polymods: (Default)
polymods ([personal profile] polymods) wrote in [community profile] polylogs2022-01-02 12:44 pm

Got the morbs.

POLYMYTHOS: VICTORIA'S SECRET

VICTORIA'S SECRET


Ⅰ. ARRIVAL & THE TEMPLE
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
The ferry pulls into port in the evening, when shadows are long and gas lamps burn through a veil of mist. Dozens of other ships are docked as well, with men unloading crates and boxes from their holds. Beyond the wet wood and lapping sound of the ocean, a city looms like a charcoal smudge on a purple sky. The air is smoggy and thick, and the river that flows from the sea into the city smells foul. Walk the cobbled streets and you will find that the city is crowded and filthy, but full of merchants, pubs, and theatres. Vast wealth and extreme poverty exist side by side.

In the center of the sprawling city is a temple with towering gothic spires and huge stained glass windows depicting all manner of beings that might be gods or angels or monsters. You could look for hours and still be finding new figures plucked straight from books of myth and religion. Inside, the main chamber has a grand vaulted ceiling, and dozens of pews line the aisle up to the altar, which is oddly anticlimactic compared to the lavish surroundings: just a plain stone table with a lit oil lamp in the centre. Two hallways branch off on either side of the room: one leads to private baths and a communal kitchen, the other to monastic style chambers with thin beds. Not the most comfortable place to stay, but it’ll do in a pinch!

Alternatively you can venture into the city and find yourself some other lodging - every Traveler has been supplied with some pocket money. Just be careful that it isn’t stolen by some street urchin. Travelers can also find an era-appropriate outfit that will fit them perfectly laid in the first sleeping chamber they visit.

Notes:
1. Unless this is your character’s first island, the High Temple and anything you may have stored there is off-limits this month.

2. Please remember to mark threads appropriately with Content Warnings when necessary.

3. The city greatly resembles Victorian London, and the technology and general way of life is all of that era. Feel free to explore the city! These prompts are a jumping off point - how they affect your character and their development is up to you.

4. Most food is safe to eat, and is consumable by non-human entities. Most. Some of it’s going to be pretty gross or cooked improperly, so be careful.

5. The people in the city are normal humans unless otherwise indicated. Killing them is possible and will affect the colour grading of your Scrywatch depending on the situation.

6. Have fun!



Ⅱ. SEANCE
CW: grief, past trauma.
Perhaps you overhear talk of it at a pub, or maybe you’re handed a small card as you push your way through the crowded city streets. Maybe you just wander in by accident. However it happens, you find yourself being ushered into the parlour of one Miss Mary Price: Spiritualist.

You and several other people are instructed to sit at a round table in a very dark and musty room. The walls are covered in thick black curtains, and maybe you’re the type to suspect that there’s someone hiding behind them somewhere. Once everyone is seated, Mary Price herself enters the room. The lights are all extinguished save for a single candle.

Mary calls out to the spirits. They communicate through a series of knocks, or the movement of a Ouija board. Someone at the table is put in contact with a deceased aunt who reveals the location of a family heirloom. Someone else is able to say goodbye to a son.

Mary Price looks at you with eyes so dark they look black, and asks, “What haunts you?”

Maybe you answer honestly. Maybe you don’t answer at all, but that doesn’t matter because the spirit tapping around the room is more than happy to narc on you and tell the whole room what or who it is that you cannot forget.

You can deny it all you like, but the spirits don’t have a reason to lie. And if you try to mess up the seance, you will spend a month being hounded by an angry poltergeist.

Notes:
1. The spirit can communicate through knocks, the Ouija, actually vocalising through the medium, or via ectoplasm.

2. What haunts your character does not have to be the memory of a dead person. It can be an event - maybe they’ve never gotten over losing that science fair in grade three. It is the feeling of being haunted that is important.

3. If you choose to trash the seance, the spirit will follow you for the rest of the month. It can range from annoying to actually dangerous.



Ⅲ. THE RIPPER
CW: murder, gore, violence.
You’re lost at night. Maybe you were in the pub too late, or maybe you were searching for more illicit fun - weren’t there opium dens around this time? - or maybe you just weren’t keeping an eye on the time. However it happened, you’re on the streets in the dark.

It’s very foggy; you can barely see a foot in front of you. The streetlamps look like dimly burning ghosts and when the odd person passes you they are felt more than seen, just a darker shadow in a world of shifting shades.

Very suddenly you hear a scream - short, and swallowed up quickly by the fog. Still, it’s enough to get you to turn and hurry down a narrow alleyway.

Sprawled on the ground amid a lake of blood is a body. It’s immediately apparent that this person is probably beyond help - their throat has been slashed ear to ear. Your appearance was not expected, however, and you can see that you’ve startled the killer: they’re running down the alley in the opposite direction.

You have a few choices: you can chase the killer and attempt to catch them, you can try to help the victim, you can get the authorities, or you can just walk away.

What will you do?

Notes:
1. The inspiration for this prompt is Jack the Ripper but you do not have to use that case as a basis for your killer.

2. You can get as involved with this as you would like. You can have your character catch the killer in a chase, or form your very own detective squad and hunt them down that way.

3. Naturally, walking away from a potential serial killer might not be great for your Scrywatch grading!



Ⅳ. RESURRECTION MEN
CW: dead bodies, grave robbing.
You’re not entirely clear on how you agreed to this. Maybe it was a barroom bet gone wrong. Maybe you’re broke enough that you need money fast. Or maybe you want to help some wannabe medical students. However it happened, you’re in the cemetery.

And you’ve got a shovel.

Time to rob some graves! You’ve convinced yourself somehow that this isn’t morally reprehensible, and so you and your partner are just going to get down to business! What corpse should you unearth? You feel like a kid in a candy store!

The problem comes once you’ve unearthed the body because it seems terribly familiar. Which is… creepy. Creepier still when it starts talking.

Maybe it’s a family member, or an old friend. Maybe an ex partner. Whoever it is, they immediately start telling your fellow grave robber about some incident from your past that you just. Can’t. Let. Go. Of. And even if you whack it with a shovel it won’t stop. Bad corpse! BAD Corpse!

Which of course is exactly what you have to try and do if you want this chatty Cathy of a corpse to shut the hell up.

Notes:
1. If you do NOT let go of this past event, the corpse will follow you the rest of the night singing Henry the Eighth I am, I am.

Sometimes I can still hear his voice...


Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

gravity_grrl: (smirk)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-15 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
"And then, I dunno....make his balls weight ten pounds to hold him to the ground till the cops came."

Okay so maybe it wasn't the best plan which is one of the reasons why Roxy was never team leader, but you have to give her points for creativity. When he huffs she glances at him and the corners of her mouth twitch up into a smile.

"......Did you just admit to liking my ass?"
howlett: (smug)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-15 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
That pulls a bark of a laugh out of him. Points for creativity? Absolutely. At least until it sort of makes him wince to think about. "As uncomfortable as that sounds, I'm glad to hear it," he says. "As long as you're powered enough to take care of yourself a man won't hafta worry about you runnin' around unarmed."

He shrugs and smiles obnoxiously, neither confirming nor denying that accusation. "It ain't half bad. Doesn't get in my way so it fares better than most."
gravity_grrl: (kiss_cheek)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-15 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Her smile grows even more and she leans in to kiss his cheek, "Awwwww does that mean you'd worry about little ol' me? You're sweet."

His comment about her ass makes her laugh and she glances over her shoulder at her own rump, "Obviously you haven't looked at it enough then, it always gets in people's way. I've got an ample booty and now with all these layers it looks even bigger."
howlett: (lol2)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-16 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
"Somethin' like that," he mumbles. There's a kind of glower he gives that isn't really a glower at all and those who know him well enough can spot it for what it is— the bashful smile of a man who lives like the universe will take him to task for giving a shit about people.

"How could anybody know what you're hidin' under there? You could curtain Buckingham palace with that much fabric." Needless mockery is his love language.
gravity_grrl: (sweet)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-16 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
Roxy may not be the smartest girl when it comes to things like science or math but she knows people and she easily spots the difference between Logan's glower and his bashful smile, she returns it and moves her chair a little closer to his.

"Oh sure, you mock me now but where else are you gonna find someone this pretty and fancy to hang on your arm and your every word all night?" She teases back and then lifts her glass of stout.

"Shall we toast to your victory in the ring?"
howlett: (howlett relax)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-16 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
For Logan the best kind of people are the kind of people who understand when a frown is a smile and a shot in the arm is as good as a hug.

"Not in this fuckin' place, that's for sure," he says, wincing at the sight of the motley crowd about them.

He knocks his drink gently against hers. "Hope you put your money on me."
gravity_grrl: (look_up)

cw: disrespect of sex workers, propositioning

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-16 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Roxy giggles and is about to respond with a clever remark when a large, beefy man puts his glass down at their table and leans into their conversation.

"Speaking of money, how much you charging tonight hon?" He breathes at her and she wrinkles her nose in displeasure.

"For me to kick your ass? Oh I'll do that for free, now kindly fuck off." She snaps back, moving her chair closer to Logan's.

"Oh she's a smart mouthed little one is she?"
howlett: (lol2)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-20 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
It takes a moment for the initial offence of being eaves-dropped upon to wear off and what really shakes him from insult to amusement is how quickly Roxy claps back at the fool. He chuckles when the man addresses him like her keeper.

"S'a brazen tact to take, bub," he warns and stretches his arm around the back of her chair. Right where she needs him, if she wants him. But knowing what he knows now about the extent of her powers he's in no hurry to defend the honour of a woman who could so easily dispatch this fellow herself.

He leans towards the man a little and lowers his voice. "You seen me in the ring, fella. If you make me get up and hitcha you know what you're in for. You make her take a shot at you though... yer in for a terrible surprise."
gravity_grrl: (angry)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-20 04:50 am (UTC)(link)
The man looks warily at Logan for a moment but the asshole allure of harassing a woman is just hard wired into some people and so he clamps a large hand onto Roxy's wrist and yanks her out of her seat.

"I've got a surprise fer her..."

It's all he's able to get out before Roxy grabs the glass of stout she had been drinking and slams it into his face, her usually sweet and cheerful smile a snarl as the glass shatters and cuts his face.

"I told you to FUCK OFF." She growls and a second later the man is being pushed away by an unseen force. He falls back against one of the tables, spilling the drinks of whoever is seated there. Which unfortunately is a group of unsavory types who probably don't take very well to having their evening interrupted.

Bar room brawl anyone?
howlett: (punch)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-21 06:42 am (UTC)(link)
When his warning isn't heeded Logan narrows his eyes. He makes a move for the man's arm when he grabs at her, but unsurprisingly Roxy has an answer of her own for this.

The schadenfreude tickles him, laughing as the big idiot staggers a bit only to end up on the floor to deal with his face.

When the interrupted table rises to sort out the cause of this little interruption they look to the pair of them and Logan looks angry about it.

"Now don't start nothin' won't be nothin' fellas," he starts in at them. "If he kept his hands to himself he wouldn't have a face like he's been Frenching a box grater."

As a negotiation tactic it doesn't get far, but at least he can say he tried, Logan thinks when someone lobs a bottle. He ducks. And the smash shatters that moment of tension for the whole pub.

The first few lob themselves right at him. A few more lob themselves at their attackers. It's hard to know who to hit until they're swinging at you, but swing he does. Claws neatly in his fists. Content to lay them out with whatever objects he can swing instead of the blades in his hands.
Edited 2022-01-21 06:42 (UTC)
gravity_grrl: (arm cross)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-22 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not her first time being in a bar fight, but it is the first time she's ever done it in such a fancy gown. The dress impedes her movement for sure but that doesn't mean she's helpless, especially not when she can use her powers to help push or flip anyone who is dumb enough to try and grab her. She's careful to not use them outright though, trying to at least sort of keep up the illusion that she's normal.

She glances over at Logan and sees that he is dispatching goons almost as fast as they are launching themselves at him and she smirks, knowing that those poor idiots are gonna be hurting tomorrow. She takes a step back so she can get a bit closer to Logan now that there's a bit of space around them, throwing him a smile.

"You wanna go a few more rounds with these losers or shall we make a hasty retreat?"
howlett: (smug)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-23 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
Despite the heavy way he throws a debilitating haymaker, Logan too has been careful of giving away the farm. Even if the way knuckles crunch upon contact with his skull confuses those who come at him, his claws have stayed neatly in his fists. Rumour is one thing but evidence is quite another.

He smiles back when there's a moment to breathe. "I think we're gonna have to find a new place for a drink, whether or not we level the place," he chuckles.

He grabs a bottle of the bartop and passes it across the face of the next guy that grabs a handful of his shirt. When the man hits the floor he looks at the bottle. Surprised that it didn't break. "Let's get outta here. They ain't gonna put me back in the ring after this."
gravity_grrl: (gum)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-24 05:54 am (UTC)(link)
Roxy laughs and grabs Logan's other hand, tugging him towards the front door. A few goons try to step in her way but with a flick of her wrist they seemingly slip and tumble to the floor, gravity is a bitch after all. Once they emerge from the bar she smooths down her dress and adjusts her veil and hat a little, still chuckling to herself.

"Shit I haven't been in a bar fight in years, you certainly know how to show a lady a fun time." She says, "Sorry I kind of ruined your easy money ring fighting though."
howlett: (howlett relax)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-24 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
While he doesn't think he can say the same, he's certain this is the first one in a while that's so thoroughly amused his company.

"Don't worry about it," he says, dusting something off his shirt that will definitely not come off. Probably not even with soap. "I ain't the first of their pitbulls to bite someone outside the ring," he shrugs off his guilty smile.

"S'at what brought you out here tonight? A chance to rearrange some dockworker's face?"
Edited 2022-01-24 15:14 (UTC)
gravity_grrl: (bw_gun)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-24 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Roxy shakes her head and links her arm through Logan's as they put a bit of distance between them and the pub, "Nah. I don't usually go out looking for fights, they just sometimes find me."

"I mostly just wanted to get a bit drunk and have some fun tonight, I've been feeling...I dunno, anxious lately and I don't like it." She explains.
howlett: (wiley)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-24 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, sure. Me too," he winks. The old man smiles like he enjoys teasing more than he actually cares whichever might be the case. With his reputation he's no one to judge after all.

"Anxious?" he asks. He's still all levity and beer, but there's an earnestness to the question. "You don't strike me as the anxious type. What's buggin' you, darlin?"
gravity_grrl: (worried)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-24 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
She chuckles but they taper off quickly when he asks about her anxiety, the hand on his arm squeezing a little unconsciously.

"I'm almost never anxious but....twice last month I had random panic attacks and I can't figure out why. It's like suddenly there's a white flash and there's a ringing in my head and I feel scared..." She says and then sighs, her lower lip trembling a little.

"No that's not right, I feel fucking terrified."
howlett: (listening)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-01-25 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
"You tell anyone else that?" he asks. "Somebody who knows a thing or two about how brains work, I mean."

He's hardly capable of diagnosing anything, but the way she describes it makes it sound like something worth getting checked out. What he is capable of, he's more than happy to provide. Even if for now that amounts to little more than an arm to hold and someone to start a bar fight with.

"Terrified of what exactly?"
gravity_grrl: (look down)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-01-25 05:48 am (UTC)(link)
"No, the only ones who know I've been having them are you and Malcolm." She admits, casting her eyes away from him and onto the ground. "I guess I could talk to Quentin or Carter but...."

"I dunno what it is. It's just this huge feeling that something is wrong, something that is...irreversible. And I'm scared to try and figure out what that is because of what it could mean."
howlett: (bashful)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-02-01 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
"What did Malcom say about it?" If it seems out of sorts of him to ask after someone else's opinion it probably is. But he's met Malcom long enough get the sense he's guy with some opinions worth hearing out.

On the other hand, she doesn't have to convince him keeping the telepaths out of it is the way to go.

He exhales a long slow breath that puffs out his cheeks, like her cyclical reasoning boggles his mind a little. "Don't take this the wrong way darlin', but you sound like you might've already erred on the anxious side," he smiles optimistically and throws an arm around her shoulders. "When did it start? Is there somethin' that set it off?"
gravity_grrl: (side glance)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-02-02 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
"He didn't say much but he helped me calm down, he's really good at that." She says and gives him a grateful little smile when he puts his arm around her shoulders. He's such a big, solid guy and she takes comfort in both his mass and almost fatherly vibe.

"I think it started on the carnival island, something happened to me in the haunted house and ever since then it's been getting worse."
howlett: (eh?)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-02-04 11:56 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, he seems like a good sort to have in yer corner. He's been tryin' to chase down the Ripper around here. Real, bites-off-more-than-he-can-chew sorta guy, eh?" he smiles, sort of knowing this from experience by now.

His head cocks at that, making him look faintly like a confused Husky. "That long? I hate to be the bearer of bad news darlin' but if it's been hauntin' you that long it don't sound like it's apt to just goes away on it's own."
gravity_grrl: (worried)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-02-07 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
She chuckles at Logan's description of Malcolm and nods, "Yeah he's a real sweetie."

She then sighs and leans her head against his shoulder, "I know it's just....I'm scared. What if I finally figure out what the fuck is wrong and it...I dunno, makes me go insane? Or makes me disappear from the island?"
howlett: (smugshrug)

[personal profile] howlett 2022-02-08 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
His smile is sympathetic as he drapes his wrist over her far shoulder, letting them lean towards each other a big as they head West out of Whitechapel, towards the nicer neighbourhoods. The ones with street lamps even.

"Darlin', I'm the last guy that oughta be dispensing advice about chasin' ghosts. I can't count the number of times I've done it, and about the same number of times it gets a lot worse before it gets any better. But I do know, you never get to the better part without goin' through the shitty part," his smile is an apologetic one.

"I'm stubborn though. I get fixated. If something ain't sittin' right, it'll eat at me 'til I dig it up and air it out. What about you?"
gravity_grrl: (mmhmm)

[personal profile] gravity_grrl 2022-02-08 05:22 am (UTC)(link)
She shudders slightly when he says the word 'ghosts' and tucks herself into the crook of his arm even more, telling herself that the chill she feels is from the night air and fog, not her own fear.

"I'm the type to willfully ignore things till they come and slap me upside the head." She says with a small guilty smile, which could explain why she was so willing to get into trouble tonight.

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