tornheart | APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

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APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

Who: Open Log (All)
Where: Around the city (one prompt at the Green Valley school
Summary: Welcome Ceremonies, Dreams, Stirring a shadow hornet's nest. No big deal.
Warnings: N/A

"Are you ready my black lambs? Let's get to work..."

Apple Picking (General Prompt)

As September begins, the apple orchards of Greenfield Valley school are bursting with thousands of apples of various flavors and colors. There's even an experimental breed that's blue!

Those who have been attending the school know that this means a few important things. The first (and most important of course) is that it means that fall vacation is coming in just a few weeks (despite school having started just a few weeks ago), the second is that the school's menu is going to have a high number of apple-themed dishes until winter, and finally, the opening ceremonies.

The opening ceremonies are - well - one would consider them mostly boring for typical schools. And truth be told, Green Valley is not an exception. A single camera posed at the school's main gymnasium, a large podium in the center. For those who can't be physically there, the school's televisions all synchronized to a live broadcast as does the audio feeds. You can't quite escape it. Yet most people don't - after all it's one of the rare times of the year where the principal appears to wish students good fortune.

The person who stands in the front, Ms Michelle Andersen, is the very definition of an ice queen. Her face is perhaps locked forever into an emotionless stare. Bright blonde hair with blue eyes, both contract to her orange and black outfit.

Behind her, three men, the vice principals, who tend to play the good cops to her bad cop routine and insist that most students call them by their first names unless something really bad has happened; Norman (the most average man on campus that no one would know who he was if it wasn't for his name tag), Jeremy (the tallest staff member standing at over 195cm, thin, a bit of a lisp but he always means well), and Felix (possibly the hairiest man on campus as far as the rumors go, muscular, and a black beard that matches his scowling face when he isn't laughing - which is usually all the time. In fact, he's holding back himself from doing so when Ms. Andersen speaks.)

The presentation is short, as the Principal wishes all the students a great year, gives a bit of data on the number of students (they are up 300 new students from last year), the number of important guests that have passed, then as quickly as she was there, she leaves, explaining that there are additional meetings and events she will explain in greatest detail in the upcoming months.

Afterwards the students are treated to the vice principals singing a welcome song (it goes as well as one would expect it to go), telling the students that they are free to pick as many apples as they want as long as they all get eaten, but everyone is limited to two of the new apples and report to the hospital wards if any of them feel anything unusual after eating them. Just in case.

When the ceremonies are done, students and staff can return to their day...although some of the staff can be heard commenting that the Principal seemed even more...cold this year. Of course asking them for details would just cause them to shoo anyone away and pretend they didn't say anything.

[OOC: Players are welcome to speak to themselves or go have some apples. It's a general school mingling prompt! Additionally, it will be possible to email the vice principals during that week should the characters want to talk with them or ask school questions. Typical school stuff.]

Sound the Rebellion

(Special Prompt for the Unawakened, Monday the 4th)
The school's opening ceremonies aside, the Unawakened’s Monday was rather...strange. The night was plagued with restlessness as they heard the voice of someone laughing. Waking up feeling 'odd', although that differed between all of then - some would feel sick, others have a headache, or some just deciding that wearing a piece of clothing they haven't wanted to worn would look great right now. Perhaps they got a few comments from their relatives about how strange they were acting that day, or a worried glance if they felt sick. It might get dismissed with a wave of a hand.

After all, how can you explain that when they sometimes look upwards, they hear the sound of a child laughing and briefly see a symbol above their heads? Or that this somehow feels...fine?

Maybe in their new state of mind, they might not even notice the people that keep following them around...

Better than a GPS

(Awakened prompt, Monday 4th, day and night.)
"Alright Lambs, time to get to work."

Luci's voice echoed in their phone, laughing. Was he doing a peace sign?

"There's only a few but they'll be useful. I want you to find them and see what you can do. Who knows! Maybe you might be better at this than me, although I doubt it heh heh heh…Now remember what I said! You have to get them to fall asleep...but there's no real rules for that!"

For the Awakened, the symbols above the Unawakeneds’ heads will be as clear as day - Luci will even go so far as play little musical tunes when the characters are close by or distract them using electronics. "Come on! Stop wasting time and do something!"

For the Unawakened who have a relative, it will be somewhat easy. It is the others that will be a pain. Maybe that's why Luci asked for help. Or maybe he just wanted to see his 'lambs' struggle. "Get them to bed! It's not that hard! If you have trouble, just show them the program I've put into your phone and toaster! Or knock them with your toaster first if you want, I don't care! Just go in teams when you go after them, got it?"

It's obvious that 'sleeping' as far as Luci is concerned, is when someone is unconscious - he seems to almost want someone to knock an Unawakened out and then drag him into a room and let themselves go to sleep.

Once the task is done, and the place is secure, the characters will have to do the same. While the hypnotic wheel from the program is the easiest way, there's no hard rule about knocking oneself out either.

MINDJACK
Once the characters get inside, they'll be in the person's mind and dreams. Eddan's memories are predominant, and the unawakened will be standing there wandering around. It will be up to the Awakened to peel back the fabric of reality, much like curtains and show them the true memories of their past...

But beware. Shadows lurk here, and transforming will be necessarily. And if a character dies in someone else's dream...they might never wake up. So be careful...

The main mission is to showcase the person a few memories. Give them an idea that something might be amiss...it can be a little or a lot. Just be careful that the more memories, the stronger the shadows become... When both are done and awaken, ten minutes will have passed. Perhaps it will be time for question afterwards.

[OOC:The Unawakened characters need to be isolated for the program to run, and so do the players, so half the 'fun' will be setting up the traps so that the characters will be alone.

Awakened might decide to have someone stand on guard while the others go to sleep with the Unawakened, or just all stupidly go together, or find an area where they won't be disturbed - everything is up to you.

The dreamscape can be anything the Unawakened desires! It could be good memories of their time in Eddan or bad memories, a mixture of both, or just silly dreams. Whatever it is, the Awakened will need to 'peel' those memories away - for example showing them that their mother was someone else in their other life, or even directing the person to a mirror so that they can see their true selves. But for each memory - both good or bad, shadows will start to attack both the Unawakened and Awakened. Be careful and let the mods know if a mission goes REALLY bad.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kit laughed softly, the insult the sort he'd come to expect from the other boy. Besides, he had a point. Conversation, at least between them, was rather dangerous. It could go smoothly, surprise them both, and veer into perilous territory...or it could simply nosedive from the very start. Either way, it seemed they were in for an interesting time.]

I've been in worse company.

[Teasingly, he tilted his beer Vincent's way as if to indicate a cheers, and then took a sip, the cool liquid working its way down his throat and eliciting a sigh.]

Besides, I keep receiving cases from someone I work for and if I don't put a dent in it, I'll soon be overrun. You're really doing me a big favor.

You live in a dorm. It's not hard to get rid of liquor.

[like, he understands that Kit might be the kind of pretentious person who'd want to build intricate flower planters out of the empty cans, but this seems like a problem entirely of his own making. surrounded by irresponsible teens as he was, all he'd have to do is leave the cases in the middle of the hallway with a FREE sign.

it also seems to him to be a bit wasteful to receive payment that essentially can't be used by the payee, but the joking little toast distracts him from pointing that out. Vincent allows the tease, even goes so far as to do something vaguely close to smiling before mimicking the gesture - but only because immediately afterward he begins chugging his beer.

again. because that was such a great idea the first time.]

I live in a dorm and try hard not to draw too much attention.

[The helpless shrug and laugh that follow that statement make it obvious how successful he's been of late, largely in part due to Vincent's influence.

Besides, not drinking often didn't mean that he didn't like to every once in a while, and having the substance on hand made it easier to placate irate customers or guests. There was a use for such things, and Kit was far from wasteful...

He was also far from making a good decision as, copying his guest, he tipped his can up and began to chug back its contents. Two in so short a period of time would likely result in a very quick onset of tingling and lightheadedness, but that was something he could deal with.]

[Vincent himself could already feel his mind physically beginning to drift away from him, but he steadfastly ignores it in favor of racing to finish before his suddenly twice-opponent. the can had barely hit the coffee table before he's reaching to open another one.

what happened to this not being a sprint..?]

Mm. I'm sure the bloody corpse went completely unnoticed.

[he'd been alive, of course, but who'd make that kind of assumption after seeing the state the pair of them had been in immediately after the fight? just the thought of it makes him grin with amusement.]

[Let him make it a race, Kit would play along only insofar as it made his competing seem convincing, or like he even cared about who managed to down the most number of beers in the shortest amount of time.

He didn't empty his second can, not yet, pausing to take a breath as Vincent started on his third.]

Oh, they noticed...

[He laughed again at that, the memory of all the stares their appearance had garnered not something he'd forget anytime soon, and he was sure that nobody else would, either.]

Fortunately no one asked, but that might change when you go to leave. I'm sorry in advance.

[this one he takes at a slightly more sedate pace, at least for the time being. for all his competitive fire, he knows that he's going to have to at least make an attempt to spread these out unless he wants to return them all to Kit via his floor.

he also knows that he'll probably end up chugging some portion of this one as well. such was the way of the world.]

They're your problem, not mine.

[it was at once a brushing off of the apology and the vague allusion that Vincent wasn't going to hold himself responsible for whatever may happen to any prying eyes that accosted him with intrusive questions. if it weren't for the ominous nature of the entire statement, it could even be taken for thoughtful.]

It's not really a problem.

[Polishing off his second beer, Kit set the empty can on the table and collected an unopened one from the case. Finger finding the tab on top, he sat for a moment posed to open it, a small smile growing on his face.]

If I'm honest, I think they're used to such sights by now. The truly strange thing was that I wasn't alone this time.

[Meaning Vincent would likely be the target of their questions, a fact which Kit immediately seemed to conclude wouldn't end well.]

Be gentle with them. They're harmless, really.

[no, he can just imagine how truly bizarre the idea of Kit tolerating anyone's company that closely must seem to those who see him on a daily basis. the mere thought elicits a brief laugh from him, beer lubricating his throat to make the sound more genuine than it has any right to be.]

Those are the ones you have to be the harshest with. Otherwise they'll find a way in.

[nothing was harmless, especially not people. if you didn't show them fire from the very beginning then it was inevitable that they'd take advantage of any crack they could find.]

Is that something that concerns you?

[Kit opened his beer, the metal tab producing a satisfactory and soft popping sound that was probably more pleasant to his ears now for the effect the alcohol was beginning to have.

As he took a sip, he watched his companion around the shape of the can.]

Do you often worry about people finding a way in?

[he shakes his head with probably just a breath too much force than necessary, taking another swig before replying.]

It's not something you're supposed to stop worrying about if you actually want to prevent it.

[sort of like watching after a toddler, he supposed. the moment you relaxed was the same moment that something cataclysmic would happen. he'd never allow himself to be in a situation like that, especially not of his own making.]

I don't disagree, but...

[Kit lowered his knee and sat forward, peering at his guest with open interest.]

...I think it's only successful if no one can tell you're concerned with such a thing in the first place.

[It wasn't a jab at Vincent so much as a very pointed truth. He knew very well it was a lesson that he could stand to learn himself, to be a little bit more nonchalant and controlled in what emotions he did choose to display, particularly in his current company.]

If they can tell you're putting up walls, they'll try harder to scale them or break through.

[his head shakes again, this time behind the beer can after another deep swig.]

They can try all they like. If you're strong enough they won't get anywhere.

[just the thought makes him laugh as he idly readjusts his comfortable position against the cushions. it was better if they knew and made an attempt, he believed. the resounding failure would teach them to never try something like that again.]

It's more entertaining to watch them tire themselves out anyway.

Hm...maybe.

[He disagreed very obviously with both points, not finding much to be enjoyed in watching people struggle against futility, and not believing strength was the only deciding factor in any battle. Strength could be depleted, after all. And it could be outsmarted, too.

Taking another drink, he continued...]

All it takes is one tiny fracture in your defense, and if that fracture happens to be the weak point in the foundation, your whole fortress comes down. It's foolish to goad your opponents to your doorstep and invite them to inflict such devastation.

[...in hindsight, he found that funny. After all, he had welcomed Vincent straight into his home. But they weren't enemies, right? Surely that made it okay.]

[whatever their relationship in a normal moment, they weren't enemies now. the alcohol had seen to that, as well as Vincent's loosened tongue, which he lubricates once more with another deep drink.]

It's foolish to leave a weak point in your foundation in the first place.

[if you hid those points deep within the metaphorical fortress, or better yet simply destroyed them outright, then there was no harm in letting people assault your stronghold. only readymade amusement.]

[Kit didn't mind and had no intention of slowing his companion down. This was already proving to be an interesting and informative activity, and certainly the least violent one they'd ever engaged in.]

Everything has a weakness, though. Existence is a cycle of death and rebirth.

[The same theory could even be applied to metaphorical fortresses. They couldn't last forever because people themselves could not last forever. They were flawed because humans as a species were flawed. Nothing in nature was perfect. But it was beautiful in its imperfection.]

There's an exception to every rule.

[and something as trivial as the immutable laws of nature shouldn't stop the truly determined from fighting towards that goal. only the vicious would eventually tear apart molds like that.

...when had his beer dropped down to such a small remaining amount? he better open up another (his fourth) before he forgot.]

[Still slowly nursing his third beer, Kit said nothing about Vincent moving onto his fourth. As with most things, it seemed the other boy didn't know how to pace himself. But that didn't mean he would fail the challenge. He'd proven already to have an insane amount of stamina.]

That's a little arrogant, don't you think?

[He took a small sip of his beverage, eyes never leaving the other boy.]

Assuming that you're the exception to a universal law of nature?

[he laughs, finishing off the dregs of his last beer before setting it down carefully. it was probably smarter to finish this reply before picking up the freshly-opened one.]

Someone has to be, right? [he tilts his head to shoot Kit a smug grin, insufferably cocky even with the buss of alcohol in his head.] It's only arrogant if you fail.

That's rather strange logic.

[Kit chuckled, leaning again back into the cushions, one arm braced along the back of the couch and one leg shifting to tuck beneath him on the sofa. He may as well get comfortable if they were going to be there a while drinking and discussing things he was pretty sure Vincent wouldn't openly discuss ordinarily.]

Why do you think that arrogance is determined by failure?

[while it may have been possible to goad Vincent into such topics while sober, he would never be so candid nor animated about them. it seemed that liquor held the secret to making him a little more amiable.]

Because if you actually do what you say you're going to, that just makes it confidence. But if you fuck up then you're a douchebag with an overblown ego.

You can succeed and still be a douchebag with an overblown ego.

[The language wasn't the sort that Kit used often, even in the past, but parroting it back at Vincent allowed for a certain emphasis his point would have otherwise lacked.]

In the same vain, you can be confident, still lose, and not be a douchebag at all.

[He finished off his third beer with one more sip, but didn't reach for a fourth, not yet.]

Arrogance is a lack of grace and tact, it is not strictly defined by success or failure, although those both do sometimes contribute as factors.

No, you'd just be braindead.

[in reference to the concept of losing while remaining confident in one's abilities. Vincent shakes his head again, waving a hand back and forth to further underscore just how wrong his companion's definition was.]

Arrogance is confusing your daydreams with reality. People can talk all the shit they like about douchebags who win, but so long as they can't do anything about it it's all just talk.

[he takes another long swig before continuing.]

Your actions are the only thing that matter in the end.

Hmm...

[As he leaned toward the table to deposit his empty beer can atop its surface and retrieve a full one, Kit thought about Vincent's response. What had happened to him that might have caused him to become so single-minded? Or had he always been that way?]

I'm afraid you've just proven my point. By your reasoning, you are indeed arrogant for having lost our most recent clash, and by my reasoning and by winning against you, I have proven that you are indeed not an exception.

[He held up a hand to halt Vincent before he could take offense.]

But that's alright. I'm not an exception, either. In fact, I posit that we are both very flawed and propose we play a game.

[A game within a game, you might say. Since they were already playing a drinking contest.]

We take turns guessing each others' flaws. And you must be honest. Do you think you're up for that?

If you'd waited for me to get up I wouldn't have lost.

[even intoxicated, even with a gesture imploring him to drop the subject, Vincent couldn't prevent himself from getting the last pigheaded word in. he'd admit his defeat, certainly, but he'd also freely admit that if just a little time had passed it likely wouldn't have been the same final verdict.

the issuance of a secondary challenge piques his interest, however, and he raises an eyebrow at Kit. he's certainly willing to play, but it doesn't seem like it would be a particularly even match...]

Not much of a game, is it? I wouldn't have to guess yours.

[Kit didn't bother to point out the fault in that line of thinking. 'Waiting' for an opponent to get up in a contest where the only rule was 'don't kill' was foolish. Had their positions been reversed, he knew Vincent wouldn't have shown him any mercy.

But he also knew that he was lucky to have been victorious. If he'd failed to act when he did...]

Then we guess whether statements about each other are true or not. I'll even begin. We'll see if you know as much as you think you do.

[He opened his beer first and wet his lips with a drink before meeting Vincent's gaze and saying...]

When I was younger, I was in an accident and pronounced clinically dead for thirty minutes before doctors were able to revive me.

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