NOVEMBER TDM + EVENT PT 2

[recollecters]

EVENT + TEST DRIVE

NOVEMBER TEST DRIVE - EVENT EDITION The city of Recollé...  ...is way more crowded than usual. Who invited all of these ghosts? PROLOGUE As the ghosts begin to crowd around your usual haunts and fit themselves right in among your friends and family members, it becomes harder and harder to discourage them and send them away. Several of the people you know have taken a liking to the ghosts and developed attachments to them, welcoming them as a part of your family. In some cases, these ghosts may have even replaced you in your family. Who are you? Were you ever a part of their lives? It's hard to say now. Despite the fact that the ghosts have made themselves comfortable, the death celebrations begin to wind down and everyone falls into routine. Ghosts infiltrate your school and your job and your favorite stores, mimicking stories you've told them to others around them to fit right in. Perhaps a ghost problem isn't the worst problem to have, but the longer they stay the more you begin to physically fade away. It seems futile to try and get them to leave. The ghosts are ganging up together and forming strong packs of their own to take over, and they're ever-so-thankful for everything you've taught them about how to live again. Is there any getting rid of them? It's only on the 17th that things change, and beginning at 9pm everyone in the city of Recollé is blinded by a vision. A large, dense patch of the earth is in the forefront as the tip of a staff strikes down to make the earth crack and crumble. Four separate landmasses begin to float away in the four cardinal directions. A wintery mass disappears to the north, the sea to the south, fiery caves to the east and a lavish forest to the west. Green lightning crackles through the sky and just like that the vision ends. As you gather your bearings, four beams of white light arch through the sky pointing to the north, south, east and west. The lights stretch on forever, but for those who are brave enough to follow the light in any direction you will find a large silver door waiting for you. A welcome mat sits before each door, and a quote is engraved on each door. "Chase your dreams, but always know the road that will lead you home again." These doors just might be the key to sending your ghostly friends on their way after all. I. For those who choose the door to the south, you'll hear the croak of frogs and the chirp of crickets almost immediately. A rowboat awaits for you to paddle your way across a small lagoon, approaching a large manor. It appears gloomy in nature at first, run down and broken, but as you dock the boat the dinginess of the house seems to melt away and a lovely garden appears. The house is spotless and bright, the porch welcoming you ashore and large windows giving you a view into a house that greets you warmly. The lagoon behind you is still and peaceful, and the sound of children's laughter echoes in the wind. Upon further examination, more boats are in the water and little lake-side shanties sit proudly and are stocked with boating and fishing supplies. Despite the fact that you can even see a cemetery on the property to your left upon facing the house, there is no ill-will here. The scent of delicious home-cooking wafts gently in the breeze and invites you to explore the house and this property. This house revitalizes you, and you feel a sudden surge of energy and warmth. Everywhere you go you'll hear whispers of encouragement and kindness in the voices of your most precious people, and as you linger in the house several ghosts will materialize. For those who peer in the foyer, you'll see identical portraits and busts of these figures with brass plating labeling them as members of the Spinnato family, and at the end of the hallway sits a large stone statue. Bearded with a silver crown inlaid with pearls, Phillip Spinnato continues to watch over his family with a soft smile on his face. These ghosts wish to welcome you to their family gathering and celebration. There's always room for one more, after all. The table is filled with hot, delicious food and there are party games set up in the parlor and the garden including a turkey-shaped pinata. The ghosts will be incredibly chatty in this area and extend an invite to all living and ghosts alike, asking questions about you and being the perfect picture of hospitality. It's hard to believe, but it's only when you find a mirror and get a good look at yourself that you find your clothing and your appearance have changed to match the Victorian-esque vibe of the house and you appear to be…a bit monochromatic. There's an easy fix, of course. Though you'll remain colorless should you close yourself off, partaking in the family's meals, one of their games or even just introducing yourself and extending kindness to someone else brings some color back to your face. And for those who wish to spend some time in the great outdoors, the lagoon by the house beckons you. As you peer into the water several golden koi fish swim around and around, taunting you and tantalizing you. Tied to their tails is a box with your name on it and these fish aren't going to make this easy. Will you try to catch them? You may find a surprise waiting for you, a treasure to take home and cherish forever. This is a spacious, welcoming place. The Spinnato family would be more than happy for other ghostly guests to join them...you simply have to lead them here. II. Heading east will bring you to a different door that's almost too hot to the touch, but as you step through the threshold you enter what appears to be a training yard. A large, spacious area of dead grass and thick trees, you'll want to keep your senses sharp. A building lies ahead of you but as you take a step forward…you may want to run. Immediately. Without warning, several traps begin to activate ranging from bear traps, hidden pits, flying tranquilizing darts and more, honing in on you and following you around the area. The path is long and the building is several yards away, but as you fight off the traps and utilize your strength you'll eventually find refuge at a red brick house. The property is fairly large and there are plenty of rocks and wood piles to hide behind, but it will take a clever strategy and quick skills to dodge your way through. The only way out is to get to the house itself, and as you approach a rabbit-shaped bronze knocker appraises you. A woman's voice speaks from above you, though there's no sign of life aside from you and anyone you may be with. "Strength of body is nothing without strength of the brain. Answer my riddle and entrance you shall gain." Entrance may only be granted upon answering a question correctly, and for every incorrect answer the foundation around you grows shakier as though it will collapse under your feet. Think fast. When the house finally allows you to come inside, it appears…normal, almost. A cozy, lived-in home greets you with a fire crackling cheerfully in the front room and two floors of room to explore. A surge of energy settles in your bones the moment you step through the threshold and you find yourself using even less force than usual to open doors and drawers. Is that couch blocking the entrance into the living room? That's no problem for you! You can move it with one finger now. Did you enter a bedroom upstairs and come face to face with a sudden training dummy? You find your agility and speed stats boosted just enough to give yourself an advantage in a fight to defeat the trap and continue on your exploration. Most importantly, you will note that this house doesn't have ghosts in it, but there are several family photographs lining the walls including photos of a woman some may recognize as Dr. Mahoney and photos of a younger Joanne Wiseman with her older sister, Janet. In fact, the house almost looks lived in with bedding and clothing in the bedrooms, food in the pantries, and even freshly chopped wood next to the fireplace. Be sure to look up though. Hanging above the fireplace is an oil painting of a short, petite woman with a commanding demeanor judging by the expression on her face. Curly blond hair frames her features and blue eyes seem to follow you as you explore her home. The diamond-studded gold coronet doesn't seem to bother her as the painting turns this way and that. Georgia Mahoney believes you should consider yourself lucky to have made it this far, but she respects your display of skill. Exploring the property and testing your new skills allows for the insight of the mysteries behind this home. The Mahoney Estate is a training grounds for those who wish to protect those they love and find strength in the more unique places. This is a space in which those who stay here may thrive and grow...but you may have to physically wrestle ghosts through this door and defeat them in combat to pin them here. Good luck with that. III. To the west, this door has vines and grass growing around it and as you enter you step right into a mud puddle. That's nice. Before your eyes are miles and miles of woodlands and rivers and little valleys ahead of you. The birds chirp along in a happy sort of tune, and you'll find yourself approached by all sorts of creatures ranging from deer, rabbits, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels and even bear cubs. These creatures have no ill will toward one another and exist in harmony, circling around you and leading you…away…from the door? Wait, what's going on here? Try as you might the animals are insistent that you can't turn back and you must go into the woods and come along with them. As you step into the woods, something swings toward you, rising from the ground and presenting a two-dimensional set of trees. The animals around you begin to transform into a similar two-dimensional style and the landscape around you appears to be held up by thin paper stands. As you venture through the forest, you'll begin to notice that the pop-up story is familiar to you and you've become the star of the tale. Are you being stalked by the Big Bad Wolf? Are you running away from the huntsman who wants to cut out your heart for an evil queen? Though you may be following someone else's script, you have the power to change your story. How would you change your fate? It's only when you figure out how to deviate from the story that the walls fall away and you find yourself in front of a quaint little cottage. Your animal companions have returned by your side and as you approach the door you'll find a placard engraved in the wall. The name "CAVENDISH" sparkles in the sunlight and the front door opens with ease. It's a one-room cottage with a bed and a stove, but the walls are flanked with rows and rows of books. Fairytales from all over the world are crammed in every free space along with ancient runic books in a language that's unidentifiable. Every now and then, however, the spine of a book will glow with a soft blue color and beckon you closer. Pulling the book out of the shelf, you find that it has your name on it, and a quill materializes in your hand. You're free to put them down, of course. But the handwoven tapestry above the bed of the young woman with dark braided hair and green nomadic clothing will try to encourage you otherwise. The stitching at the bottom indicates that Myrtle Cavendish has never left her home, but the thread begins to move on its own to spell out a message. "Tell your story, young one." Jars of ink in all sorts of color can be found in the cottage as well and the book in your hand is empty and ready to be marked upon. What will you write about? What sort of story will you tell? It would do you well to remember words are powerful things. After you've written in your book, it's only a short amount of time before everything you've written comes to life. The words lift off of the pages and swirl around you, flying out the door and materializing into people, places and things right in the woodlands. Hope you didn't write about monsters or natural disasters. The stories will be free for all to view and to hear, and the only way to banish them is to write from start to finish. "The End." Perhaps this is a great home for the ghostly figures that plague the city of Recollé. From here, they can live out their lives however they want, but you may have to entice them with a story of your own to bring them here. IV. For those who venture through this door in the north, you find yourself inside the front foyer of a large, isolated castle. Dark and cold and empty, your footsteps echo around you as you venture forward. The door disappears behind you and the strangest part of this castle seems to be that there are no personal touches among the area. There are no photographs or decorations, no warm furniture or delicious scents unlike the other areas you may have visited and cleared. Checking the different floors and rooms, it becomes harder and harder to warm yourself up and find your way. The walls begin to close in and shunt you onto a narrow path through the castle, depositing you in front of a door with a wolf emblem engraved deeply in the wood. With the way you've come closed off, this appears to be your only route for escape. Upon opening the door, several other doors open simultaneously and lead you into a large round room. You may have just found yourself with friends or family who have been lost in the castle, too. Large mirror glisten on both sides of the hallway as you and your companions make your way down the path. The mirrors themselves are rather easy to ignore so long as you don't pay attention to your reflection having golden eyes…or moving on its own…or jumping ahead from mirror to mirror to follow you. Strangely, now that you're with someone, passages and doors appear inside the walls between mirrors. If you're not looking closely you will walk right past them to wander the halls forever. The sounds of several women weeping echo the further you travel away from the round room, and though you would think ducking into one of the side passages or doors would grant you some relief it's not quite what you would expect. The room you've entered may be suddenly upside down. You may have just entered a chamber of solid ice. Perhaps you've tripped right into the lion's den. Challenges appear for those who try to cheat and you'll have to find a way to get past the illusion that's been specifically designed to challenge you. Getting past your inner demons sends you straight to the end of the hallway where a shadow-y figure stands before you. Tall and thin with dark graying hair gray and a thin moustache, the man stands in front of a large mirror of his own and presents you with three hatboxes to choose from. The sound of weeping is louder and echoes in your ears, urging you to choose wisely to break the spell and save yourself. Only one of these boxes contains a hammer to shatter the mirror behind the man. One of the boxes reveals a banshee in a bridal gown, the weeping coupled with shrieking and louder than ever. And the last box brings forth a different shadow-y figure...yourself. The golden-eyed mirror version of yourself appears and blocks your way home. These two other options will force you to choose fight or flight to get your way out of the house one way or another. In this home, you can only look out for yourself. Good luck surviving. You may wish to pass on bringing ghosts back here. BONUS. With these four areas touched by your influence and made safe for the ghostly residences of Recollé, they find themselves drawn toward the doors and begin to vacate the city. They'll try to convince your friends and family who aren't on the app to come with them, of course, but it's easy to deter them and let them fade away once they choose a door to call home. There's a rumble beneath your feet as you feel yourself moving, an invisible elevator lifting you up and up until it stops on its own. The scenery doesn't change, but all signs of the death-day celebrations have disappeared with the ghosts and the city is as it once was. Not wanting to miss out on the holiday celebration, Mayor Mayer's quick to make the announcement that there's still time to throw together the Thanksgiving Day parade and begins to pull volunteers to create floats, put together costumes and more. How good are your crafting skills? Looks like it's time to learn how to paper maché. With the city hustling and bustling again, it's easier to catch up with friends and do your last-minute shopping for the holiday. The stores are even more crowded than usual but supplies are never-ending. A feast is being prepared for all in Tribunal Terrace and there are even several members of ReVA offering cooking lessons if you're into that. For the little ones (or even those of you who just like petting animals) there's a petting zoo set up as well along with several wild turkeys up for adoption. Something doesn't seem right about that...but hey, at least they aren't running loose all over the city this year. It seems as though the ghostly patrons have faded away to be nothing more than a memory and Recollé returns to a state of calm. The rest of the month is chilly with promises of snow and preparations for the rest of the holidays of 2018. But even as you go about your business, every now and then the rumbling at your feet continues and everything seems to be shifting a few inches at a time. Welcome to recolle's November's event pt 2 and our TDM! Please read these notes carefully. -All characters who are TDMing will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available. Please note that TDM threads can be used as samples, can be kept as game canon, and can also be used for bonus points for future item regains. Share a few minor details of your AU, tag around, and have fun! -If you are TDMing this round, please indicate this by including TDM in your subject line! This will help the playerbase know who is who. -For prompt 1, attached to the koi tails are prizes! This would be any small 10-20 point item you wish for your character to regain from their canon (i.e. jewelry, a book, a small article of clothing, etc.) Current players who are claiming their free item must submit the regain request as normal and simply mark this as "koi fish freebie" for approval. TDMers, please see notes below for claiming this! -For prompt 3, stories are not limited to Grimm fairy tales! Please feel free to make up other stories to toss your characters into that they have to rewrite themselves. Likewise, there are no caps on what they can write in their personal books as these effects will not carry over in the main city. -For prompt 4, we leave the choice of which hatbox your character chooses up to you! If you want them to succeed, that's awesome. If you want to have them face their shadows, that's also fine. -For current players, you may claim multiple freebies from this log! These include: -One freebie memory for threading with a character that is test-driving. -One freebie memory for exploring one of the four Founders' estates. All of these threads must have at least five comments from you to be eligible. To submit for your freebie memories, please link us the appropriate thread with the trigger explanation of "freebie." -TDM characters who app in and are accepted before December are also eligible to claim this month's freebies! Like current players, please be sure to submit your freebie regain threads before the end of the AC period. -As a special note, we will also allow current players to use a thread from this event/TDM for their AC proofs! As this ties into a game-event, we are making an exception. However, your other proof(s) (at least ten comments) must come from sources outside of this log. Likewise, as this is an event log instead of just a standard TDM, you may use this log to trigger regains as normal. -Please note: you will need a reserve to apply, and current characters must have full AC posted at the time of their reservation. This means for players reserving second characters you must link us your full November AC, and players reserving second and third characters must link us to your October and November AC! Finally, you can visit November's AU workshop here! Any questions you have regarding this event/TDM may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for important information as well!

Comments

MOD QUESTIONS

[recollecters]

Please leave mod questions regarding this event here!

[hauntedsavior]

So speaking purely hypothetically, what would happen if someone decides to cut the knot and just attack the person she thinks is Clarence with a sword.

[frostythehitman]

Can the voice in the Mahoney Estate be interacted with, i.e. asking questions and receiving answers? Or, perhaps, offering it a counter-riddle?

In the Cavendish cottage, it sounds like the tapestry has some degree of like...awareness? Can it be interacted with via writing in the book? What would happen if, instead of writing one's own story down, they instead tried to write in the (undoubtedly incomplete) story of the founders?

[jurai]

Speaking hypothetically, can the mirror in the castle be broken by anything in the room (including themselves) or does it HAVE to be the hammer?

Or, alternatively, if a golden-eyed shadow had a weapon could it potentially break the glass via video game boss fight mechanics?

Re: MOD QUESTIONS

[standalonehuman]

Fun question. Togusa will run a check for police records with James Barnes' name and social security number. What comes back? How old is he supposed to be? If he looks for anyone else who happens to share James' name, are there two of him now?

Re: MOD QUESTIONS

[flametheif40]

1) Will the inner demon/shadow clone be able to copy magical attacks? Or just physical ones, and if yes to both, to the same pace? Or is there some sort of speed limit? A delay?

Vella "Velouria" Tartine | Broken Age

[beastenderblood]

I. In Which Vella Might Stab a Ghost (If That's Possible)

[So you've been replaced in your family by a much better behaved daughter. That's fine. That's just peachy. That's not hurtful at all. Frankly, Vella almost welcomes the appearance of the lights, eager to get away from the stress of whatever the hell this bizarre situation seems to be plaguing the city. Paddleboat? Sure. Maybe she's even sharing one with another person who wants to head towards the manor.

The Victorian outfit is stifling to say the least, but she quickly gets into the festivities with the ghosts. She'll try to divert chats with them to their own histories, particularly family recipes if they let her.]

And what's that you used in the in the pie? Its got this great taste to it, just this oomph. You gotta tell me, I'm begging you.

[At the party games themselves, she'll get all in on that shit. She's having a lot of fun actually, even if at one point she'll take a dart and just drag someone, ghost or otherwise, to just-] Hang on, this guy- [Gesturing to either you or the ghost] has never heard of the knife game before. Or as I like to call it: "Stabberscotch." Here, just put your palm on the table...

III. In Which Vella Indulges In Some Fantasy

[It seemed like a good idea at the same to write a story about King Arthur. Well, more Mordred than King Arthur. Arthur's dead. And only the heroic, noble, stunning, smooth, and talented Lancelot can defeat Mordred's empire and bring peace to the land. Which isn't quite the same land as most versions of the story. The world seems more... anti-authority themed than usual. Mordred is sitting on a throne, behind a desk, shirtless. The evil knights are wearing suits. One of them just yells "taxes" when he swings a sword.

Vella is Lancelot, of course, in this version. She kind of wishes she had a knight outfit but this'll do. She's... not really sure what she's supposed to do here and punching dudes in suits is getting kind of boring. She's not stopping, granted. But its kinda boring after the excitement wears off.]

Bonus

[At the human festivities, Vella's a little more morose. Fighitng was cool, ghosts were cool, but its hard not to be a little down when she has time to actually think about the sheer weirdness of these recent events. For now she'll just be sewing some costumes. She'll be pleasant enough to those who say hi.]

[AU Workshop post!]

I

[frostythehitman]

[ James is not even fully paying attention to what's going on when someone suddenly grabs him and tells him to put his hand on the table. But sure, okay, why not. He places his left hand, in a formal white glove, on the table surface. ]

So what's this for, exactly?

III

[thesettingsun]

[Over here at an anachroistic writing desk, Shuji offers unasked for advice. He's a writer, can't help it.]

Maybe you should progress the plot a little? I mean, unless you just want to keep checking out the eye candy.

[Shirtless Mordred and knights in suits are very nice to look at.]

[frostythehitman]

II. booby booby booby traps, rockin everywhere

[ He's an idiot. An absolute goddamn idiot. He's got a brain full of elite spec ops and spy training and yet he just walked into one of the oldest traps in the book. He really should've expected this, especially from some weird mystical magic nonsense (probably Retrospec-related).

So let James be a cautionary tale, fellow traveller starting to approach the Mahoney Estate. No, literally, because he is dangling upside down from a tree at the very start of the booby trapped area. He's working on untying himself or otherwise breaking the rope that's got him around the ankle, but as he does so, he grunts a word of warning: ]

Whatever you do, don't step on anything that looks like a pile of leaves. Or twigs. Or anything.

III. fuck his own story, he's gonna tell someone else's

[ The forest, at least, feels familiar. He's been to Bosuma plenty of times, and even though he's not sure it's exactly the same place, he feels like he's got a better grip on his bearings here.

He could do without the excited animals, though. He feels like a Gisney princess right now, and it doesn't help when everything around them turns to a literal paper cutout of fairy tales. James has zero patience for it; fuck this Rip Van Winkle bullshit. He knocks over the cardboard game of nine pins and shoves past the men distraught at their game's destruction.

He wasn't aiming for anything in particular--he just really hates Rip Van Winkle right about now.

But all the same, once he shoves past the cardboard men, he spots a house just a bit further in the distance. He squints at it. ]

...You think that's real, or just more cardboard?

II

[spirithacker]

[Shinji should probably not be out here by himself, but it's not like he could get his parents to chaperone him or even recognize that he's their kid. So solitary exploring it is.

...He probably isn't equipped for this, which he realizes when he sees James hanging upside down. But it's not like he'll turn around and give up.]

Do you want some help or something?

[hauntedsavior]

a. rely on who i left behind [iv, puzzle room]

"This is bullshit."

Anna's standing at the entrance to what seems to be a maze, or at least that's all she can gather from the tall walls and the thick slate slab that's blocking the gate in front of her. There's not enough room to swing her sword or kick her way through with her powerful robot legs, the door sealed itself behind her as soon as she stepped inside, and it doesn't help that there shouldn't be a giant-ass castle near the city anyway.

The only indicator that she'll even be able to enter the maze is a pedestal with a hole in it, glowing with red energy. Carved into the pedestal above the hole is a crude drawing of a heart that remains hollow, and whenever Anna tries (like the dumbass she is) to put her hand in the hole, absolutely nothing happens. Which means someone with an actual heartbeat needs to come along and open that path, since there's no way out of this room otherwise. She punches the wall.

b. i hear your voice and i lose control [iv, shadow fight]

When she finally makes her way out of that dumbass shitty labyrinth that shouldn't exist, she's face-to-face with someone she recognizes. Someone she knows, and someone she's been aching to take the head of for months.

"Vanderweele!" she growls out, and her katana is drawn, and she's lunging at him with a slash that should bisect him if it lands, but there's. There's nothing. There's no contact, there's no resistance, there's no blood. But what there is is a dark, emotionless laugh from behind her, and she doesn't even have to turn around to see who it is because of that massive mirror. Same as the kind that she's seen this whole time.

"Nice try, you heartless bitch."

And the yellow-eyed version of herself is lunging with a black-bladed katana, and Anna's forced to hold up her own sword to keep it from doing to her what she was going to do to that genocidal asshole. She doesn't know if she'll bleed anymore, but she doesn't want to find out. God, she just hopes she's not the only one in this castle.

c. keep our tainted kingdom flawless [wildcard]

((hit me up here or at roseward if you want to do anything else!!))

b.

[frostythehitman]

Luckily, she isn't. James was making his way through this place too and entered the round room just in time to see Anna take down Vanderweele. Or try to, anyway. He couldn't stop her and it's not like it mattered anyway because he's gone now and replaced with...another Anna?

This is gonna be fun, he grouses to himself as he tries to pick out which one is the real one.

He assumes it's the one defending herself right now. So he whips out a throwing knife (good thing he can carry those around everywhere again) and flings it at the attacking Anna's arm.

"Hey! Back off! No one's killing anyone here."

[breakingvoice]

a. you've got so much to give to someone else [ii, riddles dot com]

Riddles have never been Lina's strong suit. She's not getting frustrated at not being able to answer, but she's still standing there in front of the massive door with her fists at her sides and a huff on her face. She could probably punch through the door if she really needed to, like how she dealt with the bevy of traps on the way here, but that seems rude no matter how angry she is at the world. At her family, at herself. This is a better use of her time.

She hisses out from the pile of wood she's currently taking shelter behind. "Hey!" Her voice is raspy because trying to shout and whisper at the same time is pretty difficult, as it turns out. "I'm awful at riddles! Do you have any idea what the answer is?"

b. love makes you crazy; beware of her wrath [ii, training montage]

Never mind. This is a better use of her time. Lina is panting and grunting up a storm as she takes to fighting these traps and training dummies like a fish to water. This is her second trip here and she's shown up in gym clothes rather than her normal fall sweater; obviously, this is a better place to train than anywhere inside the city proper.

Most of her strikes are with her fists, but she's using some of the enhanced agility granted by this place to throw some kicks around, too. It's coming to her almost effortlessly, like she's been doing this for years, and it's bringing an unbearable lightness to her chest to be getting all of this energy out. One hard punch sends a training dummy sailing across the field in one piece, and Lina's back straightens.

She doesn't really say anything; she looks intense, like she's been focusing way too much on something that shouldn't be taking this much effort. She loves her sisters so much but if they can't stay safe on their own, she'll just have to come back into their lives and keep them safe. This is how she gets stronger. This is how she can protect the people she loves.

c. so jump ship, save yourself [wildcard]

((again, hit me up here or roseward for any other ideas!!))

c-a? fight smarter not harder lina

[thesettingsun]

[Sometimes you're alone versus stupid riddles and you have to use your phone a friend option. Text a friend. Good enough.]

I'm good at riddles! Helped a group with their dumb Retrospec riddles ages ago. What's the question?

Rean Schwarzer | Trails of Cold Steel | TDM

[motiv8]

IV-A: puzzle room

[Rean doesn't even know why he followed the light, much less why he followed it all the way up here into this frozen castle. When did this thing even get here?

Well, between crazy visions of splitting landmasses and lights in the sky he doesn't see most people even acknowledging, he guesses this is just one more mystery to add to the collection.

He wraps his arms around himself as he enters the large round room, a vain atttempt to warm himself up. It's not like he's unused to the cold, but it's always easier to deal with that if one layers up. Which Rean has not done, because hey, while the air is getting chillier, it's not full-on winter coat season yet! He's unprepared for this, is the point here.

His eyes light up when he recognizes another person in the room, the first he's seen since he wandered in here.]

Hey! Here I was starting to wonder if I was gonna be all alone in here...


IV-B: shadows

[Rean has been valiantly ignoring the weird golden-eyed version of himself in the mirror as best as he can. It's clear it unnerves him, but if asked, he shakes his head and shrugs it off.

"This whole castle is weird. We can't get caught up on things like that. Let's keep moving."

But eventually, they reach the man with the three hatboxes, and perhaps leaving the choice up to Rean wasn't the best idea, because now they're standing face-to-face with that golden-eyed shadow of Rean.

The shadow acknowledges the group with narrowing eyes and an unnerving silent bloodlust before drawing a katana from the sheath on his hip. Given that Rean himself is completely unarmed, this might just be a bad thing.

For Rean's part, he's just backing away from it, looking at it with wide, frightened eyes. He can't bring it to words, but this thing seems familiar in a way that makes him sick to his stomach. Like something straight out of his nightmares from years ago, ones he'd thought were well forgotten...

Anyone want to help this loser not die? Because if left to his own devices, here, he's almost definitely dead.]


BONUS-A: volunteering

[It's entirely unsurprising to Rean himself that despite everything that just happened, upon returning to some sense of normalcy he's been immediately drafted into helping out with something. This is his life, he's used to this, it's fine.

Right now, he's trying to help put together some kind of float, and he's covered up to his wrists in paper maché paste. Good thing he's got his sleeves rolled up. To anyone walking by, he'll call out for a little bit of help:]

Hey, we're running low on paper over here. If you're not busy, do you think you could grab some? I would, but, um...


BONUS-B: petting zoo

[Rean may be a 20 year old technically-adult, but look. Look. There are some things in life you're never too old for, and cute animals are definitely on that list!

He's smiling to himself as he reaches into the pen of some animal or another, holding his hand out loosely so that the animal can come over and sniff him.]

Hey, there, little buddy...

[It would be remarkably easy to startle him right now, given how invested he is in this animal...]


WILDCARD
[Have something else in mind? Awesome. Go for it. Hit me up at needlemouse if you wanna plot, or just come at me with something fun!]

Petting zoo

[hexem]

[ Since a lot of this is free, Emma has come here with some of the youngest ones. The place is warm enough, too, a break from the rising chill in the streets, and it's a great way to take a break from the streets, if only for a little while.

She's left her young friends over at various cages, with a solid promise that they won't wander out without at least telling her, and she's walking around herself, when she spots someone familiar.

She squints a little at various items outside the pen, until she recognizes what she wants, and scoops up a few of the treats left there. ]

Here, Rean. This might help.

[thesettingsun]

[Retrospec post, the morning of 11/18]
[It's a photo of a creepy portrait, currently laying on the floor.]

WHY DID I WAKE UP WITH THIS ONE INCH FROM MY FACE

[If Shuji had a heart attack, you all have to suffer with him.]

[III-a, I will get a Gon the Little Fox regain or die trying]
[It's a good thing Shuji's more comfortable around animals than he used to be. The storybook vibe is weird but not terrible, and there isn't any danger...

Right up until a fox jumps out and snatches Shuji's satchel right off his belt.

Shuji panics - his scythe-book that might also technically be his soul is in there and he hasn't tested what happens if he gets too far away from it yet. Luckily the fox is headed in the direction of someone else, so-]

Don't let it get away!

[III-b]
[Write your story. You'd think it'd be easy for Shuji to accomplish this task. But he has too many stories - stories he's come up with, stories from his own life - to know where to start.

He taps his quill on the page a few times before trying a story that's dear to his heart, and reads the words aloud as he writes them.]

"Once upon a time, there was a young man named Shuji."

[...and no sooner has he written this than another Shuji pops into existence, and the original Shuji stops writing.]

Um. That's weird? I didn't think this through?

[there are two of him oh god help]

[extra, mid-November, the National Library]
[He'd asked John if he wanted to do something for Thanksgiving again this year, but... well. John said he'd already planned something with his best friend, and Shuji nodded and smiled and went somewhere else to cry for a little bit.

There's really nothing he can do about that besides what he's already doing to try to lure the ghosts out of the city, but he can't stomach the idea of being alone on Thanksgiving. So he can be found outside the National Library putting up signs-]

OPEN THANKSGIVING MEAL INVITATION
Nov 22, 5 PM
Brininging a dish optional but appreciated
Inquire inside with Shuji Tsushima for more details

[If he's going to live in a huge library with a huge dining hall, he'll at least make use of it.]

[wildcard]
[you know me I'm easy]

IIIb

[standalonehuman]

Togusa had been searching the rest of the book stacks, and he is startled when the images appear, drawing him back to where Shuji is standing.

"Uhh. Hunh. Somehow, should have seen that coming."

He cautiously eyes the tapestry, waiting there invitingly, asking for a story. "Well," he slowly starts, "you've got your character. What do you want to tell them about you?"

[cardcaptured]

prologue aka we're all fucked

[Xiaolang's busy with the dishes at home when the vision hits, and for a moment, he can't move. A cup slips from his numbed fingers, crashing to the floor, as the implications of what he just saw hits, dread seeping into every inch of his body. As one of the few remaining people on the app who had went to Respatrum in February, and had heard the story of the staff first hand...

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

Swallowing hard, he dashes out the door of his apartment and into the street, heading immediately eastward. Respatrum was where the replica staff was destroyed, so if any place had any clues to how something like this wound up happening, it would be there. In his haste to leave and find out what was going on, he runs headlong into someone (possibly you?), stumbling back and landing on his behind with a small thump. He attempts to get back up and regain his bearings, torn between his concern for who he slammed into and the mounting worry of the city.]

S-Sorry, something just happened, something... something bad. I-- we need to get out of here, and fast.

[... you could probably clarify that a little, child.]

ii

[Thanks to some sort of miracle, Xiaolang's managed to avoid most of the traps (running through hallway of fire will make you pretty good at strategic dodging), but it's at the door where his luck seems to run out. The rabbit shaped knocker is quiet for a moment when he approaches, before posing a simple question:

What am I?

He's silent as the words settle in, realizing it couldn't be as easy as that-- it wouldn't be much of a riddle if it had an obvious answer, after all. After a moment or so of deliberation, he replies, almost tentatively:]

A knocker...?

[The floor starts to rumble at that, and in his desperation, he shoots off another answer.]

A door--! No... a rabbit? The owner?!

[The rumbling intensifies with each incorrect response, so much so that he's having a hard time staying on his feet. If you're one of the few who's managed to make it through the hell-grounds, his eyes are going to dart over towards you, a silent and desperate plea for some sort of help.]

i because what is numerical order

[There was something almost nostalgic about being at the Spinnato family dinner, the large and bustling family feeling almost a bit like his own extended family during the holidays in Hong Kong. It takes a little urging on their part for him to partake in their meal, Xiaolang's mind clearly on other things, but soon enough he's standing to the side, nibbling his way through various dishes as he eyes them cautiously. Just because they were welcoming doesn't mean they were entirely harmless, after all.

It's not long before another ghost approaches him, a little girl clearly from the 1950's, eyes bright and curious.]

'Say, mister, you have an awful lot of magic in you! Can you show me some of it? Pretty please?'

[Unsure whether to be put off by the mention of magic or just flustered from the girl's straight-forward nature, he refuses, until her wheedling and urging gets him to crack.]

... fine. But only this once.

[What follows is a dazzling display of lights and flames as he summons the sword from his hand, and the girl is positively beside herself with excitement.]

'Oh my gosh, that is absolute coolsville! Can you do it again? Pleeeeeease?'

No. It's not a party trick.

Pleeeeeeeease? I'll tell you something really neat about the city if you do! Promise!'

[With a world weary sigh, he rubs his hand against his face, holding onto his bits of patience, glancing at whoever was nearby in a last ditch attempt for help. Please distract this kid for him, he's begging you.]

bonus aka TURKEYGATE 2018

[So you might be minding your own business, working on your Thanksgiving crafts or enjoying some of that sweet, free food, when a cacophony of noise emerges from the wild turkey adoption center. No sooner than it happens, a wild slap of feet can be heard dashing up the sidewalk, Xiaolang sprinting up the street like his very life depended on it.

And... well. Judging by the sounds of angry gobbling and mass of feathers following quickly after him, he very well have to run for his life (or at least put a decent distance between them) if he didn't want to get mauled by angry turkeys again this year. It seems some grudges never die, and even the strongest of fences could not keep them from their single-minded vendetta.

But seriously, Mayor Mayer, what the fuck.]

Wildcard

((Hit me up here or @ Urameshi if you have something else in mind!))

ii

[spirithacker]

[Shinji somehow made it through the traps - the tank helped a lot. He peeks down from the top, holding onto the side just in case the rumbling gets bad enough to destablize a whole tank and not just a small child.]

A test?

[burndownforwhat]

[ III-A ] we've opened our eyes and it's changing the view (open to first two respondents)
...did that wolf just call me a bear? [ the whole Disney Princess routine was a little unusual but so far nothing about all this screamed "danger" to Jen at all. still, she gave the first person she spotted an odd look. sure indeed, the wolf with its tattered clothing (why a jacket?) had called out to her "sister bear, come and look a the royal palace!" and trounced off into the underbrush. there was a trail leading off in that direction toward larger trees.

Jen shrugged her shoulders. ] Oh well. Looks like we have to go that way, anyway. C'mon.

[ what's the worst that could happen? ]


[ III-B ] who lives, who dies, who tells your story (open to one person per sketch)
[ Jen is drawing a blank when it comes time for her to put pen to paper. well, more accurately, she was drawing doodles in the blank pages for lack of actual words. though she has previously considered herself to have no artistic talent in light of her life's focus being on sports and academia, with no room for the arts, with how many times she's pored over the contents of her dreams and memories of Yang Xiao Long's life it has become a habit of hers to commit as many of those details in writing when she had the time. this seemed to be as good of a time as ever to practice, too. she won't be telling "her" story but "a story related to her".

the first page starts off simple with a few crude circles done to get a feel for the quill's tip. she then drew out a circle with a good chunk of it torn out of the side, bits of it spread out or floating in the empty arc. just like that eerie second moon that showed up after Halloween passed and the rest of the sky turned to normal. Jen has seen that a couple of times before but did not think it would manifest in the sky in this reality, much less beside the "proper" moon from Earth. yikes.

the second page is cluttered with various half-started sketches of shapes and scribbles, shaped like teardrops or circles with details drawn in a shaky hand. one looks like a heart but it's bathed in flames. the second is close to an upside-down version of it, darker and with the ink lines flowing up up like wisps of smoke. or is it water flowing upward? the third is a snowflake; or a ninja star. it's meant to be symmetrical but she just doesn't have the technique down to make it come out good. the fourth is a flower blooming wild but, again, it could just look like a crumbled up ball of paper for all Jen could replicate the image in her mind. a fifth is some kind of fluted rod in the center of concentric circles. a lance? a burning torch?

the last is the clearest, despite it not being the simplest. it looked to be a winged shape drawn with gear patterns inside. sprockets. it might even look to some like a stylized eye. when Jen finishes it she stares at it hard, completely absorbed in examining it for any type of recollection. she may not immediately react to someone approaching her in the middle or end of the sketching session. but if they don't speak up first, she'll definitely stand up when the shapes fly up and off the page, out of the door, and then new voices and sounds can be made out as coming from outside the cabin. ]


[ Wildcard ]
((OOC: I've limited the prompts a bit in an effort to keep each scenario unique and not overwhelm myself either. if you've got any other ideas/requests? PM or hit me up on simplypip!))

iii-a

[me_matey]

You always read like more of a dragon, to me. [ May shrugged, not thinking much of anything she'd seen so far. She'd definitely seen too much Retrospec nonsense to be disturbed so far, and had no reason to panic. Still, she'd brought her anchor with her, so she was ready... just in case. ]

Let's get scootin' to that palace or whatever.

[standalonehuman]

I: Return to Haunted Mansion

When the four areas had vanished, Togusa's first instinct was to go towards Pesgare. He's always had a soft spot for the area. But then when he realized that the area was now the Spinnato Family Mansion, his immediate reaction was closer to no no let me out of here Dante told me about this place kami above I don't want to NO.

That attitude has shifted, however, when nothing in the grounds is attacking him. No death traps, no mystery games, nothing dangerous at all. So, instead, Togusa has started turning a sympathetic ear towards the ghosts. He knows of the murders that took place here, but it sems no one wants to talk directly about it. But he'll listen to any story that they have to tell him in place of that one. He has yet to notice how he is blending in to the area.

Spinnato's family are dead, therefore now, the dead are his family. In a way, it makes some sense.

II: An Officer's Charge

While the 'trap' field wasn't so bad, Togusa is exhausted by the time he gets to the door, and the knocker. He has to lean against the porch railing to catch his breath.

The knocker's question is a curious one, and Togusa looks at it in confusion, because he knows what answer it is seeking.

"It's not actually the motto of Recolle's department, more of a popular thing from the movies. But the answer you're looking for is 'Protect and Serve.'"

There is a silence before the knocker responds. Correct. But what do those words truly mean to you?

The door swings open for Togusa, allowing him entrance. But further challenges await the man inside.

III: Once Upon A Time

Togusa has come here with a friend, the ghost of Ethel has followed him here, once he discovered what the point of this area was. But to convince her to stay, it seems Togusa will have to start to tell a story. What part of his life is worth telling? Something exciting, an anecdote of being an officer?

Or, would it hurt to write something else?

The words are on the page before he can stop himself.

Once upon a time, there was a man who was alone (Hitori). Until one day, into his life came a light (Hikari)."

The story begins to animate, in bright colors in response to the childishness of the wording and the wish behind it. The two figures of Togusa and his daughter appear in the forest, waiting for further instruction.

Something about Ethel looks very sad when she looks at them.

Wildcard:

[OOC: I would love to also do something for IV, but helping out someone else's shadow or dealing with the banshee. Togusa has already dealt with the illusion of himself, and Mariko literally shattered it last time, so we don't need to do that again.]

I

[thisloveisjustice]

At first, Tatsuo didn't realize whose house this was. Or had been. It was a bit on the old side, but they don't exactly make houses in this style anymore. It's only when he looks more closely at the portraits and busts that he realizes what family had lived here.

His first thought is to leave. But then the ghosts start talking to him. They're warm and friendly and nothing like the creepy butler or the angry nanny he saw in Dante's nightmare. Is this what the Spinatto home had been like before the twins were murdered?

Tatsuo allows the ghosts to draw him deeper into the house, where he spots someone who looks... familiar, if dressed a little differently than usual. And is he... a little grey?

"Hey, Hitori?"

Rinka Urushiba | Tokyo ESP | TDM

[psykick]

II -- obstacles in my way

Why Rinka decided to explore to the east, she's not exactly sure. But here she is, standing on the threshold. As she steps through into the training yard, she looks around, curious. There is a building at the end of a long path, but as she steps toward it... the ground beneath her feet suddenly gives way.

"Yahhh!"

Rinka throws herself forward, catching the edge of the pit, and dangles for a few seconds. As she hastily claws her way back to solid ground, she hears a whistling noise and instinctively dives forward. A series of darts prick the ground behind her, and Rinka feels a chill go down her spine.

She doesn't have time to think about it as the ground begins to rumble. Rinka clambers to her feet and starts running. When a section of ground suddenly thrusts upward in her path, Rinka jumps over it like a hurdle. Only to have to throw herself to the ground and roll as wooden spears suddenly shoot from the trees.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!! What is this place?!"

Worst obstacle course ever.

VI -- lost in this maze

Maybe after her experience in Mahoney's house, Rinka would have skipped on exploring any of the other directions. But here she is in the north, lost as can be inside Vanderweele's castle. Also ridiculously cold, despite the fact she's wearing a winter jacket, hat, and gloves.

As she wanders the halls, Rinka hugs her arms around herself and wishes she'd just stayed home. Deeper and deeper into the castle she goes, until she finds herself in a long hallway with a single door at the end. She looks up at the wolf emblem, then pulls the door open to find a large round room.

And a new exploration buddy.

BONUS

Now this is more like it. The ghosts are gone and the city is prepping for the holidays. With a small internal scream, Rinka realizes it's just a little over a month until Christmas and she still hasn't found a gift for her mother. Which... she always has a hard time shopping for her mother, so no surprise there. But that doesn't mean she'll stop trying to find something.

So you're likely to find Rinka at The Towers, roving from shop to shop as she tries to find something for the woman who already has everything. Sometimes she's looking at jewelry or handbags, sometimes she's looking at expensive scarves or other accessories. But nothing seems quite right.

Or you might find her at the petting zoo when the stress of shopping finally gets to her and she needs to relax. Please excuse her while she cuddles this bunny.

[ ooc: Rinka's workshop is here. Actually going to try to app her this month b/c I don't want to wait until January anymore. Prompt IV has the option of encountering Dark!Rinka, who is basically Rinka with no connection to her morals or sense of pain. Luckily, since AU!Rinka doesn't have her powers or martial arts skills back yet... neither does Dark!Rinka. She's just cold and ruthless. ]

iv

[echoing_sutras]

[ Oh? Oh! Someone she knew from school! She and Rinka might not have known each other well, really just classmates at best, but at least a familiar face brought some comfort in the dread and cold of the castle. Kyouko called out to her, dashing over, the always present guitar case strapped to her back. ]

Yo! You have any idea what's going on here?

[flametheif40]

2a) riddling fiddle sticks

[After Al managed to get away from the traps, with a mixture of caution and...just somehow being able to upright dodge/cut the occasional dart. Knocks on the door and gets the following Riddle]

"I can bring tears to your eyes and a smile to your face. I form in an instant and last for a lifetime, but I can be forgotten. What am I?"

[Al thinks about it for a bit when he turns to whoever happens to be alongside him]

I'm kinda thinking Dreams, those can be made in a moment, remembered for a lifetime but forgotten, what do you think?

2b)HEADS!

[When Al discovers the training yard he gets to work. For some reason, he has discovered he can just, react, super fast. Sometimes he barely registers what his own body has done before, things...happen. He tries to strike as fast as he can react, but no luck. He punches the dummy in frustration, watch out! There is a dummy head going toward you!]

OH CRAP! HEADS!


4a) Getting lost
[Al walks in the castle and is freezing, utterly shivering. When he sees that he has a companion he smiles]

Hey there, so...question, if I were to light up, do you think we will be able to breathe? I'm thinking about setting myself on fire, it's safer then it sounds.

4b) Come to the dark side, we have pie!

[Honestly, Al wanted to get rid of the creepy shadow thing in the mirrors.

So naturally, you hear mirrors shatter and feel the room getting hotter.

When you get closer to the source you will find Al, knife drawn and ready to fight..against a silky shadow version of himself which you probably heard laughing maniaclly]

"You really ARE stupid! You try sooo hard for nothing. Don't you think he is the shadiest guy around?"

[The shadow looks at YOU when he asked the question, laughing.]

Wild

If you want to go off script a bit, I'm chill with that. Or if you want to plot something, inbox me or plurk me Contact:flametheif40

[invocate]

II -- let's get down to business

[Li-Na first instinct was to go west, toward Bosuma. But instead, she goes east, looking for Respatrum. As she steps over the threshold, she yelps as her head is nearly taken off by a log swinging down from the trees.]

What the--

[No time to finish that question as other traps start to spring to life. Li-Na's boots give her in advantage, in that she's able to move fast than most people and jump higher too. So when the ground starts to give way beneath her about halfway across the training yard, she's able to jump to safety. Only to land with one boot on a bear trap. Thank goodness the Innocence is so hard?

Smashing the bear trap with her other boot, Li-Na leaps up again, thinking to simply speed her way across the rest of the yard... only to find herself tumbling back down to the ground when a large and heavy net drops down from the trees.

Help a girl out?]


III -- everyone has a story

[Li-Na has been here once before, so she quickly escapes the cut-out stories and heads to the cottage. There had been a book that had called to her, and she'd been a little curious about it. Pulling it down from the shelf, she looks at her name on the cover. Not 'Li-Na Yiu,' but her proper name.

姚丽娜

She looks at the quill in her hand, then at the tapestry of Myrtle Cavendish. Tell her story, huh?

She looks over her shoulder, to make sure she's alone, then finds a jar of black ink. Setting this down on the floor, she seats herself next to it, and opens the book to write. Her story comes out in Chinese, not English, the honzi flowing from her quill to spread across the page. Somehow, the book still understood. Out in the clearing in front of the house, figures begin to take shape. A couple with a son, about twelve years old.]

Once upon a time, there was a small family. A mother, a father, and a son. The parents were happy, proud of their son who was so smart. Then one day, the mother received surprising news. She was pregnant, with a little girl. The mother was overjoyed, having given up long ago on her hopes for a daughter. After several months, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. They named her Li-Na, using the characters for 'elegant' and 'graceful,' for that was their hope for their child, for her to grow into an elegant and graceful woman.


bonus -- holiday crunch time

[With the ghost trying to steal her life and job safely rehomed, Li-Na feels like she can finally concentrate on the upcoming holidays: Thanksgiving (still new to her, but it's food + family/friends, so she's there), Christmas (purely commercial for her, but she loves giving gifts), and New Years (not the best New Years, but fireworks!).

So she's a bit all over the place toward the end of the month. In Chata shopping at Freshens or Union Grocery for ingredients. In Viea Village at the Farmer's Market, looking for (surprise) fresh ingredients and fun handmade crafts that might do for Christmas gifts. Or in Tisse, shopping at the Towers, looking for something nice to send her brother for Christmas.]


[ ooc: want to do something else with Li-Na? HMU @ anacrusis ]

[nachetanya]

I: Natalia and the strangely relaxing pool
[ Taking the southern door, the blonde woman didn't really know what to expect. Not really. The last two months - hell, the last five months - have been so weird an exhausting that she was just somewhat resigned to the idea that it would be a fight. She didn't have on her armor or anything (hell, didn't even have her rapier) but she did have a little pocket knife she could use as a focus for her abilities. ... Not that she needed to. No, instead, as she walks arounds this place with a certain amount of awe, she hums a little bit, eventually even putting the knife back in her purse. The words are nice even if -

It's weird that it's so monochrome. It's only once she realizes she's in some sort of sort of outfit that she ditches the hat immediately with a little sigh. How did- why did? ]

... I couldn't have a dress? I suppose I wouldn't want one in this style...

[ Anyone want to enjoy her company for the dinner and/or koi fish, see if we can't regain color. ]

III: Storybrooke

A: ... Oh, I don't know this one, I don't think.

[ She says out loud. She's run through a few stories, defying her role in them but running right back into it with abandon the minute the chance presented itself. It was pretty fun! But now she's... in some sort of spider attire? Or maybe you are, and either way, you're standing before some elaborately designed blu-ish god like figure. ]

B: [ But when she makes it to the house here- writing your own stories... huh. Natalia frowns a little at it, but ends up testing out writing something which had been in the back of her mind for a while now, she writes Dozzu's name. And then, surprisingly, the words form into a strange squirrel-dog. Surprised, she gasps and takes a half-step back. Wha...t? ]

Bonus
[ Feel free to wildcard me some other prompts if you like? But once they're back in the city, Natalia has a family Thanksgiving that she's barely prepared for at all. She groans to herself, running a hand down her face before setting off at a breakneck pace to try to collect ingredients to make vegetarian stuffing and maybe some sort of cider mix. Or was she invited to more than one? Should she confirm with some friends...

Not her favorite holiday, but one which did bring her happiness as a child, she does try to belatedly get into the spirit of things. ]

I

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot too had been expecting a fight, not because he wanted one, but because that how it always seems to go. So he feels a little stunned to find such a nice family scene. and even more so when they change into such Victorian clothing.

he feels a little out of place]

I feel like we're on the set for Downtown Abbey...

[matchbreaker]

II:

A: "Thousands of ears I have side by side, yet there's not a thing I can hear. What am I?"

[ Elda repeats this one more time, having bugged the door to repeat it for her again. Her face just has a look of "really?" on it as she looks for something to anthropomorphize the door with. She... doesn't have a good answer? What is she even supposed to say here? Like? Really? Ugh. Okay. She--- mmm. ... The small woman is stumped ]

B: [ If/when she finally makes it inside though, Elda's... well, she's not in her element per se, but she can keep up with this training with the best of them, darting around and then putting a hand clean through one of the dummies, frowning as she does and looking at her ever longer nails and sighing. ]

These things really are going to end up claws...

IV:
[ Now this one?

... This one Elda doesn't even begin to move down the hall of mirrors in until she's got a buddy? She in fact waits somewhat impatiently for one unless someone came with her, but either way, she cautions them they ought to be careful, but let's go together. Strength in numbers or ... something. Right? Yeah. Probably. ]

Bonus
[ Elda has two sons and some found family beside (about half on the network, half off the network) with which she intends to spend thanksgiving. But she's been weighing sending out and extended invitation and the mouth had really made her loose track of time. Feel free to wildcard her if you want but for the most part she'll be just returning her her manor to finish prep but also lamenting she can no longer eat any of it.

... So it's an annoying formality that sees her pouting around midnight in the park in Veia Village on Thanksgiving. ]

IV

[beastenderblood]

[Hell, Vella's got nothing better going on, she'll just follow whatever this lady's doing. Peeking inside the halls.]

Is this the part where we chase down a serial killer at a carnival or...?

[long_live_the_queen]

I.

[To be honest, Lucy didn't know what, exactly, the Spinnato Manor looked like—she'd heard about it, and expected an ominous, creepy murder house. This was not one of those things. She'd spent some time lurking outside the grand windows, peering through the warmly lit glass. Then a ghost invited her in, unprompted—no, welcomed.

And Lucy had followed, her usual paranoia strangely absent. Being reminded of what an outsider she was made her feel...complicated. Usually bad. But not this time.

She wasn't making an effort to hide her presence in the house. But she was harder to spot now. Her hair wasn't pink, her eyes weren't red; both had faded into a nondescript grey. Her horns were still in place, though, sticking out of her hair as they always did.

Lucy wandered a number of places around the estate; near an open window, outside in the gardens, on a dock jutting out into the lagoon. Always places where there was a bit of a breeze—where the whispers were loudest. You've come a long way—Minako's voice. I'm proud of you—fainter, but unmistakably her mother. Even the little girl in her memories, excitedly exclaiming how amazing her powers were to see—not how scary or unnatural they were.

There was a faint smile on Lucy's monochromatic face while she watched the koi or the scenery without seeing them at all.

Occasionally, though, she definitely was paying attention to the fish. Her expression was more focused, though her voice still seemed to have the edges filed off.]

Think we're supposed to catch them?

III.

[Lucy was glad she hadn't brought Noriko with her. Though the dog had seemed to have gotten used to many strange things lately, being swarmed by bear cubs and deer and birds would probably be a bit much to handle. As it was, the puppy would probably be very interested in her shoes and probably attack the laces later.

Her owner, however, was delighted. Smiling in a way that didn't move her mouth but crinkled her eyes, Lucy didn't even glare at any witnesses while she scratched a wolf pup's big ears. Birds perched contentedly on her shoulders while she knelt there, and a small monkey had clambered up her arm. She was kind of hogging the animals in this part of the woods.]

You're cute.

[Markedly less cute, though, was the hatchet stuck in a stump nearby. It was almost in arm's reach.]

[Wildcard]

[For your third option needs!]

i

[echoing_sutras]

With your powers, it should be easy, right?

[ Ever since last month, Kyouko's warmed up considerably to her former foster-sister. She spent more time trying to hang out with her outside of school, to find some way to connect to her maybe with her music. And to just... understand Lucy better, because she'd done so much for her already.

But she also knew she didn't know the first thing about fishing. ]

[manufactured]

[III.]
[Have you ever suddenly been made aware of how monumentally you may have fucked up?

Wesker is first alerted to this when the words he's written down - Tell your story, young one, he'd been told, like that wasn't going to encourage him to do exactly that - leave through that door in a swirling mass; he's still holding that book pressed up against his chest as he does, watching what his own words have created take form and life - and the courtyard he's created is very dark and the silhouette of a mansion rises up in the darkness, settled into the trees like it belongs there, and this is...

Well, it certainly is, anyway, and it really needs to not be? Or at least it could stand to be a little less.

You're welcome to find him making his way up the steps to that mansion in the woodlands, still holding the book close to his body and...trying very hard to disregard the sort of unholy growling noises coming from within.]


[IV.]
[He doens't know why he keeps allowing himself to be drawn north.

The north and the west are two directions that almost never bode well; just the same, north is where it occurs to him to go, and the cold in the castle is unpleasant but it's bearable - far more bearable, perhaps, than plenty of other places he's been, more bearable than Magatus and the wolves, more bearable than those fever-marks that refused to go away, blossoming like Uroboros' cores over his chest.

No, this is...empty, and the emptiness isn't nice and honestly, he could do without the weeping but all of this is tolerable, and it will remain tolerable until the end of that hallway, and the man is... Wesker doesn't quite know where he goes off to because his own reflection is suddenly sitting right in front of him, dark sunglasses obscuring his eyes but just the same Wesker can tell there's something about this person that isn't...right.

There's a chair that he's sitting in, high-backed and almost regal in appearance, his legs crossed idly at the knee and his hands folded in his lap; when he speaks, his words are just as cold as the rest of this place.

"How quaint it is, that you think you can save the others from this place."

The shadow, the former reflection, tips his head a little bit toward whomever's with Wesker now, whomever else is seeing this; his expression shifts a little into something almost vaguely amused.

"I had to give up everything for what I have. My humanity, any chance I may have had for a normal life; even my beautiful members of S.T.A.R.S. weren't worth keeping in the end. Not when compared to what I stood to gain in the end.

"If you want your freedom, you're welcome to it. All you have to do is leave your little friend with me. I'll take better care of them than you ever could... And who knows? Perhaps I'll give them a higher purpose. After all, if you like them, perhaps that means they can still be worth something."]


[Bonus.]
[It feels...strange, knowing the ghosts are gone again.

Wesker is fine, of course, because he almost always is; he doesn't tend to let himself be affected by very much. One keeps moving forward because they have to, rather than because they want to; it's just sort of the way of things.

However, that doesn't mean he won't be found in the cemetery from time to time for the last bit of the month; there's one grave he keeps coming back to in particular, spending long periods of time there and not leaving until the sun is settling low on the horizon.

He doesn't seem sad; just...distant. Sometimes he has flowers with him; not the ones that Jaeger used to leave at the ofrenda, but bright yellow asters of some sort. Trixis, maybe.

Asters have been weirdly important to him lately; he imagines his father would understand.]


[Wildcard.]
[If there's anything else you want to do, feel free to either throw down a starter here or hit me at InstantEternity; I'm flexible. o/]

IV

[thesettingsun]

No.

[Shuji's thoughts on past selves are different from Wesker's, and he acknowledges that - plenty of people don't have the bitter hatred Shuji does of his past self, even when they probably deserve it, and that's okay.

But Shuji's thoughts on his past life don't affect his response, because there's only one response he could possibly give. Only one result is even worth thinking about.]

Wesker and I are leaving this place together.

[He edges closer to the real Wesker, with one hand on the book in his satchel.]

[thisloveisjustice]

II -- train the body, train the mind

[Tatsuo likes Mahoney's house. Sure, the training yard was a bit of a surprise at first. He nearly lost a limb or two getting across the first time, but once he realized the whole place was basically one, big obstacle course... he kind of got into it. Yeah, it's not exactly the safest obstacle course, but it's challenging enough that he goes back a second time. And then a third.

It's on his third run when he notices something different. While on the second floor of the house a training dummy pops out of a wall. And instead of simply knocking it back... he ends up punching it through the wall.]

Huh.

[Tatsuo looks down at his hand. Interesting. He'd already noticed he felt energized whenever he visited the house, but this... was a bit more than that.]


IV -- tell me what you see

[While some of his more fashion forward friends might call the blue coat gaudy, Tatsuo had found it to be quite warm. But apparently not warm enough for Vanderweele's castle. By the time he makes his way to the round room, he can see his breath in the air and his hands are dug deep into the pockets of his coat. And he's still feeling cold.

He knows he shouldn't have gone in alone. But he'd only meant to take a quick look around and then maybe go find someone else to explore this pile of stone. But no, the entrance had simply ceased to exist the moment he turned his back on it, and he knows he really shouldn't have been at all surprised.

So when he finally encounters someone else and finds himself staring down a hallway of mirrors, he scowls a little. Yeah, this isn't going to end well. The last time he walked down a corridor with mirrors he ended up fighting chimeras. He looks over at the other person and resolves to get out of this stupid castle in one piece.]

We should probably stick together from this point.


wildcard

[ if there's anything else you want to do w/ Tatsuo LMK! anacrusis Also, prompt IV will feature shadow!Tatsuo. ]

iv

[me_matey]

[ May was not often one made afraid of things, but staring down that hall of mirrors definitely made her stomach sink. She'd already scolded Tatsuo about going it alone in the first place and had no will to "NO DUH" him at the moment, her hand moving to grip at the anchor strapped to her bag. ]

Y-ye... right behind you, niichan... [ She hadn't called him that since they were very young... ]