pedalbike | 2nd Event: Choices We Make

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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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No idea. Frankly, I don't recognize most of what's in here.

[ Like this one clear liquid. It almost looks like mirin! Maybe a sniff just to make sure-- ]

Ghk--!

[ WOW. OKAY, BIG MISTAKE. Note to self, no more sniffing mystery bottles. That's definitely vinegar that's aged for a while and she's just found out the hard way by getting what feels like knives shoved up her nose. Hide's eyes are watering a little when she stuffs that particular bottle waaaaaaay in the back of the cupboard.

She's just about to suggest looking in the pantry for the sugar when she abruptly freezes, gaze trained out the kitchen window. ]

...were those always there?

[ There's a line of more pumpkins peering in at them through the glass. And they do not look friendly. ]

What always where?

[He was too busy watching the half-screaming boiling pumpkin. He looks at Hide and follows her gaze. Those. Definitely angry pumpkins, mouths curved in scowls and sinister smiles, eyes narrowed, and the glowing flame behind them brighter. Jiro looks back at the stove pumpkin; this was a bad idea, but it's been done.

He flips off the window pumpkins.]

What're you gonna do from out there, fuckers!? Your friend smells tasty!

[They don't like that.]

[ Jiro why...
See that glance she's giving you? That one just loaded with "what the hell are you doing, you idiot" exasperation? Yeah. Dude. How about not pissing off the pumpkin mafia, huh? ]

You know, goading them might not be in our best interests right now.

[ Great. Now she's got to go find salt and put a pile by the windows. And doors. And just about everywhere, really, because one can never be too sure about messing with the supernatural.
Hopefully salt works on pumpkin spirits like they work on yokai back home.

But first, she's just gonna. Reach over and gently pull the blinds closed. Nothing unusual to see here. Nope. No pumpkin murder happening in this here house. ]

Dinner better be worth getting cursed by a bunch of angry squash, or I might be a little upset.

Yeah, but it's fun.

[Until the blinds are closed. The pumpkin halves are boiling, turning the water a yellowish colour. Jiro looks over to see what Hide managed to find and set out.]

Soy sauce? That's your seasoned demon pumpkin entree right there...

[She hasn't had time to get anything else, but he's still going to mock her choices. There's shadowy movement behind the window blinds, and soon a thunking noise.]

I'll be certain to put that in your final rites. "Fun was the death of him". [ Sarcasm? Her? Naaaaah. ] I'd bet five ryo one of them falls off the roof and cracks a skull open the moment we set foot outside.

[ Hide might start to think being pals with a hotheaded teenager is kind of biting her in the butt now that his sass is pointed her way, but whatever. Don't be jelly her portion of food is going to be tastier, kiddo. ]

I'm looking for sugar and salt next. Any ideas where that might be?

And stop antagonizing the plants.

[He can't really argue with that, having died fighting a demon who was not a pumpkin; less fun, but it doesn't take much to amuse him. Any comment on that is overshadowed by her use of ryo.]

Why the fuck do you have ryo?

[And why does she not know where to find sugar and salt? Hide's outfit's a little outdated, but he wasn't think anything of it beyond poor fashion sense, of which he himself has none.]

What year was it where you came from?

[Jiro abandons the pumpkins for a minute to rifle through cabinets for a squarish bag of sugar and a shaker of salt.]

Why wouldn't I have ryo?

[ Outdated, excuse you. Every Iga jonin wishes they were as swag as she is, okay. And those swords she's left propped by the door aren't just for show.
Hide pokes her head in another promising cupboard to rifle through the contents for anything else that might be interesting, seemingly unconcerned by Jiro's questions. ]

The current era is Keichō, if that's what you're asking.

[ Yeah. She's OLD old. Like, "before Gregorian calendars and timekeeping" old. ]

That's fucking ancient! Like 400 years ago!

[Though he's not certain what year, or approximate relative time-frame this place is in, it's retro and not ancient. This is some weird nexus bullshit.]

You probably know more about demon shit then.

[Living in a time where they were 'real' and out in the open, and not hiding and disguising themselves as fucking cats and pumpkins. He turns back to the stove a little too late as water sloshes over the side of one pot and makes a loud hissing noise. The pumpkins outside beat harder against the window.]

What.

[ Sadly, this isn't even the first time Hide's experienced some timey-wimey bullshit. She's starting to sense a trend here.
As for the demon topic, HA HA... actually... ]

You could say that. [ Just ignore the eye glow. It happens sometimes. ] Found the salt and sugar, did you? Good work.

[ 'Scuse her, scoot on over please, that's a good lad. She'll get started on whipping together this marinade while Jiro does the pumpkin prepping. And while she's at it, might as well screw the top of that salt shaker off and dump a modest pile of the stuff on the windowsill. ]

[The eye glow goes ignored for the time being, but he saw it. He'd be more apt to address it if he didn't have his own issues to not bring up.

There isn't much prepping to his pumpkin beyond draining and slicing, and poking the thing with the knife to see if it moves.]

I think it's dead?

[One piece twitches and then goes still.]

Dead enough.

[ Side-eyeing that twitchy piece of pumpkin pretty damn hard. Gross. ]

That's... appetizing.

[ Props for taking one for the team, Jiro. You're a true patriot. Still, she's seriously considering retrieving one of her swords on the off chance their little cooking experiment goes pear shaped.
No pun intended. ]

Hopefully it tastes better than it looks. I'd stab it a few times just to be safe, if I were you.

Good idea.

[He vigorous stabs the thing until it's less of a pumpkin slice and more of just a mess; possible overkill.]

Okay...

[He watches it intently for a few seconds to make sure it doesn't twitch again. He hadn't grabs a fork, so he's just going to eat it off the end of the knife.]

I don't think it tastes any different.

[This is... strangely disappointing.]

No? Well. That's a relief.

[ She's keeping an eye on him rather than the pumpkin now that it's been thoroughly aerated though. Toxins still aren't off the table just yet. ]

How do you feel?

Fine.

[He shrugs. It doesn't taste bad, so he continues eating pieces of the evil pumpkin. After the fifth piece, he's starting to sweat and feel cold at the same time. The plate of pumpkin remains blurs out for a moment, and Jiro makes a little hyurk noise.

Second later, he's throwing up in the sink.]

Ah.

[ Well. So much for that idea. Seeing as their dinner plans are out the window, Hide nudges her portion of pumpkin well out of the way for later disposal. ]

That answers my question. Maybe you should sit down for a while...

[ She'd offer to get a glass of water, but. Faucets and plumbing? What's that? ]

[He wipes his mouth on his forearm, because his gloves have metal plates on them and that wouldn't be good. There's a grungy glass by the sink, which may or may not have actually been used for drinking out of, but he'll fill it with water himself. Observe, futuristic marvels.]

You're not even gonna try it?

[He holds onto the edge of the sink because the room is spinning, and maybe he should sit down, but he's not going to. There are other demonic pumpkins to deal with.]

[ Stares at him. Stares at sink. STARES AT DEVIL PUMPKIN. ]

I've lost my appetite.

[ Jiro's reaction is compelling evidence that eating some herself is possibly a bad idea. Is she hungry? Yes. Hungry enough to risk puking her guts out too? Nope.
But since he heroically stepped up as the experimental guinea pig, it's the least she can do to grab one of the kitchen chairs and noisily drag it over for him. ]

Sit. I mean it. The last thing I need is having you crack your head open on the way to the floor.

I don't need to fucking sit!

[He does anyway, but that deserved a protest. She's not his mom.]

Told you we should have fried it.

[ Yeah, she's not his mom, but babysitting a comatose teen isn't high on her priority list either. Stuff a sock in it and be grateful dammit. >:T ]

...you still want to try eating this stuff? Really?

[ It's not like she's gonna stop him if he insists (and might even help just out of morbid curiosity), but BRUH. C'mon now. Jiro's not going to get any sympathy if he winds up super hella sick all over again. ]

There's such a thing as "picking your battles", you know.

No, I don't wanna eat more of it!

[He was just being argumentative and bitchy, and now that he's had to clarify that, it just looks petty.]

Anyway, we've established they're... evil.

[Which did not require a taste test.]

Then stop complaining.

[ You bet your ass it looks petty. She won't say it, but that eyebrow raise kind of does the job anyway.
Hide leans against the counter - still pointedly ignoring the steady 'thump'ing of the veggie mob pounding against the glass outside.

This kid's starting to remind her of Mataza a little. Is that a good thing? Ehhh..... ]

What's your name?

You stop complaining.

[The pumpkins are relentless, but the glass has yet to crack. If they're demons, they're not very powerful, just unpalatable.]

My name's Jiro. Jiro Azuma.

[Did people have surnames in the 1600s? He doesn't know.]

[ She's not going to respond to that. ~~Respect your elders you bratty child!!!~~ ]

Jiro the pumpkin eater, huh. [ Does it count if said pumpkin didn't stay down? Eh. Close enough. ] Well. It's nice to meet you, for what it's worth.

Yeah.

[Which is his version of "it's nice to meet you too".]

You gonna tell me your name or do I have to make one up?

Hide.

[ Short and to the point, as usual. At least she didn't pull her dagger on him like she does for everyone else? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

So... 400 years. You were serious about that?

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