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Expiation Mods ([personal profile] expiationmods) wrote in [community profile] expiationlogs2023-09-11 06:30 am

{EVENT #4} ADVERSITY 2933165.9475

AN EXAMINATION OF SPIRIT

MOD NOTES:

Please direct any questions to the corresponding comment below. Note that character decisions and actions taken on these prompts will affect future events, storylines, and relationships with other peoples of Expiation.

You can find the OOC poll here. Please pick from the corresponding options with the appropriate character journal. If you use a personal journal or a journal not part of Expiation, your votes will not be counted. Remember that if your character did something different than what is in the prompts given, leave a comment in the OOC poll entry and link to your comment in the option made available.

We will provide an IC post in exactly ten days with the results of the poll that will wrap up the event. You may mingle on it if you like, but the most important purpose is to share the effects of character decisions on this event.

The various prompts are, of course, optional.



 

WHEN THE FOG ROLLS IN

On the night of September 10, an impenetrable fog covers the town of Aldrip. When characters wake in the morning, they find that Aldrip has disappeared, replaced by a large, enclosed maze. 

Characters will wake up in one of three different levels of this maze, and they may—but don't have to—find that they are not alone. As they explore the maze, they will encounter trials and stumbling blocks both physical and mental. It seems the maze is testing them, poking at their fears, their past, their feelings. Confronting these questions about themselves and their very nature will allow them to progress through the maze in hopes of eventually finding the exit—and hopefully the town along with it.

While they do not all wake up in the same level of the maze, all characters do, in theory, have to complete all three trials in order to leave. This may not be so easy to achieve; due to the nature of these trials, if someone cannot get past one area, they may remain stuck there. Other characters are able to help them confront these issues, and may instead (or in addition) pass through that way if they choose to. Aside from the level where they wake up, characters may approach these levels in any order as they so choose.

THE GROUPS


GROUP A:
Serah Farron
Elidibus
Nakahara Chuuya
Tsunayoshi Sawada
Rei Suwa
Caitlyn Kiramman
Ragna the Bloodedge
Kotone Shiomi
Monkey D. Luffy
Yuja Wightshade (WoL)
Yosuke Hanamura
Astralin Turnont
Dazai Osamu
Ange Ushiromiya
Hythlodaeus
Ethlyn



GROUP B:
Violet (Vi)
Silco
Mizuki Date
Claude von Riegan
Noel Kreiss
Kazuki Kurusu
G'raha Tia
Jinx
Marianne von Edmund
Goro Akechi
Sooyoung Han
Saito Sejima
Nikolai Gogol
Erichtonios
Emet-Selch



GROUP C:
Yu Narukami
Pride
Sigma
Usagi Tsukino
William G Maryblood
Scott Summers
Gundam Tanaka
Quentin Quire
Akira Kurusu
Mitama Yakumo
Med'an
Ken Amada
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Izuku "Deku" Midoriya
Echo




 

EXPLORING THE MAZE


i. A WINDING LABYRINTH

     

The walls of the maze are made of stone slabs; tall, solid, and imposing. As far as one can see, there seem to be no cracks or seams in the wall. They're cool to the touch, perhaps a little dampened by the foggy weather. Some of the stones seem to glow with a dim, inner light. Most of the corridors are stable, but some are a little more risky. Walls or ceilings could collapse, leaving passages blocked and some Chosen trapped within tunnels or rooms of the maze. 

Some corridors within the maze are less built up, as well, more like dug-out caverns that look somewhat like mining tunnels. In these tunnels, you can find the raw form of those glowing stones, which seem to light the darkness, allowing the Chosen to see at least a bit. They're enchanting, and some may have a hard time resisting trying to pull them out of the walls.

Occasionally, characters may find larger rooms with small tables of food, equipment, and supplies set up. These areas seem to be safety zones, untouched by the trials, where Chosen can eat, rest, treat any wounds, and replenish their energy.



ii. PERILS IN THE DARK

     

As the Chosen progress through the challenges of the maze—both illusions and real—the air itself may begin to feel more oppressive and heavy, making movement feel very difficult at times. As the week wears on, characters may find themselves worn out faster or feeling more sluggish than normal. More than that, they may find that their emotional lows become more intense: characters may become more easily frustrated, paranoid, scared, or impatient. In general, this seems to exacerbate the worst parts of their personalities.

On other occasions, Chosen may feel as if they are being watched. They get the feeling that something lurks in the shadows of the maze, that they are being watched or followed. They may hear something scratching or skittering across the walls. When they look…there is nothing there, nor any evidence of creatures stalking them through the halls. Characters who had bad luck in the Casino are particularly prone to this feeling; occasionally, they may feel as if someone—or something—is tugging at their hair or clothes, or breathing against their neck. Try to keep your head, Chosen. The hardest part is yet to come.




 

THE TRIALS



     

iii. A DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL [TRIAL A]

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what location or event triggers the beginning of the trial; it seems to be different for every character. Chosen will find themselves in a long corridor, laced with fog. As they progress down this corridor, they begin to see and hear hallucinations and illusions that highlight their greatest insecurities: their flaws, their weaknesses, the darkness they suspect dwells within their soul. 

These illusions may come in a variety of different forms. Perhaps they experience voices or images of peers issuing criticisms that they fear are accurate, or they may face a shadowy figure that bears their appearance that embodies all of their worst qualities. The form these illusions take is up to you, the players, and whether other characters are able to see those illusions can also be decided between players. Confronting, challenging, debunking, and/or accepting these criticisms and claims is the key to exiting this level.

Once they have confronted this challenge, the illusions and hallucinations stop immediately. The fog lifts, revealing a turn in the maze they didn't notice before. They may progress in their exploration.



iv. THE SHAPE OF YOUR FEARS [TRIAL B]

Similar to the first trial, this seems to trigger with little warning or fanfare. At some point in their exploration, characters will find their way blocked by something representing their deepest fears. This can be literal—a dark hallway for those who fear the dark, as an example—but can manifest in a myriad of other ways, too. A character could see someone from their past that represents this fear, or a monster, or an object or memory of something that connects to that fear. These fears will be made tangible and visible to anyone around them, leaving them exposed and vulnerable. In order to progress, they must be able to pass by these fears, and may do so in any way the player chooses, whether it requires fighting a monster, negotiating with an authority figure, finding a light in the darkness, or anything else players and characters can imagine.

The nature of this trial can be as massive or mundane as you, the player, chooses. Whether they need to simply turn on a light to abate their fear of the dark, or whether they need to take down a massive beast to confront something bigger, the area they find themselves in seems to accommodate the size of their trial. Once they have confronted this fear, it disappears, revealing a hallway that might not have been there before, allowing them to progress.



v. IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE [TRIAL C]

As with the first two trials, this one seems to emerge from the darkness when a character is ready to face it. They enter a room lined with obsidian mirrors. When they approach these mirrors, characters are confronted with memories related to the crime they have been charged with. This can be a specific moment or a series of moments related to their crime either directly or indirectly. Characters may become lost in these memories and may need help navigating through them from other people: the longer they remain lost in these memories, reliving them again and again, the more they run the risk of losing those memories entirely, either permanently or temporarily. Only by addressing the crime, the way they feel about it, the relationship that crime has to reality and to who the character is, can characters be free of this particular trial.

Once they have surpassed this trial, characters find themselves able to step back through these obsidian mirrors back into the maze, where they can continue their journey.



Navigating all three trials elicits no special fanfare or celebration. Upon completion of the third trial, they find themselves in a foggy corridor, where they will find an exit from the maze.






 

OPT-OUT AND AFTERMATH

Those characters (or players) who do not wish to interact with the maze will occasionally find quiet corridors that mysteriously place them outside the maze, unable to reenter. They will find that the town is, indeed, gone, as are their living quarters—hope you don't mind roughing it for a while. However, thanks to recent efforts to bolster the town's supplies, some of the underground storehouses organized by Claude and Marianne seem to remain intact and are available as temporary emergency shelter, should your character choose not to camp out.

After one week, the maze will disappear and life in Aldrip returns to normal. As for the locals? They don't seem to notice that anything strange has happened at all. Maze? What maze? Strange weather we're having this week, eh?




WHAT ELSE YA GOT? (WILDCARD)

     

Just because there’s not a prompt for it doesn’t mean that your character’s actions aren’t acceptable. If you wish to do anything that hasn’t been directly addressed by the prompts, leave a message for the mod team to say what your character would do. If you choose to go down this path, note it as a comment on the OOC poll when it goes up, and leave a link to your threads so that we can take all actions into consideration for the next State of the Game.



weenwoon: firstworldproblem (my friend hades said)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-10-13 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
It takes Hythlodaeus several moments to work out what Hades is saying. He's wrapped his arms around his friend, holding him as he cries; the apology for the past elicits a soft, fond huff from Hythlodaeus - it's hardly Hades's fault, and besides those worries are dispelled now. But then...

Hythlodaeus's brain slowly constructs the chain of reasoning ("if" means a conditional, a proposition of a situation different from the current reality, and Hades mentioned his name, so...) - and then he blushes, his whole face going red. And stares down at Hades, mouth slightly open as he fails to form any words for a response.
emet_sulk: (40 what this tower is capable of...)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-10-13 06:09 am (UTC)(link)
Hades doesn't notice the silence, not wanting Hythlodaeus to see his tearful face directly. He is by no means a pretty crier (is anyone?) and the weakness is particularly embarrassing for him.

When he finally cleans his face and lifts his head, Hythlodaeus' expression confuses him.

"Did I say something strange...?"
weenwoon: chaneystarr (it's a bubble tea)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-10-13 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
Hythlodaeus closes his mouth, although the blush is not abating. He looks away, this time a flustered smile spreading on his lips.

"Oh-- no, 'tis simply that... That is, I never... I never expected you to say it. So openly, I mean."
emet_sulk: (08 embarrassed)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-10-13 07:08 am (UTC)(link)
He looks away as well. The surety of what he wants beats strongly in his chest.

"I have had many centuries to think on it. And if nothing else, I would like a piece of you to keep with me so that I know I'm not alone."

Perhaps it would make going to his death easier, when the time came.

"I would ask Azem as well, but we did not part on the best of terms."
weenwoon: firstworldproblem (hyth hasn't it been outlawed)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-10-13 08:40 am (UTC)(link)
Hythlodaeus takes a deeper breath to regain his composure. Then he looks down again, raising a hand to Hades's chin to gently tip it up and leans down to press a soft, chaste kiss to Hades's lips. That ought to count as an answer, right?

"What did happen between you two?" He asks casually, as though not drawing attention to what he just did.
emet_sulk: (57 it can't be...)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-10-13 08:51 am (UTC)(link)
The casual way Hythlodaeus kisses him completely upsets his composure. Hades stares up with lips slightly parted, his friend's follow-up question passing in one ear and out the other. After all this time, that's all he gets?

His fingers curl into the front of Hythlodaeus' robes. Then he pulls his friend back down and kisses them full on the lips.

(He is not letting you get the upper hand in this!!)
weenwoon: firstworldproblem (my friend hades said)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-10-13 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
(As though you don't actually want him to have the upper hand in this, Emet ;) )

Hythlodaeus makes a small noise of surprise as he's kissed - he didn't expect Hades to recover quite so quickly, or react quite so readily. His cheeks redden again as he kisses back, a little clumsily, one hand cupping the back of Hades's head. A strange maze that brings out one's worst doubts is probably around the bottom of the list of most romantic places to have your first kiss in, but Hythlodaeus isn't going to complain.
emet_sulk: (85 I like to watch)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-10-14 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
Hades lets Hythlodaeus go when he's satisfied, when his own cheeks are flushed and his breath short. He can't help frowning (just a little).

"Our first kiss and you don't even make it a proper one. Were you always this cruel?"
weenwoon: sydsir @ twtr (mike reynolds.)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-10-16 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Hythlodaeus grins happily, his face just as flushed, and rests his forehead against Hades's (or, well, tries to. He doesn't know what the third eye is.)

"Ah, but you ought to know I like to provoke you into doing something. Besides, mayhap I have simply imagined it often enough that I came to believe we've already had it!"
emet_sulk: I knew deepest despair (46 when I looked upon our shattered star)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-10-16 03:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Hades fortunately remembers to angle his head just in time for Hythlodaeus to avoid hitting the eye. He hopes that the general dimness of the labyrinth hides his light flush.

"You are...ridiculous. More ridiculous than I remember," he mumbles. He takes a deep breath. "To answer your earlier question, Azem disagreed with the Convocation's decision to summon Zodiark and left to find another solution. They did not find it. Not before the star was sundered."
weenwoon: chaneystarr (all that you hear is)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-10-17 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
Hythlodaeus is in no hurry to let go of Hades (or even shift so that they don't so obviously look like a couple) even as the conversation turns more sombre. In fact he just turns his head, resting his cheek on top of Hades's head.

"That sounds so much like Azem. You did not go with them? I would have thought you would, despite protesting it... or at least regret not helping them."
emet_sulk: (07 weight of the world)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-10-17 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
"I did regret not helping them," he grumbles. "You have no idea how much I regretted it once I saw the result of Hydaelyn's work. But I could not very well abandon all of our people to embark on a fool's journey. I... I certainly couldn't abandon you."

With one friend volunteering as a sacrifice to their new god and the other vehemently opposed to such drastic measures, how was Hades supposed to choose? He had always been the more dutiful of the three of them and so of course he had chosen to uphold his duty.
weenwoon: chaneystarr (what's a boba tea?)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-10-17 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
Hythlodaeus pauses. He wonders how he must have felt - will feel? - when he chose to sacrifice himself. Was he hoping to protect Hades and Azem, to be of some final use to his friends when there was naught else he could do? Did he give in to that despair of helplessness? If Azem left to seek some other solution, surely he would have gone with them too?..

"Thank you, Hades," he replies softly. "And I am sorry that I abandoned you. Mayhap if all three of us had gone together with Azem..."
emet_sulk: (58 very well then...)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-10-17 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
"I couldn't abandon the Convocation. Azem had disagreed with our decision and given up their seat. You believed that giving yourself to Zodiark was the best way to help us both," he whispers. "None of us were willing to compromise. I tried so hard to dissuade you but you wouldn't hear a single word of it. You said that it would give Azem more time to find the cause of the calamity whilst also helping me."

His voice starts cracking again. "That's why I say: you need to think more highly of yourself. You have more to give to the star than your own life."
weenwoon: chaneystarr (what's a boba tea?)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-11-01 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"When you ask me so, how can I refuse?" Though one might think Hythlodaeus's words joking, his voice is quiet and affectionate more than anything, the humour there only as part of his usual demeanour - a reminder of stability, perhaps. He holds his friend a little tighter; as far as he can tell, it's needed. He'd never heard Hades's voice crack before, even at his most emotional moments.

"... You know, I've never had the chance to hold you like this before. It's quite nice," he adds after a short while. It's both a truth and a further attempt to comfort his friend.
emet_sulk: (07 weight of the world)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-11-01 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
He is glad Hythlodaeus cannot see him flush. He knows he's being overly emotional right now but who can blame him?

"I would...not be averse...if you were to wish to do it more often," he mumbles.
weenwoon: firstworldproblem (because it can't be digested)

[personal profile] weenwoon 2023-11-02 10:54 am (UTC)(link)
"You mean to say you would like me to?" He teases in response. This may be a reminder of why Hades used to find the company of Hythlodaeus insufferable sometimes.
emet_sulk: (02 I only felt it once)

[personal profile] emet_sulk 2023-11-02 12:11 pm (UTC)(link)
He grumbles, withholding response for a bit longer, then--

"Yes."

Damn it, Hythlodaeus.