TDM #3

[apocalypsehowmods]

↬ Main Navigation

➥ 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.
  ↬ Main Navigation

Comments

Dick Grayson | DC Comics

[blue_bat]

I. Arrival

Dick has had the good old treatment of arriving inside a supply closet. The lack of space isn't great, considering he's on crutches. Trying to arrange getting out while staying upright is a rather complex experience. It's not exactly working and he keeps ramming things with a crutch.

He can be heard swearing, not even subtly either.

II. Haunting Tunes

Dick isn't the kind to sleep when he wants to, or even when it's extremely tempting. So he's not falling asleep here. He's battled too many long nights as a vigilante to give in now. What he is doing is humming the tune along with it, keeping his ear perked to try to figure out where this is coming from.

He's tracked it to a graveyard and is sort of dancing with a crutch to the tune. He's not disturbed by this at all. He is awfully sleepy, but there's this handy thermos of coffee right here...

ii.

[00g]

( What's with the freaks in this place acting on whatever urge over takes them? They clearly have no self-restraint or wits about them here, either.

He feels more tired the closer he gets to the fellow dancing with his crutch, feeling like he wants to kick Dick's clearly hurt legs out from underneath him as much as he wants to lay down and take a nap. )

Is this kind of freak-show normal for this place, or ... ( embarrassingly, he fights off a yawn ) ... are you just having a one-man mosh pit for no reason.

[blue_bat]

It's normal for me. [ Dick's voice is patient as he says this - he's not affected by Geto's attitude at all. ]

What, you never see someone enjoying music?

[ Maybe he can't hear it? Well, that was alarming. ]

[00g]

In a graveyard. At night. By yourself.

( He nods. )

Got it. I don't suppose the music is your doing?

[blue_bat]

Well, when you put it that way...

[ But really, Dick doesn't care about being weird? He's been strange all his life. Squinting at this guy, he takes a step closer, studying him. ]

It's not. Do you see an instrument in my hands?

[ Maybe cut back the sass levels, Dick. ]

[00g]

( He looks Dick up and down and laughs a derisive sort of laugh. )

Watch your tone, trash.

[blue_bat]

"Trash, huh? I must have missed the part where the garbageman took me out."

Yeah, he's so not watching his tone.

"What does it make you, hanging out around here with me?"

[00g]

If you're here dancing like a fucking idiot then I'm not surprised you missed it.

( He sniffs, looks to the side, and then he makes to leave. He feels exhausted, like he could drop any moment the longer he stands here. )

I don't have to ... explain myself to you.

( There's another yawn as he turns and walks away, wobbling on his feet just a little bit. Dammit. )

[henchgal]

Meredith is very familiar with what it means, when one hears swearing coming out of a supply closet. She presses her ear to the door and speaks quietly. "I'm about to let you out. I need you not to panic, though. There's a lot you don't understand about what's going on."

[blue_bat]

Dick quiets when he hears her voice. He's tempted to defend himself with the fact he doesn't tend to panic, but really, what could all this swearing be called? So he swallows his pride and focuses on slowing his breathing.

"I'm fine," he says finally. "No panic here."

[henchgal]

"Good. I'm opening the door now, it might be a little bright."

And suddenly there's a Meredith, in one of her tidy blouses and calf-length skirts, opaque tights and sensible loafers. Business casual or just past it, her hair in a tidy ponytail. Her cane is, as usual in a hand.

"Hullo, there."

[blue_bat]

So actually, suddenly, there's a hot chick greeting him? Talk about making Dick's day better. He looks her up and down and then gives her a crooked grin.

"Fancy meeting you here in a place like this." He pauses as he sticks his head out of the closet and looks around. "What is this place, anyway?"

[henchgal]

"Apex Detectives Inc., at least in theory. Gloucester, Massachusetts, more broadly. And on the even larger scale? Not the universe you came from, I'm afraid. This place sort of...brings people in from different 'verses. They always arrive in this building. I ended up in a server closet when I got here."

She holds the door so he can step out, noticing the crutches. Well, all the better, to have an excuse not to take the stairs while giving the tour.

[blue_bat]

Dick steps out of the closet awkwardly. He's taking in all the details of what's around them, quickly and efficiently.

"Seems like an organized place," he remarks. "But what's this about different universes...?"

He can believe it. Bruce taught him to account for all possibilities. He's just not sure he wants to.

[henchgal]

"Well, not everyone here comes from an Earth, and some aren't human. The current date may not line up with when you're from. The city I live in doesn't even exist in this world."

She shrugs. "It's complicated. But let me offer some reassurance on the lower rungs of Maslow's hierarchy: you'll have a place to stay, while you're here. And food. You're not stranded without any resources, and you're hardly alone."

[blue_bat]

"Have you ever heard of Bludhaven? Maybe my city doesn't exist here, either."

That'd be kind of hilarious? Or maybe more like, he'd have no idea what to do in that case. He lives his life to protect that city. There's no other point to him, considering how badly he screwed up.

Maybe it wasn't funny at all, actually.

"Who's providing the place to stay, these guys?"

[henchgal]

"I haven't heard of Bludhaven. I'm betting you've never heard of Hightower. One of my roommates is from a place called Gotham, and there's a guy in the counseling department who's a big furry creature called a firbolg." It's not really funny, but she tries to keep it light. The point is, everyone's from someplace different.

"As for housing...well, that's complicated. The big picture is that Apex Detectives is a front for ADI--the Apocalypse Disruption Initiative."

[blue_bat]

"Gotham, huh?" Well, Dick will address that one later. He'll remember it. First, the rest of what she said must be addressed. "I'm assuming they divert apocalypses from happening."

I'm just gonna wildcard you 👀

[ployboy]

He had seen his brother before this moment, actually. Actually, he'd been contemplating another fifteen minute, five-minute break from his office job when he had seen, out of the corner of his eye, Meredith in full tour-guide mode. And with her was... Dick. Younger, not perpetually burdened by a shadowy something that follows the Batman name. And of course the jerk was in crutches. And Tim had very discreetly... run the hell away.

Until now, some time before the end of ADI's workday, when Tim had looked over his shoulder, found no one monitoring the door to the surveillance room, and he had peeked his head in just long enough to find Dick...

Here. Still in ADI ground, but undoubtedly already caught up with all that riveting first-day orientation jazz. Tim's thought long and hard about this, and he found no better way to ease the painful hammering of his heart than to cross his arms and lean against the wall ahead and chirp up, "Sorry I'm late. They actually made me clock in my hours as if my brother hadn't just been spit out by an interdimensional portal."

A beat. And Tim is-- hesitant. Cautious. Vulnerable, his expression says. Just for his brother to see. He breathes out. "And," he adds, "I kinda had to make sure it was really you."

[blue_bat]

Dick's not surprised by Tim's entrance. He'd noticed him earlier, just as he'd been noticed. But he hadn't pressed, wanting his brother to come around in his own time. Besides, he couldn't exactly be rude and ditch the chick, now could he?

It's very likely he came in here expecting his presence here would draw the other - and it worked.

"Make sure it was me?" He raises an eyebrow, taking an awkward step towards him. "What, did you think I might be an imposter? That'd be a pretty lame choice of people to be."

He's relieved his brother's here and he lets it show. But he also has to wonder: he hasn't arrived without someone here that he knows. Did Tim?

[ployboy]

Ha-ha, and Tim has a full second of looking wholly unimpressed before he cracks and pushes off the wall and explains, "It was more about verifying your material existence, but if ADI has you on the roster, you pass. They're thorough."

Which makes Tim think there's got to be a better way to say his Hello; he's happy to see his brother. His eyes are lively, his body is relaxed, he's entirely trusting.

It's awkward.

He steps forward, closes the distance between them and embraces the guy and huffs out, "I missed you."

He's careful of the crutches, he's careful of not pressing, he's careful of not getting lost in the relief of feeling the warm body of Dick Grayson. --training, y'know. And while words may not be... accurate. The sentiment is entirely honest. And so is the confusion behind, "What the heck happened to you?"

The crutches? The getup? It's been a while.

[blue_bat]

Dick hugs him back the best he can, leaning on him a little as he can't exactly balance on his crutches and hug. With most people, he'd be ashamed of having to take an inch, but with Tim it's fine. What was a little bit of weakness between brothers?

"I missed you too." Or more like, he'd been worried about him? There'd been a gang war, after all, and with what had happened to Stephanie... well. There was no way to predict how it would go for Tim. But he didn't seem to be particularly wrought by anything? Just unsure of how to handle this.

"The GCPD has orders to shoot to kill when it comes to vigilantes. They sure as hell tried."

Just another reason to regret coming back from Bludhaven, yeah?

[ployboy]

"Oh."

Oh.

There's a lot he's not supposed to know; he briefly recalls Alfred giving him a rare scathing look when he had recently moved to the 'Haven himself, and a warning to watch his tongue. Here, now, Tim feels the saturated cold of old pain run down his back, and he tells himself to focus on keeping them both on their feet. Years later, he's still a bit of a shrimp.

Tim, maybe predictably, pulls away first.

"Yeah, that sucks."

Understatement.

He's searching Dick's face for some clue in to what he should do. A beat later all he can do is... sigh. "You're going to have your work cut out for you here. Starting with... a favor. From me. If you're up to it."

Hi.

[blue_bat]

"You got it," Dick says automatically. What else is he going to say, really? Tim is family and you do whatever you can for family. He's had this drilled into him from the start by his particular elders. He's sure that nothing Tim can ask for could be worse than what Bruce would ask for.

He's a little concerned about the fact that when he studies Tim, he sees longer hair and an aggressive aura. The former suggests time has passed, the latter suggests things have happened. Was it possible that this place did not take them from the same time? Well, he'll observe this soon. Right now, he's waiting to see what that favor is.

"What do you need me to do?"

[ployboy]

He'll never not adore the man. It makes the guilt (not of this, of many botched attempts of reconciliation) bubble inside him. And it spurs a dry, tight sort of smile from Tim as he reaches into his back pocket to brandish that ADI smartphone.

"It's painless, promise." He says, tapping into a voice recording app. "When ADI personnel processed your arrival in the basement, you were led to a room, right? There was a poem. You read it, and then you were given the rundown."

Tim passes the phone to Dick.

It's so disturbingly normal to be so much more eager for information, than to be eager about his brother being well in Gloucester. Relatively.

"Just repeat for me, and I'll transcribe it later. I was already given a copy of the poem when I requested it but there's no harm in triple-checking."