cursedrp | EVENT #1: SAY CHEESE

SAY CHEESE

The Rundown

Starting on September 8th, all characters will find themselves transported to White Pines Mall. During this time, the mall is closed to the public for renovations and no one suspects a thing! The power is on and everything is mysteriously functioning, but all the doors to the outside world are locked and no amount of pounding on them or trying to break windows will work. About an hour after arrival, an announcement will come over the PA system:

"Attention shoppers! Thank you for visiting White Pines Mall. We're excited to announce a new line of very special cameras available at Cutting Edge Electronics. For one week only, we're offering them for the low, low price of FREE! Present your photo at the front door to exit the mall, and have a wonderful day."

At Cutting Edge electronics, a row of Polaroid cameras will be on display, one for each character. All you have to do to leave the mall is get someone to take your picture with one of these cameras! Easy, right? Well...

The only issue is when the photo develops, there's something wrong with it. And that's not all: whatever's in the photo starts to come true! Effects from the photo can come on as quickly or as slowly as you like, and will wear off within the week (again, player's choice as to when exactly they wear off). If multiple photos of a character are taken, you have two options: have them be normal photos with no effect until the character's current effect wears off, OR have a new effect that replaces the old one. Characters cannot have multiple effects at one time.

Every character in the mall will need to present a photo in order to leave (and they won't be allowed to sneak out or piggyback with someone else). They can leave right away, or they can stay and try to deal with their new problem away from prying eyes until the event is over. The food court is fully stocked and anything your character orders will appear on the counter in front of them even though there are no employees there, so don't worry about starving.

The opt-out options for this event are as follows: one, say that your character was overlooked and not transported to the mall at all. They can continue to hang out in the city as normal but will not be able to enter the mall until the event is over. Two, have them be transported to the mall and end up with a "dud" photo where nothing has changed. It happens sometimes, lucky them!

Everyone will be kicked out at the end of the day on the 12th regardless of whether they took a photo or not. Any damage done to the mall will be repaired when it re-opens for business the next day.

After this event, the cursed camera item will be permanently available to purchase from Cutting Edge Electronics and can be used at any time. Why would you want to buy that? Revenge, maybe. Or maybe some meddling employee accidentally mixed the cursed stock with the regular stock. TL;DR if you want to play with this effect again after the event is over, the item will be there.

Extra Information

The effects of the camera are highly flexible. The effects don't have to be tied in to any specific fear they have, but of course you can use that as inspiration if you would like to. Some examples of effects can include:

Characters appear wounded in their photo, and the wounds start to manifest on them. Even wounds that should be fatal won't actually kill them during this event, but they sure hurt like hell and it may feel like they're dying if they keep progressing.

A character appears faded in their photo, and they gradually become intangible, unable to move anything or even let themselves out without help.

Characters who took a group photo to try and cheat the system find themselves fused together, or that they've swapped bodies.

There's a shadowy figure in the background of the photo, and for the rest of the week the affected character keeps seeing someone - or something - moving in their peripheral vision that feels like it's getting closer and closer.

Any of these effects are fair game but they are just examples, so feel free to make your own! Try and keep with the tone of these prompts and not go too big, some degree of transformation is fine but don't turn your character into a kitten or a three-headed dragon.

Characters can choose to leave right away or stay for a while, but they won't actually be told they'll be let go/kicked out on the 12th regardless.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rodney helps himself to the eggs unabashedly, slipping into a seat opposite of her and shoveling them over on his own tray.

The Sir is unexpected and makes him feel a little guilty. Not guilty enough not to eat the eggs but enough to... at least try his luck at a little small talk and show some decency when she's apparently not feeling well.]

So.

[Uh.]

Curses, huh?

[Off to a great start.]

And cursed cameras.

[He circles his hand as if to say aren't they just the worst.]

[Nancy blinks.] Curses. [she repeats, with slight trepidation.]

Yeah, that's, that about sums it all up, I'd say. [She takes a good long drink, and with her other hand, signals the waitress for another. Turns out, they don't care enough about ID. No drinking age in the 1800s, bitches!]

You think that's the cameras? Or did they just capture what our curse is? [If Fagin is going to follow her every waking hour for the rest of her life, god in heaven, she doesn't quite know what she'll do.]

[Rodney's eyebrows climb at the rapid speed with which the drinks are being decimated but feels neither the moral obligation nor urge to comment on it. Honestly, with their current situation, who doesn't want to be drunk? If he wasn't so busy researching, he might join her.]

No, I don't think it's likely. They brought us here already cursed - at least that's what they're telling us. Using the cameras requires a choice on our part, so why build in an extra step?

[But he frowns at her second suggestion, giving a little huh as he considers it.]

Hadn't thought of that. It's possible.

[He pauses in his eating, looking up at her with newfound interest.]

What did yours show?

[In her defense, gin is cheaper than water back home. and healthier for you.

She shifts, looks into the bag she's got slung over one shoulder. Pushing past a few stolen items, she pulls out the polaroid of herself. It's quite a cute picture, she thinks. Jim had gotten her to smile, which was very unusual in a picture to her, but she looks bright, dimples showing through under green eyes. In the background lurks a shadow of a man with wide-brimmed hat and long coat.

She slides the picture across the table to him, and points at the shadow.]

See that man?

[She glances around, making sure he's nowhere near. If he finds her... She knows he'll kill her, same as Bill.]

His name is Fagin.

[Rodney takes the picture, pulling it in to examine it up close.]

Huh. He seems nice.

[His dubious tone makes it clear that he absolutely does not think that in any form or capacity and he frowns, glancing up at her.]

I take it he's not exactly a friend. Unless you consider your friends curses, which, I do know that feeling sometimes?

He's a devil, make no mistake.

[She's very serious about this.]

No. He's... He raised me. Something like a father, but he ain't no father. Not to me. Not for a long time. I know he's dead, back home. But so am I. [She looks about to see if she can find a waiter, someone to refill her cup. One stops by, and she makes a small gesture toward the cup. The waiter dashes off, and Nancy is secure in knowing she will still be drinking for at least a few minutes longer.]

[His chewing slows at that particular bit of information and he looks awkward, his own deer in headlights moment.]

Dead. As in... actually dead? Right. Sorry about that?

[Now Rodney can't say he relates exactly, but he has heard of alternate versions of himself dying at previous points in his life and feels the same uneasy discomfort.]

So, uh, so you think this guy might show up here? Is that why you're...

[He gestures at the cup.]

Because, just an idea, if he's so dangerous, maybe you should do the opposite. Have you tried running from something when you're utterly wasted? It's really not all that great.

No, don't be sorry. I wasn't there for it. Only know 'cause someone told me what happens. [Apparently some bloke wrote about Oliver's life. She's not really all that surprised, but it is weird to know people know about her.] Besides, he deserved the drop.

[She nods.] I'm afraid he'll get closer and closer and get here. Find me. Try to kill me. [Dying once was enough.] I don't know, but I don't want him here. I want him to stay in hell.

[She frowns] I have, thank you. My usual state, back home.

Right.

Do you have a weapon? Something to defend yourself with?

[He knows the place is really lacking in that regard but he also thinks that might be a better option than getting plastered.]

I mean, you do have the advantage to know he might be coming. You should make something of that.

EVENT #1: SAY CHEESE

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sorry this is so late!