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

[fanstheflames]

[ For as occasionally idiotic happy-go-lucky as Tsuruno comes off as, very few things actually escape her notice, especially when she's so curiously subjecting him to her scrutiny in the first place.

He... droops.

Oh.

That's not a very villain-like thing to do, and she's met so many vil-- well, problematic people in her time as a Magical Girl. So maybe he's not an Alina style of villain, but a Mifuyu style of villain?

Hm. This is going to bear further investigating, and Tsuruno opts to rest one hand on her hip. ]

It's okay, I can take care of myself. I'm used to dealing with a lot!

[ Understatement. ]

That's not really a villainous thing to say, though.

[wray]

[ well, he's met many others who carry the same aura as her to deny there's any truth in what she says. if she can take care of herself, then he'll leave it be. her other statement, on the other hand, draws out a small reaction out of him: he sighs again.

when he speaks again, it seems a tad bit more weary than earlier. ]

I could be waiting for you to let your guard down. [ he rolls his shoulder in some kind of half-shrug. ] You never know.

[fanstheflames]

Well, I'm unarmed! If you want to fight me, now's your best chance!

[ She even... holds out her arms to either side of her, looking a little more like a scarecrow than a defenseless young lady. While beaming.

An... effort was made? ]

[wray]

[ an effort was truly made, and it's one that has... confused six in equal parts. his head tilts to the side, an angle mimicked by both of his ears. ]

... You're a strange one. Do you provoke every villain you meet like this?

[ the attitude reminds him of someone he knows (and adores) so well. ]

[fanstheflames]

[ What must his life be, knowing more than one person who'd cheerfully provoke someone to come at them, bro...

Tsuruno grins, shaking her head. ]

Of course not! Most villains usually would have attacked me by now.

But I guess I'd do it if they were playing hard to get? I'd rather make myself a target than have them go after someone who couldn't defend themselves. -- Ah, but I still don't think you're a bad guy!

[wray]

You really are a strange one.

[ the more she talks, the more six is reminded of his captain. their similarities are so uncanny— but maybe he's just always so easily drawn to this type of person.

the kind who means well, but can be a bit of an idiot. ]

You're convinced that I'm not, and yet you don't know a single thing about me. One day you might regret believing that I am innocent.

[fanstheflames]

Maybe!

[ And she agrees with him swiftly, bobbing her head. ]

But I don't think you have to be entirely innocent to be a good person in the end. If you say you're a villain, maybe you were. But that doesn't mean it has to always be that way.

Yep, yep! [ And another cheerful nod. ] I know that better than anyone! At any rate, whether I regret it or not is up to me and no one else.

[wray]

[ ... stop making so much logical sense at him, tsuruno!! it's slowly making him rethink what he's saying—

but a part of him will always be convinced that he's a terrible person, all thanks to what he did in the past, and that's going to be hard to shake off, no matter how much he wants to leave it behind. ]

That kind of thinking is going to guide you into serious trouble one day.

[ that said... ]

Is that all you wanted to know?

[fanstheflames]

Trouble doesn't scare me, so that's fine!

[ How does it feel, to get talked sense to by a genki!!! But that being said, Tsuruno hesitates and taps her chin. ]

Ah, no... I just wanted to know why you're wearing a mask!

[wray]

[ the genki is slowly affecting him, but he's too much of a stubbornass to completely let it win. ]

There are plenty of reasons why. I've only given you one of them.

[ he crosses his arms over his chest, sighing. ]

If it satisfies your curiousity, then it's all you need to know.

[fanstheflames]

But my curiosity isn't satisfied! There's so much of an unsolved mystery still! Like an incomplete scavenger hunt!

[ Yes, she knows she's whining. ]

[wray]

[ six barely reacts to the whining, but his ears twitch ever so slightly. it's almost like he's used to this kind of thing already (spoilers: he is). ]

I am not a mystery to unravel. You will not like what you find, if you try.

[ fair warning. ]

[fanstheflames]

[ ... That was honestly kind of edgy that she thinks maybe he's one of those tragic villains-- right. Back on topic. ]

We'll get there! For now, what's your name?

[wray]

[ somehow, it doesn't feel like he has discouraged her at all from trying. if anything, he might have sparked an eagerness to go ahead and do it— he hesitates before finally caving and giving her what she's asked for. ]

... Six. [ that's it, that's the name. ] I might as well know yours if you insist on prying.

[fanstheflames]

[ He's right-- he did not discourage her at all. ]

It's Tsuruno! Tsuruno Yui! You can pry more, if you want to make it even!

[wray]

[ why does it feel like he's made a big mistake? ]

I don't see the value in making it even. There's nothing more that I need to know beyond your name.

[ it's not like he's here to make friends or anything. ]

[fanstheflames]

Nothing at all? You're not even slightly curious?

[ She... she looks devastated. ]

[wray]

[ —urk.

this is the worst. there's no way he can refuse her when she looks like that. ]

... Fine. Is there something you want me to ask you?

[fanstheflames]

I don't think it counts if I have to tell you what to ask me.

[ Come on, Six. She can't hand-hold you through bonding!! ]

[wray]

[ sometimes he needs his hand to be held through these things because he never knows how he's supposed to act. bonding with someone is never on his mind (honestly, who would want to bond with a monster?), so this is all new territory he has to navigate.

he sighs again, shakes his head. ]

Then, perhaps later if I think of something. It doesn't have to be now, does it?

[fanstheflames]

... Mm, no... I guess it'd be really rude to put you on the spot.

[ No ruder than outright asking him if he's a villain, but you know. It's fine. ]

Sorry about that.

[wray]

You don't need to apologize for it.

[ honestly, he's experienced much worse things. ]

I'm certain I can come up with a suitable question.

[fanstheflames]

Then you can ask me when we meet again! I'm sure it'll happen!

[ And then he won't feel so pressured. ]

[wray]

[ this would be the part where he should refuse her outright, and yet— ]

Alright. Until next time, whenever that will be.

[ he's speaking as if they aren't going to run into each other very soon, but let him have this. ]

[fanstheflames]

I'll see you then, Six!

[ As she cheerily jogs away like this is fine.

I'm so sorry. ]