metalogs | HARVEST MOON

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

[It is, as long as he’s not filled with existential dread.

But speaking of other emotions…

Leo eyes the stick in Accelerator’s hand, and a wave of mischief is all the warning he’ll get before Leo is stealing his marshmallow right off the stick and going to pop it in his mouth, burnt bits and all.]

[Accelerator certainly isn't expecting that, and he honestly just sits there for a second processing the fact that Leo just stole his extremely burnt marshmallow while he still has his own.

He isn't mad, because it's just a marshmallow and he doesn't really care. Actually, that would be some dumb thing Last Order would do - and then she'd immediately regret it because it was burnt.

....... There's an inadvertent wave of emptiness and longing thanks to those thoughts, and he just sighs, sounding annoyed.]

Was that thing even edible?

[Oh, those weren’t the feelings he was trying to get with that action. He was going for annoyance or anger or even, maybe, amusement for voluntarily stealing such a burnt marshmallow, but the bitter sadness rolling off Accelerator isn’t any of those.

He feels bad. Well, not about the marshmallow - he’s pretty sure this isn’t about the marshmallow - but about whatever he did that made Accelerator feel like that.]

…Edible’s a pretty low bar.

[He’s had burnt marshmallows before, though, so it’s not like this is the worst thing he’s ever eaten. He moves closer to Accelerator and settles down next to him, not reaching for his own marshmallow just yet.]

…You’re missing someone too, huh?

[He has a guess.]

[It absolutely isn't about the marshmallow. Accelerator isn't making any moves to grab another one, and there's no sign of irritation towards Leo for the theft.

It is, one hundred percent, about Last Order. And he refuses to admit that it is, even though Leo knows about her. He just shakes his head at that question, stubbornly refusing to ignore that growing ache.]

No, I'm not. It's just you.

[Leo doesn't look convinced at all. He finally takes his own marshmallow off the stick and pops it in his mouth, giving both of them the time it takes for him to chew to think.

The lonely ache he feels from Accelerator isn't going away. He idly holds his now-empty stick toward the fire, letting the residue from the marshmallow burn away.]

...I try not to think about it too much. [He shrugs.] It kinda sucks, but at the same time... I guess it's nice to have someone you care about enough to miss, you know?

[Just talking about Leo, of course, and no one else here.]

[It's a really obvious lie, even Accelerator knows this. There isn't really any point in sticking to it but he does anyways, regardless of how irrational it is. It's still bewildering and terrifying to him that he's feeling these kinds of emotions, going the extra step and actually acknowledging them is... not something he can manage to do right now.

Despite all of that, and despite this topic making him feel worse, he isn't about to tell Leo to shut up. That almost feels like it'd be some kind of weird acknowledgement that he's lying, and he isn't stupid. He gets Leo is trying to help him, and he grudgingly appreciates that, especially when he doesn't deserve it.]

I don't see how that can be nice.

[It's a lot more painful, for one. Before he knew Last Order he felt hollow most of the time. Now? It just hurts.]

Hmmm… I dunno if I can really explain it.

[This is already more feelings talk than Leo is usually able to personally tolerate - the fact that he hasn’t broken down and written the whole conversation as a joke yet is a big step for him! But it’s easier when the topic is people he loves - easier after everything that’s happened to him to be open about this.]

It hurts, but also if I didn’t have that, if I didn’t miss them… that’d feel pretty lonely. Like there’s no one there for me, back home. It’d just be empty.

And uh… kinda selfish to think this way, but… I hope they’d miss me, too.

[He does actually feel guilty when he says that, and it comes through the emotion connection. He didn’t want to, but he left his family behind; if they missed him, it’s just more pain he’s causing him.]

[It would be a hell of a lot easier if Leo did just turn this whole thing into a bad joke. Then Accelerator could get annoyed and shove him and they could ignore this ever same up. Honestly, he's half-hoping Leo will do that, because even this amount of openness for him is painful.

But no, things don't get to be easy. He's quiet as he listens to Leo's answer, unfortunately knowing what he means. Empty is something he's very used to, and... he's never thought of it as a bad thing. Maybe that was out of some survival mechanism rather than something he really believed. Leo certainly doesn't think it's good.]

.....

[There's a disgusting raw feeling at the pit of his stomach, and Accelerator decides to put those thoughts away.

At least the latter part of his answer is easier to consider. He supposes he can understand why Leo would want that, even if it's selfish. He's a good person, and he loves his family. Any normal person would want those feelings returned.

Accelerator is very aware that ever since he left Yomikawa's apartment Last Order has missed him being around. He wishes she wouldn't feel that way.

He's silent for a few beats longer, trying to think of something to say.]

I'm sure they would. That's how family usually fucking works.

[Leo snorts a laugh at that.]

Usually, yeah. I mean, yeah. Definitely.

[He's not trying to make his family sound like heartless monsters or something. This is all Leo's problem, not theirs.

The negative feelings rolling off Accelerator are still pretty strong. He's not really surprised, given Accelerator's general demeanor; he just hopes he's not making things worse.]

...But listen to me bringing the mood down when I'm supposed to be bringing it up. [He grins, but it's not as big as normal.] You want me to burn you another marshmallow?

[Accelerator would be baffled if Leo's family didn't miss him. He only knows Donnie, but from what he's seen they all sound like they're very tightly knit. Which - good for him, he's the kind of person that deserves a family like that.

He scoffs a little. Yeah, Leo is bringing the mood down. They both know how ridiculous that is.]

Are you going to eat it again?

No way, you like it way too crispy.

[Who knows if he even really likes it, since Leo ate it. But he stands by it.

Without waiting for a further answer, he hops up and grabs more marshmallows, pushing one onto Accelerator's stick before putting another on his own.]

Enjoy your charcoal.

[Despite that answer, Accelerator is fairly sure if Leo thinks it'll be a good troll move then his marshmallow is getting eaten again.

But he doesn't complain. He should at least eat one marshmallow, even if he probably isn't going to like it.]

Thanks, I will.

[And he sticks it right back into the fire.]

HARVEST MOON

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject