when there's something strange in the neighbourhood

[triggeringbiggering]

[ WHO ]: Everyone who replied to the IC plotting post! Feel free to jump in if you talk it over with the group you're hoping to join, though!
[ WHERE ]: First off all over the apartments, then to the grocery store!
[ WHEN ]: From noon on March 5th!
[ OPEN/CLOSED? ]: OPEN!
[ RATING ]: PG (for now, will edit if anything big shows up)
[ WARNINGS ]: Some ghosts will be present, so violence or disturbing imagery may crop up!
[ NOTES ]: I will be posting to the body of the entry with the pairs of people and a link to the two sub comments for people to jump into! Please click it cut for more info.


In the apartments, the pairs will be:

Tian (nurturing) and Kai (blitzkrieging) - taking the first and second floor
Mika (wolfishsurvivalist) and Yosuke (andallforone) - taking the third and fourth floor
Peko (tooled) and Karkat (carcinogenetics) and Naoki (demonish) - fifth and sixth floor
Once-ler (triggeringbiggering) and Garry (fraternal) - seventh and eighth floor!

As Naoki is on hiatus due to internet problems, Karkat and Peko should wait near the stairwell of the fifth floor before heading off. Naoki can catch up ICly when the hiatus ends, if they're still up for being a part of the log! :)

In the grocery store, anyone who wants to come along should just jump into the thread. No structure, though posting orders may be arranged. ICly, this will come after the thread in the apartments.

The group will be using the Once-ler's apartment (301) is the base for the operations. Characters will meet in there (having been told in the IC planning post) and can return here if chased. The walls of this apartment are lined with old strips of red tape. They work fine so long as they aren't touched, which will cause them to just flake off.

Any comments or concerns please feel free to send me a PM or a private plurk (I have them open to non-friended accounts) at mydarkrosaline)!

Comments

APARTMENTS

[triggeringbiggering]

[After being briefed on who is with who and what floors they will be tackling, the parties disperse from the Once-ler's apartment. It's a dreary, windy day outside, with some stinging rain splattering the windows. Walls creak ominously, shadow people flit across walls, and a few doors rattle in their frames. Will they burst open and reveal enemies? Who knows.

But you've presumably brought a bag to put any cans or packets you find into, right? So focus on that task.]

thank you based random number generator

[fraternal]

[ it isn't much, but the fire poker Garry had found while exploring on his own made him feel more comfortable about exploring the apartments. he got along with the Once-ler as well, so he didn't have to be nervous about being with someone new, either.

slung over his shoulder, he's got a canvas bag he found around as well, and aside from the creaking of their weight on the floorboards below, all Garry can hear for now is the tapping of a few crows on the windows of certain rooms around and below them, before flying off. ]

now now don't call crow names as you thank her :P

[triggeringbiggering]

[Once-ler has armed himself with a frying pan. His skill with one in its natural use is unparalleled, but as a weapon it's dubious. He tenses at the first taps from the crows, but it soon just becomes background noise, and it's easy to fall into step with Garry.]

So, should we start at 501 and make our way around.

oh bugger- THANK YOU BASED CROW....

[fraternal]

The fifth floor? Shouldn't we leave that to those three? Miss Peko and the other two... forgive me I didn't quite catch their names.

[triggeringbiggering]

Ah, did I say fifth... [He rubs his chin, shaking his head.] I meant 701.

[fraternal]

Don't worry about it. [ he carefully pats his shoulder in what he hopes is a comforting manner - and takes a deeeep breath, smiling. ]

Remember when we met? Deep breaths. We've got this!

[triggeringbiggering]

[The Once-ler takes his own deep breath and is actually pleasantly surprised to find himself feeling a little less shaky for it. It's this place. It feels so oppressive...]

Okay. Opening the door now.

[The door knob rattles as he turns it and he jerks his hand off of it, yelping.]

[fraternal]

[ Garry jumps too - so much for being the helpful big brother... he clutches his chest and bites his bottom lip, before rallying his courage and raising his poker. ]

...i-it's fine! We're armed, we can do this.

[triggeringbiggering]

[Okay. Okay. He can do this. He is a successful and devilishly handsome businessman. What's a little rattling doorknob?

Gritting his teeth, he shoulder the door open and stands in the apartment. It's pretty badly trashed.]

Geez...

[tooled]

[ Her weapon is not out. Yet. She's too busy carrying the - for now - empty sack. But the sword case is on her back like usually, and it's even opened up at the top already so she can pull out her sword in a split second if it's necessary. Peko trusts she'll be quick enough if something does pop up, after all. And at least she isn't particularly scared - maybe more something like a little on edge.

She walks ahead of the others though, already going up to the fifth floor and waiting there right besides the stairs. ]

[carcinogenetics]

[Karkat isn't carrying a bag, but he has his sylladex and captcha cards, so he doesn't really need one. He stamps after Peko as soon as she starts to leave, and eventually catches up to her.]

Are you an idiot? Who just goes off in their own in a haunted apartment?

[fiend]

[Honestly? Naoki doesn't care. He's too used to demons, and ornery people (even this pasty guy with horns) probably wont do much to make him break his composure.]

As long as she can take care of herself.

[tooled]

[ It's only when she hears their voices that Peko turns around, glancing from one of them to the other, her expression hard to read aside from seeming incredibly business-like at the moment. ]

You weren't that far behind, right? Besides, if something does happen in a place like this, then the amount of people involved in the matter won't change that much about it. [ Besides, it's more just that she's used to doing things on her own. ]

[carcinogenetics]

[Great. He got stuck with the morons. Have they never watched a horror movie?]

That doesn't matter. Just stick together.

[No point in explaining it to their thick heads. He looks along the row of doors.]

So, let's start from one and work our way through.

[fiend]

Hmm. First in line then. [He points to the one closest to them.]

It's better if we have someone looking in first to see if the room is clear. Who wants that?

[In all honesty he'd rather do it first considering what he is, but with the people he'd been shoved at, he wont be surprised if the girl volunteers.]

[tooled]

I don't have any particular feelings on the matter. [ aka she doesn't care, but said in Peko-speak.. she glances at the other two. ]

If it is needed, I don't mind looking, I can defend myself if needed. But if either of you insists, then that is fine as well.

[ she's not scared, after all. unnerved at times, yes, but in the end she has relatively little to lose at this point. ]

[carcinogenetics]

Oh for fuck's sake someone just - [Karkat shoves past them and opens the door to room five hundred and one. The lights are off, and he feels around the wall for the switch.

Immediately, he draws his hand back when he touches something wet and sticky, and he doesn't need to back into the hall and look at his finger to know that it's -]

Blood -

[His stomach turns at the sight of the bright red liquid, and he tries to wipe his fingers off onto the wall.]

Eurgh.

[selfism]

[ By now, the first and second floors are relatively familiar to him. He stares down the hall of the second, gaze flat and hard, and hefts up the beaten duffel bag he had found the previous week. Besides canned food, he's also hoping to find spare tape abandoned in these empty apartments.

Then again, he's too much a realist to believe the rooms are truly empty. ]

[nurturing]

[Tian's tic-toc of the cane against the floor was the only sound the mage made as he fell into stride with the person he was assigned to.

Smiling softly, the man - who seemed older the closer he was to Kai - bows his head in greeting, green hair spilling over the shoulders of his robe, twisted together with flowering vines and sprouting buds.]

I believe I am to accompany you?

[selfism]

[ The sound of Tian's cane earns the mage a harsh, critical look from Kai, but the boy makes no comment on it. ]

That's right. You ready?

[ Kai has always preferred cutting to the chase. ]

[nurturing]

[The mage's dead eyes misses that look completely, calmly nodding in agreement.]

Certainly. Where would you prefer to start?

[selfism]

We're already here, so we may as well start on the second floor.

[ That said, he crosses the hall to the nearest door and tries to open it. The doorknob rattles but it is locked. Dranzer could put a hole in the door easily...and likely draw all the spirits to their location in seconds. ]

You any good with locks?

[nurturing]

Ah, I believe so. It depends on the magic of this place, however.

[Feeling his way to the doorknob, Tian uses a simple cantrip of opening locks. However, it doesn't seem to work.]

Oh my. Perhaps not.

[selfism]

[ Kai watches this with no small amount of curiosity. ]

Any suggestions?

[ They could move on to the next door, but if all of the apartments are similarly locked, this will have been a complete waste. ]

[nurturing]

Hm. Some doors might be locked for a reason.

[He feels the doorframe, delicate finders tracing the crack between wall and door.]

Perhaps we should move on.