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

[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.]

REAN YOU PRECIOUS BOY

[jurai]

[It takes a second for Crow to register the sound of someone's voice that's not the one inside his head.

That voice. He'd know it anywhere. It's the one voice he's heard in his dreams, his memories, when they're together in this life...

He's looking for you, to bring you back. But you don't really want to go back, right? You've done too much to him already. You've isolated him from your life. He deserves better than someone with terrorism on their record.

Crow's fingers clench around his bangs as his hand holding the flashlight trembles.

I need to let him know I'm here...

But the negative thoughts bounce right back:

TRAITOR. YOU'RE A TRAITOR AND THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE. Your feelings in this life are just a fabrication. You're meant to be alone! Your grandfather's gone, your parents, even Astrid's gone! He'll leave you too if you don't first!

Crow winces at those words, eyes shut tight.]

I want to hear that from him...

[It's a whisper, nothing Rean would EVER pick up on with the noise in the background. And he does the only thing he can do, his hand managing to use every ounce of mental strength and slide his flashlight in the direction of that noise.]

CROW YOU STUPID LEGGY BIRD

[motiv8]

[Rean doesn't hear the whisper, and at first, he doesn't notice anything at all. The scraping of the flashlight on the floor is too soft to hear over the aggressive noise of the machines. He swears he can almost hear the voices in his head laughing at him, mocking him for even daring to have hope.

And it's then that his eyes fall upon that light, from around a corner in front of him. That wasn't there a second ago, was it? No, no, it wasn't, he's almost certain of it.

The demons in his mind try to taunt him, but he pays them no heed as he dashes toward that light, around that corner, to find—]

Crow!

[He's curling in on himself, and it looks like he's in pain from how he's clutching his bangs. Rean drops to his knees beside him, skidding a bit from how desperate he is to get close to him.

It doesn't matter. He'd gladly bruise every inch of his body black and blue if it meant Crow was alive and relatively unharmed.]

Crow, are you all right?!

[jurai]

[Well, he'd sent the only signal he could muster up. All he could do was wait, the thoughts in his head spiraling him downward until he couldn't even recognize what was and wasn't his thoughts.

It's not until he hears a muffled voice--Rean's--saying his name once more, louder this time.

It's not until he feels the boy slide (gently) into him and put his hands on him that he realizes it'd worked. Rean had found him.

His mind clears in an instant, although those red eyes are wide and...afraid.]

Rean?

[motiv8]

[Crow responds, albeit distantly, and looks at him with those terrified eyes, and the negativity immediately kicks in.

He's afraid of you. And he should be. How can you pretend to be so worried about him when you hurt him yourself? When you can't promise you won't be the one to take him out in this life?

But even louder than those fears, there's a relief. Crow responded, he's okay.

Whatever higher power there is – God, Goddess, he doesn't know which life's deity he should even consult anymore – he's thankful.]

Yeah, it's me. Are you okay? What are you even doing here?

[He's checking over what of Crow he can see while he peppers him with questions. He doesn't see any obvious injuries...]

iv

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot too had decided to go help the people. He had his own worries about what fiddling around the layers could do, so he wanted to ensure the people would be safe. Also, you cannot convince him to climb that mountain, no sir.

So while Crow is busy giving family's first aid kits and putting coats on kids, he might spot Elliot a ways away working. Looks like he's set up an impromptu cooking area, and is doing what he can to prep meals for people to bring with them on their trip. It's a long way away from the mountain after all, people are gonna get hungry. Despite the mood, he's doing what he can to keep a smile on his face and keep up his soft tone as he speaks to these people. There's enough yelling as it is.

At the moment, it looks like Elliot is serving up one last batch of people before he takes a break. Whether Crow decides to approach or waits until Elliot eventually notices him, that's up to him]

[jurai]

[Elliot's cooking was beyond compare, sources (Trails of Cold Steel, (c) 2014) say, and Crow was one of the ones who had gotten a whiff of it wafting over to where he'd been preparing the first aid kits. With another set knocked down, he takes the mini containers over to some families, passing them out and patting their shoulders. It was still quite the trek to get them to actual safety, but the better prepared, the safer the whole thing would be.

His nose does catch scent of the food though, his stomach betraying him and growling on the spot.

Red eyes turn to see Elliot there by the fire, handing off a plate to the last person in line with the same warm, cheerful smile as always.

Heh...Well. Better now than never.

Crow slowly approaches him, one remaining first aid kit in his hand.]

Workin' your magic?

[fiddlestick]

[As he hands off that last plate, he stands back and wipes his brow with his sleeve. The last person heads off to their family to share the meal, and Elliot can't help but feel happy to see the effects his food was having on boosting moral.

Then he hears Crow's voice. He wasn't really expecting it, he had a feeling Crow would be avoiding him for longer, so when he turns and confirms with his eyes it's indeed his friend? His eyes light up and he breaks out into a big smile. ]

Hey Crow!

[He's here! And he approached him! If Crow's looking for any fear or judgement from his friend, he won't find any- he's just happy to see him.]

Y-Yeah, I just thought the people could use some food. Are you hungry? I just finished serving, but there's a little leftover.

[jurai]

[It wasn't just Elliot's food that boosted morale, that face was enough to warm even the chilliest of hearts, and Crow's no exception. He smiles, a little wearily from his past few weeks, but over all not really avoiding Elliot's company if they happen to be in the same area.]

Hey, Maestro.

[His voice is calm, with a soft warmth bubbling underneath.]

I'm starved. Whatever you've got is fine, it's more than the energy bars I brought.

IV

[sleepingknight]

[She might be the one who needs help here, as a matter of fact.

Her face is more or less the same, as is her voice, but now her hair is long and purple, her eyes are red, and it's only because she's wearing a snug hat that the pointed ears aren't visible.

All of this might not be helping her case as she tries to persuade people to actually, you know. Evacuate.]

Hey, wait! The supplies are this way!

[The parents of the family are not especially impressed, already beginning to herd their children away from the bus. Argh, this is the opposite of what she wanted!]

[jurai]

[Wow excuse you, people. Just because her hair and eye color are different doesn't mean you get to make stupid ass decisions.

Crow sees her struggling and...decides to use his expertise to give credit to her pleas.]

She's with the Relief Efforts, you know. I'm a medical professional in training, and she's my volunteer help. You really gonna risk your kids lives over something like that?

[His eyes narrow at the parents, making sure they know what they're getting into.]

Your other alternative isn't looking so hot.

[His hand claps on Yuuki's, smiling.]

Now, let's all get along and get to that bus, okay?

[sleepingknight]

[Her month of people noticing is far from up yet, what a pain.

The assist gets an intensely grateful look. Not being trusted at her word during such an intense and important time was definitely starting to get even her down.]

It's a pretty comfy trip, too!

[And she looks to the kids here, because she feels slightly more confident dealing with them than the parents.]

There's loooots of time to spend with everyone, so we can pass the time playing games on the way. Like a road trip!

[It's working. The kids are pretty young; not old enough to have become jaded to the idea of a family trip yet. As the kids begin tugging excitedly on their parents' coats, the parents exchange a reluctant look. Maybe just one more push-!]

[jurai]

[Good work, Yuuki. The kids can be powerful motivators when it comes down to it. Crow decides to sweeten the deal with the parents too, walking up to them with a tiny compartmentalized box with some snacks and first aid.]

Now how can you say no to excited faces like those? They're practically bouncing!

[He smiles more, giving the parents a little push.]

Better hurry before the window seats fill up.

iii, except i winged it extra

[usurpers]

[ the monsterous, sickly eye tower, whatever it was— it would take plenty of visits to deconstruct and destroy. eren went on one of those, and he was more than content with going with crow this time.

he's been wading off alone, and. we couldn't have that. eren wouldn't allow it when he sees it, anyway.

luckily, there's not too much left to break off on this trip once they reach those mountain tops, only some eyes and gears that stand tons higher than a person could usually reach, clinging to what’s left of their structure. their flashlights flicker, the thoughts return to haunt them.

monster, monster, monster— you’d hurt anyone and everyone to get what you want.

that’s true, eren replies to his thoughts in silence.

selfish.

he is— for a good cause, he likes to believe. their data begins to align, the negativity sets and threatens to make him turn on his friend with violent words, again, but that’s something he wasn’t going to do. it’s just vanderweele, trying to deter them. because he has nothing else he can do to them.

mass murderer. war criminal. liar. rogue. all those children, those families. your own friends— you’ll just do it all again if you had to, and you’d blame it on circumstances. you’ll throw lives away to let the people you think are worth it to live.

you’re no better than vanderweele himself.

except, we’re all that way, is the fighting thought that saves him. that, and raising his voice high above his shoulder as he stabs an eye with the tip of his maneuver gear blade, hanging from the walls and up high, before cutting it down. the structure clanks. ]

Watermelon.

[ that’s the way he found that they could focus: name the oreo flavors. he dead serious. ]

[jurai]

[Crow won't admit it right now, but he's glad that Eren came along. While his brain had been overthinking everything the past few days, and despite him wanting to stay as far away from people as he could until he sorted it out, walking up a mountain alone probably wasn't the best idea one could think of.

Then again, if it involved saving lives, Crow didn't really care.

Up the mountain they went, and into the building that lay at the top. Heiroglyphs line the walls, and the further in they go, the more of a sinking feeling Crow gets as the sound of a whirring machine starts to fill their ears.

Everything about you is a lie. It's all you know how to do. Your past self...your present self, they're the same con artist you've always been.

Nothing about you is genuine.

Crow bites his lip, trying to think back to what Elliot said. About how past doesn't affect present.

Keep lying to yourself. Keep thinking that they'll just accept something like that. Like you.

After all, if you keep smiling, being the jokester, no one would ever know, right?

Stop it, he tells them. Stop, he knows his own faults.

Crow's sinking deeper and deeper into those heartless words...until Eren takes a blade to one of those eyes, the voices immediately dying down...if only a bit.]

...

Lemon Twist.

[Thank you, National Oreo Day. For helping them through mental trauma.]

[usurpers]

[ so far, so good. all they need is this one, and before eren’s thoughts take another jab at him, he hacks at a branch that he swears seems to scream at them. ]

Root Beer—

[ the thoughts in their heads cease, all at once. thousands of whispers fall silent and eren can feel the grasp loosening completely from them. it makes him breathe a sigh of relief, and he looks down, toward crow, about to say something with more confidence to his features.

what happens is, the structure falls in loud clatters and clanks, metallic screams whirring with the mountain’s wind— it shouldn’t be that loud when they’re this high, surrounded by dormant sheets of snow. the earth seems still, too still, and a rumble from above approaches. ]

Out— Out!!

[ eren nearly divebombs to the floor by then, thrusting himself into crow and the first exit they see. because they’re fucking screwed.

remember your training (what training) ]

[jurai]

[That machine falls, and Crow can feel the scathing words leave his head. At least for the time being. He's about to smile, revel in their victory (as small as it was. It wasn't like the machine fought back all that hard), until the mountain itself seems to growl with a sickening sound.

Crow knows this sound. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on, and Crow's feet--as much as they feel like lead--immediately begin to follow Eren's lead and get them the heck out of that place.

Avalanche. This was a fuckin' avalanche.

Of course this would happen to the two paramedics. C'mon Johnny-Ten-Abs!!]

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM.

[Crow makes two of his playing cards appear out of thin air, throwing one at Eren and one he throws into his arm. When it makes contact, the cold weather seems like a thing of the past, as if Eren's skin itself suddenly became resistant to it.

Extra protection.]

iii

[frostythehitman]

[ James didn't head up here with the expectation to follow anyone. But he sees the carved "C" all along the path he's taking, and figures someone must have gotten there earlier. All right, that's fine then. All the better to have backup.

So when he enters the factory, it's with the expectation that he's going to find an ally, although he's not sure who. What he definitely doesn't expect is seeing a light flicker eerily from around a corner. He moves in carefully to inspect it--who knows what it might be--but relaxes once he spots Crow...having a moment.

He's not sure how else to describe it.

He approaches, but isn't sure what to do or say. Shit. He's dreadful at handling things like this. ]

So...what's going on here, huh?

[jurai]

[A moment is pretty much the best way to describe it. Crow seems to be wrapped up in his own little world at first, eyes boring holes into the floor until he sees James approach, the tips of his boots coming into view as he looks up.

Red eyes meet his, and they're full of a mixture of fear and confusion.

Never a good thing to have.]

You...

[Yes, Crow, it's a person.]

Heh, you probably don't hear it...

[The voices, that is. Because they've been hammering at his head the moment he's set foot in here.]

[frostythehitman]

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?

[jurai]

Voices, mostly.

[He responds immediately, shaking his head as if that'd clear them, even momentarily.

He realizes he's being vague, but honestly, he can't imagine anyone wants to hear SO I'M BEING TOLD MY PERSONALITY'S FAKE. Still, the question hangs in the air, and it's not helpful to just make James play guessing games.]

Probably not the place to have this talk but...

Say your past life personality matched your current one pretty spot on...until one day you remember that the whole thing was a farce. That you were just playing up that personality that you thought matched yours.

That's what those voices are telling me. That I'm fake.

[And honestly, he's afraid of that being true.]

iii

[maskreant]

[ Akira, unfortunately, is a stalker. When he sees the trail of marks up the mountain, he follows it with good intentions—just to keep on eye, just to make sure that people are safe and sound. There's curiosity, but he knows he should stay focused. Once he confirms that this lone wolf is fine, he'll head back.

The building that he finds concerns him, especially when he sees signs of activity, so he sneaks in despite the bad omens that start haunting him. The thought of finding someone in there, someone that may need his help, drives him forward, so eventually he does fine Crow lingering in the factory. There's no flash of light, so it may be hard to tell that Akira is here at all. The Third Eye is what guides him and what leads him here. ]

Crow?

[ What negative thoughts or feelings that tried to stir are quelled with worry for someone else. He's quick to come to his aid, but not fuss in case he's fine. ]

Are you all right?

[jurai]

[Look he was going to bring Elliot along but SOMEONE hates exercise. It's not his fault!

Though he'll appreciate Akira's curiosity later, because those worries aren't unfounded. It'd been quite a rough couple of weeks for him, all things considered, and were he of a better mindset, he probably wouldn't have set off without some sort of game plan other than 'check the place out'.

When Akira finds him, it takes a moment for those red eyes to register who's there, though once they focus, they soften with familiarity. It's just Akira...and he means that in the best way.

Shoulders slump, partially from relief, and partially from mental fatigue. Those voices keep screaming at him, everything from the usual 'terrorist' spiel to how Akira's wasting his time with someone so...disingenuous.

He chuckles.]

I've had better days, that's for sure.

[maskreant]

[ ... True. Elliot does hate exercise. Akira tilts his head and tries to get a better look at Crow, but man is it dark in here. Just based on his voice, he tells the truth. It's nice that Akira doesn't need to interpret words and find hidden meanings.

He rubs his back a bit before patting it a couple of times, ushering Crow to stand back up here. ]

Do you hear voices, too?