pedalbike | Third TDM: Don't Turn Around

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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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( ooc: attack on titan is a pretty dark series, with a lot of potentially triggering content. particularly, when it comes to historia's character, there may be mentions of suicide, child neglect, and discussions of forced pregnancy. i'll always give warnings for these, but note that these topics may come up in threads. you can always pm me if you need more details! if you want to opt-out of threads involving these themes, please go to my permissions page. )

ARRIVAL

[ Just how did she end up here?

Historia remembers the vision... No- maybe she's still in it. Even now, a cold chill is running through her body, so strong that her body almost shakes with fear.

Where is she? Stretched out before her is a garden she doesn't recognise, filled with unfamiliar flowers, all covered by a thick, opaque fog. Is she still dreaming? Is any of this real at all?

That's her first thought - but when Historia digs her nails into her skin, deep enough to feel a sharp pain shoot through her body - nothing changes. The eerie scenery remains untouched.

She doesn't know what to do, doesn't understand what's going on. So she begins to look around, starting to panic, eyes darting around wildly as she searches for anything that she recognises - anything at all... But there's nothing. And as she backs up, as she's truly beginning to register how impossible this situation should be, she doesn't notice the person standing behind her. There's the sound of a loud gasp as she bumps into them. ]

Ah...!

BRAVING THE TRAIL

[ It's so hard.

Historia doesn't know why she thought this would be a good idea. She'd been naively hoping for a way out, perhaps - a way back to the people she cares about, the people she still has to protect. But in the end... it was a bad idea after all, wasn't it?

The walk had started off simply enough, but now... there's an itching in the back of her skull. She doesn't know how else to describe it. It claws at her relentlessly, almost like a whisper - no, it's more like a horrible grating screech, impossible to ignore. And the nausea... it had started off as a small thing, barely noticeable at all, but now the feeling is almost unbearable.

She wants to turn around. She wants to turn back so badly. And that scares her, because she has no reason to do so... which means that there's something in her head. Something about this place is affecting her, influencing her, to such an extent that she's close to giving in - and that's far scarier than anything else.

But Historia is nothing if not stubborn. So she stands there, unable to take a step, yet not turning around, either. Anyone who finds her will hear her muttering to herself, as if she's in a trance - the same words, over and over. ]

I won't do it... I won't do it...!

Whoa, there.

[She's not expecting to be bumped into. She's not expecting for someone who looks so shaken to be around her, but she knows the telltale signs of it. Has seen it often enough.

Kate keeps her demeanour friendly, warm and inviting and as calming as she can.]

It's alright, ain't no one gonna hurt you.

[ Historia whirls around until she's standing face-to-face with Kate. The fear she's feeling is obvious in the way she moves, but more noticeable than that... is the bewilderment written all over her expression. It seems that Historia can't quite understand what's going on.

When she speaks, her words are almost automatic. ]

W-who are you?

Name's Kate. Kate Denson. [But she motions, slowly, carefully, to somewhere to sit not too far away.]

Would you like to sit with me for a sec? [It's an invitation, and one she can definitely say no to, there's no pressure to take it, just a well meaning offer.]

[ It takes her a moment, but Historia eventually figures out that Kate is trying to calm her down. Realizing just how much she's been panicking, she takes a few deep breaths... and manages to settle herself just enough to respond. ]

Yes... thank you.

[ Then, she walks over and sits by Kate, though still she's somewhat tentative. At the very least, it doesn't seem like Kate intends to hurt her. ]

Do you know where this place is?

Not a clue. [ She answers honestly, with a soft chuckle. ]

Only ended up here last month myself. It seems to be a kinda nexus of sorts. People get brought in from all over, different timelines and universes an' all that good stuff. No way out as far as I'm aware either, sorry, hun.

[ Historia simply sits there, trying to take it all in. Different timelines? Universes? Is something like that even possible? Of course, she has somehow been dragged to this strange place, and she can't explain how, so maybe she shouldn't dismiss the idea so easily...

Then, she processes the next part of Kate's statement. No way out. ]

I'm sorry... it's all a little difficult to understand. But... you're saying that we're trapped here?

That's correct, at least for the moment. [She bobs her head in a gentle nod of affirmation, and she does sound sorry for it. It's best to let people know immediately rather than to let them think there's an easy way out, that they won't be there for an extended period of time. ]

We're all tryin' hard to figure it out, though. We'll get there soon enough. Sorry I ain't got any good news for you.

Edited (Oh mobile tagging,) 2020-10-27 12:24 (UTC)

...I see.

[ Historia feels fear begin to rise up in her again, but she quickly pushes it back down. In a situation like this, she needs to stay calm... and all this means is that there doesn't seem to be a way out yet. To begin with, Historia barely knows anything about this place...

Of course, she has so many questions, she doesn't know where to start. ]

So there's more of us, here? It's not just us?

There's a good number of us. I only just got here last month, an' there's been people here longer than that. Not too long though, if I remember right.

[As far as she's aware, it's all pretty recent. Of course, she's keen on seeing fear in others, has grown used to the ways it manifests in different people after her time in the Entity's realm, so she has to ask, tone as warm and friendly and pleasant as she can:]

You gonna be alright, hun?

Ah...

[ At that, Historia looks up. For the first time, she looks at Kate properly, seeing the concern in her eyes... and after a moment, she smiles. ]

Thank you. I... I think I'll be fine. I just want to know as much as I can about this place, and how I got here...

[ Without Kate's kindness, though, there's no doubt that she wouldn't be nearly as calm as she is now. For that, she's grateful. ]

I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Historia Reiss.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Reiss, even despite the circumstances.

[She gives a gentle smile and an offer of her hand. She doesn't have to take it, knows it's not a priority in a situation like this, but she offers anyway.]

The long n' short of it seems to be that we were taken from wherever we were to be put here by the powers that run this place. No one's been able to figure out their motives yet, though.

It's a pleasure to meet you, too.

[ She shakes Kate's hand. Then, her brows furrow in concentration as she thinks about their situation. ]

The people who put us here... do you know who they are?

Sure. Managed to talk to them. An' I'm sure you can do so too usin' that phone you got. They're called Admin, though I'd be careful with what I ask, and cautious with what I believe.

Phone?

[ Historia looks puzzled. Then, as if realizing something, she searches through her pockets... only to find and pull out a strange device she doesn't recognize. She stares at it for a few moments, then back to Kate. ]

Do you mean... this thing?

That's right. You ain't gottem where you're from then? I can show you how to use it, if you want. Or you can try and piece it together yourself.

[In fact, she'll pull out her own, just to help if Historia needs it.]

It's got everyone on here automatically, so it's pretty helpful.

Ah- thank you. That might be helpful.

[ She fiddles around with the phone in her hands for a moment, and she looks surprised when the screen lights up. It's nothing like she's ever seen before back at home... ]

But what is it used for? What does it do?

Contacting people over large distances. It's in real time, so you don't have to worry about any sort of delay.

[A short pause, and then she laughs. ] Or a good flashlight if it's dark out an' you need to find somethin'. But here,

[Kate starts, gently tapping the screen to light her own phone up, going slowly to help her navigate the menus to a private line with her. ]

Watch, [Kate herself sends a short text to Historia, compromising entirely of just a quick Hello! 💖 while showing ger how to navigate to the appropriate menus.]

[ Historia doesn't really know what to expect when she hears that it's for contacting people across long distances. Like a letter? But as Kate helps her to navigate through the menus, and sends her a text, Historia finally starts to understand just what the device can do - and her eyes widen in shock. ]

That's amazing... How does it do that? The phones aren't connected at all!

[ Then, for some reason, she suddenly feels a little embarrassed. Is it because she's asking so many questions? Maybe.

Carefully, and rather slowly, too, she types out a text to Kate and hits send. Hello!, it simply reads. ]

They're wireless, these ones. I don't really know the science behind it too well, but I do know it has to do with electric signals and radio waves.

[She Thinks. This sort of thing was never her strong suit. ]

You can also make calls or videos. By pressin' this-

[ And she shows her that as well, the video chat coming up on both phones. ]

Pretty convenient, right?

[ It sounds... complicated. Historia has known for a while that Paradis is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to technology, but this is incredible. She'd probably have believed you if you'd told her it was magic.

She's surprised once more as the video chat appears. ]

I can see myself on it...

[ Is that what Kate called a video? ]

Yep, that'd be the video function. [She confirms, with a laugh, then points at the camera on it. A beautiful screen of Kate's finger appears.]

This is where it sees what it's showin' other people. Aim this part at yourself to broadcast it. Or at whatever it is you wanna show others.

So other people can see whatever I point it at?

[ Historia thinks she gets the rough idea, though she's not completely sure. When she tries, she can think of all kinds of useful ways to use these phones - and it makes her think about how helpful it would be if they existed back in Paradis... ]

Thank you, Kate. You've been a huge help.

No problem, hun. We're all here together, so we might as well help each other out. [At least, that's what Kate thinks, anyway. A few people don't agree with that, but at least she's doing her best.]

You got any other questions? I know what it's like to be put somewhere randomly, and not have a single clue what's goin' on.

[ Historia smiles at that. She's lucky that Kate was the one who found her, she thinks... But then, the smile drops off her face once more. ]

Umm... I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm barely taking this all in...

[ Her head's still spinning a little. She's calmer now than she was before, but... she was at home- and now she's here. She's been taken. It's... a lot.

Yet in spite of Historia's fear... she sighs, and her expression suddenly becomes determined. ]

Is there anything important I should know about this place? Anything I wouldn't think to ask?

Third TDM: Don't Turn Around

Historia Reiss | Attack on Titan

Arrival

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