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!

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It's something like that.

[ Well, as long as the energy isn't corrupted, but he's omitting that. That would make it more complicated, and they were changing the way those rules worked anyway. ]

If it was more like my world, they wouldn't have enough sense of individual self to fade into reality and move stuff around. It could be like neither of our worlds, and the bleed over can be something natural.

Perhaps- but I wonder what killed them. These buildings are too intact for the village to have gradually declined and died off.

[There are no signs of violence, no bloodstains... but those can be washed out, and in Sabriel's mind, the Book of the Dead opens to pages describing how a human might be killed by Free magic that stopped the heart, or sealed nose and mouth shut.]

And they didn't seem aware of their own deaths.

[ It's true, the town was in too good of a shape for anything like that to have happened. ]

If we wanted to go for weirdest ideas, they might not be dead spirits. It could just be that some people phase in and out of this world, instead of everyone appearing like we did.

[ Though that would certainly mean that the ones Sabriel sent were dead now. ]

[Sabriel shakes her head decisively. Part of being a necromancer is knowing, instinctively, what's alive and what isn't, and she's felt what these things are before she even saw them.]

No, they're definitely Dead, I can sense it. Living spirits trapped in Death don't feel like they do.

Well, there's that, I guess...

[ Nah, he's still got not clue what was going on with them. All he had, as he'd admitted from the beginning, were guesses and ideas. ]

I'll need to investigate further. [Possibly with Belgaer, to see if she can restore the spirit's memory of their deaths.]

But forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Sabriel, and I have not been here very long. What can you tell me about this place?

I can tell you... That I showed up in one of these places in a tub full of water. Probably around the same time you showed up.

[ Not what you were hoping to hear, right? ]

The last time I got pulled to some other world, it led into a house that had people explaining everything. This one kinda leaves you hanging and scrounging for information.

I see. Do you know where I could get answers? [She hadn't found many answers in the Old Kingdom- there had been things Mogget was unable or unwilling to tell her, and some things Touchstone had only been able to tell her at sea, where the bindings that held his and Mogget's tongues held less sway.

She's sure her father will have answers, she just needs to find a way out of this place to get to him.]

Such as where we are, and how to leave? There aren't any roads out of town, so I assume this village gets its supplies by boat. We can leave that way. [Unless there's some way to do whatever brought her here in reverse, and get back to Belisaere that way.]

[ That is quite a bit that she was thinking he'd know, when they were here for about the same length of time. Judar takes a moment before fishing around the front of his shirt, or the wrap around there, before pulling the smartphone out. ]

These things are probably your best way on figuring things out, but I've got no clue how they work. Just that one should've shown up by you when you arrived. I also didn't see boats around, but trying to fly out didn't work.

[ He's got not clue how to explain it. Just the things he tried... Didn't work, in weird ways. ]

The weather doesn't seem that bad. Was there some sort of barrier, or entity stopping you?

[Sabriel pulls out her own phone, looking at it with evident confusion at its black, glassy surface.]

There's no magic in it- is it some sort of mirror?

Could be some entity's ability... Or advanced magic. I went out and suddenly ended up at the coast. I imagine taking a boat out will have something similar happen.

[ With a shrug, he puts the phone away again. ]

We'd have to find out how these work from someone else. All the ones I came across use magic, so it was easier to figure out.

So some force is keeping us here- but to what end? Still, if we arrived here, then there must be a way out. I-

[Sabriel's voice wavers for a moment, but she takes a deep breath and composes herself.]

Before I was taken, I was on the verge of completing and urgent task- one that cannot wait. [If she's delayed much longer, Abhorsen will- no, that won't happen. She'll find a way back soon, and if it means they've lost a day, she and Touchstone can go down the the reservoir tomorrow. Or in a few days, if it takes that long to leave this place.]

[ While he looks like he's just tolerating and waiting for her to keep composure, in reality... Judar gets it. Important and time sensitive shit going on back where you're from, you just want to hurry and get back. He's just got one of those resting expressions. ]

Yeah... First-hand experience says that there's no way of getting yourself back quickly. It'll happen when it does, if it does.

But I- what I was doing wasn't something that can wait. [How long can a living spirit remain in Death before it isn't alive any more? Sabriel doesn't know the answer, and some small, suppressed part of her suspects she's already too late. The rest of her refuses to believe it. So she presses on, trying to ignore the growing tightness in her throat.]

I can't wait several weeks to be sent back- if I don't get back to Belisaere soon, Father will- [Sabriel can't quite say it.]

I have to get back.

[ Yup, he was expecting that. He can guess what'll happen to this 'father,' but he's not going to say how things are going to go. Instead Judar just shakes his head. ]

I got pulled while stopping the literal apocalypse, during the steps to end it. Without everyone that started trying to fix it, it'll probably fail.

[ He's not going to say how long it's been. No point. ]

These places don't give a shit about what you were doing. You're just another person it decided to pull in for... whatever reason.

But- Doesn't that mean you have- nothing to go back to?

[Sabriel can't imagine- refuses to imagine- what that might be like. She's not going to fail- she'll find a way out of here, and save her father.]

Even if they don't care, I do. Besides, can't the same mechanism that pulls something in also be used to push it out?

Yeah. If I don't get put back at the same time I was taken, and it turns out that time was moving both there and wherever I was pulled.

[ He's hoping. He's heard some things that make him hopeful that the work will be there... If he ever gets back. The idea of both that and the fact that his world is completely destroyed and in whatever hellhole David makes has been with him for a while. Long enough that he can at least pretend that it doesn't bother him too much. ]

Technically, possibly. Or another world pulls you to it. It might depend on the 'mechanism.'

[Still, his words give Sabriel reason to hope, and it shows on her face. A slim hope, perhaps, but something more than her own stubborn belief and determination.]

Time does flow differently between Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom, and between Life and Dead. It might not stand still, but- if it's passing more slowly in the places we came from, then perhaps- perhaps it won't be too late. For either of us.

[ Well, at least it's doing good for someone. Judar expects both things could be true, but given his luck... Well, he doesn't hold onto much. It'll be a pleasant surprise if he shows up around the same moment that he was taken. ]

Yeah... Realize that it can take a pretty damn long time before all that. Hold onto the idea that only moments'll pass, but you may as well get comfy here.

[ Shit like this is why you lack leadership skills, Judar. ]

I don't think I could. Not while there's work undone. [She's not going to give up on some stranger's say-so.]

But still- I thank you for your help. [He's given her a little bit of hope- and showed her how difficult this might be.]

Yeah, well...

[ Nah, he won't say it. Time changes a lot of things, and tough circumstances and events could force something close to acclimation. You could even grow attached and comfortable to people's presence. Yeah, he's definitely not saying those things. ]

Deal with it however you want. It's not something to thank me about.

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Third TDM: Don't Turn Around

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