[GAME EVENT] CAUSE AND EFFECT
May. 22nd, 2007 12:02 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
sinanju.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
crossing_lostrpWho: Ash
Where:
When: Day 29, (approx. 4 to 6 a.m.)
Invited: ALL PLAY
Status: Complete
Edited to add: Don't sweat the details of how your characters switched bodies. I added the "touching or close by" requirement to give people an out if they didn't want to have their hharacters swap places. Now I'm revoking it. If you want to join in, forget that. It's simply random--if you and another player want to join the party, just do it. Doesn't matter how close you were or weren't.
Ash closed the double doors of the smaller kitchen/cafeteria and locked them. The last thing he needed was an interruption in the middle of this project. He turned to survey the room, arms akimbo while he thought about what he had to do. "Okay," he said to himself, "first things first. Clear the floor."
Pushing all but one of the tables against the walls and stacking the chairs on them took only a few minutes. Ash laid the instructions on the remaining table and pressed it flat. It was very badly written, but he'd looked it over several times and he was confident that he could manage it. "How hard could it be?" he muttered to himself.
He began assembling all the materials he needed on the table next to the instructions. A glass, a pitcher of water, a box of Dharma brand birthday candles. (The instructions called for six black candles, but these would have to do.) A box of salt, a big black marker, and various other esoteric items. And...coffee, which he'd brewed a few minutes earlier.
But first...Ash picked up the marker in one hand and the instructions in the other. Working slowly and methodically at first, Ash began drawing runes onto the edge of the tabletop. It took a lot of attention. His hand began to cramp after a while. By the time he was done, the figures were considerably less precise than when he'd begun.
"Eh, good enough," Ash decided.
He capped the marker and tossed it away. Then Ash walked over to the stove, poured coffee into a large bowl and carried it to the table. He placed the bowl in the center of the table. Next came the salt. Ash opened the pouring spout on the cannister and began walking around the table, pouring out the salt in a circle, making sure that he was inside it when he completed the circle. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he closed the circle.
"Hrmm, hmmm," Ash muttered, looking over the instructions. "Ah--right, the candles." Ash lit the candles one by one, carefully turning them as wax melted, dripping it onto the tabletop until there was enough to hold each candle upright. Then it was time for the heavy lifting.
Ash picked up a small photograph. He'd gotten it from Daisy, from the wallet of someone who had died in the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. He glanced at the instructions and recited the incantation. "Pro os, statua unus porro lost ut memoria," Ash said, tearing it into bits and dropping the pieces into the coffee.
"Pro auditurus esse, sanus carmen sung ut a parvulus porro.". Ash leaned forward and, feeling very foolish, sang a few bars of a lullaby.
"Pro tactus, sentio parvulus thesaurus,". Ash dropped a pinch of stuffing from a well-worn stuffed animal into the coffee. "Pro nidor, scaena matris diligo." Ash dusted the coffee with baby powder. "Pro sapor, flavor parvulus iucunditas," Ash said, dropping a small piece of chocolate into the coffee.
Ash picked up one of the candles. He held it up over the coffee and recited another incantation. "Hail ut phasmatis of incendia quod unda, terra quod aer! Unbind alica ut redimio nostrum monumentum!" Ash plunged the burning tip of the candle into the brew. The flame hissed and went out. Ash felt some of his strength fade at the same time that a feeling of pressure became noticeable all over his skin.
Ash picked up a second candle and repeated the incantation, quenching the flame in the coffee. The sensation of pressure, of gathering power became more distinct. He did it a third time, and a fourth. By the time he picked up the fifth and final candle, he felt light-headed. It was hard to breathe, the power gathered around him inside the circle of salt tangible and nearly irresistible. Ash recited the incantation and plunged the candle into the coffee.
The power, wound tighter and tighter with each repetition, exploded outward. Ash had a moment to wonder if perhaps he'd done something wrong after all as he was picked up bodily and flung backwards into the stacked chairs and tables behind him. It was very painful, as was crashing to the floor and having the table and chairs fall on top of him. (Maybe,) Ash thought, (he should just give up spellcasting. It never seemed to work out right--)
"It worked!" Ash crowed. "I remember!"
* * *
George's dreams were jumbled, confused--and confusing. She dreamed of her family; of Rube, Roxy, Mason and Daisy; of Dolores and Happy Time. She also dreamed of alien worlds, alien skies, battles and espionage and seduction. She woke slowly, dreams shading into wakefulness. She was lying on her back, one arm wrapped around someone who lay cuddled up with her head on George's shoulder.
Thinking about her dreams, George realized with a sudden shock that she remembered! She knew who all those people were. She knew who she was--and where she was, and how she'd gotten here, events of the last few weeks. All of it! Her eyes popped open, sleepiness banished by excitement. She struggled up to a sitting position--
--and screamed, waking the others. Beside her, Faith, Chloe and George jerked awake. Faith flung herself upright and then tumbled out of bed to sprawl on the floor. Chloe looked around, surprise--and alarm--written on her face. "What's going on? I feel...weak."
And George.... George watched herself--watched her body--sit up and meet her eyes with a crooked smile that just didn't look like it belonged on her face. "Well, this is new," she said, and her voice didn't sound right at all--nothing like George's voice sounded to herself.
George looked down at herself, at the masculine torso. She swallowed heavily and tentatively reached under the covers. "Oh fuck, oh fuck..." She found what she'd expected--feared--to find. A penis. "Son of a bitch!"
Yes, boys and girls, it's official. The mass amnesia is over. Everyone has his or her memory back, completely intact. On the other hand...some of you will find yourselves in bodies that are not your own. If your character was touching--or merely in close proximity to--someone else, you will find yourself in someone else's body.
Unlike the mass amnesia, we're not making this universal. If you want to swap around your PCs, go for it.Establish that they were touching or very close at the right (wrong) time. If you want to swap your characters with someone else's, and they're willing to play along, make it so. If, on the other hand, you want to sit back and laugh at other characters' misfortunes, that's okay too.
Have fun with it. It will eventually be reversed....
Where:
When: Day 29, (approx. 4 to 6 a.m.)
Invited: ALL PLAY
Status: Complete
Edited to add: Don't sweat the details of how your characters switched bodies. I added the "touching or close by" requirement to give people an out if they didn't want to have their hharacters swap places. Now I'm revoking it. If you want to join in, forget that. It's simply random--if you and another player want to join the party, just do it. Doesn't matter how close you were or weren't.
Ash closed the double doors of the smaller kitchen/cafeteria and locked them. The last thing he needed was an interruption in the middle of this project. He turned to survey the room, arms akimbo while he thought about what he had to do. "Okay," he said to himself, "first things first. Clear the floor."
Pushing all but one of the tables against the walls and stacking the chairs on them took only a few minutes. Ash laid the instructions on the remaining table and pressed it flat. It was very badly written, but he'd looked it over several times and he was confident that he could manage it. "How hard could it be?" he muttered to himself.
He began assembling all the materials he needed on the table next to the instructions. A glass, a pitcher of water, a box of Dharma brand birthday candles. (The instructions called for six black candles, but these would have to do.) A box of salt, a big black marker, and various other esoteric items. And...coffee, which he'd brewed a few minutes earlier.
But first...Ash picked up the marker in one hand and the instructions in the other. Working slowly and methodically at first, Ash began drawing runes onto the edge of the tabletop. It took a lot of attention. His hand began to cramp after a while. By the time he was done, the figures were considerably less precise than when he'd begun.
"Eh, good enough," Ash decided.
He capped the marker and tossed it away. Then Ash walked over to the stove, poured coffee into a large bowl and carried it to the table. He placed the bowl in the center of the table. Next came the salt. Ash opened the pouring spout on the cannister and began walking around the table, pouring out the salt in a circle, making sure that he was inside it when he completed the circle. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he closed the circle.
"Hrmm, hmmm," Ash muttered, looking over the instructions. "Ah--right, the candles." Ash lit the candles one by one, carefully turning them as wax melted, dripping it onto the tabletop until there was enough to hold each candle upright. Then it was time for the heavy lifting.
Ash picked up a small photograph. He'd gotten it from Daisy, from the wallet of someone who had died in the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. He glanced at the instructions and recited the incantation. "Pro os, statua unus porro lost ut memoria," Ash said, tearing it into bits and dropping the pieces into the coffee.
"Pro auditurus esse, sanus carmen sung ut a parvulus porro.". Ash leaned forward and, feeling very foolish, sang a few bars of a lullaby.
"Pro tactus, sentio parvulus thesaurus,". Ash dropped a pinch of stuffing from a well-worn stuffed animal into the coffee. "Pro nidor, scaena matris diligo." Ash dusted the coffee with baby powder. "Pro sapor, flavor parvulus iucunditas," Ash said, dropping a small piece of chocolate into the coffee.
Ash picked up one of the candles. He held it up over the coffee and recited another incantation. "Hail ut phasmatis of incendia quod unda, terra quod aer! Unbind alica ut redimio nostrum monumentum!" Ash plunged the burning tip of the candle into the brew. The flame hissed and went out. Ash felt some of his strength fade at the same time that a feeling of pressure became noticeable all over his skin.
Ash picked up a second candle and repeated the incantation, quenching the flame in the coffee. The sensation of pressure, of gathering power became more distinct. He did it a third time, and a fourth. By the time he picked up the fifth and final candle, he felt light-headed. It was hard to breathe, the power gathered around him inside the circle of salt tangible and nearly irresistible. Ash recited the incantation and plunged the candle into the coffee.
The power, wound tighter and tighter with each repetition, exploded outward. Ash had a moment to wonder if perhaps he'd done something wrong after all as he was picked up bodily and flung backwards into the stacked chairs and tables behind him. It was very painful, as was crashing to the floor and having the table and chairs fall on top of him. (Maybe,) Ash thought, (he should just give up spellcasting. It never seemed to work out right--)
"It worked!" Ash crowed. "I remember!"
* * *
George's dreams were jumbled, confused--and confusing. She dreamed of her family; of Rube, Roxy, Mason and Daisy; of Dolores and Happy Time. She also dreamed of alien worlds, alien skies, battles and espionage and seduction. She woke slowly, dreams shading into wakefulness. She was lying on her back, one arm wrapped around someone who lay cuddled up with her head on George's shoulder.
Thinking about her dreams, George realized with a sudden shock that she remembered! She knew who all those people were. She knew who she was--and where she was, and how she'd gotten here, events of the last few weeks. All of it! Her eyes popped open, sleepiness banished by excitement. She struggled up to a sitting position--
--and screamed, waking the others. Beside her, Faith, Chloe and George jerked awake. Faith flung herself upright and then tumbled out of bed to sprawl on the floor. Chloe looked around, surprise--and alarm--written on her face. "What's going on? I feel...weak."
And George.... George watched herself--watched her body--sit up and meet her eyes with a crooked smile that just didn't look like it belonged on her face. "Well, this is new," she said, and her voice didn't sound right at all--nothing like George's voice sounded to herself.
George looked down at herself, at the masculine torso. She swallowed heavily and tentatively reached under the covers. "Oh fuck, oh fuck..." She found what she'd expected--feared--to find. A penis. "Son of a bitch!"
Yes, boys and girls, it's official. The mass amnesia is over. Everyone has his or her memory back, completely intact. On the other hand...some of you will find yourselves in bodies that are not your own. If your character was touching--or merely in close proximity to--someone else, you will find yourself in someone else's body.
Unlike the mass amnesia, we're not making this universal. If you want to swap around your PCs, go for it.
Have fun with it. It will eventually be reversed....
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[Sam Tyler] Memories and madness
Date: 2007-05-23 05:51 pm (UTC)"Sam, talk, please," Molly/River sobbed. "Words are life preservers. Rings of sound to grasp. Drowning in the noise..."
Sam looked at her askance even as he complied. "Right then, Ri-- er, Molly. Take my hand. That's right. That's a good--"
"Ow!"
"Sorry!" Sam blushed. He loosened what he thought was a feather-light grip on Molly's hand. "Is that better? Fantastic. Let's the three of us find one of the doctors. Maybe the Doctor..."
Feeling far less confident than his words implied, Sam led the two young women into the hall.
[Isabel]
Date: 2007-05-23 11:19 pm (UTC)Going directly, it took much less time to get back to the bunker than Isabel expected. She'd clearly not been moving in a straight line after her dream encounter, which she now pushed to the back of her awareness. Inexperience there had proven problematic, and completely ruined her tent as well. Perhaps they could use the bare patch of ground for a bonfire.
She entered the bunker and nearly ran into Ripley, Molly and River.
"Oh! Sorry," she said. "Did any of you get your memories back?"
She looked more closely. Something wasn't right about Ripley, and Molly and River seemed a little off as well.
"Is... everything okay? You do remember who you are, don't you?"
[Molly]
Date: 2007-05-24 02:44 am (UTC)Molly was close to tears now.
"Distance helps." River spoke from Molly's body. "Some are quieter than others. The Doctor and Jack are silent, and Ami can be."
Molly held onto the words. River could barely handle this, and she had time to try to sort it all out. She was an amazingly strong spirit to maintain anything resembling sense with all this constantly bombarding her. Molly was having a hard time even thinking, let alone forming sentences of her own, not speaking other's thoughts.
Molly reached over and hugged River with her free arm. True, she was hugging her own body, but she had to do something.
"How can you stand this? How can you even start... it's stabbing my brain, digging in like worms. What's mine? Not that. No, that's someone else’s. Where am I in all this. Going under to the depths. Drowning in the River. You are amazing. To still be you at all. But you're not. You're me now. And in all these tides the silence... I need the magic. I want my magic back. Can't you spill it into me? One more current in the river can't hurt any more."
Molly felt hysterical laughter bubbling up and tried to catch it before it spilled out.
[Sam Tyler]
Date: 2007-05-24 03:08 pm (UTC)Something about his knee-jerk actions worked. Molly calmed, and his own inner turmoil lessened. River, surprisingly, was a wellspring of calm. Nevertheless Sam was still thoroughly freaked.
Isabel had watched wordlessly. Now that he and Molly were calm(er), Sam looked up at the blonde. "We've got our memories back, but... not our bodies. Our proper bodies. I'm DI Tyler. Er, inside. And Molly and River switched. I don't know how, but everything's bollocksed up."
[Isabel]
Date: 2007-05-24 06:12 pm (UTC)She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, closing the holes which allowed her thoughts to project to others, shielding herself in a private world. With Vilandra's knowledge, it was easy.
She opened her eyes.
"I can't do anything about anybody else, but is that better?"
[Tara]
Date: 2007-05-24 07:16 pm (UTC)Tara knocked on the doorframe tentatively, hoping her own shielding would help a bit. "Is everyone all right? Do you know who you are?"
She broke off as she took in the scene and the auras of the people in the room. Isabel's aura was fine, but as for the others - Ripley, Molly, and River's auras were all wrong. Tara tightened her own shields as best she could before adding, "W-w-what's happened?"
[Sam Tyler]
Date: 2007-05-24 09:12 pm (UTC)multiple humans and their sharp anxiety, of course,
River/Molly's woodsy aroma, a smokey tinge from
Isabel*, Tara's lavender and sandalwood**, and as
Scott hurried by, cookies***.
Tara stammered, "W-w-what's happened?"
Sam shook his head in a vain attempt to clear it.
"We've no idea. More... magic?" Despite the evidence
of magic he'd seen recently, Sam still had a hard time
accepting its existance.
Tara cocked her head, puzzled. "Ripley, you sound--"
"Not Ripley. Sam." Molly/River wimpered, prompting
him to stroke the girl-child's hair. "Sam Tyler."
* I'm making stuff up. If something else is more
appropriate,
repost.
** Same for Tara,
*** Ripley thinks that Scott's alien side smells like
cookies. This never fails to amuse me.
[Molly] tag Sam, Isabel, Tara, and River
Date: 2007-05-24 10:13 pm (UTC)It had. Her nearness had made her psychic voice magnified, almost overriding the others. But even the non-psychics were threatening to crowd her out.
"I'm Molly." Molly managed to say. "I was Molly. I don't know any more. It's all jumbling together. So loud. It hurts. Isabel helped, one less voice."
"Try to concentrate on one set of thoughts. People talking helps, but paying attention to one person can help. Having a conversation in a loud restaurant." River was rubbing at her own/Molly's temples. "It's so quiet. Feels... lonely."
Molly was thankful for the advice, and for Sam's kindness. Having support was all that kept her from giving in and losing herself.
"Sam, I'm gonna try holding on to yours. Touching, it's close. I'll try to keep to the surface, treading water." Molly might not be able to do that, but she'd try. She was also not going to lock on to someone without letting them know.
Scott brushed by looking pained.
"Not Scott, House. He's drowning too. Like Sam, the emotions pushing in, but not thoughts. Who is Ripley? She might help Sam some." Molly was already latching on to Sam's thoughts. His new body was one that focused on scent a lot. Cookies? She smelled of plants and outdoors, evidently. She always thought River smelled of green apples and ivory soap.
"Sidhe. I'm Sidhe." She had a memory of deciding to no longer hide among her fellow castaways. "Smell like plants because I'm half elf. Tara's all incense and the sachet she keeps in her luggage. You want order, to make sense of it all, safe and in categories and case solved."
Molly felt herself melting around the edges. Bleeding out into the crush. She longed for the quiet. Sweet Danna, what had they done to River? Why had the Sidhe not taken her away?
Re: [River]
Date: 2007-05-24 11:07 pm (UTC)"This absolutely doesn't make sense..."
She looked over at her own [Molly] body with River inside. It freaked her out, seeing herself flip out like a crazy child.
"Darling...?" She rushed forward and knelt by River-in-Molly's-body. "It's going to be okay." She pressed a hand to her back and felt a sob in her throat. She, herself, looked tormented. And here she was with long strangled brown hair. She looked down and below the hem of her own skirt, she has the ending of a scar. She brushed her dress aside and saw that the scar ran up her leg. What had this girl gone through? She felt a few bruises in her back that felt like they were old.
This tiny, limber body was so much more different than her own. All this body pain River had to endure. And obviously mentally as well. Maybe that's how she didn't focus on the body pain. Mentally, this girl was a wreck. And physically.
Molly-in-River's-body, leaned back to think about this girl before her-- hoping that she wouldn't beat up her body as much as River's.
Her face darted up to the people around her.
"We have to find a way to fix this. My memory is back but now..." she gave a laugh. "This will not do."
She tilted her head to the side and felt the lengthy hair tumble down her shoulder. It felt nice, the long waves compared to the tight, red curls on her own head. Her thoughts stirred to the other's around the room, trying to get people straight.
OOC:
Date: 2007-05-24 11:18 pm (UTC)[Tara]
Date: 2007-05-25 02:36 am (UTC)Tara took a deep breath to calm herself and quell the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She had to be calm, if only to help her friend. She focused instead on the mental image of the earth as her shield, of plant life growing and covering it with green. And among the leaves, a huge oak tree sprouted, towering over the rest.
The mental image seemed to help center her a bit - enough to think clearly. "It was definitely magic," she said, the certainty in her voice surprising even herself. "I-I mean, I could feel it. Someone cast a powerful spell - and messed it up. I felt it twist out of control."
"Can you fix it?" Sam-in-Ripley asked hopefully.
"I don't know. I'd - I'd have to know what the spell was first. I don't even know who cast it," Tara admitted, ignoring the inner voice that added, But you have an idea who did, don't you? "It wasn't far away. M-maybe even someone in the bunker. D-Does anyone remember seeing Michelle - I mean, Willow recently?"
She realized how that sounded the second she spoke, and quickly amended, "S-she knows a lot about magic too, so maybe she can help."
[Willow] You called?
Date: 2007-05-25 04:12 am (UTC)Willow was heading towards the room that Molly and Tara shared with May and Oona when she heard her name from one of the open doors ahead. Poking her head in she saw River, Molly, Ripley, and Tara - but only Tara seemed right. Something was horribly wrong with the others, especially River - she seemed even more upset than usual.
"Did I hear my name being used in vain?" Willow asked the group cheerfully, attempting to diffuse the foul mood in the room with cheeriness.
"Ummm, I wasn't saying anything bad about you," stammered Tara. "I-I was just wondering where you were and if you were ok. Weird things seem to be afoot this morning."
"Yes, weirdness factor of like, 10 bazillion," Willow nodded. "But hey, memories back! Now I know who I am, and who you are..." Willow trailed off as she remembered that Tara still wasn't quite used to Willow not being *her* Willow.
Thinking for a moment, Willow realized she'd made an assumption.
"You are....who you are, right?" she asked.
[Isabel]
Date: 2007-05-25 08:52 am (UTC)"Well I don't know about the spell," Isabel said, "although it's clear it's had some unintended side effects, but are all your memories intact as they were before we forgot everything? Nothing's different?"
[Tara]
Date: 2007-05-25 12:54 pm (UTC)Realizing why Willow trailed off, Tara couldn't hold back a flush of embarrassment. She'd been flirting shamelessly with Willow all day yesterday - how awkward could you get? It could have been worse, but still...
She shoved those thoughts away, studying Willow's aura. It was much the same as it had been before - in fact, there was no indication that she'd just been spellcasting. A spell that powerful would have left some sort of residue. Which meant that Willow hadn't been the one to cast the spell, Tara realized with relief. "Yes. I'm - I'm still me, still Tara. I remember everything now. And Isabel is herself too," she added, trying to get back to the problem at hand. "Both your auras look normal."
Willow smiled slightly at that. "Normal? Here?"
"Well, normal for you," Tara amended. "The others just don't match."
"It's all coming apart," Molly-in-River murmured. "The roots will only hold it together for so long."
[Sam Tyler] Exit stage right
Date: 2007-05-25 01:39 pm (UTC)[Ripley] Self examination
Date: 2007-05-25 03:45 pm (UTC)Ripley slowly drifted awake. The fact that she was slowly wakening gave her pause. Normally she was asleep or awake. On or off. Being somewhere in
between could get you killed.
As Ripley climbed toward consciousness one thing became clear: she felt like crap. Weak, cold, no appetite, the whole nine yards. Even her hearing and sense of smell were muted. The latter was particularly strange since her nose wasn't stuffy.
(Can't be sick. Have to watch River, poor thing, especially after the amnes--)
Ripley bolted upright. She remembered. All of it, good and bad. Remembering one of the good parts -- her literal tumble with Adam in the jungle -- made her grin. It also made something grow hot and firm
between her legs.
Alarmed, she threw back the covers with pale hands. She found equally pale -- pasty, even -- legs. Hairy legs. Big, clawless feet. And a stiffy forming a tentpole in her boxers.
"What the FUCK?!" Even her voice was male. Who was fucking with her now?
Ripley climbed out of bed, hissing when fabric slid against her dick, and looked around snarling. She was alone in one of the damned windowless rooms in the bunker. The other bed's sheets were rumpled.
Then she spotted a small mirror mounted over a dresser. Ripley strode over to it, half excited and half annoyed by her hard-on. She reluctantly peered
at her reflection.
"Sam Tyler," Ripley sniffed. "Fuck me." She glanced down at her (Sam's) crotch. It wasn't a bad idea. Presuming that Sam had her body, a few minutes wouldn't make much difference. Plus, the chance to explore maleness from this point of view was too tempting. Ripley kicked off the boxers and let her fingers do the walking.
A short time later Ripley strode into the hall, wearing the first of Sam's shirts and pants she'd found, no shoes, and a big grin. "Hey! Sam Tyler!
Get your skinny white ass out here!" She now knew that a thin, pale posterior was one thing their bodies had in common.
[Tara] One mystery solved...
Date: 2007-05-26 01:27 am (UTC)"Wait!" Tara cried as Sam-in-Ripley loped past her and down the hall. "We don't even know where your body is!"
"Hey! Sam Tyler! Get your skinny white ass out here!"
"O-okay," Tara corrected, "maybe we do."
[Isabel]
Date: 2007-05-26 07:23 am (UTC)Accidents can happen.
[Tara]
Date: 2007-05-29 02:45 am (UTC)"Damage control?" Willow guessed.
"Probably," Tara said, nodding. Down the hall, she could hear other voices shouting. "Or, not so much probably as definitely. Coming?"
EXIT TARA (towards this scene (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/141927.html)
[House]
Date: 2007-05-24 03:40 pm (UTC)EXIT HOUSE IN SCOTT'S BODY