CAMP ALPHA: for everyone who wanted a crossover between summercamp and Ghost Adventures

[indigo_league]

Who: Everyone who came to Camp Alph
Where: The Ruins of Alph
When: July 18th-21st
Summary: This is a log for all the camping shenanigans your heart desires! For part 2 of the event, there will be a second log to keep the ensuing seance situation separate from the all-purpose ruin-exploration adventures. Participation in part 2 will be entirely voluntary, so feel free to tag on part 1 as long as you like! For more information about this event, check out the info post over here!
Rating: PG-13
Log:


Been to the Ruins of Alph before? Are you an old hat at this stuff? Well turn everything you thought you knew UPSIDE DOWN because EVERYTHING. IS DIFFERENT NOW.

… Or at least, that’s what the flyers being passed out under a canopy of cheap Celebi balloons that are bobbing around in the breeze say.

One thing’s for sure, there sure are a lot more tents than normal. By the time most of you casuals get there, the entire picnicking area, usually quite spacious, has been turned into a small tent city. And the excited atmosphere is palpable.

The crackle of the Ruin Rangers’ walkie-talkies mingles with that of the ghost-hunting equipment toted around by excited Hex Maniacs, burbling Unown are drifting here and there to blink curiously at all the new people and Pokemon suddenly on their turf, and chatter from Legend Seekers of all ages (really, of ALL ages-- everyone from Youngsters to Veterans have apparently been swept up in the Seeker-mania!) rings out as stories and speculations are swapped.

There’s lots to do, plenty to explore, and (according to word on the grapevine), more than enough spooky rituals to perform once the night falls.

Will you solve some tile puzzles and fall into an underground chamber? Stick to the main group and make s’mores? Befriend a floating letter (or twenty-four)? Go directly against the advice of the tired-looking Rangers and play One Man Hide-and-Seek in the dark?

Or, most importantly, will you start a small-scale riot in order to keep the loud static boxes away from the tents where you’re trying to sleep?

Comments

[colorpalatable]

"Aww, I'm sorry little dude. I was just having some fun."

Her apology is sincere - Jake the Dog notwithstanding, she's not super used to people who can't just shrug off a good jump scare.

"D'you wanna do a reverse jump scare? Even the score? I'm down if you are."

[lifebloomsanew]

Despite the fact that Rose has a very packed summer, she can't miss the overnight camp in the ruins. Real ghosts! Just like in the movies back on Earth! It's enough to pull her away from her Amazing Human Summer Vacation for the few days the camp is being held.

A - Super Doof In The Ruins of Alph

Doofy the Bidoof is just as curious about this place as his trainer, but for a different sort of reason. This is a scary old place full of ghosts! And look at all these humans and pokemon! If this isn't a place that needs a super hero, he doesn't know what is. And he is here to fight any nasty spooks and keep everybody safe!

Which is why he's in his Super Doof costume, red and yellow striped cape and eye mask and all. He's patrolling the outside of the ruins, humming what sounds suspiciously like a cartoon theme song under his breath. He's sniffing at every corner and peeking over every ledge, ready and eager to find a chance for some heroics!

B - Rose Quartz Goes Ghost Hunting

This was it! Ghost hunting!

Rose is decked out in a Legend Seeker's t-shirt and a pair of khakis. She even has a miner's headlamp for at night and a backpack full of emergency supplies and things she thinks ghosts might like. She is Prepared for this. She's got a oujia board box tucked under one arm, a pamphlet in her back pocket, and she's gotten her hands on an EMF meter.

This woman is going to meet a ghost.

You can find her creeping all over the ruins, sometimes getting distracted attempting to coax the Unown to play. It's hard to miss her, an eight foot tall pink haired woman every so often calling out 'hello ghosts!' at any spot she sees that looks like it could be particularly haunted.


C - Fireside Chilling


Even ghost hunters need a break, and that fire is very appealing. Not to mention the marshmallows. In between venturing out to try and make contact, Rose settles herself by the fire with her shiny Snubull - who is just as interested in the marshmallows. The pair get right to roasting multiple marshmallows on a stick each, and Rose is eager to turn to her fireside companions.

"Have you talked to any ghosts yet?"

[cyan_maid]

Oh, shucks, that's not fair...

[But Pokemon do what they want, most times; it's a tricky thing.]

Well, at least she has you come with her down here? It'd be terribly worrying if one of mine dropped through a hole and I couldn't follow them.

Korra | OTA

[bent_the_world]

Korra was honestly expecting something a lot sillier and ridiculous. She has no problem with the Legend Seekers, but she does think they're a little goofy. This? A much more serious set up than she'd expected.

And while spirits in this world aren't exactly the same as spirits in hers...whatever, it's still general spirit-y stuff and that's kind of her and Botan's whole deal. Well, Botan's whole deal and half of Korra's. Three quarters, probably.

Besides, there's a sense of fun to the whole thing. Like the Ouija Boards. Korra picks one up and scoffs, turning to whoever happens to be around that is not a Legend Seeker.

"Do you think this kind of stuff actually works? Seems like spirits would have way better things to do than hang around waiting to awkwardly talk with us." At least they usually do.

The Spirit Boxes are also weird. Korra can be found poking them. Literally poking them with a wooden spoon. She's trying to see if poking changes the creepy, dying radio station noises spitting out of them. She's half convinced there's one of those electricity manipulating Pokemon nearby or maybe inhabiting the boxes.

And of course she'll be hanging around The Big Camp Fire and helping herself to s'mores fixings.

[neverstudied]

[Hey!!! Out of all the Ghostbusters, he's the least geeky.

... That doesn't mean he's not one, though.]

Yeah, exactly! Most spirits tend to be attracted to more personalized attempts to communicate, and- [A beat. Venkman turns around, catches that grin, and sighs heavily.] You're screwing with me, aren't you.

[By virtue of being the least nerdy of the four, he's also the most likely to actually realize when someone's trying to fuck with him. Sorry Heather- you'll have much better luck with Egon.

Whatever Super Nerd he's been getting in a baby fight with mumbles something about how he once used this Ouija Board to talk to his grandmother. Venkman forgets all about Heather for the moment and scoffs.]

Yeah, unless your grandma is an asshole who would refuse to talk to her own grandkid over a toy spirit board, that doesn't mean shit. Are you telling me your grandma was an asshole?

[i cant remember if venkman and heather have talked before but i really hope this is her first impression of him now. just this.]

[cyan_maid]

Oh-

[Oh no hONEY NO THAT'S HOT!!! Jane is quick to scoop up the Rockruff once it's close enough, gentle and firm all at the same time.]

No no no, no, please don't do that, you're going to burn yourself! Oh, gracious, where did you come from...?

ruins

[starry_forehead]

[Dipper is also deep in the lower chambers. At the moment he's actually taking a break from the puzzle solving and sketching and interesting puzzle into one of his journals. Hearing someone, he'll turn around with his flashlight.]

Ah!

...um...sorry I didn't see you there.

[Please ignore the scream.]

[agent3]

Ah-!

[Armin!! It's Armin! Thida hurries over, in a lull between battles. Other trainers are going at it, of course, but most are avoiding her just from the sheer tenacity of her mostly fully-evolved, scary looking Pokemon alone.

Poko the Tepig is at her heels, though, snorting and skipping as he goes. His trainer's happy, and he's happy, and later they're going to have smores and that's all that matters.]

Hi! What's up?

b

[starry_forehead]

Dipper is also ghost hunting! I mean aside from the Phantump next to him. That's just his starter, helping him investigate.

"You might have better luck if you keep the yelling down. A lot of ghosts tend to hide." He thinks for a moment. "Or wait until it's a creepy moment to jump out at you and scare you."

[agent3]

Yeah, 's possible.

[It's why she's offering, after all. She'll hand Egon and the Trevenant some loaded up sticks before she takes in his question.]

...No. Whatcha load 'em with?

[agent3]

Just found it sittin' here...

[It is entirely likely a Legend Seeker set it up, got excited, then got distracted and left it and forgot they set it up. Frowning, Thida picks it up and turns it over, looking for a little hatch that she can just-

Oh. Nope, you need a screwdriver to open up the battery hatch. Who's bright idea was that???]

Urgh...

Ouija Board

[notyourgoddess]

Maya is looking over the Oujia Board herself.

"I've got no clue. This world is the first one I've actually seen ghosts on. Maybe they get bored here."

[cyan_maid]

Ah-!

[It's okay, you surprised her, too. They can both pretend neither of them screamed, it's fine. The J Unown, however, will remember this.]

Oh - oh, Dipper, it's just you...

campfire

[notyourgoddess]

[She remembers being introduced to you by Krieg. So when offered food she'll nod.]

Hey, Thida. I'll take a smore.

[She had some at the bonfire party. They were ...actually really good.]

2. Ruins

[notyourgoddess]

[Investigating ruins that are actually not going to try and kill her, probably. Maya is here for this. She'll follow Shiro.]

I wonder if they have treasure in these places.

[starry_forehead]

Yeah. I didn't realize we weren't the only ones here.

[His Phantump possibly did, she's laughing a little from above his shoulder.]

I found a really neat looking puzzle and I've been meaning to keep records of what they look like so I took a break to draw it.

Closed to Dipper

[schachmeister]

[The setting: a tent. The time: night. The activity: definitely not sleeping.

Which is not to say Armin and Dipper are up to any funny business. Oh no. There is only the most above-board, serious mystery trading going on here. Very professional.

Armin is laying on his stomach in the tent, a copy of the map he got from Nephelis laying in front of him, a notebook and pen at the ready. He's already marked down the two additional marks that are on Dipper's map but not on his own. His Shiinotic, Gus, sits in the opened tent flap, his cap glowing and bathing the inside of the tent in a shimmery, slightly ethereal light. Who needs flashlights when you have got a gentle shroom buddy? Which is not to say Armin doesn't also have a flashlight at hand -- the one Dipper gave him for Christmas, to be exact. After all, you never know when you might need a flashlight!]

All right. [Armin gestures with his pen at the map.] I promised to tell you about what I saw out here [He pointed at the golden mark off the whirl islands.] so I guess we should start there and then afterwards we can compare the rest of the marks we visited.

[pkemeter]

[He leans into the kiss, smiling a little--which, for Egon, is equivalent to outright joy. He gently squeezes Venkman's hand as he nods towards the Bulbasaur.]

Isn't it incredible? We found it while traversing the forest, searching for more bug-type specimens. Faraday, herself, dug it out of the bushes.

[He gestures towards his own bag, in turn.]

Additionally, a few of the eggs I received managed to hatch while I was away. I believe you may have some interest in them, as both of them are bird-like creatures.

...But first, did you happen to see the equipment the Legend Seekers are using? Have you seen any evidence of apparitions nearby?

[starry_forehead]

[The most professional mystery trades ever. Dipper's also got out his map, a journal, a pen. Another flashlight and his uv light. Everything you need to be way too into this.]

That sounds like a good start.

[He's also got the new marks on his own map that he'd been missing.]

What did you see there?

[neverstudied]

Well, unlike what this guy thinks, if you wanna use a spirit board, you don't wanna have your salt circle go all the way around the board. How the fuck are they supposed to use the board if you're keeping them out with a protective circle? You wanna surround yourself, but leave the board just outside your circle. Your arms'll be outside the circle when you're using the board, but you can pull yourself in when you feel unsafe.

[i'd like the record to show that there is no canon basis for this being how ghost summoning works in ghostbusters but here i am anyway bullshitting everything]

[neverstudied]

It's fine. Less work for me.

[As long as Sigourney isn't chasing people around with knives or wiping their memories clean, Venkman couldn't care less what she does. She's a grown alien. She knows what she's doing.

Speaking of:]

Really? Like, half of my team went off to explore parts of the ruins on their own a couple hours ago.

[They're probably fine.]

[neverstudied]

Is there no power button on that thing?

[Wait- a screwdriver! Venkman brightens and holds his arm out, jostling the sleeping Klefki on his wrist and waking it up in the process. He gently tugs it off his wrist, and the Klefki jingles irritably, the keys- and more importantly, mini- tools- on its band clinking together as it attempts to curse its trainer out.]

Yeah, yeah- just go open that box up for us, alright?

[More irate jingling. But Plunderbird isn't a fan of the shrieking ghost box, either, and eventually hovers down to inspect it closer.]

A

[neverstudied]

[Dr. Peter Venkman was, quite literally, born and raised with the carnival. He worked as a barker as a child, then a teenager; he's known fortune tellers since he was a baby, some shams and some secretly legitimate.

The point is, he knows his shit. But what he doesn't know is whether or not a Pokemon might be able to tell an accurate fortune, and that on top of the overwhelming sense of nostalgia draws him nearer. The Honchkrow on his shoulder croaks softly, peering at the Mandibuzz as she throws her bones. Kildarby is a bit of a witch in her own right- at least so far as a bird Pokemon can be considered a witch-, though she has no experience with fortune telling, and her knowledge with regards to divining from bones is limited. She's almost more curious about this than Venkman is.

... Also, unfortunately for the Poochyena, Venkman is very aware of how carny folk tend to operate. There's a Mimikyu- Kirby- at his feet, patrolling around him and hissing at anyone and anything that gets too close. If they chose him as a mark, they're gonna want to distract her first.]

Ruins...

[uber_marionettist]

The chambers below are the opposite of riveting. Monocular floating Roman letters aside, there just isn't much to see. The dubiously sentient things sure seem to think he's a sight for sore eyes, though. There are dozens of them, clustering around him in ever-shifting patterns, glistening single eyes blinking (or not blinking) like ripples in water, and the way they stare at him, it's almost familiar.

"Sure. Eye spy you too." The ceiling shifts, a sound of dry stone scraping itself into grit and sand against more of the same. A faint dusting of sediment warns him before the sky actually falls, long enough for him to make an attempt at shooing the Unown away.

"Show's over. Do I have to carve a path here or are you gonna make yourselves scarce for me?"

Then the upper floor parts and most of the semiotic scopophiles scatter--

All but one. A single iteration of a single grapheme hangs around, as though waiting specifically for the body dropping in from above.

Dirk does not say anything when she lands maybe a yard away, her back to him. The lone drifter catches her attention--

Oh - it's you again?

And Dirk's mouth runs interference.

"Funny. I was just about say the same thing."

[pikapikajankenpo]

I mean, that's only logical, right? Salt is a protective barrier against spirits in general, so if you're warding the board AND yourself, you wouldn't be able to use it's power. And especially not one that is bought from K-Mart of all places.

[That's fine, Yayoi is a ghost nut so like, she'd buy anything.]