EVENT LOG: WILD HEART PART TWO

[inthenightmods]

EVENT LOG:
WILD HEART PART TWO

characters: everyone.
location: all over town.
date/time: march 23-26.
content: in the aftermath of the kidnapping, recovery begins and information comes to light.
warnings: n/a

everything has changed and now i can't tell what matters.

Welcome to part two of the WILD HEART event! Kimiko and the Hunt are here to stay for the next three days, and will be answering all your questions below. If you've got questions for us, hit up the OOC post! Further details on how the Wild Hunt will work as a longterm mechanic will be released in our next gameplan, so stay tuned!

Certain status effects lingering from the torture have been sent out to a few random players, and have all been sent out at this point!

RECOVERY

For the next three days, the Wild Hunt seems intent on making themselves as useful as possible. To that end, they've set up a few temporary stations.

In survival skills, they'll teach others how to set traps, make rudimentary weapons, and find shelter within the woods. The teacher there is firm, but by the end of the first day, has set up a small competition to see who can make the most efficient traps and weapons, with prizes including small toolkits, perfect for home repair, and, oddly enough, small pieces of candy.

The station at the Greenhouse is all about horticulture and farming both. They teach skills about how to plant and grow food effectively, as well as what seeds require what kind of care, how to tend to flowers, and what plants are most useful in healing. There are no prizes in his lessons, unfortunately, but for characters who stay long enough, he'll show them his pride and joy: a flower in a pot that blooms only in the light of the moon.

Finally, over in medical training, there's a woman who knows her stuff when it comes to first aid. From sutures to emergency response, she'll teach characters how to deal with most common injuries. She even has a practice test dummy, who bears the unfortunate scars of lessons long since past. Characters can learn CPR, how to effectively administer stitches, tend to burns, and other such necessities.

While they won't always work for free, at least right now, the Wild Hunt seems intent on charity. Lessons are offered freely, services given without any thought of payment.

THE HUNT

[The woman who stands behind the bonfire seems, if not at ease with herself, at least outwardly calm. Her hand are clasped behind her back, her stance steady as she waits for everyone to settle down and around.]

Good evening.

My name, for those of you who missed it, is Kimiko Yasutake. I'm the current leader of the Wild Hunt. You may have seen us around . . . I'm sorry if we ever scared you, but supplies are limited, and frankly, it's easier to steal a suit than try and make one. Ordinarily, we live out in the mines.

We've a group of people from past resets. People who were just like you once. We woke on the ferry after our deaths, and for a time, we lived in this town and tried to get on with our lives.

But that wasn't enough.

[She pauses, then. Takes a breath, hesitates, and then resolves herself.]

I-- before I go on, I want to tell you a bit about myself. I think it will help you all understand.

I was a farmer when I was alive. A rice farmer, specifically. My entire family was, and we always had been. And we had a horse. Just the one. She was a vital part of it, though; without her, my father couldn't take as much into town to sell.

And then one day, she misstepped and broke her leg.

Horses can't recover from that. I don't know if any of you have ever dealt with one, but they just can't. It's inhumane to keep them alive afterwards, never mind try and set the leg. It's agony for them, and it usually ends with their deaths regardless. But we needed that horse, and so he tried.

And then, three days later, we had to put her down anyway, because she was suffering. Only a sadist would have kept her alive.

This world is broken. You must see that. It was vibrant once, alive, just as we all once were, but that's gone now, and you can't grasp for things you've lost. You can't . . . this isn't life. It's a pale imitation of it.

So please . . . try to understand what I mean when I tell you that the Wild Hunt's goal is not to hurt others. We have no interest in making you suffer in the least.

But to allow this place to live is every bit as cruel as my father leaving that horse alive was. It's selfish to keep that portal open, to force tens of hundreds of souls into living here only to be reset or killed or eaten. And I refuse to allow it to keep happening. I simply will not, I cannot in good consciousness force others to go through this over and over again.

We're the Fire Snatchers, yes. Because we believe that extinguishing the lanterns, the bonfire, the lighthouse, and killing this world once and for all is the only humane thing to do. Even if it kills we all of us stuck here as well.

[There's a pause, and then Kimiko exhales slowly.]

If you have questions, I'll be around for three more days.

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Comments

KIMIKO

[awaremi]

[Kimiko will be standing around by the bonfire all three days, ready to talk to whomever wants to approach.]

[shadowsran]

I think I have something of yours.

[To the point, but gentle. Polite. She's waited until any initial glut of interrogations, proposals, and questions have passed. That the opal will be returned is fact. Keeping it would be cruel and impolite, and with that absolute certainty, knowing where they reside even if that initial glut took the remainder of their time in town, she can wait.

She'll miss it, admittedly. She misses the rain. The light. Happy murmurings of parents were a novel thing, and the comfort of it - well. All the better it be returned.

It rests on an extended, gloved palm. ]

I'm sorry you're here. Sorry things like this end up with the wrong people.

[evulsed]

[ It's always a little strange to meet someone closer to his height. Most of the time in this place, he's pulled up this full height with his chin jut out to make up the difference. Here, Vanitas tilts his head when he approaches her. At a distance, his eyes retain that green, iridescent glow— but the closer to the bonfire he gets, the flame brings the lamplike yellow back to his irises. ]

So?

[ He gestures to Beacon at large. ]

What are you waiting for?

[pure_havoc]

[a fine lady who reminds him so much of the good people of Wa he's met in demonland. Worth approaching with respect, but also caution given her monologue. And also, at a time when no one else is lurking around.]

Pardon me. Lady...Yasutake? I should like to ask you a few things. About your theory.

[legalcy]

[Now that everyone has been rescued, Minimus can focus on obtaining more information. Two parties with different solutions, both unhappy with one another. Meeting the two parties to understand their arguments is similar to acting as a criminal lawyer. It's easier than leading an expedition.]

Kimiko. It's good to speak with you in person. My name is Minimus Ambus.

[A moment in case she, like many humans, have to acclimate herself to his size.]

If I understand you correctly, extinguishing the bonfire and lighthouse will make this a dead world, but the spirits and creatures out in the forest will continue to live?

3/24

[worthallthis]

[Soldat is not remotely comfortable in large groups of people, on edge and more alert than usual for potential threats, but they're here, because it seems important to find out what these people want. And the speech is... interesting. They have a thought about it. After seeing Misty talk to Kimiko, figuring that probably means it's safe to approach, they edge over to voice it.]

I thought the goal. Was less to save this world, since this one is already dead. More to save others. Stop the World Eaters so they can't kill more worlds.

[callada]

[Rosinante manages to hobble his way down to find her on the final day before Robin has commanded she and her friends leave. He's obviously still in pain, still finding it hard to get around, but all the physical signs of damage are well-concealed beneath his clothing. Still, he carries his lantern in his hand for now. Partly because when strapped to his chest it hurts when it knocks against him wrong, and partly because he'd rather keep it in hand around a group of people known for destroying them.]

Ms. Yatsutake. I'm Rosinante. I wanted to thank you and your people for helping get us out. I'm hoping you can help me understand a few things about the World Eaters, if you have time.

[arsarcanum]

[ Sora's been debating his response to this lady for days, man. He knows he comes on too friendly, and he is... pretty much adamantly against her solution. Pretty much. Almost.

Not quite.

On the very last day, he walks right up to her and... well. It's a couple of what would be bentos, if there were proper bento boxes here in Beacon, but he's using plastic containers instead. Rice and a small salad with sunflower seeds and sliced apples, fish fried in soy sauce and mirin. It's not a lot, since he figures that the Hunt is also feeding her, but it's enough for a light meal. ]

Hey. How are you? [ And he'll hand over one of the containers with a pair of chopsticks and a fork. ] Thought you might not have stopped for food today.

[plentystrong]

[ Catra listens to what this newcomer has to say. She mulls it over and finally approaches Kimiko in a moment when there's no one else speaking to her.

She doesn't beat around the bush. ]

Then why rescue us and teach us survival skills if you want us all to die anyway?

[webshoots]

—Uh, yeah, I have a question. [ peter can't decide if he's grateful for the help or not: it's not like it's the first time that the town's been through an ordeal, but at the same time, he's aware that there's a pridefulness, an ego involved in the reluctance to be grateful. he think it might be because he disagrees with her — he disagrees with the idea that they should all die (again? is die even the correct term for it?) whilst the world eaters are allowed to travel from planet to planet, eating up lights and lives alike.

there had been a cop once — several cops, actually, if peter was honest—

—no, most of them, if peter's entirely honest, that would say that he and people like him thought they were better than everyone else. better than civilians, or normal humans, or whatever and however anyone wanted to refer to themselves.

peter's instinct would always be to disagree, but when he sits down and thinks about it, when he takes time to really acknowledge the question and his actions and his thoughts, when he sifts through the myriad of reasons as to why he does what he does and lays the guilt to one side and the sense of responsibility to another, he's left with the realisation that it's true: he does think he's better. he does think he's more qualified to make certain decisions.

(more qualified to make those decisions than anything with regards to his personal life, probably.) ] —A couple of questions, actually. They mostly boil down to three things, with some elaboration mixed in. [ he raises a hand and holds up his thumb ], one, how; [ index finger ], two, what; and [ next finger ], three, why? [ punctuated by a breath of a pause, then— ] So — how did you survive the resets? And what do you think will happen if you succeed? You get that this isn't just about us — it's bigger than that. Countless worlds, universes. People.

[really_sketchy]

[It's towards the end of the third day when Naminé finally approaches Kimiko. Her arms, legs and neck are all bandaged in white lightly marred bandages with a large faded orange sweater pulled over a majority of her frame. Hints of a skirt or dress peak out from beneath that with boots covering her feet. Her hair is not longer messy though there are dark maroon stains around her hairline where she hadn't been able to scrub it away.

Her approach is careful, skittish, as if she's uncertain.]

Excuse me.

I wanted to know if you've ever heard of someone named Xion? I think she was here before. Maybe a few decades ago.

[sublimebeast]

[It's not long before Link approaches her, though he does try to wait until there are fewer people around.]

So the week I got here there was a spirit that tried to steal my lantern. He was one of yours?

[equinoctials]

[ A thorough shower, clean clothes, a few casts of curative magic and a few hours of less than restful attempts at sleep have put Riku on a better foot than he's been in days. He gets the impression the spirits are steering clear of him, but he doesn't have a tight bond with any of them to miss.

He's more curious about the Hunt and their leader, observing from the darker outskirts of the square with his teal eyes a vague, green shimmer in the shadows, trying to decide what to do.

These are the mirror masked people who were taking supplies and, according to some, making attempts to get hands-on with people's lanterns. The Fire Snatchers in the spirits' play, who concealed their own lights while stealing others. Robin clearly doesn't approve of their aims, but if he steps back and removes his own feelings from the matter, he can see why these two took such different paths.

He doesn't necessarily believe that these guys are evil any more than Robin is evil for the potentially hundreds who were snuffed out by decades of resets. These circumstances aren't something that can be sorted like that, all nice and neat.

When he does approach, it's while foot traffic in the square is a less busy. ]

I hear I've got you to thank for the opportunity to escape.

I'm sorry but you said I could

[donttalktome]

[Sorry Kimiko but Will's comin' in hot. No preamble no introductions just—]

Well you're right about one thing, this place isn't life. But people are not horses. Worlds are not pets that you have to put down when they're sick. Are you some kind of expert in planetary death? On what evidence are you basing this notion that we're far too broken to fix?

[He's not taking this personally you're taking this personally.]

[fjorgedinfire]

Recovery - March 23-24
As beaten up as he is, as sore and tired and in desperate need of rest, he still wants to help. Needs to, really - keep his hands busy so his mind can't wander, focus on something productive before he crashes and cements all of the bullshit that just happened into full blown fear.

He refuses to let them take the ocean from him.

The idea of horticulture, he doesn't give a second thought (and he hasn't got the energy to get to the greenhouse anyway). If Caduceus was here, he might go with him, but there's no appeal to him in plants. Survival, he doesn't need. He's well aware of how to make it through a forest in one piece, how to hunt and set traps (crude as his own methods are, comparatively). But the medical training holds a much higher interest for him. He's gotten the impression, largely from needing Sora's magic so frequently, that actual medical skills are in short supply here: so even if he only learns something basic, while they're here to teach it, that's at least something.

He hasn't quote got the dexterity for stitches, as it turns out - his are okay, but not great - but he gets good at wrapping bandages very quickly. All the practice on his own ribs has helped a lot. And hey, when someone else starts working on bandaging, he even makes the offer, with a rather grim humour to his voice: "You know, if y'all want some live practice setting ribs, mine are still pretty tender." He's certainly still wheezing enough that he could clearly use the help.

Downtime
Unfortunately, he still needs to rest. And do some other things; follow his old habits, get back into a routine. When he's taking a break from the training, he can be found exclusively in Bonfire Square: raiding the general store for canned goods to store in his bag of holding, resting in the Invincible when his breathing gets too tricky. He doesn't even attempt patrol yet, he's not sure he'll make it out of the village.

But there's something odd about him, as he goes about his business - and when he's doing the medical training too, though it's less obvious there from all the lights. Spirits are giving him a wide berth; and when he tries to talk to the one currently manning the general store they're oddly reticent, clearly uncomfortable at his presence, and dashing off as soon as Fjord turns away.

Because when he's in the dark - whether genuinely alone, or just a shadow happens to catch his face just so - his eyes glow green. Just faintly, but distinctly, visibly so.

Down with the Sickness - March 25 onwards (CW: vomit, sickness)
When the third day rolls around, and the Wild Hunt starts clearing up their business, Fjord is nowhere to be seen.

He's still in his room at the Invincible, which means he's not hard to find - for a given value thereof. His lantern is sitting on a side-table next to his bed; but the eye-like crystal is pale and matte, its glow so faint and flickering that it's impossible to see the rest of the room. Fjord's pained wheezing is audible, in the room, but now it sounds... worse.

His eyes aren't glowing anymore, but he's wound up in a heap on the floor near the bathroom, shivering violently. The acrid smell of bile hangs in the air, and his hacking cough (worse by the day, it seems) can be clearly heard from outside the room.

Downtime

[worthallthis]

With a whole set of clothes ruined, and a tac vest to repair, and finally let out from under Misty's watchful eye, Soldat has ended their morning patrol at the general store, just in time to see the vendor scuttle away and disappear... away from Fjord.

That's kinda weird.

"Fjord. Shouldn't you still be in bed." Broken ribs. Multiple drownings. That alarming little rasp in his breathing. (Fuck no. No breathing problems.)

vanitas | ota

[evulsed]

AROUND BEACON - OPEN

[ It marks twice this month Vanitas has found himself exhausted by injury. Comparing the two isn't very fair, chiefly due to the extent of the torment. What they went through with the spirits... that wasn't really the same thing as nearly being flayed apart by something much bigger, much more relentless.

Physically, at least, despite being laid in to by that scalpel, Vanitas is still well enough to walk around. Some of the drain isn't even as bad as it could be, and maybe that's because now, he isn't surrounded by the blackening suffering of everyone else. Vanitas has always thrived on Darkness, but not all Darkness is has the same flavor.

Restlessness drives him into Beacon. It finds him loitering around the General Store and the Invincible and the Pawn Shop. The Greenhouse gets his attention, eventually, too, where he can be seen crouched amidst the leafy foliage. At one point, he ventures to the Ice Cream Shop, watching curiously as the spirit avoids serving him entirely by disappearing into the back of the store.

No matter where he goes, though, when he turns his head to look— his eyes glow green. Not the regular, yellow gleam they usually hold, but a literal light— animal-like, reflective. Familiar, because it's the same green the spirits that abducted them have— if on a much subtler level. ]

CLOSED TO CARMILLA

[ Vanitas doesn't spurn the bonfire, but neither does he sit near it. Instead, he loiters back near the Invincible, watching the Wild Hunt as it wanders around, interacting with the citizens at large. He doesn't doubt they have some skills to share; knowing how to grow food in total darkness isn't something just anyone can do... but their existence is a peculiar anomaly.

Fire Snatchers. People that have been living in the mines, that are secretly trying to destroy the world. Vanitas has been saying for months that this place is probably destined for Darkness. It's interesting to find a group of people with the same philosophy.

If he'd met them months ago, he might have even helped in their endeavor. But things are different now.

He pulls the spoon out of the honey jar in his hand and puts the utensil in his mouth upside down, so the honey touches his tongue before the metal of the spoon. His eyes cut sidelong when the door to the Invincible opens, and standing in shadow as he is, the green glow of his eyes winks eerily from the dark. ]

CLOSED TO MASAOMI

[ Vanitas wouldn't go so far as to say something has shifted between he and this guy, but something is different now. Something he can't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was feeling Masaomi's Darkness from up close, instead of over the network. Maybe it was what they spoke about, trapped by those cages and mutual exhaustion and an endless fog of pain. Maybe it was that girl that lingers like a poltergeist around Masaomi, the same one Vanitas had used to needle him a month before any of this happened, and the fact Vanitas might be one of the only people to know about her. What happened. What Masaomi saw in that place.

But none of those things are what draw him in. He sees a wink of green, and it isn't his own reflection. The movement of someone picking through the clothing in the General Store. Ducking around the aisle, all at once he's right up next to Masaomi— and he snatches the sunglasses out of his hands. This is as much to get his attention as anything else, to force Masaomi to look at him so he can get a good look at his eyes. ]

You don't need these at night, dipshit.

WILDCARD

[ ooc; feel free to use this for any after-event shenanigans! you can find me at scrubdaddy too! ]

[mellowyellow]

Shit!

[He needs those, dammit!

Masaomi lunges for the stolen lenses like his life depends on it. It doesn't occur to him that this is exactly what the (extremely rude!) thief wants, and he's no where near fast enough to evade Vanitas' battle-honed vision. For the five seconds it takes him to grab the sunglasses and shove them over the bridge of his nose, his wide, definitely-not-brown eyes are on full display.]

It's a fashion statement! [He shouts at the accessory rack, heart beating like a steel drum.] Fashion!

Quentin Coldwater | The Magicians | OTA

[moderatelymaladjusted]

R E C O V E R Y

[There's warmth and people around the bonfire, so Quentin sticks around. He hands out tins of heated... mystery foods, and he hands out cups of really bad instant-coffee. Freshly made and mostly for himself. But he can be generous and he's handing them out, if anyone needs it.

He's also got rolls of bandages (made from the stripped beds in the cabin and carefully rolled in to something useful) and bottles of something highly alcohol to clean wounds and to sooth raw nerves.

Which. There might be more of than he wants to think about. Because he doesn't. Want to. Think about it. About the instruments and the long fingered spirits who must have wielded them. Doesn't want to think about what the kidnapped people must have gone through, but they need to know.

In case this happens again.

And they need to keep a better eye on each other.]

Hey, do you want one? I have more, so. It's fine.

H U N T

TEXT @ SuprNerd (locked from THE HUNT)

Hello? To those who don't know me, I'm Quentin. Hi.

That's not what I wanted to say. But there are new people here, they came right after some of you were kidnapped and they stalled us all for a DAY before offering to show us where you were.

Please, don't think this lady make decisions for us as a group? I mean, those of you who know me, know that I'm not the biggest fan of this place? To be honest, it really kind of sucks most of the time and things have been... bad. Worse. But she's coming here, telling us to give it all up just because SHE wants us to? Because she'd rather kill off everything and everyone than even TRY?

I'm not saying that she doesn't have a point, but before anyone rushes in to join her and the group of people who helped, but only on THEIR TERMS- let's talk.

Recovery

[mindofathief]

What is it?

[His stomach is empty, but considering the last thing he put in his mouth was some very raw mystery meat, he’d rather be certain of the thing Quentin has in his hand.]

Bucky/Soldat | OTA

[worthallthis]

I. Soldier Still Gotta Soldier

Soldat lasts one full day without their routine. They still hurt, they're still a little jumpy, they still feel a little vague sometimes about just where they are, but sitting at home under Misty's watchful eye is getting stifling. They're restless. They need structure. Also, if they sit in that room with origami paper any longer they're going to eat all of it, and then Misty will worry.

So May 24th sees Soldat out on patrol again-- a relaxed, somewhat slow kind of patrol, but still. Patrol. They're back at the Invincible for lunch, making one big enough for whoever wants to come by, using one of the recipes Mrs. Maisel taught them. They're back at the gym in the evening for classes or slower-than-usual practice on their own.

Anyone meeting them gets a small smile. "Everything okay?"


II. The Wild Hunt (and Avoiding It)

The different stations of the Wild Hunt get watched... from a distance. Soldat has no real need for brushing up on survival in the woods, no desire to plant things when not helping Misty because dirt gets in the metal plates too easily, and the medical station makes them twitchy.

But they watch. From a distance. Listen to Kimiko's speech, and keeps watching. It's hard to work up any kind of positive feeling for people who don't even want to try to fight the things destroying stars, but they're trying to understand anyway. And to do that, they have to watch.

"What do you think?" they ask anyone who catches them at it and approaches. "Of them."

ii

[pearlstrings]

The soldier isn't the only one watching the Wild Hunt from a distance. He'd been skeptical of their arrival from the start- had found the idea of an all out assault on the spirits with a day of knife training to be little more that reckless endangerment. Had been critical of the preference the group had on flooding all points of entry to the medical center but not establishing an evacuation route for the captives. But he'd aired those grievances already and knows he isn't the only one wary of their new companions.

The people he cares about are few and far between, but the lions share had been taken in the abduction. Healing will be a long road, and Bruce is trying to keep his questions to a minimum. To give them time. He's always been more detective than hero.

The soldier is a short distance away, enough that Bruce, clinging perpetually to the margins of any space, moves around in his periphery. What do you think he asks. Bruce does not glance back at the Wild Hunt, he suspects they aren't the only ones watching. "I'm inclined to live and let live. They seem... less so."

Stone | OTA

[scarsolderthanyou]

I. Wild Lessons

The fighting lessons were stupid, especially given how many people here are already competent fighters. These lessons, not quite so much. Stone isn't interested in digging in the dirt, he's no Arbora, and as he's spent large chunks of his life hunting in a forest environment, survival training is pointless.

Medical training, though. Finding himself at a loss for how to help Rosinante and Masaomi after their retrieval left Stone frustrated and annoyed, feeling helpless and hating the feeling. So he plops himself down at the medical station and spends a few hours being very frustrated by being unable to see the needles and stitches, making faces at the smells of the ointments for the burns, and generally recalling why Aeriat don't generally do this kind of thing.

But he sticks with it, anyway. Even if it irritates him.


II. Predators not understanding metaphors

"Wouldn't it have been easier to eat the horse?" Stone comments after listening to Kimiko's little speech. "Then get a new one. Or better yet, get something sturdier, that actually can heal up when it's injured." Stone is not an expert on grass-eaters, he just hunts them.

He does muse, though, "Which seems a lot like what they do here, anyway. Kill off the groups that fail, then get a new group." Okay, so he sorta-kinda gets metaphors, but not in the way Kimiko might want. "Hasn't been working out so great for that Doctor Solis person, so far, but you never know. Maybe we'll win one of these days."


III. Wildcard

Stone continues his usual routine of having a short flight around the village and then roll around in the shallows of the bay, in full winged form, in full view of the Wild Hunt and anyone else who happens to want to watch. Then he hangs around the Invincible eating, chatting, and people-watching. Easy to catch up with him, if you want to.

Also, anybody who looks like they need a hug gets it, if they'll let him do it.

II.

[patriotnow]

"Or sell it. Real meat goes for a lot of money where I'm from. Lot of good money."

He's never hunted an animal. People yes. But not any wild game. What would even be around to hunt in the depths of space? But he's seen the marked up prices on any actual meat that manages to make it in tact and unspoiled out into the Belt.

daylight vis lornlit. | original. | ota. (open to four responses total.)

[sunborne]

i;; at least things can't get any worse. (march 23 - 24.)

[ he realises something is wrong when postmaster general shuns him.

day- day just wants things to go back to normal. normal as beacon can go back to during situations like these. he had dropped by the post office to see if he has anything, out of habit more than anything, and he feels the usually friendly atmosphere change upon him setting a pede inside.

postmaster general eyes him with a wariness that he's never been subjected to before and no matter how hard he tries to interact with his friend, postmaster general is not having it. it's the same at the scrapyard, the school, the forests near the village- the spirits make a point of keeping far and away from him, staring at him and judging him with a quality he doesn't like.

all the spirits, he realises, are avoiding him. he can't deny that as he leaves the library at some point, unable to speak with the librarian like usual. he sees someone is approaching the library and before he can stop himself- ]

They hate me. [ day feels his face heat up with how unhappy he sounds and how he blurts it out like that. he ducks his helm, murmuring a quiet apology. ] I- I didn't mean to dump you on that. Sorry. It's been a weird day.

ii;; never felt so alive, and so dead. (march 25.)

[ by the time the 25th rolls around, daylight is done. he's been tortured. he's been shunned. he's back to feeling like a freak of nature with how he feels like he's coming apart at the seams.

he's trying to keep his mind occupied in the greenhouse, focusing on the private little project he's been working on for some time. it helps a little bit, keeps his processors busy and his servos busier with planting and digging and keeping notes of what is getting what. but it all tilts up as he's leaving, as he's thinking maybe today is a good day despite the fact his lantern is flickering and he feels sick as a dog.

a brief wave of dizziness washes over day and his tanks cramp, painfully so. it causes him to stumble, to let drop his wheelbarrow that was wheeling out of the building.

the clattering, screeching sound of metal and clay and plastic so, so much for his tired senses and he feels the tensions and frustrations that's been building up and up and up and up in him finally-

screeeech-creaaaaaak--

with a screech that sounds inhuman with how it's all static and white noise and incomprehensible fury, day grabs the upended wheelbarrow and flips it, causing it and the materials and the tools to further spill out and scatter about in a more spectacular, messy fashion. day kicks at the scattered tools for emphasis, throat stuck with all the rage and curses he wants to say but can't bring himself to say just yet.

he finishes kicking his shovel a few good meters before he realises. oh... is someone here? ]

... [ he stares at the person he now sees, his optics a strange (green) reflective quality in the darkness. ] Oh.

You saw that. [ it's not a question. ]

II

[worthallthis]

[Soldat had heard the noise at the tail end of their "morning" patrol and come running, alarmed at the idea of someone potentially being hurt. Given the electronic nature of the sound, they could only think it was Daylight, and Daylight had been hurt enough.

They skid to a stop at the greenhouse door, just in time to see Daylight launch the wheelbarrow and engage in a little temper tantrum.

(Hey, buddy, we can relate. Seriously.)

So the answer to Daylight's not-question is, clearly:]

Yes.

[A pause, then they add:]

I usually punch trees. But kicking works, too.

Duster | OTA

[mindofathief]

A. Return, March 23
[The first thing Duster does once he has real food in him is sleep. Right there, inside the Invincible, on the floor. He hasn't had a long enough nap in days and sleeping forever sounds appealing. Unfortunately, he's a tripping hazard for anyone else trying to get to their room.]

B. Something Off, March 23
[Once he wakes up, he returns to the kitchen to grab some food before spending the entire day standing outside and staring at the landscape. In an empty space, no one can grab him. There are no walls to hold him in. It's kind of refreshing, knowing that people exist around those points of light but not having to think about being trapped with them.

For some reason, the spirits are also avoiding him outdoors.

To you, the reason is obvious. While his lantern is the most prominent source of light, walking towards Duster, his glowing eyes meet yours. He definitely never did that before.]

Hey. [He says like nothing is happening.]

C. Medical Training, March 24
[Of all the things the Wild Hunt was teaching, Duster didn't know much about first aid. Without many magic healers in Beacon, everyone else had to make an effort to keep people from falling apart.]

So...back in my village, the local doctor used alcohol to clean wounds. Is there something here we can use? [After realizing that his eyes were glowing in the dark, Duster avoided staying outdoors too much. And here, perhaps a doctor could find out what was causing it.]

D. Illness, March 25-26

[And everything was fine. His eyes looked normal, though he was feeling a bit weak. Maybe it's just the stress. He spends his morning doing warmups on his bass, waving at anyone who comes visit.

Then the fever becomes too much.

He's just sick, that's all. He just needs rest. He can handle this.

He wakes up feeling like he was hit with the worst stomach flu. No one else sleeps at the community center. He manages to get his tablet and write out a message to everyone.]

I'm not feeling too good
I think I caught something at the hospital
Can any get me something to eat

March 25

[callada]

Sorry. Still stuck in bed for now. Glad you made it out of there alive.

I'd be surprised if more of us didn't get sick after that nightmare.

Naminé || Open to All

[really_sketchy]

[OOC: Content warning for blood and talk of kidnapping stuff. Also she is part of the 'worlds worst injured' club.]

Healing - Landmark Inn; March 23rd - 25th

[Naminé doesn't know what to do with herself. She's brought to her room at the Landmark but she doesn't want to stay there. It doesn't matter if her entire body is littered with scars, some infected and some not.

Alone.

Trapped.

She trembles at the thought as if the memories from the Castle and the abuse she'd suffered there had never ended.

Her cuts were eventually bandaged, her hair washed and her clothes changed and in some cases replaced. She looks better though there are traces of dark maroon where she'd missed sections of dried blood. She isn't alone in her room for more than twenty minutes before she's up and weakly wandering the halls of the Landmark Inn. Sometimes falling asleep in the lounge when she's suddenly too weak to make it back up to her room.

Naminé is dressed in a warm sweater that covers most of her, a white skirt and a warm pair of socks. The bandages on her legs and hands keep the rest of her warm but there are occasional slivers of bright red when a cut is broken open from her exertions.

She can be found in her room asleep or just starting to wake or sometimes trying to make an escape into the hall to be away from any confined space. It's only towards the second day that Naminé begins to wander outside and even then she can be found laying across the ground when she's pushed herself a little to far.]

General Around; March 26th.

[It's the third day when Naminé is well enough to leave her room and wander out to meet the hunt. Her arms, legs and neck are all bandaged in white lightly marred cloth with a large faded orange sweater pulled over a majority of her frame. Hints of a skirt or dress peak out from beneath that with boots covering her feet. Her hair is not longer messy from their ordeal however there are dark maroon stains around her hairline where she hadn't managed to scrub the blood and dirt away.

She visits the gardening and first aid classes through out the day and tries to learn what she can but she's weak and she has to occasionally stop and rest. It's in this time that she pulls out her sketchbook and begins to draw the dark nightmares from the operating room. The most prominent figure is the green eyed spirit who appears in many of her pictures as if he's a specter haunting each memory.

When she's done she slides the sketchbook into her bag and stares down at the bird cage that holds her light. Maybe she's always going to be trapped in a cage? It just takes different forms.

For the first time, she wonders if she has really escaped Castle Oblivion.]

Wild Card

[ooc: Come at me with anything for the remainder of the month! Also anything at any times within these two general prompts. Naminé will be healing and then trying to do things she has no right to do in her current state. She's never been sick so she's a horrible sick person and she has issues with being locked or stuck in a room for long periods of time.]

Landmark lobby 3/25

[worthallthis]

Soldat is back to regular patrols, twice a day. They're taking it slow, though, given their own half-healed wounds and possibly more damaged brain, and stop at the major housing locations along the way for a snack and a warm drink.

Which is how, stopping into the hotel lobby, they spot Naminé passed out on one of the lobby sofas. They don't disturb her, not immediately, instead slipping through the restaurant to the kitchen, fixing up some grilled cheese and juice for them both. Apple for her, grape for them. Only with a meal in hand do they come to crouch beside her couch. "Naminé. Wake up, kiddo. Dinner time."

Maes Hughes | OTA

[dadandgone]

I. Searching
[When they'd taken him, he'd lost his glasses in the process. Maes isn't sure he'll ever be able to find them, but for whatever reason he can't shake the desire to try. Probably because it is one small thing he has control over. The problem of course is that searching for your glasses in the dark with only a lantern when YOU'RE the one with not-so-great vision is a pretty futile endeavor.

He still has to try, because if he sits for too long, he starts to think about what happened and then he starts to think about what he saw and...it doesn't end well.

He begins his search near his cabin, roaming around it in a circle and then slowly trying to retrace his steps. He stops at the edge of the path that WOULD lead him back towards the medical center. He stands there staring for some time, no longer looking at the ground but out into the darkness. Maybe you have better night vision, you might see his hands shaking.]

II. Gather
[The Invincible is a common haunt for Maes, but it's strange to see him here instead of attending whatever meeting Kimiko is having. Perhaps you were there and noticed his absence, so it's your best guess that he was probably here the entire time.

Maes is at a table in the back corner and it is covered in familiar looking memory stones and photographs. Periodically he'll lift his hand and place it on one of the stones, reliving the memory, before coming back to reality just as quickly. When he doesn't have his hand on a stone, he rests his head in his hands. He mutters occasionally]

These are real. These are really them. Not those hallucinations. Those aren't real.

[Whatever is going on, he looks...lost. Maes is usually pretty good at hiding things, but this has gotten to be too much for him to hide. It may even be too much for him to deal with. He moves his hand over to another memory stone and repeats the process again.]

I

[worthallthis]

[Maes isn't the only one searching around. Soldat lost both handguns and a lot of knives over the course of their trip from the metal statue garden to the medical center, not to mention a couple bags of snacks, an early origami effort, one of Aziraphale's feathers, and their favorite worry stone. They're at least 70% healed up, with lingering soreness around the arm join, a few red lines here and there under their clothes, so patrols are back on. They're prowling down the path, eyes on the ground, but ears alert for other people or danger.

Maes is not danger. Maes is an ally (mostly), and Maes is standing very still on the path up ahead. Hrm. Soldat's trajectory is taking them that way, anyway, so they just slow when they reach him.]

Everything okay?

[It's a habitual question when they run into people while on patrol. Just making sure.]

Jo Harvelle | around, throughout the Hunt's stay

[knifecollecting]

[Jo politely listens as Kimiko explains the Wild Hunt's feelings, though by the end of the speech her disagreement is clear on her face. The universe isn't a horse to be put out of its misery.

They have to fight. She does make a note to start dropping by the church and Bonfire more often.

Just in case.

She might disagree with their end goals, but she is going to take advantage of what they'll teach. There are others in Beacon who know as well, of course, but the Hunt has been here for some time. They may have advantageous information for Beacon.]

[mindofathief]

[Duster is tired. He likes being outside, far from walls, surrounded by people with plenty of light and food, but he's tired. He hasn't been able to go on walks for days, and his leg is already nagging him about the lack of exercise. His lantern sits by his side while he watches Kimiko's talk with little interest. Maybe it's just the lack of attention he can give, but her story is sound. Maybe all he needs is a good nap.]

Hm? [Right, someone's next to him.] Did you say anything?