her.] You're perfect just as yourself.

[He's too sappy.]

[She has her mouth open to make another teasing comment, but then he takes her out with the genuine you're perfect as yourself, and instead she just plops her face into his chest, flushing pink to her ears. How can he do that so easily? None of her other friends can make her blush so easily, or make her heart beat quite this quickly with simple, stupid little gestures like that.

She really is an idiot, huh? For trying to pretend that they could just be casual.]

You are, too, [she mumbles, maybe quietly enough that he can't hear.] You're... a really good guy, Scott.

[Ehehehe.

It's extremely tempting to tease Kotone further, because it seems like he's found her possible weakness: genuine words of affection. Well, it's a good thing he has zero qualms saying sappy things like that, especially if she enjoys hearing them. Looks like some of those movies weren't completely wrong; girls really like it when boys are romantic and it's not like he hates being that way, because he's only doing this with her and it's special and everything.

He wraps his recently healed hand around Kotone's waist as he looks down at her, and while he's not as affected by the admittance, Scott still breaks into a large smile.]

Well, I try to be. [Scott don't try to be cool now-- and a part of him just wants to remain like this, but he hasn't forgotten about Talking about Her.]

So. Your sentencing.

[She groans a little into his chest, because really? They have to talk about her? What else is she supposed to say??]

What about it?

[Can't they go back to focusing on him? This sucks. If anything, she slouches even more as if she could somehow hide her face completely against his chest, letting her own free hand circle around his back as she sighs.]

I just dunno what I'm supposed to do to prove this kind of thing.

[They're gonna talk about it!! Scott can tell that she's not exactly pleased by the sudden turn as she slouches against him, but this is important and he's worried and everything. He glances at the parchment that's been in his other hand the entire time and looks at the words written there.

You must be honest about what is hidden down deep in your heart.

He's not sure if he's going to be able to help Yu out with his sentencing, but he has to with Kotone. Not to mention, he and Yu are in a slightly tense relationship right now and so it feels easier to focus on her. Maybe it's crappy on his end, but Scott continues on.]

If it wants you to be honest with you feelings... you can talk about us. And I can back you up if needed, I don't care if Jerry comes knocking on my door.

Us?

[Okay, she straightens back up, glancing up to search his face with an uncertain frown. The idea of talking about this kind of relationship with anyone seems kind of embarrassing -- plus, like, no one would care? Definitely not this stupid council.]

Do you really think that's enough...? [Not that it's not a big deal to them personally, but she can't imagine it's enough to count as ~atonement~ or whatever.] I don't want him to cause any trouble for you.

If they didn't want to hear about your relationships, they should've specified.

[He glances at the document again, as if to make sure there's no words on there that specifically states 'please no talking about friendships and romance, we don't want to hear that drama.' But nope, he doesn't see anything like that on her parchment, just that she has to be honest and everything... and she's been extremely honest with him while they've been on the rooftop. So, it should count, right?

Besides, it's probably better if she talks about that than admitting anything from what she's told him at the maze. Jerry and those assholes don't need to know how scared she is, fuck them.

Scott goes for a reassuring grin as she looks up at him.]

Hey, I'll be fine. Besides, anyone with that name probably secretly enjoys listening to that sort of thing. Stuffy guys in suits always pretend they're above it all, but they're not.

[She huffs a laugh. Stuffy guys in suits, huh...? He makes it sound so easy.]

I don't... really like talking about myself that much, [she admits, her smile softening into something a little more melancholic. And even this isn't something she really talks about with other people, but maybe with Scott-- it's okay to tell him. He said even if it's stupid, he wants to hear it, so...]

It was... Everybody used to think I was weird. [She sounds more resigned than anything else, like it's just a fact to narrate instead of something that had affected her.] It was a lot easier to just figure out what people wanted to hear and try to tell them that. Especially once I awakened my Personas.

That's pretty weird for a girl, isn't it?

[He starts off, but Scott doesn't delay very long too add the next part of his thoughts.]

Luckily, I so happen to like weird girls.

[For a brief moment, he thinks about a certain other redhead back home, how she admitted in being the biggest freak back at the mansion. It didn't bother him then and it's not going to bother him now with Kotone. Scott just hopes that Jean's doing okay, because he still likes and cares about her a lot, but... he also isn't in a rush to return either. Far from it, honestly.]

You don't have to figure out what I want to hear-- I don't know what I want to hear a lot of times. [He lightly jokes.] So, just say what's on your mind, okay? Be honest. Besides, Kotone being blunt and telling me that I'm an asshole sounds way more fun than Kotone trying to figure out what I want to hear.

[Despite the lightheartedness of his words, Scott lowers his forehead to hers, trying to offer some comfort.]

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