recollecters: (Default)
Recollé Mods ([personal profile] recollecters) wrote in [community profile] recolle2019-03-07 05:41 pm

March 2019 Event Log

EVENT
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Some mild animal violence (Prompt 2), grotesque monsters (Prompt 3), rabid animals (Prompt 4)
Prologue.
The liaison has made plenty of preparations and stability measures to ensure that those traveling onward will be safe. With about a week to pack and prepare, users will find that there's a stroke of luck as they begin hunting and gathering. There isn't a shortage of supplies, and anything they could think of they may possibly need for their missions outside of the city will appear right within reach.

As promised, it's the morning of the seventh that a map appears on the Retrospec app. The first map depicts the city itself and shows a starred point at the Recollé Zoo and Aquarium. There are two more points at the Atrium and at the Recollé Art Museum, though these are marked with question marks. Not long after, a new text will come through.

Portal should be good to go. Same with the map. If you can make it back to the portal while you're down there you'll transport right back to where you left. I'll see about opening a second one, but the map only goes so far. You're going to have to explore a bit to fill in the rest. We're looking at an abandoned research camp by the ocean. We're also looking for a factory in the mountains, so keep your eyes peeled. You're diving right into what was his territory, so hard to say what traps and monsters are down there. Stay sharp.

Rescue ops, buses will go out periodically. Don't worry, they'll be driving themselves. Head into the region, sweep the area, make sure ALL citizens are out. There should be about 500 of them left by my count.

Oh and…I don't know what's going on in town but might be worth looking into, too. Let me know your findings.

I'll be in touch.


Pick your poison, Retrospecters. There's a lot of things going on suddenly.
I.
Several of you may be brave enough to dive right through the portal pinpointed at the zoo, a silver door that gleams against the brickstone building leading into the facility. It doesn't seem to catch the attention of the average citizen, but it's easily recognizable to those who have prepared themselves in the previous months. This time, however, instead of opening the door and falling down through endless darkness, citizens who venture onward will find themselves on a slippery slope leading down a sharp, icy winding path right. The journey itself takes about ten minutes, and the longer you slide the more you'll find other ice banisters to jump and dodge over. You may find others sliding along with you and you'll have to work together to break apart large chunks of frosted debris before you crash right into it. Keep your senses sharp and your reflexes sharper.

Despite the hairpin turns and the slick ride all the way down, all users will eventually find themselves in the sixth layer and landing in a large pile of snow. The map on your device lights up revealing three different paths. The first path leads straight ahead, the path to the west appears to lead to an ocean and the path to the east leads to the mountains. Looking down, users will find several pairs of footprints leading in these three directions as though they aren't the first to arrive. They'll have to pick for themselves...

For the adventurers who walk the straight and narrow path, the snow become thicker and deeper, making travel difficult to proceed through. The winds pick up and the chill in the air sinks straight down into your bones. It's hard to see anything as you walk, but for those who concentrate on the ground rather than what's ahead they'll come to find that out of the corner of their eye they'll see the shift of the snow.

Closer examination leads users to sense that the snow continues to shift and turn as something lurks beneath it, pushing snow out of the way to try and bury the users walking through. Whatever's out there is determined to head for the east and the west, hunting down whoever chose to wander down those paths. The snow begins to act as quicksand, sucking you in slowly and pulling you under the frosted layers of ice. For those strong enough or clever enough to get through the snow, you'll find what appears to be a crystalized cave that's cracked in the center as hundreds of ice creatures pour out through the opening and dive into the snow to begin their hunt. Their intent is to stop anyone from straying too far toward the east and the west and they'll do anything they can to knock explorers off their feet.

Look out and be attentive! These creatures can be stopped via physical combat, fire, traps and more. And if you're ambitious enough…? Let's see what you can do about that cave. Ready to be the first line of defense? Don't freeze up.
II.
The west-bound path seems less snowy and slippery, allowing for users to travel pretty efficiently. The temperature continues to drop and it appears that while the snow is thinner here the chill is enough to keep the area frozen around it. It almost seems like smooth sailing from there, actually, as travelers approach an arctic expanse of land covered in patches of ice and bordering an ocean. Floating in the center of the ocean on a few ice caps are three different buildings of varying sizes and shapes, drifting aimlessly but never straying too far from the shore. Everything seems peaceful and quiet…

…maybe a little too quiet? The silence is extraordinary and while the area appears clear, you aren't alone. As you look out toward the ocean, a whale breeches the surface and lets out a low, long call. As you stand still, a shadow zips in front one of the houses, immediately engulfing the whale and devouring it before your eyes as it drags the mammal back under the surface. Despite how much you look, the shadows are nowhere to be found. An owl hoots in the distance, and another creature appears before the owl, too, is silenced.

A glance at your map will prove that this is, in fact, where you're destined to go and that this must be the research camp that must be explored and dismantled. Wisps of darkness linger around the buildings but the distinct lack of other signs of life may be worrying. The creatures will appear for those who draw attention to themselves, anything that makes a noise or very fast, sudden movements. Wooden bridges connect these three buildings to the shore and to one another, allowing travelers to cross the ocean and reach them…but do be wary of the wood. It's old and rotted and places of the bridge may snap beneath your feet and sink you straight into the frigid water. Don't scream.

Getting to the buildings can be the easy part for those who take it slow or find alternate means of travel such as digging through the snow and unearthing boats. It's exploring the buildings that will be difficult. Cabinets are bound to creak, floorboards will waver and slip and doors will fall off of the hinges. Sounds will be amplified and draw the attention of the shadow-y creatures, but those who are quick enough to dodge or can sense that they're coming will have enough time to hide. Be quiet; the sound will alert them to your location as they're on the prowl.

Working together, those on the research side of things will find several items including medical journals, charts, and reports by a Dr. James Halliday. Some members of the city may very well recall that name. Vials similar to those found in the hospital under the city of Recollé are frozen in chunks of ice and will have to be whittled out for safe keeping without alerting the creatures that circle the buildings. There are no electronics here, but there's an old radio for communications, clawed to pieces by something or other.

Outside of the buildings one can hear the snarling and braying of animals fighting off the creatures that find them. It's loud enough to serve as a distraction, but don't get too comfortable. If you're loud enough, the creatures will change direction and slither back into the building, tendril-esque limbs wrapping around you to begin trying to pull you apart and drag you under.

You can try to scare them off with a counter-noise or distract them another way…but you better be fast. They won't take no for an answer once they've found their prey.

The research facilities may stay standing, but your mission is to get in and out as quickly and quietly as possible with as many resources as you can. How far will you go?
III.
Maybe you're up for a true rugged adventure instead and head east toward the mountain range that stretches high into a dark, inky sky. These snow-capped peaks are nestled closely together, forcing adventurers to walk on narrow paths and stick together, climb to new ledges and push onward into the heart of the mountain range. There is a high risk of falling the higher you climb. You may wish to anchor yourself just in case.

As you climb higher, it becomes clear that there's a flat surface at the top that's supported by the mountains themselves. A gray, iced over building sits in the center and smoke billows out of the chimneys in little wispy curls. Signs of activity? It's strange to think that perhaps you aren't as alone as you thought.

Don't blink. The ice disappears the closer you get and the doors are wedged open with an abandoned, broken dog sled. Unidentifiable bones and remains of a research party can be found buried in the snow around this space and the longer you stand in one spot the stronger you'll feel the vibrations of the earth beneath you. Off in the distance, a loud rush of snow begins to fall, an avalanche sliding its way downward to somewhere below.

The sound of electric drills and machinery echo inside the factory, and as you enter the building it's hard to pinpoint which direction the sound is coming from. It seems to bounce off of every wall, and though the building is dimly lit navigation is complicated without an additional light source. If you were smart and packed a flashlight or a lantern of some kind, the path before you lights up. The factory walls are covered in a dark red substance, ancient hieroglyphs marked into the surface depicting scenes of ruin. It will take several attempts to find all of the hieroglyphs around the building, but putting them together and comparing notes visitors may realize they tell a story of an equally ancient race that inhabited this planet, taking it for their own to begin creating a new race of genetically enhanced human beings. As more of the pictures are discovered under thick layers of dust and sheets of ice, an increasing sense of paranoia settles in. The light you've obtained begins to flicker just a little, and it's with a sense of dawning dread that you realize you're not alone. This story tells a tale of the city of Recollé, but it isn't finished yet.

The grinding mechanical noises grow louder as the walls shift closer together. The hieroglyphs begin to imprint themselves on the back of your eyelids, on your hands, anywhere you look they seem to follow you to tell the story of elders that have a different plan and a method of hybrid creation.

Whether it's by skill or by luck, if you stay in the factory long enough you'll come across the source of the grinding equipment. In the center of the room is a large structure made of ice and metal, creaking and groaning as cranes and drills continue to put it together. At its full height it rises up several stories, and as your footsteps echo in the factory every single eye opens to fixate on you. Designed to reflect every thought, action and task, this creature will feed upon your paranoia and your identity to reflect itself to your companions and turn you against one another. Negative emotions will be amplified, and the more fear that's felt the harder it will be to break the surface of your thoughts and fight back.

A bit of exploring will reveal there are two smaller forms of this creation as well acting as back-ups to begin processing every bit of who you are to create a new set of data. The room lights up, binary scrolling over the walls and depictions of your life events rapidly flying by.

Another machine to collect data? You know what to do by now. Find a way to help one another focus and work on destroying the machine eye by eye and bit by bit. The whole facility will have to go, but you may wish to clear the area first and ensure you aren't missing bits of the story.

And let's not forget…you'll still have to find your way back down the mountain trails with the avalanches following you. Best of luck.
IV.
For those with a different set of skills in mind, the region of Magatus will need you. The seven hour trip is long and draining, but a new bus leaves every three days to take parties to the area and drop them off. This time, however, the buses won't leave until they're at full capacity.

How lucky.

The northern lights above the region are no longer the beautiful purple-green haze that they were, but rather they begin to flake apart as gray bleeds into the sky. Fish begin to appear in the lake's surface, floating belly-up dead as the water gently ripples below them. The howling of wolves is louder than usual, anguished and worried. The usual resident wolf of the area, Magnus, is nowhere to be seen, however.

The residents of Magatus are hard-pressed to speak to anyone despite having a good trade system set up with the city of Recollé. They'll be more likely to tell visiting citizens to mind their own business or even approach with threats of violence. They will have to be convinced that something is coming and that they must evacuate immediately, though each person is different. Some will come quietly if there's a hint of danger while others will have to see physical proof to fully understand. The little town accounts for several hundreds of people, but not all of them. Some of you will have to brave the mountains here, too, to warn those who live in total isolation.

While many of you may be working on negotiations and helping residents of Magatus pack their belongings and load onto the buses, those who delve further into the mountains should stick together. While the wolves bay and snarl, it's bears, raccoons and deer that residents should look out for. With glowing red eyes and white foam drizzling from their mouths, the bears and raccoons rush for an attack to block anyone from climbing up the mountain ridge to the houses there. Deer charge, antlers down and aimed to gouge anyone who gets too close. It'll take a team of combatants to fight off these monstrous creatures and get to the houses above. Should you earn a scratch or a bite, the wound will quickly turn black and begin to scab over as primal instincts begin to set in. The ability to speak and form cohesive thoughts will begin to lessen the longer the wound goes untreated…but it's a long way back. If you can rescue some of the villagers in the mountains, they will have a vaccination to help, but that's if you can get to them first.

As time goes on and more people begin to evacuate, the rest of the region should begin to realize there's a problem. Help them close their shops, gather their cherished belongings and prepare for a long trip back to the city. They'll need people to help them stay calm in these trying times as the sky continues to fragment and filter out above and snow begins to fall.

But the journey's not over. It's a long way back to the city, and as buses begin to roll out onto the road a snowstorm settles in. Winds whip and roar as the buses shake, and some of you may need to jump in and manually maneuver the vehicles to safety. Road blockages and whiteouts will occur, leaving you to navigate yourself home. Hail will pelt the windows and the roof and the windshield wipers can't clear away the sleet fast enough. But if you can find a way to communicate with one another, you'll stand a better chance following each other on the way home and bringing these people to safety.

But can you work together? Don't hesitate to phone a friend.
INTERLUDE.
But what about the city itself? Never fear, for spring is here! The city has seen the last of its snow and the sun makes its presence known again. New life begins to appear as flowers bloom and birds sing. Creativity is in the air, and as March settles in citizens of all kinds will begin to notice two large domes now encompass the entrance to the Atrium and the Recollé Art Museum.

Shall we see what the fuss is about?
V.
For those of you who choose to head to the art museum, it seems that a new display has opened! "Modern Living" depicts life in the city of Recollé with art pieces and sculptures inspired by buildings and famous figureheads of the city including the police chief, the fire department, and Mayor Mayer. It's a fairly small display but it's the pride of the city for now.

While you're here though, perhaps you should check out the rest of the museum. When was the last time you really took a look at the art on display? Have you ever stopped to appreciate that gorgeous Van Gogh painting or the marble bust of Julius Caesar? With several replicas of the most famous works of art hanging from the walls and on the floor in display cases it's hard not to want to take a closer look.

However, something strange seems to be afoot. Wasn't the Mona Lisa looking the other way? Why did the pair in that copy of American Gothic suddenly switch places? And better yet…why is the Girl with the Pearl Earring standing ten feet to your left just out of her frame? Everywhere you look the art pieces begin to take on a life of their own, crawling their way out of their frames the moment you aren't looking and slipping out of the museum into the city. It's called Modern Living, isn't it? These pieces wish to be on display everywhere and explore life outside of the box and will stop at nothing to get their way. Mythical creatures will soar through the Starry Night as the Persistence of Memory warps the Birth of Venus near Peach Beach. The longer they remain out and about, the more the city begins to change around you as it attempts to adapt to the influx of culture and life.

You may find that you don't want to send these pieces back right away, actually. Some of them are quite talkative and may even befriend some people! Others, however, seem to want to find replacements so they may spend more time outside of the museum, capturing an unwitting suspect to drag back toward their frames and lock them away. That's unfortunate, isn't it?

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. While the art wishes to imitate you, perhaps it's time for you to imitate the art and convince them just why they're needed back at the museum…and if that doesn't work? Good luck rounding everyone up. You'll have to frame them for their crimes and put them back where they belong.
VI.
Not an art person? Don't sweat it. The Atrium is proud to present the city's Battle of the Bands contest, set for the last weekend in March. Sign-ups are open until the day of the show but the city's hard at work preparing for the big event. New equipment is purchased and tested, the stage is cleaned up and polished, and the lights…

…wait, what happened to the lights? Electricians and employees alike can't seem to figure out why the light source isn't kicking in at the Atrium, and even flipping the breakers doesn't seem to be cutting it. The area's pitch black and the back-up generator seems to be dead. As the date of the contest gets closer, employees grow more desperate and are prone to grabbing anyone off the street to beg for their help.

"Hey, can you help us out? We can't seem to find the problem."

What can you do about it? Maybe nothing, but maybe you're the type who's just curious enough or kind-hearted enough to agree to check things out. As you enter the concert venue, the darkness makes it harder than ever to navigate where you're going. It's dark and still but as you take another step further a high-pitched, scratching sort of noise can be heard from the rafters. Shining a flashlight or your cell phone light up above will reveal a large leathery wing darting out of sight, claws grazing the wood.

That's not good, is it? Gather around, Retrospecters. Looks like you found the problem. It's a high climb up above, and fighting in the dark isn't ideal, but if you're brave enough you can swing yourself up on the catwalk and come face to face with a skeletal bat-like creature. A crackling, electric sound seems to come from the monster itself, and it's only when someone lands the first hit that a bit of light disperses and returns to one of the bulbs in the ceiling. The creature's fast and crafty and will shock anyone that gets to close. It's hard to keep up and the bat's willing to absorb as much of the light as possible. If you can figure out a way to trap it you can bring it down to ground level and go to town. As the light fades from the creature itself it shrinks smaller and smaller until it's the size of a fruit bat, a tiny spark that can be disposed of in its own way. It'll try to fight back and may even shock you again, but at this size it's not so bad.

…too bad there's more than one of them, a total of five lurking around that continually take over once one bat's been defeated. Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, doesn't it? How enlightening.
NOTES.
Welcome to [community profile] recolle's March event log!

You can claim four freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for a thread confronting an art piece. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie tackling the electricity problem in the concert hall. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie for a thread on the second log exploring an area in the Mythos layer of Magatus (prompts 1-3). This must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie for helping with the evacuation of Magatus.


Please see the mod reporting thread below to report how your character is doing! Did they take out one of the bats? Have they rescued twenty people from Magatus? Are they infected by one of the animals in the mountains? This is for tracking and also to determine how Magatus is doing by the check-in point (3/17) and will help determine the address of the second Retrospec post.

Finally, 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!
fiddlestick: (elliot112)

[personal profile] fiddlestick 2019-03-11 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, you're gonna get a full-on Rean Speech. Better brace yourself.

[He gives a little sigh at that]

Y-Yeah, know what you mean. He's helpful to have around, but he sure isn't good at that self-preservation part...

[Unbeknownst to either of them, Rean is on the bus to Magatus as they speak]
motiv8: (⚔️ 81)

[personal profile] motiv8 2019-03-11 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
You come up with a better phrase for this place.

[Rean's not complaining about Crow wrapping himself around him, but he does peer up at him from below to pout.

LOOK AT THIS PLACE, CROW. LOOK AT THIS ENTIRE LAYER. IT'S TERRIBLE.

More slowly than Rean would like (to start, at least), but surely, they make their way down the mountain, following Crow's marked trees as soon as they find the one they'd dashed by once again.

They just have to keep pushing forward, no matter how much their bodies want to give out.]
invocate: (twintails » shocked)

[personal profile] invocate 2019-03-11 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
The statue comes to a halt, but she doesn't stop exactly. She finishes one jeté in front of Yuuki, then but then she brings her hands out and takes a step toward the girl. Li-Na recognizes the prep for a la seconde turn and calls out a warning.

"Look out!"

Might... want to duck Yuuki. Those bronze limbs would hurt.
standalonehuman: (TogusaGaspYelll)

[personal profile] standalonehuman 2019-03-11 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
"It's not gonna kill me!" Do. You. Actually. Know. That. Togusa?

The images on the walls have been flitting through moments of both their lives, and for now, one screen pauses on Mariko Aramaki. The look she gives him borders on imperious, and caring, and a little angry. It keeps shifting back and forth between her in Recolle, brown hair that nearly matches Togusa's, and her duplicate, with purple, unnatural looking locks. The expression? Is the same.

"It's not.." Far less certain about it now, Togusa looks down.
psykick: (⇒ unsure)

[personal profile] psykick 2019-03-11 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't dislike winter. But this is a lot colder than I thought it would be..."

She tugs her scarf a little higher and just hopes it won't take long to find the people who've taken it upon themselves to live out here.

"They said the first cabin would be about twenty minutes up the path, right?"
fiddlestick: (elliot074)

[personal profile] fiddlestick 2019-03-11 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
IV. Say No to Climbing Mountains
[So anyone whose known Elliot for more than five minutes can guess he is not the most physically capable of people out there. In fact, the idea of him climbing up and down a mountain is nearly downright laughable. Which means he's out for most of the missions unless someone wants to carry a tiny mage on their back.

But he still wanted to help out with the citizens of Magatus. So down in the town, near the entrance, he's set up a little food stop for folks to get food either on their way up the mountain, or to prepare themselves for the long evacuation out of there. He's got all sorts of stuff to keep people warm: chowder, rice balls, juice. Seemingly a random assortment, he really did make do with what resources he could get together.

The food itself is good, though you might notice that it's sparkling unnaturally. If you eat it, you'll feel yourself become warm and any injuries start to heal faster. Guess it only makes sense that a mage's food would be enchanted.

Either grab up some food or help him with the serving. He'll be here as long as he's needed.]


VI. Battle of the Bands
[So fun fact: Elliot joined a metal band last month. It'd been for fun, but who was he to turn down some friendly competition? He's even got himself dressed up in clothes fit for the occasion...picked out by his friends because he has no idea how to dress metal.

He was tuning his guitar one last time when the power went out. A first he figured someone blew a fuse, but when everyone else seemed to be getting worried about it....

Well, this is bad. How could the concert go on if the lights don't come back on?

Thus, Elliot is very gung-ho to volunteer to help out. He'll approach people who have also been roped into helping out, his staff dug out of his bag and ready to go.]


C'mon, let's get to the bottom of this so we can get back to the music!

Wildcard
[Got another prompt to do with Elliot? hit me up!]
mincingminuet: (Warmth)

[personal profile] mincingminuet 2019-03-11 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah. They're called Viera. My other self travels with one. And they seem pretty uncommon. I'm not really sure why, though."

Though she supposes she could explain a little bit more but she doesn't remember too much.

"And...no, not really? Not after August of year before last. When I got thrown into a hell lab, and Freya ended up in this creepy mansion."
standalonehuman: (TogusaStartled2)

Re: V

[personal profile] standalonehuman 2019-03-11 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
Togusa counts on his fingers. "So, I check with Eren.. Lina- both of them. Annd. Anna? Maybe?"

It's mostly a joke, an attempt to diffuse the incredibly strange situation they are in. He shifts around behind Rinka, and his face falls at the bronze base on the floor.

"Oh no."

He holds up one hand, a finger, cautiously, and then gestures for her to follow, quietly. He moves in the direction of the sound, and he already knows damn well what he's going to see when he gets there. He peers around the edge of the frame that barely lines the entrance to the next gallery. (Not the wood-block prints. Spare the wood-block prints.)

Hello, Mr. Thinker, who has apparently decided that he thinks better while walking. Togusa is just going to stare for a moment while his brain catches up to his new reality.
godcards: (23.)

[personal profile] godcards 2019-03-11 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
Malik looks to the images of Mariko and notes her expression, before turning back to Togusa. "She doesn't look so sure of it. You feeling guilty, Mr. Police Officer?"

He's honestly not trying to chide Togusa too much, but if he's uncertain, well. Malik is getting more uncertain too. If the other man were confident, then the memories of this woman shouldn't be an issue; something Malik believes if only because he too has someone in his life who makes him feel guilty for his reckless, dangerous decisions. It's a clear cut case of projection, but look. This is about Togusa right now.

"If you change your mind, I won't tell anyone."
psykick: (⇒ surprised)

iv

[personal profile] psykick 2019-03-11 05:45 am (UTC)(link)
[After managing to survive an avalanche while hunting for some of the people living up on the mountain, Rinka decides to stick to helping the remaining townspeople onto the buses. She's clearly not cut out for the mountain lifestyle.

So when she spots Elliot with his food, the steam rising off the chowder, she makes a beeline for the food stop. After asking for some of the chowder, she stands to the side, letting the heat from the bowl just warm her fingers through her inner layer of gloves (the thicker outer ones getting tucked into her coat pockets to better facilitate holding spoon). Or, well, try to warm her fingers. They've been kind of numb since the whole avalanche business.

And when she takes a bite and feels the warm start to radiate from her stomach? She lets out a happy sigh.
]

Ohmygod, this is the best. You are the best.
frostythehitman: (but no one laughs when they get there)

[personal profile] frostythehitman 2019-03-11 05:45 am (UTC)(link)
He looks down at the wrist, where the fire emanates from.

"No idea. This is my first time using it, so I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?"
frostythehitman: (like you thought)

[personal profile] frostythehitman 2019-03-11 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Depends on what you're hearing.

[ Because James hears plenty, with that ominous clanging throughout the factory that's telling him both come closer but also stay way the hell away.

But he suspects Crow is hearing something else. Whatever it is, it's enough to paralyze him in place. Which means it might be enough to paralyze him too, or anyone else who comes through here. James is trying to ignore the fear percolating in his gut, but his one concession to it, at least, is that he should listen to what other mysterious sounds might be indicating danger. ]


What is it?
frostythehitman: (this is doing me a concern)

[personal profile] frostythehitman 2019-03-11 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
The images of both James and Togusa overlaid on one another results in some strange mixtures that make James uneasy, especially considering memories of his from his other life are here too. Are the images actually wrapped together into one mix? Is this image-Togusa watching image-James break another teammate's leg in the middle of a football game? Or kill a diplomat in front of his child? Or is this all just a trick of perspective?

Between the sight of Togusa in the images and the sound of his voice, James isn't too startled by the touch on his shoulder. He still tenses, though, and for a second he thinks to maybe block Togusa's sight of the machines and their displays out of shame. But it's not like there's anything left to hide, he's already put all his shame out on display. So he relaxes after a moment instead.

"What do you think they're doing?" he says, not tearing his eyes away from the display.
jurai: (♠️ | 32)

[personal profile] jurai 2019-03-11 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
[Crow too, watches them go, making sure that they keep on that path until they're at least within stepping distance of that bus. It's only then that he turns to Yuuki.]

Heh, think nothin' of it.

[He'll just place a hand on top of that hatted head, giving it a nice, gentle noogie.]

Have they all been that reluctant? Or were they just a particularly tough customer?
jurai: (37)

[personal profile] jurai 2019-03-11 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
[Mildly terrifying? HOW ABOUT COMPLETELY TERRIFYING?! Crow's not slowing down for a second, keeping pace with Eren as best he can while also keeping an eye out for any trees they can latch onto. They both have knives, they could cement themselves to it if they had to.

Speaking of, That snow sure does hit them, knocking the wind out of Crow's gut as he feels himself being pushed into the frozen wave. Remembering some vague avalanche safety he saw on the Discovery channel, he does take to that swimming motion, trying to keep his head above it while also looking out for any solid support he can grab onto.

This sucks this sucks.

Remember your training his ass.]
jurai: (77)

[personal profile] jurai 2019-03-11 06:51 am (UTC)(link)
I can hear his voice now. "All things aside, you have no right to be telling me when I'm reckless when you go off doing the same thing, Crow."

How close was I?

[He smiles, raising the bowl up to his lips to take a sip.]

He could be better, yeah.

But I think he's trying, in his own way.
manufactured: (001. your world is an ashtray)

[personal profile] manufactured 2019-03-11 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
[III-A.]

[The research facility had sounded like a terrible idea, as far as Wesker is concerned, given the entire incident in the hospital last month. He doesn't know what lies ahead, but for the time being, he's willing to turn his attention toward the mountains.

Getting up to the factory hadn't been impossible, not with the enhancements helping him as much as possible – he isn't going to hold back or restrain himself, he just wants to get this done and over with; the corpses outside had been noticeable but if he's going to be blunt, he has neither the time nor mind to care about them. Whatever happened here was terrible, he'd probably prefer that it not happen while he's here, but in the end it's no different than that cave in Africa that he'd found with Excella; back then there were gemstones glittering in the walls and human remains littering the ground and no emotions in his chest, and he's perfectly content to let himself slide back into that, the cold unfeeling nothingness that keeps him from getting killed on the best of days.

He can be found pacing outside the factory for a while, long coat sweeping in his wake like he's some kind of goddamn reaper, and occasionally he can be found in the snow near the bodies; his movements are tight and methodical and don't seem to be concerned with respect for the dead – he's finding what he can and relieving them of anything useful. Rope is coming with him, for one thing, and he'll take a couple of the smaller ice axes off of them as well and slot them into his belt for the time being, just beneath his coat.

It's going to be a long day; he can tell already. There's no sense in wasting sentiments on the dead when there's work to be done.]




[III-B.]

[He's been here too long.

It isn't something he's going to admit, it's something that he's just going to deal with because that's what he does, he deals with things because he doesn't have a choice, but the fact of the matter is that he's been here too long and the soft, perpetual grinding of the machines further off in the building somewhere is irritating him and the longer he paces the halls, the more agitated he gets.

The meaning of those glyphs comes out in bursts, and he can't get them out of his head. Those that came down to claim the world, to create –

a new superior breed of humans, given birth by the Progenitor virus

– to create something better, something new and with endless potential and –

entrusted with endless potential; only one of them survived

– and this is the second goddamn time he's seen entirely too much that reminds him of Spencer, that makes it clear that killing him once wasn't good enough and if he has his way he doesn't care about fairness or how many people want him dead, he's going to kill Vanderweele the second he gets the opportunity because maybe then the fucking memories will shut up-

It isn't so much paranoia gripping him at the moment as it is anger, the fear being immediately channeled into adrenaline, into rage; there's a weird, unnatural orange glow behind the lenses of those dark glasses he always wears (yes, even here), and he doesn't seem calm but he does seem weirdly still. Composed, but it's not natural; the sort of frozen-over lack of care that comes with being so goddamn pissed off it circles right back around again.]


...Come on. Once we find whatever's making all that noise, I imagine it'll be clear what we're supposed to do with it.

[His words are likewise cold, but that's just going to be how things are today, it seems.]
armati: (20.)

[personal profile] armati 2019-03-11 07:21 am (UTC)(link)
[IV-A.]

[Arthur had expected the region to be cold; he hadn't expected all of...this, though.

For a good long while he can be found near the lake, looking into it as though he's eventually going to find answers for why it's no longer capable of supporting life all of a sudden; his hair is silver now instead of the deep auburn, and while he's dressed warmly he's also got what looks like a hand-carved pendant on a cord around his neck. This place is frigid, but the lake and the fracturing, graying sky, the cold isn't troubling him as much as it should. The wolves howling in the distance are also a concern, but he knows what he's been told regards to them – they're intelligent, if you help them they'll help you. Something of a worry, but not as much as they could be.

...He'll be out here for a little while before he moves into Magatus proper; he'll get himself together eventually, it's just going to take a moment to get used to.]




[IV-B.]

[Arthur isn't a combatant; he's made it clear from the start that he's nothing of the sort, that he has nothing special to offer anyone outside of a willingness to listen and to talk if it's needed, and so when he arrives in Magatus proper he can't really say that he expects to accomplish much.

Surprisingly enough, however, he's not a total disaster.

This is definitely testing his patience, don't get him wrong; he doesn't appreciate the absolute brick wall of obstinacy that he's facing, but the fact of the matter is that he's willing to just stand there and ask questions and posit things like an absolute goddamn tool without concern for how intrusive he's being, and after a while results do seem to come, though not in spades.

After a while, though, you may find yourself flagged down by Arthur, seeming moderately relieved to see someone because goddamn, this is a trial. He's got one of the residents of Magatus with him, a woman looking...skeptical but at the very least not belligerent.]


...She's willing to evacuate, but she has personal belongings that she doesn't want to abandon. Come with me so we can get them.
jurai: (49)

[personal profile] jurai 2019-03-11 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Rean's pouting face only makes him snicker more. Maybe surviving that house of horrors and an avalanche had looped around and turned that bitterness into pure mirth.

Maybe he's just glad to be alive.

Fate tried to take him yet again, and here he is...with Rean.]


Snowmageddon.
psykick: (Default)

Re: V

[personal profile] psykick 2019-03-11 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
Rinka peers around Togusa as he peeks around the door frame.

"You know... at least we don't have a full-sized one here."

The Thinker seems to be looking for something, pausing in front of a painting or sculpture for a moment, before shaking his head and moving on.
thisloveisjustice: (Default)

Re: III-B

[personal profile] thisloveisjustice 2019-03-11 07:44 am (UTC)(link)
"A firewall is all well and good, but they're not foolproof."

And then Tatsuo is forced to, in his mind, get slightly unscrupulous.

"And you are risking someone else. When you risk yourself, you risk the other Togusa and his world. So don't stop at the easy answer. Where are these things storing all their data on us? Where are their harddrives? If we can figure that out, maybe we can take that back to Zee instead."
usurpers: (Default)

[personal profile] usurpers 2019-03-11 12:20 pm (UTC)(link)
MAGATUS
[ a: we can end up at the research facility, where the shadow creatures stalk. eren’s busy picking up vials and putting them away in his bag (one of his many bags, including first aid), taking handfuls of medical reports and whisking through them. james haliday.

except when he turns to show you, he steps on a floorboard that snaps so loud he thought the wood was breaking. no, that was the most exaggerated squeak of their lifetimes.

a shadow zips from the woods to the building, they could see it from the window.

well. whoops.

b: we can end up evacuating more of the isolated cabins. eren comes prepared with pictures, with videos and proof of what’s going on, giving you a handful so they can split up once they’ve found a community and cover the houses faster.

eren seems to be wanting to do this as quickly as possible, and provides enticing argument, enough that even the more stubborn give in.

except he’s implying, with certainty, that something bad will happen to magatus. it might disappear from the map for a while.

did you know that?

either way, stay sharp. there are animals lurking around the outskirts of this camp, and they’re only waiting for everyone to move out. ]


BODY BATH(14th-16th)
[ you may find eren sitting in the snow capped camps by the end of their missions, or perhaps he has returned to his recollé apartment with a friend’s help and you’re visiting to aid him— but one thing is for certain: activities are suspended for him during these three days. no missions, no training his young padawans, no school and no going out. he doesn’t even desire to eat.

because he can’t go out, he can’t even stand much on his own without dragging himself (which is weird, because he still has all his limbs intact). whether in the snow or in bed, eren sweats up a storm, and writhes in pain as he clutches his limbs from time to time (his left arm and right leg). the phantom pains to have gotten them bitten off in the memory echoes like the real thing, the bubbling heat from the titan stomach makes him feel like his skin’s boiling, the smell of a literal blood bath he’d been floating in, and every time he closes his eyes, he could see the buoyant limbs.

eren’s pain threshold is wicked, but make it constant and nonstop— any human would feel it’s torture, and still eren refuses to tell himself anything beyond resist. if there was something either admirable or stupid, it was the blinding resolve even when he should be dead. you are probably on nanny duty if you’re here. ]
usurpers: (Default)

[personal profile] usurpers 2019-03-11 01:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[ healing doesn’t save him from not being able to breathe for a few desperate seconds, and as much as he tries to keep it together and knows the mechanics of getting the air punched out of your chest, he still tries to gasp when he can.

it’s horrible when the air just doesn’t go in, until a breath of salvation comes before you can panic further. remember all of it. and remember the chant we all learned in finding nemo. just keep swimming, head above snow, limbs pushing with the winds and the waves.

there’s. there’s a cliff. there’s a cliff they’re about to slide off of like a water park’s greatest water tunnel, except their legs dangle. it’s enough to make him scream a little, truth be told, and eren screams like a siren.

when gravity pulls on them and no ground is under them to provide comfort— eren holds crow as tight as he can, and hopes to god that he does the same. he blasts a hook to the mountain’s edge, and before they fall, they’ll feel the harsh rebound of the wires holding them from greater falls

and swinging them right into the cliff side. ]
fiddlestick: (youre dumb af)

[personal profile] fiddlestick 2019-03-11 01:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[Even though he didn't know Rinka personally, it was pretty easy to tell she wasn't a local. From her clothes to how she acted, she just gave off the vibe of someone from Recolle who was on the app. So he's relieved that she doesn't hold up the line asking him questions about why the food sparkles.

When she does start to eat, he's luckily not busy with anyone, so he'll smile over at her]


Aha, thanks? I take it that means you like it.
fiddlestick: (elliot122)

[personal profile] fiddlestick 2019-03-11 01:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[Okay, that gets a laugh out of Elliot]

Haha, pretty close! It sounds like something he'd say.

[He takes his own last spoonful of soup]

Yeah, I think so too. Sounds like he's making progress in his training with Eren too.

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