September Mini - Ghost of the Past

[pumpkinhollow]

code

GHOSTS

OF

THE

PAST

The Visitor's Center

Just where the sands of Tawny Beach begin to fade into soil, grass, and cobbled roads, there is a new building. Much like the House of Cards, it seems to have appeared from nowhere overnight. A large and round structure of tastefully stacked stone, it seems to fit perfectly in between the town and the marina, with an exterior door facing each side and at both entrances. It reads, "VISITOR'S CENTER," in bold letters.

In mailboxes throughout town, there are flyers, advertising "offworlder visitation" running from September 6th to 19th. "Make appointment today!" it advertises cheerfully.

Regardless of which side you enter, the same receptionist sits at the desk on either side--- a pretty-faced young man with braided black hair, wearing dozens of pieces of delicate golden jewelry. He is working hard on some sort of paperwork or taking some phone call when you come in, but he quickly sets it aside to welcome you. "Hello! Welcome to the visitor's center! Would you like to make an appointment?"

Your host artfully dances around questions regarding the place, its abrupt construction, its purpose, and what your appointment actually entails, assuring you it's "self-explanatory." He'll gladly inform you that "people you know" are here for a visit, but won't say who or why or for how long. But you'll sign up for your appointment anyway, for one reason or another. Perhaps you don't even really know.

At the time of your appointment, you are sat down in a tasteful meeting space of your choosing (the options are listed below) and your guest is brought in. But it is not who you expect. In fact, in all likelihood, you do not know this person at all. But don't worry, they've been briefed, and they'll pass the information along to you if asked.

You see, you are not here to meet someone from your own past, at least not at first---- you're here to meet someone close to one of your friends or neighbors. And they're here to speak about that person to you.

Take as long as you need. The Visitor's Center does not close.

How It Works

Visitors.
Each offworlder on the island can have up to 2 "ghosts of their past." This is not meant to be literal, as these so-called ghosts will generally be no more dead than any other offworlder. Your ghost can be anyone who "haunts" you in some way, which can mean whatever makes sense to you. It does not necessarily need to be someone with a negative opinion of you--- it can be someone who loves you very much! This person can be from any point in your timeline, including after the incident that brought you to Pumpkin Hollow. It can also be a past version of yourself. Regardless, your own visitor is not actually the person you are here to meet. Your visitor will be meeting with one of your friends or loved ones from the island, and you will be meeting with someone else's "ghost."

When speaking to a "ghost", you will notice a few things about them. The first is that they do have a sense of where they are and what they're doing---- they know that they're here temporarily, and that they've been asked to speak about or on behalf of someone they know. They're aware of who the person is that they've come to speak about as well, and they seem to have all of their memories intact aside from being a little fuzzy on the actual process of getting here. The second is that in most cases, they seem to have regular needs like any living person. The upper floors of the visitor's center have hostel-like sleeping areas, bathrooms, a cafe, everything a person might need. The third is that they seem to be weirdly forthcoming when asked questions. Perhaps you're not familiar enough with the individual to notice such things at first, but it becomes evident that they're pretty open about the person they're there to speak about even when they don't seem to want to be.

Want to speak to your own visitor? That can be arranged--- but your ghost must speak to someone else first. But not to worry, there's plenty of time. (Despite the IC dates, OOCly this can be backtagged as long as desired!)

Locations.
There are plenty of places to meet with visitors within the Visitor's Center. If you'd prefer a more public meeting space, some lounge areas have been set up on the beach, or the cafe or recreation area within the center are all available. The beach meeting spaces consist of clusters of folding beach chairs or picnic blankets, and while swimming season is largely over, the view from the beach continues to be stunning this month. The cafe is a quaint bistro on the rooftop of the center with a round serving station in the middle and outdoor tables around the outer walls, which feels both spacious and intimate at the same time somehow. And the recreation room is an interior space on the second floor full of spaces for communal games, some of which are too modern to be there. (Not electronics, but definitely Cards Against Humanity.)

If you'd prefer a more private space, there are a number of tasteful meeting rooms, including those with tables as if for a more formal meeting or those with couches or chairs. One of the latter sort even has a fireplace!

However, visitors are not able to go further afield than the beach. If they attempt to go into town, their feet will plant themselves firmly to the ground outside. They will not be able to be pushed or lifted to get around this, and anyone who attempts to force it will be summarily accosted by the staff and their appointment will end immediately. They may not be eligible for another.

Rules.
As far as OOC rules go, there are a few perks and limitations worth knowing. Any "ghosts" that you write are eligible for AC bonuses for the characters they are attached to. If you are writing a ghost for another player's character, you may decide where the AC bonus goes, but please make a note on your activity check indicating what you're doing. You may write your ghost from your existing journal (with or without a unique icon for that ghost, just as long as you make it clear), or create an independent journal for the character. As mentioned before, you can absolutely play a ghost for someone else. If you would like to have a non-member friend drop by to play your ghost, you may absolutely do so if you clear it with a mod, preferably by having said friend send the mod journal a PM. Be aware that if you recruit an outside player to write a ghost for you, you are responsible for their behavior, and any AC-length threads on their end will not be eligible for transfer because that will just kill Drake probably.

Characters appearing from Ghosts of the Past can also appear in the Villain's Lounge or be apped in later as permanent characters (but not both, as the two are mutually exclusive) and will have some unique lore from entering the game this way!

Ghosts are not capable of lying and will generally feel more compelled to be forthcoming when speaking to anyone OTHER than the person they're here to represent. However, they cannot be forced to meet with anyone they do not want to see or to answer questions they adamantly do not wish to answer. The compulsions are relatively subtle. They also do not have to volunteer information they weren't asked for if they don't want to. None of these compulsions are present if they speak to the person they are there to see. Their memories are generally accurate to whatever point you bring them from, meaning that they can be whatever you want.

If you're visiting with your own ghost, please be aware that threads between two characters played by the same person are never eligible for AC and this is still the case in this instance.

Staff.
Last but not least, there's a chance that you may encounter the staff of the Visitor's Center around. There are two men and two women--- Daanon, Caspian, Reyelle, and Nephera, respectively. Those here in February may recognize them from Merrymeet. They look fairly normal, generally appearing as humans (or an elf, in Nephera's case), but in reality they are the members of the Court of Betrayal. Whenever they speak about their "Manager," they are referring to Eligos. However, this is not immediately obvious, especially to those not familiar with these particular demons. If you know, you know! [ I will be keeping my demon thread load super light, so please feel free to handwave interactions with them as you see fit! If you want a demon thread, please reach out to me for plotting. -Rose ]

CODE BY MARWOOD

Comments

[littlefairytale]

Ruby laughs a little. "Heh, I guess I did notice that most people I meet in these places have a lot less range in hair colours. And eyes. You're kind of all a lot less colourful in general!"

Well, Ruby, that's because you're anime.

[rexthebuilder]

"Guess it makes sense that if there's a multiverse, someone has to have anime hair genetics." Yeah, Rex was literally about to make that comment. "Although EVOs can come in a whole range of colors. A couple of my friends were green before I cured them!"

[littlefairytale]

"We get that sometime! Only in the occasional Faunus, though. They're like, people with animal traits?" Sometimes their trait is just their entire skin. "I don't... think I know or remember what EVO means."

[rexthebuilder]

"Exponentially Variegated Organism. People like me who have active nanites that either give them powers or change their appearance or both." Rex lifts his fist and even through his glove and sleeve, a bunch of bright light blue branching tech lines start going down it. "I'd show you some of my builds here, but this room is way too small for my awesomeness."

[littlefairytale]

"Oooh." Okay that lines up with what she knows about César's specialities. "So you can like, build stuff because of the nanites?"

[rexthebuilder]

"Giant fists, giant feet, my own set of wings, a big fat sword, that sort of thing." Rex just barely stops himself from puffing out his chest. "And I've got things like a whip, nunchucks, and axes now, too! Not to mention, I can tell machines what to do, and they do it."

[littlefairytale]

"Wow, that's more than even the most versatile transforming weapon at home. I-I've only ever gotten as far as four weapon types in one and those weren't super complicated."

[rexthebuilder]

Rex stops himself from crowing more about how awesome he is, realizing it might negatively impact Ruby. "That's still pretty sweet. What sort of weapons?"

Look, he's never met a girl that can talk weapons that is his age (he thinks?? he's so bad at telling ages), and now he's curious.

[littlefairytale]

"Uhhh—" she tilts her head in thinking, "the four-in-one was two forms of sword and two forms of spear, plus it had Dust applications. Which was actually sort of simpler than my first weapon which was a Scythe, War Scythe and rifle."

[rexthebuilder]

"Dude, a sycthe?" Rex says with perhaps far too much enthusiasm. "That's awesome! How big was it?"

Rex. REX.

[littlefairytale]

"About six-foot tall when extended to full length, and the blade was about three and a half feet long?" So a lot bigger than she honestly looks like she should be able to wield casually.

[rexthebuilder]

"Woah." Rex leans back a little in deep appreciation that she can wield it. "Now that is a scythe. Can't do one of those because my builds are attached to me, so I can't do any cool moves with it. That's pretty rad."

[littlefairytale]

"She was very cool. I've always been— very proud of the design. It was definitely the most uh, over-complicated in my class, heh."

[rexthebuilder]

"You designed you own weapon? And class as in... school year class?" Rex picks up from the way she says it, a note of confusion even as he's happy to be impressed. "Like... superhero school or something?"

[littlefairytale]

"Sort of? It's called Combat School. We all design our own weapons early on so we can start training with them."

[rexthebuilder]

Rex blinks at her as he processes all of this, looking befuddled and honestly he sounds like he's worried when he speaks again. "Training to fight... what? And when does school start and when do you fight? Because even as messed up as my world is—was—is?—nervermind—I'm the only kid that got taught how to fight for real instead of just for fun or winning sports medals. And only because it was either that or a slowly rolling apocalypse since no one else can beat up then cure those that have turned like I can."

He's half-quoting an article from a news site about what his appearance meant. And he's stating that out in the open because most kids? Aren't taught how to fight. They're taught Shakespeare and Algebra and Japanese. Rex has both a perspective and experience that they don't, and one he dreads Ruby has some familiarity with.

[littlefairytale]

"Actual combat school starts at about 12, if you decide to become a Huntsman. Otherwise you stay in normal school. But the world needs Huntsmen to fight Grimm, so those who want to go down that route start early. But we're not meant to run actual training missions until we're at least 17, at one of the academies."

Of course sometimes kids will end up fighting local Grimm anyway and Ruby, being a special case, got bumped up earlier and has been in real fights a lot longer than most.

sadly do not have a proper icon for this one yet

[rexthebuilder]

"What a relief!" Rex gives a sigh of relief. "So not a Magic Girl Flora Magica or New Century Good News situation. Or Arachnid-man."

He's never going to tell anyone he was jealous of Mariner Moon having a family while having the weight of the world on her shoulders, Rex vows to himself. And that he's glad he has what he has because too many comics and anime have the adults being absolutely useless while the teen heroes slowly lose their minds from stress caused by going at it alone.

[littlefairytale]

Ruby scratches the back of her head awkwardly. "Well, I mean, I've been in real combat scenarios since I was, um, fifteen, but that was sort of exceptional circumstances."

[rexthebuilder]

Rex almost starts to mirror the movement, having wanted to do just that, but stops himself, feeling a little awkward as his heart sinks. "... Man, sometimes I hate being right." He closes his eyes as he sighs, but opens his eyes and tries to give Ruby a reassuring smile. "My life is full of 'exceptional circumstances'. Started fighting seriously at the same age."

He's surprisingly comfortable talking about this; part of him feels terrible for being relieved to meeting someone who's been through potentially even a fraction of what he has, someone who gets it. "So, ah. What's a Huntman and what's a Grimm?"

[littlefairytale]

"There's more of us out there than you'd think, heh. But uh— Grimm are monsters that are attracted to negative emotions, kill and eat people, and populate so much of the planet we can't live on most of the land. So Huntsmen exist to stop them from attacking towns or travellers and stuff, plus offer some other sort of... freelance help? I guess?"

[rexthebuilder]

"They're attracted to negative emotions?" Rex can't help the next half-joke that comes out of his mouth. "Wow, your therapists must make bank."

[littlefairytale]

Taking it rather literally: "I mean the few that maybe exist out there probably do but honestly we don't have that many, heh. People— mostly handle themselves. Or their communities."

1/2

[rexthebuilder]

Rex just stares at her.

[rexthebuilder]

And then very slowly, his brain starts to work, and his expression shifts to perplexed worry. "Sooooo let me get this straight. The Powers that Be know that Grimm are attracted to negative emotions... and aren't doing anything to reduce those negative emotions? Like that should be strategy numero uno!"