March 2019 Event Log

[recollecters]

EVENT

PREMISE • RULES • FAQ • TAKEN • RESERVES • APPLICATIONS
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV

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 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!

BACK TO TOP

( coding by fleeting )

Comments

MOD QUESTIONS

[recollecters]

Please leave mod questions for this log here!

[cardcaptured]

So... if someone were to hit the bats with an electric attack... would that make things better, or a lot worse...

Re: MOD QUESTIONS

[flametheif40]

So the cave...if someone...say summons a fire giant and maybe CUT the cave to cause a cave in...that ought to do it right?

Also how vulnerable are they to fire? The severity of the storm?

Or in other words for the central path, how useful are Al's flames going to be? In melting the snow, fighting the monsters, maybe dealing with the cave, etc

[invocate]

Hypothetically speaking, if someone did get caught by one of the shadows... what would happen to them? Can the shadows be destroyed if you, say, had boots made from a holy substance?

[brushy]

1) if ahmi howls to communicate with the wolves, will they be able to tell her something? will magnus?
2) if ahmi speaks or tries to speak with any animal, infected or not, will they tell her something?
3) can ahmi purify the infected animals/people the way she would demons?
4) for the hail at the end of prompt iv, can ahmi bring out the sun to make travels easier?

[blondferret]

Hypothetically speaking for prompt four, if Derek just looses patience with people who won't listen to him, how effective using the Cheering Charm or the Imperious Curse on the people of Magatus be?

Or if Derek just... magically moved them with Mobilicorpus? How would other people of Magatus react?

REPORTING

[recollecters]

Please leave character reporting comments tracking IC progress here!

Re: REPORTING

[standalonehuman]

End result: -Togusa and Al brought back a few mystery vials and as many papers as they could get from Halliday's labratory.
-Although Togusa wanted to bring back chip components from the eldritch horror in the factory, he fell ill from running around in the cold and was unable to return, so that did not end up happening.

[hauntedsavior]

i. here's those spoils of war that you asked for

Well. Anna was going to be concerned about the weather, but it seems right now she can get by with nothing extra but an old balaclava she dug out of her closet. The only thing that might tip people off, other than the almost surgical precision of her blade against these ice creatures, is the seam running along her neck, just about right in the middle. She's not putting much effort into covering it up, but it's definitely there, a break in her skin from where it goes from flesh to... whatever her deal is now.

Her gold-trimmed white eyepatch sits firm on her face, and her bangs are tucked under her hat so she doesn't have to worry about her hair freezing. Gripped tightly in hands that could be gloved, but definitely aren't, is her katana, and she's going to town on these fucking ice creatures. They just keep pouring out, but she's leaving spiderwebs in the floor of the ice cavern with every dramatic leap and slam of her blade against the frozen ground. She's taking out a few with every slash of her blade, precise and deadly and fast. Honestly, Anna feels cool, and that's not a temperature joke. She's just glad to be helping out on the frontlines again.

During a break in the flow, she brings herself to her full height and leans against the wall parallel with her blade. "There's gotta be a better way to handle these assholes."

ii. gears turning that no wrench can attack

This is literally the biggest pain in the ass in the world. Anna knows that she's got to get to this camp, she knows that because shit's getting weirder she's probably on the right track, and she knows that there's only gonna be worse shit waiting for her once she actually gets there.

Problem is she's not going to get there at this rate. You know what happens when you throw a heavy-ass robot into the snow? Same thing that happens when you throw anything else in. She's stuck up to her waist, but she's figured out by now that making noise is definitely not the right idea. Problem is she can't push herself out, either, because her arms are metallic too and they keep pressing into the snow more instead of giving her the leverage she needs to get out.

She's just struggling not to crunch too loudly and looking around in vain for anyone to help her pathetic robotic ass, and she can't even call out for help if she spots someone. She feels like she went over to her buddy's house and ate too much honey or something.

vi. i never wanted the fame or the limelight

Anna's re-tuning her bass to that old EADG standard that she's starting to pick up by ear after a month or so of steady practice, and honestly it's gotten way easier since her robot torso kicked in. She's definitely not as torn up about this as she was about her eye, but she'd had time to get used to the idea she'd be turning into a robot. She's in the middle of pounding out some dead-simple bass lick to get her mechanical fingers stretching properly when the power cuts.

Her head looks up towards the rafters, and she narrows her eye. "Are you fucking kidding me? Come on." She's mostly muttering to herself, and she takes her bass off and rests it on the amp and heads backstage to just. Bitch for a while instead of doing anything about it.

"Work up the nerve to enter my ass in this thing and the whole atrium blows a fuse. Of course." It's too dark to see who she's bitching to, but she's sure doing it loudly.

x. you had a hard time, bring yourself to glory [wildcard]

((hit me up here or at roseward for anything else!!))

II

[mincingminuet]

There are a lot of things that Pen could do or say in this situation. She could tease, she could poke and prod, but she could also be nice. Nice, and invisible. Silent as a freaking ghost, she slips up and shimmers faintly into being inside Anna's field of vision.

"Need some help?"

[breakingvoice]

iii. faking a smile i'm on the ride of my life

None of this is... good, is the first thing Lina thinks. She isn't worried about the cold as much, even though she's bundled up as much as she can be. She has a scarf, she has a sweater, they're both pulled up over her mouth. She's got fuzzy boots and thick pants and she's still feeling just absolutely bitterly cold, and that's just. All of that is secondary to the path she had to take to get up here. Everything she encountered on the way, tugging herself up with her enhanced strength with little concern about her body or being human anymore.

Because she's not. And because if her family isn't willing to work together to figure something out, she has to do this herself. She has to take things into her own hands, no matter how terrifying they are. But the problem is that the more she sees, the more she reads by the light of her phone, the less even the original Carmelina Geteilt felt like a human. Before Two. If she was designed for this, if she was supposed to become a vessel for other souls like she's heard about before, then it means... the story that this place is telling means that she was never human. Doesn't it?

She has to stop, she has to rest her head, and she does it by crossing her arms and using them as a makeshift pillow as she leans forward against the nearest wall. The grinding and screaming feels like it's driving her mad. She feels like she needs to use this strength of hers to shatter something as soon as possible, and she pushes off the wall and lets out a yell and punches it hard enough to leave a hole a few inches deep.

It's only then that she looks around and notices she isn't actually alone, but she's offering no explanation for what she just did. "None of this can be real," she says instead, her teeth clenched. "I wasn't born to be like this."

v. it's a good feeling just to still be living

Okay. Okay. It's fine. Everything's fine. She just needs to go out and enjoy life a little more. Just... take some time to unwind at the art museum. It's not a place she usually goes, but she needs distance, she needs a place where people who know her might not actually run into her—not that, she thinks grimly, there are very many of those people left anyway.

But it's fine. She's sitting down on a bench under some not-too-harsh overhead lights, and she just. Tilts her head back, runs her hands through her hair, and sighs. It'll be fine. Everything will be fine. See, look, they even put out some complementary fruit, tastefully arranged in a bowl that even looks like its textures were painted on. She can just relax and grab a big leafy green apple and—

Immediately spit it out. "Blech! Is that paint?" she asks whoever's nearby as her face twists and she looks at the disgusting bite mark she just left in the sketchiest apple she's ever seen.

x. this talk's insanity, or is it just another kid's amen [wildcard]

((again, hit me up here or on roseward!!))

3. The kindred heart

[flametheif40]

[Al was looking around the facility, some of his life events are written on the walls. Yeah yeah, not the first time that has happened. What confuses him is some small birds that are depicted with him, "the Rukh?" he mutters to himself. When he heard Lina yells and punches a wall, he just walks to her and just listens to her...

which just now, he remembered her birthday and feels bad for letting a friend down. Seeing her mad now though, he just listens, not phased at all about her punching the wall.

Despite how they met and how they have supported each other, he is still scared that she might get angry, or something and up and leave him, ending a friendship he treasures, even if he is absent minded]

Nothing a stupid wall says matters, we can blow this entire place up and take all of these lies down with them.

[Al says this relatively calmly, but he does say "lies" with a bit of a bite. Her not being human didn't phase him, and he doesn't care if they are from other worlds or whatever story them ending up here ended up being.]

[maidofmistakes]

[i - walking]

Whoa!

[Lina walks with her arms out and flailing, skidding and slipping on patches of ice. She might fall into the snow, crash into a tree, crash into you, who knows.]

Maybe I should just fly instead.

[i - cave]

[The ice monsters have surfaced and Lina's flying around to try and fend them off. She blows ice at one to stick it to the ground, which just makes it grow; as she dodges its swing. she rips a stalagmite out of the ground and swings it at the monster, which knocks it into a rock wall and shatters it.]

Oh, boy.

cave!

[brushy]

[ this cave can be theirs to rest and take shelter, if they can fend off the ones who were here first. had it been an animal, ahmi would have let things be, but these little imps? there is no goodness in them, no purity. they are as frigid as a demon’s hollow inside.

she might be able to do something, no matter how lina would see her. bible and quick on her feet either way, ahmi keeps solar flare at the ready and blocks the cave’s entrance. whatever comes from here will burn here.

except for the girl. she’s here to help. ]

[sleepingknight]

III.

[Well, as promised, here she is. She's bundled up in warm clothes, climbing her way up along with the rest. Her hair's been tied up and tucked into a hat; the same goes for her now pointed ears. Red eyes survey the way left to go, and...

And... as great as it is being stronger now, she's getting tired of this slow crawl.

With a sound that's part disgruntled and part uncertain, a pair of sparkling black bat wings seem to appear from over her back, semi-translucent and gossamer as one might expect of a fairy. They give a few experimental beats, and she begins to rise into the air...]

IV.

[Another day, another trip. She spends most of the journey either snoozing in her seat or playing a handheld game - please hold up through whatever adventures we have here, Nintendium.

Not that it matters, because the real problem is actually getting people to come back with them, now isn't it?

Once they're there, Yuuki can be found in one of the shops, looking up at the storekeeper with an urgent expression.]

Look, things are getting really dangerous! We need to evacuate - we even have buses, so if you can just pack up--

[She's quickly cut off with a huff. This is the family business; they aren't just going to leave it behind because some kid told them to.

Ugh. Someone help, please?]

V.

[After all the adventures in the snow, Yuuki's frankly relieved to be back in the city again. Yes, it's still chilly at times, and yes, she absolutely is wearing a hat to cover her ears and shades to hide those distinctly red eyes, but. This is all very much preferable to hiking gear.

Will she keep this opinion as an art piece starts talking her up? We'll have to see. Currently, there's a woman with an ermine chatting with her, much to her confusion.]

Oh. I, uh... see?

[She has no idea why this lady's suddenly talking about her pet... whatever, but the creature does provide some distraction as Yuuki watches its movements warily. What is that. She has never seen an ermine in her life. It's so distracting, she doesn't even realize they're headed in the general direction of the art museum as they walk.

Someone might want to warn her about that.]

Wildcard

[Want to hit up a different prompt, or change things slightly? Hit me up here via PM or at danidanidanica to plot!]

IV

[maskreant]

[ Akira has been in Magatus for some time investigating the area thanks to the map they're given, but when there's time! He's here helping out and trying his best to evacuate the people. Some are a lot more stubborn than others, but he managed.

Why? Well... When he finds Yuuki having issues with the storekeep, he pulls out a video on his phone of the shadow eating a whale. It's difficult to see, but it's obvious that this whale was taken down and is struggling in the water. The noises don't help, either. ]

You need to evacuate.

[ Go for the jugular. ]

[psykick]

IV

While some people work on evacuating the town, Rinka somehow ends up hiking up the mountain to look for a half dozen people who live even further out. She's bundled up to her eyeballs against the cold, with a thick beanie pulled down over a hooded sweater, winter coat, leggings under her jeans, two layers of gloves, and a scarf pulled up over her nose. And even though she'll probably find them a little difficult to use due to doubling up her gloves, Rinka's batons dangle from their straps around her wrists. But maybe she can jam them into the ground if she loses her footing?

"Ughhhhhhhhhhh. Why is it so cold?"

[ooc: this route will feature a rabid raccoon and possibly an avalance]

V

Rinka doesn't consider herself very knowledgeable about art, but she has a membership at the museum thanks to her mother, so she's actually pretty familiar with the place. The new 'Modern Living' exhibit is... not bad. She likes the paintings done by local artists more than the busts of mayors past however. After taking about 20 minutes to check out the new exhibit, Rinka drifts around to look at some of her favorites.

She doesn't notice anything is amiss until she gets to the statue gallery. As she appreciates the level of detail the sculptor put into an olympian's thigh muscles, she hears someone heave a long, drawn out sigh behind her. Looking over her shoulder... she sees nothing but the statues on the other side of the gallery. Weird. She turns back... and then whips around completely. Because one of the sculptures is supposed to be a smaller casting of Rodin's The Thinker. Only... the figure isn't sitting on his pedestal anymore.

"What.. where did he go...."

VI

Rinka is lurking around, hoping to find out who all is entering the Battle of the Bands contest (ngl, she's really hoping to see GIANT⚡️ROBOT), when one of the stagehands walks up to her.

"Please, could you just take a look? We can't figure out what's wrong!"

"Uh... whatever the problem is, I'm sure there's vastly more qualified people in the city than a high schooler..."

After some pleading however, Rinka agrees to look. What she'd even look for, she has no idea. As the door closes behind her, plunging her into darkness, she wonders if this really was a good idea. But hey, why not use this to work on her senses training? Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath, slowly lets it out, and listens.

Wait. Is that breathing? Is there someone else in this place?

Then again, who says the breathing is being done by a human? (Pls be a human.)

"Is... someone there?"

wildcard

[Have something else in mind you want to thread with Rinka? hmu @ anacrusis]

V

[standalonehuman]

In between some quite dumb ideas, Togusa had broken off into the museum, as well. Rinka likely passed him stopped and staring in some contemplation at the wax sculpture of his own boss standing there. The Chief, he admires her a lot. She took a chance on hiring him, and he has given her no reasons to regret it.

He is still a little lost in thought when he catches back up to Rinka, and he stops as she does, noticing something is wrong.

"Is- everything all right? Now he's looking around at the room, too.

[invocate]

II

Li-Na crouches down behind a snow bank, looking out at the ocean and the floating buildings. This looks... extremely dangerous. She's pretty sure that shadow creature just ate a whale. No wonder everything is so silent around here. Nothing wants to be noticed by one of those. Looking at the person next to her, Li-Na keeps her voice barely above a whisper.

"This is definitely one of the places we need to check out, but getting past that shadow thing is going to be hard. I have an idea. If I can shake them, I'll join you inside. But if not, you'll be on your own. Either we, we should make this fast."

Fast, but very, very quiet.

III

Getting up the mountain was the easy part. Even with the snow and ice, her boots have ridiculously amazing traction. Which meant she was the one that went first to anchor a rope for everyone else.

Deciphering the hieroglyphs once they get inside? That takes some time. As Li-Na swipes through the photos she's taken on her phone, she can't help the shiver they goes down her spine.

"Is this... about us?"

V

Li-Na isn't really interested in the new exhibit, though she spends a few minutes looking through it to be polite. No, what she's looking for is something she's come to see more than once since coming to Recolle. The arm museum's Degas collection. When Li-Na finds the gallery of small Degas statues, she knows she's close. And sure enough, in the next room over, the walls are lined with paintings of dance studios. There's only one problem.

There isn't a single dancer in any of the paintings.

Li-Na lets out a confused sound as she looks from frame to frame, wondering if she's just seeing things. But it's more a factor of not seeing things. All of the dancers in the room have exited stage left, except for The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer on her pedestal in the middle of the room.

That is, until she lightly leaps down to the floor, executes a pirouette, and jetés from the room.

"W-Wait!"

wildcard

[Want to do something else? hmu @ anacrusis]

v

[cardcaptured]

[Xiaolang isn't hugely enthused about the exhibit either (or much into art, for that matter), but extra credit is extra credit, and getting to spend the time with family is always nice. He stays close to the Modern Living section, scribbling observations in his school notebook, not minding if Li-Na heads off to see something that interests her more. After all, this wasn't her homework, so she didn't need to be stuck there with him.

The sound of her voice echoing from a further gallery gets his head to snap up, however, nerves on alert. That was never a good sign. He rushes as fast as he can to the room--

-- only to be bypassed by a prancing girl about his age, done up in a tutu, and... cast in bronze? No, that couldn't be right. His eyes follow the metallic girl and she makes her exit, clearly befuddled, before turning his attention back to Li-Na, and the... weirdly empty frames.]

Li-Na? What's going on?

[brushy]

(please take a look at ahmi’s perception post!)

☀️ＰＲＥ－ＰＲＥＬＵＤＥ／ＩＮ ＢＥＴＷＥＥＮ ( ⭐️ no more than four tag ins for this prompt, please!)
[ whether they have yet to go on their adventures or seem to rest in between, you might either find ahmi, the woman (or a beautiful wolf all the same) staring up at the night sky, reaching up to touch the air as if she were— well, what is she doing with such a wide smile? it doesn’t seem like much from afar. it’s very clear that she’s either hallucinating or playing with insects.

get a closer look, and you might see exactly what she’s doing from a better point of view; the night sky is dark, but a star appears to shine for every pluck into the sky she makes. she buffs out imperfections and misty clouds, she may even blow some of them away with another gesture— a swirl.

the sky has never seemed so bright. she’s making nighttime come to life. ]

☀️Ｉ
[ turns out, wolves were made to wade through thick snow— their paw pads help with staying up on the surface, so there isn’t much sinking for ahmi, whether you see a woman through your eyes or not. she looks behind her, occasionally going back to help pull some people from their depths, and this continues. she isn’t cold (beyond her wet nose), but her attention does shift immediately when she sees movement from below. abnormal movement.

digging doesn’t find anything. onwards, friends.

she eventually pads further, and when she sees the cave, she lopes over with excitement. they can take shelter here, she can give them a fire if they need to stop and rest. ahmi might not feel the need to rest, but a fair many people may.

that is, until the ceiling cracks, until little ice imps fall straight into the snow and burrow outwards. oh, dear.

the wolf might bark, the woman may yell there are imps in the snow!, but they both do one thing— run to you as a handful of the creatures bite at their ankles and try to bury them. ]

☀️ＩＶ
[ occasionally, you might see the white wolf that accompanies retrospec’s travelers prowling outside the village, listening to her kin mourning with such pain, and howls in return, to speak with them. she whines when she sees the dead fish in the water, and when approaching some of the huts, she’s met with rifles pointed, and sprints away.

not many people will trust the odd wolf when they do not see a woman, and begin to believe the omen that something is wrong. they’ll go with you, perhaps, but not with her.

so, most of the time, ahmi will maintain her distance, but she keeps her eyes on you as you travel. you get a message, quite quickly, even though she’s nearby. she doesn’t know how you will react to her. ]

The nature here is sickly and smells of corruption. Be careful, child. If you must speak, then use your voice so I can hear you.

☀️ＩＶ — pt 2

Ahmi Okelani near Magatus

The geese tell me the weather is foul up ahead. If I am not there when the buses are ready to leave, do give me a call. You will need the sun.

☀️ ＷＩＬＤＣＡＲＤ
( there’s still a lot i’d like to do! if these prompts aren’t your fancy and you’d like something more specific, either in magatus or in the city, let me know!! )

iv

[twostringsonebow]

[Goro isn't sure why the villagers react the way they do to he and Ahmi -- there's murmurs about a wolf (but Magnus doesn't seem to be around?) and he understands the animals haven't, um, been the nicest lately, but... really.

So he's been delegated to being the talker, with the people cautiously glancing behind him at Ahmi, and though there's some success there's plenty more failures to convince the people to leave. Maybe it's the cold, which is barely staved off with how much he's bundled up, but this is exhausting on his mental state.]

You're so nimble on your feet, Miss Ahmi, I'm genuinely jealous... In any case, why aren't these people leaving as soon as we ask them to? Don't they see the sky? How the lakes are floating with the dead? If it were me, and I was asked to leave an area, I wouldn't question it.

[He's a good boy who follows most forms of authority, after all. FEMA especially.]

And their attitudes! Honestly, pulling a gun out on you -- I can't believe it, Miss Ahmi, we're only trying to help. Should we bring them a net filled with fish as proof? Or maybe I should take some pictures...

[standalonehuman]

II: Return of an old plot point

There's an ability, for lack of a better term, that Togusa has been keeping quite close to his chest. So now is the time to reveal it. Togusa is geared up in his all black riot gear armor, but at some point on the trek, he will just vanish in a shimmer, as if his image was just that, an image. His footsteps are still visible in the snow, but once they get to the buildings, there is very little sign of Togusa at all.

Until they get to the research. The name is very familiar, and Togusa decloaks when he picks up some of the research notes. Halliday.

The message won't be spoken aloud, but sent to the phone of whoever is with him: We need to preserve as much of this as possible.

III-A: Dealing with the big guy

Togusa has had to be careful on their approach up, because there was no bringing the tank up the treacherous path to get here. Isamu is stationed down at the bottom of all the paths, just in case something follows people back.

But it's inside the building that has Togusa walking much more slowly. The heiroglyphs appear, and Togusa has slowed his pace, trying to take in as much of the script as possible. Let it pass over his eyes first, translate later.

The sounds ahead loom around them, so Togusa is in no hurry to find out what it is that is waiting for them.

III-B: Togusa's Bad Idea

It is after, when they have found the smaller creatures, that Togusa holds up a hand. "Wait. Look at what it is they're doing."

Creatures that are a mesh of bio and tech, parsing out, it's their lives. Little pieces of Togusa's life flit by, being analyzed by the creatures. A mish mash of both Togusas, time in the Academy, sitting on the shooting range, holding up Hikari. Which one are they showing?

Togusa points with a finger. "This is exactly the kind of thing that Zee is looking for. A way to possibly analyze the soul energy, the separate parts of the souls that Retrospec is pushing together. We could-" His voice gets stronger. "If we know what they know? We could fix this. When Retrospec's process finishes? We could finish it on our own terms, maybe not even lose ourselves!"

He pulls out the dummy barrier, a simple collar that wraps around the back of his neck, and snaps it into place. One cord extends out of one end of the barrier, and he is clearly looking for a place to plug in.

III-B

[thisloveisjustice]

Shit, Tatsuo is going to dream about that monstrosity for weeks. And these smaller ones, too, but mostly the big one. He's more than ready to blow this place sky high and leave, but of course Togusa has to look at this objectively.

Right at this moment, Tatsuo is finding it a little difficult to be objective. Between the hieroglyphs dredging up bad memories and the way that multi-eyed monster had gotten into their heads... and now these two doing the same, he's feeling a little raw. And to add insult to injury, they're combing through his life for anyone present to see. His mother, his college girlfriend, growing up at the orphanage with Matt, spending time with Mariko--for fucks sake that is private!

But Togusa has a point. If they could get this data back to Zee, it could go a long way in ensuring they're able to keep living their own lives when this is all over.

"Yeah, that's be great. But how do you plan to--"

And then he looks at Togusa. And sees the piece of tech around his neck and the cable in his hand.

"Oh no. Don't even think about it."

[cardcaptured]

v ; alwaaaaays i want to beeee with you and make belieeeeve with youuuu

[Art wasn't necessarily Xiaolang's best subject-- he was good at crafting and construction, but not so much on the creativity bits-- so this particular museum wasn't a place he visited often. But his English teacher seemed intent on promoting the new exhibit, promising extra credit should anyone write a short paper based on their impressions there. Extra credit was always an incentive, and with Rinka's suggestion of it as a good date spot last month... it didn't hurt to check it out. Considering he was avoiding Magatus like the plague, it's not like he had anything better to do on his off time.

But, of course, it's never quite that simple.

That's why, if you're out and about in the city, or even in the museum itself, you might come across a strange sight. It's not very often you see a teenage boy sword-fighting a unicorn, parrying his weapon with the horn on the beast's head. A rumpled notebook dangles from the creature's teeth, dodging Xiaolang's attempts to snatch it back before lunging in to attack once more.

... except it's merely a feint, and it instead starts charging in the opposite direction (maybe even towards you?), upsetting any tables or outdoor stands in it's path. Xiaolang, not one to be deterred, begins to give it chase, face pinched in frustration. Oh boy.]

Give me back my homework!

vi ; all i need is to be struck by your electric love

[The Atrium is yet another place he doesn't stop by that frequently (unless his school has some sort of performance or Li-Na has a recital), but he's not the type of person who would refuse to help if someone asked. Granted, it's debatable how much someone his age could actually do, but his engineering skills and knowledge of electronics could at least provide some insight. At least, that's how he's figuring it, anyway.

The scratching puts him on edge the moment he walks in, bringing to mind the less than pleasant experience with the rats in the subway tunnels, and the darkness does nothing to help. He doesn't know whether to be relieved or further unnerved when he spots that leathery wing darting away, but one thing is clear. This is definitely another stupid Retrospec-related problem.

With that in mind, he quietly summons his sword, the bright blue flames and his magic circle beneath his feet glowing even brighter in the inky dark, his jaw set in determination. Without wasting a moment, he pulls out his lightning talisman and slams his blade against it, invoking it's spell.]

Obey thy command! God of Thunder, come forth!

[A loud crack of lightning strikes a spot in the rafters above, briefly illuminating the hall in a bright white light, and for a moment, the skittering seems to stop. Xiaolang waits, with bated breath, hoping it's the end of it--

-- and then a snap of electricity volleys right back, nicking him in the arm before singing the ground right next to him. Biting out a curse under his breath, he glares at the direction of the attack, placing a ginger hand on his injury. His eyes then glance to whoever might be nearby (who hopefully did not see that rebound attack), his teeth grit against the sting of the shock.]

Do you know if there's any way up there? It's hard to do anything at ground-level like this.

Wildcard

((Hit me up here or @ Urameshi if you want to do something else! I got loads of ideas for the art museum and we can def do Magatus things too, so I'm open for anything!))

V

[blondferret]

[This takes living art to a whole new level. When he hears Xiaolang screaming for the unicorn to return his homework, Derek takes out his wand an points it at the charging unicorn.]

ACCIO NOTEBOOK!

[The notebook flies towards his out stretched hand. Catching it in one movement. Derek dives out of the way of the unicorn and slides back first into the wall of the museum. Contact with the wall makes a nice loud thunk.]

UGH!

[OK, that hurt. But he has your homework kid!]

[jurai]

III. We close our eyes

[Of course Crow was going to help out, whether it be relief efforts or exploration. Or both. One often coincided with the other when it came to snowy mountains. Thankfully, Crow was used to such conditions thanks to living in an area with heavy snow. Mountains not so much, but he'd worked out--he'd hiked before.

Finding the research party's remnants was worrying, and Crow's already got his flashlight out as he makes his way past it. He's not stupid, he marks his trail as he goes with his knife, scraping a "C" on a nearby rock or into a tree as he goes. Heck, it was one of his monikers, by now, he could recognize it.

That's actually why he's here alone--Ever since the memories of his terrorism had appeared, he'd been shy on the network to both friends and strangers. It wasn't too long, two days ago, but the radio silence felt like ages.

Recolle waits for no one, though, as he keeps climbing, idly musing about how familiar this probably felt to the memory he had of the other Crow--"C"--working his way through that mountain range.

Pretty ironic, he tells himself, as he makes his way to the top.

Was that...a building? So he was right, there WAS someone higher up on this mountain than the research party. Maybe they'd abandoned camp and came here--bones were still worrying but...survivors. He had to check for survivors.

Unfortunately, those negative thoughts he'd brought with him on the way up amplify to insane degrees from the moment he steps in, increasing until he has to stop.

What's your real motive, Crow Armbrust?

You've left your friends behind again, haven't you. Didn't that scar teach you anything?

It's just another step before you're back where you were in your past life.

It's better to leave them before they leave you, isn't it? Everyone leaves you.

Terrorist.

"C"

"The Crow Armbrust you've known all this time isn't real. He never was."

Crow's eyes widen at the thoughts, grabbing his head and sliding down against the wall, machine whirring in his ears and his thoughts bouncing off his head at an alarming rate. Who was he kidding? His feelings that matched up to the old him were probably just as fakes as they were back there...

It was all part of some plan, wasn't it.

Crow's left sitting in that corner as paranoia overtakes him, feeling so much younger, so much...more helpless than the man he was used to being. That flashlight flickers in his hands as he lets himself get enveloped in negative thoughts, not even able to cry.]

IV. Same Man I Was Before

[Well, this was a lot easier to deal with than that fucking mountain. Crow's been concentrating on the people ALIVE who need help, making sure their first aid kits are well packed and easy to carry, putting coats on kids, and leading them towards the evacuation efforts.

This is what he could do, and now that he was out of his own toxic mindset, he can help in a way he knows how.

He's once again no longer the joker that you see on Retrospec, his eyes now focused on the task at hand.

You may find him putting together first aid kits for familys as they start to leave, just on the off chance that they'll need them. Or packing up sleeping bags.

Really, doing anything. Care to give him a hand?]

[Wildcard!]

[If anyone wants to thread something specific with me hit me up on this account or at rceus !]

iii, an entire novel just for you

[motiv8]

[It's probably hypocritical of Rean to be upset by the sudden radio silence. After all, he's the one who left Crow on read for the better part of a week despite the man's constant attempts to reach out to him. But he'd promised Eren he'd talk to both Crow and Elliot about things by the end of the week. Elliot, he'd managed, and he'd promised Elliot again that he'd talk through things with Crow. That promise was proving difficult.

The first time he attempts to message Crow again, asking just if he'd be willing to talk sometime soon, he's left on read. Which is upsetting, sure, but Rean supposes it's karma. When he tries again, he doesn't even get the comfort of knowing Crow's seen it. He tries again, to no avail. The seeds of worry take root in his heart, but he holds himself together.

There's a million possibilities of why this could be happening, and he's going to exhaust all of them before he lets himself assume the worst.

He cannot and will not give in to despair.

It's not too difficult to find out that Crow's headed down into the layers, all things considered. Crow might be pulling back from other people, but he's still an EMT. And thankfully, it's even less difficult to ask about the tall man with white hair and red eyes – that stands out enough to people that Rean's gotten some pretty solid leads.

Solid enough to bring him to the mountain, and from there, the hardest part of following Crow's trail is the actual trek. He's marked his path with his false name, after all.

The remnants of the research party give Rean pause. He stands before the bones for a while, staring at them with widened, horrified eyes, before he forces himself to continue on.

He cannot and will not give in to despair.

Eventually, Rean finds himself at the research facility, and he steels himself as he pushes forward. If Crow's anywhere on this mountain still, it's here. And given that the markings led him all the way up but he hasn't seen anything to indicate he ever came back down, Rean has every reason to believe he's still here.

Everything about the inside of this place is unnerving, the whirring of machines most of all. It grates at the back of his mind, running like claws down his spine and seeming to accentuate every awful thought that's crossed his mind on the way up here.

Does it even look like there's another soul in here? What makes you think you'll find him here, much less alive? For all you know, you've already lost him. You've already failed him, just like you have so many times in both this life and the last... even if he's alive, you're just going to fail again. Like you always have, like you always will—

Furrowing his brow, Rean closes his eyes and tries to hone his senses past his thoughts, tries to focus on the essence of any other living creature in this building.

Eventually, he manages to make out the feeling of something faintly ahead of him, and that's enough hope to cling to.

He cannot and will not give in to despair.

He follows that weak sensation until it amplifies, feels it grow until he knows whatever he's sensing must be somewhere close by, and—]

Crow?

[He's yet to lay eyes on him, yet to even prove to himself that the person he's searching for is here, but he calls out to him nonetheless. Hoping against hope for a response, or even just some sound that might bring him closer.]

[thisloveisjustice]

III-A

After climbing the mountain, Tatsuo is going to need a few minutes before he ventures inside the factory. He is very much in shape, and very much athletic, but that used muscles is ways that he's not used to.

As he catches his breath, he starts kicking through some of the snow drifts, looking to see if there is anything useful under the snow. He's spotted the dog sledge wedged into the door, which means other people have been here before. They left the sled behind, maybe they left something else be... hind...

He looks down at what his boot has just uncovered.

That's a bone.

Tatsuo lets out a weak laugh.

Oh yeah, this is off to a great start.

III-B

Between the bones and the bloody hieroglyphs, Tatsuo is so on edge he could probably slice a tomato with ease. So it take absolutely all of his strength not to scream (in frustration) when they finally locate the edlrich horror at the center of the facility.

Instead, he grits his teeth and digs his hand into his pack for one of the grenades he's brought along. This things is way too big for his guns. But even though he's trying not to look directly at it, because why would you ever look at something that has that many eyes, it still manages to catch his gaze and latch on to his mind.

What the fuck is he even doing here? He's not equipped for this sort of situation! He might as well just let this thing eat him, before he becomes a liability to everyone else.

Tatsuo slowly slumps to the ground, his hand still tucked in his pack.

[ooc: enjoy Tatsuo's feelings of frustration, paranoia, and fear, b/c wtf is this thing]

V

After having quite enough of the sixth layer under Magatus, Tatsuo decides to relax for a bit. Maybe take his dog for a walk in the park. The weather has started to get nice, which is a welcome change from how ridiculously cold it was in Magatus.

As he tossing a ball for Yujirou to play with, he can't help but notice there are quite a few unfamiliar dogs he's not seen before. Who also don't seem to be there with any particular person...

He's debating whether he needs to start checking for collars and tags when a white dog with a long blue ribbon tied to its collar trots up to him.

"Hello," Tatsuo says as he bends down to pet the dog. "Is your owner around?"

Yujirou seems to thing there's something off with this dog though. As he shoves himself in front of Tatsuo's legs to sniff curiously at this dog, his tail wags much slower than it normally would at the prospect of meeting a new friend.

wildcard

[want to do something else with Tatsuo? hmu @ anacrusis]

v

[brushy]

[ how tatsuo will see ahmi depends on him and him alone— but she does see him in the park, with an older golden retriever sniffing at a white little dog by his feet. oh, in fact! there are so many dogs and not a single owner in sight? how absolutely strange.

whether ahmi appears as a woman with a gliding dress following her, or a graceful white wolf padding into the park, she makes her way over. at least, she’s stopped by a few of the other loose dogs, of which shoot over to her, to smell her and wag their tails furiously at her.

animals can sense what she is, they can see her glow and her divinity like no other, and she gives them love, all the same. (just where did they come from, she wonders) and considers asking. ]

[blondferret]

I.
Derek is having to pick up his feet as he tries to make his way through the keep snow.

"This is ridiculous!"

Give it to Derek to find something to complain about. Pulling out his wand, he has had enough of this.

"Stand back."

Derek points his wand at some of the snow that is in his way.

"REDUCTO!"

The magic blasts some of the snow out of the way, leaving a path of ground for them to walk on.

"There, that's better."

However, out of the corner of his eye, he sees movement.

"What as that?"

IVA
You know, there are just some days that Derek is just not a people person. Really, how hard is it for the residents of Magatus to understand they need to leave or they might die.

Derek goes up to one man on the street.

"Please you need to get on the bus. You have to evacuate. This place isn't safe."

The man looks at Derek and then tells him to bug off. As the man walks away you can hear the man mutter, "Stupid kid doesn't know what he's talking about."

Derek runs a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I wonder if using a cheering charm on these people will make a difference..."

Derek is starting to loose patience with these people.

IVB
Derek ducks as a resident owning a cafe in Magatus, throw one of the chairs at him.

"Will you

PLEAS be reasonable! Something is going to happen to Magatus and you need to leave!

The man glares at Derek and raising another chair above his head.

"I won't leave my business I've worked hard for from the ground up! You can get your stupid ass out of here or I'll make you leave!"

Derek lets out a sigh. What to do?

"Sir if could just thin rationally for a moment..."

Derek doesn't even get to finish his sentence as the man starts to swing the chair at him. Derek ducks out of the way, pulls out his wand and points it at the man.

"Stop! I don't want to hurt you! But if you hurt me, you leave me now choice!"

The man ignores Derek and continues to swing the chair around. Derek barely misses being hit in the head, he could feel the breeze the chair made on his skin.

"Fine then. If that's how you want it!"

Pointing his wand Derek says a spell he didn't think he'd have to use.

"Imperio!"

The man suddenly stops moving and then starts to put the chair down, though it seems like he is struggling against something. Derek isn't moving very much either, as he is trying really hard to concentrate on getting the man to obey his orders he is thinking.

[Put the chair down, pack your bags, and get on the bus!]

[armati]

[Arthur (his hair now a striking shade of silver as opposed to the auburn in his network profile picture) is mostly here for negotiation purposes.

He's not the most charismatic of people, but at the same time he's capable of listening and he's usually decent at figuring out people's deal and what will get them to listen; whether he utilizes it or not is another matter, but the point is that this place seems to need someone with people skills, even if they're not the greatest in the world.

And then there's whatever is happening here.

He isn't moving to intervene; he'll kind of look over at Derek once the wand comes out, though his gaze returns to the man rather quickly. That's...interesting, and he isn't going to speak out against it any, even if he suspects that he probably should.]

...I don't know what you're doing, but if it gets them to listen then I'm not going to stop you.

[frostythehitman]

II.


[ James has managed to make it to the research camp with minimal issue so far. Now the question is, how to enter it? He's seen some of the animals make noises and immediately get swallowed up by...something. He doesn't know what, and he doesn't care to find out.

So here he is, taking light and careful steps around the exterior, examining every door and window that he can find. He tries to test them as lightly as he can--will this give? Will this splinter? Will this move smoothly? But it's slow going.

After a good 20 minutes of this with little progress in finding a way in, he takes a break to just. Stand in a corner and kick violently at the air. The longer this takes, the more tempted he is to just punch a hole through the wall and take his chances. ]

IIIa.


[ It's the smaller machine-things that James finds first. Or, well. They look like horrifying monsters, but they're projecting binary on the walls and showing off images like a movie. It takes him a few moments to realize that it's not just random images, it's images of him and his life. A grand collection of every fuck-up he's ever made in his life.

Somewhere between the nervous paranoia settling in his gut and seeing his life play out before him like this, he's stuck in place. He looks paralyzed, like he doesn't know what to do next. ]

IIIb.


[ Later on, James has managed to stumble his way through the hallways, through all the hieroglyphs that feel like they're trying to burn themselves into him, and gets to a large open area that at least seems to be safe from the hieroglyph onslaught.

He's almost relieved, until he notices that the noises are the loudest they've ever been here, and that they are coming from an enormous, massive version of the smaller machines he saw earlier. And all of its eyes are focused directly on him.

He thinks his heart stops beating. ]

Shit. Shit, shit!

[ What is he even doing here? This is way over his head. He's just some dumb kid--and even taking into account whoever he was in a past life, even then he was only ever just some guy who fought people. Superpowered people, sure, but nothing like this.

He doesn't even know if it needs to be fought. Maybe it's meant to be here, for the better. James can't stomach the thought of destroying something good again, like he always does. He turns around to leave, his back to the monster-machine-thing. Like maybe he just didn't even see it. ]

III-a of course

[standalonehuman]

The images coming off of the other creature change, and now the displays are a mix of James and Togusa's lives. As the man, himself, walks into range, they can focus on the both of their targets.

It is strange, to Togusa, to see a look on James' face that echoes how he looked when he was younger on that older face. Uncertainty and fear to the point of not being able to move.

And what can you do about it? It's not like you're his dad.

A deep breath, and Togusa steps closer. "James." Quiet, but enough to grab his attention before he dares to reach out and put a hand on his shoulder.

[fiddlestick]

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!]

iv

[psykick]

[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.

[manufactured]

[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.]

III-A

[scythegun]

[Jaeger's absolutely in agreement about avoiding the research facility. Unfortunately, getting up here was tougher than he would have liked, and while he's regained Yeager's abilities, he's still scrawny and not exactly cut out for trips like this. He's not fond of the cold either, and let's not even get started on the bodies or everything else this place looks like it's going to be.

He's ready to keep going now though, and he watches as Wesker loots some stuff from the bodies.]

I can hold onto anything else you want to bring.

[He just... really doesn't like the idea of doing the looting himself, but otherwise he's fine with it.]

[armati]

[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.

IV-B

[blessmefather]

[ Matt isn't a big fan of how the snow absorbs the sounds around him, it throws him off a little and it doesn't help that the ground is less even and the snow piles are higher than they get in the city. He has to tap around more than usual. Still, when Arthur seeks out help gathering the woman's belongings Matt nods at him. ]

As long as someone leads the way and tells me when there's an obstacle ahead I should be fine. My eyes don't work but my arms still do.

[usurpers]

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. ]

A

[maskreant]

[ They! Were doing so well with playing charades here until that creak of the floorboards. Their movements are so feather light... Graceful, nimble, LIKE A SWAN. But now. The shadow saw through their disguise and is after their blood. ]

... I knew we should have brought slippers with us.

[ As much as Akira is a fight kind of person, that thing ate a whale, so he reaches out for Eren's wrist and high tails it out of the camp. It would be best if they can keep whatever other evidence intact so they can return later in the day.

Once they shake this thing off or banish it to the Shadow Realm. He looks over his shoulder to see where the shadow is—ugh. Shadow tentacles. Great. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

II.

[Being tasked with breaking things but also being surrounded by sound-hunting monsters presented a bit of a problem for Lucy. She was good at breaking things, she was good at being quiet—just not with being quiet while breaking things, which tended to involve a lot of crumpling metal and shattering glass. Being quiet was reserved for walking around and startling people who were minding their own business and weren't expecting a ghost-silent pink thing to walk past them.

Lucy glared at the vial trapped in ice in front of her, translucent hands curling out of her back and swirling around it. This was the third one, on top of sneaking into the building surrounded by squeaky crunching snow and rotting bridges, and her patience was wearing more than a bit thin. It'd be so easy to just shatter it and be done—and those things would hear her, and she might have to drop the supplies she'd already gathered up to fight them off. If she could fight them off.

Ugh.]

III. (CW for murder, dismemberment, and Elfen Lied being terrible)

[The ice made things strange. The rock gave Lucy more things to anchor on, and climbing here had been easier than sinking in the snow. The building itself was where the complications lay.

Lucy had made it to one of the smaller rooms first. The letters didn't try and brand themselves on her skin so much in here.

That didn't make it better.

As the living machine hummed to life, a large screen on the back wall flickered on. It read like something between a police report and a patient information form; the name field kept garbling, displaying "Kaede," "Lucy," or "AL 288-1." The address listed kept changing, like there were multiple forms to be filled out. None were Recolle addresses.

Each time the incidents weren't pleasant ones, and stopped pretending to be impassive reports in a moment. A family, murdered in their homes—Lucy the only one who remained, impassively stepping over their bodies on the way to the fridge. Another, different family silenced in the same way—the children were laughing, drawing Lucy's attention. A man, a soldier who'd attacked her—methodically torn apart with her vectors, starting from his arm.

A killer, not to be trusted—

The screen split, scattering into static and then blackness. Lucy had torn off a piece of paneling and thrown it at the screen, cracking the display. The horned girl didn't stand so much as loom, despite being so short. She was between the machine and whoever had made it this far with her—but was staring, suspiciously, at the person.]

How much did you see?

[Her voice is much colder than usual, less friendly.]

[Wildcard]

[Choose your own adventure!]

ii - sorry for the wait! rl.........

[tarotcards]

[ this is a rare occasion where using his personas is limited. the summoning process is easy, but noisy. there's absolutely no doubt that the loud sound of shattering glass would draw the attention of those shadow monsters, so he chooses to only employ the use of his sword. it's frustrating because he knows that if he could just use his personas, things would be so much easier. it'd certainly be easier to get these vials encased in ice if he was able to just melt them with mada. ]

[ he stands next to lucy, also looking at the ice-encased vial. he reaches into messenger bag, fumbles around a bit, and pulls out a small notebook and pen. he twists the pen, opens the book, and quickly writes a note for lucy. ]

I can use one of my Personas to melt the ice, but it'd be loud. It'd definitely attract those shadows.

[ he has personally made the choice not to use them on his own but with the two of them, they might be all right. also, using them is dangerous as the noise would give away their position but waiting around here for who-knows-how-long can be just as dangerous. ]