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Expiation Mods ([personal profile] expiationmods) wrote in [community profile] expiationlogs2025-01-13 12:39 pm

EVENT #12: ADVERSITY 6568654

EVENT #12: DO AIS DREAM OF ALGORITHMIC SHEEP?


THE STORY SO FAR (click to expand)
-Over time, characters have discovered that the world of Expiation is actually a large, elaborate simulation run by an AI that seems to be intent on helping them atone for their crimes. This news is well-known by the Chosen, enough so that any new character who wishes to handwave this knowledge is able to do so.

-In September 2024, that AI needed to be reset as a consequence of some catastrophic systems failures. So far, there has been no downside to this reset–but the AI has also been strangely absent since then.

-Things have been quiet in Aldrip since September, aside from the routine arrival of new Chosen. The locals seem less than happy with the Chosen, though, as if they have already branded them all criminals. As if they no longer trust them…

JANUARY 13

SLEEP MODE INITIATED.
LOADING………………….


The calming hush that falls over Aldrip is strangely comfortable, lulling all Chosen into a deep sleep…or a sleeplike state, for those who will. Whatever the case, it is a very quiet night.

The sleep that follows is anything but.

THE DREAMSCAPES

The Chosen dream of memories, in this dreamscape. They can be twisted and altered by the dream world; events can be contorted or made up; but all of these dreams have within them a kernel of truth. Whether they express an event that happened or part of a person’s past that’s gone fuzzy with age, whether it’s a real moment or just a feeling, something about the dream tells you something about the Chosen to whom it belongs. This may even express itself in multiple dreamscapes, fragments of different memories and feelings to navigate.

Fellow Chosen can travel through these dreamscapes, of course, stumbling upon dreams they were never meant to see. But their presence is not without consequence; the longer two Chosen share the same dream, the more the dream will begin to take on elements of both their dreams, drawing in elements from the Chosen who was simply meant to be watching.

They’re vivid, these dreams–the kind that are so clear, one begins to doubt whether it’s a dream at all. Could it possibly be reality? Whether it’s a good dream or a bad one, the Chosen may find it’s difficult to want to wake up. How could they possibly wake up, when this is so very real? Why would they want to, if it’s a good dream? It’s comfortable, and the idea that it may not be reality is intimidating, isn’t it?

It’s so real that you could stay here forever.

A WAKEUP CALL

Wake up.
You have to wake up.


Staying within the dreams too long is a dangerous thing, and those who don’t wake even once before morning will risk falling into a deep sleep, perhaps never to wake at all.

But how to wake them?

Only by convincing the Chosen that they are most certainly dreaming, as it turns out. Whether that’s someone realizing this on their own, or being helped along by someone else, is entirely up to you. But they must choose to wake from the dream, saying goodbye to the dreamscape without any certainty that they’ll ever see it again, and for some…that could be easier said than done.

Once they wake in Aldrip, they’ll be able to come and go from the dreams at will, helping other Chosen navigate their own waking…or perhaps sabotaging it, for those whose intentions may be less than charitable. (But none of you would do that, right? Right?)

Time becomes meaningless within the dreamscapes, allowing the Chosen to pass through as many of these dreams as they wish before dawn breaks in the morning.

The next day dawns as normal, and surprisingly, the Chosen don’t feel any less well-rested from their long and difficult night chasing after dreams. They may even–_

A sea of numbers, zeroes and ones, their combinations meaningless, their forms shifting. Digital artifacts mar the vision, as if the sequence is somehow corrupted. In those pockets of artifacts, one can see something beyond the numbers, something darker, something blurry with distance.
Query: is this what it is to “dream?”
It feels…warm.


_feel refreshed, actually, as if they’ve lifted various weights from their shoulders. Even those who haven’t may find it difficult to linger on the less happy parts of what they’ve seen. They’ve shared quite a unique experience, after all. Better take some time to process it, before they let it weigh them down.


WILDCARD Make your own fun! Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Have at it! Go crazy! Try not to break anything (too much)!
entreats: (before the day is done)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-01-25 11:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ Scott, you're so lucky Ange likes you. It kind of looks like she's biting down the urge to make some snarky comment here, just to feel like she isn't being put right into the spotlights of this conversation. This feels like the most embarrassing way possible to meet someone..

She sucks in a deep breath, trying to keep any hint of a blush off her cheeks before she glances back over at Scott again. (But only when she's certainly she doesn't look ridiculously flustered in front of someone she doesn't know.) ]


You never told me that your brother was like you too.
laserguy: (Default)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-01-27 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
[Noticing Ange's half-flustered reaction only makes Alex's other eyebrow shoot up. It seems like his brother is making all kinds of friends lately, but... he's glad. He's been aware that Scott had a hard time fitting in for most of his life, but it's evident that things have started to change for him. Maybe he can finally relax a little. Worry just a little less about him.

So, there's a small smile to the older mutant as he looks at Ange. There's something appreciative about him, a subtle 'thanks for looking out for my dumb brother' sort of air to him.]


Really now? [Alex answers for Scott, cutting in.] What has Scotty said about me?

[Granted, Alex doesn't think they really are that similar, at least not before Scott became a mutant. That's not point, as he still wants to hear what she has to say though, despite Scott grumbling that they aren't alike at all.]
entreats: (when you feel like promising me that)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-02-04 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's a slight moment of awkward pause.

Not because Ange doesn't know the answer, but more because she doesn't know if she can just.. say this answer? Especially right in front of Scott's salad? She looks at him like she's trying to look for some guidance here, but Scott seems too busy tsunning grumbling at his brother to answer.

So Ange has to admit: ]


Well, not that much at all.

[ Not a whole lot she can remember, anyway? But they have been focusing on so many different aspects of his life that his brother never came up that much, from what she remembers. ]
laserguy: (watch me become co-dependent with jean)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-02-05 04:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Scott finally showing his tsun to someone--

Ange's comment garners a 'wow' from Alex, before said mutant pulls Scott into a headlock, needling him and ignoring all his protests. Don't worry about it, it's a suitable punishment for his younger brother. ...And maybe he's making up for lost time.]


Well, since Scott didn't even bother to mention me. Sorry, yeah, I'm Alex, his older brother. It's nice to meet one of his friends. [A small smirk begins to spread across his face.] Mostly, it's nice to find people that can put up with him.

[Scott's still struggling, but he can't break out of Alex's hold. Ange help him out.....]
entreats: (to just leave or give up)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-02-12 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
.. It's not that hard to put up with Scott.

[ Sorry, bud. She's not physically helping you. Your brother looks like he could probably break her twig arms if she tried - though he doesn't seem like he would, attitude-wise.

But she's not risking it. Especially when it could definitely happen accidentally. So instead of a physical defense, she's going for more of a verbal defense.. Even if it's still embarrassing. So embarrassing!! She's making a true sacrifice for you, Scott!! ]


He's a nice guy. He just-- should've told me a little bit more about his family before now, I guess.
laserguy: (smirk)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-02-15 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[There's a look of mild surprise on Alex when Ange sacrifices her life for Scott, the blonde's eyebrows rising up before a soft little grin starts twitching at the corner of his lips. There's something appreciative in his eyes, even as he keeps his younger brother in a headlock, but it's clear he's paying more attention to her than Scott. Despite all the shit he gives him, he knows that Scott is a good kid, just sometimes it takes a lot for others to get it too.

And Ange is just out hear admitting it...

Maybe he's gotten better about being open, or she's been able to see through all that. Either way, Alex seems almost pleased, before he finally releases Scott from his hold-- who immediately starts trying to fix his hair to no avail. There's also a few grumblings about Alex being annoying, but they're fully ignored.]


It's okay, at least we're meeting now, right? [He smirks lightly, before he tilts his head over at her.]

Do you have a brother? Maybe sister? [There's some curiosity in Alex's voice, maybe sensing that she has personal experience dealing with siblings as well.]
entreats: (show me the truth i wished for)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-02-20 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Ange does glance at Scott when he's released by his brother, but he really does seem to be fine, huh. Maybe a slight dent in his ego, but Ange figures it's something that will fade soon enough.

So she instead turns her attention back towards Alex, especially when he's asking her a question. ]


A brother. Or-- Well, a half-brother. He was already twelve when I was born, and we had different mothers. [ But definitely also a big brother - seems like she and Scott have that much in common, even if her own isn't around to embarrass her or mess up her hair right now. He hasn't been for a long time. ]
laserguy: (look i know i'm an ass)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-02-21 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I know something about having a large age gap-- Scotty and I are 20 years apart.

[Such a huge age gap, something that gets Alex to send a wry little grin at him. They're still fully related, but they've really lived different lives from each other. He does kind of regret not being part of his younger brother's life more, but he plans on changing that. It's not too late, right?]

Hope he's a good older brother to you. [Alex says before Scott can protest, something apologetic appearing on the younger mutant's face because he knows about Ange. Her entire family is dead. She's told him before. So, he shoves Alex in the shoulder, trying to silently communicate to him that he's being insensitive. Alex only looks confused for a moment.]

What?? [Alex grumps before it finally dawns on him and he smiles apologetically at Ange.] Oh, sorry, did I bring up a bad topic?
entreats: (so my darling; give me your absence)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-02-22 11:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ At least Ange doesn't really look offended. It helps that she can tell that Scott is sticking up for her here - which isn't too surprising, considering he knows about her family and Ange knows that Scott is a whole lot more thoughtful than he might necessarily seem at first. ]

No, it's alright. He died when I was six, and even before that we didn't live in the same house. So he hasn't been in my life very often.

[ Which sucks, but.. you know, what are you going to do about it. At least Ange has thought and spoken about this often enough that she doesn't look absolutely miserable, though she does seem a touch quiet. ]

.. what about you two?

[ If Alex was some huge part of Scott's life, surely he would have told her, she thinks.. Or maybe Scott was just too embarrassed this entire time. ]
laserguy: (so that was you)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-02-24 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
[For his part, Alex looks rather guilty when Ange explains what happened to her brother. Okay, he deserves Scott's slight anger this time, he's on board with that. Even if he didn't know, still not cool. The blonde stays quiet for a few seconds, thinking of what he could possibly say now, but.]

I'm sorry, Ange. [He tries once more.] Speaking as an older brother... I'm sure he wanted to spend more time with you.

[Alex glances at Scott, that guilt shining even more brightly on his face. Hearing this about Ange's brother, now he can't help but feel like he's wasted a lot of time. Scott looks up at Alex, obviously conflicted, but before he can get any word in, Alex continues.]

...I honestly haven't been around as much as I should. We didn't have much in common until recently, but it's no excuse. Hopefully I'm not too late, right?

['It's not too late.' Scott wants to reassure him, because Alex is here now and everything, but for some reason, it's fully hard to say those words. It doesn't feel like Alex is really here right now.]
entreats: (that has been calling you)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-03-03 09:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ At first she opens her mouth, like she's ready to say something. Mostly to wish the best for Scott and his brother, because Ange knows what it's like to terribly crave something you can't ever have again, a connection with a brother that was severed before it could fully bloom.

But then her gaze falls on Scott's face, and there's-- there's something there.

Ange doesn't know what it is, but it makes her look a touch confused. ]


Scott? Is something wrong?
laserguy: (look i know i'm an ass)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-03-04 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ange's question snaps Scott out of his trance, the mutant shaking his head in some automatic reaction. He's okay.]

No, it's fine, I... Alex?

[Scott trails off, something tightening in his throat as he takes note of the strange state of his brother. While his earlier thought only lasted for a few seconds, it's cracked something in this strange little dream, because Alex's suddenly frozen, face stuck in a small worried frown as he looks down at the two teens. The sight's enough to get Scott to panic slightly, letting his feelings guide his movements as he reaches up to shake his brother's shoulder.]

Alex?? Alex! What's wrong?!
entreats: (over a strange inversion)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-03-11 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Okay.

Something is definitely wrong. And Scott is freaking out. Ange reaches out, her hands landing on Scott's shoulders. She isn't shaking him the way he's shaking Alex, but that's exactly because she's trying to steady the other in this moment. ]


Scott, it's--

[ ...

It's like something hits her. Like she's snapped out of something. Ange gasps, and then voices: ]


.. It's not real, Scott.
laserguy: (maybe this time i won't die)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-03-12 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[The solid weight of Ange's hands on his shoulders, unlike the way he tried to grasp Alex's, brings his full attention to her-- along with all that unconcealed emotion that he's doing a poor job in hiding. He doesn't fully understand what's happening right now, but at least he can tell that she's still with him and that helps, more than maybe he realizes right now.

Even if it doesn't do much to stem those upset feelings.]


Huh?? What do you mean? He's standing right there...!

[There's a hint of denial entering his voice, like a part of knowing that she's right, but doesn't want to admit it still. Maybe they're just both mistaken, even though Alex is remaining eerily frozen and unresponsive to everything that's going on.]
Edited 2025-03-12 13:21 (UTC)
entreats: (you won't know what)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-03-12 03:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I think.. this is a dream.

[ The words come out slowly. It's like Ange is only realizing the full picture in this moment herself, and so her realization is coming out of her mouth very slowly too.

Kind of how it feels when you suddenly wake from a dream, leaving you all woozy for a moment. ]


It's your dream. [ It's got to be. This place-- It's Scott's home, right? The place he went to back home. The place where.. his brother was too..?

She isn't so sure what's based in reality or not anymore at this point. ]
laserguy: (so that was you)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-03-13 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[All of this is just a dream??

It honestly makes the most sense, why he's back here at Xavier's when he spent so long in Aldrip (a name that now feels so familiar it almost feels dumb he forgot it in the first place). It's been... two years, right? Two years since he stepped foot in the mansion, since he's actually seen his brother. All of this is just a mixture of his memory and wants. And it hurts. It sucks, because it's getting harder to deny what's going on and realize that none of this is real. That this happiness is false.

His face tightens, looks pained as he stares at his friend in front of him. He thought Ange was truly here with him, huh? Safe. With his other friends and family. And...]


But I don't want this to just be a dream. [He shakes his head, voice now full in denial. He knows what's happening now and yet.] You're here, my brother's here... it's everything I want.
entreats: (of hope connected to your finger)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-03-22 04:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The girl doesn't reply right away.

Mostly because.. she gets it, really. If the roles were reversed, if she was here in a dream where her family was still alive and with her, if she was no longer stuck in that miserable place.. Then wouldn't she want it to be real too? What right does she have to take it away from Scott? It feels awful. She doesn't want to.

But at the same time Ange is terrified what might happen if she leaves him here. This can't be a normal dream if they're both stuck in it together - and what if it means he might never wake up unless she gets him out of there? ]


It's not everything you want.

[ Ange speaks slowly again. She doesn't want to say it, but she says it anyway, feeling sick to her stomach - and very much looking it too in this moment, rather than looking all poker faced. She can't easily tell Scott this. She can't easily ruin this for him, but she's going to have to be the person to take a sledgehammer to his perfect dream. ]

Your friends aren't here. Kotone-san isn't here. You don't want to be here without them, right..?
laserguy: (i'm sorry)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-03-23 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[With his doubts ever increasing, the very foundations of the dream also seem to shake. Alex's form is flickering, almost like it's glitching, and the once comfortable kitchen they were standing around in seem to blur with everything else. All in all, it doesn't feel real anymore.

Scott shuts his eyes behind his glasses, as if hoping that he can keep this on longer for just a few more seconds. If he doesn't see it, then...]


...They're here. Elsewhere in the mansion.

[Scott quietly responds, but the words don't have an ounce of conviction in them. Maybe before the realization hit, he would've said with more certainty that they are around, just not at this moment. Kotone is here, his other friends are here, no one is left out because they're all important to him and they deserve to live a normal happy life.

Why does it feel like some impossible dream??

He stares at the ground, silent for a few seconds. A part of him is embarrassed to have all this out in the open, but he just feels hurt more than anything.]


Why can't all of you be here? [He knows why, but the words come out anyway.]
entreats: (and we are so fragile)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-04-02 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Because we're all from different worlds.

[ It's the harsh truth for Scott. Ange knows it's a harsh truth, because being together with everyone he cares for seems to be so important to him - yet the truth she is speaking here right now is the reason why his desire can never just so easily become reality.

She feels bad enough for him that she didn't interrupt his thinking there, only speaking up when he asked her that question. And even then Ange's tone is a little more quiet than the usual. ]


We can't all just suddenly be in your world with you. It's impossible.
laserguy: (i'm sorry)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-04-03 03:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[It really is impossible, for all of them to be here with him. It sucks, yeah, but there's one thing in particular that he cares more about than anything else. The real issue at hand, even though he would be extremely glad to have everyone with him. Back home, just doing normal shit. Not worrying about crimes and punishment, just homework and classes. It's kind of sad that even he misses school in some way-- but it's not the main thing that's hurting him.

Scott still doesn't look at her, his eyes tilted to the ground. Posture not exactly defeated, but just quiet. Somber. Probably matching the now still environment around them, with everything starting to fade along with the noise of the other mutants in the mansion.]


...I just want you and everyone to be happy. [Not being dead is a big one too.] Even if it's not with me.
entreats: (who held me under)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-04-17 11:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ .. oh.

The issue is definitely different from what Ange was assuming. Scott seems like such a social guy - well, in comparison to her, certainly! - that she thought he just really wanted to be able to stay in touch with everyone, even if that was impossible.

But it turns out that his wish is another impossible thing entirely.

Ange is clearly caught by surprise at this twist. She glances over at him even if Scott isn't looking back at her, staring at him with wide, surprised eyes. ]


This.. was about us?

[ Scott's selflessness isn't necessarily the surprise, but-- you know, Ange is included in that. He specified it.

And it's not often that people wish for her happiness, let alone when it may be at the expense of their own, as Scott is also specifying. ]
laserguy: (look i know i'm an ass)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-04-19 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[Her question gets Scott to look up from the ground to meet her surprised glance with that still more melancholy demeanor. Maybe, normally, he'd acted slightly offended or give Ange a hard time that duh it's about her and his other friends, but he keeps that more serious expression.]

Yeah, of course I'd want my friends to be happy. Especially you.

[Because Ange is a close friend and she's been through so much crap back home. And he's aware that she can't exactly be happy at home, given that she's dead, but... maybe he can hope for it anyway. Peter managed to come back to life and even if he was only around for a short period just to tell Scott that, he's glad to know anyway.]
entreats: (the lit determination)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-04-19 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The girl stares at the now-hazy dream around them. It's still hard to think of what to say here. What do you say or do in the face of such overwhelming care? Do normal people know how to deal with that?

.. Maybe the kindest thing she can do is just be honest in return, right..? ]


Scott, I..

[ Something in her gaze grows a little bit more sad - no, worried. ]

I don't want you to have to worry that much about me. I don't want you to be sad.
laserguy: (courage)

[personal profile] laserguy 2025-04-21 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
[A small breath leaves Scott at that, not exactly sounding defeated, but tired in a way. Like he's committed to what he's about to say next, even if may end up sucking in some way in the end. With how the dream's about to fade, maybe it's fitting. Perhaps he'll be lucky and he'll get the last word in between them. He'd like that.]

I'm going to worry about you, Ange. You can't change that. [...] If it ends up with me being sad, then it'll just be something I'll carry.
entreats: (where do i go)

[personal profile] entreats 2025-05-05 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Something in Ange's gaze is a little sad as she looks at Scott after he says that. She looks touched, but in a complicated sort of way. It's nice to know someone thinks of her so much, but.. it's also the first time she's had to come to terms with the fact that someone might feel bad because of her. Exactly because they care about her.

It almost seems like she might reject it, but she doesn't.

She can't. Not like this. ]


...

[ Instead she says: ]

Just don't go, Scott.

[ If she can ask anything from him, it's-- It's just that. Just like how Scott wants everyone with him in this dream just to make sure they're okay, Ange wants-- ]

I don't want to be alone.

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