Hijinks Mingle

[potentite]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Anywhere around the hub!
When: Days 103-105
Open/Closed: Open mingle!
Notes: See this post for details on the moon prompt and this one for the telepathy/dream/spirit prompts!



[A | Flower Gleam and Glow]
[The nearby moon is still passing close to the hub island, meaning the effects are still in play. Perhaps now is the time to stop and smell the large lit up sparkling moonflowers that have bloomed? Or be annoyed by the mosquito-like insects that came with them.

Alternatively, the deer seem to draw some sort of energy from the moon's light. Given their size, at least their sudden aggression and proximity to the base camp isn't the worst thing in the world but a kick would still break a rib or other bone so be careful! Possibly help each other deal with these cute but troublesome fauna.]



[B | Eavesdropping]
[For some reason, the telepathy will suddenly get rather wonky. Characters won't know why it's happening, though of course no doubt there will be ponderings, but it means characters won't be in control of their ability to broadcast — or more specifically, not broadcast — their thoughts. Time to find out secrets of an embarrassing nature. Or maybe something sadder is going on in your character's head.

If this wasn't bad enough, the area around the signet might experience burning or tingling. Just try to keep a lid on your brain for the day and distract yourself from any annoying pain.]



[C | Talking In Your Sleep]
[Or maybe your character just doesn't have the most interesting thoughts. Maybe they're busy thinking about pie instead of their upsetting childhood. That's fair. Pie is great.

But surely sometimes it haunts their dreams. With the telepathy running amuck, it's no wonder dreams and nightmares are leaking through, too. Of course, it doesn't have to be an accident. Feel free to grab a friend and share a fanciful dreamscape together on purpose! But for those nuts that are tougher to crack, accidents can and will happen.]



[D | Who You Gonna Call]
[Last but not least, as Friday rolls around, there seems to be something odd going on with the island. If your character is inclined towards the spiritual or supernatural, they'll no doubt notice the strange heavy thickness hanging around. There are whispers in the air and all of new energy just feels solemn. Might be good to give people a heads up and keep an eye on it.]

Comments

[splinten]

The DOLL does not answer. Despite looking like a LITTLE FLOPPY ORANGE MAN, he is, in fact, just an inanimate option.

Well, almost inanimate. In a blur the puppet is gone and then on your SHOULDERS. This leaves you a clear view of a DOOR that seems to lead below.

It also leaves you with a puppet on your shoulders.

>

[lohengrins]

> The puppet is thrown off your SHOULDERS and onto the ground. No, you're not doing this today.

You'll enter through the DOOR.

[splinten]

You are a RUDE MOTHERFUCKER to leave the C-Man like that.

Despite your lack of manners, you DESCEND a long set of STAIRS. No one has warned you about these STAIRS, and no jeopardy is encountered on your descent. How nice! You are faced with another WINDOW with a lovely sea view, and another DOOR.

And oh, look. LIL CAL is there at the door with his little puppet hand on the door knob. It looks like he wants to help you with the door. What a good guy, he doesn't keep a grudge.

>

[lohengrins]

It feels like these STAIRS are never going to end and you can hardly stand it. Eventually, you make it down, and there's the ugly doll again.

> SLAP his hand off and open the DOOR.

1/??

[splinten]

You are UNBELIEVABLY RUDE to attack this nice young puppet who is trying to help. Despite this, the door opens.

You enter a MAIN ROOM. The GENERAL LAYOUT is very open, but unlike in the image JUST LINKED because hussie is a fucking DICK and never gave us all the details on the alphas, you find the room decorated with ROBOT PARTS AND HORSE THINGS. You can't outrun the HORSES. They are already HERE.

The ROBOT PARTS are strewn casually about, like someone was working on them. The HORSES are carefully placed to be a chaotic mess. There is, surprisingly, food in the kitchen, and the WIRES are much neater and more organized because FIRE HAZARDS are for IDIOTS.

You start to feel CREEPING UNHAPPINESS. You are alone here. You remember that wherever you look. You are alone, and no one is here beside you. The robots can help you pretend, but you CAN'T LIE TO YOURSELF. A sense of AUTONOMY tries to outweigh the loneliness, but it is IMPOSSIBLE. You are alone.

You are alone.

You are alone.

2/

[splinten]

done

[splinten]

Oh, hey there, Cal! Didn't see you there chilling on the kitchen counter. Thanks for joining us.

[lohengrins]

It's an empty, strange place. There's nothing particularly cohesive about it, and your fingers graze across the HORSE lodged into the wall. You've never seen a room quite like this before. You glance at the ROBOT PARTS, deciding to not touch them yet. The LONELINESS that fills the room is suffocating — a void that entraps you the further you enter.

You are alone.

You are alone.

You are alone, and you know it's true.

The stupid doll is seated on the counter.

> Slap it off. Now go and attempt to assemble those ROBOT PARTS.

[splinten]

Rude as fuck.

You find that the robot parts feel COMFORTABLE and FAMILIAR in your hands. You also find that you have an intuitive sense on how to put them together. In fact, you find that you can probably BUILD A GODDAMNED ROBOT, right here, sitting in the middle of someone's dream while a hellpuppet stares at you from the floor.

Amazing. With these time management skills, you could really be a sburb player.

>

[lohengrins]

You've never been much of an engineer, but things change. The PARTS come together easily. You are completely engrossed in melding and wiring this metal you did not recognize even remotely until now. You want to create a machine capable of saving lives, of serving and protecting anyone who may need it.

There's no telling whether or not you succeed, but once you're finished, you're overcome with a sense of loneliness.

> Meet your new ROBOT friend.

1/2

[splinten]

[S] RAP-OFF!!!!!!!!!!

[splinten]

Your new ROBOT friend immediately challenges you to a RAP-OFF. He calls you 'P-Strizzle' and is, frankly, like an adorable puppy.

It occurs to you that this was not exactly your intention, but that your second try may do better. However, there is still a rap-bot to be engaged with.

SQUAREWAVE: YO YO P-STRIZZLE I COULDN'T HELP BUT CHECK YOU HANGIN OUT ALL LAZYHAZY
SQUAREWAVE: CAN'T FOOL ME HOMES I KNOW WHAT THAT'S ABOUT
SQUAREWAVE: SO I JUST GOT ONE CAN OF SURPRISE NOODLES LEFT TO BUST OPEN HERE AND I KNOW HOW YOU LOVE YOUR NOODLES
SQUAREWAVE: DO YOU WANT TO PLAY A GAME??????????????

1/2

[lohengrins]

You are flabbergasted.

It calls you by a name you neither like or recognize, and speaks in a cryptic code. You look at it, EYES wide.

 P-STRIZZLE: NO.

> Leave and SLAM the DOOR shut on your way out.

[lohengrins]

> RE-ENTER the room immediately afterwards.

Ugh. This is your creation, as well as your responsibility. It would be unfair to abandon it now. And maybe it's a little ENDEARING. Just a little.

> Sigh.

 P-STRIZZLE: My name is PERCIVAL. You WILL call me as such.
 P-STRIZZLE: And my enjoyment of NOODLES is highly dependent on how they're COOKED.
 P-STRIZZLE: I'll play your GAME. Let's START.

[splinten]

You have proven yourself to be a huge motherfucking SOFTIE as we all knew. Let the games begin, P-STRIZZLE.


SQUAREWAVE: THAT'S SO WHACK! YOU KNOW YOU COULD NEVER LEAVE YOUR HOMEDAWG HANGIN BRO
SQUAREWAVE: SO I'M LIKE...
SQUAREWAVE: THAT SHIT'S AS WHACK AS I'M A GUY MADE OF METAL
SQUAREWAVE: SIT YOUR ASS BACK DOWN CAUSE WE GOT SHIT TO SETTLE
SQUAREWAVE: JUST PARK IT ON MY GRILL, YOU BE WHISTLIN LIKE A KETTLE
SQUAREWAVE: IF RAP'S A ONE WHEEL DEVICE YOUR FOOT DON'T REACH THE PEDDLE
SQUAREWAVE: WORD!

>

[lohengrins]

You aren't a SOFTIE, and you'll prove it right this instant.

Once you figure out what's happening. You stare, a bit taken aback, before steeling. Let the games begin indeed.

 P-STRIZZLE: Tch. What a WASTE of TIME.
 P-STRIZZLE: You call me STRIZZLE when I hail from WALES.
 P-STRIZZLE: STRIZZLE, you say, unaware of my birthplace. How REMISS.
 P-WIZZLE: Leaving me to RECTIFY your MISTAKE. Call me P-WIZZLE.
 P-WIZZLE: And take care to not FIZZLE. Nuts and bolts, your WIRING'S short.
 P-WIZZLE: It's too late for you to ABORT. You've STARTED this.
 P-WIZZLE: Don't FALL SHORT. I'm not for the WEAK HEARTED.
 P-WIZZLE: I'll END this farce. Decimate your VITAL FORCE.
 P-WIZZLE: What a HEROIC VERSE. I've always hated HEROES.
 P-WIZZLE: But keep up this charade, and I guarantee you'll be ZERO.
 P-WIZZLE: WORD.

[splinten]

You cannot hope to beat P-Wizzle at a rap-off. He's simply the best there is.

Unexpectedly, an ORANGE CARBONATED BEVERAGE flies away from you and hits Squarewave. As the robot short circuits, so do you. You are now in A BEDROOM. The bedroom is decorated with MANY POSTERS OF HORSES and HORSE-RELATED BEINGS, as well as a MAP OF ATLANTIS and photographs of BEN STILLER and OWEN WILSON. Also, SNOOP DOG. There are various items around, including terrible dick-butt puppets called SMUPPETS, an unbelievably shitty SORD............, HATS, more ROBOT PARTS, and other MISCELLANY. The terrible puppet has moved from your shoulders and now sits comfortably holding a KATANA.

Squarewave is still there with you, short-circuiting.

So is a TEENAGED BOY who may be familiar to you. He is sitting at his desk chair staring out the window. It seems as if his mind was elsewhere, but with your arrival, he turns to look at you.

[lohengrins]

What happens next hits you in a flash. You don't remember it all too well, but suddenly you're in a BEDROOM that is vaguely familiar to you, and in it there is a TEENAGED BOY who is even moreso.

Something about him makes you DISMAL. Your features soften, and you step forward.

> Speak.

...My name is Percival. Is this your abode?

[splinten]

[Dirk glances over at Percy.]

This is my dream, but yeah, this is where I grew up. Don't worry about introductions; I've always been a lucid waker.

[Dirk gets to his feet out of his chair and walks over to Squarewave. Carefully, he shuts him down temporarily, and grabs a towel to dry him off. Gotta help out a short-circuited bro.]

[lohengrins]

[ he looks around — his posture is a bit stiff at first, but it mellows before he looks towards dirk somewhat thoughtfully. ]

Sorry. [ it's awkward and blunt, like he's not used to saying that word. ] For hurting him.

[ the robot, that is. percival's lips tighten into a frown. ]

Do you wish to stay here?

[splinten]

Leaving likely isn't the smartest move in a scenario where the dream responds to the subconscious mind.

[not, technically, an answer]

Don't worry about Squarewave. It looks like you got him fairly in a rap battle, which is exactly what he's designed for.

[Dirk turns the robot back on. Just like that, Squarewave is fully functional again. It says, "YO DAWG! YOU GOT ME GOOD, P-WIZZLE!"

Dirk pauses. His face gives away nothing.

He is trying really hard not to laugh.]

Good as new.

[lohengrins]

It's still possible. Isn't there anywhere else you'd like to go? The world is a vast place.

[ and this home of yours is terribly lonely, he wants to say. reminds him a bit of his own.

...there's the mention of that unfortunate name, and percival glances to the side, brows knitting together as he folds his arms and scoffs. ]

Ugh. Don't—don't call me that...!

[ well, he may as well step forward, do something to pass the time. eyes rove around the room, scrutinizing every detail. ]

Do you like it here?

[splinten]

[Percy, don't look at those walls.]

[You really should not look at those walls. But you do. God, you do. It's a fucking MESS but you do.]

We have a couple options here. [Again, not answering the direct question.] If I know my mind, and since I'm basically paradoxically destined to know it more than I could ever want to then we can just drop the conditional on that, then I know the possibilities that we'll get to enjoy if we decide to leave this apartment. One, we will get to travel through an ocean that never ends, fighting monsters and exploring the ruins of my dead civilization. Two, we will trip our way onto dead planets in a dead session where all the people who ever mattered to me died. Three, we'll slide into whatever your mind subconsciously associates with all my personal bullshit and take a grand tour through your equivalents to dead friends and dead possibilities. Or four, we go all in and end up with some new and innovative combination of the above.

Alternatively, we stay here, with C-man watching our backs [he gestures at Cal] and Squarewave kept from anything liquid. ["YEAH BRO! KEEP THAT NASTY WET SHIT AWAY FROM ME MAN!"]

So those are the choices. An exciting and varied roulette spine through our various traumas, yours and mine, or a chill time with two of the coolest dudes in Paradox Space.

[You know, in your HEART, that this place is a hell too. But at least it's the Hell you have always been trapped in. If you never leave it no matter where you go, why bother exposing yourself to more DESTRUCTION?]

What will it be, P-Wizzle?

[lohengrins]

[ This place is a cluster of images, faces and concepts entirely foreign to him. The room makes his head spin and he hates it, but he won't allow himself to stop looking. ]

Don't call me that.

[ The TEENAGED BOY won't answer you. It's up to you to make this decision, then.

> ]

We'll voyage into my mind. I want you to leave this place, and there's no point in sulking around in this room.

[ You hate it. You're sure he does, too. ]

I'm ready when you are. If this isn't what you want, tell me right now.

[splinten]

I'm fine. [He stands up. Grabs his sword out of habit, lets it vanish into his strifedeck. He takes Cal, too. With a wave goodbye to Squarewave, Dirk climbs out the window.]

Snoop blocks the other door out. This is the only egress.

[And out the window he goes!

Obviously, he flies. He has always flown in his dreams and sees no reason to stop now.]