Bang Up To The Elephant

[polymods]

✖ VICTORIA'S SECRET

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
The fog that has blanketed the city for a month finally lifts a little - there are days with actual sunshine now! Not many, and the sky is still frequently thick with smog, but every so often light pours through the holes in the clouds. The river that flows from the sea into the city still smells foul, but maybe you’re starting to get used to it.

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!

The High Temple has also reappeared at the edge of the city, with its considerably more comfortable lodgings.

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. The High Temple and anything you may have stored there is available to all characters 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. COME UNDONE
CW: dead bodies, archeological graverobbing.
Somehow, some way, you find yourself with an invitation card:

Lord Trewlaney at Home: the Unwrapping of
THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS!
Half-past Eight
Unwrapping? How saucy! Or perhaps you have an inkling of exactly what that means.

The invitation gets you entry to a well kept home on the more well-to-do side of the city. There are plenty of servants circulating with food and drink of which you are welcome to partake. Society’s elite chatter and mingle all around you; maybe you fit in, and maybe you don’t.

Regardless, you don’t have to wait very long for the main event. The host of this little soiree - presumably Lord Trewlaney himself, a little man with a weak chin and an impressive mustache - stands at the front of the room and holds his hands aloft.

“Ladies and gentleman,” he says in a clear voice. “BEHOLD! We shall now commence with the unwrapping of this, a fine example of Egyptian mummification, who was once called the Jewel of the Seven Stars!”

A wheeled table is brought forward, covered in a purple velvet cloth. Dramatically, Lord Trewlaney flings it back to reveal a body wrapped in ancient linen bandages. The crowd sighs, and Trewlaney’s eyes scan the crowd.

“Ah, you there!” he cries, pointing at you. Or maybe the person beside you.

“You folk there! Here, come up, my friends! You may have the honour of being a part of history!”

The crowd pushes you and your companion forward with excited murmurs. Soon enough the two of you are beside the mummy, and Trewlaney is handing you a pair of scissors. Up close the body smells of cinnamon and something else, something familiar.

“Reveal its face!” he urges you. And so, you cut.

Much to your surprise what is revealed is not a desiccated corpse, but your own likeness. Before you have time to react the mummy sits up and turns to face the audience, who oohs and ahhs.

The mummy’s lips part and it speaks. What does it say? Something extremely revealing; in plain terms, the mummy reveals something an aspect of yourself that you would rather have kept hidden.

Oh dear! You can shut yourself up, of course, but before you do maybe you ought to consider that interfering with a mummy was considered a surefire way to fall under a curse…

Notes:
1. What is revealed can of course be of any degree of seriousness. Murder? Or do you just secretly enjoy RomComs?

2. Shut the mummy up before it has its say and you will suffer the Mummy’s Curse: bad luck that will plague you for the rest of the month!

---

Ⅲ. IMAGINARIUM
The sign above the door simply reads Cabinet of Curiosities. How intriguing! And at the very least you can get out of the chill.

Inside there are dozens of wooden cases with glass fronts, each filled with shelves of all manner of objects. Some look expensive and exotic, while others are almost painfully mundane. There are taxidermied animals, wet specimens, fossils, glass eyes, rocks and crystals, pottery, statuettes… There’s a little of everything.

As you peer amongst the stuffed ducks and fossilized plants, you’ll spot something familiar. It’s an object that you recognise as personally significant whether because it’s from your life back home, or because it’s symbolic. It represents a dream or a hope you have for the future.

If you take the object out of the cabinet for a closer look, you and whoever happens to be standing nearby will instantly be transported to a hazy vision of what that lovely dream is. It won’t last forever - indeed, maybe only a moment. Depending on what that hoped for future is, you might have some explaining to do.

Notes:
1. All futures are something hoped for. They may be completely unrealistic and bittersweet, but they are something wanted and not feared.

---

Ⅳ. GARDENS
CW: mind altering substances.
If there’s one spot within the city where you might be able to find some refuge from the dank scent of ocean rot and the sour smell of body odour, then it’s going to be the Gardens. A jewel toward the west side of the city, you will find a greenhouse containing all manner of tropical plants, and a rose garden with over a 100 different types available for you to enjoy.

But why stop there? There are also areas where you can stop and have tea with a friend. They even have those little sandwiches with the crust cut off! They have cucumber, egg, and cream cheese. Each of these has a different effect: cucumber sandwiches will provide a mild sense of euphoria, while the egg will give you a lot of energy (and maybe some gas). Cream cheese will make you very relaxed and prone to oversharing. There are also perfectly regular cakes and biscuits available, as well.

Maybe you’re feeling a bit more somber. In the northeast end of the park there is a secret pet cemetery with over 300 tiny tombstones paying tribute to the tragic losses of many much-loved pets. The area is disused, overgrown with ivy and ferns. Sitting there evokes a sense of peace.

Prefer to see some living wildlife? Fear not, the park seems to attract several different types of songbirds which makes it a hotspot for birdwatching. There are binoculars available to use for that purpose. Or you could use them to peer into the city’s seamy underbelly. Just don’t get isolated and weird about it.

Sometimes I can still hear his voice...

Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

Comments

[kyley_b]

"Really? Huh. I don't think that's right," Kyle muses. "I guess maybe the body theft? But you're helping orphans! Looking after your friends! Seems bullshit to me."

He takes Quentin's hand as they walk into the gardens.

[quire]

"Yeaaah, the grave robbing. Maybe a few other things. All in all it seems fair. Trust me. Have you seen Roxy lately?"

The classic english garden is vast and sprawling and between long garden beds, immaculate arranged, foppish types knock croquet balls between the wickets with their mallets and laugh at shit that isn't funny.

Their presence here should garner some looks. But it doesn't. Which is, of course, Quentin's doing.

"Look at these weirdies. Not gonna lie, I kind of love to hate them."

[kyley_b]

Kyle shakes his head. "No, actually. Why? You two commit a bunch of crimes?"

He laughs. "I can't even be mad, because I get it. These guys are fun to rip on."

[quire]

"No! Not... really. We sort of planned a crime. But then didn't go through with it. And everything after that was in self defence," he says cryptically. "Did she tell you she was almost serialed by London's most prolific lady killer?"

"They all look like they're wearing bed linens," he muses. "I SAID MORE RUFFLES. MORE FABRIC."

[kyley_b]

Kyle's brows lift. "Okay, and what did you plan? And what, no! Is she okay? What the hell?!"

[That makes him giggle.] Dude, seriously. Although you look nice in your suit.

[quire]

"We planned a B&E at some old rich guys house so we could have a hot bath for once." He pauses a moment. "This was... unrelated to the attempted murder. Mostly. That happened before. She's ok. A little shaken up but like. Understandably. BTW what are you supposed to do when girls cry? I have NO idea what the appropriate response there is."

He smiles at that. "Thanks. I like to think I'd have a look whatever century I was born into."

With a passing thought he moves one of the wickets a couple of feet to the left the moment their croquet players aren't looking.

"You look good too. This whole strapping young newsie aesthetic is kind of fucking adorable for you."

[kyley_b]

Kyle snorts. "Okay, that's so typical of BOTH of you," he says. Then he shrugs. "You hug them if they want hugs, and tell them it's gonna be okay. Same as with guys. You know, for future reference." He can't even make fun of Quentin - he knows other people's emotions aren't his thing. Which is pretty funny for a telepath.

"You do. And thanks! I actually feel pretty cute here compared to toothless Victorian city dwellers."

[quire]

Quentin has a complicated relationship with feelings. He knows them to see them. Knows they're unavoidable. But nevertheless, his solution to dealing with them has never been one of passivity. Preferring instead to alter one's brain chemistry to get past the inefficient feelings as soon as possible.

"Yeah, but I'm not any good at that shit. And why would anyone ask me to be when I can just... make your brain feel better instead. It's like asking for sympathy from your Prozac prescription. If you want results just take one."

He laughs at that. For a moment. Then he scowls at Kyle. "Hey. For the record, you're fucking cute everywhere we end up. You're hot Kyle. Not just... camp hot."

[kyley_b]

Kyle shakes his head. "Not everyone wants to bypass their emotional response," he says gently. "And in a moment of crisis, most people will turn to their friends for comfort and not solutions." He smiles. "And you ARE a friend to people, dude."

"Okay, okay. Sorry. Old habits. I'm totally fucking adorable." He resists the urge to add something self depreciating.

[quire]

"Which is, categorically, bonkers," he says serving a look of utter incredulousness. "Sure, sure. But like. Do you ever feel like sympathy always comes across as insincere? That's what I give when I try to do to. I know I do. And it's not intentional. It's just like. Not believable. So like why bother, you know?"

"Yeah you are." He leers at Kyle suggestively. "You're a stone cold fox. And when you finally come to accept that as a fact, I promise I'll laugh at all your self-deprecative jokes without any caveats."

[kyley_b]

"It really isn't! You're funny and intelligent. People like those qualities. Okay, so you're socially a little inept, but so is David." Kyle shakes his head. "No, I don't. And you don't seem insincere, just... not used to it."

Kyle, predictably, goes pink. "So're you."

[quire]

"Oh come on!" he groans. "It sounds insincere to my own ears and I'm the one saying it! You and I could literally utter the same sentence and it would sound like the most EARNEST thing from you and like sheer mockery from me."

"That's why we're so good together." smiling back at him, Quentin grabs a handful of Kyle's shirt and reels him in for a kiss. "Oops. I keep forgetting someone could try to fucking stone us for that or something."

[kyley_b]

Kyle considers this. Quentin's not wrong. "I still think it's just lack of practice," he insists stubbornly.

Kyle grins. "Oh yeah. I keep forgetting, but so far it hasn't been much of an issue? Maybe there's some protection crap on Travelers, I dunno."

[quire]

"Then help me practice," he says. In part because he's already in the camp that might prove him right, and in part because that sounds like a larf.

"Well. Right now everyone in this garden thinks we're deadass rich. So that might help," he mentions casually. "That's why they haven't thrown us out of here."

[kyley_b]

"I will." Stubbornly optimistic.

Kyle laughs. "Joke's on them, we're bringing the class down! Or I am, anyway.

"You want something to eat? I think there's snack over there."

[quire]

"I'm sure our friends will appreciate your effort."

"Both of us are," he chuckles. "All these creeps are old old money."

"I could eat," he agrees. Happy to follow Kyle anywhere.

[kyley_b]

Kyle smiles, noticing that Quentin did say their friends.

"It's so gross to see, isn't it? Like, I'm not dumb, I've seen the difference in incomes in my regular life, but like... yeah. This city really seems to emphasize it." As he walks he head for the little tables with their tea and sandwiches.

[quire]

"Yeah, it's weird to like see people not even trying to couch their classism in PC language. It reminds me of this club I used to belong to. You'd have hated it."

He sniffs at one of those little crustless sandwiches and, lacking the decorum of someone of his station, he pops the whole thing in his mouth.

[kyley_b]

"Would I? Tell me about it." Because of course he wants to know.

Kyle snorts and looks them over, taking a cucumber one.

[quire]

"Yeah, they're basically the illuminati. They're just a bunch of rich old people and trust fund babies throwing parties with vague BDSMy fashion choices and revelling in their fortunes and flexing on the world. I was their White King for a while. It's... not racial. There's a whole chess theme going on there."

It's juvenile and unmannerly enough that their sandwich scarfing quickly earns them a few strange and offended looks from the rest of the garden party.

[kyley_b]

"Mm, I assumed it was chess. So what does that entail, being a White King?"

Kyle feels quite pleasant after eating. Almost a little stoned.

[quire]

"Wearing elaborate suits. Throwing elaborate parties. Buying off crooked politicians. Stirring up political turmoil to main regional power in the eastern block," he shrugs and chomps another sandwich. "Ouroboros. The whole enterprise really only exists to perpetuate itself. But that's oligarchy for you."

[kyley_b]

Kyle snorts and shakes his head.

"So you loved it until you got bored."

[quire]

"Hey, THEY loved ME!" he points out. "They were desperate for a young, rich, omega level telepath's boots to lick. Of course liked it. Who doesn't want to be wanted."

[kyley_b]

Kyle laughs again and leans in to smile sweetly at Quentin.

"I want you."