Event log: Who What Where Wendigo

[hadrielmods]

Who: Everyone participating in the wendigo event!
What: The accidental-cannibalism-turned-horrifying-monster event that is the Who What Where Wendigo event!
Where: All around the city
When: Feb 14th-March 1st
Warnings: Cannibalism, body horror, evil monsters lurking around.

Don't forget to check up on the Wendigo Guide that Ami posted!

On February 14th, Rage and Fear decide to give Hope a little bit of help taking care of the residents of Hadriel - they'll provide some food for awhile. How nice! Except, of course, that there's an extra ingredient in this food. A can of beef stew? Yeah... that might not be beef. But hey, it still tastes pretty good! Unfortunately, some spirits slipped through the Door last time it opened, and they're ready to possess anyone who participates in cannibalism - even if they don't know it.

Anyone who eats the provided meat will be possessed by a wendigo spirit. Over the course of twelve days, they will transform into a monster that feels little but rage and hunger. While at first it can be explained away easily enough (people are super annoying, and isn't everyone a little hungry most of the time?), by February 18th, wendigo transformations are impossible to ignore. A few days after, on February 22nd, the anger and cravings of the wendigo spirit will overcome all other emotions, and possessed characters may begin hunting.

The physical and mental transformation will be complete by February 26th. The possessed characters will have lost themselves completely at that point. While physical healing (done by a character with Hope's blessing or another healing ability) can turn back the physical and some mental effects, they will remain possessed until death or until Hope removes the wendigo spirit - which can only be done on the altar of Hope's temple. So have fun dragging your angry, possessed friends there!

On March 1st, Rage does Hope a solid (because she feels sort of bad) and kills all remaining wendigos. Upon revival, the spirit will be gone and the character will be fully recovered. Hopefully no one holds what they did while possessed against them!

► This log covers February 14th-March 1st.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► Please report any character deaths right here!

Comments

[circumitus]

Rey scoffs.

Especially Hope, in her opinion. At least Fear and Rage are straightforward about what they are.

"Don't like the way they're making us rely on them. Not everyone is capable of catching their own food so not to starve, so of course some of them are going to flock to their handouts."

She'd just like to make sure there are as few people doing so as possible.

[synthedick]

"Yeah. And taking handouts from 'gods' who would bring us here and sooner see us dead doesn't sound like an option anyone should take."

But unfortunately, people will when they have no other choice. Desperate measures and all.

"Speaking of getting out from under the gods' thumbs, how's that power station coming?"

[circumitus]

"That, too."

Times like this, Rey has to be grateful for what she is. While she isn't immune to starvation, she at least doesn't need to eat much to survive. This was partially due to spending several decades with no love for the act of eating, having no sense of taste. Everything was awful.

...

Everything still is sort of awful, but at least she can eat.

She blinks at Nick's next query. "Well, we have everything we need here. More hands would be ideal, but it should be done within the next month or so."

Perhaps a little longer, what with the recent hangups she anticipates. Doubtful that a lot of people will be up for building on an empty stomach. Or while they're turning into monsters.

[synthedick]

"Hm. We'll see if it all comes together that quickly. It'd help if the gods didn't bury us alive or unleash a herd of monsters on the town."

He apparently anticipates the same kinds of hangups.

"At least there seem to be others who are willing to help out on the project."

[circumitus]

"That's exactly why it'd be best to get it done sooner rather than later. These so-called 'gods' seem like the bored type."

They claim that they get their powers via emotions, which would explain a lot. If Rey still bought into the fact that they were gods, that is.

Which she totally doesn't.

"If you know anyone else who would be useful, it'd be appreciated. The more, the better."

[synthedick]

"I'll keep an ear to the ground," he replies. "I haven't gotten to meet many folks here just yet. And most I have met have been... apprehensive, to say the least."

Which wasn't terribly surprising, but that didn't mean it wasn't a frustration all the same, especially when it'd be more beneficial for everyone who'd been brought to the city to be on the same page.

[circumitus]

"Going to take a wild guess and assume it's because of the..." Rey trails off, gesturing to her own face while simultaneously indicating that she's actually talking about Nick's.

They may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but she can't deny that there aren't some aspects of Nick that interest her.

[synthedick]

"It always is," Nick confirms, leaning back into his seat. "And some of the people around here come from places where my kind, or anything like it, don't exist. My appearance is a bit of a shock for them."

Though he says that, he considers them the lucky ones: they've never had to worry about being kidnapped and replaced by a machine, never had to consider that their loved ones had been swapped out and they'd never even noticed. Ignorance could be bliss, sometimes.

[circumitus]

"Doesn't that bother you, any?"

It sounds like something said right out of a therapy room, or something that Rey's brother even would've asked her. There's an ulterior reason for why she's asking this, and it isn't out of concern or anything like that. She's testing to see how like-human a synth from Nick's world can be. If they're capable of feeling anger and annoyance, or at least simulate such emotions.

[synthedick]

While he wouldn't usually be so candid with someone he hardly knows, Nick can't help but be curious about Rey and the synths where she comes from -- the irrefutable enemies of her world. And so, Nick answers her inquiry with one of his own.

"Wouldn't it bother you, getting asked what you are all the time? Being called a 'thing' and treated less than human? Not that it isn't true, in a way, but I don't exactly need a reminder."

[circumitus]

Good thing she doesn't see his questions as an attempt to deflect the conversation away from himself. Mostly because Rey understands where Nick is coming from, as someone who had been treated as an inhuman thing. Perhaps not by her peers, but by the man who was in control of her life? Definitely.

"People are stupid." She just snorts, bringing a hand over her mouth. "Ignorant, mostly, when dealing with something they can't understand. But also stupid."

[synthedick]

"You're not wrong," Nick replies, nodding. "People fear what they can't understand, and even those who could understand often don't try. It's just easier to believe what everyone else says rather than to question it."

Which brings him around to answering her initial question. "So yeah, it bothers me, but there's not much I can do about what I look like. I just hope people can look past that, both here and back home."

[circumitus]

Her mouth forms into a straight line. "If you could fix your appearance, make people believe that you're human, would you do it?"

It seems like such a stupid question. But given what Nick has told Rey about his world, she has to wonder if there's really no silver lining to it.

"People don't trust synths where you're from because they're also made to replace a human, right? At least you prove you've nothing to hide." She leans back where she sits, folding her hands over her chest. "Was born not only to fool others, but myself as well. Sometimes, it seems like it would be better if people could just tell right off the bat."

At least then they would've known to run away.

[synthedick]

"That's one thing I've noticed, at least when it comes to the folks in Diamond City. Knowing what I am, and the fact I didn't try to hide it, made it easier for them to accept me when I first moved to town." And that was after a synth had gone berserk within the city's walls -- he considers himself lucky they didn't shoot him the second they realized he was one of them.

"I don't think it'd make it any easier, if I could look, er..." His brow furrows. "Normal. I'd still have problems, just different ones."

[circumitus]

It never really occurred to Rey just how easily she could fool people. She's always been frank about who and what she was. The dilemma of it being so much more obvious, such as in Nick's case, does strike her as somewhat unfortunate.

There's no point in weighing over which is better, in any case. There are just as many pros as there are cons to being so transparent.

"Well, at least people can't accuse you of lying to them about anything."