methuselah (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
singmod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
singillatim2023-11-09 04:18 pm
singmod) wrote in singillatim2023-11-09 04:18 pm
Entry tags:
- *event,
- alluri rama raju: xil,
- bigby wolf: jelle,
- cornelius hickey: kates,
- dean winchester: verna,
- edward little: jhey,
- harry goodsir: karin,
- jack kline: jean,
- jason mcconnell: balsam,
- kate marsh: cheryl,
- kieren walker: cheryl,
- knives: lassie,
- la'an noonien-singh: amy,
- levi jordan: cirape,
- louis de pointe du lac: tea,
- max mayfield: jean,
- rei ayanami (ii): floral,
- rorschach: shade,
- thomas jopson: kota,
- tim drake: fox,
- vash the stampede: fen,
- vash the stampede: fyn,
- wynonna earp: lorna
nature offers a violence
NOVEMBER 2023 EVENT
PROMPT ONE — WHITEOUT: Methuselah makes an unexpected early return to Milton to warn Interlopers of an impending monster storm, and boy does it surely come.
PROMPT TWO — A CHOICE: Following the storm, sightings of a mysterious stag prompts a hunt down in the Basin and out in the Outskirts.
PROMPT THREE — REST MY WEARY BONES: While the storm causes a great deal of mess, it also uncovers some far more pleasant surprises. Hot springs.
WHITEOUT
WHEN: Early to mid-month.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: extreme weather; storms; blizzards; themes of survival; possible character cold-related injuries; possible themes of peril.
In the times that he is no longer occupying the Community Hall in the center of town to help tend to the newcomers, Methuselah is out in the wilds. Despite his growing age, he is a hardened survivor, and has been more than accustomed to life living as a nomad, out in the thickest, deepest parts of nature. Sometimes he can be encountered, sheltered in a cave or out in the woods, huddled by a warm campfire, or busying himself with his latest game catch. He seems to be always on the move, never staying for too long, and never coming into town — unless it’s to begin preparations for the latest batch of new arrivals.
To see him returning to Milton outside of these times is a curious sight, and the grim expression he carries is enough to make anyone wary. Even his voice is grave. The warmth and kindness usually found in his expression is gone, replaced with a deathly seriousness. He doesn’t speak in jest.
"I am long used to this world and its weather, even with the changing times to more bitter nights." he will say. "I have seen the years rise and fall, too many to count. Please, I beg that you hear me with this— a storm is coming. Greater than some of you may have ever known. It is in the air, and we must prepare to see it through. We do not have much time. Three days, perhaps. But no more."
He will tell anyone and everyone; encouraging the word to be spread around. He will instruct on what needs to be done, what needs to be gathered. The storm will be long and hard, and will last for some time. With that, Methuselah will begin to prepare the Community Hall as a place of refuge with a stock of food, fuel and water to get through the storm. Interlopers will be free to join Methuselah and bunker down together, or can choose to bunker down on their own in their own homes, or with others.
You have only three days.
And sure enough, the storm comes. Maybe you can notice the signs too: the sudden updraft, the slow gathering of clouds, the drop in temperature, the changes of pressure in the air.
Halfway through the third day, the storm rolls in: a ferocious snow-storm unlike anything you’ve seen before. Even with the fading amount of daylight as mid-winter approaches, the sky turns as dark as night as will stay like night for the duration. Strong howling winds batter the town, and even the sturdiest of buildings creak and groan under the weight. Trees will be felled, some buildings might not fare the storm.
Relentless snow that falls so hard it’s a complete whiteout, and will be impossible to navigate if one were to step outside. Even then, it isn’t advisable. The temperature is bitter, with a frigid windchill. Going out in this kind of storm would be a death sentence. Staying out in it for longer than a half-hour will certainly kill you.
It would be best to wait it out, to huddle around warm fires in the darkness. It may certainly be a test of patience, depending on your choice of place to stay. The storm will last a full week, a stark reminder of what you are, the words you have heard in your arrival: thrown to Mother Nature’s mercy, the Interloper in her design.
But will you persist?
A CHOICE
WHEN: Mid-month, onwards to end of month.
WHERE: Milton Basin, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: survival themes; themes of hunting; possible animal death.
After the storm passes, there’s a certain kind of hush that falls upon Milton and its surrounding areas as Interlopers are left to pick through the wake. While the temperature certainly doesn’t get that much warmer, there’s days and nights of clear, calm weather — short afternoons of weak sunshine and nights of chilly peace, the moon hung high in the starry skies. Winter is drawing ever-closer, but it’s still for a little while.
In the early evenings, before the sun sets, there’s strange sightings of a particular white stag that can be found roaming the area — particularly down in the Milton Basin. It seems quite elusive, but there’s plenty of Interlopers that have been able to capture a glimpse over the coming days. Even Methuselah himself has seen this beast before, remarking there has long been tall tales of a ghostly stag that roams the Northern Territories and is said to bring good fortune to those who manage to hunt it down.
Perhaps you’re a little low on luck. Perhaps you’re feeling lucky. You’re going to find that stag.
Hunting down the stag, however, will take a great deal of patience and time. You might find yourself waiting several hours to wait for it to appear. Building a snow shelter, or hunkering down in some old shack might be needed in order to keep warm. But if you’re patient enough, and able to withstand the cold for long enough — the beast will soon make an appearance.
In the dying light of the day, it is there. It’s unlike any deer you’ve seen before: tall and majestic, with thick, soft fur of brilliant white. It almost looks ghost-like in some angles, it’s an incredibly beautiful creature. But it seems to have also noticed you, just as you have noticed it. It doesn’t dart away, however. Instead it stands before you, waiting for you to act.
You have a choice: slay the creature, or let it go.
It will not move until you make your decision, holding your gaze until you raise your weapon or until you lower it and give up your hunt. But there is a consequence to either action: if you choose to kill the stag, you will be rewarded with a sizeable bounty of venison. Eating said meat will help you feel fuller for longer, and the meat will keep for far longer than any other deer slain.
However, if you choose to spare the stag, the creature will lower its head, as if bowing to you. Then, it will disappear with a swirling of powdered snow. When you return home for the evening and go to sleep, the next morning you will find a gift at the foot of your bed: a pair of deerskin boots, or a deerskin blanket. These boots are supple, tough and waterproof — allowing for a great balance of mobility and warmth. The blanket is incredibly toasty, and will provide a great deal of comfort in the long nights ahead.
REST MY WEARY BONES
WHEN: Mid-month, onwards indefinitely.
WHERE: Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: n/a.
The storm has blown in plenty of snow to make traversing the area much more difficult, but there’s something else of note that comes with its passing. While the storm has brought much devastation, and some places have been buried in snow drifts, plenty of snow in areas has been blown away, uncovering otherwise lost secrets within Milton. Clouds of what looks like steam can be noted not too far from town, towards the mountains of the north.
If Interlopers head to explore the clouds, they will find old trails leading up towards the mountains. It isn’t a particularly difficult journey, for once, and they will soon discover that the storm has blown away the previously blocked access to a cave. It appears that this is the right place.
The air is warm here, pleasantly so. Warm enough that hats and mittens and coats seem a little unnecessary. One might wonder if someone lives within, and that a great fire is stoked to keep the place warm. But there’s no one in sight, no sounds of life: human, animal or otherwise. If they press on, they will discover that the cave floor is well worn with footfall: plenty of people have come here before, and the reason why is soon revealed.
The air grows even warmer, and more humid. The space opening to reveal small pools of slow-flowing water, warm water. The stone houses a natural hot spring, and following the cave out the other side will lead to another space in the rock open to the air, where there are even larger pools of warm water, perfectly sized and deep enough to bathe in. It seems that this place was frequently used by the people of Milton, where their life of hardship could be forgotten for an hour or two.
The water is pleasantly hot, and incredibly inviting. After so long in the freezing cold without modern appliances and utilities, a natural hot spring sounds like an absolute luxury.
FAQs
1. Characters are free to play around with this prompt how they want. Maybe they're dumb enough to go into the cold and get injured or sick. Maybe they're stuck in the Community Hall for the week. Fights might break out as tensions run high whilst everyone's stuck together, or maybe you're actually having a nice time.
2. For those stuck in the Community Hall: there are board games and old school textbooks stored in cupboards. There is also a piano.
3. A floorplan of the Community Hall can be found here.
1. .... Yes, you can pet the ghost stag.
2. Characters will get one choice only with the ghost stag, meaning they can't keep going back to find it to get extra gifts.
3. If characters can't agree on a course of action, whoever acts first will get their gift. The second character will have a chance to try again another time.
4. If both characters agree on sparing the stag, but players want different gifts (ie. one player wants the boots and one wants the blanket), characters will get the gift the player wants their character to receive.
1. The hot springs will now be a permanent fixture in the Milton Area, enjoy!
no subject
But Bigby knows other people can be more prickly. Hell, he himself can be more prickly. And that leads to-- ]
Wouldn't want to have any dumb arguments while we're stuck here, right?
[ He shrugs a little bit, like it's a casual, nonchalant thing, but Bigby knows he'd absolutely insert himself into one of those situations to try and keep the community hall from erupting into chaos while they're all still very much stuck here. ]
People can get worked up about the smallest shit while they're already tense about being stuck together.
no subject
[ It's the tiniest bit skeptical, but more bemusement than anything else. His mouth forms a thin line and he taps the paper with the back of his pencil in thought. ]
I'd like to give them a bit more credit? Some of them's been alright, y'know?
[ Honestly, he's been kind of surprised lately. Especially with the fact a few of them know what he is. Not immediately being stabbed or having the whole town find out has been... kind of nice. ]
I dunno. [ He shrugs. ] To be fair, I've never seen a storm like this before. You?
no subject
One time someone threw me across a bar just for asking a question. [ .. to be fair, rather than a question, it was more like an interrogation.. But that doesn't take away too much from his point of a fight practically always being possible, as long as you're around the wrong people. Hence: ] You never know.
[ Just warning you to be careful just in case, Kieren! Especially when the boy looks like a twig to Bigby.. What if someone snaps him in two.. ]
But as for storms..
[ That takes a moment longer to consider, but then he slowly nods. ]
Guess I have. I also lived way up north back home. [ Back when he was still just a wolf, anyway. ] Things got pretty intense like this up there pretty often.
[ Mostly because the storms there had also been magical in nature, stronger than any storm in the human world. ]
Trust me, you really don't want to be out there in it.
no subject
.... Shit. [ There's a pause before his face scrunches up a tiny bit, almost comedical. ] I think a question's a tiny bit more invasive, though?
[ More so than.... sitting quietly drawing folk. ]
Christ, meanwhile back home in England the whole place comes to a standstill over a few centimeters. [ He is... not exaggerating. ]
Mm, yeeah. No plans in going out in that. [ Yeah. No thanks. He's dead. But he knows fine well his body is... pretty fragile. ] Although, to be honest... I'd rather be in my own place.
no subject
It's a good thing that Bigby is - for once - a little too tactful to ask that, even jokingly. Kieren does seem a little skittish at times, after all, and the last thing Bigby wants to do is incite even some slight panic here.. So he's being good. For now. Instead he's just observing this new little England Fact he's learning from the other. ]
Who wouldn't? [ He adds with a little shrug when Kieren arrives at that last part.
Granted, some people.. probably like being together with other people in a place like this..? Maybe..?
It's hard to imagine for someone like Bigby though. ]
Even if it's not like this place is home for any of us, at least we got some semblance of privacy in our own little cabins. Maybe nature's just doing this to piss us off. [ A sentence that'd sound weird in any other context, but considering this world doesn't seem to be too happy they're around, it's not too weird, right..
Besides, nature is very much personified where Bigby comes from, so it's even more normal to him. Winds can totally get pissed off, for one. ]
no subject
... I take it you got sucked in without wanting to, then. [ Is the conclusion he reaches at that question. There's a wry smile. Yeah, looks like neither of them particularly want to be here, then. And now there's no choice in leaving. They're stuck here until the storm passes.
Kieren really hopes it's not gonna last that much longer. But he's thoughtful for a moment before he makes a little face. ]
That or nature's pissed off at us. [ He offers. ] Y'know. Mother Nature and that. And it'd make sense considering well, everything else. Maybe this is the voice's doing, sending some... wild and ferocious storm to try to wipe us all out.
no subject
But unfortunately he's a little too smart to attempt that while he's nearly just as human as anyone else here right now.
But while he doesn't react to that with words, it's the other subject that he does seem to speak up about after a moment. ]
It's not just Mother Nature that's personified sometimes, you know. [ Bigby has - thus far - clocked Kieren as perfectly human, so.. He's not sure how deep he wants to go into this, but he figures he'll see along the way.. ] Some people say the winds are also people. Which means they'd be the ones causing storms.
[ You know, a very casual mention.. Like Bigby doesn't know what to be true for a fact, or like one of said winds isn't his literal father.. ]
no subject
Kieren's in the same boat, too. He could make it back to his cabin just fine. It's not like the cold will kill him. Although he's... not sure what he'll do if he takes a hit with frostbite. It won't heal if he does. And that'll only be more shit he'll have to cover up. He's already stressed out enough as it is. ]
... I've never heard of that one, before. Winds being people. [ It's certainly a new one. Like... Mother Nature, yeah. That's the big one. Or like, there's the gods of different pantheons that're the seas or the skies. But... the winds? He blinks, his eyebrows raising. ]
Is that like... a story in your world?
no subject
Bigby is definitely reminded of the fact he carefully tried to conceal his true nature around Kieren before. But those times are quite a while ago now, and Bigby has been more open about what he is to people here - especially now he's realised that he really isn't the only person here who isn't just some ordinary mundy. And reactions have been.. surprisingly good?
Maybe it can't hurt to be straightforward here. It's not like leaking the Fable secret here will do harm to his own world, he's figured at this point, so he's just making things easier on himself by being direct here, rather than figuring out some roundabout lie.
Besides, Kieren hasn't seemed like a bad kid. It should be fine. At worst he'll get a little scared. ]
Not a story, exactly. [ The man finally says, having taken a very brief pause there to think about it all. ] It's real. One of them's my father.
[ A WILD ESCALATION RIGHT THERE. ]
no subject
[ Kieren's just... sat there with wide eyes, staring like he's not quite sure he's heard right. Like okay, this isn't the weirdest thing he's heard. Or maybe it is, he doesn't know. He's heard about bear gods and they're living in this weird world with weird siren women in the Basin and monster wolves and a voice trying to get them to take a long walk off a short cliff.
Not to mention the fact he's an actual zombie. So he's... not actively dismissing what Bigby's said, only— this is really a thing that's come out of his mouth because it doesn't feel like it should be something from Bigby. Like, he doesn't expect it. ]
The person being the wind is... real. [ A beat. ] And he's your dad?
[ Did... did he hear that right. ]
no subject
[ Sorry, Kieren. At first that's all the other is getting, apparently. Just a 'yeah', like this is a totally normal thing.. (To be fair, it is just a fact of Bigby's life. He can't help it that his life has been a little wilder than most people's.) ]
The North Wind, more specifically. [ Does that.. help? Probably not, huh. ] If I wasn't able to tell when it's him doing something, I'd believe it if all of this had been his handiwork.
[ Seems like the dumb shit he'd pull. God, he really doesn't like that guy.
At least it's not like the surprise on Kieren's face goes totally unnoticed, since Bigby sighs, then adds: ]
.. look, kid, sorry that I pretended that I'm only used to completely human things before. I'm not exactly supposed to tell people about this stuff. [ To whatever extent.. 'this stuff' might lead, after the initial mention of his father being some personification of the wind.. ] But we've been here for long enough now that it's hard to keep it all hidden.
[ And since he spilled the beans for more necessary reasons to other people, he might as well let Kieren know too, he figures. Kieren's not a bad kid. ]
no subject
And Bigby's been pretending like everything's normal. Like the North Wind isn't a real person and he's just— like his world's normal. Kieren can't blame him in the slightest, not when he's got his own shit like that kept under wraps. ]
No, no— I get it. [ He's quick to shake his head. He's quiet for a while, looking down for a long moment. ] Weird stuff's happened in my world, too. Like... the stuff you normally only hear in stories.
[ He can't say what, too anxious to. But the undead rising was definitely a work of fiction before it really did happen. He thinks quickly, trying to dance away from the subject of just what that 'weird stuff' actually is, and shrugging a little. ]
I mean— how the hell do you even go about saying it, anyway? Even with all the weird stuff that goes on here. We're all— stuck in this place, yeah? And it's more likely you come from a normal world than not, as far as I can see.
no subject
So he just nods at that last statement. ]
I was just living in New York City. [ Sure, before that was the Homelands, but.. it's kind of a wild thing to describe, exactly as Kieren is saying. So it's not even that he's actively hiding it, it's more just that this description is a whole lot easier to give. ] Probably the exact same way you know it in your world.
[ He shrugs a little. ]
'sides, you never know what kind of reaction people who aren't used to strange things are gonna have when they know you're strange.
no subject
Well that's... weirdly normal. [ There's still a New York City, and his expression is that of open surprise. He doesn't know, he's probably expecting it to be some kind of... fantasy land. Sorry, Bigby. ]
Yeah, that's understandable. [ SO INCREDIBLY UNDERSTANDABLE. ] So you're, what... some sort of demi-god? Wind... demi-god..?
no subject
Kind of. [ It's not like it's wrong, after all. Even if it's not the way he usually thinks of himself, he is still the son of the North Wind, for better or worse. ] But that's not what people call me.
[ Might as well get the whole truth out here, he figures, if they already got this far. Even if he's sure Kieren will find the full truth even more ridiculous than just this. ]
They have fairytales where you come from, right? [ Surely they do. Even with the amount of worlds Bigby has seen represented in this place, everyone he's asked that has told him they do. It must be something consistent, like the Homelands leaking out into the minds of authors everywhere. ] Those stories aren't all just made up. They're about people who really exist out there somewhere. Like me.
[ He pauses a moment, as if giving that a moment to sink in, and then adds: ]
I'm the one they call the Big Bad Wolf.
no subject
And Bigby is the Big Bad Wolf.
It startles a laugh out of him. More incredulous than anything, like he can't actually believe what he's hearing. Because of course he's heard of the Big Bad Wolf, of course he has. He's heard all the fairytales, as a kid. ]
Sorry— [ He genuinely means that. He doesn't mean to laugh. He just... doesn't know how else to react. How's he supposed to act to someone telling him he's legit a fairytale character. ] Sorry, I don't mean to— I'm just.
[ He groans, carefully pressing the heels of his hands to his ends. ]
God, as if this place couldn't get any more weird. And like, I'm— I'm not doubting you for a second since— [ Everyone's from different places, here. And he's a zombie. What's not to say there's a world where the characters of fairytales are real? ] I swear down, it'll be aliens next. Wait, is there aliens here?
no subject
At least Kieren believes him, which is still better than the times where people demand he proves himself, like being a wolf is some sort of circus trick you can show off. Bigby will take a laugh over that, even if it's still not perfect. ]
I don't think so. [ He adds to that last question, a little dryly, though his tone takes on perhaps a bit more seriousness as he adds the followup question of: ] Do you really think it's that strange? What I am?
[ P-Please, Kieren, just a little bit more respect for people's identities..
Even if Bigby kind of understands his reaction from his own point of view of Kieren as a perfectly mundy person. He knows nothing about the zombie deal, after all, so he figures it's probably just strange to Kieren since he may not have seen too many strange things before he ended up here. ]
To me it's just normal, you know. It's my life.
no subject
[ God, he wishes he could explain properly. He spends so long worrying about people finding out he's a zombie and here's Bigby with his whole deal. He's not the only person here who's less than human. ]
It's just— It's like... 'why not', you know? This place is just— [ He gestures vaguely, you know. ] Why not have some demi-god kind of deal deal thrown in the mix too, yeah? Honestly kind of makes sense, in a way.
I feel like if you don't laugh, you just... cry. You know what I mean?
we can wrap this one here! to make some room for future threads..
Maybe the other just had a hard time back home. It wouldn't surprise Bigby. A whole lot of people have hard times all the time. ]
Fine. Guess I'll be alright then with you laughing at me this once. [ His tone is a little lighter as he says it, making a vague hand gesture, like he's brushing off the laughter as no big deal. ]
sounds good!
And then he adds, a little teasingly — calling back to start of their conversation: ]
Besides, I'd probably be the one ending up getting thrown across the bar and I definitely don't fancy that.
[ Since, honestly, Kieren's a twig. He's got nothing on Bigby. ]