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soddersays2021-01-11 08:10 pm
sodder) wrote in soddersays2021-01-11 08:10 pm
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January 2021 Plotting Post
JANUARY 2021 EVENT DETAILS AND PLOTTING
Hello! On this post you will be able to find details about the upcoming event and the option to plot in the comments down below. You may also ask questions about the event on this page.
We will be posting the text from the prompts onto this page so you can see in full what your characters will be experiencing this month. We will then post the event live to the log community by the event's start date.
Event Start Date: January 15th
QUICK LINKS:
Event's Prelude: Here.
Event Questions: Here.
Live Event: Here.
Mini Event: Here.
EVENT PROMPTS:
[Event Specific Content Warnings]
[Burnt Out] - Going to the beach no one knew Deerington had except if you've been paying attention to the ocean themes this entire time.
[Ballroom Dream] - Character sleepwalk to a dance together and wake up in weird places.
[Can't You See Me?] - Characters go to their own funeral, become a ghost, maybe get released from it.
PLOTTING FORM: Here.
EVENT PROMPTS
Burnt Out: Time disorientation, drug/alcohol use, unsettling images linked, possible drowning/suffocation, possible attacks from sharks/jellyfish/tentacle monster, forced euphoric state of mind.
Ballroom Dream: Reality distortion, time distortion, technically sleepwalking, unreliable narration/memory, alcohol.
Can't You See Me?: Broke-neck lady gif (in live event only), funeral themes, themes of death and loss, ghosts, varying degrees of bodily injury, possible spoilers per canon, forced sharing of regrets.
PART ONE PROMPTS
BURNT OUT
When This Begins:J̵̨̣̞͔̟̑̄̊̆́ͅa̵͍̭̪̹͙̖̱͓͛̑͌̎̓͒̂̊̎̌n̷̤͓͚̻̬͆̀̅̓͝ȗ̵̮̱̯̰̀͆̃̂̎͘͘͘͠à̸̜̿́̄́͠r̸̡̮̭͚͖̯̞͚̭͎͛̔͛̎̀̓̀̄̔͝y̶̠̞̓͗͋̓̇̄̌̋͋́ ̸̲̼̿̌̊̈͛͝1̵͇̹̭̣̦̋̄̈́̾ͅ5̵̺̱̠̞͎̰̘̊̎̃̌͜͜ţ̶͔͙̣̺̆͛̿̉͒̃̌̕͜͝h̶̢̯̟̗̳͖̤̥̋̿̿̀́̕͝
When This Ends: End of January
Location: ???? Beach
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TIME/DATES: Characters will not be able to keep track of the time/dates during these prompts. This prompt is meant to create a sense of disorientation for characters and they won't be able to feel the difference between one hour or five days, etc. You can lean into this casually or intense. There may also be spots in their memory of how they got from one place to the next and what happened between those moments.
You might have noticed that there was no specific location listed on the party events that were waiting for you in your room. Where is this party happening, exactly? It says it starts on the 15th, but you might start to notice the sound of partying happening well before that or well after that. Time starts to become a bit of a blur and it's easy for the days and nights to bleed together, especially since the view out of your hotel room isn't exactly consistent with what you should be seeing. The only real option is to get dressed up in your party outfit and figure out where this party is happening, obviously.
And boy, is exploring this hotel a trip.
The hallways stretch out for miles or maybe abruptly end in a brick wall. The alignment of rooms and doorways are inconsistent and seem to move whenever you look away. You might walk by open hotel doors where you see glimpses of some deeply concerning, weird stuff before the door snaps shut in your face and the lock clicks closed.
Right...Party. That's what this is about. Party! Forget the weird stuff! It's just Deerington's bullshit!
It looks like the hotel will take you to where you want to go depending on your intentions. Either way, you'll head in the direction of the ballroom...but it doesn't take you to a ballroom.
It takes you to a beach. Since when did Deerington have a beach? You don't remember exactly how you get there. You don't remember walking outside. You don't remember opening a door. One moment you're just walking to the ballroom and next you're walking on warm sand on a hot beach with the perfect blue sky and a crisp, gorgeous ocean.
The funny thing is it never occurs to anyone what's beyond the beach. Where this beach is. While in this prompt, characters will forget any desire to figure out where they are. They just...simply accept it. For now, anyway.
During the day you will find the beach buzzing with activity. People swimming out in the ocean, people laying on beach towels and catching some rays. There are volleyball nets set up with some intense games going on. There is a small boardwalk along the edge of the beach where you can buy just about anything you would want at the beach: ice cream, bathing suits, sunblock, beach towels, beach balls, umbrellas, hot dogs, pretzels, tents, sandals. You can even purchase surfboards and bodyboards. You can also find some bathrooms and courtesy changing booths.
While you're enjoying the rays it might be easy to forget that you're still in Deerington and should probably be a little cautious.
Most spots on the beach are completely safe, but there are a few places where you'll discover the normal sand turns to quicksand. And since you are at the ocean that means some stellar waves to surf on...or drown under if you aren't a strong enough swimmer. There don't seem to be any lifeguards around either so you'll have to rely on the heroics of your fellow Sleepers if you get caught in the tide and pulled under.
The further you go out, the more dangerous the water becomes. There are sharks and poisonous jellyfish to worry about, sure, but there is also a very ominous, giant tentacle creature that occasionally whips its tentacles up to grab unsuspecting swimmers and pull them under. If you're lucky, you might be able to escape their grasp or have someone come along to hack away at the tentacle with a blade to get you free. Thankfully that tentacle monster seems to rarely come out, and there's no real fighting the entire thing. It swims away fast whenever it is attacked or threatened and you won't be able to chase it either. Maybe it's better to let some monsters go...A good tell of this monster being around is that the water in the surrounding area will look darker and oily.
But for the most part, the beach is a safe place! The violent incidents are few and far between, and if you keep an eye out for each other, you should be just fine!
Along the beach, you might find some beautiful seashells to collect. Further down the beach where no one is around, you will find a lot of...trash? Ew! Except upon closer inspection, you will realize it isn't exactly trash. It looks like washed-up lost items. You'll find pictures of people, jewelry, maybe even suitcases full of things. Maybe there was a shipwreck...? At first some of the items you find seem completely random and meaningless...But then you start to find things you recoginze. A childhood toy you thought you had lost. Maybe your old wedding ring. A family picture you haven't seen in years. All the items that wash up on the shore should be ordinary, powerless items, but hold some sort of sentimental value. These items can be pulled straight from canon or headcanons - and they don't have to have technically existed. Maybe a character is from a period without photographs, but a picture of their family washes up on the shore anyway.
Might be worth looking through all that junk to find something that means something to you! And who knows, maybe you'll find stuff belonging to your friends or other people you know in Deerington.
During the night you notice a massive wooden structure has been put up of a kissing couple. Music starts to pulse from somewhere (music from the 2000s) and people start to jive and groove to the rhythm of the night. The sky looks beautiful, rich with stars, and the ocean is a roaring backdrop to the party. If you walk out to the wooden structure, the beach becomes more of a desert with solid ground and it's easier to walk about without worrying about getting sand everywhere.
A few tents have been set up where you can get some delicious finger-foods like hamburgers or chicken wings. There's an abundance of alcoholic beverages being mixed up in tents by fellow beach-goers, but you can find normal drinks like water and soda being handed out left and right. There's a very relaxed element to the atmosphere, everyone is unusually friendly and companionable. It's easy to feel relaxed at this festival and you can't really explain Why. It's easy to forget about your problems, your insecurities for a while. Easy to forget about the world you came from. Why not stay in this world? It's so warm and kind.
The same massive wooden structure is burnt multiple times. It takes hours for the structure to burn, and whenever it is first set on fire, the atmosphere of the party begins to change. People get more excited, more eager to dance, and seem to become somewhat hyper and brave. They might feel like they can conquer the world!
It's easy to fall into a euphoric state of mind as the smoke from the Burning Couple rolls into the air. There's a somewhat drug-like effect from the smoke and it doesn't seem to matter if Sleepers are usually resistant to things like that (whether from poison-immunity or a lack of lungs). The smoke doesn't have to impact a character, but it's more likely that it will.
Important Notes:
1. Characters can find bathing suits available at the beach party or come wearing their own.
2. Characters won't remember how they wind up leaving the beach. When a character is ready to leave, they will simply wind up walking back and wind up at the hotel.
3. After leaving the beach, characters might start to wonder where the beach is and what the deal is with it and characters can intentionally go back to the beach to explore but will lose that desire once they arrive back at the beach.
4. Characters can go to the beach multiple times and can stay for multiple days/only a few hours.
PART TWO PROMPTS
THE BALLROOM DREAM
When This Begins:Ĵ̶̡̼̝̬͕͕̟̳͇͆̀̑̇̑́͜ã̴̧͖͕͚̯̽̒̕ṉ̸͗̋́̔̿̍̎̿ų̴̤̪̩̪̱͍̼͉̐̔ą̷͉̭̬̇̾́̈́͂̆͐r̵̞͑͐͂͒̚y̵̛̜̩̩̰̹̟̦͊̈́̒̐ͅ ̸͎̰͇̽͊1̶̡̠̥̣̞̰̐̍̊̓͑̍́̏̕5̶̘̗̬̻͇̱̳͍̯͒́̈́̅̐t̶̡̢̙͎̥̜̝͇̐̉ḩ̴̟̼̃͆̆̾̓̾̐
When This Ends: ??
Location: mooɿ||ɒᙠ |ɘƚoH ʏbɒɿᎮ / Any
It's a song that calls to you. You can hear it playing just out in the hallway. Maybe you're at the Grady Hotel or maybe you avoided going to the hotel...It doesn't seem to matter either way. A beautiful song or a wonderful smell pulls your attention. You don't remember getting dressed into some luxurious outfit that's suddenly in your closet, on your bed. Maybe it had already been there? Maybe you had gotten it the other day.
Whatever this is, you just know you must dress for the occasion, and maybe you even do your face up in intricate make-up. Even if you're not usually one for dressing up - the temptation is strong. You drift dreamily out of your room and into the hall or maybe outside - it doesn't matter to you because to you, you're stepping into an ostentatious ballroom. The floors are sleek white with flecks of real gold. Pillars with an ornate trim line the ballroom, fresh roses carefully wrapped at their bases. Wisteria hangs in clumps around massive chandeliers, twinkling with pale light. Beautiful people in beautiful dresses twirl about, their glee is infectious. You feel happy. You feel excited. Even a shy wallflower might feel brave at this party.
After all, why shouldn't you?
Everyone seems so happy. There are bubbly drunken women tripping over their dresses and instead of being mocked, others help them up, laughing with them. Handsome strangers may ask your hand for a dance. Whoever these people are, they certainly aren't Townsfolk. They're too alive feeling, too real, too kind.
Which should be suspicious. Maybe you even think it's suspicious, but gosh, it's easy to get swept up in the energy of the room. Music plays from a band of traditional instruments at the front. At first, you might think it's all classical music, but you might notice some of the songs they are playing seem to be unique versions of modern music. Occasionally a man or a woman might even come up to sing along with the song. Everything feels like it comes from the same time despite being from wildly different periods or genres. Kind of like Sleepers!
And of course, there's all the food. Lining the ballroom are buffet tables overflowing with mouth-watering food. Roasts with fluffy mashed potatoes, chocolate fondue fountains with plump strawberries and squishy marshmallows, finger appetizers snacks like buffalo tenders or cocktail shrimp. The only thing to drink seems to be a table filled with tall chutes of bubbly, golden liquid that might be champagne. It tastes delicious and is addictive once you have a single sip. It makes everything you taste, touch, hear, smell so much better. The more you have of this mystery drink, the more you might fumble around.
Keep dancing around! Have the night of your life!
For everything good must come to an end.
And so too must this party. So too must this dream. You might be at this party with your best buds, meeting up with other Sleepers, and you'll be having a good time until suddenly you take one step - just one- and you get that plummeting sensation like when you're about to fall asleep and suddenly get the feeling like you've missed a step. Your whole body jolts with the motion and the party is gone before your very eyes.
You "wake up" and you're in the ballroom...Only it looks like a ballroom that's been rotted and abandoned for decades now. The entire ceiling is blown out, the pale moon shining in, snow falling down among the rays of moonlight. You're still in whatever odd outfit you decided to wear to the ballroom, but there's no music, no warmth, no food. Your feet are bare and you realize you have been dancing around completely alone in this room for God knows how long. Even if you were with other Sleepers, they seem to be gone now too, and it's just you.
You have never felt so alone in your entire life.
Was anyone left? Anyone at all? Were you suddenly alone in Deerington? God, please no...
Leave the Grady Hotel and you'll find a dark, quiet town. Empty. Void. No one at all.
Until, of course, you find someone else wandering about who was at the ball themselves. It just might take some time of course. Once you find another Sleeper or two, Deerington will slowly start to fill back up with life. Lights will turn on, people will start to fill the streets. What happened?
Did you really go to that ball? Other Sleepers might have the same memories of it as you do - might remember dancing with you...But what happened?
Oh well. At least you're safe now. Unless, of course, you are unlucky and wake up from your ballroom dream somewhere dangerous...Like the top of a building...But maybe another Sleeper will be around in time to find you before you fall.
Important Notes:
1. Much like with the first prompt, tracking "when" and "where" this exactly happens for characters is extremely difficult.
2. The party seems to last for an indeterminate amount of time. It might feel like you only just showed up or like you have been there for hours.
3. This is meant to be a strange, dreamlike prompt. Characters must find one another in the "abandoned" version of Deerington before Deerington becomes normal once more. This can happen slowly or all at once.
4. Characters may be able to see each other "Dancing" in their sleepwalking state in the middle of the Grady Hotel or somewhere in town and may even be able to wake them up from the Ballroom Dream.
5. This is a way for characters to leave the Grady Hotel if they're currently stuck there. Although this prompt technically "takes place" at the Grady Hotel, anyone may be able to access it regardless of their "current" location.
6. This prompt can technically be experienced multiple times or just once.
CAN'T YOU SEE ME?
When This Begins:Ĵ̶̡̼̝̬͕͕̟̳͇͆̀̑̇̑́͜ã̴̧͖͕͚̯̽̒̕ṉ̸͗̋́̔̿̍̎̿ų̴̤̪̩̪̱͍̼͉̐̔ą̷͉̭̬̇̾́̈́͂̆͐r̵̞͑͐͂͒̚y̵̛̜̩̩̰̹̟̦͊̈́̒̐ͅ ̸͎̰͇̽͊1̶̡̠̥̣̞̰̐̍̊̓͑̍́̏̕5̶̘̗̬̻͇̱̳͍̯͒́̈́̅̐t̶̡̢̙͎̥̜̝͇̐̉ḩ̴̟̼̃͆̆̾̓̾̐
When This Ends: ??
Location: mooɿ||ɒᙠ |ɘƚoH ʏbɒɿᎮ / Any
You don't remember falling asleep this time. You don't remember laying down. You don't remember turning in for the night.
But you wake up to the inside of a coffin. Don't worry: it's not closed, but it still may be unsettling. It's a coffin perfectly suited to you: maybe the lining is pink silk or filled with flowers. You're in an outfit suited to what you would want to be buried in.
You hear people talking. Sit up and you'll find that you're in what appears to be a funeral home. Did Deerington even have a funeral home? You recognize a good amount of people: your family and loved ones. Maybe some of your enemies too.
There may be a memorial for you nearby with details about the kind of life you lead. The pamphlets that were handed out at the beginning of the month are being handed out here.
"What's going on?" You might ask. Might try and say something...Only no one seems to be able to hear you. You get out of the casket without even really remembering and when you look back, you see yourself dead in the coffin. Clean and perfect looking: pressed clothes, neat appearance. You look like you're sleeping.
But look down at yourself and you'll find your body warped in whatever way you might have died - maybe it's how you really die back in your own world, or maybe it's a way that reflects your fears of death, how you might die. Either way: you're a ghost.
And no one seems to be able to hear you or see you. Until, of course, a Sleeper happens to come into the Funeral Home. Visiting Sleepers don't have any memory of arriving at the Funeral Home anymore than Ghosts do. They just know they're arriving for the funeral of someone they maybe were close to, or maybe they're here for emotional support or to work at the funeral home itself.
Either way, that Sleeper can see you.
Or they do eventually. They seem to be able to sense you, hear you even if they don't see you right away. This might tempt Sleepers to talk to Ghost-Sleepers, talk about them like they're a memory instead of right there in front of them. It takes Sleepers a while to truly "see" the ghosts.
The Ghost Sleeper will gradually begin to feel the crushing weight of regrets they might have had in their lives. Things they wish they had done, wish they had said, things they wish they hadn't done or said...Either way, they will start to feel tempted to share those regrets with the Visiting Sleeper.
And once that regret (or regrets) are shared, only then can the Ghost Sleeper be "released" from their death. Their morbid appearance will vanish and instead be replaced with a peaceful looking version of themselves. Both the Visiting and Ghost Sleeper will feel an immense sense of relief...
And then both will wake up back in Deerington - both in the same location. Maybe it's one of their homes or maybe it's the library or some other random location. Either way, they wake up alive and well...But maybe with some things revealed about themselves that they might not have wanted to share. Being honest sucks.
Important Notes:
1. Sleepers do not need to know one another to show up at the funeral.
2. This is another way to "leave" the Grady Hotel. Again, this prompt can be experienced multiple times or just once.
3. It is up to players how horror-centric they would like to make this prompt. You can go for a full "haunting" theme of the Ghost Sleeper tormenting the Visiting Sleeper in some way or you can have a sentimental-only situation.
4. Characters with spiritual abilities will be able to sense the Ghost Sleepers much more quickly / be able to understand what needs to happen in order to "free" them.
5. The Funeral Home does not exist beyond this prompt. It cannot be found intentionally by Sleepers. The Funeral Home can change in appearance to fit a character's canonical funeral experiences / cultural experiences for funerals. Similarly, they do not need to wake up for a coffin if it is not custom for that character's world/background.
PLOTTING FORM
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