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

Current Location: Ruins of Alph

Entry tags:

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

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?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Out of the three Ghostbusters in this dimension, Venkman was probably the most reluctant to go to this thing. That's not necessarily a dig at the camp itself- just a fact. Ray and Egon would sell their organs to come here if they had to, and Venkman's here mostly just to watch them get excited (Ray unrestrained, Egon with a thick layer of stoicism that makes the slightly unhinged, manic look in his eyes so much more nerve-wracking).

... On top of that, Ray and Egon ditched him (IE: asked him to come, and he refused, multiple times) for a few weeks to go explore some forests and catch some bugs, and it's been a while since he's seen them. So Venkman shows up early- very early. Like, "sir we haven't really set anything up yet" early. Like "this event doesn't start for another day or two did you get the date wrong" early.

Venkman explains it away to anyone who asks as him just happening to plan a trip out here and it coinciding with the Legend Seekers' plans. The truth is painfully obvious the second he actually sees Ray and Egon again- because of course, they're sure as hell not gonna be late.

... Still, even if he's not quite as into this as his partners, he knows his shit. Mostly.]

You guys are using store-bought Ouija boards? God, this is amateur hour.

[Which mostly means he feels entitled to complain.

A lot.]

How many times do I gotta tell you people, tinfoil hats do nothing to stop Psychic interference. You're setting yourself up for failure.

[And every single NPC is gonna hear it.]

What the fuck is a spirit box?

[Whenever he gets done berating and badgering the Legend Seekers for their methods, Venkman'll usually be found around the fire pit, regaling whatever Legend Seekers don't hate him after his critiques with stories about past busts. Some of these really sound farfetched, to be honest, but hey, what do you know? Maybe Houdini really did have a magic cabinet and Venkman got trapped inside there once. Maybe Venkman did help retrieve the Shears of Fate from a gaggle of demons for the Fates from Greek Mythology. Maybe a parade float inflated in a warehouse that used to be a city morgue really did turn into a gigantic praying mantis ghost and had to be fought off by a giant marshmallow man that used to be the form of an ancient Sumerian god.

... Man, what is wrong in New York City.

While Venkman's off either making a fool of himself or others, a few of his Pokemon seem especially interested in the surrounding ruins. Roach the Golisopod evolved here, after all- and Georgie the Kecleon was captured here. So was Plunderbird the Klefki, by its previous owner. Don't be too alarmed if you run into this trio while exploring- they don't bite.

... Plunderbird might bite if it could, though. It's a wily little thing. But it also knows the ruins like the back of its hand, so if you happen to be lost, just follow the jingling tools! Georgie and Roach will do their best to keep it from leading the wrong way.]

[OOC: hmu on plurk (

glitchbirds) if you have any questions or have anything specific you'd like to thread out!

Additionally, while they're not mentioned here, Venkman's also got his Mimikyu, Beheeyem, and Honchkrow with him, so if you'd like something specific involving one of them, lmk!]

[Venkman doesn't actually see Egon--at least, not at first. Rather, he spots a cloud of dust down the road, growing larger and larger with each passing second. A figure looms in the distance, and it becomes quickly clear that the source of the dust is a Scolipede galloping at top speed towards the Ruins. As Venkman is able to make out more details, he may realize that there are two figures clinging to the bug's back for dear life.

For a bug, Scolipede moves fast. Sir Wigglesworth doesn't care if he leaves his passengers in the dust, for he has a destination and he will arrive on time regardless of what his trainer says or does, even if he means he has to drag him and his partner from their frog hunting and run off down Route 32.

As Sir Wigglesworth gets closer, he spots Venkman and suddenly begins charging directly towards him, his head lowered like an enraged bull ready to gore a fighter in the ring. The bug stops short about a foot away, skidding to a stop and throwing up a cloud of dust in his wake. The Scolipede towers above Venkman as he casts a judging eye down towards him. He lets out a snort, his antenna twitching back and forth.

Egon coughs and clears his throat, trying to wave the dust away. He's sitting in a rather awkward position and trying not to fall over. Behind him sits Ray, clinging to both Egon and Sir Wigglesworth's exoskeleton plates for dear life. In a deadpan tone, Egon looks towards Venkman and says--]

Hello, Peter.

[Oh, this should be quaint, Jane thought when she caught wind of the Legend Seeker's newest event. Camping in the ruins, telling ghost stories? Sounds like something out of one of Jake's beloved cheesy 80's kids movies. So, yeah, why not go? It's not like Jane has much else to do this summer.

There's a couple of places you can find Jane, but the most prominent area you'll see her is by the campfire, maintaining her own little cooking setup. Yes, that's a Dutch Oven pot. Yes, she always has an array of cooking spices in her backpack, it's essential supplies! And no, it's fine, there are so many basic hamburger patties that breaking some up, dumping a can of beans in, and flavoring it all to heck won't put a dent in the supply. Really, she's asked permission to make campfire chili, do you want some? While that's stewing, though, Jane is instructing her Audino, Dinah, in the essential skill of smores assembly.

When it comes to the spooky spirit stuff, well, Jane's always found it a bit hokey, and even in a world where you can literally befriend ghosts and have them battle for you, the whole "ghost hunting" thing is pretty much total bullshit, right? So she keeps her distance. Instead, she heads into the ruins to do some puzzle busting, and...

For real, the girl keeps decimating these puzzles. Once you figure out how the outer pieces go, the inner ones are a matter of careful shifting. So it's not surprising that she lands in the lower chamber quite often - often enough that an Unown starts waiting for her whenever she drops in.]

Oh - it's you again?

[How does she know it's the same J as the last three times? Intuition. But besides that, hopefully she didn't drop in on you doing something important.]

[Camping. Real camping, not travel-camping but actual staying in one place camping outside, in the summer. Summer camping. Summer camp? Is this summer camp?

This, Thida decides, is totally a summer camp, and by God she has always wanted to go to one. Not just for a three-minute Turf War a la Camp Triggerfish, but a real extended stay roughing it in a tent. So of course, she makes sure to try a little bit of everything.

One place you'll see the squid kid is in Pokemon battles on the outskirts of the ruins, far enough not to damage anything or hurt anyone, with various NPC Trainers. She's got Maika, Buru, Banba, Oku, and Poko with her, and it's just too fun not to battle with so many different people who are all so excited. Though...it gets a little old pretty quick when it's evident no one has brought their stronger teams to what is essentially a peaceful camping trip. Maybe you have your overleveled teammates who need a bit of exercise - if so, Thida would absolutely accept your challenge!

When it comes to the ruins, there's not much in the way of being smart and investigating them for this kid, but climbing all over everything? Yes, if it's not a weird ledge and no one stops her, Thida is scrambling all over fallen columns and walking along broken lengths of walls. This is going to get her in trouble. Either join her or chide her, the choice is yours.

And then there's the spooky stuff. Ghosts and the like. Thida's never seen a ghost that isn't also a Pokemon, so all these fancy gadgets and the genuine Ouijas are completely fascinating to her. You'll likely see her lingering on the edges of a spirit board session...or yelling back at a spirit box someone left on in an empty chamber as it spams nonsense words. What, this is supposed to talk to ghosts, right? What if she has something to say back?

Otherwise? This kid is chilling at the campfire in smores heaven. Or hotdog heaven. Honestly she'll roast both at the same time to rep the Squid Sisters. They'd be proud she didn't want to exclude either one in her stick-roasting exploits.]

Want some? I got lots.

[She does, indeed, have lots of sticks at the ready for roasting either marshmallows or hotdogs. There was one failed attempt at roasting both on one stick at the same time. Trust her, it doesn't work.]

[Ray had plenty of Pokemon he could ride, sure, but when Egon offers to ride with him to the Ruins, Ray of course agreed instantly. Sure, Sir Wigglesworth never particularly adored Ray, but Egon must trust them a lot to make the offer! Besides, bug riding sounded fun.

It's genuinely impossible to tell if he's jittery from the thrill of the ride or out of genuine fear. It actually takes him a few moments to catch his breath before he weakly waves at his partner.]

H-hey Peter! It's been while.

[Venkman's been chased down by at least a fair number of large and angry Pokemon since arriving here. This isn't too uncommon. Still, it's goddamn terrifying, and he yelps, jumping back in the seconds before the Scolipede slows down.

It takes him a moment to comprehend what's happening when Sir Wigglesworth slows. He blinks up at the creature, wide-eyed, then at the passengers.]

... Your bug got big, huh?

[A grin spreads across Venkman's face as he approaches Sir Wigglesworth's side, holding out his hands to help get them down.]

C'mere.

You can tell these things apart? Christ, I can barely tell which letter they're supposed to be half the time.

[Venkman's taking a well-needed break from harassing the Legend Seekers. Though really, the Legend Seekers are the ones who deserve the break from him. There's a Beheeyem with him- Sigourney- hovering a few feet away, tracing patterns on the wall with her "hands". Anything within a few feet from her can faintly feel the sense of curiosity coming off of her in waves.]

[ ooc: send me a pm for a starter! closed starters to follow. ♥ ]

[ Arlert is out, and the Sobble is tucked into Annie's sweatshirt as she waits for the rest of the group to organise themselves before they all head out on trails to the ruins. Libera's packed and ready to go, Lute is sitting at her feet, and that's all; only four of six out, two tucked away in their pokeballs for the time being.

When she spies a familiar face, she pulls herself up into Libera's saddle, then stands on top of it; she's short, and she knows how to take advantage of environment for height. Libera looms over her as it is. Standing next to her Gogoat, Annie is practically invisible otherwise. ]

Wu Ming!

[ And there's Lute trotting up to him as well, dipping his head and his horn in a polite sort of greeting, curious and too intelligent for a creature whose vocalisations stuck between Ab and Sol. ]

[Venkman's willing to sit aside and let people have their fun with the Ouija boards- after all, the Hasbro kind can usually still work, but they're less effective than building one from your own materials- many spirits prefer a bit of craftsmanship and personal touch, something that shows the speaker is invested in the conversation. Still, he'll bite his tongue and sulk in silence once people stop listening to him complain.

But what he's not gonna take quietly- because they're sure as hell not being quiet themselves- are those spirit boxes. Good God, he hates these things. They didn't exist in the 80s, so he has no frame of reference to whether or not they'll actually work, but at their best they remind Venkman of old prototype PKE Meter's and equipment back at the old lab at Columbia. At worst, they remind him of spiritualist con artists, like Bassingame.

And at their absolute worst, he can't think of what they remind him of, because there's a squid kid shrieking along with it, and oh God Thida-]

I'm begging ya to stop screaming with that thing, kid. It's bad enough on its own, I promise it doesn't need a backup singer.

[He's getting used to the name again, shifting from one name to another. He no longer takes a beat to recognize the name, and as he approaches he salutes her loosely.]

Hey there, Annie. [Really, this man should have a ridable pokemon by now. He does not. So he gets to ride a goat with his friend. He's being followed by Orin the Espurr, who is not as polite as the Absol and starts staring. Drifter's Seviper, Fortune, is following as well, just acordion-moving along the ground since she can't slither properly. She gets to provide some additional protection during their trip.]

[Drifter's used to travelling light. His bag is mostly food and a couple of changes of clothes.] Glad I still got a sense of direction and didn't get too lost. Wouldn't want to keep you waitin'.

[Man Liberia is damn tall.] Will she be upset if I just hop up on there?

[ Annie comes back down to sit, noting Orin and the Seviper before looking back to Drifter. She reaches out, one hand wrapping lightly around Libera's horn, and the Gogoat tipped her head back and snorted, tail flicking. ]

She'll be okay. Just don't jump around once you're up here.

[ Which she's clearly not thinking he's in danger of actually doing. Hooking a thumb over her shoulder to where her things are packed on and tied down to the saddle, she nods. ]

More ties there if you want to use them.

[Normally Yayoi would be with Sasami with this, but she was setting up the tent, having veered the kid to the spot. With her whole Aliens thing, it would be a fun little getaway with literal ghosts and supernatural fliers peppering the area.

And hey, if they could meet up with Peter, it would be more of a bonus.]

Hey, Peter! The tinfoil getting to you? [she asked with a grin.]

[Venkman cuts himself off in the middle of "explaining" to yet another PokeManiac why their technique sucks, glancing over his shoulder at Yayoi.]

Tinfoil's getting to these people more than it is me. [Says the man arguing at strangers about it.] So, you're back from Kanto for now- is your friend with you- the one getting the Doduo?

[The PokeManiac looks vaguely unnerved to be ignored so easily and with so little fanfare. He takes a cautious step back- another. He's trying to escape.]

Well, it hasn't said it isn't the same letter when I've addressed it.

[The J bobs behind her a little, eye squinted as if it's smiling.]

And if I didn't have a knack for figuring out shapes and things, I don't think I'd have come down here in such a sudden way.

But it's annoyin'!

[The box goes static-silent, as if taken aback by her bluntness, until...

ASS ASS ASS ASS ASS ASS-

Wow, that's so mature of you, ghosts. Thida groans, her face scrunching up.]

Can't just break it...what if it's 'spensive...

[Also you don't just chuck things that don't belong to you at stone walls until they shatter. Where are the batteries on this thing?]

Good point. Though I dunno if these guys are really the most communicative...

I'm alright with the puzzles, but Sigourney's better. She won't even let me look at 'em half the time before she starts solving them.

[The Beheeyem in question continues to trace the walls without turning to look at her trainer, though now she's radiating a vague sense of smug self-satisfaction.]

[Venkman flinches slightly as the machine starts to go off on its tangent, then tilts his head, bemused, as he listens to the message.]

Damn. Maybe this thing does pick up real ghosts. [He's known plenty with this exact sense of humor.] Do you know who owns this thing, or was it just... lying here out in the open?

[Maybe it belongs to the real ghosts.]

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.]

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.]

If possible, yes. Thank you.

[I'm sorry, Thida, were you expecting a big nerd to be waiting his turn to cook s'mores? Egon looms overhead, his gaze fixated on the marshmallow at the end of Thida's stick. Behind him, a tree with an eye is busy wiggling her claw-like fingers. The Trevenant can't wait to get her hands on these! He eyes them for a moment before saying--]

Are you acquainted with the idea of loaded s'mores?

He certainly did. He especially did well in battle against Whitney. Although an effective mode of travel, he still has...quite some room for improvement.

[He tries to climb off Wigglesworth with Venkman's help, but ends up almost slipping and falling to the ground entirely. He manages to catch himself against the Scolipede, who gives a passively judging look towards him. Egon raises a hand in apology towards the bug.

Even when he gets both on the ground, he takes a step towards Venkman and nearly wobbles off balance. He grips Venkman's hand tightly to try and stabilize himself.]

It's good to see you again. Have you seen any spectral activity yet?

SPELLING BEE
Marceline's been having a helluva good time, dipping in and out of the ruins, lurking around the little tent city, befriending the local Unown…

She's hit it off particularly well with five individuals, who seem to be hanging on her every word.

"Haha, okay okay okay, one more time, just like we practiced!"

She makes a grand, sweeping gesture with one hand, and the five creatures follow the motion in the air, arcing in a gentle curve to spell the great new word she's taught them:

B U T T Z

"Nice!"

PUTTING THE "SCARE" IN JUMP SCARE
It sure is dark and spooky down in the lower parts of the ruins. Flashlights only illuminate so much, and make every shadow that much darker. Go down deep enough, and eventually the pleasant buzz of activity generated by the camping masses above ground fades away into nothing, and the only sounds that can be heard are the ones you make yourself. The gentle scrape of footsteps against the dusty ground, the sharp crack of an unseen rock kicked away, and the following echo as it skips along and scuttles to a stop once the momentum is spent. Maybe there's a gentle gust of cool wind, generated by the change in air pressure from somewhere deep, deep down. There might be some occasional rustling, likely just noises made by the resident Unown, curious but skittish so deep underground.

Or…could it be...something else…?

"Boo!"

This time it's totally Marceline. Did she get you?

POFFINS AND SMORES
Marceline's got a cozy campfire all to herself (and her mons), at least for the time being. The sun has gone down, some good scares were had in the ruins, and now it's time to chillax with the girls.

The girls are her three bat pals, a Noibat, a Zubat, and a Woobat. They're all pretty mellow and calm, alternatively fluttering between Marceline's bag, Marceline's hair, and the ground.

Marceline is in the process of arranging some S'mores fixin's, but it's slow going because she keeps getting distracted feeding berries to the bats. This won't stop her from calling out a greeting to anyone who wanders by too close to her fire, though.

"Hey, what's up? Want a S'more?"

Edited 2019-07-20 01:57 (UTC)

[Campfire Songs]

If anything can be said about Carly, it's that she's having the time of her life- or at the very least, is doing a good job of pretending to. She's getting along swimmingly with everyone (or so it seems), to the point where between gleefully taking PokeGear photos, she seems to be...

...Sharing their food?

Alright, so there's an argument that can be made for the idea of her buttering people up for something that isn't instant noodles. Can anyone really blame her?

Besides, mooching of food aside she really does seem to be having fun. Once her tent is finally set up- cot-with-a-roof that it is- she's easily found a short distance from the campfire with her team of pokemon...plus. Extra.

Solitare- the new Alolan Vulpix- is not a party pokemon she will insist when asked, and just needs to be babied. And that's if she's asked- it's hard to catch the joltik from where she's pretending to be a hairclip on Carly's head. And so,

"Oookay, Soli-chan~ One paw, two paw~ One paw, two paw..~"

"Vvvuoooo...~"

She sure is playing patty cake with her puppy, it's FUN NIGHT.

[Puzzles & Chance]

Ultimately, Carly can't really resist trying some of these sliding puzzles for herself. It isn't as if she's intending to go anywhere soon- she specifically planned to be here for a few days. So she might as well give some puzzles a shot, and as she works at one she seems fairly pleased with herself, rambling away to the Mimikyu, Skiddo, and Golett at her side.

The others might be around, it's really hit and miss. Regardless-

"....don't require much focus at all," she'll eventually be heard saying as one draws near. "It really makes it easy to talk at the same time..! Hmm... ...hmn. ...You know, I wonder if I should just try making my own fortune cards," she continues idly, not really realizing anyone else might or might not be in the room. "I thought about it but there's a lot more than just six elements here! It's really incredible, but trying to assign stuff to 18 different types is really hard and-"

One of two things happen, at this point. Either she notices someone is there, or...

"HIHHH!!!"

Or the puzzle is completed, and suddenly the floor is gone.

"W-Wh- WHAAAAAAT-!"

[SPIRIT BOX]

"MNnnhnnnn...."

At two in the morning, Carly's patience for spirit boxes is low. The tent/cot door opens as a bleary eyed woman yawns, frowning out to wherever the noise is from. Perhaps she's not the only one making complaints- "Can you guys use those s...spirit things somewhere else maybe...? I really need sleep..."

That's probably a Big Fat 'no', sadly.

[WILDCARD - Got ideas? Just pm and we can get a starter going! I'll match formats, on that note.]

"Wouldn't it be such a shame if they all spontaneously caught on fire and stopped working?"

This suggestion, which is far more deserving of a 'no', comes from a man half draped over a very tired Houndoom. Both trainer and Pokémon look like they've been considering arson for some time already.

"I mean, it'd be doing everyone present a favor, at this point."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 23

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

Dr. Peter Venkman / The Real Ghostbusters / ota

:3c

Jane Crocker | Homestuck | OTA

Thida | Splatoon | OTA

>:3c

no subject

ruins

annie leonhart | attack on titan

for drifter

spirits

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

campfire

no subject

Marceline || OTA

CARLY NAGISA | OTA

[spirit box]