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

[pikapikajankenpo]

Yeah, I brought Sasami with me. She and I could use the break from the travel so we hopped the trip over here. Thanks for doing that for us, by the way.

Your targets escaping by the way, [she pointed out helpfully. Sorry PokeManiac.]

[neverstudied]

Yeah, of course. The bird's been doing well- nowhere near as aggressive as her parents still, thank God, though she can still be a bit feisty. Do you wanna pick her up now? She's in the PC, so I'll have to go back in town first...

[Oh. Venkman whips around to face the PokeManiac, scowling. The trainer in question yelps in surprise and nearly drops the devices in his hands.]

Not finished with you yet, jackass. What were you saying earlier about salt circles? C'mon, I really wanna hear it.

[The PokeManiac is regretting everything he's ever done in life.]

[pikapikajankenpo]

Sure if you have time after working the crowd. I wouldn't want to interrupt anything.

[Yayoi is enjoying the show, she's got that side to her. And this whole supernatural thing is RIGHT up her alley. And it pays to have someone who is literally versed in actual supernatural stuff to pick the brain about.]

So what IS the right way to supernatural anyhow, Peter?

[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]

[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.]

[neverstudied]

Exactly! [Louder, directed at the Pokemaniac:] Exactly! Jesus Christ, man, it's not that hard to understand.

[The PokeManiac stutters a nervous agreement, taking a few more steps back and offering excuses for why he has to go right now immediately-]

Yeah, get outta here- you better hope I don't see ya again later.

[...]

Anyway. Just let me know when you want me to go grab the Doduo.

[As casually as though the last few minutes didn't just happen...]

[pikapikajankenpo]

Hey no worries. I just didn't want to interrupt you debunking a guy who was doing something wrong.

[She grinned.] I'm really into the supernatural and all that. But I never got a chance to talk about it with friends. We've got time for the Doduo, take your time.

[neverstudied]

Your friends not as into the supernatural as you, I guess?

[pikapikajankenpo]

At least two of my friends are terrified of it. At least of ghosts. One of them is about as level headed as your friend Egon is.

One would scream within five meters of an Unown.

[neverstudied]

I dunno if I'd describe Egon as level-headed...

[Stoic, yes. Serious, yes. Unhinged and manic? Also yes.]

I don't have that problem anymore. Basically everyone I'm close to and on good terms with back home is either involved with our line of work, or is so used to it that they put up with it.

[And both groups are small, with most members of the second group being family. He doesn't trust easily, and he doesn't make friends easily. Friendly acquaintances, sure- plenty of those. But not a lot of friends.]

[pikapikajankenpo]

Hehehe, fair enough then. Reika has her moments too, being the smartest one out of our Middle School days.

[Stoic, serious, slightly manic and unhinged? Maaaaaybe, if you shove Joker in her path but she was calm and collected in her own way. Very rarely did Reika lose her cool.]

It's been a very long time since I saw or met up with any of our fellow superheroes. Most of them have moved on at this point. I haven't even met the local Precure of 2022 yet to be honest. I'm that out of the loop but then I think something supernatural's happening to me back home. Can I pick your brain on that for a moment, Peter?

[neverstudied]

Hard question, since I dunno the situation or how supernatural stuff works in your dimension, but you can try.

[pikapikajankenpo]

Okay well, just here's the quick weird thing. Back home, I'm pretty sure that I've been messed with for at least a few years now. I've been in a daze, I can't remember anything from the last week and it's gotten worse and worse, compounding severely over time. I realized it when my mom told me I visited her a week ago, in my world, and I couldn't even remember it.

After the last World Break, you know, the time when our powers and abilities come back? I remembered things, a little more each time, and some more things became clearer.

I think the ghost of an old villain we never defeated is haunting me and my friends back home, for over 10 years, slowly messing with us and altering our minds and memories. Some of us can't even remember our own faces sometimes when we meet each other on the street. It's gotten that bad.

And now that I'm here, his influence is gone, and I've been free of it for three years so that my head has cleared.

Thoughts?

[neverstudied]

... Huh.

[That's all he says, at first. For a good few seconds, it looks like that might be all he says.]

I mean, it sounds like you have it pretty figured out. You know what caused it- who caused it- and why, sort of- revenge. If you're asking me what kinda supernatural force could do that, I gotta be honest, I dunno. At least not off the top of my head. I've dealt with mental manipulation stuff before, but not for ten years straight.

... I'm sorry you've had to deal with that. Even a brief case of that stuff can fuck you up- I know. Ten years is a long time to have your mind messed with.