purgastory | week six

week six

week six.

Once again, the fog moves, filling every nook and cranny of the blanket fort, letting it all slowly fade from view. As always, Heart locations remain, joined by a few new additions. You know the name of this game now. You know that choosing to stay behind is not the key to moving forward, and therefore, you must cross the border and plunge into the fog once again.

This time the fog has a bite of frost, the temperature dropping drastically as the cloud of fog peels back, revealing the shiny, glittering expanse of snow beyond. Shivers run through your no doubt unsuitable clothing, but luckily for you the luxurious resort beyond is just close enough to avoid the worst of the chill. (Your shoes will absolutely get wet though, sorry...) Once inside, the lobby is warm and toasty, filled with squat, comfortable couches and a minibar on the opposite corner. There is an elevator to take you to another floor, as well as signs for the ski slopes outlined on the walls opposite.

Welcome to your Wintry Wonderland! You may change into appropriate attire in one of the many changing rooms, but please be careful -- you will feel an urge to seek warmth as you explore this particular maze, whether by an embrace or through hand-holding. It will feel like second nature to you, and perhaps a godsend in this freezing landscape.

0. heart tasks

The notice board is still here this week, now with a new set of tasks written on it! Along the Akheron river, there's a fresh slew of boxes and containers along its bank. They're all locked up tight, but they have your names on them. They're also nicely decorated.

Mementos Mori Homesickness is a terrible thing. Complete one of these tasks and you may just find yourself with something to ease it.
✦ Bite someone with feeling and explain the feeling.
✦ Exchange thoughtful gifts with one other.
✦ Tell someone a secret, something you think that person should know about you.

Whether you intend to or not, if you complete one of the above tasks, you'll know that your box has been unlocked. Inside can be an item from home, it doesn't matter how big or small. It doesn't need to belong to your character or your character's Eurydice, as long as it's something they might want. The box will have your character's name on it though and written in small script Good luck! Almost there. The item may also be a pet. You do not need to report this to the mods; we'll go by honor system.

i. central ice rink

Once properly attired, you are free to venture outside. Here, the fields of snow seem endless, bright beneath the winter sunshine. All that clean snow, just begging for someone to make footprints, construct castles, or initiate snow fights! What fun! What joy!

A little further ahead is a large lake, completely frozen over. There is a stand nearby offering skates of all sizes, for those who would like to skate along on top of the ice. There are also convenient guard rails along one edge of the lake for our timid novices. Take a few turns and get comfortable. Or maybe not too comfortable...

As you make your loops, you may notice movement, and as you coast to a stop, you will realize that the movement is in fact an image, a memory being played in full view on the ice beneath you. No matter where you skate off to, the memory will follow, seemingly endless in every direction. Of course, you could still try to stop the memory, perhaps by smashing your skate through the ice if you're desperate enough, but that will only send you and whoever is with you beneath the ice and into the freezing lake, where you will be both submerged.

Whatever happens, the memory will have a specific theme of either greed or charity, such as:

✦ A memory where you experienced some form of desire, possession, greed, or experienced the consequences of such greed from another.
✦ A memory where you experienced some form of charity, whether positive or negative -- when you received something from another that you desperately needed at the time. Perhaps it was a hopeful plea, perhaps it was demeaning humiliation. Or perhaps you were the one who sought to give, your intentions kind or conceited.
✦ A fantasy of all that you ever wished to possess, or one of all the things you've given to see others thrive.

ii. santa's workshop

If you venture down to the resort's basement, you will what looks like a charming, rustic... workroom? Or perhaps a storage room? There are piles upon piles of objects, some wrapped neatly in boxes, others still needing some work done, because apparently, all of these objects are broken in some way. There are instruments that still need to be stringed, shoes missing their pairs, flashlights that don't turn on, paddles with only the letters "Y A O" carved into them. Whatever you can think to find, you will -- except in a state of repair.

Just on the table beyond are a few very basic tools: screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, etc, but the supplies themselves seem to be missing...? Turns out that if you want to fix an object, you'll have to take apart something else to get what you need. Unfortunately, you'll have to apply a little bit of elbow grease to get what you want -- as the objects themselves don't feel like giving them up? Stuffed animals will take a swat at you, toasters will hit you with their cords, and sexy lingerie may even attempt to strangle you...

But they're just objects, and you can obviously fight back. Or if not, then feel free to try other more peaceful approaches: such as mentioning a time, object, concept, etc that you wish you could have or return to or telling someone what you wish you could give them. Once shared, the objects will go back to normal.

iii. the charity auction

Ascend the stairs from the lobby into the resort's magnificent ballroom, where apparently some kind of banquet is underway? There are crowds of shadowy figures seated at tables and milling about, holding sparkling glasses of champagne and eating little appetizers from large trays, but most of the activity is directed towards the stage, where a shadowy auctioneer thumps their mallet and calls out the name of the newest object.

A name that turns out to be... yours! Before you know it, you are ushered onto stage, squinting against the bright lights to see the crowd beyond. Distantly, you can hear the auctioneer announce your name, a fun fact, and why exactly you deserve to be taken out! Whether on a hot date or wiped from the surface of the earth. Or maybe both?

The only way to leave is if some merciful soul makes a bid for you. For those who find themselves in the crowd, desperate to save whoever's on stage -- you will feel the urge to make your bid (or don't, maybe you think this is funny). Of course, the bid has to be... substantial. Money can only go so far... We're looking for creative bids here, y'know?

Once your bid is accepted, you may escort your prize from the stage. Please know that whatever the bid is -- it must be paid on the spot. Maybe you promised an ear lick or a kiss -- maybe you promised to be their servant for an hour henceforth. Whatever it is, you have to do it in the Grand Charity Gala room in order to be set free.

iv. snowman sculpting

Maybe you decide to go back outside after the warmth of the resort, or maybe you'd like to keep playing in the snow... Nearby are several different snow figures, all in need of decoration. They are just so sad and naked without you...

🥕 Carrot Nose: You feel an intense curiosity to know everything you've yet to learn about the person you're with. What's their blood type? What's their dream wedding venue? If they were wooed by a shark or a pirate, then which would they choose? The questions can be completely nonsensical and unrelated to each other. It doesn't matter, because you need to know!!
⚫ Coal Smile: You feel the burden of your sins weighing upon you. Suddenly, you need for the person you're with to forgive you for what you've done to them, or for what you will do. Maybe you feel the urge to confess to a curse. Maybe you want to tell them that you thought they were really annoying once. Or maybe you want to apologize for thinking they're a great big degenerate.
🧣 Cute Scarf: Congratulations! You Are A Child Now. Feel free to keep your adult minds, or revert back to the mindset you had as a smol baby.
🎩 Snazzy Bowler: You are on the run from your creditors. You must hide now! Now! Take whoever's with you so they don't sell you out to the IRS, or because they clearly have crimes they're on the run from too. Go and hide in a cramped closet together.
❌ Naked: For some reason, you don't want to dress any of these snowmen. Boo, tomato, tomato! You will be haunted by three ghostly versions of yourself: past, present, and future, who will all talk about your faults and how you are not a good person and how you should turn it all around somehow.

mod notes.

✦ Hello again, darling clowns! This week's log features both the aforementioned maze and our central locations! Feel free to write central-specific or maze-specific prompts. Or both!
✦ For the Ice Rink, mods will not be policing what memories (trululus) or fantasies (delulus) you choose to have your character share, but please keep to the themes of greed/charity! Moreso, memories must have a canon basis, even if they’re headcanon. However, fantasies can be from alternate route paths (otome/visual novel/AU style) as long as they’re within the set parameters. There will be more opportunities for this in the future, so don’t worry about not being able to give out your lore. Have fun!
✦ Questions specific to this log can be directed to the #mod-questions channel in the discord!
✦ Maze Runs are available for this week!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Briefly distracted from his fashion mission by this...]

Did you get bit?

[ the genuine confusion on his face because his instinct is to go "by what?" before he realizes what obikawa's asking. there's a nod and a gesture to his side, but at least he looks all healed up.

so he shrugs. ]

He really got a lot of you, huh? Maybe he's the one who should get a box retroactively instead.

[THAT ISN'T HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS but it's fine it's fine. WAVING A HAND.]

Anyway, yeah! It's a surprise! That's part of the fun.

[ scribblescribble. ]

It happens. But why does that earn a box?

[ he continues to look so suspicious... but okay... he will close his eyes and hold out a hand. what do you have? ]

Biting!

[The biting box unlock should apply to vore in his HUMBLE opinion... But anyway, once Yosuke closes his eyes and holds out his hand, Obikawa is slipping this over it. He has the other ready to go, too... this image being so crunchy makes it even funnier]

[ NO. he does not get to say he does not think that kind of biting counts because he is suddenly being accosted with the ugliest arm warmer known to man.

you know how when you put clothes on animals they just start flinging their limbs around and thrashing a lot, that's what he's doing with his arm. WHAT!! IS THIS!!!! ]

[THIS IS SO FUCKING FUNNY HE IMMEDIATELY STARTS LOSING HIS SHIT.]

Woah! What's the matter, are you allergic to wool or something?

[ IMMEDIATELY FASTLY WRITING. ]

Where did you even find this?! And why is it so itchy?

[Wouldn't you like to know weather boy...]

The closet thing! No idea! Are they really that bad? They didn't feel too rough when I was holding them.

[ shakes his arm in obikawa's direction. ]

You try it on all the way and you tell me.

[Reaches out to pat his arm...]

Nah, that's fine! You're doing a good enough job for both of us.

[ grabs his arm and tries to transfer the armsock. for you!!! ]

[He will allow this to happen but while Yosuke is doing that, he will try to stuff one of his arms into the other armsock.

Matchies...]

[ NOT THE MATCHIES!!! this does actually work because he's more focused on getting the first one on obikawa. he's so victorious over this fact that he doesn't notice the other armsock for a second. ]

Hah!

[ wait. HUH? ]

[He really pulled off a magic trick thanks to Yosuke's single minded determination...]

Nice! Yeah, it is a little itchy, isn't it?

[ it helps that yosuke's an idiot at the worst of times. shakeshakeshake. ]

See?! How did you not notice this before?

[ONE BRAINCELL SQUAD ROLLING OUT...]

I didn't put it on before! I just liked the colors.

[ what else is new, yeah. ]

Really? How does it not hurt your eyes? This is too many patterns that don't match either.

That's where you're wrong! It's the exact right amount of patterns, and pattern matching is fake anyway.

[Matching and coordinating things is what big fashion wants you to believe...]

[ rindo would agree, but this is yosuke and yosuke is very particular about his fashion, thank you. ]

What? You can't just decide pattern matching is fake, that's the point of patterns! Things clash!

[YOSUKE you need to take some cues from Rindo...]

Nah! [JUST NAH.] You can make anything work if you want to make it work.

[ i don't think he does actually. ]

Obikawa-san, it's very clear we have two different ideas of fashion here...
If you asked anybody, they'd tell you it's too many colors and patterns.

[No no he does... He does...]

You should live a little more, then! You guys are like Tokinaga, all he does is wear boring clothing all the time and I have to save his outfits for him.

[With neon banana shirts.]

Yeah, I've seen the stuff you've picked for him.
I stand by exactly what I said, man. Not exactly my style.
Maybe you should let me pick something for you instead.

You're the one missing out!

[NO HE ISN'T. His wardrobe is truly so (yaywon voice) sailor moon villain in their civilian disguises. Or yuyuhakusho. He's just a throwback to trendy vaporwave with random ass horrendous patterns and clashing colors thrown in.]

But sure, sure. Your picks may be a little boring, but I don't mind seeing what you'd come up with!

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