redstringtheories

Entry tags:

!tdm

TDM #4

➥ Arrival

Photo of a modern office building from the outside. There is a manicured lawn with several trees and bushes. To the left side of the photo, there is a waterbody with reeds around the fringes. There is a purple gradient filter over everything.
(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.)

➥ Toying With You

Photo of multiple children's toys, which include baby dolls and clown toys, all piled together. The toys are of various shapes and sizes. There is a purple gradient filter over everything.
(cw: creepy toys, possible violence, supernaturally induced emotions)

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 enter the area will eventually stumble upon...a very interesting sight. Take enough confusing, branching paths, and they’ll find a variety of toys abandoned in...a variety of ways.

Some, reminiscent of the happenings of the past month, can be found dangling from branches, or from contraptions of sticks and string staked into the ground. Others might be found arranged in patterns...or simply discarded. Some appear to be tied up. Perhaps surprisingly, there is no evidence of the destruction of these toys. Some may appear to be disintegrating but that’s age, not malice. There are old toys and new toys to be found. Maybe it’s just a prank, or an art installation?

Nothing seems to happen to anyone who ventures to touch the toys. At least...not right away. However, any character who does decide to touch a toy will start to feel like they just don’t have...enough. It might manifest as being particularly possessive over things or people they feel are theirs...or in coveting what they don’t already have (be it material or immaterial). These urges will fade away on their own in time, but who knows what might happen before they do?

➥ Pick a Pocket

Photo of an older, Caucasian man in sunglasses dozing on a wooden park bench. His feet are up on the bench and his arms are crossed. There is a purple gradient filter over everything.
(cw: mention of vehicular collisions, supernaturally-induced sleep/fatigue)

There is an ethereal music spreading throughout town. It started in the graveyards last month, but now it's spreading, even as collisions and other accidents continue to pile up. Tourists and locals, alike, will find keeping awake incredibly difficult as October rolls in with a rumble of thunder and a splash of rain. Even caffeine doesn't seem to help much with the problem. The music is only just there, just at the edge of awareness, and it's a song that you know. You can't entirely place it, but it's maddeningly familiar.

The local gangs seem to have taken note of the situation, and have taken to sending out their seemingly more resilient members for some mischief. Specifically, pickpocketing those they might find sleeping or less alert than usual. You might be half-falling asleep on a bus when a hand reaches into your pocket or your bag. You might witness the thief in action, stealing from someone else. Or maybe you're someone keen to take advantage of the situation, yourself. There's money to be made for someone with even moderately light fingers when the target is snoring on a park bench or zoning out while sitting at a cafe.

There doesn't seem to be an even effect to the music. It impacts some people in the same vicinity more than others with seemingly no rhyme or reason. The one constant that does appear for those digging deeply, is that ADI HQ and the ADI housing complex seem to be less affected by the music. It can still sometimes be heard, but it's not nearly as prominent as it is throughout the rest of the city.

➥ Sleeper's Paradox

Photo of a middle-aged, dark-skinned woman with long hair pouring a pot of coffee into a mug. Her hand is over her mouth as she yawns. There is a purple gradient filter over everything.
(cw: supernaturally-induced sleep/fatigue, mild memory loss)

For as much as everyone seems to be sleeping lately, it does not seem to be restful sleep. In fact, people dozing off regularly will find themselves even more exhausted and irritable than usual. Again, this seems to be far more pronounced for anyone straying too far from ADI's properties for extended periods.

Another feature of this latest round of supernatural irritation is that even those who tend to remember their dreams may have trouble with that. You might remember that the dreams weren't pleasant, but that's about it. The specifics are as elusive as the source of the singing.

Festive planning for the end-of-the-month Halloween Party is in full swing at ADI, and characters may find themselves strong-armed by Pam and other HR personnel, in spite of any grumpiness and exhaustion, into helping with some part of it. Will you be assisting with making decorations? Buying supplies for the kitchens? Helping those who might not understand Halloween to find the perfect costume? Everyone is feeling a little out of sorts, and having trouble focusing, so there's some particular pushing to spread tasks out to everyone possible so it doesn't fall on a single individual. Anyone who helps will be compensated for their time, and they might even get some extra cash to buy their own fancy costume or preferred food for the party.

➥ Mod Notes

ARRIVAL (Oct 1 - 31): 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.
Toying With You (Oct 1 - 31): Characters who physically interact with abandoned toys will find themselves overwhelmed by feelings of jealousy and/or possessiveness. Depending on how much interaction they have with the toys, these feelings might be stronger or last longer. (Anyone who, for example, removes a toy from Dogtown will probably find themselves helpless NOT to act on the feelings.) Strength of feeling and duration of time is up to player discretion. The source of these feelings could be anything, including the toys themselves. The toys can be destroyed but are not clumped all in one spot. It may take some searching to find them all.
Pick a Pocket (Oct 1- 25): Characters are welcome to experience, enact, or stop a crime. You may find yourself victim, hero, or perpetrator. The number of people asleep or having trouble staying awake will increase the closer you get to graveyards and seem to decrease the closer you get to ADI-owned buildings. The decrease in sleepiness around ADI buildings does not extend to anyone living at Bonnie's. Characters may find themselves falling asleep in the middle of trivial or important tasks, perhaps even in the middle of conversation. This is a supernatural sleep, but for the moment, it seems easy enough to wake someone up with a loud noise or a shake. Or, if you're feeling particularly vindictive, a splash of water to the face.
Sleeper's Paradox (Oct 1-25): Characters are welcome to take part in whatever party planning they wish to for ADI's Halloween party. Everyone affected by the drowsiness that's taken over the city will find that they cannot remember the specific nature of their dreams; although, they will have the sense that they did have them, and they were unpleasant. The effects of the fatigue may affect other memories or result in increased irritability, and decreased focus and reaction times. Characters may find themselves more prone to error than usual, even those who are typically known for being on-point at all times.
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[ pinching the bridge of his nose, he is stepping closer to the counter-- clearly his time for playing statue is over, r-right-- before he sends her a look over as if trying to assess if she has truly survived this event in one piece, ]

How on earth did you even understand what they were saying...? Are you fluent in whatever nonsensical jargon they were using? Am I that out of touch with today's youth...?

[ goodness, but doesn't she look Tired too?? this simply won't do... ]

You know, Ciel, I'm beginning to think there may have been some wisdom behind your suggestion of a wardrobe change... among other things, but-- I don't suppose that hot chocolate is still on the table...?

[ would it be ~convenient~ if he had just enough money to scrounge about for a cup of coffee if she partakes in that kind of thing to join him, 🤔 ]

[She doesn't look put off or disapproving of his movement or approach, so probably--!]

Ahaha... Only a bit. I do confess that I had to look a few of the other words up while I was in the back. I was only trained for a few hours before I was given the floor on my own...

[She chuckles sheepishly, but doesn't look nearly as haggard as he does, in her humble opinion! Her own expression is softening in any case, nothing quite brings people together like surviving natural disasters (man-made still counts)...]

Mm, of course. Please take a seat anywhere you like in here, I'll go get it right away. Classic, Hazelnut, or French Vanilla?

[Suppose she can get away with gifting him some extra whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top of it? She can easily pay that off with her own earnings, the boss'll have nothing to complain about that way!]

[ a-ahh, so-- as it turns out, the good barista/waitress/hostess/babysitter wasn't just trying to instill him with false hope of delicious, sugary goodness to shut him up!! a woman of her word, is it? well that Abel can certainly appreciate, and his expression-- and posture-- are already brightening considerably. ]

Y-yes~! Thank you, Ciel-- you're a godsend, you know that?! Um-- please, dealer's choice, I leave my fate in your very capable hands! But-- say, ah... I don't mind waiting a bit if you'd like to join me? --Are you off your shift soon? It isn't like I have anywhere to be, so...

[What kind of Godless heathen would lie about food to a ~~fellow~~ member of the clergy, fake or not? Besides, while they're not exactly making bank for ADI, a hot chocolate with extras is more than within her budget. Not that it's particularly cold outside just yet, but a nice drink ought to do well to soothe the nerves too, considering what they were just hit with earlier?]

Very well, no take-backs later! I still have about an hour left to my shift, and while I don't plan to slack off, I'd rather not let you out of my sight either. It would be unreasonable to ask you to wait, however, so why don't you mull over what you would like to do over your hot chocolate? [A beat.] We are given personal storage space and have coat racks in the back, if you'd like to make use of it in the meanwhile?

[Gonna get started on that hot cocoa then, she's staying at the front of the floor this time too. No need to sneak to the back and ~~Google~~ search up what White Girl Drink™ terms mean this time, small blessings...!]

[ an hour to kill until she's free, huh? Abel strokes at his chin in contemplation. 'I'd rather not let you out of my sight, either,' what could she mean by this? hm, ]

Well, if it's like that... I suppose there's no helping it. I'll simply have to keep you company and mull over how to repay you, won't I? It really isn't becoming of a man of the Lord to accept bounty without offering recompense; surely that isn't good for my immortal soul, right? Right, right, of course I'm right.

[ he sends a slight glance toward his glasses still adorning the front of her apron..... ]

So, are you more of a coffee or tea person? --Or are you victim of a terrible sweet tooth, too, Miss Ciel? [ digging into his pocket, now. hm, hm, where did he put it... ]

[What responsible and upstanding citizen would let a stray roam the neighbourhood and ram straight into more trouble, more like? smh, definitely not her,]

There's no need to overthink it. You did say "harrowing and frightening", remember? Then there's everything that happened since [...] you got here... Just think of this small break as a bit of fortune, to balance out the misfortune you've had since arriving to this town. You don't need to feel indebted to me, I only stopped you because it's what I wanted to do.

[She's using a store brand porcelain mug, since he's not getting takeout! Just in front of the machine while the mug fills, while casually shaking the can of whipped cream because,]

Hm? What brought this on? I don't think those questions are appropriate to ask a café employee, Father...

[She is throwing a faintly amused glance over her shoulder though, catching him staring back at her while he seems to be fussing with his pockets. Mm, this just about confirms it, doesn't it? That he definitely has no problem whatsoever with his eyesight...]

[ Abel is leaning over the counter again as he waits, watching her with the same pleasant, amiable smile. ahhh, he can smell it from here, i-it's... practically divine, ]

Hm...? Well, I suppose you caught me red-handed, Ciel... I may be attempting to gather some sort of idea of what sort of hot, delicious drink I might be able to afford in way of thanks-- even if you don't think it necessary, alright? Did you really have to go and spoil it~? Goodness, as if asking your preference in drink choice is such an oddity between friends...

[ which they are, naturally, of course, miss glasses-stealer!!!

...a hefty sigh, ]

I mean... you don't think it strange, do you? Wanting to get to know your fellows?

Not at all, I just wanted to make things clear to you. I don't mind telling you in the least either, I just think you're doing things out of order. You should get to know your situation before moving on to know your fellows, isn't that more logical?

[She answers cheerfully, finishing up with filling the mug before carrying it over to the prep area behind the cash counter. Whipped cream and copious amount of chocolate coulis, yes? He did indirectly confess to a crippling sweet tooth, apparently!]

And you should really sit down, Father. You're not taking your drink to go, or have you changed your mind?

What is that saying? Ah, what is the one I'm thinking of...? Something about how doing everything in order makes things tedious and boring, something to that affect? --Ughhh, it is completely slipping my mind! Well, just pretend I've said something terribly wise and profound, would you?

[ he waves off any concern about his concerns regarding the nature of the predicament they seemingly share-- and then gives a soft, pleased noise as he reaches out to gratefully accept the mug. Abel is immediately bringing it to his lips, but-- he isn't partaking just yet (it is hot), instead favoring to give its contents a smell. ]

Oooh, this is delightful... spoiling me already, a man could certainly get used to this~! Thank you, Ciel! Um-- I don't mind standing right here; it would be a little rude for me to go wandering over to a table on my lonesome mid-talk, don't you think? Now forget all that-- please, please, you have me on the edge of my seat now! Tea? Coffee? Hot cocoa? --Pumpkin spiced... cali-style... barracuda dive?!

Hm? "Act first, think later" has its advantages? While I suppose that's not always and entirely wrong, how did the saying go... "Even a broken clock is right twice a day"? Is that wise and profound enough?

[She's just playing along now isn't she... Oh well, passing him the mug (with vague concerns that he may drop it)! Watch the cream will he--]

Be careful, it's hot. Hazelnut with vanilla whipped cream and chocolate coulis, please enjoy~ [There's even a cookie stick poking out from the side, don't mention it!]

And I'm afraid I have to insist, Father. There's still a camera in this shop, and it would look fishy to other incoming customers too if you just loiter by the counter. It's about time I make a round and wipe down all the tables in here anyway, we can keep talking while I do that. You seem like the sort of person who could talk though just about anything and everything, so that much should be okay, right? Or did I get the wrong impression?

[While she's punching the freshly served hot cocoa into the cash register; gotta take care of that before it slips her mind!]

[ humoring a ~~stray~~ fool is dangerous, Miss Ciel... oh, probably too late for thoughts of wariness about her inevitable fate, huh? she has good as sealed her fate. tragic, isn't it? truly tragic.

he is cupping the mug in between both gloved hands like it is a prized possession!!! he WILL NOT drop the vessel for his chocolately goodness... (probably.) none-the-less, he is huffing a quietly petulant noise at her insistence about abandoning the counter-- this one is quite practical, isn't she?? goodness... ]

Fine! Fine, fine, you've twisted my leg, Ciel. I'll take a seat, um--

[ where, though?!?! one must be strategic in their choice, you see. he has to stay close enough that she can hear him talking from behind the register but not so close as to appear needy-- haha just kidding he is needy and he doesn't care if she knows it. he is taking the first table he sees, pulling the chair out and parking his butt in it without further ado. ]

...I can't help but notice that I still don't have my answer. Is this some kind of social experiment? Are you building up the suspense for some kind of mind-blowing insight into your inner workings with a tea-or-coffee analogy...? Or is this just your way of ensuring that I'm invested in sticking around and don't go wandering off before you're through with me? Hm, hm... most curious...

[Well good thing she's a dog person and doesn't mind work! Even if she'd be having her work cut out for her, hm...

Yes good see? Obedient dogs are the best. While he's getting situated, she's withdrawn her ADI issued prepaid debit card to swipe at the machine to settle that 'treat'. Her own ass covered, she's giving the rag she was using to wipe the cash counter before a rinse, before coming back out onto the public area of the floor to do the cleaning that was totally not an excuse to make him feel less lonely while keeping a solid pretense of work,]

Is that what it feels like? I thought I already had insurance through your glasses. You wouldn't be able to walk outside because your eyesight is so terribly poor, isn't that what you said? [...] And I'm a tea person, but I don't mind coffee in the morning every once in a while.

[There, see? Nothing dramatic about it. Don't mind the fact that she casually tossed it out with her back to him as she gets on wiping down some nearby tables in earnest!]

[ what a hard working and industrious Ciel... truly admirable, Abel thinks, lounging spread in his chair as he eats his cookie like a happy five year old and sips at his hot chocolate, giving himself a creamy mustache, ]

Yes, I was beginning to wonder if you ever intended to give those back, by the way... At least the hostage is quite comfortable. C... cozy perch?

[ ...

ahem. ]

Ah~! A fellow tea aficionado! Wonderful...! So good to be in the company of another with taste... [ as an ~~English~~ Albionese gentlemen and scholar(???), his heart is truly warmed. ] Then, let's see. How much is a good cuppa, here? Do you know offhand? Oh-- and what is your favorite...?

Of course I do. It's wrong to hold onto what doesn't belong to you. [Don't need to be ~~fake~~ Christian to take that moral stance.] I couldn't have you run away after ["the mess you made"] what you did earlier, so I simply did what I had to. ["by taking your glasses hostage" (???)] Since you said you'll stay put and wait, is it okay for me to return them to you now? Hm... [yeah just musing to herself out loud if she should return something she took that doesn't belong to her to begin with, this requires thinking over,

...]

Are you planning to become a regular, Father? I'm not sure how to feel about that... I wouldn't want to leave an éclair kidnapper and murderer to any of my coworkers.

Oho~? So it's like that, then...! Truly dastardly, handicapping my vision to ensure my captivity... [ """captivity,""" ] Well~! I'm certainly not leaving without finishing my hot chocolate and cookie, that's for sure. And I did offer to wait around for you to finish your shift, so...

[ yeahhhh, just give back his specs, what's the worst that could happen?!?!?! huh, Ciel??? 😊 ]

Ah. Well-- perhaps, but... that isn't quite what I was after for with my questions that you have once again expertly attempted to dodge... --And I resent that, by the way!! I am not an éclair kidnapper or murderer!! Th... this was just-- a very lamentable misunderstanding, that's all...!

[ok mister "been-acting-like-he-sees-fine-ever-since",]

Yes, you'll get the cookies after my shift. Maybe that will be enough insurance, and I'd rather not resort to extreme measures if I can help it. If you leave me no choice, however...

[Finishing up with one set of tables, she's moving onto the next ones, this time with her side to him.]

A misunderstanding... I see. Since we have some time now, would you perhaps care to clear that up? What exactly happened according to you, Father? [The sidelong glance she's sending his way is totally not judgmental, nah...]

[ whaaaat haha noooo, he is so bliiiiind haha, believe hiiim,

a-anyway,

Abel is tilting his head in the most innocent, absolutely pure and unsullied manner of a man who definitely had not stolen and murderized an éclair earlier in the afternoon. ]

Well~! I'm so glad you asked, Miss Ciel. Honestly, it's a long story so I'll do my best to keep it brief for you. It all started this morning at about seven A.M. I woke up before my alarm-- a rarity, I can assure you! Such an oddity, in fact, that I'm unable to keep myself from dwelling. Was it because I was waking in a strange and unusual place such as this...? No, no-- I wake up in strange and foreign places all the time-- it is the nature of an itinerant priest, you know? It couldn't have been that. Maybe I was especially hungry? I didn't have my usual midnight snack, so maybe that's the cause? Ciel, do you eat a midnight snack? They say it's not very good for your health, but I tend to sleep much better if I partake. Say, at least several peanut butter sandwiches do the trick. Peanut butter is really cheap and has protein in it~! So that's healthy, right? Sure, bread has a lot of carbs but it's delicious so we can forgive it for its sinful nature. Do you like peanut butter?

[She's wiped down two more set of tables while he ~~rambles~~ rambles, making her halfway done--

...]

Bread? Sinful? I must have misheard you, Father. Is that any way to talk about the Body of the Lord, especially from a member of the clergy?

[Her back is to him again and she sounds completely conversational, for better or worse (???)]...

Listen, we must be able to examine all parts of ourselves and our surroundings with a most critical eye-- as all of us are children of Christ and the Lord, and to betray His gift to us in the vehicle of Free Will cannot be squandered~! Bread is sinfully good at times, you really can't deny it.

[ a most sagely, wise nod of his head.

...she is allergic to answering questions. this is at least the fifth one she's dodged. he is Taking Notes. ]

So! Anyway, there I was, lamenting my wakefulness at seven o'clock in the morning when there really isn't any reason to be awake at such an hour when it struck me. Where did my pajamas come from...? I didn't remember dressing in them the night prior, nor did I remember where I'd gotten them to even put them on. Was it this unsettling revelation that had roused me from my sleep...? I had to find answers, of course, so I quickly dressed for the day and tried to find breakfast, but as it turns out... I had spent all of my funds the day prior-- a long story, we don't really need to address what happened-- and thus found myself woefully trudging the halls in search of some way to solve my very pressing problem. Not only was I tired and uneasy from my pajama dilemma, but now... starving? No midnight snack, no breakfast...? Ah, you can see that I have had a very rough start to my day, right Ciel?

[There's no answer to his question.

A second ticks by.

The door to the shop opens, followed by the blue-haired waitress holding onto a tray with a couple of plates and an empty espresso cup atop it. She went outside? Apparently she went outside,]

Hm?

[Did he just call her name...]

Hm? What...? Oh, nothing, please carry on. What was I saying? --Ah, it probably wasn't important. [ .......did he even notice?? who knows. ]

...Anyway, long story short, I was starving to death and delirious and so naturally no one can hold any of what I might've done in such a state against me, you understand. [ a slow slurping sip from his mug,

...

and then, without missing a beat: ]

So! What is your favorite tea? Do you like peanut butter? Do you like cats or dogs better? Sweet or savory things? If I ask a lot of questions, will you answer one of them? Maybe that's how it works...?

[That one dismissive statement told her more useful things about him than that entire spiel, good thing she's multitasking and also got the opportunity to pick up and clean out the tables outside by the terrace!]

Well then, do be careful to not collect too many public misdemeanours, or be caught red handed in an actual crime. That'll affect your pay too, you know.

[...]

That hardly sounds fair. How about we take turns? A question for a question, and an answer for an answer. Oh, but the game will have to be put on hold if more customers come in, I do still have work to do. What do you think of these terms?

No, no, of course not~! I am a man of God and have a reputation to maintain. It wouldn't do to stain my pristine image in this town so soon. [ ...

......

oh, but at the offer of a game, Abel is perking further like a dog with his ears pricked, all attentive interest in blue eyes. ]

Ah~! A game! Back and forth, is it? Well, I don't see any reason why not... --And of course those stipulations are only fair, seeing as how you're still on the clock. Yes, yes. Um-- so, are you going to pick which of my question to answer first? Do I have to ask a new one?

[>pristine image

...no comment,

It's that "easy", hm?]

You can rephrase your first question, Father, since you're the one starting. Well?

[ oh, oh. okay, okay. he goes to nudge at his glasses again (again) only to awkwardly cough into that hand, instead, ]

Ah. Um, hm. Let's see... how about...

[ no pressure....... n-no pressure, going first, right... ]

...F-favorite tea? Yes, yes. Let's start simple! What is your favorite sort of tea, Ciel?

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