DECEMBER MINGLE

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: December 21st - Early January
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: Newcomers, a surprise gift from Tatianna, and a visitor!
NOTES\WARNINGS:

⏵ arrival ⏴ Welcome to Etraya! Arrival goes as expected - characters awaken on hospital beds and are offered an explanation of their situation: that they have arrived in the city of Etraya, and they are their world's only hope. They are welcome to wander the hospital if they would like to - the upper floors are mostly empty, full of pristine hallways and numerous rooms filled with supplies, cots, and things one would expect from a relatively average 21st-century hospital. The lobby is filled to the brim with tables of freshly baked goods. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banners are taped to the walls, and several other typical birthday decorations can be found in this area. A few of the baked goods tables are lined with massive cakes covered in unlit candles, just waiting for someone to grab a lighter and sing off-key. Is it anyone's birthday? Who knows! The companion bots seem to believe it's every new arrival's birthday and will greet them as such - with friendly waves and cheers as they make their way to the lobby. A coat rack is situated by the doors leading out of the hospital, covered in warm clothing that fits the new arrivals just right - whether it's to their preferred style or not is something else entirely. Some of them appear normal enough. Others? Well. They can't all be perfect, now can they? Outside the windows, the grass is covered in a couple of inches of loosely packed snow. We hope you enjoy your stay. ⏵ an unexpected gift ⏴ Out by the hospital stands a tall, decorated tree covered in candles and golden pinecones with a handsome, red velveteen tree skirt. In front of it are a few oversized wrapped gifts for show- and atop one of those sits a familiar woman. Or unfamiliar, if this is your first time. It's Tatianna in a slutty Santa outfit with a big ol’ burlap sack. “Hey, I got something for you,” she says, digging into the bag and rummaging for a moment. She produces a painted egg and holds it aloft. “It’s your Winter Solstice Egg! This is the egg holiday, right? Wait, shit. I’m mixing them up, aren’t I? ...Well. It’s a little late to change it. Here you go!” How one treats their egg is fully up to themselves. They can choose to ignore it entirely, or destroy it and leave the yolk and innards to rot on the ground. They can hand it over to someone else or care for it as if it were something precious. No one will prevent them from doing whatever they please with it! ⏵ naughty or nice ⏴However, how they treat the egg will define how the egg treats them in return. Those who keep the egg and tend to it will get the benefit of being able to watch it hatch seven days after they are handed the egg. Eggs that are treated with attention and love may yield a loyal companion, or a weapon of choice that always returns to its owner, while neglected eggs may yield a curious, cursed trinket or an animal who treats its new owner very much the same way its owner had treated it before it was born. Please submit an egg request below for what items you would like your character's eggs to hatch into! Please note that these cannot be things that would be applicable in the game. Those whose eggs are destroyed or forgotten will simply get the gift of... nothing! ⏵ free your spirit ⏴ With the winter chill gripping the air, a mysterious figure makes their presence known in Etraya - a towering, horned creature dragging a massive sack behind them. 𝓐 𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖇𝖚𝖎𝖑𝖙 𝖔𝖓 𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖜𝖊𝖆𝓴 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓. Regardless of a character's strengths or weaknesses, they will find that when Krampus raises his massive sack over their head, they are powerless to stop him from catching them. Those capable of great magical feats or other supernatural abilities will sense something... otherworldly about Krampus, but will not be able to place the source of that sensation. Once within Krampus' sack, they are welcome to fight, but escape is impossible. It will feel as if Krampus is dragging them over every rock possible, dragging the sack in through the rivers to the point it soaks through and drenches them - potentially almost drowning them. When the sack opens, they will find themselves in an impossibly dark space. Around them are others who have also been captured and dragged here by Krampus, trapped in small cages hanging from a massive, wiry tree. Krampus will return often, banging clawed hands and birch rods on the walls of the cages and knocking them into one another. 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘. The whisper resonates through the darkened area, regardless of Krampus' presence. Confess your secrets, and be freed. Otherwise? You'd better hope someone figures out where Krampus has set up base; those who refuse to confess may find themselves stuck here forever. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Krampus' base is under Etraya! Deep within the catacombs, he has set up multiple cages to capture those who inhabit Etraya to punish them for their naughty habits. Fighting him is possible! Defeating him by means of combat is not, however, possible. Think of it like fighting a god: Krampus creates the rules in the space around him, including who can use what ability. For all questions relating to this log, please refer to the mod queries comment. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[unaliveyourself]

[Dazai isn't entirely sure if Cas does, exactly. He was as he was meant to be, once, and then things changed. Or rather, his understanding of things changed, and he no longer felt right being that way, if Dazai has put the pieces together correctly. Dazai has ... never once felt as though he belonged in this world, as though he had the qualifications to consider himself a human being.

Even so, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if he does, because this really is the last piece, isn't it? Castiel wanted to live, before his world changed around him. Odasaku wanted to be a writer, and all at once no longer felt he had the ability to, as the solid ground beneath his feet was torn out from him.

The cage no longer matters to him, either. Trying to resist, keeping back the most vulnerable pieces of him ... he can't do it. He feels as though Castiel has run him through with one of those holy swords and he is burning from the inside out.]

You really are ... just like him.

[He sighs, and there's the barest grumble. It's not even really meant to be audible, save for the lack of any other sounds or distractions in the dark:]

Dean had better keep you safe.

[messenger]

I'm... sorry.

[ it seems like the only thing to say in response.

solid ground is something they all seem to take for granted, one way or another. castiel never thought his world could change. maybe the person dazai knew was the same. perhaps his future was snatched away for the sake of some greater cause— one dazai no doubt resents. he couldn't say if that cause was good. if it was worth it. if it was worth anything at all. it's not his place to make that judgement anymore, anyway.

the cage swings, the soft whine of rusted chains playing the backing vocals to their conversation. is this all intentional, he wonders? did echo let this happen? forcing vulnerability. intimacy. for its own causes. in that sense, playing along would mean playing into echo's hands. but despite castiel's inexperience with humanity, he knows the admission dazai just made is a personal one.

it's not something he would have said voluntarily.

the mumbled words that follow aren't meant for his ears at all. they reach them anyway. he could argue that it's his duty to keep dean safe— but he doubts that matters. instead, he makes an admission of his own.

it's been setting on the tip of his tongue since they were captured together. it's the one thing that feels like a worthy admission in this company. ]

... You were right, you know.

About Dean and I. About my... feelings.

[lastonetodie]

Only as complicated as necessary. My predecessor was equal to the tasks asked of them. They were simply too...independent. They had too much control. They became a cautionary tale about relying too much on machinery.

[ He should probably sound more bitter than he does. He does not. He states it like a simple fact of life. ]

Yes. They know I exist. In many ways, I am the face of their home, the innumerable systems that sustain life as they knew it.

My work is my purpose, my reason for being. I am responsible for all the Drzyr...or...I was. Being here means that...I am so again.

For what little that is worth now.

[ Perhaps if he had been taken before seeing the face of Alepsis-Taura, he might be more placid about such things. This is not the case, however.

We should not have crossed that dark horizon. But you can still turn back. ]

[unaliveyourself]

[He says nothing, to the condolence. There's nothing he has to say on it. For all that he feels overwhelmed by what emotion the situation has wrung out from him, is nonetheless entirely too logical, too detached for genuine projection. Castiel isn't Odasaku. Dean isn't him. The relationships each pair has are singular; nobody else could truly understand what they were to each other. Even if Castiel were to live, it wouldn't change that Odasaku is dead, and Dazai failed to save him.

No, Castiel is merely a reminder of a grief that has already lived in his skin for four years. It's just that most of the time, with most people, it is an old scar that aches in bad weather. Castiel, with nothing of guile or ill intention, nonetheless digs his fingernails in the wound and tears, with every new conversation. It wouldn't have ever been for him to know, the ache in his heart when they speak, the nostalgia that he has given nobody the right to share with him. He couldn't hold the angel responsible for that; the blame lies solely with Echo, as far as he's concerned.]

I thought I might be. You never once denied that you would do anything for him, even then.

[He's silent a while. Then:]

His name was Sakunosuke Oda, but I never cared for it. Oda is too short, but Sakunosuke is too long, so I called him Odasaku. He walked willingly to his death for a battle he knew he wouldn't survive. He wasn't like me, though, who has only ever longed for death. He wanted to live. He wanted to be a writer.

[The cage clicks open. Dazai ignores it.]

You told me you understand, but I don't think that's true. I think you don't want to die, but you're afraid to live when your world no longer makes sense. You're afraid of how human you've become, and how much more human you might yet be. It only makes sense. You've been watching us suffer for thousands of years, after all.

[zauneyete]

[ Of course you should go after the drug dealers? My, my.

Silco's eyes stare at him, long, and his single eye blinked. ]

Wide variety of nasty types there, I would say.

You're correct, of course. [ He lets his fingers drift against the bars. ]

Where is the line. What is the difference between a man, and a monster, hm? When does one drift too far, and become that which they can't return from?

[ Area drug dealer and kingpin asks. ]

[zauneyete]

Hah.

[ it was, wasn't it? ]

You're correct. However, he also taught me a very important lesson that day as well. [ oh boy, here we go... ]

On the nature of power, and what it is to take it, and use it. You see, this person, was the strongest amongst the lot of us. Formidible. A beast of a man. [ ok silco slow down there. ] Enforcers feared him, and our gang was becoming something to behold. We worked ourselves out of the mines, and into business. Unheard of!

But this power, the strength, it can be turned in an instant if something more enticing than our cause comes along. This, of course, was turned towards snuffing out the last vestiges of our cause. [ A gesture at himself. ] Me.

When one has all the power, and the ability to wield it, they get to make the decisions, on how everything else falls in line.

[ His lips were a thin smile. Sharp. ] He is dead now. [ Was. ] [ Not really. ]

And then who had all the power after that, was able to direct the future of our cause.

[leastdramatic]

It'd be nice if there were easy answers to those questions. It's only easy to people who didn't have to fight to live.

[Jason's well aware that if Bruce hadn't adopted him, he probably would've become yet another Gotham goon. Residents in Crime Alley had few options in having "legitimate" livelihoods]

[messenger]

I... [ funny. but dazai understand him better than he does. the single spoken word is punctuated by an inhale, though it isn't shock he's expressing. rather, resignation, and the moment of comprehension that comes before it. the doors on both of their cages are slowly swinging open under their own weight, and neither one of them is paying attention. his mind wanders, again, to the idea that this was all as set up.

he didn't trust echo in the first place, but his tacit acceptance is curdling. it's beginning to taste more like resentment.

as his thoughts organize themselves, there are several questions resting on the tip of his tongue. he wants to ask dazai if he really thinks it's worth it. to try to live as a human. to try to live apart from his brothers, separated from his own home forever. could he? would it be worth it, even if he could? he's admitted his feelings for dean, but he doesn't know how else to express those but by putting himself to some use. what happens when he has nothing left to give?

could he forgive himself?

it feels like he's running out of time. did dazai feel that way too, with odasaku? when sakunosuke oda gave up his dreams, did dazai know the shape of the end?

by the time he speaks, his throat is dry. he wonders if dazai understands that, too. ]

We should go.

[levelshift]

[There are a lot of things Accelerator wants to ask about. Enforcers (law enforcement?), more information this gang, were they all miners? Is this a case of a low class community banding together for protection, like how Skill Out grew from weak espers wanting to protect each other from stronger ones?

More questions float around in his mind as he listens quietly. Someone rose above, and was strong enough to make actual change for them. He has to wonder what could've been more enticing than whatever their cause was.

It's all sounding somewhat relatable to him, though he knows he's drawing connections without having the full story. It's - whatever, not a big deal, it's just how his brain functions. He isn't taking that too seriously until those next words:

"When one has all the power, and the ability to wield it, they get to make the decisions, on how everything else falls in line."]

.....

[Accelerator mouth twitches and he looks away.

He understands that on a personal level. Aleister had been careful to structure Academy City in a way that allowed the person holding the title of Board Chairman unlimited power. Even the entire Board of Directors working together can't override his decisions. Even being in prison doesn't affect his power.

He has to wonder how long it'll be before he winds up dead, too.]

Let me guess, that person who succeeded him was you?

[cactusy]

You know, I have another idea. Did you go to elementary school?

[Her words are friendly enough. Her tone is not.]

If you did, maybe you've heard of the Quiet Game.

[cactusy]

While roughing it to that extent isn't necessarily Shaw's usual MO, she's nevertheless spent enough time living in tent barracks that she's able to appreciate central heating; the comment gets a grunt of acknowledgement.

"What about evidence that they're lying? You make any progress in figuring out what might really be going on?"

[zauneyete]

Hm. Very correct.

[ A tight smile. ]

Do you regret it? Making those you see as wrong suffer for their transgressions? What suffering did they inflict that was any worse than those who put them into the circumstance to begin with?

[ hoo boy ]

[zauneyete]

After I killed him, yes.

[ He says it like it is not something to be ashamed of. Like it isn't dangerous. Like it wasn't a dear... something that he murdered, but instead something in his way.

Silco had done a lot of work to justify who he had become. Left to rot in the dank and deep reaches of the undercity, it shouldn't be surprising that he had become something of a monster. It shouldn't be surprising that he had killed the man who tried to kill him. (Or Tried To, but hey that's not his fault.)

Silco had only done what he had to, to survive, to achieve a dream and a promise that he had long ago made. It was something necessary. A deep need, a drive.

Vander had let them rot. Silco would do nothing of the sort. ]

It is how we dispense justice, in a lawless place like the Undercity.

[unaliveyourself]

Interesting. Shall we have stakes?

[Is he aware that he's being told to shut up? Yes. Does he care? Not in the least.]

[cactusy]

[Honestly, she gives him a couple points for being open to the idea. You go, Dazai.]

First person to talk for any reason other than logistical planning gets punched in the arm.

[unaliveyourself]

Mmm, no, that's hardly any incentive at all to win.

[Like, would he prefer not to be punched? Generally. But being manhandled was also just an average day at the office for Dazai.]

How about, winner gets to boss around the loser until we make our way back up to the surface?

cw: not so much suicidal ideation but being ok with being killed

[levelshift]

[There's no reaction from Accelerator at the mention of murder. Violence is something he's lived with for most of his life, murder in particular is something he's committed so, so many times. Hearing about someone else doing it doesn't bother him. The most unusual aspect of it is the complexities of this relationship. It had started strong, devolved, and crumbled so badly that one attempted to murder the other, and one did murder the other.

He can't imagine that happening for anyone he cared about. He'd rather let them kill him than the other way around. That almost happened, once.

Of course, he can't blame someone else for having the survival instincts to fight back. If you want to live bad enough, you're willing to kill. He's aware of that, so there's no appalled argument coming from him. He doesn't even sound disgusted when he asks his next question, he's just curious.]

Are you trying to change that if you're in charge now? Or are you happy with the status quo?

[once_reborn]

"Wish I could say there was, but the biggest thing I can point to is...well, nothing we deal with ever seems to, y'know, involve our universes at all. Things happen, things come here, but..."

She shrugs.

"Anyways, the idea is to find a vacant one...you have any preferences about location?"

[leastdramatic]

[There's just the smallest pause as Jason thinks about how to response. Silco's questions are similar questions he's asked himself as he gradually moved away from being a crime lord]

I'm not sorry for going after them. What I'm sorry for is going blood for blood without thinking about what it doing to me.

[cactusy]

[Hmmmmmm. On the one hand, being on the receiving end of that from this guy would be irritating as hell.

On the other hand, Shaw feels completely confident that either she's going to be the winner or it's going to be a draw, so--]

Sure, whatever.

[cactusy]

"Nothing too close to a stairwell."

She can always move, if need be, and it's hard to make any decisions that feel long-term right now; she's still wrapping her head around everything she's experienced in the last hour.

"I don't know if I'd expect anything here to deal with our universes, at least not directly. We're the ones being tested, right? It sounded like... they're looking at us as representatives and products of our worlds, not looking at the worlds themselves."

[kidnappered]

"Yes. I'm fine."

But he realizes as well how weird that was. In an effort to explain himself so he didn't seem like he'd lost it, he said, "I was just thinking of what an idiot I know would do. The last time we were stuck behind bars he said bending metal with his barehands wasn't something a human could do. Then he just pulled the whole thing out of the foundation as if that was anymore normal."

He said it with a roll of his eyes, the words are judgmental but his tone is noticeably fond. "That idiot probably would have done something outrageous like that."

[kidnappered]

I can.

[He says haughtily.]

And if I can't then you can just go on without me.

[It's his old insecurities speaking along with the embarrassment of being captured like some sort of helpless victim.]

[nobraincell]

There'd be no point in my coming down here if I left you behind now.

[He came here for you, bro!!!]

[leastdramatic]

Jason snorts, though not mocking anyone.

"Hell of a useful ability he's got though," he says in an amused tone.