I'd sit there and look at the deserted lakes and I'd sing

[singmod]

MARCH 2024 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — EXIT STRATEGY: With the way via the main road a no-go, Methuselah finds a potential and very dangerous way out of the Milton area: the Milton Mines. During the Aurora, the Interlopers must find a way to safely navigate the mines and find a way through.

PROMPT TWO — BRAVE NEW WORLD: Interlopers make their way into the Lakeside area, and are free to explore the more of the Northern Territories: a place of both industry and leisure.

PROMPT THREE — THE ECHO: On Aurora nights, the aftermath of the Darkwalker's attack on the Interlopers continues to ripple through the community — with a painful affliction.

EXIT STRATEGY

WHEN: Mid-month.
WHERE: Milton Mines.
CONTENT WARNINGS: claustrophobic situations; potential injury/maiming; potential electrocution/electrocution injuries; potential burn injuries; hyperthermic situations; exploration horror;


Unusually, Methuselah returns to the town around the middle of the month. He is looking pleased and will ask that the Interlopers gather in the Community Hall. Once gathered, he climbs onto the small stage at one end of the Hall and explains that following last month’s Feast, he set out to try to find a way out of Milton, and he believes he may have found a way out.

He goes on to explain that although the Milton Mine has been closed for many years, there may still be access through the mine. The mine had two entrances through either sides of the stone, one on the Milton side since many of the residents worked the mine back in the day, but there was also an additional entrance on the opposite side, which led to a railway track that allowed easier export of coal and precious materials towards the coast. Having gained access, he believes the mine seems to mostly remain intact, but not easy to get through. However, he discovered that during the Aurora, the old mine and its electronics came to life — meaning a way through is certainly possible during those times with the added electronics in play.

It is not much, and it is certainly incredibly dangerous, but it is something. There is certainly no way out towards the south; towards the north might be the Interlopers’ best chance of finding a way out of Milton.

Methuselah will ask for any volunteers to join him in trying to find a way out via the mines, taking them up north and then waiting for an Aurora to happen before they can then make their way through and explore the mine system. Anyone is free to sign up, and he suggests someone drawing up a sign up sheet so that Interlopers have an idea of who is leaving the town on the journey.

The hike towards the mines is a long one, taking a few hours on an incline to reach the northern mountains. Waiting on the Aurora may take time, so setting up camp is the next step — waiting for night and hoping the skies fill with night soon. Interlopers are free to explore the mine beforehand, but will find a lot of it locked up tight. With areas unreachable without power and the darkness suffocating, they won’t get very far.

When the Aurora does finally come, the mine will come to life: the system’s lighting will come on throughout, albeit flickering and a little unreliable. Machinery and track systems whir and groan as the mine slowly cranks itself into functioning once more. While there are maps of the system to help Interlopers navigate the system — showing a second entrance labelled as ‘Lakeside Entrance’ — the true difficulty in getting through lies in wait.

Interlopers will find that parts of the system have been partially flooded: with the frigid water in places mostly ankle deep and others reaching no higher than knee-high on an average-height man. What’s worse, is the half-destroyed electrics ravaged by both time and the Aurora mean plenty of loose wires hanging here and there. It’s possible to accidentally catch yourself on them, meaning burn injuries and mild electric shocks — but care should be taken in checking if these wires may have fallen into these flooded parts. Stepping into these live waters will be far more deadly. They will also find that the electronically-powered gates that open through into areas may not function, with the fuses having been blown.

Gaining access through the mine is not impossible, however. It will simply require a little bit of legwork. One of the larger caverns of the mines houses a fuse board. Characters can switch off sections of the mines in order to traverse them safely, find new fuses in toolboxes scattered through the mines in order to open the gates and make their way through to gain access to the elevator of the mine — which will also require new fuses, in order to power the electrics to get it to function.

It is perhaps, most frustrating, that once Interlopers get the elevator working and head downwards into the final section of the mine, that they will come across hand-cranks — allowing them to use the elevator without the need for electricity. But at least the hard part is over, and the Interlopers now have a way through from Milton that doesn’t require relying on the Aurora to power the mine’s electrics.

On the lower section of the mine, there will be a handful of more gated rooms to get through before reaching the Lakeside Entrance, and more wires and flooded areas to traverse. But you can taste it: something on the air. You’re close.

You’ve made it, Interloper.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards.
WHERE: Milton Mines (Lakeside Entrance); The Ravine; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of exploration/survival; themes of peril; acrophobia; potential character/npc death from falls; potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk;

Coming out of the mines, you will be greeted by a small mining camp and railway track enclosed by mountains on both sides. It’s incredibly sheltered here, with little wind chill and not as much snow on the ground compared to some of the more open areas of Milton. It may be best to rest here for the rest of the night. There are several portacabins that were used to house some of the former miners, along with additional cabins with one being some kind of foreman’s office, one that served as a kind of mess hall and one for bathing/toilet needs.

While there is little in terms of supplies left in there, some scraps may be found here and there — plus the cabins will provide decent shelter from the cold, which may be the last Interlopers will get ahead of the long walk down through the mountain track and into Lakeside. There is also plenty of coal left lying around, too — allowing for Interlopers to craft fires to keep warm. Even with it being sheltered, it’s still cold out.

In terms of where to go from here, the only way seems to be to follow the track. It’s a long walk, but rather straightforward if you keep to the tracks. A good few hours of it, but it’s quiet — and there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of wildlife or windchill here. It almost seems too easy, or as easy as it could be in regards to a long walk through thick snow.

Until you come face to face with the ravine.

The world opens up to you, with the tracks stretching over a huge valley via a… mostly sturdy-looking wooden and steel bridge. There doesn’t seem to be any way around it, no alternative route of getting over to the other side. Crossing the bridge is the only option. Care should be taken, with Interlopers now being vulnerable to the wind and the snow-laden tracks. As sturdy as the bridge looks, it seems to creak and groan under the weight of a single footstep. There even appears to be the remains of fall train-carts in the depths, from some unfortunate incident years ago. It’s probably fine.

Crossing the bridge and continuing down the tracks will eventually have the world opening up even more — you’ve finally reached Lakeside. Thick boreal forests crowd around the tracks, and in places, Interlopers will note that the tracks have buckled and become badly damaged. When they find roads, they will also find them in similar states of disrepair from beneath the snow. Following them for another hour or so will eventually lead to Lakeside’s Maintenance Yard. From here, there is a road, with directions: signs pointing towards Milton, the Coast, Lakeside Resort and the Carter Hydrodam.

For those interested in searching the Maintenance Yard, they will be greeted by a large, fenced in building. Fortunately, a great deal of the fencing has been damaged with the bad weather and it is easy enough to gain access. The place is a bit of a mess: scrap metal, wood, and dissued trucks and cars litter the yard, along with wood that can be used for kindling and firewood. Inside the Maintenance Yard, it is a little bit of a mechanic’s dream. There’s plenty of tools in this place, and even a forge which could be used for crafting if someone has the patience to fire it up and keep it hot for long enough. There’s plenty of stores of coal, at least. But in terms of a living space, there’s not much else other than a small break room with some comfy chairs to catch some quick shut-eye. Searching the Yard for any letters or such will reveal a similar theme to that of Milton: difficulty in reaching the Mainland with postage and correspondences, the lack of staffing, and the problems with wildlife. There are also complaints and concerns over growing dangers of small quakes causing damage to the roads and rail system.

Following the road towards the Lakeside Resort is a mostly quiet and pleasant enough trek, as long as one keeps close to or on the road there as much as possible. The Resort is largely secluded, even if it is around the actual lake itself, and it’s easy to see just why this place would have been a popular vacation place.

The resort is a collection of a dozen luxury cabins dotted around the edge of the lake, each of them with a decent amount of space between them for privacy. The cabins themselves are sturdy and well built, but look far more modern and almost designer in terms of style - with huge almost floor to ceiling windows and spacious porches for that perfect lakeside view, and open plan rooms and balconies. Each of the cabins contain multiple bedrooms, suitable for vacationing families and mix both modern technology and more rustic means of heating homes — making them ideal for all weathers.

A couple of the cabins are not completed, appearing to be a kind of expansion of the resort that was not finished. Build materials still remain here. Some of the cabins on the furthest side appear to have become victims of vandalism, having been broken into and completely trashed with windows smashed, furniture missing and broken, and any goods completely ransacked from the place. There are perhaps five cabins out of the twelve that remain fully intact and may contain useful items such as food, basic medical supplies and tools, and will certainly be excellent shelters for those looking for somewhere to stay.

There is also a Camp Office, situated at the east side of the lake. Used as a kind of main office of maintenance for the cabins, along with an office or tourist centre of sorts. It has a decent stock of hiking and outdoor essentials. The Camp Office does also have a small living space upstairs — presumably used by Lake staff or rangers, with a wood stove and kitchenette, along with a bathroom and several bunk-beds. It appears that the Camp Office wasn't abandoned until a short while ago — no more than a couple of months.

Following the road to the Hydrodam is a trickier one than the one to the Resort. There is a higher volume of predator wildlife here, with wolf howls closer and more frequent. With the current state of wildlife’s behaviours, it is likely to face attacks from wolves on the way there. The Carter Hydrodam has clearly seen better days. It seems to have fallen into disrepair and may have only been run by a small skeleton crew. While the Hydrodam is gated and locked up tight, it’s possible to break in through the gate and gain access.

While the lower dam is currently out of bounds, Interlopers will be able to get into the upper levels of the main building of the Hydrodam, which consists mostly of offices, maintenance rooms, a medical bay, and rooms banked with control panels, plus staff areas. The med bay is relatively well stocked, but might need a little forced entry with certain medical lockers and cabinets. Tools and other useful items can also be found here, along with bunk rooms, a small canteen and bathrooms/showers. It might be possible with some work to get access to hot water here — the showering systems run on a back-up furnace system, and while some of the pipes are broken, it might be possible to fix them to get the hot water system up and running again.

Following the road to the Coast will find a dead end. The bridge that heads over towards that direction has been damaged beyond repair, and there looks to be no way of getting around it. Perhaps, much like with getting out of Milton, there may be an alternate way of getting further south, but time will tell.

But for now, here is an entirely new region, ripe for the picking. While it appears some places have already seen minor scavenging (with the exception to the vandalism and looting of some of the resort cabins), Lakeside is largely untouched. It is full of game to hunt, an expansive lake to take up ice-fishing in, and indoor locations to search through for supplies. Some Interlopers may decide to stay here permanently now that it’s easier to travel between Lakeside and Milton.

THE ECHO

WHEN: Aurora Nights, the month of March.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural/otherworldly afflictions; themes of grief; themes of loss

There are roughly no more than ten Aurora nights during the month of March, and everything occurs as usual: the insanely bright colours swirling in the skies before you, the crackles and pops of static in the air providing percussion to the strange, ethereal chorus of almost-electrical sounds. The electrics of the world around coming alive with its usual sputtering and falters. There is much mystery to these strange, almost supernatural phenomena — but they almost feel like a kind of staple in the Northern Territories.

But on these nights something different happens.

If you listen closely, the sound of weeping can be heard on the air. Those with the Aurora Call Feat will be particularly drawn to the sound, and will hear it more clearly compared to their fellow Interlopers. It is the sound of a woman, and those paying attention might be able to recognise the voice it belongs to: it is the same woman heard over the static of radios and televisions in December and early January. The same woman that spoke to Interlopers, telling them to sleep, with the promise of help — thus granting some of them powers. It is the same voice that screamed out the night La’an Noonien-Singh died, and the night of those recently killed in the church.

She is… grief-stricken. Her weeping is a raw and anguished thing, and the more you listen, the more it seems to grip at you. You feel her pain, maybe it echoes within your own. Those you have lost, those you have failed or hurt — a reverb that grows stronger as the night continues. It is an all-consuming pain, its depths endless. It brings tears to your eyes.

You carry this pain, as she does.

You feel it in your very bones, in your flesh and sinew. It’s an exhaustive pain, and as the night progresses, you find yourself incredibly weary. In a strange state of fatigue that won’t even allow you to sleep.

You may find yourself going in search of comfort amongst friends, or loved ones. To hold a hand, to embrace them — to not be alone in this pain you feel.

But it is a pain that is too great.

On these nights, you will find yourselves alone, without the comfort you would otherwise lean on. You will not be soothed by that comfort of others. For as long as the Aurora lasts, reaching out and touching others will bring real physical pain to you. It will hurt to touch others, and physical contact will produce a sharp biting pain, even for those who may not feel pain otherwise. Too much. It’s… too much.

Some of you were told once, in a dream: “Don’t you understand it now? We are all connected. The Aurora connects us.”

Once the lights in the sky fade, that pain will finally ease and the woman’s sobs will go quiet — but it will return once more, when the next Aurora comes.

FAQs

EXIT STRATEGY

1. It is entirely possible for NPC Interlopers to die in the mines due to electrocution, and players are free to use NPCs — we ask that players give mods a heads up so that the masterlist can be updated accordingly.


BRAVE NEW WORLD

1. The lower dam is currently completely physically impossible to access. The door that leads there is jammed shut. Characters will notice half-frozen water leaking on the floor around the door.

2. It is possible to find bodies in Lakeside, however there is a... suspiciously low amount of them, and the rare ones found by characters will have been there for some time. They will have appeared to have died of exposure.

3. Wolves can be found in Lakeside, and their tracks are incredibly common. Interactions with wolves can happen in the exploration of this region, and they will behave much like they did during the September event and be incredibly hostile to players.

4. Bears are also common in Lakeside, and their tracks can also be found. They technically should be still hibernating, and much like wolves — they will be aggressive towards Interlopers. Keep your distance!

5. Lakeside unlocking comes with a Companion Event of an Interation with a new NPC!

THE ECHO

1. Essentially: physical touch with others will bring Interlopers physical pain. Sorry about that.

2. It is possible for Interlopers with Aurora Call to attempt to reach out to the woman. Those interested can inquire into what that interaction may be like! They can find out what that entails here.

PLOTTING POST

Comments

Harry Goodsir | The Terror | OTA

[bestsir]

1. Exit Strategy

When the decision is made to explore the mine, Goodsir offers to go with the exploration party—which may seem odd to anyone who doesn't know about his experiences in the Arctic. However, he is capable for the most part—he's a perfectly competent hiker and is readily available to help anyone who might get injured.

Inside the mine he's less comfortable; being underground makes him anxious. Still, he keeps going, and though he experiences a mishap or two, he comes out in one piece on the other side.

2. Brave New World

Goodsir's first order of business in the new places is to search for medical supplies, consolidating a cache for anyone who decides to stay in Lakeside, and loading up others to take back to Milton. He's tempted to stay in Lakeside, but he feels that he's too settled in Milton, and so makes a plan to visit Lakeside for a few days at least once every month. He spends two whole days just in the Hydrodam medical bay, examining all the equipment and supplies with fascination (although he will need someone to explain how all this stuff works).

3. The Echo

When Goodsir hears the woman's voice, he answers back and the results are very interesting indeed. He's going to want to talk to anyone else who heard the voice.

4. Wildcard

Goodsir will be spending a fair amount of time in Lakeside to start. Then he returns to Milton with a new stash of supplies, and goes about his business.

Levi | Fear & Hunger 2: Termina

[solitarysoul]

starters in comments
plotting | ConnectiveTrick | content warnings

Exit Strategy

[solitarysoul]

I - preparing
During Termina, just before he was taken to this place, Levi developed the habit of pocketing any ammunition he could find. He'd kind of needed it during the war, too, but that was more looting bodies than cabinets and trashcans. In the early days of being in Milton he kept up this habit, and even had a hard time not pocketing any if he still found it. He couldn't use all of it, of course, his rifle only took .303 shells, and while he had a backup hand gun he didn't need much ammo for it.

He'd put up a note on the message board that he'd hand it out to anyone who asked, but he didn't feel quite comfortable just leaving all the extras anywhere so he'd found a spot in the basement of the community hall to hide it all in. But he went through it every so often, to do inventory and give himself something to do. Now that Methuselah had returned with a possible lead seemed like a really good time to do that. He's pulled out the bag and is now sorting the ammo out by type on one of the tables in the community hall. Not only did he not trust the old man, but there were sure to be predators out there. He needed to know what they had available and what needed to be taken.


2 - camp
The group had made it to the mine easily enough, but getting through the mine wasn't as simple. So they'd been forced to make camp and wait for an aurora to come. Levi wasn't good with people and he'd come along as security detail, so he spends most of the time near the edges of camp, patrolling or standing nearly at attention, on look out for anything dangerous out in the forest.
He sleeps very little during this time, usually during the day when most other people are awake. When he does sleep its troubled, but thankfully he doesn't wake up screaming while the group is camping together.

Brave New World

[solitarysoul]

I - resort
Everything in and around Milton was so strange, but it was the luxury cabins that perplexed Levi the most. The rooms were so big and the furniture seemed so fancy and...unnecessary. Sure, the view of the lake was nice, but did they need almost a whole wall to be dedicated to a window to see it? It all felt so strange to him. He felt more out of place here than anywhere else in Milton.

The cabins were clearly for people with money; was this how rich people lived? Had Marina grown up in a house like this? The amount of beds seemed to imply only one or two families lived in these, but he just couldn't picture it. He could fit a whole battalion in here, did people really need this much space? Was that why people kept claiming houses and living alone in them?
It was all so weird. He looks to his companion, "Do you think people really lived like this, or its just for some crazy get away?"


2 - the damn dam
The dam had Levi on edge. He knew it wasn't the same, but the cold, industrial corridors felt too much like the halls in the bunkers he'd been through in Prehevil. It wasn't the same. He kept telling himself it wasn't the same, but he couldn't be entirely sure. So far no stitched together creatures or nightmare monsters had shown up, but he had no idea what was going on here. That meant he couldn't be entirely sure that what had haunted Prehevil wouldn't show up here. He hated it, but he couldn't just pull back and cower. He had to keep going forward; he had a job to do.

He'd come along to protect the others, so he's carefully going through the halls and rooms of the dam. His rifle is in his hands, just in case, but his grip on it is tighter than it usually is. Maybe don't sneak up on him.


3 - cat?!
Levi'd split off from the others for a bit as they searched the Camp Office, since it was faster to search areas if they didn't all stick together. He wasn't really sure what he'd expected to find, but a tiny kitten trapped under an overturned flower pot was not it. When he pushed the pot over, trying to find out where the strange pleading noise was coming from, she'd rocketed out and up his leg.

He should have left her behind, but she was so small and terrified he just couldn't. He tried looking around for the mother or family of the brown and white puffball but came up with nothing. When it was time to return to the others he left some jerky behind with the cat. That was either a horrible mistake or a wonderful choice, as after the starving kitten ate her fill she followed after him.

He doesn't notice his stalker at first, in fact someone may need to point it out to him. Eventually he notices, though, and decides that he can't just leave her.
She was an orphan, just like him. He may not have found any parents but he knew in this world the possibility of them being alive was slim to none. Especially if the poor starving thing was following him, so he relented. The rest of the trip he could be found with either a small norwegian forest cat trailing after him or nestled in one of the pockets of his oversized coat.

He doesn't really know how to deal with animals, though, so he's just playing it by ear. Maybe someone would like to help, or convince him to name the kitten?


((forgot to mention it before, but ill match style if youd rather do brackets or whatever! this goes for all the prompts.))

2

[solitarysoul]

The dam makes him jumpy, but he comes to visit Goodsir looting it sometime in the second day. Most of its unfamiliar to him to, but he's really there to take notes and carry things.

"Do you think we can take any of the machines back? I guess they wouldn't be useful." What with no power and all.

peter parker — the amazing spider-man

[webshootings]

[ plotting comment | jortles for further plotting. ]

rabbit's foot -- a v general ota

[ployboy]

Tim, for once, is willingly left behind.

Having gotten wind of the upcoming expedition he instead starts to (for once) make himself useful. Any intrepid traveler who admits to not being the best of hunters (or the best at traveling) will be getting a small but practical parting gift of dried meats. Paradise Farms does have its slaughterhouse, after all. And for all his bumbling around, Tim is a quick learner where it counts.

There are a pair of emergency blankets to hand out.

At Marche du Lac, Tim will help any adventurer barter for a better price on assorted other supplies or he'll take on their debt. He's unsure about the whole thing but that's... that's surely not deterring anyone from venturing out. So he'll try to keep a lid on the worries.

Don't be too surprised if Tim manages to dole out insightful, good advice for adventuring and field first aid.

( exit strategy ; ota )

[webshootings]

[ Peter's instinct is, of course, to volunteer to go through the mines. But, when he thinks about it further, he realizes that he could be more of a hindrance than anything. He's new, he's still unfamiliar with things, and he doesn't have access to the powers that he'd come to rely on. Peter tries to tell himself that he went for years without but those abilities being absent now makes him feel a little hollow.

So, he elects to stay behind. Milton itself is still a brand new place for him and he wants to find out more. He could ask, sure, but he wants to feel useful somehow. Maybe he'll be able to find out something that others haven't. Or maybe he'll just get out of his own head for a little while.

The volunteers head off to the mines and Peter hopes that they're successful in what they're trying to do. He hopes they come back. It sounds dangerous but isn't everything?

Once the volunteers have left, Peter does his best to find enough gear to keep himself warm and safe while he trawls around Milton. ]

You know, I used to like snow. Thought it was pretty. I think I'm gonna change my mind.

[ He's talking to himself. When he realizes that's what he's doing, he just shakes his head. Focus, Peter, focus. He doesn't even know where to start. ]

( brave new world ; ota )

[webshootings]

[ Peter isn't with the first group that goes out but once a way through has been established, Peter does push through into Lakeside with the others.

Even though things look ramshackle and broken down now, Peter can tell that this had to be have been a nice place once upon a time. Probably a place he wouldn't have ever come but he can tell it might have been a nice spot away for a lot of people.

Now, it's just a collection of scrap material that he knows needs to be scavenged. Peter spends a little time staring at the vandalism, trying to pick up anything from it until he starts to wander down the road and into one of the cabins.

His breath blows out chilly in front of him before he rubs his hands together and starts to pick up things here and there to take back.

His scientific curiosity eventually leads him to the Hydrodam. When access is gained, it's the control panels that draw him in and he sits in front of them for awhile, touching buttons and trying to see if he can get anything to work. ]

( wildcard ; ota )

[webshootings]

[ If you'd like to do anything else that's not listed above. Feel free to use action spam or prose, I'm good either way! ]

prep!

[heckofashot]

Usually a fellow ammunition scrounger, Maccready has found it to be slim pickings in the short time he's been in Milton — frustratingly so. He'd fortunately arrived with his rifle, probably the most important item he'd owned in the wastes, carefully maintained and customised over the years, but he'd quickly found he had no ammo to speak of — save for the two rounds in his cap; and using those up is out of the question. The notice board in the community center offers some hope, though: a piece of paper tacked up onto the board citing extra, signed by a name he recognised.

Finding Levi doesn't prove difficult, at least, he's sat at a table, sorting through different types of rounds and shells, and it's almost startling how familiar a sight it is. In another time, it could have been him or Knick Knack meticulously counting through their ammo—

"Hey, it's Levi, right? Left a note up that you had extra." He cants his head towards the table as he steps towards him, shifting his rifle off of his shoulder.

[solitarysoul]

He looks up and to Maccready when he's addressed. "Yeah, that's me."

He nods and glances to the rifle for a moment--his is leaning against the table next to him. "I've got a bunch. I kind of got into the habit of just taking any I found before I got here...but I can't use it all so if you want some feel free. What'da need?"

[heckofashot]

The admission draws a small laugh from him, "Yeah, I often found myself pocketing any I came across, too. If I couldn't use them, I could sell them." A handful of caps was better in his pocket than some shotgun shells he was literally never going to use.

Setting his rifle down on the table with a clatter, careful not to disturb what Levi's already sorted through. He takes a cursory glance at the rifle leaning against the table, remembers that the kid had mentioned he'd hunt. He gives an approving sort of nod as he continues on. "Looking for some .308 rounds if you've got 'em, though."

[solitarysoul]

He nods. If this were a normal place he might have sold them. "No money here, and I figured the more people who could defend this place against wolves or whatever the better."

.308...good, not the same ones he'd use. He's not so sure how he'd feel about sharing those. And he's got some, so he pulls them out of the piles and holds them out. Maccready may notice its not ALL of them, but it is most of them. He can probably come back for more later. "Here you go."

Ruby Rose | RWBY

[guidemyway]

Exit Strategy

Ruby simply was not about to let people go out and explore a new area without her. She had been quick to sign up for the expedition and even quicker to gather up her things for the adventure. ...Except it would still be a few days before the Aurora came around to make it possible to actually start the expedition. So sue her, she was excited.

Her silver eyes shine with anticipation when the night finally comes and they start to travel into the mine. She's got an old red back pack slung with her gear slung over one shoulder, and her trusty scythe in it's collapsed box form strapped to her back. A handy dandy flash light bobs around in her hand as she looks around around the mine. Occasionally she'll hum along some sort theme music and flash it in someone's face, or at a random object she's found when she hits a dramatic sting in the tune.

When they come across one of the more flooded areas she'll grimace as she taps her foot against the water. “This had better be worth it for a dumb fuse...” She'll mumble before stepping into the water. And then the more dramatic squeal will come out. “Cold, cold, cold COLD!” She hates this a little more than she did a second ago.

Brave New World

A

The mine was cool, but getting out to the other side is even better as far as Ruby is concerned. She doesn't seem to care for the any sort of danger as they pass over the ravine. In fact she might just be the kind of jerk to step a little more firmly and loudly just to hear the bridge groan in protest at the steps, then let out a little cackle afterwards as she continues along. Eventually she scans the train wreckage down below and let's out a whistle.

“Yeeeash. Would not want to have been on that. ...Again. I guess I have been involved in more than my fair share of train crashes before.”

B

Now it's the Maintenance Yard that really gets Ruby excited. In fact she cheers in excitement the second it comes into view and quickly picks up the pace to start exploring. There's a plethora of “ooo's” and “aaaah's” as her eyes catch sight of any sort of usable tool or material.

But it's when she she opens up the door to the workshop and catches sight of the forge that she stops and just stares in awe for a long minute. Her hands rise up cup her cheeks and just says very wistfully.

“We are going to have so much fun together. ....I'm finally home.” Sorry. She's kind of a nerd.


The Echo

After the Expedition Ruby has returned with the group to Milton. But her intentions aren't to stay full time. Seeing the forge on the other side along with the ample opportunities when it comes to hunting. She's at least a little more convinced that she can do a little more good over there than she can do here. So it's on the night of the aurora that she takes some more time to pack up anything from the house that she had originally picked out for herself with the intent to at least free it up for someone else who would need it more.

As she's finishing packing up a weight starts to drag and twist at her gut. ...It's not just the pain that she can feel through the aurora. It's the weight of the burdens she had brought along with her from home. She glances at the green gem sword, and the photo of her friends from home and feels a couple tears slide down her cheeks. She gathers them up, along with her bag and steps out of the house to head toward the community center.

[Wild Card]

[Feel free to choose your own adventure or hit me up at jjabarrett on plurk or discord to plot]

[heckofashot]

Hm, no money makes sense, but he wonders if that means no trade or barter either. "Yeah, you've got the right of it." Anything he could use he'd have kept — mostly 10mm for a spare pistol he begrudged carrying, but eventually he'd started handing it off to someone who'd make use of just about anything…

When Levi holds out the ammo, he does notice that it's not all of it — he wouldn't have expected him to hand over everything, really — but it is more than he'd be anticipating. He unfastens a pouch from his belt and raises his brow. "You're sure? Don't wanna leave you or anyone else short." Maccready might be a great many things, greedy is certainly on that list, but not at the expense of putting someone else at risk in a situation like this.

[solitarysoul]

There is barter, a store just opened but Levi doesn't feel like bartering things. He never had money for stores and the shop keeps were always mean so his brain associates them with being unwelcome. And he's not really sure what the point of hording things would be here, if he can't use something it'd be better if someone could.

"Yeah. I don't think anyone else uses those right now." He'd mostly seen handguns and shotguns.

B

[solitarysoul]

Huh. Levi wouldn't have pegged Ruby for the type to love this sort of place, but he supposed he didn't have any idea what mechanics were like. Not all of them wore coveralls and threw wrenches.

"You like this stuff, huh? I can't really tell what any of it is."

Kate Marsh | Life Is Strange

[castitas]

Undecided on the OTA prompt as of yet. Closed starters for definite!

Contact heolstor / _heolstor for plotting. Plotting post is here.

— ota

[castitas]

[ itw. ]

— Benton Fraser / EXIT STRATEGY

[castitas]

[ Progress through the mines is slow going. Even with the flickering lights of the mine thanks to the Aurora, the tunnels are dark and often quite narrow. Kate holds her storm lantern up high, trying to coax a little more of the mine into the light. It still feels cold, even though it should be warmer within the earth — and there's an odd wet smell that hangs in the air.

It's creepy, and she doesn't like it all that much, but she's trying her best to be very brave about it all even if she's majorly wigged out.

At least the company with her is perfectly... perfect. On a rare occasion of not being close to Lieutenant Little's side, Constable Fraser is with her as they traverse this section of the mine. And she's perfectly content to walk in the quiet. It's kind of nice, actually.

That is until her boots splash in something cold and she stops, staring down at the frigid water before her — lifting her lamp up to check ahead and seeing the tunnel with some pretty bad flooding ahead: yikes. ]

That... does not look good. [ No loose wires, at least. But yikes. She turns her head to look to Fraser for a moment. ] Should we turn back? Find another way?

[maintiensledroit]

[ He glances around at the rest of the group, following. It's difficult to tell how much time has passed since they started walking, but it feels like hours. Even he's beginning to feel weary, tired in a way that he suspects has more to do with the omnipresent darkness than the travel itself.

The last possible fork had been a while ago, and it had looked even more foreboding than this flooded path. Fraser shakes his head. ]

Not without losing too much time. If we want to be able to make our way through with the Aurora still powering the electronics, we'll need to push on, and this did seem the most likely path.

[ He crouches next to her, removing a glove and dipping his hand into the water. At first it feels simply sharply cold; in the next moment, his fingers are tingling uncomfortably, well on their way to numb. Diefenbaker noses at the surface, then leaps in with a splash as Fraser stands. Fraser nods to the wolf. ]

See how far it goes.

[ Diefenbaker strikes out, lunging through the water like a half-wolf, half-seal hybrid. He's perhaps sixty or seventy yards away when he climbs back up onto dry path and shakes out his fur. Too far for Kate to walk in that icy water.

Fraser turns to her, holding out a polite hand. ]

I think it might be best if you allowed me to help you across.

[castitas]

I was really hoping that wouldn't be the case. [ Kate doesn't mean to sound so forlorn. This way isn't all that appealing in the slightest and it does feel like they've been in here for forever. It's easily dampening her sprits when she already feels so tired. It feels like it's been the longest night.

They do only have so much time before the Aurora ends and they'll have to go back and then wait for another one. Which... could be days away. But it's the only way they've got right now, so she takes a breath and nods — watching as he tests the water, then nods to Diefenbaker — watching with wide eyes as the wolf moves through the water and out onto the other side. ]

Good job, Diefenbaker—! [ Because a little bit of cheerleading is totally needed. He did do a good job! So it's totally doable, but— Kate's gaze moves to the water, frowning and— he offers his hand out to her and she stops still for a moment: processing then realising.

.... Oh.

He means— he's offering to— oh. Kate swallows, and she's sure her heart's just skipped a few beats. Oh, this... this is probably the best day of her entire life and all she can manage is a very soft: ]

Oh, okay.

[ There's a very shy smile, because she's immediately bashful and she nods — her hand reaching for his. But it's short-lived upon contact: a sharp shooting through her like she's been bitten by something. She snatches her hand back with eyes wide — confusion in her eyes in amongst the pain. ]

What was that?

vasiliy yegorovich ardankin | original — historical/(secret) revenant

[m1895]

i. look at one another, short of breath, walking proudly in our winter coats
exit strategy — base camp. ota, max 2 takers please! cw: smoking

[ Vasiliy goes because it's the right thing to do. Because, while there are medical personnel on this trip, none of them are specifically trained as first responders—he bears that burden alone, at least for the time being, his deep navy winter jacket with its reflective star of life pulled over a flannel and undershirt and fleece, making him easily and immediately identifiable to anyone who might need help.

The trip up the mountain is easier for him than some others, toned muscles and a well-conditioned cardiovascular system put to work, but even so, his shoulders ache with the weight of his kit bag by the third hour; his legs burn. Any of the cold of their environs is long forgotten behind the generated heat of such prolonged exertion. He thinks of Kostya—it's a good thing he's not here, despite how badly he knows the space commander wanted to attend. He wouldn't have gotten very far.

When they finally reach base camp, he takes a few moments to sit down on a tremendous rock where it erupts from the ground and catch his breath. He can feel the bone-chilling cold of the stone through his pants and thermal underwear but can't bring himself to care, far too preoccupied with the familiar ritual of pulling a cigarette from the pack in his breast pocket and lighting it.

Once he's had a good several drags, he walks the camp, checking in with those who seem a bit worse for wear. ]

Are you okay?

ii. the rest is silence
exit strategy — the mine. 1 taker please!
cw: vomiting, post-traumatic stress disorder episode, references to torture/execution, attempt to smoke

[ He didn't anticipate the effect the mines would have on him, but he should have, being that he knew in advance he'd be traveling deep into the bowels of the earth. Even without walls, the smell is familiar—it would seem underground smells the same everywhere, even across an ocean. It smells too familiar; the air is too damp, the acoustics here the same as the cement halls that populate his memories.

His heart races in his chest and measured breathing does absolutely nothing to stop it. His hands shake ever-so-slightly as he fights to focus, to push back the irrational sense that his life is in immediate danger, but his body doesn't listen. The memory of how cold and hard the floor was under the bones of his knees as he lowered himself onto them with his back turned to his executioner eclipses logical thought. He doesn't want to die. He knows he's in no danger here, at least not that type of danger, but every step deeper into the mine is forced and deliberate. He doesn't want to die. He doesn't want to die. Raw fear in its truest form makes his body go cold, severing him from his surroundings.

Vasiliy fumbles at his breast pocket and manages to withdraw a single cigarette only to realize once it's in his mouth that he can't light it here. What is he supposed to do? What the fuck is he supposed to do?

He's trapped in here. He's completely at these people's mercy—sure, he has a loaded gun tucked into his waistband, but he's at their mercy. They could kill him right now. Another shaky breath, another step forward, deeper into the earth. The rush of excess adrenaline is sickening, turning his stomach, tingling in his extremities, and the next thing he knows he's bending forward and vomiting onto the rocky ground, supporting himself with a hand against the wet stone wall.

As soon as the heaving stops, he's wiping his mouth and moving forward again, as would be expected of someone wearing the uniform he's wearing— but it doesn't escape his notice that someone has stopped to look at him. Great. ]

I'm okay.

[ See? Still trudging along with everyone else. Perfectly fine. Just scared shitless and, as "millenials" would say, triggered out of his mind while doing it. ]

iii. it's a long way down to the bottom of the river
exit strategy — the mine. 1 taker please!

[ Vasiliy sees the electric shock the instant it happens, a flash of white against the dark background of the cave—and smells it, the unmistakable smell of burning human flesh. Water splashes as the unlucky victim falls backwards—and, after the split second needed to see them surface alive and confirm that the water itself isn't lethally electrified, as Vasiliy jogs towards them. ]

Where are you burnt?

— Ruby Rose / BRAVE NEW WORLD

[castitas]

[ It... almost feels exciting, exploring a new area. Maybe because it feels like one step closer towards answers, one step closer to working out what's going on here, and one step closer towards home. The journey down the railway tracks is largely uneventful, and it feels oddly safe to be enclosed by the mountains — how they echo with the sound of Interlopers as they travel through.

And then the world opens up to them: the ravine stretching out, the railway bridge the only way across. Even before Kate begins to make her way across, she's wary — lingering back as some of the others begin the perilous trip across. It seems sturdy enough, but there's little about this that looks inviting.

Her crossing is... slow. Careful, cautious steps that make the wood and metal groan, and she's sure the whole thing is swaying in the slight wind (or maybe it's her own dizzying head doing it). But looks down through the sleepers, to the fall below—

and her legs are stone and she refuses to budge — frozen in place. Her breaths shallow in her throat as she utters a soft groan of fear and nausea. Nope, she's not moving. ]