Welcome To The Village

[number_2]

Who: Everyone who was signed-up for the excursion
What: The Village December Excursion
When: Dec 1st - Dec 23rd
Where: The Village
Warnings: Involuntary capture and confinement including immobilization and restraints, violence, injury, maiming, possibility of death, torture, coercion, gaslighting, mind control, drugging, scientific experiments, and extremely inaccurate depictions of mental health facilities/hospitals, among other potentially triggering themes. Please mark all threads appropriately.




"Good morning, good morning, good morning!" A voice that sounds very similar to Friday's chirps over a loudspeaker outside your character's home. Yes, their home.

Overnight, all the passengers who signed up for this excursion have been transported to their very own personal cottages. They will awake in a bed that is familiar to them. While this home of theirs does not necessarily have to resemble the place they were born or raised, it will be a perfect replica of a place they truly thought of as their home, down to the most minute details.

The cottages are self-contained, the size of a large studio apartment so, in some cases, they may only resemble the bedroom and living room of a person's home with a shrunken-down kitchenette and bathroom adjoined. But the heirlooms of their past are here. A favorite doll? A treasured family portrait? Trinkets you have long forgotten about? All of them will be here, somehow. (All except for weapons, that is.) They are indistinguishable from the real item, down to the molecule.

After that wake-up call, the voice continues on to express that the weather will be warm and sunny, with no rain forecasted. A brass band concert is announced, to start at noon on the lawn next to the living chess set. And once that bit of news is wrapped up, lively marching band music will begin to play. And it will continue to play. All day. From every speaker...including the ones hidden in their home.

Welcome to Your Village

It only gets stranger from here. Characters may be dismayed to find that they are without any of their original clothes or belongings. They awake in conservative button-up pajamas. The closet in their home is full of the latest Village Fashion to choose from. Everything is The Village label brand, including the tin cans of food that stock the kitchen and any of the groceries you could get at the General Store.

Your ship phone rings. When you answer it, you will be greeted, once again, by the voice of Friday. "Your number, please? Of course, you have a number. Look at your badge." If they look down at their chest, they will discover a small round number badge has been pinned to their pajamas. Was that there before? It bears the symbol of a Penny-farthing Bicycle, with a number in the spokes. This is their number.

"No names here," the voice of Friday chides, "Only numbers. Number 2 would like a word with you at the Green Dome. He requests you come for breakfast. Thank you!" Before they can protest further, the line goes dead.


Some Notes:

No matter how many times your character tries to take off and disregard their number badge, they will always find it re-attached to their clothes again the moment they look away and look back.

Your characters still have their phones but now they can only make calls instead of sending texts. They also do not take or store photographs anymore.

If your character destroys or damages anything in their home, or in The Village it will instantly repair the way things used to on the Serena Eterna.

The noise from the speakers can be muffled by covering it with pillows or other creative items, but cannot be stopped entirely. (Sorry Phil)

Comments

[leaningontheeverlasting]

"Don't know nobody here what goes by that," he answers, lacing his fingers together over his chest. 'LOVE' runs down one set of knuckles, and 'HATE' down the other.

"'f you're meaning Number 69, of course, she's not in. Won't be in for a while, by my reckoning. Th' poor lamb."

[decohere]

The phone continues to ring in her grasp, though she slowly lowers it from her ear. Ava's eyes don't bother with subtleties in reading off the knuckles.

"Yes. Fine, Number 69. What do you know of her whereabouts?"

[leaningontheeverlasting]

It's fine. Nothing he hasn't gotten from new arrivals already.

"Last I heard th' poor thing went plumb outta her head. Stress, you know, summat like that. 'm a man of a cloth, not one-a those psychotherapists. 'f I'd just gotten to her sooner," he sighs, and pinches at his brow- thumb to his temple, pointer pressing back and forth across his forehead.

"Point is, she'll be needin' rest for a good long while afore she's up to any manner of company. You understand."

[decohere]

"No," Ava responds. Trying to keep her calm, she takes a few steps forward. Ring. Ring. "I don't understand. You mean they locked her away for the crime of being an annoying teenager?"

Ring ring.

[leaningontheeverlasting]

There is still no answer. No sound of it ringing inside.

"I don't catch yer meaning. The child is sick, 137. 's what I just said, was out there jumpin' at shadows. Talking to herself. You know."

He leans back a little in further his seat. Ava's training would highlight that... well, there's something in it, a little wince of something... sore. At his ribs.

"Just sick. Th'sall. Not'n any trouble, we just want her to feel herself again."

[decohere]

"Sometimes the shadows jump back, can never be too careful," Ava frowns. Wondering indeed what Darcy was getting into a fight with that got her dragged away. Because as troubled she is, all the ways that Darcy isn't quite screwed together right... sickness is not an explanation Ava will accept.

But she does hone in on that twinge of pain, that he's trying to hide something.

Ring ring.

"Do you know who she is, to decide what feeling herself even means?" Ava questions. "And what are you doing outside her place, anyway?"

[leaningontheeverlasting]

"Perhaps I ought to pass on that you're feeling jumpy yourself. Ain't nothin' to fear 'f you've got nothin' to hide."

His pleasant smile hasn't shifted at all, and 58 takes a long sip of lemonade before he answers.

"Why, in case people came knocking, of course. You ain't the only one concerned after her. Told 'em all the same thing."

[decohere]

"Oh. Number 2 has read my file. Paranoia is undoubtedly highlighted and underlined," Ava dismisses.

Ring. Ring.

So subtly she presses cancel on the call, and dials Skulduggery's instead. Without her gaze wavering.

"But you seem to be the one hiding something."

[leaningontheeverlasting]

"You want to can that blasted thing?" his smile gets just a bit of a snarl to it, "she's not going to answer, child. See- I've told you everything I know," he spreads his hands, "it's not up to me 'f you believe it."

"Be seein' you," he says firmly, as if there's simply nothing else to say.

[decohere]

Ring ring.

"Oh, you're being so unpleasant," Ava frowns. Instead of leaving, she sits at the edge of his table, places a hand upon his shoulder. "Of course I'm concerned with the wellbeing of our missing Number 69. She's indeed such a troubled child. But I worry about you as well, 58. I can see you're carrying a great deal of pain. How hard it must be for you to sit outside her door, and inform her loved ones of such a tragedy?"

[leaningontheeverlasting]

That snarl turns to a snap, and the hand on his shoulder is grabbed. Roughly. By the wrist.

"You keep your paws offa me, harlot. Ye whore of Babylon. Don't you try to sweet-talk me after all your snooping."

His grip tightens. There's something angry and animal in his eyes now, as if the bluntness of his teeth are the only thing keeping him from trying to tear out her throat.

"Maybe we go pay Number Two a visit, how'sat sound? Always love to get permission to handle the likes of you personally."

[decohere]

Yeah, that's what she expected slithering under such demeanor.

Ava allows her wrist to be caught, whimpering in surprise as the phone clatters to the ground. It's not ringing anymore.

"Don't you dare accuse me of such infidelity! I'm a married woman, and the only reason he's not around to- ow!" Knowing even without her powers she could easily take him down, it's difficult to resist. But she doesn't.

"W-what are you going to do with me? Same as you did with 69?"

[leaningontheeverlasting]

"Oh married, loose, it's all the same. Ugly, wretched, lustful creatures," he yowls, lifting her wrist above his head. Oh, it's been too long. Been too long indeed. Since that wretched meddling priest kept butting in where he wasn't welcome. Oh, if only he still had his knife. At least now he can think without that damnable telephone ringing in his ear.

"Hardly had to do nothing to her, no, the boss took care of that," he grins, "oh, but I can't wait to see what he decides to do with you."

And he stands from the table, wrist still in hand, picking up his whistling once again.

[decohere]

She fakes hurt by such wild accusations, but honestly the words don't affect her at all. Not her fault he's clearly sexually repressed. She'll have to tell Sharky about this later, with all his teasing of her being a prude.

"But I haven't done anything!" Ava protests, pulling back with just enough struggle to act as if she's not completely ready to get escorted to the asshole in charge.

"I wasn't snooping! Number 2 said if I behave...!"

[light_mischief]

Number 2 said plenty of things about behaving to Ava, but nobody in this reality or the next can ever ask the same of Skulduggery Pleasant. Behaving just isn't in his vocabulary. Subtlety seems to have left the building too, as he turns the corner to cut them off, phone in hand.

"You should probably remove that hand before you lose it," he says, in the same tone most people in the Village use when greeting one another.

[decohere]

Oh thank god Skulduggery got the call... having to put up with this creep's behavior in order to keep him stalled long enough has Ava questioning her own methods. But she immediately yanks her hand free of his grip and backhands him in the process.

"Oops."

[leaningontheeverlasting]

Powell makes a noise like a struck animal, yelping and holding a hand to his face. He removes it to strike back-

For an exact split second before it registers that there's another person here, another unmutual one, and he immediately goes to flee with a grunted- "be seeing you."

[light_mischief]

Skulduggery's seen enough cowards flee justice to know that's what he's watching now. His magic is wrapped in Village-protecting gauze, but he still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

"See you next fall," he replies; Ava probably recognizes the way he lifts his hand with a casual flick of his fingers, pulling a thread tight in the air in front of Powell's feet. If not that, then the distinctive grinning head-tilt probably tips her off :)

[decohere]

Ava hides an eager giggle behind her fingertips.

[leaningontheeverlasting]

Powell shrieks as he topples, then partially-turns on the ground enough to hiss-

"Witch! Damnable sorcerous demon! I won't stand for this!" before once again trying to scamper away because, again, being outnumbered is not a position he likes being in.

[light_mischief]

"It's been a while since someone's called me a witch." Skulduggery watches Powell scamper, confident he could catch up if need be, and asks Ava: "Do we chase him, or do you already know where Darcy is?"

[decohere]

All she managed to get out of him was that Darcy was sick which is a strong clue but not an actual definitive answer she's willing to allow him to escape on. Ava gives chase in answer, tackling 58 back to the ground before he can scamper too far.

"Answer the skeleton or I'll make you two match."

[leaningontheeverlasting]

Powell yelps again, thrashing for a few moments before he just kind of goes limp in the pursuit of not getting hurt further.

"If I tell you, he'll do worse to me."

Which is not really true at all, but these hero types are compassionate. Right?

[light_mischief]

Skulduggery follows along at a leisurely pace, catching up just in time to hear the tail end of Ava's threat. Without a face, it's hard to tell if these are compassionate bones that Powell is up against today.

"Number 2 may be as innovative as he is dastardly, but my friend and I have one motivation that sets us apart: our love. I love Darcy, Ava loves Peter, and we both love hurting anyone who gets between us and them. And believe me when I say that people like us will do really terrible things for love." He squats down by Powell's head. "We're also on a deadline, which means we'll get to those terrible things much more quickly."

That little encouragement is followed up by Skulduggery lightly tapping the tip of one finger against Powell's head. Boop!

(not here...?)

[light_mischief]

Skulduggery is on edge enough to answer at the first ring, which is when he hears some strange man's voice on the other end of the line. Well, don't mind if he listens in...