04 - week four

[afflictionmods]

WEEK FOUR

Saturday comes to a close, and it’s time for some rest and recovery. Perhaps the TLC you deserve will come this week, or perhaps the nightmare will continue. It’s hard to say with things being so strange around you, from Wei Wuxian’s disappearance to the sudden addition of objects and places and creatures from your homes. Who knows what this week will bring? Nothing ordinary, that’s for sure.

You wake up on Sunday to an increase in those little glimpses you saw yesterday. What were snippets of songs, locations that might’ve seemed familiar, and creatures that were dormant, are now all alive and whole. When you go to the karaoke bar, the songs you once knew are there. Monsters and animals are alive and sentient. New business are abound. Vehicles are operable, and perhaps some of your old belongings are back, too.

However, some of these things aren’t even things that should exist outside of your dreams. They may be far too strange and unusual to be real, or just things you don't remember ever seeing. The only thing you remember about these things in particular is that they were, quite literally, in your dreams this week.

That being said, every few hours, all of these things from your homes and dreams fade out and get replaced by new sounds, places, beasts….only to maybe come back again at another time.

Well. At least there's one constant here: You’ve got a handful of new locations to look at, with the fog having spread once more, and they aren't going anywhere. There aren’t as many new places that are native to Estelline this time around, but that may be for the best, considering everything going on.


SETTING TRACKER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

NEWSPAPER SUBMISSIONS + EDITION #1

SAGE / FLORENCE / LORELEI

MEM SHARE DETAILS

OOC NOTE

OOC: Details on this week can be found here!

Also, we have a lot of participants for the news activity from last week. Neat! Everyone who participated in some capacity will have a small polaroid camera delivered to their doorstep. There's limited film, though - 10 photos per camera. It doesn't seem like there's any extra film at this time, either.

Finally, there will not be any weekly tasks this week. You guys are going to be busy with memshare and dreamscape stuff; instead, enjoy the Estelline University Newspaper!

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

FRIDAY

[afflictionmods]

[affligere]

[Early Friday morning, after a whole day of the portals being around, Grimnir and Gentaro will be approached by Florence.]

I have some news for you. Please follow me.

[And then once they have the two of them together, they lead them to the courtyard's fountain. They'll let the two of them take a moment to collect themselves, even if they really haven't said much yet.]

[vedr]

[ following along! ]

We're not in any trouble, right?

[goodfaiths]

a.

[ This memory starts in a small arena. There are only a handful of other people here with light sticks in their hands, and there are seven different colors total. What this is for is unclear, minus the quick clip of Riku in the portal, but once the lights turn on, Riku is front and center.

Welcome to IDOLiSH7.

The song begins and it's upbeat. Riku and the other boys on stage are performing, singing, and they look like they're having the absolute times of their lives. Literally nothing bad happens in this memory, and after the concert ends, Riku can be found taking a breather backstage.

He looks thrilled. Way more thrilled than anyone in Estelline has ever seen him before. ]

b. cws: alcohol

[ The next memory is in a dark room. There are two people in here: Riku and another boy around his age. They resemble each other quite a bit, and you appear to be an awkward bystander to their current conversation.

The look on the other boy's face is stern, directed entirely towards Riku. ]

You can't keep promises. You haven't until now, and you can't moving forward.

[ Riku's expression is absolutely disheartened.

The conversation fast forwards and escalates. There's discussion about how this person – Kujo Tenn – would never disappoint his fans. How Riku would only make himself and his fans disappointed, how he's second-rate, and if he wants to sing with his friends, he can go to karaoke instead. All of this hits Riku very hard.

It jumps ahead again. Now it's Riku's turn to talk about how he thought Tenn had "left" because he thought Tenn had "hated having to take care of him". Discussion of family abandonment ensues...and then a bunch of noise from outside. They aren't alone in the house. There are drunken idols downstairs; some of them are looking for a cat, apparently; there's a guy delivering soba; it's kind of chaotic and it looks like Tenn's getting agitated. Riku has no response to any of this despite looking extremely upset, but it's clear the conversation looks like it keeps getting interrupted.

Stop the weirdos downstairs? Encourage Riku? The choice is yours. Sorry that you got pulled into family drama!! ]

[ OOC: These memories are able to be interacted with but the outcome of them will not be changed. Affliction!Riku can also make an appearance later on in either of these memories; just put in a request for him and I'll have him show up later in the thread! ]

b

[catarou]

[ His eyes have to adjust, but in the meantime, he hears a voice that's surprisingly familiar. Gentaro is quiet, and once he's able to see marginally better--

Ah. Riku. He doesn't like that look on Riku's face one bit. Try as he might to resist, Gentaro's grown fond of several people here. Riku is one of them, and he feels something squeeze in his chest, especially as the redhead starts to speak. It's a terrible thing, to feel like a burden.

There's a commotion elsewhere. Gentaro at least registers it, but his focus is solely on the twins. It's difficult to miss the resemblance, after all.

Gentaro stays quiet for a moment more. ]

I can only speak for myself, but Riku hasn't disappointed me. Therefore, I must respectfully disagree.

... Well, that was a lie. There is nothing respectful about my disagreement.

a, gimme affliction riku some time

[selfconcept]

[ It's a small arena for sure, but when Hien finds himself here, he decides to stick around. It's a wonderful show. Very lively. When it ends, he wanders the backstage. He's been using his powers to give himself normal-colored eyes in black and the distortion and static has been taken away from his voice. ]

Rikkun, right? Nanase Riku? That was a great show.

b;

[sicklysweet]

[Owen steps through just in time to watch this argument between brothers starts, and he raises an eyebrow at the expression Riku makes.

He presses his lips together.

And then, because it's Owen, the first words out of his mouth are - ]

You should kill him for speaking to you that way.

[is this a serious suggestion or not...]

a.

[iubar]

[ He's no stranger to musical performances, but it's not like he's normally seeking things like this out. And it's a little different of a feeling than what he's tended to see.

After the show is done, he'll be wandering toward the area that he saw the idols leave the stage, particularly to check on how one person's doing specifically. ]

b for the irony

[mirrite]

[... well, this is awkward. It's none of his business and Marcus knows this, but at the same time he can't just stand by and listen to Riku getting chewed out without even really attempting to defend himself. All of those accusations of disappointing people and needing to be taken care of... they hit a little too close to home for Marcus' comfort, and so after a few minutes of listening he can't help but speak up.]

Sorry to interrupt this incredibly productive discussion, but you might wanna save the rest for later. Unless you like trying to out-yell those guys downstairs, that is, but from the sound of things they're winning that competition right now.

b for brothers....

[vivens]

[ well given the fact that riku had told him about the issues he had with his brother, seeing this memory makes him wonder about a few things. rather, it certainly puts things into light and despite the many questions he has for riku and this tenn person, he keeps things pleasant and starts off calmly. ]

I'm sorry to interrupt, however I was wondering about this "promise" that was brought up.

[ he steps in politely, lower his head at tenn and riku both. sorry to suddenly making himself known! but he just had to, okay? ]

As an outsider I won't want to pry too much, but as an older brother, I know I'd want the best for my siblings.

[sicklysweet]

a; cw violence, animal attacks | mhyk spoilers
[Stepping through the portal will take you into a grand hallway - or what might have been a grand hallway, once, of some elegant castle like you would see in a fantasy movie. It’s hard to tell now, though, with the thorny vines covering the walls and blocking you off from going any further. They seem to be moving, as well.

There’s a red-haired man with eyes that mirror Owen’s standing in the hallway, sword in hand. He has the expression of someone who’s trying desperately to salvage a terrible situation, but he can’t completely mask his frustration and fear.]

Don’t you feel bad for all those people locked away in that dark castle?

[The redhead’s voice is pleading, and it seems like he’s trying to convince Owen of - something.

Owen looks terrified.]

I…

Don’t you feel bad for me?

[Owen’s voice is softer than you ever would have heard before, trembling with emotion. He sounds - looks like someone entirely different. Even the redhead seems taken aback.]

I’m still locked away. Still left behind. And yet…

[...]

You’ll save them, but you won’t save me?

[There’s a sharp growl, a giant three-headed dog appearing behind the redheaded man. He’s surprised, but he can’t stop Cerberus from latching onto him and tearing.

Owen’s face has gone cold, lips pressed into a trembling line, but he… still doesn’t seem like himself.]


b; cw violence, probable eye gore
[There’s a group of men in the distance - and only two of them are standing. Owen looks horrifically smug, his old, beat up suitcase hovering next to him as he faces down a red-haired man with yellow eyes. He’s in some sort of uniform, sword drawn with grim determination on his face.

Both of Owen’s eyes are red.

He notices you before the other man does, a cold smile crossing his face.]

Are you a friend of the knight’s? It would be rude to interrupt.

c; cw alcohol
[The world on the other side of the portal is cold. It seems like it’s the dead of winter, but isn’t it so handy that you’re actually in a bar right now? Everything about the bar screams luxury, even if glancing out the window most of what you can see are buildings in the middle of construction. The bar itself seems like a place that has been preserved in time while the world progresses around it, and it certainly seems like a place people enjoy considering there’s quite the crowd.

The jovial crowd makes the woman sitting at the bar stand out even more, though. None of the other stools at the bar are occupied - it’s just this woman with long, grey hair, legs crossed at the knee as she drinks. People even keep their distance when they go up to order, the bartender looking terribly amused by all of this. Of course, distance kept does not mean there’s no interest in the woman. Some of the patrons even look excited, as if they’ve spotted some sort of majestic animal in the while, with one even leaning over to whisper to you. Though it might be generous to call it a whisper, with how everyone in the bar seems to notice.]

Have you heard what they say about Northern witches?

[Well? Have you?]


d; cw starvation, child abuse, forced imprisonment/captivity, death, past animal death
[It’s dark, cold, and damp. The room you’re in is cramped, with no light to be found. You’ll need to either wait for your eyes to adjust or provide your own light source, because there’s nothing to be found here - and you might want to be careful where you put your hands, because there are thorny vines that have broken through the ceiling in places, crawling down the walls. Their thorns are especially sharp, and they’re trapping you inside.

There’s not much in the room, though. There are the skeletal remains of rodents, an old picture book… and a body shackled to the wall. It’s so small that it must belong to someone very, very young - probably not even ten.

It’s hard to tell if it’s alive, though.]

e; possible cws for violence, threats of violence, kidnapping but in a stupid way these are lighthearted memories i swear
[A rather large manor is ahead of you - it seems absolutely enormous and sprawling, with a luscious courtyard, elaborate rooms, and a forest surrounding the building. Everything about the manor is well maintained and beautifully decorated, and there’s plenty to see depending on what you want to look at. There’s the courtyard you’re standing in right now, naturally, but there’s lounges and parlors, a library, a kitchen, over twenty bedrooms all labeled with the names of their occupants…

Really, pick your poison.]

f; wildcard
[closes my eyes before i write any more… if none of these strike your fancy, just let me know and i’ll write something ✨bespoke✨. cws for these memories can include violence, various forms of death, including suicide, references to chronic illness and hallucinations, bigotry and prejudice… just let me know what you’re curious about and what you’d absolutely like to avoid!]

a

[catarou]

[ He isn't sure what to expect when he finds himself in the hallway. It's unlike anything he's seen before, but there's a distinct... vibe to it. Or maybe that's just Gentaro's brain working in overdrive, because this is an unfamiliar situation, and he doesn't like that.

The voices catch his attention. He doesn't recognize either one of them, but when he turns to look, he's alarmed. He doesn't dare call out or draw attention to himself; he simply listens to the conversation. It feels like a different sort of intrusion, but he hadn't made a conscious effort to come here.

He doesn't recognize the redhead, but he does recognize Owen, who is the cause of his alarm. It's not just how he sounds. It's the words he says. Gentaro's speculation had been correct, then, but it brings him no joy or satisfaction.

How could it, when he knows the sting of being alone, being lonely, of having to fend for himself?

Gentaro says nothing, does nothing, as he watches the dog's teeth clamp onto the redhead. He watches, just as he has this whole time, with his arms crossed and a grim expression clouding his face. ]

b

[selfconcept]

[ After taking a look at his surroundings, Hien tries to make himself as least imposing as possible. When he notices both Owen's eyes are red and the other's eyes are gold, he thinks this is the moment that Owen told him about back in the bakery.

... ]

I'm not here to interfere.

[ Yet. ]

Go on.

d!

[imitationsoul]

[ ......

Well. She kind of hates this. Even if it isn't her in the chains, she instinctively understands that feeling of desolation and the memory of it stings.

For a moment, Miach merely focuses on even breathing. Then, she crosses the small distance between her and the child's body. Touching its wrist to check if alive, unless there is response to her approach. ]

b

[escardos]

[ well, that's definitely something that's going on! but flat's smile doesn't disappear as he answers as casually as ever: ]

Nope! I'm just intruding, don't mind me.

d

[partymagician]

[ Fai almost pricks himself on a thorn as he tries to get a look around the room he's found himself in, but he manages to steer clear of them as he carefully walks around them. He's slow in his movements, trying to take everything in until he sees what looks like a child.

He hurries over as quickly as he can. ]

Hey. Are you alive?

C

[selfconcept]

[ Hien is used to grabbing attention through violence, but then there's this. The way she whispers way too close to his ear nearly makes him shudder, but he makes a quick step to the side. Terrible. ]

No.

[ He feels like internally dying. ]

[undertakings]

i. the eighty-sixth sector (cws: euthanasia, gore)

[The first thing that would hit your senses is the scent of burnt flesh and metal. In this dark, claustrophobic space, only the dim light of the three optical screens around you provide any sense of what's outside. Peering out through the screens reveals the ruins of a devastated city street, asphalt dotted with the rubble of collapsed buildings and the twisted carcasses of fragile war machines mixed in amongst felled enemies, scattered about like crushed insects. Perhaps the one blessing here is that the battlefield is mostly silent at this point, signaling that the fighting has already subsided.

And while it's easy enough to raise the metal canopy above your head with a simple pull of a lever situated besides the hard, uncomfortable seat, you may catch the glimpse of a small, black-haired boy dressed in oversized desert camouflage fatigues and a scarf climbing out of his own machine and running over to one of the others--one with the front caved in so severely it might even be enough to crush a person.

But regardless of what you're feeling about this right now, you're here. What next?]


ii. the daily life of the spearhead squadron

[You find yourself standing in front of a very colorful chalkboard. As the rest of your senses catch up, you can hear the din of people hustling behind you and the noise of machinery inside the rest of the hangar. If you find yourself turning around to take a peek at what's going on around you, you'll see more of these crappy war machines sitting around as the maintenance crew tunes them up.

Either way, at some point a familiar face will his way here, dressed in a desert camouflage uniform accented with a pale blue scarf at his neck. As Shin slips past with a clipboard in hand, an older man with a ponytail and dark shades marches up to him and starts yelling.]

Shin! Shinei Nouzen! Ya fucked it all up again, ya little shit!

[This sure is a way to start things off.]

---

[ooc note: just a heads up that the memories can be interacted with but for the most part, the overall outcome won't change! because of this, i'd also rather keep some degree of nerfing on for powers to the extent that what's being done should still be kind of within human limits; so for example, while you may still be able to conjure a palm-sized fireball, you can't instantly incinerate a house or something.

also i have a spreadsheet here for non-interactable memories if one of those catch your fancy more; just let me know if you're interested in any of them and I can write up a custom starter for that!]

II

[herlocksholmes]

[Upon arrival, Sholmes examines the surroundings, hurrying to take a closer look at the war machines. What's...this is pretty advanced! Far more advanced than any war machine he's aware of. This is Shin's world, isn't it? Sholmes already knew this world was quite different to his own, but seeing this sure drives that fact home.

Speaking of Shin! Looks like he's over there...getting scolded. Welp, time to snoop! Hiding behind the nearest object of his size he can find, Sholmes tries to get as close as he can to find out what's drawing this man's ire at Shin]

[selfconcept]

[ An order of "It's your fault" and "... brother", please!! ]

i;

[fabulation]

[ This is extremely disorienting, but you know what, apparently he's here now.

Xingqiu carefully inches closer to where the other has run over to. To see what's going on, and maybe see if someone is either injured or even still alive, even after the obvious damage to the machine.

What's going to happen next? ]

julius + rideaux

[pr159]

1.

[ Rideaux (with all-black hair in a neat shoulder length bob) and Julius (with no glasses) are both here in this memory, and look to be somewhere around the age of 13. They're sitting at a table in the company cafeteria, wearing black and red uniforms, with their lunch trays and a couple of papers on the table in front of them.

Rideaux seems surprisingly bright and playful, excitedly rambling on about some gossip he heard to Julius, who appears to be working on writing a report and could not possibly look less interested in whatever is being said to him. Every so often Rideaux takes one of the cherry tomatoes out of his side salad and drops it onto Julius’s plate as encouragement to keep working on that report for the both of them, like he’s giving a treat to a pet for positive reinforcement. ]

2.

[ In that same Spirius Corp cafeteria's kitchen many years later, Rideaux and Julius in their mid-twenties along with a handful of other coworkers are having the world's worst hot pot party. A large soup pot filled with eggplants and tomatoes (featuring some meat and a daikon) smokes ominously as Rideaux watches in amusement and everyone else stares in horror.

Suddenly the imposing company CEO steps inside, and everyone turns to look at him. ]

Well. How goes the company hot pot night? [ With a glance to the clearly toxic concoction bubbling in the pot. ] Looks like you've all been having an awfully good time.

[ He turns to look at Julius. ]

What's wrong, Julius? As the host, you should be first at bat to give it a taste, don't you think?

[ Rideaux stands behind him, smirking. ]

It does look like it's about time, Director Kresnik.

[ The CEO turns to look at him. ]

Of course, you'll be next after him, Rideaux.

[ And Rideaux immediately goes pale. ]

W-what?!

[ He and Julius both glance at each other before turning to stare into the bubbling pot. f u c k . ]

3. [ cw: graphic violence/murder ]

[ In a seedy-looking town with narrow roads, the two teenage boys can be found bickering with each other over something — apparently one of Julius’s twin blades, which he eventually rips out of Rideaux’s hands and takes back. It seems to take way too long for them to finally address the man lying on the ground in front of them, with a severe stomach wound oozing blood. When they do, it’s not the wound they’re interested in, but a pin in the shape of an orange gear attached to the man’s outfit. ]

Heh, is that badge a sign of the terrorist group?

Look at those fools taking pride in being treated as cogs in a machine.

[ When Julius kneels down to take the badge, the man comes alive and sits up, trying to grab him. Without even saying a word, Julius takes his blade and rams it through the man’s throat, stopping him before he can even start to do anything.

He looks at the orange gear, smiling as he plays with it in his hand, with the man’s blood still on his cheek. ]

I used to collect things like this as a child, from the assemblymen and directors that came to my house...

[ There’s a noticeable shift in the air around Julius that Rideaux seems to be a little taken aback by — but with the other members of the terrorist group ready to descend on them, there’s not much time to dwell on that. ]

4. [ cw: graphic violence/murder ]

[ The location turns into what seems like a run-down apartment building, complete with busted in windows leading outside, but what immediately becomes the main focus is a group of people in front of an open door into one of the units.

On the ground is a silver-haired woman in her early thirties, clutching her abdomen and clearly in pain. Lying protectively over her is a seven-year old boy with the same silver hair (did he just emanate a dark aura? It’s probably fine), in an apparent desperate attempt to shield her from the two teenagers standing over them.

Rideaux, in a word, looks different. He’s brandishing a scalpel, clearly ready to attack the two in front of him, if not for the sword being pointed at his throat. ]

Stop it, Rideaux.

[ Julius stands behind him, his tone cold and clearly not messing around. Rideaux seems more annoyed than threatened, though. ]

...Stealing my win, noble son?

[ Julius doesn’t respond, but this momentary distraction gives the child in front of them a chance to get moving, frantically telling his mother to ‘hold on!’ as he tries to get her inside the apartment.

Rideaux sneers at the kid as he works on getting his mother up, something about this particular scene clearly grating on him… and then, in an instant, he turns and slams his elbow into his “partner”’s face, with no regard for the blood that sprays from his own neck as the tip of the sword slices the skin. Julius’s glasses fly off as he gets knocked back, and Rideaux points his scalpel at the woman on the floor. ]

[ both characters will reply to threads for any of these memories! ]

[exofractured]

i. cw: violence, memory issues; Rays Arc 3 spoilers

[The glimpse through the portal is inviting: a sunny little fishing village, bustling with cheerful activity. Stepping through brings you out near two teenagers talking nearby. One is a smiling blonde girl, while the boy might look a little familiar. But this small Phantom(?) doesn't have mismatched eyes, and there's no sigil marking his face.]

...hoping we could go to the Moonrise Hill together.

That's a lovely spot! Oh, and we should invite Ix to join us! The three of us haven't had a picnic together in forever.

[Maybe there's a moment to catch the disappointment on the boy's face or the hesitation before he answers.

--But that's not right, is it? The memory distorts, and like a skipping record, the part before seems to replay. Only a little different.]

...hoping we could go to the Glasswater Woods together.

[It distorts again, and this time, you find yourself in the woods. Lush greenery is everywhere and everything is peaceful. Until somewhere through the trees, you hear the snarl of monsters and distant yelling.]

ii. cw: memory and identity issues; Rays Arc 4 spoilers

[Stepping into this memory leads you into what is clearly a castle. Grand marble halls, plush red carpet beneath your feet, banners with some kind of crest hanging from the walls. There's no shortage of things to explore here if you choose to wander around. Or perhaps you follow the sound of voices - voice, singular? There's some kind of argument going on in a room off to the side. It isn't loud yet, but Phantom's tone is intense.]

Please, stop. If the new Delusionward severs my connection to you...

[Some of the words are muffled. But then there's Phantom's voice again, firmer this time in disagreement.]

I know what you're trying to say, but I can't agree to that.

iii. cw: probable violence of the JRPG boss variety; Rays Arc 1 spoilers

[This memory opens into a wide room, dimly lit in an eerie blue. There are traces of machinery all around - giant glass cases faintly glowing from the chunks of crystal inside, a bank of monitors with holograms projected in place of screens, something like a giant wheel giving off spokes of red light. And everywhere throughout the lab are more crystals, growing from the ground, piercing machinery. Including the conspicuous device at the center of the room.

Someone familiar with how to read blueprints might recognize it from the design that was pinned to the bulletin board, even as mangled as it currently is. Phantom, standing nearby, turns at the sound of footsteps.]

You're running late--

[He stops, visibly befuddled. An unexpected visitor really took the wind out of his sails on whatever speech he was winding up for.]

Another Nexus? What are you doing here?

[OOC: Memories are interactive unless you opt otherwise. If you go non-interactive I'll have other characters appearing to deliver their lines on schedule, otherwise you'll get Phantom. Let me know if you want Affliction!Phantom to appear later in the thread.

If you want to work out a memory that isn't sunny with a chance of violence, poke me on discord/plurk and we can figure out something custom!]

mind the individual cws

[escardos]

( ooc: hello! just as a fair note, memories will be labeled as either interactive or not. the interactive ones, however, will not have their outcomes changed. )

1. childhood memories (cw for attempted filicide/child abuse)
[ the place that you arrive at is a lustrous household. the design is heavily mediterranean, and you can tell that, despite any and all remodeling, hints of the true age of this place still shine through like cracks underneath the surface. it's a household that has withstood every storm for almost two millennia, seen generations come and go.

and in the corner of a wall, there's a young child. he can't be any older than nine years old, if even that. you cannot interact with the objects around you, but the boy wastes no time in detecting your presence and turns towards you. blue eyes, void of any warmth or coldness, stare directly at you. there's no doubt about it: the person is none other than flat escardos. ]

What are you doing here?

2. at the casino (cw underage gambling)

All on red.

[ the sound of a roulette, the chipper noises of a slot machine. the voice of a croupier calling for bets. that is what you come to-- the bustling sound of a casino. and, nearby, there's flat escardos--perhaps just a bit more baby-faced than his usual self. and behind him is...quite the crowd of onlookers.

the other people make their bets. the croupier spins the roulette-- lo and behold, red. she distributes the winnings and once again, asks for bets. ]

All on 17.

[ what a risky bet that is. but as the croupier is beginning to roll, time seems to slow to a halt--

or not quite. if you observe carefully, you'll still notice the roulette moving, but slow enough that it almost tricks the eye. flat's eyes are on you, but they're full of curiosity. ]

Hey, there! I've never seen you before.

3. the result of the grail war (cw gory death) (major fsf spoilers) (non interactive)
[ it's sunset in snowfield, nevada. and from just a short distance away, you can see two figures. A blonde woman and, of course, Flat Escardos. ]

Wait-- tell me! If you know about me-- if you know who Ayaka Sajou is--tell me!!

[ she sounds desperate. perhaps you want to approach, but something seems to be keeping you in place. all you can do, is listen. in contrast to her anxiety, flat looks oddly serious. he nods. ]

Sure...I understand. Like I thought, you don't really know what you are, do you?

[ no response. flat continues, as if trying to ease her mind. ]

You see, your body--

[ but something cuts him short. the sound of something crashing into the asphalt rings through the intersection, followed by the quickly reddening patch of something on flat's torso, or whatever is left of it. immediately, the young man's knees thud to the ground. he seems calm, however, ignoring the voice coming from the watch on his wrist as he calmly analyzes his wound. from there, he looks up in the direction it came from, his hand shielding his eyes. if you follow that, then maybe you'll see them too-- snipers. in fact, there's snipers on every building surrounding you, all pointed at flat. ]

Sorry, Jack... I screwed up.

[ there's a scream. you can see the watch transform into something, but it doesn't matter. flat smiles sadly, and perhaps even catches a glimpse of you as he says his last words-- ]

...Sorry, Professor. I'm sorry, everyone--

[ and the last thing you see before being ejected out of the memory is the image of flat's headless body crumpling to the ground into a sea of red. ]

[ and where is flat, in the mean time? he can be found in the courtyard, practicing his trombone. as usual, he looks... pretty ok, actually! ]

bars, hell, and sad memories

[totalcatastrophe]

LUCI'S INFERNO
[ cw: drinking, slapstick humor ]

[ Curiously, a portal near the kitchen has a few scepters littered near it, though they all eventually wind up sucked back in. Did one hit you? Sorry about that. But through the portal is much safer. It empties you onto a dirty stone street, empty and dark save for the sliver of moon and the warm lights of the tavern just ahead. Music escapes freely into the night and off down the winding roads. According to the sign, this is Luci's Inferno.

Through the window or the door, it's hard to miss Luci dancing on the bar when the attentions is directed his way. He's only a little taller than you might remember. But wherever you are, the dancing and singing winds down eventually and Luci calls out over the eruption
of yells and applause. ]

Yeah, yeah, shows aren't free so buy some drinks, losers.

[ The regulars laugh and complain boisterously. A delayed second later, so do the almost mindlessly cheerful elves. They're all almost as small as Luci, with two eyes, pointed ears, and hats. Most of the patrons are mercifully still humans. Or close.

It seems Luci had noticed you, since he scurries over as fast as he can after his performance. He glances over his shoulder before leaning over with an excited but conspiratorial snicker. ]

Look, it's my bar! [ He laughs, leaning back again. ]

So, what do you want? On the house. [ Because this house is Fake, but fully stocked. Who knows what will carry over into the real world. ]

HELL
[ cw: mental torture, betrayal, near death experience ]

[ Step through the gate radiating heat by appearance alone. It's edges are shifting oranges and reds with the occasional lick of blue, flickering like fire. With a threshold that that smells of sulfur and showing previews of places you might wind up. As you're sucked in, humid air fills your lungs; heavy and almost painfully heated.

Welcome to Hell. There are demons everywhere as your feet touch the dirt like ground of earth. It's a good thing you're probably wearing a very convincing disguise. One of them swoops low to drop in front of you.

Luci. He's a bit taller and doesn't seem to recognize you at all. ]

Okay chump, I don't have time to ask you where you got that, but come on. Help me or I'm ratting you out.

[ Alternatively, you awake in a dark room. Your wrists and ankles firmly bound to a wooden chair. This your soul, you will realize if you try to struggle, to use any powers.

Snickering, high pitched and mean spirited starts from behind you in the dark. Before the audible click, the smooth sound of a projector kicking on. At first, blank light, illuminating delicious looking popcorn there's no physical way for you to reach.

Suddenly brought to life, in third person view, is projected the worst moment of your life. Whatever it may be, on repeat until the demons eventually get bored. Eventually they'll leave. And eventually, Luci will barge in, bringing light with him as he shuts the door behind him.

He slices at your bonds but backs up defensively with a harsh tone. ]

Hey, I'm your way out of here. You gotta trust me. Unless you want to be strapped back into that thing.

NEAR-DEATH
[ cw: other demons, frank discussions of dying, suffering ]

[ This portal is pitch black. Light seems to sink into it without any reflection. Nothing moves until someone steps too close. Then single eyes start to open, blinking.

We're all gonna die. The deep voice sounds resigned to it. Another distinct voice wallows for help. The majority of voices yell at them to shut up.

To those that know it, they might recognize Luci's groan as they are sucked in to this memory. You are now another demon, your body amorphous and confined. It's less uncomfortable than you'd imagine, but it is confining. You can speak freely, your eyes and mouth able to move anywhere within the bottle. Yet there is no way to free yourself. ]

Oh, aren't you cute. I don't think we've met before~ name's--

[ Starts the feminine voice coming from the bottle next to Luci's eye before he interrupts her with a groan. He rolls his eye and gives you some advice, obviously not recognizing you. ]

Ugh. Don't waste your last hours falling for that. Been there.

DEATH
[ passive. cw: death, grief ]

[ A portal near the edge, obscured by the fog behind it, leads to a forest. Night has only just fallen, but the moon illuminates the clearing where a woman is leaning over a being, green-skinned and small with pointy ears. There isn't any blood visible. No one moves. No one speaks. The somber energy drags on for hours, the slow and downhill march towards acceptance for the trio of beings that remain in the clearing together.

Perhaps the most surprising thing to any visitor, is that Luci is in attendance, standing opposite the white haired woman while staring down at the body cradled in her arms. ]

Oh, man. If this is sadness, I don't like it one bit.

[ every one of his tears evaporate into steam, dissipating into the cooling air.

No matter what you do, the second this distraught Luci looks at you, the whole scene goes dark, as if the stage light had been unplugged. Distantly, there is yelling as you fall back through the other side, a cross armed Luci is looking down at you. ]

Hey, rude. That one's mine, so don't go in there.

[ He didn't seem like he wanted to go back in there, even as the color noticeably shifts from blue to orange. option for the next portal will be seeing hell but still passively. ]