atonementlogs | Event 001: The Potions

Characters: All.
When: February 1st
Where: Town Square
Warnings: None. Please put any warnings in the comment subject if it progresses that way!

As of this morning, there will be a steady rain over Penance that will darken the skies to black and fall as if somehow tainted and muddied, followed by a cold and harsh wind that will chill one to the bone if they dare to venture out in it... which may be necessary. The ground and roads will be slick and muddied, but there will be power outages due to the weather so staying in may not be necessarily more appealing. The rain will continue steadily for a week and be intermittent the rest of the month.

However, should anyone venture to the town square in search of warmth, there will be a large tent set up that is entirely illuminated regardless of whether the rest of Penance is or not. There will be supplies such as food and water for the taking, as well as a few old blankets for people to huddle under while they wait out the storm.

That's not all, of course. It wouldn't be atoning in the slightest if things were made too calm and cozy during the storm. There will also be letters left to each of Penance's new citizens detailing what this month's punishment entails.

It's time for your hosts to be a little less kind than upon arrival.

A table set up under the tent has five different kind of vials on it, plenty of each to go around. They have the following effects:

Pink. Allows for one to hear the true thoughts of others, including what is thought about them for 24 hours during all interactions. This is to cause some self-reflection and insight into how they're viewed.

Green. Allows for pain to be given to another for 24 hours. It will be agonizing pain and sickness. While this is extremely frowned upon, it will mean that the person in question will have participated in punishments this round and will be excused from drinking any other potion. However, remember that the actions we take now may have consequences in the future. It should also be noted that you won't get to choose who experiences the pain due to your decision, so no trying to take a grudge out on anyone.

Purple. Allows one to feel the pain they caused another during their lives for 24 hours. They will feel what that person felt entirely. Hopefully this will cause some reflection and remorse for the actions that caused another to feel hurt.

Blue. Forces honesty for 24 hours. No lying and one may even be compelled to spill their deepest, darkest secrets and sins to anyone who will listen. Transparency is key to atoning for past sins.

Red Causes significant pain for 24 hours. It may be general pain like an ache in your bones that can't be soothed, or it may manifest in physical injuries such as cuts, bruises, etc. They say pain can be cleansing...

For those eager for punishment (which your hosts love to see), you may take more than one vial to spread out over the month, although taking multiple potions at once may not be entirely wise for most. Citizens may opt to try to avoid punishment this month, but again, remember all choices may have future consequences. Your hosts are here to see that you pay for your sins, not just scrape by.

With your letter collected, you may stay and get to know each other a little better while you wait for the storm to pass or insist on grabbing your items and brave the return to your home. The choice is absolutely yours.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's the sound of music that catches his attention. The gentle strum of a tuned guitar, snaring him from the street. He swears he can almost hear the hum that would accompany it, an old lullaby accompanied by the notes of a piano.

He pushes through the door, his guard down because he's expecting someone else.

"Goody-"
Goodnight's nowhere to be seen, even if the melody clings to the air like cobwebs, fading with the softest breeze and the gentle strum of guitar strings at the hand of another man.

"... Thought you were someone else." His hand is on his knife now, wary, face a mask of stone.

Leo turns around slowly, tuning the last two strings on the guitar. There's a coldness to the Sunai's face, but it's not precisely unfriendly. It's more aloof, the look of a cat when faced with a human: two very different species sharing the same space and tolerating each other. Leo's got no fear even with the other man unarmed and himself without any obvious weapons. A Sunai's skin is too tough for any ordinary blade to penetrate.

His eyes flicker over Billy's shoulder to see his shadow writhing up behind him, the mark of a sinner that only he can see. Leo figures he'll be seeing a lot of those It would be so easy now that he has an instrument, just to play, and draw that red-tinged soul to the surface...No, nope. Not yet. It won't do to start taking the souls of sinners just yet, even if he can see it clearly in this man. That will just be asking for trouble.

"You like music?" He asks, eyes still filled with that aloof coldness.

Aloof? That's something Billy can do. His face cold as the silver of his daggers, trying to square his shoulders up slightly to appear a little taller than his 5'6" frame. The stranger isn't someone he's seen around town yet, another one of Penance's wayward souls, apparently.

"As much as the next person." He replies in kind. He doesn't play, doesn't sing- that's his partner in crime. Helping make ends meet in saloons with songs and melodies that Billy can only listen to.

He turns his attention away from the man, looking around the shop proper. Never seen so many instruments in one place...

Leo's dressed like he came from a place where practicality was favored over fashion. He's in a black T-shirt, jeans, and combat boots. Despite the drizzly weather, he doesn't seem all that cold. He finishes tuning the guitar to his satisfaction. It's ready to play now and his fingers strum the first chords of his song automatically before he can help himself.

He knows what it sounds like to human ears: the most beautiful song they've ever heard. He has a slightly guilty expression that gets wiped off almost as soon as it comes. The song won't do anything to Billy at present besides put him in a calm state. "What's your name?"

The practical aspect of their clothing is hardly missing from Billy's own fashion, even if he keeps himself rather smart with the black of his vest and trousers. His boots are made for riding and quick movement, even if they are made of fine alligator skin. The only thing truly ornamental for ornamental sake was the hilts and scabbards of his daggers. Beautifully cast and polished silver, carved with intricate patterns. Ivory hilts for his smaller blades. And in his hair, a silver hairpin, just as deadly as any of the blades on his waist.

All the same, the notes of the piano haunt the air with the guitar strum, and it almost feels... calming. At least gets his hands more relaxed, thumbs against his belt and palms at his sides. Not ready to throw a knife or pull his pistol.

"Billy Rocks. You are?"

That was an interesting name. Leo wondered if he had picked it out himself the way that Sunai monsters did. No one was around to name them at their creation and so they picked out names that they liked best, ones that spoke to them the way their songs did.

"Leo Flynn. From Verity." A word that had no meaning being as far-flung into the future as Leo was from. The United States was a thing of the past, broken down, and reformed into six different states. He plays a few more chords of his song. It calms and makes those around him confess. He's trying to remember not to play too much now. No need to start stealing the souls from people right and left.

Event 001: The Potions

1. 'Cause my soul has lost it's way

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