(september catch-all) NOW WITH BIGGER, BETTER WAYS TO DIE

[vestigemods]

SEPTEMBER CATCH-ALL

► THIS SHITHOLE JUST GOT BETTER

The morning of the 10th feels just like any other. It arrives without fanfare, no itch at the back of your mind telling you something is different. If you're a homebody, you might very well go about much of your day without growing any the wiser... At least until you go outside.

The island is the first sign that something's amiss. Stepping out your front door and spotting the brand new tree-covered patch of land smack dab in the middle of your lake may not face some of you, but it's certainly not a thing that has happened before. Those who dealt with the hatch and the tunnel beyond in August might notice that the island very distinctly covers where that very hatch used to be, sealing off that tunnel system once and for all.

Those who live along the northern end of the lake will also hear the distinct sound of rushing water, a sharp contrast to the quiet atmosphere of the still lake you fell asleep to. Sure enough, a river now pours into the lake from the north, a whole ass river coming into existence overnight.

But the island and river aren't the only changes - they're just the most obvious. It may be today, tomorrow, or a week from now, but the next time someone makes their way to the north or east barriers in any shape or form, they'll find that the barrier no longer seems to exist. The trees are marked quite clearly, white spray paint on a trunk one per fifteen or so feet but you find that they're able to walk right through the area it's supposed to be. And walk, and walk, and walk. Is this a mishap with the barrier, or was it on purpose? Have the Technicians... set you free?

Maybe it's time to tell the others.

► LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE WON!

Those who make their way across the new and improved containment zone can encounter a fairly wide variety of things. Following the main road like a rational human being puts you on the direct route to town. Should you get curious along the way, you might detour off the asphalt to explore a stretch of farmland, with smooth rolling hills that may once have been idyllic before they fell into disrepair. If you're hungry, a grove of apple trees sit alongside the river, their branches heavy with fruits ripe for the picking. Consider sparing some for the horses fenced in the western field - they're too skittish to let you approach, but if you leave the apples inside their fence, they're certain to grab them as soon as you've backed away.

Conversely, heading due east from your cabin like the impulsive goblin you are will likely lead you smack dab into the swamp. It's dismal. It's disgusting. Use the damn road next time, and you won't be slopping your way through nearly knee-deep muck... And that's before you discover the alligators. (Are discovered by the alligators? Who discovers whom is just a matter of perspective, really.)

Whether you take the smart route or the soggy route, you'll (hopefully) end up in much the same place: the town. It's dirty and run-down and the alleys and back roads host a whole species roulette of strays, and you intermittently feel the distinct sensation of being watched or even followed, but it's not all bad. There's Foodland, which compared to the gas station pickings may as well be a five-star buffet. There's also a rec center with a functional bowling alley, if you know how to play - and across the street from that rec center sits an apartment complex, complete with nine mostly-clean apartments with fully-functional electricity and plumbing. I'm not saying the swamp-waders should hijack an apartment shower, buuuut that's definitely not not an option.

Finally, to the north, there's a bit of a mountain that I'm fairly sure that nobody is going to fuck with just yet, unless they happen to be some sort of overachiever who wants nothing more than to get a bird's-eye view of the landscape below. Mind the mountain goats. They like to shove.

► MOD NOTES

• This log is an introduction to the new expanded containment zone, but it also functions as the September catch-all log for all non-event starters.
  
• Refer to the Locations page for actual information on the various new areas and points of interest - the above flavortext is only meant to supplement the Locations page info.
  
• Also check out the September Infopost (most relevantly, the bottom two drop-downs) for more September-specific info to potentially include in your prompts.
  
• Because this is a catch-all for everywhere + all month, try to remember to label your top-levels with the date and location of each prompt (whether in the subject or in the prompt title within the comment)!
  
• Any questions (on the new setting or anything else) can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk. Additionally, if you catch any errors (incorrect links, etc) in the Locations post, please let Trace know!
  

Comments

[deferences]

[somehow, sizhui's smile widens, he shifts around until his own legs are up and he can loop his arms around them.]

Neither do I. [because as much as he hates wondering, that is an unfortunate event he's considered, what consequences had come from it; jiang cheng breaking his leg, some strange man he met almost getting crushed, ending up trapped down there himself. imagining being cut off from his friends and family again isn't the most reassuring thing.]

No, there isn't, [he sighs, props his chin onto his knees and glances wen ning's direction again.] To be honest, I'm not sure I want them to come here if they have so much control.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ He nods, frowning in thought. Sizhui raises a good point, in that their captors have the upper hand, whether they show themselves or not. Then he shakes his head, and his hands clench into determined fists. ]

We may be trapped, but we are not powerless. We can't... We can't let ourselves be resigned to defeat just because the enemy won't show its face.

[ As he has many times before in his life, Wen Ning thinks, "What would Wei Wuxian do?" It's an easier question to answer than it usually is, given that Wei Wuxian is actually here to serve as a live example.

What would Wei Wuxian do? He would help people. He would solve problems. He would remain confident that if they work together, they can overcome whatever their captors put in their path. He would stand with his back straight and his head held high and face the darkness without fear.

Wen Ning puts as confident a smile as he can muster on his face, wearing it like one wears a coat in the winter-- to protect himself from the cold uncertainty that is chilling his bones-- and places a strong hand on Sizhui's shoulder. ]

Whether they show themselves or not, we can get through this, and find a way out. Together.

[deferences]

[from the spot where sizhui's curled into himself, he watches wen ning, somehow looking both curious and worried. he's right, of course, they can't let the technicians get the better of them, no matter what sort of horrors they throw their way—

it's hard, however, staying strong when it seems like they're being beaten down at almost every turn.

‘what would wei wuxian do?’ is most certainly a way to consider things; the former yiling patriarch would do all of that and more, undeterred by whatever it is they're up against. he's always been one of the strongest people despite every single hardship he's suffered, which is admirable, much like the way his only remaining descendant coaxes himself into smiling. there will always be troubles they'll have to face, but if they can do so with confidence, with themselves steeled against the technicians' ridiculousness, they surely stand a far better chance than if they were to lay down and just accept their fate.

not to mention giving up so easily isn't in their blood! the hand settles onto his shoulder, sizhui perks somewhat and straightens, reaches to reassuringly grip wen ning's forearm.] Yes, we can.

I don't know if I've said before, but... I'm glad you're here, Uncle Ning.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ The grip is reassuring, as is the sight of Sizhui looking not so down in the dumps. He almost corrects him, "Senior, not Uncle," but he doesn't have it in him to deny the boy that much, this time. Maybe it's better to be Uncle instead, now, here where there are dangers around every corner. Maybe it's okay to fall back on the trusted presence of family. To be there for each other, as best they can.

That's what Wei Wuxian would do. No... That's what Wen Ning will do. ]

I'm glad to be here with you, too... A-Yuan.

[deferences]

[a-yuan... a-yuan! his heart soars at the affectionate name, he smiles wide, grips wen ning's arm somewhat tighter then shifts to – albeit tentatively – loop his other arm around the man's shoulders and tug him into an embrace. ever since his hug with wei wuxian, he's been trying to be more openly free with his affection and his uncle isn't an exception to this. funny, how the former yiling patriarch has helped them both in a sense!

sizhui huffs a contented sigh, momentarily rests his head against wen ning's shoulder and just exists in the moment for now.]

So long as we all stick together, we'll persevere.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Ah--! A hug! This is unexpected. Wen Ning stiffens on instinct-- when was the last time someone wanted to hug him? He can't remember, in all honesty. Probably not since A-Qing...

That reminds him.

He hugs Sizhui back, allowing the younger boy to rest his head on his shoulder for as long as he likes, before shifting slightly to withdraw a pendant from inside the neckline of his clothes. ]

L-look, A-Yuan... [ Yes, the nickname is staying for now. He would go back to calling him Lan Sizhui in a moment, but this thing he's trying to show him is a Wen family item. In this context, he's A-Yuan. ]

The other day, I found this pendant when I woke up. It... I don't know if you remember your Aunt Wen Qing at all, but it... somehow... reminds me of her.

[ He turns the pendant over in his hands, letting the light catch the engravings on its face, reminiscent of Wen Qing's old medicine bottles. ]

She's been gone for so long, but... This feels like I have a piece of her with me.

[deferences]

[oh... oh no, if that's true, it's been so long since he's had a hug! he is well overdue for one and sizhui's more than happy to provide, especially when wen ning returns the embrace.

he rests there for as long as he's allowed, content to stay even longer, though the ghost general moves, reaches into his shirt and produces a necklace of some kind. sizhui adjusts as well, leans back so he can see the item better, head curiously tipped, eyes alight with interest regardless of how he's being addressed.]

Wen Qing. [the name is familiar, he knows, and he can't quite put his finger on it but—] I think, ah... [he hesitates briefly, reaches to carefully brush the pad of his index finger across the engravings once his uncle holds it steady again.] Whenever Wei Wuxian buried me, she scolded him for getting my clothes all dirty.

[as the memory slowly but surely comes back, he smiles again and closes wen ning's fingers around the pendant, holding them closed with his own.] We'll have to keep it safe, then. It wouldn't do to lose what little piece of her you've been gifted.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ The smile that comes to Wen Ning's face as A-Yuan begins to remember is warm. Warmer than anything a cold, dead man like him should be capable of. He nods. ]

She scolded him for a lot of things. [ But she cared about Wei Wuxian. She cared about all of them. She cared about them so much that it led her to--

Best not to think of that. He nods, clutching the pendant tight and feeling the comforting shape of it in his palm. ]

No. We'll keep it safe. [ He tucks it back inside his clothes, to lay in place over his heart. He pats his hand over it, still smiling. ]

She would be so proud, to see you now.

[deferences]

That sounds right, [he admits, laughing softly with amusement.] He does like testing his limits, doesn't he?

[in more ways than one, it would seem, although sizhui doesn't voice that part. it's not his place and to be honest, he doesn't genuinely mind a little chaotic energy in his life. (particularly when it comes from his father, though again, not something he'll speak aloud.)

he grins again, gives a nod of agreement too then withdraws his hand.] Yes, we will. [it's almost instinctual, to reach out and put his hand over wen ning's again, but he resists, the tips of his ears flushing with embarrassment. at least he can pass it off as sheepish toward the ghost general's comment.]

Who knows? Maybe... we'll have a chance to see her again.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ It's a possibility that Wen Ning hadn't really considered. Or, more accurately, hadn't let himself hope for. But if Lan Sizhui brings it up, then it's probably okay to think about, right? ]

Maybe... This place does seem to have a way of taking people who by all rights shouldn't be alive.

[ He can't help but think of Jiang Yanli. Her tragic death, an event set in motion by his own loss of control. Here, undone as though it had never even happened. If more people who were dead-- because of his actions or otherwise-- could arrive here...?

Jiejie. Jin Zixuan. Jiang Fengmian. So many people who had died needlessly. What if the Technicians could bring them all back? ]

[deferences]

[while he knows nothing about how any of those people died, he can imagine what it would be like if they all showed up here, life intact. it worries him, considering the ways the technicians might have achieved such an impossible feat, but the happiness it could bring them...

well, that's something better to think about instead.]

I do wonder how they achieve it? [again, it's concerning to linger on, so he tries not doing that.] But it feels better to not question such miracles and just sort of accept the impossible as... possible while we're here.

[even if doing that seems foolish because for all they know, everything here? it isn't at all what it seems.]

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Accept the impossible as possible. That did describe everything about living in this place, didn't it? Trying to come to terms with a world where nothing makes sense, where people you can't see want to torture and kill you for their own hidden purposes. Wen Ning had never encountered an enemy he couldn't get his hands on and fight before. He didn't like feeling so powerless.

But, he isn't about to burden Lan Sizhui with his doubts and fears. Not when the boy has been such a source of comfort for him, here. He finally got A-Yuan back in his life, and he has vowed to himself to do everything he can not to lose him again, no matter what designs the Technicians may have for them. ]

Yes. I think it's best if we just try to accept it and move ahead.

[deferences]

[it's the only way he can describe happenings around this town, particularly things he's experienced that don't include the dead being brought back to life— which is weird enough, in and of itself, but not completely unheard of back in their homeworld. (it just doesn't happen like this, though.) they're in the same boat with being able to fight enemies; something tangible and real and not cowardly, hiding behind whatever facade they've cooked up.

although, if wen ning is alright with accepting the same thing, sizhui can continue blissfully ignoring the inevitable fallout that will come their way, despite how he should consider doing the exact opposite instead.

until then, perhaps they can focus on something less distressing:] Would you like to come into town with me?

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ That certainly does sound less distressing. And a much better prospect for how to spend the afternoon than sitting around contemplating their inevitable doom. Wen Ning smiles, and nods, then pushes himself to his feet and holds a hand out to help Sizhui do the same. ]

Yes, let's. I think the horses would be much happier if I left, anyway.

[deferences]

Don't be silly, they'll eventually get used to you! They're afraid of me, too.

[following a brief headshake, sizhui smiles in kind, which turns into an outright grin as he reaches to take the offered hand and hauls himself upright.] Thank you. [then he gives wen ning's hand the faintest determined tug before moving to lead them off the field and back onto the road.]