modmachine: (Default)
Hᴇx - ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴅ ᴍᴀᴄʜɪɴᴇ ([personal profile] modmachine) wrote in [community profile] cityofhex2016-10-29 08:29 pm

WEEK 01

Somewhere, a gear slips.

It's sunset on Halloween night; a night of celebration for the dead and the once-dead, a night of wariness for those bound closely to the spirits. Everything seems to move more freely on this night; the sensation of boundaries crossed is almost palpable.

A handful of those native to the city will certainly feel such. Between one step and the next, there's a feeling of pushing against something, something you didn't know was there before - and it gives. Physically, nothing changes, but you now know something is wrong, as though waking from a dream. Something has slipped, and you remember. Hajime will feel the sensation most keenly, as the things he recalls lack the sharp details of a demon's memory.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Sixth, the New Arrivals all also find themselves taking steps - the first thing the group will become aware of in the city is being shoved out the door of what seems to be some kind of broken down factory. The alley they step into is wide enough to get a truck through, but shows little sign of human habitation; only a cardboard box, half-dissolved by rain, and a few bits of stray glass from broken bottles can be seen. Their phones and any other communication devices they possess all beep loudly, once, after the door slams shut.

Except... What door? When they next blink, while there's still a vaguely door-like outline, the concrete wall has changed; where the door was, there's a metal sheet, machined with faint circular patterns, seamlessly integrated with the concrete. Banging a fist on it produces a solid sound, as though the metal was at least an inch thick. Though there is a feeling of being watched in the alleyway, no one will approach until they leave it, not even a passerby walking the not-quite-yet-dark street at either end. Until they step out of the alley, it's as though they don't exist.

And there's a good amount of foot traffic passing the alleyway by. Though it tends towards people in a college student age bracket and people in a vaguely street punk sort of fashion with odd accessories, neither is an absolute rule by any rule. Following the flow of traffic leads to a run-down park that's mostly skatepark with a few picnic tables and a small greenspace that's been taken over for a dancefloor. The tables are covered in odd junk and there seems to be some trading going on.

Haseo and Ryoji will both have better knowledge of what the place is, and have standing invitations to the party that's starting up as the Sin-Eater trading post winds down.

Elsewhere: On a beach bordering the bay, a group of changelings holds a bonfire. Periodically, someone throws a papercraft skull into it with extreme prejudice; almost all the skulls are inhuman in some way, though the craftmanship of the paper-mache makes it difficult to tell at times. Those in the know have to be aware that such an overt display won't pass unnoticed by the Autumn King... But the tall and built woman who seems to be the center of the festivities shows no fear in the season of fear.

In the Residential District and even a few places in the Sixth, trick-or-treaters are as much a feature as they are every year. Children in costume run about with little concern for who they approach, while their parents maintain appropriate wariness from sidewalks or cars. A small group of children, however, galivants with no supervision - and there is something uncanny about the trio. It's best to give them a treat if they approach you, else you might find yourself the recipient of a cruel trick in return. Unlike the other trick-or-treaters, they're out and about well past midnight; nearly to dawn, in fact. When the sky begins to lighten, however, all three stop immediately in the middle of what they're doing and - with the sound of mad, fey giggling - bolt off in the direction of the farming district.

The prompts from the Test Drive also remain available for interaction.

The rest of the week:

Weather forecast: Though Halloween is a clear night, clouds steadily roll in for most of the rest of the week, hanging overcast in the sky with occasional breaks and sprinkles of rain slotted in. Mornings are foggy and chill, warming slightly in the afternoons but not varying all too much in temperature. Frost has yet to set in, though, making it possible to sleep outside if you have adequate cover, but it won't be very fun.

Moon Phase: The 30th was a New Moon, so Halloween's sky is decorated by a fingernail crescent that grows to almost a half moon throughout the week.

The Clean-Up: After Halloween, of course, everything must slowly go back to normal. Most folks clean up their own messes throughout the first morning of November, but shards of gutted and thrown pumpkins can be found most everywhere, and at the park where the Sin-Eaters partied, a lone Security Officer inspects the aftermath for signs of unusual activity. Aside from the remains of pumpkins, which are mostly left to rot, decorations vanish over the course of the week and all but a few are gone by Thursday morning.

The College: Though enrollment for the fall semester is over, the deadlines for winter are fast approaching, and there are a number of tables set up in a large area to entice prospective students. Most of them are manned by undergraduates, but the English program's table is staffed most of the time by a single Tired Professor with mousy brown hair. Occasionally, the Tech Student at the next table over takes pity on the man, bringing him a hot-chocolate to help warm his fingers.

[Feel free to use this post as a jumping-off point for logs and interactions! You are also welcome to post your own logs to the community as needed. Mods will be available on plurk and discord to answer questions, and can be hailed for exploration logs off this post.]
masterofthewhip: (Oh my lord.)

[personal profile] masterofthewhip 2016-10-31 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
"... Should be?" Richter's not impressed by your attempts at faking sobriety, Ryoji. Especially since the kid seems uncertain about his own safety. Not to mention the boozing... if the police find him, there will be hard questions. "Are you sure you don't need help?"
dangerouslyinlove: (Ryoji [My bad])

[personal profile] dangerouslyinlove 2016-10-31 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Um..." Well, Ryoji should be fine, but having another person around usually wards off vampires and the like. And if this guy is a vampire, Ryoji will at least be aware enough to give his butt. Hopefully. "I mean, I'll be fine, but if you don't mind..." Maybe he can make a friend!
masterofthewhip: (Abso-freakin'-lutely)

[personal profile] masterofthewhip 2016-10-31 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't. Do you live in this district?" Carefully, he helps Ryoji up. His hands are warm - no vampirism here, or if he is a vampire, he's powerful enough to hide it. He's even got a heartbeat, pulsing at the base of his thumbs. "Hex is... dangerous at night. Especially alone." Double especially drunk. Richter's voice has an edge of caution and compassion as he continues. "Where's home for you?"
dangerouslyinlove: (Ryoji [With my scarf])

[personal profile] dangerouslyinlove 2016-11-01 04:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"I live in the dorms, by the college." He'll accept the help, trying to balance as much on his own feet as he can. Just because he's not a vampire doesn't mean he can't be something else. Ryoji doesn't even know what all the boy normal things lurking around are. Luckily he's ok with most of them... unless they mess with things they shouldn't.
masterofthewhip: (Default)

Sorry to give you hard setting questions...

[personal profile] masterofthewhip 2016-11-15 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
Messing with things he by rights should not is kind of Richter's shtick, as a hunter. But he doesn't advertise that, doing so is a sure path to death. Instead, he presents the friendly face of the local veteran, working to give back to the community even more than he already has.

Of course, that doesn't explain what he's doing up at this hour.

Regardless, he gives Ryoji a little space, ready to step in to help the young man if need be. "Which dorm? I'm a little familiar with the area."
dangerouslyinlove: (Ryoji [Whoops])

Re: Sorry to give you hard setting questions...

[personal profile] dangerouslyinlove 2016-11-16 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
No, not really. Ryoji might figure that out when he's not intoxicated.

"Madison," he says, chuckling weakly, "So it's not far. I'm sorry to bother you..." Even though this guy really doesn't have to help.