redstringtheories

Entry tags:

!tdm

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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[He speaks from almost-experience, always dancing a hair’s breadth away from like, falling asleep on a tombstone, or something. Still, Stephen doesn’t appear to have taken his own advice — there’s no sign of anyone else around, which betrays either a large amount of confidence, or he’s gone and lost his partner.

Either way, that doesn’t seem to matter as much right now. With this child more lucid, he’s making very odd and unexpected claims, and he opens his mouth to retort—]

Are you sure about that, because—

[And here, the inevitable yawn, just waiting for a reason to escape, and impossible to tamp down when someone else is doing it.

He frowns.]

Stop that.

Edited 2021-09-06 03:37 (UTC)

[He can't help but giggle at the yawn. It's a nice distraction from everything else.]

Quite sure. I am Loki, God of Mischief.

[As he has literally just proven.]

[He felt his eyes water from the one, thanks.

Once recovered, at least Loki’s claim has Stephen focusing again.]

Interesting. I’ve met Thor before. And I’ve met Loki, God of Mischief, too, and I remember him being much… taller.

[Dubious, but not utterly dismissive. He’d be a fool to shrug this off without the proper round of questioning, assuming he can stay awake long enough for it.]

[Loki rolls his eyes. Do you know how many times he's heard that one. Too many.]

Yes, yes, that was before I died. Don't you keep up with things? I'm the reborn Loki, obviously.

[His brow cinches because — well, what?]

It’s my job to “keep up with things”, and this is the first I’ve heard of a reborn Loki. Unless you’re so far flung from my timeline that I wouldn’t know you, anyway.

[Possible. But then he’d be recognized, wouldn’t he?]

Do you know who I am?

Some alternate version of Doctor Strange, I presume? We haven't met, not in this form, but you look different than your picture on Wikipedia.

Perhaps you should check Wikipedia more often. You're not very good at your job.

[he teases, knowing it wouldn't do any good considering they appear to be from different Earths.]

[It’s strange hearing himself referred to as an “alternate version”, but the child’s educated guess is too dead-on to not mean anything; and besides, with an attitude like that? No doubt this is Loki — or a Loki.

Given that the multiverse certainly exists, and that “his” (also a strange qualifier, even in his head) Loki is but a variant of the one he once left free falling in a wayward dimension, it’s plausible. Believable, even, especially given the varied collection of people that have been dragged to this world.]

Right about who I am. Wrong about Wikipedia being able to show me your face.

[Dry, but a waste of breath because, yes, that was a joke.

Suddenly he feels more tired, and that perhaps has nothing to do with the graveyard itself.]

But the face of the trickster god that I know [sort of], back at the flophouse? More likely. I’m guessing you’ll want to say hello eventually.

Right about you being bad at your job!

[he interjects because hey! That's important. And can exist separately outside of their little Wikipedia joke.

At the mention of another Loki, though, his body completely tenses up.]

Loki is here? Tell me what you know of him, if you wish to prove yourself to me.

[Somewhat decent as his job, thank you very much!!

Loki’s reaction isn’t what Stephen expected, every bit of him going taut. All right, maybe he doesn’t want to say hello to him.]

I didn’t know I had anything to prove to you.

[Is this the time and place, where they could be on the verge of falling asleep at any moment?]

Why not talk to him yourself?

[He has to prove that he's somewhat decent at his job, duh!!!

But none of that matters anymore, not really. Loki breathes out, decidedly not yawning. All of a sudden, he doesn't feel tired whatsoever.]

Because Ik- Loki killed me before I arrived in this place. It is unlikely my narrative aligns with the Loki here, but I know better than to trust myself. Forgive me for not wanting to wave hello to my murderer.

[Well, Stephen is very tired. Were it not for stumbling across this other child version of Loki, he would call this entire graveyard investigation-expedition a bust — and if anything, that’s only made him feel more weary.

Because, honestly, a Loki killing a Loki? Maybe this is not wholly surprising, but just one more complication piled onto another.]

…He never mentioned anything like that. Or other versions of you at all, minus the one he’s...[handwave gesture] …deviated from.

[Which doesn’t mean a lot, given who they’re talking about here. But he’ll throw him a bone—] You want to know what I know? Then walk with me. We’re not staying here longer than we need to.

[boy he could go for some coffee]

[Loki starts walking ahead, now that he's all full of energy at being reminded of his death. It works much better than coffee, apparently. Which is good because coffee tastes gross.]

What do you mean deviated from? [He turns his head to look at Strange.]

I'd like to hear what he's told you, and what you've noticed on your own as well.

[Stephen’s strides are longer, but it takes far more effort to make them hurried, and so he finds himself lagging a step or two behind the young(er? ish?) god.]

The Loki of Asgard I knew once attacked New York, back when I was still working as a surgeon. [That sure was A Day. Regardless, Stephen is intent on giving the generalized version of events.] The Avengers put a stop to him, and he was arrested and sent back to Asgard to be jailed.

The version of Loki I’ve met here is that same one, except he managed to escape his ultimate capture and jailing, therefore creating a new timeline — and “variant” of himself. Apparently that caused its own set of problems.

[And that, he will not get into — a story better told by Loki, to Loki.]

If it’s a lie, it’s a very odd one to spin. But I don’t think it is — he didn’t recognize me when we met, and I don’t think that was an act. First impressions don’t exactly extend further than that. We’re not… friends. I made him sweep the hallway and I think he’s still irritated about that.

[And Stephen would do it again, too!!]

Edited 2021-09-06 06:25 (UTC)

I don’t think he’s lying either. We’d think of something better than that.

[Why be a variant of that one in particular after all? He could say anything, say he was from a universe where he was worthy of Mjolnir even.]

He would seem to be a typical Loki nonetheless. Evil, bent on world domination, incapable of change and such. Much more like the Loki that was rather than the Loki I am.

[Maybe Loki can hear the raising of Stephen’s brow in his tone, eking past the exhaustion.]

I’m cautious, but even I didn’t immediately jump to “evil with world domination on the mind.”

[Can one be biased towards oneself? Absolutely. Does Stephen have more to go on, to comment further? No. He hasn’t been here terribly long himself, though he does get a sense that the Loki he knows has been through a bit more than what was discussed.]

What makes you much different from the rest?

You don't know Loki as well as I do.

[Which is true no matter which universe they're from and which universe they're talking about. If anything, he's a little bitter this Doctor Strange is willing to give a Loki that much leeway. No one ever gave him any.]

I am the Loki that won. I changed. I was good. That, and I'm much more handsome than any other Loki.

[Well, he can’t argue against that. He doesn’t know Loki very well at all, and he wouldn’t presume to.

And there’s plenty he could ask about a Loki who so doggedly claims to be good, to have changed, but first—]

You’re a child.

[Regarding, you know, being handsome.]

I'm at least thirteen in terms of appearances.

[Which is firmly in the teen designation, thank you!]

I don't see your point, though.

[Stephen will call any thirteen year-old a child and have zero regrets doing so.]

My point is that “handsome” feels misused in this situation.

[Especially framed as some kind of competition against one’s older self.]

You haven't seen what I looked like before.

[Because he is absolutely for sure winning. He hoped that if(when?) he grew up he would keep his good looks, but...]

Ikol's probably making a mess of my body back home. Putting it in dreadful circus costumes and fur capes. The man has no taste.

[Okay, fair point. And though this isn’t exactly a discussion he ever thought he’d have, it does segue into more relevant questions.

Ikol, for instance. Was that the name Loki had nearly misspoken just minutes prior? The connection isn’t too hard to string together.]

Ikol, who is… what? The other you? The murderous one?

Oh, I'm impressed. Next you'll figure out that Ikol is Loki in reverse. Ah, my apologies for spoiling you.

[As much as Loki is not evil, he's still... like this. Like Loki.]

He is what remains of the previous Loki, the one that died so I could be born. As it turns out, I was merely keeping this body warm for him and doing all the heavy lifting of getting Asgard to trust us.

[Not that there was any doubt at this point, but yes. This is definitely a Loki.

Stephen almost rolls his eyes, but he is the better man and does not do so! He merely keeps walking along the path they’ve settled on, and at least they’re not far from leaving the perimeter of the graveyard now.]

So just a ploy, one that must have gone off without a hitch. [This young-looking Loki dead, the other running about, (probably) causing chaos, draped in furs.] That must have been disheartening for you to learn.

[If he claims to be good, what else could it have been, other than a betrayal?]

[A betrayal, yes, but one he feels like he should've expected. He should've expected it with Thori too. Perhaps this is why he becomes so distrusting with age.]

I was too arrogant, and believed him when he said he wanted Loki to change. Or rather, I misunderstood him. I suppose he never lied to me.

A lie of omission is still a lie.

[Of that, he’s certain. Stephen is no trickster, but he knows there are multiple ways to craft deceit. It seems like a shame that Loki fell for his own, because—]

You said you were good. Are good. Do you really believe that?

[This is not a skeptical question. It is merely a question. Maybe he’s a fool for expecting earnestness from the god of mischief, or some version of him, but his Loki experience in this world has been surprising thus far. Maybe this is par the course.]

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