(january catch-all) 2021 IS OFF TO A WEIRD START

[vestigemods]

JANUARY CATCH-ALL

► AT LEAST YOU FINALLY GET TO REST?

Though the new year starts off uneventful enough, with sunny skies and an inch or two of snow melting away with each new day, that good fortune lasts a whopping two whole days. At 5 AM on the 3rd, those slumbering fall into an even deeper sleep, and those still awake (or already awake, you overachievers) find themselves struck with an abrupt and insurmountable wave of exhaustion. It's all you can really do to lie down deliberately rather than collapse altogether, let alone making it to any sort of bed. And this is how the population of the containment zone remains for fourteen whole days, dead to the world (figuratively, of course) and to anything which may or may not be occurring around them.

Then, sometime throughout the 16th, you wake up - though the ambient ache in your neck, back, and joints may make you wish that you hadn't. It's almost as if you slept wrong, or... y'know, slept on the floor, apparently. (At the very least, those who were outside at maintenance time were moved indoors for the duration of it, though they were moved to the nearest available building so... have fun waking up in someone else's cabin, I guess.)

The first time you notice the date (on your phone, or maybe someone else breaks the news in their own confusion or panic), you probably struggle to believe it. Two weeks that you've been asleep. It doesn't feel like two weeks - you're clean, only mildly hungry or thirsty, with only a faint weakness in your muscles as you stand. It almost feels more likely that the Technicians adjusted the date overnight to alarm you. Perhaps you might even believe it, but for the evidence otherwise. The milk in your fridge has expired. The snow outside your door is fresh and untouched, with no sign of your passage supposedly yesterday. And the animals are gone, as well. Perhaps not a sign of how long you've slept, but certainly a sign that something isn't right.

If you expected an explanation, you aren't going to get one. Unless by 'explanation' you mean 'goddamn blizzard'.

A GODDAMN BLIZZARD

Because that's exactly what sets in on the 20th, a gale-force blizzard with increasingly limited visibility. Here's hoping you were smart enough to set out for home as soon as it began, because you aren't given more than a couple of hours before navigating outdoors is damn near impossible, between the visibility issue and the rapidly-deepening blanket of snow. As the afternoon fades to evening, it only seems to be getting worse. Those cabins with appropriately-slanted roofs find that the snow slides down to pile heavily against the cabin's exterior walls and door. Those cabins with a flat or gently-sloped roofs, on the other hand, are at strong risk of a part of their roof (and thus ceiling) collapsing under the weight of all that snow. As if having a blizzard outside the cabin wasn't bad enough.

And then things get just a little bit worse. Just before sunset, the cabins' electricity starts to flicker - just a little at first, but increasing in intensity until it finally goes out altogether a half hour later. This lasts through the night, and while it may seem promising that electricity within the town itself remains steady, that too goes into a blackout just before dawn.

This blackout lingers through the 21st and into the 22nd, cold seeping in through the windows and cracks as you huddle near the fire or generator-run space heater and hope for the best... But even the best isn't pleasant in the slightest. The lack of internal heat lets the doors and windows freeze shut, and snow piles high enough around the house's exterior that you'd have to climb out an upstairs window in order to exit. Not only is it cold as hell, but everyone's more-or-less trapped in it for now.

But not even the cold and the dark can last forever, and the blizzard lets up to a light dusting of snow mid-day on the 22nd. That evening, the power flickers back on as well, but some cabins/apartments/buildings may find that it's less consistent than others, continuing to flicker dangerously throughout the next day or so. But that doesn't mean the ordeal is over yet. The snow may have slowed to an almost laughable sprinkle and the sun may shine warm and bright in the rapidly-clearing sky, but that still leaves each cabin or building piled up with snow nearly as deep as you are tall (except you, Vivi - it's about twice your height). Might want to start digging yourself out, since it'll take nearly the rest of the month to melt down to reasonable levels if you don't.

► MOD NOTES

• This is the January Catch-All Log, for all log top-levels throughout the month. Large gatherings (parties, meetings, etc) are still encouraged to post their own logs for organizational purposes!
  
• This log also encompasses both Annual Maintenance (Jan 3rd - 16th) + Hey, Who Turned Out The Lights? (Jan 20th - 22nd), discussed at the bottom of the January Bulletin.
  
• 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), and be sure to clearly indicate event prompts.
  
• ( ! ) For the sake of organization, a top-level has been provided for all Annual Maintenance shenanigans and exclusively those. Please put any shared dream prompts under the top-level for the sake of organization, while any non-dream prompts should be posted as a regular top-level as normal.
  
• Cell phone signal does work during the blackout, but inconsistently! If you'd like to play with the trapped/isolated feelings, feel free to say they can't get a message out/in (or that it takes a long time to do so) even if others are able to more easily.
  
• Any questions can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk.

Comments

ANNUAL MAINTENANCE shared dream top-levels

[vestigemods]

( All top-levels/prompts taking place within the shared dreams between the 3rd and 16th go here! )

Lan Jingyi | MDZS | OTA

[gusumouthcannon]

Fruit Swordsperson Challenge (Yikes! App)

Jingyi has discovered the Yikes app.
Jingyi has a budding addiction to the Yikes app.
Jingyi is cornering the next person to pass by into doing something fun(!) so he can record it and put it up on Yikes.

The explanation is this, which he launches into as soon as he spots his next candidate: "Okay so you just have to hold my sword and when I throw this at you, you just have to hit it before it hits you." He is holding various past-ripe winter fruits that he has collected from the grocery store. The selection of apples, one miserable banana, and...well, that's a potato. Still. They don't look too squishy. "And then you get a score, depending on how many you hit or do not. And then we go find someone else and see how they do!"

What do fish have to do with anything? (NEF App)

Jingyi is...baffled, to say the least. He found the app and its profiles and his profile in particular.

Case in point: Jingyi's Profile.

So now he is hanging out, in public (hanging out around the town proper on a bench nearby, or next to the lake, or in his living room), fussing with his phone. The next person who walks by gets a, "Do you have one of these?" and the phone with his profile open unceremoniously thrust beneath their nose.

"Dragon" out of Bed in the Morning—Backdated to ~Dec 20thish

Morning at the Bachelor Pad dawns winter-late and brings with it gifts! Namely, upon the front porch, Jingyi has discovered that the technicians made good on their promise of a ghost-eating dragon.

He is. Over the moon.

The thing is a pale blue, recognizably Lan blue, and a bit long and noodly with little wings and white tufts of downy feather stuff along its spine and at its joints. He has not yet named it, just figured out that it is, indeed, friendly, as specified.

(That morning): He does not actually kick the front door in. He does spiritually kick the front door in and break about eighteen different Lan rules by shouting, "MY DRAGON GOT HERE!!" while holding said dragon in his arms like a long-suffering cat.

(That afternoon): Jingyi honestly has no idea how to take care of a dragon. Cloud Recesses has never allowed pets, so his knowledge of animal husbandry is restricted to rabbits and horses, and he has certainly never lived with any type of animal indoors. Maybe the dragon is a little like a dog? Dogs need...walks? So here he is, taking his dragon for a walk along the lakeshore. It (he?) seems to like sniffing around the icy edge of the frozen lake, at least, and getting the fuzzy down all over its legs muddy-wet.

What Year is It?—Jan 16+

At the end of the two weeks, Jingyi drags himself to consciousness at early o'clock as usual and drags himself down to the kitchen to start making breakfast equally as usual. He notices nothing amiss until he is in the middle of eating said breakfast, dragon curled up on his lap and refusing to move, and he is poking around his phone. The date is wrong? Er. That is...weird.

Come to think of it, more of the perishables had gone and perished a lot faster than he had anticipated. (Thank goodness for all of Gilia's preserved stuff.)

The rest of the day feels a bit subtly off, too.

Anyone he encounters, either in his house or as he wanders into town to go to the grocery store to restock on said perishables (dragon at his heels, just in case of rogue ghosts; he had the weirdest dreams last night), gets a casual hello and a, "Hey, so, did you wake up to anything weird this morning?"

Blackout Conditions (Closed to Cabinmates~)—Jan 21st

To be fair, Jingyi is used to not having electricity, so he copes like he would if he were stuck anywhere in a creepy cabin in a horror bubble full of ghosts and bullshit. He lights candles and camps out in the living room on the couch as the snow piles up past the windows.

The biggest issue is the forced inactivity. Jingyi is all but bouncing off the walls, and for the moment, going through his sword forms seems like the thing to do, right? He is pretty focused on waving his sword around without knocking anything over; anyone coming in takes him right by surprise as he swings toward them with a startled stabbing motion.

Wildcard!

Text him, maybe, if you saw his Yikes fruit challenges, or want to give him shit about his NEF profile, or you'd like to help him train his poor dragon to not try and murder any fierce corpses(coughcough).

Naminé | Kingdom Hearts

[lethechained]

A. || FOODLAND | JANUARY 20th

[ The door rattles ominously as it shuts against the harsh wind. Panting from her run, Naminé turns around to face the glass, then proceeds to brush the fresh snow out of the fringe of her hair. The flakes still caught in her eyelashes present something of a nuisance, but once she’s done swiping at them (and scrubbing more thoroughly at one eye with the back of her hand when she’s promptly introduced to how uncomfortable it is to get snow on the outside of one’s cornea) it’s not hard to see the situation progressing outside.

The grocery store doesn’t provide much in the way of heat, but it makes a good enough pitstop for the present moment. The blonde’s clothing is still flecked with snow as she considers the weather, watching the windows shift from the rushing air with her arms pressed tightly around her body. Her secondhand knowledge has never taught her much about blizzards, but even now as the storm is just beginning, she’s got a sneaking suspicion that it bears worrying over. ]

… Is anyone else here?

[ She calls it out after a moment’s thought and another few seconds’ hesitation. Her voice isn’t naturally loud, though the howling wind is; perhaps it’s better to take a look. Shifting, she proceeds a few extra steps into the store, glancing around for any sign of company. ]

The wind is getting pretty bad out there…!


B. || OUTSIDE - THE ROAD | JANUARY 20th

[ This was probably not her single greatest idea.

Staying in the chilly Foodland to wait out a storm that only seemed to be getting more intense had felt like the greater risk at the time. Now, though, as the frigid air drives right through her extra layers of clothing which are already coated with white on the windward side, Naminé finds she regrets her urgency about getting back to the comfort of her own cabin. The poor trembling thing trudges through the snow with as much purpose as she can still manage to have when each step seems harder, slim arms wrapped around herself to muster all the insulation that her laughably small frame can afford her.

Although a minute or two ago she’d been pretty confident that she was headed the right direction, she finds herself squinting just a little harder now to try to spot the same trees she was using as landmarks the moment before.

It really is continuing to get worse, isn’t it? ]


C. || CABINS | JANUARY 23

[ If one happens to be concerned enough to investigate the state of their neighbors (and enterprising enough to make a way out of their own home first) they might happen to be sufficiently nearby to hear the abrupt squawk of surprise and subsequent rushing noise as some of the snow in front of this particular cabin’s door sinks out of place. Judging by the positioning of it, the occupant was trying to dig themselves a way out, but…

Well. This is going to be a long day for her, apparently. (Maybe she should have invested in a shovel.) ]


D. || WILDCARD

[ Choose your own (snow-related) adventure. ]

Renfri | The Witcher

[thelesserevil]

[ individual prompts in the comments below, contact me for personalized prompts. will match prose or brackets ]

Jiang Cheng | The Untamed

[legbreakings]

[ individual prompts in the comments below, contact me for personalized prompts. will match prose or brackets ]

lan sizhui ♪ the untamed

[deferences]

store runs and snow fun; (ota)

[two weeks. that's really, truly how long he'd (they'd? and if that's the case, how many?) fallen asleep for. disbelief aside, once the weakness in his muscles subsides, lan sizhui is up and moving around shortly thereafter. easiest way to distract himself from being unconscious for so long is doing something that has him too focused on the activity and he just ignores or forgets it, even if just for a little while.

so, the first thing he does is pile on as many layers as he can handle and fly into town on his sword for some luxury items; whatever fruits, veggies, snacks and perhaps a couple other perishables he can stuff into his backpack, he does, making sure certain things don't get crushed during his careful packing process.

if anyone familiar happens to be around, he cheerfully greets,] Hello, [and eagerly gestures them over with his free hand while the other fusses with an orange.] It's nice to see you're awake.

[or if it's someone he doesn't know, sizhui isn't afraid to help; he's been here so long, after all, it's the least he can do! (and there's obviously safety in numbers.)] Hi there! Do you need help finding anything? [like, a particular kind of food item or funny t-shirt? because this here's your guy!]


[after he's gotten somewhat replenished provisions-wise, still layered up, he ventures back outside into the snow to simply admire the way it covers everything in a pretty white blanket. it's quiet out here, sound muted by the snowhills and continuously falling flakes, but it doesn't take long for him to wander off his porch.

when he does, that's when he can be found building snowmen, making snowangels or testing his luck with some ice-skates out on the lake. whichever activity, he's doing it, earnestly and enthusiastically, even though his skating skills could use some work.

the point here, mostly, is that he keeps moving because he'd been sedentary for too long.]



phone apps; (ota)

[whether he's in town or nearby the cabins, there is a very likely chance sizhui can be caught messing with the new apps on their devices. the cute little filters being the main things but there is the off chance one might catch him attempting the ridiculous chickchuck game, too. the other game and ‘not enough fish’ don't appeal to him much, but hey, nobody's saying he can't be convinced.

mindlessly bouncing back and forth between the same two apps has to get tiring after a while, yeah?

should you be (un)lucky enough, perhaps the boy abruptly perks, turns toward you and offers,] Would you like to try this game or take a picture with me? They have a lot of those cute— [a moment's hesitation then,] Oh, ‘filters,’ I think.



not-so-fun blizzard; (cabinmates + people that end up stuck(?) there)

[whenever the lights start flickering, he doesn't initially think much of it, given the frightful weather outside, but he is wary. always makes sure there's wood to keep the fireplace going just in case despite it only being the slightest thought in the deep recesses of his mind. which is smart since the lights do eventually go out. good thing he's been collecting candles, albeit they're just bulk packages of tiny, mostly scentless tealights.

he lights them up and leaves glittering trails of flames in all the communal rooms, then if anyone needs any extras, he's right there to offer a few for their bedrooms or whatever else is necessary.] They won't last very long, so use them sparingly, but I hope they help.


[another thing he's somehow gathered his fair share of is blankets; two big, heavy comforters – one green, the other pastel blue – and an oversized fuzzy throw, all of which he's dragged out into the living room, gathered into a big pile and buried himself underneath beside the fire in a desperate attempt to keep warm. he's used to the cold but this is absolutely absurd!

to be honest, it's his hope that someone will join him and offer some company (alongside possible body heat) during the blackout. there's more than enough room in front of the fireplace, of course, and he has blankets to spare.


when sizhui isn't just a lump beneath the pile, he's striding around the room, either making food or tidying things up, but no matter what, he drifts from the task every so often to the nearest window, drawing pictures across the glass with the hand not holding his little tealight.

neverminding the fact it's taken him a few minutes to realize he isn't alone, once he has, his attention is on whoever has joined him, big doe eyes almost comically wide.]

What? [an innocent question, really, followed shortly after by a faint, almost sheepish-looking smile.] We have to entertain ourselves somehow, don't we? This... seems like a safe enough activity.

[and there's plenty of snow to keep the windows constantly fogged, they'll never run out of canvas.


but thank goodness, the precipitation does eventually stop. the moment it does and electricity comes back, regardless of it not being wholly steady, he dares venturing outside into the mess to at least start digging out the front door and some windows. not having a proper shovel proves difficult, though he's managing with his hands and an extremely delicate rolling process that works better than he would've anticipated.

this also helps because it lets him examine the glass after mounds have been pushed aside, make certain nothing is broken or cracked before keeping right on with the laborious snow removal.

something tells him this would be so much easier if he had a few endless fire talismans.]

January 16th

[keeperofkeys]

She can't quite believe the date on her phone. Two weeks? Two entire weeks she's been asleep? It doesn't feel like it, but why would the technicians change the date on her phone?

Or why wouldn't they, perhaps.

The longest she'd fallen asleep like that was at the hospital, but that was only for a few days. She doesn't like the feeling that she's lost time.

Still, her food in the fridge is starting to go off, and she needs to venture out for supplies. So she bundles herself up and heads out into the snow.

Feel free to run into her somewhere along her trek, or bump into her while she's buying food.

Winston | Overwatch | OTA

[moonape]

Of Cabins and Peanut Butter: 16th-19th

[After his arrival on the network, Winston can be seen having a look around the cabins and the immediate area. Big ol gorilla in his gear, jump pack on his back. He definitely stands out.

If he's not at the cabins he'll be in town checking out Foodland. I'm not saying you'll catch him checking out the peanut butter, but. Yeah. He's definitely considering stocking up.]

... hmm, I wonder if they have any bananas here too?


Tis the Season for a Blizzard: 22nd-???

[During the blizzard and the power being out, along with the heat, Winston had taken to collecting all the blankets and pillows in the cabin and making a big ol' nest in the living room. He's now thankful he did stock up on that peanut butter!

When the snow seems to stop piling up, Winston adventures out of his warm nest to open the door to his cabin. Oh boy.

Closing the door he ends up having to very awkwardly, it's already awkward enough fitting through the doors here, pull himself through a window on the second floor and up onto the roof. Surveying the white wonderland, Winston makes a leap for it!!!

He'll spend a lot of time clearing out the snow around his own cabin, and works to try and make his way to others. He's a big boy, he can do a lot of snow slinging. Do not be alarmed if you hear noises outside your door!

A polite knock will come eventually.]

Uh hello? Everyone okay in there?

closed to lan wangji (cas's cabin)

[useinsouciant]

He hasn't had much time to redecorate the place to his liking, yet. But he has pushed chairs and the coffee table out of the way so there's a nice, big space in the center of the room for meditation. He also doesn't have his usual collection of throw pillows with him, so he steals the cushions off the chairs, setting them on the floor instead.

There, much better.

His run to the Foodmart had been successful in that he'd found tea, so he puts a kettle on to heat up some water for when his guest arrives.

Miles Morales ( Into the Spider-verse )

[shouldertouching]

( A. Blizzard )

[ It doesn't take long for Miles to get lost as winds and snow pick up. He's not quite learned his surroundings yet having just arrived and he's turned around on how to get to the place he had staked out as his own -- which is weird in and of itself. He kept expecting to hear his mom's voice telling him to wake up and eat breakfast before school.

He frowns as he sees a home and he's just too cold and having too hard a time navigating in the blizzard that he heads for it, shivering as he knocks on the door. ]

Please be someone nice...

[ He mumbles under his breath. ]

( B. Wildcard )

[ Definitely feel free to hit me up with something else! I'm wide open. ]

Bernadetta von Varley

[cryingforever]

A. Sometime Jan 23rd

[ This is the worst.

First she woke up in a snow drift and nearly suffocated for it in her opinion. Second this place was strange and unfamiliar and definitely not her warm and cozy room back at Garreg Mach. Thirdly, she had her bow and arrows, which never boded well for the teenager. Finally there was some weird unopenable box in her pocket all shiny and glass and she didn't know what to make of it. Honestly it makes her want to scream in utter panic, but what if there's bears or lions or rabbits?

Instead, she mostly quietly sneaks about the trees, noticing an opening in the treeline....

Only to find a lake and cabins... And even worse...

People. ]

[ Anyone with any ounce of observational skill while they're cleaning up the snow from their cabin or going about their business will notice a purple haired teenager shaking behind a tree, bow and quiver of arrows attached to her back. She's absolutely not dressed for this weather but from her expression, the shaking might be from the weather or being terrified. Possibly both. ]

B. Wildcard

[ Sure why not? ]