TDM #4

[apocalypsehowmods]

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➥ 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.)

➥ Toying With You

(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

(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

(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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Comments

[inutilis]

[ s-skipping over bail; who cares about jail tbh?? there are FAR more interesting subjects to tackle and yes, she is doing all the work while he just Annoys her, ]

Ah? Ah...? Come on! Don't you think it might be fun~?

[ nodding enthusiastically, here, ]

What would you dress up as if anything goes? Anything at all~! Hit me!

[septieme]

[And just as smoothly as she accosted him upon their initial meeting with her sunniest Customer Service Smile™, she's cheerfully shoving a nice and plain white linen shirt she got from somewhere in his arms.]

Since I found [a hobo stray dog] an itinerant priest today, maybe it's a sign from God. What if I go as a nun?

[n_______n]

[inutilis]

[ there is a soft 'ooph' before he is sending an absent-minded glance at the shirt in his arms... and then the woman who put it there, before once more resorting to vigorous nodding!!!! YEAH, ]

--Ah~! We could go together...!! Those girls definitely thought I was dressed up for some kind of cosplay, so it works out perfectly!! Sister Ciel-- ah, it does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it?!

[ sweet summer child, ]

[septieme]

[She's then just as briskly turning her back to him as she keeps browsing... truly it's like shopping for some ADHD kid smh,]

Oh, I don't know. Any habit I can come up with before the party will surely pale in comparison to the far superior complexity and craftsmanship of your cassock. Why, we would no doubt look like we were from two different worlds entirely! [Literally.] Perhaps you should rethink this.

[White shirts, white shirts, and more white shirts... --Oh, there's another nice looking one. He's getting +1 shirt in his arm. Now he has two shirts in his arms,

...not on his way to become a human basket, nah]

[inutilis]

[ Abel does not seem to mind his new job as Human Basket, because he is rattling right along as he diligently keeps behind Ciel wherever she wanders about the store. yes, a well-trained dog attendant indeed, ]

W-well, I mean... [ ...ahem, ] A-anyway, come now! Don't say that...! Are the clothing of clergymen in this time period really so drab...? We could dress it up~! I'll help you! I know how to darn...!

[ not well, b-but you know. it's the thought that counts? ]

Sewing can't be that much harder, right? ...Hm. I mean, do you have any other ideas...? I'm open to suggestions, here, but I think you were on to something, Miss Ciel~!

[septieme]

Clergy wear of this era isn't drab, it's normal. If you doubt me, why don't you go around the office as you are today and ask everyone you come across what they think of your cassock? I'm confident that most, if not all of them, will agree that what you wear is way more elaborate than what they're used to.

[Still shuffling thru shirts as they talk...]

It's not just a matter of sewing, but also designing, coordinating, and complementing. I'm saying matching you will be too much work.

[inutilis]

Ah! But I could tell you what habits look like back at home, hm! ...Actually, it really doesn't need to match, does it? Halloween isn't about trying to make the most accurate or picture-perfect costumes, it's about having fun! Please tell me you know how to do that, miss Work-A-Holic...

[ yeah, he has SNIFFED out that particular feature of her personality quite cleanly; a man would have to be blind, deaf AND dumb not to tell, though, so no brownie points. ]

Come oooon~! Just liiiive a little, Ciel...! What's the worst that could happen playing dress up for a day?

[septieme]

Are you going to find a tailor and foot the bill, Father? You're not allowed to damage my habit. [There may or may not be some sort of implication here,] But no, it doesn't. In fact, if we go as Sister and Father, my plain habit may make you stand out all the more, so it's not a bad idea if you're looking to be the center of attention.

[...dumping another shirt on him, along with a pout Look,]

What's with that rude assumption? I didn't reject you, I simply said it wouldn't be feasible to match each other visually. Simply thematically, that's a different story entirely.

[inutilis]

[ o-oh, no. oh no. what is this face?? it is Cute and that is Dangerous,

Abel is accepting the third shirt and leaning down and over her, again; something glimmers in his eyes behind those glasses. dangerous indeed... ]

Ah? What's this...? Do you have a habit already, Sister? Most curious~! I wonder what a good little café barista is doing with something like that...?

[ what is he implying, exactly??? it is questionable if Abel even knows at this point, don't worry about it. ]

And look, look... are you telling me you aren't a work-a-holic that doesn't know how to relax and have a little fun? Because if that's the case... I am quite interested in being proven wrong!

[septieme]

[more like this gross lanky beanpole is a Danger to everything around him thanks??]

--No, I mean once I do have it ready! A habit is simple, and I can still reuse the fabric for something else after. [TOO LATE... She is Not Thrilled about her own slip of tongue, knowing instinctively she's not going to be able to pretend in front of him any longer. Granted, the hints HAVE been dropping as early as when she sent off that éclair, smh...] Yes, a part time café worker who's also employed at a detective agency. What am I doing, indeed? [hobos aren't allowed to judge her life choices, so pls go??]

I know perfectly well how to relax and look after myself. Just what are you getting at?

[and here's ANOTHER SHIRT, that may or may not be accompanied by a faint huff,]

[inutilis]

[ the way she seems vaguely flustered just confirms it... wow, so all this time... ]

...Oho. Oho, so I've hit the nail on the head? Interesting... [ whether he is talking about the habit or her being a chronic workaholic, who tf knows at this point. maybe it's both? ]

Please tell me, Sister, what other jobs do you have on the side? I'm quite curious, now...! Part time café worker; employed at a detective agency... hm, isn't there a third you aren't mentioning?

[septieme]

[In the end, she lasted a whole fking 2~3 hours, gOD. WHY ARE THEY LIKE THIS

ADDING ANOTHER SHIRT ONTO THE PILE]

Why don't you go to the changing cabin and try these out, mister Nightroad? We haven't got all day, and we still need to find you pants. Go with the two you think are the best fit, the rooms are back there.

[SHOO, she's turned her back to him now and has retrieved another cookie to sulkily munch on, 😤]

[inutilis]

[ HOW MANY SHIRTS IS THIS??? definitely far greater a number than the brain cells between them, that's for sure. Abel is making a soft noise as Ciel piles on yet another, before he's waving her down. okay, okay!!!! enough SHIRTS!!! ]

...Ah, so it's like that. I'll keep your secret, miss~! --In exchange for another cookie when I get out~! Don't eat them all...!

[ this is said with a sing-song call as he jovially trots toward the changing rooms, multitude of clothing draped in his arms. closes my eyes, here we go... let's see if Abel can succeed at this one simple task: finding two shirts in his size that fit him properly...

...

place your bets now on how it goes wrong, ]

[septieme]

[ "definitely far greater a number than the brain cells between them" the truest thing to come out of this entire goddamn thread, truly,

no??? why should anyone have to do that?????? Ciel will just be finishing up on that one cookie she took out thanks, and maybe start looking at the pants section. smh he says he knows his size but in the end she's the one who has to pick everything for him...




how long is this gonna take, does anything burn down]

[inutilis]

[ there is only one adult here and it is probably whoever is manning the register,

...

there is some shuffling and fumbling and light mumbling from behind the curtain of the dressing room, but after a little while... a wild Abel is emerging with two shirts draped over one arm and the rest over the other. and like he is five, proudly presenting the fruits of his labor to his mother who told him to find which fit... he is holding out the two with a bright smile and hair in disarray where he had tugged the shirts over his head instead of simply unbuttoning them, sensibly... of course, ]

Here, Miss Sister~! These will do the trick, I think... hey, do you want to pick out matching Halloween sweaters for the party if you don't want to commit to dress up~?!

[septieme]

[jokes on u the cashier is

another teenager

what you gotta part time SOMEWHERE to cover for expensive study fees... 🥲 this one looks normal at least, dressed demurely and diligently milling away at their job...

--oh look, the BIGGEST CHILD IN THE STORE is back, and nothing's burning! wow. since he's DUMB and USELESS and probably took a while, he'll find her waiting for him with four pair of slacks, varying from gray to black in color and... LOOK like they could fit him, theoretically.]

Try these next, you can keep one or two. I went by visual estimate, so they may all be the wrong size. [flatly...] But since you're obviously not going to look for proper clothes on your own, that's as good as forfeiting any right to complain, yes?

[while holding out her free arm to trade, take these pants and give her those shirts! then it's back to the changing room with him, SHOO, she's clearly not accepting any commentary or taking any questions,]

[inutilis]

[ why are there so many Teens... this is criminal, this is illegal, this is outright unfair and unjust?? why,

...ah, yes, Abel is making something of a face when his GRANDIOSE return is not celebrated(???), huffing softly as he exchanges the shirts for pants with her. ]

What is that supposed to mean...?! Not looking properly... I was looking just fine, for your information~! [ grumbling softly now as he looks at her and, distinctly, does not move in the direction of the changing rooms, ] And, what, you're not going to give a single thought to the sweater idea? See? This is how I know you don't know how to have fun. Boring slacks; boring shirts, boring. Sweaters, Ciel!! Let's look at sweaters!!

[septieme]

[not Gloucester's fault that some useless senile grandpa ended up here from across time and universe, obviously,

She is just Frowning at him now, seemingly have calmed down from earlier fluster. Not looking to be in the best of moods, either...]

Getting treated like a walking touristic attraction is fine? Maybe I should leave you and Rosa to it then, if you two already have things under control. They say three is a crowd, after all. [they are totally not getting looks because this totally doesn't sound weird out of context,] If you want to shop for more colorful things, you can come back with your own pay. Today however, I'm only here to help you with basic essentials, and that's that.

[(nottalking)]

[inutilis]

[ excuse u who are you calling senile Grandpa, he is a spry 976 year old man in his prime, ty?? obviously????

--a spry man in his prime whose face abruptly goes a little pink at mention of Rosa; perhaps he hadn't realized his discourse over his """family heirloom""" had been overheard. w-well!! if it's to be like that, then... ]

M-maybe Rosa and I will do just that, hm?! And what are you going to do if I come back here and buy you a fancy Halloween sweater, huh, Ciel? What if I drag you kicking and screaming to-- hold your shock-- have fun?! Do you even understand the concept...?

[septieme]

[ok almost 1k yo virgin,]

You can do whatever you like, after you've made yourself presentable like a normal human being. [implying he's not one because he sure ACTS like an alien, tbh?

...]

If we fail to find you a coat and at least one pair of pants in the next fifteen minutes, I'm leaving with the rest of the cookies, mister Nightroad.

[...wonder how effective of a threat that'd be, given the circumstances 🤔]

[inutilis]

[ """normal human being,""" he did not fail to catch that and now indignation is turning into outright pouting, ]

Oh, is that so?! So now you've resorted to threatening me, is it?!

[ threatening to withhold... cookies?? that aren't even his??? that she would be kind and generous to share with him in the first place???? ]

Low, Ciel. That's just low. Is the promise of 'fun' so despicable to you that you'd go so far...? It's even worse than I thought!

[septieme]

[they're really causing a scene in a fking thrift store, whose shoppers are mostly broke college students and old grannies,]

"Fun" has nothing to do with it! I'm just trying to get things done, so will you stop getting sidetracked? [useless rhetorical question, everyone here knows the answer is `no`] What happened to not getting in the way of my errands? You have fourteen minutes left, by the way!

[inutilis]

A... are you seriously timing me?!

[ that came out a little more shrilly than he intended, but... it seems to have the intended effect; knowing he is under a time crunch has Abel -- huffily, but with some urgency -- collecting the trousers she had given him and flouncing toward the changing rooms. ]

F-fine!! Fine, see if I care about if you have fun or not! Spoiled-sport!! Kill-joy!! Scrooge...!!

[ he shuts the curtain ~dramatically~ behind him, and he sure is grumbling to himself the whole time there is the rustling of clothing and belts and God knows what else behind there. sigh.

...she could just. leave............ him, ]

[septieme]

[yeah because how else would she get him to willingly drag his sorry ass tbh?? Glad (???) to know threats via cookies (that were never his) are effective (?????), she's learning too, bit by bit...

...

She sees him off with a CLEAR SCOWL, but only sighs to herself with an almost exaggerated slump to her shoulders once he's out of sight. What is he, internally five? She's starting to have second thoughts picking up this stray...

...

...They are not potent enough to make her to just leave unfortunately, her sense of responsibility is too strong. Whenever he'll be out, the other shirts she dumped on him would've been hung back, and the two they're keeping have been neatly folded up and bagged. She can be found at the coats section, thoughtfully perusing the wares. Was she completely off guesstimating his size, or was there something workable there?]

[inutilis]

[ >eternally five
wow haha got it in one did she,

...

God bless her and her sense of obligation and duty Abel does not deserve; he is making his way out of the changing room (and suffocating a yawn behind his hand as he does), bringing over a pair of black slacks to add to the two shirts he left in her charge earlier. ]

Um-- Ciel, I think this works out just fine... but I just realized something.