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expiationlogs2023-10-23 02:25 pm
- !event,
- arcane: jinx,
- arcane: violet / vi,
- blazblue: ragna the bloodedge,
- bungo stray dogs: nikolai gogol,
- fh2 termina: levi,
- magia record: mitama yakumo,
- marvel comics (earth 616): quentin quire,
- persona 4: yu narukami,
- persona 5 royal: goro akechi,
- reiwa no dara-san: dara,
- umineko wtc: ange ushiromiya,
- x-men movieverse: scott summers
MINGLE LOG: OCTOBER
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2/2
When you have a girl problem, you oughta learn to not throw your pathetic temper diaper baby tantrum at someone who's trying to be helpful. It's not nice.
( the teen presses the gun just a wee bit with force against his skin -- just in case her point isn't being clear enough. )
Next time you come at me like that, I'll be sure the next girl problem you get will be somethin' that can't be resolved. Am I hittin' the mark with ya yet?
no subject
He's not going to forget now.
A startled yell rips out of the mutant's throat when the pistol is jammed right underneath his chin, the threat loud and clear and really, it's a miracle that he just doesn't piss his pants right there. Sweat beads down his head as he sees her finger curling around the trigger and honestly, he half expects his brain to be blown out across the pavement as he looks at the dangerous glint in her eyes.
He wants to back away from her, run elsewhere, but his legs won't move. Instead, he swallows tightly as she makes herself loud and clear, with Scott hastily nodding against the gun.]
I-I get it! I'm sorry! [He sounds pretty pathetic, but look, there's a gun right underneath his chin and even if they are... weird friends, he believes that Jinx wouldn't hesitate to kill him. He hates life right now, but he doesn't want to die either.]
I-I won't talk to you about my problems again!
1/2
it's a powerful feeling, the sense of being in charge, and whatever she says goes. and jinx yearns to do this more, but she learned the downside of it -- how jerry and/or the council can just rip away her energy and leave her defenseless if they truly wanted to. there's still rage burning within her over it. no one should be able to control her like that unless she wants to be controlled. still, her eyes are glued tight on her friend... deciding whether or not his apology is good enough. )
...
2/2
Don't be a goof, Shades! Of course I wanna hear your lil' problems. You're part of my Inx Club!
( inx... club? maybe she'll explain more on that later. right now, she links her arm around his arm in a giggle then bumping her hip against his just because she can. )
I'm JUST saaaaaayyyinnng if you're getting upset about whatever trouble you're crying over, don't throw your anger at me about it when I'm helping you.
no subject
Yeah, he's not feeling it. Now that the adrenaline is slowly wearing off, a new surge of stupid emotions rise up and he can almost feel his eyes prickle, but luckily, his shades cover that. It's stupid, he faced giants and Infected and the maze, so it's not like he's never been in danger before, but... he's just getting overwhelmed again.]
...Yeah, okay.
[Scott responds quietly, but at least without sounding too pathetic. He absolutely does not want to tell Jinx about any of his problems. Maybe she'll decide that he's just being too annoying or something like that and shove that gun in his face again.]
no subject
... You're okay. I promise.
( the girl is fully aware saying that probably won't make him feel any better or less... whatever he is feeling now. so she'll move on to a different approach. )
You don't gotta run but... I can walk away and leave you alone if that'll make you feel less afraid.
no subject
She said that she'll walk away, but Scott finds himself shaking his head as he starts turning from her.]
I-I'll see you later, Jinx.
[He doesn't exactly run off, but he quickly moves to leave.]
🎀 )8 cw: hallucinations
slowly, her hands fall to her sides -- mutely watching scott turn away with a quivering voice that she can't possibly ignore. jinx doesn't bid farewell back, there's no point when the damage has been done. so instead, the teen will just watch the boy's back as "mylo" approaches up to her by her side. )
'I was counting down the days when this would happen. I don't know why you even bother.'
( despite her giving her dead brother a sharp glare from her peripheral, she says nothing then turns her attention back to direction scott scurried off to. )
'I'd give up now if I were you. A jinx is always a jinx.'
( while the dead are usually wrong fifty percent of the time, sometimes they do make a lot of sense. what's the point of doing any of this when she'll just jinx everything that she touches? ... maybe scott would be a lot better off if she exited herself out of his life. it's not like she's that important or in his top ten or five of his favorite people here in aldrip. he'd be fine without her definitely. it just means when she visits quentin, she'll have to sneak herself in without scott noticing or when he's out from now on. jinx is extremely convinced she isn't welcomed at their home anymore and even if scott was alright with her coming by for quentin, it'd still be best if she didn't interact with him at all. whatever. one friendship gone, a million to go, she guesses. so with that, she turns on her heel and wanders off to the other direction -- leaving her ghost brother behind to snicker all by his lonesome. )