tornheart | APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

Entry tags:

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

I suppose time will tell.

[Though certainly Kit was convinced the other boy would live much longer. For one, he was far too resilient to keel over, and for another, he considered anything else to be cowardly surrender. It wasn't his style to give up and die, and he certainly wasn't the type to do so on anyone's terms but his own.

Even if all Kit knew about Vincent had been what he'd learned at the Leviathan Habitat, he would still believe Vincent's will to live was indomitable.]

I started my own gang when I was fourteen.

[Vincent, it seems, was less certain despite his typical bravado. or, more exactly, he wasn't certain that one day he wouldn't destroy himself just to spite someone else. he was as petty as he was determined to survive, after all.

but that's a question for the future, as Kit had said. instead he turns his mind towards the fact at hand, swirling his beer around thoughtfully.]

Fourteen sounds a little old for you. But I'll still go with true, I guess.

You should learn to trust your instincts.

[Polishing off his fourth beer, Kit sat a moment in silence and waited for the lightness of his head to fade away. When it finally did, he was careful not to announce Vincent's incorrect answer with a shake of his head, but rather a softly spoken amendment...]

I was thirteen, although I had already begun amassing a following before then.

Just trying to give you the benefit of the doubt.

[or as much as one can when their comments are are sardonic as Vincent's. seeing his companion finish his fourth before him, he proceeded to chug the remainder of his can. he doesn't wait until the fresh wave of intoxication to ebb away before he continues speaking, shameless.]

Might want to phrase it differently next time, though. It makes you sound like a beauty queen.

It does, doesn't it.

[Kit chuckled, glad for the introduction of a little humor into their conversation again. Things had been rather heavy a few moments ago, but the lightness of Vincent's observation allowed Kit to feel less burdened by his meager intoxication and to be able to enjoy it instead. Though, after finishing his last beverage as quickly as he had, he had to remember going forward to be more careful.]

I think that might be the nicest thing anyone has ever called me.

Don't let it go to your head. It's only because you condition.

[he points an idle finger over at Kit as he leans forward to capture his fifth can of poor decisions. even as buzzed as he was getting, there was no way that Vincent would ever allow anything he said to be construed as a compliment. that just wasn't allowed.]

[Was he referring to his hair?

Kit didn't have the strength to restrain his amusement as it erupted from him, shoulders shaking even though his hand fought valiantly to stifle the sound.]

That's...you can't be...

[He could barely breathe through his own dulcet laughter, nearly doubling over on the sofa.]

What?

[Vincent casts a sharp glance over at his hysterical partner, eyebrows furrowing deep enough to find gold. he had no idea why there was any cause for laughter, but he never cared to amuse others at his own expense.]

[After a few more moments of uncontrolled chuckling, Kit finally sat back up and combed one of his bandaged hands back through his hair. When he withdrew it again, it was with a bobby pin whose ends had been filed to better work as a lock pick. In the event he was ever without his actual set of tools, it seemed.]

I take good care of my hair, but it's certainly not pageant material. Especially not when it's used to hide things like this.

[Or the majority of the seeds he'd used to grow his living wall or produce half (if not all) the plants in his apartment.]

[well, son of a bitch.

if he was a bit more sober then Vincent would easily be able to control his impulses and simply give the magic act a properly snippy rejoinder before prodding around for further details. unfortunately, such a thing isn't currently possible.

so instead he acts on his first instinct and, after making a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat, reaches out to grab Kit by one of his hair tassles and pull him closer to inspect the rest of his scalp safe.]

[A small sound of discomfort was the only indication Kit wasn't completely alright with being tugged around by his hair, but after a moment, the subtle cringe was replaced again with a smile. He couldn't help his amusement at Vincent's obvious surprise, and he remained relatively still so the other teen could investigate his hair.

There wasn't much in it now, of course. Just a few more pins like the first, and one which seemed a little more like an antique, custom designed with a small container or locket at one end. Inside was a powder substance. Homemade of course.]

Is it really so alarming? I was sent to juvenile detention for theft...moving things is sort of a specialty.

They check hair in a juvenile facility.

[he murmurs his response as a sort of afterthought, completely absorbed in his current makeshift quest. one hand is draped over Kit's shoulder to stabilize him while he engaged in his hand, the other deftly searching through crimson locks for the hidden prizes.

even with the amount of liquor floating through his body, his fingers are gentle and his gaze surprisingly sharp. each pin is systematically discovered and removed, placed in a wavering long on the coffee table. once he's satisfied himself that there's no further secrets to pull from the hair at the moment he leans back slightly, reaching over to inspect the most intriguing of the spoils.

was it drugs or poison? he was curious. a little taste ought to be able to tell him, even like this.]

[Well, that was one way to spur Kit to action.

Quickly sliding off the sofa (too quickly, he wobbles a little more than he'd like to admit) Kit leaned over and placed his hand atop Vincent's to stop him from opening the container on the final pin.]

They check for things that are dangerous, but most people aren't aware of the dangers or uses of everyday plants.

Take that pin for instance. It is filled with a fine powder made from the dried sap of Euphorbia pulcherrima, or poinsettia. Don't ingest it unless you want to be sick. And don't put it anywhere near your eyes; it can cause temporary blindness.

[he allows Kit to take the preventative measure, but the faint air of a challenge in the quizzical look he shoots him with makes it clear that he hasn't completely conceded on this point. there's really no reason other than childish stubbornness.]

We're going to be sick today anyway.

[Oh for goodness sake...]

No.

[Kit shook his head at Vincent. A mistake. It took a moment for everything else to stop shaking, too.]

You can't just eat everything!

[And then, belatedly, the implication behind Vincent's words struck him and he wagged the index finger of his free hand in the other boy's face.]

We are not ingesting that. It's for emergencies. Like making sure you're not seen in a place you shouldn't be in. What's is wrong with you?

[he bats the offending hand away, albeit with some tremors in the gesture. it had been no small feat to focus hard enough to ensure he was actually going to hit the proper spot.]

Mm, guess you're right. [a pause, and then:] You'll need the whole thing for yourself after you lose.

[because there's no place you shouldn't be in more than the loser's corner. if Kit takes an entire swig of this maybe he can vomit the memories away permanently.]

Edited 2017-09-27 05:18 (UTC)

[With a shake of his head, Kit settled on the floor before the coffee table and worked to return each pin to his hair one-by-one.]

I have no intention of losing.

[...although, admittedly, he'd forgotten they were playing not one but two games. If he did lose, did he have anything that could alleviate hangover symptoms? He'd have to think on that.]

[Vincent decides not to make this any easier for him than it has to be by folding his arms atop Kit's head to make a comfortable little nest for his own head, which he drops down in short order. the faintly critical way he's watching him work doesn't do much to help either.]

Road to hell's paved with those.

[you could intend anything you liked, but if you couldn't achieve it then those thoughts meant less than nothing. that was just the way the world was.]

[Feeling the addition of new weight, Kit tilted back his head and gazed up at Vincent. This certainly made it a little more difficult to neatly tuck his pins back into his hair, but if he was dexterous enough to work around inebriation, a clingy gremlin wasn't much of a hurdle.]

I think you mean good intentions.

[Without taking his eyes off the other boy, he procured his fifth beer once his pins were settled back into place. There would be only one drink each left in the pack after this...although, he had more stashed away.]

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Not intentions of not losing. No one says that.

You really think that everyone's summoning demons because they want to cure grandma's achey knees?

[he gives Kit's curious gaze a flat stare in return, stubbornly sticking to the exact phrasing of his original statement. who the fuck cared what people said in daily life? his was the right way.

Vincent also doesn't seem to be inclined to remove himself from his current position anytime soon. it was far more comfortable than his intoxicated mind had anticipated.]

Who said anything about demons?

[Kit chuckled and leaned back against the other boy's short legs, not seeming to mind overmuch that his head was being used as a rest. Probably, the alcohol was to thank for that. He wasn't ordinarily tolerant of people touching him from behind. But this seemed harmless and it was oddly comfortable.

Although having to tilt his head back to look up at Vincent would probably get tiresome fast...]

People don't need help getting to Hell.

There you go, then.

[although it could easily be argued that the demons he'd referenced were both literal and metaphorical, Vincent seemed content with having his point proven by the other boy. it was pleasantly satisfying as well as providing more free time to contemplate the really important things - like whether he could reach his beer from this position and if his little legs could wrap around Kit.]

I can't say it's not where I belong anyway.

[Kit shrugged, the gesture lightly jogging his companion, and then cracked open his beer. A slow sip was taken, the unhurried swallow making it seem deeper than it was.]

Whose turn was it? I don't really remember.

[he lets out a frustrated huff and then decides, damn Kit's comfort, he was getting his beer. the other boy will find himself temporarily jostled as he literally leans over him to retrieve his own can. his hair at least will be smoothed at when he settles in again, the careful gesture very clearly a result of intoxication.

there's no argument about Kit's assumption about his placement in the afterlife. most people deserved to be burning in hell, anyway.]

Yours.

[Vincent has no goddamn clue whether or not it was actually the other boy's turn. but it seems appropriate to foist the effort off onto him all the same.]

[Kit chuckled a little as Vincent leaned forward, and a little more when the other boy took the time to fix his hair for him afterward.]

Hm...alright. Let me think a moment.

[He draped his arms over Vincent's knees, only removing one when he wanted to wet his lips with another swallow of beer, this one just as small as the last. His head was already swimming, but he hadn't completely lost himself and was determined to keep it that way.]

I've never been outside Eddan.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject