[OPEN] Embark on Some Havoc

[lonelysmiles]

Who: Alastor and You!
Which: Depends on the prompt
Where: Depends on the prompt
What: An open log for October featuring Alastor at Reverein's new radio station teaching people how to use the equipment and properly present an audio-only broadcast. Also featuring him going dreamwalking and nightmare walking for anyone who wants him in your dreams without making a big open log yourself!
Warnings: It's Alastor, a demon from literal Hell. He's also a bit manic at the radio station and extra spooky with the dream/nightmare walking.


Reverein Radio

With the official opening of Reverein's new radio station, Alastor was doing his best to make sure that the radio wouldn't just be supplying static on every channel that wasn't his own frequency. Where was the fun in only one channel, after all? Besides, he and the native scientists had put an awful lot of work into making sure that the radio tower blended in with the local aesthetic rather than the ugly scaffolds of metal back where Alastor had come from.

Anyone looking for him would find him at the station, teaching anyone who made the mistake of asking about how to work the system. Alastor's passion was sound and radio, so his students might find themselves trapped for literal hours.

The interior of the station was a real puzzle to get through: twisting corridors and rooms specially-designed to keep all outside noise from getting picked up by hot mics. The idea was to keep noisy foot traffic from interfering with a broadcast, but at least there was always some native who'd decided to work permanently there to guide anyone around.

At the moment, Alastor was at one of the soundboards, watching one of his "students" going through a basic sound check while another worked the board. He himself held one of the speakers of a headset up to one of his ears as he watched and listened intently. Though at someone's approach, he'd leave the booth to practically skip over to them.

Dreamwalking/Nightmare Walking

Perhaps it was because it was October that even the pleasant dreams he wandered into had a misty, spooky bent to them. As a demon, Alastor blended in well with the overall atmosphere.

Humming to himself, he made his way through the mists as he searched for the bulk of the dream if not the dreamer themselves.

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Dreamwalking

[amnesiadragon]

The dream he wandered into was a somewhat lonely-feeling one. It seemed to be some kind of maze of caverns, but the bare stone of the caves felt... empty. There used to be something here, or so it felt, but there definitely wasn't anymore.

A young man with blue hair wandered through the caves, looking for any hint of... any sort of life. "Nina? Cray? Ershin? Scias/ ... Ursula? Anyone?" His voice echoed amongst the rock, but there was no answer. Not for a bit, at least... the mist curled around his ankles and suddenly puffed towards him in a cloud. A low, bestial growl echoed from nearby, but with the confusing structure it was difficult to tell from where.

[lonelysmiles]

Alastor's footsteps echoed like hooves on stone. The first thing the young man would see of Alastor would be a pair of red eyes above seven feet above the floor glowing like incandescent lightbulbs right before...

"Hello there!"

[amnesiadragon]

He stopped, staring at the eyes and the noise before practically jumping at the greeting. He reached for his sword and... nothing. No weapons in this dream.

"Wh... who are you?" Or 'what', but who was politer. Or so he'd been taught, anyway. He wasn't sure who or what this figure was, but... maybe they could help him find the others?

That moment you spot a typo way too late OTL

[lonelysmiles]

"Alastor!" The demon bowed, extending a hand. "Pleasure to meet you, my fine fellow! Quite a pleasure!"

...Probably not what you were expecting...

Dreamwalking

[holdshisown]

The dream the demon walks into is... unpleasant, to say the least. Dark and opressive in a way that seems wholly unnatural in a way. In fact, calling it darkness might be the wrong word to use. For darkness is the mere absence of light, this... this is so much more than that, an enemy of it a dark-reflection. An unlight, if you will. So thick it is almost like a physical thing, a fatty slimy thing that seeps into your pores and crawls down your throat to choke the life out of you.

Still, that is not the worst thing here. The worst thing is the vast and terrible prescence moving within it. It is an unseen prescence, for the unlight is too thick to see through, but there are sounds of many legs clacking on the stone floor like a giant insect is brushing past you. Circling you, or perhaps the terrified elf standing in the middle of the darkened hall. Frozen in fear, he is, a small light in that great darkness. Alone. Defenseless...

For one short blessed moment there is silence, and then a terrible mindbreaking voice calls out:

"I still hunger!"

[lonelysmiles]

The unseen presence in the dark reminded Alastor of the Things in the Dark that he sometimes "glimpsed" when passing through shadows. His grin widened as he walked towards the elf, casually looking around this way and that.

"Not often I get to see some version of the Void in another's dreams though you're certainly not from my Hell. Perhaps it's a place outside of any particular world."

Alastor wasn't unnerved by the deadened sounds of his footsteps, the familiar clicking of hooves on the ground dulled.

His eyes and fangs glowed in the dark, likely the first things the elf would see.

[holdshisown]

Maedhros startles, but he can't turn his attention towards what might be a new threat. Not when he can hear Ungoliant move in the unlight she brings with her. A dream, he tries to remind himself, only a dream. This time has already come and gone and he was never this close to the Void-spawned spider to begin with.

"What are you doing here," he mumbles as his eyes flick back and forth. Trying to see through the thick veil of the sickening nothing surrounding him. "The Void? No, this isn't that... just something that escaped it a long time ago."

And the bloated spider-thing that had crawled out of it was long dead, in any case, she had devoured herself when she had glutted herself on the light of his home and still found herself hungry.

This new thing didn't frighten him, though, he'd seen worse. But He was angry that anyone else should see inside the old fears still haunting him. The way he flinched at the scraping of the spidery legs of Ungoliant passing by.

[lonelysmiles]

"Taking a stroll, my good man!"

Alastor summoned his microphone cane to twirl it between his fingers as he finally came close enough to be clearly seen. His grin widened at the elf before turning his head in the general direction of the giant insectoid (arachnid?) legs passing closely by.

"Quite an unpleasant lady from the sounds of her. Or perhaps it's just because she's hungry if what she says is to be believed."

Reverein Radio!

[littletomato]

They didn't know where Alastor actually lived.

Which was a problem. Because they wanted to find him.

Happily, the radio station had come online not long after the whole business with the reactor, so it was easy to find a place where he could usually be found.

So they marched right on up to the station and stepped inside, hands behind their back with a highly innocent expression on their face, which did not, in fact, point to imminent chaos.

[lonelysmiles]

If Sol asked, he'd be led through the maze of a station to a soundstage where Alastor was helping arrange some newly-acquired pieces of junk that would make wonderful sound effects for any budding young and creative Foley artist.

So wrapped up in it was he that Sol was going to need to grab his attention somehow.

[littletomato]

Their eyes widened slightly, focusing on the Foley equipment- was that how the sounds were made? That was so neat!

Still, they weren't completely clueless. They looked everywhere for signs of recording equipment being in use or broadcasting- and when they found none, they beamed, approaching the soundstage. "Hi! Hope I'm not interrupting anything buuut if I am that's cool, I can come back~"

[lonelysmiles]

A lot of the "equipment" was literally junk: random objects that had gotten broken at some point or rendered useless by other advancements in technology along with other items that were small instruments or other random but still-whole objects.

"Oh no! Just holding a class in basic Foley work! There are signs for rooms with hot mics!"

He motioned Sol to briefly follow before pointing at an unlit sign with the words "ON AIR" in large red text next to the door.

"If this is lit up, that means that it's mid-broadcast and you shouldn't open the door unless it's important. You don't really need something that lights up but it does make it more obvious."

He poked his head back into the room. "Feel free to play around and see what sounds you can make! Practice makes perfect, after all! Just make sure to clean up when you're done!"

The man had picked up a mechanical hand mixer, saluting Alastor with it before turning the crank to listen to what sounds it could make.

Alastor shut the door and focused on Sol. "So, how can I help you, my good fellow?"

Reverein Radio

[a_sweet_little_peach]

Ralsei wasn't entirely sure about this. He'd spent plenty of time cooking, sure, but the idea of a cooking radio show seemed -- a little hard to grasp. But, with the air otherwise so empty, he thought maybe it might work out. After all, his show could be put out every day for a week after first broadcast. Maybe. Assuming Alastor's radio service didn't get too busy, anyway.

...He was beginning to doubt this decision, after getting lost trying to find his way to them. He didn't want to bother anyone at the front desk, after all!

Alastor saw him pass the room he's in about four times before, chagrined, Ralsei knocked on the doorframe lightly. "Um -- hello? I believe I met you before..."

[lonelysmiles]

Alastor nodded before patting his current student on the shoulder, the young lady beaming up at him before going back to what she was doing. He walked out to Ralsei, shutting the door behind himself so they wouldn't disturb her.

"It's certainly been quite a while! Ralsei, was it not?"

[a_sweet_little_peach]

"Yep, that's me! It's good to see you again." Alastor looks good; a lot better than he had when he'd visited the -- imp? He's not really familiar with hell's races beyond those he's personally interacted with, and it's hardly the type of thing that comes up -- his, let's go with that, cottage in the middle of the woods. Though, then again, that was partially colored by his own poor experiences in the swamp. Maybe Alastor was feeling great then too!

Ralsei spreads his arms wide and grins. "You look like you've done pretty well for yourself here! I'm really happy for you."

[lonelysmiles]

"Thank you!" Alastor's eternal smile widened. "You look like you're doing quite well yourself! Then again, when last we met, you had a rather close call with my dream memory of Missy! Ha ha ha!"

He motioned for the young man to join him.

"I'm in desperate need of some coffee. Perhaps something in the break room could suit your fancy."

Just going to casually wrap an arm around Ralsei's shoulders and basically drag him off. The others at the studio shook their heads, some chuckling, at what was becoming a familiar sight: Alastor casually kidnapping someone.

Radio

[flamekthunder]

With the events of Orkili behind them, Eustace takes a moment during his break to stop by the radio station. He had mentioned wanting on to Alastor before, and now was a good time as any to look into it. Now, he's familiar with some radio and broadcasting systems due to Society's more advanced technology, but it's still nothing like he sees here.

So he looks around a bit curious, ears twitching and swiveling every so often to catch the different sounds before noticing Alastor. He seems busy, however, so Eustace will wait until he's finished before raising a hand in greeting.

[lonelysmiles]

The woman at the microphone slammed her hands onto the table with her notes, snapping at the sound man, "I can't focus with you warping my voice every two seconds!"

"It's not my fault! It's hard to understand you when you're so sloppy when you talk!" the man shouted back.

"Sloppy?!"

Using one hand to hold down the intercom to the booth, Alastor raised his fingers to his lips and blew a loud whistle to interrupt the argument. "When I was alive, the station I worked at decided to divvy up the work between two people much like how recording studios worked rather than the broadcaster at the mic having to focus on speaking and keeping everything clear which gets even more complicated when they're interviewing someone. The idea is that each of you focus on your individual parts to improve the overall performance. At the time, it wasn't something you typically saw in the radio with each broadcast personality actually being a team of a broadcaster and a sound specialist who worked flawlessly together." He looked to the sound man. "You're changing her voice before you can truly pin down what needs to be adjusted. That's inconsistent and distracting. And don't you look so smug, young lady." The woman at the microphone jerked as he turned his focus to her. "He's not wrong about your speech patterns. Enunciate, my dear! It's even more important here than it is on the stage!"

His two pupils looked chagrined.

Alastor glanced towards Eustace before telling them, "Take some time to sound each other out. If necessary, try swapping places. In the meantime, I've somewhere I need to be."

"Yes, sir," the two of them mumbled.

Alastor walked out to Eustace, shutting the door to the sound equipment "closet" attached to the booth. He rubbed his temples for a moment. "Honestly, Boss always made running a studio look so easy." Then he perked up. "So, how can I help you, my good man?"

[flamekthunder]

Eustace could only stare in and listen in wonder. While he might not have been close enough to Alastor, it was still an odd side of him to witness, much different from what he was used to. Once the demon notices him and leaves, he can only look at him a bit apologetically.

"...Did I interrupt? Perhaps I should have contacted first."

Dreamwalking

[melodiouspacifist]

Demyx in this moment is having quite a pleasant dream.

He's on stage, bright hot lights beating down on him, his sitar in his hand and he's finishing up a set. He's wearing other clothes other than his Organization uniform and he gives off a much more punk look.

He finishes the last note and raises an arm. "Thank you! Thank you!" He calls to the cheers.

It's such a nice dream - it would be a shame if someone were to come and disrupt it.

[lonelysmiles]

The change in dress and scenery made Alastor curious. It took him a moment, but he managed to change himself into his old human form before he officially entered the venue, sitting down at a table near the stage. The old fashioned he ordered didn't taste quite right, but it would do. If anything, Alastor respected performers, and interrupting the man on stage was unnecessarily rude.

Demyx might feel like he'd seen the smiling tan-skinned man with brown hair and pince nez glasses somewhere before but not be able to quite place him. Particularly since Alastor had also lost an entire foot of height.

The music wasn't to Alastor's taste, of course, but this was completely different from his original impression of the men in the black coats he'd seen in Namine's nightmare all those months ago.

[melodiouspacifist]

With his performance finished and he bowed and waved on his way out, he caught the eyes of a stranger as he walked off stage.

Huh weird. A sense of recognition, but he can't place it?

The stranger must just have one of those faces.

With his sitar strapped to his back, he meandered his way to the bar.

Dreamwalking

[empyreancatastrophe]

Dreams back home never treated Joshua with any particular inequity. Rarely pleasant, usually forgettable, occasionally harrowing, they didn't catch hold of him. It helps to work oneself to the point of exhaustion. Tire out the body, tire out the mind; tire out the mind, and it has no means to concoct visions of any sort.

Songerein, by its very nature, provides no opportunity for such respite.

Anyone (like a certain radio-inclined demon) who happens to walk into this dream will enter at the edge of an endless field made entirely of bleak, desolate ash stretching as far as the eye can see. The sky above is gray, the kind of eternal melancholy devoid of any warmth or color, broken only by the blackened, gnarled arms of dead trees pining for a nonexistent sun. The world has been stripped of its vibrancy, leaving only a somber palette behind.

Swathes of hooded figures trudge along towards the horizon, where a colossal crystal towers over the barren land, casting an ethereal glow against the muted sky. Regardless of one's aesthetic leaning, its beauty is undeniable, but chilling, like the call of a siren waiting to drag hapless sailors into the deepest, cruelest depths of the unforgiving ocean.

Off in the distance is a single spark of color, a splash of bright red in the overwhelming monotony marching against the unyielding crowd.

[lonelysmiles]

Make that two splashes of bright red.

Alastor approached the first from behind, hands neatly folded behind his back as he took in the landscape. The voodoo he'd purely relied on in life and still practiced in death (even if he had more than enough power to spare without it) had a heavy emphasis on rootwork. There was a difference between dried plants and the lifeless husks of this place. It made his magical senses crawl.

"The life's been drained completely from this place." He moved to walk up beside the stranger, looking down at the hooded figures. "I take it they're trying to find someplace that still has some left?"

[empyreancatastrophe]

In a realm that was effectively of his mind’s own creation, Joshua found himself surprisingly lost. It wasn’t that the landscape proved difficult to navigate, nor was it the sudden arrival of a tall and flamboyant figure behind him. It was how ultimately impotent he felt in trying to change things.

Perhaps that was the point.

He halted his stride and turned to face Alastor—correction, turned and cocked his head upwards to face Alastor—and address his visitor appropriately.

“They believe the crystal holds the solace they seek,” Joshua began, his tone maintaining the same somber qualia of their surroundings.

He paused, gesturing with his gaze at the massive crowd moving in lockstep. Something about the way his eyes linger on them betrayed the pity behind his otherwise taciturn mask.

“Instead, they journey onward to their own destruction. The land dies so the Mothercrystal, and all those who feed upon her power, may live a few more years in decadence. They do not realize they're dying along with it."