Carcosa, pt. 2

[polymods]

✖ 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

Comments

Sephiroth | OTA

[unkindled_madness]

I - Curly's Pet Shop
[Before you enter some kind of shady location requiring a secret password, it only makes sense to investigate the publicly accessible part of that building, right?

Sephiroth wouldn't normally care about a pet store. He's never owned a pet and has never had the inclination. However... He's already realized that the fauna here aren't entirely the same as the ones he knows, and this is his first time seeing some of them.

The rodents are either unfamiliar or they definitely shouldn't be pets, and that is the smallest adamantoise he's ever seen... What even is an alligator? He's not staring, really, he's just studying them.]


II - Speakeasy
[...oh. To find that this is just some cramped bar is a little disappointing. He's not much of a drinker, but he'll pick up one of those gin cocktails he's never heard of and look for somewhere to sit where people won't try to talk to him.

Maybe there's something else going on here, if he hangs around to listen for a while? At the very least there's music, but otherwise Sephiroth seems rather out of his element.]


III - The Sigil
[What else would an insomniac do but walk the streets at night? But Sephiroth isn't used to losing his way. He's explored quite a bit of this city already, and he has good night vision, but somehow neither are helping him now. Retracing his steps seems to take him in a different direction than he came. The buildings don't look right. Has he come under this city's sorcery again? When he spots the first sigil, it cements that thought, and at first he refuses to follow them, looking for some other way out of this unexpected maze.

Are you lost, too? Maybe you run into him in the streets. He will eventually take up following the sigils, practically stalking them as though he's hoping to find a fight at their end.

Instead, he finds himself inside that white room. The paint is an obvious invitation, but by now he's growing frustrated with this, and he snatches up a brush. Will painting the damn sigil open a way to something worthwhile? You could try to stop him, or just let him have at it and see what happens.]


IV - Library
[Throughout the month, the most likely place to find Sephiroth is at Carcosa's sizeable public library. He mostly sticks to the nonfiction sections, standing in the aisles while he reads up on Earth history and geography and various random topics he's seen mentioned on the network. It might be a little out-of-date to most Travellers since there's nothing past the 1920s, and he hasn't been able to figure out what "Netflix" or "Boomers" are, but it's a start.

If you're lucky, you might catch him sitting down to read... faerie tales? So one of them might be called The Pink Fairy Book. What of it?

If you're extremely lucky, you might catch a glimpse of him sleeping in a chair. He's a light sleeper, so it's difficult (but not impossible) to approach without waking him, but you definitely haven't seen him sleep at either of the Temples. He's more comfortable here.]

((Looking for something else with Seph? Feel free to hit me up at yinza! I am also absolutely down for bar raids, so just have at it or let me know if you want the thread to go that way.))

( ii )

[dothelokimotion]

[ this is surprising. he didn't expect to see sephiroth at a party. the man seemed to highly dislike all kinds of social interaction, so seeing him was a surprise. loki approaches him, bemused. ]

Did you get lost?

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth looks up at him with a wry expression. It's not social interaction if you're drinking alone, but there are worse people who could have spoken to him than Loki.]

...I was expecting something more than a bar, given the secrecy.

[dothelokimotion]

[ he cocks his head. ]

What were you expecting?

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth shrugs.]

Some kind of criminal activity, I suppose.

pet shop, natch

[queenking]

Oh my goddddd, you're so tiny!

[There are a few questions Sephiroth might have -- 1) what is that tiny fluffy thing Saxsice is holding and cooing over, 2) how did she get the cage open without the shopkeeper noticing and/or 3) is she following him? The answers are "chinchilla" "very carefully" and "maybe", respectively, but the important thing is that Saxsice is in love.

She nuzzles the little creature, cooing softly:] I'm gonna name you Paul.

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth has several additional questions, actually, but we'll start with the basics.]

What is that?

[She might know, or she might have just picked up some strange animal because she thinks it's cute. He figures it's an even chance.]

[queenking]

[Not that picking up strange animals solely because they're cute is beyond Saxsice, actually, but for once she has the correct answer.]

It's a chinchilla. Here, pet it [She thrusts Paul forward. Paul looks nonplussed.] Aw, you have the same hair.

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth looks nonplussed.

He does not pet the chinchilla.]

...what exactly do you expect to do with an animal, here?

IV - Library

[neverwither]

( Chloe is drawn to the library. For one, it seems calm. Mostly importantly, it's filled with actual books. In her home, there are some real books (partly for show - first editions and the like that are worth a small fortune) but she has never been surrounded by so many.

There are so many sensory elements to them; the way they feel, their scent, the sound of the pages as they turn. Their dated nature doesn't matter to her in the slightest - it serves as part of the allure.

And it seems she's not the only one who appreciates what the library has to offer. Disturbing someone's reading might not be the pinnacle of politeness but she makes an approach anyway and gestures to the book he has. A small piece of common ground with someone is better than nothing. )

It's an interesting collection, isn't it?

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth lifts his gaze from the book to look at her. No, it may not be exactly polite, but... He never gets to talk about books.]

...are you familiar with these stories?

[He's playing a guessing game with most of his selections, not knowing which books are common knowledge and which are obscure and forgotten. Not that the faerie tales are really a part of his effort to educate himself on Earth, but there's something there nonetheless.]

[neverwither]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. Please say if I'm bothering you.

( There would be the apologies, right on schedule. Her social circle may have grown smaller and smaller over the years (and perhaps her social skills have shrunk right along with it) but she's always enjoyed talking to people. Listening to people. Being out in the world again - even if it isn't her world - seems to have stirred up the need to just involve herself with others. )

But yes, I know the stories. Have you reached The Sprig of Rosemary yet?

[unkindled_madness]

...you aren't.

[There's something of an implied "yet" to that statement, but for now he doesn't mind. He's a short ways past the rosemary story, though it's not one he would have picked out.]

I have. Is it a particular favorite?

i.

[necrosaint]

[ So, Harrow has no interest in the speakeasy; she has no interest in alcohol at all. She does have an interest in the pet shop, especially after the whole ... elephant bones situation from before. She's looking at all of the animals with equal lost state, though.

Sephiroth is a familiar enough person who has never frightened her (that's a short list) that Harrow takes a few sideways steps closer and then asks, softly, ]

Do you know what any of these things are.

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth is currently observing the alligators... He's never seen a lizard like this; they almost look like some sort of wingless dragon? He wonders if they grow any bigger.

He glances over (and down) at Harrow as she approaches. Well. It's... nice to know that at least he has some knowledge here.]

Yes. Not these [- he gestures to the alligators -] but many of them are familiar to me. Is the fauna of your world that much different?

[necrosaint]

I ... [ Awkward. Look, it's Harrow not knowing something; she looks mildly flustered. ] Actually have no idea, the Ninth doesn't have mammals or lizards, just fungi and fish. And I have seen illustrations of some things, but not these.

iv

[mewnifestos]

[ Lucky he is definitely not, but Anders does have a habit of showing up at the most inopportune times. Fortunately, he announces himself just as soon as he appears, so there's really no chance of Sephiroth not noticing him, however lightly or not he's sleeping, at this very moment. ]

You know, you'll ruin your back like that.

[ As if he's one to talk. He hasn't slept in a bed since he arrived - although he tends to choose less obvious places than public libraries, personally. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[Look, you sleep where you're able. It's not like the nonfiction section is especially popular.

Sephiroth doesn't startle, but his eyes open at the sound of Anders' approach, and he sits up straighter. His eyes sweep his surroundings, orienting himself. Library. No visible threats, just... Anders.

What was it he just said?]

...my back is fine.

[mewnifestos]

For now. Another couple of years of that, and you'll be all hobbled and hunched over.

[ Anders skims a book off the shelves and begins idly fanning through the pages. He can already tell it's nothing liable to hold his interest from the title, but why not give it a second look? ]

Are you not sleeping well? It's usually not a good sign to be nodding off in strange places.

IV - Library

[medeiun]

[ Maleficent has soon enough discovered the library for herself, and has also found a place for some solace within. The Temples are often too populated for her tastes; she finds it difficult to truly relax there. The library is often emptier, quieter.

And she, too, is seeking as much knowledge as she may find. About this world, about others, anything that may be of use. It seems inevitable that she may bump into Sephiroth yet again.

One afternoon, she does. She's inhumanly quiet as she stalks through the aisles, barefoot as is most comfortable for her, and not clad in the black leather or intricate dresses she's fashioned for herself with magic here, things reminiscent of what she'd wear back home: things meant to make a statement, assert some sort of dominance over those who encounter her.

Now, her hair has been let down, and she lets her wings flutter more freely. Now she truly feels like a creature of the fae.

And like any of the faefolk, there is a penchant for mischief that still exists in her. When she sees Sephiroth sleeping in a chair not far away, Maleficent stays very still for a good while, not bothering him. But after a bit, she grows bored, and so she lifts her hand quietly into the air, fingers moving slowly to conjure a glittering stream of gold. A book on the shelf nearest him splits open, pages moving rapidly with magic, loud enough to make an audible fluttering sound like insect wings. Very near his head. That's rude, Maleficent. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth starts awake at the sound of buzzing so close to his ear, and even before his eyes are open, his left hand snatches reflexively to grab the offending-- book?

His gaze follows his hand and he looks at it, momentarily puzzled. Was he having some kind of dream, and his mind interpreted the noise incorrectly? Why would a falling or thrown book be... hovering?

At last he looks around, spotting Maleficent nearby.]

...really? [Did she just magic a book at him?]

[medeiun]

[ He grasps the book so quickly, even before being consciously aware of it — a fact Maleficent won't soon forget. She's... still under the assumption he's hardly human himself, though she still isn't quite certain what he is. Clearly, he has frightful reflexes.

There's a smile that she doesn't suppress, one that's impish, and more than a little mean-spirited. She's amused, watching him spot her, casting her smile right to her victim (at least it's only something as harmless as a rude awakening....) ]

Did I interrupt a pleasant dream? [ She drawls in the same cool tone as when she'd first met him. She's being a shit, but sometimes one must. ]

IV Library

[howlett]

People wouldn't expect it of him but he hasn't been a stranger to library since he found the place. Just browsing it to see that there are no shortage of titles here he recognizes tells him something about this place and its inhabitants. And the title he doesn't recognize, well they just might give him some insight into either their keepers or the worlds other people have come here from.

He's got a book in hand about plant life, but he watches this fellow who, for a while, he thought might be here for the same reasons as him. Andrew Lang makes for an interesting choice though.

"Why Fairy Tales?" he asks, leaning on then shelf at the end of the stacks.

[unkindled_madness]

Sephiroth's eyes flick up from his book. Of course he was aware of the other man's presence, but on being addressed, Sephiroth gives him a quick once-over.

"...why not? There's something to be learned from the stories people tell."

Which may be true, but that isn't why he's reading them. But, he isn't going to admit to a partiality in his first breath to a stranger.

[howlett]

"Fair 'nuff." The stocky fellow holds up his opens palms— a lazy gesture of innocence. He taps the brim of his hat up an inch or so to offer up a clearer view of his face, even if his expression doesn't give much away it's peace offering of sorts.

"Maybe I'm wrong, but you carry yourself like a solider. The kinda person who— if he's got theories about this place I'd probably like to hear'em."