metalogs | HARVEST MOON

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HARVEST MOON

November is a month of transition. As fall slips by and winter begins extending its icy hand, it feels like a good time to let go of the burdens accumulated in the last year. The Willow Bough Harvest Festival is the ideal time to do just that.

Overnight, the town is transformed. A carnival pops up along the leylines that cross the city, with the center being an altar to the Willow Maiden. Metahumans and humans alike can give small offerings in the hopes that it will sway her dreams for the future.

While this is a festival for metahumans, there are a great number of regular humans in attendance as well. They seem more here for the celebration than any actual worship or tribute to the Goddess herself. For metahumans, it seems to be something… more. Deeper. Strengthening their connection with each other, with the world, and the Goddess who grants them all strength.

While one might think that a celebration of a sleeping Goddess would involve the sharing of dreams with the Gods, this is more a celebration of connection. There are bonfires settled in the woods, with logs set around as a space to share stories of all that you’ve experienced. There are rides to hop on, thrills to seek, and games to play.

This might be the only festival in Sunset Falls that isn’t vaguely associated with ancient murders. In fact, it’s guaranteed you won’t be killed here. Today, Sunset Falls is under the protection of the Willow Maiden. And just this once, for this one week of the year in the town of Sunset Falls - everybody lives.

This is the only time any travelling carnival feels safe setting up in the most cursed city in all the country. The carnival is filled to the brim with things to do. Festival booths sell sugary sweets, savory goods, and some locals are selling something they call ethically sourced zombie fingers... it's not recommended to eat those. There are sneakily rigged carnival games as far as the eye can see, and tricky metas are rewarded for their cleverness in discovering the games.

There are also rides, rides, and more rides! Ferris Wheels, Gravitons, fun houses, impossible roller coasters that run the length of the whole town - if you can think of it, it’s here. Including a small inflatable pool filled with balls. The rides are magically imbued and the carnies can be convinced into creating new ones to match whatever you may need, though they're taking some... interesting short cuts. A Tunnel of Love can go through a sewer, right?

These rides are perfectly safe. Seriously. Thoroughly magicked against destruction and tampering for as long as the festival is active... you might want to get off of them as things come to a close, though. Things will start to fall apart as the Willow Maiden drifts into a deep slumber.

The festival offers a whole host of other attractions for metas and humans alike, however the Starfallen are treated to some.. extras in these festivities.

➢ EMPATHY LINKS

Every attendee is given a small stone pendant called the Willow Seed. These pendants prevent any attendee from using their abilities to cause harm to any other wearing a pendant, a holdover from the days where metahuman conflict ran rampant.

These are magical items meant to help you commune with the Willow Maiden. Wearing it will make you feel stronger than you ever had - both literally and figuratively - and ready to face anything.

You will also feel your connection to the Willow Maiden, her deep and genuine love for you and all you are, all you aren't, and all you could be.

It will also connect you to your fellow Starfallen. While metahumans native to this world are unaffected, the Starfallen will find themselves suddenly feeling each other’s, well, feelings.

➢ MEMORY SHARE

Along with emotions, you may be able to send memories through the link as well. Given the positive energy, positive memories are easier to call forth than negative ones.

➢ THE WILLOW VINES

As this festival is all about connection, the chaotic energies of Sunset Falls try to get involved in the form of trying to force people to form new connections.. in the form of vines snapping two people together by the wrist as they walk by. If you co-operate and get to know this new person the vines will let go on their own after about thirty minutes.

Attempting to resist the connection will make them last longer... much.. much longer.

These will not let go until you connect with this other person - but luckily for you, you recluse, it doesn't require the connection to be positive. A fight - physical or verbal - is as much a connection as a candid conversation. All the vines ask for is some emotional honesty. The easiest way to get free is to make a new friend... or enemy. Connections don't have to be positive.

Attempting to speak with the Willow Maiden will be met with silence. Her Dream Guard will tell any Starfallen who ask that she expended a great amount of power recently to aid them. She will wake in the New Year and will be ready to guide them on what comes next then. WILDCARD.

Metaheroes takes inspiration from all walks of comics. Take a look at the CITIES to get an idea as to what day to day life is like in the other cities. Perhaps you've encountered a supervillain (or hero) who needs to be thwarted, or a metahuman with unusual powers creating bizarre effects.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A. Carnival - Open

[A carnival is only one small step up from a party, but Accelerator is finding he's about as enthusiastic for the former as he was for the latter. That is to say, he's disliking the Sunset Falls carnival just as much as that Halloween party Leo put on. If he hadn't gotten dragged out here there's no way he'd be found within several miles of the thing.

Too bad he knows a couple of turtles who are into this kind of thing. None of the rides interest him, a lot of the food looks bafflingly inedible, and he's certain all of the games are rigged for the player to lose. Sheesh, at this rate he's pretty sure he's going to die from oversocialization. Seriously, how do people do this?

He's chalking his grouchier than normal mood up to being surrounded by happy crowds of normal people who are having a normal fun time.

Maybe it's the normalcy that's getting to him? Whenever he's in those kinds of spaces the feeling of not belonging starts up, like nails on a chalkboard. It's raw and grating and nausea-inducing. Always a fun thing, being reminded of how rotten you are compared to everyone else. He should've just stayed in bed and suffered through getting hassled over being an antisocial shut-in later.

... Then again, it could be the stupid pendant. He didn't even want the damn thing but with it being foisted on everyone who attends he didn't really have a choice in taking it, and now not only are his own intrusive thoughts causing issues, he's got the emotions from any nearby Starfallen leaking into his brain. For someone who tries to keep a lid on his emotions most of the time, it's a lot.

He's radiating a hell of a lot of negativity as he finds a log to sit on, near a mostly empty bonfire with a can of soda.]

B. Closed to Donnie

[Accelerator is trailing behind Donnie at a much slower pace, barely even trying to keep up as they pass some carnival games - a ring toss, a duck pond, a water gun race. Basic games that are reasonably popular with the crowds. Most of them aren't even registering for him, though he does glance briefly at the water gun game.

This is tiring. He's very tired. He isn't sure how Donnie can stand it.]

This is a lot of bullshit. Why even bother playing something rigged?

[He knows he's being a killjoy and he feels a little bad for saying anything at all, but he isn't the kind of person who can fake enjoying something.]

[Truthfully the extra addition of being able to sense other people's feelings is getting pretty overwhelming for Donnie. It's hard for him to process where his own start and end and another person's begins or overlaps.

To be fair, he'd been really excited to go to an actual festival and on the outside, it's cool and everything he'd expected and more. Some of the food is questionable but he's decided to be daring enough to try a few and hadn't been entirely disappointed. Just...sort of lost his feeling in his tongue for a few minutes because WOW spicy food is spicy.

Trying not to get too caught up in everyone else's emotions is exhausting, or rather trying to keep yourself apart from them. It's part of why he's stuck with Accelerator, shamelessly using the esper to ground himself even if it had been unintentional at first. But at least he knows where the bookends are on the feelings spectrum, and it helps him slightly manage his own, which unfortunately tend to bleed over between all the excitement from everyone else. There's lapses however, abrupt anxiety and something almost scared whenever he feels like he can't tell what's his, and in those moments he slows his pace, emotionally shrinking back as he drifts a little closer to Accelerator.

Stubbornly he continues, unsure whether it's just because of the general rush of adrenaline and eagerness that buffets him along. He's caught in the tide, the curiosity of 'but what's over there?' and 'there might be something cool just a bit farther'.

Donnie's laugh at Accelerator's question as they come by the booths at least sounds like normal as he pulls his hands from his hoodie and the squishy pineapple plush he'd been secretly crushing to death in his pocket. He throws his arms out to gesture towards the game booths with a lazy spin.]

Ah, but that is the challenge itself! You know it's rigged but then you tell yourself "I bet I can figure it out!" The desire to outsmart the gamemaster- to show them you can't be cheated!

Edited 2023-11-17 05:42 (UTC)

[Donnie's spikes of anxiety are hitting Accelerator every so often, enough that once he's figured out they're actually coming from the turtle he's wondering if they should both just give up. A stupid carnival (even if it is, technically, the first one he's ever been to) can't be worth this much effort.

But that's just his opinion, and he knows his opinion is always going to be the negative view on things. Normal people aren't complete and total downers all the time.

To the surprise of no one, he looks unimpressed at Donnie's explanation.]

Seems fucking pointless to me.

[Nevermind the fact that most things seem pointless to him. Minor detail.

He sighs.]

Anything around here you want to do?

[Might as well ask.]

Ah, a typical Accelerator response.

[It was probably bad enough just seeing the smug look, but now with the possibility of sensing it? Well at the moment that's not Donnie's problem, given he's on the opposite end. He grins then as the esper asks, turning on his heel to study the lineup.]

Sometimes the only way to not be cheated is to cheat the cheater. It's a game of who can get away with it better. How about we give that one a "shot?"

[He points at the water gun game Accelerator had glanced at earlier.]

[Accelerator nearly winces as some of Donnie's smugness leaks into his head. God, now that's a feeling he hasn't felt in a while. It isn't great, and he tries to shut it out.]

... Whatever. Come on.

[He'll turn and head back towards the water gun game. The aim is to knock over some ducks - pretty basic stuff.]

[Donnie stuffs his hands into his pocket again, strolling along after Accelerator. The game looks deceptively simple, and that's where Donnie figures is where they catch you. He pays for a round each for both of them before gesturing to Accy.]

After you~

[Taking a seat in front of one of the little water guns, he looks it over with a judgmental expression. This is some dumb kiddy thing Last Order would enjoy, even though he's absolutely certain she'd be terrible at it.

... There's a pang of guilt that he pushes down. Whatever.

The game starts up and he aims at one of the smaller ducks, firing, and it is abundantly clear the water pressure is nowhere near high enough to knock a fuck over.]

[His eyes flick over towards Accelerator at that brief change in the esper's mood. Ugh, this feelings-sharing thing is terrible. Donnie had just gotten used to the negative consistency in contrast with the general positive waves that the dip catches him off guard.

He pointedly turns his attention to the targets as Accelerator takes aim and starts shooting.]

Hm.

[Thankfully, even though that guilt is going to keep on simmering under the surface, it's getting overshadowed by irritation. Of course the game is rigged, of course it is.]

Tche.

[He could break the stupid thing with his ability, it wouldn't be hard, but would the point be? Win the rigged game and get some ridiculous stuffed animal he's just going to throw in the trash?]

Like I said, this is fucking pointless.

Accelerator | OTA

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