methuselah (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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singillppl2024-08-07 09:42 pm
singmod) wrote in singillppl2024-08-07 09:42 pm
Entry tags:
August 2024 Test Drive Meme
AUGUST 2024 TDM
PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: Yet another new group of arrivals find themselves lost in the frozen wilds and vulnerable to the dangers of nature. With luck, they make it to the town of Milton, and to a friendly face offering food, warmth and shelter — not to mention the fact they are not the first to come here.
PROMPT TWO — TEA TIME: A mysterious stranger offers Interlopers some tea by her fire, with... unexpected results.
PROMPT THREE — YOU LYING NEXT TO ME: Thawing and quake activity in the Northern Territories make for a deadly mix, particularly with bodies of water.
ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST
WHEN: Mid-month.
WHERE: Milton, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential animal attacks, potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk.
'You are the Interloper. You are not part of nature’s design.'
It’s the last thing you hear. A dark, deep voice. Impossibly ancient. You feel afraid. Maybe you’re dreaming, maybe you’re wide awake. You saw the lights, and then your world went dark. But you hear it in the blackness, you won’t forget those words. You will later learn that these are the words of The Darkwalker, a malevolent being that exists in this world. It knows of your presence here, and you will be far worse off for it.
You awaken. You are not where you were before. It’s different for everyone, there doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern in where you find yourself. You may open your eyes to find yourself in a cold, dim and dank cabin. The air is stale, dust hangs in the rays of weak sunlight that shine through the tiny windows. Someone lived here once, but they aren’t to be found. You look around, it seems like no one has been here in several weeks, maybe longer. The fire is stone cold, the dishes in the sink are mouldy — it's possible the place has been ransacked, as if they've gone through the drawers and cupboards looking for something. It is quiet. The wood creaks around you. Or perhaps you may awaken to find yourself shivering in the yawning maw of a cave, the freezing stone below you. Or maybe you’re unfortunate enough to sit up to find yourself lying in the snow, in the middle of the wilderness. Snow lies thick around you. It’s freezing out. You haven’t felt a cold like this before in your entire life. Cruel and biting. You have no idea where you are, and what’s worse — you are completely alone.
You may feel different, too. Any powers or magics you may have feel... absent. Disconnected. Things that may not have affected you previously now do. Something in you has changed.
You know you can’t stay where you are. You’ll need to move, try to work out where you are and how you came to be here. So you walk, head out into the unknown, in hope of finding a trail or a road. Interlopers who arrive in the month of August will find that there is often disturbances and damage to the earth and roads — often similar to that found following quake activity. Care should be taken in finding your way.
Soon enough, you'll be able to find a path to town. A little more worse for wear, but alive. It’s here you may find someone else in the same boat as yourself, equally freezing and confused — battered from the journey. You’ll both need to keep going. It won’t be easy. You hear howls of wolves around you, and the terrain is difficult: slips and falls are likely. You’re completely vulnerable out here in the open.
Or it’s possible you may come across someone else here. Someone who looks far better prepared to deal with the freezing cold and frozen landscape, out hunting or gathering. They’ll likely offer help and get you into town. However, for the unlucky ones who don’t come across anyone, you’ll carry on until you smell it through the fog: the scent of smoke that seems to cling in the still air. Fire. Not just one, but several perhaps. Civilization...?
Follow it, and soon enough the way you’ve taken will certainly become a path or road. Unfolding before you in the foggy mountainous forests, you’ll see the most welcome of sights, even if it may appear a little eerie in the half-light gloom: a small mining town tucked up in the valley. Battered, rusted road signs will direct to “MILTON, POP. 947”. You’re almost there, you keep going, and it looks like other people have had the same idea as you. In fact, you’ll hear the muffled sounds of life. People! In the town!
As you head into the outskirts and then further into town, you’ll find it’s a little easier to walk but the cold has gripped you hard. You’ll find the buildings, both shops and homes, some are dark and lifeless, some of them are boarded up, some of them are occupied. People are going about their business, or stood watching from their tiny porches of their small, timber homes. For a town this big, there doesn’t seem to be many people. Several dozen at most, but no more. Some of them will direct you to the Community Hall, tell you to head there — you've been expected.
Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building where many people seem to gather: a community hall, by the looks of it. You’ll find more and more people all drawn to this place, each and every one of them in the same position as yourself (and your companion, if you’ve found one). Some are in worse states than others: some are bloodied, nursing bite wounds or cuts; others might have some other kind of injury sustained in the journey here from falls. Everyone looks as though they could faint from the cold at any second, damp and shivering.
The door opens, and you’re greeted by the gnarled, wizened face of an elderly man, dressed in thick furs. He has a kind face, but looks sad. He smiles warmly despite the sadness in him, and with pity, ushering you in with haste.
“As I suspected, another batch of poor souls from the wilds.” he nods gravely. No, this is not the first time that this has happened. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. The lights are changing things, bringing more of you here. Come, we must get you warm and fed. Mother Nature has not been kind.”
The room is dim, lit only by natural daylight through the windows. A roaring fire sits at one end of the huge hall. It crackles, bright and cheerful... and warm. Even as big as this place is, the room is pleasantly warm. You’ll also find basic cots set up down one side of the hall, and while it seems there's a few people already living here, there's enough space for those in need of them. There's places to rest for a moment and get your bearings, or just trying to recover from the cold.
Down the other side are tables and chairs, and long tables offering food, and drinks similar to one might find at a soup kitchen. Once again, Methuselah offers a feast, aided by some of the other Interlopers. Newcomers will hear from others of Feasts held before, but the offering this month are… somewhat meagre. Newcomers will hear from others of Feasts held before, but the offering this month are… somewhat meagre. There are canisters with hot herbal teas and perhaps a rare canister of coffee. Soup and stew are on offer, but little in the way of charred/grilled meats. What little game Interlopers already here have caught has been used wisely to stretch it further. There is grilled fish, however. That is the most plentiful, it seems. It’s very basic, but it’s hot and filling. A feast.
The old man has been busy. And Methuselah will continue to busy himself, still; there is plenty to do. He will fetch blankets, tend to wounds, serve food and drinks. He does not have much time to talk. More and more people seem to be coming in from the cold. He will not stop to sit and rest until everyone is seen to, taking up a place by the fire to gaze silently into its flames. He is very troubled, thoughtful. Much has been happening. The others from town will eventually trail in too, to eat and warm themselves, and search among the new faces.
He will encourage newcomers to get warm and eat, and when they are ready to — they can explore the town and find one of the many empty homes to call their own. He will not speak much. Methuselah seems exhausted. Life within the Northern Territories has been very difficult for all who dwell here. But perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.
TEA TIME
WHEN: Mid-month — end of the month.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: altered/magical drinks; loss of inhibitions; physical age changes; body horror/animal attributes; memory sharing; possible fourth-wall breaking; future visions;
It is incredibly rare to come across others in the Northern Territories, but certainly not unheard of. Even if the town of Milton had lost what seems to be its entire population before the arrival of Interlopers, there are still others native to this place out in the world. Young Bill and Methuselah are proof of that, as are the Forest Talkers — who have a tense relationship with the Interlopers, to put it lightly. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that there could be more.
The old woman appears to be one of them, wrapped in many layers of synthetic clothing and furs. You may come across her as she wanders through the world, or perhaps find her huddled around a campfire in the depths of the wilderness. If one were to hazard a guess, they’d assume she were some kind of nomad like Methuselah.
She’s friendly sort; that’s the first impression you make of her. It’s safe to conclude she isn’t with the Forest Talkers. She regards arrivals with wide eyes, beckoning Interlopers to come join her by the fire. Softly spoken, with a mumbling quiet voice. It might seem like she’s not all there, and seems harmless enough. Perhaps a little lonely. Who isn’t in this place? She is mostly curious about the Interlopers themselves and will be interested in hearing about them, asking them questions about their worlds and lives. She’s a very keen and attentive listener.
As conversation grows, she will boil some snow for water upon her fire. With all this talk, what better way than to add some tea to it? The weather is getting colder, too. Something hot will stave off the chill. Out of her rucksack, she will pull out a carved wooden box. It is something quite precious to her, and within it are several small metal tins. She will show it to the Interlopers, and inside there will be different blends of herbal tea. She will ask which of the teas you would like to drink.
The choice is yours, Interlopers. But drinking one of these teas will have… unexpected results.
BURDOCK TEA: An earthy and bittersweet tea, with a slightly nutty flavour. Drinking this tea will pull away any inhibitions and mental filters and make you more susceptible to speaking your mind and being more honest with those around you. Maybe you want to tell someone how much they suck, or maybe you want to confess your feelings to someone. Maybe you just really want to air out your grievances about your life or current situation. And they say alcohol will loosen tongues.
HERBAL TEA: This miscellaneous ‘herbal’ smells pretty fragrant, but you can’t quite tell what’s all in its blend. This tea will show you a random moment from your future. This might be something immediate within the Northern Territories, or it may be a moment of your future within your own world. The vision itself will only last for a few moments, and then fade into black.
ROSEHIP TEA: A sweet and floral tea with a tangy aftertaste. This tea will show you a moment of your past, replaying it out before you as if you are watching it like one watches a movie. It may be a happier time, a fond memory of sorts. Or perhaps it will be your worst memory ever: a failing, a wrong decision, a difficult or upsetting time in your life. What’s more, is that anyone drinking this very same tea with you will also experience this moment with you.
REISHI TEA: A bitter tea with a woody flavour. This tea will change your appearance physically in some way. It may be something small like changing your eye or hair colour. It may go even more extreme and temporarily give you some kind of animal features: ears, scaly skin or a tail.
BIRCH BARK TEA: A pleasant wintergreen drink that tastes faintly like rootbeer. Drinking this tea will change your physical age. You may revert to a younger version of yourself, or become an older version of yourself.
Once drinking the tea, you will find yourself alone. The fire is almost embers beside you. You will find that you will never come across the old woman again, no matter how hard you try to find her.
YOU LYING NEXT TO ME
WHEN: The month of August.
WHERE: Everywhere. And specifically: Milton Basin, ponds around Milton Outskirts; Lakeside Lake, misc. Water sources.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk; potential partial nudity.
There has been an instability in the earth as of late. Interlopers have been made aware of the fact that the Northern Territories have been victim to quakes in the past. But lately, there has been new seismic activity, which has not helped matters. In Lakeside, it is certainly more obvious to see: sections of the railway track that run through the area have buckled, roads are damaged and undrivable and the bridge that leads out towards the coast has crumbled away.
But the damage extends beyond the roads and railway tracks, something which Interlopers will, unfortunately, discover as they go out travelling or exploring the world.
It is hard to tell which part of the ground will give way, it often happens without warning. Interlopers will simply be out walking and the ground will suddenly collapse from beneath them into small pits and ravines. They’re easy enough to climb out of for the most part, but Interlopers are in danger of sprains and even broken bones if they don’t land right. But they may end up being completely submerged in the snow, leaving them not too worse for wear but very cold. They’ll certainly need to be dug out, and hopefully, they’re not left for too long, either. Hopefully some kind-hearted stranger may find them.
The most dangerous of all are the frozen lakes, ponds and streams. It feels like the Northern Territories have been a place of endless winter. The snow has never left, and the thick ice of almost all water sources remains. While certain smaller bodies of water have thawed enough for Interlopers to fish, most have remained in a permanent state of frozen solidity. Interlopers have been free to walk across the ice untroubled. But the quakes have… endangered the solidity of what seemed to be unmeltable ice.
What was once a rare safe bet will become no more. Unsuspecting Interlopers travelling or exploring these ‘frozen’ waters may find themselves in for a nasty surprise. Without warning, the ice will creak and groan beneath their feet — the sound echoing, a strange kind of sharp snap. Then, with a groan, the ice will give way: plummeting whichever poor soul stands upon it down into the frigid waters below.
Such cold water is dangerous no matter the depth, but some will be much luckier than others. Some of the smaller ponds within the Northern Territories will only reach waist or chest height, but the much deeper bodies of water like the Basin and Lakeside Lake will prove far deadlier. Getting victims out of the waters is half the battle, trying to do so risks yourself. Many may find themselves falling in with their companions — and although a way out can be achieved, the harder part is warmth.
Getting the poor souls who fall victim to falling into the water or trapped in the snow indoors and close to a fire is a good start. Building a fire takes time, though. It could be a while before a roaring fire is going. So alternate plans might need to be put into action. Let’s hope there are some dry blankets nearby, and it’d be a good idea to get out of any soaked clothes before they freeze on a person.
They do say that sharing body heat is also a good way of heating up a person who’s suffering from the cold. Hypothermia is deadly, after all. Skin-on-skin contact works best, wrapped up in blankets. Who has time for getting awkward about it? Getting cosy might just save someone’s life.
FAQs
1. Arrival threads can be treated as game canon.
2. Items characters have brought from home can be found either strewn around them when they awaken, or in the community hall — as if someone left them out for them to collect. Methuselah will not know how they got there, and will be quite bemused by the happenings.
3. Reminder that all characters are now depowered upon arrival. They can choose not to notice it at first, or can immediately sense something is different about them.
4. If asked any personal questions, Methuselah will smile and say "Oh, you don't want to know about an old man like me. But I have lived all over in these parts for all my life." He will be more concerned with trying to help Newcomers, and is genuinely concerned for them and their well-being. Other Interlopers will say much of the same — there's little to know about him.
5. More information about Milton can be found here.
1. The effects of the Burdock, Reishi and Birch Bark teas will last for 24 hours.
2. Physical changes to characters (ie. getting animal ears) will be purely aesthetic.
1. For those down in the Basin, there is a small hut/shack with a fireplace that Interlopers can use for refuge to warm up. Shelter in other places isn't too far off. Best get warmed up quickly!
2. Interlopers already in-game with the Cold Fusion Feat won't be susceptible to cold damage/hypothermia if they fall into the waters but will also not be able to warm up their fellow Interlopers who end up taking an icy plunge.
3. Interlopers already in-game with the Lightbringer or Moon Touched Feats will be hugely beneficial/vital in warming up their fellow Interlopers who fall into the waters.
no subject
She is not explaining fanfiction to a guy from who knows how far in the past. That is a big nope. ]
It's... complicated. Until recently, people would randomly show up here every two months like clockwork. [ With another grimace, she gives a quick glance up at him before focusing on the ground again. ] We've had unrelated incidents resulting in a lot of bodies, though. There's a... a thing here that's... playing with us.
no subject
Where he comes from, there are dragons. Where he comes from, there are nightmares and stories they tell children to frighten them into staying in their beds. Grumpkins and snarks. And then there are the colder things, the ones he hasn't met yet. The ones he'd be meeting soon. Things made of teeth and ice.
He studies her profile sharply, staggering step after staggering step, silent for a handful of considering seconds. )
Have you just decided to stop making any fucking sense at all, or what?
( Because being a sarcastic fucking twat is easier than acknowledging that dread. )
no subject
And his mercurial attitude doesn't rattle her in the slightest. Perhaps if they weren't trapped here with some otherworldly monster picking them off, she might be annoyed at something in his mannerisms, but if anything, he keeps reminding her in small ways of Logan, and she finds herself grasping at those fleeting wisps of associated memory. ]
A lot of things won't make sense at first. Honestly, the next few days are going to be some of the hardest of your life. [ She thinks about that for just a moment before adding ] Well, unless your life before this was really messed up, in which case, this all might be a walk in the park for you.
Except for the Darkwalker. [ Looking up at him again, her expression is nothing short of deadly serious. ] You heard it, right? When you woke up here. It called you Interloper.
no subject
Wouldn't count on it.
The laughter dies quickly. Immediately, even, because when she says the word Interloper, he can hear it again. In his mind, the memory sharp and clear even as it fades at the edges, even as it's framed by darkness. The voice, as cold as the weather around them. You are not part of nature’s design.
Tell him something he doesn't already fucking know, would you, mysterious eldritch voice?
But this isn't a joke, and he doesn't see fit to make one now. His silence is more telling than any other answer would be. He heard it. )
Which cunt decided to name it Darkwalker?
no subject
No idea. There's a lot we're still trying to figure out about it and about this place. [ She lets out another heavy sigh that shows no sign of warm breath. It was unsettling for her in those first few days, but now she's used to it. Mostly. Enough to carry on with information he hadn't asked for because suddenly she wants nothing more than to warn him as best she can so he can be prepared to deal with what's ahead. ] The people in town, everyone but the old man, we all arrived after something happened. I wasn't around until later, but the first group found bodies. A lot of bodies. No one in town was left alive, and I think it was the Darkwalker that did it.
[ There wasn't any proof to back up her theory, of course. No reports described bodies like the ones left behind after the Darkwalker's attacks, but after what happened recently with people turning on each other... Whatever it is, Milton's boogieman has a hell of a lot of power none of them understand. Yet. ]
no subject
Well, except for his brother, but that fucker's hollow on the inside and breeds enough unhappiness in his wake that he hardly counts.
That she doesn't puff foggy air on her breaths hasn't occurred to him yet. Something itches at his mind, the sight and sensation something he can't put his finger on — the way she radiates no heat under his arm, the way she doesn't fog the air. Details too subtle to stand out, but significant enough for his mind to register as wrong. Mayhaps it'll come to him later. )
What's this Darkwalker supposed to be? Man? Animal? Have you tried cleaving it off at the neck? Tends to solve most problems.
no subject
None of us have been able to get close enough. [ The words come out tight, with heavy frustration and a lingering hint of fear threading through every syllable. ] When it comes, there's... I've faced monsters and plenty of terrifying situations. I never run from a fight. But the Darkwalker makes you run. You run, and you hide, and you hope it's not coming for you.
[ She'd wanted to go out into the green-tinted darkness that first night she'd felt it. Wanted to rush to wherever it was enacting its cruelty upon her fellow prisoners. Even now, just remembering how she'd been unable to do anything more than cower in a closet makes her feel shame and guilt for not being stronger than this monstrous otherworldly entity.
In the near distance, tendrils of smoke rise into the sky from the handful of buildings sheltering the Interlopers. There will be more when people return to their claimed homes, but with a feast on, most will be congregating in the Community Hall, waiting for the first glimpse of their unlucky new companions. ]
no subject
If he knows nothing else about her so far, he knows that she — wisp of a thing she is, slender slip of a girl maybe five and a half feet tall, all on her own out in these woods — approached a man who looks like him. Talks like him. Acts like him. Gnarly fucking face and uglier attitude. He didn't see her bat a single fucking eyelash about it, nor about stuffing herself up under his bloodstained armor to half-cart his lame ass across a mile of snow. Not the type to scare easy.
So he hums instead, a thoughtful noise, and then turns his eyes back toward the wisps of smoke and civilization edging into view before them.
The Darkwalker makes you run. )
S'pose we'll see about that.
( Which is, quite frankly, the kindest possible retort anybody could've gotten from him about it all, and no small feat to have accomplished. Not that she'll have any way of knowing that.
Anyway, either it'll bleed or he will, when the time comes. He won't pretend to know enough to place a bet on which. And, when finally she deposits his half-crippled hulking form into town, he makes a silent, unhappy note that he owes her one, now. A debt he'll have to find a way to pay back, the sooner the better. )
your sandor is amazing. i really hope you decide to app!
He doesn't question her, though. Maybe she'll ask him about it one day, but for now, she simply appreciates not having to expend the energy to defend herself, or even just repress the urge to do so. Instead, she can focus on ensuring they get to town in one fairly non-frozen piece, despite their slow progress. But she doesn't insist that he stop and rest, no matter how pronounced his staggering steps are becoming; she trusts him to say if he needs a break like he did before.
As they finally reach the edge of Milton, she offers him some directional pointers, having no idea how much of the modern town structure he'll recognize from wherever his home is. ]
Once we hit Main Street, it's a straight shot to the Community Hall. You can stay there until you get your bearings if you want — most people do, at the start. It helps to feel like you're not the only one whose world has been turned upside down.
oh man, thank you so much!! and thanks for the wonderful thread! C:
The town's bizarre, the architecture unfamiliar, but it's still a town. Houses are still houses. Streets are streets. Community Hall might not be what they call it where he comes from, but he's got two brain cells to rub together enough that the context clues will do him just fine.
Whether he fancies it or not, he'll be staying there. The alternative is freezing his cock off in this bloody stupid weather, and frankly, he'd rather cuddle with the bloody Darkwalker than spend another minute out in it if he doesn't have to. At least until he's got the clothes for it.
They break apart, and he surveys her one last time. This would be where a polite man would thank her, where any other reasonable human being would express gratitude or at the very least, ask her for her fucking name.
Instead, he says: )
Try not to end up a corpse.
( And then turns, and promptly fucks off. )