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I WILL NEVER FADE.
WHO: Everyone in game.
WHAT: The second half of our first event, plus a new area to explore.
WHERE: Anywhere in the world core and, where relevant, the ruins.
WHEN: After the escape rooms.
NOTES: Expect surreal horror and possible violence. Please use common sense when warning for other content.
WHAT: The second half of our first event, plus a new area to explore.
WHERE: Anywhere in the world core and, where relevant, the ruins.
WHEN: After the escape rooms.
NOTES: Expect surreal horror and possible violence. Please use common sense when warning for other content.
Image by Interstellar
THOUGH I WILL DISAPPEAR.
So you escaped... Or maybe not. Or maybe you just got here. Either way, no matter where you are, there comes a time when you inexplicably feel something shift. Nearby mirrors heal any cracks and turn into liquid silver at your feet. But the silver doesn't flee from you this time; instead, it stretches in every direction. The entire floor becomes a mirror, with you (and anyone else) at its center.
It doesn't reflect whatever's above you, however. Instead, it shows you a sky, based on your current or last location; sunsiders will see a perfect blue sky with white clouds, while moonsiders see a flawless starry night. Even if you can't see it, you can feel it, like you can feel it slide through a time-lapse day-night cycle as the walls around you dissolve. Because, you realize, this isn't just a pretty reflection. It's a memory. Not yours, but a memory of something that once existed in the very place you stand.
And then, surrounded by sky on all sides, the memory becomes real.
For a moment, everything is eerily still...and then the faux sun and moon appear overhead. Time bends, speeding up in eddies around you, while you yourself seem to slow. The sun and moon spiral around each other, like warped reflections, before they collide and burst into bands of light.
The sky above and below fractures like glass. It reminds you, perhaps, of how many mirrors you have (or haven't) broken. The world collapses into darkness and you see an abyss so vast it loses its depth, with only a luminous halo to give it form. It's somehow visible whether your eyes are open or closed (or if you don't have them at all), like an afterimage seared into memory. It's unlike anything you've seen that emits light. In fact, it might devour it.
You can no longer see the mirror beneath your feet, but you feel it buck and crumble, violently rearranging itself into a new form. It casts you into space and you hang there for an instant, weightless.
And then you fall.
It doesn't reflect whatever's above you, however. Instead, it shows you a sky, based on your current or last location; sunsiders will see a perfect blue sky with white clouds, while moonsiders see a flawless starry night. Even if you can't see it, you can feel it, like you can feel it slide through a time-lapse day-night cycle as the walls around you dissolve. Because, you realize, this isn't just a pretty reflection. It's a memory. Not yours, but a memory of something that once existed in the very place you stand.
And then, surrounded by sky on all sides, the memory becomes real.
For a moment, everything is eerily still...and then the faux sun and moon appear overhead. Time bends, speeding up in eddies around you, while you yourself seem to slow. The sun and moon spiral around each other, like warped reflections, before they collide and burst into bands of light.
The sky above and below fractures like glass. It reminds you, perhaps, of how many mirrors you have (or haven't) broken. The world collapses into darkness and you see an abyss so vast it loses its depth, with only a luminous halo to give it form. It's somehow visible whether your eyes are open or closed (or if you don't have them at all), like an afterimage seared into memory. It's unlike anything you've seen that emits light. In fact, it might devour it.
You can no longer see the mirror beneath your feet, but you feel it buck and crumble, violently rearranging itself into a new form. It casts you into space and you hang there for an instant, weightless.
And then you fall.
AND JOIN THE STREET PARADE.
As you fall, a voice crackles in the dark. It might take you a moment (or much longer, given how distorted it is) before you realize it's your own, projected through a radio. It runs through basic greetings and stock phrases, before it's suddenly interrupted by the crunch of something beneath your feet.
You don't remember ever landing. But if you reach down, you'll find a thin layer of ice, fracturing under your weight. It becomes more visible by the second, as the darkness fades away. Somewhere, your voice says, "Thank you."
The rotting dimensions, along with the sun and moon, are gone. Instead, everyone will find themselves in the same place, under a massive blot in the sky. It looks more like a perfect circle of spilled ink than anything dimensional; it seems to absorb light instead of casting it, similar to the abyss you saw. Yet somehow it gives the illusion of twilight as the storm finally calms, like a giant returning to its slumber. The ground stops rumbling. Buildings slow their decaying ascent as the blot inches its way across the mimicry of a sky, like it belongs there. Given enough time, it rises and sets, though the crepuscular lighting never seems to change.
The flooded buildings are covered with a thin layer of ice, no matter the temperature indoors. It warms up outdoors, but it's snowing at a steady, almost peaceful pace; large flakes drift one way and then another, like a child's snow globe. They cover the ground in a thick blanket, unbroken besides whatever paths you trail through it.
The shadows, unfathomable as always, leave no footsteps.
You don't remember ever landing. But if you reach down, you'll find a thin layer of ice, fracturing under your weight. It becomes more visible by the second, as the darkness fades away. Somewhere, your voice says, "Thank you."
The rotting dimensions, along with the sun and moon, are gone. Instead, everyone will find themselves in the same place, under a massive blot in the sky. It looks more like a perfect circle of spilled ink than anything dimensional; it seems to absorb light instead of casting it, similar to the abyss you saw. Yet somehow it gives the illusion of twilight as the storm finally calms, like a giant returning to its slumber. The ground stops rumbling. Buildings slow their decaying ascent as the blot inches its way across the mimicry of a sky, like it belongs there. Given enough time, it rises and sets, though the crepuscular lighting never seems to change.
The flooded buildings are covered with a thin layer of ice, no matter the temperature indoors. It warms up outdoors, but it's snowing at a steady, almost peaceful pace; large flakes drift one way and then another, like a child's snow globe. They cover the ground in a thick blanket, unbroken besides whatever paths you trail through it.
The shadows, unfathomable as always, leave no footsteps.
HALF SICK OF SHADOWS.
The shadows' strange behavior gets stranger once the earthquakes cease. Instead of aimlessly wandering around, they sometimes gather at the thresholds that keep them outdoors, twitching and contorting as they sway rooted to the spot. And it's clear, once you draw near: They're waiting for you.
They swivel as one, bodies distorted, and slither-walk-climb towards you. They reach out with hooks and arms and claws, beckoning with an inexorable determination.
They won't attack when in this state; they just pursue. Contact seems to be the name of the game, which doesn't seem like the greatest plan when a glancing touch burns like ice. But stand still long enough and one of them will try to attach itself to you, as if it could melt into your flesh.
It's painful. And, well, experimenting with this could very well give you frostbite.
Longer term contact gives the impression of longing and a vast universe, as if something always lies just beyond the horizon. Like a thousand tiny synapses, you feel how small you are, lost in a sea so much bigger than yourself. It lasts only until you shake the shadow off.
As soon as you divest yourself of the shadow, it steals your silhouette for a handful of seconds, before dissolving. Afterwards, it feels like you can't stop seeing little flickers of movement out of the corner of your eyes. It may last for hours. If you're really unfortunate, they last for days.
They swivel as one, bodies distorted, and slither-walk-climb towards you. They reach out with hooks and arms and claws, beckoning with an inexorable determination.
They won't attack when in this state; they just pursue. Contact seems to be the name of the game, which doesn't seem like the greatest plan when a glancing touch burns like ice. But stand still long enough and one of them will try to attach itself to you, as if it could melt into your flesh.
It's painful. And, well, experimenting with this could very well give you frostbite.
Longer term contact gives the impression of longing and a vast universe, as if something always lies just beyond the horizon. Like a thousand tiny synapses, you feel how small you are, lost in a sea so much bigger than yourself. It lasts only until you shake the shadow off.
As soon as you divest yourself of the shadow, it steals your silhouette for a handful of seconds, before dissolving. Afterwards, it feels like you can't stop seeing little flickers of movement out of the corner of your eyes. It may last for hours. If you're really unfortunate, they last for days.
COME ALL YE.
With the world's impromptu upheaval, there are new stairwells in the core. They're striking because of one feature and one feature alone: There is moss growing on them. They're the first sign of something else truly alive in this world, something that isn't alien to it.
Stepping foot inside makes the ground eat up the exit behind you, swallowing you down and guiding you through a long descent...or ascent. If you're lucky, it transitions to a level hall; if not, well, you have your work cut out for you. It isn't a short walkâroughly around an hour, though it might seem longer or shorter, depending on your company.
Regardless of whether you enter the stairwells with someone else or alone, navigating them is a tricky business. Sometimes, the paths fork off in different directions. If your friend (however loosely you may use the word) gets too far ahead of you, it's possible the maze will warp and split you up completely. On the other hand, you never know when you'll round a corner right into someone else.
Unlike the halls, which are largely clear of debris, there's old detritus all along the floor. Some of it's garbage like dirty plastic wrappers and bottles, while other times there are bones. They crumble to dust at a touch.
There are other artifacts, increasingly archaic. It's like stepping through time, as if you were digging through the earth to find things that died before you. If you look closely at the walls, you might even think there are fossils embedded in them.
Stepping foot inside makes the ground eat up the exit behind you, swallowing you down and guiding you through a long descent...or ascent. If you're lucky, it transitions to a level hall; if not, well, you have your work cut out for you. It isn't a short walkâroughly around an hour, though it might seem longer or shorter, depending on your company.
Regardless of whether you enter the stairwells with someone else or alone, navigating them is a tricky business. Sometimes, the paths fork off in different directions. If your friend (however loosely you may use the word) gets too far ahead of you, it's possible the maze will warp and split you up completely. On the other hand, you never know when you'll round a corner right into someone else.
Unlike the halls, which are largely clear of debris, there's old detritus all along the floor. Some of it's garbage like dirty plastic wrappers and bottles, while other times there are bones. They crumble to dust at a touch.
There are other artifacts, increasingly archaic. It's like stepping through time, as if you were digging through the earth to find things that died before you. If you look closely at the walls, you might even think there are fossils embedded in them.
HAVING AN AVERAGE WEEKEND.
Once you finally step out of the ancient labyrinth, you'll find yourself in a brand new location, jarringly green and wild, ancient and strange, new and beautiful. You've found the ruins.
While it might seem smaller than the core, it's impossible to get a sense of scale. The world starts to look flat when so much of it's the same colors. It's difficult to see far in most locations, with the way trees knit themselves over the landscape. It feels vitally alive, however, if oddly still. It's also quiet, with the sounds of life muffled by vegetation.
Animals roam the ruins, but they're elusive; those you do encounter are aggressive or fearful towards humans. Mammals and invertebrates are common, while amphibians are uncommon; reptiles are rare, and birds even rarer. Anything larger than a medium-sized dog is an unusual sight, especially within the ruins themselves.
You may notice some strange markings and carvings, all in an unknown script. No translation magic will work on them. The strange little messages are rare, but if your eyes slide across something just right, they might find something carved, painted, smeared, or scratched into a random surface.
Radios function well in this area, despite the plant matter usually creating interference. They tend to turn on even when you're not using them, though they don't play any sound without your help. Instead, it's possible to hear the soft hiss of white noise across the ruins.
Notably, there is currently no day-night cycle, but it does sometimes get brighter or darker. This doesn't seem to follow a set clock, however, and whether it's influenced by the rising or setting of a sun at all is unknown.
While it might seem smaller than the core, it's impossible to get a sense of scale. The world starts to look flat when so much of it's the same colors. It's difficult to see far in most locations, with the way trees knit themselves over the landscape. It feels vitally alive, however, if oddly still. It's also quiet, with the sounds of life muffled by vegetation.
Animals roam the ruins, but they're elusive; those you do encounter are aggressive or fearful towards humans. Mammals and invertebrates are common, while amphibians are uncommon; reptiles are rare, and birds even rarer. Anything larger than a medium-sized dog is an unusual sight, especially within the ruins themselves.
You may notice some strange markings and carvings, all in an unknown script. No translation magic will work on them. The strange little messages are rare, but if your eyes slide across something just right, they might find something carved, painted, smeared, or scratched into a random surface.
Radios function well in this area, despite the plant matter usually creating interference. They tend to turn on even when you're not using them, though they don't play any sound without your help. Instead, it's possible to hear the soft hiss of white noise across the ruins.
Notably, there is currently no day-night cycle, but it does sometimes get brighter or darker. This doesn't seem to follow a set clock, however, and whether it's influenced by the rising or setting of a sun at all is unknown.
PAST AND FUTURE RUINS.
Welcome to the ruins! Some quick things to remember:
- The archive is OOC knowledge only; characters need to ICly learn info through trial and error. Or gossip.
- It's impossible to see the sky overhead, but sunlight does make it down somehow.
- All plant life, including those in the archive, glow if an area is dark enough.
- All flora and fauna, including those in the archive, bleed black. Many of them may also smell of rot.
- Attempting to remove a living organism from the ruins will kill it. Removing anything with special properties will nullify those properties, unless they're treated (boiled, cooked, etc) first.
- You can handwave something's existence if it's generic, not permanent or recurring, and won't interfere with other players' fun (e.g., random fruit trees, nondescript rodents, general weather).
( RUINS: EXPLORATION | ARCHIVE )
ii.
[The arrow skitters away, and Ellie looks up, finally no longer flashblinded.]
[Holy shit. A kid her age.]
[She's still got another arrow cocked and ready, but... she lowers the bow. Trying to make a joke a little nervously, she says in English,] Wow, uh. Gotta watch where you're pointing those things, right?
no subject
But it's no surprise she might be cautious, especially being here, and especially as he realizes she seems about his age. Definitely reasonable. As long as she doesn't shoot at him again, no hard feelings.
Though... Give him a moment to parse that comment. He understands English better written than spoken, but he does get the gist, and now the hard part: responding]
Ah, I'm sorry.
[At least apologizing is one of the first things you learn in a language and one of the things that stays with you the most, right? Useful. His accent isn't horrible but it's not great either, so it's probably obvious English isn't his first language.
He hesitates another few moments before continuing--]
Do you know where we are?
no subject
[Unluckily for her companion, Ellie speaks a very colloquial form of... everything. She's also ignorant enough of the wider world to assume his accent is a regional accent, rather than the telltale sign of speaking a second language. The apocalypse, kids: just say no.]
[Anyway, Ellie talks fast and her words are mushy with a distinctly American accent, G's occasionally clipped and words squashed together.]
I was trying to get back for more supplies. You seen the other place yet? It's fucking beautiful.
[She's also just. Really excited to see someone her age. Ellie is so so tired of people older than her. And they all are.]
no subject
He's reasonably confident she's not going to shoot another arrow at him so he lowers his hands again, aiming the flashlight beam politely off to the side.]
What other place?
[He hasn't seen anywhere that could be described as beautiful, unless she's counting the snow or the weird indoor ice.]
no subject
[Please be her friend...]
[She has no clue who this person is, what their goals are, what they think, but she's never been betrayed by a kid her age. Bullied, sure, but none have ever tried to eat her.]
[...Okay, that's not technically true, but not the point.]
C'mon, lemme show you! It's all green and shit. It doesn't look like a hundred good places to get murdered by angry ghosts. There are animals and shit. I wanted to find a good place to boil water, but I didn't bring any pots or pans...
[She is definitely rambling because did we mention she's excited about a kid her age? Maaaaybe.]
Oh, and I'm Ellie. What's your name?
no subject
She's still talking a little too fast and colloquially for him, but he's getting the important words in there. Most of them, anyway. Something about green and water, and that she'll show him where it is, and he's nodding in agreement before oh, an introduction. That's something he knows very well, and so he's able to politely respond--]
It's nice to meet you, Ellie.
[It's always a little awkward to use someone's first name, but that's how Americans are, and so he gives his in turn.]
My name is Koushirou.
no subject
[She turns another corner, but before she does, she stops, edges slowly around the corner, bow drawn and ready. Seeing no threat, she drops the bow, but the arrow stays notched, if not drawn.]
Sorry. This place's fulla weird shit.
no subject
The hangman part means nothing to him but he gets the rest of it, though the immediate question has to wait while they round the corner. He stops when she does, turning off his flashlight and staying close to the wall as she edges around the corner, but it seems the coast is clear for now and that adds another question.
He decides to ask that one first and hold off on his previous one; normally he'd just ramble them all off at once, but having to think about the words to use makes that more difficult. Give him a second to get the right vocabulary--or at least something that works--in order mentally.]
I saw shadows. Are there other dangers?
[He presumes so, since he doubts she'd be trying to shoot a shadow with an arrow, but who knows.]
no subject
[Because that's her first thought. It's always her first thought.]
They're stupid, though. They dunno how to survive. That'll get you killed faster'n any monster.
[Deciding the next corridor is safe, she nods and keeps walking, bow ready but undrawn.]
no subject
Or well, worry about them being a threat anyway, as apparently they do need to worry about them surviving. Though surely they can learn, right? The basics are pretty easy; a bunch of elementary schoolers in another dimension figured it out, and if it's a ton of adults here, they should be fine. Presumably.
He follows cautiously after her, deciding to keep watch behind them since she's handling the direction they're going, but it seems safe enough to ask quietly--]
How many people are here?
[Figuring out how to keep a lot of people alive in a survival situation is a lot more difficult than a few, after all.]
no subject
That's the only way I been able to keep track, and I don't even know if everybody here has one, but... it's all I got. I tried to figure out who they all linked up to. 'Dad jokes' is me. [She stares at it a moment. Her previous count is off.] Hey, there's a new one. Is that you?
no subject
He takes it when offered, quickly reading over the list, relieved that it's in a language he can parse
even if some of the user names make no sense. He makes mental note of the number of registered users and which of the handles is Ellie's, before affirming her question by pointing out a name.]This is mine.
[He points out the one labelled IZZY--weird, but okay, and compared to others he got off easy--before using his free hand to pull the iphone 6 he'd found from his pocket; the case is still hideous and makes him a little hungry whenever he looks at it, but the real issue here is that as he presses and holds the power button the phone just flashes a sad battery image before going black.]
No power.
[It had turned on long enough to load the network and for him to see his username, but alas. Otherwise he'd have explored all the network options by now.]
no subject
[She doesn't exactly assume he's from a shithole world like hers, but why should he have a stronger understanding of technology than her? Nevermind the fact that hers is incredibly weak; it's normal in her world, where nothing fucking works anyway.]
[They turn another corner, and Ellie does the same dance, bow at the ready until it's obvious the coast is clear.]
I really ought'a figure out if there's a way to make a shortcut. Like with chalk or rope or something, y'know?
no subject
[He knows how charging works, of course, but not exactly how to charge this device. He's never seen a lightning cable port before, after all.
Koushirou again follows her lead on the caution as they round the corner, still not exactly sure what threats there might be but trusting that Ellie knows what she's doing. She seems like she does.
At the suggestion of a way to mark the paths, he has an immediate preference--]
Rope is better.
[And give him just a moment to remember the right words to use in explaining why.]
This place moves, physically. Something connected is more likely to stay.
[And if not, it's less likely to lead the wrong direction, rather than just disappearing or being cut or something.]
no subject
[As they walk, the moss and plants clinging to life along the wall become greener, healthier, and the light improves. ]
We might be close to the end of the tunnel...
no subject
But for now he's distracted by the changes in the tunnel, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the moss and plants, because as tempting as it is he doesn't actually know if they might be poisonous or something. You never know in other weird worlds.]
You said that it's... Green? At the end of the tunnel?
[He presumes it's covered in plants by that descriptor and the change of the tunnel, but more info never hurts.]
no subject
[Ellie nods eagerly, happy to be in a place with resources. The grey cityscape had those as well, but far less plentiful or easily found. She'd noticed how much trouble some people seemed to have with scavenging supplies, and had been preparing for the worst.] Kinda fucked up, but you can find stuff to eat. Just be careful.
no subject
Still, although he's sure he can probably figure it out, he's certainly not going to waste the opportunity to ask--]
Could you show me what you know is safe or dangerous?
[So it's not as much of an educated guessing game as it might otherwise be.]