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

[ignihidden]

"Mr. Hien NoEntry, registering."

[It doesn't have the same cadence as [full name]-san but, look, we make compromises when roleplaying in the English language.]

[While Ortho is quickly creating a file, the headmage, a completely trustworthy looking man, will explain.]

["Rather than an agreed upon marriage, young Idia Shroud has ended up coming to the attention of a certain reoccuring ghost of ours. It's a portentious event occuring once every hundred years so it's never actively harmed a student... ... yet."]

"If she completes the ceremony with my elder brother, she'll take him to the land of the dead!"

[selfconcept]

[ Hien gives Ortho a dead look, but. Huh. He kinda resembles Idia. Just a little? Maybe it's the hair. ]

Okay, well... show me where he is. I dunno this place.

[ignihidden]

[Of all the currently living people in the world, he definitely... most resembles Idia. Judging from the other people around in the rescue squad blue fire hair isn't a common trait.]

"Mr. Headmage! Requesting permission to escort since so many of the students have failed so far!"

[Ortho turns and waves to the headmage who... doesn't seem great on the idea. "We didn't send you in for a very specific reason, young Ortho."]

"I promise not to detonate until every student and Mr. Hien NoEntry has failed."

[detonate, huh...]

[selfconcept]

I know I just came in, but like... have some faith in me. Lead the way, Ortho.

[ Rude!!! ]

[ignihidden]

[Look, a handful of the most talented developing mages went in and got smacked for shit by an angry bride... Ortho is very seriously considering every beam in his arsenal.]

"Right! Surveilance says there are ghost guards stationed throughout the area. I will attempt to clear a path for you!"

[the boy says with shining eyes]

[Anyways, from the Mystery Shop they head onto the school campus! It's... a lot fancier than Estelline's campus and you get the feeling it's a lot more of a "historic school." The first obstacle... ghosts blocking their path to the inner hallways!]

"The headmage will be angry if I fire a full-power blast into the school building..."

[selfconcept]

... I'd get pissed too, if this was my school.

[ Cleanup costs... ]

What do these ghosts hate? Or what scares them?

[ignihidden]

[Ortho seems to pout, although it's a little hard to tell.]

"Magic is effective. Since they're trying to protect the ceremony I don't think negotiation is an option."

[They're loyal and immune to knives which does take a few options off the table.]

"A distraction could also work!"

[selfconcept]

Magic...

[ Hien is much more of a physical fighter and his magic is mostly instant kill and debilitating debuffs, which probably doesn't have any effect on ghosts like this. He tries to wrack his head over this issue. Hm. ]

Do you think I can eat them?

[ignihidden]

[Ortho isn't set-up to have the proper kind of incredulous response for that question! Instead he abruptly starts running like a dozen archive searches and,]

"There's no reason to believe that couldn't work!"

[I mean, there are a bunch of "if"s attached to that statement, but the purpose is for Hien to actually make it there and regardless of lore canon there will be a path forward-!!]

cw body horror

[selfconcept]

[ Hien isn't the type to bury himself with what-ifs, so he outstretches his right arm and it turns into this shadowy, wispy black partial monster form as if all that shows is the neck and head. The jaws open in place of Hien's hand-- ]

Eat it.

[ The shadowy arm elongates enough for the monster to reach the ghosts to eat them whole. ]

[ignihidden]

[If the headmage were present, he might be having some reaction. That wasn't magic and this school already has a mysterious transfer student to deal with and a mascot that may or may not be eldritch.]

[... but it's Ortho who seems to have no moral qualms with this.]

"Right! This way!"

[down the hallways, past empty classrooms, until finally there's a door that can be kicked open to the school kitchens where Idia's being "prepared" for the ceremony. He's been forced into more wedding-like attire that would be cute...]

[... except for the fact he's, like, tied to a chair.]

"Elder brother!"

[like a rocket, Ortho is tackling his brother which ends up knocking him over chair and all]

O- Ortho?! Y- You made it on campus? Ortho, everyone else was completely useless! I was 98% sure I was going to die!

[selfconcept]

[ Oh.

Huh.

Idia looks snazzy in that outfit. Hien's just wearing a t-shirt and black pants, so he's very far outclassed in that department. However, what catches his attention is that Idia called the robot his brother.

...

Hm. ]

Hey. We're here to rescue you. Where's the bride?

[ He tries cutting the ropes to free Idia. Unlike with ghosts, the knife is plenty useful here. ]

[ignihidden]

[Nothing unusual here, nothing contradictory to things Idia has said at all! He coped with the events of his past super well, clearly.]

[This Idia hasn't told anything to anyone, though. And while the ropes do clear away with a careful application of knife, he isn't moving from his position.]

E- Eh- Ortho, who is this person? Did the headmage send for some specialist?

[and he's looking to his robot, his brother,]

"Everyone else was taking too long. Mr. Hien NoEntry offered his help, so I figured it was the best chance. Can you get up?"

... n- no... She paralyzed me, just like she paralyzed all the other wannabe rescuers. They're all out in the cafeteria like logs on the ground of a survival-crafting game. She's probably there, too, g- get me out of here before someone notices!

[selfconcept]

Alright.

[ It doesn't take long for Hien to carry Idia bridal style easily. At least his arm is normal now. ]

Ortho, lead the way. You know this place better than I do.

[ignihidden]

[Idia makes a little "eep" as he's picked up off the ground. There's absolutely no recognition in his eyes and so he keeps trying to look over at Ortho for some reassurance.]

"The bride should be through those doors... or we could try and escape the way we came but there might be more guards."

[This would be where Idia would factor in on forced stealth in games but his nerves are still a little wild right now from the near-death and being bridal carried by a stranger.]

1/2

[selfconcept]

[ Hien leans in a little close to Idia's face and whispers: ]

It'll be fine. I'll keep you safe.

[selfconcept]

[ Anyway, he lifts his head to address Ortho. ]

I'll eat them again. It's no problem.