polymods: (Default)
polymods ([personal profile] polymods) wrote in [community profile] polylogs2021-06-01 03:00 pm

Carcosa, pt. 2

POLYMYTHOS: CARCOSA

Carcosa


Ⅰ. CARCOSA
You Are Still Here.

Another month, and you’re still in the city of Carcosa! Isn’t that just wonderful?

You still have access to the city’s temple and the High Temple.

The side effects you may have suffered from throughout the month of May are now at an end - if you had a pesky mask glued to your face the whole time it will now fall off. You might need a little moisturizer, but otherwise you’ll be just fine.

You could sit around inside the relative safety of the temples, of course, but why not get out there and explore the city some more? Come on, grumpypants!



Ⅱ. SPEAK EASY
CW: Optional alcohol consumption.
What kind of pet shop is filled with rambunctious yahoos and hot jazz music at 1 AM? That's right - the best damn pet shop in town! Sidle up to the back door of Curly's Pet Shop and a panel will open enough to reveal a pair of eyes. "What's the password?" you'll be asked. Whatever word first comes to your mind, well, that apparently is correct because you're let in at once.

The front of the building definitely does indeed house fish and birds and kittens, but the back room is definitely not a good place to find a new animal companion; you find yourself in a crowded little room with low lighting and a small bar crammed into one corner. There's seats and some tables, and most importantly there's a band playing jazz music across from the bar.

Why not take a seat and have a drink? It's probably not paint thinner. Probably. Maybe you'll spot some of your fellow Travelers and you can sit and have a chat. Make a new friend who can hold your hair back if you party too hard.

And you better hope that the place doesn’t get raided!

Notes:
1. The drinks are all era-appropriate - you’re not getting Redbull with vodka here - and even if your character has non-human physiology they will work the same as they would on a baseline human. That’s right, your magic or your healing-factor or your vampire blood is no match for these Gin Rickeys!

2. If Curly’s does get raided while you’re there, you can run and hide or choose to engage with the police, who are armed and not too shy about opening fire if you go on the offensive. As with the rest of the regular residents of Carcosa, the officers are human and can be killed. Killing them may affect the colour grading of your Scrywatch depending on the situation. (Is it beneficial to personal growth to kill in order to save someone else, for example? You tell me!)

3. Did you want a pet from the front of the building? Well, just remember that baby turtles and alligators might SEEM like a good idea, but they grow up! Also any animal you take will not travel with you to the next island. So sorry.



Ⅲ. EXPRESSIONISM YOURSELF
CW: Optional paranoia, hallucinations.
If you wander the streets at night, you may find yourself getting turned around. You'll find that the streets have lost their many lights, and the beautiful and delicate art deco architecture has given way to something much more stark and heavy. The buildings are block-like, but they curve in exaggerated ways that hurt the eye if looked at too long. All are in blacks and whites and greys. Nothing looks quite real, but you can walk along just fine. Probably better not to go off alone, though.


Periodically you will encounter that pesky sign of some sort painted on the walls. If you follow the sigils, you will eventually be led to a long staircase that winds down and down until it finally terminates in a large white room lit by a few electric lanterns. There's black paint there, with brushes. Maybe you're feeling creative?

Notes:
1. You’re pretty sick of this stupid sigil, aren’t you? In fact, you consider yourself QUITE the detective and have been searching after its meaning! Or maybe you played Call of Cthulhu a lot in college, you nerd!

Painting the sigil on the wall will cause you to feel disoriented and paranoid until you leave the white room. From that point on you can discover a copy of a play entitled The King In Yellow anywhere in the city you choose. Reading the first act of the play has no effect on you, however if you choose to read beyond the first line of the second act you will spend the rest of the month suffering from periodic hallucinations, often of a tall man in a pallid mask.

2. While there is no compulsion to paint, choosing to work out any of your character’s issues through art therapy can be reflected in your Scrywatch colour if it is significant enough.



Ⅳ. AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER, I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A GANGSTER
CW: Optional gun violence, injury.
Art? Theatre? Music? BAH! Boring!

Maybe your tastes are a little more on the dangerous side? Whatever this island may be, it seems to offer plenty of opportunities to get into the seedy underbelly. Maybe you feel the need to steal a car, rob a bank, transport some illegal hooch for a smiling fellow in a yellow fedora. Grab your tommy guns, kids, it's time to outrun the Feds!

Naturally, you could wind up injured having all of this fun, but surely you could get some help from your fellow Travelers, either directly or by having them haul you to some sort of underground doctor. These doctors do exist, although it might take a while to get referred to one by a local.

You might also find yourself under arrest and stuck in an old-timey jail cell for a month. What fun!

Notes:
1. As was stated in the first prompt, the regular residents of Carcosa are normal humans. Killing them is possible and may affect the colour grading of your Scrywatch depending on the situation. Any weapons you find are era-appropriate.

2. You can break out of jail if you’re resourceful enough.

3. The underground doctors aren’t working in a real hospital for a reason. In fact, some of them might be less doctors and more, well. Vets.

You still jamming to that Carcosa playlist?


Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

unkindled_madness: (talking)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-07-01 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
Whatever he is, he has some power. I suppose if he had enough to escape on his own, he'd have little incentive to lend it.

I imagine godhood is a misnomer for the Ancient as well. She simply has... different limitations.
mewnifestos: (Default)

[personal profile] mewnifestos 2021-07-01 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
"Uh, no. It brought me here from Ferelden. Amaranthine, to be exact." And while he may have to think a little harder to recall the exact year (not a high priority, as important matters of mind go), the 1200s are certainly nowhere near the mark.

"Not that I expect that to ring any bells, here. I haven't met a single other soul who's come from Thedas, let alone even heard of it."
nightschool: (🖋️ 27)

[personal profile] nightschool 2021-07-01 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
I'll refrain from estimating if you seem the poetic sort and say only I'd like to see an age without romance in its arts.

[Hm. Eyes on the volume, he starts at the beginning, turning to the cover and title pages, running his finger along the neat, straight typeface. He stops just under the publication date--a number that would have, at one time, looked inane in ink.

I'm not surprised his writing seems to have endured. What does one call modern successors in verse? Descendants, then? Kit may have a headstart coming to terms with the ravages of time and on the surface seem to take it in stride, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a complicated pang of interest and competitive envy as if he has some claim to relevance.]


And who endures from my time? Does yours hold up any great names from mine?

[He fears the burn, but he can't resist.]
neverwither: (Shy away)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-07-01 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, but now I’m intrigued. Is that where you’re from, if you don’t mind me asking?

( She just about manages to detangle the kitten from her hair, holding the furball close. Not that it seems to deter those paws from trying to catch the blonde strands. It doesn’t bother her unduly – her focus is much more on Anders. )

Ah. Now we find ourselves in quite a conundrum. You see, I’m much more of a supporting player myself. Not to mention that I really don’t agree with your face being a terrible one.

( Considering the curious look she gives him, she might as well have just asked outright why he seems to have this opinion of himself. Though she doesn’t push it any further, and shares something of herself instead. )

Though I’m not entirely unfamiliar with being the face of something… But between you and me, there are plenty of people who aren’t too fond of this face either.
neverwither: (100% interest 100% of the time)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-07-01 02:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Chloe. Just Chloe. Please. No need to be so formal, all things considered.

( She gestures around them with a smile. That, and it’s odd to have someone address her in that way. If anything, she should be the one calling her ‘Miss Saxsice.’

Should she start calling people ‘Mister’ and ‘Miss’? No, that would be weird now. And it isn’t terribly personable.

Watching the other woman, her smile fades from enthusiastic glowing to something softer. How lovely it is to have dreams like that. )


It sounds wonderful. We may have just met but I would fully encourage your efforts to expand. You could even own a whole chain of ‘On The Rocks’ one day. And all this could just be a wild tale to tell your patrons.

( Maybe that’s overly optimistic. But what’s wrong with that, really? Turning to the bartender, she requests another round for the two of them. )

Oh no, not yet. Why not make the most of the experience? Who knows if it’ll come around again? I’m actually having fun so… Let the fun continue.

( She finishes with a firm nod, ignoring any pangs at the mention of home. She knows Saxsice didn’t mean home home but it conjures the imagery nonetheless.

So she smiles even more. )


But don’t blame me if you have to carry me back to the Temple.
Edited 2021-07-02 12:20 (UTC)
what_fourth_wall: (Did I say that out loud?)

[personal profile] what_fourth_wall 2021-07-01 05:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Deadpool barks a laugh. "I appreciate the consideration there, but you'll see it in what I regrow anyway. At this rate, that means you'll see my gnarly little Deadpool before you see my gnarly face."

He pauses, then smirks under her mask. "Although one upside of the little Deadpool is that it's ribbed for her pleasure."

TMI? TMI?!? WTF is TMI?!?
medeiun: ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛs (Default)

please pardon my absolute snail's pace; June was not my month....

[personal profile] medeiun 2021-07-01 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Green, ah? Something to Maleficent's eyes flashes slightly at that, as they lift to meet the man's once more. Green certainly has its own association for the dark fairy; it comprises one half of her magic, of her spirit. Not necessarily the better half, but it's precious to her. ]

I must admit, I have quite the affinity for green, myself.

[ The corner of her mouth lifts slightly, a sharp little hint of a smile. ]

It's a colour of power.
medeiun: ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛs (pic#14784896)

[personal profile] medeiun 2021-07-01 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
The question surprises her, a little. Thanks to the influence of her own drink, slight though it may be, Maleficent doesn't conceal her surprise quickly enough. It flutters across her face, catches there for a moment or two before her cold features can suppress it.

"No." But the answer is too much a contrast to that surprise, too quickly said. It irritates her, and she scowls then, eyes cutting into a bit of a glare at him. Defaulting into Bossy Bitch Mode is familiar, and it's what she does now, jutting her chin at the man as though giving him an order.

"Go on. Fix it, then." Clearly he knows more about alcohol than she ever could.
medeiun: ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛs (Default)

[personal profile] medeiun 2021-07-01 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
How unfortunate. [ Maleficent says, as though she doesn't find it unfortunate at all. Ruffling the feathers of people she's still not too familiar with may be a dangerous thing, but it's really all a harmless bit of (rude) fun.

....Besides, she's bored, and he's one of the few in this place whose company she finds useful; he's been someone to actually provide helpful information. His experience with strange technology, the shared viewpoint that no one here should quite be trusted... Maleficent doesn't have to worry about this one wandering off into one of this place's various traps and sticking his hands into it the way many of the hapless humans she's encountered have. He has some goddamn sense. ]


Was the book that uneventful so as to put you to sleep? [ ...Is her way of asking about what he's been reading. ]
kyley_b: (gross)

[personal profile] kyley_b 2021-07-01 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Kyle makes a face that's half disgusted, half resigned. Pretty normal expression for him growing up, really.

"Wow. I don't think I know what to say in response to that."
unkindled_madness: (reading)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-07-01 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[To be fair to the hapless humans, he did attempt to stab one of the traps which was about as successful as sticking one's hand in it. But she doesn't have to know about that as long as Saxsice keeps her mouth shut.

Placing the book back in its place, he turns back to her and shakes his head.]


I simply find this place more... appealing than either of the temples. [To sleep in, and in general.]

There are some dull volumes, but even they typically have some redeeming information.
medeiun: ғʟɪᴇɴ (pic#14830183)

[personal profile] medeiun 2021-07-01 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She's read her fair share of books here, but hasn't found much in terms of information on this place or its rules. And certainly no spell books or anything of that nature. They mostly seem to be fictional: novels, stories, the sorts of things humans read. ]

Have any of them taught you anything helpful about our situation here? [ She wonders, crossing her arms lightly over her chest, moving a little further into the room. Quietly, but with that sweeping gesture that accompanies her by default, when one has a large pair of wings behind one's back.

....At least this time there are no swirling, dancing bodies around to work to avoid. The quiet stillness is nice; it's almost easy to forget that this place is all essentially a prison. ]
what_fourth_wall: (Default)

[personal profile] what_fourth_wall 2021-07-01 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, you could always fall back on your classic 'GROSS, DUDE!'. But if I had my preference, I'd go with something like 'Way to think of your partner's pleasure before your own, Mr. Pool, you are such a great guy, as is reflected by your color coordinated scrycollar!'"

He grumbles. "You know, one side effect of being just a head is that I've got shit-all for narration. I mean, what can I do besides lick your wrist or something? Don't worry, I'm not going to lick your wrist. You're my ride, and I don't want to get punted again."
sketchbookings: (101)

[personal profile] sketchbookings 2021-07-01 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Of course. I'd wager you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone, regardless of social status, who doesn't know at least a bit of Shakespeare. There's almost always a troupe of players somewhere performing something of his. I think I heard once that for an actor to be considered a great performer of the stage, he should have a striking Shakespearean performance.

[ But it can't all be Shakespeare, right? Certainly, without question, the Bard is easily the most famous of the time. He's maybe even more famous than the contemporary writers that London society rubs elbows with. Benedict has to think a moment. ]

I suppose there's also Marlowe, though I can't imagine his name might come as easily to people. I don't particularly mind his Doctor Faustus, I much prefer Goethe's rendition of the story.

[ And Benedict holds up the book containing Goethe's Faust, since he's conveniently got it on hand. ]
unkindled_madness: (pensive)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-07-01 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
...no. Not really.

[That was what he was hoping for when he first came here. Information on the Ancient, on the island, and yes, perhaps even spell books, if there are other ways to do magic. But on any of those subjects, he's come up empty-handed.]

However, if I'm to be surrounded by people from Earth, then I'd prefer to know something about it. They have helped with that.
nightschool: (🖋️ 34)

[personal profile] nightschool 2021-07-02 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[He barks a harsh and rather--he wouldn't deny it--contemptuous laugh. Concluding, within reason, that they're playing at jests and humor. Has Benedict made him? Has he figured out Kit's personal stake in the asking? Because he only knows one Shakespeare, and a dozen of his betters who surpass him by a wide margin, with himself very much at the top of the pile. To list it the other way around is quite funny.

He doesn't think it terribly high-handed to agree with his mother country on that point.]


Will? William Shakespeare? You must be speaking of a descendant of some kind. I know of only one playwright by that name, and that charlatan would never touch the heels of Marlowe's career--

[Mine. My career.

Never. Not so long as Kit had ink, paper, and half a brain to command his two hands. Only unless...

He doesn't reach for the bottom book once it's taken back, gaze cutting to the embossed title revealed to him, and then back up. Some of his amusement starts to curdle, nerves registering the burn deep in his belly, slow and cold and insidious.]
quire: (phoenix fire)

[personal profile] quire 2021-07-02 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
I mean sure. I'm down. I just assumed something a little more Machiavellian from a guy like you, but yeah I can do simple.

[He scans the room quietly and his eyes take a pink tint.]

So far as I can tell these goons are just regular folks. Not immune to a little thought manipulation. Let me put the work out their Yellow Fellow is hiring. See if we can get a few of his rum runners to start moving the goods somewhere else.

Got a location in mind?

quire: (hero shot)

[personal profile] quire 2021-07-02 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Not a big fan of Gwenny myself. It's diminutive." He actually looks a little disappointed to know that scrappy little landshark isn't here to greet him, but that easily disguised as a snotty reminder that Wade should probably be a better pet-sitter.

"Wherever he is you better hope she has him or Gwen's gonna do to you what Weapon X never could."

And just like that Quentin's almost sorry he asked. Just when he thinks Deadpool might know something he doesn't he ends up sounding like the naked guy in time square who yells at people about aliens.

"I'm the best a lot of things, but you can probably keep that one," he cringes as Wade yaks up his lunch. "Dude... even Logan's holding his liquor better than you. Maybe you should take a minute. Can we get this guy a water?"
sketchbookings: (113)

[personal profile] sketchbookings 2021-07-02 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ Regretfully, Benedict has no idea he's putting his foot in his mouth, which seems to be rather his lot in life (and might explain why he prefers to keep to himself). At Kit's defiance, Benedict can't help the amused grin that flashes across his face. Maybe even worse is that there's no sense of malice in the look at all. He genuinely believes Kit is just sputtering. ]

I can't exactly speak for what it may have been like when you graced London, but I'm certainly not jesting about what comes to mind for us when we consider the Elizabethan years. Marlowe may have just been unlucky. I'm better at art history than I am with literature, but if my memory serves, he died rather young. Who knows what he might have given us if he'd survived Shakespeare in years.
dothelokimotion: (And your children's children)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-07-02 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
Not everything needs a deeply creative solution.

[ sometimes, stabbing is the best plan. ]

We should start near the docks.
dothelokimotion: (You never needed the wand)

all good <3

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-07-02 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki lets a tendril of magic curl up his fingers for show. ]

I certainly like to think so.
howlett: (hat-tip2)

[personal profile] howlett 2021-07-02 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
[he turns up his open hands like he doesn't intend to condemn]

I don't blame you. I can't shake the feeling there's something to see here that's bein' kept just out of reach. but these breadcrumbs...

[he waggles that book in hand.] Gut tells me they're designed to lead somewhere you don't wanna go.

But if you think you got your head on straight again... you figure you learn anything from reading it?
Edited 2021-07-02 02:51 (UTC)
howlett: (sincere)

[personal profile] howlett 2021-07-02 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
He tips his a hat with a curt nod. "S'a mouthful," but at least he'll remember it that way.

"I don't figure anyone's got much more than guesses at this point. But I like to hear'em. Makes it easier to start spottin' patterns."
quire: (king quire)

[personal profile] quire 2021-07-02 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
Is it more satisfying though? When it's at least a little poetic?

[he's just loves an excuse to show off. god forbid anyone underestimate him.]

Sure. I'll send some that way now. We can follow them, see what they lead us to if that works for you.
kyley_b: https://mcnuggyy.tumblr.com/ (hey)

[personal profile] kyley_b 2021-07-02 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
"Doesn't red mean 'you're fucked'?"

Once again, Kyle just lets the shit Deadpool says that makes no sense roll over him. "I would punt you again," he assures him. "But don't worry, we're almost to the Temple. I'll prop you up there and you can regrow all your shit."

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