pedalbike | Fourth TDM: Winter's breath

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Fourth TDM: Winter's breath

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As a quick note: This will be the last TDM and Application Round of the year! Have fun everyone!

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.

Start of Winter

Thankfully things have more or less dried out, for the seasons are already changing. Or at least, the weather is, and with it...comes snow.

The grass on the island is covered, various trees lose the last of their leaves, the sand becomes crunchy, and even a portion of the ocean water becomes frozen solid. (Take THAT, water!). And with it, Wickies wake up at their feet (or suddenly in their hands if they don’t sleep) warm clothing and various ways to keep warm- or at least keep the cold from messing with their joints!

And with it, there are snow shovels and boots that are set out neatly by the door. It seems more snowk is expected, and foot protection is more important than ever. While it is possible for some (those who are not infected by the Silence at least) to use the teleporter to get from town to their homes, there are pathways that need to be cleared for everyone.

It might be a good time to offer a helping hand! Especially with some Wickies who are snowed into their homes.

Or it could be a good time to use the shovels to gather snow for snow ball fights, snow forts, and similar winter activities. The nice thing about the winter shovels is that they’ll have them for a few months.

Too bad the ground is nearly frozen solid, and these particular shovels are not good for digging into the ground.

Frosty Protections

While there may be the snow and the quiet that’s coming in, there are other things that are coming into the island too. There are tables that linger day or night, which have tangyuan. Some in the shape of various animals, and some of them that are simply balls of colored dough. They are edible, and thankfully they don’t have a negative consequence to eating them (unlike the mooncakes from before) but there are written instructions, which also proclaim outloud to a Wickie if they linger for awhile:

“For the use of protective talismans! Stick it on your chair, your door, your window!”

Interestingly enough, they do seem to work. Wickies who are Silence infected are repelled by them, feeling uneasy and nauseous around them and touching the tangyuan even with covered hands will cause a burning sensation.

Infected Wickies who eat the treats...they’re in for a rough time. Really rough.

There are also little tables with various drinks, some being fruit juice, sparkling fruit juice, champagne and of similar ilk- but not ever with water. That’s just bad luck after everything.

The inscription for this table, which is again read out loud, “Toast to others health”

Picking up the cups, they will be unable to drop it, and the fluid will refill in the Wickie’s cup until they find someone to toast to- whether it’s in humor or in earnestness.

For the next twelve hours after the toast is made, even if the drink is not drunk after, the Wickie toasted will find they will have better luck in that subject, whether it is in health, love, or friendship, or just in general.

The same applies if Wickies toast together to a group of people as well.

Of hooves and horns

The strangest thing of all isn't the sweet rice balls, nor is it the smell of evergreens heavy in the air. Instead, it's the masks set to everyone, and the ruckus music that thrums through the air, deep into the night.

The masks are of a haggard old woman, well worn and aged, and that of a man with horns and facial hair similar to a goat.

There are different effects when it comes to the masks, both happening at night with the music starts.

Wickies wearing the devilish mask find themselves wearing a ragged fur suit, prancing in the streets, ready to whip other Wickies whose behavior has been suspect or bad as of late. Finding the wicked and punishing them is an impulse, neigh impossible to ignore. And, too, there is a sense of wicked glee when they do punish someone with their reeds and whips. Krampus masked Wickies thankfully can be pacified with rum or brandy. They'll need the help of another to pull of the mask. But once it's off, the costume vanishes, and the chagrin of what happened ( or the satisfaction) follows.

Wickies wearing the woman’s mask will find that they’re not trying to scare people, but instead, they find themselves loping in and out of the crowds, searching, scanning, for certain people, all the while wearing ragged clothing, and often a scarf on their now ratty, graying hair.

It’s with a sickening horror that Wickies will realize there is something in the mask that is watching through the mask itself, and is nodding to itself far away and writing their names on a list.

And it’s not Santa Claus.

The Wickie’s wearing the old woman’s mask can be distracted by scattering seeds or threads in front of them- one inducing a true distraction to count and pick up the seeds, and a rage that comes over that of wasted thread.

Seeds make it easier to pull off the mask, and thankfully popcorn counts as a seed! But thread...well, it is a distraction too, but one that can lead to violent consequences. It might mean some rounds of bait and switching until the mask is taken off.

And that’s when the Wickie who had been wearing the mask realizing the list is of ‘bad’ Wickies, But…

how bad could they be?

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:

What do you love about winter? Is it the nip on your nose? The hot drinks? Playing in the snow? Tell us!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I-is that so?

[Maybe the faint tingling he'd felt in his lips was only in his imagination; he could hardly say that the previous night hadn't been deeply etched into his mind.]

Surely some of them must work. The girl I spoke with earlier seemed to have contended with some pretty powerful forces and succeeded, though I can't be sure if she was using any of the tools here.

[His lips twist up just a bit, in amusement, remembering what a difficult time Fu Yao and Nan Feng had, trying to reveal san Lang's true form.]

Somehow I doubt they were expecting someone of your caliber, San Lang.

[ It was true that there was indeed, something quite powerful at work here, so he doubts that they weren't prepared for someone like Hua Cheng. But at the same time - perhaps these wards were something for those brought to the island to feel as if they were safe when in actuality, they were just placebos.

Still, he doesn't say no to such a compliment, and he doesn't discourage such beautiful smiles from gege. ]

En, you're right, but if they're just lower-level demons, they won't be a match for either of us.

[ He'd survived Mount Tong'lu after all, and Xie Lian doesn't know this yet but he will as well, so it was unlikely that the two of them would have to worry about anything that the tangyuan were trying to ward off. ]

Right down there is the center of town, I think. It has a "super" market and something called an anime shop?

En, I thought the same, but-

[His smile fades a bit. It's hard to take what one resident said as absolute truth, but there's no reason not to tell Hua Cheng.]

She was something like a cultivator, putting spirits here to rest, and I don't know the truth of it, but what she told me she found from them was rather troubling. Did you know, none of the original inhabitants here are still around? They were wiped out in a blink, and all the others here were abducted, just like us.

[He can see some of the buildings, not too far distant. A super market? It brought to mind some huge, sprawling marketplace, full of everything one could hope to find, but given the small size of the island, that seemed unlikely. As for the other... a family name, maybe? He's already met several oddly named people, and if an anime was an object, he couldn't begin to guess what it was.]

Perhaps they have been transported to where we were supposed to be.

[ She sounds like a normal cultivator to him, so he's not really bothered by this revelation, but he is bothered by how it makes Xie Lian stop smiling. ]

A soul swap. But an accident of this magnitude...

[ It would be something out of their control, like Tong'lu. That mountain really was causing quite a stir. Maybe there was something else, a more ancient magic, that worked similarly, but had long since been forgotten. ]

I would still find it unlikely. If we are here together, but pulled from different times.

[ Which means, to Hua Cheng, that they didn't come as a unit. ]

Mm, that's true. We don't have enough information yet to be sure, either way, but at least we have some leads.

[He shakes his head, feeling a bit guilty for bringing down the light atmosphere.]

I- sorry, you said a super market and an anima store? Which did you want to look at first?

It will be important to know what sort of food we can expect.

[ He starts heading towards the supermarket, which he's surprised to find is indoors and completely sterile and devoid of all the sorts of things he'd normally find about a market.

Where are all the sellers? Where are any peddlers of wares?

The automatic doors were kind of cool, he supposes.

He picks up something wrapped in plastic, absolutely fascinated by the material. ]

[Xie Lian cared much less about what sort of food there was, so long as there was enough to go around, but he was plenty curious about what these shops carried.

Nothing could have quite prepared him though, and he startles just a little, hand grasping tighter as the doors open for them. His eyes narrow as he takes it in; the glow of the overhead lights, tiled floor, and produce displayed in neat rows and bundles. Given the snow, some of it shouldn't even be in season, but it looks fresh. The rest of the products are in boxes, with realistic artwork on the front, or-

He glances at the package Hua Cheng has picked up, covered in a clear sheen, something clear as glass, but filmy as a soap bubble.]

I'm not sure what I expected, but I don't think this was it.

[His usual strategy was to ask for any day-old, things about to be thrown out, or damaged goods, but there was no one to even barter with or ask about the products.]

Do you think there's anyone...

[He trails off uncertainly, but the few others in the supermarket seem preoccupied with their own business. Carrying baskets and just picking what they want to purchase. When in doubt, Xie Lian knew that among new cultures, people-watching could be invaluable.]

[ It is a bit odd, and eerie to see all this shiny-looking fruit and veg, lit under such bright light it was even brighter than sunlight. There was something so oddly artificial-looking about it, not to mention quite comical - all these fruits and vegetables were so large and impressive, it seemed like one of those things he'd find at ghost city only to steer gege very, very far away. ]

I don't think so. They all look like they're trying to get produce the same way we are.

[ He looks up and sees some very intricate-looking cookies - at least, he thinks they're cookies, they have a cream filling and everything, they must be some sort of pastry. But they're so dark-looking that they're exceedingly unappetizing! They look burnt!

He frowns, and shows it to Xie Lian. ]

What do you think oreos taste like, gege?

[It was so. Plenty of patrons, but no vendors near any of the goods. The sort of setup that begged for thieves to take advantage of them.]

Perhaps we should keep an eye on the others, see if there's some custom to it?

[Seeing the box Hua Cheng offered, he gave it a cursory glance. Oreos? He wasn't sure he could say it, let alone guess what it tasted like.]

I couldn't say, but it's never wise to decide on appearances alone.

[Whether food, or people. Though perhaps his cooking was an exception.]

Did you want to try them, San Lang?

[ He does witness the other patrons of the store, trying to suss out what they're doing to purchase or haggle for the items. It seems as if they all do this curious thing of tapping a card before leaving.

He reaches into his pocket to find that he also has one of these cards. Perhaps he has to mark it with something. ]

Not really.

[ He answers, about the oreos. ]

I prefer to have gege's cooking.

[ He might sound sarcastic, but he's being honest. Anything Xie Lian makes is out of love - and, naturally, Hua Cheng will take as much of that as he is freely offered. ]

[Xie Lian catches it too, the odd cards the patrons seem to use before leaving with their new belongings. Some sort of talisman, maybe? If there's some sort of spell for accounting, surely Ling Wen would have some interest, though he's reminded yet again he can't reach a single soul outside the island on his communication array.

As for the cookies, despite what he says, if San Lang really wants to try, perhaps Xie Lian can work something out. If he can find how to acquire one of those cards, maybe? It isn't that he doesn't put his whole heart into cooking, but he'd be blind not to notice the reactions of those who try it. Is San Lang teasing him again?]

Ah, no, no, it's all right, if San Lang wants to try them, we should see if there's a way. I think we just need one of those cards the other patrons are using.

[He fumbles his hand free to go investigate the check-out counter more closely. Where did one find those cards? They could probably just walk out of the store with the food, but he'd rather not stir up too much trouble their first day here.]

I have one, but I do not want the cookies.

[ He takes out his card and shows Xie Lian. However, there isn't a whole lot on his card so he's not sure it's valid. Perhaps there's a way to set it up so that they can pay for groceries.

They'll use his, of course, and not Xie Lian's. Hua Cheng will pay any price that is required to feed his gege, and more importantly, won't explain that to his gege. ]

Is there anything else gege would like? There are baskets at the front to gather all the things we want to take. I'll fetch us one.

[ He's only gone for a moment, but instead of a basket, he comes back with a cart. It turns out they have carts! Look at it! ]

You could fit a whole person inside. Do you want to try?

[After a second refusal, Xie Lian relents and returns the cookies to the shelf, inspecting the card Hua Cheng has shown him instead. It doesn't look like any talisman he's ever seen, it's not even paper, it's something thicker, shiny and flexible.]

Ah, so you do.

[Xie Lian isn't sure how Hua Cheng has acquired one, but it seems to be the same as what the others use. In spite of that, Xie Lian is somewhat reluctant to spend someone else's money. One would think, with all the begging he's done, he wouldn't hesitate, but there was a difference between having a coin placed in his hand for his performance and one being placed on his behalf.]

I suppose, maybe, ah...

[Hua Cheng saves him from answering, as he runs off to get, what Xie Lian assumes will be a basket, and he takes a moment to glance over the produce, looking for something inexpensive that they can share. Some berries, maybe? They were probably costly this time of year. Roasted nuts, perhaps? There did seem to be a section with baked goods...

He hears the cart before he sees it, clattering noisily on the tile. It seems a sturdy working of metal, and just as Hua Cheng says, there's more than enough room to fit someone inside it. Shame is something Xie Lian has long put behind him, and it's easy to let go and do something a little silly when it's San Lang asking. His laughter is soft, but amused as he offers his hand to ask for support to climb in.]

It's a lovely carriage, San Lang. Not quite as spacious or flashy as last time, but I suppose it will do.

[It wasn't everyday one got to ride in a step litter hauled by golden skeletons, after all. Hua Cheng was ever-extravagant, even in his travels, but Xie Lian was perfectly happy with a little metal cart, so long as he had the right company.]

[ He will place all of the items in the cart with Xie Lian, and then it will be so difficult to get out at check-out time that he will have no choice but to let Hua Cheng pay. Plus, in the meantime, he will get to push his beloved around in a little carriage, so this is what he would consider a win-win for him.

And that other carriage? Well, that would be nicer. Xie Lian had sat on his lap and he'd foolishly asked him to get married. He clears his throat, and his cheeks color just a tiny, tiny bit pink.

Moving on.

He kneels down and offers his hand for Xie Lian to step on, in order to get him into the cart, himself just a stepping stone. Once Xie Lian is all settled in, he'll start pushing the thing, grinning at him. ]

Just grab anything you like.

[ He's now at eye-level with all the produce, but he could probably only reach a few of the shelves. ]

[Xie Lian squeezes his hand as he steps up, then folds himself carefully into the cart. He doesn't want his hat crushed behind him, so it sits on his knees instead, which are drawn up near his chest. When he tilts his head back, he can catch Hua Cheng's smile, and matches it with a soft one of his own.

Being told to take what he wants though, that's the difficult question. Something they can share, not too much of it so it goes to waste, and certainly not too costly.]

Maybe some persimmons?

[He points toward the orangey-yellow fruit, sitting near ripe apples, oranges, and other good-looking offerings.]

[ The persimmons look ripe and can be eaten quickly, so he grabs a few of the fat ones and places them into the cart with Xie Lian, wondering if the groceries are meant to be put in this convenient push-out part that is actually meant to hold an infant.

Afterwards, he picks up a few more vegetables and fruits, and though he doesn't pick up a watermelon, he has to stop and look at them. ]

Gege, are you seeing these?

[ He's never seen melons this big, and wonders how anyone is supposed to finish eating one by themselves. ]

I wonder how much is fruit and how much is rind.

[ He can't conceive of such a thing! ]

[His hands grip the sides of the cart as they go, and he tucks each bit of produce carefully in the cart around him as Hua Cheng picks them up. The last thing he'd want to do is bruise them.

When his gaze is directed at the ridiculously oversized melons, he can't help being a little stunned. It's enough to feed a family, easily.]

They're huge! I wonder why they'd ever need to be so big?

[Are there any a bit more modestly sized? He twists in the cart to look, but even the smallest of them are fairly large. All the food on display is going to have him feeling hungry again in no time. The tangyuan was a nice treat, but it's hard not to let his stomach do the thinking with so much to choose from.]

Should we see if they have some steamed buns?

Mm, we'll see where they keep the buns. Perhaps they'll have jianbing.

[ Little fried pancakes stuffed with all sorts of yummies. But honestly Hua Cheng would love to find any street snacks that gege might like. He could get all the ingredients to make the best fancy foods that might be served in the old palaces.

He's a little wary of the way that things are priced, here - with the blank card and the fact that his tender isn't legal here.

But to see a smile on Xie Lian's face when he brings out those dishes, he'll do it. He knows he'll do it. ]

We can get a melon before we go home and parade it around Ghost City.

[ Then, he rolls them over to the refrigerated section and - whoa. How's it so cold over here? It's fascinating. Hua Cheng is fascinated, and he hasn't felt like this many times in the last eight hundred years. ]

[It's been ages since he last had jianbing. They were harder to find in the small villages he frequented, more prevalent in cities, but his attempts to recreate something like it had never measured up to the taste, nor the texture he remembered fondly.]

Is San Lang fond of jianbing?

[Despite traveling together, it was hard to get an idea of his likes and dislikes. He was always so amenable to whatever he was fed, be it the villager's offerings or Xie Lian's cooking, but it would be nice to know his preferences.

He smiles at the idea of bringing such a large melon back, to show it off to the citizens of Hua Cheng's otherworldly home. It's not hard to imagine their excitement. More than that, there's something in that simple phrasing that gives Xie Lian pause.

Home. He'd called Ghost City home. When Xie Lian had first asked him about his home in Ghost City, Hua Cheng had been adamant that it was only a residence, home was a word meant for family, not somewhere one lived alone.

Just how much had changed in the year's difference between them?

Before he can think how to comment, the chill creeps in, and Xie Lian sees the entire aisle of fridges, he'd learned they were called. He hadn't realized there were some with glass doors, though he supposed it did make it much easier to know the contents that way.]

Oh, I know about these! There was one in the house I woke up in. It's called a fridge. They're for keeping food cold, so it will last longer!

[His smile remains, soft, but looking somewhat proud of himself for figuring it out on his own.]

[ San Lang is neither fond nor not fond of jianbing, because they are nice to eat, but he is a ghost. The taste of food doesn't bother him any which way, and the taste of the fried food and crispiness doesn't excite him in the way it excites alive people. ]

San Lang is alright with whatever gege wants to eat.

[ There, the most noncommittal answer but also the one that gets them both what they want.

As they move forward, he does think it has grown into a home, now that it's also Xie Lian's home. Now that their temples are their temples, now that the time they spent apart to work is nothing compared to the time they get to spend together. ]

Oh, like an underground store. I wonder how they keep it so cold.

[ And this glass so clear, just like the doors that had led them in, and just like that plastic. These materials really were top-notch, very high-class, even if they weren't remotely decorative. Perhaps these people spent so much money on utility, they had none left for artists! ]

Ah, look.

[ He goes over to a cold section to find milk. There's even a date stamped on it! ]

They can even tell you when your milk will go bad.

[ And it's a long time, too, considering that if he ever had milk it would have to be fresh from a cow or thereabouts. This place really had some advanced technologies. ]

There might not be any vendors, but there are so many things.

[ The stock is amazing - and chock full. It's not several vendors trying to cut him the best price of the same spices. It's several vendors putting their wares on one shelf and announcing their prices upfront. So convenient for space... ]

[He hadn't gotten as far as figuring out how the fridge worked, so he shrugs, shaking his head faintly.]

Mm, I don't know how they work, exactly, but I think they're fairly common here. The man I spoke to seemed to suggest as much, that most kitchens have both a stove for cooking and a fridge for keeping their food cold.

[It would be a great luxury, back home, not even Paradise Manor had such things, but here it was commonplace. Things really were completely different here, weren't they?

It's hard to ignore San Lang's enthusiasm, and he nods along with each new find, honestly just as surprised and curious that there's so much variety and so many offerings in such a small space.]

I would worry about theft, but perhaps it's like your Paradise Manor and one can't take things out without payment?

[He pushes himself up in the cart enough to lean over and press against the glass.]

But how do they know when it'll go bad? And how does it stay good for so long?

[Xie Lian has eaten enough food long-past its prime to be able to guess at it fairly accurately himself, but it's still impressive that they know well enough to date it.]

[ Most kitchens here have a full working stove and a refrigerator? Wow. There was an outdoor kitchen at Paradise Manor of course, where Hua Cheng liked to prepare food, and of course underground stores where he mostly kept wine and other things that needed to be kept cool, but absolutely nothing like a refrigerator.

But it made sense - the bathtub in the house he woke up in had hot water that went through the tap. And was self-draining! What an excellent idea and what an amazing invention.

He shakes his head and then puts the milk back, but picks up a yogurt. ]

They've all got it. Must be some sort of spell, like the wards against stealing.

[ That's surely it, he can't think of what else it could be! What advanced technologies and magics. He'd sure like to learn some of this, and some of the kind that lets them move through time like this. It's fascinating to him, if not frightening because he hasn't felt outclassed in a long time.

But it's also Hua Cheng, and there hasn't really been an occasion where he hasn't risen up. ]

What else do we need, gege?

[ He smells bread, so he starts heading in that aisle, looking for steamed buns, but he unfortunately finds none. ]

They only have baked, I think.

[A spell to tell when food would go bad? Handy for a grocer, looking to sell while the food is still in its prime, no haggling over spotted produce, not when both know just how long it's good for.]

What else... ah- water, we haven't got any water.

[He usually carries a number of things in his sleeves, a water-skein among them, but he can feel Ruoye shift uncomfortably, as if noticing it too. None of his collection has come with him.]

Baked is fine too, it'll keep a bit longer.

[Odd though, to not have a staple like mantou, but little about this place is reminiscent of home.

He knows the answer before he asks it, but...]

Are you sure this isn't too much?

It's never too much.

[ Not for gege anyway. He places a single bag of rolls into the cart, even if he wants to buy all of them for him. But he'll also look up at the signs he's noticed to see that there's an aisle for flour and sugar. He hopes yeast is one of the ingredients that they have for sale as he beelines them over to the baking section.

He doesn't know why he's expecting anything but boxes and boxes full of random ingredients. Even the spices are in clear little jars. It's so bizarre!

Nonetheless, he places a bag of flour, some yeast, a carton of salt and a bag of sugar into their cart. He then looks up to see if they are selling water, and heads them over to the drink section. ]

Where do they get their water, I wonder, if we can't get off the island?

[Hua Cheng did have a pretty limitless fortune at his disposal, but here too? As more and more things are added to the cart, he knows it's going to be far too much, but perhaps Hua Cheng has more space at his place than Xie Lian thought? He supposed, if it was common for people to be brought here, they must be housing and feeding them, or at least, one would hope so.]

Mm... they must be pumping in freshwater from somewhere. As long as it's safe to drink, we can fill some bottles at any of the homes here. Unfortunately, most of my things didn't come here with me, not so much as a pouch for water.

[Xie Lian picks up each item as it makes its way to the cart, studying it for a moment to appreciate the uniform packaging or the extravagant use of glass. Or whatever this flexible, clear material was.]

I'm more curious how they've gotten all of these products. Everything is so fresh, they must have a way to get things in and out, don't you think?

Fourth TDM: Winter's breath

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