In Character - Game Thread

Dec 10, 2023 10:31 am
You are travellers on a road trip in eastern Finnish countryside in late august. The sun is setting and you are in the middle of nowhere nearby a swamp and forest when your car starts acting up. You see adds for a log cabin camping site near the road. The adds seem dated and when you pull your car over the side road and walk the rest of the way you see that the camping site is even more so. Crumbling, rusty, dated, old and probably built around the 80’s. It’s quiet but gladly you see a lantern lit up on a porch of a small barrack. On the porch there is a kiosk counter with dated ice cream adds and next to it a carved wooden bear statue that holds a sign: "Iilves Camping - Reception". 

Dec 13, 2023 1:43 pm
Okay, you have pulled your rental car on the small dirtroad leading to an old log hut renting camping ground. The walk from your car was about 500 meters through the forest. You arrive at the log hut village through an old wooden gate that's open. At first glance it seems abandoned but then you see a lantern lit up on a porch of a small building. You see old ice cream adds and a carved bear holding a sign: "Iilves Camping - Reception".
OOC:
When we zoom to you, what do we see? What is everybody doing and how do you react?
@Dr_B @Rabbits @Dsquid @Drakis2
Dec 13, 2023 2:39 pm
Team building my arse, he thinks grumpily as he steps on the porch. The wooden floorboards protest under his considerable weight.

Dalvin is a 60 year old big bear of a man, still reasonably fit for his age. His misanthropic nature normally steers him well away from exercises of this nature. But the stupid new management, influenced by these ludicrous new Psychological research pieces from across the Ocean, have enforced this one on all the staff, old and new.

Only thing this stupid trip builds, is the bank account of the idiot who came up with it. Bah!

He looks around, then turns to the others. "This place looks old. But at least it's shelter. We don't wanna be out there when the sun's gone."
OOC:
using italics for thoughts, bold for dialogue, if that's OK
Last edited December 13, 2023 2:39 pm
Dec 13, 2023 4:11 pm
Greta rolls her eyes at Arnarson.

Jeez, well thank you Sherlock!

"Well...what do you think Mr Heikkinen, sir? Shall we stay here?" Greta turns to Heikkinen and points her thumb at door.

She has been trying to impress Heikkinen during the trip here, using tricks her friend Bjorn taught her from a Youtube influencer he follows. She really hopes it is working, as it is exhausting and the tiredness shows in her slumped shoulders and voice.
Dec 13, 2023 7:41 pm
Mikko fishes out his packet of cigarettes, plucks a smoke from the wrapping and lights up.
How many hours were they in that car? He didn't dare ask if he could smoke during the drive. These science-nerd types would probably have said yes, but then they would likely also resent him, and maybe even grow suspicious.

He kicks himself once again for filling out the paperwork wrong. He'd never have signed up for this if he knew...

Mikko stands tall and fit (despite his smoking habit). He has a camera in one pocket, and a notebook in the other. He tries not to scowl as he looks around.

"Are you sure you don't want to take another look at the engine?" Mikko asks Dalvin, mostly in jest at this point. The thought of sleeping on a plank of wood in a cabin in the middle of nowhere makes him feel sick.

Mikko rubs out his spent cigarette on the bear statue thing.
OOC:
How's the weather? Any fresh footsteps or any other indication than the light that people have been here recently?
Dec 13, 2023 9:08 pm
Greta watches as Mikko stubs his cigarette out on the bear statue.

"Ya know Mr Alexander, that is so not appropriate," the snark in her tone is easy to hear, as is the look of disapproval. "and like those things will give you cancer. Then you'll like die. In like lots of pain. So yeah."

Greta turns back to the cabin's doorway.

"Maybe you should like knock or something Mr Arnarson?"
Dec 13, 2023 10:42 pm
"Maybe I'll have another go in the daylight," he answers to Mikko. Then gesturing in the direction of the car, "but if you want to, be my guest. Your eyes are better than mine. "

He glances at Greta, the annoying youngster. But this time she is right.

With a grunt, he steps to the door and knocks loudly.
"Hello? Anyone there?" he calls.
Dec 13, 2023 11:21 pm
Mikko looks at Greta with feigned seriousness.
"What? You mean I might hurt this bear's feelings?"
Mikko slaps the bear a bit and mockingly talks to it, "Hey, Mr. Bear! Hey, you don't mind a little cigarette ash on you do you?"

He flicks the dead cigarette out into the growing gloom.
"At least I'm not the one relishing the idea of another's cancer and pain."

He takes a big breath.
"I... I shouldn't have said that. It's been...a long day."

Mikko turns and ranges about, not out of eyesight from the others, but far enough, to get a lay of the land.
OOC:
How many cabins are there in total? What sort of condition are they in?
I'm curious, does Greta believe his apology?
Last edited December 13, 2023 11:22 pm
Dec 14, 2023 5:00 am
https://i.imgur.com/Q7Ac5Yr.png

You see at least 5 cabins in a circular formation. Some of them are falling a part (missing a piece of roof etc). Some seem like they are in working condition.

The weather is cloudy but otherwise okay, a bit breezy but that is to be expected as the autumn is starting. The leafs of th forest trees that surround the log cabins are yellow and orange, some trees have already dropped their leafs. Pine trees are dark green though, rising higher in the midst of the leafy ones.

It's pretty dark already and you've been sitting in the car for at least 2 - 3 hours. You have no service in your phones and are quite lost.

On the other side of the clearing theres a path that leads further to the forest. Down the path you see a lean young man (boy?) of maybe 15 - 20 years approaching. He seems to notice you and stops. He has messy tangled black bush of hair and he seems to be wearing a dark jogging jacket with white stripes and baggy jeans. In his right hand he carries something that seems to be a dead crow, hanging it from the neck. On his other hand there seems to be a knife.
Dec 14, 2023 6:55 am
Esko joins the rest at the main cabins and stands next to Greta, stretching his tall frame after the cramped ride. The fawning student is not unfamiliar to Esko as his status as an academic has put him in this situation many times. While he doesn't necessarily seek that attention, he has been around for it not to bother him either.

"I don't think we have much choice, Greta" he says. He eyes Mikka as the man rubs his cigarette out on the bear and joins Dalvin on the porch, peering in a window when he hears a noise from the woods. He turns and sees the young man emerging from the path.

Esko calls to the young man, still not sure of his age and whether the he can help them or if Esko should be asking about his parents, "Hi there, we could use some help. Do you live here?"
Last edited December 14, 2023 6:55 am
Dec 14, 2023 8:54 am
OOC:
assuming no one replies to the knock on the door
Dalvin turns his attention to the approaching young man and his strange quarry, waiting to see how he responds to Esko.
Dec 14, 2023 2:08 pm
Mikko's been on enough investigative excursions on the streets of various cities to know crazy when he sees it. And right now, seeing this young man with a knife and a dead bird, he's pretty sure this guy has some sort of mental illness.

Instinctively he puts himself between the young man and Greta, guarding her.

He mutters low so only his companions can hear, "Careful with this guy, I don't like the vibe I'm getting from him."
OOC:
What kind of knife is it? Is there any blood on the knife? Can Mikko see what sort of expression is on the boy's face? Are there any branches or sticks around that Mikko could use as a weapon?
Last edited December 14, 2023 2:10 pm
Dec 14, 2023 3:59 pm
Greta turns to watch the figure in the distance when Heikkinen hails him, until Alexander blocks her line-of-sight. Hearing Alexander mumble his warning she steps out from behind him, commenting as she does, "YOU need to like calm the heck down, jeez."

She raises her arm and gives the figure a friendly wave.

"HALLO!"
Dec 15, 2023 3:46 am
The boy just freezes and takes a few steps back when you call him. The knife seems bloody but it's hard to tell from this distance.

Just as Dalvin is turning away the door opens behind him and you hear a man's voice (in Finnish):

Evening.... may I help you? Welcome.... to Iilves Camping

and then in struggling English: Me help you?

The speech is withered and creeky as if the man hasn't talked much of late. Also he reeks: you feel a penetrating body odor of sweat, piss, alcohol and something else.

He is wearing a simple gray shirt and greenish cargo pants.

https://i.imgur.com/965gakb.jpg
Dec 15, 2023 3:50 am
Rabbits says:
Mikko's been on enough investigative excursions on the streets of various cities to know crazy when he sees it. And right now, seeing this young man with a knife and a dead bird, he's pretty sure this guy has some sort of mental illness.

Instinctively he puts himself between the young man and Greta, guarding her.

He mutters low so only his companions can hear, "Careful with this guy, I don't like the vibe I'm getting from him."
OOC:
What kind of knife is it? Is there any blood on the knife? Can Mikko see what sort of expression is on the boy's face? Are there any branches or sticks around that Mikko could use as a weapon?
OOC:
You can't make much of the boy's face from this distant as he is carrying no light. There are some branches nearby as the yard is not very well kept.
Dec 15, 2023 7:25 am
Startled by the man at the door, he turns around to face him and winces at the odour.

Dammit. Quite the welcome committee.

"Ehm... Good evening," he answers. "Our car has broken down and it is getting too dark to try and fix it.... We need shelter for the night, if one of your lodges is... available ?" He has to refrain from saying decent.
Dec 16, 2023 6:02 am
Esko smells the man before he hears him, he turns and sees that Dalvin is already addressing the apparent proprietor decides to investigate the odd fellow in the yard a bit more. He gives Mikko a nod and says, "You an me both"

Esko take a few steps off the porch and nods to the boys hands, "What's that you have there?"
Dec 16, 2023 1:54 pm
When the boy takes a few steps back, Mikko does indeed relax, just ever so slightly, and takes a moment to peer over Dalvin's shoulder and beyond the open door—but trying not to let the boy fall out of his field of vision.

Then the foul odor hits him, "Ugh, what is that smell?" he mutters under his breath to Greta.
OOC:
Are there electrical lights or devices turned on inside? What can Mikko see behind the stinky man?
Dec 16, 2023 5:25 pm
Greta turns when she hears Dalvin greeting the owner, and sidles over to listen in, losing interest in the boy.
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