redstringtheories

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TDM #3

➥ Arrival

(cw: potential for severe disorientation/vertigo, claustrophobia, arachnophobia, body horror)

It happens in the blink of an eye. You may have been asleep. You may not have. You may have stepped through a door or turned a corner. You may have seen a flicker of something at the corner of your vision and turned to look. Or maybe you didn't.

It doesn't matter. What matters is that you find yourself somewhere entirely new and entirely unfamiliar. The arrival point is not always the same. (If you're lucky, it might be a canteen or an open office. If you're not, well... you aren't claustrophobic, are you? Or arachnophobic. These ducts do seem to be a bit cobwebby.) There is no one waiting for you but you don’t seem to be alone, either. Even in a janitor’s closet or the bathroom, you’ll find at least one person who seems to be just as out of place as you are.

If characters have arrived in a location devoid of NPCs, they may want to work together to figure out what is going on... or to avoid their 'kidnappers.' If you’ve arrived in the middle of the entry foyer or the gym, there may well be a few people who startle a bit at your arrival and try to approach (or discreetly leave the room... where are they going?). Will you cooperate or fight? Do you even understand what they're saying? You might need to find a translator, if you’re not immediately willing to follow a stranger.

After characters follow their new hosts (or are forcibly taken in) there will be a limited tour and the chance to settle in at the ADI-provided housing. (Do you enjoy living with strangers? Well. It's a new situation to navigate, anyway.)

➥ The Butcher's Camp

(cw: animal death, both human and animal butchery, implied cannibalism, potential for flesh/small limb removal)

Weird things happen in Dogtown, everyone knows it. The Apocalypse Disruption Initiative (ADI) is not above taking advantage of that to test out the waters for its newest arrivals. They're not looking to send anyone to their death, though. That's far too much paperwork, you'd been assured with a wink from the employee who'd directed you to the park trailhead. You've been left with another person. Maybe they're a new arrival, as well, or a more seasoned 'veteran.' Either way, you're together for the next while and you've been asked to find and record any paranormal activity in the park. You have your phones and any other equipment you might have brought with you. Those who succeed in documenting anything peculiar will receive a $100 reward to be used as they see fit.

This month characters who venture into Dogtown will eventually stumble across what seems to be an abandoned camp. Its usage is fairly obvious: the remains of a hunting camp. And remains really is the operative word, considering that whoever used the camp wasn’t particularly fastidious about cleaning up after themselves. There are bits of various animal carcasses strewn around and by the looks of things the prey of these hunters was quite varied. Not all of them are prey animals either.

Stepping into the camp seems to have an effect: anyone who passes over the threshold to investigate will find themselves powerfully driven to mark themselves - or their partner - with lines that seem to indicate where a butcher might cut. There are black, red, and white paint pens littered around the camp that are perfect for this exercise. As they proceed, they will get the sense that once the lines are completely drawn, something will be coming along to make use of them.

Staying too long after those marks are completed - either through curiosity or through some other force - will result in a sudden unconsciousness. And when you wake up? (If you wake up…) Well. It seems the butcher has returned and taken just a bit more flesh. At least the wound is properly dressed, though. Thank goodness for small mercies.

➥ Mirror, Mirror

(cw: altered perceptions and unreality/hallucination, body horror, dissociation, wounds, cancer, stalking)

Something is wrong with the mirrors.

Everywhere around Gloucester - at ADI headquarters, in ADI housing, at Bonnie's Flophouse, even in the bathrooms of mundane businesses (and, presumably, the homes of the innocent and uninvolved), looking in the mirror has become...risky. It's not predictable; it doesn't happen every time and may or may not happen to any given person the same way twice, but look into the reflection and you may see something that should not be there.

Perhaps your own reflection has changed, a face (human or monstrous) you don't recognize looking back at you, eerily in sync as though it has every right to be your true reflection… or un-synced from your movements, smiling knowingly at your distress.

Or maybe you still see your own face, but something about your body is warped, wrong: a growth or a seeping wound you can't find on your own physical form but that exists glaring and insistent in your reflection and feels, somehow, as though it's there in phantom form.

Maybe it's a pair of eyes watching from over your shoulder, hiding in the shadows, peering at you from every mirror you pass. Is it watching you from your reflection in that window, too? Is it growing nearer?

Possibly there's nothing wrong with your reflection at all, but the reflection of the room behind you stretches and twists, a view into an impossible, broken world that leaves you dizzy and wandering, lost down an imagined maze of hallways or following a phantom figure until someone else can snap you out of it.

Something is wrong with the mirrors. Best not to look again, lest you find out what else they have to show you.

➥ Haunting Tunes

(cw: hallucination, hypersomnia, vehicular accidents, potential for injury)

The summer is fading, and businesses around Gloucester have taken note. Fall decorations go up, and even some very early Halloween decor is on sale. The air is crisper in the mornings and evenings, the ocean breeze just a bit stiffer. There also seems to be a new melody floating around the town, one that leaves people feeling fatigued, heavy. Did you hear a snatch of it near the docks? Something that's vaguely familiar to you, nostalgic, almost. Maybe it's more a memory?

That song or memory seems to grow stronger when approaching the graveyards scattered throughout Gloucester. So, too, does the fatigue. Wouldn't it be nice to just sit down and rest? To close your eyes and let every worry that troubles your mind be soothed into the quiet oblivion of sleep?

Those most affected might find themselves passing out, and they always seem to do it when they are putting themselves in the most danger. You might drop while crossing a busy street or while riding a bike or some other wheeled mode of transportation. Those who investigate will find that traffic accidents seem to have seen an uptick recently, associated with the onset of these haunting tunes. They seem to be focused on the graveyards, but there's nothing immediately apparent there that might be causing problems.

Drink lots of coffee, and be careful trying to do anything. Stepping outside could be the last thing you do.

➥ Mod Notes

ARRIVAL (Sep 1 - 21): Two people will always arrive in the same general location together. Arrivals occur throughout the early month, not all on the same day or in the same place. Arrivals are not naturally fluent in English/other languages immediately upon arrival. Characters may attempt to evade capture, but they will eventually be snagged before they can leave the building. PC's already in-game are more than welcome to interact with and try to guide new PC's to get them oriented. Please refer to the Arrival page for details regarding the arrival and onboarding process.
THE BUTCHER'S CAMP (Sep 1- 24): Characters will only encounter the camp once. Everyone will feel the compulsion to draw carving lines along their own skin or that of the person they're with. If they stick around for long enough, they will pass out and may not wake up again. Those who do wake up will find that a piece of their flesh is missing and the wound has been bandaged. Whatever is taken will be non-fatal, but it will likely be inconvenient (e.g., some part of their calf or forearm, perhaps a finger or toe). Once ADI is made aware of injuries happening, they will stop sending people to Dogtown for training and only send people with the understanding that this is a potentially dangerous mission. Please bear in mind that if a character dies in the TDM prompt, they are dead. A different version who doesn't have TDM memories may be apped in their place. Similarly, injuries will not magically disappear. If your character loses a chunk of themselves, it is gone unless they can find someone who might be able to magically heal them. No one at ADI will offer this service, just mundane medical assistance. Magical healing is reserved for fatal injuries given the price of it!
MIRROR, MIRROR (Sep 1- 24): Characters may encounter a mirror effects multiple times, and may experience the same effect each time or different ones. As noted in the prompt, there is no apparent rhyme or reason to when any particular mirror exhibits any particular effect. Within the first week of the effects becoming known, ADI will cover all the mirrors within their headquarters and send out an advisory for characters to do the same in their homes. Characters who experiment and/or interview locals will, after a lot of legwork, be able to ascertain that the effects seem to be most concentrated on the west side of town, nearest the empty fields where the Fenix Down Extravaganza had set up their circus tents last month, with additional concentrations around ADI-affiliated buildings and Bonnie's Flophouse. Mirror effects will gradually grow less frequent over the course of the month and cease to occur after the 24th.
HAUNTING TUNES (Ongoing Effect): The tunes will be oddly familiar to the character, even if they are not from modern Earth. There are currently no ill effects from the song apart from inducing fatigue in characters. They can fight it off with coffee/caffeine, or other things they'd typically use to wake themselves up, but that tiredness always returns. An examination of the graveyard will not turn up a specific source. It just seems to be something there.
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➥ Arrival

He wakes up in a haze, body haphazardly draped over a chair, eyes blinking away bleariness. The rocking of the boat was surprisingly absent, his equilibrium completely thrown as he attempts to stand, hand slamming onto the desk as his legs buckle. Wait... desk? Ryunosuke opens his eyes wide, panic rising in his chest as his eyes dart from where his hand sits on the desk to the thankfully empty chair on the otherside. Where was he? His heart races as he tries to recall the last thing he did, brows knitting together.

"Where am I?" He asks to the seemingly empty room, legs finally functioning properly as he stands straight. "Hello?" He calls out in accented English. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Without an initial answer, he walks over to the door and oh so slowly turns the knob and opens it. He peeks his head outside the hall, looking for anyone who might be able to give him an answer.

➥ Mirror, Mirror

Ryunosuke thought he was safe in the bathroom. It was normally an uneventful thing, but the bathrooms here in Gloucester was worlds beyond what he's seen in London. He's taking advantage of the modern conveniences of this time and the novelty hasn't worn off. He's washing his hands, marveling a little at the foaming soap when he glances up at the mirror.

And something looks back.

He screams, leaping back from the sink, water flying off his hands and splashing against the wall. His eyes dart around before he spins to look behind him only to find nothing there. His heart beats hard in his chest, and he quickly dries his hands and sees himself out of the bathroom into the hall where he stops against the wall and tries to calm himself down. There was nothing in the mirror, right? No one was in the bathroom with him, no one was there but there was a distinct feeling that something was watching him. A crawling sensation that he couldn't shake.

➥ Haunting Tunes

He yawns again, trying to blink away the weariness that he's feeling. Maybe it was about time for a strong cup of tea but Susato wasn't here to aid him in that. There's something of longing there, wondering if she is doing all right without him or if she was filled with worry. Dread filled his mind wondering what happens to those he left behind, even as the melody he's pretty sure he's heard before creeps in. He finally has to stop walking and sits down on a nearby bench.

He yawns again, stretching his arms, exhaustion creeping into his bones as he settles into the bench without a second thought. Maybe he could just rest here for a little while, he thinks to himself eyes closing as his head leans back against the metal frame.

"Maybe I should find some tea." He finds himself muttering, pulling his hat over his eyes. "Before I fall asleep here." He crosses his arms across his chest, waiting for sleep to take him.

Edited 2021-09-05 23:37 (UTC)

Wanda is aware that strange things have been happening in Gloucester, and that includes a particularly nostalgic sound streaming in from the nearby graveyard. She hesitates, wanting to follow the sound, but finds herself instead drawn to the bench where a young man seems to have fallen asleep on.

This is a strange place to fall asleep at.

So, as she approaches him, she puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes him in an effort to rouse him from his sleep.

"Wake up," she tries suggesting, a command that isn't laced with magic.

Edited 2021-09-06 04:11 (UTC)

Wake up.

He jolts awake, hands shooting up to pull his hat back up over his head as he looks up at the young woman who shook him. He's starting to wonder if this jumpy feeling was going to be a constant, but he takes a deep breath, willing his racing heart to steady. He shouldn't have fallen asleep on the bench, he thinks, then he nods to the woman with a weary smile.

"Sorry," He apologizes, his accent similar to those from London. "I guess I fell asleep." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Do you know how long I was out?"

And maybe where he could get some tea.

Wanda pulls her hand awake soon as she gets a reaction, bringing her hands close to her middle as if putting a physical distance between the two of them. Some people do appreciate their personal space, and Wanda has not met this person before.

"Not sure," she answers his question, and figuring that regardless of how long he was asleep for, it is likely not a good idea to continue. She is starting to feel a little drowsy herself, lulled by a song whistling in the air.

Perhaps it would be prudent to head out elsewhere.

"If you're tired, you could return to your home. Do you have everything on you?"

Did someone try to steal from him while he was asleep, perhaps?

"Ah." Hopefully, he wasn't out too long then.

He pushes himself to his feet, stretching his arms with a slight yawn as he starts to wake up again. He's still exhausted, and the song still drifts through his head, but at least he was vertical again. He blinks, realizing she might be right when he goes to check his belongings. Katana, small felt rabbit, arm band... nothing seems to be missing.

"I do." He affirms with a nod. "I'd like to think that I'd wake up if someone were to steal something from me." Then again, he doesn't remember falling asleep, so would he? "Thank you again for waking me. That was kind of you to do." He bows in thanks, then offers his hand to her. "Sorry, um, I'm Ryunosuke Naruhodo."

Might as well introduce himself before he asks her if he's going crazy with hearing this strange melody in his ears.

She notes the katana and wonders, but the young man isn't giving her reason to believe he might otherwise react violently. His movement, although sluggish due to having just woken up, reflect something akin to discipline. It is the bowing which makes her pause, only to reach out to shake his hand when he offers it.

"That's... a Japanese name?"

There isn't much certainty in her words, but it's an educated guess. "I'm Wanda."

Drawing her hand back, she motions the path as to start walking.

"Are you newly arrived?"

"Yes. I'm from Japan." He was on his way back to Japan when he wound up here. Somehow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Wanda."

He follows her lead, moving down the path to go back home? To investigate the mysterious music that's playing in his head? Wherever they were going, he would follow her lead for now because she seemed to clearly know her way around better than he did.

"Yes, is it that obvious?" He says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Have you been here long?"

Hickey, who's out in the hallway, watches Ryunosuke as he darts out of the bathroom and tries to calm himself down. He's no doctor of the mind, but you don't have to be a psychiatrist to spot that someone's rattled. That man saw something. And, considering that he also saw something in the mirror only a few hours ago, Hickey has a guess what that something might be. So, Hickey walks over to Ryunosuke and gives him a little nod of acknowledgement.

"Let me guess. You saw something in the mirror." He has an English accent and is more than a little annoyed about the whole situation. "Was it your face or was it someone else's?"

"Yes, actually." He admits with a bit of a shock. "I think it was someone else's. It was more like a pair of eyes than an actual face."

He looks over the other man curiously before he glances back down the hall to the bathroom. Modern convenience aside, the very idea that someone could have been in there with him... no he was certain he was alone. There was definitely something in the mirror though that he couldn't explain.

"Did you see something as well?" He turns back to Hickey, brow raised.

Hickey nods.

"I saw the face of a man who should be dead." There's a pause before he holds up his now-bandaged hand. There's a sheepish tone in Hickey's voice as he admits, "Rattled me so badly that I ended up punching the mirror. I'll admit, it's not exactly my strongest moment."

"The face of a man who should be dead..." He rubs his chin as he looks down at his feet briefly. "That must have been a sight."

He's certain he might have done the same if he saw John Wilson's face in the mirror. Being faced with the dead would be quite shocking. When Hickey holds up his hand? He gasps a little, shocked that he would go to punch the mirror.

"Are you all right? It looks like someone at least properly treated the wound." He was no doctor but his hand at least looked like it was well taken care of with the bandages.

Edited 2021-09-06 17:31 (UTC)

"I'm fine," Hickey says, with a little shrug. "I've had worse."

He's had much worse than a stitched up hand. He's treating the wound without the amount of gravitas that a wound like that probably should be treated.

"Honestly, I'm just glad to hear it's not me seeing things. It's easy to think the problem's just you until someone else says otherwise."

He's had worse? He doesn't know if he should ask what worse is. Better yet? He doesn't want to know but he's got a feeling that he means it. He settles back on seeing things in the mirror with a frown.

"Do you think others are seeing things?" He asks, curious to know if others may have seen something in a mirror. What would they have seen? "That could have some profound significance if they are. Perhaps we should investigate a little."

Asking around might be a worthwhile idea.

"That sounds like a plan," Hickey says, with a little nod. After all, they're only going to find out more information by asking around. And, at least in this regard, he definitely wants more information.

"But yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if others are seeing things as well. Cause why would it be just us two?"

"I wonder if we'll see things multiple times." He frowns at the thought. "Not that I would want to, once was bad enough but... if other people are seeing them there may be a high chance that we'll see things in a mirror again."

He doesn't want to take that chance but with a deep breath, he nods. Maybe they could do something good and find out what is causing them to see things. Hopefully, at least, there was an answer to find.

"Okay. Where do you want to start first with the investigation?"

It is disorienting. One moment, Erik was climbing up the airstair to a small plane bound for Buenos Aires. But when he crossed the threshold he did not enter a plane, but some sort of... office?

He takes off his sunglasses and turns slowly, observing everything he can. There isn't much to see, the place is remarkably nondescript. And deserted, as far as he can tell. The possibilities are limited. Charles must have changed his mind about letting him go free. Erik sets his jaw. "I won't go down without a fight." It's not a threat, it's a promise.

He hears somebody talking. The sound is muffled but he quickly locates the hall where the voice is coming from. When the door starts to open he hides around the corner, not quite ready to reveal himself yet. He needs more information. Carefully, he peers around the corner in an attempt to get a glimpse of whoever is waiting him there.

He makes his way into the hall quietly, grateful that no one was there to see him leave someone else's office. He shuts the door behind him with a light click and he breathes out a sigh of relief. Well, this was certainly turning out to be an adventure. Now that he had his legs, and his wits, about him, he could start looking for someone to give him information.

He takes a moment to rest his hand on the hilt of the katana that was at his side, grounding himself before he starts to make his way down the hall.

"Hello?" He calls out again. "Maybe I should be looking somewhere else." He's lost in a building that he doesn't recognize, and he has no idea how he arrived here. Maybe if he found someone they could tell him how he got here.

Erik doesn't recognize the voice, which doesn't exactly assuage his concerns about mental manipulation. Generally, when trapped in illusions the lazy or inexperienced will draw upon a person's memories to construct personas. It's much more difficult to create new figments to trap somebody within the mind.

Whether he's been transported in fact or just in thought, at least he's not dealing with an amateur. "Alright. I'll play your game," he mutters to himself. He steps around the corner, revealing himself. "There's nothing this way. If I had to guess, I'd say there may be stairs down that hall."

He's relieved when Erik reveals himself, but he's instantly on guard. How long had he been there? Was he just waiting for him to make his approach, and if he was... why? He stops his trek and rests his arm on the hilt on the katana at his side, looking Erik up and down before he nods.

"Of course. Thank you." He pauses. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

Maybe he could at least find out that much while he was here.

Erik's gaze flickers to the sword. It's interesting, but not the sort of thing that concerns him. Best not to reveal that, though.

"No." He'll keep some cards close to the chest, but there's no reason to lie about that. "I was boarding a plane, and then walked into a conference room. You?"

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TDM #3

Ryunosuke Naruhodo | Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

haunting tunes

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mirror mirror

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Arrival

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