May 2018 Test Drive Meme

[sodder]

MAY 2018 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to May's Test Drive Meme! This is our first Test Drive ever so let's make it a good one. This month's Test Drive's theme is: DARK FAIRY TALE.

All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.

Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.

CW: Body horror, disease horror, eye horror, fungal horror, mythical creature gore, child-eating monster.

Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Prompt Three
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE

You could be anywhere in Deerington when you first hear it. It's a soft, stuttering click. Like plastic being dragged across the ground. The moment you stop, it stops. When you begin to walk again, the noise picks back up, clicking its way softly after you. It doesn't exactly sound hostile, but it's enough to make your skin crawl. Something is following you. When you finally turn to look, you'll find a....thing. It looks like it might have once been a mannequin, but the eyes staring up at you are so hauntingly expressive that it makes you doubt that. Its missing a leg, and both its arms, and to move it is pushing itself across the ground, its head lolling up to look at you with unblinking eyes. The moment you make eye contact, there's a low, moaning noise that's faintly feminine.

"Please...." it says, its mouth unmoving, but you know without a doubt it's coming from the creature in front of you. "Please hold me."

The request takes you aback. The plea is desperate, fragile even, the voice trembling with tears not yet shed even though the eyes remain dry.

"I haven't touched something in so long," it cries, and with great effort, it pushes itself into an upright position. Its entire body is destroyed from crawling around, the "skin" scraped down raw. But from what you can see, there's a film of something that's infested most of its torso. Whatever it is looks like it could be contagious, and the stench of cat urine overpowers you for a moment.

"Please, I beg of you."

If you should choose to hug this poor creature, the thing will sigh in immense relief, its body shuddering against you before it simply breaks to dust in your arms. From the dust rises not one, but several large black ravens. They caw loudly, flying fast and hard. One lands on your shoulder, or maybe your head, or perhaps an arm, but either way it begins to croak gurgled words in random order: "Top!" "Fly!" "Drop!" "Comes!" "Crawl!" "Egg!" And it seems to be insistent that you hear it out. At least if you begin to pet it, the bird calms down enough to stop squawking. If you stick around long enough, you'll find that weeks from now, even months from now, this same raven will randomly seek you out with tiny little useless gifts like pieces of shiny metal and buttons it finds that it'll want to give you. Not really helpful, but you've clearly made a friend.

...But if you refuse the thing affection, it'll start to sob. That's when everything goes wrong. Your entire body will start to turn against itself. Your skin will begin to split apart, and any number of things may come out whether it be scales or fur, but your body begins to rip itself apart. To accommodate horns, to grow in fangs, to sprout tails and distort limbs. Any number of appearances can come out of this, but all you know is that every single fiber of your being is in agony, and by the end of it all, you're no longer the person you had once been. What stands in your place is now a horrible monster, and the thing that had begged for a shred of affection has vanished.

Thankfully, the monster skin will shed off whenever you finally go to sleep. But have fun waking up in a literal pile of gore of whatever fur and scales you had managed to grow from the encounter.

Regardless of whatever interaction you face, the Townspeople around you are trying to hurry away as fast as possible. It seems like none of them want to deal with the mannequin or you. Hopefully other people might be a little more empathetic...or not...to your situation.

DON'T LOOK BACK

One of the most striking things in Deerington would be its National Park. It goes for several acres of thick, lush pinewood and beyond it, a beautiful mountain. It's picturesque and the smooth, glassy lake makes it all the more ideal of a place to visit. The National Park even has a camp ground for people who might want to pitch a tent and spend a night under the stars. Surely a place so beautiful couldn't be as dangerous as all the warnings signs keep saying it is, right? One warning sign is particularly curious. It's a simple orange metal plate nailed to a couple trees on a few paths that show a few cartoonish mushrooms, and then in thick bold letters: DON'T LOOK BACK. KEEP LOOKING FORWARD UNTIL THE END.

They aren't particularly descriptive signs, but it isn't too hard to figure out what they might be indicating. But that sort of thing is the stuff from kids' books. Surely eating mushrooms is dangerous, but just walking past them? Taking to the trails made for hikers is nothing short of a dream. There's various difficulty levels for the trails, and no matter which trail you pick, you'll notice at some point that there is a cluster of bright red mushrooms growing along the trail. Not just one or two. Dozens of them. Enough to draw anyone's attention.

It's hard not to think back to those signs you had seen before. Don't look back. Keep looking forward until the end. Until the end of what? Looking ahead, it seems like the mushrooms go on endlessly. Surely that sign didn't mean until the mushrooms were no longer on the sides of the trail? Who knows how long that could take?

The paranoia sets in naturally. Grinding its way into weary travelers. Or worse: the curiosity. What happens if you look back? Maybe it was just some Townspeople playing a prank. You'd seen kids around. You could always just peek back.....

But if you do, you'll instantly be struck into a daze. Your eyes won't just glaze over- your iris will vanish entirely from existence, instead leaving in its wake a network of fine red veins. Your jaw will hang open and you'll remain completely motionless. That is until someone finds you anyway. If you're lucky, they won't just walk by. If you're lucky, they'll try and wake you up. It doesn't take much. True love's first kiss is all....That or a really firm smack across the face. People who come out of this coma will find themselves disoriented and dizzy. The world around them will see a little too colorful and everything will feel soft.

Getting this person to turn back around and keep walking is the tricky part. If you can only both make it to the end of the mushroom trail, you should be okay....

On a few of these trails, people might come across those who weren't so lucky to be saved. These figures have been around for God knows how many days, weeks, months, maybe even years, but they're shells of former humans. The worst part is that splitting open their skin and growing out of every inch of their skin are the same, bright red mushrooms sprouting along the trail. Their mouths are filled with them, and while you can't see much, you'll be able to see those blank, white eyes staring endlessly, and if you walk past this figure...It'll feel like they're staring endlessly at you.

DON'T EAT THE FOOD

It's a Betty that gestures to you suddenly. Perhaps you were just trying to explore the town, but suddenly there's a woman in a strange mask beckoning quickly to you. "You're new here, right?" she'll ask, "Do you want to find a way out?" She's looking around, as if to make sure no one is paying attention to either of you, and then she will lead you to a nearby alley. It doesn't seem sketchy, not when the woman seems in a rush to pull out a small velvet bag. "Here," she'll say, pushing it into your hands.

"You need to draw a square into the ground here. It'll make a door you can climb through. There will be a...." Her voice will tremble for a second, but then perk right back up. "Just don't eat any of the food and you'll be okay. You'll see a red door at the other end of the room. Go directly to it."

It seems a little absurd, but after everything you've been through, it's worth a shot to try. Besides, it's not like you can ask too many questions because as soon as the Betty has finished talking, she's rushing away. You're left with a simple decision: draw a square or to not draw square.

Those who draw a square will find that the woman was telling the truth. A door will be made in the ground that you can slip through and you'll find yourself in a very...curious room. It's dark and filled with paintings of a horrible creature eating babies lining the walls. A long table sits in the very middle of it filled with beautiful, rich looking food that smells heavenly. And there's goblets of your favorite beverages sitting everywhere. The food has everything you have ever craved sitting on it ready for the taking, and while you might have the best control, you'll find that it's extremely hard to look away. And why are you suddenly noticing how hungry you are? It feels like you haven't eaten in days. But there is one thing that is a little more attention grabbing than all that food. It's the occupant sitting at the head of the table.

The Pale Man is motionless. That's when you notice you're not alone in the room. There's another person there with you.

And then there's the door the woman had mentioned. Now all you have to do is just get to the door. Simple.

Right?

Unfortunately for you, the door is locked and there's no way through it.

If you stop to eat the food that is tempting you so, the Pale Man will awaken. He's aggressive towards all. He'll aim to kill adults, but he will actively try and eat children. Either way? He doesn't seem stoppable. Any wounds inflicted on his body merely slide back together. But his eyes...Those are vulnerable.

That or you have an entire bag of chalk. Drawing a way in means maybe drawing a way out? At least you're not alone either way. Maybe if the two of you could somehow manage to tag-team this thing.

Character Arrival

There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week. The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.

If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.

Comments

Questions

[sodder]

If you have any questions about the TDM, feel free to ask here.

[kometes]

My character would try and fight any monster because he's an idiot, so I wanted to ask if killing/maiming/or injuring the monsters at all is possible!

morgana / the house in fata morgana

[hating]

( a ) don't leave me alone

[ there is a girl dressed in deep colors. her torn dress is the color of old, dried blood. her cloak is the color of a rotten tree in the forest... her feet are bare. she stands in the green grass, her face covered by the hood of her black cloak. you don't know how, since her eyes are covered, but you can feel her staring at you.

she watches as the creature approaches, begging, writhing. the only features you can see - her lips and chin - do not quiver. the girl with red hair pulled into two braids, the left braid significantly shorter than the other one, watches this scene play out. she seems... passive? neutral? disinterested. she looks dirty, with her torn clothing, with the dust on her. do you pity her?

she speaks, and her voice is like a warm blanket. calming. enchanting. she wants you to listen to her; she has a voice tailored for preaching, you might think. ]

.......Do you see it...? It speaks, but it's mouth does not move. It crawls, but it has no arms, only one leg, looks frail to the touch. Pitiful thing, this creature, crawling toward you like a child might crawl to it's mother for milk. You have what it wants, you know, limbs for walking and holding. Incredible, I think, that it only asks for you to release it from it's pain. It doesn't curse you, nor I.

[ the girl pauses. her head shifts; she faces you. the hood stays in place: her face is hidden. ]

The way I see it, it truly is the epitome of strange.

( b ) don't look back

[ she sees them, the people condemned to wander this land like the dead who would be awoken for the second coming of christ. morgana sees them, and she pities them. nonetheless... she returns, and you find yourself walking the trail of mushrooms with a strange girl in a hooded cloak. she doesn't speak for a while, until a sign passes. only then does her enchanting voice break the silence. ]

I'd advise you to listen to the signs. You look rather nice in your current form, my dear, it would be a shame to see it ruined.

( c ) don't eat the food

[ she takes the chalk out of befuddlement more than anything. in most cases, the girl would have told the woman to keep it. said it was of no use in her hands. told her that she was better off finding someone more interested in doing what she asked of them, that morgana herself was someone who didn't do well with people, but the satchel is in her hands, and she stands on the street, hood drawn. the only hint of her mood is the way her lips are parted, as if she's considering what to say.

more to herself than you, she says: ]

...Drawing is not my strong suit. Such a tool would have been better off in another person's hands.

( d ) wildcard

[ i can be contacted through pm or walpurgisnacht if you'd like to plot something specific out! otherwise, please come up with your own prompt if you'd like to - i'm ota.

as a note, morgana's body is a little, uh, strange, so cw for any potential body horror. let me know if you're okay with your character seeing the thing in question.

and finally, i have a spoilers opt out, if you'd like to avoid them. ]

a.

[erythristic]

[she has no idea who this rambling girl is, but like responds to like before she even pauses to think, red responds to red. though Grell's own locks flow unbound behind her, and she is not dirty like Morgana is.]

Is it me it wants, or you? For it cries to us both, uncaring which of us provides succor - in that, it is indiscriminate, knowing just one offers the salvation it longs for. It wants to be touched, knowing that at any moment, either of us could yield and open our hearts - it's like a fairy tale, isn't it? Where something wretched asks for kindness, and the pure of heart gifts it, only for their life to be transformed by the action.

[a pause, then, as Grell pushes up her glasses.]

You should listen to it.

grell sutcliffe | black butler

[erythristic]

don't leave.

[the thing is...well, while Grell could absolutely say she was moved by a tragic plight, something so pathetic and desperate, just begging for solace in this cruel, frigid world, she has standards to meet. clothes to preserve, since anything vaguely resembling fashion in this misty, woe-begotten place is hard to come by. and she's not touching it without at least another layer between her and the being.

honestly, she should kick it and tell it to shove off, for trying to touch her. but already in this town things remind her of stories meant to scare children at night, and others where something revolting turned out to be for the best. what to do, what to do...]

Just...wait for a second, would you? I will, I promise - just wait.

[and with the thing right behind her, she casts her eyes around for someone in a coat nearby. a jacket. something like that, before she points and speaks directly to you.]

You. Lend a lady your coat, would you?

---

don't look back.

[it's being outdoors, or it's being indoors, and there's only so long she can occupy herself indoors before Grell feels her mind practically screaming to be outdoors. she takes the book she's been working on with her, and heads out to the park - it's not like she intends to go too far, hiking, what a thoroughly unpleasant exercise to do alone - and begins hunting for a decent spot that won't have mud, or be utterly too breezy to concentrate.

but the sign is bright, eye catching, and at least warrants observation. a touch of looking couldn't do too much harm, right?

keep looking forward until the end. with the mushrooms, there's one thing to pop immediately to mind.]

Curiouser and curiouser, isn't it...

[of course, she could only shudder to think what misfortune might befall the stupid sap who tried to eat the things. painful, agonizing death, probably.]

---

wildcard.

[open to other ideas, if you like! feel free to pm.]

don't leave;

[daemonized]

[The man who’s nearby is apparently of the opposite inclination — either he cares not for fashion, dressed the way he is, or his sense of it is quite different from this woman’s. Regardless, the way he shrugs his broad shoulders is a fitting preamble to the tone of his words, and the shape of them.]

You could say please. And it's rude to call someone ‘you’, not to mention to point at them in such a brazen way.

[But he does indeed wear a rather large black coat that would do well to aid her. He just tends to be difficult, as his personality dictates. Still, he casts a glance down at the thing that’s garnered both of their attentions now. Starved for touch, reaching out to this red-headed woman to fulfill its needs.]

Why do you need it? [He asks anyway, even if he has an idea regarding what the coat would be used for.]

Letha Godfrey | Hemlock Grove

[lethanotlisa]

Don't Leave

How she got here was still a mystery for Letha and to say she was disoriented was an extreme understatement. She was still searching for a friendly face and, as time passed and she wandered on and on, she began to think that she would have even settled for seeing her mother or her aunt Olivia.

It was miraculous that she was still alive and she knew it, but being alone in a place as strange as this was frightening, even for a girl who had faced a vargulf. Silently, she prayed to herself that she would find someone, anyone who could provide her with a little bit of emotional solace. It wasn’t long after that when she heard the noises following her.

When Letha turned and heard the thing’s plea, she was heartbroken. She always was one to see past the superficial.

Letting out a sigh, she relented, taking a step closer to the poor thing and stooped down, holding out her arms to draw it into a hug. The stench was enough to make her wrinkle her nose as her face was unseen by the thing. It reminded her of the week she’d spent candystriping at a hospice before her mother had forced her to stop. That’s not the kind of work we do, Letha. Marie had never really told her what kind of volunteer work was appropriate for people of their social standing.

As soon as Letha pulled the creature into her arms for a hug, however, she was greeted by a puff of dust. She jerked back slightly, looking incredibly confused. That look of confusion only intensified as the crows appeared, but after a moment as the fear of being pecked to death passed and was replaced with amusement, Letha smiled at the creatures. Slowly, she lifted a palm to gently, hesitatingly stroke one’s beautiful black, slightly oily feathers.

Letha had been looking for friendliness in some form. Perhaps she should have been more specific in her prayers.

Still stroking the crow, her eyes roam the landscape around her. Letha still had to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

Ardyn Izunia | Final Fantasy XV

[daemonized]

don't leave me alone;

[He shifts his weight to the other foot, placing a hand quite lackadaisically on a hip as this rather pitiful, strange thing crawls towards him. Begging for touch and attention, and absolutely reeking like something that hardly deserves it.]

My, what a poor thing you are.

[Strange, how it reminds him of an MT — those clockwork soldiers, soulless shells that would sometimes fall in battle, but still undefeated, would grasp at anything that moved — and yet there is emotion in the intonations of this doll-like thing. Pitiful desperation.

Very little moves him any longer. This certainly does not qualify, but even Ardyn is not immune from wayward curiosity. He crouches down as it tries to heft itself up, and his grin is crooked, not quite reaching keen eyes.]

What do you think? [He says to you, who happens to be near. A gesture of a hand, a vague yet sweeping motion.] Does this sight tug on your heartstrings just enough to offer it what it desires? Or is it fear and disgust that’s gripped your mind instead?

[He chuckles, lightly.]

don't look back;

Faster now. A quicker step and we’ll be out of the literal woods sooner rather than later.

[He’s walking with a companion (you), and though one might label them as ‘lost’, there’s only so much lost one can be if the direction that’s been dictated to them is so simple: forward.

Ardyn’s strides are long, being tall as he is, and perhaps he walks right past you with ease — casual and seemingly unbothered, he prefers to follow the trail of red mushrooms ahead. Hard not to, as prominent as they are.

He raises a hand, waving it idly at the person behind him, without looking over his shoulder.]

That or you shall be left behind, and I’ve not the energy, nor the will, to go searching for you.

wildcard;

[Or we can do something else! You can PM me or find me at aurajen if you want to sort out the details!]

don't look back

[hating]

[ the man walks past the girl in long, even strides. they are strangely elegant, morgana thinks. he walks with confidence. in comparison, this girl with her hood drawn over her head and her timid steps, like she is trying to ensure it stays in place... well, surely, she may be left behind in time.

despite this, her sweet, soft voice does not sound bothered in the least. on the contrary, there's a sense of assurance there. but for who - herself, or the man? ]

And you are right to feel that way. The signs say forward, yes? Walking criss-cross and back isn't allowed on this path. Straight and true like an arrow, trusting only what's before you - that is how you must walk along this place.

elena gilbert | the vampire diaries (s72 crau)

[otrazhenie]

{ DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE }

[ The mannequin is horrifying in a way Elena hasn't experienced before, broken and worn and moving when it shouldn't. Magic isn't anything new to her, her entire existence is due to some mystical reason or another it seems, but this. She can't explain it and there's a part of her that urges her to run, to leave this thing behind and never think about it again. But there's another part that finds the mannequin pitiful, and Elena is nothing if not a creature of compassion. ]

Okay. Okay, just-- Please stop hurting yourself.

[ So she kneels there in the middle of the street, uncaring of the dirt that will end up all over her jeans, sparing only a glance at the eerie state of its torso, and reaching out to wrap her arms around the poor thing. The sigh of relief breaks her heart and she's about to say something soothing the way her mother would have--

Dust. Dust and birds are suddenly everywhere, the mannequin released from whatever had held it in that hell, and Elena flinches down out of the path of the ravens for a moment before she's struck by how strongly they remind her of London. (Minus the third eye, of course.) They aren't attacking, and when she stills enough for one to land on her shoulder, it speaks. She listens to its string of words and smiles before reaching up to carefully smooth a finger over the feathers of its back, a world of affection in her gaze and voice as she greets her new friend. ]

Hi bird.

{ DON'T LOOK BACK }

[ Elena is usually very good about following directions. Really. So long as it didn't involve leaving people behind or letting others suffer in her stead, or-- Okay no, she can pretty terrible at following directions. She should have known better than to wander onto this trail, where every instinct is urging her to both listen to those signs and also to do exactly what they said not to.

Just a little further, the trail can't be that long, she'll reach the end soon... But not soon enough. Curiosity gets the better of her and she turns, just a quick glance is all she needs. That's all it takes.

Whoever walks by will find her standing there, unmoving and unseeing, frozen in a state of dazed shock. ]

{ WILDCARD }

[ I can be reached via PM or taintedcrimson for plotting! Elena is a vampire who needs to feed on human blood and can heal others with her own blood (which goes terribly wrong in this setting), so let me know if you'd to play with that. ]

Look

[shiro2hero]

This is ... a lot creepier than anything from the Station. And that's saying something.

[He'd been walking with Elena -- he wouldn't leave her. Not since finding her again. That feeling of connection sliding into place as easily as a key in a lock. Of course he'd be with her. Of course he'd stay close by.]

[But he's unprepared for her stopping.]

[All of the sudden, her footsteps stop. And she doesn't answer him. So he freezes too. Don't. Don't look back.]

Elena?

Itsuhito Hadesu | Hokenshitsu no Shinigami

[caughtademon]

{Stay}

[Something like that...

Itsuhito doesn't know what it is, but as it inches and whines its way across the ground, he can't help but feel sorry for it. Can't help but feel a little bit of kinship with it, in a way that vaguely twists his insides with a sort of painful recognition.]

You've been alone for a long time, haven't you?

[He says, crouching next to it and reaching out a pale, cracked hand and gently pressing his palm to its cheek.

Please hold me

it begs, and Itsuhito can't just turn away something in pain, even (especially) something scraped into raw fragments and coated in an acrid layer of filth.]

It's all right now.

[He says, as he pulls it into his arms. He's the sort of guy who'll fall for any trap, if the bait is pathetic enough. But this thing just disintegrates, scattering dust across his black pants and shirt as it falls to pieces and turns into... several very large birds.

He flails a little for a moment, startled. And then one of the birds lands on his shoulder(!!!!) and starts talking to him.

They make a weird pair, a raven squawking something like words and a tall man sitting casually on the sidewalk nodding along to the meaningless chatter.]

I think it's trying to tell me something. [He says, when someone passes by.]

Egg! [Croaks the raven.]

{Look}

[You looked back. That was probably a mistake, but thankfully there was someone coming up behind you (a few minutes, a few hours) and he grabs you by the shoulders and shakes.]

Wake up!

[He's a tall, hunched figure with yellowing pale skin, scraggly white hair, a fine network of cracks across his body like his flesh is mud that shrunk and pulled and cracked under a blazing sun. Despite his washed-out appearance, his voice is commanding and if this person can't move away from the mushrooms under their own power, he just might drag them.]

Margo Hanson | The Magicians

[ibiza]

Don't Eat The Food

Dimension hopping was not a new thing for Margo Hanson, but somehow it was weirder than ever. As a witch, she naturally suspected the pouch given to her, but she nodded her head and murmured a thanks as she finished the trail. Hey, she could be civil and polite even when her life was clearly in danger, couldn’t she?

Following the instructions, Margo created a door with the chalk and, much to her surprise, it actually worked. She gave a facial shrug and looked around, spotting someone. They didn’t even have to be someone she knew, only someone she knew was out of place. Grabbing ahold of that person’s shirt, she yanked them with her over the threshold.

“We’re getting out of here.” She mouthed the words to her new comrade in escape plots. “Do NOT eat anything.”

[deadboywalking]

It should be easier than it is for Will to listen. He might be from a time where it's less common for kids to learn about stranger danger, but even he knows not to take food from a mysterious source.

Except...on the other hand, he's coming from a strange place, wearing a hospital gown and no shoes, stumbling a little as a complete stranger tugs him through a...door in a wall. And when he sees the food -- so much food -- his stomach reminds him loudly that he hasn't eaten in what feels like days.

So he hesitates, looking upwards, a little pleadingly. "Can we take some with us? For later?"

Shiro | Voltron + s72 CRAU

[shiro2hero]

DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE
[His immediate instinct is concern. This... could be a person. It could be some kind of alien species. Something in pain. They've seen a lot on the Station. They've definitely seen weirder.]

[So when the thing starts begging, as horrific as it looks... he puts his hand out. The right one. The metal one.]

Hey -- hey, it's okay. Let's see if we can get you some help, all right?

[Of course, what he does not expect, is for this thing to grab onto him and hug. Should you be passing by, you may bear witness to one, Shiro, the Black Paladin, warrior of the Station, yelping. And jumping about three feet.]



DON'T EAT THE FOOD
Okay... Whatever you do. Don't get hungry.

[No matter who he's with, he's absolutely going to say that. Repeat that advice. This is like no alien he's ever seen before. But he keeps his eyes on it. Focused. Trying to ignore how his brain is screaming DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE YOU HAD MACARONI?? That really isn't going to help anything. Nothing at all.]

[He keeps his eyes locked on the monster.]

See if you can find a key. I'll watch it.

[The fingers of his right hand flex. Making a metal fist. Yeah -- he'll take this thing on. If he has to.]


((ooc: this is a CRAU version of Shiro from station72! If you want or need to plot anything, PM or hit me up at redfirelight !))

don't eat the food

[deadboywalking]

Kinda...too late.

[Will says this very flatly, arms crossing over his chest, uncomfortably staring at the table. Yes, there's a creepy monster that looks like a fleshy q-tip, but there's also cheese puffs. His stomach is practically growling audibly. It doesn't help that he's very ill-dressed for the entire situation, in a hospital gown and no shoes.

But he's also a good obedient kiddo, so he's going to slowly back away from the table, tearing his eyes away and starting to try and see if there are any keys. Keys are usually hanging in rings on walls, right? At least in movies and books they are...]

Peggy Carter | mcu

[cookshisgoose]

don't leave me alone;

[Peggy heard the noise first. Always on alert, especially in a new situation, she doesn't take too kindly to the idea of being followed, albeit the fact that it's not exactly trying to hide the fact that it is. Her hand grips the pistol in her bag, before she turns to face whatever is behind her.

But her demeanor falters the second she lays eyes on the poor creature she sees before her. What horrible thing would do this to someone?

She crouched to get on the mannequin's level next, anguish on her face.]

Hello. I'm Peggy. Who did this to you? What can I do to help? [She didn't know what she could do, but she had to do something. She couldn't just stand by and watch this suffering.]

don't look back;

[Peggy had hoped the National Park would be simply that: a nice and relaxing place to enjoy some peace and quiet from this strange new place. But the sign she spotted unnerved her in a way she couldn't explain.

The sights were beautiful, but the mushrooms? There was something about them that came off to her as odd.

The longer she walked, the more she found herself paranoid about the message. "Don't look back. Keep looking forward until the end." Was it earnest or was it simply a trick? Given how her brief stay here had gone up to this point, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.]

wildcard;

[have other ideas you'd like to explore? feel free to hit me up at crystallium or shoot me a PM!]

o/

[despising]

[ What probably doesn't help Peggy's paranoia is a sudden hand on her shoulder. It's a light touch, followed by a South African accent. ] You alright? [ Elliot doesn't know this woman, but he certainly knows the feeling of ... well it feels like magic but nothing he's ever felt before, around them. It's a bad feeling that makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Those signs were enough to give him the heebies and he already had the jeebies. ] I think there's something funny going on with those mushrooms, ey? [ Something bad. He's never been a fan of mushrooms anyway. In any form. ]

Ginko | Mushishi

[tenthousandmiles]

i. don't leave me alone

[There are mushi that follow around humans, in the waking world he's from. Some that seek to follow a human until it weakens the human enough to trade places, and steal their corporeal form. So he's understandably a bit wary when the thing asks to touch him, unsure if contact was the key to such a switch taking place. Most mushi can't speak like this, not if they weren't formerly human themselves, but the Watahaki had taught itself how.

On the other hand, perhaps it was merely a harmless creature that required touch to sustain itself. He had no problem providing such a thing in the latter case. Unfortunately, it's not like he can go consult Tanyuu's archives right now.]

You're not going to steal my body if I agree, are you?

[No....I just want someone to hold me.....

Any further questioning only gets more answers along those lines, and eventually Ginko decides to take a risk. But not one without a little insurance. He calls out to the nearest passerby, or anyone who might have paused to watch this scene play out:]

Would you be willing to pull us apart if things start to go awry?

ii. don't look back

a.
[Here's a natural advantage to your line of work when you were awake having dealt in all manner of supernatural occurrences: when someone gives you a warning, even a weirdly vague one, you damn well follow it. So even as that paranoia starts to tug at his brain, he resolutely ignores it, and keeps on walking.

Of course, that doesn't mean everyone else is going to do the same. If he happens to spot someone's vision drifting toward the corner, or the beginning of a slight tilt of their neck, he'll very quickly grab their arm and squeeze, hard.]

Don't.

b.

[Or maybe he wasn't there when you succumbed to the temptation, and he finds you only afterward. The look of your eyes runs a shiver down his spine, and he wonders if this is what happens when you turn back. He doesn't know if it's too late, but he tries shaking, nonetheless.]

Hello? Can you hear me?

i

[knifefling]

Don't do it.

[ Was Chilchack's immediate answer, eyeing Ginko and the creature both with suspicion (the creature more than Ginko, but much could be said about being careful around strangers). ]

It's obvioiusly a trap. It's going to latch onto you, or suck out your soul, or something. I'm warning you now.

Eddie Kaspbrak | IT

[clussy]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ: ɪ'ʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ

CW: eventual body horror. mentions of past inappropriate behavior towards children.

(Eddie Kaspbrak was typically considered more gentle than the average boy his age. He wept easily over things that struck him as beautiful or sad, or when he was frightened or too angry to form words. That gentleness meant that there wasn't much of a violent bone inside of his body.

Except.

Except there is always an exception to the Rules, isn't there? For Eddie, that exception was crawling towards him, clicking across the pavement, and sending him straight back under the Neibolt house where all he could smell was piss, filth, and the stench of his own fear. Something sour rose up in the back of his mouth, and at first he could have sworn, could have sworn, he heard the leper's voice instead saying--

--But no, not this thing. This thing wanted to- why did they always want to t̴̡̩̟͘o̸̘̬̼̳͔͍̫̫͟ú͓̖͉̦̝͕̀c̷̛̗̳̳̺͍̜͞h̡͓̪͎̟͘ him. These things that crawled somewhere out of the deepest pits of his fears. He felt that cold sweat breaking out over his skin, making his shirt stick to him, and he forgot how to swallow as the thing rose up. Jesus Jiminy Cricket! What was wrong with her! Oh, God! What was wrong with her? What the hell was she infected with?)

I- I can't...I'm not supposed to....(Talk to strangers. His hands scramble, his freshly cast right arm hitting painfully against his side, sliding fast to his pockets where he digs out his inhaler and clutches it to his chest. But then the creature falls forward. Against him- and Eddie just...Reacts. He gives a shriek, ear-piercing, and instinctively jumps backwards a step and swings his other foot backwards and shoots it out. His foot slams across the thing's face and her head gives an unsettling crunch backwards. That's when the woman begins to wail, and that's when Eddie feels something lurch inside of him.

Oh no.)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ: ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʙᴀᴄᴋ, ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʙᴀᴄᴋ

ooc | for this prompt, feel free to have our characters just coincidentally meet in the woods! or your character can already be under the mushroom's spell.

(Edddddie! Your allergies! You can't handle tree pollen!)

I know, ma, I know.

(Eddie's voice is hushed, kept close to himself as he walks along one of the bunny trails in the forest. His arms swung freely at his sides, his right arm in a fresh cast swinging a little slower. The forest had drawn him instantly. It wasn't often back home that he ever got to play in forests. Not unless he went out and hung with his friends. His friends....His nose crinkles up and he tries to...to place their names. Richie, of course. Bill...His mind crinkles inward and instead of thinking about who comes next, he can hear his mind-mother wailing again. Watch out for the branches! Eddie! You'll trip and break an ankle! And you're all alooooone! No one will find you and you'll DIE!

She wasn't entirely wrong. Eddie swallows a bit, watching his feet a little more carefully as he walked. He stepped delicately over gnarled branches, moving carefully through over the trail. He even made sure to step around rocks rather than risk stepping over them. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. No broken ankles here, mama. No way, no how. He's got enough broken bones in his body already. He doesn't even notice when he steps onto the mushroom trail. Just goes along, talking softly to himself. His voice carries through the hollow empty of the forest, and it seems like he's reenacting some show to himself. That's when he nearly runs into someone.

Eddie gives a squeak of surprise, his arms windmilling as he ambles backwards for a second, and he tries to collect himself quickly as he can.)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ: ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ, ʏᴏᴜ ɪᴅɪᴏᴛ

(This isn't Eddie's first rodeo with a monster that had a palate for children. The only difference was this monster was a monster Eddie could solve. He should have known better than to believe an adult would ever really help him. That was dumb of him, but he couldn't help it now. He was stuck in this room with a table full of the best food he's ever smelled, and a thing that looked like it was just waiting. Eddie was motionless. He hadn't even moved to the door to see if it was unlocked. He wasn't a moron. He knew it was locked. He didn't need to try opening it.

He didn't know if he felt angrier or more afraid. Angry at the woman who had convinced him with that plastic smile to try out something that had sounded straight from a kid's book. Maybe that's where she had gotten him. Most adults didn't bother with the fairy tale bullshit at his age. They either goo-goo-gaed at him like he was still a toddler, or they told him to buck the fuck up and get out of his own head. Even when Mr. Keene had propped him up in his office, his "help" had come with a twist. And so had this woman's. Eddie's fists were trembling at his sides, his right arm in a fresh cast, still a little sore, but all the same, he quivered with his rage. And now this.

His eyes cut to whoever's in the room with him and, regardless of their age, he gives a hard shake of his head.)

Don't even think about eating that. That son of a bitch is gonna wake up and come straight for me. Guarantee it. (Proof? Eddie points up at the violent depictions painted across the walls. Kiddos. In every one of them. He didn't care how hungry he got- he wouldn't eat that food.

At least ...he really hoped he wouldn't. Each time he looked at it, it was a little harder to look away. It was almost as bad as...as...)


ooc | Eddie's content warning is worth a look if you're not familiar with his canon. Warnings will be applied when necessary, but in general interacting with him can be challenging for a variety of reasons that everyone might not feel comfortable with. If you want to plot anything/etc you can shoot me a PM.

3

[knifefling]

I'm not going to eat it!

[ Normally, Chilchack wasn't quite as on edge, but this atmosphere -- and being not twenty feet away from a monster with long claws and a longer reach that looked more than capable of taking on a halfling all by its lonesome was making him nervous.

All the same, he felt an ache in the back of his stomach, familiar by now. How long had it been since he'd last eaten...? ]

Look at this place... I doubt that monster painted all of these. Whoever did must have had some kind of creepy relationship with it.

[ He produced a small bundle from his clothes -- a set of silvery lockpicks. ]

Alright, let me at this thing.

Majima Goro | Yakuza 0

[hannya]

I.

[It never takes too long for Majima to pick up on a tail anymore. It's rare for them to be so ballsy, especially in broad daylight, but maybe that was normal in this freakshow of a town. All the roads are so flat and straight; so few winding side streets and alleys that it's a wonder more people don't live with endless suspicion that they're being followed.

When he turns on his heel, shoulders squared and jaw set, Majima wishes his assumption had been right. No, this isn't really a tail, or at least the kind he's used to. Shock rattles him with how much the--mannequin? doll?-- thing clashes with the tidy red brick and green pine surroundings, and once that passes, the truly grotesque nature of it settles in. The pulsing in its torso, as much as it makes him feel ill, is hard to tear his eye from. Were those organs, or something else? Majima curses at himself for taking a step back subconsciously. He glances about for anyone else on the street, but any natives keep their heads ducked down and walk by quickly.

Only once he sees that do the soft sounds verging on cries take a new shape for him. Whether it was Kamurocho or Sotenbori, people treated beggars much the same. If this is a dream-- which it still has to be-- is that what she is? Some poor drunk down on his luck, an older hostess, spent and thrown out like champagne bottles? And if so, when the hell did he get so creative?

It's pathetic, really, and that indecision between disgust and pity roots him to the spot.]

II. WILDCARD

[choose your own adventure!!]

i

[hating]

[ watching over the pathetic things really makes morgana feel... nostalgic, in some way. making sure they are shepherded to people and find some kind of solace makes her feel... strange, but not unpleasant. she isn't tailing the mannequin, but she keeps a distant. her sweet, soft voice that rolls out slowly and evenly could easily be swept away by the breeze, but she's present and speaking, all the same. simply put, watching the man freeze in all his complicated emotions was, in a word, ...unacceptable to her. ]

It's rancid, isn't it? The poor thing. Crawling about on the ground in search of love and warmth, anything to save it from the cold darkness of crushing abandonment.

[ her hood is drawn, her arms and face are hidden, but she has the sort of voice that enchants you. draws you in. she wants him to listen, in any case. for all the mystery about her appearance, the hooded girl shows herself to him in the distance, decrying the creature.

there is dust on her torn clothing. ]

Which is it you'll indulge? Disgust? Pity? Or perhaps fear. It's unnatural, I know - this thing that lacks limbs and can only shamble toward what it believes will release it. But the question is... will you?

sekreuz trenkel navarus | crepuscule

[subordinacy]

don't leave me alone

[Well, this is awkward.

Setz is a deer caught in headlights; the request could've come from anyone, anything, and he'd react the same way. (Physical affection is, uh, not something people generally ask of him, or something he's used to at all.) The one thing stopping him from ignoring the mannequin entirely, beyond the fact that it's likely a bad idea to turn one's back on unknown creatures, is—well, for a moment, it uncomfortably reminds him of someone.

Though regardless, there seems to be another issue at hand. Namely, despite the current lack of rain, he's... holding an umbrella? Rather carefully at that, as if he's afraid to move out from under its shade.]

I—I can't...

[... really do much of anything when his hands are full, though his voice trails off uncertainly.

He'll be shooting anyone nearby a look, because help?]

don't eat the food

[Holding his umbrella with one hand (still not raining, don't question it) and the bag with his other, as Betty rushes away, Setz turns to the other party. His expression and tone flat, he speaks.]

... Well, as appealing as finding a way out is, that was suspicious. Think we should listen...?

wildcard

[Hit me up with whatever!]

don't leave me alone :/

[grano]

[ jacopo stares. there's a blink, and he rubs his eyes before they narrow with scrutiny.

"please hold me", it begs. he cringes. it has little to do with the thing's appearance, and moreso of its request. his gaze meets setz' uncomfortably before he folds his arms, brows furrowing. ]

...It could very well be a ploy. A setup to lure us in.

[ the god forsaken mannequin is still pleading, and jacopo can do little more than uncomfortable look on over to the side. ]

I...Just...silence already!

[ and then uh, there's a boy who appears to be...immobile? ]

What? What is it?

elliot richards | original

[despising]

don't leave me alone

[ Elliot has dealt with a lot of... odd situations in his life. Being followed by a sentient possessed sad mannequin, it doesn't really even hit the top ten. At first he has to wonder if he's dreaming - he's tired and hungry and while those were usually things that alerted him to whether or not he was dreaming, his dreams have become more and more vivid.

He stares at the thing that had decided to follow him in hopes of mercy. Sure, he's seen this before - a monster that thinks Elliot would be an easy snack if it played the victim. Near black eyes watch the pitiful sight for a moment before he lets out a sigh.

Ezra has ruined him.

Monsters aren't always monsters.

After reaching into his pocket to retrieve and light a cigarette, he mumbles an agreement to the thing as an exhale of smoke, too tired to really argue. What are self-preservation skills, can he eat them? Seriously, he's hungry.

So he does, moving closer to it before kneeling to embrace it. He's equally surprised and annoyed at himself for being surprised when ... well, she turns into a mess of dust and crows. One of which decides Elliot wants to be shouted at.

He seems to be having one of those days, the ones where he might as well let the weird shit happen because he stays there sat on the ground with a loud raven perched on his shoulder shouting at him whilst he has a smoke. ]

wildcard

[ Here's a guy... well, he looks more like a teenager - certainly doesn't look old enough to be covered in the tattoos that pepper his skin. Really, he's kind of a visual experience - neon plaid shirt, tattoos and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Not to mention the bags under his eyes that could put Gucci to shame. The most interesting thing is perhaps how he asks someone the time, before bumping into someone else.

Oh, hello, hi there. Elliot's dark eyes flicker over features his tired mind isn't really caring too much to save for later. ] My bad, mate. Have you got the time? [ Yes, yes he did just ask someone else and get an answer just a few seconds earlier. But this is important, okay. ]

wildcard #2

[ Or feel free to create your own adventure! I can be found at susrien ]

don't leave me alone

[passives]

( there were weirder things that would happen at their school, and weirdly masked ladies and talking mannequins, while creepy, weren't the most mystical thing he had ever seen happen. still, that doesn't make him any less put off when he hears her begging, wanting to be held. it's not something he can relate to.

still, if only to get her to shut up, kit had already lifted her into his arms and pulled her close, embracing her in the way she wanted. the crows had formed then, one landing on his shoulder and refusing to leave no matter how many times he tried to brush it away. eventually, and wish an unimpressed noise, he left it there and let it do as it wanted to. apparently that was just to stick by him constantly.

apparently elliot had done the same thing, as kit found him in a similar situation after some very aimless wandering around. strange lands? cool. feeling like he wants to wake up but can't? even better. who needs to wake up when you can go around some mystical world where mannequins turn into crows when they're hugged? )

Didn't know you had a mannequin kink. ( not like he could talk, though. ) You learn something new every day.

Randall Flagg | The Dark Tower

[shooktheworld]

[1 - Don't Leave Me Alone]

Kid, you seem to speak English, so I'm not sure how much clearer I can put this: no. Non. Nein. Ne. Net.

[He steps back, feeling a brief pain coming from inside of him, before he shakes it off and turns back to the...whatever it was.]

Did any of those register? I'm not the sort of guy who hugs on command, ya dig?

[And then it started cry. Oh dear. He wasn't too concerned about any of that - and was about to pull out the old 'I'll give ya something to cry about' card - until pain seized him again.

Teeth bared, eyes full of rage, he turned towards and unfortunate person who happened to be in the vicinity.]

[2 - Don't Look Back]

[Flagg strolled down the path, seeming utterly unconcerned with the warning that was given. Alright, don't look back, that was a simple enough instruction. No reason not to follow it.

Did people really have trouble with that? Given the unfortunate fellow he'd found a while back who seemed to be sprouting mushrooms from every inch of his body, he guessed that they did. Humans were strange creatures, so easy to tempt into their own destruction.

Hands in his pockets, he was whistling as he walked: a song that some might recognize as Hey Jude. All in all he seemed eerily casual given the situation, but perhaps it may be comforting to have a travelling companion who wasn't frightened.]

[3 - Wildcard 1]

Ah. Of course it's fucking Maine.

[Looking at a copy of the town map, he shook his head and sighed. Of course. He was starting to wonder why anyone bothered living in Maine at all.]

[4 - Wildcard 2]

[Your choice! Anything goes or you can hit me up at dandymott for plotting!]

I mean.......what other choice was there. [3]

[clussy]

God, you're telling me.

(Normally Eddie didn't make a habit of talking to adults, but this guy had hit the nail right on the head. Maine was a bottomless pit of horrible things and Eddie would take that sentiment to his grave. Literally.

The town map Eddie had gotten was folded up and shoved into a back pocket. He didn't really need it after looking over it briefly, already pretty positive he knew where everything was.)

Looks like the map's kinda messed up though. The one of Maine, I mean. I don't see my town anywhere on it. (Then again, the map also looked damaged to hell and back, covered in tape, old scratch marks, and maybe was even water stained.)

Richie Tozier | It

[trashthetrashmouth]

[A: Don't Leave Me Alone]

[No way Richie is touching that thing. He does feel bad for it, however. Enough to tell it he's sorry. Sure enough, now he's transformed into a hideous monster. Enough to be recognizable at this point. He hobbles down the sidewalk, unsure of how to handle the situation of having people run away from him rather than at him. It's hurtful as is everything else in his body.

He could use some sympathy. Maybe someone can come along and help him get back to normal, or maybe they can at least show him an ounce of sympathy.]


[B: Don't Look Back]

[Richie has been becoming more savvy of this creepy shithole. If something's wrong, you better believe it's legitimately wrong and not just a prank or anything. But there's something about the signs in this trail that appeal to his curiosity. While he holds back for a long time, eventually once he's made his way deep in the woods, he turns back to see if anything's following him. Then the fun part starts.

Now he's standing and comatose, unable to move or react to anything. Something—anything—could help him snap out of it. He begs in his mind, but as anyone can see, no one can hear him.]

[D: Wildcard]

[for all of your not-on-the-list needs! lunayoshi]

A

[knifefling]

[ Chilchack's first response to seeing a flippin' monster coming down the walk towards him (what was it with these stone paths? How were they so uniform?) was to draw his knife.

Not that it'd do him much good in this situation. Though he didn't introduce himself for obvious reasons, his expression and the way he was instantly looking around, trying to identify the quickest, cleanest way out of the area pretty much said it all for him. ]

Oh, crap.

Eleven | Stranger Things

[experiment011]

[B: Don't Look Back]

[Eleven has believed the signs. She has already passed multiple people in a trance and covered in mushrooms. Her first effort to awaken them was fruitless, so she has since stopped trying to help. All she can do at this point is try to make it out alive and conscious.

That is, however, until she comes across your character. They don't seem to be as entranced and overrun with the mushrooms. Maybe there is something she can do this time.

Her first effort is to shake them by the shoulders and see if anything changes. She can escalate her attempts if nothing happens.]

[C: Don't Eat The Food]

[Eleven finds herself unreasonably curious. She does as the Betty suggests and draws a door with the chalk. Once she's inside, the hunger hits her like a ton of bricks. She's not sure why. She'd eaten a mere hour ago.

But it doesn't take long before she spots the strange man at the table. Confident in her ability to protect herself with her powers, she doesn't step away or try to run. However, there's another person in the room with her. She isn't sure she can protect them too if he tries anything.

That food is irresistible. It takes every fiber of her being not to run to it and consume every Eggo waffle spread about the table. She's concerned the man will react hostilely and protectively when it comes to his food. She hopes her companion will do the same.

She hasn't yet tried the door. It seems to be their way out. But she has to ensure the man won't attack either of them before she steps up to it.]

[D: Wildcard]

[up to you! lunayoshi]

Don't Look Back

[clussy]

(Eddie had been pretty good at not looking back. He was good at following trails and having a direction he wanted to go in. He could kind of orient himself in this world. Not perfectly, but he was pretty sure that where he was headed was about southeast.

It had been a tree branch. Something falling behind him that had made Eddie so aware of being alone that it had made him jump and whip his head around. Complete instinct. He'd even thought as his head turned around: Oh, shit. I fucked up.

And he had. He was left standing, his mouth open, shoulders a little slumped, gaze blank.

He's there for...for God knows how long. Just standing, breathing, but frozen in this strange moment.

When he's shaken, Eddie doesn't wake up just yet. But some life cracks its way through him, and he gives this weak little moan, like some part inside of him was trying to claw its way out and make it known: try harder.)

Henry | Fire Emblem: Awakening

[morbide]

DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE

["Please, I beg of you." After hearing such a pitiful tale, Henry's already rocking onto the balls of his feet in motion when he notices that he has company. He rocks back onto his heels and delivers an inquisitive note on the exhale of his breath, an easygoing smile pulling his lips.]

Oh. Are you gonna give the poor little girl a hug? [He turns back to the brittle mannequin for a moment.] She suuuure seems desperate, crawling around like that just to ask to be held. I don't think she could hold on for much longer!

[Henry tucks his arms behind his back and tilts his head expectantly, leaving the first move up to whoever has chanced upon this scene.]

So? What will it be...?

DON'T LOOK BACK

[Well, if he's not supposed to look back, there must be a good reason. Henry's not one to disobey explicit orders, but the mushrooms and the petrified figures of those less obedient aren't off limits.

With grabby hands, Henry approaches the statuesque form of a long-gone traveler riddled in mushrooms.]

Ooooh. Pretty neat! But... [He goes for their mouth and plucks a mushroom by the stem out from between their teeth, examining it between his fingers.] Yep. No hope for this one. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's too bad they're probably already dead, ahaha.

[When he notices the sound of someone approaching from behind, it's only the recollection of the sign that keeps him from turning on his heel to greet them. Instead, he calls out to them without looking.]

Hey, hey. Do you wanna end up like this fungal fellow? It'll be a simple curse, for sure. I'm thinking it'd be a good look for you! [He laughs again.] Just kidding. Still, it would've been nice to practice...

WILDCARD

[Feel free to set your character in a unique scenario. Alternatively, shoot me a PM if you'd like to.]

don't look back

[hating]

[ she takes in the sight of this boy curiously poking and prodding at the fungus ridden corpse with an expression most similar to... displeasure, the hooded girl supposes it. her upper lip is pulled back, curled perhaps in a display of her mood. or maybe it is just the way her face is now; sour. ]

What a macabre show you put on, inspecting the dead like they're but toys for you to fiddle with. I can only hope the poor fool's soul has long past.

Sha Gojyo | Saiyuki (Open to all)

[kappastrophe]

Don't Look Back

[Gojyo had seen some pretty weird and terrifying shit in his day, but this place made his top ten. Maybe even his top three. He'd never been one to follow the rules for the sake of it, but he had a pretty strange feeling about the figures he could see in front of him. They were dead, or at least he hoped they were. No one deserved to go like that, and he didn't plan to be one of the dead ones.

He pressed a cigarette between his lips, fishing for the lighter he kept in his pocket.]

Don't look back. Oookay.

[He lit his cigarette and let the lighter slide back into the fabric of his pocket. After a deep inhale he closed his eyes, exhaled and walked forward.

Easy enough, right?

It took a few steps for him to realize how soft he'd gotten. There were sounds, and he was used to having the freedom to turn around and look at them. To look for whatever might be incoming danger. He'd survived on his own for years, on streets where he knew damn well turning to look for a scream or the clatter of metal against brick could be the difference between life and death.

But years of having someone around -- in his home, while traveling, on missions -- it'd made him soft. That instinct was there, but it was slow and lazy. It was hard to keep his eyes forward when he was the only one on this road. When he knew now that danger was around him, when he knew that eyes were pressing against his back, sending cold sweat down his neck.

It was tempting to turn around and look. So tempting.]

o/

[despising]

[ It might be tempting to turn around, and the sounds he's hearing might be wigging him out just a little bit - can he summon Shakujō here? - but one sound that is probably a little less alarming is the South African kid who looks like he can't be much older than Goku if that falling almost in stride with him. ]

Can I borrow a light? [ Okay, so maybe he's not a kid, because he definitely means for that cigarette he's got. Also since when did kids have that many tattoos? Looks have been more deceiving before though, right?

It's not like he actually needed a light, he has his own somewhere in his pocket, but something about this path is also giving him vibes and he figures that company might dissuade anything from attacking him or this guy. ]

Son Goku | Gensoumaden Saiyuki | OTA

[glutton_monkey]

--DON'T EAT THE FOOD--

[To say that thinking deeply about things that could have very serious consequences was one of Goku's fortes would be a straight up lie. In fact, he could probably be crowned the King of Not Thinking. Especially when left completely on his own, without anyone to look out for him and advise against his own poor judgments... And he'd really never been left alone for too long, if memory served.

So he'd drawn the square that the nice lady had told him to, and found himself in the room that she'd told him about, and then holy shit he was so damn hungry. Maybe even hungrier than he normally was, making his stomach growl, loud and plaintive, into the room. And wow did that spread look incredible: pork buns, entire roasted chickens, chow mein and fried rice and wontons and curry and--

Goku didn't think. Didn't even realize there was anybody else in the room at all. Forgot all about the lady's instructions. He launched himself on the table and was immediately digging in with all the gusto he had in him, making the most joyful sounds in the world between every mouthful. He didn't even notice the Pale Man at the end of the table stirring to life.

And if anyone was trying to speak to him, well... They were going to have to try a lot harder.]

[limped]

[ Newt was hungry too, sure, maybe not like Goku's bottomless pit of a stomach making up for how many years of being locked in a cave? But he'd gone a week without food before waking up here and then immediately being told to draw the square go through the thing, don't eat the food.

So when someone who doesn't look much older than him comes out of no-where and decides that dinner is served despite the very creepy creature stirring at the head of the table - well... Newt's first reaction is to make a noise that sounds a little bit like "Eugh" because ew, what the hell is that? That's certainly not a Crank but it sure as hell is just as ugly. His next reaction is a bit more though out.

He stumbles forward, legs glued to the floor for a second in horror at what he was seeing, before his hands are both curling into Goku's shirt to try to tug him away from the food. ] Now's not the time for food. [ Which his own stomach certainly certainly disagrees, but seeing that thing well, fight or flight is telling it to shut up. ]

magdy jackson ( original )

[unsense]

( you've arrived; )

[ the first thing magdy notices when he wakes is not the unfamiliar ceiling, or the too-firm mattress — it's the soft music, playing from somewhere else in the house. his brows furrow sharply, eyes still closed as he breathes in a slow, deep breath through his nose, and arches his lower back a little in a miserable attempt of a stretch. there's a list of things he can tell, without even opening his eyes, that aren't right. the bed, for one — not the memory foam he's used to, and not familiar like elliot's or grant's or even levy's would be. the faint smell of beeswax is non-existent, which would be fine if he were in a familiar bed, because his friends don't live the way he does (which is to say, their houses are not littered with blocks of colorful wax or half-rolled tubes of acrylic paint or cups filled with murky water and dirty paintbrushes in places they probably shouldn't be), so he wouldn't expect to find the faintly sweet smell of honey in the air.

but this isn't his bed. it isn't elliot's and it isn't grant's an it isn't levy's, and the chances of him actually sleeping in kit's bed are so slim that he doesn't even spare a second to entertain the idea. magdy opens his eyes. not his ceiling (because who the fuck still has popcorn ceilings anymore?). something small blooms in the middle of his chest, familiar, like the anxiety he hasn't been able to shake for years waking back up, now that he's awake, too. it's familiar, which means he ignores it in favor for the unfamiliar.

like the quiet song playing in another room. it's not a song on any of his dozens of playlists (and he can name every song on his beaten up, second generation ipod better than he can name any ten egyptian pharaohs, which his mother would probably scold him for if she hadn't decided, years and years ago, to hate him for other reasons instead). it's not anything he recognizes, either, which isn't exactly strange, but it's enough, when paired with everything else so far, to get him out of bed.

the first thing he realizes, upon sitting up, is that he doesn't really remember falling asleep. again, nothing too unusual, as sleep tends to creep up on him and clobber him into unconsciousness after he's avoided it for too long. what is unusual, is that he's not covered in sweat like he typically is when he wakes up from a predictably restless, nightmare-saturated sleep. he remembers dreaming, vaguely, about a forest, foreign voices, but it's all kind of blurry in his head. incredibly different from the images that usually plague him, and if he's honest, he's not sure how he feels about it. he'll wonder about it later, but for now—

magdy stands, smoothing out his jacket — deep red, the same one he remembers he'd been wearing the day (?) before — and slides two fingers under the edge of his glasses to rub at one of his eyes before straightening the frame out and sliding them a bit higher up the bridge of his nose. the music continues to play. magdy briefly recalls someone ( who? when? has he already been awake once before now? ) telling him that he's still sleeping, somewhere else, but he's not sure if he dreamed that, too. ]

Bloody losing it...

[ he murmurs to himself under his breath, patting the upper front panel of his jacket, feeling for his phone. still there. he checks his front pocket for his wallet next, slides it out, and flips it open. everything — two credit cards, a business card with a non-existent company and a phone number stamped across the front of it, colourful bills totaling 2500 rand, a fake ID belonging to someone named Fananaye Malan, who looks nothing like him, and his actual ID, tucked into a thin sleeve that, at a first glace, does not appear to be a sleeve at all, but simply where the stitching of the leather meets — is still intact. magdy pushes his wallet back into his pocket, and checks the opposite one for his keys — missing. okay. not great, but no reason to panic just yet. he breathes out, drags his left hand down over the lower half of his face, and decides he needs to get the hell out of whoever's house this is, and figure everything out from there.

it takes him less than a minute to find his way down the stairs and out the front door, closing it quietly behind him so he doesn't alert anyone who might still be inside to his departure. the little ball of anxiety in his chest swells a little at the same time that he turns around and realizes that he recognises absolutely nothing. not the front yard, not the street, not even the smell of the air.

magdy immediately pulls out his phone, thumbing the power button on the side to wake up the screen as he takes a couple steps down the stone stairs at the end of the sidewalk, his boots quiet against the cement. he opens up his maps app, but it never gets past the spinning loading icon, so he closes it out, and lifts his phone halfway to his mouth instead, his eyes scanning the street. ]

Hey Bixby, [ his phone pings in acknowledgement ] call E—

[ but magdy stops short, lowering his phone and instead, lifting his other arm in a half-wave at someone (you, perhaps?) on the other side of the street. ]

Hey. Hey, s'cuse me. [ he's already moving to cross the street so he won't have to shout, stepping around a car parked by the curb. he slides his phone into his pocket, suddenly tilts his head down for a second or two as he deliberates on whether or not he wants to hide his appearance through other means, and then decides against it and lifts his head, continuing across the street. he smiles, small and polite and with a little bit of teeth, as anyone might when politely greeting a stranger. ] Sorry, I was just— I was trying to book a taxi for later [ no, he wasn't ] but I can't remember the name of the street so I can tell them where to come and pick me up. D'you...?

[ he raises his brows a little, silently asking for a hand. realistically, he's just trying to find out where he is without making it incredibly obvious that he's completely lost and a little unsettled. ]

( don't leave; )

[ magdy jackson is naturally paranoid. if he's honest, being followed is probably top five in his list of Things He Is Constantly Concerned About. top ten, at the very least, but his paranoia is something he keeps to himself. it's not often manifested in ways that make it obvious to others — at least, not to anyone who doesn't know him well enough to know what to look for and recognise the signs —, but almost anyone would turn around at the sound of something clicking close behind them, right? magdy resists the urge for as long as he can, but eventually, paranoia and curiosity meld together and, metaphorically, twist his arm. physically, they twist his body, and magdy turns easily on his heel, keeping his forward (which is now, technically backwards) momentum going as he takes a couple more backward steps before he finds himself slowing to a stop. ]

Jesus...

[ there's something on the ground. someone, possibly, but he's not entirely sure. magdy takes another careful step back, balancing his weight between both of his feet as he slowly takes his hands out of his jacket pockets.

and then it — a girl, he thinks it's a girl — speaks. she asks him to hold her, begs him, and magdy's lips part slightly as she sits up. honestly, it's not the girl that unsettles him. he's seen stranger, more gruesome, more haunting things in his twenty-five years. it's the fact that he's not sure if he's hallucinating her that bothers him. it wouldn't be the first time he's seen things that aren't there, but typically it's because he's gone too many days without sleeping and his blood is thin with too much alcohol or too many drugs, but this... this doesn't really feel like that. he's never hallucinated something like this before.

magdy doesn't say anything to her, despite her pleas. instead, he reaches up and slides his glasses off of his face, the movement slow, almost tired. he rubs at both of his eyes, blinks a couple times, and then slides the simple black frames in front of his eyes.

she's still there, and so is his uncertainty, so he takes a second to look around. maybe get a second opinion. ah, yes, there. ]

Oi. Yeah, heya. Can you— are you... seeing this as well? Her. [ he presses his lips together, gesturing vaguely in the mannequin's direction with his left hand. ]

( b. later; )

[ there's a raven waiting outside of a coffee shop, pecking insistently at the lower pane of glass in the front door, something shiny rattling in it's beak. it flaps its wings impatiently, pacing back and forth while never taking its beady little eyes off of something (or maybe someone) inside.

that someone is waiting at the far end of the counter for his name to be called so he can collect his coffee and go, his attention held by something on his phone. maybe he knows about the bird outside and he's purposely ignoring it, or maybe he doesn't have a clue.

you could open the door and find out, though letting a large bird into a small shop may or may not be a terrible idea. ]

( wild card; )

[ anything your heart desires. as a sidenote, magdy is able to manipulate the five senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch) to varying degrees, but i don't see that coming up here at the moment. if it does, i'll be sure to reach out before proceeding with anything re: that! ]

you've arrived

[limped]

[ It's not Magdy's fault he doesn't regcognise the boy, not that he even should. Newt doesn't have the tattoos, the wild hair, the bright clothes. He's not a ghost. He doesn't have clothes that look a little too nice, or a little too covered in paint. It also doesn't help that he's looking down at the phone he'd acquired. He's never had anything like it, at least that he can remember. It's mostly a mystery to him still. He keeps accidentally hitting the wrong thing but he's slowly getting used to it.

The voice is unfamiliar to him, and he doesn't really register it, until he realises that he's being spoken to. Oh. Newt looks up at him quizzically like he's the one that's been asking questions instead. The blond wets his lips before speaking, and when he does, it's a drastic change to the accent that Elliot would have. He sounds more like Grant - but there's no recognition on his face, and he's not dead. ] Not sure, sorry. [ A taxi. It's horribly different than anything he's seen out in the Scorch, he wouldn't be surprised to see taxis zooming by.

His hands fiddle with the phone, curling it back around his wrist to free his hands so they can grip at the straps of his backpack. He doesn't trust this place or the people in it; how can he after Wicked, after all the shit he saw in the Scorch. ] Might be street-signs around. [ He can recall seeing them in his travels through the Scorch. ]

Chilchack | Dungeon Meshi

[knifefling]

DON'T LOOK BACK

[ DON'T LOOK BACK. KEEP LOOKING FORWARD UNTIL THE END.

Chilchack's mouth thinned into a grim line. ]

I should've known.

[ This nice, peaceful trail was way too good to be true, and the fact that he'd allowed himself to slack in his wariness for even a moment, well... he had no one to blame but himself. And maybe his mental fatigue. ]

It might already be too late to go back. Any idea where this trail goes?

DON'T EAT THE FOOD

[ Chilchack looked over his shoulder at the person beside him, then handed them the chalk. ]

You should do this part. I'm not good with magic.

[ Oh, wait. That made it sound like he wasn't going to pull his weight, though... ]

I'm not hanging you out to dry, though. If there's any traps inside, you can leave them to me. That goes for locks, too.

Don't Look back

[beyourzoomer]

[She wishes she hadn't had the bright idea to go out exploring, but she's still not convinced this isn't all some weird ass dream. She's not sure even her mind could come up with the amount of weird that exists here, though. She casts a wary sideways glance at the guy who'd just spoken.

Max arches her eyebrows.]

Why would I know that?

Pidge Holt | Voltron LD | OTA

[pidge_out]

--don't look back--

[Generally speaking, Pidge is definitely not a fan of being outdoors. If there was an option to stay inside, at a desk, staring at a monitor and tapping furiously away at a keyboard, that's the one Pidge would go with. But in order to get back to doing just that, there was a long path lined with mushrooms to get through first.

The signs weren't at all hard to miss. The warning read loud and clear; Pidge would've had to be a complete moron to misunderstand them. But the trouble with being the Green Paladin of Voltron - and one of the smartest members of the team, to boot - was that it meant Pidge was highly curious about a lot of things. So...

What would happen if I did look back?

Enough time had passed on the trail that surely Pidge was almost out and safe. Right? If something was going to jump out, or give chase, or try to attack, then it wouldn't be too difficult to run the rest of the way until Pidge was clear of the mushroom-lined pathway and out in the open, where it would be easier to get help or take it down or whatever. No problem.

And so Pidge decided that it was worth just taking a quick peek backward. Just the barest turn of the head and a dart of the eye. Just enough to quench the gnawing curiosity deep in the paladin's gut.

But that's all it took. Immediately Pidge is caught in the daze, eyes glazing over behind the round glasses, jaw dropping open as though in awe. And then Pidge seemed to become little more than a terribly life-like statue.]

8|

[shiro2hero]

[It feels like he's been walking for miles. Miles with no sense of direction or if they're actually going anywhere. Actually getting anywhere. The sense of being watched is ever-present.]

[So he's almost relieved when he spots a familiar figure.]

Pidge!

[Of course he's going to jog forward, to her position. Relief all over his face. For now.]

will byers | stranger things

[deadboywalking]

i. don't leave me

[On the one hand that is...deeply concerning on several levels. Will is already disoriented and confused himself, in a hospital gown and barefoot, with the last thing he remembers being tied to a chair, something in his head --

-- but maybe that's why he feels more compassionate, more sorry for the person. Thing. Monster? No, not a monster, it doesn't feel malevolent or vicious like a monster would.

Just...sad.

Still, he's hesitant, turning and trying to catch someone's eye, beseechingly. He needs an adult here, damn it.]

ii. don't look back

[Maybe it's because Will is still a kid, young enough to be more familiar with stories and fairy tales, but it's not hard at all for him to resist looking back. He's played enough rounds of D&D to know that if a mysterious sign/stranger/etc. tells you not to do a thing you don't do the thing.

Clearly he's one of the only few who gets that. He'll keep walking forward, hands up on either side of his face to make sure he doesn't even catch a glimpse of the mushrooms. If he comes across anyone else, he'll clear his throat, meaningfully, gesturing that they should do likewise.

Of course, if they don't move, then he'll have to look upwards and see if they're already a mushroom monster.]

iii. wildcard

[Have another idea? Go for it!]

because i'm extra and want more - don't leave me

[clussy]

(Instead of an adult, Will just gets one Eddie Kaspbrak who looks like anxiety personified right about now. He's got his inhaler clutched in a white-knuckled fist against his chest, and he looks like he's about to faint on the spot.

The thing is obviously sad, yeah, but Eddie also has seen this kind of shit before. The leper hadn't been sad, but it had been desperate, begging. Eddie takes a quick hit off his inhaler, breathing it in deep, holding, holding: exhale.

When Will catches his eye, Eddie just shakes his head viciously back and forth.)

Oh, fuck no. No way. No way three ways to next Tuesday, no.