Recollé Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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repeter2019-01-17 05:32 pm
recollecters) wrote in repeter2019-01-17 05:32 pm
(no subject)
EVENT + TDM
PREMISE • RULES • FAQ • TAKEN • RESERVES • APPLICATIONS
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
I. - CURRENT PLAYERS + TDMERS
It's been days since the firewall took over the city of Recollé. The heat is still present even in mid-January and though the wall has consumed much of the outer edges of the city, the buildings and innerworkings of each district are unaffected and still standing tall. Firefighters are working endlessly to try and put out the flames and combat the issue, but the flames only begin to lessen as Retrospec users work together to curb the fire and stop it from spreadng.
This might be the time to jump in and help. Previously, you may have tried to help and found your efforts futile. Those new to the app may even have found themselves thinking the flames were best left to the professionals once the assessment was made that there would be minimal damage. However, there seems to be a power tied to that new app on your phone. Should you attempt to help put out the flames, your efforts shall be rewarded and a pathway will open into a tunnel of fire with a series of doors spread before you.
With many of you finding your way through the firewall and unlocking the doors within, progress is being made to wear down the security measures. Points in the wall will begin to crumble under touch alone and rows and rows of doors begin to appear. The flames are starting to die down outside, but it becomes clear that it's not just a few chambers you must explore. Several thousands of doors are scattered amongst the flames waiting for you to approach. Luckily you won't have to open all of them. The silver doors loom in the distance, but thanks to the efforts of the last two weeks, identifying the doors is much easier than before.
While several of the doors that have been opened are easy to navigate, users will come to find that as they approach a new door an error message will appear and block the path to the door. These messages will not appear on doors that do not contain keys, though this pattern may not be obvious at first. Sometimes the messages will appear just by walking in any of the cardinal directions inside the fire tunnel, popping up right in front of your face and forcing you to walk straight into them. These pop-ups can be dismantled via physical force or magic, though you may wish to be careful. Anyone who directly touches these messages will find themselves…multiplying? Oh dear. Two, three, or even four copies of yourself will appear and begin to wander off not only in the tunnels but back through the wall and out in the city of Recollé. Users who are split apart will have to round up all versions of themselves to become whole again, and the clones themselves will be more than happy to wander as they please, posing as you and attempting to deter others from progressing. Good luck getting them to stop.
It's been days since the firewall took over the city of Recollé. The heat is still present even in mid-January and though the wall has consumed much of the outer edges of the city, the buildings and innerworkings of each district are unaffected and still standing tall. Firefighters are working endlessly to try and put out the flames and combat the issue, but the flames only begin to lessen as Retrospec users work together to curb the fire and stop it from spreadng.
This might be the time to jump in and help. Previously, you may have tried to help and found your efforts futile. Those new to the app may even have found themselves thinking the flames were best left to the professionals once the assessment was made that there would be minimal damage. However, there seems to be a power tied to that new app on your phone. Should you attempt to help put out the flames, your efforts shall be rewarded and a pathway will open into a tunnel of fire with a series of doors spread before you.
With many of you finding your way through the firewall and unlocking the doors within, progress is being made to wear down the security measures. Points in the wall will begin to crumble under touch alone and rows and rows of doors begin to appear. The flames are starting to die down outside, but it becomes clear that it's not just a few chambers you must explore. Several thousands of doors are scattered amongst the flames waiting for you to approach. Luckily you won't have to open all of them. The silver doors loom in the distance, but thanks to the efforts of the last two weeks, identifying the doors is much easier than before.
While several of the doors that have been opened are easy to navigate, users will come to find that as they approach a new door an error message will appear and block the path to the door. These messages will not appear on doors that do not contain keys, though this pattern may not be obvious at first. Sometimes the messages will appear just by walking in any of the cardinal directions inside the fire tunnel, popping up right in front of your face and forcing you to walk straight into them. These pop-ups can be dismantled via physical force or magic, though you may wish to be careful. Anyone who directly touches these messages will find themselves…multiplying? Oh dear. Two, three, or even four copies of yourself will appear and begin to wander off not only in the tunnels but back through the wall and out in the city of Recollé. Users who are split apart will have to round up all versions of themselves to become whole again, and the clones themselves will be more than happy to wander as they please, posing as you and attempting to deter others from progressing. Good luck getting them to stop.
II. - CURRENT PLAYERS + TDMERS
The pop-ups aren't the only issue users will begin to experience the longer they linger in the wall. As Retrospec users continue navigating these routes and clearing the paths needed to break down the firewall, things begin to grow a little more difficult to manage. Though the passages of the doors appear to be fine and users can enter new areas to obtain keys, it seems as though there's something bigger that wants to stop the progress occurring.
Users with Retrospec-given abilities will find difficulty in using their powers in ways they've never experienced before. Superstrength gives out after two seconds while shapeshifting will leave you stuck in that form for three days. Magic is on the fritz and spells will backfire, kicking back and damaging yourself for every spell you attempt to use. A small ball of light will escape your fingertips, draining you of your abilities and gifting them to someone else temporarily (though they won't know how to control them the way you do.) The trouble with it all is that no method is the same, and even if you experience a glitch once an outside force will change the consequences so they do not repeat.
You may think to check your phone for answers. Can you Google how to fix your own powers? While a search engine won't be of any use, users will find that the Retrospec app's logo has a new, upgraded appearance. Five of the eight inner petals have will appear gray in color while the remaining three are untouched. A sixth petal is colored halfway in. Should a user activate the app while in the city, they will find that everything around them will pause in a freezeframe. Birds will stop mid-flight, cars will be stopped in the middle of intersections, firehoses will have frozen arches of water aimed to the flames…everything is perfectly still save for other users.
As for those who activate the app inside the firewall, time will become fluid and change around you. Everything seems to move at hyperspeed, actions on fast-forward and time skipping ahead. Your actions will also be at the speed of light, and should you manage to accomplish your goals inside the wall and beyond the doors, a return to the city will show that much more time has passed than you anticipated. Hours or even days have escaped you even if it felt like no time at all.
With some trial and error, users can discover that a hard reset of their phone and re-opening the app will undo these effects. However, it may not be so easy seeing how the app will appear and disappear intermittently. Be quick; you may miss it if you blink.
The pop-ups aren't the only issue users will begin to experience the longer they linger in the wall. As Retrospec users continue navigating these routes and clearing the paths needed to break down the firewall, things begin to grow a little more difficult to manage. Though the passages of the doors appear to be fine and users can enter new areas to obtain keys, it seems as though there's something bigger that wants to stop the progress occurring.
Users with Retrospec-given abilities will find difficulty in using their powers in ways they've never experienced before. Superstrength gives out after two seconds while shapeshifting will leave you stuck in that form for three days. Magic is on the fritz and spells will backfire, kicking back and damaging yourself for every spell you attempt to use. A small ball of light will escape your fingertips, draining you of your abilities and gifting them to someone else temporarily (though they won't know how to control them the way you do.) The trouble with it all is that no method is the same, and even if you experience a glitch once an outside force will change the consequences so they do not repeat.
You may think to check your phone for answers. Can you Google how to fix your own powers? While a search engine won't be of any use, users will find that the Retrospec app's logo has a new, upgraded appearance. Five of the eight inner petals have will appear gray in color while the remaining three are untouched. A sixth petal is colored halfway in. Should a user activate the app while in the city, they will find that everything around them will pause in a freezeframe. Birds will stop mid-flight, cars will be stopped in the middle of intersections, firehoses will have frozen arches of water aimed to the flames…everything is perfectly still save for other users.
As for those who activate the app inside the firewall, time will become fluid and change around you. Everything seems to move at hyperspeed, actions on fast-forward and time skipping ahead. Your actions will also be at the speed of light, and should you manage to accomplish your goals inside the wall and beyond the doors, a return to the city will show that much more time has passed than you anticipated. Hours or even days have escaped you even if it felt like no time at all.
With some trial and error, users can discover that a hard reset of their phone and re-opening the app will undo these effects. However, it may not be so easy seeing how the app will appear and disappear intermittently. Be quick; you may miss it if you blink.
III. - CURRENT PLAYERS ONLY
It seems a bit suspicious that Retrospec's gone quiet throughout all of this, doesn't it. There hasn't been word from the company since Joanne's last message about the firewall, and as usual any attempt to contact the company is futile. The message from delta#02018329 on the 13th was the last form of communication from anyone tied to Retrospec and since then all has been quiet. The animal guides from before are hard at work helping users discover new paths and find the keys, knowing they need to work quickly.
On the 24th, the firewall begins coming down in large chunks, falling away and shattering into embers when destroyed by an established user. The wall reveals the lines of doors surrounding the city and as of this date the temperature begins to drop again. Good job, users. You've almost fully dismantled the blockade. However, the wall isn't finished yet.
Beginning on this day as well, established users will become public enemy number one for the operator of the wall. A string of bad luck begins to follow you in an attempt to deter you from finishing your task of destroying this wall. Ranging from small feats such as misplacing your phone to larger feats such as removing all doors and windows from a building you're in, these attempts can be easily broken with enough willpower or simply waiting it out. For the truly unlucky, even NPCs will grow suspicious of you and begin to question you, asking you what's changed about you and why you and only you are the one who can put out the flames when the fire department has been working so hard.
Most importantly, however, are the small showers of green sparks that will appear over the city, sprinkling on you from overhead and dousing you in an invisible sheen. An equally invisible force feels as though it's pulling you down quickly despite standing in one place, and when the feeling passes…well. You may wonder what this strange app is on your phone and why you have it. It's new, isn't it? Wonder what it could be. You've never heard of Retrospec before, you think, but it can't be that interesting.
Perhaps you haven't slipped that far. You may be one of those who finds yourself with gaps in your memory, or items on-hand you don't quite recall having before. Images will flash through your mind even if you can't pinpoint where you've experienced these things before. And, of course, there's the fact that you may even literally slip between layers in the city, entering a door in the firewall and falling down into a plain white room. This washed-out castle-esque hall will make navigation difficult as the doorway to return blends into the walls. It only takes a trick of jogging your memory and recalling your true purpose to outline the door. What does it mean to jog your memory? This can be anything from sharing a memory you don't understand to showing off an item or ability and brainstorming its purpose. You will only understand the truth and remember everything upon leaving this castle, but until then? Time to brainstorm.
It seems a bit suspicious that Retrospec's gone quiet throughout all of this, doesn't it. There hasn't been word from the company since Joanne's last message about the firewall, and as usual any attempt to contact the company is futile. The message from delta#02018329 on the 13th was the last form of communication from anyone tied to Retrospec and since then all has been quiet. The animal guides from before are hard at work helping users discover new paths and find the keys, knowing they need to work quickly.
On the 24th, the firewall begins coming down in large chunks, falling away and shattering into embers when destroyed by an established user. The wall reveals the lines of doors surrounding the city and as of this date the temperature begins to drop again. Good job, users. You've almost fully dismantled the blockade. However, the wall isn't finished yet.
Beginning on this day as well, established users will become public enemy number one for the operator of the wall. A string of bad luck begins to follow you in an attempt to deter you from finishing your task of destroying this wall. Ranging from small feats such as misplacing your phone to larger feats such as removing all doors and windows from a building you're in, these attempts can be easily broken with enough willpower or simply waiting it out. For the truly unlucky, even NPCs will grow suspicious of you and begin to question you, asking you what's changed about you and why you and only you are the one who can put out the flames when the fire department has been working so hard.
Most importantly, however, are the small showers of green sparks that will appear over the city, sprinkling on you from overhead and dousing you in an invisible sheen. An equally invisible force feels as though it's pulling you down quickly despite standing in one place, and when the feeling passes…well. You may wonder what this strange app is on your phone and why you have it. It's new, isn't it? Wonder what it could be. You've never heard of Retrospec before, you think, but it can't be that interesting.
Perhaps you haven't slipped that far. You may be one of those who finds yourself with gaps in your memory, or items on-hand you don't quite recall having before. Images will flash through your mind even if you can't pinpoint where you've experienced these things before. And, of course, there's the fact that you may even literally slip between layers in the city, entering a door in the firewall and falling down into a plain white room. This washed-out castle-esque hall will make navigation difficult as the doorway to return blends into the walls. It only takes a trick of jogging your memory and recalling your true purpose to outline the door. What does it mean to jog your memory? This can be anything from sharing a memory you don't understand to showing off an item or ability and brainstorming its purpose. You will only understand the truth and remember everything upon leaving this castle, but until then? Time to brainstorm.
IV. - TDMERS ONLY
It's a little alarming to suddenly wake up and have a brand new app on your phone that connects you to a special group of people, isn't it? This may not be what you were expecting, but the Retrospec app seems harmless even if it's a bit unusual. With the power necessary to help combat the flames, perhaps you're the type who isn't even worried about what's happening. There's a job to do, after all.
Upon opening the app for the first time though you'll receive a message from a user named Z.C.
You're probably confused right now and I get it, this is really confusing. I was confused, too. But you have to be on-guard. Looks like you're a fresh target.
That's an ominous warning, and yet nothing comes from it for several days. In fact, it isn't until the 25th that those words hold some weight. It seems that there's someone out there who doesn't feel like you belong. No matter where you stand or what's happening for you at that given moment, at the stroke of midnight a large crater will open beneath you and swallow you whole, sending you straight down. The fall feels endless but as you land you'll find yourself standing on barren, gray ground surrounded by a black night sky, spiderweb cracks spreading from the center and moving outward. The world around you is dark and above you you can hear the sounds of the city and the people in it. The sounds of your fellow app-users combatting the wall of fire and even some of the ongoings of what's happening to them beyond the doors echo in this dark chamber.
The space around you is dead. There isn't a single sign of life sans what looks like a large, 80-foot whale skeleton. Even that appears abandoned, though there are footprints in the dirt near the creature's mouth. You aren't the first to arrive, but getting back will be the trick of it all. Someone wants you hidden away, but finding a clever way to reach out to those in the layer beyond will grant you an exit. Shouting, throwing items on hand, anything you can think of to create a diversion and draw attention to yourself may help. The louder you are, the thicker the cracks in the sky grow. It'll take a combination of people working below and people working above to break this barrier. Don't be afraid to reach out. It may be your only way back home.
It's a little alarming to suddenly wake up and have a brand new app on your phone that connects you to a special group of people, isn't it? This may not be what you were expecting, but the Retrospec app seems harmless even if it's a bit unusual. With the power necessary to help combat the flames, perhaps you're the type who isn't even worried about what's happening. There's a job to do, after all.
Upon opening the app for the first time though you'll receive a message from a user named Z.C.
You're probably confused right now and I get it, this is really confusing. I was confused, too. But you have to be on-guard. Looks like you're a fresh target.
That's an ominous warning, and yet nothing comes from it for several days. In fact, it isn't until the 25th that those words hold some weight. It seems that there's someone out there who doesn't feel like you belong. No matter where you stand or what's happening for you at that given moment, at the stroke of midnight a large crater will open beneath you and swallow you whole, sending you straight down. The fall feels endless but as you land you'll find yourself standing on barren, gray ground surrounded by a black night sky, spiderweb cracks spreading from the center and moving outward. The world around you is dark and above you you can hear the sounds of the city and the people in it. The sounds of your fellow app-users combatting the wall of fire and even some of the ongoings of what's happening to them beyond the doors echo in this dark chamber.
The space around you is dead. There isn't a single sign of life sans what looks like a large, 80-foot whale skeleton. Even that appears abandoned, though there are footprints in the dirt near the creature's mouth. You aren't the first to arrive, but getting back will be the trick of it all. Someone wants you hidden away, but finding a clever way to reach out to those in the layer beyond will grant you an exit. Shouting, throwing items on hand, anything you can think of to create a diversion and draw attention to yourself may help. The louder you are, the thicker the cracks in the sky grow. It'll take a combination of people working below and people working above to break this barrier. Don't be afraid to reach out. It may be your only way back home.
BONUS.
The firewall gave a good effort, but in the end the power behind the Retrospec users was too much to sustain it for long…or was it? On the 31st the rest of the firewall seems to crumble and turn into smoke and ash as though the force holding it up cut its losses and quit. Several wolf-shaped figures appear from the smoke and surround the city, spreading ash as far as the eye can see before running off in the direction of Magatus. A sharp crackling noise like glass shattering rings through your ears and the wall and the layer below disappear for good. Congratulations, users. It seems as though you've broken down the barriers standing in your way.
However…there's still the matter of all of this ash and dust to take care of. Grab a broom, a dustbuster or a friend. It's time to do some major clean-up on the city and get it back to normal.
For those who venture to Tisse though, looking up to the very top of the towers will show a set of windows that have been dark and dimmed for several months. As the night wears on, however, the lights begin to flicker on until the entire floor is lit. There isn't any way up to the top of the building just yet, but for every light that comes on it seems that the amount of ash lessens. Is there a correlation? Or is it just someone from above helping you out? Only time will tell.
The firewall gave a good effort, but in the end the power behind the Retrospec users was too much to sustain it for long…or was it? On the 31st the rest of the firewall seems to crumble and turn into smoke and ash as though the force holding it up cut its losses and quit. Several wolf-shaped figures appear from the smoke and surround the city, spreading ash as far as the eye can see before running off in the direction of Magatus. A sharp crackling noise like glass shattering rings through your ears and the wall and the layer below disappear for good. Congratulations, users. It seems as though you've broken down the barriers standing in your way.
However…there's still the matter of all of this ash and dust to take care of. Grab a broom, a dustbuster or a friend. It's time to do some major clean-up on the city and get it back to normal.
For those who venture to Tisse though, looking up to the very top of the towers will show a set of windows that have been dark and dimmed for several months. As the night wears on, however, the lights begin to flicker on until the entire floor is lit. There isn't any way up to the top of the building just yet, but for every light that comes on it seems that the amount of ash lessens. Is there a correlation? Or is it just someone from above helping you out? Only time will tell.
NOTES.
Welcome torecolle's January event part two!
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.
As indicated in the link above for prompt 2, if you would like us to generate a key-tracking scenario for you please sign up at the comment on the first event log!
-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 combatting the issues occurring in prompts 2+3
-One freebie memory for helping someone else combat the issues occurring in prompts 2+3
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 February are also eligible to claim this log's memory 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.
Finally, be sure to check out January's AU workshop if you haven't yet! Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
Welcome to
recolle's January event part two!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.
As indicated in the link above for prompt 2, if you would like us to generate a key-tracking scenario for you please sign up at the comment on the first event log!
-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 combatting the issues occurring in prompts 2+3
-One freebie memory for helping someone else combat the issues occurring in prompts 2+3
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 February are also eligible to claim this log's memory 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.
Finally, be sure to check out January's AU workshop if you haven't yet! Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
no subject
[Starting on the 24th, Crow's starting to notice he's not nearly as coherent as he'd like to be. It's confusing...he's been keeping himself hydrated, he's been sure to keep his own basic needs in check, and while he may have been running around constantly, he wouldn't necessarily call it OVERWORKING himself
So why's he...wait...
Where is he? What is this place?
You may find him hunched over, hand pressed against the wall with his first aid kit slung over his shoulder. His hand scrubs down his face, as if that would keep him from driving himself crazy. Should you get close enough, you can hear him, his voice thick and not nearly as jovial as it's used to being.]
What is that door...
It'll all be over soon... What does that even mean?
Ngh...
[His head, which now feels like its gonna burst, hurts him enough to sink against that wall, clutching it in hopes that the pain, and the words that keep bouncing through his cranium like bees, both subside.]
Bonus.
[With the firewall taken care of (thank god, Crow was beginning to wonder what cool air felt like again), Crow's quick to find the nearest broom to help at least sweep the ashes off the sidewalk he's on so people can walk.
What he didn't take into account was how most of his endeavors this month were fueled by adrenaline, and with all the medical work he'd done, he can feel his eyelids getting heavy.
You may or may not catch him resting his chin on that broom, starting to doze off there.
Care to help a guy home?]
[Wildcard!]
[Want to do something you don't see here? Hit me up!]
III - also hi i wrote you a novel
He notices that morning when Crow's more than a little out of it as he's trying to prep for the day, but even though he can feel worry nagging at the back of his mind, he just shakes it off. Crow's not exactly a morning person on a good day, he must just be more tired than usual. That's fair enough, anyway. He hasn't pressed too hard about things – if Crow wanted to complain about details, he would, right? – but he knows Crow's been working like crazy this whole month. Who wouldn't be tired?
He offers to help where he can. It's almost too easy to lie about why – "Well, you know. If I'm imposing on you like this the least I can do is make myself useful, yeah?" Still, aside from that, he doesn't put voice to his concerns. The worry lingers, but Rean pushes it aside as he does so many things.
It's not until late that afternoon that the worry turns into full-blown panic.
At first, he doesn't even really register what he's seeing – a mop of white hair out of the corner of his eye on the opposite side of the street. He takes a couple steps past before his brain clicks in that oh, right, white hair isn't normal, and he turns back to see who it is.
When he sees Crow hunched over by the wall, the worry that's been silently nagging at him all day blooms into a spreading ice in his veins.
He doesn't run directly across the street to him – maybe let's not get hit by a car and give the poor overworked EMT more reason to freak out, especially after his previous stunts this month – but he is quick to find a crosswalk, bolting across as soon as he's allowed and weaving through the other people on the sidewalk to make his way to his friend.]
Crow!
[He can't quite make out what Crow's muttering, but that voice is wrong coming out from his mouth. ...almost like—
No.]
Crow, are you okay?!
no subject
But Crow does recognize that voice, both memories overlapping each other to at least recognize that. With his fingers splayed across his face, he peeks between the fingers, the image not unlike a confused, caged animal.]
Rean? [It's instinctual, at least at this point.]
Where the hell are we? [But no sooner after he says that, it's like his world changes before his eyes, the confused, clouded expression now a bit clearer.]
No wait...I know where we are. It's Recolle...we're in Recolle. I thought I was in...
[And then the image of that door flashes again, it's flowery lock with an eerie blue hue that seems to pulse, and with each pulse Crow can feel his body sinking. He doesn't physically move beyond where he's sitting on the sidewalk, but from the way he grabs Rean's sleeves, you'd think he were about to fall.
Fall from something that doesn't exist.
And then.
"Go finish your speech in hell."
A gunshot, and at point blank range from the sound of it as Crow's fingers grip those sleeves even tighter, his knuckles white and eyes like a deer in the headlights.]
Get DOWN, REAN.
[His old self is at least coherent to take the safety of his friend into account, tugging him to the sidewalk and looking for their shooter.
There was none. Just the Recolle streets that became more familiar the more he looked at them. They'd seemed a million miles away just moments ago...]
no subject
He has to try. He keeps his voice as even as he can, gentle.]
Yeah, it's me. We're in Recolle, like you said. We're a few blocks away from your apartment—
[His attempt to remain calm is dashed to pieces when Crow reaches out and grabs him. It is at this point that Rean discovers that Crow is a good amount stronger than he is, because it's not like he doesn't try to offer resistance to being tugged down. Who wants to get yanked down to their knees in the middle of the sidewalk? But Crow doesn't give him a choice, and with a small yelp he's hitting the pavement beside Crow.
What the hell is going on? The only things that are clear to Rean right now are 1) his friend is panicking and 2) the thing he is panicking over doesn't appear to exist. Hallucinating? Regardless, it's not a good idea to keep him out here like this.
His own heart is racing, pounding hard in his chest, but he takes a deep breath to steel himself. Crow needs him now, and anything else is secondary.
He reaches up to place one hand on top of Crow's where it grips his sleeve, his own grip solid and reassuring. His voice is soft when he speaks again, but firm.]
Crow. Listen. I don't know what's going on, but we need to get you off the street. Do you think you can walk?
no subject
Rean hits the ground next to him almost effortlessly, to his relief, although a small part of him hates that little yelp Rean utters in the process.
He's sorry. He's so sorry, Rean.
Once Crow looks up and sees nothing, just the streets of Recolle with almost no one in sight, Crow's face only contorts into more confusion.]
I thought...
[Rean's right, he shouldn't be out on the streets like this. He's got to find some place to sit down and sort this out, without having to worry about things like the open streets.]
Yeah..Yeah I got it. Take me to the Engineering Building--
[He stops mid sentence, looking down at Rean with eyes that practically scream What's wrong with me....]
M-My apartment?
[Did he get that right?]
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He doesn't know what's wrong, Crow. He's sorry.
The Engineering Building, though? That was the place Crow had showed them in Thors, Rean remembers that clearly. That brings some clarity to at least what Crow's experiencing, if not why.]
Your apartment.
[He confirms that with the same voice as before, without an ounce of judgement. Crow should know well enough that Rean – both the one in front of him and the one in his bleeding memories – can be meek at times, but right now, he's not showing a trace of it.
Gently, he pries Crow's fingers away from his sleeve, taking that hand into his own and pushing himself to his feet without letting go. He's basically forcing Crow to take his hand to help himself up – right now, he doesn't really trust Crow's footing.]
Come on. Hold on to me, if you have to. I'll get you back, I promise.
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Rean's strong resolve and calm voice are enough to calm him down for a few moments as they start to make their way down the sidewalk towards his apartment.
Then he could at least lie down and try and collect himself. Maybe it WAS just the heat after--
"I take no joy in this--"
Crow stops dead in his tracks, the grip on Rean tightening once more as his eyes now bore holes into the sidewalk. It's as if his mind was whisked away somewhere else, lost in his thoughts as he listens to them on repeat, an echo chamber that never ends. Wherever he was looking, it sure wasn't on this Earth.
"So that's the plan if you win, huh? What about if -I- win?"]
Rean?
[His voice utters without even thinking, fingers clutching onto him as if his life depended on it.
But the voices keep coming, bombarding him and overlapping in his head.
"If you win, I'll pay up the interest I owe you on that 50 mira. Hell, we could even trade places. I'll babble on about friendship and dreams, and you can have fun for once in your life."
"You've got yourself a deal. But I hope you know what you just signed up for, because the Bank of Rean has the highest interest rate on the continent. And if we'll be trading places--"
Rean's voice, with a new tone that cut him to his core. It was so hurt, so angry..like he's holding back tears. It cuts off, for just a second, before some other memories take its place--
"You do know I'm not serious about that, right? I'm not actually keeping track of any "debt." I don't actually care. I just like having it as a joke between us. That's all. I didn't mean anything by it."
A phrase Rean hadn't even voiced, and yet he heard as clear as day. From this life...
"Then we're in agreement, huh?"
His own voice this time, despite it not being something he'd ever voiced. The memory was warm and inviting, and for a moment, Crow thinks he's bringing himself out of it--
--"don't forget you'll have a mountain of work waiting for you back at the academy... so one way or another, you'll be coming back with us, Crow!"
By this point, Crow's breath has become ragged, hand reaching up to grip his face. He wants to sit down now, to process this somewhere his legs don't have to move. But that was a luxury that had to wait until they're back at his apartment. The voices die down, thankfully, but only a momentary relief. Because now he knows something went terribly, terribly wrong in his past life. His voice was the same as the one he'd been having nightmares about, the one that time and time again was followed by a bullet that seemed to weigh more than just its mass.
Something was very, very wrong.
A typical, run-of-the-mill sob story.]
Don't worry about me--just get me to my apartment Rean, even if you have to drag me.
[Thankfully, his feet were moving autonomously, so Rean won't have to.]
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1/2
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III
And even through his own haze of issues, he'd noticed how much Crow had been pushing for himself. Trying to be there for everyone, take care of things. It's a lot of pressure to put on one person, and he felt awful that he couldn't be more help.
So when he sees Crow in pain and sinking against that wall, he's rushing over to check on him]
Crow? Crow are you okay?!
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His eyes don't even register that Elliot's even nearby until his name is called. They cast up, their usual warm, relaxed red hue is now replaced with a cold hardness not unlike the ones of a cornered animal.]
Elliot? Elliot... [So Elliot was here too? Where's Thors?
No wait, no that's not right. Elliot's his friend from Recolle. Why did he think Thors?
Why did Recolle sound so unfamiliar...]
Where are we right now?
[That'll sort his head out, right?]
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W-We're on the RU campus right now, near the student union.
[There's a beat before he clarifies]
In Recolle. Where we live?
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But Elliot's touch, warm and gentle, gets his attention, eyes fixated on him as if using him as a lightning rod--grounding him and keeping him where he needs to be.]
RU campus...Yeah, that's right. Duh.
[He laughs to himself, unable to believe he'd forget something as simple as that.]
I just thought--
[He freezes again, this time the image of that door popping up in his brain, with that flower-like lock pulsating, each time like a heartbeat.
A hand goes to his head, wincing as he tries to bide that pain again.]
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He keeps holding onto him as he starts to wince again]
H-Hey, easy now easy.
Come on, let's go somewhere quieter, okay?
[His arm will wrap around Crow's back, ready to guide this giant bird around like Crow had done for him earlier this month]
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But that pulsating feeling remains, and it's coming from...somewhere.]
Elliot.
Reach into my pocket and get out my phone.
[He'd do it himself, but his head's killing him.]
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bonus
[ He doesn't say it sharply or loudly, but it's probably enough to wake a sleepy dude up. ]
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Mm'up.
{Yeah, you sure sound like it, Crow.]
Oh hey~ Long time no see.
[Despite the hell that was this month, Crow's lips do press into a smile at seeing him.]
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Did you know, one time at my old job, a guy fell asleep while he was mopping the floor? And he lost his balance, and the top of the handle banged into his chin so hard that he bit off like half his tongue, and there was blood everywhere.
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Haha!
[Now THAT gets a smile on his face, eyes all but squinting beneath his grin.]
Is this some cautionary tale from the ghost of Janitor Past?
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It's a grim vision of your own future. And a reminder that those who have never been baristas may never truly understand the horrors we've witnessed. Your place is this way, right?
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I feel better now knowing that I only ask them for black coffee.
[Crow blearily blinks in the direction Jamie's referring to, recognizing the streets almost immediately.]
Yep, that'd be the way. Was plannin' on hittin the hay as soon as I finished. [Although 'when' is the big question there.]
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wildcard (a mix of iii + bonus???? wings it)
he was far more of a mess than recollé was, and further into the end of the month he’s quieter. he gets missions done and gets over eating everything he breaks (thank god, and he didn’t eat a clone of himself after all), but he doesn’t seek out much company. he’ll prefer to do things quietly, alone and perhaps not say much to who he’d consider friends. he was talking regularly before, but— he needs a step back.
he’s helping with cleaning, at the very least, picking up the thicker part of ashes before mopping the rest up with a bucket and a mop. he’s got a filter mask on, to help with the smell, because you know for all our health nobody should be inhaling this, and he’s also got an emergency bag pack over his shoulders. almost done here, if not completely done, and at a perfect time! it’s getting dark.
when he sees crow over there, nearly sleeping while standing . . . mmmmmmm.
he needs a mask. and maybe a break.
so eren does just that. walks over, without a word, and. sort of stands there to see if he’s actually sleeping, all while pulling out an extra mask. ]
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Surprise. There is.
His eyes flicker open more, the bags under them all but apparent as he recognizes the form as Eren Jaeger, which lets his heart rate slow back down to a normal person's pace.]
'Mmm up. [He attempts to save face for the situation, shaking his head to fully wake himself out of his groggy state.]
I see you're holdin' up after the shitshow that was this month.
[Despite his fatigue, he's at least in good enough spirits.
For now.]
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Just barely. [ . . . ] Need a ride?
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Crow takes that mask gratefully, handing off the broom to him while he puts it on, snapping the straps around the back of his head.]
...I'd say I'm good, but I'm pretty sure my point became moot the moment you found me dozing off.
Too much to ask for you to walk a guy home? We don't have to hold hands at the door or anything.
[A tease...although something tickles at the inside of his head. Something he's felt before with Elliot and Rean...
Please.
Not here... At least let him get home first.]
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let’s do things differently. ]
I could use a walk. [ fresh air, maybe not, with all this ash, but. he’s ready to walk when crow is, if he isn’t already a step or so ahead of him. ]
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I bet--fresh air sounds pretty good, especially now that it's not muggy and the smoke's clear--
[He winces. Stop that...not here. NOT. HERE.
"Go finish your speech in hell." the voice in his head rings loud and clear. HIS voice, with a cold, chilling sound to it.
"Just your run-of-the-mill sob story."
"C'mon why the long face? You look more upset about this than I do..."
Crow staggers in his walk cycle, eyes strained and a hand going to his head. No...no go away. Not again. Not n-]
...
[For a moment, he looks up at Eren, red eyes a million miles away.]
...And you are?
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