#gsw:eclipse

[gswjuhwan]

with @minhyun-gsw​

something was happening. 

any person with eyes could tell as much. telephone lines were barely receiving signal and those that were did not last too long. electricity was down. if he didn’t know better ( and he wasn’t certain he did ), he’d say the island was trying to cut them off from the rest of the world. isolate them so there was no way to reach out for help. yet that would be absurd. as much as he believed in the deities and the stories shared by the elders on the island, to imagine it attacking its residents was preposterous. yet people getting attacked, dead birds lining the streets, were far from blessings. no, something was off and juhwan could not even begin to understand what.  

attention remained divided, for once his workplace overrun with residents asking when their electricity would be back, when would the roads be cleaned, when could they speak with their relatives. though adaptable, people did not welcome living without the amenities they’d grown accustomed to. phone calls were brief ( they had to be ) and he was grateful on such days he’d learned to control his emotions so early. after all, constituent services required it but during times of uncertainty, patience was key. holding a finger up when he observed someone approaching his desk from the corner of his eye, he completed the phone call he was on. updates were slow to come because the reasons for the current state of their island were still, to be determined.

“right,” gaze finally met the somewhat familiar man’s, hands pressed together. juhwan was certain he did not know him from the island. yet amid the chaos around him, his otherwise quick recall dulled. “how can i help you?” aside from the obvious, he wished to add. but he held his tongue, suspecting that the issue would be similar to the many others he had heard that day. and he’d end up reciting the same rehearsed apology, providing the same assurances that resolving these issues were their top priority. the goal, as always, was to assuage fears through empty promises. he had no answers and the person that might was nowhere to be found. but such truths were concealed from the public. 

[gswxjun]

&&. Nocturne

The power outage was one of the biggest nightmare scenario Jun had experienced in his medical career so far. Of course, the hospital had its back up generators that provided the facility with energy, but it was barely enough to keep emergency services running. Regular schedules were basically kept at a bare minimum and if possible postponed for indefinite time. It was heartbreaking to have to sent away patients, just because they had no capacities left. They had no idea for how long they had to endure and sit tight during this state of emergency (and if the back-up power generators would run out of battery until then), but Jun felt just as stressed and anxious as every of his colleagues. It was almost like a fine line about to snap. The health system was at it's most fragile state.

And honestly, Jun wasn't in best shape either - he was tired, but mentally and physically. Dragging himself through shifts and trying hard to help wherever he could, regardless of his area of discretion or not. He simply wanted to be of use.

So when he was shooed away by nurses to rest in the break room during a nightshift, he reluctantly left to get some sleep. To save some energy break rooms were just sparely illuminated, just enough to walk around the room without hitting a foot against the corner of the bed. He didn't really minded, as long as there was a bed to take a nap in, so he carelessly stumbled inside without checking the occupation status properly. Putting down the pencils and the pager, he slipped under the blanket, just to found it warmed up by a body next to him. Jun quickly jumped onto his feet, heart racing, when he realized the room was already occupied. "Oh, sorry. I didn't noticed there was somebody here already." The emergency surgeon blinked into the darkness, just to make out the handsome features of Dr. Min looking back. "Dr. Min! Why didn't you locked the door?"

Starter for @minhyun-gsw !

[gswmyunghwa]

with @gswyijoons​

with the entire island plunged into darkness, it was all on hands on deck. being the upstanding citizen she was, myunghwa naturally volunteered her time to remedy situations around the island. the lack of cell service, leaving her with little else to do, had nothing to do with the sudden stroke of altruism. neither did the order of the wonderful officers who’d let her off with a slap on the wrist in exchange for community service. of the options, this wasn’t terrible. having flown off to paris before graduating, the school fascinated her. for even when she did attend, hers resembled a country club more than a place of education. though not one to set foot in a school of her own volition, she reminisced about schooldays and her ignorance of what life had in store for her. 

grateful to no longer be required to don the hideous neon vest, instructions were followed carefully. with thick glass blocking the wind and cold from seeping in through cracks, insulating windows for winter was foreign to her. as were many of the day to day habits of the townspeople. perhaps another would have been more efficient at completing the task. but she was diligent,  working methodically ( at a pace slower than the turtles in their namesake park ), she finished a couple classrooms before they announced lunchtime. one by one, students, staff, and volunteers, shuffled out of the rooms and, beaming, myunghwa followed suit. 

what did they say about food after a hard days work ( her labor qualifying as neither hard nor a full day’s worth )? it was sweeter! and though picky with her meals, the tray of basics was  mouthwatering in the moment. scanning the cafeteria for other volunteers or even students, a familiar face stood out. of course yijoon would be here. why hadn’t it occurred to her before? the fact that he was a teacher being one of the few things she knew about the man, it had merely slipped her mind. so for once, rather than weaseling her way into another’s conversation, she made a beeline straight towards him. tray placed on the table, she slid into the empty seat across from him without asking. this was a public place after all. 

“do you get to eat this stuff every day? i never thought i’d like cafeteria food but this is really good. or is today’s menu special because the power is out and they are trying to appease everyone?”  like they were old friends, the conversation started in the middle with no greeting or basic pleasantries. 

[gswsieun]

betrayal for brunch

Since Sieun had returned from the mainland, she could count the amount of times that she had visited her grandfather's residence on one hand. Her days of attempting at winning him over and snatching the title of favorite grandchild were in the past. It was a competition that only her mother was invested in and had tried to pass the baton to her children. She had always felt uneasy around him, completely unraveling as a child until she was whisked away by her caretaker. It's believed that children have an innate intuition, far stronger than adults and hers had always told her the disdain she felt towards him was mutual. During her last visit, she had accompanied her mother and only managed to greet him from the hallway.

Her mother was controlling about every single aspect of the day to day activities her grandfather was able to handle. It was astonishing that her mother could still fulfill her actual duties of her full-time job when she was heavily involved in the care of her father. If their relationship wasn't so strained, she would have pitied her and even offered to help out, but she knew her mother's trust in her was in a bottom-less pit near the Earth's core. In the past week, her relationship with her mother had taken a turn for the worse and her sister had thankfully intervened.

Sieun had decided to move out without a concrete plan besides going no-contact with her mother, at least until she could stomach speaking to her mother again. She had knew better than to expect that Moon Boram would respect her new boundaries, but the barrage of messages and voicemails that she received on that particular morning had taken her by surprise. For once, the messages were not about her being an insolent child, but rather, her mother had opted for thinly-veiled threats if she didn't come to her grandfather's residence by noon.

Her assumption had been that her mother was trying one of her manipulation tactics and seeing if it worked on her, but her older brother had assured her that the gravity of the situation was much, much worse than she could possibly imagined. She enters the residence, not knowing what to expect. A part of her is relieved when she spots Sihyun first and not her mother.

"W-What happened, Sihyun?" The grim atmosphere dictates that she should be whispering, or turning around and heading back into the comfort of her mattress on the floor. Perhaps, that would have been the smartest decision. Her emotional and mental state were still too fragile to consider that she might have to comfort her mother. "Has he... died?"

@gswsihyun

[orchardisland]

━━       EVENT 03 : THE ECLIPSE

"Did you see what happened last night?” A young man whispers to his coworker, peeling the corpse of a bird from his freshly snow covered windshield. The red moon still lingers in the sky, strong as ever even midday. “This is, like ... some apocalypse level shit.”

The television inside the convenience store blares loudly enough to hear outside. Several people have gathered around it inside, their purchases still in hand. The news is on, and an anchor is seen reading off a report. 

“Min Nakyung, age 25, was found deceased last night inside her apartment. Her adjacent neighbor, acclaimed scientist, Dr. Nora Wang, has been reported missing. There have not yet been any further news regarding the investigation. There will be updates to the case as evidence is gathered. If you have any tips about the death of Miss Min or Dr. Wang’s disappearance, please reach out to the police department.”

There is an image of an empty podium that appears next, microphones poised in front of it. Silently, Moon Boram enters into frame, her four children filing after her. The entry seems rehearsed, each of them placed in specific spots; her more successful children closer to her frame.

She wears a dower expression, hands folded at her front. “I speak today on behalf of my father, Mayor Moon.” She sniffles, procuring a handkerchief from her breast pocket. “He has fallen ill and will be absent from public appearances until his health improves. From this point, I will be serving as a representative for any conferences. The mayoral position remains secured but th--”

A yellow line runs across the screen and it shuts off. The lights above flicker and the illuminated beverage fridges grow dark. 

“The power’s out!” The store owner exclaims. He steps out from behind the counter to step outside, investigating the shop next to him that has also gone dark, the customers inside clamoring with curiosity. 

A deep one-note of a siren blares out for no more than two seconds and the next moment, the entire island goes dark in the hour of dusk.

━━    EVENT ACTIVITIES & SUMMARY

Following Moon Boram’s announcement on November 11th, the island will be undergoing a clear change. The mayor is seemingly missing, alleged to be ill by his family and the full moon remains, tinged red. Additionally, Min Nakyung, has seemingly been found murdered, Dr. Nora Wang has gone missing, and Sibipaldaewang, the alleged deity, has been killed on full display, and his body draped over a mountain for a day has already vanished.  Worst of all, the power outages show no sign of improving. Cellular and landline phone service can only reach within the island, and only for so long. Some doors are extra sticky, the elevators are out, and much of the modern technology will be defunct. Fortunately, the island’s clear dedication to living off the grid (mostly) has equipped many living outside of Dangam-eup with the ability to prepare for such a thing. Perhaps it is a good thing that the weather has gotten colder and snow dusting the ground, at least we can haul our refrigerators outside. You will have to figure out some way to get through this. Oh, and deal with the strange feeling that moon gives you. Something is very wrong.

━━    INTERACTIONS

In universe, this event will take place from 11/11 TO 11/25 but can be written about in its duration to 12/12. This event will get an additional part in December, and there will be much to write about!

This event is unavoidable. The island takes control.

If you decide to thread anything, tag all posts with GSW:ECLPSE. This includes all new threads written between the story drop and this post written in reference to the happenings. (As a clarification going forward, please wait until the official event post is up before you write about any subject matter in a story post.)

Submits sent for the Wishful event will apply to your characters permanently and carry on throughout the story. Characters will have to deal with these consequences. 

Random encounters relevant to your character might be sent out at any time, especially if you might be privy to any certain secrets. You never know!

[orchardisland]

━━       STORY : THE ECLIPSE

NOV. 8, 1:30 AM

                           The blood moon rises. 

An eerie scientific phenomenon, one that some say is a sign of things to come as Earth aligns with the Sun. The air outside grows cold now with fall in full swing and you can feel it biting at your fingertips and a soft breeze chilling your cheeks. You look into the sky that has, by now, grown dark. Only you and the other chosen people glance outside their windows or gaze down the hills at the shore.

The ground rumbles again, the same it did on that warm September day. You glance down, barely able to distinguish any figures in the darkness.

But the red moon can illuminate it clearly enough: one tentacle emerging from the sea, then two, then a bulbous mound. The yellow caution tape tangles around the appendage and it thrashes, sending water and gravel into the air. More splashes of water are thrown about, as if the creature is swatting at something that surrounds it. Small specks of black dotting the underside of the hook-like suction cups.

It begins to rain. It drums against your roof or your head. But you hear something else as well. A large series of thumps, skittering, scratching. The cries of dying birds crumpled onto the pavement, littered down the streets.

From the mountains, a screech breaks through the stagnant air.

Something dark shoots across the sky. It is winged, but larger than any realistic conceptualization of anything avian. Too large to be real. You swear you catch glimpse of it: those giant crimson eyes flash by as it sweeps toward the water. It drives its body into the sea.

Blue blood billows onto the beach from the giant squids form, mixing with the sea water and diluting the bright foam. The red eyed creature emerges with the bulbous head trapped within its talons, beak grasping a shredded grayish arm. It lifts the squid from its home, revealing the entirety of its form to the blood red moon and all those who bear witness. The wings spread and silhouette against the full moon, eclipsing its view with its sheer size before it takes off toward the mountain, prey in hand.

There is a change in the night air and the moon remains red, a sign of things to come and all its possibilities. The protector from the mountains keeps watch.

[gswmyunghwa]

with @gswhan​

images of gods dueling, unnatural discoloration of the water, dead birds. such harbingers of an apocalypse could be written off. but a woman ( younger than herself ) found dead in her apartment? another missing? these were harder to shake. reminded of another death she’d learned of recently, her apartment suddenly felt both vast and claustrophobic. many possibilities existed to explain the sudden passing of a woman she’d never even met. natural causes, an overdose, perhaps even a suicide. yet she couldn’t help but wonder whether something more sinister was at play. while not a detective by any means, even the dullest tool in the shed understood that if one woman was found dead and her neighbor missing, something was amiss. 

sleep was already hard enough to come by without added concerns of home invasions. as though to obstruct justice, the world itself fell into darkness. she doubted this island saw many sudden deaths. if things out of the ordinary were happening, who was to say whether this was the end or just the beginning. . . was the solution to not being murdered in her home to wander the streets? no. so for once, myunghwa very much intended to get home before the roads completely emptied. no longer able to rely on delivery apps to bring food and supplies to her doorstep, the young woman was forced out of her house for essentials. in and out. that was the plan. yet the road to hell was paved with good intentions. and seemingly, she was about to end up on the front page of the newspaper the next morning as well as in the fiery pit. 

the only convenience store that was still open and hadn’t been ransacked served as temporary shelter. perusing the aisles for whatever she could scavenge, relief washed over her when she came upon her favorite hermit ( not that she knew all that many ). “aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” he had crossed her mind when the power went out. but numerous other repair requests remained unanswered, his resolve to cut all communication strong. besides, considering the entire neighborhood lost power, there was likely little hangyeol could do. the thought of paying him a visit had occurred to her, but for once, she wasn’t deliberately seeking him out. the familiar face ( even one that often wore a scowl around her ) was just welcome serendipity. “what is that saying? ask and you shall receive. i was just thinking about you.” not exactly, but close enough. if flattery would soften him towards her, in this moment, she’d try it all. 

[gswjuhwan]

with @yiminggsw​

never before had there been such darkness. candles dotted windows, mirroring the color of the moon in the skin. the two cast an eerie light along the path home. the day hectic, hardly 24 hours prior, he’d been lamenting his calm nine to five. burning the midnight oil the night before as well, his work related not to his present home but his past one. like offshore accounts, he was an offshore lackey for his few remaining contacts in seoul. yet for the sake of a return ( a potential future there ) not all bridges could be burned. frustration drew him away from the computer and to the window ( though he may claim it preordained ). whether sleep deprivation or pure hallucination, what he witnessed could not have been possible. for gods would not present themselves in such a crude way to mere mortals.

morning brought chaos. too much so to dwell on the frightsome scene from the prior night. many chose not to venture out late into the night. he was no different. for any claims of bravery, he would not feign fearlessness to such an extent as to endanger himself in the process. no, a timely return home was imperative. lest the next morning, the people of the island wake up to human carcasses rather than birds. shuffling footsteps, the crunching of the snow beneath shoes. a rhythmic impact followed by short pauses. the unexpected presence of another interrupted his beeline home. caution overpowered by curiosity, he peered into the distance making out the form of a man barely illuminated under the slight glow of the moon. hand drawn back at an angle, a flick of the wrist lodged a thin metal blade into the trunk of a tree. 

as his steps drew closer, the precision was noticeable. target never missed, each knife landing exactly where the other intended. this man was certainly unfamiliar, as was his skillset. juhwan suspected few on the island were adept at tossing knives rather than wielding them in a kitchen. perhaps another would have flagged the man as dangerous ( hardly a stretch of the imagination considering the hour and his pastime ). yet juhwan was intrigued. boredom was natural, the lack of electricity removing modern sources of entertainment. yet where most feared stepping beyond their doorstep, this man was training? “an odd hour for target practice.” presence announced, he still remained far enough away to avoid becoming the bullseye. juhwan had no intention of becoming a skewer because of an antsy hobbyist.