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

[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.

[normally such an affectionate gesture would spark a sharp rebuke from Vincent, but with his mind addled as it was he instead found it a comforting warmth. there was something to be said for lower inhibits - even if they really were low enough already without him taking another deep swig.]

True. You don't take vacations.

[Kit was far too anal to leave his city alone for any extended period of time. the only possibility would be forced trips with various foster parents, but given the state of the foster system he doubted many would care to spend that kind of money on a temporary resident.]

[With another small sip of beer and a nod, Kit concurred.]

It is less about vacations and more that I was born here and have never had the means to leave.

[Of course, he wasn't sure that he would go even if he'd had the opportunity. Vincent was right about him. Eddan was his city. Leaving it alone or for someone else to walk all over just wasn't within the realm of possibility for him.]

It's a beautiful place, isn't it? On the surface.

Not really. Everyone's too up their own ass about the whole place.

[maybe he would have been more impressed with the trappings of the city if his arrival here hadn't been what it was. as it is, he can't find anything worth being impressed over even in the wealthier districts he used to haunt. it was simply another city.

he hums thoughtfully, taking a more moderate sip from his can before offering up his own game tidbit. if they were going to talk about this, he might as well keep up the theme...]

I've lived here my entire life too.

I meant that comment literally. Eddan's surface, its landscape, is the thing I like most about living here. It's very green.

[Everything else didn't matter much to Kit. Well, everything that was except...maybe his foster family. Maybe, if it wasn't for them, he'd be more willing to leave? The world was a big place, after all. Eddan was a minuscule percent of all there was to see and do.

Had Vincent seen what it was like beyond what Eddan had to offer? His earlier comment didn't really give a hint one way or the other, and Kit wasn't sure himself. On one hand he could see it, but on the other...

...hadn't he mentioned a dead name a little while ago?]

No, I don't think you have. And I'm a little envious of you if that's the case.

I know, that's what I mean.

[never in his life had he seen such a pretentious, false display of environmental consciousness. as someone unable to completely shed the thoughtfulness that had been instilled in him growing up, it aggravated him more than he'd ever care to admit to see such soulless parading of natural stewardship. do it because it was the right thing to do, not to crow about tourist potential.

but that was a rant for another time. right now he had to evaluate his companion's answer, an action which was becoming increasingly difficult with every drop of beer that slid down his throat.]

Mhm. [he realizes belatedly Kit can't really see him nod from here, so he gives him a soft pat on the head.] We moved here when I was thirteen.

[which would explain in many ways why he'd only run away from home around fifteen or so. it took time to learn a city well enough to have confidence you could survive there without aid, even for someone as bullheaded and prideful as Vincent.

and maybe, also, he'd been holding onto hope that he wouldn't have to be pushed to that extreme. just maybe.]

You should be jealous. I grew up in Tokyo, mostly.

[As Vincent's hand wandered gently across his head, Kit closed his eyes and leaned into the gesture. After everything they'd been through, something so soft felt nice, almost soothing.

It was probably dangerous to let himself slip into feeling so relaxed, but...that didn't stop him. Nor did it stop his hand from raising and settling atop Vincent's, his way of telling the other boy not to stop without really having to say anything.]

No wonder we never met before...

[If Vincent had moved here when he was thirteen, when Kit was already running wild, the circles they kept would have been very different. And while Kit didn't know it, Vincent leaving home at fifteen around the same time Kit was sent to juvie, meant that there'd been no way for their paths to cross before. And now here they were, making up for lost time it seemed.]

I was born in the Richmond district.

[the sudden appearance of a foreign hand stills Vincent's actions for a moment - but just a moment. he would never allow such a thing with a clearer head, but the fact of the matter was that he hadn't been touched affectionately since he ran away from home and petting the other boy now was equally soothing for him.

it doesn't stop him from giving a low chuckle at Kit's apparent neediness, of course, but he continues with his ministrations all the same. it was more than nice to have something painless to focus on after their brawl, even if he'd never say it.]

Especially not if you were in Richmond. We moved into Pointe-a-Tarte.

[if this statement was meant to be part of their game, his intoxication has prevented Vincent from grasping that right away. instead he continues chatting about their previous subject, a faint note of disdain entering his voice at the mention of his old residence. the wealthy had always been unbearable.]

[Kit hadn't forgotten what game they were playing at, and the fact that Vincent had seemed to amuse him. Although at this point it was difficult to determine what wouldn't amuse him in some way.

His arm lowered, resting again on Vincent's knee as the other boy's hand continued to work across his scalp. Taking another drink, he considered Vincent living in Pointe-a-Tarte of all places, and that too made him chuckle. It was one of the least pleasant areas due to its touristy nature, no doubt the very thing Vincent hated most about it. Even Kit tended to steer clear of the district for that reason, except on business.

...well, that and the occasional beach foray.]

That was a lie. I was born in Skyes and I spent most of my time in Hagu.

[he grumbles in dissatisfaction at having been wrong despite the fact that he hadn't even been attempting to play when he'd answered. Kit receive a small tug on his hair as retribution before he continues on with the more pleasant ministrations.]

What's the difference?

[Vincent may be able to navigate the city easily by now, but many of the districts blurred together in his mind all the same. outside of pits like Hagu or rich areas like Warwick or the more secluded parts of Pointe-a-Tarte, Eddan was the same throughout. it was all pointless.]

[Uttering a soft noise of protest at the tug, Kit's elbow moved back to gently dig at the other boy's ribs.]

Skyes is home to some of the largest trees in all of Eddan, some so big that, when development began there, many of the homes and businesses in the area were built around them. Its hospital is also the best in the city.

[He almost sounded a little proud. Almost.

...alright, so maybe he liked the district where he was born a lot. And suffered from finding excuses not to visit because his foster family also lived there.]

[he enjoys the retribution as much as Kit had enjoyed his own. with a huff his free hand wanders down to briefly give the other boy's ear a single, solid tug.]

So, there is no difference. [...] Unless you're constantly breaking bones.

[With a small huff, Kit's free hand went from driving his elbow back against Vincent's side to catching and holding his hand after prying it off his ear.]

Hagu's where bones get broken, Skyes is where they're healed.

[There was a reason he'd spent so much time in the former district and so little time in the latter.]

If you've got the cash for it.

[which, if you were getting your shit pushed in in Hagu so frequently, you probably didn't. every response Kit gave him just felt like he was justifying the opposite side of this argument more and more. it was pretty funny.

what was a little less funny was finding his hand suddenly captured after dispensing perfectly legitimate justice. he frowns deeply, quite unhappy with this turn of events. to remedy the situation he threads his fingers with Kit's own with the intention of preventing him from doing any further unkindnesses to him, and wrest control should he choose to act regardless. for the moment, though, their hands are merely entwined.]

[Vincent's little gesture worked for the raw state of Kit's hand beneath his bandages. Attempting to wrest their fingers apart meant that he would risk further injuring himself. So he relaxed his grip, giving Vincent no reason to apply any kind of pressure.

However, this did allow him to see the point that Vincent was trying to make, albeit not in the way Vincent was trying to get it across.]

You see ugliness in everything, don't you?

[content with the passive submission, he allowed their hands to remain as they were and rested them against Kit's shoulder. ostensibly it was in case the other teen decided to act up later when he'd let his guard down, but he's be lying if he didn't say the warmth wasn't pleasant.]

Only in places it actually is.

[which just happened to be everywhere. that wasn't his fault.]

[Truly, the warmth was nice. And a part of Kit knew it was strange, that he shouldn't find such comfort in the touch of someone so volatile, but he ignored it. Chased the thought away, even. With another heavy swallow of his drink, one that brushed the back of his head against Vincent behind him.]

I take it back, then. I don't envy you. I can't envy anyone who can't find beauty in the world around him.

If that's what you think then you wouldn't understand anyway.

[for once Vincent seems more amused than angry at having his views challenged; whether it was caused by the alcohol or knowing he was ultimately right remains to be seen. whatever the reason he laughs into his drink, nearly choking on the liquid on the way down.]

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