2nd Event: Choices We Make

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Arrival


Not all characters (known as Wickie, singular or Wickies, plural) arrive at the same time, surprisingly enough! That’s life for you. Some Wickies find their way to the island at a pivotal (or very mundane) point in their life, or even after or during their death.

Wickies who were standing or walking often find themselves entering the town South Sister, located on Lighthouse Isle, through an open doorway. Those that were laying down, or sleeping, tend to be found lying prone in beds, bathtubs, showers, couches, and similar places within the cottages on Cottage Row. There’s no rhyme or reason to it all! To Wickies familiar with the era, they will realize that everything looks as if it’s come from the ‘90s.

The house which a Wickie finds themselves within could already be occupied. This includes walking into a fellow Wicke, waking up in the same location, or accidentally scaring a room full of people with their sudden appearance.

Oops.

C-C-Changes

Thankfully the fog has gone down to what it was before, a slow creeping crawl over the ground. And too, the monsters of before are gone, leaving the town much like it was before. Well...close to what it was before.

For now the season's have changed, from a lingering summer to a cooler fall.

There’s new foods to try, even if some things like lattes cause people to slip into warm boots and tie up their hair, and soups make people curl up under blankets on the couch. And it also means decorations of all sorts, made of the leaves from the forest, orange, yellow and red things and...we can not forget...

Pumpkin overflow

Pumpkins! They're everywhere. Wickies will find pumpkins infused into all sorts of things, like coffee, ice cream, even spaghetti options! It's wild.

There’s also many jack o'lanterns. They have been placed everywhere in town, outside homes, and even small ones have been made into table decorations. The Jack o lanterns have very cheerful faces, and seem to watch Wickies every single move.

That is, until a Wickie bashes or otherwise abuses a pumpkin. That's when it changes- there seem to be more of them. Their expressions change to that of anger, sadness and disgust. None of them attack- yet. But their faces become more and more horrifying, as they follow the Wickie more and more- outside of the bathroom perhaps, or found on top of them as the Wickie wakes up in the middle of the night.

It shouldn't matter right? They're only pumpkins.

What a ride

Funny enough, with the pumpkin invasion, there also comes a dull colored horse wandering about the island. Its head is drooped, and it looks depressed and lonely. The horse is tame on approach and will accept pats and treats, even from those who are obviously not human.

But it also wants something, for all that it seems to be begging for attention. It wants someone to ride them, seems to even be begging for it with its big eyes. The horse will help Wickies to figure out how to mount; it will even stand beside the Town Center benches, rocks, or even go down in order to make it possible for the Wickie to get onto the horse’s back.

That’s when it changes. The Wickie is immediately wrapped in chains from their barrel to the Wickie’s waist. The horse turns a coal black and the Wickie’s clothing changes into that of a soldier's uniform, with a hand either holding a whip modeled after a human spine, or a jack o'lantern.

The Wickie cannot get off the horse on their own, no matter how much they struggle. As the horse moves throughout the town, they will go anywhere from a walk to a full canter, seemingly impervious to any magic or physical attacks. The same cannot be said for their unfortunate rider.

If the rider is hit, or simply in pain, the Wickie will feel an impulse that grows and grows until they scream a name of someone in town, someone they know.

And the named will drop, paralyzed. Paralyzed wickie are likely to die within minutes, more so if they are too close to horse and rider. The horse will happily trample anyone on the ground to death.

Even without the impulse, should the Wickie rider use anyone’s name, that person will drop, paralyzed, and unable to breathe.

There is only one way to possibly save the rider: scatter golden objects in their path. The horse will shriek, and promptly buck the rider off, before running away. Just make sure to catch the rider, or at least cushion their fall: they have no way of saving themselves until they hit the ground.

Heart game: confession

Current residents of the island may remember this particular beeping alert, and how it doesn’t go away, no matter what they do! That is, unless they open up the Heart Game, and answer the question.

Welcome back everyone! It’s so good to see you again! Now let’s play that game, Confession! And the question isssssss…

How do you celebrate the changing seasons! Don't be shy!

Comments

[ilves]

[Lalli lingers by the fence for a moment, keeping watch as Emil attempts to hoist himself up and over, because Emil is so clumsy—but it looks like he has this under control! It does! And know that some small part of Lalli is nodding approvingly as he turns to lead the charge to the other portion of fence they need to clear, because surely this is... growth. Or something. His influence, thank you very much.

But Emil calls his name, and Lalli looks back to see him flopping about like a fish on a line. Typical Emil, really—and the hoofbeats are coming nearer, ever nearer, and Lalli clicks his tongue in disapproval before reaching up to tug at his stupid friend's stupid pants. He's half a mind to grab his knife and slice through the damn things, but let him try one yank... two yank... three whole yank...

...Bam. Emil's pants are now free, which means Emil is free to fully crash to the ground in a heap. Is there a mud puddle or something there? Hopefully not. Small blessings, etc, as Lalli hesitates for a moment before offering Emil a hand. Here, accept some help from this stick-armed grump—]

Don't you hear it? Stop being slow!

[Click, clack, click, clack. They've just gotta clear... one more bit of fence... and then they're back at the town center! Back at the shop that seemed open for business, last time Lalli looked, so come on.]

[illequipped]

[Emil immediately donks his head face-first into the dirt, so really, he's cursed either way - less cursed is still cursed. But he is free from the fence, so even though he swears angrily under his breath and hastily rubs at his whole face, there are— well, pros and cons. Pro: not stuck to a fence.

Con: literally everything else. He grabs Lalli's hand, a gesture that is purely a gesture from both of them because Lalli can't even open a robust door on good days, leaving Emil to mostly push himself off the ground anyway. It's the thought that counts, and credit him this: he manages a sheepish half-grin of gratitude once he's back on his feet. Thank you for not abandoning him, sir.

Anyway.]

I hear it— you picked the direction with all the fences!

[He sees that next fence from here! It's going to go the same! Or maybe he'll grab something in this person's yard to boost himself over, like a child's remote controlled car or something, they won't miss this when he definitely cracks it—

The point is, he's getting over this fence without being caught this time, although the landing is still not graceful. Lead on, skinny...]

[ilves]

[He picked this route because it is the quickest route, thanks! But as that sounds suspiciously close to criticism, that half-grin, nice as it was, is quickly forgotten; Lalli shoots Emil a tight-lipped frown before vaulting for that fence. Fine, Emil, pick your own path... Lalli is outtie...

Except that he isn't, of course. He once again lingers by the fence as Emil (gracelessly) tackles it, keeping a close eye on the path from whence they came—and oh, hey, would you look at that horse peeking its head around the corner of that house! Spooky.

So there's clearly no time to be super petty? As soon as Emil's feet touch the ground, Lalli is once again grabbing his wrist and tugging him along at mach speed. The horse can—does—easily clear each portion of fence, so come, Emil. Time to avoid those benches in the town center before coming to a skidding stop before the store, the doors of which slide open of their own accord. Inside! Inside, inside, inside, where Emil can, like, flop against the checkout counter as Lalli nyooms over to one of those wide windows. Come here, lazy. It is time to Observe this horse as it trots closer.]

[illequipped]

[Running, today and all days, is the worst. Emil mutters his fair share of protests, but jeez, he's coming. Sure, Lalli is the one who punched the horse (or whatever), so clearly Lalli is who the horse is after and Emil would be perfectly safe to just go sit down on a bench somewhere... Probably. But solidarity, etc, etc.

He's running! He's running until the second they get into the store, at which point he does immediately slump down against the nearest counter to catch his breath, watching Lalli continue to have energy somehow. This guy...]

Did that door open by itself? [neat. however,] Can a horse open a door like that?

[He has yet to move from his Spot, but he's casting a look around for a weird monstrosity that perhaps could... barricade this door...?

Yes, this is the best idea. He hauls himself up to cross over and get that cardboard defense system, at which point the doors once again open of their own accord. He stands there, useless.]

Uhhhh...

dunkaroos... i hate you

[ilves]

[Lalli wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Emil remained draped over the counter for the foreseeable future, but—ah, okay. Emil is up, and Emil is asking questions, and as the horse mopes ever closer, Emil is bound to attract said horse's attention. Cool.]

What are you doing?

[Time to march over and grab Emil once again, all while warily eyeing this door. Weird magic is definitely afoot, but what if just, ah... pulls Emil back? One step at a time, until the doors once again woosh closed. There! Suffer this Look, you foole, before Lalli turns it on this... whatever it is. What are these little containers, anyway... is that strange creature at the top holding a god damn cookie...

...He's grabbing a pack before motioning Emil to follow him behind the counter he was just, like, dying on. Come duck behind this register with him, sir. Come sit on the floor beside him, because he is patting this space! Insistently!!!]

nah

[illequipped]

[Can't believe this door is magic and also that Lalli is judging him for it. Emil gives him a Look right back - what, sir! What!! - but follows him behind the counter regardless. For a moment he just, like, stands there? Leans his elbow on it, watching Lalli settle in, because boy--]

You went and got snacks first?

[And he's the foole? Please! What are the priorities here! He turns to look out the front windows again and sure enough, there is a horse coming, so fine-- here he is, sitting on the floor so his perfect and lustrous hair isn't, like, a horse beacon in the window.

Hello. At least share the snacks with him.]

You still didn't answer me! [now he's stage whispering,] What if the horse can open the door?