April 2024 Test Drive Meme

[singmod]

APRIL 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 — FROM FROTH-CORRUPTED LUNGS: The heavy fog plaguing the Northern Territories takes a far more deadly and sinister turn.

PROMPT THREE — SHARP CLAWS, YAWNING MAWS: Interlopers come face to face with another native animal to the Northern Territories stalking the rockier areas — and unfortunately, these feline beasts have also been warped by the Aurora.

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 April will find themselves waking up in a world filled with freezing cold fog, cold enough that it will feel as if your skin is burning. A kind of cold that will not shake easily. It will be easy to get lost in the fog. Best hope there's someone out here that might come across you to help you find 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.

“Another batch of poor souls from the wilds, this fog has made it so difficult.” 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.

FROM FROTH-CORRUPTED LUNGS

WHEN: The month of April.
WHERE: Everywhere.
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural/extreme weather; poisonous fog; potential respiratory/lung-related illness/injury; potential burn injuries; themes of peril

A thick fog has descended onto the Northern Territories as April comes, often difficult to navigate in and a kind of cloying damp that often brings a certain kind of wicked chill to Interlopers out travelling in it. The kind that sinks in one’s bones and takes too long to be chased away with heat and dry clothes. Sometimes, it feels almost suffocating, like it’s exhausting to be out in it — as if one might feel more like they’re underwater than on dry land, struggling to breathe if they’re out in it for too long.

It’s certainly a miserable affair for those in this world, the cold was bad enough without this.

And certainly, it can get even worse.

Maybe it’s a trick of the light, the strange thickness of the fog in the pale Spring light, but you notice in certain patches there’s… an almost green tint to the fog. You don’t have time to look at it for long. It descends upon you with a fluid steadiness, silent in its approach.

To touch the fog with bare skin, a hand, even the exposed face — you will be met with a sudden burning pain, far different to the biting cold pain of the rest of the fog. As soon as the green fog comes into contact with you, it slowly begins to burn at you — searing away at any flesh, a slow and terrible experience.

To breathe it in will be an even worse experience: it will feel as if one is slowly inhaling tiny fragments of glass, and each breath will be painful and suffocating. Coughing up blood is likely, and being out in it for too long will bring a slow, agonising death of suffocation.

Heading indoors is the best bet to ensure survival, with plugging up any doors and windows or drafty spaces to ensure the fog doesn’t seep inside. After that, it seems like the only thing you can do is wait it out. Hopefully you're stuck inside with a friendly face, and somewhere with a fire. Otherwise, it's going to be a bad time trapped inside waiting it out. The fog will eventually dissipate, and all that Interlopers will be able to see is the usual cold fog — but that could take hours of waiting.

Burns to the skin can be treated with typical medical care, and bathing the wounds will cleanse them of any lingering poison, but Interlopers should take care of signs of infection in the days afterwards. For those who suffer from inhalation of this green fog, Methuselah will direct them to Reishi mushrooms — known for their antibiotic healing properties and can be found in abundance in the world. Interlopers will find that breathing in the steam from boiling and steeping these mushrooms in water will soothe their lungs and help in the healing process.

SHARP CLAWS, YAWNING MAWS

WHEN: April, onwards.
WHERE: Milton wilds; Milton Mines (Lakeside Entrance) area; The Ravine area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: animal attacks, altered wildlife, gore, possible character injury/death, possible animal injury/death.

Certain kinds of wildcats are native to Canada and thus the Northern Territories. They are elusive animals, often keeping to themselves and have largely gone unseen by the Interlopers during their time here in this world. But the world is changing, and it has long been understood that wildlife has been altered due to the Aurora’s influence — particularly with wolves. Unfortunately, these solitary and evasive felines will not remain this way for long.

The wildcats tend to stick to the more mountainous areas of the Northern Territories: Milton’s outskirts being a primary example of this, but also the sheltered and rocky passage Interlopers must take if they are to travel through the mines and down the train tracks that lead into Lakeside. It is here in particular that they make their appearance with the recent footfall between the areas.

For newer Interlopers, it is a frightening sight. For some Interlopers who have been in this world for some time, it is an all too familiar sight to behold but no less terrifying. These beasts are warped by the Aurora and are far bigger and faster than any usual wildcat, with huge, hulking bodies, elongated fangs and unlike wolves: they can climb. Green, glowing smoke curls from their bodies and eyes, a kind of electrical current rippling over their coats with a strange shimmer. They lurk from above and wait for the opportune moment to strike — a far more silent and deadly attack than the wolf packs of last year. But if you’re paying attention, you might be able to spot them before they make their move.

These altered beasts will come no more than three at a time, but will usually attack alone. They will work with a frenzied determination to bring you down and make you their next meal. Cats, after all, are obligate carnivores. They will enjoy giving chase, and running will be the worst thing to do in dealing with them. It is best to stand your ground and try to fight back this way.

They are frightened of flames, and loud noises from gunfire or flares will keep them at a distance — but it’ll take a decent amount of ammunition to take them down, much like their canine counterparts Interlopers already encountered. Taking one down will be no small feat, but there will likely be the reward of a thick, warm pelt for those interested.

FAQs

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

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.

FROM FROTH-CORRUPTED LUNGS

1. Skin open to the elements is at the most risk of being burned, so it's best to wrap up/cover any bare skin. Covered skin would eventually burn if Interlopers spent enough time in the fog to have their clothes saturated by the damp.

2. Breathing in the fog is the most pressing issue for everyone as a whole. The green fog can affect Interlopers who don't breathe.

SHARP CLAWS, YAWNING MAWS

1. Bobcat, Canada Lynx, and Cougar are the three kinds of wildcat native to Canada. Due to the Aurora's influence, these wildcats are bigger, faster and stronger than typical wildcats — with Cougars being the largest of the three.

2. Killing them is difficult, but not impossible. Scaring them will be far easier to accomplish than killing them.

3. Wildcat activity will continue onwards from April, but will reduce with the Interlopers' efforts to fight them back.

4. Wildcat is technically edible. But not advised due to parasites. Characters are still welcome to harvest the wildcats they kill, however.

TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES NEWSLETTER

Comments

Casper Darling | Control/Remedy Connected Universe

[readytosee]

i. arrival | the cabin
This isn't the first time Darling has woken up in a strange place with no memory of how he got here. It's not even the first time recently he's done so. Last he knew, he'd been following a man off into the little section of black void he'd started to call home. After that? Who knows. Darkness again. Perhaps he'd only dreamed of meeting the man? A dream within the dream place, interesting.

But this? This is new. It's certainly a more solid location than he's been in, recently. There are walls, and furniture, and by the smell of it, there was previously food. Too bad the fire place isn't going, as the cabin is freezing. Darling wraps his arms around himself, since his lab coat doesn't give him much warmth, and starts moving around the cabin to inspect it more thoroughly.



ii. arrival | milton
Casper has never been so cold in his life. And he does not do the cold well, he knows that. It's why he wears so many layers all the time. But this time, his sweatervest, blazer, and lab coat are not helping keep away the chill. Which is why, when he sees the sign for the next town, he feels incredibly relieved. Moreso than when he'd found the radio in -- wherever it was he was last.

The scientist manages to stumble a few more steps in the snow before falling to his knees, shivering.



iii. froth-covered lungs
Casper Darling is faced with a dilemma. He wants, very badly, to go back out and study the green fog he can see through the windows from the relative comfort of the Community Hall. But the burn on his palm tells him that coming in direct contact with it would be a poor plan, indeed. Perhaps there is someone with less exposed skin or more experience with this place willing to help him gather some data? If only he had his lab gloves with him. Those go up to the shoulder and would be very helpful, in this case.



iv. wildcard
[not inspired by what you see here? throw something at me! or hmu on plurk at wherethefigslie and we can chat!]

ii.

[desperate_times_right]

It's not every day, even in a place like Milton, that you find a guy in a lab coat slumped over in the snow. Must be that time again.

“Hey, dude. You good?”

He does not look good.

[readytosee]

He is absolutely not good. He's too cold to even give an ironic thumbs up, at this point.

"I would be a lot better were I not in the snow," he manages to grit out. At least he'd thought to tuck his glasses into his pocket before they froze to his face.

[desperate_times_right]

“Yeah, I think that's true for everybody.” Sorry, buddy, this place sucks.

Suddenly, she seems to remember that they're outside, and holds a hand out to him.

“Want to go get some soup from a creepy old man?”

[readytosee]

Darling will take that hand, and gladly, using his new friend as leverage to try and stand.

"Are both of these things inside?" he asks through clenched teeth. "Because if so, then yes, absolutely."

i;

[20likes]

Heartman's makeshift labratory is almost always cold in the mornings when he hasn't rolled out of bed. Fraser is certainly a help, chopping wood and making sure he's alright, but there's something about starting a fire on his own in the morning that the scientist finds almost contemplative. A grounding for the day ahead, a small moment of independence. A ritual.

The space itself is neat if cluttered, two kitchen tables pushed together to serve as a workspace, scribbles of notes about homo aurora and the weather patterns and interlopers and, more recently, an entire wall filled with scraps of paper dedicated to the Dark Walker.

Heartman isn't expecting much when he wanders down, blanket curled around himself. He's been sleeping in and staying to himself, still recovering from pnuemonia, and as he makes his way to the base of the stairs and spots a labcoat he stops and things thinks he may, in fact, be hallucinating. Just in case he isn't, he calls out.

"Hello."

This is certainly new.

[readytosee]

Darling almost doesn't hear the footsteps down the stairs, as he was trying to read the notes on the table. He has no idea what they're about, but they intrigue him. They might even give him an answer to where he is and why he's here.

But he's interrupted by a voice, and jumps, pressing a hand to his chest in surprise. "Hello! I'm so sorry, um. Well I'd tell you why I'm here, but I actually don't know. Or where here actually is. Except that I seem to have woken up here? But if you can tell me where I am that would be, uh.

Fantastic."

[20likes]

Oh.

Oh, of course! A new arrival. An interloper. It would stand that it's only a matter of time before someone's woken up in his place. It's helpful that there's no initial panic, which should be a lot more alarming to Heartman.

"Um..." He looks around his place. A fire that needs to be lit, wood from Fraser in a bundle. Notes on tables that should most likely get cleaned up, or at the very least sorted.

"Would you like some of those answers over coffee and a fire?"

[readytosee]

He can panic later. Right now, things are interesting. The inhabitant of this cabin has clearly been doing some work on whatever this place is, which bodes well for Darling. Perhaps the man will fill him in on his research, and Darling will have a better starting place for his own.

The offer of warmth and coffee sounds incredibly inviting, and he nods his thanks enthusiastically. "That sounds amazing, actually. Um -- Dr. Casper Darling, at your service. In whatever limited capacity that may be, at the moment."

iii.

[salamanca]

Lalo has accidentally gotten himself trapped inside the Community Center while he waits for the green fog to dissipate. He watches Darling with idle curiosity from where he's lounging on the floor.

"Hey, New Guy. What're you looking at?" he calls out eventually, still not getting up.

[readytosee]

"Am I that obvious?" he asks, looking over his shoulder to see who's speaking to him. "Though I suppose in a place this small, that shouldn't come as a surprise."

Darling sighs a little, fingers tapping restlessly against the glass. "Nothing, really. Well -- quite a lot of very odd fog, at the moment. Seeing if I can observe anything from here."

[salamanca]

Lalo, who has already encountered the fog once before, clicks his tennis shoes together, watching Darling while Darling taps on the glass.

"You could go out in it," Lalo suggests mildly. "Maybe you'll find out what it does."

[readytosee]

"I did try that," he says, gesturing with his burnt hand. "Which is why I, alas, am in here. Trying to figure out the best way to approach the situation. If there even is one.

A best way to approach it, I mean. Clearly there is a situation."

iii. because surely dr. darling only ever practices safety in the workplace

[flambeaux]

“Ain’t never seen a fog like this. If I didn’t know any better, you’re fixin’ to get yourself burned——again,” a Louisianan gentleman in a 3 piece suit declares. His eyes are very bright green, his complexion is unusually clear, and he stands very still, one hand in his pocket in affected casualness. Louis tears his eyes away from the burn on the man’s hand.

“Left somethin’ outside, Doctor?” The man is wearing a lab coat. If Louis has made a wrong assumption, it’s a flattering one. He learned how at his mother’s knee.

[readytosee]

"Unfortunately not," Darling says, heaving a rather dramatic sigh. He flexes his hand a little, fetching his handkerchief from his blazer pocket and doing his best to pat the burn dry. At least get the healing process started.

"If I had, it would give me an excuse to go back out and get a closer look. But I suppose safety ought to be more of a priority. I don't know how limited medical supplies are, here."



[ooc: only THE safest and most ethical lab practices!]

[flambeaux]

This fella seems peppy enough, but the lack of emphasis on safety gives Louis pause.

“Very limited,” he says with emphasis. He has some compassion for his fellow man. He’s trying to keep the people here alive with what meager skills and resources he has. Also, humans are emergency rations.

“I’m glad you’ve decided to stay indoors. I took a whiff of that air and it felt like breathin’ glass. You want to see if it burns other things besides us?”

He’s no scientist, but he’s interested in the properties of the fog. He doesn’t like being trapped in the community hall with humans. They can’t know what he is. The hungrier he gets, the harder it is to hide.

[readytosee]

"As suspected. I won't press it any further, then."

He hums some sort of affirmation at the question, setting his glasses on top of his head to squint out the window. Which does absolutely nothing, but it was worth a try. "I've seen how flesh reacts to it -- and if it burns the lungs as you said, then it's just as bad internally as externally. Hypothetically.

But I'd love to see, for instance, if it's melting the snow. Or how the plant life is reacting to it. I can observe after it clears and make some estimations, but it's not quite the same as being able to really see it, you know?"

ii

[notarat]

It's not exactly a surprising sight to find someone collapsing at the edge of town. Billy is pretty sure that's how he must have looked when he stumbled into town, were it not for the fact that he ran into a familiar face that supported him right when he arrived at said edge. Without support like that, apparently this is what happens - you just collapse into the snow in the most undignified way possible.

Not that Billy is just going to ignore it. He isn't exactly rushing either, but he does walk up to where the other just fell to his knees in the snow, staring down at Casper.

"You are too close to town to give up now," he comments.

Seriously, though, Casper. Dying here in the snow would be the most embarrassing spot to die, alright!!

"Can you still get up?"

[readytosee]

It would be awfully embarrassing to die when he's so close to making it into town, that's true. "I think so, yes." Mostly, he'd lost his balance because he'd been trying to keep warm and walk at the same time. A fruitless endeavor, clearly.

It takes Darling a moment to regain his balance, pushing himself up and onto his feet, shaking the snow off his hands. He looks a little worse for the wear (or a lot), but at least he's standing now.

[notarat]

Standing is a pretty good first step. Billy would be a little more concerned about the other having to still get to step two (which is moving, obviously) if it wasn't for the fact they're so close to town now. If Casper can just manage to get over to the community hall, he'll be able to sit down and warm up enough that all of this should become less of a problem.

"How about walking?"

Billy would prefer for this to not have to involve physical contact, but if the other man really can't get himself to walk, then it's not like he's just going to leave him freezing right on the cusp of town.

But he might as well ask first. Just to see if he can avoid the physical contact anyway. It's worth a try!

[readytosee]

"Working on it." His tone is a little clipped, and the smile he gives the other man is rather tense. "Just uh. Getting my motor going again."

But he does manage a step. And then another. Thank god, his legs seem to still be working.

"Is there a direction I should point myself in? I think I can keep moving forward in a general sense."

iii

[obscurissime]

Scratch would like to conduct experiments of his own, though the ones running through his mind as he also peers at the fog are less scientifically motivated. He's itching for something and booting a person outside, locking the door, and watching how it erodes them would be just the thing to cure the unrest that's settling inside him.

His gaze shifts, spying the man who looks utterly put out. Scratch purses his lips and puts his hands in the pockets of his trousers as he saunters his way over.

"How about that weather, huh?"

[readytosee]

Well. That would be a scientifically interesting thing to do. But ethically very iffy. So he'll stare wistfully at the very intriguing green fog until his thoughts are interrupted by someone new coming to talk to him.

"Quite," he says with a sigh. His hand still stings from where the fog had touched it, which is deeply annoying. "And it doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon. At least we're in here, I suppose."

[obscurissime]

"All cozy and safe."

He sits down, leaning back in a chair as he crosses his ankle over his knee. Small talk might come in lower on the list than people-dying-of-fog, but desperate times, desperate measures.

"I'm amazed these doors don't let anything seep in through the cracks."

[readytosee]

That perks him up a little bit. "It's fascinating isn't it?" he agrees brightly. "I'd like to study the doors a little. When there's less danger of harming those inside, of course. But they seem very sturdy. And as you say, are able to keep the fog out.

I wonder if they've been reinforced somehow?"