deercountry | January Catchall [OPEN]

Entry tags:

January Catchall [OPEN]

Who: Lance (

azurestar) and OPEN
What: Catch-all log for January.
When: All of January
Where: All over Trench.

Content Warnings: alcohol and drug use, risky behavior, symptoms of PTSD and trauma induced hallucinations etc., memory loss, shedding of skin to alter one's body and all the psychological issues that comes with, traumatic memory share, lockjoint, will add more specific warnings as they arise.

SNAKE DEN

i. [Lance frequents the Red practically every night it's said to be hosting the talent and fashion shows. He only gets on the stage when he's in different forms, though. In the second week of the month, he's a catboy thief from a tabletop fantasy game called Monsters and Mana. On stage, as this persona he'll grab a guitar and start singing extremely well and captivatingly as he walks through the audience and uses his tail pick pocket the onlookers. He can also be found chatting people up and lounging in booths with beautiful ladies in this form and letting them pet his ears... yes, he's purring when that happens.

In the middle of the month, he's a bit younger, back to who he was before he went to space at the age of 17, and he'll be getting on stage to show off his acrobatic and dance skills, as well as his musical skills. He'll descend from the ceiling from bolts of fabric around his legs and waist, with his guitar in hand, spinning around slowly and playing with a rose in his teeth. He'll then toss the rose to the prettiest person in the audience an start singing and dancing quite well once he reaches the ground.

Also in the middle of the month, he's a beautiful young woman for a short stint. In this form, he does singing and dance routines, showing off his high notes and also gets in the fashion show, the outfits he gravitates to look like this, this and this. He can also be spotted mingling in the crowd dressed nice and downing champagne flutes and charming everyone.]

ii. [As a paleblood, people will be extra compelled to open up to him and tell him the truth in this space, and in all his shedded forms he's pretty good at active listening if the subject is heavy enough. He may also offer to help ease pain if someone is hurt or emotionally suffering, as that's the paleblood power he has when touching people skin on skin. At first he'll be confused about people just dumping all their truth on him, but eventually he'll start to figure it out and definitely take full advantage with some people he knows or is curious about.

He'll sidle up to anyone who looks interesting or he wants to get to know, and especially to existing friends and go:] Sooo, got anything you wanna get off your chest, maybe?

[It will be easy to mistake him for a working nightwalker, feel free to proposition him for anything.]

iii. [In all his forms detailed above, he'll be available for a private conversation or interaction as even he needs some time to sit and chill out. Often, he'll be laid back in a more private area just strumming on his guitar and casually singing random lyrics that come to mind. Because of his empathic powers, what he's unconsciously singing about may feel specifically tailored to your life, especially if he touched your skin and took some suffering or pain from you no matter how small. If he hasn't touched you recently, then the song may still feel relevant to you and like the notes being played hit you in your soul, but it's not as deeply specific.

Lance doesn't realize he's doing this, he still doesn't have control over his powers and has not figured out how to consciously channel them. When he notices someone's emotional or physical presence, he'll stop playing and look over, brows drawn together.]

Uh hey, looking for something? Maybe someone~?

[He waggles his eyebrows a bit and smirks on that last bit. Could be he means someone else, or himself and is implying you should stay a while and hang out with him. Either way, he's not bothered and oblivious to what he was just doing that got your attention. If you'd like specific lyrics and a musical tone/genre for your character, just describe the emotions/situation they are experiencing that Lance would be singing about in prose and let me know.]

SHEDDING CEREMONY

iv. [Later in the month, Lance sheds into a full AU of himself where he isn't human, but a highly advanced Android that didn't know he was an Android until very recently. Many things in his life are the same, and he remembers Deerington, but through the perspective of an Android Lance with slight differences to his background and certain edits to what he experienced. From his perspective, he's just returned from a big "canon update" where he discovered what he is and is understandably shook.

He can be found overcompensating as he walks through the streets of Trench or enters various venues to shop, shooting finger guns at every person he sees. This is normal, he's normal, he's totally a person and not a thing with no soul. But the mechanism that keeps his head attached to his body is disrupted after he recently tested taking it off and promptly freaked the fuck out, he didn't put it back on entirely right, so all it takes is someone or something jostling him and- POP! His head comes off and rolls up to your feet.

He looks up at you from the ground looking like he's barely keeping his shit together and trying not to freak out as he blinks and then laugh so nervously and through a tight anxious throat, that he chokes on it.]

Hey, l-looks like I lost my head a second there...

v. (closed) [Vary late in the month, Lance is a merboy! He sheds to the form in the night, and all his memories are shifted slightly, he doesn't know where he is and believes belongs with Mariana ever since arriving in Trench. In his version of history, many things are the same, except that he had his DNA messed with on an ocean planet and gained the ability to turn into a mer. He struggled with the feral nature of that side for a long time and coming to Trench, steeped in blood pollution caused him to perma shift into the merman state and heavily bond with the Ocean. Naturally, this was startling and scary to him to wake up in a strange place and he started freaking the fuck out when woken.]

vi. [After merboy Lance is brought back to Mariana, he is actually quite happy to talk to people who come by the docks, he'll pop up out of the water and grin with all sharp teeth and flirt, Mariana sometimes assisting him further out of the water by lifting water with him in a cone. But his flirting is sometimes meant to lure in victims... yes, he's one of those siren types of merpeople. Sometimes, he's harmlessly interacting and interested in having some fun, others... he's hunting.

If he's not directly targeting you on the docks, you can catch him in the middle of luring a poor sailor out of their boat and into the water with him. If you call out to interrupt, he'll look over at you with a death glare and his hands fisted in the person's shirt as he's in the process of pulling them in.]

Ohoho you better not be interrupting us right now. Can't you see we're having a moment??

UNSNAKELY

vii. [Lance has taken a liking to Madam Generosity as she slithers through the streets. He feels comforted by her and talks to her as she goes, running to try nad keep up. Then, it doesn't take long before he's just riding on her back every now and again throughout the month, no matter what form he's taken or what memories he has (excluding merboy). Catch him lounging on his back with his hands up and pillowing the back of his head and ankles crossed like he's on the beach, definitely flirting with the giant snake.]

So, how's your day going, beautiful? Heading anywhere interesting?

viii. [Because of his affection for Madam Generosity, he does fall into the unsnakely's traps more than once and in multiple shedded forms (all but merboy). And unfortunately, his star powers are still not working correctly, even after he's shedded, and in some forms he has no powers at all, so when he follows the trail to find the snake of his heart, he's not the most prepared for when a giant fiery beast emerges to attack.]

AHHHH!

[Immediately, he leaps out of the way of a fiery attack and covers his head protectively. Then he hops up and looks around for any assistance or weapons or ideas. Regardless, he's taking a stance and rolling up his sleeves.]

Alright, let's do this.

[And if he's in a body that has powers and/or combat training (regardless of their functionality), he'll stand his ground. If he's his younger, early canon self or his catboy self, he'll immediately run for his life after saying that.]

WINTER MOURNINGS

ix. [Possible memories from Deerington open in the thick of a jungle where many of them were forced to battle each other much like in the Hunger Games. This is where he ate a man, killed his friend Moira and where Reaper tortured him to death in revenge and he'll look around at the place they end up, look at you, then at the area again...] Nope. Bye.

[And with that he turns to walk away into the jungle. And if it's not the jungle you found yourself in, it's the streets of Deerington during darker periods such as October's blood filled streets or something that looks more benign and normal but definitely isn't. He'll have no idea what is about to happen and that makes him fidgety. He looks around uneasily and then his hands come up to his head.] Maaan, this could be anything!

x. [The experience begins in his memory and the first thing you see is the inside of a very futuristic space ship, fighter cockpit, or you're in the back seat of a land rover on earth. These possible memories are from his time back home and they have him sighing next to you heavily with a note of "oh this again" on his breath.] Well, let's strap in, this'll be over soon.

WILDCARD

( Want to combine old Winter Mourning Prompts with current events? Want to add a lockjoint element to one of these prompts? Or just wanna come up with something completely unique? Hit me with anything your heart desires. Current Event and last month's event prompts are largely flexible with each AU form as well, if you want a specific AU form for a prompt that doesn't specify which one/leaves it open, just let me know in the subject line. If you'd like to plot, I would be more than happy to! Contact me on my plotting comment where I detail all my ideas so far, at spypigeon or on discord at charley#8222! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know plenty of people who schedule out the activities they enjoy. [ He's pretty sure that half the girls in the village practically write out full on itineraries. They're almost all insane, too. ] Were you just going to wander around this place?

Well, those people are having less fun than the rest of us, then. [He says stubbornly and crosses his arms, then his expression turns a bit catlike as he smiles.] Nope, I had a destination in mind. You'll just have to come with if you wanna know where it is and learn how to actually have fun.

[ He should tell him he's not interested. That this is dumb and he's going home, because it is dumb and he should go home. But there's two things that stop him from going his usual course of action: 1) he's supposed to be learning more about people and how they function normally so he can maybe start to do so himself...

And more importantly, 2) he's 99.9% sure this is a challenge. ]

Fine. Lead the way.

[It absolutely is a challenge and Lance grins when it works. Honestly, he has no idea why he's bothering, Sasuke annoys him like crazy. But there's also something about him that Lance can't seem to resist wanting to be around and poke fun at.

He turns on his heel and gestures with his hand for him to follow.] It's not far. Get ready to have your mind blown.

[ At least he actually follows instead of deciding to say fuck it and leave. He gives a snort of disbelief at Lance's confidence. ]

Somehow I doubt that. Where are you taking me?

[Lance throws his head back with a scoff and rolls his eyes as he walks, nearly bumping into someone because of it. But he manages to side-step them at the last second and she gives him the stink-eye.] I told you, you gotta come with to find out. We're almost there.

[And lo and behold, they come upon the entrance to Earworm and Lance spreads his arms wide at it.] Here we are!

I thought just following you would be sufficient enough to get at least a hint.

[ It's grumbled almost more to himself than anything because he really should've known better. Every reaction this guy has reminds him of Naruto and he'd be just as insistent on not revealing anything until he'd already dragged Sasuke inside of a one of the buildings and made him promise not to leave.

He stares at the Earworm for a second; the general look of it makes his expression feel flat as ever, the neon kicking neon sign really finalizing that this is the last place he would ever enter on his own accord. ]

This doesn't look like fun, it looks like tetanus.

[Lance just tuts at him and then when they are at the entrance to Earworm, he is not surprised at all by that reaction. It's a natural response, but he still lets out a pshhh.]

Man, don't judge a book by its cover. When is anything ever what it seems around here?

[Granted, that usually means something bad, buuuuut forget that, he's gonna head to the front door. He opens it and then holds it open for Sasuke once he's in the entrance, waggling his eyebrows at him and smiling like a cat.]

So it's something worse, then.

[ That's the pattern of things back home, why wouldn't it be here? He has never been a club person. He will probably never be a club person. He doesn't quite know why he's going along with this, but here we are.

He stares at Lance for a moment, before letting out a sigh of irritation, and going to head into the door he's holding open. ]

[Lance snorts and rolls his eyes and makes a dismissive pshhh sound. Once inside there's two big hunters guarding the inner door and it's hot and humid, the situation isn't improving yet but Lance throws the two guards finger guns.]

Hey Bert, Ernie. This guy's with me.

[They don't even flinch to acknowledge him, much less reply. It's questionable whether those are really their names. But they let Lance and Sasuke pass to the inner door… and there's the odd sensation of space being distorted and suddenly they're in a giant dirt hole ten miles underground. There's a thumping beat of music and dancing people, colorful lights and life.]

Welcome to Earworm!

[ Hot and humid is actually welcome when Sasuke steps inside, temperatures he's more accustomed to from the Land of Fire and than the freezing air of Trench. He's dealt with winters before, of course, and it snowed in Konoha for a few weeks in the year, but mostly, it was usually hot and humid.

He was busy enough enjoying that warmth to be even more caught off guard by the sudden
bend in the space around them. It makes his eyes ache and he knows they're trying to figure out the way the illusion works, or if it's an illusion at all and he has to close them tightly until he's sure they'll adjust.

It's still a club. Great. He opens his eyes when he hears the music and stars at the people on the dance floor, before looking back at Lance. ]

This is fun?

[Lance looks sidelong at Sasuke with a flat expression.]

…You're hopeless.

[He heaves a put-upon breath and looks for Lady Bop in the massive space, then points to her.] See that worm? That's a Pthumerian called Lady Bop, she can play any song from anywhere at any point in time in the entire multiverse. Wanna listen to something from when you were a kid and you thought you'd never hear again? Just ask. She's also the reason your skull isn't being split open by thumping beats right now and I don't have to yell to talk to you.

[Then he points to the bar.] That's where you can just relax and get a drink, maybe eat some mushrooms and have a nice trip if you're feeling like it. So yeah, this is fun. If you give it a chance.

[ He is hopeless. Sasuke bristles slightly at that, though he doesn't quite know why it is he cares so much about Lance's opinion on the matter anyway. When did he even start to care about having fun to begin with? Fun was for people with more time on their hands than he has.

He stares at the worm as he listens to Lance go through his explanations, his forehead creasing, and the obvious... frustration? That's definitely frustration, overcoming his features. Things he listened to when he was a kid? He's at least grateful it isn't as loud and obnoxious as another place would have been. ]

I don't listen to music.

[ Surprising absolutely no one. Sasuke bites at the inside of his cheek for a moment, before finally looking back to Lance. Drugs and alcohol, huh? He feels like he shouldn't be surprised. ]

Is the only way to have fun to give up control of your senses?

[Lance just sort of gapes at him when he says he doesn't listen to music. Like it's the most absurd and sad thing he's ever heard. Nope, he refuses this statement!]

Everyone listens to music! There's gotta be something you like listening to? Not even like an old lullaby or whatever?

[Then he huffs and shakes his head.]

No. Well, for some people maybe. But not usually. It's just one of the main ways to have fun when you're here.

[ Why did he agree to come?? What was he gaining from this? His jaw clenches at the questions, teeth grinding together some. His family had loved the arts, hadn't they? Of course there would be something old, something buried. ]

I played the shakuhachi. My parents liked classics. I don't listen to it anymore.

[ Good enough. Maybe the whole idea of drinking is sounding slightly more appealing. ]

[Well, that's something. Lance gives him a firm pat on the shoulder.]

I've got nooo idea what shakuhaki is, but if you wanna hear it again just ask the nice worm lady. Nobody else will hear it either.

[And with that, he drops the subject, because he's an empath, and though there's a lot of emotions in this room, he's close enough to Sasuke to gather that he's not into it right now. He slaps his hands together and starts to head to the bar.]

Now! Come on, let me show you some of the crazy drinks they have.

[ No one would hear it, huh? He gives a hum of acknowledgement, his eyes looking back to the worm again, before he decides instead to let himself get tugged to the bar. He doesn't know that he could handle hearing the music of his childhood right then.

He's pretty sure he'll end up going with some boring, predictable drink. Maybe he should admit Lance is right and he has no idea what fun is. He's not even going to try to make a show of seeing what the drink options are. ]

It's a flute.

[ Has it been too long of a pause to necessarily make a connection that he's talking about the shakuhaki? Probably, but who cares. ]

[Do not fear, Sausage, Lance is pretty good at feeling out what someone needs, especially since he got his empathic ability. He eyes him, picking up on the subtle hints of feeling when he looks at Lady Bop with that hum and doesn't say anything.

He sits at the bar and pats a stool next to him. Then he orders from the worm creatures behind the bar.]

Something hard, but not too hard. [Then he leans to Sasuke and whispers:] Better to not ask for anything specific.

[ That gives him pause and he looks over to Lance, tilting his head. Usually with ordering, the more specific the better, at least in Konoha.

But this place so far is nothing like Konoha so why should he be shocked. ]

Why?

[Lance shrugs casually and waves a dismissive hand.]

It all comes from the same place, that's all I know. That's all I wanna know.

Mm.

[ Sasuke stares at his drink when it's set down in front of him, watching it like it'll give him some kind of answer on how this is fun. Though it's at least not as terrible as he imagined sitting in a club would be. Is that the same as fun?

What does he even compare it to to know? ]

I used to have fun before I left my village, you know. [ NO. REALLY. HE CAN PROVE IT. ] With my... friends. [ ... So convincing when you say it all monotone like that, Sauce. ]

[Lance considers this progress, he leans a bit in Sasuke's direction and smirks a bit.]

Oh yeah? Well color me totally shocked. What'd you guys get up to?

[ Sasuke's quiet as he tries to remember those days, ones that really feel like another life at this point. It reminds him of how much of a family unit they'd become; three kids who everyone thought was weird, who people were sure would be a useless ninja group. Jokes on them at this point, apparently.

There's almost a smile on his face as he continues to stare at his drink rather than at Lance, the nostalgia obvious even to people who weren't cursed with empathy powers here. ]

We used to use our chakra knowledge to sneak into movie theaters and watch the films from the ceiling. I thought the movies were stupid, but Naruto loved them, and he said the practice would make it worth it. [ Wait, does that ruin the having fun part? Shit. ] Mm... We had to hang upside down from tree branches as part of our training and sometimes we'd challenge each other to see who could last the longest without falling. Sakura usually won.

[ That still involves training though, doesn't it? He scrunches his mouth in thought. Had there been things that didn't? ]

Our sensei used to keep his face covered. We spent a whole day once trying to find a way to trick him into showing us his face. We tried all sorts of jutsus to trap him and we tried sneaking up on him when he was eating to take a picture but someone always got in the way before we could make it work. We got all the other genin in on it at one point and we got really close. But he just had a mask on underneath his original mask.

[ He goes to finally take a sip of the drink. It's not what he's used to, but it's not the worst tasting thing. ]

I think he caught on and did it to mess with us.

[Lance sits and listens, just lets Sasuke have the space to work through trying to explain all that. Then when it's clear he is done going through all the stuff he had fun with, Lance laughs a bit and smirks a little.]

Okay, I'm pretty sure that's the most I've heard you say since I met you. Also, all of that sounds like a blast, and I have so many questions, man. First: how do you just stand on the ceiling of a theater? Like, I got that chakra is involved, but that doesn't tell me much.

Also, your sensei was totally messing with you.

[ He gives a small snort, because he knows Lance is right about Kakashi, and he's also certain he's right about the fact that that's the most he's talked in front of him so far. Apparently all you have to do is make him think about his friends, awww... ]

Mmm... Once you gain enough control of the flow of chakra in your body, you can concentrate it in various amounts in specific points. [ He demonstrates by doing just that in his palm, creating a pale purple sphere around his hand. He lets it stay for a moment, before releasing it, the color fading out slowly. ] You can alter the attributes to make them an attracting or repelling force, just like magnets. By placing the proper amount into your feet, and adjusting it based on the material of the surface you're trying to move on, you can walk on just about anything.

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