affliction mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
afflictionmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
theafflicted2022-06-11 10:58 pm
afflictionmods) wrote in theafflicted2022-06-11 10:58 pm
04 - week four
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
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!
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!
bars, hell, and sad memories
[ 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. ]
bar
The sign outside promises 'booze in wax bottles'. Go ahead, Mr. Luci. Fulfill your promise.
no subject
[ Luci hops back down, running off. When he returns, he dumps out a variety of these into a bowl. They're all brightly colored bottles, most are sweet to varying degrees from liquors to liqueurs, vodka to mead.
A brightly dressed elf leans over from the next table over with an excited giggle. Their voice is high pitched and overly friendly. ]
You can chew the bottles like gum!
Shoo!
[ Luci swats his tail at them as he hops over to sit on the table. He takes one of the bottles and bites the cap off before handing it to Sholmes. ]
Ever had one of these before?
no subject
[He says that, takes the bottle with no cap, and chews on it. Oh, this is such a bizarre thing. He probably shouldn't be swallowing this if it's literal wax, though.
.......
He does so anyway]
no subject
[ Luci laughs, biting open one for himself. He downs the alcohol first, then pops the whole thing into his mouth like it's nothing, no chewing. A blink, then he looks down at his hands and laughs. Black wings pop out of his back and he looks back at them with some heh heh's before retracting them and scooping up another wax bottle. ]
So I'm offering something here you don't have back home in that metropolis, huh? These elves make some weird candy, so I thought, why not?
[ Which seems to contradict the derision he apparently treats them with. Then again, some things at the bar have been adjusted to accommodate them, including the options they were mostly drinking from. ]
Death
Luci.
She's never seen Luci cry before.
Before she can do anything, say anything, reach out or try to do something, Luci spots her, and everything goes dark. Before she knows what's happening, she's laying on the ground, Luci over her.]
...Sorry.
[And then, because the residual sadness of whatever she just saw is still there, she reaches up to pet his head.]
no subject
... Wanna help me guard it?
no subject
No, redirect that thought and try not to make everything about yourself, Mae.
She sits up, nodding.]
Sure, man. No one else getting past.
[A peace offering, she hopes. If he lets her she'll rub a bit between ears/horns/whatever they are.]
no subject
You have any dumb ones too?
no subject
[She doesn't really elaborate on that, instead glancing back where the portal is - though not so long she can see inside.]
Remember I said I stopped a death cult? That one's here, somewhere.
no subject
[ Okay, if she is still petting him then he is finally purring lightly now. The portal is still shifting in hues of blue, orange and red. Luci is pointedly not looking at it. Avoidance successful for now. ]
no subject
If no one goes in there and stops us then I guess!
[And who would want to stop that?]
But that's when I found out. That Casey was killed. And I thought... we thought he just ran away. He would talk about hopping a train all the time...
[She trails off, ignoring the portal behind her. Focusing on petting Luci instead.]
no subject
[ It would sound meaner if he wasn't also purring against her leg. ]
no subject
I only have as many friends as people who will tolerate me.
[So it's amazing that it's as many as it is!]
Me and Casey became friends in high school. We were detention buddies. Us and my friend Gregg, we were the troublemakers.
no subject
[ What is it about troublemakers that always have him gravitating towards them? He scoffs, sounding tired. ]
Bet he had more fun than any goody-two-shoes has in a lifetime.
no subject
He did. Casey always had the best ideas. [She strokes Luci's head and leans back, thinking.] One year it flooded. The most rain we'd had in like, fifty years. He showed up at my house in a flat bottom boat and threw rocks at my window until I opened up.
no subject
[ Luci says it sullenly but snickers anyway. His lack of energy is less obvious. The whole boat thing reminds him of home, stupidly because it's something he could see happening back home with his own friends. ]
Where'd you sail?
no subject
[It feels like a good sign that he's perking up a little.]
Just around. The whole place looked different while the water was up. Like the town was floating. I liked it better that way, I think. Even if it sucked for everyone with water damage.