(october catch-all) IT'S TIME TO GET FUCKIN' DAMP

[vestigemods]

OCTOBER CATCH-ALL

► YOU CAN BE REGULAR DAMP

As Autumn sets in, the containment zone begins to settle into all of the trappings of autumn. Chilly weather, bundled clothing and hot drinks, the turning and falling of leaves... It really just goes to show that life goes on in a place like this just as it does anywhere else.

For those unfamiliar with the seasons on a cultural level, the newfound offerings that Foodland and the gas station have to offer might be a little surprising. After no seasonal trappings to accompany summer, we now see an abundance of plastic gourds and multi-colored corn, of browns and oranges and leaf-themed decor - and as the month goes on, an influx of spooky decor in blacks and purples and... still oranges, orange is pretty universal as far as fall is concerned. Many of the buildings around town also sport seasonal decor, subtle but present. A pumpkin here, a glittery sign with a fall-themed pun there.

The weather, depending on perspective, has taken quite a turn for either the better or the worse. All of the rain the skies withheld throughout the summer seem to be coming down all at once, sometimes a sprinkle and sometimes a downpour that soaks you to the bone if you dare venture out for groceries. But the rains are just short of lukewarm, not yet carrying any proper chill, and the lush greenery of the landscape seems to be thriving in it. Perhaps it isn't all bad after all?

► OR YOU CAN BE EXTRA SPICY BONUS DAMP

On the 18th of October, however, the weather starts to get a little bit... dodgy. Which is to say: You should probably be ready to dodge, as you find that the leaves blown about on the savage winds no longer just flop wetly against your clothes or your cheek. It will likely come as quite a surprise the first time one stings - you might even mistake it for an unusually frigid drop of water splattering across your skin, at least until your fingertips come away reddened just slightly with blood. But it's certainly not the end of the world, nowhere near as bad as rotting away or being haunted by some malevolent ghost. You can just bundle up! It's not as if they can slice through clothes.

But oh, it's not quite done just yet.

On the 24th, the cutting winds come to a head in a thunderstorm. Dark, ominous clouds greet you as you wake on this morning, perhaps even confusing your sense of time as a far dimmer light than expected shines in through your window. But the storm sets in like an oncoming wave, first hitting the town and then sweeping west. Those with an eastern view over the nearby trees will see it coming, a foreboding curtain of rain encroaching all to quickly. Then comes the thunder, rumbling far too close to feel entirely safe. Which is true. It isn't safe. Because after each clash of thunder comes the immediate flash of lightning... Lightning which skips right past high-reaching trees to seek out the nearest living being it can find. No - not any being. Just those who've been trapped here. Those whose suffering brings rest to the elder gods below.

Perhaps it's best to stay indoors.

► MOD NOTES

• This is the October Catch-All Log, for any action top-levels throughout the month which don't fit in a designated event log. Large gatherings (parties, meetings, etc) are still encouraged to post their own logs for organizational purposes!
  
• All top-levels for the Winds of Change mini-event also go here, since it won't be getting a log of its own.
  
• Refer to the bottom half of the October Bulletin for any October-specific info to potentially include in your prompts! The above blurb is honestly just mood-setting flavortext.
  
• Because this is a catch-all for everywhere + all month, try to remember to label your top-levels with identifying information like the IC date and location of each prompt (whether in the subject or in the prompt title within the comment). Also try to indicate any event prompts for the Winds of Change mini-event aside from just listing their dates, so they can be easy to spot!
  
• Any questions can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk.

Comments

Wen Ning | ota

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

» early october: a helpful boy/a creeper in the woods

[ Wen Ning had woken up one morning with a surprise: a small pendant nestled in his open palm. He didn't know where it came from, or who it belonged to, but something about it-- the glass it was made from, the way he felt when he looked at it-- reminded him so much of his long lost sister. He wears the pendant every day from then on, placing it securely underneath his clothes and never taking it off, not even to bathe.

With the increased space of their containment box comes the possibility of increased dangers. Wen Ning takes to some old habits as a result. Namely, following people from a distance as they walk down the roads and paths that criss cross the containment zone. He stays in the trees and bushes alongside the road, out of sight unless he steps on a particularly loud branch. He just wants to make sure no one is caught unawares and attacked. If any monsters or resentful creatures make themselves known, then he'll spring into action, leaping in to fight them off.

Maybe it's a little creepy, to follow people without making your presence known? But Wen Ning means well, he promises. And every time he sees someone safely to their destination, he gets a warm feeling from the pendant around his neck, like his sister is looking down on him somewhere, telling him what a good, helpful boy he is. ]

» mid october: a wet boy, taking shelter in the Foodland

Wen Ning is soaked. It's not that he doesn't know what an umbrella is-- they do at least have those where he comes from-- but he can't figure out how the modern umbrellas in the gas station work. He presses the button to get them open, but then he can't get them closed again! And the metal keeps bending out of shape every time he tries. Better to just forgo an umbrella altogether.

As the month progresses, and the rains get worse and worse, he begins to regret leaving the metal umbrella behind. Caught in one downpour, he dashes quickly into the Foodland to get out of the rain, already soaked to the bone. Thankfully there are racks of clothes there so he can trade out his wet ones for some nice dry ones instead. The variety of clothing strikes him as rather odd, but who is he to judge modern fashion he knows nothing about? He finds an outfit in a color that suits his tastes and gets changed quickly in an empty aisle, leaving only his long underclothes on underneath. The short sleeves still aren't quite warm enough for him, so he throws on a shearling lined jacket for good measure.

He's still going to wait out the worst of the storm in here before he heads back to the lake, so feel free to find him sitting on the linoleum floor by the entrance, staring out the large glass doors at the darkened sky.

[ ooc: will match prose or brackets! hmu @ Chris_#9103 if you want to plot something else. ]

Early October | A helpful creeper boy

[lethechained]

[ And here she'd thought that feeling of being watched had gone away.

It was quite the relief when visiting the town after the ghost incident proved to be a less viscerally uncomfortable experience than it was previously. Yet now she's begun to get that feeling on the roads, and that's just no good. Whether or not it's worse is probably up for debate, but it makes Naminé anxious regardless. Her trips back and forth along the paths are frequent all the same, for she's such a tiny thing that carrying large loads of essentials back from Foodland is a challenge.

Still... nothing's ever come of it. She's not so foolish as to disregard the sensation entirely, not after last month's happenings - but it has at least occurred to her that perhaps whoever's lurking around has some reason for doing so. Not that that stops her from walking as quickly as she can, of course, because not all reasons are good ones.

The bag she's carrying back toward the cabins today is heavier than she's accustomed to. It seemed necessary, what with the more frequently inclement weather; she's not exactly equipped for trudging through the mud the heavier rains can bring. Which is why when - as would suit her luck - it suddenly begins to drizzle, Naminé hurries her pace in the hopes of making it back before the downpour really gets started. A stumble is the unfortunate result of that, and sends a few apples toppling from the bag. She stops to collect them, but it's awkward with her groceries still in hand, and there's at least one piece of fruit that rolls out of her sight.

This particular escort mission might take a little longer than intended at this rate. ]

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Oh... Oh no, her fruit! It's going to get lost! Wen Ning scrambles over to pick up the ones that have rolled away, off the side of the path, then cautiously steps out of his hiding spot. He knows his appearance can be frightening, so he does his best to make himself look small and non-threatening. ]

Here, miss. You... You dropped these.

[lethechained]

[ Even Naminé's hurried attempt to recapture the escaped fruit that she can see doesn't stop her from being aware that one particular chunk of the area suddenly looks a bit more populated than it did before. Although her reflex is to pause like a deer in headlights, she at least has the good sense to stand upright before she does it. (Perhaps it makes little difference; she is small and non-threatening, and there's no disguising that.)

The thing that surprises her most is that Wen Ning shows himself at all. His strangeness comes second - although she recognizes it right away, even before she can pick out exactly why it is that she knows it's there. This, however, is less alarming than the first point, for of course she can't help but wonder at his intent when they're so far from either of the more populated areas. But for all that she reasonably cautions herself about any stranger, he seems... timid, almost. Of two minds, Naminé watches him approach, hesitant herself even when her eyes move down toward the fruit he's gathered up. ]

Oh, [ she says, with a beat of uncertainty. There's an alarm going off in the back of her thoughts but a larger portion of them feels almost as though she's the one who ought to be trying not to look threatening. Her voice is gentler for it as she adds, ] Thank you...?

[ She'll have to move closer to retrieve the items. She takes half a step, then seems to think better of it; considering him carefully, though not unkindly, ]

I... didn't see you on the road.

[ So where did he come from - and more importantly, why? ]

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Oh no. She seems hesitant to come towards him. He doesn't blame her, really. He knows how scary he looks and how awkward it is for him to follow people without making himself known.

He'll just... carefully set the fruit down on an even patch of ground between them, then back away a respectful distance, keeping his gaze low, bowing slightly in deference. ]

I wasn't... traveling on the road. [ Is really the simplest way to explain that little discrepancy. He wasn't traveling on the road, he was traveling next to it, through the bushes and trees, staying out of sight. He just doesn't want to frighten anyone, but he still wants to make sure they're safe. The best way he can think to do that is to follow them, unseen, ready to jump in if anything bad happens. ]

[lethechained]

[ Lips pressed together into a single flat line, she considers him uncertainly as he leans down to deposit the fruit. Upon realizing the meaning of his actions, however, her knitted brow softens. Even once he's backed away she seems hesitant, although presently she takes a few more small steps forward to a distance where she could bend down to pick up the items, were she to choose to. She doesn't, at least not at first, and studies Wen Ning intently as he gives his answer. ]

Why not? [ That's the natural thing to ask after a response like that. It's hard to make much of her expression; she keeps it close enough to neutral, although her voice is no less gentle than before. ] It's safer to be on the road... isn't it?

[ Perhaps it's funny to express any concern about that when she's probably the more vulnerable of the two of them, but in a place like this it's hard to put a ceiling on what kinds of trouble might be out there. ]

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

Ah-- [ He stops himself. She's not wrong, it is generally safer for people to travel on the road. But he doesn't count himself among "people." He stammers for a moment, trying to think of an argument that might explain his side...

...and failing spectacularly. ]

N-No, you're right. The road is safer. But I'm not worried about anything attacking me. I'm more worried about... Something attacking you.

[ You never know what those Technicians have in store for them. Someone as small and kind looking as this girl... Wen Ning is sure she's someone he wants to protect. ]

[lethechained]

[ With a subtle tilt of her head, Naminé continues to examine him through his stammering. He doesn't really make the picture of a villain when he's fretting like that - and the more she sees of him the harder she finds it to imagine that he meant any harm. Suspicious though his behavior might have been, he did show himself to help her. Blinking at him once he sorts out his answer, ]

... Me?

[ Her mouth rounds slightly, pausing that way for a beat as if she meant to add something else. Then it flattens again, her expression pulling into a thoughtful look. Several considerations, in fact, seem to pass through in a quick rush, her face not giving much away. Then, finally, ]

That's very kind of you.

[ Although the words are evidently the result of considerable weighing of her options, they sound - and are - sincere. Finally letting her eyes fall after a moment's pause, she kneels to carefully collect the apples from where he's left them. She's very delicate about it, and moves patiently - yet her attention clearly hasn't strayed from him, since presently she comments, ]

But... are you really so sure that you won't get hurt? None of us know for certain what could be out there in the forest, after all.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ He smiles when he sees her bend to pick up the apples, and relaxes his nervous grip on the sides of his robes a bit. He can feel a warmth from the medicine bottle pendant he wears around his neck, and the echo of a feeling like his older sister is proud of him, for helping someone, even long after she left his side. ]

No, we don't, but... I'm not a very easy thing to hurt.

[ He almost says "person." But in the end, decides to go with "thing." Some days he feels more like he's able to count himself as a person. Other days, not as much. Lately, he's been feeling more puppet than person, only good to serve a purpose. It helps that he's able to decide what that purpose is for himself, now. And so, he chooses to make that purpose watching over travelers on the road, and making sure they get to their destinations safely. ]

[lethechained]

[ Her flicker of a glance upward informs her when he smiles. It certainly doesn't look malicious, so she finishes collecting the apples and delicately returning them to her bag - except for one, that is, which remains in her hand as she begins to stand. Partway through straightening up she pauses, eyes lifting toward him again as she registers his word choice.

That sounds familiar, doesn't it? Not everyone hesitates to use a word like "person," but Naminé knows full well just how many barriers can be put between oneself and the casual utterance of a term like that. ]

Is that so? [ she responds, all contemplation and no challenge. It doesn't sound as though she disbelieves him, since she doesn't - but she still has to wonder, ] Is it because you're very strong? Or... is there some other reason?

[ After all, he does appear to have some-- peculiar characteristics, to look at him. ]

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Sheepish, he nods. She probably has never seen a puppet like him before. He's learned that most of the people here don't have the same knowledge or experience people from his world would have. ]

I'm very strong, [ he confirms. ] Stronger than any living man.

[ Because he isn't. He's been given a second chance at living by Wei-gongzi, but he isn't alive, not really. He breathes and he bleeds and he needs food and sleep but he doesn't have the warmth of someone alive. He doesn't have a golden core like he used to. He's powered by resentful energy instead. ]

[lethechained]

[ Judging by the way her eyelids raise in open surprise, the second part of his answer truly was unexpected. Even though that's the case, however, her reaction isn't fright; concern and curiosity both are what furrow her brow next. She was in the process of cleaning off the apple in her hand as best she could, but after his statement the motion of her wrist has slowed to a stop. ]

If you're not a living man, [ she inquires, voice a little somber with the connotations of which she is keenly aware, ] ... then what are you?

[ It only takes a second or two for her own words to catch up with her. Looking immediately abashed herself, ]

I'm sorry-- if that's a rude thing to ask.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ The last thing he wants is to make her feel bad, so Wen Ning is quick to shake his head and offer a small smile, trying to assuage her worries. ] N-No, I'm the one who brought it up. It's alright.

[ The topic of whether or not Wen Ning counts as a living man is a tenuous one. It's a complicated thing, wrapped up in technicalities and details that he doesn't particularly feel like burdening this young woman with, but she asked, so he will answer. ]

I'm what is called a fierce corpse. A sentient puppet, able to be controlled by someone using demonic cultivation. [ What makes Wen Ning unique is that he is one of the only fierce corpses who can think and speak for himself. ]

[lethechained]

[ Although she takes grateful note of his attempt to soothe her, Naminé regards him carefully an extra moment, trying to discern his feelings on the matter. Yes, he brought it up, but-- doesn't she know a thing or two about speaking truths she doesn't like in the name of honesty?

Still, her concerns don't stop her from listening - and what she hears certainly sounds pretty scary. Her lips part, rounding in surprise, although fear itself is actually entirely absent from her expression. If anything, she grows more perplexed for his sake, a bemused little frown taking over her mouth. ]

Does that mean that there's someone controlling you now?

[ And if so, she has to wonder whether that's, er, unwelcome, as it were. Her experience with puppets has mostly been with the unwilling sort, after all. ]

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Wen Ning's eyes widen, and he waves his hands dismissively in front of himself. ] No, no! Right now there's no one controlling me.

[ He stills his hands, clutching them together and drawing into the timid figure he typically is when interacting with new people he doesn't know very well (or at all). ]

The... the only person who is here who can control me is my friend, Wei Wuxian. But he would only ever use me to help people. Fight monsters, protect innocent lives. Things like that.

[ At least, Wen Ning is fairly certain Wei-gongzi is the only person in the containment zone who can control him. He's the only demonic cultivator here that Wen Ning knows of. He doesn't think any of the people from other worlds are cultivators of any kind. ]

~Helpful Creeper

[singularwidower]

Daemon's on the move--place to be, gas stations to investigate--and he trudges through the woods as he beelines there directly south from the lake. The last time he'd been at the gas station it had been...odd, and it deserved a little bit of a looksee, what with the tree and the creeping sense of wrong.

About halfway there, though, he does his usual mental sweep for presences and draws up short. He definitely senses...something, though he is wary of peering too closely at the mind following him just in case he might hurt it (or it might hurt him, which is unfortunately much more possible here than he is used to). He turns in the direction of his follower and does not bother to hide the demand in his tone.

"You might as well come out and join me."

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

Uh oh. He's been spotted. But how? He was being so careful to stay hidden...

Still, no use in staying out of sight now that the man he's been following knows he's there. Wen Ning steps out onto the road, shoulders hunched in apology.

"H-Hello. I promise, this isn't what it looks like."

[singularwidower]

Daemon raises his eyebrows at the...person? They certainly look human enough. And they certainly speak like a human. He brushes at their mind with a simple psychic probe, just enough to try for base emotion and perhaps some clue as to why they look oddly pale.

"Do tell. What does it look like?"

He slips his hands into his pockets and gives absolutely no reassurance.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

Wen Ning has no resistance to any kind of psychic intrusion, and so he is as easy to read as a book left lying open on the table. His emotions right now are a swirl of embarrassment and guilt, with a helping of shame thrown in for good measure. As for why he looks pale, he will have the residual sense of being a dead man, even though he is clearly up and ambulating like someone still alive.

Wen Ning averts his gaze and tightens his hands into fists. He has to accept the consequences of his actions. That's what his Jiejie would want him to do.

"It looks like I was... stalking you. Like I was planning an attack."

[singularwidower]

Daemon yanks his probe away and his eyes widen in surprise. The poor man's mind is all but an open door, with no inner barriers to speak of--but not like a landen, who would be damaged by Daemon's touch. This was something entirely different. Alarmingly different, though he almost didn't want to admit that, even to himself. Still, he got what he was looking for; the man's mind has no trace of malice or deceit.

And the taste of death in his mind is familiar.

"It did look like that," Daemon agrees, though his tone has warmed a fraction and he looks more thoughtful now than he had a moment ago. His curiosity is thoroughly piqued. If the man is demon-dead, he is like no demon-dead that Daemon has ever encountered. He pulls a hand from his pocket and beckons. "Walk with me? I was going to the gas station to look around. Maybe check on the tree."

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

Well... At least the man doesn't seem mad. There's something about him, Wen Ning now realizes. A sort of grave competency that tells Wen Ning he's the kind of man who doesn't necessarily need Wen Ning's protection. That won't stop Wen Ning from wanting to give it. He'd given his protection to Wei-gongzi and Hanguang-jun as they'd traveled back home, and heaven knows they were both skilled cultivators in their own ways.

He isn't sure what sort of things this man might be good at, only that he seems like he ought to be very good at them.

Still, he nods, coming forward to stand beside the man as they walk. "What is your name, young master?"

[singularwidower]

Dameon's lips twitch with amusement. "I don't believe anyone has called me 'young' for centuries," he drawls as his former-shadow falls into step with him. The path is wide enough for them both, at least, and Daemon seems content to keep to an amble. He openly studies his new companion, taking note of the dark striations, rolling around the implications that the probe had supplied. "But I am Daemon Sadi. And you are?"

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

Wen Ning's eyes widen and he freezes for half a step, before forcing himself to catch up with Daemon once more.

Centuries? Is he a great cultivator who's achieved immortality, then? The gears of Wen Ning's mind spin and spin, trying to piece together some kind of understanding of the implication of those simple words. He's so wrapped up in thought that he almost forgets to give his name in turn.

"This one is called Wen Ning, courtesy name Wen Qionglin." He feels so inadequate, now, standing alongside this powerful mystery of a man. Who is he to think he is worthy to stand guard over a man who has survived for centuries?

[singularwidower]

"You'll have to forgive me," Daemon says easily as they head down the road, relaxing now that he's had a glimpse inside the man's head. He doesn't miss the hitch in his new companion's step, though he first has a diplomat's question to ask: "I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with your culture, though I doubt that should come as a surprise, considering where we are. However, shall I address you by your courtesy name or the first name you mentioned?"

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

Oh, of course. Wen Ning ought to know by now, that most of the people here come from very different worlds with very different cultures. He nods, quick to clarify for Daemon.

"As we've only just met, the courtesy name would be more appropriate. But I honestly don't mind, either way." The formalities of address never really bothered him, even before he became a living puppet.