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singillppl2024-02-05 02:31 pm
singmod) wrote in singillppl2024-02-05 02:31 pm
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February 2024 Test Drive Meme
FEBRUARY 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 — OF FAIR FORTUNE: After spell of bad luck, finally, the Interlopers find A Very Good (albeit slightly spooky) Boy.
PROMPT THREE — BAD PICKINGS: An error is made when foraging for mushrooms that have been altered by the Aurora makes for some interesting situations for the Interlopers.
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 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 during the month of February will find themselves especially likely of falling foul to accidental injuries and the like. It's as if the bad luck of finding yourself in this place only gets much worse. Maybe you get yourself horrendously more lost than you mean to, maybe you end up with a sprained wrist or ankle after a fall, torn clothing from fighting through the thicker parts of the wilderness.
But 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 see it: the lazy trail of smoke rising in the air. Fire. Not just one, but several. Civilization...?
Follow it, and soon enough the way you’ve taken will certainly become a path or road. Unfolding before you in the mountainous forests, you’ll see the most welcome of sights: 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.
There is a sombre mood to the town. Although you can't quite place why, maybe you should ask?
Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building from which the biggest of the smoke trail rises: 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. Others may look as if they could faint from the cold at any second.
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.
“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 laden with food, drinks and bottled water similar to one might find at a soup kitchen. Once again, Methuselah offers a feast, aided by some of the other Interlopers.
There are canisters with hot herbal teas and perhaps a rare canister of coffee, along with soup and stew and trays of charred deer and rabbit meats, plus some grilled fish, instant mashed potatoes, and tinned vegetables. 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, his mood is... low, mournful. but perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.
This time, if he is approached, particularly by those who have been in Milton for some time, he will frown in thought. He is… considering something. Finally, he will speak:
“I had hoped that the secret cache I and your fellow Newcomers had found two months past would be enough until the spring comes.” He hesitates for a moment, his gaze moving to one of the many windows of the Community Hall. “If she ever arrives, that is.”
He doesn’t believe it will.
“More and more of you come. Life will continue to get harder with the numbers rising.” Methuselah explains. “Milton is but one town, and the way out to the south is blocked.”
He means the road out — the one that follows out of town, past the gas station and through the mountains. The tunneled road ends there, caved in with snow and stone. There is no way out that way. Methuselah is quiet for a few moments.
“... There must be another way out. For all of our sakes. It must be found."
OF FAIR FORTUNE
WHEN: The month of February.
WHERE: Milton Outskirts, Milton area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: otherworldly animal;
The Interlopers have discovered that it is not best to trust the canines in this world. The wolves and volatile, aggressive — prone to attacking the town, people. There has even been an instance of a dog leading Interlopers off the beaten track some months ago, into trips and falls and all sorts of mischief. To come across any sort of dog these days would draw suspicion, perhaps even aggression from Interlopers.
And certainly, coming across this particular dog is enough to turn plenty around and start heading in the opposite direction.
There is something…. Otherworldly about this dog. In terms of breed, one might recognise it to look a great deal like an Old English Sheepdog — but far bigger and hardier. It almost looks as if moss and vines are matted in its long fur, which seems ridiculous — but it’s true enough. The dog does not bark, but instead will stop and look at you silently when you come across one another. If approached, it will not run off, but it does not want to be petted and prefers to keep a respectable distance between you and it.
Then, it will turn to look in one direction and begin heading that way. It looks as if it wants to take you somewhere, but it won’t run off for you to catch up. It keeps to your side, silent and steady as you head through the snow, the woods. Wherever you’re going, there seems to be no rush in getting there.
It’s a little unnerving: where did this dog come from? Why does it look so… strange? Where is it going? Where is it taking you? But even with these questions, it doesn’t seem like you’ll find much in terms of answers, not at first.
Soon enough, you’ll find it. It’s different for everyone, but it seems like it all has some recurring theme. Perhaps out in the cold wilds of the Northern Territories, you’re in desperate need of shelter or warmth — you and the dog will find yourselves facing an abandoned cabin, a place of safety from the cold, perhaps with warmer clothing within. Or perhaps the dog may lead you to some secret stash: a metal cache half-hidden in the snow, a small stone cairn — with vital loot hidden within: matches, flares, maybe even food. It may even lead you to foragable foods: mushrooms, berries or of the like — all safe to consume.
Whatever the strange dog leads you to, it is a fortune. A small one, but a fortune nonetheless. It seems as if it wanted to bring you to something to aid you in your time here. Upon finding whatever it is the dog leads you to, the dog disappears — never to be seen again.
BAD PICKINGS
WHEN: Mid-month onwards for a few weeks.
WHERE: The entirety of the Milton area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: altered food/foraged foods; drugs/hallucinogens / negative hallucinogenic trips; severely altered/warped moods; temporary amnesia; personality switches; loss of senses
The Northern Territories may be harsh, difficult conditions to survive in, but certainly not impossible. There is an abundance of wildlife, hardy enough to withstand the weather — even in the extreme, unpredictable times such as these. Foraging will soon come to be a staple for those stuck here in this world, and is just as important as hunting down any deer or rabbit. Flora is not only useful in terms of sustenance, but in its use in medicines and tinctures.
Mushrooms can be found here and there in particular areas: taking advantage of the wet, rotten wood of downed trees, or nestled in the sheltered undergrowth of the more densely wooded areas where it’s a little more suitable for fungi to grow. But not even the flora of this world is safe following the recent Auroras. The world is changing, and for the next few weeks — foraged mushrooms will have some… interesting effects, when consumed.
Interlopers that come across these mushrooms in the wilds will find themselves compelled to pick and eat these mushrooms right away. They're perfectly fine to eat raw, just more enjoyable to eat once cooked.
The effects of the mushrooms will last between eight hours to a full day, depending on how much was consumed. Nothing can be done to alleviate symptoms. You will feel incredibly hungover the day after the effects have subsided, and feel completely fine after that. The Aurora’s influence on mushrooms is only temporary, and the mushrooms will cease their effects after a few weeks.
Reishi mushrooms This mushroom will temporarily take away one of your five senses: sight, touch, smell, taste or hearing. You may find yourself feeling completely numb to touch; or unable to hear or see anything.
Oyster mushrooms Eating one of these mushrooms will give you temporary amnesia. You may forget yourself, things about your life, even your own name. Or maybe you will forget those around you. Or perhaps both.
Black Morel Eating this mushroom will seem to switch your personality to its complete opposite. Introverted sorts will become extroverted, those prone to anger will become more calm and chilled out, cheerful sorts will become more morose — and vice-versa.
Chanterelles Your mood is lifted and you become more cheerful and affectionate with those around you. You may even become more enamoured with the next person you happen to meet, regardless of your feelings towards them previously or your own orientation/attractions.
Amethyst Laccaria There is nothing supernatural or strange that happens when this mushroom is consumed. You just have a super bad hallucinogenic trip of your own horrible making. This mushroom is literally a nightmare. Sorry about that.
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. Please Do Not Pet That Dog.
1. Interlopers that pick a variety of the mushrooms and cook them together to eat will suffer the effects of whichever mushroom was in the largest quantity.
2. The mushrooms are fine to eat raw, and characters will feel compelled to eat them raw.
no subject
.. except this kid here, apparently. Connor. His kid, apparently. Knowing that he's a wolf just like Bigby does make an odd feeling rise in Bigby's chest out of sheer instinct, something a little more proud and warm, his little wolf cub, even if Connor doesn't seem incredibly little anymore.
It's mixed in with the less instinctive and more rational response of confusion though, even now. And some panic too. Because if this is his kid, then he's a dad, and Bigby isn't sure if he's capable of dealing with that side of the equation. There's a reason he told Louis only a little while ago that he'd be an awful dad! He has no idea how to look after cubs, and even less so here, and even more when he doesn't even know how Connor came into existence. Is this some sort of trap on this place's end, trying to gain Bigby's trust before attacking him the moment he lets his guard down? Or if it isn't, then.. why does Connor look absolutely nothing like him? The other's hair, his eyes, the shape of his face-- nothing about him is reminiscent of Bigby at all.
".. Yeah."
Sorry for that slow answer, Connor.. Bigby looked like he had to really think there for a moment, and not necessarily about this specific answer. More just about.. well, everything. About what to do here.
Because-- no matter how confusing and potentially dangerous this is, there's a part of Bigby that doesn't want to push the kid away, just in case this is real. Just in case this is his kid - a thought that still inspires a weird kind of protectiveness in him.
So he just slowly says: "Connor." It sounds like he's trying the name out by the way he says it. Like it might make him realise something more.
Then he speaks on. "Look, I.. can't say I know for sure what's going on here. But if you really are my kid, then it's pretty likely you're from my future." Bigby isn't the smartest man around, but at least smart enough to figure out this is the very likely conclusion. If this is real, and not some trick this place is playing on him, it's got to be this. "I don't have any kids right now. Hell, I don't even have-- you know, a wife or anything."
And Bigby does like to think that if he'd have pups with someone, he'd at least bother to make her an honest woman.
"Who is your mother, anyway?"
See: Bigby not being the smartest man around, considering how obviously Connor's features look like someone else he knows.. But there's no way Bigby is even entertaining the option that it could be Snow right off the bat, because.. you know. Obviously there's no way she could ever see him that way, right.
no subject
Hearing that Bigby didn't know him because he didn't even have any cubs yet at least cleared up a small amount of the confusion he'd had since his dad had first shown up. He nodded slowly. "That makes about as much sense as anything else going on right now." Looked like he wasn't dealing with an amnesia spell but instead some Back To The Future or Terminator type of deal. See, the problem with Fables never aging was it made it impossible to tell even what decade his father might have come from and the fact his parents weren't together yet meant it was at least twenty-five years or so behind where he was in the present day.
It did make him suddenly more cautious about how much he should reveal about the future. What if he screwed things up so badly that his parents didn't get together and the cubs were never born?! This was why he really needed one of the other members of the pack with him. Someone like Ambrose or Winter who was analytical and could think things through before he did something incredibly stupid. After all, some sort of time-traveling teleportation spell was something Connor had possessed no experience with up to this point and he had chronic foot-in-mouth syndrome.
Then he smiled when Bigby asked him who his mother was and for the first time since he arrived Connor felt more like himself. He was absolutely not surprised Bigby would be oblivious enough not to realize the woman who he'd been pining after for how many centuries now was actually his soulmate. "I think that should be fairly obvious," he said in a very cheeky manner. His parents had ended up with two cubs who had taken after their mother in the form of himself and Winter with their default human forms as opposed to looking anything their father.
(The one who had done that was Dare but Connor wasn't about to stir up any of the old memories surrounding that tragedy right now, not when he was already on an emotional rollercoaster as it is.)
Connor had definitely gotten his "classic prince" looks from his mother. Dark hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, with facial features far more delicate than Bigby's own. Perhaps once he saw the two side-by-side he'd be able to figure things out if it didn't come to him sooner.
no subject
"Alright, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have given you permission to be cheeky with me." Because he sees what you're doing, Connor! You're giving him attitude! Surely that can't be what your dad ever taught you, kid.
.. but even though that's his instinctive reaction, he goes more quiet right after it. Maybe it's because the thought is still very much still slowly hitting him. Connor, his cub. His responsibility. Hence the instinctive scolding - because, god, that's something he'll have to do now, right? And somehow explain to Snow that yes, he has a kid here, and no, he doesn't know why or with who, and make sure Connor knows about all the dangers in this place when it seems like all the parts that make him wolf and Fable have been taken from him too, and-- god, the Darkwalker, Bigby didn't even think about the Darkwalker yet, his future kid is now stuck in a place where the fucking Darkwalker could just pop up any minute and murder him--
It's all too much to think about. If the situation here had already been complicated before, the presence of the young man in front of him makes it even ten times-- no, a hunderd times more complicated. And how is Bigby even supposed to be a dad out of the blue? He thinks about his own dad, who he didn't even see until he hunted him down himself and who was dismissive of Bigby even then. He thinks about his mom who died too soon, when thinking about her still only just hurts.
How the hell is he supposed to do this?
(And yet-- he has no choice but to do it anyway, right?)
".. I'm sure this is an awkward situation for you too." Considering that Connor expected to see his dad, and.. well, that's not quite what he's getting here, right. At least the concept of meeting your parents from the past is a little more normal for their kind than it'd be for your average Mundy, as evidenced by how relatively calmly Connor seems to be taking it. "But as long as we're both here.. Even if we're from different times, I'm still your father."
He has to take that responsibility. Bigby refuses to be like his own father and just take off.
"So we're gonna walk over to town now, and I want you to be real careful in listening to everything I tell you on the way, 'cause it's all important. I need you to know that stuff so you can make sure you stay safe, got it?"
no subject
Still, he wasn't going to be that terrible with the older wolf or give him that hard of a time. He possessed a great deal of respect for his father even if the two of them had been on more even footing as of late, what with Connor coming into his own both as a young Fable and wolf. He really had no idea how hard this had to be hitting Bigby, the knowledge that he had at least one kid in the future. It didn't help their family had always been complicated, full of tension and secrets. (He wasn't even going to get started on the fact his parents had kept Ghost's very existence a secret from his siblings for the first five years of their lives.) After all, both Bigby and Snow came from families that were hardly The Brady Bunch in how they operated.
Connor breathed a sigh of relief that Bigby seemed to have gotten through at least the first part of processing he had a kid. He had a feeling there was going to be a lot more questions and the two of them feeling one another out in the upcoming days but at least Bigby hadn't outright rejected him or thought that Connor was crazy for claiming to be his kid. As wolves, there was that instinctive desire to protect their family and pack both, especially in lieu of there being any territory here for them to claim.
So he toned down the sass and got serious again, nodding as the two of them started walking. "Okay. You can start with where we are and what the hell is going on here and work your way up from there."
no subject
"Well, the first thing you have to know is-- I mean, you already noticed. We don't have our abilities here. As long as we're here, we're not even Fables." Granted, he doesn't know.. how much of a Fable Connor is just yet. He's got to have some of it in him, if Bigby is his father, but depending on who his mother is.. Surely he wouldn't have gotten kids with a mundy, right? But would Connor inherit some of his strength through the familial connection, or would he be weaker since he wouldn't have his own legend the way Bigby's story is so widespread among mundies?
... god, he really wishes he knew a little more how this was supposed to work before he suddenly had a grown kid thrown into his lap.
"That means we're working on mundy standards. You can get hurt, and you can die, and as long as we're here-- no wolf senses or transformation or anything."
Sorry, Connor. Dad just had to bring you the worst possible news first.. Don't throw yourself back down into the snow for a temper tantrum..
no subject
What was most alarming was hearing he wasn't going to heal if he got seriously hurt. Everything else was something he'd just have to learn to deal with, even if it all just sounded awful right now, but knowing he'd have to tone down his normally reckless personality wasn't going to be easy for someone as impulsive as Connor. He had to wonder why, a little bitterly, out of all the cubs he'd been the one brought here. Someone smarter or at least less impulsive might have been a better option for whatever he was going to have to face here.
"Great. That's just great. So is there good news coming next or is it all downhill from here?" He felt like it couldn't get much worse than ending up frozen in the snow with a father who didn't know him yet and the kibosh put on all of his abilities. For someone who transformed on a whim the way Connor did, being stuck as a human was going to feel like being stuck inside a straitjacket after a while.
no subject
It's strange. So strange. For how long Bigby has lived, he figured that he had pretty much experienced every single sensation or feeling one could experience in life already. What kind of new things could there be for a wolf that's lived for as long as he has?
And yet Bigby is experiencing something in this moment that he's never felt before. It's so new and strange that he doesn't even really know how to place it at first. Usually he doesn't really have that much trouble breaking bad news to people. He's usually the one doing it, so he's kind of getting used to it by now. And yet there's a bit more reluctance to it in this moment. As he listens to Connor's response, and as he turns his head to stare sideways at the kid, there's something about the
puppy eyeslook in the other's eyes that makes Bigby a little more hesitant.He doesn't get it.
(It's called parental instinct, Bigby. Look it up.)
"Look, I get that it sounds like a shitstorm. And it is a huge shitstorm." Maybe the parental instincts don't exactly extend towards not swearing in front of the kid, though.. You can't ask everything at once from Bigby, alright. "But view it like this: we're stuck in the shitstorm anyway, so we might as well make the best out of it. Understand?"
Not that Bigby is usually very good at this whole optimism thing, but he's trying. Yes, he wants Connor to be aware of the dangers here, but it's not like he wants the kid to be miserable.
"We can still hunt out here in the forest, for example." Connor must have done that before at some point. Bigby refuses to believe any version of him would raise cubs and not teach them that sort of thing. "Not as wolves, sure, but it's not exactly the kinda stuff you usually get to do when you're stuck in New York City. There's whole forests and wide expanses of nature to run through here whenever you feel like it. I go out there to hunt rabbits and deer all the time." And also because being out there by himself sometimes still feels way better to him than being cooped up in a small town with so many other people.
no subject
"That's not so bad. Reminds me of how you and Mom raised me." Living upstate on the piece of land set aside for the wolf clan when he was a kid where there was always plenty of places for a bunch of wolf cubs to run around as they learned how to properly shift back and forth. That had been an innocent time that came to an end all too soon with the death of his brother.
"So, uh, the local mundys know about the whole being a Fable situation?" Not that it really mattered right now if they were all brought down to the same level but he wanted to know just where people stood on knowing his father was the Big Bad Wolf and just how crazy they thought he might also sounded if he mentioned half the weird shit he'd encountered in his life.
no subject
He lets out a slight sigh when the young man mentions the Fable thing.
"Everyone in town knows I'm actually a wolf. Some know I'm the Big Bad Wolf, but I usually keep it to the first explanation, because mundys seriously have the dumbest possible reactions to the latter one." Sorry to vent a little, Connor. It's one of those things that he wouldn't be able to explain to anyone who isn't a Fable, because they wouldn't understand just how annoying it is to finally be open about the one thing you've kept secret for centuries, only to be met with dumb jokes and disbelief.
"Even less know about the entire Fable thing." He shakes his head as they still walk. "I thought it was inevitable that people would find out what I am, so that's why I had to tell them that, but it's not like I'm just going to let absolutely everyone know about Fabletown." Even if they're all mundys, and not even the ones from their world. "You never know."
The man looks over at Connor. "So you could at least tell people you're a wolf, if you wanted to or felt it's necessary. Though it's pretty likely people are going to realise you're related to me somehow the moment you do that."
no subject
"I'll keep all that in mind when talking with them. I don't need them all thinking I'm crazy or asking stupid shit." And if they couldn't handle Bigby telling them about his status as being a wolf, he had a good idea that the mundys weren't going to be able to handle him at all either.
He looked around and saw the tree line was starting to thin out. It looked like they were getting close to the edge of town, as Connor thought he could just barely start making out the tops of some houses on the horizon.