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upcyclingmod ([personal profile] upcyclingmod) wrote in [community profile] pedalbike2020-10-16 08:19 pm
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Third TDM: Don't Turn Around


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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.


Braving the Trail

A new trail has opened up in the woods today! Funny, that there’s never been a real path before, but this one promises a spectacular view for all Wickies who brave it.

However, the view has to be earned with one stipulation: until the Wickie reaches the trail’s end, they are forbidden to turn around. At all. There’s no mention of what may happen if the Wickie does glance back, but the scripted text on the sign marking the trail hints that the consequences just might be dire.

The hike itself is fairly easy. It even feels peaceful with the sounds of bird calls echoing in the distance. But for Wickies who are known for past procrastination, the walk will prove to be difficult. These individuals will experience an itching urge to turn around and leave the trail, and the itch worsens with every pause of their footsteps.

If a Wickie does turn around, they will find themselves staring up at a blank masked figure, slightly taller than themselves. And as wisps of fog cover the packed-dirt path, the figure hisses out a sigh, their voice barely audible as they issue their reprimand:

“I’m disappointed.”

Why, it’s not clear at all.

But with those words, the Wickie will find their body locked into place, unable to scream as their limbs become paralyzed, their eyes remaining fixed upon the masked figure. Somehow, the figure moves without walking, inching closer and closer until their mask and the Wickie’s face are close enough to touch.

The only way to become unlocked from this position is to have someone come and cover the Wickie’s eyes before leading them back to the trail’s start, somehow breaking their vision of the masked figure, or by speaking of a past regret outloud.

Otherwise, the Wickie has a good chance of dying from exposure.


Currently residing

It’s been nearly three months since the first arrivals started off on the island. It’s had its ups and downs, but with the previous quiet month, it’s been easy to relax in the cottages and houses, and even feel safe.

But not everything stays as it should. Whether a Wickie is just scoping the houses out, or returning to sleep in one of those comfy beds during the night, they will find that things are just a little..off. It’s as if someone has moved everything just a little, by no more than an inch or two. Sometimes, it even looks as if someone hurried away from the middle of a task. For example, mugs left in the sink will be washed; unslept in beds have been stripped, and their sheets are found in the laundry.

It’s only after sitting down with a fellow Wickie, that what’s going on will slowly become apparent.

People, looking more like blue tinted holographic designs, appear within the house. Slowly they become more visible, going through the motions of daily life. People with their significant others, children playing, even pets can be seen, playing with their owners or doing things that pets do.

These residentials don’t seem to notice the newcomers in their surroundings. But they do notice objects are moved, particularly if it’s furnishings. They frown, confused, before talking to one another and seeing the items returned to where they believe it should be. And curious too, that while the residentials appear to speak to one another, there’s not a sound that’s uttered when their mouths move.

It’s not possible to interact with them, unless the Wickie has the spiritual power to speak with spirits. Even then they’re quite confused, and do not believe themselves dead- it’s as if they think the Wickie is the ghost instead.

It is possible to deter the residentials manifesting by lighting a candlek. Upon the candle being lit, they recoil, some of them violently, and with great upset, before fading.

But they weren’t causing any harm.

Are they?


It Arrives

The pumpkins have vanished (finally!) there’s no more costumes in the various drawers in town; the apple bobbing is done, and there’s no more bonfires. Pity that means the food is gone too.

But something else has arrived. Something...small, white, and with webbed feet.

You’ll know it by its sound. It’s unknown what has brought this particular goose to the island; it might have been a laden desire, or it had flown here over miles. Or who knows, maybe the Admin has set this goose out as some kind of petty revenge.

All that is known as that this goose likes to wreak havoc. It likes going into the flower and vegetable gardens, looking for seeds, vegetables, and flowers to pull up; it likes to grab keys and toss them just out of reach.

It’s also clever enough that it figured out how to get into Fruits Basket, into homes, and even...sometimes...onto roofs.

Thankfully, while the goose likes to startle people, its mischief is rather harmless, and even, at times, enjoyable to watch. Just be sure not to leave anything electrical it can throw into a body of water by accident- or any bells it can keep in its temporary home by the woods.

For those who are curious, yes it will accept all sorts of snacks, and it is a wild, ordinary goose. (So yes, it is as harmless as a normal goose and yes it is edible).


Confession network

Yet again, the phone goes off. Doesn’t look like it’s anybody in town, but it’s that weird, cheesy app called The Heart Game. And it’s persistent, too: it doesn’t want to be ignored, making a series of beeps and chirps, much like a pet that wants attention.

The message that pops up is as follows:

We’re back! It’s the time for everyone's favorite game- Confession! So beloved users, our question is:

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why? Tell us everything!
omnimorphs: (Neutral)

Braving the trail

[personal profile] omnimorphs 2020-10-19 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
[Paige hadn't wavered one moment on the trail, no. She knew better, somehow, cryptic warnings and the like were not something any X-Man took lightly. So, emerging from the trail is a woman in her mid twenties, around 5'7", well muscled and wearing loose-fitting tan garments. Blue eyes focus on the view, but she nods to the man as he speaks.]

Yeah. Real nice.

[Tilting her head after a moment to look at the speaker, she nods and walks over to take a seat.]

What's your name?
omnimorphs: (Smirk)

un: Husk

[personal profile] omnimorphs 2020-10-19 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
Heh. I was thinking the same thing, but that's the same as home for me now.
keichan: (204)

[personal profile] keichan 2020-10-19 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ He blinks a few times, trying to process what's just happened. This looks like some sort of snare trap designed to catch something much smaller than him, hence why he's only been snagged by the ankle. But it's remarkably well-made.

And then, there's that voice that calls out his name. His eyes widen in shock... each of the club members had been looking for Satoko since their arrival, and they'd slowly assumed that she wasn't there. But that voice... it's definitely hers. ]


S-Satoko?!?

[ He's too bewildered, surprised, concerned, yet simultaneously relieved to be too upset about getting stuck in another one of her traps. He tries to work himself out of the trap, but it's not going so well. ]
xama: (one night of the hunter;)

xamã | original character

[personal profile] xama 2020-10-19 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
[[bio is a wip here- tl;dr is she is a shaman who is Very Old and Blunt but also a bit of sass and a balance maker.]]

[arrival.

...WHUMF. Ow, that super hurts to land right on the floor of whatever bedroom someone is in. There's a sudden woman who looks really out of place, complete with a deer skull on her head and neon antlers. She's swearing under her breath, really annoyed at this change of pace.]
Nem fodendo?! I didn't plan to make a goddamn jump-

[Sorry, it may take a second or two for her to realize someone else is there.

currently residing.

There is definitely a couple sitting at the dining room table that wasn't there five minutes ago. And there may or may not be a boy running around the room knocking shit over as he plays with his toys. For some, this is incredibly terrifying and they have no idea what's going on- but thankfully there's also a woman in the same room who looks incredibly unphased by all of this, a cup of what looks like cold coffee in her hands. The best part? She's very clearly not a ghost.

Standing in the room, she watches these corporeal figures go about their daily lives, stares at them for a good long moment, before she grabs the chair on one end of the table and drags it towards herself. Without even missing a beat, she sits in it, ignoring the fact that the couple now is freaking out over the chair "moving by itself." Xamã pulls out a thin clear material and unfurls it, revealing it to be a newspaper made out of neon. The stories on the pages actually change as she looks at it, reads over the news, before she stops and looks up again. The couple is trying to move the chair back with her in it, and failing pretty spectacularly.]


Hey. [She lowers the newspaper, raising a brow at whoever is looking at her. Yeah, she's known you've been watching this entire spectacle.] I know when someone's staring. What's up?

[network. un: shaman]

right. so.
anyone here familiar with the supernatural?
possessions.
ghosts.
angels.
demons.
any of that shit.
being here doesn't count.


[wildcard.

I'm p much open to anything! Hmu and I'll run with it.]
Edited 2020-10-19 02:34 (UTC)
ragsnbone: (sun shine blah)

network - un: xiao sanye

[personal profile] ragsnbone 2020-10-19 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
there are a few who are
i might have ran into a few things myself
why?
xama: (as a beacon)

[personal profile] xama 2020-10-19 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
i'm basically checking who all needs a 101 on Shit Not To Do To Piss Other Shit Off, basically.
happens a lot more than you might think.
outofthepast: (You called?)

[personal profile] outofthepast 2020-10-19 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
There's a guy, frozen in the middle of the path. Staring at nothing. Congratulations, spooky mystery path, that's unsettling as hell!

"Hey," he says, and sets a hand on the guy's shoulder. "You okay?"

No answer. No movement, either. Like, to a supernatural degree. The best he can do to see the guy's face without standing in front of him and looking back (which is bad) is to stand slightly off to the side and turn his head, very decisively only looking at the still man in the path.

"Hellooo?" He waves his hand very carefully in front of those wide open eyes.
littlesundog: (i'm interested)

[personal profile] littlesundog 2020-10-19 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
Friend, you look like a person to me. An' people don't need owners.

[Shaking his head, Marshall explained.]

Look. It wasn't so long ago that people in my home have forgotten what it was like fighting a war over whether or not certain people could have ownership of themselves, so I'm not comfortable with the idea of... picking a name for you like you were a stray dog.

...But what you've got is a mouthful.

Is there anything shorter that you like?
littlesundog: (profile)

[personal profile] littlesundog 2020-10-19 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, and that one's a sad one.

[Marshall murmured, his tone low as they trudged along the uphill passage.]

It was a test of trust. A young man was given a chance to bring the girl he loved back from the underworld, but only if he didn't look back and trusted her to keep followin'. The second he looked back, she was gone.

...Just makes me wonder who or what they're asking us to trust, is all.
ragsnbone: (aho yeah)

[personal profile] ragsnbone 2020-10-19 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
like don't stick dynamite in their mouths and run?
or don't step on their bones, or don't drip blood all over the place?
littlesundog: (oracle)

[personal profile] littlesundog 2020-10-19 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
I'm having heaps of trouble with anything that ain't a cup of Arbuckle's right now.

[Heaving an exhausted sigh, Marshall dropped himself unceremoniously into a nearby chair. Screw propriety in that moment.]

I ain't no namby-pamby thoroughbred-- the hell they expecting from us?
plasticasshole: (◎ i'm feeling immortal)

[personal profile] plasticasshole 2020-10-19 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
You'd be right. The fog isn't normal, is it?

[He looks down at it, hovering ever-present by their ankles.]

We had a bad fog once. And that's when we started to hear whispers, and monsters that looked like our friends came out of the walls, trying to kill us.

[He's glad Hank arrived after that, so he could actually hug him.]
softwarelacunae: (♪Lost in a world created by man)

[personal profile] softwarelacunae 2020-10-19 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
The irony of it all, with a baby AI like this. He's attempting, very diligently, to respond.

Honest to god, guy looks like a statue a little bit. Kind of feels like one, too? It's all the same, nothing at all in terms of response to any stimulus. Thank god his internal processes haven't completely ceased, because the last thing anyone needs is all of these facts and also the weird mannequin to not be actually breathing.

And then... then, there is a brief moment, as Nick's hand passes in front of Xavier's eyes, just ahead of the deep, unfathomable blackness, where all of the absence stops.

"I am sor-" Is all that manages to get through before Nick's hand is no longer covering the thing, and his whole body returns to its stock-still state. Oh dear.

A stray wonder passes by -- perhaps it was to do with the sign? Well, he certainly isn't going much of anywhere fast, much less figuring all this out.
littlesundog: (oracle)

[personal profile] littlesundog 2020-10-19 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Marshall didn't want to think of how the phones would progress when he recalled there being signs with instructions for how to operate the electric lights on the Overland he had been riding on. Phone cables and electrical wires were strung so thick in some parts of the city that the sky was scarcely visible-- what kind of world would it be with more signs and more wires?]

people do what they gotta. no shame in it.

friend, can we meet in person? i ain't gonna kick up a row, but this thing is tiresome.
softwarelacunae: (♪I can't recall how it all began)

[personal profile] softwarelacunae 2020-10-19 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
Correct. We are intended to be largely indistinguishable from humans, in order to perform our functions.

[He doesn't understand. Not really. But he's programmed to the convenience of humans above all else, so.]

I comprehend. I am not allowed to receive a finalised name from anyone other than my registered owner in any case, but I am allowed to respond to the designation given to me by any individual.

My model type is often given the short-name XAVIER in catalogs, if that is easier to remember.
littlesundog: (hatless)

[personal profile] littlesundog 2020-10-19 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[He let out a huff of relief at that.]

It's much easier. I wasn't sure how I was gonna pronounce your name otherwise!
sinistramanus: (She's gone.)

Shadow Weaver | She-Ra

[personal profile] sinistramanus 2020-10-19 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Out-out here!]

I. Arrival

[The woman arrives in a flash of fire, in the middle of the street. Or the fire arrives with her, from the singing of her clothing, but flickers out before it can fully catch. She's exhausted, and in pain, and collapses in a heap after a moment of dazed staggering.]

[All she can do is groan, not aware enough to process the spinning world around her.]


II. Arrival (of something else)

And what did those flowers do to you, useless creature?

[Even in different world, a garden was a garden. There was too much to dwell on, too much unanswered, and Shadow Weaver wasn't ready to be alone with her thoughts just yet.]

[She'd found bandages in the clinic, and wrapped them around her face mummy-style until she could find something more suitable; her eyes were off, to anyone that was looking, her pupils not unlike an upside down Y.]

[But for now, those eyes were narrowed down at the offending goose, its wings slightly flared as it stared back, uprooted daises in its mouth. The woman sighs, picking up a rake to shoo the beast away with.]
Count yourself lucky that this is the only retribution I can care to muster.

III. Wildcard
[I'm down for any other prompts, go right ahead.]
Edited 2020-10-19 12:40 (UTC)
ragsnbone: (sun shine blah)

[personal profile] ragsnbone 2020-10-19 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
oh i know
my family had to move too during the purging going on

sure thing
have you found the store Fruits Basket?
we can meet there
kuroi_taiyo: (48)

[personal profile] kuroi_taiyo 2020-10-19 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
Arbuckles?

[ You'll have to enlighten him on this kind of thing. Just by clothes alone, he obviously wouldn't know a lot of the local comforts Marshall was used to. Well, maybe it wasn't so obvious. He doesn't know anything about the guy's world, so much that he doesn't get a lot of what's being said. Namby-pamby thoroughbred? ]

No clue. No one knew why exactly people were getting pulled into the last world I was in.
softwarelacunae: (♪Lost in a world created by man)

[personal profile] softwarelacunae 2020-10-19 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh, good. The man seems much more relaxed... for what value of relaxed Xavier understands, anyway.]

I am pleased to assist, Mister--

[His pause is such an unnatural break, and he blinks once and again.]

... I am sorry. I do not have a designation listed for you.
shiftgotreal: (stare)

[personal profile] shiftgotreal 2020-10-19 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Bless Judar for saying 'clock' and not 'watch', because Junpei would have had a very different reaction.]

Alright, yeah. Usually there's something to say what's going on...

[He doesn't have a watch stuck to his wrist, so that's a plus. He's not sure where the device will be, since he doesn't remember losing consciousness this time for anyone to plant it on him...

...but when he reaches into his jacket pocket, he comes out with one sopping wet smartphone all the same.]


Shit. I guess we gotta start with finding a bag of rice.
dangertohands: ([17])

[personal profile] dangertohands 2020-10-19 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[A dimension between dimensions... Nope. That was a little beyond Shoto. Not unless it was quirk involved.]

Weeks? Bakugou is here?
sononizaki: ❀ game sprite. (pic#11413032)

full spoilers for higurashi itp just in case

[personal profile] sononizaki 2020-10-19 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
[This phrasing is sending chills down her spine, and while she could act all casual, this is neither the time or place for that. If Satoko is struggling and only able to meet her partway through, Mion has to cover the rest of it, trying to be careful as she brings both of her hands to cover around Satoko's own, if she's allowed.]

It's me.

[...Maybe that's not enough.]

It's Sonozaki Mion. [She's not Shion. Not anymore.] I wouldn't lie to you. Not about this. I promise. So... trust me, okay?

[Mion will even squeeze Satoko's hand gently in an attempt to reassure her. To see Satoko like this, in a way that seems almost torn up only reminds her of memories of long ago, of things that she couldn't prevent, much else help her with.

...Of her past sins.

So now, she wants to be able to do something. Even if it might be small. This much is enough, right? Mion wants to hope on that.]
spryite: ('_')

jude mathis ¤ tales of xillia 2

[personal profile] spryite 2020-10-19 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
i. braving the trail
[The sign about "no turning back" had Jude a touch nervous when he first read it, but the ominous warning was quite easy to put out of his mind once he actually got into the woods proper. His progress is still going at a snail's pace, however, and anyone else passing by would find the black-haired boy in a lab coat fiddling and/or observing the plants, occasionally taking out a notepad too to jolt things down while mumbling to himself.]

It's similar, but also nothing like it. I could take a sample, but I've never seen anything like this on Elympios or Rieze Maxia. I wonder if there's any herbalist in town...

[A trail potentially haunted by supernatural phenomena is probably not the best location to do plant study, but you gotta learn and note what you can in a wholly unfamiliar environment! ...Or is that just a nerd's excuse, maybe...]


ii. It arrives
H-hey! Get back here!

[Today's scenery: one boy with a messy do chasing after one feathered hellspawn carrying a bottle between its beak. He's keeping up pace decently well, but still looks flustered enough to get one curious about exactly what that stolen bottle may be about.]

I'm sorry for doing this, but...
Demon Fist!

[He seemingly throws an ineffective punch to the thin air in front of him, before a shockwave suddenly juts out from the ground and proceeds to cut forth towards the winged thief like a blade. Jude aimed to miss the goose by an inch, hoping to startle it enough to make it drop its quarry. He may have no intention of harming it, but that sure may not look like it to onlookers--]

iii. confession network
[The weird noises this strange GHS makes sure are unique! It's too curious to leave alone, so Jude activates the app without giving it too much thought and hears it out. Except...]

How is this a game? Isn't it an attempt to get the townspeople socializing at best, or force prisoners to make small talk at worst?

[And this one is playing 'nitpick the game' over 'going along and just answer the (probably) harmless question'... He's not a party pooper, he swears!]
bindsthedead: (art-magic)

[personal profile] bindsthedead 2020-10-19 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
I know how to defend myself, and how to heal, along with various forms of sealing and binding, along with a few minor, practical applications.

[To demonstrate, Sabriel sketches a single, shining mark in the air, letting it float a few feet ahead of them and illuminate the area. As Sabriel walks, the mark stays the same distance ahead.]

Such as producing light.

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