January World Travel

[savmods]

Who: Anyone and everyone
When: Jan. 10 and onward
Where: Allcoran
What: New save file

Once again, the faint lights that can occasionally be found floating through the halls of Avagi coalesce around the Ingress shrines, opening the door to a new world. This time, there is no fixed connection between the portals and particular locations on the new world. Stepping through any portal will deposit the visitor anywhere on Allcoran — how random. The world is a colorful and hospitable one that resembles Earth in a few ways — it has a bright sun, green plants, and humanoid residents. But as the travelers explore, they'll discover some oddities as they learn their way around. The Town The only settlement is deceptively large for the number of locals that can be encountered on the streets, which are wide and laid out in a basic grid pattern. The level of technology is vaguely medieval — no computers or cars here! A happy tune can be heard in the distance, although the musician who must be playing it always seems to be a block or two away. The town itself is referred to as just that, with no apparent name. Notable locations include: The Inn: Need a break? No problem. Guests won't get their own hotel room, though; the inn has three beds next to each other upstairs, and that's it. But lack of privacy shouldn't be a concern. The moment a person gets into one of the beds, they immediately fall into a deep sleep, only to wake up feeling like no time has passed at all. The Market: Need a sword? There are no background checks or weapons laws here! Need something to eat? The selection isn't wide, but a single large, colorful fruit or glowing green liquid in a vial (maybe it's an energy drink?) will instantly leave one sated. Sadly, the shops only accept gemstones as payment. The Empty Houses: Stealing is wrong. But leaving jewels underneath common household objects is foolish. And many of the town's houses are unlocked and empty. The Backyard Farm: Don't bother the chickens. Mass-pecking is a terrible way to die. The Allcorans like their routines. During their waking hours, Allcorans can generally be found in the same areas, seeing to the same tasks, or just standing around people-watching. If approached, most are happy to engage in friendly conversation with the visitors, but their areas of interest are narrow. Some will talk about the town, their own lives or hobbies, or the fact that "Tribute Day" is coming soon. If the topic is changed, they'll inevitably bring it back to what they want to talk about. But it might be possible to get them to open up more by agreeing to do them a favor (fairly exchanged for a reward, of course), which will inevitably take travelers to... The Wild Immediately outside the town's boundaries is a lively, colorful landscape, where plenty of trees and other greenery can be found. As travelers venture farther, they'll discover surprisingly diverse environments, including a jungle, a waterlogged region and an area where everything is just...big. They may also find remnants of a lost society in the form of castles and dungeons littered about the land, most of which have become home to dangerous creatures. From bears to turtles to unrecognizable creatures, the fauna can be strangely hostile. Stranger still are the ledges float in mid-air, occasionally moving, and the way that, inexplicably, people may find that they can only move forward or backward, not left or right—and sometimes they're forced to do so. Laws of physics? What are those? Those caught in a desperate situation might risk touching one of the glowing plants or animals occasionally found in the Wild. They grant great power at the cost of altering one's body to partially fuse with that of an animal. If you've had enough and want to head back to town or to Avagi? Better hope you didn't agree to do someone a favor. Words have power on Allcoran, and many will find themselves unable to break their word and abandon the task. If a person considers abandoning their task, they will feel a strong sense of reluctance and guilt at the prospect. If they push past the feeling and attempt to walk away, they'll find the landscape itself seeming to twist itself around until they're once more facing the way they didn't want to go. Even if a volunteer should die, they'll find themselves alive and whole back at the last conversation they had, or the last area they walked into. No signs will remain of the failed attempt. Simply put, a sidequest accepted must be a sidequest completed. Good thing the ACEs still work—try phoning a friend for help. The Arena The miles-wide arena is the most violent place in the world, a training ground for those who would be tributes to The Ones From Above. Dropped in parachutes from a floating platform, dozens find themselves in a space that contains guns, knives and derelict buildings, along with just enough rubble to use as cover, competitors kill each other to prove their worth—again and again and again. The weapons are real and so are the competitors, but every body that falls disappears within one minute, only to reappear elsewhere in the arena. The same will happen to any visitor who is unfortunate enough to fall. The deaths are very real, but they will rise again without the intervention that the dead experience on Avagi. Is this endless death and life a gift or a curse? Those lucky enough to survive will experience one particularly strange effect in the arena: although others can see them, if they look down at their bodies, they will find that from their perspective, everything but their arms have become invisible. Each round in the arena lasts one hour. Racking up a large number of kills may be unpleasant, but it does come with compensation beyond being deemed worthy as a Tribute. The participant with the top kill count each day receives a plain chest that could contain anything from a weapon to jewels to a particularly snazzy shirt. Extra Notes While Allcoran might lack normal laws of physics, that doesn't mean it doesn't have its own constraints—or consequences for breaking them. Visitors who move too quickly may find themselves not merely rebounding, but clipping through some of the surfaces they hit. Individuals who fly straight up may continue indefinitely without seeming to gain distance... or, find themselves trapped above invisible barriers in the air. And whatever you do, don't step too close or too sideways to your conversation partners. You may not appreciate the view (cw: game render body horror). Although food and drink are available, while on Allcoran, no one ever feels truly hungry or thirsty, and there are no bathrooms because no one ever, er, goes. However, food and beverages will restore energy and vitality to people who are tired or injured. Occasionally, upon achieving a minorly notable feat, a person will hear a thunk as an appropriately labeled trophy drops to the ground nearby. Strange rain they have here. Any visitor who removes enough articles of clothing will find that their naughty bits appear to be...pixelated. Must be a trick of the light.

---

[[Check out the OOC post for sidequests, questions, and more information!]]

Comments

Today mutantkind assumes its rightful place in the world. (OTA)

[magneticfields]

Nothing shall stop me from my dreams. (Town)

[ After the last month being cooped up on the station with his apparent children, fighting with Charles, fighting with Clara, and his room getting flooded, Erik needs the fresh air a new planet. The odds and ends on offer in the market are interesting. Nothing as interesting as the food on Kaittos, of course, but some items he is interested in. Unfortunately, after several frustratingly limited conversations, he has determined the state of the gem-based economy. Along with the total lack of security or, apparently, locks on this planet.

As crimes go this is relatively harmless. A handful of gems taken from various places and recirculated back into the local economy. The important thing is that nobody sees him do it. But old habits come in handy, and he's in and out of at least four houses before he encounters anybody. He pauses and lifts an eyebrow. ]

I suppose you have something to say about this.

Where I lead our people, you are not worthy to follow! (The Wild)

[ Outside the town, the landscape is unlike anything Erik has ever encountered. He finds himself drawn to the floating platforms, and easily vaults up onto them.

But once he's there, he can't fly the way he usually does. He can only sort of... bounce. It's extremely disconcerting, and difficult to gauge.

After one particularly difficult leap he finds himself dangling off the edge, digging his fingers into the squishy top of the platform, trying to pull himself up onto it despite having nothing below for his feet to get purchase on. He glances up at the other person on the platform. ]

Little help?

The time of Homo Superior has come! (The Arena)

[ The Trial of Life was such an enjoyable experience that Erik does not hesitate to enter the Arena. Not that he expects a repeat of everything he did during the trial. For one thing, a turn in the arena only lasts an hour, not five days. It leaves very little time for seduction.

But plenty of time for the sort of mayhem he finds invigorating.

His pulse is already pounding in his ears as they drop into the arena. Immediately, he realizes something is wrong. His shield gives him enough time to get the lay of the land. And also confound his opponents. He wants to tell them to stop wasting their ammunition but all that comes out is: ]

What did you hope to accomplish, whelp?

[ He runs across the battlefield, deflecting bullets from some into others, twisting their weapons back on themselves, and looking for cover because what is happening? Finally, he sees a familiar face and tries to call for help. But again, the words he actually wants to say are nowhere and instead he just shouts: ]

They call me the Master of Magnetism. That moniker describes but a fraction of my capabilities.

You've learned a valuable lesson today. I am powerful and you are nothing. (Wildcard)

[ Want something else? Shoot me a pm or find me on plurk @ Barbeauxbot ]

[TOWN]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[To be honest, Darin was elated. This humble little burg reminded him so much of Kenmore, the quaint port-side town where he grew up, that he couldn't resist looking around. He was soon deflated, however, when the size of the town didn't seem to match its population. He was hoping for a more bustling place, a place more akin to his home. Not to mention the fact that he'd packed up a ton of his weapons and armor that he'd painstakingly forged back on Thisavrou and had hoped to peddle on a world that didn't seem so reliant on laser guns and particle barriers.]

[So we have Darin wandering around with a literal stall's worth of goods strapped to his back (the size and weight of which should completely crush a normal man) when he happens to see someone coming out of what seemed to be an abandoned house.]

[Darin's own eyebrow arches up.]

...Something to say? No, where I come from it's totally normal to come and go out of an empty, yet fully furnished house that may or may not belong to you.

[The sarcasm, can you hear it?]

wildcard. cw likely.

[notmarieanymore]

[Rogue had gone to the Arena not to participate, but to spectate. She wanted to be there to cheer for Erik against the onslaught in a Danger Room session driven to the extreme. And she'd done just that.

Until she saw his powers in action for the very first time.

She remembers the metallic noise, the way it seemed to hum in the air, the ease of which he manipulates the metal like it's dough- Erik- Erik- how many times had the Professor called him that while she was near? She knew his name, she knew Magneto's name, because she had his memories. How she hadn't seen it before- he mentioned being Charles' colleague, knowing Mystique...

Below her gloves, Rogue's knuckles are white as she watches him all but confirm what she already knew was true. No- she knew what she had to do. She had to 100% be correct about this, because if she wasn't- then she was ruining one of the best things about this place.

Pushing away from the ledge, Rogue walks away from the arena, off to find the entrance to the challengers' area.

The hour seems to drag by, and every time the door swings open and someone leaves, she's on the balls of her feet, almost ready to pounce. Erik is one of the last to leave, it feels like, and the moment she sees him, Rogue strides over, ripping off her leather glove and reaching out to slap him- palm against skin. But she doesn't follow through. She leaves her hand there, Erik's skin so soft against her own.

The memories come almost immediately, and by the time she wrenches her hand, she can taste the iron around her. Pulling her hand back, she looks at the man in front of her, her green eyes steely though her voice trembles.]

Fuck you.

arena

[sketchycharacter]

Ooookay? Good to know?

[Nate didn't mean to land in the Arena when he stepped through the portals. Would he have joined the contest on his own. Well...maybe. Killing people for sport, even temporarily, isn't his thing. But he's also good in a firefight, and whatever the winners get might be worth having.

Questions for another day. He waits for Erik to attack him, given his words, but when nothing happens, he shrugs and aims his AK past the man toward the fighters targeting him. Familiar faces win over strangers.]

Go left!

TOWN

[neveroutwrenched]

[ It was pure chance that Ratchet witnesses Erik leaving one of the quaintly residential homes at all. He was sightseeing...if you wanted to call it that. There wasn't really all that much to see, at least if you weren't interested in domestic architecture and decidedly unsecure ways of storing your investments.

But it seemed like someone else was, and Ratchet stops in his tracks when he sees him. If he wasn't spoken to he probably wouldn't have commented at all, but... ]

Sure, a few things, but I don't expect you'd want to hear them.

Darin Altway | OTA

[forgeabettertomorrow]

It's Dangerous To Go Alone - Town

[Upon reaching the town for the first time, Darin's eyes lit up. For the briefest of moments, this place seemed incredibly reminiscent of his hometown of Kenmore. Granted, it wasn't on a bay, but everything from the houses, to the inn, to the marketplace made happy memories come flooding back. Even the wares in the marketplace felt familiar! Swords! Shields! Armor! And not ridiculous power armor or particle barriers or laser swords. No these were honest to goodness steel and iron. And while Darin has learned a lot when it came to new technology, there was something inherently satisfying about dealing in a medium that was like second nature to him.]

[Which is why Darin has set up a stall in the Marketplace bursting with his Masterclass wares that he'd been storing since they left Thisavrou. After clearing out a spot and unloading his stall from his Pac disc, Darin stands in front of the stall brandishing his wares to the passersby. Expertly forged swords and shields, polished armor that shines like a mirror in the sun, he has it all.]

Hey there, looking for some equipment that'll make you the envy of the local militia? A sword that can cut down a treant with just a glancing blow? How about a shield tempered and tested to withstand blast magic? Don't see something you're looking for? Then just ask! I'll forge you whatever you need personally with these two hands!

Eastmost Peninsula is the Secret - Wild

[So the town reminded Darin of home, but what about the overworld surrounding terrain? Well, this is where things start to seem a little strange for Darin. Venturing forth outside of the town, Darin finds himself in the jungle which, lets face it, isn't exactly hospitable. It's hot and sticky, there's giant bugs and weird fruit hanging in the air that does nothing to satisfy. Darin's taken off his jacket and tied it loosely around his waist as he hacks his way through the jungle with his dao. Every so often he plucks one of those hovering fruits from the sky and takes a bite, only to grimace and toss it away.]

Wasn't there supposed to be a dungeon out this way? Maybe we should double back...

It's a Secret To Everybody - Sidequest

[Having accepted a quest from an old man in town, Darin finds himself making his way to an apparently well known dungeon. The task seemed easy enough: slay a goblin and bring back his horn as proof. Goblins were nothing. Well, it just so happened that the dungeon in question was located deep in the wild...where the flora and fauna were all giant. Naturally, this trait lent itself not only to the dungeon, which was literally huge, but all of the monsters inside were scaled up as well. Darin stands before what can only be considered as the dungeon's 'maw' which is massive in scope and looks down the oversized stairs.]

...You know, you'd think that maybe I would have been given the option to hear what the quest was before I blindly accepted it? I'm a businessman. I really should know better.

[He heaves a sigh and jumps down the first enormous step.]

Well, at least it's a challenge. Let's go!

Wildcard

[Want to thread something else? Feel free to hit me up at bitterbearface and make requests!]

let's all go to the wild

[patchricide]

[Allura looks displeased.]

[On one hand, it's nice to have this bodyguard arrangement. Darin is doing a great job leading away and clearing the path, making this part of the expedition that much easier — since she's armed with a whip, Indiana Jones style, she would certainly have a hard time cutting through the overgrowth. But despite that...]

We might as well. Unless that dungeon is ruled by a great and terrible gardener, wandering aimlessly is my best shot at completing this quest.

[... her sass levels are through the roof today. All these dungeons to explore and puzzles to solve and monsters to fight... and she gets asked to pick roses.]

[And she can't even complain — wasn't she the one who was so interested in gathering flowers from the last planet? "Be careful what you wish for," huh?]

Otherwise, I could look for a higher vantage point, to see if I can spot your target.

town

[brokeassgoing]

[The great thing about being in space and being suspicious of just about everything around you is how everything tends to change! Overnight! Without a crash landing or a warning! How is he sure the foods that are labeled goat testicles are indeed that and the things that aren't aren't just goat testicles in disguise?

When he spots Darin, his agonizing ceases.]

Are you trynna assimilate into this lot?

wild

[shiro2hero]

[You know, since they're in a jungle and all, it's probably not all that weird to be paced by a lion. Albeit one who doesn't seem all that interested in... eating him. Or attacking him. At all. In fact, it looks really just put out by the whole situation.]

[An irritated expression on its face and everything.]

[... an irritated expression with a familiar scar. And, you know. A random fluff of white over its face.]

[And a metal leg.]

[One of its eyes may actually be twitching right now.]

town!

[capella_binary]

[None of this is anything at all like Capella's used to up to and including that burning ball of suffering in the sky people are cheerily calling 'the sun'. After a rousing defeat at the hands of unexpected blobs of goo, she's returned to town to find something a little more useful, and maybe a towel.

Which means Darin has a customer, eventually. A rather tall woman with red and black hair, black armored save for faintly glowing green and gold lines that are probably rather bright when it's not blazingly daylight out, and ... a few suspiciously Pudding Blob-like bits of viscous nasty stuck here and there on her person and on the black quarterstaff she's carrying on one shoulder, THAT even more goo-slicked. The armor, and the shields, are eyed in a squinty sort of way that suggests this sunshine thing isn't her favorite.]

... I might be looking for equipment. Something to keep from getting filthy when a knee high mobile blob thing explodes and ... something to make it less bright out maybe. Do you take bits?

Town

[neveroutwrenched]

[ Ratchet had spent enough time with people who used things like magic, and swords and whatever other crazy stuff they did in other worlds that this one wasn't too alien. If anything, he was downright used to it, and apparently...so was this guy. So used to it, in fact, that Ratchet almost mistook him for a local.

Realizing his mistake, he walks over, looking over the impressive array of wares with a hint of surprise. ]

How'd you get so many of these?

Nathan Drake | OTA

[ascendit]

i. walk in the park · side quest
[Within a castle with remarkably intact carpeting and stained glass windows but a distinct lack of furniture, Nate's cheerful as he hops down from a mid-air platform, his gunblade in hand and an oversized key clinking gently against his junction device on his lanyard.]

Clear the blob monsters out of the safe, bring back the family vase. It's just like a Garden mission!

[Also, the smithing family who had asked him to do this had taken a look at his gunblade and promised him a better one once he returned with the vase, which is pretty exciting.]

Although we could definitely move around more on those missions...

ii. what do we have here? · wildcard
[I'll roll with anything except the arena; else feel free to hit me up at pohutukaryl or on my contact post if you want to plot.]

i

[shadowblends]

[They've never met before, but wherever people have needed the help, Nightcrawler has been there to offer whatever services he can, even if that means working with others.

He leaps after Nathan without a second thought, crossbow secured against his back for the moment, extra bolts and pipebomb arrows (given to him by one of the locals) strapped to the sides of his thighs-- the former on the left and the latter on the right, so he can tell them apart when they are needed.] Sorry, but I'm not familiar with a Garden mission.

[The cobalt-tinted teen continues moving forward, curiosity lighting his iridescent eyes.] It is bizarre that we can only move certain ways, though. I wonder if there's an explanation for that.

Nova Barnett | OTA

[petridish]

i. a lucky streak · the wild
[If one follows the shriek of mingled disgust and dismay, a human sized cuckoo bird bearing Nova's face and Ploiatos scarring on her left wing can be found frantically touching a glowing plant.]

What is this?! Turn me back - turn me back!

[She hadn't even meant to touch the bright spiky leaves. She'd brushed against it as she was sneaking up on a nearby bear, which looks faintly disgusted by the racket she's making.

[Looks like it might be about to make a countermove on her, but Nova's too panicked to notice.]

ii. life gives its shape · wildcard
[I'll roll with anything; else feel free to hit me up at pohutukaryl or on my contact post if you want to plot.]

[seeingscarlet]

Nova, what-?

[The shouting brings Wanda running, but she was expecting to see more of a threat, the kind of thing that would merit Nova's shouting. She knows what Nova can do. A bear shouldn't be an issue.

And a bear certainly couldn't do...that.

She keeps her eyes on it, wisps of scarlet twisting around her fingers. It's not the bear's fault it's frightened, not with all the noise Nova's making.]

Come on, we need to go.

[They can figure it out later, when there's not an angry bear staring them down.]

chara dreemurr | goat simulator remastered | i'll match your formatting

[inconsequence]

i. all over ; i hope the roof flies off and i get blown into space

It's almost nostalgic.

That's the first word that comes to mind, when one is something of a dirty hacker - when one has learned to pry apart the edges of their own world, watch the ways in which FLOWEYTALE tore it all apart and pieced it back together by numbers, by threads, by strings, by sprites, and delve always and ever deeper into every individualized strip of code. When you end up getting a call by a real funny guy, who idly wants to know how it is you ended up with this particular ending when it shouldn't have showed up; when you've learned what it is to be confronted with endless messages proclaiming error! without any immediate means of discerning why; when you cannot completely fight away the slight chill that shivers at your spine at the memory of a child standing, forlorn and gray with static-shuttered eyes, at the end of a pier, begging you not to think about this anymore.

Needless to say, between the abuse of mechanics and the blatant dissociation, Chara fits right in. Call it a New Game+.

They're smiling in that wide, typical fashion of theirs - not necessarily dangerously, but certainly in a way that might be off-putting, given the fact that it seems unfortunately redolent of that of a cat confronted with a particularly juicy mouse - as they make their way downtown, walking fast, with an mess of very interesting trophies practically spilling out from their arms. Maybe they're striking up a conversation with someone who has very little to say besides a phrase that is just as ominous as it is inexplicable, when paired with the fact that the poor sap seems to be stuck swimming through the air. Maybe they've discovered a section of building that's particularly susceptible to their terrible whims, and are delighting in watching items rebound wildly off its corners with very little provocation.

All told, this might be the first world they've visited that Chara actually enjoys.

ii. also...all over ; if i can get my shit together i'm gonna run away and never see any of you again

[There's something approaching you at a rapid clip - with an emphasis on "clip." It appears to be little more than a green-and-yellow blur of uncoordinated limbs half-floating and half-speeding forward with little regard for the basic laws of physics, propelled by some uncontrollable momentum that is really better off not being inspected too closely.]

[Chara has discovered ragdolling. And either they're going to crash into a building or into you, but regardless of which comes to pass, it's sure to be terribly entertaining.]

iii. sidequest ; you know i hate all my friends

It's not delivering a love letter to Alphys's lab in Hotland, but it'll do in a pinch. They can recognize a sidequest when it's issued to them, and the possibility that it might allow for additional information or some reward that isn't forced empathic abilities, issued unwillingly upon the participant, is too good a chance to pass up.

Besides - what is there to lose from chopping some vegetables, aside from a few fingers? Chara often contemplates the wisdom of severing a few fingers from their hand anyway, just for the sake of having a little less Chara in existence. Really, everyone would benefit from that. After three stilted conversations with the unnamed chef in question, it becomes swiftly clear that the only means of progressing this questline is to actually do the quest.

Fortunately, they've no shortage of knives on hand to do the chopping. The motions are even and mechanical, and they come quite naturally to someone as deft with knives as they. It's not a terrible time sink, all things considered.

Though they might occasionally disrupt their own chopping to wander around the chef's abode and pick up an item or two, and,
depending on its personal worth, stuff it into their pocket without much concern for being caught. The chef does not seem to mind;
he's been stirring the same pot of stew for the past several hours, caught in a continuous loop of stirring three or four times, lifting the lid to peek into its contents, and sniffing at the hot rush of steam in a perpetual rinse and repeat of the same exact actions. Maybe his idle animation's bugged.

iv. some doorway ; i became such a strange shape from trying to fit in

[Chara is stuck.]

[A doorway leading into an inn has been...particularly unresponsive to their efforts to cross through it. Arms folded, foot tapping, it seems they can move neither forward nor backward, as long as that dreaded symbol hovers a few inches above their head. Occasionally, it will flicker out, stuttering and stopping, and, relieved, the child takes a tiny step forward - ]

[Only to freeze in place when the symbol immediately reappears, forcing them to wait another long several minutes.]

[At this point, they can only barely contain their exasperation.]

Oh, very nice.

v. the wild ; woke up on the wrong side of paradise ; cw: body horror

So they made a stupid mistake. It's been known to, occasionally, happen, much as they'll pretend otherwise. They forgot what sort of world they were in, and they made the error of stooping to pick one of the flowers. They were never one to resist the pull of flowers - it was golden flowers, after all, that they so loved about the Surface, and the one thing they could say that they truly missed.

It is especially fitting that it is golden flowers that consume them now.

It was not a painful transformation, but it is discomfiting for reasons both easily discernible and otherwise. The flowers itch, and they've swarmed over the lower half of their face, either obscuring or otherwise - doing away with the use of a mouth. They cannot be quite sure as to what sort of power this might grant, but they're rather certain they don't want it.

Looking the way they do, it is easy to settle into the grass and close their eyes and forget the world while they wait for the effects to reverse. Just...don't be surprised, if a section of the ground coated in beautiful yellow blooms starts to shudder beneath you, or if it suddenly detaches itself from the moss carpeting the wilderness to trundle toward you. It may be alarming, but the blotches of pale skin and the slightly disheveled mat of brown hair will be a solemn indicator that there is someone underneath.

That is, if the red eyes don't give it away.

vi. arena ; i'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color ; cw: mentions of child death + blasé attitudes about death

[* About time.]

[Which is to say, Chara is very eager to be participating.]

[They're not the most skilled participant, to be certain, but their frequent sparring matches with Rinzler have enabled them to learn a thing or two. They know how to cut and thrust and, more importantly, they know how to take advantage of their diminutive size and employ the use of the occasional retreat and dodge instead of trusting that they'll be capable of tanking whatever hits might land on them.]

[However, ultimately, they're nothing more than a very stubborn child with a very inappropriate amount of knives. This may limit their time in each round significantly, but they at least intend to be quite the little irritant while they last, even if it means they only get to stick your ankles a handful of times before they're inevitably dispatched by someone who can handle one exceedingly 2edgy knife child.]

vii. wild card ; i know it's just a number but to me you're the eighth wonder

[If you want a closed starter in this Fucking Long Prompt Machine just let me know either by pming me or hitting me over at arrpee]

todd howard personally came into my house and shat on the carpet

[gainedlove]

Nostalgic is one way to put it.

It's strange how things can seem so different in retrospect. How you don't bother talking to someone more than once, until you've ^lost _made another friend. How it doesn't matter which poff you start at, so long as you search the right amount of times. That funny little trick that happens if you turn around fast enough, how words can blur by in an instant when you're impatient enough. Why you go back, over and over and over, even though you've won, haven't you?

The eating out of the garbage is probably all on them, though.

Where Chara is all smiles, Frisk seems to have fallen into a deadpan stare, watching with little reaction as a cart goes flying past and though their head with seemingly no effect other than a single section of their hair flipping upward and just...kind of staying there. They turn to see where the cart lands, then bend down to pick up a piece of fruit on the ground, not seeming to notice how their hair stretches odd and flat from the frozen floating chunk.

"'S not made too well, is it?"

76 | ota

[mylawn]

i. town

[76 will take any chance at all to get off Avagi, even if the places they’re inexplicably able to access might be less trustworthy by comparison. The possibility for supplies (and more importantly, food) is worth the risk, so once again he sets off through the Ingress to see where they’ve ended up this time.

The village is quaint, but for someone used to a certain level of technology, kind of unimpressive. It’s not difficult, however, to find something to do—the townspeople seem to be full of requests, or information about the surroundings. It quickly occurs to him that completing relatively mundane tasks will net him some of the currency from the area.

And then, he tries to buy a sword.

Not that it’s hard. They’ll give him one, no question, as long as he has the money for it (which he does, after a few trips back and forth to various stores for the locals). It seems appropriate, given the general tech level of the setting, but he’s also much better with guns than bladed implements. Before he heads out, he tries to make use of what seems to be a practice ring to acclimate himself to the new weapon.

He’s not very good at it. Perhaps he needs. A hand.]

ii. wild

[Soon enough, however, he’s stomping off into the wilderness with his new purchase. He’s still fairly concerned with the state of the greenery, which means seeking out food or plants he can bring back in continued attempts to create something sustainable out of the wreckage that was Avagi’s greenhouse.

It’s all a little whimsical for his tastes, but there’s something sinister about it as well—hasn’t he passed this clearing before?

That’s what has 76 preoccupied as he uses his sword like a machete, trying to hack a path for himself. Unfortunately, wild swings plus lack of visibility means he might end up in your way sooner rather than later.

Or, maybe he has accidentally hit a tree and now the blade is stuck in it. He's a super soldier full of government juice, but man that sword is really in there. You definitely want to come over and get in on this.]

iii. wildcard

[I’ll do whatever u want! Hit me up on plurk at whitticus.]

born to be wiiiiiiiiild

[brokeassgoing]

[maybe these...quest things could use a little more investigating. Especially if he gets something out of it-- that's what he'd told himself, and he's not lost, but

his soul feels lost. Until he sees 76 with his fucking sword in a tree. Not bother to conceal himself, because the bark of laughter will have him zeroed in, he shrieks,]

Does a soldier shit in the woods??

King Alfor // OTA

[alformthearm]

     It sounded like a reasonable and relatively simple task. Given that Alfor had planned to do some exploring anyway, there seemed absolutely no harm in killing two birds with one stone, and so, quest accepted, the Altean king heads off towards the Wild.

     Going anywhere in the armor of the Red Paladin is by now practically habit, but there's no denying its uses, such as having a weapon in easy reach, a jetpack, and communications built into the helmet, things that his royal armor just doesn't have. And after the whole fiasco from going off to explore the last world, Alfor has taken care to let relevant parties know where he's off to, and has rigged his ACE to patch with the systems in his helmet to ensure that he can receive contact. But right away he's caught up in his new surroundings, fascinated by the oddness of this world and its numerous plant and wildlife.

     All he needs to do is document some of the creatures out here, which is something he'd do anyway even without incentive of something promised in turn. How difficult can that possibly be?

[capella_binary]

It might not be terribly difficult, but it might not be very pleasant.. or clean ... if one's not careful.

Case in point, that hip-high blob of bright orange jello sliming its way across the ground, slowly and purposefully devouring whatever it comes into contact with, with all the focus of a thing that's truly mindless. It's not getting anywhere very quickly and thus might not be dangerous.

Maybe.

"Don't walk into that, you'll regret it." The advice comes from a young woman sitting on a small boulder, watching the Pudding with an expression of dislike. She's easy enough to spot, possibly at quite a distance as she's making no attempt at stealth whatsoever, but all she has by way of weaponry is a long dark quarterstaff.

Sombra | OTA

[vata]

I: Hack the Planet

You're a long way from home. [It's a soft, smug accusation exhaled from just over your shoulder. The flowers and plants in this world are dangerously willing to alter the appearance of anyone careless enough to not take them seriously. Something else is prowling around, hoping to play a similar game.

Whatever you're doing (and wherever you are), there's a hand on your shoulder. Feather light at first, matching that easy, disembodied voice. There's a flicker of warmth, the digital snap of instantly altered code, roughly translated through whatever filter the reality of this planet knows by heart:]

Time to look the part.

[Before you know it, something's changed. Small, large, intentional or— in worst case scenarios— something's broken in varying degrees. Maybe you're suddenly dressed like the merchant you passed half an hour ago, peddling their wares. Maybe you look like a vampire, or a knight, or a completely glitched out disaster...

Oops.]

[CLOSED] The Quest Objective Was Friendship All Along

Shit—

[Ducking low, Sombra manages to dodge a clunky, skeletal hand as the rusted saber it's clutching slams into the stony wall behind her. A three-on-one fight isn't out of the ordinary for her, but the entrance to the ruins she's agreed to pick through is at the bottom of what's most accurately described as an ancient cross between a well and a barrow den: it's a narrow bucket of a hole with only one rotted staircase leading either in or out— there's no room to lean on typical maneuverability, and skeletons apparently don't care all that much about getting shot.

And the voice that's snarling and hissing (punctuated by short bursts of gunfire and the sharp, metallic clang of swords hitting stone) is familiar to anyone that knows the hacker.

The sound of her distinctively not cheating her way to victory, however, is a new one.]

[OOC: The first prompt is open-ended! If there's anything you want to happen to your character, make it so— as long as it's within the margins of what hacking does in this world. Remember there can be unexpected side effects if you want her hacking to screw up, too.

If you want to talk shop and plot out specifics, I can always be found on plurk at ladyavali!]

[araignee_du_soir]

[Whereas everyone else might be surprised, confused or defensive, Amélie was far too familiar with everything going on to not know who was playing around. Everything except the way things suddenly feel different...]

What did you just do to me?

[And thunking to the ground next to her was one of those 'trophies': Lions and Tigers and Bears...]

Yori | OTA

[yorisearching]

The field of mushrooms looks strangely uniform, spread out in the shadow of the farmhouse. Yori paces its boundary, alert for any evidence she might have missed. If giant bugs come after this crop every night, she'd like to know why. Nothing appetizing about these squat growths.

Yori has asked several people for help, on the principle that at least one or two of them might not be too busy with their own tasks.

She had only given an agreement to make one attempt, but she doesn't want to disappoint the User with the mushroom farm. It's a reasonable request, even if security isn't quite her function.

The farmers were willing enough to let her borrow metal baling wire, with which she'll at least make some effort at discouraging the giant bugs. Frowning at the afternoon sunlight, Yori begins to wrap it loosely around the inadequate wooden fence, meant to guard the crop from being trodden under hoof by the nearby cattle.

She has no intention of leaving her shock-staff behind, but as a first effort to gather information, a temporary shock fence will have to do. She hasn't found a better idea.

"It would be nice to have a little backup," she murmurs to herself, and wonders what trouble her allies have gotten into.

Wanda Maximoff | MCU

[seeingscarlet]

i. Change your life before I change it for you - The Wilds
[At least this time when the alchemist said 'the thieves can't have gone far,' it proved true. She hasn't needed to wander the forest long before she finds the small bandit camp.

Five minutes later, three of them are on the ground drooling and the other two are stumbling around in a sightless daze. Meanwhile, Wanda is busy rifling through their things. Sword...okay. Gems...does it count as stealing when they're probably stolen, too? And just how did they fit a full leather cuirass into that tiny backpack?

Still no tablet, though. But the sound of a branch cracking startles her from her search and Wanda rises and whirls around, scarlet flickering at her fingers until she sees who it is.]

You know, it's dangerous to sneak up on people.

ii. I'm not a pack rat - Town
[Wanda gets a cool new outfit for her troubles...but there's a bit of an issue.

What exactly is she supposed to do with all these tiny belts? To say nothing of the headpiece that seems to have no actual way to wear it.

She's sitting in the inn nursing a bottle of that weird green glowing liquid with the misfit accessories in a pile on the table in front of her. It's a small relief to see a familiar face - the locals are creepy.

She smiles and gestures to the seat beside her.]

Do you have any idea what I am supposed to do with all of these?

iii. You're no match for chaos magic! - Wild Card
[Choose your own adventure! I'm at dontyousonicme if you want to plot!]

ii

[shadowblends]

[Wanda isn't the only one that's happy to see a familiar face.

To be fair, he agrees with the whole eerie feeling of the people that actually live here, but Kurt's far too kind to say anything out loud. He'd rather avoid them if possible; they seem to have other plans, though.

So, when he approaches where Wanda is sitting, clad in his X-Man uniform, he slumps into the seat she motions toward and heaves an exhausted sigh. Helping with tasks in exchange for things is tiring, though he's gotten more than a few items out of it.

His next mission will be searching for armor that he can either trade or somehow work for. At the moment, he's happy to be sitting, especially with someone he knows. He tosses the bright green apple in his hand up, catching it with ease and grinning back.]

You could wear them, [notes the blue boy.] All those tiny belts look rather impractical, in my opinion.

Beverly Marsh | OTA

[januaryember]

By Now It's Just A Simple Trick- for Stan and Laura

Alright- Stan said you were learning how to ride a bike? [Beverly turns toward the smaller girl, the bike between them as the trio makes their way to an open gravely area. She walks it, rather than rides, though.] I wanna see what you can do out here.

[She wanted to get to know Laura- her friends liked her and most people that got her friends' approval got hers, too. Especially if they were both going to be in Bill's play. So what better way than some bonding time between the two of them that involved a favorite activity of Bev's? Stan was there as a bit of a buffer, and he seemed to really care about Laura from what she'd observed.]

Not Much to See-- Shopping, Open

The jewel based economy is weird, but Beverly's gotten the hang of it. She's no stranger to pilfering a thing or two from the shelves of convenience stores back in Derry, so finding them in people's homes was easy enough. Especially when she had a goal in mind.

Despite the flooding, she was determined to start decorating her bedroom. The boys' all had well decorated rooms- Eddie and Richie's blanket fort was a work of art, and come to think of it, she wouldn't mind a few more things to wear. One afternoon, tearing herself from the other Losers, Bev's looking over the local stores, enjoying some time on her own. She loved her friends, but sometimes you needed to be away from all of the boys.]

You Hear the Tumblers Catch and Click-- Side-quest, Open

[Turtle soup. Wasn't that something that only existed in Alice in Wonderland, or was it actually something normal people enjoyed? Either way, the locals seemed to enjoy it, and a kind old woman had requested that she bring her a few turtle shells. While Beverly knew she couldn't bring herself to actually kill a living animal, she was confident in her ability to catch turtles.

She'd just bring them back alive and wash her hands of it. Maybe there was a secret way to remove turtles from their shells without pain?

Come to think of it, a turtle without a shell probably looked like the strangest creature. Hopefully she would never have to see one. Following the lady's vague instructions, she headed out into the woods to complete her mission.] Big red and white shells, that's what she said, [Beverly said out-loud.] Shouldn't be too hard to find...

Along the Way -- Wildcard!
[make it up or hmu on plurk!]

[stantheman]

[ Stan doesn't add much to Beverly's talk after all, she's mostly talking to Laura. He's nervous because he thinks that riding a bike out here is definitely a different thing from the hallways on the station. It's not that if she gets hurt she won't heal but would she be embarrassed. He bites the pad of his thumb in thought, his eyes mostly focused on Laura.

When she's around he has a hard time not looking at her and he doesn't really notice that he doesn't it so much anymore, or that he smiles more often around her either. It's just become a sorta natural state of being that he didn't feel self-conscious about anymore. ]

I bet Laura can do anything out here. [ He's not bias or anything. ]

Princess Allura | Mostly Open

[patchricide]

1. The Wild

This wasn't going according to plan.

It all sounded so simple, back when she started: If she was looking for a dozen rare flowers, and they weren't all growing in the same place, then she needn't go after all of them at once. She could pace herself, returning home for a break each time she found one or two.

The problem was, unfortunately, that she couldn't seem to get back to the station. Nor even back to the village, as it would seem. Every time she did...

"I knew I kept passing this tree. It's still marked from the last time I was here."

... the forest seemed to return her to places she had already been, wandering in circles that didn't seem to match up with linear space. And she could swear she could hear music playing faintly, looping in the same way that the paths looped. It's a quest that tests her patience, for certain.

There is one advantage to the layout, however. Since this is already taking her several days to navigate, she's set up a campsite in one clearing; and the forest has been returning her to it time and time again. It's not the fanciest accommodations, but it's enough to rest safely. And that's what matters, isn't it?


2. And Back To Town

She doesn't really know how it happened. Once all twelve of the shrieking roses were collected, a ribbon appeared and tied itself around their stems. And now, the princess returns to town brandishing one (1) bouquet of roses.

If you found one with her in the forest, you will be relieved to know that the shrieking has seemed to stop, now that they're picked. Still, the flowers seem sort of... volatile? One starts to let out an uncomfortable whine, until Allura shooshes it back into submission.

"Why would anyone want to give these to a loved one?" she wonders aloud, before turning her attention to finding that quest-giver again. Rewards await. And more importantly, that should be the end to the noise... shouldn't it?

(Or if you don't want to damage your eardrums, you could just meet up with her later, while she's recovering with a health potion and looking mildly shell-shocked from all the noise. Your choice.)


3. Closed to Darin

On one hand, she's already seen more than enough of this planet. And she's certain Darin has explored the map to 100% completion, too. The quests were more demanding than expected.

Okay, maybe it was just her quest.

The point is that despite this, they do technically still have time for a bonus round. And she already knows he wouldn't refuse her request.

"So, how much were you able to explore down there? Grassland, desert, forest, jungle, ice-world, fire-world...?"


WILDCARD

[Contact me if you have another idea you'd like to thread with someone!]

CLOSED

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"I explored enough. Being turned in a mouse kinda turned me off of the whole place. Why?"

Forgive him if he sounds surly, Princess. Being a mouse wasn't the most fun thing he's ever done.

Frisk | idk some shitty indie game probably boring | OTA

[gainedlove]

Relentless garbage habit

[Though many seem to struggle with the oddities of this world, Frisk takes to it with incredible ease. They don't seem to mind the looping conversations, or be thrown off by the rigid yet easily broken workings of physics. And of course, any time a task is asked of them they accept with a quiet nod.]

[Actually, they've become very quiet overall, haven't they?]

[The current task is fairly simple: catch some fish. The fisherman needs a specific type and told them the right spot to try at, and he's even given them a rod to use for the task. But it's still taking quite a while...perhaps because Frisk is a bit, um. Too intent?]

[They've been fishing for a few hours now, and with the rate they've been fishing up utter junk in this little quest they've gathered quite the pile next to them. Boots, scraps of cloth, somehow they've even gathered sandwiches and chunks of broken stone carvings. And no matter what the state of it, each item is inspected before being set into their collection.]

[neveroutwrenched]

[ Ratchet spots Frisk from quite a distance off. They seem to be very absorbed in their task. Diligent. And...successful? Maybe? It really depended on what they were trying to catch. ]

Catch anything good yet?

[ Ratchet gently nudges the pile of junk with his foot. ]

Buffy Summers | OTA

[theladylazarus]

[ OOC: I'm willing to do action tags as well as prose! ]

The Town

a) She doesn't want the Inn--she can get enough rest back at Avagi, and anyway she's not sure about the hygiene--but it couldn't hurt to restart her weapons collection. Or to be able to afford food, questionable cleanliness or no. Meaning she has to find a way to pay. Scavenging from abandoned houses isn't something she's unfamiliar with; once she figures out there are jewels just lying around, Buffy goes ahead and takes them.

b) Buffy looks at the selection. Crossbow, staff, sword. No good old-fashioned stakes. Guess they hadn't heard of vampires. Well, her Scythe had a stake and she could probably just cut off some wood and whittle one...though when it comes to picking out wood, she doesn't know a thing. Better to just stick to the Scythe for now. The wood had lasted thousands of years, after all.

"I'll take both," she says, setting the crossbow alongside the sword. It'll take most of what she's got, but she can just get food later. Who knows when she'll be able to get proper medieval weapons again.

The Wild

Buffy backflips onto a turtle bent on a headbutt, and then onto a ledge above it. During the time it attempts to turn for another attack, she takes a moment to appreciate the fact that she's in the air. And moving...she jumps onto one more still, right in front of a castle.

Okay. She could use more gems.

Sidequest

Tribute Day. Hmm. No one wants to be forthcoming about this, which bodes ill. Much boding. That and the hyper-focus. Buffy's not surprised when the favor she's asked to do for the info is fire-breathing flowers.

"So Little Shop of Horrors has to be real too," she grumbles. A flower spits a jet at her hair, singeing the tips as she dodges.

This garden will know pain.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Hit me up here or on plurk at alwaystraveling